Gemini Mercury Retrograde: Staying Grounded in a Hurricane

Here's a sampling of text messages, emails, and phone chats I've had over the last week, heralding the quirky and frustrating arrival of Mercury Retrograde in Gemini (May 18-June 11, 2015).

"My computer died. No, really. I took it into get fixed and it still DIED. Even though all the data has been replaced, it's all gibberish. I haven't slept in four days."

"My sister told me to email you and ask why one comment I innocently made to someone on Facebook has suddenly exploded. Now none of my friends are talking to me."

"My entire day was double booked. I want to fling myself from the top of a building."

And then the final icing on the cake: "We're in a Mercury in Retrograde, aren't we?"

Yes. Yes, we are.

Perhaps not "They're here" as Carol Anne says in the above clip from Poltergeist (1982), but "IT's HERE!" - until June 11, 2015, after which there's a shadow period of about two weeks where the effects will get lighter, before going away entirely.

Go ahead and back up your computer, your phone, your email account. Go ahead. I'll wait. Don't talk to anyone on the way. You'll just say something wrong and there will be an awkward exchange, probably with an ex- lover/friend/boss/coworker. It feels like you're speaking one language and everyone else is speaking quite another. 

Back from protecting all of your electronic files? 

We're in Mercury in Retrograde. Yes, again. The planet of communication goes backwards three times every year and this REALLY is one of those times. It's hurricane time.

Mercury in Retrograde means a few things. It means that communication can take a nose dive, computers commit hari kari, phones inexplicably lose power. My own brand new phone seems to have a keyboard that changes with the tides. Person A says something to us about Person B and before we know it, an accidental comment has gone from a light breeze of misinformation into a cyclone-level prime grade mine field.

Welcome to Mercury in Retrograde! 

This particular Retro is in Gemini. That means it's sort of a double whammy because Gemini is in its natural home - it's ruled by Mercury in the first place. 

Here's a survival guide.

DON'T (if you can help it)

*sign any new contracts

* buy any new technological items, cars, or large appliances

*get married, buy a house, or do any other big thing that can't be taken back during this period

* gossip - I promise, the information will get right back to the person being talked about

NOTE: If you absolutely MUST do these things during a Mercury Retro, find out about all escape clauses, warranties, and other "get out of jail free" information. You'll need it. If you're the one signing a client or, say, selling ad space or selling contracts to customers, make sure your client truly understands what he or she is signing. Otherwise, don't be surprised if the client has second thoughts.

DO:

- learn about options but don't sign anything

- revisit information, read, re-learn

- revisit or connect with old relationships or friendships from the past (yes, that may include past life connections or memories coming forth during a retrograde).

- reorganize/shift/clean

- communicate face to face and be as clear as possible

- be careful about any online communication

- if you must travel, double check all travel documents from tickets to luggage tags. If driving, have your AAA card on hand, just in case!

The big positive of Mercury in Retro, however, is that we have a chance to slow down. A friend of mine made a joke - "Of course we have to slow down if our phones have exploded and we can't get online because of ##%%%@&^ RETRO!" 

Fair enough. 

But Retro has many gifts on offer to us - new insight from old patterns. Old relationships or friendships may return. And trips taken in a retro may be fraught with the unexpected....but what's life without a little adventure?

Til next time,

Marissa

Full Moon in Scorpio on May 14 Forces Us to Our Depths

The Full Moon in Scorpio is an intense one! 

Thanks to the Full Moon in Scorpio on May 14, 2014, we're looking down the barrel of major change.

The Meaning of New Moons and Full Moons

A New Moon means that a situation is opening for us. New changes and chances which have to do with wherever the New Moon is are now alive for us. On the flip side, a Full Moon is kicking out old concepts and situations that are fueled by the Full Moon. In others words, New Moons start things; Full Moons bring endings or chances to let go.

The Full Moon in Scorpio on May 14, 2014

The Full Moon in Scorpio is forcing us to ask large questions about Scorpio topics: sex, death, soul mates, gut-level seismic changes - and asking us what we need to drop or get rid of. What needs a major clear out? With the Full Moon settling in Scorpio for this night, we're being asked by the universe if we have passion and intensity in our lives. Are our souls happy? With the Full Moon in Scorpio, we're karmically charged with fulfilling our own joy at the spiritual, foundational level. If it's shallow, it won't pass muster.  What has to go so that we can be truly happy? What must we create?

