Full Moon in Leo

RIP Bowie:

and Lemmy.

Full moon in Leo, sign of the rock star, is exact tonight: 24th January, around 2 am GMT.

It's fairly dramatic. A Leo moon needs drama and creativity and romance. It needs to be in the spotlight, being seen and appreciated.  

So I like it that this is happening over the weekend. Tonight will be a good night to put on your bling and go out looking for trouble, if you're brave or crazy like that.

“Drama” is said so dismissively, mostly. But it's drama that keeps life interesting. Does anyone really want a life completely free of it?

I doubt it. In any case, some drama is called for here, and you can't fight the cosmic weather.

There is a dark edge to it. Something explosive and deep is liable to be revealed. Something dangerous and hidden may come to light.

And publicly: the sun in Aquarius is very group-oriented, and the moon in Leo wants to be the center of attention. Mars in Scorpio will be loosely squaring both – this is about deep, hidden agendas. Manipulations and machinations.

So something dark or hidden may come to light, in public, and it may be quite shocking.

It's like the songs above: someone's got the Ace of Spades up their sleeve. Someone's a Blackstar.

Kind of a futuristic film-noir vibe: something is not what it appears to be, maybe.

Re. revelations: we have Aquarius's ruler Uranus in tight square to Pluto and Mercury. And Mercury is about to go direct the day after the full moon, conjunct Pluto. (Mercury stationed retrograde, recall, at 1 degree Aquarius on the 5th January.)

This full moon is all about the import of the Mercury retrograde. Since mid-December, something deep, serious and life-changing has been under consideration and re-consideration. Now we have the answer / culmination. Pluto is involved, so there's nothing frivolous about what may come to light.

It's a radical change of mind, maybe. An insight that leads to a reassessment of the ground of your existence, maybe. Satori – or a life-or-death message. A commitment.

Or maybe you just hear something that hits you at a deep level, with the force of unvarnished truth. Maybe you are forced to accept something you've been avoiding. Maybe some important matter will be decided, finally; or some painful honesty will come your way.

Lilith (taboo female energy) is involved, opposing Uranus and squaring Pluto and Mercury. So this is a message from the shadow all right. The kind of thing you don't want to look at – but can't look away from.

Love and money planet Venus moves from free-wheeling Sagittarius to security-minded Capricorn just a few hours ahead of the full moon. Venus in Capricorn requires love you can bank on and a solid bottom-line – dependability and realism in love and money matters. Again, we are dealing in unvarnished truth here.

And Saturn (reality) in truth-seeking Sagittarius drives the message home: no pretense.

Saturn trines Uranus. Meaning there is a future to be built here – a real one, though it will take work.

And retrograde Jupiter conjunct the north node in Virgo re-iterates this: WORK. Anything worth having takes work. Humble, quiet, systematic work – and absolute realism.

With the south node in Pisces, we are being pulled at hard by dreams, delusions and the longing to escape mundane reality. But recall the reality-based theme of the new moon in Capricorn a couple weeks ago: there is no escape. There is real work to be done, and no conscionable way to evade it. The only way out is through.

This full moon is the culmination of the cycle that began at the new moon, and it looks like it involves some kind of revelation. Communication / information that reinforces the theme of absolute realism. Hard truths you have to work with.

I'm thinking of scenarios like: finding out all the piping in your house is faulty and will have to be replaced, and it's gonna clean you out financially. Or realizing the person you love is a little deficient in the character department, but you're too heavily invested to leave. Or dealing with long term illness, unemployment, difficult family or work situations – you name it. Maybe there are sacrifices to be made for love or money that you'd prefer not to be making... but there's no way out. You're in too deep.

None of this shit is just gonna vanish and disappear – you can't positive-think your way out of it. No “manifesting abundance” here, or any kind of new-age crapola like that. You will have to work with reality, and you'll get back what you've given. No more and no less.

Opportunities exist, but they may not be quite what you'd dreamed. A new direction is entirely possible, but it must be worked for. Stark realities exist, that must be accepted and dealt with. This is just life.

It's not that magic and loveliness aren't available...Just that it's a time for focusing on essentials.

With the moon in romantic, party-loving Leo: facing the music and dancing comes to mind here. "There may be trouble ahead..."

Or Churchill on the eve of World War II:

“The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.”

Intensity alert for the next few weeks. We have Mercury direct conjuncting Pluto and squaring Uranus all next week. This is a depth-charge to the mind: a fucking torpedo actually. Whatever this full moon brings to light is going to have far-reaching import.

Then we have Venus moving to conjunct Pluto, exact on the 6th February – with the moon conjunct both of them. Old loves coming back from the dead, maybe. Tests, endings, resurrections, deep soul commitments, shattering losses, serious gifts, obsessions. Emotional intensities off the charts.

We have a new moon in Aquarius on the 8th February, and it looks like a zinger. I'll write about it closer to the time.

And we have Jupiter and the north node travelling together in Virgo for the next month and a half. Meaning the path – and I can't state this strongly enough – is attention to the little details, service to others, humility. Quiet, unassuming, systematic, ordinary WORK. No victim shit allowed; no escapism or self-pity. Whatever mess you are dealing with – literal, interpersonal, financial, health-related – the only way out is through.

