Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 14, 2019 - out of the shadows, knowing what we don't want to know but it stabilizes us, inspirational thinking, mergers and acquisitions, saying yes to opportunities

MONDAY - Sun squares Pluto, Mercury sextiles Saturn
TUESDAY - Mercury trines Neptune
THURSDAY - Venus trines the North Node, Mercury trines BML
SATURDAY - Mercury sextiles Pluto
SUNDAY - Venus sextiles Saturn

Lots of information and communication this week (big news and deep insights) as we prepare to make IMPORTANT DECISIONS which we will re-visit, re-view, re-vise over the next few weeks.

On MONDAY, the Moon went void Sunday evening at 5:59PM EDT off her square to Pluto. She is void until 12:24PM EDT when she moves into comfort-loving Taurus - the sign of her exaltation.

The Sun squares Pluto (we talked about this in the Full Moon posts HERE) is exact now. A light is thrown on the shadows of a relationship/an injustice/something out of balance. Jealousy. Compulsion. Manipulation. Uncomfortable and unbalanced power situations. Power struggles. Something could feel like life and death (because in a sense it is) as we struggle for air.

The ways through this: let's think about the signs involved, Libra/Capricorn - maybe here is the need for grace under pressure. Diplomacy. Tact. This isn't about being wishy-washy, passive aggressive or playing small to keep something in balance though. The Sun is going to move past his square to Pluto - as whatever this is comes out into the light. This could also be a bit of a humbling as the Sun (our ego) needs to maneuver around the darkness. Secrets can come out.

Maybe something we have been avoiding looking at will come into focus. Our self-sabotaging tendencies might be right in our face. Cords are being/have been cut all over the place folks.

Today's other big aspect will help -

Mercury (in Scorpio) sextiles Saturn (in Capricorn).

Opportunities via talks and information, especially with authority, our career and goals. Excellent for business and commerce. Making efforts toward greater security. Information that stabilizes the situation. Our ideas get legs. We are merging. Borrowing/lending. Getting to the bottom of things. Doing the research. Walking our talk.

With Mercury in Scorpio - Scorpian themes - other people's money, spouse's income, taxes, inheritance, loans, intimacy, sex, reproduction, life/death, finances - could play a part.

We'll talk about the Moon for Monday since I won't be doing a daily today.

The Moon in Taurus hooks up with change-maker Uranus. Surprises with love/money are possible. Situations that shift our values. The Moon opposes Venus at 4:33PM EDT - more volatility along those same lines. The Moon in Taurus wants comfort and stability and Venus in Scorpio is digging down deep, stirring stuff up and rocking the boat. We may find out more than we really want to know, BUT the knowledge is stabilizing in the long-term (remember that sextile from Mercury to Saturn now). We are figuring out where we stand, what we stand for and who is standing WITH US.

On TUESDAY, Mercury trines (brakes off) Neptune (in Pisces).

Inspirational/intuitive thinking. Creativity. Spirituality. Writing. Our logical mind and our intuition is working together. The words left unsaid are maybe more important than what we are saying/hearing, so pay attention with all your senses. More secrets coming out as Neptune dissolves those Scorpian boundaries. Our ancestors/our past is talking to us. Listen. Meditate. The answers are out there. Not good energy for detailed work, but beautiful energy for creative and mystical work. We are both listening to our intuition AND incorporating truth/the facts into our thinking now.

On THURSDAY, Venus (in Scorpio) will trine the North Node and Mercury will trine Black Moon Lilith. Things are moving forward.

We are sifting through the information/insight, absorbing that Full Moon ending/truth, any need for liberation/to be ourselves, are looking beyond the day-to-day to what is truly possible - we are lining up with our values/what we want to attract. Look for Venus themes/Scorpio themes - love, money, relationships, our values, self-esteem, intimacy issues, finances, what we have merged with other people - to move us toward a more authentic future (that Cancer North Node).

On FRIDAY, we have a Finger of God (a fated situation) between the Moon (in information-loving Gemini) and Mercury and Pluto. Truth. Deep insight.

On SATURDAY, Mercury sextiles Pluto. Remember we had the testing/tension filled square last weekend and earlier in the week, and now depending on what we did with that, we get the OPPORTUNITY. Words are powerful and focused like a laser beam.

On SUNDAY, now it is Venus's turn to sextile Saturn - there are OPPORTUNITIES to stabilize a financial situation. Think quality over quantity. Long term investing is favored. Mergers and acquisitions. Disciplined spending and savings pays off. This is good energy to pay down/off debt or to start a savings plan. Relationships launched now could be long-lasting, security-focused or between a younger/older person. Think mentor. Rewards for hard work can come in. Merged resources/other people's money stabilizes a situation. People will be looking for a commitment.

We show love through taking care of our responsibilities and honoring our obligations. Excellent energy for business dealings. Excellent energy for women to work with and step into authority now.

Keep in mind other than Monday's lunar notes, I list aspects when they are most exact EDT, but we will feel them/can access them as they build and unwind also - so things could happen on different days. Some things we have to deal with and some we can CHOOSE to interact with. Also keep in mind we don't always have to do anything with energy - it impacts us just by being alive on planet Earth. This week there is alot of information coming out and we change by interacting with words/communications/research/our thinking etc. And because Venus is still right behind Mercury - which is ideal is some ways, but also pumps up the volume - Venusian situations/attractions (love, money, self-esteem, values, women, beauty) follow the conversations/information. With both planets in Scorpio, even though this is Libra season, things will go deeper and be sharper (probably no one is bringing anyone flowers right now) than might be comfortable. 

