Recent Posts

Sun in Virgo — Moon in Capricorn

September 5, 2011 By Storm Cestavani 4 Comments

On Monday, the moon will move out of fun and boisterous Sagittarius, and into practical and reliable Capricorn. For our fiery friends (Leo, Sagittarius, and Aries) this is a real downer because the Labor Day holiday has provided you with a break in the monotony of everyday life. However, reality calls and it’s back to business as usual.

While the Moon is in Capricorn there will be no planetary aspects so we may notice shifts and changes in our

Get IMMEDIATE relief to the problems in your life with the power of candle magic. If you have a problem in your life, we have a candle for that!

moods especially on Tuesday when the Moon will square Uranus and conjoin with Pluto. On Wednesday, the Moon will trine Venus providing us with many opportunities to be social. However, towards the end of the day avoid reacting emotionally as the Moon will oppose smoldering Mars in Cancer which could lead to arguments and disagreements.

On the business front, the Moon in Capricorn can be beneficial. During this month transit we can take the reins and move ourselves closer to our goals, organize situations that have become out of control, and set down regulations and guidelines that will provide us a stronger foundation for our future. However, on Tuesday avoid speculations or stock trading until late afternoon when the Moon will trine Jupiter in money oriented Taurus.

Tarot Tune-Up: Get out your tarot or oracle deck. Shuffle the deck thoroughly. Ask yourself the following question, ”How can I make most beneficial use of the Moon’s energy while it is in Capricorn?” Pick a card from the deck.

I drew the 9 of Cups: Being aware of my own happiness while engaging in my responsibilities will fulfill not only myself, but those around me.

What did you draw?

If you enjoyed this post click the LIKE or +1 button at the bottom of the page

Filed Under: Astrology, Recent Posts, Tarot Tagged With: Astrology, horoscopes, Moon in Capricorn, Sun in Virgo

The View of “The Chew”

September 5, 2011 By Storm Cestavani 3 Comments

On September 23, a celebrated era of ABC Daytime Television will come to an end. After 41 years, iconic “All My Children” will cease broadcasting on television and will be replaced by a talk show called “The Chew”. Over the past several years, Brian Frons – the President of ABC Daytime – has consistently denied that ABC had any plans to make changes to its Daytime TV structure. Fans of “All My Children” are outraged, betrayed, and resentful over the cancellation of the series, and the apparent end of the characters they have grown to love.

Brian Frons told the Huffington Post that changes in viewer habits who were looking for different forms of programming is the reason the daytime soap was cancelled. Frons further states, “They [the viewer’s] are telling us there is room for informative, authentic, and fun shows that are relatable, offer a wide variety of opinions and focus on ‘real life’ takeaways.” Despite ABC’s statements the ratings of daytime television have declined significantly since more woman have entered the job force. Moreover, the daytime audiences of the 70’s and 80’s turned to recording their daytime serials and viewing them when time permits.

Susan Lucci (Erica Kane) has added explosive accusations in her paperback release of her autobiography, “All My Life: A Memoir.” Lucci blames Brian Frons for the cancellation of “All My Children,” and believes that Frons made the decision because he was afraid of losing his job as President of ABC Daytime. She further states that Frons was a “fatal combination of arrogance and ignorance,” and believed the cancellation was mainly attributed to network greed.

Brian Frons states that he expects some backlash, and for the loyal viewers of the shows (One Life To Live will be no longer air in January) to be very angry.

So, under such a toxic environment how will “The Chew” fair?

The Ascendant for the debut of the chew is in energetic Sagittarius with Jupiter (ruler of Sag) in Taurus retrograde in the 5^thhouse

Get IMMEDIATE relief to the problems in your life with the power of candle magic. If you have a problem in your life, we have a candle for that!

of gambling. The ruler of the ascendant being retrograde could be a problem for the show and reflects that ABC may revisit whether or not “The Chew” is a viable daytime property. In addition, complicating Pluto in the first house and ruling the 12^th could reflect power plays and problems with the “format” could prove difficult. This is amplified by the ruler of the 10^th (ABC) applying to a conjunction with limiting Saturn.

Everything comes down to the viewers, and whether or not they believe that the show is worthy of watching. Mercury in balance oriented Libra rules the audience. Mercury opposes rebellious Uranus and squares complicating Pluto. Since Pluto is the ruler of the 2^nd house of money, I feel implies that ratings of the show may not be where the network would like them to be. Further, the ruler of the 4^th house end of the matter is in the 8^th house of death.

After viewing the event chart for the debut of the show, I feel that the viewers might not have a real appetite for “The Chew”. Loyal soap fans will probably gravitate over to CBS (who has contracted with a few All My Children fan faves) to watch “The Young and The Restless” or NBC’s “Days of Our Lives,” leaving ABC to find a new audience to sup with the daytime chefs. Unfortunately in this economy, they may all be working.

