what we really need | tonight's Moon can deliver whatever we ask of it ....

summer? by bestraw

We start the day with our early morning Moon opposing Saturn. We have this aspect every month that Saturn is in Sagittarius as the Moon lines up with its polarity sign in Gemini.

This can make sharing our emotions more difficult. We might be feeling more stubborn than usual or feeling the weight of pressing obligations. Issues with authority or our own responsibility could create opposing viewpoints or needs.

By late afternoon the Moon is sextiling Uranus providing opportunities to get ahead by making us more aware of what other people are thinking. 

Yes, we can read minds this afternoon (and yes, I will be thinking about a glass of iced tea right about then ... and George Clooney, yes, I'll be thinking about him, too - damn, you're good - although actually I'm not really feeling George anymore I've lost all my celebrity crushes now ... sniffle).

Unusual or out of the blue communications can go well or feel good.

The Moon goes void (2:45 PM EDT) after that sextile and a square to Chiron making the late afternoon an excellent time for release and meditation. Call it a day early. Unclutter. Organize.

When the Moon goes void after a couple days in noisy Gemini we will likely be feeling the need for some peace and quiet. It's a good time to ask, through prayer, to be released from any negative emotional impressions and dreams of the past that are no longer needed. The ancestors don't need us to carry this stuff anymore. It's usefulness to us is over. We have just grown used to carrying it!

Tonight we get a fresh new beginning with family drama/karma with a New Moon in Cancer

(we will have the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Mars all in Cancer - so all the personal planets except Venus!).

It's a time to honor and celebrate the heritage we do want to carry forward and 'think about/take action with' the new story we will pass to the next generation (and you do not have to have biological children to pass things to the next generation!).

Venus (in earthy Taurus) continues to trine (brakes off) powerful Pluto in Capricorn. This aspect is exact tomorrow. Prosperity and empowerment come from reworking those connections with other people.

Mars (in Cancer) is squaring Jupiter (in Libra). This could take us from confident and bold to shameless and pushy in zero to sixty. Check any impulses to let others know how wonderful we are for a couple more days - it will probably work out better for us then (or the urge will fade or they'll figure it out for themselves).

On the other hand if we really do need to be a courageous super-hero (especially when serving as protector of something vulnerable), the energy is here to assist us.

All these influences impact tonight's New Moon portal.

Cancerian strengths of family building, traditional wisdom, homemaking, compassion, business and structural savvy plus the ability to create a warm and nurturing space for ourselves and others are heightened for the next couple weeks and projects launched within these themes will continue to grow for at least the next six months. 

It will be easier to connect with our emotional needs now.

At 10:30PM EDT the Moon connects with the Sun in Cancer (New Moon). Our monthly creativity peaks and this month is focused on home and family (familial ties). Stability and security matter. Nurturing and comfort matter. 

The closest aspect to the New Moon is that trine from Venus to Pluto which is an excellent one. This Moon can deliver whatever we ask of it ... so let's ask.

xo all

New Moon in Cancer | part II - a new beginning

spirited by catliv

Cancer is all about looking back - family, country, home, our roots, history, real estate, security, mom and apple pie.

And with tomorrow night's Cancer New Moon conjuncting Mercury there is the possibility of important information coming in now within one of these themes or the theme of our natal Cancer house.

I'd say pay attention, but it's probably not the kind of thing you would be likely to miss. If you are affected there will almost certainly be an emotional impact (we will have four planets in Cancer!).

I'll tell you how all of this is playing out for me.

Hub's Cancer house is his 10th house of career and social status, yes, he's quite the little mother duck at work this man. So with all these planets in Cancer now, he has this pile up of Cancer energy in this area of his life. My Cancer house is my 8th house of 'other people's resources, other people's values' things like loans and spouse's income, so I have my little pile there.

This week he heard about a piece of property for sale that he thought would be the perfect place to move his business (we currently rent his shop space). I am not in agreement this is the right move (partly due to my natural ability to focus on the pitfalls and dragons, but for other more logical reasons also). But I'm not exactly in totally disagreement either - mostly because of the astrology. 

Cancer is all about real estate (and my husband's business is like his home to him - he has Capricorn 4th house) and we have his career and public life and my loan and spouse's income houses all lit up like Christmas trees.

