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Good morning! My essay on these Gemini times we're in appears today at the Find as Astrologer website, where you'll find lots of great info about astrology and astrologers. Enjoy!

... I will post a full essay about the Gemini New Moon here, in a few days. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
    

Full Moon to New Moon: What We Thought We Knew

new info, new world ...

Disseminating Moon in Capricorn
May 28, 2013 5:04 am EDT
Last Quarter Moon in Pisces
May 31, 2013 2:58 pm EDT
Balsamic Moon in Aries
June 4, 2013 10:09 am EDT
New Moon in Gemini
June 8, 2013 11:56 am EDT

Some week we had there, wasn't it? The Pluto–Uranus square on Monday, the Full Moon overnight Friday, and a whole lot of shakin' goin' on in between.

For some, this past week brought a completely changed landscape. For many, new information has emerged that needs to be fit in to a new worldview. The kaleidoscope shifted; someone changed all the settings on the camera; we're looking through the wrong end of the telescope. The world looks different.

Moving from a Full Moon in Sagittarius with many planets in Gemini, to a New Moon in Gemini surrounded by lots more Gemini, these next few weeks will be all about information: what we know, when we knew it, how we connect the dots. 

Gemini is wonderful at generating ideas, seeing creative possibilities, and having fun with it all––and Gemini tends to avoid the tough stuff by going on to the next bright shiny thing. With heavy hitters Pluto and Saturn influencing things, we're going to have to pay attention. Much as we might prefer light comedy, some serious issues are likely to come up.

Relationships will continue to be a strong focus. Venus, Mercury and Jupiter are traveling together, bringing relationships and information together in big ways. Another reason we won't be able to ignore stuff: It's too big.

So, for better or worse, we're getting strong opportunities to look carefully at where our information comes from, how we process it, and what our world looks like as a result. This is likely to show up in the arena of relationships, which, remember, is not only romantic/intimate ones, but family, friends, colleagues and, yes, enemies as well.

Is this all awful and traumatic? Not necessarily. Some of us will to get big confirmations: Yes, I am with the right partner. Yes, I am on the right team. Yes, all I've done up til now in my life is reflected in where I am now, and it's working!

Those heavies, Pluto and Saturn, are completely happy to offer positive reinforcement when the situation calls for it. They love being able to affirm solid foundations and good work. So, look for those in your life. Where are things working? Let's acknowledge and celebrate that.

The thing is, most of us have areas in life we're still working on. And, no surprise, many of those involve relationships. Part of last week's shake up probably involved new information about the difference between what we thought was going on and what's actually going on.

This is equally likely to involve us as it is other people, by the way––suddenly seeing a gap between who we thought we were and who we maybe actually are.

It takes time to sort this stuff out. It's confusing when we discover the world is not the way we thought. The puzzle pieces don't fit together so neatly now; time to find the new pattern. Gemini loves finding new patterns, so there's lots of energy for this ... until Gemini wants to go do something else, and Pluto and Saturn energy come online and say, hey, you didn't finish your homework, you're grounded. So, expect approach-avoidance energy too.

Finding out we maybe missed a few things can be uncomfortable and humbling. If we can build a better understanding, though, we're likely to be more successful in reaching our goals. New doors can open in walls we've been banging our heads against.

Hang in there ... the cosmos is supporting our efforts to think more clearly and creatively, and understand more deeply.

... And now for some of the astrological detail ... 

If you're not into the technical astrology stuff, feel free to skip this part. I like to include details for a couple of reasons:

• I like transparency myself; it's really important to me to be able to see the details and the data when someone's offering me advice. So, I offer that to readers.
• What I wrote above is general. It will generally fit all of us, but the details depend on how planets affect your chart. With the charts and important aspects highlighted, you can compare and see how this works for you.
• And, as I've said before, I hope to encourage y'all to get to know your birth charts. No need to become an expert overnight or ever, but as you get to know your chart, you get to know yourself better too.

Here goes! Through most of this lunar phase, the Sun will sit at the apex of a yod (or finger of fate) formed by Pluto and Saturn.

While Pluto and Saturn are too far apart to aspect each other directly, the strength of the Sun pull them into a pattern that keeps us focused on what's important, what really needs attention, what is not working. It could feel inescapable, no matter what we do to follow Gemini butterflies. Best to buckle down and dive in.

Saturn also continues to trine (easy flowing aspect) Neptune, the dreamy visionary who was key in the Full Moon. This combination supports both manifestation and confusion, depending on how clear we are about who we are and what we want.

The Saturn–Neptune trine gets turned into a Grand Trine in emotional, visionary Water as different planets move through Cancer: Mercury steps in at the Last Quarter Moon, is joined by Venus at the Balsamic Moon, with Venus holding the Grand Trine at the New Moon. Another pointer to the importance of thinking and information in the arena of relationships.

Mars will shift into Gemini during this phase, which will allow more flexibility and movement on important issues. At the Full Moon, he sat in stubborn Taurus, holding his ground––not necessarily a bad thing, unless changes need to be made.

