Waning Moon: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Disseminating Moon in Libra
March 1, 2013 5:37 am EST

Last Quarter Moon in Sagittarius
March 4, 2013 4:52 pm EST

As I write this on Wednesday evening, the Libra Moon is just reaching her opposition to Uranus in Aries and a trine with Jupiter in Gemini, and Mae West came to mind ... the balanced, charming, lovely Libra Moon sparking fire with let's-do-it Aries, egged on by expansive Jupiter:

"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful."
––Mae West

And was that how this amazing Full Moon was in your life? Too much of a good thing?

The rising Moon that night was glorious here, then lost in a soft bank of white Neptunian cloud. I'm not sure I can even put into words all I experienced, or that I'd want to if I could.

Let's just say it's still unfolding.

Meanwhile, we're entering the waning phase of the cycle, releasing into the world whatever we learned, completed, shared, or just let go of. The Pisces revels continue throughout this time, and so will the sense of expanding––possibly overwhelming––dreams, visions, mystical experiences, confusion, creativity, unclear communications, deep healing, getting lost and then finding something unexpected.

The Disseminating Moon, which is the half-square between the Sun and Moon, arrives with the month of March. The Moon's in late Libra, the Sun still in mid Pisces.

With the Moon squaring Juno, goddess of equal partners, and the Sun squaring Vesta, goddess of home and hearth, watch for confusion at home––as well as healing opportunities there. Venus has just entered Pisces, joining the party, and so the spiritual as well as the addictive sides of relationships might be highlighted.

At the Last Quarter Moon, the Moon is in upbeat Sagittarius opposing Vesta, with each being squared by the Sun in Pisces. Usually, a Sagittarian Moon is ready to party, but the ongoing Mercury and Saturn retrogrades may impart a more somber, philosophical mood.

The Last Quarter brings a Sun–Saturn trine and a Sun-Pluto sextile, as well as a Chiron-Jupiter square. I expect we'll still be unpacking the Full Moon then, weaving bright dreams into new visions, trying to put pieces back together, or a bit of both.

These are odd days. Two packages were incorrectly delivered to my old address; one I've retrieved, the other seems lost in the ether. I've been doing some deep writing. This morning, I dreamt I was in a car wreck, in a little car crushed by a falling truck, and walked away uninjured.

Then I had a sort of dream vision of a book on a shelf, a slim, large format book in a shiny black dust jacket. Its title was The Inner Dreams of the Body, and I was the author. I'm working on my new website. What will come of these, I can't say. I'm developing my skills at surfing whatever comes up.

It's about keeping moving, not about perfection. After all, Jennifer Lawrence tripped on her way up to accept her Oscar, and she was still amazing. I didn't watch the whole extravaganza ... way too much glamor for me ... but noted that some awards were carried off by visionaries and dreamers.

The idea of "too much of a good thing" is seductive, just like Pisces. Today's Libra Moon is all about moderation, but philosophically, you know, "all things in moderation" is not a moderate statement. Coping with this much Pisces is rather like dancing, I think. The trick is to enjoy the movement, the grace, the excitement without becoming exhausted or overwhelmed. Listen to the music ...
    

Full Moon in Virgo: Into the Dark Woods

Vassilisa going home, by Ivan Bilibin

Full Moon in Virgo
February 25, 2013 3:26 pm EST

At this Full Moon, I offer the tale of Vassilisa, the beautiful, quiet girl whose wicked stepmother sends her off into the forest to the fierce hag, Baba Yaga.

This Russian story, from the time when animals and birds still spoke to us and magical happened every day, offers the perfect Virgo heroine––virginal, innocent, lovely and long suffering.

Clarissa Pinkola-Estes says Vassilia comes across as a bit irritating. Seriously, who could be that good, that uncomplaining? This, too, is Virgo.

So, this Full Moon takes little Vassilisa––and us too, in all our hope and anxiety––and places us at the edge of the deepest, darkest, mistiest forest you can imagine. Look at the chart! Can you see all that Pisces opposite our poor wee girl? Sun, Neptune, Chiron, Mars and Mercury. The gates of Faery are opening and who knows what will come riding toward us.

