The Journey                Catherine Al-Meten Meyers

*Before you begin this month's column on the New Moon in Capricorn, it might help to understand a little something about the use of fixed stars in astrological interpretation. The following information should provide you with some insight into the comments astrologers make when referring to fixed stars:

Information on Fixed Stars:

"An additional principle is to be taken in consideration: the constellations, which have also been interpreted by numerous astrologers since very ancient times. The sky is divided into 89 regions which include groups of stars forming constellations, themselves divided into three categories:

• the 29 constellations of the Northern hemisphere, from the North Pole to the ecliptic,
• the 13 constellations on the ecliptic,
• the 47 constellations of the Southern hemisphere, from the ecliptic to the South Pole.

The most important stars in these constellations are called fixed stars. They are 149 and their name includes a letter or a number, and the name of the constellation they belong to.

Thus, there are 80 constellations, which are regions of the sky, usually measuring between 15 to 40 degrees each (half a sign to one sign and a half). Each region "tinges" the near-by angles and planets with its nature, and the 149 fixed stars influence accordingly any natal planet or angle they are in tight conjunction with." (From Astrotheme.com website). 

December, 2016's New Moon at 7/59 or 8 degrees of Capricorn occurs on Wednesday, December 28 at 10:53 P.M PST/Thursday, December 29 at 1:53 A.M. EST.  Occuring in the first decan of Capricorn, this New Moon aligns with the constellation of Sagittarius and aligns directly with the nebula, Facies, located in front of the Archer's eye. The ancients understood the importance of the so-called fixed stars. Nothing in the Universe is truely fixed as everything is in constant motion. However, the constellations provide us with a steady and consistent guide to movement and influences of the energy alive in the Universe. According to Ptolemy, "The stars at the point of the arrow in Sagittarius have influences similar to that of Mars and the Moon; those on the bow, and at the graspe of the hand act like Jupiter and Mars. Those in the waist and in the back resemble Jiupiter and also Mercury in moderation. Those in the feet, Jupiter and Saturn those in the feet, Jupiter and Saturn"  (Robinson, p. 60). The New Moon at 8 degrees of Capricorn aims the Arhcer's arrows in the direction of whatever the penetrating stare of the actor, doer is. Where we aim our thoughts, words, deeds, and intentions, especially at the time of the New Moon, is released directly into the channel of movement toward that goal. It behooves all of us to slow down a bit, reflect on and carefully weigh our thoughts, and move with some caution as we move forward.

This New Moon is the start of the lunar month ahead, and with this powerful energy, we move toward the end of the this year. Aligned with Facies, we want to use caution to avoid rash and violent behavior. The positive side of Facies is that it contains the energy of great feats of physical prowess and daring, but it also comes at some cost. Exercise caution. As I write this column, we are moving into the period of the lunar cycle known as the Dark of the Moon. The few days right before a new moon at the end of each lunar month, is a time to reflect, slow down, and consider what is moving out of your experience, and what it is you want to move toward. Since this is also at the gateway to a new year, we are finishing up a major cycle and preparing for a new one. It's been a tumultuous year, and it is now time to discern what it is we want to release and what it is we want to seed for the future. 

This period is also a good time to spend in reflection, cleansing, clearing, and releasing rituals. Before the New Moon, remove whatever no longer belongs in your home, your life, and your future. Clean things up, get rid of old or unused clothes, appliances, household items, and other objects that no longer belong in your life. It's a time to consider what you want to include in, bring forth, attract, or continue in the new year ahead. What goals are calling, what dreams are beckoning?  

As we enter the dark of the Moon in Sagittarius, it  forms a sextile with Mars in Pisces. That arrow is now  ready in the bow, the Archer, you, are lining up a shot for the start of the new lunar month and the new solar year ahead. What are you wanting to bring forth in the new year? What seeds are you planting? What needs weeding out? What are you willing to invest in order to achieve your dreams?

This Wednesday before the New Moon Mercury conjuncts with the Sun in Capricorn. Mercury rules communication and transportation and the Moon rules our emotions and well being. In alignment in Capricorn they form an odd couple. Mercury's energy is more anxious and excitable than we find ourselves in Capricorn. The Sun's energy is helping us focus our attention on getting what is necessary done. What is right before you that needs tending to? What do you need to do to ground and center yourself enough to be in true alignment and balance as you proceed on your journey? What needs changing, healing, adjusting in not only the way you live but also in how you are living? How has your perscpective changed, or how might it change to more aptly refect your true nature and abilities? What is feasible? What is not? What can you adjust to meet the world as it is?

Saturn, the Great Teacher,  at 21 degrees of Sagittarius is square Chiron, the Wounded Healer, in Pisces. We are forced to confront whatever is unhealed from our past. We are always healing on this life journey. We may feel like we are repeating cycles or patterns, and if we are, we may need to face some part of ourselves that is still deepening in awareness. This is, after all, what growing is all about. And at this particular time with the New Moon we find we are learning that old lessons, chronic conditions, or problems and challenges that recur require an adjustment in our perspectives. If we are going to be dealing with the same patterns over and over, how can we do so with greater wisdom? Now is the time to assess what we have within  us to cope with the choices we have made.  Given our energy level, resources, motivation, skills, talents, desires, time and support, what is truly feasible for us to be considering? And what is not? What could we release, thereby freeing up some space and energy? What could we clear out of our lives, or cross off our to-do lists? These are not new lessons; these are the ones we are familiar with. Let's take a look, decide where we stand, make some adjustments, and prepare ourselves for a new approach with old friends. 

An example of how this works out in our lives, might be in looking at some situation, opportunity, or offer you may have recently said "no thank you" to. Sometimes we make that choice because it doens't 'feel' right. Other times we don't accept an offer because we recognize we have too many commitments already. If we are using our intuitive and esoteric guidance to help discern what the best decisions or choices are, we often find that even if we don't understand why something doesn't seem right at the time, in time we come ot discover, the rightness of such a choice. We refuse one offers so we are available when what we have seeded for our future offers itself to us.  Recently, I chose not to accept an offer for what sounded like a great idea. Something I love doing, good pay in a beautiful place. But something about it didn't feel right for me. What did happen instead required all my attention, focus, strength, and energy, so I am very glad I listened to that  inner voice. It is time to find quiet and peace within and around you so you can pay close attention to what you want to do about that which matters most to you. Getting our of our worry boat and into a vehicle which allows us ways to be creative. To be of service and to find meaning. To work for what is right in ways that sustain and energize us, and to keep moving toward the light in spite of any darkness that appears before us. One candle throws a hole into the darkness. We are those lights, and what we do individually lights up a collective energy that we need right now to counter the darkness that threatens balance and harmony. It is time to experiment with a new perspective on aspects of our lives that are not going to change. 

To help us, we have 10 planetary aspects that come with this New Moon in Capricorn. My Mother, who's birthday is today, would always say, "I' have so much to do. There are so many things that need taking care of." When I looked at her, I wondered what she meant. At the time she was not working full time and it seemed to me as a young teenager or young adult that she just hung around the house all day talking to appliances, cats, and dogs. What I didnt' see was the rich interior life she had, and the connection she had to everything. When young, the young Mountain Goat hiked the hills and valleys of Catalina Island, swam and sat on the rocks with her friends, and wrote, drew, and played music filing her life and the lives of others with purpose, meaning, and beauty. A hard working woman and a wonderful mother, she was ever present. She knew who she was and she found purpose and meaning, adventure and discovery in every new phase of life. She was an avid beach comber, and wrote beautiful poems of her life along the shores. She also wrote insightful and beautiful poetry of her daughters. There was a spirit of purpose, adventure, and presence about her that is very Capricorn-like. And today as I celebrater her life and the lives of my other Capricorn friends, I see such value in being so busily engaged in life...in every moment of the life we have before us.