What do you think?

If you enjoyed this article please hit the like button or +1 at the bottom of the page.

Filed Under: Hot Topics, Recent Posts Tagged With: ABC, All My Children, Astrology, Brian Frons, Hot Topics, Susan Lucci, The Chew

The Astrological Universe

September 3, 2011 By Storm Cestavani 5 Comments

I am going to begin this lesson so we can understand the basic astronomy of the solar system. As I discussed in the history of astrology, it was not so long ago that both astronomy and astrology were one body and I do feel that it is important to understand where the planets are in our solar system. Although this could be rather tedious for individuals that would prefer to jump to interpreting their charts, we will use our understanding of the solar system in the next lesson.

One of the interesting things that I have found about “our understanding” of the solar system is that many of us do not understand it at all. We know that there is a Sun and a Moon, but beyond that many people do not know how many planets there are. I recently queried a bunch of my friends and I got random answers from 6 to 11 to 13, and several did not know that Pluto was no longer a planet. That’s right – for those of you that did not know — Pluto is no longer a planet. Before any Scorpios (Pluto rules Scorpio) start to develop an identity crisis over Pluto’s demotion, in astrology we still consider Pluto a planet.

I am sure that some of you are wondering how this happened? Why did Pluto get demoted? We can some this up in one word – ERIS.

OMG…. The Solar System Has Dwarfs! (No Dwarves allowed)

Click Image To Make It Larger

In January 2005, Mike Brown and his team located in San Diego, CA discovered an object in the solar system that appeared to be larger than Pluto. Brown and the astronomers at NASA initially called the object the “tenth planet” and gave it the provisional designation of 2003 UB ₃₁₃. However, the size of the object would end up becoming a huge problem and internal arguments and debates erupted in the Astronomical Community.

In August 2006, the IAU agreed upon a new definition of a planet in the solar system. The adaptation of the new requirements for planethood (orbits the sun, has a round shape, and has “cleared the neighborhood” around its orbit) led to the demotion of Pluto to a new category of dwarf planets. In addition, the asteroid Ceres (which was a planet until 1802 and herself demoted to an asteroid) was promoted to a dwarf planet. The new dwarf planet that caused such a ruckus was named Eris who (perhaps by synchronicity) was the Greek Goddess of Strife and Discord. In September 2008, the IAU admitted Haumaea as a dwarf planet followed by MakeMake in 2008.

OMG MORE DWARFS?

There are several other trans-Neptunian objects under consideration. Some of these include Orcus, Quaoar, 2007 OR₁₀, Sedna, and the asteroid Vesta. In this course, I will only be covering dwarf planets Ceres, Pluto, and my preliminary understanding of Eris. The other dwarf planets Haumaea and MakeMake I may include in the next course if I have had time to work with them.

THE ASTROLOGICAL SOLAR SYSTEM

Click To Make Image Larger

On the left hand side of this diagram, you will see a yellow glow. This is the Sun and it is the center of our solar system. Every planet, dwarf planet, and asteroid revolves around the Sun.

The Inferior Planets

Mercury is probably the most famous of planets. In recent years, pop culture has become very familiar with the astrological phenomena of Mercury retrograde. Mercury moves around the Sun very quickly and it takes it 88 earth days to circle the Sun. Mercury never gets more than 27 degrees away from the Sun, so it is usually found in the same sign or the one before or after it.

Venus is the next inferior planet. It was named after the Goddess of Love in Roman Mythology, and like Mercury moves around the Sun rather quickly. A Venusian year is 224-225 earth days. The great irony about Venus is that one of her days is longer than it takes for her to revolve around the Sun. Venus rotates very slowly on her axis and one day on the planet is 225 earth days. Venus is never more than 48 degrees from the Sun.

Earth and Moon

This is where we live, and because we stand upon the earth we do not measure the location of Earth in a chart. Since it is the observation point of the solar system, the Earth is always in the opposite astrological sign to the Sun. For example, if you lived on the Sun right now (please bring a large air conditioned igloo) you would find the Earth in the sign of Pisces. Why? The Sun (as of this writing) is in the sign of Virgo. It takes the Earth 365.25 days to revolve around the Sun. This is called 1 year. Further, the Earth is the only planet in the solar system (as far as we know) that intelligent life exists.

Earth is the first planet in the solar system that has a satellite that orbits it. Although we refer to it as the “Moon”, its name is actually Luna. Now you know where we get the word lunatic from! The Moon revolves around the earth every 28-29 days. Every month at the New Moon we begin a new lunar month, which is still part of many religious systems.

