Solar Eclipse in Leo
The Traveler's Well Astrology 
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August 2017
Dear Friends, we made it! 

Our never-ending move is finally over and we are settled into our new home in Las Vegas, Nevada!

This completion comes just in time for a quickening of Eclipse season and we want to share our thoughts on the upcoming Solar Eclipse and the Lunar Eclipse that just passed. 

We also highlight a revised set of forecast offerings, introduce three new quick request recordings, and provide some updates on our journey related to location evaluation.

We hope that your Summer is bright and fun! 

Blessings and peace,
 
Wolfram and Sappho 
The Traveler's Well Astrology   
 

   
Lunar Eclipse - The "Little" One

We did not get to write in advance of the Lunar Eclipse, but wanted to share a couple of things because you are probably still feeling it.

The Lunar Eclipse on August 7, 2017 was at 16 degrees of Aquarius and Leo and it occurred conjunct the North Node. A North Node Lunar Eclipse is forward looking and energizes the path to what comes next. You may want to consider this in light of any events that have occurred or are occurring for you right now as it is still active.

While each and every eclipse must take place near a Node of the Moon, when the eclipse is conjunct the North Node within a few degrees, the core intention of the eclipse is to powerfully energize the next steps on the soul's journey.

For this Lunar Eclipse, it is particularly helpful to look to the Sabian Symbols for additional clues. With a Lunar Eclipse, the Moon opposes the Sun so we have two Sabian Symbols to consider: one for the Moon and one for the Sun.

 
Sabian Symbol - Moon

This Sabian Symbol for the Moon at 16 degrees of Aquarius for this Lunar Eclipse was: 

'A big businessman at his desk' .

For each of us as individuals, this symbol refers to the ability to organize our life in a manner so that the various aspects of our life can run smoothly. The sign of Aquarius is concerned with both our ability to observe our life clearly and objectively and the ability to come up with creative solutions that lead to greater success and fulfillment.

The negative aspect of this symbol is experienced when our efforts are directed only for our individual benefit and without consideration of the effect of our efforts on others and society.

 
Sabian Symbol - Sun

According to Dane Rudhyar, the Sabian Symbol for the Sun at 16 degrees of Leo for this Lunar Eclipse was: 

'The storm ended,
all nature rejoices in brilliant sunshine'.


This symbol has two parts. First, the storm which has come to an end. Second, the feeling of joy that comes along with the recognition that the storm is past and that life can now move forward with confidence.

Throughout the course of life there is often something that does not go our way, it is important not to be overly upset or dramatic with each and every little thing that doesn't go our way. 

You can look back to this eclipse and your own experiences as they will instruct your way forward, again, because this was a North Node Lunar Eclipse.

Let us add a disclaimer at this point:

This article is not about politics, but about astrology. It can be difficult for us to look at political issues without our personal perspective and feelings.  But, observing how astrological events correlate with real life events without regard to our personal point of view is the best way to us astrology effectively.
 
Now, if we look to the world leaders who are very much in the news right now, we see that for Donald Trump, this Lunar Eclipse impacts his natal Pluto. Importantly, the Sabian Symbols seem to resonate with recent events. The big businessman is also the symbol of President Trump, who is both a businessman and the President of the nation. The question at hand is whether he can choose to let the storm of recent events pass and look confidently to a brighter future for all, or if he will be upset by each of the events that seem to impact him personally.

Now, let's move on to the "Big" one:  The Solar Eclipse.

 
 
Suddenly - It's All About the Eclipse - The 'Big' One

What does our sudden move from Bavaria to Las Vegas and President Trump's conflicts with Washington D.C., Russia and North Korea have in common? The answer is a Solar Eclipse!

Each eclipse projects a powerful burst of energy into our birth charts, which through the amazing synchronicity of astrology, is experienced in the circumstances in our lives.

This Solar Eclipse is getting a lot of attention because it is taking place over the United States and everyone is really excited about it. However, the most important eclipse is the one that hits an important spot in your birth chart, perhaps an important planet like the Sun or one of the four angles: the Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant or IC.

The role of an eclipse is to energize the change that is required for the next phase of life to unfold according to the soul's plan. Ah, the soul has a plan!

But, the soul does not always whisper its intention into our ear. So, the eclipse does the work by demanding that something changes when the soul needs that change.