We'll unpack all of this in the dailies.

xo all

photo by the amazing Natalia Ciobanu

Full Moon in Aries | October 13, 2019 - the long good-bye, the change changes, a pressure cooker kind of pushy, clearing the road, a new season of life, a new identity, a wider vista, an open mind

We end an intense week (next week looks easier) with an intense Full Moon - in play for two weeks, but strongest over the next couple days!

On Sunday, October 13th, at 5:07PM EDT, the Aries Moon moves into an exact opposition with the Libra Sun giving us this month's Full Moon.

The Full Moon is always a time of tension - it's a time of Sun opposite Moon. Oppositions are pretty much just what they sound like. This is the "we vs me" polarity of the Libra/Aries axis.

This is the culmination of the Aries New Moon that launched the lunar year back in April, so maybe something from that time is finishing up. Or maybe it never really got started and here we are half a year later. Feels like years ago, doesn't it? I think I am aging in dog years now. Woof.

The New Moon from April is intrinsically connected to this Full Moon - if you have a couple minutes re-read it HERE.

At the Full Moon things peak, culminate or come to light. Results are delivered. Stuff finishes up.

Aries energy is very self sufficient. This is the energy of "me". The sign of "I am". The baby of the zodiac, Aries can't always see the other person's side of things because if they did they wouldn't be able to take quick, decisive action and that quick decisive action is what they are here to manifest.

Aries is the sign of the warrior.

Let's unpack the chart!

The Full Moon/Sun opposition is squaring Pluto (20 degrees Capricorn) - God of the Underworld. What is gone and isn't coming back? What is dead that we are still feeding? What is hibernating and waiting to be re-born?

The Sun squaring Pluto is a powerful transit and happening exactly at a Full Moon amps it up even more. Pluto is always about a death. Full Moons are also the time of endings/culminations. So the Full Moon is both a piece of a difficult long-term process of challenging change via an important ending already in motion AND a space of challenging change itself.

The change could change.

The square speaks of tension/frustration. A power struggle. Maybe manipulations/domination in an attempt to hang onto something. A transformative crisis. Feeling like something is life and death. Maybe it is. Most likely it isn't. With the Moon in brave Aries maybe having the courage to face the dark/lose it all ....

The Moon is opposing the Sun in Libra (and Mars, ruler of Aries is IN Libra) which is about our relationships; always seeking balance and harmony and justice and beauty. Maybe something has moved so far out of balance it will take a big passionate (maybe even angry) push in another direction to get us back to center.

Mars, ruler of Aries and so ruler of this lunation is in his "fall" in Libra - not able to be the Marsy (ie ballsy action Jackson) guy we typically need/want him to be, but on the other hand he is also more cooperative, fairer/more diplomatic, and able to see another point of view.

The Full Moon's potent exact square to powerful Pluto sets the stage for difficult change.

And intense emotions. And the easiest emotion for the Full Moon in Aries to reach for is anger. A challenging matter MUST be addressed. The stuff we didn't want to deal with, if we haven't, well now we have to.

Keep in mind the Moon is in Aries - our action, anger, passion, how we initiate, how we fight, how we get what we want. Full Moon events spring from our actions/ambitions/passions. And the Moon is conjunct Eris (goddess of discord and more of that angry outsider/won't be boxed in energy we have been dealing with this week) - things could get explosive.

The good news and there is plenty - the Full Moon is trining - brakes off - both Jupiter (expansion, good luck, faith, optimism) and Ceres (nurturing, seasons of life issues, what seems outside our control) and the Sun is sextiling (opportunity) Jupiter and Ceres.

This is the chapter where - when we lose, we win. 

The Plutonian ending is creating the fertile soil most needed for new growth AND we have the Jupiter/Ceres trine and sextile to provide the avenues for this growth (we are clearing the road) AND we will need to MAKE AN EFFORT.

A new season.

A new identity.

A fresher vision.

A wider horizon.

An open mind.

Relationships that have been going through a rough patch - which seems par for the course right now as lifetimes of karma drops away (how many of our connections to other people are karmic tangles that as they come un-knotted leave us feeling alone and un-tethered?) - can come back to life over the next couple weeks.

What else do we see in this event chart?

Venus is opposing Uranus (exact yesterday), Mercury is trining the North Node (exact yesterday). Mars is moving off his opposition to hurting/healing Chiron. Black Moon Lilith is moving off her conjunction to Neptune. What a build-up to this Moon! This stuff is in our rear-view mirror, but just barely. Actions/interactions that trigger old wounds. Rebellion. Delusion. Surprises around love and money/or other people's money. Words/information that move us toward something more authentic.

Keep in mind Mercury will retrograde in Scorpio and she/he (as us) is walking degrees he will walk two more times. 

So, everything from now until Halloween (when Mercury stations retrograde) will be "re-visited, re-vised, re-done" from November 1st through November 20th. Keep this in mind now.

This is a time of deep insight. Aspects to Pluto and the Nodes mean decisions we make now, particularly around what stays and what goes (and some of this is most certainly outside our control) and our path forward have both stickiness and long-term consequences.

So, where is it what we want to do/who we want to be (our ARIES) not matching up to our reality?

This Full Moon, with its pressure-cooker kind of pushiness, makes it obvious.

Aries (as us) has excellent instincts.

We have to trust them now.

The New Moon in two weeks (in Scorpio) looks challenging, too. If we are waiting for things to ease up to make a move we will be sitting on our asses until spring. But don't take that as permission to do some idiotic 'toss the baby out with the bathwater' Aries thingie.

More will become clear in the week ahead as we get more revelations, intimacy and commitment deepens and we begin to add some structure/stability to what all this Scorpio/Pluto is digging up.

xo all

Today's Astrology Forecast | October 12, 2019 - building toward tomorrow's Full Moon, abrupt changes around love and money, acting quickly and assertively but not impulsively, words matter

The Moon moved into Aries late last night. Her only aspect today is an opposition to Aries ruler, Mars, at 11:43AM EDT. Emotional arguments/passionate moves. Maybe heroic action where we rise to the occasion or volatile interactions because everyone is all jacked up. Assertion vs aggression. Drive safely. Channel this into something physical. Get some exercise. Work with it.

