New Moon in Sagittarius

Eugenia Loli

This is tomorrow morning, 6:30 am UTC.

So here we are: crunch time.  This is a make-or-break moment and a turning point. We are shifting levels here, especially re. relationship and money matters, and there are great opportunities. It's like graduating from college and entering the real world. But before you graduate, you have to pass your final exams – and this month we're taking the exams. You're not going to pass them if you haven't studied. Some kind of commitment or sacrifice is required in order to move forward.

This new moon happens a few days before the winter solstice, the turning-point of the year. And it is happening conjunct the galactic center, the turning-point of the Milky Way. Make of that what you will, but I'd say the symbolism is pretty profound: this is a pivotal moment. And for further symbolism: there's thought to be a super-massive black hole at the center of the galaxy, and around every black hole is thought to be a zone of no return called the event horizon. You can dawdle around a black hole for a good while, but once you reach the event horizon there is no possible escape. Your path from that point on is set – you're committed, like it or not.

That's kinda what we're dealing with here, only it's maybe not as extreme as being sucked into a black hole. There are important decisions to be made, especially around love and money. And those decisions may involve sacrifices, hardship and limits. But either you commit yourself to what you truly love and value and accept the difficulty involved, or the choices will be made for you, outside of your control – and it won't be so great.

This new moon is conjunct Saturn at the very last degree of Sagittarius. He'll move into Capricorn, his own sign, on the 23rd December. This is the last lunation involving Saturn in Sagittarius until 2044, so galactic center aside, this is a pretty big deal. Saturn has been in Sagittarius for the past two and a half years. Sagittarius is a free-wheeling, freedom-loving sign, but Saturn is all about blockages and limits, so it hasn't been easy – like reining in a wild horse.

Sagittarius is also about your perspective, your ideology, your philosophy. Saturn is pragmatic and reality-based, so the transit has demanded of us that we walk our talk, behave with integrity, make sure our words and philosophies match up.

 So hopefully we've been studying diligently, behaving like good workhorses and practicing what we preach for the past couple years, and setting down foundations for the kind of lives we want to live. Saturn is now moving into Capricorn, his own sign, and what we've been working toward is bound to solidify now – the road ahead will become clear, along with the difficulties and limitations it will entail.

Capricorn is the sign of structure, authority and responsibility. With Saturn in his home sign, there'll be real opportunities for success and advancement, as long as you're willing to work for them. Saturn rewards effort. You get back what you've put in – no more and no less.

So all in all, I think this shift is great. But to get the benefit of it, you have to keep steady and not shy away from commitment and responsibility. Remember, this is like going from college (Sagittarius) to the real world (Capricorn) – from theory to practice. Your high ideals are worth nothing if you can't make them work in reality.

We have a big stellium in Sagittarius for this new moon: Saturn, sun, moon, Venus and retrograde Mercury. Sagittarius is a happy, buoyant, over-the-top sign, but the Saturnine influence should keep things feeling pretty sober and grounded this holiday season, which may not be a bad thing when you're dealing with your crazy family!

Venus and Saturn will both bookend the sun and moon. Venus is about love, money and values, and in Sagittarius, she doesn't like to be restricted to one field. But Saturn's influence here means she's stuck – she can't roam freely. Venus-Saturn contacts have to do with commitment and the fear of it. So it's kind of heavy. I'd advise going toward the commitment side of the equation – it might feel scary and hard, but there's absolutely nothing to be gained here by running away. (Recall that Sagittarius's ruler, Jupiter, is in Scorpio – depth and intensity are favoured. Staying in the shallows and avoiding what frightens you are definitely not favoured.)

Uranus in Aries is beneficially aspecting the new moon, meaning it's possible to find new, innovative ways of doing things - you don't have to stay stuck in the same old ruts. You can try something different, and it has a good chance of succeeding. So this new moon really can signify an exciting new start, provided you're willing to commit to it.

Mercury in Sagittarius will be retrograde till the 23rd December, so it's best to hold off on important decisions till then. But by then, the sun and Saturn in Capricorn will be conjunct Venus in Sagittarius, and the right decision should be a lot clearer. Communication should flow more easily as well.

We'll have a full moon in Cancer on the 2nd January, and it looks very emotionally intense but favorable overall. I'll write more nearer the time. Happy super-massive black hole holidays, everybody!

Full Moon in Gemini

This is tomorrow, 3rd December at 3:45 pm UTC.

It's in the shifty, communicative sign of Gemini, which is ruled by messenger planet Mercury. And it happens roughly 8 hours after Mercury stations retrograde in Sagittarius. So this full moon in all about the Mercury retrograde (3rd – 23rd December).

And this Mercury retrograde is all about Saturn in Sagittarius. Saturn, the harsh taskmaster, has spent the past 2.5 years in Sagittarius, the sign of ideology, philosophy and higher education, where he has highlighted hypocrisy and challenged us all to walk our talk – and to know what the hell we're talking about in the first place. He's leaving Sagittarius for Capricorn on the 20th December. This is like graduating from college and entering the “real world”, where no one cares about your feelings, only your efficacy on the job.

But before you can graduate, you have to sit your final exams. You have to go over everything you've learnt and prove you understand it, and you have to see where you've been deluded or mistaken. That's what this Mercury retrograde is about: getting the story straight before you move forward into the realm of commitments and responsibilities. Mercury is stationing retrograde conjunct Saturn in Sagittarius, and he will station direct just as Saturn moves into Capricorn. By then, you've either learnt the lesson of the past couple of years, or you haven't.

We are moving from a time of debate and ideological rancour to a time of strict pragmatism and consequences. From the 20th December, it's no longer about what we believe or why. It's about dealing with the consequences we have made for ourselves via our belief systems. And if our belief systems have been founded on bullshit, we are going to know about it.

This full moon in Gemini – sign of tricksters, lawyers and thieves – looks like a very confusing scenario: bullshit's last stand. It looks like a bunch of mental chaos, sentimentality, superficial cleverness and distraction being spun out to cover up difficult realities.

I don't think the distraction tactics will work. Recall, we are still in Scorpio lunar cycle, which is all about uncovering the truth, no matter how dark and ugly it may be. And Jupiter is in Scorpio, meaning ruthless honesty and a willingness to look deeper are favoured. And retrograde Mercury is conjunct Saturn, shutting down inauthentic communication.

So the truth will out, I think. The Brexit negotiations are underway as I write, with harsh consequences for UK voters who were promised they could “have their cake and eat it” by leaving Europe. The Russia investigation is closing in on the Trump administration, even as Republicans prepare to push tax “reforms” that have obviously been crafted to benefit the wealthy. Sooner rather than later, all the bullshit that's been flying around is going to hit the fan. And then the responsible grownups (if any are left) will have to deal with the mess of fan-flung shit as best they can.

