Waxing Moon: Sailing Off the Edge of the World

At the edge ... ?

Crescent Moon in Taurus
April 3, 2014
5:03 am EDT / 10:03 am BST

First Quarter Moon in Cancer
April 7, 2014
4:31 am EDT / 9:31 am BST

Gibbous Moon in Virgo
April 11, 2014
6:57 am EDT / 11:57 am BST

Full Moon in Libra
Full Lunar Eclipse
April 15, 2014
3:42 am EDT / 8:42 am BST


Think of something you've always wanted to do, dreamed of doing, known you were MEANT to do, forget 'want'––would LOVE to do, would be more of who you're really meant to be if you did it.

Got that thing in mind? Does it scare you?

Now, do it. (I'm serious. DO it. Start working on it NOW.)

We've sown our Aries New Moon seeds. We're sailing toward late April's Cardinal Cross. The coming Full Moon arrives with a full lunar eclipse. These are days for MOVEMENT, for ACTION, for living life full on.

Every single Moon in the next few weeks emphasizes the gathering Cardinal Cross, with its focus on complete and utter change.  

Today's Crescent Moon rests (ha!) in the final degrees of peaceful Taurus, but the Aries Sun blazes right next to Uranus the Awakener and makes a very tight square to Pluto the Alchemist.

That Taurus Moon is sextiling Mercury in visionary Pisces, so watch and listen for dreams. Here's a perfect Taurus–Pisces dream: A dreamworker friend reported yesterday his two-year-old son dreamt of holding flowers. Taurus the patient gardener visits us with dreams of a hopeful Earth.

In a few days, the challenge of the First Quarter Moon arrives as the Sun and Moon both align with the gathering Cardinal Cross: The Sun remains with Uranus and the Moon in Cancer has moved to fund Jupiter. Meanwhile, Mercury clings to the final, powerful degree of Pisces.

April 7, look for something that looks like a BIG challenge (Jupiter does BIG) that. when you look more closely, turns out to be something you can totally own. Yes, it's a challenge and no, you're not stopping, thank you very much.

When the big-bellied Gibbous Moon arrives on April 11, the Sun will be lighting up the sky between Uranus and the South Node, showing us exactly where we need to shift out of the past (South Node) to move into the now (Uranus).

Meanwhile, the Virgo Moon will be opposite a Venus–Neptune conjunction in Pisces, while getting an edgy nudge from Mercury now in Aries.

Are you noticing how strong the energy of dreams is here? Aries is a time for action, and throughout, we are offered insights through dreams and visions. These are our navigation aids now.

The Full Moon arrives April15 with a full lunar eclipse, which means the Sun and Moon are aligned with the Moon's Nodes. Mercury will tightly conjunct Uranus, and asteroid Lilith squares the Full Moon.

There will be a full post just on this Moon later, and we can note right now we're heading for an especially intense Full Moon that will resonate for months to come.

So ... why would anyone choose to sail off the edge of the world? (Apart from the fact that that's where the dragons are, and dragons are always worth finding.)

Here's the interesting thing: We are all told at some point that sailors thought the Earth was flat. (Oh no!) We are all told how wonderfully courageous they were to go sailing at all, let alone approach those nasty edges.

BUT sailors, more than any other people, knew all along the Earth was round. They had the knowledge, tools, insight and experience to know they were NOT going to fall off.

And so do we.

It is really, really easy to find fear-mongers anywhere and everywhere. If we don't have them in our lives, we have them in our heads: "Don't try it, don't do it, it will never work, you're not [whatever] enough, you'll fail." Familiar, right?

These are the days we recognize in a new and wonderful way that all those messages are coming straight from the Flat Earth Society and our world is wonderfully and completely round.

That thing that looks like an edge is really a lovely curve, and if we use the tools, insight and experience we already have, we know that.

Sail on, sailor!
    

Under Full Sail to the Full Moon

Dulac illustration for The Tempest

Crescent Moon in Aries
March 4, 2014
12:32 pm EST/ 5:32 pm GMT

First Quarter Moon in Gemini
March 8, 2014
8:27 am EST / 1:27 pm GMT

Gibbous Moon in Leo
March 12, 2014
12:18 pm EDT / 4:18 pm GMT

Full Moon in Virgo
March 16, 2014
1:08 pm EDT/ 5:08 pm GMT

Here's a thing: Venus, as she's traversed the end of Capricorn and beginning of Aquarius, has been squaring the Nodes of the Moon.

This is easing off now, but means we've been in a time when pointed questions have been raised about our values and our relationships and whether what we're doing (our path, the Nodes) actually reflects our goals (Venus).

This is not necessarily comfortable but can be enlightening––and also helpful, if we've drifted off course in the Piscean seas. Because Mars (now retrograde in Libra) is also involved, we have the chance to reflect on our actions and change them.

