Equinox blessings, FCEA community! We are at the start of our last semester prior to the new year. Enrollment is strong. We have been implementing new policies, fine-tuning registration, and embarking on developing new 400-level curriculum. We had a productive Virgo season! 

I have some exciting news to share. We recruited several new staff members and work-study students, while also expanding our teacher pool with the help of some of our very talented tutors. We are so grateful for all of them and their commitment to the FCEA. Uranus moving retrograde in early Gemini in a trine to Pluto retrograde at one degree Aquarius is opening our hearts and minds to creative solutions and radical new ideas in making the FCEA a brilliant place to study Steven’s methods and evolutionary astrology.

Let me briefly introduce our new team members. First, I want to say “thanks” to three of our current tutors, Ryan Evans, Fern Vuchinich and Shirley Waram, who have agreed to don a new FCEA “hat” and join us as teachers. Keep your eyes open and you’ll see more of them on our Zoom orientation and course Q and A calls. Next, we are thrilled to expand our amazing group of tutors with four new talented evolutionary astrologers. 

I’ll start with Penelope Love, who has been serving as a tutor since the start of 2025. Penelope is also expanding her FCEA role by being a teacher for us as well. Master-certified through our program, Penelope has been critical to the success of our school through her dedicated work as Registrar (along with Paula Wansley) and Communications Coordinator. She has three decades of experience as a writer, editor and publisher, and she has taught writing through college courses. As a tutor and teacher, she brings her love and a caring heart as educator as well as her skills in evolutionary astrology. Thank you, Penelope, for all you do with the FCEA! 

Sarah Beck joined our tutor team last January, so I know some students have already experienced Sarah’s gift for gentle, yet, helpful, comments and her loving support. Sarah recently graduated from the FCEA program and is a master-certified evolutionary astrologer. Sarah also has a strong educational background. She is a compassionate tutor with many years of experience teaching and training yoga instructors. We feel most fortunate to have Sarah serve our students with her many talents!

Vivien Jiang is our first tutor to hail from the continent of Asia. Another recent graduate of our program and a master-certified evolutionary astrologer, Vivien has worked in training management and has designed courses in KPI (Key Performance Indicators) coaching. As well as being a talented astrologer, she is also a conference translator. Her language and interpersonal skills will be so useful in the FCEA classroom. Welcome, Vivien! We are looking forward to working with you so much.

Our fourth new tutor is Ruby Glasspool, another very talented, master-certified evolutionary astrologer, who is also a recent graduate from the FCEA program. In addition, Ruby is a new FCEA teacher and she will be working as an instructional assistant with a primary focus upon the synastry courses and 300-level curriculum. Ruby loves to teach and leads very popular astrology circles in the UK where she lives. She brings a passion for education to the FCEA and many gifts in speaking and sharing our sacred craft. Ruby also has many talents in administrative tasks and organization that we are certain will be a great help to keeping the FCEA running smoothly.

Last but certainly not least, we are thrilled to have Andrea Ash’s excellent skills in running an online educational program and in her Moodle expertise. Andrea is joining our FCEA team as instructional assistant with a primary focus upon our 100 and 200-level classes. Andrea comes from a previous position as program coordinator at a major American university. She has over a decade of experience with educational program coordination, online learning and student support. Welcome to our team, Andrea!

Please give a warm welcome to our new instructional assistants, tutors and teachers when you meet them on a Zoom call or in an email exchange. We can’t do this work without them!

Catie Cadge, PhD
September 2025

In the spirit of Mars in Libra now, I am pondering about some ways I can be more proactive, have courage as Steven would say, in making the most of my closest relationships. How can I best work in collaboration to make the FCEA a better school? What creative strategies are possible? Who are my allies in support of our program of study? Let me mention first that I am so grateful for the hard work and dedication I see every day from my staff. We truly are a team and they are always there for me in loving support and wise insight. But when push comes to shove, a Dean’s job needs to entail some navigation and balance with all the brilliant minds and compassionate voices we have at the FCEA. Let me be bold in Mars fashion and take this stream of thought one step further.

We opened the doors of the FCEA in January, 2021, just following the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius at the end of the prior year. We literally embodied these two critical archetypes by having a lot of Jupiter gumption and some hard work and discipline of Saturn. Phew! What a journey. We are so proud of producing a successful school, even with the need to “put out daily fires,” as Steven likes to say. We are so thankful for the dedication, devotion and patience of our students, members and staff. But I want to address what I see as a drawback. Something we are finally able to address as a growing school. 

