The Aries full moon will be exact in the morning hours of October 17th, but we are already feeling it, and it will be especially potent tomorrow, October 16th. This moon is forming squares with Mars, the planet of action and aggression, and Pluto, the planet associated with power and compulsion. And when it’s in Aries, the moon is ruled by Mars, so the Martian energy is extra heavy.
What does this mean? Intensity! Even though this moon marks the end of eclipse season, this will still be intensely felt and give off eclipse-type vibes. Aries has many great qualities (leadership, pioneering, joie de vivre, spontaneity), but it is not known for restraint. You may already feel more punchy than normal. Have you had trouble sleeping? I woke up at 3:30am last night and didn’t fall back asleep until 5ish, and the whole time I was awake I was agitated. If you have sleep issues regularly or if you find yourself easily influenced by the moon cycles, tonight and tomorrow night you should try to wind down early and do whatever you can do to help you rest.
The Aries moon is opposite the sun in Libra. Mars is in Cancer, and Pluto is at the very last degree of Capricorn. These four planets are forming a grand cross in the four signs known as the cardinal signs. Cardinal signs are the initiating signs of the zodiac. Each one ushers in a new season and represents beginnings.
She’s startin’.
Dorinda, like yours truly, has an Aries moon. People with Aries moons can be impulsive, can be eruptive when pushed, and have an emotional need to be #1. Of course, the entire birth chart of a person influences how they react and respond to conflict, but Dorinda’s iconic explosiveness is a pretty good representation of the potential intensity of an Aries moon. Can’t wait to see her on Traitors!
Full moons are about culminations and releases, so you may find yourself with the impulse to release some pent up anger or resentment this week. This is especially possible because of the friction with Mars and Pluto. At the same time, Venus, the planet of diplomacy and relationships, is in a tense opposition to Uranus, the planet of disruption, which unfortunately doesn’t make things easier. This is divorce energy.
It’ll be tough, but whenever you can over the next few days, try to ground yourself. If you can feel yourself boiling into a rage, take a couple steps back. Walk away from your laptop. Put your phone on the charger and leave the room. Take a walk if you feel yourself about to throw your plate across the dinner table.
You’ll feel this more acutely if you have any personal planets or luminaries (the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, or Mars) or angles (ascendant/rising, descendant, midheaven, or IC) at or around 24 degrees of any of the cardinal signs mentioned above. And if you ever want a complex look at how the transits could affect you based on your birth chart, book a reading with me!
As we go into Scorpio season, things won’t be less intense, but the mood will be a little less fiery, which I’m looking forward to. More on that in a couple weeks.
Since April 2023, we have been experiencing eclipses on the Aries–Libra axis, meaning that other than some residual eclipses in Taurus and Scorpio, the eclipses that have occurred during the past year and change have been in either Aries or Libra.
Now, on September 17th, we have a full moon in Pisces, which will also mark the first eclipse of the next cycle, on the Virgo-Pisces axis. A lunar eclipse is like an especially intense full moon. Be prepared for big emotional releases, and especially with it being Pisces, the most watery of the water signs, we may all be feeling extra sensitive and intuitive, with moodiness, crying jags, and circumvented boundaries abounding.
This eclipse in Pisces on the 17th will then be answered by a solar eclipse two weeks later, but that one will be back in Libra, so it will represent a continuation of the Aries-Libra stories that have been playing out for the past year and a half.
During the interim between eclipses, time blurs a little bit. To borrow evocative words from one of my very favorite writers of all time, Cookie Mueller, a Pisces queen herself, it’s like “walking through clear water in a pool painted black.”
In a semi-awake liminal dream state a couple nights ago, I had what I thought at the time was a crystalline, piercing realization: that the interim between eclipses is kind of like when Evie used to touch her fingers together and stop time in late 80s sitcom Out of this World. Do people remember that show? Another syndicated sitcom, Small Wonder, still gets some nostalgic online chatter every now and then for it’s true WTFness, as a show about a programmable robot daughter should. But Out of this World, which focused on a teenage girl who was half alien, had special powers, and who communicated with her alien father through a very 80s looking glass cube, doesn’t get remembered enough. The theme song was also a true banger.
Anyway, time doesn’t really stop between eclipses, but it can feel a little untethered to our usual reality. It’s a time where things happen to us, instead of us making things happen. It feels a little like the liminal half-awake dream state in which one taps into some dark recess of their brain and conjures thoughts of a long forgotten sitcom about being half-alien, as if it’s an epiphany. And with eclipses as harbingers of major beginnings and endings, we often come out of eclipse time feeling like, what the hell just happened?
How impactful an individual eclipse is on your own life largely depends on where it falls in your natal chart in relation to your planetary placements. So, if you have a personal planet (sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, or Mars) or angle (ascendant, descendant, midheaven, or IC), at or near 25/26 degrees of Pisces, Virgo, Gemini, or Sagittarius (the mutable signs), this week could be an especially be an eventful time for you. For those without one of the eclipses of a particular axis hitting something in their natal charts directly, the events tied to that eclipse cycle are usually slow burns.
