June 6's New Moon in Gemini plants a seed for us to expand our understanding of what it means to be human, to embrace and accept the shadowy unconscious part of our natures. Gemini is an air sign ruled by Mercury, the god of communication. Symbolically, its constellation is associated with the Twins, in ancient Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux, two brothers, one the son of a god, the other the son of a mortal. A walk through the sign of Gemini finds us confronted with our dual nature as human beings, spirit and embodied soul, the light of consciousness, and the shadows of unconscious knowing that we carry as embodied souls.

The dualities of the sign are at their zenith in the second decan (10 degrees) of Gemini, which is ruled by Mars, the god of war, and Venus, the god of love and harmony. The tarot card associated with this decan captures the tense conflict we can experience as planets move through this part of the chart; we see a figure experiencing what St. John of the Cross called the “Dark Night of the Soul,” swirling, warring thoughts have taken them over, they are in anguish. Yet they are covered with a blanket of Venusian roses, suggesting the capacity to repair and reconcile those thoughts, to find balance amid the chaos.

Something about this Full Moon reminds me of one of my favorite movies, The Spitfire Grill. The main character is a young woman dealing with the grief and remorse she feels around the loss of her child. She comes upon a young man who is suffering and takes tender steps to help him recover. At one point in the movie, she sings a traditional African-American spiritual, “There is a Balm in Gilead.” Watching her sing, you get the sense that she sings it not just for the young man, but for herself and the infant she lost. The lyrics speak of the need to turn to something deep within the Soul at moments of crisis and grief and to be healed by the vast love of the universe:

There is a balm in Gilead

To make the wounded whole

There is a balm in Gilead

To heal the sin-sick soul

Sometimes I feel discouraged

And deep I feel the pain

In prayers the holy spirit

Revives my soul again

The two benefic planets, Jupiter and Venus, are conjunct in the Full Moon chart and contain the balm to help relieve us of some of what may have befallen us in April. Last month’s eclipse contained a heavy dark conjunction between the two malefic planets, Mars and Saturn, in the sign of Pisces, triggering existential wounds. “Existential” is simply a word that speaks to our “Being” in the world, our sense of having a place, belonging, and connection with life.

Pisces, the last of the water signs, is deeply spiritual, carrying the energy of Oneness with the universe and compassion for all living beings stemming from a nondualistic grasp of reality: “I am That;” that is, the universe and I are One. During the period when serious, responsible, realistic Saturn is in Pisces (roughly 2023-2026), we are called to grapple with issues around crises of faith; when Saturn is in Pisces it can be difficult to grasp the unseen truths of the universe and to trust that larger forces are at work in our lives. Last month’s eclipse brought these crises of faith into stark relief; Mars, the god of War, was conjunct Saturn, bringing difficult events that may have further wounded our sense of faith in and connection to Being.

This moon cycle offers a balm for Saturn’s wounds. It happens in the first 10 degrees of Sagittarius, a fire sign ruled by Jupiter. This decan is associated with the beginning of a quest, like the quest for the Holy Grail. There is a swift, optimistic energy to this decan, reflected in the Tarot card associated with this decan, the 8 of Wands. In that card, we see eight wands flying in the air, ready to land on solid ground; our intuition is open and ready to be guided on its quest to understand what life has put before us.

Jupiter, the god of expansion, optimism, and abundance, who rules the Full Moon (and also rules Pisces, where Saturn sits) is in a beautiful position in this Full Moon Chart; he is conjunct Venus, the goddess of beauty, love, and receptivity. This aspect blends the energy of abundance and optimism with love and receptivity, offering a healing balm to Saturn’s spiritual wounds. What is more, Venus is in her home sign, Taurus, in the chart, giving her extra power to help Jupiter expand and soften Saturn in Pisces’ inner skeptic.