Since 2021, we have received wonderful constructive feedback – a wealth of it! Great suggestions for improvement or new directions have been coming in over the years from caring hearts and enlightened minds. How we can do things better at the FCEA. This past week, I completed interviews for the new instructional assistant position, meanwhile Penelope and Paula worked hard to assess our needs and review work-study applications. I am thrilled by the ideas I am hearing from our candidates of new project proposals and ways to fine-tune our curriculum from a number of perspectives (Uranus in Gemini anyone?). What a gift!

I would like to expand upon the creative, collaborative energy that seems to be touching my world lately. I’d like to ask all of you out there reading my update to jump into the Libra dance we are doing at the FCEA and come in defense Mars-style by submitting your ideas to help us grow into our full potential as a “Jupiter-Saturn” school. Let’s claim Jupiter by making us more welcoming, caring, and wise, while also keeping the rigor and structure of Saturn to get the learning done. If you are game, please share your suggestions and reflections at feedback@forrestastrology.center. Consider these questions:

1. What works well at the FCEA? 

2. What methods of instruction or evaluation seem the most helpful? What would you like to see more of in FCEA classes?

3. What improvements would you like to see in the monthly Q and A calls with Steven?

4. What is not working for you as a student or member? How might we improve?

5. What new 400-level classes would you like to see offered? 

6.  What other suggestions for growth or improvement, in general, would you like to share?

If you have already submitted an idea, don’t hesitate to share it again. We look forward to hearing your input. We are here to listen. What exciting new revelations might come our way as Uranus moves through Gemini? The planet turns retrograde the first week of September. What a perfect time for the FCEA staff to dive into your creative insights, reflect and consider planning ahead in making innovative change happen. Thank you for your passion for evolutionary astrology and for your dedication to the FCEA!

Catie Cadge, PhD
Late August 2025

It’s near the end of July, FCEA classes are in full swing and I am getting ready to compose next year’s school calendar. It’s been a challenging summer for starting new work projects here in California with lengthy void-of-course Moon periods and Mercury stopping in the sky to station retrograde last week. Then add Jupiter in Cancer. The universe seems to be saying time to ease up, take some breaks, nurture each other and allow moments to reflect and heal. 

Let’s see if we can make the most of these very long void-of-course “chapters” in August. There are several of them. Steven always says look for the last aspect the Moon makes before these extensive void periods. Look for a good aspect the Moon forms (a few of them are “soft” – a sextile or trine, for example); these are the best times to tap into our lunar meditations. But, of course, we can use any lunar aspect to guide us through our inner work, as we put aside initiating any significant new endeavors. Then there is Mercury retrograde appearing to travel backward through early degrees of Leo, turning direct at 12:29 am PDT on August 11th at 04 degrees 14′. The planet remains in its “shadow”, covering degrees of Leo passed over while retrograde, until August 25th. 

Somewhere in life, you need to be selfish. Something inside yourself needs a creative outlet, a way to shine with your own unique gifts, and to have fun and let go. Roar in your own particular style and find the inner muse inside. Day-to-day work routines help us to master and utilize our skill sets as evolutionary astrologers. But tedious chores and drudgery can just bring us spiraling downward. How best to describe the inner work of Leo? Revisit and reevaluate plans in Mercury retrograde fashion to restore meaningful play in all that you do. 

Let me turn back now and apply this astrological context to your work at the FCEA. Excuse me as I promote some of our advanced 400-level classes! We are slowly rolling out new courses designed to acknowledge the specialist in you. Please use Mercury in Leo, retrograde now, and feel in your heart where in your practice you’d like to truly “shine.” What is your special talent or skill? Electional, astro-mapping or perhaps rectification? As we open these classes in the remaining few months of 2025 and in 2026, opportunities arise to add a designation to your FCEA diploma stating your passion. Why not give it some thought? We look forward to seeing you in class!

