Neptune dives back into oceanic Pisces, where the god of the waters will reside for the next 14 years. Neptune’s last visit to Pisces spawned Spiritualism, philanthropic causes, defense of the rights of the oppressed, communism, and the theory of evolution.

And today? Neptune dissolves the boundaries between “us” and “them.” Neptune in Pisces heralds both a longing for Spirit in all forms, as well as fantasy and self-delusion. Open your heart, stay connected to your body, and make space for the whispers of Spirit in mediation, dreams, and all creative acts.  Be wary of those who, caught up in their bliss experience, return with puffed egos claiming to know *the* way. We each carry a Divine light illuminating our own path.  Commune as equals with others, yet feel your own way.

Mars, our basic energy principle, continues his retrograde this month. Mars loves to run-run-run, high on the adrenalin rush of speed. When Mars appears to retrograde (or move backwards, as it does from January 24 to April 14), our collective energy shifts gears to something not-so goal-oriented.

Mars retrograde offers an opportunity to practice mindfulness – being in the moment. How you are spending your energy? Is this really serving your highest good? Mars is also associated with separations, so it’s also a good time to break old habits that aren’t serving you.

Romance takes some hard knocks Valentine’s Day. Venus enters take-no-prisoners Aires, then conjoins coolly unpredictable Uranus and squares off with underworld lord Pluto. This year there’s no flowery poetry and chocolates; Love is the battlefield. Take a deep breath, release your expectations, and have compassion for yourself and others.

Close your eyes for a moment.

Breathe.

Sit quietly.

Breathe.

Release tension.

Breathe.

Recall your energy back to yourself.

Breathe.

Open your eyes.

Yes, it’s that simple.

The Moon is growing in light and will be full on January 9. Don’t wait on your resolutions this year: the time to start making changes is Now!, so you can ride the wave. Action-loving Mars finally puts on the brakes on January 23, when he stops to catch his breath in the get-organized sign of Virgo. January is definitely an act-now-clean-up-later month.

It’s an interesting way to start 2012. Despite all the new-age hype, astrologically speaking there’s more simmer than sizzle in 2012. Perhaps the best keyword for the year: Catharsis. We exist in the midst of the dance of creation and destruction. Times are changing, and such intense and deep shifts can feel like the world is ending. The real secret to the new age? Embrace the shadows and you’ll learn to transform even the darkest moments into the fertile seeds of new birth.

Round and round we go!

A solar eclipse on July 1 in the sign of Cancer says it’s time to consider how well you are nurturing yourself. When life is uncertain, maintaining a routine is even more important. It provides a place of grounding in a changing world.  A gentle exercise routine, regular meals, a meditation practice several times a day – all of these can help you find a sense of structure in the midst of change.

This month, the Moon’s journey is marked by long moments of suspended animation during its Void of Course times. The Moon’s Void occurs after it makes its last aspect to a planet before it enters the next zodiac sign. What does it feel like? Imagine a dolphin swimming in the ocean. It leaps into the air, suspended, then submerges back under the water. Void Moons are like those airy lacuna. You can’t swim or change direction; you can’t control. But for a moment, you can soar. Usually the Moon is void a few hours every three days, but this month the Void Moons can last longer than 24 hours. Listen to your inner wisdom: if you feel suspended, downshift and work on your existing projects, or simply take a breath, and enjoy the view.

Expansive Jupiter also trines transformative Pluto this month, a heralding a time for making magic. Reality begins in the imagination. Thoughts and ideas form in our minds before our passions are ignited and we take action. Consider what thoughts and beliefs you hold dear, and see how they are shaping your life. Imagine the life you want, then work every day to make it happen.

“Just do it!” Fools certainly rush in the first week of April, when the Sun, Moon and four planets travel together through impetuous Aries. At its best, the zeitgeist will inspire you to power through obstacles and reach the next level; at worst, you’ll burn bridges you’re still standing on.

Other planets on the celestial dance floor offer their cautionary counsel. The Aries stellium is opposed by steadfast Saturn in balanced Libra. Before you leap, get a second opinion: ask your friends for a reality check.  Although many may be in a hurry this month, Mercury is traveling retrograde until April 23.  Enjoy exploring the possibilities of new ideas, but if you want to make ideas last, wait to commit until the retrograde ends.

But all this “busyness” is occurring over a deeper shift. April heralds beginning of an astrological sea change as Neptune wades into the waters of Pisces for the first time in 150 years. Neptune and Pisces both yearn for union, transcendence, and the knowledge that comes from personal revelation. The Neptune-Pisces message: Just be, and let wisdom bubbling from the stillness guide you.

By now you may be asking, “how do I reconcile these urges to “just do it” and “just be”? The juxtaposition of fire and water is captured artfully in the ancient alchemical term aqua ardens – literally “burning water.” Like the image of the burning bush, aqua ardens was a liquid that burned, yet did not consume. In A Circle of Quiet, author Madeleine L’Engle explores the paradox: the burning bush was not consumed because it was exactly what it was meant to be “ontological: essential: real.”

In a world of ever more demands on our time and attention, perhaps we are called to become like burning water: to ground our actions in what is authentic and essential, and let the rest dissolve away, so that we may act passionately without being consumed.

Spending time and energy on what’s really important is the key to living a fulfilling and productive life. So every once in a while we’re nudged to align our outer world of action with our inner world of Spirit. February is such a time. It presents us with a profound longing to connect to something greater then ourselves, as well as the desire to put our vision into action.

Chiron, Sun, Mercury and Mars all slip into the sign Pisces this month, calling us to reconnect to our Source for healing, meaning, rejuvenation and inspiration. To tune into your inner wisdom, make time for yourself to just be. Listen closely to what emerges from the stillness; it will give you clues about the path you need to take.

