Moon into Gemini: Cosmic Connections

Tuesday evening through Friday morning

The Moon joins Mercury in Taurus this morning, and enters her time-between-times. This time of reflection foreshadows the Moon transit through Gemini, which combines the bright mental energy of Mercury, the emotional sensitivity of the Moon, and the grounded practicality of the Earth element.

Newton fractal

At 7:56pm EDT, the lights come on, the sparklers are lit, a flight of beautifully colored butterflies soars into the sky, as the Moon steps into Gemini. Her first aspect is a square with Neptune, which offers several (possibly challenging) opportunities.

Neptune asks, can we still our chattering thoughts enough to sense the flow of intuitive guidance being offered? Can we open the doors of perception to embrace connections wider and higher and deeper than we ever have before? The Gemini Moon, at the same time, invites Neptune into a quicker, brighter dance, saying, Now! Now's the time, not a mythic past or an envisioned future, but now!

This connection with Neptune ushers in a night of marvel-filled dreaming, as the Moon sextiles Uranus, the Awakener, who might send flashes of insight. Early Wednesday morning, the Taurus Sun trines Saturn in Libra, lending a creative artistry (both Taurus and Libra are ruled by Venus) as well as a groundedness to our dreams.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Gemini Moon trines Saturn in Libra, Air sign to Air sign, sharing ideas, concepts, thoughts, and communication. Saturn's been in Libra a long time, and no doubt has lots to say about what is needed to bring balance, harmony and beauty into manifestation.

An hour later, at 5:17pm EDT, we reach the New Moon in Gemini, followed just a few minutes later by a partial Solar Eclipse. The presence of the eclipse gives this New Moon extra resonances and staying power. If you're making wishes and setting intentions at the New Moon (described here), know that the intentions set at an eclipse New Moon will carry forward not just this month, or until this New Moon next year, but for years to come.

detail from The Creation of Adam by Michaelangelo

This New Moon comes with extra mojo for manifestation and transformation, as Saturn trines the New Moon, and Pluto forms an inconjunct angle-of-adjustment. Mars, Venus and Mercury are all in Taurus, lending their calm, grounded steadiness to the proceedings.

Meanwhile, Uranus, Saturn and Pluto form a T-square, a bit wide but still a powerful sign of the unsettled times we're living in. Linda Hill writes of this New Moon calling us to stand up, claim our power and our voices, and speak out, as she explores the Sabian symbols of the planets at that moment. Joyce Mason offers ways to calm Gemini's sometimes overactive mind, and with radical trust, move into the space of knowing that we can make it through whatever comes.

The essays at MoonCircles for this New Moon offer themes of opening our minds (Dana Gerhardt), and preparing for a wild ride in which we may feel we're flying blind (Simone Butler). April Elliott Kent writes about how this New Moon, and the eclipses to follow, might affect us depending on what will be aspected in our birth charts.

Gemini is the sign of connection, so dive in and explore multiple viewpoints. Open your mind, let your eyes go into the soft focus that widens peripheral vision, and reach out. Thursday, Mercury enters into Gemini, his home sign, bringing attention again to the bright, light-hearted, communicative thought space of this mutable Air sign.

In the wee hours of Friday morning, the Moon's transit through Gemini reaches its close with a reprise of the Pisces-Gemini connections we opened with: Mercury in Gemini squares Neptune in Pisces. Thirty minutes later, Neptune turns direct, entering her time of reflecting on the move into Pisces she just completed as she traverses that ground again, dipping in to Aquarius one last time.

Soon after that, the Moon sextiles Jupiter, a scintillating conversation about philosophy, journeys, and the meaning of life. After a brief void of course time, the Moon steps into her home base, the sign of Cancer, at 4:36am. Phew!

Moon into Taurus: Gracefully Accepting Change

Sunday morning through Tuesday afternoon

Calm at the bridge

Sunday at 9:02am EDT, the Moon steps into the peaceful serenity of Taurus. At times, Taurus can be stubborn to the point of complete immovability, but the aspects accompanying this transit evoke a mood of calm acceptance.

We're in the last days of the waning lunar cycle, preparing the ground for the scintillating New Moon in Gemini.

Taurus excels at all forms of gardening and nurturance. After the fiery energy of the Aries Moon, we're ready for a slower pace, a little rest and relaxation, and reconnecting to feelings of gratitude and well being.

