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Your August 2016 Newsletter From Dominique

This Month: Astrological Trends * Probiotics and Iron

August 2016 Astrological Trends

Let’s redefine August a bit with significant astrological event parentheses—as beginning on July 29, when Uranus turns retrograde in Aries, and ending on September 1, when the Solar eclipse in Virgo occurs. (On September 16, its paired lunar eclipse in Pisces will occur.) It’s the prerogative of Uranus influences to do things “their own way,” so this change and redefinition is in alignment with the times!

This retrograde lasts until December and tends to make Uranus even more Uranian. Expect increased innovation, inventiveness, intuition, flashes of insight, and quick paths to brilliant solutions. Along with that, side effects could be incurred—including an increase in anxiety, impulse, insomnia, and a sense of nervous energy.

What helps? An ever-present focus on connecting with your higher-self, practicing a large measure of patience when you’re faced with change, falling back on habits that work for you when it comes to your mental and sleep hygiene, plenty of outdoor activity and exercise, fresh and healthy foods, and kindness. It’s an absolutely fabulous time to investigate and research, write and explore. Many “Eureka!” moments are sure to emerge during the last part of the year. It’s okay to do the internal work or the research during the final part of 2016. Publish and share when Uranus turns direct again after December. The nice thing about Uranus is that it helps us change and get out of any ruts we’ve been experiencing.

Adding to a sense of progression and energy is the New Moon in Leo and the movement of Mars into Sagittarius—both on August 2. Leo and Sagittarius are both FIRE signs—meaning power, creativity, and enthusiasm. It’s a message that movement now, infused with joy, will be supportive for us. Dance, sing, get dramatic—let it all out somehow. Especially with the Sun moving through Leo during the first part of August.

Venus moves into Virgo on August 5. This signals a change in the realm of our relationship, financial, and creative focus to a more grounded energy where we may be more interested in finding a sense of sanctuary, service, and hygiene rather than seeking a sense of devotion, attention, and/or shared understanding. On August 29, this shifts again as Venus moves pretty swiftly through Virgo and into Libra. The energy will shift to seeking balance, harmony, and the redefinition of relations. Relational vibes shift into Libra air energy, which is more detached than either the Leo fire energy or the Virgo earth energy.

On August 7, Jupiter reaches 23 degrees Virgo—the point at which it began its retrograde movement way back in January, 2016. In effect, this is Jupiter finally beginning to move forward after going backward and then retracing its steps. It opposes retrograde Chiron in Pisces as it moves forward and moves on during mid-August, exactly opposite on August 12. This is asking us to increase our bandwidth on the Pisces/Virgo continuum, and so far, this year, one of the major questions emerging appears to be whether we want the world (both personally and publicly) to be a diverse place. Before answering with a stock, rehearsed answer, we need to look into our hearts to see how open we are to allowing others to be different. Do we expect others to be carbon copies of us, or are we genuinely doing the work to make a place and space in the world for everyone? What a dull and vulnerable world it would be if there were only one kind of vegetable or fruit; one type of flower or tree. Diversity is a protective force of nature, and our fixed mindsets are mere delusions. They won’t be outrunning nature’s ways any time soon, even if we go so far as to wage war over beliefs in our own righteousness. Jupiter and Chiron work together to illuminate where in our life we still have work to do. Jupiter will expand it—whatever it is. Chiron will make it hurt worse or heal better. When they come together in the middle, the resolution of an opposition’s energy, we find ourselves radiating instead of polarizing. Imagine the ability to choose one’s Virgoan daily choices and activities from the sense of surrendered oneness that Pisces offers. Personally, I’ve been affected profoundly by some recent aspects so I wouldn’t purport to be beyond the human space of needing to do some of this work and being somewhere in the middle of the journey, but I can imagine the integration and synthesis so I know I’m getting there along with everyone else. Chiron is an astrological body that helps us work out our karma. Jupiter has touched the North Node, a destiny point, recently, and now is showing us how to clean up some karma by integrating our ideals with the practical. It’s nice to know this is the time to move forward instead of go over and over it like we’ve done for months during Jupiter and Chiron retrogrades. Now, with Jupiter direct, we’ll have the chance to feel things shift for good.

On August 13, Saturn turns direct and leaves its retrograde movement, too. It will begin to retrace its steps through Sagittarius. Mars approaches its conjunction with Saturn during the middle of August, with exact conjunction on August 24. They are both square Uranus in Pisces. This is a major sign that making impulsive changes could backfire at this time. Saturn and Mars together in a fire sign could lead to a sense of impulsiveness and a feeling that things MUST change, or even a positive sense that you wish to expand something. It seems like with the Uranus square, it would be better to wait for a few months and see if you would make the same decision after the Saturn-Uranus square has ended or AT LEAST until after the Mars-Uranus square is no longer in effect (since the Saturn-Uranus square lasts pretty much the entire year). Especially if there is conflict involved, it’s just not the best time to make a major life decision. And it’s a time when you may also feel a lot of pressure to clean stuff up, especially with so much Virgo energy happening at the same time. If there is a way to be patient beyond what you feel you can handle and find ways to care for yourself, rather than do things that cause an effect on those around you, that is a better option at this time. Things could possibly feel like the steam has built up and you just cannot tolerate any more—you need to release the steam valve–but please remember there is no rush on the big decisions in life and all you need to do is keep yourself well cared-for. Beyond that, the paperwork can wait! (That is a metaphor for many things that can be delayed.)

An August 18, there is an Aquarius Full Moon. It’s a great day to cement any healing activities or work on your own unique metaphysical activities. Pay attention to the divine and your link to your higher purpose.

The sun enters Virgo on August 22. About that time, the world starts to get ready for both Mercury retrograde in Virgo to occur on August 30 (While Mercury is conjunct Jupiter in Virgo, and also while Venus is conjunct both of them!) and the New Moon Solar Eclipse at 9 degrees Virgo on September 1 (opposing Neptune in Pisces and squaring Saturn in Sagittarius—forming a T-square aspect pattern). There is a lot of fear and worry being tossed around for personal gain in the world right now, and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create your own personal boundaries against propaganda in order to protect your heart, mind, and soul. You can end up a victim of the mass mind, infected with the sad, violent images being traded about—or you can end up creating the future through your own clearing energy work. Sometimes we underestimate the importance of clearing our energy fields. We need to take the time beginning in late August through September to schedule and practice clearing our environments of toxic energy very deliberately—especially of media that brings us nothing but grief and negativity. This will help us and everyone around us. This can be biological / physical—our space. It can be our cognitive mindsets. It can be our social activities and our willingness to engage in things such as watching violence in the media. It can be our spiritual practices. There are many dimensions to attend. This will be about our personal response to wider issues.

It’s a month of movement and clarity. However, it also requires excellent focus on self-reflection and self-care. While things will be moving along, we needn’t feel rushed and can expect lots of joy and healing along with the new business that comes along in August!

Meditation

Guided audio meditations posted for free this month:

Nurture Your Inner Child Guided Meditation

Somatic (Body) Healing

Relaxation and Wellness

Take Advantage of these while they are free this month!!

Let me know what you think and if you want more in this series of wellness, relaxation, and healing. Send an email to domikajama@gmail.com.

Nourishment for the Body and Soul

August tips:

If you’re a female, pair probiotics with iron-rich foods to increase your body’s uptake of iron by 50%. In 2015, researchers reported in the British Journal of Nutrition that non-haem, or plant-based, iron uptake was increased significantly when paired in a fruit drink containing the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v).

Non-meat foods that are high in iron include dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale as well as dry beans. Probiotics can be found in fermented foods, which I at first assumed meant vinegars—so vinaigrettes on salads are a great option along with those foods that have gone through fermenting processes. Fermented foods include options such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, good old pickles, and some types of cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella and gouda can contain probiotics, for example). To add on to the picture, vegetarian options paired with Vitamin C also increase iron absorption.

Both my mother and my sister have experienced anemia at times in their lives. There are many women (and others) who experience iron deficiencies. Women are a principally vulnerable population, and that’s why I think this information is particularly relevant. After my mother had surgery, one of its effects was anemia—and she had never had this issue previously! So it can occur for many unexpectedly and knowing some hints in how we can use nutrition to support us could be beneficial in the long run.

It’s not gender-specific as a problem, but the research had a gender aspect to its hypothesis. It’s hard, therefore, to say anything scientifically conclusive about other populations. One would guess, however, that further research would show similar results for all people.

Read more scientific information here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4594053/

Nourishing Recommendations

You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.

(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)

Homeopathy and Core Synchronism have changed my life. First, I was immediately able to breathe after experiencing asthma-like symptoms for years. Many other improvements followed. Here are practitioners I recommend:

Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM

Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!

Elise Hensley, LISW, an amazing healer, specializing in EMDR and Neurofeedback. Elise is one of only a few people trained in Neurofeedback in our area. She is someone who is a skilled and amazing mentor. Better yet, your insurance may cover your sessions.

Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.

Be well!

Blessings,
Dominique

Your July 2016 Newsletter From Dominique

This Month: Astrological Trends * Free Guided Meditations

July 2016 Astrological Trends

Setting the Stage as July Opens:

Before any time passes at all, the setup in the skies is already significant for July. As July opens, it would be nice to take a few deep breaths and consider the following host of astrological influences.

Mars turned direct in Scorpio June 29:

Mars has turned direct in Scorpio and now we may feel the drive to persevere in a single-minded way as we strive to get what we want. It’s important to think about whether what we want aligns with our highest and best selves. It has the potential to help or harm, as Mars in Scorpio is trine to Chiron in Pisces, giving support to the Mars water energy.

Venus Oppose Pluto

The month opens with Pluto in Capricorn opposing Venus in Pisces. Venus in Pisces is about linking without binding. During the Venus in Pisces time, I’ve rekindled my relationship with Elaine Aron’s work on the subject of the highly sensitive person. In doing so, I discovered her book “The Undervalued Self,” in which she laid out the concepts of linking vs. ranking responses and behaviors. Linking, or looking for ways to share and connect free of comparing ourselves and competing, is the internal schema/response and external set of behaviors that foster a sense of safety because one person is not more important than another person. Ranking is what we’re taught by our culture to engage in as we move through the world wondering if we’re good enough to make it. We feel superior or inferior to others for an endless variety of reasons, manufactured inter-generationally and in the mass markets. Venus in Pisces, opposing Pluto in Capricorn, helps us dissolve what needs to be dissolved so we can let go of the notions of value altogether, or at least value as we know them. There is a whole new basis of relating being revealed. Cutting the threads of ranking is interesting, because we live in a culture that values hierarchy as a source of power, and fails in many ways to set structure to more tangible and satisfying ways of being. Here is a chance to deeply observe how this has played out for you, personally, in how you relate, survive, and create.

Jupiter Conjunct North Node in Virgo July 1-14

We’re still feeling the effects of the Jupiter-North Node exact conjunction last month, which was in relationship to Pluto. These effects from June 24-26 touched upon the things that are completely out of control in our lives. If you have been experiencing anything like I have, the vastness of your powerlessness may be coming home to you. Even if we have been doing our ultimate best, life can still lay us flat, and put us in a position where our alternatives leave us completely uncomfortable and feeling traumatized. I’m trusting this is a compassion-building set of experiences all-around—that the exposure of my limitations builds compassion in others and so on. I find myself both needing help and helping others at this time—as if I am in the middle of a river or stream of life—and it’s a leveling and somewhat non-personal experience. This seemed to be kicked off and magnified by the North Node destiny point of Virgo, and touched health and bodily issues. How is it affecting you? Look to your health, your daily functioning, and your habits—are they changing or highlighted at this time? Have you made adjustments and arrangements? Despite your efforts, are you struggling to regain balance? If so, it may just be a point of evolution and/or karma—instead of something to worry about.

