This is exact tonight, the 20th July, at midnight (GMT). The sun in Cancer opposes the moon in Capricorn.
Cancer is private, moody, domestic, emotional, creative; Capricorn is status-oriented, focused on outer achievement, authority and public persona. So a full moon across the Cancer-Capricorn axis will tend to highlight issues of inner life vs. outer life:
-inner self vs. public persona
-home and family vs. work life
-emotional truth vs. money / career / status
-feelings and needs vs. responsibilities
-nurturance and gentleness vs. order and discipline
Because these signs have to do with matriarchal (Cancer) and patriarchal (Capricorn) values, family issues are likely to be highlighted.
So how do you, personally, navigate this stuff and integrate these polarities? That's the question this full moon shines a bright light on. The odds are, something in your work-life / public-private balance is changing pretty rapidly right now, or has to change. Or your family dynamics may be shifting in unexpected ways.
Full moons are always a bit fraught, and this one is no exception. The sun and moon are in cardinal (initiatory, action-oriented) signs, and both square Uranus in Aries, which is an explosive, impatient, erratic influence. It looks frustrating – Uranus wants to rebel and break free, but Cancer and Capricorn are quite conservative and attached to the status quo.
Emotional control and pragmatism will be pretty important in dealing with this kind of energy. I think these will be on hand, courtesy of the moon in Capricorn. This influence can be repressive and depressing, but it is also very sober, grown-up, grounded and realistic.
We have seen plenty of eruptive violence on the collective level in the past few weeks. Much of it relates to Cancer-Capricorn themes: homeland (Cancer) and order (Capricorn).
I hope we don't see more violence this full moon – hopefully having the moon in Capricorn will lend a bit of stability and sobriety. It does look violent though – like a crackdown.
(human kindness)
Collectively and personally, we are dealing with the aftermath of the transformative Uranus-Pluto squares of 2012-2015. These set populist anger and desire for change against a rigid and corrupt status quo, with very unpredictable results. The landscape has altered - often in shocking and disturbing ways - over the past few years. The dust hasn't settled yet.
Compounding the confusion, we have a Saturn-Neptune square now – and this is about the dissolution of whatever we took to be stable and secure. Also, a corresponding mood of unease and free-floating dread.
Fragmentation and chaos are the order of the day, the future is lost in fog, and people are scared – and angry. Under these circumstances, extremist and reactionary movements gain traction. I think things will get worse before they get better, and it will take a good while.
It's not a cheery prospect, but it is what it is.
Some Yeats:
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.”
Anyway, how do we deal with this frightening collective stuff, and with the smaller-scale ways these influences play out in our everyday lives? The sky does indicate a way through.
1. Jupiter and the north node are in Virgo, and have been for the past year. This is about a humble, service-oriented, systematic focus on the details of everyday life.
-So: you could take out the garbage, walk the dog, cook the dinner, clean the house, honor your commitments, do the small stuff that needs doing. Keep your head down and your mind on the task at hand. This sort of thing is very beneficial and grounding right now.
2. Venus and Mercury are in Leo, just past an exact conjunction but still conjunct for the full moon. This is a beautiful, loving, heart-centered influence on our minds, communication and relationships. Both planets are beneficially aspecting Saturn in Sagittarius, which, at best, is about realistic vision, taking the long view and having a sense of proportion.
-So: you could let your words and actions be governed by kindness, generosity and faith in the future, not hatred, cynicism and reactionary fear. There isn't going to be much of a future otherwise.
3. Finally, Mars (now direct in Scorpio) is beneficially aspecting the full moon, and we still have a grand water trine in effect, involving Mars, the sun in Cancer and Chiron in Pisces. This is painful emotional force and insight that can be easily directed toward compassion, forgiveness and healing.
-So: you could let pain and frustration open you up to the world instead of closing you off.
I think what we do and how we behave in our small lives has a huge ripple effect on the collective. It's the only real influence we have. So this stuff is very important.
Anyway, it's a well-balanced full moon overall – harsh, angry, childish and emotionally reactive on the one hand; but steady, realistic, kind and grown-up on the other. You can pick which side of the equation you want to be on.
It's our second full moon in Sagittarius this year – the first was on the 21st May, at the early degrees of the sign. This one is at the final degree. The final, or anarectic, degree of a sign is where all its energy is concentrated. So this thing is fraught to begin with. Plus a moon in Sagittarius inflates emotion, for good or ill.