For Sappho and I, whose move was triggered by a Solar Eclipse, our move has been very successful and a blessing. In the process of the move and our arrival, we have become aware of the new direction necessary to embrace the plan our souls have in store for us. Yes, the soul has a plan!

So, when an eclipse hits an important place in your birth chart, know that your soul's plan just may have a change in store.

 
August's Solar Eclipse - Sabian Symbol

This Solar Eclipse will take place at 28 degrees of Leo, which is a culminating degree of the sign of Leo. If you are directly impacted, there is definitely something your soul has in mind for this Solar Eclipse related to culmination.  

The Sabian Symbol for this Solar Eclipse is:
  

'A mermaid emerges from the ocean waves 
 ready for rebirth in human form'. 
 
Once again, this symbol has a couple of parts to consider. First, before the mermaid emerges, she is below the surface of the ocean. You might say that the mermaid is an idea, an inspiration, a possibility that has been swimming about in the unconscious.  

Second, with the energy of the Solar Eclipse, she is ready to emerge from the ocean of our unconscious and to come into our view in the material world. The task embedded in the Sabian Symbol for this eclipse is to become aware of what is seeking to emerge from our deepest creativity and to trust the creative process. 

This sets the stage.

 
Solar Eclipse - The Big One for the United States of America

While every eclipse injects a powerful burst of energy into our birth charts and our external lives, some eclipses are more important than others. This eclipse is of particular importance as its path will flow directly over the USA and will hit the chart of the country and of President Trump in powerful ways. You could call this Solar Eclipse - The Big One.

This means you can observe the eclipse as it is taking place over the USA. Of course, be sure to use the appropriate tools to protect your eyes from the powerful energy of the Sun's rays and enjoy the experience.

What can you expect from an eclipse? That depends on many things.  First, what impacts it is making to your chart.

Then, if you are on track and embracing your soul's path from karma to dharma, moving forward and making progress, then the eclipse will energize your efforts and push you forward even further along your path.

Alternatively, if "life" wants you to change your path in some way or another, then the eclipse can trigger a crisis. Why?  Eclipses, just like every other form of astrological transit, have the intention to further you on the path to your highest potential, your dharma. So, if you experience a crisis, the intention is to get your attention and let you know that something has to change.

For us personally, the Solar Eclipse in March 2017 directly opposed Wolfram's progressed Sun and triggered our move back to the U.S. The eclipse brought a powerful message: "The next chapter of your life must take place in the U.S." That was a really big change!

 
Solar Eclipse - Embrace Imperfection & Know The Story Of Your Life

The Solar Eclipse on August 21, 2017 will be at 28 degrees of Leo and conjunct the North Node. A North Node eclipse is a forward looking and energizing the path to what comes next. While each and every eclipse must take place near a Node of the Moon, when the eclipse is conjunct the North Node within a few degrees, the core intention of the eclipse is to powerfully energize the next steps on the soul's journey.

The Sun and Moon in Leo are about having the confidence to truly Know Thyself, what makes you uniquely you, recognizing both your positive characteristics and your shadow side.  A healthy Leo energy says:

"I know I am not perfect,  
but I know myself and  
am committed to sharing my gifts  
with life in a positive manner."
 
For this Solar Eclipse, Mars will be nearby at 20 degrees of Leo bringing an additional demand for taking action at this time in response to the Solar Eclipse.

The minor asteroid Kalliope is conjunct the Sun and Moon, while Atropos is conjunct the North Node and Mars. Since Kalliope is the goddess of epic story, she is encouraging all of us to know our story better and in the process, to become more confident than ever.

Atropos is the goddess of essentially the outcome of fate, reminding us that there is something that we are each meant to become. Together, Kalliope and Atropos seem to be whispering: 

"know the story of your life,
consciously write the next chapter of life's manuscript and
become who you were born to be!"


Inspiring stuff!

