Full Moon in Scorpio | honest and uncomfortable

the moon by laura makabresku

We have a Full Moon every month when the Sun and the Moon oppose each other. It offers us two different (and opposite) energies to work with; the energy of the sign the Moon is in and the energy of the sign the Sun is in. With our Sun now in Taurus, we know the Full Moon will be in Taurus's polarity (opposite) sign of Scorpio.

Scorpio, in the northern hemisphere, rules late autumn. The wind is blowing the leaves from the trees, the landscape is becoming barren, death is expected - there is a sense of being cut off, a sense we are on our own. Scorpio energy has no fear of the dark.

Taurus, in the northern hemisphere, rules late spring. The world is fertile. Taurus energy seeks the light. Both signs are fixed and want what they want.

(one energy isn't "good" and the other "bad" - neither could exist without the other - they are really two sides of the same coin)

Sooo, we have this polarity

(and yes, I hope you have this Polarity, too- warning shameless plug ahead - have you seen my lockets?)

Scorpio is beckoning to us, "come over to the dark side" and not because there are cookies

(although there might be and I hope for both our sakes they are Girl Scout Thin Mints)

but because there is treasure hidden deep in the Scorpion realms if we are brave enough to seek it, and yes, the treasure might be guarded by Zombies or Saviors or Negan wielding his barb wire covered bat Lucille (and if you do not watch the Walking Dead and have no idea what I am talking about - well, imagine the treasure guarded by that giant 3 headed dog at Hogwarts).

Scorpio energy embraces complication and obstacles.

Taurus is equally adamant that we should, "stay where we are - it's comfortable and working out just fine".

Of course there could be a life that is better than "fine" if we are willing to take those steps in the dark to find it. But maybe not.

(there are no guarantees with any of this stuff folks - that's life on planet Earth)

Taurus energy embraces peace and comfort.

With Scorpio we have the shadow of control and jealousy and the taking on of too much that can fuel greed. With Taurus; stubborn resistance to change and resistance to anything that is complicated - an attachment to the familiar that is also greed.

There are no right or wrong answers here.

This Full Moon is an excellent time for release and this one could be a time to think about and maybe meditate on 'greed' and what we are willing to do (and not do) to get (or keep) what we want.

Maybe something will come to light for us with this polarity - what do we need to be comfortable? Comfort might include wealth but wealth can also mean discomfort if it demands too much of our attention and energy in exchange.

The Sun in Taurus craves simplicity - see what obstacles the Scorpio Full Moon reveals in our life that are blocking our comfort or what potentials it throws a light on for something more complicated - the next steps are up to us!

Full Moons are also the culmination of cycles.

In this case, tonight's Moon brings to 'fullness' or completion something started at the New Moon two weeks ago and something began last November at the Scorpio New Moon.

The Full Moon works like a spotlight to illuminate some space in our life. Sometimes something happens - most likely an ending. Sometimes the light shows us something that was hidden or something we didn't want to look at or didn't want others to see. Sometimes the Full Moon brings to light an imbalance between the two parts of our life the Sun and Moon are impacting.

Tonight's Full Moon at 2 degrees Scorpio will be intense. Known as the 'pink moon' it will be 30,000 miles farther from the Earth than the closest Full Moon this year (the Taurus Full Moon in November). It will be pretty much unaspected by other planets and not watered down by other energies. If you have natal or progressed planets from 0 to 4 degrees in the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) you will most especially feel this one.

