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."

Full Moon Eclipse in Aquarius

Eugenia Loli

This is tomorrow, the 7th August, around 7 pm GMT.

It's a zappy one. Expect to be shocked – or at the very least, surprised. Rapid turnarounds, unexpected reversals, lightning clarity and unexpected revelations are likely.

Also confrontations between the individual (Leo) vs. the group (Aquarius). It's a good time to break free of the social network and do your own thing – or to use your anger and conviction to shift social dynamics toward something more progressive.

It's also a great time for going public with creative work, or doing something brave in the public eye. Stepping out of the box and taking a stand for something you believe in, because fuck it, what have you got to lose?

Aquarius is rebel energy. For this full moon, the moon in Aquarius will be facing off against Mars conjunct the sun in Leo, which is warrior energy: courage, conviction, amped-up ego, dramatic flair and showmanship.

Grandstanding and power plays are likely, and keep in mind that with Jupiter in Libra beneficially aspecting the sun, Mars and moon, there is big potential for overdoing things and going overboard. But if you strive to retain a sense of fairness, proportion and civility, you should be OK!

With this full moon – a partial lunar eclipse – we enter eclipse season, a time of intense, accelerated change. The prelude to this was Uranus stationing retrograde in warrior sign Aries on the 2nd August. Uranus, as ruler of Aquarius, is the dispositor of this full moon, and symbolises revolution. His direction change just prior to a lunar eclipse in his own sign speaks of a paradigm shift - an internal one, focused on our sense of self.

Plus Jupiter and Pluto squared off on the 4th August, their final square. This denotes a big, permanent shift in relationship dynamics.

So big shifts are afoot. This full moon is the point where they'll suddenly be all lit up and obvious. If you've been waiting to see some changes, here's your turning point – and it's likely to come with an abruptness and intensity which will jolt you. Something surprising is bound to come to light here. And as full moons symbolize endings, it may be time to break free or let go of something for good. (The cool, rational detachment of Aquarius should be helpful here.)

The next act in this drama of upheaval comes on the 21st August, with a big shiny total eclipse – our second new moon in Leo. That'll be a new start – a reboot.

With all this emphasis on Leo, remember the focus is on being true to yourself and your own heart, and doing what brings real joy into your life. If you're unhappy, you should definitely be asking yourself why these days, instead of stoically accepting your unhappiness. Something has to change, and it's time to find out what.

Helpfully we'll have a Mercury retrograde this month, beginning in Virgo on the 13th August. This will give us some space to analyse our lives in depth, mentally process the changes underway, and to fine-tune details and practical considerations. Amazingly, the retrograde ends on the 5th September with Mercury on the exact degree of the upcoming solar eclipse – 28 degrees Leo. So this retrograde is really a chance to get things right – to make sure our heads are working in concert with our hearts – in this context of big, heart-centred change.

There are important issues for relationships in all this, and also big decisions to be made about what we truly value. Venus in Cancer opposes Pluto in Capricorn on the 15th August, and this is a tough aspect – it's about love unto death or the death of love. This becomes a cardinal t-square with the intensifying influence of Jupiter in relationship-focused Libra, and it'll be in effect all through the middle of August.

Change is demanded here. Relationships will be taken to the next level or they'll end; commitments will be solidified or they'll fall apart. Money and power imbalances will be apparent, psychological control tactics will be exposed – and the willingness to deal with this painful, unpleasant stuff will make or break partnerships.

This gut-wrenching and difficult cardinal t-square ends just before the slate-clearing, hopeful, exciting solar eclipse in Leo on the 21st August. So however ugly things may get leading up to it, and whatever you lose, please remember that the point is to expose what's keeping us stuck and unhappy so we can make the necessary changes. If a situation is making you miserable, it has to change or be removed from your life, no matter how much you've invested in it. There are plenty of exciting new opportunities opening up, and the future can be entirely unlike what has gone before. But first you have to free yourself from what is no longer viable.

After the eclipse, Saturn stations direct on the 24th August. Saturn and Uranus are co-rulers of Aquarius, and their direction-shifts (Uranus retrograde, Saturn direct) bookending this eclipse season are highly significant. In addition, they're part of this summer's grand fire trine, which also involves the north node in Leo.

The theme here, as I've said, is making changes in your life – likely radical ones – that will allow you to build a solid, viable, happy future. Happiness is key. So if you've been ignoring the causes of your discontent, this full moon eclipse is an opportunity to see what's going on with lightning clarity – and to shift course if you're on a course that leads nowhere.

