For all who wish to know my Dad has found a home in the Sunnybrook Veterans Hospital ~ K Wing in Toronto. They are very good to him. After 40 days of missing him I was finally able to make telephone contact. He was very weepy but the second call I have made to him made my day. Blessings and thank you for your prayers.

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February 8, 2016 Year of the Fire Monkey

May your celebrations be blessed.

Rudolph?

Loki and the Death of Light

Friga

Inside the greatest stories are a hundred little stories that get forgotten.

In the story of the first winter, the death of Baldur the bright, there is a story too of little Mistletoe.

At Yuletide now we hang mistletoe, and whenever a boy and girl pass beneath it they must kiss,

but so many have forgotten why. The tale of mistletoe is one of love and pride, foolishness and forgiveness.

First and best of the sons of Frigga and Odin was Baldur the bright. The shining one, his laughter and courage were beacons to the Aesir, and his gentleness the offer of peace when the battle din had faded. Where the world carved by Jottun and Odin from Ymir's bones was cruel and cold, would Baldur add a touch of gentleness and wonder. Where spear sharp mountain was cut by icy stream, would Baldur carve a hidden flowered glen, and softly whispering pool. Where Muspelheim's fire clawed at the ice and rock of earth would Baldur twist and twine them to forge a bubbling spring of warmth to bring the promise of life to the most forsaken fell.

When the first war raged between Aesir and Vanir sweet Frigga feared for her son, forever was he first in battle, and all too swift to offer mercy where death strokes were safer. In time the Aesir and Vanir swore to peace,

and the Vanir too grew to love Baldur. For a time the nine worlds were near peace, the Aesir and Vanir united, the raiding with the Jottun more friendly sport than earnest war.

At this time did Frigga vow to make her Baldur safe from harm from all.

To the dwarvish deeps she went, and begged favour of the dwarves:

"Let not stone or steel, nor metal forged dare harm sweet Baldur's hide!" The dwarves looked deep into the secret earth, at the ropes and rivers of gold, the sparkling diamonds promising the wonders of the night sky, and the thousand secret riches that Baldur had woven into the iron deeps when the world was new forged and so they swore. To the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, the whales and fishes of the deep did she go and beg safety for bright Baldur, and as each would look to the beauty Baldur had woven into their world, they would promise his protection.

From Yggdrasil and all lesser trees did Frigga then beg favour, and one by one they all swore Baldur's weal for the beauty he had given them.

At last came Frigga to the youngest of plants, the newborn Mistletoe. She begged protection for her son, and Mistletoe said no.

Mistletoe lives on the oak, and never sees the sun. Far from the ground, it sees not beyond the mighty oak´s dark leaves.

The oak itself did lend its voice to beg and plead with Mistletoe, but Mistletoe had never seen the gifts of Baldur's making.

All Frigga's tears and oak´s stern words did not move Mistletoe to mercy, in ignorance and pride it swore no oath to the lady mother.

Alone of giant, man and god was Loki is his jealousy. Baldur's love meant nothing to him, and he ever sought to mock him.

For all his jests did him no good, as Baldur never angered, but laughed instead with right good will when Loki's wit did best him. With envy and rage did Loki plot to do fair Baldur evil, at last he thought to ask of Frigg the protection she had won him. In the high feast hall with a gentle smile did Loki come to Frigga.

"How you must fear with such a bold son, that evil must befall him. Of all the gods your Baldur's courage in the vanguard ever finds him"

At Loki's words did Frigga smile, never suspecting evil. She shared with her kinsmen her sons defence, the secrets of his protection.

"The stones of earth, all metals forged, all beasts of water, wind and land have all sworn him protection", did Frigga smile.

Loki pressed for answers, "What of tree and leaf and nut? What of dandelion or rose?"

Frigga laughed at his silly words, and revealed the last of her secret:

"Trees and grasses, bush and vine have all sworn his protection. Only lowly mistletoe of all that lives still dares withhold protection."

Loki laughed and slid away, his mission now completed. Sweet Frigga did not suspect yet that Loki plotted treason.

Down to midgard with a silver knife did Loki make his harvest. A slender wand of mistletoe that in the fire with spells he hardened. His arrow forged of mistletoe, and murder in his heart, Loki crossed the rainbow bridge and came to Odin's court.

"A game!" cried Loki shouting loud, "A sport to test our mettle!" Loki's challenge drew every eye and he worked his trick so vile.

"Let Baldur stand before the host, let every warrior try him." Loath were the gods to raise hand against him, but Baldur did beseech them.

"What harm in this? Let's have a game, let all my friends and brothers try their mightiest of strokes and let me judge the winner!"

Baldur's words stirred every heart with honest love for battle, and laughing did they all array to try their strokes against him. Odin's spear and Thor's dread hammer, swords of Frey and Heimdall, the bow of Uller all did fail amidst the warriors laughter.

Blind Hod alone did not take part, until dread Loki urged him on and promised his assistance.

"Come now brother, what's the harm" smiled Loki in his treason. "I'll guide your hand upon the bow, let your warrior´s heart remember"

Hod then smiled and drew his bow, and Loki fit the arrow, dread mistletoe struck Baldur dead and the light of the world fell with him.

All remember what happened next, how sweet Sunna (the Sun) fled from a world without Baldur, how winter came to the world. All remember the punishment of Loki, a binding and torment that would last until the end of days. Each Yule we remember Baldur's arrival at Hel's own hall, how she bade him to sit beside her and join her in her hall until the end of days, when he will return to lead the survivors.

Who now remembers the fate of Mistletoe, the agent of Baldur's bane?

When Baldur fell, sweet Sunna turned her face away and fled. Without the light of the sun, the world grew cold and dark; the trees lost their leaves, and for the first time Mistletoe saw beyond the embracing arms of oak. Everywhere the dying light showed emptiness and loss, but here and there would beauty shine and mistletoe did weep.

"Who has made this?", would Mistletoe ask at each thing of majesty and wonder, "Baldur" was the answer every time until the heart of mistletoe was shattered.

Freya

Mother Frigga in her rage demanded the death of her sons dread slayer. Of Odin and of Yggdrasil, of Frey and gentle Nerthus she begged the price of mother's vengeance, until every god condemned it. Alone of all the gods did Freya hear the weeping. Alone of all the Vanir did she stoop to hear the reason. To mistletoe she swiftly flew within her falcon cloak, upon the oak tree did she land beside the weeping plant. Love´s golden goddess softly asked, why mistletoe did weep? "For Baldur slain, for beauty lost, for love gone out the world!"

Freya asked of Mistletoe, what wergild would it pay? How could it give back the beauty lost, the love that Baldur offered? When Mother Frigga in her rage came down the Bifrost bridge, Freya stood with mistletoe to greet the grieving mother.

"Blessed Frigga, will you accept the wergild of the weeping flower? Or will you slaughter and stain the memory of the loving son you've lost?"

Frigga stared hard eyed and cold to hear the wergilds terms, Mistletoe in humble grief did make this solemn vow:

"Where Yuletide brings the pain of loss will Mistletoe bring love, beneath my humble leaves let love be now kindled. What fairer grave goods for the sun bright lord than the promise of love new kindled? When two now meet beneath my leaves, let loves kiss light between them. Let the light of love remember him that the world weeps for this season."

Now down the ages we remember beneath the mistletoe, a kiss the promise of new love, within this coldest season.

Cookies and Milk for Santa

Santa has many faces

The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson

traditional European, retold by Leo Tolstoy

Sairey Gamp

The grandfather had become very old. His legs would not carry him, his eyes could not see, his ears could not hear, and he was toothless. When he ate, bits of food sometimes dropped out of his mouth. His son and his son's wife no longer allowed him to eat with them at the table. He had to eat his meals in the corner near the stove.

One day they gave him his food in a bowl. He tried to move the bowl closer; it fell to the floor and broke. His daughter-in-law scolded him. She told him that he spoiled everything in the house and broke their dishes, and she said that from now on he would get his food in a wooden dish. The old man sighed and said nothing.

A few days later, the old man's son and his wife were sitting in their hut, resting and watching their little boy playing on the floor. They saw him putting together something out of small pieces of wood. His father asked him, "What are you making, Misha?"

The little grandson said, "I'm making a wooden bucket. When you and Mama get old, I'll feed you out of this wooden dish."

The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family.

And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth got soiled.

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives.

The story of "Half a Blanket" is another typical story from Ireland:

A man had a father who had grown too old to do anything but eat and smoke, so the man decided to send him away with nothing but a blanket. "Just give him half a blanket," said the man's son from his cradle, "then I'll have half to give you when you grow old and I send you away." Upon hearing this, the man quickly reconsidered and allowed his old father to remain after all.

This is the Hispanic version:

A woman disliked her old father-in-law who lived with her family, and she insisted he be removed to a small room outside the house. One winter day the old man, who was suffering from hunger and cold, asked his grandson to bring him a blanket. The boy found a rug and asked his father to cut it in half for the grandfather. "Take the whole rug," the father said. "No," replied the boy. "I must save half for you for when you are as old as grandfather." The man quickly restored his old father to a warm room in the house, and from that time on he took care of his needs and visited him every day.

History of Euthanasia and geronticide

Europe

Every culture has its own folk medicine: rituals, practices, and preparations believed to cure illness and preserve good health. However, not all health related rituals are directed at the patient's recovery. For example, numerous European superstitions -- still extant in the nineteenth century and possibly later -- claimed to help the mortally ill die faster and easier. From a purely medical perspective these were harmless acts. Removing roof tiles or simply opening windows was widely believed to speed death by giving the departing soul an easier exit. Similarly, some advised filling every hollow space in the house, thus denying the reluctant soul a hiding place. Other acts -- for example, taking away a dying person's pillow, cutting a scrap from one's clothing, or not allowing one to clinch one's thumb in one's fist -- were more intrusive, but still relatively harmless.

However innocent these moves, their intent was clear to all concerned, and without doubt they sometimes may have set the stage for more aggressive acts. Such symbolic responses not only reflect a resignation with the inevitability of death, but they also claim -- indirectly but still clearly -- that it is the survivors' prerogative to assist the natural process of dying when it becomes evident that the time is right. Ancient Europeans had little sympathy for the infirm. To "die at the right time" was not a value first invented by Nietzsche's Zarathustra. Jacob Grimm, in his German Legal Antiquities, lists numerous examples of lethal acts against the aged in pre-Christian Germany. Suicide, self-sacrifice in battle, abandonment, and outright execution are among the solutions applied by our European forebears to those who lived too long.