Remember this year's major themes. We've got Saturn in Sagittarius making us walk our talk now. If we truly believe that love is all there is and the way we move past fear and conflict then we must take actions and create real world things that support these beliefs, even when those actions are uncomfortable or 'foreign' to us. We've got Jupiter wedged into Virgo so we expand through small, measured steps, attention to detail and service to others. We have Pisces very strong in Neptune creating shifting sands, illusion, mystical opportunities for spiritual growth and myriad opportunities for earthly escape. We have Uranus in Aries (war, chaos, sudden change, opportunity, anger, rebellion). We have Pluto in Capricorn dismantling our crumbling authority. We have a Mutable T-Square throughout this summer (mostly impacting Geminis, Virgos, Sagittarius and Pisces) setting some very beneficial things into motion by way of a creative challenge - finding clarity about what we’re supposed to do, keeping the momentum in our own hands rather than giving it away or wasting it and taking on a newer or deeper sense of purpose. We have Mars, Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter retrograde about to be joined by Mercury.

Life is anything but simple these days - so enjoy any chance this month of Taurus, to enjoy comfort and simplicity!

As always get out and walk in the Full Moon - the energy is intense and always helps to shift any stagnant spaces we are carrying!

xo all

Sun into Taurus | smell the roses

taurus locket by polarity and oksana grivina

After the past month in firey Aries, the Sun's ingress into grounded Taurus this afternoon will surely bring the noise level down a couple notches.

We begin to burn Taurean fuel and get to feel a bit like a natal Taurus for the next few weeks.

Taurus is the first earth sign. A fixed sign - she values simplicity over complexity, calm over chaos, stability over flexibility, silence over noise.

Taurus is all about the fertile Earth (it is not a coincidence Earth Day is this Friday) - she is everything grounded. The polarity of Scorpian sexuality - she is sensuality - the touch that feels like love.

Ruled by Venus she coaxes us back into our bodies at the end of a long day with a hot, soothing bath. She urges our hands to pick up those tomato plants at the market and get them into the dirt. She is the quiet voice that whispers I love you when we stroke the baby's ear with our lips.

Taurus rules our 2nd house of everything money can buy and everything money can't - love, money, our values and self-esteem.

Taurus can bring stability (although sometimes a lack of ambition or fire) to the space she resides in our natal chart.

(I have Taurus in my 7th house (equal partnerships) and hubs is not only a very earthy, stable, hands in the dirt kind of guy - the relationship grew in a very Taurean way - slow to start and then intimate and long-lasting.)

People will want to be comfortable (whatever that means to them) and might resist new and unfamiliar situations now. Keep this in mind.

It will be easy for all of us to wander outdoors and forget the pot of water boiling on the stove, the email that needed to be answered or the work waiting for us on the bench.

We'll stop and smell the roses now and we'll use Taurean strength and determination to be consistent and get things done (maybe just fewer and different things!). xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 18th - finish it up

your space by beauty spot crafts

Yesterday, Mars stationed retrograde at 8 degrees Sagittarius (what house, ie space in your life, is your natal and progressed Sagittarius?).

We will be revising, revisiting, revamping and reversing. Mars last retrograded in March 2014, so has been full steam ahead for a long time.

If you were a car at the Indy 500, it would be time for your pitstop and we know it doesn't end well for cars that skip their pitstops - I think they're even mandatory.

Mars, ruler of Aries and Scorpio (ancient ruler), our initiative, enthusiasm and anger and in the fire sign of Sagittarius and sitting on top of the fixed star Antares (the anti-Aries, who functions quite a bit like Aries) will make everything even more intense.

First - think safety. Wear a seatbelt and safety goggles. Don't play with matches. Don't pick fights. Think schoolyard etiquette now. Play nice. Sit on impulses that feel the least bit physically 'reckless' now.

Remember Mars is covering the same space Saturn traveled starting back in October 2014. So anything that comes up for us now that is something we have left undone, dangling, out in left field or messy - we will have to complete. The stuff from the last two years we are dragging behind us that is holding us back has to go so we can move on unencumbered. When Mars meets up with Saturn in August this chapter will be closed and a fresh chapter will kick off. We'll be ready for it. See my post on Mars retrograde here.

On Monday, Pluto stations retrograde. This brings seismic stuff out in the world - yes, including earthquakes and revelations about powerful people and structures that feel like earthquakes. In our personal lives this is about our own power and our relationship to power. Astrologer Tom Jacobs has an excellent post here.