We are building toward tomorrow's BIG Full Moon in Aries squaring Pluto and trining Jupiter and Ceres.

Venus makes her annual opposition to Uranus (retrograde). Scorpio/Taurus. What we own and what we have merged with other people is abruptly adjusted. Relationship power shifts. Relationship shake-ups. Our values change suddenly. Something is important to us one minute and unimportant the next as our focus moves to something else. Our self-esteem changes. Money changes hands. An unexpected expense. An unexpected influx. Possessions get lost. This is about love, sex, money, jealousy, obsession, merged finances, loans, inheritances. Oppositions are projections, but look like they are triggered by outside influences. It's sudden/shocking/exciting/last-minute CHANGE. And this could have already played out within the last couple weeks - Uranus is ahead of his time. But can also play out now, too. What changed changes. Buy a lottery ticket.

This aspect is part of tomorrow's Full Moon ending energy, so if we have been clinging too tightly to something that isn't ours (and keep in mind we can never lose what is truly ours) or if power within relationships has become too unbalanced - this, coupled with that square from Pluto to the Sun tomorrow coupled with the Full Moon culmination, is potent energy for it to be wrenched away from us to restore some kind of balance.

At the same time, Mars, is inconjunct Uranus. Mars is in Libra, the sign of his detriment (and we know he is squaring the Moon today). In Libra, he wants everyone to get along and can avoid making a move for fear of upsetting someone or standing up for himself, so now maybe he (as us) has procrastinated and does something impulsive or passive-aggressive. This feels kind of like yesterday's rebelliousness within relationships/a compulsion to act in unconventional ways, so more of that energy. In Libra/Taurus this is about "we" vs what I own. Good energy for acting quickly and assertively, just avoid big, impulsive moves. A time of adjustment.

Mercury in Scorpio is trining (brakes off) the North Node in Cancer (our way forward) now so pay attention to the information that comes in/the deep conversations - among all the muddle, something is pointing us in the right direction. Toward something that feels more safe and nurturing. Something that feels like home. Something that feels more authentic.

Words are especially powerful right now. 

We need to pay attention to today's conversations and think about what we are thinking about. With trines things can move so smoothly - this means whatever is happening should fall into place - they are easy to miss or discount.

The right conversation, words, ideas that point us forward will find us. Maybe something we learn now will be needed later.

Speak carefully and purposefully. Talk about what you want to happen and not what you do not want. Words always matter. We are finishing up something here that spills the seeds our next something is rooted in. Use precise language.

This could be a final chance to check something off, revise our plan, or review the details of a situation/agreement/decision, etc. The best answers should come easy. If we have to manipulate, push or force something into place it is the wrong something or the wrong timing.

(although with Mercury in potentially manipulative/secretive Scorpio we may need some Game of Thrones style maneuvering)

And remember Mercury also rules our neighborhood, our siblings and transportation - which sounds random, but actually isn't.

Alot of today's info will flow into the Full Moon post next. It's still Libra season, a time of balance, but with both Venus and Mercury in Scorpio we are going deeper, faster now. The social niceties give way quickly to stuff that is more real and sometimes more messy ....

xo all

photo by the talented RaphaelleM

Today's Astrology Forecast | October 11, 2019 - all day Void Moon, wanting or exploring more within our relationships, an urge for freedom or need to be ourselves, merging and purging, a balancing act

The Pisces moon squared Jupiter at 4:01AM EDT and then went void off a sextile (opportunity) to Pluto at 5:55AM EDT. She will be void for the rest of the day (EDT) and move into Aries after midnight. There she'll be on course for our big Full Moon on Sunday (5:08PM EDT).

The Moon sextile Pluto (last aspect before void) means she continues to perform today and encourages deep connecting/production through working together; through what we merge. Good for research. Getting to the bottom of things. Finding the hidden power structures. Who is really pulling the strings. Merging. Purging. Clean-ups. Endings.

The Sun at 17 degrees Libra is inconjunct (rock and hard place) Black Moon Lilith now. Maybe the supportive relationship is at odds with the freedom to be ourselves/pull toward something more "fringe element", but maybe darker, too. Tread carefully here.

The Sun is also sextiling Ceres in Sagittarius, so maybe the relationship (that Sun in partner-focused Libra) or balance/fairness issue is nourished now through bigger and more expansive actions/thinking - it doesn't have to be so black and white as Lilith wants (her cake and eating it, too), since it is Libra season - the time of balance.

Explore something new. Expand your reach together.  The Libra/Sag sextile is about social charm/conversations. Talk about it. Especially those Ceres themed issues - nurturing, season of life issues, things that feel out of our control.

The Sag sextile brings hope, a sense of justice and positivity to Libra (the relationship). The Pisces inconjunct brings the challenge - which could be a Lilith (personal freedom/where we don't fit in) issue or a Piscean issue - addiction, need to escape, avoiding the personal - the relationship - through the impersonal (the infinite). Libra wants balance and Pisces is the infinite where there is no need for balance anymore. Of course, we don't live on Neptune and this is Libra season. Balance/fairness, as challenging as it can be, is our friend. Both these aspects were in play yesterday, too.

So, this is a sextile with important celestial bodies between your Sag and Libra houses - what are those themes? We always have the sextile (opportunity), but now we have the energies (bodies in the houses or seats in the chairs so to speak) to do something with the sextile. At the same time we have the inconjunct between our Pisces and Libra houses.