That period of consequences starts when Saturn enters Capricorn later this month. But now, at this full moon, we can expect to see some frantic evasions of personal and collective responsibility. The rats will be leaping onto every passing bit of flotsam in their haste to get off the sinking ship.

You can be on the right side of this by striving to be a grownup and fact-checking what comes out of your mouth before speaking. And walking your talk: meaning what you say and behaving with integrity.

Be careful what you put your faith in, because there's a lot of bullshit on the wing out there. Beware of distraction tactics, shifting emotional states, trickery, appeals to sentimentality, smokescreens and outright lies. Try to hunt out the deeper story. Go with your gut – Jupiter is trining Neptune exactly, meaning your intuition is your best guide at this time.

New Moon in Scorpio

This is exact today (18th Nobvember) around noon GMT.

It looks beautiful and profound to me: very powerful, focused, healing and intense. But also potentially painful and uncomfortable. The depths will have to be plumbed this month; the fetid gunk cleared out, the blockages removed.

Scorpio is a probing, surgical sign. It has to root out everything that's false or rotten in order to effect healing and transformation. It's obsessive and extreme: all-or-nothing, life or death.

So this new moon ushers us into a month of intensity and extremes. The potential for transformation here is profound, but you can't expect it to be easy. Life-saving surgery is not easy.

At the very least, you can expect to deal with some heavy psychological discomfort this month. Don't turn away from it – it's there to show you something. Get to the root of it, find out what's really going on under the surface, excise whatever deadweight you're carrying around.

Scorpio's co-rulers, Mars and Pluto, will square each other exactly the day after the new moon. Mars is in Libra, sign of relationships and fairness, and Pluto is in Capricorn, sign of authority and the System. This square can get pretty ugly and brutal, so we can expect some violence – psychological or overt - to erupt, in close relationships especially. Ugly conflicts with bureaucratic institutions or authorities are also likely.

At the root of this tension are rotten old power dynamics which have to be exposed to light and air in order to be dealt with and resolved. It's an uncomfortable, deeply unpleasant process, but Scorpio won't let us skate along the surface.

Fortunately, Chiron in Pisces trines the new moon, amplifying the potential for compassion, forgiveness and healing. Chiron is about a wound that becomes a source of knowledge – and with Pisces, deep compassion for the suffering of all existence is involved.

There is also deep love on offer, courtesy of Venus and Jupiter in Scorpio (just past a beautiful conjunction on the 13th November). This is wonderful for relationships, as long as they're absolutely  committed. It's till-death-do-us-part stuff. Scorpio is all or nothing, so there's no room for waffling around or bullshit – superficiality just won't cut it. And with the Mars-Pluto square, any kind of manipulation, abuse or game-playing will be pretty obvious. There is no point tolerating any of that stuff or staying in relationships where it's a factor. It's depth, vulnerability and authenticity, or nothing.

The sky does not reward superficiality at this time. Neptune will resume direct motion on the 21st November, in beneficial aspect to Jupiter in Scorpio. This is a deeply spiritual influence supporting Jupiter in Scorpio's psychological excavation work.

Then Mercury will go retrograde on the 3rd December at the last degree of Sagittarius, conjunct Saturn in Sagittarius. Later that same day we'll have a full moon in Mercury-ruled Gemini, where issues around information, truth and lies will be highlighted.

This Mercury retrograde is a big deal – it will mark the end of Saturn's 2.5 year transit through Sagittarius, which was all about ideology, hypocrisy, and the necessity of walking your talk. I'll write about it closer to the time.

But for now, please understand that we are in a no-bullshit zone. This is a good time to excise things that do not support your health and integrity from your life.

Solar Eclipse in Leo

Eugenia Loli

This is on the 21st August, 7:32 pm GMT.

It's our second new moon in Leo this summer - a total eclipse of the sun in the sign ruled by the sun.

Leo is concerned with pride, joy, romance, generosity, risks, creativity, play - all the stuff that makes us feel alive. There's a stellium in the sign for this eclipse: Mars, the north node, the sun and moon. Plus Mercury is retrograding back toward the exact degree of the eclipse (He stations direct at 28 degrees Leo on the 5th September.)

Uranus, the liberator, trines the eclipse exactly, denoting a beneficial internal change.

All of this looks like an exhilarating wake-up call, and a massive reset. What is blocking your light? What are you going to do to get back your joie de vivre? What makes you feel happy and alive? What do you love, and why aren't you devoting yourself to it?

Hopefully you've been asking yourself these kinds of questions since the new moon in Leo last month. With this eclipse, it's time to make the changes you know you need to make, and to be extravagantly daring in following your heart. This is an entirely new chapter, and it's meant to be nothing like what's gone before.

If you're still plodding away in situations that bring you no joy, this is your cue to stop already, and do things differently. I mean DIFFERENTLY. Be a rebel, an innovator, a weirdo, an individualist. The key is being true to yourself - having integrity and living by your own lights. There's no point sitting around worrying about other peoples' opinions while life passes you by.

Saturn stations direct after the eclipse, on the 24th August. This eases the boundaries blocking us from new roads, meaning things should feel a lot less stuck. It's absolutely time to get moving.

This eclipse reminds me of hexagram 55 from the I Ching. It's about an eclipse that confers a heavenly mandate and is the signal for great changes. Against the fear eclipses have always evoked, the hexagram advises: "there is no reason to be anxious for fear of a change. Be like the sun at noon."

New Moon in Leo

Katy Perry, your silly song expresses the feeling of this new moon better than I can.

It's tomorrow, the 23rd July, at about 10:45 am GMT and it looks pretty fabulous to me. A major energy-shift after the work-life conflicts and heavy emotional baggage of Cancer lunar cycle.

Leo is about romance, childlike enthusiasm, creative self-expression, ego, bling! It's fun, shiny and a bit over the top. A new moon in Leo is a great time to do something dramatic with your hair, redefine your self-image in some way, or start a new creative project. It's also a great time for starting a new romance, making babies, launching a big idea.

For this new moon, the sun and moon will be conjunct at 0 degrees Leo, which is pretty dramatic in itself. But they're also tightly conjunct Mars in Leo, which adds some self-assertive firepower!

Plus the sun, moon and Mars square rebel planet Uranus in Aries, giving this new moon an abrupt, explosive element – it's a kind of breaking point. What comes to mind is someone who's felt undervalued or slighted for a long time, finally getting the courage to break out and assert their own will and desires.