This is a time for a fresh start, a new begining, but it is also a time to take pride in what we have already learned. Putting what we have learned about ourselves and others, we put our intentions force and make a plan to live within our means. To live within the parameters of the life we have been given, and to use our time to do what gives us life and what serves a purpose in the world we share. We are reacing the end of one chapter, and begining a new one. With Mercury still in its retrograde phase until January 4, we might find that communications and transportation issues are still abit convoluted and sticky. Relax, slow down, wait it out. Do what you can, and then let go of trying to fix what can't be fixed, or hurry up the clock. Be present with yourself, the life you have, and the blessing of having this life to live. Reach out and help someone else. You'll find it helps a lot to get our of your deep, dark self to lighten up someone else's burden or lend a hand or shine a light or surprise someone pleasantly. Use this time and the New Moon on Wed./Thurs. December 28-29 to set your aim toward what is most worthwhile, hopeful, feasible, and creative. And have some fun.Take time to take care of yourself. Peel that nose up off the old grindstone, and look around to find beauty, pleasure, peace, and joy. It's all within and around you. It just requires your attention. Peace on Earth. May we generate Love in all we do. 

Turning Toward the Light: Winter Solstice, Sun Entering Capricorn

Last Quarter Square of the Moon                                                                                          Catherine Al-Meten  Meyers

On Wednesday, December 21, 2016 the Sun changes signs from Sagittarius to Capricorn as the Winter Solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere (the Summer Solstice in the Southern). At 5:45 A.M. EST/2:45 PST the Sun enters Capricorn. Just an hour later, Mars in the early degrees of Pisces forms a semi-square to Pluto in Capricorn just an hour later. After its transit through Aquarius, Mars settles into a more fluid state in Pisces making us feel more spiritually and emotionally motivated than we have been with its edgy and electrical transit through Aquarius. With Mars in Pisces, we tend to avoid confrontation and look at life through a softer lens seeking higher ideals and greater connection with others. We may find ourselves wanting to act with greater compassion towards others, and this couldn’t come at a more opportune time as the holidays are in full swing. The semi-square to Pluto in Capricorn motivates us to reach out in more practical ways, and to use what we have learned in recent transformations to delve deeper into the spiritual messages and lessons that we are being pushed to learn.

The Sun’s entry into Capricorn also encourages us to act with greater propriety and to strive to align our sense of responsibility with a greater appreciation for a higher order. Even amid tumultuous changes, we begin to feel ourselves on a more even keel, and seek to put structure, order, and organization into our lives. After spending some time planning, dreaming, and setting some projects into motion, we become more aware of boundaries, limitations, and expectations based on a more realistic and feasible assessment of our resources and possibilities. We may continue to work towards what we can feasibly achieve or work towards, as we gather with like-minded friends and determine what materials, inspiration, ideas, support, and energy we have to accomplish our goals. For some, this is a time to slow down and get some rest. It is a time of recovery, healing, and release. As we are also approaching the end of the year, we may have no option but to tread water for a while.

Mercury (which just turned retrograde on December 19-January 4) is also in Capricorn. This transit affects all forms of communication making it a time when we need to be more reflective, calm, and peaceful. We need to discern what is the best  way to approach our lives in a more  organized, pragmatic, and balanced manner. We need to consider all areas of our lives (physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, psychological). The aim right now would be to approach whatever we have to do or want to do in a manner that adds to our sense of well being and harmony. Without detaching from our feelings or intellect, we need to weigh in the balance what really matters in our lives and what does not. We have no energy, time, or inclination at this point to waste time, resources, or focus on anything that distracts us or that takes us away from the priorities we are setting for ourselves at this time.

Venus is in Aquarius makes us feel a greater need for freedom especially within any type of relationship and in the way we are envisioning the world and our roles in that world. We seek innovation along with independence, and have more ideas than we have time or resources to tackle them. We can harness some of the energy, inspiration, and desire that we are filled with at this time, and use it to fuel our dreams, and help bring them into manifestation. Our dreams and intuition may be sparked by some very odd or out-of-the-ordinary types of insight or understandings. Pay attention to what is welling up within your dreams, in hunches or flashes of insight, or in passing conversations or associations that seem to spring serendipitously into sight at just the right moment. If we are moving at a slower pace and being more mindful, we will find that what we need appears almost before we can articulate it; what we desire drops little pieces of knowledge, intuition, insight, or perfect timing moments right in our laps. Be receptive to receiving your good, and do not hesitate to express and show your own appreciation, love, or support to those near and far. Respond to the deeper sense of what is the next right and perfect act, and you might be very pleasantly surprised what a release this is.

Venus forms a lovely trine to Jupiter on Christmas Eve, December 24-25. This is one of the most harmonious and joyful aspects possible. Notice where this takes place in your chart. You won’t have any trouble feeling a greater sense of joy, abundance, peace, and harmony in whatever area of your life this touches. It should spread to all aspects of your life, especially if you give up the expectations that life should be a certain way. Live with what is, and allow it to fill you with peace and joy. This is a wonderful aspect for social events, and a sense of trust and love as well as a feeling of greater harmony and connection.

Venus’ harmonious aspects include a sextile to Uranus in Aries, giving us a greater sense of daring and the desire to take some healthy risks. We lose our sense of fear and despair, and find ways to connect in more meaningful ways than we have in a while. Surprising light shines on us and wakes us up to possibilities and hope.  Venus also forms a lovely sextile to Saturn on Christmas Day. This brings a more solid sense of connection and stability into our lives. We feel at home where we are and with those we are with. If we are on our own, we feel connected and grounded and at peace with ourselves as well.

The last quarter square of the Moon in Libra on Tuesday evening reminds us of what we need to release or have ended. We are at the stage of the lunar and solar cycles where we move into a new beginning. Just as the Winter Solstice ushers in the turning point of the seasons, so too does the Moon’s lunar square lead us into the days before the next new moon-a time of the dark of the moon approaches. So we begin our turn toward the Light with a need to go deeper into our spiritual and inner realms. We still need to question, assess, face in some cases, and discern the movement in our lives. We are approaching a major transition time, and yet one that is highly in need of reflection as the movement occurs.

Take the time you need to rest, to quiet yourself on all levels, and to touch the elements that bring you back into balance. A walk by the sea or river, a hike up a mountain trail or out into the yard to gaze upon the stars in the sky. Gather round a fire or cleanse in a warm bath. Swim in the ocean or wander out into the desert where you can get a greater perspective on the limitless possibilities and with the reaches of Infinity. There is so much more than appears before your eyes or than makes sense in your mind. Breathe in the beauty, hope, possibility, and greater Love that overwhelms and overpowers even the greatest sorrow, even the worst of moments. Let yourself be filled with the Spirit of Love and Light, and let it transform you. And you in turn can be part of creating greater love and light as you alleviate and rid yourself of fear and doubt. Blessings for the Winter Solstice, a holy and merry Christmas, and light throughout the days of Chanukah. Every day is sacred, each of us is Holy. Let that truth light the fire within you regardless of what your traditions or beliefs. We are One. Share your light.

