New Moon in Scorpio: The Dark Forest

into the woods ...

Uranus–Pluto Square
November 1, 2013
6:30 am EDT / 11:30 am GMT

New Moon in Scorpio
November 3, 2013
7:50 am EST / 12:50 pm GMT

What to say about tomorrow's exact square between Uranus and Pluto, followed by Sunday's New Moon and solar eclipse? I think everything has pretty much been said.

On October 23, I wrote about the Mercury Retrograde. On October 23, I previewed the waning cycle leading up to the New Moon. And on October 27, I introduced the Last Quarter Moon and what was to come.

We know this is a deep time, a shadowed time––the ancient Celts saw this as a hallowed time, for honoring and communing with the ancestors, telling stories of times past, remembering old teachings, and using divination to look toward the future.

This year, the skies point to a time that will be far-reaching, having more than usual impact: Both the eclipse and the Uranus–Pluto square say this, and in addition, Venus in late Sagittarius will be conjunct the Galactic Center.

Despite these signs that this New Moon will be felt on the world stage, I'm struggling with what to say about this New Moon because this is an especially and deeply personal time.

In other words, I can't tell you what this New Moon will mean for you because I don't know you well enough.

Scorpio is the sign of the deep psyche, the sign that shows us where our greatest strengths and mightiest demons lie. Scorpio is about everything we keep secret, even from ourselves.

So how could I know what doors are opening for you? Where things are shifting, patterns are changing?

With this mysterious and powerful New Moon, I can't even fall back on advising you to check which house in your natal chart the Moon will appear––of course, the house placement will be important, and yes, please do check, but ...

This New Moon is conjunct the North Node, Mercury and Saturn; opposite the South Node; trined by Chiron, sextiled by Pluto on one side and Mars on the other (and Mars and Pluto are trining each other); squared by Juno; and inconjunt Uranus (who squares Pluto), so that Mars and the New Moon make a yod pointing at Uranus.

This means over half of any chart will automatically be touched in some way by this New Moon, so, a lot going on there.

By this time, so close to the square, the eclipse and the New Moon, you probably already know where big changes are stirring in your life. You won't know exactly what the results will be––the timetable unclear, the players not all chosen, the direction uncharted. Still, you're most likely at the starting place.

Wherever that place of change is, that's where our most powerful wishes and intentions will be.

It would be nice to have better maps, wouldn't it?

And yet, the not-knowing can be a source of great magic. Joseph Campbell saw individuality, following our own star, the promptings of our own hearts, as the signature strength of Western spirituality. He quoted from La Quete du San Graal:

They thought it would be a disgrace to go forth in a group. Each entered the forest that he had chosen where there was no path and where it was darkest.

And then added: Now, if there’s a way or path, it’s someone else’s way.

So we're each of us headed into the dark forest, from the place we have ourselves chosen. This doesn't mean we're always alone, not at all, but it does mean we're on our own paths.

Right now, for this New Moon, that's exactly as it should be. Bon voyage.
    

Last Quarter: Into the Well

Truth Lies at the Bottom of the Well

Last Quarter Moon in Leo
October 26, 2013 7:40 pm EDT
October 27, 2013 12:40 am GMD

Balsamic Moon in Virgo
October 30, 2013
6:52 pm EDT / 10:52 pm GMT

New Moon in Scorpio
November 3, 2013
7:50 am EST / 12:50 pm GMT

We've entered the Last Quarter, the deepening of the waning lunar phase. We're drawn into Scorpio's realm with a dramatic T-square overnight.

Picture a dark stage, operatic, the proscenium arch very large, the curtains a deep velvet. Everything shadow, everything hushed, and yet already there's a palpable tension. The curtain slowly opens as the orchestral offers the first strains of mysterious music. The movement reveals a lone figure dramatically lit, visible but silent in the midst of a crowded, shadowed throng.

That figure is the Leo Moon, squaring everything in Scorpio plus the South Node in Taurus. A stage filled with fixed signs, strong and committed, sometimes immovable. Earth and Water, deeply yin energy. And then the Leo Moon––a torch in the night.

