Why are you interested in Astrology? Think about it for a moment!

Me – I am fascinated and enamored by the mystery of life, how it unfolds according to some mysterious laws and dynamics. I always have been intrigued by the nightly sky with the stars shining down on me from far away. I am fortunate to live on Maui with many clear nights opening my view into the black, velvet, alive depth of the cosmos. But beside that I always was very curious and interested (Gemini rising) to understand more about myself and others, how I am wired, why I am doing things the way I do, how my mind is working.

When I connected with astrology at an age of 18 it opened a whole new perspective and promise of deeper self perception. Of course my interest was fueled by the hope to be able to create a better and happier life out of that for myself. It started me on a life time search and growth process of spiritual embodiment and application of timeless wisdom and truth I tapped into along my way. My Sun is in Taurus, so I have always measured the intellectual concepts or truth with their practical impact onto my own life.

Over all those years astrology has proved itself to me as an elegant tool of self inquiry, self discovery and guidance system. I have been in awe again and again about the specifics and insights astrology has to offer. In hard times it would give me understanding of the deeper universal principles I needed to find alignment with, usual triggered by transits of some kind. Astrology has provided a map for me on my journey through life, giving me the bigger picture and introducing me to the eternal cosmic dance I am part of.

The map of the planetary activities has given me a sense of being a part of life in its unfolding as nothing else has. The promise to live in a universe which is based in a higher consciousness, displaying itself in a network of universal laws and forces is much more comforting to me then the idea of a random, coincidental creation.

In my weekly astrological weather forecast I like to discuss the bigger picture and what it might bring up for you and into the foreground of your consciousness. I believe you will find value in the timeless planetary principles of this article even if this week and its actual time line is over.  I like to empower you to make better choices in your life because you are aware of the universal forces of the moment and help you to align with that. I love to hear your feedback and thoughts about the themes I am bringing up and how it works out for you.

The highlights of this week from December 6 to December 13, 2009 in the heavens are:
•    Mercury Conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn
•    Mercury Square with Saturn
•    Jupiter Chiron Conjunction in Aquarius
•    Moon Moves into Virgo, Libra and Scorpio

Mercury Conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn & Mercury Square to Saturn
This week is predominantly patterned by an invitation to take stock of your life, take a new look at what works and what does not. Mercury is the planet that is representing our mental approach to life, the way we think and communicate. Mercury in serious Capricorn is interested in a practical approach to life and making it work. Pluto the ruler of death and rebirth, seeking deep transformational processes is seen by many as the culprit behind the crashing of our economical and societal structures. But what does this mean for us personally? Mercury is our receptor for thoughts as well as our vehicle for consciousness.

One of the biggest aha moments for me was the realization that my thoughts are not as individual or personal in nature as thought. It is more like according to my state of consciousness I can tune in to different levels of thoughts, like dialing in to a different frequency with different radio stations. Consciousness is unlimited and life itself, the ground of creation. The mind on the other hand has been our limited connection and filter to that big consciousness. So the question is how can we tune ourselves to the highest level of consciousness?

Meditation and Journaling
Meditation is an ancient method to quiet our thoughts to connect with a higher force or consciousness where we find peace, inspiration and joy.

Journaling is a way to connect with deeper layers of our conscious and unconscious mind. It is a tool to gather clear thoughts and work things out in our mind. We can set clear intentions as a first step to manifest them in our life.

On a personal level this weeks strong Mercury is well used to sit down with your journal or notebook and ask yourself some questions:

• In what area of my life have I become rigid and unyielding to change and         growth?
• Where would I like to see changes for the better?
• Where would I like to learn and extend my view of things?
• What new structures or habits could I establish?
• Which new choices and decisions do I like to make?