Have you found yourself making corrective changes in the last couple of weeks? Some small and maybe some not-so-small? That's Venus, Mars, and the Nodes of the Moon at work.

The ongoing transformation engine represented by Pluto opposite Jupiter, both squared by Uranus, continues to affect everything (and I do mean everything). So changes we make in our lives are linked into a much larger process of changing our world.

When we think about change on this level, it can lead to anxiety. And yet, there are so many things around us that need to change. There's also support out there, though we don't always see it.

The flows of positive energy (trines) right now are all focused on the Sun, Neptune and Chiron in Pisces. These planets are focusing (Sun) our attention on the widest possible horizon (Neptune) with an emphasis on healing (Chiron) that can sometimes be painful. There's a tremendous amount of intuition, creativity, and magic around (Neptune and Pisces) which can be inspiring, comforting, and also confusing.

Trines are such easy flows of energy, we take them for granted. So in these Piscean times, it's important to know that we are creative, magical beings. Also, we are surrounded by angels (or beings like angels but not called angels exactly if you prefer).

As we struggle with this information about where things are going wrong, and working to fix that, we can miss the magic and the support.

The Full Moon in Virgo will illuminate important details for us. I'll be writing more about that Moon later. For now, it's nice to know that even as we're feeling a sense of struggle, we're not alone (in a good way!).

This is a time to appreciate the magic surrounding us, and tap into that deep well of dreams and mystery, as we work to make our lives and our world better.
    

This Moon's Quarter: Dreaming True

White Stone (detail) by Nicholas Roerich

Crescent Moon in Pisces
10:35 pm February 2 EST
3:35 am February 3 GMT

Imbolc (astrological)
February 3, 2014
5:03 pm EST / 10:03 pm GMT

First Quarter Moon in Taurus
February 6, 2014
2:22 pm EST / 7:22 pm GMT

Mercury Retrograde in Pisces
February 6, 2014
4:43 pm EST / 9:43 pm GMT

There's so much happening, this First Quarter gets its own post. We're now in the midst of celebrations for the new Chinese Year of the Wood Horse. Tomorrow brings the Crescent Moon, followed by the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc, the First Quarter Moon, and our first Mercury Rertrograde of 2014 ... what's going on??

As promised, the New Moon in Aquarius awakened a new vision, and we're already getting glimmers of what's coming. What? You thought an Aquarian New Moon would be slow?

Still in the dark of the New Moon time, the Pisces Moon brings strong dreams. Right now, she's traveling with Neptune and Chiron, so be sure you have a notebook or recorder handy. (I use my iPhone.)

Tomorrow night's Crescent Moon, the edgy half-square when we get our first glimmer of our New Moon intentions, finds the Moon in the last, powerful, anaretic degree of Pisces. Poised to jump into a new cycle of Fire, this Moon is widely trine Saturn is mysterious Scorpio. Perhaps tonight's dreams will show us obstacles––along with the magic to work through them.

The next day, the ancient festival of Imbolc arrives. Known as Candelmas in later calendars, Imbolc arrives astrologically when the Sun reaches 15 degrees of Aquarius, the middle of winter. At this deeply quiet, frozen, silent, time, we look for early signs of Spring: snowdrops blooming through snow, the stirring of unborn lambs, the peeking out of a groundhog.

The middle of winter is deepest yin, when yang is potentiated most strongly. We have planted seeds. Now, before we see the first shoots, we feel the seed crack open in the dark earth. Somehow, the growth tip knows how to find the Sun, and heads upward.

And, oh! what a sprouting this will be! The Imbolc Moon sits right with Uranus the trickster revolutionary, igniting Fire that will light our way for the year to come. The goddess and saint associated with Imbolc is Brigid, whose triple skills in smithcraft, healing and poetry are all based in the inspiration of Fire.

The First Quarter Moon grounds us firmly in Earth, as she sits at 17 Taurus, squaring the Sun, opposite Saturn, and trine Venus and Pluto. The First Quarter is the challenge: Are we ready to step into our new vision?

The Moon's pattern is challenging, alright, and thumps us back down in the middle of the New Moon's pattern: This is about reality AND vision, coinciding, working together, becoming real.

No getting lost in the clouds at this First Quarter, it's all about what works from top to bottom, high to low, edge to edge, and every bit in between.

Which is good, because we're about to offered time to think it through: Just a few hours after the First Quarter, Mercury goes retrograde in Pisces.

Mercury is very close to Neptune as he stations, continuing the strong dreaming vibe. Keep those notebooks and recorders handy!

Over the course of the month, Mercury will move back into Aquarian territory, giving us the time to check and double check our plans. Remember, Mercury retrograde is not about making us miserable with constant glitches. It's about taking the time to reflect, review, revisit, retreat (when necessary), revise ... all the "re" words.

