Do past lives exist? And so what if they did?

14983899_sI have to tell you, I am sort of the reluctant astrologer.  And even the first time I went to a psychic, I rush home with all of the ‘facts’ and created an excel spreadsheet, classifying everything said and creating a column for a check mark for the moment the prediction came true.  The idea of past lives is one that not only causes me to question my own religious up bringing, but also is something that in my mind defies proof.  So do past lives exist?

In astrology we often hear the word Karma. The north and south nodes are where you are going and where you have been respectively. Certain connections with planets and the nodes may indicate past life karma to be worked out. Saturn works in much the same way. A Saturn placement and connection with a planet can indicate karma to be worked out in this life… So is there a last life? A past life?  With this question burning within me, I got the fire in my belly to find out. When I saw that there was going to be a workshop at a psychic fair on past lives, I dragged my friend to go check it out. The workshop was scheduled to start at 3pm. We sat in the audience chatting and waiting.  3:10 came, then 3:15… No past life speaker. Finally at 3:20 a gentleman got up and said that they could not find the speaker, but that he was her husband and he would talk about the topic, which he was also knowledgeable on.  He went around the audience.  “hello please” (he was French Canadian) “you” , he pointed to a man “you love boat”, No I don’t like boats the man replied, “don’t worry, you did in your past life” he dismissed and moved on “you, he pointed to my friend sitting beside me, but he had nothing, so he moved on to me. “Hello Please” he said, shifting his gaze to me “you were a doctor in France”. Okay?! I thought…. He continued like this for a while with various members of the audience. After a while my friend and I rolled out of the workshop laughing our asses off “Apparently you had no past life” I said to her…” Doctor help me” she said to me! Our conclusion… What a crock of sh@t!

I decided to give it another try.  Brian Weiss was going to be speaking at a conference AND he was a medical doctor! This somehow gave a level of credibility to his words.  I got there and it was a popular talk filling up a theatre auditorium. He talked for a bit and then said he would do a group regression. He warned that it might be experienced like a dream, but just to relax into it and see what came up. Out went the lights… It was pitch black and I relaxed back into my seat and listened to his voice. Honestly, I felt as though I were making up a dream in my mind. Fantasizing. I imagined that I was in a field. It seemed like England or Scotland or something like that. I was lying on the ground with a fatal wound in my leg. Suddenly I felt a pain.. A real pain in my leg. I still felt like I was making up this dream. I lie in the field knowing that there were men around me dead or dying and though my wound if attended to could save my life, I knew that would not happen. I was calm and philosophical as I lie dying. The session ended and I was still not convinced that I had experienced a past life, but one thing I can tell you, I continued to have that pain in my leg all day.

Months later I decided to go to Nepal on a trek. Past lives in Nepal are just accepted as fact, both culturally and religiously.  We were meant to meet a Rinopche, but he had died just weeks before we arrived and instead we met his father who was reincarnated as his son. What???? I was told that there was a process of determining if one was actually a reincarnated Rinopche. At three years old they are brought before their old belongings along with some fakes and the one who is the Rinpoche is able to identify their belongings correctly. The process that is documented in a movie called the Unmistaken Child. Fascinated by this I brought it up to my leader on the trek. By coincidence, she told me she was trained in doing past life regressions. As I walked along I told her of my experience within Brian Weiss’s workshop. She starts to ask me questions to go further into it (She was not hypnotizing me, just questioning me on my experience). I told her I felt like I made it up, but I continued to describe what I felt about the whole incident.  “I’ve just been wounded” I say, “and I am going to die because I am bleeding and all of my men are dead around me. These are the moments before death and I am thinking first that I have let my men down and then that I am pissed that I’m going to die and I won’t be able, or have a chance to retaliate and win back. Then I start to feel ‘what is this all for’ and there is immense sadness at who I am leaving behind and how they will feel and all in the name of what seems to be some kind of materialism and greed. I am of course a man in this and I feel like I have done this in many many lifetimes” I told her that If I did have past lives,  I think in many of them I have been a man and have led battle and wars. And I told her that I certainly feel that my purpose in this life is to bring balance between masculine and feminine elements of society in a world where we have gone to far into the masculine.