On the other hand, folklore not only contains survivals of these primitive lethal acts against the aged, but it also celebrates old people's wisdom and calls for their continuing care. This ambiguity reflects a fragility in the relationship between the generations that his been with humankind throughout all of recorded history. Hanns Bächthold-Stäubli explains this apparent cultural contradiction by giving a double definition of the word "old." In the more primitive stages, he claims, "old" designated people between 35 and 60 years of age, and these indeed were given special status and privilege. However, once a person became senile and could no longer contribute to family and society, he was pushed from his position of honor, and even executed or abandoned.

In times of war, forced migration, or famine the temptation to do away the weakest members of a group would be especially great. A saga contains the following description of a famine in Iceland in the 10th century (circumstances which, coincidentally, led to the Norsemen's colonization of Greenland and their discovery of America, some 500 years before Columbus): "Men ate ravens and foxes, and many loathsome thinges were eaten which should not be eaten, and some men had the old and helpless killed and thrown over the cliffs."

One of the Grimms' German Legends (no. 454) tells how, in the eighth century, a community fleeing from enemy soldiers buried one of their old women alive to keep her from being taken captive. They carried out the fateful task while chanting "Creep under, creep under, the world is too sorrowful for you; you can no longer follow the commotion." In their commentary to this legend, the Grimms document two additional instances of ritualistic killing of the aged. In each of the Grimms' three examples the geronticide was accompanied by a ritualistic chant, which suggests that these had, to at least some extent, not only legitimized, but also formalized the killing of their aged.

Karl Haupt, writing in the mid nineteenth century, gives a particularly dramatic (and relatively recent) example of socially sanctioned European geronticide in Lausitz, a region in today's Southeast Germany. Himself a German, Haupt is quick to emphasize that this shameful custom was practiced by Slavic groups living in this region. His account follows:

During heathen times the Sorbian Wends of Lausitz practiced the shameful and gruesome custom of ridding themselves of their old people who were no longer able to contribute. When, a father would be struck dead by his own son a son would strike his own father dead when he became old and incompetent, or he would throw him into water, or he would push him over a high cliff. Indeed, there are many examples of this, even after the advent of Christianity. For example:

Herr Levin von Schulenburg, a high official in Altmark, was traveling among the Wends in about 1580 when he saw an old man being led away by several people. "Where are you going with the old man?" he asked, and received the answer, "To God!" They were going to sacrifice him to God, because he was no longer able to earn his own sustenance. When the official grasped what was happening, he forced them to turn the old man over to him. He took him home with him and hired him as a gatekeeper, a position that he held for twenty additional years.

As a final survival of this gruesome custom, Haupt cites a Wendish ritualistic folk song, apparently still being sung as late as the mid nineteenth century:

Old man, go to sleep!

Young man, find a wife!

Throw stones at the old man,

And apples at the young ones;

Old man, go to sleep!

Young man, find a wife!

Other primitive cultures

Abandonment of the sick or the aged by primitive peoples, especially those with a nomadic culture, is well documented and reflects the harshness of life endured by many of our forebears. An Eskimo story, for example, can begin, in a matter-of-fact tone: "One Winter there was an old woman who was left behind ... with only a few insects to eat." Similarly, a Chiricahua Indian myth tells how tribal members concluded that a certain old woman was "good for nothing" and hence decided to abandon her. Alone, she wept to the Mountain Spirits, and they performed a ceremony that cured her of her ailments. She returned to her people and shared with them the healing ceremony, which became a part of their culture. The myth thus explains the origin of a certain healing ritual, but it does not directly criticize the practice of abandoning an old, infirm tribal member to certain death.

You never know what history can retell till you look.

Love is all there is

Stages of Life

Rosalind

From Shakespeare's As You Like It (act 2, scene 7):

All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.

Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,

Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,

Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lined,

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts

Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,

His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide

For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,

Turning again toward childish treble, pipes

And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Love is Beautiful

Merry Christmas & Happy Full Moon

"Big Peter and Little Peter,"

There were two adult brothers, both named Peter, one rich and one poor. Wealthy Big Peter maliciously killed his poor brother's only calf. Little Peter skinned the animal and then went from farm to farm trying to sell the hide, but never with success. Overtaken by nightfall, he gained lodging from a farmer's wife, who -- as Little Peter soon discovered -- was "making merry" with the village priest while her husband was away. The farmer unexpectedly returned, and the priest hid himself in a chest. Armed with this information and his own quick wit, Little Peter traded his calf skin for the chest and then extorted a small fortune from the captive priest.

Back at home, Little Peter showed his rich brother the unbelievable sum that he had received for the hide. Big Peter, filled with greed and envy, immediately slaughtered all of his own cattle and rushed to market with the hides, but instead of wealth, he found only ridicule and scorn. He returned home, swearing to strike his brother dead that very night. Little Peter heard the threat and saved himself by changing sleeping places with his old mother. Thus, when Big Peter tried to carried out his threat against his brother, he chopped off his old mother's head instead.

Little Peter then hatched a plan to use the old woman's corpse to further enrich himself. He put her body on a sledge, balanced the severed head on her neck, and dragged her to market where he set her up as an apple seller. Her first customer was a quick-tempered fellow who, insulted because she would not respond to his questions, gave her a slap, literally knocking her head off. Little Peter, by now quite good at extortion, collected a substantial sum from the would-be apple buyer in return for not reporting him to the authorities.

As if this were not enough, Little Peter returned home and showed Big Peter the money their old mother's body had brought at the market. The greedy brother, we are told, had an old stepmother, and he killed her outright, taking the body to market hoping for a similarly high price. But instead of money, he received only scorn and threats of arrest. Other tricks follow; tricks that ultimately cost Big Peter and his wife their lives and leave Little Peter a wealthy man.

Poor Joe

Happy New Year

Some Things Cannot Be Fixed
They Can only Be Carried

To Wipe Away Tears

Wisdom From the Land of Love and Light Beyond

Silver Birch spoke at the home circle named after famous journalist Hannen Swaffer {seen left} for decades. Through his trance medium Maurice Barbanell, the guide answered questions on just about any subject imaginable.

Usually these were asked by guests who were present. Occasionally, as below, points sent by admirers were put to Silver Birch. The medium was never shown these in advance.

First, please read and enjoy what the guide said when he was asked, "We know where the spirit goes to, but where does it come from?"

"All life is one life with infinite gradations." Said Silver Birch. "You are as much now in the next world as ever you will be. It is only a question of the rate of your vibration."

"You are as much a spiritual being now as ever you will be. Death will not transform you into a spiritual being; death will not enhance your spiritual stature by one iota."

"You are spirit. You always were spirit. You always will be spirit, but at present you are aware of that portion of spirit which is manifested in a physical body."

"As you evolve after what is called death, more and more of the unexpressed spirit will be able to display itself, but spirit has never gone anywhere. It has never come from anywhere. It always was; it always is; it always will be."

"What" asked a member of the circle, "did it express itself before it found earthly expression?"

"Spirit always exists as spirit," was the guide's reply, "but it does not exist as individual or individuated spirit until it has an embodiment in matter. Individuality comes to spirit from its association with an earthly body."

"Just as the individuality of a domestic animal depends on its association with man, I suppose?" said this sitter. The guide's reply was, "Yes."

"When we lose this physical body," asked another sitter, "shall not we still be individuals?"

"More so," was the answer. "You are still an individual because you are expressing latent qualities which depend for their expression on your evolution.

"The more you evolve, them more of the unexpressed self comes to the surface. That means more of perfection is being expressed. Because more of perfection is being expressed, the closer you are to the Great Spirit."

"If perfection were a finite process, then you would, in a stated time, merge with the Great Spirit, but it is an infinite process, for the more you evolve, the more you realize there is to be evolved, so that you are becoming more and more individualized as time goes on."

The next questions were: "Are those who have passed on conscious of the thoughts and prayers we send up to them? Are they able to use the power of the love sent to them in their work?"

"It depends," was the guide's reply, "on the people concerned as to whether there is a kinship of love or affection between them, but very largely it is true that all sincere thought and prayer, all desire to be of any service, gives it the wing of direction towards the one to whom it is expressed and does help them."

Yet another question was, "Will there always be another chance for everybody?"

"Of course there is," said Silver Birch. "If there were not a second chance, then the universe would not be ruled by divine love and justice."

"If the story of man ended with the earthly grave, then the world would be full of mistakes, full of people who have never had compensation or even retribution for the life they have lived."

"The great glory of the knowledge we strive to bring to your world is that life does not end with death, that all who have suffered, that all who have failed, are provided with an opportunity of self-redemption, that the tears of frustration are wiped away in the knowledge of what can be achieved, that all who have desired to enrich their world and failed can add their lustre to mankind's growth."

"Life goes on. In doing so, it provides everybody with another chance to express their innate gifts, the gifts that were denied a manifestation on earth."

"Conversely, it provides the means of remedial discipline for those who have foolishly strutted and imagined that they had been able to escape the natural laws that rule over all."

"There is no greater justice than divine justice. None cheats it; none thwarts it, for all come within the realm of its ordinance. In that knowledge, the kindly and the decent have nothing to fear. It is only those who have been selfish who need to be afraid."

When the conversation turned to those killed in war, the guide said: "Do not judge eternity by the infinitesimal fragment of earthly life. Do not judge the universe by your world. Life does not end with death."

"The word 'finis' does not appear on the book of life because the body has come to its end. Life goes on and its story is continued and developed amidst scenes of greater splendour, beauty and richness than those who dwell on earth have any conception."

"It is sad that fruit should drop from the tree before it is ripe, but there are compensations. Love and life are eternal. Those who leave the physical body in time of war before their spirits have had an opportunity for maturity arte able to complete their unfoldment elsewhere."

"How does an avowed materialist fare when he passes over?" was another point put to the guide. Silver Birch replied:

"Your world for too long has been deluded with the idea that the ones who call themselves religious possess a spiritual advantage over their fellows. That is not axiomatic. You are not the spiritual superior of your fellows because you believe in certain theological doctrines."

"The only test which is applied is the test of daily life. Your spiritual nature is exactly what you have made it to be."