These periods are vital for us. We can't go, go, go all the time. Embracing the gifts of Mercury retrograde, taking time for meditation and slowness, will reduce frustration and most likely the number of mishaps as well.

So will backing up your computer and other tech devices. and making allowances for more dreaminess than usual––this is Piscean and Aquarian territory, after all.

This first week of the new lunar cycle is crowded with incident, and then we slow down. Pay attention to what's coming up for you now. This is a time of thinking and feeling, mind and body, the vision and the manifestation. Noticing where things don't fit will alert us to where those new shoots will soon be breaking through.

This Full Moon coming up is in passionate Leo, and falls on Valentine's Day. Can't wait to tell you more about that one ...
    

The First Cauldron: Traveling with Capricorn

Head of an Old Woman by Jordaens

Crescent Moon in Aquarius
January 4, 2014
10:40 am EST / 3:30 pm GMT

First Quarter Moon in Aries
January 7, 2014,10:39 pm EST
January 8, 2014, 3:30 am GMT

Gibbous Moon in Gemini
January 11, 2014, 8:51 pm EST
January 12, 2014, 1:51 am GMT

Full Moon in Capricorn
January 15, 2014, 11:52 pm EST
January 16, 2014, 4:52 am GMT

We're in the time of Capricorn, an easy link to the archetype of the Father––Father Time, authority, the senex who is the old goat, the one who holds us back, holds us down, and says "no" a lot.

Capricorn's much more complex than that. As Elaine Kalantarian notes in her solstice essay, Capricorn is a feminine sign, a yin energy, and linked with water as well as earth, agriculture as well as 'business' in the modern sense, and the Earth itself.

Indeed, our limited view of Capricorn may well be linked to our separation from the Earth, mythically, spiritually, and (we think) physically. Now, we're traveling in Capricorn territory, facing some of the things we'd rather not: limitations, physicality... you know, the fun stuff.

Today, I am iced in. Not literally––I can open my door and could probably drive if I had to––but there's a snow drift against my front door, they've closed the university for the day, and the wind chill is more Alaska than Southern Indiana. Folks are out of power, and the limits of the physical are very real.

It's a day to appreciate all I have, physically, and I do. This also is part of the Capricorn journey. I have power, made quiche yesterday, have soup in the fridge, and the scent of the fresh lemon I sliced for my morning hot water with lemon was citrus personified––clear, clean, awakening.

I'm also confronting limits in another way, as Blogger isn't wanting to save my work and didn't want me to sign in in the first place. The grid is stretched today, and I need to appreciate that too.

And then, I feel older when it's this cold––stiffer, creakier, more wary of sudden moves. Another Capricorn reminder that helps me appreciate warm sweaters and even warmer baths. Oh, and this hot water with lemon, which also has ginger in it.

Why all this carrying on about Capricorn? Because we're in a strong Capricorn cycle. This year's Capricorn New Moon (on New Year's Day) was in early Cap, so the coming Full Moon is also in Cap. We're meant to be diving deep into this earthy territory now.

The Crescent Moon of January 4 landed on the extra-strong, final degree of Aquarius, asking, what's our vision for the Earth? For our lives? For this day? It'll be transformative, whatever else may happen, we know that much.

Tomorrow's First Quarter Moon is in energized Aries, part of a Cardinal Grand Cross that will push hard for new action. Moon opposite Mars, squaring the Sun, Pluto, Venus and Mercury who are all opposite Jupiter. The definition of "up close and personal"!

And yet, the strong Capricorn vibe will keep our feet on the ground, asking at every step, is this viable? Can it be done? Can we do it? The Aries Moon may feel like charging into the snow; the other energies will be holding out wooly scarves and cups of hot soup.

The Gibbous Moon in Gemini will look for ways around any obstacle. Well, Gemini will go over, under, around, negotiating, wiggling, cutting a deal––anything but straight through. Again, the Capricorn planets will play the heavy, pointing out the things that must be faced.

It's not about holding us back. It's facing the fact of living in a world with structure and form. The physical world, certainly; the spiritual or imaginative world as well––without form, nothing can be perceived, apprehended, worked with. And the very forms that allow this, create limits.

We don't like limits. We need limits. This is the Capricorn paradox. 

Back to the this morning's lemon. Our greatest joys as well as our greatest challenges are inherent in each present moment. I think if I could really, really know this, many of the things that trouble me would fall away. But it's tough. Capricorn is not an easy energy for me.

This Capricornian space feels slow and heavy. Words don't come as easily, ideas take times to tease out. As an Air type, I prefer something more cerebral, less dense.

And yet this earth is our ground, in every sense of those words. That from which actions and thoughts emerge. When I can appreciate that deeply, it feels good. It's something I need to practice accepting and, more than that, loving.