This week you’ll start to see the seeds of the stories that will flower between now and February 2027. This will be the first eclipse in Pisces since 2017. If you think back to the period from March 2015 to March 2017 and recall the transitions and changes that occurred in your life during that time, you may get a preview of the themes to come. Read below for your rising sign to learn more about how the eclipses in Pisces & Virgo may show up for you over the next few years.
Pisces & Virgo risings: The eclipses occurring in Pisces and Virgo are in the parts of your chart that deal with the self and partnership. It’s about the balance between “me” and “us.” You may, over the course of the next few years, experience some profound changes that inform how you think about yourself or that cause you to grow up or evolve in a major way. It could be a change in your partnership status, whether that’s beginning a relationship with someone new or ending an existing relationship. Or it could be that some major happens in your partner’s life. And it’s not just about romantic relationships either; it can also be about best friendships, creative partnerships, or any kind of committed, two-person pairing.
Aries & Libra risings: Your health, both physical and mental, could be affected during this eclipse cycle. As an example, the most recent eclipses in these parts of my chart coincided with my decision to take concrete steps (through modern medicine) to improve my mental health after some intense bouts of anxiety. These zodiacal houses also represent work and labor, pets, and solitude, so it’s possible that you’ll see new beginnings and endings with regard to one of these areas of your life. Do you adopt a dog or cat that lifts you out of a depression? Very possible!
Taurus & Scorpio risings: These eclipses will be taking place across the areas of your chart that are associated with creativity, pleasure, and children, and friendships, social groups, and community. It can represent a push and pull between self-indulgent pursuits and focus on the collective. There may be changes in your life in one of these areas that lead to adjustments or complement the other. Maybe your desire to tap into your creative yearnings lead you to join an artist’s collective. Maybe you sacrifice your more leisurely free time pursuits to take on more responsibility in a community group. Maybe you have a child and find yourself withdrawing from one social circle and participating more heavily in another, parent-focused circle. These are just a few different ways eclipses in your 5th and 11th houses could manifest.
Gemini & Sagittarius risings: Changes in your home life, your family, or stories about your ancestry may unfold during these eclipses, counterbalanced by developments in your career or public facing life. This could mean that over the next couple years, there are needs in your family that take precedence, and your career focus shifts accordingly. Or it could be that due to a change in your career, your living situation evolves; maybe you move to pursue a job opportunity, or a new job allows you to upgrade your housing. From my own personal life, I’ve been experiencing the Aries-Libra eclipses in this part of my chart, and I’ve learned a lot about how to leverage my career to allow me the flexibility I need to spend more time with family that lives far away, and I’ve also been much more transient during this period, giving me a new way of thinking about the concept of “home.”
Cancer & Capricorn risings: This cycle will occur in your 3rd and 9th houses. Each house encompasses a few different areas of life, so there are a bunch of possibilities of how the beginnings and endings accompanying these eclipses could play out. The 3rd house signifies communication, your daily life, your neighborhood and neighbors, domestic travel, siblings, and education. The 9th is about higher ed, teaching, learning, philosophy, spirituality, religion, and long distance travel and journeys. So there’s a whole host of areas you could see evolution in during this cycle. Boiling it down simply, I think of this axis about the local and the global, so you may see endings in one area due to new beginnings or shifted focus in the other.
Leo & Aquarius risings: Financial changes could be afoot, either in the way you earn your living or the amount of income you are earning. It could also mean changes to a partner’s livelihood and/or earnings. Most of the significations of the 2nd and 8th houses have to do with finances, either our own or the way others’ finances affect us, via shared resources, debts, or inheritances. However, the eclipses could instead coincide with new perspectives on that which you value, which could come from confronting the inherited traumas or baggage that you carry.
These eclipse readings are based on my interpretation of the astrological significations of eclipses and the various houses of the zodiac, so as always, take them with a grain of salt. Astrology isn’t fortune telling. But it’s exciting to think about the changes that could come with this new set of eclipses. I hope the new eclipse cycle brings the best for those of you reading!
We’ve had kind of a break since the wild ride of mid-July. The Mercury retrograde we’re currently experiencing seems pretty mild compared with the astrology of last month. But now, we’re gearing up for some more interesting transits next week, and it looks like things are going to get turbulent again.
On Wednesday, August 14th, Mars, which is now in buzzy Gemini, is going to align with Jupiter, forming a conjunction. On its own, a Mars-Jupiter conjunction could signify an expansion (Jupiter) of aggression and assertiveness (Mars). Mars is also about passion, and with it and Jupiter both in Gemini, you could be feeling the urge to vision board and make grandiose plans. You may send rambling texts to your friends with big ideas for the future. It’s cocaine energy. Mars and Jupiter are about dreaming big, but not so much about the details. And in the news, we may see some big protests and/or some large-scale threats of violence.