"There are many materialists, atheists, rationalists and agnostics who are the spiritual superiors of thousands who think that they are amongst the elect because they have bowed the knee in homage to the Great Spirit and accept certain doctrines."

"The test is not what you believe, but what you have done otherwise there would be a complete mockery of divine justice."

Then someone said: "We are told we must fight vested interests. How can we do this?" The guide replied: "By fighting them. If he sees iniquity, let him wage war {confrontation} on it."

"He need not think that it falls to each man to fight the supreme tyrant of your earthly world. There is a vested interest in every little village, in every city, in every town - let him declare war {confrontation} on that."

"It is unfortunately true that mankind's eyes are so holden that he sees so little of the truth that he desires to rescue others when he is not rescued himself."

"He who wishes to reform the world should begin by reforming himself. Our task is to state simply eternal truths.

"Once you understand them, then you have to spread them. In spreading them, you have to clear out of the way all of the impediments and obstacles and all whose desire is to maintain the old because it gives them a vested interest."

"That is what I mean. You have to fight all the selfish principles; you have to fight all the tyrants, large or small; all those who live upon the backs of the people, all the parasitical growths of those who make a profit out of disease and slums, all those who enrich themselves at the expense of their fellows."

"Surely there is no need for a detailed campaign to be outlined. Any who possess grains of sense can see where the task lies."

"The writer wants you to recommend a political party," it was stated.

"I don't care what party they join," said the guide. "I am only concerned with the life that is lived. I realize that as long as you keep to simple truths, you cannot go wrong."

As the circle was not to sit for some time, the guide said. "I would like to tell you that, as always, the parting is not real one. I shall be with you all the time."

"Together we have been enabled to give some service and to reach souls who but for our little help might still be wandering in the mists of difficulties, doubts and despair."

"Let us rejoice that we can count a number who have been aided by our ministrations, who turn their faces, radiant with new-born knowledge, towards us and are grateful for our combined labours and exertions."

"Always our task is directed towards the service of humanity, to those who need the help that we can give them."

"We are destroying ignorance; we are ridding your world of prejudice and superstition. The foes that belong to the darkness gradually retreats as the light of knowledge sweeps them by. Always the spirit of man is on the march onwards to the uplands of truth and wisdom."

"Our task is to help that onward march, to teach all how to find liberation and freedom, how to deliver themselves from the bondage which as afflicted them for too long."

"There are far too many living in prisons when the doors are wide open and they can enjoy all the fruits of liberation."

"That is our supreme task - to raise up man, to make him aware of the infinite power within him that he might live a life of fullness and service, that he might enjoy the nobility and dignity that should be his that he might live in full freedom, fearing none, desiring only to add to the world's lustre by the unfoldment and quickening of his own spiritual gifts."

Transition ~ Autumn Turns to Winter ~ Wes Waugh
Happy Winter Solstice

Happy Winter Solstice, the Sun has crossed into Capricorn. What a great sense of humour we enjoy when we make light of the onerous facets of life. Capricorn helps us to do that. Be merry be bright! Send out positive vibrations for the global humanitarian efforts that are being expended. With a little extrasensory help there will be multi-dimensional restructuring to help the aid flow.

The Full Moon can bring hidden tensions to the surface but equally so it magnifies the Happy energies on Christmas. We will smooth out mother-father-child issues and unravel the unusual from family situations. The traditional celebrations take an unconventional turn that will be successful. Uranus choosing Christmas Day to be stationery is capable of muddying the waters and stirring up a tempest if we let it. It will calm down when it achieves direct motion in a few days. Find the centre of self, the still point and endure with greater strength and persistence to get passed the rough spots.

With Venus in Sagittarius there is a call to get out into nature to enjoy the wild life or work with plants and stones to channel this vibe. Mercury in Aquarius on New Year's Day is a positive symbol for the year ahead because it can get people of different persuasions talking in a diplomatic forum. We will not have to know we are psychically receiving information in order to receive wisdom and inspiration it will just come. Mars will do a two month stint in Scorpio before it heads for the hills of Sagittarius only to retrograde and double back. It really means business while it is here. We pour ourselves heart, mind, body and soul into what we apply ourselves to. We are strong to the depths of our core. Greater confidence, enthusiastic cooperation and good will help us to achieve.

Mercury picks a good moment to station. It is thinking on its feet as it turns to move retrograde. Capricorn is ready willing and able to accept Mercury back into its very occupied fold where it can do the most good. Earth-bound and burdensome Mercury suggests it is a good time to take the advice that would be given to others in the same position. Delightful soft energies designed to increase compassion and sensitivity will express tender respectful caring and sincerity. Our identity is asked to grow larger, to think beyond empirical beliefs, logical reasoning or intellectual comprehension. This is a time of seeking union among the belief systems.

The absence of intimacy and the feeling of emotional distance are bound to create some zones of incompatibility. These are best met with ultimate flexibility and adaptability. Jupiter stationary is not going to push us through any evolutionary doorways. The retrograde will pull us backwards kicking and screaming till in a flash everything narrows down to a pinpoint focus. The joy is we are increasing our self-reliance. We are driven to explore expansiveness, wholeness and relatedness so too to develop multiple possibilities beyond what is known.We spend time getting structured and systemised. What will work is that which has integrity, that which is ethical and that which is honest.

In the spirit of self-reliance and building better autonomy we need to let other people strive to make what they need possible before we go running in to save them. Everyone needs to make new choices to break up the pattern that was inborn, conditioned or formed by expectations. Free expression will tap into universal understandings and higher mental faculties not wishful illusion. Future prospects are percolating, new projects can begin and our sense of timing makes our actions fortunate.

May the stars carry your sadness away,

May the flowers fill your heart with beauty,

May hope forever wipe away your tears,

And, above all, may silence make you strong.

- Chief Dan George

Spilling light 360 ~ CT Nelson

Daily Journal

21ST Happy Winter Solstice It is the shortest day of the year and time to celebrate because the Sun will now turnaround and head back up north. Daylight will increase a smidgeon every day until we notice the longer hours. Winter occurs as the earth's axis tilts away from the sun during the planet's annual rotation. The portion of the earth that is furthest from the sun experiences winter with weather that is colder than the other seasons. On the West coast we are plunged into the depths of winter for at least a month sometimes two, Ontario may last three months but winter can last as long as 6 or 8 and up to 10 months in other regions of Canada. There is a purpose for everything, let's make it purposeful.

The Sun is in Capricorn Happy Birthday to all Capricorns! Ambition, achievement, promotion, responsibility, authority, obligation and duty are the attributes of this sign. They can help us be successful. There is also an edge of competitiveness that wants to better itself. What a great sense of humour we enjoy when we make light of the onerous facets of life. Social traditions are respected and if disappointed can raise extreme reactions of irritation or guilt. Cynicism of anything different or unusual comes from the preference for convention and conformity.

23RD Humanitarian efforts cannot be seen to fail. The apparent breakdown may be due to the volume of need. We must not feel futile. The standard of approach to caring for others and developing family and social structures is in need of multi-dimensional restructuring. We need a more enlightened system. Original and innovative ideas will come forward to help manage a healthy and positive rapport with people of various races, ages, health conditions and nationalities. We can pull together and build new role models of committedness. A refreshed humanitarian effort will have free-thinking awareness. Development of such a movement is underway now.

25TH Happy Full Moon and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. If there has been tension brewing between people it does not bode well for them to be together at family gatherings. Anything rumbling beneath the surface will want to find its way out with conviction. There are two persuasions colliding, one is control and order, organisation and presentation and the other is free-thinking, high spirited let's see where it goes energy that is willing to explore without bounds. This can be decidedly more of a problem if there are little children present. Adults can usually filter such things out. As long as all things are as they usually are on the surface all other gatherings of stress-free people appear to be highly functional and enjoyable. In either situation the children can be the centre of attention or in need of being distracted away from a questionable situation that could teach them inappropriate things.

Obtaining nourishment and forming a deep connection with the earth is a driving force. We want to improve the quality of life. A greater awareness of nature draws our attention to environmental and geophysical issues. Things like weather, crops and global inequities take our minds off of our own wounding to let us take part in a much greater shift. In the process we will work out our mother-father-child issues and unravel the unusual from family situations. Certainly we deal with the remnants of any and all types of circumstances. We are drawn to people who share similar stories.

Stewing in its own juices is not Uranus' style and Aries the sign Uranus is in does not like it one bit either. Choosing Christmas Day to be stationery this is capable of muddying the waters and stirring up a tempest. During the retrograde we have been focusing on our inner dot and our agitation to make something change has built to a crescendo. When it finally resumes direct motion, which won't be on Christmas Day or Boxing Day thankfully, it will be a real kicker. Jet propulsion, a sudden leap, pent-up volatility like earthquakes will occur without anticipation. On the plus side; chaotic excitement releases evolutionary progress in the form of positive solutions, insights, inspirations and visions of a better future. We have done the internal homework to become our authentic self and now being true to ourselves come naturally.

26TH The boat is being rocked and it is in danger of getting swamped; best not to be flushed overboard. Competition has an upper edge. We are not getting anywhere very quickly with one foot on the gas and one on the brake. Every possible stoppage, intrusion, interference, bottleneck or yield keeps us from our routine. While it can be very frustrating it is an opportunity to improve patience, balance, restraint, acceptance and appreciation. Find the centre of self, the still point and endure with greater strength and persistence. This is a wild card and it is trump when you use it properly. Reset and realign rather than get bumped and bruised. Deal with things that come up now and clear the path. Between now and August 2016 we need to reconsider the structure of our life and the use of our energy. We will acquire understandings of how to do this as we take each step forward.

28TH The Disseminating Moonis poised for personal leaps which are provoked by strategic pressure. Nothing that happens is anyone's fault. There is a purpose for what happens to us. It is to insist on some relevant and destined if not fortuitous change to our self image. How can we argue with that? Well we can, and we will, with all the convictedness and righteous justice we can muster. Who are we actually arguing with; ourselves. Self-actualised independent individualisation does not rob us of our compassion, care for others, faith, trust and belief; it adds to our self-worth. We can nourish others better when we choose evolutionary growth and karmic healing. If we are ready to see ourselves beyond ourselves we will become very successful if not lucky.