As I described all of this to her, I still felt like I drummed up the whole story on the spot, but she was convinced It was a real past life.

What was even more interesting was that during that trip in Nepal  I met two men and I learned after this experience and conversation with my group leader that both served in the military, one the British Army and the other in the US army, both in very high level positions. I felt instant connection with both. One a little more than the other. It’s that feeling you get when you’ve only just met but you feel as though you’ve known them forever. Both men had come to a place in their lives within which they themselves had become philosophical about war. Both of these men were Virgo’s,  a sign often associated with service, including armed service (and is also, by the way, associated with medical service). AND My South Node, the point in my chart that points to the past and past life, is in Virgo. Could this all be true? A Virgo south node would suggest that I may have been a doctor or even Military leader. Not surprisingly the men I met both had important planets connected to my south node which in astrology suggests that they WERE important people in my past lives.

I still do not know if there are actual past lives. I am too much of a proof person (which is probably proof in itself that this is real… that is the nature of a Virgo south node!) . But I do think that the coincidence of the story lines up with the path outlined in my astrology. And in that alone I can find meaning. Maybe the better question is what am I here for? I definitely feel a purpose beyond myself. And that is exactly what my North Node in Pisces life purpose all about.

Well Bob Marley would say ‘if you don’t know your past you don’t know your future”…. The north/South node are axis points in your chart. If the north node is at one point, then the south node is at the exact opposite side.

If you want to know what your future direction should be, here is a quick and dirty:

Aries North Node/Libra South Node: Moving away from living your life for others and trying to keep the balance and moving towards defining yourself. You may attract undependable or self absorbed types and they help you to define yourself.

Taurus North Node/Scorpio South Node: Moving away from loss or intense experiences and being attracted to the drama, and moving towards material gain, security and dependence on yourself materially. You are moving towards figuring out what is yours and what is mine.

Gemini North Node/Sagittarius South Node: Moving away from certainties to possibilities. In the past you may have had strong beliefs and are now moving towards holding complexity, varying ideas and experience.

Cancer North Node/Capricorn South Node: Moving away from being ambitious and status oriented towards the realm of feeling and nurturance. You can be a bit of user and can step on others to get where your going, but it will lead to nowhere as your purpose is to be honest, humble and caring.

Leo North Node/Aquarius South Node: Moving away from the group effort towards leading with your own effort.  Moving away from wanting to be everyone’s friend and for their approval towards taking centre stage and expressing your individuality.

Virgo North Node/Pisces South Node: Moving away from a nebulous spiritual life to one of concrete details and practical duties. You can trust the universe too much maybe saying God will provide and must move towards logic and reason and a life where God will help those who help themselves.

Libra North Node/Aries South Node: Moving away from self absorption and selfishness towards cooperation, tact and diplomacy. You are learning the art of compromise and giving without an agenda. You can become a great mediator or judge.

Scorpio North Node/Taurus South Node: Letting go of stability and opening yourself up to change and the ability to ‘let go’, allow others to support you.  Moving towards letting go of the material and your tightly held values.

Sagittarius North Node/Gemini South Node: Moving away from “sitting on the fence” towards taking decisive stands and committing to your own belief system.  Moving away from talking towards listening and developing your intuition.

Capricorn North Node/Cancer South Node:  Moving away from being afraid of authority and responsibility towards being goal and success oriented.  Staying away from others emotional dramas’ towards refining yourself and becoming a go-getter.

Aquarius North Node/Leo South Node: Moving away from the spotlight towards humanitarian aims. Moving away from being bossy and self important towards doing things for the best interest of all.

Pisces North Node/Virgo South Node: Moving away from being detailed, regimented, critical and a-know-it-all towards being non-judgmental, compassionate, trusting and surrendering to God.

The house placement can add a little more complexity, but you can start with the sign placement.  Some great books on the topic are: Lunar Nodes, Celeste Teal, and Astrology for the Soul, Jan Spiller

You can also try a Regression to Times and Places meditation on CD with Brian Weiss and see what comes up. After doing it, ask yourself “What does your past life meditation tell me about who I was and what I am meant to become”?


