This month is jam-packed with significant astrological events. In addition to the ongoing Mercury retrograde cycle that's been stirring up deep feelings and taboo topics related to sex, intimacy, and possible shadow tendencies in relationships, the pair of eclipses - the first on October 8 and the second on October 23 - are bringing the full-on effects of necessary endings and powerful new beginnings. Add in the ongoing fire trine between Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus, amping up the urge for freedom and radical action even further, and we have a climate that is ripe for radical change!

Eclipses come in cycles, and are always periods of great changes both personally and collectively. Some people will experience more change and upheaval at this time than others due to where and how the eclipse is impacting the birth chart. Still, unavoidable change is in the air, and I find it helpful to remember that no matter how chaotic things become, these changes are ultimately for the Highest Good. Eclipses - especially lunar eclipses - have a way of throwing us directly onto the path we're meant to be on, whether we think we're ready or not! If you're resistant to the changes that the Universe is guiding you towards now, be aware that resistance will only make any inevitable endings/new beginnings that much more difficult to move through (I've been on the resisting end of eclipses, and believe me, there's not a shred of grace or ease involved in that!). The seemingly fateful energy of eclipses remind me of the Zen proverb "Let go or be dragged." Change is unavoidable now, and it will serve us in profound ways if we summon the courage to follow through!

The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on Wednesday is at 15 degrees Aries, and we're fully in the swing of the energy now. This event is bringing back themes from the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Libra on April 15, so contemplating the themes that were up for you then will provide deeper insights into how this eclipse is operating in your life. Generally speaking, the April 15 eclipse highlighted themes of self vs. other and the need to take brave action to bring our authentic self forward in relationships of any kind more fully. This month's eclipse in Aries is calling us to revisit those themes one last time to make any final, radical moves necessary toward healthy independence and inter-dependence. Jealousy, possessiveness, and other relationship shadow issues are also likely to surface for healing as Venus (the Goddess of Love) squares Pluto (Lord of the Underworld), and Uranus and the nodes work to liberate us from the past. Whether issues are cropping up for you in intimate relationships, friendships, family, or career, remember that these energies are primarily centered on how we relate to others of any kind, and what needs to shift in order to bring balance therein.

Although the eclipse focus is on partnership, it is important to remember that we are the first half of the partnership equation; our most fundamental relationship is the one we have with ourselves. Our external circumstances only ever mirror the energies within us. If we are living a life that is out of alignment with the core of who we are, we are bound to draw in people and situations/life circumstances that are not an authentic match for us. But when we are brave enough to embrace ourselves fully and make choices that honor ourselves out of self-love, all of life begins to align. We find "our people"; we meet an incredible partner; career opportunities that once seemed like a distant dream begin to take shape. When we give ourselves full and uninhibited permission to be who we are, we begin manifesting the life of our dreams.

As an example of how eclipse cycles work together over the long-term and how they can activate change within us is the story of a close family member of mine who had been stagnating in an unsatisfying and draining job for years. His supervisors never recognized his intelligence or leadership capabilities, and he felt more suppressed and undermined as time went on. He had feared making any radical changes because of the possibility of financial instability, but was sacrificing his emotional, mental, and physical well-being in the process. During April's Full Moon Eclipse in Libra, he hit an emotional breaking point and resolved to get on track to find a way out of that job and to discover his next step in life. He came to me for a LaHo-Chi healing session and to receive another powerful energetic blessing. Within weeks, he had the sudden insight and inspiration to start building his own videography business - a field directly aligned with his greatest talents and passions that he had abandoned earlier in life. He gradually drew resources to him, and after making a few key connections, was hired to work part-time as an emcee at an event center. Synchronistically, his supervisor has acted as a mentor to assist him in his videography pursuits by providing networking opportunities and leading him to potential investors.

Last night I got the call that his event center job had taken off to the point of him being able to leave his unfulfilling full-time job; he resigned today on the spot. It is likely that the connections he is making now will lead to more opportunities to build his videography business while having full financial support via his fun new job! As you can see, the process of living a life in alignment with his true self that began during April's eclipse has now come full-circle for as he embarks on a new career path - the right career path in line with his true passions and calling. 

If you're feeling the urge to make a radical change now, trust your instincts and follow through. Do what you feel called to do in order to stay true to yourself and live in a way that honors your needs and talents. The cosmic atmosphere is supporting you in moving more fully into authentic self-expression, and that may mean releasing people, situations, or emotions/habit patterns that no longer serve you. Remember that by unabashedly living out the totality of who you are, you are shining a light that inspires others to do the same, and assist in creating a more joyful world for us all! Make it a point to take extra care of yourself this week as well, since lunar eclipses are full moons - emotions running raw and high - only on overdrive. Love, light, and many blessings to all!

If you want to know where this eclipse is impacting you, find the house in your birth chart that contains 15 degrees Aries. The area of life represented there will show the area for greatest potential change. 

Want to know more about how the eclipses are impacting you and where your greatest current areas of opportunity lie? I would love to assist you! Please see "Rates, Specials, and Contact Information" for details.

This year's final Mercury Retrograde will occur from October 4-25. While it's true that Mercury Retrograde cycles can really wreak havoc on daily communications, technology/internet connections, and travel plans to name just a few things, this is a transit that has the potential to serve us well if we can tap into our inner reserves of patience to review the issues that are coming to the forefront. Review is the key purpose of any retrograde cycle, and since Mercury is the planet of the mind, events will highlight the need for review and careful thought processes in any and all matters involving communication in our daily lives.

