Shortly following the Sun's entrance into rational, discerning Virgo at 10:07 A.M. PST on August 22nd, passionate Mars will move into psychic Scorpio on the 23rd.  There, the planet of drive and desire will be in the highly intuitive company of alluring Venus in caring Cancer and seductive Neptune in perceptive Pisces.  These three planets in the feeling water signs will set an internal, reflective tone that will resonate throughout much of the forthcoming Virgo cycle.  Fireworks and forward momentum are set for mid-September when Cardinal forces mount under the second Uranus Pluto square.  In between, strong full and new moons are on tap, purifying Pluto will turn direct and Neptune, the planet in Virgo's opposite sign of Pisces, will be exert its indelible influence.

    The Sun's annual journey through principled, practical Virgo is usually when we consider the balancing of polarities.  The days and nights are becoming equal in length as the autumnal Equinox approaches, and this cycle always features a full Pisces moon.  Under its ethereal pull, the intrinsic, intangible essence of Pisces mingles with the analytical, methodical Virgo Sun.  In 2012 several planets will join the struggle for balance along this axis of sensitivity and sensibility.  On one side of the equation, Neptune and Chiron will be in imaginative Pisces, in resonance with Venus and Mars in fellow water signs.  This group will inform us through gut feelings and intuition. Counterbalancing them, and keeping us connected to our intellectual capacity, will be the Sun and Mercury in mental Virgo.  Pluto in fellow earth sign Capricorn will share a healthy dose of pragmatism with the Sun, Mercury and us.  The dance begins on August 24th when Neptune opposes the Sun.  The planet of artistry and illusion then goes on to challenge Mercury on September 1st, while healing Chiron opposes the Sun on August 30th and Mercury on September 4th.  On August 29th the Sun and Pluto form a supportive, harmonious and decidedly grounding trine.  Finally, on August 31st, the full moon will see thinking Mercury return home to logical Virgo.  The subtle, internal tensions that ebb and flow during this time are inviting us to experience life from a more enchanted and connected perspective.  The planetary powers in the realistic earth signs will help us remain rooted and responsible.  It's a complex mix, one in which inner guidance, applied carefully, will light the way ahead.

    Strengthening our psychic power, aiding our quest for answers and prompting needed change will be Mars in shamanistic Scorpio.  Its presence in the fixed water sign will strengthen Pluto's influence.  Pluto is after all Scorpio's ruler, and on September 17th it stations from a five-month-long retrograde.  No life is immune from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and no planet is better at forcing us to face, and heal, the pain they inflict than unrelenting Pluto.  Since the start of its retrograde back on April 10th, we have been on the annual hero's journey through Pluto's unsettling Underworld.  In this abyss, we have likely encountered people and events intent on reshaping our lives.  If, like ancient Percephone or Odysseus, we've wisely summoned our hero's courage and accepted the challenges, we are now nearly ready to surface.  Aggressive Mars traveling through transforming Scorpio will intensify these final weeks of the sojourn.  If it unearths a few more betrayals, breeches or inconvenient truths, we are richer.  These are precisely the experiences and lessons that shape us most.  If we are willing to change, vast reserves of Neptunian insight and Chiron healing from compassionate, holistic Pisces will be available.  Also lending immense support will be Virgo's dedication to virtue.  Reformed, we can complete this year's cosmic quest.

     According to German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, "that which does not kill us makes us stronger."  As we ascend from the dark realms, the new Virgo moon on September 15th signals a stellar new dawn.  The next day Mercury will move into Cardinal Libra where stoic Saturn is finishing its two-year transit.  On September 18th another of those mammoth Uranus Pluto squares will take place, the second in a three-year, series of seven.  Finally, on the 22nd, the Sun will enter instigating Libra.  This sizable and seismic gathering of Cardinal energies is a portal to brighter and better new worlds.  It is a turning point at which we can shift from destruction to creation and from disarray to wholeness.  To prepare us, organizing, ethical and meticulous Virgo has arrived.  It will close the summer of 2012, bestow a little more time for study, analysis and planning and issue its annual call to service.  With authenticity, bravery and consistency, those who heed the call can begin building the future.

    "The Artist's Way" author Julia Cameron once said something to the effect that writing is not about thinking something up, but about writing it down.  She was talking about that sweet spot of surrender when and where we give our talents to the Higher forces and allow them to guide our expression.  A detectable shift occurs when we move from ego into spirit.  The work comes easily and we become lighter, brighter and happier in our endeavors.  One way to access this Divine flow more readily and regularly is to make and keep our creative space sacred.

    As the planets gather for a new Light portal in mid-September, the present is an excellent time to work on our work space.  What aspect of your creativity brings you genuine joy?  Is there a way to symbolize it in your physical space?  Which Angel or deity do you call upon when you need help?  How about representing this figure where your work?  Finally, when is the last time that you saged your office, studio or practice room?  As with any holy place, regular spiritual hygiene is an important part of maintaining connections with higher frequencies.  If you've ever felt 100 pounds lighter after giving your house a good scrubbing, then you know what a good spiritual cleanse will do for your artistic abode. 

Well, again, I apologize for this edition missing some of the usual columns, and for that email snafu last week.  No Canadian pharmacies have your information, I promise.  We'll be back up to full capacity very soon.  In the meantime, I thank you so very much for being here and for subscribing. 

Love and blessings always,
Elizabeth