Jupiter Chiron Conjunction in Aquarius
We had several conjunctions between these two advocates of healing through a higher consciousness – Jupiter and the healer Chiron. Each connection is another step of integration and application of the level of truth and insight we are able to touch. It is up to us to practice inner and outer integrity as a result of it. The additional opposition of this pair to Mars who is about to go retrograde, adds some urgency in finding some personal resolution. The quality of Aquarius is adding the awareness that each one of us has a unique and valuable contribution to give to the whole of human consciousness. We do make a difference in how we live our lives and how we touch others. And a happy life is always a good life!

And no — it is not selfish or egotistic to strive for your own happiness. In deed it is a big contribution to the global consciousness. Think about it: Happy people are overflowing in their energy. They are happy to share from themselves, contribute to others and make the world a better place. Happy people don’t go to war, take advantage of others; they are part of the solution in stead of the problem. Happy people are healthier in their bodies and live longer lives. Happy people feel like there are a part of something bigger then their own identity and act accordingly. Happy people are creative, full of ideas and in the flow with the present moment. Happy people feel abundant and manifest their heart desires with ease.

I believe this is something worth striving for! I am so glad to share this journey with you.

Moon Moves into Virgo, Libra and Scorpio – our Emotional Journey
Our emotional filer ranges from an inquisitive Virgo to a more accommodating Libra to end with an intense Scorpio. We start from a place of a tendency to scrutinize and analyze, rather then truly allowing the feelings to surface as they are. Virgo tends to be anxious and fearful, trying to control life by figuring it all out and being prepared.

Then with Moon in Libra our focus changes towards the other people, friends, partners or family in our life. The challenge here often is not to just accommodate or placate the other but to find a comfortable place within ourselves from where we meet, socialize and love.

With Moon in Scorpio we have to come clean and aware with darker motivations like power, control, greed, fear which are often driving our actions. Again this is something we all share and our level of self awareness determines if we act egotistically and blindly on these motivations or not.

Hanukkah begins at Sunset on Friday and is one more of the religious markers for the sacredness of the end of the year with the promise of the return of the light of consciousness into the time of darkness. Whatever form your religious worship takes it all points towards oneness and the light of consciousness we all long for. Use this week for a deeper connecting with that light insight yourself and pass it on to others.

If you like my approach to astrology, you can sign up for my newsletter and I will send you a free weekly astrological weather report forecast on the universal flow and planetary positions. If you know what is going on in the heavens you can then align yourself for more joy and success in your life. What I like about the abilities of the gemstones is that they offer a remedy to relax stressful aspects and positions in our personal chart as well as for the time quality of the present moment.

Much aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author

Shakti Carola Navran is originally from Germany, living in Maui, Hawaii, is a professional jeweler, astrologer and author with a lifelong spiritual journey; she has been crafting personalized Soul Jewelry since 1977.
In her book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul she teaches you about how to read your personal horoscope and blue print for your life. Then you will be able to balance yourself in your most important areas with your 12 main healing gemstones, you could call your true birthstones.
Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul. Find out more about it on her website http://www.JewelryandGemsforSelfdiscovery.com and see her astrological weather report at http://www.jewelryandgemsforselfdiscovery.com/blog/ .

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/astrology-articles/mercury-in-conjunction-with-pluto-in-capricorn-turns-our-attention-towards-secrets-and-deeper-layers-of-thoughts-and-consciousness-1552350.html

Even if Thanksgiving is over I still feel as if it is a special time of the year and somehow holidays. And it is! The year is nearing towards its end; Christmas is almost there and we have to decide how we want to spend that time. Christmas is always the best with children and I remember fondly my childhood Christmases with my family. They would be the baking of cookies and the preparation of handcrafted gifts for my parents. I remember evenings with candle light and Christmas music.

Maybe we do not need to spend big money to make it a memorable time and we can get creative in how to create something special for our family. With the economical challenges we are facing there is definitely an incentive given for creating new rituals and ways to celebrate without spending a fortune.

This weeks forecast from Monday November 30 to December 7, 2009 is centered on the feminine with the Full Moon opposing Sun in Sagittarius joined by a wide opposition of Venus. But you will also find value in the discussion if you just want to look up information about the planets in their signs.