29TH Venus in Sagittarius brings out the fun, games and free-spiritedness that allows us to enjoy a different style and taste or experience. In the right conditions our hearts can grow and we can share. With lots of rope to express ourselves we can crash boundaries or get too far out of bounds. We need space and movement. Get out into nature to enjoy the wild life or work with plants and stones to channel this vibe. Sports, art and music can draw us out of our normal bounds. We learn from the experience of our innocent mistakes. Too much enthusiasm makes more out of something than was intended.

1st Happy 2016 the baby which in this case is Mercury crosses over into Aquarius leaving old man Capricorn behind ~ Happy New Year. This brings with it a note of diversity and innovation resonating with the Utopian Aquarian Age. It is a positive symbol for the year ahead because it can get people of different persuasions talking in a diplomatic forum. Logical deduction is original and unconventional opinion is characteristic of this influence. We are drawn to oddities, the offbeat; and wildly eccentric entertainments will appeal. No set beliefs reside in this zone only unusual viewpoints that build character of mind. Memory can be improved and beliefs revamped. Social success, excitement and attraction will infuse our every day experience. These are good energies for science, mathematics, culture or literature.

The year starts on a Last Quarter Moon which is useful for getting to the crunch of completion. Hopefully we have not exhausted our finances so that such progressive action can be afforded. The forward moving energies are peaking; they want to get us on our purposeful pathway, where we are meant to go. What can hold us back? Health, relationship issues, family demands and restraints, erroneous convictions and money. For those of us looking to sell their real estate for some time, this could grease your wheel and suggest the time is coming. We must be our authentic self and follow our own path. We cannot let the misunderstandings and misinformation of others hold us back.

2ND The intellect will be seeking higher knowledge through intuitive sensitivity. We do not have to know we are psychically receiving information in order to receive wisdom and inspiration. Our sensibilities are enhanced along with our perceptions. Artistic and musical sensitivity is increased. This is an excellent time for a vision quest or other similar involvement. We research our uncertainty and flush out our evasions, pretences and deceptions while we gravitate toward our true cause. Uncertainty about the conditions needed for approval will be the cause of divertive behaviour. People can be nice but insincere. Others employing these vibrations to please are setting up a con to victimise.

3RD Mars enters Scorpio for a couple of months. We are a little touchy about this as we just got rid of Saturn. It had occupied Scorpio for the last two and a half years. Enough already, with the usual pushy pressure associated with this sign and this planet. Our reactions to things will be strong. It will be difficult to find neutral. Emotions run high in knee-jerk compulsive style. The dark side of sarcasm, spitefulness, keeping a grudge, becoming enraged or aggressive overworks the adrenals. The slow burn that is Scorpio creates very intense passion and intensity so clashes between people can spark something very scary. There is a plus side for fighting instincts. We pour ourselves heart, mind, body and soul into what we apply ourselves to. The capacity for facing the most difficult challenges, crises or threats is increased. We are strong to the depths of our core. We just need to avoid compulsion or irrational impulse. Old memories can spark reoccurrences if similar circumstances arise.

4TH These are good energies for promotion and recognition. Our confidence will grow which helps us to reach important milestones. Greater confidence, enthusiastic cooperation and good will help us to achieve. Increased faith, creativity and humour will bring more enjoyment. A desire to learn another language is an excellent choice. We also enjoy story-telling. Increased optimism and enthusiasm promotes the search for truth and justice. We are still working on bridging the cultural gap that would reconcile differing belief systems. It is a big stretch that humanity has to do in stages before it can reach kinship. Inspired with a broader farseeing understanding the tide of younger generations can take the world to a better place. There will be plans and strategies that see beyond the old fundamentalisms. Philosophical thought helps us to grasp the larger social issues so that we are willing to stand up for justice and the rights of others.

5TH It was an ominous start to the New Year but now that Mercury has stationed and will be moving in retrograde it will soon slip from airy-fairy Aquarius back into earth-bound burdensome Capricorn. The party is over but it gives us something to work toward. The social occasions will wind down and by the first week of January we are all back in the saddle of routine. For a few days we hover within the borders of promising Aquarius. In these few days the air sign to-do list can involve something to do with our computer or electronic equipment. It is not a good time to have to purchase unless you have been thinking about doing so for some time. Getting around to it is understandable. Thoughts will get aired as we serendipitously dance around issues. When Mercury retrograde enters Capricorn it is not a good time to quit, spend money or start anything crucial. Operating equipment, mechanical in nature, can need maintenance. It is a good time to take the advice that would be given to others in the same position. Slow down and go back over things.

The slim crescent of the Balsamic Moon will be very close to the bright planet Venus and dimmer Saturn. The Sun will be exactly conjunct Pluto, one of the most powerful planets, which we do not usually see with the naked eye. To say this phase is profound is putting it lightly. Benefactor Jupiter is aligned with the Node of what is meant to be however Mars and Juno are still way too close for peace and quiet. Conscious awakened people will be answering a call that the rest cannot hear and would not see. The layers of lifetimes with their cache of reincarnational lessons can be shed as grace is earned. It will be up to our convictions, attachments, conditional responses, possessiveness and sense of injustice or infidelity whether we get the opportunity. We are compelled but will we comply.

6TH These delightful energies will soften the edges of any encrustation of conviction, attachment, conditional expectation, possessiveness, sense of injustice or feelings of infidelity. They are designed to increase compassion and sensitivity. They express tender respectful caring. This is real romantic participation for some and a strengthening of the bonds of love for others. Involvement in music, art, theatre or other creative expression of inner life nourishes the senses. Commitment to a spiritual path of devotion, social cause or mysticism appeals to our ideals. Strong psychic reception, telepathy and empathy will make us more sincere.

We need to see with our eyes wide open and stop daydreaming. The solar system's message is to achieve communion; we need to merge into oneness. The utopian ideal would make this a time of illumination. Our identity is asked to grow larger, to think beyond empirical beliefs, logical reasoning or intellectual comprehension. Ask to be shown "what is" and then accept what it is and reidentify with this changed perception. Whether you like it or not; this means we turn disillusionment into enlightenment.

Once we touch the "Abraxas point of truth" we are present in the now. With this perception we can accomplish amazing feats. The artisan and scientist will excel with these vibrations. While just about anything can be radicalised and twisted into slavery for a larger cause of a spiritual nature this is a time of seeking union among the belief systems. A mystical union between Christianity and the eastern belief systems like Irfan {Islam}, Nirvana {Buddhism}, Moksha {Jainism}, or Samadhi {Hinduism} is of a higher order than we may witness.

7TH Do not take the absence of intimacy and the feeling of emotional distance on as a personal issue. It is just an inner adjustment period that centres our focus on our own dilemmas. Ascensional refinement continues. We have more than enough to deal with within ourselves. This does create some zones of incompatibility and it will be best met with ultimate flexibility and adaptability. The gaps between people if bridged at all will require understanding. A relationship formed with these energies will be a blend of two distinct individualities. Guilt is a powerful manipulator but it is not clean; it bargains to better its position and not for anyone else's benefit.

Jupiter is stationing. It is not going to push us through any evolutionary doorways; it is going to pull us through backwards kicking and screaming. The joy is we end up in a place we did not know we wanted to be. We will not see it coming. In a flash everything narrows down to a pinpoint focus.

Jupiter stationary is digging in its heels and refusing to progress any further until we take a few steps backward and review what has already been achieved. We need to review it to see whether or not our progress is validated. There are some key elements that we need to understand before we can grow and expand in life. There is a general snarl-up and blocking, out of which a questioning emerges, a questioning of the way we do things, of the point of it all, and doubt and uncertainty creep in.

Once Jupiter has committed itself to retrograde motion we will turn to learn self-reliance as we will need it. Get used to relying on personal resources, knowledge and perspective. There may be large expenses that tax our financial reserves or at the very least require quick remedies. Quickly attention goes to what is truly important. We let go of anything that takes up too much energy. Integrity, ethics and honesty become important facets in our code of conduct. Our psychological defence mechanisms will be triggered. We overreact to something triggering our discomfort or anxiety

8TH Anything interfering with our fulfilment will create such tension that we identify what is holding us back. We are driven to explore expansiveness, wholeness and relatedness so too to develop multiple possibilities beyond what is known. Difficulties with committed relationship or spiritual awakening are most likely. What will occur is whatever is necessary for our personal spectrum of growth. We struggle with breaking down existing conditions so we can bridge the gap between what has been traditional or habitual to explore the unconventional.

Mercury has regressed back into Capricorn. We have to put our serious thinking caps on once again but this time to go back over what we have done before. For some this can be a real grind, no one likes to redo and redo and redo. It is so exacting and the standard is set high. We have no other better option than to just keep on keeping on, to soldier on as they used to say. There is precision and method in these vibrations. The less organised mind can become more orderly. Paperwork is comprehensive.

We spend time getting structured and systemised. A little more serious, a little stricter, a lot more impatient and a tad judgemental with the influences of Capricorn we are not in the fun zone. Too much information coming at once irritates. The slowest progress will satiate. Practical and objective this energy is good for planning, strategising and creating a logical guideline for accomplishment. We compartmentalise all too easily. The conservative energies help with scepticism; we can manage to extract the rational. This is great vibrations for speaking, communicating or writing.

Self-reliance within relationship, marriage or partnership is also the task at hand. We become more aware of how the other people in our lives are so different from us. With different religious or philosophical backgrounds expectations will clash. One may be over-optimistic and looking for that lucky break and the other, well trying too hard to make it all happen. When there are tensions in a romantic relationship these energies can condone extra-marital affairs. The passing fancy appears all too appealing. Do not fall for the arrogant, self-righteous and extravagant stand in. Idealising the greener grass makes the current turf look weedy.

It is necessary to pull into ourselves, rely on inner knowledge and perspective if not resources. If we have been put on a pedestal someone may be trying to shoot us down; or we may be seen to be falling off that imaginary perch. Exaggerated importance can cost a lot of money and the hastiness of it causes us to lose our guard. Exaggerated importance placed on anything is doomed to fail. Frustration, resentment and despair will wail otherwise. What will work is that which has integrity, that which is ethical and that which is honest. This usually means there is philosophical balance and mutually agreeable terms. Work it out. Psychological defence mechanisms can make life messy. Overreactions result. Do not throw the baby out with the bath water but do throw out the dirty bath water.

