Changing Times: New Moon in Sagittarius, Total Solar Eclipse, Saturn enters Aquarius.

December 14, 2020, the New Moon in Sagittarius at 23 degrees (third decan) occurs at 8:16 am PST/11:16 am EST.  This New Moon coincides with a total Solar Eclipse, the first this year in the Gemini-Sagittarius axis. This Solar Eclipse sets up the tone for the next 6 months, and focuses our attention and energy on all Jupiter-related matters. 

Jupiter, the planet of Abundance, is the ruler of Sagittarius. New beginnings now are related to belief systems, the love of adventure, philosophical ideas, as well as how our faith/belief systems affect and are made manifest in our personal lives. In matters where we might have once held back for fear of reprisal or judgment, we now feel emboldened to stand in the truth of what helps us build cohesive and constructive social relationships. This begins on a personal New Moon level with time spent in introspection and reflection, but is borne out through our behavior. 

How we do this may be reflected in our growing interest in the world of ideas and the state of the world in which we live. As this year most of us have had our lives impacted by the pandemic, we have been able to examine more deeply what our lives are built upon and what matters to us. And we have a growing sense of what we have to offer through service, creativity, leadership, and expertise. We all have something that longs to be borne out through our lived experiences, and we see more clearly how we all must be part of the growth and change needed for improving, healing, and creating a more equitable world. We witness the depravity, violence, and distortions of truth and what that breeds, so we must rally to build a better system for all of us. 

We too may come to be a bit more aware of how our personal lives need to be built on rising above the mundane aspects of our daily lives as we seek to add to the improvement of what needs to be fixed, repaired, created, and envisioned. We need to begin to assess what gifts, talents, and experiences we’ve had, and how those equip us for taking a more active role to add something of beauty, service, imagination, innovation, or some other form of building up as opposed to the tearing down that has become the hallmark of the last few years.  

At this New Moon in Sagittarius time, we need to each take some time to imagine how we can help co-create a more perfect union of human activity, service, and development. We must take stock of what we feel needs healing, repairing in our own thinking, behavior, lifestyle, as we begin to envision change for the better. For many, this year has been a time when life seemed to stand still in so many ways. To shift in not only how we live, but also in what we valued and deemed important.  We may too have gotten bogged down in our own self interests, disappointments, struggles, to the point that we lost our bearings or lost sight of possibilities.This is when we begin to dream and imagine, and hope again.

By fostering optimism, hope, enthusiasm, a sense of adventure, and these more positive qualities in ourselves, we can then translate this energy into works, acts, creations, and ideas that transcend our own personal needs and desires. We need to be as strong and healthy as possible now, to help in rebuilding and recreating a world that has undergone a major transformation and shift. 

The New Moon in Sagittarius forms an aspect to the South Node, indicating that we must let go of something that we’ve clung to. South Node transits require releasing what is no longer functioning or elevating our development. This certainly is the case when we look at  the world at large. The pandemic, climate crisis, and the subsequent problems for people on all parts of the planet, require that we change the way we behave on every conceivable level, in order to face the growing needs and the looming issues that demand to be addressed.

Look in your chart/life to the sector that is ruled by Sagittarius, and notice what has been shifting in a major way for you.  For those who have studied astrology for a long period of time, you might look back to what was happening at other eclipse cycles of Sagittarius.  In December of 1955, December of 1974, December of 1982, and December of 2001,there were similar passages. In 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. The Tappan Zee Bridge opened the AFL-CIO unions merged. And the bus boycott began in Montgomery, Alabama after the arrest of Rosa Parks. In 1974, Nixon resigned the presidency (earlier in the year), and the European Community was beginning to be formed under the influence of the New Moon and Solar eclipse. The Dow Jones hit 570, doing so much damage to the economy it took more than 20 years to recover. In 1982 during the Reagan administration, Barney Clark received the first artificial heart.Times man of the year is ‘a computer’. In 2001, the world was in an upheaval. Osama bin Ladin was fomenting terrorism, the shoe bomber was caught, and terrorist bombings were a threat. Enron filed bankruptcy (taking millions in pension funds with it), and TWA flew its last flight after 76 years in business. 

Think back to your own life to see what was going on at that time for you. 

The New Moon in Sagittarius is conjunct the Sun, and Mercury and the South Node. This makes us feel like we’d like to pull the covers over our heads and go back to sleep, but we need to stay awake and aware, and take steps,no matter how small, toward lifting and lighting up the world we live in and the world for others.  A good friend of mine just sent me two books (to light up my mind) and strings of lights to literally light up my home. However we let our light shine now, it’s important to share what we can to lift others. Write a letter, card, a poem. Share a special thought or prayer. Send your Light out into the world, and dwell in gratitude for the Light in your own life, now more than ever.

Venus has been in Scorpio, and transits to Sagittarius the day after the New Moon. So some kind of completion, ending, parting may take place on the subconscious level during the New Moon that manifests after Venus goes into Sagittarius.  What has been a burden or a heavy challenge, may soon end. 

Mars is still in Aries until January 6, after which time it moves into Taurus. For now thought, it trines the New Moon, the Sun, Mercury, a harmonious aspect that may spark concrete, positive changes. 

Uranus in 7 degrees of Taurus, is making some stressful aspects to Pluto, Jupiter, and Saturn, the three outer planets that are all in their final degrees of their long transits through Capricorn. Saturn is at 29 degrees right now, and this is the anaretic/critical degree when endings, completions take place after a very long tumultuous period of learning and change. Saturn’s entry into Aquarius on March 21, 2021, so the next few months will be filled with final steps, endings, and completion so that a new path opens. We’re moving from a heavily earth-centered energy into more airy and focused more on intellect, independence, innovation, visionary, and decision making based on knowledge and intelligence. 

On the 19th of December, Jupiter also enters Aquarius, and nearly four years from now, Pluto will also enter Aquarius.  These three planets have been transiting Capricorn for the last 6-7 years, transforming our lives in major ways. Understand that the end of these two major planets in Capricorn, are apt to feel heavy and will release whatever has been shed over the last few years, once and for all. The lessons we’ve learned, the gifts we’ve developed, are what we now can use to equip ourselves for the new world ahead.

These major shifts in the outer planets  are pushing us even more into this channel of growth and development, as individuals and as a human community. Let’s work together, in both our personal lives, and in our dealings with others, to help heal, repair, lift, and extend the positive energy that we need to help co-create a world of greater peace, justice, compassion, and shared love for all humanity and the planet. It’s what is needed. It’s what we need to find meaning and purpose in a world that has been torn asunder. We can choose to repair and heal, or we can be part of what makes it fall apart. Choose life.

