Halcyon Tasmania

Revealing our values: Full Moon in 27°Taurus.

On Friday 19th November, 2021 at 7:57pm (AEDT) we will experience the Full Moon in 27°Taurus and very shortly thereafter, a Lunar Eclipse in Taurus.

With the Full Moon occurring in Taurus, the focus is on earthly matters: literally, our environment – the planet Earth and the stability and security we gain from partnering with the Earth.

In Taurus, we find concepts such as value and worth being applied to our resources and our selves: do we value the Earth sufficiently to work symbiotically rather the parasitically with Her resources – the resources we need for survival?

Is our self-esteem inflated or under-developed for our needs and our harmonious relationship with the planet Earth?

Do we have a false sense of security in our relationship with the planet Earth?

The Full Moon in Taurus raises these questions and many more. Being in trine to Pluto provides a flowing transformative energy that will see us penetrate the superficial and reveal the ‘reality’ that this lunation reveals!

Psychologically, the questions become internalised and we are tasked with reviewing our self-esteem, self-worth and value.

Do we value ourselves sufficiently to find worth in our being?

A Full Moon affords us a time to review such questions and consider whether we are living according to our true values. The Full Moon provides a time to invest in ourselves and apply our true values to living a stronger, healthier, more stable and secure – Taurian – lifestyle.

Does the Scorpio Sun force the Taurian Moon to take some action to guarantee our security and secure our emotional/material value?

With Jupiter in Aquarius forming a a fixed t-square to this Full Moon, we can see any tension experienced being channeled into an expansive, optimistic and truthful manner – making us wise of the underlying issues of this lunation.

The Lunar Eclipse at the time of this Full Moon may further aid in revealing those areas of our lives that need more support: What can I do to feel more secure in the world today? Can I contribute to securing the Earth’s resources?

Here then, will be an opportunity to consider what we need to do build our confidence, find value in our being and develop a partnership with the Earth’s resources that assures us of our mutual stability and future security.

Image: Partial Lunar Eclipsewww.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/partial-lunar-eclipse

In terms of the Lunar Eclipse, we will be experiencing a partial lunar eclipse. I use TimeandDate.com for all my astronomical timing and time zone information, and they have a great visualisation of this partial lunar eclipse as we will see it from 42° South in Hobart, Tasmania (the link will allow you to set it for your location).

Astronomically, this partial lunar eclipse will occur when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Full Moon.

Astrologically, eclipses are seen to bring some pretty dramatic events into manifestation or reveal some hidden knowledge, or something is reset: think of when the power suddenly and unexpectedly goes out; a fuse is tripped; the router reset!

What will experience at the time of this outage/surge?

Eclipses in Earth signs such as Taurus have been correlated with severe weather events, earth quakes, and the such. With Taurus being a sign that reflects our values and material security, upsets to finances and monetary systems have also been experienced.

Will something be revealed about our worldly resources; or financial security; or climate stability?

This will be our last lunar eclipse for 2021 and the first of a new 2 year eclipse cycle in the Taurus – Scorpio axis.

Here we will experience a pull between determined wills as both Taurus and Scorpio are fixed signs: the Will for resources – internal and external; personal and worldly.

This will see a need for us to find the middle ground between what I consider ‘my’ resources and ‘your’ resources: maybe we can come to an understanding that we ’share’ these resources and show gratitude to the provider – Gaia!

Recently, I was interested to hear of one of Earth’s entrepreneurs discuss his desire to use the resources of the Moon, Mars and the asteroids to sustain his vision of future humanity.

The interesting thing about his talk, was that it was part of a symposium entitled ‘Our Future in Space’ held last week on 10th November in Washington, and another speaker, the head of America’s intelligence agencies suggested that recent UFO investigations revealed an “extraterrestrial” origin!

Here is a link to a recording of the symposium https://youtu.be/UWyPk_f8aAA

Without getting off-topic and going down the UFO rabbit-hole, this highlights the sense of urgency in applying the Taurus-Scorpio energy to the question of our guardianship of Earth’s resources.

Rather than “strip mining” Gaia and then seeking additional resources off-planet as suggested by this entrepeuner (YouTube timestamp: 1:07:30), maybe we care for our resources and value our existence on the planet Earth?

Who ‘owns’ these resources: here on Earth and in the Universe around us?

An excellent essay asks that question here, and suggests our “attitudes to space that focus on power and profit appear worryingly similar to the mindset of European and American colonial powers.”

Maybe, the “extraterrestrial” will not be too keen to see us “strip-mine” one planet and then move onto others in a parasitic fashion?

Before typing this blog post today, I meditated and when I was finished, I reached for a book I keep nearby and randomly opened a page to read.