Meditating in and around this Full Moon may help us connect more deeply with ourselves, our lives, and our existence. In so connecting, we may experience the breadth and depth of consciousness enter our hearts, relieving some of the pain that may have come with the events of the April eclipse.

At the same time, the chart shows that the story of loss and recovery is not over. Mars, the god of war and the active/yang energy of desire is with Chiron, the wounded healer in the Full Moon Chart. Both planets are in Aries, a sign that calls us to identify and assert our own needs in the world over, to find and assert our center, the things that matter to us as individuals over and against the needs of others. This connection between Mars and Chiron suggests that we will continue to work on wounds around how we come to know and assert our own needs in the world.

The New Moon in Taurus on May 7 is a significant event, offering opportunities for new growth and recovery after the tumultuous and sometimes painful energy experienced with April’s lunations.

April’s Solar Eclipse at the New Moon and Full Moon in Scorpio carried heavy energies that called some of us to grapple with painful topics, including loss and grief. The Eclipse was exactly conjunct Chiron, an asteroid referred to as “the wounded healer,” whose energy asks us to know our hidden wounds intimately, not for the sake of creating more suffering for ourselves, but so that we embody that knowledge so profoundly that we recognize those who suffer a similar wound and know when and how to offer the balm that might ease their suffering. The Scorpio Full Moon fleshed out the meaning of the eclipse, giving voice to the grief that accompanies the losses we suffer in our lives.

The New Moon in Taurus carries the feeling of calm after the storm, the clear spring day after a rain, when we see new shoots of life springing up, bringing a sudden urge to plant new seeds and nurture new growth. This new moon has abundant and productive energy, offering a fertile ground for personal growth and success. It takes place in the second decan (10 degrees) of Taurus II, a fixed decan within the fixed sign of Taurus that is associated with slow, steady growth through a committed day-in and day-out effort. It has a constant, powerful rhythm and can be seen as the key to success in the material world—Austin Coppock, Class: The Decans in Astrology. The Tarot Card associated with this decan is the 6 of Pentacles, called “Success” in the Thoth deck. Meditating on the card, you can feel the energy expanding outward from the center, the mandala, like a flower bursting forth into the world.

April 23’s Full Moon in Scorpio has a bit of a heavy feel to it. It is in a difficult aspect to the planet Pluto, the god of the underworld, and is ruled by a watery Mars in Pisces conjunct Neptune. It may bring up some big emotions, including feelings of loss or grief. This is not surprising since we are just finishing Eclipse Season, which can bring sudden appearances or disappearances in our lives.

Grief is a feeling most of us want to avoid at all costs. At the same time, anyone who has had a deep cathartic cry after suffering a loss knows the value of grief—understands the treasures to be found in the depths of Scorpio waters—in feeling the depth of one’s connection to someone or something we have lost, we find ourselves mysteriously freed from the greater pain that sometimes comes with holding on to what no longer feeds us. The rains abates, the clouds part, and the rainbow appears.

Scorpio is a receptive, yin, water sign that is ruled by Mars, the god of war. The water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) all call us to wade in our emotions, each at a different depth. Scorpio is the courageous (Mars!) deep-sea diver of the group, exploring the dark depths of the ocean to understand the roots of emotions that overcome the human soul. Scorpio is also a “fixed” sign, meaning it carries a strong, steady, grounded energy that allows it to stick with whatever struggle it may encounter. Symbolically, the energy of Scorpio asks us to grapple with the deep questions of life, to explore endings, deaths, when to hold on, and when the time has come to separate from situations or experiences that once fed us but no longer are in our best interest.

The Moon also relates to our emotional life, expressing that which nurtures us, makes us feel safe and secure, the material embodied part of our existence that carries the history of our emotional experiences over the course of a lifetime. When the Moon is in Scorpio, we often experience a deeper connection to the suffering of the world. It is said the Buddha had the Moon in Scorpio in his birth chart. The First Noble Truth that he articulated was “all life is suffering.”