New Moon in Capricorn

see here

This is tonight, the 10th January – around 1:30 am GMT.

The holiday season happens while the sun is in Sagittarius, which is about bounty, jollity and excess (among other things). But a new moon in Capricorn signals the end of the festivities. Time to take the shiny decorations down and get back to work.

Capricorn is about sober reality, discipline and achievement - so it makes sense that we start implementing our New Year's resolutions around this time. It's when we set intentions for the year ahead, and embrace austerity after the excesses of the holidays.

This return to sobriety is especially in evidence this year, with the sun and moon conjuncting Pluto, which speaks of deep, focused intent and a will to transform.

Also, we have Mercury retrograding through Capricorn, and this is about serious mental consideration. Mulling things over, seeing reality with sharp clarity. Communication that cuts to the bone.

And Saturn – Capricorn's ruler – is conjunct Venus in Sagittarius. This is about limitation and commitment in love and money matters. With Saturn and Venus in Sagittarius, a sign that loves freedom – and also squaring Neptune – there may be a longing to bolt, to escape, or to blot reality out altogether. Keep in mind that escape is not actually a viable option here. You have to work with what is being presented to you; there's nowhere to run.

Bearing this out: Saturn in Sagittarius is disposited by Jupiter in Virgo, which just went retrograde yesterday – and is conjunct the north node in Virgo.

Saturn and Jupiter are basically opposites. Saturn is about contraction, focus, duty, limitation – while Jupiter is about expansion, exuberance, fun and hope. What we are looking at with this new moon is a deep and intense focus on the Saturn side of the equation – while Jupiter's influence is blocked. In other words, party time is over. There are deep and intense burdens and commitments to be taken on, and you'd best put your head down and get on with the work. No escape.

There is just a hell of a lot of blockage, restraint, discipline and focus on the small-picture stuff here. It might feel tremendously heavy and depressing and bleak. On the plus side though – there is the power to see clearly and get things done. And with Pluto and Uranus involved (Pluto conjunct the new moon, Uranus squaring) – there is the potential to restructure things at a deep level.

Maybe your finances are shot to hell, and you have to do some serious belt-tightening. Or maybe your liver is shot to hell and/or you need to start a new health regimen. Maybe you're doing the dry January thing – and with headlines like this, we're being frightened into collective sobriety this new moon.

Or maybe it's time to commit to a new project or to a relationship, or a career change, or whatever.

Whatever you're taking on, rest assured there is plenty of follow-through available. Capricorn is about perseverance. You keep at something despite the obstacles (which often have a lot to do with your own fears), until it is achieved.

But the only way out is through.

Full Moon in Cancer

This is on Christmas day, around noon GMT.

The sun will be at 3 degrees Capricorn, the moon at 3 Cancer.

The Cancer-Capricorn polarity is about home and family life (Cancer) vs. outer achievement, career and persona (Capricorn). Private vs. public; the inner, emotional life vs. the outer persona. Vulnerability vs. control.

The moon is in her home sign in Cancer, so she's comfortable there. Plus she'll be well aspected at the full moon: harmoniously aspecting Neptune (compassion, emotional openness) and Mars (great emotional energy and force). So it might actually be possible to get along with your crazy family on this holiday so fraught with family tension.

I hope so. Best wishes to all.

But here's the inevitable doom part: Uranus and Pluto are squaring each other tightly, and Uranus will go direct later Christmas night – just as the moon moves into Cardinal t-square territory against those two heavies.

Be prepared for some kind of emotional eruption or jolt. Uranus direct provides the zap, and Pluto the deep, manipulative nastiness. Mercury in Capricorn is involved, so very harsh words may be said. Mars in Libra is also involved, amping up the irritation.

This comes post-Christmas dinner, when everyone's sitting around all semi-sloshed after their sherry trifle, exhausted from the effort of trying to stay civil. Perfect time for some nasty barb to be flung, or for some deep dark family secret to be aired.

This fraught atmosphere continues into the day after Christmas, as the moon moves to square Mars in Libra and oppose Mercury. Fighting words, words that can deeply wound.

Three of swords

I am not trying to be negative here – this is a heads-up. If you're aware this is the atmosphere, you can hopefully do something to mitigate it.

In this case, I think the best way to mitigate it is represented by Jupiter and the north node nearing conjunction in Virgo. Humility and attendance to little details; serving others. You could go into the kitchen and do the dishes. You could put all the leftovers in little goddamn color-coded Tupperware containers. You could bring the dog for a walk.

Mercury in tight-lipped Capricorn will also be harmoniously aspecting Jupiter, the north node and Venus – you can use this to communicate truthfully, practically and with kindness. Or you can just tell a lot of terrible jokes – this looks like a good influence for terrible jokes. Mercury in Capricorn has a way with deadpan absurdity.

Anyway, if you can't say anything funny (or helpful, or practical, or healing), you don't have to say anything at all. There's just no point.

There is the potential for truthfulness and deeply comforting talk with these aspects – but there's also a lot of emotional upset going on. So things could go either way – or both ways. With Uranus direct, you can expect some kind of shock. It might be liberating, if you keep it in perspective. But with the moon (emotions) under fire, it's likely to register as hurtful.