Plus it's a full moon, and those are intense. Plus it falls at the summer solstice, the height of summer. Plus we are looking at a nerve-wracking mutable grand cross during this, and Saturn squaring Neptune, which is all about reality dissolving under our feet.
All in all, it looks extremely tense – the culmination of a crazy, jangled-up month. Mental concerns are highlighted. Issues around communication, mental overload, truth vs. falsity, manipulation of reality, and reliability of information take center stage.
How fried do you feel right now? Do you feel like you're tripping?
How mentally exhausted are you? How much of a mess is your brain? How many little irritations are being thrown at you? How crazy are the people around you acting? How crazy are you feeling? How hard is it to know true from false or even what the hell is actually going on anymore?
There is so much stressful stuff happening in the sky right now, and our minds especially are under fire. And under this full moon, the mental strain and information overload are coming to a head. If you can avoid nervous exhaustion / collapse, you're doing well.
I think the key to getting through this lies with Jupiter conjunct the north node in Virgo. This conjunction will be exact for the full moon and solstice. It is all about keeping a grip on humble, everyday reality and the tasks that must be done. This focus on small stuff, necessary details, health, routine and service to others is immensely beneficial and grounding right now.
Another key is Mars in Scorpio, retrograde till the 30th June. This is a very sharp knife, in terms of intuition. Also the ability to cut ties that are energetically harmful or toxic. It can be pretty ruthless - but if you feel drained and depleted by certain interactions, or you have a sense of being lied to, trust your gut instinct.
This is tomorrow morning, the 5th June, 4 am (GMT).
Woo, it is MENTAL! Absolutely all over the place. That's the kind of month we are entering into.
Neuron-frazzling as it looks, I think it's also very exciting. Gemini is the sign of thought, communication and networking. And this new moon is the focus of a very tight grand cross involving planets in the mutable signs.
Meaning, a lot is going to shift this month – a lot of new developments and multiple confusing options will be thrown at us. It'll be important to stay flexible and open to change. Everything will be in flux – even circumstances that had seemed immutable are liable to change radically, in ways you couldn't have imagined.
So being open-minded and ready to grab whatever opportunities are thrown at you is key!
But so is staying practical and grounded, if that's even possible. Because maybe some of these new developments might not have a lot of substance behind them. Remember not everything is what it's cracked up to be.
“Cracked up” - what a great phrase. It has multiple meanings: to laugh, to go insane, to shatter...
We will be cracking up on multiple levels this Gemini season! It's looking kind of ADD out there – positively Jedwardian.
Maybe I should skip writing this up and just post Jedward videos. I think Jedward illustrate the cosmic weather pretty effectively.
It is bonkers. Fun, hyper, ridiculous, shiny, disturbing, irritating – all at the same time.
The new moon forms one corner of a grand cross involving planets in mutable signs. This is absolute, unavoidable flux. We will be dealing with it in various forms all summer, but I think this is the official kick-off.
So if you're being hit with multiple little irritating problems and adjustments these days, or if your mind is all over the place, or if you feel like jumping out of your skin with frustration – you're not alone. This is just the sky at the moment, and this kind of energy will be in play for much of the year. Everyone is affected in some way.
That said - despite all the chaos, this new moon is kind of nice! We'll have the sun, moon and Venus all conjunct at exactly 14 degrees Gemini. This is about multiple options, especially re. love and money. Something pleasant is bound to come out of this.
With Gemini, there's a need for variety, diversion, communication and mental stimulation. It looks kind of fun and sparkly: glitter everywhere!
We'll want to jitter around and party and explore multiple options.
The trouble is, this feeling of multiple options may be an illusion. Neptune squares the new moon and Venus from Pisces. This is some heavily delusive energy.
Plus retrograde Saturn opposes the new moon from Sagittarius, and this is a party-killer: a dose of heavy, uncomfortable realism.
So you might want to believe you're a free agent and can do anything you want, but this is actually not the reality. There are commitments (especially, as this involves Venus, re. love and money) that you'll have to honour. There are tasks which must be fulfilled and responsibilities which will constrain your future, like it or not. You do not actually have infinite options; you may not actually have that many options at all.
We also have Jupiter in Virgo squaring the new moon and Saturn, opposing Neptune. Jupiter magnifies things, so having Jupiter involved in this mutable grand cross magnifies the tension between dreams and reality, "options" vs. necessities.
