Last Quarter Moon – A Juicy Week Ahead

The week opens with the Last Quarter Moon on Monday the 25^th at 2:28 PM EST. The Moon is at the half and half stage, half light, half dark.  This is a time of reflection.  Quarter Moons bring crisis and with the waning quarter that crisis is usually internal.  Contemplation and meditation do well during this period.  This time in the lunation cycle is the time to prepare the ground for the seeds to be planted at the next New Moon.  This phase has the Sun in Sagittarius with the Moon in Virgo.  These signs as well as the other mutable signs, Pisces and Gemini may have a deeper connection to the energies of this quarter moon.

Monday evening Mercury and Saturn, in Scorpio, make a powerful connection.  This is not the time for casual conversation.  Topics are deep and complex.  Scorpions feel the energy most acutely while the other fixed signs, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius catch a lot of the fall out.  Especially the Aquarians, their ruler, Saturn, is heavily involved in the discussion.  Moon in Virgo lends a hand to Mercury.  Mercury rules Virgo as well as Gemini so these signs are pulled into the discussion whether they like it or not. The other mutable signs, Pisces and Sagittarius will need to roll with the punches as well.

Moon shifts into congenial Libra at 5PM EST on Wednesday. Libra Moon lightens the mood as folks want to connect in a more convivial manner.  This Moon reminds us that we are social beings and need and want the company of our fellow human beings. It’s a good time to throw a party as everyone wants to get along and have fun. Later in the evening Mercury once again makes a connection, this time with Venus in Capricorn. Once again the Mercury ruled signs are involved as well as the Venus ruled Taurus and Libra.  Libra gets an assist from the Libra Moon.   The conversation is likely to be practical as Venus in Capricorn is all business. Mercury in Scorpio wants to get to the bottom line. So things should work out well as long as everyone is dealing from the top of the deck.

Libra Moon provides some pleasant energy for the Thanksgiving Holiday festivities.  We are more tolerant of that pesky relative that creates discord at family functions. Indeed the pesky relative is not so pesky under this Moon.  Venus in Capricorn opposes Jupiter in Cancer.  Capricorn the conservative tries to put a lid on the excessive tendencies of Jupiter.  Jupiter in Cancer is right in tune with the huge Thanksgiving meal.  Overeating is the norm on this day the energy of Jupiter in Cancer says food is love and we all indulge freely.  

Moon goes Void of Course on Friday morning and remains so all day entering Scorpio at 11:03 PM.  Scorpio Moon brings intense passion and desires to the forefront.  Sensitivity increases and people feel insulted when no insult was meant.  So be careful what you say and how you say it.  Saturday, the Sun in exuberant Sagittarius makes a harmonious connection to volatile Uranus in Aries.  This is a fiery and exciting combination.  Be prepared for disruption in plans, surprising events and a bit of shock on some level.  The fire burns hot and fast with this combination.

Moon remains in Scorpio for the rest of the weekend.  Sunday Moon bounces off Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and Mars, in that order.  That’s a lot of action going on.

Remember to breathe.

A Mixed Bag as Sun Enters Sagittarius

This week the round Full Moon begins to diminish.  At the Full Moon we see the results of what was seeded at the New Moon.  The time from fullness to waning quarter is a time of sharing or “disseminating” what we have learned.  This is also a good time to evaluate, to sit quietly and listen to the inner voice. 

Try to stay grounded this week as the energy changes and various influences combine to shake things up.  Monday the work week begins beneath busy Gemini Moon.  On Tuesday morning Mars in Virgo connects with Jupiter in Cancer providing energy to complete onerous tasks.  Issues of health and well being, religion, and what we define as moral and ethical move into the public consciousness. Mars and Jupiter together bring a lot of energy.  Remember to sit down before you fall down.

Wednesday morning Moon moves into Cancer.  This home turf for the Moon and emotions are right out there for all to see.  Folks are sensitive now and need to nurture or be nurtured.  Be kind.  In the evening Mercury connects with Pluto and conversations become deep and probing.  Hurt feelings provoke sharp tongues.  Take a deep breath and continue the conversation for what is uncovered aids in personal transformation.

On Thursday evening the Sun moves out of serious Scorpio into the more free-wheeling sign of Sagittarius. Optimism is the keyword here.  All the serious probing and delving is over and the air is cleared, time to indulge in some adventure.   An outdoor hike or an indoor, inner spiritual adventure; either will fit the bill.  Sun in Sagittarius is spontaneous and enthusiastic.  You’ll feel the shift as we segue into the holiday season.

Friday evening the Moon enters Leo and folks want to feel appreciated and recognized for what they do.  Thanking someone or giving a compliment goes a long way under this moon. It pays to be generous with praise.  You’ll make a new best friend or shore up an alliance.