 

 

 

 

 

December Horoscope 2013

What is the difference between losing control and letting go? We are in control of one and not the other… And contrary to popular belief, which one we are in control of is completely counter-intuitive. That is what December will be like, but our approach to it will make all the difference.

To start with, last week while looking into something else with my astrology software, I added in the asteroid Nemesis. On top of the basic planets and the goddess asteroids there are hundreds of other asteroids and stars that you could look at when looking at astrology. Most astrologers, like Susan Miller or Jan Spiller, look at the planets, and there are others like Bernadette Brady, who include stars. I prefer to stick to the planets and the goddess asteroids because I feel that they speak to me and they are relevant for our times. But on occasion when something doesn’t make sense, I will add in other stuff to see if I can fine-tune the picture. That is how Nemesis ended up in my charts. However, when I went to take Nemesis out, I couldn’t. I could not figure out what I had done to add it in. Apparently it was not the normal way, so with no choice, I left it in.

Interestingly enough, something weird was happening in my life, and when I pulled up my chart, I couldn’t miss it, there was Nemesis directly opposing my Uranus. Then I pulled up the charts for December to write the horoscopes and again, I couldn’t miss it, Nemesis was also doing some interesting things in the December charts. It was acting like a thorn in my side, but it was clear, Nemesis wanted me to notice it and to say something about it. So in the December horoscope, I am going to include Nemesis.

Everyone knows what or who their nemesis is in life, and that is exactly what Nemesis represents in your natal chart and by transit.  Enter the word in a Google search and the definition says that it is “the inescapable agent of someone’s or something’s downfall.” In Greek mythology Nemesis is the goddess or spirit of divine retribution, and the name Nemesis’ Greek origin means “to give what is due”. ( Greek Myth definition straight from the pages of Wikipedia)

Just to be clear, the asteroid Nemesis that I am talking about has an orbital period of 4.6 years. There is also a hypothetical star called Nemesis, which is said to have an orbit of 26 million years or something like that, and it is not what I am talking about here.  That star, a dooms-day theory to some extent, is posited to appear at some point and take us all out causing another Ice Age; it was apparently responsible for the first. Well, it might feel like another Ice Age for some with what asteroid Nemesis will contribute to this month events, but I think it will be more like the Dr. Evil locking and cryogenically freezing himself inside of a Big Boy and then ejecting to outer space in an effort to control his fate.  Let me explain…

statuette of justice-goddess themis or nemesis
statuette of justice-goddess themis or nemesis

Wherever Nemesis is in the chart it shows the behaviour, beliefs or attitudes that hold you back or act like the downfall in your life. And much like the law of attraction, what we hold within manifests on the outside. When it transits, it shows up as someone or something that is trying to trip you up or sabotage you. In modern day language we call them the “haters”. But haters have no place in your life if you don’t allow them in mentally. When Nemesis shows up in your life, how it plays out will very much depend on your approach to it. I believe Nemesis’s lesson is one of taking radical responsibility, while also trusting in the goodness of life. This month Nemesis will oppose Vesta on December 1 and in an effort to control, we may start blaming the downfall in our lives on our career or a cause that we are strongly involved in. Mercury will square Neptune on December 6 leading to deceptive or confusing communications. But Nemesis will trine and work together with Mercury on December 9 and the downfall may come via communications. I live in Toronto, Canada, and last month I talked about some truths coming to light with governments and other status quo type of structures and boy, did we ever see it here! We saw it happen with all three levels of government. This time the communication will not be like the revelations of secrets or confessions that we witnessed in November; it will be like what Gil Scott Heron (may he rest in peace) prophesied! The revolution will not be televised; the revolution will be live…. live twitter feeds, live text messages, live Facebook #tags and uploaded to YouTube shortly after. This time it might be the pissed off rants of Matt Damon reminding us of Howard Zinn’s speech or Russell Brand’s call for revolution that take on critical mass or other communications like the revolutionary text from Taylor Conroy that contribute to the downfall taking place.