With this New Moon in Sagittarius, a total Solar Eclipse, followed by Saturn and Jupiter entering new signs within days of one another, this next few weeks is bount to be an interesting, powerful, and significant time. Use your energy, spiritual practices, time, resources, and creativity to give yourself time to envision ways of thinking and believing that translate into positive, constructive forms of healing, teaching, and relating. Take good care of yourselves, and let the Light shine into your heart and soul. Be receptive to the Divine Light and Wisdom that infuses us all. Blessings to you all as you celebrate the holy days of your traditions and cultures. Create new ways to honor Life, Love, and Compassion for all.

New Moon in Scorpio: The Path of Light Ahead

It is on November 14th  that I write, and the 5-day festival of Diwali has begun. It seems an appropriate moment to celebrate the triumph of the Light over the Dark, the Conscious over the unconscious, hope over despair. We need to celebrate, and this new lunar path is the perfect time to do so. 

On November 14/15, 2020 at 9:07 P.M./12:07 A.M. the New Moon in Scorpio opens a new pathway for us all. The New Moon in the third decan of Scorpio at 23/18 degrees focuses our attention on plumbing the depths of our passions and intuition.  Perceptions are heightened, as you may have noticed in dreams and sudden insights over the last couple of days when the Moon entered this realm.

We are now in position and the right balance of energies to make important changes in our lives. By being brave enough to go deeper into the mysteries and unknown in and around us, we can cast off fears and begin acting more in alignment with our highest good than in sticking with the status quo or habitual patterns and ways of behaving. We have a real opportunity to make a breakthrough in our understanding of others, our own fears and biases, and in making some significant changes in these areas.

Time is right to focus energy and attention on relationships, commitments, and passions that point us in the direction of what is most meaningful and fulfilling. Time to invest more heavily in building up and strengthening what is most alive and fertile, while at the same time releasing distractions, soul-draining thinking, and may have been sucking life-affirming energy from you and from those commitments and obligations. 

It is a time to release fears, renew energy, and take steps to a healthier, freer way of living.  The Sun in Scorpio (until Nov.21) in conjunction with this New Moon in Scorpio energizes our desire to experience life more fully, deeply, and passionately. Not willing to settle for shallow, incomplete answers, we see to discover the hidden meanings and unravel mysteries that we might have hesitated to before.  Feelings and emotions run deep, and there seems to be nothing mediocre or mundane about our experience of life now. We can experience profound insights that allow us to unlock mysteries and challenges, allowing us to experience deep transformation and healing. 

Mercury just went into Scorpio on November 10, and will be in this sign longer than usual.  Mercury’s transit through Scorpio is a time when we seek and feel greater intensity. We seek with greater intensity to uncover hidden truths, pull back the veils that hide the spiritual and emotional realities that have kept us from making significant changes. Our need now is for more intense communication with our most trusted and loved ones.

 A deeply emotional and healing under the influence of New Moon in the fixed sign of Scorpio, awakens regenerative powers within us. Intense though the emotions may be, calls upon us to embrace the better angels of our emotions and feelings. When we focus on channeling our feelings into their higher vibratory energy, we lean towards more lasting commitments, deeper understanding. We find ourselves more receptive to the promise and hope for greater love and fulfillment.

Mars in Aries, having just come out from its retrograde motion, fills us with more energy and a desire to move forward. We may feel more motivated to make plans and start taking more courageous steps in the direction of change for the better. Having weathered some storms that tested us in ways we hadn’t expected, we have a renewed confidence that fuels us to direct our actions more clearly and single-mindedly towards meaningful goals. Still in its stationary position, we need some time to recuperate and get nourishment before we move too rapidly. Now is the time for rest and renewal, and for nourishing all levels of our being. Focus most of your actions on finding a greater balance and achieving harmony and well being. 

Mars is in Opposition to Uranus, slowing our momentum a bit, and bringing up new insights and situations that must be addressed before we can move forward with the needed energy and strength. Really calling for us to take good care of ourselves with heavy doses of TLC (Tender Loving Care). One way of doing this is  by getting rid of whatever is no longer nourishing or life-affirming. Start with something simple like cleaning off a shelf of the fridge or a drawer or table top that is cluttered. Whatever you do on the surface, will help release energy at other levels of being.

With  Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto, and Pallas all in Capricorn, we find ourselves using the lessons we’ve learned to steel ourselves (Saturn the Great Teacher) and to make peace with what is (Pallas) so that we can take control of our energy, behavior, purpose (Pluto the Great Transformer) to develop to our full potential (Jupiter, Abundance and Opportunity). A very potent way to begin on a new path. To move into the depths of our being and to bring that forth from within to direct into creating, healing, producing, and launching our new path forward.

The New Moon in Scorpio Aspects:

Moon sextile Jupiter enhances growth, brings optimism, and finds us surrounded with a sense of optimism, goodwill, and cooperation. A very fortunate aspect especially since it’s at the start of a new lunar cycle. Blessings, good luck, success, and opportunities for growth in body, mind, and spirit (watch out for overdoing, lol).

Moon sextile Pluto, the Great Transformer intensifies our desire and motivation to finish what has been started, and to achieve results. Greater personal power improves our ability to understand the connections between inner growth and outer success/fulfillment. We get it in ways we may have not comprehended before.

Jupiter conjunct Pluto for the third and last time, bringing fulfillment, completion, and the realization of a dream, achievement of a goal, and promise of good outcomes. Good fortune and success are the more likely results of this aspect especially since greed, arrogance, and ruthlessness will cancel out the best that this aspect has to offer. Count your blessings, make amends, and move on so you can enjoy the bounty that awaits.

It’s a powerful New Moon with few of the hard aspects we’ve experienced earlier in the year. Promise of good changes and results on the horizon. Now is the time to rest, heal, celebrate life, and prepare for a brighter future. 

Fixed Stars and their influence. 

Unulkalhai symbolizes the nature of Saturn and Mars. 

When in alignment with the Sun, may signify quarrels, disappointments, loss of someone.  Depends where the Sun is in your life/chart. As we are all in the middle of a pandemic, it’s likely we have been touched by loss this year.

When in alignment with the  Moon, signifies learning of intrigues, poisonings, toxic/unstable authorities and environment.

Fixed Star Agena  symbolizes the nature of Venus and Jupiter.

Friendship, morality, friendship, honor, dignity. 