The nice thing is, Jupiter also shows the way forward. He is conjunct the north node in Virgo, and this is about keeping our heads down and our minds on the tasks that must be done. Staying humble, grounded and realistic. Keeping to our commitments.
It doesn't mean you can't have a bit of fun with this and jitter around partying like Jedward! But don't go overboard, and don't forget your actual, real-life circumstances.
Reality is heavy at the moment, and staying attuned to it is favoured. We still have a grand trine in earth signs. It's in effect for the new moon, and therefore for the month ahead.
This involves Mercury in Taurus, Pluto in Capricorn and Jupiter in Virgo, and it is a grounding, stabilising, realistic influence on our minds. This is really lucky to have in the midst of so much flux.
I think the flux will be fairly unrelenting, though. Saturn squares Neptune this month on the 18th June, right on the heels of Neptune's retrograde station on the 14th June. It's going to be really hard to know what's real from what's false – it will take all the pragmatism and discernment we have.
We'll have a second full moon in Sagittarius on the 20th June. And we'll have another mutable grand cross for this, with Mercury in Gemini. There is just no letup to the insanity – not for a while.
It looks like we'll really be trying to parse truth from falsity this month – to distinguish between our real options and our illusions. Hopefully by the full moon we'll have a clearer idea of the reality we're dealing with.
Mars retrograde in Scorpio is a good bullshit detector, and this should help. You can rely on your intuition to guide you – and your innate sense of self-preservation.
Anyway, enough seriousness. Here is some suitably discordant music for the grand cross:
Kuan Yin, goddess of mercy and defender of the oppressed
This is tomorrow, the 23rd March, 12 noon GMT.
We had the spring equinox as the sun moved into Aries on the 20th March. And as of today, the 22nd March, Mercury has also moved into Aries...and with that, we are leaving the heavy, draining suckage of the past month's Pisces stellium behind.
There are only 3 planets left in Pisces now – Venus, Chiron and Neptune. Chiron and Neptune will stay in Pisces for the next million years. (Kidding. It's three years till Chiron shifts signs, ten years for Neptune. Long enough though!)
But Venus will only be there for the next couple of weeks. She's the last holdout from the mega Pisces party at the new moon eclipse in Pisces two weeks ago.
And she is highlighted for tomorrow's full moon. This is an eclipse in Libra, a sign ruled by Venus. So we have to look at what Venus is doing to understand the themes at play here.
Venus is actually very happy in Pisces. She's "exalted" there. Venus in Pisces represents a perfect, blissful, angelic kind of ideal love – too pure and beautiful for this world. And conjunct Neptune (as she is now), the effect is magnified. It's spiritual, compassionate and sacrificial - like Kuan Yin above.
OK, Kuan Yin is great, and a good patron goddess for this eclipse. She defends the suffering, the powerless and the unjustly accused. This is a perfect combination of Libra (justice) and Pisces (compassion).
But please recall that the south node of the moon is currently in Pisces – meaning Pisces is where we are liable to get stuck. There is potentially a very dark, addictive undertow at work here, pulling us backward into dangerous illusion.
I don't want to be negative about beautiful, dreamy Venus in Pisces. We all need a dose of otherworldly loveliness now and then.
But exalted or not, for the next few weeks she also represents the kind of destructive fantasy and romanticism we are trying to move away from. And I think she is likely to bring suffering in her wake, especially as she moves to conjunct Chiron and the south node next week. Chiron is about wounding.
This looks like the stuff of romantic tragedy, and it is a useless waste of life, no matter how pretty it might look on screen (or in a song or a painting).
Romeo and Juliet not being proactive.
Please remember: beautiful nostalgia for what never was and exquisite longing for what can never be are dangerous drugs. They degrade the value of ordinary, everyday reality; they suck the life out of the present moment.
And they are deceptions. It's worth asking: what is being obscured with all this dreamy sweetness and loveliness?
It's likely to be a reality that is deeply corrupt, unfair or dangerous. Cruelty and exploitation often hide under pretty platitudes about equality and respect and love, and protestations of innocence.
“Sentimentality is the superstructure erected upon brutality.”
Jung said that. It's quite true. And it's worth remembering for the next couple of weeks.
“People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insists on remaining in a state on innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster.” “It is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. It is the innocence which constitutes the crime.”
I'm thinking also of the dangers of “idiot compassion” - or enabling. Which looks like love, but is really just a way of avoiding unpleasant reality and staying comfortable.
