Today's Astrology Forecast | September 30, 2019 - nurtured by getting to the bottom of things, the power in our core, intense emotions, taking the time to appreciate the darkness

The Moon dives into Scorpio at 5:42AM EDT - we are nurtured through intense and sometimes uncomfortable emotions, mysteries, getting to the bottom of things, truth, therapy, puzzles, research, focus, intimacy.

Our focus turns to Scorpian/Plutonian themes - third party situations, other people's money, spouse's income, inheritance, taxes, finances, sex, reproduction, death/birth, power, control, manipulations, jealousy, compulsions.

AND with Mercury moving into Scorpio on Thursday as Pluto (ruler of Scorpio) stations direct - this is pretty much (toss in Libra themes of relationships, balance, justice, women and beauty) a to-do list of the week.

The Moon will oppose a retrograde Uranus at 2:55PM EDT. Shake ups in our Taurus house - money, our values, self-esteem and resources. The Scorpio/Taurus polarity of ours vs mine, maybe - or our ambitions vs what we really value. The Sun is in Libra - think cooperation, diplomacy, creating win-wins.

With Uranus retrograde any surprising situation/news, etc, isn't really totally new or totally unexpected, no matter what we tell ourselves (or other people) about how shocked we are. Good energy to try something new and break out of a rut or dark mood.

Pallas (in, you guessed it, Scorpio) is trining (brakes off) the North Node in Cancer. There are strategies for moving ahead available, into our most nurturing and comfortable future, if we are willing to go deep and be honest with ourselves.

New answers to very old problems. New, smart strategies.

It's dark outside.

Scorpio dark, which is pretty freaking dark.

This can be our stumbling block - we can't see clearly the emerging and amazing new life that is being born - or this can be the time we plant seeds that grow deep roots. Lots of amazing things happen in the dark - an entirely new world springs to life and if we aren't afraid to move through our days without light - we can be empowered in new and mysterious ways by being part of this transformation this week.

Scorpio rules our 8th house; our shadows. The things we don't speak of in polite (Libra) conversations. With Mercury in Libra it will be hard to make important decisions (so wait a couple days if you can, this will get easier every day) as we will tend to overthink both sides. And win-wins are complicated. Scorpio can help. Scorpio can put us, through our shadows, in touch with our authentic power - the stuff that is only strengthened when shared/merged.

We are moving through a world with too much information. It is overwhelming our nervous systems and we can't tell truth from bullshit or magic from babble. We are moving toward a world where no one else will have the answers for us. Maybe we have always lived in this world, but are just asking deeper questions now or maybe the world has evolved along with us.

This very Plutonian week is not a time to give our power away. We don't have to wait until we know what we're doing to know what we're doing when we are moving through life from our center. It doesn't give us permission to just power through and be a total asshole though.

Plutonian changes can bring up alot of fear/emotional attachment. Know this and take care of yourself. Hang on loosely. Don't be afraid to look under the covers/under the hood/into the dark spaces, but don't be an idiot by blindly, and maybe dangerously, crashing about either. Saturn is still barely moving - take your time.

It's Libra season - strive for balance. And if we achieve this 10% of the time we are probably doing something right.

xo all

photo by the amazing thefirebomb

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of September 30, 2019 - the death that was postponed, changing course, deep conversations, truth, actions trigger reactions, doing it together

An INTENSE/Scorpionic week folks as two inner planets change signs and the lord of the underworld wakes up! 

SUNDAY - Sun inconjunct Uranus
TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY - Venus squares Pluto
THURSDAY - Pluto stations direct (20 degrees Capricorn), Mercury into Scorpio
FRIDAY - Mars into Libra

The week begins with a tricky rock and a hard place - we talked about this a bit in the New Moon post HERE. Uranus inconjunct the Sun. Uranus in Taurus is requiring changes to our values, our wallets, the way we make and save money, our resources, our self-esteem. With the Sun in Libra - these changes are throwing us out of balance/might be seen as unfair/are impacting our relationships.

The inconjunct requires a balancing of the ideal against the real in some way - a need to weigh options. Sometimes we have to give up something to get something else - but the price paid can be so high that the satisfaction when we get what we want is greatly lessened. The rock or the hard place. So no fast, unbalanced moves. Life has shifted and we need to acclimate to this. It's a time of adjustment. Focus on the future.

The Sun is going to square the North and South Nodes next week. A challenge/pivot point. A light is thrown on a bridge between our past and future or maybe a light is thrown on a skipped step. If we are dealing with big changes/challenges it might be good to gain some balance and perspective this week as we build toward that.

On WEDNESDAY, Venus (home in Libra) squares a retrograde Pluto in Capricorn. Here are attractions that are out of balance. There could be power struggles over what we want. Compulsions. Jealousy. There might be a need to confront some relationship/financial secrets. What we want could feel like life and death now. Avoid manipulations and trying to control other people out of this fear. Somehow we must pivot around a threat of loss. Or figure our way around an actual loss because

On THURSDAY - Pluto stations direct - the death that was postponed/the mess that needed to be cleaned up - here we go. Pluto forges ahead again - bent on deconstructing the old order.

Pluto direct speaks of a loss (this could have already happened with Saturn's station a few days ago in the same sign), a total transformation or change of course of some part of our life and/or real empowerment.

Pluto stations direct on the degree Saturn stationed retrograde last April, so events now can again be connecting us back to that time (there is actually a reason I did an April monthly and left it on the bottom of the blog!).

If you have planets or points near 20-22 degrees of the cardinal signs (the middle degrees, too, are feeling something similar with Saturn on the South Node) - you are no doubt feeling this (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn).

Now that Pluto is direct - there is nothing stopping his fated meet up with Saturn on January 12, 2020 - their first meeting in Capricorn (our ambitions, goals, the patriarchy, government, structure, our careers) in 507 years. At the end of this year, Jupiter will join them in Capricorn and we will be in totally uncharted territory (one reason for all these endings/releases/karmic clean-ups and free-ups).

Pluto's direct station (as Mercury dives into Scorpio) is a time for truths to come out. a time for us to consider things we didn't want to have to deal with/think about - the stuff we shoved into closets and pushed under carpets. Situations that require authentic Plutonian power (a kind of fearlessness; a sense of being past-death) - from intimate and honest financial or sexual conversations to indomitable power moves in business are likely.

Also on THURSDAY, Mercury dives into Scorpio.

This is excellent energy for deep (Scorpio) investigation/research (Mercury). This would be an excellent time to go into therapy.

Instead of learning/thinking/communicating about a little of this and a little of that, now is the time to go "all in" with a subject we are passionate about. Our mind can focus. Multi-tasking will be harder because our intellect will want to sit with one thing for longer than we usually do.

I recommend the Netflix series Unbelievable for Mercury in Scorpio season. Good. With smart and complicated female characters.

We will be getting to the bottom of things and will not be satisfied with Libra's (Mercury's last stop) conversational civilities. We'll want to know, and think/talk about, what is really happening.

It won't always be comfortable.

The hard truths won't be blurted out spontaneously - we will have to dig for them. Decide first if you really want to know what is hiding underneath because Plutonian authenticity is not only transformational - it is permanent. There is no going back to "not knowing". Mysteries can be solved. The truth could come out. Secrets can be languaged and spoken out loud.

Difficult conversations will create deeper levels of intimacy now. If you are dating someone and you have sex (also Scorpio ruled) with them you can never go back to not having sex with them even if you never have sex with them again. The intimacy is still there. It will be like this with our words now. 

And once we know the information - we own it. It's our move (with Scorpio the move might be internal). 

It changes who we are and we ignore who we are at our own peril.

Careless language (disrespect for ourselves and others) and our careless treatment of other people's words (and their reaction to ours) will be karmic. Keep this in mind.

There could be battles for mental supremacy and mind games during this transit.

People prone to manipulation could be extremely effective (or someone will finally see right to the bottom of what we are doing - maybe that someone will be ourselves).

This is a time to take a good, long look at what we are really seeking when we are trying to make a situation/person behave in a way that pleases us. Think about it. There are gold nuggets to be mined now. Even tiny specks can be used to create great fortunes.

Scorpio rules our inheritance.

The fly in the jelly here is that we might think we are mining for gold when we are really just obsessing on the same old same old. Scorpio rules obsession and compulsion and our minds could easily go there now. Notice it. Don't judge it. Think about - "what does it mean that I keep thinking about this?".

Scorpio rules death, too.

It's not only what we dig up, but what we put into the ground that matters now.

With Pluto stationing direct at the same time almost certainly some words/language/story needs to be put to rest now.

