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.
Calmly observing the primordial swamp from a progress-oriented vantage point
Cutting oneself free of old patterns and conditioning
To thine own self be true
This is tonight, the 27th August at 8:22 pm UTC.
So here we are at the big blood moon. Longest eclipse of the century so far, a super-moon (meaning closer to Earth than usual), and conjunct a Mars that is halfway through his retrograde period and closer in his orbit than he's been since 2003. It's a big deal.
I don't really know where to start with regard to this thing. The strings of the whole chart are pulled so tight – like a bow string, or a loaded gun. The moon is nearly exactly conjunct Mars on the south node, the sun is nearly exactly conjunct the north node in Leo, and Uranus in Taurus squares both poles at a tight angle. This is a fixed t-square - pretty uncomfortable, a bunch of immovable objects facing off against irresistible forces. Something's gotta give.
With Uranus so heavily involved, expect the unexpected. Whatever comes, shock will be involved. It may really be a liberation, but it won't necessarily feel like one -- it looks abrupt and uncomfortable.
Mars in Aquarius is squaring Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius. This is a blitzkreig aspect – sudden accidents and explosions of violence are more likely. Please be careful operating machinery and driving, and be careful around electrical equipment.
Also, stay away from angry, aggressive people if you can, and try to avoid being one. With Mars and the moon on the south node in Aquarius, the path of least resistance is cold rage and abrupt, emotionally detached violence – kinda psychopathic really.
The sun on the north node in Leo points the correct way forward: creativity, self-expression, generosity, good humour, playfulness, heart. These qualities may be harder to access than usual at this time, but it's important that you at least try to access them in order to avoid acting like a total psycho.
There is also a theme of maintaining personal authenticity in the face of group dynamics – acting from your core individuality instead of going along with the crowd. Being true to yourself is pretty much impossible if you're preoccupied with how you appear to others. The task here (and always) is to become your authentic self, not a curated persona. The ways in which you are not true to yourself are likely to be cast in sharp relief about now.
Authentic self-expression may be blocked or difficult, as we're dealing with a Mercury retrograde in Leo as of yesterday (26th July), and running till the 19th August. As always, I'd advise using blockage to look inward. Introspection is a prerequisite for true authenticity and self-expression, and you can use this Mercury retrograde to connect with what you truly think and feel, even if expressing it properly is tough at the moment. (Also, hold of signing documents and formalising commitments with Mercury retrograde, and expect the usual issues with travel and communications.)
Full moons are about culminations and endings, and a lunar eclipse is a full moon, only more so. So be prepared to say goodbye to something at this eclipse. Given the Uranian influence, something may be abruptly removed. Please remember that what feels like loss may actually be liberation: one less thing to carry around and worry about.
Radical minimalism is one of the themes of Uranus in Taurus: the less baggage you're carrying, the more room you'll have to manoeuvre, and the more space you'll have for the new to enter your life. It's all about making space for the new this year: we are in the process of building new operating systems based on greater personal authenticity, because following the same old patterns no longer works. This is for everyone, across the board -- and this eclipse serves that imperative.
I think we're looking at a great opportunity here to cut ourselves free of old conditioning and pathologies. Remember we are still in Cancer lunar cycle, and the new moon solar eclipse in Cancer two weeks ago was about the death or transformation of unhealthy old emotional patterns and family dynamics. Aquarius, unlike Cancer, is emotionally detached and focused on the future.
So at this eclipse, we are facing an inward turning-point, where we can finally look dispassionately at the baggage we're still carrying around and drop what needs to be dropped, in the interests of moving forward. There is unlikely to be much point in dwelling on your hangups any further, unless you really enjoy doing that. But it'll keep you stuck! If you're interested in progress, you can use this eclipse to cut and clear.
At best, it looks like a kind of emotional shock-therapy – liberating, but not exactly comfortable:
Intense as this blood moon is, it really does look like an inward realization kinda vibe to me: coming to terms with reality and understanding how to move forward. We are dealing with a lot of retrogrades at the moment, so you can't expect much progress in the outer world, though you may have great clarity about where you're supposed to be aiming.
On a collective level, some intense reckonings with bedrock reality are underway. On a personal level I think this is all about being true to yourself. Your authentic core self, your essence – not your socially constructed self.
We'll round out eclipse season with a new moon partial solar eclipse in Leo on the 11th August, which underscores the theme of personal authenticity.
Per Shakespeare:
“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man”
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.
The moon in Leo will be conjunct the north node, making this a total lunar eclipse – or blood moon. It's also a supermoon – the moon will be at its closest point to earth in its orbit, so it'll appear larger than usual.
It's also the second full moon in January, making it a “blue moon”. As in “once in a blue moon”. Blue moons are not astrologically significant, but the symbolism of something extraordinary and rare fits here, because this eclipse is pretty zingy: a bolt from the blue. You can expect surprising revelations under a sky like this – and lightning inspiration, and shocks and electrical instability in general.
Leo is about drama, showmanship, creativity, joy, self-expression. Feeling special, being in the spotlight, being the star of your own show.
This showy, individualistic moon is facing off against the sun and Venus in cool, theoretical, collectivist Aquarius.
So if conflicts come up for you under this eclipse, they're likely to have to do with emotional engagement vs. detachment and evasion. Or stepping out in authentic self-expression vs. fitting in with the group.
It doesn't have to be a conflict though! Aquarius is an oddball, zany sign, and Venus in Aquarius values anything new or strange – so you can let your freak flag fly, publicly and proudly. In fact, you should. And if you're stuck on worrying about what other people will think, this is your chance to figure out where that's coming from and get over it.
Mercury will shift signs – from stolid, taciturn Capricorn to freaky, brilliant Aquarius – at the exact time of the eclipse. This is pretty significant. It means communication will loosen up very suddenly – shockingly illuminating things may be said or thought under this eclipse. Or maybe just shocking. If you find yourself caught up in Leo-style drama, use Aquarian rationality and emotional detachment to calm things down.
This eclipse is the culmination of the cycle opened two weeks ago at the new moon in Capricorn. That new moon was about starting a new chapter – one that would require hard work and a willingness to see and do things in a radically new way. There was a breakaway feeling to it, for women especially.
This eclipse continues that theme and amps it up to 11. This is where the new path asserts itself, where you break out and start expressing yourself fearlessly, from the heart - because there's really nothing to lose anymore.
This is tomorrow, the 7th August, around 7 pm GMT.
It's a zappy one. Expect to be shocked – or at the very least, surprised. Rapid turnarounds, unexpected reversals, lightning clarity and unexpected revelations are likely.
