The Moon's Light is Personal: Today's First Quarter in Scorpio

Moon illuminations

First Quarter Moon in Scorpio
August 14, 2013 6:56 am EDT
(and 11:56 am GMD)

The Moon is always close. When not blotted out by manufactured light, we track her changes naturally. She's personal, human in a way, the focus of the earliest calendars we now know go back to the Neolithic––or earlier.

Since the Moon moves fastest, being closest to us, she's often described as a "trigger" astrologically, a word I don't like in this context. Triggers set off devices, often destructive or at least explosive devices, and are themselves incidental. The Moon, the light of our night, is anything but incidental.

The Moon is more like a spotlight, drawing our attention. She's an emotional genius, focusing our feelings, and therefore our attention, before consciousness and rationality know where they are.

Today (just before noon where I am in Ireland now), we reach the First Quarter Moon in Scorpio.

Yesterday, as my jet-lagged self rode in a comfy bus through green countryside to Cork City, the Scorpio Moon shone her light on the Grand Trine in Water we've been swimming with this summer. As I rode, I wrote about my hopes for this adventure.

Part of what the Moon's spotlight shows us now is how everything focuses in on the flow of feeling these days. Look at the First Quarter chart, how so many planets around the circle are in and around 12 degrees of their signs. Everyone is at the table; everyone has something to say.

So do we leave it at "It's All One" and get on with our day?

It's an option, certainly, and there are times when the details of our lives seem so hopelessly tangled (or, if we're lucky, seamlessly integrated) that nothing more needs be said.

But then the Moon ... spotlights focus our attention, drawing the eye inexorably to a particular place. On this Scorpio Moon day, notice where your attention goes. Without trying to control it, just see what you see, feel what you feel.

In meditation, journalling, drawing, dreaming, living, allow a part of yourself to have a bit of Scorpionically detached incisiveness, the ability to see around corners and through fog. What does the deeper self want us to see today?

That's all––and that's enough. Allowing the Moon to set the focus, draw us into seeing something we might have missed. It might seem small. It may well prove larger than we realize at first.

What did I write in my journal on the bus? Stuff about handling the practicalities of life on the road, about listening to ancestral voices, about working and traveling, about the ways landscapes speak to and affect us.

I wasn't thinking about the Scorpio Moon then, just writing. But in my birth chart, Saturn, Venus, Juno and the doorway into my Fourth House are in Scorpio. What I wrote was personal, meaningful, and gently illuminated by the transiting Moon, even though I couldn't see her at the time.
    

The Unconscious Rudder: Scorpio Moon and North Node

Infinite Dreams Tarot @2013 MP Lynch

Wednesday, July 17, 2013
between the First Quarter and Gibbous Moons
Moon in Scorpio

The unconscious is the rudder controlling everything up above.

 ––Marion Woodman

As I write this morning, the Scorpio Moon conjunct the North Node, focusing our attention on where we are and where we're going.

This Moon–North Node conjunction forms one of two strong Grand Water Trines: Moon–North Node at 13 Scorpio, Mercury retrograde at 13 Cancer, and Chiron at 13 Pisces.

The second Grand Water Trine links Saturn at 4 Scorpio with Neptune at 4 Pisces and Jupiter at 4 Cancer, with Mars conjunct Jupiter at 2 Cancer.

Could we ask for a stronger invitation to look under the boat and see what kind of shape our rudder is in?

This day, of all other days, if you haven't found an hour to spend with dreams, intuition, insights, journals, the Shadow, old patterns, complexes, some or all of these, do it today.

That's really it, all that needs to be said.

OK, I'll say something about the idea of the unconscious as a rudder. The unconscious is (by definition) the stuff we're not aware of. It's our blind spots, what we deny, what we don't want to admit to even to ourselves, what scares us, what might be true.

The unconscious includes the things our culture says are taboo, as well as the things we've learned through painful life experience are taboo for us. It's vital to know that what we hide in Shadow, what we dump into our long black bag, includes powerful creative gifts as well as unpleasant and uncomfortable truths.

"I am a good person and could never do anything wrong, so it's good that I can clearly see how wrong those people are over there."

and

"I couldn't possibly paint watercolors ... It's much more important for me to take care of my family."

are BOTH Shadow messages. And the crazy thing is, we can only connect with the creative energy when we embrace the "bad" stuff.

Does that mean it's OK to behave cruelly? No, it doesn't. What it does mean is we need to look within and see the possibility of cruelty, the impulse to anger, the desire to grab whatever we want, because that awareness opens us to the fullness of life, to compassion, and to creative expression.

Remember that the purpose of the rudder is to steer the boat. The goal is to keep a light hand on the tiller, turning a bit one way or the other, to get where we wish to go.

The light hand responds to conditions we see around us and to what we feel coming from the rudder underneath the water. Sometimes we maneuver around a rock we clearly see; sometimes we feel the rudder resist and know it's time to stop and see what's going on under the boat.

Take time today to sense your hand on the tiller. Does it respond smoothly, easily? Is something stuck? Find a safe and quiet cove. Drop anchor, and slip over the side. Take a look at the rudder. If seaweed or fishing line or something else is impeding your ability to steer, unwind it, cut it, release it, heal it. Then you can push out to sea again, ready to steer a steady course.

A note on today's image: For some months now, I've been working on a new project that came to me in a dream. Called the Infinite Dreams Tarot, this deck is wound through with what I've learned about dreams and dreamwork, and from dreams. It will be a while before the project is complete, and this felt like a good day to share a first image. This is the Moon card.
    

Grasshopper Kung Fu: The Summer Solstice Chart

the balance

Summer Solstice
Sun enters Cancer
Moon in Scorpio
June 21, 1:04am EDT

The Summer Solstice arrives overnight Thursday (very, very early Friday). One of the great hinges of the year, this apex of light in the Northern hemisphere is celebrated as Midsummer––a time of magic, lighthearted fun, and a bit of madness.

Grasshopper time, when fields are green, skies are blue, warm breezes caress the skin, and merriment is rife––like the Saucy Solstice Burlesque Cabaret scheduled for this Sunday in Nottingham, UK.

And why not? What's wrong with forgetting care and having a bit of fun? Nothing, really. Except turning points are just that: Reminders we've reached a culmination and now turn toward something completely different.

In ancient times, the bonfires of Midsummer blazed for protection. Cattle were driven through twin fires to protect them from disease and magical interference. Charms of protection were made, and worn, by those out and about at this thin time of year. Elaine Kalatarian of Blue Moon Astrology has posted a lovely essay exploring these traditions.

The Chinese symbol of yin and yang shows a small dot of white in the black, and likewise black in the white. When we are most deeply in yin, yang is born. When we are most deeply in yang (as we are at Midsummer), the yin of winter begins to stir. Carl Jung pointed this out as well. Each quality, when most in its suchness, potentiates its opposite.

Sometimes, grasshopper behavior is denial. We will not look at what's around the corner, hidden in shadow, down the lane, in back of beyond. We don't want to know.

