Lynn Hayes

About Lynn Hayes

Lynn Hayes has been a practicing astrological consultant in beautiful North Carolina for over 30 years, working with clients all over the world both in person and by phone. She focuses on therapeutic and healing approaches which encourage greater empowerment and personal growth. She is available for personal consultations (see the readings tab on this website).

A very wicked Mercury Retrograde! And “Mercury Max”

Am I the only one who has had a miserable time over the past three weeks?  I’m usually pretty good at navigating through Mercury retrograde periods, but this one really did wreak havoc in many areas of my life.  I can’t count the number of appointments that I either didn’t enter into the calendar or put in the wrong place.  Confusion in communication was rampant, including changing my mind and redoing certain things over and over.

All of this was made worse by the fact that Mercury (communication) aligned with Mars (passion and anger) at the eclipse degree, at the end of August.  Any issues that came up at the time of eclipse continued to erupt at that time.

Richard Nolle is a brilliant astrologer who first coined the term “Supermoon” for a lunation (Full or New Moon) that is closest to the earth.  Another one of his ideas is that of “Mercury Max” – the period of greatest elongation between Mercury and the Sun.  According to Richard, the Mercury Max period ”

begins when evening star Mercury reaches its maximum elongation (greatest distance) east of the Sun; extends through the Mercury retrograde and the inferior Sun-Mercury conjunction, and ends when the little planet as morning star reaches its maximum elongation west of the Sun.

If like me this technical language is difficult to comprehend, the important thing to note is that these cycles occur four times a year in concert with the Mercury retrograde cycles.  The current Mercury Max cycle according to Richard began on July 30th and continued all the way through August, ending around September 12th. Richard has always said that these Mercury Max periods coincide with Coronal Mass Ejections and solar storms (we had a very strong one on September 7-9th), earthquakes of major magnitude (note the one in Mexico that measured 8.1 on the Richter scale) and the four major hurricanes of the past couple of weeks:  Harvey which devastated Texas, Irma which currently threatens Florida, Jose and Katia.

As above, so below – when there is this much chaotic energy in the atmosphere it is bound to affect us, especially those of us who are more sensitive to energy.  Just as we need to find shelter in a protected area during a tornado, in times of chaotic energy storms it’s critical to find a place of strength and grounding inside of our own selves.

I did survive my Mercury Retrograde chaos, and the storms were mostly just minor ones.  I hope that all of my beloved readers are safe despite the storms that challenge our world today.

 

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By | 2017-09-10T09:17:04+00:00 September 10th, 2017|Astrology in my world|12 Comments
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Musings on the Great American Eclipse

for an article about the astrology of the eclipse, follow this link.

This week like so many others Rich and I took a trip (with our NASA authorized glasses) to a location in South Carolina where the path of the eclipse would exhibit maximum totality.  The most incredible part of the eclipse experience was witnessing the explosion of light after the shadow of the Moon covered the Sun.  As an astrologer I tend to focus more on the inner landscape of planetary events and less on the astronomical, but it was still a miracle to witness such an amazing display of nature’s majesty.

One thing I don’t like about my job is that other’s people fears create business opportunities.  The hype around the effect of this eclipse was so immense that I had clients calling me afraid to travel during the eclipse.  One was afraid to start a new job.  One thought her marriage would end.  One thought she would probably die because the eclipse was on her ascendant, but our reading actually occurred when the lunar eclipse was on her Pluto!  And of course she was just fine.

To be fair, most of the doomsayers were religious fanatics rather than astrologers, and in the midst of my first total eclipse I understood why ancient humans were so afraid of eclipses.  The world suddenly goes dark as the Moon eats the Sun, birds and insects go quiet, and the light fades in a particularly eerie fashion as darkness drains the color from the world and replaces it with blackness.

Eclipses are important astrologically because they occur when the lunar nodes are conjunct (aligned with) the Sun and Moon.  Because the lunar nodes symbolize our destiny, from the past at the south node to the future at the north node, eclipses do tend to illuminate a doorway or portal into our future.  They can be magnificent times when the heart opens and the false ego falls away.  They can be times of awakening, when a great realization can occur that changes our lives forever.

What they don’t tend to do is cause the world to end.