The Superior Planets:

The first superior planet in the solar system is Mars. Mars is a rather interesting planet, because it has a rather elliptical orbit and with its striking red color it is very noticeable when it is the closest to the earth. Mars was named after the Roman God of war and is often associated with bloodshed and anger. In traditional astrology it is considered the lesser malefic and is often associated with bad omens. Mars is about half the size of the earth and revolves around the Sun every 687 days or roughly every 2 years.

We Now Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program…

There are many theories about the asteroid belt. One is that there used to be a planet that existed between Mars and Jupiter, but it was destroyed by either an impact or due to the gravitational pull of Jupiter. This is now home to thousands of asteroids ruled by their Queen – dwarf planet Ceres. Ceres takes about 4.60 years to revolve around the Sun. Within the asteroid belt are three other large sized asteroids which many astrologers use in their forecasting: Pallas Athena, Juno, and Vesta.

Now Back To Your Regular Scheduled Program…

We now leave the realm of the personal planets – Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and dwarf planet Ceres. The next two planets are considered the social planets. By social, I do not mean Facebook or Twitter!

The first social planet is called Jupiter. Jupiter is named after the Roman King of the Gods. Jupiter is the biggest of all the planets in the Solar System and he is most noted for the ‘huge red eyeball’ structure on his surface. I suppose, the King of the Gods has to keep an eye out on the universe. Jupiter takes 11.86 years to circle the Sun. This is approximately 1 zodiacal sign per year. In traditional astrology, Jupiter is considered the great benefic and is known to bring luck to those who had his favor. This could have arisen out of the idea that Jupiter is the giant vacuum cleaner of the solar system, and he protects the inner planets from cosmic debris that might have cataclysmic effects.

The Saturn return is probably the 2^nd most talked about astrological phenomena (tied with Eclipses) that occurs around the age of 30 for everyone. Why? It takes Saturn 30 years to go around the Sun. Although Saturn is probably one of the most beautiful objects in the solar system, it is considered the Great Malefic in astrology. Saturn has many rings that surround it which many feel symbolically represent the limitations and boundaries which confine us to physical reality. The fact that it is the last planet that is visible to the naked eye amplifies this feeling that Saturn is the barrier to a much larger universe that we fully do not understand.

WTF… First Dwarfs and Now Centaurs?

Chiron is a planetoid in the outer solar system discovered by Charles Kowal in 1977. He became the first of a new breed of galactic objects known as Centaurs. Although Centaurs travel as close to the Sun as Jupiter and many far past Neptune, Chiron has an elliptical orbit between Saturn and Uranus. It takes Chiron 49-51 years to revolve around the Sun.

Unlike dwarf planet Ceres, Chiron is not the largest of his kind – that distinction belongs to Chariklo. There is some debate in astronomical circles that believe one of Saturn’s Moon’s – Phoebe – may have been a centaur that got trapped in Saturn’s gravitational pull. Other notable Centaurs are Nessus and Pholus. In this course, I will only be using Chiron and may bring the other Centaurs into a future course.

The Outer Planets:

The first of the two outer planets is called Uranus. It was discovered in 1781 using a telescope and is considered the first planet of modern times. Uranus is unique in that he tends to break all the rules, and immediately upon his discovery doubled the size of the known universe. Uranus is very unique because he spends 42 years with one pole facing the Sun and then 42 years with the other poll facing the Sun. In total, Uranus takes 84 years to go around the Sun or roughly 7 years through each sign of the zodiac.

Our next planet is Neptune who was discovered in 1846 by Johann Galle. Neptune has a beautiful blue surface almost the color of the deepest parts of earth’s oceans. He is named after the Roman God of the Sea. It takes Neptune 165 earth years to circle the Sun and around 14 years per astrological sign.

The Dwarfs: Hi Ho, Hi Ho It’s Off To Work We Go…

Eris & Her Moon Dysnomia

The most famous of all the dwarf planets is Pluto. As I stated earlier, we still consider Pluto a planet in astrology and there are no plans to kick him out of the planetary pantheon as our close cousins the Astronomers did. Pluto was discovered in 1930 and has a rather eccentric orbit sometimes coming closer to the Sun than Neptune. It takes Pluto 248 years to go around the Sun, but he quickly moves through the zodiac sign of Scorpio and crawls through the sign of Taurus.

On December 28, 2004, Mike Brown’s team in San Diego, California discovered Haumaea. Haumaea is the strangest of the dwarf planets because she looks like a gigantic Easter egg. After naming Eris (she is coming), the IAU decided that it would name all ‘outer planet like objects’ after characters in creation myths. Haumaea is named after the Hawaiian Goddess of childbirth. It takes Haumaea 283 years to circle the Sun. Haumaea is currently in the sign of Libra.

