New Moon Review: August - September 2010
Sometimes, it is worth reflecting on just how lucky we are. When we count our blessings we emanate gratitude, and with a spirit of gratitude much giving can occur. While there is still an inordinate amount of pain and suffering on our planet, there is also much to be happy about. Our world is turning and we are still alive. The last few weeks have brought many stressful astrological aspects to the fore, and nothing overly cataclysmic has occurred. Is this a sign that we are evolving?
Whilst devastating floods are reeking havoc across Europe and Asia, we have also miraculously seen a resolution to the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf. US markets have not collapsed as some have predicted and our world, though ailing, is still in a position to improve and remedy itself. So it is worth taking a moment to appreciate all of the good and just things we have in our lives, before we turn our attention, as ever, to what needs to get fixed.
This theme of appreciation and abundance is currently written in the sky. The New Moon in Leo links powerfully to the line-up of planets in Cardinal signs, with Venus, goddess of joy, most magnificently aligned. Venus joins Mars and Saturn in her sign, where she has rulership, and opposes Jupiter whilst squaring Pluto. This dynamic set-up of energies is exactly aspecting the Leo New Moon, implying that this energy is seeded for manifestation through the next 28 days. Translating all that into laypersons terms, we can use the next 4 weeks to amplify the amount of joy, abundance, wealth, happiness, structure, justice and balance in our lives. So lets break that down.
First, lets look at love. When Venus and Jupiter collude, they highlight the potential joy of love and happiness through partnership concerns. They also bring the danger of excess, overindulgence and conflicts that are born of wastefulness. Saturn contributes to all of this by bringing consequences, stability and commitment to the fore. Saturn in Libra relates to issues concerned with harmony, justice and equality both between the sexes and within ourselves. It is worth noting that we are collectively re-evaluating what love and justice signify at this time. When Saturn entered Libra late last year, the Tiger Woods scandal erupted. We collectively watched as Mr Woods became the public manifestation of what can occur when infidelity and irresponsibility undermine committed relationships. Then in the last few weeks, as Saturn again returned to Libra, we here in Australia have seen the David Jones sexual harassment case unfold, with former employee Kristy Fraser-Kirk suing the company and its ex CEO for an unprecedented amount. The case will set a bench-mark for sexual harassment issues in the Australian workplace. Simultaneously, the CEO of Hewlett-Packard has just resigned in the US after the company found false financial reports designed to conceal a close personal relationship with a former employee. Saturn governs justice and its decrees. In Libra, he is strong. Consequently, this period for all of us is one in which the pigeon comes home to roost as we face the consequences of whatever emotional seeds we have sown.
On a less sobering note, Venus, Jupiter and Pluto also point to the potential tendency to gain popularity quickly, engagements, deep passion and consuming romances. This combination also underscores the opportunity to enjoy an unusually large amount of popularity quite quickly, so expect at least one individual or cause to ride the publicity train to its highest heights over the next month. This combination can also point to an extraordinary degree of happiness bursting forth in one’s life. People born with Sun, Moon or Ascendant in early degrees of the Cardinal signs stand the best chance of benefitting, but all of us can invoke such Venusian energies in our lives. Wherever Venus resides in your chart describes where you can find your joy. Get in touch with what really rocks your world and put some extra effort in. The cosmos is favourably disposed to everything pleasurable at this time. Find your joy and make the most of it. Happiness comes from moderation and mutual consideration, whilst retribution hides behind excess.
Venus, Jupiter and Pluto combined also point to hidden resources which you can profit from in your life. Keep one eye open for unexpected but immensely useful pieces of information to come your way. Whatever makes your heart sing is doing so for a reason. Look for practical support in the small things that bring you pleasure and joy. Religious and legal matters are all amplified by these energies, as are politics. Expect passionate displays of moral exuberance through the next few weeks, and keep self-righteous tendencies firmly in check. This combination may also favour all sorts of economic development, so if you are looking to expand your portfolio of material stabilities, then this month is the time to do it. The New Moon energies suit the building or personal and collective happiness by working with, and not against, the structures, principles and conventions upon which civil society flourishes and unfurls.
A final mention goes out to Mercury, presently exalted in his own sign. Since late July, Mercury has been in Virgo, favouring analysis, detail and research. This is an excellent time to conduct all kinds of focussed work that require thoroughness and full attention to detail. From August 20th until September 16th, Mercury is retrograde in Virgo. No need to panic, but get your facts sorted out. Over the next few weeks, the cosmos suggests that we “dot our I’s and cross our T’s”. Now is the time to plan for the future and refine whatever it is that we are doing. Anything that goes pear-shaped through the retrograde phase probably needs improving. Whilst Virgo symbolizes perfection, this is a state that we mere humans can rarely, if ever have. Instead of setting impossible expectations for yourself, why not use perfection as an ideal to aim for, and not a bed of nails to beat yourself up against. Set your aims high and work toward improvements as best you can. Then settle into maintenance mode, knowing you have done the best you can.