What You Need to Know

With the Full Moon in Scorpio, we must

* Lean in

*Dive deep

*Go to the depths 

*Get real

* Follow heart and emotions which will help us process this intensity

---- about the level of deep joy and passion in our lives. Are we living our lives from an authentic and joyful place? Or are we content to stay on the surface with pleasures that don't touch our soul?

Other Planets Contributing To This

The Sun in Taurus is holding up the other end of pleasure: what are our senses doing? Are we happy in our bodies? Are we able to GROW money, not just put it in the bank? 

Saturn in Scorpio is conjunct to this Full Moon in Scorpio. Saturn ties in these Full Moon lessons into deep questions about life lessons and karmic realities. Saturn teaches us Big Lessons and this Saturn is showing us that this Full Moon in Scorpio offers us powerful lessons about our spiritual realities and what needs to change in order to bring us fulfillment. 

Saturn in Scorpio links up with two other planets to form a Grand Trine in three planets: Jupiter in Cancer (luck in dealing...with family) and Chiron (the sign of the wounded healer) in Pisces, indicating that this is a great time of luck and healing deep wounds around personal dreams.

Want to know how this impacts your personal chart? Contact me for a reading.

Everyday Mysticism: Grace Cathedral, Hildegard of Bingen, and Labyrinths

Hildegard of Bingen: Spiritual BadA**

Hello! After a long and much needed break, we're back and ready to chat about mysticism, astrology, and more!

What is everyday mysticism?

Everyday mysticism means to live your life in a conscious way. It means finding the small miracles in the world because small miracles are always there. Find the silence. Understand your heart. Listen, and if that doesn't work, listen again. And again. And again. (Turn off the cell phone to really listen to your soul.)

How can I do that? 

Journal. Even five minutes of writing can reconnect you with your true purpose. Meditate. Silence isn't just golden, it's the key to unlocking what you really need in the moment. Carve out time for YOU. In our hectic, tech-driven world, it's important to power down so we can plug our souls into something bigger than us - universal energy and love.

Sacred labyrinth power  with
Dr. Lauren Artress

On Happy Ganesh's Facebook and Twitter pages, you mentioned a book called Walking a Sacred Path by Dr. Lauren Artress. What made you recommend  that book to your hundreds of followers?

I'm a big fan of what I call "meditative walking" - when I throw on some sneakers, grab my iPod, and talk a very, very long brisk walk. I love either walking in our neighborhood or walking in the local woods. Trees inspire and revive me. Nature gives me a feeling of excitement and adventure: my inner five year old goes, "Where are we going?"

That love of contemplation and nature drew me to Walking a Sacred Path - but, as the universe truly works in divine and perfect ways, usually when I least expect it, I didn't know I was being "drawn" to it. I bought it at a book sale because it was fifty cents! Much to my great surprise, I learned later that Dr. Lauren Artress , the author, is  responsible for the labyrinth at the welcoming and wonderful Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, one of my favorite spiritual spots!

 I had a chance to visit Grace Cathedral over Christmas 2013 and I was so moved by the beauty and tranquility of the space that I began to cry. Due to the holiday festivities, I didn't have a chance to walk the labyrinth but I look forward to doing so very soon. Movement is sacred. And at the heart of the labyrinth lies awareness, answers, visions, truth? All of the above, perhaps.

 One of my favorite quotes from the book is about the spiritual philosophy of Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th century mystic and theologian:

Hildegard of Bingen was [...] an author of theology that knitted together nature and spirit, cosmos and soul.  She described the [Spirit] as the greening power of God. Just as plants are greened, so are we as well. As we grow up, our spark of life continually shines forth. If we ignore this spark, this greening power, we become thirsty and shriveled. And if we respond to the spark, we flower. (Walking a Sacred Path, Artress, 1995, p.15)

What will you do this week to contribute to the "greening" of your soul and inner life? Will you use walking or hiking to hear your spirit? Or will you choose another form of awareness?

Happy Thanksgiving - New Moon, Mercury in Retro, and a Solar Eclipse!

