This is tomorrow, the 3rd June, at about 11 am GMT.
Gemini is light of foot and thought, quick, communicative, sociable, easily bored. New moons represent new beginnings and this new moon is not heavily aspected by anything else in the sky, so we're looking at some pure Gemini here. Expect a lot of frenetic activity and chat, and multiple options opening up in some area of your life.
As the sun and moon are widely squaring Neptune, these new options may turn out to be flash-in-the-pan stuff – mirages with little basis in reality, or outright deceptions. So try to keep your head screwed on amidst all the flux and activity.
At the same time we have Venus in Taurus beneficially aspecting the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, which means there are things of solid value in your life that you can rely on for security and stability. Real assets and real relationships, real commitments. These things are weighty. If the Gemini stuff is like a sailboat responsive to every breeze and change in the weather, the Venus-Saturn-Pluto stuff is a very heavy and dependable anchor that will keep it from drifting off course.
Another way of describing this: despite multiple narratives and desperate spin and cleverly constructed falsehood, the bedrock reality will not be denied. This especially regards love and money scenarios – the truth will be apparent if you care to look at it.
Of course you can choose to engage in willful self-delusion if that's your thing, but we are headed for a difficult reckoning, like it or not. Mars in Cancer is in opposition to the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, and this is happening across the north and south nodes of the moon. Oppositions play out interpersonally, and this one denotes some very dark and brutal karmic drama – especially involving family.
Mercury in Cancer is going to be part of this opposition at the full moon in Sagittarius on the 17th June, and holy crap. This looks like a set-up for verbal and mental and emotional and physical violence. Again, the emphasis here is on family stuff – but even if you manage to avoid your crazy family at this time, some kind of drama is likely to land at your door. Please be careful, avoid angry people, and try to keep calm. (Strenuous physical exercise can help if you find yourself wanting to kill someone.)
To sum up: light – even frivolous – as this new moon in Gemini may feel, we are not really in the silly season this month. It reminds me of the fun episode of Game of Thrones before the big battle with the ice zombies – everybody's telling stories and partying and singing songs, meanwhile some extra heavy shit is about to go down.
That is not meant to scare you – hopefully you won't be fighting undead ice zombies or whatever their metaphorical equivalent is. But the month ahead looks difficult and fairly gut-wrenching, and I think things are going to start feeling a lot heavier and darker.
I think the key to getting through this time is knowing what your anchor is: what and who you can really depend on, what your real assets and values are, what grounds you and lends you mental and emotional stability. If you stay anchored in what's solid and real, hopefully you can avoid being blown off course this month.
Making moves to protect your assets is probably also a good idea at this time. At the very least, avoid risky gambles.
This is early tomorrow morning, the 21st January, exact at 5:12 am GMT.
It's a total eclipse and a supermoon, meaning the moon is at a near point in her orbit and will appear larger than usual.
Even without all that though, it'd be super intense. The moon is at 0 degrees Leo, and facing off against the sun at 0 degrees Aquarius. Uranus in Aries is squaring these poles tightly. This is a fixed t-square – a tense and uncomfortable aspect pattern, where change is demanded and yet resisted fiercely. You can expect the unexpected, and crazy drama is likely – you're probably seeing it already. People are going to be stubborn as hell even when they're heading in the exact wrong direction, and explosively angry when challenged. The Brexit mess and the American government shutdown are perfect examples of the energy: big attention-seeking egos (Leo) vs. the future of the collective (Aquarius), with a Molotov cocktail of inflammatory anger and rebellion (Uranus in Aries) thrown into the mix, and no plausible way out because no one is willing to give an inch.
So I'm aware all that doesn't sound so great. But wait, there's more! Mars in his home sign of Aries (where he can be extra aggro and impatient, raring to go) is exactly squaring Saturn in his home sign of Capricorn (where reality is cold, hard and inflexible). Mars square Saturn is not a nice aspect. It's often compared to driving with the brakes on – intense forward momentum hitting a wall, leading to vicious frustration and rage. It's associated with cruelty.
So that definitely doesn't sound so great. You put together the fixed t-square and Mars square Saturn, and it's not the most pleasant picture that's emerging. It's quite harsh - a battle of egos vs. each other and more importantly, vs. a harsh reality that cannot be evaded indefinitely.
But we do have something soothing and lovely in the form of Venus conjunct Jupiter in Sagittarius. Jupiter, like Mars and Saturn, is in his home sign (as is Neptune). That alone is helpful – there's a lot of cosmic backup right now with all these planets in their home signs. But Venus conjunct Jupiter is especially lucky, as these are the two benefic planets coming together. So it's a bright, hopeful prospect, especially for relationship and money matters. The conjunction is squaring Neptune, meaning that hopeful prospect may be utterly delusive, but still – it's nice to have, considering everything else.
The way out of the impasse we face at this eclipse is suggested by the north node in Cancer, disposited by the moon in Leo: get in touch with your heart and your feelings. Not your feelings of outrage, wounded ego and righteous indignation – we've all had quite enough of that stuff, it won't get us anywhere. But your feelings of love and compassion and generosity. Chiron in Pisces also sends beneficial aspects to the eclipse, meaning there is a big existential woundedness underlying all the fixed, opposing positions and gridlock – the deep, impersonal pain of Being. If you can get in touch with that, you might just be able to see your opponent as no different to yourself deep down. It's a long shot, but there doesn't seem to be any other way out.
Rhetoric and analysis and ideology are not going to help – these are functions of the south node in Aquarius, meaning they'll come easy, but they're not what's called for. Cathartic tears, kindness and a change of heart are what's called for.
Also creative self-expression - being fully authentic to yourself, no matter how zany it seems to the collective. It's great for artists, so if you can make art with it, you're using it well. The wierder the better.
This full moon is the culmination of a particularly sensitive and painful Pisces lunar cycle, and it looks like a doozy – very emotionally raw and harsh. If you can get through it without killing anyone, you'll be doing well.
The moon will be in Libra, where she craves interpersonal harmony and niceness, but things are not set up so she can get it. She'll be part of a cardinal t-square: a tense, uncomfortable aspect pattern that necessitates movement and change.
The opposite pole of this t-square will be in fiery, warlike Aries, where the sun and Mercury will be conjunct. This represents a fierce, aggressive drive for self-expression – but with Mercury retrograde till mid-April, communication is likely to be frustrated or blocked.
