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Full Moon in Leo 5 February 2023 An Emotional Spotlight

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‘A Ray of Sunlight’ By John White Alexander 1898 {{PD}}

Ah! With the Full Moon in Leo we get a symbolic meeting of the Sun (through rulership) and Moon that suggests the kind of atmosphere where emotions come into their full glory. Maybe it’s no coincidence that this always falls relatively close to Valentine’s Day–or maybe it’s just that this combination offers a glimpse into what we’re putting in an emotional spotlight.

The event comes at 10:27 AM PST at 16 Leo 40. The only major aspect is the Moon-Earth forming a separating square to Uranus in Taurus. That suggests the Lunar culmination brings to light some conflict, difficulty, or stress (maybe related to material matters, intractability of a partner, or issues of security–Taurus) that offers a shock, a surprise, a revelation, or an innovative response–and this brings us to a conclusion, close out, or new understanding of what our feelings really are, and what they’re all about.

Sabian for this Full Moon is, ‘A Volunteer Church Choir Singing Religious Hymns’. Religion suggests an organized approach to faith, while we are told the participants are volunteers, joining voices to let their vision of how the Universe is organized be known and praised–and that requires belief in the unseen or unverifiable, as well as belief that one is perceiving what’s beyond the senses correctly. We always look at the Sun as well for a Full Moon: ‘A Watchdog Stands Guard, Protecting His Master And His Possessions’. Combined with the Full Moon Sabian, this suggests defending what we believe in and see as ours.

If this in combination is the energy of the Full Moon, we’re likely to react automatically and defensively when that Uranian challenge comes along and stirs our emotions; it possibly also stirs our fears of chaos or others moving along into the future without us. We are shocked by something, or shocked by our sudden understanding of something, and our immediate idea is to defend how we see things–but we’ll find our harmony by, rather than barking at what upsets us, singing the praises of what we genuinely accept and believe. Rather than struggle or become a victim of our own reactions, we should focus on the core matters of our faith, whatever those may be.

The fact that the Moon has recently quincunxed/ Earth was recently quincunxed by Venus, current ruler of Uranus, says that we’ve received ‘warnings’ (the quincunxes) in the recent past, gotten glimpses of the relationship issues (and these can be with others, the material world, and/ or with the spiritual) that will come forward–it’s just that at this point they bring the unexpected and seem to come as a shock or to deliver a dose of understanding about something that didn’t seem so clear before–with the challenge to us a call to see ourselves in a new light, especially emotionally.

There’s a minor contact of the Moon-Earth by septile to Ceres, which hints at it all in the end being about Power: who holds it, who exercises it, who oversteps their bounds, who’s responsible for what (and especially for whom). Ceres is also our connection to Nature, and to our own personal sense of authority, the kind that perpetually asks us, Am I truly in charge of myself? It asks us to inspect our choices for the influences, even coercion, of others, and it asks us to be genuinely responsible for everything we do. It also asks us to recognize the existence of powers beyond our control, such as Nature and the passage of Time; there are some things we must accept as out of our control, and so not our responsibility. The septile implies a spiritual tone to all this; we then must look at the Lunar event aware that whatever comes forward is a lesson (though I dislike that word, as we’re learning all the time) in our larger involvement in things. That promises that what occurs mirrors our spiritual state, with others or a situation standing in for the Universe itself. It’s about relationship in its biggest sense, and who we are as an individual (Leo), making our way into the future/ forward with the group (Aquarius).

A Note for Today + Tax Tips!

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Of note today: a precise T-square consisting of Mercury in Capricorn opposed Pallas in Cancer, both squared by Chiron in Aries=we may push boundaries in communications, entertaining unwise options or speaking with an eye to torquing others’ ‘feels’ in order to accomplish short-term goals–but consider how this may wound inadvertently in larger ways. Egos may bruise easily, and the ‘I Am’ may find itself momentarily confused; we and others are all susceptible. Tamp down urges toward insistence and aggression (especially if it’s framed as ‘concern’) and you’ll avoid planting the seeds of serious injury.

And now: Tax tips!

‘Paying the Tax (The Tax Collector)’ By Pieter Brueghel the Younger c1630 {{PD}}

This previously appeared in Eclipse in 2014, now slightly modified to bring it up to date.