Alignment with the Sun and the Moon give opportunities to choose between taking the high road or the low. Acting out of love and respect, or out of bitterness and fear. The choice is yours, but then the fruits are the consequences of what you choose.

Agena is the brighter of the two stars, and so that my friends is what we’re faced with in the way we choose to live. This New Moon in Scorpio is full of promise, with very little outside our own choices having a greater impact on what path we choose ahead. Given this New Moon in Scorpio comes at the end of a very tumultuous time, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, we have the power within our own simple daily choices to choose Light or to go the way of the unconscious, unawakened, unredeemed aspects of ourselves. This is a propitious time, full of hope and possibilities. Let’s choose to rise to the occasion and get on with the repairing, healing, and transformation. 

“Hope is being able to see that there is Light despite all the darkness.”

--Bishop Desmond Tutu.

New Moon in Libra: A Path To the Light

 

On Friday, October 16, 2020 at 12:32 PDT/3:32 EDT, the New Moon conjoins with the Sun in Libra at 23/58 degrees, opening a new lunar cycle. Occurring in the 3rd decan on Libra, this New Moon forms some powerful aspects to a number of other planets. Throughout the week leading up to the New Moon, the Moon forms some powerful aspects to other planets first, reminding us of old patterns and unresolved issues. 

On the day of the Libra New Moon, The Sun and Moon form a strong opposition to retrograde Mars in Aries. We are likely more aware than usual of needing to set some boundaries, especially in close relationships where we may be feeling resentful, hedged in, or pushed to the breaking point.  Oppositions are about finding a middle ground where we can maintain our sense of balance, safety, as we also maintain our own identity and strength. Rather than being drawn into battle, use the sword of Libra to cut through the chains that we have allowed ourselves to be bound in. The Tarot Card, the 8 of Swords, most represents the dilemma we find ourselves in when we lash out at others or blame others for those inner struggles we are caught up in. 

We generally find unacceptable or distasteful those qualities in others that we have a hard time facing in ourselves. Why do we do this? Most likely because we’re afraid to face the truth. And all of us have areas of ourselves we’ve yet to uncover, explore,or admit. That’s normal. What’s not normal, is to spend our lives blaming others for what we cannot see in ourselves. Finding the perfect lover? Being in the perfect job? Having the perfect friend? We’ve no hope of finding in the world beyond ourselves that which we refuse to see or look for. What binds us is what we choose to deny or ignore, or pretend isn’t really our fault.  

Situations and conditions may have a huge impact on each of our lives, however we do have the freedom to respond differently, if we choose. This is the lunar pathway of  finding balance and harmony, Libra’s true north, in spite of whatever challenges we are coping with. Mars, the planet of action and aggression, may devolve into toxic masculinity which triggers us to react or respond based on what we’ve learned in the past or governed by unresolved and unconscious outbursts or attempts to suppress  or project those feelings we find hardest to cope with.  Rather than being afraid or worried about the feelings, emotions, or fears themselves, be courageous enough to examine them to discern what power they hold over you and what strengths you have within to face them and find new ways of coping. 

Again, when we refuse to see that toxic relationships, or misguided attempts have led us into a dark place or have crossed over the boundaries we need to feel safe and secure, we must establish some new limits and be willing to make the changes necessary to protect our integrity and that of our relationships. Stuffing feelings down or ‘going along to get along’ will not work to create a healthy balance in the long run.

Couple the impact of the energy of Mars coming into opposition with our emotional temperment (The MOON) and our life expression (The SUN), is made even more significant because the Moon in Libra forms a jarring square to Pluto, The Great Transformer, Saturn, the Great Teacher, and Jupiter, the planet of abundance, excess, and good fortune.  Squares shake things up in whatever areas of our lives they touch. All three outer planets in Capricorn, the earth sign where they’ve been for several years, gives us another reminder that nothing will change until we change. Nothing will improve significantly for the long haul if we insist on making the same mistakes over and over. 

Remember Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing something over and over though we know it doesn’t work. To loose ourselves of the chains we’ve created, the narrative we’ve told ourselves and others of who we are and why we do what we do, requires getting clearer about the reality of who we are and what we need to do to survive, thrive, and become fulfilled. What needs to be corrected or more aligned to your true north? What needs to change or has already changed in your reality that you’re still holding onto, hoping it will ‘just disappear”. This New Moon in Libra is an encouraging time for authentic change and for realigning our course and direction.  

The Sun and Moon in Libra the ruler of love, beauty, the aesthetics of harmony and relationships is in direct opposition at this time to Neptune in Pisces. While Libra time awakens us to our heart’s desires, this New Moon reminds us that our hearts can be deceived, again, not so much by others (though that does happen), but more so by we, ourselves who refuse to learn the lessons we say we want.  When the lessons show up, we reach automatically for some old pattern or reaction or habit for coping. If those old ways didn’t work before, we might ask ourselves, “What makes me think this time it’s different?” 

Another interesting element of this month's new lunar pathway is the North Node in Gemini. Jupiter in Capricorn, Neptune in Pisces, and Venus in Virgo are forming aspects. Jupiter is in opposition and Neptune and Venus are squaring. What this means is we're feeling challenged in some pretty significant ways. Jupiter calls us to find a way to see the changes as more beneficial. Losses may really be gains in disguise. Neptune and Venus indicate we may be living under some false conceptions or perceptions, and when we open to our heart's messages, we're more likely to find the way forward...the path that will be more fulfilling than we at first may see. Trust your heart.

The process of discernment involves honestly looking at how we might really come to understand a situation, relationship, position, or perspective when it’s time for change and/or a new view of the situation and our relationship to it. The Libra scales find balance somewhere between the extremes we are faced with. Somewhere in the middle ground. A true harmony is possible only when we find that middle ground long enough and often enough to withstand the extremes of both the good times and the bad where we find ourselves more often than not. That harmony, point of balance is that lovely spot we find often enough to remind us what love truly is. What love actually lifts up in us as well as what we are capable of slogging through in order to find it again. 

For Libras in general, and for that area of where Libra is in your own chart/life, the question at this New Moon is what needs to be brought back into harmony in order for me to sustain and nourish my whole life? Take some time to enjoy the beauty of this season. Look up at the starry sky and watch as Mars makes its closest encounter to Earth and shakes us up down to our roots, reminding us that our emotional happiness and fulfillment is in our hands as we shine our light, our expression of life, into the world with the clearest and most beautiful expression of who we are. Acknowledge the gifts you have, the talents you possess, and take out the best in yourself to shine up and set upon the altar of life. Your life, a precious gift that needs to be set free to shine brightly. We all need to be honoring the Divine within and all around, infused in our thinking, actions, and interactions with one another. As we work together to weave a more perfect union, a more harmonious world in which to live and thrive, we each need to take time to honor the power within and to nourish and protect that gift.  Blessings to you on this New Moon in Libra’s most beautiful unfolding.