Today's Virgo Moon will be void all day, so a good day for practiced action and organization - a great day 'to be of service' - not a good time to start anything new, since with Void Moons it is said that 'nothing will come of' the situation. If your taxes have not been filed yet- get on top of that or file for an extension. 'Nothing will come of it' sounds perfect for the tax man. With Pluto going retrograde we may reconnect with an authority type or power play situation now.

Venus (in Aries) and ruler of our love, money and values will be uber busy this week. On Monday she trines (brakes off) Saturn - this gives support and stability from older people or from older ways of doing things. Commitments are made more solid. On Tuesday, Venus squares (tension, frustration, a new way of doing something is forced) a retrograde Pluto (in Capricorn) highlighting old power and control issues. On Friday, Venus conjuncts Uranus (in Aries) creating unpredictability and surprises. This is very close to the Scorpio Full Moon at the end of the week - priorities will shift and could bring a more focused commitment to something more authentic or shutting down of something that needs to go.

On Tuesday, the Sun will move into Taurus - we'll talk about that tomorrow and we'll talk about our fate-filled Scorpio Full Moon at the end of the week. xo all and enjoy your Monday!

Double Grand Trines | optimism and abundance

dandelion by this year's girl

We have not one but two Grand Trines we can work with now.

Trines are 'brakes off' aspects that allow things to move forward more easily. Grand trines are like triple the power!

With an ongoing Grand Trine in earth signs and one building in fire signs (Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars, Saturn - sparks can fly with this one) - it looks like a very good couple days to take action and, just in time for the weekend, have some fun!

Mercury in Taurus (stability, nature) and Jupiter (expansion, abundance) in Virgo are in a nice flow with Pluto (power, transformation) in Capricorn (business, establishment).

This isn't about something new and innovative so much as about expanding and stabilizing what we already know - some things we thought were blocked and out of reach may not be.

Sometimes the gift of trines is to see opportunities (door with cracks and windows ajar) and act on them. Sometimes the things we act on now are symbolic and support bigger, later changes.

I am clearing my backyard of twigs and cutting the grass this afternoon - ensuring fertile ground for later plantings and clearing the dead stuff to support new growth. This is the kind of thing we can do with these energies (trines - brakes off) to 'clear the ground' in support of change and a more abundant future (for me and my yard!). It's use it or lose it with this stuff!  

We can use the physical in symbolic ways, but we need to take some kind of action.

(clearing inboxes and closets works the same way - anything standing in the way of us getting what we want, ie the email from the big new account, the new spring jacket that needs a space to call home - the wrong things symbolically blocking the right things - they need to go now)

If we have stressful stuff happening right now - let's use the next couple days to relax and get outside our problems (literally and figuratively - think about something else, do something for someone else, get outdoors).

Small changes in our daily routine can create big, and with these aspects incredibly long lasting, changes in our attitude, beliefs and health. And it's those changes in our thinking and doing, ie what we really think is possible for us - what we show we really value by spending our time on - that starts the ball rolling in the physical world and changes everything. 

We are approaching quite a bit of retrograde energy over the next few weeks. We will be retracing some steps or dealing with some road blocks, but it's good to remember the other planetary energies have moved on. We can never really walk the same path twice. And we will have quite a bit of help along the way to get us through. These trines are some good energy to help clear the ground in preparation.

When we hold onto things and don't want anything to complete, it's because we fear nothing will come along to replace the thing that is finishing. Life is forced to kick the thing out from under us to have us face the fear. But there is an easier way. We can release the fear first. We can know we will be OK. The upcoming retrogrades will apply pressure on us to finalize things that have been sitting half completed for a long time, big and small these things must end, to get ready for the new. We are all going to need the skills of flexibility and focused presence to navigate the next few years. What can we do now to develop those muscles?

Enjoy the weekend. Get outdoors! xo all