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It’s a big week! Eclipse season is upon us, starting with a Gemini Lunar Eclipse in the wee early hours of Monday, followed by a New Moon Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius on Dec 14th. Learn about the astronomy behind eclipses, and what this season may hold for you! TRANSCRIPTPlease pardon any typos, as the following transcipt is automated from the podcast’s audio.Speaker 0 00:00:00 It’s a beautiful day in the universe. You’re listening to cosmically yours, a podcast with intuitive astrologer, Cara James. I’m glad you’re here. Not just listening in. I’m glad you’re here on the planet. The world needs you to claim your brilliance and in these weekly audio letters, I hope to inspire you to do just that.Speaker 1 00:00:25 Sunday, November 29th, 2020 dear listener. It’s an absolutely gorgeous day in Portland, blue skies, not a single cloud over her head. Quite a rare thing this time of year or really any time of year, uh, here in Oregon, hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I certainly did. It was really small, just myself, my husband and my son, and of course called the family and checked in on them as well. Uh, did you feel the moon? I warned you that the Aries moon would be a little, a little potentially rough. Uh, I certainly felt it, you know, there was nothing really going wrong. The meal was coming together. Um, just swimmingly, you know, nothing, nothing that I could really pinpoint other than the fact that that moon was irritating me. I was just a little, a little off. I had to go sit with my wine on the couch alone for a little bit and just let the vibes kind of where were off me, if you’re a sensitive soul cancer, Pisces, um, something of that nature, perhaps you were feeling it as well.Speaker 1 00:01:27 Um, but I’m curious, did you change any big traditions this year? You know, a lot of us were not celebrating with our full families. We were doing things a little bit differently, and I was thinking about the Saturn Pluto conjunction that happened early this year. One of the big events that got the whole COVID crisis started and, you know, one, one way to look at that is Saturn representing our traditions and Pluto representing death or change. So I was thinking, Oh, this is a year where we’re not only changing our, you know, societal structures, which Saturn also represents, but changing our traditions. So I don’t know this year, we, I made a lot of vegan food. I eat a Nutritarian diet, made a vegan chocolate avocado pie. That was certainly different. Um, but maybe you came across something, uh, different to do that. Maybe you want to incorporate in the future.Speaker 1 00:02:20 Uh, we spent some time watching the British baking show. Have you ever seen that? Um, I love that show. I’m not much of a cook or a Baker at all outside of Thanksgiving, but they’re always talking about their cakes. Uh, the contestants cakes and sponges being stodgy. Well actually they call it a spoons. Your spoons cake is Stucky. Uh, kind of reminds me of when I was in graphic design school and our head professor, if he didn’t like your design, he would call it obscene. You know, that logo is obscene. Stodgy seems to be the obscene of the baking world and the word stodgy. It really got me thinking about the sign of Capricorn that earth sign can be a bit stodgy, thick, a little hard to move in some ways. And, um, you know, Capricorn is assigned that works hard, uh, desires, recognition, and reward for its effort.Speaker 1 00:03:19 And this is where all the action has been happening. And this has been a really tough year to see and reap the benefits of, of a lot of our hard work, right. People who have been successful in business have had to pivot, um, do things and, you know, look to do things differently in some way. So I love that these pillars, and it seemed to be saying, you know, the way you’ve done things before is not quite the way it’s going to happen in the future success, won’t quite look like what it used to. And we have a few more weeks to really work through those lessons. Because as I mentioned earlier in a previous show, you know, Saturn and Jupiter are speeding along to the sign of Aquarius. It’s a sign of invention of progress of doing things differently. So if you’ve been clinging to the past clinging to an old way of operating, you have a few more weeks to get with the program.Speaker 1 00:04:16 There’s fresh air coming our way. And you know, I don’t think everything’s going to necessarily be hunky Dory come December 21st when Jupiter and Saturn meetup and Aquarius, I’ll talk more about that on future shows, but now it’s time to confront our fears. Am I enough? Am I original enough? How can I be successful? It’s time to move forward into the sign of Aquarius, which is about your originality, your inventiveness, your uniqueness, what original thing do you have to offer? Aquarius is a sign that cares deeply about the collective humanity as a whole. And, but yet it’s also a sign of independence and originality. And so it’s like, what, what original thing can you bring? What original piece of yourself can you bring out into the world that will benefit the whole? So this is some of the lessons that we’ll be exploring in the next few years as some of our big planets tour through Aquarius.Speaker 1 00:05:22 And this is a big deal that Saturn and Jupiter will be meeting up in Aquarius. There’ll be conjunct, there’ll be at the same degree in Aquarius. And this was the first time that this has happened in many, many, many hundreds of years. And we’re setting off a whole period of these planets meeting up in air signs, communication signs, signs of advancement progress. So it’s going to be, it’s going to be interesting. And we, as a, as a country, at least as we know it as the United States here, um, where I live, um, we’ve never been through a Saturn Jupiter conjunction and Aquarius. Um, it’s been, it’s been that long. So there’s a lot to look forward to and more to talk about later. But for now I’m thinking about how can you in the next few weeks, get ready to bring out that, um, that wacky self within that Aquarius calls out in us.Speaker 1 00:06:19 Now there’s a lot of change in the air right now. It’s eclipse season eclipses bring change often through endings and new beginnings. And we actually have a lunar eclipse happening tonight, which is why it’s so wonderful that the skies are clear here in Portland. And hopefully they are wherever you are as well, because no matter where you are in the world, if it’s nighttime during that lunar eclipse, you will be able to, to see it, um, not the same with a solar eclipse, those only happen in certain parts of the world. Um, but tonight you’ll be able to see a lunar eclipse. And I’ll talk a little bit more, more about that. Um, the North node code is currently in Gemini and this is the North node of the moon. And the South node is in its opposite sign of Sagittarius. The nodes are always involved in eclipses that’s where the, uh, the moon and the sun’s path intersect, which allows them to be in alignment in some way when they’re at the nodes.Speaker 1 00:07:19 So this is, uh, how the sun and moon and earth aligned to be able to allow, uh, eclipses to take place. And when we think about Sagittarius being, you know, the South node, um, this is a past of philosophies and beliefs, um, and taking our old ideas and philosophies and ways of being, and putting them into Jim and I putting them into form in some way. There’s a lot about storytelling and communication that these eclipses will be straight up for some of you. Um, Sagittarius is also a sign that relates to science, um, medical wisdom and knowledge, and Gemini is a sign of distribution. So seeing these eclipses, um, that we’ll be having in Sagittarius and Gemini, um, we’re going to hopefully see this being really helpful in terms of distribution of the vaccine that’s in development right now. In fact, a little history, um, back in the 1960s, when Saturn went into Aquarius, um, we had the oral polio vaccine come out, which was much more easy to distribute than injections.Speaker 1 00:08:24 So we saw a lot of progress in terms of, um, you know, eradicating eradicating a disease. So anyway, there’s some, there’s some energy there, uh, with these nodes being in Sajan Gemini as well. And these are big eclipses for our president, for our president elect in the U S um, there’s a lot we could talk about there. It, ain’t no over to the orange man leaves, which seems to be happening as Mars is now moving forward. Leadership planet, our energetic planet is heading the right direction, heading the right person into office, um, fingers crossed, but back to eclipses, uh, you know, in a couple of weeks time, we’ll be having a solar eclipse. You may have noticed that solar and lunar eclipses often come a few weeks apart. Um, if you have never witnessed a total solar eclipse, you absolutely must put this on your bucket list.Speaker 1 00:09:17 It is absolutely incredible to witness a total solar eclipse. Now we had one come through Oregon in 2017, and if you just stayed in Portland to check it out and you put on the, you know, the glasses that help you look at the sun, you didn’t really get the full effect, right? We weren’t in the path of totality, you had to travel a bit South in order to get into the path of totality where the moon would completely block out the light of the sun in the middle of the day. And I was fortunate enough to be able to travel a bit South and be, I think about a full minute in the path of totality when that eclipse came through. And it is like watching a baby be born or a loved one pass away. That is how momentous, how magical the solar eclipses are.Speaker 1 00:10:06 There is truly nothing else like it in the world. Just imagine, especially in ancient times before, um, they had figured out the patterns of how these eclipses would roll through. Just imagine going about your business, your tending, the fields, whatever it is that you’re doing. And all of a sudden the light is completely blocked out. And when a solar eclipse happens, a total solar eclipse, eh, it’s like, I just, I wish there were words to describe it. There really aren’t everything turns teal blue it’s, it’s Twilight in the middle of the day, the shadows dance, um, in a different way, the whole earth seems to hush. It’s just absolutely absolutely magical. And if you have, you know, the solar eclipse is going to impact you in one way or another, this will be happening, uh, as well as the lunar eclipse will be happening somewhere in your chart, somewhere in your life.Speaker 1 00:11:06 But especially if you, um, have Gemini and Sagittarius planets, um, these will be even more momentous eclipse for you. So I just wanted to give you a sense of that, ah, that magic. And there’s a sense of being