New Moon in Cancer

This is today, the 2nd July, at about 8:15 pm GMT.

The sun and moon are close to the north node in Cancer, meaning this is a solar eclipse - a more intense than usual new beginning in the Cancerian realm of emotions, roots, family stuff, your sense of home. Your inner, emotional life should be the focus for the next month, along with your relationships with family and with what constitutes "home" to you.

Saturn and Pluto are still conjunct at the south node, which means plenty of stuff you don't want to look at will be coming up from the depths. You might as well just look at it. Maybe it isn't trying to hurt you this time - maybe it was never trying to hurt you. Just to be seen.

We have a Mercury retrograde this month, running from the 7th July till the 31st. The usual Mercury retrograde cautions re. travel difficulties, appliance failures and miscommunication apply. The risk of these kinds of difficulties is currently heightened as Mercury is conjunct Mars in Leo and squaring Uranus. Sudden accidents are more likely at this time - be careful driving and around machinery. And try not to let your ego run your mouth, there's just too much firepower here and people will get hurt.

Big mental breakthroughs are also possible at this time. With the sun and moon conjunct the north node in Cancer, something new is coming into the world, and you should go to meet it.

And with Saturn and Pluto on the south node, something old has reached the end of the line. Whatever form this takes in your life, something might be grinding on, persistent as hell - but you know in your heart it's done for.

Like this blog, which I've kept going out of habit, despite wanting to stop writing it for a few months now. I began it exactly six years ago, and it's been an interesting discipline and sometimes a lot of fun! But it's time to stop.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my astrological meanderings - I hope they've been of use to you. I will remain available for chart, I Ching and tarot readings at clock.arrietty@gmail.com.

New Moon in Gemini

Image credit: Walter Crane, "Four Winds"

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.

New Moon in Taurus

This is tonight, the 4th May, around 11:45 pm.

There are two poles to this new moon in Taurus. On the one hand, we have deep emotional security, stability and comfort – a bodily kind of certainty. This is courtesy of beneficial aspects between the new moon and Saturn conjunct Pluto in Capricorn, Neptune in Pisces and the north node in Cancer. Whatever new start you're making now, know that it's solid and real.

On the other hand, we have mental agitation, disruption and a lot of very ugly stuff surfacing around money and relationships – the opposite of comfortable. I won't go into all the details because I don't have time, but it's a jangled, neuron frazzling, unsettled sky.

So what does it all mean? Uranus in Taurus means the stable structures of our lives are being disrupted in all kinds of ways, and Saturn and Pluto on the south node mean we are being forced to look at our toxic old programming. It's not supposed to be a comfortable time, and obviously our minds are reeling.

Despite all this, it looks like there's a deep well of internal calm and quiet to draw upon, even in the midst of jittery, confused chaos. Don't believe your mind and the stories it spins, or the stories other people spin - that stuff is more unreliable than usual at this time. But you can believe in your bodily instincts - you know what's true and what's good for you deep down, outside of all the mental chatter. And you also know what to stay away from.

If you're finding the jangled nerves and upheaval hard to deal with, you can do something soothing for yourself at this Taurus new moon. Take a bath, eat nice food, pet a cat, whatever. Things are probably not as bad as they might seem, but even if they are, there's comfort to be found.

The sky will be quieting down ahead of the full moon in Scorpio, so the mental overload stuff is temporary. It's in play for at least another week though. Mercury will conjunct Uranus in Taurus over the next few days, so mental breakthroughs are possible And the full moon looks very positive - calm, profound and transformative, especially re. love and money. I'll write about it closer to the time.

New Moon in Aries

This is tomorrow morning, the 5th April, around 10:15 am GMT.

A new moon symbolizes a new start, and Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, all about the self in its rawness and immediacy. It is ruled by Mars, planet of desire, drive and aggression.

So basically this is a great time to get serious about who you authentically are (outside of social niceties) and what you really want. And to get moving toward it.

Blockages and limitations are present, though. The sun and moon in Aries are squaring Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, and it may feel like what you want will require the labours of Hercules  to achieve, or a miracle. But Aries is warrior energy, so you just have to keep on going and keep on fighting. It's a “hero's journey” kind of scenario – and you don't get to be a hero by running from what scares you, or focusing only on what's easy and makes you feel good, or refusing to acknowledge the summons to change your life.

Our clusterfuck of a Mercury retrograde is over as of the 29th March, thank goodness. Mercury is still conjunct Neptune in Pisces, which means your brain may still be a bit underwater - but that conjunction (involving Venus in Pisces as well) is beneficially aspecting Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn. All this speaks of a profound spiritual dimension to this new moon – the “call to adventure” in your hero's journey may come as a summons from your deepest, truest self. Trust your intuition to guide you in the right direction, and pay special attention to your dreams at this time – they are certain to contain important messages for you. These messages won't be the kind that require much analysis, as you'll understand the meaning in your bones. If you're analyzing and second-guessing and worrying over what they mean (quite likely with Mars in frenetic Gemini), you're on the wrong track.

Relationships figure heavily this month despite the “me first” emphasis of Aries. This is to be expected with Uranus in Taurus shaking up our values around relationships. Our sense of the inauthenticity of certain social arrangements is likely to be heightened. There may be an urge to break away and go it alone.

And then as if to drive this relationship emphasis home, we get a second full moon in Libra, sign of relationships. This is on the 19th April and it will underscore the importance but also the difficulty of relationships; the need to maintain personal autonomy, authenticity and space within them. It could be a real “come here / leave me alone” vibe. Or remain vs. no deal, if you're following the endlessly crazy Brexit. Ultimately it looks like some balance has to be found between being true to ourselves and maintaining our important relationships (however annoying they may be). No one can go it entirely alone.

New Moon in Pisces

This is the 6th March, around 4 pm GMT.

The sun and moon will be tightly conjunct Neptune in Pisces. Neptune rules the sign, so this is an extra-heavy dose of Pisces. Beautiful, dreamy, magical, mystical Pisces – which has a shadow-side that is all about addiction, delusion, deception and disappointment.

Here is Kermit the Frog singing a Pisces theme song:

“Have you been half asleep, and have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name. Is this the sweet sound that lured the young sailors? The voice might be one and the same.” Yes, Kermit you dear little frog, you're singing wistfully about the mythical sirens: half-human monster birds who lured sailors to shipwreck so they could tear them apart and eat them.