This book, originally published in 1945, is Aldous Huxley’s ‘Perennial Philosophy’, which has been a constant source of spiritual clarity for me over the last 30 years, and today I read the following:

“The doctrine that God is in the world has an important practical corollary – the sacredness of Nature, and the sinfulness and folly of man’s overweening efforts to be her master rather than her intelligently docile collaborator… not brutally oppressed to serve our human ends.”
Aldous goes on to quote a Taoist parable which he interprets as reflecting “the living images of those busy persons who thought they would improve on Nature by turning dry prairies into wheat fields, and produced deserts; who proudly proclaimed the Conquest of the Air, and then discovered that they had defeated civilization ; who chopped down vast forests to provide the newsprint demanded by that universal literacy which was to make the world safe for intelligence and democracy, and got wholesale erosion, pulp magazines and the organs of Fascist, Communist, capitalist and nationalist propaganda.”
The ‘good-guy’ in this Taoist parable, “has no desire to bully Nature into subserving ill-considered temporal ends… his wish is to work with Nature, so as to produce material and social conditions in which individuals may realize Tao on every level from the physiological up to the spiritual.”
Aldous reports that historically, “The Greeks believed that hubris was always followed by nemesis, that if you went too far you would get a knock on the head to remind you that the gods will not tolerate insolence on the part of mortal men.”
“To have too much power over one’s fellows, to be too rich, too violent, too ambitious all this invites punishment, and in the long run, we notice, punishment of one sort or another duly comes.”
Aldous Huxley, The Perennial Philosophy (Modern Classic Editions, 2009) Pp76 – 78

How synchronistic that I should randomly select that passage!

And whilst I put the finishing touches to this post, I’m listening to Hawkwind’s song “Uncle Sam’s on Mars” – some synchronistically poignant lyrics indeed!

Image: NASA – America’s Future Destinations – https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/multimedia/gallery/SLS_destinations.html

“Shoals of dead fish float on the lakes
But Uncle Sam’s on Mars
And science is making the same mistakes
But Uncle Sam’s on Mars
And no one down here knows how to work the brakes
But Uncle Sam’s on Mars

Uncle Sam’s on Mars, Uncle Sam’s on Mars
Uncle Sam’s on Mars, he’s on Mars

Layers of smoke in the atmosphere
Have made the earth too hot to bear
The Earth might be a desert soon
America has left the Moon

Uncle Sam’s on Mars, Uncle Sam’s on Mars
Uncle Sam’s on Mars, he’s on Mars

He’s on Mars

He’s digging for dreams in the red sand
He’s got his bucket and spade in his left hand
He’s digging for dreams

(Hawkwind, “Uncle Sam’s on Mars” 1976, by Robert Calvert, Dave Brock, Simon House, Simon King)

I hope the Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse provides you with the emotional clarity to find value, worth and security in your inner resources of confidence, faith and will, so you can apply these to sustaining a symbiotic relationship with our planet Earth and the Universe around us.

Check your natal chart to get an idea of the influence of these cosmic aspects.

At 27° Taurus, the Full Moon will form a conjunction with any planets or points (such as your Midheaven) between 25° to 29° Taurus. The energy of these planets will fuse with the FullMoon and create a ’super planet’ that will be expressed in the House it falls in (remember that the House equates to an area of life).

If you have any planets or points (such as your Ascendent) between 25° to 29° Scorpio, the Full Moon will be in opposition, creating the need to find balance and avoid the extremes of the planetary energies involved.

Planets or points (such as the Nodes of the Moon) at 25° to 29° of Pisces or Cancer will be in sextile to the Full Moon, and will provide support and stimulation of the planetary energies, providing opportunities for growth.

At 25° to 29° of Virgo or Capricorn, any natal planets or points will form a trine with the Full Moon, facilitating a greater sense of harmony and flow, but if not worked with, these energies will lack the vitality there could bring.

If you have any planets or points (such as your Ascendent) between 25° to 29° of Leo or Aquarius, the Full Moon will form a square aspect and will potentially bring tense energies that will create a sense of collision, but which if handled well will provide the greatest opportunity for growth!

Are you interested in predictive astrology?

When the Sun reaches 03°Aquarius on the 22nd January 2022 (in the Southern Hemisphere) we will experience the first of the trigger dates stemming from this Lunar Eclipse.

Other dates to note are 18th May 2022 when the Sun is at 27°Taurus making a trine to retrograde Pluto in 29°Capricorn, and the 20th August 2022, when the Sun at 27°Leo is forming a quincunx with Pluto, who is still in retrograde motion at 26°Capricorn.

Events stemming from this Lunar Eclipse of 19th November 2021 will be revisited or have some form of re-focus placed upon them around these dates. With Pluto in the mix, expect issues of power and control to be a central factor!

If astrology interests you, I am available for readings or sign up for my learn astrology on-line course starting again in February 2022.

Sowing the seeds of freedom – New Moon 5th November 2021.

In the Southern Hemisphere we have a New Moon at 12° Scorpio on 5th November 2021 at 8:14am (AEDT).

In the early morning of Friday (here in the Southern Hemisphere) the Scorpio New Moon will energise us with the power to transform, regenerate and eliminate the old ways of being!

As with all New Moon’s, this is a great time to plug-into the universal energy and get something underway: a project; a resolution; a goal.