Back with the Full Moon post - I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Three day weekend in some places for some people!

Keep in mind today - the Void Moon could bring some wonk (don't start anything new) - so roll with the twists and turns knowing they will be much ado about nothing. Use that Moon/Pluto sextile to look more closely at the stuff you would normally push under the rug. There are diamonds hidden among the dust bunnies now ...

xo all

photo by the talented Natalia Ciobanu

this is also the day Mercury starts walking (in Scorpio) the degrees he/she will walk two more times during his upcoming retrograde, so pay attention to what is going on now because it will be part of that process

Today's Astrology Forecast | October 9, 2019 - nourished through connection when connection is challenging, shifting values, staying healthy

The Moon is void until 12:05PM EDT when she enters "no boundaries" and imaginative Pisces. She trines Venus at 2:47PM EDT and sextiles a retrograde Uranus at 10:54PM EDT.

Roll with the flow during the void. The afternoon is good for creative work, spiritual work/healing.

The Moon in Pisces nourishes us (and events may turn our attention to) - our imagination, art, connection, charity, people/events from our past, nostalgia, endings, hospitals, healing, things/people who have been put away, things we have forgotten, spirituality, rest, escape, addiction.

The trine to Venus this afternoon could combine one of those Pisces themes with our money, relationships, our values, beauty, women or self-esteem. The late night sextile to Uranus speaks of something unexpected/forward leaning/liberating - in a good way. Change is good.

We still have the Mars/Chiron from yesterday in play - actions that hurt/heal. Weak spots triggered. Maybe having to assert ourselves. Being challenged to not project our pain (which can look like our bulllsh*t) onto other people. With Mars in Libra an opportunity to shift old and painful relationship dynamics.

The Sun is inconjunct illusory Neptune (ruler of the Moon after the void). With the Sun in partnership/balance/women focused Libra - it could be hard to see something here CLEARLY. Adjustments might be needed. Misunderstandings are possible. Maybe the 'dream' and the 'relationship or balance issue' are at odds somehow. The rock and the hard place.

We might face situations that allow us to see/feel where we are being too self-sacrificing or playing a victim role that no longer serves anyone or maybe a situation where more compassion is required of us.

Back with the BIG Full Moon post tomorrow and then we are going to get seriously focused on the January energies in these posts. Stay healthy everyone. 

xo all 

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | October 8, 2019 - a natural flow forward, intellectual connections, relationship breakthroughs, get it done and out early, taking action that might not seem so nice

The Moon in Aquarius trines the Sun (in Libra) at 5:20AM EDT bringing us this month's waxing trine as we grow toward this weekend's Full Moon -

this is good for trying something new within our relationships, having a breakthrough, doing something liberating, connecting with people via the internet. There is a natural flow between partners and independence/between one-on-one and the group. We can connect with people on an intellectual level. Communicate. Keep things light.

The Moon will go void off a sextile (opportunity) to an expansive and optimistic Jupiter at 2:26PM EDT. This is good for forward movement on all things Jupertarian/Sagittarius - travel, dealing with foreign issues, higher education, weddings, media, politics, religion, publishing and all things Aquarius - the goals that bring us into connection with other people, the internet, progressive issues, the future, astrology, our groups and causes and friendships as well as the themes of our natal Aquarius and Sag houses.

The Moon will be void for the rest of the day - so if you need to start something or do something you want "something to come of" - get it done BEFORE 2:26PM EDT.

Voids are a good time for practiced production (the stuff we do again and again) or we might find ourselves having to re-do it later when the Moon is no longer void (for example you paint a room and then later decide you don't like it and need to repaint, etc). Voids are also good times to put things out we want "nothing to come of" - for example that late filing tax return, in the U.S. due October 15th. Just keep in mind things can get wonky during voids - I once filed during a void only to get my return back in the mail many weeks later because I had forgotten to sign it. Nothing came of it, but not in the way I was wanting! I still like to file during voids though.

If a big fuss is stirred up during a Void Moon just roll with it because most likely nothing will come of it anyway.

This is also the day Venus moves into Scorpio (until November 1st) - we talked about that, at length, in the weekly HERE under Tuesday

and the day Mars (in Libra) squares Chiron (in Aries). This aspect might seem like whatever we do irritates someone or whatever someone else is doing is irritating us. Maybe we try to be nice (which can sometimes feel inauthentic with Mars here), but it backfires somehow. If we are afraid to make a move because it is scary to act independently or stand up for ourselves or we think we won't be "nice" if we do what we need to do - we are probably going to have to take that action anyway. Chiron in Aries is ABOUT the stuff we are having to do for ourselves and not rely on other people and what better than a square to a passive-aggressive Mars in Libra to bring out some relationship sore spots or projections. Chiron is in Aries answering to Mars and Mars is in Libra answering to Venus and Venus is diving into the murky waters of Scorpio today. It seems action should/will be taken even if it hurts.
 
Coming off yesterday's heavy energy of the Sun square Saturn, Mars/Chiron could just be a time when we need to set something DOWN. Do a little less. If things aren't showing up exactly as we would like them to - it's only because something BETTER is coming down the line. Know this. That Jupiter in Sagittarius sextile is reminding us to have faith.

That about wraps it up I think - the Moon is as happy as an Aquarius Moon can be and looking ahead it isn't until Thursday late afternoon that the Moon runs into any trouble at all, so she (as us) sails through Pisces tomorrow with the wind at her back also.

xo all

photo by the amazing machihuahua

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 7, 2019 - a roadblock, disruptive clarity, seductive attractions, fated choices, shifting values, plus a huge Full moon at the end of the week

MONDAY - Sun squares Saturn, Mercury opposes Uranus
TUESDAY - Venus enters Scorpio, Mars opposes Chiron
SATURDAY - Venus opposes Uranus, Mercury trines the North Node
SUNDAY - Full Moon in Aries (20 degrees)

Lots happening and we are building to a big, fiery Full Moon in Aries (squaring Pluto) at the end of the week. The middle of the week looks the simplest ...

