New Moon Total Solar Eclipse and Jupiter Uranus Conjunction in Taurus: Feel Deeply, Let Doors Open

Aries season is in full swing start of April, Santa Cruz stargazers. We need courage to dive into what supports our own “enlightened selfishness.” Sometimes it is ok to claim your own path forward. I love the Grateful Dead lyric, “Gone are the days we stopped to decide where we should go, we just ride.” Be bold. Put yourself first. Spring forward!

Mercury

But wait a minute! “Life may be sweeter for this, I don't know…” April Fool’s Day, Mercury turns retrograde at 27°13’ Aries and the planet of communication won’t turn direct until April 25th at 15°59’ Aries. With the sign of the ram, it is tempting to say “carpe diem,” seize the day! But the cosmic weather suggests it is better not to jump full force into new projects or commitments, but rather think of April as a time of reflection: Can you claim more confidence and more willpower in taking charge?

Big news! The total solar eclipse, 19°24’ Aries, is April 8th at 11:20 am Pacific time. It will appear as a partial eclipse in Santa Cruz County, if the skies obey. Make sure to wear your eclipse glasses! Even if only in partial view here, total eclipses are very powerful and, for some folks, they usher in change and new beginnings six months before and after the eclipse.  

A total solar eclipse is like a New Moon on steroids with lots of gumption and fiery strength. The north node of the Moon is in Aries, while the south opposes in Libra. Ask: when and where do I need to assert myself? Look to see where 16° to 22° Aries and Libra fall in your own chart. Here a little cosmic juice is in order to push your own needs forward, take the initiative and be pro-active in asserting the fiery warrior, the leader, and the game changer in you. “Who can stop what must arrive now? Something new is waiting to be born.”

The south node in Libra can be about trying to “keep up appearances”. Don’t be wishy washy. Step forward and lead. This eclipse time is not just about romantic relationships, but also any one-on-one encounters, such as business or creative collaborations. Where do you need to take a stand?

Sun enters Taurus April 19th. How perfect as we prepare for Earth Day, April 22nd. We shift from bold, pioneering Aries to the more calming and relaxing vibe of Taurus. It is time to think about finding inner peace. We listen to our hearts about what really brings us comfort and ease. “Feels like it might be all right…”

Late April, we have another very big event, a coming together of Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus at 21°50’, exact on April 20th. With Uranus, lightning strikes, “Peals of fragile thunder keeping time,” things turn over anew. Expect sudden change. These two planets come together roughly every fourteen years. Look to see where the conjunction falls in your natal chart. Here there may be some upset, leading to growth and opportunity, especially when it comes to finding stability, peace, security or expansion in terms of your artistic or musical gifts.

Uranus is about the rebel, the revolutionary, the genius; those not afraid to upset the apple cart. When Jupiter and Uranus come together, Jupiter expands the Uranian wake up call like lighter fluid on a flame and so we may witness explosive actions by others or radical shifts in our lives. Taurus is a fixed, earth sign, so some may be stubborn, stuck in old, worn out beliefs or behaviors and this can lead to outbursts. All is needed to break us free. We may see innovative projects or sudden events related to climate change. Let’s face it; we need a revolution when it comes to our home planet, Earth!

Uranus

The Full Moon in Scorpio 4°18’ occurs April 23rd at 4:48 pm. Time to bring truth to the table and feel deeply the changes we are ready to make. Have heartfelt conversations with each other and face any shadow work inside that still needs to surface. Scorpio likes intensity of feeling. “Beneath the sweet calm face of the sea swift undertow.” Feel it and heal it.

Pisces New Moon: Visualizing a New Path Forward, March, 2024

March begins in Pisces season with a New Moon at 20°17’ in the sign of the fishes on March 10th at 1:00 am Pacific time. The Sun and Moon create a supportive aspect to the revolutionary and rebel planet Uranus in Taurus. Uranus is asking us to question our values and wake up to what it is we may need to enhance our lives, calm us down and bring peace and beauty. The Navajo have an expression, “hozhq,” to heal and restore oneself by creating balance, “To walk in beauty.” This New Moon time helps us visualize what changes are possible to be in that state of comfort and ease. What needs to shift? The week before, in early March, both Venus and then Mars in Aquarius square Uranus, helping us to see the authentic way forward, even if it may be a bit freaky or unconventional. Where do I need space from others or cultural expectations as I walk in beauty, “truckin’ in style” in my own unique way?  

St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th,  promises to be emotional and sensitive, when the Sun conjuncts Neptune in Pisces at 27°22’. Neptune in Pisces likes escape and with the Sun triggering the mystical planet, watch out for the low road of too much drink and too much revelry. A pint may be in order in the spirit of St. Pat, but be aware more may seem tempting! Neptune feeds our imagination, too, so think of this time as “a paddle for your paper canoe”! Meanwhile the Moon on St Patty’s Day is in Cancer and forms a lovely trine to Venus in Pisces early evening. A wonderful celestial moment for feeling the music, connecting with old friends and, for those who are of Irish descent, celebrating one’s clan and heritage.

Mercury will move retrograde next month, but we prepare now as the planet of communication and perception, in mid Aries, enters its “shadow period,” the evening of March 18th. The shadow is the time when quick-moving Mercury travels over degrees it will move again during its backward dance in April. With Mercury in the sign of the ram, contemplate where do I need to have courage with my ideas and projects? Where do I need to take the initiate and put myself first? Make these your inner mantras for the rest of March.

Venus

March 19th, Sun enters Aries, tempered by Mars going into Pisces, March 22nd. We still have quite a bit of Pisces energy in the mix. Venus in Pisces conjuncts Saturn at 12°27’ on March 21st, and sextiles (60° aspect) Jupiter and Uranus at 15°49’ and 20°38’ Taurus the last week of March. Creative visualization can be a powerful tool now. In January, I wrote about the upcoming conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus in late April. Sudden doors may open, opportunities to take chances are possible, and some may receive a windfall, a creative burst of artistic energy or unexpected moments of genius or insight. Now, in March, they are less than five degrees apart. Pisces as a sign creates a mood for letting go, using our imagination and our dreams to set the stage for April’s big conjunction. “Whenever your airplane happens to land!” Aries Sun says take charge and be brave.

Eclipse season starts with a penumbral lunar eclipse, a Full Moon in Libra, 5°07’at 12:00 am March 25th. It will be most visible just after midnight in Santa Cruz County. Eclipses can be a time of endings and new beginnings. Look to see where the eclipse falls in your own natal chart to see the potential area in life where things may shift for you. The south and north nodes of the Moon are in Libra and Aries now, suggesting this is a time for the playing out of karmic ties in personal relationship. Libra is a relational sign, often about how we negotiate and create balance with another. What is the dance you do with others? And how might it be changing and growing in new directions? “Maybe I'll be back here too…It all depends on, what's with you.” Remember you too have a right to take up space. It is a balance of two.

Passionate Month Ahead, February, 2024

February begins with the Celtic holiday of Imbolc, Saint Brigid’s Day, on February 1st, roughly halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox. We welcome new springtime growth still under the ground, seeds within us waiting patiently to bloom. Winter rains remind me of the words and music of John Barlow and Bob Weir, “Water bright as the sky from which it came…And the name is on the earth that takes it in…I AM” stirring underneath. We also think of this month as a time for romance and love. The nurturing vibes and pleasure we feel with each other make Valentine’s Day a relief from the gloomy, cloudy days. The cosmic weather has strong Aquarian themes: what is percolating inside of me that is authentic and unique? How might partnership be the plow or be the rain? “Let it grow!”