Catie Cadge, PhD
July 2025

Solstice blessings, everyone. I write to you just a few days past Jupiter’s entry into the sign Cancer. It is not an easy time in California where I live. Jupiter is making a square to Saturn and Neptune in early Aries. Unlawful abuse of military might and deceptive leadership. Tension and fire in the streets. But I don’t want to venture into an article about mundane astrology. Rather, let’s move in the direction of celebrating the high road of what Jupiter in Cancer brings. Steven will discuss the Saturn and Neptune conjunction on our solstice celebration call this week. I’ll focus upon Jupiter moving through Cancer here as I share reflections about our time in Greece.

I want to start by recognizing our tutor, colleague and good friend, Linda Walker, who is leaving the FCEA as staff in June. One of the first group of graduates from the FCEA, Linda has been a critical player at the school through her hard work and talent in overseeing many of our classes and assisting our tutors in instruction. She is also a phenomenal tutor and gifted evolutionary astrologer. Some of you know I am currently in my progressed Full Moon phase. The progressed lunation cycle is such an amazing guide throughout our lives, suggesting the questions we might ask ourselves and the steps we might take in a thirty-year long period (we teach about the progressed lunation cycle in FCEA 301: The Moon). When I first met Linda Walker, I was in the progressed first quarter Moon phase and, as Steven says in The Book of the Moon, “the rubber met the road” in the development of the FCEA. I couldn’t have made the school survive without Linda’s sharp eye for correction and constructive assistance. In essence, Linda helped fine-tune the operations of the school. A compassionate and caring soul, Linda was always there for our staff, our students and for other tutors when they needed her loving support and knowledge about the FCEA.

Linda will always be part of our FCEA family. We wish you all the best, Linda!

A few weeks ago, I returned to the “office” from our FCEA “Astrological Odyssey in Greece,” the workshop in Athens with Steven and then our Sacred Site Journey throughout many of the most spiritually-moving temples and sacred spaces of the Peloponnese peninsula. I am so thankful to have the love, talents and leadership on this trip of Steven and Lisa Jones, our FCEA tutor who, through her company, Aquarius Rising, offers outstanding astrology-themed workshops and travel opportunities. Truly my soul sister, Lisa made our journey into the kind of shared FCEA family gathering that I dreamed of. And I want to also thank our students and members on the journey too. Meeting each of you was such a blessing. Whether we were sharing insights into a sacred site like Mycenae, walking the streets of Athens or Nafplio, checking out Greek musicians in front of storefronts or eating souvlaki together at Olympia, magic of the love of family was there.

I’d like to share with you my most memorable moment, during our visit to Delphi, one of the most sacred sites in all of Greece. Prior to the trip, I spent weeks reading up on the history of the site and the famous oracle, a highly revered prophetess. She was a gifted woman who channeled the Divine (mostly Apollo, though Dionysus was also present at the site). She assisted both those in high places of power and authority and lesser folk, who at times, had more intimate and personal questions. There was something about the oracle I felt we needed to absorb as a group, we needed to feel and witness in our hearts. And there she was in full glory, her spirit, her soul. I gathered a small bottle of the sacred water, meditated among the stone blocks of the adyton, the “holy of holies” of the oracle of Delphi, and climbed the gradual path that led us through the ancient structures. It was the wind, the mountain air, that caught me off guard. “Let it move within you, let your healing intuition be a part of life’s journey. You have work to do, dear lady. Don’t lose sight of the sacred way”. I feel I was lucky to receive a special message that day from the oracle. And I was blessed to share it in my heart right there with those true family I love the most.

Weeks have gone by and now Jupiter is in Cancer. The planet conjuncts my north node in the 4^th house this summer. How can I listen to the oracle? How can I heal and nurture my soul? Of course, as FCEA students and community, you all know: look at my natal 3rd house Gemini Moon. But I feel it is really through loving you in Cancer style, dear community, to bond and commit to my FCEA clan.

In July, we will honor our new 2025 graduates. Our FCEA family is so blessed to have them as an integral part of our school. Look for more celebratory news about this group of talented evolutionary astrologers in the July newsletter. We are so proud of them!

Happy solstice to all.

Catie Cadge, PhD
June 2025

We begin Gemini season this year with some exciting news about our classes and programs here at the FCEA. We will have a new series of advanced classes at the 400-level addressing many of the special topics students requested we cover. Several years ago, Steven and I worked together to create the curriculum that was designed to introduce students to a number of useful topics in astrology, in order to give these subjects an evolutionary spin. Since then, we have been very busy running and growing the FCEA, but now we are ready to start rolling out these 400-level courses one at a time in the months ahead. This will be a gradual process, so please be patient! We want to make sure we have everything properly in place with each new offering. 