The other part of the triangle is Mars conjunct Saturn in Capricorn (exact on the 2nd April). This is a tough aspect. Mars is about forward drive, and Saturn is about blocks and delays – so it's like momentum hitting a wall. Fortunately, both planets are well placed in Capricorn, so you could read this positively, as representing a rock-solid work ethic: an enduring (Saturn) drive (Mars) to achieve (Capricorn).
But however positive a spin you try to put on it, it's part of a cardinal t-square involving the moon (emotions), and it's unlikely to feel good. Jagged, frustrated and angry, more like. And as Libra is all about relationships, whatever happens this full moon is likely to play out as interpersonal conflict.
Libra is ruled by love and money planet Venus, and Venus has been stressed over the past month. She entered fiery, impulsive Aries on the 6th March, only to run into a frustrating square with Saturn (exact 13th March). This was about blockage of desire, and stagnation in love and money matters – very testing and dour. But worse was to come: Venus moved from that loveless square into a square with Pluto in Capricorn (exact 23rd March) – and this is some truly nasty stuff, full of the potential for manipulation, betrayal and power games.
And then just ahead of the full moon, we saw Venus conjunct Uranus (exact 29th March), which is about bright new doors opening – but also other doors shutting abruptly. The Venus symbolism over the past month couldn't be clearer – first a lack of fulfillment (Venus square Saturn), then an eruption of ugliness (Venus square Pluto), then she's out the door (Venus conjunct Uranus). And then the culmination: this Venus-ruled full moon which is all about love and war – very angry and raw.
So to say the past month has been rough on relationships is probably an understatement. But after this full moon, we are hopefully past the worst of the rapids. Venus has already moved into Taurus, where she calms down and stops associating love with fighting. And we'll have a new moon in Aries on the 16th April, which marks the start of the astrological year - it looks like a radical re-boot, the start of a whole new chapter. Change is coming!
So whatever rottenness is happening in your life, rest assured things are going to get better – and probably weirder too, which is not a bad thing. And if something you value or want is being taken away from you at this time, wait a bit. A little further down the road, you might just realize it was something holding you back.
It's on St Patrick's Day, a holiday associated with public drunkenness. And it's in Pisces, a sign associated with all forms of addiction. And the sun and moon will be conjunct Chiron, an asteroid which has to do with wounding – the kind you learn deep lessons from.
So I think it's a bit more dangerous than usual to go out partying this St Patrick's Day (and in the month to follow). The hangover is sure to be painful! Caution is advised with boundary dissolving substances – we'll be more addiction-prone this month, and more likely to encounter deep pain and karmic lessons via our escapist attempts to blur out reality. Interpersonal relations are likely to be harmfully affected too.
We've had a stellium in Pisces for the past few weeks, but this new moon marks the beginning of the end of that heavy Pisces influence. Instead we're going to have a stellium in Aries from the 6th of March, as Venus joins Mercury in Aries. Then we'll have the spring equinox as the sun enters Aries on the 20th March. It should feel like a release of stuck energy – an antidote to the inertia and depression of the Pisces stellium.
But Aries can be warlike and impulsive, and the planets in Aries will make harsh squares to Saturn and later Pluto in Capricorn, blocking the possibilities for forward movement. This is a recipe for frustration and rage. When you combine that influence with the sensitivity, delusion and ego-woundedness of this new moon, you can end up with a mess.
I think the danger of taking out your internal angst on others will be very strong this month. This Pisces lunar cycles culminates with a full moon in Libra on the 31st March which looks tough on relationships.
And the fact that the new moon conjuncts Chiron in Pisces magnifies the potential for pain and loss this month. Pisces has a reputation for dreamy spirituality, but it also has a very dark shadow: addiction, delusion, isolation, victim shit, self-pity, emotional chaos, illness, loss. Chiron's involvement with the new moon means we are likely to see a lot of this dark Pisces, and it's bound to be a bit miserable and deflating. Bubbles will burst.
But Chiron is also about learning from our wounds, so it's entirely possible to learn something deep and spiritual from your angst and disappointment. The key is going deep, into your dark psychological stuff and your subconscious. You have to examine your uncomfortable feelings, get to the root of them, find out what's triggering your angry or depressed responses. It's not fun, but that kind of deep psychological work will be very beneficial at this time.
That's because Jupiter in Scorpio is beneficially aspecting the new moon, after having stationed retrograde on the 8th March. This is a clear directive to cast your lasers inward, toward what's subconsciously driving you. It's about coming to terms with your Shadow, bringing the ugly stuff into conscious awareness, and healing. With this Jupiter retrograde in the sign of depth psychology (and a Mercury retrograde in Aries beginning on the 20th March) projecting your battles onto the outside world and fighting them there is not a good idea, though it will be easy enough to do that. It's better to use this energy to dig out what's going on inside you.
I think one very good way of doing that at this time is via art. We have Venus and Mercury conjunct in Aries, and this is very forcefully communicative. We also have Mars at the very last degree of Sagittarius, and this is more of the same: a shoot-from-the-hip kind of influence. It can be mouthy, opinionated, prone to blurting insensitive things and calling it honesty. But if you can channel this urgency of expression into creativity, you're less likely to get embroiled in external conflict.
The alternative is to use this to spout off your opinions and probably wound someone, and people will be doing plenty of that! We have this combination of sensitive, wounded Pisces and callous, impulsive Sagittarius and Aries, so the likelihood of getting wounded or hurting people you care about (especially if you're under the influence) is strong. So keeping your forceful opinions to yourself for a while might be smart. And it's worth asking yourself whether you're deluded or projecting before you tell someone off, because the likelihood here is that you are.
Mars shifts signs a few hours after the full moon, into Capricorn, a sign where he functions well and get shit done. But he's headed into a conjunction with Saturn in Capricorn, exact around the time of the full moon. This does not look so great to me. Mars-Saturn contacts are known for blockage, frustration and cruelty – people lash out because of pent-up aggression. So it ties into the theme of interpersonal violence this month, and it's something to keep an eye on. It has the potential to really damage or destroy relationships.
It all comes to a head in two weeks time, under the full moon in Libra on the 31st March. Libra is about relationships and keeping the peace, but this full moon is part of a very tense cardinal t-square, so keeping the peace is going to be tough, and relationships can end abruptly at this time. Caution is advised.
Caution with communication especially: we'll have a Mercury retrograde through Aries starting on the 23rd March and running till the 15th April, and it's bound up with the full moon. This means impulsive, emotionally driven miscommunication is likely, or angry misunderstandings. Needless to say, this can lead to conflict. You can blurt the wrong thing, or things you've said before can boomerang back on you, or communication can be blocked altogether.
