What is a dream? The dictionary describes it as A wild fancy or hope, a condition or achievement that is longed for, an aspiration, or something that is exceptionally gratifying, excellent, or beautiful.

More importantly, what are your dreams? Do you know? The above description suggests that a dream is often something out of reach.

But what came before the dream may be equally important. For example, if someone dreams of “making a lot of money,” that person may have experienced extreme poverty or a feeling that there “wasn’t enough” in their lifetime. Money might then become their dream. If someone dreams of freedom, that person may have had an experience of feeling trapped. In other words, perhaps the nightmares or challenging experiences you have had are fundamentally crucial to obtaining your dream. Your nightmares or difficult experiences may point to what your goals may be.

Seeing the level of expertise, ability, and talent in so many of my female clients and friends is extraordinary. I am “in awe” of how women have developed the capacity to accomplish beautiful things in their professional lives. But is there a problem emerging out of this? What happens when a woman becomes “too” capable? What is the risk she takes with being able to “do it all?”

In this age of empowerment of the feminine, what IS our next REAL step as women? How long must we go on proving we are independent and capable? Have we perhaps become “too” capable?

Imagine a woman…… A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is. Who celebrates her body and its rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource. A woman who celebrates the accumulation of her years and her wisdom. Who refuses to use precious energy disguising the changes in her body and life. ~

Patricia Lynn Reilly

Recently I have noticed a tremendous surge in the media on cosmetic surgery, extreme physical makeovers, teeth whitening, botox, and weight loss programs. This advertisement is specifically designed to help you believe “if you are physically transformed and beautiful, you will be happier and more desirable.”

If this were true, some of the most beautiful people in the world would be happy and content, and there would be no reason to do anything else in life. What history shows us – is just the opposite.

Perhaps one of the most profound shifts in American Culture was the introduction and acceptance of Divorce into our family system. Before the 1950s, it was taboo for a family to break up as a result of Divorce. However, as we moved into the 70s, it became more commonplace and accepted. From an astrological viewpoint, Divorce can best be understood with the planetary cycle of Pluto moving into the Astrological sign Libra, which occurred in the 1970s.

What is Pluto? Why is Pluto so significant?

The most common questions I receive as an Astrologer is about Love and Relationship.

The Ancient Greeks defined Romantic Love as an experience of pleasure and pain. They called it “Eros.” They also believed the experience of love occurred through some outside force, which in most cases was in the “act of a god.” The word Eros also meant “want,” “lack,” and “the desire for that which is missing.”

In romantic love, lovers want “what they think they do not have.” This makes it impossible for someone to “get what he wants.” As he gets what he wants, it is no longer wanted. Are you following me? As a result, Eros is a major contradiction that creates a tremendous amount of tension in the deeper part of the psyche. If getting satisfaction ends the excitation of the desire for that which is missing, or the Eros, isn’t the recourse to attempt to prolong the moment of desire for what you think is missing for as long as possible? Inevitably all relationships under the influence of Eros will be a failure. So much for romantic love!

The most common questions I receive as an Astrologer is about Love and Relationship.

The Ancient Greeks defined Romantic Love as an experience of pleasure and pain. They called it “Eros.” They also believed the experience of love occurred through some outside force, which in most cases was in the “act of a god.” The word Eros also meant “want,” “lack,” and “the desire for that which is missing.”

In romantic love, lovers want “what they think they do not have.” This makes it impossible for someone to “get what he wants.” As he gets what he wants, it is no longer wanted. Are you following me? As a result, Eros is a major contradiction that creates a tremendous amount of tension in the deeper part of the psyche. If getting satisfaction ends the excitation of the desire for that which is missing, or the Eros, isn’t the recourse to attempt to prolong the moment of desire for what you think is missing for as long as possible? Inevitably all relationships under the influence of Eros will be a failure. So much for romantic love!

Life is about stories. Our stories help us to connect with each other. Without our personal stories, we would not be able to understand or have the capacity to hold another person’s story in our hearts. September and October are Breast Cancer Awareness months. When I started to think about writing an article on this topic, I realized I have only known a few women who have shared their personal stories with me. I was quite young then and could not relate to them at all. I don’t know how I feel about that now. Sad…..actually.

I went online to research this topic and found quite a few stories of many women who have fought breast cancer. I found page after page of stories of women who had struggled and won their fight and other women who had struggled and lost. A few months ago, I read a book called, “Grace and Grit” by Ken Wilbur. It is the intimate and true love story of a couple that went through her fight with breast cancer. Treya Wilbur did not win her battle with breast cancer, but her fight touched my heart deeply. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to dive in.

The Age of Aquarius! Just what is an “Age”?

You and I are living in the most incredible time to be alive. Now, more than ever, we have access to knowledge and information that would have taken months, perhaps years, to find. Welcome to the Information Age! The Age of Enlightenment! The Age of Aquarius!

“When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planet, and love will steer the stars. This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius….”

