February, 2015

Happy Birthday

Aquarians!

acquarius the water bearer

Ready for some

fun?

Discover where to place your energy and attention this birthday year for the optimum results!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Enter your name to win a free 15 minute

Solar Return

Reading

on MP3

How to Enter:

If your Sun sign is in Aquarius, email me with your name and SOLAR RETURN in the subject line. If I draw your name out of the box, I'll email you with further details.

margaret@margaretsweet.com

Deadline

~ Feb 15 ~

Thanks for participating and Good Luck!

Quan Yin

Goddess of Compassion

.

January 29, 2015

Hi Everyone

Wow. It feels like this year is already moving too fast!

My husband and I just got away for a few days to celebrate our anniversary and his birthday. We felt so relaxed and had so much fun that we vowed to do this more often this year. Don't they say that when you put something in 'writing' it tends to cement it more?

There's two things about February that I love - Valentine's Day and the Oscars!

Despite the vast commercialization of Valentine's Day, I like it that there's a holiday to honor the experience of love. We can always light up someone's day by giving them a rose or a card. It's never too late for love!!! However you celebrate this day, here's wishing you warm, fuzzy feelings.

Now, for the movie buffs who will be glued to the screen watching the Oscars on February 22, be sure to look for my other newsletter this month. It's all about my Annual Oscar Competition - and details about how to enter to win a reading!

Meanwhile, read on....

Venus in 2015

One thing that we all have in

common, is the desire to be
happy, to give and receive love
and to feel appreciated.
Venus is the planet associated

with this experience.

There are lots of Venus influences this year, (which will be covered in
the Astro Tips section each month), but what strikes me most, is her transit through the sign of Leo,
(June 6 - July 18), with a brief
time in Virgo (July 19 - 31), before re-entering Leo, (Aug 1 - Oct 8).

How we experience Venus 'energy' is a very 'personal' experience, but there are some common traits associated with the placement of Venus in our charts.

Venus is associated with:

1) Our experience of the heart, with regards to self-esteem and capacity for self-love, romantic love, partnerships, expressing and receiving affection, and generally being in 'connection' with others.

2) Venus relates to what we value the most, along with our capacity to attract, interact and be fulfilled by what we value - essentially our ability to experience pleasure.

4) Finances - our ability to feel a sense of abundance; being able to cultivate, establish and enjoy the lifestyle we desire.

4) Beauty and the arts. The sensual side of Venus energy is refined, graceful and tasteful. We seek to have access to those objects which appeal to our sense of style and beauty. Expressing our artistic and creative abilities in whatever way appeals to us, is also a big part of enjoying our Venus energy.

Venus in Leo calls upon us to explore all that pertains to the journey of the heart. What truly lights us up? What ignites our heart energy, our passion, playfulness, lightheartedness, and how can we experience more of this?

There are two influences this Summer which can draw us into a deeper experience with the energies of Venus:

Saturn in Scorpio challenging Venus - July 4 - August 12.

This transit can trigger sadness, sometimes related to

connections we experienced in the past, which we either no longer have, or believe we no longer have access to. This can represent the experience of intimacy and belonging, with regard to one- on-one relationships, relationships with family, and/ or community, but also with regard to our experience which translate into financial freedom.

Venus is in a retrograde motion, July 25 - September 5, which places a subtle 'spin' on how we interact with our Venus energy, too. Most retrogrades call for us to go deeper into an experience. We can touch on the experience of kindling love and appreciation for ourselves, for others, and for what and whom we have in our lives.

The transit of Venus in Leo creates the opportunity for us to touch on that which makes our heart happy, from the inside out and the outside, in. Sometimes, we find ourselves so busy with life, just 'doing' life, showing up, fulfilling our practical responsibilities and obligations, that we just, for a time, forget what actually makes our heart sing!

Venus in Leo energy is bold, courageous and big hearted. This is the perfect time to plan ahead and be sure to take some quality time this summer, to rediscover that which illumines us and connects us with our joie de vivre!

Are you experiencing

Mental Overload?

Have you noticed an upswing in your mental activity,
of late?

In 2015, the planet associated with the mind, mental
processing and communication, Mercury, will spend lots
of time in 'air' signs. While Mercury has a natural affinity
with air signs, it can also feel like our mental process is on
'overdrive'.

Here's an overview of the dates and signs Mercury will

transit this year:

Jan 4 - Mar 11 ~ Mercury in AQUARIUS ~

Mercury in a 'fixed' air sign allows for good focusing abilities,

favors projects which require research and careful analysis,

is good with abstract concepts, and excellent with follow

through. This placement is also suited to collaborative efforts between parties, leading to favorable outcomes.
However, flexibility in thinking can be a challenge.