Mercury in Aquarius conjuncts Pluto on February 5th, while Venus in Capricorn squares the lunar nodes in Aries and Libra that week. Both Mars and Venus are in the sign of the sea goat until mid-February. This is a great time to make your relationships and your passions a “great work.” Set the stage with some rich, fertile soil for that seed you are planting through strategy and hard work. “Nothing more, the love of the women, work of men.” Think about what works for you in terms of calming down, finding peace, sparking your creative muse. The Capricorn energy helps ground you and make real the structures you need for your growing “seed” within and for planning right relationship that gives you the love you need, while offering the space we all crave to be authentic.

The Aquarius New Moon, 20°41’, February 9th at 2:59 pm Pacific time nurtures innovative thought and humanitarian love, but it also calls for some soul searching regarding personal space. We might ask again, where do I need to be authentic to my own path and where might I need to detach and be “me” despite others’ expectations? Look to see where the New Moon falls in your own natal chart for guidance in your soul’s unique dance.

The days surrounding Valentine’s Day can be a challenge for those readers with planets or critical degrees in early Aquarius in their birth chart. Mars meets Pluto at 00°46’ Aquarius February 13th. Try to be patient with one another as issues around needing space or freedom arise in your partner (or yourself). Try to deconstruct these thoughts and see what it is that makes a person edgy this way. The good news is sexual passions will undoubtedly fly! But so may power struggles.

When Venus joins Pluto in Aquarius February 17th, good, deep conversation around these very issues is possible, if we are truthful with our partners. If we allow ourselves to go deep into our psyches to reflect upon the limitations we may feel concerning our personal freedom, our relationships can only grow and transform. “As he dances the circular track of the plow ever knowing. That the work of his days measures more…And listen to the thunder shout…let it grow!”

On February 21st, Venus and Mars meet up at 6°58’ Aquarius. Time for all that deep conversation with our partner at Valentine’s Day to be released with some passionate fun! Claim Venusian sensuality with a little of the juiciness of Mars’ lust for life. Nothing is better for stoking the fires of erotic passion than working through struggles of deep intimacy and bonding. What a romantic, if potentially challenging, month!

Sun enters Pisces February 18th, followed by Mercury, February 22nd. The energy shifts to a gentle, sensitive watery feel, easing up on the airness of Aquarius. The Full Moon is at 5°23’ Virgo, 4:30 am, February 24th. The Moon opposes Mercury, Sun and Saturn, all in early Pisces. This is a practical, down-to-earth Moon, wanting us to be the master craftsperson. With the oppositions in dreamy, compassionate, intuitive Pisces, we might use this lunar time to hone our skills in making plans for our creative visions, our spiritual paths, and for true compassionate love. “So it goes, we make what we made since the world began…” Wishing everyone deep intimacy and joy this Valentine’s month!

December Solstice: Making Best Use of Mercury Retrograde

HAPPY SOLSTICE, everyone! Sun enters Capricorn December 21st at 7:27 pm Pacific time. Mercury retrograde, also in the sign of sea goat, sextiles (60°) Saturn at 2°23’ Pisces early morning on solstice. It is ok to dream, make some New Year’s resolutions, celebrate the seed percolating within and the hope it holds. What mountain are you climbing? What is truly worth the effort? Mercury retrograde is best used as a reflective, contemplative time. And with Mars out of bounds in Sagittarius, we need to be bold and unconventional with thinking about the ways we can put our ideas into action.

Mercury retrograde can also bring back into our lives the “ghosts of Christmas past.” People and events of time gone by might be on our minds and in our hearts. In that spirit of recollection, I want to share an amazing story about disciplined and hardworking Capricorn, about striving for a great work and the focused determination of the sign. Folks might find this post helpful when meditating upon how best to use Mercury retrograde in Capricorn this December.

A few years back, during the pandemic, I wrote about the astrology at play in the fall of 1843 when Dickens took the chance to work in solitude, very hard on a writing project, the now-famous novella, “A Christmas Carol”, AKA ‘Scrooge’. It sold out by Christmas Eve that year!

How can we best work with the sign of Capricorn in terms of evolutionary astrology, for personal growth and change in the New Year? I thought I’d post the story again. Here below is a biwheel chart showing Dickens’ natal chart (inner wheel) and the current sky at the time of publication of “A Christmas Carol” (outer wheel – set for noon).

We always start with the Sun, Moon and Ascendant; Aquarius, Sagittarius and Virgo, respectively, for Mr. Dickens. But let’s focus upon the events occurring here.

Between October and December of 1843, when Dickens produced “A Christmas Carol,” he threw himself into an intensive writing period of several weeks. Saturn, the great “task master,” was very strong in the sign of Capricorn then. During the 6-week period, the planet formed an exact conjunction with Charles Dickens’ natal Mercury on his 5th House cusp, house of creative expression, Mercury the writer. Faster moving Mars, out of bounds, came through as well by conjunction, helping Dickens to focus his will and put into action creatively his ideas about moral and social reform, the higher octave of Capricorn, through an unconventional out-of-bounds voice. By the date of publication (shown in the biwheel chart), Mars had moved on into Pisces.

When the book sold the days before Christmas that same year, Venus by transit joined Saturn in the sky, again meeting Dickens’ natal Mercury. His Capricorn Saturnine creative endeavor was well received! Jupiter and Neptune in Aquarius were also exactly in conjunction with his natal Sun, also in his 5th House, during November – the visionary writer as teacher of social justice and change.

It wasn’t an easy time for Dickens (Saturn conjunct his natal Mercury, Pluto in Aries by transit in an exact square) and he didn’t make much money despite the book’s popularity – he actually got into a legal scuffle over it - but in the long run…what a gift for all of us. It transformed our notion of Christmas for generations to come.

Most cool I think is that Neptune seems to have this impact of moving the larger collective. And there the planet was sitting on his natal Sun, his solar self. He needed a vison for his life. When we consider the nodes of the Moon, we see a karmic pattern, like something needed to be said. The south node in the sky in the fall of 1843 aligned by conjunction Dickens’ Jupiter in Gemini in his 10th House, house of mission or career. For those not familiar with astrological archetypes, Gemini, ruled by Mercury, is strongly associated with communication and writing.

I often think about what a collective impact that story had and how its legacy is so enduring. Good ol’ Ebenezer Scrooge and his encounter with the three ghosts; everyone knows the story.

Knowing your natal chart and the potential of the “current sky” is such an extraordinary and sacred tool. Now is a good season to ask yourself, what great work is dormant in me? I hope you enjoyed my story…Yuletide blessings, everyone!

Solstice Blessings! Revel Under a Leo Moon With Venus

HAPPY SOLSTICE, everyone! Sun enters Cancer June 21st at 7:57 am Pacific time. In the evening, look for the pretty waxing crescent Moon, bright Venus and Mars. If the skies are clear, it will be a beautiful sight! All three are in Leo now, Venus and the Moon making the exact conjunction at 14 degrees 28’ of the sign of the lion at 8:08 pm Pacific on the solstice.

What a great night for celebration, dance, fun and joy…Feel the loving, generous heart of the lion, romp and play, while also nurturing the Cancerian bonds of family and community. A good time to recognize the gifts of others as well, and make them feel seen and cherished. Give applause and appreciation for the talents and ways they shine!

Ask yourself, where do I need to allow myself to take center stage, revel in my creative juices in all their glory, let myself roar?

AND how can I give more love and recognition to those in my life who try so very hard and risk sharing their soul creations for all to see? Time to say “Wow, well done! I love you!”

Enjoy! Solstice blessings!

PAINT A MASTERPIECE: SATURN ENTERS PISCES ON A FULL MOON IN VIRGO

Wishing everyone blessings for SATURN’S entrance into PISCES, March 7th, 2023, 5:34 am Pacific time, and the FULL MOON in Virgo just before, at 16 degrees 40’ , 4:40 am.

