Bella Luna, Oh Beautiful Moon, she is our celestial sister. She grows full and bright before our very eyes and then disappears into the depth of the night.... We can count on her to be ever changing, we can rely on her to reveal to us the cyclical path. The cyclical path...? Yes, in our emerging invitation to bring balance to our selves, families and world, it is our wildly feminine duty to break out of linear time and give space for ourselves and each other to cycle through life. To say, whole heartedly, ²YES! I feel different at different times of the month. Yes, I change and grow in a mysterious way, and I am NOT the same all the time! Sometimes I feel ripe and full, and other times I feel spent and empty and in need of recharging my self emotionally, physically, spiritually...² The moon is a juicy place to tune in to nature¹s cycle of change as it courses through YOU.

What does she have in store for us this moonth?

December 3, 2002 ~ New Moon in Sagittarius ~ Total Solar Eclipse Talk about juicy! This lunar cycle has been brewing a special influence for most of us for some time. While every new moon is a great opportunity for renewal, this one is even more powerful than usual in its insistence that we LET GO. We have all recently gone through some deep stirring in our personal relationships and our relationship with what we value, be that people, things, money, ideals. This new moon carves out an opportunity for us to allow some things to be eclipsed in our lives, and a new light of awareness, intention, and inspiration to begin to shine. What vision or belief about yourself and your life will pull you into a new dawn?

December 11, 2002 ~ Waxing Half Moon in Pisces Your half way there toward the full moon of this month, now you can check in on the growth of this new light. Are you too idealistic, do you have some more clarity now about you true heart¹s longing? Is it time to add some more fuel to your fire, strengthen your commitments?

December 19, 2002 ~ Full Moon in Gemini Full Moons are always an exact opposition of the sun and moon and the climaxing point of the cycle generated by the previous new moon. Looking back on the last two weeks, what is reaching fullness. Special to this opposition between the signs of Gemini and Sagittarius, we can see by the light of the moon how we think, communicate, what we believe. What are you a stand for in regards to yourself, others, and the world? Are you too rigid, are you in harmony with nature? What is the balance of indulgence and discipline in your life? Think about this in terms of your words and thoughts as well as you actions.

December 26, 2002 ~ Waning Half Moon in Libra Now we are letting this cycle go as we head toward the next new moon. This phase of the process can be compared to PMS! This is where we often forget that we are being called inward to truly be with ourselves and give special attention to the needs of our growth. While it is true that we need to let go of certain attachments to how we want things to go at this time, it is also true that nothing is really lost. The core of our selves is always growing, but there is always a skin to shed. Here is where you begin the trust fall into the dark of the moon. Done with trust, it is a magical time of communion with the mystery.

Dancing with Heavenly Bodies

There is a slow and sensual contact improv happening between Mars and Venus through the whole month of December. These are our relationship planets representing the polarities of masculine and feminine energies and they are moving through the intense and sexy sign of Scorpio. This could be yummy and also dangerous. Scorpio takes us into our secrets, our skeletons in the closet. How much will you reveal about yourself? What are your longings for connection and the heated growth that comes from deep encounter? There will be some special opportunites throughout the month as these partners meet influential outer planets by square. This means that into our contact improv we will have to integrate awareness of our illusions and fantasies as well as our ideal for true love. We will also hear the freedom bell ring in the midst of our communion, asking us to examine if we can truly be ourselves in our intimate connections.

The other powerful planetary influences come through Jupiter and Pluto. These two players are in a tight trine all month, which means they are getting along quite well with each other and they are doing it in the fiery signs of Leo and Sagittarius. Jupiter is moving in slow motion as it turns retrograde on December 4th. All together these two planets are really asking us, what is growing inside of us? What is expanding, what new ground do we need to cover? Jupiter has been in Leo since August where it has given a huge burst of energy to all creative endeavors, but now as it turns retrograde and hooks up with Pluto, we are given the chance to ask our selves the penetrating questions of which of these new creative projects are going to really take root? In future news, be prepared for Mercury to turn retrograde on January 2, 2003, which is also the day of the next new moon. More on those topics in the next edition of Spiral Muse. Happy New Year!

Alive on the Planet

How do you tune into where the Earth is at in this season? How do you celebrate it personally or with others? This is perhaps the most ³charged² of all times of the year due to all the holidays that converge at this time. It is easy to lose sight of the real meaning of the season. There is a labor that occurs within us and the earth as we go through the Winter Solstice. In the darkest night, the sun is reborn. The light will slowly return to the northern hemishpere. For each of us, this can be a time of both honoring the depth of the darkness as well as the slow rebirth of the light. The light is our core, shining self, which is never lost, but does go underground for renewal every year.

As we head toward the darkest night of the Winter Solstice, there is a natural pull toward the inner life. Time to reflect by the fire on yourself, how your life is going. The Winter Solstice is the new moon of the year. It is a time to look at the last year and review where we put all the energy of the spring, summer, and fall. What did you build, grow, accomplish? What is next for you? Do you know yet or do you need to do some more dreaming? Another spring and summer will come with all their light and energy for begining and doing. Will you be ready? Will you have rested enough, dreamt enough, let enough of last year go so that you can fully grow into the next year?

Some people get depressed in the winter due to lack of sunlight (or so the doctor says). The call it seasonal affect disorder, or SAD. We live in such an ³up² culture constantly stimulated by caffeine, sugar, and the array of media messages that keep us buzzing. Then when winter comes and our bodies and souls want to slow down, we feel it as a depression and like something is wrong. Could it be that we suffer then not from the darkness, but from having been exposed to too much light? The darkness is a healing, necessary time of rest and reflection. Unfortunately, it is not a cultural norm to slow down as we move into winter. Instead, we speed up and get busy with holidays and socializing. It is indeed a wonderful time to gather with loved ones, however, when it is done at the expense of encountering your inner life, it can be toxic and a distraction to the true purpose of your life at this time.

Being alive on the planet in Winter in these times is a challenge to navigate through the myriad of opportunites available and to settle into what is truly meaningful to us. Courageously taking the risk of aligning with nature¹s pattern will give you access to more energy when it is time to really move and shake next spring and summer. Slow down, meet your dreams, know yourself, tell stories with friends, be grateful for what you have, trust the darkness....and the light.

For information about astrological consultations with Cassandra or to share your thoughts, questions, or comments on her column, send an e-mail to cassandra@spiralmuse.com

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