New Moon in Virgo, September 17, 2020

 

At 4:00 a.m. (PDT; 7:00 a.m. EDT) on Thursday the New Moon in Virgo ushers in a new lunar pathway. Aligning at 25/1 degrees of Virgo with the Sun, the Moon in Virgo also forms an exact trine with Saturn 25 degrees and Pluto 22 degrees in Capricorn. Today (Tuesday) the Moon will form a nice trine with Jupiter before the New Moon on Thursday. Now is the time to prepare yourself, body,  mind, and soul for what good you wish to draw into your life and what you would like to see created in the world. Also a crucial time to release what needs to go. Clear out, clean out, and prepare for the new. Uranus in 10 degrees of Taurus may also reveal some shocking and surprising changes that are going to have a major impact on our lives, and in particular, in our own personal lives. 

Watch for messages, new surprising news or  changes, that may give you some idea of what area of life needs attention or alteration. Neptune in Pisces (One of Pisces rulers) exactly opposite the New Moon in salt the clouds of your dreams and intuition, and may provide fertile knowledge. Be alert. Be aware of shifts and flashes of intuition or imagination.  Gifts appear in unusual ways from odd and strange sources. 

This New Moon in Virgo comes as the High Holy Days of Judaism, Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 19-20) and Yom Kippur (Sept. 27-28).  The season ahead is full of sacred times for many religious/spiritual/cultural traditions). Next Tuesday, September 22, the Autumnal Equinox is observed in the Northern Hemisphere, the Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. We are in the season of harvesting, and preparing for what's ahead. These few days are our time to set our focus on what matters most, and what we need to do, be, and prepare to move in that direction. In a time when we might feel we have few choices or are only limited, we must see what inner resources and strength we have for coping with and prospering in a healthy way, with whatever unfolds. 

Jupiter in Capricorn is in exact opposition to the North Node in Gemini. Whatever happened a year ago at this time and what is happening now, your choices, focus, and decisions/plans, indicate what will unfold a year from now. Dream your biggest dreams. Plan for the best of outcomes. Set aside anxiety, worry, and apprehension, in full knowledge that whatever happens, you have the gifts and resources, the skills and support to create a good and purposeful life. Envision what service you can offer as part of any plan you make, and be sure to honor your own need for taking care of yourself.

The pandemic has changed our lives, everyone on this planet, significantly. What we thought, believed, and expected has been turned upside down. We stay home, those who must, to protect those we care for. Contrary to what we normally do, we adapt to the needs to protect ourselves and each other, and what we used to see as valuable, important or necessary, has probably changed considerably. Others of us, have been called into action. We are doing double time in order to help take care of essential needs. Our own resources are stretched thin, and we may find ourselves taking greater risks than we have before. All of us have had to face a new side of ourselves. We've given this time to reassess what really matters and what no longer does. How will the changes in  your life, affect the way you view the world, each other, your work, your future? What other questions are rising up as a result of this ongoing series of  crises?

Mercury, the planet ruling communications, entered Libra last week. We may be feeling more diplomatic, or in need of a more balanced view and experience of life. Now seven months into our experience of the pandemic, some things may be coming more apparent. Time for improving negotiation skills. One of the problems with Mercury being in Libra is the tendency to become too wishy washy. Wanting to see the good in  all, wanting to see everyone's side, can only be beneficial in the long run, if we make sure we know who we are, what we believe is right for ourselves, and what our own perspective is.  

Standing in our own truth now becomes a survival skill we each need to become proficient in. Again, it's a soul-searching time, when we must come face to face with our own truths. Notice where you rationalize behavior (your own or that of others). Notice where you hang on when you know you should let go. Notice where you are 'grinning and bearing' a situation, relationship, or condition that is really draining and hurting you. For now is when we need to be brutally honest with ourselves. It truly is a matter of life and death. Life is sustaining and growing and affirming. Death cuts off, blocks, and drains the life right out of us. Of course you understand I'm talking about life and death symbolically, but our thinking and behavior do have  profound effects on our outlook and our health. Get your lenses of perception cleared off.

Venus is in Leo and Mars is in Aries. Mars is in its retrograde phase as are Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto, Uranus, Neptune, the North Node, and Chiron. The outer planets and the North Node (gateway to change, always appears retro) all being in retrograde suggests that what once was, may still be, and what was not settled in the past, must be revisited and resolved or assessed in some way. Not necessarily a great time to launch new projects; more a time to wrap up, redo, and resolve what threads of the past may still need attending to. Mars in its comfy home of Aries makes us feel highly motivated, while at the same time somewhat frustrated. Cope with your impatience in healthy ways, and use your energy in ways that bring concrete movement in your own environment. Put that Mars energy to use in unpacking, reorganizing, preparing, or digging up what needs repotting or relocating. 

Jupiter is in  the last few months of its transit of earthy Capricorn. In December it will enter Aquarius. For now, use the bounty and blessings within reach and within the limits of your life, to gather the bounty before and within you. You are reaping the harvest now. Use your spiritual and creative practices to develop a greater sense of appreciation. It will bless you and others in the long run.

From now until the Spring Equinox on March 21, 2021, Saturn is revisiting Capricorn before going back into its forward transit through Aquarius. Again, more work to do before we're ready to move full speed ahead. Be prepared. Get ready. Avoid shying away from strengthening in the areas where you've had to learn the most difficult lessons, especially the ones of the past 5-6 years. Think back too, to 10 years ago, and 20 years ago, to get some perspective on where you are, what you've learned, and what you've overcome. Give yourself a pat on the  back for the job well done, or allow yourself to grieve the losses in more depth. All is well especially when acknowledging loss, separation, disappointment, or changes.  We all need to take some time to realize what we have become and what the cost has been. As we prepare to move forward, it is with a conscious choice to stay focused, vigilant, aware, and honest. 

There are many aspects to the New Moon and the Sun in Virgo. We can no more respond or even understand all of them. What is most important at a time like this is to pick what you want to work on improving, and use your resources, skills, and experiences to remind yourself of your best self. How have you mastered challenges in the past? What usually carries you through or lifts you when you feel stuck or trapped? And simply noticing the highs and lows of the past, develop a way in your daily routine and life to take time for the people, the activities, the interests that support, nourish, and fulfill you. Turn away from self doubt, fears, frustrations.

