Waning Moon: Power Flowing Outward

Spring energy, Aries energy!

Disseminating Moon in Scorpio
March 30, 2013 3:15 pm EDT
Last Quarter Moon in Capricorn
April 3, 2013 12:36 am EDT
Balsamic Moon in Pisces
April 6, 2013 12:36 pm EDT

The word "waning" brings ideas of weakening, fading, going away ... not this cycle! Aries power flows continue, making this waning lunar cycle more like a live wire––if that wire's down, treat it with respect and call in the pros.

Today's Disseminating Moon is a case in point. The Sun, Venus, Uranus and Mars are all conjunct in Aries, which is enough to light up a good-sized city. Uranus at 8 Aries and Mars at 14 could be considered too far away now to be conjunct, but with the Sun and Venus between them at 10 Aries, it's a party.

Look across and see Pluto the alchemist at 11 Capricorn: the Aries party is activating the Uranus–Pluto square, the polarizing, utterly transforming pattern of this time in history. Is light being brought to vital issues? You bet. Is a lot of heat being generated? Absolutely. How will it all turn out? Can't say––Uranus' presence means all bets are off. We can be sure big changes are coming, we just don't know what they are.

Meanwhile, Jupiter sits at the apex of a yod with Pluto and Saturn at its base, another sign of big change. AND Saturn sits at the apex of another echoing yod with Jupiter and the Aries party at its base. Oh, yeah, Jupiter sextiles the Aries group, sending expansive energy. The neon "BIG CHANGE" sign just exploded.

And the Moon's in Scorpio, alert to the hidden nuances, the sharp rocks under the surface, and is feeling wary and determined at the same time.

April 3 brings the Last Quarter Moon, the square between Sun and Moon that marks the turning point toward the dark before the New Moon. Everything I said about the Disseminating Moon still holds.

The Sun, Venus and Mars are even more tightly grouped, and more tightly sextile Jupiter. Uranus is a bit further away but still plenty close enough to the blazing Aries Sun to be in the party.

The Moon popped over to join Pluto, emphasizing (if such were needed) the completely game-changing nature of change. This Moon is definitely in the game and ready for anything. I'm currently reading Brené Brown's Daring Greatly, and if there was ever a Moon ready to walk into the arena, this is it.

The Balsamic Moon of April 6 lessens the tension a wee bit. Sun, Venus and Mars are still tight in Aries, but Jupiter and Saturn have moved enough to take some of the pressure off the larger issues. Still plenty of energy around, but perhaps we'll feel we can stop and get our breath as we prepare for the New Moon to come.

The Moon is now in Pisces conjunct Neptune, which allows for down time, reflection, and healing. In fact, the presence of Chiron at 11 Pisces opens the door for healing all through this highly energized period.

Stuff's coming at us from right, left and center, and it's all showing up with enough energy for transformation, possible resolution, at least finding ways to cope and accept what is.

Soooo ... what does this mean for us? Here's what I'm expecting:

• Whatever came up at the Full Moon will continue to be very present during this time. Some of it may be so in-the-face that we can't escape new perspectives and insights, no matter how much we'd like to cling to old views.

• Accepting change will be easier if we ride the energy. It's not so much that resistance is futile, in the sense that someone else is controlling us. It's more that the energy is here, it's moving, and either we ride it, or it passes by. Grab on.

• As we move past the Last Quarter and toward the Balsamic, release, release, release. This is Aries-fueled release work, a real Spring cleaning. Remember the scene towards the end of Practical Magic when Sandra Bullock activates her phone tree to save her sister? When the spell is complete and the energy ready to go, one lady grabs her dust buster and gives the throaty yell "Ladies, let's clean house!" That's the kind of release work we can do this cycle.

I'll admit up front, the energy around this cycle feels overwhelming at times. It's difficult for my Libra Sun, Mercury and Neptune to handle. Tough things are coming up. At the same time, I am doing some really creative work, and I'd love to see that continue.

Let's ride this!
    

Where Does this Moon Fall in My Chart?

Where's Waldo? (... or that Moon!)