Dear friends, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope the long Thanksgiving Day weekend brings each and every one of you a chance to reflect, rest, and recharge. This is a perfect time to really get into the spirit of the holiday. You could * make a gratitude list * call a friend * take the time to really be present in your life *unwind and recharge Astrologically, things are heating up. On Friday, the New Moon goes into bright and clear, spiritually oriented Sagittarius. It's our time to manifest Sag-style wishes such as: * kindred spirits * religious or philosophical answers * a dedication to the truth * getting excited and working toward the BIG PICTURE, as opposed to the small details   What Else Is Going On?   Just in time for the New Moon, we also hit the Solar Eclipse in Sag as well, bringing major changes. Since Sagittarius is a positive, hopeful sign, consider this New Moon/Eclipse double the energy, double the fun. Plus, toss in the Mercury in Retrograde in Sag from Thanksgiving Day until Dec 14th, and be sure to double check emails and communication skills.   Solar Eclipses are known to: * dislodge situations that aren't working * clear the path for new and fresh starts * remove the "pothole" from your path * clean house in a major way * force "fate" to get involved - things happen for reasons you can't imagine Retrograde Cycles are known to: * confuse communication or create technological issues * force you to be very clear about travel issues * bring old friends or lovers back for resolution While the Mercury in Sag is squaring off to Mars, we may see areas where the communication (and dreams of communication) don't quite match the reality of the day to day grind (Mars) yet. That's ok - just keep chugging along, making allowances for Retro snafus. Overall, this is a powerful time for us - a time to clean house, be thankful and move forward as we get closer to 2012. All my best and a Happy Thanksgiving! Marissa

New Moon in Scorpio - "Dig Deep! Power Up!"

New Moon in Scorpio on October 26, 2011!

(Happy birthday Scorpio? Want a reading? Go here or check out our Facebook page!

The Scorpio New Moon occurs at 3 degrees at 3:57 pm on October 26, 2011.

Scorpio shines a spotlight on the darker areas of our lives. Scorpio energy is powerful, passionate, intense, spiritual, and amazingly strong. The negative side of Scorp? Obsessive, controlling, and dark. We've got this powerful, powerful placement in the New Moon tomorrow night and it will remain there for about 2.5 days. However, we'll be riding out the tide of the Scorpio New Moon for the next two weeks. 

New Moons open the door to manifestation. They ask if we can work with energy and give us a special astrological passport to accomplish and co-create with the universe, so we've got the wonderful chance to really manifest Scorpio issues (see list below) in the next two weeks. 

The Sun is in Scorpio - and the Scorpio New Moon will match it tomorrow night, giving us a double whammy of Scorpio energy. Enough to blast the door open. Enough to plow through hardship and come out, renewed. Enough to really, really, really dig deep and get moving. There's a Facebook image based on the Occupy Wall Street Movement. It's called Occupy the Present and the caption is "Dig deep. Power up!" If I tried, I could not think of a more perfect saying for the New Moon in Scorpio. "DIG DEEP. POWER UP." Bingo! Allow yourself to pay attention to where you are and what you want. Be as authentic as possible.

The New Moon in Scorpio gives you power in the following (Scorpio themed) areas:

• psychological change
• courage 
• the ability to go into the dark and come out into the light
• exploration of your inner self
• rebirth
• regeneration
• personal clarity
• passion - that starts with the spirit
• healing, primarily deep psychological or sexual healing since both psychology and sex are ruled by Scorpio

What else is going on with this New Moon?:

Scorpio energy cleanses the old stuff and breaks it down, so that the new stuff can be born. On October 28, 2011, two days after this Scorpio New Moon, Jupiter (in sensual, earthy, grounded Taurus) trines Scorpio's ruler Pluto (in cranky, slow-moving, status-loving Capricorn). (Some believe that is the actual day that the Mayan calendar ends and projects us into an early "2012" - setting the stage for some major growth potential, both collectively and individually).

What does this mean? Basically the planet of luck (Jupiter) and the planet of the underworld and massive change (Pluto) are joining forces to bring great expansion and luck (a Jupiter quality) as the universe cleans out its closets in order to make room for the new (a Pluto quality) . In other words? Anything you want to drag up from your own personal underworld can only serve you and actually bring you luck and growth (although since Jupiter is in Retrograde until December 25, expect the major movement in this area to be after Christmas). 

Have any questions? Be sure to visit Happy Ganesh on Facebook or drop me an email here.

Image: Creative Commons

Full Moon in Aries, Sun in Libra

Tomorrow, the Full Moon in Aries will hit at around 10 pm, and last for around 2.5 days.

We've got a few interesting things going on here.
1) The Sun (identity) is in Libra
2) Saturn is still in Libra until the fall of 2012
3) The Full Moon in Aries asks us where are WE in relationships. Where do we fit in?

