The Age of Aquarius is Happening right Now
If you’ve heard the song from the musical Hair—“This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius”—you know that Aquarians are such original thinkers and nonconformists that they can change the world. They are not interested in how things have always been, but how they can reshape the world. They always have their eye on the future, not on the past.

Change is in the Air
Changes in the economy have hit us all and each one of us needs to adjust and learn how to keep our center in the midst of tumultuous times to not get swept away by fears and anxieties.

Gemstones can play a significant role as a focal point for your intentions and help balance your emotional body through their specific frequencies.

If you are an Aquarius or have a strong Uranus or some of your other planets in your 11.house or Aquarius you might really enjoy the energies of the Aquamarine.

Aquamarine: One of the True Birthstones of Aquarius
It is found around the world, with the most important sources in Brazil and Madagascar. The most expensive and desirable color is the darkest blue. The Aquamarine belongs to the Beryl family.

•    The Rebel & Visionary

This is the gemstone of rebels and visionaries fighting for a better life, supporting goodness and necessary changes. It urges us to seek freedom and independence and to express your uniqueness. Aquamarine is the stone of innovators, ahead of their time in many ways. It encourages you to always question your limiting beliefs with an open mind and to be willing to grow beyond them. It can help you to find your own vision and purpose in life and the courage to live them.

•    Mother’s Milk
Aquamarine also has a female aspect, represented by the Moon. The Moon symbolizes your soul, your emotional needs and wants, your ability to give and receive. Through its female aspect, Aquamarine supports and nourishes you, as if with mother’s milk. Feeling full and nurtured, you are able to share from the abundance of your own heart.

•    Sharpens the Mind
Aquamarine also sharpens your mind and your powers of discernment and helps you tap into the collective unconscious mind with all its creative resources.  In so doing it helps you develop your intuitive creativity.

•    Opens the Throat Chakra
Aquamarine opens and balances the throat chakra, which helps you to express your personal truth, including your true feelings. The throat chakra is an area where we all have many blocks; thus we often feel limited in our self-expression.

Thus versatile Aquamarine represents the qualities of freedom, growth, moving beyond limitations, a sharp mind, creativity, self-expression, and balance.

But if you really want to know about your personal astrologically based gemstones you look at…

Your Astrological Gemstone Profile Report
You can order your Gemstone Profile Report, a list with 14 of your main healing gems, describing the metaphysical properties of your personal  gemstones based on your horoscope. This is your individual treasure chest of ideas about gemstones, Soul Jewelry— how to use gemstones, or select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

 
I wish you a very enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones and looking at them in a new way! If you have a friend who could need some support for change in their life please forward this article to them. Remember to sign up for my newsletter…
Aloha and many blessings, Shakti

Capricorn: The Conservative Pragmatist
Capricorn is a feminine earth sign ruled by Saturn. Their home is the 10th House—Public Image, Career, & Destiny.

As you move through the zodiac you will notice that the qualities of the signs reflect a process of evolution from self-centered toward greater social consciousness and responsibility. Saturn is associated with social order (rules, laws), duty, concrete reality, and the material world.

Capricorns seek to be in visible positions of power and prestige in society. Their high degree of organization, discipline, ambition, and intelligence make them perfect as leaders of organizations of all types, in government, business, and the military. Their conservative values and black-and-white thinking can make them inflexible with respect to morality. They are bent on success, holding high standards for themselves and others.

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Capricorn Experience
Gemstones are the perfect way for Capricorns to both focus on their goals, and to bring more emotional and spiritual balance into their regimented lives.

Gemstones have both physical and metaphysical qualities that can enhance all aspects of your well-being. The perfectly aligned crystal structure of gemstones creates an energy field that interacts with our own when you hold it or wear it on your body. In this way, the gemstone can be used to calm you, bring you mental clarity, increase your energy, enhance your creativity, and much more.

Astrology and Gemstones
Astrological principles manifest at all levels of creation, from the largest bodies in the cosmos to the tiniest particles of atoms—all are part of the same network of universal energy. The universal principles that govern the planets are also seen on the much smaller level of gemstones, crystals, and metals.

The Signature of Gemstones
Each gemstone is associated with specific planets. You are already aware that each planet has its own personality in astrology. And each gemstone has a personal “signature”—specific metaphysical qualities, different for each stone, that arise from the stone’s association with its planets based on their individual color, crystal structure as well as the chemical composition.

How to Make Gemstones Work for You
By considering the individual signature of gemstones, you can select the right gems for very specific purposes, according to their astrological qualities.

Your Astrological Gemstone Profile Report
You can order your Gemstone Profile Report, a list with 14 of your main healing gems, describing the metaphysical properties of your personal  gemstones based on your horoscope. This is your individual treasure chest of ideas about gemstones, Soul Jewelry— how to use gemstones, or select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

Crystal Quartz: Your Guide to Higher States of Consciousness [1]
Crystal Quartz is one of the true gemstones of Capricorn. This is one of the most common and well-known crystals in the world, found virtually everywhere on the planet.
Quartz is a very sociable being, growing in groups and clusters and very often found together or in close connection with other minerals; thus it teaches us to have close, friendly relationships without loosing our individuality and center.

Like the Diamond, Quartz is very closely connected to our search for light and love, our longing to awaken to a higher state of consciousness, and it is our guide on that quest.

Crystal Quartz: The Manifestation of Light
Crystal Quartz is the manifestation of light, clarity, concentration, and perfect crystallization, a metaphor for our own search for perfection. If you examine a single crystal you will see that as it grows it becomes more and more clearly developed and defined toward the tip. In this way Quartz is a perfect mirror for our own process of growth as we move from confused or unenlightened to a state of increasing awareness and clarity on our path to higher consciousness.

As you can tell, I am very passionate about the potential of healing gems and all the different applications of those enchanting allies to raise your frequency for more balance and joy. I have even written a book about my over 30 years of experience in the fields of healing gemstones, meaningful jewelry, and astrology.

I wish you an enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones and looking at them in a new way!

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
[1]Adapted from Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones That Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul © 2008 by Shakti Carola Navran. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission of the publisher.

The year 2011 has been speeding by and yes …it is Christmas again and with that a time of getting together with loved ones and a time of giving thoughtfully and with an open heart.
I would like to offer you some possible suggestions for deeply meaningful and helpful gifts.

As we all know our inner emotional state of being and state of consciousness is crucial at this time of huge challenges. To know what is going on for you personally and how to make smart decisions concerning your professional and personal life is tremendously helpful for your inner balance and happiness.

Astrology gives you a specific overview of where you are in your life and opens your mind to opportunities you might miss otherwise. Astrology gives you a higher perspective and direction to go and use your inner and outer resources to your highest benefit. Please let me know if I can be of any help to you.

Some of you have expressed to me that they are saving up for a reading with me. I would like to make it a little easier for you with 1 hour segments so you can get started wherever you like. I think you will love this because my usual fee for a 2 hour reading is $ 165 and now you can get one hour segments for $ 75. This will make a great uplifting Christmas gift for your family and friends.