With Pluto stationing direct at the same time Mercury dives into Scorpio - we need to be alert about our personal safety. Take care driving. No dark alleys. Use caution as needed to feel safe.

On FRIDAY, Mars exits Virgo - having done all the fixing, clean up and detailed work he could possibly do (although keep in mind since he met the Sun while in Virgo and kicked off a new cycle until 2021 -  the details of what we are doing and practical action will retain their effectiveness for all of us).

He enters sociable and diplomatic Libra, the sign of the other person, for the first time in two years.

Mars rules Aries, the sign of "me" and is uber uncomfortable and in his fall in the sign of Libra, the sign of "we".

Our actions/passions can get mired in indecision. Mars wants to just go, go, go and in Libra is required to 'see/interact with' the other side of things. There is more flirting than commitment (job hunters prepare for a possible extended interview or 'getting to know you' process). More passive-aggressiveness.

Fiery Mars in our collective 7th house of other people means our actions trigger fast reactions. That whole "I'm rubber. You're glue" thing isn't working. Or maybe it's working backward.

The more Mars becomes a smiling caricature of himself , a phoney Mr. Nice Guy rather than the warrior he actually is, the bigger the eventual blow-up will be when his (ours or theirs) Arian head explodes. We need to be honest about our anger, passions, actions without crapping all over other people. It is a balancing act and Mars' combat boots are not made for tight ropes.

The good news for the next few weeks and there is plenty - more fairness. More balanced actions. More social activities. More compromise. More win-wins. Doing it together.

Back with the dailies where we factor in the lunar action this week!

xo all

If you have something that really needs to get finished/cleaned up. Some responsibility or work you have postponed maybe - get it done before Thursday when Pluto stations!

photo by the amazing firebomb

New Moon in Libra | September 28, 2019 - a major conclusion, a fresh start for relationships, doing it together, putting humpty dumpty back together again

On Saturday, September 28th at 2:27PM EDT, the Libra Moon meets the Libra Sun (at 5 degrees) giving us this month's New Moon.

Everything has been leading us - in the dark - toward that Sun. Unlike planets that get illuminated when they meet the Sun - the Moon, coming between the Earth and the Sun, blocks the Sun's light. The skies are dark. But, like the planets, when the Moon meets the Sun we get a new story. An emotional re-set.

Because this is happening in Libra we look to our natal Libra house (5 degrees) for the kind of theme we will be working with personally. Then we consider the general Libra themes (relationship, partnership, balance, justice, women, beauty) and we consider what Libra's ruling planet Venus is doing and where she is. And, finally, we look at the event chart for the time of the New Moon.

So, let's unpack the chart!

We can see the Sun and Moon snuggled up together. Mercury and Venus are past the New Moon. The news/information has come in. The conversation has been had. The impact on our relationships/money/values is visible, maybe starting to be felt. Our masculine/action energy, Mars, is behind the pack. Maybe it is too late now for certain actions. Our hand for this lunation has already been played.

Still plugging away in Virgo for a few more days. Mars met the Sun, and launched a new action cycle back on September 2nd (in Virgo) - he won't catch up to the Sun again until 2021!

(so, in some important ways we will be getting what we want by 'doing our Virgo' until THEN - making something smaller, focusing on the details, making a list, growing a backbone, doing our job, focusing on the details, taking care of our health, quality over quantity, doing what is right in front of us, washing the dishes, skipping the cake and eating the f'ng salad)

At the same time the planet Saturn is crossing the South Node (the past, our history, what is ripe for release) EXACTLY for the final time (third of three passes this year) in his home sign of Capricorn. Responsibilities. Commitments. People leaving as soul contracts complete. Karmic chickens coming home to roost. Weights that held us down, but also kept us grounded GONE. Large projects completing. The consequences of our past decisions/actions or in-actions (even from our past lives or the lives of our ancestors we have agreed to deal with). Something has reached the end of the line. We would have to be blind (and yes, that Jupiter/Neptune square we have had almost all year has kind of made us blind, so please no beating ourselves up here) NOT to have seen this coming.

Endings loom LARGE now. But keep in mind every ending is a beginning, too. The New Moon speaks of this most of all.

Libra is the sign of justice and balance and beauty and femininity and LOVE.

And Venus, ruler of this lunation is STRONG in her home sign.

Moving off her square to Saturn and the Nodes (reality check, karma, fate - in play, but separating) and now EXACTLY into a sextile (opportunity) with Jupiter, who is barely past his own square to foggy Neptune (again still in play, but separating).

The Venus sextile Jupiter speaks of good fortune/expansion. More love. Stronger connections.

The Moon/Sun are opposing Chiron at 5 degrees Aries. New beginnings have their roots in the projection of old hurts. Injuries to our self-esteem/ability to take care of ourselves or stand up for ourselves, to initiate or to get angry. We can see/feel our own woundings through other people now. This aspect, too, is separating.

The New Moon is also inconjunct Uranus, so a rock and a hard place with change. And this one isn't separating, but still to come. A shock. Surprise. Something unexpected. A need to adjust to more CHANGE.

Black Moon Lilith is conjunct Neptune in Pisces. This speaks of the ways the stuff we haven't wanted to look at/deal with factors in here. Or maybe we've been lied to. Maybe we've been banished in some way or it feels like banishment. Maybe our need to stand apart from the group (be independent, be special?) created a kind of cloudy thinking and caused our own exile. Regrets. Grief. Maybe feelings of isolation.

Sedna is conjunct Vesta in Taurus - look at all the bundles of two in the Libra New Moon chart - how appropriate for the sign that deals with relationships! Vesta rules what really, really matters (what we would stay up all night tending) and in Taurus speaks of our money/values/self-esteem, resources. Sedna is kind of the opposite in a way - the part of us that wants something to come easier than maybe it should be expected to come, that part of us who doesn't read the fine print. They are working together here.

Pallas is moving toward a trine with the North Node - she's in Scorpio now. Strategies with big money/with what we are merging/by going deep/by being honest - this is exact in a couple days.

And here's something interesting that I am not really sure what to make of - asteroid Isis and asteroid Humpty Dumpty (yes, there is an asteroid Humpty Dumpty?!) sit exactly with the New Moon today. Isis was the Egyptian Queen (married her brother) famous for putting her husband back together again (with some help) after he was literally ripped apart (limb by limb) by his brother. So, we have magical Isis putting her spouse back together (and then having a child with him or maybe putting him back together for their child - it's unclear to me) and Humpty Dumpty, who 'all the king's horses and all the king's men' couldn't put back together again .... draw your own conclusions here.

(Does this mean our efforts to put something/someone "back together again" are best accomplished TOGETHER rather than alone, like poor Humpty on that wall , I don't know, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to type the name Humpty Dumpty, so had to toss this in!)

An interesting chart. Plenty of air this month. Plenty of cardinal energy to start something new. Big endings. New partnerships/fresh starts. New love. Turning our focus toward the future. Take the time to think about, speak out loud and write down what you want!

MONTHLY AFFIRMATION TIPS for the Libra New Moon:

What house holds Libra in your natal chart?

This is our annual opportunity to restore balance here. Who/what do we want to partner with?

Get grounded - we have moved from an earth sign into air so this is important - always make affirmations from a positive place (positive meaning certain).

It is a good idea, since the New Moon is literally a blank sheet, to work in a clean, uncluttered space and maybe right after a bath or shower. Usually when you are alone, but this month it feels OK to partner up with this.

I find affirmations are most effective if I speak less on New Moon days so my words will hold more weight when I need them to.

I usually burn a white candle to help me focus and thin the veils between me and me. It also helps to channel ancestral energy a bit since I am always thinking as I move my story forward, their story moves forward with me.

Write your affirmations down by hand in cursive, we want the letters all connecting and flowing together. Speak the words out loud.

I used to write my affirmations on strips of paper and put them into a bowl of rice so I could mix them around every now and then with my fingers if things got stagnant. Then I decided to burn them. I have written them on rocks and buried them.

This month, I'm doing something I did a few weeks ago to line up with a specific thing that happened pretty effortlessly afterward -

I'm going to write my affirmations

(astrologer Jan Spiller recommends writing 10, but I have found myself stretching to do that or writing the same things every month which feels silly, so I have worked my way down to 3 which feels like a powerful number to me)

on my chalkboard while burning a white candle - when the candle burns out, all by itself - don't burn your house down - I erase the words first and then clean the blackboard with water.

Some people store them until the corresponding Full Moon when they have fully ripened (in this case during the Libra Full Moon next spring) and burn them then. Do what feels right.

