An orb is the exactness of the degrees in an aspect. If the orb is tight - say an exact aspect, it’s powerful. For example, my Sun is 20º Gemini and my Mercury is 20º Mercury. That means this is an exact conjunction - and it’s potent. The Sun is power and Mercury is the mind so this amplifies my mental acuity - and ability to express myself. If the orb is wide - say 10 degrees or more, the energy isn’t as powerful. It may be barely felt. Learn more in this short lesson!
Aug 16, 2019•5 min•Ep. 83
Episode 82. Have you ever heard someone say that they were "born on the cusp?" Wonder what that means? It simply means that they were born on the day that the Sun changed signs. BUT hear this: you're not actually born "on the cusp" - you are either one sign or another. (Astrologers get grouchy when people talk about being born on the cusp.) That's not the only cusp in astrology by the way. There are also the astrological house cusps - which are legit. In this episode, you'll learn about cusps - ...
Aug 09, 2019•5 min•Ep. 82
Episode 81. In the last two episodes, I covered the Mercury retrograde and the Venus retrograde transits. This week, we’re talking about the Mars retrograde transit. Here’s what you need to know… Mars retrograde happens about once every other year. It generally lasts about two months. During a Mars retrograde, anger and aggression can get out of hand. This is NOT the time to start a fight or war. Whichever side starts it usually loses. This means you’ll want to practice some restraint when it co...
Aug 02, 2019•4 min•Ep. 81
You might be familiar with the Mercury retrograde transit (ugh). If you aren't, I covered it in last week's Astrology Bytes . This week I'm talking about Venus retrograde, another retrograde transit you might want to pay attention to. Venus retrograde happens about once every other year. It generally lasts about six weeks. During this transit, relationships can become challenging. Not just romance - any partnership. Lots of folks end up squabbling more than usual. Or old partners show back up on...
Jul 26, 2019•4 min•Ep. 80
Episode 79. Mercury retrograde. Ugh. The two most dreaded words in astrology! Even people who don't work with astrology know that Mercury retrograde brings on the drama. In this short episode (recorded during a Mercury retrograde!) we'll go over what it means and my simple strategy for working with this rascal. (Hint: add the letters "re" to everything!) The blog post mentioned in this episode is How To Have a Happy and Productive Mercury Retrograde ....
Jul 19, 2019•7 min•Ep. 79
Episode 78. It's eclipse season around here so I thought it might be cool to talk about eclipses. In this episode, I talk briefly about what an eclipse is (thank you NASA !) and the astrological impact of an eclipse. I also give you my strategies for dealing with them because they can be challenging. The book mentioned in this episode is Eclipses and You: How to Align with Life's Hidden Tides by Judith Hill. Magazine mentioned is The Mountain Astrologer ....
Jul 12, 2019•10 min•Ep. 78
Episode 77. And now we're at the last house in the astrological chart. The twelfth. It's a heavy one, folks. The 12th house represents karma, rest, reflection, hospitals, institutions, prison, psychological health, the subconscious, hidden enemies, secrets, and self-undoing. This house is associated with the sign Pisces, which is the last sign of the zodiac. Neptune would be the ruling planet. It would be considered mutable and would belong to the water element. It's also one of the "cadent hous...
Jun 27, 2019•5 min•Ep. 77
Episode 76. The 11th house represents your friends, social life, groups, and associates. Goals are also placed here. This house is associated with the sign Aquarius, which is the eleventh sign of the zodiac. Uranus and Saturn would be the ruling planets. It would be considered fixed and would belong to the air element. It's also one of the "succedent houses." When a planet sits in the natal 11th, it may have something to say about your social life. If a planet transits this house, it could impac...
Jun 21, 2019•4 min•Ep. 76
Episode 75. The Tenth House. The 10th house represents your reputation, status, career, and authority. This is the place that symbolizes your street cred, both inherited and earned. It’s also your higher calling. The Midheaven is the angle associated with the tenth house. The Midheaven is the degree and sign at the top of your chart - in other words, the degree and sign overhead at the moment and location of your birth. I like to say that it shows where you’re going in the world. The Midheaven c...