As this is a square, there is the possibility of a destructive outcome to this, so please exercise a bit of caution. Keep your outrage in check. With Mars square Uranus, there is also the danger of sudden accidents, so please be aware of that too, especially when driving or operating machinery.

Leo is heart-centred and concerned with romance, and there are some difficult things going on in regard to that right now. Love and money planet Venus is in Gemini, where she is a bit of a flitterer, hard to pin down. Venus in Gemini is about multiple choices and a desire for communication, stimulation and variety, especially in close relationships.

But Venus is currently opposing retrograde Saturn in Sagittarius, which acts like a big concrete barrier to those desires. It puts me in mind of a butterfly caught in a net. Saturn in Sagittarius is about walking your talk and laying solid foundations for the future. What this says to me is, there are actually not multiple options here. There's a right path and a wrong one, and the flitterer will be brought down to earth.

This Venus-Saturn opposition is difficult, speaking of blockages, delays and deprivations in love and money matters. It is exact the day after the new moon, so I think there are hard choices to be made here – this is a crossroads really.

We also have a square between Jupiter in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn in play. This aspect is exact on the 4th August, and it speaks of deep-seated power struggles, especially in relationships.

So all in all, the month ahead is not so easy on relationships – there are definitely some kinks to be worked out.

The big question here is, what do you really want? What makes you feel truly alive, not merely surviving? What would it mean to live from your heart? Who and what do you love?

And the way through is about expressing what's in your heart: your love, your conviction, your desire, your creativity, your individuality. Everything in the sky right now points to Leo. We have Mercury in Leo conjunct the north node, meaning the way forward is all about creative, dramatic self-expression. This is not the time for hiding under a rock.

So launch your big ideas with a bit of flair and showmanship. Speak your truths with confidence and pride. If you've been feeling low and under-appreciated, this is the right time to assert your sparkly fabulousness. You're not a doormat or a drudge, you're a one-of-a-kind event. There will never be another you.

This new moon is important, as it sets the stage for eclipse season, a time of accelerated change and intensity. We will be dealing with these Leo themes for the next two months.

In two weeks we'll have a partial lunar eclipse in Aquarius, a culmination of the issues opened up under the new moon. And then on the 21st August, we'll have the main event: another new moon in Leo, this one a solar eclipse (also known as the Great American Eclipse, as it will be visible from a band across the US.)

So clearly, these days the sky is hammering home these Leo themes of creativity, pride, romance and joy. Look at where your life is lacking in these qualities, where you feel like an unloved, unappreciated drudge – and use those feelings as a marker for what needs to change. It's time to be a bit selfish and focus your energy on what really makes you happy.

See here

Full Moon in Sagittarius

James Comey, Sagittarius sun

This is Friday the 9th June, at about 2 pm GMT.

Sagittarius is expansive, optimistic, enthusiastic, ideological. Also sometimes inflated and over-the-top – the sign is ruled by Jupiter, who embiggens everything he touches, for good or ill.

Sagittarius is the storyteller of the zodiac, the teacher, and also the traveler. It's fitting, as every story is a journey of sorts: it has a beginning, a trajectory and a destination – like the arrow released by the archetypal archer of the sign. And it has a mark to hit: a moral or purpose to impart.

Concerned with seeking capital-T truth, Sagittarius is opposite in the zodiac to Gemini, which frenetically networks and communicates and tweets bullshit without being particularly concerned about truth or falsity or overarching meaning. Gemini represents the Trickster archetype: fast-talking, manipulative, and as good at using language to get into trouble as out of it.

DJT, Gemini sun

Sagittarius is the faculty that connects the dots and finds the story in the disparate data, and also the moral of the story. The sign can be tediously moralistic and philosophical, pontificating at length, too earnest to notice how bored everyone else is of listening. But it does see the forest where Gemini sees...just a bunch of fun trees to swing around in.

OK, so a full moon in Sagittarius will always involve some tension between raw information (Gemini) and intuiting an overarching meaning (Sagittarius)... Or  trickery vs. truth and morality. Or multiple stories, and the task of figuring out which to believe in.

This full moon is kind of extra though – kind of over-the-top. For one thing, it's bound up in the grand fire trine between Saturn in Sagittarius, Uranus in Aries and the north node in Leo, which is a big rush of future-oriented energy and inspiration.

But the really yuuuuge news here is Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius (hence dispositor of this full moon). He is stationing direct after a five month retrograde – and on the same day and at the same time as the full moon (around 2 pm GMT). It's a bit mind-blowing – you couldn't make this stuff up. It's happening in Libra, a sign preoccupied with relationships and justice -  so you can expect some progress in these matters.

Jupiter is all over this full moon. In addition to ruling it and resuming direct motion during it, he also beneficially aspects it. It's a LOT of Jupiter action, nearly too much. But as Jupiter is known as the “Great Benefic”, bestowing blessings, hope and good cheer, this should be OK!

It's full speed ahead, basically. But there is a catch. Actually there are a few catches.

Firstly: Jupiter is squaring Pluto in Capricorn, meaning there is some deep, systemic rot to be cleaned up before you can proceed, and it's not likely to be an easy or pleasant task. It will have to be dealt with, though. It's likely this rot has to do with issues you were dealing with at the new moon, when we had a Venus-Pluto square dragging relationship skeletons out of the closet. Some imbalance or injustice will have to be addressed -- and this is the right time to do so, because you'll be able to see the bigger picture.

And secondly (and connected), Saturn in Sagittarius is involved with this full moon. Saturn brings blocks, delays, trials and commitments. The moon will conjunct Saturn 12 hours after the full moon, meaning you get your jolt of elation and then you're faced with a sober reckoning. You can work with this by being absolutely truthful (Saturn in Sagittarius demands truth), walking your talk, keeping your commitments and putting the necessary work in. Provided you do the work and are willing to make a commitment, Saturn will help you build a solid path toward wherever your inspiration is leading you.

The third catch is Neptune; a dreamy, deluded, dissolute influence. Neptune squares this full moon and uncomfortably aspects Jupiter – meaning you probably shouldn't take too much on faith, or believe too wholeheartedly in your (or anyone else's) victim-stories. Strive to see and think clearly. There will be plenty of lies swirling around.

Overall though, it's an inspired, hopeful, truth-telling moon – and very consequential. We are seeing the outlines of the future take shape, and we are finally moving in a viable direction. It should feel pretty good, and we can afford to hope that justice will prevail. Keep in mind, though, that there is some not-so-pleasant work to do and some sacrifice demanded before you can achieve your goals.

Full Moon in Gemini

http://eugenialoli.tictail.com/

This is tonight, the 14th November, around 12:05 am GMT.

The moon in Gemini will be facing off against the sun and Saturn in Sagittarius. Both these poles will be squaring Chiron in Pisces.

