Cosmic Crossroads

In 2010, as we stand at the threshold of a new beginning, the Universe offers a simple, supreme gift.

We are given the choice to awaken. Will we accept?

The rate of change is accelerating on planet Earth as we make our way through the 2012 transition. That translates differently for each one of us. We might experience illness, accidents, sudden loss of a loved one, economic hardship, natural (or not) disaster and various other crises. Jobs and relationships are ending. Many are losing their homes. These times are also filled with magic and opportunity. How has your life changed in the past year? Two years? Five years?

We live in a time of rebirth and renewal, endings and new beginnings. Destruction is a natural part of the process. This entire year is about coming to terms with change.

In December last year, I wrote that "2010 will be a defining year in humanity’s evolution. Massive changes will be initiated in 2010 and integrated in the years ahead. Arising from upheaval and chaos, a new paradigm will be born."

How we respond to evolutionary forces now will shape the future. This is not a year to stand by and wait for others to act. Positive change requires our participation, our commitment and leadership in alignment with the soul.


Divine Intent

Astrology is a way to decipher the intent of the cosmos as we make our way through the great cycle shift, the Turning of the Ages.

Many believe the year 2012 is the turning point, the end of the current cycle. The truth is much bigger. As we've said many times, 2012 is now. Vast cycles of time on the order of thousands, tens of thousands and millions of years are completing, and new cycles are beginning, now. That process doesn't happen in a single year. The cycle shift takes hundreds, perhaps thousands of years.

Within the 2012 transition, 2010 brings us to a crossroads. Which way will we go? Will we choose love and abundance or fear and scarcity? Will we seize the opportunity to become empowered co-creators and manifest a compelling destiny aligned with our true purpose? Or will we passively watch and wait, fearful to take a leap and participate in creating a brighter future?

Individually and collectively, we're initiating a sequence for years to come as we pass through the energetic portals of 2010. The choices we make matter.


What's Next?

The energies of change reached peak intensity in June, July and August as a volatile t-square and Grand Cardinal Cross configuration connected us with the heart of the cosmos. A potent eclipse series in June and July amplified the effects. Sudden, sweeping changes rolled through our lives like waves crashing to shore.

In the spring and summer months, an unthinkable crisis gripped the world's attention as oil bled uncontrollably from the sea floor into the Gulf of Mexico. The devastating effects of the oil spill will haunt us for many years to come. From the chaos surrounding this disaster, a clear message emerged. We can no longer ignore the obvious. We must change our ways.

With six planets now retrograde (Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Chiron, Neptune and Pluto), we have the opportunity to revisit our choices and decide how to proceed from here.

Issues we faced over the past few months will surface again between now and early next year. Do we need to make different choices? This is a big second chance.

Mercury's retrograde period through mid-September gives us pause. This is an ideal time to reflect and consider next steps as we integrate the powerful energies we've experienced recently.


Opening to Love

There’s an amazing phenomenon embedded in the planetary transits and alignments this year. Through these energetic portals, a new beginning is possible for humanity and the Earth. A mass awakening is at hand.

In part, the power of these celestial configurations relates to the Turning of the Ages with vast cosmic cycles ending and beginning now, in our lifetime. More specifically, the ongoing t-square configuration of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto has moved into alignment with the center of the supergalactic cluster that includes our local Milky Way Galaxy. The energies reaching Earth through this portal open us to the most exquisitely peaceful, nurturing divine love imaginable in this or any dimension. At the same time, the potent galactic forces are highly destructive and cause sudden, unexpected changes that serve a higher purpose in this grand reordering of life on Earth.

With a little spiritual savvy, we can channel all this flux and uncertainty in positive ways. Rather than resisting the energies of change, we can learn to focus cosmic forces to transform our lives and our world. Collective transformation begins within each of us individually. Through this gateway, we have an enormous opportunity to step into our power and do things differently on planet Earth. The changes that are needed are far too big for any one of us to manifest alone. We must join forces and work together, cooperatively, in true Aquarian style.

The energies of 2010 support quantum change. We can break through to the next level more easily now than ever before. In this moment, do you feel free? Do you sense a new beginning in your life that's related to something bigger, something important, something galactic? Are you living your purpose? If not, what's stopping you?

It's time to ask the hard questions and be honest with the answers. An opportunity like this won't come along again any time soon.