You can see that anytime the Moon is in Scorpio, we may feel more emotional and also have the stamina and courage to explore difficult topics and feel emotions that may otherwise be experienced as “too much.”

This Full Moon has a couple of aspects that amplify its heavy watery vibe. The planet Pluto, the god of the underworld, is in a square to the Full Moon. Pluto in aspect to the Sun and Moon can bring up issues we have been avoiding, shadow-y material that we may have suppressed or hidden from ourselves. It is also ruled by the planet Mars which is with Neptune in watery Pisces right now. This adds to the flavor that we may be feeling all the feels with this Full Moon. Given Mars’s connection with Neptune in the chart, we may find ourselves confused and unsure about what our next steps are, particularly if we are faced with a big decisions in our personal life. If you find yourself in this spot, you may find that it is easier to make a decision a bit later in the month, when Mars moves into Aries on April 30.

April 8th’s Solar Eclipse is one of the biggest astrological events of 2024. April carries some of the most significant transits of the year and all of these transits are contained in the Eclipse Chart. In addition, the Solar Eclipse hits a key point in the U.S. Birth Chart that may cause a significant shift in the nation's karma. In a later post, a week or two after the eclipse, I'll share some reflections on Chiron, Pluto, and the history of eclipses in the U.S. Chart.

Eclipses have an unknown, mysterious quality. They can bring sudden, unpredictable changes to our lives. Solar Eclipses happen at the New Moon when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun and the Sun appears to disappear and disappear in the sky. They carry the sense of a sudden new beginning, a cosmic “reboot” to some part of our lives.

The Sun relates to our vision and life purpose, how we structure our understanding of the world. It also relates to solar figures whose guidance and governance structure our world, such as leaders and people who may play the role of father in our lives. Symbolically, Solar Eclipses can bring sudden changes to how we understand the world and the appearance or disappearance of solar figures in the world.

This Solar Eclipse happens at 19 degrees, 24 minutes of Aries, EXACTLY conjunct the asteroid Chiron, “the Wounded Healer,” in the sky. It is quite rare to have any planet or asteroid exactly conjunct a New or Full Moon, so understanding how the archetype of Chiron may play into the eclipse is especially important.

Chiron is a Centaur from Greek mythology, an immortal being who was known as “the most righteous” of the Centaurs. He was a teacher and a healer. Some of the myths about his life center around a wound that he suffered through no fault of his own that caused him incredible pain and for which he could not find a cure. His suffering was so great that to escape it, he agreed to become mortal and take the place of Prometheus who was about to be killed. Chiron was killed in his place and Prometheus was saved from his fate.

The eclipse on March 25 is a South Node Lunar Eclipse at 5 degrees of Libra. Like all lunar eclipses, it happens at the Full Moon and fleshes out themes that arose with the New Moon 2 weeks ago.

The South Node is a place of release in the chart and is associated with moments when we are asked to “let go” in some area of our life. On the material level whenever there is a South Node eclipse, we may experience a loss in the part of our chart where the eclipse happens. For example, if the eclipse happens in the 11th house in your chart, you may find yourself letting go and leaving a group or organization to which you belong, or if it happens in the 4th house you may encounter a situation where you have to let go around something having to do with your family, home, or ancestry.

Libra flavors the eclipse by adding a sense of the archetypal themes that may have caused you to stay in a situation past the point where it served your Soul’s purpose. Libra is an air sign ruled by Venus, the goddess of love. It is the sign of the diplomat who works to balance different needs and find harmony in relationships. A South Node Libra eclipse can bring karmic lessons that require us to let go of situations where we have lost track of our own Soul’s needs—where we have accommodated others rather than being firmly rooted in own sense of who we are and what we need. The remedy for the shadow side of a sign is often the energy of the opposing sign. In this case, it is Aries, a fire sign ruled by Mars, the god of War. Aries energy allows us to establish a foothold in the world, to proclaim the importance of our own individual existence and carries the energy of “I am,” “I need,” and “I will assert myself to protect my needs.”

