New Year’s Day: 2024
Hello to old friends and new… Included is a brief snapshot into the new year.
Communicator planet Mercury slowed to a snail’s pace NYE as its retrograde nears end, giving pause for reflection before moving forward in 2024. Savor in the brief suspension of time as it stands still.
A lightbulb moment of clarity solved a past conundrum when Mercury Rx in Capricorn hid cazimi behind the sun on December 22. This epiphany opens up possibilities for manifestation of a long term goal. Mercury backtracked into Sagittarius to visualize the big picture and add a dose of optimism.
Jupiter, planet of luck and abundance, went direct in Taurus on December 30. Plans are revealed as Mercury follows suite in Sagittarius on January 1.
A new moon occurs 1/11/24 @ 5:57am (CST) as the elemental balance shifts into earth sign Capricorn. The musings stirred at the end of last year start to materialize.
Pluto, outermost deviant planet, moves forward into air sign Aquarius on January 20 (after 6 months Rx in Capricorn).
Radical change agent Uranus goes direct in Taurus on January 27.
The Chinese New Year of the Dragon begins February 10 after a new moon in Aquarius 2/9/24 @ 4:59pm (CST).
Wishing the best 2024 possible for you and hope to reconnect soon!
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The Queen has a Tantrum!
Venus, planet of love and desire, retrogrades July 22- September 3. She’s in the sign of Leo- fiery and full of drama!
Retrogrades are known for turning a planet’s expression inward, potentially unlocking secret desires or stirring the pot of past relationships. Venus heats up August 13 as she disappears into the beams of the sun.
Reflecting back to 8 years ago in August, synchronicities are revealed as Venus was retrograde in Leo at that time, too. Venus’s 8 year cycle creates the shape of a rose when measured in space- the flower of love!
Reminders of how much we love and are loved is a theme as tension boils to the surface for resolution. Reconfiguring a monetary budget could be constructive. How this transit shows up depends on the individual’s astrology chart.
Leo is the sign of the dramatist. The ongoing negotiations of performers and writers on strike may come to a head during this retrograde. Clarity is derived on how society *under* values the arts and artists.
Is a rebellion of the feminine called for to rebalance? Celebrating the arts and also delving into creativity offers an outlet during this time!
Renegade Moon
Welcome the Super Moon on 8/1 that reached maximum fullness at 1:32pm(CDT)! Sun in Leo opposes Moon in Aquarius. Super moons are closer in orbit to earth in what’s called perigee.
A rare Blue Moon happens this August meaning there are 2 Full Moons in one calendar month! The Blue Moon is August 30 with Sun in Virgo opposing Moon in Pisces.
The New Moon each month symbolizes beginnings and wiping the slate clean and the Full Moon is a culmination and coming to fruition. Typically these two phases are tied together as opposites or mirror images of each other, commonly thought to take place in signs 180˚ apart.
One standard assumption in astrology is that a New Moon (sun & moon in the same sign) is always followed two weeks later by a Full Moon with sun and moon in opposite signs. Such as the New Moon is in Aries (sun & moon in Aries) and the Full Moon is in Libra (sun in Aries-moon in Libra). This year and into the next looks a bit different.
The spring equinox in 2023 started with a New Moon in Aries and two weeks later a Full Moon in Libra. A second New Moon occurred later in April but was again in the sign of Aries which was followed by a Full Moon in Scorpio, setting off a chain reaction for nearly a year and a half. This trend of the New Moon being followed by a Full Moon in one sign past the opposite of the New Moon’s sign lasts until June 2024.
For instance, this July we had a New Moon in Cancer and today the Full Moon is in Aquarius- one sign past Cancer’s opposite which would be Capricorn! This cycle last took place July 2020-July 2021.
The monthly lunar cycle fluctuates like the ever-changing carrier and reflector of light- the moon! How does this trend influence intention setting as cosmic seeds are planted on the New Moon and will it alter the rhythm of manifestation on the Full Moon? More exploration is needed!
Full Moon in Aries
Mid-October, three planets station direct after their respective retrogrades. Saturn turns direct in Aquarius on October 10. Jupiter in Aquarius and Mercury in Libra turn direct on October 18. Forward momentum sparks up after a time of introspection and mulling over decisions. This coincides with an Aries full moon in aspect to a cantankerous yet motivating opposition to Sun and Mars in Libra square Pluto in Capricorn. The autumnal equinox September 22 is echoed with the culmination of the full moon in Aries on October 20(9:57am, CDT). Libra season soon draws to a close, revealing intrinsic relationship dynamics, restoring equilibrium and balance through conflict and diplomacy. The Sun enters Scorpio October 22.
Class Offering
If you are interested in solidifying your foundation of astrological knowledge, I am teaching a two-part class Astrology Toolkit: Assembling the Natal Horoscope ($50) on Monday, August 23 & 30, 6:30pm-8:30pm (CT) virtually through Eye of Horus.