How Do I Know?

Each time a New or Full Moon, or another significant astrological event, is about to happen, I suggest getting out our birth charts and seeing where the event will fall. The other day, a reader wrote and asked if I could explain exactly what I mean by that. Thanks for the excellent question!

This will be the first part of what is likely to be a longer explanation. Please, everyone, let me know if this helps. One important goal for me is being clear, and helping to make astrology's sometimes technical language and geometry clear as well. Here goes ...

Step one is getting a copy of your birth chart, which I've mentioned this in other posts but it bears repeating. Both Cafe Astrology and Astro.com offer free birth charts. You type in your birth date, time and location, and voilá, a chart appears! This chart shows the positions of your planets and points, and how the houses of your chart are set up.

As an example for this post, here's the birth chart of actor and all around theater person Ken Howard. I chose his chart because it has significant, easy to see relationships to the recent Full Moon. If you want to know more about Ken Howard, visit his entry at Astro.com.

A note about chart layouts (this is important): If you do go to Astro.com, you'll see that the chart there and my chart here look different. There are lots of ways to present charts. Each one has advantages and disadvantages.

The charts I use here are drawn with equal-appearing houses. The Astro.com charts show the actual sizes of the houses, which vary more and more the farther away from the equator the chart location is. I find equal-appearing house charts easier to read, and easier to teach from. The information presented in each chart format is the same, it's just a different layout.

OK, step two is the chart for the important astrological event, in this case, yesterday's Full Moon in Libra. There it is ...

Now we literally and methodically compare the two charts. You can print the charts out and lay them side by side. You can download the chart images and look at them side by side on your desktop. If it works for you, just look back and forth between the images here on the page.

A new note, this one about chart locations: Birth location is essential to create an accurate birth chart, so isn't it important that the Full Moon chart is from someplace in Indiana that doesn't relate to anything for me (or Ken Howard)?

No, the location of the Full Moon charts and the other charts I post doesn't matter because they're all natural charts. Natural charts are set with 0 Aries on the Ascendant, following the natural zodiac. Such charts don't reflect the location where they're created, so location doesn't matter. The charts I post here are designed to be used as comparison charts, good for any location.

On to step three: Where's the Full Moon? Look at the Full Moon chart alone. See the Moon at 6 Libra, and the Sun at 6 Aries––this is the opposition that defines every Full Moon. Notice all the planets clustered around the Sun, making the Aries energy really strong.

In my Full Moon post, I talked about other strong aspect patterns making this Full Moon a doozie. If you want, you can note where those are too. But focus first on the Full Moon itself, the Sun and Moon placements.

Step four is where we look for the Full Moon in the birth chart. This is the "Where's Waldo?" part.

The key question is, where are 6 Libra (the Full Moon) and 6 Aries (the opposing Sun) in Ken Howard's chart? Now you see why I chose this one, because his birth Sun is at 7 Aries which means this Full Moon landed right on his own Sun––a powerful placement.

This Full Moon for him will lie in his Fourth and Tenth houses, the axis that contrasts home and family (4th house) and career and the public (10th house). The Moon will conjunct his Neptune down in his 4th house, while the Sun is conjunct his birth Sun in his 10th.

This Full Moon might have illuminated issues around balancing home and family with his career and public self, and how it affects his personal relationships. It might also illuminate new creative projects for him, perhaps some that combine issues close to his heart (4th house) with his theater and film career (10th house).

And look where his Moon is, at 5 Gemini in his 12th house. This means his Moon is being trined by the Full Moon at 6 Libra, emphasizing what I said above about issues close to his heart, and also his deeply creative and insightful side.

Finding where the Full Moon falls in your own chart might not be as crystal clear as in Ken Howard's, but it's there. Every sign and degree of the zodiac falls in every chart. There might not be an obvious planet or point to link it to, but 6 Libra and 6 Aries (and any other position) will be there somewhere.

If you haven't had a chance to check, there's still time and something to be learned. Knowing where and how astrological events touch your birth chart helps you understand how the energies around now are affecting us personally.