---

Mystical Pisces is hard to capture in words.

And this Saturn time is exactly that, rendering the Divine love in our hearts real, connecting to spirit and making manifest creativity through discipline and effort. The Full Moon now quickly passes us by. It is a Virgo time to polish and fine-tune your skills through critical reflection. See what needs to unfold in you to be the talented master craftsperson you seek to be (look to see where mid-Virgo falls in your own natal chart – here you need to strive for perfection).

But the big news is Saturn’s arrival in Pisces. The ringed “task-master” will be in the sign of the fishes until February of 2026, with a brief stint in early Aries late spring and summer, 2025. This year, special focus is placed upon early degrees of Pisces. It is most helpful to consider where these degrees fall in your natal chart. What house, location, or planets does Saturn touch or aspect? Here you might ask yourself:

How have I outgrown my old ways of being?

Where do I have issues around boundaries or a tendency to escape?

Where is my creative visionary side and intuitive, psychic gifts strongest and how do I bring them to a higher spiritual plane?

Saturn can bring obstacles, challenging us to “step up to the plate,” work hard and be disciplined. To follow through on our karma, our mission, as Bob Dylan would say, “to paint our masterpiece!”

Pisces as a sign heightens our psychic sensitivity and dissolves the veil that separates us from the cosmos, the Divine, the oneness of all. Our imagination can take rein.

Those on a spiritual quest benefit by becoming the hermit, retreating and quieting the mind. A solitary practice, a spiritual alone time. Letting go and feeling our mystical side. A side always there, but so often denied to us through the busyness of our lives.

What keeps you from the stillness of meditation? Allow yourself to let go.

For the Piscean artist, perhaps a fantasy writer, a photographer, a Jazz musician, accomplished and a rising star. How do you now integrate the improvisational and intuitive elements of your craft into something more mature, more you, more concrete and real? Take your visions and soul work to a higher plane.

Taking the high road of Saturn in Pisces is to recognize where you need both boundaries and discipline to gain a more developed and mature spiritual or creative path. The low road is to feel so much you run away into states of intoxication. Be especially careful with this one.

Saturn stations retrograde at 7 degrees 13’ mid-June, stations direct early November at 0 degrees 31’. June and November will be important months for those with critical degrees, such as planets or angles, in early Pisces.   

Happy Full Moon everyone!

FULL MOON in Taurus, Total Lunar Eclipse: Time to Move on...And Walk Away from the Power Games

FULL MOON, total lunar eclipse, blessings everyone… The Moon is in Taurus, 16 degrees 01’, November 8th, 3:02 am, conjunct Uranus and lunar north node, opposing Sun, Mercury, Venus, south node all in Scorpio, and square Saturn in Aquarius, 18 degrees 49’.

---

“I have seen where the wolf has slept by the silver stream
I can tell by the mark he left, you were in his dream
Ah child of countless trees
Ah child of boundless seas
What you are, and what you’re meant to be”

— Bob Weir and John Barlow

This is a complex lunar time, when sudden awareness can come in a flash. There can certainly be upsets; expect the unexpected. But the high road is to use wisdom by seeing into WHY people act the way they do, the truth behind their shadows and insecurities, rather than participating in their psychological bullshit.

Seeing below the Scorpionic watery surface helps us to heal, to see our own selves better, and to move on. It strengthens us. But the key is not to let “foolish hearts” and souls get to you. Observe it and use it instead.

The world is hurting. And this lunar eclipse comes at a time when lots of outbursts, along with stubborn, selfish acts, are evident. It makes us stronger to observe the petty power games around us. Stepping aside and disengaging brings a sense a peace and calm into our own lives.

With a Taurus Full Moon, seek what grounds you, the creature comforts that help you find peace and a sense of stability. Listen to music that soothes your soul, bake a yummy bunch of warm chocolate chip cookies, or do what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, a little forest bathing on a favorite trail.  

If this eclipse is impacting your chart, let go of old patterns, habits of behavior that no longer serve you or us (the collective). As Mars moves retrograde in Gemini also now, be your own inner shrink, listen to the dialog in your head. Sometimes we say to ourselves “I should do this” or “I should do that” or “why doesn’t this person…blah, blah, blah” – you fill in the narrative - when in truth we benefit from a flexibility of mind. Realize things can be different. The low road is to fester in old, stuck attitudes because of fear or resistance to change.

Eclipses can usher in significant changes roughly six months before and six months after, if mid degrees of fixed signs – especially Taurus or Scorpio – are prominent in your natal chart. Look to see what houses (or angles) and what natal planets (if any) are located there. Here you need to release what is just begging to be let go…and then “up your game” with fresh perspectives and a higher manifestation. Use your will to bring it all about or, by synchronicity, it just may happen anyway. Why not be a game changer?

If we are stuck playing out the dramas and karmic habit of our past, we don’t have the creative energy we need to push us ahead, to innovate and be the kind of vanguard for change the collective needs.

Last year, in 2021, we had multiple exact squares between the planets Saturn and Uranus. This fall, the square occurred again at later degrees. This Full Moon is a big trigger of this square! Uranus in Taurus can lead to sudden upsets, when it comes to our basic resources. The last time the planet was in the sign of the bull was during the Great Depression and the Second World War. The current moment is a time to take stock of and be grateful for what we have, and reflect upon what is it we truly need, so we can support a collective shift to create a more sustainable future. The sad reality is too many people are resistant to change, fear what they can’t control.

Think about all you already processed last year under these squares. Who is the genuine, authentic you? Move ahead and don’t look back.

If the skies are clear and you find yourself awake very early morn’, the eclipse will be visible in North America, as well as in Asia and Australia and across the Pacific. Enjoy! Try to ride the wave…we are all in this together.

Jupiter in Aries! Courage and Passion!

We all know fear, but passion makes us fearless

- Paulo Coelho

---

Wishing everyone a really beautiful passage of Jupiter through Aries!

I watched the film, Cyrano, with Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennett last night. Such a romantic film. One of the overarching themes of the movie is how pride and fear can get in the way of us acting boldly and following our heart. With this combination of astrological archetypes, there may be too much pride, too much ego on the table…People may jump into action too quickly!

But I think the universe wishes for us to act, and to act bravely. Why let fear get in the way? It may not always work, but let’s face it; taking a risk is the only way to make the right door open…

Now is a good time to look and see where the fiery sign of the ram falls in your natal chart. Here you need to have courage and a willingness to take a chance. Trust yourself and act with passion and gusto! Some part of your world may need defending and some self-initiative may help.

This year Jupiter will be in Aries from May 10th until late October when the planet briefly returns to Pisces until December 20th. Then Jupiter continues in Aries until mid-May, 2023. I hope we enjoy!

New Moon in Pisces conjunct Jupiter: Time to Hope for a Better Future, a Healing for Our Planet

Wishing everyone a great NEW MOON, 12 degrees 07’ Pisces, conjunct Jupiter, March 2nd, 9:34 am Pacific time. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the actor Leonardo DiCaprio, because of his role in the recent film, “Don’t Look Up,” and the film’s Academy Award nomination. It is funny to think back to DiCaprio’s second “Jupiter Return” in 1998 – when Jupiter returned to its natal position in Pisces in his chart. “Titanic” had just won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was such a high time in the actor’s young life and, if I recall, he certainly jumped in with passion and Jupiterian gusto! Speed forward now to 2022, Jupiter is again in Pisces and Leonardo’s 6th house of service and Jupiter has just recently returned a fourth time to conjunct the actor’s natal Jupiter.

