Moon into Capricorn: Who's in Charge?

Sunday afternoon through Tuesday evening
Eastern Daylight Time

Sunday, October 30

La Hague Lighthouse, Normandy

Moon enters Capricorn 12:38pm
Moon sextile Chiron (Pisces) 1:52pm
Moon trine Jupiter (Taurus) 9:20pm
Moon conjunct Pluto (Capricorn) 9:58pm

Monday, October 31
Moon sextile Sun (Scorpio) 1:34am
Moon inconjunct South Node (Gemini) 5:02pm
Venus (Scorpio) square Neptune (Aquarius) 5:19pm
Moon sextile Ceres (Pisces) 5:35pm

Tuesday, November 1
Moon square Saturn (Libra) 4:14am
Mercury (Scorpio) square Neptune (Aquarius) 4:36am
Moon inconjunct Mars (Leo) 8:58am
Moon sextile Mercury (Scorpio) 3:56pm
Moon sextile Venus (Scorpio) 5:00pm
(begin void of course)
Moon enters Aquarius 6:08pm

The Moon grabs her tool belt this afternoon to step into Capricorn, sign of steady effort and hard work. With Halloween tomorrow making this feel like a long weekend, it might seem a bit early for dour Capricorn. And yet, Capricorn is also the sign of authority––including claiming our own authority––and the Moon's journey over the next few days could help us do exactly that.

The Moon's first aspect is a flowing, energized sextile to Chiron as the Moon enlists the healer, sage and mentor. This Samhain season, beginning with the New Moon and continuing until November 7, is a time of facing the dark. We need all the help we can get.

sea thrift and storm clouds

Tonight, the Moon joins the transformative Pluto–Jupiter trine as she first trines Jupiter, then joins Pluto. Now we can let the universe know we're ready to enter the cauldron, surrendering to the alchemical process that will release our gold. This could be a night for big dreams, as the Moon taps into this Pluto–Jupiter connection.

Monday opens with a flowing sextile between the Moon and the Scorpio Sun, a time as crescent Moon waxes that we begin to see the shape of what will grow with this lunar cycle.

Monday evening brings intense connections with strong feminine archetypes as Venus squares Neptune, the Moon forms an inconjunct with the South Node, and sextiles Ceres. This Samhain evening will be a powerful time for meditation, divination, and visioning, especially if goddess energy is needed.

Early Tuesday morning, the Moon squares Saturn as Mercury squares Neptune. Morning dreams could be challenging––but also offer breakthroughs on difficult issues. When you go to sleep Monday night, ask for dreams to bring solutions to whatever you've been wrestling with, and pay attention to what shows up.

The Capricorn Moon forms an inconjunct aspect to Mars Tuesday morning, signaling another opportunity for problem solving (in other words, something might come up that demands attention!). If we're tempted to dramatically charge ahead, this Moon will counsel patience. If we're hopelessly slogging through mud, Mars can bring in sunlight, passion, and playfulness. Honor both.

The Moon ends her transit through Capricorn by returning to Scorpio territory, with sextiles to Venus and Mercury. Can we feel ourselves transforming within? It might feel too early, but it's time to pay attention: Things are changing. We're on board. Maybe it's time we learned to steer the ship.

... I wanted to embed a song here, but it's disallowed. Check out Kathy Mattea and Dougie MacLean performing MacLean's wonderful and haunting Ready for the Storm.
   

