Author Archives: juliedemboski

Partial Solar Eclipse 29 March 2025 Seeing Our Way Forward

25 Tuesday Mar 2025

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Sabian Symbols, Solar Eclipse

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‘The Education of Achilles’ By Auguste-Clément Chrétien 1861 {{PD}} The Horse/Guy giving the archery lesson? None other than Chiron.

The upcoming Partial Solar Eclipse (New Moon) peaks at 3:47 AM PDT of the 29th late in 8+ degrees of Aries. What we see is that retro Mercury is already well past Inferior Conjunction and poised to re-enter Pisces, suggesting we are on the verge of a ‘mental retreat’–I don’t think that’s a surprise to any of us. Transiting Mercury is out-of-sign conjoined retro Venus and Neptune in Pisces, the latter at 29 stressful degrees, and in a chain-reaction conjunction with both the North Node and Saturn which are close to Venus and Neptune, with Merc also closely quincunx the Scorpio Black Moon Lilith point; I think that’s a pretty good description of the situation: we’re worried about our future as much as the current reality picture; the mind needs a rest, an escape, as a recent refresh (the Inferior Conjunction) is still germinal, not even close to revealing itself, and with our tastes, relationships, and/ or values under temporary assault, experimental, or feeling foreign to us, and our ideals and faith stretched to the limit, we are more than aware of those matters under the surface, the things we’ve tried to ignore or deny, that enrage when we think about them, that require us to adjust repeatedly–and we feel the need for a break. Looking for relief from our stressful reality has, at this point, almost become a way of life–so we must ask, what will trigger this latest urge to escape, and the actions (Aries) it suggests?

A New Moon is a new start, but when it’s a Solar eclipse in Aries, it promises something new doesn’t just take root, it wipes out what was growing before, creating fertile ground for something originating all the way, in our planetary metaphor, to the molten core of our individuality, our sense of initiative, and identity as a unique Being who works to impress the ‘I Am’/ Will on people and things around us. We feel we must act; we may desperately want a new start in that most important of venues, within ourselves–and the Aries New Moon delivers that aforementioned trigger prompting the new start via three scenarios: the Moon’s sextile to Pluto in Aquarius, and in two Fingers of God, one with the eclipse as apex with a base of Achilles at 7 Virgo sextile Atlantis at 7 Scorpio, the other with Aries Luna sextile Pallas in Aquarius, apex Achilles.

The sextile to Pluto, of course, announces serious, permanent change or evolution; this may involve involuntary loss or destruction, affecting our intellect and our understanding of current circumstances. It alerts us to the fact that we will feel this, be aware of this, as it affects the mind/ mentality, our relationship to or role within the group, and calls for a modern approach to what we are facing (Aquarius).

The Finger featuring the eclipse as apex blends as the base two interesting energies: Achilles, describing an unanticipated vulnerability, around critical thinking/ reasoning, abilities of discernment and enjoyment of mutually shared ‘harvest’, and Atlantis, embodying an advanced civilization that is no more, that in fact has receded into legend, if it ever was at all, with the memory at this point possibly acting in a hidden and potentially destructive way. Looking back now we may wonder: is our past real? Were our advances lost, or never really there all along? This config suggests we have a weak point brought forward by a set of standards or behaviors that are no longer appropriate, needed, or in force, that are in fact actually detrimental in handling the Now, with the Aries Solar eclipse the result: a wipe out to some facet of the identity, or to some course of action or choice we either have been contemplating or have already embarked on/ made.

The eclipse point sextile Pallas suggests there’s wisdom, or at least practicality, in what occurs at this time, in the reconsidering of action or choice, and that’s so even if we don’t understand it. The result of recognizing this is an understanding of where, precisely, we are vulnerable (apex Achilles) and so most crucially, how to deal with it.

The Sabian for the New Moon/ Solar eclipse is, ‘A Crystal Gazer’. I think this describes every one of us right now, intent on seeing the future, or at least discerning how we can best respond in the moment. The Solar eclipse delivers a clear suggestion, an intimation of what we should do, and what we should avoid–and the image implies we’ll be capable of seeing what’s presented, if only we’ll believe in our own ability to see.

A vanitas still life with a crystal ball reflecting an image of the artist at his easel, By Vincent Laurensz van der Vinne 17th century {{PD}}

Neptune Enters Aries 2025 The Responsible Warrior

20 Thursday Mar 2025

Posted by in astrology, Neptune, Retrogrades + Directions

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Dahomean women warriors, or Amazons.The horns, probably made of tin, were an insignia of rank: these are officers. Horns were also icons of power, associated with such animals as the antelope and buffalo; “furious antelope” and “wild buffalo” cadres were among the fiercest Amazon battalions. By N.N. c1894 {{PD}}

Neptune lingers in the last degree of Pisces until 30 March, when it moves to the Aries Point, 00 of the sign, and remains there until the final few days of April when it moves forward in Aries, dipping back into Pisces for a nostalgia tour (look how carefree and/ or muddled we were! Those were the days!) from late October to late January 2026. How much are we conscious of this kind of shift, a heavy leaving its longtime home for a new sign–and even more pointedly, leaving its own sign for what is, at least symbolically, the inception point of the zodiac? Those Cardinal points (00 of Cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) are often significant, felt in the same way a sudden drop in the barometer is; every cell of our bodies feels an intense change in pressure, accompanied by an urgent impulse to act, to express the essence of the transiting energy in new ways. With Neptune in Aries, impulses toward the creative, the ideal, the spiritual, and the deceptive, seem to require individual effort of (almost) heroic proportions–we become keenly aware that we alone can make it happen–and circumstances urge us to embrace the right to Self-assert. Of course, what it is we’re thinking of asserting is intimately aligned with the situation of our natal Neptune, and how and where we typically express it. A sense of responsibility may overwhelm; so might confusion, as we find we may have a lot of sorting, true from imaginary, real from unreal, to do.

