Fear, Love, and a Blood Moon

If you've been feeling any intense emotional currents lately, rest assured that you're not alone. Today marks the occurrence of the longest blood moon eclipse in a century, and astrologically, this is a pretty big deal.

Image: Huseyin Aldemir / Reuters (found on NBC article)

From National Geographic:

Get ready for a celestial double feature unlike anything seen in decades: Mars is about to make its closest approach to Earth in 15 years—just as the full moon blushes red in the longest “blood moon” eclipse of the century.Both the moon and Mars will dominate the overnight hours on July 27 and into the morning of July 28, traveling across the sky beside each other while appearing to be separated by only five degrees, equal to the width of three middle fingers held at arm’s length.

This amazing, beautiful blood eclipse will only be visible in parts of Asia, South America, Australia, and Africa, but even those of us who can't see it will be able to "feel" it. Eclipses help us to more forward and shed that which is no longer serving us, but change is painful, and the growth that eclipses facilitate may not always seem positive right away. Relationships may transform. Jobs may end. Rejection may be faced. But remember that the universe isn't out to get you. Stay strong, friends! Moving into the discomfort is the only way to break free of whatever it is that is holding you back from being your true, authentic self--the one fully capable of giving to the world and making it a better place.

“The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.” 

― Clarissa Pinkola Estés

If we stay trapped in our rules, fears, and anxieties, we will never grow into who we are. Embracing change isn't about becoming an entirely different person but instead about recognizing who we are innately capable of being. Sitting in Mass, surrounded by incense and choir song, I often think about what the priest means when he encourages us to become the "best version" of ourselves. We're not being told to become somebody else; rather, we are trying to work on who we are so that we can fulfill our potential. This doesn't mean that we need to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be as amazing as possible . . . it just means that we need to think about who we are on the inside and how we can use our unique gifts and experiences to add to the world (instead of taking from it). Mother Theresa said that "we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love."


<3 <3 <3

Happy Leap Day

Happy Leap Day!  It's amazing to think that "February 29th" didn't exist last year, but, given that it's here this year, why don't we try to make the most of it?  I spent yesterday studying like crazy for the SAT (with a short Oscars break thrown in around dinnertime), and, while the studying continues today, it's also very pretty outside, so I'm trying to focus on more than just school/work/work/work and to reduce stress. I know I've posted about this before, but cortisol isn't something you want to be living on. Cortisol shouldn't be your primary energy source!  It's a backup reserve saved for situations that demand it--not for round-the-clock pick-me-ups.  Fortunately, if you've been running on cortisol, today is a great day to try to get grounded again.

“According to numerology the number 11 possesses the qualities of patience, honesty, spirituality, sensitivity, intuition and is idealistic and compassionate. Those people who are drawn to 11, operate on a different level of energy than most, and when two people come together who both have this type of energy it’s almost combustible. 11:11 is the universe’s way of urging us to pay attention to our heart, our soul and our inner intuition. It’s serving as a wake-up call to us so that opportunities are not missed in this lifetime.”

 ~ Kate Rose, Elephant Journal

See?  View today as a day to connect with yourself and your intuition and inner creativity so you can find JOY in things again as opposed to just going through the daily motions.  And if you're looking for something to make you smile, here's a video of Mobula Rays belly flopping:

<3 Frances 

P.S.  Today is the last day for donations to Smile Train to have 5x the impact!  That means a $10.00 donation becomes $50.00!  www.smiletrain.org

Year of the Monkey

Happy Chinese New Year!  It is *officially* the Year of the Monkey, and, to get even more specific, this year's monkey is the Fire Monkey. Yes, you read that correctly: FIRE Monkey.  Personally, I think that's quite possibly one of the most inspiring power animals ever, and it gives me a lot of hope as far as making this year a positive one.  Channel your inner Fire Monkey!
Anyway, because it's the Chinese New Year and because we do so very much love astrology here at Moth Bird, here is your 2016 Fire Monkey horoscope from Suzanne White via AstroStyle.  She says that the Monkey "is like a sunrise full of hope," and she gets into the details of what it means as far as everything from love to real estate is concerned. 

