Full Moon in Cancer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_of_Baza

This is on the 2nd January, 2:25 am UTC.

It's the first lunation of 2018, and a beautiful, strong start to the year.

The moon in her own sign of Cancer will be part of a grand trine in the water signs involving Mars and Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces. This represents some profound, cathartic emotional stuff.

If that were all, it'd be nice but unfocused – just kind of turbulently emotional and sentimental. But this grand water trine is also part of a kite formation involving the sun, Venus and Pluto – in Capricorn, sign of structure, rules and authority. So clearly, this is emotion that can be powerfully directed toward achieving something of great practical value for yourself.

And it involves a changing of the guard – an internal revolution. Uranus stations direct in Aries, sign of bravery and raw selfhood, 12 hours later on the same day as the full moon is exact.

We are still in the lunar cycle opened by the new moon in Sagittarius two weeks ago, and it's a humdinger. It's all about graduating to another level – and this full moon represents the moment where things click internally. Emotional clarity about the road ahead is at hand – you'll get a feeling for what will be required of you.

It's definitely not about repeating the same old played-out stories (especially re. love and money). It's about setting solid foundations for a different, truer kind of life. There is a breakout energy to this - in addition to Uranus shifting direction, we also have Lilith, representing female rage and rebellion conjunct the sun and Venus in Capricorn. So this is an important full moon for women especially, and it's about breaking out of stereotypical female roles (nurturer, mother, nurse etc), reclaiming power, standing up for what YOU want for a change, and not caring if you're called a bitch for it!

Recall that Saturn switched signs just after the new moon – and now at the full moon, we have Uranus stationing direct. Saturn is about structure and rules, and Uranus is about novelty and rebellion – so these shifts signify the start of a new order. It's a big theme of 2018, and Uranus and Saturn will be working in tandem through the year to ground the (potentially shocking and uncomfortable) changes.

With Saturn now in Capricorn, it's time to stop pontificating and start building. It's not about your philosophy or your dreams anymore – it's about what works in the real world. It's time to act like a grown up and get real about what you desire, what you actually need for security at the most basic level, and what you can realistically achieve. No frippery or dreamy bullshit – we are not in pie-in-the-sky land anymore.

And given the turbulent emotionalism of a full moon in Cancer, please remember that you're not a child. You're an adult with responsibilities, and your first responsibility is to take care of yourself, because you're no good to anyone else otherwise.

Boundaries, standards, realism, independence, integrity and WORK. These are your Saturn in Capricorn keywords. The sky is emphasising these themes right now, and it's going to get even more stripped-down and real in the months ahead. We have four planets in Capricorn now (Saturn, Venus, the sun and Pluto), but for the new moon in Capricorn on the 17th January, Mercury and the moon will be there as well. That's a very heavy dose of a very heavy sign.

Things might feel harsh and dull for the next couple of months, as reality sets in. Keep your nose to the grindstone and your eyes on the prize. Saturn will help you achieve whatever you're looking to achieve – provided it's realistic, and provided you work for it. Progress may be slow and full of setbacks, but it'll happen.

Happy new year!!

New Moon in Sagittarius

Eugenia Loli

This is tomorrow morning, 6:30 am UTC.

So here we are: crunch time.  This is a make-or-break moment and a turning point. We are shifting levels here, especially re. relationship and money matters, and there are great opportunities. It's like graduating from college and entering the real world. But before you graduate, you have to pass your final exams – and this month we're taking the exams. You're not going to pass them if you haven't studied. Some kind of commitment or sacrifice is required in order to move forward.

This new moon happens a few days before the winter solstice, the turning-point of the year. And it is happening conjunct the galactic center, the turning-point of the Milky Way. Make of that what you will, but I'd say the symbolism is pretty profound: this is a pivotal moment. And for further symbolism: there's thought to be a super-massive black hole at the center of the galaxy, and around every black hole is thought to be a zone of no return called the event horizon. You can dawdle around a black hole for a good while, but once you reach the event horizon there is no possible escape. Your path from that point on is set – you're committed, like it or not.

That's kinda what we're dealing with here, only it's maybe not as extreme as being sucked into a black hole. There are important decisions to be made, especially around love and money. And those decisions may involve sacrifices, hardship and limits. But either you commit yourself to what you truly love and value and accept the difficulty involved, or the choices will be made for you, outside of your control – and it won't be so great.

This new moon is conjunct Saturn at the very last degree of Sagittarius. He'll move into Capricorn, his own sign, on the 23rd December. This is the last lunation involving Saturn in Sagittarius until 2044, so galactic center aside, this is a pretty big deal. Saturn has been in Sagittarius for the past two and a half years. Sagittarius is a free-wheeling, freedom-loving sign, but Saturn is all about blockages and limits, so it hasn't been easy – like reining in a wild horse.

Sagittarius is also about your perspective, your ideology, your philosophy. Saturn is pragmatic and reality-based, so the transit has demanded of us that we walk our talk, behave with integrity, make sure our words and philosophies match up.

 So hopefully we've been studying diligently, behaving like good workhorses and practicing what we preach for the past couple years, and setting down foundations for the kind of lives we want to live. Saturn is now moving into Capricorn, his own sign, and what we've been working toward is bound to solidify now – the road ahead will become clear, along with the difficulties and limitations it will entail.

Capricorn is the sign of structure, authority and responsibility. With Saturn in his home sign, there'll be real opportunities for success and advancement, as long as you're willing to work for them. Saturn rewards effort. You get back what you've put in – no more and no less.

So all in all, I think this shift is great. But to get the benefit of it, you have to keep steady and not shy away from commitment and responsibility. Remember, this is like going from college (Sagittarius) to the real world (Capricorn) – from theory to practice. Your high ideals are worth nothing if you can't make them work in reality.

We have a big stellium in Sagittarius for this new moon: Saturn, sun, moon, Venus and retrograde Mercury. Sagittarius is a happy, buoyant, over-the-top sign, but the Saturnine influence should keep things feeling pretty sober and grounded this holiday season, which may not be a bad thing when you're dealing with your crazy family!

Venus and Saturn will both bookend the sun and moon. Venus is about love, money and values, and in Sagittarius, she doesn't like to be restricted to one field. But Saturn's influence here means she's stuck – she can't roam freely. Venus-Saturn contacts have to do with commitment and the fear of it. So it's kind of heavy. I'd advise going toward the commitment side of the equation – it might feel scary and hard, but there's absolutely nothing to be gained here by running away. (Recall that Sagittarius's ruler, Jupiter, is in Scorpio – depth and intensity are favoured. Staying in the shallows and avoiding what frightens you are definitely not favoured.)

Uranus in Aries is beneficially aspecting the new moon, meaning it's possible to find new, innovative ways of doing things - you don't have to stay stuck in the same old ruts. You can try something different, and it has a good chance of succeeding. So this new moon really can signify an exciting new start, provided you're willing to commit to it.

Mercury in Sagittarius will be retrograde till the 23rd December, so it's best to hold off on important decisions till then. But by then, the sun and Saturn in Capricorn will be conjunct Venus in Sagittarius, and the right decision should be a lot clearer. Communication should flow more easily as well.

We'll have a full moon in Cancer on the 2nd January, and it looks very emotionally intense but favorable overall. I'll write more nearer the time. Happy super-massive black hole holidays, everybody!