You can also purchase a Gemstone Profile with your true healing birthstones for $ 16 (instead of $ 19.90). This will be emailed to you.

You can give my book: Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul for lovers of astrology, gemstones and meaningful jewelry.

Or you can pick soul jewelry from a big selection of designer jewelry pieces. (Ask me for wholesale prices)

Shakti’s Special Menu for Christmas/ New Year

Who are you? Intro into the psycho-dynamic structure of
Your chart, ~ 1 hour, $ 75

How can you heal your karmic challenges? Deepening into the
evolutionary dimension & karmic perspective, ~ 1 hour, $ 75

How to take advantage of the Here and Now: transits, progressions, and solar arcs, ~ 1 hour,  $ 75

How to make relationships work: Synastry and comparison,
~ 1 hour, $ 75

Questions & Answers to help you make sound decisions based
on your astrology. ~ 1 hour, $ 75

You can book each session separately and they will be recorded.

You can purchase a reading with me for yourself or as a gift till the end of the year and it can be redeemed any time in the New Year. As you know, I am available by phone or Skype and of course in person here on Maui. Find out more about my readings and testimonials on my website.

I wish you a wonderful time, aloha and many blessings,  ~Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran Evolutionary astrologer, jeweler, blogger and published author. Shakti is also writing a monthly column for the Maui Weekly her “Living Your Sun Sign” suggestions and the MauiMama Moon column. In her astrological practice she reads the psycho-dynamic information of your chart in the bigger perspective of the evolution of your soul ~ your karma which adds a deeply meaningful frame. Shakti has provided astrological readings for 33 years.

Call me for your individual consultation 808 878-8182.

Please pass this on to your friends if you think they might be interested..

Dear friends and readers! Change is in the air!

My blog seems to be like a living being, always changing and evolving along with my own inner process. Last week I had a wonderful time in Calistoga with Steve Forrest diving deep into the innermost aspects of the Moon and of course that stimulates an inner journey. Discovering that I have a progressed lunar return this year in Aquarius in the 11th house helped me tremendously to put feelings I called “itchiness”, a sense of vague  discomfort and looking for something, edginess, feeling a need for change, wanting to be more useful with my time and energy- into perspective.

I have been writing this weekly astrological updates for one and a half years now and I feel I need a change and less structure! And I need more time for writing my next book which will be an astrological life planner. So I decided to change the regular format of weekly reports to a monthly one. That will give me more flexibility to comment on other specific themes astrologically related without having the feeling I am neglecting your weekly astrological overview.

Whenever we are deeply immersed into our inner world of feelings and the area of love and relationships things tend to get intense, sticky and complicated. We loose our cool head, just react from our belly and gleefully project our inner themes onto our friends and partners.

The astrology of October confronts you with the yin and yang, the feminine and masculine and how it plays out in your life. You have a chance to discover new dimensions in your inner landscape and become aware of how you play it. You can bring the light of consciousness and healing to your wounds around historical structures formed in your family of origin. As a result you can learn opening yourself up to new levels of joy and contentment in your relationships.

Highlights of October 2010

• New Moon in Libra October 7 with Sun, Saturn and Mercury in the same sign
• Full Moon in Aries October 22-23 at 29 degrees
• Venus retrograde October 8 to November 19
• Mercury conjunct Saturn October 8
• Mars and Venus conjunct October 3 in Scorpio
• Sun moves into Scorpio October 23
• Mars steps into Sagittarius October 27
• Sun conjuncts Mercury October 16-17
• Sun conjuncts Venus October 28-29

Full Moon Verses New Moon & Mars Verses Venus Action: We are talking about Relationship Matters

Of course it is Complicated! In October we will be focused heavily onto relationship matters with Venus and Mars in the deep waters of Scorpio and the Full and New Moon activating the Aries Libra axes.

Two weeks ago we just had the first Full Moon in the sign of Aries with a big bang as being part of the Autumnal Equinox as well as a grand square developing the T-Square into a new level of awareness. This year we have been talking often about this T-Square between Saturn, Uranus and Pluto as indicators of the profound changes we are facing inside and outside.  With a Full Moon things are revealed by the consciousness and light of the Sun; suppressed emotions, hidden agendas, our needs for healing and nurturing, any area related to our inner realm and feelings.

Two Full Moons in Aries in One Month

The First Full Moon in Aries at 0 degrees Aries on September 23 invited us to be decisive in our action, be clear and focused on our intentions and step up to the plate in areas we might have been holding back our passion.

The Full Moon in the very end of Aries has the complexity and depth of a Pisces coloring and wants to take the inner evolution of self we started last month to a deeper level.

The Full Moon at 29 degrees Aries completes and deepens into more insights, wisdom, compassion and equanimity. With the New Moon in Libra, the opposing qualities of individuating, self driven Aries to the integrating, balancing needs of Libra get another chance for reconciliation of opposites, especially the feminine and masculine principles.

New Moon in Libra

With the New Moon on October 7 we will start with a new cycle of inner perception and fine attunement. The theme and starting point of this month lunar evolution is in Libra, the classic relationship sign. This theme is deepened with Sun in Libra shedding the light of consciousness onto our relationships and with Mercury making it easy to relate, express ourselves, communicate and meet new people. And our teacher Saturn pushes for clarity, responsibility and commitment.

Mars and Venus – the Eternal Lovers

Besides these three planets in the relationship sign Libra we have Mars and Venus spending almost all month of October in Scorpio. Lighthearted Venus is not very comfortable with the deep intensity of Scorpio while Mars is very much at home being the secondary ruler of Scorpio. This month offers you a time frame to take a deeper look and re-examine your relationships and refine what is needed.

Subjects around betrayal, mistrust or true intentions you might have chosen to ignore in your relationship will not stay hidden much longer. Deep transformation and inner growth is not only possible but a requirement. Check out my article about this relationship dance which started when Mars entered Scorpio.

Mercury Conjunct Saturn October 8

Saturn conjunction Mercury in Libra will help the whole process. Saturn doesn’t allow evasive maneuvers, he demands facing the music and diving in. He also adds some objectivity and hopefully clarity into complicated matters.

Sun Conjuncts Venus October 28-29

The Sun sheds light and helps us to gain deeper insight and wisdom to transform areas of challenge, inner fears and anxieties into areas of expertise and achievement. The Sun conjunction with Venus kind of tops off the whole complexity of relationships and you will be the one to decide where you are in your process  at the end of this month. Have you gained more clarity and wisdom? Have you achieved more intimacy with your loved one as a result of a deeper honesty about your needs and acceptance of each other?

Sun Moves into Scorpio October 23

There is no shortness of intensity and depth this month with Mars, Venus and then Sun in Scorpio. Because this month’ theme is all around relationship issues the Sun will just amplify the intensity and inner need for truth and deeper levels of commitment and trust in that area. To help you with the integration and balance I am suggesting once again the Herkimer Diamond.