On December 14, Nemesis then conjuncts Uranus, having us blame innovation or revolution for the downfall. Then on December 26, it will oppose Pluto. Undoing will come through the inability to let go of power, and other Plutonian power mechanism. Long story short, I think government and all things Capricorn who are clinging to power will have completely  unraveled themselves by the end of December, giving brand new meaning to the term “give them some rope” that they will want to jump inside of that Big Boy and be ejected into space, but that would only be if they were smart.

But let’s backtrack a bit. The new moon happens on December 2 in Sagittarius. A Sagittarius new moon is all about ideals. It is in a trine to Uranus, igniting revolutions and zealous goals. On a personal level this is a great day to set intentions that further the goals of humanity and teach higher goals. With Nemesis coming up close to Uranus, you will want to make sure they serve a higher goal or the needs of all of humanity. Be warned that, if not, they may have a nucleus with DNA-embedded messages of self undoing. The new moon will also be sextile Ceres, now in balancing Libra, making it a very nurturing and fertile moon if we take the opportunities presented within it.

On the10th, radical ideas might find expression with Mercury trine Uranus. Also on the 10th, Pluto will square Vesta. I don’t like this transiting aspect as it sometimes finds expression with those who are willing to die to fight for their cause. Ghandi did this with his hunger strikes. I guess we could say that – if we needed to on the positive side; but on the negative side, it also finds expression with suicide bombers. To me both are hard, but if we need to see an expression of this, I prefer the one steeped in non-violence (although still violent to one’s self as in Ghandi’s case).

The good news is that on the 12th Jupiter will trine Saturn exactly, but just days earlier it will be close enough together to form a Grand Trine with the moon on the 9th. This energy is reminiscent of the Grand Trine in July with Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune; but this time it will be the moon in Pisces, tapping into the creative, collective consciousness and allowing us to build something with solid structures. Jupiter is in Cancer and Saturn is in Scorpio, so this could be something concrete like a house that we share and feel a sense of responsibility in embarking on, or it could be that Jupiter allows us to grow nurturing and caring into any new structures being born. I was at a conference in November and heard Taylor Conroy, the CEO and founder of Change Heroes, speak. What fascinated me about his company was that it is a company designed to help educate and build schools in Kenya based on a model of Social Entrepreneurship. It’s a for-profit company, but I bought in. The reason is because I am thoroughly convinced, having worked for a non-profit and for government, that if I am paying 10% of my dollar or 35% or my salary for social reasons, that those driving it are entrepreneurial and therefore innovative and not numbed by process or bureaucracy! Oops, sorry! Just a little bit of my bias there! But here is my revolutionary two cents. If I were able to give my money to more non-profits and government who outsourced their social solutions (the front lines provide the services and solutions so I am not talking about them. I’m talking about the political leaders and civil servant management who have recently been found wanting) in this way, I don’t think I would have a problem. Taylor Conroy did a TED Talk, showing how he started a giving revolution with one text message… Truly innovative! But Taylor wasn’t paid until he actually found a solution that works, and still does not get paid unless that solution is working. And he was motivated to do so out of giving heart and an entrepreneurial spirit. Jupiter is still retrograde but in a trine to Saturn it is also enterprising. This is fantastic energy for philanthropic enterprises and we may see more of these social entrepreneurs pop up!

On the 11th Pluto is trine Pallas, making it possible for some transformative ideas to be born, but Mercury is also square Pallas. Our tongues might be tied making things come out all wrong or all garbled up in a “what am I trying to say” type of energy. It might take a day, but at least on the 12th Mercury will sextile Vesta, helping us to get to the point.

The full moon is on December 17th in Gemini. This is a story-teller moon and will be great for bringing together people for a heart-warming story or two, maybe even of a festive nature. That same day Uranus goes direct. It has been retrograde since July 17th and since it goes direct on this full moon in Gemini, we may hear some surprising communications or stories. Uranus is the planet of surprises; but also since Gemini rules vehicles and short distance travel AND it’s the festive season, I feel I have to tell you to drive carefully.

If ever there was a day for a festive party it’s December 18, the very next day. This is the smorgasbord transit. If you have a holiday party on this day, expect it to be over the top (lamb, escargot, maybe a pig with an apple in the mouth, pigs in a blanket, cabbage, cabbage rolls, broccoli, cheese, fondue, food, food, food). You may be over the top as well. Make sure you have Hailo or other taxi app handy on your phone so you can hail a cab if you drink a little too much; which you are likely to do, if you do drink. But even if it’s just food, you could be food drunk!

