This is tonight, the 21st March, at about 1:45 am GMT.
It's a supermoon and a pretty big deal, as it coincides nearly exactly with the spring equinox.
The equinox happens as the sun moves from the end of Pisces into 0 degrees Aries. This is the kickoff point of the whole zodiac, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere - so it's pretty intense. The symbolism is of rebirth. In this case, the sun is also conjunct Chiron in early Aries, which is about an unhealable wound to the sense of self. So it's kind of an existentially fraught rebirth – who are you, going forward? It's not who you've been, that's for sure.
Also, an equinox is a balance point between the hours of light and dark, the turning-point where the sun returns to the northern hemisphere and retreats from the southern. And few hours after the equinox, we have the moon hitting 0 degrees Libra, the sign of the scales.
Libra is rational and relationship-oriented, seeking justice and harmony between different viewpoints. As full moons symbolise culminations or endings, the symbolism here is of setting something decisively to rights, or finally deciding.
Would that it were so simple! We also have Mars and Venus, the rulers of Aries and Libra, squaring each other from fixed signs, so you can expect a bit of a standoff. And as Mercury is retrograde in Pisces and conjunct Neptune, it will be a confused, obfuscatory head-fuck of a standoff.
Still, something very important is being decided even if the lineaments of that decision are as yet unclear. I guess it's fitting that as I type this, the UK is asking the EU for an extension to Brexit, their national existential crisis. It's meant to happen in 9 days though there is still no plan in place for how, because the UK parliament is in nervous breakdown mode. And the EU is mulling over how to be fair to the UK without leaving the door open for further destabilisation and chaos. It fits the symbolism of this full moon pretty well.
In your life, expect to see plenty of tension around relationships especially – but not the usual kind. This is some breakaway stuff, with red lines being trashed and new lines being drawn, or associations ended altogether because people's values have suddenly changed completely. Uranus is in Venus-ruled Taurus, and Venus is in Uranus-ruled Aquarius – this is called a mutual reception and means these planets are working together. And what they are working for is the disruption, upending and re-balancing of old patterns of relationships. So if you think you can ride the turbulence out by sticking to your old patterns and habits, you're quite wrong - radical change and accountability are what's called for. And once you're “woke”, you can't go back to sleep. We are collectively leaving Neverland.
This is especially true with Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn conjunct the south node, laying bare the corruption underlying structures we took for granted.
The way through the turbulence at this time is via the moon in Libra: moral clarity, fairness and rationality. Don't get swamped by your sense of personal grievance. Think about what's best in the grand scheme of things, not what's only best for you. Have faith that what's best in the largest possible sense will turn out to be what's best for you personally, though it may be hard to see how at this time.
We have a stellium in Virgo for this: sun, moon, Mercury, Mars and Venus. This is a big blast of organisational energy - it's a great time for working on projects, cleaning up, attending to routines and getting necessary things done. It's also going to be a big month for working on relationships. The point of all this careful, systematic work is described by the north node in Leo - it's about putting in the necessary effort to create a future with more authenticity and joy in it. We are building the kind of lives and relationships we want to live in.
Virgo can be painfully critical, though - try to stay sober, to see clearly and to be kind. There's a big danger of going off on nitpicky tirades fuelled by delusive thinking, hurt feelings or boundary-dissolving substances: Mars is conjunct Mercury in Virgo, which is sharp-tongued and critical as hell, and both planets oppose Neptune, planet of dreams, delusions and addictions. Make sure your version of reality is not just a paranoid projection, before you sit down to tell someone everything you think is wrong with them. It's safer to look to your own shortcomings first. People will be liable to say very nasty, cutting things in the interests of "helping" - and with the sun and moon opposite Chiron, there is bound to be deep hurt and woundedness involved.
So unless you're looking to eviscerate someone, it's probably safest to just keep your mouth shut for the next couple of weeks and attend to the practical tasks at hand. Remember with Venus in pragmatic Virgo, love is what you do, not what you say - and it can be shown in the tiniest, most mundane ways.