As Chiron is about wounding, this looks painful. As Saturn is involved, it looks harsh. As Gemini and Sagittarius are involved, this has to do with thought, information, communication and truth vs. fiction.

What do you really know? What's true? “Post-truth” has entered the lexicon this year. The idea that news is faked is no longer a conspiracy theory – it has become the news. People cherry-pick their sources to support their established opinions, social media has enabled us all to block out voices we don't agree with, and reality TV has supplanted reality.

Where do we go from here? The future looks grim. How does collective life operate, post truth? Is reality to be controlled by whoever or whatever we feel like believing (facts be damned)?

Joseph Goebbels:

“It would not be impossible to prove with sufficient repetition and a psychological understanding of the people concerned that a square is in fact a circle. They are mere words, and words can be molded until they clothe ideas and disguise.”

In a way I think it's a heartening development that the concept of “fake news” has become real news. At least we're all aware we're being flagrantly lied to.

The problem is, where do we go from here? What stories can we actually have faith in, when our sense of collective reality has been wounded to this extent? Planning for the future requires knowing where you're standing now – but who knows that anymore?

Leaving aside the collective, what does this dynamic look like in your own life? Where have you lost faith in the future, where do you no longer believe the story you're telling yourself or being told?

It's likely something will come to light at this full moon – some new information or revelation that helps you put things in proper perspective. Expect it to be a harsh reality check. Truth is not exactly a feel-good element in this scenario – it is sobering and painful.

Mercury (thought, information, communication) is the ruler of Gemini and dispositor of this full moon. He is currently in cold, sober, reality-based Capricorn, and edging toward Pluto – and this speaks of a drive to get to the bottom of things; to face the unvarnished truth.

Mercury is stationing retrograde on the 19th December - as if to underscore this theme of analysing the facts and getting the story straight. The retrograde runs till the 8th January and brings him back to the late degrees of Sagittarius, which is all about the stories we tell to make sense of the world. He will station direct as the sun conjuncts Pluto in Capricorn. Some harsh truths – especially relating to corrupt power dynamics in the collective, and in your own life – are likely to be illuminated.

It's not all grim though. We have Mars in Aquarius (the will to try something different) and Uranus in Aries (a fiery drive to be true to ourselves) in mutual reception, and helpfully aspecting each other right now. Both are also beneficially aspecting the sun, moon and Saturn this full moon. This speaks of paradigm shifts and revolutions - energy, anger and will being directed toward progressive channels. It's not a time for sitting on your hands and isolating yourself – there are new associations and realities to be built, to replace the stuff that is no longer credible. It's exciting and unpredictable!

Also, we have Venus in Aquarius, which is a drive for freedom and novelty in relationships. With Jupiter in Libra, relationships are a theme, but Venus in Aquarius abhors staying stuck in the same old relational ruts. She wants space, candour and equality, and she's into unusual, improbable pairings.

So we have a lot of Aquarian influences pushing us to find new modes of inhabiting reality, relating to others and envisioning the future right now. Be ready to embrace shock and upheaval this holiday season – change is in the air, and it's necessary.

Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, stations direct on the 28th December, in exact opposition to Jupiter in Libra and sextiling Venus in Aquarius. This is a big zap to relationships of all kinds – obviously we can't keep doing the same old shit and replaying the same old dynamics. This is about clearing the air, being radically honest and objective, striving to find a new kind of balance.

To sum up: this full moon looks like a bit of a drag – a bubble-burster for sure. You'd do well to work with this. Let your bubble be burst. Reality has to be faced, and there is work to be done to create the kind of future you want. That involves dropping your illusions and self-pity and getting out there, joining with others, forming new associations and embracing change. We are not really “post-truth” - but the old realities are torched and it's time to try something new.

Here is a crazy relevant article published just at the full moon: "The case for despair is made. Now let's start to get out of the mess we're in".

Please be aware that the north node is still in Virgo – keep your focus on what's practical and realistic. The south node is still conjunct Neptune in Pisces, and Mars will be moving to conjunct Neptune by the end of the month. I've been talking about the difficulty of knowing what's true these days – well it's sure to be extra-difficult for the rest of the month. So please try to stay grounded and be aware of the possibility of deception. That includes self-deception.

Plus: big substance alert! Take care with drink and drugs. Also with romantic idealism, delusion, self-pity, nostalgia, despair... All poisons under these circumstances. We are not going backward to the way things were - we are trying to forge a new paradigm here. Facing harsh reality is a necessary step toward this.

New Moon in Sagittarius

This is later today, the 29th November, around 12:15 GMT.

Sagittarius is about hope, optimism, open vistas, new possibilities. Moving forward, basically.

And moving forward looks like the theme of this new moon all right. Getting on with life and moving into the future with a renewed sense of purpose, even though you're still reeling and you'd rather lie in bed with the covers over your head.

I think this past November has ripped our faith in business-as-usual from us. Everything has changed, right? There are new realities to be attended to now, and there's no going back.

Helpfully, the way forward and the way backward are clearly mapped out for us here. This new moon tightly squares the north and south nodes, which are about the path of growth (north node) vs. the path of stagnation (south node).

The north node has been in Virgo for the past year. This means the path forward is about intense pragmatism. Attending to daily reality and doing what needs doing, however routine and mundane it may feel. Staying grounded and focused on the little tasks and details.

The south node is conjunct Neptune in Pisces. This means the path backward is toward delusion, fantasy, misguided romanticism, self pity, addiction, emotional ungroundedness. Drowning your sorrows or trying to evade reality.

It's easy to illustrate! Way forward:

Way backward:

Easy to illustrate, but maybe not so clear-cut in reality. Having Neptune on the south node means we are all dealing with some level of delusion these days. It's easy to think you're on the right track when you're actually on the exact wrong one. There is a lot of misinformation and self-deception swirling around.

This is where Saturn in Sagittarius can help us. At best, this is about honesty, integrity, walking your talk and having a solid plan. It's about having a moral compass that helps you distinguish right from wrong, truth from falsity.

Saturn is loosely conjunct Mercury in Sagittarius for this new moon, which will hopefully be a sobering influence on our minds and speech. Sagittarius can be bombastic and rigidly ideological – and that's a danger here. And it's something we've all had enough of at this point, lord knows.

Luckily though, the dispositor of all these planets in Sagittarius is Jupiter in Libra – sign of balance, fairness, social grace and seeing the other's point of view.

What this means is, reciprocity and moderation are favoured. Fact-checking and thinking before you rush to judgement are favoured. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes is favoured. Tact and peacemaking are favoured.