Venus goes retrograde on December 21. If you have large purchases or you’re planning a hairstyle change for the New Year, do it before the 21st. This is the fool’s gold transit, so Boxing Day shopping may seem like a bargain at the time, but may end up costing your more or you might absolutely hate your purchase a month into January when you realize that all that glitz is not gold.

Three Wise Men
Three Wise Men

And now for my most favourite days of the year, December 24 and 25! When I was a kid those days felt like they would never come. This year when they do, they will be very interesting. On December 24 the Sun is sextile Neptune making it a very imaginative day. If you can tap into your child-like imagination, the one that believed in Santa coming down the chimney and 12 reindeer able to fly in the sky (one with a shiny nose), we will benefit the most. I hope it snows on Christmas Eve. That always gets my good feelings and imagination going.

However, I don’t think this festive season will go down without a bit of drama and perhaps some strong push back. On Christmas Day Mars is opposite Uranus. This fiery combination will melt any snow that might have fallen! My best advice is to channel this energy into positive projects, initiatives or causes; ones that require liberating or freeing ourselves from negativity. If we ignore this energy or get caught up trying to suppress it to keep the balance (one expression of Mars in Libra) because it’s Christmas or because it’s that time of the year to “be nice”, it will find an expression anyhow and it might be an expression that is not so nice! Remember, Nemesis will be part of the picture contributing an opposition to Pluto on the 26th, so if we are thinking evil thoughts or are passive aggressive, they will manifest and come “right back at ya”! One way to channel this energy might be to put it into worthy causes and to use the energy available to us within the remainder of the week. Many people take the week of Christmas off, but if you’re in the office, December 26 and 27th are really great for ideas and team work. And if you’re not in the office, no problem! Just bring together your personal tribe and use the energy for your own projects. Mercury sextile Jupiter and the North Node make for great ideas and great teams. And Jupiter square Vesta on the 27th may give us a real zeal for a worthy cause. The Sun is conjunct Mercury on the 29th, making it an exceptionally social day. However, everyone may have a point of view or something to say on this day. We may be so strong and wrong on this day that we may be tempted to end conversations with others who have competing view points with statements like “that’s just how I see it!”.  Between the 29th and 30th Mercury and the Sun will also square Uranus, lending again to that revolutionary zeal. Keep it focused on the right issues and we will be okay. On the 30th, Mars will also square Pluto. Cripey! This is a power struggle combination. so 2013 will end with what looks like fireworks, but sounds very much like an explosion! If we keep our egos out of it and keep true to the Christmas spirit, the one that goes something like “peace on earth and good will to all men” and I will add “women”, we should be okay.

On New Year’s Eve Mercury is conjunct Pluto and square Mars in fairness seeking Libra. We might see a strong fight for fairness which will likely come across in words. This fight is coming up against some might with Mercury, the Sun and Pluto traveling together in Capricorn. There is a lot of “authority” here. It could again be government; laws or structures that represent this energy or it could be the patriarch in your family coming down heavy. Not to worry if you are on the heart side of things.

That’s it for December… Though it might be a rocky month, I do think good things are happening and I don’t think you have much to worry about, especially if you are coming from your highest self.

Crystals that will help the energy in December: Snowflake Obsidian will help us to see all situations clearly. It helps us to accept change and transformation. Carnelian helps to calm aggressiveness.

Gemstone Jewelry is a great gift for Christmas and a great way to strengthen your astrology.

Bonne Fete… Enjoy the Holiday Season, Keep safe.

 

READ WHAT’S GOING ON FOR EACH SIGN…..

ARIES

You can move through any emotional blocks or depression this month by exploring how your need for solid foundations work with or against your belief system. Your growing need to express yourself and your individuality can be met with conflicts in your personals relationships later in the month. If you have been taking shortcuts in your career this might also come up to bite you toward the end of the month. These conflicts all have a higher purpose though. To make sure you’re coming from your highest self rather than your ego.