We're all on this journey this month. It's a time to celebrate simple things––food, warmth, friends, our bodies, shelter, song, hugs. The Full Moon will bring illuminations around this, so exploring limits from all sides this month is good.

Here's a way to celebrate Capricorn I learned of recently, I'd like to share: Aleah Chapin's Aunties Project, paintings of women's bodies that set aside the artfully presented so-called ideal in favor of the actual, which is art of a much deeper kind.

This is the Capricorn journey. Here, take this hat ... stay warm.
    

Moon Journeys: From New to Full

dig in!

Crescent Moon in Capricorn
December 6, 2013
12:42 am EST / 5:42 am GMT

First Quarter Moon in Pisces
December 9, 2013
10:12 am EST / 3:12 pm GMT

Gibbous Moon in Taurus
December 13, 2013
4:06 am EST / 9:06 am GMT

Full Moon in Gemini
December 17, 2013
4:28 am EST /  9:28 am GMT

Oh, the places we'll go ... We're traveling with Sagittarius energy this cycle, which means explorations of far and distant places, sometimes to the ends of the Earth and sometimes within our own psyches.

Yesterday's Crescent Moon moved us from the quiet, gestational time of the New Moon into that time when we start to get an inkling of where we're headed. Mercury had just popped into Sagittarius, joining the Sun there, so our thoughts and communications could be feeling more upbeat.

Unless, of course, we were more tuned in to what Mars, the Moon and Venus were up to. Mars was (and still is, as I write) hanging on to the intense final degree of Virgo––checking those lists, checking them twice, and then once more for good measure.

The Crescent Moon rested at the final intense degree of Capricorn, next to Venus at 24 Capricorn––a strong sense of consequences, wanting to get as good as we give, and a never-give-up approach. Lots of Earth energy, but without the pleasure-orientation of Taurus.

So, there's a hint of optimism in the air, with a strong, realistic understanding of what it will take to make those dreams come true.

Now we head toward the First Quarter Moon in Pisces of December 9. This challenging did-you-mean-it? time in the lunar cycle forces us to recommit (or walk away from) our New Moon goals. The Sagittarius Sun and Pisces Moon square each other as we ask, is this dream really what I want? And, if so, how do I make it real?

At the First Quarter Moon, Mars has stepped into diplomatic, balanced Libra, signalling an ability to negotiate––or to manipulate. Throughout the next weeks, Mars becomes the point man at the apex of a yod, of Finger of Fate aspect.

The yod is an awkward pattern, linking together three planets that have nothing in common. The point planet, Mars in this case, forces the other two together in an attempt to find a middle way. And who better to thread that path than Mars in Libra, sign of the mediator?

On the bottom of the yod, we find Chiron in Pisces and the South Node in Taurus. This tells us that healing unresolved issues from the past is key to realizing our dreams for the future. Often, we know this, but would rather avoid it. Haven't we done enough work on the past? Can't we move ON?

Well, maybe. But between now and the Full Moon, our feet will be held to the flames a little longer. If there's something undone, something unaddressed or unresolved, buckle down and do it.

The Gibbous Moon in Taurus will actually align with that Taurus South Node, hammering the point home even farther. The Mars–Chiron–South Node yod is still in force, and whatever we try to avoid will feel even more in the way by this point.

And how, then, do we resolve the issue? Change, change and more change. The answer to a yod is opposite the apex, and when we look across the wheel from Mars in early Libra, we immediately see burn-it-to-the-ground Uranus.

In fact, Mars gets closer and closer to an exact opposition to Uranus during this time. They'll reach that opposition on December 25, with the energy building up until then.

When we reach the Full Moon in Gemini on December 17, the Fire of Sagittarius and Air of Gemini will illuminate where we are. And from that point of light onward, the speed of change will increase. (Yep, you read that right.) Shortly after the Full Moon, Uranus turns direct, and we'll whoosh down the hill on our sleds at top speed.

So, ya know, this is make or break time. We're being pushed to sort out the stuff lurking in our inner and outer closets that's just getting in the way. The push is on now because we'll be ramping up to warp speed again soon.

Here, I'll just hand the overalls out now, and we can all dive in. Let the dust fly!
    

The Waxing Moon: Working the Plan

it's time ...

Crescent Moon in Sagittarius
November 6, 2013
4:06 pm EST / 9:06 pm GMT

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

First Quarter Moon in Aquarius
November 10, 2013
12:57 am EST / 5:57 am GMT

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

Gibbous Moon in Aries
November 13, 2013
2:35 pm EST / 7:35 pm GMT

Full Moon in Taurus
November 17, 2013
10:16 am EST / 3:16 pm GMT

The New Moon has passed, along with the exact Uranus–Pluto square, and things are ... Hmmm ... How are they? It's not entirely clear. Shifts are happening, things are disconnecting and the reconnecting in new ways, but the picture is still a bit murky.