But what does DiCaprio’s natal chart have to do with the current New Moon? I believe it gives us “food for thought,” or maybe perhaps a prayer, for a higher road of compassion under this New Moon. Let me try to explain.

We all know a New Moon is a time when we can think about or meditate upon what we want to make unfold in the month ahead.  Set the stage to make things happen so to speak. It is easy to talk about Jupiter now as Mr. Opportunity; about expanding and thinking “BIG,” jumping into life and taking a chance. Jupiter loves being in Pisces. And here we have a New Moon blessing our actions and dreams! Or it is also easy to point out the low roads possible ahead of escapism, delusion, lack of boundaries, lack of motivation or too much confidence. Look to see where the New Moon and Jupiter by transit fall in your own chart.

But then there is Neptune, also in Pisces now, its favored sign too. Neptune can be about letting go, about seeking a new vision, about feeling compassion, touching the collective and making necessary sacrifices of our own ego drives and desires. Hmmm…How interesting to think again about Leonardo and his 6th house Piscean Jupiter. He could have chosen a different path recently; he could have chosen another “Titanic,” another flight into fantasy. I don’t know if you are a “Leonardo fan,” or if you even saw his latest role in the new film. In all humility, I don’t know if ”Don’t Look Up” will win. In fact, I doubt it will earn the Academy Award, for reasons I don’t wish to venture into here. But I admire DiCaprio’s compassionate concern for the state of our planet, his willingness to risk achieving his own personal recognition with the hope of getting us to “look up.” To grow in consciousness, to want to make a collective difference.

 I think maybe, just maybe, a good use of this New Moon time might be to take a similar direction. Let’s be real. With the latest UN report about the environment, we are all up a creek without a paddle. It is hard to watch communities “down under” hit by massive flooding, people in Madagascar struggling with cyclone upon cyclone upon cyclone, and Ukrainians displaced by a lying power-hungry Plutocrat. It is really easy to escape and claim there really isn’t anything to be done at this point. What does it all matter in 10,000 years? But maybe that’s just it. Maybe with the New Moon and Jupiter, it is about being just one small part of a collective movement for change? Maybe we have an opportunity now to think about or to hope with compassion: What personal sacrifices do I need to reassess and that might make a difference?

New Moon in "Sadge": A Total Solar Eclipse!

---

BEST WISHES to everyone on the TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE and NEW MOON In Sagittarius! It is at 12 degrees 22’, December 3rd, 11:43 PM Pacific time (This eclipse happens December 4th for some folks around the world…). For my hometown friends in California, we won’t be able to see this eclipse, but it is a powerful one for some. Consider where 12 degrees “Sadge” falls in your own birthchart for guidance.

As the Sun is covered by the Moon, our emotions, our passions hold sway. It is time to lead from the heart! Sagittarius, ruled by expansive and opportunistic Jupiter, sets the stage for us. How might we expand our dreams, our beliefs and our ways of seeing our cosmic dance? Can we shoot a centaur’s arrow to new paradigms, new hopes? But part of this New Moon also requires some caution, some wisdom, some care. What can we really do to make a difference? What can we accomplish? 

I can’t help thinking this New Moon ties into two upcoming astrological phenomena:  this past year’s square of Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus will be exact again December 23rd for the last time and then, several months later, the big conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces occurs, April, 2022. All year, we have been pondering what is it we truly value? How can we create a world that is ecologically sound (a radical and fresh response to Uranus in Taurus) while we continue to live with the hardships, Saturn, of an ongoing pandemic that never seems to end? How can we build upon a humanitarian vision, one that reaches people through our Aquarian technological age in ways that are just and equitable and safe for our planet?  

Perhaps under this New Moon in Sagittarius, where the rational Sun’s rays are eclipsed, we are asked to turn to our hearts, not our minds, in assessing what has shifted in our core values and principles under the Covid pandemic. How has Saturn asked us to mature into these changes? We need Saturn’s wisdom to be disciplined, to be practical. And we sorely need Jupiter’s hope.

Once we roll into 2022, we feel collectively Jupiter’s optimism and faith, along with Neptune’s compassion, both so strong in Pisces then. The universe is asking us to set intentions now, in December, to plant prayers from our hearts under this New Moon solar eclipse in Sagittarius.

Again, this eclipse is most meaningful for those whose charts it directly impacts. But we can all cultivate a spirit of hope and grace…just my two cents...Hell, don’t we all need it?  Have a great New Moon everyone!

Full Moon Eclipse in Taurus: Shifts in Washington DC, Hope for Our Planet

Full Moon and Partial Lunar Eclipse in Taurus, 27°14’, 12:57 AM, PST, November 19th, 2021

---

“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

HAPPY FULL MOON ECLIPSE in Taurus everyone! The Moon is at 27°14’ in the sign of the Bull very early morning, Friday, November 19th at 12:57 am Pacific time. If your life has been as crazy as mine, you know how important it is to take time for a deep breath, a sigh, relax and create some creature comfort. Find a way to calm down. The Full Moon in Taurus is about taking bubble baths, having a good meal, and enjoying the pleasures of life. I know for myself, a few days ago, I said “I’m going to take some time for me. I’m going to be still, breathe, drink a big glass of water, empty the chaos, before I go back to work.” Claim that part of Taurus now. And be patient, too, with others. Tension is high this month.

But under this Full Moon, there is a lot more on the plate that is worthy of consideration. It’s a partial lunar eclipse – and a very long one! - so it will bring about potential major changes for people directly impacted by the degree or by orb, roughly 24° Taurus to 1° Gemini. Look to see where late Taurus falls in your birthchart. U.S. President Joe Biden’s birthday is November 20th, so this solar return will be especially impactful for him in the months ahead, and undoubtedly for America as well, as the eclipse opposes his Natal Sun. Upsets, changes and power plays may challenge the President’s very solar self. I am hoping the difficulties may bring much needed changes to repair and heal our way of life and our relationship to our ailing planet.  

This is an intense Full Moon, playing into the current tension of Mars, very powerful now in Scorpio, and Uranus in Taurus in an opposition this past week. The partial lunar eclipse falls in the context of the ongoing square occurring throughout the year between Saturn and Uranus, making its final exact square right before Christmas. All of this cosmic stew is trying to put into action what needs to change in our Aquarian age.

 Mercury in Scorpio is also contributing its voice. Two forms of the Taurus/Scorpio polarity are at play now; one an old style, conservative, stubborn “lizard brain” mentality of being arrogant and fixed in one’s attitudes. Add some Mars in Scorpio to the mix and you see potential aggression. Just think about the recent events we see in Congress: a posted video so appalling in content it shocks our soul to the core. So much of this is about survival, about fighting, about dominance, about claiming what we think is ours. Such power struggles are the low road of Mars, with the intensity of Scorpio energy. The Sun, Mercury and Mars are all in the sign of the scorpion.

Mars

Then there is another manifestation of both Taurus and Scorpio now. One that wishes to transform humanity, Scorpio, and our values, to help save our planet, to make a difference. Some of the recent actions at the Glasgow Climate Change Conference come to mind. A higher state of consciousness, perhaps, where we recognize the connections we all share, our shared humanity, our deep bonds to our mother Earth. To be Earth-centered, to be Taurus. Body-centered, Taurus. To help heal our natural way of being. Not exploitation for pure profit. Haven’t we had enough already?

Ah, time for that bubble bath. Here’s to this Full Moon Eclipse…Many blessings everyone!

Full Moon Eclipse in Sagittarius: Sir Anthony Hopkins and the Wisdom to See Life's Full Journey

Full Moon and Total Lunar Eclipse, Sagittarius 5˚25’, 4:13 am PDT, May 26th, 2021.

“I love life because what more is there?”

