Taurus Full Moon - October 29, 2012

This Taurus Full Moon is also called the Hunter's Moon in North America as the fall colors wash over the trees and we prepare for the cold winter months. The chart for this Full Moon is very aspect filled and we will have a variety of energies to sort through as we navigate through it. There is a yin and yang to it though, that we can find the balance within the chart, with effort and determination. Read more about the purpose of this Full Moon at Lunar Living Astrology.  There is a T-square leading into the Mercury retrograde starting November 6 and also into the Scorpio Solar Eclipse of November 13.  We are likely to seek out the safest alternatives as the Moon transits through Taurus. With Mercury transiting out of bounds, just prior to the retrograde motion, we will be feeling more vulnerable. Mars is transiting out of bounds right now, but the feeling is not as vulnerable with Mars. It feels more chaotic and confusing, however. We will just need to keep both feet inbounds to stay on track. If possible, have a little fun to release the tension. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Libra New Moon - October 15, 2012

The Libra New Moon should bring some relief after that hard hitting Full Moon last month.  We can start to regroup now, and clean up some of the left overs that seemed to hang on for, like, forEVER! Finding balance is an important message with the Libra energies. This New Moon does seem to put quite a bit of emphasis on Chiron, encouraging us to find help for issues and personal problems that plague us. Saturn in Scorpio will have us focusing on restructuring our psychological perspectives as well as our finances and familial legacies. Secrets and taboos may also need to be examined if we find that they are hindering our ability to expand or change. The upcoming Full Moon in Taurus will be two days prior to Halloween, and those energies will splash over into the celebration of the day. Also, we will be experiencing a solar eclipse and lunar eclipse next month. There will be lots to think about as the holiday season approaches.

Aries Full Moon - September 30, 2012

This particular Harvest Full Moon has very tense aspects that are likely to cause us to feel stressed or, at the very least, frustrated. The plethora of ingresses this week are also adding tension to the mix.  Venus will ingress Virgo on October 3, Jupiter will station retrograde on October 4, Mercury and Saturn will ingress Scorpio on October 5, and Mars will ingress Sagittarius on October 7. Obviously, this week is all about change, isn't it? There are some suggestions about ways to deal with all the energies in Lunar Living's article for the Aries Full Moon.

Virgo New Moon - September 15/16, 2012

September is in full swing now, and the last vestiges of summer are drawing to a close. Of course, for the southern hemisphere, it is the end of winter. Regardless of our location on the Earth, the Sun is moving closer to the equator with the transitional equinox to occur in a few days when the Sun will begin to transit Libra. As this transition is occurring, we will also begin to experience Saturn's energy in a different sign, Jupiter's retrograde in Gemini, Mars moving into Sagittarius, Venus moving into Virgo and Mercury moving into Scorpio. As the article at Lunar Living explains, we can use the clarity of this New Moon's energy help us slide smoothly into the equinox on September 22nd. After that, the multitude of transitional placements in early October could become a bit overwhelming.

Pisces Full Blue Moon - August 31, 2012

Yes, yes, this is the Blue Moon of 2012. But, as I keep reassuring you, the blue moon carries very little significance over to the astrology portion of the full moon.  However, there is a big "to-do" with this moon event in that the feminine receptive of the wedge pattern will push us to a few emotional extremes.  Read more about this full blue moon at Lunar Living's site. I don't know about others and how they are dealing with the vibes, but I've already shed a few tears over events that normally I would not be impacted by the outcomes. If this is any indication of how this Moon will be moving through Pisces, I sense I'll be dew-eyed a few more times before it is all said and done. 

I like to call the Pisces Full Moon, the beginning of the end of summer since it typically ushers in cooler evenings despite the continuation of the hot summer days. Remember that this full moon, in particular, is a typical "release" moon wherein we need to let go of something so that we can open up room for something new during the next new moon.

Leo New Moon - August 17, 2012

The New Moon in Leo can be a time of fun. There are some tendencies towards pride or arrogance, but all in all, we generally are drawn to the fun events at this time. Lunar Living's article is posted online. Mercury is transiting back over the territory in Leo that it visited during the retrograde, and that regrouping period will last until August 23. All in all, we are ready for some change of attitudes, and this Leo New Moon is likely to be the boost we need in order to create new opportunities. Venus in Cancer now will also cause some changes in our love life and our financial picture. Use some caution for the next few days until the T-square is finished after August 21st, before expecting great outcomes.