The influence of the Fire Monkey in 2016 will cause many of our preconceived notions to hit the fan. It’s going to be a scurrying kind of year. Individuals can accomplish great deeds. But extremist group movements will have less and less effect on the world at large. Fire Monkey years are chockablock with wakeup calls for all and sundry. Fire Monkeys have no time for ostriches.
Sweeping global shifts are afoot. Whether it’s climate change which brings everything from volcanic eruptions to cyclones, drought, floods and unbearable heat and cold spells, or it’s the prevalence now of religious wars when enemies fight each other over whose God is the best God and whose God doesn’t count—these, we know, are futile wars. But they exist and will persist and even try to worsen in the Fire Monkey Year.The Monkey is the problem solver. The arrival of a Monkey year, just at this juncture, is like a sunrise full of hope.
Another planetary niggle in 2016 will be about massive exodus and immigration of desperate refugees from the above-mentioned conflicts. Many war-torn countries today can do nothing for their people who are homeless and frightened and hungry. So these same people (understandably) need to leave their stricken lands and find a place where they can live in safety and peace and try to make a better life for themselves.Trouble is, where can they go? Where will they be welcomed and accepted? Looks like 2016 will be chockablock with trials and tribulations. In other words, 2016 might be the perfect time to Dial-A -Monkey.Because 2016 is a Fire Monkey Year, progress will be accelerated in all the above areas. Wars might not stop being fought and tornadoes and earthquakes may not desist. But the Monkey is the problem solver. The arrival of a Monkey year, just at this juncture, is like a sunrise full of hope. Monkeys find solutions to even the most labyrinthine of issues. And they do it in subtle ways that other less wily and crafty signs would find impossible. Everybody’s life will be somehow altered because of the Monkey’s know-how in 2016.In 2016, alternative energies to dangerous pollutants will suddenly be taken seriously and developed quickly. Populations everywhere will begin calling for reforms to delay the progress of global warming. Detractors and fanatics who have resisted the idea of climate change will be forced to accept that the consequences of their faulty beliefs are grave and they can no longer hide behind reactionary rhetoric. Let’s face it: When the underpinnings of their million dollar seaside villas begin eroding and their houses teeter on the brink and threaten to topple into the ocean, even the most conservative climate change dinosaurs will begin to pay attention to what reforms are necessary to save the earth from self destruction.In 2016, unconventional medical advances and a new respect for naturopathic cures will also thrive. Already we see that scads of people are fed up with allopathic remedies that not only make people sicker, they don’t always cure them. Instead they treat the symptoms—not the cause. The Fire Monkey will see to it that this trend changes. In 2016, more and more patients will be drawn to homeopathy, acupuncture, osteopathy, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and many other nonconformist techniques. Health maintenance and disease prevention products such as food supplements and natural healing methods will begin to be taken seriously. 2016 could be just the right time to invest in the stocks of laboratories which make vitamins, homeopathic remedies, food supplements and the like.During this Fire Money year more and more countries will be outlawing toxic insecticides and refusing to allow farmers to use genetically modified seeds (GMOs). It’s the Monkey’s job to clean up what has gotten muddled and soiled through greed. Monkey years are famous for making order out of chaos. Monkeys are forever seeking novel solutions for all the world’s problems.The Monkey, instead of looking at the problem, looks through it, calculates the risks and then begins to pick it apart. This unique method of sorting out predicaments gives the Monkey an edge. Monkeys have few hostile verbal confrontations because their enemies know full well that they are up against a superior Monkey mind.This is not to say that the Monkey year will always favor your side. If you are a Dragon or a Rat, you might have an easier row to hoe in 2016. Not so the Rooster or the Dog who consider Monkeys scatty and inconsequential. And by comparison to the hardworking Horse or the slog and drudge Ox person, Monkeys look like lightweights. But they are not. Monkeys achieve their goals. But often they don’t succeed merely through sheer toil and trudge. Monkeys get what they want by adapting their behavior to the situation and then setting about dismantling it in order to fix it.On a personal level, everyone will be called upon this year to take stock of the condition of their bodies. Some of us have developed chronic conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, trick knees or tennis elbow. Some people ache in every joint. 2016 will be the perfect year to start a regimen and perform at least one detox. Simultaneously, get yourself to a physical therapist who can guide you through exercises to heal even the most painful and debilitating complaints.  Too, you should either join a gym, swim four times a week, jog or sign up for courses in Pilates, Yoga, Zumba or cycling. If you can afford it, hire a coach to assist you in building and maintaining muscle. If you’re feeling sluggish, see a nutritionist and follow their instructions. If all of the above approaches are also above your means, grab a throw rug and download an exercise video. The Fire Monkey year urges and even pushes us to find original ways to remain healthy and strong.Love in the Fire Monkey year? Well… it’s iffy. There are some New Astrology™ signs whose love lives will float along without incident this year. Others of you will encounter snag after snag, often having to do with one of the members of the couple evolving and growing in a direction that both frightens and alienates the other. If you are planning to improve your life and/or make huge personal changes this year, don’t forget to inform your partner and, if they so desire, take them along for the ride. The more you do together, the closer you will become. No matter how passionate you are about your bodywork and cures for chronic ills, remember to maintain a satisfactory level of passion between the sheets.The real estate markets will improve in 2016.  Low interest bank loans for mortgages will become more available. The banks themselves will show more flexibility with the people they lend money to. In all 50 U.S. States, same-sex couples can now be married. This breakthrough alone means that 2016 will see new approaches to fusty old obstacles. As Bob Dylan warned way long ago: The times they are a-changin’. Banks will become more user-friendly. And if you are buying or selling property, don’t hesitate to negotiate the price. Monkeys applaud and encourage the haggler in us.In the Fire Monkey year you can get ahead, create new concepts, start a business or leave a job. This is a time to be bolder and cleverer than the next guy. But remember that this Fire Monkey year will also be rife with chicanery and deceit. You must play each opportunity deftly. Do not barrel ahead on any project or make any investments that you have not thoroughly researched. Study each situation and pore over complex documents ‘til your eyes are popping out of your head. Just because 2016 is a leap year doesn’t mean you should leap before you take a good hard objective look at all the details. Nonetheless, forge onward. Take charge and dare in the Fire Monkey year.But before you rush into any enterprise—be it personal, romantic, professional or social—do your homework. The Monkey encourages the spunky, audacious you. But he or she might also be hanging out on a neighboring branch, waiting for you to show weakness. When you do, the Monkey may swing right on over and snatch your banana. 

