Quick Full Moon Insights

In two days we will be having the full moon in Pisces and I’d like to write a few words about it.

One of the things that I like about lunar cycles is exactly that – it’s cyclic motion. Just like the seasons, when autumn begins and we reach out for our warmer coats or fluffier blankets, we could also align ourselves with the monthly lunar cycle to a certain extent.

In the last full Moon, the second one in Aquarius this year, we witnessed some interesting configurations in the sky. There was a grand trine involving Saturn in Aquarius, the North node in Gemini and Venus in Libra and I wrote a little about potential reconciliations etc.

Well, we will have an almost grand trine again involving Saturn and the North node, but this time with Mars in Libra instead of Venus.

Last month we also witnessed Mars forming a trine to Uranus and now we will see Venus coming to oppose Uranus – there seems to be some kind of theme there.

What comes to mind is somehow connected with relationships, communication of needs and assertion.

If last month, with Venus in Libra, I was thinking about reconciliation, this time seems like our individual needs could be a little more under the spotlight. Venus and Mars are in mutual reception, that is, in each other’s rulership sign, and this also indicates some potential for working creatively with conflicting desires.

Mercury will be forming a trine to Jupiter, a pretty tight one, and this could be tremendously supportive of clear and rational communication. We can express ourselves in a more considerate (Mercury in Libra) and focused on growth and the greater good of all involved (Jupiter in Aquarius). We can see the bigger picture if we try.

Mind you, Mercury is in its shadow period and will be retrograde from September 27, so we might have to rethink and renegotiate some of the conversations we have during this full Moon. Best to try and be flexible.

And not to forget that both Mars and Venus are in the sign of their detriment reflecting a need to be cautious in our relationships in general – especially as the Moon won’t be too far from Neptune indicating the potential for some degree of confusion.

With Venus in Scorpio (the sign known for an all or nothing approach) applying to oppose Uranus, it is best to not make any hasty decisions for the next few days or you could regret. Work with whatever comes up, acknowledge and observe it. Mars in Libra can also be talking about rational actions rather than being impulsive.

We are preparing the ground for when Venus goes retrograde in December this year.

This full Moon could bring great opportunities for becoming more aware of how you truly feel about your values, relationships and what you’re passionate about (all the Venus in Scorpio stuff), as well as finding creative mediums to express yourself and get acquainted with those desires. Make the most of it by avoiding creating unnecessary drama.

Wishing you all a beautiful and empowering full Moon.

Brief acknowledgement of retrograde planets in 2020.

 

2020 seems to continue to be a very busy astrological year indeed!

Venus will be moving retrograde in about a month until the 24 of June.

On 29 of May Mercury will move to Cancer, and on the 18 of June it will be going retrograde at 14 degrees Cancer, going all the way back to 5 degrees Cancer. Mercury will move forward on the 12 of July.

Neptune goes retrograde on the 23 of June at 20 degrees Pisces.

Before that, on 26 of April Pluto goes retrograde at 24 degrees Capricorn, then Jupiter goes retrograde at 27 Capricorn on the 15 of May,  and a few days earlier, on 11 of May, Saturn goes retrograde at 1 degree Aquarius popping back into Capricorn from July 2 until 17 of December when finally moves to Aquarius for good. (the Saturn and Jupiter conjunction happens on 21 of December!)

On the 10 of September Mars will go retrograde at 28 degrees Aries.

That’s a lot of information to process but my purpose with bringing this all up is to have a general look at this info.

It seems to me that for the next few months there will be a lot of pondering and rethinking. Retrogradations in general are looked at as something negative but I usually find them enjoyable (sometimes painful) periods of contemplation and reflection.

Where are we in our journeys?

My idea was to write about Venus going retrograde and the possibility of reframing our values but with most of all the other planets somehow also going retrograde in the next few months period, it feels like something larger is at stake here.

This seems like a turning point. Collectively and, at the same time, Individually. Perfect for reassessment before taking action to move forward. May we use our time wisely!