The third largest dwarf planet is called MakeMake. He was discovered by Mike Brown in San Diego on March 31, 2005. He is named after the Rapa Nui God of humanity and was the chief god of the bird man cult. It takes MakeMake 309 years to circle the Sun. MakeMake is currently in the sign of Virgo.

The Fairest of Them All

Now is the final member of Dwarf planets – Eris. Eris is the dwarf planet that caused all the controversy. Eris is named after the Goddess of Strife and Discord and as I stated earlier she surely lived up to her name. Eris is the 9^th largest body in our solar system and is believed to be larger than Pluto. Eris is the slowest of the dwarf planets and takes a whopping 557 years to go around the Sun. Like Pluto, she has a rather elliptical orbit and moves very quickly through the sign of Libra and crawls slowly through the sign of Aries. She has been in Aries since the early part of the 20^th century and is still currently in the sign. I will be covering Eris at length towards the end of this course. I feel that she is very important in astrological charts – especially in Mundane Astrology.

Next Up: Jungian Model of the Psyche

If you enjoyed this post, please click the LIKE or +1 Button at the bottom of the page

Filed Under: Astro Class, Astrology, Recent Posts Tagged With: Astrology, Astronomy, horoscopes

It’s Time To Lend A Helping Hand

September 1, 2011 By Storm Cestavani 1 Comment

The tragedy and devastation that occurred with Hurricane Irene has crippled much of the Northeastern United States. After having email exchanges with several friends whom are currently paralyzed by the storm; it appears that there is no end in sight. Many are still without power and running water with no estimation date to when their utilities will be restored. It has truly been an awakening for those that believed a Category 1 Hurricane would be nothing for the Northeast to bear – when it actually could come close to rivaling Hurricane Katrina in estimated damage costs.

As an astrologer, it has been very difficult to watch. Since I do know enough astrometeorology to be dangerous, I have written several times about an East Coast Hurricane occurring around the time of the grand square in August. We are not out of the woods yet, it is possible for another major storm to strike the United States in the month of September.

On a much more positive note, this weekend could prove to be the beginning of relief for the storm ravaged areas on the East Coast. The Sun in Virgo (help and service to others) will make a trine to Jupiter in Taurus. This is a great aspect for lending a helping hand, as well becoming more optimistic about the future. For those suffering through the hardship of the storm, this could prove to be comforting. For those not affected by the storm, Sun trine Jupiter will provide you with self-confidence, hopefulness, optimism, and you will feel that luck is on your side. However, be careful not to be self-indulgent and self-righteous. If you get a chance to lend a hand to others take advantage of the good karma points this will provide. You may need to spend them later!

Over the Labor Day weekend, the Moon will move through Scorpio until Saturday evening when it will transition into Sagittarius. The Moon in Scorpio can make us feel very intense, and since the majority of the aspects on Saturday are difficult we could find ourselves feeling anxious (Mercury) and a bit off-center (Neptune). It will be imperative that we think things out before reacting to them, because things may not be as they seem and we will find our emotions running wild.

On Saturday evening, The Moon will move into Sagittarius and we will notice a huge change in the energy. Sagittarius is known for its ability to have fun so take advantage of that energy while it is available. The aspects of the Sagittarian Moon on Labor Day are very positive so make sure you take a day to relax, recharge your batteries, and celebrate your accomplishments of the past year.

Tarot Tune-Up: Get out your tarot or oracle decks. Shuffle the Cards. Ask yourself the following question, “What can I do to be a blessing to others?” Draw a card out of the deck. What card did you draw? Let me know in the comments below.

If you like this post, please hit the like or +1 button at the bottom of the page.

Bring Love, Romance, and Money Into Your Life with the power of Candle Magic

Filed Under: Astrology, Recent Posts Tagged With: Astrology, Cosmic Weather Forecast, horoscopes, Hurricane Irene, Jupiter in Taurus, Labor Day, Moon in Sagittarius, Moon In Scorpio, Self Help, Sun in Virgo, Sun trine Jupiter, Tarot

Beyonce Is Pregnant

August 29, 2011 By Storm Cestavani 2 Comments

The MTV Music awards have made an American tradition out of shock and awe. On Sunday evening, everyone expected that shock and awe to come from opening act Lady Gaga. True to form, Gaga was shocking performing her single, “You and I,” as her alter ego Jo Calderone and attempting to kiss Britney Spears while presenting her with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. However, much to everyone’s surprise the nights shocking moment was from Beyoncé who revealed she was pregnant with her first child — simply by holding her baby bump on the red carpet.

One of Beyoncé’s publicists later confirmed the “Baby Boy” singer’s pregnancy to the Associated Press.