That's enough for a first post on this. Do let me know if this is helpful, and what else needs to be unpacked, to unlock more astrology for you. Thanks!
    

Full Moon in Libra: Boom!

Tiger!

Full Moon in Libra
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
5:27 am EDT
Moon at 6'52" Libra

Full Moons illuminate, and this one has a whole crew already setting up the kleig lights. Massive amounts of power concentrating for this one: Sun, Venus, Uranus and Mars all conjunct in Aries opposing the Moon in Libra.

Everyone else has a piece of this too: Neptune, Mercury and Chiron in Pisces are inconjunct the Moon, creating another awkward push. The ongoing yod (finger of fate) that includes Pluto and Saturn inconjunct Jupiter adds its transformational energy as Pluto squares and Jupiter trines the Moon. Saturn trines Chiron. Juno trines the Moon. Lilith trines the Moon.

What do we make of this?

First, the energy represented in this Full Moon is high volt, high watts. Aries is the sign of personal power, desire, anger, physical energy, libido, the raw force of life surging into this world. This energy is wonderful; it's what keeps everything going. At this concentration, it can also feel threatening and overwhelming. Kind of like "I've seen God and boy, is She pissed!"

How strongly you feel this Full Moon depends on what your chart looks like. The early cardinal degrees (say, 0-12 of Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn) will feel this most strongly. Anything else in the cardinal signs will be affected, and anything else in the early degrees will also feel the effects.

No one is likely to miss this Full Moon. It's more a question of how and how much. Check your birth chart to see which houses this Moon will fall in, and which of your planets and points will be most involved.

Aries is the sign of individual, personal, ME power. Libra is the sign of the Other, the energy exquisitely attuned to the myriad sentient beings out there who are NOT me. The balance is clearly tipped to the "me" side, and yet at the Full Moon, it's the Moon herself whose fully illuminated.

If you're in the hot seat for this Full Moon, you may experience challenges, possibly direct and pointed ones, in key relationships. This may come to a head for you or for a partner. Stuff may get said and done that can't be unsaid or undone. The opportunity is for clarity––is this (whatever "this" is) supporting my healthy growth? The risk is misinterpreting, overreacting, and moving into anger.

Aries is the sign of physicality––our physical health, energy and activity. Being active could be a great way to channel and express this Full Moon. Vigorous workouts in whatever modality you love, including sexuality, could feel awesome. The opportunity: connecting with our body's energy and needs with greater clarity and focus. The risk: Overdoing it, burning out, accident or injury.

Libra is the sign of balance and harmony. The opportunity for this Moon is to find the inner strength and peace to stand in the middle of a firestorm, and remain calm. And smile, don't forget that part. All those things we've been doing to cultivate equanimity and balance in our lives? This Full Moon is likely to take some pokes right at that, saying "Hmmm ... what happens if I do this? What about this? Are you still calm?"

Think about all those jokes with siblings in a car, at home, wherever. One is trying to read, or watch a program, or just be. The other one is waving his hands around, desperate for attention. "I'm not touching you! I'm not touching you!"

The story I offer for this Full Moon is one told and retold by Clarissa Pinkola Estes:

A young woman greets her husband returning from the war. She is thrilled to have him home, and frightened to discover the loving man who went away has returned angry, withdrawn, and dangerous. Desperate, she consults a wise man, asking what she can do to help her partner.

The wise man says he can make a potion to cure her husband, but the key ingredient is an eyelash from a fierce tiger who lives up the mountain. Can she get one? The woman loves her husband, and says she will bring one back. She travels up the mountain, to discover the tiger is larger, wilder and more fierce than she imagined.

It takes months of careful, quiet, calm, focused being. Each day she sits a little closer. She leaves him food. She advances inch by slow inch. One day, she is close enough to get the eyelash she needs. Triumphant, she returns to the wise man, her prize carefully cradled in her hand.

When she arrives, the wise man takes the eyelash and tosses it in the fire! Aghast, the young woman asks why. The wise man says "Now you have the skill and insight. Go home and treat your husband as you treated the tiger."