Scorpio is the sign known for its intuitive and penetrative focus – exploring the depths of what it means to be alive. Scorpio is willing to delve into the subject matters we rarely care to know about: the taboo subjects of life and death – especially death and all that holds for us here and now.

Death is for many a great taboo, but for the Scorpio, death is but a form of transition and like the esoteric totem of this Zodiacal Sign, the Phoenix rises from the ashes of the old into a new form, more splendid than that previously.

With this New Moon being opposite to transiting Uranus in 12° Taurus, we are being tasked to re-energise our core being, our creative power-source, and find new, radical and revolutionary ways to balance any restlessness we may experiencing with this New Moon.

Taurus is the sign of security and stability: factors essential for our sense of self-worth, comfort and value. With Uranus in Taurus, there is an urge to transform from the old into new, more evolved concepts of security and stability.

What makes me feel safe and secure? How can I feel secure in the current world of seeming instability?

Being in opposition to the New Moon, we may find ourselves (and our very concept of self) being challenged by external events!

Without being challenged in life we can stagnate, and whilst Taurus is about stability, it is not prepared to allow itself to wallow: the Bull wants to endure through life with a determination that brings peace.

Uranus will challenge this concept, and in doing so will pave the way for our sense of freedom to be renewed through facing and transforming the fear that undermines our sense of security these days.

Here, the New Moon energy is set to get something going that empowers us, and in Scorpio fashion, transforms us like the Phoenix!

Can we make this sense of fear a thing of the past and find renewal in confidence, surety, and above all, gain a sense of love and peace!

Check you natal chart to get an idea of the influence of these cosmic aspects.

At 12° Scorpio, the New Moon will form a conjunction with any planets or points (such as your Midheaven) between 10° to 14° Scorpio. The energy of these planets will fuse with the New Moon and create a ’super planet’ that will be expressed in the House it falls in (remember that the House equates to an area of life).

If you have any planets or points (such as your Ascendent) between 10° to 14° Taurus (where transiting Uranus will form a conjunction with these natal planets), the New Moon will be in opposition, creating the need to find balance and avoid the extremes of the planetary energies involved.

Planets or points (such as the Nodes of the Moon) at 10° to 14° of Virgo or Capricorn will be in sextile to the New Moon, and will provide support and stimulation of the planetary energies, providing opportunities for growth.

At 10° to 14° of Cancer or Pisces, any natal planets or points will form a trine with the New Moon, facilitating a greater sense of harmony and flow, but if not worked with, these energies will lack the vitality they could bring.

If you have any planets or points between 10° to 14° of Leo or Aquarius, the New Moon will form a square aspect and will potentially bring tense energies that will create a sense of collision, but which if handled well will provide the greatest opportunity for growth!

I hope the New Moon illumines your life and that you are able to sow the seeds of authenticity, independence and freedom!

Take a look at my home page if you’d like to explore astrology and find out how you can use it to propel your success in this lifetime!

Photo by Binyamin Mellish on Pexels.com

The Illumination of who I Am – Full Moon at 27°Aries, 21st October 2021, 1:56am (AEST)

“I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

We could say that the seeds we planted at the Aries New Moon earlier this year have now come to fruition, the waxing cycle has reached its pinnacle and is soon to wane.

Here, we have the Sun illuminate the progress we have made in the endeavours we set ourselves around 12th April this year.

What has come to light? What is revealed? What is the result?

For better or worse, we are at the point of ‘harvest’.

We are now entering the waning phase, a time to go within and contemplate upon our ’success’ and to integrate it within ourselves, to share with others what we have learnt, and prepare the ‘seeds’ for a new Aries Moon cycle to commence in 2022.

Another prompt to ‘go within’ at the time of this Full Moon is the Cardinal T-square formed between the Full Moon (Sun-Moon opposition) and Pluto squaring the luminaries (Sun and Moon).

As the focal planet in this T-Square created by the Full Moon, Pluto will energise this event.

Pluto, the Greek god of the underworld: the world below where we may perceive ‘reality’ free from the illusion of the material 3D world!

Here we see the ’truth’: the veil has been lifted and the illusions removed – we are faced with the core of our being.

Being in Cardinal signs (Aries and Capricorn) suggests ‘action’ is required.

The universe is energising us to be pioneering, courageous, determined, and perhaps, self-sufficient.

With Pluto in Capricorn, we have Pluto in the mind-set of “roll-up-your-sleeves”, with its ultimate focus being on the “Great Work” (Stephen Forrest, [2012] The Book of Pluto. Seven Paws Press).

We’ve had our ‘Plutonian-sleeves’ rolled up since January 2008 and we will have them ‘rolled-up’ and doing Pluto’s ‘great work’ until 2024.

The ‘Great Work’ of Pluto is to transform: to completely penetrate to the core of existence, reveal the hidden reality, overcome fear, and regenerate into something more than it was previous.

With Pluto in Capricorn, transformation is being forced on us in the areas of authority and power, both collectively as a society and individually as you and I.