reborn. The sun’s light is, is eclipsed out and moments later. It is, it is reborn. And you know, this is, so this is a solar eclipse and these solar eclipses happen, um, in themes. So we have eclipses every year, but the themes of the eclipse eclipses repeat every 19 years or so. So you need to think back to late 2002, especially if you have planets in Gemini and Sagittarius. Some of the themes of that, that those clips is brought up for you in your life may be repeated in some way, may deepen, may bring up another layer for you to think about and look at, and eclipses really are game changers.Speaker 1 00:12:06 They’re they can be, um, quite surprising. We might not be expecting the messages that they are bringing us, but powerful, powerful messengers for us on a soul level. And because they come to us at the nodes, the nodes of the moon relate to our soul story or soul journey where we’ve been and where we are going. So it really, really potent moments in the cosmos. And what’s cool is, um, you know, the moon, you might not know that the moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, but it is also 400 times closer to the earth. And so this amazing bit of math makes it, so the sun and moon look to be about the same size in our sky. And that is why the moon can perfectly block out the light of the sun at these solar eclipses, just absolutely beautiful magic, um, by chance, maybe design, I don’t know, but, um, if one of those factors was different, the moon was a little closer or farther away, or the, um, slightly different size.Speaker 1 00:13:19 We wouldn’t have these incredible eclipses as messengers for us, but fortunately we, we do, and, you know, a lunar eclipse is different. Um, I shouldn’t say solar eclipses, um, like the one we’re having in a couple of weeks in mid December, uh, happened at a new moon. Um, the lunar eclipse that we’re having tonight happens at a full moon. So we are moving into the full moon phase, um, late this evening into the early morning hours of Monday. And this was when the sun and moon are opposite of one another. Um, by their nature, uh, full moons have tension. The earth is between the sun and the moon. And in this case, they’re so perfectly aligned that the earth will cast a shadow on the moon. And, you know, these are easier to see. We’re more likely to see lunar eclipses in our lifetimes. Um, I love traveling down to Mexico.Speaker 1 00:14:15 We usually go every, every January or at least have for a few years and, uh, stayed a little lovely see by the beach and, uh, do a lot of star gazing and was down there a couple of years ago for a lunar eclipse. You know, and at first, before the lunar eclipse happened, it was kind of a bummer, right, because it was a full moon and he couldn’t really see the stars. The light of the moon is so bright. It really does block out the light of, um, of the stars. But during the lunar eclipse, you get to slowly, slowly see the moon darken, um, go from full light, empty itself of its light, go through all the moon phases, um, within just an hour or two, um, in that particular lunar eclipse a few years back, um, you know, the moon turned blood red and then its light is, is fully diminished.Speaker 1 00:15:07 And the stars that you couldn’t see just pop right out. And, um, it’s really, it is really momentous and hopefully you can get out, stay up very late, or get up very early and go out in and see this effect, this particular, uh, lunar eclipse, the moon won’t fully dark, and it’ll get to about, um, uh, 83% dark, but it’ll still give you, um, give you a little sense of that, um, and give you that experience. But, um, I just can’t speak enough about how an incredible and magical eclipses eclipses are, but in terms of these, um, these themes of these eclipses happening in the, around the nodes of sad, uh, Sagittarius earth node in Sagittarius and, um, uh, Gemini, um, you know, we had the first eclipse in this series of signs in, in June, we had a lunar eclipse at that time, and there was a lot of information around partnership and not may have showed up a little differently for you, but, um, the planet seemed to be talking a fair bit about taking action on partnership.Speaker 1 00:16:14 The sun was partying from Venus. Um, actually I know some Gemini Sagittarius folks who parted from their partners at that time. Um, just lots of partnership aspects, um, people leaving relationships where they had, uh, been deceived in some way, or maybe had been deceptive, um, people who had been victimized in one way or another, or people leaving their relationship to alcohol or other substances, um, eclipses bring change and often lunar eclipses, especially through endings. As I said before now, with these eclipses being in Gemini and Sagittarius, these are signs of freedom of exploration, of possibility of mental stimulation. So there’s this sense of, uh, endings to be able to find freedom and go on new adventures. So if, if, uh, the summertime brought a lot of lessons for you around partnership, the high end of that would be being able to really feel that sense of being alive, being free, um, having the ability to, um, go and explore the world in a different way than you were able to before.Speaker 1 00:17:24 Um, at that time in the summer, Mars was applying to Neptune. So there was this sense of, um, getting the dream, but having a hard time taking action on it. So you may have gotten some messages from that eclipse, but it, might’ve not been the time to take action on it. Um, just yet, um, in which case, the eclipses that are coming up may further those messages for you in some way. So in a few weeks time, December 14th, the solar eclipse will occur at 23 degrees of Sagittarius, both the sun and the moon will be there. We won’t be able to see this in the United States, but if you are in Chile or Argentina, um, you will be in the path of totality most likely, and you’ll be able to, um, check out the full glory of a total solar eclipse. Um, but this, you know, there’s also some partnership energy, uh, here, and it’s actually more around, uh, coming into one’s power.Speaker 1 00:18:26 Um, Venus has a, is going to be making a nest nice sextile to Jupiter and Saturn. There’s this sense of really coming into one’s own, um, coming into one’s own creativity, earning potential, um, just general, uh, authority, and, you know, the nodes are going to be pushing on Neptune. So there’s this sense of, uh, I’m seeing this kind of like leaving behind the woe is me understanding that we are in a new normal that it’s time to move from confusion to clarity, to get on with things, um, Neptune, uh, just went direct yesterday. So there’s this sense of now getting more ready to take action on the dream. And you may look to where Neptune is transiting in your natal chart, and that may give you some extra messages around these eclipses. And again, think back to December, December 3rd, 2002 was the last series in this eclipse.Speaker 1 00:19:24 Um, but it may not be to the day is sometimes, you know, there’s a few months eclipses take, you know, a few months, sometimes six months and even up to a year to deliver the information that they have for us. And it will be more potent, more obvious to you if your sun or moon or ascendant, um, is, uh, really impacted by that eclipse. You have to look to your specific chart. So this is some of what’s to come, uh, in the next few weeks and, uh, tonight or the early morning hours of tomorrow, our lunar eclipse will be happening at eight degrees of Gemini and Venus. Our beautiful love goddess is still in the process of finding her freedom for some people. Again, this is a lot of what the theme seemed to be pointing to though. You’ll get more information in your specific chart and mercury or communication planet is starting to get more concrete ideas about what he wants to talk about, what he wants to teach about what he wants to share about.Speaker 1 00:20:20 So if you felt called to do any of these things, um, now is your time, especially, I’ll say if you’re around 39 or 40, you were born, uh, with teachers Saturn and Jupiter conjunct, most likely, and these planets are now going to be training that. So there’s this sense of stepping into your calling as a, um, you know, as an authority in some way. So to share your, share your voice, share what you’ve been learning, what wisdom you’ve amassed in your time on the planet. So I love, uh, I love the signs of Gemini and Sagittarius. There’s this sense of, um, just the sense of openness and possibility, and again, freedom, freedom of voice, like let loose, let loose your voice release, all that old Capricorn stuff, those old stories of what mom and dad, um, you know, want for you or what you think society expects of you, you know, now is your time to really come into your own, put your own thoughts and ideas together.Speaker 1 00:21:27 Take action on them now, uh, you know, lunar eclipses happen at the full moon, as I mentioned. So you may have a little trouble sleeping tonight, sometimes full moons, do that to folks. And there’s a lot of potent energy, um, out there. And I must say to, you know, eclipses, um, especially lunar eclipses are, are portals where souls will sometimes leave the planet. And, um, I wouldn’t worry about, about this, but if you have someone in your life who is chronically ill or, um, very elderly, if they have their natal chart aspect did in a powerful way by these eclipses, um, you know, sometimes people leave, leave on those energies. We saw that in the summer, a lot of souls were leaving the planet. Um, uh, we think of John Lewis, uh, one of many who left on the energy of, of an eclipse. So just be aware, be, uh, pay attention to that.Speaker 1 00:22:23 And, you know, with these being communication signs, Gemini and Sagittarius, look for messages, spirit speaks to us in so, so many ways, um, may come through a song may come through in everyday angel at the corner market. You may see signs in nature of the clouds. Um, I know for me several years ago, my, my relationship was under quite a lot of stress and strain. And it was really getting me to think about, is this something I can continue to invest in or not? And my message came to me in a random song that just filled my head one day as I was, you know, brushing my teeth, putting on my clothes and I started singing the song from the musical grease. Um, how’s it go? Uh, you’re the one that Ooh, and you know, it, it came into me of, yeah, this is, this is my person.Speaker 1 00:23:19 This is who I want to invest in. Um, but you better shape up, right? Cause I need a man that can keep me satisfied. The song keeps going on. So look for messages that are coming to you around this lunar eclipse. And they may come in ways that you don’t expect and be open to them and listen to them. Uh, when you let the unconscious speak, let your, uh, active