These Libran qualities will be severely tested, though. Jupiter in Libra is involved in a cardinal t-square right now: squaring Venus and Pluto in Capricorn, opposing Uranus in Aries. Aaargh.

With this, you can expect shake-ups and power struggles, in relationships especially – and abrupt endings in some cases. Things are not going to stay static, no matter how hard we try to maintain the status quo. Deep-seated issues will be brought to the surface – and this is not a comfortable process. Arrangements that have outlived their usefulness will be battered at till they break.

This is in effect for the rest of the year, so it's a good idea to drop your cherished notions of how things ought to be, and focus instead on working with what's at hand.

It isn't about resignation and despair though - that is Neptune-south node swamp stuff. Sagittarius is about hope and enthusiasm, and new moons are about beginnings. So this new moon in Sagittarius is a great time to begin something you find inspiring and uplifting, or to seize a new opportunity.

But as this sky is also relentlessly practical, your dreams must be able to work in the real world. No pie-in-the-sky stuff here, no escapist bullshit. There are big possibilities, but you have to keep your head screwed on and be willing to put the boring work in to make things happen. Nothing is just going to be magically handed to you. You have to keep on being a grown-up and doing your Virgo.

The nice thing is, you'll be a lot happier these days if you do your Virgo. It's not drudgery at all. Focusing on routine, boring, everyday tasks is how you get to feel like a functional human being instead of a confused mess.

And we are all a bit of a confused mess right now. This is a crazy time, and it won't be getting any less crazy for a while. So please try to remember your Virgo (humility and attention to reality). And your Jupiter in Libra (civility, fairness, ability to compromise) to boot.

Full Moon in Taurus

This is tomorrow, the 14th November, around 2 pm GMT.

It's a supermoon, as I'm sure everyone has heard. The biggest one since 1948 apparently – and we won't see another this big and bright till 2034.

Given the societal tensions we've been seeing and the way full moons amp up people's passions, I'd be kinda nervous about this...except this full moon is in settled, stable, reality-based Taurus. That should calm the emotional tone down a bit and make the tension easier to manage.

The story the sky is telling right now is one of tension, though. Go figure. Basically, everybody is angry, people are taking extreme stances and it has become very hard to know what's true. Talk about politics at your peril - firefights are the norm now.

--We have the sun in extremist, polarizing Scorpio, and this is intense by definition. Plus we have Uranus in Aries (populist rage) sending an edgy inconjunct to the Scorpio sun, triggering bursts of destructive collective anger.

--We have Mars (aggression, drive) in the revolutionary sign of Aquarius, in mutual reception with Uranus (shock, revolution) in Aries, a sign which is all about individual will - and this is about popular rage in action. People out on the streets demanding change.

--We have Mercury (speech, communication) newly in Sagittarius, where he is prone to ideological ranting. He is aspecting Mars in Aquarius. This fires up the rage and the potential for wounding, crude, shocking (and/or incisively insightful) communication.

--We have Neptune in Pisces stationing direct on the 19th November, nearly exactly conjunct the south node. This is a swamp of confusion, delusion, lies, inertia and stagnation. Destructive nostalgia; the pull of old addictions, utter head-fuckery and bewilderment.

--We have Jupiter in Libra getting set to square Pluto in Capricorn (exact 24th November) and oppose Uranus in Aries (exact 26th December). This is a test of our civility, our tolerance, our ability to find common ground in the midst of disagreement. It is also a painful magnification of the sense of a corrupt power hierarchy (Pluto in Capricorn) and individual rage against it (Uranus in Aries).

In short, we have not seen an end to populist rage, or to duelling ideologies, or to polarized discourse. Or to the reign of utter crazy bullshit and delusion. Or to the dissolution of everything we thought to be true and stable...

We are still dealing with the aftermath of the transformative, destructive Uranus-Pluto squares (2012-2015), and we will be dealing with this for a long time. Recall that the last time we had a series of squares between these two planets was the 1930s, during the run-up to World War II. This is similar.

Pluto (toxicity, corruption and transformation) entered Capricorn, sign of the establishment, in 2008. That was the year the banking system fell apart. It was propped up at the expense of ordinary taxpayers.

Then Uranus (shock, revolution) entered Aries, sign of individual will and combativeness, in 2011, and collective anger erupted. That's when we watched the birth of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which demanded accountability from governments and the financial system. That's also when we saw the Arab Spring explode all over the Middle East, as people took to the streets to demand change.

Pluto and Uranus squared each other seven times between 2012 and 2015, and they hit like a wrecking ball, reducing a lot of lives to ruins. Populist revolt and shocking violence (Uranus in Aries) vs. extreme efforts on the part of authorities to maintain control, though the systemic rot could no longer be hidden (Pluto in Capricorn). Syria is a perfect example of how this sort of thing plays out on a collective scale - and with Neptune and Chiron in Pisces, the horror of that war can't be contained to just Syria; it is a contagion affecting the entire world.

But on the individual level, plenty of people have been through their own private apocalypses these past few years. Much of this (job and home loss and financial difficulty especially) is tied to the collective catastrophe - the failure of governments and the financial system to provide stability.

This year, to top it all off, we had three squares between Saturn (structure, order, reality) and Neptune (dissolution) – and this has dissolved the scorched earth right out from under people's feet. We no longer know what to expect. The future has always been uncertain, but this is something else entirely. None of it makes sense. And this uncertainty fuels more extremism – people retreat to polarized viewpoints when their sense of stable reality is threatened.

So here we are, at this supermoon in Taurus, and I hope it brings some calm and pragmatism, because we all have to figure out how to move on from here. New foundations have to be constructed; new realities have to be attended to. The old ones are torched.

The sky offers some clues as to how to move forward. Chiron in Pisces (a sense of existential woundedness) supports the full moon, and this says to me that compassion is the right response to turmoil – hard as it may be to come by. Compassion for the oppressed, and for the suffering that underlies the rage of the oppressors. We are all in this planet-sized shit show together.

Chiron is also about healing, and I hope some of that will be on offer. Because the collective polarization and savagery have grown hard to bear.

Another way forward is highlighted by the north node in Virgo, now exactly opposing Neptune and the south node in Pisces. I have been harping on about this for ages, but it bears repeating: pay attention to reality, to the bedrock facts of your everyday life. Attend to the little details of what needs doing. Stay grounded, serve others, help whenever you can, keep to your routines. Do not get stuck in the swamp of your own inertia or delusion or emotional ungroundedness.

All this is easy to say, but it will be pretty damn hard to do. Especially as Neptune stations direct later this week conjunct the south node, and in square to Mercury. It will feel like a complete headfuck, and the temptation will be to retreat into cloud-cuckoo land or a bottle of gin. Try to stay anchored in reality, one mundane task at a time. This has been important all year, with the north node transiting Virgo. But it is absolutely imperative now.