Super Full Moon in Gemini and the Mystical Rectangle

Full Moon                                                                                                                              Catherine Al-Meten Meyers

At 7:06 EST/4:06 PST the Moon reaches her fullness in Gemini at 22/26 degrees. The Full Moon is in exact opposition to the Sun in Sagittarius at 22/26. Mercury is in Capricorn at 12/48 in conjunction with Pluto at 16 degrees Capricorn. Venus is in Aquarius at 7/22 degrees, and Mars is at 25/26 degrees of the same sign. Jupiter is in Libra at 18/52 degrees forming an opposition to Uranus in 20/40 degrees of Aries. The Sun’s transit of Sagittarius is in a waning conjunction with Saturn, and is forming a trine with Uranus. Neptune at 9/24 degree of Pisces and Chiron also in Pisces, continue their transits through the watery depths. The North Node is at 7 degrees of Virgo in a waning opposition to Neptune.

The polarities represented by this Full Moon in Gemini opposite the Sun in Sagittarius focuses our attention on the intellect, the lower and higher mind, and all forms of thought. Gemini illuminates the pragmatic, practical, logical approach to life; Sagittarius ignites our fires by urging us to think beyond limitations, boundaries, and darkness. The Sun in Sagittarius is sparking our imagination at this time, urging us to look for innovative ways to cope with problems and deal with issues that may seem unresolvable. The Gemini Moon keeps us focused on our immediate environment asking that we count our blessings and recognize what we have going for us. Between the two, we find the answers we seek. If we go to one extreme or the other, we miss the mark. Time to bring our thinking into balance as a way to calm ourselves for collective and individual action and progress. Whatever new path we have recently begun continues to reveal whatever gifts and challenges we are ready to meet. In Virgo, the North Node places a great deal of importance on getting our lives in order and on taking care of business. This full moon additonally calls on us to get our thinking in order and doing what aligns our thoughts, ideas, and beliefs best with body, mind, spirit, and with whatever it is we are creating.

This Gemini Full Moon opposes Saturn, sextiles Uranus and Ceres, trines Jupiter, and is guided by the fixed stars Capella in the constellation of Ariga, Phact in the constellation of Columba, and Mintaka in Orion’s Belt. The Moon is in the first degrees of Gemini as I write, and will be in the 3rd decan of Gemini by the time of her fullness. The third decan is influenced by Cancer which means we will be seeking ideas that help us achieve greater security and a sense of feeling at home. Capella is thought to be archetypal of the magical power of imagination. Associated with Sapphires and the herb Thyme, Capella’s influence may enhance whatever we are hoping to attract or create. Capella’s wisdom “gives honor, wealth, eminence,renown, a public position of trust  and eminent friends. Capella makes its natives careful, inquisitive, fond of knowledge, and innovation. Phact is the symbolic Dove of Peace that brings a powerful spirit and good fortune into whatever is being molded, envisioned, or created. Mintaka is the third star in Orion’s Belt, and is also considered to be a fortuitous sign. All three of these stars bring out the higher minds and more compassionate aspects of the soul of the world. It brings out what is best within us.

This Full Moon is part of the Mystical Rectangle alignment. The Moon opposes Saturn and Jupiter opposes Uranus. Saturn as a result forms a sextile to Jupiter in Libra and a trine to Ceres and Mars in Aries. The Moon forms a trine to Jupiter and sextiles Ceres and Mars in Aries. This Mystical Rectangle forms an external harmony that conceals brewing conflicts and repressed tension. Saturn’s aspects reveal extreme ambition and a strident desire to be proactive and in command. Jupiter’ opposition to Uranus indicates an eye opening, ear-splitting revelation that sets off a storm of some kind. The Mystical Rectangle represents the need to harness opposing forces and provide security through more harmonious means. This alignment often causes great confusion or blindness before revealing or sparking a major conversion or transformation. A time of great revelations and upsetting circumstances that break down through complete upheaval followed by an epiphany or two. It should be an interesting time.

As the Moon in Gemini opposes Saturn, we find the time has come for getting serious about what our driving desires are and how our energy is being directed along those lines. As the Moon rules our emotional well being, balance, habits, and patterns of behavior, and Saturn rules organization and structure, we find that we are compelled to get our business in order. Obligations and routines become more important than ever, as we strive to get our affairs in order so that we can operate more efficiently and effectively. Our families and our sense of community is strong at this time, and we do whatever we can to defend and protect our reputation and traditions. Anyone who is out of line and who threatens the reputation or honor of that family/community/nation, is dressed down. Preserving honor and saving face is a key element for the society at large and for individuals in particular.

The Moon in Gemini forming a sextile to Uranus in Aries, brings out the radical and those who defy the status quo. This equates to adding fuel to the fire of those who like the attention for their outlandish or nontraditional ways of attracting attention. Personal freedom, independence, and electronic media challenge those who are seeking to get their message out or to affect change. The potential harmony that this Mystical Rectangle presents is nevertheless dependent upon the center not erupting and blowing things apart. We need to harness our energy and channel it effectively. Be attentive and discerning to what is released at this time. The abruptness of the pace of shocking events we are experiencing demands that we maintain cool heads and sound judgment in all we say and do.

The Moon in Gemini sextile Ceres in Aries combine the Divine Feminine energies into a potent and powerful force. Avoid using this energy to act out of woundedness and pain, but instead seek ways to nourish (self and others) and to use your resources wisely. Conserve energy and avoid trying to do it all and fix it all in one fell swoop. Time to nurture and soothe the inner and outer connections and relationships.

The Moon in Gemini sextile Jupiter in Libra shines her light on the bounty, beauty, and breathless wonder of what lies within us and what is possible around and before us. Writers, composers, artists, and all who seek to create beauty and harmony will feel so inspired by this Full Moon that great works and inspirational seeds will be planted and some will bloom before your eyes at this time. What we have nurtured, cared for, and worked hard to bring to fruition will now attract the support of others who want to provide both the resources needed and to provide a showcase for what you have brought to life. There is an element of synchronicity about this Full Moon, being in the right place at the right time. Jupiter is the planet of Abundance, and when in such an alignment, can bestow unimaginable gifts and blessings. Avoid overdoing because Jupiter also pushes us to go overboard at times. Find a way to temper your excitement and revelry. Find that inner joy and peace to ground your creativity and good works in. Let your light shine.

This Full Moon with the Mystical Rectangle also includes the Persephone stellium, the meeting of Pluto and Ceres/Persephone in Capricorn. This aspect draws attention to injustice, abuse, or corruption of some kind. In particular anything or anyone who has stepped beyond the boundaries and who has infringed on, cheated, or abuse of any kind. Whether it be crimes related to abuse of power, authority, position, or imbalances and inequities in all kinds of relationships, this will be a time for accountability and justice. Those who have harmed or misrepresented or abused other, will be held to account for and pay the price for whatever has been revealed.