<3 Frances

Supermoons, Sweaters, Stockings

This Christmas marked the first Christmas full moon in 38 years, and it brought with it heightened intuition and emotion.  In other words, if you were having major #feels on Friday, the lunar cycle may be partially responsible (read more in this article). In addition to this, the weather has been kind of crazy (it's really warm here, which is really weird, but it's supposed to get seasonal soon), and there were even some big storms in the southern and central U.S. that led to losses.  I'm sending the force to everyone there (and anywhere else in the world) who experienced any suffering in recent days <3.  The holidays are about togetherness and oneness, and we need to extend our support to those who need it most as we head towards 2016. 

Someone captured the moon with Christmas lights!

On a personal note, I'm still sort of pretending Christmas is still going on.  I know technically the 25th is over, but I just love the comforting music and the presence of my little faux tree and all the pretty twinkling lights so much that I don't want to move on from the season.  Fortunately, the Twelve Days of Christmas technically start the day after Christmas, so it's okay that I still have Darlene Love ad Bruce Springsteen playing on repeat....

<3 Frances

Inspiration from the Universe

Happy Saturday, darlings.  We are deep into the holiday season now, and, while it has brought with it many happy things like twinkly lights and candles, there is also a lot of sadness in the world.  Combined with the stress of the holidays (trying to live up to expectations, etc.), this sadness can be overwhelming, but what I've come to find is that, if we want things to get better, we must go to a place of love as opposed to a place of fear or worry.  I know--it seems so obvious, doesn't it? Almost too obvious to be realistic?  But it isn't.  Love--love for yourself, love for those around you, love for Earth--is really a powerful tool that can be harnessed to do great things.