Also confrontations between the individual (Leo) vs. the group (Aquarius). It's a good time to break free of the social network and do your own thing – or to use your anger and conviction to shift social dynamics toward something more progressive.
It's also a great time for going public with creative work, or doing something brave in the public eye. Stepping out of the box and taking a stand for something you believe in, because fuck it, what have you got to lose?
Aquarius is rebel energy. For this full moon, the moon in Aquarius will be facing off against Mars conjunct the sun in Leo, which is warrior energy: courage, conviction, amped-up ego, dramatic flair and showmanship.
Grandstanding and power plays are likely, and keep in mind that with Jupiter in Libra beneficially aspecting the sun, Mars and moon, there is big potential for overdoing things and going overboard. But if you strive to retain a sense of fairness, proportion and civility, you should be OK!
With this full moon – a partial lunar eclipse – we enter eclipse season, a time of intense, accelerated change. The prelude to this was Uranus stationing retrograde in warrior sign Aries on the 2nd August. Uranus, as ruler of Aquarius, is the dispositor of this full moon, and symbolises revolution. His direction change just prior to a lunar eclipse in his own sign speaks of a paradigm shift - an internal one, focused on our sense of self.
Plus Jupiter and Pluto squared off on the 4th August, their final square. This denotes a big, permanent shift in relationship dynamics.
So big shifts are afoot. This full moon is the point where they'll suddenly be all lit up and obvious. If you've been waiting to see some changes, here's your turning point – and it's likely to come with an abruptness and intensity which will jolt you. Something surprising is bound to come to light here. And as full moons symbolize endings, it may be time to break free or let go of something for good. (The cool, rational detachment of Aquarius should be helpful here.)
The next act in this drama of upheaval comes on the 21st August, with a big shiny total eclipse – our second new moon in Leo. That'll be a new start – a reboot.
With all this emphasis on Leo, remember the focus is on being true to yourself and your own heart, and doing what brings real joy into your life. If you're unhappy, you should definitely be asking yourself why these days, instead of stoically accepting your unhappiness. Something has to change, and it's time to find out what.
Helpfully we'll have a Mercury retrograde this month, beginning in Virgo on the 13th August. This will give us some space to analyse our lives in depth, mentally process the changes underway, and to fine-tune details and practical considerations. Amazingly, the retrograde ends on the 5th September with Mercury on the exact degree of the upcoming solar eclipse – 28 degrees Leo. So this retrograde is really a chance to get things right – to make sure our heads are working in concert with our hearts – in this context of big, heart-centred change.
There are important issues for relationships in all this, and also big decisions to be made about what we truly value. Venus in Cancer opposes Pluto in Capricorn on the 15th August, and this is a tough aspect – it's about love unto death or the death of love. This becomes a cardinal t-square with the intensifying influence of Jupiter in relationship-focused Libra, and it'll be in effect all through the middle of August.
Change is demanded here. Relationships will be taken to the next level or they'll end; commitments will be solidified or they'll fall apart. Money and power imbalances will be apparent, psychological control tactics will be exposed – and the willingness to deal with this painful, unpleasant stuff will make or break partnerships.
This gut-wrenching and difficult cardinal t-square ends just before the slate-clearing, hopeful, exciting solar eclipse in Leo on the 21st August. So however ugly things may get leading up to it, and whatever you lose, please remember that the point is to expose what's keeping us stuck and unhappy so we can make the necessary changes. If a situation is making you miserable, it has to change or be removed from your life, no matter how much you've invested in it. There are plenty of exciting new opportunities opening up, and the future can be entirely unlike what has gone before. But first you have to free yourself from what is no longer viable.
After the eclipse, Saturn stations direct on the 24th August. Saturn and Uranus are co-rulers of Aquarius, and their direction-shifts (Uranus retrograde, Saturn direct) bookending this eclipse season are highly significant. In addition, they're part of this summer's grand fire trine, which also involves the north node in Leo.
The theme here, as I've said, is making changes in your life – likely radical ones – that will allow you to build a solid, viable, happy future. Happiness is key. So if you've been ignoring the causes of your discontent, this full moon eclipse is an opportunity to see what's going on with lightning clarity – and to shift course if you're on a course that leads nowhere.
This is on Saturday the 11th February, around 12:30 am.
It's a partial lunar eclipse. We're in eclipse season now – a time of intensified change and weirdness, as I'm sure everybody can feel. It's worth watching what shifts irrevocably over the next couple of weeks as we approach the new moon solar eclipse in Pisces on the 26th February.
This full moon represents a quickening of the drive for change – it looks impulsive, fiery and brave. Pretty exciting and energising! Also romantic, which is nice for the weekend before Valentine's Day.
There's a lot of air and fire in the sky at the moment, and it's all working together well. What do you get when you add air to fire? A big sexy conflagration is what! Or fireworks.
Obviously this kind of combustibility can be dangerous, given the current political situation. But this full moon looks beneficial overall – especially for harnessing anger at injustice toward building a new vision for the future.
The new moon eclipse in Pisces in two weeks' time is a different kettle of fish – it looks much more confused and traumatic. So I think it's a good idea to make use of all this clarity and energy while we have it. Put yourself out there, try something new, meet new people, take a risk or two. And commit yourself to something: a project, a cause, a vision of the future, a relationship. Be brave and put your heart on the line - that's how to work with this energy. With Saturn involved and the north node in Virgo, patience and a willingness to do the necessary work will pay off.
For this full moon, we'll have a beautiful grand fire trine between Saturn in Sagittarius (truth-seeking, realistic enthusiasm), Uranus in Aries (collective anger, the desire for personal authenticity) and the moon in Leo (showmanship, creativity, romance). All this speaks of burning idealism and enthusiasm that can be easily directed toward making constructive changes in your life and in the collective.
We also have a mystic rectangle harmoniously joining up planets in air and fire signs: the sun in Aquarius, Uranus in Aries, the moon in Leo and Jupiter in Libra will all be hitched together. This is a constructive melding of creativity, bravery, anger, fair-mindedness and the desire for change and liberation.
We are firing on all cylinders these days. Huge societal changes are underway. And in our individual lives, we can embody the broader societal changes we want to see.
Anger at injustice (Aries) and courage (Leo) are important tools here, as is collective action (Uranus). And also taking the long view and defining what we stand for (Saturn in Sagittarius). The associations we make with like-minded people these days are very important - they will define us in enduring ways.
OK, but I have to end with some warnings. There are a couple of yods in effect at this full moon. These are tricky, volatile aspect patterns, and they speak of irreconcilable differences and instability. Plus we are at the midpoint of an Aquarius lunar cycle, which is zappy and weird by nature. Plus we have a ruthlessly transformative cardinal t-square going on till April. Plus we have a bunch of planets (Venus, Mars and Uranus) in hotheaded Aries, and Mars moving to conjunct Uranus for the new moon in Pisces – which looks like an emotional blitzkreig, I have to say. Plus it is eclipse season, which is about change on steroids.