With both Mars and Jupiter approaching squares (tense aspects) with Saturn in the days following their conjunction, there’s going to be conflict between the big, passionate, grandiose visions and movements and the harshness of reality. Saturn puts a damper on all that. It asks how you’re actually going to accomplish those pipe dreams of yours. I have both a Saturn-ruled sun and Mercury in my chart, and I feel like so much of my job is pressing my colleagues on how they are actually going to achieve those things that they are planning. I often ask, “OK, but what can you realistically do in this timeframe?” Saturn says no, which can be really frustrating, but sometimes we need the reality check!
The Mars-Saturn square will be exact on August 15th and the Jupiter-Saturn square is exact on August 19th. In the news, this coincides with the weekend leading up to and the beginning of the DNC. There’s been both astrological and non-astrological focus on how 2024 has paralleled 1968 in so many ways. The Astrology Podcast, the gold-standard of, well, astrology podcasts, had a really great breakdown of this in its August forecast episode. In the U.S., we’ve had student protests, an incumbent choosing not to run for re-election, an assassination attempt, RFK, this time Jr., and a planned DNC in Chicago of all places. Does that mean that the 2024 DNC is going to be the kind of chaotic shitshow that 1968’s was? TBD. But with the Mars-Jupiter-Saturn configuration, I could definitely see some large scale protests and demonstrative actions that are harshly suppressed by law enforcement.
Speaking of the sixties, I really love Mad Men. I want to go back and rewatch season 6, which felt super disjointed, but the point of the dissonant tone of that season was to show just how insane 1968 felt to those living it. There was a whole episode on the MLK assassination, and then in a subsequent episode, the RFK assassination appears merely as a last-couple-minute coda, as if to say, another one…when will this end? Megan weeping quietly on the bed, listening to the morning news, as Don numbly gets ready for work….how much of this year has felt that way? Then the credits roll to Friend & Lover’s bubbly “Reach Out in the Darkness”. The mindfuckery we’re experiencing now isn’t totally unprecedented, but that doesn’t make it less exhausting and anxiety producing.
One last potential manifestation of this transit: with both Mars and Jupiter in air sign Gemini and Saturn in Pisces, the most watery of the water signs, there’s big hurricane energy (i.e., big fierce wind up against water). Not a surprising parallel given this summer’s active hurricane season.
And the Mars-Jupiter-Saturn of it all is just one strand of the astrology of this upcoming week.
On August 18th, there’s a Mercury-Uranus square, so another tense aspect, this one between the messenger planet of communication and technology and the planet of disruptions and surprises. This is another transit that drums up anxiety. Our thinking during these few days may be less rational than usual. Just take a beat before acting on any quick thoughts or impulses you may have. This is also the second time we’ve had this transit because Mercury is retrograde now; the same configuration also occurred on July 21st and will happen again on September 6th & 7th. So if you think back to what stories occurred on July 21st, both personally and in the zeitgeist, there may be some revisions to narratives or further developments, with the conclusions coming in September.
And finally, on August 19th, there is a full moon in Aquarius at 27 degrees, opposite the sun in Leo, which is also aligned with Mercury. The moon and sun sidle up to that Mercury-Uranus configuration.
Whew. This is a very interesting full moon, compounding the energies described above. There are just a lot of things that are going to culminate, and the full moon, in the sign associated with innovation and the collective, is going to shed some light on our own roles in shaping our collective future. Leo is very much about ego, but the moon in Aquarius balancing it out encourages us to think less about the “me” and more about the “we.” What can we do for the betterment of our communities, for all? Reach out in the darkness, indeed.
Of course, take this all with a grain of salt. Manifestations of these themes may be big and loud, but they could be small and quiet, too. Ground yourself and don’t freak out–we have a long way to go.
The astrology of July was mostly smooth, except for one major transit, and that one major transit has pretty much just blown everything up. I’m talking about the Mars-Uranus conjunction that was exact on Monday, July 15th.
What a doozy, huh?
I had drafted a post that I ultimately didn’t publish, but the gist was this: Mars, the planet of action and aggression, was going to be aligned with Uranus, the planet of disruption and upheaval, and that was occurring in Taurus in alignment with a particular star (Algol) that is associated with beheaded Medusa and referred to as the “demon star.” So on the world stage, the news was likely going to be wild and tumultuous at best, violent and scary at worst. And on a personal level, some of us may feel particularly anxious, paranoid, and under threat.
I was definitely feeling the vibes of the Mars-Uranus conjunction a few days leading up to it and a few days after. The crackling energy has been palpable everywhere. As far back as last Friday, the 12th, it felt like tempers were short and people, men especially, were acting out. I mean, obviously. Besides the T***p rally, which was a very literal manifestation of the Mars-Uranus-Algol combination (he almost actually lost his head), there was also the scary, chaotic situation at the Copa America final.
Mercury is approaching a square to Uranus, meaning that on top of the Mars-Uranus effects, there are also communication disruptions. Cue Friday’s global technology outage. And Mercury is in fire sign Leo to boot, making our interpersonal communications more self-focused and more incendiary.
