According to Sandy

That lucky old Sun prances into Fire sign Sagittarius on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. Ruled by exuberant Jupiter, the king of positive thinking, being “hopeful” doesn’t seem quite so far out there. “Bigger is better”, everything is “huge”- ideas, actions, themes, etc. We just don’t have enough space for all the goodies anticipated when there is Sag Sun.

However. the “go BIG or go home” routine will not always work to your advantage. Certainly be an “of course” for excellent results, reach for the good things, discover something new, pay attention to your intuition (Sagittarians love a good laugh but they are also deep and love to ponder the universe) but, be aware of the edges – over confidence can send you too far. Pause occasionally and look over the landscape – not only to admire the view, but also to realize that some of those “sure things” you want to jump on are not so sure.

And, just to add to the energy, there are also planets transiting Sagittarius:

Mercury, Communication planet ~ Nov 11 – Dec 1

Clever, curious and often razor sharp, this can be good for creativity. Teach a class/ take a class, write/paint/cook something that you’ve been thinking about forever.

Mars, Warrior planet  ~  Nov 25 – Jan 5, 2024

Energy is heightened, quick to action, may jump from one thing to the other. Pay attention to tasks, follow up on ideas. Watch mischief quotient if boredom hits.

A Sagittarius Sun wants us to be hopeful & upbeat, to be with people & to revel in the abundance of the season. May we all be able to take advantage and enjoy it whenever, wherever, and/or however possible.

~ Sagittarius Sun – November 22, 2023 * 9:03 AM EST / 6:03 AM PST ~

*Gem stone: Sodalite * Power color: Lilac, Mauve * Body Part: liver, Hips

** One of the symbols for Sagittarius is the Centaur with the bow and arrow and wine pouch. Perfect, just in time for the holidays.

~*~* Happy Thanksgiving! And yes, be thankful ~*~*

On Monday, October 23, 2023 the Sun strutted into stubborn, secretive and sensual Scorpio – the heat wen up a notch! The passionate 8th sign of the Zodiac can infuse us with determination and focus to get projects done, snare that love interest or drill down through any mysteries that need to be solved. Sensitive and emotional – there will be drama and there will be depth.

Note that “deep” and “fierce” can lead to all sorts of “feelings” that you may not be prepared to confront. So, don’t be surprised if emotions occasionally go unchecked. Often, the resulting “overwhelm” will not quite match the situation. There is nothing wrong with using an internal pause button to give a chance to think, rather than just react.

With Water sign Scorpio’s traditional planet ruler Mars (energy and aggression) and its modern ruler Pluto (power and transformation), being cool, being superficial – skimming the surface, just won’t do. The next couple of weeks can ramp up intensity and dig deep into feelings for all of us regardless of birth date.

Clever Communication planet Mercury has a Scorpio transit from 10/22 to 11/25/23. The demand for the “real”, in any interaction – conversation, texting etc, goes up a few notches. And just to add to the intensity, Mars will visit Scorpio from 10/13 to 11/11/23.

A lot can be accomplished during a Scorpio Sun regardless of where it appears in your personal chart. Remember that even while being serious and authentic, laughter can still be used as a balm to stabilize, bring things into perspective and lighten the atmosphere. Save any overflowing angst and/or grudges for another day – it can dissipate as the mood changes.

*Gemstone: Topaz *Power color: Deep shades of red *Body Part: Reproductive system (surprise!)

~*~ Scorpio Sun 10/23/23 ~ 12:21 PM EDT– 9:21 AM PDT

Yes, The Sun moves into Scorpio on the “ 23rd”, different from other signs with Sun transits beginning on the 20th, 21st or 22nd of the month.The Earth’s rotation actually determines the start dates of a sign – not the Sun. The dates can vary by as much as 2 days depending on when a leap year occurs.

As the world turns, the Sun appears to flow from one Zodiac sign to another. Since the Earth wobbles, it takes slightly more than 365 days — actually 365 + 1/4 days. Because of this, our calendars must be adjusted to compensate for this difference.

