Moon into Libra: Inner Balance

Tuesday afternoon through Thursday morning

The Moon is finishing her last hours in Virgo, in a void-of-course period that began yesterday evening. Early this morning, Jupiter stopped and turned back to retrace his steps in early Taurus. During this retrograde, he'll travel all the way back to 0 Virgo, stopping there on Christmas Day to turn direct.

As the Moon moves toward Libra, she reaches perigee, her closest approach when her pull on Earth's waters and our emotions is strongest. During the Moon's time in Libra, the early days of this waxing cycle, she'll encounter a series of challenges: opposite Uranus, square to Pluto, conjunct Saturn, and square to Mars.

All this points to a time of finding (and holding) our center in the midst of change. Are we connected to our core values strongly enough that we know who we are in the middle of tumultuous energies?

Jupiter in Taurus is a warm, stable, generous force who reaches out his arms inviting everyone to his table. Turning retrograde may not diminish the warmth of his welcome; instead, we're invited to explore the reasons for our generosity and its limits. Do we give to others to meet their needs, or our own? When do we close down, and why?

finding a safe path

The Moon is the ancient gate through which all celestial energies come to Earth. When she dips closest to us, we feel her effects most strongly. At the border between Virgo and Libra, we have a chance to connect to larger patterns in a direct and possibly unsettling way.

Years ago, I was caught in a rip current with my young daughter. We were close to shore and there were people around to help, and yet, in that moment of the turning tide, feeling myself in the grip of an overwhelming force over which I had no control, one that could take my daughter from me, was terrifying. Right now, life can feel like a rip current, and holding on to our center a mighty challenge.

The Moon in Libra has the strength and clarity to walk in beauty. Illuminated by revolutionary Uranus, challenged by alchemical Pluto, aligned with karmic Saturn, and challenged by forceful Mars, she can gracefully bend to superior forces and still keep her core. We can enter that space by walking with her.

Here's a lighter image: I took a salsa class last night. The instructor went over the basics, then taught us turns and dips. For a dip to work, both partners have to stay balanced while moving together. If either loses balance, both can wind up on the floor. It takes trust! (And no, as a beginner, I wasn't there yet––when the instructor tried to dip me, I froze––I'm working on it.)

By Wednesday evening, the Libra Moon will have weathered her challenges, reaching a flowing sextile with Mercury in Leo. This is a passionately creative connection for learning and communicating. Thursday morning, the Moon flows in trine with Neptune in visionary Aquarius, placing what we've learned into a cosmic context.

The Neptune trine is the Moon's last classical aspect in Libra, beginning an hour-long void of course period before she enters mysterious Scorpio at 2:48pm EDT.
    

Moon into Virgo: Tending Our Garden

Sunday morning through Tuesday morning

We are in the New Moon time now, ready to plant the seeds of our wishes and intentions.

Still surrounded by challenges, as the Pluto–Uranus square continues to fuel big, deep, wide changes, and the Mars–Saturn square continues to create strong, oppositional emotions, we choose how to dance in the vortex.

rainbows in the midst of storms

In the midst of transformation, this New Moon invites us to get grounded, get real, and make plans. Overnight, the Moon touched the planets of grace and good fortune. She joined creative Venus, and flowed in trine with generous Jupiter. We're invited to find the boon, the wonderful gifts we're being offered, and in Virgoan humility, give thanks.

This afternoon, the Moon will sextile Mars in Cancer, perhaps calming the warrior in his difficult transit through the sign ruled by the Moon. This is the last classical aspect in Virgo, beginning a void-of-course time that lasts until tomorrow afternoon, when the Moon enters Libra.

During the Moon's time-between-times, Venus and Jupiter will create a flowing trine, a time of grounded creativity, grace, and good luck. We may want to avoid beginning new ventures, but we can certainly relax into feelings of well-being and warmth. The difficulties we face remain real, and yet, this afternoon, we can find gratitude.

An introduction to working with the New Moon is now available here. With this New Moon, plan to set your intentions today before the Moon enters the void-of-course period at 6:15pm EDT. Or wait until tomorrow (Tuesday) until after she enters Libra at 2:25pm EDT.

This New Moon is practical, organized, realistic, and ready to be of service. Anchoring a powerful grand trine in Earth that includes Venus, Jupiter and Pluto, the energy of this New Moon will grace any enterprise with deeply grounded roots and branches that reach into the heavens. It's time for big dreams.
  

