January/February 2008 Featured Stories
2008 Predictions: The Year of Action

2008 promises to be a year of change. Remember the power of grace and the strength of your own imagination to create your world.


Major Planetary Shifts

Mark Dodich

Mark Dodich

It seems that every New Year excites people with anticipation and anxiety about the energy ahead. But every now and then, a new year comes along to rock your socks off. Tighten your shoelaces because 2008 is such a year.

Expansive projects and philosophical ideals are coming out of the ethers into physical reality. Abundance-producing Jupiter is traveling through foundation-building Capricorn all year. Jupiter throws a thunderbolt to clear the path, but you must take the first step through a leap of faith.

Take action, remembering that you are born from what Hermetic philosophers call "all that is." The core of your divine essence already knows that you have full access to the unlimited storehouse of infinite energy. Mentoring Jupiter helps you manifest your highest philosophy in a down-to-earth way. Capricorn requires that you roll up your sleeves and put that unlimited abundance into practical service for the greater good of humanity.

In 2008, there is a slightly different twist to this heightened level of service. An energetic activation took place just a few days before Winter Solstice when spiritual destiny points called the nodes of the moon moved into Aquarius and Leo.

Like an ice cream cone that swirls two flavors, you must intermingle the energies of individualistic Aquarius and tribal leader Leo. Aquarius holds the complicated energy that wants to detach from the group while still being a part of it. Leo wants to passionately lead the group to a better way, but also wants to be intimately involved in the process. Both signs tend to think that their way is the right way. It would be wise to avoid "my way or the highway" attitudes through July 2009.

The different twist to this increased service is that you must be willing to give and receive. Perhaps it is an illusion, but it seems that the majority of heart-centered people bringing forth a new age for humanity are overly focused on the giving side. The Aquarius-Leo polarity now opening requires a healthy balance of giving and receiving.

It is critically important that you get this message due to a life-changing energetic shift beginning on Jan. 26. Self-interest is not selfishness - it is honoring the god within. All of the prosperity consciousness exercises in the world will not help you if you do not practice receiving. Invest time in yourself through meditation, exercise or spending time to learn something new that will help you in a practical way.

The life-transforming shift comes as burn-your-bridges-behind-you Pluto follows Jupiter into Capricorn. Two major planets are now in the sign of the goat, both urging you to manifest your needs and higher service in the mundane world.

It seems that many spiritual growth oriented people prefer to work in the higher chakra areas of intuitive insight and enlightenment, yet ignore the lower chakra energies of basic survival. Even a monk focused primarily on enlightenment tends to the humdrum activities of life like cooking healthy food while feeding the soul.

This earthy Capricorn energy combined with step-into-your-power Pluto is only making an initial foray into this get-down-to-business sign. In June, Pluto retrogrades into adventurous Sagittarius to complete your philosophical transformation that started in 1995. By the time Pluto re-enters worldly-wise Capricorn next November, you will be ready to apply that philosophical insight into the mainstream world. This global transformation continues through 2024.

Capricorn will change government, big business, the way we treat elders in society, tax structures and even our understanding of fourth-dimensional time. Capricorn health issues rise to the surface for new treatment methods in areas like skin cancer, chiropractic techniques, depression and even dental care. Capricorn countries like Libya, Taiwan and Indonesia will be making major transformations. Utah, New Mexico, Detroit and New York City are all Capricorn places that are up for transformation.

Personally, the New Year gives you the opportunity to release the past 13 years while planting seeds for this major Plutonian upheaval. If you are willing to work toward long-term transformation rather than doing"I want it and I want it now," then you are on the path to taking maximum advantage of this planetary shift that has not been with us since the founding of the United States.

The key to using 2008 energies to manifest your ideals in the mundane world is to strip away fantasy thinking combined with taking pragmatic actions to achieve your goals. Balance giving and receiving to keep you healthy, happy and wise.

Mark Dodich has been a professional astrologer and intuitive consultant since 1980. Mark's specialties include natal astrology, relocation astrology maps and seven ray spiritual purpose astrology. A free "Prosperity Enhancement Guide" pdf and a "Zodiac Signs of US States & Cities" pdf can be downloaded at www.astromark.us. For a free copy of his ASTROMARK print newsletter, call 503-252-1558.

Northwest Predictions

John Skyrman

John Skyrman

In 2008, we will be going into a "one" year, a time of new beginnings and manifesting what you want the new year to bring for yourself personally and for the entire world.

Locally in Oregon, new construction on homes will slow until fall 2008. Late spring and earlier summer would be a great time to buy a new home. In Seattle-area housing, the bubble will not burst but deflate a little.

There are going to be minor earth changes as well as small earthquakes in the Oregon and Washington area, but nothing shaking over 4.5. The weather in the Pacific Northwest is going to be warmer than usual this coming summer. Fires will hit the Central Oregon area as well as Idaho.

John Skyrman offers readings at Stargazers in Bellevue, Spirit Journey in Issaquah, and by phone. Visit www.johnskyrman.com.