The Herkimer Diamond Relates Specifically to Venus, Mars, Sun, Saturn, Pluto, Uranus and Neptune

The Herkimer Diamond, found in Herkimer, New York, is a double-terminated crystal quartz exhibiting such clarity and brilliance that it was named after the most reflective and brilliant stone we know, the Diamond.

The Herkimer is truly amazing in its beauty, clarity, and perfection. Unlike the Diamond, which must be cut and polished to bring out its beauty, the Herkimer Diamond is perfect in its natural state and requires no cutting or polishing at all. It is untouched by the human hand. I love to make jewelry with both of these beautiful stones and to combine them in the same piece.

Wearing it on your heart chakra, which is the middle one of the seven, it balances your whole energetic system. Thus it is able to strengthen your auric field against all kinds of radiation, including electro smog and negative thought projections. You are constantly targeted by radiation in our daily lives, especially in urban areas. You might know that sitting in front of a computer for several hours can lower our white blood cell count, which inevitably impacts your health. The Herkimer Diamond in its perfection and balance between the negative and positive points can balance you out and strengthen your own auric field.

This stone also strengthens your energy field against negative emotional or mental projections from others. The Herkimer Diamond is your ally in maintaining your own balance and strength. The Herkimer Diamond is a gift in its perfection and balancing qualities, a visual reminder of God’s perfect creation. You can read more about the Herkimer Diamond in my book or in other articles of mine.

I hope you will enjoy the potential of this month and thrive in your relationships. Life is relationship and we feel happy and nourished if we are attuned to our own needs and reflected by others around us.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

After an extremely intense week  we are having a week with not much astrological action coming along. You are given a little pause to catch your breath and integrate what has come up for you. I will use this to give you some more information about true birthstones and the stone for Libra – the Rubellite.

With the Sun and Mercury in Libra you have a pleasant energy and support for your heart. Libra will be soothing and strengthening for your dedication to be compassionate and loving. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.” (Dalai Lama)

We are still enjoying longer warm days. You can sit outside delighting in the balmy breezes of the evening. Or you might travel to other places or countries taking advantage of the nice weather. Everybody loves the spring and the summer but there is something to the other seasons as well. I know the beautiful colors of autumn and the friskiness of winter do appeal to some of you.

I am a person who needs a lot of Sun. I think I am still catching up with a life time of gray and cold weather in Germany where I grew up. I was visiting in April/May this year and in the 5 weeks I was there we had 6 days of sun. That is not enough for me. But I know people who love the winter sports and revel in the cold and snow. What I am getting at here is that we have all this different, very specific qualities throughout the year. And like it is smart to be prepared for snow with winter boots and a warm coat you can prepare yourself for other particularities throughout the year as well.

The Sun is moving through the whole cycle of the 12 signs of the zodiac in one year. Each month is displaying a different theme according to the astrological sign it is in. In the evolution through the year every month manifests a different quality in nature. The cycle starts with Aries and marks the beginning of spring on the planet awakening to new life. Each sign builds on each other in a constant expansion and contraction to consolidate the previous subject.

Therefore you could say that earth bound Taurus consolidates the energies of Aries. After that curious Geminis spread their wings and discover the world in all its variety. Then Cancer consolidates again with its emphasis on home and family. Expressive Leo takes charge and conquers the world. Discriminating Virgo pays attention to details relating to work and health. And with Libra we enter the world and discover the joy of beauty, relating and loving.

Sun Moves into Libra on September 22

The Libra Sun is defining the underlying quality of the coming month in addition with the challenge of the Saturn conjunction September 30. This means we have some work to do in the area of our more intimate relationships as well as in a more global way. For the length of the Saturn transit of two and a half years, we have ample time to redefine our relationships on the planet. Changes are needed and we should reconsider how we relate as rich industrialized nations to third world countries. Fair trade agreements are common sense or should be.

We are beginning to realize more clearly how interdependent we are and how interwoven the whole world’s economy is. We have to take care for things with an eye to the benefit of the whole or it will not work for us very well in the long run.

Libra is ruled by Venus and is seen as the harmonizing force in the zodiac. She is often depicted as the judge holding the two scales for balance in her hands. Venus is known as the Goddess of love, harmony and beauty. For Venus it is more then appropriate to beautify herself with gemstones set into beautiful jewelry. And for Saturn in Venus it will be very supportive as well.

The Concept of True Birthstones

I am sure you know which is supposed to be your birthstone. Most women I have met and even some men will know their birthstone which is based on their sun sign. There is an official list of birthstones created by the mercurial jeweler’s guild as another sales argument why you should buy jewelry. Hey, being a jeweler myself, I am all for it. Jewelry is a personal statement about who you are in your fashion sense and it gives subliminal messages about your personal self expression, abundance and power. It will give you endless joy looking at beautiful sparkling gemstones and can have a deep sentimental value. It can have deep meaning for you and be a focus as a personal talisman.

But as an astrologer and healer I want you to be able to choose a gemstone which is most beneficial for you in helping you balance out friction in your chart. You can choose from a variety of true birthstones which are associated with your Sun position in your horoscope. And if you want to get more specific you can address the house position and aspect connection with other planets in your chart. That way you will be able to truly distinguish which is your true birthstone. I offer the Gemstone Profile based on your whole astrological chart with a description of your main 12 healing gemstones.

Astrological principles are manifested at all levels of creation, from the largest planets in the universe to the tiniest particles of atoms—all are part of the same network of universal energy. Based on the hermetic principle “As above, so below,” these universal principles that govern the universe are also seen on the much smaller level of gemstones, crystals, and metals.  That is the reason why we can attribute each gemstone with different planetary qualities. Each gemstone is always a composition of different astrological principles based on their personal uniqueness.

And this personal “signature”—specific metaphysical qualities, different for each stone, that arise from the stone’s association with its planets. It reflects the chemical composition, crystal structure, color and translucency of each unique stone. I think you will like the gemstone I am introducing today which is one of the true birthstones for Libra, the Rubellite.

Rubellite Represents the Planets of Mars, Venus, Sun and Neptune

The Rubellite, the pink Tourmaline, represents a lover of mankind, one who loves unconditionally and teaches us self-love. Self-love is often difficult to achieve. We know our weaknesses and dark side all too well and thus we are often most unforgiving and hard on ourselves. Beginning in childhood we learn to reject and negate a large part of our nature, especially our need for love and acceptance within the family. We resign ourselves to making do without those deep needs and we give up vital parts of ourselves. The Rubellite heals and strengthens us, helping us to recover those lost aspects of our nature. With its help we learn to love ourselves as we are, in our individuality and beauty.  Rubellite helps us to grow and nourish our own needs. As adults we have the ability to care for ourselves in ways we were not able to do in childhood. We can express our wishes and needs in alignment with our whole being. From that place of self-love and alignment we want to share and give to the world. The Rubellite opens us up to the abundant love that flows through us in all that we do. Our heart is open to joy and exaltation.