Please read on to hear about the program changes and the first 400-level class opening: FCEA 405: The Asteroids: Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, and Juno. With synchronicity and grace, when this newsletter article comes out, we will be traveling in Greece to a few of the many sacred temples and sites associated with these well-known Goddesses in Greek mythology. What a blessing and gift to be able to commune with them, feel Divine inspiration, and connect with our hearts through pilgrimage with one another in this sacred landscape. I am so thrilled to be joined by so many FCEA students and members on this Greek odyssey with Steven. But I also look forward to sharing this rich topic in evolutionary astrology together with those who wish to join FCEA 405. 

Eventually, there will be a variety of optional elective 400-level courses available to 300 Master Level students and FCEA graduates. These will include electional astrology, astromapping, and chart rectification, to name just a few. Students who complete three 400-level electives will earn an Honors Designation on their FCEA Master’s diploma, and students completing all six 400-level electives will earn a Distinguished Honors Designation. By participating and receiving credit in these classes, students will be able to add recognition of a specialty (a focus upon certain advanced skill sets in evolutionary astrology) to their practice, and the two-tiered honors designation will be noted on graduate listings on the FCEA website and added to their FCEA diploma. I am hopeful this new 400-level curriculum will provide an additional layer of support for students who are expanding their professional practice. 

In FCEA 405: The Asteroids: Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, and Juno, we focus upon these “Big Four” because they were the first asteroids (Astronomers now call Ceres a dwarf planet, along with Pluto. We astrologers continue to call it an asteroid.) to be discovered and introduced into astrological study and analysis. Personally, I am very excited about this course! As I write this newsletter article, the asteroid Vesta is transiting my natal Neptune/Juno/Pallas conjunction in Scorpio, 8th house. It feels as if synchronicity is saying this is the right time to open the class with its maiden run. In FCEA 405, we will explore Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Juno in both the natal chart and by transit, progression and solar arc. We will investigate these four asteroids in the context of various charts, including their possible role in the nodal story or when the lunar nodes are being activated. 

For this initial class offering, FCEA 405 will run July 25th through August 15th, four weeks long with Zoom meetups on Fridays between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm, Pacific time. In addition to live weekly tutor-led class sessions, the course includes written discussions, handouts, charts and videos by Steven. Course tuition is $399. If you are currently in the 300-level or an FCEA graduate, please consider joining us in class! Our catalog includes enrollment information. I hope to see many of you participate down the road, as well, as we open each of these exciting new courses.

Let me start this month’s update with a personal reflection about our current moment in time. In preparation for Saturn’s entrance into Aries on May 24th, I find myself contemplating what I need to work on in myself, the hard work it may take, to have the courage to lead the FCEA with the initiative and gumption of Aries. You see the sign Aries falls in my natal 1st house, intercepted, with Jupiter at 10°28’, providing me an opportunity for expressing the energy in the sign of the ram. 

But, as Steven always says, the full expression of a planet sitting in an intercepted sign takes a longer time to mature and develop. Jupiter, co-ruler of my Pisces ascendant, and Saturn, dispositor of my Capricorn Sun, always seem to be duking it out for me. My natal Saturn is in Aquarius and in the 12th house. Now Saturn by transit is traveling through my 1st house, the ringed planet will conjunct my Jupiter in about a year’s time. Is the universe asking me to accept the challenge and somehow integrate the energy of these vastly different planets? To step up to the plate and mature, Saturn style, into leadership? 

These are valid questions I imagine for myself. But when I also think of Aries, I ponder: What is worth fighting for and defending? And isn’t the 1st house the house Steven calls “enlightened selfishness”? With Neptune by transit there as well, I wonder, where is the spiritual path leading to deeper consciousness for me? How does one balance a call to action with meditation and the emptiness of ego? Moving Saturn will square my natal 10th house Capricorn Sun soon in 2026, Neptune in orb of a square as well.

Enough about me. How do individuals at the FCEA respond on a high road to both Saturn and Neptune in Aries? In past newsletter articles, I encouraged people to claim the path of the spiritual warrior. And, to me, this is still valid. But I would like to ride a little more with the concept of “enlightened selfishness”. What needs to radically develop in ourselves to be that warrior? I say a realistic and at times selfish approach to our basic rights to make our quest for consciousness front and center in our lives. 