The theme of letting go of our tendency to privilege harmony above all else fits with the New Moon from 2 weeks ago. You may recall the New Moon had a strong Aries energy. It happened just after Mercury, the god of communication entered Aries. It called us to new creative beginnings and urged us to find our confident, self-assertive voice in the world. Now, 2 weeks later, we may find ourselves experiencing the consequence of asserting our creative individual self in the world. When we act out of our Soul’s true self-expression, we fulfill our destiny AND learn the sometimes difficult lesson that standing in our own integrity can lead to losses to the extent we have stayed in situations or relationships that do not fit with who we are. There is no right or wrong about whatever may transpire with this lunar cycle, it is just the cyclical reality of life—we step into something new, and it brings a shift that may include a letting go of that which no longer suits our Soul’s path.

Today’s New Moon in Pisces brings an opportunity to work with a dream and make it reality. The New Moon is between Saturn, the god of responsibility who encourages us to understand our limitations, and Neptune, the god of dreams. This New Moon also carries a spark with it--an energy that makes it seem possible to work with our dreams and make something real out of them. Mercury the god of communication and writing just entered Aries, a cardinal fire sign ruled by Mars, the god of war. One well-known dreamer with the Sun in Pisces and Mercury in the first decan of Aries was Albert Einstein.

February 9, we have a New Moon in Aquarius. This is the first time we've had a New Moon in Aquarius with Pluto in the sign for over 250 years. The New Moon kicks off a deeper relation to this energy for all of us, giving us a hint of the changes, he may bring to whatever house he occupies in our chart. For example, if you're a Scorpio rising, Pluto is in your 4th house and will likely bring deep change around home, family, and ancestry.

This is also a significant new moon because it is squaring the planet Uranus, the god of liberation, sudden changes, and breaking free of old structures. We also have Chiron, an asteroid representing our deepest wound close to the North Node in the chart. Whenever the North node is with a planet or asteroid, it expands its energy. When you put all the aspects together, you get a feel that this New Moon may bring a sudden desire to break free of old structures, to free ourselves from wounds that may be holding us back from expressing ourselves more authentically in the world.

On the positive side, we also have Mercury, the god of communication applying to a square with Jupiter, the god of optimism, possibilities, and big vision. This makes it more likely that we will be open to the changes that may be coming our way. At the same time, the square is a tense energy, so there’s a chance our optimism runs hot—we overestimate how much joy the changes may bring us, a good thing to keep in mind as we work with these energies over the next couple of weeks.

One last thing, when you compare this New Moon to the Full Moon chart on February 24, you see a story unfolding; in the New Moon Chart Chiron, our wound is being emphasized and expanded by the North Node energy vs. in the Full Moon chart, the two are separating from each other, giving us a sense that we reach a resolution with the Full Moon. This fits with the nature of the Full Moon itself which happens in the first decan of Virgo, a spot in the chart that has a lot to do with humility, reflection, and growth coming from our observations of the natural flow of the universe.

January 25 we have a Full Moon in the sign of Leo. Full Moons happen when the Sun opposes the Moon and lights it to its fullest brilliance. They are times of revelation and understanding that can bring a sense of "aha!" This Full Moon carries the energy of taking concrete action to make a progressive change in your life and the world. The Moon is at 5 degrees of Leo, a point in the chart symbolized by a young person who challenges an older person around ideas they think are outdated (Sabian Symbol 6 Leo). This energy is mimicked by the fact that the Sun is with Pluto, the god of transformation, in the first degrees of Aquarius, a part of the chart about the rebel, the innovator, the outsider who wants to shake things up. When you combine these two energies, you get the real sense that the Soul will likely want to shake things up this month and let go of old understandings that inhibit its growth.