This sky is still tough on relationships - Jupiter in fairness-minded Libra is opposing Uranus in me-centered Aries (exact the 28th September). This describes a conflict between the desire to say "to hell with it!" and shoot off alone vs. the necessity of maintaining balanced relationships. As this is an opposition, it will play out interpersonally - we'll have plenty of tests to our sense of civility and fairness this month, and relationships will remain fraught.
We have the equinox on the 22nd September, as the sun moves into Libra - this describes a turning-point. And then we'll have a full moon in Aries on the 5th October, which really looks like it's all about balancing love vs. war, and figuring out how to make relationships work in a practical, everyday way. Seeing the other's point of view and striving for balance and fairness will be very important here.
This is tonight, Friday the 16th September at 8 pm GMT.
It's a penumbral (partial) lunar eclipse in the final sign of the zodiac: Pisces, which is concerned with the dissolution of form and of ego. Also sacrifice, faith, magic, art, drugs, delusion - whatever dissolves the boundaries between this world and the Otherworld, or between the self and the larger cosmos.
Full moons symbolise culminations or endings, and Pisces is the final sign of the zodiac. And eclipses are supercharged. So the symbolism here is definitely of an ending.
Potentially a painful one: a Pisces moon is sensitive, idealistic and emotionally porous, and for the eclipse she will be conjunct Chiron. Chiron signifies a wound that will not heal, but can become a source of knowledge. In Pisces, the wound can be to our faith in life; our sense of a transcendent, guiding purpose. Or to our ideals, illusions and romantic fantasies.
So basically we are looking at a very thin-skinned, vulnerable emotional tone. This is aggravated by a square to Mars in Sagittarius, which can be a bombastic, aggressive, impulsive influence – like someone who insists on pushing their agenda without any sense of tact or emotional subtlety.
Extreme emotional sensitivity vs. tactless aggression - someone is likely to get hurt here.
--But there is also the potential to transcend your sense of injury by focusing on the larger picture, having faith in the grand design, serving others. Some kind of sacrifice might be called for - of ego, maybe.
The moon opposes the sun and retrograde Mercury in matter-of-fact Virgo, and Mars squares them. The Virgo stuff, especially with Mercury retrograde, is about caution, humility, getting your facts straight, thinking and rethinking before you open your mouth. A focus on the small, mundane, practical details; also a need to serve others.
With the north node in Virgo (and tied into this eclipse) - this is the way through. I've been harping on about this for months, but it bears repeating: do not let a mood of hopelessness or despair get the better of you. Keep attending to the small, practical stuff. One foot in front of the other, one mundane task after another – keep your mind on the little daily tasks at hand and don't look too far ahead, because the road ahead is unclear at present.
We had the final pass of the Saturn-Neptune square on the 10th September, and it's still very tight – so basically the future is all up in the air. Worrying about it and allowing yourself to get depressed is counterproductive. So is indulging the longing to escape your present circumstances – and that includes drowning your sorrows or succumbing to your addictions. You have to keep dealing with what's in front of you in a systematic, practical, organized manner, because there is really no other way out. “The best way out is always through” - per Frost.
The poem that quote is taken from illustrates the mood of this full moon pretty well...it's about a woman going crazy (moon in Pisces) under the weight of her domestic duties (Virgo), and telling a traveler (Mars in Sagittarius) her story.
The poem is ambivalent as to her fate – but this sky is not so ambivalent. Virgo is definitely the way through, so keep doing what has to be done. Despite broken illusions, hopelessness, dreams of escape, despairing moods and the sense of the ultimate futility of existence – just keep doing your Virgo.
It is likely that the issues we are dealing with under this full moon have to do with relationships. Jupiter (as of the 9th September) is in Libra, sign of marriage and close partnership. And Venus in Libra has been tangled up with Pluto and Uranus – gods of transformation and shock - this past week, sparking off big, abrupt shifts in relationships. Venus squared Pluto on the 11th September and she opposes Uranus, planet of revolution and disruption, for this eclipse...the exact opposition is on the 18th September.