That Neptunian fog rolls into Aries and asks, “Wait a minute–who’s in charge here?” Don’t hold your breath for an answer; every assumption we’ve been making about the confluence of energies that make up civilization will be brought into question. We’ll need to examined what’s around us, with the goal of determining as an individual where we will be responsible, how we might take the lead, and in what way we must put in motion our own ideals. No more relying on the Collective (Pisces) to carry us along; the individual in Warrior mode is needed now. Anything short of complete personal responsibility will leave a lot of Neptunian energy on the table–and unused Neptune leaves us open to being deceived, misled, or kept in the dark when we have a clear right to know. It’s that principle of energy ownership: if we don’t take command of our creative and spiritual inclinations, they’ll come at us in a much less useful form from the outside.

It’s a tall order, asking each of us to examine our creative and spiritual goals, and yet, if we don’t get specific about it, we’ll suffer confusion, be taken advantage of, or may believe things that just aren’t–to our eternal detriment. The dreamy state that was Neptune in Pisces dissolves (such a Neptunian word!) in the aura of accountability and call to action of Aries. With Neptune in Aries, we’ll each become a spiritual force, our statements of ‘I Am’ a direct line to who we are as creatives and as spiritual Beings–but whether we’ll muster on the side of ‘good’ or ‘evil’ (that is, deception) will be a choice each of us must make alone. To make that choice as consciously as possible is to exert a strong influence on the world at this time, our impact commensurate with our surety of purpose. Clarity in knowing who we are (that Aries ‘I Am’) will offer a kind of creative power and powerful expression we haven’t had available to us before; let’s hope that being so potently armed (for the Aries energy is nothing if not Warrior energy), we’ll all choose the side of ‘good’.

Total Lunar Eclipse 13-14 March 2025 Reassembling the Self

11 Tuesday Mar 2025

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Full Moon, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

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Detail of the frieze of the wells in the tomb of Pharaoh Horemheb, showing the gods Osiris, Anubis, and Horus. Derivative work By A. Parrot Jean-Pierre Dalbéra Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

I’ve drawn the eclipse chart for the maximum eclipse point here in Seattle, according to the website Time and Date, which is 11:58 PM PDT of the 13th with the Moon at 23 Virgo 58, though the overall duration of the event is 6 hours 3 minutes, with totality lasting 1 hour 5 minutes–so a long span that is visible in most of the Americas for its entirety.

As always with an eclipse, the Nodal points are close to the Sun-Moon-Earth axis, this time with the North Node conjoined the Sun, Saturn, and Neptune (this latter at 29 tense degrees of its own sign, Pisces), and so opposed the Virgo Full Moon. Our attention is on our vision of an ideal reality, on what’s holding us back or misleading us, on our creative accomplishments or lack of them, and the future all these matters are shaping (Sun, et al)–and this draws us away from the ‘real’ action, or at least the action we can play a part in, right now: that’s represented by the Virgo Full Moon, a culmination of how effectively we’ve prepared, addressed ‘the details’, fairly distributed both effort and harvest–this really is a point of awareness of results for what we’ve done, and a chance to assess what we still need to do--with Luna’s trine to Uranus in Taurus suggesting that material resources, and/ or ‘the group’, may prove unreliable, too future oriented, extreme, or too radical in what is asked of us to be helpful in reaching our goals.

An eclipse is the interruption of the ‘flow’ of Solar light as reflected by the Moon; symbolically, this signifies a moment when we can read the emotional landscape without the distraction of the conscious mind. This time it’s a surprise, something of a shock, and definitely serves this purpose: the Uranian element of things allows for a kind of Higher Mind re-arrangement of the situation, such that it will be to our advantage, even if in the moment it seems to run against us. The disruption is doubled, once in the removal of previous circumstances by the eclipse, a second time interrupting our plan or throwing us wildly off course with the unanticipated and the unusual, and our feelings about it. In actuality it’s the wisdom of the Universe, saving us from an unfortunate mistake, or delivering to us the direction or results we actually need to thrive.

Such is the influence of an eclipse: a re-ordering of affected life areas, the old wiped out and replaced by–what? Sometimes an entire new scenario is placed before us, and sometimes there’s only a sweeping away that leaves no discernible landmarks or legacy circumstances. With most major contacts either conjoined or opposed the event itself (we can expect their influences melded to the eclipse episode, and so presenting as part of, or the result of, the event itself), and a single other major aspect a trine to Uranus, promising shock, awe, and upheaval, we must look to minor bodies for a little more detail (so Virgo!) and a little more clarity.

The eclipse Full Moon is apex to a Fist with base of Bacchus and Hygeia (in Taurus, and so ruled by the currently retro Venus) square Pallas and the asteroid Lilith (not to be confused with the Black Moon Lilith point), both in Aquarius, so ruled by Uranus that is such a big component of the eclipse picture=this says that living with abandon in some way has affected the health; we know better, know what we should do, and knowing this fosters a rebellious kind of rage–why must I conform? Why does physical reality, the kind that impacts my physical well-being, have to be acknowledged? Why can’t I just do what I want? This kind of foot-stamping insistence that we should have no restraints, seeing these as persecution when we know very well that we need them, is answered this eclipse with circumstances challenging us to be smart, be practical (Pallas); we’re shown how our past has accumulated to create our now–and what happens gives us a glimpse of the future (Sun, North Node), one we read through the emotions (Moon, South Node). This could be quite upsetting, but we can’t deny it’s a gift to know what, by extrapolation and honest evaluation, one could do to make a better future.

Eris and Chiron are conjoined in Aries, with Eris quincunx the eclipse=discord and hurt, stirred by our own actions, seen when the distraction of Solar energy is removed–but there’s one thing about that Solar cluster opposing the eclipse that we haven’t yet discussed, and it may be important to see, as the Earth (material matters and Purpose) comes between the source of light and its receptor, allowing awareness of how our attention to this energy has been running the show of late, with the eclipse event offering a chance at new, more productive, awareness.