Garden Hose by Edith Vonnegut

An intriguing story, I've always thought. Part of me says, why does the woman always have to accommodate, be quiet, stay calm, fix things? Why can't the man deal with his anger?

Yet this is a story about ourselves, on the inside. Sometimes the parts of us that are raging, grasping, and out of control cannot stop by themselves. We need to strengthen the parts of us that can hold space, listen and reflect without judgement, and yes, stay calm and carry on.

Knowing we're in a time of big Aries energy, we can plan some extra meditation time, extra quiet, soft music. And also, depending on our needs and temperaments, plan extra exercise, vigorous activity, wild dancing. We can watch for overreacting, for risky behavior, for triggers.

It's not possible for us, as humans, to keep it together perfectly all the time. We may well see, at this Full Moon, which triggers are still active for us, where we fall down, where we lose it. That's OK. We can flow with the Libra Moon's sensitivity and vow to treat our flawed, imperfect and uniquely beautiful selves with all the compassion and love we would offer a much loved partner.

We're the young woman and the tiger both, and also the sage and the wounded warrior. At this Full Moon, all those parts may appear lit up on stage, so we can see with crystal clarity where more compassion, as well as more skill, are needed.
    

Waxing Moon: Shift Happens!

Tiger wakes up!

Spring Equinox
March 20, 2013 7:02 am EDT
Gibbous Moon in Leo
March 23, 2013 1:56 pm EDT
Full Moon in Libra
March 27, 2013 5:27 am EDT

The Spring Equinox blew into town in a big way. I wish I could say it's brought warmth and sunshine, but we're still in winter here. So far, the changes have been internal––powerful on the inside.

Astrologically, the Equinox arrives when the Sun enters Aries, arriving at the Aries Point, zero Aries, beginner's mind, the Fool card in the Tarot. Where is your Aries Point? This is one of the things you want to know about your birth chart, for it's the place where new things enter your life.

My Aries Point is in my Eighth House of deeply transformative stuff. It's also exactly opposite my Second House Libra Sun. For me, it's like the Spring Equinox Aries Sun hits me right between the eyes. This happens every year, which, while I love Spring, might tell you why my favorite season is Autumn.

The convention phrase is "I feel like a new person!" What's more accurate for me this year––and with the intensely concentrated sky energies this might be true for you too––is "Wait! I just discovered I'm not who I thought I was!"

The transformation I'm experiencing involves peeling off lots of old layers that got added on in earlier searches for things like safety, privacy, acceptance and love. Those layers may have felt good and necessary at the time, but they're stiff and old now, holding me back from living my way into a more authentic life. Still, there's a lot of "ouch" in this process.

All the powers are online for this Spring cleaning: Mars and Uranus are conjunct in early Aries, ready to remove old layers with the sharpest tools they can find. The goddesses Eris and Pallas Athena hang out in late Aries, ready with blades of their own.

I've mentioned an ongoing yod, also called a Finger of Fate, in which Saturn and Pluto point at Jupiter––reminding us not to overextend, overinflate, or get too ahead of ourselves. Now we see a second yod overlapping this one: Jupiter and Mars–Uranus are pointing right back at Saturn, psuhing back against the forces of tradition, saying, yes, we're ready to lay solid foundations here but get on with it, already!

Meanwhile, Mars and Uranus are squaring Pluto while Chiron and Mercury sextile Pluto and semisextile Mars–Uranus. Oh yes, Chiron and Mercury are also trining Saturn. Venus enters Aries tonight (11:15 pm EDT), reaching her Aries Point moment. Whew!

These complex interwoven patterns are not deadlock; there's way too much energy flowing for that. These are healing patterns, blueprints for change.

We see powers for healing and compassion (Chiron and Mercury in Pisces), an awareness of the need for depth of understanding and strength (Saturn in Scorpio), an optimistic view of many opportunities (Jupiter in Gemini) and tremendous energy for growth and joy (everybody in Aries).