New Moon in Virgo: Grounded Alchemy

Sunday, August 28, 2011 11:04pm EDT

Virgo is the sign of organization, precision, and effectiveness. Criticized as fussy, Virgo is also humble and willing to be of service, patiently absorbing criticism and taking it to heart. Virgo combines service and practicality into a focus on wellness and healing that begins with the body but doesn't end there, embracing the heart and soul as well.

This New Moon in Virgo is the most grounded, practical gift we could ask for. Creative, bountiful Venus is joining the Sun and Moon, adding her grace to this time of planting seeds and making wishes.

And all three––Sun, Moon and Venus––anchor a grand trine in Earth that includes generous, expansive Jupiter in sensual Taurus, and alchemical Pluto in never-give-up Capricorn.

Neptune in Aquarius and Chiron in Pisces are opposite the New Moon, illuminating Virgo's attention to each minute detail with the light of our most cherished dreams.

In addition, Mercury in Leo and Saturn in Libra, both creative powerhouses in those signs, are trining and sextiling the Nodes of the Moon.

This is the New Moon to set intentions for taking realistic, responsible steps toward our biggest vision. Anything from balancing the checkbook to securing venture capital for a bold new enterprise, from getting losing a few pounds to overcoming a serious health challenge, from taking a class to embracing a new life path––this New Moon can handle it all.

There are challenges in the sky, and yet, this time, they're not as closely connected to the New Moon energy. The Uranus-Pluto square is still in force, and remains a force to be reckoned with for some time to come. The Mars-Saturn square still seems to be stirring up trouble, sparking emotional outbursts and reflexive action, making mediation difficult. Here, too, we can look to the New Moon to offer workable, real-world solutions, if we're prepared to ask.

It's time to check the birth chart, see where this New Moon will fall, and think about where we need grounded, determined, generous, creative energy in our lives. Where don't we need this? Late tonight, or within the next few days (after the New Moon arrives), set your intentions, plant your seeds, and watch out for the beanstalk!
  

Moon into Leo: Here Comes the Sun

Friday morning through Sunday afternoon

Yes, I'm late with this post. I'm putting it down to a last tweak from retro Mercury before he turned direct yesterday afternoon, because somehow I thought yesterday was today, or vice versa ... you get the idea.

Anyway, the Moon entered creative, playful, passionate Leo yesterday morning, the sign in which Mercury has been messing with us these last few weeks. Mercury's goal was to invite us to slow down, disconnect, and look within, but his methods––well, Leo likes to play.

the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy

Just as Mercury turned direct, the Leo Moon flowed energy in trine with Uranus in Aries, adding a jolt of revolutionary trickster to the mix. Overnight, the careful Virgo Sun formed an edgy quincunx with Uranus, so if you woke this morning with dreams of adjusting to change and feeling a bit anxious about it, look to that Sun–Uranus connection.

Early this morning, the Leo Moon squared Jupiter in Taurus. Can our passionate feelings create enough energy to get Jupiter's bounty flowing again? Taurus is generous but slow, and we may be feeling the need for more action, more energy today. On the other hand (with a square, there's always another hand), Jupiter in Taurus might remind the fiery Moon to slow down a little, that good things take time to grow and having it now could mean having less.

Early this afternoon, the Moon flows with Saturn in creative Libra, so perhaps this Moon will listen to Jupiter's calming advice. This Moon–Saturn combination is wonderful creative energy, the determination to get some work done with inspiration from the muse. It's Saturday, but if you feel your genius whispering in your ear, take note and get working.

This evening, the Moon joins Mercury, newly direct in Leo, creating a fountain of energizing, inspiring ideas. If you've somehow missed writer Elizabeth Gilbert's amazing TED talk on genius, listen today. This evening, with the Moon and Mercury together in Leo, your daimon will definitely be hanging around, so listen then too.

Sunday morning, the Virgo Sun forms a flowing trine with alchemical Pluto. This is one arm of the wonderful Grand Trine in Earth that is part of Sunday evening's New Moon in Virgo. As the Sun and Pluto connect, we begin to sense the very grounded and stable energy this New Moon offers.

In early afternoon, the Moon opposes Neptune in Aquarius. This illuminating connection creates the opportunity for deep intuitive messages, dreams and visions to flow through the intense creative fire of the Leo Moon. This is the Moon's last contact in Leo, and she enters about an hour void-of-course period before stepping into practical Virgo.