This particular eclipse fell right on the ascendant (the persona) in the chart of Donald J. Trump, and very near his Mars (the warrior).  It’s that Mars/ascendant combination that gives him the forceful personality for which he is known.  During the week leading up to the eclipse there were indeed a number of events that strongly affected his presidency and likely changes his fate:  the disaster in Charlottesville, the resignation/firing of Steve Bannon.  But Trump has had a lot of bad weeks before – a Google search for “Donald Trump’s bad week” turned up quite a few such weeks.  But this past was the worst yet.  In fact, CNN has ranked six of Trump’s bad weeks and details why this past week before the eclipse was the worst one yet.

The effect of a solar eclipse tends to begin about a week before the event and begins to wane for a week after the event.

I’d love to hear your experiences of the eclipse!  Please share them in the comments.

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By | 2017-08-23T07:04:26+00:00 August 23rd, 2017|Events|10 Comments
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Setting the stage: the Lunar Eclipse at the Full Moon in Aquarius

We are deeply into the season of Leo now – Leo the lion, the Divine Child, the magical Self.  Beginning with the first Leo New Moon on July 23rd, moving through the lunar eclipse on August 7th when the Leo sun obscures the Aquarius Moon, and culminating at the Solar Eclipse on August 21 (did you buy your eclipse glasses yet??), the divine energies of Leo are showering us with blessings of self-actualization and the potential for the opening of the heart.

Leo is ruled by the Sun, the center of the solar system and of the astrological pantheon.  The Sun represents the True Self – the incarnated soul. Powered by the giver of life, the solar energies, Leo encourages us to be our best self that we can possibly be.  The Sun is associated with the physical heart in medical astrology, and scientific studies have shown that the health of the emotional heart (the Moon) is connected to the health of the physical heart (the Sun) as well.

Leo’s tendency is to try to feel good about one’s self through impressing others rather than through simply doing good things with no apparent reward such as Leo’s opposite, Aquarius, might do.  In today’s lunation, the Leo Sun will pass directly over the Aquarius Full Moon, giving us an opportunity to transcend the individuality of our personal ego and connect with all of mankind – to take a higher perspective and a broader vision than the usual (Aquarius) while allowing the majesty of our individual brilliance to continue to shine (Leo).

Mars aligns with the Sun in Leo, enhancing this Leo influence even more, and the North Node of the Moon forms a Fire Grand Trine with Saturn (stability) and Uranus (innovation). This lunation is packed with a powerful creative force that can be harnessed and utilized through your intentions.

It’s important to remember that while our pure intentions create our reality nearly all of the time (except when Pluto is involved!), when the energy of the planets and luminaries is this strong our intentions carry even more force.  This is a good time to pay attention to your thoughts and create intentions that will serve you both personally as well as your family and community.  A harmonious aspect from Jupiter (abundance) to both the Sun and Moon will be a marvelous ally to helping you to create wonder and magic at this powerful time.

 

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By | 2017-08-07T08:24:05+00:00 August 7th, 2017|Moon|4 Comments
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Prepare for August’s planetary twists and turns

Although it’s the solar eclipse on August 21 that is making all the headlines, a more important planetary dynamic is the fact that three planets change direction in August: Uranus, Mercury and Saturn.

Planets of course don’t really change the direction of their orbit, but from our perspective here on earth sometimes the planets appear to move backwards which we call retrograde.  When they reverse course again to move forwards we call that direct.

  • On August 3rd Uranus, planet of radical change and independence, turns retrograde and for the first few weeks of the month we can expect changes and rapid turns of events, shifts in financial markets and political scenarios. If our own chart is affected by Uranus we could see surprising events occur in our own lives as well.
  • Mercury, ruling the mind and communication, turns retrograde on August 12th, and for the next three weeks you can expect some snafus in communication or technology as well as a tendency to look back into the past in order to correct or revise something that needs to be improved.
  • Saturn, planet of discipline and hard work – the Celestial Teacher – has been retrograde since April 6th and turns direct on August 25th.  Now is the time to reap the rewards of your hard work.

With all of these planets shifting the direction of our focus, as well as two eclipses (the Full Moon on August 7th is also an eclipse though it is less powerful than the Solar Eclipse) creating a tidal surge of transformation, this month of August offers a plenitude of opportunities for personal growth and letting go of old patterns that no longer serve us.

Like what you’re reading?  This article is an extract from Lynn’s monthly Planetary Illuminations report.  Sign up for free in the sidebar of her website. 

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By | 2017-08-02T09:59:46+00:00 August 2nd, 2017|Planetary cycles|2 Comments
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It’s here! The Solar Eclipse of August 2017 – what does it mean for you?

