Astral meanders Jan 30- Feb 5th

In general: February can be a bit of a rollercoaster month, so be prepared! Jupiter goes direct on the 30^th, so expect that all things that have been delayed, or overlooked will again seize your attention. Jupiter is in Gemini, so all forms of communication and new ideas are emphasized. Venus enters Aquarius on the 4^th, stirring up a little controversy in the name of finding peace and compassion amongst folks! Good causes are accentuated and the freedom to speak our truth. In relationships individuals are looking for personal space. If you have a birthday this week then the year ahead will highlight causes and people that are close to your heart and yet you will need to have some alone time to think things through. On the world scene expect the unpredictable Aquarius influence to stir up some issues that have been long forgotten and force us to sit up and take notice. Locally it’s time to be inspired again.

Thought for the week: Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves. ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Aries

Right now Aries you are thinking about your career and whether what you’re doing still fits in with your shifting beliefs and outlook. For many of you this may be a time where you receive the recognition you’ve been working towards which will actually make you appreciate where you are.

Taurus

This week your mind is still focused on far-away places, expanding your possibilities through travel, education, conviction or spirituality. You might resolve to sign up for a course which further down the line assists you to increase your bank balance.

Gemini

For the first week or so of February, you will be finishing up a cycle where your main focus is still on committed relationships. The final few days of January are a time when any bad consequences of unwise decisions become clear. February is more about career matters and can be an emotionally satisfying time.

Cancer

You are more intuitive now than usual, gathering up all of the hidden cues from people around you and reading between the lines. Research is also greatly favoured. It's also easier for you to approach delicate, intimate, and private matters with rationality and logic. Shared finances come into focus.

Leo

While you may not be getting exactly what you want at the moment, the results are still quite encouraging. Your popularity is growing, and is strengthened by your own capacity to cooperate. You are more diplomatic than usual at this time too. With Mars entering Pisces you will want to make a major change in your life.

Virgo

You have a harder time doing things alone at the moment, and will want to have a partner with everything you do. You work well with co-workers, and you can make enhancements to your work environment. This is also a good time for dealing with health matters and making better health choices.

Libra

You feel more romantic this week, really want to pursue whatever whims come your way, and aren’t much into your work. It’s more about play at this time! You might try to get jobs done quickly so you can spend more time on your dreams. Regardless a new work project looms around the 5^th.

Scorpio

You feel like making improvements to your home to make it more beautiful now. You could buy new furniture, paint a room, or totally redecorate. You need to have an outlet for your feelings now, and it should be something creative or artistic. Your emotional life is nurtured at this time.

Sagittarius

You have an easier time coping with your daily life and any small jobs this week. Generally, you’re all about the big picture and can’t be troubled with the small things, but not now. Now you can work on small projects and get them done effortlessly. You also want to connect with people and require more mental stimulation than usual.

Capricorn

If you discover yourself eager to make unnecessary purchases, know that at the basis of this need is the desire to indulge and comfort yourself. Remember there are low-cost and free ways to make yourself feel good. This is a time when you let loose your softer, more approachable side.

Aquarius

It is an especially fruitful and positive time for any endeavour that entails dealing with words, ideas, or facts and figures now. Many new opportunities are within reach this week but these must be balanced with responsibilities that cannot be overlooked. Use this time with discernment.

Pisces

Just watch out for crazy schemes this week and avoid scheduling important meetings till much later in February. From February 1^st your energy flows, especially considering how low it’s likely been recently. You ought to have the energy for all of the things that you want to get done and then some.

Astral Peeks: The planets in February

The first half of February will be the last chance to view the planet Venus as it is now drawing much too close to the Sun. It rises just over one hour before the sun at the beginning of the month but by month’s end only 35 minutes before the Sun and lost in the early morning twilight. Conjunction with the Sun occurs on the 29th of next month, its transition from being the “Morning Star” on its way to becoming the “Evening Star”.



Rising at 3:30pm at the beginning of the month, Jupiter is nicely placed for observation high in the north eastern sky by nightfall. Still situated among the stars of Taurus-The Bull it lies between the Hyades and Pleiades star clusters for most of the month and is the brightest object in this part of the heavens. There will be an occultation of Jupiter by the Moon on the 18th for observers south of a line drawn from 37 degree south latitude on the New South Wales coast line (Bega) to 25 degrees south latitude on the Western Australian coast line (Carnarvon).

Meditation moments: Walking Meditation

Walking meditation is a form of meditation in action. In walking meditation we use the experience of walking as our focus. We become mindful of our experience while walking, and try to keep our awareness involved with the experience of walking. It’s easier, for most people, to be more intensely and more easily aware of their bodies while doing walking meditation, compared to sitting forms of practice. When your body is in motion, it is generally easier to be aware of it compared to when you are sitting still. When we’re sitting still in meditation the sensations that arise in the body are much more subtle and harder to pay attention to than those that arise while we’re walking, this can make walking meditation an intense experience. You can experience your body very intensely, and you can also find intense enjoyment from this practice. Walking is a great exercise too so why not give it a go.