With Venus opposite Uranus, the relational shifts we're looking at may be abrupt endings – but this can also be about radically transforming the way you relate, giving people the space they need to be themselves, detaching from drama and shitty old power dynamics, examining and transforming your patterns and your unconscious control issues re. relationships...
So it doesn't have to be about endings! But if you are facing the end of something, please keep in mind that every ending is also a new beginning. Mars is beneficially aspecting Uranus, and this is about freedom, personal authenticity and new vistas opening up. As Jupiter (travel, luck, expansion) is now in Libra, these new vistas are likely to be about relationships.
(Urgh, sorry. SO cheesy. But it fits.)
I think things will be easing up and feeling more dynamic in the weeks ahead. We will be past the intensity of eclipse season. Then our nerve-frazzling Mercury retrograde ends on the 22nd September, a few hours before the autumn equinox.
At the equinox, the sun moves into Libra – and this year the sun will be conjunct Jupiter in Libra. This is a big, happy, creative influence, especially re. relationships. Maybe a little over the top, but exuberant and hopeful!
The next day, Venus changes signs – from Libra to all-or-nothing Scorpio. Venus in Scorpio has her issues (drama, power games, obsession, jealousy, betrayal), but in this case she's well-aspected. So I would read this as being about great intensity and depth in relationships: true love. To the death.
Then Pluto resumes direct motion on the 25th September, in beneficial aspect to Mercury and the north node in Virgo – practical restructuring is underway! Earth-shifting life changes become workable.
We have a new moon in Libra the 1st October – the sun, moon, Jupiter will be conjunct in the sign of relationship, marriage, harmony, balance and justice. This opens a new chapter where Libra matters are concerned – or a whole new book altogether. I think it looks like a really solid new start.
It's all pretty exciting. So if you feel low at this full moon, don't fret, and try not to act out. Have faith. It's just a mood; better days are ahead.
This is on Monday the 28th September, 3:50 am (GMT).
We are in the middle of a tough week, and we're headed towards an intense and difficult full moon.
It's a supermoon, meaning the moon will be at the closest point to earth in her orbit, and will therefore appear freaking huge.
It is also a lunar eclipse, the fourth in a much-hyped tetrad of “blood moons” which some people believe heralds the end of the world, as in the Book of Revelations or some such shit.
Well I don't think it'll be the end of the world. But it does look quite violent. And as eclipses represent supercharged culminations or endings, the effects of this one will be long-term. So it's good to approach this with caution.
But before we look at it, let's look at the week leading up to it. What a crazy week.
We had the equinox – the balance-point of light and dark, the hinge between seasons – on the 23rd September (Wednesday), as the sun moved into Libra, sign of balance and harmonious relationship. And straight into conjunction with the north node at 1 degree Libra. Meaning Libran themes of balance, fairness and relating to the Other are paramount right now. This is the aim of the whole story, remember. It is about relational harmony and balance, even as everything is falling to shit around you. Civility and basic manners will get you far.
They will be needed, as we have all kinds of mental and interpersonal misunderstanding and nastiness going on right now. This is courtesy of retrograde Mercury in Libra, in lousy aspect to Uranus and Pluto. The Mercury-Pluto square was exact on the 24th September (Thursday) – and on the same day, we had Pluto, king of hell, stationing direct. Painful.
This is the sort of thing that incites verbal nastiness and suspicion. Or obsessive, stinging doubt and worry. Very mentally uncomfortable and lacerating stuff.
So there's just some very ugly, painful and dangerous – but potentially honest and transformative – thought and communication going on here. These influences are in effect (and culminating) at the full moon. And remember this full moon is in Aries, a fiery, warlike, impulsive sign. So there is the possibility of verbally eviscerating people, blowtorching your relationships all to hell...Or setting things on a new footing via radical honesty.
We also had Mars moving into Virgo in the early hours of the 25th (Friday), straight into a square with Saturn in Sagittarius. This Mars-Saturn square speaks of extreme frustration and potential cruelty. You put it together with the Mercury-Pluto stuff, and it's the perfect set-up for all kinds of nastiness. This can be internal (in your own head) or interpersonal – but there's so much pressure involved in this, it might feel like your head's in a vice. Or you might be on the receiving end of nastiness coming from other people.