Saturn Square Neptune

As the month opens, we’re still experiencing the Saturn in Sagittarius square to Neptune in Pisces, which has turned retrograde in the past few weeks. There’s a sense that the things we’ve been counting on have abandoned us, and that we have to slow down and rehash what we thought we believed in. If we’ve been dealing with our addictions, we may be asked to give up the things we rely upon to feel better just at the point when we’re stressed out the most. It’s a setup, from what I can see. It’s going to be OK to acknowledge that we need a lot of help from each other to survive these times. This Summer is an interesting time in both providing for and needing support from others. The things we’ve so nicely put in place and felt we have managed may not work for us for a while, but I think peace will return later in the year. Things never look the same after a transition, but we can still have faith that all is not lost. It could help to know we are in the middle of a Saturn slow-down and restructuring, in which teacher Saturn is pointing to the fantasies, dreams and illusions we have been carrying in our lives and saying, “here, look.”

Capricorn Pluto Trine Virgo North Node July 1 – 31:

Pluto will continue to work with our North Node all month, helping us to integrate major changes to our destiny and Karma. The comfort we can find is the comfort of letting go to our destiny. Pluto is the power of a natural disaster—so what do we think we might be able to hold on to in a typhoon? Let die what needs to die—and if that is our dignity, our idea of how to arrange things, our former way of managing, and/or the concept of managing at all—so be it. Allowing has never been more important. Gentleness can be a wonderful practice during the storms this month—even if those storms are only internal. This is actually a supportive aspect, so it’s possible to use the energy of transformation under the surface consciously. Call upon spiritual practices, mentors, nature, and any and all help available to help ease your way. In earth signs, nature and care and feeding of the body are especially indicated. These are the signs of Virgo and Capricorn, however—so they are the signs of rigorous health—not indulgence like the sign of Taurus.

Mars in Scorpio Quincunx Uranus in Aries July 1-July 21:

The beginning of the month can also be host to unexpected and sudden adjustments, insights, and changes. New changes can manifest in actions and impulses, so use the higher path of these energies to get powerfully creative if you can, instead of powerfully driven, suddenly.

Mars in Scorpio trine Retrograde Chiron in Pisces July 1 – July 21

Mars water energy also affect the first two-thirds of July as it interacts with Chiron in Pisces. It will allow action and focus on healing / wounding. An ever-deeper level of healing and wisdom will be possible if you find your way to it.

July Startup in a Wave of Water Energy:

The beginning of July brings a stellum, or a group, of planets in the sign of Cancer. Further, these are the personal planets that kick off activity as they travel around the zodiac. Cancer is a water sign, the element of emotion and depth. This portends a focus on instinctual response during the start of July, instead of intellectual, bodily, or external reliance. On July 3-9, Mercury conjuncts the Sun. They conjunct the Moon on July 3-4, also, and loosely conjunct Venus. Adding water influence, this stellum of four planets trines Retrograde Neptune in Pisces from July 3-9.

The Cancer New Moon at 12 degrees Pisces which is part of this Stellum occurs on July 4, 2016 at about 7:01 am (MDT). This New Moon is, as mentioned, conjunct Mercury in Cancer, trine Retrograde Neptune in Pisces, sextile the North Node in Virgo, quincunx Saturn in Sagittarius, and loosely opposed to Pluto in Capricorn at 16 degrees. That makes it an active New Moon! There is increased ease for connecting to universal and higher consciousness, with the easy aspects to Neptune and the North Node, as well as the alignment with Mercury. You can use intuition and guidance for a psychic experience during the New Moon. Saturn and Pluto relationships offer an opportunity for guidance at this time, so if you’re learning something new—whether being mentored or whether it’s trial-by-fire—it also would not be a surprise. Also, it’s a great time for prayer to ask the powers that be to bless you for the remainder of the month. The Venus influence that follows this New Moon means asking and receiving is favored now. A prayer activity (not merely a meditation activity) would be indicated for this New Moon.

On the heels of the New Moon, on July 5-8 there’s a Venus Grand Trine in water signs, the first of three grand trines in water during July. The first includes Venus, the second Mercury, and the third the Sun. Venus sits in Cancer, Mars in Scorpio, and Chiron in Pisces. Taking action on romance, finances, and relationships is supported during this time. You can delve deep into issues and heal problems. Mercury replaces Venus in this Grand Trine configuration from July 9-13, meaning the issues you can take action on are intellectual issues—writing, communicating, thinking. From July 14-20, the Sun replaces Mercury in Cancer at this point of the Grand Trine. This means issues related to your personal identity take center stage, and you can take action related to self-care and individual identity.

On July 6-8 Mercury in Cancer Opposes Pluto in Capricorn. The high-path use of these energies are investigation, counseling, psychology, self-analysis, truth-telling, research, and investigation. The low-path use of these energies might be psychological abuse, obsession, arguments, secrecy, and feelings of superiority. The high-path is, of course, recommended!

Mid-July Full Moon:

When Mercury squares Uranus on July 10-13, it’s a good time to remain flexible as you watch things move fast. Changes can occur quickly when these two get together. Communication may be somewhat challenging, but on the bright side, you may also have some brilliant insights and some new ways of thinking through things. If people are blurting out some unskillful statements—no worries—it’s just Mercury square Uranus!

When the Sun moves into square aspect to Uranus from July 14-18, a similar energy will prevail, but it will be focused on a feeling of wanting to break free from restrictions. Thinking about your unique needs in a way that is healthy and free from abruptly impacting others as you sense any impending changes will help you keep from ego conflicts, accidents as a result of nervous energy, and arguments, which would be how this influence could expel if it were to build up like steam pressure.

On July 11/12 (near midnight, so it depends on your time zone), Venus moves into Leo. It will also square the moon that day, in Scorpio. Our focus in relating will change from feeling our way forward to wanting to celebrate and let loose a lot more. When Mercury moves into Leo on July 13, it will add more emphasis to this shift. We may begin to think we want to buy a new outfit and get a haircut, instead of worry about how we will pay for it, for example. Cancer energy is concerned with security while Leo is concerned with identity. Mercury and Venus will move together in conjunction, or alignment, in Leo from July 13 through 25.

Late July:

When the Sun moves into Leo on July 22, the focus changes from family and home to the self. Leo rules children and creativity. It’s always a great time of year for a makeover.

During the period from July 25-29, Mercury will trine Uranus in Aries, square Mars in Scorpio, and quincunx Chiron in Pisces. This means an active mental time when there’s activity around healing and processing again. Fire energy added into the mix should inspire spirit to bring new ideas to bear in a easy manner. Adjustments can become apparent, and there’s a sense of both speed and depth to what happens at the end of the month.

On July 28-31, the Sun in Leo trines Saturn in Sagittarius. As a close-out to the month, this will be a lovely supportive energy to inspire our soul journeys in their new areas. We have had a lot of adjustment during the past few months, and Leo energy with Sagittarius expansion energy should give us a break, FINALLY. Plan some celebration time at the end of the month—however that looks for you. It could simply be a three-day nap!

July 30, Mercury moves into Virgo. Virgo is one of the signs that Mercury is at home in, along with Gemini. This is a nice shift for our minds to relax into intellectual manifestation.

Meditation

Guided audio meditations posted for free this month:

Nurture Your Inner Child Guided Meditation

Somatic (Body) Healing

Relaxation and Wellness

Take Advantage of these while they are free this month!!

Let me know what you think and if you want more in this series of wellness, relaxation, and healing. Send an email to domikajama@gmail.com.

Nourishment for the Body and Soul

“I have found that HSPs [Highly Sensitive People] benefit from a fourfold approach:

1. Self-Knowledge
2. Reframing
3. Healing
4. Help with Feeling Okay when being out in the World and Learning when to be Less Out”

From “The Highly Sensitive Person” by Elaine Aron

Nourishing Recommendations

You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.

(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)

Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM

Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!

Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.

Be well!

Blessings,
Dominique

Your June 2016 Newsletter From Dominique

This Month: Astrological Trends * Free Guided Meditations * Nasturtium Appetizer Recipe

June 2016 Astrological Trends

If you have not revisited the subject of mental flexibility lately, perhaps it is time. One of the mechanisms in human consciousness is escapism through fear. The alternative—faith and innovation. We can see this playing out astrologically in the fire element at this time. Saturn, Uranus, Mars and Pluto are asking us to take a look at how we are handling old stereotypes and how we will answer the inquiry about whether we will escape into what we already know vs. venture into discovery. They are now activated by the Sun and Venus and it’s a stressful aspect—so it may not be pleasant. However, the gift of stress is to catapult our learning.

The Sun and Venus are in Gemini—that double-sided coin of a sign. Gemini is our mind and also our intelligent connection to the spirit world. Gemini represents our mapping of the world and our mental models. The Sun is the force of gravity in our solar system. Dane Rudhyar wrote, “the sun stands there as the integrator of the whole system, that which holds it together and represents its ultimate total significance.” (The Astrology of Personality, p. 288.) Venus is a benefactor and a smoother-over of energy. These two—Sun and Venus in Gemini—are opposing Saturn in Sagittarius, who is sitting reversed, or retrograde, in the sign of religious idealism. Saturn is concrete sometimes. Saturn asks us to clean up our act. Wherever we’re clinging to something that’s not good for us—we’re to give it up. A diet of hatred, violence, bigotry, war, social injustice, greed that hurts others, and many of the public actions that people are aware cause destruction but engage in nonetheless—is unnecessary and a setback from a Saturnian point of view. It’s escapism from growing up as a species. A regression into a human past that disappoints teacher Saturn. This aspect reveals we’re at a teachable moment.

NASA photo of Saturn North Pole. On June 1, Saturn will be closer to the earth than it has been in 10,000 years…

June 4/5 (in the wee hours) is the Gemini New Moon, at the exact degree of the Venus/Sun conjunction in Gemini discussed in the previous paragraph. The astrological skies are putting an exclamation point on the need for new beginnings with this new moon. June 4^th and 5^th will be powerful days to help you usher in your changes, personal, professional and social.

So, integrate instead of judge. Keep a positive regard for all people, no matter how awkward they appear—they are learning, too, this month. Learn and brush yourself off and get back up after the month opens, instead of ruminate. That’s the mental flexibility I mentioned.

You can use the earth grand trine energies of Mercury in Taurus, Jupiter in Virgo, and Pluto in Capricorn during the time as well to engage in something with your hands and body any time your nervous system feels over-activated. Ground yourself with nature walks, art, time alone to rest, plenty of fluffy pillows, cooking, massage, or whatever bodily experience floats your boat. You can use the Gemini energy to read and study if that’s something you like. Theater activities may combine the two.

Also, retrograde Mars in Scorpio is in trine aspect to Chiron throughout June. It is exact on June 11. Chiron in Pisces is activating a universal consciousness—and we heal or wound together at present. I talked with a friend a few days ago about feeling a loneliness that was very painful. “I haven’t been lonely in about 25 years, though,” I said, “so how could this be my feeling?” I realized that along with everyone else during Mars retrograde (February through June 29), I’m feeling the wave of emotional tension sweeping humanity. I’ve had to do a lot of work to maintain a modicum of compassion and empathy. I, who hardly experience a deep anger, have been outwardly frustrated and short with my loved ones lately. From a higher view point, I can see how connected we all are. While I’m responsible for all my actions, I also feel that as an intuitive I feel connected to waves of energy that pass through. I feel it’s important to practice energy-giving to the earth/nature, to other mortals, and to stay connected to asking for help from powers greater than my intellect. Busy work is very distracting to this energy work, and knowing what to prioritize can be a challenge. I’m grateful to write these words, because I feel it is Chiron working through me to help us realize and remind ourselves that the path through is to prioritize our silent, powerful prayer and energy work each day. It has never been more important than it is this Summer.

