Madrona Services

05/09/2026

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”

- Rachel Carson (1907-1964),
Silent Spring (1962)

[Image: Miranda (by 1895) painting by British artist Thomas Francis Dicksee (1818-1895), who depicted many figures in his paintings from the works of Shakespeare.]

The Smart Witch by Elizabeth

05/03/2026

A May Day Full Moon in Scorpio! Wow.
The metamorphosis of this Scorpio Full Moon (5/1/2026) reminds us that there is no Flower Moon without a rich, dark soil; a composting. Stinky yuck turns into fertile, fecundity that brings forth Life (Ta**us Sun)! The Phoenix is very alive in this Moon.

Uranus conjunct Sedna in Gemini adds a powerful emphasis to this Scorpio Moon, bringing revelations and radical shifts regarding stories of trauma. Sedna, the Inuit Goddess of the Sea, was abandoned and abused by her father and husband (the Toxic Masculine), leading to her death. Left to drown, she sank to the Deep and turned this abuse into empowerment, becoming the Creatrix of Ocean Abundance. There is no better story of empowerment through transformation (Scorpio). Sedna in Gemini reminds us not go back into sleep (unconsciousness). We are the authors of our stories and when we face the Truth and allow the Death (Scorpio) of old stories (Gemini) we become a Goddess of Creation. Sedna in Gemini conjunct Uranus shakes us awake and calls us to reexamine how we connect to others and how we communicate. What stories do we tell about ourselves and others? Sedna holds the energetic signature for the metamorphosis from victim to empowerment.
This Scorpio Moon is a potent one for more purging of lies and inauthenticity as well as holding the promise of a Flowering for our efforts (Ta**us Sun).

Venus in Gemini squares the Nodes (North in Pisces/South in Virgo) emphasizing the imperative of self worth in our communications, connections and stories. The Scorpio Moon is trine the North Node and sextile the South Node adding more signatures for soul alignment (Pisces) and clearing out old Karma, especially Karma around the Martyr-Victim/Perpetrator Cycle. Instead, we can put in place soul-aligned, day to day practices (Virgo) that communicate our values (Venus in Gemini).
Venus in Gemini and Saturn in Aries point to this Scorpio Moon, again stressing the need for values based information and structures of authenticity.

Pluto conjunct Juno in Aquarius is trine to this Venus, one of the many signatures in this chart for transformative relationships based in authenticity and higher purpose.

Mercury conjunct Chiron in Aries; to Speak or not to Speak, that is the question. To say what is true even though it is not popular, or makes others uncomfortable. We need all of our voices to heal ourselves and the Earth. We need all of our ingenuity, curiosity, intuition, all of our grit and all of our viewpoints. Chiron conjunct Mercury in Aries is very big. This can be expressed through healed communications and authentic connections OR acting from wounds and speaking out from woundedness, especially wounds related to the Masculine/Animus.

Pluto Aquarius trine Uranus in Gemini makes for lightening fast flashes of intuitive knowing, changes in technology and insight all in service to a transformed Humanity; one of unity and equality. The Dark Side of this trine is the movement towards AI and Transhumanism. The choice is ours.

Mars in Aries squares Jupiter in Cancer emphasizing the need to work together, to balance personal sovereignty and nurturing others. At our best, the mature masculine meets the Cosmic Mother.
We are still in the midst of an Aries Stellium, with 'only' 6 planets in Aries: Athena, Neptune, Saturn, Mars, Mercury and Chiron.
Lots of Fire and lots of Water; as we have Jupiter in Cancer, a Scorpio Moon, and the North Node and Vesta in Pisces, not quite making a grand Trine, but still very powerful Water Energy. Balancing these energies creates steam and powers abundance and creative life force.

Air is also emphasized with Sedna, Venus, Uranus, Pluto and Juno in Gemini and Aquarius, respectively.

“Clearing the channels of communication between ourselves and the spiritual light brings us into increasingly intimate kinship and support with all the life-affirming entities around us, be they in a physical body or on other planes.” John Sandbach

The Sun and Ceres hold the Earth. May your May Flowers bloom and their sweet fragrance carry you through May and beyond.