Saturday Venus in Capricorn hooks up with Capricorn’s ruler Saturn in Scorpio.  The conservatives have a field day. The Capricorn influence brings conservation, contraction and concentration of energy. Less is more.  Relationships begun now with Venus in Capricorn are while slow to develop usually end up with a long term commitment if other factors in the horoscope support it.

On Sunday the fog descends when Sun squares off with Neptune.  Go to church, pray and meditate.  Avoid practical decisions as judgment is apt to be off. Things are not what they seem to be.  Wait a day, sleep on it and get another opinion before taking any action.

Hooray! Mercury Direct - First Quarter to Full Moon

All those missed connections, traffic snafus, and tangled communications begin to clear up and clear out now that Mercury turns in direct motion on Sunday afternoon.  This is the First Quarter Moon day as well kicking the week off with a lot of action.

 On Monday, with Moon in Pisces, Mercury trines Neptune in Pisces and imagination runs wild; this combination is good for writers, musicians and healers. There’s otherworldliness about it all. We reach into the mystical with ease under this aspect. Just remember to pay attention while driving.  Meditation behind the wheel is not a good idea. 

Tuesday Moon goes void at 9:34 AM and Sun trines Jupiter.  Trines, a 120 degree aspect, are an aspect where the two energies blend with ease.  Sun and Jupiter together are a happy pair.  There is danger though of overconfidence here.  You may have to take your enthusiasm down a notch in order not to overwhelm. 

Moon enters Aries in the wee hours of Wednesday.  Neptune goes direct on Wednesday afternoon and with that earlier assist from Mercury some issues become clearer.  There’s a suggestion of movement although it may be very subtle. This is a good time to listen to that inner voice.

Thursday Moon goes void at 3:57PM and does not enter Taurus until Friday morning at 9:49 AM.  Over the course of these two days, Venus squares Uranus and conjuncts Pluto.  The square to Uranus on Thursday night brings excitement, the unusual and the unconventional.  The Friday afternoon conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn promises intensity.  Capricorn is about business and societal structures. Venus is the diplomat. Discussions are passionate and topics are deep.  No idle hour chit chat for these two.

The Full Moon on Sunday morning falls along the Scorpio/Taurus axis.  These are fixed signs and folks may not want to budge from their positions. At this time you get a hint of what the New Moon Solar Eclipse is all about for you as the Full Moon energy is a culminating energy, bringing things to a head, as it were.

A little note about Moon Void of Course:  The Moon is a fast mover traveling through all twelve signs in a lunar month.  When the Moon gets near the end of a sign it makes its last aspect before entering a new sign.  This is called the Moon Void of Course period.  This can last for a few minutes, hours or even days depending on where the other planets are transiting.  Actions taken during Void of Course periods have a tendency to turn out in ways that were completely unexpected.  Decisions made now often have difficulties or run into delays. Void of Course is a good time to go with the flow.  Focus on the spiritual, do a little meditation, and spend some time reflecting.  In the real world this is not always possible as life goes regardless of the Moon’s position. So just keep moving and do what needs to be done.  If possible postpone decisions until the void period ends.  But don’t get your knickers in a twist if you can’t. Life is full of adjustments and readjustments.  We truck on.

A Week of Shifting and Change

If the Solar Eclipse on Sunday wasn’t enough to rattle your cage a few planetary shifts in the upcoming week may accomplish what the eclipse did not.  Although an eclipse is quite a vehicle for change any New Moon period is the time of planting the seeds of change.  We don’t often see results or action right away but must wait until the seeds begin to sprout.

This week; helping to move that process along are a couple of planetary changes that will change the flow of energy.  Early Tuesday morning Venus kisses the fiery freewheeling sign of Sagittarius behind and dons her business suit as she enters the earth sign of Capricorn.  Capricorn is all about business, structure and form.  Venus here wants a solid relationship and does not encourage frittering money away on trivial things.  You can put a new roof on or buy a new furnace but forget the mink coat and diamond earrings.  In relationships, while Venus always loves the fun and games, in Capricorn she is looking for stability.  Capricorn is an earth sign and folks tend to forget that earth signs are not without passion, although Capricorn usually gives more while expending less energy.  Relationships begun now are usually slow to start but tend to last awhile.

As Wednesday rolls into Thursday, Jupiter, Thursday’s ruler, changes direction, turning retrograde.  Retrograde periods are times to revise and review.  Jupiter in Cancer has a lot to do with the home front, nurturing, and things of an emotional nature.  Jupiter in Cancer turns on the water works with emotions overflowing and at times exaggerated. Where Jupiter is transiting in the natal chart will tell the tale.  This is the area where the brakes are applied and a little evaluation and reevaluation will be going on until Jupiter goes direct again on March 6, 2014.

