A Deeper Power: Full Moon in Scorpio 2024

Full Moon @ 4 degrees Scorpio 18'
April 23, 2024
4:49 PM PDT
7:49 PM EDT

April's Full Moon in tropical Scorpio breaks us entirely out of eclipse season. Still, it keeps the intensity high with Pluto's square and the Full Moon's placement in the depths of the Scorpio archetypal field. With Mercury about to station direct (April 25), there can also be an inundation of high stimulation and information overload, making for an unstable, eventful, yet interesting lunation.

This Full Moon presents us with a fascinating collective crossroads, marked by the precise Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, Mercury's direct station, and Mars' impending shift into Aries. While some actions may still feel obstructed or uncertain, this lunation serves as a potent transition, inviting us to start implementing the insights, revisions, and shifts in perspective we've gathered over the past few weeks. This is a time of potential growth and change, offering a unique opportunity for personal transformation. 

With the Full Moon ruler, Mars, currently mired in the Neptunian fog and the infinite expansiveness of the Piscean void, we can easily get pulled far beyond our boundaries and intended desires under this lunation. Neptune and Pisces are seeking to redirect the ego's focus towards more transpersonal issues and concerns, and a breaking point can be reached, allowing for a more transcendent purpose or mission to emerge.

As we navigate the days surrounding this lunation, it'll be beneficial to surrender more to the flow of creative, spiritual, and even humanitarian energies. By allowing ourselves to be guided, we can better confront the forces and impulses that surpass our ego's limited perception. This is a time of challenge and growth, where we're encouraged to rise above the haze of fear and mental blockages, unlocking a more profound truth, purpose, and power. 

Be Fierce: Total Solar Eclipse in Aries 2024

Justin Hawkes, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Total Solar Eclipse @ 19 degrees Aries 24'
April 8, 2024
11:20 AM PDT
2:20 PM EDT

Solar eclipses can correlate with profound transitions in our lives, both significant beginnings and endings, which seem to unfold simultaneously. Especially for those living where the eclipse is visible, it can correlate with emotional amplification and confrontations with numerous hidden and unconscious aspects of ourselves and the external world. These can be dramatic periods, but also highly revealing and liberating, especially if we attune ourselves more inwardly to the unconscious mind.

With this eclipse, we are met with a barrage of seeming contradictions. The Aries archetype, ruled by the planet Mars, desires to assert and take willful action. As a north nodal eclipse, we are compelled forward into the future to free ourselves of numerous dependencies and unhealthy attachments. Yet, Mercury is moving deep into its retrograde cycle, bringing up the past and throwing the mind into reflection, revision, and potential hesitation. 

Additionally, Mars will be heading toward a conjunction with Saturn in Pisces that exacts within a day of the eclipse on April 10. This is not a time in which we should take careless or impulsive actions. We should be mindful that whatever we implement and launch now will not likely align with the ego's ideals and expectations. This is a time to focus our shifts more internally and trust that dramatic changes of attitude, perception, and emotional expression will eventually trickle into our external experiences. 

Additionally, the eclipses' exact alignment with Chiron, and wide conjunction with Mercury retrograde, and the dwarf planet Eris suggest a further amplification of wounds and vulnerabilities. If we're not careful, we can easily get swept up in the internal and external chaos of the moment and lose sight of the bigger picture. 

Yet, these symbols also speak to the ability to heal and integrate unfinished business, to learn deeply from the past and utilize our pain and suffering to motivate us toward courageous action in the world to pave the way for a new order and way of being. Reflect on what has been holding you back from your fierceness and ability to claim your destined place in life. Sometimes, going back and turning inward can counterintuitively push us further forward. 

Seeds of Hope: New Moon in Pisces 2024

Bertrand Paris Romaskevich, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

New Moon @ 20 degrees Pisces 16' 
March 10, 2024
1:00 AM PDT 
4:00 AM EDT 

March's New Moon in tropical Pisces stands at a symbolic collective and personal crossroads. This is the last New Moon until May 7 that we can utilize for the stable initation of new projects and various endeavors. Eclipse season and a Mercury retrograde cycle in April will very much destabilize preset plans and lead to a period of much revision and readjustment. 

However, the Pisces archetype itself is a more go-with-the-flow type of vibe, one in which we're unlikely to feel an urgent need or desire to make something happen if it isn't already in motion. In fact, that's a good way of conceiving of this New Moon, as a time to check in with what we're attempting to make real in the world and attune ourselves to current processes and how best to rework them over the next two months. 

Sitting at the midpoint of the Saturn-Neptune conjunction (an alignment that exacts in early 2026 as I have written about here), this New Moon also connects us more deeply with our dreams, ideals, and future expectations. Naturally, that can also bring disappointment, disillusionment, or discouragement, since the combination of Saturn-Neptune represents the merging of what we imagine and what's realistically possible. 

Perhaps it's best to think of this New Moon as a bit paradoxical experientially. There is the reality of the moment and a confrontation with its genuine limitations and yet an equally profound emergence of hope, faith, and a glimpse of something more on the horizon. 

However we are moved and shifted by this New Moon, there is a choice between locking ourselves into one end of a polarity or embracing a synthesis where we accept what's real but continue to dream and embrace exciting new possibilities. Consider what new moves and changes you can make to transform those less-than-ideal realities into more positive outcomes that can blossom further down the road. 

Rising Wise: Full Moon in Virgo 2024

Grand Canyon National Park, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Full Moon @ 5 degrees Virgo 23’

February 24, 2024

4:30 AM PDT

7:30 AM EDT

February's Full Moon occurs in tropical Virgo. The Virgo and Pisces polarity both deal with idealism, yet they do so in different ways. Virgo's ideals are often more readily attainable in the so-called real world, while Pisces' interests lie more so in the abstract and imaginal.

Both Piscean and Virgoan ideals are realizable in some way, but they often need direction and a container to focus their potential. Saturn's opposition to this Full Moon can represent the awareness of such needs, or it can correlate with some discouragement or even disillusionment.

Alongside this Full Moon, we're likely to feel the weight of certain realities more than usual since Saturn's opposition to the Moon can be felt as a kind of reality test. A Full Moon in Virgo is a culmination, breaking point, or crisis in relation to our efforts to attain some ideal or make a dream or vision real in the world. Yet, along the way, we will likely encounter certain obstacles, setbacks, or limitations that dampen our spirit and idealism.

This Full Moon represents a moment to check in with the ultimate objective, dream, or vision you're trying to make real. Anything too impractical or abstract in the Piscean sense might need to be scrapped or at least heavily revised. Yet, for those dreams and objectives that continue to hold your passion, this Full Moon is simply a reality test that can be mastered through humility, determination, and commitment to growth.

Jupiter's trine to the Full Moon and waxing conjunction with Uranus also suggests that breakthroughs and new potential lie on the horizon, even amid failure or a perceived disaster. We can always use setbacks and limitations as sources of wisdom and catalysts for growth and future change. While sometimes hard, attempting to reach an ideal is ultimately worth the maturity and strength it gives you.

A New Way Forward: New Moon in Aquarius 2024

Ted.ns, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

New Moon @ 20 degrees Aquarius 40'
February 9, 2024
2:58 PM PDT 
5:58 PM EDT 

February's New Moon occurs in tropical Aquarius and makes a square to the Aquarian modern ruler, Uranus, bringing forth an archetypal current of instability and mounting pressure to willingly initiate vital changes. Aquarius is a fixed sign, and true to its traditional Saturnian ruler, it is a sign that likes to preserve a stable awareness of the world and its future potential. 

Science and other collaborative forms of knowledge acquisition (Aquarian-like activities and institutions) seek to make predictions and thus attain some sense of certainty about the universe. However, with this New Moon, anticipate more uncertainty in relation to arising matters and new endeavors. If clinging to the Aquarian shadow, there is more resistance to letting that certainty go and a stubborn refusal to accept new ideas and possibilities. 

Aquarius is, however, a paradoxical sign (as are all astrological symbols). As we shift into this New Moon, it may be wise to consciously acknowledge where change is needed and willingly move confidently into the unknown. The high end of the Aquarian archetype is a willingness to defy the status quo and embrace a more radical or unconventional course or purpose. With Uranus' square, the less treaded pathway is more relevant now than ever. 

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Change is in the air with this Aquarian New Moon (pun intended as it is an air sign). Uranus' square to this lunation emerges as a dynamic symbol for a catalytic shift occurring within the collective psyche over the next few days and weeks. As Mercury, Mars, and Venus move through Aquarius this month, they also strike squares with the building Jupiter and Uranus conjunction, catalyzing some much-needed but potentially tumultuous change and instability. 

The Jupiter-Uranus conjunction peaks at the end of April and will correlate with a rising wave of cultural and political resistance to the status quo, opening new possibilities to unearth radical discoveries. This is one of the most creatively potent world transit conjunctions, and a powerful opportunity to push yourself into new adventures. 

In contrast to the Saturn-Neptune conjunction phasing in toward the latter part of this year and into 2025 and peaking in 2026 (which I have written extensively about here), the Jupiter-Uranus alignment gifts us an opportunity to rise into new potentials and break free of some restrictive patterns and blockages this year. Embrace this wave of inspiration and opportunity while the window is open. 

Mars and Venus also align with Pluto as they shift into Aquarius over the following week. While there is an opening for deeper intimacy and authenticity, a magnification of certain blindspots and pitfalls in relational interactions can become problematic. Wherever idealism and wishful thinking take over, use more discernment and realism. However, a greater awareness of true compatibility and relational needs is always useful for future interactions. 

The tarot card I pulled for this New Moon is the Five of Wands. Most versions of this card depict several men in battle, yet there is often an air of confusion and uncoordinated effort, with wands coming from multiple directions. Often, this card can symbolize the midst of conflict or a struggle to attain some desired action or goal. Harmonically, the 5 relates to the square aspect in astrology, which the New Moon receives from Uranus--a symbolic struggle or challenge. 