In other words we are in a time of massive upheaval, in case you haven't noticed. And we can expect further shocks, revelations, drama and upheaval at this full moon. But the nice thing is, it will all be ultimately beneficial and workable – and it doesn't look like it'll feel so bad. We've had some shitty-feeling moons lately, and there are some more ahead. But this one looks exciting and hopeful for a change, and that's something to be grateful for.
The sun and moon will be conjunct at 8 degrees Aquarius, and not strongly aspecting anything else. So this is kind of a jolt.
Aquarius is about newness, upheaval, shock, revolution. We are getting an overdose of that stuff these days. This new moon opens a month where we're set to get zapped some more.
I probably don't need to tell you that all this turbulence is more gut-churning than exhilarating. We're all feeling it. It is profoundly disorienting and destabilising.
Like this over and over...
But please remember - it is necessary. Change is demanded, and change is the opposite of being comfortable.
Anyway, this is another not-exactly-feel-good new moon. Venus is conjunct Chiron in Pisces, which is achy-breaky-heart stuff to the max. It looks like a deep sense of loss to me, or dreams that feel impossible to realise. And as Venus has to do with values and finances as well, we are also looking at broken ideals and money suckage.
Compounding these themes, Venus will be squaring Saturn exactly at the new moon. This is about harsh limitations in love and money matters – what you want may be blocked or delayed in some way, or denied outright. Or a relationship or financial situation may not live up to expectations.
So we are looking at deflation, depletion and a sense of let-down: our dreams and ideals don't match up to cold reality and it's painful. SAD.
(The Venus-Saturn square hits DT hard, by the way. I don't suppose he's feeling so great these days. The harsh realities of his new dream job are probably becoming clear to him...and I bet he's feeling more than a little unloved.)
On the plus side of Venus-Chiron-Saturn, it can be good to know exactly where you stand. It's reality, and it's something solid you can work with. Just don't expect it to feel good!
Troublingly, the collective mood is about to shift from disappointment, confusion and inertia – to action and rage. Mars is on the very last degree of Pisces at the time of this new moon – traditionally one of the most unlucky degrees of the zodiac, associated with death, permanent endings and self-destruction. Those associations will persist in phantom form through the month ahead, as this is happening at the kickoff point of the new moon.
But a few hours after it, Mars shifts signs and enters 0 degrees Aries – the Aries point, the explosive start of the whole zodiac. And this looks like an upwelling of energy and aggression to me – one that will intensify in the collective over the next month as Mars moves toward Uranus in Aries. The Mars-Uranus conjunction will be exact on the 26th February, and exactly opposing Jupiter in Libra as well, with both these poles squaring Pluto in Capricorn. We'll also have Venus in Aries as of the 3rd February.
So very soon and quite suddenly there will be a lot of cardinal fire in the sky – and this means energy and fury. I think we are bound to see some shocking expressions of collective rage here. Staying balanced, civil and nonviolent in an atmosphere of upheaval is going to be a major task.
Speaking of Uranus, Pluto and Jupiter – they have been in cardinal t-square formation since November, and this is not going away for a while. Jupiter stations retrograde in Libra on the 5th February, keeping him in hard aspect to Uranus and Pluto into April. Not only does this intensify the harshly transformative effects of Uranus and Pluto, it acts as a constant strain on our goodwill and our ability to be civil toward others.
A cardinal t-square is a stressful aspect pattern that demands change and adaptation – in this case, the changes are seismic, profound and explosive. That's obviously where we're at, at this new moon in the sign of revolution.
For this the new moon, Mercury in Capricorn will be involved in the t-square, conjunct Pluto. This conjunction will be exact on the 29th January, and it's about bedrock, ugly truths coming to light – despite people's attempts to pretend we are “post-truth” and facts no longer matter. Lies and liars will be outed this month, likely in shocking fashion.
We'll know more at the full moon in Leo on the 11th February – and the weeks leading up to that look very intense. But whatever happens or is revealed, be aware that we're in for a bumpy ride. Change is what people want, and change is what they'll get. But the pace and intensity of change is something no one can predict or control. February is a wild horse.
You'd do well to harness this energy in order to make necessary transformations in your life - in a very systematic, pragmatic way. Remember we'll have the north node in quiet, disciplined Virgo till May. The way through the chaos is still about humility, taking care of practical details and serving others.
So please keep doing your Virgo! And your Jupiter in Libra as well, which is about being generous, balanced, polite and fair in our dealings with others. Staying civilised in the midst of uncivility, in other words.
It will be hard, when all you want to do is punch a fascist.
Unfortunately, the sky does indicate that punching fascists is not the way forward right now. As ever, when dealing with Aquarius, it's worth asking yourself: "What would Spock do?" (Spock - calm, humanitarian, rational and detached - is my idea of the perfect avatar of Aquarian energy.)
This is tomorrow, the 18th
August, at 10:26 am (GMT). It is – very marginally – an eclipse,
which ramps up the usual full moon intensity a bit.
It doesn't need to be any more intense
– this looks like a zinger. Aquarius is about shock,
novelty, upheaval. For this full moon, the sign's ruler, Uranus, is beneficially
aspecting the sun and moon, meaning the shocks involved may be
liberating. You might just go off in an entirely new direction; you might just take a big gamble, and it might just work out.
But it looks very crazy and
unpredictable. All bets are off! This full moon is part of a yod –
a tense, weird aspect pattern. This one looks like it's about a need for personal
freedom and authenticity (moon in Aquarius sextile Uranus in Aries), conflicting very uncomfortably with dutiful, routine-bound Mercury and
Jupiter in Virgo. It's nervous breakdown stuff.
If that were the only nervous breakdown
stuff we were dealing with, it'd be enough. But there's more! There's
Neptune on the south node, pulling us backward into utter escapist
madness and addiction. There's Mars conjunct Saturn in Sagittarius:
truth, consequences and inescapable, harsh realities re. the road ahead. There's Venus
in Virgo harshly aspecting all these planets, making relationship and
money issues feel simultaneously delusive, unreal, constraining and
inescapable. There's Chiron in Pisces opposing Mercury and Jupiter in
Virgo – a big existential wound to our minds and capacity to find
meaning in existence.
All in all, a total headfuck – and
it's not going to just disappear. This is some heavy mental shit and
it will get heavier as we move toward the new moon eclipse in Virgo
on the 1st September, which looks frankly awful for anyone of a sensitive or nervous disposition.