Vassilisa carries in her pocket a little doll, given to her by her loving birth mother, as that mother lay dying. That doll, Vassilisa's secret, is the clear voice of intuition and guidance, who Clarissa Pinkola-Estes calls the angel mother.

The angel mother at this Full Moon is Venus in the final, strong, anaretic degree of Aquarius. She is clarity and grace, even when she shows us something we would really prefer not to see. To pull in another powerful story, this Venus, at this Full Moon, is the vial of Galadriel that held the light of the Elves' most beloved star, the light that shines when all other lights go out.

The fierce darkness of the Baba Yaga shows up at this Full Moon, wearing the cloak of Saturn in Scorpio, who trines the Sun and Chiron.

In her house of bones, understanding to the finest of fine degrees the laws of boundaries and the limits of this physical life, Baba Yaga is the queen of the dark forest and giver of great gifts to those who know how to ask.

Magic is afoot. Mars in mystical and manipulative Pisces is squared by Lilith in Gemini, a trickster both powerful and angry. Vassilisa (and we, too) must use all her wits and listen carefully to the wise doll, to avoid the snares in this shadowy place.

Jupiter, the great storyteller, in tricksterish, playful Gemini, forms a very tight square to this Full Moon. He has the power to make the monsters in the dark wood appear huge, overwhelming, unconquerable––even when they are nothing more than mice scurrying about.

This Jupiter also has the power to make our power grow, inflating our sense of importance beyond what we can sustain, or giving us just the right boost at the right time to help us stand our ground and face the demons.

Vassilisa is sent into the forest to get fire from Baba Yaga, which she does. She brings it home inside a skull, the fire in the head, the ancient symbol of illumination. Pluto the alchemist is here too, trining the Moon, our heroine. Whatever happens at this Full Moon will transform us utterly. Let's keep our eyes open, so we can act from our best selves and embrace the coming changes.

To layer in yet another great tale, the illuminated skull is like the Grail, the ancient cup of power. The key question "Whom does the grail serve?" is a Virgo question, the quest for our life's purpose. Vassilisa and Parsifal have much in common, innocent and untried as they begin their journeys.

Yet where Parsifal watches the Grail go by carried by maidens, Vassilisa is the maiden who carries the Grail as well as the one who seeks it. In the ancient Celtic myths (of which the Arthurian cycle is one part), the final step of the journey of illumination is the willingness to take it.

Reaching our hand to take the sacred fire, we may––we will––get burned. Is the game worth the candle? Are we ready to do all we can, to become all we may become?

The Virgo Moon looks quite alone in this Full Moon chart. Remember that she (and we) have the angel in our pocket, the connection to our souls, our ancestors and our guides we need to carry us through.

Be kind to those you meet on your journey. Ask the good questions. Offer help when needed. Take the fire.    
    

Mercury Retrograde: Treading Water or New Seas?

Toni Frissell photo for Harper's 1947

Mercury Retrograde in Pisces
February 23 through March 13, 2013

Tomorrow, Mercury turns retrograde in the visionary and also confusing sign of Pisces. Today is a good day to back up computers, and send messages that especially need to be clear and direct.

And yet ... I see the coming weeks with Mercury as an invitation to depth, not a time of anxiety.

Back in 2010, I wrote about how Mercury retrogrades are part of this planet's cycle, a time of renewal and reflection.

It's time to slow down. Relentless forward motion is exhausting and ultimately self-defeating. We are cyclical creatures who need are own times to replenish, and this is one.

We're entering the first Mercury retrograde of 2013, an experience quite different from 2012's retrogrades. Last year, Mercury explored the Fire signs––we were asked to look at our motivations, what drives us, what fires us up.

This year, all three retrogrades will be in the Water signs, and so we're diving into emotions, dreams, visionary experiences, lyricism, poetry, and mist.

Mercury turns retrograde in Pisces overnight (4:41 am EST), ushering the North American times zones into this period of reflection while we're deep in dreams. He's just past the Pisces planet conclave and decides ... wait, I'm not done here ... and decides to turn back and reconnect with each of the energies there: Mars, Chiron, the Sun and Neptune are in Pisces now, with Venus poised to enter soon. Each will conjunct Mercury during his journey.

Saturn retrograding through Scorpio makes this a time of power as well as vision. Astrology is about cycles within cycles, and the dance of Mercury and Saturn over the next few weeks will draw each of us into questions about what we desire, what moves us, what triggers us, and where the power lies in it all.