Aquarius and its classical and modern rulers (Saturn and Uranus respectively) also strongly correlate with an inherent conflict between an old and a new order. In the original Greek creation myth, Uranus was the first oppressive patriarch who usurped the ambitions of his progeny and was eventually castrated by Cronos (Saturn), thus losing his authority and power. 

Later, Cronos/Saturn himself meets a similar fate when deceived by his son Zeus (Jupiter) while attempting to devour his children to prevent his own inevitable dethronement. The conflict between generations and the fight against an oppressive old order is a consistent theme throughout the Western world and is embodied in the Aquarian archetype.

Perhaps it reflects a dimension of this New Moon that highlights such conflict within ourselves and our own lives and the persistence and motivation required to "stand our ground" and keep fighting for greater freedom and autonomy. Use this New Moon as a catalyst to push you further toward a unique individualistic pathway. Naturally, we will meet resistance and challenges to our ideas or personal style, but such is the price for staying true to ourselves and our dreams. 

Creating the Future: Full Moon in Leo 2024

DEATHSCOOTER, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Full Moon @ 5 degrees Leo 14'
January 24, 2024
9:54 AM PST 
12:54 PM EST 

Our first Full Moon of 2024 occurs in tropical Leo, culminating into a dynamic t-square with its opposition to Pluto and square to Jupiter. Firstly, such a configuration during a Full Moon climax suggests the emergence of tension and the need for some significant closure, conclusion, or resolution. T-squares can feel particuarly pressing or heavy, correlating with the need to make certain choices or take important actions. 

Pluto, recently back in Aquarius, pressures us collectively and personally with a required confrontation with the deeper truth of an issue or situation. There is likely an awareness that putting off certain matters will no longer work. Pluto demands that we face reality more squarely (pun intended) and honestly, especially regarding certain objectives and prospects for the future. 

The higher integration of the Leo/Aquarius polarity is realizing the nuanced and paradoxical nature of being true to ourselves and contributing to a larger collective purpose. Where does our personal, spiritual mission intersect with the larger human or global community? Are we neglecting personal needs for some group purpose, or conversely, can we do more to expand our reach and influence? 

From the perspective of Leo, we're the main character in the drama of life.  In its shadow, this can lead to a solipsistic or narcissistic orientation where empathy and compassion for others cease, and all that matters is a personal perspective or need. A childlike world insulates us, and all criticism or opposing perspectives are silenced. Such is the growing architecture of today's social media spaces. 

Yet also, Pluto in Aquarius will awaken us to the horrors of uncritical groupthink and blind obedience to consensus. The seeming polarity of cultural narcissism and things like fascism or totalitarianism actually feed and depend on one another, and both are predicated on the eradication of authentic community and both personal and collective purpose and values. 

With this Full Moon, there is likely to be some acquisition of awareness of where we might fit into some larger collective struggle, what we can do to heal, offer solutions, or perhaps how we can delve into our creative potential and power and bring forth a new vision. Perhaps what emerges is not so complex, but rather a need to enact some change for better situating our personal lives within the context of the current collective reality (whether economic, political, or cultural) and both its limitations and opportunities for greater expansion.

Clearing the Way: New Moon in Capricorn 2024

Enoch Leung, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

New Moon @ 20 degrees Capricorn 44'

January 11, 2024

3:57 AM Pacific

6:57 AM Eastern

Our first New Moon of 2024 occurs in tropical Capricorn and is highly supportive of stepping out and initiating some formative moves in critical endeavors. Especially if you've felt impeded the past few weeks, this Capricorn lunation is a focal point of dynamic renewal that synchronizes intentions and willpower for future goals and ambitions.

With Mercury clear of its retrograde cycle and as we shift into the waxing lunar phase these next two weeks, you'll find that several obstacles will be lifted, and enthusiasm will rise. However, in the dark of the Moon, it's also possible to feel at a decisive crossroads where narrowing options and possible pathways are needed.

With the New Moon squaring the Moon's nodal axis, this also represents a decisive junction where it can be just as important to hone in on a strategy as it is to take deliberate actions. Additionally, while Mercury is direct, there may be some lingering need for reflection and recharging. Inward shifts are as powerful as those we make happen in the external world.

The most powerful aspect of this New Moon is a trine with Uranus, suggesting that the new doors opening are potent portals for accessing greater freedom and liberation from oppressive circumstances. There is more choice here than pressure to act, but the path is clear for those seeking to integrate fresh routines, experiences, and possibilities.

Directed Curiosity: Full Moon in Gemini 2023

Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Full Moon @ 4 degrees Gemini 51'
November 27, 2023
1:16 AM PST
4:16 AM EST 

November's Full Moon in tropical Gemini is also our transition into the final Mercury retrograde cycle of 2023, starting alongside the New Moon in Sagittarius December 12/13. Featuring a t-square with Mars and Saturn, this Full Moon carries a challenging integration and suggests taking time to integrate and process culminating thoughts, ideas, perspectives, and incoming data and information. 

The Gemini/Sagittarius polarity deals archetypally with our personal and cultural conceptions of the everyday world and how we navigate it. Additionally, in relation to Gemini and its ruler Mercury, communication and information dissemination are highlighted, bringing all these themes into a fulcrum. Considering Mercury's retrograde station in just two weeks, it might appear that there's more than a usual amount to think about, reflect on, and process. 

As a mutable air sign, the Gemini archetype is notorious for overthinking or bringing extra options to the forefront. However, Saturn and Mars' hard aspects to this Full Moon relate to the need to clarify, limit, solidify, and set boundaries. As such, this Full Moon is likely to bring about some tension related to how we see and understand the world, likely through a clash or incongruity with competing worldviews. 

Leave some extra space for making revisions and adjustments to anything finalized or conclusions drawn alongside this lunation as a lot can change and get reshuffled over the following month. Thus, moving through this lunation might be easier with some flexibility and an open mind. Closemindedness, dogmatism, and an inability to accommodate alternative perspectives can represent this lunation's shadow end, leading to unnecessary disputes or misunderstandings. Strive to listen more and understand rather than being on the defensive. 

A Subtle Revolution: Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse in Taurus 2023

Михайло Пецкович, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

October 28, 2023

1:24 PM PDT

4:24 PM EDT

This month's Full Moon in tropical Taurus is also a partial lunar eclipse predominately visible in Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. As Full Moons, partial lunar eclipses represent extra significant culminations, breakthroughs, and resolutions on both the collective and personal levels. The often rapid and substantial changes and transformations of the past few weeks reach their crescendo under this lunation, bringing various processes and endeavors to a fulcrum in time.

While typically associated with stability, simplicity, and consistency, the Taurus archetype has been undergoing a profound shake-up due to Uranus' current transit through this sign. Additionally, Uranus' building conjunction with Jupiter early next year amplifies the revolutionary breakthrough potential emerging on the individual and collective levels. It represents a brief yet significant moment of pushing past restrictive boundaries and limitations, making significant leaps and progress, and embracing innovative ideas and creative solutions.

This Full Moon/eclipse's proximity to Jupiter infuses this Full Moon/eclipse with expansiveness and emerging new horizons. An eclipse in Taurus is likely to correlate with notable changes on the material level, dealing with monetary, bodily, or other resource-related shifts. It pulls our attention to our capacity and potential to be self-supportive and grounded in the real world.

Yet, with the building energies behind Jupiter-Uranus, the pragmatic dimension this eclipse touches upon is anything but prosiac. It's unearthing an exciting liberation of our capacity to make tangible changes in our life circumstances and freeing up space for new ways to be embodied and connected to the Earth.

A Delicate Dance: Annular Solar Eclipse in Libra 2023

Sophia Calderone, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

New Moon @ 21 degrees Libra 08'

October 14, 2023

10:59 AM PDT

1:59 PM EDT

This month's New Moon in tropical Libra is also an annular solar eclipse that will be visible across portions of the western U.S. and South America. An annular solar eclipse is when the Moon does not completely eclipse the Sun, leaving a ring of light around it. Eclipses are most notable and significant for the regions in which they're visible. However, eclipses are symbolically relevant for the whole planet, symbolizing a more powerful than usual New Moon.

As such, and within the context of the Libra archetype, this New Moon/solar eclipse represents a potent restart, a new beginning, and seeding more broadly within relationships, partnerships, and interpersonal interactions. As a south nodal eclipse, it highlights certain shadows and blindspots we must address with those around us, within our commitments, and with those we entrust. With Venus currently transiting Virgo, consider ways to achieve more balance in the duties, tasks, and responsibilities we share with others.

Consider the point at which noble and well-intended servitude can become draining or unhealthy or whether hard work and efforts are being channeled in the right place. With Mercury aligned with the New Moon/solar eclipse and a t-square dynamic between Pluto, Chiron, and Eris, this eclipse can open challenging but important dialogue needed to sort out imbalances, grievances, and unexpressed thoughts, feelings, hurts, and needs. Libra, the sign of the scales, is all about correcting lopsided situations and challenging ourselves to see things from a more empathetic and nuanced perspective.

On the collective level, and in consideration of many current events, we can anticipate an amplification of long-standing wounds, crises, and divisive issues. Eris, the chaos goddess of strife, discord, and division, correlates with an empowerment of antagonisms but exposes an underlying unity or common interest. Over the next few years, the higher road of Chiron's encroaching conjunction with Eris can be an opportunity to begin healing critical cultural and interpersonal divisions through exposing and more deeply understanding hypocrisies and their root in unhealed generational trauma.