So all in all, it looks like a tough month, and my advice is to look inward toward the sources of your angst instead of fighting your battles in the outer world. Or channel it into art, if that's your thing.
Also, try to keep a detached perspective if someone says or does something hurtful to you, and be mindful of how easy it will be this month to hurt others.
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.
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.
This is tomorrow morning, the 1st September, at about 10 am GMT.
We have a lot going on in the sky this month, ushered in by this harsh and intense solar eclipse in Virgo. I think September will ask a lot of us. It looks stressful, weird, anxious, head-melting. Things are in flux in a big way. People with a lot of planets in the mutable signs (Pisces, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius) will be especially hard hit.
The good thing is, there is a very clear and defined way through, and it is built into the chart of this new moon: keep doing your Virgo. Keep doing the jobs that need doing, quietly and humbly. Keep fine-tuning your routines, keep adapting to change in a simple, straightforward, constructive way. If you're having an existential crisis, do the dishes or mop the floor or walk the dog. There is always something (or someone) that needs taking care of.
Keep your focus on the humble, the everyday, the functional...even (or especially) in the midst of chaos and uncertainty about the future. If you try to think too far ahead these days, or on too large a scale, you're liable to get depressed or overwhelmed – or to be flat-out deluding yourself. So just attend to the boring, everyday, small stuff as it comes up, however fucking irritating it may be. Boring and mundane is the way to go here.
Also, we are dealing with a lot of mutable energy here – so adaptability and flexibility are important. If you hit roadblocks, delays and annoyances this month (which you will!), try to accept them with humility and grace. Find a way around them; be willing to alter your plans. And have some faith that the fog will dissipate sometime, and the road ahead will become clearer.
The other thing I'd say is – try to have a sense of perspective (Saturn in Sagittarius) about your anxieties (Virgo). I know that people are facing difficulties at this time – but there are problems and PROBLEMS. If you are not fleeing a war zone right now or holding onto your kids in an overcrowded dingy in the Mediterranean, you're relatively lucky.
Remember your situation is probably workable no matter how hard it feels. It's important to try to find a way to work with it, because running away from difficulties or trying to ignore them is not going to go so well under this sky. Throwing up your hands in despair and giving up is also not really an option. I mean, you could do that, but it will only lead you into worse trouble. You have got to deal with the choices you've made and the messes that need clearing up.
This new moon eclipse opposes Neptune and the south node in Pisces, so escapism will pull at us. (Beware drink, drugs and romantic delusion.) It also squares the Saturn-Mars conjunction in Sagittarius, meaning we'll likely be feeling like miserable, frustrated, angry shit on a stick.
Keeping the focus practical and reality-based under this kind of moody cosmic weather will be hard, but very beneficial.
Big stuff this month:
We have a Mercury retrograde through Virgo that started yesterday (August 30th) and will go on till the 22nd September. Expect the usual Mercury retrograde stuff: jangled nerves, jumbled-up communication, information overload, glitches in devices and travel plans. Plus brain fog, anxiety and distraction courtesy of the Saturn-Neptune square. Fun stuff!
We have Jupiter ending his yearlong residency in Virgo on the 9th of September, and entering Libra. This is a big shift, and it actually looks like a nice one. Jupiter in Libra will be about balance, justice and harmony, especially in close relationships.
This new moon is Jupiter in Virgo's last big party – and he exits the sign conjunct Venus and Mercury, which is great for cleaning up your relationship messes via precise, effective communication before he enters Libra. If you've been doing your Virgo work, you'll benefit from this.
The next day, we'll have the third and final Saturn-Neptune square, exact on the 10th of September. This is a reality (Saturn) dissolving (Neptune) influence – potentially very disillusioning and disorienting. It looks like it could involve some relationship nastiness and power plays – Venus squares Pluto the next day. So be warned.
Saturn square Neptune is really the event of the month - the aspect that colors everything. Truth, clarity, rules and limits (Saturn) vs. bullshit, dreams, addiction and escapism (Neptune) - and I've already told you ad nauseam which side of the equation you want to be on, with the north node in reality-based Virgo.
Then we have a full moon eclipse in Pisces on the 16th September, and it looks fairly emotionally wounding. Painful stuff. I'll get to that closer to the time.
Finally, we have Pluto stationing direct in Capricorn on the 25th September. This looks OK! It's about deep structural change though, which is never exactly comfortable.
The upshot is, we don't come out of September the same as we went in. This month, is a scene-changer, and maybe you'll find yourself in a different play altogether by the end of it.
Keep in mind, plenty of people are not going to be in their right minds this month. Maybe cut them some slack unless they're going around shooting people. And if it's you that's going crazy - focus on the practical, and please get some kind of help if things are really bad. Your issues are workable, and they're not unique to you - other people can help! But it'll be easy to lose sight of that fact.
This is tomorrow, the 18th
August, at 10:26 am (GMT). It is – very marginally – an eclipse,
which ramps up the usual full moon intensity a bit.
It doesn't need to be any more intense
– this looks like a zinger. Aquarius is about shock,
novelty, upheaval. For this full moon, the sign's ruler, Uranus, is beneficially
aspecting the sun and moon, meaning the shocks involved may be
liberating. You might just go off in an entirely new direction; you might just take a big gamble, and it might just work out.
But it looks very crazy and
unpredictable. All bets are off! This full moon is part of a yod –
a tense, weird aspect pattern. This one looks like it's about a need for personal
freedom and authenticity (moon in Aquarius sextile Uranus in Aries), conflicting very uncomfortably with dutiful, routine-bound Mercury and
Jupiter in Virgo. It's nervous breakdown stuff.
If that were the only nervous breakdown
stuff we were dealing with, it'd be enough. But there's more! There's
Neptune on the south node, pulling us backward into utter escapist
madness and addiction. There's Mars conjunct Saturn in Sagittarius:
truth, consequences and inescapable, harsh realities re. the road ahead. There's Venus
in Virgo harshly aspecting all these planets, making relationship and
money issues feel simultaneously delusive, unreal, constraining and
inescapable. There's Chiron in Pisces opposing Mercury and Jupiter in
Virgo – a big existential wound to our minds and capacity to find
meaning in existence.
All in all, a total headfuck – and
it's not going to just disappear. This is some heavy mental shit and
it will get heavier as we move toward the new moon eclipse in Virgo
on the 1st September, which looks frankly awful for anyone of a sensitive or nervous disposition.