I'm fascinated with what I'm seeing in the charts over the next weeks. At the moment Mercury turns retrograde, the Moon will be in Leo trining Uranus––pulsing underneath the watery calm is intense energy for change and renewal.

On March 7, Mercury trines Saturn, both retrograde, as Mercury conjunct Venus, with both in the middle of a very large Pisces group. Questions of emotional power, visionary depth, and the power of dreams may come to the fore at this time.

March 17, Mercury goes direct sitting between Neptune and Chiron as the Sun and Venus are conjunct in late Pisces. Just days before the Spring Equinox, Mars moves to conjunct Uranus as the Moon moves to meet Jupiter ... Boom!

When we reach the Spring Equinox, the planet party has moved decisively into Aries and everything lights up.

Right now, we're offered a contemplative time, a reflective time, to dig deep, look in the mirror and unpack our emotional baggage. It's likely to be intense, confusing and emotional. Issues of power, manipulation, deception and glamour may raise their threatening heads.

If we accept the invitation, we'll do far more than tread water for the next few weeks hoping nothing gets too messed up––we'll find ourselves in new waters, refreshed and alive, ready for the explosion of Spring, the rebirth of Aries Fire.

It's up to you ... but I'm grabbing my swim fins and diving in!
    

Creating Creative Structures: Saturn in Water

bumblebees can't theoretically fly ... and do

For lots of reasons, I'm thinking about Saturn these days. I am also moving a bookcase. A heavy one. One really too big for me to move alone. But, like the bumblebee, I won't look at limitations and so I'm doing it.

Then I heard a voice saying, "Mary, what are you DOing?" It was my father's voice––in my head, but quite clearly his, and if anyone who knew him reads this, I'm sure you're getting the intonation exactly right.

Because of course I'm not moving this bookcase in the way my very Saturnian Dad would have done it: Carefully clearing everything out of the way, taping, securing, protecting edges.

I'm just, you know, doing it. There are books in piles all over my apartment, and I had to walk the d*#n thing around dressers and tables I did not move first.

When I heard the voice, I thought, well, what am I doing? And what would the sky say about it?

Right now, the Sun and Neptune are conjunct––expressing creativity, deepening spirituality, and doing things in loopy ways.

Mars is just past a flowing trine with Saturn, both in Water––taking action to create structures to support Piscean and Scorpionic stuff.

Venus is conjunct my Descendent, trining my Mercury-Neptune conjunction, both in Air––wanting to support my creative thought and writing in ways that work for me, valuing my own unique process.

The Moon in Cancer is trining the Sun-Neptune conjunction––aligning home and emotions with creativity and spirituality.

I'm moving this bookcase because I decided a few days ago that I need a different space to write. I need a dedicated space that says "writing" to me. My main computer and desk have been in my bedroom, and while I sometime write in bed, it's not the most structured, professional way to do it.

I don't have quite this many books, really...

So, this bookcase is moving into the bedroom so the 'puter and desk can come out to the "library" which is a wall with two other bookcases.

As a side benefit, I will now see a bookshelf from my bed, one of those odd things I find comforting. (Venus in Aquarius conjunct the Descendent = quirky things about me.)

I'm also emerging from a period of being not in 100% health. Feeling my energy coming back, I felt a surge of agency––by gum, I says to myself, that bookcase ain't gonna move itself. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

For the record, in case my Dad's actually worried about this (or anyone else is), I moved the bookcase carefully. I didn't lift it, I walked it. I put an old towel under it to make it slide. And I've been working on this for hours, with rests in between.

And once it was in place (yes, books are still stacked all over, but hey, it's progress), I decided to look at the charts and write about it.

This is how Saturn retrograde in Scorpio might look, in the presence of a ton of planets in Pisces: Doing something tangible and specific to support other more nebulous and hopefully creative things happening. And, oh yes, Saturn is retrograding through my 3rd House of writing.

May something magically creative happen today for you!
    