We’re coming up on tax time in the US, but these rules apply in any country at any time when paying anything where you could be audited and the tax man could come back for more. These suggestions apply equally to personal taxes and business taxes, and have proven very useful in the real world; for myself, in a business that invites scrutiny (astrology is actually illegal in some parts of the US), I’ve filed using these guidelines for at least 27 years now, and I’ve never been audited or had the return questioned in any way. These suggestions are based on some I first saw in the work of March and McEvers—if you’re not familiar with them and their well-presented work, you might want to be. Their series, ‘The Only Way to . . .’ offers an excellent grounding in a number of Astro-areas.

Timing Is Everything. It seems it’s all in the moment you release the Return; whether dropping it in a mailbox or pushing ‘Send’ on the computer. That’s the point at which you lose control of the numbers, and entrust them to Big Brother. So to that end, you choose a moment during the Moon’s Void of Course period, every two and one half days. This can get tricky, as sometimes the Void is only a few minutes in length, but it’s worth planning ahead for.

The idea is that the Moon symbolizes the forward (linear) movement from one event to the next that is the essence of daily life; it represents time, not in Saturn’s slow, trudging-forward, span-of-eons way, but in the way that nothing sits still, everything is changing perpetually, and the Moon captures that changing nature of life in its swift cycle of waxing and waning. When it’s in the Void, it has made the last major aspect it will make to another body while still in that sign; it leaves the Void when it enters the next sign. In that period between the final aspect and entering a new sign, the Moon is said to carry no energy behind it; events, then, lack that same impetus, trailing off into nothing, coming to nothing, or never getting off the ground in the first place. This is advantageous in paying the tax bill as it would typically be scrutinized for discrepancies and extra due. Offering it in a Void period, though, removes the energy that would ‘cling’, in a psychic sense, to the Return, which should allow it to flow through the system without a hitch, with either payment or refund over in no time. Whenever you want to put something through a system and have it pass through with little problem and without drawing attention, then initiating the journey during the Moon’s Void is the right time.

Stay away from submitting something during a Void when you DO want it to draw attention. Don’t enter a contest, submit a paper or article, or apply for a job or for entrance to a college, or make that ‘first moment’ in the Void for anything else where you want to be seen and heard. No interviews, placing orders, or announcements, either. There’s another condition that applies to the Void, the potential for things not to go as planned. This chiefly applies to gatherings or something actually started during the Void, and it plays off what we anticipate going forward: if we believe we can start the party and it will be just fine, a convivial evening of laughter and warmth, what we may get is a lot of no-shows, a couple of fistfights, or an evening where everyone stands in icy silence with a drink in their hand. The opposite can occur, too: if we think something may be a disaster, we may be pleasantly surprised. Unanticipated outcomes and the unexpected will be drawn into the Void like water down a drain–so be prepared.

Have an excellent weekend! If you’ve written to me lately and I haven’t gotten back to you, please understand that I’m unable to correspond with everyone I’d like to–if I give my time to personal questions, chat, and uninvited queries I have that much less time to work–and right now, for me, it’s all about the work. My apologies to those who’ve been disappointed.

New Moon in Aquarius 21 January 2023 The Prison of the Mind

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A new moon setting over Gåseberg, Lysekil Municipality, Sweden, 2016

Photo courtesy of W.carter

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

That’s a little dramatic, isn’t it? Maybe it should be something like, ‘Isolated in (or by) our own minds’, or in its most benign form, ‘Alone with our thoughts’. The Moon in the sign of the intellect is always a little uncomfortable (though more easily tolerated by those who live with a natal meld of Water/ Air or who have the Moon in an Air sign); there’s a quite natural struggle to parse feeling from thinking, and knowing the difference depends almost entirely on how clear we are about our own feelings.

We shouldn’t forget that the ancient ruler of Aquarius is Saturn, suggesting the potential for fear or depression to arise from emotional discomfort. It’s a mistranslation of feeling, the emotions taking a negative form of Aquarian shape, and probably taking a form that distracts you and so prevents you knowing what that true feeling is. That means you miss how you feel about something important, or vital, or simply right in front of you, because the mind is too busy looking out for what you fear will appear, or what you fear will oppress you. It’s a way of protecting yourself from being uncomfortably clear on reality–which says you’re hiding from some facts or situation you desperately need to be aware of.