And there you have Pisces in a nutshell. At best, this sign is about the highest spirituality, transcendent art, dissolution of the self. At worst, it tries to blur out the difficulty and harshness of life with self-deceiving songs about rainbows – or with fairytale romance, victim-saviour fantasies, drink, drugs – whatever works. Except nothing works permanently. Every mechanism to escape reality only magnifies the harshness of that reality when the inevitable reckoning comes.

So I always advocate caution when approaching Pisces-heavy skies like this one. I don't mean to be a downer, but this is a matter of simple self-preservation. Whenever you hear someone (or yourself) gushing about how perfect and fantastic and amazing and gorgeous something is, that is a signal to make sure your bullshit detector is switched on. Remember if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Especially under a sky like this.

For this new moon, fortunately, the sun, moon and Neptune are beneficially aspecting Saturn in Capricorn, which should hopefully provide some grounding in reality, and the ability to manifest your dreams. Still, it's unlikely to be an easy month. We have Mercury stationing retrograde in Pisces the day before the new moon (5th March). Mercury retrogrades are always frustrating, full of travel and communication glitches. But in this case, Mercury is retrograding through Pisces, a sign he doesn't function well in when he's moving direct, let alone retrograde. Expect plenty of confusion, obfuscation and head-fuckery, and be skeptical about the information you're given. Fake news will abound. Also be careful around drink and drugs. Things are going to get pretty weird, and boundary-dissolving substances will magnify that weirdness and any potential unpleasantness as well. They certainly won't help. (As to what will help: art, spiritual work, and finding something larger than the demands of your ego to serve.)

Uranus also re-enters Taurus for the long haul on the same day as the new moon, and this is a biggie. Expect big shifts – earthquakes really – in love and money scenarios, and to your values. What you thought was worthwhile yesterday may abruptly not mean a damn to you tomorrow, and what you didn't like might suddenly seem attractive. Sudden reversals of fortune are also likely. And the physical structures and routines of our existence – the ground under our feet – is going to be much more prone to sudden ruptures and upheavals. This is something to get used to for the next 7 years roughly. If you think the weather's been weird lately, you ain't seen nothing yet.

You put it all together and it looks like some real WTFuckery will be going down this month. It's the start of something big, but there's no telling what it is as yet! Major, groundbreaking changes will be surrounded by a fog of confusion, misinformation and outright delusion. This fog should clear a bit around the spring equinox on the 21st March, lit up by a full moon in the rational and fairness-seeking sign of Libra.

But overall, it's going to be weird. Try to keep your head firmly screwed on. To quote Kermit: "rainbows are visions, but only illusions". They are only a trick of the light, there is nothing real at the end of them. Be careful you're not chasing illusion instead of engaging with reality.

New Moon in Aquarius

This is tonight, the 4th February, at about 9 pm GMT.

The sun, moon and Mercury are conjunct in Aquarius, a sign which is about progressive ideals, group dynamics and lightning cognitive breakthroughs. It's an oddball, brilliant, electrical sign, and this new moon is an oddball, brilliant, electrical new beginning. Time to get out your freak flag and wave it with pride - and connect with your fellow oddballs.

This new moon builds on the theme of last month's lunar eclipse in Leo in that it's all about being true to yourself, expressing yourself, and doing your own thing, regardless of how weird it may look to the collective. Odds are, it won't look so weird at all - these are freaky times, and we are all freaks at heart. You may actually find it easier to connect with others these days on the grounds of your common freakiness.

The new moon has some high-powered backup via beneficial aspects from Mars in Aries and Jupiter in Sagittarius, both planets in their home signs. Mars is also conjunct rebel planet Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius, hence dispositor of the new moon. And Uranus is at the end degrees of Aries, where it's all about being true to yourself.

You put it all together, and it's clear as day: this is a time for breaking free! You'll have physical energy (Mars) and enthusiasm (Jupiter) at your disposal, as well as the mental clarity and emotional detachment of Aquarius.

If you're unable to break free of something that's keeping you stuck at this time, you can blame it on your ego, your stubbornness and your dogged desire to stay stuck. You certainly can't blame it on the sky, because this sky promotes freedom. It wants for you to get unstuck and it will do everything it can to help you out in this.Use it for all it's worth.

New Moon Eclipse in Capricorn

This is on the 6th January 2019, 1:30 am GMT.

So here we are the first new moon of 2019, and it's an eclipse, which means it's a supercharged new beginning. We also had Mars changing signs on New Year's Eve, from Pisces to 0 degrees Aries, the “Aries point” or birthplace of the whole zodiac. So all signs point to 2019 being a doozy of a year. It's certainly starting off with a lot of heavy, dramatic symbolism.

This solar eclipse is heavy and dramatic for sure – but in a very cold, stark way. It's like being stuck between a rock and a hard place: the sun and moon are wedged between Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn. Saturn is about hardship and karma and Pluto is about death, depth psychology and transformation – so neither of these are fun planets. They are especially not fun in Capricorn, a grimly realistic sign. We also have thought-and-communication planet Mercury in Capricorn, meaning communication will be terse and factual.

So all in all, it's a lot of Capricorn, and Capricorn is about structure, authority, rules and slow, dogged achievement. The Neptune-fueled excesses of the holiday season are over, and we're back on planet Earth. It should feel sobering and real and grounded - depressing even. There isn't a lot of fun to be had here. Instead, there are responsibilities to be attended to and hard realities to be faced.

Shirking your duties / trying to avoid your demons is inadvisable here – Saturn and Pluto reward focus, commitment and going deep.  They do not look kindly on escapism and self-delusion, and if that's what you've been doing, you can expect this eclipse to feel harsh: a stark, painful wake-up call. Time to grow the hell up.

This energy is not a fleeting influence. The eclipse is a lead-up to the big event of next year, when Saturn and Pluto will be exactly conjunct in Capricorn. They will be approaching that conjunction all this year, so this harsh, hardcore energy is something we should all get used to working with.

With Saturn and Capricorn, you get back what you've put in. And with Pluto involved, this is so to an extreme degree, and it applies to the psychological work you do as well as to your outward life. Achievement and progress come from hard work, there will be no magical windfalls here.