Sooo, he set up an appointment with the realtor to meet us at the property today at 2PM  ... and ... we sat outside ... in the heat ... until 2:30PM when hubs called the realtor and she told him the seller didn't want to go through the hassle of dealing with us since we would need to work a contingency into the deal that the loan would be predicated on us getting a zoning change from the town (the change would probably not be that difficult).

Now George is angry because he was feeling the whole thing was "meant to be" because of all this invisible energy at play and the flashing Christmas tree lights he isn't even aware of. I am (secretly) a little bit relieved because the thought of starting this whole exhausting venture of his all over again in a new space makes me want to lie down ... like in a big mahogany box with a velvet liner.

Anyhoo, my point with sharing this story (the outcome is still uncertain) is that when things feel like they are 'meant to be' and then they fall apart before they even get off the ground, it is sometimes because that 'meant to be' feeling was really just a whole lot of universal energy focusing us in a certain direction.

It doesn't always mean the exact thing we are focused on is going to work out perfectly.

The flashing light can be more a "notice this", "think about this", "imagine what having/doing/being this would feel like" directional that will come into play later than it is a sign that this particular thing is for us. Of course, sometimes powerful energies merge to line that thing that is for us, up with us, at times like this, too. Whew, that story was a mouthful! Not sure why I wrote it. xo if you bothered to read it.

The stuff that is going to work out now, we will be emotionally charged about (Cancer) and it will unroll rapidly (Mercury).

The other thing that is happening this weekend, the really important thing, is that my brother and sister-in-law are having their baby. I am not sure if I will be the only person in the waiting room - because half my family lives on the West Coast now and my sister-in-law's family is spread out, too. I bought a book and a box of tissues. I charged my phone. I got some cash from the bank and a box of snacks from Target. I don't know if I will actually be sitting there when baby Joel makes his entrance, but I hope I will be. My mother sat in the waiting room when my daughter was born and she sat in the waiting room again when my sister's daughter was born.

She has been gone for 20 years now. It's feels like it's my turn to sit.

SETTING AFFIRMATIONS

This is a powerful energy to focus our intentions and make affirmations on Cancer stuff : mothers, motherhood, self-care, nurturing, home, family, real estate, home business, food, breast health, stomach and digestive health, gut health, security ...

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a positive frame of mind - always make affirmations from a  positive place (positive meaning both happy and certain) - write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - then release your attention from them knowing that your intention is known. Know these things are already yours. Cancer is a water sign so this is a great weekend to be near and in water!

Wait until you see a little sliver of Moon in the sky to take any action related to the New Moon (including setting your affirmations), we want our actions to be visible in the world! But don't wait so long that the Moon moves out of Cancer - Saturday night/early Sunday looks good for intentions.

There was more about this New Moon in the weekly HERE

Wishing everyone a powerful, magical weekend of deep connections and familial memories. If you don't have actual family nearby, pull together the people you care about. Love is love.

xo all

(we'll talk more about all this Cancer and what it means next week!)

Solstice | New Moon in Cancer part I - soaking the ground

fearless mother by zoran photo

In preparation for tomorrow night's impactful New Moon in Cancer - let's take a step back a little.

Yesterday's solstice was the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest night in the Southern Hemisphere. The Sun moved into the cardinal water sign of Cancer launching us into a new season.

Astrologically speaking, the energies at play portend quite a bit about the months ahead (and maybe that's too ominous a word to use now that I google it, but I feel the need to let it stay) - the relationship between the planets on any "start date" establish the energies/points the "venture" will be working with throughout its life, in this case the summer (winter down under) season.

We've had an exalted Taurus Moon joining with Venus (in Taurus) and trining nicely with Pluto (power, karma, transformation).

Back on planet Earth (as above, so below) Melania Trump, an Earth Mother Taurus Sun with a Moon and stellium in heavy duty Capricorn (authority) has moved into the White House

(a Cancer country, her child is moving in with her, she is the first First Lady since John Quincy Adams' wife Louisa to be born outside the U.S. - reminding me of the current Saturn - authority - in Sagittarius - foreign - and also reminding me of Louisa's connection to Andrew Jackson, but that's a post for another time!).

I called her an Earth Mother in an astrology group posting a couple weeks back and got my head chewed off people didn't like it.

I understand why, but Taurus rules all the resources on planet Earth including money. We have two astrological mothers - Cancer energy nurtures and protects, Taurus energy gives birth and feeds (provides resources). Ideally, mama needs to provide nurturing and protection AND she needs to provide food and comfort. It's not called the 'hardest job in the world' for nothing, people.