This year's solstice chart suggests denial will not be a viable option.

The newly-Cancerian Sun triggers the Grand Trine in Water anchored by Neptune in Pisces, Saturn in Scorpio, and Lilith in Cancer. These are oceans of dreams, visions, illusions, the subconscious, our fears and our deepest desires.

Since all three anchors are retrograde, these are deep, deep waters indeed. I picture the Cancer Sun putting a toe in the waves and wanting to pull back. Nope, uh-uh, too cold ... looking around for sunnier playmates.

But with Mercury, Venus and Vesta conjunct in Cancer, and Ceres there as well, the pull of the waves is undeniable. The Scorpio Moon flows easy energy with these four planets in late Cancer. Dreaming will be very strong on this night.

Yet, we're not being drawn into a well of emotion just to wallow about. Signs point to action. 

Mars in grasshopper Gemini might feel ripe for distraction and fun, except he's conjunct Pallas Athena, the ever-cerebral protectress of civilization. And ... hmmm ... Mars is point man for a yod (that awkward, pushy pattern that demands adjustment) with the North Node and Pluto––nothing lighthearted there. Then, wow, the North Node is at the apex of another yod with Mars, Pallas, and Uranus at its base.

Last but never least, Jupiter clings to the end of Gemini, conjunct the Sun and therefore part of the Grand Water Trine. This year, we're meant to think, connect, and act. Get out the swim goggles, pull on the fins. We're heading into deep emotional territory and we're meant to dive in with eyes open for the opportune moment.

If your life feels overfull of challenge and turmoil, remember that Gemini Mars keeps us light on our feet, and possibly light-fingered as well. This is the trickster, the one who dances away from danger with the prize hidden in his pouch.

Think of whistleblowers, of dancers in gas masks, of children speaking up to CEOs of huge corporations. These are the Mercurial heroes and heroines now, the ones seemingly without power who still find a voice and a way to act.

Our lives these days can seem filled with challenge and turmoil. That same Mars catches a square from Chiron, the healer and mentor. What do skillful means look like now? How can we finesse this situation? How can we be both effective and safe?

At the Summer Solstice, we hold this paradox. We celebrate, we sing, we dream ... and we remember those who suffer, we know it's not all fun and games. This knowing brings poignancy, brings depth, and the courage to stand and say yes to the whole catastrophe, YES to life.
    

Full Moon Thursday!

Full Moon from space, Earth's luminous being on the left

Full Moon in Scorpio
April 25, 3:57 pm EDT

An update and correction: The DATE on my original post is correct but a paragraph lead said "Saturday's Full Moon" and the 25th is, of course, Thursday.

I corrected the original and added a comment, but that didn't send a message to my email and RSS subscribers. So, here the correction: the Full Moon is THURSDAY. (A big thank you to my reader who emailed, reminding me I needed an updated feed too.)

So here's an additional thought on the illuminating Moon soon to arrive: I'm returning from an intensive shamanic workshop with Betsy Bergstrom, who I found to be an amazing teacher, and shared with a wonderful circle. We spent a lot of time talking about power––no surprise in this lunar cycle, right?

To live the life we hope for, the fullest, juiciest, most wonderful life we can have, the meaningful life we're meant to have, we need to step into our power. We need to be what Betsy calls power-filled.

This is not about dominating, controlling, pushing or pulling. It's all about claiming our individual sovereignty. Each of us has a natural, inalienable right to be who we are in the world. We each have the right to shine.

This Full Moon in Scorpio, with Sun in Taurus and all the patterns already explored, is a wonderful time to tend our own light. Where are we standing in our own power and allowing others around us to stand in theirs? Where do boundaries need tending? Where can projections be withdrawn?

As this Full Moon approaches, may we see ourselves as the shining luminous beings we are, and see all other beings around us in the wonder and beauty of their luminosity.
    

Full Moon Eclipse in Scorpio: Hecate's Magic

Hecate

Full Moon in Scorpio
April 25, 2013 3:57pm EDT

Full Moons are hard to miss. Even when the night sky is full of clouds, somehow we feel a full Moon. Life becomes a bit crazier, wilder, over the top.

THURSDAY's Full Moon comes with a partial lunar eclipse, opening this year's "eclipse season" –– May brings two more eclipses, one solar and another lunar. Lunar eclipses always accompany Full Moons, giving this Full Moon extra strength––think espresso, or really dark chocolate.

Eclipses are turning points, times of emphasis and change. Eclipse patterns repeat at roughly 19 year intervals; to understand what might be coming up for you at this Full Moon, look back to what was happening in your life 19 years ago. This eclipse might revisit that same territory in new ways.

Now factor in the sign of this Full Moon: Scorpio, sign of the underworld, the subconscious, the Shadow; sign of the detective, the therapist and the spy. Scorpio knows who has skeletons in the closet and where the bodies are buried.

A Full Moon to prepare for.

This Scorpio Full Moon eclipse arrives with deep emotion, boatloads of karma, long-term effects, and high voltage. Am I planning to hide under the covers, or, better yet, leave the planet? Nope, I'm not. I'm looking forward to pressing yet another cosmic reset button on my adventurous way. Honest.

Full Moons illuminate. Their spotlights show us where we are, and how we're doing with whatever that is. With this Full Moon in Scorpio, we're likely to see one or more of the following on our personal large screen:

• Power! This lunar cycle began with an Aries extravaganza. Mars (Aries ruler) is also the ancient ruler of Scorpio, and will conjunct the Sun at the Full Moon. So ... how are we handling power? Are we responsible? Afraid? Controlling? In denial? This will be a headliner.

• Deep emotion. Scorpio is a Water sign, so our feelings selves will be awake and aware. This Full Moon is part of the Grand Trine in Water that includes Saturn (conjunct the Moon in Scorpio), Neptune in Pisces, and Ceres in Cancer.

How are we feeling? What do we feel deeply about now? Where are we confused (Neptune) about our feelings, or perhaps unsure if our feelings are justified, accurate, or reciprocated? Where do we feel insecure, or compelled to nurture others? Where are we facing the consequences of emotions, perhaps because we became obsessed, or codependent, or overcommitted?

• Where we're stuck. Scorpio and Taurus are both fixed signs, and can be beyond stubborn––immovable, in fact. Mars and Saturn, conjunct the Sun and Moon, might push us to move, or might just decide to stay exactly where they are.

Meanwhile, there's a yod (finger of fate, as aspect pattern that points like an arrow) aimed to the North Node, which also happens to be in Scorpio. This yod is pushing, with Mercury energized in Aries and Jupiter expanding in Gemini, asking, why haven't we changed already? Are we waiting for an engraved invitation, or what?

Uranus in Aries, the revolutionary trickster, is inconjunct the Full Moon, adding his own considerable power to the equation. At this Full Moon, we're likely to see where we're stuck and (if we pay attention) what we can do about it.

• Self care. Taurus is the sign of nurturing the body; Scorpio is the sign of tending to the psyche. Finding balance between the two can be challenging, but is essential. With issues of power, emotion, and stuckness coming up for review, we also need to attend to how we're doing overall. Kindness and self compassion are good watchwords, and this Full Moon may point out where we need to bring some of that to the fore.