I don't think it's terribly important what we do with our writings as long as we are not pulling them out and checking on them all the time. Setting intentions is like baking a cake - checking on how things are going just slows things down.

We are not handing a honey do list to the universe!

We are lining up with the universal energies of creation here.

And I wouldn't be sharing them with other people, which also feels like it dilutes the process or pulls them into our story. I was writing them on my blog for a few months, as examples for people, and that definitely wasn't helpful.

Then - and this is the important part - release your attention from your words knowing your intention is known.

Know these things are already yours.

xo all

Today's Astrology Forecast | September 27, 2019 - busy, productive, overwhelmed but good progress in the end, don't go blindly crashing into new spaces, finish up

Our organized and practical Virgo Moon is UBER busy and we might be feeling this, too -

try not to let a need for perfection make you cray-cray now -

she trined Saturn at 4;49AM EDT (productivity, progress, getting stuff done), opposes a retrograde Neptune at 9:21AM EDT (clouding our thinking, maybe hard to prioritize/organize, maybe someone else or an outside situation appears to be taking us off our game/away from our plan, loss, emotional endings), squares Jupiter at 1:44AM EDT (expansion, something is over-the-top, overwhelm) trines Pluto at 3:19PM EDT and finally goes void at 11:57PM EDT off a conjunction with Mars.

The trine to Pluto in the late afternoon is grounded and productive. Good for business. Good for dealing with power situations/authority.

Venus is inconjunct (rock and hard place) Neptune. This is tricky energy and even trickier with Black Moon Lilith (the outsider female energy) sitting with Neptune. We could be attracted to aspects of other people we aren't seeing clearly. Maybe these aspects don't even exist. We somehow can't tell what is valuable or are pushing the stuff we don't want to deal with under the rug. This could trip us up.

The New Moon tomorrow is opening all of us to new relationships and changes within existing relationships!

That post is NEXT.

For today, the Moon is dark. Don't go blindly crashing into new spaces. There is no support for making a big/new decision now - so don't make one. Finish up. Clear your inbox and workbench. 

xo all

photo by the talented thailinh

Today's Astrology Forecast | September 26, 2019 - seeing our wounding through another person, intense conversations, ambitious plans, secrets, power struggles, projecting much?, taking the higher road, honesty

The Moon moves into practical Virgo at 6:37AM EDT - we are nourished by the details, by taking care of our health, the day-to-day stuff, the odds and ends, the paperwork, our pets, whatever needs fixing.

Her only aspect today is a trine (brakes off) to a retrograde Uranus at 3:53PM EDT

(fertility, growth, production, moving in a new direction, changing things up, maybe we are committing emotionally to a new and more future-oriented plan).

The Moon is waning. Finish up what needs finishing up.

Mercury, in Libra, squares a retrograde Pluto (in Capricorn) at 7:49PM EDT. Intense conversations. Relationship drama. Ambitious plans. Getting to the bottom of things. Likely some big news in the collective - secrets exposed. Power struggles.

Verbal confrontations/manipulations.

Maybe a relationship issue. Maybe a challenging work/reputation in the world issue.

Best advice with this aspect is to really listen. Think before speaking/responding.

Do we really want/need to go there? Maybe yes. Maybe no. KNOW social niceties won't cut it. We have to be HONEST. Real. 

Issues might relate back to when the Sun met Chiron in late March. 

We may think we are being polite or nice, but our words can cut someone off at the knees (and we probably know we are not being nice or polite and we certainly don't always have to be). Of course, we can be on the receiving end of this, too. The nice words and cooperative gestures that are maybe not so much could be 1. seen/felt for what they really are underneath (Mercury in Libra can be quite passive-aggressive) and 2. a way to control us (or them).

Check any inclination toward paranoia/jealousy/feeling victimized. Our thinking can go into dark places now.

The Sun is also opposing Chiron in Aries, so we could experience this power/control challenge through someone else. Or maybe someone else is wounded in the same way we are and it stirs up our own injuries.

Pluto is stationing direct in one week (the death that was postponed/the mess that needed to be clean up/the purging/inner power and control). The next phase of transformation is about to begin ... are we ready for the truth? 

For today, take the high road.

And don't be surprised if there is tension no matter what you do or say - remember we won't be able to fluff this stuff off. The relationship is ultimately strengthened by dealing with these uncomfortable issues.

Truth win out.

xo all

photo by the talented mh22

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | September 25, 2019 - quite the mixed bag and an almost all-day void moon, get it done early

The Moon in Leo sextiles Venus at 3:35AM EDT (creative, collaborative, what are you dreaming?) then trines Jupiter at 10:21AM EDT (great for presentations, promotions, expanding our reach) and finally goes void at 12:13PM EDT until tomorrow morning, off a sextile to Mercury - so a good closing aspect. The Moon is a happy camper.

Unfortunately, Venus closes in on this week's square to Saturn - bringing tension/frustration and making today somewhat of a mixed bag. Also keep in mind the Moon will be void after lunchtime (EDT) so lots of things can happen that seem like a bigger deal than they actually are and we might find ourselves having to repeat what we do now later on when the Moon is connecting to something.

Squares to Saturn are reality checks. We had this last week with Mercury (news/information), now our relationships/partnerships/what we want/what we have are getting blocked somehow. Feeling the "no". With Saturn on his final approach to the South Node (Saturday) this will be around old responsibilities (we may or may not have lived up to), old authority.

Saturn/Venus can bring up situations where we just aren't feeling the love, aren't shown the money and/or feel the weight or isolation of age and responsibilities.

Since Venus (in Libra) is also squaring the North and South Node - we are blasted with cardinal energy to get us through this crap and in particular whatever is ending!

The past may look more secure/stable from our vantage point today and the future more vulnerable, but that is actually part of the illusion of Capricorn/Cancer right now.

Keep in mind the future has to be mutable (changeable) - this is cosmic law.  Our mind (and we have three planets in Libra, an air sign now) wants to know what comes next because it thinks B follows A and sees the world as a linear space. Any situation where the mind can't "see what is coming" looks like chaos to the mind (if your natal Mercury is in a mutable sign this might be a little bit less true for you).

Also keep in mind how the North/South nodes of the Moon work. The South Node (right now Capricorn and this is a collective theme, you will likely have a different South Node in your natal chart, but we all have a Cappy South node in play to a greater or lesser degree now) is a very comfortable space for us even when it makes us very uncomfortable - think of a child clinging to the leg of a cold or abusive parent. This familiarity, which our bodies are designed to crave, can become a problem in a mutable/expanding universe.

Natal bodies (like Mercury last week and Venus this week and the Sun and Mars later) moving in aspect to these stuck spaces create a kind of friction to get us unstuck.

Cancer and Capricorn are both about survival. They are our mother/father energies. Everything feels more intense, plus we have Pluto in Capricorn - very life and death.

At this time the "problem" is the South Node. Capricorn is all about achieving and winning and fighting to gain status and fit in, climbing ladders, meeting goals and having a career. Cappy (Saturn's sign) is all about the outer world. The problem comes in when we are too focused on the outer world that we neglect our inner world (Cancer, the mother, the planet Earth). Jumping from one rung to the next requires we be uber focused on the higher goal or we will fall (notice there is alot of falling now).

Life becomes work, work and more work. We start seeing ourselves from the outside instead of feeling ourselves from the inside. The answer to the North Node problem is the South Node "solution" - coming home, sometimes literally but more often to ourselves, nurturing ourselves, building a strong INNER foundation, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, to be seen as more human, doing the more comfortable thing. When we apply the solution to the "problem" the outcome is REAL achievement (what Cappy wants, but doesn't know she wants), authentic progress.

You might notice the answer this year has not been to work "harder". The harder working person will still fall from the ladder, still have the ground shifted - sometimes very sharply if things are very stuck or we are too invested in something that isn't authentically ours. The answer is to nurture yourself, maybe take a vacation, spend more time with family. The paradox of the North/South lunar nodes is that when we do the North Node we get the gifts of the South Node. By allowing ourselves to be vulnerable we get the gift of stability and structure over time.

With Venus, who rules ALOT of good stuff (love, money, women, values, self-esteem, beauty) squaring the Nodes - this is something to keep in mind now.

Saturn is direct, but still standing still for much of this week.