Image Credit: Astrograph

04/22/2026

Earth Day 2026
Isn’t it amazing that so many Indigenous and Earth based spiritual practices hold trees as sacred? They are called sentinels and cathedrals, to name just a few honorifics. From Forest Bathing to tree hugging we reach for trees to sustain us, ground us, and relax us.
Interestingly, the Chinese character for ‘relax’ includes a tree and also means ‘pine tree’. 松 (sōng) consists of 木 [ mù ] tree; and 公 [ gōng ] fair, equitable. Isn’t it fun combining that with ‘song’ in English? We can sing a relaxing song to the pine tree, and relax ourselves at the same time.
Reciprocal in Chinese character also involves a tree: 相 xiàng includes the characters for 木 [ mù ] tree and 目 [ mù ] eye. What I see is me. We breathe in what they breathe out and vise versa. We nourish each other in sacred reciprocity. Imagine my delight when a neighbor girl said about this pine tree, “I’m glad this tree is here.” I think the Pine Tree was equally delighted.
Sing a song of love to a tree today and relax.
Chinese characters and meanings provided by Purple Culture.

04/22/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DHm53X2XV/

More videos, images, and interactive material from the COLIBRE simulations are available at https://colibre-simulations.orgThe evolution of a galaxy in the L...

04/20/2026

The Mares Hold The Stallion to Respectful Engagement:
Mars and Saturn are conjunct in Aries today (4/19/2026). It strikes me that Mars has been held back from it’s usual surging, forceful GO! energy for some time now. It is the last but Athena to leave the Pisces Stellium and even as Mars moves into it’s home sign it immediately conjuncts Neptune, and then, today Saturn. Both of these larger forces call on the Divine Animus to slow down and rein in his impulses. This calls to mind what happens in a natural, wild herd of horses. Contrary to popular belief, the stallion does not get to cover any mare at any time. Far from it. The mares decide who, when and how the stallion will engage with a mare. A filly, freshly in heat will be protected by her mother, sisters, aunts and cousins, who will send out the stallion away from the herd again and again until he can cool his heat and mate with the mare in season with calm respect. This insures that the filly or mare will not be hurt or come to harm by the engagement. I see this Mars in this way. As Mars has moved through Pisces and now Aries he has had conversations with Mercury, the North Node, the Sun and the Moon in Pisces, Jupiter in Cancer, Uranus in Ta**us, Neptune in Aries and Sedna in Gemini to mention just a few of the Goddess/Anima energies that have called on him to cool his jets, connect to Spirit, and remember to come from a place of compassion, respect and integrity. Now he is in conversation with Saturn in Aries, who bids him build structures underpinning his aspirations and calls him to ground his lift off in reality. Saturn is Mountain/Earth, akin to the King of Pentacles; practical, slow, deliberate and mindful of Karma; stern but fair. The Aries Stallion will need to embody these traits before a Union with the Anima is allowed or fruitful.

Even as Mars joins Saturn, the King of Earth, in Aries, the Sun moves into Ta**us. More slow energy which we really, really need as Uranus moves into Gemini later in the week (4/25/2026).

The synchronicity and wisdom of the Celestials is astounding and mind blowing.

Of course, Mars can ignore all of this and blast off in self interested, mindless ego gratification, but the outcome will not be fruitful. It will be a blaze of destruction or burn out. May we listen to the wisdom of the Spheres and rein in our impulses for our greater good and for the good of All.

04/18/2026

New Moon in Aries Stellium
And yet another intense, unprecedented New Moon is upon us (4/17/2026). This one in Aries with a stellium (gathering) of 8 Celestial Bodies.
Neptune, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, Chiron, ErisZena, Sun and Moon are all in Aries, and both Chiron (the Wounded Healer) and ErisZena (Discord/Strife) are conjunct this New Moon.
So what does that mean for us Humans here on Earth? New initiations, new thoughts, stories and actions, new inspiration from Source, new structures and new seedlings of sovereignty and the Healed, Divine Masculine. But how? With all of that Wounded Masculine Strife?