Within the Sun-North Node-Saturn-Neptune cluster in Pisces, we find the asteroid Osiris, just on the Sun at 24 degrees, and so directly opposed the eclipse. Are you familiar with the story of the Egyptian god Osiris? His depiction with a shepherd’s staff hints that his myth may have originated with an actual sheepherder-who-became-a-ruler, but the stories told now see him as the offspring of Ceb, the god of the Earth (his laughter was responsible for earthquakes) and the sky goddess Nut. He was considered a wise ruler who oversaw a period of peace and prosperity stemming from ideal natural order (maat), his rule cut short when his brother-god, Set, murdered him (most versions contend out of jealousy, in order to gain the throne), cutting his corpse into 42 pieces corresponding to the 42 provinces of Egypt, then scattering them far and wide. Osiris’ sister-wife, Isis, recovered the body parts and re-animated him by means of magic long enough for her to conceive their child, Horus, an important god-figure in his own right.

So, Osiris conjoined the Sun and co-located bodies in opposition to the Lunar eclipse in Virgo may suggest that circumstances have been keeping us busy just trying to ‘stay whole’, to keep our magic/ mojo, to create and produce (likely something that is quite important to our personal legacy). This has been distracting us, demanding most if not all of our energy, as we scramble to ‘assemble ourselves’ (after having been ‘dismembered’ by others, possibly who envy our position or want what we have), and the interruption of the eclipse allows us to get some perspective on these efforts, to see our real-world situation (Saturn) clearer, and to know how close to our ideal (Neptune) we may or may not currently be.

The Sabian for the peak moment of the eclipse is: ‘Mary And Her Little Lamb’. Mary is a caretaker (perhaps analogous to the shepherd of the Osiris myth), the lamb a symbol of innocence (‘its fleece was white as snow’, purity), in this case specifically our own inner innocence (‘Wherever Mary went, the lamb was sure to go’). This may speak to our inherent vulnerability, the kind that springs from our most pure and simple intentions toward the world, with all the risk contained in a lack of worldliness when dealing with real life. Just as with the presence of Osiris, it’s a reminder of the hazards that are part and parcel of dealing with the world, and how it’s our job to maintain our autonomy, working toward our goals and maintaining our purity of ideals in spite of the way we can be ‘torn to pieces’ by difficulties, and to maintain our integrity (the lamb), by choosing well and being vigilant in our responses (Mary). I think the Osiris myth supersedes the Sun Sabian, for this eclipse, so count it as the ‘energy origin’ of current events.

The Lunar cycle generally has two purposes: enlightenment/ awareness and fulfillment, this latter reminding us of both the consistent passage of time, and the ebb and flow of the associated emotional energy. In whatever House of your natal chart the eclipse falls, look for the experience of and understanding of those matters, appreciating the wipe outs and endings for what they are: a chance to start fresh, to see things differently.

Navigating March 2025

04 Tuesday Mar 2025

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Retrogrades + Directions

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The Sombrero Galaxy NASA/JPL-Caltech and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) {{PD}}

Venus retrograded on the 1st at 10 Aries–but what does that mean? Venus, an energy we experience in highly personal ways, in apparent backward motion will mean different things to different people, depending on where and in aspect to what it contacts the natal chart; what we all share is the way Venus retrogrades in the same part of the chart/ sign, within a couple of degrees, every 8 years. With such a loop to the Venus retrograde cycle, we may not immediately recognize that we’re in territory we’ve trod before–or that we’re seeing the results of our previous, 8-years-ago responses, whether they take the same shape or are the same challenges in a new Venusian get-up.

Retrogrades are ‘re-‘ periods, times when we can (and often must) review and reconsider our usual stance on any number of, in this case, Venus-themed areas, but the 8 year cycle places those circumstances of review and revision in an area where we’ve already experienced them–and now, as noted before, we face either the renewal of the situation, as if no time has passed, or we find the same issue dressed up in a new form, with the possibility that we don’t notice the echo-quality of what’s happening; we may believe we’ve already dealt with this Venus issue satisfactorily, ‘putting it to bed’ 8 years previously, or that what’s before us is unrelated to anything that’s come before–and in both instances we’d be wrong.

This time Venus retrogrades in Aries, an energy she’s inherently uncomfortable in, as she is receptive, seductive, looking for pleasure, and Mars-ruled Aries is assertive, aggressive, looking to impose the Will. It’s hard to be receptive when the surrounding energy is urging one to go out and get what is wanted–and yet, that’s one way we can reconcile the disparities here: Venus wants, as well, and if she can modify her usual seductive or appealing-to-the senses stance to seek actively, as Aries does, she can find a way to be effective within an atmosphere that’s less than sympathetic to her preferred modus operandi.

Then we have the question of where this retrograde happens in the individual chart. It’s incumbent upon each of us to look back at our situation 8 years ago–and in particular, to look for those echoes, those repeats, the re-emergence of what we thought long settled. Say this retro occurs in your 3rd House, and 8 years ago you and your sibling discussed going into business together. It didn’t pan out, but now you find yourself considering the idea again, or your sibling has gotten in touch, just lost their job, asking if you ever consider going for that food truck you both talked about? Or it falls in your 5th: 8 years ago you were head-over-heels for someone, and now you’ve just found out you’re pregnant (by another partner–haven’t seen that 8-years-ago guy in 7 years). What’s the connector? Romance and children are both products of the 5th; 8 years ago you were considering the value of the relationship, while today you’re considering what having a child will mean to you. Both are relationships that fall under the 5th, and both are Venusian, two different versions of Love. It may take a little detective work, but finding the thread will help us understand what’s at stake, and how Venus retro may shape things going forward.

Beyond the Venus-keyed patterns we see, we’ll also deal with the garden variety Venus issues that spring up during a retro period: changes in our customary tastes, our attitudes toward relationships, toward Love, toward aesthetics, toward sharing and cooperation, toward diplomacy, Art, comfort and sustenance, and in our values, preferences, and wants. We must be ready to experience changes in what we find attractive or pleasing–and we must be aware that our tastes, once the retro is over, will bounce back to the shapes and styles we had before the retro, meaning that we must be careful what aesthetic alterations we make during this part of the cycle. We’d be wise to do things that aren’t permanent, to experiment, but not in an irreversible way; if the change or adventure leads to something that we’ll have to live with, we’d be wise to save the idea until after Venus goes direct–then if it still appeals, go ahead. Otherwise, dye your hair, but don’t get a tattoo; date someone new, but don’t marry them, just yet; vacation in a part of the world you’d never found appealing before, but don’t decide, between flowery umbrella drinks, to move there. It’s a time for exploration of the senses and what pleases us; choose something irreversible (or at least difficult to alter) and you risk being stuck with something that ‘just isn’t you’.

