Waning Moon: What Did You Just Say??

Think before you speak!

Disseminating Moon in Sagittarius
April 18, 2104
5:38 pm EDT / 10:38 pm BST

Exact Pluto–Uranus Square
April 21, 2104
3:21 pm EDT / 8:21 pm BST

Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius
April 22, 2104
3:52 am EDT / 8:52 am BST

Balsamic Moon in Pisces
April 25, 2104
1:37 pm EDT / 6:37 pm BST

New Moon in Taurus
April 29, 2104
2:14 am EDT / 7:14 am BST

Looking at the charts for this waning Moon time, I had to laugh ... I mean, we might as well, right?

The Full Moon eclipse illuminated some important things for us about how we relate to pretty much everything, and now the waning Moon charts offer a series of cautions about what we say (and do) about that.

Remember, we're in the maximum impact period for the Cardinal Grand Cross, with the exact Pluto–Uranus square landing on April 21, so this isn't just about personal communication. We're likely to see some startling examples of public, political and corporate speech too.

Tomorrow's Disseminating Moon kicks things off with the Sagittarius Moon in a powerful trine to Uranus, and the Sun at the possibly explosive end of Aries. With Mercury, Eris, Juno and the South Node also in Aries, there's a whole lotta Fire goin' on.

A Sagittarius Moon is usually upbeat, optimistic, happy-go-lucky, which is nice for a Friday––but a Sag Moon is also often convinced she has THE ANSWER and catching lots of energy from Uranus could make it all too easy to make pronouncements, lay down the law, or have something suddenly pop out of our mouths that might be true but also highly unfortunate.

Venus continues to hang out with Chiron, not too far from Neptune, in Pisces, so holding on to our highest goals and compassionate souls would be an excellent and supported practice.

When the exact Pluto–Uranus square arrives on April 21, the Moon is in Capricorn along with Pluto while the Sun has just entered Taurus. Having the two luminaries (Sun and Moon) in Earth signs could help stabilize things and keep us grounded.

On the other hand, Taurus is notoriously stubborn and Capricorn can be heartlessly pragmatic, so if we've crossed a line in communicating already, it could be hard to step back. Flow with the transformational energies of the Grand Cross if you need to, no matter how hard it is. Remember, with Pluto involved, resistance is futile anyway ...

The Last Quarter Moon arrives April 22, with the Moon now in Aquarius. Squaring a Taurus Sun, we could again find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. We're absolutely sure we're right (Aquarius Moon) so we won't budge (Taurus Sun). With Mercury in Aries, we could find ourselves doing more talking than we should.

At the Balsamic Moon of April 25, the mood shifts. The Pisces Moon joins Venus and Chiron, while Mercury has shifted into calm and quiet Taurus, sitting with the Sun. If we've gone too far, we may now be able to let go of our "rightness," shift back into compassion, and reconnect with a bigger vision.

If we've been on the receiving end of someone else's fiery communication, the Balsamic Moon might allow us to find inner peace and outer harmony. As always, the Balsamic Moon is about releasing the old to prepare for the new. This month, the letting go can reach far and deep as we seek creativity, connection and healing.

The New Moon in Taurus will invite us to slow way down. With a trine from Pluto and a sextile from Jupiter, we'll be planting seeds to nurture our newly transformed and transforming self. There will be more on the New Moon later, but keep in mind our time of change continues.

For the next few weeks––and especially for the next few days––pay attention to thoughts, words and actions. Yes, sometimes hard truths need to be said directly and clearly. If that's coming up in your life, the energies in the sky support you!

At the same time, we all need to take extra care that we're saying what needs to be said for the greater good, not just because we're irritated. Whatever is communicated now will have extra power, and we don't want to spend weeks putting out a fire we never meant to start.

Think first!

New Beginnings and the Aries Point

The new emerging from the old

Spring Equinox
March 20, 2104
12:57 pm EDT / 4:57 pm GMT

Last Quarter Moon in Capricorn
March 23, 2014, 9:46 pm EDT
March 24, 2014, 1:46 am GMT

Balsamic Moon in Aquarius
March 27, 2014
6:28 am EDT / 10:28 am GMT

New Moon in Aries
March 30, 2014
2:45 pm EDT / 6:45 pm GMT


It's officially Spring now, after a long, cold winter. The Equinox arrived, the beginning of the astrological and agricultural year. We're finally seeing signs of Spring: Bluebirds, robins, phoebes, crocuses, the green tips of daffodils, the first shoots of woodland flowers.

This is a powerful time of new beginnings, the annual reset button, a time when new and (hopefully) exciting things come into our lives.

So it's something of a paradox this year that it's happening in a waning lunar cycle, in a time of releasing, letting go, and composting. How do we balance this?

As I look at the charts for the Equinox, the Last Quarter and Balsamic Moon charts, and the soon-to-arrive New Moon in Aries, it seems to me the cosmos is easing us into something at this time, something significant.

Now, "easing" may not be the word that first leaps to mind when we consider how things have felt lately. Maybe words like "challenging" or at least "interesting" or possibly "overwhelming" come to mind as more accurate. In times of great change, though––and we are definitely in such times––support for our transitions and transformations is welcome and (sometimes) vital.

