Moon into Virgo: Carefully Attending to Details

Monday morning through Wednesday morning

In the early hours of Monday morning, the Moon steps precisely into Virgo, ready to be of service.

First encountering Neptune (an opposition) and Ceres (an inconjunct), the Moon needs to stay focused to balance the messages coming in from these two outer messengers. Soon afterward, a conjunction with Mercury might help get everything sorted out and organized ...  which is good, because meetings with Chiron (an opposition) and Uranus (an inconjunct) are soon to follow.

... paying attention

With Monday morning filled with outer planet connections, the Moon and Mercury can work together, emotions and thoughts, to sort out the intuitive guidance and outer influences flowing from multiple directions. Virgo's attention to detail will come in handy here.

Late morning, the square between Jupiter and the Sun, in the fixed signs of Taurus and Leo, could offer a sense of stability, like two corners of a building, or might offer a sense of resistance to whatever the Moon and Mercury learn. Taurus and Leo both share a creative drive, so if stubborn feelings arise, try channeling them in new, creative directions.

Monday afternoon brings a flowing trine between the Virgo Moon and Pluto the alchemist, a chance for the Moon to check in on next steps in Pluto's transformative agenda. In the evening, the Moon reaches a trine with Jupiter, ready to flow energy into new, expansive growth in these early days of the waxing cycle.

The Jupiter trine is also the Moon's last classical aspect in Virgo, initiating a long void-of-course period that lasts until Wednesday morning. During this time-between-times, Mercury stations retrograde, ready to revisit the Leo territory of Saturday's New Moon.

It might seem as though Mercury retrograde will put a brake on Leo's momentum. Yet, this time of reflection can help us as we begin working our way into the transformative energies of the Leo New Moon. As if to emphasize this possibility, Mercury will be conjunct the Sun at August's Full Moon.

So, as we enter this Mercury retrograde, back up computers, make extra copies of important papers, and allow extra time for travel ... but also make space for mediation and reflection, connecting with the heart, and exploring creativity and joy.

The Moon enters balanced, graceful Libra Wednesday morning at 6:08am.

Moon into Leo: Sailing to the New Moon

Friday night through Sunday night

Overnight, the Moon roars into Leo, ready for anything. Because Saturday's New Moon occurs early in Leo, at 7 degrees, aspect patterns for the New Moon begin falling into place.

The Moon begins with an inconjunct to Neptune and a trine to Ceres, easily understanding the fierce maternal energy of Demeter, but having a harder time connecting with Neptune's easy, cosmic flow. The Leo Moon is very much in the bright Sun of the Now, not the forever waters of Neptune's oceans.

Then comes the conjunction with Venus that is one of the hallmarks of this New Moon. Venus brings added creativity and good fortune, as well as relationships. 

A trine to Uranus in Aries is the signal that this Moon is thinking outside the box, innovative as well as creative and not bound by convention. At the same time, and inconjunct to Chiron in Pisces reminds us that the deepest forms of creative expression are also healing.

The New Moon is exact at 2:40pm Saturday. Once we reach this moment, we can make wishes and send our intentions out to the universe with all the passion and joy Leo can muster (and that's quite a bit!). Leo's qualities point the way to wishes that will be strongly supported now. Where do we need more passion and joy in our lives? What creative gifts are ready to shine? Where is it time to step into the spotlight, claim our power, and become king, or queen? Where do we need more fun, more play?

This New Moon is the focal point of a yod, that fateful aspect that says "this is important!" Pluto on one side, and Neptune and Chiron on the other, challenge the Leo New Moon to transform, heal and connect, to shine our heart light not only on a limited human stage, but out into the cosmos.

After the New Moon, the Moon and Jupiter reach their exact square, a reminder that while desire flies on swift wings, manifestation takes a bit more time, and care. Jupiter brings good fortune, expansiveness, and generosity, which Leo loves. The Moon brings nurturing and a love for tradition that Taurus feels comfortable with. There is room in this square for much balancing.

A nighttime sextile with Saturn in Libra continues the theme of manifesting creativity. Saturn, the planet of form, can help our New Moon intentions become real.

Sunday, Venus in Leo begins to move through the same aspects. She forms an inconjunct to Chiron and trines Uranus, looking healing in matters of creativity, finances, and relationship by thinking outside the box and staying true to her core self.

Overnight Sunday, the Moon reaches her last classical aspect in Leo, sextiling Mars in Gemini. This connection channels Leo's creative fire into new communications, seeking innovative ways to spread the word.

The Moon steps into the carefully organized territory of Virgo in the early hours of Monday, preparing to create the detailed plans that will make Leo's wild creativity into something a bit more practical, perhaps, but also real.

Moon into Cancer: A Path with Heart

Wednesday night through Friday night

The Moon slipped into her home sign of Cancer last night, to join Neptune and then Chiron. If you woke with rich dreams this morning, images filled with mystery, and a sense of revisiting the past, know that the Moon, Neptune and Chiron were there.

A Path with Heart is a book written by Jack Kornfield, in which he teaches that connection with the heart is essential to living a calm, meaningful life. An earlier work of his was titled, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry ... these are Cancerian ideas.

Cancer is cardinal Water, the sign that reaches out to others, offering the nurturing warmth of home. The Moon in Cancer feels the importance of things like laundry, and the path of heart. During this transit, the Moon will stand up for the values of home, family, and living from the heart

Challenges began early this morning, as the Moon squared Uranus in Aries, and then opposed Pluto in Capricorn. The Moon triggers each of these powerful energies, which are squaring each other, with reminders of the importance of feelings, of family, of tradition.

hearts at sunset

As the Cancer Moon stands for tradition, this is a day of change. As Venus moves into Leo, a yod forms, pointing at the Sun and Venus both, from Neptune and Chiron on one side and Pluto on the other, opening the yod that will remain in place for the coming New Moon.

The Sun and Venus are at the point of this yod, the focus of Pluto and Neptune's transformations. Who are we, now? What are we meant to shine into the world?

This afternoon, the Cancer Moon squares Saturn in Libra, two forces of tradition looking for a balance between heart and mind. This is the Moon's last classical aspect in Cancer, beginning a long void-of-course time that continues until she enters Leo in the early hours of Saturday (2:16am EDT). During this void, Mercury and Neptune reach their opposition, our thought in touch with cosmic thought.

This Moon transit through Cancer brings us near the end of this waning lunar cycle, when we release what we've completed to prepare the way for the new. This Cancer Moon asks us to look carefully, to consider what our hearts need, as we move into this time of transition and transformation.