Venus goes direct 12 April at 24 Pisces. If you experiment, and are considering a permanent step, please wait until after this point; then, evaluate, and measure, according to your more usual tastes and feelings. Though it’s not as much fun as off-the-cuff change, assessing things in a sober light is worth it (because that’s what it can feel like during the retrograde, like we’re drunk on some kind of Venusian punch, a high that undercuts our judgment in favor of a momentary feeling of invincibility). We deserve to enjoy Venus in a form most supportive of who we are–and we can only have that when our senses aren’t distorted as we make choices and invest in ourselves.

Mercury retrogrades on the 14th at 9 Aries, making for a period of reconsideration and review around what we do (Fire sign). Are we happy with our choices, with the way we’ve expressed our Will, with our leadership role(s) or lack of them? Have we gone after what we want, and are we okay with what we had to do to get it? Remember, at this time the mind and the mentality are, in certain ways, ‘blind’ to the facts, to communications, to the details, or these are actively not being shared–and that means that, even with the most careful efforts, we’ll still be making decisions and coming to conclusions without a full and complete picture of the situation. Inevitably, post-direction, we find out things we didn’t know during the retro period, but sure wish we had. Usually I’d encourage everyone to rely on the feeling nature to supplement/ circumvent the mind, but with Venus retro, that leaves only the intuitive faculties of the Moon as reliable–and even then, our feelings may color things so that what we think is accurate could be distorted by emotion and even leakage from the atmosphere around us. Maybe hold off on significant decisions for the retro period, as well as the usual don’t sign, don’t buy warning, which goes through direction on 7 April. Try instead a ‘go with the flow’, noncommittal attitude, leaving yourself as many options as possible, and a gentle refusal to judge or condemn yourself or your actions as you review them; by the time Merc reaches the direction point, in Pisces, the imagination may have supplied more possibilities than the mind could on its own, offering up potentials Mercury normally would’ve overridden before the idea even dawned.

All the outer planets are direct through March and April, with the spell being broken by Pluto’s retro on 4 May at 3 Aquarius. Since Mars was recently retro, and Merc and Venus will be, this imparts a difficult to sort personal picture but a crystal clear Big Picture. Our difficulty may be in discerning where, exactly, we fit in that larger scenario–but again, definitive statements of ‘I Am’ can wait until Merc re-enters Aries, 16 April. Pluto’s turnaround, by the way, will probably feel like a mental scouring pad; don’t over react–just remind yourself, It’s good to give things a thorough scrubbing! No matter how raw we feel immediately afterward.

Neptune moves into Aries on 30 March. This may feel as if someone lit a fire under our imaginative, creative, or idealistic inclinations–but the thing is, that’s fire applied at the end of a watery journey through Pisces–and fire applied to water is–steam! Will we harness it, and use it to move forward, ‘Little Engine That Could’ style, or will we just complain about the humidity? It all depends on your relationship to your own creative energies, and to reality–do you know where you stand? Because that’s required, if you want to make choices that will really matter. Prepare by (before the Mercury retro) going over recent creative efforts and where they stand–and remembering that our sense are affected right now by the Venus retro, so that making practical rather than aesthetic judgments is probably the best use of time.

And, just before Mercury retrogrades, we have a Total Lunar Eclipse in Virgo. More to come soon!

New Moon 27 February 2025 What To Believe?

21 Friday Feb 2025

Posted by in Asteroids, astrology, current events in the sky, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

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‘Cassandra’ By John Maler Collier Before 1934 {{PD}}

The New Moon perfects at 9 Pisces 40 at 4:44 PM PST and forms only a few aspects, but they paint a surprising picture. First, a New Moon is an inception point, a new beginning, and in Pisces this entails a fresh spark or the origins of a new venture around our ideals, our dreams, in humanitarian concerns, in Collective or spiritual experience, or in those matters where we are deluded, misled, or deceived (that is, where we believe we’re headed toward a dream that may in fact be a nightmare). That’s the thing with Piscean energies: it’s difficult for the individual to know if they are being inspired or fooled, are seeing a dream manifesting or being led toward a kind of disaster, one where the individual intent is subsumed to the Universal one, or even where the individual spark is absorbed into the dominant stream of events, leaving us feeling inconsequential and adrift.

There’s a square to Jupiter in Gemini–that’s a lot of talk/ thoughts/ ideas, exaggerated, overblown, where much more is promised (or threatened) than can be delivered–but also where the social order has a strong voice, sounding out on Collective beliefs or networking people through ‘the facts’ and what those imply. In hard aspect, the New Moon suggests that what’s born there is in sharp contrast to the current social mentality–to the point where there’s active conflict. Pisces wants to aim at the ideal, to include everyone–and Jupiter in Gemini, more than anything else, wants to be believed, and isn’t beyond using reasoning, connections, exaggeration, even gossip to persuade. That pits altruistic intentions against the stake society has in getting us to agree and conform, with the result that we’ll see a lot of selective perceptions and carefully curated (to the point of untruth) information that will meet resistance from those longing to see ideals implemented–or to escape from what those selective perceptions are creating in the dream’s stead.

