"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."

— Nelson Henderson

Impatience seems to follow us throughout the week, despite any actual progress. Attempts to garner recognition or appreciation from others for our efforts or initiatives may be very unsatisfying. There is also a strong thread of independence but we are likely to find that we aren't nearly as self-sufficient as we would like to believe. The Capricorn Full Moon (11:37 AM PDT 21° Capricorn/Cancer) doesn't really bring the sort of clarity or sense of culmination that we might be hoping for. A Venus-Neptune square only pours confusion on the Sun's trine to Neptune, stirring idealism to unsteady levels. The resulting disillusion further stirs our [...]

"I have never had to face anything that could overwhelm the native optimism and stubborn perseverance I was blessed with."

— Sonia Sotomayor

We are inspired by a great deal of optimism this week. Tuesday's Cancer New Moon (7:52 PM PDT 7° Cancer) is tightly square Jupiter, which stirs powerful confidence and strong beliefs. But of course, the confidence and optimism must be grounded with clear vision and self-discipline. Jupiter in Aries encourages us to propel ourselves — and our vision — into the world with energy and enthusiasm. However, the New Moon's Cancer influence shows our vulnerability to skepticism, misunderstanding, and emotional distractions. We may find ourselves aggressively and impulsively pushing forward with determination but then suddenly [...]

"We're so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it is all about."

— Joseph Campbell

Mercury returns to Gemini this week and, by the end of the week, emerges from the 'retrograde shadow'. Once back in Gemini, Mercury once again forms a sextile to Jupiter - helping to expand our philosophical perspective and giving us opportunities to share that perspective with those around us. Jupiter in Aries rules Tuesday's Sagittarius Full Moon (4:51 AM PDT 23° Sagittarius/Gemini), and we see a number of astounding new opportunities emerge. The energy and excitement of the Full Moon is enhanced by a Mars-Chiron conjunction, which encourages [...]