Tag: Allie Couch

A Refreshing Gemini Season Spring Cocktail

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last padding=”4% 0 0 0″]Lemon, Basil, Mint Spritzer
Recipe, Styling, and Photography by Allie Couch

I’m no mixologist but this spring I’ve happened onto a concoction while fiddling with some ingredients out of my garden that I’m now obsessed with. Most evenings, before heading out to the yard to get my hands dirty, I throw one of these together. It makes tending to weeding and watering a little more leisurely, enjoyable, and bubbly.

Seeing as it’s a long holiday weekend (Memorial Weekend), I thought I’d share my little garden drink that you can easily transform into a mocktail if you’re not into alcohol at the moment. Just omit the wine and add a bit more of the lemon mixture and splash more sparkling mineral water.

Ingredients:

o White wine
o Lemons
o Fresh basil
o Fresh mint
o Sparkling mineral water[/two_third_last]

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[one_third padding=”6% 0 0 0″]There is no exact science to this cocktail so these measurements are loose:

1) Squeeze a few fresh lemons into a jar that has a lid.

2) Finely chop some fresh basil and mint.

3) Mix the chopped leaves into the fresh lemon juice. Shake and store the fridge for 30 minutes.

4) Fill a glass with ice. Pour 2/3 parts white wine to 1/3 parts sparkling mineral water. Leave 1/2 inch for lemon mixture.

5) Strain the lemon mixture and add as much as desired (I do about a teaspoon). Stir and garnish. Cheers! [/one_third][two_third_last][/two_third_last]

A Vibrant Gemini Supermoon New Moon

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_half][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”2% 0 0 0″]The Gemini New Moon
By Astrologist Allie Couch

Our last new moon of spring brings much life into the open that has been finding its grounding, intention, and senses behind the scenes. The sun is ascending to its highest point and we are experiencing our longest days before the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer, at Summer Solstice, and starts tilting back toward the Tropic of Capricorn.

Baby deer, raccoons, voles, and chipmunks will start to make their first appearances to the outside world, away from their birth place, just as our new spring intentions and values will do the same. More insects start to appear as do bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds in order to carry the pollen and seeds of new spring growth. This is what happens with humans as well. We start to communicate, to allow our new spring initiatives to emerge from the protective places we’ve held them, and to tell our communities what we are going to be working on this year.

The Gemini new moon is the pivot for all of this and this year’s is quite a powerful one.

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[full_width]Be very careful with your thoughts at this new moon. If you are struggling with jealousies, negativity, or anger, see what you can do to keep these away from your new moon goals. The Gemini new moon is a potent time to create intentions for the next year to come around mentality, learning, belonging, connecting, and communicating. Gemini spreads its seeds far and wide so this, more than any other new moon, holds the chance of inadvertently planting seeds that you didn’t mean to plant, filled with mental attitudes that will play out all year.

Find some extra awareness and self-control around your thoughts (ruled by Gemini) over the next week or you may end up with some seeds that only bring more negativity and hurtful words into your life—for a full year.

On the other hand, if you tap into your natural rhythms, really feel into those places that welcome you with open arms and hold great interest and curiosity for you, your Gemini new moon goals could lead you to great mental growth, fortuitous connections, and a year filled with wonder and community.

Now to the smaller details: This year’s Gemini new moon is a supermoon. This means that this union between the sun and moon will fall in its closest possible proximity to earth, making what arises very potent and powerfully felt. We have a lovely link to Jupiter in Libra, making this moon open to pushing our boundaries and finding more faith around equality, harmony, fairness, and relationships. On the other hand, Neptune is squaring off to this moon, calling for us to be extra cautions around honesty (from ourselves OR others), to be realistic, and to use our creative urges toward the arts and spiritual aims rather than toward deceit and trickery. Last, we have Pluto in a sesquiquadrate angel to this moon. Some subtle challenges may be felt at our cores around obsessions and power issues. By bringing these to your surface and sharing your thoughts, some of this can get cleared out and actually create some metamorphism around using knowledge and eloquence for empowerment rather than to control. [/full_width]