So these are things to be aware of right now, with Venus nearing the south node in Pisces!
I wrote a bit about the dark side of Pisces and Neptune at the new moon in Pisces a couple of weeks ago. The full moon is the culmination of the themes opened up at new moon - information will likely come to light that will shift perspectives. There will be revelations, conflicts, ruptures.
Full moons are intense in their own right – but this one is an eclipse, meaning it's supercharged. And it involves cardinal signs – the sun and Mercury in blazing, shoot-from-the-hip Aries, the moon in fairness-seeking Libra.
Aries is Mars-ruled and likes a good fight; Libra is Venus-ruled and likes peace, but will enter the fray to enact justice. Both these signs are cardinal – they mean action!
So I think - something will get decided here. Anger will be voiced, injustices will be aired, a balance will shift.
It looks to be about relationships (Libra), and it looks like it has to involve some straight talk and plain dealing (Mercury in Aries). Mars in Sagittarius beneficially aspects the sun, moon and Mercury. This reinforces the theme of truth-telling and plain dealing.
Basically, people are not going to be able to hide reality under a cloud of pretty lies. Expect to get called out on your shit if you try to do this, and please don't be all indignant and outraged about it. We all delude ourselves in countless ways, and sometimes we need to be set straight. So maybe it's a blow to your ego – big deal.
And if you're the one called upon to set someone else straight or establish fairness – well you can use Venus in Pisces to do so with kindness and compassion. But sticking to the facts and standing your ground quietly, without emotionalism, is probably your best strategy in this.
There is likely to be a smokescreen of bullshit and sentiment involved, and that stuff is confusing. But with the north node and Jupiter in reality-based Virgo – quietness, humility and strict attention to the facts are the way forward. Don't let yourself be diverted.
Everyday, mundane reality is where it's at right now. Keeping our feet on the ground and our minds on the tasks at hand. Overblown emotionalism will get you nowhere.
But if you see wrong-doing, rottenness and delusion, you're well placed to speak out about it. You don't have to become some kind of asshole crusader, and you definitely don't have to be cruel. But you're allowed to open your mouth and say what you think, and in fact you should probably do so.
Shutting up, keeping the peace and smoothing things over won't do anyone any favours right now. Lying to protect people's egos won't do them (or you) any good.
It looks like there's a fight to be had, so you might as gird up your loins for it. Remember the point of the conflict is, there's a wrong to be righted or a balance to be re-established. It's not about “winning”, it's about fairness and right relation (Libra).
It's also pretty important to pick your battles and have a sense of perspective. Jupiter in Virgo is currently squaring Saturn in Sagittarius – to the minute. This influence can make for pedantry and an inability to see the larger picture.
For example, it's probably not worth instigating a major relationship bust-up because someone doesn't agree with your politics or keeps leaving the toilet seat up. These things are relatively trivial in the grand scheme.
It's the larger, more systematic injustices and cruelties that demand attention here – the dirt that we usually prefer to sweep under the rug. I think under the light of this full moon eclipse, it's going to become a lot harder to keep sweeping it under the rug. Anyway, it's not advised. Air that shit out and rev up the dustbuster.
Poor dustbuster. It's definitely acting out some sacrificial Venus-Neptune stuff.
OK, so I have talked about Venus moving through karmic doomed romance territory for the next couple of weeks. She hits 0 degrees Aries – the start of the whole zodiac – on the 5th of April, just ahead of the new moon in Aries on the 7th. And then we open a new chapter. A fiery, energetic, go-getting one!
But you know – with the usual blocks, setbacks and disappointments. Nothing is ever perfect, ha.
It's a tricky summer ahead, marked by an interplay between Mars (action) and Saturn (limits). These two planets are currently in Sagittarius, which has to do with outward expansion, learning, travel, and enthusiasm. They will both be retrograding through the summer, making for plenty of delay, reconsideration and frustration in our plans for the future. They meet up again in Sagittarius in August, and it looks like a pain in the ass. Blockage and frustration galore.
Mars-Saturn aspects are known for their cruelty – but also for their endurance. Sustained work. It looks like that's what this summer will require of us.
Look at Bananarama busting their poor little butts there. Working on cars, climbing fire escapes, dancing on trucks, fleeing cops, dancing with cops. Hard graft! I suppose we'll all have to bust our butts as well.