TAURUS

You can work together well with others to hash out a project or plan that you are feeling on the humanitarian level. You might even get some funding from external sources like the bank or even Kickstarter. Set your intention for this at the full moon. Or if possible, start the application process then and work out the details later. Later in the month, work hard to uncover what is going on in your unconscious and try not to push your beliefs on others. That way you can avoid health issues or conflicts from others.

GEMINI

What do you want your personal relationship to look like? Set an intention or even a competitive goal and start working towards it this month.  You may be lacking discipline or your children might be the ones who are sidetracking you. At least that’s your excuse for not achieving all you hoped for in life. This will reach a pinnacle this month. There is no escaping it. Whatever the outcome, it will affect your jointly-held resources. This senerio might be why you love the lucky breaks you get at work mid month. Maybe it’s an end of year bonus and maybe everyone gets one too, but it will mean the world to you and you might find yourself doing a very public happy dance!

CANCER

Channel any need for escapism into expressing yourself in a creative endeavour. It may feel like hard work and that’s why you want to procrastinate. But once you get into it, you will find you can be very productive and expressive. If you feel like you’re on a roller coaster ride with your career or that someone is trying to undermine you, take a closer look at any unconscious childhood programming and take responsibility for the source of the conflict. You will be empowered by it and it will also serve as empowerment in your personal relationships.

LEO

You might experience intense emotions by a feeling that you have a guardian angel (you may have the sense that it’s grandmother, mother or even Mother Mary in the spirit world) helping you out when it comes to figuring out a situation related to your home or your parents. Or maybe you’re an unofficial parent in a situation and things related to that find a stroke of good luck! Whatever the case, express your gratitude openly, even if it feels like you are talking to the air. Towards the end of the month you might experience something that surprises you and kind of blows your mind from neighbours or your siblings. Take care of your health and perhaps work on things behind the scenes to avoid any conflicts.

VIRGO

You are setting new intentions and finding new ways to underpin your foundations. Conversations with partners and friends can be constructive in helping to pierce down through emotions and identify perceptions. The challenge is to hold the complexity of yours and others at the same time without making anyone wrong. I hope you’re not going through a divorce or settling an inheritance because things might blow up towards the end of the month.  Children may factor into this, physically or metaphorically. Yes, children come first, but just remember the oxygen in the airplane metaphor.

LIBRA

You have lots of ideas and you want to communicate them to the world! You may have an awesome career moment this month, but your attitude towards money and material things will either help or hinder you, if not now, then later down the line.  Also, it may seem like your partner is undermining you, but remind yourself that all that is without is within. Following the path of least resistance and having courageous and evolutionary conversations will help you to build strong foundations and get you where you need to go.

SCORPIO

Now is the time to check in with your values and your self-worth. Create a mantra that helps you reach for it. Also, think about writing something that taps into your inner child and helps you get in touch with yourself again. Or take a trip that is fun AND introspective at the same time. If you can include true service in those activities then you can make the most of the energies happening this month.

SAGITTARIUS

This month is a great time for setting intentions for new beginnings, but a large part of you still has some unfinished business. Massive “ahas” can be achieved this month through curling up at home with a good read and questioning yourself and where you have come thus far. New and innovative approaches to your creativity may be very threatening to your value system, and maybe that is what you are in the midst of figuring out. You will be challenged to coordinate your needs with others this month and may resent peer pressure.

CAPRICORN

You may feel like hiding out this month and to some extent it’s a good thing. Hide, but don’t isolate. You’ll need a sounding board to help you garner the courage for your breakout performance next month. Tapping into all of that unconscious material will make you more accurate in your gut reactions and can be used creatively with partners and friends. Later in the month, your personal expression might set off fireworks both at home and at work, so make sure your personal expression is being expressed consciously.

AQUARIUS

This month your ego might get in the way of your having a truly massive impact on others. Reconnecting with your true purpose and higher mission at the new moon will help you to align in helpful ways. In many ways you have reached the pinnacle of your success and now are able to channel them into creative outlets.  Non attachment is your secret weapon for success this month. Spend some time listening to Bob Marley to remind yourself of who you are.