[one_half padding=”10% 0 0 0″]We also look to the planetary ruler of Gemini (Mercury) to see how our goals may move throughout the year. In Taurus, we may need for our Gemini goals to bring us a greater sense of ownership and self-worth. Take some moments leading up to writing out your new moon goals to feel your value. Use all of your senses to find resonance with your authenticity. How can your words and communications help you hone this even more over the next year? Mercury will be in nice angle to both Neptune and Pluto, the very planets giving our new moon a bit of heat. This will help us to tap into the better sides of these planets over the next year, in connection to our Gemini goals. Inspired art, transcendent feelings, psychological insight that brings great transformations—all of these are possible as we work to move our Gemini goals forward. [/one_half][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

[full_width]Muses, if there’s anything to remember about the Gemini new moon, it’s this:

Our Gemini new moon day is a powerful time to make goals that will enhance the eloquence of our thoughts and words. It’s a time to embrace the duality that lives within us by experimenting with both the left and right sides of our bodies—our yin and yang qualities, to plug into communities and learning experiences that feel right and accepting of us, and to let loose our curiosity for the wonders of life, all around us. The seeds formed at this moon will bring a new cycle of thought, movement, and connecting into our lives for the next year. Stay aware and stay positive. [/full_width]

Monday Mantras: Invest in Curiosity

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]Invest In Curiosity
By Allie Couch | Image via Perla Marek

This week we’ve newly entered the solar season of Gemini. Ruling over the last of the zodiac’s spring seasons, this sign wants us to wander and flirt with life, to find our curiosity, and to buzz around like little hummingbirds, engaging with life in a multitude of ways to see what sticks: Try a new hair color; start writing; spark a conversation with a stranger; say yes to something different.

In the words of Elizabeth Gilbert from her book, Big Magic: “Keep your eyes open. Listen. Follow your curiosity. Ideas are constantly trying to get your attention. Let them know you’re available.”

Taking this a step further, during this curiosity amplifying Gemini time of year, Gemini’s ruler, Mercury, is back in the sign of Taurus. This will add a layer of making our ideas need to feel valuable to us—or create value for us.

Invest in your ideas this week and see how this valuing of curiosity pays off throughout the year. With our Gemini new moon arriving on Thursday, doing this sooner than later will serve us best. [/two_third_last]

Taurus New Moon: Material Healing

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]Happy earthy and sensual Taurus new moon, Muses! On this once yearly pleasure oriented day, Astrologist Allie Couch brings us some cosmic guidance and a sense driven practice.

Are you swimming in compassionate seas this Taurus new moon, with your values and possessions seeming to take on spiritual notes?

New moons are our most fertile time to make goals. In Taurus, new seeds may be forming around your income, your values, your material possessions, and your self-esteem. Just like an actual seed, care and tending are needed for these metaphorical seeds to sprout, grow, and blossom. We look to the full moon of the same sign for results, six months down the road.

The planetary ruler of any event will point us in a deeper direction. The Taurus new moon is ruled by Venus so we look to this goddess planet for context. Our intentions will be formed in Taurus-related themes, but they need to go somewhere—they need to be expressed. In the last degree of Pisces, the last degree of our zodiac, Venus is cracked wide open with her heart exposed and healing all sorts of value wounds that we hold. Our greatest potential for manifestation is held in this degree—so long as symbolic and spiritual tones are noticed.[/two_third_last]

[full_width]EXPERIMENTING WITH SENSE & IMAGE

  1. Close your eyes and say the word value out loud – what image arises in your mind’s eye? How does it make your heart feel? Does it make you feel fluid and fertile?
  1. Do this a few more times with other Taurus-reflected words: self-esteem, possession, ownership, income, pleasure, voice, form, texture, smell, taste, sight, sound. Jot down some notes after each to use when forming your Taurus new moon goals.