Why the scary goddess Hecate? She's a goddess of the crossroads and dark places, a goddess of choices and deep knowing. She's demonized as a witchy death goddess, but then, Scorpio gets a pretty bad rap a lot of the time too.

Hecate is a goddess of great power, connected to deep emotional issues, who knows how to move us on when we're standing at the crossroads not sure where to go. She helped bring Persephone out from Hades, restoring the Earth's capacity to grow and be fruitful.

One of Hecate's symbols is the torch. At this Full Moon, as we begin a new 19 year eclipse cycle, calling on the energy and guidance of a goddess who can navigate in dark places seems like an excellent plan.

Checking where this Full Moon will fall in your birth chart offers extra information about where and how this Full Moon will illuminate your life. Which house will this Full Moon appear in, for you? Will any of your planets be touched by the patterns this Moon will form? These are the pointers to look for, to see where Hecate's light may shine into shadowy places.
    

Balsamic Moon: Past is Prologue

a clean sweep

Balsamic Moon in Scorpio
December 9, 2012

Today, we enjoy the balanced, lovely Libra Moon. Tomorrow ... well, tomorrow, we reach the Balsamic Moon.

This half-a-square (semisquare) between Moon and Sun ushers in the final phase of a powerful lunar cycle that began in Scorpio, and brought us so much of this shadowy, deep, insightful, obsessive, relentless, passionate, psychic sign's energy.

Look at the Balsamic Moon chart. Note the rather large emphasis in Scorpio: Mercury, North Node and Venus together. Moon and Saturn together, trining Neptune and Chiron in Pisces. The Sun is valiantly trying to stay alight and upbeat in Sagittarius, but we're swimming in deep waters here.

What's past is prologue, a line from Shakespeare's The Tempest, neatly captures the feelings of this turning. Often quoted to show the value of understanding the past, in the play, it's actually said to justify evil––Antonio tells Sebastian, in effect, they are prisoners of the past and can't be other than they are.

Which is it? Scorpio, more than any other sign, looks at both sides of every coin, then bites to test its value.

Yes, we live out patterns, habits, choices we made in the past. Yes, we are influenced by choices others made in the past––ancestors, leaders, sometimes random people whose lives touched ours. Does that make us prisoners? Scorpio would say, decisively, no.

Yet, the route to freedom is neither easy nor well lit. At this Balsamic Moon, we're invited to look into the dark corners of our lives. We've been through intense transformations lately (and are still, this is ongoing). All those dramatic shifts have shaken things loose. It's time to take inventory and sweep out the corners.

What things do you know, really, deeply know, it's time to let go of? With Moon and Saturn conjunct, there's no shirking, no pretending you didn't notice or hadn't realized. No big eyes and innocent manner. Bad habits, worn out ideas, stuff you don't use, relationships that drain you ... now's the time.

The coming New Moon is in generous, optimistic, philosophical Sagittarius. Mercury will have moved back into Sag by then, helping shift the energy into celebration and gratitude. Hold on to that thought, the idea of a new beginning in the sign of Dickens' Ghost of Christmas Present, the giant who freely gives the milk of human kindness to all.

For the next few days, we finish the alchemical work we began at the Scorpio New Moon, cleaning up messes, learning from any failed experiments, holding tight to the philosopher's stone of our successes, preparing the way for what is to come.
    

Learning about Eclipses

perception is everything :)

New Moon in Scorpio and Solar Eclipse
November 13, 2012

I wrote about tomorrow's New Moon yesterday (how's that for time travel in one sentence?). Today, I'm adding links about eclipses, and this solar eclipse in particular.

Eclipses are on my learning curve, so I happily turn to other astrologers for insight. These essays resonated with my experience of this eclipse season so far ... perhaps you'll feel the same!

Eclipse Pointers from Moonkissed by Jessica. She also has a nifty article called Eclipses by House and Sign that's worth reading.

If you're interested in an easy intro to the technical aspects of eclipse cycles, and where this one fits, check out Eclipse Astrology by Brenda Black. I am new to Brenda's work and enjoyed this one––will be reading more.

April Elliott Kent is an eclipse diva, and her site has lots of information on eclipses and how they affect our charts. Her article on this particular eclipse is here, but check out Big Sky Astrology for more eclipse resources.

The presence of a solar eclipse amps up the intensity (there's that word again!) during this New Moon time, and with Scorpio energy strong, it's good to remember we're travelers within a great mystery. We can be insightful and align with the forces that align with our goals, but control is off the table––reach deep and trust.
    

New Moon in Scorpio: Superposition

New Moon in Scorpio
November 13, 2012

I'm guilty of overusing the word "intense" and I promise to stop. After this New Moon, I mean. Yes, this New Moon is intense ... an intensity of intensities beyond intense. Where is my thesaurus?

Monday's New Moon is in Scorpio, fixed Water. Wary, brooding, tenacious, insightful, psychic, involuted, Scorpio has a long memory, sharp tongue, and nerves of steel. This is the intensity of transformation, life and death decisions, and deep knowledge.

Every Scorpio New Moon––every Scorpio everything––has this kind of intensity, and this one's got more.

Saturn is in Scorpio now, adding his gravitas. You can't ignore Saturn; he's the 500 lb. gorilla. He's anchoring the ongoing Grand Trine in Water with Ceres in Cancer and Chiron and Neptune in Pisces. We're swimming in deep seas with strong currents.

This New Moon comes with a solar eclipse, which means the New Moon is conjunct the North Node––in other words, aligned with the point of our unfolding, the place we create ourselves and find meaning.

And here's Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius also conjunct the New Moon, at 0 degrees, in fact. He calls us to reexamine our philosophy of life, the universe and everything. With Jupiter the philosopher himself still retrograde, the invitation to revisit our worldview is compelling.

We're all alchemists now, standing in our shadowy lab, surrounded by alembics and crucibles. The surrounding dark draws in. The glow of the gas burner creates a nimbus of golden light around us as we look at the elements laid out before us.

Scorpionic alchemy is about soul making. We ourselves are going into the crucible to be cooked, broken down, and reborn. All kinds of transformation are supported now, especially anything related to where this New Moon falls in our birth charts, and what it touches.

This is also a time of unknowing. Faced with the deepest of mysteries, we recognize the limits of our own hearts and minds, and surrender ... not going down in defeat, but recognizing our ideas, our wills, our selves are not big enough to accomplish our purposes.

For some, surrender will be to the Divine in some form. Some of us surrender to the immensity of life itself. At this New Moon, we accept our limits. Then, we seek to be re-formed, remade into something new, something better, something more closely aligned with our life purpose.

I always feel bad for Schrödinger's cat. There she is, stuck in that box, threatened with poison, dead and alive for eternity. If I open the box, maybe I can let her out into a normal cat life. On the other hand ... I don't open the box.

