Astrology

You Wanna Learn Astrology?

June 22, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

You Wanna Learn Astrology?

Since I started writing the Cosmic Weather Forecast again (which I have written off and on for 4 years) several people have written and said, “I know a bit of basic astrology, but I wish I could read the planets like that!” Let me relax your mind, astrology is not rocket science – it just takes a bit of study and acclimation to the symbols. Yet, how difficult you may believe it is (and it’s not) you will find the journey worth it. So, after carefully weighing my schedule (including converting Cosmic Weather Forecast to a weekly blog rather than a daily) and other obligations, I have decided to teach a basic astrology course for all those that are interested in exploring astrology. Whether your interests are for fun, personal insight, or understand others in your life, you will find the inner workings of the cosmos an amazing experience. To top it off – the class will be absolutely free!

What Is Astrology?

A man’s life is characteristic of himself – Carl Jung

So, what is Astrology? We have all heard people say, “I wish ‘so and so’ came with a handbook! I would understand them better.” Well what if I told you that ‘so and so’ was born with a handbook! This is exactly what Astrology is – a complete profile of your individuality, the roots that you were born from, what your potential talents are, and how to overcome innate weaknesses. In essence, it is a blueprint of the (your) soul. It reveals everything about you! In addition, it can reveal everything about the people that are important or meaningful in your life.

How It Works?

I decided that I would put lessons up in blog form. Why? I want to teach small chunks of information that can be absorbed before moving on to the next lesson. Blog form allows you to ask questions, and get clarification on material that you may not understand. It will be like a real classroom experience. In addition, you will be able to share your experience and understanding with others that are studying as well. I feel that teaching this way will make the class more fluid, and will allow it to be an experience as well as an exploration.

With all the projects I have going, I am not going to put a set schedule on when the classes will be published, but I am going to attempt to do at least 2 lessons a month. Some lessons will require more material than others, so they will take longer for me to put together. You will be able to find the class updates by returning to my blog or I will update their release via social networking.

I cannot wait to work with all of you!

Resources:

To get a copy of your astrology chart, you can go to any website that offers chart services, or you can use www.astro.com or www.alabe.com

Recommended Books:

Although no book materials will be required for this course, I do recommend Astrology for Yourself by Demetra George. I will have all the charts we will be studying available for you.

The Challenge of the Super Friends

June 20, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

medusaclash — Medusa's Head Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Wow! What a weekend? One of the things that I am the most amazed/amused by is how astrological aspects affect those of us (in this case MOI) that should know better. I knew that Mercury squared Uranus on Saturday. I also knew that Mercury would oppose Pluto on Sunday. I knew just how tough the weekend would be, but that did not prevent me from falling head first into my OWN idiot tailspin. At the time the ooze was leaking out of the sewer and permeating its way into my life, I did not even register the astrological aspects. Could this mean that on some level we all need to experience (even those of us that are astrologers) the astrological aspects? All planetary aspects have a lesson to teach us.

I needed to step back and relax. So, what is the big picture?

Since the end of the TV Season (May Sweeps), I have noticed that more people are venturing online or increasing their online activities in search of entertainment. Who can resist the unlimited flood of YouTube videos, a wallowing pool of useless (not mine, of course) online articles, social networks all of flutter with activity, or the stray peter tweeter? It can be quite the fun time. Of course moderation (which does not seem to exist right now) is a must! However, I have noticed an undercurrent of online nastiness, and being the “dutiful” astrologer, I needed to get to the roots of the matter. After all, nobody likes to battle the “Legion of Doom” — especially not a Superfriend!

Now, where is my astrological cape?

On June 16^th, the day after the lunar eclipse in Sagittarius, Mars (the planet of aggression) moved to 26 Taurus. This degree of Taurus is the home of the fixed star Caput Algol (also known as Medusa’s head), which is considered one of the most evil of all the fixed stars. The interpretation by most horary and mundane astrologers is that Caput Algol literally can be translated to “off with your head.” In modern times, it means we lose it! We begin acting out and begin to feel a spirit of entitlement, or we become focused obsessively on one thing – our ego. Since we are discussing the planet Mars and the sign of Taurus (the I have sign), we are “fighting” for what is “ours”. Currently Mars is at 29 degrees of Taurus, which is the degree of another fixed star called “Alcyone”. This fixed star is often known as the “Weeping Sisters,” and it gives us something to “cry about”, and is known for its rather morose qualities. Generally, put the last few degrees of Taurus, are quite emotionally frustrating and especially with the aspects over the weekend (Mercury square Uranus, Mercury oppose Pluto) are harbingers of tension.