Saturn and Inhibitory Control

The Crystal Ball

Saturn Retrograde in Scorpio
February 18 –– July 8, 2013

Saturn is now retrograde, turning to revisit the early degrees of Scorpio between now and July. The chart of his retrograde moment points to the mystical, transformative potential of this reflective time:

The Sun has just entered visionary Pisces, to conjunct Neptune, Pisces' ruler. The Moon and Jupiter are conjunct in Gemini, eagerly and playfully making new philosophical connections. And last but not least, the Moon and Jupiter sit at the apex of a yod with Saturn and Pluto at its base.

A yod is a tall triangle that points quite pointedly at something significant going on. The sides of the triangle are inconjunct aspects, an awkward link that forces a need for adjustment. So, Saturn and Pluto are ganging up on the Moon and Jupiter, making us uncomfortably aware that maybe some areas of our thinking, values, and understanding need to be revisited. Ouch.

I've been reading about the brain lately, its structure and functions. It turns out that a key feature of our prefrontal cortex, the shiny new part of the brain that makes us human thinkers and problem solvers, is the ability to inhibit the expression of our instincts and impulses.

Inhibition––sounds like Saturn, doesn't it? The planet of responsibility, limits, hard work and consequences.

Being able to control our impulses makes us functional members of society, whichever society we happen to be in. We learn what not to say, what not to do, because it's considered embarrassing or insulting.

Again, sounds like Saturn. If ever a planet relished saying things like "Because I said so," it's Saturn.

And yet ... it's that same inhibitory control that, quite literally, allows us to learn, think and create. Developing the ability to direct attention allows us to focus on something long enough to understand how it works, even if a new bright and shiny comes along to tempt us. Impulse control allows us to do something now that's not all that fun, because we know it will have a positive payoff in the future.

So, even though inhibition sounds like the opposite of choice––inhibition being the voice of "no"–– learning to master our impulses and control our behavior gives us the power to make choices.

The first and best victory is to conquer the self. — Plato

Saturn flows energy in an easy trine with Pluto today, and will again towards the end of his retrograde. With Saturn in Pluto-ruled Scorpio and Pluto in Saturn-ruled Capricorn, they are on the same wavelength. Astrologically, they're said to be in mutual reception.

In other words, the transformative, mystical power of Scorpio and Pluto are flowing with the pragmatic, real-world power of Capricorn and Saturn. This retrograde is about power, and what we do with it.

Thinking about power is not always comfortable. We want to control our own destinies, sure, but power? Isn't that dangerous? Only the power-hungry want power, and we're not like that. Besides, with power comes responsibility, and we don't really want that.

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. –– Abraham Lincoln

For the next few months, Saturn will be offering us the opportunity (ok, he's be pushing, possibly even forcing, us) to examine our ideas about power. How we use it, how we let other people use it, what we use it for, and how that's working out.

Which house in your birth chart will Saturn be walking through? In this area in particular, issues around power, discipline, and control are likely to emerge. In fact, these issues have probably emerged already, because Saturn just made his first pass over that very territory. He's now heading back for a second look.

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any. ––Alice Walker

Saturn wants us to become the CEOs of our own lives, the authors of our own stories. How are we directly our attention (or not)? How are we focusing our energy, disciplining ourselves to attain our own goals? In the world of physics, power is the ability to do work, and Saturn is all about getting the work done.

He's not just interested in physical reality, though. In Scorpio, he's also diving into our psyches, emotions, spirituality, deep creativity and occult connections.

Where is old programming holding us back? Where are we engaging in self sabotage? Where are we getting our wires crossed and inhibiting creative expression because we're still worried about what other people will think? These too are areas up for review in the coming months.

So, work with Saturn instead of resisting him. He can make us really squirm, but his real goal is to get us to claim our power, step into the driver's seat, and get ourselves moving toward our goals. Over the next months we'll have the chance to learn from a master.
    

Crescent Moon to Full: Diving Gear Ready!

prepare to dive ...

First Crescent Moon
February 17, 2013 3:30 pm EST
Gibbous Moon
February 21, 2013 6:44pm EST
Full Moon in Virgo
February 25, 2013 3:26 pm EST

As we turn the corner with the growing Moon (who rode faint but clear in the early afternoon sky as I liked in the woods a few hours ago), let's take a moment to appreciate the First Quarter Moon chart.

It's an intense chart, yes, and maybe the energy has been a bit crazy and jittery. I mean, it's not every week that meteors strike the earth on one continent and flame across the sky in another, while NASA monitors a near-miss asteroid fly-by.