9TH The New Moon's darkness has healing qualities that go deep to the core of our being and deeper yet to the roots of our soul. Good news comes with the start of a new lunar month. Lucky opportunities, unforeseen promotion at work, lower credit card statements due to restraint and a strong commitment to a plan of action are stimulated. Relationships are nurtured and bonds can grow. We get a good glimpse at the best of ourselves and like what we see. Be well and strong, take care of the basics and all else can grow from this. Take care of the details, the to-do list and the backlog of priority B and C tasks at hand.

10TH There should be no muddle; the mind however could be split between two inclinations; identifying strongly to both. We can be rigidly attached to subjective preferences. That narrows our point of view. We need to get some space between our convictions to see the best advantage. This is where we stumble, trip over ourselves, lose track and fail to see the alternative. The rational facet of mind will give us more trouble than the intuitive. Even if we cannot clearly choose the intuitive mind will arrange for the right words to fall out of our mouth.

In the spirit of self-reliance and building better autonomy we need to let other people strive to make what they need possible before we go running in to save them. Going overboard for the people we love may catch up to some of us now that the holiday season is over. Guilt places expectation, obligation and sometimes duty on our freedom of movement and most times unnecessarily. Giving into persuasion in any form is costly in time, financial reserves and personal resources. Excessiveness will try to outdo, impress or reach for high standards. Children, travel, legalities or academic considerations come up for review. Grandparents or in-laws need attention. Health issues surround assimilation and food sources with liver and gall bladder reactions causing irregularities in the appetite. People will not be listening if they think they already know. Be sure there is dyadic conversation. Things cannot be built upon miscommunication.

13TH The Moon in its Crescent Phase is filled with wonder and delight. The fruits of our imagination will nourish our senses. A good book or movie will carry us away on a journey of discovery. There is much to learn and we are enthused about liberating the knowledge. The stimulus to change habitual routines will add interest and anticipation to a normal event horizon. Cherish the changes that take place within. Let them snap into place absolving reality of its harshness, cruelty or indignity with understanding, empathy and forgiveness. At worst dismiss it and at best dissolve it to resolve it. Personal responsibility is the idea that human beings choose, instigate, or otherwise cause their own actions. At this time we are stepping up to the plate of personal responsibility. We can resolve the consequences of previous actions.

16TH Perfectly good plans can come unglued because of incidentals that were not synchronised. Small problems, faults in the details, failings and flaws or interruptions stretch our elasticity. At times we fail to think before we speak. We lose our stride and feel like a misfit. Sway, bend and flex as things happen. Do the best that can be done with an acquiescence to do better when you can. We are going to do something other than what we thought we were going to do. Be good natured and assured, confidence should not be undermined by the need for disclosure. Let it be. Take some time to dream, meditate, intuit or simply be quietly still and peaceful to find centre again.

Repetitious patterns we have been practicing, practicing, practicing and doing over and over again stem from some very old problems. If we have been doing so unconsciously then something has to make us conscious of this inborn predisposition. We are challenged to compromise them with a more free expression allowing better choices and decisions. We move away from patterns involving parents that involve expectations or that detract from confidence. No one should be allowed to make us feel stupid or to interfere with our self-esteem in any way. Anywhere our life is built around or responding to disapproval we need to repair ourselves. A sense of our own authority strengthens our discipline and leads us to accomplishment.

The First Quarter Moon Phase Challenge helps us to get out of the rut. It will not let us stagnate in any self made trench. There is motivation but not the best kind. It feels like there is no progress but it will only be seen in hindsight. Just keep trucking on. There is anger if not rage in the air. It is trying to build however its flash point is a long way off. Pay attention to what rattles an anger-like response. A small point left unattended can build to a monumental issue. Do not let the fire get started. Deal with things directly. Ambitious or competitive people, abusive or covert and coercive groups of people are dangerous or may mean harm. Do not let others terrorise. Do not give them the power.

18THWishful illusion can fascinate. A quest for the unknown is inspired. Creative energies or adventure are stimulated. We are attracted to the fringe communities of society. Not very assertive, energetic or ambitious and filled with humility we are more aware of other people's needs and wants. We can learn how to relate to each other and the universe. We gain insight into the silent structure of convention and agreement. The ego is weakened enough to seek mutual agreement. Higher mental faculties and prophetic abilities are released. Whether we want escape or just want to be more detached we are growing in universal understanding about what is happening in the world. We can be drawn by the need to be of service.

With our psychological defence mechanisms on ready try not to exaggerate, inflate or blow things out of proportion. Arrogantly impulsive energies are alarming and threatening to others but they also make such a drama we miss opportunity when it presents itself. New projects can commence. Future prospects can be developed. Our sense of timing can make our actions fortunate. Everything can come at us at once. That can easily be overwhelming until we get our bearings.

20TH The Gibbous Moon Phase is known for imparting knowledge however this one can fabricate a lot of nonsense. It is one of those times when it is best to believe the central source of our being. Other people will lead us astray intentionally and unintentionally. Powerful persuasion in fact can be employed with battleground strategy as the ultimate goal is to win at any costs. Those with ulterior motives are suspect. "Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing." In this case Euripides is right. For those of us with lots to get on with there will be enterprise and profit. Job creation and stimulation of the economy will most likely be sponsored by some government measures.

Capricorn Forecast

Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Birthday to all Capricorns; the chart for the Solstice is a powerhouse of fun and profit which could be your solar return too. The year ahead is promising. Original and innovative ideas pull different facets of life together creating better structure and system. Nourishment comes in many forms; good ideas, gifts, small winnings, financial opportunity. This is Christmas; there will be plenty of sources to draw from. The Full Moon makes it merry, happy and jolly. Uranus stations on this day promising much excitement and some happy accidents. It can kick up a bit of a fuss. What family gathering is complete without excitement? Boxing Day sales are not so much of a deal than a temptation. This can be a tipsy-topsy-turvy day. Venus is slipping into the zone of your subconscious, the sign of Sagittarius. This will generate a lot of enthusiasm and bring out the fun loving, free-spirited wilder side of your latent self. On New Year's Day Mercury leaves Capricorn for Aquarius but not for long, the first week of January it returns retrograde. For now you get to enjoy the unusual, offbeat, eccentric and are drawn other oddities as you briefly follow the path of diversity and innovation. The search for higher knowledge can sometimes take the form of flushing the truth out by multiple approaches. Some people are merely insincere. Mars will do a two month stint in Scorpio before it heads for the hills of Sagittarius only to retrograde and double back. It really means business while it is here. The pushy pressure, knee-jerk compulsions and dark sided aggressiveness makes the management of others difficult. Do not be taken by nefariousness. Running parallel to this ingress are some extremely fortunate energies that will sweep you up in their flow of positivity and optimism instead. Mercury's retrograde is going to bring this planet back to you. At present its station in Aquarius kicks up a lot of stardust of promise. The retrograde may involve you in electronic or equipment repairs until it slips back into Capricorn the first week of January. Be inspired, be called to respond, allow intuition and imagination to have more scope to fashion and design your continuing quest. With other people, no matter how significant your relationship, keep your eyes wide open and do not wish to believe anything ask to be shown what is. One incident does not make for multiple occurrences. Do not take every nuance of emotional distance on as a personal issue. Take special care of your health and psychology at this time of year. As Jupiter stations the concept of self-reliance takes greater form. You realise you cannot do things for others or else they will not learn, especially children. Financial tension is actually a personal growth stimulus. Mercury is back in Capricorn now. Although you do not like to redo or repeat it seems nonetheless necessary to take on such a responsibility. If involved in gamesmanship with a partner or a team, let the other partner or team member take the lead or expand their achievements. Fledglings must have their awkward independence at times. Subjective self-identification in the form of your convictions will put up narrow walls of possibility. Give everyone lots of space or lots of rope whichever the case may be. Building autonomy is something other people have to strive for. You will not save them any other way. Plans come unglued mostly because of someone who wants something different to you. Behavioural problems stem from inborn predisposition or parental conditioning and refashioning their pattern is part of your evolutionary work. A fascination develops; it is inspired or stimulated and can be accompanied by a sense of adventure. The tendency to exaggerate, inflate or blow thing out of proportion is a defence mechanism of a weakened self-worth. Instead rely on your good sense of timing.

Aquarius Forecast

The Winter Solstice salutes the Sun's entrance into Capricorn. This is the zone of your subconscious which is lit up by the brilliant inspiration. You are in the mood to be creative. Humanitarianism begins at home and flows out from there in future role models. Coming up to and including Christmas Day greater contact and communication with everyday people makes the community extended family. Uranus, co-ruler of Aquarius, stations readying to turn direct. This can make other people a bit fluttery and blustery. It calms down in a few days. On Boxing Day the competition will undercut you. There is a frustrating bottleneck or yield necessary. These shall pass and the way ahead will be wide open when Venus crosses into Sagittarius. On New Year's Day Mercury joins you in Aquarius briefly, its influence is stimulating. The rational mind needs more than the intellect can provide. It will take you beyond such limitations to the wider expanse of the intuitive or creative imagination where alternative relativities inspire innovation. Mars is plunging into the depths of Scorpio at a touchy angle to your sign. Stay in the light of truth and avoid the dark side. Take advantage of the increased capacity to overcome challenge, meet crisis and dissolve threat. Contact with youth or with team sports will be positive. You have laid the groundwork for god luck and positive outcome. Mercury stations preparing to turn retrograde which will take it out of your sign in a few days; for now it can create quite a fuss, nuisances really but a few expenditures too. For every Aquarian there will be a different expression. A wide range of expressions are available for all. Tender romantic bonding, encrustation with conditional expectation and conviction or the blossoming of a spiritual unfoldment are a few of the options that can be described. Other people will open your eyes to what is. Illumination is offering a new perspective. Understanding the meeting point of all religions is amazing. People other than family, friends or mate will be a little distant because they are dealing with something. Jupiter stations and while standing still gets a little stubborn and picky allowing the creative mind to take issue. You are restless for fulfilment and eager for wholeness therefore very tense if you feel you are being held back. Mercury regresses back into Capricorn intent upon changing your synapses and reconfiguring your ideas. It is a good quest. You are figuring out how to build self-reliance into your statement of life. Good health is the first place to start and all else flows out from there. Your point of view is split; you can see the basis for each alternative, you may have to trust your gut or your intuitive instincts. Let other people be autonomous as well, it builds character to have to deal with critical issues which would not happen if you saved them all the time. There will be a brief sell that is unsynchronised, out of tempo and offbeat nothing seems to fit till finally it does. You come face to face with yourself in a pattern that has been within you or taught to you since birth. The continuous repetition of events gives it away. Build your life around appropriate responses. Wishful thinking is not always bad; it is enjoyable even if it does not take you anywhere. Coming to know the unknown can happen wherever you are. Defensiveness is exaggerated which cause reactions and interactions to become staccato. Aquarians can tie things together in a universal fashion, let your light shine.