The Super Moon in Gemini brings the tides to their highest point and all the emotional waters to the surface as well. Use your spiritual and physical practices to bring yourself into balance and alignment, and focus your attention and thinking on what you can do right where you are. Be connected to those areas where you have the most chance of affecting change, and keep your thoughts and your imagination, your intuition and your decision focused on working for what is right and acknowledging the progress, growth, and awakenings that have already taken place. We were created for this moment. Let's use our energy for what is best for creating peace within whatever storms we must weather. Use our thinking for finding solutions to problems, and to discerning what we are called to do next. Spend some of this Full Moon time simply letting yourself be at one with your place in the grand scheme of things, and connect to that which you know as the Divine. Let that fill you and calm your mind, soothe your troubled emotions, and find peace within your heart and soul.

A New Time, A New Moon: Reflecting and Preparing

The Pathway                                Catherine Al-Meten Meyers

"The World will not be destroyed by those who do evil, 

but by those who watch them without doing anything." Albert Einstein.

The New Moon November 29, 2016 will be at 7 degrees of Sagittarius. The New Moon in the first decan of Sagittarius (the decan ruled and influenced by Scorpio) squares Neptune in Pisces as well as the North and South nodes (that which we are growing into and that which we have been charged with changing, releasing, and transforming). Sagittarius, the fiery archer is conjunct (within 2 degrees)  the fixed star Antares. Additionally, there is a stellium of fire in Sagittarius with The Sun and Moon both at 7 degrees, Saturn at 17 degrees, and Mercury at 25 degrees. Look for any aspects of these planets to your natal and progressed planets, to be aware of  what you need to be prepared for.

Pluto and Venus are both in Capricorn, Mars and Jupiter are both in air signs (Mars in Aquarius and Jupiter in Libra), and Uranus is in fiery Aries.  Neptune and Chiron, the Wounded Healer both in Pisces, will be squared by the New Moon thus showing us where our dreams, illusions, expectations, and intuition can provide the vision or wake up call we need to heal through our woundedness. We can either get lost in our delusions, devastated by what has hurt or blind sided us, or we can use these experiences to acknowledge what has to be worked on, healed, and overcome. And that begins within, for what we create and perceive comes directly out of our understanding of our selves and the world in which we live.

The lunar nodes, North Node and South Node are interesting points in each of our charts/lives. The nodes are not planets or actual bodies of any type. Rather they are mathematically determined angles/points that show the relationship of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth at the moment of our birth. The North Node is considered one of the most potent and powerful points in our charts. The nodes represent our soul journey and what it is we brought into this life and what it is we are here become and do.  At this point in our collective historical journey, we are each being stirred to respond to the calling of our soul. The North Node at 7 degrees of earthy Virgo and the South Node a 7 degrees of Pisces signal where our basic challenges, struggles, and gifts lie.  Look to the areas of your life (houses in the chart) where the movement of the nodes is happening. The nodes are in constant motion like everything else in our lives, however, their transits are slow and long.

We have time. We've already been called to notice, to wake up, and to pay attention to what needs to be changed in order for our lives to progress according to our soul's calling. And with the South node in Pisces, we recognize that our dreams, intuition, fantasies, and illusions have become even stronger for a while (in whatever area of our lives the transit is taking place). South Node in Pisces reminds us of the karmic lessons we have come here to heal from, and as Neptune and Chiron have been working their way deep into this area of our lives, we cannot help but notice what is not working and how we need to learn some new ways of standing up for ourselves, making necessary changes, and honoring our innate purpose for being and finding meaning.

I feel compelled to write this column over a week ahead of the New Moon for it seems such a crucial period of time. By next weekend we will approach the dark of the Moon phase, and that is a time to prepare and do some deep reflective work in order to set intentions for the next phase of life. When I interpret a chart, I read the North Node as a gateway, a point at which major change takes place. As both the Sun and then the New Moon in Sagittarius square these points, we can look for the Archer's bow to release an arrow that will target movement in the area of our lives that most need transforming. So it is crucial that we be awake, aware, and acting with intention from a place of love not fear.

This week ahead is a time when we begin the last days of the year. This is a period of time when we gather to celebrate holidays, we bring the business of the year to a close, and when we plan and set our sites on the new year ahead. The more we can ground ourselves through our spiritual practices, radical self care, and plenty of time for reflection, rest, and preparation to meet the challenges ahead, the better. With the Sun entering Sagittarius in a couple of days (November 22), the fiery energy cycle of activity, movement, and charging ahead begins. The New Moon squaring the South Node conjunct Neptune will result in flushing out the toxins in all areas of our system. Now is a good time to clear out whatever is blocking, stagnating, or holding energy at bay. It's also a time to release yourself from whatever toxic relationships and alliances are not going to serve your highest good as you move forward. Whatever Faustian bargains you may have made now break apart or need to be broken. We cannot maintain life-draining alliances that threaten our individual or collective health.

The New Moon square to the South Node conjunct Neptune will also most likely be used to cover up and deflect from those who are making bargains with the devil, metaphorically speaking. Avoid being distracted by smoke screens or veils meant to cover corrupting practices. Avoid being taken in by the whimpering cries of a baby who simply needs attention. The deeper problems and the corrupting and deceptive practices going on behind the scenes, and many right out in public, are being carried out ruthlessly. Hubris and arrogance are rampant, and we see the toadies rushing to kiss the rings of those who hold authority and power. We must be vigilant and not fooled by what is going on. And this goes for our own private lives as well, for we are now at a crossroads where we must choose wisely and consider what is for our highest good, health, and well being as well as that of our friends, neighbors, and those who are most threatened.  We all need to seek shelter from the storms by keeping clear vision and maintaining a solid, principled base.

The Moon square Neptune is also causing us to absorb the energy around us. Our opinions and emotional responses and reactions are being affected by opposing forces and blurring of boundaries. Expressing emotions and thoughts is not the problem for most at this point; narrowing in and grounding with all the opposing energy though is.  The Sun in Sagittarius will also being squaring Neptune, and this will further expose and trigger us making us feel more sensitive and vulnerable. It is definitely a time when we need to use our creativity, our imagination, and our ability to dream and envision to channel our energy. The negative side of this energy is projecting our own views on others. Avoid escaping into drugs, alcohol, or unhealthy practices as this will only warp our perceptions more. This is a time when the savior complex rises to the surface of those whose own unhealed and unacknowledged shadows take over. Essential for our own health and well being to stay as clear and grounded as possible, despite the reactions that are triggered by the unprecedented upheaval and transformation that is revealing itself around and within us.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard or observed people who either say or act as if their lives have completely been turned upside down. For some, it is the personal upheaval that has changed the very essence and identity; for others it's the realization that what was bearable or tolerable, is in fact dangerous and impossible. And as my friends in earthquake country will tell you, just when you think you're on solid ground again, when months have passed and you're feeling somewhat safe again, a big tremblor rocks your reality, and you remember. Oh yes, we live on a dynamic planet, and that means everything, every form of life on this planet, and indeed in the entire of all that is, is in constant, perpetual motion. Some of us hang crystals around our homes. These beautiful pieces of life catch light, reflect it, and cast beautiful patterns all around us. And these seeming sold objects, are neither solid nor fluid, but are in perpetual motion at a rate so high that they give the illusion of stillness. We need to remember that we too are like this. And we need to hold fast to the Light within, and keep breathing and being awake to our place in this presence, this moment, and then the next.

