MERCURY RETROGRADE - JAN.21 - FEB 11 ,2015 NEW MOON IN AQUARIUS JAN.20TH

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Mercury's first retrograde of 2015 starts on January 21st and ends on February 11th. Mercury the planet of the conscious mind will be in Aquarius, the sign that says "I Know". There will be two more Mercury retrograde periods this year and we'll blog about them as they come up. 

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Retrograde Mercury gives us a chance to pause, rethink and redo. This apparent backwards motion of planet Mercury seems to highlight mistakes or make us remember what we forgot to do when Mercury was going forward. Some people fear the retrograde, especially if they are the types of personalities who want to control everything. But the people who've learned to go with the flow don't mind it when things slow down or if they discover something has to be done over again.  What's good about all of it is that we have free will and choice in every matter and we can decide which way we're going to use our time from January 21st to February 11th.  A good way to handle any situation that might come up during the retrograde is to prioritze...what needs to be done first. When talking with a relative last night, it seemed he was in a Mercury retrograde cycle.  I had to remember that sometimes these aspects work days in advance, so I listened carefully to his words. His stepfather had just died, he was worried about his mother, he didn't have a clue about insurance, funerals or burials. In the midst of all this, his car wouldn't start, it was dark so looking for the problem was impossible. He rambled on for minutes and kept saying "I don't know what to do". My suggestion was  to tell him to breathe a deep belly breath. Then I asked him if his Mom (my cousin) was alone. He told me that his wife and other relatives were with her.  So the focus had to be on the car, calling Triple A to tow it to a mechanic.  

Now most of us aren't going to experience major drama while Mercury is retrograde, but if stuff happens it's important to breathe deeply, and to calm down.  It's almost impossible to think clearly when the emotions are out of control.  

WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT MERCURY RETROGRADE?

On the spiritual level Retrograde Mercury is a good time to slow down your thinking and also to pause before you speak or write.  People have a tendency to get into needless arguments or to say something that they shouldn't have said in the moment. So slow your roll and try not to be impulsive when replying to something or someone you don't like. Wait until Mercury goes direct to write the letter or to finally tell someone how you really feel.  If it's important it can wait.  I don't know how this works but I've found that often during retrograde Mercury I run into people I haven't seen in a long while, or hear from them via telephone or email.  I've also experienced being able to do something that I couldn't do previously because of interruptions or delays.  Years ago when our tenant's organization was in court with our landlord I would help them pick a date for trial using my handy astrological calendar. When we needed a delay I'd pick Mercury Retrograde. When we were ready for trial I'd look for a New Moon or Full Moon when Mercury was going direct.  We have to keep in mind that Mercury is retrograde at least 3 to 4 times every year so we might has well use it for our benefit. 

NEW MOON IN AQUARIUS JAN.20, 2015

On January 20th, the day before Mercury goes retrograde, the Sun and Moon will both be in Aquarius, thus the New Moon. While New Moons are good times to start things, we'll have to keep this one in perspective because there might be a change of mind or a changing situation that interrupts our plans.  Talk about the need to go with the flow? This is a time to exercise patience with yourself and/or others as we tighten our flexibility muscles. Case in point...I had planned to start training again in the water and carefully went over the items in my swim bag so that everything was in place. Today I got a letter from the Y stating "sorry swimmers, the pool will be closed for repairs starting the 21st. The letter didn't tell me when the pool would be open again, so I breathed deeply and said to myself "oh well, just have to wait".  The Conscious Mind teased me with negative thoughts..."their maintenance sucks" "it's probably because all those kids or seniors keep peeing in the pool"  "why am I just now getting this letter?" I finally silenced the monkey mind by saying out loud "cancel, cancel" "none of this shall bother me".  After calming down the thought occurred to me that I could always swim at the local college, or in my community, or join the Masters Swim Club again.  After all, if I was really serious about training the Masters Swim Club, with two swim coaches was the place to be.There you have it, I've vowed to start something new on the New Moon, but I didn't know how new it was going to be.  It's all good according to the cosmic plan.