Moral of the Story: Never leave your astro superhero cape at the cleaners!

On Monday, Mars will move out of Taurus and into the free spirited air sign of Gemini. The expression of Mars will become more civilized, despite the fact that Mars (in the sign of the Twins) is rather erratic and hard to discipline. During Mars transit through Gemini, we need energetic communication of ideals, and if not properly expressed feel tense and restless. It is best to keep our minds fully engaged and inspired. Further, all old uncompleted projects that we have lost interest in will fall to the side, as we become engaged in more stimulating activities that recapture our passion. After all, every ending is the jump start on a new beginning!

Tarot Tune-Up: Shuffle your tarot deck and draw 3 cards. Ask yourself the following question — How can I best recapture my passions? Let me know what you pulled!

It’s True — I Am Crushing On a Girl!

June 18, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Yep. You read that right! I, the openly gay astrologer/tarotist/psychic/kabbalist am totally smitten with a girl. How can this even be possible?

When I first came across her, I didn’t really care for her. Oh, of course, she was cute and sassy (which is always a plus for any red blooded gay man), but a little too gynocentric for me. However, like a fine wine she has become an acquired taste.

So, who is this mesmerizing lady? I am not telling you yet!

On with the forecast…

This weekend starts off pretty well, but declines rather quickly. To begin, we have Venus in Gemini trine Saturn in Libra. Anytime, Saturn is in aspect to a planet it forces the planet to be rather sober and contained, which social Venus has great disdain for. Venus loves pleasure, relationships, money, and luxury – being put on a budget and being restricted from being a social diva is not really an experience she prefers. However, since the aspect is a trine she deals with it rather grudgingly. Sometimes every girl (even Might Aphrodite) needs a break! Venus and Saturn instruct us to play it safe this weekend with our friendships and relationships. Contain emotional reactions, and avoid those that tend towards the dramatic. In addition, if you do spend time socially confine it to deep friendships that are dependable and reliable.

Now the fun begins – not! Mercury, the weather maker of the week comes back again with two prickly aspects. The trickster planet will square Uranus and the on Sunday (Father’s Day) opposes Pluto beginning a rather nasty grand cross (Saturn joins the fun next week). This is a messy combination, which can lead to stress, disagreements, adversarial communications and downright nastiness. Mercury in square to Uranus is a highly reactive aspect that involves Mercury’s quicksilver tongue. This can be especially messy, because of Uranus’ restless and impatient nature. We could easily find ourselves in situations where our impatience may impede our good social graces. Mercury opposition to Pluto, on the other hand, is rather tense and compulsive. Oppositions via their own nature produce conflict, but since Mercury rules communications, arguments and stressful situations are bound to occur. Mercury oppose Pluto tends to see “what is wrong” with everything, rather than “what is right,” which can easily lead us down the dangerous road of obsession. This weekend there is a great need to practice strength and self-control to cope with our difficulties.

Now, back to the fun stuff – you still want to know about the lady I am crushing on? Well, her name is Marie Forleo and she is the webmistress of http://www.marieforleo.com . She has an amazing amount of content on her website (that is gynocentric), but I have come to find her rather refreshing, innovative, and to be frank – amazing! The reason that I have saved my “secret crush” until today is that she has a recent video that can help with the difficult energy of the weekend. It is called, “How to Immediately Stop Stressing Out.” I love her slogan, “everything is figure-out-able.” With the tense energy of this weekend, this video contains great information to help us through reacting to circumstances around us.

Tarot Tune-Up: Shuffle your tarot deck, and ask the tarot the following question. How can I better deal with stress? Pull three cards. Let me know what you pull.

See you guys on Monday!