This is indeed a dynamic time, and we were made to withstand much. Our gift is that we naturally seek stasis---balance. Remember we are held on the fulcrum--the point in steady motion that holds us in balance. Use your gifts, resources, talents, calling, and daily life to ground yourself, release yourself, express yourself, and work in constant harmony with yourself and with those with whom you connect. When too far inside yourself, reach out. When too exposed, seek shelter. And always be at peace with yourself. Avoid beating up on yourself and when in doubt, make lists or paint or sing or bake, or do whatever it is you do well. Appreciate that you and I are here on Earth at this time to make peace and help create the ongoing Creation. Let's do our part, and do it with love, compassion, and as much joy as we can summon up. Be at peace and at one with yourself so you can be at peace at at one with others. We are poised on a precipice where we must make choices about how we are going to live and what we are going to agree with or not. We need to do what we can where we are to speak from a point of integrity, congruence, and be willing to do what is right.

A New Time, A New Moon: Reflecting and Preparing

The Pathway                                Catherine Al-Meten Meyers

"The World will not be destroyed by those who do evil, 

but by those who watch them without doing anything." Albert Einstein.

The New Moon November 29, 2016 will be at 7 degrees of Sagittarius. The New Moon in the first decan of Sagittarius (the decan ruled and influenced by Scorpio) squares Neptune in Pisces as well as the North and South nodes (that which we are growing into and that which we have been charged with changing, releasing, and transforming). Sagittarius, the fiery archer is conjunct (within 2 degrees)  the fixed star Antares. Additionally, there is a stellium of fire in Sagittarius with The Sun and Moon both at 7 degrees, Saturn at 17 degrees, and Mercury at 25 degrees. Look for any aspects of these planets to your natal and progressed planets, to be aware of  what you need to be prepared for.

Pluto and Venus are both in Capricorn, Mars and Jupiter are both in air signs (Mars in Aquarius and Jupiter in Libra), and Uranus is in fiery Aries.  Neptune and Chiron, the Wounded Healer both in Pisces, will be squared by the New Moon thus showing us where our dreams, illusions, expectations, and intuition can provide the vision or wake up call we need to heal through our woundedness. We can either get lost in our delusions, devastated by what has hurt or blind sided us, or we can use these experiences to acknowledge what has to be worked on, healed, and overcome. And that begins within, for what we create and perceive comes directly out of our understanding of our selves and the world in which we live.

The lunar nodes, North Node and South Node are interesting points in each of our charts/lives. The nodes are not planets or actual bodies of any type. Rather they are mathematically determined angles/points that show the relationship of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth at the moment of our birth. The North Node is considered one of the most potent and powerful points in our charts. The nodes represent our soul journey and what it is we brought into this life and what it is we are here become and do.  At this point in our collective historical journey, we are each being stirred to respond to the calling of our soul. The North Node at 7 degrees of earthy Virgo and the South Node a 7 degrees of Pisces signal where our basic challenges, struggles, and gifts lie.  Look to the areas of your life (houses in the chart) where the movement of the nodes is happening. The nodes are in constant motion like everything else in our lives, however, their transits are slow and long.

We have time. We've already been called to notice, to wake up, and to pay attention to what needs to be changed in order for our lives to progress according to our soul's calling. And with the South node in Pisces, we recognize that our dreams, intuition, fantasies, and illusions have become even stronger for a while (in whatever area of our lives the transit is taking place). South Node in Pisces reminds us of the karmic lessons we have come here to heal from, and as Neptune and Chiron have been working their way deep into this area of our lives, we cannot help but notice what is not working and how we need to learn some new ways of standing up for ourselves, making necessary changes, and honoring our innate purpose for being and finding meaning.

I feel compelled to write this column over a week ahead of the New Moon for it seems such a crucial period of time. By next weekend we will approach the dark of the Moon phase, and that is a time to prepare and do some deep reflective work in order to set intentions for the next phase of life. When I interpret a chart, I read the North Node as a gateway, a point at which major change takes place. As both the Sun and then the New Moon in Sagittarius square these points, we can look for the Archer's bow to release an arrow that will target movement in the area of our lives that most need transforming. So it is crucial that we be awake, aware, and acting with intention from a place of love not fear.

This week ahead is a time when we begin the last days of the year. This is a period of time when we gather to celebrate holidays, we bring the business of the year to a close, and when we plan and set our sites on the new year ahead. The more we can ground ourselves through our spiritual practices, radical self care, and plenty of time for reflection, rest, and preparation to meet the challenges ahead, the better. With the Sun entering Sagittarius in a couple of days (November 22), the fiery energy cycle of activity, movement, and charging ahead begins. The New Moon squaring the South Node conjunct Neptune will result in flushing out the toxins in all areas of our system. Now is a good time to clear out whatever is blocking, stagnating, or holding energy at bay. It's also a time to release yourself from whatever toxic relationships and alliances are not going to serve your highest good as you move forward. Whatever Faustian bargains you may have made now break apart or need to be broken. We cannot maintain life-draining alliances that threaten our individual or collective health.

The New Moon square to the South Node conjunct Neptune will also most likely be used to cover up and deflect from those who are making bargains with the devil, metaphorically speaking. Avoid being distracted by smoke screens or veils meant to cover corrupting practices. Avoid being taken in by the whimpering cries of a baby who simply needs attention. The deeper problems and the corrupting and deceptive practices going on behind the scenes, and many right out in public, are being carried out ruthlessly. Hubris and arrogance are rampant, and we see the toadies rushing to kiss the rings of those who hold authority and power. We must be vigilant and not fooled by what is going on. And this goes for our own private lives as well, for we are now at a crossroads where we must choose wisely and consider what is for our highest good, health, and well being as well as that of our friends, neighbors, and those who are most threatened.  We all need to seek shelter from the storms by keeping clear vision and maintaining a solid, principled base.

The Moon square Neptune is also causing us to absorb the energy around us. Our opinions and emotional responses and reactions are being affected by opposing forces and blurring of boundaries. Expressing emotions and thoughts is not the problem for most at this point; narrowing in and grounding with all the opposing energy though is.  The Sun in Sagittarius will also being squaring Neptune, and this will further expose and trigger us making us feel more sensitive and vulnerable. It is definitely a time when we need to use our creativity, our imagination, and our ability to dream and envision to channel our energy. The negative side of this energy is projecting our own views on others. Avoid escaping into drugs, alcohol, or unhealthy practices as this will only warp our perceptions more. This is a time when the savior complex rises to the surface of those whose own unhealed and unacknowledged shadows take over. Essential for our own health and well being to stay as clear and grounded as possible, despite the reactions that are triggered by the unprecedented upheaval and transformation that is revealing itself around and within us.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard or observed people who either say or act as if their lives have completely been turned upside down. For some, it is the personal upheaval that has changed the very essence and identity; for others it's the realization that what was bearable or tolerable, is in fact dangerous and impossible. And as my friends in earthquake country will tell you, just when you think you're on solid ground again, when months have passed and you're feeling somewhat safe again, a big tremblor rocks your reality, and you remember. Oh yes, we live on a dynamic planet, and that means everything, every form of life on this planet, and indeed in the entire of all that is, is in constant, perpetual motion. Some of us hang crystals around our homes. These beautiful pieces of life catch light, reflect it, and cast beautiful patterns all around us. And these seeming sold objects, are neither solid nor fluid, but are in perpetual motion at a rate so high that they give the illusion of stillness. We need to remember that we too are like this. And we need to hold fast to the Light within, and keep breathing and being awake to our place in this presence, this moment, and then the next.