There is a yuuuuge need to accept and be willing to work with reality at this full moon - we must get down to business. We have Venus newly in security-seeking Capricorn, moving to conjunct Pluto on the 25th November - and this, along with the Scorpio-Taurus stuff, is about a fairly ruthless, realistic assessment of the bottom line in relationship and money matters. What you give vs. what you get back.

And by “bottom line”, I don't just mean money – I mean energy, though money and energy are often interchangeable. With Jupiter in balance-minded Libra, exchanges have to be fair, above-board and equal. The energy drains have got to go. This may entail getting rid of things you're quite attached to, and it will hurt.

But you have to drop the dead weight in order to move forward - and the dead weight in this case may be your dreams and illusions about how life should be. We have to work with what life IS.

This is not a time for burying our heads in the sand - this full moon is all about accepting reality, working with it and striving for fairness and balance in the face of conflict, delusion, polarization, shock and instability.

New Moon in Scorpio

from here

This is today, the 30th October, 5:40 pm GMT

A new moon in Scorpio is always witchy – the dark of the moon is a time of powerful, shadowy inceptions, and Scorpio is a forceful and covert sign, having to do with sex, death, the taboo, regeneration and transformation.

But this new moon is especially witchy. It falls nearly on Samhain (now Halloween), the pagan festival of the dead – the time of year when darkness is in ascendancy and life retreats underground. Traditionally, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thought to be most porous right now.

And this new moon reinforces the Samhain theme of the thinning of the veil. It is conjunct Mercury in Scorpio (deep, incisive, instinctual thought and communication) and trining Neptune in Pisces (dreams, dissolutions, spirituality, art).

Mercury and Neptune together mean magical communication. So this is about messages from the depths – our minds will be open to the Otherworld / the collective unconscious /the great beyond – or the will of God, if you like. The lunar cycle this new moon opens looks very deep and quiet and full of inward revelation to me. Intuitive in a shadowy, instinctive way.

But the new moon also sextiles the north node in Virgo, which is about humility, realism, routine and systematic work. So this is deep intuition that can be put to everyday use – practical magic.

In short, it's powerfully magical, full of the potential for healing and regeneration. It's the exact right time for doing magical rituals, channeling messages from the beyond, making art and music, committing to a spiritual practice. (Or having lots of sex. There is a big relationship slant to all this, which I'll get to – and Scorpio requires intense merger, ahem.)

I think it looks great. It doesn't make any harsh aspects. Very like last year's new moon in Scorpio, really - a serpent's egg, full of coiled-up power and depth.

You can trust your gut and your intuition here – there is solid guidance at hand. There will be something to build on. A a new idea or revelation, a new possibility, a dream with solid potential.

--And maybe a decisive ending. What is no longer viable will have to fall away so that something new can take shape.

Mercury-Neptune contacts can be flaky and ethereal to the point of incoherence and delusion. But because this is a new moon in unsentimental, no-bullshit Scorpio - and because we have the pragmatic north node in Virgo involved - we are not talking half-baked New Age nostrums here. Quite the opposite. This is about grounding the otherworldly and ethereal in the here-and-now, putting it to work.

The point is regeneration and healing. Virgo and Scorpio both have an association with healing: Virgo is good at identifying problems and crafting solutions in a detail-oriented, systematic way. And Scorpio weeds out energy drains. It zeroes in on whatever is diseased, rotten, false; and it does all the life-or-death, disgusting work no one else wants to do – it drains out the pus, amputates the gangrenous limb, sews in the sutures.

So you put these energies together and you have a very unsentimental, surgical kind of vibe, focused on survival and regeneration.

Reinforcing this theme, we have the rulers of Scorpio (Mars and Pluto) both in Capricorn, sign of work and structured achievement. They are still loosely conjunct for this new moon, and Pluto is beneficially aspecting the Virgo north node.

Mars and Pluto together do not make for the most fun influence – this combination is known for killer rage and eruptive violence. And though Mars is moving out of the conjunction, he'll be squaring Uranus this new moon – an influence that magnifies the potential for shocking violence and accidents. So be careful driving and operating machinery this month, please! And avoid rage zombies.

In spite of this potential violence, I'm inclined to see the Mars-Pluto stuff as beneficial here. It means there is vast energy and drive to put toward whatever needs fixing or (re)building in your life.

--Here is hexagram 18 from the I Ching - on repairing a rotten situation.

With the current Mars-Pluto stuff, if poison bubbles up out of the depths - it is a symptom of a larger problem, and you can potentially address the problem at its roots right now. It is not a time for ignoring the ugly stuff - you have to be willing to dig deep and get your hands dirty.

So I think it's beneficial overall, even if it manifests as some kind of eruptive ugliness.

Another beneficial influence: we have love and money planet Venus now in Sagittarius. Sagittarius is an optimistic, free-spirited sign; Venus in Sagittarius is tolerant and happy-go-lucky. So this is great!

Plus she is in mutual reception with Jupiter in Libra – ie, Venus is in the sign Jupiter rules, and Jupiter is in the sign Venus rules. And these two lucky, traditionally “benefic” planets are also in beneficial aspect.

This is really lovely and bouyant, especially for relationships. A bit of fun and lightness in an otherwise very heavy and serious sky.

But it's not all kittens and ice cream. Venus is also conjunct Saturn, and this is exact the day before the new moon. This conjunction can represent some form of limitation, delay, blockage or fear - especially re. relationships. But it also denotes great seriousness about the future, and a willingness to commit to a vision of what's actually possible. And to work for it..

So there are limits and boundaries here, and maybe endings – what's not actually possible or workable will have to fall away, so that something real can take its place. Trust your gut on this. You will know what cords have to be cut.

At the same time, there is a future for the building here. There are dreams that can come true, given a bit of work.

All in all it looks very positive to me. Jupiter in Libra, remember, is about balance and fairness, being able to see the other's point of view and to compromise... also big love and luck in relationships. And paired up with Venus and Saturn in Sagittarius, this is about realistic plans re. partnerships and money.

It looks like love that can go the distance, or a solid new direction, or a grounded and sincere kind of happiness. You just have to trust in it and be willing to put a bit of work in. Jupiter and Venus together denote a gift, but this is the kind of gift that takes good faith and commitment to secure - and time, and patience. It's not just going to fall into your lap.

Luckily, the Mars-Pluto conjunction will supply the necessary stamina and drive.