Cancer New Moon - July 18/19, 2012



Enoplometopus Debelius Lobster



The New Moon in Cancer is always the sign of summer in the northern hemisphere. The symbol in nature that represents the sign of Cancer is the crab. But, there are other crustaceans that have also been used in the past; lobster and crayfish.  The nature of the sign of Cancer is as diverse as the actual sea creatures that represent it. They can come across as some "tough cookies," yet they have a vulnerable nature, as well. In looking for some images of nature's representative, I came across some beautiful images of  crab and lobster. Here is one from Frédéric Fasquel. If you want to enjoy some more photos, there is a great variety of crustacean images located on seafocus.com. I particularly loved the sangian crab on SeaFocus with the intricate and delicate white spines over its tiny little purple body. Moving along to the energies of the New Moon in Cancer. As explained in the Lunar Living article, we have a very unusual chart this year. There are five planets interacting in a fierce combination to form both a cradle pattern and a T-square, collectively. Whatever develops as a result of this New Moon is likely to have a lasting impact on our lives.

Mercury is retrograde now until August 8 in the sign of Leo. This transit is likely to change our perceptions of our children. Additionally, it would be advisable to rethink our desire to take chances or gamble with our limited resources. This is not the most opportune transit to try to risk it all. Mercury ties into the base of the cradle pattern with Jupiter in Gemini. Together, they meet up with the base holders of the opposing T-square, Uranus in Aries and Mars in Libra. The apex of the T-square is Pluto. We moved into this Diamond Cut pattern a couple of days ago, and will continue to experience the combination of power-packed energies to approximately July 27.

Let's look into future for a moment, before I head out. There is a "calendar" blue moon next month on the 31st of August. Astrologically, there is no significance of two full moons occurring in the same calendar month. However, there will be another cradle pattern (sans the T-square) with that full moon holding together the top of the aspects in Virgo and Pisces while Mars and Pluto hold together the base in Scorpio and Capricorn. That Pisces Full Moon should bring together another interesting collective of energies.

Newsletter Server - July 16, 2012

There have been a series of issues occurring this past weekend with the web server that the Lunar Living newsletter software is operating on. I keep the newsletter separate from the Lunar Living site and, if necessary, I can send the newsletter out on a backup resource if the matter isn't resolved in the next day or two.  The web techs are working on the server attempting to stabilize it but it may be down for a few hours (again) today. Of course, this would evolve into a meltdown during the Mercury Retrograde! Thanks for your patience. 

Capricorn Full Moon - July 3, 2012

The Full Buck Moon in Capricorn is encouraging us to find balance between work and family. While there are a few aspects during this Full Moon that could cause us to trip up, the majority of the transits are encouraging us to be very productive and opportunistic. The full report is available at Lunar Living. We've been using some of these productive aspects to our own benefit by updating/upgrading Lunar Living's web pages.

Saturn stationed direct on June 24th and Venus stationed direct on June 27th. Jupiter ingressed into Gemini on June 11th, Mercury ingressed Leo on June 26th and Mars ingresses Libra on July 3. The cumulative influence of these transitions could have us second guessing our current positions. This should start to settle down soon, however, be aware of the fact that Mercury will station retrograde on July 15. We have a small window of time to put transactions together before we start to feel the impact of Mercury in retrograde motion. Mercury's retrograde will end on August 8.

Gemini New Moon - June 19, 2012

With all the fanfare of the Solar Eclipse a month ago, most people don't realize that this is the second New Moon in Gemini. Two New Moons in the same zodiac sign is a little like a blue moon event.  It happens, but not every month. As with each major moon event, the new article is available online at Lunar Living.

Gemini energies are quite strong now with Jupiter and Venus both in Gemini during this New Moon. Mercury is pounding the pavement far out in Cancer to get as far away from the Sun now, as possible.  This always happens just before Mercury stations for retrograde motion. It is a bit like Mercury is on a tether with the Sun, gradually speeding up the farther he gets from the Sun, and eventually, BAM, he hits the end of the leash which whips him into retrograde motion. Venus is also on a bit of a leash with the Sun, but the allowable distance is a little longer and Venus doesn't hit the end quite as often as Mercury does.

Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere (Winter for southern) is just around the corner.  This is the period of time when the Sun has stretched out to the Tropic of Cancer (okay, so really the earth has tilted so that the Sun can be directly over the Tropic of Cancer) at it's farthest declination and the solar energies are always a bit edgier during the last few days of Gemini and the first few days of Cancer. The transitional longest (or shortest) days of sunlight during the year depending on where you live.

Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse - June 4, 2012

The Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse will have a stronger impact on us, as eclipses always do. The affects of the eclipse are already being felt and will be felt for at least the next three to four weeks. This Lunar Eclipse is also the Strawberry Full Moon. I tried to figure out a way to create an animated eclipsing moon with shooting strawberry stars in the background, but I'm just not that good with those types of artistic creations.

The combo of Sagittarius and Gemini energies have us restless and adventurous. If you are anything like me at this time of the year, there are way more plans than can ever be accomplished in a day, week or even month! I'll try my darndest to not bounce around too much here. First off, don't forget that Jupiter will be moving into Gemini on the 11th. Neptune will begin a retrograde motion about 10 hours after the peak of the eclipse. Mercury will ingress into Cancer on June 7th, then into Leo on June 26, making this month a three-sign transit frenzy for the winged messenger. Mercury is also transiting Out of Bounds until June 19. Venus returned back into the standard declination on June 3. This will help reduce some of the biting attitude that retrograde Venus has been throwing our way.

This month will mark Lunar Living's 11th year online. Our first article was about the Solar Eclipse of June 21, 2001. Well, let's move along. I'm getting restless and you probably are too. I included a map and extra charts for the Lunar Eclipse Saros 140 in the article ready for you to read at Lunar Living's site, so I'll let you get to it.

Gemini Solar Eclipse - May 20, 2012

This New Moon is a Solar Eclipse in the early degree of Gemini. The solar eclipse will be an annular (ring of fire) eclipse making it just as powerful as a total eclipse. Most of us are already feeling the impacts of the eclipse and will continue to feel the influences right on through to the next New Moon. The next New Moon will also occur in the sign of Gemini. The Lunar Eclipse between the two Gemini New Moons will be in the sign of Sagittarius.  

One of the interesting facts about the solar eclipse is that it will start in China on May 21 and it will end in the United States on May 20. Charts and a map are available with the Lunar Living article.  Apparently, there are over 100 national parks in the United States which are set up to encourage viewing the event on Sunday. Let's hope the weather holds out and the clouds stay away. One possible viewing option could be at SLOOH.

In other news, Venus stationed retrograde a few days ago, and the news made it very obvious that the shift of energy was adversely affecting many.  The Jastrology.blogspot has a current article discussing the potential impact of Venus' retrograde transit in Gemini. The fact that Venus is also transiting Out of Bounds at the beginning of the retrograde period adds a fear-based intensity to the transit.  Hopefully, between the Venus retrograde and the Solar Eclipse energies, nothing happens to dampen the festive energies of the eclipse over the US.

Scorpio Full Moon - May 6, 2012

This is the Super Full Moon of 2012. The plus-sized appearance is caused by the Moon's orbit bringing it closer to the Earth while it is Full. The best time to view the larger then usual size is when the Moon is on the horizon.
 

The Full Flower Moon is delivering both challenges and rewards together. Read the Lunar Living article to learn more. Finding balance of activities and emotions during this Full Moon will help to deal with the challenges as well as reap the rewards. Naturally, there is an intuitive nature to the Scorpio Moon, and this has the potential of bringing up feelings of jealousy and revenge. Find ways to redirect impulsive reactions that could potentially harm another. The wrong outcome for the right reasons does not usually bode well in our society.

The Scorpio Full Moon in the western hemisphere is actually on May 5, which is the day of independence and celebration for the Mexican community known as Cinco de Mayo. This is a very festive day of great Mexican food and music.

Next weekend is Mother's Day in the United States. Remember to set aside some time to honor the mothers in our lives who nurtured and comforted us as children and in times of need.

Don't forget that the Gemini Solar Eclipse is in two weeks. This is an annular eclipse meaning that it is similar to a total but that the Moon will not totally block out all the light leaving a ring of fire around the Moon's outline.  Many people are already feeling the influences of the Solar Eclipse.

Taurus New Moon - April 21, 2012

The New Moon of Taurus at the cusp of Taurus is typically a bit raw. We are just beginning to adapt to the newness of the Taurus energies, and when the Moon event occurs in these early stages of the sign, we feel the jagged edges of change a bit more intensely. Be patient for the upcoming Kite formation in a few days, as explained in the Lunar Living article.  

