Mercury went retrograde on Saturday, February 23 and remains so through Sunday, March 17th. This is turning out to be an intense cycle with expressions of both confusion and anger coming to the surface. I am hearing of many challenges and unfortunate circumstances that people are facing ... simple things from lost objects and misplaced items, to losing track of commitments and mixing up dates, to serious illnesses and major life issues. If you are feeling the deeper intensity of this cycle, take extra time to clear your personal energy, remove nonessential activities from your calendar, spend a few moments each day to just "BE," and focus on what you really want to happen ... fast forward to what that experience would feel like for yourself. This is a very effective way to begin to come into alignment with your wishes.

Mercury is the planet that rules communications. As Mercury appears to back up in the sky, communications easily get confused and mixed up. Take extra care and allow more room in your schedule. This is an excellent cycle to re-do, re-consider, repair, review, and re-work many things. It is not an ideal period to purchase electronics or sign contracts. You can make things easy on yourself and experience fewer obstacles by allowing more leeway in your schedule. Be proactive. Take advantage of the positive aspects of this cycle.

A few additional cycles that are making this period more intense are: Mercury in Pisces (confusion), Sun conjunct Mercury (not seeing something important), Mercury square Jupiter (talk that is not accurate or productive). On a brighter note, a pattern of Mercury conjunct Venus begins March 4, helping to create gracious communications. So, although the message may be tough, it can be gracious!

We are also experiencing the revolutionary energy of "Uranus square Pluto." We had similar energy during the 1960's. During 2013, this cycle peaks on May 20th and November 1st, so strap on your seatbelt! We may be in for some wild rides with lots of revolutionary energy leading to social, technological, and economic changes.

If you would like to learn more about this on a regular basis, I recommend that you subscribe to Madeline Gerwick's Good Timing Guide e-newsletters. They are so helpful and well worth the investment.

We have a new moon in the sign of Pisces on Monday, March 11th, which correlates with the Center of your home. Prior to March 11th, I recommend that you clean the Center of your space, add some good quality metal to balance the adverse energies of the year and then let things be.

Pisces is a water sign about deep, personal reflection. It is an inspirational time that represents a sensitive, psychic energy. It is a time to explore and better understand your deep inner thoughts and feelings. The March 11th new moon is a time to: 

• Dream big and imagine what is possible
• Envision your goals
• Focus on your authentic self
• Explore whatever is deep within your heart

The new moon in Pisces may stir a deeper sense of life's meaning from within, leading you to profound self-introspection while you explore more of your creative interests (art, music) and dreams. You may find yourself on a path to discover more meaning in your life and your relationships, find ways to heal long standing issues, become inspired to do something completely new or open your heart to that which you truly desire.

A heads up ... from an astrological perspective, watch for issues related to anger or resentment with this new moon. Try to handle the issues before they become even more explosive with the March 25 full moon. According to Madeline Gerwick, the good news is that there is a lot of energy that can be used for compassion, healing, forgiveness, and for making money! This new moon also supports special talents that are associated with the appropriate and effective use of power.

You can make all of this easier on yourself by cleaning up and clearing out any stuck energy in the center of your home! Do it slowly though, too much, too fast can stir things up in ways for which you may not be ready.

If you are among the many people looking for work, here are some tips that may help as we move into Spring, the season of new beginnings and growth:

1. Switch your focus from "looking" for work to "finding" the perfect job.
2. Be very clear about what you want. If you don't know where to begin, start with a list of all the attributes you don't want and change them over to the opposite. For example, "I don't want a long commute!" can be changed to "I'd like a job with a 20 minute commute or less." If you are feeling muddled or ambivalent, those experiences will continue to show up.
3. Visualize yourself in your preferred work environment. Fill in the details: feel what your colleagues are like, see the environment, sense the energy of the space, etc. A friend of mine used to pass a woman she wanted to work for on the road every day, as she was traveling to a job that she did not enjoy. She got in the habit of waving and saying "Hello, new boss!" Within 4 months a job opened up, which she has had for the past 7 years. When you open yourself up to amazing possibilities, the experiences come to you.
4. Create a Vision Board. Include images of jobs you'd enjoy doing and companies you'd enjoy working for. Add headlines from magazines and newspapers that express your thoughts and feelings. A Vision Board really helps to bring you into alignment with what you want.
5. Re-energize the Career gua of your land, home and every room in your home. This is the front center sector of your space when you divide it into a grid of nine spaces. It is imperative that you clear all clutter. Clutter is stuck energy and it hold you back. Also, remove anything broken as well as things that you don't use or love.
6. Make sure everyone has clear, open access to your front door. This includes shoveling snow during the winter. A curved path wide enough for two people to walk side by side, is preferred.
7. Take inspired action every day. All of the subtle energy tips help but you must also take practical steps that move you in the direction of your dreams. Such action includes letting your intentions be known with people you respect and trust, networking (Linked In is a great business site), searching job boards, sending our resumes, etc. If this feels like a drain, you ideal job will not show up. Play with the process until you feel good about it and then continue on that path.
8. Express Gratitude in Advance. I cannot say enough about how effective this technique is. I have been in the habit of giving thanks in advance for all sorts of situations. The key is to express your intentions in the present tense, using positive words, just as if it is happening now. For example: "I am so grateful for my job with ____." Getting in the habit of writing it down daily, repeating it in your mind, saying it aloud helps you to get over your "ego" telling you that it hasn't happened yet. This is all about moving beyond the ego and connecting with Spirit. You don't have to, but it takes longer and requires more energy the "normal" way.
9. Find something to be genuinely happy about every day. When you are happy, you attract happy and higher vibration circumstances and experiences. Everything that shows up in our lives is always a match to our energy. When you want things to be different, you can raise your energy by finding something to be happy about. Play with this process and notice what happens.

Brenni Larson has a three month project underway where she is interviewing 24 leading feng shui experts about various topics and feng shui practices. You can listen live or listen to the replay within 48 hours, for free. I have learned from many of these teachers over the years. I highly recommend this series, if you would like to expand your feng shui knowledge.

The interviews include conversations with Karen Kingston, Karen Rauch Carter, Terah Collins, Stephanie McWilliams, Carol Hyder, Carol Assa, Elliot Tanzer, Peggy Nederlof, Ann Bingley Gallops, Candace Vorhaus, R.D. Chin, Maureen Calamia, Werner Brandmaier, Marise Hamm, Mary Jane Kasliner, Melanie Ferreira, Eric Dowsett, Carol Olmstead, LuAnn Cibik, Katherine Metz, James Jay, Yasha Jampolsky, Mary Shurtleff, and Lois Kramer Perez.

Please contact me if you are interested in:

I Ching Readings
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