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.

Full Moon in Scorpio

Yumiko Kayukawa

This is tonight, the 18th May, around 10 pm GMT.

I think it looks very calm and profound and powerful. Quiet, terse communication can cut to the heart of a situation at this time - few words are needed, but those words will go deep. Issues of love, money and values are highlighted, and surprising shifts in our thinking around these issues are likely.

Permanent endings of associations that no longer fit our values are also likely - full moons signify culminations and endings, and Scorpio is extreme, all-or-nothing. Also, Venus is conjunct Uranus in Taurus, making for a lot of abrupt change in relationship and money matters.

Please keep in mind, these endings are most likely necessary and healthy. If a situation is pathological, it has to be transformed, and if it can't be transformed it must be amputated from your life. It's that black-or-white. Trust your gut – you will know on a bodily level what's healthy / viable vs what's defunct / toxic, and you'll know what to do about it.

Sudden new beginnings are also likely with Venus conjunct Uranus – don't be surprised if something very new and strange starts looking attractive to you, or if things that never interested you before suddenly catch your eye.

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.

Full Moon in Libra

This is exact today, the 19th April, at about noon.

It's our second full moon in Libra this year. The last was a month ago at 0 degrees of the sign, and this one is at 29 degrees, the very last degree. And between these bookending full moons in the sign of “we”, we've had a zinger of a new moon in Aries, the sign of “me”.

“Me vs we” is the sort of tension we've been dealing with for the past month, and this full moon is a culmination of that tension. The harmony-seeking, relationship-oriented Libra moon opposes the sun in go-it-alone Aries, and the sun is also conjunct Uranus in Taurus, an influence for change and revolution.

So basically weare looking at this drive to disrupt everything that binds us and bust loose, contrasted with the need to maintain important relationships. Some old associations will be ending abruptly about now, and new ones will be springing to life just as abruptly. Some relationships will require an injection of raw honesty in order to survive, but some may not be able to survive it. The ones that do survive will be the ones that are able to adapt to radical change.

How do you maintain a relationship when all your values around it have changed and you can't just go through the same old motions anymore? What would it mean to be truly authentic, to say what you feel and ask for what you want? Would it be the end of the relationship or a new start? These are the sort of issues likely to come up.

Try to be aware of what you're projecting onto the other and to own your own anger and desire – with Libra there is often a drive to “make nice”, at the expense of authenticity, and projection can be used as a mechanism for deflecting unpleasant emotions. That's not what we want to be doing here – you have to own your bullshit.

And there's plenty of it! Saturn and Pluto are 3 degrees apart on the south node in Capricorn, meaning old issues around authority, boundaries and respect are likely to be surfacing in your life. These will directly feed into any relationship issues you may be experiencing. There are deep psychological patterns and belief systems underlying the kinds of interpersonal relationships we get into, and these will be coming up for examination at this time. Don't try to brush them back under the rug – look at them. What assumptions and beliefs got you into the mess you're currently in, and do they hold up under scrutiny?

Watch what you say – Mercury is in Aries and conjunct Chiron, and Jupiter is sending a square from Sagittarius. Meaning words can be very wounding at this time and the repercussions of hurtful speech may be larger than intended. If you want to maintain harmony in your relationships, some tact will be required! There is an imperative for brutal honesty, but sometimes it's only necessary to be brutally honest with yourself.

On the other hand, if you want to end a relationship, it will be easy to do so using this cutting honesty. But there are ripple effects to this kind of thing that extend beyond the immediate relationship – most relationships don't exist in isolation, they are part of a network. Be mindful of those ripple effects.

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.

Full Moon in Libra

See here

This is tonight, the 21st March, at about 1:45 am GMT.

It's a supermoon and a pretty big deal, as it coincides nearly exactly with the spring equinox.

The equinox happens as the sun moves from the end of Pisces into 0 degrees Aries. This is the kickoff point of the whole zodiac, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere - so it's pretty intense. The symbolism is of rebirth. In this case, the sun is also conjunct Chiron in early Aries, which is about an unhealable wound to the sense of self. So it's kind of an existentially fraught rebirth – who are you, going forward? It's not who you've been, that's for sure.

Also, an equinox is a balance point between the hours of light and dark, the turning-point where the sun returns to the northern hemisphere and retreats from the southern. And few hours after the equinox, we have the moon hitting 0 degrees Libra, the sign of the scales.