So whatever you're starting this new year, commit yourself to it as much as you can and devote serious time and effort to it. The payoff for hard work and seriousness is great under this sky. The payback for frivolity and slacking is also great.

This eclipse is also defined by Uranus stationing direct later on the same day. What this means is it's a big shift in tone – an upheaval really. Change is afoot, and the structure of your life is going to be altered, for good or ill. And you might as well get with the program.

It's not all harsh drill-sergeant stuff though: we also have a beautiful grand water trine in effect between Venus in Scorpio, Chiron in Pisces and the north node in Cancer. This is about healing of psychic wounds via emotional honesty and compassion. Again though, it's not light. It's deep and painful stuff, potentially cathartic.

So this new moon eclipse is a pretty heavy dose. It opens up a heavy month and a heavy year. We'll have Uranus re-entering Taurus in March, where he will disrupt the stable structures of our lives. We'll have Saturn and Pluto moving toward full conjunction in Capricorn all year, and both conjunct the south node of the moon into November – a situation that means the default tone will be stressful, harsh and punitive as established structures fall apart and we all have to pick up the slack.

Remember the north node is in Cancer, so however bitter and emotionally guarded you may feel, the way forward this year is about opening your heart and being gentle and nurturing toward yourself and others.

That might be hard this month, as frustrations abound. January culminates with a shocking and disruptive full moon eclipse in Leo on the 21st. I'll write about it closer to the time, but I think the main thing to do with this new moon eclipse energy is get yourself grounded in reality and commit yourself to the road ahead, even if it looks like an uphill battle.

The longing to escape reality is present in the form of a square from Jupiter to Neptune, exact on the 12th January. This is the first of three: the others come on the 16th June and the 21st September, so it's an influence we'll be dealing with all year. Given the harshness of this year's astrology, I can't blame anyone for wanting to escape into some kind of internal or external Shangri-La. But with the Saturn-Pluto stuff happening in Capricorn, there's really no way out of difficulty but through.

New Moon in Sagittarius

This is tomorrow, the 7th December, at about 7.20 am GMT.

It ushers in the holiday season. Sagittarius is a fun, enthusiastic, outward-looking sign. It's ruled by Jupiter, the gas-giant guru of the solar system, who embiggens everything he touches.  Jupiter has just moved into his home sign, so there'll be a heavy emphasis on Sagittarian themes this year: travel, higher education, philosophy and religion, anything that broadens your perspective and fires up your enthusiasm.

So Jupiter in Sagittarius is pretty damn fantastic overall. It's a multinational party vibe (with Shammi Kapoor as Jupiter).

But it can be too much of a good thing. There is a big propensity to go overboard, to leap before you look and get yourself into trouble. It's something to watch out for at this new moon, which is about an exciting, idealistic new beginning which may be completely delusional. Big dreams, but big blind spots as well.

The sun, moon and Jupiter are conjunct in Sagittarius, and that's all very buoyant and fun and enthusiastic. But they're being hit by a square from Mars and Neptune in Pisces, exactly conjunct at the time of this new moon. This is the delusion part. Mars in Pisces can be slippery, underhanded, manipulative, passive-aggressive – a false guru, or lying, cheating, drunk dude who passes himself off as a victim. Conjunct Neptune, the effect is magnified.

It's likely people will be using deception and emotional manipulation to get what they want. Be careful who and what you put your faith in, and hold onto your discernment. People are not always what they seem to be.

Be aware also of your own capacity for self-deception. And as always with Neptune and Pisces, beware of boundary dissolving substances: drink, drugs, religion, fairy-tale romance. You want your bullshit detector to be functioning and unclouded, because there's going to be a lot of bullshit flying around this month.

Mercury is direct again as of the 6th December, and he's in the probing, no bullshit sign of Scorpio, which should help you to see through the smokescreen. He's also part of a grand water trine involving the north node in Cancer and Chiron in Pisces.  Chiron, the wounded healer asteroid, will station direct on the 8th December - so the new moon is bookended by Mercury and Chiron both stationing direct.

It's very significant that they end their retrogrades in exact aspect to each other and as part of this beautiful grand water trine, which is about deep insight into old emotional wounds, especially ones involving family and upbringing. It's cathartic and healing, and I think it's nice to have this as we head into a month that is all about dealing with your crazy family.

It's also nice that we have a bunch of slower-moving planets in the signs they rule: Jupiter in Sagittarius, Saturn in Capricorn, and Neptune in Pisces. This is not a common situation. It should help us to feel more stable and grounded in ourselves.

So however much bullshit you encounter, there's a lot of deep solidity and realism to draw upon as well. The trick is knowing which is which. I think you'll know the false because it will be cloaked in overblown emotion and appeals to sentimentality. The truth will be quieter and darker, but you'll know it in your bones.

We'll have a full moon in Cancer on the 22nd December, just at the winter solstice. It doesn't look terrible, but it doesn't look stress-free either. But when are the holidays ever stress-free? If you stay off the sauce and away from political discussions, it might just be fun. I'll write more about it closer to the time.

New Moon in Scorpio

This is today, around 4 pm GMT.

It's beautiful. About as deep, shadowy, magical and transformative as a new moon in Scorpio can get. And it should feel like an abrupt tonal shift. We will not be the same coming out of this week as we were going into it.

Scorpio is about depth psychology, death and rebirth, and all-or-nothing emotional scenarios: either you're entirely done with something or you're all in. Maybe both at the same time here! One door shuts, another opens and your life is transformed, your self is transformed.

In this case we have the sun and moon in mid-Scorpio beneficially aspecting Neptune (compassion, spirituality, dreams) and Scorpio's ruler Pluto (power, intensity, transformation). So it's pretty mystical.

We also have a lot of planets changing signs at this time, and this is the abrupt tonal shift part. It's a weird situation!

Uranus retrograded back into Aries yesterday, where he will spend a final five months before re-entering Taurus for the next eight years. Uranus is the liberator, Aries is the sign of the self, and Uranus in Aries has been about revolutionary change to our basic sense of identity, often technologically mediated. We've seen the rapid spread of smartphones, social media and identity politics since Uranus first moved into Aries in 2010. As Aries is the sign of aggression and war, there has been a lot of collective rage associated with this transit, and we've seen the rise of populist movements all over the world.