Again, civility and basic manners will get you far with this. Seeing all sides of a story, not just your own prejudices. Fighting for accommodation and compromise, instead of fighting to 'win'. With the north node at 1 degree Libra, the story is supposed to be about 'we', not 'me'.
OK, and here's something kind of amazing about this eclipse: it involves a massive and very interesting clash of female archetypes. The sun in Libra will be conjunct Lilith (the lunar apogee) and asteroid Juno; the moon in Aries will be conjunct Vesta.
As we've seen, the north node in Libra is about a focus on relational issues - so these should be all lit up at this time. And the relationship story, as influenced by these three female celestial points, is a real wife vs. mistress dynamic. Or Madonna/whore.
Juno is named after the long-suffering and perpetually enraged wife of philandering Jupiter, king of the gods. She represents the good wife and mother: the woman who stays within the bounds of established patriarchal order and gets served a shit sandwich in exchange for her fidelity, over and over again. In the mythology, Juno's fury at Jupiter's recurrent betrayals was directed in extremely cruel ways toward his conquests, not at him. (Nevermind that these 'other women' were often actually raped by Jupiter.)
Lilith on the other hand represents a bitch goddess or outlaw woman – someone who cannot be held within patriarchal norms, who refuses to submit to any authority save her own, and is ostracised and demonised for her independence. Classic temptress / mistress stuff here. This is the one who lures men to their doom...a representation of dark, uncontrollable, wild feminine power and rage.
So these two opposite, but equally angry, destructive and powerful archetypes of femininity are hanging out together in Libra, the sign of balance and interrelationship. And on the freaking equinox to boot, the balance-point of light and shadow, the time of year when the day and the dark become equal. And at a full moon eclipse. I think it's all highly significant!
Plus we have Vesta conjunct the moon in Aries, and this is another powerful female influence. Vesta was the goddess of hearth and home, and keeper of the sacred flame. In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins were women specially chosen to tend Vesta's temple fire, the heart of the city of Rome. They took a vow of celibacy for 30 years, and were freed of the ordinary obligations and strictures put upon women in a rigidly patriarchal society. They were highly respected and independent – as long as they kept to their vows. Because the life of the city was thought to depend on their sexual purity and integrity, Vestals who transgressed their vows were scourged and buried alive.
So we have these three very powerful archetypes of femininity bound up with the eclipse – but all three are to some extent defined by their relation to patriarchal structures of control over women. They are also defined by their relation to their own sexuality, and by how female sexuality is contained and controlled within patriarchal structures.
We have Juno, the married one who outwardly is highly revered and respected because of her association with a powerful man – she gets to be freakin Queen of Heaven after all. But inwardly she's frustrated, dishonored, hurt and furious at his infidelities – and she takes her jealous rage out on other women.
We have Lilith, the dark temptress who could not give a fuck about marriage or respectability or 'belonging' to a man – but she's also defined by her bitterness and destructive rage because of her treatment by men.
And we have Vesta, the sacred virgin, whole and complete unto herself, independent and respected – as long as she renounces her sexuality in service to the patriarchal state.
It's all very interesting! These archetypes, when you look into them, are a lot more alike than they might seem at first glance. They are all images of dishonored or feared (or tightly controlled) female power.
And with Pluto in Capricorn (representing rotten, corrupt old power structures which must fall away or be transformed) squaring this full moon, maybe it's a good time to look at how we are all affected by these constricting gender dynamics. Things have to change. The 'good' wife, the 'other woman', the saintly Madonna – these are shitty roles for women to be caught in, and they put women at odds with each other in a destructive way. They don't serve men too well either: they prevent men from seeing women as actual, complex human beings.
I keep thinking of this movie. Saddest thing ever:
Or this one:
Or this song:
Anyway, all in all, a very powerful and intense eclipse - for women especially. Potentially very shocking, cruel and hurtful thought and communication - but it can also liberating.