NEW YORK CITY

People living in the city should be aware of what's happening on the cosmic level in New York City's astrological chart. Not to be fearful, but to stay tuned in and conscious when moving around in the city.  For one thing, Pluto, planet of transformation or degeneration is hovering over Mercury in Capricorn in the 3rd House of communications, public transportation and community. We all are aware that the infrastructure has been continually breaking down and we've been constantly inundated with media messages about New York being on a terrorist watch, and more recently demonstrations regarding police murders...so don't walk around with your ears plugged up, but watch your step and above all Keep the Light Around You. The New Moon  and Mercury retrograde in Aquarius brings up group karma, as Aquarius represents all of humanity and large groups of people from all walks of life.  These Aquarius planets will be moving through the 5th House that rules entertainment, creativity,love and children.  So be aware, stayed tuned in and walk in the Light.  If your intuition tells you not to do something, listen. If the feelings are not there for you to attend a gala event, an entertainment gathering, listen.  In the meantime, you can use your spiritual powers to spread peace and joy and keep loved ones in the Light.  Hopefully the only thing that will happen this time will be that Broadway goes dark, or a power outage,or delays with buses or subways...something that inconveniences people causing delays and short tempers.  

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King we celebrate your loving passion and work to bring equality and justice to all of us.  Love, Light and Peace, Ayesha

MARS IN PISCES JAN.13TH TO FEB. 20TH, 2015

TIME TO DO THE WORK

Beloveds, Mars, the action planet moved into Pisces on January 13th and will be there until February 20th.  I believe that we (Africans living in America) are ruled by the sign of Pisces, regardless of individual Sun Sign.  Therefore this is a good time to get a move on and to seriously put our spiritual beliefs and practices to work.  Of course if you were born with the Sun in Pisces, or have planets in the 6th and 12th House,or the Moon and other planets in Pisces  you'll be feeling this energy more personally.  

NEPTUNE IN PISCES

Neptune, the planet that rules Pisces, is the higher octave of Venus, planet of personal love and creativity. Neptune influences us to move it up higher to Divine Love, and Divine creativity. 

Neptune is also the planet of visions and dreams or escapism and addictions.  With Mars joining Neptune in Pisces it's time to move forward with our dreams and aspirations and to make the connection with the spirit within.  It's time to rise above ordinary circumstances and to make the dream a reality.

MARTIN LUTHER KING

Dr. King was a Capricorn with the Moon in Pisces. His "I Have a Dream" speech was not planned for the March on Washington, but a last minute change to his original speech.  Yet every year around his birthday in January, we hear about the dream speech.  Being a Capricorn he was grounded in the reality of the time, but while being a preacher and a team player he acquiesced to the demands of his peers to give a more peaceful visionary speech.  Still we can tap into the inner meaning of the "dream" and use our spiritual gifts to make the dream come true.  

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THIS SOCIETY?

Or, what is your dream for yourself.  Pisces is the sign of Serve or Suffer, so what service are you giving today?  This might sound like a task too big to imagine. However we each have volunteered to reincarnate and be alive at this time on the planet.  As Rev. Michael said last Sunday "you volunteered to come here...now show up!" Each of us came here with individual gifts and talents. I might ask, are you using them to the best of your abilities. Sometimes while counseling others a person will tell me what they've always wanted to do.  Then I'll ask them if they're doing it.  Or what steps they've taken to get closer to their ideal.  I'm always amazed at the answers, or excuses they give.  "I always wanted to be a singer" "well how many hours a day do you vocalize?" "oh I don't have time, I have a job, I have kids, I have a spouse" and on an on they go with the ready excuses as to why they're not following their passion.  I could go on..."I'm not good enough" "I have rent to pay" "nobody believes in me" " I'm too old" " I'm too fat".  Yet if I jar their memory, they remember a time, probably when they were younger, when those excuses never came up for them.  Singers sing, dancers dance, writers write, etc. etc. You see where I'm going with this?  Every successful person that I've counseled has told me about their passion and how they never let outer circumstances stop them from doing it.  

THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

You've probably heard it before, but like attracts like. What we focus on will be drawn to us. But it won't just magically fall into our laps.  With Mars the action planet in Pisces, it's time to activate our gifts and talents and to take steps to move towards our dreams.  If other people are doing it (your dream) then you can do it too.  The internet is an excellent resource of information that can be used to find your way to your dream.  Google it!  The interesting thing about the Law of Attraction is that it acts on everything you think, say or do in an impersonal way.  The Genie is standing beside you and waiting to fulfill your command "Your wish is my command". So if you're busy focusing on all the reasons why you can't be successful at what you say you want to do...you'll get more of that.  It would be helpful to circulate among people who are doers.  You know the whole "birds of a feather" theory? Opt to be around people who are doing stuff and not just making excuses.  MLK had a dream but it didn't stop there. He could have gone back to his church and lived a wonderful life being respected for his talent of oratory.  He had the dream and moved forward on it.  The same holds true for every successful or famous person you've ever heard of.  Focus on what you want, not what you don't want.