This particular Mercury Rx cycle begins in the sign of Scorpio, which is known for its probing emotional depth and intensity. As an archetype, Scorpio craves depth interactions that lead to security on the emotional and soul level, while working to bring any shadow issues to the light that are in need of release and healing. With the planet of the mind and communications here from September 27 to the beginning of Mercury's retrograde period, we're likely to find ourselves engaged in dialogue about profound and honest feelings, secrets/taboo issues, and the more mysterious aspects of life. Whatever may surface at this time in relation to our own shadow issues, if it does, will be up for addressing when Mercury moves back from its short stay in Scorpio and into Libra on October 10. Expect issues of balance to be prevalent in relation to how we communicate our deepest feelings/fears, passions and desires, and to have an opportunity to do important work in relation to how we balance these emotions within ourselves. This may also signal a time of addressing those issues within partnerships. We'll get much more of a chance to delve even deeper into the darker aspects of life and our own consciousness when Mercury moves back into Scorpio on November 8. With the pair of eclipses coming up - both during this retrograde cycle and highlighting themes of empowerment and self-assertion/balance in relation to others - we can be sure that issues up for review in key areas of life for each of us will play a pivotal role in the weeks, months, and even years ahead.

If you had a hectic start to your week, you're not alone! The moon's passage through Gemini from late afternoon on Sunday, August 17 through the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 20 caused disconnect and frustration with all things Mercurial for many people - myself included! The beginning part of this week - especially Tuesday - felt like a mini-Mercury retrograde. If you're familiar with astrological cycles, you'll know that when Mercury is retrograde, the things that Mercury rules - communication, speaking and learning, travel, and the transport of anything from one point to another - are significantly impacted, and usually in ways that bring frustration, "wild goose chases," and so on. 

But Mercury is indeed direct, and in a very organized and fastidious earth sign - Virgo - with its next retrograde cycle beginning on October 4. If that's the case, why all the confusion and frustration this week? There are two significant reasons for this, one being equally as influential as the other. 

The first of the two is that Mercury, the planet that rules Gemini, has been in opposing Neptune in its home sign of Pisces. Neptune represents compassion without borders, dissolving the perceived differences between people and all living things. Because of its ability to activate within us a heightened sense of intuition and mediumship abilities of every kind (including the creative "channeling" done by artists, actors/actresses, spiritualists, and dreamers) by blurring the lines of physical reality to connect us with higher realms of consciousness, it can also bring a certain "fog," a lack of clarity and "spaciness". When Neptune and Mercury connect - especially if it's a hard aspect such as the currently waning opposition - achieving clarity of communication can be challenging. One's capacity for memory recall can be fuzzy, and it's easy to space out on facts and details. It's a wonderful time for connecting to the collective unconscious by way of meditation, spiritual practices, artistic activities, and engaging in eloquent self-expression, but not so supportive of honing in on details! Some of the common difficult tendencies I've observed during Mercury-Neptune transits are an increase in people's inattentiveness while driving (and having to reign in my own wandering mind while driving!), internet connectivity/communication issues in general, a tendency to get caught up in dreamy/unrealistic thinking and "laze" the day away, and a laissez-faire tendency toward organization and promptness.

The second reason for this chaos was the moon's Void of Course status in Gemini on Tuesday. When the moon goes void, all activities and plans made or undertaken during that time are considered to be "null and void," usually quite unpredictable in outcome. A void moon in and of itself can create a certain kinds of confusion or mental fog depending on the sign the moon is in, and when paired with the current Mercury-Neptune opposition, it can really create mayhem, frustration, and unexpected changes on the mental/intellectual and communicative level. 

Here are some of the ways these energies manifested in my life this week, particularly on Tuesday while the moon was void:

• Unexpected schedule changes and confusion at home led to a second day of chaos in following through on scheduled activities (Monday's schedule was thrown off by a trip to visit a relative who was having emergency surgery out of town - Gemini reconnections and Neptunian themes of self-sacrifice and compassion)
• Unusual wireless internet connectivity issues necessitated my being on a service call for a good portion of the evening before I could make good on work plans
• Dinner was postponed due to my housemate and I having forgotten to prepare any food for the week (Neptune-Mercury)
• An abrupt change in weather threw off outdoor plans
• A friend's flight was delayed due to weather, a very common occurrence during Mercury retrograde cycles 

In addition, I found myself connecting with people via email/phone/text messaging almost frenetically throughout the passage of the moon through Gemini, as if the Universe was guiding me to play "catch up" just as usual...only this time I experienced much difficulty in connecting with people at the scheduled times and was playing perpetual phone tag! I also made calls to learn more about international calling plans in lieu of making a close connection with someone on Twitter (how very Geminian is that?!) and made calls to gather more information on items for my business space. Though none of these events were necessarily life-changing in and of themselves, they further clarify for me the impact that astrological configurations have on our daily lives (and also serve as a reminder that no, we're not going crazy - it's just the planets at play!). 

The rest of this week has felt quite different, since Mercury-Neptune opposition continues to wane and the moon has moved from very mentally active Gemini into the home and heart-centered sign of Cancer. Though a powerful Mars-Saturn conjunction continues to intensify in Scorpio, we'll be able to enjoy a much-anticipated quieter inner/outer atmosphere and a gradual increase in mental clarity over the next couple of days. Breathe in the peace, and be blessed!