Heading toward tomorrow's New Moon, we're in a wonderfully energized creative space today. There are plenty of challenges facing us now, including massive, circling Irene on along the East Coast of North America. So it's good to remember that creativity is not exclusively about great art, but also great living. There are innovative solutions out there, and today we can connect with them.
   

Moon into Cancer: Heightened Sensitivity

Wednesday morning through Friday morning

The Moon has moved into Cancer, her home sign and a place she loves to be. Moon transits through Cancer can be times of appreciating home, loving to cook, taking care of loved ones, and nesting. This time, though, other energies about could emphasize the emotional sensitivity of a Cancer Moon, making everyone a little touchy, a little edgy, and needing to feel loved and secure.

stay calm :)

Mercury is still retrograde in Leo, and we've been feeling the effects. If we haven't made space in our lives for calm and reflection, Mercury retro in the sign of the passionate Lion can create emotional waves all his own. Add the possibility of communication disruptions and travel delays, and we could be entering this Moon-in-Cancer time already frazzled.

Mars is also in Cancer, a transit that does not seem to be a happy one. Mars is uncomfortable in this sensitive sign, which can create emotional outbursts, even violent ones, as the warrior tries to cope with feelings. The Moon will join Mars in Cancer Thursday morning at 9am, her last classical aspect in Cancer, beginning a long void-of-course period colored by the Moon-Mars conjunction.

Meanwhile, the Sun and Venus are now in Virgo, a sign with sensitivities all its own, and a tendency to notice all the little things that might be wrong, and feel a need to bring those to the immediate attention of whoever might be best placed to correct them. Right away. As in, now.

So, we can see opportunities for misunderstandings, emotional outbursts and hurt feelings. Having seen, we can choose to move through the next few days with extra calm, extra patience, and a willingness to let things go, realizing that everyone might tend to say more than they mean, or speak with extra vehemence, during this time.

Just after the Moon entered Cancer this morning, Venus in Virgo opposed Chiron in Pisces, signalling a time when old wounds might be reopened––but with the chance for healing, understanding and transformation.

I'm just completing a wonderful class on Chiron with Joyce Mason, Chironic expert and astrologer extraordinaire. We're all in a new place of understanding the choices we have to stay in a place of woundedness, or do the tough work to reach understanding and release, and today's Venus-Chiron connection opens up one of those times.

The Moon is now moving into sextile with the Sun, and soon after with Venus. This Cancer-Virgo connection brings together three powerfully personal energies in a mix that can lead to criticism and hurt feelings ... or create the drive and focus to clean out the garage, organize the basement, and get school supplies purchased, labelled and color coded. If you feel yourself slipping into a bad or sad mood, clean something.

This is also a time to begin connecting with the energies of the upcoming New Moon in Virgo. Release what you no longer need, clearing space for the cosmos to bring in wonderful new stuff when the next lunar cycle begins.

Wednesday afternoon, we enter a time of upheaval, when patience and calm might well be called for. The Moon square Uranus in Aries, then opposes Pluto in Capricorn. Venus forms a quincinx (something needs to adjust) with Uranus. Tonight, the Moon sextiles Jupiter, making whatever we're experiencing bigger.

In the early hours of Thursday, Mars squares Saturn, the Moon squares Saturn, the Moon joins Mars, and the void-of-course period begins. We might wake up feeling out of sorts, or remembering challenging dreams. Write the difficult dreams down, even if you need to wait a bit before dealing with them.

With the Moon void all day, Thursday will be good for patiently and consistently tying up loose ends, completing work in progress, and staying under the radar. If possible wait at least until the Moon enters Leo at noon on Friday before beginning anything new and, if possible, until after Sunday night's New Moon.

During this Moon transit through Cancer, feel your way into a sense of peace and security. If difficult emotions arise, acknowledge them calmly and release them. It's all part of the process.
     

Moon into Gemini: Lighten Up!

Sunday evening through Wednesday morning

Tonight, the Moon sparkles into Gemini just as the weekend winds down. If fascinating conversations begin just when you should be planning the week ahead, or your lost-long friend from high school calls out of the blue, or you can't get off the internet––that would be Gemini.

