Can I peek into your exo-skeleton?

Hello again Special People! The New Moon this month is in Gemini again, sort of rare to have two new moons in a row in the same sign, but it happens. The Moon goes in Cancer the day following the new Moon, so I am going to write about Cancer this month. There is so much Gemini energy spinning us around right now, I know I could benefit from getting back to the fundamental feelings that the sign Cancer embodies.

Cancer speaks to the parts of us that give and receive nurturing. Our basic needs for love and belonging permeate all the layers of our beings. Last week, I asked my friends for suggestions of songs that describe this. I got so many great suggestions, thank you all so much! (I really should put together a compilation of music around each sign.)  Of all the suggestions, the song that spoke to me most deeply was suggested by my friend Ginny. What could be more to the heart of this than the words to Eden Ahbez’s song “Nature Boy” sung by Nat King Cole in 1948. 

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return.” 

Click here and listen to this beautiful song: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq0XJCJ1Srw

The metaphors of Mother and child are central images in descriptions of this sign, as well as the Jungian archetype of the Caregiver and the Orphan. To incubate, care for, love and protect new life requires almost self-less devotion and deep emotional sensitivity. No other astrological sign FEELS with such intensity. These are high stake endeavors for both the Nurturer/Mother/Caregiver and for the Child/Orphan.

No matter if you have any planets in the sign of Cancer or not, everyone has an area in their astrological charts that depicts this dynamic, and I have found it to be a gold mine for enlightening insights. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we all toggle back and forth between these two powerful archetypes. I have learned in my years of working in the intimacy of the spa industry that those whose most dominant outward role is that of the Caretaker are the ones who need to be taken care of the most.

Ruled by the lunar tides, the Cancer symbol of the crab with its tender, hidden flesh and crusty exterior illustrates the vulnerability and defense polarity well. Cancer’s inner tenderness and vulnerability create a raw, emotional core orientation. Living in this sensitive state 24/7 is almost impossible for 99% of us mortal humans, so the many forms of fortification and self protection become common out-facing themes. Considering the high stakes at risk, growing an exo-skeleton seems logical, right? This shell, and all the energy that goes into maintaining it, are what can give otherwise sweet Cancer personalities their surprising tenacity and bossiness. 

On a personal note, like the lost baby bird in my childhood book, "Are You My Mother?" I can see how I have a life-long quest to be cared for by those with these nurturing, comforting, protective traits. Way beyond logical coincidence, looking at the astrological charts of the most significant people in my life shows time and time again how many of them have this prominent theme. (In astrological terms they have Cancer Suns, Moons or emphasized fourth houses)

If you're interesting in exploring this Cancer dynamic further this month, you may want to contemplate these questions: I haven’t met a single person yet that doesn’t need more tender, loving care, have you? Considering we are all part of that clan, how do we mask our ongoing, core need for love and belonging? Has our role as care-taker in relationships and work become so admired and relied upon that our own needs have become invisible or buried? Does having these invisible, buried needs keep us from growing and living life fully? Can we re-think, re-imagine, re-design our protective mechanisms so we can be emotionally alive and authentic?

Can I peek into your exo-skeleton?

Want to know where Cancer is in your birth chart? This month I’m offering a free, no-obligation “peek” into this area of your chart. It can be in an email or a quick phone call. Just let me know your birth date, time and place and we'll move forward.

And for more than a peek, I’m still offering my 60 minute introductory “Self Discovery” reading for $59. You can contact me from this website or call me directly at (503) 490-7674

I look forward to hearing from you.

With love  - Megan

PS I urge you to add your thoughts in the comment section below. Thank you. 

Playing in the Open Fields of Not Knowing this New Moon

Are two heads better than one? The lyrics of Joni Mitchell’s song “Twisted” come to mind... Click the next line and sing along:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKIQSo7JbKQ

 “....I have got a thing that's unique and new, to prove it I'll have the last laugh on you, 'cause instead of one head, I got two. And you know two heads are better than one.”

A pair of child-like twins are the symbol for the sign of Gemini. This metaphor of duality has a more playful orientation than the heavy “good vs. evil,” and “light vs. dark” polarities. Picture a surprise outing with a light-hearted friend who always makes you laugh. Multiple streams of conversation and activity bouncing back and forth between the two of you make time and distance pass quickly. You come home filled with so many new ideas that your mind is racing with color and words and live-wire connections. Now imagine this companion being part of your psyche you can engage with to enliven whatever area of your life needs a new perspective. Whether you evoke a soul twin or a mini-me muse, this part of yourself is anxiously waiting to get you in the right kind of trouble!

This is me (on the right) and my childhood friend Seana (on the left) playing dress-up. She is still my treasured playmate!

Could a friendly, playful approach help you break through the stagnation of habits and routines that no longer serve you? Bringing fresh curiosity and imaginative flexibility to solve problems of all kinds is the genius of the Gemini archetype that is energized and available to you this new moon. Albert Einstein said, “The problems we face can not be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” Pioneering new areas of thought requires some free-floating exploration without the comfort of the familiar reference points of the past. Astrologer Steven Forrest wrote about Gemini, “The twins give the universe permission not to make any sense. If they are confused, they are right on target. That means the information they have gathered is ahead of their ability to figure it out. Maintaining that wide-open, totally receptive state is a prime evolutionary state for the sign.” That willingness to play in the open fields of “not knowing” invites the kind of creativity and ingenuity we need more of to create an inspiring future. 