 

 

 

 

<3 Frances

 

 

Cosmic Thoughts for Today

Hi, everyone!  Happy Tuesday wishes for all of you.  We're just about halfway into December now, so we're approaching next year rather quickly.  It's crazy, isn't it?  But it's so warm here that it doesn't feel like winter at all.  It's odd to think that it's really the holiday season already and that 2016 will be here before we know it.

I've always been interested in intuitive healing and positive energy, and I saw a little post about the energy shift that is going on right now cosmically and how we can attune ourselves to it to make positive changes in our lives.  I know cosmic intuition-related things aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I find the positive messages inspiring and enlightening :).  This comes from Christine Clemmer.  I found it on the FB page for "Just Channeling."

Cosmic Consciousness December 14 - 20, 2015
After last week’s Ophiuchan New Moon conjunct Ixion, we now have direct access to our soul’s divine blueprint, and have begun planting seeds for THE greatest manifestation that will occur all through next year. The end of this week marks the start of a whole Mercury retrograde Cycle that promises unprecedented shifts and leaps in consciousness that our minds can’t begin to comprehend yet, but we will by the end of January.
For now, we are undergoing some powerful new alignments regarding the Mind/Body connection. Last week, Mars (the physical body) connected with the Uranus/Pluto square, and this week Mercury (the higher mind) makes a similar connection, sparking a huge upgrade to our operating system. Because Quaoar is still involved (the higher octave of Mercury), we’re sure to experience some super high frequency downloads that will awaken us to the highest truth of who we are, and lead us to that full deliverance here on Earth.
When the mind aligns with the soul’s higher purpose, we can gain a clear perspective of how every event manifesting in the physical world serves as an opportunity to support our original blueprint. Because the physical realm is literally the densest, heaviest manifestation and reflection of every thought, belief, reaction, and karmic pattern, it can serve as a powerful feedback mechanism of where we’ve been and what we’ve been focusing on. We are currently receiving the upgrade we’ll need to turn all that information into a new way of living.
The powerful relationship between the mind and body is all about communication and feedback. We’ve all learned so much about the power and potential of the Mind/Body connection, and there are amazing examples and studies that prove the mind’s capacity to transform and heal the physical body. Mercury represents the higher mind, and he is the Great Messenger. The physical body is a highly sophisticated feedback mechanism, and when we use our higher minds to communicate in a healthy relationship with the messages sent from the body, any physical condition, event, or relationship becomes a teacher and an awakener of higher consciousness. If we judge or fear the messages coming from the body, we can’t attune to the highest frequency of consciousness that’s possible.
Everything has the potential to bring us back to our soul’s higher blueprint. Every moment serves as an awakening from our Higher Selves. When we allow ourselves to fully receive, honor, and integrate the higher truth of any messages coming from the body, then the body can let go of the old fear based pattern. Once the message is received, the old vibrational pattern of the story shifts and dismantles.
The physical body will always provide a snapshot of neutral, honest feedback of what’s occurring holistically in this moment…the body never lies. Oftentimes, we don’t like the feedback, and we desire to change it, so we may try to affirm something different and use our ego will to force a different outcome, out of resistance to what we don’t like. However that creates more karma. The way to clear the body and manifest something new is to allow the old karmic residue to come completely up to the surface and out, to purge and release, without judgment, and actually receive the message of that energy pattern.
Most karmic debris is stagnant emotional residue held within the cellular memory of the physical body. If we react to the clearing by getting tripped up even more into the old patterns, then we’re repeating that karmic wheel of manifestation. So often, we get distracted by the temporary discomfort of the karmic clearing, that we begin to focus even more of our attention on those scenarios by incessantly worrying, fearing, and dreading the experience of the purge. Whatever we place our attention on is what we’re choosing to value in the moment…and that’s what we create more of. Every moment, we’re manifesting from our current state of mind. When the current state of mind is at one with Source, in the highest possible observer’s perch of Oneness, that’s where we see the potential, remember our limitlessness, and begin anew, as empowered visionaries and creators.
On December 19th and 20th, Mars conjuncts Haumea, Mercury connects with the Uranus/Pluto stepping stone, AND the Sun conjuncts Ixion and then Quaoar and the Galactic Center, preparing to hit the World Axis on the Solstice on the 21st. This makes for a HUGE weekend of planetary awakening and evolution. The Mind/Body connection is very personal, and also global, as our physical evolution is mirrored in the Earth, and vice versa.
Mars conjunct Haumea is the reflection of the wholeness of the physical body and the entire physical realm, and the divine perfection of each moment as it is, serving as the feedback messenger for evolution. We came here to evolve, and so everything in this physical realm is a holistic reflection of our consciousness, providing us a multidimensional view from our higher minds’ perspective of the ways in which we fragment from Source, and revealing the way back to Source, through defragmentation and reunification. There’s really nothing to do, other than shift our perspective and elevate our consciousness. Everything is already done.
Our origin is Love, Unity, and Light, and whatever we’re experiencing here that’s NOT that is the manifestation of separation consciousness. When we remember that we are still home, we are all always connected to Source, in Love, and as Light, we can experience a whole new world here on Earth.
We’re at the tipping point of shifting our collective consciousness, and it requires discipline to keep our minds focused on our divine blueprint as we witness and participate in the awakening, transmutation and resurrection of the planet. "I AM the resurrection and the Light" is a fantastic mantra to practice daily this week as we focus our minds on the complete and total transmutation that is occurring within us and everywhere on the planet.