Uranus moved from Aries into Taurus in May this year, and Uranus in Taurus is a bit less personal. It's about radical shakeups to the solid structures of our lives - the things we rely on for stability and security - like the money system, the political status quo, the climate, our "traditional" values, etc. The ground under our feet is shifting, Since May, things will have been shaken up in a revolutionary (and perhaps unpleasant) way for you in some area of your life. But now, as Uranus retrogrades back into Aries, we're getting a chance to integrate outer changes into our self-concepts.

Again, though, this is Aries, and there may be a lot of anger associated with this transit. Someone might have done you pretty damn wrong, and that stuff hurts. However, Aries's ruling planet, Mars is currently in Aquarius, the sign Uranus rules. This is called a mutual reception, and it means this energy of outrage and the drive for liberation can work very well together at this time. It's great for collective action and also for breaking free of your old self-concepts or other people's ideas of who you should be.

Another big shift: the north node has just changed signs as of yesterday: from Leo, where it has spent the past year and a half, into Cancer. The north node is about the "direction" of the sky-story - the path forward. With the north node in Leo, we were meant to focus on our individual self-expression, joy, romance, creativity, bling and fabulousness. But in Cancer it's all about emotions, roots, home, family, nurturance. It's a far humbler, more introspective path, concerned with the domestic sphere and the inner world. Traditionally it's associated with women and motherhood. So abruptly, we're over going out into the world to claim our spotlight. The way forward for the next year and a half is to stay home in our fuzzy slippers and cook pasta dinners. (Except that the the north node in Cancer is disposited by the moon, and the moon shifts signs every 2.5 days - aaargh, so it's a bit more complicated than that. But you can't go too far wrong with fuzzy slippers and comfort food and phoning your Ma.)

Finally, Jupiter is at the final degree of Scorpio for this Scorpio new moon, his grand finale in a sign where he's spent the past year. Jupiter is about expansion, and in Scorpio, the sign of depth and the Shadow, he's a giant muckraker, bringing hidden ugliness and corruption to light. Jupiter is also about what brings us luck, and this obsessive digging up of old dirt has been necessary and collectively transformative over the past year - the entrance of Jupiter into Scorpio last year coincided nearly exactly with the viral expansion of MeToo. (As this is Scorpio, reactions to it have been extreme and polarised.)

The chart of a new moon determines conditions for the month ahead, and as Jupiter is still in Scorpio for the new moon, we are still called upon to do this depth work into December. But tomorrow, he moves from Scorpio into the sign he rules, Sagittarius. And Jupiter in Sagittarius is a whole different vibe: free-wheeling, happy-go-lucky, the life of the party. It's like coming out of a dark, airless little room filled with psychodrama and intensity, into sunlight and open space. The scenarios couldn't be more different.

So all in all, this new moon heralds a very rapid and sweeping emotional phase-change - or a bunch of them, and how they'll fit together remains to be seen. It carries the potential for a profound psychological shift, individually and in the collective. Things that didn't seem possible will come to seem possible, very suddenly.

Other events this month:

Mars also changes signs on the 15th November (so many sign-shifts this month!!) He'll move from Aquarius to Pisces, where he doesn't function so well. Don't be surprised if your energy suddenly feels a bit underwater from then till the New Year, and beware of drink and drugs. (This is not great timing for the holiday season, I know.)

Venus will resume direct motion on the 16th November. She's currently in Libra, where she seeks harmony in relationships - but she's tangled up in an opposition to Uranus, which makes for turbulence and on-again-off-again dynamics. These dramatics will continue into mid-December.

The next day, the 17th November, we'll have Mercury stationing retrograde in Sagittarius. The retrograde will take him into the late degrees of Scorpio and will last till the 6th December. The usual Mercury retrograde cautions re. signing documents and communication and travel difficulties apply. Also, be careful what you say at this time, especially when under the influence - it may come back to haunt you.

We'll have a full moon in Gemini on the 23rd November and it involves issues of information, truth, falsity and delusion. Kinda jangled-up. Then Neptune resumes direct motion on the 24th November, which can be a bit of a WTF scenario.

Basically, there are just so many shifts this month it's hard to keep track of what's going on, or to know how things'll pan out. I guess we'll see! It should be interesting. But this new moon can be like a pause where you connect with some deeper truth in yourself and commit wholeheartedly to your path (after getting rid of what is no longer viable for you). No matter how whiplash-strange things get this month, you can rely on this inner truth and sense of guidance. You know deep down what's really important for you and where you want to be going.

New Moon in Libra

This is on the 9th October, 4:45 am GMT.

Libra is about relationships, aesthetics and social graces. It also has to do with justice, fairness and equality, as for relationships to work harmoniously, the balances of interpersonal give and take have to be roughly equal.

As new moons signify new beginnings, a new moon in Libra can be about new artistic projects or beauty regimens. Primarily though, we are looking at new beginnings in the realm of relationships. And the relationships being addressed here are deep, intense ones. The sign is known for wanting to keep things light and pleasant, but this new moon looks quite heavy and dark and obsessive – potentially uncomfortable. This is some Libra noir.

The sun and moon are squaring Pluto, king of hell, newly direct in the no-nonsense sign of Capricorn. That aspect makes for plenty of psychodrama in relationships. In addition, Libra's ruler (and dispositor of the new moon) Venus has just stationed retrograde in Scorpio.

Scorpio is an obsessive and intense sign, and Venus doesn't function very well here – you get a lot of toxic power dynamics, hidden corruption, betrayal, jealousy, triangles, emotional manipulation etc. You can also get fanatical loyalty and love unto death – it's either the best or the worst of relationship, with no grey areas. But the ugly stuff is unfortunately more common.

And with Venus retrograde till the 16th November, you're likely to have old lovers or friends popping up from the grave, messaging you on facebook or whatever. Or old relationships may reappear in your head for re-assessment. You might gain some clarity on why dead relationships had to end, and understand how to avoid making the same mistakes and enacting the same pathologies again.

Suffice it to say, relationship karma will be hitting hard this month, and it's inadvisable to start any new relationships until after Venus stations direct on the 16th November. (The same goes for making luxury purchases and investments, or re-vamping your look drastically.)

