Fumiyo Yoshikawa

From Kim Falconer’s 11th House Blog

Welcome New Year of the Fire Monkey!

The second New Moon after the solstice 2016 marks Chinese New Year of the Fire Monkey and oh boy, what a chang-a-roony.

NEW MOON IN 19 AQUARIUS Feb 8/9
LA – Monday 6:39am
NY – Monday 9:39am
LON – Monday 2:39pm
SYD – Tuesday 1:39am

This is the year of the Cheeky Monkey. A blockbuster shift, moving from two years of Wood element (Green Horse and Green Sheep) to Red Fire Monkey.

Contemplative becomes assertive.

Reflective become proactive.

Stuck becomes rockets launching, fire works and who cares about the slippery slope!

Think of it a bit like moving back to Aries after two years of Taurus, back to Leo after Virgo, back to Sagittarius after Capricorn. From Earth to Fire means we’ve tilled the soil, planted the seed and now make room because HEY-O they are going to grow!

Monkey years have an abundance of energy, enthusiasm and spark. In FIRE, all the MORE dynamic.

This sign shares some of the intellectual and quick-silver qualities of western astrology’s sign of Virgo including a love of friends, witty dialog and analytical capabilities. It’s mutable, and again, with added fire, think Sagittarius enthusiasm.

Monkeys years are about lofty challenges and high sighted goals–we actually thrive when they have something way out there to reach for. With a hefty dose of curiosity, Monkey years bring a deal of information so we can turn what we learn into wonderful stories we can share with others.

Our monkey year is all about communicate–be it through phone, internet or face to face. The main thing is we all feel connected. Social, sensitive and full of life, Monkey years can turn trouble into fun, gloom into a sunny day, low returns and results into high octane YES!

Happy New Moon and Chinese New Year of the Monkey! Set sky high intentions! Let us know how it’s all going in the comments!

ARIES: Chinese New Year of the Monkey is a social time with plenty of goals and fuel for the fire. Friends mean the world to you and come through with great support and insight. Seek success with confidence, but note the difference between a goal and an agenda. You don’t make it happen. You let it . . .

TAURUS: 2016 is all about your career, mission and connection to others. You’ll want to be productive on a practical level as well as show the world a whole new, playful, carefree side. Think of it as a time to get yourself ‘correct.’ That means recognize your worthiness, see your perfection, love yourself unconditionally.

GEMINI: Monkey year is an adventure for those born under the sign of the twins. Think expansion, excitement, travel via mind, body, spirit, and a whole lot of dreams come true. Your best approach? Use the power of the ‘pre-thanks.’ The strength of your words, written and spoken, blossoms before your eyes!

CANCER: The year of the Monkey invites you to be an energy connoisseur, to pay attention to the play of power between you and others, friends, associates and love interests alike. That means you tune into what you are flowing, without judgement, so you can line up with what you want. Think awareness and fun!

LEO: Single, mated, looking, hiding, complicated or no strings, 2016 is about getting your love life really happening. This opportunity is pure gold, so put some energy into activating the dream come true relationship you always wished for but never quite manifested. Clean house, inner and outer. Company’s coming!

VIRGO: Whether you want to drop a few extra pounds, gain muscle-lose fat, get into your best shape ever, heal an ongoing issues or boost your magical manifesting skills, the year of the Monkey supports it big time! This is how it works. Get your vibration, AKA your thoughts, there first. Drop judgment!

LIBRA: Year of the Monkey holds a special place in the heart of Libra, one that will bring forth a pot of gold you had no idea was waiting. Probably didn’t see this rainbow coming! But here it is, abundance city! All you have to do is activate ‘Life is Good,’ and you’re following the creative magic. Holy wow!

SCORPIO: You have a lighthearted connection with the year of the Monkey and to honor it, think about the one thing you really want but are too (afraid, busy, denying, ignoring, projecting on to others) to create. This is you chance to awaken true desires and make them so, by putting your focus there. You go for what you want. Period!

SAGITTARIUS: All forms of communication lighten up in the year of the Monkey, amplifying everything from dissertation skills to writing, speaking and publishing. It’s ‘spread the word time’, and all you have to do is feel worthy. Boost self-esteem and positive self-talk for major 2016 joy, happiness and success!

CAPRICORN: Monkey years can amp up your goals and hone your focus, making 2016 a fast track to abundance. How to fuel the engine? Re-think your relationship to FUN. Seriously! The motto is, as long as you’re having a good time, there’s no such thing as wasting time! Play. Delight. Take up a hobby. Muse. Cruise.