<3 Frances  

Getting Warmer

I just realized that the first day of spring is a week from tomorrow.  Given all of the snow last week, it's difficult to believe that the end of winter is almost here, but the weather has been warmer the past few days.  And there's been a lot of rain.  I've been wearing an over-sized raincoat with a happy little owl on it almost every day.  Is it a very fashion-forward raincoat?  Probably not, but who can resist a happy little owl?
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to put up a little spring style inspiration in honor of the coming equinox and the above-freezing temperatures.  

www.trendhunter.com (from Ruche)

www.thismodernromance.com (from Ruche)

flyourwell.blogspot.com (from Ruche)

www.shopruche.com

www.foreverboho.com (from Zara)

www.fashionbombdaily.com (from Wildfox Couture)

www.thebudgetbabe.com (from LOFT)

<3 Frances 

Year of the Sheep Astrology

Happy Lunar New Year 2015!  Gung Hay Fat Choy!

www.crafthub.com 

I'm actually part Chinese, and I've always been interested in zodiac signs and East/West astrology. This year marks the Year of the Sheep.  What's in store, then?  Here's what Suzanne White, author of The New Astrology, has to say (article courtesy of AstroStyle):

Last May (2014), I read a piece in the Washington Post about how people in China and other Asian societies were rushing to get pregnant early in 2014 so they would hatch a Horse baby in the Horse year. They did not want to breed a baby in the Sheep year i.e. after Feb 19, 2015.
According to Chinese beliefs, Sheep (also called Goats) are meek creatures, raised for nothing more than slaughter. Many Chinese think that babies born in the Year of the Sheep will, therefore, grow up to be followers rather than leaders. We westerners might call this belief a superstition. But, it is true, that bazillions of Asians intentionally avoid having Sheep babies. They believe that Goat/Sheep children are destined for heartbreak and failed marriages. And worse… they think Sheep will be unlucky in business. One popular Chinese folk saying holds that only one out of ten people born in the Year of the Sheep finds happiness. (AstroTwins note: Even marketers are dodging the Sheep’s milquetoast reputation, according to this AdAge article.)The above folklore may indeed be at least half true. In my own experience, Sheep people are intentional non-conformist outsiders. They often prefer not to fit in to any societal role. Some Sheep simply do as they please, when and where it pleases them to do it.
The luckiest Sheep are artistic or wildly intellectually creative. All the arts and innovations—from mandolin playing to haute couture to concocting new software—are abetted if the artist doesn’t care what society thinks of their work. Sheep do it their way. They paint or write or invent or dance or act or cook or grow things better than almost any other sign of the Chinese Zodiac.
However, no matter what masterpieces they produce, Sheep have trouble exploiting and protecting them. They are frequently hopeless when it comes to selling and buying, negotiating prices or putting money aside for a rainy day. Sometime Sheep are even at a loss to provide a roof over their own and their family’s heads.
The basic energy of Sheep subjects is Yin. Not Yang. Some say that Yin represents peace, harmony and tranquility. One would hope then that a feeling of utter world serenity might pervade in 2015.
Not so fast! Let’s look at previous Sheep years in memory:

• 1931 The Great Depression

• 1943 WWII

• 1955 US intervenes in Iran

• 1967 Yom Kippur War Israel, Race riots in U.S.

