Welcome to our Virgo Full Moon of 2024. She is lighting up the degree of Virgo 5°23’ and is opposing her ruler, Mercury as well as Big Daddy Saturn. She blesses us with a trine to Jupiter and is opposing my dear friend and ally, fixed star Deneb Adige.
I think we can all agree that there is a sense of dramatic events to come, particularly with eclipse season #1 beginning late March and the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction, which occurs every 11 years or so. While we can’t say for sure how things will go, we can rest in this moment, with this Virgo Full Moon, and allow ourselves to turn our focus to service and humility.
This degree of Virgo in particular has a penchant for the themes of refuge, shelter, universal love, and protection. For example, if we were to look at some of the various degree interpretations, we see imagery such as “Talismans buried here and there along a road so that travelers will be protected” from the Omega Symbol. The Chandra Symbol is a beautiful one, “A banyan tree that creates an entire forest.” And the Azoth Symbol, “A window is opened which allows a bird to escape to freedom.”
We have had SO MUCH solar activity, I’ve lost count, with many of them being high level X flares. This space weather challenges us by expanding our consciousness, and that can look like a lot of things. We can find ourselves tapping into cosmic wisdom streams while also being challenged with an expanded view of what is happening here and now. May we remember that if there is such a thing as “mastery” over this realm, it must include what is here, now.
The oppositions with Mercury and Saturn amplify this Full Moon by asking us to face and reckon with or release some of our stuck ways of thinking, as well as taking ownership of our experience. Virgo energy is a blessing, make no mistake. She helps us see what is AND what could be at the same time. She has dual vision. It’s the discomfort of that space in between what is and what could be that the trouble can come. May we remember that baby steps are wonderful and so is a plan. Saturn asks us to contend with the issue of TIME in this regard, that space in between planting seeds and the harvest.
Virgo is also where we learn how to be in relationship with others. We cannot step into the realm of Libra well unless we have engaged with Virgo’s lessons of discipleship, service, doing our work, growing, and exploring what humility means for us.
Virgo is also one of the most psychic of the zodiac signs, so this is a great moon… and I mean GREAT for making Moon Water if you do that sort of thing. Moon Water made with this Full Moon would be incredible for scrying, purifying, blessing, and protecting.
And finally, the influence of Deneb Adige, tail of the Royal Swan, sometimes called the Southern Cross, but seen as various types of birds from cultures all over the world. This star has been sacred to ancient people for eons and is associated with benevolence, magic, and prosperity. There is so much to say about this star that I feel I must make a solo video and blog to fully express the full span of this star’s magic!
If you have anything major in your natal chart at Gemini 6°, this Full Moon will work more like a New Moon for you and something new will be planted in your life.
If you have anything major in your natal chart at Pisces 13°, this is like a mega Full Moon for you and something will come to fruition and fulfillment.
]]>
Aquarius New Super Moon
This New Super Moon in Aquarius is a pretty big deal in the grand scheme of things, and occurs on February 9, 2024. As our first New Moon in Aquarius since Pluto made his 2nd ingress into the sign and being a Super Moon, we are at a place that speaks of powerful future energies. The problem is that we don’t quite yet know what that future is.
Further amplifying the power of this New Super Moon is a square between the New Moon (Sun/Moon conjunction) and one of Aquarius’ rulers, Uranus. This is a tight square that brings an element of shock and awe. Go ahead and expect the unexpected.
Uranus in Aquarius is like lightning hitting the Earth, like earthquakes, or like shocks to the body. I do mean this metaphorically, but only to a certain degree. This is a shakeup to something that appears solid. Now, on a personal level, this energy can be a blessing if we’re working on releasing stuck emotional material within. Both Aquarius and Taurus are fixed signs and they tend to need extra help when it comes to change and release.
The thing we really need to talk about though, is the conjunction of Mars and Pluto that will happen on February 13-14th. The combination of planetary geometry in the 2nd half of February will offer some events and situations for us all to contend with, considering the level of tension in the world right now.
Mars and Pluto conjunct once every 2 years and it’s an energy that tends to reveal the dumpster fire side of the spectrum when we’re talking about the collective. This is a tremendous force of will, compulsive power dynamics that reveals the underbelly of human potential. All that shadow material we carry, the monsters in the dark… they come to light under this influence.
In our individual lives it is possible to use this energy to push through barriers we though were impossible to breach, so there is always a positive potential. On the collective level, though, we rarely see the positive Mars/Pluto conjunction have positive effects – at least at first glance.
From the 17th of February to the 23rd, there could be a series of events that may be shocking but will ultimately get our creative problem solving juices flowing and hopefully encourage us all to lean more into fraternity and brother/sisterhood and cooperation.
Speaking of cooperation, I will mention the co-ruler of Aquarius, Saturn in Pisces who is requiring that we all STAY PRESENT WITH WHAT IS and to resist the temptation to escape into blame games, finger pointing, conspiracy, and smoke and mirror rabbit holes – all of which take us out of our heart space. If we’re pointing fingers we’re not in our sacred heart’s compassion.
This degree of Aquarius, interestingly, is all about revealing darkness. At a much deeper level, it is asking us to attune to the higher perception of the cosmic wheel while still STAYING PRESENT with what is. The trap is getting too cerebral in trying to figure it all out while missing entirely the unfolding revelation and transformation occurring right before our eyes. It’s a high calling, I won’t lie. Part of this is recognizing and releasing the lie of false safety. The patriarchal matrix of this world lies and tells us that if you’re good or right, you are safe. If you’re bad or wrong, you’re not safe. This is all nonsense because we are nature and nature doesn’t work that way. So what happens if we can allow ourselves to accept that there is no guaranteed safety?
Hint: That is when we can find what we truly stand for and what is truly meaningful to us. Let’s go there together, into the mystery, into the magic, into the unknown future we are carving out together one step at a time.
P.S. If you have anything prominent in your natal chart at Sagittarius 11° of the Tropical Zodiac, this Aquarius New Super Moon could plant an unexpected seed within.
If you have anything prominent happening at Sagittarius 27°, this New Super Moon could feel more like a Full Moon as something is culminating and completing in fulfillment for you.
P.P.S The Chinese New Year of the Wood Dragon is here! Asteroid Drago (25115) is retrograde and is exactly opposite Saturn at this New Moon. This could be bringing another energy of facing what we have refused to see and offering a beautiful opportunity to transform. For fun, check and see if this asteroid is doing anything prominent in your natal chart or in transit right now!
]]>This FM is a major release valve of material from the past 15 years. With the 2nd ingress of Pluto into Aquarius (there will be a 3rd and final in November after a brief 2 month revisit to Capricorn) we will be feeling into the collective and individual themes of the next 20 years.
So let’s take this step by step and find the threads of energy in this FM.
The Leo/Aqua axis is about giving and receiving. Leo is this on an intimate, 1 on 1 level and often themes of whether or not this is reciprocal become enflamed for better or worse during a Leo FM. Aquarius is about this giving and receiving in a universal way, with groups of people or society at large. With the Sun/Pluto conjunction and ingress into Aquarius together on the 20th-21st, this universal energy is major. And we may become aware of how the interconnectedness of “out there”, the world at large is affecting our capacity to give and receive at a personal level.
Make no mistake, Pluto in Aquarius is going to challenge everything in our world. It’s going to require that we upgrade how we treat each other through the lens of “it must benefit all of us.” Those who are stuck in rigid, old and crusty belief systems are going to have the hardest time at least mentally. The false structures of resource control and distribution (AKA giving and receiving at a universal level) will be taken on by Pluto relentlessly. And we will do well to remember that friction creates opportunities for growth and welcomed change.
A Leo Full Moon is a wonderful time to explore to what degree we are allowing ourselves to be seen and be beheld. Consider that the Sun doesn’t question whether or not its light is being welcomed or received with gratitude, it simply shines consistently and without condition. Now, our Logos does have moments of extra-ness with solar flares (which have been WILD lately) and various levels of space weather we are offered. We also have La Luna who reflects this light in waxing and waning amounts, and it’s worth noting that when we look at the sky and see Venus, Mars, or Jupiter, we are still seeing the SUN’s light reflected back to us from their respective lenses. So without judgement, see if you can tap into where you are in relation to this as a being who has “light” to shine that others can receive and reflect back to us through their own lens.