This new moon has some serious healing vibes surrounding it, but you have to have awareness of the spirit channels at work. They are subtle. Meditation, music, art, breathwork, and the above reflecting practice can help you.

Drawn to our site, you are likely a special breed that is open to subtle forces that are ready and waiting to envelop you in heartfelt love—seeing you for all the greatness you possess. Ask for some cosmic help and see what comes to your aid, reflecting your value back to you. Say out loud: I’m ready for cosmic assistance to help me value myself more, to help me slow down and enjoy my senses, and to find more stability in my personal finances. Be sure to show gratitude to whatever swoops in to assist you. It takes time to develop a relationship to cosmic guidance, but it’s there.

Download our free 2017 guide that has a new moon worksheet for each season, if you don’t have it yet – or buy our printed one, now on sale. [/full_width]

[full_width]OWNERSHIP, INCOME, & BUDGETING

Here are a few more thoughts to help you understand how you relate to Taurus’s financial energy at this new moon.

What do you want to own in the material realm and why?

Before you answer this, let’s do a bit of reflection so we can think about this question with more depth and understanding of our habits.

What do you tend to spend your money on?
Does your income support the above habits with ease? (If not, are you being overly careless with your resources or do you need a leg up to help you get by with very essential needs? Either way, use this new moon to help you with the issue.)
What resources do you own that you consider valuable?
What possessions do you take the most care of?
What are a few things you’d like to initiate to help you feel more security through your personal resources (open a savings account, budget to rid yourself of debt, put more into a 401k, open an IRA, stash a shoebox of money, ask for a raise, learn how to budget…)

These material things can help you feel more solid and stable, allowing you to act out of your real values rather than react out of a feeling of deficit. Once you’ve answered the above questions, go back and answer the first question. [/full_width]

[two_third]TAURUS NEW MOON AFFIRMATIONS

Taurus: I assert into life with strength of voice, financial prudence, and loving values.

Gemini: I inspire the world through my voice and values. My cosmic connections are comfortable.

Cancer: I help evolve humanity with a progressive voice and values.

Leo: I support the world through loving values and a prudent voice.

Virgo: I value pushing my perspectives to be wiser as I expand into foreign sensibilities.

Libra: I value and respect the resources of others, in turn, finding value through those resources.

Scorpio: I build relationships based on hearing others and values rooted in equality.

Sagittarius: I find pleasure and value in my work. My lifestyle is easy and comfortable.

Capricorn: I create with my senses and find a strong voice as a leader.

Aquarius: My home is a place of comfort, pleasure, and strong values.

Pisces: I use my strength in communication to spread loving values.

Aries: I am financially comfortable and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.[/two_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Monday Mantras: Clarity & Senses

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_sixth][/one_sixth][one_third][/one_third][one_third]This week’s Monday Mantras for April 17th – 23rd, come to us from Astrologist, Allie Couch. Designed to help us shift from the ending Aries Season to Wednesday evening’s approaching Taurus Season.

This is a week of shifting energies as we move from our first astrological season of Aries; the season that woke us out of our winter slumber and into initiations for the yang half of the year; to the season of Taurus where we’ll be taking a slower pace to find pleasure and hone in on our senses. These mantras should wake us up to the value and beauty of life and ourselves. The shifting energies this week can bring feelings of urgency to tie things up, celebrate or release a cycle, and take some awkward steps into a new energy and season. It’s not a great week for initiating, but rather, for reflecting,and being open to new possibility as you observe and sense your way into Taurus Season. [/one_third][one_sixth_last][/one_sixth_last]

[two_third padding=”2% 0 0 0″]Aries: I am clear and self-possessed as I move into a fresh cycle of sensual living.

Taurus: I am clear and spiritually activated as I move into a fresh cycle of claiming my worth.

Gemini: I am clear and socially plugged-in as I move into a fresh cycle of spiritual enhancement.

Cancer: I am clear about my authority and aspirations as I move into a fresh cycle of valuable networking.