OK, the Saturn retrograde starts in a couple of days, on the 24th March. He grinds backward from 16 degrees Sagittarius to 9 Sagittarius, and won't resume direct motion till August.
This is about delay and reconsideration in regard to our vision for the future. There are some more details to be hammered out, I guess. I know we're all sick of this stuff by now, but it is what it is.
Then we have Mars stationing retrograde on the 17th April. He'll move backward from 8 degrees Sagittarius to 23 Scorpio, stationing direct on the 29th June.
This is again about blocked energy, blocked forward motion – but this time in the context of what we most want. And it goes deeper than simple delay. It's a matter of looking deeply at what you actually desire, why you desire it, what you are willing to do to get it. Mars will be retrograding through Scorpio, and this involves some depth psychology.
So it's not enough to wonder if you've thought your plans through properly. Have you felt them through? Do you know what this is actually going to cost you? I don't mean monetarily, though that's a factor. I mean energetically. You will likely have to look at how much you can afford, how much you can invest in your deepest obsessions – on an energy level.
The Mars retrograde is kind of epic – it only happens every two years, roughly. Normally he transits a sign in about two months. But this year he'll spend a disproportionate amount of time – and the whole summer – in Scorpio and Sagittarius. Scorpio is inward-looking and psychological, Sagittarius is outward-looking and enthusiastic - and Mars is about will and desire. I suppose the message here is about looking inward and determining what we really want before moving forward into action. In any case action will likely be blocked or constrained in some way.
Hexagram 39 from the I Ching - about temporary obstructions and how to deal with them.(The advice is to focus inward and refine your character. Very relevant here.)
This Mars retrograde follows on the heels of last summer's Saturn retrograde through Scorpio – which was some dark and ugly psychodrama. This could very well be the blowback... We'll see.
At the same time, we'll have Saturn and Neptune squaring off during the summer, dissolving (Neptune) the solid ground from underneath our feet (Saturn). It'll be hard to know what to believe.
And we'll have Jupiter and the north node in Virgo involved with the Saturn-Neptune square. Jangled nerves and a lot of juggling.
I'll write more about it all as we approach the new moon in Aries, the astrological new year. But suffice it to say, it'll be an interesting summer! Not easy, but interesting.
The sun left clear, bright, futuristic Aquarius and entered dreamy Pisces on the 19th February. For this full moon, we'll have the sun at 3 degrees Pisces facing off against the moon at 3 Virgo.
Pisces is about magic, dreams, art, faith, compassion. Going with the flow of things. Also delusion, addiction, self-undoing. For this full moon, the sun will be conjunct Neptune, the ruler of Pisces. This amplifies the dreamy, swirly,confusing atmosphere.
Virgo, on the other hand, is rational, focused and systematic. Focused not on dreamy magical spiritual otherworld stuff, but on the mundane work that has to be done here and now. A moon in Virgo denotes a need for order, routine, cleanliness and health.
We are halfway through the weird cycle initiated at the new moon in Aquarius two weeks ago. That was a game changer – a big zap of newness and shock. And now things are in flux, big time. Everything is shifting like crazy, nothing has settled. It's all a bit psychedelic and disorienting really.
So at this full moon in Virgo, we are dealing with the need to be practical and keep our feet on the ground in the midst of all this magic and strangeness. Things are all over the place, and yes it is confusing – but there are a lot of new ideas and directions and opportunities popping up. They can be turned into something real and tangible with a little work. There is some practical magic to be done here.
Right now it's easy to sink into laziness, worry, self-pity or emotional overwhelm - or to just zone out completely. Also easy to cling to unrealistic dreams or addictions. It's important to stay focused on the small stuff: sticking to our daily routines, doing the work that needs doing, maintaining our physical health, serving others.
The Virgo-Pisces axis has the motto “serve or suffer”. Virgo's suffering takes the form of endless worry and hypercritical perfectionism. In Pisces, the suffering is more about feeling emotionally adrift and overwhelmed.
You get a lot of existential dread with both signs. The best way out of this misery is to turn the self-focus outward, toward what you can do to serve others. There is always someone worse off than you who could use practical help, or just some compassionate understanding.
Virgo and Pisces are supposed to work together: Virgo has practicality, and Pisces has compassion. Meaningful work requires both. Compassion without practicality is just ungrounded hippie shit, while practicality without compassion is soulless and bureaucratic.