If you would like a more personal interpretation of how the planets may be influencing your life, please get in touch to arrange a consultation.
Aries:
Are things a little hummpphh for you right now? No wonder.. On the plus side, you have Jupiter in your sign, making you expansive, opportunistic and visionary. On the down, you have Saturn glaring over at you from across the other side of the Zodiac, and your ruler Mars is much beleaguered as he travels through Venus’ sign. What to do with cards like this? Stay cool, and plan your hand wisely. There are certain Aries who can see the blue skies looming up ahead, just on the horizon. They have their eye on the prize and are carefully working their way towards it. Yet there are other Aries who lack stamina, energy and oomph right now. They perhaps, are not taking care of themselves physically, mentally or emotionally. Until mid-September, you are in performance-review mode. If you feel a little down, don’t take yourself so seriously - take yourself in hand and reactivate. Get back to the gym, back to the business plan or back to entrepreneurial mode. This is no time for infantile delusions. If you have more lift in your wings and can feel the fresh winds of change as they blow through your heart to send you in a new direction, then smile. You are getting closer and closer to lift off. Aries are prepping to relaunch themselves. From the end of this month, conditions start to look good for flying. Embrace new emotional and partnership opportunities as you zoom off to your next adventure.
Taurus:
With Venus, your patron goddess of stability, pleasure and charm, so strongly placed right now, things should flow smoothly in Taurean World. The loving energies so magnificently evoked by this New Moon bring succour to Cow-Folk souls. And yet, you know that peace and comfort are not all there is to life, and are looking for something a little more substantial. While the synergies of the next few weeks favour everything to do with enjoying oneself, an ongoing “issssyew” that has plagued you for months also craves your concern. Pallas Athene in your opposite sign has meant for all Taureans a year in which you must harness and focus every ounce of yourself if you are to experience creative reward. Some of you create through artistry, others create through manifesting stability and groundedness in this crazy world. Wherever it is that makes your juices most flow, Pallas demands concentration from you now. Ask yourself if fearing what you might become is getting in the way for you now? Do you sow the seeds for your own inertia by giving up on applying yourself when a moment of stress arrives? Are confusing sexual interactions with others leading to flow-on confusions in other areas of your life? Or are you able to harness your focussing ability to create what you love in your life? 2010 puts your yoking skills to the test. Hitch yourself to your wagon, but don’t make the mistake of simply being a beast of burden to facilitate someone else’s life.
Gemini:
It seems that Geminis always tend to evolve a little bit more around this time of year. With your ruler Mercury getting all grown up in Virgo, you cant help but seem to be serious. To top that off, he is about to go retrograde, making sure your inner growth process gets properly done. How to best make use of this constructive, and infrequent, cosmic condition? Get friendly with details and used to spending time alone. Over the next few weeks, you get to experience both maximum efficiency and what real organization is all about. Use this time to complete transactions, consolidate projects and tweak all planning processes. Whilst you might not feel like sealing the deal until after mid-September, let the energies that flow in the meantime help you locate those loopholes in your affairs that may have escaped your initial glance. The New Moon puts Gemini in a curious place. Mercury is not aspected to any other planet, and so drifts along on his own. While he is strong in Virgo, he is somehow off to the side. You might feel as if you too are out on a limb - with no news to exchange and no neighbours to talk to. If the next 28 days looks a little light on the social side of things, don’t fret. Even the brightest spark needs time out to reenergize. Fall in love with yourself all over again and wait for the tide to turn. Concentrate on your own affairs and let others look after their own.
Cancer:
As the only Cardinal sign not bombarded by planetary forces right now, you think you can relax. But think again, oh Crab-like one. You’ve got the roughest end of the stick! With so many major archetypal forces seeking to balance themselves through your sign, you could be forgiven for feeling a little like the cosmic settling pond right now. All around you, the unconscious motives and desires of others filter through into your life. Super-aware of subtle shifts in energy, you can’t tell from one day to the next if it’s safe to stick your neck out, or a day better spent at home. All of this is useful - building resilience, and helping your capacity for objectivity to grow. Cancerians perpetually struggle with the tendency to become extremely subjective about everything that is happening in the world. Now that so much is going on “out there” for “other people”, you gain a rare opportunity to extend your sensitive little feelers out into the etheric soup, and work out clearly and succinctly who is doing what, when and to whom. Armed with an unprecedented amount of accurate information, you can get busy nurturing others through their lives without angsting unnecessarily about your own. This makes you surprisingly happy, organized and fulfilled. Venus suggests you take a moment or two to enjoy the good things in your life, giving yourself permission to feel pleased. Dedicate the next few weeks to aesthetic enhancement and the fulfillment of desire. There’s plenty to do on the road ahead. Take some time out now for well deserved R an R.