I've written before about the Pluto–Uranus squares (as many astrologers have). This challenge between the lighting bolt of revolution (Uranus) and the slow, inexorable shifting of tectonic plates (Pluto) has already happened four times, with three more to come. This pattern is the signature of our times, signaling the depth of change, its rapidity, and the polarization it brings.

The next exact square happens as part of a Cardinal Cross on April 21. On that day, Pluto and Uranus reach an exact square, with Jupiter opposite Pluto squaring Uranus, and Mars opposite Uranus squaring Pluto (and Jupiter). In the cardinal signs, which are the initiators, the beginners, this Grand Cross opens yet another gateway for BIG CHANGE.

So when we roll back to look at the Equinox, arriving during a waning lunar cycle when we're getting rid of stuff we don't need, we can think, hmmm, maybe I need to put more energy (Sun in Aries) into clearing the decks and making room for what's showing up.

Astrologically, the Spring Equinox arrives when the Sun reaches 0 Aries. This opening degree of Aries is called the Aries Point, and indicates where new things come into our lives.

Check your birth chart to see where 0 Aries falls for you, by House and aspect to major planets. As an example, my Aries Point falls in my Eighth House exactly opposite my Sun, which says important new stuff shows up in my life as deeply transformative experiences (8th House) that shake up and transform my sense of who I am (Sun opposition) … which for me is about right.

At today's Last Quarter, the Moon in pragmatic Capricorn squares the Aries Sun, a combination that says, yeah, there's lots of new energy here (Sun in Aries) but what are you going to DO with it? (Moon in Cap)

A few days later (March 27), the Balsamic Moon in Aquarius lines up with Venus, also in Aquarius, to say, ok, what are our core values? What's the grand plan? And … since this is a Balsamic Moon … what needs to get kicked to the curb so it can happen?

When the New Moon arrives on March 30, it will be in Aries, only 9 degrees away from the Aries Point, and conjunct Uranus the trickster revolutionary. Here we are invited to begin anew, to give birth to ourselves in a new form. This is the personal rebirth that will help set the stage for the Cardinal Cross about three weeks later.

Aries is a bright, fiery energy that wants to move, to act, to blaze new trails, set new marks, and reach them all. To have Aries show up in the waning time gives us a boost (or maybe a boot!) to get moving on what needs to shift.

See where Aries falls in your chart. Invite in the new energy, and use the Spring fire to clean out the last of winter and make space for something new and big. It's time!
    

Falling, then Flying: The Waning Moon

flying free

Disseminating Moon in Libra
February 18, 2014
6:41 pm EST / 11:41 pm GMT

Last Quarter Moon in Sagittarius
February 22, 2014
12:15 pm EST / 5:15 pm GMT

Balsamic Moon in Capricorn
February 25, 2014, 9:41 pm EST
February 26, 2014, 2:41 am GMT

Mercury Stations Direct
February 28, 2014
9:00 am EST /  2:00 pm GMT

New Moon in Pisces
March 1, 2014
3:00 am EST / 8:00 am GMT

The burst of creative passion released at the Leo Full Moon turned out to be brighter and less explosive than I feared––I hope the same was true for you. Since then, we've moved into the waning phase of sharing, releasing our creations into the world. With tomorrow's Last Quarter Moon, the Sun–Moon square, we shift into the winnowing time.

We're looking around at a new landscape now. There've been losses, significant and surprising. Changes still come quickly, in the weather if nowhere else. At times we turn a familiar corner and a whole new landscape unrolls before us. Tricky to navigate.

The Sun's in misty, magical Pisces now. (See Blue Moon Astrology's post for a great overview.) Landmarks shift and transmute. Mercury Retrograde adds his own mischief to the mix, not above changing signposts just for a laugh.

(As a small example, my blogging was delayed this morning when I suddenly looked at all the charts I'd created and thought the time zone was wrong. Impatiently, I deleted them all and emptied the trash, then realized they'd been right ... too late. I had to create then all again!)

So, how do we move through this time?

... Easily, dreamily, intuitively, and creatively. We've been invited to step off into thin air, only to find we are held and supported. Then we discover we have wings.

The Disseminating Moon in creative, charming Libra set the stage. The passion of the Full Moon became something more lyrical. Mars in Libra aligns with the North Node in Scorpio, promising depth and beauty if we do the work. That Moon celebrated the Sun's arrival in Pisces, a time of big dreams.

Tomorrow's Last Quarter Moon in Sagittarius pushes us to spread our magical wings. Squaring the Sun and Neptune in Pisces, the Moon opens the window and say, Look out! Try it! Pallas Athena in Virgo turns this square into a T-square, giving just enough caution and care to keep us from falling too deep.

The Balsamic Moon of February 25 is conjunct Venus in Capricorn, aligning dreams, creative vision, and careful, persistent work. Yes, this Moon says, you can do it.

Balsamic Moons bring us into the dark before the next New Moon, and often carry feelings of nostalgia, loss and regret. This time around, the sky seems to promise reward rather than sacrifice––Just enough glimmer of the magic ahead so we're ready to let go of what we don't need, gently and easily.

But wait––a Capricorn Moon gentle and easy? How can that be? Yet Moon and Venus together can hardly be harsh, no matter what their sign, and the Sun–Neptune–Chiron conjunction in Pisces offer great support for intuitive guidance, magic, and dreaming.