 

 

Brief acknowledgement of retrograde planets in 2020.

 

2020 seems to continue to be a very busy astrological year indeed!

Venus will be moving retrograde in about a month until the 24 of June.

On 29 of May Mercury will move to Cancer, and on the 18 of June it will be going retrograde at 14 degrees Cancer, going all the way back to 5 degrees Cancer. Mercury will move forward on the 12 of July.

Neptune goes retrograde on the 23 of June at 20 degrees Pisces.

Before that, on 26 of April Pluto goes retrograde at 24 degrees Capricorn, then Jupiter goes retrograde at 27 Capricorn on the 15 of May,  and a few days earlier, on 11 of May, Saturn goes retrograde at 1 degree Aquarius popping back into Capricorn from July 2 until 17 of December when finally moves to Aquarius for good. (the Saturn and Jupiter conjunction happens on 21 of December!)

On the 10 of September Mars will go retrograde at 28 degrees Aries.

That’s a lot of information to process but my purpose with bringing this all up is to have a general look at this info.

It seems to me that for the next few months there will be a lot of pondering and rethinking. Retrogradations in general are looked at as something negative but I usually find them enjoyable (sometimes painful) periods of contemplation and reflection.

Where are we in our journeys?

My idea was to write about Venus going retrograde and the possibility of reframing our values but with most of all the other planets somehow also going retrograde in the next few months period, it feels like something larger is at stake here.

This seems like a turning point. Collectively and, at the same time, Individually. Perfect for reassessment before taking action to move forward. May we use our time wisely!

 

 

Grounding under the Full Moon

In less than a week I will be back to the UK from Brazil and I have mixed feelings.

One side of myself is almost relieved and looking forward to having my english life back for a while, meeting my friends over there, going back to my usual diet, etc… but on another, I feel deeply sad to leave this reality behind. The warmth, and by that I mean human warmth, is so great here… being a sort of nomad isn’t easy…

Well, enough of that for now, Im here to talk a bit about the energies of the coming full moon at 19 degrees Virgo which will be happening on the 9th of March.

As I stare at the astrological chart for the moment of the full moon one of the first two things that calls my attention is the Sun conjoined with Neptune in Pisces, and Venus separating from a tight conjunction to Uranus in Taurus.

The feeling I have regarding this full moon is that during this month’s lunation, we will be working and made more aware of our illusions and longings on one hand, and our need for total freedom on another.

A quiet longing to merge is in conflict with a very disruptive and individualistic impulse causing separations.

The longing theme has actually been following us this whole lunation cycle as the New Moon couple of weeks ago was in Pisces and also pretty much close to Neptune, did you notice anything in your life? Here in Brazil the new moon happened exactly during carnaval, a huge Dionysian holiday where people feel free to exaggerate in doing just about anything they feel like doing! Obviously one of the main thing that happens during carnaval is that people drink a lot, really a lot. They go crazy, and this might have something to do with this neptunian energy which longs to transcend boundaries and go back to the source.

As I think about this I can imagine the energy of Uranus giving us the impulse to separate and cause disruption. How do we balance them both?

I think about all of those planets in Capricorn when I ask myself this question.

Being grounded, focusing on your work and how can you best be of service (after all this is a full moon in Virgo!), how can you bring your dreams to fruition? Are they feasible? A reality check at this point could do us good.

Personal responsibility is another very important theme that can be of great help in the dilema.

Also, we can probably tap into precious insights under this full moon as Mercury will be stationing to move forward in the late degrees of Aquarius, enhancing vision, understanding and rationality.

Move forward with your projects, and happy full moon.

 

Piscean Mercury Retrograde 2020

For a while I’ve been meaning to come here and write a little about this cycle of retrogradation of Mercury in Pisces which begins today.

We usually attribute imagination to the symbolism of Mercury in Pisces but as I look into the chart for the moment that it will start moving backwards later on today, I have the sense that much of the themes emerging back will have something to do with rebalancing the emphasis we put on relationships and other people’s needs versus our own.