Leo:
No one is more bitten by the romance bug than Leo is right now. With all the Venusian and Jupiterian energy suiting you to a tee, you can’t help but be in the mood for excess, extravagance and lavish gestures- hopefully directed toward you! After yet another round of birthdays, Leos settle back to count their dues. Have you been loved and lingered over? Or is the amount of affection in your life a little deficit right now? Either way, its the perfect time to do something about making your own life more wonderful. The gracious asteroid Juno now traipses through your sign, aligning herself to the New Moon energy to especially help you out. Partnerships, marriages, love letters and all things of a romantic bent are spotlighted for you now. Are you getting what you truly deserve or is there something sorely missing in your life? Leos luxuriate in knowing that they are loved. So pull a paw out, spend some time drawing up your emotional profit-and-loss sheet, then make some decisions about the romance quota in your life. Happy Leos can rest assured. Gorgeous things cometh. Lonely Leos start to roar. Is it time you got yourself back into action and followed the Call of the Wild?
Virgo:
Virgos tend to fall into two camps. Those who admit to themselves the need for order and discipline in at least some aspects of their lives, and those who do not. The former are on fire right now, while the latter fall behind. Mercury is about to go retrograde and issues of organization are brought to the fore. If you can admit to having a predilection for detail, then you probably feel rather content right now. Your ruler Mercury is positioned for an extra long stay in your sign, which is perfect for reconstructing and improving everything that niggles you. What areas of your life can you pull apart and then reconfigure in more practical, stream-lined and efficient forms? With little cosmic energy seeking to throw obstacles in your way, this is a very good time to strip down something so that its essence can be revealed. Whether you apply your analysis and logic to a pet project, your home environment or the current state of your waistline, the next few weeks are superb for reorganizing and realigning anything and everything that deserves your special attention. Your only red flag, as ever, is the potential tendency to fret and overanalyze. Circumvent your potential to pick something to lifeless pieces by scheduling in dedicated time-out. If you cannot see yourself as the organized type then watch out. A retrograde phase of Mercury in his own sign spells chaos as a way of making weaknesses known. Rather than collapse in a heap of worthlessness, why not pick yourself up, admit that it works better when you lay some structure down and get to work improving certain areas of your life. You tend to shine when you approach practical things from a logical state of mind. Embrace the lesson and enjoy the ride.
Libra:
As a Libran of impeccable style and balance, you have an inner mechanism that tells you when you are on form. Highly developed sensors alert you to the slightest hint of discord in your life and finely tuned antennae pick up on any frequencies that are fractious or do not blend. With both your planetary rulers (Saturn and Venus) situated in your sign, you couldn’t be better dressed for success than you are right now. The cosmic surge of energy favouring popularity, success and sudden boosts of income/opportunity is definitely coming your way. All you need to do is attend your own ceremony, appropriately attired and inwardly poised. The next few weeks are hot, hot, hot in Libra-Land so why not make the most of your in-vogue/on-form status? If the Universe wants you to shine right now, do you have any need to argue? With asteroid Vesta also making her way into the mix, serious concentration on future goals is also favoured. Work and discipline come in designer shoes when this combination lights the sky up. Attend the business lunch and accessorize accordingly.
Scorpio:
The New Moon energy brings a much anticipated climax into your life. With both your rulers (Mars and Pluto) under the seductive sway of Venus at this time, we might expect this to represent a moment in your life when desires are met, rewards received and love flows to you unrestrainedly. With a little luck, your happiness cup runneth over. Scorpios quietly manifest love and abundance into their lives by sitting still with a clear intent and focus. If something good comes your way now, it is probably of your own making. Perhaps you should trust in it, be grateful and enjoy it to the fullest?? You are in fact the master of your own destiny, and what springs forth is simply a result of what you have long hoped for and intended to happen in your life. But if things seem a little lack-lustre in your fulfillment sector at the moment, then use the next 28 days to get in touch with what really makes your heart sing. This New Moon triggers the pleasure principle in our lives, and asks you to get serious about the amount of fun in your life. What do you need to feel joyful? It could be something as abstract as autonomy or as tangible as a garden to plant things in. Whatever you end up deciding, this is the time of year to work on bringing it toward you in reality. The rest of this year for you is about focus and manifestation. Why not make your first magic trick the materialization of more pleasure, and the experience of greater comfort? When this is done, you can get on with more noble things, like personal achievement, responsibility and the ending of world hunger.
