"The right to express our thoughts, however, means something only if we are able to have thoughts of our own; freedom from external authority is a lasting gain only if the inner psychological conditions are such that we are able to establish our own individuality."

— Erich Fromm, Escape from Freedom

Venus runs something of a gauntlet this week, conjuncting both Saturn and Pluto, shedding 'light' on next month's soon-to-complete (and widely discussed) Saturn-Pluto conjunction. In many respects, Venus is no match for these two larger bodies and represents us as individuals within a much larger context of major societal shifts, changes, and demands. Two other 'personal' planets, Mercury and Mars, are also wrapped up with larger planets and societal shifts this week [...]

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete."

— Sun Tzu, The Art of War

This week challenges us to focus on finding our internal sense of direction and stability. We gain only a few clues from Tuesday's potent Sagittarius New Moon (7:05 AM PST 4° Sagittarius) of how to navigate towards a more safe and secure position. In fact, the New Moon's quincunx to Uranus suggests that we are turning a 'blind corner' which may obscure the significant effort that will be demanded. Faith is required (along with an internal navigation system) in order to [...]

"I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom."

— Bob Dylan

This Tuesday's Taurus Full Moon (5:34 AM PST 19° Taurus/Scorpio) heralds a significant — perhaps even evolutionary — transformation. However, it may not be very easy to recognize the shifts on the ground. Restlessness, waning confidence, or the feeling that we somehow need to take charge may keep us spinning. We need detachment in order to recognize that, in fact, the World does turn without our efforts and the best that we can do is to respond responsibly as we ride through the process (of change). There is truth to be uncovered under the [...]