Libra is rational and relationship-oriented, seeking justice and harmony between different viewpoints. As full moons symbolise culminations or endings, the symbolism here is of setting something decisively to rights, or finally deciding.

Would that it were so simple! We also have Mars and Venus, the rulers of Aries and Libra, squaring each other from fixed signs, so you can expect a bit of a standoff. And as Mercury is retrograde in Pisces and conjunct Neptune, it will be a confused, obfuscatory head-fuck of a standoff.

Still, something very important is being decided even if the lineaments of that decision are as yet unclear. I guess it's fitting that as I type this, the UK is asking the EU for an extension to Brexit, their national existential crisis. It's meant to happen in 9 days though there is still no plan in place for how, because the UK parliament is in nervous breakdown mode. And the EU is mulling over how to be fair to the UK without leaving the door open for further destabilisation and chaos. It fits the symbolism of this full moon pretty well.

In your life, expect to see plenty of tension around relationships especially – but not the usual kind. This is some breakaway stuff, with red lines being trashed and new lines being drawn, or associations ended altogether because people's values have suddenly changed completely. Uranus is in Venus-ruled Taurus, and Venus is in Uranus-ruled Aquarius – this is called a mutual reception and means these planets are working together. And what they are working for is the disruption, upending and re-balancing of old patterns of relationships. So if you think you can ride the turbulence out by sticking to your old patterns and habits, you're quite wrong - radical change and accountability are what's called for. And once you're “woke”, you can't go back to sleep. We are collectively leaving Neverland.

This is especially true with Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn conjunct the south node, laying bare the corruption underlying structures we took for granted.

The way through the turbulence at this time is via the moon in Libra: moral clarity, fairness and rationality. Don't get swamped by your sense of personal grievance. Think about what's best in the grand scheme of things, not what's only best for you. Have faith that what's best in the largest possible sense will turn out to be what's best for you personally, though it may be hard to see how at this time.

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.

Full Moon in Virgo

This is exact later today, the 19th February, just before 4 pm GMT.

The moon and sun will be at 0 degrees of Virgo and Pisces, respectively. 0 degrees of any sign is very concentrated and potent energy. In addition, the rulers of Virgo and Pisces – Mercury and Neptune – are nearly exactly conjunct in Pisces at this time.

It's a beneficial melding of Virgo and Pisces themes. Virgo is about cleanliness, order, health, routine and painstaking attention to detail, and Pisces is about spirituality and ego loss. So under this full moon we should be trying to find the holiness in the everyday – ordinary tasks like washing the dishes and taking out the garbage are inherently spiritual. Instead of hating and avoiding these everyday chores, you can approach them with attention, care and mindfulness. Getting your external house in order is a prerequisite to making internal spiritual progress – these things aren't separate.

There's a very transformational vibe to this full moon -- recall that we are still under the influence of the new moon in Aquarius two weeks ago, which was all about breaking free. It's no accident that Marie Kondo's show about decluttering is one of the most-watched things on Netflix at this time, and it fits the symbolism of this full moon precisely.

Now is a perfect time for internal or external spring cleaning and you can make great progress in whatever you set out to do. The full moon is beneficially aspecting Mars and Uranus, which are conjunct. This is like having some rocket fuel behind you, and as Mars is in Taurus, it's a slow and steady burn. Once you get started, you can carry through to the end and achieve a transformation, however enormous the task looks at the beginning. Just start.

We also have Venus, Saturn and Pluto conjunct in Capricorn at this time, which is about solid value in love and money matters. It's not an easy or feel-good influence, but it's definitely something you can use. All this Capricorn can be pretty ruthless about weeding out what is not essential, be it a possession, a situation, a habit or a relationship. Focus on keeping and maintaining only what supports your constructive growth. Remove your energy from what you know to be toxic or stagnant, and if that means allowing certain relationships to die, so be it.

At this full moon, it's important to remember that the motto of the Virgo-Pisces axis is “serve or suffer” - both signs need to serve something larger than the ego or they're prey to a lot of self-involved angst. With Virgo, the angst takes the form of endless worrying and nitpicking; with Pisces it's emotional turmoil and addiction. The way out of this angst is to do something practical and/or to help someone else. It's a pretty foolproof formula.