I want to highlight what an opportunity this is: Yes, we have a Spring Equinox every year, and Venus enters Aries every year, but Mars has a two-year cycle, and Uranus takes 80+ years to make it around the zodiac. Having this much focus in Aries, which this complexity of patterning, is special.

Maybe you're thinking you'd like a little less "special" in your life. I hear you, believe me, but we don't have that option. We live in interesting times. Our choices lie in our responses––are we riding the tiger or frozen in his glare?

At the Gibbous Moon on March 23, the Moon will be in fiesty Leo, squaring the Nodes of the Moon. Where, she asks, are we leaving passion and creativity behind? On the way to that moment, she will trine each of the Aries planets. These are wonderful days for healing art, creative expression, and passionate play.

Then, early on the morning of March 27, we reach the Libra Full Moon. The pattern is reminiscent of the last Full Moon: a singular Moon standing alone against a full court press of other planets. The energies, though, are very different. This time, we see one voice of balance and diplomacy speaking to a room full of supercharged adrenaline junkies.

This pattern reminds me of the Chariot card in the Tarot, which is all about learning to ride the tiger. I'll write more about this amazing Full Moon in a few days. What's important to see now is that it's coming, and bringing big energies with it.

This Full Moon will illuminate things like our authenticity, our passions, and whether we're speaking our truth––so taking a look now at our personal Aries Points and considering where change wants to flow in our lives are good things to be doing.

It's time to wake up. Toss the heavy blankets aside. Look around. Then, hit the ground running. It's a beautiful day!
    

The Waxing Cycle: Growing into Spring!

Crescent Moon in Taurus

new growth emerging!

March 15, 2013 10:50 am EDT
Mercury Direct
March 17, 2013 4:02 pm EDT
First Quarter Moon in Gemini
March 19, 2013 1:26 pm EDT
Spring Equinox
March 20, 2013 7:01 am EDT

Can you feel the breeze freshening? The sunlight getting stronger? The birds singing louder? It's been a long winter, and Spring is finally moving.

We swam through the Pisces New Moon gate, awash in feelings, full of visions and dreams, and a bit disoriented. Now, focus and fire emerge.

Mars is now in Aries, his home territory, ready to meet revolutionary Uranus. Transformation is in the air! One of the aspect patterns throughout this waxing cycle is a yod, a finger of Fate, in which Pluto and Saturn point at Jupiter.

Pluto and Saturn remain in mutual reception (they are in each other's signs, which means they're communicating and cooperating), and Jupiter is the great expander, the liberal-handed philosopher and adventurer. So, we're liable to say yes! when opportunities to embrace change come our way.

Tomorrow is the Crescent Moon in Taurus, and she opposes Saturn. Now, the Moon in Taurus can be stubborn, and Saturn is stubborn by nature. So, maybe we're not saying "yes!" to change ... maybe we're saying, "no, thank you, I'm quite comfortable where I am."

Except we're not, really, are we? Mercury still rests between Neptune and Chiron, keeping us deeply connected to our feelings, our visions, and where we need healing. And Chiron is squaring Jupiter, trining Saturn, and sextile Pluto, sooooo, no, we can't really pretend everything is perfect in our lives.

My suggestion is to channel the supportive, nurturing Taurus Moon energy into a commitment to self compassion and self nurturing. We can say, with this Moon, yes! let's change ... and let's work on it gently, with lots of support for the person I am, the child I was, and everyone in between.

On March 17, leprechauns bring us the gold of Mercury direct. There's real value in Mercury retrograde––we all need times to slow down, reflect, and revisit our thinking––yet it's tough to know how to apply information that comes our way during retrogrades. With Mercury's energy flowing forward again, we'll begin to see the light, understanding what needs to happen next.

March 19 brings an intense First Quarter Moon in Gemini. What? (I hear you say...) I thought Gemini Moons were fun, flirty and all about easy networking and talk. True enough, and yet this First Quarter brings a square between the Sun and Moon that falls in the final, anaretic degree of Pisces (Sun) and Gemini (Moon).