What can we make of this time we're in? It feels full of significance, portents and omens in every dream, every circumstance, and yet the meanings are elusive. Are we receiving warnings or invitations?

Ahhh, Scorpio! The sign of, perhaps, more paradoxes than any other in the zodiac. Scorpio wants to know everything, feels compelled to uncover secrets, and yet is wary, wary ... so sensitive to hidden dangers. Scorpio understands the need for secrecy, and yet pushes to uncover every taboo. Scorpio is full of fear, and fearless in moving ahead anyway.

"I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life––and I never let it stop me from doing a single thing I wanted to do." –– Georgie O'Keefe (Scorpio Sun)

With the concentration of planets building around the Scorpio North Node, the sense of fate continues to grow. So it's a good time to look at this whole idea of fate and destiny, to unpack it a little.

hidden well, Glendalough, Ireland

Plenty of religions and traditions will be happy to tell you that Fate (capital "F") trumps all. We are born with a destiny, we can't escape it, we do as God wills. The New Age version is the idea of not being able to escape karma or everything happening for a reason, most often said about someone else who's having a bad time of it.

But is that true?

Astrology is (can be) one of those traditions with its thumb on the "immutable Fate" side of the scales ... and yet, astrology today, practiced at its best, points always to choices, opportunities, open doors.

Astrologer and Jungian analyst Liz Greene believes the world itself changed through our increasing understanding of the unconscious, so that Fate itself has altered, becoming more mutable, less predictable. My experience and study over time suggests we're walking a paradoxical path.

On one hand, we are not completely in control of everything––there are "givens" in our aptitudes and attitudes and sometimes in our circumstances. Some of us carry burdens not wholly our own. On the other, we have so much more freedom than we realize––than, in many cases, we are raised to believe, or our societies want us to know.

JRR Tolkien was fascinated with this theme, which he called the "doom of choice" –– doom not in the sense that it doesn't matter what we do, because Fate will get us, but doom in the sense that what we choose, what we do, matters terribly, and the world changes through our choices.

Notice how Scorpio leads us into deep waters?

Part of the paradox we're in right now involves the challenge of knowing when to wait and when to act. Scorpio can wait forever for the opportune moment. Do we have the insight to know when that is?

Paradoxically, part of the answer may lie in the past. We also have a Grand Earth Trine now, formed of Mars in careful Virgo, Pluto in relentless Capricorn, and the South Node in steady Taurus. As we walk into the shadowy future, our best support is coming from behind. Somewhere, there are lessons––messages from ancestors, learnings from our own experiences, things we know in our bones.

We're in the time of letting go, releasing what no longer serves us to prepare for the New Moon already on her way. And this New Moon arrives with another eclipse, a solar one, a cosmic neon sign saying "This. Is. Important."

It's time to crank up the Scorpionic discernment engine. At this time, we need our attenae up and ready, we need to see in the dark––not in a spirit of anxiety, which will cloud our vision, but in a spirit of adventure.

We're called to stand up for ourselves, to say our names, to be courageous in the face of challenge. The opening image is a drawing by Frances MacDonald, Scottish designer and artist, less well known than her sister Margaret in part because her husband destroyed much of her work after her death. This is the negative power of Scorpio––unhealthy control––and not where we want to be.

Now is the time for radical honesty, with ourselves first of all. We want the sustenance of the deep well, the clear water, the true stream. We can find it.

"My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times." ––Clarissa Pinkola Estes

    

Toward the Scorpio New Moon: The Power of Water

powerful waters at Poulanass

Disseminating Moon in Gemini
October 22, 2013
4:53 pm EDT / 9:53 pm GMD

Last Quarter Moon in Leo
October 26, 2013, 7:41 pm EDT
October 27, 2013, 12:41 am GMD

Balsamic Moon in Virgo
October 30, 2013
6:52 pm EDT / 10:52 pm GMT

New Moon in Scorpio
November 3, 2013
7:50 am EST / 12:50 pm GMT

Yesterday's Disseminating Moon in upbeat Gemini was opposite Venus in adventurous Sagittarius, creating an optimistic mood. Maybe the Full Aries Moon was a bit startling, but sure, it was exciting, wasn't it? Pull up a chair, and I'll tell you all about it ...