Regarding perspective (a theme now, with Saturn in Sagittarius): it has been a hell of a year, so maybe cut people some slack.

The calendar year kicked off with an incredibly intense full moon in Cancer on the 5th January, and the moon's monthly transits of Cancer since then (and really for a few years previous), have been a recapitulation of that energy – another kick to the gut, more or less – as she squares Uranus (shock) and opposes Pluto (death).

The final exact pass of the Uranus-Pluto square was back in March – so we are standing in a changed landscape now, for better or worse. There isn't any going back to how things were.

And then we had Saturn in Scorpio for 3 months this year, dragging us through some dark psychological debris. There isn't any unknowing what we've learned.

And then, late last month, we had the first round of the Saturn-Neptune square we'll be dealing with for the next year. The scales have fallen from a lot of eyes; the ground is dissolving beneath a lot of dreams.

There isn't much energy left for bullshit. It's safe to say, astrologically this has been a heavier year than most, and people are tired and shell-shocked. For many it's been hellish. Full of great gifts and surprises, sure – but the losses and betrayals have a way of impacting us harder.

And now the year is ending with another Cancer full moon on Christmas day, a day that holds the accumulated ghosts of Christmases past. It's bittersweet – an emotional summing-up of what this year has meant.

So I guess...the kinder we can be with each other, the better. The humbler and more honest we can be, the better. No one has had it particularly easy, and no one needs any more nastiness at this time.

But the nastiness will probably be pretty easy to come by. Easy to fall into, in a reflexive, emotionally reactive way.

Relationship planets Venus and Mars are both in signs where they don't function well: Venus in nuke-em-all Scorpio, Mars in passive-aggressive Libra. And the moon is under fire in Cancer, as we've seen.

And the south node – the place this story will tend to get stuck – is in Pisces. Which means it's much easier to sit around feeling depressed and victimised then to focus on what we can do practically to help others. Even though helping others and being grounded and practical is the exact way out of this morass of self-pity and chaotic emotion.

Granted, some scenarios have become untenable. There are some people you just don't need to have dealings with, whether they're family or not. If they're family, it makes everything harder – you might just have to suck it up and humour them this Christmas, but it sure doesn't mean you have to do it the rest of the time.

Hell, they might not like you either. Big deal – not everyone has to like each other.

Anyway, a shift is coming. Venus leaves Scorpio for Sagittarius on the 30th December, and this should lighten the relational friction up considerably. And then Mars moves to Scorpio, a sign he rules, on the 3rd of January.

And we will also have every planet in the sky moving direct! For the brief window between Uranus direct on Christmas till we start a Mercury retrograde on the 5th January – and then a Jupiter retrograde on the 7th – everything will be moving forward. So it's full speed ahead. New horizons are opening up.

So whatever emotional claustrophobia is going down this Christmas – remember it's fleeting. It's just a mood! Better days are coming. And you don't have to let yourself be dragged into it. You can go out to the kitchen and sort the recycling or something. Or make everyone watch “Airplane”.

New Moon in Sagittarius

This is on the 11th December, at 10:30 am GMT.

The sun and moon will be conjunct at 19 degrees Sagittarius. Sagittarius is a party kind of sign: buoyant, happy-go-lucky, generous, enthusiastic. So a new moon in this sign generally signifies a fun emotional tone, ushering in the festivities and happy excesses of the holiday season.

But the key word here is “excesses”. Sagittarius can be too much of a good thing. It can be inflated, impulsive, pompous, preachy and over-the-top.

And this new moon is tensely aspected, squaring Chiron in Pisces and Sagittarius's ruler, Jupiter in Virgo. So “too much of a good thing” is definitely a theme for the lunar month ahead. We have some big inflation (Jupiter) and delusion (Pisces) going on here.

Chiron in Pisces is about profound wounding and loss, and Jupiter in Virgo can be pedantic, small-minded, not seeing the wood for the trees. Having Jupiter harshly aspecting the new moon amps up the potential for the kind of over-the-top, socially callous and tactless behaviour Sagittarius is sometimes known for. And having Chiron involved amplifies the damage this can do – and with Chiron in leaky-boundary Pisces, damage control will be hard.

So you could make big, dumb mistakes that you'll have to live with forever. You could shoot yourself in the foot and have to hobble around on a wound that won't heal. You could find yourself with a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease, but people will think it's herpes and no one will kiss you again for a long time.

OK, so maybe I am exaggerating, Sagittarius-style here. But I don't think this is an easy new moon at all.

As an example of this energy: look at Donald Trump wrecking what's left of his reputation with his dumb, inflammatory remarks about Muslims. His idiocies are being disseminated widely, and every government in the world seems to be denouncing or barring him right now. And he appears to be too oblivious or pompous – or pleased with the attention – to care about how ridiculous he looks, or the damage he's doing to his (dubious) legacy.

And complicating things, we have the reality-dissolving, confusing Saturn-Neptune square fully in effect, making it hard to discern what is really going on here.