Leo: I am clear about bold aims as I move into a fresh cycle of giving form to my aspirations.

Virgo: I am clear and personally empowered as I move into a fresh cycle of grand financial aims. [/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last]

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last padding=”5% 0 0 0″]Libra: I am clear in my harmonizing with others as I move into a fresh cycle of transforming my values.

Scorpio: I am clear and assertive in my productivity as I move into a fresh cycle of forming valuable relationships.

Sagittarius: I am clear about my creative initiative as I move into a fresh cycle of slow & valuable living.

Capricorn: I am clear about my self-care needs as I move into a fresh cycle of forming creative projects.

Aquarius: My mind is sharp and clear as I move into a fresh cycle of nurturing & caring for my senses.

Pisces: I am clear about my bold self-worth as I move into a fresh cycle of valuable connecting and communicating. [/two_third_last]

Monday Mantras: Wishing on Stars

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_half][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”6% 0 0 0″]Welcome to our new weekly, Monday Mantras! Based off of the solar season, any major cosmic events in the week ahead, and a touch of chakra love, we hope to help you start your Moody Monday’s with a bit more excitement. This week, Seasonal Astrologist Allie Couch gives us some power to put behind our Aries new moon wishes.

At this evening’s Aries new moon, we have potent energy to make new intentions and get really clear about what we want to be fearless in over the next twelve months, leading to great satisfaction around personal desires. Read your Aries new moon mantras below for both your sun sign & rising sign to help you tap into bold intentions over the course of this week. When the moon is new, it’s at it’s darkest, allowing for our stars to shine bright, begging for us to make wishes upon them. Happy wishing, muses.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

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[full_width]MONDAY MANTRAS: WISHING ON STARS

Aries Mantra: I am a fearless pioneer, boldly clearing new life paths that lead to my deepest passions.

Taurus Mantra: I see and express love in the world as I connect to fresh spiritual clarity and inspiration.

Gemini Mantra: My passion and initiative revives systems and friendships through strong and conscious intuiting.

Cancer Mantra: A clear and sharp mind gives me logical creativity as I build fresh & independent successes.

Leo Mantra: Analytical skills and a strong memory push my boundaries as I experience fresh & passionate wisdom. [/full_width]

[one_half padding=”4% 0 0 0″]Virgo Mantra: I intuit and transform anything blocking my life force, attracting outside resources & empowerment.

Libra Mantra: I receive the love of others into my life, connecting me with fresh balance and simple elegance.

Scorpio Mantra: Assertion and action in my day-to-day life and processes, reignites my self-confidence & will-power.

Sagittarius Mantra: Bold emotions and passions fluidly move through me, generating exciting and fresh creativity.

Capricorn Mantra: Nurturing and caring grounds my life, giving me the courage to grow new physical strength.

Aquarius Mantra: Positive connections and information bring new found stability and energetic control.

Pisces Mantra: Alluring creativity molds and infuses my life with pleasure and value, generating new financial energy.[/one_half][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

Aquarius New Moon: Complex Progress with Eris

Posted on by TheMuse

[two_third][/two_third][one_third_last]Wander with us as Astrologist, Allie Couch, takes us on a tour of a new moon post that is complex and longer than usual, as it’s a pertinent one. Don’t worry if you don’t grasp it all, take what you can, and use it toward making the best Aquarius new moon intentions that you can.