This is indeed a dynamic time, and we were made to withstand much. Our gift is that we naturally seek stasis---balance. Remember we are held on the fulcrum--the point in steady motion that holds us in balance. Use your gifts, resources, talents, calling, and daily life to ground yourself, release yourself, express yourself, and work in constant harmony with yourself and with those with whom you connect. When too far inside yourself, reach out. When too exposed, seek shelter. And always be at peace with yourself. Avoid beating up on yourself and when in doubt, make lists or paint or sing or bake, or do whatever it is you do well. Appreciate that you and I are here on Earth at this time to make peace and help create the ongoing Creation. Let's do our part, and do it with love, compassion, and as much joy as we can summon up. Be at peace and at one with yourself so you can be at peace at at one with others. We are poised on a precipice where we must make choices about how we are going to live and what we are going to agree with or not. We need to do what we can where we are to speak from a point of integrity, congruence, and be willing to do what is right.

Super Full Moon in Taurus: Rocking the Boat in Turbulent Times

YOU ARE LOVED                                                CATHERINE AL-METEN MEYERS

As of Saturday, November 12, 2016 when I sat down to write this column, I see more major shifts about to take place. Both Mercury, the planet of communications, Venus, the planet of balance and harmony, have both changed signs and energy.  By the time of the Full Moon in Taurus at 3 degrees on Monday, Mercury will be at 3/1 degrees of Sagittarius, the fiery, action-packed archetype, and Venus  will be at  2/52  of grounded, pragmatic, let’s-get-it-done Capricorn.  The Taurus Full Moon is in the Saturn-ruled decan of the sign, making this a very difficult time...a time for learning and reevaluating how our plans have lifted and supported us or failed to do so. Saturn is also in Sagittarius at 15/50 degrees indicating that whatever we are hoping to express, create, or produce may meet with some challenges, obstacles, or set backs.  The Full Moon peaks Monday morning on the West Coast of the US. The Moon Sunday night is the waxing full moon.

With the Saturn and Pluto energy (Great Teacher and Great Transformer) both affecting the energy of this Full Moon in Taurus, the elements of doom and gloom, or as one friend called it this morning, a sense if darkness, may become more prominent. This is not a great time to self medicate or try to bury the feelings or bury ourselves in our own darkness. It is a time for radical self care--doing that which helps you preserve, release emotions of grief, pain, anger, and channel your energy into constructive, loving, affirming acts. One friend got a bunch of safety pins and attached little hearts to them. She’s giving them away to friends as a reminder that love is stronger than hate. This kind act of compassion is what is needed in times of darkness. Something to help quell the ferocity of unexpressed anger and fear. We're not going to 'get over' our pain, and platitudes to ourselves or others about getting on with life are not helpful or even appropriate. Dealing with our pain, grief, fears, anger, that is appropriate. Otherwise it becomes part of our own darkness and often gets projected out on others. We've all seen what this looks like when taken to the extreme in some of unhealed people who are in the public eye and who are having a tremendous impact on the collective. Acting out of an unacknowledged, unhealed shadow is something we do not want to do, especially now.

If we’ve been doing our inner work over the last few years, we know by now that we have to work our way through the low points and work our way through the shadows into the light--the understanding of who we really are and what we are here to do and be. That old platitude, ‘what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger’ may ring true for some now. True only to the extent that we work to heal and come to wholeness...even if that new wholeness looks different from what we had planned on, hoped for, or worked to achieve. Disappointment can be brought down to despair if we aren’t careful. Despair can hold us in place, until we make the small move forward to get to a safe haven. To take one positive step to health and healing. We’ve learned this, and now the need is great for us to all do this personally and collectively. We are in an time of Great Awakening.  For me, that’s what I shall always call this time, the Great Awakening time.  And what we do, and how we develop is how we are living now. We are actively creating the ongoing Creation, and we can make it heaven or we can make it hell. For the sake of the planet, we need to work toward the heaven on earth that we are fully capable of creating if we don’t get stuck in our own expectations of how that’s supposed to play out.

At the full moon in Taurus, face your fears. Use your spiritual practices to center your energy on what is good and loving. Base your actions on what is healing and renewing. Listen to the voices of inspiration and watch for signs of hope and guidance. Dreams should be enlightening and inspiring now. Create, do your art, create ceremony in whatever you do. Honor the precious life under the influence of the cosmic Light. Let that Light infuse you with compassion. Reach out and help someone else through their own darkness. Give compassion away.

The Full Moon in Taurus is connected to the fixed stars of Zarak and Capulus. Found in the constellation Eridanus, the River, Zarak is the boat that represents the deep melancholy that links us to death and despair. The fixed star Capulus symbolizes the wild libido, the extreme male sexual energy released to control the feminine. It’s a pretty potent combination, and we can see it being expressed in its darkest most violent form in abusive and violent sexual assaults or tirades. The female libido is also unleashed at this time, and is fighting to maintain control of its own power. To make the necessary changes to claim a wholeness and directness that can protect itself from oppression, and shadow attempts to quiet or still it. The awakening of so many women through the violent images and language directed at denigrating women, has triggered a great deal of grief, pain, and fear in many. This time we are living through it is essential that self care include finding safe and healthy ways to support one another, to find safety in all facets of life, and to recognize what makes us vulnerable or at risk.  However we navigate the waters of our rivers, will be determined by how awake and aware and willing to tack and shift with the winds of change.

We have within us the feminine and masculine energy. We need to be aware now of both within ourselves. For that's where our true power and center is.

With Mars the action planet and the ruler of all things masculine,  in Aquarius at 3/58 degrees, we can expect to see some unusual changes. Uranus in Aries at 21/21 retrograde, and Jupiter in 13/51/ Libra join Mars in air signs. The power of our thinking and the force of our words project themselves now in sudden and unexpected events. With Jupiter the planet of abundance and good fortune, we can seek the gold nugget at the bottom of the swamp or we can get overcome with  sense of limitless greed and hunger. We need to balance ourselves, grounding in solid, concrete steps to tend to our well being and that of those we are responsible for.  We need to find ourselves connected to the deep spiritual Truth of who we are, and how we are connected to the Divine Light and Truth and one another. We need to understand and work diligently to be one with our body, mind, spirit, and Divine Source. We express our goodness and divine light through the way we treat ourselves and how we treat others. This is the Divine manifest in our lives. Through our actions, thoughts, and intentions, we express ourselves.

Jupiter forms a hard aspect to Pluto, the Great Transformer, in Capricorn as well. Pluto is in 15/31 degrees of Capricorn, and later in the month when Venus forms a conjunction with Pluto, we will find ways to smooth out and achieve some kind of harmony and balance in the areas that are being uprooted, turned over, and reinvigorated. The change is happening so we can deal with changes in our personal and collective lives. Right now though, we are dealing with a whole new energy and experience of just how profoundly our world has changed.  Surprisingly, our dreams of a smooth transition as new growth takes place is more likely to be a rude awakening and smashing of expectations. What is born out of this is a view of what has been hiding beneath the surface, suppressed, festering, or thinly veiled. Our expectations and willingness to overlook what we may have sensed on a deep interior and visceral level, is now difficult if not impossible to miss. I remember different times in life when the ideal that of my  belief system was shattered by the reality of what really was. Once we see and digest the truth of a situation, condition, relationship, or other manifestation of reality, we cannot keep our blinders on.