This FM is square Jupiter and is forming a T-square. This tension is a noticeable energy and will require that we engage with humor, perspective, respect, and boundaries. If something is revealed in your life, don’t react immediately. Take the time to find your perspective and what your accountability is within the situation first. The initial presentation of what is revealed and how we perceive it at first may not be accurate. A helpful energy to connect with in this is Scorpio energy. Hence the respect and humor I mentioned, but also not showing all your cards right away. Take in the scene first, let it be messy without needing to fix it right away if that’s the case, and dig to the heart of the matter.
The FM is creating a Finger of God/Fate with Venus and Saturn. Another indication of a release point, a revelation, and we are supported beautifully by the sextile of Venus and Saturn who ask that we stay in touch with our true character. This energy favors solid values, loyalty, realness, and dignity. Having the courage to wait for what we really want rather than jumping into the frying pan without looking is of benefit. Let people and situations show you who and what they are.
And finally, we have a square of Mercury and Mars with the Moon’s Nodes. Collectively this gives inflammatory news vibes, which is no surprise, and individually it asks us to be alert and aware of our surroundings, to take care of ourselves and not rush, and to stand our ground if necessary. Tricky words or smoke and mirror deflection and distraction is afoot, so staying grounded and calm is once again the medicine.
]]>When our good friend and traveler, Mercury, is retrograde in our Cardinal Earth sign, Capricorn, we have a unique opportunity to tap into energy that supports an unwinding, re-coding, or renegotiation of some our most stubborn and dense inner material.
While I am writing this in December of 2023, before a retrograde transit of Mercury in Capricorn, this reflection is relevant to an extent for people who have natal Mercury retrograde in Capricorn, it would just require a bit of a perspective shift when we’re talking about living with this energy every day. Come see me if you have this and would like to discuss.
Mercury is a unique being in many regards. One thing to keep in mind is that their relationship with the Logos of our solar system, the Sun, is deeply complex and magical. Mercury is often pigeon-holed as an intellectual, while the truth is that they are highly mystical and it is Mercury’s nature to travel in between realms. Mercury is a journeyer in the most spiritual and esoteric sense. The physicality of Mercury exists in such close relationship with the Sun’s gravity that time and space are distorted. Literal time travel. Realm hopping.
In this article I discuss the pure and unadulterated magic of Mercury Retrograde in general.
Another thing to keep in mind is that without Mercury, there are no agreements on anything. There are no contracts, including “soul contracts.” Mercury must be present for these to exist. So anytime Mercury is retrograde, we have an opportunity to renegotiate. I do mean that in a real world way that is practical, but also in a much deeper and mysterious way that people who walk the realms themselves will understand.
So, with the teacher Mercury, in the classroom of Capricorn, we have a particular theme that I’m sure you’ve heard… hiccups or challenges in the areas of our careers, our reputations, our highest potential, as well as with the structures of our lives, the control mechanisms, the patriarchy, our legacy, etc.
All of that is in play, sure, but I want to bring in a juicier concept about how we can work with this energy intentionally.
Capricorn is much more that what pop astrology would say. In order to truly understand this cardinal earth sign, we much know that it rules the cold, dark earth. Caves, ancient and forgotten things. The gravity of this realm and what holds us here. Karma, and what we feel we have been denied but is also our responsibility to BE. The energy of the tectonic plates pushing against each other to create mountains and the energy of avalanches. As well as the silence of the inner caverns of our planet.
If you were to personalize these things and connect some dots within, what might be your most forgotten inner cavern? What material has sat in an ancient cave of your soul that could be revealed by the metaphoric movement of your tectonic plates?
What immovable stuck place in your heart and soul could use a new arrangement?
What do you desire to be revealed?
With the blessing of a grand re-do, we can set an intention for what we need to see to be revealed in order to renegotiate. We carry agreements and vows that we don’t necessarily have awareness of. Vows of poverty, martyrdom, chastity, sacrifice, even what we eat in this life can be connected to past vows of asceticism.
Even contracts of connection, visibility, and our purpose can come to a place where we know we want something different. We may not necessarily know where some of these ties that bind come from and we don’t always need to know… but if we can FEEL it, then we can renegotiate for new conditions.
That’s all fine and good, you may be thinking, but what do I DO??? HOW do we renegotiate and shake up this dense material within?
One sure-fire way to work with these concepts during Mercury retrograde in Capricorn is to dive into your natal Saturn. To make it easier (as if any of this is easy LOL) let’s ignore house placement and focus on the sign of your natal Saturn. If we allow ourselves to embody the sign of our Saturn to the degree that is possible for us… that’s a HUGE start.
This is where one of our Sacred Wounds lives and Saturn is the guardian. By giving ourselves permission to BE our Saturn in the highest spectrum of its energy, we are automatically re-coding some of our forgotten and buried inner material.
This is the good work. I can help if you’d like support. xx
]]>Gemini Full Moon 2023
Gemini 4°51’ 11/27/23 4:16am ET – This Full Moon in our Mutable Air Sign, Gemini, packs a punch that may take a few days to truly feel the magnitude. This is a time to take very good care of our nervous systems as the heightened mental stimulation could drain those who are already running on empty. It can also stimulate our minds and mouths for better or worse… So, not the best time to gossip, share intimate things that are private, or engage in situations where deep sympathy and empathy are required. Those sensitivities are harder to connect with right now, but certainly CAN be accessed with intention.
At a deeper level, this Full Moon is asking us to remain connected to our deepest heart spaces no matter what. NO MATTER WHAT. What if we staunchly REFUSE to continue as beings who are cut off from our humanity. What if the dominant energy no longer swayed us away from what we know to be true.
This Gemini Full Moon is opposite Mars - We feel energetic, confident, and assertive now, and are less inclined to be patient with others' needs and demands. Anger is possible if our will is blocked or if we have to adjust our vigorous pace to accommodate others' slower tempo. Let’s give ourselves some extra time wherever we can and make sure to initiate apologies if we shoot off at the mouth in impatience or frustration.
This is an excellent time to take the initiative or to begin a project that has been simmering in the creative cauldron. ACTION is the theme. If you tend to be more hot-tempered, this can be aggravated now and you could be quite antagonistic. Those who are more relaxed and easy-going will simply feel more energy and drive than usual.
This Gemini Full Moon is square Saturn - This can be a frustrating energy. We have heightened awareness of our limitations and fighting with authority or lashing out at others who restrict us in any way is a potential. A sense of struggle or of being overwhelmed by obstacles and blockages is possible and we could push ourselves too hard. Be patient and don't demand too much of yourself at this time. Work quietly and steadily and rely only on your own resources.
This Full Moon is square Black Moon Lilith (M) – We may find that all the ways we have tried to edit ourselves in order to be in certain spaces and with certain people… have led us nowhere. If only they could realize what we have given and sacrificed! So now we are faced with the truth that perhaps MORE of our wildness is needed – not less.
This FM’s ruler – Mercury – in Sagittarius, coming into conjunction with the Galactic Center – Out of bounds until mid December after the Sagittarius New Moon. Mercury will be traveling through a very special zone of the Zodiac that is primed for our psychic receptivity. This is a powerful time to devote to some journeying, intuitive practices, and divination. Write things down as they come to you because this is a time we will get hints, breadcrumbs, and ideas ahead of when they logically make sense. Ask great questions in order to help the energy flow.
Additionally, what we think, speak, and write about now has extra potency. This is a passage that requests that we expand our awareness to those outside of our circle. Sincere prayers and intentions of PEACE hold extra sway.
The Moon will be out of bounds before the end of the day on 11/27/23 until late 12/1/23 – Sometimes when the Moon is out of bounds we experience blockages in the experience of care and nurture. This doesn’t mean it isn’t there, but it may not be where we think it “should” be. Also, it may not be there.
Prayer for Peace – 17 Spike on Dec 1 - We have a huge Vibrational spike of the 17th Harmonic/Vibration on December 1. This is an energy that encourages us to connect with the humanity of those we might not naturally connect with. This is an extension of empathy where it wasn't before. Sometimes these spikes occur when world events bring the humanity of others into our awareness. Let's encourage Peace with Earth and one another and ourselves.
Peace Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Irish Blessing for Deep Peace
Deep Peace to You
Deep Peace of the running wave to you.
Deep Peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep Peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep Peace of the shining stars to you.
GEMINI 5
An immense tortoise with jewels inlaid in its back.