To the Gemini Moon, networking feels great. The Moon's first aspect is a challenging square to Venus, newly arrived in careful Virgo. The Gemini Moon wants Venus to loosen up a little, try something new, have a laugh; and Venus in Virgo wants to check the fridge and make sure there's enough milk for breakfast and see whether we're out of peanut butter.

bright lights

Overnight, the Moon sextiles Uranus in Aries, lighting up a night of scintillating dreams full of messages, adventures, and surprise. Go ahead and let Venus in Virgo find your notebook and a pen before you sleep.

Monday evening, the Leo Sun opposes Neptune retrograde in Aquarius, personal creative passions illuminated and informed by cosmic intuitive messages. This would be a great time for meditation, visualization or journeys. Late Monday night, a sextile between the Gemini Moon and Saturn in Libra might help us actually remember and record what we learn.

Early Tuesday, the Sun enters Virgo, and the overheated end-of-summer energy drops a notch or two. Attention turns from squeezing the last fun out of summer to preparing for autumn. The Gemini Moon sextiles Mercury retrograde in Leo, a reminder to reflect on whatever the summer has brought forth, and connect the dots.

In the early hours of Wednesday, the Moon trines Neptune in Aquarius, making this another night for big, cosmic dreams. This is the Moon's last classical aspect in Gemini, leaving us floating in a Neptunian lunar landscape until the Moon steps through her own front door, entering the sign of Cancer at 6:31am Wednesday. This could be one of those mornings when dream images and emotions carry through into the day, so keep a journal handy.

Moon into Taurus: Happiness Is a Warm Blanket

Friday morning through Sunday afternoon

Ahhhh, the Taurus Moon ... we each have our own relationship with the Moon signs, and Taurus is one of my favorites. The Moon is exalted in Taurus, a fancy way of saying she's very happy here, and generally speaking, so am I.

The Moon in Taurus understands we all experience insecurities and knows just what to do: A little comfort food, a warm place to relax, the gentle sounds of birdsong or rain drops, a soft voice singing in the background. Sometimes we need to slow down and experience peace.

The Moon entered Taurus at 8:36am EDT, and spends the whole day doing nothing in particular. Today's a good day for nurturing, lavishing attention and care on whatever is most important to you.

This afternoon brings a flowing sextile with Chiron, the healer and mentor, and an easy trine with Pluto the alchemist. We realize that change, even deep and fundamental change, isn't always hard, doesn't have to be a constant struggle. Today we can relax into whatever we know we need, but perhaps have been resisting. Now, it feels right.

Early Saturday, the Moon joins expansive, generous Jupiter, and a bit later, sextiles Mars in Cancer. Jupiter and Mars have energy, yes, but with the Taurus Moon we experience the forces that move slowly, almost gently, but still inexorably. The uplifting of mountains as tectonic plates push on each other, the creation of beautiful cave formations by slow movements of water, the way ancient trees bend to decades of coastal winds––these are the work of Mars, Jupiter and the Moon in Cancer and Taurus.

mountain field

Overnight Saturday, the Moon squares Mercury retrograde in Leo. While retrograde, Mercury slows down, turning inward. This meeting with the Moon is a time to say, what have we learned about ourselves? About our ego drives, our creative impulses, and our passions? What needs to be gently released and composted?

Sunday brings more questions about where our meditations are taking us, as Venus in Leo opposes Neptune in Aquarius, the Sun squares the Moon, Venus enters Virgo, and the Moon squares Neptune. We reach the last quarter Moon, a time of insight (we hope!) and integration of what's happened during this lunar cycle.

The Taurus Moon keeps us grounded, wanting to be sure we attend to the needs of our bodies as well as our souls, and the needs of the Earth as well as the cosmos. The square with Neptune at 8pm EDT is the Moon's last classical aspect in Taurus, but this void is a short one: At 8:53pm, she bounces into bright Gemini.

Moon into Aries: This Is Your Wake Up Call!

Tuesday evening through Friday morning

As we float through another day of this really long void-of-course Moon in Pisces, feeling blissed out, totally confused, or a bit of both, time stretches, cycles around, and turns in on itself. Enjoy the feeling while it lasts, because tonight at 8:01pm EDT, the Moon flames into Aries, ready to rumble.

lift off!

This is the time in the lunar cycle when the Moon still shines brightly, broadcasting what was completed at the Full Moon, sharing the riches. The Aries Moon is ready to march those riches into new territory, to be certain everyone's heard the news and is on the same page. It's time to move forward! No more holding back! Let's move!