mind, quiet down, um, so much more is available to you. So let’s talk a little bit about the rest of, um, uh, aspects for the week. We’ve already got, started talking about some of the energies of the eclipse. Um, so as you know, the moon is in Gemini preparing for its full moon lunar eclipse tonight around 1:30 AM Pacific standard time. And you know, there’s a lot here again around teaching sharing. Your voice already mentioned that a bit, uh, tomorrow on Monday, um, the moon’s a little out of sorts.Speaker 1 00:24:20 The Gemini moon is, uh, not quite, not quite connecting, uh, with a lot of the other planets. So there’s this sense of feeling a little at odds or just things not quite quite coming together. The moon can’t quite see her, her power. Um, of course, you know, Gemini moons are great times for communication, writing, sharing, um, getting all of your ideas out. Um, so do that. And then when the moon moves into cancer around 7:30 PM on Monday night, then you can feel into whatever’s come up for you. Um, through that day, um, on Tuesday, uh, the planet mercury or communication planet moves from Scorpio into the sign of Sagittarius. So he’s leaving Venus behind. He said, I’m done with all that intense, heavy stuff. I want a little lighter energy moved in to Saje very, uh, expansive and open-minded, um, bringing new energy, um, to the way we think about things, which is lovely.Speaker 1 00:25:24 And, um, on Wednesday on Wednesday, the moon will still be in cancer. We’ll make a few, um, well, not, not quite hard aspects that actually know on Wednesday making some nice aspects, um, to Venus. So there’s a lot of harmony and inspiration and creativity on Wednesday. Um, it’s also a great day for strategy. If you, if you need to, uh, you know, really get down, get down to business. Saturn will be joining palace Athena, um, at the same degree of Capricorn. So that’s a really great day for making plans. Um, Thursday is where we get a little bit more intense cause that cancer moon will be opposite Pluto, Jupiter and Saturn in the early morning hours of Friday. Um, so a little tension there. Um, soon those cancer moons will ease up a little bit because Saturn and Jupiter are moving forward and it will be a little less heavy at those times.Speaker 1 00:26:16 Um, and then on Friday, the moon will move into Leo. Um, always nice to have a Leo moon on a Friday, um, get us open to creativity and socializing and, um, you know, just enjoying, enjoying ourselves. And it makes some nice aspects to mercury and Kyron. So really great, um, time for expression and communication, um, which I love, um, the next day, Saturday, December 5th, uh, the moon will be moving from its full phase into a disseminating phase. So whatever’s been illuminated at the moon. Again, it may take a little bit, a full moon may take a little bit longer, um, for the eclipse messages, but you may have some, um, smaller messages that start to come through and you can really start to work with them at that disseminating moon on Saturday, and then Sunday, um, moon will move into Virgo, uh, around 11:46 AM. So just to give you a sense of the energy of the week, um, and of course, you know, the moon, the moon will impact you differently.Speaker 1 00:27:20 The planets will impact you differently based on your chart. Um, so this is really giving you a sense of kind of the collective, um, feelings and, you know, the moon moving through Gemini cancer, Leo, those are all expressive signs this week. Um, Jim and I expressing ideas, cancer expressing emotion, uh, Leo expressing the ego, um, uh, you know, creativity that comes forth from ourself and, uh, you know, so really lean lean into that. Um, notice what the eclipse brings up in. You get ready to release your old ideas, that your old thoughts around, uh, you know, Capricorn types of thoughts around what, um, you know, what you need to be successful, how, you know, people aren’t looking at us like we think they are right, but Capricorn has a little bit more lessons around that, um, than some. So releasing those old things and get ready to share your gifts, get ready for Aquarius, get ready for, um, letting the world know that you’re not average. You’ve never been average. It’s time to live more, open, more independently, more free. And I am excited to be with you on this journey and hope you are inspired for the fresh energy that is ahead, uh, that you are open to the messages the planets are bringing to you this week. And I remain cosmically yours, Cara James

Tune in for the astrology for the week ahead. The Sun moves into Sagittarius, Venus sneaks into Scorpio, Neptune goes direct, and more! TRANSCRIPTPlease pardon any typos, as the following transcipt is automated from the podcast’s audio.— Speaker 0 00:00:00 It’s a beautiful day in the universe. You’re listening to cosmically yours, a podcast with intuitive astrologer, Cara James. I’m glad you’re here. Not just listening in. I’m glad you’re here on the planet. The world needs you to claim your brilliance and in these weekly audio letters, I hope to inspire you to do just that.Speaker 1 00:00:25 It’s November 22nd, 2020. This is Cara James intuitive astrologer in Portland, Oregon. It’s good to be back with you. It’s hard to believe so much time has gone by since my last show and hard to believe. We’re almost at December this year has just flown by in some ways. And in other ways, it’s just dragged on a time is quite a, quite a funny thing, but I hope you’re having a good weekend and looking forward to the celebratory week ahead. I know I’ve had a good time. I just finished watching the Netflix show. The Queen’s gambit. Have you caught it yet? It’s about a child prodigy in chess. It’s absolutely beautiful. The writing is impeccable. The acting is beautiful and the set design, gosh, I mean, they did all these incredible, you know, retro, um, halls and hotels and auditoriums and just the lavish design is just a feast for the eyes.Speaker 1 00:01:21 I hope you’ll check it out if you haven’t seen it. Um, but the big takeaway for me is that now I have the song fever stuck in my head, a few seen the show, you know, the scene I’m talking about, you know, that old song, uh, fever in the moon in fever all through the night to give me a fever. Oh man, I cannot get that out of my head. It’s just going around and around. And perhaps it’s the Pisces moon, you know, Pisces is the archetype of the musician. So this is a rhythmic weekend, a time of creativity and inspiration. So however you flow with that, whether it’s, um, getting inspired by that show or, um, however else, you’ve kind of dug into the good vibes this weekend. I hope you’ve enjoyed, enjoyed it. Um, yeah, the show though, it’s really fascinating. I, it got me thinking a lot about the archetype of Virgo, right?Speaker 1 00:02:13 That analytical piece that’s, that’s so needed in chess. And, um, we often lose sight of the other aspects of Virgo and the beauty that we find in simplicity, the beauty in order, uh, the beauty in the mundane and the, the main character in that show, Elizabeth Harmon sums it up so well when she’s been questioned about what it is that she likes about chess. And she says, chess is beautiful. I had just loved, loved that. You know, you can’t not see astrological archetypes in everywhere. You look when you’re an astrologer. So there was Virgo right there in the show. Um, yeah. Anyway, I can’t stop. Won’t stop singing and it feels good to have energy again, I’m feeling, I hope you’re feeling it too. There’s this sense of direction in momentum? What feels like the first time this year? I’ll talk a little bit more about that, but it just feels so great to have energy in again in a year that has felt so confining in so many ways.Speaker 1 00:03:15 So Pat yourself on the back, you’ve made it through the most difficult part of the year, astrologically, at least from a collective standpoint, um, we’ve gone through the Saturn and, uh, excuse me, Saturn and Pluto conjunctions. We’ve gone through the Jupiter Pluto conjunction. So two big cycles that we’re both starting this year and we’ve got a little more energy ahead, um, and hopefully a little bit lighter. Um, but we’ve, we’ve made it through the toughest part of the year. Um, you know, we’ve had all these outer planets in, I shouldn’t say all, but most of the outer planets in earth signs this year. So if you’re a w uh, uh, fire type, if you’re an air type, if you’re you, I got a lot of these, a lot of your personal planets and signs like these, it’s been an especially confining year because earth is steady and stable and it moves slowly.Speaker 1 00:04:09 And, um, of course it’s getting shaken up by all the planets that are there, but it’s been an especially tough year for people with fire and air in their charts, fire having a hard time being contained at home, being social, like in, to get out and about. Um, air does a little bit better from that perspective, but still this is a year that’s been so hard to, to breathe. We’ve had so much of that theme in society, right? We see that in, uh, George Floyd and his tragic death saying, I can’t breathe. We have that in the, you know, COVID patients who can’t breathe, who are actually on ventilators. We have that in all of us having to wear masks when we go outside, which makes it hard for us to breathe. Uh, this is a year, very much lacking in air. And, uh, from a Chinese perspective, if you follow Chinese medicine or, uh, the Chinese Zodiac, this is a metal rat year in metal is the sign associated with the lungs, the organ of breath, um, also associated with the emotion of grief.Speaker 1 00:05:15 So lots of interesting things to note about, um, the time we’re in this lack of air. And I’m pleased to say that in the coming weeks, we’re going to have a whole fresh, uh, fresh breath, Eric. I mean, coming our way. I’ll talk about that more in a minute, uh, going into 2020, uh, around this time last year, I led a series of workshops and webinars that I called making magic, and it was talking about how we were going to make magic in 2020. Now I’m not completely naive. I knew 2020 was going to be a difficult year, but I called it making magic because I knew 2020 would hand us a lump of coal or a lump of lead. And I was seeing us as alchemists. It was our work this year to take whatever we’ve been handed and, you know, um, smelt it and, uh, for Git and make it into something beautiful, something useful, um, something, something valuable.Speaker 1 00:06:20 And, you know, throughout this, I knew we’d have a lot of resistance. I didn’t yet know about COVID. I didn’t know how the planets were going to be exactly expressing themselves, but I knew this would be a year where we experienced an extreme of resistance be that internal resistance or external resistance. And there’s something about resistance isn’t there. It shows us that there’s energy there