We emerge form the womb, having traveled throughout many lifetimes, having experienced the existential bliss of the embryonic state, which serves as a transitional existence from the divine realm to this earthly plane.

We arrive in profound pain, for in being born, we suffer loss.

Birth is transition, a continuation of life.

We arrive with a story.

It is the universal experience.

When you gaze upon your child, do you ever wonder where his or her origins may lie? Do you ever consider how this precious entity happened upon your life? In the presence of your child, are you confronted with struggles and issues you have never known before? Have you ever felt that you and your child share a much greater story than the one in present time, that you have traversed together for lifetimes, alternating roles with each other? Have you ever contemplated the possibility that you and your child are here to assist each other?

If you have never considered these questions before, please consider this: The parent-child relationship is a decision that individual souls make before birth. Just imagine – Your child chose you, and you chose your child. These decisions were made on a soul level where there is no conscious recollection. The parent-child relationship is intricate and complex, providing us with challenging and necessary lessons for spiritual growth.

Perhaps what you learn together in this lifetime will have considerable evolutionary significance for each of your soul’s journeys.

The astrological chart beautifully illustrates the parent-child relationship. Each natal chart contains holographic legacies of relationship, thus revealing dynamic themes and patterns, both joyful and sorrowful, with the beings we have agreed to accompany. Within the horoscope, the circle of life, we reside within the other, and the other resides within us. We can know our children in this divine way, thus assisting them to develop their greatest potential.

The natal chart is a map of the soul, knowledge of which can enlighten and transform our lives. Attuning to your child’s unique energetic pattern and cosmic legacy can assist him or her as they journey through the labyrinth of life.

Parents can learn much about their parenting from the child’s perception. When we view and embrace the natal chart of the child, we embark upon sacred territory. We have before us the map of their very soul, containing their psychological make-up, character, emotional gifts and challenges, karma, dharma, soul wound, healing abilities and much more. This invaluable knowledge can assist the parent in their role as caretaker, mentor and teacher. Recognition of these multifaceted aspects of our children and ourselves can assist us in becoming conscious of our Divine Identity.

The counseling astrologer facilitates this process, assisting parents in gaining access to unconscious modes of behavior which may be interfering with the well being of their child, as well as helping parents recognize where they may be contributing significantly to their child’s growth and happiness.

Even without astrology, a parent who is striving toward consciousness is already deeply in touch with the intricacies and nuances of their child’s nature. Astrology is not intended to undermine or replace the intuitive function, but rather, exists as a rich symbolic language designed to assist us in accessing the hidden and arduous terrain of the psyche, allowing us passage to these inner dimensions, thus validating and illuminating our experience.

As an astrologer my vision is that, as we embark upon The Aquarian Age, we will more fully embrace astrological knowledge as a tool for assisting our children and generations to follow.

When a paradigm shift occurs, there is chaos. The heightening of individual consciousness is imperative for our survival as a human race and for the continuation of our beloved planet.

We are living in profoundly challenging times. Our children need us. We need our children. As a human race, our consciousness is shifting from an emphasis upon rationality to a retrieval of our inherently psychic abilities. The realm of the intuitive has been greatly diminished over the past 1500 years with the emergence of The Scientific Revolution and the Age of Technology. We are returning to magical mindfulness, intuitive thought and multi-dimensional existence. We are reclaiming the instinctive process.

It is our inexorable obligation to guide and assist children as we navigate this ominous territory, for they are indeed our hope for the future. The more we encourage them to resonate with their authenticity, the better equipped they will become in leading fulfilling, productive lives. The more we love them for who they truly are, unconditionally, the more they can love their selves, thus perpetuating love as we participate in collective transformation.

As a child, I experienced the multi-dimensionality of self and lived with a pure sensitivity that only a child can know. I sensed the beyond, participating in other dimensions. But it was not until my Saturn Return, a prolific cycle which occurs for everyone around the age of 28 years, that I became completely inspired by metaphysical, spiritual and deeply philosophical subjects, particularly astrology and tarot. Thus, I embarked upon a spiritual path, consciously and diligently, utilizing these sacred languages as tools for personal and spiritual unfoldment.