On the morning of Sunday, July 21st, there’s a full blue moon in Capricorn. A blue moon occurs when there’s a second full moon in the same sign within the month. The Capricorn full moon a few weeks ago was at 1 degree, and now we will get the second, this time at the last degree of Capricorn. In whatever story has been unfolding in your life since June 21st, the other shoe is now dropping. This full moon is conjunct Pluto, which signifies intensity and hidden things. Secrets will be illuminated, and there will likely be some high-profile denouements.
The full moon is also in a helpful relationship with Mars, so on a personal level, it’s a good time for taking actions to let go of unhealthy and unwelcome compulsions and to take a break from anything that’s been driving you crazy. If you are curious to know what topics this may touch on in your own life, look for 29 degrees of Capricorn in your birth chart and see what house it falls into and whether you have any personal planets (sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars) or sensitive angles (ascendant, MC, IC, or descendant) at or close to 29 degrees of a cardinal sign (Capricorn, Cancer, Aries, Libra).
There are more intense moments to come in a few weeks. Mars and Jupiter come together, signifying the expansion of action, on August 14th. On August 15th/16th, Mars makes a tense aspect with Saturn; then on August 19th, Jupiter follows and makes the same tense aspect with Saturn, and we have a full moon in Aquarius (which is answering to Saturn). Saturn is like a stop sign. It represents structure and order, so it looks like we can expect to see conflict between proliferations of assertiveness and heightened emotions, and structures and systems.
Between the events this week and mid-August, Mercury goes into Virgo on July 25th. We don’t get much downtime, but look at this period as a little bit of a break. While in Virgo, Mercury will station and then go retrograde overnight on August 5th/6th. It gets to 4 degrees of Virgo before it starts to go back.
Virgo is an earth sign that is associated with pragmatism, discernment, and efficiency. Mercury retrograde is treated with fear and dread in the zeitgeist, but when Mercury goes retrograde, it’s a chance to reflect, reassess, and reconsider.
Last week, I attended an excellent webinar from Kepler College on the Solar Return of the United States, and the astrologer who presented, Dorothy Oja, pointed out that Mercury’s transit through practical, critical Virgo marks an auspicious time to reflect because this transit will aspect the moon (in Gemini) and Neptune (in Pisces) in the U.S.’s solar return chart. She referred to it as an “antidote to confusion,” which I loved. And while it’s particularly useful in that context, I think it’s also useful for us on a personal level as well. Our anxiety and emotions may be clouding our perspective, but Mercury going into Virgo and then the Mercury retrograde offer us the chance to re-see things in the world, in politics, and in our own lives, with more discernment and ultimately clarity.
There’s so much to unpack right now. We’re living through truly wild times, so we have to look for opportunities for calm reflection. More to come as we gear up for the August planetary alignments…stay tuned.
We are about to enter Cancer season. The cavalcade of planets that has been hurtling through Gemini is now, one by one (save for Jupiter), transitioning into the sign of the crab. On the way, each–first Venus, then Mercury, then the sun–makes a tense angle with Neptune (ugh, Neptune). We may experience some disillusionments. If you have had some harsh realizations in the past few days, you’re not alone. I hope they were more like aha moments than rude awakenings.
On Thursday, with the sun’s ingress into Cancer, we get the solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the longest day of the year. And then on Friday, right on the heels of the solstice, we have a full moon in Capricorn.
The Cancer-Capricorn axis feels really different from the Gemini-Sagittarius one. Gemini-Sagittarius is about the tension between the pithy and the verbose, between thinking quick and delving deep. The Cancer-Capricorn axis is about the tension between our emotions and our responsibilities. Cancer is feelings; Capricorn says, “fuck your feelings.” Both signs carry with them the sense of obligation. Cancer, ruled by the moon, is associated with loyalty and protectiveness, and Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, with diligence and discipline.
Cancer is connected with the Chariot card in the Tarot, which definitely gives off Capricornian vibes as well. The chariot protects the person within, as they progress to their destination. Being armored while forging a path speaks to both Cancer and Capricorn qualities.
This Capricorn full moon invites us to examine what we are working for. Is it worth it? How does it make you feel?
What’s our beautiful reward for all the time and the care we give, whether it’s to our jobs, our careers, to others, to our bodies, to our minds?
The juxtaposition of the solstice with the full moon makes it a time for both releasing and beginning a new cycle. Cancer and Capricorn are both cardinal signs, meaning they each begin a season and usher in something new. This represents a time to consider what plans you want to execute over the next year and what you need to shed in order to achieve your desired ends. Whatever our goals are, it’s important they nurture us and fulfill us emotionally.
Because Neptune (again–ugh, Neptune) is forming a t-square to the moon and the sun, thinking about what we want to achieve isn’t necessarily going to be easy. You may have a hard time putting your finger on exactly what it is you want, and you may feel especially tired and depleted. The end of this week could be a time when you feel pulled between your personal feelings and your public ambitions or your devotion to your family and other more practical commitments, and Neptune irritatingly throws a shroud of confusion over it all.