On MONDAY, the Sun (in Libra) squares Saturn (in Capricorn).

We talked about this yesterday:

"Our life force/creativity is blocked somehow. There is pressure, tension, frustration. Maybe too much work or too much service is being required of us. We could doubt our own abilities and any space we "don't have what it takes" could be right in our face and possibly even on view for others.

Maybe we get a "no". Maybe something that stabilizes us comes to an end or a relationship ends or the balance shifts. Maybe something requiring additional responsibilities/work could begin.

Whatever this wall is for our egos in this cycle - we hit it. "DAM!" said the fish when she did. Ack!

(and with the Sun in Libra we might experience this through another person or through a relationship situation)

Patience and diligence are really the only antidotes to a Saturnian wall.

Big girl pants meet big girl ass" ... then get on with it.

Sun/Saturn can be depressing/draining. It's cyclical, it's predictable, the Sun is fast moving - keep this in mind now. 

At the same time Mercury (in Scorpio) is opposing Uranus (in Taurus). Secrets could be exposed suddenly. Truth comes out. Information is revealed/conversations happen/decisions are made - that provide clarity, but are also disruptive/chaotic.

This can also just be, if this isn't hitting your personal chart closely - because Mercury rules the day-to-day stuff - changes in our plans. Sudden changes with a sibling situation. Transportation issues.

Not an easy day though, but at least we have an Aquarius Moon to temper everyone's emotions ... drive safely.

On TUESDAY, Venus dives from Libra, the home-girl sign she rules, into the deep, murky waters of Scorpio.

Venus is considered in her 'detriment' in Scorpio. It's dark. It's ruled by Pluto. It's not her favorite place to hang out. We will notice how we use other people's energy and how they use ours. Vampires do not really only come out in the night.

Venus in Scorpio doesn't look like the more traditional beauty of Venus in Libra. Her beauty is dark and forbidding now. She doesn't flirt. She seduces.

She doesn't want peace at any cost so much as she wants to feel what's really underneath all the phony smiles and superficial niceties.

Scorpio rules death and destruction and now this comes through our relationships.

Here Venus pushes herself to the edge of life with compulsions, intimacy, jealousy, obsession and a struggle for real power. She goes into the dark corners that hold all our secrets and she coaxes them out into the open. There can be brutal and deep honesty here.  

Relationships get intense. 

If you are working through the unraveling of a complicated relationship or financial quagmire - this energy will be your best friend. 

Scorpio Suns and Ascendants get more attractive (more beautiful and more able to attract what they want). Your Scorpio house (where is Scorpio hanging out in your natal chart?) gets more attractive, too.

Venus rules love, money and women. Getting what we want with any of them becomes an act of seduction. We need to entice. We need to risk our flaws and shadows being visible.  
 
Venus in Scorpio knows our need for acceptance will make us invisible, so she risks rejection to be seen.

She doesn't want to be friends - she wants to be soul-mates.

We will feel more "all or nothing" with our passions now. Things can crash and burn here. And for better or worse she isn't afraid to manipulate things to get what she wants (and yes, this, and her obsession with secrets and power will be her downfall).

People will be drawn to what is hidden; to what we don't show them. Keep this in mind if you sell things for a living. Buyers will want to discover things for themselves.

There will be no place for our secrets to hide

(especially women's secrets and love and money secrets and the secrets buried in our natal Scorpio houses).

We draw to us, during Scorpio cycles, what we have not allowed ourselves to acknowledge in ourselves. We'll pay attention to what we attract and see what the person/situation is showing us. There will be lessons about power, playing the victim, jealousy, obsession, compulsion, manipulation, intimacy, truth, other people's money (taxes, loans, spouse's earnings, inheritance, etc), sex, reproduction, life, death and passion.

The Scorpio house in our natal chart is where we need to get real and go deep to have what we want now.

Pluto rules Scorpio and the house of Pluto in our natal chart carries quite a bit of karma and is the space we experience things "outside our control", so it's fitting how much Scorpio likes to be in control.

With Venus in Scorpio, the women will be calling the shots. We'll need to bring our 'A' game ladies. Venus will be in Scorpio until November 1st.

On the same day, Mars (in Libra) is opposing Chiron (in Aries).

Actions/initiative trigger old wounds. With Venus diving into Scorpio at the same time - we probably won't be able to hide from this. Mars is in partnership-ruled Libra - it could be the actions/passions of a partner that hurt us/trigger old, deep wounds or something hurts them and we experience the hurting/healing through their experiences.

On SATURDAY, Venus (in Scorpio now and following Mercury) will oppose a retrograde Uranus (in Taurus).

Maybe the surprising news from earlier in the week is now impacting Venusian themes - our money, our relationships, beauty, women, our values or self-esteem. Not the time for a radical haircut, etc. This could be an unexpected new attraction or we discover something within a relationship/with our money or resources we didn't know. Uranus is liberation. Maybe someone needs their space.

Watch your wallet though - this could be the time of an unexpected expense/purchase. And anytime Venus aspects Uranus I say - buy a lottery ticket!

This opposition can also represent an actual person or group or system with Uranian qualities (think: genius, rebel, criminal) or an Aquarian person or maybe someone we are dealing with through the internet since Uranus rules this space.

At the same time Mercury is trining (brakes off) the North Node.

FATED CHOICES.

Here is news/information that points us in a fresh direction. A trine is a 120 degree aspect in astrology. Two planets (or points) are forming one side of a triangle. They are working in harmony, stimulating each other toward increased activity and success.

