New Moon in Scorpio: Perceive, Penetrate, Power

The Sun entered Scorpio just three days ago, and today was the New Moon (exact 3:56 p.m. ET). There should be no doubt in anyone's mind, heart, or nether reaches that we have entered the Scorpio Zone. Mercury and Venus are also transiting this sign. With four out of ten planets in Scorpio, the atmosphere is intense, to say the very least, with a 90 percent chance of intrigue combined with dead-on perception and transformation. You may feel as if you are living in a 007 film, or perhaps an NC-17 one.

If you self-identify as lighthearted, superficial, or asexual, I would strongly advise laying low till November 2 (when Mercury and Venus enter Sagittarius). If you are a Water sign or have this element predominant in your chart, on the other hand, you should feel right at home -- though Scorpios or individuals with Scorpio planets may feel slightly overwhelmed by this particular type of energy (not that they would ever admit it), due to its co-ruler Mars transiting incompatible Leo.

We just went through the Venus-Mars square (exact today at 6:23 p.m.), not the greatest aspect for love and sex. Particularly with Venus in Scorpio and Mars in Leo, possessiveness or jealousy was likely, as well as plenty of drama. Mars in Leo is apt to issue ultimatums, while Venus in Scorpio is less than likely to toe the line. Whatever issues were raised by this square, they are not finished -- the Mercury-Mars square on Friday (exact 11:08 a.m. ET) will continue the conversation, if indeed it is a conversation; the temptation to yell, accuse, and throw things will be quite strong. Lock all sharp objects away and keep a pillow handy if you need to punch something.

The good news is that even though there is another challenging aspect on Friday (Sun opposing Jupiter, 9:42 p.m. ET), we get a helpful, opportunity-making sextile between the Sun and Pluto, as well as a wonderful trine between Jupiter and Pluto. Ideally, both the sextile and trine will modify the extravagance and false promises likely to occur under a Sun-Jupiter opposition. The trine occurs in Earth signs (Taurus and Capricorn, respectively), which indicates physical comfort, pleasure, and material abundance. However, because the Moon will enter the Jupiter-ruled sign of Sagittarius on Friday, and Pluto rules the sign of Scorpio (where the Sun, Venus, and Mercury currently are), there will also be a strong, even unshakable sense of faith and regeneration.

On a mass level we have a dire need for such a potentially healing aspect, and so does the planet that houses us; on an individual level I urge each and every one of you to try to tune in to it however you can. Meditate, make art, re-create, celebrate -- preferably at a costume party or seance, since it will be the weekend before Halloween.

Whether or not you believe in ghosts or the spirit world, this is an ideal time to look past the surface, beyond other people's masks...and to stop deluding yourself, no matter how rude the awakening.

Full Moon Blues

This is another one of those times when I find that I cannot speak from "on high" as an astrologer unscathed by messy humanity. I do not feel comfortable using this blog as a diary; among my many pet peeves are bloggers who assume their readership is keenly fascinated by the ups and downs of said bloggers' existence. Yet it is also true that I cannot take solace in distancing myself from the influence of the planets as if they do not affect me.

My Moon progressed into Gemini about 10 days ago. Since then, I came down with a bad head cold, my live-in boyfriend and I decided to call it quits after a few months of escalating misery, and I came down with laryngitis and chest congestion. My newly ex came down with a cold too, so we were both home sick today.

And homesick...at least, I was. Homesick for the home we had built together when he moved into my apartment full of love for me less than nine months ago. Longing to recapture the feeling of warmth, safety, playfulness, and happiness that fled my heart practically overnight, although on my newly ex's end he claims it was more a gradual fading out, and not "about" any one thing or things. The main difference is that he fell out of love with me, and I did not fall out of love with him, even when I woke up one day in late July and realized how unhappy with the relationship I had become. I was hoping we could somehow fix it -- and failing that, be the recipients of a miracle.

However, I had seen the writing on the wall back in June. I knew that the summer would see my progressed Sun leaving Leo and entering Virgo, followed by my progressed Moon opposing my Neptune, and then my progressed Moon would enter Gemini this fall, and that all these things would not bode well for my love life: Neptune rules my 7th house, my newly ex's Saturn is 0 degrees of Virgo, and my Venus is 1 degree of Virgo, which my progressed Moon will soon square. And my newly ex's progressed Moon is about to leave Virgo. We also both experienced Mars Returns: mine was exactly one month ago; his was last week.

But back in June I did not want to be fatalistic about the next few months. I am an astrologer who believes fervently in free will.

And the shit hit the fan anyway.

And the Moon was full tonight in Aries...so I suppose I should be relatively relieved that the limbo state in which my newly ex and I had been dwelling was resolved over the weekend (with the Moon in Pisces, the sign on my 7th-house cusp). I guess it was mutual. We'd both had enough, although he is the one claiming to be sorry, which is the stance that the leaver takes with the leavee.

And now we must navigate the open-ended phase in which we are still living together, but not as a couple. Given the circumstances, I have every right to toss his ass out; my Sun-Mars conjunction in Cancer can turn into real aggression when I feel threatened on the home front. Maybe the trine to Neptune softens this conjunction somewhat...except that my Neptune happens to be in Scorpio. But the natal placement that most seems to encourage stasis for now in terms of my living situation is Saturn in Taurus, which opposes my Moon and Neptune. Translation: I am always short of money, I do not want to break my lease, and splitting the rent for a few months will greatly assist in my saving money for my next apartment. (It is an issue for my ex as well, although not quite as extreme.)

Still, all I feel right now is sadness, which does not translate into the kind of behavior that anger can trigger. So I suppose I should also feel relieved for the stupor that is the hallmark of sorrow, though I cannot feel anything remotely positive about the fact that am battling insomnia and have graduated from Advil Cold & Sinus to Robittusin Peak Cold.