This New Moon is an unopened quantumly mysterious box. It glows in the dark. It begs to be opened, drawing us closer. Look, isn't that corner loose? Maybe we could just peek in ...

Don't do it! Seriously. This New Moon, more than most, invites us to make our wishes, set intentions, and let them go. All things are possible. In these days of the dark Moon, we can't see any of the choices anyway. Our eyes have the hazy sight of newborns.

This is the quantum state called superposition, when all possible states are held simultaneously. The probabilities will collapse, there will be an outcome, but not yet. Instead of giving way to anxiety and the insistent desire to know, let's revel in the deliciousness of not knowing, when anything can happen.

Dream large at this New Moon––Neptune turned direct on Saturday! The Neptunian fog can now shift into dreams come true. And Chiron is stationing direct, a powerful agent for healing. He'll turn direct November 14, right after the New Moon, flowing forward into positive change and learning.

As we approach the New Moon, release everything that's not working. Welcome the New Moon as a time of transformation. Seek intuitive guidance. Make wishes. Rest in the velvet dark. Wait.
    

Virgo New Moon Cycle: Chop Wood, Carry Water

Wikimedia's Picture of the Day ... perfect!

We're just past the New Moon. The window for wishes and intentions is still open, as Virgoan ears gently listen.

Today's post looks ahead through the week to amazing events coming our way, with that New Moon window open, lace curtains fluttering in the breeze. Looking ahead, noting the possibility of challenge, tucking a few extra provisions in our pack––these are Virgo moves.

September 18, Pluto stations direct, which means he's especially powerful that date, and a few days on either side. Calling Pluto "especially powerful" sound like a message from the Department of Redundancy Department, so think of this as a time when we notice in a deeper way how power is moving, where it's moving, and how it works, both in our own lives and in the world.

The Moon and Saturn are conjunct in Libra this day, semisextile the Virgo Sun, which also pulls attention to how things are structured and how they work.

On September 19, we reach the Crescent Moon, a time when we first see the shape of what's to come peeking through the soil. Have we set intentions for more mindful living? We may begin to see what that looks like for us.

Also arriving on September 19 is the second exact square between Uranus and Pluto, revolution and tradition, the explosive and the tectonic, the lightning and the glacier. Pluto's first direct action, in other words, is to engage Uranus.

This Crescent Moon, pulling away from the careful Virgo Sun in an edgy semisquare, is in psychic and wary Scorpio. Life is not as simple as it seems! How can we expect to continue living simply, taking small steps, when events are exploding around us, when our foundations are rocked and split open? The night is dark and we have far to go.

And yet, this is the message of Virgo and mindfulness and simple living: When all hell breaks loose, there is still that next step. The garden needs tending, the dog needs a walk, we are hungry, we need to sleep, the baby is laughing.

Whether we experience tragic upheaval, or the wondrous beauty of spiritual joy, the laundry is there. Virgo invites us to look past the burdens of ordinary life and see loveliness, comfort, symmetry––not to overlook the burdens, but know them, deeply, as beautiful.

Can we breathe through whatever comes, and still walk the path? This is the question of the Crescent Moon arriving with the Uranus–Pluto square.

On September 22, we reach the First Quarter Moon and the Autumn Equinox. The Equinox arrives first. Astrologically, this is the moment when the Sun enters Libra, cardinal Air. 

For those who love Autumn, this is a longed-for moment, a breath of fresh, cool air after the overheated stillness of late summer. Now life feels possible again. New books, sharp pencils, crisp apples, clear nights.

At the Equinox, the Moon sits in late Sagittarius, optimistic and expansive, opposing Ceres in Gemini, abundant and generous. Saturn in harmonious Libra trines Ceres and sextiles the Moon, supporting realistic appreciation of all we have.

How is this a challenge?

When the First Quarter Moon arrives a few hours later, the Moon has shifted into 0 Capricorn, squaring the Equinox Sun. The waxing Moon continues to pull away from the Sun, eager to move on, move ahead.

At 0 degrees, the opening degree, each sign is focused and intent. These are cardinal Air and cardinal Earth, the Moon ready to take action and the Sun wanting to be sure the plan is clear.

Do we really understand what we've committed to? Have we fully explored the risks and benefits? Are we prepared? The Libra Sun wants to know.

Strike while the iron is hot! says the Capricorn Moon. Time and tide wait for no man. This push-pull reflects one of Virgo's core issues: Do we take the small steps we can see, or do we suffer the paralysis of analysis?

Virgo is careful, anxious, keenly aware of the many pitfalls and errors out there, and the inordinate consequences of failing to prepare properly. Virgo is also the helper, the healer, the willing servant who sees what needs to be done, and simply does it.

At this First Quarter, with the Sun poised at a balance of the year, in Libra the sign of balance, our Virgo equanimity is tested.

Here, we see where we're holding ourselves back with overplanning, trying to control what cannot be controlled. We also see where we're avoiding information we find troubling, moving ahead with the plan as it is.

Neither extreme will work; we need just-right planning and timely action. In fact, one informs the other. Action brings response, which is information. Thought allows us to anticipate and gauge the effects of action. At the First Quarter, we bring ourselves into balance.

A lot for one week. A good time for mindfulness and caring.
    

First Quarter Moon: Who Can We Trust?

Can we?

First Quarter Moon in Scorpio: July 26, 2012

Life is confusing. Mixed messages, conflicting reports, intense emotion, high stakes––it's everywhere these days, and sky patterns reflect it right back to us.

Tomorrow's First Quarter Moon, the waxing square halfway between New and Full, puts us right in the middle. With that Moon in wary, skeptical Scorpio, we wonder: Who can we trust?

The First Quarter Moon chart is filled with challenge. (Like we need more of that now, right?) Mars continues opposing Uranus and squaring Pluto, bringing added tension and attention to the signature polarizing question of our times: How do we find a path out of the serious issues facing us, into a secure and stable future?

Neptune and Chiron continue to square the Nodes of the Moon, signalling both the opportunity to reach deep and heal old patterns of wounding, and the confusion and pain of not knowing.

A series of Yods around the circle point to Pluto (Sun-Mercury and Jupiter at the base), the Sun-Mercury conjunction (Pluto and Neptune-Chiron at the base), and the Moon (Uranus and Jupiter at the base). The Finger of the World still points at Saturn, with Chiron and Jupiter at the base.

These are the great forces of this time in history, aspecting the luminaries, highlighting the perplexing and sometimes painful intersection between the personal and the global.

The heart of the First Quarter chart is the square between the Sun and Moon, this time in Leo and Scorpio, fixed Fire and fixed Water.

With Mercury retrograde conjunct the Sun (and therefore also squaring the Moon), we see the potential for passionate anger and deep resistance. This is difficult emotional terrain.

Fire and Water are not seen as compatible, in the classical scheme. They're not seen as playing well together, especially Leo and Scorpio, the fixed signs.

In ancient Celtic legends, though, there is another view. The motif is seen in Hindu myth as well, and can be traced back to shared Indo-European origins: it's called Fire-in-Water, and signifies the presence of intense creative inspiration hidden in deep, dangerous waters.

