Full Moon in Virgo Plus a Quick Look at Mars into Taurus

wracaj by kieubaska

Back from warm and sunny Florida and now preparing for a nor'easter snowstorm this week! Yikes!

What did I miss? 

OK, Mars moved into Taurus on Friday (until April 21st). Mars in Taurus slows us down and steadies our actions.

With Taurus this isn't so much about doing anything new - this is about building on and taking action with "what we already have". Things won't move quickly, but the things we take action on now will be longer-lasting. 

Success comes to the turtle and not the hare. Whatever we are doing, we need to be prepared to keep on doing it. It may take some time. We have Venus retrograde in Aries - Venus rules Taurus and Mars rules Aries, making these planets in what astrologers call - mutual reception - and making both more powerful. With Taurus this will be about our security and stability - stuff Venus already has us focused in on.

People will have a tendency to be more stubborn and unmovable now - we will all be digging in our heels and refusing to change course (hence the slow down). Remember the KISS acronym - keep it simple stupid (except change stupid to sista' - why the hell would we call ourselves stupid?!). That crazy, complicated thingamajig we were thinking about doing - nix it. That thing that looks just too basic to work - yeah do that thing. This is excellent energy to get out in nature and get our hands dirty, too - if you have the weather to garden - we apparently do not - get on with that!

Today we have a Full Moon in Virgo (22 degrees). Virgo is so precise and committed to perfection this is a good time to feel overwhelmed. 

This tension of what is real and what is ideal is the fundamental tension of the Virgo archetype. 

Traditionally Virgo is the sign of the servant and healer. Virgo is also the skilled crafts person - the archetype of being good at something, of taking the time to learn and do something well.

(when Martha says "it's a good thing" she is channeling her inner Virgo, which is probably her sun sign or her Venus, have to look her up)

So in Virgo we gain dignity and self respect from being good at something that is useful to other people.

If you were born with your sun in Virgo this is the basic way you process life, moon in Virgo; the basic way you experience your feelings about life and if your ascendant is in Virgo; the basic way you appear to others - the mask you wear.

(people who think Virgos are fussy or nitpicky are totally missing the point and also forgetting we all have Virgo in our charts)

The Virgo Full Moon reminds us we all have right work. This right work may not be something we will be paid to do. It's not about the money. 

This is about being good at something that is valuable to other people.

It's not about having other people recognize this 'wonderful' thing we are doing though - Virgo is the leg of our hero's journey that comes after Leo where we took center stage and got our applause. 

Virgo is the next space - the one where we release, at least a little bit, our need to be recognized.  Of course at the time of the Virgo Full Moon we don't want to be hiding our light under a bushel - to quote my grandma.

Full Moons bring culminations and 'things to light'. With the Pisces Sun sitting with (wounded healer) Chiron and both opposing the Moon - something hurts here.

I missed writing a post last week when I was away but the whole week was building toward tonight's Full Moon.

Saturn is squaring Mercury - there could be a "no" here or news that sounds like more hard work or some kind of stop sign. This Moon is all about living up to our responsibility. And doing our best. The light will shine clearly on what needs to be done or what isn't going to work out. With Virgo's perfectionism there is bound to be pressure (internal and external) - the key will be putting on our big girl pants and getting on with things. It won't be easy because it will feel like whatever we are doing isn't enough and that we are suddenly all thumbs and elbows. Something isn't quite working out the way we expected here. Mars in Taurus will help. Be a grown up. Know that when we know better we do better. So now we know better. Let's release the idea of perfection - kick it to the curb - it doesn't exist.

I'll do the weekly post in the a.m. Mercury is heading into Aries on Monday so lots of conversations, communications, errands and sibling stuff. xo all

Venus Retrograde in Aries | what really belongs to us plus a blog break

the black by kosmodisk

Venus stations retrograde today at 13 degrees Aries. She will travel back to 23 degrees Pisces before she turns around and heads back on April 14th.