We remain in a time of great change, as this Moon acknowledges. Sunday's only aspects occur in the morning, a few hours after the Moon's entry into Taurus. The Moon will sextile visionary Neptune, and trine alchemical Pluto.

The dreamers at last year's PsiberDreaming Conference showed the power of Earth Moons. We think of Moons in the Water signs as the strong dreamers (and they are), and yet many of the dreamworkers and advocates at the conference had Moons in Earth signs. A Moon in Earth can take dreams and visions, ground them in the world, and make them real. Sunday morning's flowing sextile between the Taurus Moon and Neptune points to exactly that kind of energy.

This Taurus Moon is even prepared to support Pluto's inexorable agenda of deep changes, helping us  understand that sometimes complete transformation is exactly what we need to come into full flower.

Soldiers bringing fallen comrades home

Monday, the Moon joins Mars (in the morning) and Venus (in the evening) for a fully Taurean day. Slow and steady wins the race today. This is Memorial Day in the U.S., a time for remembering the sacrifices of men and women in the Armed Forces on our behalf.

However we feel about war as an enterprise, or about particular conflicts, we can offer whole-hearted gratitude to those who accepted difficult, dangerous roles. We think of Aries as the warrior, fiery, combative, and out in front; but stories brought back from the front lines speak of Taurus as well. We honor the steadfast commitment, the willingness to endure, and the loyalty to comrades and cause, of the men and women who fought and died for their beliefs, and for us.

Tuesday morning, Taurus Moon reaches the late degrees of Taurus. A flowing sextile with Ceres the Grain Mother offers a time of blessing on gardens actual and metaphorical.

The Moon will aspect the Nodes of the Moon as well, creating a semisextile with the South Node and an inconjunct angle-of-adjustment with the North Node. The Nodes are in Gemini (South) and Sagittarius (North), both active, adventuring energies. The touch of the Taurus Moon offers a memory of home, and a reminder that we need to take care of ourselves on our journeys.

The Moon's last aspect in Taurus in a conjunction with Mercury, a combination that emphasizes careful thought and careful speech. Tuesday, we speak peace, remembering our words can harm or heal, and our thoughts shape our actions.

The Moon's time-between-times lasts most of the day, making Tuesday a day of reflection, and a time to avoid beginning important new enterprises (if possible). At 7:56pm EDT, the Moon bounces into bright Gemini, ready to network.

With a square to Neptune opening the night, dreams on Tuesday could be active, with messages flying back and forth across the cosmos and landing in our dreaming minds. This is the opening to Wednesday's New Moon and partial solar eclipse. Pack your flight bags and flex your wings!

Moon into Aries: Moving Confidently Toward Our Goals

Thursday evening through Sunday morning

The Aries Moon is direct, energized, and impulsive––ready to move, reach out, act. Early this morning, the Moon joined Uranus the Awakener, bringing bright flashes of insight into our morning dreams, or maybe just making it hard to sleep.

The Golden Boy

We're reaching the end of this waning lunar cycle, when we understand what's been accomplished and prepare ourselves for the next cycle that begins at the New Moon. The Sun and Moon reach a flowing sextile this morning, a time for new perceptions and ways of thinking. Aries loves the new, so become a pioneer of consciousness today.

Aries is also a warrior. Late morning brings a challenging square with Pluto the Alchemist, while this afternoon brings an opposition with Saturn the Father. We can resist these powerful archetypes, fighting against change and responsibility. Or we can direct Aries' fire toward our own resistance, burning through whatever holds us back, allowing change where change is needed. The choice is ours to make.

Saturday's only aspect is an inconjunct angle-of-adjustment between the Gemini Sun and Pluto in Capricorn. Gemini is bright, active and communicative, moving easily from idea to idea, entertaining many thoughts. Capricorn is steady, focused and determined, not easily changed. Today's contact asks us to adjust our thinking and look at Pluto's transformative pressures in new ways.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, the Aries Moon reaches a flowing trine with the North Node in Sagittarius, and a sextile with the South Node in Gemini. Dreams might point to the next steps on our life path, and offer a push to get moving.

At 6:28am EDT Sunday, the Moon joins Jupiter in late Aries for her last aspect in this sign. Jupiter is enthusiasm, confidence, good luck, and grace, a wonderful place for this Aries transit to end. The combined light of the Moon and Jupiter in Aries illuminates new possibilities.

At 9:02am EDT Sunday, after a brief void-of-course time, the Moon steps into calm, peaceful Taurus, offering a slower, more contemplative energy for the next few days.