by Teri Parsley Starnes

Teri’s interest with astrology lies with helping people see how following a practice of intention and self-awareness leads to a fuller relationship with Mystery. Astrology is a wonderful tool for this. Her weekly column orients readers to the seasonal energy of
each month’s Sun sign in order to set magical/mindful intention for the lunar month beginning at the New Moon.

Each week Teri will write about the unfolding energies that support and challenge our intentions. The ebb and flow of the lunar cycle resides deep in our souls. Through following the phases of the Moon, we remember the natural cycles that guide us.

Astrologers divide the lunar month into eight phases. These are:
New Moon: Dreaming
Crescent Moon: Beginning
First Quarter Moon: Manifesting
Gibbous Moon: Perfecting
Full Moon: Illuminating
Disseminating Moon: Sharing
Last Quarter Moon: Evaluating
Balsamic Moon: Surrendering

Come follow the Moon as we practice intentional awareness together.

Forecast December 2, 2012 – December 8.

 You can run but you can’t hide. Does it ever seem like no matter how much intention and conscious choice you practice in your life, the unexpected still catches you off guard? Well, for me, that happens a lot. This week is a good time to notice how we’ve been hiding and what we might really like to run away from. This might sound dire. It isn’t. The transits this week are not calamitous. Rather, I think they will encourage us to rethink and restart some things. We’ll have an opportunity to take a big picture view of where we’ve been the last few months and how all this might relate back to the New Moon intention set around November 13 when this lunar cycle began.

We are in the waning phase of the Moon now. Moon wisdom says that this is a better time to evaluate and wrap up things than a time to embark on new projects. I’m not so strict as that, but I do think we can use the waning energy of the Moon to look at where we’ve been and what we’ve learned. And if you really want to begin a new project, let those experiences inform you.

Mercury turned direct last week, so it is catching up to the place where it stationed retrograde on November 6. This last phase of Mercury’s retrograde cycle can catch us off guard by unexpectedly asking us to go back and fix something we thought was over. December 13, Mercury returns to the degree where it stationed and we’ll be cruising full steam ahead. Until then, pay attention to what you assumed to be working well, especially in the area of communication, and why you are finding out now that it wasn’t. Mercury has spent most of this retrograde in the sign of Scorpio, so confusion and misunderstandings can possibly trigger deep feelings we didn’t even know were there. We can’t hide from the hidden world for long, even if we want to run away at top speed. Give yourself the gift of looking within. As the holiday season gets underway, remember that the hidden world is feeding us. How are you returning the gift?

December 2—Disseminating Moon: Sharing. For the past few weeks, there’s been a great emphasis on the energy of Scorpio: Saturn’s ingress into that sign on Oct. 5, a New Moon Solar Eclipse on Nov. 13, a Mercury retrograde cycle predominantly in Scorpio, and Venus’ entry into Scorpio on Nov 21. By now, we are well aware of all kinds of subterranean places within our personal and collective psyches. However, there is an upperworld too—a place of ideas, beliefs, and interactions with others. The upperworld asks us to pay attention to what is going on around us, not just within us. We are being stretched to hold as much of both of these worlds as we can. In and out, deep and surface, below and above. Jupiter in Gemini, reminding us of the importance of the upperworld, is taking center stage right now and will be a large influence on us for the next few weeks.

Until Jan. 6, 2013, Jupiter is at the apex of a Yod aspect configuration with Saturn sextile to Pluto forming the base of the triangle. The promise of a Yod is new understanding through paradox. The promise of Pluto and Saturn, helping to uncover and enrich the hidden world, is paradoxically realized when we learn how to use the Jupiter in Gemini energy well.

Jupiter is the planet of expansion, belief, and meaning. I feel the energy of this planet like a wind filling my sails. This feeling is especially true with Jupiter in the mutable air sign, Gemini. Jupiter stays in a sign for about a year. It entered Gemini in June of 2012 and will leave in June of 2013. Right now, Jupiter is moving retrograde, so we get to retrace the initial impact of Jupiter in Gemini. It is a time to become more aware of this influence. What is Jupiter teaching? And what does this have to do with the hidden world?

The Magician is an appropriate archetype for Gemini. The ruler of Gemini is Mercury, the trickster magician. The dual nature of Gemini forces us to see our own dualities, the ways we project, the ways we blame, the ways we trick ourselves out of knowing the truth right before our eyes. Yet, Gemini also represents the ways we reach out to others to integrate what is missing in our lives. We seek connection and wholeness. This is the promise of Gemini.

Today, as the Moon moves into the Sharing phase of its cycle, the Sun is exactly opposite Jupiter. The Sun helps us to bring things into consciousness. What are you realizing about the connection between the upperworld and underworld? How are you a Magician in the synthesis of these worlds? What missing piece are you reaching out to integrate? These questions apply to this day, but will serve as long as Jupiter is in the Yod formation with Saturn and Pluto. This Yod will impact our relationships and communications with others. Be careful with hasty decisions and reactions. How would the Magician handle the situation?

Monday, December 3. Jupiter is the star of the week, but Mercury will bring the messages. Today, Mercury is at the degree of the previous Solar Eclipse of Nov. 13 for the third time. Tranisting planets can trigger an eclipse events even after the eclipse is over. If 21 degrees of Scorpio is significant in your chart, you may be having a particularly trying time since Mercury has triggered this degree three times. Today is the final one. As a note: Israel’s national chart has Chiron at this degree. Perhaps what is playing out in that country will reach another crisis today? We can hope for resolution but wounds are hard to transform.

 Tuesday, December 4. Today, Mercury is at its greatest elongation from the Sun in the morning sky after its recent retrograde journey. I expect some big “ahas” today. The Moon in Leo is square to Mercury too, increasing the possibility of disruption in how we want things to go. Use the Leo Moon to adopt a playful attitude.

Wednesday, December 5. Housekeeping time! The Moon moves into Virgo, the other Mercury-ruled sign. If you are experiencing a little too much chaos, or intrusions of upper and lower worlds, find time to bring a little more order into your life. It is amazing how even something like sweeping the floors helps to move energy out of the house, creating more space to deal with things. You might also want to start your holiday list making today. Be discerning. Do only what is necessary and gives joy.

December 6—Last Quarter Moon: Evaluating. The Moon is still in Virgo and we need to be alert to an overly aggressive evaluation of ourselves and others during this phase of the Moon. I really appreciate how Virgo strives for excellence but sometimes this desire goes too far into a shame-inducing perfectionism. Notice that urge and see if you can shift back into positive ways to create more order and affirmation in your life. Dealing with the hidden world, as we have during this lunar cycle, we need to forgive ourselves when we see things that we wished we hadn’t uncovered. Be brave and self-loving.

Friday, December 7. Another tweak from Mercury today as it reaches the same degree of its past inferior conjunction with the Sun. That happened on Nov. 17. We are being gently reminded that the hidden world still feeds ours and that the relationship between these worlds is rich and rewarding. The Moon in Libra opposing Uranus encourages us to tip the scales into action. Small, personal acts of beauty and balance can create a force for larger change.

Saturday, December 8. This is a great day to take in the arts. The Moon in Libra encourages us to revel in the beauty around us. And if you can share that beauty with a significant other in your life, even better. With a square between the Moon and Mars, we may notice conflict too but that doesn’t have to stop us from appreciating those important people in our lives. Passion can move us closer.

Read the forecast for November 13 to follow along with this lunar cycle.

All times are CST.

Contact Teri at teri@starsdanceastrology and visit her website at http://www.starsdanceastrology.com