Hang in there, because as the planets continue to move through Cancer, they’ll break free of the Neptunian influence, the fog will lift, and more clarity will become available regarding Cancerian topics: home (both physical and the sense of home), family (both blood and chosen), and care. And we get a rare second full moon in Capricorn later this month, which represents another chance at harnessing the full moon energy under different (albeit still complex…we’ll get there later) astrological circumstances.
Does that make sense? Or does it all sound like gobbledygook? If so, blame Neptune. Happy Solstice!
There’s a full moon in Virgo coming up, exact at 7:30 am on February 24th. The moon will be at 5 degrees of Virgo and the sun at 5 degrees of Pisces. We’re already feeling it (along with all the Mars-Venus-Pluto stuff that’s been going on) and will be feeling it throughout the next week. I need to make sure I actually go out and catch a glimpse of it. If you have anything from about 0-10 degrees of a mutable sign (Virgo, Pisces, Gemini, or Sagittarius) in your chart, you’re going to feel the effects of this full moon more than most. (And if you don’t know what’s in your chart, book a reading with me!)
The Pisces-Virgo axis is marked by deep feelings and adaptability. Virgo is an earth sign and way more grounded than Pisces, but it’s still a mutable sign. When changes arrive or are needed, a Virgo can shift gears and recalibrate relatively easily. Pisces, a mutable water sign, is boundless. Virgo is a caregiving sign but can be harshly critical, while Pisces is compassionate and empathetic but can be so caught up in their own feelings that they ignore your needs. They make for an interesting combination. There’s a lot of caring here, but how it manifests can vary.
As for full moons, one occurs when the moon is opposite the sun and fully illuminated, reflecting the sun’s light. It’s the culmination of the lunar cycle, and it represents a time to let go. This full moon is an especially opportune time to release because it’s the last full moon of the zodiacal year! Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, and with the spring equinox, Aries season begins, as does the new astrological year. So this is truly about letting go. It’s also the last full moon before the next set of eclipses, so if you’re someone who manifests or does any sort of ritual work around full moons, this is your last chance for a couple months.
With the moon in Virgo, this means that we may be feeling called to let go of something in our daily routines or our annoyances, our judgments, our critiques. It’s a good time for cleaning the house and sweeping the dust away. With Virgo-Pisces, I think of making a list (Virgo) of the shadow qualities (Pisces) we want to work on. Or cathartically releasing emotions while doing housework or crafting. Cry and knit. Listen to the most maudlin music while you scrub your bathtub. Make a commitment to start a daily yoga practice.
Pisces is associated with the Moon card in the Tarot. I love the Moon card as illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. Even the crustaceans respond to the moon’s power.
The sun at 5 Pisces is also between Mercury and Saturn, both in Pisces, when this full moon occurs, lending some discipline and some thought to it. So while we’re all likely to feel super emotional, it’s a little more grounded (from the Virgo moon + Saturn’s presence) than we’d feel during a Pisces season in another year.
Mercury in Pisces is interesting because Mercury is in its fall in Pisces, meaning that when it’s in Pisces, it’s harder for us to think clearly and connect the dots. Our thoughts and words are more abstract than usual. However, Pisces’s ruler is Jupiter, and Jupiter is in Taurus, another earth sign, so we can tap into the practicalities and realities of where these abstract thoughts and emotions are coming from if we try.
This is all to say that if you find yourself crying over the next few days, and you ask yourself why you’re so emotional, remember that it’s just another full moon, and it’s during Pisces season, and let yourself ride the waves over the next couple weeks. (The state of the world right now doesn’t help; if you’re not despondent, I’m not sure how.) Over the next couple days, though, if you are in a list-making, task-mastering, cleaning, and clearing zone, the moon is on your side.
Of course, astrology is not fortune telling, and this is simply my interpretation of what’s going on with the current transits in the sky. Take all of this with a grain of salt, as always.
It’s Aquarius season! As an Aquarius myself, I welcome it with open arms. The punishment of having a birthday in the absolute dregs of winter (in the Northern Hemisphere) is partially mitigated by getting to be an Aquarius, with the joy of being the smartest person in the room and the smug satisfaction of knowing that you listened to that band or were wearing that style or were espousing the tenets of that political movement before it was cool. But it’s coupled with the pain of looking around at everyone else and thinking, “I am truly alone in this world. No one else understands anything.”
Aquarius is a sign associated with rebellion, revolution, and genius. Not to say that every Aquarius exhibits all these traits outwardly, because every person has a whole plethora of things going on in their own natal chart, but when we look at our geniuses and revolutionaries, it’s not surprising when they have Aquarius placements. Toni Morrison, the greatest American author, had an Aquarius sun, Mercury, and Midheaven.