New Moons are new beginnings, and with this New Moon in Aquarius we can plant a seed of awareness, begin to embrace intellectual understanding of some issue, or lay plans to take a chance, rebel, revolutionize ‘the system’. The NM is widely conjoined Pluto in Capricorn, and opposed the Black Moon Lilith point, suggesting that what we may see is new thought or understanding (NM in AQ) springing from the termination, destruction, or resurgence of a framework, system, or set of standards or rules (PL in CAP). This shift, whether it’s obliteration or a re-birth, allows us to uncover what’s been ignored, denied, or has enraged many in material matters (BML-Earth), and in so acknowledging make the first steps toward true change. We can’t change what we don’t see and admit the existence of; that’s a painful part of the energy of transformation that can then lead to healing.

We might also experience this New Moon as a time to shake things up, to be the rebel–but don’t fool yourself, even if it seems the group is behind you, you’ll end up going it alone–and again, any unusual stir may be camouflaging genuine feeling, re-directing the energy that should go to processing this emotion into a ’cause’ or a sense of righteousness that will totally distract from the actual emotional issue at hand.

There’s also a wide out-of-element trine to Sedna and a sextile to Jupiter-Juno in Aries, both of which suggest, in the most general terms, that efforts must be made to sort instinct from social conditioning, personal autonomy from the need to parent or supervise, and to sort out who holds authority, who’s in charge, in any situation–and this is so even if you’re someone who’s not looking to boss anyone around. The aloneness we may find ourselves trying to go beyond will either be an emotional and mental ‘prison’, tormenting us as we fail to reach others, or can become a chance at quiet introspection, making the mind a meditation chamber instead of a torture one.

Now, that struggle for the Moon in Aquarius in knowing what’s a feeling, what’s a thought, is ongoing, though it becomes the environment for all of us each time Luna passes through the sign. A New Moon here promises us the chance to hold something in the mind in a clear, new light. With the current dearth of New Moon aspects, though, we may feel a potential sense of isolation, even confinement–the ‘prison’ of the title–with no easy means of reaching out to or communing with others–even as those tussles over who holds authority blossom. Growing awareness of the new means we are that much more focused on the fact that we are discovering, learning the facts, on our own, in a way that makes it difficult to share our experience, and so alleviate any unsteadiness or doubt or fear. Awareness of the social sphere (Jupiter) and any power struggles that may come along (Jupiter-Juno) only enhances our sense of separation from others. It’s a wee bit strange, a wee bit uncomfortable, but the process is one that is meant to spark reform and help us learn to trust our own instincts and those things we, deep inside, ‘know but don’t know’ (Sedna).

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘An Unexpected Thunderstorm’. There’s Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, in both the unexpected nature of what will occur, and in the symbol of the thunderstorm–so a bit of rough weather, the kind that’s a little dangerous but that energizes, that brings a cleansing, healing rain. No flood here (unless it’s a flash flood, which has a Plutonian nature, of wipeout that leaves nothing behind), as thunderstorms are typically volatile but brief, a discharge of energy that ‘clears the air’–and so this New Moon can be for us.

Mercury & Uranus Direct: No Excuses

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‘Moon Night Thinking’ By Arkhip Kuindzhi, between 1876 and 1890 {{PD}}

I don’t mean to be unkind, but every time I hear someone lament how a retrograde planet is screwing up their lives, I want to scream. Or at least say, That planet represents an energy influence, not an energy directive–how you meet it is how it behaves. By that I mean, if you are open to what that energy is showing you, you can respond appropriately. It’s in resisting, insisting on doing things the way we always have, or in believing events have nothing to tell you that the disturbing results of a retrograde become truly negative. In my view a retrograde isn’t ‘doing things to us’, it’s showing us what might be backward in our own behavior or approach, or what needs attention that we’ve put to the side as not important enough to put our energy into.