Grace Lends a Helping Hand

Norma Gentile

Norma Gentile

According to my principle guides, Archangel Michael and Mary, the role of prophecy is to call to our awareness those patterns of behavior that we can change, so that events may also shift.

One of the issues at hand in 2008 and future years will be that of anger and violence. American culture rewards those who are sleep deprived and caffeine driven. But, according to my guides, portions of the sleep cycle exist so that our soul might commune with the greater consciousness of humanity. During this time of sleep we are held in the divine field of love. Our body is rebalanced, while our hearts and minds come to rest in the stillness of Spirit.

In early 2008 a portion of our solar system, including the Earth, will be passing through a dense cosmic field of energy that will impair mental telepathy and similar mental processes. This will magnify emotions such as depression, anger and hopelessness, which are already at a peak for many in the winter-darkened climates of the Northern Hemisphere. The Earth exits this dense energy in the middle of March, and at least at the cosmic level, we are free of such energy until later in the fall.

But while we are within this field, it may feel like our spiritual radios are picking up nothing but static. Our spiritual energies are strong, but most of us have opened primarily the mental or sixth chakra to spiritual connections. The density of the cosmic energies will cause our mind's abilities to misread spiritual messages. This is an opportunity to relearn our connection to each other and to our shared consciousness not from the psychic realm of the mind, but through the communion of the heart.

For this reason, Mary offers a message about the importance of grace. Grace is a way of opening in remembrance to spirit moving through our hearts everyday. Remembering our own ability to feel grace heightens the spiritual radio reception in our hearts. Acknowledging grace helps us see ourselves as being worthy of love, and will help and support us to make healthy decisions while walking in the foggy energies to come.

What is grace? Grace is an act that appears out of stillness. Grace is a kindness provided, but not expected. Grace happens when the heart asks, rather than the mind. Grace is our ability to bless each other.

The word grace in English comes from the Latin words thank you and gratitude. Think of the Italian grazie or Spanish word gracias. Both reflect a sense of thanksgiving and gratitude.

Grace is our ability to bless each other. In giving a blessing to another, the very act implies your gratitude for that person. You are in a state of grace because of your feelings of gratitude for someone. As you bless them, you are thanks giving to them.

Sound shaman, singer and healer, Norma Gentile offers concerts, workshops and healings in many cities. Her newest recording of healing chants, Songs of Spirit: Live Sound Healings is available at iTunes, along with her podcasts. Visit www.healingchants.com for her January events in Portland.

Imagining Your Abundant Life

Daeryl Holzer

Daeryl Holzer

2008 is the year to meet our material needs of abundance and security in ways that may seem drastically adverse to established systems or what we are comfortable with. Our financial and political structures are already changing. We once relied on our corporations and governments, but they can no longer take care of us. Rather than suffer in lack and fear, it is time to take a radical turn.

What can you do?

Be flexible with what you think you have to have and stretch your vision. Instead of struggling to make it by yourself, feeling separate, as you are naturally inclined to do in your Earth suit, remember that you are not on this journey alone. You have come here as part of a soul team (I call these team members metahumans).

Metahumans (often called spirit guides) have mastered all of the challenges of the Earth plane and are unlimited in their capacity and willingness to manifest on your behalf. They thrive as you fulfill your soul purpose. So, instead of thinking of your job, your family, your partner or the government as sources, shift your focus to I receive everything I need for my Earth mission from my team.

Your role in the mission - moving about, making choices, thinking, talking, doing - includes calling on your metahuman team and letting them help. To invite their participation, use your wildest imagination.

Create a detailed image, an archetype, complete with personality traits and qualities, a detailed description of who your metahuman team members are and what they can do. Hold that vision in your mind and like ringing a bell, your intention calls them in.

As you go about finding a new job or manifesting a project, picture your networker, someone who is able to attract, select and connect you to an instrumental person and say, "Lead me to who I need to meet next." To bring in your wise protector, imagine a being of strength and wisdom that you can totally trust to keep you safe and guide you to clear choices.

Create a visual persona of a generous wise benefactor to distribute the funds in your cosmic bank account (energy accumulating every time you have done the right thing instead of the easy thing). Your treasurer sends exactly what you need - money, supplies, a better living situation, opportunities for work - to support your soul purpose.

If you are feeling low self-worth or insecurity, wrap yourself in the acceptance of your nurturer and remember that you are good enough, and deserve to receive just for showing up and being who you have come here to be.

Call them in. See what happens when you feel like and work as a team. Allow for the possibility of magic in your life: "I am open to receiving money from unexpected sources."

Your team is waiting. Are you willing to play?

Daeryl Holzer is an imaginarian, clairvoyant and spiritual teacher, helping people improve their way of living through vision of the soul perspective. With her newly published book, Opening a Window to the Soul, Daeryl will be traveling throughout the Northwest this spring. Visit www.soulshift.com.