Libra ultimately reveals that no single organism or community is entirely autonomous. All things are interconnected and thus interdependent. The greatest challenges we face in life are finding ways to embrace our innate need and right for independence and individuality while acknowledging that we're better off supported and working together toward common interests. What stands in the way of that? Discovering that might begin with asserting needs and personal perspectives and, through honest dialogue and reflection, finding new ways to come together while respecting required boundaries.

In the Flow: New Moon in Virgo 2023

Florian Siebeck, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

New Moon @ 21 degrees Virgo 58'

September 14, 2023

6:40 PM PDT

9:40 PM EDT

This month's New Moon in tropical Virgo occurs alongside Mercury's direct station and the end of Mercury's retrograde cycle. However, Mercury stations often correlate with the amplification of Mercurial themes such as the inundation of information flow, communications, and high stimulation, all of which could lead to overlooking critical details or technological glitches with so much going on.

Yet, the Virgo archetype, expounded via its ruler Mercury in its home sign Virgo, emphasizes those more essential points. Still, it might be wise to be more redundant and critical under this lunation to avoid any revisions later on. After several weeks of revision, we are beginning to regain our regular momentum under this lunation. We are now planting the seeds of greater efficiency, competence, and high-level service, so don't feel the need to avoid what needs to get done.

In fact, aside from Neptune's opposition to this New Moon, there is a positive flow of Earth sign energy via a grand trine between the Sun, Moon, Uranus, and Pluto. Neptune's opposition can signify the challenge of pragmatically integrating our ideals and visions in the real world, and it can be a potent conduit for bringing loftier aspirations more firmly into our grasp.

This is a powerful lunation moment where new outlets for greater service, competence enhancement, and self-improvement may emerge. The challenge is not getting too stuck on the ideals, and knowing when good enough is better than striving for perfection. Additionally, maintain a realistic grasp of what you can or can't take on. The urge to escape and deny looming deadlines is also possible with Neptune. However, so, too, is a healthier balance between hard work and downtime, and beginning new attempts with that can go a long way here.

Grounding the Vision: Supermoon in Pisces 2023

Full Moon @ 7 degrees Pisces 25'
August 30, 2023
6:35 PM PDT
9:35 PM EDT

August's second Full Moon (Blue Moon) in tropical Pisces is also the brightest Supermoon of the year. Due to its closer proximity to the  Earth, it'll appear slightly larger and thus brighter than an average Full Moon. While a Moon in Pisces can highlight emotional needs, intuitive perception, and idealism, the Moon's conjunction with Saturn adds considerable realism, rationality, and pragmatism.

Saturn's transit through Pisces, as well as its building conjunction with Neptune (most potent from 2024 through 2027) can, in its highest expression, relate to the challenging process of bringing the ideal into the real. There can also be quite a lot of disillusionment and disenchantment to sift through to get there since subjecting our dreams (and beliefs) to criticism, revision, and reality-testing can be a sobering and sometimes painful process. 

Also, no matter how wise we might think we are, there's always something we're deluding ourselves about. Sometimes, this is just essential to the human experience. We're all, to some degree, in denial about our mortality or our degree of sanity. Other times, we invest a lot of faith and belief in narratives about how things should or will be, and, similarly, in putting far too much trust in experts and external authorities to help us feel safer in a perceivably dangerous world. 

This Full Moon represents a fleeting but magnified glimpse into a larger process embodying many of these themes, and it can quickly recede in a few days (or simply become less conscious). Yet, this could be an excellent time to check in with our ideals and how we're doing with bringing them down to earth, as well as the many ways we might be deceiving ourselves with too much investment in naivete and fantasy. 

Events might conspire to bring about such insights while also revealing the extent of our emotional and intuitive maturity. Saturn's presence always represents something we can only learn in living through it, but also those moments where rewards and gratification emerge from knowing when to choose or act differently based on previous experiences. Ideally, some progress is tangibly felt or perceived here as related to our manifestation efforts, and a little humility will keep us more firmly grounded. 

Emerging Horizons: New Moon in Leo 2023

New Moon @ 23 degrees tropical Leo 17'

August 16, 2023

2:38 AM PDT

5:38 AM EDT

August's New Moon in tropical Leo aligns with Venus retrograde and makes a square to the building Jupiter and Uranus conjunction (which exacts early next year). As with most New Moons in Leo, there are likely to be some creative sparks emerging alongside it, and with Venus, the emergence (or re-emergence) of significant relational themes within an array of romantic, platonic, or professional connections.

Now past the midpoint of Venus' retrograde cycle, we are collectively imbued in the karmic and serendipitious space that is Venus retrograde. These cycles are mysterious periods of subtle yet powerful transitions and transformations that largely impact us on the heart level. In other words, the emotional and aesthetic dimension is expanded, calling us to more deeply clarify what is most aligned with our inner nature.

In Leo, there is an inevitable amplification of the need to be seen and acknowledged, as well as the recognition that joy, play, and sponteneity deserve a rightful place in our life experiences. With this New Moon, anticipate some renewal of these themes or the slow and subtle start to bringing more of our talents and potential into the light.

Yet, expect a more profound confrontation with what doesn't feel right or resonate with our preferences, inner nature, and overall life path, as we are clearing away those things that aren't true expressions of our hearts. Jupiter and Uranus' square also correlate with a catalytic impulse to push outside the limits of creative and expressive boundaries, to reshape the flow of our life experiences toward the cutting edge of what's possible. With this, anticipate a need to challenge what's comfortable in relationships and creative endeavors to bring forth novel potentials and horizons.

Where We Go From Here: Full Moon/Supermoon in Aquarius 2023

Full Moon/Supermoon @ 9 degrees 16' tropical Aquarius

August 1, 2023

11:32 AM PDT

2:32 PM EDT

August begins exactly alongside a Full Moon/Supermoon in tropical Aquarius. This is the second Supermoon of 2023, a slightly larger and brighter than usual Full Moon. This is also the first of two Full Moon's this month, the second (on Aug 30) is what is culturally considered a "Blue Moon." While Blue Moon's do not have much astrological significance (they are based on the Gregorian calendar after all), Supermoons are at least visually and psychically more potent.

Aquarius has taken on such cultural significance since the late 1960s, most notably due to the idea of the astrological ages and the notion that we're entering (or have already entered) the "Age of Aquarius." It's such a fascinating subject I'm devoting an entire book to it (look out for it next year). Astrologers often conceive Aquarius as a radical, independent, and revolutionary sign based on its modern association with Uranus.

This quality and potential certainly exist within the sign's archetypal field. Still, it is also a sign traditionally ruled by Saturn, a planet more closely aligned with conservatism, tradition, and conformity. I see Aquarius (as all things in astrology) as inherently paradoxical, since it appears to embody both a Saturnian and Uranian nature. By the way, Saturn isn't limited to its conservative or "status-quo" expression but is also an archetype that relates to our ability to grow up and individuate and thus gain autonomy and independence in the world. There is quite some overlap here in symbolism.

As I see Aquarius as highly complex, there is one central theme I pull out of it relating to how we culturally and individually relate to authority. Authority is one of those inevitable "death and taxes" realities we all deal with as humans, and it's, interestingly, a hot issue of our times. With this Full Moon, we might find ourselves dealing with a culmination or crises relating to themes of authority, such as stepping into an authoritative role or being the recipient of authorities' demands (possibly more so in the guise of peer or social pressure).

Since Saturn rules both Capricorn and Aquarius (and thus, both signs deal with authority), the difference between Capricornian and Aquarian authority is that Aquarius deals with how we collectively consent to authority or culturally decide that something or someone "out there" has the right to claim it. Authorities then are endowed with the ability to dispense valuable knowledge, wisdom, and moral conduct (also attributes of the Aquarian sign).

With this Full Moon squaring Jupiter (who was mythologically a king of the Gods), here again, we find ourselves entangled in an authority imbued drama with this lunation. While probably not the kind of oppressive authoritarian drama of Saturn/Capricorn, still, there is an element within this Full Moon that prompts our attention to where we claim authority in our lives and, most importantly, who or what we look to as authoritative.

Alongside this, there is likely to be a realization related to knowledge or wisdom we're receiving or giving to others, as well as opportunities and "open doors" for truly embodying it all and making it part of our everyday, practical experiences. Alongside Venus' retrograde cycle, there is also some potent magic, creative mojo, and innovative leaps happening beneath the surface.

And with Jupiter's approaching conjunction with Uranus (exact next spring), we do have that sense of something revolutionary emerging from the surface, yet it probably all isn't that clear at the moment. For now, the Aquarian archetype highlights a larger vision, one that was once in the future but may be more a reality of the moment, like some future plan construed of our knowledge and wisdom base may be more within our grasp. With that, we might feel more confident in where we go from here.

Pluto in Aquarius: Through the Shadows to a Wiser Tomorrow

“Promethean Horizon” by Chad Woodward via AI generation (Midjourney v5).

Pluto began transitioning into tropical Aquarius in March 2023, having transited Capricorn since roughly 2008. Pluto will complete its transition into Aquarius in late 2024, making its final passage out of Capricorn in November. The themes of this cycle are just beginning to emerge on the world stage, and this transitional period will give us a taste of what's to come over the next two decades through the year 2044. The burning question for everyone interested in astrology and its application to world events is, quite obviously, what does this mean? 

As a Gemini, I'm here to simplify and complicate things and leave you with some answers but also many questions. First off, Pluto's sign transits are inherently complicated. One might think that a simple perusal through history to look at past Pluto in Aquarius periods would suggest what to expect. This is partly illuminating. However, this tactic is slightly clouded by the fact that all of the major historical moments that occurred while Pluto was in Aquarius happened to also coincide with other planetary cycles involving Pluto (not to mention a host of other planetary cycles and thus, ultimately, astrology is about synthesis). In other words, are those major historical events related to Pluto in Aquarius, or the planetary cycles believed to correlate alongside them? I will argue both (a very Gemini response) but lean more toward the latter.