Now, you may argue that something like mechanical mess-ups during a Merc retro, for instance, are outside anything we control; but I would argue problems with like items are symbolic of what’s not working in our own choices or actions, in our own ability to process information, or to understand what’s coming at us. Mechanical/ electronic issues can also signal matters of the nervous system/ nerve impulses, intellectual processing/ cognitive ability, lungs, or dissonance between what we have in our minds and what we’re actually communicating. There are myriad ways breakdown of a machine can speak to us of other life areas–we just have to listen in a way that sees everything in our lives as a whole, rather than as unrelated, discrete parts.

Mercury goes direct on the 18th just before 1:12 PM PST at 8 Capricorn 08, with the first two aspects it will perfect after direction a quincunx to stationary direct Mars and a trine to the North Node. Merc in Capricorn seeks solid ground: facts, systems and structures, concrete conditions (which can making thinking far too literal), rules to think by–or perhaps, rules to follow so one doesn’t have to think! The contact to Mars says we start to examine our own choices and actions in real-world terms–we ask ourselves what impact these have had–and we then want to assess, see where we need to adjust either thinking or doing so that things are more in line with what we want (and that may be to make us more comfortable, aligning things with the status quo or with already-in-place structures, with the intent of modifying later–the quincunx). A trine to the North Node says we easily keep our life direction in mind when making modifications to action and thought–so no need to worry that we’ll act against our true direction, or take ourselves off track.

Uranus goes direct on the 22nd, a full day after the New Moon, at 14 Taurus 56 (with the heavies time of turnaround isn’t vital, we just need to know generally when). This happens about 5 hours after being squared by the Moon in Aquarius, suggesting an emotional or intuitive jolt that brings a shift in perspective, probably related to matters of the House in the natal chart Uranus is currently transiting or the House in the natal chart Uranus rules (that’s the one with Aquarius).

Sometimes Uranus is referred to as the ‘higher octave’ of Mercury, so it wouldn’t surprise me if the two directions aren’t all of a piece, involving a lot of rethinking–which may surprise, as we usually come out of a retrograde period all thunk out, so to speak. Expect a surprise or two, and an unusual amount of needed review, especially in areas that seem already firmly established. And remember, you’re in charge of how you respond to these bad boys–direct or retrograde, they don’t run you!

At Long Last: Mars Direct 12 January 2023 + The Green Comet

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‘Donati’s Comet’ By James Poole 1858 {{PD}}

Mars has lingered on the 8th degree of Gemini for about a week and a half before finally shifting apparent motion (on the 12th at 12:57 PM PST)–and then lingers still at that 8th degree for nearly another two weeks after the change in direction. Those with natal placements at 8 degrees of Sagittarius, Pisces, Virgo, and in Gemini will feel both the stationary pressure and the shift to direct more than others, specific to the point or body contacted, with the influence/ experience having a highly Martian quality: circumstances or actions imbued with assertive energy, aggressions from the Self or aimed at the Self by others, the potential for violence or situations, literal or figurative, that call out the Warrior in the individual, or simply difficult choices, of the ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea’ variety. For the rest of us any stationary period makes related circumstances feel cemented in place, as if they will never end, usually related to matters of the House Mars is currently transiting, or the House it rules in the natal chart–which, in the case of Mars, makes it important that we don’t act, react, or choose based on precisely where things are right now–there will be movement, probably sooner than you think.

This retro period has been, by all accounts, filled with upheaval, upset, and every other kind of up, including breaking up, giving up, and coughing up the Truth. Matters of choice or actions taken play out successfully or not along lines relative to how honest we are about culpability, responsibility, and admissions of vulnerability that leave us at the mercy of others. That is, those with a strong sense of Self that holds ego to a minimum have probably fared best during the retro–but in any case, we’ve been shown a little bit of chaos, and been asked (often forced) to respond to it. That kind of in your face drama will be ending, subject to this: on turnaround Mars in Gemini makes a loose quincunx to Mercury in Capricorn, perfecting the 16th-17th with still retro stationing Merc and Mars finally picking up normal direct speed. This puts the spotlight on thought, especially thoughts that question the status quo or current structure, or ideas that attempt to ‘break into’ an exclusionary system.