Now don’t get me wrong; I am the Dean of our school and I certainly want to see us studying and applying ourselves through mental effort at every stage of our course work or on calls as FCEA members. How else can we learn the nuts and bolts of our sacred craft? But perhaps the universe is saying make the time, put the work in, and have the courage to dive into, as Steven would say, “cleaning our spiritual windows.” Doing so may involve some risk, some personal gumption in order to put your needs first. How else can we strive to be accomplished evolutionary astrologers if we don’t put our spiritual journey in the forefront of our lives?

I realize I am asking a lot of questions here. I just think reflecting upon transiting Saturn and Neptune for all of us involves giving definition to what works for us individually in growing our spiritual practice. It will follow that the mystical, psychic, and sensitive watery energies of Neptune will bless and make real our intuitive gifts. Then we can really put into place all the technical skills of study at the FCEA. With discipline and dedication, we grow in consciousness and then we become the kind of warriors the world needs. Set intentions for putting your Neptune work into action, giving your spiritual life a “right to take up space.” I have a feeling the rest of your astrological work will fall into place.

Happy equinox, FCEA community. Here in California, our clocks “spring forward” so now we have more hours of light and longer days. To me, Aries season always says it’s time to spring into action! We see lots of new growth and excitement at the FCEA. Everyone is doing a fine job finishing up their classwork before spring break. We are about to start up our second round of 2025 classes in late March and April. Steven and I want to give a special thank you to cohort 5 for their great contributions to 306-05, The Master Practicum. We were so impressed by the level of insight and skill this group demonstrated in class! Next up, this group will be taking our counseling course, Sacred Counsel. We listened to our students’ requests about this class. We expanded it to two-hour Zoom sessions a week. We are also excited to announce some changes in scheduling to better assist students in different time zones. Let me explain.

First, the big news: we are now opening up the Sacred Counsel class to any student currently enrolled in the 300-level curriculum. We changed the numbering of the class to reflect three different offerings at three different times a year. Times may vary one year to the next, so please consult the school catalog when published the year before. You can now take Sacred Counsel along with another 300-level class if you wish. FCEA Sacred Counsel is now FCEA-300SC. This year the class will be held according to the following dates:

• FCEA-300SC-25A — March 25 – April 15, 2025 (Tuesdays 12:00 – 2:00 pm PT) 
  First Priority to Cohorts 5 & 7

• FCEA-300SC-25B — June 25 – July 16, 2025 (Wednesdays 8:00 – 10:00 am PT) 
  First Priority to Cohort 7 & 9

• FCEA-300SC-25C — September 18 – October 9, 2025 (Thursdays 5:00 – 7:00 pm PT) 
  First Priority to Cohorts 9 & 11

Priority registration will be given to the cohort (class of students) who has finished FCEA 306: The Master Practicum or the cohort next in line to take it. 

Students in cohorts 5, 7, 9 and 11 can register starting on March 19th when they read this in the newsletter.

Once cohort 13 successfully finishes the 200-level curriculum in June, they, too, may register for FCEA 300SC-25C or wait for one of the 300SC offerings next year.

This new series of FCEA 300SC will allow students to choose a time and day of the week suitable for their unique schedule. We are hoping this will help students find a class that works for them. 

Meanwhile, we also made some changes to the graduation schedule in light of the new dates of completion of FCEA 300SC. We will hold two graduations a year: one in late July and one in late November. Because students will complete the FCEA curriculum at different times of the year, two graduation ceremonies will best accommodate all. We realize this biannual event may bring together students from different cohorts, but we hope we can support each other and share student achievements as a community with Steven. We will announce these graduation dates in the weeks ahead. Students would be listed in the directory on our website as soon as they successfully complete both 300SC and 306.

Finally, I look forward to seeing some of you soon in Athens, Greece, for Steven’s program, “Finding the Heart of the Birth Chart,” April 24 through 29th, followed by our Sacred Sites Journey, April 29th through May 7th. This is our first FCEA-sponsored live event with Steven! We are thrilled to share time together in person in class and to experience the wonders of the sacred landscape of Greece. I also recognize many would like to see other opportunities to meet in person as the FCEA community. Penelope Love and I will attend Steven’s class at OMEGA, in Rhinebeck, New York, this summer from August 17th through the 22nd.  The topic is an exciting one: synastry! Although this is not an official FCEA-sponsored event, we love to see students and staff at OMEGA. Please consider joining us!  As Neptune prepares to enter Aries, let’s dream big!