AQUARIUS: The New Moon in Aquarius heralds the year of the Monkey with personal significance for Water-bearers. This is a powerhouse year, one in which you get to decide how things go. It’s all about your perspective so start fresh, drop judgements and open you mind. Motto: There is no spoon. Now go after what you want.

PISCES: The year of the Monkey can be just the fun and fulfillment you’ve been hanging out for. Are you ready? With the New Moon in your solar 12th house, it’s all about ‘the dream’. Feel free to muse your way through the year because the power of transformation lies in you ability to relax and chill out! Allow, allow, allow!

Happy Chinese New Year xxxKim!

If you want to learn more about using astrology to boost your law of attraction skills, support coaching/counseling others and get yourself into alignment with your dreams, Good Vibe Astrology is the place to be.

Join us for more discussion on our Align with the Stars call, open to all on February 16th.17th. See you there!

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Artist - Jeannette Woitzik

Welcome to the New Moon in Sagittarius, bringing in the spirit of adventure and excitement. This is the perfect time to set new intentions that take you places you have never been before. Fresh horizons! New Moon Scopes from Kim Falconer’s 11th House Blog.

NEW MOON @19 SAGITTARIUS
L.A. – Friday 2:29 am
NEW YORK – Friday 5:29 am
LONDON – Friday 10: 29 am
SYDNEY – Friday 9:29 pm

The New Moon always represents new beginnings, fresh starts. Look to where 19 degrees of Sagittarius is in your natal chart and set strong intentions there for the rest of the month. This is where you amp up self support and enthusiasm and let go of what isn’t working.

Yes, this is the house that Saturn is in right now, or about to be, so there is an undertone of serious housecleaning. Use this to your advantage. Accept that what is going on in this area of life really is important to you and brainstorm ways to experience it to the max.

Making as little as a 1% improvement can change everything!

If you need support here, start with What Obstacles?, Zen and the Zodiac and The Astrology of Relief. And finally, If you have Sagittarius/Gemini intercepted in your natal chart, there is all the more focus on that ‘hidden’ sign. Revel. Release. Rejoice!

Happy New Moon!

ARIES - This new moon is optimal energy for going beyond the familiar boundaries of life. Visit a place you’ve never been. Taste a new food. Think new thoughts. We cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.~Andre Gide

TAURUS - There is no point in ‘conserving energy’ or going into miser mode. Qi is not a commodity you can ever run out of. Give until your heart’s content. Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.~Buddha

GEMINI- It could feel like you ‘need’ to make a relationship decision but really you have to get in touch with what feels best to you. Want a quick way to make a choice? Write down everything you can think of that is GOOD about each option & then see how you feel… ~Andrea Sholer

CANCER- This new moon could be a bit of a forest/trees situation. You are looking at the fine details when the real beauty is in perspective. Relationships and workmates will particularly benefit from you stepping back. You are seeing that which you are intending. ~Abraham Hicks

LEO - Any romantic/creative hiatus will ease, putting you on the path to the creative connections of your dreams. The best resource to tap into, and trust, your inner guidance (not the collective opinion). Everything you see on earth is made from one original substance, out of which all things proceed.~Wallace. D. Wattles

VIRGO - If you’re waiting for the right furniture, the right lawn, the right address, the right partner, the right pet, the right job before you get happy, the boat has sailed. Find your excitement, now. Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances. ~Benjamin Franklin

. LIBRA - Bright ideas seem far-fetched when you brainstorm them with others, but keep at it. What you conceive of today will blossom brilliantly tomorrow! If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true were really true, there would be little hope of advance. ~Orville Wright

SCORPIO - If you’ve hit a rough patch when it comes to money, job or career, use this time to reassess the charge. Can you find a better thought? No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit. ~Helen Keller.

SAGITTARIUS-This is your new moon, and your solar return, the most powerful time of the year. The intentions you set now must reflect your heart’s desire. In this way, you pave the future. You are your deepest, driving desires. As is your desire, so is your will. As is your will, so is your deed. As is your deed, so is your destiny. ~Upanishad

CAPRICORN – Time to loosen your grip on ‘reality’ so you can open your mind to the next creative step. Get to the place where you can dream and believe. That’s where it all begins. Then, do the impossible. We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic and positive equals unrealistic. ~Susan Jeffers

AQUARIUS – Relax. You have no idea what you’re missing while you put effort into piecing the world together. More will happen in a moment of peace than years of forced action. The state of least excitation of consciousness is the field of all possibilities. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

PISCES – Self inventory is instructional as long as you use it holistically. If you see a habit to change, do so, but appreciate what it was that lead you to noticing, or developing it, in the first place. A person of genius makes no mistakes. Their errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery. ~James Joyce

Happy New Moon, Everyone!  xxxKimmy

You can find out more about me and my writing at the 11th House Blog, Kim Falconer.com, Pinterest, and on FaceBook and Twitter. I post over at the Supernatural Underground on the 16th of every month and most days on Save the Day Writer’s Community on Facebook.