Astro-Geekery Moment

The month opens with a Grand Cross aspect pattern that we discussed at the end of May, operating through June 6. The longer-term aspects that have been active are an opposition of Jupiter in Virgo to Neptune in Pisces, squaring Saturn in Sagittarius. From the end of May through June 6, The Sun and Venus moved through Gemini to oppose Saturn and complete a Grand Cross, consisting of two pairs of oppositions at cross-roads to one another, also forming four square aspects of 90 degrees between the planets. This makes both oppositions exponentially stronger. Furthermore, the New Moon occurs on June 4, 2016 at 14 degrees Gemini, exactly conjunct the Sun and Venus.

Below is a picture of The June 4 Grand Cross and New Moon in case you are interested in the mechanics of what this looks like in an astrology chart. The red lines show the cross and the red square represents the 4 square aspects.

Mid-June

During the period from June 5 through June 10, there’s an interesting after-effect from the Grand Cross activation. The Sun and Venus will square the North Node in Virgo. The North node is a few degrees beyond Jupiter and just a bit too far forward to be a part of the Grand Cross configuration. However, it all seems to tell a very nice story because the Sun and Venus move forward and make an aspect portending that you’ll be feeling uncomfortable with new feelings, behaviors, circumstances—ways of being that you’ve never tried before. The North Node is a point of destiny, and Virgo is related to Gemini because they share the planet Mercury. In Gemini (where the Sun and Venus are traveling), the energy is focused on thought because Gemini is an air sign. In Virgo, the energy is focused on manifestation because Virgo is an earth sign. Virgo is a sign through which, archetypally, heaven writes its story or makes its will manifest. If you listen very closely to Virgo energy, you can hear some amazing teachings or celestial “downloads.”

So the second portion of June looks to be the part of the story where we have realized the old stereotypes, old baggage, old stories or old patterns we’ve been carrying simply won’t work any longer—but the new, replacement thoughts, behaviors, and ways of being are pretty uncomfortable still. We’re just receiving the new information as the Sun and Venus in Gemini square the North Node in Virgo.

What a ride, though. Hold on to your hat! Because the Venus-Sun duo next sextile Uranus in Aries from June 10 through June 17. Here is where flashes of insight will flow through you like electricity. Uranus and Mars in Scorpio are also in what’s called a quincunx aspect, which means keep a notebook and pencil with you. Thoughts will be arriving at very unexpected times and you’ll want to write them down because they’ll be deep and hard to grasp unless you have a way to capture them. Following the Uranus aspect, they also square Neptune through the last part of the month, so holding on to these thoughts will be challenging. The Neptune relationship also underscores the depth and universalism of the information. Another suggestion is to plan for journaling time during these days to spark your imagination and provide your system with a way to process these energies. It could be a fruitful time for art endeavors that are meaningful and powerful. Jupiter and the North Node in Virgo come closer together again toward conjunction during mid-June, also, adding a touch of benefit toward reflective and organizational activities.

June 15 is a day when the North Node in Virgo trines Pluto, so there are implications for day-to-day life changes. This adds more energy to the concept of things changing and observing how our past no longer serves our future. Also, with the North Node being a destiny indicator—if you are part of a contract or lawsuit (Capricorn matters), the person who attends to the details at this time (crossing every “t”/dotting every “i”) will likely be the victor, with Jupiter in Virgo.

Late June

Venus moves into the sign of Cancer on June 17. The Sun enters Cancer on June 20. Water energy brings our emotions and family energy to the fore. It’s beginning to be time to focus on issues of mothers and children, nurturing (the “inner mother”), visit a lake, attend to our home repairs, and other closer-to-home activities.

Mercury in Gemini Opposes Saturn on June 19 through June 22, reprising the Grand Cross for a few days. This time, the North Node is conjunct Jupiter. This Grand Cross activation asks us to clarify our thoughts about the forces of the past and future that we find ourselves facing at this point in history; about our group affiliations; about our personal mindsets. You can spend time writing and assessing your ideas. It will be time to synthesize and communicate.

The Full Moon in Sagittarius lights up the sky on June 20. This is a fire element moon while the sun has just entered a water sign. There may be a feeling of finishing up the inspirational fire activities or you may feel your inspiration become doused and the full moon energy a bit less fiery on this second Sagittarius full moon. (On May 21, there was a Full Moon at 1 degree Sagittarius.) I’m not sure I would perform rituals on this Full Moon in June.

June 24 is when Jupiter EXACTLY conjuncts the North Node in Virgo for the final time. June 26 is the exact trine to Pluto retrograde in Capricorn. These are dates of activity, although the energies of change and transformation are happening for an orb of time around these dates—throughout June. Pluto in Capricorn beyond the middle degrees is now calling us to change the systems that have broken down and to begin to rebuild or reimagine better ones. Whatever small parts we play in a larger whole—we’re being called upon at this time and our destinies may have us touching these systems—legal, medical, governmental, etc. Whatever we have lost in the past 10 years, we’re now being asked to rebuild, brick by tiny brick. Now is one aspect of that rebuilding process, astrologically-speaking. You may see that repair play out in your life during June somehow.

Mercury will step forward to touch Uranus for insight and Chiron for wisdom as it travels through its home sign of Gemini during late June. You could keep writing away or having fruitful talks during these days and share many great insights. Mercury also enters Cancer on June 29, the same day that Mars turns direct in Scorpio after months of being retrograde.

July looks to be a time of settling down into a less surrealistic energy as we reorient with Mars moving forward again.

Meditation

Brand new guided audio meditations posted for free this month:

Synchronize Work and Meaning

Somatic (Body) Healing

Relaxation and Wellness

Take Advantage of these while they are free this month!!

Let me know what you think and if you want more in this series of wellness, relaxation, and healing. Send an email to domikajama@gmail.com.

Nourishment for the Body and Soul

Nasturtium Appetizer

For Spring, why not serve your family or your guests something beautiful and colorful from the garden? An unexpected treat will have them pondering in their imaginations and talking for days. Nasturtiums have a peppery taste. You can stuff them and leave them open, as I suggest here. You can stuff them and close them up, kind of like dolmas. You can add them to salads. You can use them as top garnish to make a dish look spectacular. It’s a Spring and Summertime treat for a wild June this year—why not try it in 2016? Add a soft white cheese to them and give your table colorful flair!

Yield: 12 appetizers (increase or decrease to suit your needs)

Ingredients:

12 blossoming nasturtium flowers
½ to ¾ cup softened chevre (goat cheese) or whipped cream cheese
¼ cup diced or finely sliced scallions
2 TBSP diced olives and/or sun dried tomatoes

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, stir together the softened cheese and remaining ingredients. Using the back of a spoon or a small pastry spreader, carefully spread a small portion of the mixture into the cavity of each flower.

Serve on a beautiful platter.

Nourishing Recommendations

You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.

(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)

Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM

Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!

Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.

Be well!

Blessings,
Dominique

Your May 2016 Newsletter From Dominique

This Month: Astrological Trends * Free Guided Meditations * Freely Giving in Relationships

May 2016 Astrological Trends

This Spring appears to be the time to stick to the cosmic lesson plan. Saturn is making learning aspects from Sagittarius, asking us to expand our notions of what’s possible firmly and practically—but without skipping a beat. If you’re having an experience like mine, you may be scanning the environment for a place to rest for a while. A look into the astrology reveals a better question for all of us will be: what support can I have as I move into the new normal?

The big decisions likely occurred last month, with the Mars aspects being more prevalent in April. This month, the big actions likely continue. In May, we see lots of earth energy support and a continuation of the long-term influences we’ve been experiencing overall for some time, such as the Virgo Jupiter-Sagittarius Saturn square, the Saturn-Pisces Neptune square and the Jupiter – Neptune opposition as well as lingering trails of Capricorn Pluto-Aries Uranus square. We also see the faster moving planets engage these slower energies to provide both solid help for restructuring and supporting our changes (sometimes called beneficial aspects) as well as motivation for change (sometimes called stressful aspects).

On May 1—May Day—there are some aspects that open the month as if they are sprinkling fairy dust over the universe to tell us to get ourselves oriented toward the natural world again. Remember that we are connected and ground ourselves. This is just an inkling of what is possible during May’s supportive grand trine energy—the kind of energy you need to focus on in order to summon up into your life. It is the quiet voice of life like a mother cooing and holding you in her arms, always mirroring your little smiles and cries. It is life waiting for you to smile and recall that you are a joyous creature underneath the breathless crying out for needs and wants that have felt endless. When we stop and breathe, we realize mother life has been there all along, attending to our basest needs and waiting for us to begin to grow again. We can attach ourselves to our life’s potential wholeheartedly as quickly as an infant shifts from a cry to a smile. These exact aspects on May 1 touch on the fact that we have this opportunity to turn our lives around now and rest in the energy of nurturing. Try to feel it a little as you move through your day.

They are: Sun in Taurus exactly sextiles Neptune in Pisces, shedding light on infinity. Mercury retrograde in Taurus sextiles Chiron in Pisces exactly, providing insight into the places we were wounded, turning our thoughts to teaching or mentoring, or giving us wisdom. Finally, for a moment, Venus, who has just entered her home sign of Taurus, sextiles the Moon exactly on May 1. Venus in Taurus is Venus enthroned, at home, in exaltation. It’s a time for feminine power which signals a rise in creative power. With many other planets retrograde, including Mars, Venus in Taurus feels like she has a lot of power right now to me. Being a Venus in Taurus woman, I know this is the signal of limitless creative potential and also a signal to connect deeply with nature whenever possible. With this hit on May Day, Venus and the Moon are asking us to consider the archetype of “mothering” on ever-deepening levels. Self-care has never been more vital than on this day! However you choose to indulge your senses and renew your spirit, Venus and the Moon are with you.

May’s Grand Trine:

It doesn’t stop there. This theme of actively supporting and nurturing yourself and those around you continues are these planets are involved in a beautiful dance throughout the month. The explanation for day 1 was so long because these energies build to an even more empowering and beautiful crescendo as Venus, Mercury, and the Sun move together in Taurus in what’s called a conjunction aspect during the first 10 days or so of May. First the Sun forms a grand trine with Jupiter in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn. A light stream of harmony opens up right where you are. Since both Jupiter and Pluto are retrograde, the best place to be is where you are. You can learn some things about your identity and redefine yourself, or get very comfortable with changes to your core that are occurring. The New Moon meets up with the Sun, adding gravitas to the ability to begin or begin again. The Taurus New Moon means you can manifest something physically if you’d like. Then Venus follows to take the Sun’s place as the Sun moves out of orb. Venus brings with it financial plans, creative and natural connections, somatic awareness. Let the healing begin! Following Venus, Mercury (who is retrograde, then turns direct on May 21) then spends the remainder of the month in grand trine aspect with Jupiter and Pluto. Mercury means the mind can slow down. I can recall saying this almost every month—but meditation during May can be particularly fruitful. Mercury is the mind, and Mercury in Taurus can mean a quieted, peaceful mind. From that mental place, seeds for the future can be planted securely, spiritually speaking. (I am not going to comment on pregnancy possibilities—HA-HA!)