For example, the American and French Revolutions of the late 1700s coincided with the opposition of Pluto and Uranus. The French Revolution was also the political and intellectual catalyst for the American Constitution, which became the US law of the land under Pluto in Aquarius. While, yes, Pluto was in Aquarius, this Uranus/Pluto opposition (think back to the conjunction of the late 1960s) was what astrologer and historian Richard Tarnas called "Epochs of Revolution" in his monumental work Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New Worldview. Before I continue, I want to point out that Uranus and Pluto will form an opposition during this Pluto in Aquarius cycle, but the exact oppositional contact will happen while Pluto is technically in Pisces (the following sign). However, both planets come within “orb” (within 15 degrees of each other) during the Pluto in Aquarius period around 2042. Therefore, cultural and political events similar to the American and French revolutions (and more, as I will discuss) will be more likely toward the end of Pluto’s transit in Aquarius but peaking more so in 2046-2048.

This framing of the Uranus/Pluto cycle as revolutionary is very fitting, considering that during the cycle of Pluto in Aquarius just before the 1700s cycle (in the 1500s), Nicolaus Copernicus published De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), specifically in 1543. This work demolished the classical Earth-centered model of the universe and is perceived by numerous scholars and historians as the symbolic birth of the "scientific revolution." This all coincided with an opposition of Uranus and Pluto while Pluto was in Aquarius. It also serves as the backdrop, partly, for the gradual demise of astrology from its enmeshment with power in the West through the dissolution of Aristotelianism at the end of the Middle Ages. 

You might have noticed some interesting patterns here. I'll call this a synchronicity, and I argue that it's an integral and real aspect of reality (and how astrology inherently works). Pluto takes about 248 years to orbit the Sun, and it will return to Aquarius in roughly that time span. Over two centuries had passed since the scientific revolution and Enlightenment when the American and French revolutions were sparked, leading to the tangible and symbolic replacement of monarchical and Church power with more democratic and secular forms of governance. The first Amendment of the US Constitution ratified in 1791 under Pluto in Aquarius (and the still waning Uranus/Pluto opposition), was an inherently secularized enshrinement of the "separation of church and state," protecting religious freedom and preventing the formation of a state religion. In France, "Loi de Séparation de l'Église et de l'État," which means "Law of Separation of Church and State," was passed in 1905 (during the next Uranus/Pluto opposition) but was a direct result of the French Revolutionary period.

Science and the scientific revolution were central to the modern conception of the secular worldview, which also places empirical and evidence-based approaches to knowledge application (especially in relation to politics and public policy) above those deemed "religious," "faith-based," or "inspirational." Secularism attempts to prevent the rise of tyranny from "religious" (or non-naturalistically derived) ideas and zealotry. While this conception arose in ancient Greece, such as within Aristotle's naturalistic philosophy (naturalism is the philosophical root of modern science), the 17th and 18th centuries brought these ideas to their modern contours. The result is a neat and clean cultural differentiation between the "religious" and "non-religious." Whatever is "religious" goes over there in some private domain, and whatever is "secular" becomes more acceptable in public venues. Simple, right? Well, it's a bit more complicated (cue my Gemini rant).

Today, secularism has joined forces with other worldviews, such as materialism. I often use the term secular materialism to refer to the overarching belief system that espouses a faith that religion is an objectively definable thing in the world and that physical matter is all there is. Thus consciousness derives entirely from quantifiable and measurable material. Therefore, death subconsciously becomes an enemy since this single life is all we have (and so death must be combated and ultimately eradicated: YOLO!). Sociologist Frank Furedi argued in his many books, most notably, Culture of Fear: Risk Taking and the Morality of Low Expectation, that modern society (due to the collapse of centralized authority and cultural emphasis on individualism) has devolved into a kind of "cult of safety" in which safety and risk aversion have become our collective, moralistic pursuits. As Furedi argued, this moralistic pursuit of safety is at the helm of state power and cultural influence in the West (and it reveals quite a lot about the historical context of the past few years).

Secular materialism (and the complex advancements in computer technology) has also fed into budding religious movements such as transhumanism, which is basically rooted in a Zoroastric/Judaic/Christian apocalypticism. As anthropologist Robert M. Geraci argued in Apocalyptic AI: Visions of Heaven in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Virtual Reality, apocalypticism refers to a highly polarized conception of reality that ultimately generates a sense of alienation. This alienation is solved cosmologically by creating a new future world that purifies and dissolves the past conflict. This purification of the world also involves new bodily forms and an idyllic conception that the tensions inherent in the prior state of dualism will eventually be resolved. 

Transhumanism, like many of its ideological roots, conceives of a dualistic tension inherent to reality, most principally, biology vs. technology. Encapsulated within this archetypally is the Descartian body vs. mind polarity, the classical reason vs. emotion, or the Zoroastrian/Judaic/Christian light vs. dark and thus good vs. evil paradigm. In the transhumanist worldview, nature, the body, and inevitably death become the negative and "bad" sources of pain and suffering, and the mind and its technological artificial intelligence (AI) appendages are the "good" sources of future salvation. In many transhumanist conceptions, the singularity (the point at which AI surpasses human intelligence) will lead to a future in which human consciousness will be uploaded into a computer hive mind, robotic bodies will far outlast biological ones, and thus eternal life will be possible. 

As Geraci pointed out, the Judaic and Christian mythologies provide the skeletal framework for this worldview. From the perspective of the psychiatrist Carl G. Jung, these myths exist in a collective unconscious and re-emerge in recycled in new forms. Jung also had much to say about the pitfalls of these polarizing myths and worldviews. According to Jung's enantiodromia conception, which derives from hermetic and alchemical teachings, whatever we psychologically set ourselves against eventually assimilates us. For example, if we declare something out in the world as evil and seek to eradicate it, we eventually become the very evil we sought to destroy. This is because, according to Jung, the psyche seeks wholeness and integration rather than further fragmentation. Also, any perceived evil "out there" is a reflection of repressed "evil" within oneself (since the inner and outer are connected). Denying and repressing one’s tendency toward evil grants that aspect more power within oneself and invites external confrontations with it. This all ties into Jung's conception of the shadow, a constellation of repressed aspects of one's psyche. I'll come back to the shadow, so keep this in mind. 

Okay, so back to the previous two Pluto in Aquarius periods (that also happened to coincide with Uranus/Pluto oppositions) and science, secularism, and transhumanism. Did science and secularism succeed at keeping religion from interfering with the affairs of the state? Is science even at odds or in conflict with so-called "religion" or spirituality, or is this a distortion from another worldview? Have some of these post-Enligtenment worldviews become the very things they set out to eradicate or control in the world? Science and secularism have spawned ideologies that could be defined as essentially religious. And since these ideologies are considered secular, the very project of secularism, of preventing the formation of a state religion and maintaining religious neutrality, comes into question.

Scientism, for example, is a belief system that espouses that science is the only means of discerning truth, and everything else (art, intuition, myth, astrology, or other modes of symbolic thinking) is devalued, ridiculed, or sometimes actively persecuted. Scientism has also distorted science as some unquestionable authority derived from an established consensus of experts rather than a continuous process of revision, skepticism, and open debate. And Scientism often presents specific scientific data as dogma and decrees rather than one of many potential hypotheses or theories. Hence, as Furedi argued, science serves as our moral authority today, and phrases such as "The Science says" reflect a "moralistic and political project" rather than the true essence of the scientific method [1]. Scientism and its adjacent worldviews, such as atheism or materialism, have faith-based assumptions and beliefs, as all "religious" ideologies do. As ethnobotanist and psychedelic advocate Terence McKenna argued, the entirety of modern scientific cosmology rests upon "one free miracle," a faith in the still unproven "big bang" in which all of the stable and measurable laws of the universe somehow magically arose from nothingness [2]. A belief that nothing gave rise to everything is simply equivalent to believing in a divine or supernatural catalyst since either lacks concrete, empirical evidence.  

As I argue in my (still in progress) book on Pluto in Aquarius, Scientism and the overarching worldview of secular materialism, have their own zealots, dogmas, and terrifying forms of tyranny as any Western religion has had. Modern totalitarian movements, as historian and political philosopher Hannah Arendt argued, exploited the cultural mythos of a utopian future built via scientific progress as well as how the Enligtenment’s influence on shaping individualism and a cultural obsession with rationality paved the way to such nightmarish political realities. The Nazi totalitarian state was built upon this mythology and also conducted numerous inhumane and egregious scientific experiments in support of it. The technological-scientific elite that former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned about seems to have replaced the high priests of the old religions, and the cultural cult of safety unconsciously seeks salvation and redemption from them whenever faced with a crisis, uncertainty, or the prospect of death.

Furedi’s last work before the 2020 SARS-Cov-2 pandemic, an outbreak of a novel respiratory viral pathogen that killed millions of people worldwide (I’m sure you’re familiar), was How Fear Works: Culture of Fear in the 21st Century. Published in 2019, Furedi prophetically characterized several issues that emerged due to the culture of fear, particularly how science has been moralized and “experts” are paraded via (corporate-owned) media corporations as moral authorities. According to Fuerdi, “Statements like ‘The Science says’ serve as the twenty-first-century equivalent of the exhortation ‘God said’….It has more in common with a pre-modern revealed truth than with the spirit of experimentation that emerged with modernity”[3]. During the pandemic, several mantras such as “trust the science,” “follow the science,” or “believe in science” were parroted by various medical experts and media pundits ironically representing science as the exact antithesis of what it is: as some unquestionable moral authority. Violations of “The Science” were used to make rampant moral judgments on others and to vilify and divide individuals and communities in truly inhumane ways. Indeed, science devolved into a “religious” movement and ushered in an atmosphere that resembled, if mainly archetypally, the Spanish Inquisitions or totalitarian movements. There were calls from very high-profile and influential people (and everyday people) to silence anyone questioning “The Science” and even strip them of basic civil liberties.

