Quarter Moon – Where the Action Is

The First Quarter Moon arrives on Friday, October 27, 2017 at 6:22 PM EDT.  Quarter Moons call for action.  The energy has been shifting all week with Mars’ entry into Libra on Sunday the 22^nd and the Sun entering Scorpio on Monday the 23^rd.  Change is in the air.  Thursday the Sun joins Jupiter in Scorpio and Friday evening Pluto gets into the act when Venus and Mercury connect with the Lord of the Underworld.

So what does it all mean for us simple folk going about our daily business?

Relationships are the focus during this Lunation period which was kicked off by the New Moon in Libra last week.  Mars moving into Libra is chasing Venus who is scampering ahead.  Libra is Venus’ home turf and all those Venusian attributes, love, beauty, harmony are enhanced when Venus is in the house.  Mars on the other hand rules the opposite sign Aries and is in detriment when in Libra.  Mars is the warrior, athlete and explorer and those energies are difficult to express while in the sign of Libra.  So aggressiveness, assertiveness and taking action are not as easy for Mars while traveling through Libra.  Libra is the relationship sign, while Mars, a planet of passion, can just as easily go it alone.  Venus here wants everyone to get along, wants to socialize and be in relationship or relate to others in a congenial manner.

Thursday afternoon the Sun conjuncts Jupiter.  Be on the lookout for those who promise more than can be delivered.  Bragging, boasting and over confidence are common manifestations of this aspect. Judicial matters or thoughts of travel to faraway places emerge.

On Friday, when Venus squares off with Pluto congeniality goes out the window as passions are aroused.  This aspect can bring obsession, tension and jealousy.  It is not about love, it is about power and control.   When Mercury comes along and connects to Pluto we’re reminded that words have power.  They can hurt, heal or set the stage for a new beginning.  At any rate, deep and penetrating conversations are on board.

The Quarter Moon in Aquarius kicks off the weekend and this logical air sign Moon goes a long way in diffusing emotional situations.  Aquarius Moon likes a good argument, is not overly emotional and can detach, take a step back and take a cool look at the situation.  Aquarius Moon is open, but fixed.  It is not easy to get someone to change their mind under this Moon.  It can be done but you better have a good, logical, reasonable argument on hand.

This is the week to shift gears and move ahead, along or take some action of some kind.  The Taurus Full Moon coming up next week will tell another tale.  Stay tuned. 

An Eclipse Recap and Quick Look Ahead

While there are different opinions as to how long the effects of an eclipse will be felt it has been noted that events occurring around an eclipse are significant. This past eclipse promised some explosive action.  A couple of fiery plane crashes on both coasts started the week with a bang.  The stock market made record highs mid-week and Attorney General Sessions is recused himself from the investigation about Russia. Let’s not forget that North Korea is firing missiles and President Trump accused Obama of wiretapping. 

The upcoming week holds some surprises as well. As the Moon moves into Cancer on Monday morning it will aspect the volatile planetary combination in the eclipse chart with Tuesday and Wednesday highlighted for some unusual and unexpected events. I expect “something” to hit the fan Wednesday morning when Cancer Moon makes a nice aspect to the Warrior Mars in Aries.

Thursday the warrior Mars moves from his home sign Aries into Venus’ domain, Taurus. When planets change signs the energy shifts.  Mars in Taurus is not necessarily looking for a fight but there is the danger of digging one’s heels in and sticking to one’s guns even when all evidence and events indicate a change in position.  Taurus is stubborn for sure. Venus, Taurus’ ruler has turned retrograde in Aries.  This is Mars sign and this is a condition called mutual reception with two planets in each other’s sign.  It is said that when this occurs they help each other out.  I don’t know if Mars will be able to assist Venus during this retrograde period.  Venus rules love, money and the things you value.  Venus is about your wants and desires.  A retrograde period often calls these issues into review. Past loves may resurface and current loves get a second look.

This eclipse in Pisces corresponds to the eclipse of September 26, 2016 which was at 9 degrees of Virgo.  For the past few years the eclipses have been falling across the Pisces/Virgo axis.  Eclipses move backward through the Zodiac and this year there is a shift to the Aquarius/Leo axis.  Where these signs fall in your horoscope points to where the action is in your life.  While eclipses bring change, significant change usually occurs when the eclipse is smack-dab on one of the planets in your horoscope with the conjunction being the strongest.  Late May, when the Sun is in Gemini it will make a square, a 90 degree angle, to the eclipse degree activating issues that are current now.