 
Solar Eclipse - Grand Fire Trine

The solar eclipse also contains a Grand Fire Trine, with the Sun, Moon and Mars in Leo trine Saturn in Sagittarius and trine Uranus in Aries. Let's break this down. Fire energies are about recognizing and embracing the inspirations that bring passion and meaning to life:
  • Uranus in Aries demands embracing the freedom to explore life without the usual restrictions that often hold us back.
  • Saturn in Sagittarius reminds us that you have an innate wisdom that wants to be brought into physical reality.  
  • Further, both Saturn and Uranus are retrograde, implying that they are both interested in an alternative set of possibilities that can bring  resolution to issues that have remained unresolved in the past.
  • Since they are in a Grand Trine, these two powerhouse planets can work together more easily than at other times.
  • Saturn is willing to be the project manager that works to bring Uranus' discoveries and individuality into reality in your real world.
That is cool!
 

Impact on President Trump
 
As you know, you may have read that the physical path of this eclipse will pass directly over the middle of the United States. You could say, this eclipse has the potential to energize powerful events in the U.S. Of course, the President is the most important representative of the nation, and the chart of President Trump is powerfully impacted by this U.S. focused eclipse.

In the chart of President Trump, the Solar Eclipse will conjunct his Ascendant and Mars (his Mars sits on his Ascendant). The Ascendant in the chart represents the individual's body and personal projection into life (also known as your Rising sign). Mars in the chart of a President represents not only his capacity to take action and to protect himself, but sometimes indicates where the President leads the nation into war. So, this eclipse will impact President Trump's identity, his need to protect himself and take action and the locations that are most likely to be hot spots between July 2017 and early 2018.

In Location Astrology, we look to the energy of Mars to indicate where a President might encounter conflict.  President Trump has Mars energies at seven important locations around the world: Washington D.C. and Venezuela, the Arizona / Mexican border, South China Sea, North Korea, Iran and Moscow.

We might expect that some of these places would be a source of irritation to President Trump, particularly in the past few weeks and until early 2018. If irritations arise at these locations, it will be important for him to be able to work on his responses and the actions he takes while the Solar Eclipse is pressuring his natal Mars.

Further, President Trump's Mars in Leo is opposed by Mars in Aquarius in the chart of Kim Jong Un of North Korea. This opposition is being energized by this Solar Eclipse. It is important to note that while this eclipse will trigger the Mars opposition between these two leaders, it does not mean that a war is "fated" to start. It does demand that the action that unfolds seeks to be resolved.

Similarly for Vladimir Putin's natal North and South Nodes will be impacted by the Lunar Eclipse. If we look at the news over the past month since this eclipse was active, we can observe that Trump, Putin and Kim Jong Un suddenly in the news with situations that demand some form of resolution.

In addition to the Solar Eclipse conjunct President Trump's Ascendant and Mars, he is also experiencing transiting Saturn conjunct his Moon and oppose his Sun, bringing additional pressure and testing to his Presidency from the time of the Solar Eclipse to mid-October.

Evolutionary Astrology does not believe that President Trump is fated to go to war or experience conflict. He has, just as we all do, the ability to make choices based on his own free will. However, these are the hotspots around the world that will be energized by this eclipse.   Watch for events at these locations that suddenly change the dynamics on the ground.

 
Impact on the United States

Additionally, the Solar Eclipse will oppose the Moon in the U.S. birth chart at 27 Aquarius. The Moon in the chart of a nation reflects "the people". So, the citizens of the nation will be energized or maybe stirred up by the circumstances that arise over the next six months or so.

The Aquarius Moon in the chart of the nation has two meanings, that can sometimes be contradictory. Aquarius is connected to the Age of Enlightenment, seeing life in terms like democracy and the progress brought by science that overturned the social norms of rule by royal monarchs and religious leaders. This sentiment was embodied in the Declaration of Independence that was established at the founding of the nation.

Alternatively, Aquarius can also connect with a group of people who wish to retreat to a time in the past that feels more comfortable for them. Watch for the meaning of "the people" to come forward as an important topic.

So, we have the Solar Eclipse will oppose the Moon in the U.S. birth chart at 27 Aquarius and conjunct the Ascendant and Mars in the chart of President Trump. Additionally, the physical path of this eclipse will pass directly over the middle of the United States. You could say, this eclipse has the potential to energize powerful events and/or action in the U.S.

Wherever you will be on this planet, embrace the energy that comes your way and never stop shining!  