The good news is, over the next few weeks, as we approach the Full Moon, we're likely to have a better idea of where we are now.

The bad news is, we're still in the thick of it. No coasting yet; there's work to be done, so heave ho, me hearties, and put yer backs into it!

The Scorpio energies surrounding the New Moon eclipse offered a lot of information. New Moons are dark times, when we can't see our way ahead, and yet, this time around, we got some strong directional signals. "This Way!" "NOT That Way!"

Now, as the Moon grows again, we have choices to make and the chance to make good on our commitments.

What loomed large for you around the New Moon? That's the area to work on. What intentions did you set? Time to make them real.

We're still navigating in the shadows, so don't expect instant blazing clarity. The Sun remains in Scorpio, as do Saturn, Mercury, and the North Node, through the Full Moon. But the energy is shifting in the direction of practical action:

• Venus has left the murky Scorpionic waters for pragmatic Capricorn, while Mars continues his transit through Virgo.

• Mercury will station direct at the First Quarter Moon.

• The aspects focused on the Nodes of the Moon are waning, lessening the focus on finding our path, allowing it to shift to taking some concrete steps.

We've had time to plan our work, now we begin working our plan. Transformational energy is still strong, pushing (and sometimes dragging) us to make needed changes. During this waxing Moon cycle, Venus moves to conjunct Pluto. Early in the cycle, the Moon joins Venus and Pluto, then swings around to join Uranus a few days before the Full.

... give it your best shot

At the New Moon, we were poised at the edge of the dark forest, looking for the way in. Now, we find our unique path and take the first steps.

Notice that astrological Samhain happens just after the Crescent Moon. This is when the Sun reaches the midpoint of Scorpio, 15 degrees. So the time when boundaries between the worlds is thin, continues.

The power of divination is strong now, and the ancestors are present. Asking advice for how best to move forward it always a good idea, and the chances of getting a clear response are greater now. Expressing gratitude, traditional at this time of year, is also an excellent practice.

So, no more sitting around in the dark. Even if the outcome isn't clear right now, we still know what comes next. It may not be our favorite thing to do, but it's gotta get done. We've had time to check all the angles, see how the table lies. Now we line up the shot and take it.

Taking action is the only way to figure out what really works.
    

On the Road: From the New to the Full Moon

... on the road ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Waxing Moon: Moving through Anger into Clarity

Crescent Moon over Glastonbury

Crescent Moon in Scorpio
September 9, 2013
12:44 am EDT / 5:44 am GMD

First Quarter Moon in Sagittarius
September 12, 2013
1:08 pm EDT / 6:08 pm GMD

Gibbous Moon in Aquarius
September 15, 2013 10:00 pm EDT
September 16, 2013 3:00 am GMD

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

A glowing sliver of a Crescent Moon rose this evening over Glastonbury as the sun set through banks of deep indigo clouds, dusting the undersides with scarlet and rose. Yes, thanks, it was a lovely evening.

And also a reminder I'm late introducing the waxing Moon cycle. I've been away from strong enough wifi, having wonderful experiences, so I hope you'll excuse me.

At the Crescent Moon, we begin to see the first tendrils emerging from the seeds we planted at the New Moon. This particular Crescent may bring us insights into what's really going on with those seeds, or maybe, what we really meant when we set those intentions:

The Moon entered Scorpio this morning as she entered her Crescent phase, moving to conjunct Saturn. As I write this on Monday evening, September 9, she's already passed Saturn and is with the North Node. This brought our feelings in touch with what is hidden––which can be scary but is always meaningful.

If something came up for you today that you shied away from, didn't want to look at, just couldn't go there, that's OK. But consider taking another look; it could prove useful.

Venus is reaching the end of her home sign, Libra, now too and making ready her entrance into shadowy Scorpio. Our attention is turning to Shadow, to darkness, to things that go bump in the night. This is a good time to remember Leonard Cohen's lyric:

There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.

Part of the crack we're likely to see during this waxing cycle has to do with anger, and action, and how those two are linked, for good or ill.

Right now, Mars and Saturn are squaring each other, with Mars in passionate Leo and Saturn in Scorpio, for whom Mars is the ancient ruler. Where's the line between taking a stand for what's right and drawing a line in the sand? Hard to tell sometimes, isn't it?

Right now, Pluto is inconjunct Mars, an awkward angle that suggests precipitate action will not be the best choice. So, if someone or something is making you really, really angry, look beneath to see if you can understand the trigger instead of shooting something off––even if it's just your mouth.

The transformational healing energy we've been experiencing is still available, with Pluto and Chiron, the alchemist and the wounded healer, both important players in the patterns we see. Things can change if we pay attention.