in some way. I think about it, uh, with my son. So my son is 12 years old. And, you know, over the years as a mom, you’re always curious D like anybody in your class. And so, you know, you’ll, you’ll ask a name and, you know, you kind of hear you hear names here and there you think, Oh, maybe he’s got a little crush on somebody. So, um, you know, whenever you say a name and he’s especially irritated that you’re mentioning that person’s name, you know, there’s something there, right?Speaker 1 00:07:13 There’s resistance, there’s energy there. Um, which gives us a clue that there’s, uh, there’s something more to be said or more to be seen. So that’s just, of course me teasing my, my little boy, but it’s, this year has been helpful for us to look at where our resistance lies and what does that to teach us? What’s meaningful behind that resistance. So if it’s society, you know, the, um, uh, you know, if you’re in business for yourself, you know, the times have put a form of resistance on you, right? They they’ve said, no, go, this is going to be, you know, the way you’ve done business before is not the way it’s going to work anymore. Right. Everything is being restructured one way or another, but it also could be that you’re experiencing internal resistance, um, around how you’re going to flow with the changes or how you’re really willing to step up in some way.Speaker 1 00:08:05 So I’m hoping that you’ve been able to get some of those messages. Now, we’ve gone through a lot of time, uh, since, uh, these big, big planets, outer planets got the storyline going around, whatever it was going to stir up in you in your life. And, uh, you’re starting to process that and start getting ready to move forward. When I first moved to Portland, I worked at Paul’s books, a wonderful bookstore, uh, city of books in downtown Portland. It was my job out of college, just moved to town, needed a place, um, you know, to get a few hours. And, uh, I noticed there were certain sections of the bookstore that I did not want to go to. I felt resistance to even just going to those sections of the bookstore. The Pearl room was one that’s where all of the art books are the gallery books and the red room, which had all the metaphysics in it. Speaker 1 00:09:03 And that showed me something like, why, why am I so resistant to going into the art room and the metaphysics room? Well, it’s because I’m an artist and I’m at the time it wasn’t an astrologer, but I was going to be an astrologer and I could feel there was something there for me, but I just, I was having a hard time accepting it. I was having a hard time pushing through based on, well, some of it art stuff was just my own internal critic and the a metaphysical stuff had a lot to do with the way I grew up. Um, that made it hard to accept. I might be into some strange things, right. So there was information there for me in that resistance. And I finally worked up the courage and, you know, and same with the library went and got some books that were a little edgy for me, and, um, and really leaned in to that fear, to that growing, uh, growing edge.Speaker 1 00:09:54 And, um, I’m so glad I did like, you know, well, I still have a little work to do, right. Still have some work to do on the artistry. And I have a lot to do on my voice. I thought a lot of resistance to getting on the podcast again, started it under a quick, uh, Aries, sun and moon. Uh, just got it going. And then the year got a little crazy and, uh, I let my resistance takeover, but here I am. And here you are, you’ve made it through the toughest part of the year. And I’m sailing on into whatever is ahead for you. Ah, hopefully you’ve noticed the energies are getting lighter with each day. The planet Mars has been especially sticky for a lot of people in the last few months. Mars is our planet of action and energy and passion and drive and entrepreneurship.Speaker 1 00:10:46 It likes to make things happen. It’s our planet of getting things done. And it’s been in the sign of Aries, which likes to get things done quickly. Um, impulsively just wants to get going. It doesn’t want to think things through too much, just like myself, getting the podcast started. It’s like, just, just do it, just get out there. And, uh, so Mars was speeding along through Aries, uh, reached the very end of areas and then went Richard grade, uh, two months ago. And when a planet goes, retrograde its energies act differently. It’s not forward focused anymore. It’s rethinking, it’s going back assessing, uh, assessing what it’s been up to, what it’s been doing in this case, um, how our energy has been used. And it’s been skulking around certain part of your chart, uh, teaching you lessons about that particular thing and make, be maybe making aspects of different planets.Speaker 1 00:11:41 So that may give even more information to what Mars has been up to for you. Uh, but last week, Mars stationed and started moving direct. So there’s the sense of in the last few months, Mars has brought a message around how we can best use our energy in this wild, wild year of everything shifting, um, and, uh, you know, stabilizing, hopefully as we continue to go forward and Mars saying, here’s the pathway, here’s where you need to put your energy and focus. And Mars is hanging out right now at 15 degrees of Aries. If you have a planet at 15 degrees of a Cardinal sign, like Aries cancer, Libra, or Capricorn, you’re feeling this because Mars is moving so slowly, he is moving forward, but he’s staying for a much longer period of time than normal at 15 degrees. So if you’ve got your sun there or your moon there, you may be a little hot under the collar, a little more irritable and feisty than normal.Speaker 1 00:12:41 Um, take a look at your chart if you, if you have it and, um, and check it out, see if you have a planet around that degree, um, you may be feeling it extra and just know it is shifting later in the week, it’s going to be moving on to 16 degrees and it’ll start picking up speed as we go forward. So there’s this sense of an action plan that’s been, um, that’s developing in us and as areas starts to move forward, we have a greater idea of, of what the time ahead may look like. And you may have had some big, ah-has like, Oh, you know, if you’re an entrepreneur, maybe a certain service line or product that you have been working on, you know, is not, is not the one it’s not, um, bringing the results or, um, perhaps you’re a manager and you’ve had some challenges with, um, you know, work relationships in some way.Speaker 1 00:13:28 And you’ve figured out a better way of relating as a manager, as a boss. Um, so many different ways these lessons may have, have come to us. Um, but Mars is moving forward and Jupiter and Saturn who have been some of the big Changemakers this year, along with Pluto, who’ve been kicking up the COVID crisis. Who’ve been, uh, revealing what we need to see in society in terms of our authority structures, our power dynamics, um, who has power, who doesn’t, uh, how we can make the society work better for all. Um, Saturn and Jupiter are finishing their tour through Capricorn and they’r — — e starting to move towards Aquarius. They will hit there in mid December and Aquarius as an air sign. So this is where we’re starting to move into that space where we can breathe a bit more easily. I know I’m really, really looking forward to this time.Speaker 1 00:14:27 So as we move into air signs, we’re going to bring some fresh air air with us and a Sagittarius though, where the sun just moved into Sagittarius right now. So even though, um, we don’t have the full movement into this next, um, you know, big season, this great season where Saturn and Jupiter meet up in Aquarius, um, or already into the lighter times, just by the sun moving into Saje. So this is our celebration time, right? This is where, um, where we gather with our family and friends normally might look a little differently this year, but we, um, you know, Saturn loves, loves the party, excuse me. Uh, Sagittarius loves the party. He loves to celebrate and enjoy itself. So we have that lightness about us as well. So there’s several things, Mars moving forward, um, Saturn and Jupiter, getting ready to make a big shift.Speaker 1 00:15:16 And, uh, the sun moving into, uh, Sagittarius saying it’s time to lighten up a little bit, really, really enjoying these energies myself. Um, meanwhile we have Venus our beautiful goddess who has just moved into Scorpio, um, joining mercury there. So while we may be a little lighter on the surface in relationships and the things we’re thinking about, there’s still plenty of depth, uh, with these planets moving through, uh, through Scorpio. So I want to give you a little sense of what the week looks like, what you might be able to expect. Um, you know, it’s a little bit of a lighter week for a lot of folks as they may not be, you know, in the office or, or having to work as much since it’s typically, uh, you know, a family time, but still a good to have a sense of what’s what’s happening in the world around us.Speaker 1 00:16:02 We look a lot to the moon because the moon represents as a collective, some of the feelings that we may be feeling, um, you know, how we’re experiencing the energies around us. And as I said, right now, we’re in a creative and visionary, uh, rhythmic Pisces moon, um, tomorrow, Monday, November 23rd, um, a lot of beautiful aspects for the moon. Um, it’s, uh, it can create, again a creative day and inspired day. There’s a sense too, of, uh, uh, gaining our vision and figuring out what type of action we want to take to make our dreams possible. Um, so really pay attention to any ahas that come to you on Monday. Um, yeah, moon and beautiful aspect to mercury. So we have this, um, you know, inspired quality of getting, you know, easily getting messages, uh, from beyond messages, from the define. Um, yeah, it’s just a, really, a really, really nice day. Speaker 1 00:16:59 Uh, mercury makes a nice aspect to Neptune as well. So yeah, just notice, notice what comes up to you, notice your dreams as well that night, uh, moon will be in an aspect with palace Athena. I have this idea of waking up with some kind of a strategy waking up with, um, something that we’ve been gifted in the night, um, for us to do, um, the next day, Tuesday, the 24th, the moon will shift into Aries before you get out of bed. So you’re gonna open up or get out of the covers and, um, get ready for a lot of action. Get down to business, get down to work, right? Aries moon loves to take action and move quickly. So, uh, if you, if you feel a little, um, off on Monday, you just want to kind of enjoy, enjoy the floaty Pisces moon. Um, go ahead.Speaker 1 00:17:46 If you can, and I get ready to get down business on Tuesday as the moon moves into Aries. Um, the moon also will move into a gibbous phase. So there’s this