(“Aquarius,” from Hair by Gerome Ragni and James Rado)

What is an AGE, and where does it come from? What is all this emphasis about the Millennium and the Aquarian Age? Just WHAT is it?

An Astrological Perspective

It took me many years to realize the importance of women's friends. I had always found relating to men more comfortable and easy. (Of course, they are. Women are complicated, weepy, needy, and boring!)

It wasn’t until I was about 29 years old that I met the most remarkable woman. Her name is Sandy. After meeting Sandy, I truly experienced what it meant to have a woman friend. She was the first woman whom I respected. She was strong yet gentle, intense, and a marvelous healer.

Qualities that I needed to have in my first woman friends. She was also a mother, an artist, and a wife. She taught me that it was safe to trust women. This was something I had never experienced before. Since Sandy, I have developed so many wonderful Women friends. It has been truly a remarkable road to recovering a deep sense of sisterhood.

What is a friend?

Today’s article is about understanding “transformation” through the planet Pluto. In the astrological system, we have 10 wonderful teachers. These are the ten planets that we can see from the Earth. They are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Each of these planets has something to teach us. We also have in astrology the 12 constellations from Aries to Pisces. Today's article primarily focuses on Pluto, our planetary teacher of transformation and death.

What is Pluto? Pluto is archetypically associated with transformation, power, intensity, passion, and change. Pluto is connected in mythology to the God Hades. Hades was the ruler of the underworld. The story goes that when you died, you went to Pluto’s kingdom _ the Underworld. Death is also associated with Pluto, but not in the usual way. Death marked a Change or Transformation. Transformation means “A marked change, as in appearance or character, usually for the better.” Today we will focus on the idea of transformation.

Everyone has his or her own idea about prosperity. The dictionary defines prosperity as: “ The condition of being prosperous.” And prosperous is defined as: “Having success; flourishing.” With the extreme fear and concern about the economy right now, I decided to focus this article on Prosperity Consciousness. Here is what my research found.

A FIFTH of the world’s population lives on a dollar a day. Over a third are illiterate, and over a hundred million have no access to basic health care, sanitation, or education. They comprise a worldwide underclass whose continued deprivation defies the global rush toward prosperity that has otherwise defined much of this century. Today in the West and in parts of Asia, living standards are at unprecedentedly high levels. Still, that prosperity remains elusive for 80 percent of the world’s people: they continue to earn less than 20 percent of the world’s income.

Today’s article is about how to understand “habits” through the planet Saturn. In the astrological system we have 10 wonderful teachers. They are the ten planets that we can see from the Earth. They are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Each of these planets have something to teach us. We also have in astrology the 12 constellations from Aries to Pisces. Today’s focus is on the planet Saturn, our planetary teacher of habits.

What is Saturn ?

Saturn is archetypically associated with discipline, patience, responsibility, habits, limitation and time. Saturn is connected in mythology to the God Chronos. Chronos has been known as Father Time for at least the past three thousand years. Hence we have the word chronological, which means, “arranged in order of time of occurrence” or “to put things in order.” There are many mythological stories regarding Saturn and Chronos. In this article we will focus on the idea of time.

What does Saturn teach us?

I have always been aware of time. Even as a young girl, I was aware of time and how it worked. One of the most distinct things I remember was how time passed relative to what I was doing. When I was doing something I didn’t want to do, I noticed how time seemed to go by very slowly. And when I was really excited about something, I noticed how time would just fly by, and I would wonder, “Where did the time go?”

I remember the first time I went into a clock shop. How fascinating it was to see so many clocks in one place. I could feel the pressure of each clock ticking away, reminding me that time was precious and that there was “only so much time in a day.”

Astrology has provided me with a deeper understanding of time. Astrology is based on cycles. When I see a new cycle coming up, I know just how much time I have to deal with that particular area of my life. Each planet has a specific amount of time in each area of your chart. There are 12 areas or “houses” in your chart. Each house reflects a part of your life that is important to your soul’s development, such as career, health, or relationship. A planet activates each area in a specific way helping you to know what to focus on and how long to focus on it. Let’s start with our main planet – the Sun!

Time is one of the basic fundamental themes in the art and science of astrology and in all our lives. Understanding time is necessary. The job of building a conscious awareness of the value of time rests upon the shoulders of the planet Saturn.

Where Saturn is placed in your natal chart points you to where you must take the time to develop certain qualities and disciplines so that you may evolve and grow as a soul.

Saturn symbolizes the process of responsibility, discipline, growth, and change. The sign and house position of Saturn helps to show an individual where he is likely to feel frustrated or meet with difficulties. These obstacles are directly and intrinsically related to where your real growth as a soul will be found. The difficult experiences that are connected with the placement of Saturn are obviously necessary.

Without the underlying tension of Saturn, there would never be any need to grow. Without Saturn, we would lie as a seed in the ground that never pushes through the pressure of the earth above that is necessary to actualize its fullest potential. Saturn is then clearly associated with the idea of the potential.