We also see Mars at stationary direction involved in two configurations. One is a Finger of God with Mars widely sextile Chiron, apex the South Node of the Moon in Scorpio. That suggests a strong potential for both our thinking and our actions to boil up out of our wounds, especially if those hurts echo the darker parts of the past, the ones we might like to forget, or are a little ashamed of. The sense may be that Mars releases us, and we go with it, rather than our realizing that release is something we can enjoy without needing to act out. Bad choices will be prompted by a feeling that we need to make up time, catch up and even the score. Not smart.

The other config is a Fist of God, with Zeus square the Sun and Mars the apex. A Fist takes a tough situation and gives one an out through the apex–but that apex energy doesn’t offer to resolve the situation so much as blow it up. It’s another side to that sense of release, a bit of a warning: if you’re dissatisfied with your current identity/ sense of Self/ direction in life, if ambitions are eating at you, their lack of fulfillment causing you to denigrate or question your worth, then you are potentially vulnerable to making poor choices or acting out. Again, release from the Martian thumb doesn’t mean go wild, responding to your frustrations with ill-considered acts–it means hold off, until thoughts are absolutely clear and aligned with your actual goals–not easy, but certainly more desirable than having to clean up a mess later.

And in comet news, a bright green one, known by the designation C/2022 E3, will be nearest to the Sun on the day Mars goes direct, but will be closest to Earth around the 1st of February, and potentially visible to the naked eye from Sun contact through early February. Sighting in the Northern Hemisphere requires binoculars or a telescope at dawn through most of January, and in the Southern Hemisphere it becomes visible by the same means in February. Read more here–

The Cancer Full Moon 6 January 2023: Ideas vs. Wisdom

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‘Two Odalisques Contemplating The Bosphorus’ By Ernest Hébert 1843 {{PD}}

The Full Moon perfects at 3:07 PM PST of the 6th at 16 Cancer 21, putting it conjoined Pallas and opposed the Sun and Mercury just before they join in Inferior Conjunction (the conjunction that occurs when Mercury is retrograde). Practical thoughts are being re-visited, illuminated, and how we feel about our environment, our surroundings, our accomplishments (or lack of them) is also being considered–and the outcome may be unpredictable, uncertain, institute radical shifts, or shock and surprise us (FM sextile Uranus), though we can be sure what we weigh and ruminate on at this point will be vetted against our highest values and commitments (FM trine Vesta). Perfection of the Inferior Conjunction will bring the illumination of something fresh, the planting of a seed, the inception of something, an idea or conception of the world (Capricorn) that may or may not prove viable–but the Full Moon helps with this, shining reflective light on the feasibility of it, and most importantly, on the wisdom of what we’re contemplating, along with, in this instance, the ability to see ahead, to visualize the outcome of our idea, and particularly the emotional impact this idea may have on us, if it comes to full term.

The Full Moon also forms a minor aspect with Jupiter, the squine (105 degrees), often defined as having characteristics of both the square and the trine–but that’s not very helpful in telling us what it means, is it? I think of it more as a pushme-pullyou aspect, one that takes the energies of the involved bodies and stirs them up in such a way that there are positives and negatives swirling around–and we as individuals pluck those factors we most respond to from the chaotic mix.

That means Jupiter’s influence will be highly individual, dependent on our own relationship to ‘the facts’, to the social order, to the idea of expansion, to education or religious belief/ indoctrination. Look for these personal effects in the House Jupiter rules in the natal chart, in matters of the House where it’s currently transiting for you, and/ or in expression of your own Jupiter placement, likely as a challenge that requires you to choose a path or an attitude that either embraces a Jupiterian factor or rejects it, opening the way for a ‘new’ version to be adopted.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘The Unfoldment Of Multilevel Potentialities Issuing From An Original Germ’. So, as expected, we will see the possibilities in a particular matter, one we will either choose to nurture or quash entirely, and these will bring an emotional effect, particularly emotional conclusions (the Full Moon), the “Germ” of course being found at the Inferior Conjunction. We also look at the Sabian for the Light-Giver, the Sun, and find this: ‘A Repressed Woman Finds A Psychological Release In Nudism’. This may be about freeing the mind (or relieving it) by adopting unvarnished honesty with ourselves, hiding nothing, ‘letting it all hang out’. I know honesty’s a theme with me, but it’s true: if we accept reality as our baseline, the need for subterfuge, deception, artifice all fall away–and leave that much more energy to make our own choices and institute what we want–and we have the advantage of actually seeing what is, which makes our decisions that much more effective, since they proceed from a realistic take on circumstances.