The final degree of each sign brings a concentration of energy, a strong focus. At this Moon, then, the Sun reminds us of everything we experienced and felt and learned in Pisces––the dreams, visions, creative inspiration, and also foggy confusion. The Moon reminds us to hang on to our perspective, and in fact to entertain lots of perspectives, ideas, notions, thoughts. Because ...

Boom! March 20 brings the astrological Spring Equinox, the moment the Sun enters Aries. And what an entrance this year brings! The Sun reborn in Fire is conjunct Mars and Uranus. Everything lights up!

Interestingly, the Equinox Moon has moved into protective Cancer, where she squares Mars and Uranus. One option here is to hide under the blankets, hoping those nasty, loud planets in Fire will just go away. (They won't.)

The energies now be moving into Aries (Venus is next to join the fiery gang) will make it impossible to ignore the surges of desire and will that arise now. And why would we want to? This is the sap rising, the new season dawning, time for births and emergences of all kinds.

Instead of hiding, the nurturing Cancer Moon can continue to offer support, to remind us that kindness is always possible, especially toward our tender selves. In square to Mars and Uranus, she asserts herself, refusing to go too fast or allow feelings to be trampled willy nilly in the mad rush toward the new.

The invitation coming our way now is to jump in with both feet, embrace Spring and rebirth, and let 'er rip. The challenge is to answer the call without burning *all* our bridges, and with kindness and compassion for ourselves and all life.

We can do it ... will we do it? That choice is up to us.
     

Happy New Moon in Pisces!

New Moon in Pisces
March 11, 2013
3:51 pm EDT

PLEASE NOTE: In my earlier post, I got the time change wrong ... I fell back when I should have sprung forward. The New Moon doesn't arrive until almost 4:00 pm this afternoon. Very Piscean of me ... my apologies!

Everything I said about the New Moon still fits; nothing has changed except the time it arrives.

On this hinge day, author and neoshaman Kelley Harrell offers the rune Ingwaz, and her message about this rune is perfect for where we are:

We tend to look for progress as this steady jaunt to some expected outcome, marking completes items off a list along the way. Ingwaz reminds us that true progress is measured not by our ability to reach the finish line first, but to reach it in a way that supports and fosters our integrity, shares our truth, and inspires others to hold to theirs.

We're not in control, and that's really, really ok, because it means (among other things) that we can let go off the intense self criticism that maintains the message "perfection is possible, it's just me who's screwing up" ... it's not, and we're not, it's the way things are.

If you'd like more on self acceptance, sign on for Sounds True's Self Acceptance Project (which is free). I listened to the first two sessions over the weekend, both were good, and Kristin Neff's talk on self compassion was also perfect for today's Pisces New Moon (and me).

So, enjoy, flow, connect, love, be at peace. Make wishes once the New Moon has arrived.

We're all in this together!
    

New Moon in Pisces: Perspective

Earth from space (and a neat essay)

New Moon in Pisces
March 11, 2013
1:51 pm EDT

Remember how I pledged not to use the word "intense" for a while? Well, I need it for Monday's New Moon in Pisces, which is, yes, intense.

The potential challenges of this much Pisces in the sky, accompanied by Mercury and Saturn retrogrades, include feeling lost in a fog, not knowing what's real, drifting, losing all sense of boundaries, spiritual emergency, falling into overwhelming emotion or addiction, feeling wounded and wounded again.

OK, that's what to look out for––those are the patterns, behaviors, complexes and whatever we intend to let go of during this New Moon.

Now let's go on to the completely amazing opportunities this Pisces rebirth can offer.

One of the first things to greet me this morning online was a post from Upworthy with a link to the trailer for a film called Continuum, about the Overview effect, or what happens to our brains when we see the Earth from space.

This 20-minute film clip features images and interviews with astronauts and philosophers and others about what it means to realize we live on Spaceship Earth, heartbreakingly beautiful, miraculously strong, and breathtakingly fragile.

When we really feel our way into that sense of the Earth as a living community within the huge community of space, we've achieved the perspective of the Pisces New Moon.

We're not alone. We never were.