Like, is the man really that stupid? He couldn't be, right? He's a successful businessman, richer than God – you don't get richer than God by being stupid!

So is he mentally ill? Or shrewdly manipulating public opinion? Is there a hidden agenda here?

And do 35% of American voters registered Republican actually agree with him – can that really be true?! What is going on here??!!

Anyway, apply this combination of ideological self-righteousness, impulsivity, irremediable stupidity, ego and moral confusion to your own life, and you see the damage that can be done. Donald Trump is rich enough not to care about looking like a fool. Presumably he also enjoys the attention he's getting. Most of us are not in that kind of situation, so it's best to refrain from saying and doing bullheaded, inflammatory, impulsive shit.

Loose lips sink ships – and it will be your own ship you're sinking, here.

It all looks kinda hard, as we come up to the holidays and the kind of family tensions they entail. No one can push our buttons better than family – they're the ones who created those buttons. This new moon sets the tone for the holiday season, and I think just getting along with everyone and being civil this year will be an achievement!

Because in addition to the Chiron and Jupiter stuff outlined above, we have a very intense t-square happening in the cardinal signs. Uranus in Aries (personal anger and rebellion) is exactly opposite Mars in Libra (passive-aggression, underhanded violence in relationships), and both are squaring Pluto in Capricorn (corrupt old power dynamics).

The Uranus-Mars stuff is great for sudden explosions, accidents and violence – so please drive carefully this month and don't take unnecessary risks. Over-the-top, impulsive action is a big risk with this aspect – and we've already seen that this is a theme for this new moon.

The Pluto stuff heightens the intensity and trauma involved. Permanent endings. You want to be iced by someone, literally or metaphorically? You want a loss you'll never recoup? Run your mouth off. Spout your unconsidered opinion. Take a stupid gamble for short-term gain.

I'm thinking of Trump again. Has the man never heard of a fatwa?

Does he really think there are no consequences to his dopey pontificating?

Saturn (karma, consequences) is in Sagittarius, a sign that loves to pontificate, particularly about religion and ideology. And Saturn is squaring Mercury (thought, communication) in heavy, consequential, tight-lipped Capricorn. This is not a free-speech kinda vibe, AT ALL. This is a put-up-and-shut-up-or-else vibe. Your verbal diarrhoea will cost you, big time.

So yes, there are heavy consequences. Under these skies, the consequences look quite brutal.

I don't much care what happens to Trump, except insofar as he is an object lesson. But understand, these currents will play out in personal relationships.

Relationship planet Venus is in all-or-nothing Scorpio, which is ruled by Pluto and Mars – and as we've seen, Pluto and Mars are harshly aspected. And Mars is in relationship sign Libra, which is ruled by Venus. Neither of these planets are comfortable where they're at.

What it all means is: this intensity and violence will play out in close relationships over the next month, and it looks rocky. Associations will end over this stuff. Others will be renewed and transformed.

OK, so how to work with these skies in order to effect renewal and transformation? I think it all hinges on how willing people are to get over themselves.

1) Shut UP. Don't run your mouth off or make promises you can't keep. Keep your big important opinions to yourself. Omerta!

(This is courtesy of the Mercury-Saturn stuff, and also Saturn in Sagittarius, and also the new moon square Jupiter in Virgo. And Saturn square Neptune...because what the hell do you actually know for sure?)

2) Make art, have faith in the grand design, be compassionate and humble. Forgive and forget. Be the bigger person...like Melanie in “Gone With the Wind”.

 (This is courtesy of Venus in Scorpio exactly trine Neptune in Pisces – transcendent spirituality, forgiveness and compassion, even in the face of tremendous mistrust and pain. Also Mars in Libra – a drive to maintain civility and social harmony at all costs. Also Jupiter and the north node in Virgo: HUMILITY.)

3) To thine own self be true. Going your own way and doing your own thing and being resolutely yourself will be helpful at this time – no matter how weird it looks to others. You don't have to get engulfed in anyone else's drama, because you're free. Detachment and clarity are on offer; impartial truth and fairness are on offer. You really can choose to step away from the bullshit and not engage with it at all.

Like Miss Melanie above: she's not overly concerned about other people's notions of social propriety - just her own. And her unwillingness to feed drama defuses a potentially ugly situation. She stays true to her personal notion of what's right, AND she gets everyone else to go along with it. It's brave. She is not gonna throw Scarlett under a bus, though she has every justification.

(This comes via Uranus in Aries and Mars in Libra beneficially aspecting the new moon. Also Saturn in Sagittarius, which at best, takes the high road and the larger perspective.)

--Anyway, I think we have a doozy of a month ahead, with a full moon in Cancer on Christmas day, and Uranus direct later that evening. So anything you can do to stay away from drama (especially family drama), you should do. And if you can't, I guess being Melanie from Gone With the Wind is the best option, hard as that might be.

I mean, frankly I think this scenario sucks ass. I personally do not want to be Melanie from Gone With the Wind. But this is just how it is: this is how to fight the good fight now. Humility is how you prevail, under this sky. Jupiter (luck) and the north node (karmic imperative) are in humble, grounded, self-effacing Virgo, don't forget.