We were all eagerly awaiting the change of Mars' direction, which occurred on Friday, the 13th of April. Just as we are unwinding from the Mars retrograde, now we are having to deal with the Venus transitions. Currently, Venus is transiting Out of Bounds while in the sign of Gemini. Plus, in approximately a month, Venus will station for retrograde motion, giving us a whole new set of experiences to explore. Ironically, Mars' retrograde was in Mercury ruled Virgo and next, Venus will retrograde in Mercury ruled Gemini. Keep an eye out for any aspects between Mercury, Venus or Mars over the next few months since they could be especially potent. 

The influence of Taurus is expressed through feelings of security and comfort. Taking care of our earth is taking care of ourselves. Spend the weekend being a little more green. Happy Earth Day to all.

Full Moon in Libra - April 6, 2012

The Full Pink Moon in Libra will appear more as a transition state rather than an initiation one. The transit of Venus in Gemini will take on the center stage in the apex of the T-square. Venus is also transiting Out of Bounds. We could call it a period of Funny Money as we attempt to find more security in our financial situations. The Lunar Living Moon Event article can give some guidance for navigating this Full Moon. Any planets transiting in the Out of Bounds regions tend to create a sense of vulnerability, particularly in regards to the themes of the particular planet that is transiting OOB. (In the graphic, I overlaid the Full Moon image onto a pink rose to create the "Pink Moon" image.) 

Aries New Moon - March 22, 2012

BIG Apologies!  I'm late in letting folks know that the New Moon article is posted at Lunar Living.  I was able to get the article posted on time, however I was caught off guard with the busyness of the spring break week. My other job demands my full attention during certain periods so I make certain to have the essentials in place and hoped to be able to get the rest of the projects here and there.  Well, here never happened, and now there is all I have left. This New Moon continues to hold the Earth Grand Trine between Jupiter, Mars retrograde and Pluto. There is an actual opposition now between Mars and Chiron that adds the Kite influences more strongly. But, the message continues to be the same as with the Full Moon earlier in March. We're more productive if we work behind the scenes to accomplish our goals for the next two days and then, we can begin to reveal more about our accomplishments without the scrutiny of others.

Newsletter Updates

Okay; as many of you know by now, I am not a prolific blogger nor am I a social media socialite or online networking mogul. I have a real life schedule that I work with that keeps me feeling some sense of balance. For some of my readers that means I'm super lazy, and for some, that I'm super busy. haha That comes across as very unbalanced, doesn't it? My main goal is to provide consistent quality content on a consistent routine basis.

One of these consistent routines has been the Lunar Living Newsletter "Moon Alert" that I send out approximately twice a month. The Alert is typically a short shout-out to let readers know that the Moon Event article is available online, a few updates about other events and a quick promo of features that Lunar Living has for users online. Several years ago, this newsletter was made available for "feed readers" online. However, a recent event has me scratching my head and wondering if I should continue with the feed access. 

For now, the newsletter feed access is still available, but in a slightly modified format. It won't be too noticeable what the changes are, but certain links have been changed or removed from the archived format. It is not my intent to alarm anyone. It is my intent to explain that there will be slight changes since the readers of Lunar Living's information have come to accept my routines and have a habit of contacting me when they notice that my routine has changed.

Thanks and be well!

Virgo Full Moon - March 8, 2012

Celebrating the Worm Moon with GummiWorms! This Full Moon in Virgo will present us with opportunities but we may feel a total let down if we can't figure out how to access any of those opportunities.  It all boils down to how we approach it. We may not be mentally or emotionally up for the task.  The proverbial "devil in the details" is going to be a stumbling block for a lot of us. As explained in the Lunar Living article today, the Grand Trine during this Full Moon may present us with many potentials that we could find difficult to receive. To get the most out of the Earth Grand Trine, check out where Chiron is transiting in our natal chart for the hint in finding the most productive way to move forward.

