InnerSelf

by Pam Younghans. This weekly astrological journal is based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.

by Pam Younghans.

by Pam Younghans

THE CURTAIN OPENS this week to show our cast of planetary players engaged in animated conversation... Mercury (representing our ability to reason logically) looks completely disheveled, winged hat askew, having met up with first unpredictable Uranus on Saturday and then forceful Pluto on Sunday. Usually a bit...

THE THEME of completion continues this week, reinforced by the New Moon in Pisces on Friday. New Moons typically represent a time to sow seeds and to take action on new projects -- but in Pisces, that intention is altered somewhat. Pisces is the final sign of astrology's twelve-sign zodiac, and so represents the ending of a year-long cycle. Perhaps we can use the energy of this New Moon by taking steps to complete some project -- or some karmic issue...

ANOTHER HIGH-VIBRATIONAL WEEK lies before us, highlighted by a Full Moon in Leo and a triple alignment of Neptune, Mars and Mercury in Aquarius. The other-worldly energy of this stellium (an alignment of three or more planets) will build throughout the week, be amplified at the Full Moon on Thursday/Friday (when the Sun aligns with Neptune), and then reach full effect next...

URANUS is very active this week, wrapping up business as the planet nears the end of its journey through Pisces. During these past seven-plus years, Uranus has been encouraging us to break out of the expectations and "shoulds" we may have lived with for lifetimes, in favor of following the calling of our soul's higher path. Since the planets are always working to move us from lower vibration to higher...

THE URANUS EFFECT is intensified as the planet of Higher Consciousness and Liberation enters Aries this Friday, March 11th, 2011. Our mental, emotional and physical bodies may take some time to adjust to this new energy. Because of this adjustment phase, at times we may feel expansive and invigorated, at other times a bit overwhelmed or anxious.

We've already gotten some clues as to how this influence might manifest in physical reality, due to Jupiter entering Aries on January 22. Since then, the cries for independence and autonomy around the world have gotten louder,

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THE INTENSITY of recent energy shifts is palpable -- and strikingly apparent in our physical reality as well. If current events are accurate reflections of the impact of Uranus in Aries, it seems we have gotten a jump-start on making life-altering changes on our planet and within our global community. It can be difficult to find the positives in catastrophes such as the ones that have occurred in the past few days. And yet...

By the time many of you read today's Journal, the Sun will have moved into Aries, marking the beginning of the astrological New Year (exact ingress on March 20th, at 4:21pm PDT). Of course, we cross this threshhold every year at this time -- but this year, the event is made more powerful because Uranus, the Great Liberator and Manifester of Change, has also just stepped into Aries. This means that...

THE PLANETS are very active this week, continuing to inspire us to make important internal and external shifts. Starting with a Pluto-Sun square on Monday and finishing with a Saturn-Sun opposition on Sunday, we are challenged in various ways -- and almost every day -- to take our game to the next level.  We hit the ground running on Monday, with...

by Pam Younghans.

We start the week with an opportunity to take another look at the new projects that we recently began, or new paths we are just starting to walk. The square between Pluto and Mars indicates a challenge awaits, one that will help us see what inner resistance (or outer obstacles) may need to be overcome as we continue our forward motion. There is a great deal of...

THE LAST WEEK of January is already here. It's incredible how quickly time is moving. Challenges and changes initiated during our recent eclipse cycle continue to reverberate through our lives. At times, it feels like the only thing we can do is to hold onto the sides of the kayak as we go through the waves, trusting that we will indeed emerge on the other side and not just disappear into the...

WE'RE RIDING a strong wave of Aquarius energy now, a wave that was initiated with the New Moon and Sun-Mars alignment last week. Aquarius is the sign of progressive thinking, independence, idealism, nonconformity and rebellion. As groups and individually, we are making changes now that will allow us to...

NEPTUNE'S ETHEREAL INFLUENCE is emphasized today (Sunday, February 20), as the outer planet aligns with Mars and Mercury in Aquarius. Together, this threesome can help us loosen the reins of control so that we relax into the flow of current changes and allow our higher selves to partner with us in creating our next steps. As part of this process, we are letting go of many things that have defined us to this point, both internally and externally. Paradoxically...

by Pam Younghans.

Today's Aries New Moon (Sunday, April 3) provides the foundational energy we'll be working with for the next two weeks. This lunation emphasizes the themes of relationship and the balance between self and other -- issues we have been working with since Saturn entered Libra in July 2010. The New Moon in Aries calls us to be aware of our own needs and desires, and to have the courage to...