That eclipse ushers in a month of
mental health weirdness, but the next couple of weeks are no picnic
either. We have a Mars-Saturn conjunction on the 24th
August, which will feel like hitting a wall of karma – lies and
hype will be exposed. We have Mars squaring Neptune, exact on the
26th August, which will make heroin addiction seem like a
viable life option. We have a Mercury retrograde through Virgo
starting the 31st August, which will probably feel like this:
only even less comprehensible.
And then after the new moon eclipse, we
will have Saturn squaring Neptune on the 10th September –
a profoundly disillusioning (and disorienting, and depressing)
influence.
I know I am being very dire. I could
try to put a positive spin on it all, but I don't see what good
that'd do anyone. This stuff looks very painful and disturbing, and
it is in play till the end of the year – and people should be aware
of it.
Mutable sign people especially (Gemini,
Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) – please don't commit suicide. Try to
ride the next few months out, one day at a time. One foot in front of
the other; one small, mundane, routine task after the other – even
when your brain is a mess and you can't see the purpose of any of it.
If you try to look too far ahead you're liable to get dizzy and lose
your footing – so keep the focus narrow, on what needs doing in the
here-and-now.
And if you need some outside help, please GET
IT. From friends, therapists, religion, meds, the suicide hotline -
whatever works. Don't try to keep your craziness all bottled up and
expect it will just disappear. If you start to feel the walls closing in on
you, talk to someone. You are not the only fuck-up on planet Earth.
OK, having said all that – it's not
all bad. I wrote at the new moon in Leo a couple weeks ago that our
theme this month was new beginnings beset by roadblocks.
Those new beginnings are still pretty
solid! Just we are hitting the roadblocks about now, and they are
considerable. And some karmic backlash is hitting, for those
who've been pretending to be what they're not. It's a shock allright.
The important thing is to follow your
personal truth, your vision for the future – YOURS, not anyone
else's. And to keep on truckin', even if your onward progress is
stalled for now. Keep the faith – small, careful steps will carry you toward
the goal, even if you can barely make out your own feet through the
fog.
This new moon is Monday the 8th February at 2:38 pm GMT.
OK, so it looks like a jolt – a big reboot. Aquarius is liberating, progressive, erratic and shocking – like a lightning bolt. Abrupt, good at sudden beginnings and endings. Freaky oddball electrical energy, like a dragon made out of lightning.
Plus we have Mars in Scorpio squaring the new moon, adding a surge of uncomfortable emotional drive and irritation. This is the kind of thing that makes you want to jump out of your skin or break something.
There is a deep push for personal freedom and authenticity encoded in these aspects. Something - maybe everything! - has to change.
Also there's the potential for a lot of stupid viciousness and power struggles, if the necessary freedom and changes are blocked.
Recall the full moon in Leo two weeks ago. Drama drama drama! Plus, messes that must be dealt with, revelations, shocks, hidden things coming to light.
OK, so this new moon is a continuation of that theme.
As of this past week, Venus is tangled up with Mercury and Pluto, and squaring Uranus. This represents a value shift, a jolting re-assessment in love and money matters - maybe as a result of whatever has been brought to light over the past few weeks.
Sudden shifts - endings and beginnings - are likely in relationship and money matters at this time. The shifts could also be in your values. The status quo just won't cut it anymore, with these aspects - deep structural change is needed.
Something new and strange wants to happen! So if you're dealing with intense frustration at this time, it might be worth asking yourself: "how am I boxing myself in; how am I failing to be fully true? How am I blocking change and progress and dragons made of lightning?"
The Venus-Pluto conjunction is about dead loves coming back from the grave, true love and commitment, romantic obsession, betrayal, manipulation, addiction, toxicity – human bondage in all its best and worst forms. Also sex, money, power, control, possession. There's nothing light about it, especially in sober, serious Capricorn. You add in the square to Uranus, and it's Indian soap opera time.
OK, so hopefully your life is not as intense (or dumb) as all that, but you get the picture.
Happily, Jupiter in Virgo sends beneficial aspects to Venus, Pluto and Mercury. This affords some buoyancy, cosmic benevolence, perspective and humor to situations that might otherwise be very fraught and gloomy.
We also have Saturn in Sagittarius beneficially aspecting the new moon and Uranus in Aries, and this grounds and stabilises the tense, erratic energy. There's a real future to be built.
And there's plenty of balance on hand. Whatever new direction you're headed in, whatever your vision for the future, whatever you have to change about your circumstances so that your life looks less like an Indian soap opera - it is entirely possible to make your dreams a reality. It will just take focus, planning and sustained work.
The right way to deal with the power surge of this new moon is to channel it into things that support freedom, authenticity and progress for you and your wider community. No hidden agendas, no manipulation, no passive aggression. Everything out in the open, fair and egalitarian and objective.
The worst way is to use all this jolting electricity to shock, hurt and manipulate. There's plenty of potential for that here. Aquarius can be cold to the point of cruelty, and Mars in Scorpio knows exactly where to stick a knife for maximum damage. Both of these signs are fixed: they don't back down.
It's like a dinosaur battle in Jurassic Park - intensely violent and reptilian. Needless to say, if you find yourself in the path of any dinosaur battles, best not to get involved. Best keep the hell away, if you can. Dinosaurs are not rational and they don't care if you become collateral damage.
If you are the dinosaur battling it out, I don't know what to tell you - except, nobody wins; nobody prevails. With Jupiter and the north node in Virgo, it pays to be humble and to keep a low profile.
The really nice thing about this new moon is that it represents a new direction: a surge for freedom, a shedding of old restraints, and a fierce drive to be yourself in all your freaky glory. You get to shed something that's been draining and dogging you.
Wherever this falls in your chart is where you'll feel a lightning bolt of clarity and personal authenticity. There's really no reason to stifle your true self anymore – what have you got to lose? The world needs everyone's weirdness.
Bearing this out, Lilith, taboo 'mother of demons' and emblem of the dark feminine, is beneficially aspecting the new moon - and this is good for women especially, but it supports everyone's suppressed wildness. Go ahead and speak your mind, say what you really think and feel, be your real self and not the respectable facade you think you should be. Cut loose and be true - "be the change you want to see", as they say.
But at the same time, remember the message of Jupiter and the north node in Virgo, and Saturn in Sagittarius. Perspective, humility, good boundaries and grown-up behaviour, please.
Full moon in Leo, sign of the rock star, is exact tonight: 24th January, around 2 am GMT.
It's fairly dramatic. A Leo moon needs drama and creativity and romance. It needs to be in the spotlight, being seen and appreciated.