The First Quarter Moon, just after midnight on Sunday pits the Scorpio Sun against Aquarius Moon, two fixed signs that help you to dig your heels in and persevere.  This great but sometimes change is necessary.  Don’t cling to the old and useless, try to embrace the new.  At 4:12 PM EST on Sunday Mercury, at last, goes direct.  Decision making should be put off until after this change in motion.  Over the following few days, new information surfaces, new ideas form and channels of communication open up.  We tend to see things a bit differently after Mercury goes direct. So hold off decision making or signing important papers until next week.

Some may get a glimpse of what the Solar Eclipse of the 3^rd holds for them.  Eclipses are about change, news and new directions.  Although this is a tough eclipse period with a lot of discordant energy there is always a silver lining, a gold nugget or a precious gem lying beneath the surface.  A little meditation goes a long way during this period.

Solar Eclipse in Scorpio

This Sunday morning the day dawns with a Solar Eclipse in Scorpio.  This is a rare hybrid eclipse in that it starts out as a partial eclipse and segues into a total eclipse.  The eclipse is visible along the eastern seaboard of the United States in its early stages.  Solar Eclipse brings events that are outside oneself, events in the outside world that somehow impacts the individual.  The closer the eclipse degree falls to a planet or point in the horoscope the greater the impact.  The conjunction, when to planets are together in the sky, and the opposition are the aspects that carry weight.

The Solar Eclipse chart set for Washington, DC finds the eclipse falling in the 12^th house of secrets and hidden things.  In addition to the Sun and Moon the planets Saturn and Mercury figure prominently in this event, while Mars plays a secondary role.

A Scorpio eclipse in the 12^th house churns up a lot of deep rooted phobias, fears and emotions that some folks may not be ready to deal with.  The issues that float to the surface during this time can trigger some deep transformation which often leads to new beginnings.  The task is to overcome one’s fear of looking within and bravely facing one’s shadow. 

Emotions run deep and the issues are complex under Scorpio’s influence.  Often there is no easy solution but careful probing and deep meditation open doors to new avenues of pursuit.  Fear not!  Eclipses bring life changing events and news.  Folks get married, divorced, move or change jobs.  Youngsters decide on which college to attend or graduate and move into the adult world. 

The house where Scorpio falls reveals the area of life that will be impacted.

 First house brings changes in appearance or activities.  A new exercise program or wardrobe, something that changes how one looks, like a haircut.

Second house alters the financial situation as well as what you consider important, while finances fluctuate the value system changes.  Issues of self worth surface demanding attention.

An eclipse in the third house can bring changes in the daily commute, the neighborhood and relationships with siblings.  Issues arise around those we encounter in our daily life.

A fourth house impacted by an Eclipse brings changes to the domestic sphere.  A move or major redecorating project alters one’s personal space.  This is the house of parents and of one’s foundations.  Thing we consider rock solid in our life undergo change.

The fifth house affects our creative expression, our inner child as well as our children.  Children leave home or return home.  Love affairs begin and end when an eclipse falls here.

The sixth house is the house of work, health and service.  An eclipse here can alter one’s daily routine and working space.  Often folks become concerned with health and diet issues.

The seventh house impacted by a solar eclipse brings about changes in relationships. These are the personal one on one relationships, some folks commit to a more serious relationship while others question the relationship they are in.

The eighth house, another house of deep rooted issues brings some latent energies to the surface.  Often things end in order for something new to begin. Shared resources and the issue of money held and spent in common becomes the topic of discussion. Getting into or out of debt is an eighth house issue.

A ninth house eclipse opens one up to the wider world and sends the person searching for hidden truths.  An eclipse here brings news from afar.  Often the lure of faraway places gives one the travel bug.  Higher education and improving the mind ride along with this house placement.

An eclipse falling in the tenth house brings change in career and life’s direction. Often relationships with authority figures change. Career success arrives but may not be what the individual really wants.

An eleventh house eclipse emphasizes plans for the future, money from job, friends and associate.  The hopes and dreams held for a long time shift and change.   New friends arrive while old friends drift away.

The twelfth house brings hidden talents and hidden flaws to the surface.  The native becomes aware of how their behavior really affects others.  An eclipse here brings to the surface the hidden ways we screw ourselves up.

This is simply a thumbnail sketch of how an eclipse impacts the various houses.  A deeper understanding can be derives from an in depth analysis of one’s natal horoscope and the horoscope of the eclipse.

On a mundane level, the area of world events, hidden deals and secrets dominate.  The health care issue and NSA probing will continue to dominate the news.  Public demonstrations and disorder may be suppressed by violent means or may never make the main stream media as authorities try to keep things hush-hush.  Rest assured though, secrets will be revealed.