Tomorrow marks our yearly return of the sun and moon aligning in the sing of Aquarius, or, the Aquarius new moon. New moons mark times to plant new seeds, walk through new doors opening to you, and to set new intentions. In Aquarius, our group orientation and need to see progress for humanity are the focal points. It’s time to break out your CosmoMuse 2017 Seasonal Astrology Guide, review Aquarius Season, if you haven’t yet (or get yours here if you don’t have one yet), and starting tomorrow evening, write out your new moon goals in this guide so you can refer back to them during the year. [/one_third_last]

[full_width]It’s been a complex year in the Aquarius realm, as seems obvious with the angst and powerful movements currently rising up, and the trend will continue with plenty of cross-roads, challenges, and oppositions to contend with regarding the initiations in the Aquarius realm of our charts, this year. It’s a mess really, but not without golden nuggets. This new moon is quintile Uranus and Eris, bringing creative activation through a warrior goddess (hence the successful Women’s March), and planet of earthquakes, lightening and awakening. We also look at the planetary co-rulers of Aquarius, Uranus and Saturn, to get the whole picture of what will play into our initiations at this time.

Uranus is conjunct the goddess of retaliation, Eris, in the ultimate warrior sign of Aries. Aries is great for getting things off of the ground but is also rash, confrontational, and more than a bit selfish. Be sure that your new intentions have the good of your relationships or issues of equality in mind or you’ll have some equilibrium problems this year. With Eris here, feelings of wanting retribution may arise, a negative thing that will ultimately lead to discord—this goddess asteroid, in Aries, has lots of symbolism and linking to the epidemic of terrorism. We need to ask ourselves: With things initiating now, are we just trying to make progress in the race for personal glory and advantage? As well as: If there’s a fight aspect involved in an initiation, will it bring warranted and important winning for the collective or is it flavored with a need to see others fail badly and bloodily, out of retaliation (here’s a whole article about just Eris’ discovery and alignment with our seasonal ruler of Uranus, that I would HIGHLY suggest reading). Jupiter is in opposition to these two planets, so our new goals will also find opposition around expansive themes of fairness and equality. To make it even more complex, Pluto, planet of transformation, as well as messenger, Mercury, will square off to Uranus and Eris. I’m not going to sugarcoat this, these are some pretty heavy aspects bringing cross-purposes and issues of control. Get creative by pushing into the challenge, or heat, brought and take initiative to solve things in this vein.[/full_width]

[two_third]Luckily, our second seasonal co-ruler, Saturn, sheds a bit of relief, but not without its own challenges. Saturn makes a nice angle to Uranus and Eris, so some responsible planning and structuring can help us in our new initiations. Jupiter and Saturn are also in good angle, so this same planning and structuring can be used to alleviate and bring peaceful mediation to some of the oppositions coming our way from issues of fairness, partnerships, and equality. This is the thing that could actually spark responsible innovations that are inspired from the strife and competitive atmosphere. On another note, Mars, planet of war, and Venus, planet of beauty, are at odds with Saturn, throwing some illusionist and delusional traps at our feet. Ugh.

We all have this sign of Aquarius reigning over an area of our charts so we all have new things that will initiate, connected to the area this sign rules for us. Check your guide for the cycle it brings up for you.

My plea: Remember, no matter what area of your life this group, cause, and future oriented sign ignites for you, the divide and contentions in our communities, nation, and world, are already fragile. Really, all anyone wants in this part of their chart is to feel progress and hope for the future. This is the root of all of the dramas that will play out over the course of the year in connection to what starts in the next week. Give positive energy and a collaborative spirit to all that surfaces at this time, as well as remember that when conflicts arise, you do not have a full perspective of anything unless you have listened with kindness and empathy (putting yourself in another’s shoes) to your foe’s story. Although you may still feel that they are incorrect, once you’ve listened, if you understand where and why they are taking the stances they are, you can create movement and foundations that are more inclusive, whether or not they recognize that. [/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last]

[full_width]I like to call this the power of yin. When we listen to another with compassion, if we do not agree and still decide to act in opposition to them, minimally they have felt heard, softening them to you and your actions, even if only slightly. A seed has been planted, and it may take a year, or the seed may never break open, but when and if it does, you are the originator of a heart opening in this foe, who may then feel comfortable seeking you out for guidance on how to graciously change their stance. There is no guarantee, and likely no immediate gratification in this yin practice, but just that act of empathetic listening has the power to change people, in time. This also takes place in you, and you may suddenly feel a jolt of insight, helping you realize you have been on the wrong side of things.

