Stephanie Gailing, author of Planetary Apothecary is back with specific wellness tips for this moment in time. She writes about the coming Pluto-Saturn square (November 15) -- right before the New Moon in Scorpio -- as a time to marshal the force of the inner healer. She writes that "a positive manifestation of this planetary alignment is the ability to forge a structured and realistic approach to connecting with the wealth of our inner resources, including our healing powers."

Scorpio aims for total change from the inside out, and we can feel an extra drive to go deep for healing. But Stephanie says it's also time for deep rest, and being wise about what's stirred up.

• Scorpio Rx Wellness Tips by Stephanie Gailing

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Astrologers are walking a fine line trying not to scare the pants off people, but also giving the coming aspects the gravity they're due. I'm talking about the build-up to the Cardinal Cross of 2010, the tensions of which start to tighten on November 15th with the Pluto-Saturn square. Since Pluto is a major player here, any casting ahead needs to take into account that there's an element of the unknown. It's not unlike the mystery of death itself, which Pluto brings on symbolically. When Uranus in Aries comes into play in 2010, we may be startled at what emerges....the thrust of new life that starts a brand new cycle. It's a collective death and rebirth, with all the agony, pressure, exhilaration and so on that goes with that.

And these slow movers in tension with each other is likely to bring a sense of relentless pressure, punctuated by surges into radically new ground. And since the destroyer Pluto is in the mix, the scenarios could be extreme, with long trials that rearrange our lives. How this will play out for each of us, depends on how well we handle extreme stress and change.

Yesterday, I came across an article by evolutionary astrologer Maurice Fernandez who writes that our very foundation is about to be shaken up. In his article, Time of Radical Shift, he describes how to ride the waves with patience, a flexible attitude, and by learning to let go. It resonated with me, and he's allowed me to share it here with all of you. On what's ahead, he writes, "Redefinition may occur in different fields: you may change vocation, relationships, location, mindsets, to name but a few. New people will move into your life, current ones may leave. New ideas and projects will develop and you may feel inspired to completely reinvent yourself! The cards are re-shuffled! This is a time of an awakening, a revolution...an internal and social revolution."

The article comes with practical suggestions like taking time out of the intensity loop, taking good care of your immune system, nurturing supportive ties with family and friends, and seeing this as an adventure. It's an inspiring read and I'm hoping it'll give you a boost too.

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The movie 2012 opens this Friday, and from what I've seen, looks to be a special effects montage of mass death and destruction. This is Hollywood's offering of what will happen in 2012, and it's sure to play on some peoples survival fears.

But the star of 2012 doesn't see that kind of end for humanity, but an end to the old ways of being. During a recent interview, he talked about his own views of 2012, saying, "Do you know the book, "The Return of Quetzalcoatl"? That book, I think, is a little more in line with what I think will happen; a shift in consciousness. That seemed to be more of what I think will happen rather than an actual end of days." He's referring to the book by Daniel Pinchbeck, whose site Reality Sandwich is a hub for what's emerging that's vibing on this new consciousness.

From my own explorations into this, that's what I've come to also. And that Earth is calling us back to her as Source, not a resource and there may be natural disasters in the transition. The breaking down of what we've built up -- a part of the Pluto in Capricorn cycle -- can feel like a catastrophe. But also that there's an infusion of new cosmic energies as we enter the Age of Aquarius the waterbearer, with water being consciousness washing over us. Is that why so many have had dreams of catastrophic floods? My sense is that the apocalypse is the end of linear time, so that "time" ends as we have known it. We wake up to ourselves as multi-dimensional beings, even as those barriers fall and we start living in the timeless now. What are your thoughts on 2012? Do you think you'll see the movie?

• More articles on 2012

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Today's half Moon begins the letting go in earnest, as we head toward the powerful New Moon in Scorpio (November 16th). At the half Moon, the Sun (in Scorpio) is in square to the Moon (in Leo), forming a square that can be cathartic. It can help you dislodge what needs to be released. The waning Moon is a time of decreasing energy, and unwinding. It's a descent into the dark, allowing you to surrender yourself for the transformation.

You might start thinking about any New Moon Rituals that will bring symbolic power to the changes you're calling in. A theme today is self-respect (Leo) and being able to give your whole self to what you're passionate about (Scorpio). It's identifying what stubborn shadowy patterns keep you from expressing your gifts. It's taking a courageous look at the root of insecurities, powerlessness, defeatist attitudes. With formidable Scorpio in abundance now (Sun, Mercury, Venus), you can unravel these beliefs that keep you in bondage. And make the sometimes tough choices that come with needing to let go, in order to grow.

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The igniter Mars will be in Leo for the rest of the year, and I see this as a gift to those of us struggling with stagnation, depression, low energy and apathy. Mars in Leo reminds each of us that we've got star quality. It's an antidote to the epidemic of sameness that robs us of our unique identity. It's the pursuit of deep passions, not just tacking on superficial "flair" that's meant to satisfy our need for self-expression.