sense of kind of perfecting whatever it is that we’ve been working on, putting the pieces together, um, getting ready for the next full moon on a Wednesday, we continue with the moon in Aries or some more energy around, um, getting things done. So maybe this is the push right before the holiday, where we’re able to, um, access this, um, this area’s moon. So we can take a few days off, hopefully, um, on Wednesday around 3:30 PM, and these are all Pacific standard times. Uh, the moon is conjunct Mars. So it’s a little bit feisty the moon, maybe a little bit agitated. You may notice I’m getting a little bit ruffled, uh, in some way, but it can also be a really good moon, uh, good time w — — ith the moon to take action.Speaker 1 00:18:43 So it really, um, uh, overall good thing on Thursday, uh, Thanksgiving, the moon will continue to be an Aries and because it’s a Cardinal sign, it’s going to make hard aspects to Pluto and Jupiter. Um, so there’s, Oh, and of course the, uh, and of course Saturn. So the day that we’re most likely to be with friends and family, or at least in our small circles, if you can at least manage to be around a few people, um, is a little bit of a harder day. Emotionally, you may be wanting to move fast. You’ve got all the energy to peel the potatoes and I get the Turkey in the oven. Um, but you may be moving so fast that, um, you know, it could rub, grab some other people the wrong way or vice versa. So just pay attention. No, that’s a little bit of a tensor day.Speaker 1 00:19:29 Um, this week, Thursday, uh, as the moon makes some hard, hard aspects, um, you know, but there’s some good energies as well. You may have a good chat with your partner afterward, maybe you and your parents get into it a little bit. And then, you know, you’re in bed that night and you’re able to talk it through with your partner and have learned some things about those relationships. So, anyway, just watch for Thursday, no, it’ll be a little, a little feisty and just a slow down as you can. If you find yourself moving fast and just realize, Hey, moon’s in areas, right? Areas always likes a little bit of a fight on Friday. Um, and Friday really pay attention to Friday. If you notice anything big in your world, um, really, really pay attention because Friday is a day that will mimic some of what’s to come for the rest of 2021.Speaker 1 00:20:19 Um, and it won’t impact everybody. It’s not, it might not be at a significant point in your chart, but on Friday, um, Venus in Scorpio is going to oppose Uranus in Taurus at, um, seven degrees. And so there’s this sense of, uh, freedom in relationship. Uh, there’s this sense of, uh, freedom versus ownership, Venus in Scorpio really is deeply loyal at sometimes to extreme likes to, to own or possess the people that it, it cares about deeply. And you’re an S is a planet that, uh, is associated with freedom of movement, possibility, openness. So there are, they’re at odds with one another. So notice if anything comes up for you around partnership that day, or it may be around, um, well, it could be around, um, well, I guess it could, it really depends on where it all is in your chart. Um, but if, if you notice anything on Friday, um, just pay attention because that storyline may come back a few times drain 2021.Speaker 1 00:21:21 Um, so it’s a little bit of a little bit of a frenetic day. Um, also with the moon they’re joining Uranus. So just notice you may feel a little bit more restless, a little bit, a little bit less, um, less settled, also take a look at the stock market that day cause Venus represents wealth. So, um, there may be some shifts or movement, I guess. I don’t even know if the stock market stock market even opened the day after Thanksgiving. You can tell I’m not that much into finance, but I’m curious now. And then on Saturday, a Neptune who’s been retrograding since mid June moves strict. So Neptune is our planet of visions and dreams and possibilities. And so, um, you may, you may not feel it, not everybody feels Neptune’s, uh, shifts as much, but if you have a planet around eight degrees, um, it’s currently at 18 degrees of Pisces. You may notice it a little bit more, perhaps have a little bit more clarity of vision, um, as Neptune starts to pick up. So those are the moons. That’s the week ahead. And I’m, I’m going to be continuing to share with you what I see in the stars. Um, I’m going to try to do the show each Sunday, each week, so you can get a little snippet and get ready for the week ahead. Thanks for joining me today. It’s been a pleasure and have a beautiful week take care.

Astrology is the most sophisticated resource we have to understand our life purpose, which is distinct from “call” or vocation. Learn about the various ways astrology can reveal what you’re here for! TRANSCRIPTMay 7th, 2020 Dear Listener,It’s so good to connect with you! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve written you in my mind these past few weeks, and how many times I winced at the deep chasm between audio letters. And yet, I know all things unfold according to divine timing, and trust these words find your ear at the exact moment you most need to hear them.I’ve been steeped in stars these past few weeks thanks to attending a professional astrologers retreat (by Zoom of course) where I learned to integrate some advanced predictive techniques into my practice. My head has been so in the clouds that I’m even dreaming of stars! I remember as a teenager I spent a summer with my grandparents in West Africa, and got to put my high school French to the test, and found myself dreaming in a language I barely knew. Years ago, when I was a nonprofit executive, Excel spreadsheets made their way into my unconscious in the wee morning hours. And now it’s stars and aspect patterns. I’m surprised it took this long actuallyHow have you been these past few weeks? When I wasn’t busy giving into resistance on writing you, I was having a lot of fun – playing new games in my neighborhood, like Chicken – where you and another walker approach one another and see who will jump six feet out of the way first. Or Pac Man, when the walkers behind you are too close and seem to follow you everywhere, and you try to get away. And lastly, an activity I created called House Bombing. Oh come on, it’s not as dangerous as it sounds! It’s when I walk a significant distance from my house and show up at yours unannounced and surprise you with a safe social distanced hello and then we wow each other with the rich and juicy details of our lives, like how long we stood in line at the store, or how we cooked rice that day, or the real biggie — whose kids are playing with whose! No, not the doctor’s kid? Sacrilege.I’ve seen all sorts of people at these House Bombings! And I love hearing about their lives from the perspective of their signs·       My Taurus friend says life has finally slowed down to her pace.·       My Virgo friend is ready to get back to her routines.·       My Libra friend is trying to decide what to put in her Instacart.·       And my Scorpio friend is suspicious that her family had the coronavirus long before it was ever reported in the state. We’re all so different aren’t we? That’s one of many beautiful things about astrology — which of course goes much deeper than just our Sun signs — we have a framework for understanding the various ways we look at the world.Long before I discovered astrology, I was fascinated by personality types. It started with Myers Briggs, which highlights 16 different personalities. I learned a lot from it but could never quite figure out which one I was. And believe me, I tried. And then there were the nine types of the Enneagram, which my Catholic friend in Malawi introduced me to, which has a wonderful emphasis on growth, and explains how we react differently under stress, and how our instinctual natures color our personalities. There was more nuance than in Myers Briggs, but I still couldn’t quite pin myself down. And don’t forget the StrengthsFinder, the Gallop study that urges us to play to our top five strengths in the workplace. And while I found some value in each of these systems and could see them alive in the people I knew, none of them really quite captured my unique essence, and certainly couldn’t help answer the one big question I had… It’s a question you’ve undoubtedly asked yourself too: What am I here for? What is this all about? What is my life purpose? Countless relatives and cheek-pinchers have asked you a similar question since you were knee-high to a grasshopper: What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a strange question really – because it confuses doing with being. Perhaps a better phrasing could be something like “What do you want to do,” or “Who do you want to be?” But even so, they’re big questions to put on a little tyke.And just as everything that comes out of our mouths is more a reflection of us than the person receiving our words, we have to look at where these questions reside in us. I hear them coming from our solar quest for accomplishment, and our lunar quest for meaning. Both heroes journeys in their own right, and both alive in each of us, despite society’s focus on the former.In the wake of the virus, it’s a perfect time to review these journeys. For many, the road to success (or what they perceived success to be) has narrowed with the shift in the economy, and the pathway to nurture our inner worlds, our relationships, and creativity has grown more broad. We can thank the powerful conjunctions in the success-oriented sign of Capricorn and the eclipses along the Capricorn/Cancer axis for some of that. And this is where astrology shines so much more brightly than any personality system – and why it so quickly captivated my energy and attention when I discovered it. Not only does astrology provide the most sophisticated understanding of the complexity of our character, as the hero or heroine of our stories, it also shows the road we walk on, the journey itself, with all of its trials and joys, and how to make the most of every step. Okay, great, Cara! So look at my chart and tell me: What’s my life purpose? Can you hear how the question itself suggests a singular answer. What is “it”? Your answer will only be as good as your question. Some people spend years of their lives feeling unfulfilled, like they’re missing out on an “it’ because they never sensed a strong “call” to do a very particular thing. Others feel like they know “the thing” but life circumstances have kept them from having the resources or opportunities to act on it. And similarly to those who believe they have one particular and elusive soulmate, it’s easy to be discouraged when you don’t find that one needle in the haystack that a select few seem to have found.It’s the latin root word “voc,” to vocalize or call, that we hear in the word vocation. We think of vocation