Those who can see the positive side of competition and challenges are our greatest hope for this year’s Aquarius new moon initiations, and as always, AMAZING work can come from such issues of complexity (such as this musical piece). Look for those who rise above vengeful feelings, be inspired by them, and model yourself after them. This is the season that can ignite our greatest forward thinking and out-of-the-box solutions to propel our species forward in more harmonious alignment with our dying earth and polarizing issues. We also need to confront the initiations and goals put in place now to make sure they are not related to vengeful feelings towards others, rather competitive and progressive hopes for humanity. [/full_width]

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow We Rise

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]CosmoMuse astrologist, Allie Couch, reflects on yesterday’s Women’s Marches and musefully projects into the future of a Trump era and progressing past it.
Photography: Ann Whittaker, Park City, Utah

YESTERDAY It was an historic day and Together We Rose. The Women’s Marches across the world brought so many together, in solidarity, around much that the Trump administration is openly trying to take away. This march means something different to everyone but as a unified thread, it ignited the empowerment of all that are disenfranchised, unheard, or unfairly treated.

To CosmoMuse, this is a time when we see the need to empower the yin, or feminine, in everyone (men, women, transgender…); the energy of listening, intuition, community, nourishment, peace, and love. Yin in it’s healthy state is not seductive, receiving through manipulation but rather a High Priestess and magnetic, receiving with gratitude. Yin is organic, nourishing, mystical, receptive, and channeling. The out of control Patriarchy, wars, segregation, and hate crimes show a clear indication of an overtaxed yang energy in our world and an undervaluing of yin.

It’s time to understand that yin or feminine energy is not weak, it’s not unqualified to lead, it’s not overly emotional. Over the next year we will be laying out ways to heal and empower our yin, or feminine, sides to bring balance to our overheated yang energies or undervalued yin energies, however those play out in each of us. [/two_third_last]

[one_third padding=”17% 0 0 0″]TODAY
Rest day. Make sure to nourish yourself and reflect so you know just what it is you are fighting for as the tides shift throughout the course of Trump’s Presidency.
Drink tea, meditate, journal, and listen to others on the days that are less active on the front lines. Flex some of your yin muscles to channel and find magnetic attraction to what is needed and where your energy is best directed before shifting to the next day of yang action. Let these energies support and work in harmony through the flow of this movement in your life.
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[two_third][/two_third][one_third_last padding=”21% 0 0 0″]TOMORROW
Back to the movement. Get up, know from your days of recovery where you are going next and no matter how bruised or bloody you feel, get out there and join the resistance as well as join in with innovations and movements that move past the resistance and have a life of their own, creating the future, rather than waiting for the battle to end. We need both of these actions if we are going to move humanity forward in a healthy way.
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[full_width]WHAT COSMOMUSE IS DOING:

Astrological guidance: Astrologically, as the physical march on January 21, 2017, being the thing that brought us together as a collective, was ignited under the season and sign of Aquarius, it holds an energy of forward progress and hope for humanity and the future. A good omen if there ever was one.

My biggest fear of the astrological signatures that graced both January 20th (start of the Trump era) and the 21st (ignition of the Together We Rise movement) is they are both ruled by an Aquarius sun, Scorpio moon combination. These are both fixed signs so an absolute stubborn approach is indicated by both. I hope we can find ways to talk to each other effectively but the indications show a battle ahead. On our end, we can uphold our own integrity and maturity by attempting to listen and find unity with those who voted this administration in, in order to help both sides overcome ignorance of each other’s needs. There is a reason that so many jumped on the Trump bandwagon and they will likely be sorely bruised, disillusioned, and taken advantage of over the next four years by his egregious lies. Let’s be there with solutions, waiting in the wings to say, we hear you, we understand that life is hard on you as well right now. Let’s listen to each other’s stories and find ways to make progress together. [/full_width]

[two_third][/two_third][one_third_last]Lunar Phase Connection: Every time the moon is in Aquarius, things started in this season will see progress. We’ll make sure to call out the Aquarius moon days to remind us all that these are very activated times for forward progress in humanity.