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 Capricorn

Hokusai dragon

This is tomorrow morning: Sunday the 9th July, around 5 am GMT.

It's a tough one - brutal, actually. There is bound to be conflict with this, and it could get violent. See the picture above: dragons, volcanoes. Something's about to spew fire, so please be careful.

The moon in Capricorn signifies a guarded, fearful, security-seeking emotional tone – quite cold and authoritarian really. And this full moon will also be conjunct Pluto, which adds an undertone of deep compulsion and hellish intensity.

Basically this denotes an obsessive, emotionally driven need for power, control and security. And on the other side, we have the sun and Mars in Cancer, which is about fired-up emotions, defensiveness and rage – especially concerning family stuff and primal needs.

Also we also have Jupiter in Libra aspecting the sun, moon, Mars and Pluto in a cardinal t-square. Jupiter can be protective and beneficial, but he also inflates everything he touches. Needless to say, we don't need any inflation of the emotionally-driven ugliness.

Mars opposite Pluto is not a nice aspect, and we have it here. It has to do with killer aggression, fights to the death, extreme competitiveness, brutality. As this is an opposition, the vibe is likely to play out interpersonally. As this is a full moon, we are dealing with high drama, culminations and endings.

People get killed under a sky like this. Don't be ashamed to back down from a fight – it isn't worth it. With Jupiter in Libra, blessed are the peacemakers and those who can see the opposite point of view. And with Neptune beneficially aspecting the full moon, compassion, forgiveness and acceptance will be helpful.

This is the culmination of Cancer lunar phase, which began with the emotionally-charged new moon in Cancer two weeks ago. Look to the issues you were dealing with at that time, as they are likely to intensify now. This full moon is a flashpoint, and the point is resolution and justice. It can either be an eruption of atavistic brutality and a fight to the death, or a catharsis that shifts a compulsive, ossified situation.

Because Pluto is involved, there is an imperative for deep transformation, and you would do well to obey this imperative. There's really no resisting it – resistance is useless with Pluto. Pay attention to what makes you feel most uncomfortable, and get to the root of it. Look at your addictions and compulsions – what are you using them to avoid? You are not going to be able to avoid it so easily, this full moon. Your most fucked-up shit will be all lit-up – and as we are dealing with a cardinal t-square, change is required.

On the plus side, this is a great opportunity for healing. Things fester when they're hidden away; they can only heal if they're exposed to light and air. If the fierceness of this full moon takes the form of ripping some putrid psychological band-aid off a festering wound, it could be a very good thing.

If it all feels overly uncomfortable and violent, please keep in mind that in two weeks' time, the cardinal t-square will have broken up and we'll have a new moon in Leo, and it looks a lot less harsh and a lot more fun. So hang in there! Deal with the discomfort, make the required changes, and have faith that things will feel less shitty soon.

New Moon in Cancer

This is on the 24th June, 3:30 am (GMT).

For this we have a stellium in Cancer: the sun and moon conjunct at 2 degrees Cancer, with Mercury and Mars also nearby. This speaks of emotionally charged, potentially painful communication about family and the past - the kind that opens up some kind of new start.

Home, heritage, family, food and feelings. That's Cancerian stuff. Feeding and nurturing your dependents and defending your home ground. Mom, apple pie and the atavastic sentimentality those ideas call up. Tribalisms and nationalisms of all kinds – Cancer at worst is clannish and clingily focused on “my” people, distrusting outsiders.

As Mercury is involved with this new moon, there will be discussions of feelings, primal needs and family issues. Emotions / thinking / communication will be bound up together.

With Mars involved, interactions will be tense. Mars in Cancer has to do with intense emotional energy and rapidly shifting moods, and it can be touchy and defensive. In this case, Mars also squares Jupiter exactly, which amps up the emotional energy and edgy "hangriness". (It's a good idea to fill up on comfort food before approaching tense discussions.)

Hangry care bear

Mars-Jupiter aspects are about leaping before you look, and getting yourself into hot water via careless aggression. In this case, the aspect speaks of relationship imbalance and disharmony brought on by emotionally-driven aggression.

Pluto is also involved, meaning the issues here are profound and disturbing. This is a cardinal T-square that will be in effect till mid-July, and there's nothing light about it - it's harsh and full of potential ugliness. A lot of painful shit (especially family shit) is likely to be exposed, and you can expect some rage attendant upon that. But deep structural change is demanded here, and the point is balance and fairness - there are wrongs to be redressed. Resisting this will do nobody any good.