Geminis are known to be shapeshifting tricksters, storytellers and fast-moving charmers of all kinds, like Bob Dylan. He epitomizes a dynamic, changing minstral of the personal and collective, at home creating in the fertile void of uncertainty when he said,

“Chaos is a friend of mine.” 

“All I can be is me - whoever that is. ”

“Don't criticize what you can't understand.”  

“Sometimes it's not enough to know what things mean, sometimes you have to know what things don't mean.”

I’m going to close with a link to this fun video to wake up creativity. I know you and your twin are in a hurry to get out there and mess around, but this is well worth the next two minutes of your time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eu9GfHCpVo&feature=player_embedded#

I look forward to hearing how the magic of fresh perspective can enliven you this month!

I hope you will respond in the "readers comments" that follows! Cheers and good wishes to you! 

Using Your Sensual Intelligence This New Moon

New Moon April 21, 2012 - The Moon is my “go to” place for insights about why we mysterious human beings do some of the crazy things we do, and why we tend to do them again and again! I’m starting this blog with the Moon because there are fundamental, easy to track Moon phases that effect us collectively which we can learn to make the most of. Also, there are personal points of view from which we experience life that are shaped by the Moon in our birth chart that are very valuable to get a grip on. I’ll be talking about that more in coming months, meanwhile, see my free offer below!

The Moon is hard-wired into your operating system.

Every 27ish days the Moon begins a new cycle. Our ancestors whose genetic legacy we embody were deeply in sync with these cycles for everything from sustenance to spirituality. The Moon clearly affects natural forces on the Earth, and scientists continue to uncover the many ways it affects the human body. Most of us live lives quite detached from the experience of the Moon, and while we may not have the pleasure of gazing up at the moon together tonight, we can benefit from becoming more in tune with its simple cycles. This is a great place to start if you are even the least bit curious about astrology. Since this response to the Moon is hard-wired into our biology, we might as well learn how to make the most of it.

While the flashy full Moon tends to steal the show, I find paying attention to the new Moon to be most useful. In traditional agriculture, the new Moon was known to be the best time for planting seeds and starting new projects. Tied to this were a variety of ancient cultural practices centered on nurturing desired outcomes. We all know the advantages of feeling like we’re “going with the flow” rather than struggling against the current. Our ancestors did too. Planting the metaphoric seeds of our desires at the new Moon gives us the benefit of working with these natural, scientifically proven energies.

Using your “sensual intelligence” 

Each of the Moon’s phases occurs in a different astrological sign, which can add flavor if we choose to mix their energies into our new Moon practices. This new Moon is in the sign of Taurus, which can color our experience over the next four weeks.

I took this picture on a spring walk last weekend.Taurus is known to value comfort, security and beauty through all of the physical senses. It urges us more towards feeling than thinking, listening to our body’s directional compass to guide us. Rather than “transcending the flesh” this is a time to honor and celebrate it. One of my favorite astrological authors, Caroline Casey, wrote that Taurus is “the most sensually intelligent of all the signs.” How can we hop on the wave of this natural force and ride it to where we want to go? Can we add this Taurus flavored approach to our long and short term goals? 

Here is a simple, concrete example you can use your imagination to build from for your own circumstances: One long range goal I’m focusing on this new Moon is developing my astrology practice. This means sitting at my desk more than usual, which wasn’t a “sensually intelligent” experience. Being inspired to add the Taurus values of comfort, security and beauty to the momentum of my goals, I made a few refinements. I now have a heating pad to comfort my cold feet, my favorite bonsai plant has moved to my desk window where I can admire itsbeauty, and my financial files are in a new readily available file holder on my desk which adds to my sense ofsecurity. I will sit here to write my new Moon intentions knowing that these small acts put me in the Taurus flow of my goals. Seeing the plant and the file holder with warm feet will become symbolic associations of planting the seeds of my future this new Moon.

Do you want to use this strong but simple force to move towards what you want in your future? This weekend, write down what you want to create and ground those desires in the fertile flow of this new Moon in your own unique way.

Want to brainstorm with me on some ways to do this? Need some further resources? Use the "Email me" tab on the top of this website, or just send me an email at megankitchen@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

LIMITED TIME FREE OFFER TO MY READERS

Want to get "in the flow" of the moon in your birthchart?

If you don’t know the Moon sign in your birth chart and would like to know what it is and how it may affect you, I am offering to research your moon and share that information with you in an email or over the phone. For free! No strings attached! This is one of my favorite topics to talk about, so take advantage of this “limited time offer.”

Use the "Email me" tab at the top this website, or just email me at megankitchen@gmail.com, and tell me both your birth time and birth place and I will email you your moon sign and some insights about it in your chart. If this interests you, please act soon, I'm not sure how long I'm going to keep this up!