Well ... Mercury is still retrograde and conjuncts the Leo Sun tonight at 9:04om EDT, but the Moon in supercharged Aries is ready to roll right over any retrograde hesitations and forge ahead.

This Moon signals her intentions loud and clear by joining revolutionary Uranus in the early hours of Wednesday, then challenging Pluto, Mars and Saturn over the course of the day. This is no shy wallflower Moon; she wants to know what everyone's bringing to the table. Whatever's been stuck may well shake loose today.

Thursday, the Moon is positioned to get things moving. The morning opens with a flowing sextile between Jupiter and Mars, expanding our ability to act. Then, through the afternoon and evening, the Moon trines Mercury, the Sun, and Venus traveling together in Leo. Dive into creative projects Thursday afternoon, because every daimon and muse you know will be energized.

At 7:50am Friday morning, the Moon sextiles Neptune in Aquarius, triggering one last download of intuitive, creative inspiration. This is the last classical aspect in Aries, and after a relatively brief void-of-course time, the Moon steps into calm and peaceful Taurus at 8:36am EDT.

We've been floating in cosmic meditation. Aries is on the threshold, so grab this Moon's coattails and get ready to fly!

Moon into Pisces: Deep Space

Sunday morning through Tuesday evening

The Moon has now entered Pisces, sign of cosmic connections, clouds of confusion, or possibly both––it's tricky to tell where we are with Pisces, and never more so than when everything else seems to be changing.

The Moon nestles now between Neptune and Chiron, Neptune in late Aquarius and Chiron in early Pisces. Both Neptune and Chiron are retrograde, moving pack through territory covered earlier. The Moon, still bright in the first days after the Aquarian Full Moon, lights a path through this intense but foggy territory of dreams, visions, wounding and healing.

seeing the Moon from Space

Sunday evening, the Moon sextiles Pluto in Capricorn, embracing the soul-deep transformations Pluto offers. In the early hours of Monday, the Moon sextiles Jupiter in Taurus on the other side, stepping into Jupiter's nurturing embrace.

This expansive contact with Jupiter in the Moon's last classical aspect in Pisces, leaving her with a long void-of-course time lasting until she burns into Aries on Tuesday just after 8pm EDT. So plan for the beginning of your week to include more wrapping up loose ends from old projects than beginning new ones, and taking time for reflection as Mercury continues retrograde.

The Moon will meet other planets during her void time: On Monday afternoon, a quincunx (the 150 degree angle that calls for active adjustments) with Saturn points to difficulties focusing and getting things done while the Moon is floating through Piscean waters. Tuesday morning brings a set of quincunxes (quincunxi?) with Mercury, the Sun and Venus traveling together in Leo––again emphasizing the energy it might take to express ourselves passionately and directly during this transit.

These next days, as the Moon swims through Pisces, create a space for sanctuary, write, dream, listen for intuitive messages carried in the wind, and look within.

Moon into Aquarius: Playing with the Cosmic Trickster

Thursday night through Sunday morning

The Moon steps alone into radical Aquarius tonight at 11:47pm EDT, unaccompanied by other planets on a day empty of classical aspects. This exemplifies one of the key themes of Saturday's Full Moon, that of being who we truly are, apart from any influences from family, society or culture.

Radical means "at the root." Deep within my being, who am I? And once I know this, what am I called to do? ... These are Aquarius Moon questions.

Friday morning, the Moon threads her challenging way through the planets whose volatile effects we've been experiencing all week. She will semisextile Chiron, sextile Uranus, quincunx (inconjunct) Mars, and semisextile Pluto.

The Aquarian Moon is the only Air sign among this collection of Water, Fire and Earth; perhaps the Moon's touch will bring some objectivity and thinking for the long term.

Saturday, the Full Moon arrives at 2:57pm EDT, sailing in on strong winds of change. The Moon is widely conjunct visionary Neptune, while Venus and Mercury align with the Sun.

What better way to contrast the community––and cosmic––orientation of an Aquarian Moon with the intensely passionate individualism of the Leo Sun?

The Nodes of the Moon trine and sextile this Full Moon, linking our illuminations to our life path. How full-filled are we in Aquarius? Are we being true to our core selves? Are we thinking beyond that self to the needs of our communities? And, by the way, how's our relationship to the Trickster?