If someone would have told me 10 years ago that I would become a professional astrologer, I would have smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

I was devoted to music my entire life. As a piano teacher, I have accompanied hundreds of children through thousands of hours, teaching them the art of music. It was within this context that I embraced the sacredness of one to one relationships. I grew to understand that I was there to teach them much more than how to play the piano. My students, children and adults alike, began to open up to me. As they unraveled their stories, I embraced my unique position with reverence. I listened, counseled, loved and accepted.

As I began to digest the language of astrology, my interactions took on an even deeper significance. I began to look at their stars. I calculated the astrological charts of my students, and based upon what I saw, designed their curriculum and my manner of teaching to best meet their needs as unique individuals. I began to hear, “No one else understands me as you do.” This was perhaps the greatest lesson for me in realizing the uniqueness of all beings, and how knowledge of their soulful expression is of utmost importance in assisting them in life and learning.

Through these experiences I have become a professional counseling astrologer. Each and every day, I am thankful that I heard and embraced this calling, for one of the greatest gifts we can offer each other is the gift of recognition.

It is imperative that as parents, teachers and friends of children, we recognize that they too have their own journey, a destiny beyond anything we could possibly imagine. Our presence serves as guidance. We cannot determine the outcome. We can only embrace them and let them go.

As Kahlil Gibran has spoken most eloquently in The Prophet:

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
Which you cannot visit,
Not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
And He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, So He loves also the bow that is stable.

I have always loved the silence of winter. Even amidst the many celebratory holidays, life is imbued with welcome introspection. The elements impose inwardness upon us, creating a sense of safety and insulation from the turbulence of the outer world. This permits peacefulness and presence of mind.

The Sun enters the sign of Capricorn on December 22, 1999 at 2:44 AM, Eastern Standard Time. This very moment is the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, the time of greatest darkness. Solstice literally means Sun-Stand-Still. The Sun stands still in anticipation of the lights return. Solstice celebrations are universal. This is a pivotal and potent time period for all, marking distinct endings and beginnings. It is a time to embrace the interior of our life. It is a time to stand still.

The cyclic nature of life provides us with profound guidance and instruction. Nature’s cycles, the seasons, are guided, nurtured and nourished by the Sun. Conscious awareness of our solar expression assists us in making healthy and positive choices for our world and ourselves. When we are not in touch with the essential needs of our personal sun sign, we experience life as unfulfilling, disappointing and void of meaning or purpose.

Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces are the winter signs. They encompass archetypal patterns and themes, moods and premonitions, activities and modes of thought which are unique to this season. Many of you were born during this time, or have children who are of these signs. This article will illustrate some of the characteristics of individuals inhabiting these signs, as well as the collective themes we embrace during these times of the year.

Capricorn The Sea-Goat is an earth sign, possessing ambition, perseverance and instinctual practicality. The Sea-Goat, a mountain goat with the tail of a fish, is a symbol of power and accomplishment, capable of climbing mountainous heights and swimming across vast oceans. They are invincible symbols of power and accomplishment. The Capricorn person is one who must achieve, with utmost integrity and sense of responsibility. Capricorn embodies willfulness, tenacity, patience and resolution, striving in consistent fashion for that which is deemed worthy and obtainable.

There are many ‘shoulds’ in the vocabulary of those born under the sign of the goat, for the standards of being to which they aspire are outstanding in number as well as in expectation. Capricorn represents society, our place within it, and its expectations of us. Therefore the Capricorn cares deeply about appearance, propriety and status. Thus, Capricorns can be hard on themselves, never feeling the level of accomplishment which they deem vital to their well being and respectability. Life seems to be a constant uphill battle. But they are invincible until their goal is reached, containing within the ability to be disciplined and serious.

Sometimes too serious, Capricorn displays a distinct discomfort with the expression of emotion. For all of their extroversion where achievement is concerned, they are quite shy and inhibited on an emotional level. Prone to melancholy, introversion and solitude are necessary for these people, for they are profound and insightful. Capricorn is traditional where family relationships are concerned. They are respectful of elders, possessing a sophisticated adult manner often presenting itself in childhood. It is said among astrologers that Capricorn is born old.

As children, Capricorns need an earthy and routine stability. Honor their instinctual practicality by providing them with tangible daily rituals they can rely upon. Activities that provide them with a sense of accomplishment can only enhance their sense of self-worth. As these children are inherently hard on themselves, exercise consistent praise and affirmation of their expressions. Allow for responsible roles within the home.