Sagittarius:
As the Fire sign most likely to explore, you are guilded with special opportunities. The synergy of Venus and Jupiter in simpatico signs is right up Sagittarian alleys. There is power to be gained from indulging most consciously in the pleasures of life. The lovely looks coming your way from Juno, Sun and Moon favour romance, flirts and peccadilloes. Your light is ON.. If you are on the prowl right now, then RIGHT NOW is time for action. Single Saggis can use the fiery passions crystallized in these skies to maximize their capacity for attraction. Get new clothes, new angles and enjoy new levels of mojo. This is a rare month indeed when very little in the cosmos conspires to hold you back. Committed Saggis can also benefit from this cosmically induced Eros-Effect to amplify the depth of their relationships. Discuss with nearest and dearest how adventure, travel, excitement and freedom really make your loins boil, and explain to them in no uncertain times how they can benefit from the surges in your energy-field. Whilst life is not all beer and skittles, there are certain times when the most practical thing to do is have fun. Use every opportunity that comes your way to get out and experience the extraordinary. Say yes to diversion and potential hilarity.
Capricorn:
Nice to see you back in form. Ruler Saturn is back in Libra-land and Capricorn is at the top of the heap right now. Cosmic forces favour all things Saturnian and Pluto amplifies the vibe. Whatever it is you want to achieve, now is a very good time to make it a priority in your life. All the energies in Cardinal signs favour action and ingenuity. Capitalize on the Vibe-de-Jour by becoming very clear about what you want and where you see yourself getting to in your life. Capricorn is not immune to all the love-life vibrations filling the ether now. Once you have checked the progress of your ambitions, it is time to take a break for a while. Let the sensual libations offered Venus as she disposits the ruler of your sign (?!?) filter down into your everyday reality. Maybe you will get closer to where you want to be by letting your hair down this time? Please yourself where pleasure is concerned. Importantly, Jupiter and Saturn are about to face off and affect everybody’s fiscal life. Business and financial cycles that have been swelling since mid 2000 are about to take a turn. This is a natural part of the flow of events and happens every 20 years. Capricorns make the most of it by making certain adjustments in their lives. Business cycles favour contraction as excess growth is even further curbed. Use this as a metaphor for every facet of your life. Prepare to consolidate resources and put the brakes on excess consumption. Streamline your expenditures for a fatter bottom-line.
Aquarius:
You deserve many pats on the back for getting through what has been a roller-coaster ride. The since late 2008, the twists and turns of both your rulers facing off across the sky has brought challenge, discord and mayhem to some Aquarian lives. It has also brought golden moments and once-in-a-lifetime chances to evolve. But after all that cosmic hyperbole, you could be forgiven for craving a moment or three to settle down. Now that Saturn has ensconced himself in Libra and Uranus is taking a late-night cruise through Pisces for the final time, it is ok to rest, recover or even fall down. You have undergone a huge internal rewiring process and are different in many ways from the person you were before. Let the cosmic synergies favouring love and pleasure-seeking also seep into your life. For the next few weeks, make sure you schedule in for yourself plenty of down-time. Even though both your rulers are busy tied up in a Cardinal Cross, the sweet synchronicities of Venus should keep everything on an even keel. Even those brilliant ideas you have forming for what you want to get on with early next year can be put on hold for a while. You need time to float away and let indulgence flood your mind. Book a day at the spa, the hairdressers or the local pub. Whatever takes your fancy is good for you now and is in fact your duty to undergo. Things get busy again fairly imminently. Relax and let yourself flow with the tides.
Pisces:
This is the year when Pisceans revive. After the challenging influence of Saturn opposing you whilst Uranus moved through your sign, things got a little wonky for some of the peeps in Pisces-Land. But now a gorgeous synergy of sweet valentines crops up to light your life. Everyone feels the smooth breeze that Venus brings when she travels through her own sign. You can step up to smell the roses by heightening the joy you are experiencing in your life. What do you love doing mostly and are you getting enough of it now? Before the next New Moon, she will have walked her perfumed bosom all the way to canoodle up with Neptune, ruler of your sign. This suggests you make sure you have plenty of creative and/or spiritualizing time to make the most of these energies now. At the more practical end of the stick, Mercury in Virgo suits routine and disciplines of all kinds. Whilst your sign is not known for its love of detail or rigourous attachment to protocol, you do like things organized and efficient in some ways. The next few weeks bring your inner ‘Neat Freak’ to the fore. If it’s necessary, get to work cleansing body, house and soul. But if you tend to keep a fairly tight rein on such things, then perhaps you can relax? Act vigilant by all means, but maybe turn your mental efforts to other things? It’s Pisces time to dust off the windowsills and sort the proverbial wheat out from the chaff. Start with the people standing in front of you and end with where you feel you need to be. A Spring clean is refreshing when done properly. Get musical and start the vacuum.
