On September 22, 2022 the Sun will move into Libra and daylight and darkness will be equal, starting Libra season. Two days later there will be a New Moon in Libra, and justice, equality, relationships and finding balance will be of major importance for the following weeks. At sundown on Sunday September 25^th the Jewish New Year begins, a time of prayer and reflection; helping us to make peace with ourselves, our relationships, and the collective. May these next few weeks bring a period of peace and greater collaboration to us all.

On another note, an astrologer I know and respect has been writing about using astrology as a way to thrive; as a tool to bring more success, happiness, and well-being into people’s lives. I love this idea! Early on in my career I realized that it wasn’t enough to just explain the coming cycles, but people needed tools to work with the energies in constructive ways. Since that realization I’ve developed strategies that not only help people understand what’s going on, but how to collaborate with the intent of the universe. Astrology can offer us remarkable insights into our own nature, and to what’s happening in our lives, but we must be willing listen to the universe and change and adapt.

So what is the magic ingredient that helps people thrive? As I thought about who was most successful, not just in our work together, but in life in general, a common trait I saw was accountability. Looking at life events and searching for how we might be responsible in terms of our beliefs and actions, looking to understand “our part” in what we experience gives us enormous power to have different life experiences by changing our inner selves and our inner narratives.

In my early years in astrology I felt frustrated when I would go to astrology conferences and the people around me would talk about how they couldn’t do something because Saturn was making a square to their Mars, or Pluto was conjunct their Ascendant. I realized some folks are drawn to astrology as a way to explain away life’s problems, to see life as something happening to them, to use astrology as an excuse. That was not how I saw astrology. Saturn and Pluto create challenging aspects, and at the same time they open the possibility of deep personal transformation. Why not walk the path of radical change? It might be painful or difficult, but with the right attitude, guides and help, you can change how you think about what’s happening, leading to changes in how you experience your life.

Let me give you an example. Lisa has her Cancer Sun conjunct Chiron, the wounded healer, and opposite Uranus, (unpredictability) Saturn, (limitations), and Neptune (illusion). This combination creates difficulty with health, both physical and mental, and struggles with identity, authority, and addiction. Her Moon, the nurturing principle is opposite Pluto (the underworld) indicating an early life filled with trauma and not enough nurturing.

After years of struggling with alcohol, drugs, and painful romantic relationships she was in a near fatal car accident that left her temporarily disabled. This time period aligned with her first Saturn return, an astrological event associated with learning to become an adult and take responsibility for our thoughts, actions and deeds. Lisa realized during her rehabilitation that she had been given a second chance at life and made sweeping changes, reaching out to get both physical and emotional help. Slowly she recovered from her physical injuries, all the while working to heal from her traumatic past and change her relationships with her family.

During our consultations she was able to understand herself better and find greater forgiveness for her parents and herself and  their struggles. Her chart gave her language for many of her unexpressed feelings while clearly delineating the difficulties of her early live. Over the following weeks her work on herself was a remarkable thing to see, as she recovered in body, mind, and spirit from the accident and eventually made healthy choices to further her education in a healing profession.

As we enter a new season would you like to work in concert with energetic patterns in your life? To feel a sense of harmony about your existence? If yes, then a Complete Natal Chart is a good place to start.