Full Moon in Gemini on Tuesday
The Moon is representing the principle of life and life sustaining nourishment, the archetypal mother and child. The Moon is how we feel and perceive life. It is our emotional filter and inner ground we stand on. The Moon in our personal charts is indicating what we need to feel safe and comfortable and gives insights into our family dynamics in our family of origin.

The Full Moon is at her fullest power and extension and is accompanied by a high level of awareness with the opposing Sun giving the fullest light of consciousness.  Full Moons keep my cats out all night on important cat business and might gift me with more restless nights.

Statistically there is more drunk driving and brawls in the bars which doesn’t seem to be in alignment with a higher consciousness. But maybe we use those measures to insure we don’t feel or see too much about ourselves. Not everybody values more clarity and exposure of unconscious inner material to surface and we all have a personal way to navigate the currents of life.

Full Moon in Gemini has a high flexibility and is more mentally colored then in other signs. Gemini is ruled by Mercury and is an air sign. We feel curious, adventurous and like mental inspiration, exchange of new ideas or discussions. We will feel socially inclined, get together with our friends and enjoy the pre holiday mood. It is a good time to write our Christmas correspondence and send our packages off to far away loved ones.

The time of Thanksgiving and Christmas is centered around family. And even if we cannot choose our family, we can make sure to take care for unfinished business and reach out with forgiveness if needed. Forgiveness is never for the other person it is always for ourselves to find a harmonious inner place with others. It doesn’t mean we necessarily like the other person but we can still love them on a deeper inner level.

This Full Moon in Gemini will give us the neutral perspective and analytical measures of our inner emotional dynamics. If used properly Lunar can help us to find the right words and higher perspective to truly make it a season of peace and harmony.

Venus in Sagittarius on Tuesday
When Venus has joined the Sun and Mercury already residing in Sagittarius we will feel an inner expansion and exhilaration. Venus the Goddess of love, harmony and beauty feels very gregarious and loves to share herself. But with three planets in this sign there is a tendency to also be very righteous about our personal perspective of life and might push us into preaching our truth a little too forceful and turning into a missionary.

The balance between Venus in Sagittarius and Full Moon in Gemini is in the balance of the broader spectrum of choices and a multitude of inspiring ideas of the Gemini spirit with the bigger overview and more meaningful perspective of Sagittarius.

Get ready for a delightful week with lots of fun, impressions and social interactions.

Uranus in Pisces Turns Direct on Tuesday
The innovative and rebellious spirit of Uranus will step more into the foreground and prepares us for the last conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius next week. Uranus is sowing and sprouting the seeds for big collective changes through revolution, innovation and inventions. Uranus is the role model and rebel who is carrying the new paradigm and steps non-hesitantly into the unknown future based on his inner vision and guidance.

Venus Sextile Saturn on Friday
Our joy can flourish within self set boundaries. Common sense prevails. Spending does not need to go overboard on Christmas shopping sprees, because we already have set our intentions on what is truly important and in the true spirit of Christmas for us earlier on in the week. We can feel closeness and intimacy with our friends and family without impingement.

Mercury Shifts into Capricorn on Saturday
The Mercury in Capricorn will be carefully planning for the coming holidays and establish the budget and needs. Capricorn is an excellent planner and organizer and will help us to keep on top of the many demands on our time and resources this month.

On Monday there will be a conjunction with Pluto which can take us into more obsessive thinking and tends to dig up hidden layers in relationships. We might fight about something with our spouse or get anxious and overwhelmed. Pluto always brings intensity and cleans out the pathways for a closer and more intimate relating afterwards. I always think about Pluto as deep cleaning in areas which have gone stagnant and stale. Renewal and rejuvenation comes out of it.