While followers of “The Science” might think they’re safe from religiosity, numerous post-modern arguments suggest that religion is not objectively real like the secular materialist worldview would lead us to believe. All worldviews have neat, clean, and insular logic and consistencies which make rational sense within their own context. Yet, step outside that context, such as prehistoric America or any contemporary hunter/gatherer society still enduring today against the challenges of globalization, and you'll quickly realize that such a neat and clean model of religion breaks down. Not all cultures can clearly distinguish what secularism defines as religion or religious behavior from anything else they do. Truthfully, the secular definition of religion, as anthropologist Telal Assad argued, reflects the unique historical processes of the West. While it has a definite cultural reality, it fails to apply cross-culturally and is, therefore, very shortsighted.

Today, the conception of religion also largely reflects political and legal nuances. My view, and one I argue in my book while drawing from Michel Foucault and various anthropologists, is that what we call religion and religiosity is just normal human behavior that can't be cleanly detached from within any culture. It reflects what happens when the very human desire for certainty gets encapsulated in grand narratives and becomes embedded in complex relations of power and hierarchy. If upon death, one enters the kingdom of heaven or if nothing happens at all, there is certainty about it, and that can be psychologically processed far better than uncertainty can. By the way, when humans are attached to their certainty, they will go to extraordinary lengths to defend it, hence "religiosity" devolving into violence and tyranny. As Furedi also argued, “The use of the term ‘The Science’ in public debates expresses its advocates’ insecurity with the absence of certainty. This leads to a defensive posture where scientists are reluctant to entertain the possibility they might be wrong and their critics might have a point”[4]. The world witnessed this groupthink mentality in countless ways for several years following the initial outbreak, and it deeply reflected how the fear of uncertainty could go far in distorting the very integrity of individuals and their philosophies, all for the sake of offering hope, security, and protection from uncertainty during a novel and ever-changing pandemic situation.

Secularism makes sense as a uniquely historical backlash against prior theocratic modes of governance and tyranny. The idea of religion is, therefore, an attempt to socially quarantine so-called "superstition" or "magical thinking" and keep it from infecting the rational and reasonable affairs of the state and the project of science (which is conceived in a variety of ways). However, the religiosity of Scientism (and its ideological appendages) contains just as much “superstition” and “magical thinking” as any other faith-based belief. The public and many experts readily embraced untested (or little tested) and uncritically examined “solutions” during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak even long after evidence emerged placing their usefulness into question, such as prolonged, widespread lockdowns, six-foot distancing guidance, mask and vaccine mandates, and highly novel pharmacological interventions, all under the hope and faith that the threat could be eradicated and the world returned to normalcy. Perhaps such hope and faith and blind adherence was well-intentioned, yet in a paradoxical reality, good intentions can have harmful outcomes. What if Jung was correct that we can't eradicate what we are? What if humanity is inherently prone to what we term "religious" behavior, “superstition," or “magical thinking,” no matter how much Scientism attempts to stamp it out through its myopic obsession with rationality (enantiodromia, anyone)? What if the idyllic vision of a utopia of any kind, whether supernatural, political, scientific, or technological, is just a fantasy of the human mind that probably serves some evolutionary purpose (such as social cohesion for maintaining the project of civilization since it appears to have a highly adaptive function)? Ultimately, what if humanity will never eliminate risk and uncertainty, no matter how certain it is that it has?

In my research, I extracted three themes inherent to the Aquarian archetype, more so relevant to its application to mundane astrology: knowledge, novelty, and social cohesion. If they occur in any order, social cohesion would probably come first, but I thought it sounded better this way. It has a ring to it, methinks. I gathered this threefold nature of mundane Aquarius using the lens of synchronicity and through the very literal cultural evolution of the sign from its Mesopotamian roots. We can trance an interesting mythological lineage from the Mesopotamian god Enki/Ea to the Greek titan Prometheus, and even to figures such as Jesus, transhumanist conceptions of AI-augmented computer technology to advanced alien species as conceived within modernity's UFO cults, disclosure movements, and various New Age syncretisms. 

By the way, I am not debunking Jesus, UFOs, or an advanced AI salvation, but rather pointing to a worldview in which such things are archetypally linked and reflect the same symbols within the collective unconscious. In many ways, in whatever form these symbols take, they are often involved in grand narratives that provide certainty, and thus they can be conceived as expressions of religiosity. Whether they reflect an objective or concrete reality of some kind matters less in a universe in which consciousness permeates everything, and thus mind, and the external world is intimately linked. Unconscious, symbolic archetypes can have very concrete manifestations in the world, but also psychological ones. Either manifestation can be read symbolically.

Okay, so what I am getting at here is that Aquarius (especially in its shadow expression) synchronously reflects the savior deity in its many guises, a figure who liberates humanity from its baser, biological, and bestial existence to one more "godlike" and transcendent. Aquarius also connects to apocalyptic mythologies of various kinds. The flood myth, present in early Mesopotamian texts (and most famously as the story of Noah's Ark in the biblical book of Genesis), spoke of a time when a previous world was destroyed and replaced with a purified version. Enki/Ea was intimately involved in this event, saving some humans and other living things and placing them upon an ark. Akkadian scholar Hans Galter argued that the Mesopotamians interpreted this story as a very real transition in how humanity gathered knowledge, for example, a transition from internally derived knowledge acquisition to scholarly knowledge collection. As Galter put it, the myth symbolized the transition "from sages to scholars"[5].  

This wise observation suggested that millennia ago, people understood how scholarly knowledge collection fundamentally transformed culture and allowed for civilizational advancements. From every culture's inherent ethnocentrism, I'm sure that the Mesopotamians believed they had achieved its ideal, yet they unlikely conceived of how far that transition would take us. In a way, as of now, AI symbolizes an apotheosis of human knowledge collection, or at least the more formative steps to it as reflected in Large Language Models (or machine learning) utilized in popular platforms such as OpenAI's ChatGPT currently writing up essays for college undergrads and something this author finds a helpful research assistant (but no, it didn't write this essay, I swear!). Enki/Ea, and later Prometheus, was also responsible for gifting humanity the tools and knowledge needed for its civilizational and scientific endeavors.

This brings us to novelty and genius, which are essentially built upon the knowledge and genius of the past. Novelty and innovation don't magically appear out of thin air (though interestingly, Aquarius is an air sign). Every innovative leap or genius idea started from things already conceived and established, thus the ideal of science as a perpetual process of improving upon existing knowledge by replicating testable hypotheses and theories. All of this, of course, requires social cohesion or collaborative efforts. Even the mythical lone genius or mad scientist draws from past efforts and previously drawn conclusions. Thus, maintaining cultural traditions is central to this. A few thousand years devoid of some cataclysmic global event is why humanity has achieved the technological and social complexity it has. The intellectual and innovative capacity of the Mesopotamians was no different from ours today. 

Many astrologers have established that Aquarius rules geniuses, but it also relates to all kinds of outsiders, heretics, and exiles. As with the apocalyptic myths, the archetypal essence of alienation is inherent here. As astrologer and Jungian analyst, Liz Greene argued in The Astrology of Fate, and in reflecting upon Jung's interpretation of the Garden of Eden myth as a syncretism of the Promethean theft of fire myth, "isolation from fellows is a profoundly painful dilemma for the socially minded Aquarian. [6]" As Jung argued, like Prometheus' theft of fire from Zeus to gift to humanity (and thus to make them "godlike"), the Eden myth also represented the price paid for the acquisition of "fire," or rather, "knowledge" plucked from the tree at the behest of the serpent Lucifer (a very Promethean character). From Jung's conception, the expansion of consciousness leads to alienation as it separates the more conscious from those less so. It is interesting to point out that, archetypally speaking, there is interchangeability between the Christianized Lucifer and Greek Prometheus and other savior figures like Jesus. This is also reflected in how technology (or even UFOs) can be conceived as both salvific and condemning. For example, not all AI experts are optimistic transhumanists, but outspoken prophets of doom, warning of AI armageddon (a topic that gained prominence during Pluto's first cross into Aquarius). 

As the saying goes, "It's lonely at the top." Enlightenment, or any "special" knowledge, comes with a price. Greene argued, "All the traditional Aquarian fields of endeavor--science, invention, social welfare, psychology, even astrology--are tainted with this loneliness which is the price of offending Zeus"[7]. Of course, such a paradigm gets inflamed within a highly polarized conception of reality in which there are humans and gods, good and evil, or an underlying antagonism between a "lower" and "higher" order of things in the universe. This conception didn't dissolve at the dawn of the Enlightenment. If anything, this polarized and apocalyptic conception has persisted even more; in fact, it appears to have literally manifested in the drama unfolding on the world stage in which highly polarizing elements are the topics of the day, and perpetual class struggle lies at the root of so much oppression. Marxism, for example, is inherently apocalyptic--the underlying desire to eradicate this struggle to give way to a communist utopia deeply reflects this. Karl Marx was interestingly born with Aquarius rising during a Pluto/Uranus/Neptune square—a highly Promethean character.

From an astrological, Hermetic, Jungian, and thus archetypal view of reality, the world is embodying these myths in a very real and tangible way, and the more unconscious we are of this, the deeper we go into them and the more polarizing the world appears to become. Several zodiacal signs embody duality (in fact, duality is inherent to the codified, western astrological system). Yet, if only synchronously so, Aquarius does appear to reflect an intrinsic duality, especially since, as I argue, it contains some essence of Western apocalypticism. Duality is a part of our third-dimensional existence and central to our subjective experiences. However, how we conceive of this duality changes our relationship and attitudes about it. Duality can be perceived as necessary and complementary or the result of some antagonistic relationship or divine condemnation. In the former, the necessity of duality allows for reconciling opposites and paradoxes, unleashing breakthroughs in perceiving the underlying unity of the universe.

