The great wheel of time turns and we enter the heat of summer. Planetary heat also rises this year. We have several interesting combinations in the heavens. These energies will herald an awakening by some into their greatness and greatest gifts (dharma). They will leave others feeling trapped by destiny or frustrated by circumstance (karma). Many of us will be found just bouncing around the same old mental dialogues that I fondly call the “Usual Bums in Your Brain.” Come along as we walk through the summer and see what you can do to reach for greatness or to gracefully face limitation. Most of all: become aware when the usual bums are working overtime as DJs in your brain. Your perspective gives you control.

The planetary configurations this summer are ripe for fear. Terrorist threats are in the air and on the tube. There is a lot of talk, but I don’t expect a real hit here. Expect increased fear on the borders and the Minute Men patrols will resume on the border with Mexico. However, there is dharma too: Expect this intensity to give birth to solutions. The Democrats and the Republicans are locked in a mud-slinging stalemate. Both sides are so slimy that the people stop listening and key figures in these parties reach for cooperation. Don’t expect this cooperation from the top, but watch for it from renegades and frustrated free thinkers. John McCain remains in the news as he challenges his party and pulls Democrats into his practical approach. The economy is shaky but still standing. Social Security reforms are frustrated until later this year or early next year. Simply put, powerful political players seem weakened by the weight of their respective parties, while frustrated activists rise from the ranks and get things done. Scandals are in the air. June ends with Mars, the passion planet, next to the point where the Moon rises in the heavens and crosses the eclipse path. This point is called Rahu, the dragon’s head. In myth, the great dragon lost his head when he reached for immortality. Now, Mars comes to cross this point and suggests that we can all lose our heads to desire, aggression or petty internal wars. It is a volatile time, but also one where we face our fears and rise above them. Weary of the din, we reach for inner peace.

How might you keep your wits and your head? Well, the planet that faces this pair is Jupiter. Jupiter is the great teacher or guru. At his best Jupiter is a wise and gentle planet. He offers guidance and opportunity. He is indulgent and, at his worst, a little greedy. At the beginning of July, he is concerned with marketing. Stretch beyond your desires or be consumed by them. Do you need a bigger whatsit or can you desire more simplicity? The desire will be there; we each get to guide it by reaching for what we really want and need, rather than what the magazine shows.

Mars is aggression, Jupiter is expansion, and Rahu is desire. As a result, if there are some aggressive and greedy folks out there, then we are all tuned in cosmically to want to win. The easiest way to get a lot of attention now is through scandal. Time to sort through the hyperbole to find “Truth.” Better yet, watch how quickly you believe it when it’s someone you don’t think you like. The more outlandish the story the better and the quicker the grease hits the flame. We can get caught in the fire and fan it or sort through the flames and see if it has merit. To move to your dharma, detach from the emotion and wait to see if there is merit. If we keep our heads, then we find the value in cooperation rather than emotional agitation.

The challenges hit us head on as we begin July. There is a lot of fear for all. Expect talks of attacks on the 4th, but fortunately there is more fear than reality. Expect fierce public criticism on all fronts, but again there is a greed component. Who might benefit if we fear each other? What price will we pay if we live and breathe in fear? The need to be aware is real and when we keep our wits about us we are available to respond to real fear. Use your senses to guide you during your travels early this month. The political camps will be the center of scandals and both sides benefit if we stay stirred up.

Mars is strong from July 20th on: Learn to listen rather than shout. Mars is aggressive and can be angry. It doesn’t take much to stir up an argument these days. There is no shorter path from conversation to irritation than in the political arena. Mars is also aggression in business. Keep track of your own money and values. Opportunity for business is everywhere—use the energy to create rather than to argue. It is time to turn inward and appreciate your peace, while you physically work out that energy through your body. What does your body need? Can you turn off the computer or TV and take a walk?

Mars is competition and aggression. He falls in a mansion that is really good for healing, but requires that healing emerge from a betrayal. The Hindu deities associated with this place are male and were born of strong horses, the Sun god and a magical woman. The story goes, that the Sun god’s wife grew weary of the marriage. The Sun god was so egotistical that he didn’t notice that she put her handmaid in her place. Years passed. He knew something was amiss, but had to go to the celestial architect who used a great lathe to literally cut him (his ego) down so that he might see outside himself. When he did, he found his wife living as a mare. She enjoyed nature. He took on the form of a stallion. She accepted him and from their union the Ashwin Kumars were born. These deities bring the promise of the future: They bring the dawn each day, but are a union of mortal, mammal and the immortal god. Each day we have the opportunity to accept another’s limitations, drop our own facade and welcome a new perspective or attitude that is the foundation of peace and healing.

