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Happy Thanksgiving!
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November 2007
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Yep, it's here again. Already. And with all its
baggage:
the good, the bad, and everything in between.
More than anything,
perhaps more than any other holiday, Thanksgiving is
about going home. Literally and figuratively. But
whether you are traveling home or simply reflectively
revisiting your roots, homecomings are always a
bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, there will always
be some sort of primal drive to return to the nest. But
on the other - you know the cliche - you can't go home
again.
This year, that paradox is a made a little more
interesting by the Retrograde of Mars. Oh, yeah, Mars.
Nothing like a little pressure.
With Retrograde of
Mars influencing this holiday season, I am getting a lot
of those
delightfully validating "wtf" calls. And emails.
I
swear,
just when I think I am going round the bend,
somebody shows up asking what the Jim Dandy
is
going on and all is right with my world. So thanks for
that.
As I am already seeing some patterns in the things
that are
beginning to
unfold for people (or unravel, depending), I figured
it was about time we
had another little chat.
So here we go. Oh - for those of you who may have
missed it, this
Mars Retrograde started on Friday, November 16th at
12 degrees Cancer. It lasts until January 31st when it
goes direct at 24 degrees Gemini. As compared
to those of Mercury,
the retrogrades of Mars are a horse of an entirely
different
color. To find out how, you have to look at some of the
things Mars rules.
As Mars rules the physical body, there can really be an
upswing in the amount of energy we put on our health
and our bodies during a Mars Retrograde. Also, if
you don't (or if you are attending to less physical
priorities), there can be some real health breakdowns
during this time. As all this is happening as we are
going into the winter and the holiday season - which is
generally the time of year when everyone tends to
slack off on their individual health regimes - you can
very quickly, very easily, find yourself locked, loaded
and ready for some sort of health crisis. So don't go
there.
Secondly, Mars also rules anger, aggression, wars
and violence. Don't go there, either. I would advise
you to start
channeling all the Patron Saints of Peace and
Compassion: Mother Teresa, Gandhi, MLK Jr, and
whoever else does it for you. Don't matter much who,
baby, just get there. Especially if you are going home
for the holidays.
But the planetary involvement is just half of the
equation, the other half being the sign . To better
understand how to work with this one, you
have to focus on the hard-shelled realms of
the sign of
Cancer.
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Cancer Energy Rules the Day |
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Ruled by the Moon, Cancer governs your home
and
your
family. Any planetary activity here demands that
you re-evaluate your definitions of both. But you have
to use a wide-angle lens.
Look first at the
traditional
definition in
terms
of the family you have by
blood and by marriage. But also consider the
less
traditional
definitions which are those homes and families you
have created by your emotional attachments.
This means
anyone who feeds your head and nourishes your soul,
and anyone who
is beloved by you: friends, neighbors, co-workers,
group members, and pets.
As Cancer also
rules mothers and mothering, and whenever anything
is here, especially in retrograde, you can bet you will
be revisiting whatever your personal mama-drama-
trauma is.
But Cancer rules something significantly more
geographical than that. It rules your concept of nation
and the motherland. And by far
the biggest place I am already seeing this retrograde
reveal itself is here - la patrie - I've got a large
number of
clients having spontaneous combustions and/or
epiphanies about their country and those who are
governing it.
These are just a few of the ways and places you may
find yourself in the next few days. And Mars is cancer
is, at its most literal about going home. Physically,
emotionally, spiritually and psychologically. But Mars
doesn't just go home. Once it's there, it does things,
moves things, it shakes stuff up.
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In closing, remember that we are in a retrograde. The
tensions created during a retrograde
need to have someplace positive to go - art,
education, health
and spirituality are excellent choices. Right now, I think
the most important thing to
remember about Retrogrades in general and Mars
Retrogrades specifically is
that the energy flow in the day-to-day of your life is just
different. The emotional content changes. There is
more anger, more irrationality, more confusion, more
panic, and
more
spastic knee-jerk responses. During the Retrogrades
of Mars you really have to listen more, to observe
more, to be more detached and divested. And have an
absolutely
massive sense of humor.
People
who can't do this are usually - but not always - the
ones who are having the hardest time during these
retrogrades. As a result, these retrogrades are a time
when lots of folks really bottom out on things and seek
change. It is a time of epiphanies and breakthroughs.
It is also a time of transitions. If you or the ones you
love need
greater clarity or support in your transitions, call me.
To be a star, it helps to know your stars. And I
love helping people find their way. Until then,
blessings and be well (or at least be clear!).
Beth
Beth McDonald Consulting
phone:
805-963-0842
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Original Art
Gourds and Cancer the
Crab by
Jamie O'Toole
Portrait by Chris Schilling
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Save 50% during My Annual December Gift
Certificate Sale
Don't forget! Every year in December I sell gift
certificates for half price. During this month, you can
buy as many as you want and there is no expiration
date.
And you can use them however you want: as gifts for
those you love or as a gift for yourself - either as an
ace in your pocket, a hedge against a future slump, or
a part of a clearly set intention to have a better strategy
for success in the New Year. Regardless of your
reasons, if you would like to purchase some, please
call me at 805-963-0842.
Make sure you and yours have magical holiday
season!
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Beth McDonald Consulting | 22 North Voluntario Street | Unit B | Santa Barbara | CA | 93103
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