Consciousness flagrantly and outrageously running off to infinity with all that is happening. You are always able to take anything further, to follow things out beyond boundaries and limits. Synchronized with multidimensionality. Coming upon the future everywhere. Blown so wide open that all you can do is exclaim, marvel, and alternate between rapture and despair. Highstrung and wildly strung. Engaged with all outstanding possibilities. Hopeful and yet equally doubtful. Yearning toward a world where everybody can be free; vividly impressed by a world where the chains prevail. Caught in the crossfire between the old and the new. Depending upon ingenuity and resourcefulness to each and every time open the space, stir up the pot, and uncover something dynamic and progressive in every corner of existence, just asking to be rallied, championed, and brought further along in the sparkling mix we partake in together. With never a dull moment, nor any entirely closed doors anywhere in sight.
-Ellias Lonsdale, Inside Degrees
]]>We made it through eclipse season, my friends. Well done!
This is the time where we can hone in on the power we wield together. This is us all as human kind and this is also the realms we don’t see… those that vibrate outside of our awareness… the accumulation of the collective power we wield as an individual in all of these other realms….
Everything has been preparing us for this moment. There was one message that needed to come through for this Scorpio New Moon. Have you cast your energetic vote and how are you using your gifts? And have you called your Congressmen? Senators? Governor?
The Chandra Symbol for this New Moon: A pair of glasses with no lenses in them. Brutally direct vision and will focused straight down the middle. An outrageously maverick sensibility, convinced that seeing it all just like it is, is the only way to go. Defiant of roles, masks, and secondary references. Hugely unimpressed by any form of privilege or specialness. Desperate to break through all barriers, to go for the jugular vein. Neither temperate nor balanced in any sense. In the path of bluntly insisting upon your right of way you encounter huge shadows, and you are sorely tempted to assume that they come from the others. But eventually, the hard way, the truth makes itself known that ornery self-righteousness casts its own formidable shadows, and each and every one of these lays a claim upon you, you cannot refuse. Only when the rage has turned to love do the karmic shadows disperse and bare existence then become a true place to be. Ellias Lonsdale, Inside Degrees.
]]>It's ECLIPSE SEASON, the month of the Final Harvest (Samhain), and the true beginning of the Dreamtime part of the year. In October 2023 - Astro, Allies, and Ancestors, I go over the major astrological events of the month including various tidbits of Vibrational and Harmonic Astrology, the Venus-ruled eclipses, and the movement of Pluto as he is visited by other planets in squares as he completes his retrograde cycle. I share the beings from the Animal Kingdom, Plant Kingdom, and Mineral Kingdom that came forward to walk as allies with us through this powerfully transformational month. I share some stories from oral traditions including the legend of the Cherokee Corn Spirit Woman. We wrap up with October altar ideas and rituals that can deepen our experience and connection with the season. Join us in the discussion!
]]>June 1, 2023 – Jupiter conjunct North Node 8:42pm ET / Venus conjunct Procyon
June 2, 2023 – Venus trine Neptune 6:42pm ET
June 3, 2023 – Moon enters Sagittarius 1:03am ET / Sagittarius Full Moon conjunct The Great Attractor 11:42pm ET
June 4, 2023 – Mercury conjunct Uranus 3:49pm ET
June 5, 2023 – Moon enters Capricorn 3:31am ET / Venus enters Leo 9:46am ET / Venus opposite Pluto 12:05pm ET
June 6, 2023 – Sun sextile Black Moon Lilith (M) / Mercury conjunct Vesta 6:12pm ET
June 7, 2023 – Moon enters Aquarius 4:41am ET
June 8, 2023 – Sun trine Moon 9:29am ET
June 9, 2023 – Moon enters Pisces 6:14am ET / Mercury sextile Neptune 5:14pm ET
June 10, 2023 – Black Moon Lilith (M) Direct / Sun sextile Chiron 3:06am ET / Sun square Moon 3:31pm ET – 3rd Quarter Moon
June 11, 2023 – Mercury enters Gemini 6:26am ET / Mercury trine Pluto 6:26am ET / Pluto retrogrades into Capricorn 6:42am ET / Moon enters Aries 9:20am ET / Venus square Jupiter 11:39am ET
June 12, 2023 – Sun sextile Moon 11:59pm ET
June 13, 2023 – Sun conjunct Capella & Mintaka / Moon enters Taurus 2:21pm ET
June 15, 2023 – Mercury square Saturn 12:09pm ET / Moon enters Gemini 9:45pm ET
June 17, 2023 – Mercury sextile Venus 11:29am ET / Saturn stations Retrograde 1:27pm ET
June 18, 2023 – Gemini New Moon opposite the Galactic Center 12:37am ET / Moon enters Cancer 6:57am ET / Sun square Neptune 11:54pm ET
June 19, 2023 – Venus enters Pre-Retrograde Shadow 2:57am ET / Jupiter sextile Saturn 11:53am ET / Mercury opposite the Great Attractor
June 20, 2023 – Moon enters Leo 6:04pm ET / Sun conjunct Juno 3:36am ET
June 21, 2023 – Summer Solstice / Sun enters Cancer 10:57am ET / Mercury sextile Mars 11:23am ET / Mercury sextile Chiron 9:42pm ET / Ceres enters Libra
June 22, 2023 – Mars trine Chiron 11:52pm ET / Juno enters Cancer / Vesta enters Gemini
June 23, 2023 – Moon enters Virgo 6:35am ET / Sun sextile Moon 10:24am ET
June 25, 2023 – Mercury square Neptune 6:36pm ET / Moon enters Libra 6:57pm ET
June 26, 2023 – Sun square Moon 3:50am ET – First Quarter Moon / Mars square Uranus 5:23am ET / Mercury enters Cancer 8:23pm ET
June 28, 2023 – Moon enters Scorpio 4:55am ET / Sun trine Moon 5:49pm ET / Sun trine Saturn 9:42pm ET / Mercury conjunct Juno
June 29, 2023 – Venus trine Chiron 4:41am ET
June 30, 2023 – Mercury trine Saturn 2:23am ET / Moon enters Sagittarius 10:59am ET / Neptune stations Retrograde 5:06pm ET
Pluto Retrograde All Month
]]>May 1, 2023 – May Day / Beltane / Pluto Stations Retrograde 1:08pm ET / Sun conjunct Mercury (cazimi) 7:27pm ET
May 2, 2023 – Moon enters Libra 2:09am ET
May 4, 2023 – Moon enters Scorpio 10:32am ET / Venus square Neptune 1:40pm ET / Venus opposite the Galactic Center
May 5, 2023 – Venus sextile Jupiter 12:02am ET / Scorpio Full Moon Lunar Eclipse 1:34pm ET / Moon opposite Uranus 8:13pm ET / Venus opposite the Galactic Center
May 6, 2023 – Moon enters Sagittarius 4:04pm ET
May 7, 2023 – Venus enters Cancer 10:24am ET
May 8, 2023 – Moon enters Capricorn 7:33pm ET
May 9, 2023 – Sun conjunct Uranus 3:56pm ET
May 10, 2023 - Moon enters Aquarius / Moon conjunct Pluto
May 12, 2023 – Mercury sextile Saturn / 3rd Quarter Moon / Mercury sextile Venus
May 13, 2023 – Moon enters Pisces / Venus trine Saturn
May 14, 2023 – Mother’s Day / Mercury stations Direct 11:35pm EST
May 15, 2023 – Moon enters Aries 3:55am ET / Mars trine Neptune 9:44am ET
May 16, 2023 – Jupiter enters Taurus 1:19pm ET
May 17, 2023 – Sun conjunct Algol / Moon enters Taurus 8:27am ET / Jupiter square Pluto 9:10pm ET
May 18, 2023 – Sun sextile Neptune 4:59am ET / Moon conjunct Uranus 7:28pm ET / St. Eric's Day (Frey)
May 19, 2023 – Mercury sextile Saturn 2:39am ET / Taurus New Moon 11:53am EST / Moon enters Gemini 2:48pm ET
May 20, 2023 – Mars enters Leo 11:31am ET / Mars opposite Pluto 11:12pm ET / Venus conjunct Sirius
May 21, 2023 – Sun enters Gemini 3:08am ET / Sun trine Pluto 9:58am ET / Moon enters Cancer 11:28pm ET / Sun conjunct Alcyone / Venus conjunct Sirius
May 22, 2023 – Sun sextile Mars 1:56am ET
May 23, 2023 – Mars square Jupiter 1:13am ET
May 24, 2023 – Moon enter Leo / Venus square Chiron 7:39pm ET
May 26, 2023 – Venus sextile Uranus 3:37am ET / Moon enters Virgo 11:05pm ET
May 27, 2023 – First Quarter Moon
May 28, 2023 – Sun square Saturn 6:46am ET
May 29, 2023 – Moon enters Libra 10:50am ET
May 31, 2023 – Mercury exits post-retrograde Shadow 3:22pm EST / Moon enters Scorpio 7:45pm ET
]]>The Asteroid Gods of Beltane: Belenus & Cernunnos
Beltane, also known as Bealtaine in Irish, is a Celtic festival that marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere. These days it is celebrated April 30 - May 1st, but our Celtic ancestors would’ve likely celebrated Bealtaine on the Full Moon closest to the midway point of the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice.
