Full Moon in Pisces

This today, the 26th August, at around 1 pm GMT.

We are past eclipse season now, and this beautiful full moon in dreamy Pisces should feel like a soothing antidote to all that intensity. I really like the look of it.

Pisces can represent a strong undertow into addiction and delusion, but I'm not seeing that here. This full moon is backed up by a steadying grand trine of planets in earth signs: the sun in Virgo, Saturn in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus. This is very practical and grounding, but because of the Uranian influence it's also full of potential for brilliant innovation.

So it's a beautiful melding of creativity, intuition and dreams (Pisces) with pragmatism, hard work and long-term vision. It should be easy to see which of your plans are workable in the real world under this full moon, as reality will be sharply delineated from fantasy. But the great thing is, there's nothing grim or dull about reality here. It's possible to be wildly innovative and realistic at the same time, and that's what we're aiming for.

In fact, what's unrealistic – and even delusional – under this sky is to think you can stay stuck in a rut and have that work out for you. We are meant to be developing new operating systems for our lives this year. This is not about playing it safe and doing what we've always done, or expecting our lives to follow “normal” trajectories. Those no longer exist, if they ever did. This is about dreaming up a better, more authentic life for ourselves, and then figuring out how to turn those dreams into actualities in our brave new world. It will probably involve being unconventional, but who the hell cares about convention anymore?

Because Pisces is involved, please remember we are adapting ourselves to the flow, not pushing against the current. You'll know what's actually workable because it won't feel like a grinding, teeth-clenched trial, but a natural, effortless flow.

And because full moons signify culminations and endings and this one is in Pisces, a sign concerned with endings – you may have to let go of something before you can move forward. I would say if your plans require huge pushing against resistance (ie, swimming against the current), you should just drop them and focus on what is actually flowing for you. It's not about achieving something grandiose, but using what you have at hand in a creative way: building a tiny house out of salvaged materials in your mom's backyard as opposed to taking out a mortgage on Trump Tower.

Anyway, at this full moon it should be clear what's actually practical for you and what isn't. And then you can get to work building your new life. As of the 19th August, we are finished with Mercury retrograde. As of tomorrow (27th August), we are finished with Mars retrograde. And then, as of the 5th September, we are finished with Saturn retrograde. Things will be moving again! We won't be facing the kind of blockage and delay we've been dealing with all summer. So you no longer have an excuse for slacking - get to work!

We'll have a new moon in practical, detail-oriented Virgo on the 9th September, which should move things along some more. I'll write about it closer to the time. Best wishes for this lovely full moon, and may all your dreams be workable in reality!

New Moon Eclipse in Leo

See here

This is today, the 11th August, around 11 am GMT.

It's a partial solar eclipse, the last one of this year's eclipse season. And it's in Leo, sign of creativity, showmanship and self-expression. Leo is a big shiny extrovert sign! It needs to perform, to shine, to be admired and loved.

But this new moon eclipse has a real introvert vibe. We have six planets retrograde at the moment: Uranus stationed retrograde on the 8th August, and there's also Mercury, Mars, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto. All this speaks of an inner illumination rather than an outer one. So if you're craving external validation, you're not going to find it here – it's more about finding your own light and your authenticity, and figuring out how to live from that.

I don't mean this in an airy-fairy “spiritual” way, I mean it in an immensely practical way. Like, how do you pay the rent and eat while doing something you actually enjoy and are good at? How do you channel your energy so that you have enough of it to devote to what you love? How do you arrange your life so that it supports your happiness and uses your particular talents?

It's all entirely possible! It's your life, you're the one in charge of it. But it takes creativity. You have to be willing to try something different and step outside your old comfort zone. This is your year for coming up with a better operating system for your life.

But this isn't the month to be putting anything major in motion – shifts are happening deep underground, and largely outside of our conscious control. Mercury is retrograde till the 19th August, and Mars is retrograde till the 27th, so it's going to be hard to push forward with new plans. It's actually inadvisable to start anything new until these retrogrades end, as you'll be banging your head against a wall.

This is more about germination: new creative ideas are germinating deep underground at this eclipse, with far-reaching practical consequences for your life. (The eclipse is the focus of a yod, an aspect pattern that has to do with abrupt, fateful shifts.)

I think it's important to just let the seeds germinate, entertain new possibilities – you'll find out what's actually viable in the real world soon enough. It should become a lot clearer at the full moon in Pisces in two weeks' time, where we'll be separating fantasy from reality. And then by the end of the month, Mercury and Mars will be moving direct again and you can start moving forward with your plans. But for now, plant your seeds and see what comes up! 

Retrograde Mercury is conjunct the new moon, meaning there will be difficulties and blockages with self-expression. But this doesn't have to be a bad thing! As it's happening in Leo, it looks to me like it's about refining your creative expression - any form of artistic expression requires introspection. (It's interesting to note that a lot of writers have retrograde Mercury in their natal charts: writing is a solitary, internal form of communication, and great writers edit their self-expression mercilessly.)

Jupiter in Scorpio will be exactly squaring Mercury, and again we are looking at this theme of going inward, cutting away the layers of dross that are obscuring your light and your individual voice. This Mercury – Jupiter square also speaks of research and investigation: this is a good time to really research your options. Look under every rock, in order to find out what can help you design a more authentic, creative life for yourself. 

There is a cardinal t-square involving Venus, Chiron & Saturn in effect, meaning you are likely to be feeling some painful insufficiency and deprivation, especially around relationship and money matters. With a cardinal t-square, it's obvious that something has to change. If you're feeling unfulfilled, use this new moon eclipse to look at practical yet creative ways to rectify your sense that something is missing.

The point is really your happiness. How do you build more joy and creativity and fulfilment into your life; what kind of practical measures will you have to take to make a more authentic life a reality; what are your actual options? You can't keep trudging along in your same old rut this year. It's time for a radically new chapter. This month is where we start dreaming it up in earnest.