We are heading into some heavy Pisces influence over the next month, so please keep this formula in mind. Also, it's a good idea to avoid boundary-dissolving substances such as drugs, alcohol and fairy-tale romance. We'll have a new moon in Pisces on the 6th of March, with Uranus re-entering Taurus on the same day for extra weirdness. We'll also have a Mercury retrograde in Pisces beginning the day before the new moon, and running till the end of March. The Mercury retrograde will end on the 28th March, with Mercury exactly conjunct Neptune as he is now.

I think you put it all together and March looks like a real head-melting scenario, with a lot of weirdness going down around Mercury themes especially (that's thought, communication, travel, vehicles, appliances, trade, infrastructure, Brexit talks, etc). So the more you can get things streamlined, clear and functional at this time, the better prepared you'll be for the topsy-turvy weirdness ahead.

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.

Lunar Eclipse in Leo

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.

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.

Full Moon in Cancer

This is on the 22nd December at 5:48 pm GMT.

It's the day after the winter solstice: the turning-point between light and dark. And it looks like an emotional turning-point as well.

Cancer has to do with our family, roots, home, emotions and whatever we turn to for emotional sustenance.  At a full moon in Cancer, the sun is in Capricorn, sign of rules, authority and outward achievement. So there is always a tension between rules and feelings, outer vs. inner life, work vs. family, head vs. heart. It's fitting that this should happen around the time of the holidays, when we're (often uncomfortably) thrown together with our families, and subject to family rules and traditions.

The family stuff should be especially tense this year, as the sun and moon are squaring Chiron, which is about a deep sense of woundedness. We also have Mercury conjunct Jupiter in Sagittarius, an influence that can lead to tactless blurting of painful truths. And Mercury and Jupiter are squaring Neptune, which means communication may be unclear, deceptive or manipulative. Beware of pity plays and “poor me” stories: sometimes the person claiming victimhood may actually be the abuser. That sort of tactic is very likely at this time. Beware also of drink and drugs, which can really escalate conflict and confusion. It's a good holiday season to stay off the sauce, if you want family interactions to be less fraught. This could be a very wounding and painful time.

Helpfully though, the full moon beneficially aspects Uranus, meaning a departure from established rules and traditions is favoured. It's OK to do something radically different and change the script – you can focus on what you want to do rather than what you think you have to do. And you can change your definition of “family” - it doesn't have to be only people you're biologically related to. It doesn't even have to be people.

We have a somber new moon in Capricorn on the 6th January, just as Uranus stations direct. It looks like a bit of a punch to the gut – harsh realities are setting in. There is still plenty of love and joy on offer though. Happy holidays to you and your family, whatever form it may take.

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.

Full moon in Gemini

This is exact at about 5:40 am GMT tomorrow morning, the 23rd November.

It's Jupiter's grand entrance into Sagittarius, just in time for Thanksgiving – he changed signs from Scorpio to Sagittarius just after the new moon two weeks ago, and this is his first lunation in Sagittarius since 2007. He spends roughly a year in each sign and will be in Sagittarius till December of next year.

Jupiter rules Sagittarius so this is a happy place for him to be! It's a real party vibe. Jupiter's about what brings us luck, so for the next year, there'll be great luck and benefit in doing Sagittarian things - i.e. expanding your perspective, via the open road and an open mind. This can mean travel, higher education, exotic philosophies or religions, new experiences. Exciting opportunities will be popping up.

So it's mostly great! However, Jupiter inflates everything he's associated with, and this can lead to too much of a good thing, especially in the sign he rules. Sagittarius can easily go overboard in its enthusiams, and become pompous and ideological. It can also be quite callous about peoples' feelings and sensitivities, mistaking impulsive, opinionated blurting for candour.

We'll be seeing all these over-the-top Sagittarian propensities at this full moon, which frankly looks like a head-melting scenario. We'll have a mutable t-square between the moon in Gemini, the sun, Jupiter and Mercury in Sagittarius, and Mars in Pisces. Optimistic and bouyant as Jupiter in Sagittarius is, his involvement here serves to magnify the stress.

A mutable t-square is a chaotic, neuron frazzling aspect, so things are going to feel jangled and all-over-the-place. This particular mutable t-square involves Gemini (information, communication) and Sagittarius (story / ideology / perspective) – so it's a conflict between different versions of reality. It looks confusing – reality, delusion, truth and falshood will be all tangled up, and it's going to be hard to know whose version of reality is true. There will be plenty of outright lying going on, as well as a lot of emotional manipulation.

