Quarter Moon - Where the Action Is

We hear lots about the New Moon and the Full Moon but very often events occur around the Quarter Moons.  The First Quarter Moon occurs halfway between the New Moon and Full Moon.  This is the waxing Moon, the Moon gets bigger every night until it reaches fullness.  Then each night it begins to diminish.   When it is halfway between the Full Moon and the next New Moon it reaches the Third Quarter stage.  This is the waning Moon.

The current First Quarter Moon occurs February 25^th with the Sun in Pisces and the Moon in Gemini.  Gemini Moon is a busy Moon, folks are more adaptable under this Moon and tend to be more talkative. Gemini Moon enhances our ability to see both sides of the picture which can be a good thing but it inhibits the decision making process.  This will be a very busy day.  Short trips, conversations, and overloaded in boxes are just a few threads that will have to be pulled together.

While the Moon is in the waxing phase it is a good time to start something that you wish to see grow.  A waxing Moon in Cancer is the optimal time as Cancer is a very fertile sign.  This week the Moon enters Cancer at 7:50 AM on Friday morning, the 27th and remains there until Sunday evening at 6:43 PM when Moon enters fiery Leo.

But before the Moon enters Leo on Sunday it becomes “void of course”.   When the Moon makes its last major connection to another planet and will make no other connections until it moves into the next sign, it is said to be void of course.   Voids can last for seconds, minutes or days.  With the current planetary lineup there are long periods of void of course.

Things begun under a void of course Moon have unexpected results.  One’s judgment can be faulty and facts are not readily at hand.   This period is best for routine work.  Meditation and spiritual matters work well during this period.  It’s a great time to simply kick back. 

Despite all this Sunday will be a busy day with some unusual activity going on.  Mercury in Aquarius connects with Uranus and Jupiter during the daylight hours.  Mercury rules all kinds of communication, transportation, the wind, the mind and how we process information.  Uranus nudges our urge to freedom bringing change that often occurs suddenly.  Mercury and Uranus together can signal aviation disasters, sudden destructive winds, communication and transportation snafus.  Jupiter symbolizes optimism, enthusiasm, and justice.  The planet of expansion, Jupiter brings abundance. A Mercury / Jupiter connection can bring a lot of hot air.  Expect a lot of political pontificating coming from the Sunday morning talk shows.

When Jupiter catches up to Uranus early Tuesday morning sparks will fly.  Justice, liberty and freedom are themes splashed across the headlines.  Jupiter always brings something big while Uranus is a true wild card bringing something totally unexpected.

On Wednesday, March 4^th Moon enters practical Virgo.  Moon in Virgo is a great time to organize messy kitchen drawers, sort through papers and any tasks that require attention to detail.  We get concerned about our diet and health issues while Moon travels through Virgo.  Venus has a busy day on Wednesday touching base with Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto.  Venus rules love and money, she is a yin planet so has the ability to attract.   We don’t feel much like working when Venus is around, we just want to have fun.  Venus and Uranus together in the sky signals some unusual and very different types of relationships.  This can be an exciting combo but love affairs begun under this influence while they have a lot of sizzle and pop they can fizzle and plop just as quickly.  Venus with Pluto can bring love affairs that have a fated feel to them, almost an obsession.  Often issues of power and control come to the surface in existing relationships.  Venus’ active presence in the lead up to the Full Moon brings some sweetness and light to all situations.   Collaboration is a key word for Venus’ involvement.

The Full Moon in Virgo on Thursday, March 5^th triggers a lot of communication, news reports and a search for truths that are not readily apparent.  Virgo Moon forces attention to detail and there is danger of not seeing the forest for the trees.  Step back and take a look at your own situation and try to gain some objectivity. 

After the Full Moon it is Mars’ turn to take the wheel.  Unlike Venus, Mars is set to light the fuse, the more chaos the merrier. 

Stay tuned for the next Quarter Moon installment.

Moon Musings - First Quarter - Full Moon

Moon entered Taurus on Friday, February 15^th.  For the Taurus folks among us this is like a personal New Moon for when the Moon moves into the sign your Sun is in it will revive you and pump you up.  It is not so with the other Fixed signs, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Moon opposes Scorpio and forms a 90 degree square aspect to Leo and Aquarius. Taurus Moon makes things tough for the other Fixed signs.  While making it tough for the Fixed crowd, Taurus Moon smoothes the way for the Earth signs of Virgo and Capricorn. In the Zodiac, Earth to Earth is an aspect of 120 degrees called a trine. This is an aspect of ease where the energy flows.

In the sky now the Sun is moving through the later degrees of Aquarius. On Sunday, February 17^th the Moon will move into a 90 degree square aspect with the Sun. This is the First Quarter Moon phase of the monthly dance between the Sun and Moon. Squares activate and agitate. The First Quarter Moon phase awakens the promise seeded in the New Moon phase. Action is required, go somewhere, do something, have that conversation.  Moon in Taurus brings out the stubborn and the cautious within us. This Moon is grounded and deeply invested in the status quo. Sun in Aquarius looks to the future and loves the novel and new. Despite this future oriented view, Aquarius is a fixed, air sign which equates to fixed ideas, ideas that are entrenched. It takes a great deal of reason, logic and argument to get an Aquarian to change that fixed, air mind. We may find ourselves between a rock and a hard place at this First Quarter phase forcing us to act.

As we shift from the Fixed signs of Taurus/Aquarius to the Mutable signs of Moon in Gemini and Sun in Pisces movement, change and adaptability loom on the horizon Gemini Moon encourages communication and curiosity. On Wednesday, February 20^th, Moon enters Cancer, at home here and forming an aspect of ease to Pisces Sun; heretofore barriers and obstacles to progress melt away. The Full Moon of February 25^th reflects this shift with Moon in Earthy Virgo opposing Pisces Sun.  Change is possible but for some difficulties remain, in particular Sagittarius and Gemini receive troublesome vibes from this Full Moon.  Capricorn, Taurus, Cancer and Scorpio receive some helpful energy.

In the lead up to the Full Moon, on Monday, February 18^th as the Sun moves into Pisces, Saturn in Scorpio stations, turning retrograde. Retrograde motion is the appearance of the planet moving backwards. When a planet stations and changes direction the energies of that planet are strong.  Saturn is about restriction, contraction and keeping your nose to the grind stone.  Scorpio speaks to sex, death, and transformation.  The more practical application of this sign encompasses debt and taxes.  While some may have a hot little love affair that transforms most will be dealing with the IRS and the credit card companies.

As we move into the Full Moon phase and wind down to the Last Quarter of this cycle that which was hidden shall be revealed. With Mercury going retrograde on February 23^rd we may have to wait until the next First Quarter phase in March when Mercury moves again in direct motion after the 17^th of March.

With the Sun traveling through Pisces the energies encourage quiet reflection and spiritual endeavors.  The down side of Pisces is escape from reality. Don’t hit the bottle or ignore the practical things that need to be dealt with.  Do get in touch with your core self, find your center and move from there.