Autumn Equinox/Harvest Moon

Planetary energies will reach another peak at the September Equinox, which coincides closely with the Aries Full Moon this year. Join with others around the world in a special Autumn Equinox/Harvest Moon Teleconference to explore our world in transition. We'll give the celestial forecast for the next three months, offer tips and techniques for navigating the changes, and align with the planetary energies through group meditation and prayer at this powerful time. The teleconference will be held live on Monday, September 20. The event will be recorded, so you don't need to be live on the call to participate. Details and registration: http://www.StarPriestess.com/events.html#forecast



Cosmic Time

In my book, Cosmic Time, we explore the cycle shift and what it means for us in our day-to-day lives. How do we make our way through the tremendous changes we encounter every day? Where is all this change leading? The book focuses on personal and planetary transformation within a cosmic context. The content is relevant and timely. The reach excerpts and order a copy, please visit my web site: http://www.starpriestess.com/time.html#timebook

Additional Articles

Cosmic Time - April 16, 2010

Cosmic Time - June 8, 2010

Cosmic Time - June 21, 2010

Cosmic Time - June 26, 2010

Cosmic Time - August 4, 2010

Moondreams

Tonight's Full Moon is a spiritual, dreamy affair. Dive deep, into the inner realms of Pisces.

The reflected light of the Sun, shining through Virgo, illuminates our path of service. How is this shifting for you now, as the Summer of Big Changes begins to wind down?

Full Moons illuminate what's been held in the unconscious. Notice the messages that come through dreams and meditation. With Jupiter inconjunct the Sun, revelations may be uncomfortable, but necessary. Uranus in Pisces will offer some surprises. Resist the temptation to succumb to addictions to avoid facing the soul's truth.

With Mercury in retrograde motion, the Piscean desire to escape serves well if we take a conscious timeout for retreat and re-evaluation, a relaxing bath, a long walk in nature, a healing massage.

Like the tides they govern, lunar energies ebb and flow. The Full Moon is exact tomorrow at 1:05 PM Eastern. Ideal times for meditation and ceremony are tonight, as the waxing Moon crests to full, and tomorrow, as the energies are disseminating. Our prayers are carried on angels' wings.

Peace and enlightenment to all. Namaste.

Mercury Mayhem

That crazy Mercury. Just when you think the upheaval of summer is coming to an end, the high-spirited messenger takes aim at whatever you thought you knew about where to go from here. Poof, your plans just evaporated.

Do you love retracing your steps and doing things over again? Here's your chance. The planet of communication and transportation turned retrograde yesterday. As far as putting your agenda into play, give it up until September 12 when he goes direct again. Actually, wait another three days after that, so the 15th. The Universe will let you know what you're actually supposed to be doing until then.

Combine Mercury's mayhem with the opportunistic upheaval of the ongoing Jupiter-Uranus combo, now retrograde in Pisces, and you've got a recipe for "I have no idea what's going on." Communications mix-ups, traffic snarls, delays and rescheduling of all kinds are afoot. Watch for opportunities to reconfigure in ways that are much better than the original plan.

With this line-up, expect the unexpected. Double-check facts and figures. Confirm appointment times. Be forgiving when things go haywire. Most of all, keep a sense of humor. Get a massage and relax.

Pretty much anything with "re" in front of it is appropriate right now. Retreat. Re-evaluate. Review. Revise. Reconfigure. Reconsider. Repair if possible, replace if needed. Complete unfinished business. This is not a time to start projects, make long-term decisions or sign contracts.

Just for the record, Mercury doesn't actually go backward. Because of the way the Earth's and Mercury's orbits coincide, the tiny planet appears to stop then turn around and go the other way across the sky several times a year for about three weeks at a time.

Years ago, I scoffed when astrologers blamed Mercury Retrograde for everything from car breakdowns and computer glitches to missed appointments and plane crashes. As a practicing astrologer, I've even experimented several times myself with ignoring the conventional wisdom, forging right ahead as if Mercury didn't matter, things wouldn't slow down or get confused. Yeah, right.

These days I take my own advice. I'm actually going on vacation in early September.


The R Word

Mars and Venus are conjunct in Libra, so male/female relationships are front and center. It might be time for a re-evaluation in that department. Saturn's hanging out there, too, so if you're married (or want to be), you've probably got issues around that. There's a whole lot of separating going on after the big Cancer/Capricorn eclipses over the summer. Not as much hooking up... yet.


Think Service

Mercury's transiting back through Virgo, so pay attention to details. Take the time to get things right. Also pay attention to your health and well being. Mercury Rx check-ups aren't just for cars and computers. On a deeper level, our path of service is highlighted in the sign of the Vestal Virgin, goddess of hearth and harvest. What did you come to do in this lifetime? Are you tending the flames of your soul's passion? It's time to remember and recommit. Soon, it will be time to take action.


