Sun and Moon: Surprise Secret Solstice Sojourner?

Moon: Wow, Sol. That was a close one!

Sun: Totally my fault, Luna. I just lost my head for a moment. 

Moon: Don’t tell me...Mercury retrograde?

Sun: [laughs] No, I wasn't planning on blaming him, even though it seems to be in vogue at the moment. 

Moon: Well, I hope nobody noticed it. In this case, Mercury would have picked it up so I’m glad he’s out on travel. And you got an unexpected assist from Venus. 

Sun: Yes, that was fortuitous! But...

Moon: Yes?

Sun: Now I’m second-guessing myself. 

Moon: [pause] You don’t think it’s a good idea to invite him to the party now. 

Sun: I’ve been re-thinking things a little bit. And no, not because it’s Mercury retrograde!

Moon: I know where you are. It’s always been just the 10 of us and now you’re adding an 11th. You’re not sure how they’re going to take it. Is that about right?

Sun: Yes, and I wonder how the dynamic will change. I know all these planets very well from our interactions over the years. This guy is a wild card. I want people to treat him with respect. 

Moon: And you want him to like you, too. Let’s not forget about that. 

Sun: Of course I do. You always want your people to like you, but more importantly, you need to be able to like THEM so you can advocate for their success. I don’t know how he will take to my leadership. 

Moon: Well, I suspect there will be some friction. There always is. Our malefic colleagues do tend to stir things up. But nothing that he won’t be able to handle, I’m sure. And as for you, I have every faith that you’ll handle him the right way day-to-day. 

Sun: You’re right, Luna. And I can’t do anything about how people react to him or how he will react to me in the long-term. One thing I can say: This will definitely be a holiday party to remember. 

Moon: Indeed, Sol. [pause] Perhaps we can introduce him to everyone before certain planets get down to the very serious drinking that will likely ensue?

Sun: As always, my dear Luna, you are one step ahead. 

Moon: [beams]

Meeting of the Astrological Minds: The Winter Solstice Party

Sun: Good afternoon, everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying the season so far?

Venus: Yes, sir! Definitely.

Sun: Glad to hear it! Gentlemen? What about you?

Saturn: Joy to the world is not really my cup of tea, sir. But once the solstice comes and my power is renewed I’m sure I’ll be more...

Jupiter: Don’t say ‘Jovial’, Old Man. We all know that isn’t you!

Saturn: I think you’re safe, Jupiter. That’s not a word that passes my lips.  Let’s go with ‘content’. If Mercury was here, I’m sure he would do a better job finding le mot juste.

Mars: Come on, you ancient fuck! Mercury is bad enough!

Sun: Mars, come now...

Saturn: [to Mars] Young man, you can disparage...wait just one moment, Mars. [to everyone] Mercury has been teaching me some language to better communicate with my colleagues for quite some time now. 

Venus: Oh, Saturn, that’s incredibly harmonious of you!

Saturn: Well, it’s mainly to reinforce the idea that even “old dogs” can learn new tricks. So let me try this. [Clears throat] 
[To Mars] DUDE GET OFF MY JOCK!  

Mars: I GET IT, YOU OLD BASTARD! [laughing]

Saturn: It seems my lessons are paying off. Excellent. 

Venus: [mouth dropping open] I’m...pleased that you’re learning to get along better with everyone, Saturn. [To Mars] Perhaps you could do the same, Mars? Since all you do is “win win win no matter what?”

Mars: [pauses] Ummmmm, yeah, Venus...about that...

Saturn: [to Sun] Sorry to have derailed you, sir. Let’s get back to our agenda.

Sun: Thank you! So you’ve had time to think about our yearly solstice party. What ideas do you have? And keep in mind the front office will be paying for most of it; our swearing fundraiser was exceptionally successful. 

Uranus: We’ve gotta shake things up, sir. How about one of those indoor skydiving places?

Mars: Dude, I’m so down!

Sun: I’m sorry, gentlemen, but one of the few stipulations for funding the event is that it does NOT require a waiver.

Mars: Fuck me. So there goes paintball and most of the fun shit. Another party that will be BOOOOOOOOORRRRRING!

Pluto: Good try, no-nads. 

Mars: How about an all you can eat shrimp buffet? Oh wait, that would be like cannibalism for you, Pluto!

Venus: [kicks Mars] How about we consider other options that all of us might enjoy?

Moon: I’m a fan of what we have been doing, but as long as we’re all in the same place, I’ll be happy with whatever. 

Neptune: I kind of agree with Lady Moon. I want something inspiring, though.