Full Moon in Gemini

This is tomorrow, 3rd December at 3:45 pm UTC.

It's in the shifty, communicative sign of Gemini, which is ruled by messenger planet Mercury. And it happens roughly 8 hours after Mercury stations retrograde in Sagittarius. So this full moon in all about the Mercury retrograde (3rd – 23rd December).

And this Mercury retrograde is all about Saturn in Sagittarius. Saturn, the harsh taskmaster, has spent the past 2.5 years in Sagittarius, the sign of ideology, philosophy and higher education, where he has highlighted hypocrisy and challenged us all to walk our talk – and to know what the hell we're talking about in the first place. He's leaving Sagittarius for Capricorn on the 20th December. This is like graduating from college and entering the “real world”, where no one cares about your feelings, only your efficacy on the job.

But before you can graduate, you have to sit your final exams. You have to go over everything you've learnt and prove you understand it, and you have to see where you've been deluded or mistaken. That's what this Mercury retrograde is about: getting the story straight before you move forward into the realm of commitments and responsibilities. Mercury is stationing retrograde conjunct Saturn in Sagittarius, and he will station direct just as Saturn moves into Capricorn. By then, you've either learnt the lesson of the past couple of years, or you haven't.

We are moving from a time of debate and ideological rancour to a time of strict pragmatism and consequences. From the 20th December, it's no longer about what we believe or why. It's about dealing with the consequences we have made for ourselves via our belief systems. And if our belief systems have been founded on bullshit, we are going to know about it.

This full moon in Gemini – sign of tricksters, lawyers and thieves – looks like a very confusing scenario: bullshit's last stand. It looks like a bunch of mental chaos, sentimentality, superficial cleverness and distraction being spun out to cover up difficult realities.

I don't think the distraction tactics will work. Recall, we are still in Scorpio lunar cycle, which is all about uncovering the truth, no matter how dark and ugly it may be. And Jupiter is in Scorpio, meaning ruthless honesty and a willingness to look deeper are favoured. And retrograde Mercury is conjunct Saturn, shutting down inauthentic communication.

So the truth will out, I think. The Brexit negotiations are underway as I write, with harsh consequences for UK voters who were promised they could “have their cake and eat it” by leaving Europe. The Russia investigation is closing in on the Trump administration, even as Republicans prepare to push tax “reforms” that have obviously been crafted to benefit the wealthy. Sooner rather than later, all the bullshit that's been flying around is going to hit the fan. And then the responsible grownups (if any are left) will have to deal with the mess of fan-flung shit as best they can.

That period of consequences starts when Saturn enters Capricorn later this month. But now, at this full moon, we can expect to see some frantic evasions of personal and collective responsibility. The rats will be leaping onto every passing bit of flotsam in their haste to get off the sinking ship.

You can be on the right side of this by striving to be a grownup and fact-checking what comes out of your mouth before speaking. And walking your talk: meaning what you say and behaving with integrity.

Be careful what you put your faith in, because there's a lot of bullshit on the wing out there. Beware of distraction tactics, shifting emotional states, trickery, appeals to sentimentality, smokescreens and outright lies. Try to hunt out the deeper story. Go with your gut – Jupiter is trining Neptune exactly, meaning your intuition is your best guide at this time.

New Moon in Scorpio

This is exact today (18th Nobvember) around noon GMT.

It looks beautiful and profound to me: very powerful, focused, healing and intense. But also potentially painful and uncomfortable. The depths will have to be plumbed this month; the fetid gunk cleared out, the blockages removed.

Scorpio is a probing, surgical sign. It has to root out everything that's false or rotten in order to effect healing and transformation. It's obsessive and extreme: all-or-nothing, life or death.

So this new moon ushers us into a month of intensity and extremes. The potential for transformation here is profound, but you can't expect it to be easy. Life-saving surgery is not easy.

At the very least, you can expect to deal with some heavy psychological discomfort this month. Don't turn away from it – it's there to show you something. Get to the root of it, find out what's really going on under the surface, excise whatever deadweight you're carrying around.

Scorpio's co-rulers, Mars and Pluto, will square each other exactly the day after the new moon. Mars is in Libra, sign of relationships and fairness, and Pluto is in Capricorn, sign of authority and the System. This square can get pretty ugly and brutal, so we can expect some violence – psychological or overt - to erupt, in close relationships especially. Ugly conflicts with bureaucratic institutions or authorities are also likely.

At the root of this tension are rotten old power dynamics which have to be exposed to light and air in order to be dealt with and resolved. It's an uncomfortable, deeply unpleasant process, but Scorpio won't let us skate along the surface.

Fortunately, Chiron in Pisces trines the new moon, amplifying the potential for compassion, forgiveness and healing. Chiron is about a wound that becomes a source of knowledge – and with Pisces, deep compassion for the suffering of all existence is involved.

There is also deep love on offer, courtesy of Venus and Jupiter in Scorpio (just past a beautiful conjunction on the 13th November). This is wonderful for relationships, as long as they're absolutely  committed. It's till-death-do-us-part stuff. Scorpio is all or nothing, so there's no room for waffling around or bullshit – superficiality just won't cut it. And with the Mars-Pluto square, any kind of manipulation, abuse or game-playing will be pretty obvious. There is no point tolerating any of that stuff or staying in relationships where it's a factor. It's depth, vulnerability and authenticity, or nothing.

The sky does not reward superficiality at this time. Neptune will resume direct motion on the 21st November, in beneficial aspect to Jupiter in Scorpio. This is a deeply spiritual influence supporting Jupiter in Scorpio's psychological excavation work.

Then Mercury will go retrograde on the 3rd December at the last degree of Sagittarius, conjunct Saturn in Sagittarius. Later that same day we'll have a full moon in Mercury-ruled Gemini, where issues around information, truth and lies will be highlighted.

This Mercury retrograde is a big deal – it will mark the end of Saturn's 2.5 year transit through Sagittarius, which was all about ideology, hypocrisy, and the necessity of walking your talk. I'll write about it closer to the time.

But for now, please understand that we are in a no-bullshit zone. This is a good time to excise things that do not support your health and integrity from your life.

Full Moon in Taurus

Ohara Koson

This is exact early tomorrow morning, 5:20 am GMT.

Taurus is about the earthly stuff we hold onto – our money and possessions, our physical body and sense of self, our habitual patterns and our values. It's a grounded, happy, sensual energy, but it can get stuck in ruts like nobody's business. It likes to clutch onto things and has a lot of trouble with accepting change and letting go – even when obviously necessary.

A moon in Taurus is about the desire for comfort, stability and security. But this full moon is opposite the sun and Jupiter in Scorpio, which are voracious, extreme, probing and crisis-driven – the opposite of comfortable and stable. So it's going to be pretty hard to stay stuck, much as we might want to.

In addition, Venus, the ruler of this full moon, will exactly oppose rebel planet Uranus to the minute as the full moon is exact. This is a little cray.

Venus is currently in Libra, where she likes to glide around like a fancy hostess, making sure everything stays pretty and polite. She shares the Taurean distaste for conflict and abruptness. With the exact opposition to Uranus though, there's bound to be a shock – the careful Libran balance and poise will be knocked sideways by some bolt out of the blue, and everybody's drink will get spilled.