It takes the collective a while to catch up with Aquarians, but during Aquarius season, focus gets pulled to what isn’t working and how it can be made better. We see protests. We see organizing. It’s a cliche that Aquarius is about power-to-the-people, but it’s a cliche because it’s true.
The same day that the Sun moved into Aquarius this year, it was followed shortly by Pluto. Pluto in Aquarius is a big deal. It represents the beginning of a new era, one in which we will likely see the rapid adoption of advanced technology, mass populist movements, and revolutions. I’m hoping Pluto in Aquarius + Uranus in Gemini, coming up over the next few years, will usher in electric air travel (or even better, teleportation).
The last time Pluto was in Aquarius, we had the American Revolution and the French Revolution, bloody conflicts where the monarchy was rejected, and the Haitian revolution, when the enslaved people of Haiti fought for and won independence from French colonizers. What revolutions will take place over the next decade plus? Time will tell (but some Aquarians are likely already seeing them coming).
When Pluto is in a sign, it takes about 20 years, give or take, to go through it. We feel it more in the world at large than personally. It’s a vibe shift and the backdrop for big generational stories. I’ve seen a lot on astrology social media indicating that Pluto going into Aquarius will revolutionize something in the individual’s life. I’d like to caution everyone to take that with a grain of salt. Pluto moving through an area of your chart does not mean that you’re immediately going to see transformative things happen to you. Of course, you could, and those who have planets or angle points in the early degrees of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus, and Scorpio may see some huge changes play out over the next couple years. This is why it’s best to get a birth chart reading. Just because Pluto changes signs, it doesn’t herald huge sweeping changes in everyone’s lives right now. Again, it’s 20 years! Most people experience pretty big changes in their lives over a 20-year period, Pluto or no Pluto.
Anyway. With the sun in Aquarius, we always get a full moon in Leo, and this year it occurs on Thursday, January 25th, and is exact at 12:54 pm ET. This full moon is at 5 degrees of Leo, with the sun at 5 degrees of Aquarius, and it forms a T-square to Jupiter in Taurus, so the usual themes of release that accompany a full moon see some tension with what Jupiter represents: expansion and growth. Ask yourself, how can you use the full moon to shed the stuff you’ve outgrown, in the cool light of the Aquarius sun, to help you grow and evolve?
At this same time, Mercury is approaching a conjunction with Mars. Our last full moon, in Cancer, was also infused with Mercury-Mars energy, and this time, with the full moon in a fire sign, it promises to be feisty. Tempers may flare. Leo is a campfire, so stoke it with the good stuff, the stuff Leo loves (affirmations! self care!) instead of sharp criticism of yourself and others. In fact, since the full moon is a time for release, maybe it’s your most vicious takes and judgments you want to let go of. Aquarians can be judgmental at an individual level, but they are accepting and understanding at a collective level, so let’s embrace those vibes. This full moon will likely roil some egos in a big way, so best to keep that in mind as you’re dealing with people over the next couple days.
It’s the solstice! Fire up the yule log, light the candles, pour the wine, eat the pudding, and listen to the solstice carols. Gods Rest Ye Merry Pagan Folk! In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the longest night of the year, and from tomorrow onward, we get a little more light each day.
The sun moves into Capricorn on December 21st at 10:27 pm EST, and Capricorn season begins.
The chart for this is lovely. Let’s hope this is indicative of the year ahead. The sun is conjunct Mercury, which is still retrograde and encouraging us to reexamine, reflect, and revise. Both the sun and Mercury form positive aspects to Saturn at 2 degrees of Pisces, which lends some help if we need to concentrate or structure our communication, which may be feeling scattered with the retrograde. Also at the time the sun moves into Capricorn, the moon is at 0 degrees of Taurus, forming a trine to the sun. A trine is an unfettered, supportive connection, so on this day, we have support in aligning our purposes with our emotional and especially our physical (Taurus) needs.
So, about Capricorn. Capricorn is a Saturn-ruled sign. Saturn is the disciplinarian and the authority figure of the zodiac, a slayer of nonsense and excuses. (Saturn = Dorothy Zbornak.) Capricorn is a cardinal sign, meaning it’s a sign of initiation, and it’s an earth sign, signifying practicality and pragmatism.
Capricorn is symbolized as the sea-goat, a mythical creature. Its tarot card is the Devil.
Both of these speak to the complexity of Capricorns. A stereotype of Caps is that they are all business, but that’s not true. Caps can be some of the most hedonistic people out there. It’s the work hard, play hard ethos.
Characteristics commonly assigned to Caps are that they are hard-working, responsible, driven, motivated. But motivated by what? For less evolved Capricorns, it can be power and status. For more evolved Capricorns, it’s a motivation to honor oneself.