So I like it that this is happening over the weekend. Tonight will be a good night to put on your bling and go out looking for trouble, if you're brave or crazy like that.
“Drama” is said so dismissively, mostly. But it's drama that keeps life interesting. Does anyone really want a life completely free of it?
I doubt it. In any case, some drama is called for here, and you can't fight the cosmic weather.
There is a dark edge to it. Something explosive and deep is liable to be revealed. Something dangerous and hidden may come to light.
And publicly: the sun in Aquarius is very group-oriented, and the moon in Leo wants to be the center of attention. Mars in Scorpio will be loosely squaring both – this is about deep, hidden agendas. Manipulations and machinations.
So something dark or hidden may come to light, in public, and it may be quite shocking.
It's like the songs above: someone's got the Ace of Spades up their sleeve. Someone's a Blackstar.
Kind of a futuristic film-noir vibe: something is not what it appears to be, maybe.
Re. revelations: we have Aquarius's ruler Uranus in tight square to Pluto and Mercury. And Mercury is about to go direct the day after the full moon, conjunct Pluto. (Mercury stationed retrograde, recall, at 1 degree Aquarius on the 5th January.)
This full moon is all about the import of the Mercury retrograde. Since mid-December, something deep, serious and life-changing has been under consideration and re-consideration. Now we have the answer / culmination. Pluto is involved, so there's nothing frivolous about what may come to light.
It's a radical change of mind, maybe. An insight that leads to a reassessment of the ground of your existence, maybe. Satori – or a life-or-death message. A commitment.
Or maybe you just hear something that hits you at a deep level, with the force of unvarnished truth. Maybe you are forced to accept something you've been avoiding. Maybe some important matter will be decided, finally; or some painful honesty will come your way.
Lilith (taboo female energy) is involved, opposing Uranus and squaring Pluto and Mercury. So this is a message from the shadow all right. The kind of thing you don't want to look at – but can't look away from.
Love and money planet Venus moves from free-wheeling Sagittarius to security-minded Capricorn just a few hours ahead of the full moon. Venus in Capricorn requires love you can bank on and a solid bottom-line – dependability and realism in love and money matters. Again, we are dealing in unvarnished truth here.
And Saturn (reality) in truth-seeking Sagittarius drives the message home: no pretense.
Saturn trines Uranus. Meaning there is a future to be built here – a real one, though it will take work.
And retrograde Jupiter conjunct the north node in Virgo re-iterates this: WORK. Anything worth having takes work. Humble, quiet, systematic work – and absolute realism.
With the south node in Pisces, we are being pulled at hard by dreams, delusions and the longing to escape mundane reality. But recall the reality-based theme of the new moon in Capricorn a couple weeks ago: there is no escape. There is real work to be done, and no conscionable way to evade it. The only way out is through.
This full moon is the culmination of the cycle that began at the new moon, and it looks like it involves some kind of revelation. Communication / information that reinforces the theme of absolute realism. Hard truths you have to work with.
I'm thinking of scenarios like: finding out all the piping in your house is faulty and will have to be replaced, and it's gonna clean you out financially. Or realizing the person you love is a little deficient in the character department, but you're too heavily invested to leave. Or dealing with long term illness, unemployment, difficult family or work situations – you name it. Maybe there are sacrifices to be made for love or money that you'd prefer not to be making... but there's no way out. You're in too deep.
None of this shit is just gonna vanish and disappear – you can't positive-think your way out of it. No “manifesting abundance” here, or any kind of new-age crapola like that. You will have to work with reality, and you'll get back what you've given. No more and no less.
Opportunities exist, but they may not be quite what you'd dreamed. A new direction is entirely possible, but it must be worked for. Stark realities exist, that must be accepted and dealt with. This is just life.
It's not that magic and loveliness aren't available...Just that it's a time for focusing on essentials.
With the moon in romantic, party-loving Leo: facing the music and dancing comes to mind here. "There may be trouble ahead..."
Or Churchill on the eve of World War II:
“The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.”
Intensity alert for the next few weeks. We have Mercury direct conjuncting Pluto and squaring Uranus all next week. This is a depth-charge to the mind: a fucking torpedo actually. Whatever this full moon brings to light is going to have far-reaching import.
Then we have Venus moving to conjunct Pluto, exact on the 6th February – with the moon conjunct both of them. Old loves coming back from the dead, maybe. Tests, endings, resurrections, deep soul commitments, shattering losses, serious gifts, obsessions. Emotional intensities off the charts.
We have a new moon in Aquarius on the 8th February, and it looks like a zinger. I'll write about it closer to the time.
And we have Jupiter and the north node travelling together in Virgo for the next month and a half. Meaning the path – and I can't state this strongly enough – is attention to the little details, service to others, humility. Quiet, unassuming, systematic, ordinary WORK. No victim shit allowed; no escapism or self-pity. Whatever mess you are dealing with – literal, interpersonal, financial, health-related – the only way out is through.
But first I want to talk about Pluto, everybody's favorite sex-dwarf fascist power planet.
I've written before about how the conditions under which a planet is discovered connect up synchronistically to the meanings assigned to it in astrology. (Here and here.)
Pluto, which signifies the Shadow – the darkness everyone is afraid to look at in themselves and would prefer to project outside – was discovered in 1930, during the run-up to World War 2 and the rise of fascism.
Fascism is about the union of corporate/business interests and government. Money and politics in alliance. It's a relatively new word for a dynamic as old as civilization – but it's basically about power being concentrated in a very small circle.
Fascism, in the 20th century, has also been about scapegoating in order to promote a perfect facade of order and control. The people turned into scapegoats are always the ones whose presence undermines the state ideology of order/purity – anyone with a bit of ambiguity to their identity is targeted for extermination, because they become the repository for the collective Shadow.
So the meaning of Pluto in astrology has to do with death, ruthless elimination, and power in its most brutal form. It is about the ugliness in ourselves that we are afraid to come to terms with – it is more easily projected outside ourselves and disowned.
As lord of death and the underworld in classical mythology, Pluto also has an association with transformation and wealth. Death is a transformation. And precious stones and metals are usually found deep underground, where heat and pressure transform ordinary minerals into something rare and valuable. (And psychologically, the greatest treasures are often found in the deepest, darkest parts of our psyches – the places we're most afraid to go.)
Pluto is also about extremes: the controlled and orderly surface reality vs. the rot at the core. The death drive (Thanatos) hidden in all life.
It's no accident that the 20th century's fascist societies were outwardly focused on creating a vision of peaceful utopia...but to live within them was to know the reality of hell.