How did I get to that idea?

Both the Moon and Mercury will be forming an almost exact square, from Sagittarius to Pisces, and I see here a conflict between merging (Pisces) and freeing yourself in order to pursue what is meaningful to you (Sagittarius). Both are ruled by Jupiter in Capricorn somehow reflecting the need to be grounded and take responsibility for working with this duality.

Venus is in Aries, quite close to Chiron also in Aries (speaking of dealing with the different layers of our wounded sense of self?), emphasising individuality, and Mars just recently moved into Capricorn. Here our awareness is brought back to the Stellium in Capricorn which has being under the spotlight for a few months now (comprised of Saturn, Pluto, South Node and Jupiter).

What is it that we better take responsibility for?

Mercury in Pisces has a resonance with intuitive thinking, dreams, imagination, but the final dispositor for this cycle of retrogradation is Saturn in Capricorn, a symbol reflecting separation, inner authority, hard work and maturation. I feel that this could be a wonderful 3 weeks to regain focus on what truly matters to us as individuals, even if in a creative and intuitive manner, as opposed to what other people expect from us, including our partner.

As usual, during the Mercury retrograde period we do well in revisiting, rethinking, reassessing, etc… and also, not to forget to always bring the symbolism of transits into your natal chart in order to figure out how “exactly” and in which area of your life this process is bound to take place, and in this way, achieve further insight.

Light at the end of the tunnel, New Moon in Sagittarius !

I just finished writing my essay! Hurray ! Such a great feeling to finish something challenging, something that requires a certain degree of difficulty. (is that Saturn, ruler of my 3rd house speaking?)

I thought to celebrate I came here to write a little about the coming new moon (still me trying to be a consistent blogger…)

This month’s new moon will be taking place on the 26 of November at 4 degrees Sagittarius, Im feeling excited about this one as it is sort of marking the transition from Scorpio Season into Sagittarius Season and Im looking forward to this shift in energy. (probably many of us are!)

Last month has been quite challenging and charged with intensity. A lot of stuff from the past coming up again, old patterns of behaviour getting strongly triggered, old emotions coming back, basically, a lot of shadow work was being asked from us. It’s been tiring but also rewarding, and Mercury retrograde in Scorpio was reflecting this process of  deeply reviewing the hidden contents in our psyche.

Well, Mercury is already moving forward since the 20 of November and we are still dealing with those themes, but now heading more towards conclusion and insight rather than emotional involvement with whatever it was that we had to revisit during this period.

Regarding the new moon now, as I stare into the astrological map of that moment, a few things pop into my mind. Mercury is still picking up speed in Scorpio and Mars will be at the exact degree of the previous new moon in Scorpio (the one that was opposite Uranus and reflected much of the disruptive energy that was going on during the month of November). This tells me that the difficult themes we had to deal with are still going to be lingering on, and as Mars travels through the exact degree of that new moon perhaps this is the moment where action might be taken or at least we will feel compelled to act on whatever insights we’ve been having this month.

We better be conscious because this is not reflecting an easy going process and best to think well before acting, as Uranus is involved in the picture, Uranus the planet of sudden changes and unpredictability. It might turn out as pretty liberating as well, but nevertheless is best to be as conscious and present as possible.

Another thing that catches my eye is the Moon and Sun in Sagittarius after such a dark period, illuminating our higher aspirations and future drives. This can feel as a real relief as we regain optimism and visions regarding the bigger picture. Great for setting intentions connected to expansion, personal growth, anything to do with our purpose in life, all of those jupiterian themes.

Planet Jupiter is still in Sagittarius and just about to move into Capricorn for the next year and I see this as a reinforcement to think about what our highest goals are because as we move on to Capricorn season, and Jupiter moving also to Capricorn, we will have the energy to actualize these goals in a realistic and pragmatic fashion.

Mercury in Scorpio will be forming a harmonious aspect to Neptune in Pisces and I also have the feeling that this could be reflecting a process of letting go and forgiving whichever demons came to visit us during the difficult month of November.