The origins of Bealtaine or “Bealtuinn” in Scottish can be traced back to the ancient Celts, who celebrated the beginning of summer with bonfires and rituals to honor the sun and the earth. This festival was a time of great significance for the Celts, as it marked the transition from the dark, cold winter months to the warm, bright days of summer.
It was believed that on this day, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead, this world and the Otherworld, was at its thinnest, allowing for easy communication with the spirits of the otherworld and even travel between worlds.
The words “Beltane”, “Bealtaine” and “Bealtuinn,” roughly translate to “bright fire”, “good fire,” or the “Bel-fire.” Bel, as in the proto-Celtic god known as Bel, Balor, Beli, or the latin version, Belenus. This name reflects the importance of the bonfires that were lit during the festival, which were believed to have protective and purifying properties.
Bealtaine was a time for rituals to promote fertility, growth, luck, and protection, as well as being when the ‘Banais Righe’ would be held in ancient Ireland. During this inauguration ceremony, the King would symbolically marry the sovereignty goddess which represented the Land and her People. Imagine how our world would be different if leadership was aligned in this way still!
There is currently a huge revival in animistic, nature-based, and pagan spirituality and it’s spreading like wildfire! The Beltane fire festival is particularly poised to be a favorite to those looking to reclaim their spiritual connection with nature and reclaim their right to celebrate as a being worthy of pleasure, abundance, and connection.
For my asteroid astrology lovers out there, we have 2 asteroid gods we can get to know for Beltane.
Belenus
Belenus was a god worshipped by the ancient Celts, particularly in Gaul and Britain. He was a solar deity, associated with the sun, light, and healing, and was revered as a powerful and benevolent force in the natural world.
The name "Belenus" is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "bel," which means "bright" or "shining." This reflects the god's association with the sun and his role as a bringer of light and warmth. In Gaul, he was often depicted wearing a crown of rays, further emphasizing his solar nature. Belenus is associated with the Irish god Balor, who was described as having one blazing eye, thought to represent the life-giving Summer Sun.
As a god of healing, Belenus was often associated with the Roman god Apollo, who was also a god of the sun and medicine. The Celtic people believed that Belenus had the power to heal both physical and spiritual ailments, and many temples and shrines were dedicated to him throughout Gaul and Britain. It was common for people to make offerings to Belenus in the hope of receiving his healing blessings.
The influence of Belenus can still be felt today in the traditions and beliefs of many modern pagans and followers of Celtic spirituality. His association with the sun and healing make him a powerful figure for those seeking to connect with the natural world and tap into the healing energies of the universe.
Asteroid Belenus is #11284 for those who wish to see if his presence in the natal chart is prominent by a 3° conjunction or opposition to natal luminaries, planets, angles, or axes.
Cernunnos
Cernunnos is a god from Celtic mythology, revered by the ancient Celts as the benevolent god of fertility, the wild, the Otherworlds, and the hunt. He is often depicted as a horned figure, with antlers that symbolize his association with nature and the animals of the forest.
The name "Cernunnos" is derived from the Celtic words "cern," meaning "horn," and "unnos," meaning "one." This reflects the god's association with the natural world and his role as a powerful and benevolent force in the lives of the Celtic people.
Cernunnos was particularly revered by the Druids, the priests and spiritual leaders of the Celtic people. They believed that he had the power to influence the cycles of the seasons and the fertility of the land, making him a vital figure in their religious and spiritual practices.
In art and sculpture, Cernunnos is often depicted holding a torque, a metal necklace that symbolizes his wealth and power. He is also often shown sitting in a cross-legged position, surrounded by animals such as stags, boars, and serpents. These animals were considered sacred to the Celts, and their association with Cernunnos reflects his connection to the wild and the natural world.
Being the god of both the hunt AND the hunted, Cernunnos was also revered as a god of fertility, sexuality, and prosperity. It was believed that he had the power to bless crops and ensure a bountiful harvest, making him a vital figure in the agricultural practices of the Celtic people.
Cernunnos was also believed to have the power to guide souls into the afterlife. It was common for the Celts to make offerings to Cernunnos as a way of ensuring a safe journey into the next world. On the Gundestrup cauldron, a silver vessel believed to be created around the 2nd century, Cernunnos is shown with a dog at his left side. In Celtic spirituality, as well as ancient beliefs all over the world, dogs represent guides, friends, and protectors when travelling the Otherworlds.
Cernunnos’ asteroid # is 481984. Check your natal chart to see if there is a 3° opposition or conjunction or less with luminaries, planets, angles, or axes.
]]>Pluto in Aquarius: A New Era of Transformation
This is no small deal with Pluto, guardian of the Otherworlds, and lord of all we do not want to see, stepping into Aquarius, the sign of weirdness, the fringe of society, technology, aliens, genius, collective connection, and THE PEOPLE. He rules phoenixing (rising from the ashes), primal humanness, and power that we share with one another.
As Pluto moves through the signs, he brings a transformative energy that pushes us to grow, change, and evolve. Pluto takes approximately 248 years to complete one orbit around the sun, so the effects on us are long-lasting and profound. He is utterly thorough. In 2023, Pluto will dip his toes into Aquarius, a sign that is associated with innovation, social justice, and revolution.
Pluto teaches us about transformation, death and rebirth, intense experiences, and power. With Aquarius as his new method of teaching, he will bring about a profound transformation in the way we think about our place in society. Aquarius is a sign that is concerned with the collective human experience, and with Pluto in this sign, we will see a shift towards a more communal way of life. We will be forced to confront issues of inequality, discrimination, and oppression, and to find new ways to create a society that is fair and just for everyone. Above all, we will remember, for better or worse, how intimately we are all connected as one human family.
Pluto in Aquarius will also bring about a new era of technological innovation. We can expect to see new breakthroughs in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, information exchange, and renewable energy. These innovations will have a profound impact on the way we live our lives and interact with each other. We will be tested when it comes to how much power we give our technology.
At the same time, Pluto in Aquarius will bring about a deepening of our spiritual awareness. Aquarius is a sign that is associated with higher and expanded consciousness, and with Pluto in this sign, we will be forced to confront the deeper meaning of our existence. We will be pushed to explore new spiritual practices and to develop a deeper connection with the universe.
Mind-blowing discoveries in space exploration, non-human life, religious reformation, extra-terrestrial contact, and events will push us to see more of what and who we are while challenging our limited belief systems. Those who are caught up in traditional formal religions and colonial mindset will be undergoing profound awakenings that, if embraced, will usher in a new era of expanded understanding of the magic and mystery that is the human race.
It will be November 2024 when Pluto finally commits to 20 years in Aquarius. Here are some important dates.
July 2023 – Pluto square the Moon’s Nodes
November 2027 – Pluto conjunct North Node
June 2028 – March 2029 - Saturn square Pluto
February 2032 – Pluto square the Moon’s Nodes
October 2035 – Saturn opposite Pluto
May 2036 – Pluto conjunct South Node
October 2040 – Pluto square the Moon’s Nodes
To wrap up, Pluto in Aquarius represents a new era of transformation, discovery, innovation, and social justice. As we move through this cycle, we will be forced to confront some of the most pressing issues facing our society, and to find new ways to create a more just and equitable world. It will be a challenging time, but also an exciting time of great opportunity for growth and evolution.