Venus and Mars rule the Rubellite in all their different facets. Venus is the goddess of love, harmony, and beauty. She is the muse to artists in all their endeavors. Mars is the pioneer, the warrior who is called to action. Together they help our creativity to be manifested on the earthly plane. They give us the courage and self-esteem to dare to be creative.

Venus and Mars are also eternal lovers. They help us through difficult times in our relationships. They remind us that the bond of love endures beyond all the difficulties that inevitably surface when two personalities merge. It is through our relationship with our intimate partner that we are challenged to grow and examine our behavior and our beliefs. With the solid foundation of love and friendship with our partner, we have the potential to rise out of difficult times like the Phoenix arising from the ashes.

I hope you will enjoy the discovery of this truly magnificent stone and wish you a very enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones! If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

Do you like action movies? Do you like the tension building and then escalating into heavy action with high speed cars, sex, betrayal and some kind of a resolution at the end? I don’t ! I hate action movies! My husband has long given up on me to share this way of entertainment and goes to the actions movies with his male friends to share the excitement. I am just happy to pass on it. When I want to see a movie I like to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, learn something new and expand my horizon. I like true stories made into movies about true heroes like Patch Adams which make me think and feel myself in a deeper and new way.

For me it seems the nerve wrecking tension and excitement is screwing with my nervous system. I cannot sleep for many hours and I keep having those pictures floating through my mind. Why would I want to expose myself to that? But… tastes are different and for some people it might be a way to release tension and aggression by watching those movies. It can be a safe way to tap into intense feeling you might not have access to any other way and live vivaciously through the pictures on the screen.

We have an interesting and intense week ahead of us. On Tuesday August 3 we will have the second square of Jupiter to Pluto; the previous one was on July 24. This one is additionally fueled by Mars opposing Jupiter and squaring Pluto as well. Mars Pluto squares are known as lit fuses waiting to go off into a big bang. There is tension, friction, violence and ego driven behavior. This might be a very uncomfortable week. Let us see how we can best work with this.

Mars the Warrior

This week’s setup with Mars, the warrior connecting in a stressful way with life and death player Pluto and the expansive, over the top energy of Jupiter could look like a movie script. It can be a very charged week in so many ways but it might be tempered by the fact that Mars is prowling in Libra which is a compromising and peace loving sign.

That means for you that you have the choice to focus on compromise and be solution oriented with which ever problems you are facing this week. It means you can choose the dialogue and communicate. You can make an effort to be as compassionate and non judgmental as possible and diffuse any potentially difficult situation instead of getting riled up and defensive or actively aggressive. You do have a choice how you deal with the energy of this week.

Mars represents your life force energy, your determination, your sexual drive, your will power and also your aggressive potential. Don’t kid yourself; we all have a healthy dose of aggression built in us. However deep it might be buried and renounced, it often just needs the right stimuli and righteous reasons and it could come roaring out. You can use these specific energies of week to inquire more deeply into your own aggressive potential and how you release, focus and how you act out your anger and upset emotions. The more we can become aware and own that inner warrior the better the chances of staying in charge and directing those powerful energies.

Contemplate about What Can Set You Off?

Where is your personal Mars situated in your chart? In which sign, which house and how is it connected with the other planets? That can help you to find more clarity about how you are wired and might react to threatening or aggravating people or situations.

If we don’t own our aggression and violent aspects we tend to project them out and they happen to us. We might find ourselves victim to situations we rather avoid. There is a lot of personal power to gain in knowing who we are especially in the depth of the shadowy, dark stuff of our personality.

For Example: A Personal Story

Me, I am having my Mars in Cancer which means in general I am not an overly aggressive person. But I tend to suppress my anger and when it comes out, I can really surprise myself. I had an experience which really taught me about my aggressions and how it just takes the right button to push for it to come roaring to the surface. Because of that experience my self identity has changed and I do consider myself now potentially a pretty aggressive Amazon if provoked.

This is an experience I am not very proud of and it took me a long time to digest it and let it go because it did shatter my self image. But I think it is a good example and might serve you to do your soul searching.
I was in India two years ago and did a very intense deepening meditation retreat in the Oneness University. You can say my usual defenses and structures were weakened and tweaked with.

After that I stayed in a hotel for a few days and did some sight seeing and of course shopping. I went to this big shopping mall in Chennai which was buzzing with activity and an overwhelming level of noise. There I was making my way through people left and right when I felt a hand squeezing my left butt. I turned around like a whirl wind and in one move without any thinking involved I slapped the guy in his face with so much power his glasses almost came off. I was totally stunned. There was no thinking or control of any kind involved and that was pretty scary.

I have been in India many times before and had many experiences with Indians where I felt treated like a sexual object, being touched and felt up in crowded situations like buses. I often have felt physically intruded way beyond my personal boundaries and hated it.

In retrospective it was so upsetting for me that my hand just moved with a mind on its own. In a life threatening situation that might be a good thing to move automatically but I really appreciate my mindfulness and having a choice in how I want to react in a situation. It taught me a good deal about the depth of the aggressive potential I have and maybe in a similar situation next time I will have more of a choice now.

I would love to hear from you and your experiences.

•    How about your threshold of anger?
•    What triggers you?
•    Did you have any similar experiences where you surprised the heck out of yourself?
•    How do you feel about your feelings of anger and how do you deal with it?
•    How do you react when you are faced with somebodies anger?
•    Do you placate or take a stand and fight?

Venus Enters Libra August 6

Our good friend and Goddess Venus is stepping into her own sign Libra and feels right at home with her sense of beauty, her need for balance and harmony, her ability to love and cherish and her social abilities. She might diffuse the Martian rough edge of the week and add a little more friendliness and gentleness to the mix. But she also has her own hands full with an opposition with Uranus on August 7 and a conjunction with Saturn on Sunday August 8.

Saturn in Libra

Saturn in Libra has just started changing your focus onto the details of your relationships, showing you where you have grown lax and unappreciative of your lover and friends. For the next 2 ½ years you will have ample opportunity to clean up your act around Libra themes of relationships and love in general. A Saturn transit works his way slowly and determined, step by step through your resistances, anxieties and at the end of the process rewards with clarity and a higher perspective.

Uranus Opposition to Venus and Saturn

Venus in conjunction with Saturn is the same theme as Saturn in Libra. We better take a deep look and get to work. With the electrifying, renewing energy of the rebel Uranus there might be fire works and sudden changes in the field of relationships. It can show up as sudden break ups or newly falling in love. The unexpected might be invading your life. Or it can just be a renewing energy, a fresh spark of desire for your loved one and a new aim to express your feelings and make your loved ones feel desired and loved above all else.

A Gemstone for the Tantric Lover as well as the Warrior is the Fire Opal

If you want to work in your meditation with a supporting energy for this week’s challenges you might look for the Fire Opal, one of these sparkly colorful specimens who exhibit a high degree of greenish-red opalescence.