What ‘riches’ from the underworld of Pluto can we mine within ourselves to bring to the surface as resources to defy fear, take control and become powerful in our own being?

Looking to the ‘empty space’ opposite Pluto, we find the sign of Cancer and here we get a clue as to what we need to do with all this transformative energy of the T-Square: nurture ourselves, go within and find peace, stillness and harmony!

With Cancer also being a Cardinal sign, we should take action to establish our inner peace: perhaps a pranayama or asana yoga practice would aid here?

Oh, by the way…at the time of this Full Moon, we also have Mercury opposing Chiron, challenging us to consider how our words and the way we communicate can wound each other. It also suggests we can find healing through harmonious authentic communication. More to meditate upon!

And there’s more (there always is)!

With Mars still conjunct the Sun in Libra, we may become somewhat indecisive or prone to anger (Mars is in opposition to the Moon!) during this period, but if we align ourselves with Mars’ drive and focus upon enhancing humanity’s sense of self-worth, esteem and value, we can then use Mars to ‘fight for our rights’ and gain ‘justice for all’!

Regardless, this Full Moon will be a powerful time for us to illuminate who we really are, and to find comfort in ourselves and to share our authentic selves with others for our mutual benefit.

A time to go within and review – Pluto takes us to the depths and has us return reborn anew – a more Authentic Individual – aligned with the Universal Individual – the core truth of our Being.

Where is 24°Capricorn in your chart: here transiting Pluto will make a conjunction, pushing for change – total change!

Any planets or points at 24°Cancer will represent a ‘release valve’ and provide you with additional support, through finding balance with in this Plutonian prompt to raise our consciousness relative to the T-Square formed with the Full Moon.

Planets and points in your natal chart at 24°Pisces/Virgo and 24°Taurus/Scorpio will be able to tap into this push for change in less drastic ways: free of obstacles and with supportive opportunities present.

Don’t forget to review what was happening in the world and your life at the the previous New Moon at 22°Aries that occurred on 12th April 2021 – this Full Moon will see events from that time come to a head!

Wishing you a a potent Full moon – may it illuminate a transformed, real you!

Take a look at my home page if you’d like to explore astrology and find out how you can use it to propel your success in this lifetime!

Forest Photo by Kamil Szerlag on Pexels.com

Healing and Harmony across the Rainbow Bridge!

New Moon 13°Libra occurring on Wednesday, 6th October 2021 at 10:05pm AEST

On Wednesday 6th October, here in the Southern Hemisphere at 10:05pm, the Sun will conjunct the Moon at 13°Libra, forming the New Moon.

A conjunction occurs when two planets share the same sign and are within a close distance to each other. When conjunct, two planets share a purpose: they are unified and whilst their energies remain unique to their own essence, they directed together.

This New Moon is itself conjunct Mars, inconjunct Uranus at 13°Taurus, and in opposition to Chiron at 10°Aries. This combination of planetary makes this a somewhat feisty New Moon!

Remember too: Mercury is retrograde and also influencing this New Moon! Communication concerns may become more evident and be seen as a stumbling block to the change the New Moon desires.

New Moon’s are about new beginnings, and here in Libra, diplomacy, co-operation and harmony is the agenda. With Libra being ruled by Venus, we have the combination of the two luminaries shining their light on the need for co-operation as She desires all beings to be at peace.

With Mars in Libra, the planetary energy to survive is channelled towards the Venus-principal that seeks harmony gained via relationships. This is somewhat difficult for Mars as He is concerned with winning at all costs and is here being forced to consider others!

Mars is in His detriment when in Libra. This suggests that He is not happy and cannot fully express His core nature.

In Libra, the sign of compromise, co-operation and harmony, Mars’ drive for action and to win, is shifted from an individual goal to that of the collective – together we can win!

Libra wants everyone to be happy – Mars wants to win: working with others will achieve His aim.

This Mars situation will strongly influence us all for nearly 2 years as on the 8th October He is conjunct the Sun at 15°Libra exact and will commence a new synodic cycle. Whilst Mars may become somewhat indecisive during this period, we can personally align ourselves with his drive and focus it to pioneering growth that enhances humanity’s sense of self-worth, esteem and value! Here we can use Mars to ‘fight for our rights’ and gain ‘justice for all’!

With the New Moon being opposite Chiron, a centaur that orbits the Sun between Saturn and Uranus the asteroid and the Kuiper belt, we get a beautiful Libra opportunity to find balance, compromise, and harmony between our luminous core being and our sense of being wounded.

In a recent discussion with my astrologer-friend Joanne, she reminded me of Barbara Hand Clow’s conception of Chiron as being the “rainbow bridge” as it “links the inner planets, which represent personal issues, with the outer planets, which represent transpersonal issues” (Barbara Hand Clow. 2013. Astrology and the Rising of Kundalini. Bear & Company).

Chiron is the bridge between Saturn, the last of the inner planets and Uranus, the first of the outer planets. So, with this New Moon we have the opportunity to start something new that will allow us to find balance between the ‘old’ and the ‘new’.