The challenges of our times and our lives cannot be sidestepped. Choosing not to engage is itself a choice, with significant consequences. The only way out is through.

At this First Quarter Moon, we're shown that answers won't come easily. We'll need to dive deep, face things we prefer to avoid, to reach the gold.

For the Scorpio Moon, trust is always an issue. In a world of shadows and deception, what can we believe? The Sun and Mercury Rx in Leo say, we can trust our hearts to lead us ... if we are prepared to face truths courageously, express those truths passionately, and find the brilliant inspiration hidden in darkest shadow.
   

Gibbous Moon: What's in the Glass?

I heard a peal of delight and turned around
-- that's the picture at the top of this post.

Hilary Matfess, a young policy analyst, was jumping
up and down, yelling out details.

"The mandate is constitutional! It was upheld!
Roberts went for the swing vote! Yes! Oh my God!
The individual mandate survives as a tax!"

Did you work on passing the bill? I asked.

"No!" said Matfess. "I just have lupus!"

Gibbous Moon in Scorpio: June 30, 2012

Tomorrow morning the big-bellied Gibbous Moon arrives, pushing toward Full as she makes an edgy square-and-a-half connection with the Sun in her home sign of Cancer.

Something is pending, something is due, and the Scorpio Moon wants to peek behind the curtain and make sure it's ok.

The Sun highlights the ongoing challenges of the Pluto–Uranus square by opposing Pluto and squaring Uranus: a T-square with revolution at the apex.

How are we seeing this energy?

In the US, the Sun highlights transformation with the Supreme Court decision to uphold the individual mandate in the new health care laws, which feels like a blazing, wonderful revolution to some and a terrible tipping point to others.

Some on the right say the US has gone communist and they're leaving for Canada (which already has universal health care and gay marriage to boot) while one GOP leader calls for armed rebellion––not peaceful Occupy-style action, mind you, but armed and dangerous. Scorpio Moon stuff, here.

The Sun connection highlights where the personal and the global meet, illuminating stories of relief as those of us with preexisting conditions, and those summarily dropped from plans, and those who've seen costs rise and coverage shrink feel some hope for the future.

Yes, my sympathies are clear––I support going beyond the current health care changes to universal care. And the astrological point is, the aspects show seismic change and extreme reaction from all sides, with emotional valences based in individual viewpoints.

Meanwhile, the Scorpio Moon forms an out-of-sign opposition to the big, happy group hanging out in Gemini, clustered around the South Node. She's also in an out-of-sign, still-wide conjunction with the North Node.

What does the Moon see behind the curtain here? Are we looking back to the past and missing the present? Are we distracted by the shiny thing of the day and avoiding our life path altogether? The Full Moon arrives soon, and this Scorpio Moon wants to know what's going on.

So, we might be left with that odd feeling we're missing something important. We might take a second look, or third or fourth look, to check what's going on. We might even look over our shoulder, to see what's back there. Not a bad idea, with this Moon.
   

The Intuitive Moon

ice floes along the Kamchatka coastline

Grand Trine in Water: June 29, 2012

The Moon is traveling through some amazing territory these days. As I write, she's void of course in Libra, so we're all holding our breath (not literally, please exhale now).

As soon as she enters Scorpio, she'll form a flowing trine with mystical Neptune, setting the scene for magical messages to arrive.

Some astrologers see intuition as belonging to Uranus and Neptune, outer planets who connect us to the cosmos. In that framework, the Moon would be a trigger only, her connection to Neptune opening the door to our inner, emotional ear.

The Moon has her own intuitive flows and connections, though, offering us information through the body, through our feelings, and through her deep connections with the ancestral past. So when the Moon and Neptune commune, more is happening than an open door. These two connect, exchange, compare notes, and learn from each other.

Soon after the Moon–Neptune trine, the Moon forms a Grand Trine in Water with the Sun and Chiron. This waxing trine between the Sun and Moon buoys us up. Moving toward the realization of the Full Moon to come, we feel a current swell beneath us, carrying us forward. Add in Chiron, the wounded healer, and this current is powerful indeed.

And then we add Pluto.

Sextile both Chiron and the Moon, he turns the Grand Trine into a kite, crowning the flow of intuition, memory, and connection with his alchemically deep transformation.


But wait, there's more.

At the moment of the Grand Water Trine, the Moon is also at the apex of a yod, or Finger of Fate pattern in which revolutionary Uranus and creative Venus, sextile each other, both are inconjunct the Moon. They point to the Moon as the key to balancing revolution and creation.

Anything in our charts at 7, 8 or 9 degrees is powerfully aspected by everyone in the sky grouped in those numbers. Beyond that, we're all invited to tune in to the frequencies of the Water element and listen to the music.
The Scorpio Moon can be wary, paranoid, even. She is also deeply insightful, psychically alive, and prepared to walk in Shadow. The Sun in Cancer knows how to value the deep psyche and ancestral ties. Chiron in Pisces can access the wisdom of the cosmos.

We'll feel these patterns forming overnight, so be open to amazing dreams. Tomorrow (Friday), keep your inner ears open to the many messages carried in the complex currents surrounding us.
    

Full Moon in Scorpio: A Fey Moon

Supermoon

Full Moon in Scorpio: May 5

Special Note: May will be a month-long adventure for me, as I fly to Scotland tomorrow for intense time on the West coast, exploring Iona and the Hebrides. This begins a long-planned pilgrimage on the tiny island at the center of the ancient Celtic world. I plan to continue posting here, but ask for your patience and flexibility as I look for WIFI cafes and find time to write.

The Beltaine Full Moon in Scorpio arrives just before noon (EDT) on the 5th of May, illuminating the balance between the seen and the unseen, the manifest and the hidden, the mundane and the magical. As in the festival of Beltaine itself, this is a Full Moon that opens the ways between the worlds.

This is a supermoon––the largest, brightest and strongest of this year. The Moon is close to the Earth, and we'll feel her presence more fully than at any other time in 2012. A powerful time for divination, for dreaming, and for strengthening connections with psychic realms.

The grounded and sensuous Grand Trine in Earth continues, inviting us to stay present and fully embodied no matter what travels we might take.

The Moon opposes the Sun (as at all Full Moons), and Ceres and Jupiter too, while keeping a wide but flowing trine to Chiron. The presence of expansive Jupiter and the powerful mythic energies of Ceres and Chiron offer possibilities for revisiting old wounds, revealing stuck patterns, and finding paths of healing.

Venus flows energy with Saturn and Mercury, opening channels of relationship, abundance and artistry. Mars and Uranus are tightly trined as well, bringing in electric energies for unexpected happenings.

This Full Moon happens at 16 degrees of Taurus and Scorpio. Look in your chart to see where Scorpio and Taurus are. Where does the Full Moon fall? What other houses might be affected by Taurus and Scorpio? These areas of life will light up at this time.

Check also for planets and chart angles touched by the Full Moon. The middle degrees of all signs will be affected to some degree, with the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) most strongly involved.