The Gemstone for the Week is Apophyllite
Apophyllite is under the influence of Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron and therefore very fitting for this and the coming week.
Apophyllite is a very rare, light green, four-sided, diamond-faced crystal found in only one place on the Earth, in Poona, India. The Poona mine was closed after some years of operation due to the objections of citizens to the dynamiting in the middle of their city; thus this is a very rare stone and good pieces are hard to find nowadays.

I love this stone because of its unique generous qualities for the heart. In its natural crystallized form it can be set into beautiful pendants and worn right over the heart. This is a stone for the heart chakra and connects us to the Christ consciousness and love in its highest form. This energy is focused in our heart and connects us with the quality of compassion as a result of realizing who we really are: eternal spiritual beings of love, experiencing ourselves as humans on this earthly plane.

The light color of Apophyllite is soft and gentle, almost like a fragrance, and its energy very subtle, soothing, and expanding. The heart’s longing is to experience communion and oneness with God, with life in all its facets. It is the longing of the soul to melt the shell around the heart and heal its wounds, and compassion is the natural outcome of this process.

The planet Chiron represents the wounded healer. Chiron shows us our deepest hurt on the astrological chart.   He shows us where we need to heal ourselves and where we can become a healer for others as a result of our own experience. Chiron and Neptune are hand in hand, joining their energies together to help us experience the highest truth of love and compassion: this is what we call “Christ consciousness.”

Apophyllite also may bring up emotions that are not in line with the Christ consciousness. It may work as an accelerator of spiritual growth by helping us to cleanse ourselves of grief, anger, jealousy, and fear— all the so-called negative emotions—by realigning ourselves with the truth that we are divine consciousness.
This crystal is one of the most powerful healers for the heart and thus it is a stone for healers. It is very beneficial to wear this beautiful, unique gem over the heart, or for meditation you may put it on your third eye or on your heart chakra. It goes very well together with the Ruby or Spinel, which add other aspects of the heart.” [1]

It makes a wonderful gift for yourself or a loved one and you can have a look at some examples on my website Shaktijewelry.

If you like my approach to astrology, you can sign up for my newsletter and I will send you a free weekly astrological weather report forecast on the universal flow and planetary positions. If you know what is going on in the heavens you can then align yourself for more joy and success in your life. What I like about the abilities of the gemstones is that they offer a remedy to relax stressful aspects and positions in our personal chart as well as for the time quality of the present moment.

Enjoy your week, aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author

[1]Adapted from Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones That Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul © 2008 by Shakti Carola Navran. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission of the publisher.

Shakti Carola Navran is originally from Germany, living in Maui, Hawaii, is a professional jeweler, astrologer and author with a lifelong spiritual journey; she has been crafting personalized Soul Jewelry since 1977.
In her book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul she teaches you about how to read your personal horoscope and blue print for your life. Then you will be able to balance yourself in your most important areas with your 12 main healing gemstones, you could call your true birthstones.
Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul. Find out more about it on her website http://www.JewelryandGemsforSelfdiscovery.com and see her astrological weather report at http://www.jewelryandgemsforselfdiscovery.com/blog/ .

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/astrology-articles/the-feminine-power-of-the-full-moon-in-gemini-and-venus-in-sagittarius-1523724.html

After being stirred up a little and opened for new possibilities with the Moon in Aquarius the last two days we are now swimming on into new waters.

The Pisces Moon is the most sensitive position it can have in the zodiac. It is presenting us with a chance to turn inwards, to dream and fantasize, floating along with inner nudges and connect with the divine.

Moon is our emotional filter towards the world and how we might perceive people around us. With Moon in Pisces there is the chance to tap into higher states of consciousness through meditation and contemplation which are keywords for Pisces.

Pisces: The Wise and Mystical Servant (Feb 20–March 20) is ruled by Neptune. Water is attributed to Pisces and it is considered a feminine sign.