(we also have Jupiter and Saturn retrograde now)

I've written before about how uber important the position of Venus is this year.

We have Saturn in Sagittarius and Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter so Saturn is answering to Jupiter. And we have Jupiter in Libra and Libra is ruled by Venus so Jupiter is answering to Venus. So we have Saturn and Jupiter both answering to Venus. The buck stops with her. She is QUEEN.

The learning and growth we experience this year both through expansion (Jupiter) and through constriction (Saturn) come through Venusian energy. AND even after Jupiter moves into Scorpio in October and begins answering to Mars - Mars will be in Libra and answering to Venus. She has 2017 pretty much under her spell.

She came to a complete stop a couple days ago (in Aries), but Mars is still in Aries pushing things along. Once Mars moves into Taurus at the end of next week - action will slow down quite a bit.

Since Venus rules love, money, women, beauty and our values - these areas will be impacted by her retrograde as well as the themes of our early Aries/ late Pisces natal house(s). Check you chart here.

Something within the theme of our Aries/Pisces houses - or involving the Venus themes of love, money, or values - could (to use Pisces terminology) "drift off course", "evaporate" or "fade away". 
 
Something/someone that looked like a sure thing or our next big thing may turn out to be anything but and something/someone we had written off as over might "drift back into our lives", "re-awaken" or "re-appear".

First she moves us through Aries - the sign of me, myself and I. It will be clear to us what needs to happen to make ourselves a priority

or maybe this feels more like - I must have this my way. Whatever we are dealing with we are going back over it. There will probably be delays. The delays are important.

This is not the time to start a brand new relationship or launch a new business. It's not the time to do anything permanent or long lasting connected to beauty - no new tattoos, nose rings or elective surgery. It's not a good time to invest money in something new or buy something new and expensive. Whatever you do don't run off and get married - unless you are marrying someone again whom you were married to before.

If we meet a new love (person, thing, idea, situation) now, take things VERY slowly and be prepared for stuff to reverse course later. If someone from our past shows back up it doesn't mean "this is meant to be" - it's possible it could work out, but more likely there is just some unfinished business - so we'll finish it.

At the same time Venus stations retrograde (today) we have the Sun, Mercury and Neptune all huddled together in the middle of Pisces. Maybe something we thought we knew for sure, turns out to be an illusion (external) or delusion (internal). Or maybe something we had written off as a fantasy turns out to be actually real.

If the events of 2016 and early 2017 haven't shown us that anything is possible but not everything is real, I can't imagine what would need to happen for us to believe this! It's like we are characters in a video game and a shaky handed grandpa has appropriated the controls from his steady handed grandson. I am honestly not so sure this is far from the truth. Up is down and down is up and we are on a wild ride!

On April 2nd Venus moves back into Pisces - the sign of the imagination; the ethereal realms. Here's where the energy of "my way" (cue the Sinatra soundtrack, or is it only people like me from New Jersey who have this on their desktop?) shifts into a focus on the bigger picture - the space where we all come together. It could be a time when we have to let go of what we want (for now, maybe not for always).

In Pisces, a retrograde Venus will ask us to further define and refine what we value by clouding the situation. And before we complain about the unfairness of that situation we are reminded by Venus that she actually rules fairness (so couldn't be unfair if she tried) and to consider how focused a driver we become when forced to confront that heavy morning fog.

Maybe we have to make a sacrifice, maybe our dreams are so close we can almost touch them, maybe we do. Venus is exalted in Pisces - we'll look at the other aspects as she gets closer for a better idea of how this might all play out.

On April 14th Venus will station direct at 23 degrees Pisces. When the fog lifts she will be conjunct Chiron and squaring Saturn while the Sun is conjunct Uranus and Mercury is retrograde. That should be one hell of a day. Call out sick right now - ha!

Venus is showing us what we really want - what we really value. The opportunity is here now for us to figure out if what we are attempting to do next is something that even belongs to us.