Here are some of the key energy trigger points during this cycle:

May 6: 1:30 PM MDT New Moon in Taurus (invoke something new)
May 9: Sun and Mercury in exact conjunction (mind aligns with core being)
May 13: Venus and Mercury in exact conjunction (mind aligns with finances/creativity/body)
May 21: Mercury turns direct (Mind less reflective, ready for action again after retracing its steps through Taurus)

Mid Month:

The Sagittarius Full Moon occurs on Saturday, May 21 at 3:14 P.M. MDT at one degree Sagittarius/Gemini. At the same time, The Sun, having just moved into Gemini, moves into opposition to Retrograde Mars. One degree is one of the power degrees, making aspects strong. Occurring as Mercury turns direct, this aspect can have an effect of causing tension. The feeling of wanting to assert oneself may arise and be played out in relationships or in the environment. You can be open and honest about strong emotions, but avoid rash actions and risk taking. You can use the fiery energy in creative or physical exertion.

Venus follows the Sun to oppose Mars on May 24. Venus and Mars are the Yin/Yang and Female/Male archetypes of the zodiac, so you can also use that to romantic advantage if you’d like to take the high road with these energies. Those Mars-in-a-fire-sign-desires can be used for the best and highest relational purposes, too, after all!

May / June Mutable Grand Cross:

At the end of May, the Sun and Venus move into Gemini. They form a larger aspect pattern in the skies called a grand cross, which is more challenging. These kinds of aspects often bring issues to your doorstep, while the grand trine aspect discussed above are energies that are quietly purring around you. My hope is that you’ll call upon the trine energies copiously prior to the grand cross. Even while the grand cross occurs, Mercury is still in the grand trine aspect simultaneously.

On May 31 through June 6, the grand cross will activate when the Sun and Venus move into opposition with Saturn. Saturn is in Sagittarius. Saturn in Sagittarius energy is reformation energy—the sign of Martin Luther in 16^th century Germany and Martin Luther King of the 1960s. Jupiter in Virgo is opposing Neptune in Pisces. We are being asked to balance our abundance on earth with our knowledge of the higher order.

As the Grand Cross occurs, this energy is funneled through the lens of Venus and the Sun, so it occurs to each individual that change is necessary and they are an integral part of it. Each person will likely experience how they play a part in the changing atmosphere. The sense of being part of a larger whole, while simultaneously being important—can dissolve one’s ego and also embolden a person’s purposefulness. Gemini is often a sign that allows us to hold two realities simultaneously. The mutable signs also hold space for the concept of two things occurring at once. It’s as if we are asked to observe that new life grows out of the decay of old life. We witness this in a forest; we may have to witness this in ourselves.

It can be challenging to hold space for both the death of the old and the birth of the new simultaneously within our lives and our worlds, but have patience and be gentle with yourself. This is a natural and necessary part of life, and larger than any individual. For me, part of faith is surrendering to a relationship with those things larger than an individual self. It helps me to relax and relinquish responsibility so that I can get down to and focus on the part that is mine to accomplish during my lifetime.

Meditation

Brand new guided audio meditations posted for free this month:

Synchronize Work and Meaning

Somatic (Body) Healing

Relaxation and Wellness

Take Advantage of these while they are free this month!!

Let me know what you think and if you want more in this series of wellness, relaxation, and healing. Send an email to domikajama@gmail.com.

Nourishment for the Body and Soul

Freely Giving in Relationships

Think back to a time when someone accepted you in all your wholeness—flaws, magnificence, neutrality. Sometimes there hasn’t yet been a person in life who has accepted us this completely. The experience of unconditional acceptance is like no other. After knowing what it’s like, it eventually helps us build empathy for others and becomes something that we want to pass on.

There are many personality styles, but beneath the variations of style, there is a level of regard we hold for others. At some level of maturity, we are able to stop or bypass the judgments we have of ourselves and others and see one another as capable of every reaction, behavior, and possibility. If we have every seed within us that could be watered and grown, as Thich Nhat Hanh says, so does everyone else. What appears to us in the behavior of the people before us, then, become the results of the seeds that were watered in them. Collectively, our environments are the gardens that were built from these seeds. When we view things this way, we can see that our jobs are to water seeds more and more skillfully over time, instead of to judge the seeds that were watered before we came along. It doesn’t do a lot of good to yell at the seeds that have already grown before our time—it does a lot of good to tend to the garden gently and with a friendly heart.

So if we let go of our morality and thinking that we know what’s right and wrong we can go about doing our best to be friends with our environment and friendly toward ourselves and toward especially those whom we love and cherish. When we give, we can pay attention to take care of others. It’s not a burden to give of ourselves; it’s an honor. The messages we have received throughout our lives are often quite backwards. The transactional nature of giving and receiving that we’ve been trained into is only one possibility for structuring our thoughts around giving.

Giving is also not about material items. The smile in our eyes and the listening we do with our hearts is one of the most important gifts we can give. The state of being with which we enter a room is a gift we give every person in the room. The joy we feel is a gift transmitted throughout the world. These are gifts of boundless value.

Nourishing Recommendations

You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.

(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)

Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM

Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!

Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.

Be well!

Blessings,
Dominique

Your April 2016 Newsletter From Dominique

This Month: Astrological Trends * Free Guided Meditations * The Power of Giving

April 2016 Astrological Trends

April showers us with a Mercury-Uranus conjunction right away for the first two days of the month. The beginning of the month will continue March’s speed, but when Mars turn retrograde on April 17, we should see some slower “Astrological weather,” as acclaimed astrologer Susyn Blair-Hunt puts it 🙂

However, as April commences, stay attuned to your insights. With a Mercury-Uranus conjunction, the universe will be itching to download its brilliance from spirit into form, and this can feel electric and fast. It’s a time of unexpected shifts & changes, psychic impulses, open-mindedness, quick intuitions / thought patterns, and brilliance. Get your quills and keyboards ready! However, also get ready for the electrical buzz of it, especially if you’re prone to anxiety/worry, which is the lower manifestation of this type of energy. It would be okay to lay off the caffeine for these two days and avoid driving as much as possible if you’re feeling ungrounded. The potential for distraction is high. (You can use my free meditations, or any guided meditations that help you feel relaxed and centered, to ground yourself!)

Not to be forgotten, the Sun follows Mercury in joining with Uranus from April 6 through 12 in conjunction. The sun is less mental and more heartfelt, so any nervousness should cease and the ability to process the insights that flash through your life will occur. The heart-mind connection can be made in the days that follow. To support this process, the heavens have produced a SUPERMOON for the April 7 new moon! (A supermoon means the moon will be close to the earth.)

This Sun-Moon-Uranus revolution in your life is supported by both Pluto and Saturn. Pluto says: whatever needs to change, now is the time. Don’t hold back. Saturn says: I will support and stabilize you during this change. Have faith!

In the meantime, on April 5, Venus moved into Aries and Mercury moved into Taurus. We may feel our creativity, relationships, and finances fire up. We also may feel our minds finally calm down, and our mental energy begin to simmer after a time of high-octane intellectual activity.

On April 17, Mars retrogrades in Sagittarius. This allows us to slow down our actions and reflect a lot on how we are doing. Sagittarius is a sign of freedom and travel, so we might find ourselves staying at home a bit more, and we may love to visit nature more. We might turn toward peace—and process how we are treating ourselves and others. How are we fair, free, and how have we been true to ourselves and to others? What are our strengths?

Before we will be allowed to act on any of them—we will be required to review and study them. Best to understand others at this time and not judge them, especially with Jupiter still retrograde, as well. Identifying what you believe to be possible for you will be a powerful use of your time this summer. Quietly continue to support your own health and engage in healthy habits. Saturn is also retrograde, so attending to the things that truly serve and support your best interests in the long run, even if it is difficult, will be the test for you to pass during this period. (Keep it clean, in other words!)

Then, to add to all of this, Pluto turn retrograde on April 18. This adds healing ability to this time period. It will be time to release—attitudes and thinking patterns (supporting the Mercury retrograde at the end of the month), impulse and security drives (supporting the Mars retrograde), clearing out our environments (supporting the Jupiter retrograde), and letting go of rigidity (supporting the Saturn retrograde). Pluto retrograde is a wonderful time for regeneration—like Dr. Who becoming a new Dr.—so what will you look like after the 2016 Pluto retrograde? The planets sure are lining up this month and this time they are doing it with retrogrades! It’s very exciting to relax for the 2^nd half of April!

The Scorpio full moon on April 22 adds support to introspection and is a time for meditation and ritual around going inward to reflect on our internal state of being and explore new depths to the human condition. Scorpio can help to empower and renew your depth of being.

On April 28, Mercury turns retrograde in Taurus, meaning its stay in Taurus is extra-long. It’s as if the solidifying and embodying of the ideas presented through the Mercury-Uranus Trine at the start of April is receiving extra emphasis. I think we’d be wise to listen to this astrological exclamation point during Mercury retrograde, and we can do this by deliberately attending to the process around how we think. Meditate, connect the dots, go out to nature this spring, honor the environment, and experience integrating our learning in healthy and lovely ways in order to make the world lovely during Mercury and Mars retrograde! It’s really a time we can enjoy, with our whole bodies and selves, with Taurus and Sagittarius energy.

April Showers really will bring May Flowers as we blossom into transformed beings.

Meditation

Brand new guided audio meditations posted for free this month:

Synchronize Work and Meaning

Somatic (Body) Healing

Relaxation and Wellness

Take Advantage of these while they are free this month!!

Let me know what you think and if you want more in this series of wellness, relaxation, and healing. Send an email to domikajama@gmail.com.

Nourishment for the Body and Soul

Gifting is a meditation on a circle in life. In so many ways life is about both giving and receiving, and our abilities to do both are extremely important. Balancing this out can be like having balanced breath or a balanced heartbeat. Relationships of all kinds are at their zenith when partners give and receive fairly equally over long periods of time. I’ve noticed there are times in my marriage where one partner or the other gives more—but it has balanced out over the long run—so I relax when I see myself giving more than another now. I know that my giving will be balanced out at some point, or has been balanced out in the past. I can relax when I receive, because I know the balance will be found. You can imagine it like water being poured into a glass and finding its balance as it becomes still.

The process of giving and receiving is a powerful action-oriented meditation that can be performed mindfully in many ways.

One of the best ways to meditate on giving and receiving is to engage with nature in the practice. As you move, walk or drive through a natural environment, you’ll notice how you receive an abundance of energy. You’ll feel renewed. If you think about it, our life’s sustenance comes from nature. Everything man-made generally originated in nature. So when we go back to the source we can trace the essence of our ability to survive back to the natural world.

We can, therefore, leave gifts for nature to express our appreciation. Little rosebuds, an acorn, or a leaf left on your favorite trail spot. Tiny stones. Even biodegradable thank-you notes to nature secretly tucked under a rock deep into the desert path are all items that are safe for the environment and gifts to bring back to nature. Mentally say thank you and ask permission for your activities, using imagination, breathing, emotion, and imagery to interact with the energy in the area. Take a bag for trash and pick up any garbage you find along the trail. Be careful to respect the environment and refrain from disturbing it. Move slowly and carefully, observing and appreciating the home of the trees and animals and rocks and soil and water and insects. Imagine if you lived there, and treat the natural world as if it had invited you into its home. The gifts you receive as it hosts you may turn out to be amazing.

Gifting with other humans is also holy. To freely give and receive will be the subject of a future newsletter—stay tuned 🙂

Nourishing Recommendations

You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.

(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)

Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM

Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!

Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.

Be well!

Blessings,
Dominique

Your March 2016 Newsletter From Dominique

This Month: Astrological Trends * Free Guided Meditations * Mactha-Chia-Coconut Milk Pudding

March 2016 Astrological Trends

Virgos and Pisces, what sort of momentous year are you experiencing?

