New Moon Eclipse musings

Happy new moon solar eclipse!

I have wanted to come here and write a blog post for a while now, but have been so busy that it was almost impossible.

I’m all packed and ready to go again. London still feels like home, but the world is calling me. Next destination: Athens.

Let the digital nomadic life begin!

I heard that some astrologers talk about eclipses not being a good time to begin anything, but I am a strong believer of connecting with your instincts and feelings as a way of knowing better. A way of knowing what is better for YOU.

When it comes to natal charts, no astrological rule can be absolute.

Eclipses are not always traumatic, as observed by Bernadette Brady, sometimes eclipses can reflect very happy changes. This is how I personally feel now. This is a very happy change for me and my partner, who btw has the new moon eclipse right on his Venus and DSC, talk about timings!

No, I didn’t plan or calculated to move countries on a new moon eclipse. Although a professional astrologer, I don’t always keep an eye on the ephemeris when it comes to making decisions. Maybe I should, but oftentimes I see beautiful synchronicities in life events happen naturally.

Like this one now, for example.

Anyhow, this new moon eclipse has a very beautiful energy with Venus and Jupiter conjoined in Pisces (at the very degree of Venus’ exaltation!). Abundance, forgiveness, healing, moving on to the next stage of our lives, cleaner from emotional debris. Inspiration, artistic and spiritual as well, are also potentially a great part of this configuration.

What would an inspiring life look like to YOU? How could you bring that to fruition?

Today is the day to ponder on that. To love yourself and to hold your deepest values close to your heart. To think of ways where you can align all different dimension of your life (your job, your relationships, your daily routines, etc) with those values. A perfect time also to inhabit you body – to nourish, look after and enjoy the pleasures of having one.

Give yourself a massive hug and whisper to yourself how much you appreciate all the effort.

The sabian symbols for this new moon configuration is also massively inspiring. For 10 degrees Taurus is ‘A woman sprinkling flowers’ and 27 degrees Pisces ‘A fertile garden under the full moon’.

What flowers would you like to see growing in the garden of your life? The ground is fertile now, be wise and present with the seeds you will be sprinkling.

Happy gardening everyone.

Transiting Nodes part 2

And here comes the lunar nodes again!

Over the years I have noticed a great interest in one of my blog posts called ‘Transiting Nodes’ , I just recently re-read and (apart from some typos :/ which my Virgo planets couldn’t help but notice) it dawned on me that here I am going through another interesting transit from the Nodes that I could share.

At the risk of sounding a bit ageist, (I am not!), I have to say that there is something quite interesting that happens when you’re interested in astrology for long enough as an adult.

(no, doing astrology when you’re 10 years old does not count here, sorry)

You get to see, little by little, all sorts of transits happening and being reflected by circumstances in your life. You learn astrology from another, more experiential, angle.

For example, in the article mentioned above, I was writing my observations when transiting North Node of the Moon made a conjunction to my ASC back in early 2013. That happened simultaneously with my Saturn return and a lot of lessons surrounding the Scorpio archetype and my personal experience of those symbols in my chart.

Now, transiting North Node in Taurus is making an exact conjunction to my DSC, the opposite transit to the one I had back in 2013.

What do I observe here? How is this playing out now?

A lot of it seems to be about relationships, at least in my life because my natal lunar North Node is in the 7th house anyway. So as much as I believe in the connection between the nodes and karmic relationships in general, I’m still not a hundred percent sure if this is because of my natal signature or not. And also, obviously, these transits were activating the ASC-DSC axis, the relationship axis.

But here are my insights nevertheless:

When I had my lunar node return, just a few months before the transit I’m having now, I was getting involved with a person that I’m still currently in a relationship with. Mind you, isolating transits is never a great policy, if there is something big happening to you, it might be worth checking everything that’s going on in the sky.

(In many occasions I see people commenting on an intense full Moon and how emotionally difficult it feels but they are also having a challenging transit from Pluto to their natal Moon. Yes, the full Moon might reflect an enhanced emotional atmosphere, but the Pluto transit is reflecting a challenge and change that is a lot deeper and more endurable.)