Also of note: Juno and Pluto are sextile=power struggles, but gentle ones, or maybe passive-aggressive ones, where it’ll be hard to say, “Stop!” without appearing to be churlish. Just know you are right–that is aggressive, no matter how many pretty bows are tied on it. Venus and Ceres are trine in Air, giving those with an anima orientation (that is, those who are receptive, who know that Being is as dynamic and effective as Doing) who also accept their own right to Self-determination, are able to reason out what’s worth it, what will payoff. Relationships do well at this time when everyone is clear on where their responsibilities and autonomy end and another’s begins.

Important, too, is that the Black Moon Lilith point pencils out to the 29th degree of Cancer=hidden, denied, or enraging matters are the most potent movers of the emotions. Be on the lookout for their sneakily invasive influence.

And have a lovely weekend!

A Resurgence of Love: Mercury Retrograde 29 December 2022

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During this retro and the lead up to it, we’re going to see the gaps in our close relationships, and awareness of that distance will probably be a little scary.’The Early Lovers’ By Eastman Johnson 1870 {{PD}}

Mercury technically switches apparent direction in the wee hours of the 29th PST, at 1:32 AM, but as per usual, it’s been stationary for a bit, so that we know what’s coming, whether we admit it or not. We’ve been previewing change and shifts in what used to make us feel secure, particularly in the realm of relationships and who holds the power. Merc officially takes on retro status closely conjoined Venus, with an exact meeting scheduled right after the retro. This confirms that Love, especially in partner relationships, is on the agenda, hinted at in the run up to the retro by Merc’s sextiles to Neptune and Juno in Pisces (we see where our empowerment in partnership might be a fantasy, and we become aware of what might be ideal), and involvement in a Cardinal Grand Cross with Zeus, Eris, and Pallas (we’re consumed by the conflicts among what we desire, what’s wise or practical, what’s worth going to war over! and what discord has been beneath the surface all along. Note Pallas moves on but this remains as a T-square for New Year’s, suggesting desires and related strife will still be on our minds, and in the air).

What have we been seeing about the partner or other intimate? We’re seeing the places where the foundation might be shaky, where our accord might not be as solid as we thought, where we may not be able to count on them as we have in the past (or conversely, we see that we can count on them, though our contribution or attitude must adjust to current conditions. We may become aware of weaknesses in them, not just in our relationship). These conditions won’t be found just in relationships, but may also be seen in any structure, system, status, condition, or hierarchy we’ve been invested in and relying on–we need to be willing to see the reality of it, as any attempts to deal with matters will collapse if our choices aren’t firmly rooted in real-world circumstances, and the ways these are changing, or need to change, in order to function effectively.

The moment of retrograde, which gives us a snapshot of what to expect over the retro period, shows a Pisces Moon at 29 degrees–it’s painful when our fantasies are shredded, but it’s worse when reality seems to ‘come out of nowhere’ to blindside us, so see the emotional upset as a gift that points directly at what needs attention. ‘A Store Filled With Precious Oriental Rugs’ is the Sabian for both Mercury and Venus at the time of retro=we see the worth of what we hold, see the value of what we have, of what’s ‘contained (the store) in our reality. The emotional impact of all this is shown by the Sabian for the Moon at the time of retrograde: ‘A Majestic Rock Formation Resembling A Face Is Idealized By A Boy Who Takes It As His Ideal Of Greatness, And As He Grows Up, Begins To Look Like It’. If we are willing to see what is in a creative way for what it symbolizes, we’ll find inspiration toward making our ideals a reality, toward growing into our own brand of greatness. If we live our lives as if our ideals are real, embracing them as we act and make choices and interact with one another, we can’t help but become what we revere. It’s a recipe for moving the world toward what we’d like it to be–don’t close the door on these potentials just because some of this will be messy, difficult, and will require recognition of vulnerabilities and feelings we may have lately been sweeping under the (Oriental) rug.