That eclipse ushers in a month of
mental health weirdness, but the next couple of weeks are no picnic
either. We have a Mars-Saturn conjunction on the 24th
August, which will feel like hitting a wall of karma – lies and
hype will be exposed. We have Mars squaring Neptune, exact on the
26th August, which will make heroin addiction seem like a
viable life option. We have a Mercury retrograde through Virgo
starting the 31st August, which will probably feel like this:
only even less comprehensible.
And then after the new moon eclipse, we
will have Saturn squaring Neptune on the 10th September –
a profoundly disillusioning (and disorienting, and depressing)
influence.
I know I am being very dire. I could
try to put a positive spin on it all, but I don't see what good
that'd do anyone. This stuff looks very painful and disturbing, and
it is in play till the end of the year – and people should be aware
of it.
Mutable sign people especially (Gemini,
Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) – please don't commit suicide. Try to
ride the next few months out, one day at a time. One foot in front of
the other; one small, mundane, routine task after the other – even
when your brain is a mess and you can't see the purpose of any of it.
If you try to look too far ahead you're liable to get dizzy and lose
your footing – so keep the focus narrow, on what needs doing in the
here-and-now.
And if you need some outside help, please GET
IT. From friends, therapists, religion, meds, the suicide hotline -
whatever works. Don't try to keep your craziness all bottled up and
expect it will just disappear. If you start to feel the walls closing in on
you, talk to someone. You are not the only fuck-up on planet Earth.
OK, having said all that – it's not
all bad. I wrote at the new moon in Leo a couple weeks ago that our
theme this month was new beginnings beset by roadblocks.
Those new beginnings are still pretty
solid! Just we are hitting the roadblocks about now, and they are
considerable. And some karmic backlash is hitting, for those
who've been pretending to be what they're not. It's a shock allright.
The important thing is to follow your
personal truth, your vision for the future – YOURS, not anyone
else's. And to keep on truckin', even if your onward progress is
stalled for now. Keep the faith – small, careful steps will carry you toward
the goal, even if you can barely make out your own feet through the
fog.
This is later today, the 2nd August, at 9:45 pm GMT.
New moons represent beginnings. Leo is about creativity, pride, self-expression, bling, romance, childlike enthusiasm, look-at-me DRAMA, ego! And hair, of course. Leo people work very hard on their manes. If you know one who claims not to care about their hair or isn't using it to make some kind of statement - well something is off.
(Leo rising)
Leo people can also be very childishly thin-skinned, highly sensitive to criticism and perceived slights. Best not to disrespect the hair.
OK, but more abstractly - and seriously - Leo is about the divine, radiating through the medium of individual personality. It is associated with the heart – the core of who we are. Everyone is the star of their own show, and has to express their core essence.
The sign is ruled by the sun, which can't help but radiate. And in doing so, it keeps life as we know it going – it is the star of the whole melodrama. The boss, the central heavyweight every entity in the solar system orbits around and relies upon.
So in addition to being about creativity and showmanship and personal expression, Leo stands for boss-energy, inherently organizational and entrepreneurial.
Anyway, a new moon in Leo signifies a new beginning in creative / romantic / business endeavours. It's a great time to start a new artistic, romantic, or entrepreneurial project.
This new moon will prove especially good for initiating new projects: the sun and moon will beneficially aspect Saturn in Sagittarius. This gives whatever you begin this month weight, staying power, and a realistic sense of the road ahead.
It doesn't mean it's all going to be smooth sailing. It's not, needless to say. The sky is setting up some major roadblocks this month – there will be a need for sustained effort, even when things look hopeless, confusing and stuck.
All in all, though, there is great promise and potential here. But the future will have to be worked for. Saturn is involved, and Saturn is about karma and hard work. You'll get back what you put in. If you aren't willing to put in sustained work toward making something real, don't be surprised when your dreams turn out to be substanceless.
Reinforcing the theme of new beginnings in creative / romantic / money-related endeavours, Venus in Leo is beneficially aspecting Uranus in Aries (exact 1st August). This is a fiery, impulsive influence – it has to do with going after what we really want.
But here is the roadblock part: Uranus stationed retrograde on the 29th July. So bear in mind that the new beginnings being considered here may be stalled / under reconsideration till the direct station in late December. A seed has been planted, but it might take a while to germinate.
Also reinforcing the theme of new beginnings (and roadblocks), Mars moves from Scorpio into Sagittarius a few hours before the new moon. This is a big deal! It marks the end of a long and difficult transit recapitulating Saturn's transit through Scorpio from 2012-2015.
--Think back to where you were psychologically this time last summer, with Saturn grinding his way through the last degrees of Scorpio. Plenty of people were dealing with some fairly nasty crap. Plenty of toxicity was erupting from the depths. Saturn in Scorpio was some ugly, karmic stuff, and the difficulty of the transit was heightened by the Uranus-Pluto squares during the same period – the whole setup was like a wrecking ball.
Anyway, Mars has spent much of the past year going over the still-raw wounds of the Saturn transit through Scorpio, squeezing out the last of the pus, cutting away the dead flesh, putting in the sutures. It has not exactly been pleasant. Surgical procedures aren't meant to be.
But on the day of this new moon in Leo, Mars moves from deep, dark, psychologically intense Scorpio to Sagittarius – a sign which is all about new vistas, exploration and enthusiasm. Meaning: it's time to leave the past behind and move on. There is no longer anything to be gained in revisiting it. What could be repaired – has been. What was broken will remain broken, and it might just be a blessing. (The word “blessing”, incidentally, comes from the French for “wound”.)
It doesn't mean that the losses disappear. An amputee can learn to function just fine in her new reality, but still feel the ghost of the missing limb.
It also doesn't mean the consequences of past actions can be evaded - and in fact Mars is going to hit a wall of heavy consequences later this month. (I'll get to that in a minute.)
But losses and consequences aside, you have a life to be getting on with and new things are happening. Remember that, please, when you feel like wallowing in nostalgia or self-pity. There is no going back to the way things were; you are here in your life now, and it is never going to be perfect (and it never WAS, however ideal the rear-view mirror makes it seem). But there is still plenty to be done.
I feel obliged to say that, because this new moon is hit hard by an inconjunct to Neptune in Pisces. And Neptune – planet of idealisation, delusion and fog – will be close to the south node in Pisces for the rest of the year. So it'll be easy to get pulled backward into dreams of what might have been; romantic fantasy; poisonous nostalgia; idealisation of scenarios and people that are, in fact, not so ideal...
