truth

Why Astrology doesn’t run on belief

People sometimes ask me, why I "believe" in Astrology. That question amuses me with its' underlying assumptions; that it's a question of (presumably blind) faith, or reading or being told something which you then believe to be true.

That is not how my path into Astrology went, at all;
When I was first exposed to something minorly astrological in my early teens, I had no real preconceptions on anything like it, no faith (religious, spiritual, or any other I can think of in the classic sense), and, to boot, I had an active suspicious distaste for being in any way manipulated.
But I was simultaneously a curious, open-minded, analytical sort, with intuition and a penchant for digging for answers to make up my own mind.
So I went digging online, to test some minor basic astrological thing at the time. And it clicked. So I looked up info on other archetypes, to see if that knowledge offered anything truly useful and insightful. And it did.
Then I learned about other planets having a relevance and symbolism. Looked that up, tested those with some relevant examples- they made sense. On and on it went- aspects, houses, thematic correlations, predictional, vocational, relational, spiritual, psychological... I took nothing on blind faith. I heard of a thing, I tested it through application to the personal and extrapersonal, and I kept it in my repertoire of tools if it passed my testing, discarding those I found lacking in either usefulness or personal sense to me as I went.

9 years and dozens of expert astrology textbooks and workshops later, and my tool-kit full, I started offering its' use to others with my first readings. Another 10 years later, and here we are.
So, do I "believe" in Astrology?
Do you believe that a mirror shows you a reflection of what you look like? Or did you make faces into it as a baby and had proof that it does? 😉

Perhaps what we should be asking is, why do some people believe Astrology requires being taken on faith, and whether they've done any personal testing of it for themselves, in any open, unbiased ways?
Perhaps, it is the societal bias of "nothing but the physical world can hold testable truths, so dismiss anything else outright lest you be thought a fool.", that we should really be asking people, if they "believe"?

Social injustice, and the road to reform & healing

Black moon lilithFor a good chunk of today(March 24th, 2016), the transiting Moon joined forces (conjoined) with Black-Moon-Lilith, the voice of the wounded, angry feminine, in a sign of Libra, well-known for its' connection with the scales of justice.
For fellow Ontario residents, who's eyes are open, we certainly saw those themes activated today. :-/ And I am certain this was by no means only in Ontario!
In so many ways, the world these days is crying out for greater fairness, and a legal system which we can have faith in to point the moral compass true. (Saturn in Sagittarius)

With Chiron (the wounded healer) conjoining Ceres (the feminine nurturance principle) and south node (old outdated attitudes and traditions) in Pisces (deceptive, emotional, victim/martyr archetype) , it's easier than usual to lose the urge to improve things, heal things and change things for the better (North node in Virgo), when it still seems the past has a painful hold on the very things which wounded us to begin with.

And with Pallas (asteroid of feminine warrior power) in Aquarius (social justice archetype) positively working with this Moon/Lilith combo, the natural response to injustice seems to be social activism and ripple-making- which is thoroughly appropriate.

And yet, lest we turn this into ungrounded action, the growth that must occur- that North Node in Virgo asks for- is steady, consistent effort towards improvement and healing, for those who have been wronged and wounded, as well as that which needs to change socially to dismantle corrupt power dynamics (Pluto in Capricorn) and bring real healing to personal and social levels.

It's easier than usual to slide into dejection, depression or victim/martyr states at this state of affairs in the world... and heightened compassion, its' healthier sister, is certainly vitally needed-
and through compassion, we can come back to what may prove to be most important of all: the steady ground-work for change-agency, starting from within, and the willingness to turn outbursts of activist/social outrage, into lasting workings towards change, and healing.

To borrow a rather popular quote these days- "all men(people) must serve". Serve the change we wish to see, that is. Each in our own way. But serve we must. And serve, we shall. Let our frustrations, and our sadness, breed compassion- and let compassion light the way.
Happy transits, folks.

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In the wake of the Mercury Retrograde…

As old things rot, new ones grow from the wreckage.Oh, would you look at that- anyone else noticed how the social systems are showing even MORE cracks in their foundations of integrity this week?

It's not really in direct scandals.It isn't always right there in the open with all its' facts, but there are all these stories coming up lately, of things which give you pause, which make you wonder what's REALLY going on beneath it all.