Notice that in the First Quarter chart, everyone is moving direct. Everyone! That won't be true for a while, so we should appreciate it today.

Tomorrow, Saturn turns retrograde in Scorpio, where he'll be backing up until mid July. On February 23 (Saturday), Mercury goes retrograde in Pisces, right in the middle of the cosmic Pisces party.

Saturn and Mercury both turning retrograde in water signs, when there's such a concentration in water already––this is interesting. It is not time to panic. (Although you might want to have your Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy handy ... the one with the large friendly letters on the cover which say, Don't Panic.)

This is a big shift in energy that does not point inevitably to disaster. Honestly. The shift will feel less jarring if you're aware it's coming, and go with the flow. We've been in a time of forward motion that has (at least in my life) felt unpredictable and squirrelly. We are entering a time that is likely to feel slower, more fluid, more languid, more reflective, and also possibly foggier.

Any planet is more powerful when stationing (preparing to turn either retrograde or direct), so Saturn in Scorpio is pretty heavy right now. He could be showing up as the voice of paranoia and fear, or justice and retribution. Making those easy flowing trines to the Pisces guys (Chiron, Mars and Mercury are in range), it might feel easy to get pulled into conspiracy theories, or just get really jumpy about a lot of vague stuff.

This is not the approach I recommend.

Dana Gerhardt's take on Saturn in Scorpio (shared in chart readings) is, this is where he's at his most wizardly. How can we work with this mystical powerhouse? Instead of being taken over by fear, we can explore what our fears are, gain insight into their shape and size, and lessen their control over us.

Notice that the Gibbous Moon is in her home sign of Cancer, just past a trine with Saturn. We'll be experiencing multiple Water trines during this quarter, including Grand Trines in Water among the Moon, Saturn and the many planets in Pisces.

At a recent workshop about living an authentic life, Gregg Lavoy shared the story of the great Buddhist Milarepa who, during a long meditation retreat, found himself beset by his worst demons. After trying in vain to vanquish them, he shifted strategy. He made tea and invited them all to sit down.

In other words, he got to know them. He got to know them as challenges separate from himself, energies he could explore without being controlled. In his book Callings, Gregg quotes the actress Naomi Newman who says "If we wait until our hands stop shaking, we will never open the door."

At the New Moon in Aquarius, we dared greatly, setting intentions for our brightest dreams. During this First Quarter phase, we saw, perhaps, the first unfurlings of those dreams and probably got a few shocks along the way.

In this next quarter, reaching toward the Full Moon, we'll be diving into deep emotional, intuitive and magical territory. With Saturn on our side (and this is possible), we have the chance to channel great power and learn vital truths. This is a time to dive in, open the door, and invite our demons for tea.

The alternative is to stay frozen, and that's no fun. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am myself exploring tea with my demons as part of my writing practice. It's not easy. Scarey things are scarey, and ugly as well. It's really interesting, though. Just like these charts. Go for it!
    

How Important Are Void of Course Moons?

on course with the Moon

I write a lot about the Moon, work with the Moon's energy as best I can, and yet you've not seen anything in my recent posts about void of course Moons. Why?

First, an explanation: Void of course Moons raise almost as much dread as mercury retrograde, in some circles. "Nothing will come of it" the saying goes ... anything new started under a void of course Moon.

Second, a definition: When is the Moon void of course? The most common definition is, the Moon is void of course when she doesn't make any more major aspects within a sign, until she enters the next sign. For example, the Moon went void of course around 10:40 pm EST on Valentine's evening, and stayed void of course until 5:00 am the next morning, which might sound like a really lucky thing to some people.

The problem is, this happens a lot. The Moon goes void of course almost every couple of days, sometimes for just a few minutes and sometimes for a day or more. Tracking this is complicated, and  really, can we choose not to start anything new that frequently?

In my life, I must admit, I simply don't pay much attention to void of course Moons.

I tried to, for major events, and the results were unclear: When I put my house on the market, the Moon was going void of course around 5:20 pm. I tried to get the contract signed beforehand, and didn't quite make it, although I made sure we had a firm verbal agreement earlier in the day. In fact, the house sold much more slowly than anticipated. There was a major ice storm right after it was listed, and the winter overall was horrible. I had to drop the price. But it did sell, I got what I needed, and I moved on ... did I dodge a void of course disaster or not? Hard to tell.