What if ErisZena isn’t discord but shows us where there is discord, strife and disharmony? I think of ErisZena as the Thirteenth Fairy in the Sleeping Beauty myth/teaching story. She embodies for us the parts of ourselves and society that we don’t want to acknowledge; the parts that are uncomfortable, disharmonious, troublesome, difficult to deal with. We would rather not invite those parts of ourselves and convince ourselves that those parts are ‘not really us’. And thus, Shadow is born. Shadow of our selves and of our society.

So what happens in Sleeping Beauty? The Shadow/Dispossessed curses the kingdom with Death transmuted to Deep Sleep or unconsciousness. We go into denial and put up prickly, poisonous walls to keep out investigation, inquiry, awakening. This is the distorted Masculine that Chiron, the Wounded Healer brings to be addressed by this stellium, and, especially, by this conjunction (close conversation) with the Moon and Sun.
We are being asked to Wake Up and to own ALL of our parts, both the ones we love, (action, initiation, movement, Self, autonomy) expressed by Aries and the ones we don’t like so much (ego, self interest, pride, self focus, narcissism) also part of the Aries Archetype. And yet, in the myth of Sleeping Beauty, it is the Healed, Divine Masculine that comes to wake everyone and restore balance and consciousness.

An opportunity is being given us, with loads of support, to heal the Masculine/Yang aspect of initiative, relationship to Self, movement and sovereignty. We are given the energetic tools to create a new relationship to wounding, suffering and trauma as well as a new relationship to strife and discord all alchemized and ignited by the Sun and Moon in Aries. The task is difficult; we must cut through the vines of poison and the thorns of hate, greed and fear, it is a task worthy and challenging. Only by facing the Shadow and embracing all of who Humanity is and we are can we clear the debris and heal the rift; the division in ourselves and in our society.
May we give ourselves time to ground (Ceres, Venus and powerful Uranus in Ta**us), come to a place of softness (Jupiter in Cancer) as we recreate our structures (Saturn), and reclaim our Sacred Masculine, whose only desire is to marry (be in union with) the Sacred Feminine (Jupiter in Cancer). This is the promise, work and initiation of this New Moon. No small task and no more important work. If we feel exhausted, that is to be expected. If we feel overwhelmed, well, of course. Do we struggle to keep our neurology calm and attuned, coherent and regulated? Naturally. Do we feel agitated, impatient or anxious? How not? The transformation being asked of us is huge. We have been told for millennia that it is not possible. But we are here now, doing it.

Jupiter in Cancer, the Great Mother, is here also, in harmonious alignment with Ceres, Venus, Vesta and Black Moon Lilith, powering the Deep Waters and the Sacred Earth with the energy, the guidance, the honesty and the tenderness to move through this time. The Goddess is Rising in and for us all. Honor the Earth in your body and in your surroundings. Light a candle and send a simple prayer, welcome the Shadow who seeks only acknowledgement and acceptance. What was lost will be found, what was hidden, uncovered.

Athena, now in Pisces, gathering information from all of the planets and luminaries recently in that sign, will sweep through the degrees of Aries after this Stellium indicating that justice will come, will prevail and harmony will be restored.

Pluto conjunct Juno in Aquarius adds another layer to the theme of enlightened union of Masculine/Feminine and together they continue in harmony and empowerment with Neptune, (now conjunct Mercury) and Uranus, exalted in the last degrees of Ta**us. Big power, big assistance, big flows of Celestial Support. We are guided and protected, even when it does not feel like it.

David Little Elk shares a lovely perspective and analogy of having a Bad Day. See below to enjoy.

Allow Nature to heal. Allow Water to cleanse, Earth to ground, Fire to awaken, Air to move, and Ether to connect/embody/cohere.
Allow the message of Eris/Zena/Discord to be welcomed, heard, and embraced as one part of us, no need to get loud and harmful.