Balance and Integration

In the aftermath of this summer's eclipse/cardinal cross extravaganza, Mercury Retrograde provides a pause, a time to reflect and integrate the intense energies of this volatile season. The nearby Libra planets help us find a new balance.

If you've been following along with the astrology, or if you're just paying attention in general, you know it's been a wild ride as the planets lined up the past few months for a rare galactic showdown.

Now comes the time to process. Allow the energies to swirl and flow within. Pay attention to messages in dreams and meditation. Honor the naturally slower pace of life. Stay in the question. Answers will come in time.


Illumination

The Full Moon in Pisces this Monday night illuminates messages from the soul. Lots of people around the world will be meditating together at sunset on Tuesday, which is past the exact Full Moon alignment and a wonderful time to receive the disseminating energies. Full Moons are culmination points. The effects of meditation are amplified through this spiritual portal. Great healing is possible.

The Mercury/Full Moon gateway is an opportunity to rest and catch up before another change-up comes at the September Equinox.

Journey well.




StarTalk Astro Forecast

Mercury Retrograde is a perfect time to catch up on the astrology of change this season and what it means for us individually and collectively.

Explore the Galactic Cross, New and Full Moons, Mercury Retrograde and September Equinox-Harvest Moon with the mp3 recording of our information-packed Astro Forecast teleconference on August 5. We've given the dates of the hotspots and how the energies might express in our lives and our world.

Don't miss this galactic heads-up. To order, please go to:

http://www.StarPriestess.com/events.html#newmoon

A copy of my 18-page 2010-2012 Astro Preview is also included as a study guide.

Don't Miss This

I live for this kind of thing.

Tonight, four planets line up with the Moon, followed by the celestial fireworks of the Perseids meteor shower. No telescope is needed to enjoy these naked-eye treats.

You may need to drive away from the city or hike a mountain to see it. You won't be disappointed...if you're blessed with a clear sky.

Watch the western sky at sunset as Venus (the bright one) dances with the crescent Moon, with Mars, Saturn and tiny Mercury nearby. With Saturn and the personal planets (except Mercury) in Libra, relationships, love and money are in focus. Mercury in Virgo focuses on the details.

The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight with as many as 70 or 80 meteors an hour. The display is extra visible this year against a dark sky just past the New Moon.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the best time to watch the Perseids will be tonight through the pre-dawn hours Friday, regardless of where you live. With a clear sky, you'll see a shooting star every minute or so.

While the best meteor-watching will be late night through daybreak, definitely go outside at sunset tonight and Friday. Venus is so bright in the western sky you can't miss her, with a thin crescent moon hanging just below. As darkness falls, Mars and Saturn will come into view. If you have hazy skies or live in an urban area, you may need binoculars to see Mars and Saturn.

In rare moments like these, cosmic mysteries are revealed. We are at one with the universe, and each other.

What a blessing in this season of accelerated change. Enjoy the show.


Perseids and Planets

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20100812/sc_space/spectacularmeteorshowerandrareplanetalignmentcoincide

http://www.universetoday.com/70991/tonight-the-planets-and-perseids-put-on-a-show-for-free/

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/perseid-meteor-shower-2010-impressive-start-100811.html

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/top10_perseidsfacts.html

http://meteorwatch.org/

A Calm Sky

Every event,
Every situation in which you may find your self
Every event has positive value
even the dramas
the tragedies
Even the thunderbolt from a calm sky

- Arnaud Desjardins


As the Sun and Moon meet in Leo a few hours from now, lives are reeling from the energies of the Galactic Cross this past weekend.

Since late last week I've received e-mails about solar flares, earthquakes in unexpected places like Louisiana and Idaho, spacequakes shaking Earth's magnetic field, sudden, untimely deaths, turmoil, angry standoffs, sleeplessness, emotional upheaval and general chaos.

Others are reporting unbridled creativity and giddiness, magical synchronicities, life-changing, miraculous breakthroughs and sheer bliss.

The Grand Cardinal Cross follows the eclipse series of July/August and capped off the Lammas cross-quarter gateway of last week.

In the moment and in the aftermath, everything's changing. The fabric of our lives is disintegrating. At the center of all the flux is peace.

Tonight's New Moon brings to completion the lunar cycle that began with a Total Solar Eclipse in Cancer on July 11. What's different in your world since then?