— Sir Anthony Hopkins

---

HAPPY FULL MOON IN SAGITTARIUS… happy total lunar eclipse everyone…happening at 4:13 am early morning, May 26th PDT. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the great actor, Sir Anthony Hopkins, in part because I was so moved by his stellar academy award-winning performance in the recent film, The Father. I hope when I reach my Uranus Return, when I am in my early 80s (when Uranus by transit returns to its natal position in the birthchart), like this year for Anthony Hopkins, that I could have the radical and honest wisdom he conveys on the silver screen. I am in awe at how he manages to reveal human frailty, through the process of aging. How interesting that he is also now approaching his Pluto opposition, an event we won’t all get to experience in this lifetime. I hope he does.

This eclipse conjuncts Sir Anthony’s north node of the Moon, at 4˚14’ in his natal chart, 10th house, house of career or public mission. The chart I post is a bi-wheel of Hopkin’s birthchart in the center, and then the current Full Moon eclipse chart in the outer circle. The north node is what our soul strives for in this lifetime, but it can be elusive and difficult to reach. His natal Moon is at 24˚ Sagittarius, 11th house, also conjunct a recent total solar eclipse degree, 23˚ Sagittarius, this past December, 2020. A Sagittarius Moon fills us with desires to reach into new realms of discovery, break into new paradigms. I so admire Anthony Hopkin’s willingness to venture outside of his typical movie roles, and take on such a taboo and difficult subject, like dementia and old age.

In January, 2020, when the film was released, both Saturn and Pluto were together, conjunct, on Anthony’s Capricorn ascendant; he masterfully exposed the realities of loss, decay, and death for all of us to see and to witness. The philosophical and wise spirit of his 11th house natal Sadge Moon seems to me to have touched a collective nerve; aren’t we all feeling more vulnerable now about how our minds function, our sanity, during the mental and emotional challenges of such a strangely unsettling pandemic? Sir Anthony Hopkin’s solar arcs, shown on the next posted bi-wheel chart, feature this year Chiron, the Wounded Healer, at 21˚ Virgo, conjunct his natal Neptune, planet of delusion, also 21˚ Virgo on his 8th house cusp, house of psychologically charged topics, including death and dying. Film, a visionary and Neptunian art, became a critical tool of analysis, Virgo, for Sir Anthony, serving as collective healer of a sensitive and relevant subject, the loss of our sanity, one we all so feel and need to process now.

Solar Arcs in outer circle - Note Chiron conjunct natal Neptune, 8th house cusp

Did Sir Anthony Hopkins address his Sagittarius north node?

Hoping this Full Moon eclipse, wherever it may fall in your birthchart, moves your heart to expand your vision, your Sagittarian horizons. Maybe now is a good lunar time to open to new ways of viewing and processing life’s complex journey, and, who knows, maybe through a little evolutionary astrology…wishing you all the best!

Saraswati: Divine Wisdom, a February New Moon and an Aquarius Stellium

NEW MOON in AQUARIUS, the sign of the water bearer, at 23˚17’, on Thursday, February 11th at 11:05 am PST. Jupiter and Venus form a conjunction at 12˚ Aquarius, along with Saturn, Mercury retrograde, and Pallas Athena, also all in the same air sign.

---

“Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?”

“Dance when you’re perfectly free.”

— Rumi

In India, every year around this time of February, according to the Hindu calendar, people honor Saraswati. Here is the goddess on her chariot, her white swan, in an Indian miniature painting. She is a river goddess, and, a little like Pallas Athena, she embodies Divine wisdom. I am not from India nor do I claim to know much about such a rich and vibrant culture. But, for me, Saraswati seems to embody what we need under this Aquarian New Moon at the moment – with all the planetary energy in the air sign. I thought, well, why not share about her, what she manifests… Learning and wisdom, music, art and speech.

In the kind of astrology I practice, evolutionary astrology, we try to see such moments as an opportunity to grow and expand in consciousness, to find a part of ourselves we need to claim – how to take Saturn’s obstacles, hardships, and challenges, and make them rocket fuel, to make ourselves stronger, under Jupiter, to learn and to gain wisdom. Mercury retrograde, to ponder all of it, and Venus to seek understanding in the dance we do with others.

Ask where do all these transiting planets fall in my natal chart? What part of myself am I wrestling with now, where am I seeking to be free, to be uniquely me, to be the revolutionary genius I was born to be, and where, too, might I feel blockage? Am I fighting from seeing opportunities that are available to me? And that I can manifest for my own personal journey?

It helps to turn to the goddess Saraswati. Try to ask for a little bit of her wisdom – make it my wisdom of the moment. Listen to the cosmic music and dance. Somewhere in our life - look to the house location of Aquarius in your own birth chart - we have to want to try, to take a chance. And when things do fail, take it as a teaching, insight into how we can mature into who we are becoming.

I keep thinking about my friends I know born in early February, 1962, when seven planets came together in Aquarius. The planetary lineup resembled now, in 2021, except that Mars was also in Aquarius that month in ‘62. This year, these folks are going through their second “Saturn Return,” when Saturn returns to the same position in the zodiac the planet was when they were born. Think Saturn in Aquarius in transit now hitting each one, each planet, in their natal stellium. With Saturn, there is some challenge, some hardship, some inevitable limitations. Meanwhile, a door of opportunity for them, Jupiter, is present, too, but they have to step through it. How difficult that must be. To claim a leadership role in your life, to become the elder. In 2021, we have also the current transits of Mars and Uranus in Taurus, in a square to the celestial lineup in Aquarius: To know that maybe you have to leave some things behind to be authentically you. We so often define ourselves around what others need or what others consider is success, even when it really isn’t our legacy, our path…how tough that must be to process now.

Imagine having a Saturn Return with all this energy in Aquarius – air sign of the genius, the humanitarian, the one who breaks free from the status quo. And with Jupiter and Venus together in the sky now, opportunity is there to open our hearts and make the most of our lives together.

Maybe we all need to ask: What path do I truly seek to be authentic? Maybe plant an intention for the New Moon…Wishing everyone the best!

Solar Arcs: A Poet's Voice Becomes a Warrior's Path of Compassion and Justice

“For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it”

— Amanda Gorman

---

Presidential Inauguration, Poet Amanda Gorman reads her poem, January 20th, 2021.

I’ve been thinking about the young poet laureate, Amanda Gorman, and how timely and emotionally moving her poetry is…I especially like the work she has done on the theme of our lives under Covid – the compassion we feel for others at such a lonely and isolating time.

Several people have mentioned her birthchart online, the natal planets, such as Sun and Mercury, that she has in Pisces, her emotional Cancer Moon and her creative, visionary voice (Noon chart, time of birth unknown, degree of Moon unknown). But I was struck by her solar arcs now at play in her evolving sense of self and the strong expression of her will through her words. In evolutionary astrology, we look at solar arcs to get a sense of how the person’s changing core identity is playing out in biographical events. They can be very noticeable in the life.

 Amanda was born when Jupiter, at 7˚, formed a conjunction with the south node of the Moon, 10˚, in Pisces. She brings into this life (Jupiter ruler of south node conjunct south node) an innate wisdom about the Divine connections we all feel, the collective pain, along with joy, of being human, and the subtle and sometimes psychic ways we communicate with one another. Just read her poems…

At this critical stage in her life, in 2021, by solar arc, Amanda’s south node has moved to conjunct her natal Mars at 2˚ Aries, her Jupiter now sits at 0˚ Aries, between her natal Mars and Mercury at 29˚ Pisces. What a powerful expression of both signs! The warrior’s assertion of confidence and strength of the knowledge she is here now in this lifetime to give (south node). A poet’s insight that touches us all to see connection, to feel united, when pandemic and ideological barriers keep us apart.