Melania's not the Earth Mother many would hope for, but she's placed in the highest office in the land (think of all her natal Capricorn and Venus's current trine to Pluto) - she is what we've got, so in ways we might not be able to see clearly right now she is what we need.

Another powerful woman, singer Beyonce, gave birth to twins just as the 'twin season' of Gemini ended. She had some beautiful Earth Mother photography done while pregnant. I don't know anything about her efforts on behalf of the Planet either, but it could be a more comfortable image for many people to work with.

What we are really seeing in both these stories - Melania's move and Beyonce's birth - is the archetypal journey from Taurus/Gemini into Cancer.

How is your own personal Cancerian story playing out?

Back later today with Part II.

NOTE - by this weekend we will have the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Mars in Cancer. That is an amazing amount of Cancer energy (and my brother's son is about to be born!). With July 2nd's powerful Mars/Pluto opposition it almost feels like we are soaking the ground in the hopes of preventing a fire from spreading out of control ....

Sun into Cancer | Summer Solstice - home, family, roots - fresh new beginnings

Home by Cristiana Apostol

Mercury follows the Sun into Cancer today - joining together at 0 degrees.

With our North Node in Leo now and Leo ruled by the Sun, the Sun's monthly transitions become even more impactful

(is there a family issue that needs to be 'ironed out/worked with' before we can move forward).

Mercury carries a communication, news, information, an issue, contact with sibling or the local environment that sets the tone for the new summer season. It could refer back to something started around April 20th - the last Sun/Mercury culmination point (superior conjunction).

Today's revelation would be the prologue to a whole new chapter that launches after the New Moon on June 23rd. Post to follow.

Cancer season is about home and family, motherhood, real estate and roots, security and patriotism. It wouldn't be surprising if the message Mercury delivers comes from our ancestors. It would be a good time to pay them tribute with a space dedication in your home - be sure to include a photo of yourself as a child. Think about the ways your own story is woven in with theirs and how you carry your mother's emotional story and your father's physical story (and vice versa - it is way more complicated than this) forward.

That North Node in Leo - and our move into heart - has me thinking this Cancer season and Summer Solstice could be a great bit about looking backward into what took root and grew in our heart when we were a child. We'll talk more about this at the New Moon in a couple days.

In the meantime, the Moon is balsamic. Get enough rest. Go through your family albums. The good financial/resource vibes continue from yesterday. What are you mining?

xo all

Mercury Square Chiron, Venus Sextile Neptune, Mercury Sextile Uranus | multiple opportunities - connect, talk, think, forgive

The Crowd by uglybug

There are multiple energies at play today and of course, we still have that powerful Grand Fire Trine (stay careful with fire and away from angry people).

Mercury's square to Chiron makes this an excellent time for a healing conversation. Words can wound though (the kind of wounds that don't heal) - offer compassion, above all else. No one needs our judgement now. The best tone is set when we forget about sounding right and just speak from our heart.

It's time to forgive ourselves all those Mercury foibles.  

Yes, a lifetime's worth - our North Node is in majestic Leo now - think BIG. 

The wrong word we said at the wrong time. The conversation we didn't have. The email we didn't send or the one we did. The idea that didn't work out. The research we didn't do. The sibling crap. The crap car we bought when we knew better. The times we were less than neighborly.

Particularly if we have a strong Virgo or Gemini signature in our chart or packed 3rd or 6th houses. If we do, Mercury is one of our muses. She/he will not be neglected. Do a ceremony. Muses love ceremony. Then we'll use that sextile (opportunity) to "anything-can-happen, freedom loving, future-oriented, tehno-fearless" Uranus to work with this energy in a new way. We'll talk more about this later.
 
The Moon is exalted in Taurus now. This manifestation portal offers up two sextiles (both were exact late last night):

1. Venus, ruler of love, money, self-esteem and women, in Taurus, a sign she rules, sextiles imaginative Neptune in mystical Pisces, a sign he rules. This is excellent energy to attract what we want through imaginative/spiritual/healing work. Creative times with women can be particularly lucrative now. Mine for diamonds.
2. Mercury, ruler of ideas, communications, siblings, our local environment, our transportation, in Gemini, a sign he/she rules sextiles Uranus, ruler of invention, genius, freedom, in passionate Aries - what do we want to start? Think NEW with this one.