It may be hard to hold off, because we'll also have a square between Venus and Mars in Aquarius which speaks of hotted up romantic urgency and frustration, but if you want more than a fling, wait. If a fling is all you're after, go ahead – but don't be surprised if things get complicated and punishing under this sky. With Saturn and Pluto now both direct in Capricorn, sobriety, integrity, hard work, realism and limits are very important. These grim gods do not look kindly on flightiness or flings. They reward focus and commitment.

We are headed for an explosive full moon in Taurus on the 24th October, the culmination of a very intense month. Aaargh, let's see what happens. It should be interesting. Try not to get your knickers too twisted up before then. Sublimation of sexual angst into some kind of creative work might help.

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. 

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Cancer

Yumiko Kayukawa

This is on the 13th July, around 3 am UTC.

So eclipse season is now upon us, starting off with this new moon which is also a partial solar eclipse. Eclipse season is an intense time of accelerated change with long-lasting effect. We have two eclipses this month so what's happening in your life this July is super-important. Long-term shifts are kicking off NOW, at this emotional pressure cooker of a new moon.

Cancer is a cardinal water sign. Cardinal signs are initiatory and forceful, and water signs are concerned with emotion. Cancer is about your roots – the deepest part of you, where you draw your emotional sustenance. It's about where you come from and what you call “home” in this world, so it's associated with childhood, mother, family, nostalgia and memories.

So a new moon in Cancer is about a new emotional start, bound up with issues relating to home and family and your roots. The fact that this is an eclipse gives it an added intensity.

But what amps the intensity up to 11 is that the sun and moon will exactly oppose Pluto. And Pluto is all about intensity and deep, gut-wrenching transformation. Pluto heaves everything we're ashamed or afraid of, the Shadow stuff we'd prefer not to look at, into the light of day. The process is analogous to pus coming out of a boil, and unpleasant as it may be, the purpose is purgation and healing. What's rotten has to come to the surface to be released.

So you can expect long-buried emotions to erupt this month, especially stuff connected with home and family and mom. Formative patterns that have been deeply unconscious may become conscious. Situations may come up that radically alter your notion of “home”, or painfully expose your vulnerability. Your feelings may seem overwhelming.

I'd say, don't attempt to shut them down – it won't work, they'll just manifest in destructive ways. Welcome them and let them wash through you like water, flushing out the pent-up toxicity.

Cancer is good at hiding and defensiveness and clinging to the past, but the point here is emotional catharsis and release. Pluto is retrograde at the moment, so it's all about going inward and facing your demons. With Pluto, there's also a theme of ruthless amputation of what's no longer viable, be it an attitude, a habit, or a relationship. So this is a great time to extricate yourself from toxic family dynamics or to deal with an addiction. This is potentially a powerfully healing new moon, despite the intensity and discomfort. You can't expect to get through it without some kind of drama,  but overall it looks very beneficial.

There's a lot of nice stuff happening in the sky around it. Jupiter, the “great benefic”, stations direct in Pluto's home sign of Scorpio on the 10th July. This is some very helpful backup for the process of dealing with our Shadow stuff. Jupiter will also be in beneficial aspect to Neptune in Pisces, and forming a grand water trine with the sun, moon and Neptune at the time of the new moon – more backup for letting emotions flow and trusting your intuition and your gut.

We also have a grounding and stabilising grand earth trine in effect at this time, involving Venus in Virgo, Saturn in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus. This is great for radical yet practical new approaches to money, work and relationships.

Mars is retrograde in Aquarius until the end of August. Traditionally, it's not advised to begin new ventures until he resumes direct motion. You may run into blockages and frustration despite your best efforts. It doesn't matter – things are developing all the same and you don't have to bang your head against walls in the effort to push forward. Refine your plans and wait it out.

Mars will be tangoing with the south node for the next three months, passing over it in his retrograde on the 20th July, and then passing over it again on the 26th September in direct motion. What this means is it's a fateful time. There's an imperative to act from creativity, generosity and heart, but also a greater potential for getting stuck in violent, reactive rage. This potential is really intensified at the time of the full moon on the 27th July, a total lunar eclipse which is just a doozy.

It's a blood moon, so-called because the eclipsed moon will glow a dark red. And it looks raw, emotionally super-heated and shocking – a blood moon indeed. It's a game-changer.

This will be the longest lunar eclipse of this century and also a supermoon, meaning it'll be closer to Earth than usual. And it'll be tightly conjunct Mars, who will be at his closest point to Earth in 15 years - so the bloody moon and the red planet will both appear uncannily bright. Uranus in Taurus will be involved, forming a t-square with the sun, moon and Mars. Uranus in Taurus, recall, is a force shaking up the stable structures of our lives, altering the ground beneath our feet.

Beyond the potential for political upheaval, I'm thinking of climate change in relation to this hotted-up eclipse. There is an unprecedented global heatwave going on right now. No question, the planet frying has long-term, serious effects for all of us.

I will write more about the full moon closer to the time, but I think as this is happening during Cancer lunar cycle, we are being given an opportunity at this new moon to release our toxic emotions and unconscious patterns. There is an angry flashpoint coming, but pain is at the root of anger. If you can allow yourself to feel your pain and flush it through, you can hopefully avoid acting it out unconsciously and destructively.

We are also getting a Mercury retrograde this month, starting on the day before the full moon, the 26th July. He'll be retrograding through Leo till the 18th August. Expect the usual issues with communications and travel, and hold off on signing major documents until the retrograde ends.

New Moon in Gemini

This is on the 13th June, around 8 pm UTC.

Gemini is a mutable air sign: communicative, changeable, social, distractable, hyper. Ruled by Mercury, planet of thought and communication, the sign is about the multiplicity of information and choice. It's important to note that Mercury was also a trickster god, patron of liars, thieves and lawyers – with Gemini, the distinction between true and false is not such a big concern.

A new moon is about new beginnings, so this new moon in Gemini is about a new start in the realm of information, communication and thinking. The symbolism here is also of an abrupt shift in values and relationships, as Venus changes signs a couple of hours after the new moon, from Cancer into Leo. It's always significant when a planet changes signs at the time of a new or full moon; it colours everything.

Venus is about love, relationships, aesthetics, values and money. In the regal sign of Leo, she's a prima donna: the queen who expects to be treated as befits her rank. She will not be slighted or undervalued or play second fiddle to anyone.