With the Pisces/Virgo axis eclipses in full swing, it’s likely you are beginning to see your transformation unfolding. Whatever your big changes, the family of eclipses that you are in the midst of seeing will finish by late February of 2017—so your change process will likely be connected to events through that time frame. The solar eclipse on the March 8 (19 degrees Pisces) new Moon can activate forward movement in your life—and with eclipses there’s generally the feeling that life is urging us forward and we’re asked to accept the adventure before us and release the past. Courage and change, flexibility and resilience—these are themes for eclipse years. Approximately every 5 months, these eclipses will occur to shift your life. The shifting events for an eclipse can occur within a week of the eclipse time (in this case, the first two weeks of March) or a month from the eclipse date (look to April 8 as a possible trigger date).

You can talk to the Aries and Libra folks in your life. They are ending their two years of surfing powerful eclipses on the March 23 (3 degrees) Libra full Moon eclipse this month. If you know an Aries or a Libra, their life today looks very different than it did 18 months ago. They have been thrust forward in their lives and destinies, and have made choices they likely did not expect to make. They are crossing or have crossed bridges and chasms that have required courage for new beginnings and elicited their hearts and tears as they have let go of people and things that will never be the same again.

Aries and Libra people—this Full Moon is a great time to reflect upon the transition into a new phase of life you have made, and to celebrate and confirm your new path forward. Congratulations on your courage, you spiritual warriors! We all love you.

With the Pisces Chiron and Virgo Jupiter / North Node Opposition connected to this eclipse, in square aspect, or relationship, to Saturn in Sagittarius (which trines Uranus in Aries), and in sextile to Pluto in Capricorn, this eclipse has the potential to highlight larger issues. Where are we, as individuals, as collective beings, as institutions, as systems, as “one”—damaged and in need of healing? Saturn’s involvement at this time will help us slow down to evaluate ourselves from a big-picture view point (this is the Sagittarius view-point).

This is a time when our level of liberation, maturity, and wisdom can be revealed and highlighted. Where we are unable to be self-regenerating, and unable to heal—maverick and restless energies will shoot out like bullets. Where we are able to become transcendent, we will be able to act outside our comfort zone and become healers in service to the world. One of the things I am beginning to understand about the Chiron myth is how Chiron was a wise teacher, not merely a wounded healer. At some points, we need rest, as Chiron needed when he took Prometheus’s place in the underworld. However, at some points, we need our strength to act, as Chiron needed despite his mortal wounds for his time on earth. And he acted wisely for all his students. Both the Greek myths and Carl Rogers in western psychology teach us that the wisest among us look to unconditional positive regard as a basis for relationships. Before we “shoot our arrows,” we need to make sure our own internal state of being is coherent. Then we are in our Chiron role, and not in the role of Zeus shooting off the maverick errant arrows in our fear, striking the blow to another’s Chiron. The racism, intolerance, and violence we are witness to that is being uncovered in the U.S. culture are embarrassing examples of these sorts of social phenomena. With the North Node to place a pinch of destiny into the soup of our experience, Jupiter to expand the lens on the issues, Saturn as a teacher, Uranus offering unexpected events, and Pluto’s impartial help, these energies become exposed. Perhaps they can be ameliorated and lessened at this time in history.

There may be several ways for the Chiron-focused interplanetary energies to manifest at the time of the eclipse. The Sun and Moon in the mix will certainly highlight the propensity for making our damages seem to telescope bigger and our need to control the uncontrollable feel urgent. The main thing is to do the work that is in front of us, do the best we can, and have faith that Pluto in Capricorn, that great impartial judge and force WAY beyond any individual, is doing its job over the long term. Even in our own personal, cherished beliefs, we may have limited understanding and an incomplete picture. We can remain humble. We can relax.

The suggestion to relax is one that I will repeat because Mars will be squaring Mercury for March 3-8, during the same time period as all this is occurring. This means in addition to the eclipses, our actions (Mars) will be in conflict with our minds (Mercury). If we can, meditating on our actions may be a better place to take it than doing something hasty to resolve any conflicts. Waiting can assure us we will do no harm. Another way this could show up is through a very busy schedule—wanting to relax more than we are able and having trouble concentrating. If that’s the case, meditating is also a recommendation to get the synapses aligned as well as possible. With Mars switching from Scorpio to Sagittarius during this time, exercise each day can also support the brain.

Another reason to keep yourself well-managed during the time leading up to March 10 is that Mercury will conjunct Neptune in Pisces for a few days. This is such a nice time for psychic connection. If the high side of this aspect reveals itself in your life (a reason for all that meditation, exercise, excellent self-care), you may be able to experience mind-blowing spiritual connection for this time period. Psychic experiences, channeling, intuition, transcendence, imagination, creativity, Spidey-senses, connecting to the source… However you want to put it—Neptune is the highest-octave connection to the spiritual realm. When Mercury (the mind) aligns with Neptune, in the sign of Pisces (integration), the potential is unlimited! How very, very exciting! (The moon will also conjunct Uranus in Aries on March 10, which allows for brilliant flashes of insight.)

The lower-side manifestation of this, however, could occur, too. Neptune energy can lead to confusion, addiction activity, illusion, etc. Our ethical and moral development is important at this time, according to an astrological lens. How we treat ourselves matters. If you wake up on March 10 and you’ve been treating all the people in your life like they don’t matter (including yourself), and you haven’t slept, and your thoughts are all about terrible things… I don’t know… You might seek something very different than spiritual connection on that day. Even so, spiritual connection is always waiting quietly.

On March 12, Venus moves into Pisces, joining its cousin Uranus, in wanting to merge with others and become one in relationships. After the Venus-in-Aquarius focus on talking over merging, this may be a relief to some and not for others. I will love it, because Pisces energy is compatible with my birth chart in so many ways. For the next month, boundaries in relationships and creativity can be porous and fluid. The activities you may wish to enjoy could be artistic and creative, and could include music. Finance could become a focus, as well. On March 14, Mars and Venus experience a square aspect. This can be a fantastic date night for exhilarating romance if you’re in a relationship. It can also cause tension if you’re not minding your emotional energies. Keep it reeled in and use this energy for passion instead of allowing yourself to become irritated. Also, it could be a boost to creative energy or cause financial insights.

March 14-March 18 also kicks off the reactivation of thoughts concerning the Pisces-Virgo eclipse energies that occurred at the beginning of the month. Mercury hits the same degrees of the eclipse, so you might review the eclipse events, or another series of events may be triggered for you. This could link to the eclipse on March 8.

On March 20-21, Venus and Pisces merge. This can be a wonderful time for relationships to deepen and for the highest degree of compassion. It’s a time to avoid negative energies and protect yourself from harshness. Allow indulgence in beauty and allow yourself to attract your desires for the highest use of these energies. Goddess energies and the divine feminine are encouraged! That means being receptive and calm. It’s nice that this is a weekend, because it would be a wonderful few days to retreat and envision your heart’s desire. Being close to nature and the earth, gardening, cooking, and allowing yourself comfort and self-indulgence… These are the ways to go.

March 23, Mercury and the Sun are aligned in conjunction in Aries. Heart and mind should feel as one from March 22 – March 25. A wonderful day for sharing, speaking, communicating publicly, and being bold. If you’ve needed courage for something, this is the time to try the thing you’ve been shy about.

March 25 brings fire energy as Mars enters a trine aspect to the Sun and Mercury in Aries. For a few days (through March 28 or March 29), Mars and the Sun are working in concert to help you in initiating bold action to pioneer something you want to explore. You will have to take the initiative, though. This is a supporting energy—not something that will happen “to” you, but an underlying vibe you can utilize. Time to assert yourself and feel assured of success in an endeavor you start now.

Also on March 26, Saturn will turn from direct to retrograde movement in Sagittarius. This will last through August 13, 2016. It is in square aspect to Venus and Jupiter at the time it retrogrades. Venus and Jupiter are the gift-givers of the zodiac, so there may be some tension where we are looking critically at the gifts we’ve been given. We may second-guess ourselves, lack motivation, or feel resentment for someone who actually has our best interests at heart. A higher use of Saturn retrograde is to keep our stability in mind and not allow ourselves to be swayed by negative influences. Trusting ourselves is important during Saturn retrograde, and throughout the Summer. Don’t let people and difficulties throw you off-track. Plan the work and work the plan.

On March 30, Venus rounds out the month as one of Astrology’s benefactor’s to help you give closure and tangible meaning to the issues that emerged at the beginning of the month. Venus conjunct to Chiron at 22 degrees Pisces, opposite the North Node at 20 degrees Virgo, says that at the end of the month, our bodies will be able to process all that was brought up for initiation at the beginning of the month. March is truly connected from start to finish! It appears to be like a work of living art for us to experience.

Meditation

Brand new guided audio meditations posted for free this month:

Synchronize Work and Meaning

Somatic (Body) Healing

Relaxation and Wellness

Take Advantage of these while they are free this month!!

Let me know what you think and if you want more in this series of wellness, relaxation, and healing. Send an email to domikajama@gmail.com.

Nourishment for the Body and Soul

Matcha is concentrated green tea powder. Buy the ceremonial grade for drinks and recipes such as this–puddings–and the lower grade for baked goods. Ceremonial grade means it’s good enough for the Japanese or Chinese tea ceremonial use. It’s loaded with anti-oxidants and theanine. Theanine is supposed to improve mental focus. There are also pudding options for strawberry flavors and carob flavors this month, in case you like variety (and matcha is a little bitter to the taste).

Matcha Chia Coconut Milk Pudding

Yield: Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 TBSP Chia Seeds
2 Tsp Maple Syrup
2 Tsp Matcha Powder
1 1/2 Cups Coconut Milk

Directions:

Whisk ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Distribute mixture evenly into 4 ramekins. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Serve chilled.

Variations:

Strawberry Chia Pudding:

Yield: Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 TBSP Chia Seeds
2 Tsp Maple Syrup
3 Large or 4 Small Strawberries
1 1/2 Cups Coconut Milk
1 Oz. Shredded Dark Chocolate for garnish

Directions:

Smash strawberries with a fork in mixing bowl. Whisk chia seeds, syrup, and coconut milk together with strawberries. Distribute mixture evenly into 4 ramekins. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Top each serving with shredded dark chocolate upon serving.

Carob Chia Pudding:

Yield: Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 TBSP Chia Seeds
2 Tsp Maple Syrup
2 Tsp Carob Powder
1/4 Cup Raw Sliced Almonds
1 1/2 Cups Coconut Milk
Additional 1/4 Cup Raw Sliced Almonds for Garnish

Directions:

Whisk carob powder, chia seeds, syrup, almonds, and coconut milk together in a mixing bowl. Distribute mixture evenly into 4 ramekins. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Top each serving with garnishing almonds upon serving.

Nourishing Recommendations

You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.

(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)

Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM

Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!

Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.

Be well!

Blessings,
Dominique

Your February 2016 Newsletter From Dominique

This Month: Astrological Trends * Free Guided Meditations * Cod Texas Chili Stew

February 2016 Astrological Trends

Things are moving around backstage, but February is somewhat of a time to breathe. For example, Saturn in Sagittarius is slowly moving into position to trine Uranus in Aries–especially after February 18^th. Never exact until December, this is a nice energy. It will be about bringing needed and structured change. It’s change that can be done by a calmer voice, and cooler mind, one that can think clearly. Uranus sometimes brings change that is abrupt and sudden, but this is change that is instructive and well-planned. Adjustment brought with the capacity to expand freedoms while still working within rules and regulations. There is a creativity coming after the upheavals of the past decade of Pluto-Uranus square aspects that can support innovation, and that is how Saturn and Uranus can help us to create a better world if we use their energies optimally. This energy is dancing in the background until it really ignites on December 24, 2016 and continues for a year, occurring exactly again on May 19 and November 11 of 2017. Saturn slows down what it touches, and asks for examination and study of the area. Sagittarius, where Saturn is located, is the big picture, so we’re asked to keep a practical eye on the big picture of our lives and be willing to learn more and expand our palettes. Keep that in the back of your mind moving forward.