as deeper than work, more than a 9-5. There’s even a spiritual or mystical component to it. If we’ve been called, something or someone is doing the calling. And as much as I love and support the idea of us having a vocation, that worthy work we do in the world (and enjoy helping people explore this), the concept is still limited to an “it,” a role that we wear and an activity that we do.I’ve had the great honor to read many charts over the years, and find it particularly fascinating to work with adults in their 70s and 80s, who’ve had so many years to explore life. They’ve often beyond work, beyond vocation, and yet are still living into their purpose.If you pick up an astrology book or google “life purpose astrology,” you’ll find many different ideas. Most will focus on the nodes of Fate, the north and south nodes of the Moon, to describe the karmic journey you’re on, with the North Node pointing toward your destiny. But that’s just part of the karmic story your chart tells. You may also be told to look to your Ascendant, the Zodiac sign that was on the horizon at the time of your birth (thus called your Rising Sign), and look to the Ruling Planet for that sign to understand a large part of your call. Others will point to your Midheaven, the sign and Ruling Planet at the very top of your chart, which has information about vocation. Others will focus on Saturn, a planet related to how you’ll claim your authority, or the asteroid Chiron to see how you can use your challenges to create healing and change in the world around you. And deeper still, you can get to know your Draconic Chart, which sheds light on what your soul was contemplating before you incarnated, and get even more layers of meaning from a wide variety of Harmonic Charts that go deeper into Karma. You can already see how challenging it could be to land on a singular life purpose with so many potential places to look! And the crazy thing is, they’re all right! All of these bits and pieces contribute to understanding who you are. And this is where working with a skilled astrologer, who can synthesize these complex messages, is particularly helpful, so you can more deeply understand your nature and your journey. Really though, what it all boils down to, is: your life purpose is you being you. Imagine that! It’s you expressing your unique gifts. It’s you wrestling with your inner demons. It’s you having to parent yourself when your mom couldn’t. It’s you learning to tune down your mind and connect to your heart. It’s you wrestling with the conundrum of pursing security or adventure. It’s you showing up in all your sparkling glory and you showing up with mud all over your face. It’s all of the information summed up in your life and in your chart. It’s you, as a soul, having a very human experience. Life purpose is not about accomplishment, it’s not about vocation, it’s a process of growing as a soul. In your soul’s growth, you may accomplish a great deal, and society may praise you for it. It may  be important for your soul to do work that puts you in the spotlight in some way. You may start a Fortune 500 company. You may invent a software or technology that promotes health. You may command a stage with tens of thousands in the audience. It’s not necessarily about the thing you create or precisely what you do, but what you learn and experience in the process of leveraging your gifts and challenges. Perhaps these accomplishments serve to put you in touch with individuating yourself after learning in past lives to make sacrifices for a group. Perhaps you saw many people suffer in a past life, and desire all to access health and healing. Perhaps your voice was stifled, and now you’re compelled to let it ring out. But it’s just as likely that your soul seeks a quieter journey, one of contemplation and connection. Perhaps you’ve had your time on the societal stage and are now learning how rich it is to connect with the land and your roots. Perhaps in a past life you’ve spent years isolated in a monastery up in the mountains, and now desire to create community and share your wisdom in real and tangible ways with those around you. Your soul may have a deep desire to serve others in ways that won’t ever make the news but mean the world to those who receive your gentleness and kindness. And these life paths are just as important, just as valid, as the ones that get more attention. I saw a client recently who said, “Cara, you’re so lucky! You know your life purpose. You’re an astrologer and get to use your gifts to help people heal.” Yes, I’m an astrologer. That’s my vocation. That’s the worthy work I do in the world. To understand vocation in the chart, we often look to the part of the sky we call the 10th house. In my chart, we find the sign of Aquarius ruling it, meaning Aquarian professions could provide meaningful work for me. Aquarius rules astrology, so yes, this is a great vocation for me, especially when I take my full chart into account. But before being an astrologer, I was a nonprofit founder and director. I raised a lot of money for humanitarian causes. Aquarius also rules philanthropy. So that was another great vocation for me. When I shifted from one job to another, my vocation changed, but my life purpose didn’t. I just found a different (more fun) vehicle through which to explore my talents and life lessons. And one of my life lessons, one aspect to my multi-faceted purpose, is about living a passionate life. And this is where I love how various esoteric tools come together. Did you know your astrology chart is essentially engraved into the palms of your hands? A friend of mine does hand analysis, and when she read my palms she said my purpose was to live my passions. In the Lifeprints system by Richard Unger, I’m a “Master at Living Your Passions.” My astrology chart agrees. Living a passionate life is important to my path. What my hand may or may not have shown is that it’s a lot of work for my soul to live those passions. I can see that loud and clear in my chart. My passions don’t fit with my family of origin. They don’t fit in mainstream society – not yet. They don’t fit with how I desire other people to view me, as an intelligent person. In case you didn’t know, some people think astrology is woo (laughs) – not the cosmic science that has captured the brilliant minds of scientists, philosophers, physicians, and inventors for hundreds and even thousands of years. Yes, you heard that right. Pythagorus, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Hippocrates, Jung and so many others practiced astrology. Living my passions requires me to confront the status quo. And because life likes to throw in twists, I incarnated as a sweet little Cancer Sun Sign & Aquarius Moon who cares a lot about fitting in and belonging. For you, living your passions may be a piece of cake! But doing so may not be part of your growth experiences. While I love talking about purpose and the twists and turns of your soul throughout lifetimes, most people desire the stability and comfort of having a fulfilling vocation. I did too! It’s how we spend a lot of our time. And as humans, we’re naturally drawn to create form – be that a meal, a shelter, a baby, or a social role. So looking at the dissonance in my own chart between security and passion, I decided to play with those themes. Years ago, I wrote out on index cards all of the different jobs that I ever wanted. Naturopathic doctor, writer, teacher, graphic designer, and I allowed myself to include some “weird” ones like energy healer and astrologer. And I rearranged and grouped the cards in different ways to see patterns and themes emerge, and analyzed away. And then I stepped back and asked myself a question that was important based on MY chart, “Which of these would be most fun?” The wild ones rose to the top. Then I asked, “Which job holds so much joy and excitement for me that I would gladly do it for free? Which of these wouldn’t feel like work at all?” And astrology raised its hand and said, “me!” I share this with you as an example of how we can work with themes in our charts. We can see our skills and talents, we can see our natural propensities, we can see how our energy gets stuck and where it wants to flow. And we can also see how the planets and signs of our charts can evolve alongside us, and take on different layers of meaning as we age. And with our chart as our guide, we can step more boldly into the places that scare us, which is where life really begins. Another client told me that she knew her life purpose, and she had been working at it for years and was meeting closed door after closed door. She really felt helpless, like there was just one thing she was here to do, and it was no longer available to her. It’s true, cosmic doors open and close. Perhaps that dream didn’t have the energy it once had, or the Divine had another plan. Please don’t limit yourself to doing one thing in this world. You are an infinite being. And don’t limit yourself to “doing” either. It’s okay to be. In all my studies I’ve found astrology to be the most sophisticated tool to understand ourselves, but it may never be a Myers Briggs or StrengthsFinder. You can’t necessarily take a 15 minute astrology quiz that will tell you your life purpose is to be a veterinarian or a grain merchant. (My brother got that one on an aptitude test in high school, believe it or not). And you might not have that tangible of a takeaway after a 60 minute session (though you might, Grain Merchant you!) But for those who are spiritually and intellectually curious, those who are drawn to the mysteries of life, those who desire to make a meaningful existence – astrology is indeed the best resource to understand ourselves and to draw out those big questions we must ask as conscious creators of our life experience. Remember, your life path is so very unique to you. An amalgam of doing and being. Vocation and purpose. Light and dark. Up and down. Solar and Lunar. Yin and yang. And all that’s required is that you show up as you. How refreshing. And I’ve read enough charts to know the Cosmos will see to it that you just the experiences you need right when you need them. If you’re feeling a little lost, don’t worry. Nothing ever stays the same. So don’t look to the left or to the right, at other’s journeys. It’s fair to look behind, for a time. Know where you’ve been. Where you come from. And use that knowledge and experience to propel yourself forward on your infinite journey of becoming. Travel well, my friend. Cosmically Yours,Cara James  P.S. I invite you to head over to my website carajames.com and sign up for my weekly email newsletters to stay even more deeply connected to the Cosmos. And if you’d like to explore your life purpose, vocation, or any other manner making meaning on this rock we call Earth, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Take good care! 