And all this while Amanda also feels strong transits, in the current sky, with Neptune, planet of spiritual consciousness and creative vision, conjunct her natal Sun; her presence as she speaks stirs the collective heart. Saturn by transit forms a conjunction with her natal Venus and Neptune in Aquarius in early degrees of the sign, where she recently felt the union of Jupiter and Saturn, making real the struggles of separation and fear by rendering passionate poems about Aquarian justice and Neptunian love.

From Amanda Gorman’s poem,  "The Miracle of Morning," about grief under the pandemic,

“While we might feel small, separate, and all alone,
Our people have never been more closely tethered.
The question isn’t if we can weather this unknown,
But how we will weather this unknown together.

Do not ignore the pain. Give it purpose. Use it.” 

Jupiter in Aquarius: Charles Dickens, Scrooge and a Christmas Transit in 1843

““Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!” ”

— Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

---

Jupiter in Aquarius, 5:07 am, PST, December 19th, 2020 - May 13th, 2021, July 29th - December 28th, 2021.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, or happy holidays, to everyone!! Every year I watch ‘A Christmas Carol’, AKA ‘Scrooge,’ one of the many versions, on the night of Christmas Eve. I haven’t decided which one I want to watch tonight…

I was thinking how funny that Jupiter is now in Aquarius this year, just like it was during the months of extensive writing Charles Dickens did the fall of 1843. He published that famous novella that December. It sold out by Christmas Eve that year!

Last year, I shared the amazing story of the astrology at play when Dickens took the chance to work so hard on the book. It speaks a lot about Saturn and Jupiter. Given the planets are together now in the sky, I can’t help but ask, how can one best work with them in terms of evolutionary astrology, for personal growth and change in the New Year? I thought I’d post the story again:

Between October and December in 1843, when Dickens produced ‘A Christmas Carol,’ he threw himself into an intensive writing period of several weeks. Saturn happened to be in the sign Capricorn (like the planet was this past fall, 2020). During the 6-week period, the planet formed an exact conjunction with Charles Dickens’ natal Mercury on his 5th House cusp, house of creative expression, Mercury the writer. Faster moving Mars came through as well by conjunction, helping Dickens to focus his will and put into action creatively his ideas about moral and social reform, the higher octave of Capricorn.

Charles Dickens’ birthchart, A-rated

Charles Dickens

When the book sold the days before Christmas that same year, Venus by transit joined Saturn in the sky, again meeting Dicken’s natal Mercury. Jupiter and Neptune in Aquarius were also exactly in conjunction with his natal Sun, also in his 5th House, during November – the visionary writer as teacher of social justice and change.

It wasn’t an easy time for Dickens (Saturn conjunct his natal Mercury, Pluto in Aries by transit in an exact square) and he didn’t make much money despite the book’s popularity – he actually got into a legal scuffle over it - but in the long run…what a gift.

Set for noon. Note: This chart comes at the end of weeks of writing by Dickens and some of the transits mentioned above had passed.

Most cool I think is that Neptune seems to have this impact of moving the larger collective. And there the planet was sitting on his natal Sun, his solar self. When we consider the nodes of the Moon, we see a karmic pattern, like something needed to be said. The south node in the sky in the fall of 1843 exactly aligned by conjunction Dickens’ Jupiter in Gemini in his 10th House.

I often think about what a collective impact that story had and how its legacy is so enduring. Good ol’ Ebenezer Scrooge and his encounter with the three ghosts; everyone knows the story. Maybe now is the time for all of us to take such a chance, create a collective Aquarian change for the common good.  

This coming year, in 2021, Jupiter, with its 12-year orbit, will spend about one year, off and on, in the sign. In May, the planet briefly enters Pisces, returning under retrograde motion to Aquarius by the end of July, finally leaving Aquarius all together the end of December, 2021. Most people are a little familiar with the concept of retrograde motion, when a planet appears to move backward in the sky (most widely known today by the popularity, or lack thereof, of Mercury retrograde).

Because of this phenomenon, some people will experience the Jupiter transit through Aquarius impacting key areas of their chart more than once, and possibly more deeply, and with more opportunity to learn, through the transit later this coming year. Check to see where late degrees of the sign Aquarius, 22˚ and after, fall in your birthchart.

Those born under the sign Aquarius in late January and the start of February, or those who have planets in early or the middle of Aquarius, need to take advantage of this January, because it is one shot deal. Jupiter will have a strong punch for a brief period then and move on after. This is made especially so, because of Saturn present close by in Aquarius, and the planets will form a square to Uranus in Taurus, Saturn by February.

Saturn and Jupiter as seen through the Hubble Telescope, December, 2020

Some may want to check their own birthchart and be like Dickens next month. Dive in, do it, have faith and try hard. With the right intention, what do you have to lose? Effort can be a struggle, but always worth a try… 

Wishing the best for everyone in 2021 and many blessings for Jupiter’s passage through Aquarius!

December's Total Solar Eclipse: Reach for the Stars, Open Your Heart

HAPPY NEW MOON to you! A Total Solar ECLIPSE IN SAGITTARIUS, at 23˚08’, on Monday, December 14th, at 8:16 am PST.

---

The Maya have a glyph they use to represent “divination” – the practice of trying to see God and God’s works. It looks like a hand clutching a fish. If you think about it, it works pretty well. One can’t quite grasp “God” (with a capital “G”) like a slippery fish; the more your claim you have God in your understanding, the more God slips away.

Mayan glyph for “eclipse,” note serpent swallowing the Sun

The sign Sagittarius is like that. If you freeze your mind, close your fist and your heart, in your self-righteousness and arrogance, you’ll only feel a little bit of that fish and it will escape you. You’ll limit your world and what your soul can do. But if you cradle that fish, and let it breathe, you can reach into higher realms of understanding. You can seek adventure and find what lies beyond. Expand into Divination with a capital “D”. Or at least experience life in a fuller, more multifaceted way.

Now Sagittarius doesn’t always signify the desire to seek higher knowledge, wisdom and God. And the sign Pisces may more adequately reflect mystical arts, such as divination. There’s a wonderfully exuberant, festive, fun-loving and fiery side of Sagittarius, too. Jupiter, of course, rules the sign! But being held up in your own overly confident ego, attitudes and beliefs, refusing to accept alternative possibilities, is like clutching the fish to hard.

Take Donald Trump, born on a lunar eclipse, his Moon at 21˚ Sagittarius. The current total solar eclipse is conjunct the out-going President’s natal Moon, within two degrees. Most folks know about the ancient Mesopotamian use of the eclipse as a sign of “the fall of a king.” Donald, do us all a favor and let go of the fish.

IMHO, to seize opportunity, to embody the centaur archer’s faith, you need to have more than a fiery gumption; you need flexibility of spirit, mind and heart.

Look to see where this New Moon eclipse falls in your own birthchart. Here you might see a hand and a fish. Have wisdom enough to soften your hand, have confidence in what you can do, but also open your heart and your mind, and try to see things differently. Shoot an arrow to the stars, learn a new dance, experience a different way of being, and try to see a little further.

A total solar eclipse is most noticeable as a time of growth and change when it hits a key degree or location in your birthchart. Watch roughly six months before and six months after. 

Wishing you the best!

Chiron Wound, Chiron the Healer: Some Thoughts on the First Presidential Debate

How can we help?

---

Presidential Debate, September 29th, 2020

I was talking with a good friend – a fellow evolutionary astrologer – last night, following the previous night’s nightmare Presidential debate. I mentioned in passing the popular Hollywood film, “The King’s Speech”, when commenting upon Joe Biden’s obvious frustration over the obstacles to getting his words out on stage. King George VI, “Bertie,” you may recall, had a very difficult time working through an awful stutter, what in his birthchart is reflected, in part, by a Sagittarius 2nd house Mercury opposing his Neptune in Gemini, 8th.