Recently I was asked by Joann Vallo, the publisher, and editor of Peninsula Woman, to write an article on the topic of Alcohol. I was very excited about this. There are many concepts in Astrology that can help us understand why we continue to battle alcohol in our society.

I have found the planet Neptune strongly associated with alcohol in my client’s charts. Let’s be clear, planets do not make us behave a certain way, but they certainly come to teach us. Neptune as a teacher helps us to see where we are in deluded or seeking escape.

The Planet Neptune

Neptune’s symbol is the trident of Poseidon, the Ruler of the Seas. Dreams, illusions, abstract thoughts, and spirituality are all associated with Neptune. On the positive side, Neptune hopes that we will use a meditative state to gain insights and heightened awareness. Poetry, music, dance and movies are among the trance-like activities which this Planet favors.

Astrology is an age-old science that explores the relationships between the outer planetary bodies(and their placements in the sky), with the inner terrain of the heart, the mind and soul of every individual.When I first started to study astrology some 20 years ago, I realized that this Inner Sky was one way to find meaningful perspective in my life. As a young woman I felt the need to go beyond what the outer world was showing me and explore the inner world which seemed far more challenging and fascinating.

What I found was this. There are 10 planetary bodies in the sky. Each of these planets correlates to a psychological theme, and if tracked in our chart (a chart is based on our date, time and place of birth) a wonderful story will emerge.

The Sun represents our purpose in life, the Moon our needs and feelings and how we connect to our heart and soul.

At a very early age I realized I had a destiny. It was a bit easier for me because I realized what seemed to make other people feel secure (money, power, fame), did not have the same effect on me. I resolved then to set out and find a deeper purpose for my life.

I knew I had a choice. I also knew I didn’t have the choice of pursuing a life of security and of “keeping up with the Jones’ ” because that didn’t appeal to me. Maybe that is what made it easier for me and at the same time, harder. There was, no going back.

The good news was that I found there were people who were living their dreams and had a tremendous amount of joy and meaning in their lives. Their lives were not about Security. I set out to accomplish that for myself. This is what I found…

The Soul’s Purpose Versus Security

Although many people don’t believe this, it is very easy to find a job that will pay the bills, provide a roof over your head and give you enough money to eat every day. It simply requires a little bit of effort.

Today’s article is about understanding “transformation” through the planåI was on the telephone the other day with a woman ordering some computer items. She asked me what I did for a profession. I paused for a second and reflected on the many varieties of comments that I usually receive from people when I tell them that I am an Astrologer. I decided to tell her. “I am an Astrologer.” She came back with a very typical reply. “Oh, I don’t really believe in that stuff.” On many occasions, I just go on with the conversation, not really addressing the answer I have received. That day I decided to reply.

“Well,” I said. “Astrology really isn’t something to believe in. Actually, it is an ancient tool to help you with your life, much like a map. You don’t have to believe in a map so that it will help you ….lets ’s say drive to New York. You just decide that a map will be helpful.If you want to use it, Astrology can be a helpful tool, like a map. But if you don’t want to use it, just get into your car and start driving. Probably one day, you will get to New York. Some people need maps, while others just get into their cars and drive. I prefer a map.” We talked at length. She ended up thanking me for putting Astrology in a more open-ended way. It is amazing what conversations you can eventually have with salespeople. I am sure you have had the same experience.

Greetings friends! I have been sitting by my computer for nearly 2 hours trying to decide what to submit as an article that could be enlightening and awakening to all of the wonderful readers of the Peninsula Woman. I daresay that the topic I decided on didn’t feel like a very happy one – but one of great importance.

I have been recently struck by the intense tragedy that occurred on Wednesday, June 20th, between 8-9 am, when a mother, for no reason (none that anyone could immediately understand), drowned her 5 children, one by one, in their family bathtub.

I was shocked and extremely saddened by the tragedy. I decided to do some research on this and went immediately to the Internet and my Astrological Ephemeris to try and make heads or tails of the incident. What I found was this. This is a tragic tale about being a mother. No woman can read the story about this mother and not feel deep pain for the 5 children who were killed or intuitively feel the tremendous confusion that this mother must have been in to have done this to her babies.

I was immediately curious about the birthday of this mother. I find that understanding a chart helps me to see into the soul pattern of a person and aids in adding some light and compassion to a person’s journey.

What is Marriage?

Marriage is a contractual as well as a spiritual union. It has been described as “the best and most important relationship that can exist between two human beings.” It is a contract of love and trust. It is a commitment that requires and deserves daily attention. It deserves this attention because no earthly happiness exceeds that of the reciprocal satisfaction in the state of commitment between two people to love and honor one another. Marriage should be a life-long building to the ideal of loving kindness, backed with the will and intention to make it last.

Many people are involved in relationships. Many couples date and also live together. The art of marriage is the next step in actualizing and making a real commitment to one another. It is the greatest union of the Heart. True marriage, one that lasts a lifetime, is based upon the amount of self-love that you are willing to accept from yourself and, in turn give easily and freely to another.