You may be interested in a Pluto Reading
Other articles of interest:
]]>April 2, 2023 – Moon enters Virgo 6:57am EST
April 3, 2023 – Mercury enters Taurus 12:22pm EST / Mercury square Pluto 2:55pm EST
April 4, 2023 – Moon enters Libra 5:51pm EST
April 5, 2023 – Mercury sextile Saturn 12:21 pm EST / Sun conjunct Chiron 6:18pm EST
April 6, 2023 – Mercury conjunct North Node 1:18am EST / Libra Full Moon 12:34am EST
April 7, 2023 – Moon enters Scorpio 2:29am EST / Mercury enters pre-retrograde shadow 7:53am EST / Venus sextile Neptune 1:58pm EST
April 8, 2023 – Venus conjunct Algol / Mercury sextile Mars 2:29am EST
April 9, 2023 – Moon enters Sagittarius 8:56am EST
April 10, 2023 – Juno conjunct Uranus 10:12am EST / Sun trine Moon 9:48pm EST
April 11, 2023 – Venus enters Gemini 12:46am EST / Venus trine Pluto 6:14am EST / Venus conjunct Alcyone / Moon enters Capricorn 1:33pm EST / Sun conjunct Jupiter 6:07pm EST
April 13, 2023 – 3rd Quarter Moon / Moon enters Aquarius 4:42pm EST
April 14, 2023 – Venus square Saturn 12:38pm EST
April 15, 2023 – Vesta enters Taurus 12:58pm EST / Moon enters Pisces 6:57pm EST
April 17, 2023 – Moon enters Aries 9:09pm EST
April 18, 2023 – Sun conjunct Andromeda Galaxy
April 19, 2023 – Venus conjunct Aldebaran
April 20, 2023 – Aries New Moon Solar Eclipse 12:12am EST / Moon enters Taurus 12:29am EST / Sun enters Taurus 4:13am EST / Sun square Pluto 12:27pm EST
April 21, 2023 – Mercury stations Retrograde 4:35am EST
April 22, 2023 – Moon enters Gemini 6:11am EST / Mars conjunct Sirius
April 23, 2023 – Mercury Retrograde sextile Mars 11:19pm EST
April 24, 2023 – Sun conjunct Vesta 4:32am EST / Sun conjunct North Node 6:47am EST / Vesta conjunct North Node 9:51am EST / Moon enters Cancer 2:58pm EST
April 25, 2023 – Sun sextile Saturn 6:48am EST / Venus sextile Chiron 7:50pm EST
April 26, 2023 – Juno conjunct Algol
April 27, 2023 – Moon enters Leo 2:30am EST / Mars square Chiron 9:34am EST / 1st Quarter Moon
April 29, 2023 – Moon enters Virgo 2:59pm EST / Mars sextile Uranus 4:04pm EST
April 30, 2023 – May Eve / Beltane Eve / Walpurgis / Sun trine Moon 10:59am EST
]]>As Saturn wraps up his Aquarian teachings, which held us all in his grip from March of 2020 until March of 2023, I can’t help but reflect on the collective experience we all went through. These years have CHANGED us individually and collectively. The pandemic brought challenges and experiences we may not have felt ready for, but that didn’t matter one bit to Saturn. His teachings are hard. They require that we grow in ways we likely wouldn’t if left to our own devices.
I imagine none of us are exiting this Saturn in Aquarius realm unchanged. The landscape of our lives now includes the undeniable awareness that we are connected.
Aquarius is co-ruled by Saturn and brings a stubbornness and righteousness to the idea that we have to do something a certain way in order for it to benefit our community and world. We saw this in the themes of “if you really cared about others, you would do THIS” or “I’m kicking you out of my life unless you do this thing the way I think is best”. This was exacerbated by the South Node in Sagittarius which can make it easier to fall into a zealot mindset that refuses to allow any new information to enter the picture.
It was a bit rigid at times, yes? Putting it mildly! LOL
In all of that, the themes of “we are actually one” and “what we do affects others” prevail even when delivered in some of these harsh ways.
Aquarius is ultimately concerned about our connectedness, regardless of the delivery.
With Saturn as the Teacher, and the Zodiac sign being the method of teaching, we now meet Saturn in a new way.
Saturn is many things, for sure. He is related to Karma, maturity, mastery, time, boundaries, limits, commitment, dignity, hard work, darkness, harvest, and our very bones. He doesn’t play around. He also doesn’t value misery… he asks us to grow.
In Navigational Astrology, he holds our wounds of denial. That is, what we perceive life or others have denied or are denying us. Consider what you experienced being denied 2020-2023. Was it perhaps something about being included in the greater human community? This is the surface level of Saturn in Aquarius. Below the surface we have (hopefully) matured, been humbled if we were being rigid, and are well aware that everyone we encounter can be helped or harmed by their interaction with us.
Another fundamental aspect of Navigational Astrology, is viewing the Zodiac as holistic, or that each sign gives birth to the next, or that each sign is the next logical step is fundamental in understanding the Zodiacal flow of cycles.
So Pisces is the natural response, the obvious next step from Aquarius. It’s in Pisces that we let go and let be. Pisces is utterly allowing of it all, even with no natural boundaries. There is no separation in Pisces, only expansion into the nebulous world of consciousness, spirit, and unconditional spiritual love. It’s here that we seek to be aware of the world, but perhaps not experience it directly.
Saturn is always teaching us the same things, he only changes HOW he goes about his teaching. In Pisces he is teaching us about boundaries in a place where they don’t exist naturally, but it isn’t black or white. It isn’t hardcore protective boundaries or absolutely zero boundaries. We have to allow multifaceted thinking to enter the classroom.
Lessons around what forgiveness looks like in the real world come to mind. For instance, when we forgive, does that erase the harm done or does it mean we renegotiate our relationship with new information on board?
Do we take responsibility for our lack of boundaries or enabling and the harm that has caused us and others?
Do we enact strict protective boundaries that cut off connection? Or do we say something like “I don’t like that but I DO like this.”
Whatever Saturn teaches us, it tends to come in handy later on. There is always a harvest and a gift at the end of the cycle. So we can expect to receive a gift from the Saturn in Aquarius years as we are navigating the waters of Pisces (with an actual life raft).
How about some practical “what-do-to” ideas for this cycle:
-Commit to a spiritual practice of some sort. You don’t have to commit to ONE particular practice, but commit to deepening your spiritual life in a real way, one way or another, regularly.
-Take responsibility for making your dreams a reality. We’re in the mutable waters, yes, but Saturn is solid ground, so we’re not going to drown. Pluck those big wants right out of the ethers and start making small steps to form them in real life. Saturn will help, especially if you are willing to work for it consistently.
-Find a way to serve. Volunteer, help out a neighbor, begin a movement in your community.
-Bring play and creativity into your daily life. Schedule it in if you need to (Saturn would get a chuckle out of that!). I literally put things like “nap” and “paint” on my to-do lists. Whatever it takes!
-Get real about your addictions. We all have the ways we self-soothe and escape the harshness and drudgery of some days. For some it’s complaining or spinning in victimhood, for others it’s substance abuse, for some it’s work, sex, or love obsession. Humans are soooo creative and wily, we can be VERY sneaky about our addictions, so at the very least, let’s be honest about it with ourselves if nothing else.
-And finally, let’s let go of whatever tries to exit our lives. Pisces is a sign of endings and I don’t think Saturn will let us delude ourselves for very long if we’re trying to breathe life into something that’s already got a stank to it. I’m reminded of the Pucifer song “Momma Sed” and the lyric “Changes come, keep your dignity.”
We can also expect issues of WATER, oil, and the lack of availability or OVER abundance of various liquids to be prominent in these Saturn in Pisces years. With one of Pisces’ rulers, Neptune, also in Pisces, we have a double-down on this mutable water, complete with all the themes of both restriction and overflow.
I also have to mention that Pisces is the last sign of the Zodiac. This is where consciousness is the most dissipated before it is reborn once again in the never-ending cycle of life. Saturn is in the final years of wrapping up a cycle that began April of 1996. This is huge.
The last time he entered Pisces was May of 1993. What happened in your life in the years 1993-1996?