In this case she's also moving straight into a square with Uranus at 1 degree Taurus. Venus rules Taurus, which is all about physical stability, comfort and security. Uranus is in Taurus as of last month, where he will shake up all these constructs for the next 7 years, roughly. As Venus squares Uranus, we will see people abruptly exiting relationships and work situations that no longer accord with their values or make them feel good. Attractive new options may suddenly appear out of nowhere. Whether those options are real or mirages is another matter – Neptune squares the new moon, which makes for plenty of confusion and delusion about what's real and what's not. Be that as it may, people will be looking to bolt the fences and go after something shinier. (You'll know by the full moon in two weeks' time whether it's fool's gold or not.)

This Venus-Uranus square comes on the heels of a Venus-Pluto opposition last week, which exposed toxicity, power dynamics and betrayal in the realms of love and money. So odds are, someone is feeling undervalued and “done” with something: “I'm worth more than this, I don't have to take this shit!” says Venus in Leo. She's beneficially aspecting Chiron in Aries, which is about a wound to our sense of self. Overall, this looks helpful and healing. Knowing when you've settled for less, coming to understand your true worth and leaving dynamics where you've been undervalued is bound to be a good thing.

We have another shift around this new moon, and it also involves wounded healer asteroid Chiron. Mercury, ruler of the new moon, changes signs the day before it, on the 12th June. He moves from Gemini into emotional, touchy Cancer, where he will square Chiron in Aries. Chiron is about wounds, and Cancer is easily hurt, so this means there's a lot of potential for wounding, emotional communication at this time – especially regarding family issues.

As I said though, there's plenty of potential confusion and delusion at play here, courtesy of Neptune. So if you're upset about something, please take a moment to check that your reaction is justified, and not some trumped-up wounded ego stuff. Think before you open your mouth, as it'll be easy to hurt people.

We are in for some WTF moments this month, as Neptune stations retrograde on the 18th June. This is like brain fog and distraction in warp drive. You may need to retreat from the Gemini stuff (parties, news, social media) to protect your frazzled neurons!

Things are likely to feel kind of edgy and weird leading up to the full moon. Mars will station retrograde on the 26th, and then we'll have five planets retrograde: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto – leading to delay and frustration. If going to be hard to make things happen this summer. If your progress seems to be hitting a wall, just take whatever baby steps you can and wait the blockage out. Jupiter will station direct in early July, Mars at the end of August, and Saturn in early September – things will gradually be feeling less stuck.

The full moon in Capricorn on the 28th is harsh, there's no other way to say it. The moon will be tightly conjunct Saturn in Capricorn, and this is hard, cold realism about the situation you're in. It'll be a necessary wake-up call after the confusion and delusion of this new moon, but a bitter medicine nonetheless. Chiron in Aries will be involved – very wounding to the thin-skinned, emotional sun in Cancer. Family issues and responsibilities are likely to figure heavily.

There will be blessing and help in the form of a trine to Jupiter, but I think it will be hard to appreciate that help with Jupiter retrograde – it's a behind-the-scenes sort of thing, not very obvious at all.

When conflict comes up, it's important to note that the way forward right now is shown by the north node in generous, open-hearted Leo. Venus will be conjunct the north node for the next few weeks, so if you can muster up some creativity, playfulness and love, you might as well use it! The alternative is Mars conjunct the south node in Aquarius – this looks like chilly, egocentric rage and selfishness, and it will be much easier to access than generosity and heart. Needless to say, things will not go well for you or your relationships if follow this path of least resistance.

Mars on the south node and Venus on the north node spell karmic make-or-break stuff for relationships especially. This is not an easy time. It's confusing, disjointed, abrupt. The full moon on the 28th June is a necessary dose of hard reality after the exciting mirages of this new moon, but it's not fun. The outlook into August is not easy – not terrible, but not easy.

This is to be expected after the sign shift of Uranus into Taurus last month. We are dealing with shake-ups to our sense of comfort and security, it's not supposed to be easy. Weird and uncomfortable is how we're rolling for the next while! So please keep doing your north node in Leo stuff: creativity, heart, a willingness to take risks and a sense of humour will pull you through.

New Moon in Taurus

This is on the 15th May, 12:45 pm UTC.

It's a big deal. Something is bound to be shifting for you at a very basic level about now, and the effects are going to be long-term. You are not going to be able to stay stuck in the same old ruts. And collectively, the events unfolding now will have long-term consequences.

This new moon is all about Uranus, planet of shock, revolution and upheaval. Uranus is changing signs within 3 hours of the new moon, from Aries into Taurus. Uranus changes signs roughly every 7 years, and the odds that he'll be changing signs at nearly the exact time of a new moon in the sign he's shifting into is... wildly improbable, to say the least. The universe is being pretty heavy handed with its symbolism here. And the symbolism is of a thorough-going shake-up of an established order.

Then the day after the new moon, Mars shifts signs into Aquarius, the sign Uranus rules. His first order of business in Aquarius is perfecting his square with Uranus in Taurus – it will be exact at 0 degrees of each sign. More heavy-handed symbolism – and here we are dealing with a shock to the system, a bolt from the blue, a trigger event. A Mars-Uranus square is liable to be explosive, aggressive and abrupt: it's a blitzkreig aspect. And here it acts as the starting gun that sets off Uranus's rampage through Taurus - or the red rag to the bull, if you like.

Taurus is habitual, slow-moving, conservative, attached to comfort / possessions and resistant to change (but implacable once set in motion). Uranus, in contrast, is a live wire, very erratic and unpredictable, chaotic, uncomfortable by nature – and he demands change. So the transit of Uranus through Taurus is likely to set the ants loose in your pants. Over the next 7 years, we are going to be dealing with disturbances and abrupt shifts to our finances, our work, our values, our habits, our possessions – everything we cling to for a sense of security in this world. Shocking reversals of fortune are likely. Unpredictable political changes and environmental shifts are also likely.

I think it's a good idea to streamline and get rid of stuff you don't need in preparation for this – radical simplicity is one way of making this energy work for you. It's also a good psychological tactic, as the less you're holding on to, the less you'll have to lose and the easier it will be to maneuver.