Relationships are tested. The way we handle our money (and other resources including the planet Earth) is tested.  

I was trying to get up one more post - next week's - before going on vacation, but it's just not meant to be!

I will be back in a week, March 12th - if you miss your astro fix Elsa Elsa is a great blog to read and Satori's weekly forecast is excellent.

xo all - going to Florida for a few days- have a great week everyone!

Jupiter Opposite Uranus | disruption

underwater by semansis

Today is the second of three exact Jupiter (Libra) and Uranus (Aries) oppositions. We had one back on December 26th at 20 degrees. This one is at 22 degrees. The next (final) one is in late September. If you know the polarity

(warning shameless plug here - have you seen my polarity lockets)

of your chart's Libra and Aries axis story - you could be better prepared for how this will all play out this year (what houses do the late degrees of Libra and Aries reside in your natal chart? Google what those houses are all about or ask me).

If you have planets or points in your natal chart in cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) from about 16-29 degrees you will feel this energy most strongly this year.

For this week, maybe something from December comes back around for another go. Maybe something culminates or moves to another level. Whatever it is now, it won't be brand new, since Jupiter is retrograde and re-traveling previously traveled degrees but it will be disruptive.

Some people will have itchy feet as the need for personal freedom increases. Probably the more caged a situation has us feeling, the greater the intensity of upset any changes will bring. Libra vs Aries is a kind of 'break-up' energy. Me vs the other person.

If someone's need for personal freedom is clashing with someone else's need for security - the need for freedom could be greater this year. If you are parenting a rebellious teen with planets(s) at these points you would be best to parent them by finding ways for them to express this energy - travel, new experiences, positive new groups and new education, so it doesn't express in more radical ways.

The need for personal freedom can't be stopped (in any healthy ways) and shouldn't be - it can sometimes be directed. Do something else.

It could be with Jupiter vs Uranus that our way of thinking or beliefs (Jupiter) will change (Uranus) and this will impact our circumstances. If we have been a lone wolf (Aries) there could be opportunities to partner (Libra).

Trust (Jupiter) that unexpected and disruptive (Uranus) changes will work out well for us. I usually find with Jupiter transits they either work out to be all about nothing (that planet of gases thing made manifest I think) or they are positive. 

The status quo will be challenging to maintain if this transit is affecting us ... or a partner. Keep this in mind. xo all

(see the weekly for more info about the energies at play this week)

Sun Conjunct Neptune | aligning ourselves with ourselves, feeling inspired

imagination by katrin-elizabeth

The Sun hooks up with Neptune today at 11 degrees Pisces.

Neptune has been in Pisces (the sign he rules) since 2012 (thru 2023). Once a year while Neptune is in Pisces, the Sun will catch up with him in a slightly different space of the Piscean skies.

If there is a way for us to let the day to day chores slide for a bit, this is excellent energy for dreaming and inspiration - for connection, compassion and healing; for aligning ourselves with ourselves.

It's our annual meeting of ego and spirit - our inner focus in strengthened. The more we fail to do this (touch base with ourselves, stop) the more confusion and chaos result.

Look around us - there is so much to feel good about. Our imaginations are wide open today. What do we really see?

A dream (Pisces) could become clear (Sun) now (we can also feel ourselves connecting with the dreams that never came true - they are ripe for release and ready to make way for something new). A light is thrown on imaginative, inspirational work. A light can also be thrown on the things we are hiding.

As we use our imagination and spirit and detach ourselves from this time and place, we can tune into all times and places. Our compassion and sensitivity is heightened - our awareness of the connection we have with each other and how one of us affects all of us becomes clear.

The Aries Moon makes multiple planetary contacts, so as we move through the day we could find ourselves more emotional than usual or more emotionally connected with unusual things, people or situations.

(the fly in the ointment is an increased ability to be susceptible to lies and delusion now - keep this in mind - this is not a good day to invest money, sign a contract or deal with facts and figures - use this energy for something else)

xo all