This combination holds the potential––almost the promise––of giving us the strength to move past blocks and barriers, and feel ready to trust in what lies ahead.

And look! Mercury stations direct just a few days later, another burst of brightness in a dark Moon time. When Mercury stops in Aquarius to turn forward, the Moon is also in Aquarius, in the final, strongest degree, flowing energy with Mars and Vesta in Libra, and the North Node and Ceres as well. There's much creative energy here if we (you'll pardon the expression ...) go with the flow.

The coming New Moon will be in Pisces, flowing with Neptune, Chiron and forming a bridge of sorts between Uranus and Pluto. I'll say more about the New Moon later; for now, know we'll be spreading our wings in amazing new ways at that time.

If it feels like we're falling at times, it's because we are ... falling into a new way of being, of experiencing our lives. But it's not freefall, or doesn't need to be. We have wings, bright shiny ones we (maybe) haven't even tried yet. During this waning Moon cycle, we gently let go of our old familiar perch. We find the cage door magically open. With more eagerness for what's ahead, than regret at what's behind, we flex our wings and fly.
    

The Waning Moon: The Ideal and the Real

which glasses??

Disseminating Moon in Virgo
January 20, 2013
2:34 am EST / 7:34 am GMT

Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio
January 24, 2014
12:29 am EST / 4:29 am GMT

Balsamic Moon in Sagittarius
January 27, 2014
12:12 pm EST / 4:12 pm GMT

New Moon in Aquarius
January 30, 2014
4:39 pm EST / 9:39 pm GMT

I'm hibernating. Not literally, but part of me really wants to say: "... see you in March ..."

It's way cold here for what used to be "normal" and yes, others have it much worse. I have the luxury of working from home in a safe, warm place, and still, my brain moves in slow motion. Sometimes I watch my ideas form on a very slow screen––or maybe they're just defrosting.

As I sat down to write this morning (which I made myself do, knowing I'm already late with this post), I realized my slow-moving state fits the astrological weather (duh!). These weeks from the Full Moon in Cancer to the upcoming New Moon in Aquarius, we're at the interface of mind and body, the idea and the reality, the transition between thinking something up and manifesting it in the physical world.

At the Disseminating Moon on January 20, the Sun stepped into Aquarius, the cool, clear-eyed visionary. No longer in plodding, pragmatic Capricorn, we find ourselves on a mountaintop, the air dazzlingly clear, able to see far horizons on every side.

With Mercury also in Aquarius, grand visions form easily. We might find ourselves dazzled by sparking new thoughts, ready to jump on the latest bandwagon. How wonderful to see it all clearly now. Visions are so intoxicating!

And yet, the most powerful thing happening in the sky right now is Venus retrograde in Capricorn moving inexorably back toward Pluto, opposed by Jupiter retrograde in Cancer moving into a more exact opposition.

Venus, Pluto and Jupiter are keeping us firmly in what is real. With these planets, in these signs, we cannot look away from what is actually happening day-to-day, sometimes moment-to-moment, in our lives. What is working? What is not working? What needs to change?

Tomorrow (January 24) is the Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio. The Sun–Moon square in fixed (read: stubborn) Aquarius and Scorpio will force us to face places where our lovely vision does not square with emotional, psychological, and/or deeper realities.

This is not a bad thing, although it won't always feel comfortable. At this Last Quarter, the Moon flows energy with Neptune, allowing our deepest dreams to come through to enrich our cerebral visions (if we let them). Also, Mars in diplomatic Libra flows energy with clear-sighted Mercury in Aquarius, supporting positive action.

We're being offered the chance, at this time, to think, feel and experience where our visions and our realities are not matching up. It's not about being judged and found wanting. It's about getting essential feedback that will actually support us in reaching big goals.

We can look away if we choose, but we'll miss something important.

What that "something" is will be different for each of us, depending on our birth charts, life choices, where we are in our life cycle––all those things. It could be seeing where a job, workplace, or relationship is not a good fit. It could be realizing we need to commit to THIS and let THAT go.

The Balsamic Moon of January 27 suggests part of the alignment process in this cycle has to do with our beliefs. For this late waning Moon, the Sun continues in visionary Aquarius and the Moon sails through Sagittarius. Sag is optimistic and generous, but also philosophical. One of Sagittarius' failings is being too certain, too wedded to a particular worldview, too confident we've found "the way."

So at this Balsamic Moon, the time of letting go and clearing out, we get the opportunity to see where our ideas don't quite fit what's actually happening. Mercury and Mars continue to support each other in moving easily between thought and action, so things can shift.  The ongoing Venus–Pluto–Jupiter dance keeps the focus on what's really important.

Think of this like a complex piece of music (you choose the style). Venus, Pluto and Jupiter are the bass line, thumping away, keeping us grounded. The Sun, Mercury and Mars bring in a lighter melodic line, something enticing and playful, beautiful imagery. The Moon moves from sign to sign, sometimes focusing on the slow, steady bass, sometimes flying high with the melody.

Both are there, neither is going away, and for the music to work, they need to match. (Unless you've chosen a really dissonant musical style, in which case, you're on your own...)

During any waning cycle, we let go of what doesn't work. During this particular waning cycle, we're at the edge between what we think we know, and what's actually going on. This is a good place to be. Not comfortable, necessarily, but good. Without a reasonable amount of congruence in our sense of where we are now and our vision of where we're headed, progress is unlikely.

