THE NEPTUNE FACTOR~ Neptune is the ruling planet of Pisces and is associated with  the arts, imagination, fantasy and the dreamtime /spirit world. It has a dual  gift  of Illumination and Illusion. Neptune can be manifested as ‘ the fog ‘ of illusion, that when penetrated, reveals our deepest wisdom. It is possible to get lost in that fog, to be caught up in fantasy and deception, but ultimately its purpose is to show us the real truth beyond the veil. Neptune is a planet that ,like the ocean , dissolves old out – moded structures just as the waves reshape the shore. . The dissolving experience can be disorienting to say the least , but Saturn is always there to help us form new ,  more efficient structures in our psyches, our minds and in our lives.
Neptune has just gone into its native sign of Pisces for the next thirteen years. This presents us with the entire spectrum of Neptune’s lessons to be experienced during that time. From the deep lush  heart connection with the spirit realms, profound experience of universal love and divine purpose,  surrender and trust in the great flow of life, to the resistance to , and  the desire to escape the mundane plane and earthly obligations and responsibilities ( the down side of Pisces), Neptune in Pisces is going to be quite a ride! Old sayings like’ off the deep end ‘ as well as ‘go with the flow”are definitely Piscean in nature  Whenever there is an influence/transit such as this we can expect to experience any  or all of the characteristics. The trick is to be aware, prepared and conscious, so we can make conscious choices, and not just be drawn into  the negative aspects at random. If we begin to feel the classic piscean  negative traits, we can make note of it and counteract them rather than be pulled along blindly into the pattern .We can also cultivate the more positive aspects which in  of themselves are designed to balance the inherent negative traits.
Many people may feel ‘spacey” , this is because the psychic realms are being amped up while the veil between the worlds is less substantial. What this means is heightened sensitivity, ie  to noise, to other people’s energy and emotions,  and a tendency to absorb through  Piscean empathy all  of these elements in our surrounding environment.
Down time, time to ‘clear ,ground and center ‘ ones energy may be more important than usual , especially  for sensitive individuals. Practices like yoga, Tai Chi ,Chi Gong that were designed to balance energy may be particularly helpful now.  Gemstones like Smokey Quartz and Black Tourmaline can have a centering affect, and   Rainbow obsidian  in particular is a great grounding stone and can ‘dampen’  down the psychic senses , if needed.
 But  one of the perks is the heightened ability to dream , and may people have already noticed an increase in vivid, lucid or shamanic dreams, even those who normally  have little to no  dream recall… Our dreams can teach us so much and offer us incredible insight into the spiritual realms . See my early posts on dreaming techniques and aids if you d like to explore this opportunity.
Also cultivating  and emphasizing the traits of the opposite sign of Pisces, Virgo,  can be very helpful : analytical thinking,logical discernment, mental  focus, organization , orderliness ,attention to detail. This is especially true for the next couple of weeks when Mercury, the planet ruling mental processes and communication will be retrograde ( going backwards) which always requires these kinds of coping mechanisms. Mercury will go direct on April 4th.

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Of all the dragon elements,  water is considered the most benevolent. The Year of the Dragon can bring exciting changes, boldness, creativity and personal empowerment into our lives ! In the Chinese tradition the dragon is a symbol of  great good fortune and of  the creative life force itself .  As we experience this energy we can tap into its influence to accomplish  new goals, to unleash our creative expression and to break out of old restrictive patterns that no longer serve our highest good.

Sonoran Sunrise Grove Yuletide Festival
Join Tucson’s Druids & Pagans in celebrating the start of the holiday season! Saturday, Dec. 3rd, 9am-6pm, Unitarian Universalist Church, 4831 E. 22nd St., Tucson, AZ. Shop local with our artisans & merchants, get a Tarot reading to see what’s in store for 2012, bid on our raffle items, have the kids visit with Father Christmas/the Holly King, & enter the drawing for $100 in cash! A Solstice ritual will take place at 6pm, officiated by ADF Archdruid Kirk Thomas. Free admission; merchants & reader charge for items & services. Further information:ssgyuletidefest@gmail.com

I want to say thank you to all the people who have written to me about my music, sharing their stories about  how  it has affected  their lives, to all those who have supported my music over the years and to those have used it to heal and inspire others in so many creative and beautiful ways. . Bright Blessings  to you  and many many thanks, I am deeply grateful  to  you all.

I always celebrate  the true Samhain  on the new and  full moon  in the month of scorpio. I also celebrate all souls day ( Day of the Dead  )on Nov 2 and again  when we have our amazing  DOTD annual celebration here in Tucson ( this years its Nov. 6th )So ive begun a several week period of honoring the sacred mystery, what lies beyond, those who have crossed over, my ancestors, and the deeper unseen aspect of life. Halloween, on the other hand to me is a secular holiday that is all about fun and  I thoroughly enjoy  that as well.  This is the time when I go deep and am renewed . I feel the connection with my soul and can have amazing healing and informative dreams . This season  sets up the new cycle for the coming year and as I reach a new level of awareness it is reflected in the years progression.  I wish the same for all those who seek it , a wonderfully transformative and empowering time when we can  discover our true selves, beyond the masks .

 Phoenix Pagan Pride Day was a blast . It was wonderful to see old fans and the new generation of Goddess worshippers singing and dancing to  my music and  now teaching it to very young children.  The very fact that these people have an organized place to go and be with others of like mind was very beautiful and inspiring.  My sister was selling her Silpada jewelry ( contact me if you are interested :0) and we shared a very lovely day with lots of great performers and wonderful wares.

Autumn Equinox – the Final Harvest
Theres alot to  be grateful for this year, first and foremost making it through another summer in Tucson. Summers here are a trial by fire, literally . As the monsoons come it is one big constant sweat lodge, that you either fight against or surrender to.  I learned many years ago surrender works best although it is hard to remember. However, the magnificent clouds, the smell of creosote in the rain ,the rainbows, and the brilliant green foliage and the desert flowers that come from the summer rains make it all worthwhile.
So now comes the time to take stock of what has been accomplished ,to separate the ‘ wheat from the chaff ‘ in our lives and in our psyches, and to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. It has been a long standing dream of mine to have my art out and available in the world and having found the Imagekind site this year, it had finally come to fruition. I have also connected with the Global Chant group  here in Tucson and have had tremendous amount of  healing and inspiration by singing every week with a group of over a hundred people, chanting for the planet and for their own  enlightenment.
This October marks the fourth year of the passing of my Beloved soulmate and Lifepartner, Eugene, and I  am grateful for  the deep healing that has taken place and the strengthening of my soul that has occurred on this long dark journey . I am now painting a series of  Dia de los Muertos images, to commemorate and creatively express this experience, not in a mournful way, but in a way that captures my spiritual perceptions of the afterlife and of the great mystery that awaits us  all on the other side.  So I am grateful for the inspiration and the opportunity to paint, and when the time is right perhaps there will be more music in my future.