Mercurial and Jupiterian questions…

Im taking a little break from the editing essay for MA frenzy.

Mercury is now slowly moving forward again and I was boarding craziness. This was a particular intense cycle personally speaking and I wonder how everyone is doing?

A lot of the material available that has been written about Mercury retrograde in Scorpio talks about revisiting traumas and difficult emotions from the past, including traumatic relationships or anything traumatic to do with relationships and intimacy. This resonates with me and what was going on in the last 3 or 4 weeks and it left me wondering, once again, about the nature of astrology.

The old question about free will and fate. How much is fated and how much is totally up to us and our actions?! Personal responsibility is something extremely important to me and in my work with astrology.

The planets are not doing anything to you!

But, at the same time, how do we explain the synchronism between this Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio and the deep processes that took place during this cycle? I have more questions than answers at this point in my life, specially after being exposed to a lot of material in my masters that brings many different points of view, including some of the sources of our ideas. Ideas that we think are fresh and new when in reality a lot of them comes from Plato or Aristotle… and many other sources throughout history as well.

At the moment Im doing a module entitled Sky and Psyche where Im reading a lot of material about the history of psychological astrology, which is really interesting, but also makes you realise that it is an interpretation amongst other interpretations.

It is not ‘the truth’!

It also makes you realise how much our ideas and concepts of reality are embedded in the ‘weltanschauung’ or what Jung called ‘The spirit of the age’. It doesn’t seem like there is scape from it, even if you’re an astrologer and believe to be outside of the box, well, the box is much bigger than we think! …

 

Full Moon in Taurus, and the importance of conscious lightness…

Today I’ve been working on my first assignment for the current module Im taking for my MA and was checking the astrological weather for the coming weeks.

Mercury still moving backwards in Scorpio reflecting an invitation for non-action and for deeply rethinking about our emotional patterns and shadows. Communication only if deeply honest and tempered by psychological awareness.

Where is Scorpio in your chart?!

This is the area where all of this soulful reassessing is happening…

My ASC is in Scorpio and as I write this post, Mercury is starting to make its way back into the 12th house of my natal chart until it reaches my natal Saturn, in the exact degree that Mercury will be stationing to go forward again on the 21st of November.

I feel that much of the themes that this Mercury retrograde is reflecting personally to me is quite recognisable, all the emotional honesty kind of stuff, including addressing my fear of it as well (as Saturn in my case is involved in this cycle).

I do love what Scorpio stands for though, even if sometimes is a bit too much, or too intense, I have a real appreciation for it. This too reflects something of my own nature / natal chart. The dichotomy between the Scorpio placements and the strong disruptive tendencies symbolised by the prominent Uranus in my chart.

So then I tend to attract people with a very similar split, not to say with the same astrological symbolism in their charts, (even if slightly shuffled). This is an interesting phenomena I’ve seen repeating again and again not only in my life.

Then I was checking this coming full moon which will be taking place on November the 12th in Taurus. Couple of things called my attention.

Firstly we do well in keeping in our minds that this is the culmination of the disruptive New Moon conjunct Uranus we had this month, so somehow the continuation of that story.

The other thing I noticed is that Mars, the traditional ruler of Scorpio, will be aspecting Jupiter in Sagittarius and Venus, the ruler of Taurus, will be placed in Sagittarius also. This somehow makes me think that keeping things humorous and being in tune with your capacity for laughing at yourself and at life’s situations in general, could be of great aid here. Friendship rather than intense possessiveness could also be a way out from the dilemas potentially reflected by this intense lunation.

The moon in Taurus and the Sun/Mercury in Scorpio will also be harmoniously  aspecting Saturn/Pluto in Capricorn, a potentially positive and productive aspect if we are willing to take responsibility for ourselves, especially our emotional needs, and avoid blaming others or projecting our wellbeing on another person’s presence. Making sure boundaries are well set (paying attention not to exaggerate here, if overdoing boundaries is your pattern?) could be very helpful in order to make the most of these energies available!