Mercury Moves Into Water Cancer

June 16, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

On Thursday, mercurial Mercury will move out of his own sign of Gemini and into the emotional waters of Cancer. Whenever, Mercury is in the water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces) our ability to perceive, feel, and connect to the instinctual world is heightened. Mercury is like a child that has to test and experiment with everything, and the watery terrain of Cancer is no exception. While Mercury is in the sign of the crab, we will notice that our understanding of life will not be through thoughts, physical sensations, or intuitive flashes, yet our experiences will be felt and understood through the lens of human emotions. The sign of Cancer is associated with emotional security, so Mercury being in this sign for the next 3 weeks provides us a unique opportunity to find out what nourishes us, and how to implement “spiritual” food into our diets.

Tarot Tip: Shuffle your tarot deck and ask yourself, “What sort of spiritual food would nourish me at this time?” Spread out your deck and pull a card. Let me know which one you picked!

Storm Cestavani is a psychic, tarotist, and humanistic astrologer with over 20 years’ experience. He is the original “Cosmic Weather” forecaster and is available for both psychic and astrological consultations. Nothing is too personal, and nothing is too hot for Storm to handle! To schedule an appointment with Storm simply order the reading you would like, and Storm will contact you to set up your reading. In order to accommodate work schedules Storm is available for evening and weekend consultations.

It’s Not About The Weiner

June 15, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Attempting to write about the general cosmic energy of an eclipse is challenging at best, but sometimes the media works perfectly in providing material that expresses the eclipse energy in a profound and universal way. I am sure that everyone has heard about the scandal involving U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY). The report of his ‘netsexting’ infidelities have appeared in every news outlet from the New York Times to CNN to TMZ – it is virtually (no pun intended) everywhere. Over the next few weeks many stories will be written that have the tone and feeling of the eclipse. The focus might be on what Weiner has done with his “wiener”, and whether or not he resigns from office. However, despite the collective coloring, the eclipse beckons us to question the larger picture, and to realize that it’s not about the “wiener” it is about us.

Lunar Eclipse: 25 Sagittarius

So, what exactly is a lunar eclipse? In astrological terms, a lunar eclipse is an opposition between the Sun and Moon. In this case, the Sun is in the sign of Gemini and the Moon is in the sign of Sagittarius. Since a lunar eclipse focus is on the Moon (a solar eclipse focus is on the Sun) we will find many of the same attributes that occur during an ordinary Full Moon – just highly amplified and focused on larger groups of people. It is common during lunar eclipses for coup d’états to break out, earthquakes and other weather phenomena to occur, riots, epidemics such as flu outbreaks (especially if Neptune or the 4^th and 6^th house are involved), or any other spontaneous eruptions from the general population. For example, the last lunar eclipse at 29 Gemini/Sagittarius and its involvement with laws, legislation, and legal matters spawned the labor strikes in Wisconsin, and the standoff between Governor Walker and his democratic opposition.

The current lunar eclipse also occurs across the Gemini/Sagittarius axis, however this time the Sun is in Gemini and the Moon is in Sagittarius. The Sagittarian emphasis will bring out matters concerning the Judicial branch of government (i.e.. the Wisconsin Supreme court allowing the Wisconsin union law to take effect, and the motion to vacate Prop 8 decision denied), laws, legislatures and legislative officials (i.e. Weiner), foreign relations, and religion. In addition, Sagittarius rules higher education and matters of philosophy.

It’s All About The Houses:

For our friends in the United Kingdom, this eclipse is conjoined to the Ascendant/Descendant (1^st and 7^th house) axis; this reflects a need for the UK to analyze its relationship to the outer world. Moreover, possible problems with foreign relationships could arise. This is a rather interesting hotspot that we should keep a very close eye on. In the United States the eclipse lands across the 2^nd and 8^th houses. On the surface this will highlight issues regarding finances, money, taxes, taxation, debt, credit, possible intense political battles which will result in a resolution (debt ceiling), and that little dirty word – sex! Expect many of these issues to come to the forefront over the next several months, but pay very close attention to July 25, 2011, November 9, 2011, and December 12, 2011 as hotspot days. Other countries that are highly sensitive to the eclipse are Afghanistan, Australia, France, and Israel.

The Deeper Meaning:

As I stated earlier, an eclipse that lands in the 2^nd house has much to do with finances, a countries worth, and what we place value upon. One of the most common keywords for the 2^nd house is, “I have.” We can make predictions based on these surface issues and experience a high level of accuracy, but what does this 2^nd house really mean? At the deepest level the 2^nd house reflects our self worth and our value systems. Howard Sasportas in his groundbreaking book, “The Twelve Houses,” has this to say about the second house.