So I would say always keep an eye in every transit to your natal chart, know your planet’s degrees by heart, etc.

My other transits are also pointing out to changes in relationships, Pluto is trine my natal Venus, progressed Venus was conjoined Saturn, etc. But also the lunar node is conjoined my DSC – the way that this seems to be playing out for me is very much connected with changing the type of people that I get involved with.

Yes, the relationship seems to have a more karmic feeling as well, the amount of compatibility I have with this person is very different from what I felt before. There is no glamour or an overly romantic aura this time. Instead, there seems to be something very fundamentally human and ‘easy’.

I don’t mean easy as not having difficult feelings being triggered, I mean easy as to how we deal with those feelings together, how we can easily communicate with each other, etc.

So from 2013 when I was learning how to refine my attitudes and choices regarding relationships, for example how my own behaviour had an impact on my happiness or how to take more responsibility for the choices I made, I now came to the other side. How much can we grow when we make these choices based on actual compatibility, the lesson isn’t so focused on dealing with the consequences of my actions in relationships, but simply to relate.

When you are finally with the ‘right person’ the lessons and growth won’t stop there. What happens is that another kind of growth begins, a growth in togetherness. The old scripts are uncomfortably challenged again and again, old traumas are triggered, but there is someone else there with you. The dynamic is different.

So I still believe that transits from the lunar nodes point out to important developments and some kind of karmic growth. Relevant people seems to show up. (nodes in synastry seems to have the same effect)

Have you noticed the nodes transiting something in your chart? How did that play out for you?

Uranian new moon in Leo today

As Saturn made its way back into my 3rd house again recently, I have been feeling this strong urge to express myself through writing. I also realised, once more, how much I actually love words and playing around with them.

Today is the new moon in Leo, with a waning square to Uranus in Taurus. I don’t know about you people, but I have been struggling a bit with the disruptive energies reflected by that particular configuration. Interestingly, I do have a Sun-Uranus square in my natal chart, shouldn’t I be more familiar with that type of cosmic weather?

I guess this logic makes sense, but it is always important to see the natal chart as a whole, and the Sun-Uranus square in my chart is actually part of a t square which involves Chiron in Gemini in the 7th house and Mars in the first.

Ouch!

Yes, charged disruption, restless feelings, behaviours that although outdated have proven to still be extremely compelling. All of that fuelled (perhaps fuelling at the same time) by miscommunication with others.

But that have also thrown me back to writing. I find tremendous solace in the written word. I have the time and space to express myself more accurately, more eloquently, sometimes even poetically… a real achievement to my analytical mind.

Transiting Saturn isn’t only back in my third house, but it is also applying to trine my Chiron in Gemini (with north node conjoined it right now!). Yes, maybe this is a time where I can work with communication blocks differently.

Obviously, with the nodes activating my natal super charged Uranian configuration, I also sense this to be a big time, a great opportunity for me to rethink/reset some of my patterns. Why do I have this extreme urge to do what I want, when I want, and I don’t take a no as an answer? Or the voice in the back of my mind that wants to sabotage intimate relationships by being uncompromising in a disguised manner? It is daunting to see this side of myself in comparison to my moon in Libra and Venus square Neptune, all those two want to do is compromise all the time.

A tug of war within.

But now, with this new moon square Uranus, I believe this is an interesting time for setting intentions regarding expression of the Uranian dimension of our charts. I somehow really think about the Sun-Uranus people out there as the new moon takes place in Leo.

Everything in the chart seems to be charged with tremendous power (some configurations more than others, of course) and it is our job to fine tune it. It is our job to use awareness to direct that power.

Surely it is challenging to do that constantly, but I believe that consciousness it’s like a muscle. The more we train it, the stronger and more present it becomes.