• 1979 American hostages taken in Iran

• 1991 The Gulf War

• 2003 US invades Iraq

Those Sheep years were anything but peaceful, harmonious or tranquil. It is true that Sheep years are Yin and so might be thought softer and less warlike than other years. However, that is clearly not always the case. When Sheep are challenged or their actions thwarted, they can switch from peace-loving Yinsters to vile aggressors, self-pitying and pessimistic cranks. And so with the years of the Sheep. They may at first give us an impression of serenity. But wait. There will be many slips twixt the cup and the lips to come in 2015.
This Wood Sheep year will be a time for all right-thinking peoples to pull together. If you ever wanted to start your own political party, participate in a group charity effort or teach Afghan children how to speak English, 2015 is your year. Any and all humanitarian endeavors will be supported and rewarded. Being one of “the good guys” will be encouraged. Bad guys won’t be popular and hypocrites will be flushed out of their secret lairs. The man or woman who is unfaithful to a spouse or lover will be rejected by their fellows. The employee caught with their hand in the till will be publicly ridiculed and severely punished. Crime and violence in film and TV will not be popular. In 2015, people will be more interested in the arts and culture than in watch- ing punishing sports events and viewing bloody cadavers. In short, from a day-to-day living standpoint, the Sheep year 2015 will be more clement and gentler to be alive in. Good riddance to the rigorous backbreaking Horse year 2014.
Sheep, as you may already know, can hardly be thought of as workaholics. They put in their time at work. But oftentimes their hearts and minds are elsewhere. Sheep are only work- crazy when the job at hand is something they are passionate about. Usually Sheep have a side interest to their day job and as soon as they grab the time, they are deeply involved in music or painting or inventing or sculpting or dancing or singing or collecting some oddball thing nobody else would take time to bother about. Not ordinary collector’s items such as butterflies or coins or stamps. Rather Sheep will accumulate a slew of obscure types of grasshoppers, old- fashioned alarm clocks or vintage frocks and hats from the early 20th century.
How does this unusual bent, affect us in the year 2015? Well, the year will not be about ambition, success or money. Instead it will be about people and their essential needs. Ef- forts to relieve poverty and stamp out rampant illness will be favored. Those of you who invent and innovate can expect to be given time and even funds for your projects. But if you are one of those money-hungry folks who thinks of nothing but earning more success and social standing, you will ride a bumpy road ahead in 2015. Sheep don’t care about ac- cumulating money. They care about musing in fertile fields, making and building things with their minds and hands; and they care about routine. Not a routine that they impose on others. Rather a safe, unchanging routine which they can be guided by and which allows them to do more of what they are passionate about.
Big changes are not designed to please Sheep people. Aggression for its own sake in not in the Sheep makeup. Sheep prefer stasis. They are a peace-loving lot. Hence, even though at present, we can hear the rattle of sabers loud and clear,
there is hope. Sheep are about compromise. So, if events go according to the Sheep’s plan, 2015, the year of the Green Wood Sheep will smooth its wooly balm over the various hostilities and keep them from inciting wars among the peoples of the earth.
In 2015 you will see families reunited. Harmony will return between couples. Runaway children will come back to the safety of their homes. The year encourages concession. These are turbulent times. 2015 will point the way through the storms and rekindle our belief in ourselves as one people who need to drop our petty individual quarrels, mend our broken fences and act as one human race to save Mother Earth from our own follies and excesses.
See more at: http://astrostyle.com/year-of-the-sheep/#sthash.bQzdI2aV.dpuf

So, what do you think?  What are your predictions/feelings about the Year of the Sheep?
<3 Frances

Direct Again

Looking out the window now, I realize that the sun has just risen, and there's finally daylight.  When I got out the door earlier today (7:00 am!), it was dark and freezing outside, and I felt somewhat nocturnal and terribly decaffeinated.  But those are two pretty basic symptoms of my #mornings.