The upcoming New Moon will be in Aquarius. At that time, we'll be invited to commit to a new vision, or recommit to our current vision. Now, we have time to check the game plan. Where is our thinking outmoded? Where has reality shifted in a way we need to recognize? Now's the time to let go of old ideas that just don't fit.

Sometimes, changing our thinking is the hardest change to make. The results, though, can be amazing.
    

Waning Moon, Bidding This Year Farewell

Holidays!

Disseminating Moon in Leo
December 21, 2013
7:45 am EST / 12:45 pm GMT

Winter Solstice
December 21, 2013
12:11 pm EST / 5:11 pm GMT

Last Quarter Moon in Libra
December 25, 2013
8:48 am EST / 1:48 pm GMT

Balsamic Moon in Scorpio
December 29, 2013
12:19 am EST / 5:19 am GMT

New Moon in Capricorn
January 1, 2014
6:14 am EST / 11:14 am GMT

Before diving into the astrology of the next few weeks, look at the symmetry of this waning cycle's events with our common calendar: The Disseminating Moon on the Solstice, Last Quarter on Christmas Day, Balsamic as December reaches its close, and New Moon on New Year's Day.

The patterns in the skies echo those on Earth: It's time once again to review where we are, honor and celebrate what has been, and turn toward what it to come. There's a lot going on, and we can all feel it.

The Disseminating Moon is the time for sharing what we've learned––making the Full Moon's illuminations part of who we are in the world. With the Dissemination Moon in Leo, and Mercury conjunct the Sun in Sagittarius, we'll have no trouble trumpeting our achievements to the skies! The challenge this day may be more in the area of listening to anyone else. 

That same day is the Winter Solstice, on the calendar and astrologically. This day, the Sun transitions into Capricorn, Old Man Winter, the energy of putting your back into it, working hard, and getting it done. This is the day the Sun shows us he's still here, not waning for good, but returning.

Capricorn is not the zodiac's happiest sign, but the Solstice is truly something to celebrate. This year, we've been through a lot, have lost and won, achieved and failed, learned and grown. The Sun's dance of return tells us the workhorse of our solar system is still on board, fueling our efforts, lighting our fires. Time for dance, song, tales around the fire, and good memories.

The Last Quarter Moon is a challenge: Can we balance our gains and our losses? In many traditions, the birth of a Sun Child is celebrated at this time, a promise of renewal and redemption. This year, the sky patterns point to a renewal of great depth and scope.

At this Last Quarter, the Sun and Mercury align with transformative Pluto. The Libran Moon aligns with Mars, squaring the Pluto–Sun–Mercury group. Uranus the revolutionary is opposing Mars and the Moon, and squaring Pluto–Sun–Mercury.

Yes, this is the infamous Pluto–Uranus square, the zeitgeist, being activated by the Sun, Mercury, the Moon and Mars. No man is an island, we are all connected to each other, and our personal decisions now are linked to everything else. No pressure, though ...

This year's holiday will be a time of special energy. We may be acutely aware of what we have already lost, and what in our world is at risk. Yet that very awareness brings a new depth of appreciation as we celebrate all we have.

The Balsamic Moon in Scorpio aligns with Saturn the task-master, as the Sun and Mercury draw even closer to Pluto. As the Pluto–Uranus square continues to be activated, we are brought face to face with what we need to let go of.

At this Balsamic Moon, think of Dickens' Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and his message to Scrooge. It is only through letting go of whatever is holding us back that we can step into a brighter future.

And then, boom! New Year's Day and a New Moon in Capricorn. I'll be writing more about this New Moon later, but it's time to drag my over-used adjective "intense" out of the closet and dust it off for this one: Sun, Moon, and Mercury tightly conjunct Pluto, squared by Uranus and Mars.

2014 will be arriving with major mojo, so, no thinking small with those resolutions.

So, no holding back this holiday season! Celebrate with hugs and appreciations and festivities of all kinds, in the full knowledge of the impermanence of our live. Embrace it all! And in those quiet moments, release what no longer works with gratitude.

Holiday blessings to one and all.
    

Last Quarter Moon: Lords and Ladies of the Dance

The Fifer

Last Quarter Moon in Virgo
November 25, 2013
2:28 pm EST / 7:28 pm GMT

The Sun's moved into happy-go-lucky Sagittarius, gladdening hearts and lightening burdens. It's time for thanks in the United States, and here's hoping we extend it to all, to the those who support invisibly, who carry on with little, and who have been ignored, even forcibly turned out, in the past.

There's an old, old song called the Lord of the Dance, with many versions of lyrics––a song from the old days still vibrant. Now, the Sun is the Lord of the Dance, and we're all invited to join in.

This is not a simplistic dance, mind you ... no "happy happy joy joy" without awareness of what's going on. Instead, the Lord of the Dance says yes to life in all its complexity and suffering, the joy and the pain, the gifts and the losses.

Our response is the key. To look at life and still dance. To see what is, and still sing because, despite the challenges, it's all so wonderfully beautiful.

Today's Last Quarter Moon tips the balance, rounds the corner toward the New Moon in Sagittarius. And while the Sun sounds a happy keynote, the engines of transformation are very much alive.