Apr 30 - July 7 ~ Mercury in GEMINI ~

Mercury in a 'mutable' air sign is changeable and versatile,

quite at home with juggling a variety of concepts and

changing priorities. There can be a tendency is to 'share' our thoughts with everyone, and anyone, without censorship.

Boredom and restlessness can be a challenge, as can a

lack of follow through.

When transiting Neptune (Pisces) is in square to Mercury,
May 5 through June 5, we can find ourselves in 'rose colored

glasses' mode. Even when we get exactly what we think

we want or need, the enjoyment of it, may seem ever so

fleeting.

Aug 27 - Oct 31 ~ Mercury in LIBRA ~
Generally considered to be a harmonious and artistic
connection for Mercury, this placement especially favors
objective thinking, good judgement, and the capacity
to bring about favorable outcomes for all involved.

Poetic and romantic nuances can create a nice artistic
flow when transiting Jupiter in Leo sextiles Mercury
(Sept 5 - 21), but there can also be some bold, edgy and erratic energies come into the 'mix' when transiting Uranus in Aries is in opposition to Mercury, (September 11 - 21), though these planets do not come into an exact degree.

With all of this busy mind activity, compounded by our
constant interaction with social media and technology,
it might be wise to select times to hit the 'off' switch -
to allow for some quality peace of mind.

Winner of Solar Return
Reading for January.

Allison Kaplan, Austin, TX

It's really helpful to plan your birthday year, with the information available from your Solar Return chart. This particular chart is cast with the following in mind:

a) Location - the physical location

where you spend your birthday

b) When the degree of your Sun

reaches the exact same degree as

it was when you were born (the

actual time varies a little each year)

The Solar Return Chart indicates which influences you have available to create successful outcomes in those areas where you place your attention during your birthday year.

In the month your Birthday takes place, you have the opportunity to win a free Solar Return Reading. The 15 minute Solar Return reading will be emailed to you as an MP3 audio recording.

This month, Aquarius is the magical birthday sign, so if you're an Aquarian, please go ahead and enter your name for a Solar Return Reading.

Note: Look for details each month located in the left
hand column of the newsletter

Thanks to those of you who entered last month!

Astro Tips

Artwork by Rita Lloyd

Please note: All times given are PST!

Just a reminder that we come into the month of February, with Mercury in retrograde (until Feb 11)

Feb 1: Our emotions can feel ever so sensitive today.

Between being drawn to events of the past, and into

otherworldly type experiences - and then there's the subtle

but powerful longings of the heart - we're likely to be

in a world of our own today.

(Cancer Moon goes void at 5:35 am for the entire day.

Moon opposes Pluto at 2:45 am; Moon trines Mars (Pisces)

at 5:35 am; Venus conjuncts Neptune,(this can be felt for

several days), which is exact at 9:30 am).

Feb 3:   Full Moon in Leo. See 'Lunar Activity' below

Astro Tips.

Feb 5: Focusing and directing the mind toward specific

projects brings good results today. We may opt to work

alone, being especially sensitive to the energies of others.

(Mercury in Aquarius sextiles Saturn in Sag., exact at

3:45 am; Virgo Moon squares Saturn (Sagittarius) at 5:30 am, opposes Neptune (Pisces) at 11:00 am and opposes Venus (Pisces) at 10:00 pm)

Feb 7: The influences taking place this afternoon favor

communication and relationship activity, with a mix of

introspection.

(Libra Moon trines Mercury (Aquarius) at 3:00 pm; Moon

sextiles Saturn (Sag) at 6:45 pm and Venus (Pisces) sextiles

Pluto (Capricorn), exact at 9:45 pm)

.
Feb 8: Mid to late afternoon, influences can feel like things are spinning out of control. Avoid working with power tools, and beware of overexerting yourself physically, and with social activity. As the evening unfolds, things settle down and begin to find their flow.

(A challenging T-square comes together with Libra Moon

in opposition to Uranus (Aries) and in square to Pluto

(Capricorn) - 2:00 - 4:00 pm; Moon sextiles Jupiter

(Leo) at 9:45 pm)

Feb 11: Mercury goes direct. In a desire to be helpful,

be careful not to over-commit yourself.

(Scorpio Moon squares Jupiter (Leo) at 8:15 am and

trines Venus (Pisces) at 11:45 am)

Feb 12: Late morning influences lend themselves

to contemplative thinking, while late afternoon/

evening influences can result in feeling emotionally

flat and restless.