]]>March 2023 - Astrological Events & Magical Days
March 1, 2023 – Moon’s Nodes square Black Moon Lilith (M) 4:41 am EST
March 2, 2023 – Venus conjunct Jupiter 12:36 am EST / Mercury conjunct Saturn 9:34 am EST / Mercury enters Pisces 5:52 pm EST
March 3, 2023 – Moon enters Leo 10:16 am EST / Venus conjunct Chiron 12:48 pm EST
March 5, 2023 – Moon enters Virgo 10:38 pm EST
March 6, 2023 – Sun sextile Uranus 8:42 am EST
March 7, 2023 – Virgo Full Moon 7:40 am EST / Saturn enters Pisces 8:35 am EST
March 8, 2023 – International Women’s Day / Moon enters Libra 9:44 am EST
March 10, 2023 – Moon enters Scorpio 7:05 pm EST
March 11, 2023 – Venus sextile Mars 10:04 am EST / Juno enters Taurus 11:15 am EST / Mercury sextile Uranus 4:04 pm EST
March 12, 2023 – Daylight Savings Begins / Jupiter conjunct Chiron 2:53 am EST / Vesta conjunct Chiron 7:34 am EST / Vesta conjunct Jupiter 11:55 am EST
March 13, 2023 – Moon enters Sagittarius 3:21 am EST
March 14, 2023 – 3rd Quarter Moon / Mars square Neptune 7:39 pm EST
March 15, 2023 – Moon enters Capricorn 8:05 am EST / Sun conjunct Neptune (cazimi) 7:39 pm EST
March 16, 2023 – Mercury conjunct Neptune 1:13 pm EST / Sun square Mars 2:09 pm EST / Venus square Pluto 3:58 pm EST / Venus enters Taurus 6:34 pm EST
March 17, 2023 – Mercury square Mars 12:48 am EST / Sun conjunct Mercury (cazimi) 6:44 am EST / Moon enters Aquarius 10:25 am EST / Venus sextile Saturn 6:25 pm EST
March 18, 2023 – Mercury sextile Pluto 11:24 pm EST
March 19, 2023 – Mercury enters Aries 12:24 am EST / Moon enters Pisces 11:12 am EST
March 20, 2023 – Venus conjunct North Node 10:30 am EST / Sun sexile Pluto 4:12 pm EST / Spring Equinox 5:24 pm EST & Sun enters Aries / Ostara
March 21, 2023 – Moon enters Aries 12:01 pm EST / Aries New Moon 1:23 pm EST
March 23, 2023 – Ceres retrogrades into Virgo 12:17 am EST / Mercury trine Black Moon Lilith (M) 3:10 am EST / Pluto enters Aquarius 8:12 am EST / Moon enters Taurus 2:42 pm EST / Venus square Black Moon Lilith (M) 4:41 pm EST
March 25, 2023 – Mars enters Cancer 7:45 am EST / Moon enters Gemini 8:41 pm EST
March 26, 2023 – Mercury conjunct Chiron 2:58 pm EST
March 28, 2023 – Mercury conjunct Jupiter 2:50 am EST / Moon enters Cancer 6:22 am EST / 1st Quarter Moon
March 29-31 – The Borrowing Days
March 30, 2023 – Mars trine Saturn 3:03 pm EST / Venus conjunct Uranus 6:25 pm EST / Moon enters Leo 6:31 pm EST
]]>Mercury Conjunct Pluto
We are not interested in surface platitudes or talking about the weather. When these 2 meet up once a year, hidden information can be revealed. We want to get to the very bottom of a situation and CAN with extra powers of concentration, and penetrating focus, and obsessive seeking.
Our minds are preoccupied with mystery, magic, occult workings, and research. If we are really passionate about something, we may come off as fanatical at this time or get lost in a pile of books or string of open tabs for hours on end. Power struggles can come up around trying to bend others’ minds to our will or vice versa.
Uncomfortable or disturbing information can be released publicly and on the world stage at this time.
Metaphoric X-Ray vision comes with a Mercury/Pluto conjunction whether it be a transit or a natal chart aspect. Seeing deeply into what is veiled is as natural as breathing. This makes this energy perfect for divination and any activity that requires peeling back layers.
]]>
Psychic intuitiveness is enhanced when Mercury and Neptune are separated by a sextile, and we can sense and feel more from others and from the environment. The sharp edges of our minds and mouths are softened.
Imagination and inspiration can flow into creative outlets freely under this influence, and fantasy, entertainment, music, and art beckon for our attention. This is a great time to go to a concert, movie, or art museum or whatever you find inspirational.
Our ability to concentrate on mundane concerns and problems diminishes now. We are more impressionable and open, but somewhat less precise and nebulous mentally and verbally. We dip into the world of magic, mystery, fantasy, and illusion. Dream interpretation, relaxation, and divination? YES! Anything harsh, logical, or linear?… not so much.
]]>We are not inclined to seek friendly platonic relationships at this time. Tension can sizzle in our love lives, for better or worse, as we become impatient about getting our needs met. An urge to express passion and romantic intensity can become overwhelming.
Complications in romantic relationships can arise, especially if there have been underlying issues simmering under the surface. A square with Venus and Mars can throw gasoline on the embers of our sex drive, which can be a delicious or problematic, depending on the situation.
At a deeper level, we can experience a drive toward alignment with our values in the realms of love and pleasure. This can open the floor for deeper connection in established relationships and give a boost of confidence to go for what we truly want in love. Bottom line, we are asked to notice the difference between impulsive passions and real need.
This is an impulsive, restless, freedom-seeking, and spontaneous energy and life can suddenly feel unstable and as if all the cards are up in the air. We have our hearts set on independence and crave the thrill of excitement, fresh adventure, and expansive freedom.
This energy encourages rebellion and breaking out of society’s rules and anything that feels confining. The drive is toward individuation and not conformity.
This shakes up the status quo and delivers a disruptive energy that can come in surprising ways that can affect relationships and our careers. This shake-up can come from within due to impatience, so it’s a great time to slow down and take great care of our nervous systems.
When the Sun and Uranus are squaring one another, it can create a frustration that can easily get out of hand. So when this is a collective transit, it’s helpful to remember that everyone else is having an experience with this energy so staying as alert and calm as possible can really help.
]]>
Whenever Chiron and the Sun are interacting, it’s always about our identity and any wounds of rejection we carry. With the perfection of a sextile, we are supported and given an opportunity to step into a more integrated self. This sextile occurs about 4 times a year.
This isn’t about being “healed.” It’s about no longer rejecting ourselves or holding ourselves hostage and denying our own self-love until we heal/accomplish/become whatever story we’re buying into about who we SHOULD be.
Healing can swiftly become a road to bypassing and seeking worth via worldly and cultural standards. Eff that noise. Be broken and filled with radical self-love.
If you meditate, I have found Chiron, as an archetype/being/entity/energy, to be particularly enthused about coming to play in the realms. Invite him to tea and see what happens.
]]>January 1, 2023 – Venus conjunct Pluto
January 2, 2023 – Mercury sextile Neptune – Sun square Chiron – Venus enters Aquarius
January 4, 2023 – Venus sextile Jupiter
January 5, 2023 – Sun trine Uranus
January 6, 2023 – Cancer 16°21’ Full Moon/Old Christmas/Epiphany/3 Kings Day/Traditional Yule
January 7, 2023 – Sun conjunct Mercury (Cazimi)
January 9, 2023 – Venus trine Mars 10:21 am EST
January 11, 2023 – Mercury square Chiron 3:49 am EST / Venus square the Nodes 2:33 am EST / Eris stations direct
January 12, 2023 – Mars stations Direct Gemini 8°08’ (in post retrograde shadow until March 15, 2023) / Venus sextile Chiron 1:40 am EST
January 13, 2023 – Sun sextile Neptune 9:11 am EST
January 14, 2023 – Saturn conjunct Deneb Algedi / 3rd Quarter Moon / Venus square Uranus 8:22 pm EST
January 17, 2023 – Thorsblot (Thor’s Feast)
January 18, 2023 – Celtic Day of Danu / Mercury stations Direct / Sun conjunct Pluto 9:41 am EST / St. Cnut’s Day
January 20, 2023 – St. Agnes’ Eve
January 21, 2023 – New Super Moon Aquarius 1° / Sun enters Aquarius
January 22, 2023 – Uranus stations Direct Taurus 14°56’ 5:58 pm EST (all planets direct!) / Venus conjunct Saturn 5:13 pm EST / Juno conjunct Jupiter 4:33 am EST / Chinese New Year
January 23, 2023 – Vesta conjunct Neptune at 23° Pisces 2:38 pm EST
January 24, 2023 - Sun sextile Jupiter 8:30 pm EST
January 26, 2023 – Venus enters Pisces 9:32 pm EST
January 27, 2023 - Mercury square Chiron 5:42 am EST
January 28, 2023 – First Quarter Moon
January 29, 2023 – Sun trine Mars 8:45 pm EST / Mercury trine Uranus 9:16 pm EST
January 31, 2023 – St. Brigid’s Eve / Up-Helly-Aa
]]>Creating Nourishing Traditions for Yuletide
Recently I was speaking to my neighbor from across the fence about our respective holiday plans. She shared her anticipated frustration with gathering with family, the work load, and an overall penetrating, bone-deep dread.
