ARIES
When my parents dropped me off at the airport in Bogota my dad lifted my suitcase out of the cab and set it down on the sidewalk. “Do you think it’s 50lbs?” My mom asked. “It’s close,” my dad replied (50 lbs is the maximum weight a bag can be before they charge you overage fees). As I was checking in I lifted my bag onto the scale with one arm and watched the numbers roll up and plateau at 48 lbs (may I recommend never bringing more than 4 large books on a 10 day vacation). By the time I got to Los Angeles I was feeling pretty proud of myself for lugging around a bag that weighed almost as much as a second grader. At the airport in L.A. a sturdy man with a clipboard who was in charge of coordinating all the shuttles took my suitcase. He looked like he was dragging a whale and had to set the bag down once or twice before lifting it into the trunk of the cargo van.
Aries, trust your strength. You are as strong as you are and there is no way to test your strength until you actually lift your bag or raise your voice. Others may look like they can do the job, but you may be the one that can carry the message (or the bag) with the greatest ease.
(Shaman of Swords L/ Hear What I Say- Junior Lewis)
TAURUS
On the flight from Miami to Los Angeles there was turbulence for much of the trip. I have a newly acquired fear of flying which developed a few years ago when I was on a flight over the middle of the Pacific ocean in the dead of night, when our plane was caught in turbulence the flight attendant later described as the worst she’d experienced in 10 years. My fear does not prevent me from flying but it does contribute to considerable mental gymnastics. I kept glancing at my seat-mates and wondering if we “went down” who would take on what roll. The man closest to the aisle was older and seemed to have limited mobility (which I learned after I made him move at least 3 times so I could get to the bathroom). The woman in the middle had strong arms and I figured between us we would be able to assist the man in the aisle onto a raft in the event of a water landing. Between the two of us I tried to determine which one was more likely to be “the rock,” the collected one whose task it would be to convey a sense of calm in the face of death.
Taurus, you may be making similar calculations this week, but don’t relegate yourself to the roll of “the rock,” just yet. Your plane is not going down, though you may experience some turbulence. Try to relax into the bumps and notice the feelings you experience along the way without attempting to stuff them down or cover them up. In this case, concealing your fears won’t likely benefit anyone else, least of all you, the one who is likely experiencing most of the bumps as they may bring up old wounds.
(Son of Swords/ I Am A Rock- The Church )
GEMINI
“Oh yeah, that got mixed reviews,” my brother replied after I had said, “I saw the best movie on the plane…actually, I’m not sure if it would be good on land, for some reason most movies are better at 36,000 feet.” “I know what you mean,” my brother said. “I once cried on a flight watching a Mark Wahlberg movie about football.”
Gemini, on Saturday, the Full Moon in your sign will square Chiron in Pisces asking you to direct your attention towards the root of any pain or discomfort you may be experiencing. It may be helpful to put your reviews in context. What circumstances surround your present situation which may be coloring the way you see it? Now is a good opportunity to change the ending to any stories you may have been telling yourself about those wounds.
(3 of Swords L/ 100 Days, 100 Nights- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings)
CANCER
It’s difficult to say what was happening to our plane from the outside, but at one point I wasn’t sure whether I would live to tell about the experience inside. During the hour it took to land in Los Angeles, the only thing that helped was remembering the stories of several friends who had had “close calls” on airplanes. “I’m not done here,” I found myself saying in my head to whatever gods were listening. When our plane finally touched down the landing was punctuated with applause. Actually, I wouldn’t say “punctuated,” it started with a few soft claps and then slowly more people added their hands.
Cancer, you may feel a similar sense of relief this week. Like the “Death” card in the tarot deck, the death you may have been facing lately was likely more psychological than literal. You are now at the point of seeing that you can make this trip (these changes) and survive even if there are points along the way when you weren’t sure you’d live to tell about the experience.
(4 of Wands Rev/ Eyes Without A Face- Billy Idol)
LEO
There is a new “selfie” machine at the airport that American citizens have to use when you go through customs in the U.S. (or in Miami at least). My flight from Bogota left at 2 am and arrived in Miami at 5:30 am, needless to say the last thing I wanted to do was take a picture of myself. I could hardly keep my eyes open because they were so itchy and dry from the flight. Luckily the machine allowed for “do-overs.” The first two times my eyes were closed and my face was caught in two rather comical expressions. I was trying to contain my laughter, but it dribbled out the corners of my mouth. “It’s not going on Facebook, just take the picture,” I heard a mom next to me say to her daughter. Her comment was a helpful reminder that I only had to get the picture past the customs officer.