So Neptune is another of our roadblocks under this sky - or more like a swamp you'll get stuck in. Beware of escapism and self-serving fantasy. (Plus - substance alert, in effect now and for the rest of the year. Drink and drugs are more dangerous than usual these days. You'll need to keep your wits about you and your boundaries intact, so please be careful with the boundary-dissolving substances.)
OK, re. roadblocks - this is important. Mars, planet of will, desire and forward drive, is going to hit a huge one later this month as I've said. Saturn, lord of consequences, resumes direct motion in Sagittarius on the 13th August – and then Mars runs smack into him on the 24th August. This is likely to feel like hitting a big wall of karma at high speed. It will hurt.
I think people who've been insulated against the consequences of their crappy behavior under Saturn in Scorpio are going to feel this more than most – they will have to pay the piper here. Also, inflated ego types who do not walk their talk are likely to be exposed as frauds. (This is a Saturn in Sagittarius theme.)
But really everyone will be affected. Please take blockages and delays as a matter of course, because it's unlikely that forward motion will be easy over the next month. It's important to try to stay calm and humble and keep working toward your goals even if progress seems impossible. Getting angry over it will only make things worse. This stuff looks intensely frustrating; there is plenty of potential for violence and cruelty. People will be lashing out.
And it won't help that we'll have a nervewracking mutable t-square in effect again (as in June), involving Mars, Saturn, Neptune and a succession of planets in Virgo. Or that Mercury (mind and communication) will be right in the crossfire of this mutable t-square for much of August, before retrograding back into it in September. (Head-wrecking!)
--Or that we are headed into eclipse season, with an extremely uncomfortable-looking solar eclipse in Virgo on the 1st September.
--Or that we are approaching the third (and final) pass of the Saturn-Neptune square, exact on the 10th September. Saturn is about structure, Neptune is about dissolution – and with these planets squaring each other over the past year, we have been seeing instability, uncertainty about the future and terror spreading like contagion.
I think things are set to get worse this month and into September. Nice as this new moon looks, we are not headed into a nice stretch of time – we are headed into more crazy / violent, and I think everybody can feel it. It's frightening.
My take on getting through all this is the same as it's been all year: the important thing is to keep doing your Virgo. The north node and Jupiter in Virgo point the way forward.
And after Venus moves into Virgo on the 5th August, we'll be looking at a stellium in this sign for the rest of the month. So Virgo is extra-highlighted.
In many ways this Virgo party will be Jupiter in Virgo's last hurrah – he moves from Virgo to Libra on the 9th of September, having spent a year in the sign of humility, detail work and service.
Jupiter is about what enriches and blesses us - where our luck comes from. From now till the 9th September, our luck and blessings are in Virgo.
So however crazy things get and however crazy and powerless you may feel, keep doing your Virgo. Keep your head down and your mind on the everyday tasks at hand. Clean the house, weed the garden, walk the dog, go to work, stay humble and grounded and focused on the small stuff. Restrain your ego and serve others as much as you can.
And clean up your relationship karma – make sure your relationships are clear and balanced and fair. Pay attention to the details and clear up the misunderstandings and injustices. Because Jupiter in Libra is going to be all about relationships... and justice.
It's hard to avoid the feeling that a lot of karma will be coming due over the next few months. We'll see what happens. It is sure to be interesting, anyway - as in the curse "may you live in interesting times". We do!
Kuan Yin, goddess of mercy and defender of the oppressed
This is tomorrow, the 23rd March, 12 noon GMT.
We had the spring equinox as the sun moved into Aries on the 20th March. And as of today, the 22nd March, Mercury has also moved into Aries...and with that, we are leaving the heavy, draining suckage of the past month's Pisces stellium behind.
There are only 3 planets left in Pisces now – Venus, Chiron and Neptune. Chiron and Neptune will stay in Pisces for the next million years. (Kidding. It's three years till Chiron shifts signs, ten years for Neptune. Long enough though!)
But Venus will only be there for the next couple of weeks. She's the last holdout from the mega Pisces party at the new moon eclipse in Pisces two weeks ago.
And she is highlighted for tomorrow's full moon. This is an eclipse in Libra, a sign ruled by Venus. So we have to look at what Venus is doing to understand the themes at play here.
Venus is actually very happy in Pisces. She's "exalted" there. Venus in Pisces represents a perfect, blissful, angelic kind of ideal love – too pure and beautiful for this world. And conjunct Neptune (as she is now), the effect is magnified. It's spiritual, compassionate and sacrificial - like Kuan Yin above.
OK, Kuan Yin is great, and a good patron goddess for this eclipse. She defends the suffering, the powerless and the unjustly accused. This is a perfect combination of Libra (justice) and Pisces (compassion).
But please recall that the south node of the moon is currently in Pisces – meaning Pisces is where we are liable to get stuck. There is potentially a very dark, addictive undertow at work here, pulling us backward into dangerous illusion.
I don't want to be negative about beautiful, dreamy Venus in Pisces. We all need a dose of otherworldly loveliness now and then.
But exalted or not, for the next few weeks she also represents the kind of destructive fantasy and romanticism we are trying to move away from. And I think she is likely to bring suffering in her wake, especially as she moves to conjunct Chiron and the south node next week. Chiron is about wounding.
This looks like the stuff of romantic tragedy, and it is a useless waste of life, no matter how pretty it might look on screen (or in a song or a painting).
Romeo and Juliet not being proactive.
Please remember: beautiful nostalgia for what never was and exquisite longing for what can never be are dangerous drugs. They degrade the value of ordinary, everyday reality; they suck the life out of the present moment.
And they are deceptions. It's worth asking: what is being obscured with all this dreamy sweetness and loveliness?
It's likely to be a reality that is deeply corrupt, unfair or dangerous. Cruelty and exploitation often hide under pretty platitudes about equality and respect and love, and protestations of innocence.
“Sentimentality is the superstructure erected upon brutality.”
Jung said that. It's quite true. And it's worth remembering for the next couple of weeks.
“People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insists on remaining in a state on innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster.” “It is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. It is the innocence which constitutes the crime.”
I'm thinking also of the dangers of “idiot compassion” - or enabling. Which looks like love, but is really just a way of avoiding unpleasant reality and staying comfortable.
So these are things to be aware of right now, with Venus nearing the south node in Pisces!
I wrote a bit about the dark side of Pisces and Neptune at the new moon in Pisces a couple of weeks ago. The full moon is the culmination of the themes opened up at new moon - information will likely come to light that will shift perspectives. There will be revelations, conflicts, ruptures.