This is not the first time at the rodeo for the 24 hour celebrity press to jump on the Beyoncé pregnancy bandwagon. In March 2010, rumors surfaced of a pregnancy that was later denied by Beyoncé’s publicist. Later, unnamed sources claimed that Beyoncé had miscarried – which I did not psychically feel. In November, another pregnancy rumor surfaced that was denied by Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles.

All The News That’s Fit to Predict:

Let’s find out the future of Beyoncé’s pregnancy.

I cast a horary (the moment of a question) for the moment I realized (this was before it was confirmed by the AP, and was not just a

Beyonce Horary -- Click to See Chart

publicity stunt) that Beyoncé was pregnant. Beyonce is represented by the first house of the chart with fiery Aries rising, which describes Beyonce’s personality perfectly. The ruler of Aries, Mars is in mother oriented sign of Cancer, and in the fourth house of family. Further, the Moon is located in the fifth house of children. The chart confirmed that Beyoncé was indeed pregnant.

Beyoncé’s health is ruled by Mercury – the ruler of her 6^th house. Mercury is in Leo, but in mutual reception with the Sun. Beyoncé’s health is stable and it appears that she will have a very productive relationship with her doctor and a supportive husband during her pregnancy. This is indicated by Venus being the ruler of the 7^th house which rules both the doctor and Jay-Z.

The only warning in this chart is Saturn which is in the 6^th house and ruler of the 10^th house career. Beyoncé will have to take time off and relax during the pregnancy despite her high standard of work ethic. Since Saturn rules bones and skin, Beyoncé could find her back being more strained than normal during the pregnancy. Overall, her pregnancy looks like it will go forward with minimal risks.

What will the baby be?

I pulled a tarot card to find out about the sex of the baby. The card is the Queen of Wands. All indications are that the child will be a girl.

I wish Beyoncé a relaxing and stress free pregnancy.

If you like this post please click LIKE or +1 at the bottom of the page.

Bring Love, Romance, and Money Into Your Life with the power of Candle Magic

Filed Under: Hot Topics, Recent Posts, What's New Tagged With: Astrology, Beyonce, celebrities, celebrity predictions, Destiny's Child, horary, Jay-Z, pregnancy, Tarot

Tap Into the Power of the New Moon in Virgo

August 28, 2011 By Storm Cestavani Leave a Comment

The New Moon is an astrological phenomenon that happens once a month that is often overlooked by many as they live their day to day lives. Although we see evidence of this through the changes of the seasons in both animal and plant life, many of us – possibly with enormous arrogance – seem to presume that we are too sophisticated to listen to such basic and ordinary rhythms. However, psychological studies have revealed that our inner world is still strongly influenced by these cyclical changes, and as such it might benefit us to listen to them.

Anytime there is a concern with cyclical changes there is also a concern with astrology. After all, astrology is the cosmic science that ‘weighs and measures’ how the influence of the planets affect human beings and define our lives. Since we are conscious beings (hopefully), we do have more control over the manifestation of such influences, yet we still must recognize that on the inner level our relationship with the planetary bodies is important and beneficial.

Every month the New Moon provides us with a seed level for the upcoming month. It tells us what the basic energy of the month is, and

how we can work with it. We can utilize its power to do intention work or simply to understand ourselves and our inner process on a deeper level. In astrological jargon, the New Moon is actually a conjunction between the Sun and the Moon and every conjunction has a feeling of the sign of Aries attached to it. Since Aries is the most personal of the personal signs, we can use the energy to plan out the month.

The New Moon which happens on August 28, 2011 occurs in the sign of Virgo. Virgo is known for its picky and critical nature, but what does this really mean? On the deepest level, Virgo (since it is Mercury ruled) gives us the ability to see what is wrong with our lives, and begin to work on these issues. In the tarot, it is connected with the wise Hermit card, who through his illuminating lantern reveals to us things that we cannot see in the dark. According to Kabbalah, all of our negative characteristics are simply potentials for creating light. This month we are able to see our self-defeating behaviors in the light of day, and we can begin the process of changing them.

The astrological aspects of this New Moon are powerful and filled with the promise of opportunity if we are willing to take up the task of working with it. The New Moon will conjoin with Venus, trine Jupiter, and trine Pluto creating what is known as a grand earth trine. A grand earth trine is known for its ability to create opportunities in the material world, yet there is the responsibility of staying focused to achieve our desires. If you have ideas or projects that are on the backburner waiting to be born, now is the time to dust them off and give life to them.

Tarot Tune-Up: Get out your tarot or oracle deck. Shuffle the cards thoroughly. Ask yourself the following question, “What are the primary blocks that are preventing my success?” Draw a card out of the deck. This is your block to work through during the month of Virgo.

If you like this post, hit the like button or the +1 button at the bottom of the page.

If you have a problem in your life, we have a candle for that!