Anyway, in light of the intensity and ugliness associated with Pluto, it's ironic that he has been demoted from planetary status in recent years, to dwarf planet. This is exactly what we do with the Shadow – we minimise and deny it. It seems like what this planet represents is too scary to include in the established representation of our solar system!
But psychological growth, per Jung, depends on a reckoning with the Shadow in ourselves – the internal acceptance of our submerged power drives, our socially unacceptable behaviours and ideas, our own darkness. Everything in us that is the opposite of what we'd like to believe we are, or be seen to be by others.
Pluto, in this respect, is one of the most psychologically important of archetypes. It is the descent into hell, into our unconscious darkness, that allows us to become conscious human beings (which just means being capable of acting outside of our unconscious conditioning – a monumental and unending task).
Reckoning with the Shadow involves a kind of dying: the destruction of what we thought we were, the acceptance as part of us of all we'd like to pretend we are not.
It can feel like an abduction. In the mythology, Pluto was an abductor and rapist. He kidnapped Persephone (symbolic of spring or the life force) and took her down to hell to be his queen, holding her there without her consent.
Anyone who has dealt with an addiction, a destructive obsession or an abusive relationship will be able to understand the symbolism of this myth at a deep level. Being in the grip of a compulsion can feel like being at the mercy of something much larger and stronger than you - something intent on your destruction.
In the myth, Persephone doesn't get free of Death – she has to spend half the year in hell for eternity. It's winter on earth while she's down there, summer when she returns. So she is a liminal figure. She doesn't belong completely to the light or the dark, but to both. She has to live with her knowledge of hell in the middle of summer – but she knows summer is coming, even when she's in the depths of hell.
In psychological terms, this is like owning your shadow – your darkness, your 'badness', your destructive compulsions – your death-drive. Your devil, whatever form he takes.
You don't defeat the devil. You learn to look at him, and to live with him, in yourself – and you stop projecting him outside. But this is enough work for most people's lifetimes.
--Anyway, I'm writing about this now because our little downgraded Shadow dwarf planet Pluto has recently come under scientific scrutiny! The NASA New Horizons probe approached Pluto in mid-January of this year, and did a close flyby on the 14th July – just before a very Pluto-influenced new moon, with Pluto opposite Mars and Mercury.
So we now have detailed pictures of Pluto. It's a strange place! There's a heart-shaped plain of moving ice (!), there's apparent volcanic activity, there are 11,000 foot high mountains, there is a methane atmosphere that may be on the verge of collapse – all on a world smaller than our moon.
The heart-shaped glacial plain is symbolically kind of amazing, considering Pluto's rulership of Scorpio, a sign concerned with deep, intense emotion buried under an icy facade. In fact, all the features seem symbolically amazing to me – there are such extremes at work on this tiny world.
So our unknown Shadow-planet turns out to be a very interesting place, and worthy of deep examination!
The New Horizon probe's timing is synchronistic - Pluto is important right now. We are just past the historic Uranus-Pluto square series, which was about radical change on the collective and individual levels. That was some fairly intense and gut-wrenching Pluto action.
And right now we have Saturn in Pluto's sign (Scorpio), and Pluto in Saturn's sign (Capricorn). This is called a mutual reception, and is about an easy dialogue between these two planets. The theme here is deep psychological excavation and restructuring. Unearthing the deep rot beneath the facade of 'normality' or respectability.
We had a Pluto-themed new moon in Cancer on the 16th July, and if anybody has gotten through the past few weeks without some sort of poisonous emotional or psychological vomit coming out of them or being spewed at them – well lucky you! At the very least, we are looking at deep, seismic shifts in family and relational structures and power dynamics at this time. And a reckoning with old hurts and grievances, old pain – our ghosts and demons.
We have a full moon in Aquarius on the 31st July (around 11:15 am GMT) – and this should be the culmination of this process, and a big shift. It looks like relief and a breath of fresh air to me!
It's a blue moon, meaning it's the second full moon in the same calendar month. Astrologically this doesn't mean much. But you can take it as symbolic, especially as the moon will be in Aquarius, a freaky oddball sign: this is something a bit weird and special.
There'll be some drama, no doubt – full moons are good for drama, and for this one, the sun is in proud, shiny, dramatic Leo. But the moon (emotional tone) is in cool, emotionally distanced Aquarius – and this puts a lid on the emotionality.
As full moons signify endings, I think we are seeing the tail-end of the emotional upheavals of the past few weeks. So maybe your pride (Leo) got wounded...who cares? Fundamentally, you are free (Aquarius).
Saturn resumes direct motion in Scorpio the day after the full moon, as if to underline the theme of “job done”. We have gone back into the hellish wreckage since Saturn re-entered Scorpio in mid-June. Hopefully we have wrestled with our demons and stood for our emotional truths and done the deep work. Anything rotten that wasn't dealt with during Saturn's initial transit of Scorpio (2012-2014) will have come up for revision – and hopefully, it is being dealt with now. At this point we know what's viable and what's not in our lives and our psyches – we have sifted through the garbage and know what has to go.
I think the hardest part of this transit will be completed as Saturn resumes direct motion after this full moon. From now until the 18th September, when Saturn re-enters Sagittarius – we are moving forward, amputating what needs to be amputated, clearing out the psychic debris.
The point of all this psychological purgation and energetic re-balancing is, we are clearing space for new things to happen – especially in the realm of money and relationships.
Venus (love and money planet) entered nit-picky, analytical, perfectionist Virgo on the 18th July, stationing retrograde at 0 degrees Virgo on the 25th July. She re-enters Leo on the day of this full moon, and she will be hanging out there until the 8th of October, after stationing direct on the 6th September.
Venus in Virgo is about having high standards in love and money matters, and Venus retrogrades are about relational and financial reconsiderations, recalibrations and fine-tunings. So the fact that Venus stationed retrograde in Virgo, a very picky, pragmatic and detail-oriented sign, is pretty significant here.
The next five weeks of this Venus retrograde are about laying new foundations in love and money matters. Reading the fine print, getting the details right, figuring out what works in the real world, having exacting standards and sticking to them.
With Venus retrograde in heart-centered Leo, this is also about our personal pride and happiness. Figuring out what really makes us happy without compromising our pride and integrity.
In other words, if you are putting energy into loving someone or pursuing some project that is actually detrimental to your happiness and self-esteem, it's time to pause and take a good hard look at what you're doing.
This Venus retrograde is about tempering our love and our creative/entreprenurial endeavours with realism. Laying the groundwork, making sure the opportunities coming our way now can translate into viable relationships and livelihoods. Something or someone might make you happy in the short term – but will it stick? Is it healthy? Is it in accord with your values? Can you bank on it?