Jun 14, 2019•5 min•Ep. 75
Episode 74. Travel, foreigners, higher education, spirituality, and philosophy all fall under the 9th house. These are the things that allow you to expand your horizons and have a fuller understanding of the world around you. This house is associated with the sign Sagittarius, which is the ninth sign of the zodiac. Jupiter would be the ruling planet. It would be considered mutable and would belong to the fire element. It's also one of the "cadent houses." When a planet sits in the natal 9th, it ...
Jun 07, 2019•5 min•Ep. 74
Episode 73. The 8th house is complicated. It rules joint finances, loans, inheritances, insurance, taxes, death, and sex. It’s all about merging whether you’re sharing resources or getting intimate. This house is associated with the sign Scorpio, which is the eighth sign of the zodiac. Mars and Scorpio would be the ruling planets. It would be considered fixed and would belong to the water element. It's also one of the "succedent houses." When a planet sits in the natal 8th, it may have something...
May 31, 2019•5 min•Ep. 73
Episode 72. The 7th house is the house of relationships. Not just marriage and romance but also business, friends, and other types of partnerships. Enemies also fall under this house! The 7th house also covers law and public relations. So yeah...lots of things about getting along with others. The 7th house is associated with the sign Libra, which is the seventh sign of the zodiac. Venus would be the ruling planet. It would be considered cardinal and would belong to the air element. It's also one...
May 24, 2019•5 min•Ep. 72
Episode 71. The sixth house is the house of work, jobs, routines, health, and small pets. Yes, even pets get a room in the astrological chart! The 6th house is associated with the sign Virgo, which is the sixth sign of the zodiac. Mercury would be the ruling planet. It would be considered mutable and would belong to the earth element. It's also one of the "cadent houses." When a planet sits in the natal 6th, it may have something to say about your work or your well-being. If a planet transits yo...
May 17, 2019•4 min•Ep. 71
Episode 70. The 5th house is the house of children, creativity, romance, play, leisure, sports, fame, and gambling. It's where we create and have fun. The 5th house is associated with the sign Leo, which is the fifth sign of the zodiac. The Sun would be the ruling planet. It would be considered fixed and would belong to the fire element. It's also one of the "succedent houses." When a planet sits in the natal 5th, it may have something to say about your creative output, children, or how you like...
May 10, 2019•5 min•Ep. 70
Episode 69. The fourth house. The 4th house is the house of family, mother, roots, and our roots. It shows where you're coming from. The 4th house is associated with the sign Cancer, which is the fourth sign of the zodiac. The Moon would be the ruling planet. It would be considered cardinal and would belong to the water element. It's also one of the "angular houses." When a planet sits in the natal 4th, it can tell a lot about your family and home environment. If a planet transits your 4th, it m...
Apr 26, 2019•6 min•Ep. 69
Episode 68. The Third House. The 3rd house is the house of mind, communication, learning, and short trips. It also represents your relationships with your siblings and neighbors. The 3rd house is associated with the sign Gemini, which is the third sign of the zodiac. Mercury would be the ruling planet. It would be considered mutable and would belong to the air element. It's also one of the "cadent houses." When a planet sits in the natal 3rd, it can reveal how you process information and share i...
Apr 19, 2019•4 min•Ep. 68
Episode 67. The Second House. We're now moving through all the houses in the astrological chart, one by one. Coming up today: the second house! The second house is the house of money, values, and resources. This is your relationship to money: how you attract it, spend it, feel about it. The second house is associated with the sign Taurus, which is the second sign of the zodiac. Venus would be the ruling planet. This house would be considered fixed and would belong to the earth element. It's also...
Apr 12, 2019•5 min•Ep. 67
Episode 66. The First House. In the next twelve episodes, we'll cover each of the houses in the astrological chart one by one. Naturally, we're starting with the first house. The first house is the house of the self. This is your image, which means your physical body, the way you dress, and how you express your identity. It's the "you" that people see. The first house is associated with the sign Aries, which is the first sign of the zodiac. Mars would be the ruling planet. This house would be co...
Apr 05, 2019•6 min•Ep. 66
Episode 65: Transits. Transits may seem complicated but they are actually easy to understand. They are simply the movement of the planets in the sky on any given date. BAM! That's it!