Filed Under: Astrology, Recent Posts Tagged With: Astrology, Intention Work, Jupiter in Taurus, Kabbalah, Moon conjunct Venus, Moon in Virgo, Moon trine Jupiter, Moon trine Pluto, New Moon conjunct Venus, New Moon in Virgo, New Moon trine Pluto, Pluto in Capricorn, Sun conjunct Venus, Sun in Virgo, Sun trine Jupiter, Sun trine Pluto, Venus in Virgo, Venus trine Jupiter, Venus trine Pluto

Jupiter Retrograde in Taurus

August 27, 2011 By Storm Cestavani 2 Comments

Just when we thought the retrograde madness was over as Mercury turned direct Friday in Leo, the big kahuna Jupiter will go retrograde this week. Now before you scream or pull your hair out of your head, Jupiter is always benefic regardless of whether or not it is direct or retrograde. For those of you that did not listen, I will wait while you super glue your hair roots back into your head.

So, how do we work with Jupiter retrograde? First, let’s describe what Jupiter does in the horoscope. Simply put, Jupiter is our enthusiastic faith that although life may be difficult our situation will improve. When we hear phrases such as, “this too shall pass,” or “the glass is half full,” the words of Jupiter are whispering in our ears leading us to look at life in an optimistic way. When Jupiter is direct, he is the great explorer leading us towards a vision of life being better, and provides us with concepts and philosophies that allow us to continue to have belief, faith, and enthusiasm about the dreams of a better tomorrow. When Jupiter is retrograde, he is still beneficial and does not affect us in a personal way as the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars) do. Instead, Jupiter tends to simplify things that we have learned, philosophies we have studied, and education we have received and apply it in an applicable way to our lives. Our attention moves from a focus on outer expansion and moves us towards inner growth.

Since Jupiter is in Taurus, our finances become an issue that we need to dress on the inner level rather than the outer. We can use this retrograde period – which lasts until December 25^th – to ask ourselves what money really means to us, and are we spending our financial resources in a way that gives us what we need, yet provides the energy of money the respect it deserves. This could not come at a better time with the world being in a financially turbulent period and much of it involves our belief that “instant gratification” is the name of the game. Our real values will become important to us during this transit, along with the need to find more useful and beneficial ways to deal with our money and be introspective about the reasons we purchase what we purchase. For many this will be a great conflict, as we often make purchases based on a momentary need to fill a lack or a void in our lives rather than use our financial resources to build something meaningful and more aligned with our inner philosophies.

In other astrological news, this should be a great week after the havoc caused by Mercury retrograde. Although Mercury is still in shadow and we are repairing the damage of the last several weeks, we will find that our communication will be easier and our difficulties with electronic devices will lessen. The astrological aspects for the week are all amazingly positive as the Sun trines Pluto, Venus trines Jupiter, and the Sun trines Jupiter at the end of the week. This is really a great week for achievements, financial improvement, as well as deeper understanding of what we truly want and desire.

Tarot Tune-Up: Get out your tarot or oracle decks. Shuffle your cards. Ask the following question, “What can I do to improve my relationship with money?” Draw three cards from the deck. Let me know what you pulled!

Storm Cestavani — August 27, 2011

If you like this post, please hit the like button or +1 button at the bottom of the page.

Filed Under: Astrology, Recent Posts Tagged With: Astrology, Cosmic Weather Forecast, horoscopes, Jupiter, Jupiter in Taurus, Jupiter retrograde, Pluto in Capricorn, Sun in Virgo, Sun trine Jupiter, Sun trine Pluto, Venus in Virgo, Venus trine Jupiter

The Kabbalistic Secrets on Psychic Readings

August 20, 2011 By Storm Cestavani Leave a Comment

One of the things that confuse me the most about fundamental Christianity is the way bible verses are used to explain an idealistic argument for or against a given topic. Often, many of these verses are used to either oppress or denigrate an individual in the name of “God”, and are often taken out of their original context.

This week we are in the portion of Re’eh, which literally means ‘to see’. However, there is no Zohar available for this particular portion, which means that we have to read between the lines, and search for insight and meaning in the regular Torah text. Although many scholars will focus this week on “blessings and curses”, which is the first line of this particular portion, there is a particular section that I feel is pertinent for those of us that work in the arcane sciences or utilize the services of the practitioners of the arcane sciences.

The verse in question says the following:

“If there arise among you a prophet or a dream of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying: ‘Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them;’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord, your God, is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul.”
Deuteronomy 13:2-4

According to the sages, there is nothing wrong with prophetic vision. If there was such a restriction you would not see several books written by biblical prophets including Isaiah and Jeremiah. If you read the verse closely, you will see that Moshe says (paraphrased), “If this prophet or dreamer of dreams says, ‘Let us go after other Gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them.’ In essence, you should not listen to anyone who instructs you to take another spiritual path – regardless of where you are in life; you are where you need to be.