--All that said, we are still dealing with the north node in Virgo opposing Neptune and the south node in Pisces. This is a slough of despond – a real swamp of fantasy, delusion, addiction and escapism. So please keep in mind, you have to keep moving past the pull of destructive nostalgia and addiction. There is really no going back; you know that. And no running away either.

The north node in Virgo dictates the way forward: humble, systematic work. Don't let your emotional ungroundedness or moodiness get the better of you. Just focus on the day-to-day details and keep dealing with what needs doing as it comes up. If you start freaking out about the future or obsessing about the past, try to do something grounding and healthy. Or focus on how you can serve others.

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Virgo

This is tomorrow morning, the 1st September, at about 10 am GMT.

We have a lot going on in the sky this month, ushered in by this harsh and intense solar eclipse in Virgo. I think September will ask a lot of us. It looks stressful, weird, anxious, head-melting. Things are in flux in a big way. People with a lot of planets in the mutable signs (Pisces, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius) will be especially hard hit.

The good thing is, there is a very clear and defined way through, and it is built into the chart of this new moon: keep doing your Virgo. Keep doing the jobs that need doing, quietly and humbly. Keep fine-tuning your routines, keep adapting to change in a simple, straightforward, constructive way. If you're having an existential crisis, do the dishes or mop the floor or walk the dog. There is always something (or someone) that needs taking care of.

Keep your focus on the humble, the everyday, the functional...even (or especially) in the midst of chaos and uncertainty about the future. If you try to think too far ahead these days, or on too large a scale, you're liable to get depressed or overwhelmed – or to be flat-out deluding yourself. So just attend to the boring, everyday, small stuff as it comes up, however fucking irritating it may be. Boring and mundane is the way to go here.

Also, we are dealing with a lot of mutable energy here – so adaptability and flexibility are important. If you hit roadblocks, delays and annoyances this month (which you will!), try to accept them with humility and grace. Find a way around them; be willing to alter your plans. And have some faith that the fog will dissipate sometime, and the road ahead will become clearer.

The other thing I'd say is – try to have a sense of perspective (Saturn in Sagittarius) about your anxieties (Virgo). I know that people are facing difficulties at this time – but there are problems and PROBLEMS. If you are not fleeing a war zone right now or holding onto your kids in an overcrowded dingy in the Mediterranean, you're relatively lucky.

Remember your situation is probably workable no matter how hard it feels. It's important to try to find a way to work with it, because running away from difficulties or trying to ignore them is not going to go so well under this sky. Throwing up your hands in despair and giving up is also not really an option. I mean, you could do that, but it will only lead you into worse trouble. You have got to deal with the choices you've made and the messes that need clearing up.

This new moon eclipse opposes Neptune and the south node in Pisces, so escapism will pull at us. (Beware drink, drugs and romantic delusion.) It also squares the Saturn-Mars conjunction in Sagittarius, meaning we'll likely be feeling like miserable, frustrated, angry shit on a stick.

Keeping the focus practical and reality-based under this kind of moody cosmic weather will be hard, but very beneficial.

Big stuff this month:

We have a Mercury retrograde through Virgo that started yesterday (August 30th) and will go on till the 22nd September. Expect the usual Mercury retrograde stuff: jangled nerves, jumbled-up communication, information overload, glitches in devices and travel plans. Plus brain fog, anxiety and distraction courtesy of the Saturn-Neptune square. Fun stuff!

We have Jupiter ending his yearlong residency in Virgo on the 9th of September, and entering Libra. This is a big shift, and it actually looks like a nice one. Jupiter in Libra will be about balance, justice and harmony, especially in close relationships.

This new moon is Jupiter in Virgo's last big party – and he exits the sign conjunct Venus and Mercury, which is great for cleaning up your relationship messes via precise, effective communication before he enters Libra. If you've been doing your Virgo work, you'll benefit from this.

The next day, we'll have the third and final Saturn-Neptune square, exact on the 10th of September. This is a reality (Saturn) dissolving (Neptune) influence – potentially very disillusioning and disorienting. It looks like it could involve some relationship nastiness and power plays – Venus squares Pluto the next day. So be warned.

Saturn square Neptune is really the event of the month - the aspect that colors everything. Truth, clarity, rules and limits (Saturn) vs. bullshit, dreams, addiction and escapism (Neptune) - and I've already told you ad nauseam which side of the equation you want to be on, with the north node in reality-based Virgo.

Then we have a full moon eclipse in Pisces on the 16th September, and it looks fairly emotionally wounding. Painful stuff. I'll get to that closer to the time.

Finally, we have Pluto stationing direct in Capricorn on the 25th September. This looks OK! It's about deep structural change though, which is never exactly comfortable.

The upshot is, we don't come out of September the same as we went in. This month, is a scene-changer, and maybe you'll find yourself in a different play altogether by the end of it.

Keep in mind, plenty of people are not going to be in their right minds this month. Maybe cut them some slack unless they're going around shooting people. And if it's you that's going crazy - focus on the practical, and please get some kind of help if things are really bad. Your issues are workable, and they're not unique to you - other people can help! But it'll be easy to lose sight of that fact.

Full Moon in Aquarius

 

 

 

This is tomorrow, the 18^th 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 1^st 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 24^th August, which will feel like hitting a wall of karma – lies and hype will be exposed. We have Mars squaring Neptune, exact on the 26^th August, which will make heroin addiction seem like a viable life option. We have a Mercury retrograde through Virgo starting the 31^st 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 10^th 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.

New Moon in Leo

This is later today, the 2nd August, at 9:45 pm GMT.

New moons represent beginnings. Leo is about creativity, pride, self-expression, bling, romance, childlike enthusiasm, look-at-me DRAMA, ego! And hair, of course. Leo people work very hard on their manes. If you know one who claims not to care about their hair or isn't using it to make some kind of statement - well something is off.

(Leo rising)

Leo people can also be very childishly thin-skinned, highly sensitive to criticism and perceived slights. Best not to disrespect the hair.

OK, but more abstractly - and seriously - Leo is about the divine, radiating through the medium of individual personality. It is associated with the heart – the core of who we are. Everyone is the star of their own show, and has to express their core essence.

The sign is ruled by the sun, which can't help but radiate. And in doing so, it keeps life as we know it going – it is the star of the whole melodrama. The boss, the central heavyweight every entity in the solar system orbits around and relies upon.

So in addition to being about creativity and showmanship and personal expression, Leo stands for boss-energy, inherently organizational and entrepreneurial.

Anyway, a new moon in Leo signifies a new beginning in creative / romantic / business endeavours. It's a great time to start a new artistic, romantic, or entrepreneurial project.

This new moon will prove especially good for initiating new projects: the sun and moon will beneficially aspect Saturn in Sagittarius. This gives whatever you begin this month weight, staying power, and a realistic sense of the road ahead.