It's an important time to make a concerted effort to keep ourselves elevated and inspired. Reach out and do what you can for some good purpose or cause. If you can do little, at least do something. If you're drained and out of gas, go to the place or people that inspire and affirm you. Open your hearts, minds, and souls to the Divine gifts of the Universe and trust that you are a Divine Light in the Mind of God.  You are loved, cared for, and protected. Express that Love in your own  life. Turn away from whatever blocks the Light. 

New Moon in Leo: Do What You Can, Where You Can

 The New Moon in Leo peaks at 26/35 degrees on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 12:45 PM EDT AM 9:45 PDT. This New Moon in Leo occuring in the third decan of Leo is related to the doctrine of the Divine right of kings, a doctrine based on the idea that authority and power are bestowed by God, not through human actions. We can see how this doctrine can be used to harm, suppress, and destroy all that we freedom-loving people hold dear.  How we use our energy, power, authority, and intentions is crucial at this point in time, when we are witness to abuses of power and the misuse of authority to a degree unprecedented in many places, this country in particular. 

Elie Wiesel wrote, "We must always take sides.Neutrality helps the oppressor, not the victim.Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."  This Leo New Moon highlights the need for us all to connect with those who call out for justice, equity, freedom from tyranny and hate, and who march to the beat of the same drummer. When we unite with those who share a common vision, we give that vision greater strength and help bring that vision into manifestation through our words, actions, and intentions. Leo is the sign of leadership, and we now need to be discerning about who we choose to lead us through these very challenging times. We also need to appraise what area of our lives Leo and leadership skills awaken us to.

The third decan of Leo is where the Sun, Moon, and Mercury are now in close conjunction with one another. This brings a great deal of energy together, fiery energy that carries with it.  All that energy that is yet  unfulfilled.  We also become more aware of any pent up frustration and grief that seeks resolution as well as expression.  You may have been feeling you've reached a breaking point. And in a way, we have. The expression, "enough is enough' has been ringing in out  for years now, yet just when we think we've reached the limit, a new wave of chaos hits us.  How we handle this ongoing traumatic event (for that it what it is) is important. We need to protect ourselves  and at the same time take concrete actions to have an impact on what needs changing. 

The Sun, Moon, and Mercury all in Leo at the start of this lunar cycle, trines Mars in 24 degrees of Aries, guaranteeing a sense that we must act now. The cautionary message however is this. It is not time to act; it is time to gather our resources and focus our intentions on what we can do to prepare for the challenges ahead. My advice to those who are feeling overwhelmed and impatient, is to find 2-3 concrete areas you can actually do something about, and put your focused action in those areas. Cope with what is manageable within your own sphere, unite with those who share a common vision, and take steps toward addressing what needs to be readied for change, when the time is right. 

This New Moon, the Sun, and Mercury are all aligned with the Fixed star,Alphard. According to the Astronomy Council. the Sun,, Moon, Mercury at 27/08 degrees of Leo "Gives wisdom, musical and artistic appreciation, knowledge of human nature, strong passions, [and on its more negative end of the spectrum] a lack of self control, and tendency toward immorality." On a darker, more nefarious side of this powerful energy  is the danger of death by poisoning or drowning. Some may have problems with the law or deception/deceit due to drugs, clandestine relationships, and deception in marriages/love affairs. In other words, it we don't use this energy with a high degree of ethical, moral  intelligence and behavior, we end up creating more problems. More serious and long-lasting ones that are going to make things worse not better. 

Such a dire warning is only to say that when we're feeling at our wit's end, on that last straw, it's really not the best time to strike out or turn your world upside down. Best to channel the energy into the projects and plans you already have underway.  Focus on calming and withdrawing from over stimulation in areas you find causing imbalances, frustration, anxiety.  The first day of the new lunar cycle is the best time to make concrete plans, gather your resources, prepare for future actions. Mercury is going to enter Virgo on Wednesday, so save making solid commitments until after Tuesday if possible.  

The harmonizing effect of Mars in Aries to the Sun, Moon, and Mercury, should give you some good ideas about the best ways forward in areas you are seeking change. This would be more positive if it weren't that Mars is making a very stressful square aspect to Saturn, the Great Teacher. This leads to heightened frustration, conflict, and anger. Best not to act on this, but instead channel these feelings into physical activities, creative efforts, and use your spiritual practices to ward off the residual emotional upsets that may interfere with your peace of mind and with the daily routines of life. Our daily lives are just as important if not more so right now. 

Creating daily rituals, schedules, and routines helps us channel emotions and gives us the sense that we do have some power to have an effect on making life better. If only for our immediate family or neighborhood, it really matters how we take good care of ourselves and others right now. Cooperative and loving acts of kindness are key to keeping our lives harmonious. 

Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto, the outer planets that have long orbits around the Sun, continue to be in conjunction in Capricorn. Donating to the local food banks, offering what help we can where we can, and taking care of our own daily life business (getting the dishes done, doing the shopping, getting enough rest) all vitally important now despite those dreams and desires we have to fix the world and make changes now.  We are making progress. The slow and steady through the much and mire is a job all in and of itself. It's taking a lot of energy for people to do their normal chores. Essential workers are under incredible stress, and so however we can support and show our appreciation, now is the time to do that.

Each of us have leadership qualities. It may or may not be on the world stage. It is however our prerogative to use what gifts, talents, skills, knowledge, and support we have to offer, where it might be needed and welcome. It might come through your artistic or intellectual efforts. It may be in how you treat each

person you come into contact with. It might be in plans you're making alone or with others, and the unexpected consequences that you have yet to see. We never know where the path of life will lead. The pandemic has thrown us all into a world that may feel like the rug has been pulled out from under us. We all though, can take positive steps to take the next right step.  We may wonder what we have to offer, or how we can make changes.  Keep focusing on those areas of interest, passion, and vision that have always fed your soul.  Let yourself receive the inflow of energy for a while. Let your imagination travel into possibilities, and take small steps toward the next discovery. 

The New Moon in Leo calls us all to be discerning in how we use and channel our thoughts, words, deeds, and energy of all kinds.  Notice how the end of one lunar cycle and the start of a new one have been charged with new, inspiriting, and encouraging movement.  Soon it will  be time to put things in motion. For now, "gather ye rosebuds while ye may". While Richard Herrick wrote this first line of his poem in the 17th Century to encourage young people to enjoy life while they were young, I here mean it to encourage us all in the middle of the richest part of summer (in the North) to enjoy the beauty and bounty of our lives. 