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The 3^rd Mercury Retrograde period of 2023 begins on 8/23 and ends 9/15/23. The planet Mercury is concerned with all types of information, travel, education, tech stuff and small appliances. Labeled “the Communication planet”, it’s often confusion generating “backward” period gets blamed for the unexpected snafus that occur in life. (Some may have already been experiencing the effects. Mercury starts the slow down about 2 weeks before the actual day of Retrograde. It’s called the “storm period” and electronics,gadgets,  personal contacts, can start to go sideways all of a sudden.)

The possibility of communication issues are intensified because Mercury is currently in one of the signs it rules, Virgo (the other is Gemini). When going direct, all the Virgo/Mercury traits are pumped – analyze, write, speak, teach, work, service. With the sluggishness of Retrograde, energy may be blunted and slips of the tongue or pen, Freudian or otherwise, can occur.

Project initiation/creation would be best delayed if possible. Take this time to use those “re” words– revitalize old projects, re invent an approach, review, rethink, rework, revisit ideas, etc.

However, life goes on and things have to get done. We can mitigate potential misunderstandings and snafus by paying attention & being prepared. Be meticulous. Be careful. “Back up”your stuff. Stay grounded & alert to what you say, write & sign. Verify deadlines, read directions carefully, etc. (Jump all over the details.)

Regardless of reputation, Mercury Retrograde doesn’t have to be tragic. We can manage.

FYI: Mercury just “appears” to go backwards. Planets only move forward, however, due to the earth’s changing speed as it orbits around the Sun, the positions are such that it looks like a reverse motion from earth.

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The Sun strides into Leo, the Zodiac sign it rules on Saturday, July 22, 2023. With the influence of the “Sun King”, we are upbeat, magnanimous, a bit more dramatic, colorfully creative and drawn to the spotlight. (The 5^th sign doesn’t get shyness.) The Sun’s stay in this regal Fire sign increases the potential for having fun.

Raising the sparkle and shine experience even more is a Venus visit, from 6/6 – 10/10/23. The planet of love brings more warmth, beauty and love of “luxe”.  Beautify yourself and your surroundings. Money will be very easy to throw around, ignore the urge to show off. People will be drawn to you regardless of your big bank roll and your big tips. (This Venus transit is longer than usual due to a Retrograde period, 7/23 to 9/3/23)

Glow and be warmed as the solar presence heats the talent, self confidence and love segments of life. Great time to step up and step out – graciously ooze that Leo charm and you will be looked at, admired, loved.

Enjoy the spotlight! Share

*Sun into Leo: July 22, 2023 * 9:50 PM EDT / 6:50 PM PDT

**Gemstone – Tiger’s Eye *Power colors- Gold, orange (Sun colors) * Body Part – Heart (…of a lion!)

(Next up – Virgo Sun 8/23/23)

BTW: The date when the Sun transits into a sign can fluctuate year to year – from the 19th to the 23rd. If born on one of these days, you are considered a cusp baby – close to two signs- but regardless, there is only one Sun sign in an Astrology chart  (however, the individual may often exhibit a combo of characteristics from both signs).

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“The livin’ is easy…” We greeted the Summer Solstice, on Wednesday June 21, 2023, with a frozen, delicious treat while wearing large sun glasses and a wide brimmed floppy hat. Besides being the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, it also means the Sun has moved into the sign of Cancer, the Moon ruled 4^th sign of the Zodiac.

This Water sign can make us more emotional, moody, restless and sensitive, but, with family (real or created) & friends, “taking care” is the comfort place.

Regardless of Astrology sign, take advantage of Cancer’s kind, protective and nurturing influences. Its “homey” energy reigns, so use it – enjoy the love along with the ice cream or frozen yogurt. Make your Summer as great as you can!

(The year is half over – what are you going to do with what’s left?)

~ Cancer Sun / Summer Solstice (Sun in 1^st degree of Cancer): June 21, 2023 ~  10:58 AM EDT / 7:58 AM PDT

*Gemstone – Emerald * Power colors- silver, pale gray (Moon colors) *Body Part – Breasts 

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On Thursday April 20, 2023, the Sun moved into stubborn and determined Taurus. Even though the Bull is its Astrology symbol, it is ruled by the lovely, pleasure seeking planet Venus – Taurus, the 2nd sign of the Zodiac, has many dimensions. It can be practical and earthy, but it’s also a lover of beauty, good food and security/money. Loved ones are treated to poetry, music and gourmet restaurants, while getting a lecture on avoiding financial pot holes – nice mix.