I also adjusted my own definition, to reduce the number and length of voids. In this post from 2010, I began using the inconjunct aspect, as well as aspects to Chiron. But over time, tracking void of course periods didn't engage my interest as much as what the Moon was up to by sign and phase.

So, yesterday I listened to two podcast episodes which offered new perspectives on the void of course Moon. (I should clarify, the perspectives offered are new to me... since they come from Hellenistic astrology, they are actually really old. Classic, even.)

The fourth and fifth episodes of Chris Brennan's The Astrology Podcast focused on political astrology, and because Obama was nominated under a void of course Moon, the conversation turned to this dread phenomenon and what it portended.

The technical details are thoroughly explored in this article at The Political Astrology Blog, also by Chris Brennan. In brief, it turns out there are alternative, stricter definitions of when the Moon is void of course, the obsessive focus on the dread nature of Moon voids is fairly recent (early 1900's), and the justification for it may not be too solid.

Based on Chris Brennan's analysis and Barrack Obama's winning campaigns, it seems we can get a whole lot more relaxed about the whole void of course thing.

I'm actually finding, though, that my interest in this topic is piqued. Now I'm curious about these various definitions, and what they imply about the Moon and about us. I'm also curious about Chris Brennan's argument that Obama himself needn't worry about void of course Moons because he seems to do well with them.

Not only is there more to the void of course concept than I realized, it's also a "your mileage may vary" kind of thing. Now I'm curious. Maybe all voids are not equal, or not equal for all of us.

Do you pay attention to void of course times? Has it seemed to make a different for you? More to learn about the Moon!
    

Waxing Crescent Phase: Sailing Boldly into Uncharted Waters

Crescent Moon
February 13, 2013, 3:45 pm EST
First Quarter Moon
February 17, 2013, 3:30 pm EST

In this New Aquarius Moon phase, the weird factor seems unusually high. Has it been for you?

I've been coping with unexpected health stuff, and watching odd news items––my favorite being the hacked-in emergency alert on Monday afternoon in Montana (and apparently other places) that dead bodies were rising from the grave and attacking the living.

Yes, the zombie apocalypse will be broadcast.

To have anonymous and unidentified hackers post a humorous, over-the-top interruption to normal television broadcasting: how Urananian is that? For what it's worth, Mercury in Pisces was trining Saturn in Scorpio that afternoon, and Mars in Pisces was semisextile Uranus in Aries and square Jupiter in Gemini (who was sextile Uranus).

And now we're sailing on, eagerly awaiting what the New Moon will manifest for us!

The amazing thing about the sky these days is how concentrated the energies are getting. Back when we were in Scorpio time in October and November, there was tons of planets in Scorpio.

Now we're shifting from intense Aquarius into intense Pisces, with some fiery Aries thrown in for Valentine's Day. Oh yes, to add to the squirrel factor, there's a happy group over in Gemini anchored by make-it-bigger Jupiter.

So what do we do? Waiting around for the zombie apocalypse is not the best option.

With this heady combination of Aries action and Pisces vision, it's time to seize the day and make dreams real. Today is One Billion Rising, the global day of action to end abuse and violence against women, and the call is to rise up and dance. At the website, actions all over the world are live streaming. It's time––past time––and now's the time.

I'm also thinking today of Idle No More, the movement in support of the rights of indigenous people everywhere that began when a woman, chief of her people, said "No more!" The poster, above, also captures the mood of this Aries–Pisces time: Change is coming; let's make it real and meaningful.

At the lovely Crescent Moon, the Sun remained in Aquarius while the Moon moved into Aries (where they both are today). The Moon conjunct Uranus won't take "No" for an answer to questions that deserve "Yes!"

At the First Quarter Moon, the Moon will have moved into Taurus, squaring the Sun in Aquarius, each in the powerful, final, anaretic degree of their sign. At that challenging Moon, we'll be asked: What will we stand for? Where will we not be moved?

In personal relations, today could be filled with passion, or challenge, or both. Choose love and hope (... my suggestion, anyway). Put the best spin on things. And don't back down, if you need to take a stand.