Pisces Forecast

The Winter Solstice is upon you, happy shortest day. From now till the Summer Solstice the days will get a little longer. You are set to enjoy the seasonal celebrations and are looking forward to seeing people you haven't been able to spend time with. Your soulful spirit cannot help but be compassionate for the humans who are suffering and the humanitarian efforts made on their behalf. Christmas day is a nourishing and spiritually rewarding day of core shifts; happy trimmings, merry happy, happy jolly and Merry Christmas; what a hoot. Uranus chooses this day to station in its attempt to resume direct motion. That can kick up chaotic dust and find you running for cover if anything untoward combusts. Boxing Day is a time of reckoning. The frustration of shopping for bargains is best avoided; chose instead to sort through belongings to get rid of some. Venus enters Sagittarius adding some bubbles to your champagne. Eat and drink for your health and enjoy the moment longer. Mercury enters Aquarius on New Year's Day, the zone of your subconscious. It tickles your cataloguing, fine tunes your definitions and opens you to hearing as well as absorbing other points of view. If something does not ring true, however, you will reject it. The intuition is on the radar. The truth has a sound that cannot be duplicated. Mars entering Scorpio can be good for you if you keep your perspective and do not do an emotional belly flop. Keep the waters of your mind still and clear. You will see across the span of time. You will gain recognition for your hard work. This is not something you seek, it is something you have earned and others want to promote your efforts. Mercury stationing in preparation to go retrograde catches you off guard. It can rattle your thinking. New territory is best left to another time. Stick to the tried and true, where you come into your own and you will enjoy these delightful energies. Your intuition is microscopic, clairvoyance aids all the senses. Know when to leave others to their karmic lesson. Expect some people to withdraw, withhold themselves or become distant; it has nothing to do with you. Jupiter stationing retrograde tends to make you feel like everyone has left you to fend for yourself. In some ways it dips everyone into an isolation tank. Let things float, dissolve and break away. The tension you will feel will relate to anything you are doing which holds you back from fulfilment. Mercury regresses back into Capricorn so you can make permanent changes to your consciousness. Self-reliance is a high achievement; one worth reaching. It sets you apart from others. Good health supports autonomy. Well formed plans will be forged but wistful arrangements will come unglued. The patterns that run your life need to be ones that nourish you, support your values and make the way forward of little doubt. Wishful thinking can be the power of attraction that draws to you what you hope for. Everyone is defensive, they have their shields up and are psychologically threatened or alarmed by that which draws out their drama. Be meditative in your actions so you can discern the right timing.

Aries Forecast

Happy Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year after which the light starts to come back; celebrate the cycle of return. You are plunged into the depths of things but it is an adventurously exciting occurrence. For you humanitarian emphasis is placed on the health and well being of various situations where the breakdown of charitable aid is evident. Christmas is a nourishing feast and it provides free entertainment. Family looks happy and freely expressive. Uranus stationing on this day is not something it does well. Too much restlessness stirs you up and causes you to act in extreme ways. You might be part of the show. In a few days once it is direct you will have an idea of a more balanced approach. Boxing Day appears to be a hangover from the previous day; reliving some of the moments. The boat got rocked a little, family excitement got carried away and every one reconnoitres their position back to normal. Venus in Sagittarius is fun with all relationships old and new. The serious things are easier to carry with others around. With Mercury popping into Aquarius on New Year's Day it gives you a sense of being in charge, in command and on top of your game. This provides the drive to find out what you need to know, to seek information and flush out the facts. Mars operating through Scorpio sharpens your wit and wisdom. Anything beneath the surface, like family issues, are likely to float to the surface. People will promote you. You gain recognition. Greater confidence and cooperation brings good luck. See beyond fundamentalism and stand up for what you believe. Mercury stands still, rotating on its dot in station. A few hairy moments in the beginning can cost you for electronic equipment however its retrograde is centred on learning and absorbing some information which is difficult if you have to go back over and over the same paragraphs to understand. Old rigidities are falling by the wayside; convictions, conditional expectations and the lot. You are freer to enjoy people. You wanted to see and be the truth and now you will have your eyes wide open to think beyond what is. People can be shocked and perhaps recoil from facing the facts of the matter. This is not the time to try to bridge the gaps. Jupiter is stationing, this reigns in advantages that can come from others causing you to fall back on self-reliance for a spell. No one can do it for you whatever it is. Old habits and other such long term companion patterns are found to interfere with fulfilling yourself. It is an easy matter rectifying things once they are discovered. Mercury regresses back into Capricorn and you will go back in time in one way or another. It may be nostalgia, photograph albums, home movies or simply something you read or watch on television. You know there are deeper levels of time passages going on in the subconscious and beyond. Pull back when psychological defence mechanisms make life messy and overreactions result. There are two ways of doing something, the old tried and true, done and dusted version or the new unproven improved alternative. Let the intuition break the tie. It is all too easy to be the one who reaches out to help a friend who seems to be teetering on the edge. It may however be better to help them help themselves instead. The weakest link in your plans can be the reason for their unravelling. It is best not to overreach yourself. Your pattern is your brand and every once in a while you need to change your brand to refresh or update. A change in how you operate does not change your values, it evolves around them. Arts and entertainment will be exciting and instructive. You may entertain the fringe communities of society. Impulse is rampant and it is a little alarming but timing is fortunate. You want to make a start on something new.

Taurus Forecast

Merry Winter Solstice, the Sun enters Capricorn to begin the festive season; good will to all. You are in the seat of responsibility and operate with a good heart. There are pressures pushing you beyond yourself. Fully supportive of any and all humanitarian efforts you cannot bear to witness disastrous news results about the fate of others. It is your good spirit that magnetically attracts what is needed for the world's problems beyond what you can directly do yourself. Whether you celebrate it or not Christmas Day brings the nourishment you need in the form of good company and great food. Uranus chooses this day to become stationery and that is not always good. Too much build up causes leakages to occur. This means people and yourself included can have little spontaneous verbal slip ups. Things slip out. It will go away in a day or two. Then the direct motion helps. On Boxing Day someone may be trying to rock your boat. There is an edge of competitiveness. Things slow down or come to a halt so you can deal with it. Your ruling planet Venus crosses into Sagittarius at a tense angle to Taurus. That is not comfortable or relaxed even though Sagittarius is about fun-loving enjoyment. What you do may not be as much fun for you as others for reasons that are not obvious. Someone is intent upon undermining you. Give it a never mind. Happy New Year! Mercury's brief interlude in Aquarius opens the door of challenge just a crack. It will be a duel with younger people than yourself whose wish is to confront and undermine so they try to be a problem. Your intuitive sensitivity will cause most people and situations to be transparent. You will come to know more than is your wish to know. This information is for you, so you understand, it is not to be shared. Mars enters Scorpio, the sign that is your shadow and polar opposite. There is a degree of objectivity to the onset of this transit that should serve you well throughout its occupation. Maintain your independent individuality and make your own choices, do not back down. Your decisions are right and they are emotionally balanced. Do not let anyone tell you differently. The first work week of 2016 brings with it plenty of opportunity to gain advantage and confidence. You can see through the gentlest of the manipulations of others and are not easily swayed off the positive flow. Mercury choosing to station is quite frustrating just when things were about to get going. A few backward steps for the matter of detail and personal refinement should be all that is required. Delightful energies soften the edges of conditional or judgemental expectation and allow for sensitively compassionate individual self-expression. While oneness is the ultimate spiritual goal you need to identify with what is in the now of existence and be able to think beyond its limitations. People withdraw, you might even feel like you want to withdraw from interaction with others, it is natural during a refinement period. Jupiter stations and it also does not like standing still; that causes your psychological defence mechanisms to overreact. You feel the need to protect yourself from unseen forces that you can only sense. That which interferes with your contentment and fulfilment is only a nuisance. It can be remedied. Mercury regresses back into Capricorn, a fellow earth sign. Even though the retrograde likes to redo redo and redo it should work out to be valuable for you. It will promote you in some way in the end. Within relationship or any joint involvement exaggerated importance stressed on a subjective expectation can be divisive. Remember self-reliance is the goal knowing your pattern is the key. The mind is split and compartmentalised which makes cross referencing and seeking alternatives more difficult but nonetheless worthwhile. Even if you know the answer to another person's problem if they do not ask you cannot rush in and save them with any expectation of acknowledgement or recognition. Help them be autonomous, self-reliant and make the suggestions that lead them to the answer. Even let them think they thought of it themselves. Plans that have been well laid out in advance will find their way to completion but those spontaneous spur in the moment types will likely fail. When it comes to patterns of behaviour you are ready to change the record. The expectations that used to motivate you do not solicit the same reaction. Do not delude yourself about the people you have important relationships with. See them for who they are and what they are. If you put someone on a pedestal they will fall off. Your defences are up and with good reason. It is a problem easily handled with tact and diplomacy. Drama belongs on the stage. Let other people be the Queen of the show. You have better things to do.