Ask, at the Full Moon, what can I see now, that was hidden before? What aspects of my New Moon wishes are coming into flower? What patterns, perhaps long in the making, are ripening now?

As I'll be in Scotland, I cannot help but think of the Fae, the High Ones and little ones, the ancient and ever present. Many tales come forward and all may be relevant on the night. One idea asks to be shared now:

In many ancient tales, heroes and heroines are given gifts that come with conditions. Offered great strength, or the promise of being always undefeated, or second sight, the hero must also accept a prohibition, something that must always, or must never, be done. This is the geis, the magical condition.

Fairy Song ~ Arthur Rackham

Somewhere in the tale, the hero is faced with a terrible choice, to break the geis or commit some other prohibited act, and so tragic consequences unfold. Like the patterns of hubris and nemesis in the Greek tales, we see how triumphs and tragedies come wrapped together.

This might seem like a grim theme to introduce into a Full Moon so close to merry Beltaine, and yet Scorpio is the sign of the Shadow, of things we prefer to avoid and cannot escape. This Full Moon is connected to Pluto and Chiron, as well as to benevolent Jupiter––it is well to remember that gifts bring responsibilities.

As we stand in the light of this especially bright Full Moon, we can ask for the courage and canniness to see the full pattern before us, the pitfalls as well as the promises, the darkness as well as the light. If we labor under a geis, perhaps we can find a way to release it and move into a new cycle of our story. If we are offered a gift, we can be sure to read the fine print.

At the Scorpio Full Moon, we celebrate the full round of life from birth to death, and all the adventures in between. Each of us stands at a crossroads where many stories meet. This Full Moon could illuminate the full pattern, if we have the eyes to see it.
    

Beltaine! Opening the Ways

Hawthorne ... the May

Astrological Beltaine: May 4

When the Sun reaches 15 degrees of Taurus, the center of fixed Earth in the sign of the bull, we reach astrological Beltaine. One of the four great Fire festivals of the ancient Celts, this is the hinge of the year when we move from the dark half to the light half. The paths between the worlds are open, the Fae are everywhere to be met, and magic abounds.

This year, Beltaine is the harbinger of the intensely psychic Full Moon in Scorpio of May 5. Notice the Beltaine Moon at 0 Scorpio, the key to the doors between the worlds turning in lock. This Moon, new in Scorpio, is conjunct Saturn in Libra and opposite Mercury in Aries, sparking creative fire in thought, word and deed.

The Taurus Sun sits in sensuous harmony with Ceres and Jupiter, abundant and serene as they anchor the ongoing Grand Trine in Earth. Beltaine is a festival of fertility, its fires invocations for increase in fields, flocks, herds and families.

A Grand Trine of Ceres the Grain Mother, Pluto Lord of Power and wealth, and Mars the actor, with the brilliant Sun and expansive Jupiter nearby, promises much.

The Beltaine Moon trines Neptune and Chiron, opening our connections to deep realms of dreaming, Fae glamour, and ancestral healing.

Neptune and Chiron are flowing energy to the Sun–Ceres–Jupiter group and to Pluto, connecting cosmic energy to the Earth. Neptune and Chiron also oppose Mars, striving for balance between the analytical details of the everyday world and our grandest visions.

This is an intensely creative, with Venus in agile Gemini connecting to Jupiter (semisextile), Mercury (sextile) and Saturn (trine).

As the doors between the worlds open, we could be offered glimpses of amazing alternatives, dazzling new perspectives, and marvelous beauty.

Linking to the Grand Trine in Earth, experiencing the abundance of Ceres, Sun and Jupiter in Taurus, we can stay grounded while celebrating the gifts of our home planet.

Flowing with the intense Scorpio Moon, connecting to visionary Neptune and healing Chiron, feeling the fire of Mercury and the ongoing presence of revolutionary Uranus, we're invited to dance in the stars––or perhaps in Fae realms––surrounded by entrancing visions.

The creative connection of Venus, Saturn, Mercury and the Moon remind us of our co-creative power, our ability to bridge heaven and Earth, and the opportunity to find a new way.
    

Moon into Scorpio: What's Hidden in the Shadows?

Saturday morning through Monday morning
Eastern Daylight Time

Saturday, April 7

What is within?

Moon enters Scorpio 11:18am
Moon trine Neptune (Pisces) 2:53pm
Moon inconjunct Venus (Gemini) 5:22pm
Moon sextile Mars (Virgo) 5:30pm
Venus (Gemini) square Mars (Virgo) 7:36pm
Moon inconjunct Uranus (Aries) 7:42pm
Moon semisextile the North Node (Sagittarius) 11:36pm
Moon trine Chiron (Pisces) 11:46pm

Sunday, April 8
Moon sextile Pluto (Capricorn) 2:27am
Moon opposite Jupiter (Taurus) 11:07am
Moon inconjunct Sun (Aries) 6:14pm

Monday, April 9
Moon trine Mercury (Pisces) 2:56am
(begin void of course)
Moon semisextile Saturn (Libra) 5:49am
Moon enters Sagittarius 11:13am

The Moon enters Scorpio's shadowy realm on Saturday just before noon, a time of intense emotion, insightful reflection, and going within. Now the Moon flows easily with other planets in Water and those in Earth, finding herself much less comfortable with the clarity of Air and the impulsiveness of Fire. What did we learn in the light of the Full Moon? With the Scorpio Moon, we begin to sort it out.

The Moon's first aspect in Scorpio is a trine to Neptune the visionary. Her last on Saturday night is a trine to healing Chiron. We begin and end our Scorpio journey today with outer planet powers who offer spiritual connection but can also be deceptive and confusing. Scorpio's incisive perceptions can be helpful here.

In between, the Moon points our attention to Saturday's strongest aspect, the square between Venus and Mars. Venus in airy Gemini wants connection, moving quickly from one to another, charming and restless. Mars in Virgo moves slowly, each step planned in detail and nothing missed. The Moon's mood is closer to Mars than Venus.

Venus and Mars in square: dynamic balance

Both Venus and Mars are in signs ruled by clever, adaptable Mercury. Gemini is Mercury's bright daytime sign; Virgo carefully tends Mercury's nighttime realm.

This square can highlight challenges in relationships, and the roles we play in them. Yet the presence of Mercury offers the chance of a both/and: Can we stay grounded enough to attend to important details and still enjoy the scintillating world around us?

The Scorpio Moon is also inconjunct Uranus today, asking uncomfortable questions about what's really going on with changes revolutionary Uranus is pushing. Do we really understand the implications? What is being hidden from us by powerful others?

Sunday, the Moon continues exploring and questioning. Flowing with alchemical Pluto, the Moon in Scorpio understands the process of deep change. Opposing Jupiter, she pushes against his optimistic certainty that all will be well, which feels like complacency to Scorpio.

Sunday's last aspect is an inconjunct with the Aries Sun. Again, the uncomfortable question: What are we not seeing in all this bright light?