So to recap:

1) Keep your opinions and criticisms to yourself. Shut up already.
2) Be compassionate, forgiving and humble.
3) Detach from the drama. You CAN just walk away or refuse to engage. And you can also defuse it via number 2 above: compassion, forgiveness and doing what's right on principle. And attention to the little details of social etiquette.

Sounds simple, but I'm sure it won't be!

Happy holidays, folks.

*ps: I think I've made everything sound very dire! It's not all dire! This is a new moon in exuberant Sagittarius, beneficially aspecting Uranus and Mars. It's high-energy and madcap. There is really no reason not to be happy and have fun, no matter how dark things may look. Life is an absurd song-and-dance routine.

Full Moon in Gemini

The real Isis

This is on the 25th November, around 11 pm GMT.

The Gemini-Sagittarius axis is about communication: the small-picture, light, gossipy, networky kind of communication (Gemini) vs. the big-picture, ideological, mythologising, meaning-oriented kind (Sagittarius).

For this full moon, the sun at 3 degrees Sagittarius will be facing off against the moon at 3 Gemini. Mercury (thought and communication), Saturn (restraint, fear) and Neptune (dissolution, dreams, delusions, smokescreens) are involved – in an uncomfortable, jarring way.

It's a real truth-vs.-lies vibe, where it's hard to know what information to believe or what version of reality to trust. Who controls the definition of reality?

A lot of fear-mongering, bombast and intolerance are floating around right now. And public opinion, which has always been fickle, is now largely constructed via the fluctuations and half-truths of social media – and it turns on a dime. Look at the abrupt about-face in the attitude toward Syrian refugees, for example. Compassion shifted to mistrust in about three seconds there.

Plus, Saturn in Sagittarius (conjunct the sun and Mercury for this full moon) seems to be exposing a lot of self-aggrandizing liars for what they are. We may see more of this at the full moon – reputations built on deceptions are pretty vulnerable right now, and for the next few years. It's about actual character and substance vs. spin.

Saturn in Sagittarius also seems to be ramping up ideological extremism and the fear (Saturn) of foreigners (Sagittarius) – and the square to Neptune, exact the day after the full moon, is adding an undercurrent of profound disillusionment and uncertainty to the mix.

This full moon is really all about Saturn-Neptune. The square on the 26th is the first of three exact squares between now and October 2016. It's about the dissolution (Neptune) of what we thought to be true, of solid boundaries (Saturn). It describes a kind of contagion, accompanied by moral panic – and this is what we're seeing, as an uncontainable refugee crisis morphs into a collective fear of terrorist infiltration.

Whose stories are to be believed, how do you filter out the deserving refugees from the dangerous elements – especially given the vast, chaotic flows of people involved, and the complexities of ideology and culture at play? Who is it safe (Saturn) to show compassion toward (Neptune)?

“Everyone” you might say – and you'd have to be either deluded out of your mind, or on a higher spiritual plane altogether, to say that. But most of us have to live on Planet Earth, where there are no simple answers.

You can see these currents at work in the collective. But how are they manifesting in your own life? Which of your stories are proving untenable;  in what areas are your sense of truth and solid reality being eroded, and how are you coping?

“From any rational point of view I am absurd; but there are no longer any rational points of view” - per Atwood.

Might be a good time to re-read “Surfacing”, the novel that quote is from. It's as relevant now as it was in 1972.

Because we live in a world where this is happening – and it's reasonable to wonder what kind of progress we've made. I think the deeper roots of misogyny have not begun to be addressed.

Re. misogyny: I don't want to be overly negative, but this full moon looks like a full-on headfuck to me, and quite violent. Especially for women.

In addition to the Saturn-Neptune stuff, we have Venus in Libra - sweet peace-seeking lady that she is - under fire from Uranus (shock) and Pluto (hell). This describes some lousy relationship dynamics: a decent, nice girl (Venus in Libra) all tangled up with shady characters (Pluto) and selfish dickheads (Uranus). Violence against women, relationship nastiness, control issues. Peace and justice under attack.

You put it together with the Saturn-Neptune stuff, and it looks quite ugly and destabilising overall. Like having the rug pulled out from under you; like being screwed, blued and tattooed by shitty relational power dynamics. Or like having to fight your corner against completely unscrupulous opponents.

Here is a really interesting Saturn-Neptune tinged article about some Syrian girls who joined Daesh and became disillusioned with it. (I will not dignify that organization with the name of ISIS – that's HER name. Magical protectress of women.)

Anyway, in the article linked above, no one's motives are pure. The hideous compromises these young girls made in exchange for 'security' under a crazy regime...until they realized that security was all a sham...

Well how different are any of us really? What would you do, in their shoes? What are your ethics and values really based on: culture, privilege, expediency...or do they run deeper? It's sobering.

Anyway, Venus is moving out of the line of fire – but into Scorpio, a sign she is not at all comfortable in. She'll be replaced in cardinal t-square no-man's land by Mars in Libra, in time for the new moon in Sagittarius in two weeks.

Mars in tense aspect to Uranus and Pluto is... just not nice, in any way. It is jagged, raw, impulsive, violent and bloody. Also very underhanded, manipulative and passive-aggressive – as we are looking at Mars, planet of aggression and war, in Libra, the sign of social harmony and nicety.