Mars lingers in this part of the heavens from July 17th until August 10th. Reach for the gifts of this mansion and expect a fresh start every day. On the 10th, Mars slips into a more difficult place where he will linger for several months. That mansion deals with a more solitary journey akin to the process of spiritual death and rebirth. So, that celestial lathe looks pretty good, eh? Let us cut a little of our ego down.

Finger of Fate: Sept 14th to October 15th. If your chart is hit right on, you may find yourself in the midst of amazing choices and opportunity. You may be tested to see if your ethics follow the money or if your courage follows your beliefs. Even if you are not triggered personally, everyone gets to feel the intensity as Mars, the passionate warrior, slows to a stop in the heavens. The karmic clutch of Mars is the selfish thug; the dharma is the courageous, selfless firefighter; the mental bums are petty irritations with your neighbors or coworkers that make you crazy. With Jupiter the grasp is greed, the dharma or greatness is generosity and the petty side is arrogance. Finally, the three sides of Pluto: the karmic clutch is fear of death or imprisonment, the dharma is selfless transformation and compassion, and the mental bum is selfish plans to get ahead. It’s a great opportunity, but we get pulled in all directions. Expect news of planned troop reduction in Iraq between mid- September and mid-October. The trial of Saddam Hussein marks a turning point.

On the 14th of September we feel the power. Watch the news for exciting business opportunities, political scandals and yes, the opportunity for old foes to go to battle or hopefully rise above it. Pluto is comfortable dealing with power and wealth. He is the lord of the underworld and travels to the depths of emotion and consciousness. Jupiter is the great guru or teacher. He brings ideas and insight. He will teach you gently or through excess. Mars is literally stopped in the heavens. Will the world stretch for Mars, the competitor, or Mars, the warrior? I expect both. Competition is high and there are political and financial winners and losers. Will you feel alive or trapped? That depends upon the courage and optimism within you. The antidote to fear is faith.

Watch the movement of Venus, sweetness and charm, and Mercury, communication and commerce. They begin the month of July together. They make promises that they may not be able to keep. They are the consummate good P.R. planets, but they aren’t tied to substance. As we begin the summer, they face Neptune, the planet of heightened awareness, but also manipulation. Don’t believe the promises without the facts. Uranus, the playful trickster, gets the truth out in strange ways. That blooper by the president or the off-camera remark by the activist: No one is safe from the truth. This is a fun time to read the papers, but know that what seems like a big story in July has gone down the drain by October. Keep your humor high and you’ll enjoy this summer’s tall tales and humorous truth tellers.

By the way, these are great combinations for scientific discoveries. Uranus brings the flash of inspiration, Neptune drops the wall of perceptions and Pluto releases it to the world. A wise investor might act on the initial breakthrough, but he had better be cautious—things are confusing until it shakes out later this year. In your personal life: In July we want to be free. We see who’s schmoozing us and who is real. That great yod brings fate, or destiny to our lives. We see the gifts and the frustrations played out with the people we love and those we are tied to. Watch your work place, family or your homeowners association. Those relationships where we are tied to each other are often where those karmic relationships play out and where we are forced to detach from ourselves. Breathe deeply and trust me that it will look differently in October than in the summer. Are you hopeful or fearful? It won’t play out like the folks in the press, but it can be profound and personal.

The Presidents: This summer, George W Bush and his father GHWB are hit hard by a karmic transit. These two men have their Moons very close together in the heavens. They are hit by joy, opportunity and sadness together. The transits this summer could indicate a loss of someone dear. It certainly indicates mutual concerns for their family and each other. The last time they shared this transit of the dragon’s tail (karma) the first public reporting of the Iran Contra scandal hit the news: November 1986. They seem to have escaped that scandal, but there may be news again. Expect some scandal about money. Both men are profoundly affected. John McCain will remain in the news and be compared and contrasted to the president. W had tough transits. He may show signs of age or the obvious wear and tear of the office he holds. I do not feel he will die or be physically attacked. It seems more like attacks in the press and a long summer of frustration. Before you jump on every scandal, remember that what looks ominous in the summer is cleared by the fall. We may well lose a former president again this summer. Both presidents Ford and Carter have heavy transits. Let’s wish them well. Bill Clinton’s chart looks good for his sustained recovery.