Mar 29, 2019•4 min•Ep. 65
Episode 64: The Vertex. The Vertex. It sounds like some sort of superhero, right? But it's not. It's another one of those weird astrological points that may not be used all the time but it's still interesting nonetheless. The vertex symbolizes some fated love type thing. It's pretty interesting - and well worth getting to know. Especially if you believe in love at first sight or that sort of stuff.
Mar 22, 2019•7 min•Ep. 64
The Finger of Yod (also called the Finger of Fate in some circles) is formed by two planets in a sextile making quincunxes to a third. It indicates a mission - or a blockage. It's considered "rare" but I found that I was surrounded by 'em. Site mentioned in this episode: AstroTwins .
Mar 08, 2019•7 min•Ep. 63
Episode 62: What's a Quincunx? In this episode, we're covering a minor aspect, the quincunx. The quincunx, also referred to as inconjunct, is an aspect that occurs when two planets are 150º apart.
Mar 01, 2019•3 min•Ep. 62
Episode 61: The Grand Cross. The Grand Cross is an aspect that occurs when four planets, usually in the same quality, form a configuration that looks like a cross. It indicates tension in the astrological chart.
Feb 22, 2019•6 min•Ep. 61
Episode 60: Grand Trines. In this lesson, we're looking at the Grand Trine, or what I call the "big easy." It's three planets, usually in the same element, forming a triangle. Grand Trines give ease and harmony to the individual so it's considered quite fortunate. But there is a downside - that ease can make folks complacent, letting life drift by.
Feb 15, 2019•7 min•Ep. 60
Episode 59: T Squares. A T Square is formed by three planets joined by an opposition and two squares. It looks like giant T and can feel hard to manage. Learn how to spot them - and how to work with its tricky energy.
Feb 08, 2019•10 min•Ep. 59
Episode 58: Your Birth Chart's Ruling Planet. We've covered planetary rulership in previous episodes. In this lesson, we're talking about the planet that rules your whole astrology chart! How to find it? Look to your Ascendant. What is your Rising Sign? The planet that rules your Ascendant is the planet that rules your chart. For example, if you're a Capricorn rising, Saturn is your ruling planet. So simple! I'm covering more in this short 'n sweet episode.
Feb 01, 2019•4 min•Ep. 58
Episode 57: Juno. As we move on in our mini-lessons on the asteroids, we come to Juno. Juno is the Roman equivalent of the Greek Goddess Hera. She was Zeus's wife and didn't dig his infidelity so she killed his mistresses and sometimes their children! In the astrological chart, Juno symbolizes marriage, commitment, fidelity, and jealousy. Book mentioned in this episode: Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of the Re-Emerging Feminine by Demetra George and Douglas Bloch....
Jan 25, 2019•5 min•Ep. 57
Episode 56: Vesta. As we move on in our mini-lessons on the asteroids, we arrive at Vesta. Vesta was the 4th asteroid to be discovered and was named after Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth and home. In the astrological chart, Vesta symbolizes devotion, service, commitment, and sacrifice. Some say it's your higher purpose. Book mentioned in this episode: Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of the Re-Emerging Feminine by Demetra George and Douglas Bloch....
Jan 18, 2019•5 min•Ep. 56
Episode 55: Pallas. As we move on in our mini-lessons on the asteroids, we come to Pallas. Legend has it that Pallas Athena came into the world through her father Zeus' head - fully formed and dressed for battle. She was ready to kick some serious ass! In the astrological chart, Pallas symbolizes intelligence, independence, justice, courage, and strategy. This shows where you are smart and creative as well as whereto might want to make a difference in society. Pallas can also show your relations...
Jan 11, 2019•5 min•Ep. 55
Episode 54: Ceres. We'll begin exploring asteroids in the next leg of our astro-journey. In this episode, we're chatting about Ceres, the biggest asteroid of 'em all. She represents motherhood, agriculture, and more. Learn why this asteroid is also connected to abduction and custody issues. Book mentioned in this episode: Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of the Re-Emerging Feminine by Demetra George and Douglas Bloch....
Dec 28, 2018•6 min•Ep. 54