Pisces New Moon - February 21, 2012

As you have probably figured out by now, Aquarius and its jarring influence is now basically behind us.  Neptune has moved into its home turf, so to speak. In modern astrology teachings, Neptune rules over Pisces. We are facing a new frontier that we have not had the pleasure of encountering in the past.  The last time that Neptune was in Pisces was in the mid-1800s. The New Moon in Pisces is forming a conjunction with Neptune and Chiron with an out of sign trine to Saturn retrograde still seemingly stuck on that anaretic 29th degree of Libra. The Lunar Living moon event article addresses this. There is a new sense of calm with this New Moon, but Saturn is doing absolutely nothing to reduce the stressors that we have been sensing this past month. We have two more weeks of this strange energy that we will need to deal with. There is likely to be a whole new set of mixed emotions to try to navigate through. However, the next few weeks are an excellent time to prepare for the Earth Grand Trine between Mars, Jupiter and Pluto. Set your sights on that energy, and most likely, other issues will feel less pressing.

Leo Full Moon - February 7, 2012

The Snow Moon, or occasionally referred to as the Hunger Moon, is usually the Full Moon of Leo when survival seems the most harsh after several months of winter in the Northern regions of the Northern Hemisphere. However, the reality on our round orb known as Earth, there is also a Summer happening on the other side. This is the "opposing universe," so to speak, where the warm rays of the Sun are nurturing and caressing the southern hemisphere, unless there's a shortage of rain that then causes a different form of harsh reality. Lunar Living article explores this Leo Full Moon's paradox from the Saturn "Squat" on the Libra anaretic degree to the approaching Grand Trine of Jupiter, Mars and Pluto. Just gotta love the Aquarius energies that have us reacting like ping-pong balls.

Aquarius New Moon - January 23, 2012

The Sun recently ingressed Aquarius, giving us a change in attitude and ideals. Most think of Aquarius as being a "water" sign because it is the water bearer and even has the wavy lines that look like water. But, the sign is Air. Think of Aquarius more as the ~evaporation~ of water going back up into the air. We are shifting our mental and emotional gears as quickly as we can, and this New Moon conjunction has us feeling as though this shift is vitally important.... There is a lot of information with this New Moon to share. Lunar Living has the complete report.  Highlights include: Saturn and Neptune are each in the anaretic degree of 29 in Libra and Aquarius, respectively; T-Square aspect from the New Moon; out of sign opposition from Jupiter to Saturn is throwing cold water on the two Wedge aspects; and Mars will start on a long retrograde trek back through Virgo tomorrow until the middle of April. This "start" to the Chinese New Year will be quite exhilarating!  Happy New Year!

Ready... Set... No... Wait.... When does Mars go all Retrograde on us?

Oh! That's Right! January 24, 2012 is the Mars station to Retrograde. In the mean time, there is a lot of great retrograde information available online. I selected a few of my favorite pieces and dropped that information into my own Virgo Mars Retrogradge article on JAstrology Blogspot.  And, hey, check out the picture of the 1955 style Mars Rover while you are at it. The article is filled with dates and time frames to be aware of to help us all navigate through the rarified Virgo Mars Retrograde.  Unlike a Blue Moon, this just doesn't happen every few years, you know!? The last Mars retrograde through Virgo was in 1997!

Learn about the Heliocentric Mars transit in conjunction with the Geocentric Mars Retrograde. Also read up about what it is like to be born with Mars Retrograde in Virgo in the chart. Discover the time periods of the past when Virgo hosted the Mars retrograde transit. Read up about the other planetary transits that aspect Mars in retrograde motion. There's a Grand Trine in there, some where.  I hope you all enjoy the article.

Cancer Full Moon - January 9, 2012

With the Sun in Capricorn for this Full Moon, psychologically, we feel so ambitious, but our bodies and our hearts are just not there. We are feeling emotionally spent. Our brains are telling us, just charge ahead, and the rest of us will catch up. With the Wedge aspect from the Full Moon to Mars in Virgo, that might be true IF we are focusing on our health and welfare. As the Lunar Living article explains, Capricorn is the king of pushing through to get the job done. Cancer, on the other hand, is the home of the Moon, and the feeling here is that we would do a whole lot better if we just stayed in our nice warm beds or near a cozy fire and to pamper our bodies for a day or two. Of course, there are multiple aspects that are causing us to feel unsure of what to do. There's the cradle aspect with the Moon opposing the Sun, in a wedge pattern that looks a lot like a little ship, trying to navigate through these crazy waters. There is also the Mercury Out of Bounds transit, causing feelings of vulnerability and anxiety.  So much to deal with that we need to take a few moments recognize that we have all the power in this one.