Today, the Sun has entered Scorpio, another intensification of the shadowy energy gathering around us. The Sun trines Neptune today, which could bring on some confusing fog, or could deepen connection with our creative energies. Poetry, lyricism, dreams––all powerful today.

At the Last Quarter, the Leo Moon will challenge our poetical dreaminess, pushing for expression, for passion, for action. Scorpio energy continues to gain in strength: Sun, North Node, Saturn and Mercury all tightly clustered. The fire of the Leo Moon might be enough to shed some light into the shadows, but then again, it's vital to remember that Scorpio is also a fixed sign.

Traveling in Ireland, I've been brought again and again up against the power of water. Her lush green countryside––the result of the rains, from soft to lashing. The stark beauty of the Burren––carved by water working slowly on limestone. The peat that has kept families warm, baking bread and brewing tea for generations––the action of water and vegetation and pressure.

And today, walking down along the cascading waterfall called Poulanass, no one could miss the rushing power of water carving through granite, pounding down the hillsides, swirling among the rocks.

Elementally, we think of Water as yin: quiet, quiescent, receptive, taking the shape of whatever container offers itself. But in the fixed sign of Scorpio, we face the full power of Water to change, dissolve, break open, and reshape entire landscapes.

The Balsamic Moon in Virgo comes just as Mars, also in Virgo, trines Pluto in Capricorn and forms an awkward inconjunct to Uranus in Aries. Ordinarily, Mars loves the impulsive fire of Aries, which he rules.

In Virgo, Mars takes more measured actions, moving carefully, step by step, to accomplish the transformative projects we have in hand.

Throughout this waning lunar cycle, we experience the powers of Water. First, the dreamy mistiness of Sun trine Neptune. Then, the challenge of the Leo Last Quarter, pushing for action, not content with dreams. Then the Balsamic Moon in Virgo, echoing Mars' message to watch our step, to follow the plan.

In a way, this waning Moon time is like hiking down the length of a waterfall. It's beautiful to watch the waters coursing through forests and over boulders. But seeing the gathered power, we can't help but think, what can this water do? How can this force be focused?

Following on from the Full Moon, we have ideas and plans. We know, now, what needs to be changed. The opportunity here is to work with Water to get those changes made––to let go of what needs to be dissolved, washed away, carried out to sea.

By the time we reach the Scorpio New Moon, we'll be scoured ourselves, ready to let in new dreams, new power, new waters.
    

Mercury Retrograde: Depth of Focus

The Seer, Wildwood Tarot

Mercury stations retrograde
October 21, 2013
6:29 am EDT / 11:29 am GMD

Uranus–Pluto square
November 1, 2013
6:30 am EDT / 10:30 am GMT

New Moon in Scorpio
November 3, 2013
7:50 am EST / 12:50 om GMT

Astrological Samhain
November 7, 2013
1:14 am EST / 6:14 am GMT

Mercury stations direct
November 10, 2013
4:12 pm EST / 9:12 pm GMT

We've entered our last Mercury retrograde for this year, the last in the Water element. Following on the heels of the fiery intensity of the Aries Full Moon, Mercury's station (the moment he slows down and stops before turning back) ushers in the season of Samhain.

At Samhain, deep in Autumn in the Northern hemisphere, we enter the dark time of the year. This is the time of stories around the fire, of mending and making, of looking within. For the ancient Celts, this was where (and how) everything began––in the depths of quiet yin.

The astrological year begins at the Spring Equinox, with fiery yang Aries energy. We felt a burst of that at the Full Moon, and now, only a few days later, we're dropped into the depths of something ancient and dark.

This is the waning cycle of the Moon, but this post is not my usual post for this time––I will write another in a few days describing what the Moon will be up to. We've entered an intense and focused time within a much larger cycle now, and it feels important to get oriented.

dive in ...

Samhain arrives every year, after all ... the time of Scorpio, the energy of fixed Water that asks us to look our fears in the face, embrace our Shadow, have tea with our demons.

Scorpio time is also for connecting deeply with what fuels us, what brings meaning and creative fire into our lives. And for honoring the past and the ancestors.