What this time offers us is a chance to revitalize Love, as it lives and breathes in our daily dedications, of energy and attention, effort and interaction. And this retro is also a good time to reconsider what institutions, rules, and boundaries we support, and which need to be retired as irrelevant to our current world.

New Year’s Eve we see a Taurus Moon which will trine the Sun just after 2023 begins (Pacific time). That says spend the evening on celebration that feels like a reward, that feels sustaining, nourishing, a treat for the senses, while the Sun’s square to Chiron and quincunx to still retro Mars tells us to avoid dwelling on, assessing things by, or reacting from our wounds–any attempts to right related circumstances will misfire and aggression will definitely be aimed in the wrong direction. Welcome the coming year with a lighter heart–we’ve made it this far, and that’s something to celebrate.

See the recent New Moon here–

Happy Holidays!

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‘Wynken, Blynken, and Nod’ By Maxfield Parrish 1902 {{PD}}

My stepping away for the weekend turned into over a week gone from home, because of a car accident that stranded us in Seattle. No worries, everyone involved was unhurt, but the car was totaled and between that and some of the worst weather I’ve seen since living in and near the Emerald City, it felt like a long, stressful time–and I didn’t have access to my astrology software, which lives on my desktop–that’s why I missed the New Moon of the 23rd. So my apologies, and my very best wishes for a Happy Holiday for all, no matter what you celebrate (even if it’s only toasting the weekend!)

A quick look at the New Moon in Capricorn says to me that it was all about health (it’s closely conjoined Hygeia)–but in Cappy that could be the health of structures and systems, the things we rely on in our lives, what gives us a sense of security and safety, of boundaries and limits, the kind that allow us breathing room–and/ or this applies to the health of the subjects of the House in the natal chart where the NM falls for you–for instance, in the 1st, one’s body or the ways we interact with the world (do you over assert, refuse to acknowledge boundaries, perhaps? or are you literally doing something that endangers you?), while in the 2nd it may apply to exercise of talents or to spending (are you working yourself to death? or is expressing your talent taking a toll, or are you ‘giving it away’ to your own detriment?) In the 3rd that may pertain to the communications or thinking (do you over think? fantasize in a way that lets you over step boundaries or break agreements? do you speak in code, hoping to manipulate?) and in the 4th this might involve dealing with the literal health of family members or the suitability of your relationships with them (are those relationships creating needless boundaries, stopping you from something, maybe in an attempt to keep you safe? do old patterns automatically repeat when you’re together?)

In the 5th it’s one’s offspring or romance or creative efforts or even gambles that are limiting or challenging one’s limits, and in the 6th it may be the job or the actual state of the health that’s holding one back or enforcing limits. The 7th blames it on the partner or all others, or maybe the standards of the Art world or audience, and the 8th may focus on sharing, all that is or isn’t offered to one via relationships. The 9th may see one chafing at the institutions with which they’re involved (religious, educational) or that have factored into the current status, or one’s life philosophy may be under fire or born anew, or a ‘foreign’ entity or environment may be forcing a pull-back. The 10th makes what’s born visible to all and may place NM developments firmly in the context of career or reputation, while the 11th sees groups, friends, hopes and wishes making one aware of Saturnian limits, and the 12th, well, that may send the message via meditation, dreams, or behind-the-scenes matters.

And remember, a New Moon is a new start–so we may be looking at awareness of and then going beyond one’s usual limitations, or even of setting new limits, new boundaries, or drawing lines in the sand and saying ‘No more.’ Capricorn makes us aware of what we can rely on, what truly supports us, and what’s holding us back, and if it falls in one of the first six Houses (1st through 6th) the chief culprit that has been stopping you (or giving you needed structure and support!) may have been yourself.

The NM also creates a T-square with the Ceres-Jupiter opposition=showdowns over power, authority, and ‘knowing’ are formidable, and may determine going forward (at least for a time) who dominates in terms of calling the shots or knowing how to muster ‘natural’ power related to innate human nature and Universal ‘flow’. The New Moon also sesquiquadrates Uranus=surprise! It all shakes out not quite how you think it will.

