Astral Meanders 16-22 July 2014

In General: This week begins with Jupiter transiting Leo as of the 16^th. It will stay in Leo until August 2015. In Leo Jupiter encourages us to stand up for our beliefs and take a more courageous stance with our lives in general. On the 18^th the Last Quarter Moon is exact, when the Sun in Cancer squares the Moon in Aries. We are being called upon to make manifest the revelations and insights of the full Moon just gone and to release old baggage! Also on the 18^th, Venus moves into Cancer. In Cancer, Venus is self-protective and guarded. We may now experience some emotional ups and downs due to augmented sensitivity and a certain inflexibility. ON July 22^nd the Sun enters Leo and a little fun can be added to what of late has been quite a serious approach to our lives! If you celebrate your birthday this week then you can look forward to a much more expansive year ahead! Loosen up and travel with the flow for the best results! On the world scene more attention will be paid to children’s issues and the arts this week! Folk will want to stand up for their views and will demand to be heard! Locally it’s a good time for children and events revolving around children.

Thought for the week: Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.Buddha

Aries

This phase will bring delightful opportunities to explore your creativity and find new paths for personal self-expression. Hobbies, romance and other enjoyable aspects of your life are highlighted. You guys are more receptive and tender on a romantic level this week, and inclined to be sentimental or nostalgic!

Taurus

This week you enjoy spending time thinking and having lots of conversations with others. You want to share and laugh and be more sociable. You enjoy communicating your thoughts and ideas, and want to stay busy. You will start to take your commitments more seriously, and try to improve your relationships as much as you can.

Gemini

You guys can increase your income through a second job, side gig, or making money through a hobby at this time. You will work harder than ever before, achieving your work goals. You feel more optimistic about life in general. You choose to see the best in people and situations, and it keeps you from getting too miserable about anything.

Cancer

Time to redo your budget! You can also do things to strengthen your security and bring more stability into your life. Emotionally, you’re even and calm, centered and focused. Your confidence is greater, and you know what you want. Principally, you don’t do anything risky now, and wish life be stable and calm.

Leo

Getting in touch with your deepest needs and letting go of outlooks and situations that no longer serve you well are the processes that can be particularly helpful for you guys now. This is not an ideal time for pushing forward with new projects and strategies. It is better to finish up projects and tie up loose ends now.

Virgo

A longstanding project or endeavor might be ending or in need of renovation in order to carry on successfully. This is a strong period for getting in touch with your more philanthropic nature and with your own desires and objectives, do watch however that others don't take advantage of your big-heartedness.

Libra

You guys are working hard for what you want and having success this week. You will meet new people and make good impressions on them. This is an especially good time for those of you who work in the arts or beauty industry, or with the law. You can focus on one big dream especially, and will start to make strides from now on, to achieve this dream.

Scorpio

You are seeking to expand your skills and consciousness, whether through higher education, travel, or merely activities that take you away from your normal habits. You might feel a little restless if you don't discover new ways to explore. It's a positive time because you’re reinforced by others, both financially or emotionally.

Sagittarius

Special attention to and from a partner is in focus, and flattery works to your benefit this week! Give to a partner exactly what you would like to receive just now. A financial boost is likely, or you may gain fiscally through your partner. It's also easier now, for you to approach subtle, intimate, and personal matters with wisdom and logic.

Capricorn

You are at the doorstep to a major cycle of personal transformation! You are feeling serious, strong and capable! You are not afraid to look at yourself honestly and make changes where you feel necessary. Loved ones are also important to you at this time and you crave their company.

Aquarius

This week, you tend to focus on money more than anything and you can create opportunities for yourself if you really put your mind to it. The more productive you are, the better you feel. Toward the end of the week you desire the comfort of having someone there to support you and spend more time with your loved ones as a consequence.

Pisces

The 18-19 is especially strong for romantic and creative interests. This is a very lively cycle, when you are inspired both creatively and emotionally. It's a good time for all forms of recreation, for connecting with children and for enjoying music, theatre and the arts in general.

 

Astral Peeks: The Planets in July:

July 12 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth.

July 26 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

July 28, 29 - Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23. It peaks this year on the night of July 28 and morning of July 29. This should be a great year for this shower because the thin crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for what should a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Rising just over an hour before the Sun at the beginning of July, Mercury is fairly easy to spot as it moves to its greatest western elongation from the Sun on the 13th of the month. It begins the month in Taurus crossing the edge of Orion from the 11th to the 17th then moving into Gemini where it will spend the rest of the month. By the end of the month however it will rise only thirty minutes before the Sun and be lost in the Sun’s glare.

Also in the early morning eastern sky among the stars of Taurus at the start of the month, Venus is much easier to spot than fainter Mercury. It outshines everything in its neighborhood until joined by the waning crescent Moon on the 25th. Venus moves into Gemini on the 20th where, like Mercury it remains for the rest of the month.

 High in the northern sky after the Sun sets, Mars crosses the meridian around 6:30pm at the beginning of July. Less than 9 degrees to the north east of the red planet at this time lies the minor planet Ceres shining at magnitude 8.4. Within a half a degree of Ceres the 7th magnitude asteroid Vesta can be located. As the month progresses Mars moves eastward among the stars passing just over 1 degree from Virgo’s brightest star, Spica on the 14th when the contrasting colours of the two bodies will be most noticeable.

Low in the western evening twilight directly after sunset at the beginning of the month, Jupiter is in conjunction with the Sun on the 25th and not visible until its appearance in the morning sky late in August.

The ringed planet rises at 1:45pm on the first of the month and so by sunset is high in the north eastern sky in the constellation of Libra. It appears almost stationary for the entire month and on the 22nd comes to the end of its retrograde motion and resumes its slow journey eastward against the background stars. The gibbous waxing Moon is close by Saturn on the 7th and 8th of the month.

Meditation moments: Mindful Meditation Morning with Bev Murray

Mindfulness Meditation involves using your senses to help you focus your attention on the present. We can’t always control what happens to us in life, but we can change how we react. My aim is to teach Mindfulness Meditation simply and easily and present it modestly as an everyday activity!

Through talks, interactive exercises, meditation practice, and question and answer sessions, I will offer help to anyone who is looking for insight and practical techniques to help them relax, enjoy their lives more or get through difficult times.  Why not take some time out and try it.

“Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger; and that is very healing. We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work.” Thich Nhat Hanh

July 20th 8am-1pm($70) WellBeing Centre Yamba Pre-booking essential…call Bev on 0401800210 or the WBC on 02 66469452