So I don't think things are going to be getting any less stressful in the next month – on the world stage or in our personal lives.

And this is not meant to sound negative or doomy-gloomy. It's a heads-up: proceed with caution.

People are not always what they seem, and their motives may not be all that pure. And if you think yours are – well you just might be deluding yourself. It's worth considering.

Given the tension involved in all this, I think it's best to stay focused on the small-picture, friendly, Gemini stuff. Keep communication as light as possible. It's really not necessary to go into moralistic bombast mode – things are heavy enough at the moment. The future is so uncertain, and people are feeling drained and depressed. Amorphous horrors and threats seem to be lurking just under the surface of everyday life. Maybe it'll all blow over, or maybe World War 3 is around the corner – who knows.

I think, under the circumstances, it's enough to just chat about the weather, tell stupid jokes, have a nice shallow Thanksgiving where you don't try to talk out any dark family secrets – whatever it takes.

It's enough to try to have some fun in the midst of a dark time, and to get along with people. And keep your big weighty opinions and sermonizing in check, because there is quite enough of that around these days. Enough bombast, enough self-righteousness and bigotry, enough half-baked pontificating by people who have no real idea what they're talking about – and with Saturn in truth-seeking Sagittarius, your inconsistencies and hypocrisies are likely to be exposed. We all have to walk our talk, and if you can't - best shut the hell up.

(And who among us can, when the path keeps disappearing into fog? Have you ever noticed how as soon as something is said or written, it negates itself; becomes only a partial truth? This is happening like crazy now - so probably the less said the better.)

I think a really good use of this full moon energy is to use humour to disarm fear and deflate pretension. With Neptune, Mercury and Gemini involved, there's definitely something very Trickster-ish about it all.

Like how people in Belgium, during the recent police lockdown in Brussels, flooded Twitter with pictures of cats.

Partly this was a way of keeping spirits high during a frightening time. But it was also an effective smokescreen (Neptune), obscuring police movements during the lockdown.

Making art or music is a good use of this as well.

Neptune is also about faith, and that is definitely something to keep in mind at this full moon. Maybe you don't know what to believe and you can't see the way forward at all. It's getting hard to know what's real anymore, and the future is all up in the air.

And yet we have to have some kind of faith. That there is a design, a direction to things – and that it leads toward whatever we naively call 'the good'.

Try to have faith that there is a larger design in which all of this makes sense, even if you can't see it. And that sometime the fog will clear. Even though we're all gonna die...

Also, with Jupiter and the north node in Virgo, humility, routine and attention to ordinary reality are favoured. Doing the dishes, taking out the trash, walking the dog, serving others. Staying grounded, keeping your head down and your mind on the task at hand. Looking at cat pictures on the internet.

"This is Maartje, a cat from Ghent, Belgium. She will not be intimidated."

Yeah, Jupiter and the north node are in Virgo. So I guess I'll repeat repeat: humility. In the face of an uncertain future; all we can't control; all we fear and all we do not know, about ourselves and others.

The scientists now say, most of the universe is made up of our ignorance about the universe.

And not to hold this guy up as some sort of model of humility (ha!) - he is more a master of obfuscation... But:

And you know, while we are dealing in the kind of Bush-era absurdities that led to the present crisis:

Funny stuff, though the mess these people made has not-so-funny consequences.

But I guess if we can keep a sense of humour alive as the world falls to shit, we'll be doing well!

New Moon in Scorpio

Oracle of Delphi

This is on the 11th November, around 6 pm GMT.

Something very deep and intense – and healing – is going on here. Deep emotional insight, deep communication.

And as Mercury is in magical, witchy Scorpio, conjunct the moon – this is not necessarily verbal communication. It's a knowing that runs deeper than words – a kind of chthonic snake-wisdom.

There is great potential for regeneration and transformation here. New moons represent pure potential and new beginnings, and this one is in Scorpio, the sign of death, rebirth, intensity and transformation – so it looks like a rebirth to me. A fierce jolt of magical, regenerative energy. A second wind, just when you thought you couldn't take much more of this “life” crap. Power and knowledge coming from a very deep, silent, internal source.

The sun, moon and Mercury will be conjunct in the mid-degrees of Scorpio. And aside from a tense-looking inconjunct to Uranus in Aries, this new moon is very well aspected – it is supported by Pluto in Capricorn (deep restructuring), Chiron in Pisces (the wounded healer) and Jupiter in Virgo (humility, service, attention to detail).

So there is absolutely the potential for deep psychological healing here – of yourself or others. Granted, Uranus in Aries inconjunct the new moon means there will likely be some shock and upheaval associated with this. But mostly it looks very profound and beneficial.

I keep thinking of Hexagram 49 from the I Ching in relation to this. It's about revolution, which is  compared in the hexagram to moulting. Shedding the past like an old skin.

I'm thinking also of the magical stones traditionally called serpent's eggs -- because there is really something very earthy, concentrated, snaky and Kundalini about this energy.