There are a slight handful of other aspects made by the New Moon, including a novile to Chiron at 20 Aries=from taking a good look at what we’ve discovered from our own wounds or in use of our Chirotic talents we can source incredibly smart solutions in personal choices and actions; the NM makes a semi-sextile to Venus in Aries, which is still at this point direct=we can turn over a new leaf with relationships, or by using assets to support ideals, or in measuring choices against values–small steps that lead us closer to dreamed-of circumstances or goals; and the New Moon is conjoined the asteroid Kassandra=you know the story of the mortal Kassandra, yes? The Sun god Apollo fell in love with her, and gave her the gift of prophecy, but when she didn’t respond with affection, attention, and dedication in return, this incel immortal grew angry. What the gods bestow they can’t take away, but they can add conditions: Apollo decreed that, though Kassandra knew the future, she’d never be believed, and so it was: Kassandra wandered the rest of her life, experiencing the frustration that only those who see but aren’t able to convince can know. This suggests that what begins at the New Moon springs from clear and accurate perceptions, particularly of what may be coming, but that we ourselves may not believe it, or those it would be necessary to cooperate with might not. This disbelief may be emotional (we can’t accept the reality of things, as it contradicts something we hold dear), or resistance may be masquerading as an intuition, as more accurate than the vision or inspiration (Pisces) we received. Of note, and perhaps relevant to this last bit, Neptune is conjoined the North Node, making it difficult to see what’s around the corner, and/ or to inspire new directions that support ideals or dreams.

The New Moon Sabian symbol is, ‘An Aviator Pursues His Journey, Flying Through Ground-Obscuring Clouds’. That’s a bit hair-raising, considering the recent spate of aviation disasters, and may signal synchronicity, pointing out that we are right in ‘the groove’ of what we might term fated occurrences. Beyond that, there’s the idea that we may be insisting on ‘taking off’ no matter what, despite the fact that we can’t locate firm ground beneath us, can’t see where it’s safe to ‘put down’, or could, as sometimes happens to actual aviators, become disoriented, not knowing ‘which way is up’. All could bring about a ‘crash’ of one kind or another. That’s the nature of an event in Pisces, though: it makes us dream, it gives us hope–and we could really use that, right now–

Full Moon in Leo 12 February 2025 Cutting the Thread

11 Tuesday Feb 2025

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Grand Cross/Grand Square, Sabian Symbols

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‘The Fates Gathering in the Stars’ By Elihu Vedder 1887 {{PD}}

Mercury has just moved off Superior Conjunction to the Sun when the Full Moon falls into place (at 5:54 AM PST on the 12th at 24 Leo 06), leaving us with fresh results of recent actions in our sights, and perhaps distracting us from the Lunar developments, just a little. That means we may be slow to realize what’s actually happening, especially if we aren’t tuned in to our own feelings and intuitions. These will be illuminating, so when they point things out to you, believe them.

A Grand Cross is formed at the time of the Full Moon, with the first arm made up of Luna in Leo conjoined the asteroid Atropos, named for the Fate who cuts the life thread of each individual; she determines one’s end point here on Earth, with her name meaning, ‘unalterable’. This suggests we’ll know intuitively, or via our emotional responses, what has reached its maximum life at this time. Whether we cut the thread ourselves or merely witness it, there will be no doubt that an end point has been reached, likely taking the form of an end to ego assertion, Self-expression, making an example of oneself, individual accomplishment that acts as a beacon for others (for either good or ill), or in warmth of feeling that has finally concluded (Leo). We will, in some important way, be a different person because of it.

The Moon-Earth will of course be opposed by the Sun, with the Solar orb conjoined by Ceres and Sappho, forming the opposing arm of the Cross. Wherever the Sun is, our attention is drawn there; at any one time the Solar light highlights the life areas and subjects of the sign in which it sits, and with a Full Moon, can inadvertently compete with the Lunar light that illuminates with more subtle forms of insight, emotional revelation, feeling, and intuitive acknowledgment and confirmation. In this case, the energy and intelligence of the Solar light melds with awareness of the power and authority of Nature, and the responsibility of each individual to nurture and protect those others and areas of life we are responsible for. There’s also the influence of a recognition of ‘the Other’ who is like us, and a willingness to partner with them. It’s a cooperative energy; we’re looking for ways to work with others, and we find them, through an intellectual understanding, or through the urge to be original, rebellious, or via delivered revelation (Aquarius). We’ll be pursuing some form of this consciously, even as the more subdued Lunar energies are at work.

The Cross formed to the Solar/ Lunar axis involves an opposition between Uranus in Taurus and Juno in Scorpio. The influence is one again of uniqueness, individuality, or the unexpected, this time that takes material form or that invokes the senses, the perception of security, or facets of the artisanal or enjoyment of the physical. We seek comfort in the unusual and yet we look to soothe ourselves with what’s familiar and reassuring; if we choose the ‘right’ Taurean forms (and that depends on who we are, what we find comforting), then we’ll find a serious kind of empowerment as a result. Seeing to our emotional needs and the physical/ material things that make us feel stable and nurtured offers a major advantage in calling our own shots and using our power–which we may employ to edit some area of life we’ve found threatening, or we may purge something that has been draining our power, or resurrect something that connects us to neglected or forgotten avenues of expression.

The Full Moon also sextiles Black Moon Lilith in Libra=our emotional perceptions and intuition will be affected by our relationships with others–just how depends on what we’re not acknowledging between us, or what anger one or both of us harbor. We also see a wide trine between the FM and a conjunction of Chiron and Eris in Aries=what comes forward at the Lunar event is, between the involvement of Aries and Leo, definitely centered on ourselves and our Will; this aspect implies at least some of the hurt or healing is triggered by discord inherent in the situation, and that there’s something we can do about it (Fire signs). What upsets are being generated when we act or choose, when we do what we want to do? Others’ reactions to our Self-expression will be instrumental in how this all plays out.

The Moon’s Sabian is, ‘A Large Camel Is Seen Crossing A Vast And Forbidding Desert’. The image describes a way of getting through a highly inhospitable setting. As human beings we are challenged to adapt to the unforgiving climate of a desert; a camel, which is adapted to that environment, is a means of helping us get to the other side. This suggests we’ll need to find an appropriate approach to get through some unwelcoming or difficult situation. Dealing with our own emotions at this Full Moon may be difficult, but this image assures us that if we adapt as needed, we’ll get through to the other side, and this is something that, without emotional flexibility, we might not be able to do.

We also look at the Sun’s Sabian, ‘A Butterfly With The Right Wing More Perfectly Formed’. We see where we lack development, and are pointed in the direction of remedying that–and that, on it’s own, can be an emotional stressor. Be gentle with yourself, and don’t demand a resolution to everything that’s emotionally uncomfortable at this time. A simple willingness to see what we need to do differently will send things in the right direction.