Three Russian Dancers

Today, the Sun and Moon square each other––the Moon in careful Virgo, gently warning the Sag Sun not to go all grasshopper and find himself with an empty larder come winter.

And the Sun and Moon are both in aspects patterns called the Yod, or Finger of Fate. This is a challenging pattern, an itchy feeling that somethings needs to be adjusted. And so it will be!

The Sun flows easy sextile energy with Ceres and Vesta in Libra, happy to see a bountiful harvest. They are both inconjunct the South Node in Taurus, which creates an awkward sense we might be missing something––a message from the past? Something we haven't completed? Here, Fire and Air are drawn back to Earth, reminded not to become ungrounded.

The Virgo Moon flows easy sextile energy with the shadowy North Node in Scorpio. These two, in Earth and Water, are cautious, wary, checking everything twice. But they are inconjunct Uranus the revolutionary, who says, Get on with it! Get moving! This is Water and Earth sparked by powerful Fire.

It's a dance of the elements. Shifts, movements, ripples and shakings. Sometimes when the ground underfoot begins to move, the best way to keep your balance is to dance.
     

From the Full Moon to the New: Finding "Best Practice"

What is being mirrored?

Disseminating Moon in Cancer
November 21, 2013
11:38 am EST / 4:38 pm GMT

Last Quarter Moon in Virgo
November 25, 2013
2:28 pm EST / 7:28 pm GMT

Balsamic Moon in Libra
November 29, 2013
10:00 am EST / 3:00 pm GMT

New Moon in Sagittarius
December 2, 2013, 7:22 pm EST
December 3, 2013, 12:22 am GMT

This Full Moon has been, for me, a time when time itself seemed to alter. We think of time as linear, discrete, one. second. after. the. other. But we invented that with clocks and computers. How we experience time is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

In the past days, some events seemed to expand and some to contract, some gone by in a flash and some lingering. Always, always with a special emphasis, as if the cosmos were saying, Look how this works! I'e been watching what happens, how I react, respond, and in some mysterious way, anticipate.

Maybe it's been like that for you, too. If so, it could be a relief to hear we're moving firmly into a more practical, action-oriented phase.

Important caveat: We're not out of Scorpio's deep woods yet! The Sun remains in Scorpio for another few days, and throughout this lunar cycle, Saturn, Mercury, and the North Node will also remain.

That ongoing sense of everything having a deeper meaning, something to be noted and learned, will continue. We will have ongoing opportunities to confront our own Shadow material and face our fears. (oh, yay)

AND ... other energies are shifting the key questions away from: What does this mean? What am I supposed to realize about this? toward: What decision needs to be made here? What can be done about this?

We're beginning to look for best practice, a term used in fields from medicine to education to computing to signify what we know works best, so far, based on past experience.

This transition will not feel easy, for many of us, or for some of the issues we're working on. We're now in the waning half of the Moon's cycle, the time when we see the results of the Full Moon's illumination, share achievements, and begin sorting out what goes from what stays.

The Disseminating Moon on November 21 confronts us head on with finding the balance between emotional ties and commitments, and pragmatic reality. The Sun on this day is in the especially strong, possibly merciless, final degree of Scorpio. This Sun will unflinchingly put before us whatever we need to see.

The key aspect pattern at this Disseminating Moon is the opposition between tender, nurturing Cancer and hard-headed Capricorn.

On the Cancerian side, we have the Moon, Jupiter retrograde, and asteroid Lilith. This trio has the power to hold on tight to the past, to what we feel are our emotional commitments and duties, and to the safe and familiar, even if it really isn't.

This Cancerian group also says, Look carefully at what you would discard. There may be gold here, vital aspects of your ancestry, perhaps, or important learnings from the past. And never overlook the value of commitments to family and tribe. Sometimes, that's what gets us through the night.

On the Capricorn side, we have Pluto and Venus. They say, Look, we get it, the past is important––in fact, we agree with you Cancerian folks that traditional values are solid and good. But you can't live in the past all the time. Sometimes the tough decisions need to be made, to cut ties, move on, get it over.

Or perhaps the Capricornian side says to you, It's time to step up and honor your commitments, to take the hard steps to make a cherished dream come true, to go for the goal in a way that celebrates your past and who you are.

If Cancer is stuck, Capricorn pushes for movement. If Cancer is wishy-washy, Capricorn says, get on with it! But when Capricorn is materialistic, Cancer says, there are other values than success in the marketplace. When Capricorn is cold, Cancer says, hey, you need a hug.

That's a lot about Cancer and Capricorn, but the polarity of those two energies remains a key theme throughout this cycle. At the Last Quarter Moon of November 25, Venus in Capricorn and Jupiter in Cancer oppose each other, keeping that conversation going.

rev your engines!

Meanwhile, the Sun has popped into upbeat Sagittarius, with the Moon squaring from careful Virgo. We may be ready to hit the road, but the Moon wants to go over the checklists one more time. Are we really ready? Are we sure about this? OK, then, let's give it a try––but not everything at once! Mars has been transiting Virgo too, so taking small steps at first feels right.

At the Balsamic Moon, the pace picks up. The Moon in Libra squares Jupiter in Cancer, offering ideas, negotiating, and gently pushing toward a new balance. Meanwhile, the Sagittarian Sun trines Uranus in Aries, feeling the fire and ready for anything.