March 6 marks the 6th birthday of the FCEA (try saying that six times fast!). Congratulations dear school! Near the end of next month, in March, Neptune makes a big shift by moving into Aries and I am wondering, now that we are in Pisces season, what type of vision do we need for our school? As we all know, there is a certain letting go process with the archetypes of Pisces and Neptune. What behaviors need to go now so that we can all take the Neptunian initiative with fiery action in the spirit of Aries? Being a mystic and going to the mountaintop all has its place. But somehow I feel now we need to be ready to act.

I am hoping this short essay might inspire FCEA students and community members to step out and make your own voices heard! Let me explain.

I think of Steven’s description of a child learning to read under a “Mercury time,” and how that little one carries that ability to read into the future, well past that moment with Mercury. How do we build upon the mystical insights and spiritual work we have been doing this past fourteen years since the watery planet of consciousness, Neptune, entered Pisces? In the years ahead, we all will need those spiritual tools earned through Neptune’s journey through each and every one of our charts to handle the potential low road of delusion and aggression possible with a “me first” attitude of Aries. But let’s also remember there is a high road of Aries. Where do we as a school of evolutionary astrology step into the future with Aries gumption and a warrior spirit?

In the natal chart of the FCEA, we have Chiron, the “wounded healer,” at 0°54’ Aries in the 11th house. Mercury at 29°34’ Pisces, stationed at the time of the school’s “birth,” before turning retrograde, and it conjuncts Chiron. Wouldn’t you agree this is such an intriguing natal conjunction, given Neptune’s current position and the planet’s upcoming ingress into Aries? Clearly, our particular methods and approach in practicing evolutionary astrology depend upon a compassionate, intuitive Piscean voice. Ideally, we help to guide the 11th house collective into a growth of spiritual consciousness. But that’s a tall order for our FCEA community! It takes courage! That Chiron of ours suggests that we may have a wound to process when it comes to asserting our right to “take up space” or claim “enlightened selfishness,” as Steven says, in the larger community we hope to serve.

I recall Steven’s accurate description of the high road of Mars, ruler of Aries, as “spiritual warrior.” Out-of-bounds Mars by transit is about to station direct February 23 at 17°00’ Cancer on the FCEA’s 3rd house cusp and in opposition to our Saturn at 18°13’ Capricorn on our 9th house cusp. Meanwhile, the FCEA’s progressed Moon in Gemini is just about to cross our school’s ascendant. What feeds our healing voices while we attempt to bring our ideas, methods and wisdom to the collective table? I mean this next statement in a most humble Piscean way, but I think we need to step into our power, our abilities to be leaders among our peers in astrology, to put ourselves first as worthy healers of a choice-centered evolutionary approach. Our voices have a right to “take up space”!

It is time for our voices to be heard and be a force for change in our world. Have you thought about sharing your own astrological insights built upon a foundation of your studies at the FCEA? Or how about writing ideas in response to Steven’s Q and A calls or his many insightful publications? Consider giving a paper at one of the many astrology conferences or organizational meetups. Or introduce evolutionary astrology through a local gathering. As FCEA students and community members, we all have a multiplicity of Gemini perspectives that our school’s Progressed Moon wants to boldly put forward. It is time to claim that Aries Chiron wound in the 11th and use it to forge ahead with confidence and a strong, yet healing, voice. We’ve got this! And we all have something to say.

At the FCEA, in January, we open our doors after the holiday season and welcome back to class our students, tutors and teachers. I hope all return refreshed and eager to dive into their studies once again. We are moving full-steam ahead in 2025. It’s been a busy few weeks! Ten classes are now up and running. I am so grateful for our amazing staff who worked closely as a team to get everyone all set in terms of registration, enrollment in Moodle (our online learning platform) and timing of orientation calls. I want to give a special welcome to our new students joining us in FCEA 101B, our guided introductory course. I wish them the best in embarking upon learning our sacred craft. There is lots for us to look forward to in the months ahead!