Cara explains the astrology behind the powerful cosmic season we’re in, and explores what Saturn, Pluto, and Jupiter have to say about COVID-19. TRANSCRIPT: Saturday, April 4, 2020   Dear Listener, Greetings, from surprisingly semi-sunny Southeast Portland! I hope this Saturday finds you well.   So a client who attended a webinar of mine late last year recently asked me, “Cara, when you said 2020 would be challenging, is THIS what you had in mind?”   I jokingly told her my vision was a little less virusy.   And while, yes, I knew 2020 would be a tough year astrologically, nothing prepared me for the experience I had earlier this week, when I found myself on the threshold of a small neighborhood grocery store. For the first time in weeks.   I had been assured by social media that face masks were now “the thing.” I saw photos of friends sporting cute ones with flowers. I watched a Japanese tutorial on how to fold one with hair ties and cloth.   And so, I stood before a set of shiny sliding glass doors my face bound with a blob of bright blue bandana. My glasses fogging up from their awkward placement atop my newfound Western wear. Looking more like a misfit mobster than a mom, but feeling proud, like an astronaut setting forth on a dangerous mission to help humanity. And so, I boldly stepped into the shop,   Only to find face masks were NOT the thing. (Not yet.) Only to find 20 bald faces staring back at mine, mouths open in what appeared to be a blend of shock and stifled laughter. Only to instantly replay every embarrassing moment of my childhood simultaneously in my head. (And there were a lot.)   But I held my head high, put my shoulders back. And the humiliation was all worth it – not just because I was keeping myself and my neighbors safe, but because, as you know from my last letter, I was out of chips!   I’m curious – what surprises and smiles this week held for you? And I invite you to join me in being fashion-forward.   But back to that question I received about the planets — and more importantly, what can we learn from the cosmos? Is COVID-19 what I expected from the planets? In form, no. But in energy, yes.  You see, 2020 kicked off several very significant cycles astrologically. It’s helpful to think of them as seasons. Many of these cosmic seasons are much longer than our summers and falls, so the average person might not recognize them. But fortunately astrologers have been tracking them for millennia. And they are as constant and predictable as any season mother nature brings. Some of these seasons may just get your face wet, while others sweep in like hurricanes and knock your proverbial house down.   The planets farthest out in the solar system especially bring significant change to the landscape. Your own personal landscape, and that of society around you.   And when the planet Pluto is involved, as he is this year, you can guarantee that when the season ends, the world will never be the same.   Pluto demands transformation   And while the transformation may not feel as sweet and soft as that Anais Nin quote makes it seem. You know the one, about how the day came when “the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom,” the idea is the same.   Like the force of nature upon the rose, the pressures of the planet Pluto become so great on a person or a society, that there are only two ways to move. And both ways involve death.   We can choose to stagnate and die on the vine. Or we can choose the path of liberation, and die to our old form. To step into the discomfort, the unknown, the great mystery, our own unfolding. And with Pluto there is no other choice. Upon pain of death, you must make a decision.   You may recall a time when you found yourself in a similar place. Perhaps you find yourself there now.   Most of us can agree that this cosmic season feels like what we know of winter. A time when life goes still, when growth stalls, when we turn inward, and stay inside.   You may feel like you’re wintering in Des Moines, but notice your friend seems to be wintering in Palm Springs. Perhaps their income hasn’t been impacted as much, or they have a partner to help them get through the tough times, when you don’t. The degree to which you’re experiencing these times depends on where and how this planetary energy shows up in your personal natal chart, that map of the sky at the unique time and place you were born.    No matter where the planets fall in your personal chart, we all started the year with the intense and forceful Pluto beginning a great cosmic season with the planet Saturn. Both of these are planets that you can feel – in your body, bones, and soul. And depending on your age, and life path, you have likely felt their energies at pivotal times in your life. Pluto feels like an intense pressure, often from the outside in, like you may implode or combust. And Saturn can feel like overwhelming depression and sadness, and cause things in your life to fall apart.   If you noticed a heaviness in the air late last year starting in October or so, and growing in intensity and depth into January and beyond, you were sensing the meetup of Saturn and Pluto, both planets that represent and bring about death in their own way. You may have even noticed that time seemed to stand still? That was Pluto causing the death of Saturn, otherwise known as Father Time.   And so they met on January 12th, 2020 in what we call a conjunction – this is when two planets meet in the same sign and degree of the Zodiac, And from our limited view on earth, they line up and appear to join as one planet. Thus we say they are conjoining, or making a conjunction. Saturn and Pluto come together like this once every 30-36 years or so, depending on retrogrades, when their orbits appear to change temporarily.   So to understand this season, I looked back throughout history and shared these findings with the folks on my webinars last December.   Historically, and unsurprisingly, based on what you know about Pluto and what you may recall of Saturn from my last letter, Saturn-Pluto conjunction years bring massive societal change in the decades that follow – revolution even – often a mix of pain and progress. I’ll use a few highlights from United States history – though admit this was not my best subject in school!   In 1851, a Saturn-Pluto conjunction year, we had an agricultural revolution based upon great progress technologically, that increased harvests. Not ironically, the conjunction was in the earthy, land-oriented sign of Taurus.   In 1883, we saw major infrastructure achievements, such as the completion of the Northern Pacific Railway from coast to coast. We had the first manned, controlled flight of a heavier-than-air machine in history – making room for the Wright brothers a good 10 years later. We also saw standardization of time zones, which made it easier to coordinate transportation and commerce.    In 1914, the Saturn-Pluto conjunction took place in the sign of Cancer, which relates to our home and family, and desire to protect and nurture them, and we saw the start of WWI that year – a time when our very roots and foundations were on the line.   In 1947, we were in the age of McCarthyism and the beginnings of the cold war. We saw institutions like the CIA and International Monetary Fund become established. We made progress in technology with the first mobile phone, instant camera, and transistor.    We broke barriers like sound, and racial barriers when Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play major league baseball. In fact, there were plenty of changes around entertainment and sports with this conjunction happening in the fire sign of Leo.   And this quick tour through history takes us up to 1982, our last Saturn-Pluto conjunction. Not only did the US experience a major recession that year, and proceed to focus highly on capitalism in the years to follow, we also made huge leaps in technology. The Computer was Times Man of the Year. Each subsequent year gadgets got smaller and cheaper. Genetic engineering was just beginning. And the conjunction in 1982 occurred in Libra, a sign that speaks to relationships. Technology was beginning to alter the way we would relate to one other over the subsequent decades – think social media, and all the platforms built on the technology that started this cycle.    And our governmental and societal response to the recession, set in motion economic systems and structures that would further divide people. You can start to see how each cycle builds on the last.   In each of these instances, the shifts and changes were already underway long before Saturn and Pluto met up, being built behind the scenes, below the surface, and the Saturn-Pluto meet-ups were the change points — the catalytic sparks — when the themes were fully birthed or unearthed.   And our ways of eating, traveling, consuming, earning, being, and relating, were forever changed.   And so I entered 2020, with eyes wide open to the societal changes afoot. And since the conjunction (and some other planetary action) was happening in the sign of Capricorn, I expected to see changes in earthy, physical, Capricorn themes: things like wealth, commerce, authority, our governments, leaders and other institutions, and also the earth and her resources.    With Pluto’s involvement I thought we’d see power and its abuse increase and ultimately be exposed to the light of day. With Uranus plowing through Taurus, like it did during the Great Depression, that was another indicator of the potential instability of our wealth, health, and resources.   And because 2020 started another important conjunction cycle, involving Jupiter and Pluto (their conjunction is exact today, meaning in the same sign and degree) I forecast that we’d see greater injustices at our international borders, an increase in xenophobia, and ultimately a societal focus on healing, a higher vibration of Pluto. As I said before, I could see the energy, but the form was not yet clear.   But every day, more is being seen.   We entered 2020 with deep political divides, deep equality divides, deep resource divides.We all knew this. Or could, if we were paying attention. Or cared. No surprises there.   But as Pluto does, he’s exposing the truth behind what we’ve been unable or unwilling to face, those dark places, the cracks. Like the volcanic goddess Pele, he’s revealing what’s been seething deep below. He’s exploding upon the scene in a surprising eruption, violently changing our landscape. And remember, with Pluto, things can never go back. Something new will form, but things will never be the same.   I’m not saying you can never go back outside. I’m just saying you and I and the world around us are changing in ways that we are only beginning to fathom.   From what I can tell, the coronavirus has very little to do with health.That’s not to minimize the 60,000 people who have already perished as of the date of this letter, and the over 1 million more who are sick or will become so. It’s just that health is the great equalizer. COVID-19 doesn’t care if you’re the Pope or a plumber.The president or the postal carrier.   This virus is here to reveal, to test, and to transform.   We don’t have to look farther than the headlines to see the planets at work. At least I don’t. As an astrologer, I hear things in terms of signs and planets. Whether I meet you at a networking event or as a client, I hear your life and stories in cosmic terms. When you tell me relationship woes, I start picturing your 7th house of partnership. I can’t help it!   So when the NYT wrote the headline yesterday, “Half of Humanity Under Lockdown Orders,” I heard Saturn in Aquarius (the sign Saturn recently moved into), or the isolation of humanity.   When I heard how South Korea’s use of surveillance was threatening privacy, or how the Philippine President had authorized their military to kill civilians who defy lockdown orders , I heard Saturn and Jupiter conjunct Pluto, or the potential for misplaced or overblown power.   When I saw the graph in the papers that showed jobless claims were at 6.6 million people, ten times what they were when they peaked at 695,000 in 1982, the last time we had a Saturn-Pluto conjunction, I saw the planets at work.   When comparisons were drawn between these times and WW2, 9/11, and the financial crisis of 2008, I heard periods in history when Saturn and Pluto formed other tense relationships with one another, or seasons within their season.   And when I see our schools struggling to provide access to all remotely, our churches singing together on screens, our travel industry down on its knees, our journalists and media running after the truth, our healthcare system buckling under its own weight, I hear Jupiter conjunct Pluto. The Plutonic death and transformation of our learning systems, wisdom traditions, cross-cultural connections, and scientific institutions – all areas that are ruled by the planet Jupiter and his corresponding 9th house.   