Chiron, being about health and our sense of wounding, is here, the bridge between our ‘old ways’ of suffering and our ‘new ways’ of healing.

Uranus has been in Taurus since 2018 And will remain in this sign until 2026. Here Uranus is revolutionising our concepts of security and stability: this is the opportunity to reveal a radically new way of being. The challenges of these years are definitely pushing us to evolve and find freedom independent from the ‘old ways’ of being – the ‘old ways‘ of suffering!

Saturn in Aquarius can be seen as the ‘old ways’ of being, especially in the ways we think about who we are as the human race, how we communicate and understand our role in our society and culture. Saturn is often seen as stern and authoritarian: could it be that the ‘old’ way of governance requires replacing and a ‘new’ form of collective solidarity ushered in?

The strong inconjunct (more appropriately called a quincunx in astrology) between the New Moon and Uranus is providing us with the opportunity to develop new and unusual relationships that will bring us harmony, stability and safety.

Whilst we could face unexpected challenges, disruptions and revelations around the time of this New Moon due to the aspect to Uranus, we are afforded a great opportunity to work with elements of our life that may appear to be incompatible, but which can be brought together when we ‘evolve’, lift our consciousness and raise our vibrations. This is a topic covered in more depth in Barbara Hand Clow’s book Astrology and the Rising of Kundalini, and also in her seminal work, Alchemy of the Nine Dimensions, with the dimensions being levels of conscious awareness.

Perhaps this New Moon will prompt us to lift our awareness, and to take action that heals both you and I in a harmonious manner that sees humanity raise to new levels of being!

May the New Moon heal you and propel you on your journey to authenticity!

Knowing your natal (birth) chart will help you navigate and utilise these planetary energies to the full. Where you planets or points (i.e., Midheaven; Ascendant/Descendant, etc) between 11° and 15° of the following Zodical Signs will show you how the New Moon energy will be felt.

For example,

Squares in Cancer or Capricorn will potentially experience tense energies creating a sense of collision, but which if handled well will provide the greatest opportunity for growth!

Oppositions in Aries will create the need to find balance and avoid the extremes of the planetary energies involved.

Trines in Gemini or Aquarius will facilitate a greater sense of harmony and flow, but if not worked with, the energies will lack the vitality there could bring.

Sextiles in Leo or Sagittarius will provide support and stimulation of the planetary energies, providing opportunities for growth.

Conjunctions in Libra will share a purpose: they will be unified and their energies directed together.

Quincunxes in Pisces or Taurus will generate a need to seek innovation to resolve any challenges, and in doing so raise your understanding of life and your role in it!

Which House the planet or point is in will determine where you will be experiencing the impact of the New Moon in your daily life.

Take a look at my home page if you’d like to explore this New Moon and your chart through an astrological reading.

Orbit of Chiron Image: user:Reyk, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Mercury Retrograde: The Trickster God Revealed?

In astrology, Mercury is seen as the function of communication, perception and the rational mind.

To gain a deeper understanding of the role Mercury plays in astrology we can look to His mythology and explore the relevance and meaning of the archetypes this mythology reveals.

One such archetype of Mercury is that of the Trickster God.

Image from: https://www.youtube.com/c/RussellBrand

As the Messenger of the Gods, Mercury was well placed to manipulate the messages he passed between them – maybe conveying his own agenda or just seeking to sow the seeds of disharmony.

When Mercury turns retrograde, He ‘slows’ down and what He has communicated is open to review and scrutiny (I’ve written more on this subject here).

As I was mulling over this Mercurial archetype, I was notified that Russel Brand’s latest YouTube video was available and low and behold its topic was synchronistic with this topic, made especially so as it was the day that Mercury turned retrograde!

Russel’s topic shows that information is always attached to an agenda: my writings are attached to my agenda – far less nefarious than the agenda’s that Russel discusses in this video!

The key point for me, is that during this period of Mercury retrograde, we are afford an opportunity to slow down our thoughts and review how we take in information – do we just accept that information coming from a place of authority will not have an agenda contrary to our wellbeing?

Has Mercury the Trickster been at play in the world: is information ‘fake’ as we have been advised?

For me, stilling the mind in a world of chaos is a challenge, but when this happens and the intuitive thoughts of the heart centre flow, then we find true information that is of value to our harmonious existence; our sense of self-worth; and our stability in an unstable world.

That is my opinion and my agenda!

The Gift of Mindful Retrospection – Mercury Retrograde from 27 September 2021 (AEST)

This is our third and final Mercury retrograde for 2021.

Recall that planetary retrogrades are optical illusions – they do not travel backwards, they just appear to because Mercury overtakes our Earth on its orbit around the Sun. From our perspective, Mercury appears to have slowed down and reversed His direction.

As I’ve written before, Mercury was the messenger of the Gods – communicating and transmitting information.

In astrology He is seen as the energy of communication and perception, travel and contractual relationships.

Mercury retrogrades have all occurred in Air signs this year, previously in Aquarius and Gemini, and currently in Libra.