“At least everyone is bringing a dish,” she sighed.
As if that were the only light she could carry. She asked what our plans were and if we were having a big gathering.
“Just us, I replied and smiled, “I do make a feast though.”
She smile and said something about how lovely that must be and then said, “But you enjoy each other.”
I smiled at her and wished her well. She has always been a wonderful neighbor. We don’t see her as much since her 95 year old mother moved into a retirement home. This interaction stayed with me for days. I kept thinking how sad I felt that the concept of a family liking each other and enjoying a holiday season in a way that feels nourishing seemed out of reach to her and must to so many others.
The truth is, I have intentionally created this Yuletide bubble over many years. I do it for me. My family also happens to love the traditions we’ve created, but truly it is all an act of self-love and sacred self-care.
So many people have come to me this year saying they want to know how to celebrate Yule and are hungry for winter holiday celebrations and traditions that feel more culturally expansive, perhaps connecting them with their pre-Christian ancestors.
There is a tremendous amount of cultural heritage that is ours by birthright, speaking specifically of those of European descent. Ancient people have held this time of year as sacred for longer than we know, evident by the standing stones, megaliths, stone circles, and cairns aligned with the astronomical movements of the Sun at winter solstice.
In the United States, we don’t have cultural history on this land, and in the process of creating our societies here, have become more cut off than we realize. At least, this is how it feels to me at this time.
I also understand how this may feel overwhelming. Perhaps there are already set expectations and standard traditions in your family and the thought of ADDING MORE or learning a bunch of ancient history just isn’t going to feel nourishing.
With that in mind, may I offer these ideas in the spirit of expanding our understanding of the sacredness of this time of year, adding more magic, meaning, and enjoyment to Yuletide this year and in the years to come.
The Household Spirit tradition. This is one of the most widespread and possibly more ancient vestiges of our ancestors and is already a part of the contemporary Christmas season. What you may call garden gnomes, Christmas elves, Santa’s helpers, even Santa himself are modern remnants of the Household Spirit traditions. These are specifically Swedish, Finnish, and Nordic in origin. The Nisse, Tomte, Tontu all are names for an adorable little deity who is dedicated to the care, protection, and prosperity of the household. Chances are, somewhere you have a figurine of a gnome somewhere in your house already!
The practice of leaving cookies for Santa (basically a large elf) derives from the tradition of leaving a bowl of rice porridge, with butter and sometimes honey, out overnight for the Household Spirit on Christmas Eve, Yule Eve, or Winter Solstice night.
This is such an easy tradition to introduce children too because gnomes are cute, familiar, and their imagery and stories are plentiful and easy to find.
It doesn’t even matter if you believe literally in the Household Spirits or not. The act of doing something specifically out of gratitude for our homes and the shelter and safety they provide for our families, is in alignment with belief systems that help return us to connection and relationship with the world around us. This connection and relationship is what we, as modern people, have been separated from.
I recently held a little workshop in my private community about the Household Spirits. A replay is available with membership.
Honoring Ancestors and leaving offerings – Something our pre-Christian ancestors did a LOT is leaving plates of food for our ancestors to enjoy in the feasting. Sometimes the food would just be left out overnight so the supernatural visitors in form of ancestral spirits, household spirits, or traveling spirits and deities could partake. Sometimes offerings were cast into the fire instead.
While it may not be practical to leave all the supper mess out til morning… make it work for you! Leaving a plate out after cleaning everything else up is a good compromise. At times I have even left the plate outside. Historian Tacitus wrote that the Germanic people would leave their offerings outside and if the dogs or an animals came and ate it, it was seen as the offering being accepted and was celebrated.
The Year Walk – This time of year was traditionally a time of divination for the family mystic, witch, or wisdom keeper. On Yule Eve, Christmas Eve, or even New Year’s Eve or Day, the practice of the Year Walk would offer prophesy for the 12 months ahead.
One way this was done was to ritually prepare (whatever that means for you) and take a walk (traditionally to the nearest churchyard or cemetery) in silence with a high quality of attention to what you see and hear. It is the presence of our attention that creates the invitation for prophesy, and augers and omens from nature. Those who prophesied in this way were said to know whose crops would thrive or fail, who would die, who would get married, etc. It is also said that those who are committed to the Year Walk practice, after the 7th or 9th year, would be bestowed with special gifts.
Petrus Gaslander, an 18th century author wrote about this practice “…one must walk into a forest before first light on Christmas Eve, without looking at a fire and without food or drink, and walking so far that the crowing of a cock cannot be heard. Having done so, the "year walker" will now be able to see the events of the future, and by looking at fields and the roads approaching churches can learn of the harvests and funerals of the coming year.”
This practice could also be done while walking around your home. Author Johannes Bjorn Gardback says, “It is done by walking around the home or premises near to the home and take tydor (take meanings) from anything that occurs on the way. Odd visions are said to be common, such as seeing headless shadows of those who are about to die or hearing various spiritual sounds and answers to specific questions.”
The Omen Days - Some people, myself included, begin Yuletide on December 20th. Some begin on the 21st, 24th or even the 25th. There is no wrong way… it truly is a season. Our ancestors did not celebrate “12 days of Yule” or “12 Days of Christmas.” Their celebrations could be as short as 3 days (or as long as the mead flowed) and as long as 2 months.
This 12 Days concept is quite special though, and at the very least it offers a stretched out way rather than an acute, intense way of being as we celebrate the return of the Sun.
If you like the 12 days concept, you may find it interesting to know that it both represents the year to come… each day represents a month in the New Year.
AND these 12 days represent a kind of “time out of time” as the leftover days from the lunar calendar of our ancestors and the fixed solar calendar we use today… because they cannot reconcile. In this interval between the ordinary count of days that gods, goddesses, and deities are born or conceived in many different mythologies.
These are days filled to the brim with magic and supernatural visitations traditionally, and the quality of these days is said to reflect the quality of the year to come.
Caitlin Matthews, author and former chosen chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, says “Within these twelve days lies a wonderful secret, for each of the twelve days is assigned to a month of the coming year, with the first day of Christmas the 26th December as symbolic of January, the second day or 27th December representing February and so on, right through to 6th January which represents the December yet to come. It was the custom of many to go out on each day of the Christmas festival to observe the signs in nature and divine from them the state of the year to come. The omens experienced on each of the Omen Days indicate the nature of each month in the coming year.
The divining of oracles from nature has a long tradition in Celtic lore. The Scots Gaelic tradition of the frith or the augury from the signs of nature is well established. The listening to bird’s calling was a critical part of druidic lore, as was the movement and behaviour of other animals… The real skill is to read the signs in accordance with your understanding at the time.”
We can participate in the Omen Days tradition by taking a daily walk with that same quality of attention I mentioned being crucial with the Year Walk. We can use tarot cards, oracle cards, runes, scrying, ogham, or any method of divination you work with, including simply observing nature.
The key is to RECORD what you divine each of the 12 days so you can return to your prophesies at the beginning and end of each month to come. This practice is incredibly powerful in learning our own individual prophetic and divinatory language and how to interpret what we see, feel, and sense.
Pick one Thing – All this divination and night walking may not be your cup of mead, or perhaps is TOO MUCH to add and feels overwhelming. A simple way to be more present this time of year is simply to pay attention to what we are already doing and the WHY behind it. Does it feel nourishing? Taking back this time of year requires this self-honesty. We don’t have to keep doing something simply because it’s always been done.
In this spirit of paying attention, perhaps there is ONE thing, one tradition you already do and absolutely love. Perhaps there is a cultural history behind this thing? Perhaps you can create cultural meaning where it wasn’t before?
Diving into the history of Santa Clause, the 9 horned stag the returns the Sun, the Yule Goat, or infusing the food you cook or eat with magical purpose or intention, or simply following a thread of interest that derives from your ancestry or the land you live on, can change our auto-pilot, over-stressed, and sometimes depressing experience of this holiday season.
There are no sacred texts to fight over.
There are no governing bodies controlling how we do things.