If our new direction hasn't been settled on yet, decisions will be made this week. We have likely boxed ourselves in - relied too heavily on something that wasn't stable (and we have had plenty of time to realize this thing wasn't stable, but remember we are craving that familiar thing) - to get to the need to hit these hard corners. What are we going to do? Keep in mind the North and South Nodes - take care of yourself. We can't avoid responsibilities, but this is Libra season - we can get help and be helpful to others (within reason). We can find new ways to achieve balance/fairness/cooperation - and remember we are out of balance 99% of the time anyway, think about how we pick up one foot to move forward - this balance thing is FLEETING.

So, here is a thousand words to say - today is a mixed bag. The Moon is happy, but Venus is not so happy. We may have to make a relationship or financial decision or do something about something that is impacting our resources or self-esteem.

Look ahead. KNOW the future is more stable, more nurturing - even if to our mind we only see chaos and disorder. This isn't a linear journey. Jupiter is in Sagittarius and moving away from that fog-producing square to Neptune. Neptune is moving out of that over-blown square to Jupiter and toward a stable and opportunistic sextile to Saturn - we gotta have FAITH.

xo all

photo by the talented Anhen

Today's Astrology Forecast | September 24, 2019 - in the flow, relationship agreements, keeping the faith, the seasons are changing and so are we, doing it together

The Moon roars into fiery Leo at 5:19AM EDT. We want to stand out and show up!

We are nurtured through attention (give that girl a hand .. or a fox, give that girl a fox), through our creative projects, children, romance and recreation for the next couple days.

She will sextile the Libra Sun - this month's Waning Sextile at 7:12AM EDT (opportunities for balance/gentle touch with children, creative projects, romance) and square Uranus at 3:12PM EDT (surprise, upset, some frustration).

Mercury will inconjunct a retrograde Neptune and then move into a sextile with Jupiter. Venus will sextile Ceres and Saturn will trine Juno. There is alot going on here.

Sagittarius issues (and our natal Sag house themes) - travel, the big picture, a bigger more optimistic future, foreign issues and people, the media, education, politics, weddings, legal issues - move smoothly. Relationships and communications are nurturing and can go well today.

That inconjunct between Mercury and a retrograde Neptune (and keep in mind Mercury is moving fast now, so his aspects are fleeting) tells us if something seems to good to be true today, it probably is. Or maybe it feels like the words are right on the tip of our tongue and then they disappear. We could also be overthinking something, unclear or imagining worst case situations. We could just oversleep or have trouble sleeping this morning. Those loose ends still blowing in the breeze make it hard to rest.

Immediately after this "rock and a hard place" Mercury moves into an opportunistic sextile with expansive Jupiter. The opportunity comes through faith. Through optimistm, through the embrace of something foreign to us, through a Sag person or theme, through an expert, through sharing what we are thinking. 

We could get good news.

Venus (strong in Libra) sextiles Ceres in Sagittarius. More opportunities with those Sag themes and within our relationships, social activities and dealings with other people and women (wait are women other people - ha!). Parenting issues, change of life issues (the seasons of life - especially endings now), the spaces in our lives where we feel we have no control over what is happening - are helped through our relationships. We are helped and being helpful. Through balance/fairness/kindness. We are better off doing it together.

Saturn/Juno (Capricorn/Virgo) is a solid agreement. The details have been ironed out. Someone is signing on the dotted line. Someone is putting a ring on it. Partnerships are strengthened.

The Moon will go void tomorrow around lunchtime (EDT), so if something needs to go out into the world and you want something to "come of it" - get it out there today. It looks good.

xo all

photo by the amazing Martin Stranka

Today's Astrology Forecast | September 23, 2019 - the equinox, giving and getting, coming into balance, taking stock, a season of relationship challenges and opportunities

The Moon in "mama-bear" emotional and home/real estate/security focused Cancer is very active.

She opposed Saturn and squared Mercury while we slept (EDT) - I think that Mercury square woke me up for the day! Ugh! She moves on to trine Neptune at 6:55AM EDT (our dreams moving us forward), then opposes, a still retrograde Pluto, at 1:21 PM EDT (old power struggles, home/family/taking care of ourselves vs work in the world, the inner vs the outer, authority issues) and finally goes void off a sextile to Mars at 6:05PM EDT (opportunities through practical action).

The Sun moved into Libra at 3:50AM EDT (wait, maybe that's what woke me up, which doesn't seem fair happening in my 12th house of sleep (!) or maybe it was the pup noisily clawing at the corner of the washing machine chasing a tasty dust bunny).

The Autumn equinox. The day and night are briefly balanced. We can come into balance, too, over the next few weeks. In my part of the world we move from summer into fall (and head toward winter) - the season between life and death.

We take stock of our harvest - what do we have, what do we need, what do we need to do to get what we need, what do we need to do differently. Time can feel like it is running out along with the light. We prepare for the winter ahead. We move into an air sign (here's another head cold warning - do whatever it is you do to head that off) and things could feel a bit off-kilter and ungrounded for a couple days.

Libra is the sign of beauty and partnership and balance.

We give and we get.

With all of us burning Libra fuel for the next few weeks any ways this is out of balance in our lives could show up for us - an inability to make a decision could cause us a problem, bending too much to other people could cause us a problem, pouring pink paint on problems and pretending they don't exist could cause the problem to bleed through our crappy paint job in bigger and messier ways.

Taking stock at the time of the harvest could mean literal things - how much money do we have? how much time? energy? how much got done during Virgo season (note Mars is still in Virgo, so we keep at the practical, step-by-step stuff, but here is where we might get a little help)? what do we possess and what possesses us? how balanced are our relationships? who has our back? and how many backs are we supporting?

Some important takeaways for the next six months as we look at the equinox chart include - the Sun's opposition now to Chiron in Aries. The wounds we are projecting onto other people. There could be some uncomfortable periods of self-assertion needed and/or times when we are confronted with a need to be more cooperative/diplomatic.

The Libra Sun is now also squaring that Cappy pile-up (Saturn, South Node - obligations, responsibilities, limits, authority and Pluto - deconstruction, transformation) and the North Node in Cancer (our most authentic way forward, self-care, vulnerability).

Our days in Libra won't be without their challenges.

We will try to keep in mind challenge = opportunity (also our North Node in Cancer's requirement that we take care of ourselves).

A big plus right now is the Jupiter/Neptune square that has made it hard to know what is really real (what is worth keeping/doing and what needs to go, what is too good to be true, when we are over-promising or others are exaggerating, etc) since January is now in our rear-view mirror, growing further and further distant starting today as our CLARITY returns.

Between now and when Saturn gets to Aquarius in March (a sign he co-rules with Uranus) - expect the words personal accountability to take on a whole new meaning in your life. Our bottom line structure has/is shifting and we will all be adjusting to that.

Today is the mid-point of the astrological year that started in April.

So much has changed.

This week will require both 'hard to come by' cooperative/diplomatic efforts and some shifting around roadblocks.

xo all

photo by the talented LaylaRouge

The Astrology of September 2019 - the week of September 23, 2019 | this is the way the patriarchy ends, part III - the reality of the situation, choices, changes, endings, new relationships

Just about got the monthly done before the month is over - ack!

Part I is HERE
Part II is HERE

Here are the major aspects left for the month as I write this. September being our last earth energy before we get to that Cappy pile-up in January - alot has happened and is happening this month for many people.

SEPTEMBER 21st - Jupiter squares Neptune
SEPTEMBER 22nd - Last Quarter Moon in Gemini, Mercury squares Saturn and the North Node & South Node
SEPTEMBER 23rd - Sun enters Libra | Equinox
SEPTEMBER 24th  - Mercury inconjunct Neptune, Mercury sextiles Jupiter
SEPTEMBER 25th - Venus squares Saturn and the North Node & South Node
SEPTEMBER 26th - Mercury squares Pluto, Sun opposes Chiron
SEPTEMBER 27th - Venus inconjunct Neptune
SEPTEMBER 28th - New Moon in Libra, Saturn conjuncts the South Node, Venus sextiles Jupiter
SEPTEMBER 29th - Sun inconjunct Uranus

Looks kind of stressy.

Let's back up and think about Saturn's station direct (on the South Node) just a couple days ago when the Moon was in Pisces.

Endings.

Reality bites.

Maybe we were disappointed. Maybe we were humbled. Grief. Sacrifice.

Always the tide moving in or out. For some, rewards came in for a job well-done.

For everyone a need to make things simpler/less crowded, less complicated - more authentic.

For a couple more days - Saturn is at a standstill. Even with this week's squares to Mercury and Venus, maybe this gives us a little extra time to get our feet on the ground and (Mars in Virgo) proceed realistically.

This (September 2019 thru January 2020) is like Part II of the economic 'humbling' that started back in 2008 when Pluto moved into Capricorn.