And as we watch the events unfold on the world stage, we’re left with the very Capricorn question – what have we as a society been building? And who have we been building it for?    The planet Saturn dismantles that which does not serve. If what we as a society had built was serving our people, it would not be crashing down. If we had an integral foundation, we would not feel the shaking of the storm.   For so long, the health and wealth of the people have been in the hands of the powerful. But now, the health and wealth of the powerful are in the hands of the people. Of all people. We are all responsible for each other. In truth, we always were.   How interesting that those who have built up wealth, have nowhere to spend it. Those who have yachts and jets and have nowhere to go. And our very survival is dependent upon those people who work by the hour.   Back to building – our Cosmic dismantler and builder, Saturn, moved into the sign of Aquarius on March 21st. And Mars joined him on March 30th. There’s some new energy in motion.   And to understand Aquarius, I’d like to introduce you to my father-in-law, Wesley. He’s an outstanding Aquarian Sun sign, with a sturdy Capricorn Moon. Wesley is 86 years old and lives in the Midwest. He’s long since retired from his days as a traveling salesman and enjoys the soft tones of whistling birds and smooth Jazz every Sunday morning, after eating his world famous atomic omelet. And he enjoys them alone. Wesley has no more than four spoons in his drawer and all of his coffee mugs appear to be from the 1970s. He has the resources to buy more but would rather use his funds to fuel his philanthropic gifts to help people struggling to survive in Yemen and elsewhere around the world. He is a prolific coupon clipper, and has been known to ask supermarket clerks for rain checks when they’re out of spaghetti. That said, the man buys only what he needs each day because he doesn’t know how many he has left and doesn’t want to be wasteful in the unfortunate case of his demise. When his son and I called to make sure he was stocking up on food and maintaining social distance, he claimed he bought an extra can of garbanzo beans and should be just fine.   Wes’s simple and somewhat austere lifestyle (besides his nightly brandy) is so very Aquarian with a strong dose of Capricorn. His focus on self-sufficiency and taking only what he needs is too. His love of his fellow man and concern for their well-being exemplify some of the Water Bearer’s best traits. To weather this storm, we look to Aquarius.   And while Aquarius is indeed a humanitarian sign, it does not care about YOU. I’m sorry to say.  At least not personally. Aquarius cares about you in general – about the tribe, the network, the group. It wants to see all survive and thrive together. Like Wes, the sign can make personal sacrifice for the benefit of the global family. In fact, you’ll often hear Aquarians talk about being citizens of the Universe.   So with heavy Saturn’s recent move into Aquarius, we feel the weight of social distancing more strongly. We sense the gravity of the situation humanity finds itself in. There’s a stronger call to take our personal responsibility seriously, as our actions have great impact. And given Saturn’s role as the Lord of Karma, we as a society are being called to account for how well we’ve met the needs of the collective.   Fortunately, we also have Saturn’s strong work ethic and now energetic Mars to power genius Aquarian solutions to this increasingly complex pandemic.    We just get a taste of Saturn in Aquarius before he retrogrades back into Capricorn in May, but these themes have been set in motion and will be punctuated in December with a Saturn-Jupiter conjunction at zero degrees Aquarius.   There’s more at work behind the scenes. Chiron, an asteroid associated with healing is in a tense relationship, a square, with the nodes of the Moon, just as it was during the 1918 Spanish Flu. We feel its strong tension as we seek to balance our home and family life with our need to provide for them, exactly what you’d expect with the nodes being in the signs of Cancer and Capricorn.    Clearly there’s a lot going on in the Cosmos!   And as I briefly mentioned, today is an important day – the day when Jupiter and Pluto get together at 24 degrees of Capricorn. We’ve already felt their presence as they’ve been near each other for the last month or so, but today their energy is at its peak.    And yes, we can see how Jupiter is expanding illness and death, and exposing the truths of our society. We can understand why people have been so fearful, when we look to this conjunction.   But the biggest takeaway these planets have for you and for me, is to have faith. Jupiter himself is expansive and optimistic. He’s asking us to trust this process. To know that despite our inability to see around the bend, there is light at the end.   And so I encourage you to take heart, wherever you’re wintering, with whatever face covering you’re wearing, whether you have one can of garbanzos or eight, know that you are part of a great unfolding, a huge ask of humanity to look deeply at its intent and integrity as its very essence is laid bare.   And while it may take time, know that something will grow again in this lava dirt.   I remain, Cosmically Yours, Cara James   P.S. I invite you to pop over to my website carajames.com and sign up for my newsletters, to get even more cosmic thoughts. You can also find me on Instagram @carajamesastrologer. Let me know what you thought of the show and maybe catch a glimpse of me as a bandit shortly. And lastly, you can now find my cosmic letters on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and others, so please subscribe and leave a star rating of the show so others can tune in with confidence. Take care!

In her first “letter” to listeners, Cara shares encouragement in these tough cosmic times, with examples from her experience of adopting her son internationally. TRANSCRIPT Friday, March 27, 2020   Dear Listener, How are you? Have you already eaten your stash of emergency chips? Are you regretting buying all those beans now that you’re trapped indoors…? Mmm hmm. Welcome to my house!   How are you — really? I’m guessing you’re ready for life to return to normal. To get back to that illusion that we had some control over our realities. This is a new experience for all of us. You may feel downtrodden and weary. You may have lost your job. Worse yet, people you care about. In these confined spaces, let us make space to hold the heartache.   You may be curious, fascinated, looking for solutions. What a unique time this is to be alive. Perhaps you are working harder than you’ve ever worked before – like our friends on the front lines in health care – like my mom in Washington state.   What’s amazing is that, whoever you are, dear Listener, wherever you are, there are millions, perhaps billions of people, holding you in their hearts right now. Reaching out tendrils of prayer and concern and love. Isn’t that amazing? Your community, far and wide, has your back.   And despite that feeling in your chest like you can’t breathe, due to all the pressure and feelings that have no place to go, your body sees to it that you do breathe, rhythmically and continuously. Isn’t that amazing? Your body has your back.   And no matter what thoughts are swirling around in your head, about what this is all about, what this means for you and your future and your family’s future, I can assure you there a is greater force at work that does know. That is supporting you, and bringing you the very experiences you need to grow and develop into the amazing person you’re already becoming. The planets, the Cosmos, the Divine have your back.   I’m not saying it will be easy. I’m not saying there will be chips! Or toilet paper.   I don’t know how long this will go on   Some intuitives and astrologers might say they know, But the way I see the world – energy is not static – and life is not fated. The planets that are behind the big societal shifts we’re seeing have many expressions. As astrologers we do our best to capture the essence of those energies – but the planets vibrate in many ways.   The planetary energy we’re witnessing on the world stage can bring both expansion of illness as well as expansion of healing. And we have a part to play in this – how will we work with these energies in our own lives and in our communities? Will we interpret things from a place of fear, or of possibility?   Time will tell… But one thing I know – is we must wait. Inside. Alone, for many of us. And the waiting is the hardest part.   It’s one thing to wait for something that has an end date. Where you can have a sense of anticipation or closure. And it’s another to wait when there’s no timeline. If you had to drink nothing but kale smoothies for a week, you could do it! I could probably do it for a month. I have insane willpower and like kale. But not knowing when you’d be able to eat again, that’s just crazy making. And coronavirus ain’t no kale smoothie.   I’m an expert at waiting. In fact, I first learned about astrology in a season of waiting Long ago, I worked in Africa, in the little country of Malawi. I had founded a small nonprofit that worked there, around HIV/AIDS education. I was rocking my Aquarius Moon, as a humanitarian. I don’t think I ever really intended to get pregnant. I had told my mom as a young girl that I planned to adopt because I didn’t want the pain. But then it happened-  my husband and I got pregnant. And were filled with such great joy until… I had an early miscarriage – which was devastating.   A month or two later, I was back in Malawi and – I remember the exact moment when it hit me. I realized my miscarriage wasn’t a burden – it was a gift. In that moment, I knew there was a baby for me to adopt there in Malawi. I didn’t find him for another five months, but he was born that very week, perhaps that very moment the Divine tapped on my heart and said this sadness was for a reason. My story of becoming an adoptive mom is beautiful and tragic and LONG. So I’ll spare you some of the details – the kidnapping, the blackmail, the drama. The point now is about waiting. My son’s adoption should have been straightforward, but it was anything but. And if you’ve spent much time in Africa, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Come back tomorrow.” Whether you’re at the post office, bank, restaurant that ran out of food, or the internet cafe without internet, you’ll hear, “Come back tomorrow.   Well, tomorrow turned into next week, and the week after that, and the next month, and so on and so forth. And none of it was fair – here was a child who needed a home and here were parents who already loved him, but we couldn’t be together due to bureaucracy.   And there were times we wondered if we should persist through the heartache and the financial strife, and the turmoil. And one day, after many court dates that never came to pass, I got a call from the other side of the world saying I was a mother. And I screamed the most primal screen, as if I had given birth myself. We adoptive parents go through our own labor.   The waiting paid off.   It turned out that the planet Saturn was the teacher behind my waiting – hanging out in what we astrologers refer to as the fifth house of children and creativity. I knew nothing of astrology, and grew up quite conservatively actually. But when my boss at the time saw the hardship I was going through (and again, the story is much longer and more involved), she knew that I was in a cosmic season involving Saturn. That was my intro to astrology. Who knew my calling would be birthed alongside my baby? Saturn is one of the big Cosmic players behind what we’re seeing in society right now. Saturn brings limits and restrictions and tough lessons. Saturn dismantles our very foundations to reveal what is and isn’t serving us. And with Saturn recently popping into the sign of Aquarius, we see a focus on restrictions for the benefit of humanity. We’ll talk about the planets much more in the near future. But for now, it’s perhaps enough to know that we’re in a Cosmic season. And seasons are impermanent, always changing. This season has the makings of being longer and more difficult than anyone would like.  We might wonder if we should really “come back tomorrow”?   One thing I’ve learned about Saturn, is that he rewards our diligence and endurance in the face of trials.  It might not be a baby or a calling, but I know something will be birthed in you by the end of this season. And I know the waiting will be worth it.   I remain, Cosmically Yours, Cara James