Full moons are intense in their own right – but this one is an eclipse, meaning it's supercharged. And it involves cardinal signs – the sun and Mercury in blazing, shoot-from-the-hip Aries, the moon in fairness-seeking Libra.
Aries is Mars-ruled and likes a good fight; Libra is Venus-ruled and likes peace, but will enter the fray to enact justice. Both these signs are cardinal – they mean action!
So I think - something will get decided here. Anger will be voiced, injustices will be aired, a balance will shift.
It looks to be about relationships (Libra), and it looks like it has to involve some straight talk and plain dealing (Mercury in Aries). Mars in Sagittarius beneficially aspects the sun, moon and Mercury. This reinforces the theme of truth-telling and plain dealing.
Basically, people are not going to be able to hide reality under a cloud of pretty lies. Expect to get called out on your shit if you try to do this, and please don't be all indignant and outraged about it. We all delude ourselves in countless ways, and sometimes we need to be set straight. So maybe it's a blow to your ego – big deal.
And if you're the one called upon to set someone else straight or establish fairness – well you can use Venus in Pisces to do so with kindness and compassion. But sticking to the facts and standing your ground quietly, without emotionalism, is probably your best strategy in this.
There is likely to be a smokescreen of bullshit and sentiment involved, and that stuff is confusing. But with the north node and Jupiter in reality-based Virgo – quietness, humility and strict attention to the facts are the way forward. Don't let yourself be diverted.
Everyday, mundane reality is where it's at right now. Keeping our feet on the ground and our minds on the tasks at hand. Overblown emotionalism will get you nowhere.
But if you see wrong-doing, rottenness and delusion, you're well placed to speak out about it. You don't have to become some kind of asshole crusader, and you definitely don't have to be cruel. But you're allowed to open your mouth and say what you think, and in fact you should probably do so.
Shutting up, keeping the peace and smoothing things over won't do anyone any favours right now. Lying to protect people's egos won't do them (or you) any good.
It looks like there's a fight to be had, so you might as gird up your loins for it. Remember the point of the conflict is, there's a wrong to be righted or a balance to be re-established. It's not about “winning”, it's about fairness and right relation (Libra).
It's also pretty important to pick your battles and have a sense of perspective. Jupiter in Virgo is currently squaring Saturn in Sagittarius – to the minute. This influence can make for pedantry and an inability to see the larger picture.
For example, it's probably not worth instigating a major relationship bust-up because someone doesn't agree with your politics or keeps leaving the toilet seat up. These things are relatively trivial in the grand scheme.
It's the larger, more systematic injustices and cruelties that demand attention here – the dirt that we usually prefer to sweep under the rug. I think under the light of this full moon eclipse, it's going to become a lot harder to keep sweeping it under the rug. Anyway, it's not advised. Air that shit out and rev up the dustbuster.
Poor dustbuster. It's definitely acting out some sacrificial Venus-Neptune stuff.
OK, so I have talked about Venus moving through karmic doomed romance territory for the next couple of weeks. She hits 0 degrees Aries – the start of the whole zodiac – on the 5th of April, just ahead of the new moon in Aries on the 7th. And then we open a new chapter. A fiery, energetic, go-getting one!
But you know – with the usual blocks, setbacks and disappointments. Nothing is ever perfect, ha.
It's a tricky summer ahead, marked by an interplay between Mars (action) and Saturn (limits). These two planets are currently in Sagittarius, which has to do with outward expansion, learning, travel, and enthusiasm. They will both be retrograding through the summer, making for plenty of delay, reconsideration and frustration in our plans for the future. They meet up again in Sagittarius in August, and it looks like a pain in the ass. Blockage and frustration galore.
Mars-Saturn aspects are known for their cruelty – but also for their endurance. Sustained work. It looks like that's what this summer will require of us.
Look at Bananarama busting their poor little butts there. Working on cars, climbing fire escapes, dancing on trucks, fleeing cops, dancing with cops. Hard graft! I suppose we'll all have to bust our butts as well.
OK, the Saturn retrograde starts in a couple of days, on the 24th March. He grinds backward from 16 degrees Sagittarius to 9 Sagittarius, and won't resume direct motion till August.
This is about delay and reconsideration in regard to our vision for the future. There are some more details to be hammered out, I guess. I know we're all sick of this stuff by now, but it is what it is.
Then we have Mars stationing retrograde on the 17th April. He'll move backward from 8 degrees Sagittarius to 23 Scorpio, stationing direct on the 29th June.
This is again about blocked energy, blocked forward motion – but this time in the context of what we most want. And it goes deeper than simple delay. It's a matter of looking deeply at what you actually desire, why you desire it, what you are willing to do to get it. Mars will be retrograding through Scorpio, and this involves some depth psychology.
So it's not enough to wonder if you've thought your plans through properly. Have you felt them through? Do you know what this is actually going to cost you? I don't mean monetarily, though that's a factor. I mean energetically. You will likely have to look at how much you can afford, how much you can invest in your deepest obsessions – on an energy level.
The Mars retrograde is kind of epic – it only happens every two years, roughly. Normally he transits a sign in about two months. But this year he'll spend a disproportionate amount of time – and the whole summer – in Scorpio and Sagittarius. Scorpio is inward-looking and psychological, Sagittarius is outward-looking and enthusiastic - and Mars is about will and desire. I suppose the message here is about looking inward and determining what we really want before moving forward into action. In any case action will likely be blocked or constrained in some way.
Hexagram 39 from the I Ching - about temporary obstructions and how to deal with them.(The advice is to focus inward and refine your character. Very relevant here.)
This Mars retrograde follows on the heels of last summer's Saturn retrograde through Scorpio – which was some dark and ugly psychodrama. This could very well be the blowback... We'll see.
At the same time, we'll have Saturn and Neptune squaring off during the summer, dissolving (Neptune) the solid ground from underneath our feet (Saturn). It'll be hard to know what to believe.
And we'll have Jupiter and the north node in Virgo involved with the Saturn-Neptune square. Jangled nerves and a lot of juggling.
I'll write more about it all as we approach the new moon in Aries, the astrological new year. But suffice it to say, it'll be an interesting summer! Not easy, but interesting.
This is on Monday the 28th September, 3:50 am (GMT).
We are in the middle of a tough week, and we're headed towards an intense and difficult full moon.
It's a supermoon, meaning the moon will be at the closest point to earth in her orbit, and will therefore appear freaking huge.
It is also a lunar eclipse, the fourth in a much-hyped tetrad of “blood moons” which some people believe heralds the end of the world, as in the Book of Revelations or some such shit.
