Look up. Look down. Look all around.
Normally, when we think of Sagittarius, we think of the quest, the archer, the human merging of animal instincts and the divine, the fiery inspiration of belief, galloping hooves kicking up dust. But we are not in "normal" times. We are never in normal times.
We are only ever in now.
And now, we find ourselves in an octopus-like experience of Sagittarius: plumbing the depths broadly, spreading ourselves out below the firmament of our lives and beneath our conscious awareness to feel into the expansiveness we cannot see clearly.
An octopus is a fine guide in these strange times and in these unseen realms. It lives camouflaged at the bottom of the sea: a flexible, nimble, intelligent and regenerative being. It is creative: a prolific yet doting mother. It confuses its predators with a "smoke screen" of dark ink that gives it time to get away. The octopus has no bones, but it has eight arms and three hearts.
A few octopus inquiries:
In what ways are you overly flexible?
In what ways are you not flexible enough?
What is your span?
What is your smoke screen?
What beliefs and longings lie beneath your emotions and stories?
Sun in Sagittarius: 11/21/17 - 12/21/17
Generally, the solar month of Sagittarius is a time of expansiveness, of "much-ness". It's the last bustling hurrah before we condense into winter. There's lots to do, lots to gather, lots to take in, lots of people to connect with, and lots of distances to travel. Lots of lots. But despite all of that much-ness, the real inquiry to focus on is the Big Picture.
i.e. Why?
Ask with an open and curious mind, without judgment:
Why these people?
Why these things?
Why do you do what you do?
Why are you where your are?
If you don't like the answers to those why's, that's a good indication of the kinds of changes to make in your life. If your answers seem good to you, then carry on, even if it's hard. There is irrefutable and innumerable evidence that sometimes life is just plain hard. In those moments, Sagittarius urges us to seek inspiration in moments of awe and wonder:
Spend time in nature.
Read poetry that you feel connected to.
Study a philosophy that moves you.
Connect with the right teacher.
What expands your mind-and-heart?
#1 Herb for Sagittarius 2017:
I recommend Garden Sage for this month. This calming herb awakens and inspires the mind, setting a smooth and flowing pace to our thoughts, our mucus, and our bodily rhythms. Energetically, sage helps us understand and find inspiration to move forwards from even the most painful why's. Mix fresh or dry sage into your cooking, and in any herbal or other tea (if you drink black tea, I highly recommend it mixed 50/50 with Lapsang Souchong) for a calm and open mind. For a stronger effect on your emotions and spirit, I recommend the flower essence.
Neptune stations direct: 11/22/17 at 6:21 am PST
Take note of any significant events or encounters that occur between 11/20 - 11/24, while Neptune appears to hover motionless. If you soften your perception and expand your awareness, these days will give you keen insight into any processes of dissolving you've been immersed in since mid-June 2017, when Neptune stationed retrograde.
The big question here is:
What truer structure might you build in place of that which has eroded?
Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius: 12/2/17 - 12/22/17
As our emotions clamber towards the surface, pulled forth by the peaking super full moon (see below), Mercury stations retrograde (at 11:34 pm PST). Here's how to meet this itchy-scratchy energy:
1. Drink lots of your favorite nervine teas, including sage, with some fennel (see below).
2. Take in information and have conversations that inspire you.
3. Ask probing questions about the information and conversations that upset you without reacting to them. In other words, practice restraint so you can learn from these things.
4. Maintain your curiosity.
5. Be flexible with the little stuff.
6. Identify and hold fast to the Big Stuff.
Spelling out the inquiries:
What/who/where inspires you?
What can you learn about yourself and your beliefs from the people/places/information/activities that upset you?
What's the "Big Stuff" for you and how can you hold fast to those things?
Why is that stuff the "Big Stuff"? Why do those things matter to you?
Super Full Moon in Gemini: 12/3/17 at 7:47 am PST
This is the first of three super full moons in a row. This is how we end 2017 and begin 2018. With super full moons.
So what?
Here's what:
You'll feel these more than you do the more garden variety full moons: in your body, in your emotions, in your mind, in your relationships, in your community, in humanity, in the world, in the tides of the ocean, and in all the tides of being. That means more is going out than usual, and also more is coming in.