Take the time now to review, to work with the Scorpio energy and the Disseminating Moon to be as sure (as sure as you can be) you've found you're best practice. Balsamic Moons are times of letting go, composting, releasing. When this particular Balsamic arrives on November 29, you could feel ready to just haul it all to the curb and set in on fire.

When the New Moon arrives on December 2, big changes could look really good––why not? we may say, it'll be fun! Sagittarian New Moons are for planting seeds for new journeys, new philosophies, new expansion. This New Moon will trine Uranus and square Chiron, so the "damn the torpedoes" vibe will be high. (I'll post a more in-depth profile of the New Moon closer to the date.)

So, take advantage of the current energy pushing us to look within, examine values, see who we really are. This has not been comfortable, but the work we do now helps find the best practice for moving ahead. Energy is shifting. Now's the time to take one more plunge into the depths.
    

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!
    

Waning Moon in Cancer: Comfort and Contempt

The Old Rectory, Westport, Ireland

Yesterday's Last Quarter Moon rode high in sunny skies all day for me, as I explored Achill Island in County Mayo. I couldn't help be aware of the turning corner, as we move closer to the New Moon in Libra.

Plenty of intense transits in the sky these days, and lots going on. Friends are reporting challenges, dark nights, fog and mist. Meanwhile, I am held in a halycon time of extra warmth, an unusual weather pattern for Ireland, days of sun, warm breezes, and white clouds, even as the bracken turns to cinnamon.

So I've been thinking about this idea that challenging transits come along to shake things up and force us out of our comfort zone. The Moon in Cancer, where she is today and was for yesterday's Last Quarter, loves her comforts and detests change. East or west, home's best, for her.

And that word "comfort" means strength, solace. Why on earth would we deliberately court weakness? Why upset ourselves?

Why, indeed?

I think it has to do with the old adage, familiarity breeds contempt. Now, that's not always true. Yet we do tend to take things for granted when they are familiar, comfortable.

If I have never before driven a car on the left side of the road, a car with the steering wheel and controls on the right, never used a GPS, never driven on narrow roads bordered by stone walls and 12-foot hedges––well, I can't just drive on autopilot to get from point A to point B, can I?

I guarantee, I cannot. I must, must pay attention to what's going on around me. At first, that attention is shot through with intense anxiety. Eventually, I find I can do it––and yet the sense of the new and unusual is still there. The world doesn't look the same. My relationship to it changes.

The word "shake" comes from the Old English, and meant then what it means now: rapid movement, agitation. But it also has roots in another word that means flight, flee, and depart. When we depart from familiar routines, our perceptions are shaken up. We see things differently.

I still think there's something wrong with the idea of getting 'outside our comfort zone' (and the Cancerian Moon would agree). The current fascination with adrenaline, for example: Danger as enlightenment ... a snare and a delusion, in my view. Just another way the sellers of "high" keep us hooked to consumption.

Instead, I'd like to advocate for a broadening of attention, a way to widening our field of vision and softening our gaze. "Attend" harks back, ultimately, to the word tendere, which means stretch ... to pay attention is to stretch toward something, to lean into it.

Yes, we're in a crucible of transformation. Yes, it is sometimes exquistely uncomfortable, even painful. Yes, the only way out is through.

And, and ...

farmhouse door, Co Mayo, Ireland

The world is filled with beauty and tenderness. Ordinary things––birds in a hedge, hot tea in a mug, turning a key in a lock––can open us to deep perceptions as surely as bungee jumping.

We're in the last quarter of the lunar cycle, when we choose what to let go of, and how to let it go. When we become acutely aware,  on this day when the Cancerian Moon conjunct Jupiter and trines Venus in Scorpio, of how much we love our familiar lives and how that's exactly the point.

So, plan for the extraordinary and do it ... take the trip you dreamed of, write the book, have the conversation ... and also know that if your life right now has no openings for anything other than the usual and familiar, you have everything you need to transform into the most beautiful phoenix anyway.

Love the familiar, look at it from a different angle, and all we need is there.
    

Exploring Venus: From the Full Moon to the New

The Birth of Venus - Odilon Redon

Full Moon in Pisces
September 19, 2013
7:13 am EDT / 12:13 pm GMD

Disseminating Moon in Taurus
September 22, 2013 11:08 pm EDT
September 23, 2013 4:08 am GMD

Last Quarter Moon in Cancer
September 26, 2013 11:55 pm EDT
September 27, 2013 4:55 am GMD

Balsamic Moon in Leo
October 1, 2013
1:46 am EDT / 6:46 am GMD

New Moon in Libra
September 30, 2013 8:34 pm EDT
October 1, 2013 1:34 am GMT

We're in the waning half of the Moon's cycle––appropriate, since we've also turned the corner into Autumn. The Fall Equinox has arrived, the waning part of the year.

We've moving toward the New Moon in Libra, one of the two signs ruled by Venus, who is sending us signals all during these next weeks that this is her time. Between now and the New Moon, we'll be drawn again and again into Venusian territory, invited to explore what Venus means to us.

So, what does Venus mean?

She is far, far more than the sex-obsessed aphrodite-ish figure modern media offers. Venus rules relating. Her arena includes all of our one-on-one relationships: family, friends, and business associates as well as romantic and intimate ones. Even enemies are included, as long as the relationship is one-on-one.