Well, truthfully, things are going to change. We have a better chance of influencing those changes in a good way if we pay attention. Our choice.

The First Quarter Moon of September 12 is in Sagittarius, which usually means fellowship, optimism, and liberality. I hope we see some!

At that time, though, Venus will have entered shadowy Scorpio, Mars will be squaring the Nodes of the Moon, and Mercury will be shifting into position to activate the Pluto–Uranus square.

The Sagittarian Moon may help us keep hold of some lightheartedness as we continue to explore what triggers us, and look for ways to heal old anger patterns.

Please note, I am not saying we should never feel angry or that anger is bad––not at all. Anger is a wonderful emotion that tells us when a boundary has been crossed, very useful information. The problem is, we often leap to the conclusion that all the bad behavior is out there in those other people and our job is to set them straight, and reality is often more complicated. This cycle, we have a chance to see that.

The Gibbous Moon of September 15/ 16 continues the focus on when and how we take a stand. The Moon is in Aquarius, which is humanitarian and community-focused but can also be dogmatic.

The Moon squares the Nodes of the Moon, testing our commitment to walking our talk. Meanwhile, Mars is flowing energy with Uranus, in a trine that will make it very easy to suddenly feel we know exactly what needs to be done, right now, no holds barred.

Tricky territory we're in. Wasn't that last New Moon in Virgo all about details, and being careful and organized? Seems like things are going off the rails a bit.

Maybe.

And maybe the issues around anger, and taking stands, drawing lines, when to act, when to wait, who to blame and how to move beyond that––maybe all of those issues are the very things we need to understand and resolve so we can move ahead with whatever Virgoan project we set in motion.

The Full Moon to come will be in Pisces, the mystic, the visionary, and the foggy deceiver. So spending time these next few weeks getting clarity on things that push us out of our comfort zone could be exactly what we need.

The next weeks are likely to make us uncomfortable at times. This is a good thing. Work with it. Go deeper into it, not in a wallowing kind of way, but in a 'hmmm … what's going on with this?' kind of way. It will be worth it.
    

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.
    

Who's Driving? New Moon to the Full Moon

Who's in the driver's seat?

Crescent Moon in Libra
August 10, 2013 3:20 pm EDT

First Quarter Moon in Scorpio
August 14, 2013 6:56 am EDT

Gibbous Moon in Capricorn
August 17, 2013 3:52 pm EDT

Full Moon in Aquarius
August 20, 2013 9:45 pm EDT

First item of note this morning: Mercury just moved into Leo! I'm celebrating because Cancer is not the happiest or easiest sector of the zodiac for me.

Mercury into Leo shifts thought and communication into the playful, creative, passionate and dramatic. If you already tend toward drama, maybe it's time to chill a bit. If you feel you've been caught in a mental swamp (as I have), this will let you pull one boot out of the muck.

There's still time to make those New Moon wishes. If you haven't yet, take time today to set intentions around shining your light into the world, expressing your heart courageously, and having some fun. Enjoy, embrace, celebrate: these are good things!

Celebrate your truest self. Center in your integrity. Empower your biggest goals.

Do these things not just to plant the juiciest New Moon seeds (although that's reason enough) but also to orient in the most powerful way possible for our journey to the Full Moon in Aquarius, coming in two weeks.

During these weeks, we'll likely feel strong contrasts between the personal and the impersonal––and since "impersonal" tends to be seen as negative, let me throw out some other contrasts: personal and social, personal and cultural, personal and transpersonal.

You see the pattern, right? We're very much IN the personal these days, coming from the intensity of home-and-family, where's-my-peops? Cancer into I've-gotta-be-me Leo. In these sectors of the zodiac, we focus on the question, who am I in relation to the world?

With all the personal planets clustered in that sector in recent months (Venus only just shifted into Virgo), the emphasis has been strong.

And yet the outer planets, strong messengers from the cosmos, have been forcing our attention to wider matters: politics, the environment, conflict, craziness, and the amazing beauty of all that is. With the outers almost all retrograde right now, we're pushed into trying to sort out our place, our role, our responsibilities when sometimes we'd like a little peace, please, for five minutes, ok?

We're not living in peaceful times. Just sayin'.

So what do we do? We commit to living from the heart, courageously, creatively, and passionately. This is Leo's call. Now's the time to plant those seeds.

At the Crescent Moon, we get a taste of what we're up against. The Moon in cool, diplomatic Libra gets edgy with the Leo Sun but also gets support from Mercury in Leo: Can we speak our truth and stay true to heart? It's an important question because the Moon is moving into square Pluto and oppose Uranus, stimulating (once again) the Pluto–Uranus square.