The prologue to the Zohar is very specific about interpretations of the Torah. It reveals that the Torah should be interpreted through the eyes of the individuals that are engaged with it. In other words, the Torah should not be taken literally, but explored from the perspective of adding meaning to our lives, and as a result we should constantly update our interpretations based on the needs of the current times.

How would we interpret this verse in this day and age? The truth behind this verse lies in the intentions of readers and the reader’s belief system. Let me explain.

How many times have you gone to a psychic, tarotist, or astrologer, and you felt that the practitioner was pushing their belief system upon you or you felt that the practitioner in some way was judging you and your situation? Regardless of the ‘current situation’ that you are in, it is the reader’s responsibility to provide you with compassion, understanding, and emotional support in helping you resolve your issues and to answer your questions. It is not the reader’s responsibility to force you down a road that you are not ready to receive. Your spiritual path is your spiritual path, and your choices are what you are responsible for, and not for another individual to judge. Everyone should feel respected and treated with human dignity irrespective of the reader’s personal feelings about your situation.

As you make decisions about whom to consult regarding your life, make sure that you ask yourself whether or not the individual supported you or whether the individual tried to steer you down a different path. Remember, you are where you are meant to be, and the choices you make in the present formulate your future. Of course, sometimes you are given information that you do not want to receive, but the information should be presented in a manner that allows you to make choices and decisions about your life. After all, it is your life to live!

Now, on with the astrology…

Your Cosmic Weather Forecast:

This week is going to be a shock to the system for many. We are moving out of the vibrant, energetic, and spirited sign of Leo, and into disciplined and hardworking Virgo. The feeling will be akin to the alarm clock ringing in the morning after being out till 3 AM. However, we still must get out of bed, put our knickers on, and plod forward.

As the Sun and Venus move into Virgo, we will notice that our attention will shift to our work, health, and our ordinary day to day responsibilities. This will be rather dull if you are fiery by nature, but welcomed if you are of a more earthy temperament. This is a great week to put everything in order and get back into a routine for the fall months, but be relieved that you still get one more weekend of fun and frolic because Labor Day quickly approaches.

This coming Thursday could prove to be the most frustrating day of the week as Mars squares Saturn. We may feel thwarted or blocked (Saturn) as we pursue (Mars) our immediate tasks at hand, but this aspect provides us with the steadfast determination to succeed regardless of what may be hindering us. Since this is a waning square the areas of frustration may be experienced in your work or professional life. Avoid letting Mars out of the box by engaging in petty arguments as you could likely damage your professional reputation.

Friday will be a day of great relief for many as Mercury goes direct. However, if you are taking any trips or traveling during this time make special preparations for mishaps that may happen. This is especially important if this trip is for business. As I have mentioned in past forecasts, Mercury rules communication and the days that it goes retrograde and turns direct are two of the prickliest days that the trickster planet tends to operate. However, during the weekend we can begin to take actions on things we have put on hold over the last three weeks.

Tarot Tune-Up:

Get out your tarot or oracle decks. Shuffle the cards thoroughly. Since we are in the portion that has to do with “seeing”, let’s ask the cards a direction question. What do the cards have to tell me about “seeing” the obstacles on my path that prevent me from achieving my highest good? Draw a card out f the deck! Let me know which card you drew.

If you enjoyed this post, please click the like button or +1 at the bottom of the page!

If you have a problem in your life; we have a candle for that! Check us out!

Filed Under: Astrology, Recent Posts, Tarot Tagged With: Astrology, Cosmic Weather Forecast, Kabbalah, Mars square Saturn, Mercury direct, Mercury in Leo, Storm Cestavani, Sun in Virgo, Sun oppose Neptune, Tarot, Venus in Virgo, Venus trine Pluto

The Labyrinth: Unraveling The Secrets Of Your Soul

August 10, 2011 By Storm Cestavani 6 Comments

On March 11, 2011, the planet Uranus was moving out of Pisces and into the sign of Aries. On a normal day, an outer planet (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) moving into a sign goes by without any fanfare, yet this was no ordinary astrological transit. Uranus was moving out of the last sign of the zodiac, and making its way into a new zodiacal cycle. True to its explosive nature, Uranus began to move into Aries as a massive 9.0 earthquake hit Japan.

I began to question things around this time. I could not believe the response of the world towards the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. The government of Japan was not responding to concerns of the apparent health hazards, and the media was slow to cover what would become the largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. I was shocked, horrified, bewildered, confused, agitated, and dismayed. Further, I became increasingly annoyed at social media as I seen “spiritual” based individuals posting status updates about recipes, new bling gadgets, and superficial blather about inconsequential events. I wondered what this meant about us as a global community and more importantly what this meant about me.