Sleeping Beauty is not a passive victim, rather, “Through total rest, through deep sleep and merging with pure being, an alchemy is allowed to work and to draw to itself whatever will awaken it to a new world. ..The secret is the knowledge that the perfection one seeks is there, waiting, within, and will inevitably be discovered. This is the source of the mysterious patience and hope this degree brings to whatever it contacts.” John Sandbach

One of the tasks of reclaiming the Goddess is to acknowledge the beauty, necessity and essential aspect of rest, sleep, restoration and receiving. This receptivity (Yin) draws in and calls to the Yang. They do not exist without each other.

Discernment and a daily practice are essential for grounding this intense Aries energy. We have to feel the trauma and discord, the discomfort in order to ground and move it. Pemä Cödren has long encouraged us to ‘get comfortable with being uncomfortable’. But gently, one breath, one moment at a time. Movement with discernment can help us harness the energy of this New Moon for our benefit.
May we all keep our cool, come from a considered, discerning, grounded stance and one filled with compassion and kindness. I wish this all for you as we boldly go into New Territories of Space/Time.
Love and Blessings.

Acknowledgements:
Madrona’s Pulse Teachings
Image Credit: Forever Conscious

04/03/2026

The Full Moon in Libra on 4/1/2026 is ruled by Venus (the ruler of Libra/Ta**us) Venus has recently entered Ta**us, her home sign, where she feels the most relief, sanctuary and calm. Ta**us calls us to come Home to our senses, to revel in sensory input and to find sanctuary in the Earth’s good Graces. Both the Libra Moon and Venus in Ta**us call for a balanced, gentle approach that seeks harmony in relationship to ourself, others and Nature.

This Moon is challenged, however, by being in a T- Square configuration; opposing the Sun while both the Sun (in Aries) and Moon square Jupiter in Cancer. How to find harmony while honoring our sovereignty and tending to our feelings and our ancestral roots? We look to Capricorn for the answer. Capricorn calls us to work diligently, with mature attention and focus. More grounding is called for, as usual, in order to master the challenging aspects of this lunation.

Additionally a Yod (Finger of God) is pointing to this Libra Moon, further mandating that we attend to balancing and harmonizing in relationships while attending to Ceres (Earth Mother) in Ta**us and Mercury, Vesta and the North Node in Pisces. Don’t give away your Power to be in relationship. Adjustments to honor Ceres, Mercury (our Mental Knowing), Vesta (our Hearth Fire/Inner Flame) and the North Node (our Soul’s current path) are needed. The Soul will not be denied and neither will the Earth.

There is a powerful Stellium in Aries (Neptune, Saturn, Sun and Chiron) but Mars rules this stellium and is in Pisces with Mercury and a stellium of their own (North Node, Vesta, Mercury, Athena and Mars). So, despite that all planets are Direct and that Aries Stellium, there may not be a lot of forward movement. We are feeling our way through the challenges at present with an intention to come from compassion and oneness (Pisces), before ignition (Aries). We may well feel a sense of frustration, impatience and dissatisfaction. The Celestials are prepping for that New Start but it’s time is yet to arrive.
Arrive, it will, however, and soon. By the New Moon in Aries on April 17th, eight Celestial Bodies will be in Aries. We would be wise to use this time of preparation to ground ourselves firmly in values of self worth, harmony, oneness, compassion and kindness, deep listening and the Sacred Feminine.

Movement will begin in earnest as the Yang Fire Horse picks up speed. We may feel this around April 9th as Mars moves into Aries. Uranus in the last degrees of Ta**us can assist us to bring Higher Mind to Earth...the image of a crystalline structure comes to mind; running through our bodies, it’s coherence aligned with the sacredness of Earth, the Sacred Mother and Celestial knowing (Venus, Ceres and Uranus in Ta**us).

Venus in Ta**us squares Pluto in Aquarius; an intense square that emphasizes themes of self valuing, relationship and the primacy of our sensory systems needing to be ‘squared’ with societal transformation and the Aquarian tendency to cerebral understanding of Unity without embodiment. Juno (committed relationships) at 1° Aquarius conjunct Pluto adds an extra imperative to this square and to the themes of Venus in Ta**us and the Full Moon in Libra.