So, the focus of this mercurial energy will have an extra-focus on communication, the mind, and connectivity.

Being in retrograde, this will mean miscommunication, misunderstandings, and disconnections may be experienced.

But knowing this, we can be prepared to be more open, to actively listen and genuinely engage with others. With Mercury forming a square to Pluto during this period, we need to be vigilant we don’t force our views on others!

When Mercury the planet appears to move backwards in the sky – retrogradation – be prepared for complications, disruptions and upsets to our plans!

Be prepared for changes to plans you put in place during the retrograde shadow period – and have contingencies in place!

The retrograde shadow period reflects the degrees of the Zodiac he will revisit during His time in retrogradation.

Mercury turns retrograde at 25°Libra on 27 September (in Australia) and goes back through Libra until He reaches 10°Libra on the 19 October, at that time Mercury goes direct and travels forward over this section of Libra (10° to 25°) until the 4 November when He enters new Libra territory from 26° onwards.

I’ve used this composite photograph of Mars in retrograde motion by Astrophotographer Tunc Tezel to graphically represent this Mercury retrogradation through Libra.

This means that if you have any planets or points (Ascendant/Descendant; House cusps; etc) within 10° to 25° Libra you will be experiencing Mercury’ gaze 3 times.

We will all be under the influence of Mercury Retrograde, but aside from Libra, if you have any of the following planets/points in your natal chart you will be especially influenced by His reversal:

You will need to find balance and avoid the extremes of the planetary energies between Mercury and any planets/points at Aries 10° to 25°

There could be tense energies creating a sense of collision if you have any planets/points in Capricorn or Cancer 10° to 25°, but which if handled well will provide the greatest opportunity for growth.

With planets/points at 10° to 25° of Aquarius or Gemini, you’ll find harmony and flow, but if not worked with, the combined energies will lack the vitality they can bring.

If you have planets/points at 10° to 25° of Leo or Sagittarius, there will be support and stimulation of the planetary energies, providing you with opportunities to grow.

Which ever house the planet/point is in will determine where you will be experiencing the impact of Mercury retrograde in your daily life.

Also, it is important to note what you where engaged in between 7 September and 27 September as this will be subject to Mercury’s triple scrutiny.

An alternative way of seeing this, is, what was occurring for you during that period of time is now up for a second and soon to be, third review.

Steven Forrest states that retrogradations “possess extraordinary depth and sensitivity” maybe because during periods of retrograde the planet is actually closer to Earth than it is during it’s ‘normal’ direct motion.

If this is the case, then we are afforded a great opportunity during a period of Mercury retrograde to analyse, dissect, and review decisions and plans we put in place between 7 and 27 September this year.

We can go back over things that may need rework, and review for errors or mistakes. Don’t forget that Mercury is a speedy fellow – maybe we rushed to complete projects in September and in doing so missed something vital?

Here we can apply retrospect to life that is still unfolding – what a great opportunity!

Not only in Mercury retrograde, but our Great Teachers, Jupiter and Saturn, and the transcendental planets of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, are retrograde too!

This then is a period of inner soul searching, reviewing what we have learnt and how we can apply this knowledge to our conscious evolution.

Best advise for this period of time is to be prepared to be more open, to actively listen and genuinely engage with others.

So, and contrary to popular belief, Mercury retrogrades are not bad: they are great times to review, research, and fine tune your projects and goals.

I wish you all the best during this astrological period of retrospection!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Reflections upon Truth

Full Moon on September 21st at 9:54am (AEST) occurring at 28° Pisces.

This Full Moon occurs when the transiting Sun in Virgo and the Moon in Pisces are in exact opposition: 180° opposing each other across the Zodiac.

Magicakally, we see Full Moons as relating to endings and culminations, as the Moon is fully illuminated by the Sun and will soon begin to wane and in mythical terms, return to the Source so as to find substance in order to seek reemergence anew at the time of the New Moon.

Here we stand at a critical point in time (as we do each lunar cycle) – here we find the fulfilment of the promise of the New Moon of 14° Virgo on the 7th September.

Everything is now made manifest for us to bring to fruition and share with the World during the waning period.

The emotional energy aroused by the Full Moon is Pisces is enhanced by the loose conjunction between the Moon at 28°Pisces and Neptune at 21°Pisces.

Neptune is co-ruler (along with Jupiter) of Pisces, so being in His Domicile will strengthen the Neptunian energy we experience. Being in retrograde suggests what Neptune was keeping hidden from us is now visible – that which we considered illusionary is now considered ‘real’.

Neptune in retrograde helps us to face our reality.

Neptune only makes things seem illusionary, hallucinatory, or deceptive, when we are not fully in-tune with Neptune.

Neptune in Pisces is prompting us as a collective humanity to detach ourselves from the limitations of our individuality and transcend the restrictions of the individual ego to become one with the Whole – freedom through unification is Neptune’s goal.

