June/July 2008
Serving North Central California

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Artist Featured On the Cover:

Paul Heussenstamm
As a renowned teacher and fourth generation artist, Paul Heussentamm has been sharing his unique gift of helping people discover their Soul through his paintings and Art As A Spiritual Path workshops worldwide. Paul has created over 300 unique and spiritual paintings while passionately sharing his artistic capacity to explore and create Sacred Art from many traditions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. Paul gladly accepts commissions and offers the finest Giclee prints on canvas that he creates in his studio. View the complete collection of Paul's works at www.mandalas.com.

Astrology Forecast
June/July 2008
by Tom Lescher, Astrologist

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Such will be the epithet written in the distant future when looking back at 2008. The astrology of these times reflects the dissolution and removal of old forms, from economic and political, to our personal beliefs and relationships. This is mirrored in the sky by the union of Chiron, Neptune, and the Moon’s north node (see article in last issue). During such times it is important to see beyond, feel beyond the form to the essence or spirit manifesting through the form. For though the forms, structures, and appearances of life are constantly shifting and changing, the underlying needs and expanding consciousness remain eternally within us. When your car or house begins to fall apart you don’t fall apart with it…you find or create a new, better one! The same can be said for our lives at this time: If your life is falling apart it is time to create a new, better one!

During these summer months it may be easy to focus on the loss of security, the dropping economy, or the many problems that are besetting humanity. However, rather than losing sleep or energy over the loss of what was, it would behoove us to put our energy toward creating new possibilities. This is not a time to go down with the ship, but to use our creative imagination, our inner conviction, and good hard work to forge new paths and shape a new future expansive enough to support our ever evolving humanity. This is reflected in the sextile between Jupiter and Uranus with the Chiron, Neptune, Node conjunction sandwiched exactly in-between.

Jupiter in Capricorn calls forth the need to trust ourselves, our abilities to manage life on earth, and to have faith that what falls apart needed to fall apart for us to learn and create more appropriate life structures. It is not a time to take the removal of past support systems personally, as personal failures or begin doubting ourselves and our connection to Source, or Spirit. To the contrary, it beseeches us to take on more responsibility, build our courage, and change our approach as we learn more about the laws of life.

The sextile to Uranus in Pisces points to the need for total revolution. For not only thinking outside the box, but daring to forge ahead into the unknown. It is time to let go of old patterns, fears, and judgments unconsciously taken on in childhood from past generations. DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY’VE BEEN DONE BEFORE. “Stand out, speak out, and act out” is the call heard from the unlimited reservoir of imagination and potential that is Uranus in Pisces.

To bring these energies to the foreground we have Mars moving through Leo from May 10 to July 1st and then into Virgo. This fiery planet in the fiery sign of Leo is ready to take the stage, prepared to lead, and needing to express the new ideas, creative potentials, and sheer life force that resides within our souls. It is the hero/heroine that is undeterred by the failure or deaths of those before him/her, who marches on with sound heart and swift sword to cut, shape and sculpt what those who came before could only hope for and dream about.

So these are not easy times, the configurations point to many challenges on the road that lies before us. Yet these challenges are the very opportunities life is gifting us with to test our skills, expand our awareness, and unite us together for future celebrations resulting from great deeds accomplished. I encourage you not to sit, moan, and complain about how things used to be or could be better, but to find alternative ways, creative solutions, and more inclusive means to create joy, harmony, and peace within which will ultimately be reflected in the external world. In the past age of Pisces humanity reached for a heaven that was far away from earth. In this Age of Aquarius it is up to us to co-create heaven upon the earth and with each other.
 
For an expanded version of this article, or for more information about Tom, please visit his NEW web site at www.NewParadigmAstrology.com