These themes are connected: We fear what we don't understand and don't want to face, often these things come from the past, and are shadowy. The things modern culture wants most to ignore––age, death, decay, depth––these are Scorpio things and the source of all new life.

This year... well, this year we're offered extra Scorpio. A Scorpio main course with Scorpio on the side, and some Scorpio sauce.

Mercury's retrograde in Scorpio opens the door and nudges (pushes?) us through. The usual caveats apply––double check plans and schedules, make extra backups of important files, and avoid leaping to conclusions about what you think someone meant when they said that to you. But this is not what Mercury retrograde is about.

The mess-ups in communication come about because our attention is being directed elsewhere. The ordinary details of life are not where our hearts and minds want to be right now. We're being drawn into the depth of our own lives, the lives around us, the life of our world. 

This is the time to examine our deepest goals and desires, to face our darkest fears. Mercury stations retrograde while trining (in a deep flow of energy) with Jupiter in Cancer. This connection reminds us of the waves of Water energy we swam in this summer, when so much was happening in the sign of Cancer.

Now we're asked to take all of those emotions to a new level, placing them in a context that includes the past, potential futures, and the creation of meaningful lives.

The next exact Pluto–Uranus square's coming right up too. Pluto rules Scorpio, and remains in mutual reception with Saturn who is in Scorpio. This square, coming at this time and during the waning lunar cycle, says, Let go! It's time to take off the water wings, leave the shallow water, and trust that we can swim to the far shore.

The New Moon in Scorpio will be conjunct Saturn, Mercury retrograde, and the North Node, offering an open portal for new beginnings in the deepest parts of our psyches. This New Moon arrives with a Solar Eclipse, giving extra energy and resonance to whatever seeds we plant. Astrological Samhain (when the Sun reaches 15 Scorpio) and the ending of the retrograde will follow.

... the water's fine

By the time we reach that far shore, we'll be in a waxing cycle, growing something new. We'll also have changed our clocks, which may carry extra symbolic weight this year––it certainly will for me, because I will experience it twice. We'll "fall back" here in Ireland before I leave, and then I'll "fall back" again in the US a few days after I arrive.

In the next days and weeks, be aware that whatever happens is likely to feel "extra" ... extra strong, extra important, extra meaningful. And most likely, it will be. We're entering a time when signs and portents could be anywhere and everywhere.

I invite you to choose the deep over the superficial. One thing I've learned on my long travels is how easy it is for me to allow ordinary anxieties (Did I lock the door? Did I pay that bill? Is she angry about what I said?) to keep me from experiencing the layers of deeper emotion underneath. I think this is fairly common, and something we want to get beyond, especially now.

These next few weeks invite us to look closely at who we are, how we feel, what fuels us, what blocks us, and where we go from here. Ordinary live recedes. We're called into a reflective time. That cave might feel scary but there are riches within. Take the plunge!
    

Full Moon in Aries: Red Alert!

Fiery Full Moon!

Full Moon in Aries
7:38 pm EDT, October 18, 2013
12:38 am GMD October 19, 2013

OK, peops, head up and stay awake for this one: There's a Full Moon overnight Friday, October 18 and it comes with a partial lunar eclipse and it's in the fiery sign of Aries and it's conjunct the asteroid Eris who's the goddess of turning things upside down. So. Here. We. Go.

Remember, Full Moons are illuminators, the bright lights highlighting exactly what we need to look at. It's easy, at this Full Moon, to go with gloom and doom. Eclipses are more than a bit foreboding when predicting world events, and the aspects to this Full Moon could be read as, shall we say, alarming.

But, you know what? I'm just not in the mood for the kind of apocalypse where everything goes to hell in a handbasket and we stand around with the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments and all that.

So, I say, let the red alert be us! Let's go with the energy of Aries as the initiator born anew every Spring, the one who can't sit still because the world is way too exciting, the one who blazes a new trail, the one who lights up the sky.

Aries is the sign of passion, the pulse of life and the thrill of being alive. Aries is courageous, lives from the heart, and laughs out loud. This is where I want to be for this Full Moon.