So clearly it's going to be hard staying within your comfort zone this full moon.   Something is bound to come along to upset the equilibrium.

That something is likely to come from other people, and it's especially likely to have to do with love and relationships – recall we are still in Libra lunar cycle, and Libra is about partnering. The forecast for the new moon in Libra two weeks ago still applies, but this is the culmination.

Whatever shock you encounter, the best strategy here is to embrace it. Let go of your need for things to stay comfortable and safe, go toward what scares you, let yourself be changed by the encounter.

The north node is in Leo, which is about opening your heart – and the north node is currently disposited through the sun in deep, dark Scorpio, which has to face what's most frightening and painful in order to heal. So getting all outraged at having your feathers ruffled is absolutely unproductive here. Your feathers are supposed to be ruffled.

Neptune is beneficially aspecting the full moon, which means that something deeper is at work here. By accepting life on its own terms and sacrificing your pride to the larger design, magical things can happen. Try to have a little faith..

This song is so cheesy, but it fits. Here you go, you sexy thing. (I forgot to mention that the Taurus/Scorpio axis is SEXED UP. So this is definitely a full moon for freaky yet deep sex stuff, and if that's where it leads you, more power to ya!)

We're getting a beautiful Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Scorpio on the 13th November, and it'll trine Neptune. This is a great gift for relationships, and it comes ahead of a very beneficial-looking new moon in Scorpio on the 18th November. So I think after the relationship drama of the past few months, things are going to start feeling a lot better. Even if it's just your relationship with yourself! If you've made it through the past few months without cracking up, hang in there. Things are going to feel much more solid and deep soon.

New Moon in Libra

http://eugenialoli.tictail.com/

This is exact this evening, the 19th October, at 8:15 pm GMT.

It's an important one. Expect instability in close relationships. The equilibrium will be upset, in potentially dramatic ways. Energy imbalances and abuses of power will be exposed. If they can't be addressed, sudden breakups and endings are likely. (And as new moons signify new beginnings, sudden new beginnings are also likely – one door shuts, another opens.)

One things is certain – we are doing partnerships differently from now on. Relationship issues have been under the microscope for the past month, but now we're at a breaking point. Existing relationships must adapt and deepen, or die. New relationships will have to be an abrupt departure from what we've always done. There's no point continuing to stay stuck in the same patterns.

For this new moon, Uranus (planet of shock, upheaval and rebellion) will exactly oppose the sun and moon in harmony-seeking, relationship-oriented Libra. As Uranus is unpredictable, this will play out in unexpected ways, but the main element here is shock. This is tough for Libra, which wants to keep everything lovely and nicey-nicey. But it's necessary. Libra is also associated with fairness and justice, and the point of this upset is the rectification of old, buried wrongs – especially stuff associated with sex, power, pathology, the Shadow, the taboo.

That's all Scorpio stuff. Jupiter is in Scorpio as of the 10th October, and maybe you'll have felt the tone shift since then – surface pleasantry is just not cutting it anymore. Jupiter expands whatever he touches, and in Scorpio, he expands awareness of the hidden, taboo undercurrents and the rot beneath the pretty surface.

And so we've seen the Harvey Weinstein scandal erupt and expand – people are calling the Hollywood mogul's exposure as a serial sexual predator “the tip of the iceberg”. The iceberg is an entrenched cultural system of inequality, exploitation, domination and abuse – and people are refusing to accept it as normal or keep silent about it anymore. This is progress – a rebalancing of some very skewed scales.

It is also a very good illustration of the cosmic weather this new moon. We can expect more of this sort of thing in the month ahead. In the year ahead, actually – as Jupiter will be in Scorpio till November 2018.

Mercury is conjunct Jupiter in Scorpio right now, so this is a good time for deepening your awareness of the Shadow side of relationships – and communicating it. Scorpio involves healing, but it's the kind of healing that follows lancing a boil. It's not pretty. Something poisonous has to be brought to the surface to be released.

So if you want to correct an imbalance in your relationships and yourself, the rotten, pathological stuff you'd rather pretend away has to be brought into conscious awareness. And with Mercury in Scorpio, it has to be talked about. And with Saturn in Sagittarius aspecting the new moon, you'd better be truthful; you'd better be walking your talk. It'll be pretty obvious if you aren't – cover-ups and excuses aren't going to work.

It's a very uncomfortable process but it's what's called for here. Uranus is likely to spark it off with a lightning flash of shock and clarity.

Heavy weather! But with Jupiter in Scorpio, your good fortune is dependant upon your willingness to engage with stuff you'd rather not look at. And for the month ahead, it's a matter of relationship life or death.

Walter Crane

Full Moon in Aries

see http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-38880353

This is tomorrow, the 5th October, at 7:35 pm GMT.

The sun and Mercury in peace-keeping, relationship-oriented Libra will face off against the moon in fiery, impulsive, warlike Aries. It's a me vs. we situation, and explosive conflict is likely, especially in close relationships. The challenge here will be to fight fair, and to find a way to work together despite anger and impatience.

Something really extraordinary about this full moon is that the dispositors of Aries and Libra (Mars and Venus, respectively) will be exactly conjunct in Virgo for it. Virgo is the sign of attention to detail, service and humility. So with this conjunction, any conflicts that rear their heads at this time have to do with WORKABLE relationship difficulties. This is a good time to try to iron out the kinks and achieve harmony – ideally via careful, fair communication focused on everyday details.

Libran diplomacy and tact and Virgoan humility are the way to go here, though you might feel like having a temper tantrum and storming off. Try to remember that temper tantrums are a total waste of this opportunity! You can achieve so much more of what you want by listening to the other's point of view, stating the facts on your side, being polite and kind, and making compromises.

What we all want under this sky is happy, functional, harmonious relationships. But you don't get them just handed to you. Balancing the needs of self and other is tough. There's bound to be conflict, requiring negotiation and compromise. If you want the relationship, you have to deal with the conflict.

The key thing is putting the work in. We have a bit of an impasse lining up, as Venus moves to square Saturn on the 8th October, followed by Mars on the 11th October. These squares speak of blocked relationships (Venus) and frustrated desire (Mars) – even cruelty. So getting what you want is likely to be difficult. But we are dealing with Saturn here, who is a taskmaster and teacher of hard lessons – so remember this is not supposed to be easy. It's literally a labour of love. If you love someone, you'll put the work in to understand where they're coming from and to deal with issues. You'll fight (Mars / Aries) for the relationship (Venus / Libra).

With Venus and Mars in pragmatic Virgo, love is not about feelings. It's the mundane work you do, on a daily basis, to keep a relationship alive and healthy. And with Jupiter in Libra, issues of fairness in relationships are magnified. The division of labour has to equitable.

Here is some food for thought on “emotional labour” - it's very relevant to the Virgo / Libra themes we're looking at right now (as well as the Aries moon theme of impatience / anger!)

We have a big shift coming as Jupiter exits Libra for Scorpio on the 10th October. Best to try to get disputes sorted out before then, as best you can. Compromise will become more difficult once Jupiter shifts signs - Scorpio is all-or-nothing and favours scorched earth tactics over diplomacy.