For a rollicking exploration of the role of the Redeemer Trickster, listen to Caroline Casey's interview with Tami Simon of Insights at the Edge. Caroline, a visionary activist astrologer, energetically embodies a playful approach to serious issues, leading the way into a creative engagement with what she calls "these times of dire beauty."

During this time, Mars is continuing to trigger the Pluto-Uranus square, bringing up emotional tension and volatility, or openness and vulnerability, depending. We need all the creativity and radical innovation we can stuff into our knapsacks to ride these waves. This Full Moon can show us where we're OK, and where we might want to dance with the energies of the cosmos now.

The Moon's last aspect in Aquarius is her meeting with retrograde Neptune, a fitting denouement to this visionary Full Moon. After a brief void, the Moon swims into Pisces at 8:54am EDT Sunday to meditate on all this Aquarian Moon transit will reveal.

Moon into Capricorn: Steady As She Goes

Tuesday afternoon through Thursday evening

The Moon steps purposefully into achievement-oriented Capricorn at 4:24pm EDT today, ready to get down to it, making this afternoon a great time to get things done.

working gears

Tonight, the Moon reaches powerful outer planets aspecting each other: squaring Uranus, opposing Mars, and joining Pluto. The faster-moving Moon triggers the unsettling Pluto-Uranus square, and Mars in the mix brings more emphasis.

This Moon could bring a bit of a reality check, a sense of the consequences of the let's-tear-it-all-down we're seeing with Pluto and Uranus. Or the Capricorn Moon might bring a realization of how much work really needs to be done. Tonight's dreams might reflect this.

Wednesday morning, the Moon trines Jupiter in Taurus, bringing an expansive sense of comfort and well being, especially if Tuesday was productive and there's a feeling of work well done. An afternoon square between the Moon and Saturn offers a check-in point: Are things going according to plan? If anything is out of balance, this Moon-Saturn connection could bring that into focus.

With many planets clustered in the earlier degrees, the Moon-Saturn square becomes the Moon's last classical aspect in Capricorn, lasting until she enters Aquarius just before midnight on Thursday. The combination of a void-of-course Moon and ongoing Mercury retrograde makes Thursday a day to avoid new beginnings.

There will also be inconjunct aspects between the Moon and first Venus, then the Sun, both in Leo during the void period, suggesting a need for adjustment in how we combine creative fire and practical achievements. This makes Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday good for keeping on track and getting things done, rather than breaking out in new creative directions or beginning new enterprises. Slow and steady works for Capricorn, and for Mercury retrograde.

When the Moon enters Aquarius, we head toward Saturday's Full Moon and into the time of the revolutionary trickster. These next days, we appreciate the steady drive of Capricorn, and get some work done!

Moon into Sagittarius: Journeys of Initiation

Sunday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon

This Sagittarius Moon starts with a bang as the Moon trines Ceres in Aries, squares Mercury in Virgo, and forms an inconjunct with Mars in Cancer. Flowing energy with the fierce and ecstatic energy of Demeter, the Moon in Sagittarius wants to explore, to journey. Impatient with careful Virgo and tentative Cancer, this Moon wants to experience life!

This is Lughnasad, the festival of first fruits, when ancient Celts gathered for the harvest fairs, celebrated the abundance of the year, traded horses, and arranged marriages. There were games of all kinds, as folk who's not met during the summer's grazing in the hills, greeted friends once again.

The Eleusinian Mysteries

Ceres' presence at the opening of this Moon reminds us that the time of the Great Mysteries approaches. Demeter and Persephone are at the core of one of the great mystery cults of all time, the Eleusinian Mysteries, about which we still know little. Initiates waited years to participate in this celebration that included sacred rites of 'things done,' 'things shown,' and 'things said.'

This Moon greets Ceres, signalling her readiness to begin this numinous journey. This afternoon's trine with Uranus in Aries points to the potential life-changing effect of crossing important thresholds. Are we ready? Tonight, Venus and Saturn sextile each other, a chance for creative inspirations (Venus in Leo) to become creative reality (Saturn in Libra).

Mercury retrogrades back in Leo in the early hours of Monday, calling us to reflect on our New Moon wishes, creativity, passion, leadership and joy. Monday morning, the Moon sextiles Saturn from the other side, connecting Sagittarian generosity and adventuring to Saturn's manifesting abilities.