 

Mercury Retrograde in the underworld…

Mercury is stationing at 27 degrees Scorpio today and will be moving backwards for the next 3 weeks.

Im feeling an introverted energy in the air compelling to reevaluate and revisit values regarding relationships, sharing and love in general. I think that last week’s new moon in Scorpio opposing Uranus was already calling us to do this work during this lunation, and Mercury retrograde seems to be reinforcing it.

Mercury is stationing conjunct Venus, reflecting the Venusian tone of this cycle of retrogradation.

With Venus and the Sun also in Scorpio I think that we will be able to get in touch with subterraneous intense emotions giving us clues about hidden patterns of behaviour that might be hindering real intimacy and connection with others, and ultimately, with ourselves.

For Scorpio the process of maintaining or reclaiming power is of paramount importance, and a very common tactic for preventing loss of power and vulnerability is by, willingly or unwillingly, stepping into psychological games with others. Manipulative techniques might be necessary in order to get what one wants, but at the same time, is a huge obstacle for what Scorpio mostly craves and needs: deep connections where one is able to be truly seen.

At the time of my Saturn return, my progressed Moon entered Scorpio, making a conjunction to my ASC, and that was the first time that I became consciously aware of these games we play with people in order to hide our heart and true motives.

I suddenly began asking myself what was the point on doing that, on saying no when you really mean yes, and that kind of stuff. I realised that we must make an effort in order to be real so people can also have a chance to be themselves, and as a result, a genuine relationship might be born…

Now with Mercury retrograde in Scorpio I feel the echoes of that time coming back, slightly different, but bringing up a similar theme nevertheless. I am a different person, in a different situation, living a distinct phase of my life, but Im a witness of the fascinating spiral cycles of growth reflected by astrological symbolism.

It never fails to amuse me!

The astrologer Steven Forrest in one of his books, or maybe in an article I can’t fully remember, wrote that Scorpio stands for (radical) psychological honesty. I think that keeping this idea in mind, just like a mantra, during this Mercury retrograde could be of great help to us all…

Transit after transit…

Mercury is retrograde at 13 degrees Sagittarius, very close to make a conjunction to my natal Uranus/Mars in the first house and a lot of the current theme for me has been connected with personal freedom and individuation.

I believe that Jupiter in the early degrees of Sagittarius is also echoing this message.

During this last period of Venus moving retrograde I have been questioning and feeling a strong urge to find more space within my relationship. (with the times when Venus opposed Uranus as a peak of realisation about this need)

Now what is strongly coming up to me is not only the need for personal freedom, but also lots of questions about our conditioning when it comes to relating with one another.

Last week we had a training course on life coaching and the group of people that came here for the training were amazing. I connected with many of them in such a beautiful way. The dynamic between the group reminded me of one of those conscious summer festivals that I used to go when Pluto was transiting my natal Moon.

It felt like home!

In the last night we did an angel walk together (basically walking in a corridor of people whispering beautiful messages into your ears) and had a very long group cuddle for at least an hour. My heart was so open and the love I felt was so strong that it felt like being high on drugs.

I was in such a powerful and beautiful state that even saying no and asserting myself became easy and loving as well. I felt empowered.

Since then, I’ve been thinking about the general conditioning of being supposed to love only one person, or being protective and caring only towards family members, etc. Why is that? Why can we not allow love to flow and increase itself by giving it freely?

Why are we not allowing love to ebb and flow organically?

I have read once that love is the only thing that does not work mathematically in the way we know, the more you give the more you have to give. You never run out of it. (talking about unconditional love here)

Then I thought that if my personal experience of transiting Pluto to my Moon is connected with my role in the collective change that we are going through, my new sense of security within is what will enable me to love more and to help breaking old patterns that do not foster growth in positive ways.

I would really like to find new ways of relating, with more authenticity and the willingness to be vulnerable and communicate openly.