When we bring new progressive ideas into the world, it can create tension for other folks or within our psyche. The Full Moon energy reflects this--we have Chiron, the wounded part of our chart in a tense aspect to Mars, the god of War, and Mercury, the god of communication, confirming the conflict that may arise within yourself or with others if you make a move to upset the comfort of the status quo.

The good news is that the most helpful planets, Venus and Jupiter, are in a lovely flowing energy to each other in the practical earth signs, offering concrete support for any changes you might like to make in your life.

Expect a big shift in energy a bit later in January when Pluto, the god of the underworld moves into Aquarius. Aquarius is an air sign that has to do with innovation, technology, thinking outside of the box, and having the capacity to have a distanced and objective view of the world. It is opposite the sign of Leo in the birth chart and that opposition is baked into the meaning of Aquarius; where Leo tends to center the individual, Aquarius centers the larger community and shies away from individual glory.

Pluto will be in Aquarius for the next 20 years so we are entering a period where we may notice a distinctive shift in energy toward the good of the community over the individual. There will likely also be leaps in the area of technology and communication—Aquarius is an Air sign that wants to share new and sometimes unusual ideas with the world.  

Pluto is the slowest moving planet and can bring big changes to your life when he switches signs, especially if you have your Sun, Moon, or Rising sign at the beginning of any of the fixed signs (Aquarius, Leo, Taurus, or Scorpio). If you’re interested in knowing more about how Pluto’s shift into Aquarius may affect you, feel free to reach out for a reading.

Tomorrow we have a New Moon in Capricorn, a sign that has to do with hard work, leadership, responsibility, and ambition. Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign that loves to initiate projects and build things that will last.

If you are itching to start something new, now is the time! This New Moon has an energy that supports our hard work and commitment in a lovely way. Mars, the planet of our desire to make something happen is in Capricorn where he has extra power and authority to accomplish difficult tasks. What is more, Jupiter and Saturn are in a flowing sextile to Mars, supporting him by offering optimism and perseverance as he strives to take action to create something new. The energy is "go for it!"

On December 26 we will have a Full Moon at 4 degrees of Cancer bringing a longing to connect with family and home. Symbolically, the moon represents our emotions, our body, our memories; it can be a stand-in for “mother,” the figures in our life who nurture us. The moon rules Cancer and when it transits this sign, we can feel more emotional as it connects us feelings and memories that may otherwise be difficult to grasp.

On December 22 Mercury, the god of communication, will be “cazimi,” that is, it will be exactly conjunct the Sun, our light, our vision. When Mercury is in the heart of the Sun, it can bring an “aha!” realization to an issue we’ve been grappling with. Since Mercury is still retrograde, this “aha!” is likely the first step in a process that began with December 12’s New Moon and will resolve early in January as Mercury goes direct.

Here are a few thoughts to contemplate on the day of the cazimi. Mercury’s cazimi is at 0 Capricorn, a degree that invites us to step into our power with integrity. The type of power I refer to is our receptive power, the power and authority that come with being fully grounded in our authentic nature. It is the opposite of ordinary notions of power in our Western culture; it is NOT the power of the ego, but the power of the Self.

The cazimi also takes place in the first decan (10 degrees) of Capricorn. This decan corresponds to the 2 of Pentacles Tarot card which I’ve attached. The card has a quality of balance, of play, of staying centered in the moment, of being light on one’s feet. The first decan of Capricorn invites us to come to know where we are based upon our own internal capacity to find our footing. That footing comes from a feeling of knowing where you are rather than an intellectual understanding. It evokes a capacity to understand where to be, how to be, how to navigate a situation from out of one’s intuition rather than one’s thinking mind.

If you can, take a moment at the beginning or end of the day on the 22nd and contemplate the 2 of Pentacles; sit with the image and ground yourself in the energy that invites you to find your way to a solution to whatever dilemma you may be facing out of a connection with your own inner knowing rather than out of thoughts about what you “should do,” or how you “should be.”