Venus rules how we relate to color, form, texture, sound ... our esthetic sense, what we find pleasing and beautiful.

She rules how we relate to the world at large, in terms of our values ... what we feel is fair, just and balanced.

Venus is also one of the "good luck" planets and so, related to our finances, our prosperity.

Any or all of these areas of life could be up for review now, with "up for review" including possibilities like deep realizations, healing of old unworkable patterns, and up-ending what's currently happening to facilitate realizations and healing.

At the Full Moon, Venus had recently moved into deep, intense, Shadow-y Scorpio. She was conjunct Saturn and the North Node, a trio that asked pointed questions like: Are my current relationships serving my life path? Have I been walking my talk? Am I doing what I came here to do, what I am meant to do?

Chiron flowed energy with these three at the Full Moon, offering healing energy and possibly bringing old wounds to the surface as part of the review process.

Just before dawn today, the Disseminating Moon arrived. That Taurus Moon opposed Venus, bringing up emotional issues, and pushing us to consider the surface of things and what is below the surface.

Do not discount the surface ... Venus rules Taurus, and holds the manifest world––what we can see, hear, taste, smell and touch––in great esteem. We need both inner and outer, manifest and hidden, light and shadow. Venus still trines Chiron, healing and wounding also ongoing.

And, Venus moves into a square with Mars, in passionate and expressive Leo.

The Venus–Mars square will be exact at the Last Quarter Moon, when the Cancer Moon also squares the Libra Sun. Finding the balance between masculine and feminine, yang and yin, spirit and soul, mind and body––all these polarities will feel edgy at this Moon.

With Neptune trining the Last Quarter Moon, intuition will need to be balanced with delusion, spirituality with deception. Whatever else happens, dreaming will be strong. Look to dreams for clues about where your psyche wants you to focus.

The Balsamic Moon will join Mars in Leo, squaring Venus, and trining Eris the goddess of discord. Meanwhile, the Sun moves into opposition with Uranus in Aries.

When we reach the Balsamic Moon, we're asked to let go of whatever no longer serves us, as we enter the dark time before the New Moon. Balsamic Moons generally tend to be nostalgic, quiet, a bit melancholy ...

Well, not this one! This Leo Balsamic Moon will be lighting a bonfire. Not content to drop old stuff into the compost bin, this Moon wants the phoenix to go up in flames.

So when you feel pulled into Shadow these next weeks, when you're asked to dredge up stuff you'd rather not deal with, when things get down and dirty––go with it. These are the days of miracles and wonders, when deep work can get done quickly (not painlessly, quickly).

Look at your birth chart. Where is your Venus by sign and house? This will tell you something about how Venus expresses herself in you. How is your Venus affected by current transits? This will tell you where in your life this current Venus time will show up most clearly.

At the Venus-ruled New Moon, we'll have the chance for a deep rebirth. We're in the harvest time, so dig your hands in, see what needs to come up, sort out what to keep from what to pitch, and get the bonfires ready!
    

Balsamic Moon in Cancer: The Weight of the Heart

cozy at home with the Cancer Moon

Balsamic Moon in Cancer
September 1, 2013
8:29 am EDT / 1:29 pm GMD

Today we enter the final release before the coming New Moon in Virgo. This is the time in the lunar cycle to let go of what we no longer need, prune away what is unhealthy, compost what is finished. We're preparing new ground while clearing away the old.

The Cancerian Moon is strong in her home sign, wanting nothing more than to curl up at home with a good book and a strong cup of tea, having first checked that all her loved ones are safe at home as well.

The Moon is void of course all day today, and while I no longer emphasize the importance of void Moons as I used to, it's intriguing we have another sign suggesting we keep our heads down today.

Except, the world isn't exactly letting us, is it?

Americans especially, and the world at large, wait to see what the US government will do in Syria. In in surprise move overnight, Obama has put things "on hold" which seems like a good move astrologically. We're now holding our collective breath, hoping to step away from yet another brink.

Political astrology is not my expertise, but I'll note this Balsamic Moon is conjunct the US Mercury (in the Sibley chart) and inconjunct the US Moon at 24 Aquarius. May our nation weigh the consequences of its actions carefully for families everywhere in the world, taking counsel from the heart and releasing any need to "take a stand" only to "take a stand." Sometimes standing our ground is the right course; let's just please be really sure it is.

For us personally (and a Cancer Moon feels very personal), these are days to feel where we are now.

The Sun trines alchemical Pluto today, so it's quite possible we'll (finally) get clarity on what the next step is on our transformational path.

I think most of us have now accepted the inevitability of big change, and some have even embraced it––sometimes the trickiest thing is figuring out what to do next. We could get some light on that now.

But how do we feel about it? We're heading into a Virgo New Moon, the Sun already in Virgo, working with Pluto.

Today's Balsamic Moon probably isn't on board yet. There are emotions floating around: anxieties, regrets, nostalgia, even enjoyment of things as they are and love of what we already have in our lives. Aren't things better as they are? Why rock the boat?

Today's Moon is conjunct Pallas Athena, ready to take a cool, calm view. Eris, goddess of discord, squares the Moon from fiery Aries, while trining Vesta in Leo, the goddess ready to stand on her own and be who she is. This trio shows us how to be independent and step outside the box. Yet right now, they could feel pushy.