As for the other planets, there is plenty to discuss, as well. The month opens with Mercury Conjunct Pluto in Capricorn, Square Uranus in Aries. After February 4, Venus and Mercury are never more than 6 degrees apart, and sometimes only 3 degrees apart. While not bedmates, I’d say they are roommates the entire month. This means the month is open for long, friendly forays into artistic projects, for relaxing and appreciating the beautiful things in life, for diplomatic endeavors, for successful communications, for many resolutions and for much enjoyment. Writing and communications projects, the arts, finances, relationships, anything intellectual, travel, families and friends—all of these and more are ruled by Mercury and Venus. They move through Capricorn (restructuring) and then through Aquarius (revolutionizing). Feel free to take your time and dive into the projects before you. This is a month to make serious progress on your goals and dreams, and you can enjoy it, too.

February 4-7 may kick off this period by bringing unexpected insights, or, conversely, unexpected anxiety, depending on how Uranus reveals itself in square aspect to Venus (and as Venus and Mercury move past Pluto in Capricorn) or how you are able to manifest the energy. Hopefully you can flip it into insight even if it feels like an electric charge coursing through your system. This may have triggered a change in our minds and hearts about how we view something, and inspired a new course of action. This is just in time for the Aquarius New Moon on February 8.

The Sun and Mars are also big players in the energy throughout the month. Through February 15, the Sun in Aquarius (sometimes loosely) squares Mars in Scorpio. While Mars in Scorpio provides plenty of drive to get things done, Mars is also in a tenuous pattern for this year (through the end of September) where it will be traveling back and forth through the signs Scorpio and Sagittarius as it goes through a long retrograde that will begin in mid-April. Mars is the sign of action, so throughout the year it may feel like we are turning around and around, walking over the same ground again, or frustrated and unable to move forward. I bet we’ll wonder why. The reason is Mars, which is movement, going in circles. Let’s do ourselves a favor and remember back to this February forecast and say: It’s OK; it’s just the Astrological “weather” out there. We’ll move forward again in October! And we can let it be and practice patience with ourselves and everyone around us. Otherwise, we can let the slowdown lead us into reacting instead of leading others to the safety of peaceful moments—which is what any mature Mars Warrior would do! We can flex our Martian strengths by using the Tao principles and teaching and demonstrating as much as we can throughout the Summer. Preparing in February, resting, or just clearing things from our plate so we are ready for the year to come is a good idea now.

On January 5, Jupiter turned retrograde in the sign of Virgo. In February, Jupiter will oppose Chiron, situated in the sign of Pisces. This opposition will hit its exact point the day after the Virgo Full Moon on February 22. The Sun moves into Pisces on February 19.

This is the second of three exact Pisces Chiron / Jupiter Virgo Oppositions. The first was November 3, 2015, and the last will be in a month on March 6, two days before the total Solar Eclipse at 18 degrees Pisces—which will be conjunct Chiron in this configuration.

The Virgo-Pisces Axis asks us to open up to the big picture in order to adjust and examine, if not heal to the degree that we can, our relationship to that which is infinite. We’re really asked to call back and integrate parts of ourselves that help us expand our mission for being on earth, and offered opportunities to develop ourselves and our environments in big leaps. However, the engine for development is faith and dreams, and we’re asked to delve into some traumatic things, and to examine things that look subtle at first but become larger as they’re pondered. Dreams are important. We have the opportunity to examine our issues more than once, and to improve our understanding as well as our actions and responses. Jupiter has me assured that our intentions are positive—we all want to do the right thing—so have faith that we’re all doing the best we can, even if our skills leave something to be desired. Remember that there’s always a reason that people behave(d) the way they do—and be willing to use Pisces energy to delve deeper and gain understanding (you needn’t agree to understand something) as issues are slowly unknotted in life.

February 27-29 brings more Pisces energy. For the Leap Year, the Sun and Neptune combine to illuminate higher consciousness and wholeness. Once a year for the next decade, the sun will align with Neptune and we can use this time of the year to tune in to and align ourselves with what we need to connect to in the process of opening up the dimensions within ourselves that lead to our highest calling. This means connecting to the depths of our shame and transforming pain into purpose. It means making the journeys through levels of being that are both animalistic and angelic. It means being eaten alive and destroyed in the course of our journeys—dismemberment the shamans call it—in order to remember who we are and to be remade cleanly. It’s impossible to predict where you are, but we all have times when we’re in earthquake mode, times when we’re drowning, times when we have to visit the center of our beings instead of live comfortably. And then we have times when we are intensely comfortable and grateful, filled to overflowing with gifts to give and to provide to others. We have times when we are blossoming and happy—moving in the arms of grace and abundance. Neptune will not make it clear which part of the spectrum you will fall upon this year as the Sun visits. The trick is to feel excited and joyful about all of it—because we are changing and growing as life breathes us into maturity. One of the things Neptune and the Sun awaken us to is the truth that we control much less of our development than we think we do. We are like children in the womb of this earth—expanding and growing despite our illusion that WE are making it happen. Instead, we can trust that we’re as much a part of nature as we’ve ever been. Just as we were before birth, what we define as “life” is likely preparing us for another birth. If we allow our senses their exquisite sensitivity—allow ourselves to evolve—can we tune in to, reach in to, dimensions beyond what we have explored so far…?

Pisces energy is the end and integration of one phase and the preparation for the beginning of another. March will be full of Astrological events—an eclipse among many other things—so the end of February asks us to pause and look internally and deeply and truthfully as we’re able. Neptune allows us to connect into the oneness beneath the mirage of characters that we experience on the stage of our daily dramas. Allowing our minds and hearts to dissolve together behind the curtain of language, interplay, and letting go of stress… These are infinitely worthwhile.

Meditation

Free this month:

Capricorn and the Temple of the Elemental Carrot Guided Audio Mediation
The Eternal Fire: Leo Chile Guided Meditation

Leo Chile

Nurture Your Inner Child Guided Meditation

Want to read more? How about my article on Leo at Kajama? “Leo Rules the Chile Pepper“: Leo is fixed fire, and the planet ruled by Leo is the sun. It is the center of what we know to be life on earth. While we can’t physically stare directly at the sun, we are free to stare right into the heart of Leo energy—it will hold us steady and gaze into our souls with grace and love. Get ready to FOCUS…

Nourishment for the Body and Soul

This soup is great for a gathering and great to freeze and eat later. You need a BIG pot to make it, or you can use less water/stock and make a less brothy stew. It is gluten-free, salt-free, has tons of vegetables, and is FULL of flavor. It’s a warm and spicy comfort food for cold days. It won’t matter if the ground hog sees its shadow. We will eat hot soup not matter what!

Cod Texas Chili Stew

Yield: Serves an army (10 or more servings).

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter
8 oz diced onion or 1 yellow onion, diced
2 cups sliced celery
4 cups or 8 oz shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
2 TSP Ground chili powder
2 TSP Ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, diced or pressed
3/4 TBSP Paprika
2 TSP Thyme
1.5 TSP Cayenne pepper
14 oz can diced tomato
8 oz frozen corn
32 oz turkey or chicken broth
32 oz vegetable broth
Up to 32 oz water
2 1/2 lbs bite size cod pieces

Directions:

Saute diced onion and celery in melted butter in a large stock pot or Dutch oven for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add cabbage and carrots and saute for another 3 minutes, approximately. Add in corn and tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes. Then add spices (which can be adjusted to your taste to make the soup milder or spicier) and stir. Pour in chicken broth and vegetable broth. Add cod pieces carefully and then add as much water as you’d like to make the stew as brothy as you prefer.

Bring stew to a slight boil, and then lower temperature to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes. Try not to over-cook this stew, because over-cooked fish is not as tasty as other simmered meats.

Serve in hefty portions, as this is a low-calorie, stock-full-of-vegetable stew!

Serving Suggestion: Serve with toasted garlic toast or a cheese bread on the side for dipping.

Nourishing Recommendations

You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.

(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)

Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM

Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!

Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.

Be well!

Blessings,
Dominique

Your January 2016 Newsletter From Dominique

This Month: Astrological Trends * Free Guided Meditations * Inspiration

January 2016 Astrological Trends

This month the Sun snuggles up to Pluto in Capricorn as we usher in the New Year. Through January 10^th, while Mercury turns retrograde and Mars and Venus make many wild and crazy aspects, it appears wiser to focus on the still, solid glow of this solar aspect that highlights what we would like to build in our lives. While we practice not believing everything we think, we can instead focus on the heart. The Sun rules our heart, and Pluto in Capricorn, our bodies. When we allow the virtuous pleasures of observing our own unique states of being in order to care for ourselves and others, we’re well on our way to building a better world—in the brick-by-brick, day-by-day Capricornian manner that is so powerful as it accumulates over time. The beginning of 2016 can be used to start habits that our physical bodies and spiritual bodies have been longing to implement in order for us to make progress in clicking further into alignment with our Dharma. Particularly, you can make an alter or light a candle on the New Moon in Capricorn on January 9 (6:30 P.M. MST) in order to solidify new and healthy habits and make highest use of this letting-the-body-lead-the-way energy. Listen to your body; enjoy simply being. Avoid the intellect.

The alternative opening act to the month is rather chaotic; I wouldn’t recommend it. Unless you take control of your inner state of being, it’s possible to face being buffeted by the many outer storms that appear all around you in the environment. Again, the antidote is to stay centered within yourself, knowing that chaos is an illusion, a temporary test to withstand, and ultimately (like Buddha striking the ground against Mara’s illusion as his last act before enlightenment) you will find your connection through earth’s/Gaia’s and/or Spirit’s oneness with you. It is humbling to realize we are only as magnificent as everything else—equal to and a part of nature—and it is also boundless and joyful. It means learning the art of allowing and releasing the acts of controlling that have been installed in us like software programs that need to be uninstalled carefully and completely so we don’t have too many glitches. Personally, I require a lot of rest and reboots along the way.

If you can avoid life-changing decisions in favor of seeking out inspirational art, videos, audio, etc., that’s a nicer use of the Venus-Neptune square and the Mercury Retrograde energy occurring on January 5-6. Also, Mercury will be in square aspect to Mars, so drive safely and defensively, practice loving kindness instead of getting caught up in frustration. Give others a lot of latitude. They might not know they’re in a chaotic storm of astrological energy during the first week of January. It’s a good time to watch your thoughts go by like they are clown cars on a dysfunctional freeway, and just laugh at how silly they are; especially if they’re on a fast loop to nowhere.

The second week, it will feel like puzzle pieces have clicked into place. On the 12^th, Venus shifts into a trine aspect with Uranus in Aries, and an unexpected event in the area of relationships, creativity, or finances could occur that is fortunate for you. At the same time, you’ll feel the time is right to resolve or let go of something painful in favor of something more positive, as Venus sits in square aspect to Chiron. Cooperation blooms, with Mercury trine the North Node. Then people’s good judgment returns in full force on the 14^th as Mercury trines Jupiter. The sun then trines the North Node, adding fire to the energy of working together. All the chaos up through the 10^th looks to change from cold hard butter to smooth, spreadable butter… It’s a magical change of state!

The latter half of the month slows considerably, with two conjunctions of Mercury to Pluto on Capricorn as Mercury hovers in Capricorn before it turns direct on the 25^th. From January 18^th forward, life asks us to live contemplatively on a deeper level than we’ve been able to for a long time. Probing the structure of our thoughts and habits, and exposing our personal vulnerabilities in order to deeply analyze how we can grow into the next level of being are the tasks laid before us. Courage and love (for self and others) are required during the last half of the month. Utilize all the resources your have—meditation, support groups, solitude, getaways—and make the most of the support for reforming your inner world. It can be a joyful process.