The new moon in Libra is on the 19th October. I think Jupiter's shift to Scorpio makes it a tonal shift for relationships - toward greater depth and a more perfect union, let's hope! But be advised, with Jupiter in Scorpio, if a relationship can't go deeper it's likely to fall apart. After the 10th October, it's go deep or go home.

New Moon in Virgo

This is the 20th September, around 6:30 am GMT.

We have a stellium in Virgo for this: sun, moon, Mercury, Mars and Venus. This is a big blast of organisational energy - it's a great time for working on projects, cleaning up, attending to routines and getting necessary things done. It's also going to be a big month for working on relationships. The point of all this careful, systematic work is described by the north node in Leo - it's about putting in the necessary effort to create a future with more authenticity and joy in it. We are building the kind of lives and relationships we want to live in.

Virgo can be painfully critical, though - try to stay sober, to see clearly and to be kind. There's a big danger of going off on nitpicky tirades fuelled by delusive thinking, hurt feelings or boundary-dissolving substances: Mars is conjunct Mercury in Virgo, which is sharp-tongued and critical as hell, and both planets oppose Neptune, planet of dreams, delusions and addictions. Make sure your version of reality is not just a paranoid projection, before you sit down to tell someone everything you think is wrong with them. It's safer to look to your own shortcomings first. People will be liable to say very nasty, cutting things in the interests of "helping" - and with the sun and moon opposite Chiron, there is bound to be deep hurt and woundedness involved.

So unless you're looking to eviscerate someone, it's probably safest to just keep your mouth shut for the next couple of weeks and attend to the practical tasks at hand. Remember with Venus in pragmatic Virgo, love is what you do, not what you say - and it can be shown in the tiniest, most mundane ways.

This sky is still tough on relationships - Jupiter in fairness-minded Libra is opposing Uranus in me-centered Aries (exact the 28th September). This describes a conflict between the desire to say "to hell with it!" and shoot off alone vs. the necessity of maintaining balanced relationships. As this is an opposition, it will play out interpersonally - we'll have plenty of tests to our sense of civility and fairness this month, and relationships will remain fraught.

We have the equinox on the 22nd September, as the sun moves into Libra - this describes a turning-point. And then we'll have a full moon in Aries on the 5th October, which really looks like it's all about balancing love vs. war, and figuring out how to make relationships work in a practical, everyday way. Seeing the other's point of view and striving for balance and fairness will be very important here.

Full Moon In Pisces

This is tomorrow morning – the 6th September, 7 am GMT.

We have Mercury stationing direct the day before it, on the exact degree of last month's big solar eclipse in Leo (21st August). So this full moon is a mental revisiting of whatever was going on for you around the time of that eclipse.

And not just mental. This is a full moon in super-emo Pisces, conjuct super-emo Neptune. Suffice it to say, there will be plenty of super-emo, strange, magical stuff happening. The floodgates will be open, for good or ill.

I think for good, not ill. It looks nice to me – spiritual and deep. A good time to focus inward and purify your heart, to forgive, to be compassionate, to have faith in life. To recover radical innocence, per Yeats:

“[...] all hatred driven hence,
The soul recovers radical innocence
And learns at last that it is self-delighting,
Self-appeasing, self-affrighting,
And that its own sweet will is Heaven’s will”

Recall, the theme of the eclipse (and of the past two months, basically) has been Leo stuff – creativity, generosity, self-expression, pride, bravery, joy, romance. This sky has been forcing us to ask ourselves how to bring more joy and aliveness into our lives; how to live with heart.  And as it was eclipse season, great changes were demanded.

We're past the great changes and intensities of eclipse season now. This month is more a matter of getting on with the new order of things – our next new moon will be in Virgo, and within a couple of weeks we're going to have all the personal planets (Mercury, Mars and Venus) in Virgo. This is a lot of detail-oriented, systematic, humble, relentlessly pragmatic energy – it's going to be a great month for attending to practical matters and getting things done.

But before we get there, we have this gentle emotional catharsis: this dreamy, romantic, teary, spiritual full moon in Pisces, where we look back with nostalgia, gratitude, and maybe regret at the summer just past - and come to terms with it. It's a feeling the Japanese call mono no aware  – an acute awareness of the impermanence of life in the midst of the everyday.

I'm going to quote Phillip Larkin's “Sad Steps” in its entirety, because it fits, and because Pisces moons are for poetry:

Groping back to bed after a piss
I part thick curtains, and am startled by
The rapid clouds, the moon’s cleanliness.

Four o’clock: wedge-shadowed gardens lie
Under a cavernous, a wind-picked sky.
There’s something laughable about this,

The way the moon dashes through clouds that blow
Loosely as cannon-smoke to stand apart
(Stone-coloured light sharpening the roofs below)

High and preposterous and separate—
Lozenge of love! Medallion of art!
O wolves of memory! Immensements! No,

One shivers slightly, looking up there.
The hardness and the brightness and the plain
Far-reaching singleness of that wide stare

Is a reminder of the strength and pain
Of being young; that it can’t come again,
But is for others undiminished somewhere.


You see the speaker move from sentimental tropes about the moon to a personal vision that's very clinical and bleak, but deeply felt? I think it's a good resolution of the Pisces/Virgo polarity (feeling vs. reason): it's possible to feel deeply without being self-indulgent; it's possible to see clearly without being cold. That's the kind of balancing act that's called for here.

This full moon looks great for creating art, music, poetry. Also for letting go of things – remember full moons are about endings. It's potentially very beautiful and profound, like a wistful cat.

Wistful cat

But Pisces can also be full of delusion, self-pity, addiction and victim shit – Pisces is the incurable drunk who calls you at 4 am to cry about all the terrible things other people have done to her. And with Neptune conjunct the moon, this is doubly the case here. There's a real potential for people to wallow in their self-created misery, and to try to drag others in too.

The antidote to this sodden emotional mess is Virgo. The north node was in Virgo for the past few years, and I got used to repeating the boring mantra: “Keep doing your Virgo!” It was about attending to practical matters in order to keep from sinking into self-destruction and despair.

The north node is now in Leo, but for the next couple of weeks, it's disposited by the sun in Virgo. So this month, the old advice applies – keep doing your Virgo, stay practical and focused on everyday tasks and routines in order to stave off existential misery.

The nice thing is, the north node is now in Leo, so there's a larger purpose to this Virgo stuff now. It's not just about staying functional and sane. It's about doing the practical work that needs to be done in order to create a life worth living – a life with more authenticity and joy in it.

Solar Eclipse in Leo

Eugenia Loli

This is on the 21st August, 7:32 pm GMT.

It's our second new moon in Leo this summer - a total eclipse of the sun in the sign ruled by the sun.

Leo is concerned with pride, joy, romance, generosity, risks, creativity, play - all the stuff that makes us feel alive. There's a stellium in the sign for this eclipse: Mars, the north node, the sun and moon. Plus Mercury is retrograding back toward the exact degree of the eclipse (He stations direct at 28 degrees Leo on the 5th September.)

Uranus, the liberator, trines the eclipse exactly, denoting a beneficial internal change.

All of this looks like an exhilarating wake-up call, and a massive reset. What is blocking your light? What are you going to do to get back your joie de vivre? What makes you feel happy and alive? What do you love, and why aren't you devoting yourself to it?