Appreciate both what you have and what you have accomplished, overcome, survived, and learned along the way, and be of good cheer. Leo time is also a time of celebration and expression. Sing, dance, and celebrate each moment and each day. A new Lunar cycle brings us a reminder of  what we were contemplating and hoping for, coping with and overcoming in August 2017 at the Solar Eclipse at that time. Think back to what was going on then, and get some perspective of how life does change and still holds promise, even when we don't see it.

New Moon in Cancer: Realigning for a New Path Forward

As I sat down to write and study the planetary and lunar cycles this morning, it seemed like a good time to get some perspective. We live in a dynamic universe, one always shifting and changing, and yet there are cycles and patterns that can be observed and understood. With astrology, there are both long-term and short-term cycles and trends. Depending on who we are and what our perspective is, we often respond to just a few of those cycles/patterns, not taking into account others that have an important impact on our lives. 

The Moon’s 28 ½ day cycle is the easiest to observe, and yet how often do we wonder ‘what’s going on today” when we feel suddenly more energetic or more light.  If we notice the lunar cycles changes that happen every 3 days, we can find how easily our emotional and physical bodies can be affected by ‘something outside ourselves’. If you like to fish or spend time by the ocean, you understand the impact the moon has on the tides. As women, we understand how our personal cycles are similar to the moon’s cycles, and in fact, are aligned with them. 

In this article, I am going to include an update on just where all the planets are in their cycles. This might help us all get a little more perspective of how these cycles might be affecting us. 

Today, Sunday, the Moon entered Cancer while we slept, and is still in the dark of the moon phase, meaning the final degrees of where it was one lunar month ago when the New Moon in Cancer and the eclipse happened in June.What was triggered and going on then is culminating now. Today is a time for reflection, clearing, releasing, resting, and taking good care of ourselves. It’s been a month akin to an emotional rollercoaster. 

NEW MOON IN 28° CANCER in close opposition to Saturn in Capricorn is in the third decan of Cancer. A place of mood swings, artistic temperament, and emotional excesses, polarities are the key challenge and gift. The New Moon in Cancer also occurs when the North Node (Gateway to Change) is exactly conjunct the fixed star Betelguese, one of the brightest stars in the  sky, it sits on the shoulder of Orion the Hunter. A rapidly shrinking star, it is predicted to possibly explode into a supernova within the next few years. It takes on the qualities of Mars and Mercury, and its passage through the North Node symbolizes great changes to come. So this New Moon in Cancer finds us preparing by finishing up what needs to be completed, amassed, or prepared as we prepare for a new world. 

The New Moon in Cancer opposing Saturn requires us to face the hard realities of the present, but also asks us to “screw our courage to the sticking point” (Shakespeare’s Macbeth), with full knowledge that we have within us what we need to cope with whatever we have to face. We need to overcome our fears, and seek assistance when we need it. We won’t get it if we don’t ask. The New Moon and its aspects all heighten our desire for a new start. We must honor our deepest feelings, and our need for safety, security, and a harmonious home (sense of being at home with ourselves, our community,our environment). A good time to accept support and start a new project aimed at improving our domestic lives (and that of those we support and work with). 

It’s an excellent time to make important and necessary changes. Time again, for a fresh start. And a great time to make plans. Don’t be deferred by current stalemates, challenges, or seeming dead ends.An important time to develop new ways to enhance our family and domestic lives. A good time to establish ways to develop a greater sense of security/safety, based on what really matters, not what may worn out, outdated, or no longer relevant or possible. 

It is a time we will all be struggling with blocks, and like I’ve said to my nearest and dearest, Saturn assures us as does the Moon, the struggles will always be to help us grow in the places we most resist or find it difficult to cope with. Chiron, the Wounded Healer, is also squaring this New Moon in Cancer, pushing us to face healing from whatever needs to be healed from the past. The combination of emotional and deep-seated energy being triggered by this new moon, make it a time when we may struggle mightily. Struggles with outside resistance, rules, expectations (our own and those of others), and power structures, all move us closer to full awareness that it’s time for a fresh start. 

Those with aspects between 24-30 degrees of Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) and 0-2 degrees of Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) will see the greatest impact. 

Tomorrow, June 20 at  10:34 a.m. PDT/1:34 EDT is when we experience  the New Moon at 28 degrees of Cancer. In its final few degrees of Cancer, just two days before the Sun moves into Leo, we find ourselves at a critical point.  The New Moon in Cancer  is exactly conjunct with the Sun, and is in a tight opposition to Retrograde Saturn in Capricorn.  Saturn just recently moved back into earthy Capricorn. We just entered (July 1)  Capricorn’s retrograde or finishing-up cycles-- July 1-Dec. 17, 2020. At that time Saturn enters Aquarius where it will transit until March 7, 20203. As you can imagine, there will be a dramatic shift and focus of Saturn’s energy at that time. For now, however, the next 6 months will be a time of completing and finishing up. To see where and how this might be affecting you (although if you’ve been paying attention, that should be evident), look to see what houses/parts of life Saturn is influencing. 

Mercury in Cancer (May 28-Aug. 4) is providing a time when we focus on moving from quantity to quality. We cannot hold onto everything, so we need to prioritize and decide what is worthy of our time, energy resources, and heart. We become more engaged in personal issues and our emotions have a broad range of expression. 

Venus in Gemini (April 3-Aug. 7) finds us bouncing all over the place, trying to be all things to all people, interested in everything. Curiosity reigns supreme. We feel connected more on a mental level than in a deep or profoundly emotional way. Notice how your need for harmony, beauty, and artistic expression reveals itself to you, and use what you can to build a treasure chest for projects for the future when you’re more down to earth.

Mars in Aries (June 27-Jan. 6, 2021) is at home in this energy, and Mars serves to be a power shake for us, giving us more energy, more positive, forward thinking, and a great supply of courage. Mars in Aries finds us more action-directed than we have been in the past months/years. 

Jupiter (Dec. 2019-Dec. 2020), planet of benevolence and good fortune has been in Capricorn since December 2019, and will remain there until December 2020. Making what might have otherwise been a time fraught with despair and anxiety, more bearable and positive. Jupiter reminds us we have much to be thankful for, if we look for it and appreciate it. Often we forget the inner strength and outer support we have.  Much of what supplies, nourishes, and sustains us, cannot be calculated on a ledger. What really matters to you? Where do you find your supply?