May we all reclaim this sacred season according to the nourishment we need most. May the return of the Sun carry us forth with renewed hope and endurance. Much love. xx
]]>December 1, 2022 – Venus opposite Mars Retrograde 12:28 am EST / Mercury square Neptune 8:08 pm EST / Venus sextile Saturn 10:09 pm EST
December 3, 2022 – Neptune Stations Direct 7:15 pm EST
December 4, 2022 – 2:36 AM EST Moon conjunct Andromeda Galaxy / Venus square Neptune 2:12 am EST / Sun trine Chiron 2:13 am EST / Mercury conjunct the Galactic Center
December 5, 2022 – Krampusnacht / Sun conjunct the Great Attractor
December 6, 2022 – Mercury square Jupiter 2:05 am EST / Mercury enters Capricorn 5:08 pm EST
December 7, 2022 – Venus conjunct the Galactic Center / Gemini Full Moon 11:08 pm EST / Mercury conjunct Polaris Australis
December 9, 2022 – Venus square Jupiter 7:55 am EST / Venus enters Capricorn 11:02 pm EST
December 11, 2022 – Venus conjunct Polaris Australis
December 12, 2022 – Sun sextile Saturn 1:12 pm EST / Mercury enters Retrograde Shadow Phase
December 13, 2022 – Mars Retrograde opposite the Great Attractor
December 14, 2022 – Sun square Neptune 2:10 pm EST
December 15, 2022 – Mercury square Chiron 12:21 am EST
December 16, 2022 – 3rd Quarter Moon
December 17, 2022 – Saturnalia / Mercury trine Uranus 4:36 pm EST
December 18, 2022 – Moon conjunct Arcturus and Spica / Sun conjunct the Galactic Center / Ceres enters Libra 6:26 pm EST
December 19, 2022 – Venus square Chiron 11:23 am EST / Mars sextile Chiron 5:58 pm EST
December 20-31 – The 12 Nights of Yule
December 21, 2022 – Winter Solstice 4:47 pm EST / Sun enters Capricorn / Jupiter enters Aries / Sun square Jupiter 7:50 pm EST
December 22, 2022 – Venus trine Uranus 4:47 am EST
December 23, 2022 – Chiron Stations Direct 4:31 am EST / Capricorn New Moon 5:16 am EST conjunct Polaris Australis
December 24, 2022 - Mercury sextile Neptune 8:17 pm EST / Christmas Eve
December 25, 2022 – Christmas
December 26, 2022 – Mars Retrograde conjunct Aldebaran
December 28, 2022 – Venus sextile Neptune 3:32 am EST
December 29, 2022 – 1st Quarter Moon / Mercury stations Retrograde 4:32 am EST / Mercury Retrograde conjunct Venus 8:57 am EST
December 31, 2022 – New Year’s Eve
Mars & Uranus Retrograde all month.
]]>November 3 - Psyche/Eros conjunction Libra 25°30'
November 5 – Venus opposite Uranus Retrograde
November 5-8 - Moon's Nodes Direct
November 7 – Venus square Saturn
November 8 - Full Moon Lunar Eclipse Taurus 16°
November 11 - Sun square Saturn / Lunantishees Day – Celtic Fairy Day
November 15 - Venus trine Jupiter
November 16 - Mercury trine Jupiter / Venus enters Sagittarius
November 16-18 - Leonids Meteor Shower
November 16-22 - Moon's Nodes Direct
November 19 – Mars Retrograde square Neptune Retrograde
November 20 - Vesta enters Pisces
November 21 - Sun trine Jupiter / Mercury conjunct Venus Sagittarius 7°-8° / Mars Retrograde conjunct Capella
November 22 – Sun enters Sagittarius
November 23 - New Moon Sagittarius 1° / Jupiter stations Direct / Mercury conjunct Antares
November 24 – Mercury trine Chiron / Venus conjunct Antares
November 25 – Venus trine Chiron
November 26 – Mercury conjunct the Great Attractor
November 27 – Mars Retrograde conjunct fixed Star Nihal / Venus conjunct the Great Attractor
November 28 – Mars Retrograde trine Saturn
November 29 – Mercury opposite Mars Retrograde
November 30 – Mercury sextile Saturn
Mars, Uranus, and Neptune are Retrograde all month.
September 28 - October 2, 2022 - Moon's Nodes Direct
September 30 - October 27 - Celtic Tree Month of Ivy
October 1 - Venus conjunct Supergalactic Center
October 2 - Mercury Stations Direct / Mercury opposite Neptune
October 5 - Vesta stations Direct
October 6 - Sun conjunct Algorab / Mercury trine Pluto
October 7 - Feast Day of Ma'at Egyptian Goddess of Truth / Mars conjunct Capella
October 8 - Pluto Station Direct (opposing Procyon) / Mercury conjunct Alkaid
October 9 - Aries Full Moon 16° / Pallas Athena conjunct Sirius
October 10 - Mercury enters Libra / Venus conjunct Algorab
October 11 - 17 - Moon's Nodes Direct
October 12 - Mars square Neptune
October 13 - Mercury conjunct the Supergalactic Center
October 17 - Sun conjunct Spica & Arcturus
October 18 - Venus conjunct Spica and Arcturus
October 19 - Mercury conjunct Algorab / Sun square Pluto
October 21 - Feast Day of Artio the Celtic Bear Goddess
October 22 - Sun conjunct Venus
October 23 - Saturn stations Direct / Venus enters Scorpio / Sun enters Scorpio / Juno stations Direct - Watch the Sunrise!
October 25 - Scorpio New Moon Solar Eclipse 2° - Conjunct Shapley Attractor
October 26 - November 1 - Moon's Nodes Direct
October 27 - Mercury square Pluto / Mercury trine Mars
October 28 - Jupiter Retrogrades into Pisces / Celtic Tree Month of Reed Begins
October 29 - Mercury enters Scorpio
October 30 - Mars stations Retrograde
October 31 - Samhain / Halloween / Mercury conjunct Shapley Attractor
Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune retrograde all month.
September 1, 2022 - Mars sextile Jupiter / Moon opposite Uranus
September 1-3, 2022 - Moon's Nodes Direct
September 2, 2022 - Mercury opposite Jupiter / Celtic Tree Month of Vine begins
September 3, 2022 - Mars enters Pre-Retrograde shadow
September 5, 2022 - Venus enters Virgo / Venus conjunct Regulus / Moon conjunct Polaris Australis
September 7, 2022 - Mars conjunct Aldebaran
September 9, 2022 - Mercury stations Retrograde at Libra 8°55'
September 10, 2022 - Full Moon Pisces 17°41'
September 11, 2022 - Sun trine Uranus
September 14-17, 2022 - Moon's Nodes Direct
September 15-17, 2022 - Mars opposite the Great Attractor
September 16, 2022 - Sun opposite Neptune
September 18, 2022 - Sun trine Pluto / Mercury opposite Jupiter
September 20, 2022 - Venus trine Uranus
September 22, 2022 - Autumnal Equinox 9:03 PM / Mabon
September 23, 2022 - Mercury conjunct Sun
September 24, 2022 - Venus opposite Neptune
September 25, 2022 - New Moon Libra 2°49' conjunct Super Galactic Center
September 26, 2022 - Mercury Retrograde conjunct Venus at Virgo 26° / Sun opposite Jupiter
September 28, 2022 - Mars trine Saturn
September 28 - October 2, 2022 - Moon's Nodes Direct
September 29, 2022 - Venus enters Libra
September 30, 2022 - Mars conjunct Nihal
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto Retrograde all month
]]>August 1, 2022 - Lammas / Heliacal rising of Sirius at Giza Pyramid (latitude 29.9°N) / Mars/Uranus/North Node conjunct
August 4, 2022 - Mercury enters Virgo
August 10, 2022 - Sun square Uranus and the Nodes / Moon conjunct Pluto
August 11, 2022 - Aquarius Full Moon 19° / Venus enters Leo
August 14, 2022 - Sun opposite Saturn *** Moon conjunct Neptune
August 18 - 19, 2022 - Moon's Nodes Direct
August 18, 2022 - Moon conjunct North Node and Uranus
August 19, 2022 - Moon conjunct Mars
August 20, 2022 - Mars enters Gemini / Mercury opposes Neptune
August 22, 2022 - Sun enters Virgo / Sun conjunct Regulus
August 24, 2022 - Uranus stations Retrograde
August 25, 2022 - Mercury enters Libra / Sun square Mars / Moon conjunct Venus
August 28, 2022 - Virgo New Moon 4°
Jupiter, Saturn. Neptune, and Pluto Retrograde all month
]]>