The emotional manipulation part is courtesy of Mars in Pisces. Mars is about desire and aggression, and he doesn't work well in Pisces, which is about boundary loss and the unconscious. Mars in Pisces can be a spiritual warrior, but more often he's just passive-aggressive, slippery and manipulative. He's like a charismatic drunk who tells you his sob stories in order to seduce you and who ultimately wants you to “save” him – not a solid dude.

And Mars is squaring Jupiter, which is about going overboard and getting yourself into trouble via heedless enthusiasm. You put it all together and this full moon is a bit of an overboard headfuck. Don't believe everything you hear, because people will be spouting off some ludicrous stuff, and they may have conscious or unconscious manipulative agendas. Appeals to compassion and sentimentality are particularly suspect at this time. It's a good idea to stay critical and skeptical if someone is trotting out a “poor me” story. Ask yourself "What are they trying to sell me?"

Also "what am I heedlessly buying?" Be skeptical about your own opinions, unless your facts and reasoning are bulletproof (which is always hard to guarantee). The risk of self-delusion is very high these days. So often we believe what makes us feel good or what we have an emotional attachment to. We cherrypick facts to support our beliefs. We construct versions of the past to back up our personal narratives, disregarding everything that doesn't fit. It's unconscious dishonesty, we all do it in one way or another and it'll be more prevalent than usual about now.

Fortunately, Mercury (ruler of Gemini and dispositer of the full moon) is currently retrograde. Usually Mercury retrograde is a pain in the ass, causing difficulties with travel and communication, and now is no exception! But I still say it's fortunate here because Mercury retrograde allows us some space from jumping to erroneous conclusions or spouting off our ill-considered opinions. You can use it to rein in your communication and examine the information you're given. I think a bit of communication blockage can be helpful when there's this much pressure to jump the gun.

We'll be dealing with this nerve-frazzling, confusing, overboard, poor impulse-control stuff for the next month and a half. That means it colors the holiday season, never the most stress-free period at the best of times. I think the holidays this year look tough and the risk of over-the-top drama when you're hanging out with your crazy family is particularly high this year.

We have a lot of Neptune/Pisces stuff going on, with Neptune stationing direct the day after the full moon and Mars moving to conjunct Neptune in Pisces on the day of the new moon in Sagittarius (7th December). Meaning it'll be easy to slip into delusion, addiction and self-pity. Good boundaries are key – you'll have to keep a hold of all your discernment if you want to navigate this time without getting enraged or turning into a blubbering wreck at the holiday table.

Avoiding boundary-dissolving substances (drugs, alcohol) can't hurt, especially when you're in stressful situations. I know it sounds like no fun, but they can only make things feel worse at this time.

We'll also have some relationship turbulence as Venus opposes Uranus on the 1st December, just before moving from Libra into Scorpio. This is her third and final jolt from Uranus since September, and it makes for crazy on-again-off-again dynamics, instability and a lot of stress in relationships. But after Venus enters Scorpio on the 2nd December, we are headed for smoother sailing. Dynamics have been balanced and rebalanced and now they're either revolutionized or done. Either way, Venus is moving on.

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.

Full Moon in Taurus

This happens today, the 24th October, around 4:30 pm GMT.

Taurus is comfortable, habitual, slow to change. This full moon is not at all like that though. Prepare to be zapped out of your comfort zone.

The moon will be conjunct Uranus at zero degrees Taurus, so this full moon is really all about Uranus. And Uranus is about revolution. Uranus in Taurus, the sign of stability and physical reality, portends a radical shake-up to the structures of our lives: our habits and routines, our values, our possessions, our relationships. It's unsettling.

In this case, the earthquake is likely to come from the depths of your psyche, as you realise that you no longer value things or relationships you used to cling to for self-worth. The sun entered Scorpio yesterday, so we're at the start of Scorpio season, and Scorpio is about depth psychology and death-and-rebirth type transformation. We have a stellium in Scorpio for this full moon: the sun is conjunct Venus in Scorpio, and we also have Jupiter and Mercury conjunct in the later degrees of the sign. That's a lot of psychologically probing and intense energy, geared toward letting go of what's no longer viable in our lives.

The sun and Venus in Scorpio oppose the moon and Uranus in Taurus, and this is all about shocks and abrupt endings, in relationships especially. But Venus also has to do with money and values, so expect lightning shifts in those areas as well. As Scorpio is involved and both Uranus and Venus are retrograde, it's likely that the shifts will be deep internal realisations – sudden “ah-ha” moments that have you re-assessing the structure of your life and what caused you to build it this way.