For the next 4 weeks, we can tap into the strength and versatility of Earthy Taurus so that we solidify and complete the projects started during the high energy of the Aries Sun. Watch out for a tendency to be overcautious – don’t miss an opportunity out of fear. Take a second look to see any advantages.

There are transits adding to the fun:

Mercury ~ the clever, quick communication planet transits Taurus from 4/4 until 6/12/23. Written / verbal interactions are grounded and may be uncompromising sometimes. Discussions about security and safety are brought forward. (The transit is longer than usual because there is a Retrograde period from 4/21 – 5/14).

Jupiter ~ a year long stay,  5/17/23 until 5/25/24. Jupiter is the planet of good luck and fortune, while Taurus is the sign of wealth and money. This is a good time to look into the financial sector of life.

Uranus ~ planet of unexpected change and rejection of the status quo has been in Taurus since March 2019 and will remain until 2026. Don’t be surprised if there are sudden shifts in how finances are handled, how sensuality is expressed, how food is considered, and how “luxury” is interpreted. “Change” is the operative word.

Taurus *Gemstone: Rose Quartz * Power color: Soft rose-pink* Body Part: Neck

~ Sun into Taurus ~ 4/20/23 ~ 4:14 AM EDT / 1:14 AM PDT

Next up, Gemini!

**As always, those most affected have the Sun and/or Rising sign in Taurus, but the rest of us will still feel the stabilizing influences somewhere in our lives depending upon where this Earth sign appears in the birth chart.

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The Communication planet has been slowing down for the last few days, you may have noticed some snafu like occurrences lately. It stops and reverses direction on April 21, and continues Retrograde until May 14, 2023. It will then go Direct.

No need to go “cray – cray”. Mercury is concerned with information, travel, education, technical gadgets and small appliances – things that help our lives go. We can overcome, we can handle, we can deal – as long as we pay attention to details and “back up” our stuff. This planet’s often confusion generating Retrograde period continues until 5/14/23, when it stops motion and goes Direct.

Tech toys, plans, budgets, especially since Mercury is transiting the security minded (financial and physical), luxury and good food loving 2^nd sign of the Zodiac – Taurus. Prepare for any missteps that lurk out there. Take this time to reconnect, rethink, reassess, revisit, review, rewrite, refresh. If something does go downhill, at least you’ll be prepared to shore the landslide and hopefully prevent total disaster.

Things will gradually become clearer as Mercury picks up forward speed. You’ll be able to go ahead with anything you may have discovered during the pause and refresh time out. Clarify career and money goals. If you can, wait a few days after Mercury goes Direct before firming up new partnerships and signing contracts or agreements.

Of course, life goes on, there are chores and plans that must be dealt with regardless of what Mercury is doing. Retrograde chaos is not inevitable. We can mitigate potential misunderstandings by paying attention to the “small stuff”.

FYI: Mercury just “appears” to go backwards. Planets only move forward, however, due to the earth’s changing speed as it orbits around the Sun, the positions are such that it looks like a reverse motion from earth.

*Mercury Retrograde: 4/21/23 * 4:35 AM EDT / 1:35 AM PDT

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The Sun glides into the 12^th and final sign of the Zodiac – imaginative, impressionable, intuitive Pisces on Saturday, February 18, 2023. It is a sensitive Water sign and if too much emotion sends you off course, focus on the task at hand to stay grounded and connected to reality. Keying in to adverse energy or vibrations is no excuse to drift or evade life. Stay steady and productive. Tap into all that compassion and kindness that Pisces is known for and spread it around. Sympathy and empathy abounds, but take off the rose colored glasses – offer assistance where it is genuinely needed. An abubdance of “feelings” may affect all of us regardless of Astrology sign.

Mystical Neptune, Pisces’ Planet ruler, will transit until January 2026 (happens about every 165 years). It’s been visiting since February 2011. It has a reputation for clouding the waters, fading boundaries and fostering escapism. But, all those things that make life unsettled can also enhance imagination and creativity. Innovations in music, dance, and theater will probably bubble to the surface faster than usual. The subconscious can be a treasure trove of ideas now. Keep paper and pencil handy, jot down your dreams.