We want (and always have) some of these in our natal birth chart. They are our subtle super powers. We can't see through a wall, but maybe we can see when someone is bullshitting us. We can't leap tall buildings with a single bound, but maybe we can leap over obstacles without getting mired in indecision.

Or we could think of them like a tool we are carrying in our pack for this lifetime. We need a screwdriver. We pull it out without thinking, we use it, it works, we put it back. It's something that's there. And it's helpful.

Today we have Mercury (communication, conversations, ideas, information) trine the North Node (destiny, our collective way forward).

Forward leaning plans/decisions/deals sealed.

Information revealed. This is that info we hear at exactly the right time. The book we need to read falls off the shelf into our hands. So pay attention now. Be out and about - talk to other people.

Trines are subtle. They don't jump off the shelf and announce themselves, "HEY YOU, yes, you, over here, listen to me!".

They are like that screwdriver. Except this time it's not in the backpack we were given at birth, it's only available to us for a short time - and if we are not paying attention we'll miss it.

The screwdriver will float off to wherever it is screwdrivers go when we don't need them

(partying in the junk drawer with the flash light probably).

Keep your eyes and ears open. What are you thinking about? What plans/decisions are you making? This stuff carries extra weight/importance now. This could also be about a sibling/local community/transportation issue MOVING FORWARD.

On SUNDAY, we have a BIG Full Moon in Aries - squaring Pluto (exactly) and happening with a Grand Water Trine and Grand Cardinal Cross! Expect a BIG post.

Our values are changing this week through intense information and interactions! Hold on loosely.

xo all

photo by the talented Marina Coric

Today's Astrology Forecast | October 6, 2019 - decisions are sticky, the facts vs what we believe, a pivot point between our past and future, and yes, that's a wall we see up ahead

The Moon in serious Capricorn meets powerful Pluto at 5:14AM EDT (nourished through intense experiences, deep emotional processing, obsessive work habits) - a good day for practical chores, a focus on our goals/ambitions - then goes void at 7:25PM EDT off a square to Venus (we are back in the soup with those financial/relationship/goal issues).

She moves into Aquarius at 11:42PM EDT for the next couple days - we are nurtured through groups, friendship, the goals that bring us into connection with other people. We can take a step back and detach a bit.

We have the Sun, at 13 degrees Libra, squaring the Nodes of Fate - the North Node in Cancer and the South Node in Capricorn. A turning point. A light is thrown on the diverging path in the woods. Decisions made now are sticky and important. Collectively we are turning away from something stabilizing, but restricting toward something that is more authentic, but also feels like (remember these are the Nodes of the Moon; ruler of our emotions) it makes us more vulnerable.

We are coming home this year. All are welcome, but the price of admission is to let down our Capricorn/Cancerian defenses. 

More about the Caner/Capricorn Nodes HERE

With Saturn's recent station (timeline shift) certain doors have closed to us.

So, here we are on this new road, already, at another crossroads. Are we sticking with what is comfortable - in the sense it is familiar - stabilizing, but restrictive? Or choosing another path - unfamiliar to our 3D experience, but familiar in a soul-sense (like coming home after a long journey). With the Sun in Libra, maybe we get this through another person now. We experience something through them or reach a choice-point within a relationship.

And I keep hearing that Meatloaf song and the girl's voice saying "what's it gonna be boy? I can wait all night (or can't she wait all night, I forget), what's it gonna be boy? yes or no?".

At the same time, Jupiter (in Sagittarius at 19 degrees) is exactly squaring spouse Juno (in Virgo).

Juno, is Jupiter's long suffering (and sometimes vengeful) wife. In Virgo, she (as us) is dealing with the details of a relationship agreement. Jupiter (also as us, and of course we also project these roles onto other people to act out for us) is pie-in-the-sky now, wanting his cake and eating it, too. The square is tension/frustration. Picking things apart is a problem. Too strict an adherence to who needs to do what is a problem. Also a problem is flying too high to avoid dealing with the details/facts. Everything may be alright in the end, but this isn't the end.

We need to adjust.

Happening at the same time the Sun (in partnership/balance focused Libra) is squaring the Nodes, Jupiter/Juno adds a subplot to the Nodes story-line.

Virgo/Sagittarius squares are also the facts vs our beliefs.

We have moved past the Neptune/Jupiter square where it has been hard to tell fact from fantasy and been pushed right into the upcoming Saturn/Pluto conjunction - a hard bite of reality. Ouch!

It's Sunday. Take a long walk. Give yourself time to think. Pay attention to what attracts your attention.

We are at a pivot point between the past and the future - the problems that are standing in our way are evident now.

xo all

Heads up - on Monday/Tuesday the Sun is going to square Saturn (ie the wall). We'll talk about this tonight in the weekly.

The Sun will shine a spotlight this upcoming week (and yes, you could certainly already be dealing with this, these are big, but predictable cycles) on whatever this is for us. Our life force/creativity is blocked somehow. There is pressure, tension, frustration. Maybe too much work or too much service is being required of us. We could doubt our own abilities and any space we "don't have what it takes" could be right in our face and possibly even on view for others.

Maybe we get a "no". Maybe something that stabilizes us comes to an end or a relationship ends or the balance shifts. Maybe something requiring additional responsibilities/work could begin.

Whatever this wall is for our egos in this cycle - we hit it. "DAM!" said the fish when she did. Ack!

(and with the Sun in Libra we might experience this through another person or through a relationship situation)

Patience and diligence (I know! Sorry!) are really the only antidotes to a Saturnian wall. Big girl pants meet big girl ass.