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You can expect a burst of creativity with the Leo aligned to Venus writes Kim Falconer…

Re-blogged from Kim Falconer’s 11th House Blog.

The Leo New Moon is upon us! Time to celebrate heartfelt feelings, creative expression, individuality, arts and performance, play, fun, romance and kids!

NOTE: 21 degrees of a fixed sign is considered a ‘critical degree’. Even though this New Moon is well aligned to Venus, Eros (exact at 21 Leo) and Uranus, expect things to ‘come to a point.’ This can mean you dump a toleration, speak out when you have held your tongue, or even have a bit of a hissy-fit to clear the air. Expect things to move forward more evenly once you do.

New Moon 21 Leo 30′

LA – Friday – 7:54 am
NY – Friday – 10:54 am
LON – Friday – 3:54 pm
SYD – Saturday – 00:54 am

The New Moon falls into the Mars/Aries decante of Leo:

20 to 29 59′ Leo is the Mars decanate. It increases aggressive and assertive powers. Apt to be impetuous and quick to act. Generous, flamboyant and needs independence. Knows what they want and how to get it. Strong romantic intentions.

Sounds fun!

Remember, Leo represents the vitality of the fiery Sun—bold, commanding, animated. It conducts energy at a higher rate than any other sign, accounting for its enthusiasm, spirit and zest for life. The natural seat of Leo is the fifth house, ruling anything that makes us feel special, unique and creative—children, artistic endeavors, literary works, dance, music, drama, love affairs and speculation.

The Sun oversees individuality, healing, vital force, identity, purpose and destiny. He symbolizes creative expression, power, courage and authority—the place where thoughts turn into actions, and deeds determine the self-worth of the individual.

Where we find Leo in the horoscope is where we need to feel distinct, special and artistic. We want to be in the limelight in some way, affirming our value, worth and merit. The fixed nature of this sign implies tenacity through certitude, giving Leo a reputation for immovable determination. The sights are always set on the future and Leo has no problem imagining how things might be.

Where is this New Moon happening for you? What intentions will you set there?

Lion’s Return by   Michael Parkes

Reference for the houses:

The meanings of the houses are deep and rich with metaphorical and literal content but here is a quick list of key words to get you started.

1st house – Appearance, personality traits, outlook on life
2nd house – $$$, resources, talents, peace of mind
3rd house – Teaching, learning, writing, talking, connecting
4th house – Home, family, ancestors, emotional ground
5th house – Creative expression, offspring (books/kids etc), romance
6th house – Health, pets, daily routine, employment, magic
7th house – Socially significant relationships, contracts
8th house – Sex, death, taxes, shared resources, trust
9th house – New horizons, travel, beliefs, WWW
10th house – Career, mission, profession, public relations
11th house – Friends, goals for the future, groups
12th house – Unconscious, dreams, giving and receiving, meditative states

Here is a quick ‘to do’ list to spark more ideas:

•  Play
•  Dance
•  Laugh
•  Sleep in
•  individuate
•  Finger paint
•  Adopt a kitten
•  Get creative
•  Enjoy the drama
•  Go out to dinner
•  Practice more self-love
•  Play music, sing, draw, sketch, write, perform

Happy New Moon Everyone!

xx Kim

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Christian Schloe Australian Artist

From Kim Falconer’s 11th House Blog

It’s Retrograde Venus time, everyone! Are your ready? Venus turns stationary @0 Virgo on July 25th, then spends the next two-and-a-half months moving ‘backwards’ through the sign of Leo. Below are horoscope tips to help you leverage this energy to the max. Enjoy!

ARIES: Venus through your house of creative self expression is fabulous for artistic pursuits and child-like play. Pre-pave your true desires here. This is also a charming time for romance but with the retrograde, it’s likely things will flare from ex-current-ex, lukewarm to sizzling again. Wait until October to make a decisions. Children have an influence

TAURUS: This cycle is all about the home. Are you Queen/King of your castle? If not, why no? Take this time to get the home life correct. That means family as well as the physical dwelling. You might have a major re-evaluation of life style and location. Consider long; make major move after Oct 9 if possible. Parents will be of influence.