Moon into Sagittarius: Adventures on the Road

Friday morning through Sunday afternoon
Eastern Daylight Time

Friday, October 28

Halloween weekend

Moon enters Sagittarius 10:44am
Mercury (Scorpio) square Mars (Leo) 11:07am
Moon square Chiron (Pisces) 11:56am
Jupiter (Taurus) trine Pluto (Capricorn) 12:29pm
Moon trine Uranus (Aries) 12:56pm
Moon inconjunct Jupiter (Taurus) 7:21pm
Sun (Scorpio) opposite Jupiter (Taurus) 9:41pm
Sun (Scorpio) sextile Pluto (Capricorn) 11:10pm

Saturday, October 29
Moon conjunct North Node (Sagittarius) 1:29pm
Moon square Ceres (Pisces) 1:57pm
Moon sextile Saturn (Libra) 11:18pm

Sunday, October 30
Moon trine Mars (Leo) 2:03am
Moon sextile Neptune (Aquarius) 9:30am
(begin void of course)
Moon enters Capricorn 12:38pm

The Moon enters convivial Sagittarius this morning,  shifting the mood out of shadowy Scorpio and into something much more outgoing, adventurous and sociable. This change arrive in good time, as many cities, towns, and of course college campuses will be celebrating Halloween this weekend.

Although the Sagittarius Moon is generally warm, openhearted, and generous, this particular transit  (following as it does the powerful New Moon in Scorpio) carries a more challenging energy. Sagittarius is also the sign of the journey, the place where we venture out into territory new to us. We move away from what we know, into something more expansive.

The flip side, the tendency for Sagittarius to believe it has THE ANSWER, is also challenged in the next few days. The Moon's first aspect in Sagittarius is a square with Chiron in Pisces. The wounded healer and mentor to warriors warns us not to be too cocky. Sure, we've made it through a few battles unscathed (or maybe just a little scathed), but are we ready for the next one, and the next one after that?

adventurous journeys

Not long after the Moon–Chiron challenge, Jupiter (ruler of Sagittarius) trines Pluto. Jupiter the expansive bringer of luck and grace is flowing easily with the powers of deep transformation. Ways open up. Someone hands us the seven-league boots and says, OK, go. Are we ready to make a leap forward?

Very soon after Jupiter and Pluto join forces, the Sagittarius Moon trines Uranus in Aries. Yes! we answer, yes, we're ready to make a quantum leap. With these energies around us, we know the net will appear. Here's hoping we laid some serious groundwork at that Scorpio New Moon––if not, there's still time. We're in the first days of the waxing Moon and seeds of intention planted now will grow quickly. Watch for giant beanstalks.

Moving quickly with big outer planet energy at our backs does not guarantee smooth sailing. Tonight, the Moon and Jupiter are inconjunct, as Jupiter's Taurean calm warns the possibly overinflated Moon to slow down and pay attention.

The Scorpio Sun opposes Jupiter and trines Pluto tonight, reminding us we're in Scorpio time, when alchemical reactions bubble beneath the surface. Those forces are vital, powerful, and intense.

Alchemy continues through Saturday afternoon, when the Moon joins the North Node. The North Node is the sign post to where we need to be heading in this lifetime, and the Moon brings all she's learned so far to help us stay on track.

Around this time, the Moon squares Ceres in Pisces. This challenge from a fierce maternal goddess reminds us to maintain our connection to intuition, messages from the forces around us that wish us well and want to protect us. The Sagittarius Moon sees everyone as a friend; not everyone we meet has our best interests at heart.

Saturday night we enter a time of taking action and manifesting, as the Moon sextiles Saturn in Libra. What are the realistic next steps? The early hours of Sunday brings a flowing trine with creative, passionate Mars in Leo, so our dreams might well bring us some answers. Be sure to record any messages from the muses.

Sunday morning, the Moon sextiles Neptune in Aqaurius, a time for visioning what comes next. This connection opens a void of course time that continues until the Moon enters hard working Capricorn just after noon. After the heady adventures of Sagittarius, we prepare for steady effort. Until then, explore the exciting paths ahead and embrace the journey.
   

