The New Moon in Aquarius, the first New Moon of the year, took place on Friday, January 24th. And, with proper Piscean protocol (I am decidedly that), this email is just 36 hours or so tardy! However, Aquarian ideals are coming to the fore in ways we haven't seen just yet, and they're here to stay, at least for another 1,900 or so years! Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen, this may be a bit of a long one...

Aquarius is the last of the Air signs, often known popularly as the "water-bearer." From an evolutionary perspective, this sign is here to live from a place of genuine authenticity, learning to listen inwardly to its own truth amidst the clamoring noise of the world. This can sometimes be a challenge, as everyone has an opinion these days, and they're likely expressing it somewhere on social media so that everyone knows exactly where they stand on, well, everything. This phenomena of social media, the internet, and all things digital can absolutely be seen as Aquarian, for this sign of the zodiac represents our ability as humans to expand beyond cultural norms that have ensnared us for many generations. It urges us forward in a way that breaks down barriers that were once real and are now a thing of the past, or will be soon!

Although I consider the kind of astrology I practice to be "personal astrology," due to its highly transformative nature and ability to give each individual the awareness of how to create a masterpiece out of their birth charts, it's also alive within the greater context of humanity. For astrologers also recognize that humankind goes through 2,000 year cycles in which each period is flavored by a specific zodiac sign. For example, the Buddha, the Christ, Lao Tzu, even Confucius, all lived either just before or in the beginning of the Piscean era, marked in symbol by the vesica piscis, what came to be known as the symbol for Pisces, and eventually that of the Christian fish. To read more about this history, see here:: http://symboldictionary.net/?p=1127. Yet this 2,000 year Piscean period ended around 1903/1904 ACE, ushering in that of Aquarius. Because free will is ALWAYS important in the type of astrology I practice, we must recognize its important place in this method in general. And because this is true, humans during the last 2,000 year cycle could have chosen to play out Pisces as magnificently as possible, experiencing "unity consciousness," waking up to their true nature that could be described as "divine," the "Self", "Truth," or "Pure Awareness," to name a few. Yet a conundrum that spiritual teachers have experienced for likely as long as we've been around is the issue of how to explain one's innermost nature to people in a way in which they actually GET IT! Many tried this during the Pisean Era, and a few major religions were born. Some beings within those religions actually have gotten to the root of what it's about, tasting the nature of unified Consciousness and sharing this with their people. Yet humans aren't always ready to live from a completely "woke" perspective, and the shadow tendency of Pisces also played out, which can be described as "unhealthily dissolving ourselves" into things like unsound cultural practices, marriage (Mrs. John Smith/women were actually property for awhile), religion, cults, ideas about reality, what we "should" be thinking and doing, what we "shouldn't" be thinking and doing, and the like. Now that we've collectively entered the Aquarian Era, we can see the mark of the water-bearer in that the cultural norms aforementioned are shifting entirely. From the Industrial Revolution beginning in the late 1700s, up through the current age of the internet, we have seen MAJOR shifts in the technological innovations and genius that people have brought to humanity, and how these have influenced our daily lives. Just over 140 years ago, we had no electricity. Think of how much has shifted and how quickly it has done so from that point forward!

Speaking of electricity, Astrology is known as an Aquarian practice, ruled by or having an affinity for the planet Uranus. Uranus, the god of the sky, of thunder and lightning (in a sense, electricity), is also the planet whose function of consciousness is to give us the ability to make decisions from a clear place that has nothing to do with conforming to old ideals, and everything to do with living in alignment with one's own absolute truth. This is a planet that all people, of course, have in their birth charts. Yet the kind of astrology I practice, often labelled as Evolutionary Astrology, recognizes that there is A LOT of free will going on. So unlike the predestination model, this is an astrology that weaves together fate and free will, inviting people to create their own destinies in a way that allows them fluency and virtuosity in being exactly who they came here to be. We can see the Uranian/Aquarian energy more prominently than we have before as people get more curious about what it really means to live from an authentic place within themselves that isn't dominated by what they "should" be doing, and is more guided by an inner compass that is resonant with who they are in their heart of hearts.

Astrology has an important role to play in this revolution of consciousness, and this can be seen in the media as of late. Richard Tarnas' 2006 book, Cosmos and Psyche explains the author's initial skepticism of the practice, yet through open-minded exploration and work, how his view shifted to a recognition that planetary transits, cosmic archetypes, and the Jungian concept of synchronicity are all important forces at work in an individual's life. Yet, he also recognizes and makes clear in this work that free will is at play, as each human has the ability to choose how to work with her/his birth chart and the planetary alignments that take place throughout the course of one's life. One can move through these rites of passage with dexterity, humility, and grace, or with egoicism, apathy, and ignorance. Truly, the choice is always one's own. Tarnas chronicles the connection between astrology and the work of Carl Jung, who has said, "Astrology represents the sum of all the psychological knowledge of antiquity," and worked with his clients' astrological charts in each encounter he had with them. Evolutionary Astrology is highly based on the work of Jung and his contributions to the collective. Read more about Tarnas here:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Tarnas.

My Evolutionary Astrology teacher, Steven Forrest, has had a large role to play in the ushering forth of a more integrated, psychological, and spiritual approach to astrology. He is wise, kind, well-spoken and written, and a true trailblazer in the astrological realm. He has written at least 20 books, each packed with important information that makes astrology practical and relevant. His work can be found here:: https://www.forrestastrology.com/

More recently, The Rolling Stone just did a great article on Chani Nicholas, an astrologer that hails from right down the road from me! Though she's been in LA for some time now, Chani is bringing social justice and feminism to her work as an astrologer and is making some major headway. Her work is innovative, fun, and a call to action in this quickly changing world of ours! Read more about her here:: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/meet-the-woman-bringing-social-justice-to-astrology?utm_source=pocket-newtab.

One of my favorite Podcast hosts and the founder of Sounds True, Tami Simon, recently hosted a Psychological Astrologer Jennifer Freed on her show. Freed is both a psychologist and an astrologer, and she works with especially teens and their families to help everyone move through this often challenging time in life with awareness and empowerment. Read more about her and her work here:: https://www.jenniferfreed.com/bio.

And, of course, I'm always of service in this amazing realm of Astrology. A student of the stars for over a decade, I love working with people in transformational, inspiring, and empowering ways that offer guidance and clarity in how to embody their most authentic selves. It's work that I’m deeply committed to and feel honored to be a part of. My website is here:: http://revolutionmedicine.ca/. Feel free to reach out anytime. In a place where change is the constant, it can be reassuring to know in "going our own way,"  we're doing it in just the ways we’re meant to.

I'll leave you with this:: what does it mean to really live your authentic truth? What are some practical measures you can take to facilitate this? The Force is always with you! May you harness it to embody your greatness.