GEMINI: If you have a career in writing, teaching, studying or any form of the written/spoken word, this is your time to gain major accolades. Put your works in front of eyes that matter. Proposals could take yonks to hear back on but the results are potentially spectacular. Involve yourself with community. If ever a time to connect with siblings or cousins, it is now.

CANCER: Venus in your financial sector says “shake your money maker.” Put yourself out there while you dream bigger than you ever have before. No more shyness before all things. Bold, bright and beautiful is your manta. Check into your core values. Make sure you are living yours to the max! aunts, uncles and financial advisers are of influence.

LEO: This is your sun sign/Venus conjunction and it gives you double the charm, double the allure and ten fold the vivacity. Use this energy, especially on your own self development. Reconsider everything from wardrobe to walk, style to elocution. Your whole image gets a change up. Be MORE you. Be open to explore who your are for yourself, not others.

VIRGO: Your life force glows from the core of your heart to the outer reaches of the cosmos. People will notice the change. Compassion is amplified, and so is a hard to pinpoint charisma. This is where you give to the greater oneness of life, like a beneficent god/goddess of antiquity. And, follow your heart wherever it leads. Dreams and spirit guides abound.

LIBRA: The life of the party, the charm and enchantment in any group, you shine among friends, center stage. Like truth serum, when it comes to your closest others, Venus reveals who is loyal and who has moved on. Expect some reshuffling where attachments are concerned. Amp hopes and wishes for the future! Friends are of most important influence.

SCORPIO: Whatever you are manifesting on the career front, smile and it’s yours. Just take note, during the Rx cycle, you may discover that what you thought would make you happy doesn’t cut it anymore. Revisit your core values and trust guidance to pave the way to what you heart desires. Parents or authority figures/heroes are of strong influence.

SAGITTARIUS: Expansion is your style and with Venus in your solar travel sector there’s plenty of potential for all levels – mind, body and spirit. As you ready for new horizons, think of sharing the adventure. Venus wants to partner and in Leo it will make the journey doubly sweet. An old flame resurfaces . . . perhaps? Think: Foreign affairs.

CAPRICORN: All work and no play will only piss Venus in Leo off, royally. You want to schedule in some fun around all the empire building. There’s a chance to rethink your approach to intimacy. It might change the way you view life. Be it tarot with a friend, deep and meaningful conversations or sizzling passion, doors open now. Intimacy with another has a profound effect.

AQUARIUS: Consider the power of pre-paving when it comes to all your personal, one-to-one socially significant relationships. You don’t want to let this opportunity go untouched. Get to the core of what you REALLY want when it comes to partnership, biz or pleasure. What unfolds now will enlighten you, if you let it. This is your time to connect. Don’t miss out!

PISCES: Note: any issue with the body is a message that something isn’t quite right. You want to jump on this, not through “treatment” but by listening. What is it that you repress? Release that now, and put some love into your nutrition, exercise, work and magic. Creativity and passion bloom at the strangest times! And that time is now. New connections with animals, spirits creatures, or even your vet, dentist or health care professional are on!

Kim Falconer is a Speculative Fiction author writing paranormal romance, urban fantasy, YA and epic science fantasy novels.

You can find out more about Kim at the 11th House Blog, and check our her Daily Writerly Tips on Facebook and Twitter.

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Venus Embellished by Michael Parkes

According to Verandah Magazine’s resident astrology guru, Kim Falconer, Venus, the Goddess of Love, is taking up a five-month sojurn in the sign of Leo.  Find out what Venus has in store for you –  align with the Stars.  Read more of Kim’s astrology on Kim Falconer’s 11th House Blog.

Astro-LOA Flash: Venus enters the sign of Leo on June 5th, 11:32 am EDT. This ingress happens every year around this time but . . . where Venus usually transits for a month or so in each sign, this sojourn in Leo will last five full months, until October 9, 2015.

The retrograde zone is virtually active the whole time, from June 21 to October 9th.

What to expect with Venus in Leo?

Leo is a FIRE sign, positive, outgoing and FIXED in motion. Think fire of the heart, passion, creativity, courage and generosity. Venus here gets her flamboyance on. She love drama anyway but during this period, she’s bent on waking up everyone’s inner prima donna. If you have a creative outlet, excellent. If you don’t, find one. Now.