The Fire Opal is the master of the energizing stones for transformation. It represents the warrior expanding his territory in any direction he chooses. When our movement in a particular direction is long overdue, the Fire Opal imparts its fire to us to get us moving. The wearer of this gem is an adventurer, a pioneer, someone who loves to discover new lands. The Fire Opal can encourage us in times of drastic changes and transformation. It can give us extra energy and motivation for mastering and feeling more comfortable in our physical body. It rules the intestinal system and helps our digestion. It gives us energy and flexibility when we are feeling sluggish.

The Fire Opal also represents a Don Juan and a tantric master who loves playful sexuality, radiating enjoyment of the physical senses and helping us to move beyond the physical qualities of that experience. This stone opens us up to real intimacy, because we feel full and strong and centered in our own abdominal center. We can enjoy dissolving and melting with one another, without loosing ourselves. The Fire Opal opens up new dimensions in our lovemaking.

The Fire Opal relieves tensions in the first three chakras and opens any blockages we may have there. This is a great stone for a belly chain, so you can wear it hanging loose in front of the power center—the Dan Tien, as the Chinese call it, meaning “best place in the body.”

But Fire Opal is not only very powerful; it is also very gentle and healing in its transmission of energy. It can offer support during recovery from sexual abuse. It helps us to rise out of conceiving of ourselves as victims, helps us to develop forgiveness, and empowers us by releasing those toxic thoughts from our system. It bolsters our sense of personal power and mastery.

I love this stone and use it in many different combinations in my jewelry: with the Demantoid for artistic guidance, with the Diamond for radical empowerment and breaking through barriers, and with the Moonstone for balancing Yin and Yang energies and active and passive qualities. (Taken from my book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery)

If you like my astrological musings I invite you to sign up for my free weekly newsletter for a regular update on the actual universal flow in the heavens. As you can tell I am also very passionate about the abilities of the healing gemstones to help to align and balance our flow. I have even written a book about it and the connection with astrology! If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with gemstones, if that is something that appeals to you.

I hope you enjoyed this article, aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

We are living in auspicious times! The T-Square between Saturn, Uranus and Pluto is rather fast chipping away at old structures and believes in our lives, and we just had the fireworks of a Lunar and Solar Eclipse a few weeks ago and the event of the Conscious Convergence (An event of the Mayan calendar) last weekend. All of these sign posts are helping us to understand and become really clear about our true passion for life and what it is all about.

We are asked to set our intentions and focus on contributing to others and the world we are living in. Each one of us is asked to be a vital part of the change of global consciousness, riding the exhilarating wave of higher consciousness and passion for life. You are the change you have been waiting for!

The last weekend was a poignant point in time to set your intentions for your personal growth and the changes you want to see in the world. All this is highlighted by the Full Moon in Aquarius coming weekend. A number of factors are prolonging the impact of this particular Full Moon, like Saturn re-entering Libra for good and activating the T-Square with Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto exactly on July 26. And Mars will be joining that already potent mix on July 29 with his Martian temperament. I will talk about that more in depth next week.

Sun Blazes into Leo

When we move month by month through the zodiac there is evolution happening through more inwardly directed energy alternating with more outwardly directed flow. The zodiac starts with Aries and the beginning of Spring; the waking up after Winters sleep to new life. In Taurus there is consolidation and manifestation of that life thrust followed by the light hearted Gemini exploring life in all its interesting and fascinating aspects and ideas. In Cancer we are immersed with inner life, with our emotions, our close friends and family. And then we are so ready again to step into the creative flow of our personal self expression and passion for life with the Sun in Leo.

Leo is full with the optimism of life energy, the eternal promise that no matter what life will continue in so many expressions. Have you ever seen a concrete road with a tiny crack in it and grass or another plant growing out of it? Or the tree growing directly out of a seemingly solid rock face at Big Sur? Isn’t it amazing?

This coming month with Leo you have the universal winds in your back to help propelling you forward manifesting your desires. Desires are a good! They keep us going. They inspire us to action and creative self expression. They are the motor of life!

Saturn Steps into Libra July 21

Good news for Virgos. Whatever you have been struggling with for the last 2 years will undergo a resolution and integration with Saturn finally leaving you alone. Also if you have planets in Pisces, Gemini or Sagittarius you have been called to inner work and clarity with opposition or squares of the taskmaster. Saturn is not an easy transit to experience because he is traditionally challenging us to face our deepest fears, have a close look at our boundaries, tighten the belt and go to work.

But the results of Saturn transits offer us so much more clarity and wisdom then we had before we started onto this inner journey into the twilight zone. Saturn makes it all worthwhile by bringing his light and focus into the essential. Saturn reveals inner strength and dormant capacities. Virgo is the sign for looking into details, organizing ourselves more efficiently and taking better care for our health. Therefore many of you had trouble with health problems catching up with you in the last 2 years. Whatever was not supportive for a healthy balance of a healthy soul in a healthy body had to be examined and was put to the test.

Saturn in Virgo

Whatever planets you have in Virgo needed your extra attention. For example I have my Jupiter in Virgo. For me it stimulated my research and interest of the connection between the unavoidable pollution of my body because of all the external onslaught of environmental toxins like pesticides, phthalates, plasticizer, formaldehyde, xenobiotics and different health challenges of mine.

I discovered new ways to deeply cleanse and unload toxicity with my Infra Red Sauna on a daily base in combination with coffee enemas and liver cleanses. I had nutritional and hormonal tests done to determine my level of hormones and crucial vitamins and found out many deficiencies in spite of a pretty healthy life style. I don’t eat much processed food of any kind, I eat plenty of raw, I juice, I cook mellow macro-biotic and I supplement, so it came as a surprise to me that I was still deficient in Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium and Progesterone.

You need to keep in mind that with daily sweating in the sauna I was loosing extra nutrients. I was aware of that and this was the reason for me to have it checked after being two month on the new regiment.

I also discovered the books by Dr. Sherry Rogers one of the few true benefactors in the health field for many people who were able to reclaim their health in spite of incurable diseases. Her basic recipe for any kind of health imbalance or disease is to restore well being by detoxifying with the Infra Red sauna and super nourishing the body with macro-biotic. Sounds easy right? Or another icon I found was Dr. Max Gerson who did miraculous cancer healing with people already 80 years ago. Same basic recipe: detoxification in his case with coffee enemas and super nutrition with raw juices and raw food.

With my Jupiter in Virgo I discovered new dimensions in the healing arts because I needed to find out about the bigger picture of my own health. It was very self empowering because I could make changes accordingly and took charge of my own health. I found deep satisfaction and excitement in those new possibilities growing out of these insights and my expanded view.

Full Moon in Aquarius July 25

Full Moons are culmination points of your emotional journey throughout all those different inner facets throughout the month of one lunar cycle. Full Moon means the uttermost reflection of the light giving energy of the Sun into deepest crevices of your inner world. This Full Moon in Aquarius is receiving the energy of the Sun in Leo.

Sun and Moon are the yin and yang, the male and the female force, the complementing forces in life. Sun as the life giving entity is radiating the force to create life and Moon is reflecting the energy, taking it into the inner world, sustaining and nourishing life.