Jupiter: I don’t know that I’ve been to an inspiring holiday party before, but I think it’s something to shoot for.

Sun: I had an idea. Maybe we could get a private room at one of those Brazilian steakhouses? The food is good and we can just relax and not worry about the cleanup or someone having to clean their homes to accommodate all of us.

Moon: I like that suggestion, sir. Do you think they can accommodate all of us? 

Sun: Well there are only 10 of us, Lady Moon. They absolutely should be able to handle 10. 

Moon: We should probably make sure we have a little more room, in case we need the extra space. 

Sun: [looks confused and then brightens] Ah yes, that’s true. You never know what we might need extra room for.

Venus: Absolutely! Dancing maybe?

Sun: You never know! Mars, they will bring you non-stop meat on skewers!

Mars: America fuck yeah! I’m IN!

Moon: Does anyone have an objection?

[shaking heads around the table]

Sun: Well, it sounds like we have a winner. [to Lady Moon] Please make the reservations. [winks]

Moon: Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it immediately. Shall I see if the solstice itself is available?

Venus: That would be lovely, sir.

Saturn: Yes, sir. I agree. We can put Saturn back in Saturnalia where it belongs! 

Sun: Saturn’s comments notwithstanding, done and done. 

Neptune: And they have a bar, so...

Pluto: That’s where I’ll be.

Empowered Astrology Conference, March 26-29, 2020, Herndon, VA

One of the challenges of being an astrology student in the Washington, DC, metro area is that there aren't many opportunities for astrology conferences here. Let's face it: We live in a high-cost area and conference organizers are trying to keep prices down by holding events in cheaper regions.

The closest recent astrology conference was the National Council for Geocosmic Research (NCGR) 2019 Conference in Baltimore. Even then, it's a long way to drive there each day, and frankly, staying at a hotel at the Inner Harbor isn't cheap. The full conference could be as much as $500, too. 

So what's an astrology student to do?

If you're looking for a local DC conference that won't break the bank at $350, I'd strongly consider attending the Empowered Astrology Seminar, March 26-29, at the Hyatt-Regency Dulles in Herndon, VA. It's a four-day seminar run by astrologer Kathy Rose, a student of well-known astrologer Noel Tyl [TILL]. 

Kathy is an outstanding astrologer in her own right and presents regularly to astrology groups on the east coast and at both regional and national conferences. I met her last year at the SOTA conference and was impressed not only with the material she presented but also her teaching ability; she was by far one of the best presenters I've ever seen in my five years at that conference. You all know how important that is to me!

I attended the Seminar last year and really feel like I benefitted. I met tons of local astrologers and really got a thorough grounding in some of Tyl's techniques, which are simple on the surface but provide amazing results with clients. 

In addition, I felt like this conference was worth my time and money because:

• It's local--Herndon is within 45 minutes of many locations in northern Virginia and the District, and is easily accessible from Maryland.
• It's small--attendance is limited to only 50 people so it's a much more intimate experience than other conferences offered by other astrology organizations, so you get to know your fellow attendees and the presenters.
• Days are packed--While the first day starts just after noon, the other days are all full days. 
• Only one track--everyone attends the same sessions because there is only one session happening at a given time. At larger conferences, multiple tracks make it difficult to choose which individual lectures will be worth your time, or force you to purchase recordings of lectures, which may not always be of excellent quality. 

While meals are on your own dime, the seminar reserves a private room for the conference attendees to eat together. The conference provides menus and you can pick your lunch and/or dinner so it's ready for you at the appropriate time. It's very convenient. While it's not a requirement, I feel like I got a lot more out of the conference this way because I had the chance to network.

Most of you know that I don't shamelessly market anything other than myself, and that I wouldn't support any event that I did not completely believe in.

I'll be there in March and I'd love the opportunity to introduce you to Kathy and the rest of the attendees. Please consider attending and please let me know if you decide to join us. 

I hope see you in March! Tell Kathy that I sent you, too!

3 Things to Release at Halloween/Samhain

Early Halloween greetings to all and blessed Samhain [Sow-en] to all who walk a Wiccan path!

This is a time of year when we celebrate death and rebirth. For many Wiccans, it's considered a new year, like a reset button. 

The sun has moved into Scorpio recently, and its message is simple yet challenging: To move forward, we have to let go of the things that are no longer serving us. That is not always an easy task, but it's an important one so we can continue to grow. 

So here are some areas to look at as you consider releasing things this Halloween season.

1) Relationships

One of the hardest things to contemplate is releasing someone, especially if we're in an emotionally intimate relationship with them. It's so easy to make excuses to keep people in our lives who aren't serving our highest good. There's also the secret desire in some cases for the other person to end things so it's easier. 