The Sun enters Aquarius on January 20, which can provide innovative ideas and allow you to feel your uniqueness. It’s a good time to enjoy humanitarian pursuits, astrology, electronics, networking (social or electronic), and friendships. Deep conversations may be part of what occurs during the final portion of January.

The Full Moon on January 23 (6:45 P.M. MST) in Leo links back to the idea of living with heart—again, Leo rules the heart—and adds to the theme of relaxation and letting go at the end of the month. Venus also enters Capricorn on this day, again solidifying the link between Capricorn and Leo this month—the heart and the body. Allow yourself to review how your new habits are working for you. Are you inspired? Make sure you fill up with inspiration on the full moon. Think about your relationship with your body and your responsibilities to yourself for the coming year. How will you take very good care of yourself in order to be a shining presence in the world? Self-care is the key to all good works, and it’s quick and easy to get off track when external influences pile on.

Perhaps one of the highest uses of the end-of-the month quieter energies could be planning and strategizing.

On the last, final day of the month, astrological energy bursts forth! With the Sun conjunct Venus and Mars sextile Pluto, this is a romance day—and a sexy one at that—so that there’s a possibility to meet a partner, or just have a fabulous date night loving the one you’re with!

Enjoy the back and forth in January! It should be an interesting month and New Year.

Meditation

Free this month:

Capricorn and the Temple of the Elemental Carrot Guided Audio Mediation
The Eternal Fire: Leo Chile Guided Meditation

Leo Chile

Nurture Your Inner Child Guided Meditation

Want to read more? How about my article on Virgo at Kajama? “Leo Rules the Chile Pepper“: Leo is fixed fire, and the planet ruled by Leo is the sun. It is the center of what we know to be life on earth. While we can’t physically stare directly at the sun, we are free to stare right into the heart of Leo energy—it will hold us steady and gaze into our souls with grace and love. Get ready to FOCUS…

Inspiration

There’s no such thing as selective emotional numbing. There is a full spectrum of human emotions and when we numb the dark, we numb the light. While I was “taking the edge off” of the pain and vulnerability, I was also unintentionally dulling my experiences of good feelings, like joy. Looking back, I can’t imagine any research finding that has changed what my daily life looks like any more than this. Now I can lean into joy, even when it makes me feel tender and vulnerable, In fact, I expect tender and vulnerable.

Joy is as thorny and sharp as any of the dark emotions. To love someone fiercely, to believe in something with your whole heart, to celebrate a fleeting moment in time, to fully engage in a life that doesn’t come with guarantees—these are risks that involve vulnerability and often pain. When we lose our tolerance for discomfort, we lose joy. In fact, addiction research shows us that an intensely positive experience is as likely to cause relapse as an intensely painful experience.

As the sharp edges have started to come back into my own life, I’m learning that recognizing and leaning into the discomfort of vulnerability teaches us how to live with joy, gratitude, and grace. I’m also learning that the uncomfortable and scary leaning requires both spirit and resilience.

Feelings of hopelessness, fear, blame, pain, discomfort, vulnerability, and disconnection sabotage resilience. The only experience that seems broad and fierce enough to combat a list like that is the belief that we’re all in this together and that something greater than us has the capacity to bring love and compassion into our lives

It’s not about denominations or dogma. Practicing spirituality is what brings healing and creates resilience. For me, spirituality is about connecting with God, and I do that most often through nature, community, and music. We all have to define spirituality in a way that inspires us.

Brene’ Brown, “The Gifts of Imperfection”

Nourishing Recommendations

You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.

(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)

Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM

Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!

Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.

Be well!

Blessings,
Dominique

Your December 2015 Newsletter From Dominique

This Month: Astrological Trends * Meditation * Recipe: “Red and Green Gizzards”

December 2015 Astrological Trends

The big news this December is that the Cancer full moon will fall on Christmas day at 4:11 a.m. MST. There hasn’t been a Christmas full moon since 1977, and will not happen again until 2034. Generally, a full moon will fall on a particular day of the month every 19 years, but we’re just clicking back into pattern after being out of sync for December 25. For 38 years!

The Cancer full moon is all about nurturing, and I suggest nurturing as a theme for the winter holiday. The stars are not so oriented this year toward ostentatious shows of affection, such as lavishing others with expensive gifts. Instead, the charts I’m observing are asking restraint of the pocketbook and generosity of the heart and soul. Finding ways to reach out and discover how we can truly be a warm presence in the world will be the best present we can give during the cold season holidays.

The New Moon in Sagittarius on December 11 is a day when you may wish to do a little Christmas shopping if you do need to buy some items.

At the beginning of the month, life may feel a little like a stopped-up sink because Saturn in Sagittarius is snuggling up to the Sun for the first few days, reminding us to keep at our tasks. Also, Mars will be in square aspect to Pluto from December 5^th through December 10^th, which will ask us to be patient despite our desire to move forward. We will want to go faster while the Capricorn and Saturn energy will require us to complete our tasks, dot every “I” and cross each “t.” We may as well take a deep breath and dive into the mess to do our part to straighten it out! The days won’t last forever even though they may feel heavy.

Saturn is still square to Neptune in Pisces. You may experience this in a couple different ways. Some people may experience this aspect as a tension between reality and fantasy. Others may experience this as an opportunity to dream form into being. You can use dreaming and day-dreaming to bring form to your imagination. On December 21, this aspect moves out of orb so any tension should decrease after this date.

There is an archetypal pattern occurring this month from the first through the 20^th that occurs repeatedly and we can view it like a watercolor painting this month, if we would like to flow with its colors. First, we will see the faster planets (Mercury and then the Sun) square Chiron in Pisces and Trine Uranus in Aries as the month opens. Then, the fast-moving planets will activate square, or stress, aspects to Jupiter in Virgo and then the North Node in Virgo. Additionally, Mars in Libra activates Uranus in Aries with an opposition (which occurs once every two years) and also touches on Chiron, which is the point of our wounds (individual and possibly collective as it sits in Pisces).

The brush of our watercolor painting will turn to our pain first. What has wounded us, or what is bringing us pain now? We may revisit how we came to be who we are, and what uncomfortable experiences formed us. This begins on a mental level with Mercury but soon moves into a deeper place as the Sun activates the series of aspects and brings light. This leads to new thoughts and insights—insights that may surprise us with the Uranus influence.

New events may occur from outside, as well, that surprise us. These are inspiring new and pioneering scenarios and solutions that fire us up. Then, we find our daily lives changing and expanding in ways that are perhaps unexpected through the Jupiter aspects along with the Sagittarius influence. We could find these changes and adjustments stressful at first, but they are cleansing for our lives even if they feel big right now. Then, as the energy moves into the North Node influences, our decisions and destiny intertwine and we realize we are acting in service to our Karma and the depths of our lives at this time. It can be surprising that suddenly we are holding very important responsibilities in our arms and hands, but if we just use our bodies and hearts to help us guide the ripples of the new colors mixing into the watercolor painting of our life stories, we will be led through beautifully.

The Mars influence occurs December 10^ththrough December 14^th, highlighting issues of justice and/or harmony—Libra themes. A strong need for harmony may arise, either within you personally or collectively. You may feel ready to take action related to balancing out your life for greater harmony, or to make your life more beautiful. The “art of living” is a Libran concept. (It may also feel that you are indecisive, but you’ll feel better after mid-month about any decisions.)

Mercury walks through this pattern the first ten days of the month. Mercury is the mental, the intellectual expression of energy. The Sun walks through this pattern from the seventh through the 20^th of December. The sun is the heart, the expression of the true self. Venus supports the depth of these transformations with a trine to Chiron and a sextile to Mercury on December 18 – December 20 from Scorpio. Venus then enters into a sextile relationship with Jupiter from December 22-December 25, adding even more fortunate energy to the mix, as Venus and Jupiter together are the two major beneficial planets in the zodiac. This adds a level of supportive, beneficial energy where relationships may come into the process—either in the form of interaction or art/finance. You may want to use art therapy if you have no other way to express or process your individual journey through these astrological archetypes. Others may naturally be dealing with supportive people as this is the holiday season.

On December 21, The Sun moves into Capricorn, which brings earth energy into focus.

On December 27, Jupiter and the North Node begin to come into conjunction in Virgo. They’re very close to one another for the next months, and in June will be in exact alignment. We can count on exponential growth in the area on our life where this is occurring. (If you’d like to know where this occurs in your personal chart, Kajama.com has astrologers who can help you develop your personal astrology chart.) For the next year, we will be experiencing an intense personal passion wherever Virgo occurs. This is a destiny aspect—we will feel a hunger in that area to develop.

With Mars squaring Mercury on December 28 through December 30, it’s a good time to realize a lot of people may be experiencing a high level of frustration (I wanted to write petty frustration, but frustration never seems petty at the time it’s experienced, does it?). Our job as light workers (or whatever your favorite term may be for yourself) on these days will be to realize people are doing the best they can and to use our skills to add peace into the world instead of fall prey to frustration. Who needs that? It’s a great opportunity to practice a spiritual approach – even preventive spirituality—with those closest to us. Wrap them in spiritual energy before they go out the door. Carry a favorite crystal for fun. Use a new essential oil with protective properties. Make it fun and light and full of freedom.

Venus moves into Sagittarius on December 30. Ironically, money will be flowing with greater ease in January, with Venus in Sagittarius, than in December!

Meditation

Free this month:

Libra – Scorpio – Nurture Your Inner Child Guided Meditations!!
www.intuitivemoon.com – Check it out!

Scorpio and the Layers of the Onion Guided Meditation

Nurture Your Inner Child Guided Meditation

The lotus flower is a water lily that grows in the sludge of muddy waters. It’s a symbol that reminds us: there is no path to peace; peace is the path. Winter is a season when we often meditate on peace and rest. We think about forgiveness, gratitude, and compassion. We watch the season outside and feel grateful for the comfort that we enjoy. We consider what we can give and the gifts that we have to offer. We make sacrifices for others. We find the grace in our hearts to give and to receive.

Where there is coldness this season, let us bring warmth.
Where there is curtness this year, let us bring kindness.
Where there is a lack of wisdom, let us meet it with patience.
Where there is anger and frustration, let us dissolve it with love.

Great spirit, let our gifts this year be warmth, kindness, patience, and love.
Allow every cell within us to be suffused with them, to emanate light.
May we bring joy to every moment and transmit the beauty of being
to all whom we touch. In deepest gratitude, we offer this winter prayer.

Want to read more? How about my article on Virgo at Kajama? “Lettuce Develop the Virgo Vibe” : Virgo is the mutable earth sign in the zodiac, ruled by the planet Mercury. Virgo rules the hands, and in Virgo, Mercury expresses itself as the alchemist and as the archetype of the Egyptian god Thoth, the mentor of Isis, who taught her healing arts. Virgo energy seeks to balance body, mind and spirit. With Virgo, get ready to DEVELOP…

Nourishment for the Body and Soul

Red and green gizzards, straight outta New Mexico, can be served over a bed of greens, mixed with pasta (pictured here) or spooned over rice. On its own, it’s gluten-free. It’s a unique protein alternative loaded with iron, and also treats gizzards without the usual breading and frying. If you have a gizzard-lover in your household, or if you’ve never tried them and you want an exotic moment, here’s an idea for you.

Red and Green Gizzards

Yield: About 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 TBSP butter (unsalted)
1 large red onion, diced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 ½ cup dry red wine
32 oz. chicken stock
½ cup to 1 cup chopped green chiles (can be fresh or frozen)
3 cloves garlic, minced or frozen
16 oz. chicken gizzards
3-4 leaves from the sprigs of fresh thyme
¼ tsp black pepper

Directions:

Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large pot. Sauté the diced onion and celery in the butter over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add green chile and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Pour wine and cook off alcohol over medium high heat for about 3 minutes.