I think the sacred hearth-fire imagery associated with Vesta is a key thing to focus on. As Vesta is in Aries, which has to do with selfhood, I think it's all about defining your own internal core of meaning / value / intergrity / autonomy. What do you hold pure and inviolate; what fires do you devote yourself to keeping lit, no matter what? What is sacred to you at your core, and how do you protect and nurture it?
If we can keep the focus on what keeps our internal heart(h) fires lit, it should be easier to transcend the rage and darkness associated with the Lilith/Juno stuff.
Anyway, beware of nastiness directed toward you or coming out of your mouth – maybe cut people some slack this week, because this moon will be stressful enough. And remember your manners (Libra). Basic civility is pretty important right now.
This is on the 24th Sept around 7 am (GMT). The sun and moon will be conjunct at 1 degree Libra.
Libra is about balancing multiple perspectives; creating a harmony between different viewpoints. It's an inherently social sign – it has to do with the relationship between self and other. Specifically one-on-one relationships, partnerships, marriages. It's an air sign: concerned with thinky stuff, not particularly emotional. Which comes in handy when you're trying to balance different viewpoints in the interests of keeping the party polite. It's about diplomacy.
Here's Frank Sinatra on how to be a lady. He's talking about luck, but this song is very Libra:
"A lady never leaves her escort It isn't fair, it isn't nice A lady doesn't wander all over the room And blow on some other guys dice"
Social decorum and politeness are pretty important in Libra-land. It can get kinda Jane Austen. There is a big drive to be 'fair' and 'nice' – even to one's own detriment.
That said, Libra has been particularly stressed under the Uranus-Pluto squares of the past few years, and a lot of people with planets or chart angles in this sign may be feeling pretty shook up, and disinclined to be 'nice' where it isn't being reciprocated. The famous Libran composure and tolerance and civility may be just about at breaking point.
There are more rapids ahead in October as the moon, sun, Venus, retrograde Mercury and the north node swing into cardinal t-square zone with Uranus and Pluto. It is likely to be stressful.
So if you should meet formerly polite and civilised Librans running around acting like the zombies from “28 Days Later”... well please try to remember that these people are getting hit by stressors you wouldn't believe, and they probably no longer give a fuck. The same goes for the other cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer and Capricorn.
Actually, the same kinda goes for everyone. The Uranus-Pluto squares are about intense collective change, and no one comes out of this period the same as they went in. But people with planets or angles in the cardinal signs are more likely to be hit in a personal way – right where they live.
OK, so the day before this new moon (September 23rd) is a very big day. Two important things happen. First we have Pluto, King of Hell, going direct after a retrograde period that started in April of this year. Then a few hours later, we have the autumn equinox as the sun enters Libra. This is the start of autumn in the Northern hemisphere and spring in the Southern – the day when daylight and dark hours are equal.
With Pluto direct, it's time to let go of whatever rotten bullshit you're still hanging onto. Your pathology, your addictions, your ideology, your ego...whatever. Just drop it if you can. Pluto will now be moving into the 6th square with Uranus, exact on the 15th December – more shock and awe ahead for the rest of this year, and you'd better be getting ready to turn on a dime.
Which means... stop maintaining your ossified stance toward existence, whatever form it may take. Take that pole OUT of your ass already. Get loose.
Can you dance? No?! Why not?!
Who told you you couldn't?
Lao Tzu:
“A man is born gentle and weak; at his death he is hard and stiff. All things, including the grass and trees, are soft and pliable in life; dry and brittle in death. Stiffness is thus a companion of death; flexibility a companion of life. An army that cannot yield will be defeated. A tree that cannot bend will crack in the wind. The hard and stiff will be broken; the soft and supple will prevail.”
Well I don't know about 'prevailing' under these skies, but you can hopefully avoid getting your head beaten in... by being ready for change, and embracing it. However upsetting the change may be. Remember, you do not get to 'manage' the way this stuff goes down: these are outer planet transits, and the most you can do is be prepared for change, and ready to shift with it.
And as for the equinox, this is a time of eerie balance...light and dark in accord, like a yin-yang symbol.
Polarities creating a whole, requiring each other... accommodating each other. It's a tango, which we all know takes two.