Service Updates

New Forecast Options & Three Quick Request Recordings


Revised Transit Forecast Options

For years, we have been discussing alternative types of consultations for transit forecast to meet the varying needs of our lovely clients.  We think we have arrived at a nice package of options for your consideration. 


Annual Transit Review - This consultation provides you with an awareness of the most effective ways you can embrace the opportunities and overcome the challenges of the transits you will experience in the year ahead, allowing you to create success and to achieve the goals you de sire.

For the first 30 minutes or so of the consultation, we will review the major transits that are occurring over a period of years and whose impact will be felt in the year ahead.  These are the transits that demand the most from us and offer the greatest support to our evolution!
   
For the next 20 minutes, we will layout a timeline of events with key date for taking action:   strong communication days, good days to promote yourself, good days to meet with people, good days for self-care, days to be cautious of tempers, etc.   Each month or group of months will also be given a key theme for you to easily summarize that is taking place.
 
For the final 10 minutes, you are fee to ask any questions you might have.
 
This 60 minute consultation is offered at $175.


Annual Transit & Life Review - This reading is recommended for clients whose eye is always focused on personal evolution.  As we mature, we are continually evolving and our connection with our birth chart evolves as well. 

For example, we are aware of a negative tendency of an archetype and we suddenly realize that we have evolved beyond that tendency.  Well, then, what is that archetype now holding before you?  That is the purpose of the 'Life Review' portion of this consultation.

Jared Diamond ("Germs, Guns & Steel") refers to a concept called Landscape Amnesia where we get so used to something that we can't recognize change when it has occurred because the changes are incremental (he compares this for example to slow deforestation that takes place over time and we become numb to the changes).  The best way to make progress is to recognize and be aware of our internal surroundings so that we are fully awake to our evolution and we know exactly where we stand.

That is why the first 30 minutes of this consultation review what has transpired in your life against the back drop of your birth chart.  What has evolved and deserves celebration and recognition, what is presently evolving and requires strength and courage and what is the next exciting step of that evolution!

The remaining 60 minutes of this reading is essentially the Major Themes Annual Transit Review described above.

This 90 minute consultation is offered at $250.

During periods of intense growth, you might even consider two of these consultations a year taking it 6 months at a time and we would discount the second reading by $25.


Quarterly Transit Review (Package of 4 meetings) - This reading is recommended for clients who enjoy a very tactical view of the year.  We start by reviewing the Major Themes that span the year or multiple years and explore the outcomes achieved in the last 3 months.  Then, we look at the 3 months ahead and lay out a timeline.  For many clients dealing with a smaller window allows for better integration of the information. 

This package of four 60 minute consultations is offered at $600.

For this package, we would ideally like to schedule your first two consultations or all four consultations right away to hold space for these important consultations on our calendar.


For all forecast readings, please submit your request about 2 months in advance for the least amount of scheduling hassle!


Quick Request Recordings - For Existing Clients
 
In an effort to better support the on-going needs of our clients throughout the year, we have developed three types of Quick Request recorded services.   These services are only available to existing clients.   
 
15 Minutes of Inspiration - After a forecast reading, over the course of the year, sometimes things just go sideways and we feel less confident, we feel the old patterns arising and we begin to question our path.

Likewise, life can go off the charts and demand extra action to manage an opportunity and we simply need help assessing and prioritizing actions.  Or, perhaps, we also feel the old patterns arising.

At these times, it can be very helpful to request some support and guidance from the stars.


Solar Return Vacation - Traveling on your birthday is fun and a Solar Return Vacation can be a great form of intentional travel.  Many clients enjoy taking a Solar Return Vacation each year and often do not know when the inspiration will arise for this travel. 

So, we can provide a relatively quick turn around on this recording to support your travel planning, but we recommend contacting us 3 months prior to your birthday. 

If you do not know what a Solar Return Vacation is, please check out the page for an overview.

 
Location Questions - At The Traveler's Well we deal with all three dimensions of astrology:  the what, the when and the where.  With the business we have developed over the years, we are finding that the 'where' aspect requires a lot of tending for most clients as relocations continue or happen slowly over a long period of time (years) and that we can do better at tending these needs.

Relocation is a major life change and a very important decision to make.  After having an Astrology of Location consultation, questions often arise, plans change or the relocation get postponed for a number of years.  In all of these cases, we want to provide you with the information you need to support your decision making right now.