The veil has lifted, and what comes out from under that curtained off area of our collective psyche or our personal ones, is going to be something we have to face and learn how to cope with, live with, and change to the degree we can.  Change happens, whether we want it to or not. If we want to change anything, we have to figure out how to deal with the consequences. Our individual roles may change, or our art may change. We may find we’re called to put our own experience and training to work to support others and work for improving the system to work for all.  Whatever our experience right now, this Full Moon in Taurus is going to highlight the depth and breadth of just how deeply and profoundly change and transformation have taken place. For the years that Pluto has been transforming our personal and collective lives, we have each been forced to face life more realistically, or at least on more than on a superficial level.

When we role play through life, that is act out of our roles rather than operating out of our deep inner sense of being, we often get trapped in beliefs that sound like platitudes. Platitudes though based on a truth, weaken and diminish the richness and depth of our life experiences if we cling to them like a shell or wear them like a mask. Many are experiencing change as if it were a death. Just as when someone dies, platitudes and empty condolences can diminish rather than console another. “You’ll get over it.” “Get on with your life.”   “It’s God’s will.”  “_____ is in a better place.” or "Get used to it." trivializes grief and pain. Using platitudes is a lazy way of trying to be present. Platitudes diminish the depth of our human experience. In a time when nearly everyone is affected by the changes taking place one way or another, we have to understand that all kinds of dreams have been shattered, regardless of who you are. All kinds of conflicts and fissures have opened up within families, in friendships, in communities, and in the alliances we have with others. The shadow side of each of us has been released through the depth of experience brought on by the powerful changes that have taken place in the way we understand life and our place in it over the last few year. With Mercury in Sagittarius, we might show others rather than trying to intellectualize about their pain. Give comfort. Seek understanding by becoming a support to someone who is targeted by intolerance or hate. Show others through your human kindness. Build bridges not walls. Sit at table and listen. Be quiet and be present.

Events and experiences like the elections, wars, political and economic upheaval, and even discoveries, have transformed the way not only how we see and understand life but also how we experience and deal with change and the shadow aspects of ourselves and others. For most of us, we have been stripped of whatever held us trapped in old, worn out patterns of behavior and thinking. Wherever we resisted, we were forced to renege and surrender by the circumstances that forced the needed change. As a plant must break through the dirt to bend and stretch its branches, stems, and buds into the sunlight, so too are we working our way into the light of our life experiences. Though we are not plants, growth and change isn’t easy for us. I think of the Allegory of Cave by Plato.  A group of people are chained in a dark cave for years. All they know of the outside world is what stories they tell themselves to explain what they see when the outside sun casts light and shadows on the wall of the cave throughout the day. One day, they are unchained, and are able to get up and leave. But getting up itself is difficult. They’ve been sitting in one position for years, and it hurts to get up. And then they have to get the courage to go out of the cave. They may be afraid or they may be excited, but they are all entering a new experience. And the light is blinding. The world is unfamiliar and unusual and strange. How do these people adjust their beliefs and past with what is happening? Well, that is our question when great shifts take place. How do we adjust to what is now after believing, expecting, or desiring something that is different from the present outcome?

‘

If this weren’t pretty obvious after the US elections, with a country split not only in two opposing camps but with a large majority of people who have remained apathetic or unwilling to participate in the election of a new president and large portion of the legislative body, there is no consensus.The same thing has been happening throughout the world. The fissure that splits the cultural body into pieces, will result in some major systematic and systemic breaks--breaks that will take a long time to repair if indeed there is a willingness to address the flaws.

The Full Moon in Taurus is at Lunar Perigree, the closest the Moon has been to the Earth in 70 years. Seventy years ago, WWII had just ended. The world was just emerging out of one of yet another catastrophic series of conflicts, and was giving birth to the life that we now are living. The moon controls, our emotions, our habits, and our ancestral traits, including the intergenerational narratives that still travel with us. We are constantly being called to acknowledge that within that must be healed, and now more than ever in a long cycle, it is true. And how we adapt now is crucial to what life we live from here on out.

With the Full Moon in Taurus also in opposition to Lilith in Scorpio, we have to make choices about how we are going to live and who we are going to please. We all want to be loved and liked, but we cannot make everyone happy, especially at the expense of our own health and well being and happiness. The choices we make now are the ones that we can live with from here on out. We may make choices that hurt someone or result in our losing connections. To do the work that is ahead though, we must be able to stand in our own truth and be supported and connected to those we can trust and who will stand by us no matter what. Try to be strong and courageous. Do what helps and heals not what breaks down or harms you. Have courage for that which sustains you in times of stress, extreme trauma, and loss. Do what gives you the character, power, courage, and strength to move forward.

The Sun in Scorpio is conjunct Lilith. This has been growing for us all n the sense of no longer knowing where you belong. Feeling isolated or alienated from what was once home or comfort, or the grounding base of your being. For some, I have heard this described as a sense of separation like the death of some part of themselves. No longer knowing or recognizing the world they had been living in. The hopeful part of this is the rising out of the ashes, like the Phoenix. Rising from the ashes of our hopes, expectations, dreams, desires, we now know the world and see it with new eyes. We mourn what has been lost, and awaken to what we have to move forward. The more this has already been part of your experience and the more you have already been living a life aware of prejudice, intolerance, abuse, hatred, or some other form of alienation, the more you will be able to provide the reflecting mirror for those who are just emerging from the cave of darkness. The cave of not having experienced this kind of rude awakening. 

The North Node in Virgo, continues as the passageway from what was to what is.The South Node (what is being released, healed, weeded out) is still aspecting Neptune (planet of illusions, dreams, and excesses). Uranus in Aries and the Priapus that forms to the Moon on November 20 signify what we need to do to get along. To ‘drain the swamp’ of whatever is needed, and to find the inner resources and outer allies to protect and stand in the truth of our own being.  We are at a crucial time in the Great Awakening, and we will not be going back to sleep. Some have already stepped out of the darkness. When you’re ready, you will find allies to walk with you and to work to create what needs to be created and to change what will help us all cope with life on the bleeding edge of change. The raw emotions of the shadow rising, requires that we remember that love is stronger than hate. Love neutralizes fear. Love is God’s directive for living together and for continuing our part in the ongoing creation of Creation.

This Super Full Moon in Taurus shines her light on all we have to work together for creating the world we are going to live in. "The struggle will still be a fight..." and we must be courageous, strong, and awake and aware. Our worst enemy is within us. We are needed to work together to keep trying, striving, protecting our neighbors, and having compassion for everyone. We're all in this together.

New Moon in Scorpio: Ebb and Flow to a New Path

Ebb and Flow                                                                                                                     Catherine Al-Meten Meyers

New Moon in Scorpio at 7 degrees is conjunct Mercury and trine Neptune in Pisces. The New Moon also aligns with the fixed star, Gacrux. Garcrux is part of the Southern Cross constellation, not visible in the Northern Hemisphere. The New Moon in Scorpio occurs at 17/28 (UT) 9:28 PST on the 30th of October. This New Moon in Scorpio occurs at 7/43 degrees in the first decan of Scorpio. This gives the New Moon shades of Libra energy as it peaks.