Mercury opposes Neptune: Are we getting carried away with Aquarian visioning? A flowing trine between the Moon and Venus in Fire signs answers, Sometimes the only way to know, is to dive in! Early afternoon bring the same trine between the Moon an Sun, as Venus and the Sun are traveling together. Energy for exploring abounds today.

Tonight, Mars in Cancer trines Chiron, retrograding in Pisces. This would be a great aspect for incubating healing dreams, allowing Mars in the sign of dreams to take action on old wounds. Tuesday morning, Mars squares Uranus, creating an opening for new understandings and unexpected perspectives on whatever came to us in dreams.

Tuesday afternoon, the Moon flows energy in trine with Mercury. Yes, this Moon transit through Sagittarius opened with a Mercury-Moon square, but Mercury has moved back into late Leo just enough to catch a trine from the Sagittarian Moon. Now these two are eager to share creative, expansive ideas. An hour later, the Moon sextiles Neptune, a connection to mind at a cosmic level. This Moon wants to expand what we know.

After a brief void-of-course time, the Moon enters down-to-earth Capricorn at 4:24pm EDT, ready to focus on achieving practical, real world goals.

Moon into Scorpio: What's Going On?

Friday morning through Sunday morning

We're in the season of Lughnasad, first fruits, Lammastide. Now we see the results of our labors, the promised harvest. We gather the first crops in gratitude for the abundance of the Earth, and make ready for the larger harvest now to come.

And yet, in these days of the Scorpio Moon, we look deeply. What, really, have we grown? What will we be harvesting? We can ask this of ourselves as individuals, and as communities, and nations. The Moon in Scorpio isn't satisfied with sound bites and slogans; this Moon wants to know what's really going on.

The Moon enters Scorpio at 7:57am EDT Friday, and aspects Mercury, Mars, Pluto, Jupiter, and Venus over the course of the day. The personal planets––Mercury is mind, Mars is action, Venus is relating––each come under the Scorpio Moon's lens. Pluto the transformer, and Jupiter the sage, also consulted. This is a day for checking in with our deepest feelings, and considering what needs to happen next.

Saturday's key aspect is the square between Sun and Moon that signals the waxing Half Moon. The Leo Sun is challenged by the Scorpio Moon: Is everything as sunny as it looks? Are our New Moon wishes taking shape in the way we hoped? If there are adjustments to be made, today's the day.

Late Sunday morning, the Scorpio Moon squares Neptune in Aquarius, challenging us to deepen our visions. After a thirty-three minute void, the Moon enters adventuring Sagittarius just before noon. We emerge from the shadows back into the sunlight, ready to take what we've learned on the road.

I'm Missing the Libra Moon!

Wednesday morning through Friday morning

This is me on Mercury Retrograde ... Distracted by other things, confusing the dates, I didn't get my post for the Libra Moon written, which is not how I like to blog! My apologies to my readers.

balance!

The Moon enteed Libra yesterday, early in the morning, and had a very busy day. Calm and balanced Libra helps the Moon maintain serenity, keeping emotions on an even keel. So if yesterday was challenging but you got through it, look to Libra.

Wednesday's Moon aspects included a square to Mars in Cancer while Mars trined Neptune in Pisces; think carefully (Libra) before acting on one's feelings (Moon, Mars in Cancer, and Neptune in Pisces).

Wednesday afternoon, the Moon opposed Uranus, and two hours later, squared Pluto––Libra's influence offering at least a hope of calm in the midst of storms. Evening brought more congenial meetings, as the Moon formed flowing sextiles to Venus, and then to the Sun, a creative time for exploring what our New Moon wishes might be growing into. Overnight, the Moon joined Saturn in Libra, feeling grounded and steady.

Today, the Moon continued her way through Libra without significant aspects, maintaining balance. Tonight, Neptune will step back into Aquarius for a few months of edgy Aquarian visions. Venus in Leo will square Jupiter in Taurus overnight, a tug of war between the two "good luck" planets in fixed signs: Do we stand our ground (Taurus) or move ahead (Leo)? Perhaps Neptune will send guidance in dreams tonight.

In the early hours of Friday, the Sun and Saturn form a flowing sextile, signaling a time of creative action. The Moon trines Neptune for her last aspect in Libra, then, one minute later, dives into Scorpio's waters. Friday will be a day of deep feeling, considering carefully the waters we find ourselves in.