Mercurial Musings
May 29 Mercury’s retrograde cycle began at 24˚ Gemini in a conjunction with Venus at 25˚ Gemini. The first aspect Mercury makes while dancing backward is a square to Neptune in Pisces. This configuration fosters artistic re-awakening. It opens channels for the expression of grief and loss through remembering. Is there a remedy in reconnection? How can reflection and imagination be woven into the fabric of a society that thrives on concrete realities and linear, forward momentum?
Gemini demonstrates playfulness, wit and cleverness and is a dualistic sign, seeing more than one perspective. How can explorations of inner depths combine with a sense of humor and levity? Is there an opportunity to slow down and review details, facts and fine print, examine unfinished business or clear out old stuff? What can be re-cycled or re-used?
2020-2021, eclipses occur on the Gemini-Sagittarius nodal axis. The total solar eclipse on December 14, 2020 ties into the current Mercury retrograde and eclipse cycle in that it also squared Neptune in Pisces. Themes from 6 months ago return again for revisiting. Neptune’s influence heightens empathy and yearning. Tapping into psychic channels and other worlds unlocks the visioning and re-imagining of life here on earth.
Other astrological aspects continue to percolate in June. Mars in Cancer forms an opposition to Pluto in Capricorn, challenging the power structures that be. June 10 is an annular solar eclipse in Gemini and Mercury retrograde becomes hidden between the sun and earth in an inferior conjunction. Insights and discoveries made during Mercury’s disappearance eventually surface. Saturn in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus reaches exactitude at 13˚ June 12-19, mirroring this tumultuous and transformative time. June 20 is Summer Solstice. June 22 Mercury the trickster turns direct.
Iridescent Flower Moon
May 26 a total lunar eclipse (6:18am, CDT) with moon at 5˚ Sagittarius opposes sun in Gemini. This eclipse is a super blood moon, meaning it will have a red tinge and be closer in orbit to earth in what’s known as perigee. June 10 (5:41am, CDT) an annular solar eclipse occurs at 19˚ Gemini on the new moon. Mercury is highlighted in each eclipse, being in direct motion May 26 but retrograde June 10. The trickster comes into play. Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces dance with each eclipse. Visions and dreams take on twists and turns and trips down memory lane. And iridescent undertone reveals that which changes with angles and lighting. A glamorous fog inspires creativity and is bewitchingly nebulous.
Iridescent Undertones
May 13, Jupiter, the greater benefic, ingresses into the sign of Pisces where he holds court in rulership.
May 26, a total lunar eclipse in Sagittarius opposes the sun in Gemini as the earth blocks the full moon’s reflected light. Jupiter in Pisces forms a square to sun and moon. Dreaming big and imagining alternative solutions stirs creativity. A mercurialness enhances changeability.
Breaking Ice Moon: Full Moon in Scorpio
The moon waxes full in Scorpio on April 26 at 10:31pm (CT). Each full moon of the year has a perennially recurring name. “Breaking Ice Moon”, named by the Algonquin, seems most befitting of the astrology of this April’s full moon! It is the first of two “super moons” in 2021 when the moon is closer in orbit to earth, also known as “perigee”. The next is the eclipse on May 26.
Moon in Scorpio faces off with four planets in Taurus: Sun, Uranus, Venus and Mercury. An opposition between planets in Taurus and Scorpio receives a tense square from Saturn in Aquarius. This fixed t-square tests solidity, which can “make or break”. It shows where the blocks and break-throughs exist. The full moon in Scorpio catalyzes a release of grief and trauma.
Over the last year, humanity has been writing the script as we go for how to navigate this pandemic, with many scenes, character changes and plot twists. The full moon is closely aligned with Saturn in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus. It contains the task of integrating limitations and rules with innovation and radicalness, “breaking the ice” so to speak. The rules themselves change- a rocky transition indeed!
April 26 the elements tip the balance toward earth, that’s why this time of year is known for fertility and gardening. Taurus invites earthly delights of comfort food and sensuality.
Pluto begins retrograde April 28 (CT). Coming up May 13 Jupiter ingresses into Pisces- more on this astrological event later!
Spring snippet 2021
The will to “act” and “do” heats up with the Spring Equinox and Sun’s entrance into fiery Aries. Venus moved from romancer Pisces into lil’ punk Aries and melds with the Sun in a brazen embrace on March 26! Aries ruling planet Mars transits Gemini. On the same day as Venus and Sun canoodle in Aries, Mars will conjunct the north node. Translating ideas into action pushes the cosmic schema forward. Mars in Gemini square Mercury in Pisces is clever versatility paired with a chameleon-like trickster. Be percipient of rash impulsivity and communication fumbles. Nebulosity is currently in the astrological mix and lights up with Jupiter’s ingress into Pisces and eclipse season in May.
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