What can we make from this word soup within our own story? Sextiles offer opportunities. Today's tangle highly favors our mental and creative work, people connections and our resources.

The Sun is still in Gemini for a few more hours and Mercury is still here for some hours after that - keep talking, learning, looking at different sides of whatever issues are at play. The answers are out there.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of June 19th - new beginnings

Sand wings by Lileinaya

On Monday, the Moon is uber busy (we likely are, too) ... until she isn't anymore.

We start the day with the Moon in initiating, passionate, "me" and action-oriented Aries - get to work early. Best to put future gains ahead of present comfort this morning. Yes, even if the sun is shining (unless we are on vacation then this is good energy for vacation style action - get out there!). With an Aries Moon everyone will want what they want and they'll want it now. The Moon kicks off with a trine (brakes off) to Saturn in Sagittarius. This is a good time to work with Sagittarius themes - foreign, travel, weddings, politics, higher education, religious, media, politics and with structure and authority. With the Moon in Aries it's best to keep the focus on our own stuff even as we deal with 'big picture' themes.

The Moon is sextiling (opportunity) Mercury - good time to make a decision or come to an agreement. Ideas, communication, local activities, neighbors, siblings, transportation, interviews, writing - all get the green light early in the day. Later on the Moon conjuncts Uranus (also in Aries) and then sextiles (opportunity) the Gemini Sun. We are all feeling ambitious and probably a bit restless and scattered.

The Moon goes void at 3:42PM EST and then moves into Taurus a couple hours later. In Taurus the Moon is exalted. This would be a good day to close down early and enjoy some Taurean comfort - good food, nature, massage, etc. Summer is as close as our own fingertips ...

On Tuesday, we have the Moon exalted in Taurus and Venus (happy in Taurus) sextiling Neptune (in Pisces where she rules). Right brain activities are favored. What could be better for making money with imaginative work, attracting what we want with and through women and/or for compassionate, spiritual or healing activities. We will all be absorbing each other's energy now ... likely in a positive way - it will be easy to feel where other people are coming from (if we are patient enough to let ourselves go there) even when we disagree with them.

The rest of week - Wednesday onward, it is all CANCER all of the time (and there is alot of Cancer for the next few weeks actually). First the Sun moves into Cancer kicking off a new season with the Summer Solstice. Post to follow

The Sun quickly conjuncts Mercury (also making a move into Cancer this week) so the first day of summer brings important messages/information

or something involving a Mercurian theme - information, communication, sibling, transportation, local environment - that could involve us through the summer season.  

Family discussions will be sentimental. What we need and what other people need will be colored by our memories of how things used to be (or how we wished they had been). Comfort comes from people and situations that are familiar.

Then we have the New Moon in Cancer (Friday) - the entire end of the week is about NEW BEGINNINGS. We'll talk about this New Moon later, coming so near the Summer Solstice and sitting with Mercury - it's a big one.

Cancer is all about family and home and history and patriotism and security - about having our needs met and meeting the needs of others we are close to. It's about vulnerability and how we deal with that.

The Sun will shine a light on these areas as well as light up our natal Cancer house. Cancer is ruled by the Moon. Her emotional nature comes from the fact she changes signs every couple days - contrast that with the Sun who moves through one sign a month or Neptune who sits in the same sign for fifteen years. Can you imagine if the celestial body ruling our emotions stayed in the same place for fifteen years? We wouldn't be moody anymore that's for sure and certainly some people would be lucky enough to be smiling for over a decade, but we could be stuck in a bad mood through four presidents and three car loans. That's a whole lot of lemons!

Looked at it this way - the moody, changeable Moon is our friend, right?

By the end of the week, the Sun, Mercury and Mars will all be in emotional Cancer. Whatever is happening will feel deeply personal. Emotions will override logic. We will be feeling where we are most vulnerable. So will other people, so let's give each other a break.

On Sunday, Mars (in Cancer) will square Jupiter (in Libra) and then trine (brakes off) Neptune (now retrograde in Pisces).  This adds passion, excitement and ambition to whatever we are focused on. It could make something feel bigger than it actually is. New beginnings can seem overwhelming because we will be feeling the words we hear and speak, feeling our way through the actions we take (yes, this could slow us down a bit) and feeling what we need to feel safe. The further our current circumstances deviate from this space of safety and the feeling of "home" the more stress we will be dealing with over the next couple weeks.

xo all