Ask yourself these questions:

• Is the relationship balanced? 
• What need does this person fill in my life?
• How do I feel emotionally when I interact with them?
• Are there things I haven't done or cannot do because of this person's influence or presence in my life?

If the answers to these questions aren't satisfactory, you may need to move on from this person. And by the way, when you release this person, do so in a healthy way, without anger or bitterness. 

You also don't have to explain the reasons behind your decision, either; in many cases, people don't move on from others because they don't want a confrontation. So don't have one; you're not asking for permission, right?

2) Stuff

The recent advent of Marie Kondo has re-invigorated the idea of purging, and Halloween is a great time to say goodbye to objects you no longer need. Sell them, give them away, or dispose of them. 

If you're having trouble parting with them, ask someone you trust to help you. Sometimes all it takes is for you to try to explain your reasoning for keeping an object for you to realize how it sounds. A second opinion can help keep you focused. 

The same thing can be said about organizational systems. In other words, that CD tower might have been a great idea in 2005, but now it's just collecting dust someplace. 

3) Negative ideas and self-talk, and unattained goals

We don't even consider sometimes that our thought patterns and ideas hold us back. What we think and believe can keep us from doing the things we should a lot more than we realize. 

Here are some examples of concepts to let go of:

• Any statement that connects to poor self-esteem
• Any goal that is not realistic but bothers us because it won't be achieved
• Any idea that is motivated by fear or self-doubt

One of my favorite expressions is "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right!" What we allow to rent space in our head does manifest, to our benefit or detriment.

This is a tall order, but it's so important to take time and only continue to carry the relationships, things and ideas that are going to resonate with our highest good. 

I wish you a very blessed season, and hope any pain that you experience through this process is released during it as well. 

Book Review: Using Dignities in Astrology by Charles Obert--Review by Heather Figeroa

Hello everyone! I'd like to introduce you to astrologer Heather Figeroa. She'll be posting on the blog from time to time and this is her first review on my site. I'm so grateful to her for sharing her thoughts on Charles Obert's Using Dignities in Astrology with us! Take it away, Heather!

Correct usage and application of the principles of the dignity system can really take your chart reading to the next level. But it's not always easy to find books with real meat in them about the subject of dignities, with the exception being some of the ancient texts that explain some of it in great detail; the challenge is they can be dense or confusing, and astrologers, especially beginners, may have trouble relating to them. 

To clarify things, Enter Charlie Obert and his book on dignities. One of the big advantages of this book is that Obert designed it for use in a class that he teaches on the subject for Kepler College, so the layout and structure were well organized. Also, by providing cumulative information, he took this book from helpful guidebook to indispensable resource. 

Even seasoned astrologers might sometimes wonder what is the real difference between a planet in exaltation or rulership. Obert handles this brilliantly and gives the reader solid explanations on what it means for each planet to be in each specific dignity. He builds slowly and includes a handy reference sheet as well as checklists to consult when you want to parse the chart using the dignities.

Moving even further into the book, Obert speaks about mutual reception and even shares his techniques on how to apply mixed reception, which was something that really made me excited and opened up a new avenue of how to blend the planets.

This is neither a thick or pedantic read, nor was it created in a way that seeks to be overly verbose in his explanations. If you'll excuse the pun, you won’t find any wild and far out astrology here, for Obert prefers to deal with things very traditionally. He provides many chart examples and elaborates in his creative and perceptive style, bringing his audience along for his examination of rulership, exaltation, detriment, and fall.

One of the nicest things about this book was when Obert really opened up the field with his revelations about all the ways a planet could be accidentally dignified as well, and included some handy checklists to apply to each chart to discover all the hidden accidental dignities as well. 

Another aspect that Obert tackles is the conversation of sect--a classical astrology term that deals with day and night charts--and how all of these aspects interplay together to form a cohesive whole. It’s not a stretch to say that with the use of this book and its rules and checklists, it would be entirely possible to delineate the chart based on Charlie’s techniques here alone to create a totally new kind of reading. I have done this, so I know it is possible, and the results? Eye-opening and satisfying. 

It is often hard to find one reference book that doesn’t also seem to veer off the topic to include things that may not be within the scope of the study. There is none of that here; Obert has included only the very best nuggets of wisdom into this practical and instructive manual.

An author at the top of his craft, Obert is the consummate teacher and his fluid skills in handling all the contours of subject of dignities make this a book that you need to read. Obert has a down-to earth, personable and conversational style, so grab a comfy seat and give this one some attention. You will be glad you did!