Very early Monday, the Moon reaches her last classical aspect in Scorpio as she trines Mercury. Perhaps Sunday night's dreams will bring answers to Saturday's square between Venus and Mars. If so, the dreams might be in the form of riddles that need unraveling.

Late morning on Monday, the Moon steps into convivial Sagittarius. This week, Monday might feel more sociable than this weekend of the Scorpio Moon. When the Moon traverses Scorpio, we find ourselves face to face with uncomfortable questions, situations and answers. Yet when we enter the dark places, we come back renewed.
     

Moon into Scorpio: The Deep Places

Sunday morning through Tuesday morning
Eastern Daylight Time

Scorpio dives in ...

Sunday, March 11
Moon enters Scorpio 12:24am Standard Time
Moon trine Neptune (Pisces) 3:38am
Moon inconjunct Uranus (Aries) 7:30am
Moon trine Chiron (Pisces) 11:33am
Mercury (Aries) semisextile Venus (Taurus) 11:46am
Moon inconjunct Mercury (Aries) 12:29pm
Moon opposite Venus (Taurus) 12:31pm
Moon opposite Jupiter (Taurus) 4:14pm
Moon sextile Pluto (Capricorn) 4:38pm
Moon semisextile the North Node (Sagittarius) 5:26pm
Moon sextile Mars (Virgo) 6:32pm

Monday, March 12
Mercury stations retrograde in Aries 3:48am
Moon trine Sun (Pisces) 2:30pm
(begin void of course)

Tuesday, March 13
Moon semisextile Saturn (Libra) 12:23am
Jupiter (Taurus) trine Pluto (Capricorn) 12:43am
Moon enters Sagittarius 1:53am

The Moon will slip into Scorpio's deep waters just after midnight tonight, which is officially Sunday morning. In the US, this is the night we switch to Daylight Savings Time. Since it's Spring, we lose an hour at 2am Sunday so, the Moon enters Scorpio at 12:24am standard time and the next thing we know, an hour mysteriously disappears... very Scorpio event, that.

While we're still asleep, not really aware of time slipping away, the Moon trines Neptune in Pisces, making this a night of intense, visionary dreaming. As we wake, the Moon makes an edgy contact with Uranus––something has changed, but what is it? Then, the Moon trines Chiron the wounded healer, which can be uncomfortable or wonderful, depending on where we are in the cycle of healing.

With this Scorpio Moon, we might feel echoes of the words given to Galadriel at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings films: "The world is changing. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. ..." Scorpio's finely tuned antennae are quick to sense shifting currents, before we clearly articulate what they are.

Mercury in fiery Aries touches Venus in calm Taurus today, an edgy semisextile that heralds Mercury's slowing speed. He will turn retrograde soon, and we've already been sensing that shift.

Meanwhile, the Scorpio Moon challenges Venus and Jupiter to look beneath the surface, as she joins forces with Pluto to examine our foundations, walking into the deep places. An edgy semisextile with the North Node asks, are we making progress here? Yet the following sextile with Mars says yes, we are. Looking deeply within is an essential part of the quest.

Gaia's abundance

Overnight Monday, Mercury stations retrograde, another call to reflection. We're offered several weeks now to reexamine what has changed for us, what additional changes are needed, and whether we're truly committed to the path we're on.

Mercury will slip back into late Pisces, giving us a chance to revisit our vision, before turning direct and forging on through Aries.

The Moon and Sun form their waning trine on Monday, Scorpio and Pisces joining forces to review what has been, and prepare to release what is finished. This is the Moon's last classical aspect in Scorpio, and opens a void of course period that lasts about twelve hours.

During this void time, the Moon connects briefly with Saturn, a check-in with what is solid and real. At this time also, Jupiter and Pluto reach their exact trine, a message of hope and renewal.

This Jupiter–Pluto connection is part of the Grand Trine in Earth that was present also during the Full Moon. This Grand Trine includes Venus and Jupiter in Taurus, the two planets of good fortune in the sign of abundance, along with Pluto in Capricorn who wields great power, and Mars retrograde in Virgo, making sure no steps are missed and all is accomplished as planned.

As life continues to challenge us, we can reach into this pattern of stability, of growth, of regenerative power of life itself, and know in our bones there is good in the world.
   

Moon into Scorpio: Standing in the Shadows of Love

Sunday evening through Tuesday evening
Eastern Standard Time

Sunday, February 12

shadow heart

Moon enters Scorpio 5:02pm
Moon trine Neptune (Pisces) 5:36pm
Moon inconjunct Uranus (Aries) 8:55pm

Monday, February 13
Moon opposite Jupiter (Taurus) 12:11am
Moon trine Chiron (Pisces) 12:28am
Moon inconjunct Venus (Aries) 3:04am
Moon sextile Pluto (Capricorn) 7:44am
Moon semisextile the North Node (Sagittarius) 11:00am
Mercury (Aquarius) trine Saturn (Libra) 1:43pm
Mercury enter Pisces 8:37pm

Tuesday, February 14
Mercury (Pisces) conjunct Neptune (Pisces) 1:46am
Moon sextile Mars (Virgo) 3:06am
Last Quarter Moon:
Moon square Sun (Aquarius) 12:04pm
(begin void of course)
Moon inconjunct Saturn (Libra) 7:01pm
Moon enters Sagittarius 7:57pm
Jupiter (Taurus) sextile Chiron (Pisces) 8:39pm
Moon square Neptune (Pisces) 8:39pm
Moon square Mercury (Pisces) 11:28pm

The Moon enters Scorpionic shadowland this evening, slowing down to connect with Neptune and tell Uranus to call back another time. Positive choices with this combination include mediation, vision work, dreams, and shamanic journeys. Less positive options include zoning out, drifting away, and doing anything to avoid facing fears. The Moon's in Scorpio for the next few days, though, so I recommend staying present.

Monday offers energy for deep healing, as the Moon continues to hold off impetuous Fire. She begins the day with an opposition to Jupiter that calls us to look under the surface of life, not settle for the easy and the obvious. Flowing energy with Chiron the healer and Pluto the alchemist, the Scorpio Moon steps into the cauldron of transformation.

Sadness, by Julia Margaret Cameron

Monday also offers a shift in our thinking and communicating, as Mercury closes his time in Aquarius with a flowing trine to Saturn in late Libra: Here we can send energy to manifest the quirky, innovative plans Mercury's been hatching.

By evening, Mercury swims into Pisces and thoughts shift into the realm of dreams and visions.

Very early Tuesday, Mercury joins Neptune. Monday night, put pen and paper on the bedside table––this is definitely a night for strong dreaming. The Scorpio Moon flows energy with Mars this morning too, so our dreams might have advice for inner work.

The Moon's last aspect in Scorpio is a square to the Sun. Yes, this is the Last Quarter Moon. We're in letting-go territory now. We might awaken on Valentine's Day with beautiful dreams, but a Last Quarter Scorpio Moon suggests this lover's holiday will be tinged with nostalgia, and more than a little darkness.