At the Disseminating Moon, Mars hangs on to the end of Taurus, conjunct Pallas Athena and getting a trine from the Capricorn Moon. At this point, it could feel really hard to let go of the past. Just a few days later, at the Last Quarter, Mars pops into Gemini, and the release work can begin, right on lunar schedule.

go for it!

Although ... as planets begin to leave Gemini for Cancer, they will also find themselves opposing Pluto and squaring Uranus. Vesta, goddess of home and hearth, has been in this position, and is now moving on, with Mercury and Venus moving into position.

When the faster-moving personal planets create aspects to the larger heavies, they act as triggers for that energy, highlighting it and bringing it home in more personal ways. This will bring both a recognition of where change is needed, and way change is not easy. *sigh*

So, where's the happy here? It's in Gemini, the feeling of optimism, lightheartedness, openness to possibility, and confidence in the future. Gemini does prefer easy to hard, and yet sometimes we need that.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be adjusting to new messages and possibly embracing big changes. By the time the New Moon arrives, we might be ready for a whole new take on life, the universe and everything. This is not easy stuff. So, take time to go with the Gemini. Watch butterflies. Play ball in the park. Eat an ice cream cone. The hard stuff can wait a bit while we take a break!
    

Full Moon in Sagittarius: BIG Dreams, BIG Ideas, BIG Moon!

A Dreamer's Moon

Full Moon in Sagittarius
Lunar Eclipse and Lunar Perigee
May 25, 2013 12:25 am EDT

Full Moons bring illumination, something we sorely need after the intensity and challenge of recent weeks. It hasn't been all bad––we've celebrated beautiful births as well as grieved deaths, seen miracles in the midst of tragedies––but it's definitely been intense.

So looking ahead to a Sagittarius Full Moon should be a jolly time. Sag is the party sign, right? Sag never met a stranger, the eternal optimist. And all those Gemini planets! With all those ideas floating around, and connections being made, it's got to be good,

It is good. In fact, a Full Moon in Sagittarius looks at the world and thinks, it's all good!

The intensity, though ... that's going to continue. This isn't the whew-it's-all-behind-us-let's-let-our-hair-down party. This is the wow-we-made-it-this-far-what-comes-next? party.

Plan for BIG DREAMS at this Full Moon. The Full Moon arrives just after midnight in my time zone (EDT), meaning she'll arrive during the night of May 24 on the West Coast, and in the early morning hours of May 25 in Europe. (Farther away time zones boogle my mind, I'm afraid.)

Neptune, planet of dreams and visions, squares this Full Moon from her home sign, Pisces. Saturn is also in the frame, trining Neptune from Scorpio and inconjunct the Gemini Sun––he adds depth and shadow.

If you work with dreams, don't miss this opportunity for deep dream travels and exploration. Even if you don't pay much attention to your nigthtime adventures, put a notebook and pen next to your bed tonight––big dreams, vivid dreams, amazing dreams will be happening.

Watch for BIG IDEAS at this Full Moon. Both Sag and Gemini are idea signs, ready to offer solutions, plans, advice, whatever, at the drop of a hat.

In addition to the Gemini Sun, Mercury, Venus and asteroid Lilith are tightly conjunct in Gemini, with Jupiter nearby. There's either serious brainstorming or major league flirting going on here, maybe both.

Need to generate creative solutions to intractable problems? This Full Moon could turn on the lights big time ... except ... we need to be alert for the Shadow side.

Neptune's square means things could get confusing and foggy, and the rose-colored glasses might be on. The Gemini party could generate so many ideas, it's impossible to sort out which are worth pursuing.

Another downside is the possibility of staking out a position and insisting we are right, we have the answer, we know the way. Sagittarius is prone to certainty, even when it's not warranted. And take a peek at Mars––he's in late Taurus, conjunct cerebral Pallas Athena, and also conjunct the Sun, so he's right close in, opposing this Full Moon.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by circumstances, options, new, people, it could be tempting to put your foot down and declare, this is where I take my stand! I'm right, forget about everyone else! An understandable response, but do try to resist going there. Not, I might add, by resisting the thoughts. Instead, notice where your mind wants to go, and use that as a springboard for reflection.

Because one thing this Full Moon could illuminate for us is where we're ready to be sure, where we've decided we have it all figured out. While I'm not advocating tossing all our values and convictions out the window and starting over, it's good to be aware of those areas where we think we're done. Because, you know, we're not. Just sayin'.

... light the lights ...

This is a BIG MOON. Sagittarius is a supersized energy, expansive, inclusive and, yes, optimistic. This Full Moon falls the day before a lunar perigee, one of the times the Moon is closest to Earth. So, while this Moon won't be quite as super as next month's Full Moon, it is a supermoon, larger than usual.

This Full Moon also comes with a lunar eclipse, emphasizing her power. Eclipses add oomph, influencing events for six months or so, and also punctuating the long-term saros cycles.

This Full Moon also draws in the Uranus–Pluto square, with Uranus widely trining the Moon. We're linked in to the major movements of our time, and could feel that connection strongly.

So, if skies are clear, we'll see a big, bright, gorgeous Moon sailing overhead tomorrow (Friday) night. Even if she's hiding behind clouds, of the physical or the Neptunian kind, her presence will be felt. It's a night for celebrating life in all its blooming, buzzing confusion.