Well I don't think it'll be the end of the world. But it does look quite violent. And as eclipses represent supercharged culminations or endings, the effects of this one will be long-term. So it's good to approach this with caution.
But before we look at it, let's look at the week leading up to it. What a crazy week.
We had the equinox – the balance-point of light and dark, the hinge between seasons – on the 23rd September (Wednesday), as the sun moved into Libra, sign of balance and harmonious relationship. And straight into conjunction with the north node at 1 degree Libra. Meaning Libran themes of balance, fairness and relating to the Other are paramount right now. This is the aim of the whole story, remember. It is about relational harmony and balance, even as everything is falling to shit around you. Civility and basic manners will get you far.
They will be needed, as we have all kinds of mental and interpersonal misunderstanding and nastiness going on right now. This is courtesy of retrograde Mercury in Libra, in lousy aspect to Uranus and Pluto. The Mercury-Pluto square was exact on the 24th September (Thursday) – and on the same day, we had Pluto, king of hell, stationing direct. Painful.
This is the sort of thing that incites verbal nastiness and suspicion. Or obsessive, stinging doubt and worry. Very mentally uncomfortable and lacerating stuff.
So there's just some very ugly, painful and dangerous – but potentially honest and transformative – thought and communication going on here. These influences are in effect (and culminating) at the full moon. And remember this full moon is in Aries, a fiery, warlike, impulsive sign. So there is the possibility of verbally eviscerating people, blowtorching your relationships all to hell...Or setting things on a new footing via radical honesty.
We also had Mars moving into Virgo in the early hours of the 25th (Friday), straight into a square with Saturn in Sagittarius. This Mars-Saturn square speaks of extreme frustration and potential cruelty. You put it together with the Mercury-Pluto stuff, and it's the perfect set-up for all kinds of nastiness. This can be internal (in your own head) or interpersonal – but there's so much pressure involved in this, it might feel like your head's in a vice. Or you might be on the receiving end of nastiness coming from other people.
Again, civility and basic manners will get you far with this. Seeing all sides of a story, not just your own prejudices. Fighting for accommodation and compromise, instead of fighting to 'win'. With the north node at 1 degree Libra, the story is supposed to be about 'we', not 'me'.
OK, and here's something kind of amazing about this eclipse: it involves a massive and very interesting clash of female archetypes. The sun in Libra will be conjunct Lilith (the lunar apogee) and asteroid Juno; the moon in Aries will be conjunct Vesta.
As we've seen, the north node in Libra is about a focus on relational issues - so these should be all lit up at this time. And the relationship story, as influenced by these three female celestial points, is a real wife vs. mistress dynamic. Or Madonna/whore.
Juno is named after the long-suffering and perpetually enraged wife of philandering Jupiter, king of the gods. She represents the good wife and mother: the woman who stays within the bounds of established patriarchal order and gets served a shit sandwich in exchange for her fidelity, over and over again. In the mythology, Juno's fury at Jupiter's recurrent betrayals was directed in extremely cruel ways toward his conquests, not at him. (Nevermind that these 'other women' were often actually raped by Jupiter.)
Lilith on the other hand represents a bitch goddess or outlaw woman – someone who cannot be held within patriarchal norms, who refuses to submit to any authority save her own, and is ostracised and demonised for her independence. Classic temptress / mistress stuff here. This is the one who lures men to their doom...a representation of dark, uncontrollable, wild feminine power and rage.
So these two opposite, but equally angry, destructive and powerful archetypes of femininity are hanging out together in Libra, the sign of balance and interrelationship. And on the freaking equinox to boot, the balance-point of light and shadow, the time of year when the day and the dark become equal. And at a full moon eclipse. I think it's all highly significant!
Plus we have Vesta conjunct the moon in Aries, and this is another powerful female influence. Vesta was the goddess of hearth and home, and keeper of the sacred flame. In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins were women specially chosen to tend Vesta's temple fire, the heart of the city of Rome. They took a vow of celibacy for 30 years, and were freed of the ordinary obligations and strictures put upon women in a rigidly patriarchal society. They were highly respected and independent – as long as they kept to their vows. Because the life of the city was thought to depend on their sexual purity and integrity, Vestals who transgressed their vows were scourged and buried alive.
So we have these three very powerful archetypes of femininity bound up with the eclipse – but all three are to some extent defined by their relation to patriarchal structures of control over women. They are also defined by their relation to their own sexuality, and by how female sexuality is contained and controlled within patriarchal structures.
We have Juno, the married one who outwardly is highly revered and respected because of her association with a powerful man – she gets to be freakin Queen of Heaven after all. But inwardly she's frustrated, dishonored, hurt and furious at his infidelities – and she takes her jealous rage out on other women.
We have Lilith, the dark temptress who could not give a fuck about marriage or respectability or 'belonging' to a man – but she's also defined by her bitterness and destructive rage because of her treatment by men.
And we have Vesta, the sacred virgin, whole and complete unto herself, independent and respected – as long as she renounces her sexuality in service to the patriarchal state.
It's all very interesting! These archetypes, when you look into them, are a lot more alike than they might seem at first glance. They are all images of dishonored or feared (or tightly controlled) female power.
And with Pluto in Capricorn (representing rotten, corrupt old power structures which must fall away or be transformed) squaring this full moon, maybe it's a good time to look at how we are all affected by these constricting gender dynamics. Things have to change. The 'good' wife, the 'other woman', the saintly Madonna – these are shitty roles for women to be caught in, and they put women at odds with each other in a destructive way. They don't serve men too well either: they prevent men from seeing women as actual, complex human beings.
I keep thinking of this movie. Saddest thing ever:
Or this one:
Or this song:
Anyway, all in all, a very powerful and intense eclipse - for women especially. Potentially very shocking, cruel and hurtful thought and communication - but it can also liberating.
I think the sacred hearth-fire imagery associated with Vesta is a key thing to focus on. As Vesta is in Aries, which has to do with selfhood, I think it's all about defining your own internal core of meaning / value / intergrity / autonomy. What do you hold pure and inviolate; what fires do you devote yourself to keeping lit, no matter what? What is sacred to you at your core, and how do you protect and nurture it?
If we can keep the focus on what keeps our internal heart(h) fires lit, it should be easier to transcend the rage and darkness associated with the Lilith/Juno stuff.
Anyway, beware of nastiness directed toward you or coming out of your mouth – maybe cut people some slack this week, because this moon will be stressful enough. And remember your manners (Libra). Basic civility is pretty important right now.
This is early on the 13th September, around 6:40 am (GMT).