In our astro forecast teleconference on August 5, we explored the potentials and possibilities inherent in the highly potent planetary configurations over the next six weeks. The Grand Cardinal Cross this past weekend was definitely a high point. There's more to come.

With the New Moon in Leo tonight and tomorrow (depending on your time zone), we begin again. Tapping into the love, the creativity, the divine passion of the human heart, new worlds are opening for us to explore. Many are leaving this life to begin a new journey in spirit. Many are elated, many grieving, souls in transition. At the center is peace.

As we remember our mastery and step into our power, we're learning to focus the cosmic energies to create positive change in our own lives and our world. My greatest prayer throughout this season continues to be for humanity's empowerment, the realization of our true, divine nature.

The New Moon is exact at 11:08 PM Eastern tonight. This is the seeding of new patterns fueled by the creativity of divine bliss and made possible by deep surrender.

A huge thank-you to my soul sister Georgina for sharing the uber-appropriate wisdom of contemporary mystic Arnaud Desjardins at this most auspicious time. We'll continue to explore the energies of this highly volatile season in my Evolutions blog and Cosmic Time ezine.

Blessings on your journey. Namaste.



StarTalk Astro Forecast

Explore the Galactic Cross, Lammas Gateway, New and Full Moons, Mercury Retrograde and September Equinox-Harvest Moon with the mp3 recording of our information-packed Astro Forecast teleconference on August 5. Learn what's in store astrologically over the next six weeks... a particularly intense period within a highly charged season. The energies reach a peak this month and again in September.

In the forecast, we've given the dates of the hotspots and how the energies might express in our lives and our world. Don't miss this galactic heads-up. To order, please go to:

http://www.StarPriestess.com/events.html#newmoon

A copy of my 18-page 2010-2012 Astro Preview is also included as a study guide.

Grounded Action

"The more conscious we are of 'difficult' astrological alignments, the less power they have to move us, and the less likely they are to bring destructive effects.... Simply being aware of where the planets are (and their potentials) changes the way they manifest." - Tem Tarriktar


This is it. The much-anticipated Grand Cardinal Crosses are now forming in the heavens. The initiatory portal coming into alignment this weekend will be particularly intense.

If you thought the eclipse series in June/July was powerful, watch what happens next. The celestial energies have been ramping up steadily since the March Equinox and reach a crescendo during the first three weeks of August.

Outer planets Pluto, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter are joined by Mars and Venus in hot configurations over the next several weeks. The planets aren't just making hard aspects to each other. Saturn, Mars and Venus align with the orbital center of the cluster of galaxies that includes our Milky Way. The energy of the cosmos fuels the ongoing outer-planet t-square that will become the Grand Cross this weekend.

All heaven is breaking loose, and the effects will be felt for a long time to come.

This is a divine intervention. As the eclipses, ongoing t-square and grand crosses plow through outdated beliefs, the forms and structures of our lives are crumbling with accelerating ferocity each day. I'm hearing all kinds of reports of physical and emotional manifestations, abrupt endings of everything from relationships and jobs to locations and living arrangements...and magical new beginnings.

Because the planets of the grand cross are in cardinal signs, the overall energy is of change through movement and action. New forms are taking shape even as the old forms fall away. It's still early to fully harvest the new. It's more that an energetic imprint is established at this time for later manifestation in the physical realm. When we're flowing with the energies, the feeling is incredibly light and free, optimistic and joyful. It's also easy to get caught up in the chaos and feel overwhelmed or helpless.

Throughout this period, mindfulness and grounded action are key. Even though the fullest manifestation of our ideas is still far off, now is the time to cast the seeds of a new life and a new world. It's important to stay focused, stay positive and create with intent.

I've been writing about this series since late last year, and there's tons of information online about the astrological significance of the potent planetary alignments. At this point, I find it most efficient to deliver the forecast for coming weeks in spoken word. We'll do that again this week. Our final StarTalk Astro Forecast of the summer season will be held live via teleconference this Thursday, August 5.

In this call we'll focus on...

Lammas (Lughnasadh) Cross-Quarter Gateway
The Galactic Crosses
New and Full Moons
Venus in Libra
Mercury Retrograde
September Equinox and Harvest Moon

The program will be recorded and available for download whether you're live on the call or not. You'll also receive a copy of my 18-page 2010-2012 Astro Preview as a study guide. Details and registration: http://www.StarPriestess.com/events.html#newmoon

My heart is filled with optimism and hope for a new day as the energies of change reach peak intensity over the next few weeks. I hope you'll join me in prayer that we as a people will seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to begin shaping a world we're proud to pass on to our children and their children.