Anyway, heading into these choppy waters, please remember: just because you feel something is true doesn't mean it is! Hold back and try to ascertain the facts. Try to stay balanced and to see the other's point of view – this is an important theme, with Jupiter in Libra.

You can either speak your deeply held convictions here, or blurt hurtful things out of irrational rage - it's up to you. Fighting things to the death is possible, but also pointless. Neptune aspects the new moon beneficially, meaning softness, compassion, forgiveness and acceptance will be helpful.

For this new moon, Venus in Taurus also trines Pluto exactly. There's solid love underneath the conflict - something valuable to be protected. Please try to remember that.

We're dealing with a lot of intensity this month, in the next two weeks especially. The run-up to the full moon in Capricorn on the 9th July is very heavy, and that full moon itself is a doozy of emotional violence.

The changes we're undergoing, in the context of family especially, are powerful and long-term. Conflict on the world stage is to be expected as well. It will be hard to keep a cool head about any of this stuff, when so much emotion is involved, but here's hoping cooler heads will prevail.

These are dangerous days. Women especially are likely to feel under fire. Please be nice to your mom - she'll need it.

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.

New Moon in Gemini

This is tomorrow, the 25th May, 8:45 pm GMT.

Gemini is a jumpy, talky, networky sign. It's into information and communication, and it doesn't like sitting still.

For this new moon, the sun and moon are conjunct at 4 degrees of the sign, and not strongly aspecting anything else – so this is a big dose of jittery Gemini energy. And in addition to the sun and moon, we have Mars in Gemini which is a lot of sharp but scattered mental energy. Expect to be rushing around answering messages and doing a zillion little jobs and errands. It's a busy time with lots of new ideas and options opening up, but it can feel like mental overload and frazzled neurons.

Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the winged messenger of the zodiac, and right now Mercury is in steady, grounded Taurus. This is a good thing! It calms the mental frenzy some, meaning the new ideas and connections coming at you these days have the potential to grow into something solid.

Still, there's plenty of frenzy – a lot of air and fire in the sky at present, and when you put those together you get a conflagration.

Our grand fire trine between Saturn in Sagittarius, Uranus in Aries and the north node in Leo is in full effect, forming a kite pattern with Mars in Gemini. This is nice, symbolic of new visions and inspirations for the future – except for the fact that Mars opposes Saturn (exact on the 29th May).

Mars-Saturn aspects are about blockage and frustration that can express itself as cruelty – it's said to be like driving with the brakes on. As Mars is in thinky Gemini, this is likely to be expressed in the mental realm and in our communications. You may hit a wall mentally.

It looks like a bit of a traffic jam – so beware road rage. If you're trying to make something work but making no progress this month, please try to do your Gemini! Be flexible and adaptable, manoeuvre around the problem instead of meeting it head-on. Or just switch your focus to something else. There'll be plenty of other directions to move in.

That could be hard to believe if you're dealing with an obsession, though -- and you very well might be.  The really big news here is that Venus in Aries squares Pluto in Capricorn at nearly the exact same time as the new moon. So the new moon and the month ahead are coloured by this Venus-Pluto square. In addition, Jupiter in Libra is involved, which magnifies the potential nastiness. This is a cardinal t-square, necessitating change. Deep old issues around love, money and values will be coming to the surface to be dealt with this month. Actual exes might come back into your life as well.

This is focused on relationships and it looks pretty heavy. Venus-Pluto aspects are either about powerful love or power masquerading as love. You get the very best or the very worst, no in-between. So this stuff can express itself as rock-solid commitment and love unto death; or as games, triangles, drama, cruelty, jealousy, betrayal.

So all in all, this new moon is interesting. All the mental stimulation and socialising is underlain by an intense frustration and blockage. All the sparkly Gemini instant-messaging stuff is underlain by heavy, dark compulsion.

I think, don't be too fixated this month. Don't be frustrated if you don't get what you want – just pivot. Shift the focus to something else – there'll be plenty of new things to focus on.

The north node in Leo is about creativity, and it is currently disposited by the sun in Gemini – meaning the way through is to think and communicate creatively and playfully. And to be adaptable! To bend like a reed in the wind instead of pushing against resistance and getting yourself all busted up.

We'll have a full moon in Sagittarius on the 9th June, and at that point we'll be putting all the data we've gathered into a narrative and discerning the way forward.