Hopefully you've been asking yourself these kinds of questions since the new moon in Leo last month. With this eclipse, it's time to make the changes you know you need to make, and to be extravagantly daring in following your heart. This is an entirely new chapter, and it's meant to be nothing like what's gone before.

If you're still plodding away in situations that bring you no joy, this is your cue to stop already, and do things differently. I mean DIFFERENTLY. Be a rebel, an innovator, a weirdo, an individualist. The key is being true to yourself - having integrity and living by your own lights. There's no point sitting around worrying about other peoples' opinions while life passes you by.

Saturn stations direct after the eclipse, on the 24th August. This eases the boundaries blocking us from new roads, meaning things should feel a lot less stuck. It's absolutely time to get moving.

This eclipse reminds me of hexagram 55 from the I Ching. It's about an eclipse that confers a heavenly mandate and is the signal for great changes. Against the fear eclipses have always evoked, the hexagram advises: "there is no reason to be anxious for fear of a change. Be like the sun at noon."

Full Moon Eclipse in Aquarius

Eugenia Loli

This is tomorrow, the 7th August, around 7 pm GMT.

It's a zappy one. Expect to be shocked – or at the very least, surprised. Rapid turnarounds, unexpected reversals, lightning clarity and unexpected revelations are likely.

Also confrontations between the individual (Leo) vs. the group (Aquarius). It's a good time to break free of the social network and do your own thing – or to use your anger and conviction to shift social dynamics toward something more progressive.

It's also a great time for going public with creative work, or doing something brave in the public eye. Stepping out of the box and taking a stand for something you believe in, because fuck it, what have you got to lose?

Aquarius is rebel energy. For this full moon, the moon in Aquarius will be facing off against Mars conjunct the sun in Leo, which is warrior energy: courage, conviction, amped-up ego, dramatic flair and showmanship.

Grandstanding and power plays are likely, and keep in mind that with Jupiter in Libra beneficially aspecting the sun, Mars and moon, there is big potential for overdoing things and going overboard. But if you strive to retain a sense of fairness, proportion and civility, you should be OK!

With this full moon – a partial lunar eclipse – we enter eclipse season, a time of intense, accelerated change. The prelude to this was Uranus stationing retrograde in warrior sign Aries on the 2nd August. Uranus, as ruler of Aquarius, is the dispositor of this full moon, and symbolises revolution. His direction change just prior to a lunar eclipse in his own sign speaks of a paradigm shift - an internal one, focused on our sense of self.

Plus Jupiter and Pluto squared off on the 4th August, their final square. This denotes a big, permanent shift in relationship dynamics.

So big shifts are afoot. This full moon is the point where they'll suddenly be all lit up and obvious. If you've been waiting to see some changes, here's your turning point – and it's likely to come with an abruptness and intensity which will jolt you. Something surprising is bound to come to light here. And as full moons symbolize endings, it may be time to break free or let go of something for good. (The cool, rational detachment of Aquarius should be helpful here.)

The next act in this drama of upheaval comes on the 21st August, with a big shiny total eclipse – our second new moon in Leo. That'll be a new start – a reboot.

With all this emphasis on Leo, remember the focus is on being true to yourself and your own heart, and doing what brings real joy into your life. If you're unhappy, you should definitely be asking yourself why these days, instead of stoically accepting your unhappiness. Something has to change, and it's time to find out what.

Helpfully we'll have a Mercury retrograde this month, beginning in Virgo on the 13th August. This will give us some space to analyse our lives in depth, mentally process the changes underway, and to fine-tune details and practical considerations. Amazingly, the retrograde ends on the 5th September with Mercury on the exact degree of the upcoming solar eclipse – 28 degrees Leo. So this retrograde is really a chance to get things right – to make sure our heads are working in concert with our hearts – in this context of big, heart-centred change.

There are important issues for relationships in all this, and also big decisions to be made about what we truly value. Venus in Cancer opposes Pluto in Capricorn on the 15th August, and this is a tough aspect – it's about love unto death or the death of love. This becomes a cardinal t-square with the intensifying influence of Jupiter in relationship-focused Libra, and it'll be in effect all through the middle of August.

Change is demanded here. Relationships will be taken to the next level or they'll end; commitments will be solidified or they'll fall apart. Money and power imbalances will be apparent, psychological control tactics will be exposed – and the willingness to deal with this painful, unpleasant stuff will make or break partnerships.

This gut-wrenching and difficult cardinal t-square ends just before the slate-clearing, hopeful, exciting solar eclipse in Leo on the 21st August. So however ugly things may get leading up to it, and whatever you lose, please remember that the point is to expose what's keeping us stuck and unhappy so we can make the necessary changes. If a situation is making you miserable, it has to change or be removed from your life, no matter how much you've invested in it. There are plenty of exciting new opportunities opening up, and the future can be entirely unlike what has gone before. But first you have to free yourself from what is no longer viable.

After the eclipse, Saturn stations direct on the 24th August. Saturn and Uranus are co-rulers of Aquarius, and their direction-shifts (Uranus retrograde, Saturn direct) bookending this eclipse season are highly significant. In addition, they're part of this summer's grand fire trine, which also involves the north node in Leo.

The theme here, as I've said, is making changes in your life – likely radical ones – that will allow you to build a solid, viable, happy future. Happiness is key. So if you've been ignoring the causes of your discontent, this full moon eclipse is an opportunity to see what's going on with lightning clarity – and to shift course if you're on a course that leads nowhere.

New Moon in Leo

Katy Perry, your silly song expresses the feeling of this new moon better than I can.

It's tomorrow, the 23rd July, at about 10:45 am GMT and it looks pretty fabulous to me. A major energy-shift after the work-life conflicts and heavy emotional baggage of Cancer lunar cycle.

Leo is about romance, childlike enthusiasm, creative self-expression, ego, bling! It's fun, shiny and a bit over the top. A new moon in Leo is a great time to do something dramatic with your hair, redefine your self-image in some way, or start a new creative project. It's also a great time for starting a new romance, making babies, launching a big idea.

For this new moon, the sun and moon will be conjunct at 0 degrees Leo, which is pretty dramatic in itself. But they're also tightly conjunct Mars in Leo, which adds some self-assertive firepower!

Plus the sun, moon and Mars square rebel planet Uranus in Aries, giving this new moon an abrupt, explosive element – it's a kind of breaking point. What comes to mind is someone who's felt undervalued or slighted for a long time, finally getting the courage to break out and assert their own will and desires.

As this is a square, there is the possibility of a destructive outcome to this, so please exercise a bit of caution. Keep your outrage in check. With Mars square Uranus, there is also the danger of sudden accidents, so please be aware of that too, especially when driving or operating machinery.

Leo is heart-centred and concerned with romance, and there are some difficult things going on in regard to that right now. Love and money planet Venus is in Gemini, where she is a bit of a flitterer, hard to pin down. Venus in Gemini is about multiple choices and a desire for communication, stimulation and variety, especially in close relationships.

But Venus is currently opposing retrograde Saturn in Sagittarius, which acts like a big concrete barrier to those desires. It puts me in mind of a butterfly caught in a net. Saturn in Sagittarius is about walking your talk and laying solid foundations for the future. What this says to me is, there are actually not multiple options here. There's a right path and a wrong one, and the flitterer will be brought down to earth.