This page contains three or four different options for requesting a recording to answer important location questions.  This page is the first place you should visit if you have questions about the 'where' aspect of your astrology.

We hope that these services will allow us to more effectively answer your location questions over time.



In our next newsletter, we will be discussing the evolution of our Astrology of Location services.

Please let us know if you have any questions.
  


Summerlin Sojourn
 
Michael Ende, who wrote "The Neverending Story", was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is the town in Bavaria we just moved away from. We have dubbed this move 'The Neverending Move' because it has literally felt like a year in the making! Now, it is done.

In the last few days, we have completed the final pieces of our relocation. We have re-assembled our hand-made Bavarian high-top bistro table and traditional Bavarian Eckbank or corner table. We have put our favorite monk painting above the bistro table and lovingly placed our other artwork and belongings. We are settling in very swiftly and feel very comfortable in our new home. The energy we have felt since we arrived has confirmed that we were meant to return and make our new home among the mountains in the Mojave desert.

Many of you are considering a move and looking for that perfect place to live. In many ways, as spiritual beings, we are each searching for Shangri-La. But, alas, just as with Camelot in the Arthurian legends, Shangri-La is not a physical location.

But, such a place can exist in our hearts, if we allow it. We accomplish this by consciously making trade-offs to find the best location we can within the confines of the modern world.

For some time, we have been working on a document about the need to make trade-offs as we find a nice place to live.  It never seems to be finished, but we are sharing some of the concepts with you today. As part of that document, we have come up with a grid containing 4 quadrants and any location can fit into this grid:



All of us seek to find a place in Quadrant 1 where we have supportive astrological energies and we love the community (mostly). We had much of that in Germany ourselves, which is why parting and remembering that location still brings tears for us.

Likewise, naturally, we all strive to avoid Quadrant 4 where we have both challenging astrological energies and we dislike the community.

Navigating the areas in between becomes a process of weighing trade-offs to find balance and joy.

For us, in Summerlin, we both have very supportive Astrology of Location energies: the radiant and expansive energies of Sun and Jupiter, the most favorable Saturn energy (which means we will work hard and we will work harder yet to relax) and for Sappho one unsupportive Mars energy, but as is typical for Sappho, she is navigating Mars with pleasure!   For us, the Mojave Desert to the Pacific coast is our strongest place on the planet and much stronger than the supportive, though weak, energies of Venus that we both shared in Bavaria.

If you take the quadrants and put them into a graph, here is where we would place Bavaria and Summerlin where Bavaria is a bit less powerfully supportive than Vegas, but more favored as a community. For us, both Bavaria and Summerlin are Quadrant 1, but both places also have some degree of trade-offs.


Maybe you know where some of the locations you have lived fall into this graph?

Now, let's talk about how you evaluate your community and on what terms.

After the Astrology of Location, we evaluate the aspects of the community to arrive at how much we Love or Dislike any given place. Here is what we look at broadly:
  • Climate (four seasons, Mediterranean, humidity, avoid extreme heat or cold, avoid tornados, etc.),
  • Geography (mountains, lakes, oceans, deserts, avoid earthquakes and volcanos, etc.)
  • Socio-economic (job opportunities, prosperity, taxes, cost of living, public transportation, local laws, etc.),
  • Attitudes of the citizens (progressive versus conservative, health consciousness, etc.),
  • Demographics (population and density, diversity, age of population, family friendly, etc.), and
  • Culture (arts and music, food and dining, sporting venues, museums, libraries, etc.).
Here is our take on these aspects related to our new location.

Geography & Climate - We are all weather types and we like all types of weather. So, this is a change for us a bit of a trade off (afterall, we lived in Minneapolis for 12 years). We are living in the Summerlin part of Las Vegas, which plays an important role in our comfort here as Summerlin is about 1,000 feet higher in elevation than Las Vegas and, as a result, is about 5 to 8 degrees cooler each day. Given the heat of this region, every degree less is a big help. Hot? Yes! Unbearable? No!

We enjoyed living in the mountains of Bavaria and are pleasantly pleased with the mountains that surround the Las Vegas basin. Also, the desert landscaping in Summerlin is very enjoyable with so many lovely flowering trees and shrubs (thanks to excellent drip irrigation and trail development throughout the city of Summerlin). We are very anxious to see how we feel in December through February and if that gives enough of a break and some sense of four seasons, which we love!