We'll get through this.

photo by the talented wondermilkygirl

Today's Astrology Forecast | October 5, 2019 - doing the thing we are afraid to do, our relationships vs our goals/ambitions, deeper conversations, more information, pushing past an obstacle, working on the dream

The Moon in Capricorn squares the Libra Sun at 12:47PM EDT and then moves on to conjunct Saturn at 4:39PM EDT and finally sextile a retrograde Neptune at 9:26PM EDT.

The Moon square Sun - first quarter square after last week's Libra New Moon - indicates tension/frustration, an obstacle between our relationships (maybe being Mr Nice Guy) and our work/goals/responsibilities. Maybe a line is drawn in the sand now.

For us, or by us.

The Moon in Cappy says "put on your big girl/boy pants" - the square says "push through this" - the Libra Sun says "please can't we all just get along?!" Or maybe the Libra Sun is speaking more of fairness or beauty or love.

And how do we reconcile our ambitions and the kind of structure we need to feel safe while surviving/thriving on such shaky ground (that Cappy Moon) - with that?

If we had all the safety in the world, goals met, mountains climbed, silver polished and tucked away - would it matter if we didn't have the love, the beauty, the justice, the kindness, the connections with other people?

Let's see what else is happening to broaden the picture a bit.

Mercury (in Scorpio now for the long haul) is inconjunct a retrograde Chiron (in early Aries). A rock and a hard place. We don't want to look/hear. We don't want to know. It hurts to look. It hurts to know. We have to look/hear. We have to know. Painful information/conversations. Hard to find a win/a compromise.

But the First Quarter Square Moon tells us the time is here to push through an obstacle.

Not to run away/look away/stay silent and hope for the best.

Maybe we need to do the thing we are afraid to do now. Say the words. Really listen.

It isn't going to be comfortable, but Uranus is in Taurus changing our definitions of "comfort" anyway.

Big shifts and healing can come through challenging information. We have to go deeper this time. We won't be tying anything up with a pretty bow right now, but to get to the good stuff we have to get past this obstacle. Take some action. Journal. Focus.

Pluto is direct. Clean up your mess. Clutter is like quicksand right now.

The Moon's conjunction will Saturn speaks of responsibilities, dealings with authority and stepping into our own authority. The sextile to Neptune tells us it's time to WORK to make that DREAM real.

Feels like a heavy load for a Saturday. But a Cappy Moon weekend can be very productive.

Don't forget the North Node in Cancer (our north star this year) - whatever feels like home, taking care of yourself, knowing you don't have to have all the answers, looking within.

xo all

photo by the talented Sofia Lupul

Today's Astrology Forecast | October 4, 2019 - sleeping in maybe then getting some serious work done later, intimate conversations tonight while cool heads prevail, a balancing act

The Sag Moon went void at 3:34AM EDT off a sextile to Venus (expanded creativity, love).

She will be void until 1:43PM EDT - so, feel free to sleep in - yes, tell your boss you read that here, you won't miss much that will amount to anything, kerfuffles early in the day won't amount to anything either (nor will work put out into the world so be judicious with that), stay flexible, time gets stretchy, sometimes we do things we have to do over later during void Moons, so it might be best to do things we have to do again and again anyway ;) THEN the Moon moves into sober Capricorn setting up a serious weekend.

The Cappy Moon will square Mars at 2:25PM EDT (newly minted in Libra, the sign of his fall).

This is a Venus/Saturn aspect - frustration tension around love/money/our resources/values/self-esteem. The Moon in Capricorn can be ice cold and Mars in Libra hasn't had time to find his footing. And Mars in Libra likes compromise better than conflict which could be challenging for this weekend's ambitious Capricorn Moon.  

Independent work is favored.

The good news for our Friday night - the Moon will sextile Mercury (in Scorpio) at 5:52PM EDT. Serious, but intimate conversations. News we can take to the bank. Focusing on our taxes/investments/loans - wait, is this a good use of our Friday night? Maybe it is! Or we could go see a scary movie or detective type thriller - is something like that out? There must be with Halloween approaching. Sex/dating will be 'all-business' with this aspect.

The big news today though is Mars move into Libra (for the first time in two years) until November 19th.

Our Libra house theme and the collective theme of our relationships/balance/justice/women/beauty will be a focus of our action. Any planets/points in our natal chart in Libra will get a Martian visit (action, initiative, passion, anger) and he will square our Cancer and Capricorn planets and oppose our Aries planets.

We talked about Mars into Libra in the weekly:

"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 - situations will arise that create opportunities for more fairness. More balanced actions. More social activities. More compromise. More win-wins. More allies. Doing it together. Plus our Libra house theme gets a kick-start."

xo all

photo by the talented Marina Coric

Today's Astrology Forecast | October 3, 2019 - going deep for the next two months, it's not only what we dig up but what we put into the ground that matters now

While we slept (EDT) Mercury slipped into Scorpio and Pluto (Scorpio's ruler) stationed direct after five months retrograde.

Pluto is now on his direct journey to Saturn - mid January- and Mercury (due to her/his upcoming retrograde) will be in Scorpio until December! Yes, that's two months in the underworld folks! Are we up to it? Or should I say 'down for it"?

The Moon in Sagittarius sextiled the Sun (12:41AM EDT - inspiration, optimism) and will square Neptune (1:14PM EDT - tension via imagination, spirituality, double check emails before hitting send, avoid over-doing it with any escape/avoidance tendencies, the effects of alcohol/drugs get amplified) and conjunct Jupiter (4:40PM EDT - this could bring up big emotions or inspiration or even weepiness around whatever reality Jupiter coming off illusory Neptune over the last week or so has brought up for us).

This is the last day of Mars in Virgo. He will move into Libra late tonight.

The day will likely be overshadowed by Pluto/Scorpio.

We talked about this stuff in the weekly:

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.

Mercury dives into Scorpio.