Venus has to do with our core values, what really carries weight and meaning in life. If you aren’t living yours, expressing them in your career, relationships, home, family, creativity, you’ll lose the ability to pretend things are ‘fine’. Especially during the retrograde period from July 25th to September 6th. The WILL is empowered and if you don’t have healthy, authentic outlets for your drives, rejected energy turns in on itself. In such an event, the body is likely going to cop it.

Leo rules the heart, upper back and with Venus reigning, the HAIR. ANY health issues at this time are messages from the body that things aren’t quite right. Get to the heart of whatever it is you are repressing and release, release, release. For help on Eliminating Tolerations, see the GoodVibeBlog.

Even though Retrograde, Venus in Leo has dignity, warmheartedness and compassion. Wherever this is happening in your chart (where you find the degrees of Leo) you can turn on your creative fire, your love and your charm! Yes, you’re going to re-evaluate EVERYTHING in this astrological house(s), but the results are always a more authentic you!

Hints by zodiac sign for WHERE you want to relax, rethink and restore.

ARIES: Venus through your house of creative self expression is fabulous for artistic pursuits and child-like play. Pre-pave your true desires here. This is also a charming time for romance but with the retrograde, it’s likely things will flare from ex-current-ex, lukewarm to sizzling again. Wait until October to make a decisions.

TAURUS: This cycle is all about the home. Are you Queen/King of your castle? If not, why not? Take this time to get the home life correct. That means family as well as the physical dwelling. You might have a major re-evaluation of life style and location. Consider long; make any major move after Oct 9 if possible.

GEMINI: If you have a career in writing, teaching, studying or any form of the written/spoken word, this is your time to gain major accolades. Put your works in front of eyes that matter. Proposals could take yonks to hear back on but the results are potentially spectacular. Involve yourself with a sibling, cousin or community.

CANCER: Venus in your financial sector says “shake your money maker.” Put yourself out there while you dream bigger than you ever have before. No more shyness before all things. Bold, bright and beautiful is your manta. Check into your core values. Make sure you are living yours to the max!

LEO: This is your sun sign/Venus conjunction and it gives you double the charm, double the allure and ten fold the vivacity. Use this energy, especially on your own self development. Reconsider everything from wardrobe to walk, style to elocution. Your whole image gets a change up. Be MORE you.

VIRGO: Your life force glows from the core of your heart to the outer reaches of the cosmos. People will notice the change. Compassion is amplified, and so is a hard to pinpoint charisma. This is where you give to the greater oneness of life, like a beneficent goddess of antiquity. And, follow your heart wherever it leads.

LIBRA: The life of the party, the charm and enchantment in any group, you shine among friends, center stage. Like truth serum, when it comes to your closest others, Venus reveals who is loyal and who has moved on. Expect some reshuffling where attachments are concerned. Amp hopes and wishes for the future!

SCORPIO: Whatever you are after on the career front, smile and it’s yours. Just take note, during the Rx cycle, you may discover that what you thought would make you happy doesn’t cut it anymore. Revisit your core values and trust guidance to pave the way to what you heart desires. Can you imagine this clearly?

SAGITTARIUS: Expansion is your style and with Venus in your solar travel sector there’s plenty of potential for all levels – mind, body and spirit. As you ready for new horizons, think of sharing the adventure. Venus wants to partner and in Leo it will make the journey doubly sweet. An old flame resurfaces . . . perhaps?

CAPRICORN: All work and no play will only piss Venus in Leo off, royally. You want to schedule in some fun around all the empire building. There’s a chance to rethink your approach to intimacy. It might change the way you view life. Be it tarot with a friend, deep and meaningful conversations or sizzling passion, doors open now.

AQUARIUS: Consider the power of pre-paving when it comes to all your personal, one-to-one socially significant relationships. You don’t want to let this opportunity go untouched. Get to the core of what you REALLY want when it comes to partnership, biz or pleasure. What unfolds now will enlighten you, if you let it.

PISCES: Note: any issue with the body is a message that something isn’t quite right. You want to jump on this, not through ‘treatment’ but by listening. What is it that you repress? Release that now, and put some love into your nutrition, exercise, work and magic. Creativity and passion bloom at the strangest times! And that time is now.

Check Kim’s 7 minute Youtube tutorial on the transits of Venus.

If you want to learn more about astrology and the law of attraction, join the GVA Circle over at Good Vibe Astrology.com.

Email Kim for a 1 month free trial.

Happy Venus into Leo, Everyone!

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