A bit of history.... Summerlin is a planned community built upon property owned by Howard Hughes. Summerlin was the last name of Hughes' paternal grandmother. Prior to developing the land, a great land swap was made with the Nature Conservancy to preserve the sensitive landscape of Red Rock Canyon, which is the western border of Summerlin.   The community is a master planned community and much of it is less than about 20 years old. What we love most is the landscaping. Streets gently curve. Sidewalks are broad and designed as walking trails that meander and curve with constant landscaping consisting of pines and flowering trees, shrubs and ground cover. There is a lovely canyon park with views of the mountains that are not quite as inspiring as the Alps, but that provide a view that inspires joy and wonder.

Culture - We are thrilled that we now own a car and no longer need to drag all of our groceries and everything else home on our shoulders. As romantic as it sounds to live without a car and to casually meander the city, it does not feel very romantic day to day. Life is a slog without a car and we felt that heaviness in Bavaria where owning a car was expensive ($4,500 to get a license). No matter the weather, you had to hoof it buy everything you needed, which meant there was not such thing as a quick trip to pick something up.  So, this aspect represents how culture and personal circumstances can collide to create a less than desirable situation.  Suffice to say we love our Honda CRV!

We selected our specific home because we can walk to get groceries if we wish and have done so a couple of times.  But, Summerlin has easy access to fabulous shops for daily needs and almost anything we could ever need is a 5 to 8 minute drive away.

We have also found a fabulous Doctor, which is priceless and was one of our biggest concerns about returning.

We do not have the museums or botanical gardens that we cherished in Munich and we look forward to planning trips out of the area (or back to Europe) to soak that up. A trade-off for sure.

People - We find that everyone here is essentially from someplace else and that striking up conversation is easy and very pleasant. This is something we could not do in Germany as people are more private there and there is a heavy feeling overall as life is taken so seriously. If you befriend someone, that changes, but casual interactions are not really a part of life in Bavaria. We enjoy the people we are meeting in Summerlin and feel comfortable interacting. Of course, this is not to say that we are running into kindred spirits every other day, but our interactions have been quite pleasant. The income level in our community is high and the population is diverse and well-educated and navigating political opinions has not been a challenge.

Home - We selected our apartment sight unseen from Germany and were nicely surprised by the layout and the quality of the community. The community owners take very good care of the property and are responsive to our needs. The Feng Shui is working nicely and, while it is not perfect, it is very nice (though we might need a bit of help). The cost of living is very affordable here, which was a big attraction for us.

Food - Access to high quality food is something we all seek. For certain, this was better in Bavaria, but we are managing to navigate our way here between 3 stores with an "organic" focus. We trade off passing the live chickens that provided our eggs as the munch grass to determining the best option for eggs available to us. Water is another trade off as it no longer streams out of our faucet direct from the mountain source as it did in Bavaria!

Smog - On the very hot work days, there is a lot of pollution in the air, especially in the morning. Breathing can be heavy on these days, but we are finding smog has not been bad as the temperatures have moderated. More to discover on this front.

Recycling - Or, we should say total lack of recycling. There is no recycling here. In Bavaria, we recycled EVERYTHING (even food scrapes were collected weekly). Here, everything goes into the dumpster. While that is so easy (rather than lugging all of our glass to the nearest recycling bin in Germany), it is so hard to throw away a bottle or tin can. It hurts. But, we have no place to store it and the recycling center is no fun to get to. But, just last week, the first sets of those 'one bin' recycling containers were delivered within Vegas. It may or may not come to us too.

Air conditioning - When it is 90 in Munich, it is unbearable. Why? No air conditioning anywhere (remember, we didn't even have a car) and the heat that built up in your body from the grocery store, to the restaurant to the train was burdensome on hot days. Here you can't escape air conditioning and you can't really shut the air conditioning off as we learned when it broke down for 18 hours the day after we arrived.

Putting it all together, our astrological energies are very supportive, the culture fits our needs and the geography and climate are definitely more comfortable than we expected. Are there trade-offs? Of course. However, we are happy in our Camelot and it already feels like home!

  Our move in photos....
 

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