Let me start the year by sharing some thoughts I have about the current dance between the planet Jupiter, in the sign Gemini, and Saturn in Pisces. I’m going to mention just briefly some of my own transits in recent months, then apply my thought processes to the FCEA community and what we hope to accomplish collectively. Most readers are probably familiar with the ongoing square between Jupiter, “King of the Gods,” and Saturn, “the old taskmaster.” Last year, the square was exact August 19th and December 24th, and we will see one final one this coming June 15th in Cancer and Aries respectively (Neptune also enters Aries this spring). Of course, taking into account orbs, the square has been in play off and on for months (orbs are such a tricky factor, as Steven would say, “when does a kitten become a cat?”) And then we see certain triggers enter the astrological picture. I write this article just a day after quick-moving Venus lined up by conjunction with Saturn in Pisces. 

Here’s my personal connection to this ongoing square: This past year, Saturn crossed my Pisces ascendant three times, while Jupiter formed an exact conjunction with my natal Gemini Moon only once last summer. The exact squares of 2024 fell within a tight orb of both my ascendant and Moon. Yet now, I have to admit, as Jupiter in Gemini slows down in preparation of turning direct February 4th at 11°16’, I feel the “full monty” of Jupiter’s gumption and overloading tendencies, all while the big gaseous giant stops in the sky so close, but not exact, my natal Moon at 11°11’. I’m over-extended, sure. Opportunities abound, sure. But, from an evolutionary perspective, the question to ask myself is what truly makes me happy?   

You see my Gemini Moon falls in my 3rd house, house of communication and perception, of learning and teaching, of the curious mind and data in and data out. I can tell you I have definitely encountered Jupiter “the teacher” with this month’s close conjunction. Where do I need to reassess my role as teacher, how can I rekindle the passion I have for sharing ideas and claiming my lunar “voice”? Saturn on my ascendant wants me to see the path of maturation to be the kind of Piscean “mystic” I hope to be. Where do I need limits and a reality check about boundaries in the last third of my life? There’s Jupiter “the trickster.” Saturn on my ascendant says define what kind of mask I will don.

Thanks for listening while I tried to sum up these impactful transits in my own evolutionary path. But how can we all learn from Jupiter’s upcoming stationary period? How can we make the most of it at the FCEA? Perhaps it might help to remember we have a monumental shift this spring when both Saturn and Neptune enter Aries. Maybe Jupiter sets the stage for us to claim our true voices, to use our curious minds, so we can be the type of spiritual and wise warrior humanity sorely needs. What kind of fresh perspectives or new avenues of learning do you need? In the weeks ahead as Jupiter stations and stops in the sky we can roll the dice on ourselves in Gemini fashion. Where does 11°Gemini fall in your natal chart? 

Returning to the FCEA classroom, each of us works hard to build a repertoire of words, questions and metaphors useful as an evolutionary astrologer while learning the nuts and bolts of astrology. We learn a skill set needed to speak a language that heals, offers compassion and makes real our Piscean intuitive and visionary imagination. Late January and the month of February provide an astrological moment in time rich in educational potential. You simply have to let synchronicity and your curiosity take center stage. Make your mind an open book, absorb, practice, and grab hold of Jupiter “the teacher.” All I can say is let’s hope more and more people learn to understand the language of evolutionary astrology, so we can become those spiritual warriors ready to fight. Make this time one of Jupiterian growth and hopeful dreams and aspirations. 

My heart goes out to those in our community affected by the recent devastating fires in Southern California. A fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire makes us all yearn more for peace and an end to this brutal war. Democracy seems to slip through our fingers. As evolutionary astrologers, we have much to do to help heal a wounded world. This spring, in class or as you study, work hard to think, learn, expand your mind as we prepare for Jupiter moving into Cancer. Become the astrologer the world needs you to be. With the north node of the Moon now in Pisces, strive to be that healing mystic.

Holiday greetings, FCEA community! We hope you are enjoying some relaxing time off from your studies during our school break. We wish you a beautiful solstice and New Year. In the spirit of the yuletide season, I want to share a brief example of the power of the “changing sky” in the evolutionary path of a very special writer, Charles Dickens. Now, bear with me, this will be a Christmas story and I know we have a diverse FCEA community. Try to see this case as simply a great example of planets in Capricorn at work, rather than a particular religious message. It is a timeless story that touches everyone’s heart!