Sun in astrology shows your self- identity, the inner place of strength you act from in your life. Sun is representing the inner and outer male figure. Sun is your self awareness and consciousness guiding you into choices and decisions. With the Sun moving through the whole zodiac throughout the year it gives you different mental perspectives onto life and guides your process of evolution as an individual and as whole humankind.

Moon in astrology on the other hand reflects consciousness evolving through your inner digestive process of your feelings and guides you more intuitively. Emotions are often unclear and hidden from the light of consciousness and might take a while to float up to conscious recognition and acknowledgment. Moon is the archetypal mother, the inner woman or outer woman, nourishing you in her unique way of being.

The Potential of the Aquarius and Leo Opposition

I believe wherever this Full Moon is touching into your chart it will have a profound impact for your soul’s journey in these challenging times. Note in which house the Full Moon falls in your chart and which aspects it is forming to personal planet. It carries the potential for integration between your inner and outer world and your visions and dreams coming to fruition.

You are also called upon extending your goodwill to others, be a role model for your beliefs concerning change for the better, taking care for your friends and neighbors, acting from a place of oneness and connectedness, taking charge and stepping up. Become a leader for what you believe in! Be the change you want to see! Grass root movements are needed to move on into the Aquarian Age, into the year 2012 with all its prophesied changes in consciousness of humankind.

I think we all agree that the old ways driven by greedy ways of the ego for power and self-gratification won’t meet the requirement of the 21st century. Mother Earth is polluted like never before and we are poisoning ourselves with it. The old economy is crashing and with it the old paradigms. We have to come up with new ways to organize ourselves on this earth looking beyond old tribal, ego driven survival instincts and make decisions based on the good for all.

What is needed is the emergence of a new consciousness and astrology is giving us much hope and understanding about the challenges ahead. It also gives us tools for coping. Here are two gemstones that can help you to balance and integrate the seemingly opposing forces of Aquarius and Leo.

An Aquarian Gemstone is the Aquamarine

Uranus infuses Aquamarine with some unusual qualities and a vision beyond our limited mind-set, making Aquamarine the Rebel among the gems. This is the gemstone of visionaries fighting for a better life, supporting goodness and necessary changes. It urges you to seek freedom and independence and to express your uniqueness. Aquamarine is the stone of innovators, ahead of their time in many ways. It encourages you to always question your limiting beliefs with an open mind and to be willing to grow beyond them. It can help you to find your own vision and purpose in life and the courage to live them.

This unique gem connects you with the unlimited aspect of being that is found in the ocean, symbolizing the vastness of existence, the unlimited space and horizon that you experience standing on a beach or on a boat.

A Leo Gemstone is the Ruby

The Ruby is the warrior of the heart, the knight of your dreams. It touches the root chakra and the heart chakra, helping gently but powerfully to bring energy up from the first chakra to the heart. The root chakra is your connection with the earth, your grounding, ego identity, survival instincts, anger, sex drive, and life force in general. The heart chakra is the seat of your emotions of love in all its aspects, from self-love to unconditional love. It is the site of unresolved wounds suffered in love and childhood experiences—but it is also home to forgiveness and compassion.

If you like my astrological musings I invite you to sign up for my free weekly newsletter here on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog for a regular update on the actual universal flow in the heavens. As you can tell I am also very passionate about the abilities of the healing gemstones to help to align and balance our flow. I have even written a book about it and the connection with astrology! If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with gemstones, if that is something that appeals to you.

I hope you enjoyed this article, aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

Usually I give you one of the true birthstones of the star sign of the month at the beginning when the Sun moves into the next astrological sign. This month has been so busy with important astro events that I have waited till today to do that before the month is over.

Cancer is the Archetypal Mother and some of her Birthstones Are Pearls

And here at last is the monthly update on the quality of the astrological sign and the nourishing and supportive energy of one of Cancers true birthstones- the pearls. Yes I know it is not really a stone but it serves us as well as one. Pearls are created in the oceans and are formed in the ouster and are different then the normal gemstones which are formed inside the depth of the earth. But because of that different formation process they can soothe our emotions and psyche like none other. Nowadays all pearls are created by mankind but the process involved is the same as it was before we came up with that idea.

Cancerian Qualities

June 22 marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Many people in the Northern Hemisphere love this energetic time of year, when they can enjoy the outdoors until late in the evening.

Cancer is a feminine water sign. All life on Earth depends on water, and all land animals, including humans, are thought to have originated in the oceans. So Cancer is closely associated with giving life, and hence motherhood.

The personality of Cancerians is fluid as well, with a broad range of personal traits. Home and family are always an important theme for this sign, for both men and women. They make loving, protective parents. Cancerians are highly emotional, romantic, and loving people and seek nurturing in relationships. They are also very giving people and often seek to express their nurturing nature in the healing and caring professions. They can be reserved people, preferring to reveal their true natures in the security of their intimate relationships. They tend to be ruled by their emotional ups and downs. They can also be quite artistic and make good artists, actors, and musicians.

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Cancerian Experience

What better way for the Cancerian to express his or her loving nature than with a gift of gemstone jewelry to a beloved partner?

Gemstones have both physical and metaphysical qualities that can enhance all aspects of your well-being. The perfectly aligned crystal structure of gemstones creates an energy field that interacts with our own when you hold it or wear it on your body. In this way, the gemstone can be used to calm you, bring you mental clarity, increase your energy, enhance your creativity, and much more. Cancerians have some potentially conflicting qualities (such as a desire to be connected to others, but also a tendency to withdraw) that can be brought into better balance with gemstones.

Astrology and Gemstones

Astrological principles manifest at all levels of creation, from the largest bodies in the cosmos to the tiniest particles of atoms—all are part of the same network of universal energy. Based on the hermetic principle “As above, so below,” those universal principles allow us to read relations among the planets and extrapolate those principles to things here on Earth, to events in our lives, as well as to our natural environment. The universal principles that govern the planets are also seen on the much smaller level of gemstones, crystals, and metals.

The Signature of Gemstones

Each gemstone is associated with specific planets. You are already aware that each planet has its own personality in astrology. And each gemstone has a personal “signature”—specific metaphysical qualities, different for each stone, that arise from the stone’s association with its planets.

How to Make Gemstones Work for You

By considering the individual signature of gemstones, you can select the right gems for very specific purposes, according to their astrological qualities.

Gemstones can be used in three different ways:

1. They are precious objects of beauty that may hold a special meaning for us. We enjoy their beauty by giving them a special place on a shelf, desk, or altar.
2. They can be used in meditation by tuning into their frequency for the purpose of balancing our energy field.
3. They can be made into jewelry pieces for our pleasure, enhancing our individual expression of beauty and sense of empowerment.

If you like to learn more about other astrological signs and their true birthstones based in astrology you can find more articles on my website.