Neptune has been prompting us all to connect with the collective Whole through the removal of fear and the expression of our spiritual, inspirational and intuitive Being. This has been occurring since Neptune entered Pisces in April 2011 and will continue until 2025. Starting on 29 December Jupiter will join Neptune in Pisces and we can look to around 6 months of expanded connectivity with, and faith in, our spiritual life through the unity of the Piscean Rulers.

Image: Johfra Bosschart https://www.johfra.nl/en/biographie/

So, with Neptune conjunct the Full Moon, we can review the fulfillment of our past actions in a more spiritual, compassionate, and empathic manner – to consider how these actions can lead us individuals to a more unified collective of souls?

Luckily, we have assistance from one such leader in the form of Mars!

Here I do not see Mars so much the ‘God of War’, but the ‘God of Will’ – “do what thou Will shall be the whole of Law” – suggesting that our Will or urge to Be is the paramount goal of Being – an urge to Become Authentic and Whole.

At the time of this Full Moon, Mars is at 03°Libra, and Mars is not too comfortable in Libra – He is not is usual self!

Mars is in His detriment when in Libra. This suggests that He is not happy and cannot fully express His core nature.

In Libra, the sign of compromise, co-operation and harmony, Mars’ drive for action and to win, is shifted from an individual goal to that of the collective – together we can win!

Libra wants everyone to be happy – Mars wants to win: so here, working with others will achieve His aim.

And His aim here is to stimulate our karmic unfolding through His forming an easy opposition with the Nodes of the Moon.

An easy opposition occurs here when Mars forms a trine to the North node of the Moon and a sextile to the South, whilst of course the Nodes are in opposition to each other. Sextiles provide support and trines allow for things to flow unimpeded. Mars therefore, eases and assists us find the compromise required by an opposition.

So, what can Mars in Libra do for us here with the Nodes of the Moon?

I wrote of the Nodes here, and for this post we can simplify their meaning, and with the North Node in Gemini, this is exactly what we need to do!

As Jan Spiller conceives in her book, ‘Astrology for the Soul’, the North Node can be seen as those “attributes [we need] to develop” to fulfil our goal in becoming the Authentic Self in this lifetime. The South Node then are the “tendencies to leave behind”.

The North Node is often seen as our karmic goal in this incarnation. I actually feel that the whole natal chart as reflecting our karma and Steven Forrest in his book ‘Yesterday’s Sky’ tells us that “everything in the chart is karmic and the Nodes of the Moon are the karmic doorway into the heart of the issue”.

The North Node of the Moon is in Gemini, and the South is in Sagittarius. Here then we have a dichotomy between two signs principally concerned with the acquisition and understanding of information.

Gemini is concerned with information that is central to our concept of self: who am I, and why am I?

Sagittarius is also concerned with information that expands our concept of self: belief systems and faith.

Whilst neither Gemini or Sagittarius is ‘right or wrong’, the Nodal Axis suggests that at this point in our collective evolution, we need to focus upon the Gemini way of understanding the world and for the time being, resist the urge to codify everything in grand Sagittarian theories.

For now, the practical and intuitive information is what is needed and Mars helps us uncover it during the period of the Full Moon:

compassion and empathy for the collective unified humanity, come together as One to get things done by expressing our own truths as being but one truth amongst the whole!

I hope this Full Moon helps illuminate your Truth.

Take a look at my home page, and feel free to contact me if you’d like to explore your natal chart or help interpreting the cosmic forecast for a successful future.

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Once you have your birth chart, you can better prepare for the ‘cosmic weather’ as the planets transit and you grow in age and deal with life events.

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“Now is the winter of our discontent…made glorious” by the Spring!

We have a NEW MOON at 14° 38’ VIRGO occurring on the 7th September at 10:51am (AEST)

Paraphrasing Richard III by William Shakespeare lends itself to a central theme of this Virgo New Moon in our Southern Hemisphere.

Self-improvement through being of value to others is at the core of the Virgo archetype.

Gaining a sense of growth and fulfilment by being useful to those around us is the Virgo goal.

With a New Moon we have the opportunity to consider what we need to do to gain fulfilment in life.

So, if we are discontent with the way we are, a Virgo New Moon will give us the cosmic impetus to seek renewal, just as Gaia does with Her Earth during the Spring soon to come when the Sun enters Libra on 23rd September.

Now is the time to review how we want to live our lives, to organise and prepare the ‘seeds’ for the ‘spring’ of a new way of being.

Preparing ourselves manifest a more content individual who is happy in themselves through making those around them happy too.

What makes this New Moon of great Virgoian value is that it forms an exact Trine with Uranus at 14°Taurus.

Uranus is all about freedom and uniqueness, with His central goal being to aid us uncover and live our own Authentic Life.

Uranus in Taurus is urging us to reform and change from the traditions and cultures that resit our capacity to evolve and gain a sense of security, stability, creativity and harmony with ourselves and those we share our life with.