There’s a lot of buried or denied feelings, many of them negative, that surface at this time, and even if we don’t confront them directly, those emotions will be instrumental in how we feel about ourselves post-Full Moon. The role we play, or the identity we have, after the Lunar experience will have shifted according to what ends, what thread of our life experience is cut, our connection severed forever after. That may be an unsettling thought, but we should trust that we’ll be a little more authentically ourselves because of what happens–and that we always have a choice about who we are, no matter how limited our options may seem.

If you find yourself checking repeatedly for the New or Full Moon reports, you can sign up to be notified by email whenever I post. Link on the right, and have a great week!

Snapshot, Early February 2025

06 Thursday Feb 2025

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Retrogrades + Directions, Sun/Mercury Superior Conjunction

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‘The Girl With The Pearl Earring modern alteration Selfiegirl’ By Mitchell Grafton

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With Jupiter in Gemini now direct and slowly gathering apparent speed, we can expect an opening up, even an avalanche–of information, of others reaching out, even of gossip (beware misinformation!). Venus teases a sextile to Jupiter (which should be our payoff moment to what we learn, right?) but instead Venus does her once-every-18-months retrograde March 1 (at 10 Aries, “I was gonna do it, but . . .”), before that information or bounty (Jupiter) of worth (Venus) is delivered. We believe our efforts, initiative, or choices (Aries) will benefit us, but we’re in for a rude surprise–our reward is withdrawn (the retro), at least temporarily–so keep that in mind as the month drags on, and we think, probably more than once, that we’ve found ‘The Answer’ that will deliver that reward, only to have it deflate in our hands.

At this point (the 6th) Mercury is just a day away from Superior (direct) Conjunction with the Sun, promising revelation (of information, a reveal of circumstances, or Higher Mind understanding–Aquarius) that was sparked back at the Inferior Conjunction 6 December, and that involves Sun-Merc forming a quincunx to still retro Mars=irritation or unsureness may lead to aggressive words or ill-thought out actions. This duo also sextiles Chiron, suggesting that we may need to call on our own unique talents in order to maintain our independence and continue to call our own shots–or that it may be a little too easy to retreat to the wound, rather than tackle what’s in front of us.

The recent direction of Uranus in Taurus (30 January) has been showing us the weak spots inherent to our (threatened) sense of security and the potential upheavals to our material situation–and these will continue at least through mid-March, until Uranus picks up speed and Mars, by then direct, comes along to sextile it from Cancer in early April, showing us what to do to address those matters we care about. Right now Mars in Cancer is closely trine Saturn in Pisces, delivering real-world inspiration that we may put into action at a later point–so note what you’re dreaming of making a reality, as you might just get the chance to make it happen, soon.

Other notable contacts include: Neptune in Pisces conjoined the tense North Node, trined by Juno in Scorpio, sextiled by Pallas in Capricorn, and semi-sextiled by Hygieia at 29 Aries=this suggests we may be unsure, inspired, or under some delusion about our path forward; the current direction is, however, empowering, as long as we remain aware of our own darkness, and our own inner wisdom–to lose touch with either of these is to court an unhealthy situation where we’re prone to at least be misled, if not robbed of one or more facets of our autonomy.

Ceres in Aquarius is now in a tight square with Uranus in Taurus, with Ceres trine the Black Moon Lilith point in Libra, which is also conjoined Zeus (and Uranus quincunx this point), and Eris in Aries sextile Ceres and opposed BML-Zeus=authority squares off against individuality and Self-determination, with authority essentially approaching things as if it’s an intellectual exercise and those they’d like to impose their Will on rebelling, especially in terms of the material situation and what makes them feel secure. The subtle (and so not realized or acknowledged) influence is ambition and desire along with every matter buried or denied. Isn’t this the recipe for a bomb? And here’s the fuse: Eris in Willful, headstrong, go-one’s-own-way, can’t tell me what to do Aries. Those who want to make the rules are approaching things from an airy, theoretical POV, and haven’t the slightest clue as to the massive pent-up energies of rebellion and Self-determination their template for others calls forward. All I know is that I want to be on the side of those who support freedom, as those would-be overlords don’t see what they’re up against, or how much their own wants and fears are both driving and weakening their position.

A quincunx from Chaos in Cancer to Pluto in Aquarius sums it all up: we’ll overturn all the tables in the temple to keep what we care about from being destroyed–and at the same time we must remain aware of the way obliteration and regeneration are a fact of life, and a means of renewal. But the planets, and especially the story the asteroids and other points are telling right now, says we don’t have to sit back and let others decide those changes for us.

Have a lovely weekend, my friends!

New Moon in Aquarius 29 January 2025 Trust Yourself

27 Monday Jan 2025

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

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‘Old House, New Moon’ By George Ault 1943 {{PD}}

The New Moon occurs at 9 Aquarius 51 at 4:35 AM PST, widely conjoined (but moving away from) another separating aspect, a conjunction of Mercury to Pluto, both within the first three degrees of the sign. This scenario tells a story of a recent past where we received devastating, destructive, and transformative communications, thoughts, ideas, that we were first made aware of a scant week+ before. Well, we all know what happened 10 days ago, and this has completely changed what we’re seeing in the world. The Aquarian age itself has taken on a formidable air, Pluto teasing rage, rebirth, and massive, permanent change, while this New Moon offers a dawning recognition that the Uranian future we’ve been speculating about is now.

There’s rebellion, and then there’s rebellion, with chaos and anarchy used as both a tool and a weapon, the surprise being it’s fostered as much by those with power as without. We tend to think of the act of revolt as creating two clear sides and as more than justified, a ‘reached our limit’ way to throw off the yoke of tyranny and the restraints of a social order too far out of balance–but when there are many sides, all claiming they’re justified, all claiming they’re victims, is it any wonder that what is unique or new or unusual is mistaken for that which is truly revolutionary? That’s where we are right now, the recent reveals first shocking and then causing either rage or celebration (depending on your vision of the Uranian future unfolding)–and with everybody believing they’re redressing wrongs, restoring fairness. One thing to remember is that the just passed Merc-Pluto conjunction showed us ‘The Truth’–but it’s our relationship to Uranian Higher Mind, to the capacity of the intellect, and the possibility it may argue for beliefs already believed, rather than the grit of reality, that determines whether we meet the New Moon new starts with a mentality that serves the Greater Good, or one that serves the individual needs only.