“We base our whole existence on what we value. When our values change, our whole life focus can alter dramatically.”

The Sagittarian lunar eclipse in the 2^nd house has to do with a value system that is often larger than life. Sagittarius is a “my way” or the “highway” type of sign, after all its ruler is Jupiter who had a zipper problem of his own) the King of the Gods. The religious underpinnings that exist with Sagittarius are cropping up all over the place as changes are occurring to our current establishment – and such long existing laws such as “Defense of Marriage Act,” and “Roe V Wade,” have begun to resurface. Further, we are more focused than ever on what people are doing with their sexual organs – whether it is Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Ensign, Tiger Woods, Jesse James, or the recently exposed Anthony Weiner. In many ways, our countries evening dinner of religious idealism has created a rather sexophobic atmosphere, which repudiates anything beyond the missionary position unless it is happening in their bedroom. In America, sexophobia casts a very large shadow!

The lesson(s) of this eclipse straddling the 2^nd and 8^th house axis is not really about money, sex, out-dated archaic laws, or worn-out religious morals that are the inheritances of a time long past, yet an invitation for us to explore our values. What do we really value? Further, how do our values add to the larger collective? At the end of the day, what we truly value is what we have, and in many cases the only thing we have is ourselves. It’s time we make the most of it!

Tarot Tune-Up:

Take all the court cards out of your tarot deck and shuffle them. Ask the Tarot Court, what do I really value? Pull a card from the deck. Let me know what you pulled!

Storm Cestavani — June 15, 2011

Do You Control Your Emotions Or Do Your Emotions Control You?

June 13, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

One of the first ideas you learn in Kabbalah is to question everything. This is an alien concept to most religious systems (and I include many metaphysical systems in this category as well), which tend to learn towards blind faith and complete adherence to a perceived “higher” authority. Kabbalists take concepts out of the practical realm, and attempt to understand its meaning with broader strokes in order to then reapply the “gleamed” knowledge in a concrete and more applicable manner. Astrologically, I attempt to do the same thing – understand the deeper meaning of an astrological aspect so we can apply it to our lives in a practical way.

Now let me introduce you to a new feature that will occur with the Cosmic Weather Forecast, which will allow us to incorporate these ideas, which will be called “Tarot Tune-Up”. This will allow you (the reader) to actively participate in the Cosmic Weather Forecast in order to understand how the energies directly apply to you and your circumstances. Understanding our circumstances give us the power to make proactive meaningful changes in our lives, rather than being reactive to the energetic forces around us. After all, the stars impel they do not compel.

On Monday, the Moon continues to move through emotional Scorpio. The Scorpio Moon is intense, intuitive, and understands the deep emotional underpinnings of the motives and intentions of others. However, despite the Scorpio Moon’s need for emotional closeness (which is a necessity for all water sign moons), the fear of being emotional dependent or vulnerable to others prevents true intimacy. We could find ourselves today caught up in circumstances where we attempt to understand the intentions of those that are around us. However, we need to understand that “behaviors” and “motivations” are often the result of much broader circumstances than what appears on the surface.

The last aspect that the Moon will make before turning void of course (1:43 PM EDT) will be an opposition to Mars. Mars is the planet that allows us to go out into the world and get what we want out of life. In essence, he is the warrior planet of the Sun. However, when he gets entangled with the emotional Moon we tend to feel like we are on an emotional roller-coaster, and often we feel angry with our current circumstances. Avoid getting entangled in situations where your emotions control you, rather than you controlling your emotions. The Moon will remain void of course until late evening when it will move into Sagittarius.

Tarot Tune-Up: Using the tarot (you can modify this for any system you may use) pull two cards ask the following questions. How can I better control my emotions? How do I prevent my emotions from controlling me?

Let me know what you pull!

Storm Cestavani is a psychic, tarotist, and humanistic astrologer with over 20 years’ experience. He is the original “Cosmic Weather” forecaster and is available for both psychic and astrological consultations. Nothing is too personal, and nothing is too hot for Storm to handle! To schedule an appointment with Storm simply order the reading you would like, and Storm will contact you to set up your reading. In order to accommodate work schedules Storm is available for evening and weekend consultations.