This Venus-Saturn opposition is difficult, speaking of blockages, delays and deprivations in love and money matters. It is exact the day after the new moon, so I think there are hard choices to be made here – this is a crossroads really.

We also have a square between Jupiter in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn in play. This aspect is exact on the 4th August, and it speaks of deep-seated power struggles, especially in relationships.

So all in all, the month ahead is not so easy on relationships – there are definitely some kinks to be worked out.

The big question here is, what do you really want? What makes you feel truly alive, not merely surviving? What would it mean to live from your heart? Who and what do you love?

And the way through is about expressing what's in your heart: your love, your conviction, your desire, your creativity, your individuality. Everything in the sky right now points to Leo. We have Mercury in Leo conjunct the north node, meaning the way forward is all about creative, dramatic self-expression. This is not the time for hiding under a rock.

So launch your big ideas with a bit of flair and showmanship. Speak your truths with confidence and pride. If you've been feeling low and under-appreciated, this is the right time to assert your sparkly fabulousness. You're not a doormat or a drudge, you're a one-of-a-kind event. There will never be another you.

This new moon is important, as it sets the stage for eclipse season, a time of accelerated change and intensity. We will be dealing with these Leo themes for the next two months.

In two weeks we'll have a partial lunar eclipse in Aquarius, a culmination of the issues opened up under the new moon. And then on the 21st August, we'll have the main event: another new moon in Leo, this one a solar eclipse (also known as the Great American Eclipse, as it will be visible from a band across the US.)

So clearly, these days the sky is hammering home these Leo themes of creativity, pride, romance and joy. Look at where your life is lacking in these qualities, where you feel like an unloved, unappreciated drudge – and use those feelings as a marker for what needs to change. It's time to be a bit selfish and focus your energy on what really makes you happy.

See here

Full Moon in Capricorn

Hokusai dragon

This is tomorrow morning: Sunday the 9th July, around 5 am GMT.

It's a tough one - brutal, actually. There is bound to be conflict with this, and it could get violent. See the picture above: dragons, volcanoes. Something's about to spew fire, so please be careful.

The moon in Capricorn signifies a guarded, fearful, security-seeking emotional tone – quite cold and authoritarian really. And this full moon will also be conjunct Pluto, which adds an undertone of deep compulsion and hellish intensity.

Basically this denotes an obsessive, emotionally driven need for power, control and security. And on the other side, we have the sun and Mars in Cancer, which is about fired-up emotions, defensiveness and rage – especially concerning family stuff and primal needs.

Also we also have Jupiter in Libra aspecting the sun, moon, Mars and Pluto in a cardinal t-square. Jupiter can be protective and beneficial, but he also inflates everything he touches. Needless to say, we don't need any inflation of the emotionally-driven ugliness.

Mars opposite Pluto is not a nice aspect, and we have it here. It has to do with killer aggression, fights to the death, extreme competitiveness, brutality. As this is an opposition, the vibe is likely to play out interpersonally. As this is a full moon, we are dealing with high drama, culminations and endings.

People get killed under a sky like this. Don't be ashamed to back down from a fight – it isn't worth it. With Jupiter in Libra, blessed are the peacemakers and those who can see the opposite point of view. And with Neptune beneficially aspecting the full moon, compassion, forgiveness and acceptance will be helpful.

This is the culmination of Cancer lunar phase, which began with the emotionally-charged new moon in Cancer two weeks ago. Look to the issues you were dealing with at that time, as they are likely to intensify now. This full moon is a flashpoint, and the point is resolution and justice. It can either be an eruption of atavistic brutality and a fight to the death, or a catharsis that shifts a compulsive, ossified situation.

Because Pluto is involved, there is an imperative for deep transformation, and you would do well to obey this imperative. There's really no resisting it – resistance is useless with Pluto. Pay attention to what makes you feel most uncomfortable, and get to the root of it. Look at your addictions and compulsions – what are you using them to avoid? You are not going to be able to avoid it so easily, this full moon. Your most fucked-up shit will be all lit-up – and as we are dealing with a cardinal t-square, change is required.

On the plus side, this is a great opportunity for healing. Things fester when they're hidden away; they can only heal if they're exposed to light and air. If the fierceness of this full moon takes the form of ripping some putrid psychological band-aid off a festering wound, it could be a very good thing.

If it all feels overly uncomfortable and violent, please keep in mind that in two weeks' time, the cardinal t-square will have broken up and we'll have a new moon in Leo, and it looks a lot less harsh and a lot more fun. So hang in there! Deal with the discomfort, make the required changes, and have faith that things will feel less shitty soon.

New Moon in Cancer

This is on the 24th June, 3:30 am (GMT).

For this we have a stellium in Cancer: the sun and moon conjunct at 2 degrees Cancer, with Mercury and Mars also nearby. This speaks of emotionally charged, potentially painful communication about family and the past - the kind that opens up some kind of new start.

Home, heritage, family, food and feelings. That's Cancerian stuff. Feeding and nurturing your dependents and defending your home ground. Mom, apple pie and the atavastic sentimentality those ideas call up. Tribalisms and nationalisms of all kinds – Cancer at worst is clannish and clingily focused on “my” people, distrusting outsiders.

As Mercury is involved with this new moon, there will be discussions of feelings, primal needs and family issues. Emotions / thinking / communication will be bound up together.

With Mars involved, interactions will be tense. Mars in Cancer has to do with intense emotional energy and rapidly shifting moods, and it can be touchy and defensive. In this case, Mars also squares Jupiter exactly, which amps up the emotional energy and edgy "hangriness". (It's a good idea to fill up on comfort food before approaching tense discussions.)

Hangry care bear

Mars-Jupiter aspects are about leaping before you look, and getting yourself into hot water via careless aggression. In this case, the aspect speaks of relationship imbalance and disharmony brought on by emotionally-driven aggression.

Pluto is also involved, meaning the issues here are profound and disturbing. This is a cardinal T-square that will be in effect till mid-July, and there's nothing light about it - it's harsh and full of potential ugliness. A lot of painful shit (especially family shit) is likely to be exposed, and you can expect some rage attendant upon that. But deep structural change is demanded here, and the point is balance and fairness - there are wrongs to be redressed. Resisting this will do nobody any good.

Anyway, heading into these choppy waters, please remember: just because you feel something is true doesn't mean it is! Hold back and try to ascertain the facts. Try to stay balanced and to see the other's point of view – this is an important theme, with Jupiter in Libra.

You can either speak your deeply held convictions here, or blurt hurtful things out of irrational rage - it's up to you. Fighting things to the death is possible, but also pointless. Neptune aspects the new moon beneficially, meaning softness, compassion, forgiveness and acceptance will be helpful.

For this new moon, Venus in Taurus also trines Pluto exactly. There's solid love underneath the conflict - something valuable to be protected. Please try to remember that.

We're dealing with a lot of intensity this month, in the next two weeks especially. The run-up to the full moon in Capricorn on the 9th July is very heavy, and that full moon itself is a doozy of emotional violence.

The changes we're undergoing, in the context of family especially, are powerful and long-term. Conflict on the world stage is to be expected as well. It will be hard to keep a cool head about any of this stuff, when so much emotion is involved, but here's hoping cooler heads will prevail.

These are dangerous days. Women especially are likely to feel under fire. Please be nice to your mom - she'll need it.