So I will be using this new moon to envision how I could express that strong urge to be my own man in a more creative and conscious manner, somehow, and hopefully, less taxing on my connections. Perhaps more active on my astrology work and less urgently and compulsively expressed in my private life. I feel this is what the alchemists have talked about, about how nature isn’t finalised but requires our conscious dedication to transform the lead into gold.

The archetype of the magician…also the trickster, hence the difficulty…but I believe it is possible… Happy new moon everyone.

Astrological Debates and the coming Full Moon

Catching a bit of a ride with the current energies building up to the full moon happening this coming Friday. It will be forming a t square between the Moon in Sagittarius, the Sun in Gemini and Mars in Pisces (close to Neptune), all at 15 degrees (so watch out all of you with personal planets in the mid degrees of the mutable signs).

As the lunar nodes have also shifted recently to the Gemini-Sagittarius axis, I expect a lot of intense discussions to be taking place, and considering the apex of a t square as a potential clue to a way out from the dichotomy symbolised by the opposition (between the Sun and Moon in this case), I feel that there is something of the energy of Pisces and Neptune that can help us get out of the impasse. Perhaps transcending truths that are plainly egocentric and not really constructive for others as well as ourselves is one way of interpreting this.

Both Pisces and Neptune at best talks about compassion and the capacity for dissolving boundaries which are necessary for us to understand that ultimately we are all connected. So perhaps something connected with that could help us resolve some of the difficult debates that we are bound to be witnessing, as well as taking part in, this week.

Another thing that comes to mind is any form of artwork could also be of great help now to contain the splits of opinion within and without!  Paint, drawing, dancing, writing…

This whole thing reminds me of a small discussion I got myself involved in these days, and made me think as well (again) about the spread of misinformation that we currently can have access to using social media. Freedom of expression can be great and very empowering, but at the same time, there seems to be a lot of people claiming to hold the truth about something which isn’t quite correct.

To be precise, there was an individual claiming to be a professional astrologer who said that: ‘If you have Saturn in a hard aspect in your chart it can and it will definitely make you poor’. I mean, what the fuck? After this post there were lots of comments from scared people, trying to find out if they had that or not in their natal charts.

I usually don’t get myself involved in these online debates, but I couldn’t help and just searched for examples of people with hard aspects from Saturn who happened to be quite rich actually, to respond to that person.

Anyway, my message here is to say that astrology can be a wonderful tool for empowerment and insight but it has to be used wisely. And, at the same time, I strongly feel that it cannot be used divorced from serious commitment to personal work and growth. It’s just too easy to project our life’s traumas and shortcomings into an astrological aspect, star sign or whatever, and then spread misinformation to people around us perpetrating fear and disempowerment.

So remember, if it sounds like fear mongering and simply negative, go and try to find another source or another astrologer to have a consultation from. I am pro different views and techniques and approaches to astrology, but definitely not supportive of astrology done badly and without personal responsibility.

Next week’s astrology

Next week there will be some interesting stuff going on astrologically. The lunar nodes will be shifting from the Cancer-Capricorn to the Gemini-Sagittarius axis on the 5 of May (ten days before Venus goes retrograde), and two days later there will be a full moon at 17 degrees Scorpio.

If you have been following my work you have noticed that I don’t really write consistently about the lunations; but I am specially fond of the full moon in Scorpio though and I tend to write about it every time. I think that these full moons are so emotionally powerful that is worth to have a look at the astrological chart of it to gather insight into its general themes.

First with the lunar nodes changing, it seems like there could be a great shift into prioritising the exchange of information rather than the shadowy side of Sag’s dogmatism. Communication, teaching and learning, seems to be already in the collective awareness as we go through the current crisis and are forced to stay home as much as possible. (I think this big boom of online courses and information exchange could also be linked to Jupiter and Saturn’s meeting in December)

Regarding the full moon, both Venus and Mercury are in mutual reception, with Venus in Gemini and Mercury in Taurus, and it seems that this could be an opportunity to shine the light into what isn’t aligned with our values so we can let go of it and move on.