It's an eclipse – a supercharged new beginning – in the detail-oriented, service-minded sign of Virgo. And I am determined to see it as a good thing, though it looks quite painful and uncomfortable – because Virgo is an immensely practical, grounded, orderly sign.
So if things hurt, there are practical things you can do to heal. You can start a new health regimen. You can focus on doing practical, helpful things for yourself or others who are hurting. You can clean the house and do the laundry. You can volunteer at something.
The focus will be on doing practical, humble, everyday stuff. Jupiter is in Virgo also – so our blessings and happiness this year are tied up with a focus on the everyday, the humble, the small but necessary. Attention to the little details will go a long way.
Hopefully this new moon will be painful like necessary surgery - or like how a wound stings when it's being cleaned and sewn up. Or like root canal, which is painful but functional.
Of course, it could also feel like a knife twisting in your gut, or jagged worry and mental misery. Try not to worry too much. It's definitely a worried kind of sky.
The moon and sun in Virgo will oppose Chiron in Pisces, which represents a deep, incohate sense of wounding. They will also inconjunct Uranus in Aries, which is a jittery, erratic, angry kind of energy.
Virgo's ruler, Mercury, is also in cardinal t-square with Pluto and Uranus. This is full of the potential for raw, painful, shocking thought and communication. Quite violent and explosive.
In addition, we have Saturn at the very end of Scorpio, hammering out the karmic consequences we are going to be living with for the next few decades (ugh). He will leave Scorpio for Sagittarius on the 18th September, and this should lighten things up a bit – but the month ahead is colored by the energy of this final grinding transit of 29 degrees Scorpio.
So things look pretty difficult overall. Plus we have this Jupiter-Neptune opposition which speaks of big delusion, big disappointment, mental confusion, pragmatic reality vs. huge swirly dreams.
Ack, whatever. It all looks a bit shitty – not the loveliest cosmic weather. But there is work to be done regardless.
So do your Virgo: focus on the small stuff that keeps the whole show running. Take out the trash, take the cat to the vet, do your homework, sweep the floor, trim the hedge, do some pushups, help someone who is in direr straits than you. (There's always someone.)
There are a lot of shifts underway this month. It should be interesting.
We have the aforementioned shift of Saturn from Scorpio to Sagittarius on the 18th – so we will be done with the grinding hellish psychodrama of that transit for another 28.5 years, thank Christ. Awful stuff.
The day before, the 17th September, we have Mercury going retrograde in Libra till the 9th of October. Expect the usual glitches in communications, troubles with communication devices and travel delays. Because the retrograde is happening in Libra, sign of close relationships and partnerships, there will be plenty of room for misunderstanding and miscommunication in the context of close relationships, and that can lead to major blockages and frustrations – so be aware. Paying close attention to what people are actually saying and what they actually mean will be helpful.
Pluto will resume direct motion on the 24th September, after a retrograde period that started in April. This, along with Saturn's move out of Scorpio, signals the end of the exhausting inward psychological focus of the past few months. Hopefully we can quit brooding and move forward in our lives now.
Not without frustration and blockage though: Mars moves into Virgo the next day, the 25th September – straight into a difficult square with Saturn in Sagittarius. Mars-Saturn aspects are full of frustration that can express itself as cruelty and abuse – this square will be in effect for the latter part of the month, and things could get very tense. Nitpicky and nasty, destructively critical.
And then Venus moves into the same square in the middle of October. Suffice it to say, we have not seen the end of our blockages and delays in love and money matters. (Though there will be plenty of new opportunities as Venus trines Uranus during the latter half of September.)
Well it's all potentially very frustrating, but remember – now and for the year ahead, do your Virgo. When things get shitty and your nerves are all fried and your head's a mess from beating itself against walls, do something healthy or practical or helpful, for yourself or for others. Stay humble and focused on the everyday. Plenty of people are going to be needing help, and helping others is a good way to forget your own worries.
There's a full moon eclipse in Aries on the 28th September – a 'blood moon' which some people claim will be the end of the world. I don't think that's likely, but it does look jangly and difficult. Not the easiest month ahead overall. But Saturn leaving Scorpio is a big deal, and a relief - so there's that anyway!
It looks beautiful. Big shiny happy new cycle opening here.
Leo is the sign of creativity, fun, romance, generosity, open-heartedness. And the sun and moon in Leo will be conjunct Venus in Leo – this is just a big burst of joy and creativity.
Sun, moon and Venus trine Uranus in Aries – so be open to new opportunities, new creative and romantic openings, new opportunities to have fun and to be happy. It's a party kind of sky.
The weekend ahead should be lovely. And the month ahead looks pretty nice as well.
That is not to say it's just simple, uncomplicated party time – but when is it ever? Saturn in Scorpio squares the new moon, meaning whatever gifts are involved here, they are heavy, karmic ones. Not to be taken lightly. Commitment and work are involved here; there is nothing flippant about it.
But Mars in Leo also trines Saturn at this new moon, meaning there's a lot of energy to put toward working toward the objectives we deeply want. And by deeply, I mean deeply – like heart-and-soul-level.
What do you really want for your life; what would it take to be happy? Not just surviving, but really alive?
First song on that video (“standing in the sun”) is what it's about. (Though it's worth watching the whole thing cause she's adorable.)
“I would like to see you live / standing in the sun, standing in the sun. / Not survive but really live.”
Well, what would that take, for you? What would it even mean? What practical things would you have to do, or change?
Remember, Venus is retrograde, and this amplifies the theme of recalibrations, reconsiderations, laying the proper groundwork in love and money matters. The new cycle we are beginning requires that we be absolutely true to ourselves and to our hearts – and to our self-respect. We are going to get things right this time.
That means getting the details right: Jupiter is in Virgo now, and for the next year. This is helpful, as far as seeing clearly and paying attention to the small stuff. It's much more grounded, humble and down-to-earth than Jupiter was in Leo - much more conducive to ordinary, everyday happiness.
It is sort of a tough placement for Jupiter, as he is all about the big picture and Virgo is about the little details – so Jupiter in Virgo can be pedantic at worst, not seeing the wood for the trees. But the best way to use this is to attend to details, serve others, take care of health and physical routines, and stay humble and focused on the little things that keep the whole show running.
This year - and for the month ahead, certainly - happiness is not about the big gamble, the grandiose gesture, the overblown emotion. It's about what works in the real, everyday world. Our luck and happiness (Jupiter) will be attendant upon taking care of our ordinary, routine lives and health. And also on humbly serving others, in whatever capacity we can.