According to historian of astrology Nicholas Campion, the first astrologer to add more complexity and nuance to the zodiac signs was theosophist and entrepreneur Alan Leo [8]. Before Leo, astrologers used a rather simplistic listing of qualities or associations when discussing zodiac signs, but they lacked much descriptive depth. The more deeply psychological characteristics of zodiac signs came a bit after Leo in the latter 20th century. However, Leo forged a new conception of the zodiac, allowing signs to provide immense descriptive detail. Leo, as far as I know, first made the association between Aquarius and dual serpents--a reconception of the two parallel wavey lines (the Aquarius glyph traditionally symbolic of water). This connected for Leo to the Eden mythos. In his typical theosophical way, he imagined this through the lens of the encroaching Aquarian age and the "evolution" of humanity to a higher, more enlightened spiritual existence. For Leo, those born with Aquarian placements, for example, did not yet exhibit the full potential of the sign, as the new age was still dawning upon humanity.

According to Leo, "As the last of the fixed signs it [Aquarius] has been symbolized by two serpents, the one the serpent of wisdom and the other the old Adam or serpent of the earth. In this symbology lies the mystery of human destiny" [9]. For Leo, wisdom symbolized the "higher self-conscious ascent" into humanity's ultimate potential in the Age of Aquarius, while the "old Adam" was in reference to the bestial "lower nature" which needed to be controlled for the higher potential to be attained. Leo presented a theosophical reconception of Aquarius, drawing upon numerous spiritual and esoteric traditions. Theosophy, which espoused the conscious evolution of humanity to a more ideal, humanitarian, or spiritually enlightened future existence, came to significantly influence what is today referred to as the modern "New Age" as well as modern astrology.  

Numerous New Age worldviews contain apocalyptic undertones, often combining the theosophical progression toward spiritual Enlightenment. Though, there is no homogenous New Age ideology, and today, even theosophical offshoots are highly varied and diverse. However, many of these worldviews seem to draw upon the similar Zoroastrian/Judaic/Christian dualistic worldview, where humanity's earthly existence is somehow at odds with its divine nature or potential. Yet also, there are obvious Platonic elements as well, such as an ascent of the soul into the cosmos. Even some Hellenistic (Greco-Roman) astrology expressions had apocalyptic motivations and influences; thus, it is not inherently new. As I argue, whether spiritual, technological, or political "evolution" toward some more idyllic future state need not matter. The root of the idea is very old and appears to endure within the collective unconscious and mythic memory.

By the way, I am not arguing that this is inherently bad or wrong, shouldn't be, or does not reflect some truth about the world or universe we experience. Synchronicity might suggest that it does. Suppose a past deluge mythologically exists from ancient memory and within the collective unconscious. In that case, it makes rational sense why the idea of the eventual or cyclic purification of the world would persist (and potentially why this transition toward scholarship was catalyzed to help determine, predict, and thus prepare for the next one). Yet, perhaps with such a polarizing worldview, we should become more conscious of it since ignoring its archetypal foundation breeds more polarization rather than the unity that's unconsciously desired. Perhaps, to reach a wiser tomorrow, we should look more within than without for the source of our troubles. While I'm a bit cynical of any perfected future state of human existence, I believe that humanity makes improvements, learns from its mistakes, and attempts to improve conditions for future generations, despite numerous interests (and maladaptive cultural blindspots) that often counter these attempts. 

I have said very little about Pluto (pun intended, as it is pretty small). While no longer considered a major planet by some astronomers and is instead classed as a dwarf planet, Pluto still packs a punch from the astrological point of view. I argue that early 2020 was a case in point with Pluto's conjunction with Saturn. Read my article I published in early 2019 predicting that crisis. I flesh it out retrospectively in my upcoming book and have touched on it here. For brevity's sake, I argue (as do many other astrologers) that Pluto deals with the collective shadow. You could say that on the mundane level, Pluto cycles are about doing our collective shadow work, integrating those repressed, denied, and ignored dimensions of humanity and culture.  

Pluto cycles are difficult because they present us with stuff we don't like and often don't want to see. Pluto also dredges up that core human wound or Achilles heel--the dreaded uncertainty of the universe. Yes, it is often during Pluto cycles that we are confronted with specific uncertainties related to the archetypes it contacts and a host of unintegrated shadow material from the collective unconscious. What are the shadows of knowledge, novelty, and social cohesion? I will get deep into this in my upcoming book and relate it to many current and developing world affairs. Also, as an underworld deity, Pluto relates to a literal and symbolic death and transformation of those themes. 

But I won't leave you hanging entirely. Over the next two decades, as with many Pluto in Aquarius periods, the world's knowledge acquisition and dissemination strategies, conceptions of social organization, and technological capacities will be transformed, and the seeds of an even greater transformation will also be planted (as with the scientific, American, and French Revolutions). Since Aquarius is also a sign associated with the constellation of a human figure pouring water from the heavens, this sign deals with humanity itself--its ideas, worldviews, cosmologies, and complex social structures. What needs to be dealt with within ourselves to get to the task of creating a wiser tomorrow? How might we have been walking zombie-like lately, unaware of the many ways we have become our (and maybe the planets') own enemy? How are we shooting ourselves in the collective foot? 

If there is any sign that deals most profoundly with collective issues and their dark side, like groupthink or what psychologist Matias Desmet has called "mass formation," it is Aquarius. I don't think we'll necessarily enjoy the shadow work required to realize how these human vulnerabilities have paved the way to some hellish situations, and it is all inherently paradoxical. Following the herd is sometimes wise, and other times, not so much (especially in a highly complex social world). Another theme I pulled from my research is the saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." I touched on this in discussing the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and how good intentions are not always good. Reflect back to the apocalyptic mythos I just discussed, especially those of the past in which well-intentioned humans attempted to reach a heavenly abode only to create quite the opposite (hence the nature of polarizing worldviews). How many attempts at reformation or attaining some utopia wrought destruction, suffering, or literal genocide? Or how can a desperate attempt to stay safe and reduce risk ironically create more danger? What happens when a culture attempts to eliminate contingency entirely and desperately clings to rational control?

Scientism, transhumanism, and various New Age belief systems may well create (if not already) some real hells in their unconscious pursuit of utopia, reformation, and certainty, as have all apocalyptic worldviews. We will have to reckon with that reality over the next two decades in a way that will be uncomfortable, sometimes painful, but, ultimately, for the best. Grand narratives never quite seem to pan out, so I don't attempt to espouse one. In fact, if astrology has taught me anything, it's that while the future may be archetypally predictive, it's more often filled with surprising plot twists nobody could have imagined. When we surrender to uncertainty, we might find that those surprises and accidents make life most interesting.

Lastly, to come back to the theme of novelty, human innovations are sometimes incredible and miraculous but also sometimes terrifying and dangerous. Again, within the polarizing framing of humans and gods, this often gives way to conceptions of a "godlike" elite or individuals who believe themselves ordained by a higher power or mission to "play with fire." Of course, I use fire in reference to the Prometheus myth. The divine fire of the gods can illuminate the world but also destroy it. Playing with fire, that is, utilizing the power of the gods with hubris, is a very dangerous game and can create some collateral burns. Pluto in Aquarius will reveal the many ways in which such powers may need to be curtailed, and that might happen through some tough collective lessons and experiences through the shadow of novelty. This theme, by the way, emerges within a complex interaction of astrological archetypes, involving not just Pluto and Aquarius but also Uranus and Saturn and combinations of these planets and the Aquarian sign. I analyze this phenomenon more deeply in my book.

Evolutionary biologists Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein coined the term "hyper-novelty" in their recent book A Hunter Gatherer's Guide to the Twentieth-First Century. Hyper-novelty is a similar concept to hyper-change, often utilized by former US Vice President Al Gore regarding the threat and dangers of anthropogenic climate change. According to Heying and Weinstein, hyper-novelty refers to how our technological progress is accelerating faster than our biology or the natural world can adaptively manage [10]. As Heying and Weinstein suggest, this pace of acceleration often ignores wise heuristics such as "Chesterton's fence," suggesting the use of caution before tampering with systems that aren't fully understood. Of course, as biologists, Heying and Weinstein referred more specifically to biological systems. However, it can also apply to technological ones, like the rapid development of AI technology platforms or quantum computing, just as it does to novel pharmaceutical products and interventions.

One other overarching theme I deal with deeply in my book is the way that complex economic systems, such as neoliberal hyper-capitalism, have made these concerns even more pressing. If profit motivation and the financial bottom line also rise to the helm of state power and interest, how does that further present us with dangers, especially when "playing with fire." In other words, when novelty and knowledge acquisition are pure capitalistic enterprises rather than truly humanitarian ones, how might this lead us into hazardous territory? Worse, how has this, combined with Scientism, distorted science, and its endeavors? Can we really trust "The Science" when debates are censored, heretics are silenced, and corporate interests lobby universities, congressional representatives, or health organizations? And worse, if Scientism is a new religion, has the secular worldview failed to account for this blindspot via its narrow and ethnocentric definition of religiosity? 