With the Venus-Uranus opposition, relationships can also start up quite suddenly, but as Venus is retrograde till the 16th November, it's inadvisable to begin anything new – what's begun under Venus retrograde is likely to fizzle out when she resumes direct motion. Old relationships can also come back from the grave to haunt you, and this full moon can be the moment you see those dynamics for what they were and finally let them go. Flux and upheaval around Venus themes (love, money and values) will continue into early December, as the Venus-Uranus opposition will be in play till then.

Uranus is headed backward into Aries, sign of the self, for a final four months (6th November 2018 – 6th March 2019), so we'll have some time to assimilate outer changes into our self-concepts. And Venus will move backward into Libra this Halloween, staying there till the 2nd December – so we'll also be re-assessing our relationships.

This full moon is fateful and has long-range effect, as it squares the north node in Leo and the south node in Aquarius. Anything involving the moon's nodes like this involves a heavy dose of karma: the road ahead is defined by the choices you make now. The way forward is shown by the north node in Leo, which is all about living from your heart, with courage, playfulness, generosity and creativity. The way backward is about shadow Aquarius: a cold, theoretical dogmatism, or using an ideology to justify destructive rebelliousness.

The full moon also beneficially aspects Saturn in Capricorn – again, this is about karma, getting back what you've put in. It also suggests that if you're willing to work slowly and put the necessary groundwork in, beneficial changes can be made, lasting new relationship and money situations can be built.

We'll have a new moon in Scorpio coming up on the 7th November, and it's a big one. Uranus and the north node both shift signs the day before – Uranus into Aries and the north node into Cancer. Jupiter shifts signs the day after, moving from dark, intense Scorpio into sunny, freewheeling Sagittarius. All this represents an abrupt shift in tone – things are going to feel very different, very suddenly. The Venus-Uranus opposition will be heavily in play, sparking sudden shifts in relationships – you could meet the love of your life under this sky, or break up with someone you thought was that. Or both! It's just very volatile. But I think overall it looks pretty good. I'll write more about it closer to the time.

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.

Full Moon in Aries

This is early tomorrow, the 25th September, around 4 am GMT.

The moon in impulsive, warlike, self-focused Aries is facing off against the sun and Mercury in polite, diplomatic, harmony-seeking Libra. Aries is all about ME and what I want, while Libra is about WE, and the balancing act that is required to achieve harmony between different people and perspectives. So a full moon in Aries is always going to involve the tension between following our own emotional impulses and acting on our desires, vs. restraining ourselves and keeping the the peace.

In this case, the tension is really amped up, because the Aries moon is conjunct Chiron in Aries. This is about a fired-up sense of grievance, hurt and outrage. The full moon is also squaring Saturn in Capricorn, which means there are hard limits, rules and realities to be accepted, and actions have heavy consequences. So no matter how much you might want to throw a temper tantrum, you can't. You have to be a grown-up, abide by the social rules, restrain yourself, and accept reality – OR ELSE.

It's interesting that this full moon comes just after the equinox on the 23rd September, which is a fulcrum or balance-point between light and darkness in the year. There is definitely some re-balancing going on here, especially in the realm of relationships. Something important and binding has to be carefully negotiated, despite our personal outrage and hurt. As Saturn is about karma, expect the relational chickens to come home to roost: there are heavy consequences for our prior selfishness and heedlessness toward others.

As full moons signify culminations or endings, this looks a lot like a very fraught divorce to me. Teresa May and her difficulties in negotiating Brexit with the EU come to mind.

Reality is harsh, and though it may be emotionally wounding to admit you're on the weaker side of the negotiation, facts are facts. All the highly publicised outrage in the world won't change them. Demanding respect when your own actions have been inherently disrespectful is stupid. So is storming out of a negotiation and declaring “no deal is better than a bad deal.” There are times when capitulation to a harsh deal is a matter of necessity, and this is just one of those times.

Unfortunately, there's also a grand cross happening between planets in fixed signs at this full moon: Venus in Scorpio square Mars in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus square the north node in Leo. Meaning this is a standoff, people are not likely to budge. And with Mars approaching his final conjunction to the Aquarius south node (exact 26th September), there is a real danger of violence at this full moon. Given the tension between irresistible forces, immovable objects, wounded egos and emotional intensity – something's gotta give.  (Please be careful driving, operating machinery, etc, as  the risk of sudden accidents in heightened.)