In addition, the New Moon is conjunct Mercury, the planet of communication. The Moon, emotional temperment and energy finds itself having a difficult time adjusting to the depths and changes in the watery Scorpio’s ebb and flow.  This New Moon in Scorpio stirs things up within us that we need to cope with as we find our grounding and balance. In our efforts to define our true selves, we may feel off center or jarred by thoughts, dreams, news, and intuitive hunches that remind us what we need to do to stand our ground. Without knowing who we are in the midst of such subconsciously charged times, we are apt to get lost in illusions or worn out patterns of behavior or roles.  Noticing where and when this is happening can help us release and overcome the power that has exerted itself on us. We may hope against hope everything will ‘go back to normal’ however, the shifts have occurred. What is best for us at the New Moon is to find clarity and tune into that which points to True North for us. And then set a new path in a more authentic and healthy direction.




Mercury in Scorpio can help us focus on envisioning more clearly what we need and would like to create. When we are willing to see that we can indeed direct our course so that we take into account what is best for us now, we find that doors begin opening and the journey becomes easier. To be ready for positive change, though, we have to be open to allowing ourselves to enter that flow. Once we begin to envision, set intentions, and imagine what we’d like, that energy takes on a life of its own. Being wishy washy or caught up in fear of fantasy scenarios or repetition of what we already know to be unworkable, are options that we need to face and go beyond.


To add a blurring of the boundaries, the Moon in Scorpio is trine Neptune in Pisces. We feel things so immediately and viscerally. It’s hard to ignore the truth of whatever it is that is painful. Avoid drowning your sorrows or blunting your perceptions with drugs, alcohol, or overwork. Allow yourself to feel what is going on and what is rising up in your own awareness, and know that knowledge, of yourself and others, is power.  We can also become addicted or numbed out through our devotion. Be careful that your attention and desire does not result in your merging or losing yourself in the one you love. Just coming out  of the Libra cycle, we are well aware of our need to mediate, negotiate, judge, temper, and balance all viewpoints. The problem with our Libra energy is (in whatever area of your life Libra reigns) we often lose any sense of who we are or what we need. As we become even more deeply aware of who we are and what we want, notice anything we are carrying around (beliefs, habits, expectations, out-dated roles, or attachments) that is blocking us from recognizing and honoring our own best interests and well being.


Use whatever practices and spiritual rituals and truths help you understand what is being born in you right now.  Watch your dreams to see what the symbols, dream plots, archetypes, and messages are helping call your attention to what needs to be released. One very graphic example of a dream that shows a need for releasing and cleansing one’s self of an outmoded way of life may be something like inadvertently flushing a pair of shoes down the toilet with the rest of the waste.  While pretty horrifying at a glance, the flushing of waste--what is no longer usable, the toxins-- is actually a very good dream. Having the shoes go down the drain as well signifies the need to get rid of some aspect of the way we are taking our journey--an outmoded way of life, an element of the journey that is no longer needed. Watch your own dreams and see what messages show up. Also pay attention to those hunches and intuition. Follow up on the ones that seem like they might help you achieve a goal, or find an answer or explore a new area.  The New Moon in Scorpio with Mercury and Neptune both in positive and close alignment is a key time for paying attention to the intangible messages coming your way.



The Sun in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces can also bring out  the Magician, Trickster, or Shadow aspect of our Subconscious...the part that surprises, plays tricks, enchants, or sparks our imagination. We can be fooled when we are so vulnerable to so many hidden influences. We can act out of our own child-like impulses and fantasies. Imaginations are active and nebulous. An element of the fairy tale or mythological morality stories might have some lessons for us at this time. As the Sun moves into a sextile with Neptune, this same energy can trigger more devious or delusional and even manipulative. Avoid beatifying the lover when you feel the deeper ties and energetic connections. More than one astrologer has likened this New Moon in Scorpio to the myth of Peter Pan. The element of ourselves or our lovers that won’t grow up, that courts us to step over the boundaries we need for self preservation, or that call that quickens our hearts to lose ourselves, if only for a while. Wendy, the more solid, grown up element of ourselves, represents the solid grounding, the ethics and mores, and the discretion we use to temper our emotions. We can easily experience our own version of this struggle within ourselves and/or within our relationships.

The Sun, the New Moon, and Mercury in Scorpio, Neptune and Chiron (the Wounded Healer) in Pisces, all reveal our deeper intentions, our shadowy struggles, our fears and areas of our lives where we feel humiliated or embarrassed. We want to appear normal, but right now feel anything but so.  The climate active in the collective realm has removed so many veils and blocks, and we feel things so much more deeply than usual. Our desire to merge, unite, and heal is strong, but the most important place for this healing and unifying is within our selves. We need to stop putting all our expectations and need fulfillment onto anything or anyone outside of ourselves. We need to know how powerful we are alone, and then we can enter into relationships, work, creativity, or spiritual identity with a fuller sense of our own gifts, talents, power, vision, and energy. Fears and passions are awakened. Part of the trepidation we might feel is based our that inner knowing that some element of life has indeed ended, and we’re just not yet sure we are ready to move on. Ready or not, this New Moon will highlight just how necessary movement and change is. We often fear the loss of control that comes along with change. The not knowing or not being sure the timing is right. Our unconscious is so powerful, keeping us from anything that threatens us. However, some change is not only safe, but also life saving. We have a limited time in this physical body and we are in charge of how we spend that time. Do what you can to heal up from what is causing your fears to hold you in dark places and keeping you afraid to move into a new direction. Take small steps, but get yourself moving at this New Moon in the direction that moves you to a greater place of harmony within yourself and to that which calls you to grow and flourish.


Scorpio rules all that is transforming and transmuting. It rules the hidden, the secrets, that which we do not want to acknowledge or face--that which we fear.  Whatever is crammed down in side, changes form, for good or bad. Facing fears, facing the unhealed, facing what had disappointed or caused you to flounder, can only help you heal. What is not expressed in some way, is depressed, and stays there waiting to come out in some distorted or hurtful form. Think of dressing up for Halloween to chase the evil spirits away. A tradition to act our, express, the archetypal drama that defines our lives.  In addition to honoring that which has passed, those who have died, or those whom we want to honor and remember, spend some time too, exploring the various masks you wear, the diverse roles you play, and the ghosts that live within you. What would you like to exorcise from your being? How would you like to transform your life? What materials would you like to use to create a new vision for yourself?


During the New Moon cycle, spend some time creating a new version of who you can become from here on out. Identify the times and ways in the past that were key turning points, and see what is signaling a change in some area of your life now.  Use your spiritual and religious practices to connect to the Source, to inspire you to growth and love, and to support you as you deal with whatever blocks, obstacles, or trap have bound your energy and caused you to get lost or buried in fear.  Mercury, in Roman mythology, guided the souls of the dead to heaven. As the veils are thin at this time of year, our connection and communion with the souls of the saints and blessed are near. Look to your past, to those who inspired you, to those who supported and loved you, and to those who taught you through their absence, the strength and courage to live according to your own vision.  Seek within the bright spark of life that sends light out into all areas of your life. Do what makes your heart sing. Begin now!