If you answer "no" to these questions – well all the love in the world is not going to be enough, and you should be careful of how far you involve yourself.
Venus is currently retrograding in conjunction to Jupiter and in square to Saturn in Scorpio – and this is also significant. There is tremendous luck and opportunity here, but there are also huge, karmic blockages and restraints. You can take the blockages as a signal to slow down, look deeper and be super-realistic about what you're getting into. What's going on under the surface? What do you really want from this – what do you really need? What's it going to cost you, energetically / psychologically / monetarily? What is the actual state of your resources - can you afford this?
Mercury (mind and communication) moves into Virgo on the 7th August, and Jupiter (luck, expansion, blessing) follows on the 11th. This will definitely help us to be super-practical and realistic, to analyse all our options carefully and to come up with ideas that will help us to flourish in the real world.
I'll write more about Jupiter in Virgo another time, because this will be a big shift. We've had him in big, shiny Leo for a year now, meaning our luck this past year was tied up with exuberance, drama and creativity.
But Jupiter in Virgo will be the opposite! Virgo is systematic, analytical, humble and detail-oriented – so this will probably feel like cleaning up after a big yearlong party, sorting the empty bottles for recycling, doing the dishes. Back to reality.
I think this shift of Jupiter (and Mercury) from fiery Leo to rational Virgo is a blessing - because for the first half of August, we are looking at a lot of planets in Leo squaring Saturn in Scorpio, and this looks frustrating as all hell. Big, open-hearted exuberance and passion – shackled by the full weight of reality and the past.
Remember, all the love and passion in the world is not going to be enough if the thing doesn't work in the real, everyday world. Passion is fine for writing songs or making art or starting new endeavours or being Elvis... but it isn't something you can live on, anymore than you can live on a diet of ice cream sundaes. Eventually you are going to find yourself really run-down and sick. (Poor Elvis.)
If we want to be happy, going forward, we'll need to be a lot more grounded, finicky and focused on what works in reality – and on what is healthy. I think August will be a good month for learning about this!
*** Forgot to mention: Uranus in Aries (dispositor of this full moon) stationed retrograde on the same day as Venus: the 25th July. These two retrograde planets will be trining each other later in August (the 19th August) and trining each other again after Venus goes direct (23rd September).
The theme here is the overall theme of the Venus retrograde: we are blazing new trails in relationship stuff and money stuff. We're not doing the same old stuff again or replaying the same old patterns. And we have to insist upon absolute personal authenticity in these matters.
Basically, we are opening up a new cycle here - but it's tricky territory, and full of blockages and delays. Quite frustrating really. There's nothing to be done but bear with it, and don't compromise on your values or on what's really important to you.
I think come mid-September, we'll gain a much clearer view of where this story is going. It might seem like a long way away, but it's only a month and a half.
This new moon is on the 18th February, around 11:50 pm (GMT).
It's a very important one. We are nearing the culmination of a cycle of accelerated change – and things are starting to shift in amazing, magical ways. It's a kind of metamorphosis.
The thing about metamorphosis is that it's so improbable it seems like magic. A visitor from another planet would never connect a caterpillar with the butterfly it becomes - the two stages look like two entirely different creatures. Something very mysterious has to happen to the caterpillar to turn it into a butterfly! And that mysterious place is where we're at.
Over the past four months we've had a series of new moons at zero degrees of their signs, starting with the new moon in Scorpio in October of 2014. This is not the usual run of things – it's very weird and special.
As new moons initiate new cycles, each of these new moons could be seen as opening a month-long period with an intense, sustained focus on the themes of its sign. So over the past four months, we've moved from an emphasis on Scorpio (psychological depth, purgation, transformation), to Sagittarius (new horizons and enthusiasm)....then Capricorn (solidity, realism, achievement)....and finally Aquarius (revolution, shock, the new order). Overall, it is a story of death and rebirth – the end of an old order, the birth of a new one.
The series of zero-degree new moons has coincided with the culmination of another extraordinary cycle: the historic series of seven exact squares between Uranus and Pluto, running from 2012 to 2015. The final exact square is coming up on the 16th of March, and the tension of this final looming square over the next month is just...kinda nuts.
Uranus is about revolutionary change and upheaval, and Pluto is a ruthless force of destruction and transformation. Put them together and you have a damn volcano. The last time these planets squared off was during the Great Depression, setting the stage for the second World War - and there were only five squares that time. The current series involves seven squares.
I am not going to talk about war now, because I think what happens on the world stage is out of anyone's hands – except to say that the level of intractable conflict going on globally right now really does not bode well.
I'm far more interested in what these squares mean for individual people trying to navigate their lives, because your personal stage is the place where you can have an influence. And what these squares mean, on a personal as well as a collective level, is a totally altered landscape. Again, the theme is death and rebirth. Nobody comes out of this time (2012-2015) the same as they went in.
Shock, traumatic loss and necessary transformation are the order of the day. It can feel excruciatingly painful and difficult. But there's just no way around radical change right now – it has to be faced head-on and accepted.
Pluto destroys what is rotten or outworn so that new life can grow. It's like a forest fire, consuming the deadwood and opening up space for something new. And Uranus is the spark igniting that fire – and also the new life pushing out of the scorched earth.
Another image for this is a crucible – the vessel where materials are cooked to a white heat and transformed. In alchemy, the object was to heat 'base metals' in a crucible until they were transformed into gold. In practice, no gold resulted from this process – but as a psychological metaphor it works. We are refined and transmuted by pressure and difficulty.
I know nobody wants to live inside a crucible, but that's what this time is. Resisting change and trying to cling to your old personal or psychological status quo will only intensify the suffering involved. It will do you no good now to go along with your old patterns... You have to let go of your control mechanisms and your conditioning and allow yourself to be transformed. That's how to work with this energy instead of being destroyed by it.
As if to hammer this theme home, our cycle of zero-degree new moons began last October with a new moon in Scorpio, a sign ruled by Pluto and having to do with purgation and transformation. We had the 6th exact Uranus-Pluto square on the 15th December, during the cycle. And the cycle is now ending with two new moons in Aquarius – on the first and last degrees of the sign, like bookends. We had a zero-degree Aquarius new moon last month on the 20th January, and tomorrow we have our new moon at the final degree of Aquarius – a degree known as the anarectic, where all the energy of the sign is concentrated.
Aquarius is about revolutionary change, and is ruled by Uranus...and tomorrow's new moon ushers in a 30-day cycle in which we'll see the final Uranus-Pluto square of most of our lifetimes on the 16th March.