That is Pluto's way- Pluto's "voice" you're hearing echo. And the Mercury Retrograde we've all trudged our way through (January 5th-25th, 2016), started and ended fused (and is now "in cohoots")  with that Pluto in Capricorn I've been talking about since 2008 (when it moved there).

It's kinda like the journalist (Mercury) who went undercover as a crime boss' (Pluto) lackey, and now has the scoop, which it's starting to leak to the presses.
Mercury got our conscious minds in touch with some of that dirt underneath it all... and it's blowing the whistle as much as it can now.

From where I'm sitting, it's like watching a train-wreck, that you know will lead to repair of the whole of the desperately-rusty train-tracks.
Can see it coming, can decipher its' timings and themes, and can't look away for morbid fascination; but also can neither stop it, nor truly wish to- because the change is needed. Oh, so very needed!

The systems are showing their cracks, and being called-out for it more and more.
(Big Pharma, Politics, big oil, Monsanto... I could go on.)
And they're GOING to have to purge their corruption, or crumble (Pluto's slow-building effect, which nothing can escape from).
And, as trust in "the system" (Capricorn) wanes, the grassroots businesses (Cancer, it's polar opposite) and solutions are going to be more and more needed, to step up and support the world. From the heart (Cancer) , with integrity (Capricorn), balancing the two polarities for all our sakes . Everything missing those two key components, will ultimately fall. Will never get past Pluto's slow-building transformational energy.

So what can we do? well, for me,  my goal is to work with it, not against it. By tapping into the best of Pluto's healing transformations, and accepting that vital need for a slow purging reform in our systems, my wish is to work with people directly. To "minimize the wreckage", and support the process from the solution side of things.
Through the readings I offer, and through applying all I can offer to myself as well, my aim, is to spread clarity- to minimize the quiet panic in the hearts of those feeling the changes slowly coming-  and be there for anyone I can help support, in figuring out and adjusting their own lives, to personally be more in-sync with their hearts, their, truths, their emotional integrity.
As we become part of the solution- are leading our own, conscious, personal transformations and lives- we become paragons. Quiet leaders of a new way of being, living, and organizing reality.
The very grass-roots the world would need, more and more, as we keep on truckin' on.

As we strip away thick layers of social-system rot, we will find the healthier, and most vital parts of society... and of ourselves.
And we will breathe all the better for it.

Happy transits, folks.

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The alignment in the sky, debunked.

So, by now, many of you have seen some reference to the "rare way 5 planets are lining up in the

sky", starting today.
This seems to have caused some confusion, so I'd like to assure you all- this is NOT an Astrological phenomenon. The planets are movin' along, business as usual, in their Astrological journeys, and while some of them are making powerful alignments together, they are not astrologically lined up, single-file, the way they appear to be in the articles circulated about.
Seems like an Astronomical phenomenon, which the media has take up to create a buzz. Sadly, even on a clear sky, this alignment is unlikely to be easily noticeable... though it is undoubtedly cool, in its' own way.
Astrologically, alignments are going on in whole other ways. You may not see them all bright-n-lined

Media confusion.

Media confusion.

up in the sky, but you WILL feel them, in unique and powerful ways Nurture Astrology is happy to help you clarify and make the most of.

For now, let's use this unrelated phenomenon for its' metaphorical value, and aim to line up with our visions and goals, aligning ourselves to a course which excites and fulfills us.

Happy transits, folks.

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Disruptive truths and Uranus

house of cardsA house of cards is, by its' nature, likely to tumble down at the slightest breeze. The firmer the structure, the more solid, the less threatened it is by change or challenge, or truth. Deeper insight is only threatening to those who's lives are built on personal insincerity- a compromise of soul-integrity will always erupt from the psyche at one point or another, shaking houses of cards to the ground.
Astrologically, it's a Uranus thing- the impulse for personal integrity will simply not be ignored without severe consequences to our soul. Thus, Uranus- the voice of inner truth- is labeled the shit-disturber. And those expressing this archetype, are blamed as the breeze would be. Blindly. Dismissively.
It can hurt. It can frighten.
But not as much as it would hurt and scare to be living a house-of-cards life, and have your own inner voice threaten it at every turn.
Heed the Uranus impulse, the inner truth trying to get your attention. The blame is not on the planet, or on the disruptive circumstances it's known for. There is no blame to be had at all- the only one responsible for living our truth, or pushing it under to have it resurface, is us.
Living from truth tends to be easier in the long-run. Not to mention more meaningful.
Just a thought.

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