Breaking Patterns: The Gift of this Holiday Season

The holidays are upon us. Tonight ushers in the first night of Hanukkah as well as Christmas Eve. Kwanzaa begins on Monday.

The holidays are a time of celebration. They offer us an opportunity to connect with loved ones, revered rituals, and the wellspring of our faith. And yet they can often bring in a cornucopia of stress. Whether it's the pressures of traveling, gift-giving concerns, indulging in too much food and drink and/or facing well-worn family dynamics, the holidays may sometimes seem to be tinseled with tension.

This year our experience of the holidays may be different.

I say this because this holiday season everything seems like it has a great potential to be different. After all, we've got Uranus—the planet of do-it-differently—as the star player over the coming days.

astrologyStephanie GailingDecember 24, 2016jupiter opposite uranus, flower essences

Mercury Retrograde: December 19, 2016 - January 8, 2017

The current Mercury retrograde cycle spans December 19 - January 8.

Retrograde periods are times for reflection and heightened inner awareness. Since Mercury symbolizes communication, transport, the way we learn, our siblings, and our neighborhood, this period can yield great insights in these related areas of our life. Mercury Retrograde lasts about three weeks and occurs three to four times per year; the last one took place August 30 - September 21.

astrologyStephanie GailingDecember 16, 2016mercury retrograde

Gemini Full Moon

This Full Moon features the Sun in Sagittarius opposing the Moon in Gemini. And with this, we may feel ourselves caught in a push-pull between stepping back to gain perspective and focusing in on the facts that make up the whole picture. Striking a balance is important: Remember not to lose the forest for the trees, and yet don’t forsake the trees for the forest either, as both are equally important.

astrologyStephanie GailingDecember 12, 2016gemini full moon, chiron in pisces

Being Aligned with Our Truth (and Other Sun/Saturn Conjunction Themes)

* Inventorying personal beliefs.

* Finding new way to discern what is true.

* Architecting structures that allow for creativity.

* Seeing where limits can be allies.

astrologyStephanie GailingDecember 10, 2016saturn in sagittarius

Sagittarius New Moon

New Moons are monthly celestial events that usher in fresh cycles of creation. This Sagittarius New Moon marks an auspicious time to undertake a new project that can help us forge a greater understanding of the world around us. Expanding our horizons to embrace a different philosophical perspective—even just trying it on for size temporarily—can be incredibly valuable and uplifting.

astrologyStephanie GailingNovember 28, 2016sagittarius new moon, vervain flower essence, flower essences

Navigating the Holidays: An Astrological Perspective

The holidays are upon us.

And while on the surface the holidays are positioned as a time of cheer, merriment and celebration, for many people this time is a bit more intense and complex than that. After all, there's a lot to contend with: family and friend dynamics, connection to faith and religion, money and finances, social opportunities (and sometimes pressures), et al.

This year may be no different. And if the astrological climate is any indicator, this holiday season it may be even more intense and complex.

The reason?

astrologyStephanie GailingNovember 23, 2016jupiter square pluto, jupiter opposite uranus, holiday astrology

Bathing in a Sea of Emotion and Creativity: The Neptune Station

Feeling like you are bathing in a sea of emotions? Do you feel foggy, inundated with a sense of unclarity? Do you sense that the world around you is infused with illusion, confusion and disillusionment?

If so, you're not alone (even if you feel you may be at points).

astrologyStephanie GailingNovember 19, 2016neptune station

Taurus Full Moon

Scorpio is often associated with the shadow, the undercurrents, that which is buried. During this lunation with the Moon in earth-centered Taurus, consider whether there is way to ground and give form to your own personal shadow. Are there practices and rituals you can do--artwork, dancing, talking with a trusted ally, et al.--that you can do to bring deep and/or relegated-to-the-unheard feelings and thoughts to the surface, giving them voice and containment. This may be a step forward not only in personal healing but collective healing.

astrologyStephanie GailingNovember 13, 2016taurus full moon, shadow work

Scorpio New Moon

New Moons signify a time for beginnings. When this celestial event occurs in Scorpio what we can initiate are the ways in which we can connect more deeply to our essential nature, finding the inherent resources that may reside in the inner sanctum of our hearts and minds. Scorpio represents that which is hidden, the unseen, the things that are kept in the dark, including our deepest emotions.