During the sun’s visitation in the sign of Capricorn we have the opportunity for deep and profound introspection. This self-reflection lends itself to reevaluating that which is important to us, consciously striving toward an authentic self-realization. As there are many holidays to mark during this period, we devote ourselves to family and tradition. Thus commitment and responsibility are paramount. The New Year brings with it the making of resolutions in which we hope to improve upon ourselves and our lives for the coming year. We seek to accomplish in the New Year that which we have so far failed to attain. Many people find themselves struggling with depression and sadness at this time. A sense of failure may be pervasive, but this only serves to illuminate where we are being untrue to ourselves. For Capricorn, above all else, must be responsible to self, embracing a true and authentic self-authority. Thus, we can inhabit solitude of time and space, embracing our true nature before we venture out and enact our goals.

Aquarius, the Water Bearer, follows on January 20, 2000. Aquarius is an air sign, possessing an ethereal quality coupled with heightened mental faculties and a highly developed intuitive function. The humanitarian of the zodiac, Aquarius is possessed of far reaching ideals placing them ahead of their time.

Another very solitary sign, they experience aloneness for different reasons. Aquarius is truly revolutionary, exhibiting a proclivity towards rebellion. Strongly individualistic, they have great difficulty in following rules. They are eccentric, otherworldly and often times so progressive in outlook and perception that they feel outside of their families, social circles and employment situations. They are happiest when creating their own life in their own way. We often find them successfully self-employed in unique and far-reaching occupations.

Astrologers often say that Aquarians are the visionaries of the zodiac. They have intact the knowledge, inspiration and foresight to assist humanity with all of its challenges. They often feel misunderstood, particularly in childhood, when discipline, rules and regulations abound. Aquarian children must be given space to express their strong and unique individuality. Consider their vision and honor their reality. Find and encourage creative outlets where their authenticity and genius can shine!

During the sun’s travels through the sign of Aquarius, we as a collective are imbued with our own visionary qualities. We have a unique opportunity to hone our intuitive faculties. This time is ideal for creatively visualizing the most positive outcomes for our lives and humanity. We embody the ability to envision thus create a future for the greatest good of all. We enact goodness by honoring our unique talents, gifts and qualities. When we honor and express our authenticity we serve humanity. As we are upon The Age Of Aquarius, self-responsibility is paramount to healing the earth, each other and ourselves.

Pisces The Fishes enters our consciousness on February 19, 2000. The last of the winter signs, Pisces, a water sign, quenches our thirst for spiritual communion. Pisces is the last sign of the natural zodiac. Perhaps the most otherworldly member of the zodiac, Pisces is imbued with an attunement to the invisible realms. As mystics, dreamers, healers, and poets, Piscean people possess a highly evolved sensitivity and psychic perception. Sometimes this is to their detriment, as they are prone to taking on the burdens of the world. They truly understand the sorrows of the human condition, often found assisting those in need, whether they are plant, animal or human in form. In the eyes of Pisces, everything is divine. Life therefore, is often quite painful, as earthly reality does not often exhibit these divine sensibilities. Solitude is required for their well being, so that they may commune privately with their reverence for all of life.

The Pisces child is highly imaginative. Dreaming by day and by night is essential to their well being. They are angelic creatures. Because they have such an expansive experience of reality in all of its myriad forms, they need much gentle guidance for they are easily confused. Animal companions bring much happiness and also serve to assist them, for Pisceans are gifted in understanding and communicating with them. Artistic expressions where their visions can be rendered bring much peace and fulfillment. As their sensitivity lends itself to the absorption of their environment, their psychic abilities often cause extreme shifts in mood, for they pick up so precisely on the emotions of others. Provide a calm and soothing environment for the Pisces child allowing for healthy development of their highly sensitive nature.

We are enshrouded in mystery during the sun’s visitation of Pisces. During this auspicious time we have the opportunity to dream. Dreams convey messages. Attunement to them provides us with guidance and illumination, clearly and vibrantly illustrating lessons and initiations we experience during particular stages of life. Sun in Pisces can assist us tremendously as we traverse life from a spiritual perspective, honoring that which is less than tangible. We can facilitate this process through prayer and meditation. As we grow to know ourselves from this divine perspective, we find compassion and forgiveness for our fellows as well.

Winter, season of introspection, leads to rebirth. As we prepare for the vibrancy of spring, celebrating new life, let us carry with us those inner musings and awakenings, which serve to remind us that we are spiritual beings on the road of life.