You probably already have a pretty good idea of what this is about for you and are itching for change in some sector of your life. We had a Mercury-Uranus conjunction at 29 degrees Aries on the 13th May, just ahead of this crazy new moon. The moon in Aries was also involved, and everything was squaring Mars in Capricorn. And all this represents an intense lightbulb moment, a newsflash, a surge of tremendous irritation and insight. So I'm sure you know by now what has to change.

But it's one thing to know what you want to be free of and to open up space in your life for something new – it's another thing entirely to build a new operating system, from the ground up. That's the challenge we're looking at this new moon, and for the forseeable future. Thankfully, the sun and moon will be beneficially aspecting Mars and Pluto in Capricorn, which should be very good for making long term, practical changes. Whatever is set in motion at this new moon should have long-lasting effect and staying power.

There'll be plenty of impatience and irritation as Mars squares Uranus, but please try to keep things slow and steady. Also, with Mars square Uranus, please be careful around electronics and while operating machinery or driving. Sudden accidents are more likely at this time.

We'll have a full moon in Sagittarius on the 29th May, and it looks quite confusing and unsettled. I guess that's fitting after the Uranian shocks of the new moon – people will be rattled, and it will be hard to know what's true. Lunations along the Gemini-Sagittarius axis usually have to do with information, communication and truth vs. falsehood, and the full moon is no exception. But amid all the fried neurons and crossed wires, you'll have a strong ally in the form of your intuition. We have a grand water trine forming between Venus in Cancer, Neptune in Pisces and Jupiter in Scorpio, and it will be operative around the time of the full moon. It looks like a soulful, soothing influence in a jangled-up period. I'll write about it closer to the time.

New Moon in Aries

This is early tomorrow, the 16th April – around 3 am UTC.

A new moon in Aries is a slate-clearing event and a rebirth. New moons symbolise new beginnings, and Aries, as the start of the astrological year, is about birth. This is the time we see the new spring growth zooming up out of the ground in the Northern hemisphere. It's always a bit of a shock to me how fast it happens.

Shock and surprise are big factors in this particular Aries new moon. It's more zingy with sudden born-again energy than usual.

For one thing, we have Mercury in Aries stationing direct the day before the new moon on the 15th April. This represents a release of pent-up mental energy. There are still blocks on communication, as Mercury will be squaring Saturn in Capricorn for the rest of April. There will be an imperative to be very clear and correct in the way you express yourself, and to rein in your hotheadedness. But it's definitely an improvement on the Mercury retrograde scenario, which involved a ton of frustration and pent-up violence.

The most important thing about this new moon, though, is that it is tightly conjunct Uranus in Aries. And Uranus is known as “the awakener” - a planet symbolising revolution, upheaval and lightning insight. Combine that with the urgency and self-starting drive of Aries, and you get a burst of pure autonomy and bravery.

So the month this new moon ushers in is all about YOU and what you want, going forward – and it's not supposed to be the same old stuff you've always wanted. This is the time to make space for something radically new to enter your life – something which, compared to what's gone before, might look quite weird and unlikely.

To that end, I'd advise a bit of ruthless spring-cleaning – internal and external. You have to get rid of your useless old garbage before you have the space for the new and weird. I think stripping down to the essentials is the way to go here.

This is the last new moon in Aries where Uranus is also in Aries until the 2090s, so it's a big deal. On the 15th May, Uranus will enter Taurus, the sign of physical stability and possessions – at nearly the exact time of the new moon in Taurus, no less. The roughly 7-year transit of Uranus through Taurus is likely to bring a lot of turbulence to the physical structure of our lives: to our money, our possessions, and our values. If you're very attached to your possessions, your physical/emotional comfort, your habits – I think this transit will be pretty distressing for you. You won't be able to hold on to these things. We are in for a bumpy ride, and the bedrock solidities we rely on are not going to hold up so well.

This is why I think it's so important to get rid of what's inessential at this time. It's practice for Uranus in Taurus – the point is to get skilled at letting go of things.

The autonomy and go-it-alone spirit of this new moon is also good preparation for Uranus in Taurus. It's important to get very clear in yourself as to what you want and where you want to go. Having a strong core of self and being unafraid to strike out alone is crucial when the external solidities are no longer reliable.

To that end, I'd advise you to make some sort of artefact about what you want at this time. Aries is visual, so a drawing is good, or a collage made of images cut out of magazines. Put your desire (and it has to be about what YOU want, not what you think you should want or what you want for others) into some sort of concrete, visual form, and then put it away for a a few months. It's surprising how well this exercise works in clarifying what you want and opening up the paths for it to happen, and it is potent magic at a new moon in Aries.

We have a lot going on this month. Chiron shifts signs the day after the new moon, on the 17th April – he's moving from Pisces into Aries, so it's more Aries action. Chiron in Aries is about a wound to our sense of self, a feeling that we have no right to exist – and the consequent need to build the strength to be ourselves and occupy our own space in the world. I think this ties into the symbolism of the Aries new moon pretty well. It can be hard to muster up the bravery to do your own thing in spite of your insecurities. But it's what we'll be learning to do over the next 9 years of Chiron's transit through Aries.

On the same day as Chiron moves into Aries, Saturn stations retrograde. And then a few days later on the 21st April, Pluto stations retrograde. Both these planets are in Capricorn, the sign of worldly status and achievement. I think this denotes blockage and delay in our ability to forge ahead and get things done. Don't be discouraged if you hit roadblocks; use the delay to refine your plans.

We'll have a Mars-Pluto conjunction on the 26th April, and this is a bit troubling. Mars and Pluto together make a focused, brutal energy – a kind of blood lust or killer instinct. It is utterly ruthless in going after what it wants, and you can use this to your advantage, but I'd be careful and avoid angry people and conflict scenarios at this time. Violence can escalate fast, and with Pluto involved it's all-or-nothing, a fight to the death.

Mercury in Aries will square Saturn in Capricorn exactly on the same day, and it looks quite tense – it may be necessary to bite your tongue hard to avoid saying something that will trigger violence.

On the same day, though (26th April), the moon in Virgo will trine the Mars-Pluto conjunction and sextile retrograde Jupiter in Scorpio. This looks very beneficial for internal excavation work: getting to the root of your pathologies and cutting them out.

So it really looks like the best use of this month's Mars-Pluto energy (and retrograde Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto) is to focus on your internal work. Mars-Pluto allows for focused intensity and ruthlessness, and you can put this to work in culling anything in your life that needs to die – relationships, habits, addictions, attachments, whatever.