The Full Moon reaches exactness on Sunday morning, March 12^th at 10:54 AM.  In the sky at that time Mercury in Pisces at right angles to Saturn in Sagittarius.  News and the media have been under scrutiny for quite some time now with the term fake news, dishonest news being bandied about.  With this aspect we will hear more of this.  But Saturn in the picture the demand is for the truth.  Pisces Mercury needs to take the high road here and whip off them rose colored glasses.  To add to the mix there is a Grand Cardinal Square, an aspect that involves four bodies in angles and oppositions that look like a square.  This one includes the asteroid Vesta, she who guards the hearth and home, opposing Pluto and at right angle to Jupiter on one side and Uranus on the other.  This is another hit the fan moment. We may not figure it all out until Mercury moves into Aries on Monday afternoon.  While Mercury in Pisces may be a bit confused, Mercury in Aries is going to speak, may not think it through, but the words, news will come out.  This is a Mercury that “shoots from the hip” as the saying goes.  As the Moon winds down it is time to assimilate and digest all that has gone on. The Sun/Moon dance is entering the final phase before the next New Moon.  We can hope things will calm down but we are in a volatile time period with anything goes Uranus in the picture.  Remember to fasten your seat belt.  Try to remain grounded and centered. Knowing that you are on a firm foundation brings a feeling of security no matter what the outside world may bring.

The Solar Eclipse, Donald Trump and the Rest of Us.

Tomorrow’s Solar Eclipse at 8 degrees, 12 minutes of Pisces is a real humdinger. This Eclipse has the warrior Mars conjunct the rebel Uranus with both opposing Jupiter; usually considered benevolent but often bringing too much of a good thing.  This combination squares off with Pluto the destroyer and transformer.  Pluto is the “don’t fuck with me” planet.  You can’t win, he’s inexorable, hangs around for a long time, goes back and forth over the same degrees seemingly forever, he’s there until you get it right or discard it and start anew.

Expect wild swings in the stock market and other financial markets.  Also a surprise, covert military operation.  This has an international flavor with treaties, debt owed the nation and immigration boiling up and overflowing. Strong reactions on all sides confuse the issues.  Monday will start off with a bang. The shock waves will continue throughout the week with Thursday being an especially volatile day.  Saturday Venus begins her retrograde period another factor that will have an impact on the markets. The aspects in the chart of the Eclipse create an anything goes atmosphere.  In addition to the unexpected in the financial and political world the natural world also holds a few surprises.  Uranus in this chart, in combination with Mars, Jupiter and Pluto speaks to explosive events, whether it’s an earthquake, volcano or a shocking headline.

The Putin/Trump/election business will continue to unfold.  And with Jupiter retrograding back to his natal Jupiter he will continue to blow it off as disgruntled Democrats. But Saturn is waiting in the wings.  At present President Trump’s supporters continue to believe and support him despite the obvious and repeated falsehoods.  This summer will be a hot one for him. Some of the allure he holds over folks will begin to unravel.  Cracks will begin to appear in July and August as Saturn hits his Sun and Moon.  By this time next year when Saturn opposes his talker, Mercury, President Trump will be facing some hard truths.

 In the meantime, President Trump will continue to try and control the media. Unlike Russia, where Vladimir Putin has the media in his pocket, here in the United States our Constitution guarantees freedom of the press.  President Trump and his advisors are acutely aware of the power of the media and the importance of controlling the flow of information.  President Trump’s continued battle with the media is an attempt at control.  His speeches and tweets about fake news, dishonest news, failing news are part of his efforts to undermine confidence in the media.  Which isn’t hard to do given that it is corporate media and honest news without a particular slant is hard to find.  But there are some good, honest, hardworking investigative journalists out there and they will continue digging and reporting. 

For the rest of us: Don’t try to rush into things without thinking them through.  Romance may hold disappointments if we are not seeing the other as they really are.  Take off the rose colored glasses and face the reality of the situation.  With Venus retrograding in Aries, love and money can be misplaced.  Mars in Aries wants to rush headlong into whatever strikes the eye, whether it is a love relationship, a money deal or a safari through the Amazon, with no thought to the consequences.  This Eclipse in Pisces nudges us toward the spiritual.  Drop the ego, get beyond the self and get into universal love, caring and giving.  Take the high road.