The crisis is shown by the Nodal axis, North in Pisces, South in Virgo, at 29 degrees, and so feeling the pressure to abandon the practical and workable (SN in Virgo) for a chance at making the ideal real (NN in Pisces). That’s the motivator, but we must be careful; the road to you-know-where is paved not just with good intentions, but with those attempts at genuine reform taken often as not for the right reasons, that fail because there was too much Pisces in the vision, not enough Virgo down-to-Earth details–but those are the people who meant well, who didn’t succeed but also didn’t harm. How do we handle those who disrupt in order to take advantage, to disenfranchise, to, in a worst case scenario, steal?

The New Moon in Aquarius says we do it by having a clear mentality focused on Higher Mind beliefs that take the new, the unusual, the unexpected, and surface our own unique strengths in response; the changes may be disruptive, disorienting, upsetting, and feel out-of-control, but it’s in knowing our own priorities, knowing what we truly believe in and see as important, that we are able to craft a perfect, and highly disciplined, answer to change. It’s a cutting loose (or, more likely, forcing loose) from old constraints that allows a synchronization of the instinctual and the revolutionary–without ever losing sight of the bigger picture, and the ultimate desired outcome. The message is: trust yourself. You’ll know just how to respond, and you’ll find you have everything you need, inside you and at your fingertips.

There are a couple of contacts worth noting: a semi-square of the New Moon to Venus in Pisces. This aspect is the farthest the Sun and Venus ever are apart, suggesting maximum strain, maximum ‘love lost’ around the New Moon beginnings. The New Moon also trines Jupiter, magnifying all our perceptions; this should be reassuring: things aren’t as bad, or as absolute in either direction, as they might currently seem. Vesta is conjoined Hekate, both at 9 Scorpio, and so square the New Moon. Scorpio again suggests the Truth is in play, with the wayshower (Hekate) using what we are dedicated to (Vesta) as our way of measuring whether what we do and choose is correct, or off the mark.

We also see a couple eloquent placements, the New Moon conjoined Icarus and opposed Karma. So, a bit of a warning, with a great big promise: don’t overdo, don’t fly too high, but in any case, what arrives in the wake of this Lunar moment will in some way be entirely deserved, entirely justified–and if that looks negative to you, you need to think about how the Universe is always working in your favor, and trying to steer you right–anything removed opens the way for something better, and any challenge simply requires you to know what matters.

The Sabian symbol needs no elaboration: ‘A Man Who Had For A Time Become The Embodiment Of A Popular Ideal Is Made To Realize That As A Person He Is Not This Ideal’. I rest my case.

Full Moon 13 January 2025: On Our Own

11 Saturday Jan 2025

Posted by in astrology, Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Lunar Aspects, Sabian Symbols

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‘A Nun’ By Ragnhild Beichmann 1878 {{PD}}

The Full Moon perfects at 2:26 PM PST at 23 Cancer 59 on the 13th, conjoined a retrograde Mars. This points to an effect that will only grow as the Moon and Mars move toward each other over the hour+ after Lunar phase perfection: frustration. Mars is in its fall in Cancer, where it struggles to exert its Will, to express the ‘I Am’ fully, to act in a straight line (that is, consciously, cleanly, moving from point A to point B); add to this its retrograde status, with the recognition that the Lunar energies/ event rules Mars at this point, and we have fuel for action that is anything but Self-aware, aboveboard, and accomplishing what we think it’s accomplishing. That certainly sounds like a red flag, doesn’t it? But let’s not be hasty; with the right approach, we can take this emotion-soaked, contorted energy of caring, concern, and doing what needs to be (and we want to be) done, which likely creates results we don’t want and can’t anticipate, and turn it into a very positive thing.

Let’s put this Full Moon-Mars contact in context: the Moon moving ever closer to perfecting its conjunction with Mars also means it’s moving toward perfecting a trine with Neptune in its own sign of Pisces. This suggests delusion or deception easily drives our choices and actions–so how do we save ourselves? By vetting those choices and actions against our highest standards, ideals, and dreams (the positive side of Neptune). Ask yourself, What’s the most perfect thing that could happen here, that I could wish to have happen? That will keep our actions from carrying us way out into (a possibly hostile) left field.

Then there’s the way the Moon and Mars act as the arm to a loose T-square to the opposition of Chiron in Aries opposed Black Moon Lilith in Libra–and if we include the Sun, we can see this as a Cardinal Grand Cross. This describes the Lunar event as: 1) anticipatible–we can see it coming, if we’ll only open our eyes, and as 2) arising from a need to answer the stand-off occurring between our own hurt, especially as it pertains to our Will being thwarted, and those things within our relationships that we have denied, ignored, or that have been hidden from us–and that potentially enrage us, even as we must recognize them. In this case, Mars, as hobbled as it is, will benefit from the Moon’s intuition and focus on caring, nurture, and emotional comfort; being honest about our feelings and those things we sense as true will go a long way toward helping guide our actions, and will help keep the results within the range we intended.

Uranus in Taurus sextiles the Full Moon, emphasizing a surprise or shock factor and letting us know that even if we can parse things ahead of time we’ll still need to deal with sudden developments or previously unknown material.