This New Moon happens within a conclave of Piscean planets. The Sun and Moon are flanked by Mars and Venus. Mercury and Chiron are conjunct nearby, and Neptune rests in the Piscean doorway. ALL of the personal planets are in Pisces. Our focus is RIGHT THERE.

There are no oppositions at this New Moon. We are one Earth, one people, one cosmos.

There are some interesting squares: Jupiter in Gemini squares the Mercury–Chiron conjunction, pushing us to expand our thinking in healing ways. Look out the spaceship window, embrace the new perspective.

Vesta in Gemini, goddess of home and hearth, squares Venus in Pisces. Ceres in Gemini, fierce protective mother, squares the New Moon. The Earth is our Mother, they tell us. See how beautiful she is, how she nurtures and cares for us.

There are lovely flowing aspects: Saturn in Scorpio trines the Mercury–Chiron conjunction, as Pluto sextiles them both. When we really see how we're all together in this life, then transformation flows easily––we simply can't go back to seeing things the old way.

The North Node, our path in this life, sextiles the New Moon. We are offered rebirth, realignment, renewal.

There's a yod, a finger of fate, from Saturn and Pluto pointed at Jupiter: This is important, it says. There's a lot at stake here. How we think, how we feel, how we act all work together synergistically to co-create our experience of life. Pay attention!

Last but not least, Jupiter sextiles revolutionary Uranus is Aries: This New Moon opens the door to a time of change. Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Venus will soon leave Pisces for bright and passionate Aries. The Spring Equinox is coming.

New Moons are time to make wishes and set intentions. Check your birth chart. Where does 21 Pisces fall? Which planets and points will be touched? These will help you tailor your wishes to your circumstances.

For all of us, everywhere, I will be including wishes that we open our hearts. This life, this Earth, are precious gifts. At this Pisces New Moon, hands are reaching out to us in many dimensions to say, we're all in this together. This is a New Moon for compassion, and for awakening.
    

Balsamic Moon: Luere Means "to Wash"

doing the washing

Balsamic Moon
March 8, 2013
2:57 am EST

The Balsamic Moon, the final half-square between the Sun and Moon before they meet, ushers in the last, focused time for releasing what we're done with. If we're not quite done, but know we should be, it's time to let go anyway.

The Latin word luere, meaning to wash, connects us to where we are: dissolve, ablution, dilute, alluvium, deluge ... all these Neptunian words tell us it's time for a change.

The goal is to clear the foundations for a new, strong, creative, valued structure to rise up. At this Moon, we see Saturn in Scorpio (deep structure, facing the Shadow) flowing energy in trine with Mercury (thought, communication, reflection) and Venus (creativity, values, relationships) in Pisces, the universal solvent.

At the same time, Jupiter squares Chiron––whatever the issue is, we can't miss it, and the support for healing is right there. Vesta, goddess of home and hearth, squares the Sun and Venus, so perhaps issues of home and family are at stake. Alongside Vesta is Lilith, also square the Sun, bringing the voice of the fierce feminine.

Letting go of stuff is hard. We don't like it. With all the Pisces energy around and Mercury retrograde, it's a bit tricky to know exactly what we need to let go of, and why.

This Balsamic Moon is in Aquarius, which offers a cool head, perspective, and an extra dose of intuitive power.

Oracles are very powerful now, all kinds of oracles. Here's a Tarot spread my friend Arwen created that suits this Balsamic Moon time perfectly. Finding this excellent quote:

When the wind of change is blowing, some people build walls, the others windmills. 
~Chinese Proverb

She designed a three-card spread in which the middle card is the Wind of Change coming into our lives, the card to the left is the Wall and the card to the right is the Windmill.

In other words, what needs to change? How are we holding ourselves back? And where is the opportunity to move?

So of course I tried it, using Joanna Powell Colbert's beautiful Gaian Tarot.

Well ... the Winds of Change card was ... The Tree, Joanna's version of the Hanged Man. Could there be a more perfect evocation of this Piscean ocean energy we're in? I swear, this is the card that came, I did not stack the deck!