Moon into Scorpio:Lighting a Candle

candles in the dark

Wednesday morning through Friday morning
Eastern Daylight Time

Wednesday, October 26
Moon enters Scorpio 11:08am
Moon trine Chiron (Pisces) 12:20pm
Moon inconjunct Uranus (Aries) 1:22pm
New Moon in Scorpio 3:55pm
Venus (Scorpio) square Mars (Leo) 6:23pm
Moon sextile Pluto (Capricorn) 7:29pm
Moon opposite Jupiter (Taurus) 7:54pm

Thursday, October 27
Moon inconjunct the South Node (Gemini) 1:03pm
Moon trine Ceres (Pisces) 1:29pm
Moon conjunct Mercury (Scorpio) 10:07pm
Moon square Mars (Leo) 10:56pm

Friday, October 28
Moon conjunct Venus (Scorpio) 12:22am
Moon square Neptune (Aquarius) 7:48am
(begin void of course)
Moon enters Sagittarius 10:44am

The Moon moves into Scorpio this morning, heading for the New Moon this afternoon. We're entering the season of Samhain, moving into the dark half of the year. This is a reflective time, an inward time. It is sometimes presented as a scary time but need not be––are we afraid of ghosts or ready to welcome and listen to them? The ancestors are near, asking to be acknowledged and offering their help.

The Moon's first contact in Scorpio is a flowing trine with Chiron. The embodied Moon, filled with feeling, is in touch with Chiron, the cosmic healer and sage. This opening connection reminds us where we hurt, with the intention of offering healing and finding the gift. This deep healing potential can be expressed in many ways.

Not long after the Chiron connection, the Moon forms an inconjunct to Uranus in Aries, a reminder not to leave our psyches behind in this time of big, fast change. Uranus in Aries is a bright flame facing the future. The Scorpio Moon represents what we don't see, what is hiding behind us. Authentic growth needs both.

alchemical fermentation

Just before 4pm EDT, we reach the New Moon, the joining of the Sun and Moon in Scorpio. This New Moon is surrounded by powerful aspect patterns that weave a complex web. The inconjunct with Uranus is part of the pattern, which also includes a sextile to Pluto, who is moving in and out of square with Uranus, transforming our world. So, one new beginning offered at this Moon is to integrate the shadow and find the power within the great changes.

It's intriguing, thinking about the Scorpio New Moon aspecting the Pluto–Uranus square, that the most recent objections to the Occupy sites are cast in terms of public health issues: concerns about human waste, about rodents and other pests, about smelly stuff. At this Scorpio time, we see the shadow and need to figure out how to integrate and transform it.

The New Moon is opposed by Jupiter in Taurus, a call to balance the needs of the manifest world (Taurus) with the needs of the hidden, intuitive world (Scorpio). Jupiter is expansive, generous and philosophical as he reminds us not to go so deep into the cave that we forget the beauty of the world around us.

The New Moon is part of a Scorpio stellium that includes Venus and Mercury together in late Scorpio. These two square Mars in Leo, a combination that calls for a new dynamic balance between feminine intuitive ways of knowing (Venus and Mercury in Scorpio) and the solar masculine (Mars in Leo). The square recognizes both connection and difference, and the power that emerges from that.

Thursday, the Moon continues her journey through Scorpio with an inconjunct to the South Node, a need to rethink our connection with the past. This is followed by a nurturing trine with Ceres, an opportunity to connect with another strong feminine presence deeply familiar with the shadow.

Thursday night, the Moon joins Mercury, then squares Mars, with the Venus conjunction to follow in the early hours of Friday. This calls our attention once again to Venus and Mercury squaring Mars. How are we balancing the feminine and the masculine within ourselves? How are we honoring and empowering each?

The Moon's last aspect in Scorpio is a square with Neptune in Aquarius, deep emotion looking for a new balance with bright visions of the future. This opens a three-hour void of course time before the Moon enters Sagittarius, a time to reflect on what the New Moon offers.

The Sabian symbol for this New Moon in Scorpio is Scorpio 4: A Youth Holding A Lighted Candle In A Devotional Ritual Gains A Sense Of The Great 'Other World.' During this Samhain New Moon, we light candles for the ancestors as we light candles to illuminate our own darkness, welcoming transformation.