On December 12 we have a New Moon in Sagittarius. New Moons are a time when we plant a seed for the next cycle, a time when we can pause and connect with the deeper part of ourselves and listen to what our intuition tells us about the next stage of our growth. Working with that intuition we can set an intention to nurture the seed as it grows over the coming months.

Sagittarius is the sign of the Quest, the search for the Holy Grail. With Mars connected to the New Moon, we may feel a strong urge to step into a new adventure, take up a new cause, and fight for our beliefs and ideals. With Mercury, the messenger of the gods in a flowing aspect to Jupiter, the god of optimism and big ideas, like Don Quixote, we could get “puffed up” about our vision—confident that we know what we are doing and that our quest stems from some divine injunction. This is especially true as Jupiter rules Sagittarius and so rules this lunation.

Yet this New Moon cautions us to hold our ideas lightly. With the New Moon square to Neptune, we may find that, like Quixote, our vision was rooted in a fantasy. Neptune is the god of dreams and ethereal thoughts. As the Moon ripens, we may need to adjust our quest if we discover that our initial intuition was rooted in illusion.

Mercury turns retrograde within a few hours of the New Moon, reinforcing the need to hold our quest lightly. When a planet turns retrograde, it appears to move backward in the sky. Ancient philosophers interpreted retrograde movement to be aligned with “primary motion,” the motion of the divine. In contrast, the everyday movement of the planets around the zodiac was called “secondary motion” and was connected with our actions in the material world. Symbolically, retrogrades can be seen as moments of “karmic correction” when we encounter difficulties that force us to slow down, reflect, and re-align ourselves with divine will.

In late December and early January, Jupiter and Mercury turn direct within a couple of days of each other and we are likely to gain clarity around our New Moon vision. In the meantime, as you take up your quest, you may want to explore what fantasies lie beneath the surface. It may be best to hold it lightly with the understanding that you may need to change course as fantasy gives way to reality and as Mercury retrograde offers its karmic lessons.

On November 27 we have a Full Moon Gemini. Gemini Full Moons bring moments where we are curious and social, wanting to gather and share information with the world.

Gemini is an air sign ruled by Mercury, the god of communication and the “trickster” of the pantheon. It is comfortable with contradiction and multiple perspectives, and, unlike its opposing sign, Sagittarius, it cares about facts and information more than singularity of “truth.”

Mercury the planet that rules this Full Moon is in Sagittarius right now creating potential difficulties around communication. Mercury has a rough time there because it craves details and facts where Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius offers big ideas, visions, and quests for “truth.” On top of that, Mercury is in a tight square to Neptune bringing the possibility that our visions could be based on fantasy, not reality.

What does that mean for each of us? We could find ourselves in social or work situations, chatting away, imagining we are sharing information only to find that we have been taken over by our own idealistic vision of reality. We may later discover that our whatever “truth” we thought was guiding our side of the conversation was rooted in fantasy.

The Sun and Mars are in a square to Saturn in this chart meaning that we may also end up having to walk back any hardline positions taken during this time. Square aspects demand that we adjust, and compromise and Saturn is the planetary taskmaster who asks us to be realistic, thoughtful, and mature about our actions. At the same time, Saturn rewards thoughtful behavior, so there is also a chance to learn and grow presented by this Full Moon.

So, even if we overstep and find ourselves in the ideological “deep-end” in conversations, Sun Mars square Saturn provides us with the chance to slow down, reflect, adjust and listen to others’ perspectives. Gemini LOVES to hear others’ thoughts, so although this New Moon may carry uncomfortable energy, it also presents an opportunity to deepen and widen our vision of the world by making room for multiple perspectives to carry truth at one time.