Gemini Forecast

Happy Winter Solstice. The Sun has finally crossed over the finishing line, the cusp of Capricorn, marking the darkest day of the year with only more light to come yeah! For a holiday season there seems to be a lot of work around you, whether it is actual work or thoughts of work it may differ from Gemini to Gemini. You are deeply touched by the humanitarian help that is needed in distressed portions of the earth. Likely you were already contributing to a relevant cause. Christmas day is a nurturing event however it is not like years gone by and that is okay. Uranus stationing direct on this day suggests that times have changed and so has the way you celebrate. You hardly notice the fuss it kicks up; you just think it is stimulation. Boxing Day can box you in; it just has that kind of character. There are too many people or too much clutter or something like that. Venus wandering into Sagittarius is really good for you. This is your shadow sign in polar opposition. It looks like you are having fun. It brings out your playful side. Mercury enters Aquarius for New Years Day, a socially oriented sign that brings people together. Enjoy the activities that you decide to include in the first day of the year. Higher wisdom comes through the entertainment media, through reading or is inspired at a dinner table. The intuition offers you morsels of goodness. Mars is entering Scorpio where it is difficult to find neutral. The pushy pressure of other people and the intensity of compulsion and irrational impulse are hard to bear. Too many worries can drag you down when the first work week of 2016 starts in earnest. Recognition and promotion comes with maintaining confidence. There will be a positive flow to tap into. Mercury now stations preparing to retrograde. It stirs up some confusion and misinformation at the start. You have to sort through a few false starts. Respectful caring and sincere involvement is strengthening as well as a delight. Never fail to see the truth behind the illusion of things. Be your own person not someone's puppet. Also give paranoia a wide berth. You can read things into simple situations. People are distant and preoccupied for many reasons. Jupiter stations getting ready to turn retrograde; in the stalemate position no progress is offered. Once it achieves retrograde motion self-reliance will serve you well. Little nitpicky things interfere with fulfilment of your goals. Mercury regresses back into Capricorn to give you a hand in figuring the right way rather than redoing things over and over. Exaggerated importance on that which is ethical and honest will attempt to create mutually agreeable terms. There are too many choices. You and your significant other or partner may initially disagree until they are sorted. It is very useful to help others by showing them how to help themselves and leaving them to their achievement. Good plans get broken up because of someone's personal preference that negates mutual regard. People read you through your pattern of behaviour. They can manipulate your predisposition once they have discerned it. When you change your pattern by choosing differently you will notice who becomes out of sorts. They are the people controlling you. Outside of these ripples relationship is inspired and adventure is stimulated. There will be some drama queens sent to entertain you. People's defence mechanisms are switched on take no notice. Busy yourself with new projects and future prospects to make the most of good timing.

Cancer Forecast

You take centre stage in the summer and your polar opposite takes it in the winter. The Sun enters Capricorn, Happy Winter Solstice. This is the shadow side of your personality that wants to get to know you better this time round. On Christmas Day your mind is fixed on the need for international aid. The humanitarian disasters in the world are everyone's problem. Christmas seems to be overshadowed by a parallel event. There is still room for joy, sharing and caring. Uranus is stationing which puts a few curves and twists in your normal plans. The Moon is full and stretched. Take everything in stride. In a few days Uranus will be direct and once again directing you toward the evolution of what is meant to be. Boxing Day is riddled with interfering influences. Competition, stoppage, intrusion, frustration, impatience are some of its worst attributes. Endure with greater strength and persistence. Do not give up. At one time there was no such word as can't. Venus does not want to settle down to business while it is transiting through Sagittarius. It gets up to all kinds of shenanigans to keep your interest. Mercury transits into Aquarius on New Year's Day which is as untraditional and unconventional as it gets. This does not always sit well with you but thankfully it will be brief this time. Your instincts will be helping your rational intellect for a while. It is value added information. Mars crossing over into Scorpio adds a little too much intensity in how you relate to people whether they are intimate or a stranger. Do not take anything personal, read into anything or suspect the worst. Positive energies are flowing, you will get swept up in the humour and enjoyment that enthuses most people. Mercury comes to a standstill and will not move. It is just a brief stagnation before a phase of self-scrutiny begins during the retrograde. Other positive energies want to increase your compassion and sensitivity which will strengthen the bonds of love for others. You can shut your eyes to the truth that is right in front of you but you will absorb it into yourself like osmosis through the subconscious anyway. If a circumstance of guilt is powerful enough you will distance yourself to create a non-bridgeable gap. Jupiter will remain stationary for a few days interfering with smooth running or progress. Once it is retrograde you will need to rely on your ingenuity to innovate self-reliance. There are things that no one can do for you. Circumstances may seem like they are happening to you, at no choice of your own. Any changes made this way deals with something that is holding you back. Mercury regresses into Capricorn, the shadow side of you but in polar opposition it does offer an objective rational perspective that differs to your habitual thought patterns. Let your partner or mate be their autonomous self. Allow others to express themselves outside of your box without falling off their pedestal. This will play tricks on your mind. Suspicious psychological conditions mastermind many and varied drafts of what to conclude. There will be people who appear to need help. It is not your place to save them or fix things for them. It may boomerang on you if you try. A lack of synchronisation can be what causes your distress not the other person or people. Something may flush out your pattern in a way that you can see it, feel it and pick it apart to consciously rebuild your lifestyle around a new authority. Whoever conjures up a devious plot to acquire what they desire does this with a lot of karma attached. Do not get involved there may be something illegal about it. Stick to actions that follow goodness. Inflating the importance of things to manipulate the situation or other people into compliance fabricates a lot of nonsense. If things are in question turn to a new prospect or project instead.

Leo Forecast

The Festival of the Winter Solstice is upon us. The Sun crosses over into Capricorn and northern latitudes experience the shortest daylight of the year. It will now return gradually to brighten your days. Celebrate the renewal of life that will return after it slumbers. Your humanitarian spirit is alive and functioning. It has its own authority and knows which charitable effort deserves the support. Children seem to be your first priority. This Christmas Day is about being nourished by life which takes more individual and independent space to find you in the circumstances you need. The celebration has been touched by the unconventional this year. Uranus has decided to station and there is a Full Moon also everyone is rattled by the passing Mars opposition to Uranus. Tension comes from the stagnation of Uranus and is magnified by the rest so any hidden or repressed stressors are pushing to burst out. The ability to control is stretched to the limit. Take it in stride. Try to deal with any pressures before this day. Do not let children witness any eruptions. Boxing Day is a wild card if you used trump on Christmas. Try not to put yourself behind an eight ball this day. Keep sweet, accept, appreciate, have patience. Deal with things, clear the path. Venus will charge the atmosphere with enthusiasm by entering Sagittarius. This releases the endorphins. You are more free and able to be objective and think innovatively. The mind can sparkle again. New Years Day Mercury pops into Aquarius, which helps with the polar opposition giving you objectivity. But it will be brief, just a week, so enjoy the influx. It will make you more assertive in a good natured way which would appeal to your significant other. These influences start 2016 out right. The intuition is sharp; the psychic receptors have been finely tuned, meditative thoughts flush out what there is to know. A few days into the year Mars goes into Scorpio which can have its dark moments. The passion and intensity of this sign creates intensity. It would be a shame to fall into its grip. Staying in the light you can use Scorpio's tenacity to tackle difficult circumstances with persistence and endurance. Greater confidence comes on stream. You are in a good position to make opportunity happen. A positive flow of energy helps to bridge the gaps. Mercury picks a good moment to station. It is thinking on its feet as it turns to move retrograde. Capricorn is ready willing and able to accept Mercury back into it's much occupied fold where it can do the most good. Delightful energies help to soften the hard edges and put you in the right mood. This allows you to see with your eyes wide open to what is. You turn disillusionment into enlightenment. The absence of intimacy that you feel is not an absence of love or feelings; it is more about being a distinct individual within relationship. This goes both ways. Jupiter stations and it gets stubborn about standing still so nothing is possible until the fat planet says so. It achieves retrograde motion in a few days then you will put it to excellent use. Growth of consciousness and a sense of well being will help. Likely this will push out of the way things that are interfering with your performance or are holding you back. Mercury is now in Capricorn doing good work and providing you with a sense of self-fulfilment as it goes back over things. Helping others be more self-reliant allows you to be so also. Co-dependencies in relationship are made healthier with a gentle little shake up of autonomous empowerment. Independence however can fracture the mind with possibility. Freedom presents many choices for which you are solely responsible. This causes you a bit of a muddle. Letting your partner have their own head as you want for yourself means standing back when you would normally step up. Your plans can unravel by themselves. If the ideas are not synchronised with your purposeful intent they become unglued. Take the time to recognise the repetitive patterns that occur in relationship. That is your pattern of relating. You need to change your pattern to change your relationship potentials. Wishful optimism blows the possible out of proportion to the probable. These are very positive energies as long as you to do not expect too much and you are not enraptured with illusion. If you get caught in your own overwhelm you will become defensive towards others where there is no drama necessary.

Virgo Forecast

As the Sun enters Capricorn you begin to celebrate the Winter Solstice. The Sun is turning around and slow but sure will provide more light each day. The idea of renewal and future growth is appealing to you. There are many positive indicators around. Your sense of personal responsibility is strong. The humanitarian distress weighs heavily upon your conscience and you must do what you can to help no matter how little or how much. There is plenty of need but do not go overboard, there are many to help. Christmas Day is a grand event. There is no end of nourishment for the senses. Family take part and stories are shared. You bridge the stressors admirably. Not only is the Moon Full but Uranus will station today as well which is like a tempest in a tea pot. You know what to do if things kick off. When it turns direct in a few days it will be off the leash setting off fireworks in an effort to get going again. Do not do anything rash with your money. Boxing Day can rock the boat or disturb still waters. Most likely a frustration or interference creates an edge. Do not let things be, deal with them and clear the path. Venus in Sagittarius makes you want to withdraw into yourself to contemplate many things. It is a curious reaction to an influence that would normally excite adventure. Mercury enters Aquarius on New Year's Day. It is a busy day of group involvement and focused effort. You will not like anything that gets in the way of your attendance. The higher knowledge provided by the intuitive mind will help you out of your conundrum. You expand upon the impression. Mars in Scorpio brings out your ambition and drive. You are ready for the regular work day grind that is about to start. A lot of energy comes to you the day before you go back to work and you throw yourself into pleasurable activities. The positive flow of luck, positivity and enthusiasm makes you more confident. You tap a place deep inside and draw from it. Mercury stations just as things are meant to get going. It does not interfere with your regular structure. It just drags its feet for a day not knowing what to do with itself before the retrograde gives it value-added benefits. Some delightful energies make home a happy place and daily life less of a grind. You will see more than you wanted to know which means you see the truth and can extract its value. There is a fine line between friendship and a business acquaintance when it comes to benefits. Jupiter stations and like a big lump when standing still will not let anything pass go. This comes at the wrong moment for you; breathe it will subside. Be as self-reliant as you can till it does. It is not clear to you how to develop other possibilities but it will come. Mercury backs into Capricorn, a productive place to be during this retrograde. Take care of your health first and foremost. You will accomplish a lot while it is there. You can be an example of self-reliance, you can suggest ways that other people can be self-reliant, you can leave your significant other to figure themselves out but most of all do not cripple anyone by doing it for them. Your mind is splayed by the number of ideas or choices you have with the decision you have to make and it appears to involve home, work and more. Even if excessiveness is not in your genes it may manifest in your family, or in yourself. Going overboard is costly in time, financial reserves and personal resources. Certain plans can become a disaster mainly due to a number of small problems that add up. Your pattern around relationship becomes obvious to you. The shifts you make are remedial. A quest for the unknown is inspired; you can be ambitious about acquiring a detached understanding about this universal knowledge. You notice that other people's defensiveness is interfering with your laid-back live and let live comfort zone.