Since the earthquake occurred in Japan, I have paid close attention to what is happening in the world. In the past few months many Uranian events have highlighted the world stage as citizen protests in the Middle East and Wisconsin, gay rights taking center stage, a world economy bordering on collapse, and endless wars happening all in the name of “democracy” and “freedom”. In many ways, the rules of the 21^st century are changing as fast as they are made. (Side Note: As I was writing the intro a confirmed terrorist attack has occurred in Oslo, Norway)

All this outer world activity that seemed to spawn as Uranus changed signs got me thinking about what this planet could be saying to us. Uranus reflects new insights, new thoughts, and the divine mind and seems to develop patterns within the collective. Since Uranus has moved into the most personal of signs (Aries), we are moving into a period in which we need to determine our own truth and our own personal potency. In essence, the only way for us to change the world seem to be for us to change ourselves first, and hopefully by our making more productive decisions and choices the world will change around us. Furthermore, since Uranus is the natural ruler of astrology it is my ambition to develop astrology as a ‘self-help tool’ that all of us can use to change our insides that will ultimately change our experience of the outside.

Why self-help?

Since the time of Hesiod (believed to be between 750-650 BC), many forms of self-help (financial, personal, societal et al) have been used to attempt to seek improvements within the general population. However, it really was not until the 1800’s and 1900 are that the movement began to flourish and ultimately exploded in the 1980’s. Often in states of personal crisis, individuals were able to seek solace and comfort from understanding why they were going through a particular issue and in many cases a support group of like-minded people going through similar experiences.

Unlike traditional therapeutic models, understanding and learning astrology quickly gets to the root of the issues that are plaguing you. For example, if you have a Venus-Neptune conjunction this could reveal why you are in codependent relationships or why you seem to not be able to find a relationship that fits your needs. Similarly, if you have Mars square Saturn you can begin to understand why you may have problems in the workplace or you feel very inferior around other people. Getting to the root cause of our issues will provide us much more solace and understand, and the power to transform these placements into something much more productive.

How It Works:

Every few weeks, I will put up a different module that will begin to take us through the basics of astrology. We will begin with a brief history, and then begin moving onto the planets, modalities, signs, houses, and aspects. Once we are done with Class 1, you will be able to read an entire horoscope on your own. Plus, we will have several case histories that we can work with towards the end of the course to cement the knowledge and understanding. Further, each lesson will come with activities that you can accomplish at your own pace.

If you find this course after it begins, please just use the exercises to catch up. There is no time limit on when you can finish it.

This is an exciting journey and I am so glad to take astrology to the next level with you.

Storm Cestavani – July 17, 2011

Next: What is Astrology

P.S Although no books are required for this course, I do recommend “Astrology for Yourself,” by Demetra George as a complimentary resource.

Filed Under: Astro Class, Recent Posts Tagged With: Astro 101, Astrology, Free Online Class, horoscopes, Kabbalah, Self Help

What is Astrology?

August 10, 2011 By Storm Cestavani 1 Comment

There is enormous confusion in popular culture about what astrology is and what it is not. Since the most popular column in newspaper and magazines is the horoscope section, many believe that this is the extent of the knowledge that astrology can impart. In many ways, astrology has become the ‘cast off’ stepchild of more dramatic and entertaining forms of divination such as mediumship and psychics. However, what most people do not know is that the most popular questions asked to psychics are really questions that can be more accurately answered by astrologers.

Activity 1: Think of the most frequent questions that you ask a psychic or an oracle and write them down in your composition notebook. If you are a psychic practitioner or tarot reader write down the most frequent questions asked to you by your clients.

Activity 2: What do you think about astrology? What do you believe astrology can and cannot do?

(Write your answers to your questions in your astrology notebook)

Whether your questions are about love, money, compatibility, past lives, timing of events, best times to start a business or project or your spiritual destiny and growth astrology is uniquely qualified to answer these queries. Further, if you need information on when to make an investment, whether or not an investment is good for you, predicting the weather, information about critical illnesses or other forms of medical information astrology has many refined fields that focus and specialize in these specific areas.

So, what is astrology? Simply put, astrology is the empirical arcane science that studies the connection between the planets (and fixed stars) and its effect(s) on planet earth. Although there are many forms of astrology (mundane, horary, medical election) we will be focusing on natal astrology through this course. Natal astrology is the relationship between the cosmos and human beings and is in essence a map of the psyche of the individual whose horoscope is being read.

Next:
The Down and Dirty History of Astrology

Filed Under: Astro Class, Recent Posts Tagged With: Astrology, horoscopes, Storm Cestavani, What is Astrology