(Sag. Moon sextiles Mercury (Aquarius) at 11:15 am;

Moon conjuncts Saturn at 4:30 pm and squares

Neptune (Pisces) at 9:15 pm).

Feb 13: We desire the freedom to explore that which

is calling to us, today. Expect expansive ideas.

(Sag. Moon trines Uranus (Aries), at 10:00 am and

trine Jupiter (Leo), at 3:00 pm)

Feb 14:

In Mid-afternoon, the Moon moves into the earthy and
economical sign of Capricorn, leaning toward practical
gifts and celebration ideas.

Feb 15: Be careful not to build resentment by doing that
which you feel obligated to do. Let common sense prevail.

(Capricorn Moon squares Uranus (Aries) at 1:45 pm and

conjunct Pluto at 3:00 pm)

Feb 16: In the first part of the day, notice a nice flow of
energy lending itself to getting things done with ease. The
evening hours become more mentally active...so be sure to
leave some time to unwind before going to bed.

(Capricorn Moon sextiles Venus / Mars in Pisces

(7:45 am - 12:30 pm); Moon changes to Aquarius and

conjuncts Mercury at 9:00 pm and sextiles Saturn (Sag)

at 11:15 pm)

Feb 18: New Moon in Aquarius. See Lunar Acitivity.

Feb 19: Ever so other worldly energies surround us,
upon waking today. It's late afternoon when we really
find our get up and go. The year of the Goat/Sheep in
Chinese Astrology indicates steady financial progress, leading to abundance.

(Neptune/Moon conjunction in Pisces, at 3:00 am;

Mercury (Aquarius) sextiles Saturn in Sag, exact at

5:00 am; The fiery planet Mars, goes into Aries, at 4:15 pm)

Feb 20: Watch for a boost in energy this afternoon,
leading to a desire for physical activity and individual
pursuits.

(Aries Moon conjuncts Venus and Mars, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm).

Feb 21: Watch out for single minded 'freight train'
energy this afternoon. On one hand, it's inviting to have
such drive and determination, but a word of caution:
pushing too much could result in accidents, and at the
very least, result in over-exerting ourselves. Nevertheless,
we're likely to feel lots of fiery exuberance today.

(Moon conjuncts Uranus (Aries), at 2:00 pm and squares

Pluto (Capricorn) at 3:15 pm; Moon trines Jupiter (Leo)

at 4:30 pm; Venus and Mars conjunct at 1 to 2 degrees

of Aries, exact at 9:15 pm)

Feb 23 - 26: Energetically, we are made more aware of
the energetic pull between the weight/density associated
with the physical plane (Pisces Sun square Saturn in
Sagittarius), and the ultra sensitive energies associated with the subtle plane ) Sun conjunct Neptune, in Pisces.

It is wise to conserve energy, and get more rest, when
these influences are in place. This is not considered a
favorable time for starting new ventures.

Feb 24: An excellent influence for dialing in our personal
goals, and aligning with our purpose.

(Though this can be experienced through late afternoon,

the exact aspect between Venus (Aries) in trine to Saturn

in (Sag), takes place at 7:00 am;

Feb 27-28: There's a Cancer Moon in place this weekend
(through late Monday pm), which can contribute to feeling emotionally vulnerable, calling to us to give ourselves additional rest. Given the demanding influences of the week, it's best not to push ourselves.

(Sat 28th: Challenging T-square comes into place with

Moon in Cancer opposing Uranus (Aries) at 8:45 am and

opposing Pluto (Capricorn), at 10:00 am)

Lunar Activity


Full Moon      Feb 3       14 deg Leo              3:09 pm

This Full Moon in Leo, making a connection with Uranus and Jupiter, creates the desire to express an independent, progressive viewpoint, tinged with philosophical and theatrical overtones. Thinking big and bold is key!

New Moon      Feb 18     29 deg Aquarius       3:47 pm

This is a Super Moon which tends to create a greater gravitational pull on the earth's tides, not to mention our physical bodies.

Taking place at the last degree of Aquarius, be sure to pay attention to, and take note note of clarity obtained through intuitive insights. This could be about a situation you're currently facing, or perhaps about a direction for the year - catch its nuances before it dissolves into the ether, when it goes into the sign of Pisces.

Ever wondered which astrological

signs you're compatible with?

Click on the link below to read

my e-book, Relationships 101

Relationships 101

Thanks once again for tuning in with me this month.

Wishing you a great month and a very Happy Valentine's Day!

much love,

Margaret