astrology & you poetryman: expansive

THETHE POETRYPOETRY MANMAN Astrology & You

wrapping up 2021

By Frank Fratoe Expansive Expansive

In the beginning was light for light is the beginning going through our universe endless and for an instant everflowing and immediate inseparable as space/time..

When morning arrives again it brings grace to vision and overspreads everything with brilliancy unfathomed since nothing can measure a dawn that always returns.

In that moment it’s neither spring nor fall nor winter but the infinity of being and expectation becomes awe acclaiming another Genesis as our island under the sun.

Frank Fratoe lives & writes in the city.he loves. Neptune has been stationed retrograde since June, 2021 and on December 1 it will station direct at 20 degrees of Pisces, its natural home. This retrograde may have been most significant if any of your planets/aspects are in the late degrees of Pisces or in the signs of Gemini, Virgo, or Sagittarius. When a planet is in retrograde it slows down, allowing us to pay more attention, focus a little better, and in this case wipe the fog from our eyes. Some may find that when Neptune is stationed retrograde their intuition is enhanced or more easily developed.

When I think of Neptune, words like dreamy, foggy, and enchanted first come to mind. Certainly, Neptune in Pisces is watery and boundless, the cosmic ocean of our inner lives. This planet was named for the Roman god of the sea. Functioning at its highest purpose, Neptune can invite us to explore the psyche, plumb the depths of imagination, draw us in to feeling the call of our truest spiritual selves. At its lower functioning Neptune may create an emotional climate that distorts reality, makes it difficult to see what is before us, lead us into illusions and delusions. As Joseph Campbell once mused, "The water in which the mystic swims is the same water a madman drowns in." Though he wasn't referring to the nature of planet Neptune, he could have been! To get a flavor for Neptune, try listening to composer Gustav Holst's "Jupiter." He composed a seven-movement orchestral suite titled "The Planets" (circa 1917) and I find it quite powerful.

December 4 will bring a New Moon in Sagittarius as well as a total solar eclipse (visible from Antarctica). As this year is ending, this would be an enormously powerful time to look ahead to 2022. Sagittarius is optimistic and expansive, so there will be energy available to consider all the possibilities. Pace yourself, though, because this energetic combination can be a bit overzealous. Plant the seeds and use the winter months to germinate any plans so they can emerge in the Spring, fresh and ready to blossom.

On December 14 Mercury enters the sign of Capricorn and Mars will enter Sagittarius. Mercury can feel a bit held back by cautious Capricorn, but it is for the best. Mercury is the thinker and Capricorn provides structure and a plan, so this can be an immensely helpful combination, though it may make some feel held back a bit. Mars in Sagittarius is quite the dynamic combination as both share the element of fire. Optimism, inspiration, and the oomph to get things going. For those of us who have Sagittarius as a prominent sign in our charts, we may feel a call to travel. December 19 is a busy astrological day, especially when it comes to relationships: 1) Venus stations retrograde at 26 degrees Capricorn and will stay that way until January 29, 2022. This is an excellent time to take a step back and look at how you set boundaries in your relationships. Also, to look at which relationships nourish you and which ones might feel draining to you. Capricorn can be nonstop and may leave us feeling as if we do too much, work too hard at relationships. 2) Chiron stations direct, so coupled with Venus going into retrograde there could be potential for deep healing. Chiron in Aries gives that extra bit of courage to face the big stuff. Toxic relationships can be given a brave review, and this is also a time that supports healing our relationship with ourselves, promoting radical self-a acceptance and self-c care. 3) Full Moon in Gemini highlights communication, new thoughts and ideas, and the energy to think things through. Learning and research of any kind is favored.

December 21 brings the close of one season and the beginning of another: Winter Solstice. A wonderful time for contemplating the darkness, the quiet, and how we listen (or don't) to what our world is trying to communicate to us. It is nature's time to rest, to pause, to germinate that which is not fully ready to be brought forth.

December 30 Jupiter enters the sign of Pisces bringing a loving, unconditional, optimistic vibe, just in time for the New Year. I don't know about you, but I think our world could really use a dose of extra compassion and hope right now. Take time to star gaze, moon bathe or walk a quiet path in the woods.

Happy New Year!

By Dianne Bachman

Diane Bachman is a psychotherapist & astrologer practicing in FXBG. She can be reached at FourwindsastrologyLLC@gmail.com