That said, I would add this is one of those "go high or go home" events. No sitting on the sidelines. Drag out that birth chart, and see where this Full Moon will be lighting up your chart.

The Full Moon arrives at 25 Aries, with the Sun at 25 Libra. It's squared by Jupiter at 19 Cancer, making whatever happens bigger. The Sun is close enough to the North Node to create the partial lunar eclipse, bringing destiny into the mix. Pluto and Uranus are really close to their next exact square, amping up the transformative power.

This is a Full Moon likely to push buttons. Mine, yours, everyone else's. So check out what issues are likely to be front and center for you:

• Anything in or around 25 degrees of any sign will be affected, especially the cardinal signs of Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn.

• Anything in the same House as the Full Moon in your birth chart, whether it's in the same sign or not, will be affected.

• Anything in Aries or Libra may also feel the fire, depending on how far away and how strong a placement it is.

At this Full Moon, it will be tough to keep the lid on, or sweep things under the rug. Instead of getting all anxious about that, let's grab the bull by the horns and ride that tiger ... let's split those infinitives and mix those metaphors with gay abandon.

With a Moon like this on our doorstep, we can try diving under the covers, or we can say, bring it on. Looking at what comes up will be a great way to see where we're hiding, either from old hurts holding us back, or from our own magnificence.

This is the Hunter's Moon, a name that comes from the fact that we'll see this amazing Moon for several nights in a row––which happens because of the angle of the Moon relative to the ecliptic at this time of year, and which ancient people recognized as a great change to hunt whatever was needed before the cold winter set in.

We can be hunters too. As we head into the shadowy time of Samhain and the darkness of winter, we can first take this bright opportunity to track down what we need to heal, to embrace and to celebrate. This Full Moon fuels the introspective time to come, ensuring that Spring will indeed arrive with new wonders to be witnessed.

Yes, this Full Moon will be exciting, challenging, fiery, and bright. It's that wonderful?
    

On the Road: From the New to the Full Moon

... on the road ...

Crescent Moon in Sagittarius
October 8, 2013
9:04 am EDT / 2:04 pm GMD

First Quarter Moon in Capricorn
October 11, 2013, 7:02 pm EDT
October 12, 2013, 12:02 am GMD

Gibbous Moon in Pisces
October 15, 2013
5:29 am EDT / 10:29 am GMD

Full Moon in Aries
October 18, 2013, 7:38 pm EDT
October 19, 2013, 12:38 am GMT

"Oh, I'm on the road, I know I am ... " ––Cat Stevens

Tomorrow brings the Crescent Moon, the first hurdle when the cosmos poses the question, "Those New Moon wishes you were after making ... were you serious about those, at all?"

Today we're in deep emotional territory with the North Node, Mercury, Saturn, Moon and Venus all in shadowy Scorpio, and Venus in the last, emphatic, intense anaretic degree right now. So, whew, give yourself a hug and pay compassionate attention to whatever comes up.

Tomorrow's Crescent, now, that's a different kettle of fish entirely. The Moon and Venus will be together at 0 Sagittarius, ready to head out onto the open road and see what happens.

The Moon and Venus will be squaring Neptune in Pisces, as if to say, we don't care if it's cloudy, we don't care about the fog and the mist, we've got our lanterns, and whatever happens, we'll find our way. And that half-square back to the Libra Moon is just enough to push the Moon out the door on her quest.

Tomorrow, the Sagittarius Moon will trine Uranus the revolutionary trickster (tomorrow) and later in this waxing cycle, Venus in Sag will make her own trine. We're on an adventure, and the Crescent Moon's heart and hopes are high. Courage up, everyone! The world's an amazing place, after all, filled with wonders and magic. Now's the time to open our eyes and see what we're being offered.

"It's a dangerous thing going out your door, Frodo ..." ––Bilbo Baggins

Which is not to say everything will be easy. What fun would any journey be without some trolls and dragons along the way?

The First Quarter Moon brings a T-square. By definition, the Sun and Moon are square, the Sun maintaining a lovely equanimity in Libra, the Moon having moved into harder-edged Capricorn. At this First Quarter, we'll also see Jupiter in Cancer opposing the Moon and squaring the Sun.