Saturn on the south node is eliminating what is no longer needed for our soul growth - we've gotten all the juice there is to be squeezed from this stuff. Happening in the sign of Saturn's rule - Capricorn - the stuff that is leaving can still feel very much needed because it is the structural stuff we (and our ancestors) have built our lives with.

With Uranus crashing his way through Taurus (our resources and self-esteem) and Pluto dismantling Capricorn we may not have access to the resources we have become accustomed to. We may be asked to pare things down. Maybe we lose a job we love/need. A business. A home. A plan. A dream. Maybe our public image takes a hit because Capricorn rules the very top of our chart - our point of greatest visibility; the space we are most exposed. The people and places and situations and institutions we have relied upon can no longer be counted on (this may not be obvious right now for everyone, but it is impacting everyone).

This can be some scary sh*t.

The patriarchy is ending. There is no Plan B for the patriarchy because in reality it has already ended. We are looking at/holding onto something that no longer exists. Most of us are carrying karma and old contracts and commitments that have already ended.

Some good news here, and this is all good news really when we look at the long game and the karma clearing, is we have Saturn set to make his final opportunistic sextile to Neptune in November. PLUS Jupiter will cross the Galactic Center that same month (followed by Venus meeting Jupiter and crossing the Galactic Center).

So, as fast as this hard reality comes in (and we release our expectations and emotions around what we have lost) - we can have a new sense of purpose, the faith to keep going. We are assured we have made the sacrifice for something. More authentic dreams being made real. Truth. Justice. Expansion. Love.

I don't want to make it sound like it's all leprechauns and rainbows in the end, but trust that everything is happening for a purpose. Even the scary ass sh*t.

OK back to THIS week.

Mercury and Venus are following each other's movements through Libra now

(remember they did this in Virgo earlier in the month)

- so we get the news/information then we process what it means for our relationships, money, resources, values and/or self-esteem. There will be road blocks and needs to pivot around Saturn this week - this is a continuation of last week's challenges.

And then the week ends with Saturn crossing the South Node for the final time - whatever has ended is really final now.

The deal is sealed.

The train has left the station.

No more wiggle room.

The New Moon at the same time kicking off a fresh season speaks of new starts within our relationships and brand new relationships and a coming into balance (there is a hurting/healing opposition to Chiron we will need to work through, too - maybe through a struggle to assert ourselves - we'll talk about all of this in a later post).

*****

We start SUNDAY with Mercury (in Libra) squaring Saturn (in Capricorn) and then immediately moving into a square with the North and South Nodes.

Libras do not have it easy either these days folks - squaring the Cappy planets and opposed by Chiron!

The Moon is in Cancer now - so we are all more emotional. Nurtured through home, family, mom and apple pie.

The Mercury/Saturn square might show up something like - being polite out of fear of what will happen if we aren't. Maybe squaring the North/South Nodes tension/frustration between what we want to say and what we have to say to keep the peace/keep things in balance/be nice, etc.

Important choices/decisions or information or discussions that point to relationship CHANGES.

On MONDAY, the Sun moves into Libra kicking off Libra season (Mercury and Venus gave us a little heads up on this LAST WEEK) and ushering in the Fall Equinox.

The Moon is in Cancer focusing us on that home, family, real estate, home business, family business, mother, mothering situation.

A light (the Sun) shines on what is out-of-balance or what is unfair, particularly within relationships. The curtain is drawn back, the light comes in and our Libra houses (and their themes) wake up.

Keep in mind over the next few weeks we move into the shadow of Libra when we are passive-aggressive, pouring pink paint on garbage and pretending it is a Barbie dream house and putting what everyone else needs/wants ahead of ourselves thus building deep pockets of resentment that will explode all over us and everyone else by the time we get into Scorpio season. These are our no-no's now, so head's up.

This week is bookended by the Autumn Equinox (or Spring depending on your hemisphere) which is the Sun's move into Libra and the Libra Full Moon. So lots of fresh energy for our one-on-one relationships!

On WEDNESDAY, Venus squares Saturn AND the North and South Nodes. Venus rules Libra, and with the Sun answering to her now, her aspects have added weight.

With Saturn squares what usually happens is the reality of the situation can no longer be ignored.

With Venus, this is about our love, relationships, money, resources, values, beauty, women and self-esteem. Remember we had these same aspects on Sunday with Mercury.

Mercury and Venus have been on a collision course with this square to Saturn since they entered Libra. So they, as us, have to pivot to keep going. There is a road block here.

In Libra/Saturn this can also show up as issues around loneliness and isolation. Some things need to be done solo, but if this whole "put on your big girl pants and just do it" has become too much - the opportunities will arise now to get help from others; to involve other people.

Also, keep in mind how challenging Venus/Saturn will be for us will depend on the central players in our natal chart (and if the aspects this week are hitting our natal chart). For example, let's say you have a very strong Venus in your birth chart, well, maybe, she has no problem with Saturn and you pivot smoothly past a little hiccup. On the other hand if you have moved too far off course (Saturn rules fate and he is sitting on the South Node) that same strong Venus becomes an obstacle; a hindrance rather than a helper - turns a molehill into a mountain - and makes it harder for us to pivot.

On THURSDAY, Mercury squares Pluto (so we know Venus will do this next). And the Sun opposes Chiron (ouch!). This is tension/frustration over information, a contract, a conversation, a sibling issue (maybe a transportation issue). Secrets. Power struggles. Those Libra shadows coming into the light - out of balance relationships, passive-aggressive tendencies, any need to please or pour that pink paint!

Mercury in Libra wants to be polite and wants things to be fair and Pluto is all hard edges. Intense interactions and conversations. Manipulations. Obsessions. Jealousy. Authority. The need for diplomacy. A push for the truth. An intense focus. Clear your head.

If we still can't figure out these pivots/choices/challenges by the time we get to SATURDAY - we get the Grand Finale when Saturn crosses the South Node AGAIN (we had this aspect on April 30th and July 4th) at the same time as the Libra New Moon (5 degrees).

Now Saturn really is full steam ahead - the train has left the station! No more wiggle room.

We'll talk about the New Moon in Libra (Saturday) later in the week in a BIG post. Heads up - Venus will sextile Jupiter - that's both of our most beneficial energies working together - hubba, hubba!

We'll color in the details in the dailies as we add in the lunar energies.

Keep in mind all week our North Node in Cancer (our brightest future) - the power of family, coming home, building a strong inner foundation, nurturing ourselves, being safe, being comfortable AND being brave enough to be vulnerable.

xo all

photo by the talented ineedchemicalx

Today's Astrology Forecast | September 21, 2019 - quick vs good, flexible vs that line in the sand, hopes vs dreams, a final reveal, 48 hours of wiggle room but who's counting

The Moon in busy and chatty Gemini opposed Jupiter and squared Neptune while we slept. She moves into another square, this time with Mars at 10:04AM EDT, so watch for arguments, testy communications, assertive language, demanding customers - take care driving!

At 10:40PM (interesting lunar numbers today, eh?) she goes void off her monthly Third Quarter Square. This time between the Gemini Moon and the Virgo Sun (28 degrees) and this is the day we have the FINAL square between Jupiter and Neptune (third of three in 2019).

The Third Quarter Square Moon is tension/frustration. Gemini vs Virgo - something like fast vs. good. Which are small words, but not necessarily representative of small issues.

Maybe we are challenged to be more flexible with something we wanted to go JUST SO. If we thought something was all tied up with a bow and finished, the Gemini square could offer CHOICES.

More information comes in. Minds change.

Time to wrap up all this Virgo, folks!

Jupiter's third square with Neptune becomes exact - things will be much CLEARER once these big boys start unwinding this tangle (after today). We had the first square in the middle of January, the second in the middle of June. Our hopes vs. our dreams. Our faith being tested. What's real here? Has something been taken too far? Have we over-promised and now it's "put up or show up time". Have we been expecting too much? Have we been lied to? Have we been lying to ourselves?

Since this is the final square and then the fog starts to lift - we could get to the TRUTH of something this weekend (if we didn't get the big reveal this week).

Saturn is direct, but very still.

A weekend of wiggle room and then he (as us) is full steam ahead on this new (or old if we didn't shift timelines and we didn't have to if things are going well and we are in our integrity) path ahead.

The cement is setting on this Capricorn house situation.