POLICE BRUTALITY/BANALITY

If you're tired of hearing about police killings and/or brutality and feel really passionate about it, it must be your spirit, your angels nudging you to do something about it.  I have many intelligent friends who can speak on what's happening and who think they know whose behind it, but they never do anything but talk about it.  I guess their intelligent talk impresses some people as they come up with well researched statistics to prove their point.  I'm not impressed with theorists, unless they have published their findings, or have opted to sharing their knowledge with the unacknowledged ones among us. So when I ask them what they are personally doing about it, they have to get off the phone (laughing).  I don't need another expert to tell me about how bad things are with our community and the police.  I'd much rather spend my time listening to Francis Cress Welsing, who at 80 something years old  is still teaching at Howard University, plus holding community meetings weekly.  The talkers are usually angry and since that anger is internalized it attracts high blood pressure, severe colds and dis-ease. 

The toxic energy destroys the cells in our bodies, lowers the immune system, pollutes the air...

need I go on?  Not telling you to go out and march, or to boycott. Just sit quietly for a few minutes a day (called meditation) and ask your angels and guides for direction.  Mars in Pisces is saying "do something".  That's all folks, Love You Madly (no pun intended) Ayesha

FULL MOON IN CANCER, SUNDAY JANUARY 4TH, 2015

Time is moving so fast, I didn't realize the Full Moon was upon us until I got a splitting headache on Friday. Then I looked up in the sky and saw grandma Moon shining brightly in the night skies. 

FULL MOON IN CANCER

Cancer is ruled by the Moon and the keywords are "I Feel". If you have planets in Cancer (like I do) then you're going to be feeling it up close and personal. What was happening with me was I got locked into a super busy schedule on Friday, didn't hydrate, thus the headache.  Cancer is a cardinal water sign and it begins on the Summer Solstice when the day is longer than the night. In fact each of the cardinal signs governs a season, i.e. Aries, Spring, Cancer Summer, Libra Fall, and Capricorn, Winter.  Each Full Moon is in a sign and we look at the attributes for that sign to determine how we'll be effected. So Full Moon in Cancer brings up the emotions for everyone. Healers/practitioners/occultists all say that we need to be in touch with our feelings and to flow with them or channel them in positive ways.  If you deliberately focus on love, joy, enthusiasm, gratitude, prayer, meditation, then this powerful feeling Full Moon will help those energies to bring you a feel good sensation.  However, if you're worried, angry, resentful, scared, those energies will  undoubtedly make you feel bad, and feeling bad negatively effects the cells in our bodies and creates dis-ease. So how do we stay healthy, happy and joyful when the Full Moon is in the sign that governs our emotions? Practice, practice practice.  This Full Moon is an excellent time to let go of everything you no longer want in your life. From trash, to clutter, to thoughts of doom and gloom, that trigger negative feelings.  

HOW DO I LET GO OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS?

You could first do it on the physical level. When I go to the dump to throw the trash away, I imagine that I'm also throwing away all unwanted thoughts and feelings. I throw the garbage bag in and then lift both arms above my head and say "gone!" I know it looks strange to my neighbors, but it is a feel good activity and an opportunity to symbolically let it all go. 

I also like to symbolically cleanse from negative thoughts when taking a shower. I imagine that this magical water is washing away all negative thoughts and feelings while giving me healing energy. Sometimes I sing away negative thoughts and feelings by singing songs with positive lyrics. I love Ricki BB's songs  on Agape..."I release and I let go, I let Spirit run my life..."  I also say healing prayers and affirmations while lap swimming, or jump up and dance to uplifting music. "Happy" by Pharrell, makes we want to move my body. There are myriad ways to bring up the positive energy. But first you must be aware of how you're thinking and feeling and make a commitment to change the negative into a positive.  

DO IT NOW!

I'll be speaking at the Ta Merry Temple in East Harlem on the aspects for 2015, Saturday January 10, 2015, from 12:00 to 2:00pm. For more information call (212) 837-2790. We're at the beginning of an exciting New Year which gives us an opportunity to change our habits, change our thoughts and feelings and thus change our lives for the better.  Use this Full Moon energy to boost and focus your emotions into positive forms. We have the power to achieve our desires and to make this a better world for ourselves and others.  Make up your mind and do it now! Collectively we can make a difference. Say "Yes" to success. "No" to let go (of everything you no longer want in your life). I love all of you, Ayesha