The Sabian symbol for the New Moon is, ‘Three Rose Windows In A Gothic Church, One Damaged By War’. What’s your damage? as they say–this New Moon may give us the opportunity to repair a damaged view, something that holds ‘sacred space’ within us, to remove what in our lives was destroyed in a violent way and replace it or restore it with something beautiful, graceful, still vulnerable to being damaged (as in the example of window glass) but then, isn’t that fragility part of its beauty?

It’s good to be back, thanks for visiting, and make the best of the final few days of 2022!

Stepping Away

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‘Woman Holding a Balance’ By Vermeer {{PD}}

This Libra will be stepping away from the computer, just for the weekend, so comments and book orders will be processed next week. Enjoy the Libra Moon (great for socializing, pairing up, partnering, aesthetic pursuits, decorating, and under the right circumstances, earning) and don’t be shaken by the way the Sun is trining Eris and quincunxing Pallas, inviting discord to rise to the pretty Libra surface and prompting less-than-wise responses to upset. Being aware means you don’t have to take the bait! Scroll down for reports on more of what’s going on right now, and return soon for a report on the spanky fresh New Moon in Capricorn, as well as the New Year’s outlook. Until then, have a lovely weekend!

“Jupiter, what’s taking so long?!”

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Jupiter’s lingering at that liminal point, the 29th degree of Pisces, poised to hit the Aries point–and poised, and poised–and we may at this point be feeling like the move into Aries is taking forever–but why are we so anxious for it?

We’re likely seeing it as holding us back, probably in some way we can’t quite define, hobbling our perceptions with that last bit of Neptunian fog that curls right around our eyes and brain and makes everything indistinct. Somehow we believe that everything will be crystal sharp just as soon as the planet moves into Aries, and things will definitely change–but become crisper, allowing us to be more sure of ourselves? Yes, maybe too sure, as ingress to Aries means egos get behind beliefs and push; there’s also the potential for exaggerations of one’s Will, one’s role as leader, or one’s wants–and we’re just as likely to observe these as experience them. Over-blowing our own importance can be avoided with awareness, but the over-blowing of our beliefs really can’t. The danger is we will feel they’re vital, probably not just to our survival but to the survival of the world, carrying a sense that if we all don’t start doing what we believe needs to be done, it may make aggression unavoidable. The argument that going to war, at any scale, is a necessity is the most common way historically that we’ve pushed to have our own way (or one group has pushed to have their way over another). Is aggression ever justified? That’s something we each must answer for ourselves; Jupiter’s journey through Aries will offer us plenty of opportunities to decide where we stand.

But that’s just it: opportunity for the individual to make a mark, to get ‘it’ done, to blossom in terms of affecting who we are and what we produce, will be front and center during this transit–and so offer chances to ‘construct’ the I Am as we’ve always wanted it to be, with retro periods offering re-consideration of our choices and ‘do overs’ for correction, probably focused on assertiveness levels and where we should lead, where we should follow. It may become central to our identity to formulate a philosophy, to adopt a system of belief, to take on religious practice, or to conquer–it all depends on what you choose, which of course speaks to who you are.

By the 20th Jupiter will move into Aries and immediately be closely opposed Ceres and forming a T-square with the addition of Hygeia. Our first consideration may be about health concerns, about diet, about Nature and our relationship to it. It will be the time to focus on our own role within Nature, and any stewardship of it we take on. That launches the identity considerations, and offers a blessedly clear moment when defining who we are in relation to the world we live in becomes our most important task.

Today (the14th) the Sun-Earth T-square with Neptune perfects. It may be difficult to focus, to see clearly, to discern shapes in that fog–but the Sun is shining brightly (at least figuratively!) and if we use what ignites us and what surrounds us (Earth) to orient ourselves, we can make creative progress, especially in terms of seeing what won’t work (the square)–and so then perhaps figuring out what will.

Personal observation shows a predominance of those who are predisposed to lie, to deceive, or to obscure reality are actively at work right now. You know who those people are, and if you’re willing to see what they’re doing, you’ll be able to avoid any pitfalls, including being drawn into their attempts to muddy the Jupiterian waters (that centers on what we will or won’t believe from them, what we will or won’t take as ‘fact’)–but that requires being honest with yourself, in order to not fall victim.

I usually enjoy including a pretty pic with a post, but can’t seem to get one to ‘stick’–sorry about that!