Season of Gathering: This once a month gathering, near the start of each new zodiac season, we will touch on how yin and yang energies might play out within the movement for the next four-week period and how we can utilize that for the best paths forward.

Feminine Rising Products & Proceeds: We’ve started with one Feminine Rising product, a beanie, and hope to do more with our new CosmoMuse affirmation by creating products that also benefit the causes we see as being important to the movement. [/one_third_last]

Sagittarius New Moon: Seeking & Growing

Posted on by TheMuse

[two_third][/two_third][one_third_last]Join CosmoMuse Seasonal Astrologist, Allie Couch, as she lays out the landscape around this morning’s Sagittarius new moon and then takes us through a goal setting ritual. Step bravely toward new openings and grand adventures, Muses. The world beckons to us on this near-winter morning.

As we wake on this dark morning, new energy and doors are opening all around us as a new moon graced our early dawn hours. This isn’t just any new moon, it’s the epic Sagittarius new moon – the most grand and adventurous opening to fresh juju that we get during the year. The way forward is dark as we step into unknown territory with the opportunities presenting themselves. Although scary, the promises on the horizon are ones that will catapult us into new worlds and new ways of living and seeing. [/one_third_last]

[one_third]As an exaggerated comparison (in true Sagittarian fashion), look to the trend of heroic stories and characters that always grace the silver screen during this season for a clue as to what lies ahead. Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Hobbit: All of these are Sagittarius in nature. Taking a note from any of these grand tales, we head toward new openings into great darkness where demons and evil lurk, as noted by the darkest month of the year, but we also realize that the victories possible, although overwhelming, could entirely change our lives with new truths and immense wisdom. The immediate result of deciding to allow fresh Sagittarian goals into our lives is hope, blind faith and optimism and the long term results can be a complete overhaul of our visionary potential, life perspectives and worldly experience.

Exposure to new ways of thinking and living [/one_third][two_third_last][/two_third_last]

[full_width]brings more encompassed truths into our perspective, allowing us to eradicate perceived evils. As we conquer these notions of threat and the unknown, bigger opportunities and elevated wisdom brings luck and good will to our doors. World travel, global enterprise, astronomy, publishing, higher education, religion and philosophy are all areas that may call to us at this new moon. Shoot for the stars with your Sagittarius new moon goals and land in new worlds.

Sagittarius New Moon Ritual
Starting any new intentions, initiations, or goals should be gone into feeling new yourself. Because of this, I prefer to use the morning hours as the timing for setting new moon goals.

A shower, salt scrub or smudging will cleanse your aura, allowing your energy to be fresh.

Spend 5-10 minutes reflecting and writing about your dreams from the previous night. Look for any symbolism in these dreams that touch on questions and seeking in your heart.

Commit to a 20-30 minute meditation, focusing on your breath as well as taking note of the things your mind wanders to.

Do a 5 minute scan for common threads over the past day or two, your dreams and where you mind wandered during meditation. Is there anything calling to you? This will help you step toward the right openings available to you.

Writing down your goals and then reading them aloud is a great practice for making them clear and concrete. Before writing your Sagittarian themed goals out (5 – 10 of them) write an affirmation intro sentence: I bravely expand into the below goals to gain more wisdom, opportunity and truth in my life, in turn, bringing openness and goodwill to all I encounter on my path.

As each goal is written, light a candle as an affirmative action, representing your step forward into the goal.

If you have goddess or archetype cards, pick one to know what special guidance you may have access to on your new quests.

Set a calendar reminder for June 9th, (the Sagittarius full moon), and the approximate time that these goals, if tended to, will see their peak manifesting potential.