Astrologer Steven Forrest, in his seminal book The Inner Sky, discusses Capricorns’ truthful state as being purely themselves everywhere, in both private and public. There are no hidden motivations. With evolved Capricorns, what you see is what you get. People with Capricorn placements are comfortable being alone, and solitude is productive for them because the best thing they can achieve is to truly get to know themselves. Katie from VPR and Kyle from RHOBH are both Capricorns. Katie has finally shed that weight that was Tom Schwartz and is living her life, single and with her stellar haircut. Kyle, on this most recent season of RHOBH, talks about how she’s done trying to please others and is going to be fully herself. That is Capricorn evolution!
Because of the solitary nature of Cap placements, it can make it hard for others to get to really know them. Their embrace of solitude can be confounding. Partners of those with Cap placements may always wonder what’s really happening inside the head and the heart of the Capricorn person. But Capricorns know themselves, deep down, and the evolved Caps lay it all out there with no pretenses, no masks, no need for questioning. Needy people may find and attach themselves to Capricorns because they want someone to tell them what to do (ahem, Tom Schwartz) and Caps take charge, but Capricorns are at their best if they partner with people who aren’t so needy and give them their space to be themselves and do what they want.
It’s also often said about Caps that they age in reverse. Cue the Dylan. Someone with a Cap sun or Cap ascendant may have a chip on their shoulder when they are young because no one else can do anything right and they are surrounded by idiots. But as they get older, maturity and life experiences help to mellow them out and become more accepting, both of themselves and of others. Can you imagine what Saturnian Dorothy was like as a youth? Probably way more rigid and judgmental, but in her golden years, she’s chilling with her mom and two other weirdos in Miami.
Capricorn season always encompasses the holidays, which is interesting because it starts off with that truly weird and hazy period between Christmas and New Year’s (a ripe time for Capricorns’ hedonistic pursuits). Having the New Year in Capricorn season makes a lot of sense. Making resolutions and taking action to launch new projects are very Capricornian.
This Cap season, we have a full moon at 4 degrees of Cancer on December 26th. Cancer is an emotional water sign, and this full moon occurs while Mars and Mercury are aligned, so it’s probably going to be very emo. The fact that it’s the day after Christmas, when a lot of us will be spending time with our loved ones, is maybe not ideal, but it could represent a catharsis. It’s a time to release any tension, anger, and stress that came to a head in the days leading up to the holiday, but that’s best done in a productive way (scream therapy or a nice long bathtub cry). You may want to be cognizant to not pop off on your family, partners, co-workers, and friends and tear them to shreds, because with Mercury retrograde, you may really regret what you say and have to go back and apologize later.
The new moon in Capricorn on January 11th is a little more auspicious, and this lunation is kind of like the real new year, at least when it comes to planting the seeds for what you’d like to achieve in 2024. Mercury will be direct once again and our thinking should be clearer. Horoscopes for that new moon to come in a bit.
But for now, solstice greetings and glad tidings! Get some rest before the heady work of Cap season ramps up.
On November 22nd, the sun moved into Sagittarius, so we are now in the swing of Sagittarius season. And in true Sagittarius fashion, this post is very late.
Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign. As a fire sign, Sagittarius has an inherent need for action, and as a mutable sign, Sagittarius can go with the flow and transition easily. Of the fire signs, Aries is like a spark; Leo like a campfire; and Sagittarius is like a wildfire–traveling, shifting, and ranging.
Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, rules Sagittarius. Jupiter is about growth and expansiveness. This gives Sagittarius its own larger than life quality. Sagittarians are known for being adventurous. They want experiences, they want to learn, to travel, to live life to the fullest. I think of the famous “mad ones” quote from On the Road as distilling the Sagittarian essence (and not surprisingly, Neal Cassady had a Sagittarius moon.)
Sagittarians can sometimes get a reputation for being flakey because once they feel like they’ve fully immersed themselves in something, their desire to learn more about the next thing compels them to move on. Sagittarians are known for their forthrightness, which can sometimes come across as abrasive or uncouth, but a lot of times, it’s charming. Sagittarians are charmers. Sonja Morgan is a Sag.
As soon as Sagittarius season kicked off, because Saturn is at 0 degrees of Pisces, the sun formed a square (an aspect that causes dynamic tension) to Saturn. Then Mars followed shortly behind, moving into Sagittarius on November 24th and also forming a square to Saturn. Mars, the planet of action, wants to goooooo, especially in Sagittarius, and Saturn, the planet of boundaries, wants to pump the brakes, so in the few days around November 24th-25th, we may feel stymied or limited in ways that are incredibly frustrating. This can be especially emotional around the full moon, which occurs at 4 degrees of Gemini on November 27th at 4:16 am EST.
The Gemini-Sagittarius axis is an interesting one. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, and as an air sign, it’s about quick thinking and talking; Sagittarius is a sign that’s about intellectualizing and philosophizing, so it isn’t as diametrically different from Gemini as some of the other opposite-sign pairings. However, it’s a fire sign, and it’s ruled by Jupiter, the planet of expansion, so Sagittarius is all about big ideas. Sagittarians dream big and leave the details to others. I once had a boss who said, when describing herself, that she isn’t a workhorse, but that she meets people and comes up with ideas, but she leaves the work to her team. That feels very Sagittarius. Sagittarians can experience Geminis as too micro; Geminis can think Sagittarians are unrealistic blowhards.