Back later with the final installment of September's "this is the way the patriarchy ends". This is a BIG month and it's not over yet folks ....

xo all

photo by the talented thefirebomb

Today's Astrology Forecast | September 20, 2019 - talking, listening, connecting with other people, a focus on what matters, what we do impacting our bottom line, adjusting our goals

The Moon is in Gemini now -

we are nurtured through communication, information, humor, siblings, our local community, our local environment, learning, teaching, writing, errands, transportation situations.

Gemini is fast moving. The pace quickens. Make/take the call.

She will trine Venus (smooth love, money, self-esteem, beauty situations) at 6:50AM EDT - good for social actions/connecting with other people and then trine Mercury (Gemini's ruler) at 1:23PM EDT - good for giving a talk or presentation, putting out information. News we can use. Teaching, Learning. Good for commerce, too.

We also have the Sun (finishing up in Virgo) trining Vesta (in Taurus).

We talked about Vesta yesterday as she connected with the Moon in Taurus and added a FOCUS on what really matters to that Grand Air Trine. So, today she moves into an exact aspect with the Sun (27 degrees). More grounded earth connections. Again, smallish, productive actions. What we do impacting our bottom line. With a waning Moon the focus could be on finishing up/cleaning something out.

A light is tossed on what is most important to us. What we need to do/have to keep our home fires burning.

There is some tension/rain on our parade later today with an inconjunct to sober Saturn. Maybe we are dealing with an authority figure or our need to step into our authority. A limit. A "no". A goal needs to be adjusted. The rock and the hard place. Stay flexible.

Keeping this short, so I have time to get back to the September series "this is the way the patriarchy ends" and finish up the month.

Have a good day all - xo

photo by the talented kitty's yellow jacket

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | September 19, 2019 - the smooth and profitable ending, the finishing touches that add value, keeping your eye on the ball, practical power moves and win-wins

At 9:56AM EDT, the Taurus Moon trines the Virgo Sun (26 degrees) giving us this month's Waning Trine.

This is about the precise details and small movements that "flow" us toward greater comfort and stability. Finishing touches that add value. Smooth endings. Practical actions meet tangible results that feel good/safe.

Adding this brief lunar moment to today's Mars (in Virgo) trine Pluto (in Capricorn) - we have a Grand Earth Trine this morning.

Sensible and efficient power moves that create win-wins. Focus. Courage.

Taurus/Virgo/Capricorn is our path of least resistance.

Collectively we are talking about our money/resources/self esteem + our work, health, day-to-day activities + our goals, career, place in the outside world. If you know the themes of these houses in your natal chart - here is where to make a move.

To add the Taurus (to get the Grand Trine) - we include the waning (releasing) Moon - that smooth (profitable) ending. The safe landing.

Vesta is conjunct the Taurus Moon - that sacred focus/why we do what we do - she will add FOCUS. Determination to get what we need here. An urgency to keep certain fires burning since important matters are being attended to.

The Moon will go void off that trine, but in her exalted position stay performing.

Keep in mind we also have access to the Mars trine Pluto energy (for a couple days) without this morning's lunar (ending). We have more energy. Mars has been dragging a bit in tedious Virgo. We could be tired. Maybe exhausted. The trine to powerful and transformative Pluto will change this. Work we do now, pays off later.

Act with passion. Make deals a win-win as you 'hammer' out the details. Keep actions focused and direct.

A good day for dealings with authority and standing in our own powerful shoes.

xo all

photo by the talented play-my-game

Note the Moon is void from 9:47AM EDT to 4:58PM EDT

Today's Astrology Forecast | September 18, 2019 - practical action to create comfort and stability, daddy's home, being served what we ordered, a flashing GREEN LIGHT

It's all good for our Taurus Moon today as she trines Saturn, sextiles Neptune, trines Mars and Pluto. All smooth aspects. Good for finances, business, our resources and self-esteem.

When the Moon trines the Sun - exact on Thursday morning at 9:56AM EDT - she will form a Grand Trine (with Mars and Pluto) and this starts to build TONIGHT with her trine to Pluto.

Mars will also trine Pluto tomorrow.

We are stepping into some powerful energy now. A Grand Trine indicates NO RESISTANCE - multiple brakes are off and gates open. This is an open loop between our Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn houses/themes. In Earth signs, this is about creating something REAL. Something physical. Something that can be touched.

It's a time to be productive and get stuff done!

Mars in Virgo is about practical, step-by-step action in a work or health matter. Pluto in Capricorn is about power/control/transformation of our goals, career, our worldly life and its structures. The Moon in Taurus creates comfort and luxury, speaks of our resources and money. These are the collective themes (your personal natal themes will be most accurate). If you have planets or points from 20-26 degrees of these signs - Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn - this is a flashing GREEN LIGHT.

The big news now is Saturn stationing direct after five months retrograde. Hopefully we were able to wrap up any "unfinished business" during that time because he is full steam ahead for the rest of his journey through his home sign. He (as we) will be covering old ground - now we begin to make our third pass - until the end of December when he gets back to 20 degrees Capricorn - the degree of his retrograde station last April.

Saturn's direct motion can release pent up pressure in our Capricorn house allowing us to make solid moves toward our goals and ambitions (and our natal Capricorn house theme).

It could have felt, during his retrograde, that we were moving backward. Maybe obligations weighed heavily. Walls and limitations had to be faced. Corners we had previously cut were noted to be missing.

The bills came due.

Maybe we were re-evaluating, re-assessing, re-affirming our responsibilities and commitments.

Maybe we learned to say, "no". Maybe we learned to say "yes" to something we had been avoiding.

Saturn always gives rewards, but they are Saturnian rewards - coming after we've put in the time and hard work to build something that lasts.

And yes, the thing that lasts IS the reward!

Our long range goals/commitments that may have been stuck can start to move forward now. 

With Saturn (father time) direct - daddy's home! - greater external structure is brought into our lives.

This can feel supportive and rewarding (if we have been doing our Saturn retro work) or like a wall/limit/roadblock (if we have been partying like it's 1999 - does anyone remember 1999? it seems so last century).

Dad's home. Summer's over.

Have we been goofing off? Staying out late? Running up the electric bill? Worn out his favorite chair or left his tools out in the rain to rust?

Karmic books get balanced.

Saturn rules endings and something could end now. 

Remember, karma isn't about punishment. 

It is simply cause and effect - we are just being served what we ordered.

Most of us do alot of this "ordering" unconsciously.

If we don't like what we are being served - we can choose to do things differently.

Right now.

Today.

Think clean slate.

The time-line has shifted. We are either in a repeat loop or on a new road. Either way, Saturn plays his hand (and this could have already happened), and then, the next move is ours.

xo all

Keep in mind we are building toward one of this year's biggest aspects (since it is a three-peat) - Jupiter square Neptune - which is exact on Saturday, but in play now. Neptune has been dissolving all the Jupertarian goodies (Jupiter in his home sign of Sagittarius has never had a chance!) - maybe we have been disappointed.

After Saturday this aspect begins to unwind. Jupiter is free at last!

In the meantime keep in mind this square's tendency to create overwhelm. We over-promise. We over-do. We expect too much. Enthusiasm. Fantasy. Things look too good and then they just fizzle out.

We are almost past this so hang in there - keep your actions practical and focused (and bring other people into the mix remember the planets have started to move into Libra). One step at a time.

photo by the talented halucynowa

Today's Astrology Forecast | September 17, 2019 - uncomfortable conversations around love or money, staying flexible, last minute breakthroughs and breaks for freedom

The Moon moves into Taurus at 6:31AM EDT, the sign of her exaltation.

Venus (ruler of Taurus and strong in her home sign of Libra) will oppose wounded healer Chiron. Again the "me" vs "we" thing. With Mercury having barely eked past his own opposition to Chiron - this is likely to create relationship hurting/healing

via uncomfortable (the Moon in Taurus can help if we let her) conversations around money/love/resources.

The times we had to stand up for ourselves/go it alone/couldn't feel the love or connection are re-activated. The times we didn't have enough. Most of us carry deep cell memories of starving to death that create all kinds of havoc in our life now.

We keep too much stuff. We spend too much money. We overeat. We don't prioritize nourishment. We hold onto situations that aren't working because at least they are something we can wrap our arms around.

Venus is the natural ruler of the 7th house - the sign of our projections. We could be dealing with people who have what we want or expecting other people to know what we need, without the uncomfortable conversation to tell them what that is and this won't work.

With Mercury (communication) inconjunct (rock and a hard place) Uranus - news could be unexpected or hard to deliver/hear.

Quirky jokes will fall flat. Blunt language will hurt, but no flowery adjectives will make the words feel any better either.