A few years back, during the pandemic, I wrote about the astrology at play in the fall of 1843 when Dickens took the chance to work in solitude, very hard on a writing project, the now-famous novella, “A Christmas Carol”, AKA ‘Scrooge’. It sold out by Christmas Eve that year! Let’s look at the timing of his Capricorn “great work.” With the Sun now in the sign of Capricorn at the end of the year, maybe Dickens’ story can inspire us as we create our 2025 new year’s resolutions.

Here below is a biwheel chart showing Dickens’ natal chart (inner wheel) and the current sky at the time of publication of “A Christmas Carol” (outer wheel – set for noon). I’ve included asteroids for advanced students to consider. We always start with the natal Sun, Moon and Ascendant; Aquarius, Sagittarius and Virgo, respectively, for Mr. Dickens. The revolutionary innovator with the soul of the philosopher wearing the mask of the master craftsman. Mercury, ruler of Dickens’ chart, was in the spotlight in the fall of 1843, along with Saturn and Jupiter, rulers of Aquarius and Sagittarius.

Between October and December of 1843, when Dickens produced “A Christmas Carol,” he threw himself into an intensive writing period of several weeks. Saturn, the great “task master,” was very strong in the sign of Capricorn then. During the 6-week period, the planet formed an exact conjunction with Charles Dickens’ natal Mercury on his 5th House cusp, house of creative expression, Mercury the writer. Faster moving Mars, out of bounds, came through as well by conjunction, helping Dickens to focus his will and put into action creatively his ideas about moral and social reform, the higher octave of Capricorn, through an unconventional out-of-bounds voice. By the date of publication (shown in the biwheel chart), Mars had moved on into Pisces. When the book sold the days before Christmas that same year, Venus by transit joined Saturn in the sky, again meeting Dickens’ natal Mercury. His Capricorn Saturnine creative endeavor was well received!

During November, when Dickens was at work writing, Jupiter and Neptune in Aquarius were exactly in conjunction with his natal Sun, also in his 5th House. The universe was asking Dickens to take a chance and be the visionary writer as teacher of social justice and change. For those not familiar with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the primary message is about loving one’s neighbor and family first, rather than greed and selfishness, or hoarding one’s money and doing business at the expense of the heart. By the time of publication, shown in the posted biwheel chart, we see Jupiter has moved on into Dickens’ 6th house and was forming a conjunction with Dickens’ natal Chiron, the wounded healer. Dickens took his wound as the Aquarian outsider and put it to service as healer by identifying with the plight of the poor and struggling pariahs of Victorian England. Dickens, himself, was wounded in childhood as a social pariah, having to go to a work house due to his father’s debt when he was twelve.

In 1843, it wasn’t an easy time for Dickens (Saturn conjunct his natal Mercury, Pluto in Aries by transit in an exact square) and he didn’t make much money despite the book’s popularity – he actually got into a legal scuffle over it – but in the long run, what a gift it was for all of us. It transformed our notion of Christmas for generations to come. For everyone, whether we celebrate Christmas or not, December remains a season of charity and love and human connection.

What a potential in growth of Neptunian consciousness for Charles Dickens as he wrote in isolation and silence. Neptune seems to have this impact of moving the larger collective. And there the planet was sitting on his natal Sun, his solar self. He needed a vision for his creative life, as Steven would say.

When we consider the nodes of the Moon, we see a karmic pattern, like something needed to be said. The south node in the sky in the fall of 1843, fell in his 10th House, house of mission or career, and aligned by conjunction Dickens’ Jupiter in Gemini, co-ruler of his natal south node. Of course, Gemini, ruled by Mercury, is strongly associated with communication and writing. Neptune, fellow co-ruler of Dickens’ natal south node, stimulated his creative 5th house imagination with Aquarian themes, asking Dickens to cultivate his 12th house Virgo north node with a compassionate spiritual voice.

I often think about what a collective impact “A Christmas Carol” had and how its legacy is so enduring. Good ol’ Ebenezer Scrooge and his encounter with the three ghosts; I think just about everyone knows the story.

Knowing your natal chart and the potential of the “current sky” is such an extraordinary and sacred tool. Now is a good season to ask yourself, what great work is dormant in me? How in Capricorn season can I strive for my “great work” in 2025? I hope you enjoyed my story. Solstice blessings, everyone! I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the FCEA next year!