In our hearts, the challenge is there too. We're challenged to open our hearts to our courage as well as our acceptance, our strength as well as our love. Our warrior selves are called on today ... for, as the Irish say, the day that's in it.
    

New Moon, New Year!

The New Moon in Aquarius arrived overnight, and it's time to make wishes and set intentions. (This being a reminder from your friendly neighborhood astrologer.)

My New Moon Aquarius wishes

With Aquarius, thinking outside the box is always good, so I created a digital collage to represent my hopes for this New Moon, leaving lots of space for the cosmos to fill in the blanks.

Writing, blogging, creative play, transformation, fluidity, inspiration, and the unexpected are all themes for me now. What are you calling into your life? Be bold!

The Moon will soon slip into imaginatively dreamy Pisces, joining the mystical party already in full swing: Neptune, Chiron, Mars and Mercury are already there.

The Pisces Moon will oppose my natal Moon in Virgo, and I'm here to tell you oppositions are not always bad. My Virgo Moon can feel a bit squashed and invisible––the Pisces Moon seems to bring me out of myself, take me on a tour of the outer stratosphere, and give me new images and thoughts to ponder. Add in the creative mojo of an Aquarian New Moon, and who knows what I might do today?

Now that we've moved into the waxing cycle, everything begins to expand and grow. Tonight and many nights to come will be rich ones for dreaming––look for healing dreams (Chiron), big dreams and creative dreams (Neptune, Aquarian New Moon, and lots of Pisces), and personal dreams (lots of personal planets moving through Pisces now). Have your dream notebook handy this week.

The Moon is void of course now, until she enters Pisces at 4:19pm EST. So if you haven't made those wishes yet, best wait until after 4:30. This evening through tomorrow morning will be great for setting intentions. Just after noon Monday, the Moon goes void again until she pops into fiery Aries just before 9:00 pm EST.

The best of this innovatively eccentric and long-sightedly humantarian New Moon to you!
    

New Moon in Aquarius: Answer the Call

Druidcraft Tarot ... reborn!

New Moon in Aquarius
February 10, 2013 –– 2:20 am EST

Overnight Saturday, the New Moon in Aquarius arrives.

Herald of Spring, beginning to the new year for the Chinese and the Tibetan people, the year of the Water Snake ... a magical doorway!

Each New Moon invites us to set intentions and make wishes, and in Aquarius, we're called into a new vision. The new year brings rebirth, a theme sounding loudly with this New Moon.

Sun and Moon meet at 21 Aquarius, in a very tight square to the Nodes of the Moon, the karmic pathway in the chart. Squares to the Nodes can be read as a challenge, or a missed step, on our life path. At this New Moon, we're checking in:

Are we feeling clear on where we're headed? If not, this is a wonderful New Moon to ask for clarity.

If our vision is clear, but commitment is lacking, set intentions to follow through, to take the steps we know we need to take.

The Nodes of the Moon mark places where eclipses occur, and the Solar Eclipse back on November 13, 2012, fell at 21 Scorpio, where the North Node still resides. There may be a special resonance between this New Moon and whatever emerged for you back in mid November.

Look in your birth chart to see where this New Moon falls. The house of the New Moon indicated the area of life in which renewed visions and clarity can be expected––or where they will be welcome. What planets or points do you have around 21 degrees? These will be touched, and also drawn into the influence of this New Moon.

For me, this New Moon is complex. Appearing in my 6th house very close to the 7th, the Sun and Moon will conjunct my Descendant, oppose my Ascendant-Pluto-Moon conjunction, square my Midheaven, trine my Mercury-Neptune conjunction, inconjunct my Uranus-Jupiter conjunction, and sextile Eris. Someone's got their finger on my reset button!

If this New Moon makes complicated aspects to your chart too, fall back on asking for clear sight, straightforward guidance, and the long view.

Aquarius is masculine and yang, fixed Air, stubborn, committed, objective, far-seeing. So it's interesting this is the year of the Water Snake, feminine and chthonic.

Goddess energy is strong with this New Moon: Venus, also in Aquarius, squares Saturn in Scorpio, an archetypal challenge of masculine and feminine.