We also find some other interesting influences clustered around the various points, and though the orbs may be a little loose, the configuration reinforces the need to recognize them. Chiron in Aries is accompanied by Eris=our choices and actions will stir up any buried enmity others may carry–just know that’s possible. Juno in Scorpio forms a loose Grand Trine with the Moon-Mars and Neptune=a not entirely conscious need for empowerment may be behind what we’re terming our ideals; it will serve us to weed out what are actually power plays from the genuine ideals picture. Nemesis and Zeus are conjoined Black Moon Lilith in Libra=this suggests there’s a lot more to what we’re ignoring about our relationships than we think (or may admit. Treating our partner/ relationships as enemies is really verboten, if we want them to be successful, or even peaceful), and unacknowledged ambitions and desires can blow the whole thing up, unless we are honest about our real wants and feelings. And lastly, Persephone is conjoined the Sun, implying that all of this is surfacing by way of a (probably premature) journey we’re already on, to discover our own personal Underworld, what it’s made of, what it conceals, and how we can integrate it for the strengths it can provide.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Woman And Two Men Castaways On A Small Island Of The South Seas’. Two things strike me about this image: the idea of involuntary isolation, and the fact that the animus (doing) energy is twice that of the anima (receptive or being) energy. This describes to me a certain pressure we’re under to find an active ‘solution’ to what’s before us, as well as a status that makes us feel essentially alone in our decision-making, despite the strong role our partnerships will play in the action and choice process.

The Sun’s Sabian is, ‘A Woman Entering A Convent’. Since the Sun is the light-giver, and so the light source for the Moon, we need to look at its Sabian in order to see what might be behind the Lunar event. In this instance it’s the idea that, though we feel involuntarily isolated at present, we initially instigated that solitary way of being quite willingly. I think this speaks to the way we tend to say, ‘Oh wow, I can’t believe where I am, I can’t believe what’s happening to me,’ and yet the reality is that every single decision we’ve ever made brought us to these circumstances. It’s the need to recognize we have indeed chosen where we are–rather than seeing ourselves as victims of forces beyond us, or of happenstance–and that even though there are indeed many things that are outside our control, we have placed ourselves here after using all our best decision-making processes. It’s a humbling energy, and one we can fully benefit from only when we acknowledge we are our own ultimate decision-maker–no one else can pull us from our (largely Self-created) situation.

New Moon 30 December 2024 A New Year Takes Shape

29 Sunday Dec 2024

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

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Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio – Paul Morris, Aaron E. Lepsch, Hubble Telescope {{PD}}

The New Moon perfects at 2:26 PM PST of the 30th at 9 Capricorn 43. New Moons are fresh beginnings, and in Capricorn the implication is that a new structure, new rules or boundaries, or a new container for life energies is forming–the question becomes, how conscious are we of this construct, how deliberately are we controlling its shape, and how can we make this serve us, rather than restrain us? Too, we’ll either likely see some previous (and probably no longer functioning) system removed, with the Capricorn New Moon system proposed in its place, or we see a lack in or even an ’empty’ life area suddenly alive with the promise of both order and meaning. That’s really the thing with Capricorn: it brings order to things and in so doing provides meaning that’s in great part due to the shape those things have been given–a matter of the medium both containing and itself being the message.

If we’re aware that the meaning is in many ways contained within the structure, we’ll see a much more accurate and nuanced picture of the situation. Too often we’re inclined to ignore the shape in which something arrives, and focus on the words or ideas or images themselves, but with Capricorn that’s not a good idea; even the most seemingly blatant message (‘you’re getting a million dollars!’) will contain further meaning when the goat is the messenger (‘And it’s all in pennies!’)

The New Moon coming on the eve of New Year’s Eve is its own message: we’re on the cusp of something brand new, never before lived, on territory that, at least symbolically, allows us to renew ourselves and our approach to life. A Capricorn New Moon at this point offers a kind of prelude: choose a new shape, form, or structure by which to organize your life, and the New Year will bring fresh energies, opportunities, and problems with which to fill that structure. So, choose the shape you give things with care; when in the midst of humans a cage is more appropriate for a tiger than is cradling it in your arms, no matter how soft that pretty fur is.

Considering the possible aspects made by the New Moon, the orbs are just too great to ‘click’ with the New Moon moment. That suggests the freedom with which we can approach this organizing Capricorn force, allowing us to tailor our methods to fit our goals (or our madness!) Here on the West coast of the United States, Jupiter, though retro, will be rising, suggesting an atmosphere of opportunity, good fortune, ‘luck’, and the potential to exaggerate or overdo–sounds like the spirit of the New Year to me!

Also of note is the way the New Moon perfects conjoined two notable bodies: Pallas and the asteroid Lilith (not to be confused with the Black Moon Lilith point, also known as the mean apogee). This says wisdom and practicality are available to those who are Self-possessed, independent, not afraid of what others might say about their choices. It’s a ‘go your own way’ energy; also one that requires we trust ourselves and what we know to be right and true. This may feel a bit lonely to those of us who’re more socially inclined, but this is necessary ‘alone time’, so that the shape things take truly reflects your own needs, attitude, and situation.

The New Moon Sabian is, ‘An Albatross Feeding From The Hand Of A Sailor’. This symbol is interesting in that there’s a poem (Coleridge’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’) that talks about the psychological burden created when a sailor kills an albatross. His regret and sorrow is a kind of Self-punishment, and an albatross has more generally come to mean a burden one can’t rid oneself of. The thing is, the albatross has long been a symbol of both good and bad luck to sailors–so perhaps the fact that one is feeding the bird in this image implies a sort of mutual respect, a truce, if you will, wherein a sailor that once might’ve harmed the bird is now nurturing it. What in your life has been a burden that you now have a chance to see in an entirely new way, a way that will allow a ‘re-set’ and a lifting of guilt or the expiration of a long, old rivalry or antagonism?

For further illumination, examine Saturn in your natal chart, both by placement and situation at birth and as the energy transits your chart right now (what House is it moving through? That probably describes life areas where you’re feeling some restriction, shortage, or stress right now); include any contacts being made by transiting bodies to your Saturn; these will modify your perceptions of what’s holding you back, what offers you support, and what in your own mind the realities of the world consist of. This should give you some idea what shape those Capricornian influences will take and where they will likely be felt. Even if it doesn’t create a cohesive picture, it will give you the basic building blocks you’re likely to have access to/ be presented with in sorting out your New Moon, real-world scenario.

Dear Readers, Here’s wishing you all the best for a happy, safe, and adventurous New Year! Many thanks for all the kind support you’ve offered over the years. I’m looking forward to finishing my Moon book soon, and hope you’ll continue to visit here in 2025!