Uranus in Taurus (May 15, 2018-Nov. 2018/March 6, 2019-2025/2026) brings about changes and often surprising twists and turns, that require that we rethink what we value. This includes money, material possessions, ways we calculate security/wealth. We find we must free ourselves from material constraints by finding innovative ways to make ourselves more comfortable and a home with the lives we are living. We become less inhibited, and more embracing of the simple pleasures and ways of life that we may not have valued or understood before. Abrupt changes (which we’ve already seen manifest) in resources, money, things of value, and possessions, find us reshuffling and reevaluating our priorities in non-traditional ways. We are learning new ways of doing things and new ways of approaching our view and our ways of living.

As the week begins, the New Moon in Cancer goes void of course almost immediately (for a few hours) and we may feel a let down. Coupled with the Sun’s opposition to Saturn there may be a dampening of confidence. Be aware, it’s not you. Well it’s not just you. Outer circumstances are creating a reality that is difficult. Our inner resources may be depleted, yet it’s now we most need to nourish and feel support from those who can provide that. Seek that support and rest assured that what is meant to be will unfold, and you have what it takes to cope with, adapt to, or manage whatever that is.

Mercury forms a square to Chiron, the Wounded Healer indicating a strain in communications. Misunderstandings are possible, especially since everyone seems to be on edge and/or feeling more emotional than usual. When we’re all forced to face the challenges we are in the process of coping with, it makes for a fraught environment. Keep your buffers up and avoid confrontations and the self critic that binds you to unrealistic expectations.We cannot know what other people mean or experience, so we need to be protective of our vulnerable selves right now. Often when we’re in such a period of time, we react out of the unhealed or unknown parts of our own shadow side.  The past is always present in how we respond and react. Try to be more conscious of how you have handled things in the past, and focus on what healthy spiritual and emotional practices are more sustaining for you.

Mercury is sextile Uranus, so believe it or not, it’s a great time for meetings. Encourage creative, innovative ways and welcome cooperation. Also, vary routines to break up energy that gets stuck in patterns. What worked last year, month, or week, may not be appropriate for now. Keep the energy flowing. 

We feel a sense of urgency at this New Moon in Cancer. No wonder; our world is in disarray. However the best thing we can do for now, is to feed and nourish ourselves and each other in whatever ways are positive, sustaining, and kind.  A strong wave of energy is moving over and within us. It may make us feel  a bit restrictive. Try to keep in mind that our emotional responses and reactions are influenced by our past and how we learned to navigate the rough emotional waters of change. 

Time to align with our highest good, connect to the Divine within and around us. It’s neither time nor possible to fix or control everything. What we can do is determine what we need, what True North is for each of us. What do we need? What do we have control over? What seems to be calling you? When you’ve been in uncharted waters in the past, what sustained you? What sparked love, trust, compassion? What touched your heart and soul? Seek guidance in these areas now, and listen and watch for the answers. You have the power to seek and find. 

Saturn has provided some grounding, again. It’s time to remember what we’ve gathered, learned, discovered and mastered in the past. The tools that helped us then, are available now. Connect in what ways you can as you bring balance into your daily routine. When life is slowed down or blocked in some way, it opens the way for other offerings/opportunities. Use your time to consider how this pause, this block, this challenge can serve us. How can we make this work for our good and the good of others?  We are faced with a choice between aligning or struggling. We can align ourselves with what is working, possible, or attuned to  what good is emerging. Even if it’s not clear to us, we can behave ‘as if’. 

Open your treasure chest of powerful spiritual tools. We’ve all learned and used principles that have helped us traverse rough times. Though those tools may change, our need to keep trying has not. Take some positive actions to create what you want to see grow in your life. A powerful metaphysical principle is to act as if.  Mohammad Ali once said, “If you want to be a champion, act as if you already are. Even if you’re not, act like you are and you will become one.”  We can all take some steps, mentally, spiritually, and physically to become more of what we want to be or to attain some goal we set out for ourselves. Use your toolbox, and create  ways to feed your dreams. 

“Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams die/ life is a broken-winged bird/that cannot fly. 

Hold fast to dreams/ for when dreams go/Life is a barren field/frozen with snow”  

--Langston Hughes

Now is the time to rely on the power of our precious gift of being and life. Clear things up. Clean up the clutter, Let more light in and keep the air and energy circulating. Fill your senses with fragrances, and get your hands in the dirt, feet in the sand/grass, and head into something inspiring and beautiful. Enter the new lunar path with a heart full of thanksgiving. 

New Moon in Cancer: Seeking A Place of Peace in Chaotic Times

The New Moon on Saturday, June20, 2020 PDT/June 21( in other time zones) occurs at 0’21” Cancer,
just 21 minutes after the Sun and Moon form a perfect conjunction in the first degree and decan of
Cancer. The Sun/Moon conjunction forms a quincunx with Saturn, the Great Teacher focusing us on
what it is that we have to learn from the unconscious energies from within and from the unconscious
making its way to the surface as unresolved needs, issues, and crises erupt in the world around us. 
This New Moon in Cancer, perhaps more than at any other time, challenges us to find a way to create
peace amid one of the most chaotic periods of time in our lives

This New Moon in Cancer opens a new cycle (the heaviest influence of the New Moon extends for the
next 4-5 days) when we ask questions about the seeds we’ve planted in our lives. How are we being called to walk the path we’ve come here to travel? What is or has been the way we’ve normally learned that it was time to make a change? Have we been pushed to our limits yet? Have we broken down walls or expanded barriers keeping us from what we long for? 

This New Moon in the early degrees of Cancer focuses on our need to or for CONTROL. Cancer, one
of the four cardinal signs, is the leader in seeking control (Look to the house/part of life where Cancer
rules to seek where this most affects you). EMOTION is the vehicle for Cancer, and the Moon being
the one force that tempers emotions and moods, is at home in this energy. Another strong Cancerian
quality is LOYALTY. Now is the time to examine where our loyalties lay and to discern whether or not
some of that loyalty is misplaced. Not everything/everyone is of equal importance in our lives.
Who/what are you committed to, and what adjustments need to be made so that you can live in
balance and integrity? The need for LOVE AND REASSURANCE of that love, is another quality of
Cancer (or the Cancerian aspects of your life). Also emphasized in this New Moon in Cancer is the
need for asserting one’s INDEPENDENCE.  The Cancerian need for independence belies their equal
desire to be affirmed in a strong committed relationship. Insecurity arises when there’s a lack of either.
Another quality that the Cancer New Moon calls forth is the call of PASSION/PLEASURE. Cancer
requires both for feeling secure and stable. Another aspect of the Cancerian transit is that of
CONTRADICTION. Listening to a Cancer soul struggle with the complexities of life, is like trying to be
on both ends of a teeter totter out of control.  Their fiercely complex mind ruled by their passions and
needs arouse deep and sometimes dark emotional and mental turmoil. To resolve the contradictions,
Cancer must find the points of balance. 