The asteroid goddesses create a series of intricate patterns around Saturn as well: There are three yods forming. Ceres is at the apex of a yod with the North Node and Juno at the base; Vesta is at the apex of another with Saturn and Venus at the base; and Saturn is at the apex of the third with Vesta and Pallas Athena at the base.

Yods, also called fingers of God or fingers of fate, emphasize places where energy is concentrated and something is happening. One area of polarization in the world today focuses on the role of women and girls––our health, our freedom of action and freedom from violence, our education.

Authoritarian forces (one role Saturn can play) try to keep women down, but again and again, women rise up. Perhaps this New Moon will bring a re-envisioning of men and women, boys and girls, living together in equality, compassion and Aquarian freedom. This, too, is something we can wish for.

Remember to wait until after the New Moon arrives to make wishes and set intentions. Until then, we continue in the waning cycle of release and preparation. I will be wishing for clarity, as I think I'll need it just to understand all the messages this Moon will bring me!

Remember too to allow the Moon leeway to do as she will. The New Moon arrives in darkness, and it can take time to see the new shoots emerge. Wish, intend, breathe, let go. A new day dawns.
    

Last Quarter to New Moon: Single Point Focus

what are you focusing on?

Last Quarter Moon:
February 3, 8:56 am EST
Balsamic Moon:
February 6, 6:26 pm EST
New Moon in Aquarius:
February 10, 2:20 am EST

We turned the corner this morning, heading into the home stretch, reaching toward the quirky individuality of the New Moon in Aquarius.

We've passed the Last Quarter Moon mark and energy shifts from sharing to releasing––take stock, see what we've outgrown, used up, don't need, and let it go.

And this time around, it'll be easy. Well ... let me qualify that. It'll be easy to see what needs to go. Actually letting go––your mileage may vary.

This last half of the waning Moon phase brings us the Sun in Aquarius, clear-sighted, strong-minded, and revolutionary. This Sun pulls no punches and doesn't mess around. Is the way forward clear? All right-y then, let's roll up our sleeves.

In my last post, I pointed to the Sun squaring the Nodes of the Moon, saying we're asked to clarify our vision and apply it to our life goals. If you look at the charts here, for the Last Quarter, Balsamic, and New Moons, you see that Aquarius Sun square just gets tighter and tighter.

The Sun forms an applying square to the Nodes (in astrology-speak), one that's getting stronger. So, our vision is becoming more clear and more compelling. Inescapable, one might say. In other words, we know what we need to do.

At the same time, the focus in the dreamy sign of Pisces is increasing. Right now, we see Neptune and Chiron, who've been in Pisces a while, joined by Mars. Mercury will soon join the gathering, bringing mind and action into the Piscean ocean.

On one hand, this makes letting go easy. Pisces, after all, is the sign associated with loss and sacrifice. On the other hand, Pisces can generate a lot of fog. When we're with the Aquarian Sun, clarity is right there in front of our eyes. Step into the Piscean mists, and ... what did we want to do? Suddenly it's much less certain.

This is where the single point focus becomes essential. In photography, single point focus is where the energy of the image is gathered, where the eye wants to go. The photographer creates this focus by framing the shot and choosing the depth of focus that will bring the key element into prominence.

Pick up a camera and focus it on the vision you hold for your life. How are you going to frame the shot? What needs to be included? Where is your point of focus? Many photographers can look at the same landscape; each will create a different image. What's yours?

In meditation, single point focus is a technique for quieting the mind, reducing inner chatter. The simplest point of focus is the breath, following each inhale and exhale, calmly, peacefully. Over time, maintaining this focus becomes easier. Inner clarity and strength increase.

This second kind of focus is helpful if we find ourselves in Piscean fogginess. Are we distracted by media, food, alcohol, drugs, whatever? Are we drifting and zoning out? Are we confused? Welcome to Pisces waters ... now breathe. Follow the breath.

This New Moon in Aquarius invites us to step into our strongest, clearest vision of who we are and what we want for ourselves and our world. Exactly square the Nodes of the Moon, the New Moon calls us to commit to our best and brightest image of a possible future.

It's this bright image that can motivate us to gently, compassionately release what we no longer need. We've turned the corner. Punxsutawney Phil, king of groundhogs, has called for an early Spring. Brigid lights the fires of new growth. Let's get ready.