There is a big emphasis on Virgo-Pisces issues right now – Jupiter and the north node are in Virgo, so Virgo is the focus. Health, cleanliness, routine, realism, attention to detail, humility, service. This is the way forward for now. With Jupiter in Virgo, simple and basic stuff like doing the dishes, mopping the floor, walking the dog - can really lift you out of the doldrums.
It's a long-term influence: Jupiter is in Virgo till September of this year, and the north node will be there till May 2017. They will be quite close together for much of this year – conjunct until July. So you really can't go far wrong if you focus on doing what needs doing, staying humble and grounded, and trying to serve others however you can.
The Jupiter-north node conjunction currently opposes Chiron in Pisces. Chiron in Pisces is about a wound that won't heal – a deep sense of injury and of the pain of existence, with no particular boundary.
It's like Fukushima bleeding its invisible poisons into the sea, or the war in Syria and the uncontainable refugee flows resulting from it. Or the current Zika virus scare, or the rumors of immanent global financial collapse. With all these issues, it's hard to know what is actually happening – but the implications seem quite sinister. And quarantine or solution is pretty much impossible. Everyone is affected, ultimately.
There are problems too deep and systemic to fix. And in the face of them we have to accept our powerlessness – and our mortality – but keep working as if it mattered, per Jupiter and the north node in Virgo.
According to this sky, whether you believe your work matters or not, it really does matter. Staying focused on the small-picture everyday stuff and doing our best within that framework matters. Doing what has to be done – even in the face of overwhelming hopelessness and despair – matters.
I think having Neptune, Chiron and the south node in Pisces is pretty tricky. We are being pulled backward into despair, delusion, addiction and nostalgia for what never was. It's a Slough of Despond.
And it can be very painful to let some dreams and illusions die...But they have to die. We all have real lives to get on with, and responsibilities.
Anyway, for the next month, the Virgo-Pisces axis is all lit up, so these issues take center stage. This Virgo full moon will be followed by a new moon solar eclipse in Pisces on the 9th of March. And for much of March, we'll have a stellium of planets in Pisces. Mercury moves from Aquarius to Pisces on the 5th of March, followed by Venus on the 12th – and by then I guess our brains will be deep underwater, dreaming of perfect unattainable love in Fairyland or some such shit.
We'll see how it all pans out. But I think the Pisces south node, with the combined influence of all those planets in Pisces, will pull hard at us...like the sirens pulled at Ulysses. It looks like it'll be hard to keep on rowing. I'll write about it closer to the time.
Re. the keeping on rowing: this is a good slogan for the next month.
Anyway, for now and the next week we have Venus and Mercury a few degrees apart in Aquarius, beneficially aspecting Uranus in Aries and Saturn in Sagittarius. This is about brilliant new ideas and directions – a blast of fresh air in relationship and money matters especially. Opportunities are opening up, there are new people to meet and places to go.
Nothing will exactly be handed to you – these opportunities will take work to develop, and with all this Virgo, some measure of skepticism and caution is advised. But things are definitely shifting fast and it's all pretty exciting.
I do think the key, with this full moon and for the next while, is to keep on doing your Virgo. Be reliable. Stay grounded and healthy, and stick to your routines as much as possible. Do things for others and keep your ego in check. Get to all the work you've been procrastinating. When in the grip of existential despair or ungrounded wooziness, focus on the practical. Try not to get drunk too often (and we are definitely on substance alert for the next month - please be aware that drink and drugs will have stronger effects than usual!)
But I should quit harping on and nagging about Virgo now.
PS - Nagging is very Virgo! Please remember that for the most part, they only do it because they want to help. They can see your discrepancies and shortcomings in excruciating detail and they feel they have a duty to tell you, so you can fix everything. They want you to be as close to perfect as you can be! Not to make them happy, because there will always be some other worry or fiddly problem that needs fixing. But for the sake of your own health and integrity.
It can be annoying as hell, but it's how they show they care. They are helpers and fixers, and they can't help but notice the small stuff that others overlook.
With Jupiter and the north node in Virgo and at this full moon in Virgo, I think the Virgos deserve some love! Try to take criticism as inspiration. Appreciate how hard they try to help, how much they want to be of use, how much grief they give themselves. Remember they are much more critical of themselves than they are of anyone else.
Here is a Virgoan self-criticism anthem. They don't really feel good about doling out criticism. They criticize themselves for it. Virgo is self-reflexive to the max:
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.