2 of wands - see here 

It doesn't mean it's all going to be smooth sailing. It's not, needless to say. The sky is setting up some major roadblocks this month – there will be a need for sustained effort, even when things look  hopeless, confusing and stuck.

All in all, though, there is great promise and potential here. But the future will have to be worked for. Saturn is involved, and Saturn is about karma and hard work. You'll get back what you put in. If you aren't willing to put in sustained work toward making something real, don't be surprised when your dreams turn out to be substanceless.

Reinforcing the theme of new beginnings in creative / romantic / money-related endeavours, Venus in Leo is beneficially aspecting Uranus in Aries (exact 1st August). This is a fiery, impulsive influence – it has to do with going after what we really want.

But here is the roadblock part: Uranus stationed retrograde on the 29th July. So bear in mind that the new beginnings being considered here may be stalled / under reconsideration till the direct station in late December. A seed has been planted, but it might take a while to germinate.

Also reinforcing the theme of new beginnings (and roadblocks), Mars moves from Scorpio into Sagittarius a few hours before the new moon. This is a big deal! It marks the end of a long and difficult transit recapitulating Saturn's transit through Scorpio from 2012-2015.

--Think back to where you were psychologically this time last summer, with Saturn grinding his way through the last degrees of Scorpio. Plenty of people were dealing with some fairly nasty crap. Plenty of toxicity was erupting from the depths. Saturn in Scorpio was some ugly, karmic stuff, and the difficulty of the transit was heightened by the Uranus-Pluto squares during the same period – the whole setup was like a wrecking ball.

Anyway, Mars has spent much of the past year going over the still-raw wounds of the Saturn transit through Scorpio, squeezing out the last of the pus, cutting away the dead flesh, putting in the sutures. It has not exactly been pleasant. Surgical procedures aren't meant to be.

But on the day of this new moon in Leo, Mars moves from deep, dark, psychologically intense Scorpio to Sagittarius – a sign which is all about new vistas, exploration and enthusiasm. Meaning: it's time to leave the past behind and move on. There is no longer anything to be gained in revisiting it. What could be repaired – has been. What was broken will remain broken, and it might just be a blessing. (The word “blessing”, incidentally, comes from the French for “wound”.)

It doesn't mean that the losses disappear. An amputee can learn to function just fine in her new reality, but still feel the ghost of the missing limb.

It also doesn't mean the consequences of past actions can be evaded - and in fact Mars is going to hit a wall of heavy consequences later this month. (I'll get to that in a minute.)

But losses and consequences aside, you have a life to be getting on with and new things are happening. Remember that, please, when you feel like wallowing in nostalgia or self-pity. There is no going back to the way things were; you are here in your life now, and it is never going to be perfect (and it never WAS, however ideal the rear-view mirror makes it seem). But there is still plenty to be done.

I feel obliged to say that, because this new moon is hit hard by an inconjunct to Neptune in Pisces. And Neptune – planet of idealisation, delusion and fog – will be close to the south node in Pisces for the rest of the year. So it'll be easy to get pulled backward into dreams of what might have been; romantic fantasy; poisonous nostalgia; idealisation of scenarios and people that are, in fact, not so ideal...

So Neptune is another of our roadblocks under this sky - or more like a swamp you'll get stuck in. Beware of escapism and self-serving fantasy. (Plus - substance alert, in effect now and for the rest of the year. Drink and drugs are more dangerous than usual these days. You'll need to keep your wits about you and your boundaries intact, so please be careful with the boundary-dissolving substances.)

OK, re. roadblocks - this is important. Mars, planet of will, desire and forward drive, is going to hit a huge one later this month as I've said. Saturn, lord of consequences, resumes direct motion in Sagittarius on the 13th August – and then Mars runs smack into him on the 24th August. This is likely to feel like hitting a big wall of karma at high speed. It will hurt.

I think people who've been insulated against the consequences of their crappy behavior under Saturn in Scorpio are going to feel this more than most – they will have to pay the piper here. Also, inflated ego types who do not walk their talk are likely to be exposed as frauds. (This is a Saturn in Sagittarius theme.)

But really everyone will be affected. Please take blockages and delays as a matter of course, because it's unlikely that forward motion will be easy over the next month. It's important to try to stay calm and humble and keep working toward your goals even if progress seems impossible. Getting angry over it will only make things worse. This stuff looks intensely frustrating; there is plenty of potential for violence and cruelty. People will be lashing out.

And it won't help that we'll have a nervewracking mutable t-square in effect again (as in June), involving Mars, Saturn, Neptune and a succession of planets in Virgo. Or that Mercury (mind and communication) will be right in the crossfire of this mutable t-square for much of August, before retrograding back into it in September. (Head-wrecking!)

--Or that we are headed into eclipse season, with an extremely uncomfortable-looking solar eclipse in Virgo on the 1st September.

--Or that we are approaching the third (and final) pass of the Saturn-Neptune square, exact on the 10th September. Saturn is about structure, Neptune is about dissolution – and with these planets squaring each other over the past year, we have been seeing instability, uncertainty about the future and terror spreading like contagion.

I think things are set to get worse this month and into September. Nice as this new moon looks, we are not headed into a nice stretch of time – we are headed into more crazy / violent, and I think everybody can feel it. It's frightening.

My take on getting through all this is the same as it's been all year: the important thing is to keep doing your Virgo. The north node and Jupiter in Virgo point the way forward.

And after Venus moves into Virgo on the 5th August, we'll be looking at a stellium in this sign for the rest of the month. So Virgo is extra-highlighted.

In many ways this Virgo party will be Jupiter in Virgo's last hurrah – he moves from Virgo to Libra on the 9th of September, having spent a year in the sign of humility, detail work and service.

Jupiter is about what enriches and blesses us - where our luck comes from. From now till the 9th September, our luck and blessings are in Virgo.

So however crazy things get and however crazy and powerless you may feel, keep doing your Virgo. Keep your head down and your mind on the everyday tasks at hand. Clean the house, weed the garden, walk the dog, go to work, stay humble and grounded and focused on the small stuff. Restrain your ego and serve others as much as you can.

And clean up your relationship karma – make sure your relationships are clear and balanced and fair. Pay attention to the details and clear up the misunderstandings and injustices. Because Jupiter in Libra is going to be all about relationships... and justice.

It's hard to avoid the feeling that a lot of karma will be coming due over the next few months. We'll see what happens. It is sure to be interesting, anyway - as in the curse "may you live in interesting times". We do!

Full Moon in Capricorn

(Tsuchiya Kōitsu, Nijo Castle, Kyoto, 1933)

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.