PISCES

At the beginning of the month you are quite philosophical in a pragmatic sort of way. Very strange for the dual fish, but you are creating a vision and talking to everyone about it so that you can get people on board with an implementation plan within the next six months.  You’re also likely to get a little aggressive about funding or perhaps in making some kind of pitch for funding. Yes, it may be for a good humanitarian cause, but you’ll need to first acknowledge that you are on edge and then let your approach to it be evolutionary rather than a revolt.

 

Jupiter Retrograde in Cancer; Business and Personal advice

13496710_sJupiter will be retrograde from Nov 7, 2013 – March 6, 2014

Jupiter turns retrograde today, November 7, and is currently in Cancer. Jupiter retrograde is a slowdown period and a time of inward looking. So this is a good time to reflect on all things Cancerian – your foundations, home or real estate, children, your parents and  anything related to food.  Jupiter is normally expansive, and during a retrograde, it’s not that it’s restrictive, it just turns its expansion inward. 

Jupiter retrograde is not a good time to launch  a new product or start a new business. It’s a time when people are spending less. Launching a business during Jupiter retrograde will be imprinted in the birth chart of the product or business; and guarded spending on your product or business may continue past the retrograde period. If you are not good at sales or you don’t have a partner or salesforce that are topnotch, take the time instead to pick up projects that you have dropped and complete them.  This is a good time to assess the foundations of your organization or team –  a great time for team-building. In fact, it would be a great time for executive coaching for the CEO, President or owner of a company who is represented by Jupiter in a business chart.

In general, it’s a great time to do an astrology reading, to seek out guidance from counsellors, spiritual guides, psychologists, coaches, tarot readers, etc., all of whom can give us helpful information to aid our inward reflection.

During Jupiter retrograde in Cancer, real estate may slow down and home-building or renovations may take more time. However, it might be a good time to buy as you may get good deals – as long as you take the time to do proper research. Jupiter retrograde will slow you down enough to do so,  anyhow.

Take time to cook from scratch. This will act almost like a meditation process.  Have long meals with the family. In fact, have meals with anyone you want to bond and reflect deeply with.  I once worked for a company that, because of space issues, did not have a lunch room at one of their locations. All other locations had solid bonded teams because they took the time to eat lunch together. The location without a lunch room struggled with coldness and lacked a sense of team. Managers ate at in their offices and staff went in the four directions at lunch.  The point: eating together is so important at the best of times, but if you can carve out the space during this retrograde-in-Cancer period, you will greatly benefit.

Jupiter will oppose Pluto January 31 and square Uranus February 26;  so during the retrograde period if you have planets or points at 10 – 12 degrees, you will feel deep reflection, transformation and revolution all at once in that area of your life. Expansion will happen after March 6, when Jupiter goes direct again, going over those points again.

Aries – Jupiter is retrograde in your 4th house. Deep reflection will happen around family and home.

Taurus – Jupiter is retrograde in your 3rd house. Spend time reflecting on your communication with family and with respect to your home.

Gemini – Jupiter is retrograde in your 2nd house. Spend time reflecting on how you’re spending money or using your resources as they pertain to family and your home.

Cancer – Jupiter is retrograde in your 1st house. Spend time reflecting on how you’re presenting yourself and your style.

Leo – Jupiter is retrograde in your 12th house. A great time to reflect on all those unconscious issues with childhood and family.

Virgo – Jupiter is retrograde in your 11th house. A great time to reflect on how you can have a deeper impact on the world.

Libra – Jupiter is retrograde in your 10th house. A great time to reflect on your parenting, management or leadership style.

Scorpio – Jupiter is retrograde in your 9th house. A great time for a pilgrimage or spiritual travel, maybe to the place of your roots.

Sagittarius – Jupiter is retrograde in your 8th house.  A great time for reflecting on details of an inheritance, bringing together resources to form a family or dissolving them, as in a divorce.

Capricorn – Jupiter is retrograde in your 7th house. A great time to reflect on your personal relationship or family business.

Aquarius – Jupiter is retrograde in your 6th house.  Reflect on your service to others or work habits. Consider also work-life balance.

Pisces – Jupiter is retrograde in your 5th house. Reflect on building or nurturing your family and children. Family planning may come into the picture.