Hilary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice have many similarities in their charts. Both are faced with criticism and attacks throughout the rest of this year. Remember, what looks like a conspiracy may be a misunderstanding or even a fabrication. Both women reach for cooperation and find it.

How the Love Grows: Love is a lifeline this summer. Venus, the love planet, is busy. She learns to talk sweetly in July and actually breaks out of her old fears in August. By the end of September, she is happier and more social than ever. Expect fated relationships from mid-August to mid-September. Hmmm, that seductive energy might be a beacon to your heart. Reach for your dharma this summer and the relationship opportunities are abundant. Caution: your irritation is more yours than theirs .

Where the Money Flows: Medical technology, diagnostics and genomics are in the news. How do you pick the right one? I don’t know, but they are good investments. It looks like oil will slowly fall as we end the summer and if history serves the astrologer, then the dollar is strengthened in the fall. The wise investors are cautious. The Bear is breathing in the Bull’s ear. The type of emotional aspects we have this summer usually accompanies a volatile Market. It’s very volatile in early July and mid-September- mid-October. Hold onto your mutual funds.

So I leave you with a lot to think about. The gift of these transits is at the depth of your spirit and your perceptions. Will you ride the public opinion wave like a bit of seaweed or will you ride above it like a skilled surfer who knows he must feel the energy, but not succumb to the fear. Before you lose your joy to the media think about this. I was recently at a gathering of students and faculty from different countries. One asked a burning question: “Why doesn’t the American policeman accept a bribe?” You see, it is common in many countries for policemen to do so. To us, as Americans, we were first struck dumb by this question. You see, we know that there is corruption, but we do not assume it. They wanted to know how in America we manage to create policemen who do not accept bribes. I leave you to ponder this. It helps us to rise above the struggle and to move into appreciation.

Most people- regardless of things such as age, sex, race, and nationality- wish to experience joy and to avoid pain. We often look for answers to how we might better accomplish this goal. Sometimes we find the knowledge we seek and it is surprisingly simple, yet profound. These insights can change everything and we can begin to live our life in a more satisfying way.

Byron Katie (known as Katie) was severely depressed in her thirties. One day, she had an amazing awakening when it suddenly occurred to her that she felt incredible sadness whenever she believed that something should be other than what it was. She realized that what was causing her depression was not the world around her, but rather it was the beliefs she held about the world and her idea that it should be other than what it was. She suddenly understood that her search for happiness was backward and could not be obtained by attempting to get the world to match her beliefs about how it should be. Out of this experience she developed a simple, yet powerful method of inquiry, which she calls “The Work”. She went from being severely depressed and barely able to function and became filled with love for all that life brings.

Katie teaches “The Work” all over the world and she wrote a book called, Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life, which teaches her method. Her new book called, I Need Your Love - Is That True? : How to Stop Seeking Love, Affection and Appreciation and Start Finding Them Instead furthers our understanding and gets one to question beliefs that we take for granted, which are often not bringing us the joy we seek. I have found great peace through her approach. It is a new way of looking at things and by asking myself her four questions, I have been able to make profound changes in my own life. Byron Katie will be in Dallas September 9th-11th, offering her incredible work. (Due to unexpected eye surgery, Katie’s Dallas visit was postponed.) This is a rare opportunity to learn from a very gifted woman, whose great breakthrough, insight and teachings might help you to profoundly change your own life.

Sometimes when things occur that we wish had been otherwise, it is important for us to realize that things are working out for the best even if it does not feel that way at the time. I look at life as being like a tapestry. Sometimes things appear dark, yet when we look back at the tapestry, the dark colors are very beautiful. When I look at life this way, it is easy for me to love and to appreciate what is. From this place I am able to find the gifts that do exist and I can continue to learn and to grow in a direction that does bring me the happiness I seek.

I hope that you will learn to love what is and that you, too, will experience the tremendous joy and peace that this brings.

Love & Light,

Felicia Weiss, Ph.D.

Have you ever felt “stuck” in a life situation? Have you ever felt powerless to change your circumstances?

When we feel unable to change our lives, the words we use to describe our case often provide a clue for the way to resolve the situation. For example, feeling “stuck” actually describes the problem quite accurately. You see, stuck attention roots you to your circumstances. Keep your attention on your problem, and it fills your mind and thus, your life.

For example, if you feel stuck in a job, then your mind will get stuck on those things you hate about the job. What do you complain about to your friends? Where is your attention focused? On the problems—on what you don’t want.

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Center

©2005 Nicole Mizoguchi • www.nicolemiz.com • nicole@nicolemiz.com

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