Leo, as Jupiter stations to go retrograde in your sign this week, you may find yourself caught between feeling private and feeling expressive. You might find yourself taking more pictures with your eyes closed and you may be more comfortable sharing your face with only one other person than the whole world. Jupiter Retrograde periods are typically kinder than other planetary retrogrades. The emphasis during a retrograde is on internal growth and expansion. After this first period of external growth and changes which has been happening since late July, you will have an opportunity to reflect on those changes and where you want to direct Jupiter’s expansive energy when it once again moves forward in April.
(Son of Wands L/ You Only Live Twice- Nancy Sinatra)
VIRGO
I’m a great admirer of the efficient traveler and I really want to be one too. They are the ones whose suitcases are never bulging because either their suitcase is just the right size to accommodate everything they’ve brought and/or they’ve brought exactly the right number of socks, underwear and sweaters so it all fits perfectly in their suitcase which probably has wheels so they can glide effortlessly through the airport. I sat next to an efficient traveler from Miami to L.A. and while my lap was tangled with my headphones, a scarf, a sweater and a long jacket, her lap was empty. She had one sweater which seemed to keep her warm enough. “Nice!” I thought and then taking a mental note, “One sweater.” A lot of my superfluous travel paraphernalia comes from my anxiety about forgetting something I might need, but 9 times out of 10, I need much less than I think I do.
Virgo, this week you you may be starting to take notes on how you want to proceed and what you do and do not want to take with you as you make some very deep and lasting changes to your internal landscape. The Full Moon this week will be in the fellow mercurial sign of Gemini aspected by Chiron in Pisces, your opposing sign. This transit may help you uncover which things are blocking your shine and may bring you deep realizations about the things you hold on to out of fear.
(XIII Death L/ Here Comes The Sun- Nina Simone)
LIBRA
The adobe houses where we stayed outside the Colombian mountain town, Villa de Leyva, were handmade by my parents friends. While we were there they were working on their 5th structure where they will live. Each house was different from the other. The one I stayed in with my parents was circular and the spare bed, where I slept, ran along a huge picture window overlooking the mountains. The house where my parents friends currently live had a tower with a spiral staircase going up to the bedroom. The new house they were building was two stories and looked out over the mountains. I got to see them sculpt the fireplace which was amazing to watch. It reminded me of watching kids pat their imagination out with clay while narrating, “This is going to be a fireplace,” but it really was, they were playing for real.
Libra, this week you may find in the process of imagining and sculpting your dreams into some 3 dimensional form that what you’ve completed is not just a mock up, but somewhere you could actually make your home.
(7 of Cups Rev/ El Piragua- Jose Barros and Edmundo Arias)
SCORPIO
The whole time my parents and I were in Villa de Leyva, a small town in the mountains of Colombia, we would call the same cab driver, a woman named Ruby. After 4pm we knew that her four year old granddaughter, Manuela would also be riding with us. The first time I rode with Manuela she was exhausted and passed out in the back seat, but every ride after that she was wide awake and fully prepared to teach my mother and me Spanish. “Were you at school today?” I asked her in Spanish. “No! Jardin!” She replied. “Jardin?” I repeated. “Jaaaarrdiiiinn!” She said loudly and emphatically. I carefully copied her instruction. She calmly crossed her legs and smiled, “Eso es.” (“That’s it.”)
I’ve often found that children make the best teachers particularly of language because they won’t let you get away with pronouncing things incorrectly. They will patiently make you repeat the words as many times as it takes to get it right, I think because they look at it as more of a game than a lesson. Scorpio, this week you may be ready to try something different, learn something new or take a new route to the things you are trying to achieve. Whether or not there is anyone to show you the ropes imagine that the lessons you are integrating are being delivered by a four year old. Think of it as a game and don’t stop till you get it right. Eso es.
(Daughter of Discs/ Crayon Angels- Judee Sill)
SAGITTARIUS
Picking up food from one of my go-to to-go places on my first day back in L.A. I had a feeling I’ve felt before, like my steps were falling to the beat of a song I couldn’t quite hear or they were writing a song I couldn’t quite hear. I looked up at the trees, finally getting a good drink from the rain and thought silently, “Hey, if you’re happy I’m happy.” As I approached the intersection I didn’t even have to break my stride, the walk light was green. Just as I reached the other side of the street something white and wet fell from a great height just a few feet in front of me. Some people say it is good luck if a pigeon shits on you, but I think it must be even better luck if it shits on the path in front of you because it probably means the road ahead is blessed.