Is there hope? Is a wiser tomorrow possible? As a Gemini, I'm both a cynic and an optimist. I may have a bias that the universe, or at least from our point of view, is paradoxical. Our divine task is to rise above the paradoxes and perceive the underlying unity. Therefore, the universe may not be ultimately paradoxical but one unified whole or consciousness. The next zodiac sign, Pisces, deals more with that reality. Still, Aquarius points the way, and Pluto, through this sign, is our bridge to discovering the innate unification of reality we unconsciously desire and what Western apocalypticism both wants and resists. Of course, the drama is rather juicy too, and if Jung taught us anything, some part of us keeps us tangled in it all. Pluto in Aquarius will require some challenging collective work, as all Pluto cycles do. Still, I hope it will help us create a wiser tomorrow. The Enlightenment brought great ideas and solutions into the world just as it made new problems. Science is an extraordinary tool when applied humbly and consciously, and it has undeniably helped us better understand the universe while improving living conditions. Yet, distorting science for moralistic or political motives or taking science to a hyper-rational end-point in which all other views into the nature of reality must be condemned or eradicated will further damage our collective heart and soul. Making science and technology out to be some salvific diety is a problematic unconscious projection eradicating the paradox inherent to science, obfuscating its destructive potential. Yet, so too is the opposite demonization of such things. Technology is both miraculous and potentially disastrous, capable of Promethean liberation and enslavement. Our collective work starts by looking deeply into our own darkness and doing our best not to demonize it, especially not to demonize each other. We must transcend the paradoxes and polarities and see that our perception of evil is not something to be cleansed and eradicated from the earth but something to learn from through acknowledgment, understanding, integration, and love. We are all human, after all, not gods, at least not in our flawed and fleshy ape bodies and minds. While we cannot escape our humanity (especially by denying it), we can become more conscious of it. And a bit wiser, too.

References

[1] Frank Furedi. How Fear Works: Culture of Fear in the 21st Century (London: Bloomsbury, 2019), p. 144.

[2] Rupert Sheldrake, Terrence McKenna, and Ralph Abraham. The Evolutionary Mind: Conversations on Science, Imagination and Spirit (Rhinebeck, NY: Monkfish Books, 2005).

[3] Furedi, How Fear Works, p. 144.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Hanns D. Galter, "The Mesopotamian God Enki," Religion Compass 9/3 (2015), 10.11, p. 72.

[6] Liz Greene. The Astrology of Fate (York Beach: Samuel Weiser, 1986), p. 255.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Nicholas Campion. Astrology and Popular Religion in the Modern West: Prophecy, Cosmology, and the New Age Movement (London and New York: Routledge, 2016), p. 71-72.

[9] Alan Leo. Astrology for All (New York: Cosimo Classics, 2006), p. 23.

[10] Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein. A Hunter Gatherer's Guide to the Twentieth-First Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life (New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 2021), xii.

Forward Vision: Full Moon in Capricorn 2023

John Gvazdinskas, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Full Moon @ 11 degrees Capricorn 19'

July 3, 2023

4:38 AM PDT

7:38 AM EDT

July's Full Moon and Supermoon in tropical Capricorn follow Neptune's retrograde station and forms an opposition to Mercury in Cancer. With a trine from Jupiter in Taurus, this Full Moon represents a culmination of achievements, ambitions, and practical vision. Additionally, it brings some ease of flow in making goals or ideas realizable.

The Moon in Capricorn is not a traditionally comfortable place for the lunar archetype, opposite its ruling sign Cancer. Quite often, a Full Moon here places some restraint on emotional expressiveness and clarity, where external concerns, pressures, and duty might overshadow inward needs or issues.

Perhaps paradoxically, Capricorn is also a sign of solitude, as Saturn, its ruling Planet, deals with both concretizing external accomplishments and the inward journey and time away required for success. There is likely tension between our commitments and practical goals and the dreaminess of Neptune. Yet, both dynamics can be integrated and directed toward personal and transpersonal interests.

Neptune's station alongside this Full Moon amplifies that inward pull, potentially into fantasy, idealism, and creative vision. Neptunian dominance around this Full Moon represents a concretizing or focusing of ambitions, dreams, and immersion in whatever pulls you forward. That may manifest as a distraction or further inspiration. Yet, following Mercury's superior conjunction with the Sun, we are more focused ahead on all that requires preparation and planning.

Free the Inner Light: Venus Retrograde in Leo 2023

Venus Retrograde in Leo: July 22/23-September 4, 2023

Venus is getting an extended stay in tropical Leo this year due to its retrograde cycle beginning July 22/23. The last time Venus turned retrograde in Leo was during the summer of 2015. Sometimes it's insightful to reflect on past Venus retrograde cycles, especially if they touched upon significant natal chart positions. You might notice a mysterious connection (literally and symbolically) to events during that time and those of the present cycle. Additionally, as with the 2015 cycle, Venus will interact with Jupiter. During the 2015 cycle, Venus made a series of conjunctions with Jupiter, and this year there will be a series of squares (more on that below).

Venus will be in Leo from June 5 through October 8, 2023. While Venus retrograde cycles occur every year and a half, as I alluded to above, they repeat in the same sign (and very close to the same degrees) every eight years. Thus, we get a longer, more complex Venus transit in a specific area of the natal chart every eight years (but yes, somewhere every year and a half). Additionally, as mentioned, we also get more drawn-out aspects of Venus to other transiting planets, so those themes will likely become more pronounced on the world stage somehow.

Venus' synodic cycle (periodic conjunctions with the Sun) is quite complex, astonishingly symmetrical, and therefore regular. I won't get too deep into the woods related to the bigger, more nuanced picture of Venus retrograde cycles, but it's a fascinating study! I'd recommend reading Anne Massey's Venus: Her Cycles, Symbols, and Myths if you want to learn more. It's a book I've had for years, and I always find it a helpful reference. You can usually get it used somewhere out there online.

What does it mean when Venus turns retrograde? I've written a lot of articles about this over the years, and each time I learn something new. It's one of the most fascinating astrological cycles because it most uncannily connects to themes surrounding fate, serendipity, and "heart-opening" experiences in various ways. For example, meeting kindred souls or "soul mates," or certain pivotal events that somehow catalyze pathways conducive to "following the heart."

I'm not sure every Venus retrograde cycle will be experienced like this, and again, it's helpful to reflect on past cycles in the same zodiacal area because that will likely reveal how significant this cycle will be for you. However, no matter when or where they occur, Venus retrogrades are moments in which we get more in touch with the "heart," align ourselves with our emotional/intuitive center, and lead more through feeling rather than logic, reason, and common sense.

In ancient astrology, Venus was considered the "lesser benefic," meaning it was seen as a fortunate planet but not as much as Jupiter (the "greater benefic). Typically, Venus transits are far too brief to correlate with much significance (and probably why it was considered lesser than Jupiter). Still, during its retrograde cycles, especially during the retrograde and direct stations, Venus spends more time somewhere and thus has more time to "create" this fortuitous magic.

By the way, Venus' retrograde correlations are not always experienced as pleasant. Still, I do believe even the more complicated stuff that comes up during a Venus retrograde cycle leads us to something positive (especially when understood in hindsight). Jupiter sometimes has this impact as well, such as correlating with "happy accidents." I'll explain a bit more of the potential pitfalls of Venus retrograde down below. Everything in astrology has positive and negative potentials (though some carry one potential more so than others).

Also, retrograde and direct stations refer to when Venus first stops to move backward (retrograde station) and then stops again to move forward once the retrograde phase is over (direct station). These occur on July 22/23 (retrograde station) and September 3 (direct station). Within several days especially surrounding these dates, Venus will slow down and hang around a specific degree (28 Leo during the retrograde station and 12 Leo during the direct station). If you have significant placements there, you're more likely to feel and experience this cycle as significant, especially concerning significant life events.

When describing Venusian experiences, I often evoke the experience of "falling in love" and equate it with "fate," specifically a conception of fate that feels predetermined or beyond one's control. For example, we can't control who we fall in love or become infatuated with; it just happens to us. We don't consciously choose what music we like, which movies make us cry, what art we find beautiful, or what places in the world we conceive as our "happy places." These things happen, and we can't help but feel how we feel about them. Venusian experiences are often highly emotional and involuntary, and we often have no choice but to surrender to them (though, of course, we can choose whether to pursue or invest in them).

We could also say that such experiences touch upon our unconscious undercurrents more than our conscious awareness. Venus retrograde periods seem to amplify our inner emotional, aesthetically responsive, and intuitive selves. And thus, during these cycles we are leading more with the heart and intuitive center than with the rational faculties. Obviously, then, there are some pitfalls there, such as "falling" for people or things that might not be so good for us (but feel so in the moment) or investing too much time, attention, or money in things that aren't worth what we think they are in the moment. So, yes, it's critical to be more discerning and skeptical of emerging things that seem too good or too big to be true.

This is especially so due to Venus' square with Jupiter this cycle. In fact, both Venus and Jupiter interestingly station within a square aspect at the beginning of October (Jupiter stations retrograde while Venus stations direct at the end of its retrograde phase). Get-rich-quick schemes or marriage proposals after only a few dates are probably a bit extreme and too cartooned of examples, but you get the idea. Still, there are likely to be some really positive, expansive, and "lucky" correlations with this, especially in early October.

Sometimes, it's best to focus less on taking action with things that emerge during Venus retrograde and more on allowing ourselves to experience and digest it all fully. When the retrograde is over, and we still feel strongly about something, it's likely more solid and aligned for us. For example, because Venus also rules relationships (romantic, marriage, platonic, even professional), we can sometimes experience "changes of heart" or suddenly perceive more deeply the shadow side of a person we never really noticed or reflected on before. This can take a lot of different forms, from a deepening of a connection that was previously more surface level to feeling less connected. It can go either way.

Typically, the best advice is to wait out the retrograde and process what's happening and when the retrograde is over, and take action when you have a more rational and objective point of view. But of course, context is everything, and some things we can't control, so use your best judgment. Sometimes, also, the heart knows more than the mind, and if that voice is loud and clear, it might be wiser to just go with your gut feeling.