At the First Quarter Moon, we touch the depths. Sun in Leo and Moon in Scorpio means this is no light comedy we're in––there's substance here, real issues to be grappled with. Jupiter is opposite Pluto now and squaring Uranus, amping up a square that needs no amping. Facing the Shadow, looking in the mirror, having tea with our demons.

At the Gibbous Moon, the Capricorn Moon joins Pluto to activate that Pluto–Uranus square yet again. Jupiter is still opposite Pluto, so this is a really bright spotlight on an already intense pattern. It's hot under those big lights, so hold on to your dreams and stand strong.

The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 20 will be the cliff-hanger ending. The Leo Sun is joined by Mercury, Ceres, and Vesta, ready to stand their ground for heart-centered creative passion. The Aquarius Moon is joined by Neptune, bringer of insight and also confusion. The Lady or the Tiger.

This Full Moon has the power to illuminate delusion, grandiosity, inflation, and fanaticism on personal, world and cosmic stages. Or we could see, clearly, how our creative gifts fit beautifully and meaningfully into the wider world we inhabit.

Or both. Most likely, both.

Looking back to the last Full Moon in Aquarius, through the New Moon cradle we're stepping out of, to the coming Full Moon, we see a grand sweep, a fully-lit stage crammed with everything you can think of. There are no bit parts in this play. Connect, create, and speak out.

The choice is to sign up to support someone else's program,  or drive our own bus. Or, for some of us, the choice will be whether to let our fears set the agenda, or let courage and love rule.

We are all the heroes of our own stories. Your heart knows this. Let the heart drive this month.
    

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.
    

Fire in Water: Heading toward the Full Moon in Aquarius

Fire in Water

Crescent Moon in Virgo
July 12, 2013 4:14 am EDT

First Quarter Moon in Libra
July 15, 2013
11:18 pm EDT

Gibbous Moon in Sagittarius
July 19, 2013
9:45 am EDT

Mercury turns direct
July 20, 2013
2:22 pm EDT

Full Moon in Aquarius
July 22, 2013
2:16 pm EDT

In these last days, I've been drawn back into dreamwork. Dreams have been coming thick and fast, and I needed to do something! I found a new way to record them: Dictating slowly into my new iPhone5, allowing for translation into text that works surprisingly well, all before my feet hit the floor.

The deep energies we're experiencing bring us to things like dreamwork, as well as other soul arenas like exploring emotions and reconnecting with our bodies. This depth continues through the waxing, growing cycle we're now in, with a new addition: Fire!

Heading toward the Full Moon in Aquarius, when the Sun will be in fiery Leo, our own passions will grow. Are we exploring creativity? Relationships? Are new goals emerging? Are old goals demanding fresh commitment and energy? It could be all of the above.

I'm listening to a series of talks by Marion Woodman, the Jungian analyst who explores the soul of the feminine (which all men and women have) so brilliantly. In this series called Sitting by the Well (how's that for a Cancer New Moon title?), she speaks about where creativity comes from, and how we find our true path.

Marion's image of wholeness is alchemical. She speaks of bringing masculine and feminine together in a marriage of Water and Fire. This marriage, these two elements interweaving in new ways, is the heart of this lunar cycle.

The Crescent Moon finds the Moon in early Virgo, opposite Neptune, sextiling Saturn, sextiling Jupiter and trining Pluto. What a spot for a humble Virgo Moon to find herself! She's right in the midst of the ongoing Grand Water Trine, and catching transformative alchemical powers as well. Can she keep her head above water?

The Sun remains in Cancer, conjunct Lilith and Mercury, widely trine Chiron and widely square Uranus. This Sun has his own fish to fry, deep in territory that speaks of emotional healing, and can't offer much help.

This Virgo Moon could feel overwhelmed, lost in storms of feeling, possibly victimized. This is the time to find Virgo's true depth and power: Not just the sign of analysis, criticism, and obsession with detail, Virgo represents the healing power of everyday life.

This Crescent Moon can show us the power of disciplined practice. Committing to regular mediation, journaling, exercise––whatever we most need––we feel in our bodies the strength that comes through simplicity and repetition. We chop wood and carry water. In the midst of tumult, whatever comes, we chop wood, carry water.

At the First Quarter Moon, we may already see some results from our practice. The Moon moves into harmonious Libra. She squares the Cancerian Sun, who is still conjunct Lilith, challenging us to notice the rainbow emerging from thick grey clouds.

Spending too much time with our feelings, we can get waterlogged, stuck in eddies and pools that won't let go. The Libra Moon offers perspective and balance. Take another point of view, she says. Lighten up!

The Grand Water Trine is still in place, continuing to support soul work in all its forms. At the same time, Fire energy is showing up. The Libra Moon is opposite edgy Eris in fiery Aries, and sextile Venus who's now in passionate Leo. Eris and Venus flow energy together in trine, lighting fires that won't go out.