Libra Forecast

It was just the Autumnal Equinox and here you are crossing the threshold of the Winter Solstice. It seems to have gone way too fast. As the Sun crosses into Capricorn time is marching on quickly and you furiously try to keep up. You are trying hard not to go overboard financially. The compassion you feel for the population of the world living in distress is uncomfortable at times. You cannot fail to notice even if you try. On Christmas Day you seek a deep connection with what nourishes the quality of your life and want family situations to blend. It is a Full Moon that wants to howl and Uranus has decided to station on this day too. That is never peaceful, calm or quiet. It can be exciting, inspiring, evolutionary and visionary but it is not good if there are any hidden tensions. Boxing Day the boat can get rocked by someone who does not give you their approval. It takes you a few days to realise you do not need it. By then Uranus will be direct. Venus in Sagittarius is light hearted and fun. This is good energy for you to get back to rights. On New Year's Day Mercury will slip into Aquarius where it will stay for about a week. The uplift of lighter than air energy is refreshing and renewing. Trust your instincts and hunches. Do not second guess yourself. Your intuition is on solid footing. Mars leaves Libra for Scorpio, it is a mild let down but you feel more relaxed. In fact it is harder to get things done without a solid commitment. Excellent energies come on stream. You can promote yourself or gain recognition and build confidence. Mercury stations and standing still makes you very indecisive. Give yourself a day to decide and you will make the right choice. Things turn mellow and give you the space and time you need. Open your eyes to the truth; it is not the way you have always thought it was. It is okay, everyone covers things over. If friends pull away or become distant do not take it personally. There is a tendency for people to be caught up in themselves. Jupiter stations and is a brat about standing still. Nothing can get passed it when in this mood. You have to make things happen by sheer willpower. Jupiter will be retrograde within a day and you will be proud of yourself for being self-reliant. It is your job and responsibility to remove all the obstacles and impediments to your fulfilment. No one else can do this for you. Mercury regresses back into Capricorn and causes you to rethink what you had previously constructed. Let the chips fall where they may; do not try to save anyone else from their lesson and the opportunity to gain the knowledge of experience. If subjectivity narrows your point of view you will have to remain undecided and leave others to their own ideas. Thank other people for leaving you to do things on your own and give the same gift to them. Autonomy is an excellent achievement. Great plans can fail if you neglect to make sure that everyone knows the details and are available. You have worked on yourself most of your life but there are those stubborn etched in patterns that keep you on a loop. It can be parental conditioning, social expectation or simply your inborn predisposition that some may say comes from another lifetime. You can and most likely will grow beyond it. You are not very assertive, energetic or ambitious but you are curious and can be tempted into adventure. Whether you are detached or follow an enjoyable escape you will tap into an altered state. Part of the idea of adventure is not having control. You are not so impulsive as to give that up. A sense of timing makes your actions fortunate.

Scorpio Forecast

You welcome the Winter Solstice knowing that the days will grow longer. The Sun entering Capricorn resonates well with you. It puts a bounce in your step and warm comfort in your home. Humanitarian efforts begin at home and spread out within your circle from there to those you care for, befriend, are acquainted with and love. You love to nourish and nurture your loved ones with time honoured family traditions on Christmas Day. The Full Moon just makes the event brighter. Uranus chooses to station which could be the reason for little bursts of random energy that can occur like popcorn within the gathering. It is entertaining. It cuts loose in a few days and is once again moving direct with all systems go. Boxing Day commitments are a pleasure to attend once you get there. Venus leaves Scorpio for Sagittarius which is like getting some breathing space. Tension with relations can lessen. Mercury enters Aquarius on New Year's Day and there should be positive news come into your home. The higher knowledge of the intuitive mind is going to be an excellent guidance system. Mars enters Scorpio creating strong energies of rebuilding, renovation, re-systemising and other upgrading innovations. It will be good for work and play. A positive flow of enthusiastic cooperation hits the airwaves. This looks good for revenue sources, promotion or receiving gifts. Mercury stations and standing still gives you a kick in the right direction. Once it achieves retrograde motion you will get a chance to redo some things that were done wrong before. Delightfully soft cordial respectful caring is expressed with satisfaction. Make a sincere wish. Keep your eyes open to the truth, especially about family. They are not meant to be to your liking. In their own right they are allowed to be. If conflict erupts it could turn nasty; keep it civil. People are going to pull back anyway no matter what happens. Withdrawing or withholding it does not matter they have to check in with themselves and you should leave them alone to do what they have to do. Jupiter comes to a standstill in a station. It is not easily intercepted and makes you a little defensive. Self-reliance is the theme and certainly those you wish to share this message with should hear it but you are not the one to share it. Too much energy goes overboard and Scorpio is one of the most intense signs. Fulfilment of your ideal plan is interfered with and this creates great tension. Let it back off a bit. Mercury regresses back into Capricorn where things can be serious and dictatorial. You will reconnect with some long lost or long time and not seen in ages friends. Then there are too many choices and you are split between them. The best advice is lean away from your subjective preference. The best way to help other people is to help them help themselves. Teach them what they need to know to be self-sufficient and self-reliant. Plans may fall apart or come unglued because they were not large enough in scope. Your subconscious patterns are your brand and they could be your block. When one or more of them become conscious a simple different choice or decision will break them up into new possibilities. Wishful thinking inspires excellent ideas. You do not have to do much to bring them to the surface. Humorous defensiveness and other dramatic impulses take a good sense of timing to make people laugh. Good humour develops prospects.

Sagittarius Forecast

The Sun leaves Sagittarius, passes the Winter Solstice threshold, and moves into Capricorn. Happiest of seasonal greetings; have a happy merry jolly Winter Solstice. All out humanitarian efforts get your full support; financial as well as moral. You do what you can do and wish you could do more. The Full Moon Christmas is wrapped up in nurturing and caring but there are tensions that have to be held together. Uranus chooses this day to come to a standstill, a stationery period. No planet can kick up as much fuss with not having its arbitrary choice. The rumblings of its begrudging halt will challenge the best family's resolve to keep things together for the event. Boxing Day narrows one's options because of some stoppage or interference that keeps you from what you wanted to do. Venus enters Sagittarius which should cheer you up and add some zest to life if not romantic options. On New Year's Day Mercury enters Aquarius. You get a bit of an upbeat buzz from the lighter energies. All your extrasensory antennas and radar are fully operational. Because of this sensitivity you can speculate with some assurance. Mars enters Scorpio, the zone of your subconscious. It is light and lively this time through. It enlightens the dark crevices and difficult feelings. It is especially aggressive if you feel like you have been cheated or there is some injustice however. Confident optimism and cooperative enthusiasm makes you successful. There is a financial reward. Mercury's station is useful. It stands on a particularly agile pivot point. Although it is not moving forward or backward it is gyrating on a spot of interest. It will be retrograde in a day's time and give you a fresh start. Sensitive and compassionate influences bring out your better attributes. Do not deceive yourself. There is a truth to be faced and everyone knows what it is. There is no secret. Boundaries will be up, ranks will close in and everyone else will pull into themselves to deal with emotions. You want to call people to the table and they will not come. That does not change a thing. Jupiter stations reluctantly withholding its positive promise and opportune advantage. Even the people you think you should be able to depend upon will be unable to be there. This is when you rise to self-reliance. While it is not fulfilment at any cost, you are driven to remove the obstacles to reaching it. Mercury regresses back into Capricorn where it has a lot of important work to do. There are some evolutionary factors for Sagittarius to consider. Responsibility rather than authority is the theme. Being someone's saviour may mean you are actually causing them to be a cripple. People need to know how to get themselves out of scrapes and they need to at least try so they can feel capable. It makes you feel better to rush in and help but it is not always what the other person needs. You have all this drive and intention but you cannot choose which way to go, it seems such an important crossroads. If your plans come unglued it means there are better plans. It is important to look at your repetitive patterns. These are born into you, created by parental conditioning or societal expectation. They split your intention which does not help you progress. You may push ahead anyway as long as you have mutual agreement. Being defensive means you know you should not be doing what you are doing. Defending your position is different. New projects are a good use of your energy.

Gnostic Abraxas

Abraxas or Abrasax (Gnostic, from the Greek Αβραξας) From The Theosophical Glossary: "Mystical term used by the Gnostics to indicate the supreme entity of our cosmic hierarchy or its manifestation in the human being which they called the Christos. Abraxas has the value of 365, based on numerical equivalents of the Greek alphabet. Because 365 represents the cycle of one revolution of our planet around the sun, they held that in Abraxas were mystically contained the full number of families of entities composing a hierarchy. These entities received from their supreme illuminator, Abraxas, the streams of life and inspiration governing their existence. Thus in a sense Abraxas is the cosmic Oversoul, the creative or Third Logos, Brahma. The Basilidean Gnostics taught that from this supreme God was created nous (mind). Abraxas also was identified with the Hebrew 'Adonai, the Egyptian Horus, and the Hindu Prajapati. Gnostic amulets known as Abraxas gems depicted the god as a pantheos (all-god), with the head of a cock, herald of the sun, representing foresight and vigilance; a human body clothed in armor, suggestive of guardian power; legs in the form of sacred asps. In his right hand is a scourge, emblem of authority; on his left arm a shield emblazoned with a word of power.

"Remember, the double tail of the serpent that forms the legs of the solar rooster of Abraxas. The entire process of the Great Work consists of releasing oneself from the enchanted rings of the tempting serpent..."

Whatever your chosen celebration have a safe holiday season. Enjoy the love and good will that is generated at this time of year. A Merry Christmas to all who celebrate this day. Thank you all for your continued interest in Andromeda Astrology and the work of Samantha Kane-Kennedy. Every effort, donation or support is appreciated and noticed. Now let us turn our faces to the Sun and know we are blessed. Gratefulness for all we have and all we can do for others is shared at this time of year. Blessings and Namaste,

Sincerely,

Samantha Kane-Kennedy

Andromeda Astrology