Or the Omphalos of Delphi, the ritual center that the Oracle of Delphi spoke her prophesies from. (She was also associated with snakes – her official name was “Pythia”: pythoness.)

Or the Black Stone of the Kaaba, the holiest of holies in Islam, and a very female (and sexual) looking power-object.

Yes, that is really what it looks like.

And here's a snake-dance for you, while we're at it:

Anyway, you get the idea. Deep, chthonic, witchy power. Intense, dangerous, secret, female – what the serpent promised to Eve. It's the kind of thing that can kill or cure - a pharmakon. But this new moon mostly looks like a curative to me.

I think this is a good set-up for recovering any energy or power you may have lost over the last while – especially if you feel you've hit rock bottom. Scorpio is a sign that needs to go to the absolute depths in order to regenerate and recover power. It is about power coming via the acceptance of degredation and pain, uncomfortable as that sounds. “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom”, per Blake. If you feel all cleared out and exhausted, this looks like your turning point.

Scorpio is also about purgation. What do you purge? Whatever drains your vitality - be it a habit, a situation, a relationship. Whatever dead (and deadening) crap you are still dragging around with you.

It has been a draining year for sure. I don't suppose it'll be getting any easier, so getting rid of the deadwood now is a good idea.

Neptune, big dreamy whirlpool headfuck planet, will resume direct motion on the 19th November, and Saturn is bearing into a square with Neptune, exact on the 26th. The Saturn-Neptune square is something we'll be dealing with into 2017. Saturn in Sagittarius demands fidelity to the truth – while Neptune dissolves the boundaries between 'true' and 'false'.

So this is some disillusioning, depressing energy - the big dissolve. More draining suckage.

You think you have solid ground under your feet? You think you're a solid character, you think you're incorruptible? You think you know reality from unreality? Ha!

We are written on water.

“so ingenious are the arrangements of the state of flux we call
our moral history are they not almost as neat as mathematical
propositions except written on water –” -Anne Carson

Keats's grave

What do you believe, what do you base your perspective on, what do you hold true and moral? My god, it's getting kind of hard to know anymore, isn't it?

Is there a design, a larger perspective in which your life has meaning? Is it something you can have faith in? Can you build a future on it?

And did you ever imagine your life would turn out like this? It must be some kind of dream, right? Could it get much weirder? Is there anything solid in this phantasmagoria?

I really don't know. What an interesting movie it all is though – if you have the stomach for it.

“No it's not going to clear up is it or make sense or come out into the open 
somewhere
this welter of disorder and pain is our life.” 
                                                                   --Anne Carson again

And yes it is -- it's our life and it's messy. I suppose it has to be.

Messy few months ahead: we are headed into a Uranus square Pluto redux this holiday season. The old dynamo of destruction will be forming a close square from December to February. These planets won't square exactly again, but this is a reminder of the pressure-cooker we've been through over the past few years.

Plus Mars and Venus will be filing through Cardinal t-square territory in Libra over the next month. This is a real firing-line, and I think it will be tough on relationships. And just in time for the holidays – what fun.

It doesn't mean things are gonna be awful. Just pretty intense. But they've been intense forever now, so big deal. You're not going to be bored, anyway.

Re. relationships: the north node finally moves out of relationship-oriented Libra, where it has spent the past 18 months, a few hours after the new moon. It moves into Virgo, joining Jupiter there.

The dispositors of the nodes, Mars and Venus, will be conjunct the north node as it shifts signs. This looks like a big alchemical wedding at the end of the long and bizarre fairy tale this year has been. It's a big deal; too weird and improbable to gloss over.

This is where you quit ditzing around and sort out your relationship karma – you get real about what you're doing, who you're travelling onward with, what you value. What (or who) you want to 'marry'.

It's a choice-point, maybe. A commitment. Fateful, not to be taken lightly.

Like this:

Anyway, it's not about anything or anyone being perfect – you must know that by now. 'Perfect' doesn't exist and if it did, it would be pretty dull.

It's about what you can work with and trust in – what is sturdy enough to go the distance, however uncomfortable it might sometimes feel.

(Most of the happily married people I know fight and bicker constantly. It's like harmony requires conflict and periodic blowouts. Notice there is a volcano behind the couple on that card.)

Anyway, this looks like a new start for real – or a decisive ending. Pretty heavy stuff, especially coming as it does exactly at the new moon – and a new moon in Scorpio to boot, a sign that is all-or-nothing, black or white, on-or-off. No bullshit, no pretending, no dithering, no leading anyone down the garden path. This demands radical honesty - with yourself first and foremost.

Re. the node change: the north node in Libra was about a need to attain balance, harmony, fairness, justice and right relationship. With the south node in Aries, this effort was undermined by knee-jerk rage and conflict. Selfishness and war were the path of least resistance. We've had 18 months of this and frankly it has been a pain in the ass.

Now we're moving on from this heavy focus on interpersonal relationship. With the north node shifting to Virgo (and the south node to Pisces), the arc of the story for the next 18 months is about attending to daily reality, staying humble and focused on the small stuff, taking care of others, keeping the whole show of everyday life running – even as reality dissolves beneath our feet.