By evening, the Moon will slip into convivial, open-hearted Sagittarius, so perhaps a day of disappointment will be following by an evening of happiness. Yet, though expansive Jupiter flows energy with healing Chiron, the Sag Moon squares off against Neptune and, later, Mercury.

Maybe we'll ignore the pain and party the night away. Or maybe, this Valentine's, we're offered the chance to let go of old patterns that don't work. No one sees into the heart of darkness better than Scorpio. Before the Moon slips into happy-go-lucky Sagittarius, take the plunge, face the darkness, and let go of the past.
    

Moon into Scorpio: Encounter the Shadow

Monday morning through Wednesday afternoon
Eastern Standard Time

Monday, January 16
Moon enters Scorpio 11:33am

Shadow

Moon opposite Jupiter (Taurus) 1:34pm
Moon inconjunct Uranus (Aries) 1:40pm
Moon trine Chiron (Pisces) 4:11pm
Moon trine Venus (Pisces) 5:05pm

Tuesday, January 17
Moon sextile Pluto (Capricorn) 12:58am
Moon semisextile the North Node (Sagittarius) 8:06am
Moon sextile Mercury (Capricorn) 11:25am
Jupiter (Taurus) semisextile Uranus (Aries) 7:12pm

Wednesday, January 18
Moon sextile Mars (Virgo) 2:25am
Moon sextile Sun (Capricorn) 11:00am
Moon semisextile Saturn (Libra) 1:04pm
Moon square Neptune (Aquarius) 1:30pm
(begin void of course)
Moon enters Sagittarius 2:29pm
Moon trine Uranus (Aries) 4:41pm
Moon inconjunct Jupiter (Taurus) 4:45pm
Moon square Chiron (Pisces) 7:18pm

The Moon enters Scorpio just before noon today (Eastern US time), shifting from the balanced harmony of Libran thinking into intense emotional depths. Scorpio is insightful to the point of being wary, and the opening opposition with Jupiter in comfortable Taurus says it's time to pay attention to what's going on underneath.

This Moon steps away from Uranus' readiness to bungee jump into the future, preferring to look before leaping. Yet this afternoon, flowing connections with Chiron and Venus in visionary Pisces open channels of intuition offering creative healing. This afternoon, we check in with how we're feeling––expressive arts, anyone?

Fingerpainting

Tuesday, we're ready for transformation––Scorpio's greatest love and challenge.

The Scorpio Moon flows with Pluto, Scorpio's ruler. An edgier connection with the North Node, the arrow pointing to our life path, urges us forward without hiding the difficulties. This Moon would rather see them, anyway. Can't hide things from Scorpio.

Later Tuesday, the Moon connects with Mercury in practical Capricorn. Although Water and Earth signs usually flow easily together, Scorpio and Capricorn can be at odds: Scorpio's antennae quiver at every nuance, while Capricorn just wants solid facts. This combination offers a chance to translate intuitive awareness into practical action.

Tuesday evening brings an edgy aspect between Jupiter and Uranus, possibly raising questions about whether things are moving too fast or not fast enough.

By Wednesday morning, it looks like this Moon has made up her mind and is ready to act. Flowing connections with Mars and the Sun, both in Earth, support practical action in the world. Edgy connections with both Saturn and Neptune raise questions about whether our actions are aligned with our plans––yet we know that plans also must change in light of practical realities.

The Moon–Neptune square is the closing aspect for this waning transit through Scorpio. After about an hour void of course, the Moon steps into sociable, optimistic Sagittarius. During this time with shadowy Scorpio, we explore spaces that are not always clear: emotions, intuition, and the path ahead.
   

Moon into Scorpio: Balancing Light and Dark

Tuesday morning through Thursday morning
Eastern Standard Time

Tuesday, December 20
Moon enters Scorpio 5:33am

Pierrot and Harlequin by Cezanne

Moon opposite Jupiter (Taurus) 6:15am
Moon inconjunct Uranus (Aries) 6:41am
Moon trine Chiron (Pisces) 7:53am
Mercury (Sagittarius) semisextile Pluto (Capricorn) 11:31am
Venus enters Aquarius 1:25pm
Sun (Sagittarius) sextile Neptune (Aquarius) 3:46pm
Moon sextile Pluto (Capricorn) 5:01pm
Moon semisextile Mercury (Sagittarius) 5:20pm
Venus (Aquarius) square Jupiter (Taurus) 9:19pm

Wednesday, December 21
Venus (Aquarius) sextile Uranus (Aries) 2:56am
Moon semisextile the North Node (Sagittarius) 3:56am
Moon sextile Mars (Virgo) 9:57am
Venus (Aquarius) semisextile Chiron (Pisces) 6:03pm

Thursday, December 22
Astrological Solstice:
Sun enters Capricorn 12:29am
Moon semisextile Saturn (Libra) 3:07am
Moon square Neptune (Aquarius) 4:48am
(begin void of course)
Moon enters Sagittarius 7:02am
Moon semisextile the Sun (Capricorn) 7:32am
Moon inconjunct Jupiter (Taurus) 7:41am
Moon trine Uranus (Aries) 8:13am
Moon square Chiron (Pisces) 9:30am
Sun (Capricorn) trine Jupiter (Taurus) 9:32am
Moon sextile Venus (Aquarius) 10:54am

The Moon enters Scorpio's depths early Tuesday morning for a day of complex aspects calling for a balance of light and dark. Not only is exploration of Shadow a Scorpio theme, we've also reached the Winter Solstice, when the Sun stands still for three days before turning to climb higher in the sky. This is the rebirth of the Sun in the days of darkness, a time of balance and a hinge of the year.

On Tuesday, Venus leaves Capricorn, shifting our relationships, finances and creativity into the edgy, innovative visioning of Aquarius. The Sagittarian Sun also sextiles Neptune in Aquarius today, adding more light to creative dreaming. These aspects point to a day of thinking outside the box and connecting with the muse.

winter solstice sunrise

The Scorpio Moon adds shading to this picture as she opposes expansive Jupiter, forms and awkward inconjunct with Uranus, and trines Chiron the wounded healer. Reaching deep into our hearts and souls, connecting with past wounds and transcending them––these efforts add depth to our creative work and allow us to reach new levels.

More aspects between Mercury and the Moon, the Moon and Pluto, and Mercury and Pluto emphasize this theme: Tuesday's expressive work will be transformative to the extent we allow our truth to come forward.

Wednesday continues the creative trickster energy as Venus sextiles Uranus and, later, forms an edgy semisextile with Chiron. Meanwhile, the Moon semisextiles the North Node and trines Mars. Yes, we can act, we can get things done, we can create––if we embrace the unexpected. Inspiration seldom looks like we think it will.

Just after midnight, the Sun enters Capricorn and the astrological Solstice arrives. Thursday brings a long list of complex aspects, beginning with the last two for the Moon in Scorpio: a semisextile with Saturn and square to Neptune. This transit through Scorpio ends as it began, with a call to creative expression that carries challenge within it. After a few hours void of course, the Moon steps into Sagittarius. Use the Scorpio time to explore the deepest reaches of your creative inspiration.