On November 13, there will be a new Moon in the sign of Scorpio. New moons happen when the Sun and Moon come together in the sky and mark the birth of something new. Scorpio is a feminine water sign ruled by Mars, the god of war, it relates to deep emotions, a desire for truth and honesty, and a desire to excavate and grapple with what lies underneath the surface of our everyday lives. People with heavy Scorpio placements have an innate understanding of the transience of life and can be drawn to intense experiences that help them come to terms with the cycles of life and death.

The Mars-Uranus opposition that I wrote about a couple of days ago, is still active in this chart; Mars is in a tight conjunction with the new Moon and is quite strong as it rules Scorpio. This means that the volatility we've been feeling the past day or so is baked into the new Moon, intensifying the possibility that we may all feel emotionally reactive over the coming weeks. And with the Moon in Scorpio now, our reactions may carry an added layer of melancholy and a deeper sense of empathy around world events. The moon in Scorpio understands and feels the depth of pain in the world; indeed, the Buddha, who is said to have had the Moon in Scorpio said the first noble truth is that "life is suffering." So you can imagine that this new Moon may ground us more deeply in the reality of the pain of life.

One ray of hope with this new Moon is that Venus, the goddess of peace and harmony is now in her home sign Libra offering a bit of balm for our souls; Libra is an air sign that urges diplomacy and balance as we relate to others. She brings the possibility that if we do find ourselves in the midst of a sudden conflict we are able to work through it--that we are able to find our "inner diplomat" and listen with grace to the perspective of others.

On November 11, Mars, the god of war, aggression, and assertive desire opposes Uranus, the planet of unexpected events that strike like lightning and demand that we wake up, break free of old patterns, and step more fully into our authentic selves. The Sun is conjunct Mars on this date as well.

Mars and Sun opposite Uranus is a volatile aspect that can bring sudden changes around our sense of identity (Sun) and outbursts of anger or aggression (Mars). When I think of this aspect, I’m reminded of the movie “Network” where a news anchor hears his show is about to be canceled for low ratings and launches into a long rant about the state of the nation and the “bullshit” of modern American life. He ends the rant by encouraging folks to throw open their windows and yell “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore.”

This scene shows the way a Mars-Uranus opposition can unleash frustration that has been building inside us over a long period. We reach the boiling point and our desire for freedom from old patterns outweighs our fear of violating social convention.

Mars also has an impulsive energy that when combined with Uranus can bring the possibility of sudden accidents and physical danger. I’m reminded of Frida Kahlo’s birth chart which has a Mars-Uranus aspect that was triggered by a Mars-Uranus transit on the day she had the accident that changed the course of her life.

A word of caution about this story, try not to step into the trap that can happen when you first discover astrology—where you see a difficult transit and imagine the worst. We cannot predict future events with astrology, only what archetypal energies may be present. That being said, it makes sense to be aware of the potential for angry outbursts or impulsive actions this weekend and imagine how we might hold these opposing energies if they arise for us and attempt to understand how they might be playing out internally rather than acting them out in the world.

On November 8, Venus, the goddess of love, relationship, and beauty moves into her home sign, Libra. This is a big shift for Venus who has been in the sign of Virgo where she is in her “fall,” and has a difficult time achieving her goals. Venus wants to spread the love, encourage folks to open themselves to relationship with others, to find joy in beauty, but can have a hard time doing that in Virgo, a sign that likes to compare, contrast and judge what is happening in the world.

We may notice the shift in energy that comes with Venus’s movement into a new sign more than usual because she is moving from a position of weakness to a position of strength—she gains strength and power by moving into a sign that she is her home. It’s like the difference of working out of our own homes vs. trying to do a project when we are staying in someone else’s home. If you’re in your own home you know exactly where to find the materials you need, you have access to whatever room in the house that suits your project, and you don’t need to ask anyone’s permission to start your work.