This is excellent energy for deep (Scorpio) investigation/research (Mercury). This would be an excellent time to go into therapy. A GOOD TIME TO FIND HIDDEN RESOURCES.

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. 

Mercury will get all the way to 27 degrees Scorpio on Halloween when she/he will station retrograde, reverse course (from our perspective on Earth) and get all the back to 11 degrees Scorpio on  November 20th and station direct. It will be early December before she (as us) will be covering completely new ground .

If you have planets/points in your natal (or progressed) chart from 11-27 degrees of Scorpio - or the other fixed signs Taurus, Leo and Aquarius - you will feel this retrograde period strongest. This retrograde will pass over my Ascendant and square my Sun/Saturn in Aquarius and my Mars in Leo - so I will be right there with you!

We are all getting to the bottom of something ...

Keep in mind that big-picture meeting of Pluto and Saturn in mid-January during a Cappy stellium and a Cancer eclipse. Mercury's long passage through Scorpio is preparing us for that. Hang on loosely.

xo all

photo by the talented esmahanozkan

Today's Astrology Forecast | October 2, 2019 - the eye of the storm, coming up for air, taking in the bigger picture, stretch something

Our waxing (growing) Scorpio Moon goes void this morning off an opportunistic sextile to Mars (in Virgo - so get to work EARLY).

She will be void until 7:44AM EDT when she moves into fiery and enthusiastic Sagittarius.

There are no obstacles today for our Sag Moon who turns our attention to Sag themes - what is foreign to us, higher education, broadening our view, the big picture, travel, politics, religion, legal issues, weddings, grandparents, media, marketing.

Take a deep breath. 

Stretch something. 

Open your eyes. Take in the bigger picture.

We can move forward with increased confidence and optimism after our days in the dark/with tunnel vision.

A week flavored by Scorpio and Pluto isn't over yet (Pluto stations direct tomorrow) - but today is a break in the heavier energy/an eye in the storm.

Jupiter is moving off this year's foggy, and draining, square to Neptune.

(As soon as we moved past 2019's final Neptune square Jupiter - not being able to tell fact from fantasy - and Saturn stationed direct - daddy's home - Trump/Ukraine comes to light and a movement for Trump's impeachment gains ground. I said months ago his chart noticeably weakens in September - now we know, most likely, what we will be dealing with in the U.S. in January when Saturn meets Pluto. Whatever happens with Trump in January, for the United States, there is no going back to a life before Trump. Pluto will see to that. Also keep in mind the energy surrounding September/October "disappointments" is that the shoe drops now to avoid losing our feet later. So, maybe impeachment strengthens him for a re-election or maybe it saves his physical life somehow if he resigns, etc - hard to say and each time I feel the impulse to focus on Trump's chart, I get the message "focus on your own life, this is all playing out for everyone else, too". And of course, in the U.K. through Brexit, which is, I believe, delayed until October 31st, the day Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio, and right after the Scorpio New Moon that opposes chaotic and unexpected Uranus, so that should be a proper mess, too, I would expect.)

For all of us - dealing with our fears, unconscious motivations and exposure and opportunity through radical new insights are on the agenda for fall!

We only have lucky Jupiter in his home sign of Sagittarius for a few more weeks before he joins (thus expanding) that Capricorn pile-up.

Keep your eyes, ears and instincts peeled to take advantage of this. Our timeline shifted with Saturn's station, so we are lining up with different things now. Those gold nuggets (luck, justice, expansion, growth) are still out there, but have shifted, too.

The good news - with Jupiter moving off Neptune, they are hiding in plain sight now ...

xo all

photo by the talented pick a red balloon

Today's Astrology Forecast | October 1, 2019 - courage, mergers and acquisitions, digging deep, uncomfortable relationship issues, inconvenient truths

The waxing (growing) Scorpio Moon makes some POWER moves today - a sextile to sober Saturn at 4:42AM EDT, a trine to a dreamy and retrograde Neptune at 9:12AM EDT and finally a sextile to power-player Pluto (still retrograde for just a couple more days) at 3:44PM EDT.

This is some pretty powerful energy to make good use of the Scorpio Moon. Getting to the bottom of things. Courage. Fertile growth. Business mergers/agreements. We have a couple more days of Mars in Virgo - practical action, get it done/fixed. Out of our way. Eliminated.

Venus is squaring Pluto (20 degree Libra/Capricorn).

I was almost asleep last night when my thoughts (very out of the blue) became obsessed with someone else's financial situation (it's a big situation, but not my situation, and trust me I have enough of my own right now, and especially not my situation at 12:15 at night)- when I checked Venus was exactly squaring Pluto (Pluto sitting on my Mercury - my thinking).

My chest was tight. I thought I would be awake for hours tossing and turning this stuff over in my head ... then I fell asleep like a rock until morning (ack).

We talked about Venus square Pluto in the weekly. It's in play all week -

"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 we don't really want to look at. 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 ..."

Maybe this is tension/frustration around relationships and work or our relationships and how we are viewed in the world. Some relationships won't survive this month's scrutiny.

Luckily the Moon has smooth sailing and being in Scorpio will pull us through this day.

Stick to the truth. Work on stuff that is real. Don't look too far ahead just yet. Mercury is going to get into Scorpio this week for a long stay due to his upcoming retrograde - we have alot of Scorpio ahead of us this fall.

Mercury will start hitting the degrees he will re-walk around the 10th/11th - so if you want something done and done for good, not to have to be re-done, re-vised, etc - get it out before then.

The next time the Moon is in Scorpio will be during the New Moon at the end of October. We may get a glimpse now of what to expect then. Network. Connect with other people. Hidden information can come out. We all carry a piece of the puzzle.

xo all

photo by the talented S6ltuvus

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