Maybe we want our words to be kind, but the information is so unexpected/chaos producing that they will hurt no matter what we say and how we say it. And, of course, it is equally possible to be the one hearing the words now.

Saturn is standing strong and still in his home sign preparing for his marching orders to move forward later in the week. In some way we are back where we were in January 2019 with that Capricorn situation - what have we learned? What have we done?

September is the last time we will have all this earthy energy (this has already started to change) before the big energetics of January 2020, alot of practical stuff should be, and has been, getting done.

Endings are fated this year, so STAY FLEXIBLE.

We are releasing the feelings of unworthiness that created these sore spots around love, money and self-esteem in the first place and this stuff is very old and very deep.

If we want a more equal, balanced world where everyone has enough (something this planet can easily support), these fears around not having enough have to go.

I know I said yesterday that today would be better and today I will say that tomorrow will be better. 

We've got this thing. Keep the faith all.

xo

Another thing I should say about today's Uranus connections - the Moon and Mercury - it won't be easy or comfortable BUT if something liberating needs to happen BEFORE Saturn starts to cement our future path with his direct station tomorrow night - HERE and NOW is the energy for that to happen.

photo by the talented bailey-elizabeth

Today's Astrology Forecast | September 16, 2019 - power struggles, twists and turns, words that wound, thinking about what we are thinking about, a powerful focus, practical action, another brick goes into the wall - no, not that wall, the sun will come out tomorrow

The Moon in fiery and independent Aries trined big-picture Jupiter while we slept (jumping out of bed and GOING is a real possibility) and goes void off a square with transformative Pluto at 12:03PM EDT.  

Power struggles. No soft edges. Maybe our career/goals/responsibilities are at odds with what we personally need to do now. Something new is blocked. Try to avoid direct confrontations.

(if you need a pow-wow with the big cheese or the best energies to step into your own big-cheesiness Thursday morning would be a better time)

Another long void Moon means this is not the best day to start anything brand new (get things done early). Expect twists and turns and do-overs with new actions. Practiced routine is best. Time gets stretchy.

Mercury (in Libra now) opposes a retrograde Chiron in Aries. Words and information can be painful and trigger other/older woundings. Passive/aggressive communications. Keep in mind that thoughts are things and proceed through the day accordingly. Mercury in Libra wants balance and diplomacy, but Chiron in "go-it-alone" Aries, will be triggered by anything that impinges on "me". It might feel like no one is helping us. Probably because they aren't. Whah!

Not a good day for diplomacy, so solo work is probably favored. 

Mars is still traveling with the Sun giving us a powerful focus and the energy to get things done in a step-by-step, one thing after another, practical manner.

The Moon will move into her exalted position in comfortable Taurus tomorrow with MANY positive aspects!

So, get through today. Plan light if possible. Keep your focus. Keep moving forward.

xo all

more in the weekly HERE

photo by the amazing Natalia Drepina

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of September 16th - daddy's home, the delays are over, courage and ambition, not a week to bet the farm, challenging conversations and news

Another BIG week - we have a major repeating aspect and Saturn stationing direct!

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY - Mercury and then Venus (both in Libra now) oppose Chiron in Aries
WEDNESDAY - Saturn stations direct at 14 degrees Capricorn
SATURDAY - Jupiter squares Neptune (third of three times this year)
SUNDAY - Mercury squares Saturn (and the North and South Nodes)

On TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY - Mercury and then Venus will oppose Chiron in Aries. Relationship are challenging as old and deep wounds are triggered by words and information. Diplomacy/cooperation will be difficult. Conversations painful. No matter how hard we try we almost can't say the right thing. And keep in mind as other people's words trigger old wounds buried deep inside us, they can't say the right thing either! Surrender. Apologize. We are moving to HIGHER ground, folks.

On WEDNESDAY - Saturn stations direct at 14 degrees Capricorn.

Daddy's home. What have we done with the time (since April) he has been gone? We are held accountable now. Have we been responsible? Did we cut the grass and take out the trash? Rewards can come in for hard work. There can also be discipline for slacking off OR a bigger kick in the ass that points us (or our work) in a new direction.

Karmic endings could be triggered.

Old stories that have played themselves out and need to end, will.

Goals/career situations that have been in a kind of suspended animation will start to move FORWARD.

Unstable situations can stabilize. Saturn will be full steam ahead for the rest of his journey through his home sign. The delays are over.

For some, this will begin the most powerful career (or Cappy house theme) momentum in our LIFETIME. By mid-January ALL of our Saturn/Cappy story-lines will have experienced BIG changes.

At the same time we have Mars (in Virgo) trining a retrograde Pluto in Capricorn.

Courage. Confidence. Ambition. A strong will to succeed. Excellent energy to power our way through challenging tasks - one step at a time - still Mars in practical Virgo!

On SATURDAY - Jupiter (in Sagittarius) squares Neptune (in Pisces) for the third and final time.

We had this aspect in January and then again in June.

We talked about this in last week's Full Moon post HERE.

Neptune says let go, relax, have another drink, go back to sleep, to channel my inner Jersey girl "fugget about it". Jupiter says MORE, leap, "I'll have some of what's she's having".  

Squares are tension/stress - something is exaggerated. Too good to be true maybe or we take something too far. Overwhelming. Over-indulgent. Over-something.

Maybe our faith is tested now via a disappointment.

This is not a good time to be overly optimistic. Don't bet the farm. Don't lend money you want to ever see again. Avoid drugs/alcohol/gambling.

If one more thing (remember this is a repeating aspect so won't be something totally new) is going to hit us this week, this will be when it does.

After these guys begin to unwind more and more clarity and access to all the gold nuggets promised by Jupiter in Sagittarius will start to come in!

Keep in mind that Jupiter in Sag is all about having faith. The gift of having faith isn't that we get the thing we want. The gift is the changes that come to us through the act of HAVING FAITH.

What's that Course in Miracles quote - "Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God." Something like that. Please don't make me google. 

Since this is the third of three - clarity could come in now. Release.

On SUNDAY - Mercury (in Libra) moves into square with Saturn and the Nodes.

Serious conversations. Challenging information. Sobering news.

Possibly around work vs family (or our Cappy vs Cancer natal themes).

Mercury in Libra wants kind words and cooperation and for everybody to just get along and this won't be easy. There are rules, limits, boundaries. Responsibilities. Difficult conversations with authority. We've got air now, so let's think before we speak. Watch what we are agreeing/committing to now because we WILL be held accountable for it. Maybe we are not liking what we are hearing. Maybe the answer is no. Our thinking could be negative or depressive. With the Nodes of Fate triggered this normally fast and fleeting aspect gains greater importance, so pay attention.

We'll talk about all of this as we move through the week and factor in the very important lunar energies!

xo all

Heads up the Moon goes void around noon Monday EDT until Tuesday morning, so no sleeping in on Monday - get it done early!

photo by the talented quadratiges

Full Moon in Pisces | September 13th - 14th, 2019 - an ending, maybe a disappointment, living the serenity prayer, staying in our power, staying in our magic, letting go of what we can't control, cleaning up our mess, the big dissolve, letting go of the past, magic on steroids

The Pisces Moon at 21 degrees opposes the Virgo Sun at 12:33AM EDT (Friday night). At its moment of fullness the Moon goes void (seems appropriate for disappearing Pisces and with all these long voids we've been having) and doesn't get into Aries until 6:32PM EDT on Saturday night.

Let's unpack the chart!

The Moon is conjunct Pisces ruler Neptune. This alone is a pretty big deal. Uber sensitivity. On the one hand - mega-creativity, spirituality, compassion, intuition, imagination, solitude. On the other hand - mega-confusion, illusion, deception, grief, regret, exhaustion, illness - the end of the page/the chapter/the book.

The Pisces Moon is opposed by not only the Sun, but also Mars. She is squaring Jupiter and sextiling Pluto. Venus is conjunct Mercury. Mars is conjunct the Sun and opposing Black Moon Lilith. The Sun trines Pluto. Again, there is no air in the chart and very little fixed energy. It's all earth and water - mud pies, crumbling clay statues and dirty footprints on the new carpeting.

Pisces is the last and final sign - the place where the buck stops - Pisces energy knows this.

Pisces compassion shows patience, lends an ear or a shoulder without the need for recognition - without the need for thanks - knowing the service is its own reward. The work of Pisces is often invisible. It holds open doors and holds the spaces for others to be strong and courageous and confident. 