The Solar eclipse on August 21, 2017 falls in the sign of Leo, the Divine Child – the innocent heart, the soul of magic and wonder.  Leo rules the heart and the vitality of the Self: it encourages us to open our hearts to love for others and for ourselves. Ruled by the Sun itself, Leo is the essence of Kingship – the divine and royal part of ourselves that is full of self-respect and kindness.  Leo encourages us to express our best selves and while Leo is associated with the need for admiration, ultimately our best selves find expression without the need for others’ notice and attention.  Creative self-expression and the courage and confidence to allow our inner beauty to be expressed through outward means are the force behind the Leo New Moon.

A solar eclipse occurs at the New Moon, when the Sun and Moon are conjunct (next to each other) in the sky.  As the Moon moves through its orbit it passes between the Sun and the Earth, briefly obscuring the light of the Sun.  A New Moon is only an eclipse when the lunation (Sun/Moon conjunction) occurs near the lunar nodes, the points where the Moon crosses the path of the Sun.  Here is where astrology gets involved:  The descending (South) and ascending (North) nodes of the Moon represent a path of Fate from the past (South Node) to the future (North Node).  For this reason, an astrological eclipse can bring about events that have enormous significance, especially if they fall on a point in someone’s individual chart.

The chart this eclipse is a fiery one!  This is the second Leo New Moon in a month, and at nearly (28 degrees 50 minutes) the last degree of Leo, completing a pattern around self-actualization and ego development.  We see not only the Sun and Moon with the North Node in Leo, but we also have Mars in Leo (action and courage) in a Grand Fire Trine with Saturn in Sagittarius (testing of ideologies and beliefs) and Uranus in Aries (the power of the individual to create change).  Fire Grand Trines facilitate action but are not always self-aware (air) or pragmatic (earth) enough to create smart and well reasoned strategies.  The harmonious trine between Uranus and the eclipse is just about exact, making this a powerful harmonic integration of individuality and soul purpose.

Saturn and Mercury are retrograde, suggesting that there will be further tests before a plan is brought to fruition. Pluto in Capricorn (breakdown of power structures and transformation) is in a challenging square to Jupiter in Libra (positive relationships) which could be a harbinger of a further breakdown of political alliances, especially in the US where the eclipse is most visible.

On a transformational and psychological level, eclipses are associated with the unmasking of something which has been hidden.   The unconscious motivations and hidden dreams of the lunar force temporarily obscures the solar force of consciousness and the power of the will.  In the heart-opening sign of Leo, this is an opportunity to ask for the courage to love unconditionally – to clear any blockages of fear and distress which shut down the creative force.  That creative loving force is the power behind our inspiration as well as our life force and physical energy.  Leo rules the physical heart which is powered by the emotional heart of the Moon, and in this New Moon the force of divine love is as strong as it can get.

This eclipse famously falls on the ascendant (rising sign) in the chart of Donald J. Trump and is very near his natal Mars.  An hysterically entitled (but otherwise fair) Newsweek article reflects the opinions of many astrologers that this could be the ultimate downfall of the Trump presidency.*  I will write a separate article about this, but suffice it to say that this is a very significant planetary influence for Trump. The fact that the eclipse triggers his Mars (aggressive force) is problematic, particularly in light of his tendency to exert that aggressive force in unpredictable ways.

As with any New Moon, this Solar Eclipse is an opportunity for us to dramatically transform our lives by allowing all subterfuge and false modesty to fall away, allowing our true selves to emerge and shine gloriously as the Sun.  Embracing our vulnerability, let us explore the innocence of the pure heart within us and fearlessly dance before the entire world with magic and beauty.

Astronomical details.  Much is being written about this solar eclipse being a once in a lifetime event, overstating its significance to the global community.  To put things in perspective, there are typically two solar eclipses every year.  One solar eclipse every one to three years is a total eclipse.  What makes the eclipse in August 2017 unusual is that the path of the eclipse covers ONLY the United States, and some believe that the effect of an eclipse is strongest in areas where it is most visible.

* The Newsweek article claims that this is the first eclipse since 1776 which falls exclusively across the United States, but while it would be a fascinating corollary if true, the eclipse of November 30 1776 appears not to have hit the US at all according to this NASA article.

Like what you’re reading?  Sign up to receive Lynn’s monthly Planetary Illuminations report in the sidebar of her website. 

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By | 2017-07-31T17:27:11+00:00 July 31st, 2017|Moon|14 Comments
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