Sagittarius, this week, even if you run into rough patches you will likely also have flashes of feeling that your steps are falling in time to your own beat. Yours is the sign associated with the quest for truth and meaning and you may find that both truth and meaning aren’t buried as deeply as they were before you had the courage to follow your intuition. The road ahead has been crapped on aka it is blessed.
(Shaman of Discs/ Lavender Country- Lavender Country)
CAPRICORN
Walking around Bogota one day with my mom she said, “I’ll show you where I got tear-gased.” “What?! What happened?” “There was a protest…” “You were in a protest?” I interrupted in surprise. “No, I was walking to the art supply store.” “What were they protesting?” I asked. “The economy and tuition hikes, I think.” We paused in front of a university and my mom recounted the story. She saw lots of people holding fabric over their nose and mouth walking quickly toward her, she didn’t understand what they were protecting themselves from until her eyes started to burn and water. “The protest wasn’t visible from that street,” she said. “But the gas was everywhere.”
Capricorn, this week you may find yourself caught in a struggle, but perhaps one that is more internal and therefore invisible to the naked eye. You may know the struggle exists because it makes your eyes itch and burn or there are other physical manifestations, but there could be nothing concrete to point to and earth is the element you Goats deal in, so the experience may be disorienting. Use this Sagittarius season to point you towards the truth and meaning behind the feelings and difficulties you are experiencing. Despite the unpleasant sensation, this moment, is in fact, an opportunity to cultivate faith in the possibility of change and the dreams you are prepared to fight for.
(5 of Wands/ Way, Way, Way- Buffy Sainte Marie)
AQUARIUS
The day we returned to Bogota from Villa de Leyva was a comical sequence of events. As soon as we exited the bus and walked a few paces towards the main intersection, my dad realized he had left his backpack on the bus. All three of us quickly whipped our heads around just in time to see the wheels rolling away in the distance. Turning back towards our next challenge we noticed a good thirty people all trying to hail cabs. For twenty minutes we walked up and down the street as taxis disappeared under our noses. Finally we split up and minutes later my dad returned trailing a cab driver he had found at a restaurant, just finishing his lunch. “You’re lucky,” he told us in Spanish. “It’s almost impossible to catch a cab here.” He drove us downtown to the bus’ final destination to see if my dad might be able intercept his backpack back. “Maybe someone will turn it into the office?” I suggested. “That doesn’t usually happen,” my dad said. At the bus station the driver dropped my dad off and took my mom and me to wait at a gas station at the end of the street. He instructed us to wait outside while he topped the car off with gas. As I exited the car my laptop fell off my lap and bounced on the cement. Before I had time to process this potential disaster, my dad returned, his backpack over one shoulder. “Es un milagro!” my dad told the driver. Back in the States I turned on my computer and discovered, besides the dents to the frame, that it worked perfectly. “Es un milagro,” I repeated to my parents over the phone.
Aquarius, this week, may have moments of difficulty which would be best navigated by continually directing your energy towards possibility and away from defeat. If and when you do, you will likely look back on this week as one of miracles rather than challenges.
(5 of Disc Rev/ The Sun- Alice Coltrane)
PISCES
My parents’ friend who lived in Villa de Leyva and owned the finca (farm) where we stayed, spoke little English and I spoke a very clunky Spanish which I had to translate from Portuguese (the only other language I know). Despite the fact that our ability to communicate in words was at the level of a kindergartener, I could tell and he could tell that there was a commonality that existed beyond words. He used to own a restaurant in town and now makes breakfast for the guests who come to stay at the finca complete with homemade jams and juices. He seemed to understand that I had a deeper appreciation for his magical concoctions than a short “muy bien!” could convey. “Tomorrow I’m making uchuva jam,” he told me in Spanish holding up a bag of the little glowing orange orbs, which said so much more than his simple declaration.
Pisces, astrologically speaking, times have been tough on your sign as the extended host of both Chiron (wounds and healing) and Neptune (dreams and delusion), but this week with the Full Moon aspecting Chiron (in Pisces), you may have an opportunity to reconnect with that realm which your sign intimately understands, the one beyond words.
(10 of Cups L/ Whats the Name of that Song- Sesame Street )