A Trine is considered a harmonious and very beneficial astrological aspect. It is one of the fundamental Ptolemaic aspects central to modern astrology and represents planets 120° or four signs apart, and are linked by being of the same element: here we have the New Moon in Virgo, being of Earth and Uranus in Taurus being Earth too. Virgo and Taurus are also Feminine signs: adding a receptive quality to the energies of this practical ‘down to earth’ aspect

Trines can represent a talent in your natal chart, and here, with the planets being in transit we can look to our natal chart to see where we can access this opportunity to uncover a talent to use in the evolution of our Authentic Self.

Trines allow the energies of the New Moon and Uranus to flow freely and without obstacle, so, for example, with the New Moon in your 1st House of Identity in trine to Uranus in the 8th House of Transformation, we could see the very concept of who you are being energised to radically change and find a stable sense of individuality that propels your evolved self into the future!

If this was my natal chart, I could review the areas of my life indicated by the 8th House to gain insight into talents I may have underused to aid me living my authentic life. Here I may probe deep into the role of power in my world – mine and others – how does ‘power‘ assist or hinder my sense of contentment with who I am? Are the Virgo ideals of duty and service being directed appropriately? Do I need to reorganise my energy and review how I share it with others?

Check your natal chart to see which Houses contain 12 – 16° Virgo – this is where the New Moon will will activate that area of life. Likewise, transiting Uranus will activate areas of life where you have 12 – 16° Taurus in your natal chart.

Other aspects formed by the New Moon can be found in your natal chart:

Sextiles at 12 – 16° of Scorpio or Cancer (sextiles provide support and stimulation of the planetary energies, providing us with opportunities to grow)

Squares at 12 – 16° Sagittarius or Gemini (these will be tense energies creating a sense of collision, but which if handled well will provide the greatest opportunity for growth)

Oppostions at 12 – 16° Pisces (here, there will be the need to find balance and avoid the extremes of the planetary energies)

Conjunctions at 12 – 16° Virgo (when conjunct, two planets share a purpose: they are unified and their energies remain unique to their own essence but are directed together).

Which ever House the planet is in will determine where you will be experiencing the impact of the New Moon in your daily life.

Take a look at my home page, and feel free to contact me if you’d like to explore your natal chart or help interpreting the cosmic forecast for a successful future.

As always with astrology, events such a New Moon and aspects such as the trine to Uranus never occur in isolation: there are multiple other factors at play that all coagulate to create the whole experience of our existence.

That said, we should take into consideration that the Moon in Virgo will oppose Neptune in Pisces by the evening of this New Moon on the 7th September.

Whilst only brief, this transit may bring a cloudiness to our thought processes and we may benefit from holding off making any firm decisions about making radical changes to our lives until the next day or so!

Sit with your heart-mind for awhile and allow your intuition to guide you along the path to your Authentic Self.

Hoping you ‘are made glorious’ by this New Moon!

The Vernal (Spring) Equinox: “an obligation to act.”

Just some musings as I too ‘awaken‘ from my winter ‘hibernation‘…….

Vernal (Spring) Equinox – equilibrium and balance

Meteorologically, Spring is declared as the first day of September.

In the astrological world, Spring commences in the Southern hemisphere when the Sun reaches 00°Libra, and for us in Tasmania, the Spring Equinox occurs on Thursday, 23rd September 2021 at 5:21 am AEST.

At this time, our Northern hemisphere friends are entering into their Autumnal Equinox.

The Spring Equinox sets the Astrological scene for the next three months until the Summer Solstice.

A time of renewal and new beginnings.

An elemental time and time for the Air Element to energise our way of being.

Astrologically, this is more about our collective being, our culture, society and our tribe.

Libra is ruled by Venus and at this Equinox, She is in Her detriment!

Being in Scorpio suggests a difficult placement for Venus: a placement where She is unable to fully be herself!

Here in Scorpio, Her energy is intensely and singularly directed, whilst in her natural state as She finds in Taurus or Libra, Venus has a broad and encompassing view: wholistic, balanced and equal.

As we archetypically ‘emerge’ from winter into spring, are we seeing the world with narrow and intense Scopionic vision: is the world fearful and seemingly devoid of the material from which we can plant the seeds for happiness?

The world we live in seems to be getting worse – is it really?

Maybe it has always been this way and we are awakening from our ‘winter hibernation’?

Are our eyes now seeing more clearly the nature of being?

Maybe we have awoken a new, with a willingness to plant the seeds of harmony, balance and equality?

“Belief in humankind’s sinful nature also provides a tidy explanation for the existence of evil. When confronted with hatred or selfishness, you can tell yourself, ‘Oh, well, that’s just human nature.’ But if you believe that people are essentially good, you have to question why evil exists at all. It implies that engagement and resistance are worthwhile, and it imposes an obligation to act.”

― Rutger Bregman, Humankind: A Hopeful History

I hope this Spring brings you a sense of renewed hope and a desire to seek balance and equilibrium in all you do!

The ‘doing‘ is the archetypal force of Spring-time: “an obligation to act” and to seek regeneration, renewal and regrowth!

Take a look at my home page, and feel free to contact me if you’d like to explore astrology and how it can help you live in harmony with the seasons.