All these qualities are awakened in us in some form or area of our lives at this New Moon in Cancer.
As the Sun and Moon form this eclipse in alignment with Saturn in 0 degrees of Aquarius, we need to
understand that this is also one of two times in the year when the Moon and Sun make their widest
orbits as they turn back/away from the Earth in their orbit around the Sun. For us in the North, this is
the Summer Solstice (July 20, 2020). In the Southern Hemisphere, it is a
time when the Winter Solstice is approaching. I think it’s interesting to think about what kinds of energy
are affecting us at this time, as it is forceful and strong, but it does occur regularly. Anything that
happens on a fairly regular basis, can help us understand how our own habits, patterns, and choices
may be affecting and be affected by both inner and outer sources. 

The Moon, the fastest moving body in our Solar system, makes a complete orbit of the Sun in roughly
29.5 days. Whereas the Sun requires a bit over 6 months to make the same orbit. The period of time
between when the Moon (or whatever body) begins to enter its turn around point, there is a short
period referred to as the standstill time (often called stationary). It’s akin to the point between the inhale
and exhale of a breath. Hardly perceptible unless you're paying attention or needing more air. The
New Moon marks the point each month when it makes its standstill/pause before beginning its orbit
back around the Sun. It takes two weeks for the Moon to make it halfway, and that’s when we see the
Full Moon. 

So each month at the New Moon we revisit the start of the lunar cycle, and it might just be important
to see if you can track the patterns of your own lunar cycle to observe how you normally behave, feel,
are moved, or blocked in the daily process of life. When we pay attention to the repeated patterns,
habits, and moods, we generally have a better idea of what is causing us  pain, discomfort, frustration,
or distress as well as what leads to greater pleasure, joy, success, fulfilment, or happiness.  One of my
favorite astrologers, Dana Gerhardt wrote that these patterns are like “longitudinal epiphanies;
discoveries that can only be made by walking the same path again and again” (from Gerhardt’s article
in Astrodienst, 2020).  

The Cancer new moon on Sunday, June 21, 2020, is a solar eclipse. The main
influence on solar eclipse June 2020 comes from the planet Saturn, causing an
imbalance between personal freedom and responsibility, between self-expression and
restriction.

A solar eclipse is just like a regular new moon where the Moon passes between Earth
and the Sun. However, a solar eclipse is more powerful because the Moon darkens the
Sun. Solar Eclipse June 2020 is an annular solar eclipse so not all of the Sun will be
darkened. In this type of partial eclipse, the apparent diameter of the Moon is smaller
than the Sun’s, leaving a ring of light around the eclipsed Sun.

The New Moon in Cancer and the Solar eclipse focus our attention on the push and
pull between personal responsibility and the desire for freedom and independence. We
might want to pay attention to how this is causing tension, conflict, or challenges in
your own life. It’s probably going to be very apparent in the world around you. Instead
of trying to tackle the bigger picture, the overwhelming challenges of the chaotic world
events, spend some time seeking to understand what in your own experience is in
need of attention and alteration. How are you living in relation to the world and all the
challenges we’ve faced over the last six months? We’ve all felt greater restrictions on
our freedoms while at the same time being freed from some of the constraints that
kept us trapped in patterns that have not been good for us, collectively and in our
individual lives. How have you made the necessary adjustments, and what do you
now seek to change or alter in order to find greater harmony and balance? What are
your bottom line safety and security needs, and if things are off center and out of
balance, what steps can you take to make some changes? Most importantly, what has
risen to the surface that demands your attention? 

The unconscious, shadow, unhealed and unexplored parts of ourselves are now
making their way to the surface. It may come in the form of physical or emotional
upset or discomfort. It may appear as an obstacle or challenge you hadn’t expected
or felt prepared for. Whatever is rising up into your awareness is what you most need
to pay attention to, and it no doubt will be in the area where Cancer rules in your
life/chart as well as the area where Saturn is currently revealing the lessons that this
New Moon invites you to explore. Since Cancer is at the start of a new transit through
Aquarius, we can find ourselves contemplating and imagining some odd or
unconventional ideas or solutions to old problems. Saturn’s transit through the air sign
of Aquarius arouses more universal and innovative ways of living and learning about
the paths we’re on. 

The saying goes, “desperate times call for desperate measures”, only at this time it’s
more like chaotic times call for more creative measures. We’re experiencing a major
shift and turning point in human history, and we have the opportunity to re-imagine and
realign ourselves to values we might never have thought possible. We can choose a
new path, or grasp hold of what is disintegrating beneath our feet. Use the power and
beautiful complexity of your mind, spirit, imagination, and passion to find new ways to
live and build a new way of life. The challenges may seem beyond the scope or
capacity of what you’ve been taught or have expected, but it is not often that we’re
stopped in our tracks and given the opportunity to reset our vision, our intentions, and
our hopes in what feels almost like a new dimension of life and living.

A friend of mine wrote to me earlier today, checking in to see how I was doing. She
said she felt what was happening in the world around us and in our own lives was
‘keeping us on our toes’, and I felt an immediate lift when I thought about her words.
We are no longer able to be complacent. We have to be ‘on our toes’ ready to meet the
next challenge or anticipate the next necessary step or turn in the bend. We have
been given a wake up call that asks each of us to stop, look, and listen. Remember
that old childhood warning. Before you cross the street, stop, look, and listen. Use all
your senses, take your time, and appreciate the time you have to reflect on what really
matters, and what resources you have to work with right where you are. And then set to
work, creating a new way of living that hopefully, avoids some of the pitfalls and stresses
and strains of how you might have been living before the world shifted beneath our feet. 

This New Moon in Cancer is one that urges us onto a path of seeking greater freedom
within the bounds of a secure and stable understanding of ourselves. The Cancer
New Moon invites us to remember what matters, who we are in our heart of hearts,
and what it is we know we must do to feel fulfilled and whole. The path is illuminated
at this time, both by the light that is visible but also by the light that is arising within
each of us. Let us shine, even in the darkest times, before the fullness of life arises
as the Moon will surely do over this new lunar cycle. Enter the sacred time before you,
awake, aware, and full of possibility and grace.