Pearls Represent the Energies of Moon, Saturn, Neptune and Chiron

Pearls are found in a great variety colors, including white, cream, rose, silver, golden, blue, and black. Pearl is an organic substance made of calcium carbonate and an organic horn material that form as a reaction to an injury, usually intentionally caused by humans. The Pearl forms concentrically around the implanted microcrystal. Pearls are very sensitive to acids, perspiration, cosmetics, hairspray, dryness, and humidity. They can die through age or improper treatment, or they can become dull, crack, and peel off.

Pearls are sometimes referred to as the “tears of the soul” and some advise against wearing them. There may well be some truth in that notion for some people, but the choice to wear pearls must be left to individual discretion: I feel a strong attraction toward some pearls and appreciate wearing them frequently.

The Pearl can be viewed as a being originating in the depths of the ocean or fresh water seas. Water or the ocean is a powerful symbol and representation of our unconscious mind, the unknown depths of our emotions, the female part of our being. The human body consists of 85 percent water, the mysterious ingredient essential to all life.

And science tells us that we normally use only 5 to 10 percent of the potential of our brains, the conscious mind, meaning that the majority of the brain is hidden in the vast unconscious. The significance of the Pearl’s association with deep waters, and therefore our unconscious mind, is clear!

The Moon rules water, the ocean, the emotions, the female principle, and our unconscious mind. The Pearl is ruled by the Moon, so it connects us with the depths of our unconscious, of our feelings, including those that we often seek to repress, such as grief, sorrow, and pain. We try to avoid becoming conscious of those wounds, but we should take a lesson from the Pearl: Pearl’s host, the shell, also suffered an injury—even died at one point!—and yet produced this perfect, soft, shiny, round beauty.

The transformation is reminiscent of the caterpillar, often ugly, that grows into a beautiful butterfly. And so is it with humans: we can use our wounds like the Pearl, to grow into our own magnificent beauty.

Having this “wound” affinity with humans; Pearl is a wonderful ally and friend to us during our process of healing from these deep emotional injuries. It can soothe and nourish us, bring our wounds up into the light of consciousness, assist us in the transforming healing process.

The round shape of the Pearl, the most balanced form there is, stands for perfection and oneness. [1]

I wish you an enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones and looking at them in a new way! If you enjoy my perspective on things, please come back and sign up for my free weekly newsletter on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life. If you feel like passing this article on to some of your friends that would be so wonderful. Thank you so much!

I am truly excited and I am looking forward to connect with you in spirit next weekend, aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

[1]Adapted from Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones That Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul © 2008 by Shakti Carola Navran. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission of the publisher.

Geminis are thought of as the most versatile and flexible sign in the zodiac because of their intrinsic curious nature which leads them into new territory all the time. They love to travel to assuage their need for stimulation and inspiration. They love to read and usually have a big pile of books beside their bed where they are able to pick one up, read a chapter or so and then move onto the next one. They might come back to the first one a week later, moving back and forth between the interests of the moment. In the end they will have read the whole pile but usually not one after the other from front to back as others might prefer.

Geminis are very well informed and make very pleasant conversation partners. They are thought of as the butterflies who move from one object of interest to the next in short time because of their ability to take a fresh look and their genuine interest into their surroundings and other people. An integrated Gemini will be able to put all those different pieces of juicy information into the bigger picture where it makes sense and integrates with the wider perspective of the opposing sign of Sagittarius. Each sign is only complete when it has integrated the complementing opposing sign.

Without the context of a deeper meaningful connection of the single pieces to each other the Geminis efforts of collecting data will fall short of a deeper relevance. It would stay superficial and without deeper satisfaction.

I am Gemini rising and can certainly relate. Having just come back from my 5 weeks trip to Germany I am still sorting through all my experiences, the events, meetings and talks with friends. It became very obvious to me how much my Gemini enjoyed the constant change and stimulation I experienced traveling. Very different to my usual very laid back life style on the beautiful island of Maui.

There were so many beautiful churches to look at in Cologne. It seemed like every time you turned your back you were looking at one. The museums with their high caliber of art were exhilarating. The discussions about the oil leak were depressing and engaged. The German perspective onto alternative technologies and conscious preserving of resources were uplifting. Many Germans are now building houses with alternative heating directly from the heat of the earth and are very conservative about using energy in general. I had fun watching all the small cars zipping around downtown like the Smart car made by Mercedes. They are so easy to park in the city and don’t use much gas.

Living on Maui I am missing that buzzing beat of a big city so I have to go traveling once in a while to satisfy my thirst for adventure and new ideas.

With the astrological constellations of this week you also will have a little taste of Gemini qualities especially with Mercury in his own sign Gemini:

New Moon in Gemini on June 12
Mercury in Gemini June 9
Mercury Square to Neptune and Mars June 9-11
Jupiter Conjunction Uranus June 8

New Moon in Gemini Squaring Saturn

The new lunar cycle of the Moon starts off in Gemini and will be guiding us through a lively month. Yet the New Moon is squared by Saturn in Virgo which will be bringing in more intensity and need to test new ideas and speculations for their true usefulness. Often we experience Saturn energy first as a damper onto our enthusiasm. But if we hang in there we will be gratified by more clarity and focus of vision.

You could say that New and Full Moon are representing potent times of magic and were hold in high esteem by many cultures. Even if the magic is just the potential it holds for the astrological student or master in setting their intentions according to the universal flow as represented in ancient astrological signs. Astrology promises to help you to lift your consciousness to higher levels and align yourself with the universal flow for your own benefit.

Mercury in Gemini

Mercury is the ruler of Gemini and therefore coming home into its own sign. Mercury is representing our mental stand, the way we think and communicate. In Gemini he is at his best: flexible, interested, amusing, entertaining, funny, intellectual versatile and always up to discuss and dissect new topics. This is a good month for you to sharpen your interest, expand your social life and enjoy new connections. Saturn might help to make good use of this more light hearted time so it might have lasting impact onto your life.

Mercury Square to Neptune and Mars

Also Mercury’s square to Neptune might fuel your imagination and bolster your courage to dream big, but you might also get lost in illusions and projections of your own mind. Take yourself with a grain of skepticism and amusement and you will be fine.

Mercury squaring Mars always invites the possibility to be very rash, impulsive and even aggressive. Sudden sparks of temper might surprise the heck out of you if that is not your usual mode of operation.

Jupiter Conjunction Uranus

When Jupiter joins with Uranus there is the potential of truly genius thoughts and ideas. Jupiter who is always looking for a deeper meaning and expansion of thoughts and beliefs is in league with the visionary, rebellious spirit of Uranus who wants to drastically change society for the better no matter what the costs. There is an explosive quality with those both planets coming together. Better get clear what your priorities are and where you are heading with your life:

Where do you want to go in your life right now?
What are your dream goals, long and short term?
Where do you feel change is looming just waiting to happen?
Where do you want change to happen?
What can you do to allow the process?

The Gemstone for all this Gemini Energy is Citrine

If you want to support yourself with a gemstone to help your alignment with the present moment you could choose the Citrine. You can find them as crystals or faceted pieces depending what you personally like best. Citrine can be used in big chunks for jewelry because it is not such an expensive stone and you can afford a big stone if you like that.