By the end of the astrological year, all that has been learned in the previous months is integrated in Pisces. The gentle and sensitive Pisceans see life through a spiritual framework based on a deep sense of connection with others and with the entire universe. This gives them the gift of love, compassion, and empathy for others and they may choose careers in medicine, psychology, or spiritual work. They seek a higher consciousness, beyond the physical world. This is not a practical, earth-bound sign: Pisceans live in a mental world of dreams and fantasies that are expressed in artistic and spiritual ways. Of all the signs, they are the least invested in their own egos. They are not interested in winning conflicts and will avoid confrontation whenever possible.

Time for Yourself

Today is a good day to take some time for yourself and allow that inner connection with the divine and that feeling of connectedness with the whole take place. The best way I know how to do that is to just sit and meditate and let your mind settle down. In that quiet inner place you can become aware of thoughts moving through and feelings surfacing.

Moon in Pisces wants us to raise our consciousness to the level of unconditional love and experience the oneness with all that is.

When we experience love and that deep human connection with others we are in an exalted state of consciousness which feels wonderful, satisfying and joyous. This is our birthright! This is what we all want and need to be truly happy. If we don’t manage to find that experience of love in our life; we can feel disconnected, maybe even depressed or in fear. Then the world out there appears as a dark and frightening place!

Jupiter & Neptune Conjunction in Aquarius is in an Exact Conjunction

Jupiter as well as Neptune is ruling the 12th house and Pisces. Jupiter’s search for meaning and Neptune’s transcending of the concrete in favor of the non-physical fit very well together!

They can help us to gain spiritual awareness and deepen our faith.

Or if we don’t take the time to allow that to happen we might feel confusion and get lost in illusions and projections of our mind.

Neptune and Jupiter will be moving on into Pisces pretty soon, because they are already at 26 degrees Aquarius. The Moon in Pisces introduces us and helps to prepare for the limitless inner sky of the potential of waking up to a higher reality behind the physical world.

Mercury Semi-square Mars

Mercury is in Cancer and Mars is still in Taurus. The semi-square has the potential to stir up feelings and thoughts of irritation, anger and impatience. Just watch yourself and don’t take yourself too serious! You can channel these energies to propel you into right action and gain more awareness of your inner dynamics and thought patterns.

Meditate with Crystals or Gemstones

There are many ways to meditate and still your active mind. Because I am a gemstone lover I like to introduce you to use quartz crystals and gemstones to help you to align your energies into a place of balance and peace.

The most well known way for meditation with gemstones is to lie down and place one or several stones onto your body or around it. Crystals are wonderful to place on your third eye, (between your eye brows) or anywhere on your body where you want to discharge negative energy or blockages and bring in the power of healing light. You will feel fresh and renewed afterwards.

Because of the perfect crystal structure and alignment of the crystals they have the unique gift helping us with deepening our meditation and relaxing the mind. If you want to find out more about meditation with healing gemstones go to my website http://www.JewelryandGemsforSelfdiscovery.com where you can find more articles and information about that subject in my book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul.

You can also visit me my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal, astrological forces and inspire you to use them wisely for a successful and joyful life. Healing gemstones are suggested as tools to balance and come into alignment with the cosmic flow and of course can be used to create custom designed soul jewelry as well.

I hope I have interested you to engage in some form of meditation to nourish your soul and get a taste of it which might inspire you to make it a regular practice. You will receive many benefits from.  I would love to hear back from your about your experiences and wish you a wonderful journey.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author

Shakti Carola Navran is originally from Germany, living in Maui, Hawaii, is a professional jeweler, astrologer and author with a lifelong spiritual journey; she has been crafting personalized Soul Jewelry since 1977.
In her book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul she teaches you about how to read your personal horoscope and blue print for your life. Then you will be able to balance yourself in your most important areas with your 12 main healing gemstones, you could call your true birthstones.
Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul. Find out more about it on her website http://www.JewelryandGemsforSelfdiscovery.com and see her astrological weather report at http://www.jewelryandgemsforselfdiscovery.com/blog/ .

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/astrology-articles/moon-floats-into-pisces-jupiter-neptune-conjunction-is-exact-mercury-semisquare-mars-july-102009-1028522.html