Moon is waning and transits Cancer, Leo, Virgo and into Libra this week.

New Moon is on 10.4 in Virgo at 19:35 CDT and ushers in the start of Navaratri on 9.5, or the nine days of mother Divine.

Sun has moved to Virgo and Mercury is now in Libra with Saturn, Rahu and Venus. On 10.2 Venus moves into Scorpio.

On 10.5 Mars moves out of its sign of debilitation and into Leo, enlivening the “warrior spirit” for the first day of Navaratri. Since it will be sandhi (in the gap) this week with drishti from Saturn, emotions are extra sensitive. Be aware of your tenderness, emotional outbursts, propensity for anger, and be conscious of others’ experiences of the same.

Saturn and Rahu slowly begin to separate, though are still in close degrees. This is a time of storm energy, “cleaning house” so to speak, forced change for better or worse. Remember your self care and avoid drugs, alcohol and excess sugar. This is a perfect time to start your fall cleanse. (See my articles on Rahu and Saturn in Libra for further details about this transit.)

As we’ve passed the fall equinox, we are now in a sandhi time (gap) between seasons where the veil thins and we are able to witness the spiritual, nature, the mirror of the Self in a different way. Fall is that middle ground and the perfect time to cleanse the life—on all levels. This is a celebration of Shakti—the life giving force of Nature.

Navaratri begins with three days of worship and reverence to Goddess Durga, who brings chaos—destruction resulting in greater awareness and ultimately healing.

The following three days are for worshiping Goddess Lakshmi, the nourisher and provider of abundance, as well as life giving, nourishing and sustaining forces. Finally, the last three days of Navaratri are dedicated to the worship of Goddess Saraswati, who is responsible for expansion of consciousness, knowledge and awareness. She is intimately connected to creativity, the arts and brings a wholeness quality to the celebrations.

On the 10th day, Vijayadashmi is celebrated—literally victory day. Because Navaratri is rooted in the story of Durga fighting and overcoming the demon Mahishasura, this is a day of rejoicing in her success, power and greatness. A day when we honor good overcoming negativity, positive forces succeeding over negative ones. The story of Durga (also known as Kali and Sri Bhagavati) is metaphoric for each of us on a physical level, mental and emotional level, as well as spiritual.

The dance between light and dark, chaos and calm, freedom and enslavement is continual. Navaratri reminds us of our self-liberation and gives us a time to reflect, honor and worship these divine forces alive within and around each of us.

Tap into your creative impulses and utilize your creative, warrior spirit with this week’s Jyoti/Expressive Art Therapy Creative Engagement Activity.

Creative Engagement for the week of 9.30 :::

*Horoscopes are based on your Vedic rising sign. You can also check your Moon and Sun signs for further insight. Do the same with your Navamsa signs for further clarity. Do not use these horoscopes with your “Western Sign” as there is likely no correlation. These horoscopes are meant to be used as a broad overview of the current transits and obviously do not address the specifics of an individual’s unique chart.

Aries: Mentally you are creating new relationships and contracts. Be courageous in your pursuit of self-awareness and how you attract your desires. Some necessary transformations are coming in regard to relationships and how you work with others. Maybe you are finally ready to shift gears and uncover some old, buried fears that have been coming back to haunt you? This is a time of radical self-development. Don’t miss this opportunity for change and growth.

Taurus: Your mental and emotional bodies are deeply intertwined and give great insight this week if you care to listen, process and digest. There is work to do around relationships, and the coming weeks will provide ample opportunities to work with this theme. Be bold with your inner excavation, dive deep with your emotions, sing and speak for feelings of comfort.

Gemini: Expansion, expansion, expansion. You are moving forward on multiple levels of life, clearing and cutting what doesn’t serve you. The mind is moving you and passions are high. Don’t neglect the physical body and strive for routine and regulation. Your work is in the solar plexus. Be especially aware of your “gut instinct” and let this heighten your decision making ability.

Cancer: This is an extra sensitive week for you. Self care and self preservation are crucial. It’s ok to be bold as you navigate your mental terrain. Chances are good some old patterns are “up” for you right now. Your inner work is centered around themes with the heart and mother. What pieces here are effecting your relationships? Find the themes and work backwards. Hint: You might get angry and that’s ok. Find healthy, creative outlets.

Leo: Likely some liberation has been taking place for you—especially if you’ve been navigating emotions effectively and with curiosity. This week provides opportunities for some unfinished work to find closure—for a loop to be closed. Use courage, bravery and mental depth to find what is below the surface. This is a requirement for relationships and creative gains. Share what’s on your mind, but do so with self-referral.

Virgo: Some light has crept back in. Have you noticed the shift? Mental comfort is a huge priority right now. Will you know when you’ve found it? Use this week to navigate desires, gains, dreams, alone time, the Self, your wealth and sustenance. What is feeding you, nourishing you? What do you need to feel full and comforted? Find ways to get out of the head and into the body.

Libra: Headaches are possible both physically and metaphorically. Though you are likely learning a lot right now, make sure to continue to peel back the layers of the onion effectively by examining your emotional responses. Why are these emotions coming up? Where do they come from and what prior responses have triggered these feelings? When dealing with “others”, the mirror is strong right now, yet at the same time lot of self growth is possible if used effectively. Remember your self care and avoid drugs, alcohol and excess sugar.

Scorpio: Moksha leads the way for you right now. Your creative work can be focused and task-oriented and feed your mental/emotional bodies well. This is a time of healing through you creative pursuits, with depth and awareness. Find clear purpose in your actions. The more clarity, the better. The coming weeks will give your career and offerings a power boost. The ego loves this sort of thing, but who are you really?! Scrape away the personas and get to the core of who you are.

Sagittarius: Growth and gains are presenting themselves, but may feel more like a mixed bag of pluses and minuses. You are shining and more people are taking notice. Have you noticed? Great emotional transformations have been happening (or have you been resisting them?). This work can now turn into sustained growth in the coming weeks if conscious effort is used.

Capricorn: Work is picking up for you and will be providing you with plenty of self-transformation in the coming weeks. This is a time when finding balance and remembering self-care is essential. You are learning a lot from teachers and teaching, growing from inside out. Notice when you are too externally focused and need to pull back in with a focus on trusting the Self. Ask your gut for answers.

Aquarius: You are actively working on self-awareness and expansion. This week provides tools for your process. Working with and digesting hidden parts, emotional frustrations and hurts, and the need for others to validate you, come up. The soul is going through a transformation and is sitting in the dark, bringing up issues from the past. Will you invite these old haunts in for tea, or shut the door on them? Will you lash out at others, or self-refer? Take this time as an opportunity to dive a little deeper, peel back another layer. Embrace the process.

Pisces: The transformations continue. The mind is stirring up memories from the past and perhaps making storm clouds. Your relationship with relationships is shifting yet again. This week will bring a final sweep, moving out some old, stagnant energy, leaving a place for something new to enter. Are you ready for divine healing?!

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Ed: Bryonie Wise