Pisces rules the 12th house of what is hidden and put away, the ways we self-sabotage because from our vantage point in our 1st house we can't see what's behind us/don't know what we don't know, illusions and delusions, escape, sacrifice, our addictions, our imagination, lack of boundaries, connection, compassion, charity, hospitals, prisons, the things we do last, the things we have forgotten, our distant pasts, our ancestors, water, sleep, illness, healing, spirituality ....

Every Full Moon brings energy to a "peak" - to a culmination point, to the space where we can no longer 'ignore' it - as if we have been holding our breath and now we have to noisily gasp for air or suffocate - to an ending or a release.  The Pisces Full Moon amplifies this and then her conjunction to Neptune - amplifies this even more. We see it. Then we see more. Then we see MORE.

The Sun/Mars can be angry/passionate/will want action and that square to Jupiter will push us to GO or to make something bigger. The big dog will attract a BIGGER dog.

Or maybe we are feeling totally overwhelmed with whatever is going on/whatever we have to do.

Now keep in mind Neptune/Moon is dissolving.

Disappointing.

A MIRAGE.

Leaps now, urged on by that Jupiter/Mars square, may not get us very far because Jupiter is on a crash course with his third and final Neptune Square

(on the other hand, and this is why we get two of them, believing in our dreams and taking action on them with optimism and courage may get us further than the chart would appear to indicate because although Jupiter is on his path toward dissolving Neptune, Neptune is on his own path to Saturn and STABILITY).

The Jupiter/Neptune square has been a repeating aspect we had in January and June - how does now connect back to then? What is coming to light now? What is coming to an end? Where is the truth here? This aspect (the final square) is exact on September 21st.

The Full Moon is building toward that final square. And keep in mind Jupiter is on his own journey toward Saturn and Pluto in 2020.

With both Mercury and Venus set to leave Virgo within hours of the Full Moon - here is yet another indication we are DONE with something. We have taken this thing as far as it can go. It is good enough. As fixed as it is going to get.

The shadow side of Jupiter (important player in this Full Moon and old ruler of Pisces) is when we don't appreciate our good luck. We start thinking the tide will always be in. That we have earned something we actually won.

If things are going very well now, take the time in this moment of FULLNESS to say a prayer of appreciation

(when Jupiter gets into Capricorn next year and that whole stellium shifts retrograde, some of our gains could turn into losses as the tide goes out, so savor what you have NOW and put something away for a rainy day).

The best thing about this Full Moon is her aspects to a retrograde Pluto - yes, I said PLUTO!

Death/transformation, truth yes, THAT Pluto. 

The Moon is sextile Pluto; the Sun is trine. The old stuff in the shadows is illuminated CLEARLY if we have the courage to look and feel.

These changes are happening RIGHT ON SCHEDULE. 

We are letting go of the past.

There is a certain flow to things. A truth. A bigger picture. An opportunity that comes later (we can't see it now with the Neptune square) - a need for change now/a need for us to see now (maybe be disappointed now) so later we can be more authentically powerful, more real, more planted/invested/merged somewhere else. 

Without this messy now, we get an even messier later or maybe the later is all screwed up. 

At this Full Moon we are charged with controlling what we can control - taking care of our responsibilities, cleaning up our mess, eliminating what we don't need. Then we let go of the rest - it's out of our hands. Maybe the biggest lesson of Virgo is when "it's not our job".

Of course, we can't just pray this work away or escape into lala-land, but there will be help from everything that has come before us. Our future is our past's future, too, and our past is helping us.

There are lots of shifts after this Full Moon as we start to move into balanced, social and just Libra.

The mental pressure will start to ease up almost IMMEDIATELY.

And we are going to need a REST.

Hopefully not the kind where we lay down in a big, old wooden box ;)

The last two weeks of the month look very different than the first two although they are obviously a continuation; a following based on our Virgo actions (or avoidances), but there will be air - we can decide/know/think on our feet.

With all the stress in this chart - there is also the very strong MAGIC and connection through the Pisces Moon cozied up to her ruler. Pray. Meditate. Get your body into some water. Cry. Sweat. That Jupiter square is challenging. Yes, things can go too far. But sometimes squares force things that need to happen to happen. We have to play the hand we're dealt. Or maybe in this case, the hand we've accumulated. Have faith. Optimism.

The Moon's story/energy continues during Saturday's void and we have both Mercury and Venus and finally the Moon cross the Aries point (world axis) giving spark to a fresh beginning. It's a brand new day although with that Pisces Full Moon one that might favor sleeping in!

xo all

take some extra Vitamin C or whatever you do when 'air' season (head colds) kicks off on Saturday and get out and walk in this Full Moon - the Harvest Moon - whether it's been a bumper crop or a wash-out we only get one Harvest Moon every year, so let's appreciate it and where we are RIGHT NOW

Today's Astrology Forecast | September 12, 2019 - building toward tomorrow's Full Moon, thoughts are things now, stay positive, keep the faith, one step at a time, prioritize keeping things healthy

The Moon slips into spiritual and imaginative Pisces at 5:52AM EDT and we begin the build-up to tomorrow's Full Moon.

Her only aspect today is a sextile (opportunity) with a retrograde change-maker (surprise!) Uranus at 6:26PM EDT. She has a gazillion aspects tomorrow - so expect lots of movement.

With the Moon's progress from Aquarius (fixed air) to Pisces (mutable water) - we move from our heads to our intuition. From what we know (or think we do, Aquarians think they know everything right?!) to what we feel/seek.

Adding a mutable Moon to all this Virgo, we can expect things to be 'in flux'. Stuff is changing. We think things are going one way and then we need to be flexible because they might go somewhere else!

Mars (in practical Virgo) squares Jupiter (in optimistic Sagittarius).

So maybe we want to do this BIG thing, but we are mired in all these little tasks and DETAILS. Or maybe we are losing sight of the BIG thing because we are lost in the minutia that isn't so important. We could be dealing with tension/frustration over a Virgo situation - work, health, day-to-day activities, our pets. Mars, even in earthy Virgo, is always ready for a good FIGHT and Jupiter makes everything BIGGER than it needs to be. We can't see the forest for the trees.

Mars in Virgo MUST take care of the nitty gritty stuff. Jupiter in Sag asks us to have FAITH in something bigger.

With the square, trying to go too big (Jupiter's temptation) is probably not such a good idea right now. And remember Jupiter is squaring Neptune, so we don't know what we don't know, the goodies are HIDDEN. AND we are building toward a Pisces Full Moon which sometimes brings disappointment. 

On the other hand Mars/Jupiter provides energy and motivation (sometimes viewed as 'unlucky', but it's only unlucky if we make sudden, big moves. I have seen this aspect sometimes in charts of people on the autism spectrum .. you have to look for work-arounds for this bottleneck of energy).

Our work-around today is Venus and Mercury (on their way out of Virgo in just a couple days and Venus will be in her home sign of LIBRA) are trining Vesta (in Taurus) at 27 degrees.

So, here is what we do with the Mars/Jupiter bottleneck that urges us to DO SOMETHING.

Vesta speaks of what we hold sacred/what we give our time and attention to.

In Taurus, this will be about our natal Taurus house theme or the collective Taurus themes of money, our resources, our income, our values and self-esteem.

Venus rules Taurus amping up the trine and Mercury rules Virgo (both are still in Virgo) making our practical and grounded WORDS/THOUGHTS powerful manifesting agents.

We are deciding what we want - we need to be willing to give this thing we want our TIME AND ATTENTION AND RESOURCES.

We are making a sensible plan. We are taking practical action.

We use the Venus trine to attract what we need - she is in Virgo, so we are attracting by prioritizing our health (our physical health, the health of our back account, the health of our relationships), prioritizing organization - keeping things neat and in order. Do what supports this now. Put down the donut. Balance your checkbook. Go for a walk.

We use the Mercury trine by being INTENTIONAL with our words. Say what you want. Say what you mean. Focus conversations on what you want/not what you don't want. Think about what you are thinking about. Pull your thoughts back to what you want/what you have prioritized. Write this sh*t down.

Keep in mind Virgo/Taurus (all earth) manifesting is grounded.

Stuff grows organically and over time like the stuff we would grow in the ground.

This doesn't mean we can set it and forget it.

Yes, life will provide the rain and the sun - we don't have to do EVERYTHING, but we still need to pull the weeds - eliminate the stuff coming between us and what we want - transplant if something grows too big for its container, etc. Stay focused on the stuff that matters to us - that's what Vesta does! Good advice for Virgo season when everything seems like something that needs fixing!

Hang in there if these days are stressful.

Decide/think/talk about what you want. Use tonight's Uranus sextile to shake things up a bit.

xo all

photo by the talented DarkGomo