astral meanders July 3-9 2013

In general: Saturn in Scorpio is turning direct on the 7^th and we have a new moon in Cancer on the 8^th of this week. Many of us will feel ready for some new beginnings, especially in the areas of home, family, and vocation. Jupiter, also in Cancer begins to move into a grand water trine with Saturn and Neptune. Whatever else is going on our lives we should all experience a sense of inner calm. Projects and plans instigated now have an inner stability that even defies the mercury retrograde! Do be aware however that Mercury is retrograde still, and this may make it a little difficult for us to see all the positive energy straight away! Minor frustrations, communication breakdowns and travel issues are still likely!

Thought for the week: Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Lao Tzu

Aries

A positive emotional shift comes this week in the midst of challenging demands. Your attention is being turned to home and family and getting everything in order in your life. This is a good time to build trust within your family life. You may seem less spontaneous or impulsive than usual.

Taurus

This week the general energy seems to work in your favour, making it easy to achieve your goals. However there can also be a tendency to fuss over insignificant matters now, making you more stressed than you need to be! Family, friends and co-workers play an important role during this phase.

Gemini

This is an important week when you can make progress by doing the background work. You seem to have a more assertive and direct approach now. There may be some benefit through siblings, communications, or short trips. You are cheerful in your approach to others and basically, are quite companionable.

Cancer

The July 8th New Moon is the real start of the Cancer year so why not set some New Year’s resolutions? The deeper designs and clearer directions of your life are emerging now. You experience a renewal of energy and personal strength and it's a strong time for increased personal confidence.

Leo

This week is the key to a highly creative year to come. It is July 8th’s New Moon that shows you the way forward. Completing projects and withdrawing a little from the busy pace of your life is in order now so that you can plan your new direction. This is the time to listen to your intuition.

Virgo

You benefit most from reconnecting with friends, and reviving old contacts this week. You could however, easily be misunderstood by friends who could be dredging up the messier bits of the past. It would be wise to be especially clear when it comes to communicating in any manner.

Libra

You could have a chance to receive credit or praise for your work or character now. Warm friendships can be made during this phase. It can also be a decent time for earnings from a business. You might be re-thinking matters about your life path in general, which is good but it's best to think rather than act for now!

Scorpio

There is a particularly loving feel to this week and helpful efforts with others can revolutionise your life. A creative partnership or a lover can inspire you to be your brilliant best. Your energy is solid, open, and approachable right now and you are a little braver and more adventurous than normal.

 Sagittarius

People will be particularly impervious to advice and oversensitive to criticism during this week so just leave them to it! Focus on yourself whilst your ruler, Jupiter takes its part in a charmed Grand Trine that brings both motivation and organization to your life. It is a powerful time of the year for you!

Capricorn

There could be irritating mix-ups now. You might be disposed to miss important details in your correspondence, or you might experience annoying delays that result from other’s errors. Travel plans may go askew. Some indecisiveness is also possible at this time, because you naturally see all opposing perspectives.

Aquarius

Work-related blunders can aggravate you now, or you might need to repeat work that you believed was complete. It would be prudent to be particularly clear when it comes to collaborating with co-workers. It's a time in which any services you provide come into strong worldly focus.

Pisces

This can be a very helpful cycle, when you are inspired both creatively and emotionally. More get-up-and-go is brought to your home life now, but there can also be a propensity to stir up trouble if you are not cautious and don’t channel your excess energy into positive and productive pursuits.

Astral Peeks: More on the new Moon.

A new moon occurs on the 8th in Cancer. In Cancer, we want to improve our homes and families. A focus is put on our homes and families, and how much work we need to put in to repair issues with them. We're more old-fashioned, and want to do things the way they've always been done. We seek comfort and understanding and we try to cherish and support. This new moon is conjunct Mercury in retrograde. If you're a Cancer Sun, Moon, or mid-Cancer rising, you may feel the effects of this moon the most.

Meditation moments: Children and meditation!

In our stressful modern culture, meditation can teach children how to slow down and unite with their inner silence from an early age. Children do this easily and naturally. As they develop the habit of ‘looking inside’ to understand their thoughts and feelings, children learn to take responsibility for their own experiences.
With such a strong footing, meditative children grow to become genuine adults with respect, care, confidence and love for themselves and others.

Active Meditations are especially fun to do. These incorporate activity, movement, free expression or happy play, allowing the child to release the built-up stress from his or her body and mind, preparing them for deep relaxation in the silent stages.

Example:

Start standing. Let the body loose and start shaking it. Move your arms, hips, shoulders, head.
Begin laughing for no reason at all. Just laughing! 
Now sit silently and watch the breath and whatever is happening inside and outside.
Lie down and relax. Put your hand on your stomach and follow its rise and fall with the breath. Tell yourself how wonderful it is to be you.