King George VI

Now comparing the two charts of King George VI and Joe Biden is like comparing APPLES and ORANGES. The two men are VERY different and I have no intention of listing all the details of their respective birthcharts.

But, hear me out…there may just be something worth keeping in mind, and also perhaps of practical use, to what I wish to share here.

You see both men have planets in a square (90˚ aspect) to the nodes of the Moon and both involve the planet Mercury, communication and speech among other things. The south node brings us information about what a soul is bringing into this lifetime and what they are wrestling with, behaviors they tend to repeat, and ones they need to recognize and hopefully move beyond. The north node is the remedy; how we work to heal the past.

With King George’s south node in Virgo, its ruler is Mercury, while his Mars is in a tight square to his nodes, both planets in Sagittarius, 2nd house, suggesting Bertie felt trapped by his own words (square by south node ruler), causing him difficult blockage and a loss of self-confidence (2nd house) in fighting and presenting his views (Mars). King George’s chart has Jupiter, north node co-ruler, in Leo near the midheaven, the most public part of his chart; despite these challenges, he had the potential in this lifetime to shine as “King”, his soul’s intention was also to let go and heal his most inner self (his north node is in Pisces, 4th house, Neptune 8th).

Nodes of the Moon

Now VP Biden, on the other hand, has north node, what he is trying to reach in this lifetime, in Leo, ruled by the Sun, in his 9th house, with Chiron, the “wounded healer,” conjunct at 28˚ 53’ Leo. He’s here to heal his ability to take the stage in presenting his views and changing the current cultural and societal paradigms (9th h) we are facing now as a nation. In order to heal, he must grapple with his Scorpio, 12th house Sun along with Mercury, in a loose square to his nodes, Sun and Venus in a tight square. He is up against, in many ways, his own abilities to speak about the dark realities we so need to transform and face as we “rebirth” our country. These are Scorpionic truths of manmade destruction of our climate and planet, our need for radical lifestyle changes, along with fighting racism and white supremacy. For some, these are taboo, painful subjects, ones deeply embedded in the shadow work of America.

I don’t mean for this to be a political post. Obviously, in the case of the debate, the lack of any respect for rules or proper protocol on the part of the current President was the main issue. But I did notice that Joe stuttered at one point on stage. Then the day after, I heard him stutter again during a campaign speech.

“Vote!” That was the key point VP Joe Biden managed to deliver. Yes, let’s hope we all do. But maybe, too, just maybe, we need to help Joe be heard, to be that wounded healer – How can we give him a better voice?

October: So Much to Take On, To Process, We Need of a Little Peace and Calm

---

“One does not become enlightened by imaging figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious”

— Carl Jung

“You know it’s gonna get stranger...so let’s get on with the show ”

— John Barlow and Bob Weir

This is my first day back to the writing desk since the terrible CZU fire hit our local community and forest. I wish, with all my heart, that everyone receives the grace and hope they need to face the ongoing challenges, and to have the strength and optimism to rebuild anew in this trying time!

October begins with a Harvest Full Moon in Aries, 9˚08’at 2:05 PM, on the 1st. Most notable is the conjunction the Moon makes with Chiron, the “wounded healer,” at 7˚04’ Aries, retrograde. Chiron, a minor planet, also called a ‘centaur object,’ orbits between Saturn and Uranus, occasionally moving inside Saturn's orbit and at other times getting a little farther out in space than where Uranus lies when the planet is as close to the Sun as it can get. Now with Chiron in Aries, we are collectively wrestling with who we are authentically and how do we define our individual rights and roles within the larger collective, a larger humanity attempting to shift in consciousness.

Most, I believe, want to build a better sustainable culture and save our planet. With Chiron now located close to Uranus and away from conservative, patriarchal Saturn, we have a chance to finally heal and create revolution.

Chiron by transit (moving in the current sky) is in early Aries throughout 2020, and when combined, as in this case, with a Full Moon, we are asked to bring to fruition some self-awareness of where we need to take the initiative, assert our own power and claim our own needs. Most importantly, we need to have courage, be willing to take a risk and be the warrior. Look to see where roughly 5˚ to 11˚ Aries falls in your birthchart.

Meanwhile, Venus moves into Virgo beginning on the afternoon of October 2nd . Key is not to be too overly critical of ourselves, as well as our relationships with others and the part we play in those relationships. We may continually raise the bar to perfect our work to ever higher standards. Building upon the New Moon in Virgo back in mid-September, now is the time to push ourselves with our partners to make our projects and dreams solid and real.

Mars continues to move retrograde in late Aries, conjunct Eris, planet of discord, at 24˚. Mars is in a tight square again to Saturn and Pluto, loosely to Jupiter. This square follows an initial square, made back in the third week of August, to Saturn, when Mars was moving direct. We all remember how difficult late August was.  The planet has been in orb (close in degree) from mid-August and this lasts through mid- October, so we face a rough time in general, with tension and conflict in the air.

On October 9th, retrograde Mars in Aries will form an exact square to Pluto in Capricorn (second exact square of three – first was mid-August, last will be in late December, 2020). When the Sun opposes Mars, October 13th, the planet will also be closest to the Earth and fun to find in the night sky as Mars will appear big, bright and red.

The fiery red planet represents our will, our abilities to take action and to protect and fight. In Aries, it is a call for us to have courage, assert our rights and make sure our needs are respected and heard. Mars won’t go direct until November 13th, after the Presidential election.

This is also a powerful time to reflect upon the subconscious ways we behave. These ways may become more visible, bubble to surface of our consciousness and offer us insight. On a personal level, we need patience. Power struggles or frustration may be the result of what we are trying to bring up – can I say bodily expel? - in order to face the shadow, let go and move on.

Why is it we react the way we do? What really is behind the anger, the resentment, the fear? And what about the principles we hold true? Are they more about the expectations we have, our childhood or karmic wounds, or are they truly worth a fight?

October 13th, Mercury stations and turns retrograde at 11˚40’ Scorpio at 6:04 PM PDT, moving retrograde until November 3rd. More of the same Scorpionic themes of what needs to be dredged up, processed and purged will involve turning inward and reflecting upon our darkest shadows.

October 16th is a New Moon in Libra, 12:31 PM  23˚54’, just a few hours after the Moon first opposes Mars, then squares Pluto. Just after the New Moon, the Moon forms a square to Saturn. Mid-month is a perfect time to reassess how we bring beauty, art, music, pleasure and balance into our lives as we restructure our almost post-Covid reality. What relationships bring me calm, relaxation and the peace of mind I need?

In orb throughout October, Jupiter in Capricorn forms a sextile to Neptune, retrograde, in Pisces, 18˚45’exact very early morning on October 12th. This sextile is a time to reimagine where we might go, how to make a new beginning. A rare moment to dream and seek a vision!

Jupiter in a sextile to Neptune. Time to Dream.

By month’s end, early evening of October 27th, Mercury, still retrograde, and Venus both enter Libra, again stressing the harmony and peace we desire at the New Moon. Then, on the weekend of El Dia de Los Muertos, on Halloween itself, another Full Moon, early morning, 7:49 am in Taurus 8˚38’, will tightly conjunct Uranus. There may be some sudden upsets in what we thought we were building, what we thought we held dear! Expect yet another upheaval. Perhaps best to see this time as a reconnection to what we really need to feel secure, stable, and at peace with ourselves and our world.

Wishing everyone a GREAT Halloween!