It makes perfect sense that the very next day, we have the new moon in Libra: sun and moon (which are contextualized as opposite polarities) conjunct in the sign of marriage and balance.
On an everyday level, a new moon in Libra is about beginning new social enterprises and interactions, or fine-tuning existing relationships. It's a good time to go on a first date, or to try to work out an existing conflict. As Libra is associated with justice and the law, it is also a good time to deal with legal matters.
Or you could just set an intention to dress really well or to be a nicer person or to beautify your surroundings or to hang out with your friends more – Libra has to do with harmony and beauty and social interaction. Look at all the people in the “Soul Train” video above: that's Libra. They are dressed so sharp! And they're dancing at the best damn party, and with such finesse! It adds something nice to the world.
Ok, so you could do that sort of thing, whatever form it takes in your life - and you will have the backup for it. Libra's ruler, Venus, will be in Virgo, loosely conjunct the new moon and in a mutual reception with Mercury in Libra. What this means is you'll have discrimination, attention to detail and fair-minded, diplomatic communication at your disposal.
--But enough about the mundane level. I am interested in what this new moon means on a deeper level. It's great for networking and partying and starting projects and resolving disputes...and that stuff is all necessary! But there are deeper things you can do with this energy, should you be that way inclined.
On a deeper level I think this is a good time to come to terms with your shadow. To 'marry' the light and dark aspects of your own psyche, as in the yin-yang symbol.
The shadow is a concept originated by Freud but refined by Karl Jung. It's basically everything we can't accept as part of us, and would prefer to believe is 'out there'. All our socially unacceptable qualities, our 'negative' emotions and drives.
When we're not aware of our own shadow we are likely to project it onto the world outside us, and to become crusaders against it. Often with very harmful results: look at those IS guys in Iraq and Syria for instance: zealots and true believers all, convinced they are carrying out the will of Allah. They are the 'good guys' in their story – everyone else is a 'bad guy' and marked for destruction.
It's not just insane Islamists who do this. We all do, in our everyday lives...even well-intentioned, progressive-thinking people. Whenever you hear yourself or someone else referring to a nefarious 'they' who are responsible for the world's ills, you can be sure there's shadow projection going on.
No one is all light or all dark – we are made up of both polarities. We are all Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Anyone who thinks they're solely one or the other is deluding themselves – and perpetuating war. The task of a free human being is to withdraw these projections from the outside world and come to terms with them internally. To 'own' our own darkness.
This is not to say that external evil doesn't exist. There is no shortage of it out there, wherever you look. The more focused you are on it, the more you'll find.
But if you try to fight it without having done the difficult work of integrating your own shadow side, you risk becoming a crusader, and just as bad as what you're trying to fight. None of us are innocent or pure. And the world's evil is not always as straightforwardly 'evil' as it seems.
I mean, there are plenty of instances where it is. IS seem pretty damn evil to me. But their kind of cruelty is not the norm – most of the evil in this world is not the unmitigated kind. It's a lot more complex, and it may even have good in it – as in the yin yang symbol, where each polarity contains a spot of its opposite.
Anyway, we have Pluto, which represents the shadow, going direct. We have sunlight and shadow hanging in balance at the equinox. And we have a new moon in Libra, the only zodiac sign represented by an inanimate object: the scales. I think this is probably the best time ever for looking carefully at your own shadow and coming to terms with it.
(Cover of Blake's "Marriage of Heaven and Hell")
Ok, so this might seem pretty heavy, but I'll leave you with something nice: Mars (drive, energy, will) is in happy-go-lucky Sagittarius now, which is fun! & he is heading into a grand fire trine involving Uranus in Aries & Jupiter in Leo. This fire trine is going be active into mid-October.
It's about blazing energy and enthusiasm, lucky breaks, excitement! If you've been feeling stuck & exhausted, this should provide a big lift.
To use it properly though, you have to get out and run with it – maybe even literally. Jumping headlong into something new, taking risks, being fearless and active... these things are all supported.
To sum up: it's a tough month ahead overall, and the rest of 2014 is no picnic either. But we have enthusiasm, energy and the potential for exciting breakthroughs on offer as well.
