Lynn Hayes, Author at Astrology readings and writings by Lynn Hayes

This Aries New Moon is a powerhouse of intention

The New Moon in Aries on April 15th marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle – the Sun and Moon align, linking the solar purpose with the lunar heart and soul and fostering within us a new resolve to begin something new. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and as such it inspires us to step forward with courage and intention.

When there is this much intentional support, it’s important to be purposeful so that all of this positive energy isn’t wasted. Even if you are a person who is goal oriented, there is an opportunity to find a new direction at this time.

Uranus, the planet of radical change and innovation, is tightly intertwined with the Aries Sun and Moon and motivates us to break out of old patterns that hold us back from emerging as the brilliant beings we truly are and which we long to show to the world.

Transformational Pluto challenges the lunation to intensify and create drama in this process of change. This is not a warm and fuzzy New Moon that sparkles fairy dust – this is a shamanic wake-up call to leave the past behind and make your own magic happen. This will be a good preparation for Chiron’s awakening into Aries which arrives the next day and helps us to create healing in our individual Self and personal identity.

Questions to ask yourself in ceremony or ritual under this Aries New Moon:

If I could transform anything in my life, free from any fear or limitation, what would it be? How can I make this real in my life?
What am I afraid of and how is that fear keeping me from living […]

By Lynn Hayes| 2018-04-15T10:50:33+00:00 April 15th, 2018|Moon|2 Comments

Chiron in Aries, the Wounded Self: 2018-2026

What is Chiron?

Artist unknown, found here

Chiron is a relatively minor player in the astrological pantheon, but it has been an important part of my work for over 25 years. Chiron has been variously called a comet, a planetoid, and an asteroid (see more about this here), and is now classified astronomically as a “minor planet.”

The sound bite definition for Chiron is that it represents the “wounded healer,” a term that originates in psychiatry where a wounded individual attempts to heal others. But that doesn’t really reflect the impetus that Chiron offers to heal the wounds of the soul that create energy blockages which cause psychological, emotional and physical distress. Chiron in the natal chart shows where those wounds can be found, and the key to healing. Chiron is also associated with mentorship since having healed the wounds of the soul, we often find ourselves inspired to help others.

Chiron archetype

Chiron is often associated in common mythology with the primitive race of the Centaurs (Kentauri), bestial creatures who represent the animal nature of man. But Chiron (Kheiron) has a completely different lineage – as the illegitimate son of Saturn with Philyra he was half divine and half mortal – and not of the Centaur race which were the offspring of a cloud and a king. Originally described as mere monsters, they only in later accounts took on the horse-man shape. Source. I make this distinction because Chiron’s astrological role is to form a bridge between our human suffering and our divine blueprint – to aid us in processing and releasing the pain of the past so that we can be free. For this reason, I find the name “Soul Healer” […]

By Lynn Hayes| 2018-04-15T08:17:05+00:00 April 14th, 2018|Chiron in Aries, Featured posts|8 Comments

The difference between happiness and joy

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At first glance, we might think that happiness and joy are the same thing. Both make us feel good, both are qualities that we seek. In fact, embedded in the United States Constitution is the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness.

In reality, though, I would argue that the two are quite different both in quality and in their effect on our human lives. Happiness is a feeling, an emotion – a sense of pleasure and contentment. Happiness comes to us when we feel that life is worth living; that the circumstances in our lives have manifested in a way to generate a feeling that life is good. The astrological correlation for this sensation is Jupiter – the Greater Benefic, the planet that helps to activate these good feelings of abundance and confidence and which often brings about actual good luck and good fortune. Venus, the Lesser Benefic, is also involved in good feelings in its role as the seeker of pleasure, love and beauty.

Though a dictionary might say that joy is a synonym for happiness, they have a different quality. Where happiness is based upon life circumstances and events that are good rather than bad, joy is an inner experience that springs from the heart and the soul. Happiness comes and goes depending on our circumstance; joy arises from the soul when we feel completely aligned in our sense of Self.

Joy is defined in dictionaries as being synonymous with exultation, jubilation, exhilaration, elation, euphoria, bliss, rapture – sensations that activate a higher perspective than mere happiness and require a turning away from attachment to the things that come and go. To me, this is represented by the full and complete activation […]

By Lynn Hayes| 2018-04-12T11:34:37+00:00 April 12th, 2018|Inspiration, Life|16 Comments

The deceptive harmony of the Libra Full Moon and Mercury retrograde

The March 31st Full Moon is in Libra, the sign of balance, so you might think of it as a peaceful and harmonious time, full of the beauty and love that Libra is known for. But this Full Moon is opposite not only the Aries Sun, but also a retrograde Mercury in Aries which is not all that happy at being muzzled by the retrograde.

In Aries Mercury prefers to take action – to go forward always, without the necessity of having to retrace its steps or even worse, admit that something was wrong and needs to be redone. So Aries Mercury retrogrades can be quite a challenge. In this Full Moon, Mercury and the Sun are aligned as one opposed to the Moon which means that the Aries energy will have a tendency to overcome the mild nature of the Libra Moon which after all wants nothing more than a lovely day enjoying a cup of tea with a good friend.

Complicating matters a bit more is an alignment of Saturn (restriction and judgment) and Mars (assertive action and desire). A pairing of Saturn and Mars has the effect of driving with the brakes on: Mars says “let’s go” and Saturn says “not yet.” It is helpful that both Mars and Saturn are in Capricorn, the sign that is ruled by Saturn, so at least they can both agree on a goal to achieve and the pair will help us to find the focus we need to achieve (Saturn) that which we desire (Mars). However, Mars and Saturn are locked in a challenging square to both the Sun and Moon which has the potential to create some dissonance in our world for a few days.

Full Moons […]

By Lynn Hayes| 2018-03-31T12:29:14+00:00 March 31st, 2018|Moon|2 Comments

Neptune in Sagittarius and the astrology of the 1970s cults

I recently watched the Netflix documentary “Wild, Wild Country” about the town created by the followers of Baghwan Shree Rajneesh that began as a utopia of blissful cooperation and devolved into madness and unimaginably bizarre crimes of attempted murder and fraud.

The conjunction of Uranus (radical change) and Pluto (destruction of the old and transformation of the new) in the late 1960s took place in conservative Virgo, and the established morays of the previous decades were blown apart to smithereens. Women began fighting for the right to be equal citizens. People of color refused to sit in the back of the bus and demanded to sit at lunch counters and use any damn water fountain they pleased.

Religion was another arena that saw a radical transformation as the dogma of established religion was questioned and many began exploring other religions, including Eastern mysticism. The acid experiments of the 1960s led to the spiritual seeking of the 1970s, symbolized most prominently by the conversion of Richard Alpert, colleague of Timothy Leary in the search for psychedelic enlightenment, who transformed into Ram Dass in 1971.

Neptune is the planet of spiritual experience and humanity’s search for an authentic connection with the divine. Where Jupiter creates theologies and religious belief systems, Neptune says “forget all that nonsense and come directly to me.” Neptune traveled through Scorpio between 1956 and 1969-1970 and inspired a desire to release sexuality from the shackles of marriage (Neptune in Libra) and eventually, in the 1960s, to experience sexuality as a pathway to bliss. Neptune in Scorpio also generated a renewed interest in the occult, with the release of the Rider-Waite tarot deck to the general public in 1959.

Neptune moved into Sagittarius in 1970, bringing the Sagittarian interest in […]