I have relatively good news today (hence the hamsters!), despite being a bit late on the delivery: Mercury has gone direct again!  As of the 25th (Saturday), our little planet friend with the chaotic disposition ended its retrograde.  That means that we can start making plans and decisions again without fear of havoc (yay!) and that the dust of whatever did happen over the past few weeks is going to begin to settle. Did you meet someone new and start a relationship during retrograde season?  Truths hidden by the guise of retrograde's mis-communications are going to come to light, and it's going to become clear where, exactly, you two are headed (if anywhere).  Have you been feeling forgetful lately?  Your brain fog will clear up in no time.  Have you been wanting to make a major change but been unsure of when to go through with doing so?  The post-retrograde period is a good time for your true wishes to surface and a good time for you to take action.
All that being said, may the force be with you as you tackle post-retrograde life!  I'll be attempting to do the same.  Results may vary.

<3 Frances

Mercury in Retrograde

In case you don't know already, Mercury, one of our dear planet friends, has gone into retrograde...again.  This phenomenon, which occurs three times this year (February 6-28, June 7-July 2, October 4-25), is known for causing communicative confusion and all-around uncharacteristic sloppiness.  Mercury is hanging out around the sun, looking to us humans as though it's going backwards, and it's playing all sorts of tricky games with our lives (trust me--we here at Moth Bird are experiencing it, too!).  Missed flights, misread emails...yup, welcome to retrograde season!
All that being said, though, Mercury's period of "backwardness" doesn't need to be entirely bad and chaotic.  Here are a few bits of knowledge from some of our favorite online astrology experts:

 Don’t purchase any big ticket items, because they will often have flaws or issues that you weren’t aware of! Of course, life doesn’t stop just because of wacky planetary movement, so if you absolutely have to get that car, computer or iPhone, TRIPLE-check all the paperwork, and make sure you have a warranty!

 Take things with a grain of salt. Everyone is a bit confused, and people are much more inclined to change their mind once Mercury goes direct. Mercury can be a bit of a trickster — could it be that the next few weeks are a big karmic joke?!

 Read the small print on any contracts. Ask lots of questions. Again, you can’t put your life on hold just because of some silly planet, but adapt your lifestyle a bit so that things run more smoothly. Communication can be a mess right now, but do your best to get as much information as you can.

-Gala of Gala Darling

 

 So how not to have a nervous breakdown? Focus on the prefix re-, which means to go backward. Don’t start anything new. Review all your contracts before you sign. Renew your commitments, rather than making new ones. Prepare to repeat yourself often. It’s like learning a new dance. Or something.

Note to all 21st-century dwellers: Mercury retrograde can crash electronic equipment. Back up your computer, calendar and cell phone address book. Expect delays if traveling, and pack a book to entertain yourself while you wait for the tardy bus or plane. Get in touch with old friends – and don’t be surprised if people from your past track you down. You might hear from the most RANDOM ex-boyfriends and childhood classmates during retrogrades. Mercury also rules contracts, so think before you ink. Either wrap up important negotiations before the cycle starts, or wait to sign documents until Mercury goes direct.

-Tali and Ophira of Astrostyle

Retrogrades can create some serious confusion. It also causes indecision. You may notice things getting lost and luck may seem to be against you. In fact, mercury retrograde can be seen as the planetary manifestation of Murphy's Law. Meaning that it can feel as if everything that can go wrong.... Is going wrong. It is famous for causing delays and postponements in all areas of life and this feeling of fighting upstream can lead to a sensation of severe restlessness and frustration. Mercury also particularly effects a lot of industries like publishing, writing, editing, advertising, sales, public relations & anything to do with transport, like airlines, the post office & cabs so if you have to interact with any of these industries, you can expect some mix ups to occur.

 -Just Channeling

 Overall, friends, don't take anything too personally, be wary of signing contracts or making big commitments, and, if you're going somewhere, expect some unexpected delays.  But also let go of your anxieties and just go with the flow.  Fighting and resisting Mercury will get you nowhere, and know that this time of confusion is both temporary and also wrought with opportunities for good things to happen.  Work on unfinished projects!  Let yourself breathe! We're doing our best to do the same.

<3 Frances