Citrine  has Sun and Mercury Qualities

“Citrine is a light yellow to gold-brown colored Quartz. It crystallizes in hexagonal prisms with pyramids on the top of each crystal. Most Citrines that are found in shops are heat treated Amethysts or Smoky Quartz. The treated stones will be more golden or brownish, while natural Citrine is more of a pale yellow. A heat-treated stone will need some kind of healing ritual to restore it to its natural energies.

Citrine is a stone for the second or third chakra, depending on its color. It brings in the energy of the sun and opens our mind to higher thoughts beyond fears and doubts. Citrine gives us the patience and endurance we need to focus our mind on details such as writing, planning, and putting things in their proper order.” (Taken from Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul)

You can use the stone for your meditation by placing it onto your third eye lying down on your back. You could take your questions with you and allow answers and inspiration to pop into your mind. Or you can charge it with an aim you are taking and place it in front of you at your work place to keep you on track and focus better. More about how to use gemstones for meditation, how to clear and charge them you can find in other articles I have written.

If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life. I would love it if you feel like passing it on to some of your friends.

I wish you a wonderful week and enjoyment of the Gemini sparkles,

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:

Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

In hard economical times luxury articles like jewelry are not at the forefront of our list. Immediate needs and less expensive desires often win the competition. But the desire and need for beauty and meaningful jewelry is part of our soul and especially when we marry, the wedding ring has deep meaning and will accompany us for a long, long time. As a design jeweler I am often confronted with costumers who are looking for something more special then the usual Diamond chunk on her finger. As a healer and astrologer I have a very special perspective I wanted to share with you today.

The human yearning for love is one of the most powerful instincts. It is a mother’s love that assures the survival of her infant, and as adults we need loving connections with others in order to lead healthy, happy, meaningful lives. Through relationships with our parents, mate, children, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and many others, our heart is gently opened to both giving and receiving. Through bonds of love we receive reassurance that we live in a benign universe.

When we grow into adulthood we often seek a deep and permanent union with a life partner. Relationships are usually a complex and mysterious web of opposing forces: male and female; similarities and differences; tenderness and friction. How can we make sense of all this? How can we be sure we’ve chosen the right partner? Once we enter into the permanent bond of marriage, how can we enhance love while passing through the inevitable conflicts?

Astrology is a unique tool that can help you answer those questions and enter into marriage with greater confidence and clarity. First, it can help you come to a better understanding of yourself and your future spouse as individuals and how you relate as a couple. And second, astrology can be used to choose the precious symbol of the marital bond: your wedding rings.

In my career of over 30 years as an astrologer and jeweler, I have taken great satisfaction in helping couples clarify and strengthen their commitment to each other, and then designing and making beautiful handcrafted wedding rings to commemorate their union. I have written a book about Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery to share from my experience.

Understanding your Relationship begins with Understanding Yourself.

What are your greatest hopes and dreams for your life? What skills and strengths do you bring to your life journey? What are your challenges, and what do you need to overcome them? How does your mate fit into that picture, and who do you imagine as your perfect mate? To what extent should your mate share your values and beliefs? Are you an independent person? Can you allow your partner to be independent as well?

All of this is revealed in your birth chart. The universe exactly as it was at the moment of your birth set the stage for your personality, desires, successes, and challenges. A careful study of your astrological chart will help you unravel this rich network of forces, allowing you to see what is needed for your future happiness. Astrology is about your potential—your possibilities for growth and success in all areas of your life.

You are most likely already familiar with that type of individual astrology. What I call the astrology of love takes these principles to a new level, to uncover the workings of relationships and enhance the potential for love between two people. We all have this potential. Astrology can help it blossom and grow to new heights. When two people are aligned and balanced in their needs, intentions, and acts of tenderness, love soars!

Comparing the two Lovers Charts

After examining the birth charts of each individual, I use additional tools to learn about their present and future relationship. The astrological compatibility of two people is called Synastry. With this method I take the two individual charts and project all the planets of one onto the chart of the other. This shows how the most important personality characteristics and life themes of the partners interact.

I also make a composite chart of the relationship by finding the midpoints between the planets on the individual charts. This chart shows what is likely to happen if these two individuals enter into a long-term relationship.

Following astrological counseling a couple has a new understanding of themselves as individuals and as a pair. This knowledge leads to greater acceptance of each other and new strategies for supporting each other’s needs.

Once you have decided to wed, it is time to choose the wedding bands. Finding your ideal mate is a reason to celebrate! The wedding rings are a permanent reminder of the love, joy, and commitment of your relationship.

Meaningful Wedding Rings with your Gems of Love

A ring is a circle with no beginning and no end, a symbol of eternity. The circle symbolizes a couple’s commitment and intention to be together always in a bond of marital love. The beauty of a wedding ring symbolizes how precious and enduring this relationship is.

You are unique as individuals and as a couple, and with astrology it is possible to design a ring that perfectly represents and supports your union. This highly personalized ring will be so much more meaningful than a mass-produced ring that is unconnected to who you are as a couple.

Each gemstone has its own individual frequency and radiance, determined by its quality, color, crystal structure, and chemical composition. This is referred to as the stone’s “signature.” As a consequence, each stone will impact you in a different way. Specific stones may be chosen to support particular needs, goals, and challenges.

So you use your astrological chart to discover your needs and then find exactly the right gemstone to balance, heal, and nourish your own heart and your partner’s, and to enhance your marital relationship. I call these gems for love.

Choosing Gold or Silver

Once you’ve chosen your gemstones, the next choice is the metal. In most cases this will be either gold or silver, which have very different metaphysical properties. Look at my article about: Are you a Gold or a Silver Person? In astrology, gold represents the male energy of the sun, and silver the female energy of the moon. We are never all male or all female, and it’s important to balance those aspects in our personality.

Choosing gold or silver for your wedding rings can help you achieve the desired balance between your male and female sides. Beyond that, most people have a strong intuitive preference for gold or silver, which is related to the metals’ metaphysical properties.

I use 18-karat gold or higher to strengthen the masculine aspects (the air and fire elements in astrology), or sterling silver to strengthen the feminine aspects (the earth and water elements) in my clients’ charts.

For wedding bands I love to use pure 24-karat gold—the real thing! 24-karat gold is heavy, golden yellow, and very soft and malleable. Because of the softness of gold, heavier, more solid designs are required to create a durable ring.

The ring will inevitably acquire nicks and dents over the course of its long life, but don’t worry about those—they only enhance the charm of the ring and testify to the longevity of your marriage. Choosing 24-karat gold symbolizes your long-term investment in the quality of your union of love.

After you have chosen the gemstones and metal for your wedding rings, you can either search for them in jewelry stores, or, even better, have them made to your exact specifications by a jeweler.

I wish you well on your journey of love, and I hope you will try out the unique art and science of astrology to design the perfect wedding rings to support your joyous union. May it fulfill your deepest desires, now and forever?

If you have any questions let me know and I am happy to connect!
Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.