So these zero-degree new moons over the past four months have been a re-iteration and acceleration of the main theme of this time: death (Pluto) and rebirth (Uranus). The symbolism is all about purging your life of what no longer serves you (Pluto), and embracing radical change (Uranus). The skies have been underlining this theme and pounding it home with a remarkable lack of subtlety for months...and now we see it coming to a crescendo.
--OK, so that was a long preamble on the significance of this new moon! But it's very special. We are looking at some crazy beautiful astrology here and I wish I could adequately convey how amazing and emphatic it all is...
By now, unless you're totally asleep, you know what has to change.
And if you refuse change – rest assured, you'll be forced into it regardless, and it will hurt worse. “The fates guide him who will; who won't, they drag”.
Anyway, let's look at this new moon:
It takes place at the very end of the final degree of Aquarius near midnight (GMT) on the 18th February... and less than ten minutes later, at the changeover to a new day, the moon and sun will be at 0 degrees of the next sign, Pisces. So it's very hard to tell whether this is a new moon at the very end of Aquarius or a new moon at zero degrees Pisces – but the symbolism is about the culmination and dissolution of a cycle however you look at it. Pisces is the last sign in the zodiac – the place where our personal boundaries come undone, where form dissolves back into the universal.
The day after the new moon, we'll have a big stellium in Pisces: sun, moon, Neptune, Chiron, Venus and Mars. This looks beautiful, and it sets the tone for the month to follow. Compassion, forgiveness, deep faith, spiritual longing, dreams, art, romance...
Here's some Pisces for ya:.
Please keep in mind that beautiful, dreamy Pisces has a very dark shadow. So along with the deep-sea fairy castles and romantic longing, we are also looking at self-pity, addiction, manipulation, delusion and martyr-complexes.
Beware (and this holds true for the rest of the month) drink and drugs, guilt trips and your own tendency to feel like an outraged victim. Outraged victimhood is never the healthiest of psychological stances. Neither is trying to rescue people, or waiting for Prince or Princess Charming to come along and rescue you. That shit will look increasingly stupid, going forward...because it IS stupid. Everyone's salvation is in their own hands, no one else's.
It's a good influence for making art or music...and Pisces is also great for dissolving hardened feelings, ego issues and anger. Remember we are coming to the end of a cycle...so it's good to let go of old baggage, release your old hurts, listen to Cure songs and have a good long cry if you need to.
(sigh)
Ok, so Pisces is about the end of something. But every ending is also a new beginning, and that is what we're approaching...fast! The new beginning in this case is a fiery, impatient, imperious one – very fierce and unambiguous. It comes on the 20th February, as Venus, Mars and the moon enter Aries, the first sign of the zodiac.
0 degrees Aries is called the Aries Point, and it's like the Big Bang – the kickoff, the blast that sets a whole new story in motion. And holy crap, we'll have Venus (love, money, values), Mars (sex, desire, aggression) and the moon (emotion, need) all passing over this point on the same day, from wishy-washy Pisces to warlike Aries...
It's just nuts. Whiplash-inducing. It's like a giant cosmic “reset” button gets pushed and things are different after that. How you feel, what you want, what you value, what you love, what you'll stand for – all suddenly transmuted and white-hot.
Venus, Mars and the moon are THE relationship planets. And right now the huge Uranus-Pluto-fueled impetus for collective change is being filtered largely through the context of close personal relationships, especially romantic ones. So the shifts in relationship structures we'll see this month have far-reaching effect – this stuff is not idle romantic nonsense right now. It is vitally important and deserves our full attention.
Relationships are our crucibles of transformation these days, with the north node in Libra. Libra (ruled by Venus) is the sign of balance, harmony, fairness, partnership and right relationship. It is about bridging polarities – 'marrying' them into a workable whole. So that is what we're trying to achieve in this story – balance, peace, workable relationships, justice. But the way things are set up, getting there involves a fierce fight.
The south node, representative of what we are trying to move away from, is in Mars-ruled Aries – and this is about self-will, anger, war, going it alone. Selfishness: 'me' as opposed to Libra's 'we'. This is the path of least resistance now, and it means self-sabotage is an ever-present danger.
For the past few months, we've had the Uranus-Pluto square mixed up in a cardinal t-square with the nodes of the moon in Aries and Libra. This is an aspect pattern forcing radical change and upheaval, in relationships especially. There is a definite gender theme to it – there are historical injustices and imbalances in relationships that need to be examined and addressed. We don't get to blindly continue the same old gender-based power dynamics and games, going forward – the rot underlying that stuff has become a lot more obvious than it used to be. People are just not having it anymore.
Because the north node is in Venus-ruled Libra, truth, justice and the impetus for constructive change are with the “feminine” (and historically suppressed and undervalued) side of the equation. I am not going to talk about the epically stupid ways the “masculine” is fucking itself up these days, because I don't want to generalise too much on the basis of gender...but look around you. It shouldn't be too hard to see.
Anyway, right now this polarized scenario also contains a lot of potential for forgiveness, mutual understanding and compassion, as Venus and Mars are conjunct in Pisces. This softens the tension and bathes everything in dreamy romanticism and longing.
But all bets are off after Venus, Mars and the moon move into Aries on the 20th! I think we are gonna see some fireworks. Things go from being all mushy and idealistic...to raw and urgent and explosive. We move from beautiful dreams to difficult realities. Mars in Aries is male energy on steroids, Venus in Aries is a warrior lady who goes after what she wants and takes no shit, and the moon in Aries is temper tantrums and an inability to delay physical gratification...And I guess you can probably see where this is heading. Yikes!
Anyway, it's real. And Saturn in Sagittarius is beneficially aspecting the conjunction, so whatever this big energy shift is about for you, it should stick. Our feet are really being held to the fire for the next month, but if you stick to your deeply-felt principles and your commitments, you should come through OK.
There will definitely be a lot of testing of said principles and commitments, as Venus and Mars get mixed up with the tightening Uranus-Pluto square in the first half of March. It looks really freaking intense. Hold the line.
--On commitments: with the relationship planets in Aries, a sign known for its self-focus - please don't neglect your commitment to yourself and to your own path. Being true to yourself is of primary importance, and it's the basis of right relationship. Whatever you have to do to get along with others, you should never compromise your self-respect.
Something I keep thinking of, with Venus (female energy) and Mars (male energy) conjunct – is that our gender issues don't necessarily have to be played out in the arena of relationships. It's probably a lot healthier to deal with them internally. I'm talking about androgyny – the balance of male and female energies in each of us. Connecting internally with the gender qualities you normally project onto people of the opposite sex is a way of becoming a whole, integrated human being – you 'marry' yourself. And you hopefully get to avoid horrible relationship drama in the bargain. (See Jung's work on the anima and the animus.)