This First Quarter reminds us of the ongoing need to maintain good balance between the masculine and feminine energies that were so strongly squared off at the New Moon. The Sun in the sign of balance squares the Moon in her own opposite sign of Capricorn with Jupiter broadcasting strongly from the Moon's home sign of Cancer.

Male and female, masculine and feminine, father and mother, god and goddess, and all they represent: the First Quarter square asks, are we in balance? If we found balance at the New Moon, are we learning to maintain it, embody it, live it?

The Gibbous Moon in Pisces brings a different reminder. Saturn continues to hang out with the North Node in Scorpio, where Mercury readies himself for his final retrograde for this year. The is not a vacation trip we're on, but a journey of transformation. We're going deeper into who we are and what our lives are meant to be.

The Scorpio group is getting energy in trine from Chiron the wounded healer, who remains in Pisces. The Gibbous Moon land right between Chiron and Neptune, conjuncting both and trining the Scorpio group.

Misty Pisces offers both spiritual insight and enticing illusions. Are we seeing clearly? Are we on the right path? Where's that lantern we brought with us? In the end, it's our own internal compass we must rely on, which will always point us to our own true North.

The Full Moon (which I will explore more deeply later) will be in Aries, the energy that knows with absolute clarity which way to go. At the Aries Full Moon, it'll be full speed ahead. Take the time these next weeks before we get there to enjoy the first stages of this new journey.

In a way, this waxing cycle is the shake-down hike. We're already deep into our transformational program, and yet there's a sense of newness, of wonder, maybe with a bit of fun. No one's forgetting the seriousness of the times or the challenges, and the reminders are right in front of us.

And yet, there's laughter, even if the joke is sometimes at our own expense, and healing, and new vistas head.

What's that around the corner there? Let's go look ...
    

New Moon in Libra: Delicate Balance

New Moon in Libra
October 4, 8:35 pm EDT
October 5, 1:30 am GMD

Libra, ruled by Venus, bringer of balance, of harmony, of cooperation and diplomacy, oh, we need you now!

We find ourselves in the midst of transformational energy so intense the word "crisis" does not seem too strong:

This New Moon opposes revolutionary Uranus in impetuous Aries, and squares Pluto the alchemist in intransigent Capricorn.

Also squared by edgy Lililth, and widely squared by Jupiter, both in inflexible, needy Cancer.

Meanwhile, Venus in dark Scorpio and Mars in passionate Leo continue their square-off.

Which means there is a lot of take-no-prisoners energy around, insisting we change everything, completely, yesterday, and then change again. Relationships, especially, can feel hard-edge and downright unworkable at the moment.

So what do we reset at this New Moon? What new beginning do we hope for, what wishes do we make?

Libra, we're sometimes told, is wishy-washy, a people-pleaser, codependent. Surely we're not being asked to simply give in, give up, and follow along, are we?

No, we're not.

This Libra New Moon brings a very different energy––a path of brinksmanship, the ability (f needed) to tell someone to go to hell so he looks forward to the trip. Right now, that's the level of diplomacy we need, and Libra has it.

Sometimes, of course, we're mired in difficult inner dialogues. It's within ourselves where negotiation is needed, and a new balance needs to be found.

That's OK. Setting the intention to find a place of harmony and beauty within is perfect for this New Moon.

For those challenging outer world conversations... this is the New Moon to wish for understanding, new perspectives, creative problem solving, diplomatic skill, and balanced outcomes. If we don't need it in our own lives, we can send the energy toward our governments, whose skills in empathy, as well as cooperation, seem sadly lacking these days.

We're poised at a difficult time. Mercury has entered Scorpio, heading into his last and most shadowy retrograde. Another exact Uranus–Pluto square arrives in early November (previewed at this New Moon). Change is inevitable, not optional.

    Turning and turning in the widening gyre
    The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
    Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
    –– Yeats, The Second Coming

This Libra New Moon offers hope, which is more than Yeats does in his evocative poem. At this New Moon, we set our sights on a new center, a place where all voices are heard and, more, listened to. We make wishes for insight, for creativity on a grand scale, and for heart.