As mentioned, this retrograde cycle occurs in Leo. This is a sign of joy, pleasure, fun, and play. It's also a sign that deals with acceptance of praise, applause, recognition, and attention. Of course, the negative side of this could be some hubristic (or "eye roll") displays of overconfidence, arrogance, or self-absorption. In its dark side, Leo can get consumed in subjectivity and neglect the need for constructive feedback, critique, or other points of view. Yet, if you've been struggling with these more ideal features of the Leo archetype (especially in relation to the house position Venus will be in), then this could be a moment that opens our hearts more deeply to these qualities and discover them more intensely in those areas.

For example, if Venus is retrograding in the sixth house, perhaps its time to open your heart (or have a change of heart) to bring more joy, pleasure, playfulness, and fun into your work and routines, or perhaps this is a pivotal moment for receiving well-deserved attention, applause, or recognition for your hard work. If Venus is in your fourth house, maybe this relates more to your connection to your family, or tribe, or a rediscovery of an inner fountain of joy within, such as a profound reconnection to the inner child. In your first house (for you Leo risers out there), this might relate to your persona, personal style, and outer image, helping you liven and lighten up your look and self-presentation. Additionally, like my sixth house example, this could be a time to put yourself out there more, to be seen and recognized.

Venus retrograde cycles can also connect us to the past, and that's where this interesting association with "soul mates" or "kindred souls" comes in, because sometimes when we meet certain people during these cycles, they seem strangely familiar. Maybe that's karma or some past-life connection. I don't have any definitive answers about that. This isn't always likely to happen with Venus retrograde, and perhaps more so when it connects to Venusian or seventh-house themes in the chart. Also, there can be this rediscovery of something or someone from the past, as well as a revaluation of our relationships, the things we value (or place value on), and the things that bring us joy, pleasure, satisfaction, and peace.

Some things we discover or rediscover during Venus retrograde might seem insignificant, like finding an amazing artist, musician, or fashion look, but that's because we tend to culturally devalue such things as frivolous amusement. Yet, beauty is profoundly powerful and helps to keep us sane, soulful, and empathic. My favorite music playlists and podcasts get me through my workouts every week or pick me up on not-so-great days. I don't think humans would do so well without access to beauty, art, and pleasure. They're essential to our humanity. In Leo, Venus amplifies the pleasure principle here and the cultivation of joy and good times.

Lastly, as mentioned, Venus will interact with Jupiter this cycle, but there's also an interesting bigger picture. Beginning in June 2023, Jupiter and Uranus will come into orb of a conjunction (meaning they will be within 15 degrees of each other), and thus the themes of the Jupiter/Uranus cycle will begin to emerge in personal and collective events. This Jupiter/Uranus conjunction peaks in April 2024 and moves out of orb July 2024. Thus, from the time of this writing, we are entering a year of a Jupiter/Uranus fusion!

In Cosmos and Psyche, astrologer/historian Richard Tarnas coined alignments of Jupiter and Uranus "cycles of creativity and expansion" and noted that they correlated with collective upwellings of revolutionary and emancipatory impulses as well as periods of significant creative, scientific, and technological breakthrough and development. Venus will be squaring this building Jupiter/Uranus conjunction this summer, and thus plugging into these potentials and correlations—bringing them more into the domain of fate-like events and most especially amplifying their creative potential.

What might that mean? Considering that squares are aspects of action, strength building, and challenge, perhaps we are prodded into the task of actualizing some seriously groundbreaking, innovative, and liberating expressions of the heart, whether through creative or performative outlets or in the realm of the technical or scientific. Or perhaps, this shows up more exclusively on the interpersonal level of some sudden breakthrough of heart expansiveness or emotional/intuitive realization.

Overall, we can anticipate some level of "whether you like it or not" radical change or revolutionary impulse to infuse into this cycle, relating to a period of profound emotional and creative leaps and departures from the norm. If you've been feeling held back (or holding yourself back) from expressing your creativity, joy, talents, and playful side, this cycle can help liberate those qualities so you can stand out, shine, and receive the attention you deserve.

Inner Potentials: New Moon in Gemini 2023

W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

New Moon @ 26 degrees Gemini 46'

June 17, 2023

9:37 PM PDT

June 18, 2023

12:37 AM EDT

June's New Moon occurs in tropical Gemini, featuring a square with Neptune while Saturn stations retrograde. While the Gemini archetype is all about diversity of experience, stimulation, and information consumption, the New Moon vibes are inherently more inward-directed, as is the combination of Neptune and Saturn retrograde.

Experientially, this New Moon presents as a contradiction, though if there is any sign that understands paradox, its most certainly Gemini. As curious and seemingly knowledgeable as many Gemini dominant types seem to be, they often contain a deep sense of perpetual doubt, uncertainty, and incessant questioning of nearly everything.

There's nothing the universe despises most than a dogmatic Gemini. It's just not its fate to settle on any rigidly structured ideological pathway. Thus, this New Moon might present itself to all of us in this way, as Neptune is not an inherently clear or definable archetype in its expression, and most definitely not via a challenging square aspect to this New Moon.

A New Moon is a restart, a new beginning, and a seeding of various new prospects and inward processes--that time of the month to lay low and reflect rather than seek out too much external activity or excitement. Yet, Gemini thrives on the latter, though sometimes such excitement can be self-induced or through an entertaining or thought-provoking book or conversation.

Yet, a Gemini New Moon represents the emergence of new ideas, perceptions, conversations, thoughts, and various interesting things to think and ponder. This is a good starting point for setting off on a fresh path of inquiry, beginning a critical new dialogue, a writing project, or taking action with an exciting idea that's been brewing for some time.

However, in reflecting on these challenging aspects of the New Moon (Neptune's square and Saturn's station), consider that anything begun under this lunation requires serious commitment, tenacity, discipline, and follow-through. Also, it needs to hold up to reality and thus remain highly suspect and skeptical of anything that hasn't been thoroughly investigated or considered.

Saturn's station can correlate with an amplification of a somber yet potentially studious vibe, where focused time, energy, and motivation can go a long way with mental and intellectually demanding tasks. Also, some contradiction can be experienced here as Gemini wants to pursue it all, while the Saturn archetype demands a narrowing of choices.

Lastly, Neptune's square can also point to potential collective and personal disillusionment or confusion, where previous facts and information come under scrutiny or seem less reliable than previously believed. Reality can take on a more amorphous or less stable feeling surrounding this New Moon, as can many things that begin alongside it. Yet, Saturn's presence indicates the potential to bring intangible ideas or thoughts into solidity or to make the imaginal more visible and real.

Blossoming Vision: Full Moon in Sagittarius 2023

Full Moon @ 13 degrees Sagittarius

June 3, 2023

8:47 PM PDT

11:47 PM EDT

**With my busy writing schedule lately, I forgot to post this, but subscribe to my newsletter to receive all of my content on time :-) Apologies!

This month's Full Moon occurs in tropical Sagittarius and features a wide square with Saturn in Pisces. The Sagittarius/Gemini polarity highlights curiosity, stimulation, and the human propensity to increase experience and enlarge an understanding of the universe. Yet, Saturn's square adds some limitations and containment.

The Full Moon dynamic always correlates with personal and collective crescendos of various kinds, and within the bounds of the Sagittarian archetype, there is a build-up and breakthrough related to an expansive vision, outward reach, or faith-based motivation to pursue a mission, dream, or calling.

While Saturn's square has some conflicting correlations with the Sagittarian pursuit of expanded consciousness, awareness, and experience, its presence here indicates that consistent efforts are paying off. Yet, we're unlikely to feel completed and fully accomplished under the Saturn square dynamic.

If you struggle to see the positive through this Full Moon, focus on the accomplishments and supportive frameworks currently in your life. And there is always a choice to frame challenges and hardships as valuable experiences for growth, as well as utilizing limitations to narrow potential options or focus. If your desired expansion meets some pushback or blockage, go back to the drawing board and continue working away.

Saturn's message here seems to suggest that the deeper purpose and meaning behind our efforts will blossom through staying committed to our spiritual path, no matter how difficult it may be. However, while there is still more to do at this juncture, something is beginning to emerge, and some results reveal themselves. Keep your faith and keep pushing through.

Into the Stillpoint: New Moon in Taurus 2023

Peter Cech, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

New Moon @ 28 degrees Taurus 25'

May 19, 2023

8:54 AM PDT

11:54 AM EDT

This month's New Moon in tropical Taurus leads us out of eclipse season, Mercury's retrograde cycle, and into calmer, more stable terrain. The essence of the Taurus archetype, at least in its more ideal expression, is attaining a sense of rootedness in the world. That can manifest in locating whatever brings us to a place of peace, calm, and trust in the innate wisdom that keeps our bodies, the planet, and cosmos churning along and maintaining order.

In Taurus, we come to realize that chaos is not as all-encompassing as our culture of fear might envision and promulgate. With the more tumultuous astrology of the past month, this Taurus New Moon might feel like a refreshing reset that can help us align and reattune to the truth that despite the chaotic changes that do happen, something still holds this all together.

The dominant aspect of this New Moon in Taurus is a wide conjunction with Uranus, introducing an underlying dimension to this lunation for taking solid and pragmatic steps towards the actualization of projects, pathways, or goals that have a liberating or revolutionary essence. With this New Moon especially, this is not a moment to settle for the predictable and routine, but rather a time to strike out with something innovative, unique, or freedom-generating.

A supportive trine from Pluto and sextiles from Neptune and Mars suggest that powerful forces, both inwardly and outwardly, bolster these formative New Moon seeds and first steps, empowering our personal and collective actions toward attaining a solid goal, endpoint, or strategy. There are portals opening here for deeply and safely connecting into the depth of passions and repressions, opening space for mystical, creative, and visionary moments to come through from the shadows. To get there, slow down your pace, breathe deep, and listen to the path that calls to you.