Lower heat to medium again Add chicken gizzards and chicken stock, thyme and black pepper. Bring to a soft boil.

Lower to a medium-low. (Do not cook this at too high a temperature or the chicken gizzards will be too chewy and hard to eat.) Cover and cook for about 2-3 hours.

Serve over greens, pasta, or rice.

Nourishing Recommendations

You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.

(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)

Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM

Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!

Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.

Be well!

Blessings,
Dominique

Your November 2015 Newsletter From Dominique

This Month: Astrological Trends * Meditation * Recipe: “Microwave Cranberry Oat Bran Bowl”

November 2015 Astrological Trends

November is time to pick up the thing you have wanted to do for so long there’s probably an ache in your body because you’ve ignored it. Let the laundry sit a while, let the phone calls go to voicemail, don’t try to please anybody else with elaborate meals (unless cooking IS your thing), and relax into yourself maybe for the first time ever. Allow the Mars and Venus conjunction with the North node in Virgo to pivot you into a new level of self-actualization in an easy manner as you use the energy from the universe to manifest and bring into reality the still, silent dreams that lurk inside the quiet, sacred corners of your being. It will probably turn out to be what the world needs most.

The month opens with this influence and it lasts well into the first week of the month and beyond. For a lot of people this may represent a creative pursuit that has been on the back burner. (For others, it may bring a new love interest or rekindle the passion in a current relationship—the traditional Venus/Mars meaning.) Mars and Venus are moving through the final degrees of Virgo together. On November 7, Venus will conjunct the North Node, the point of destiny that helps us unlock and unfold our karma in this lifetime. It’s a window into our fate, a place where we can peer into what is called the “akashic records” in some circles. So what we feel compelled to do right now, with Mars in the mix, is likely a big part of our destiny. With the placements in Virgo, it’s nice to know our egos are probably not in charge. Because Virgo is a fairly humble placement for these energies, a placement that gives us earthly expression and attunement, we can channel destiny right down from the heavens, through our spines and knees and feet, and into our lives in a way that can benefit us. This is provided the energies are in the hands of fairly well-managed spiritual persons here on the planet, which my readers tend to be! Yay!

The beginning of November also brings a change of mental focus as Mercury changes signs from Libra to Scorpio, following the Sun to put focus on deeper, transformative thoughts and conversations. On November 6, Mercury will trine Neptune in Pisces, adding to the spiritual depth available the first week in November. During this time period, it is a fantastic time for the healing of the mind. Any kind of mental health practice is highly advised, from copious meditation to seeking therapies that help to relax your mind and nervous system. (Core synchronism which I recommend at the end of the newsletter each month is one method that I can personally recommend.) Simple writing, reading, listening to relaxing music, and tranquil walks or drives are also good methods to clear one’s mental state.

Furthermore, Venus is entering Libra on November 8, and Mars is entering its exact conjunction with the North Node on November 9-10. Mercury, then, sextiles Pluto on the 9-10 of November. This set up is seriously asking us to consider how we are dealing with our minds and how gentle we can be within ourselves in order to take depth of action. The HeartMath Institute teaches about the heart mind, with its electromagnetic field, being faster and smarter than the brain mind, in case you haven’t encountered them yet. We have many types of minds in our bodies—the brain mind, of course—the heart mind—and the gut mind. These three are major systems that “think” in us. We probably have more parts in our bodies that think differently and perhaps better than our highly-trained brains. We have a lot of places in us that could be trained—but our culture chooses not to train those parts of us as much as we train our intellectual brains. We have an opportunity in November to decide, with destiny’s help, which part of us truly SHOULD lead. That may be different for different folks—and it’s a wonderful world that this is true.

Destiny shows us each what we were made to do by what we love to do. We can look back to what we’ve always loved, since we were young—frollicking about with abandon—playfully. That’s a clue to our destiny on this planet. What do we like to do when we’re unselfconscious? Then from that point, how can it be made kind and contributing to a social circle? How can we fit into and become part of a society? How can we positively change and affect the culture around us once we gain insight and wisdom? These are lifetime questions I’m posing here—but what is destiny doing except processing our lives alongside us?

These are Virgo themes, North Node/Mars/Venus themes, and human themes.

On November 11, the New Moon in Scorpio then arrives. If you thought things were complex, we are just getting started! This New Moon conjuncts the Sun and Mercury in Scorpio. It trines Chiron in Pisces and sextiles Jupiter in Virgo. There is also a quincunx to Uranus in Aries, which sets up a Uranus/Jupiter/Sun Yod pattern (a strong destiny signal that it’s a good time to look at new philosophies). It sets off an arrangement for all these planets for three days, and the sun and Mercury stay in conjunction through November 23. In fact, they both switch signs from Scorpio to Sagittarius together on the 21-22 on November. At the same time, Venus sextiles Saturn and Mars enters the sign of Libra.

All very technical. But what does it mean?

I think it means you ought to let the deep integration happen to you and hold on to very little. Listen, there is an ocean happening all around us and we need to be buoyant enough to float to the top in order to breathe. As I’ve been walking around each day, doing things such as appreciation and meditation (the practices I’ve learned through the past decade) I notice people getting caught on things that I’m really grateful I can swim right past a lot of the time now. I can let go of much of the self-criticism, obsession, ambition, and other things that used to plague me. Now when these things come up for me I laugh or cry or sweat it out. I feel it and it’s moved through me and then it’s gone. Very seldom do I see myself hurt anyone else and sometimes I even handle relationships in ways that help others now. Wow, I’m really happy about that! It helps me to like myself a lot. There’s a broadness of being that’s very different from a decade ago that makes me very happy. It provides flexibility and is expanding even now. Personally, I have a lot more to learn. It’s exhilarating that what I have to learn involves helping others because I’m fairly comfortable in my own skin a majority of the time nowadays. I guess once I really explored the fact that there’s no such thing as “getting there,” like our culture teaches—when I debunked that myth—it was time to look around for what else there was to do worth doing in life. Learning to be buoyant enough to breathe and float to the top of the ocean of experience and then see who is drowning around me was the best I have come up with today. The elements we humans are made of allow us to float in the ocean.

What might your answer be for what is worth doing?

This new moon and all the planetary support energies in play are asking you to assess your strengths and the things you care about. Look at your journey up to now—your past wounds and also what you have built and where you’ve succeeded and dreamed your way into happiness and joy. What does your imagination tell you is the beautiful life? What are your secret dreams? What secret kindnesses make your heart thrum? That might be what life would like you to enact pretty soon. Mid-month is a deep contemplation and the new moon can be a day of prayer and asking for help from your higher source(s) to support you in your journey and process. With Uranus in Aries, the powerful warrior spirit is surprisingly helpful to us at this time to start new things and help us make adjustments in our lives based upon our dreams. Using the higher side of these energies is rather important; the lower side can be over-indulgence, aggression, etc. I say, just sidestep that stuff! (Unless the indulgence is a little bit of dark chocolate and tea! LOL!)

During the final third of November, I thought we might have some easy-peasy time… but alas, no. this is one intense month! So, as Venus squares Pluto on November 20 while quincunxing a moon/Chiron conjunction, it’s a good time to use its traditional meaning of being soothed by love. OK, really it’s a time when there’s powerful romantic connection… so it’s a great date night! If you feel any of the “stress” part of the aspect, immediately let that go and use it to “destress” and heal instead!! Let go of any conflicts that arise and find something else to do with that ego. Find something to agree on instead of disagreeing. It can be so healing to love on this day instead of fight.

On November 23, Mercury trades the Sun for Saturn as its companion and stays in conjunction to Saturn through the 28^th. The high side of this time is delving deeply into contemplation of Sagittarian themes such as freedom, travel, higher education, learning/teaching/mentoring, the big picture, animals, detoxification/cleansing, global ideas, and synthesis and integration of large questions.

Mercury / Saturn low side energies can cause depression, so if you feel yourself on the down side, exercise a bit, get some Vitamin D, and practice excellent self-care during this time. (Self-care and self-indulgence are two different things—a lesson that’s poignant for me since I have this aspect in my natal chart!) Make sure to enjoy your thoughts during the final third of this month—there is so much to enjoy about the planet earth, and this aspect is asking you to practice expanding your mind in order to enjoy seeing a bigger picture and identify how you can be flexible and free.

At the same time, Venus is opposing Uranus. This allows for an unexpected jolt of fire or experience of either the pioneer or the warrior archetype to enter our relationships, finances, or creativity in order to help us resolve something we have been struggling with in one of those areas, probably mentally. We may come to think about something in quite a new fashion, all of a sudden, or see ourselves in a new light. Sudden insight can be enjoyable.

The Full Moon in Gemini on November 25 is a time to write. Write all about the insights from the past few months. If you’ve not been writing all along, now is the time to get the thoughts down on paper. Perhaps you need to edit finally or just gather your journal, napkins, slips of paper in various places together. Bring together your efforts at communication in ways that make sense. You have been doing the footwork; now consolidate it. It may not be writing—this may look different for you. It could be a number of things. But something is coming to fruition at the full moon, to finish up in the next few weeks. The full moon is the time to organize and take the final lap on your project(s).

By the end of November, there are sure to be so many things to be thankful for—your basket of appreciation will be overflowing!

Meditation

Free this month:

Libra – Scorpio – Nurture Your Inner Child Guided Meditations!!
www.intuitivemoon.com – Check it out!

Scorpio and the Layers of the Onion Guided Meditation

Nurture Your Inner Child Guided Meditation

As we walk along through the autumn leaves, it is so fun to realize how connected we are to generations past and future. We have funny ideas in our culture, for example, that keep us falsely idealized as “better” than the forepersons who came previous to us. We might characterize it as psychological depression or schizophrenia and give it a diagnosis from a classification system that was set up so insurance companies will pay people who care for us. Other times throughout history, people have thought demons were possessing people who were experiencing disturbances. Shamans talk about the dysfunctional systems we have as “parasites” within us.

We think that in our times we have come up with an answer that is the one answer because it’s the currently used answer, and we’ve internalized it as “right.” However, I was listening to a lecture by Robert Sapolksy the other day, and he found there are viruses that actually take over the brains of animals and change their thinking—that control their actions and thoughts. This sounds very much like the ancient shamanistic “parasite” model of understanding and processing illness.

Before I believe what I’m taught by my culture, I like to think about things like this—what could I learn from ancient observations about the experience of living—without dismissing it just because we now have the scientific method. There are many methods of observation. The only smart humans aren’t the ones who are alive presently.

It also expands my mind to think that humans are not the only smart organisms, and that I’m not the only intelligent individual. Expansive thinking… right here as the leaves fall in the autumn and the colors change in preparation for a new season.

Nourishment for the Body and Soul

A Fast-Food, Sugar-Free, Meal-For-One during Autumn’s busy season

Microwave Cranberry Oat Bran Bowl

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

½ Cup Oat Bran
¼ Cup Flax Seed or Flax Seed Meal
¼ Cup Wheat Germ
1 TBSP cold butter
1 Cup Sparkling Cranberry or Sparkling Blueberry Juice

Optional: Berries on top (fresh or frozen), whip cream on top

Directions:

Place dry ingredients in a microwaveable bowl. Stir together with a fork or whisk. Cut butter into small pieces and sprinkle over top of dry ingredients. Pour sparkling juice over top.

Microwave for 2-4 minutes, depending on your microwave. Most will take 3 minutes.

Let sit one minute, then enjoy!

Nourishing Recommendations

You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.

(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)

Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM

Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!

Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.

Be well!

Blessings,
Dominique