Then use that awareness as you set your goals and decide how you will spend your time. A triple conjunction of Mercury, Mars and Neptune in Aquarius aligns thoughts, actions and Spirit in a potent brew.  Make a plan of action that’s in harmony with your values. Once you’re clear in your intentions, roll up your sleeves and get working. You’ll make terrific progress.

Special Valentine’s Day Forecast: Love sizzles early this month with an intense and mysterious Venus-Pluto conjunction on February 9. The Moon opposes this conjunction on February 14, making Valentine’s Day itself a moody affair. Keep a leash on your expectations and you’re more likely to enjoy the simple pleasures of the day.

What kind of change? Also on January 4, happy-go-lucky Jupiter meets freedom-loving Uranus for the last time this decade in the dreamy sign of Pisces. Now is the time release your preconceived notions about what’s possible, dream of the life you’ve always wanted, and let the planets help you find practical solutions to manifest your dream.

Starting mid-month, many planets change signs, heralding a fresh wave of new ideas. Venus enters Sagittarius on January 7, bringing confidence that those you attract into your life will help you meet your goals. Mercury enters Capricorn January 13, time to write your plan-for-productivity.  Mars and the Sun enter Aquarius on January 15 and 20, urging you to get out of your rut and move forward to something new. Topped off by Jupiter returning to Aries on January 22, with a rebel yell shouting “just do it!”

January’s message: don’t wait for someone to come rescue you, it’s time to take responsibility for your own destiny. Who are you and what do you want? Clarifying your intentions is essential in order to manifest what you need. By knowing you’re riding the rail directly to your goal, you can begin to relax, let go and enjoy the crazy ride.

The longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs on December 21.  For three nights, the Sun appears to hang stationary in the sky, before the daytime hours lengthen again. Cultures around the world lit fires to chase away the darkness and celebrate the Sun’s return, bringing with it new hope and possibilities for the coming year.

This year, a Full Moon hangs high in the sky on solstice eve (Dec. 20-21), illuminating this dark night. Then through the early morning hours, all of North America will witness the Moon slowly turning red from the Earth’s shadow during a total lunar eclipse.

Solstices and eclipses are both times of endings and beginnings; that they occur on the same day makes December a profoundly powerful month for change. It’s time to release all that holds you back, especially old ideas, beliefs, habits and emotions that no longer serve you.

Helping you along the path this month is Mercury ‘s retrograde from December 10 to 30.  It’s the perfect time to get your life’s business in order: review and revise, go over the details, get things organized, and reconnect with old friends and acquaintances. Mercury meets Mars and Pluto the night of December 13 in a triple conjunction that will tolerate no lies or excuses. Gaze into the darkness, be courageously honest with what you find there, forgive yourself and others, and move forward into the light.

By New Year’s Eve, all the planets are moving forward again, sweeping us into the coming year with a tremendous burst of fresh energy. Prepare yourself well in December, and you will be ready to catch the wave in 2011.

You can ride this wave by practicing a simple technique based on the law of attraction for cultivating prosperity: rejoice with gratitude for each instance of abundance in your life, no matter how small. Allow even finding a quarter on the sidewalk or the perfect parking slot become a reason to say “thank you.” By opening yourself to receiving abundance gracefully and wholeheartedly, you will attract more and more of the same.

Even better, as studies have shown, cultivating gratitude has powerful healing effects, reducing stress, improving the immune system, and reducing symptoms of disease. Start a gratitude journal and celebrate Thanksgiving every day.

Sneak preview for next month… Get your holiday shopping and shipping done early this year. Mercury will turn retrograde on December 10, making fleet-footed reindeer run slow this season.

Venus is the ancient goddess of love, attraction, sensuality and pleasure. Usually civilized and refined, Venus is like the Muses – the inspiration of music, art, and genteel culture. But she also has a dark side: if her desires are unfulfilled, she can seethe with the wild rage of the Furies. From October 8 to November 18 Venus retrogrades through Scorpio, calling us to face our own darkness, the places where we hold on to anger, jealousy and blame.

Anger can tell us when something is wrong and motivate us to take steps to change the situation. However, studies have also shown that dwelling on our anger can lead to illness and depression. When we allow anger to simmer, we are slower to heal and less able to adapt to stress.

Fortunately, the Dark Goddess also brings the gift of healing by slicing away that which no longer serves us. If we are willing to journey with her into the Underworld to understand the roots of our anger, we can give it a name and begin the healing process.

When Venus is retrograde, it’s also time to take a compassionate, yet dispassionate, look at what we attract to ourselves. Says astrologer Joanne Wickenburg: Venus “knows what’s good for you and what will bring you happiness.”  When she retrogrades, it’s time to turn our backs on social norms; we can only find what we truly want by personal trial and error. Dare yourself to explore your desires.

August was one of the most intense astrological months in decades. Now the pendulum has reached its zenith. For an instant we hang, suspended in mid air. Like the space between breaths, it is a moment full of potential and possibility.

September begins slowly as Mercury continues its retrograde until September 12. A lifestyle that is always go-go-go is a major source of stress and dis-ease; Mercury retrogrades are Nature’s antidote. Quietly sip a cup of herbal tea and focus on the present moment. From that place of stillness, ready yourself for what’s next.

Look out for a flash of insight on September 18 when Jupiter conjuncts Uranus for the second time this year. Jupiter’s realm is hope and optimism, Uranus’ the unexpected and the innovative. Open the windows and let the fresh air blow in: you may be inspired and find the answers you seek.

Balance is restored on September 22, the annual fall equinox. Day and night are equal in length around the time of the equinox; after the equinox, nights grow longer until the winter solstice. Curl up with a good book that uplifts your heart: the season to nourish our spirits is beginning.