~ Sun in Pisces – February 18, 2023 ~ 5:34PM EST / 2:34PM PST

* Gemstone: Amethyst * Power color: Purple * Body Part: Feet

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“Film Noir”, a label used primarily to describe post World War ll crime drama movies , were mostly in black & white. They’re famous for their evocative, often lurid, pulpy titles, (“Dead Reckoning”, “I Wake Up Screaming”, “Detour”) the snappy dialogue, the scrappy, tough guys in trench coats, (Bogart, Robinson, Ladd) and the dangerous, smart, tough women in wedgies (Joan Crawford, Gloria Graham, Barbara Stanwyck).

These broody “who dunnits” are experiencing a resurgence in popularity (along with the coats and the shoes) and are soooo entertaining. The men are menacing, the women are manipulative and both are inclined to make some bad choices.

Small, independent movie theaters around the country plan double bill weekends for these clever little gems. There are also DVD box sets featuring the films of major directors of the era – Nicholas Ray, Fritz Lang and Samuel Fuller. The most famous of the group, Billy Wilder’s, “Double Indemnity”  (’44) and Otto Preminger’s,  “Laura”  (’44) show up on PBS every few years.

According to a recent PBS piece, on “German Hollywood”, the dialogue and subject matter of “Noir” might come from American crime writers, like Dashiel Hammet and Raymond Chandler, but the shadowy mood lighting, the scenes shot at night on rain slicked streets were influenced by the German expressionist movement of the 20’s (Pabst, Murnau) and was also colored by the melancholy of those who just escaped Hitler’s net: Peter Lorre, Marlene Dietrich, Paul Henreid, Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt, Fritz Lang and Michael Curtiz (he directed “Casablanca”, 1942. Most of the extras were refugees – that impassioned “La Marseillaise” gets me everytime.)

There was a great piece in last year’s Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair magazine. It included back ground on these thrillers with lots of pictures and some snippets of great dialogue: “Out of The Past”, ‘47 – “Is there a way to win?”, the femme fatale asks and Robert Mitchum replies, “No, but there is a way to lose more slowly”.

(Love it! Goes great with popcorn.)

Valentine’s Day ~ Tuesday, February 14, 2023, doesn’t  have to be about flowers and candy. (Although it really is nice to give & receive.) It can also be about acknowledging delightful partnerships, a special someone, a “match”.

Remember that after work party, bar pick up line from  years ago – “Hey, what’s your sign?”. It didn’t always result in a “you complete me” hookup, but,  it’s a great question if looking for “interesting” company. Astrology signs are grouped from Aries to Pisces – all 12 have a partner. Does it mean that the sign opposite yours is your “soul mate” – not necessarily, but, there may be undeniable heat, attraction and fun.

Sun Signs are listed below with their direct opposites in the Zodiac. Either you will find spending time with the other sign tangy and energizing or the relationship may need compromise and patience, but, generally, consider them the other side of your coin, another piece of the “couple” puzzle:

Aries: March 21-April 19 (Energetic, Impulsive) and

Libra: Sept 23-Oct 22 (Charming, Social)

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Taurus: April 20-May 21 (Solid, Responsible, Patient) and

Scorpio: Oct 23-Nov 21 (Intense, Deep Connections)

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Gemini: May 22-June 20 (Logical, Communicative, Versatile) and

Sagittarius: Nov 22-Dec 21 (Adventurous, Enthusiastic, Optimistic)

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Cancer: June 21-July 22 (Family Oriented, Emotional) and

Capricorn: Dec 22-Jan 19 (Traditional, Disciplined, Ambitious)

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Leo: July 23- Aug 22 (Pride, Fun Loving, Generous) and

Aquarius: Jan 20-Feb 18 (Unpredictable, Freedom loving)

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Virgo: Aug 23-Sept 22 (Analytical, Service/Work Focused) and

Pisces: Feb 19-March 20: (Dreamer, Sensitive)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

May there be lots of XOXOs for you & your partner, regardless of Sun Sign.

Champagne & Chocolates for everyone!

(My “Disclaimer”  ~  Of course there are other factors that create great couples, but, I thought I would give romance an Astrological slant!)

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