Just as the image in the chosen artwork expresses, there is a balance of Feminine and Masculine to this Moon, but in an arrested state, no real outward movement, which can bring feelings of frustration, impatience and dissatisfaction. The movement will happen, very soon, but this Full Moon may hold it’s signature without an external expression just yet. Pause, Recalibrate. Hold the vision. The potential is there and the moment to act is nigh.
The Eastern Indigenous Nations of the US call this the Pink Moon, for the flowering Pink Phlox that covers the hills in early Spring. How can we take the pressure off and be kind to ourselves in this transitional phase towards Harmony and Grace?

April Fool’s on the Full Moon!!!
The Fool’s Role in society has many aspects. Among these is as a foil of power and as a stress and tension release, as with laughter. Fools are able to speak what other’s can’t or won’t. The initiator w/o thought; babies, fools and drunkards are watched over by God. Normal rules of society don’t apply. This innocence and naiveté grants them a special Grace.

“The irony is that in flouting conventions and inviting in ridicule, the Fool demonstrates allegiance to God, lives closer to love, and teaches the rest of us how to live.” Gary Faulkner, Substack, 2023

There is little to find amusing in our outer world right now. However, there is abundant opportunity and necessity to ‘play the fool’, as with the Frog Costume Protests initiated in Portland, Or and the many farcical, animated songs of protest regarding Greenland and Canada found all over social media. The Fool is an archetype of and for the People, and reminds those who would rule to heed the Fool’s nonsense, or come to folly.

03/21/2026

Happy Equinox, Ostara, and Dragon Lifts Ki's Head Up. So much to celebrate and to find hope in. May you smell a flower or hear a bird song today. 🌸🐦🧚‍♀️🌸
Dragon Lifts Up Ki's Head is a LunarSolar celebration of rain and rising Yang Qi. A VERY strong Blue Dragon this year, here in the PNW, with SO much rain!🐉💙🌧️🌧️🌦️🌈
'Ki' is the pronoun suggested by Robin Wall Kimmerer to acknowledge the life and sacredness of all, rather than the inert 'it'.
Image Credits: Ostara-White Magic Alchemy
Blue Dragon-Tony Hisget

09/10/2025

The Full Moon Eclipse in Pisces on 9/7/2025 was personally very challenging for me. I hope you made it through OK. I am taking a lot of time to recover and integrate what for me was an intense activation for release of several key aspects of my natal chart. Having been sick with a virus for several weeks now, I was not able to drive and my car battery ran down. Yes, that is a metaphor. :)

When I was able to drive again and went out to my car I kept smelling what I thought was dog poo. I searched around and found a mostly decomposed rabbit just at the front of the driver’s side of my car. Yes, that is a metaphor. :)
Truly, I have, at times lately, felt just like a dead, rotting rabbit. However, being plugged into the spiritual side of things, I looked it up. Meet Your Psychic says that this occurrence can indicate an initiation into a period of profound transformation and spiritual awakening. This happening during Ghost Month in the Lunar/Solar calendar adds to it’s potency. I sense the Ghost of the Rabbit guiding me between realms and through life challenges to a deeper honoring of the cycle of Death and Rebirth in my life.

“...the Rabbit is associated with fertility and abundance even to the point of death, reminding us that every ending has a beginning. ...signaling the release of old patterns for new opportunities for growth.” Meet Your Psychic

The word on the lips of astrologers, psychics and Intuitives for this month and for October is ‘purge’. It is not a great feeling, from my point of view. However, I do take heart from the profound support I feel all around me, in the skies, in my physical world and from my guides. However this eclipse found you, we are changed from it and supported through that change in countless ways.

The image I chose well before this Full Moon tells me just how to be. Be Water: flowing, adaptable, gentle, rich with resource and life giving relief and release; cleansing, nourishing. Divine Love = Pisces. Filling up where empty, allowing to flow out when it’s too much; Water is life, water is love, water is mystery and magic. Water is All. May you be refreshed, sustained and supported. There is healing after illness and life after every death.

Image Credit: Be Water by Ronnie Biccard