The Wall in my readings was, interestingly, Justice. Of course Justice is a good thing, and a very positive card in many spreads and locations, but it wasn't difficult for me to see that holding on to a need for things to be fair can be a problem. Some issues for the past can never be resolved (another luere word). Sometimes we––ok, I––need to let go of that burning desire for justice.

The opportunity card? It was the Wheel, the card that says, what goes around, comes around ... the card of change with a capital "C" except it's not change we're in control of, it's change we accept and ride with.

This reading had personal meaning for me, and also felt like something many could relate to: We're in a time of flux and might feel stuck, or at least not fully in control of what's happening. We want things to be fair! We want justice to be done and will hold our position forever until that happens! Except of course that leaves us stuck in the past ... so, it's time to let go, let the wheel of time roll on, and see what comes in the next turning.

I'm getting out the wash basin and my sweetest smelling soap––maybe that will make all this dissolving just a bit easier.
    

Synchronicity Stew: Mercury–Saturn Trine

the rose chafer ... Jung's synchronicity messenger

Waning Moon Cycle

Moon–Pluto conjunction:
March 6, 2:15 pm EST
Mercury–Saturn trine:
March 7, 2:26 pm EST
Balsamic Moon in Aquarius:
March 8, 2:17 am EST

What do anesthesia, dreams, learning Photoshop and Van Allen Belts have in common? If you're as deep into the Piscean ocean as I've been, you've already spun out half a dozen science fiction plots with all those elements.

In fact (if we can use such a hard word in these Neptunian times), they're ways synchronicity has entered my life recently.

We're still wending our way through the waning Moon phase, in the cycle that initiated with the intense Aquarius New Moon on February 10 and entered its waning period with the amazing Full Moon in Virgo of February 25.  I write this in part as a memo to me, because I'm uncoupled from linear time these days––those Moon events seem liked hours ago and eons ago, simultaneously.

Anyway. Where was I? Oh yes, synchronicity.

This afternoon (Wednesday) brings the Capricorn Moon into an up close and personal conjunction with Pluto. Maybe that's why the invitation to Michele Grace Lessirard's New Moon teleclass tonight is about women and money––and why today is a get-'er-done kind of day.

Tomorrow brings a flowing trine between Mercury and Saturn, both retrograde. I mentioned this trine in my post about Mercury retrograde, and suggested we might see issues of emotional power, visionary depth, and the power of dreams surfacing.

I'm seeing a big increase in the flow of synchronicity, in my personal life and the world around me.

Have you noticed the Weather Channel named our current new winter storm "Saturn"? The other name for the storm is "Snowquester" and today it shut down the federal government in Washington, D.C.––which some will see as redundant.

Just the other day, U.S. scientists announced the discovery of a new belt of powerful electrons in the Van Allen Belt, the doughnut-shaped loops of radiation that surround the Earth. It appears that this "new" belt may always have been there, detected now because space probes are now more sensitive.

NASA image of the Van Allen Belt

What could be more Piscean than radiation in space surrounding the Earth, now seen in a new way due to increased sensitivity?

To add another bit of Neptunian fog, the Van Allen Belt radiation is the key element used by conspiracy theorists claiming the Moon landing never happened.

In my life, I had a medical treatment, then in an anesthesia and narcotics-assisted recovery nap, had a dream about a new tarot deck I had designed and created. This past week, as I began playing around with image ideas, I discovered that creativeLIVE was offering a weeks' worth of free broadcasts on Photoshop techniques. I watched when I could, and learned tons of new ways to manipulate images––how Neptunian is that?

And, yes, it's been an intense couple of weeks emotionally, something we can expect to continue right through the coming New Moon in Pisces. Remember the waning phase is ideal of letting things go. So, feel it, understand it, let it move through you, rinse and repeat ... it's that kind of phase.

If you are or have been in the path of this huge, diffuse and wet (all Pisces qualities) winter storm barreling through the U.S. Midwest and East, I hope you're safe, warm and dry. I'd love to hear how synchronicity is entering your life these days!