This First Quarter Moon asks us to find balance. We are aware of Fire, the masculine energy of action and expression, even as we feel the strong, ongoing presence of Water, the feminine energy of creative visions and heart-felt goals. How can these two vital forces each have a voice?

At the Gibbous Moon, Fire becomes stronger. The Moon in Sagittarius trines Uranus in Aries and Ceres in Leo, creating a Grand Fire Trine to match Water. Venus and Eris continue to connect. The Sun reaches the end of Cancer, holding our attention to soul issues. Something is growing here.

This Gibbous Moon seeks a new vision. We're invited into an embrace, invited to see ourselves and our lives in a renewed way that combines spirit and soul, action and dreams, mind and heart. We begin to see what all this emotional stuff is for, what we can bring forth from the depths.

The next day, July 20, Mercury turns direct. The Moon, in the powerful last degree of Sagittarius, trine Venus close to the end of Leo. An idea, a thought, something comes forward with new clarity. It's on the tip of our tongue. We can taste it.

The Full Moon arrives on July 22 at the opening of Aquarius and Leo, with the Moon at 0 Aquarius and the Sun at 0 Leo. The Moon also sits at the apex of a yod, the Finger of Fate, balancing Venus at 0 Virgo and Pallas Athena at 0 Cancer.

The Full Moon illuminates our new creative vision. The discipline of our practice and the depth of our soul exploration burst forth in a fresh view from the heights. In some way, the world is made new. Our response will be fiery, passionate, creative and personal.

Where is all this energy focusing in your life? In that place, find a practice you can commit to regularly––daily––to explore where the energy is going and what it wants. In a few weeks, something brilliantly amazing can arrive, with the Full Moon. Dive in!
    

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.
    

Good Questions: Listening to the First Quarter Moon

deep listening

First Quarter Moon in Virgo
June 16, 2013 1:24 pm ED

Today's First Quarter square between the Sun and Moon brings BIG energy around communicating with precision, analysis, and possibly excruciating detail. The Moon and Jupiter are conjunct, so if you find yourself talking nonstop, take a deep breath and slow down.

If you find yourself listening to someone else talking nonstop, take a deep breath and tune in to what's being communicated on all levels.

Listening on all levels will be key in the next weeks. Today's Virgo Moon could go with some fairly detailed critiques of what's being said––but Virgo is also a grounded, compassionate healer, with the ability to tune in and really, really listen. So, lose the critical voice and go with deep listening.

Early this morning, Chiron the wounded healer stopped in his tracks and then turned backwards. This is a powerful moment for any planet, and brings focused attention to the idea that sometimes we get hurt. Then, we find that when something bumps up against that old hurt, it hurts again, worse. Ouch.

As we mature, gaining insight along the way, we can get some perspective and learn how to understand and integrate those hurt places. Since the broken places are where the light gets in, those same wounds become sources of healing for ourselves and, potentially, others.

In an intriguing synchronicity, the asteroid Lilith stopped less than half an hour before Chiron, and turned backward in a one-degree trine (easy flowing connection) with Chiron.

Chiron's in Pisces, Lilith is in Cancer. And here's Venus in Cancer just one degree away from Lilith. Mercury, who rules both Gemini (where the Sun and Jupiter are) and Virgo (where the Moon is), sits in Cancer just three degrees on the other side of Venus.

What's coming up includes deep emotions, female power in relationship, sexuality and power, delusions, illusions, Shadow, and how we talk about all that. Yep, the easy stuff (not).

This is the crossroads of what we think we think, what we think we're supposed to feel, and what we actually, really feel deep down. Today's energy could bring up how far apart those are in us, or in those around us.

Response choices includes everything from distraction, denial, dismissal, 'correcting' what is said, to taking that deep breath I mentioned and diving into something way more vulnerable and real. And this can happen with those close to us, or in our own internal dialogue.

We're heading into an intensely emotional and personal time, astrologically, as the Sun and Jupiter prepare to shift into Cancer. Our Cancerian sojourn will include a Mercury retrograde in this sign too, beginning right after the Full Moon. With Neptune and Saturn continuing to flow energy together in Pisces and Scorpio, there's a whole lotta Water goin' on.

At this First Quarter Moon, we're invited to step into this realm of deep feeling with our mind in an open, attentive state. There is much to learn here, much to be healed. There are gifts of depth, insight, creativity, spiritual connection, and relationship.

In the midst of ongoing transformation (ok, yes, also turmoil), stepping into the shadowy spaces of emotion is a good thing. When the mind is running the show, we miss a lot. We're more interested in what we have to say than in listening to what anyone else says. We can fail to ask the right questions.

Today's Moon asks, are we asking good questions, of ourselves, of our loved ones, of our world? And (this is the important part) do we listen to the answer with our hearts as well as our heads?