NEW MOON at 19 AQUARIUS 16
at 9:39am EST, 6:39am PST, 2:39pm GMT
CHINESE NEW YEAR of the FIRE MONKEY
Image: MONKEY KING AND MOON RABBIT, woodblock print by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, 1839-1892.
I’m giving lots of links in this Cosmic News for all sorts of perspectives on 2016 and this Chinese New Year of the Fire Monkey.
Got any monkeys on your back? Don’t be surprised—we are entering the Chinese Year of the Monkey! The red fire monkey! Go for it! As Simone Butler writes on her blog,
” It’s time to pump up those muscles and raise the rooftops! This means using our wit and creativity to scoop up opportunities – and borrow Monkey’s bravery and beginner’s mind to find unconventional solutions to long-standing problems…An auspicious year for new beginnings, the heart-centered Yang Fire Monkey is passionate and generous…Those who dare to be different will win out while Monkey reigns.”
Read more at: http://astroalchemy.com/time-for-a-little-monkey-business/
One of the most beloved stories of Buddhism is the centuries-old story of Monkey King, Journey to the West, a Chinese literary classic taken from the true story of a Chinese monk who traveled to India to bring home scriptures of the Buddha. It was the last creative project of NYC storyteller, Diane Wolkstein. I was able to see her beginning versions before she left the world. You can watch a snippet here, with other artists and more about the story—to bone you up on monkey’s naughty creative magic to you this year!
http://www.learner.org/courses/worldlit/journey-to-the-west/watch/
“This video introduces you to the Stone Monkey King, a whirlwind of willful energy, egomaniacal pride, and zany humor who is forced by Buddha himself to pair up with a humble, peaceful Buddhist monk and get him safely to India. The wide range of art that Monkey’s story has inspired is on display in this episode.”
A 2014 fantasy action film was made of the story, really bringing it up to date. I’m not sure it has the spiritual essence of the true tale, but it looks fun.
Adding to all of monkey’s tricksterism, we are not yet out of the dark thicket of this recent Mercury retrograde. On the 13th, Mercury will fly out of the deep earth of Capricorn into the bright air of Aquarius. We’ll feel it. The energy has been deep and dark chocolate, with extra attention to Pluto in Capricorn, evoking Lord of the Rings, AND Mars in its own underground Scorpion “man-cave.” Mercury in Aquarius will lighten things up, with a likely flash of lightning and thunder.
DARK NEWS FROM MERCURY-PLUTO in CAPRICORN: This odd and interestingly relevant pieces of news came across my email today while writing this issue of Cosmic News: “Mushroom suit turns dead bodies into clean compost,” apparently a new kind of death couture. Mushrooms are known to be able to neutralize many toxins. If you want your body detoxified as it dissolved back into dust, this is for you!
Setting humor aside, without eliminating it, we have a few more days to complete a serious, down-to-the-ground review of our plans, chuck out old patterns and ideas that are not workable, consider how we really want to spend our time, money and energy. What is worthwhile? Get back to basics, no frills. Appropriate is a good word to use. Be courageously honest and transparent with yourself. Take it from there.
Letting go and applying “clean and simple” doesn’t mean things can’t be immensely beautiful and satisfying—and more so, once we figure out what’s really worth our attention in the long run. Venus is helping this process. In Capricorn she adds seasoned experience, like goddess Kwan Yin’s compassionate wisdom presence in the Monkey King story. Venus adds more fresh air when it enters Aquarius on the 16-17th. We’ll be finding like-minded people to join and support our endeavors. Let’s get Monkey in on this and have some out-of-the-box, quantum-infused fun.
Andrea Mathieson of Raven Essences in Canada uses her garden’s flower essences in special ways. One is to make a combination essense for the new year. Her 2016 essence is a deep evocation of Earth-wisdom energy with a full feminine sweetness and power. She also asked the flowers for a powerful predictive reading for our collective experience in 2016. She reports on this on her website:
http://ravenessences.com/making-predictions-for-2016/
which includes a link to a radio interview on the subject.
Essentially, she asked three questions:
Where are we at this time?
Perception Adjustment, clearly referring to the Mercury retrograde that opened the year.
Where are we going in 2016?
Building the Ark, hope and possibilities for a new life direction.
What wisdom do we need?
Wind Thru Trees, individuation within relationship. This theme is truly one to take to heart, with Valentine’s Day soon coming. Don’t you love that image, Wind Thru Trees, as a spaciousness in our lives and to offer each other which is, also, connected through a root system that spans the globe, in the case of some trees—and mushrooms! Andrea’s fuller explanation offers a rich perspective on our collective process and growth this year. She has such a tuned-in awareness on these levels.
This New Year is just getting started!
From all these observations and signs, we can deduce that 2016 is going to be a quirky, chatterbox, monkey-mind year that requires maintaining a focused vision of where you are heading, as that vision comes into view for you, based on a clear and simple plan of action. It can have many moving parts, just keep up with yourself! Slow down at yellow lights (late March). Stop at stop signs (mid-April), drink from deep inner rivers (June & July), regroup and celebrate (August-September). Let’s get that far, taking one step at a time, as small or large as it needs to be in the NOW.
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BIRTHDAY MONTH ASTRO SPECIAL—AQUARIUS, claim your birthday overview. We use the special window of your birthday chart along with current planetary cycles. One hour, $120. This special fee also applies to a birthday gift. Give a Gift of the Stars! I have special e-cards you can use.