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[two_third][/two_third][one_third_last]With Neptune squaring off to this new moon, be aware of getting the wool pulled over your eyes from others or due to your own delusional expectations. There is action needed due to difficulties this may bring up over the next year, but this awareness can help you identify issues. Versatility, flexibility and compassion can bring much inspired dreaming to the table. With Saturn right next to this new moon, these visionary goals will be tinged with a need for focus and dedicated effort. They will not be easy goals to achieve as they will require great structure and expertise, but don’t give up. At the end of the road acclaim and glory may await.

Not all goals take flight, but with Jupiter (ruler of Sagittarius) in airy and relational Libra this year, partners, relationships, beauty of the mind and justice will help these goals soar with graceful harmony. [/one_third_last]

A Shift in Seasons: Scorpio to Sagittarius

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]CosmoMuse’s Seasonal Astrologist, Allie Couch, takes us through a poetic transition of our ending autumn month from Scorpio’s reign to Sagittarius’ dark night.

I awoke this morning to mist covered mountain tops and fields, a drizzle in the valley, birds aflutter and nearly all that was left on branches now fallen. Scorpio Season comes to and end today (November 21st) and with it a shift – or should we say a ‘letting go’ in true Scorpio fashion. It was a season where we may have felt intense loss that unhinged our own hidden passions and emotions. Release and intense sharing brought much to the atmosphere, one for the books with an unprecedented election as well as a deep swell of protests around important shared resources—sacred Native American land and water sources facing an oil pipeline that would traumatize it’s history and sustaining powers. If ever there were Scorpio themes, these two events brought them to light as the sun blazed through this season of power and mystery.

The sun grew ever dim and we turned further inward as the nights weighed longer than the days. Our psychological health may have been tested but with that, new insight into our own and shared mysteries brought about transformation. Endings and beginnings flooded the depths of our souls as we bravely plunged into the reflections that the current events brought up in our emotional bearings. Stubborn streaks and battles of will created many a stand off. Farewell, Scorpio and thank you for the lessons in self-control, sharing, secrets and rebirth.

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[one_sixth][/one_sixth][one_third]The Mystery | Paul Laurence Dunbar
I was not; now I am—a few days hence
I shall not be; I fain would look before
And after, but can neither do; some Power
Or lack of power says “no” to all I would.
I stand upon a wide and sunless plain,
Nor chart nor steel to guide my steps aright.
Whene’er, o’ercoming fear, I dare to move,
I grope without direction and by chance.
Some feign to hear a voice and feel a hand
That draws them ever upward thro’ the gloom.
But I—I hear no voice and touch no hand,
Tho’ oft thro’ silence infinite I list,
And strain my hearing to supernal sounds;
Tho’ oft thro’ fateful darkness do I reach,
And stretch my hand to find that other hand.
I question of th’ eternal bending skies
That seem to neighbor with the novice earth;
But they roll on, and daily shut their eyes
On me, as I one day shall do on them,
And tell me not the secret that I ask.

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[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]As we greet Sagittarius Season tonight, a golden beam of optimism and hope shows through as we enter our longest nights. This may seem like a paradox but that’s what this sign is so masterful at tackling. We are complex beings, capable of holding two seemingly unfriendly ideas and seeing both as valid. Find this quality with Sag as your cosmic guide to understanding others who are wholly different from you.

“The deeper the dark, the closer the dawn. However profound the suffering that envelops you, never forget the inner spark of hope and courage. Never lose the capacity to wait with patient enduring.” — Daisaku Ikeda

You may come up against new philosophies, concepts, cultures and worlds this season, and the challenge is to understand; to learn the ‘language’ of this unknown element. This may not change your passionate stance around ways of thinking and being but it will help you bridge divides and have compassion for another story that is fully different than yours. You can hold both compassion for those who seem ‘dark’ to you as well as keep your convictions in tact.

Go ahead and ask someone to share their story of why their ideals are so different than yours and then share your own—as an offering, not a debate. I dare you to leave that conversation without greater understanding and more perspective on how to move forward together, with hope.[/two_third_last]