The New Moon is exact at 19 degrees 32 minutes of Taurus on May 9 in the US (5:30 pm West Coast, 8:30 pm East Coast) and on May 10 at 1:30 am in the UK, 10:30 am East Coast Australia. It occurs with a Solar Eclipse that begins two hours before the exactitude of the New Moon and ends 50 minutes later. The strongest moment of the eclipse occurs just four minutes before the New Moon (when the Moon... Read more
As eclipses go, in astronomical terms this is a short (27 minutes) and minor (covering only a sliver of the Moon) version. But still, to astrologers, eclipses rank highly as indicators of disturbance and change, so we pay it due attention. Especially when the chart is strong, as it is this time, with either end of the eclipse conjuncting Mars and Saturn who are coming into opposition, and we have just had a major disturbance and mass trauma from the... Read more
So, things are a tad crazy in this dear old world of ours, especially for people who live on the Eastern seaboard of the US and the Boston region in particular. It’s not only the violence and the insecurity that brings, but then the What! Chechnya? element of apparent randomness and the unknown. Not what was expected. Or even dreamt of by many. So why this horror at all, and why now? Can astrology shed light? Here is the chart... Read more
The Equinox is exact March 20 at 4:02 am L.A., 7:02 am New York, 11:02 am London, 12:02 pm Paris, 10:02 pm Sydney. It is the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Autumn Equinox in the Southern. Here’s a link to my essay on the traditions and meaning of the Spring Equinox. When we cast the astrological chart for the moment of the Equinox it gives us a flavour of the coming quarter of the year. It’s the birth chart of... Read more
Here is the chart for tomorrow’s amazingly watery New Moon. An astonishing line-up of planets in Pisces. From left to right at the top of the chart below it goes Mars, Sun, Moon, Venus, Chiron, Mercury and Neptune, all in Pisces. With Mars about to leave and heading for the conjunction with Uranus (but that’s the developing Aries story, more on that next week!). If you know which house Pisces occupies in your chart then this is the area of... Read more
Mercury is retrograde right now (Feb 23 to March 17). What this means is that when viewed from the Earth, Mercury appears to be traveling backwards in the sky. The traditional view is that this prevents the smooth running of Mercury type activities such as paperwork, writing, teaching and travel. Clear thinking is also an attribute of a strong Mercury, so making good decisions can feel harder under Mercury retrograde. Mercury goes retrograde three times a year and as if... Read more
Understanding the ancient European festivals of the Solar Calendar helps to ground us within the wheel of the year. These festivals were all based on the changing relationship between the Earth and the Sun throughout the year. It is psychologically anchoring and steadying to observe the changes in the seasons and understand how the traditions of these festivals were honoured, and how that related to everyday life. It helps us move forward mindfully into the next season. Now is the time... Read more
The Sun Signs in 2013 In general the Water signs look set to do best in 2013, feeling at home with the dominant energies and from, late June, blessed by Jupiter in Cancer. Emotions flow, spirituality and healing become more mainstream, and poetic, musical, imagination-oriented types of creativity get a boost. Luck and synchronicities abound. The three Mercury retrogrades in water signs are very good periods for meditation, contemplation and for revisiting old creative projects. Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)... Read more
Working with Water 2013 is a great time to get to know your emotional nature and develop a deeper understanding of how to extrapolate the truth and wisdom from your emotions without clinging to them or over-identifying with them. We also need to seek healthy expression for our emotions. Just as the land can be flooded and crops and homes destroyed or damaged by too much rain, so can our hearts and minds be overwhelmed by too much undirected emotion... Read more
The Deluge and/or the Opportunity for Emotional Healing At several times during 2013 the element of water is emphasized, and overall dominates the whole year. The water signs are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, and the ancients noted that when a preponderance of planets were in these parts of the sky there was a tendency both for heavy rainfall and flooding and also for extremes of emotion, emotional release and emotional healing. The element of water is also associated with the... Read more
Planetary Energies
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