Full Moon in Sagittarius

James Comey, Sagittarius sun

This is Friday the 9th June, at about 2 pm GMT.

Sagittarius is expansive, optimistic, enthusiastic, ideological. Also sometimes inflated and over-the-top – the sign is ruled by Jupiter, who embiggens everything he touches, for good or ill.

Sagittarius is the storyteller of the zodiac, the teacher, and also the traveler. It's fitting, as every story is a journey of sorts: it has a beginning, a trajectory and a destination – like the arrow released by the archetypal archer of the sign. And it has a mark to hit: a moral or purpose to impart.

Concerned with seeking capital-T truth, Sagittarius is opposite in the zodiac to Gemini, which frenetically networks and communicates and tweets bullshit without being particularly concerned about truth or falsity or overarching meaning. Gemini represents the Trickster archetype: fast-talking, manipulative, and as good at using language to get into trouble as out of it.

DJT, Gemini sun

Sagittarius is the faculty that connects the dots and finds the story in the disparate data, and also the moral of the story. The sign can be tediously moralistic and philosophical, pontificating at length, too earnest to notice how bored everyone else is of listening. But it does see the forest where Gemini sees...just a bunch of fun trees to swing around in.

OK, so a full moon in Sagittarius will always involve some tension between raw information (Gemini) and intuiting an overarching meaning (Sagittarius)... Or  trickery vs. truth and morality. Or multiple stories, and the task of figuring out which to believe in.

This full moon is kind of extra though – kind of over-the-top. For one thing, it's bound up in the grand fire trine between Saturn in Sagittarius, Uranus in Aries and the north node in Leo, which is a big rush of future-oriented energy and inspiration.

But the really yuuuuge news here is Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius (hence dispositor of this full moon). He is stationing direct after a five month retrograde – and on the same day and at the same time as the full moon (around 2 pm GMT). It's a bit mind-blowing – you couldn't make this stuff up. It's happening in Libra, a sign preoccupied with relationships and justice -  so you can expect some progress in these matters.

Jupiter is all over this full moon. In addition to ruling it and resuming direct motion during it, he also beneficially aspects it. It's a LOT of Jupiter action, nearly too much. But as Jupiter is known as the “Great Benefic”, bestowing blessings, hope and good cheer, this should be OK!

It's full speed ahead, basically. But there is a catch. Actually there are a few catches.

Firstly: Jupiter is squaring Pluto in Capricorn, meaning there is some deep, systemic rot to be cleaned up before you can proceed, and it's not likely to be an easy or pleasant task. It will have to be dealt with, though. It's likely this rot has to do with issues you were dealing with at the new moon, when we had a Venus-Pluto square dragging relationship skeletons out of the closet. Some imbalance or injustice will have to be addressed -- and this is the right time to do so, because you'll be able to see the bigger picture.

And secondly (and connected), Saturn in Sagittarius is involved with this full moon. Saturn brings blocks, delays, trials and commitments. The moon will conjunct Saturn 12 hours after the full moon, meaning you get your jolt of elation and then you're faced with a sober reckoning. You can work with this by being absolutely truthful (Saturn in Sagittarius demands truth), walking your talk, keeping your commitments and putting the necessary work in. Provided you do the work and are willing to make a commitment, Saturn will help you build a solid path toward wherever your inspiration is leading you.

The third catch is Neptune; a dreamy, deluded, dissolute influence. Neptune squares this full moon and uncomfortably aspects Jupiter – meaning you probably shouldn't take too much on faith, or believe too wholeheartedly in your (or anyone else's) victim-stories. Strive to see and think clearly. There will be plenty of lies swirling around.

Overall though, it's an inspired, hopeful, truth-telling moon – and very consequential. We are seeing the outlines of the future take shape, and we are finally moving in a viable direction. It should feel pretty good, and we can afford to hope that justice will prevail. Keep in mind, though, that there is some not-so-pleasant work to do and some sacrifice demanded before you can achieve your goals.

New Moon in Gemini

This is tomorrow, the 25th May, 8:45 pm GMT.

Gemini is a jumpy, talky, networky sign. It's into information and communication, and it doesn't like sitting still.

For this new moon, the sun and moon are conjunct at 4 degrees of the sign, and not strongly aspecting anything else – so this is a big dose of jittery Gemini energy. And in addition to the sun and moon, we have Mars in Gemini which is a lot of sharp but scattered mental energy. Expect to be rushing around answering messages and doing a zillion little jobs and errands. It's a busy time with lots of new ideas and options opening up, but it can feel like mental overload and frazzled neurons.

Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the winged messenger of the zodiac, and right now Mercury is in steady, grounded Taurus. This is a good thing! It calms the mental frenzy some, meaning the new ideas and connections coming at you these days have the potential to grow into something solid.

Still, there's plenty of frenzy – a lot of air and fire in the sky at present, and when you put those together you get a conflagration.

Our grand fire trine between Saturn in Sagittarius, Uranus in Aries and the north node in Leo is in full effect, forming a kite pattern with Mars in Gemini. This is nice, symbolic of new visions and inspirations for the future – except for the fact that Mars opposes Saturn (exact on the 29th May).

Mars-Saturn aspects are about blockage and frustration that can express itself as cruelty – it's said to be like driving with the brakes on. As Mars is in thinky Gemini, this is likely to be expressed in the mental realm and in our communications. You may hit a wall mentally.

It looks like a bit of a traffic jam – so beware road rage. If you're trying to make something work but making no progress this month, please try to do your Gemini! Be flexible and adaptable, manoeuvre around the problem instead of meeting it head-on. Or just switch your focus to something else. There'll be plenty of other directions to move in.

That could be hard to believe if you're dealing with an obsession, though -- and you very well might be.  The really big news here is that Venus in Aries squares Pluto in Capricorn at nearly the exact same time as the new moon. So the new moon and the month ahead are coloured by this Venus-Pluto square. In addition, Jupiter in Libra is involved, which magnifies the potential nastiness. This is a cardinal t-square, necessitating change. Deep old issues around love, money and values will be coming to the surface to be dealt with this month. Actual exes might come back into your life as well.

This is focused on relationships and it looks pretty heavy. Venus-Pluto aspects are either about powerful love or power masquerading as love. You get the very best or the very worst, no in-between. So this stuff can express itself as rock-solid commitment and love unto death; or as games, triangles, drama, cruelty, jealousy, betrayal.

So all in all, this new moon is interesting. All the mental stimulation and socialising is underlain by an intense frustration and blockage. All the sparkly Gemini instant-messaging stuff is underlain by heavy, dark compulsion.

I think, don't be too fixated this month. Don't be frustrated if you don't get what you want – just pivot. Shift the focus to something else – there'll be plenty of new things to focus on.

The north node in Leo is about creativity, and it is currently disposited by the sun in Gemini – meaning the way through is to think and communicate creatively and playfully. And to be adaptable! To bend like a reed in the wind instead of pushing against resistance and getting yourself all busted up.

We'll have a full moon in Sagittarius on the 9th June, and at that point we'll be putting all the data we've gathered into a narrative and discerning the way forward.

Full Moon in Scorpio

Yumiko Kayukawa

This is tonight, the 10th May, 10:42 pm GMT.

I'll be very brief, because it's almost upon us!