The start of the month asked us to manifest peaceful relationships. Saturn continues to ask us "What mature lessons are we learning?" The Full Moon in Aries wants what it wants. It asks you to feel the fiery, passionate, let's-do-it-now gasbag of feeling. This is a little bit like having part of our nature that will want peace and harmony (Sun Libra), the other part will want what it wants right the f*** now (Moon Aries), and the wise, old teacher in the corner (Saturn in Libra) asking us to make wise, long-term decisions. This Full Moon is going to ask us to focus on the self, in lieu of other "peace-making" chances and ask us to remember where we are, to not give ourselves up for the sake of Sun Libra peace and harmony. The Full Moon in Aries is also going to encourage us to make fast, quick changes - and the Saturn Libra (til 2012) will encourage us to be that image of the wise old teacher to ourselves.

This is the culmination of the Sun/Moon Libra (New Moon) at the start of the month.

The Aries Full Moon asks you if you have the COURAGE, WILL, AND WARRIOR SPIRIT to follow through with the Libra New Moon of PEACE, BALANCE, AND LOGIC.



Image: Creative Commons

All About Libra: The New Moon, Relationship Energies and More

We're about to enter into the New Moon in Libra on September 27th. This means that the universe is supporting us as we work to create

• harmonious partnerships
• balanced friendships
• fair relationships of all kinds
• health in areas of the body ruled by Libra, including the lower back and stomach
• seeing the other person's side - even if you disagree
• honoring cooperation and fair play
• art or music that uplifts and creates beauty
• business practices or social activism that help create balance and equality

Libra is Justice personified, but it is also Justice, ruled by the Goddess of Love. Libra's desire is to be fair and balanced, while still holding space for human connection and romance. Some astrologers see Libra as fluffy and romantic, dancing around on bubble-gum clouds, forever fashion-concious and unable to make up their minds. Not so! Joan of Arc had Libra planets and so have many famous warriors. The crux of Libra is in a perfect blend of fairness vrs. unfairness.  The 7th house in the wheel of the zodiac rules Libra - romantic partners (and not merely casual lovers), enemies, and lawyers all find their home here. 

Right now, we've got some fantastic and interesting Libra energy bouncing around. Not only is the New Moon in Libra for the next few days, and obviously our Sun is in Libra until October 23, but Saturn (lessons) and Mercury (thought) are also in Libra.  Venus (the planet of love) is also in Libra, its natural home. Love lessons (Saturn) with a gentle twist are here right now.  

Also, thanks to Uranus (the rebel planet) in Aries and Pluto (deep psychological transformation) in Capricorn, relationships and partnerships of all kinds are getting looked at under a bit of a celestial microscope - what doesn't fit - or doesn't fit right now - may drop (gently) away. However, the keywords here are "fair", "balanced", "graceful", and "diplomatic." Even relationships or unions that break up under this influence will go forward with a mutual sense of peace and harmony, with an emphasis on understanding the other's point of view. No throwing of dishes here! On the flip side, relationships that do stick under this romantic and cooperative influence are wielded through change and psychological growth.

New Perspectives

Libra energy puts the emphasis on what we can do as humans when we're in balance - with ourselves and with others in a solid partnership. The key of Libra is interdependency - what astrologer Linda Goodman once called "a perfect blend of summer and winter." How would interactions involve if you were in balance with yourself? What personal harmony and security can you bring to situations outside yourself, if you first tune yourself in? Libra promises to help us answer these questions, especially this month. We can begin to trust in ourselves and our ability to build cooperation with others in fair and balanced relationships, partnerships, marriages, and duos. 

Famous Libra Energy!

1)  John Lennon (born October 9th) was the lead singer of the Beatles. He merged romance (Yoko Ono) and political activism, Libra-style. Here he is, singing about a very Libran concept - karma.

2) Oscar winner Kate Winslet (Titanic, Revolutionary Road), born October 5, brings her class and intelligence to whatever role she's in.

Here she is in the trailer for Contagion (2011).

3) Jane Austen was a Sun Sagittarius but her Moon in Libra led her to create some of the world's first romantic comedies, which all focus on the ins and outs of love and partnership. Here's the trailer for 2005's Pride and Prejudice.

4) Happy Ganesh: Happy Ganesh was born on October 9, 2009, making it a Sun Libra. Happy birthday, Happy Ganesh! We love you. Thanks for writing, guiding, and connecting, and doing your groovy little Ganesh dance along the way. :-) (Here's M.C. Yogi, singing about Ganesh.)

Want more? Want a personalized reading? Want your work edited? Want original blog posts, created especially for your small business? Give us a shout at info@happyganesh.com or check out our main page at www.happyganesh.com

Want the writing blog? Pop over here to get grammar tips, blogs about the publishing industry, and more.

'Til next time.

"Libra Sign Coin -2008"Image: Armenian via Creative Commons