Halloween Full Moon in Taurus conjunct Uranus

Summer Solstice Eclipse: New Moon in Cancer

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life...You were only waiting for this moment to arise.”

— Paul McCartney

---

Summer Solstice, 2:44 PM PDT, Sun and Moon at 0˚21’ Cancer, Saturn at 0˚40’ Aquarius, Mars at 25˚49’ Pisces, Pluto, 24˚19’, and Jupiter, 25˚07, conjunct in Capricorn, 11:41 PM PDT, June 20th.

HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE and New Moon eclipse everyone! Sun enters the sign of Cancer, June 20th, 2:44 PM PDT. Solstice is followed by an annular “ring of fire” eclipse that night, 11:41 PM. At 0˚21’ Cancer, the New Moon is asking what beginning do I see for myself that is nurturing and healing not only for me, but for my clan, my tribe, as summertime begins – a yummy meal in restaurant I love, a time of bonding with my family and friends, all while our collective voices call out for social justice and implementing REAL systemic change.

The Sun and Moon conjunction form a tight quincunx - 150˚ aspect – of creative tension with the reality check of task-master Saturn at 0˚40’ Aquarius. Saturn is retrograde and will reenter Capricorn soon for most of the remaining year. In fact, Jupiter and Saturn will be conjunct at the same 0˚ Aquarius in December, so what we are processing under retrograde planets at summer solstice will return.

But we all feel like we are at a threshold NOW, a taste of what is to come…learning how to be in a new world. The quincunx with Saturn in the air sign Aquarius, is helping us process these radical ways of being, new ways of relating, since the 2020 pandemic began. Activism of Black Lives Matter awakens in all of us a spirit of universal Aquarian love, duty and justice!

I love that this eclipse falls at 0˚ Cancer. It is like the cosmos is asking us how do we balance and honor the Cancerian needs of our home and hearth, our inner most sanctum, our own place within, while recognizing Saturn’s delays, frustrations, limitations and pure hard work in what feels like we are birthing anew. As always, it is critical to consider where in your birthchart early degrees of Cancer and Aquarius fall. Mercury now retrograde in Cancer underscores a time for reflection.

Meanwhile Mars, at 25˚49’ Pisces, is still in a waning sextile with Pluto, 24˚19’, and Jupiter, 25˚07 Capricorn, saying we CAN create a vision that will empower collective change. We can all be active players in building a just and compassionate new world – look to see where in your birthchart late Capricorn falls.

Wishing everyone a great Solstice eclipse and New Moon!

Full Moon in Sagittarius Square Mars in Pisces: "Divine Dissatisfaction" Walking in Light!

“Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

---

Full Moon in Sagittarius, 15˚34’, at 12:12 PM PDT, on June 5th, penumbral lunar eclipse. Sun, at 15˚34’, and Venus, 12˚18’retrograde, conjunct in Gemini, Mars in an exact square, at 15˚52’ Pisces. Mars conjunct Neptune in Pisces, at 20˚53’, on June 13th, 7:13 am. Mercury, out of bounds, at 9˚05’ Cancer, on June 5th, then turns retrograde mid-June at 14˚ Cancer.

I was struggling back on Memorial Day to express, in words, what I saw in the upcoming sky under the June Full Moon. Memorial Day, the day we remember the people who lost their lives for our country, for our “way of life.” The day ended, as you all know, with the news of the tragic murder of George Floyd, a 46-year old black man, at the knee of the white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin.

The late, great civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr, used the phrase “Divine dissatisfaction” to describe ways in which we can address systemic racism and poverty, the social diseases of America, in his famous speech in 1967, ‘Where do we go from here?” In the speech, King declared,” Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.” With a natal Moon in Pisces in a square with his Gemini Mars in his birthchart, MLK took the personal power and initiative inherent in that square and put into action Gemini words and wisdom, a respect for black and brown, white and yellow – for all people – with the sensitivity, compassion and spiritual consciousness of a Pisces lunar soul.

We have a different square now in our current sky; one that equally challenges us.

We all know change has to happen in the spirit of non-violent activism. How can I be an ally in support of people of color and social justice, while doing what I can to keep my community safe and sane? 

You see I tend to see astrology as instructive, rather than predictive. The primary idea behind evolutionary astrology is that we can take the current moment, consider the position of the planets and the relationships between them, and try to grasp a higher potential – the best path forward – the sky offers us now.

Full Moon, June 5th, 12:12 PM PDT, Santa Cruz, Ca.

But try as I did, the Full Moon in early June looked ominous to me back on Memorial Day, back before the streets across America exploded. Both Full Moon and Sun form a tight square, 90˚, to the planet, Mars, at 15˚52’ Pisces. The Moon is in Sagittarius, 15˚34’, at 12:12 PM PDT, on June 5th; it is a penumbral lunar eclipse. Sun, at 15˚34’, and Venus, 12˚18’retrograde, conjunct in Gemini, follow the Venus Star point, the exact inferior conjunction June 3rd. The square between Sun and Mars began the last few days of May and will last until mid-June. The Full Moon triggers it at its strongest point.

The Moon in Sagittarius is a time of fiery passion and enthusiasm, whether fighting for justice in the streets or seeking a new adventure. We may desire travel and the joy of social interaction, with the need to see friends, and to experience all life grants us, especially now in springtime. A Gemini Sun and Venus wants to embrace life’s diversity, to have a curious mind open to all kinds of perspectives, to revel in the complexity of the human spirit.

So, I knew early June would be a time of letting down our guard, dropping our masks, and letting go, as Mars in Pisces allows us to do, losing our boundaries and freeing ourselves from shelter in place.

All this after the weeks of isolation and care we have taken. What can I say…it did look ominous!

The planet Neptune is a little further along in Pisces, at 20˚53’. Mars will conjunct exactly Neptune the following week on Saturday, June 13th, 7:13 am. Neptune can help manifest the highest of spiritual consciousness and self-sacrifice, but the planet is also eager to delude us, make us wish to escape and to perhaps seek solace in too much wine, too much pleasure, too much feasting in springtime bliss! Neptune and Mars in Pisces can also move us individually to join the masses in protest, to sweep us along and encourage us to let go of Covid-19 precautions with the collective wave for social change.

Neptune can sweep us under

During both weekends, the cosmic chemistry underscores the need to take the higher road of a Pisces Mars – act with caution, with compassion, not delusion. As King wrote, to walk in a spirit of light. What a relief to see many protestors wearing masks! It is important to keep in mind Neptune in Pisces is associated with the spread of disease and epidemics. Mars may trigger this now.

But I must say Mercury in Cancer gives me some hope too. Considered “out of bounds,” at extreme declination, Mercury is operating beyond the scope of the Sun, and can awaken in us radical new ways of relating and engaging the other; one that is emotional and protective. Think of the Cancer crab seeking protection in her shell or scurrying into her hole in the sand, finding comfort and safety in her nest, her home. By mid-June, no longer out of bounds, the trickster of communication and our guide to bringing in new perceptions, new ideas, will turn retrograde, at 14˚ Cancer.

Cancer, sign of the Moon, defends the vulnerable and feels the need to care for those close and in need. Following an out-of-bounds period of Mercury and retrograde in mid-June, how conducive a time to “think outside the box” in how we respond and care for those we love and how best to protect our community, our clan.

Despite all the tension, all the mayhem and uncertainty, we are in a season of rebirth. And it is such a fragile one. Most importantly, now is the time to reimagine our world and our part in it. All this while maintaining caution, finding connection despite isolation, and recognizing new spikes in the Covid-19 pandemic are likely. Whether in casual meetups with a few friends or in the streets marching for justice, the sky says - please, please - play it safe.

“Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.”  

Wishing you the best Full Moon.