There are beneficial ways this can play out, though! The full moon is also bound up in a mystic rectangle formation involving Mars in Aquarius and the north node in Leo, meaning things can work harmoniously, you can use the tension to break with the past and move forward into a different kind of future. The north node in Leo, disposited by the sun in Libra is your key. Leo is playful, generous and creative; Libra is diplomatic, tactful and peace-seeking. It's a good idea to try to act from those qualities! Think about whether there are creative ways to get what you want that don't involve blowing up everyone who disagrees with you, or following unworkable tactics off a cliff.

Pluto resumes direct motion in Capricorn on the 30th, which represents a surfacing and purgation of all the dark psychological stuff we've been mulling over for the past five months of his retrograde - like a big zit full of unconscious toxicities coming to the surface to be popped.

And then Venus stations retrograde in Scorpio on the 5th October. Her retrograde will last till mid-November, and will bring her back into the late degrees of Libra. It's inadvisable to begin new relationships during Venus retrograde, or to make major aesthetic changes to your home or your person. But it's the perfect time to review and a re-think your relationships, with a ruthless eye toward the bottom line: the energy return you're getting on your relational energy investments. The balance should be as equal as possible.

We'll have a new moon in Libra on the 9th October. It comes during Venus retrograde and after the turbulent re-balancings of this Aries full moon, and it looks like a relationship re-set.

New Moon in Virgo

This is today, the 9th September, 7 pm GMT.

We've been dealing with a lot of planetary retrogrades this summer, so it's been a somewhat frustrating time of blockages and delays. But with this new moon in Virgo, it's time to get down to business. Mercury and Mars have been direct since August, and Saturn stationed direct in achievement-oriented Capricorn on the 6th September – so it's full speed ahead, there's nothing in your way. You might as well make the most of the potential for progress and get to work. There are a lot of little details to be taken care of and it's a great time for getting things done.

It's not an easy month by any stretch: there's some crazy tension going on, especially interpersonally. But if you can keep your head down and focus on your work, you'll make great progress.

Virgo is all about work, routine, service and craftsmanship. It's a very pragmatic, detail-oriented sign. It's also very prone to over-thinking, worry, and psychosomatic illness. These tendencies might be worse at this time because of a tight opposition between the new moon and Neptune in Pisces. So beware boundary-dissolvers like drugs, alcohol and fairy-tale romance, and don't fall prey to inertia and self-doubt. Just keep your practical head screwed on and do what needs to be done, one small task at a time.

These small tasks are not meaningless, they're part of a larger task: creating a better, more authentic life for yourself. It's not about plugging away in the same old rut forever. It's about building a new operating system from the ground up so you can live with greater independence.

It's an exciting time. And at this new moon, our plans are finally getting underway, things are moving. The returns on the investments you make now will be big.

We have a grand earth trine between Mercury in Virgo, Saturn in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus, which helps with planning and articulating the practical possibilities. We also have the new moon trining Pluto in Capricorn and sextiling Jupiter in Scorpio, which indicates that there are deep shifts underway – these are not surface changes to our lives.

Neptune's involvement means things should flow easily – if you're having to push too hard, you're probably pushing in the wrong direction. Conserve your energy and focus your efforts toward what is actually working for you, not what drains your resources.

Venus is newly in all-or-nothing Scorpio, casting a ruthless light on love and money matters. It's all about the bottom line now: what you're getting in return for what you're giving. If you're consistently giving more than you're getting, the dynamic is just not viable, and you know this deep down. It either has to be transformed into something more equitable, or removed from your life altogether.

It's harsh. Venus in Scorpio is part of a t-square involving Mars and Uranus right now, and this is in play till the end of the month, though especially intense this week. Blitzkreig explosions and ruptures between people are likely at this time – don't be surprised to see a few surprising breakups. Intense new relationships or opportunities for material advancement may also flash into existence very suddenly. It's exciting but highly flammable, especially as Mars moves into Aquarius on the 11th September.

The potential for sudden accidents is heightened, so please be careful driving and operating machinery etc. And stay out of harm's way interpersonally if you can. People will be acting a bit crazy with this t-square, and then we have a full moon in Aries on the 25th September which looks like some more crazy. Don't expect relationships to run smoothly.

But do channel all this angst into doing what you need to do for yourself to secure your own independent future.