Libra is the sign of the scales of justice, an air sign that is related to diplomacy, balance, fairness, and harmony. Venus’s shift into Libra will make it a bit easier for all of us to find the right language when we are trying to navigate conflicts or differences that arise in our relationships. November is a rocky month astrologically, with Mars in Scorpio conjunct the new Moon and opposite Uranus. We may experience sudden changes or conflicts with others where we are likely to want to dig in and fight, we may find that Venus allows us to navigate these trouble waters with more equanimity, either by allowing us to take a step back before we react or by helping us to mend fences after a conflict erupts.

If you’re learning astrology, this is a good opportunity to take some time and see if you can observe the ways in which you feel Venus’s shift appear in your own life. You can look to what house Libra and Taurus (also ruled by Venus) occupy in your chart and think about whether things ease up for you in some way in those areas of your life. For example, if Venus rules the 4th and the 9th houses, you may find that relationships at home become easier and that you are more open to new ideas related to religion, philosophy, and different perspectives.

On Saturday, October 28th we will have a lunar eclipse in Taurus. A lunar eclipse can be understood as a supercharged full Moon and can bring up a lot of feelings for us to process. The Moon in Taurus longs for safety, security, stability, and pleasure. Unfortunately, the eclipse chart suggests we may have a tough time satisfying these longings. With the personal planets Mercury, Mars, and the Sun all opposite the Moon and Jupiter, the energy of the eclipse feels stressful and personal. Mercury, the god of communication is with Mars, the god of war, making it more likely that we will all dig in on our opinions, this is especially true because these planets are in Scorpio, a sign that can have an obsessive, “fight to the death” quality.

When you add Jupiter to the mix, this energy has the potential to be amped up even more; Jupiter expands whatever it touches and when it opposes Mars, we see the potential for victory, but at what cost? Jupiter loves the big idea, the quest, and loves to imagine it has “the solution” for the world. The problem is these planets are in opposition, suggesting the possibility that ideological battles may emerge in the wake of this eclipse. Venus the goddess of love and relationship rules this eclipse. However, she does not do well in Virgo, which adds to my sense that any conflicts that arise out of this eclipse could leave everyone feeling a bit bruised and unhappy.

As always, if big emotions come up for you during this lunation, take a breath. Write out your thoughts--see if you might let the battle play out on paper instead of in your relationships. You may gain a deeper understanding of what matters to you, what is worth fighting for, and how to articulate your position without harming someone you care about

Early on Friday October 20, Mercury, the god of communication will be “Cazimi” the Sun. This is a special moment that happens periodically that can bring insights around issues we have been struggling with. And boy have we been struggling lately. The crises on the world stage, in the U.S., and in our personal lives have been coming to a head with the intense energy of the past couple of weeks. Pluto, the god of the underworld has been in a square to all the planets moving through Libra, the sign of diplomacy, relationship, and balance. We also just had an eclipse in Libra squaring Pluto. Pluto brings up dark matters from our unconscious and can trigger our deepest fears, making us feel as if we are in a life and death struggle to survive.

On a positive note, the Cazimi chart promises that if we stay with the difficult emotions associated with the death of old ways of being, the birth of a new understanding may await us. In the days leading up to the Cazimi, the sky shows that we may experience the inevitable pain that comes with any birth; Mercury and the Sun both pass over the South Node of the moon emphasizing the fact that we will be dealing with the pain of letting go of old ways of understanding the world. Right after the Cazimi, Mercury and the Sun are in a tense aspect to Pluto suggesting that while we may struggle against the insights that await us, we will also experience the catharsis that comes with the birth of insight.

The story of this Cazimi ends on a positive note late on Saturday when Jupiter, the god of optimism and expansion makes a flowing aspect to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. The impact of this transit is especially strong since Venus rules Libra, the sign that has been at the root of the difficult energy we’ve been experiencing recently. This final aspect feels a bit like the days after we give birth to something new. It reminds me of a parent after the birth of a child who looks back at the experience in wonder and awe at the birthing process and their ability to survive the experience. And, holding the child in their arms, they grasp the reality that they have been forever changed by the process.