If you're in a job that's "not you," it's a good time to make bold moves toward work you love. It may be something you don't dare do. But Mars in Leo can embolden you to act on those impulses, and build on that momentum. Look to your personal history reaching back into childhood, for what made your heart sing and how you shined. It's shaking off the feeling of being an automaton or drone worker, and celebrating who you are as a one-of-a-kind individual. And as trend watcher Gerald Celente has forecasted, identifying what makes you unique is a key to surviving the coming changes.

The Moon is in Leo through Tuesday, making the mood lighter all around. What makes you feel happy? How can you bring more of that into your life? It's a simple thing, yet a gift we often don't give ourselves. You can start now, by being generous with yourself, and noticing what brings you joy. Then, finding a way to do that....

When the love planet Venus is in Scorpio, it's time for secret meetings under the covers. Today through the end of the month, Venus takes us into the deeper dimensions of relating, where we say, "tell me how you really feel." But it can seem like the stakes are higher, so there's guardedness until you're sure. It's the atmosphere of mystery, veiled beauty, the volatility of passion, obsession and erotica.

You might become mesmerized by someone, and feel strangely bound to them. This can be a time of fixations that entangle you in the psyche of another. And it can also lead to being engrossed in your art or other work. In the binding, you discover a core truth about you and your relationships. It can be a cathartic time of being turned inside out together.

Today, the Moon is in Cancer, adding to a sense of wanting to retreat behind a private fortress. Being married to a non-English speaker -- a Hungarian -- we have our own language that's brief and to the point. The word for today is what we say at night after dinner, when we're starting to settle in. Cozy!

The well-known NYC-based astrologer Shelley Ackerman and celebrity disher extraordinaire has a new show on Blogtalk radio! It's on tonight (8 p.m. EST) and it's called, KarmicRelief® with Shelley Ackerman and Friends. Tonight is "Episode 2" with guest Madalyn Hillis-Dineen, Chair of the (NCGR) National Council for Geocosmic Research. They'll be talking about "post-election fatigue" (an Obama backlash?), this week's transits and yesterday's shooting in Texas. They'll also talk about the big meeting of astrologers in February of 2010 for the NCGR conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Shelley says one reason she's doing this on blogtalk is the allure of being her own producer. She's got Uranus (technological bustin' out) in the 10th house (career). She also told me, "with transiting Pluto on my Capricorn Moon (and now Saturn in Libra involved), it's time to take action and provide a space/forum for the authentic voices of my friends, colleagues, and people I admire to speak in more than 30 second sound bites."

You can also catch the archive of the Debut show with Elsa Panizzon of ElsaElsa.com (the first astro blogger) and Debbie Frank, the British astrologer to the stars (including Lady Di). Says Shelley, a Libra Sun, about the forum of live radio, "Bottom line: Blogs and articles are terrific, but nothing beats the prana of a conversation." So true, Shelley, and best wishes for all that's authentic and life-infusing with your show!

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I want to give a shout out to Michelle Lessirard of New Moon Journal, whose recent post, Dances with Chickens, caught a current, and resonated widely. It hit on the Scorpio hot topic of what Lessirard calls "taking out the trash" and coming out of hiding, so we can claim our true power. And now, as we spiral into the New Moon in Scorpio, Michelle is offering an affordable Teleclass to in anticipation of this powerful New Moon (on the 16th).

Writes Michelle, "The universe is asking all of us step up so we can easily live our Brilliance as healers and soul-o-preneurs."

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During last night's Teleclass with Ellias Lonsdale, he said the first house holds karma from a recent lifetime, possibly even the last one. It's karma that builds up from times when we haven't been true to the authentic self.
Any planet in the first is broadcast out as the persona. And with a challenging planet like Pluto here, the end goal is to broadcast the core essence by burning off what's not authentic. Some of the new children, Ellias said, are coming in fully themselves, and he mentioned his daughter whose Pluto is in the 1st.

This idea of recent karma intrigues me. I've got Saturn in Aries, in the first house, and have had impressions/dreams of being in Vietnam, and have always been drawn to that in movies and books. It would've had to have been right before I was born, in '67. Perhaps I'm meant to be a more disciplined warrior in this life? Ellias related his own experience of having Neptune in the first house. That it's been an experience of losing everything familiar. With a Neptunian persona, and on the day that Neptune stationed direct, maybe it's no wonder that the class felt like it was held underwater. This fog of our times is hitting everyone, even those that have been in roles of spiritual guide. It's as if we're all swimming in very new waters together.

Mark Borax asked at one point if Ellias could speak to the wrenching experiences people are going through these days. And Ellias said it's to do with the Pluto cycle, just into Capricorn. That it's hitting us at the body level, in order to be grounded in an earthy way. He described the Plutonian descent as a time when "everything bottoms out, and then gets rediscovered in being lost." Something tells me we're still in the falling stage.

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This image came to me via Facebook from Mark Gray of Cosmic Doorways, with the tagline: The Recipe for Balance is an Individual Internal Experiment. It hit me as a timely symbolic image for Saturn's transition into Libra.

It's a time of checking how balanced your life is. But while it's a solo experiment, we're never alone, since there are angels and guardian spirits in our corner. As Saturn comes into a square with Pluto (November 15th), the old idea of what's fair, just and harmonized may be shaken up. It adds to the flying debris that's already in the air. As we each seek to re-balance at every turn, this image reminds me that it's wise to ask for divine help when you need it.