Author: Cynthia Hansen Zehm

Alacazem 2009.12.03

December 3 to 10, 2009

Visible Planets: Morning: Mars and Saturn  Evening: Mercury and Jupiter

As the Sun moves through the middle degrees of Sagittarius, see if you can feel the optimistic, philanthropic energy of the Archer taking hold. The holiday season is quintessentially Sagittarius and we can’t help but be affected by the ho-ho-hos and merry-merrys. A distinct generosity of spirit permeates the ethers and we are called to open our hearts and let the joy in.

Ruled by magnanimous planet Jupiter, Sagittarius energy tends toward grandiosity and largesse. It’s the classic golden touch, the benevolent ruler, the guardian angel and the lucky charm. It’s good luck; good fortune and all things that are and make us feel “good.”  Enthusiastic optimism fuels the Sagittarian fire and the flexible, adaptable quality of its modality keep the flames of hope, faith and truth flickering in the eternal hearth of Spirit.

Giving to others – especially those less fortunate – sharing the wealth and focusing on the goodness of the world rather than its darkness are characteristics of this very magnanimous sign. Holiday spirit, holiday cheer and holiday hustle are all classically Sag. And, of course, on the flip side of all this grandeur, we have over-indulgence, never-say-no and devil-may-care attitudes that can put us over the top or off the cliff.

Alacazem 2009.11.26

November 26 to December 3, 2009
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus, Mars and Saturn   Evening: Mercury and Jupiter

"As Above, So Below"

This week’s Dec. 2nd Full Moon in the Sagittarius/Gemini polarity marks the culmination of an on-and-off period of planetary retrogrades that served to bring us back upon ourselves and our experiences. Awakening, change and breakthrough have been themes all year, but we have consistently revisited our decisions and choices, amended plans and reconsidered directions. That’s the nature of retrogrades and, of course, life.

"As above, so below." The great astrological dictum. The Hermetic creed. The cosmic truth. And, today, the quintessential quantum-metaphysical law.

Alacazem 2009.11.19

November 19 to 26, 2009

Visible Planets: Morning: Venus, Mars and Saturn    Evening: Jupiter

Grace, Gratitude and Thanksgiving

grace n 1. unmerited divine assistance given man for his regeneration or sanctification b: a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace c: a virtue coming from God
gratitude n [fr Latin gratus grateful] (1565): the state of being grateful]: THANKFULNESS
thankful adj (12c): conscious of benefit received or < for what we are about to receive >
thanksgiving n (1533) 1: the act of giving thanks 2: a prayer expressing gratitude 3: a public celebration of divine goodness
Thanksgiving Day n (1674) 1: a day appointed for giving thanks for divine goodness: as a: the fourth Thursday in November observed as a legal holiday in the U.S. b: the second Monday in October observed as a legal holiday in Canada

For me, the holiday season begins when the Sun enters Sagittarius, which - in the western world’s Julian calendar - takes place each year on or near Nov. 21st. Sagittarius is the zodiac’s 9th sign and third fire sign. It is mutable in modality and positive in polarity, ruled by Jupiter and symbolized by the mythical centaur – an athletic, primal yet intellectual, half-man/half-horse - shooting an arrow in to the cosmos.

Here in the U.S., Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday – which synchronistically happens to be Jupiter’s day – of November. The earliest possible date for it to fall is on Nov. 22nd and the latest date is Nov. 28th, guaranteeing us that this quintessentially Sagittarian holiday will take place in Sagittarius every year over and over, again and again, forever and ever. Thank goodness!

Alacazem 2009.11.12

November 12 to 19, 2009

Visible Planets: Morning: Venus, Mars and Saturn   Evening: Jupiter

Every year during the Scorpio zodiac month, I write about mystery and magic, death and rebirth, metaphysics and metamorphosis. It’s the time for witches and witchcraft, spells and potions. It’s the time of matted grass, swirling leaves and naked trees. The Queen of Darkness grabs the sepulcher from autumn’s Libra Fairy Princess and ushers in the season of lengthening night and freezing frost. We light fires and turn up the heat to ward off the cold. We are thankful for warm homes, cozy couches and extra blankets.

The stunning radiance of Indian Summer graces many of our days, but we are well aware of Old Man Winter knocking at the door. Our first snowstorms come during the Scorpio sun-time, and because of the earths still temperate ground, icy slush, blinding snow and glazing ice create some of the most dangerous driving conditions of the year.

Alacazem 2009.11.05

November 5 to 12, 2009

Visible Planets: Morning: Venus, Mars and Saturn    Evening: Jupiter

Voluptuous Venus enters seductive Scorpio on Nov. 7th and proceeds to sextile powerful Pluto in ambitious Capricorn Nov. 8th. These celestial events take place as the Earth reaches the halfway mark between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice, one of the four cross-quarter points of the annual tropical year. Cross-quarter points occur at 15º Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus and Leo, when the Earth’s polar axis is at a 45º angle to the Sun and magnetic pulls are at a maximum. In esoteric circles, these points are referred to as the Four Gates of Avataric Descent and represent particular types of cosmic energetic release.