But also, this full moon occurs in the axis of mind, just a few hours after Mercury (a planet of mind and perception) stationed retrograde, so our aim is new awareness, new ways of perceiving, comprehending both the forest and the trees. The Gemini-Sagittarius axis teaches us that our life story unfolds from our beliefs. Change your beliefs, and your perception and life will shift. So - if you want - this full moon is a doorway into a new life. Or it could just be a wild party. Your choice.
How do your beliefs and stories interrelate?
How might your stories be told in a more inspired and inspiring way?
What stories are you ready to let go of?
What new stories are you inspired to create?
Herbs for the Gemini Super Full Moon:
We'll all need support for our Gemini-ruled nerves around this full moon. Sage will help with this, but you may want to add some oat straw (nourishes the nerves), skullcap (calms the spirit), passionflower (stops circular thinking) and/or lemon balm (clarifies muddled thinking) for a little extra kick. Definitely add a pinch of the number one herb for Mercury retrogrades: fennel seed to help with assimilation of new information and new ways of seeing things. I recommend steeping a quart of tea (1/4 cup dry herbs in 1 quart boiling water, steep covered for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then strain) in the morning, and then drinking that blend throughout the day.
Sagittarius encourages us to experience awe and wonder. Conveniently, we have a meteor shower strong on the night of 12/13/17 to inspire a bit of that mind and heart opening medicine. If it's a clear night where you are, go outside and look towards the south to sight these fleeting streams of light.
New Moon in Sagittarius: 12/17/17 at 10:30 pm PST
A practice for this new moon:
Translate your beliefs into wishes.
How does that shift your relationship with them?
Make some wishes - about anything at all.
What do those wishes teach you about your beliefs?
And finally:
Do you believe wishes have any power?
See what happens in the next few months with the wishes you make on a new moon. Then let me know if you believe in the power of wishes.
Herbs for the Sagittarius New Moon:
Steep these dry herbs in 1 quart boiled water, covered 30 minutes or longer:
2 Tbsp. Garden Sage
1 Tbsp. Peppermint
1 tsp. each: Reishi powder, Lavender, Fennel seed
Drink one cup before bed on 12/17, and drink the rest the next day (12/18).
Saturn in Capricorn: 12/19/17 - 12/16/20
Although it's tucked away at the end of this writing, this is actually the biggest news of this month. Saturn has been traveling in Sagittarius since late December of 2014, so this is the end of a mini-era. We're moving on from the themes of walking-our-talk and generally overhauling, purging, and rebuilding our belief systems. If you're reading this before 12/19/17, I recommend you complete any unfinished business in these themes because the more you have those things squared away, the more you'll get out of Saturn's transit through Capricorn.
The last time Saturn was in its home sign of Capricorn was most of 1988 through early 1991. Some big things went down in the world then:
The Berlin Wall fell.
The USSR ended.
The Cold War ended.
The apartheid system in South Africa was dismantled.
The Gulf War began.
Huge strides in the realm of the internet occurred.
Major progress occurred in the field of genetics.
This tells us we can expect major structures that don't work anymore to crumble, and new structures to take their place. You'll see this in the vaster world, and you'll see this in your own life. Saturn's transit in Capricorn will dismantle anything that just doesn't work - whether it's outdated, or it just plain never worked. It might hurt a bit, but the good news is that with that detritus cleared out, Saturn in Capricorn will help you build solid structures that fit in the here and now of who you are in the context of the current world and society in which you exist.
And if you did your Saturn-in-Sagittarius homework these last few years, you'll build lasting structures that will have true and inspired long-term meaning to you. For now, I recommend you stick with those questions of belief. Plumb the depths of your ideas and theories. Get to the bottom of your thesis. Understand the foundations of your manifesto.
We'll get into the Capricorn questions next month.
Next month...
The two planets of mind - Mercury and Uranus - station direct, and we'll experience the second of three super full moons in a row. Eclipse season will then be just around the corner, so we'll be feeling into that opening and clearing of energy. Until then, feel free to schedule an astrology consultation or healing session, or drop me a line. I always love to hear from my readers, students, and clients. Here's wishing you a month of expanded awareness and renewed faith. Thanks for reading, Rae