The Sun and Moon are both forming supportive aspects to Neptune in Pisces as well as Pluto and Jupiter in Capricorn, giving me the feeling that this could be insightful and help further the collective changes that we are going through now.

This quarantine is forcing us to look within, it is giving us the chance to do personal work which includes, hopefully, integrating the shadow. Under next week’s full moon we can become very much aware of this process and perhaps choose to make the most of it instead of resenting it….

Wishing you all a happy full Moon!

Libra New Moon intentions soon

This is my last day in Rio de Janeiro before going to São Paulo and Im contemplating many things. I’ve been back in Brazil since the 23rd of September and for the first time since I left the country I came back more open to seeing what my place of birth can reveal about my identity. I am more open to staying for a little longer than usual.

As I contemplate my feelings of nostalgia and wonder about life’s ways, I thought I’d have a go on interpreting the energies reflected in the cosmos for this new lunar cycle.

This new moon will be taking place at 5 degrees Libra and one of its main aspects is an opposition to Chiron in Aries. I feel the symbolism to be strongly pointing out to issues of equality in relationships rising to the surface through acknowledging the pain connected with expressing our individuality.

How comfortable do you feel stating your individual needs to your partner and other people in general? And how about compromising, does that feel like a major challenge to you?

Any issues that we might have connected with the process of giving and taking in relationships will be featuring here. Another thing will be how much time we spend on our own versus how much we are willing to spend in the company of others.

Reflected by the equinox that happened a week ago, light and darkness are balanced again, and I feel that we as well should follow these steps and try to find as much balance as possible within ourselves.

With Mercury, Venus, Sun and Moon in Libra, and Mars in Virgo, there seems to be an emphasis on thinking about the other and serving. Chiron in Aries reflects a need to not forget who you are as an individual, your free will and independent spirit. But the emphasis on Libra, Virgo and Capricorn (with Saturn, the South Node and Pluto) in the sky seems to be stating that compromising and taking action that will benefit others as well is paramount during this lunar cycle.

I believe that this needs to come from a place of fullness provided by practicing healthy self-care, reflected by the North Node in Cancer. This is an important aspect to keep in mind while we walk this tightrope in search for more equilibrium in our lives and relationships.

 

Transiting Nodes

Have you ever noticed what happened when transiting North node hit something on your chart?!

Transiting node now is just about to make a conjunction to my natal Sun, and regarding the frustrations I wrote about yesterday, I have a good feeling about it.

The lunar nodes are considered to have a connection with karmic lessons and spiritual growth, and I have been observing it’s reflection when it touched something important in my chart.

In my experience there is usually someone else involved.

When transiting North Node made a conjunction with my Ascendant, Moon and Venus (in different occasions) I met someone that somehow taught me a relevant lesson regarding the principle in question.

When the nodes transited my ASC-DSC axis I met the guy who I shortly after would have my Saturn return intense experience with. Encountering this person has taught me lessons in so many levels that it is still hard to pinpoint.

I also see the karmic intensity of it by the fact that transiting South Node was right on my DSC. (If there is such a thing as past lifes, I certainly have met him before)

The two other occasions were a little lighter.

With North node transiting my natal Moon I got reunited with my past lover, the one that had a very relevant role in me acting upon my decision to leave my life in London behind (culminated with the first square from Pluto to my Moon in early 2015).

Then when transiting North Node was conjuncting my natal Venus I met a very interesting (not in a romantic way) polish man in Thailand, that gave me many insights into my love life (not only) and who gave me a peculiar and intense healing session.

That was quite powerful and somehow prepared the ground for the  intense healing experience I’ve had during my yoga course.

Now transiting North Node is just about to hit my natal Sun, in a moment when I’ve been feeling deflated and longing for more opportunities to express my solar principle.

(I’ve been reading “The Luminaries” by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas and getting a lot of inspiration from it, couldn’t recommend more! Do read it if you want to get a deeper understanding of the solar and lunar function in the and astrological chart.)

Will keep my eyes wide open now..