 Symbolized by the Eagle (Scorpio), Angel (Aquarius), Bull (Taurus) and Lion (Leo), the approximate dates for cross-quarter days fall on Nov. 8th, Feb. 5th, May 6th and Aug. 8th. At these times the energies or realizations gathered at the equinoxes and solstices are released and made effective. The Bull and the Lion express individuating power – power rooted in the planet via concrete selfhood - while the Eagle and the Angel express collectivating power – power that expands the individual toward the collective and universal.

The entrance of Venus into Scorpio and its sextile to Pluto in Capricorn at the time of one of these electromagnetically charged points – Nov. 8th is the Gate of the Eagle – indicate the opening of an omniscient cosmic door, a door to transformational, metamorphic individual and collective change. Venus in Scorpio represents our passions, obsessions and addictions - especially those regarding romance and finance, love and money. It is where we feel intense desires and demonstrate compulsive behaviors. It’s also our attraction to secrets, magic, clandestine activity, the mysterious and metaphysical.

Alacazem 2009.10.29

October 29 to November 5, 2009

Visible Planets: Morning: Venus, Mars and Saturn  Evening: Jupiter

Open the door to a week of mystical illusion and metaphysical possibility.  Spirits dance and souls cross, witches fly and ghosts haunt. We have reached the dramatic end of the pagan Celtic year and the celebration of Samhain, a three-day festival honoring the season’s harvest and marking summer’s end. In ancient times, bonfires dotted the nightscape and families gathered in groups and villages to share the fruits of their labors, tell stories, evoke spirits and pay homage to their gods and goddesses.

In the Catholic church, the end of October and the first days of November are marked by All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, times set aside for prayer and remembrance of those who have passed on. Cemeteries are visited and cleaned, private altars are built and the departed loved ones’ favorite foods and beverages are set on tables or placed on gravesites.

Today these ritual holy days have morphed into our modern day Halloween. In a blend of tradition, belief and fantasy, costumes and candy honor the dead, celebrate the harvest and invoke the mysterious. As the season of darkness reigns, the veil between life and death is thin. The crack between the worlds opens. Spooks walk and spirits cross. Keep your eyes and hearts open, set out those treats and take note of the annual full “Hunters' Moon” on Nov. 2nd – Dia de los Muertos - at 12:14 p.m. MST in the Scorpio/Taurus polarity. Happy hunting!

Alacazem 2009.10.22

October 22 to 29, 2009

Visible Planets: Morning: Venus, Mars and Saturn  Evening: Jupiter

The Scorpio Zodiac Month of Magic, Mystery and Metaphysics

This week we enter the realm of mysterious, magnetic Scorpio. The Sun enters the zodiac’s eighth sign on October 23rd at 12:44 a.m. MDT, and in so doing, opens the cosmic door to magical experience and metaphysical reality. While air-apparent Libra was social and mental, Scorpio is mystical and private. Libra loves sunlight, billowing clouds and shimmering rainbows, while Scorpio prefers moonlight, shadows and the intriguing possibilities of darkness.

As heavenly influences transform, check out inner clocks and internal dialogues. Do you feel yourself moving from a place of relative intellectual “lightness” to a position of deepening emotion, traveling from the intellectual realms of mind to the intuitive, psychic waters of the soul? Look for a shift from the frivolous to the focused, and direct attention toward deep desire. Examine motivation and intention as you do.
   

 Scorpio is the sign most associated with the taboo, the hidden, the clandestine and the secret. It rules the private areas and most precious, intimate pieces of our lives.  It is where we become possessive, obsessive and passionate. The evolutionary intent of Scorpio is akin to the sacred science of alchemy, which describes the process of transmuting one’s own material, physical “darkness” into a purified product of spiritual gold.  So, as we creep our way through the first week of Scorpio and move ever closer to Halloween, check it out. Get out the brooms and candlesticks, wands and witch hats. Collect bones and gather herbs. It’s the season of ghosts and goblins, spirits and spells. Light the fire and prepare the potions!

Alacazem 2009.10.15

October 15 to 22, 2009

Visible Planets: Morning: Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn   Evening: Jupiter

This morning I awoke to a delicate crescent Moon paired with brilliant, beautiful Venus. Less bright Saturn was shining above the Moon and the faint light of Mercury shimmered below them all, not far above the impending light of dawn.

I’m lucky to live in a place where I can see the rising sun break day. Our view to the east is unimpeded. Wrights Mesa stretches to the rim of San Miguel Canyon, and beyond are the mountains of Telluride, Ophir, Dunton and Dolores. The Dallas Divide stretches to the north, above Ridgway, and then the horizon flattens out in the shape of the Uncompahgre Plateau. There is a wide expanse of sky between east and west. The sunsets are awesome.