Here's the thing. The Moon in Cancer often prefers to stay put, hold on, dig in her heels. Emotions like to move. Emotions need to move. The challenge of this Balsamic time will be to stay with our feelings (when other forces urge practicality and action) while also allowing our feelings to move, to lead us into areas where reflection and processing and (yes) release are needed.

Allow time over the next few days to attend to emotions. Notice what triggers strong feeling. Follow the wave, noticing how things shift (and they will shift) as you pay attention while letting things move. Try to stay with what your body feels, instead of going right away to labels and reasons.

Doing this over the next days will bring comfort to the Cancerian Moon, which is good, because when Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. More than that, though, following the waves of emotion will bring new information to the surface, shifting our understanding and alerting us to what we can let go of, to prepare for the new to come.
    

From the Full Moon to the New: After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

the extraordinary of the ordinary

Disseminating Moon in Aries
August 24, 2013
8:25 am EDT / 1:25 pm GMD

Last Quarter Moon in Gemini
August 28, 2013
5:35 EDT / 10:35 am GMD

Balsamic Moon in Cancer
September 1, 2013
8:29 am EDT / 1:29 pm GMD

New Moon in Virgo
September 6, 2013
7:29 am EDT / 12:29 pm GMD

My title is from Jack Kornf1eld's 2001 book on a heart-centered approach to spirituality. It's the 'chop wood, carry water' idea that, enlightenment or no, life goes on and does not begin tending to itself.

This is a good thing to remember in the next weeks. The Sun, which moves into Virgo tomorrow, will thankfully help us remember how (as well as why) to continue placing one foot in front of the other. Elaine Kalantarian offers an excellent essay on the special strengths of the Sun in Virgo, for anyone stuck in the nerdy and obsessive stereotype of this lovely energy.

Because some extraordinary things will be happening over the next weeks that, if we're not attuned to the possibilities, might just knock our socks off.

We're alerted to the socks-knocking quality of these next weeks by the Disseminating Moon in Aries conjunct revolutionary Uranus.

We're absorbing (or reverberating with) the intensity of the Full Moon. As we shift into the waning cycle, we begin radiating the energy back out into the world.

With an extraordinary Full Moon, extraordinary things happen. In Georgia, a school shooting is averted by one woman who kept talking, gently and persistently, and convinced a troubled young man to put down the guns.

What qualities are we called to shine out now into the world?

The Grand Water Trine continues, drawing our focus again and again to connections among our destiny (North Node of the Moon), our wounding as a source of healing (Chiron), and the expansive optimism to keep moving on a hard road (Jupiter).

The Pluto–Uranus square continues to be activated too, not only by the presence of the Aries Moon around August 24, but by Venus in Libra.

In fact, with Jupiter in mid Cancer and Venus moving into mid Libra, the Pluto–Uranus square becomes a Grand Cross, a high-energy, possibly intense meeting among four positions who each bring something vital to the table.

There are different ways to read this Grand Cross, and how it affects each of us will depend on our birth charts, and on where we are now in our lives. Check your chart! (Yes, I'm saying this again.) Noting the houses where these patterns fall, and which of your own planet positions are affected, offer big clues about how this might show up for you.

Jupiter in Cancer holds a corner in both the underlying emotional flow of the Grand Trine and the much pushier, take-a-stand energy of the Grand Cross. Jupiter is always BIG, larger than life, expansive ... sometimes generosity and greatness of heart, sometimes inflation and absolute certainty.

In Cancer, Jupiter can insist we honor the past, tradition, the tribe, and the feminine, goddess energy, the mother. This can be protective and regressive, or something more like the creation of an ark to carry what is precious through the storm to a new shore.

Venus in Libra stands clear for balance, harmony, beauty and justice. She will do this while meditating among the tetchy insistences of Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto that they must come first (this Grand Cross being in the cardinal signs).

Some suggest Libra is a wishy-washy, even codependent energy, but I do not find this to be true. Taking time to understand opposing viewpoints is not weakness, nor is brokering compromise within such an uncompromising group. Maybe the best Venus can do is create a space for holding paradox, in itself no mean feat.

And then we have Pluto and Uranus, whose square-off we've been living with for some time and will live with for some time to come. These two signify the changes we're living through, both the lightning-swift and the tectonically-slow.

Since these two are the constants of our time (constant in change, that is), we look at the activating energies of Jupiter and Venus to see what this part of the lunar cycle might bring.

Here, it's interesting to see we've got the two good luck planets, the Greater and Lesser Benefics, in play. With a bit of luck, we could see major breakthroughs between now and the New Moon. In times like these, good news is always welcome.

In my life, I'll be looking for a sudden shift, the shaft of sunlight breaking through the fog, the "ah-ha" moment that turns everything around and makes the world look new. By definition, I can't tell where or when my shift will emerge. I can hardly prepare for it, except by being open to chance meetings and happy events.

I invite each of us to do the same––watch for the accidental gift, the synchronistic spark, that might help us arrive in a new, more vibrant, more effective place. This could be something large and inescapable. It could also be on the small side.

The coming New Moon is in Virgo, after all, that place of steady effort and caring. The laundry needs to be done, and the meals cooked, the dishes washed, the children cared for. Watching for the light of grace in the ordinary is no small thing.

May it be so.