This leads in to the full moon in Scorpio on the 30th April, where the tension between holding on to our security, staying habit-bound and comfortable (Taurus) will be facing off against an uncomfortable drive for intensity and transformation (Scorpio). I'll write about it closer to the time, but it looks like more preparation for Uranus in Taurus: it's all about holding on vs. letting go.

I think the things to learn this month are: how to let go of what's inessential, which is most things. And how to be centered in yourself in the midst of instability. Both are qualities Uranus in Taurus will demand of us.

Full Moon in Libra

Venus in Aries has had it up to here.

This is on the 31st March, 1:40 pm UTC.

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.

New Moon in Pisces

This is on the 17th March, about 1 pm UTC.

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.

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aquarius

Eugenia Loli

This is on the 15th February, about 9 pm UTC.

Happy Chinese New Year!

This new moon is a partial solar eclipse. It follows the full moon lunar eclipse in Leo two weeks ago and will be the second and final eclipse this eclipse season.

Eclipse season comes around every six months, as the sun and moon line up with points in the earth's orbit called the lunar nodes. Eclipses are supposed to mark periods of accelerated change, and this new moon is certainly about change -  it's in Aquarius, a sign associated with revolution. And freaky rebel planet Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius, aspects the new moon beneficially. This looks pretty zingy, in a good way  – you can expect some kind of bolt from the blue or jolt with this, but one that is ultimately beneficial and liberating.

As this new moon is conjunct messenger planet Mercury, the jolt is likely to come in the form of new information, thought or communication that blows your mind open and offers you a radically new perspective. The road ahead may look very different to anything you'd previously imagined.

Changes and disruptions are a big theme this year. Uranus will shift signs in May, moving into solid, steady, habitual Taurus – and this denotes unpredictable shocks to our basic sense of stability. Taurus hates change, but change is coming. Our lives are not going to be continuing along the same old ruts this year, like it or not. And this eclipse is a prelude to the shake-ups ahead – whatever weird shit is happening to you right now, it should give you a good sense of the themes of the rest of the year, and the kind of changes you'll be called upon to make.

So I'd say, pay attention! And be ready to roll with the changes instead of resisting them. This is a perfect time for innovation and new ideas, and you're going to need these things further down the line – so use this eclipse energy to get yourself unstuck. And if something is being taken away from you, try to shift your perspective so that you can see how you're actually being liberated from it.

There are some caveats to this otherwise brilliant eclipse: be sure the information you receive is correct before acting on it, look before you leap, curb your enthusiasm, keep a clear head. Aquarius is very prone to ideological extremism, a form of intellectual delusion. That's definitely in play here: the new moon is squared by Jupiter in Scorpio, which can be very polarising and extreme. Also, Mars in ideological Sagittarius squares Neptune, meaning the risk of self-delusion and self-defeating action is high.

This risk of going overboard and losing your head will be intensified over the next couple of weeks as a load of planets move into Pisces ahead of the full moon in Virgo on the 2nd March. It looks like a lovely full moon, but whenever you get this much stuff going on in Pisces, the risk of delusion is heightened. I'll write more about it closer to the time.

But for now, enjoy this eclipse and the month ahead – overall it looks very positive and exciting! A lot of new ideas will be opening up; revolution is in the air. Just try to keep your feet on the ground while your mind is busy being blown.

New Moon in Capricorn

This is early tomorrow, the 17th January. It's exact at 2:15 am UTC.

We have a big stellium in Capricorn for this: the sun, moon,Venus and Pluto are conjunct in the later part of the sign, and Mercury, Lilith and Saturn are conjunct at the beginning. It's a serious dose of a very serious, work-and-achievement focused sign. We are at the start of a long uphill climb.

New moons represent new beginnings, and this is our first new moon of 2018, and the first with Saturn in his home sign of Capricorn. The symbolism is of a sober, intensely pragmatic new start, especially as regards love and money matters. This is the right time to begin something – but it has to be something grounded in the real world, not fantasy. Capricorn works with the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. What's valuable to this sign is what's solid, tangible and secure, and what's built slowly and carefully, step by step. Rome wasn't built in a day.

With Saturn in Capricorn, we are working to create solid foundations for future security. And I mean WORKING – Saturn rewards effort. You get back what you put in and there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Mars and Jupiter in Scorpio beneficially aspect this new moon, meaning there's a lot of very focused energy to be poured into new projects, and big potential gains to be had.

But Uranus squares the new moon from the end of Aries, and this denotes disruption. Don't expect things to run easily – there will be blockages, shocks and setbacks. But if you're willing to work with them, they can lead to beneficial adaptations to changed circumstances.

The point of the Uranus square is innovation, which can be difficult for traditionalist Capricorn. But doing the same old thing the same old way will not work anymore – we are rewriting the rule-book.

We saw this breakaway Uranian influence at the full moon in Cancer two weeks ago, and it continues for this new moon. We'll be dealing with the conflict between following established rules vs. creating an entirely new operating system all this year.

As at the Cancer full moon, this applies to women especially. We have Venus and the moon squaring Uranus, and Lilith conjunct Mercury and Saturn in Capricorn. That's a lot of fed-up, enraged female energy – but it's also articulate, independent, authoritative and decisive. There is a theme of women examining their relationship with authority and power, and taking responsibility for their own security.

Mary Beard is my mascot for this new moon – she embodies this energy. She's a classical scholar – very Capricorn – who has brought the world of ancient Rome to life in documentaries aimed at a popular audience, and with an emphasis on the lives of ordinary people – very innovative and Uranian. She is also a Lilith figure, a target of vicious misogynist bullying and derision because of her refusal to conform to societal beauty standards – and she has made a point of standing up to the bullies and exposing them. She also published a book on women and power last year. More power to her.

The stellium in Capricorn at this new moon gives a serious emotional tone to the month ahead – but the moon, Venus and the sun will be moving into Uranus-ruled Aquarius over the next week. Also Mars shifts signs on the 26th January, from dark Scorpio to happy-go-lucky Sagittarius. So it's not all heaviness and gloom. Things should start to feel lighter and zingier as we move toward the full moon in Leo on the 31st January, which looks a bit revelatory and surprising! I'll write about it closer to the time.

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!