The full moon in Gemini, opposite the sun, finds our emotional selves needing to tend to the prosaic details. We want to make to-do lists and find shortcuts. But the sun in Sag causes some tension with this need, as we may have our heads in the clouds, or we may be blowing past others’ need to talk it out and get the necessary info.
This full moon is also opposite Mars, right on the sun’s heels in Sagittarius, and the sun/Mars and the moon are in a T-square with Saturn. This means that this frustrating Mars-Saturn square that we’re feeling over the weekend causes conflict and tension with our emotional and physical needs during the full moon.
At the same time, there’s a Mercury-Neptune square happening, which adds some extra confusion around this full moon. Gemini is a Mercury-ruled sign, so the moon is answering to Mercury, and in a tense aspect with Neptune, the planet of murkiness, boundarilessness, and confusion, there’s a general fog over everything. We may feel not only frustrated by our limitations this new moon, but we may also not be able to think clearly and understand quite why. Lovely.
The good news is that after the full moon, the sun and Mars continue to progress past their squares with Saturn, helping things flow more easily. And on December 1st, Mercury moves into brass-tacks, earthy Capricorn, which enables us to focus on getting stuff done. However, Mercury is currently in its retro shadow, and it goes retrograde on December 13th, so get your holiday plans set and your shopping done before then!
Get ready, there is a full moon in Aries in the early morning hours (5:58 EDT) on September 29th. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, a cardinal fire sign, and opposite air sign Libra, where the sun is now. This full moon, the first of autumn, is the Harvest Moon.
With the Aries/Libra axis, there is a push-pull between me and we, between selfishness and sacrifice, between assertiveness and diplomacy. The moon in Aries is ruled by Mars, which is also in Libra now. With Mars in Libra, there’s a tendency toward passive aggression, so that may be a big vibe this full moon. Better to release your anger in a cathartic, productive way than to try to keep a lid on it, waiting for it to boil over. In the days leading up to the full moon, open the release valve here and there. Have a good cry to Neil Young’s “It’s a Dream.” Journal furiously .
Mars is about physicality, so when the full moon comes, because it’s ruled by Mars, it’s a good time for a physical release. That can be dancing, working out, kickboxing, or primal screaming.
This is the last lunation before the eclipses start, so it’s going to feel a little wild because it’s sort of like a sneak preview of eclipse season.
If you’re an Aries or Libra rising or sun, this opposition is in your first and seventh houses, so it will highlight themes of self vs. partnership, and you may see some strife, culmination, or the fulfillment of a commitment made in your relationships. However, there could be tension between what is best for you and what’s best for your relationship or another partnership or friendship.
If you’re a Taurus or Scorpio rising or sun, this full moon will likely bring up some tension or some change as it relates to your need for solitude vs. what you have to do every day. You may be feeling intense emotions about just having to go to work every day or the stuff you do on a daily basis to care for others. This is a good full moon to reevaluate how much time you allow for yourself.
If you’re a Gemini or a Sagittarius rising or sun, the Aries full moon illuminates the dynamic between your joy and creativity and your community or friend groups. Your friends may be providing the inspiration or motivation you need for a new venture. Try to hang out with people who you have fun with and get out on the weekend. Socializing and/or focusing on artistic pursuits will provide much-needed release.
If you’re a Cancer or Capricorn rising or sun, this full moon will occur on your 10th house and 4th house axis, which encompasses your public, professional life, and your roots and family. There’s a push and pull between your career/public life and back home. You may have to deal with some family stuff that puts a wrench in your professional plans, or maybe you’re wrapping up something in one of these areas that allows you more time for the other. Libra is all about balance, so this is a time for trying to strike a balance between the two.
If you’re a Leo or Aquarius rising or sun, there’s a balance you may need to find between what you’re learning, your spiritual pursuits, and/or desire and plans to travel and the busy-ness and demands of daily life. You may be feeling crushed under the weight of your calendar, when all you want to do is read a book or get away. It’s OK to cancel meetings and reschedule plans if you need to.
If you’re a Virgo or Pisces rising or sun, there may be some flux or movement in money matters, either your own resources or that of your partner. Maybe you’re paying off a loan or you’re finally filing your taxes after getting a couple extensions or your refund is finally coming through. There will be some illumination of themes related to finances or resources, those of your own and those you share with others.
If your sun, moon, ascendant, Mercury, Venus, Mars, or your midheaven are around 6 degrees of Aries, Libra, Cancer, or Capricorn, you’ll be feeling this new moon with some extra intensity. But even if not, it’s likely going to be pretty potent for all of us, so hang in there, and try to let go of whatever is holding you back or driving you nuts. Keep on rockin’ in the free world.
(Astrology is for entertainment purposes only, so please take these full moon interpretations with a grain of salt!)