This is the same theme as the Saturn-Neptune square that's happening over the next year and a half. The sky is really driving home this theme of the dissolution of what we took to be solid and secure. It applies to the collective and also to people in their little lives – which are microcosms of the collective really. I think it's fairly serious, sobering stuff, and it will be hard to navigate.

But it will be interesting, for sure. Interesting times.

Full Moon in Taurus

This is on the 27th October, around noon GMT.

The sun, now in early Scorpio, will be facing off against the moon in early Taurus.

A Taurus moon needs stability, physical solidity and comfort. It speaks of a deep attachment to pleasure, routine, habit and the status quo: Taurus doesn't like change. Whereas the sun in Scorpio requires change, discomfort and transformation – it wants to tear its skin off.

So you can see how these two energies are at odds. Further, Taurus and Scorpio are fixed signs – very focused and stubborn. Wherever this full moon falls in your chart is where you'll experience this tension between holding on/consolidating (Taurus) vs. purging/transforming/letting go (Scorpio).

What's nice about this full moon is that it should be easy enough to work with these opposing imperatives. The moon in Taurus is disposited by Venus (love, values, possessions) in Virgo; and the Scorpio sun is disposited by Mars (will, drive, sex) in Virgo and Pluto (death, transformation, sex) in Capricorn – and all these planets are in easy dialogue.

It's all very deep and workable – in a low-key, quiet, pragmatic kinda way. And pretty sexed-up as well. Scorpio and Taurus are a sexy combo, and we have Mars, Venus and Jupiter conjunct, aspecting Pluto – all in earth signs, which are very... physical. It's a real 'sexual healing' kinda vibe, cheesy as that sounds.

Cue the saxophone music!!

O yeah!!

(Sorry, sorry, sorry.)

Besides watching Kenny G videos, you could use this influence to do nice, healthy things for yourself physically. Resting up, eating well, getting some decent sleep. The past few weeks (hell the past few YEARS) have been rough on everyone...so this is a good time for building your energy and resources back up.

Anyway, recall the relationship re-boot theme of the new moon in Libra two weeks ago. What was implied at the new moon – tension, shifts, re-balancings, especially in the context of love and money matters – all comes to fruition at the full. This is where whatever was set in motion becomes a lot more solid and real.

Venus has by now left her square to Saturn and is conjunct Mars and Jupiter – and this stellium in Virgo trines Pluto in Capricorn. So it's time to act now, on whatever you want to create or repair. The blockages and obstructions we've been dealing with since the summer are falling away.

It is entirely possible to fix any relational/money/career problems you have at this time – to shed old problems like a snake shedding its skin. As long as you are willing to make a serious commitment: Saturn is in Sagittarius, and this is about consolidating (Saturn) a vision for the future (Sagittarius). It's serious stuff, and not particularly comfortable – but anything worth having involves work and discomfort. And also some sacrifice. You have to be willing to forgo some short-term comfort for a long-term goal.

It doesn't have to be about relationships, but with Venus and Mars conjunct and the north node at 0 degrees Libra, relationship and money issues take center stage in this.

But it could also be about your relationship to yourself, or to your possessions, values, psychological issues - you name it. It could be about getting clear of an addiction, decluttering your house, dealing with a psychological pathology, fine-tuning a health regimen, making a course-correction re. money/career....

Basically, overcoming inertia in some area of your life that has become stagnant and needs an overhaul – and you'll know exactly what area this is, it'll be hard to miss. Time to pick yourself up and get the ball rolling again.

It's as likely to be about an ending as it is about a re-boot: remember full moons signify culminations or endings. Something has to be dealt with decisively here, or purged in the interests of long-term stability. Something in your life - a habit, a relationship, a job, an ideology, whatever - may be shown to be completely outworn and unviable.

There are some potentially difficult choices to be made here - but deep down, there is really no choice. Trust your instinct on this: what do you really need and value, and what can you dispense with? You'll know.

If what you need or value is broken or damaged in some way, you can fix it with a bit of work. With all this Virgo and Pluto stuff going on, there's tremendous, focused, practical energy available for identifying problems and working to fix them. Deep structural change is easier than usual at this time. Deep healing, compassion and renewal from the roots are also possible – the stellium in Virgo opposes Chiron in Pisces, which represents a wound that confers spiritual knowledge.

Fairy uncomfortable stuff overall – but any kind of growth involves discomfort. A cicada doesn't climb out of its old carapace because it is 'comfortable' there. It climbs out because staying there is uncomfortable – and impossible.

Anyway, there is likely to be some shocking communication or mental re-balancing at this full moon: a message or information that radically shifts your perception. Mercury in Libra is opposite Uranus and squaring Pluto - you won't see it coming, but it looks potentially quite transformative and/or traumatic. This is a wake-up call for sure, if you were in need of one.

If you find yourself in a situation where verbal nastiness is being flung around, be careful. With Mercury still squaring Pluto and the south node at 0 degrees Aries, communicating impulsively in anger will come back to bite you on the ass in short order. Keep your head down (Virgo), mind your manners (Libra) and curb your enthusiasm (Saturn in Sagittarius). There is plenty of work to be done on fixing what really matters to you, without making more work for yourself via destructive conflict.