Scorpio is a depth sign, concerned with the “ugly” stuff hidden under the surface – the taboo, the Shadow. So a full moon in this sign will tend to shine a bright light on some kind of ugliness we'd rather remain ignorant of.

There's no looking away with this one, though. Full moons are about culminations and/or endings, and Scorpio is very extreme and all-or-nothing, ruthlessly cutting away what is no longer viable – so clearly, something rotten in your life has to be excised here. (And with Mercury conjunct Uranus, this is likely to be made clear in a blazing flash of clarity.)

The nice thing is, this imperative for elimination has a lot of coiled up power behind it. Scorpio's ruler Pluto harmoniously aspects the full moon, lending a deep sub-surface intensity and force. And Pluto is retrograde, meaning whatever crazy stuff is coming to light now, it's only the tip of the iceberg – there are yuuuge implications that will take time to come to fruition. But they will – slowly and inexorably.

It's a moon for deep restructuring. With the north node's move into Leo and the final Mercury-Uranus conjunction (both yesterday!), our grand fire trine is now in full effect. New ideas and creative visions are buzzing away like mad - it's a hopeful time, full of energy and promise. But before you can embark upon the new, be sure you've cleared out what's dead and rotten.

New Moon in Taurus

This is today, the 26th April, around 1 pm GMT.

It's nice for a change. And it's simple: start something that makes you feel good and/or increases your resources. It's the right time for planting seeds.

Solid, grounded, tangible, pleasurable. These are Taurus words. Also: slow, deliberate, patient. The things set in motion this lunar cycle will grow quietly and slowly, but be very deeply rooted. It's long-term stuff and will need to be nurtured.

It also represents a radically new direction. Taurus can be habitual and complacent, but what's in development here is not the same old same old at all. We are not going back over old ground or doing what we've always done. We're in uncharted territory, consolidating the new.

New ideas and associations will be popping up all over the place. We have some intense, buzzing Mercury action going on: a mutual reception between Mercury in warrior sign Aries, and Mars, who has just moved into thinky Gemini. This is some lit-up mental energy.

Plus Mercury is getting set to station direct on the 3rd May, and he's conjunct Uranus, planet of upheaval and revolution, now and well into May. And he's very well aspected: trining Saturn in Sagittarius and also the north node. This is the beginning of our grand fire trine, full of enthusiasm and inspiration. We'll have it for much of the rest of 2017.

In short, if you can't come up with a new approach at this time, you never will. The sky is really supporting creativity, inspiration and innovation. It's a waste of this energy to keep on doing the same old shit and expecting it to work out. So take a bit of a gamble, change things up a bit, start something you feel excited about. What have you got to lose?

You may be moving on from something tough and painful, but it should be apparent at this time that progress is being made. Taurus' ruler Venus, dispositor of the new moon, is still in a tough place, but she's moving forward. She's back from her underworld journey after stationing direct on the 15th April, and she's finished tangoing with Chiron (unhealable wounds) and Saturn (limits), though she's still in range of both. So we're still feeling the effect of those aspects: deep hurt and harsh realities in love and money matters; painful limits that must be accepted.

But we are moving on from all the regret and nostalgia. Venus re-enters Aries on the 28th April, and then it's full speed ahead, and on to new vistas. And by the time of the full moon in Scorpio on the 10th May, our beautiful grand fire trine will be in full effect, and things will be shifting fast.

The north node moves to Leo the day before the full moon – and this is a big deal. For the past 18 months, with the north node in Virgo, I've been harping on about doing your Virgo – cleaning, organizing staying healthy, attending to details and everyday tasks, serving others, being humble. Virgo was the path through the fog of these weird times.

And that's still the case, now and for the next two weeks: so keep doing your Virgo! Double up on it if necessary – do the full Marie Kondo thing on your underwear...

But keep in mind, this emphasis on nitpickiness is nearly over. Once the north node shifts to Leo on the 9th May, the tone changes to something much more fun. Creativity, showmanship, romance, self-expression, bling, ego! That's what we'll be focused on for the next 18 months, and I'm looking forward to it.

Anyway, happy new moon in Taurus to all. Plant a seed now, with the intention of growing something luxuriant and fantastical, because this is a powerfully fertile time.

Full Moon in Libra

This is on Tuesday the 11th April, about 7 am GMT.

The moon in Libra will be conjunct Jupiter and opposing the sun conjunct Uranus in Aries. Both these poles square Pluto in Capricorn.

This is a cardinal t-square and it's about CHANGE, ready or not. There is intense pressure, and also intense frustration here – it looks to me like being pushed through the birth canal.

Not so comfortable! You can pretty much guarantee that despite the Libran emphasis on harmony and justice, things are not going to be harmonious or just – they are going to be tense and overboard. Efforts to maintain an amicable façade will be severely tested. People who've had it up to here with appeasing and being tactful and polite – and getting shit on for their efforts – will be breaking out.

We do have the moon conjunct Jupiter for this full moon, which is usually a feel-good aspect. But in this case, the moon is also squaring Pluto, which is a feel-bad aspect. And opposing Uranus, which is a leave-me-the-fuck-alone aspect. So it really looks to me like Jupiter will magnify the emotional tensions of this full moon more than he'll mitigate them.

And the tensions have to do with self vs. others, war vs. peace: how much do we give others, how much do we appease, how hard do we try to please others at the expense of our own needs? What price social harmony? What are we actually getting out of keeping the peace, and is it worth it? Wouldn't it be easier to just quit interacting with these assholes – or to stop trying to keep them happy all the time? Or to be honest about what we feel for a change, despite the disruption it'll cause?

That kind of thing. And something I'm seeing with Jupiter in Libra (and this cardinal t-square): the energy dynamics of social interactions are highlighted, and bad social etiquette meets with less indulgence than usual. By “bad social etiquette”, I mean egotism, grandstanding, monopolising conversation, expecting attention and respect from others without giving it back. Energy and resources are feeling pretty limited these days, so people who drain us are harder to tolerate than usual.

At bottom, it's a question of our resources and our values. This is the theme of the Venus retrograde, which is in effect till the 15th April; and also of the Mercury retrograde which started on the 9th April and continues till the 3rd May. We are reassessing what we value and want, with an emphasis on what is practically feasible. Can we continue to please others at the expense of our own needs, going forward? Or do we value our own self-determination, even if it's at others' expense or costs us important relationships?

There is a balance to be struck between self and others here, and it looks tricky. Especially given the current condition of relationship planet Venus, dispositor of the full moon. She's retrograde, conjunct Chiron in Pisces and exactly squaring Saturn in Sagittarius, and this is painful.

It's an aching sense of deprivation and poverty and loss, especially regarding love and money. Real heartbreak, unattainable dreams.

Well what we can't change must be accepted, though acceptance is hard. It's time to give up waiting on a miracle - or Prince Charming, or the lottery - and to accept reality. But it's going to feel like crap.

Anyway, under the circumstances, there's not going to be a lot of energy or patience to spare for social niceties, and tempers will be frayed. Cutting people some slack is a good idea – you don't know what kind of heartache they're dealing with. Cutting yourself some slack is also a good idea. You don't have to be perfect, you don't have to please everyone, and you don't have to throw yourself into difficult situations out of a misplaced sense of obligation .