Back to Blogging on the Full Moon

Greetings, my lovelies,

It's been such a long time since I've posted on my site that I will never "catch up," so I will concentrate on the here and now and hope not to be away so long again:

This is an unusually inspiring Full Moon (exact tonight at 10:20 p.m. EDT), as Neptune has been mediating between the Sun and the Moon all day, creating a so-called easy opposition between the luminaries. This Full Moon between Cancer and Capricorn shall therefore illuminate more than the standard Cancer-Capricorn polarities and possible tensions of home vs. the public eye, mother vs. father, family vs. career; with Neptune trining the Sun and sextiling the Moon, this Full Moon instead dreams of a way to have it all -- and this dream could actually turn into a viable waking reality for those of you who want to put your dreams into action.

For me, the perfect symbol of this Full Moon / Sun-Neptune trine day is this pair of vintage eyeglass frames, which arrived in today's mail:

The best-ever birthday present (two weeks early) that I have ever given myself. I associate vintage items with both Cancer and Capricorn (and indeed, both signs are known to be collectors), eyeglasses with Neptune. (The eyes themselves are ruled by Aries, but eyewear itself is far more mysterious and Neptunian in nature.) I knew I was taking a risk ordering these frames from an online vendor (Etsy-cough-Etsy-yay-Etsy), but this vendor gave precise measurements (they are truly complex for eyeglass frames), and I happen to know mine. And as much as I like my current vintage frames, it has been nearly five years since they've been gracing my face. Long story short, these new old frames made my day. And as an added bonus, I got into an astrological conversation with the vendor, which inspired me (Neptune) to post again, after three and a half months of silence.

Stay tuned!

Pisces Post-Full Moon Haikus

Pisces Post-Full Moon Haikus

Snow globe still shaking
With two weeks left of winter--
I'm cold and tired.

I try to recall
Pleasurable sensations
Like my cat's sleek coat--

Like my sweetie's lips
And the warmth of his fingers
And his soft fine hair.

I try to recall
Going out sans bundling;
Hair not shaped by hat.

I try to recall
A week without feeling sick,
Sneezing and coughing.

Spring is almost here
Though it seems nowhere nearby
Buried in the snow.

Sun-Uranus Opposition: Like Mairzey Doats, Jangly and Jivey

Though it was more of a gray night than a white night, as I managed to sleep a little bit here and there, it was such a restless, scattered night I might as well have not slept at all. This is pretty much to be expected on a Sun-Uranus opposition (exact today at 4:58 p.m. ET) on an upcoming Lunar Eclipse (exact at 6:51 a.m. tomorrow).

The signs involved in both oppositions are Libra and Aries, so we must all contemplate who we are in relation to others, especially significant others, while not shelving our individual selves. This challenge can result in a pretty heavy identity crisis, especially because Mercury is currently retrograde in Scorpio; it is hard to know exactly what to think, and neither Libra nor Aries is able to truly feel, albeit for very different reasons. As a sociable air sign, Libra's MO is communication, harmony, and partnership, yet is uncomfortable dealing with dark, messy intimacy and knowing what it truly wants; by contrast, as an aggressive fire sign, Aries knows exactly what it wants, must be the first in line (just as it is the first sign of the zodiac), and if that means stepping on others' toes, so be it. Aries personifies the rugged invidualist, the polar opposite of Libra's "you complete me" orientation.

Do keep in mind that I am not claiming all Libra Suns are pretty party people, nor are all Aries Suns pushy me-firsters; I am talking now about the purity of each sign's expression, not an entire chart that includes the Moon and all the other planets in our solar system. Depending on all these other planetary placements besides the Sun, it is entirely possible to be an antisocial Libra or a meek Aries.

Perhaps too much emphasis is given to eclipses, but if you know that the upcoming Lunar Eclipse falls near your Sun or Moon, other planets, or the angles of your chart, it will certainly be more significant than a regular Full Moon.

Notes on the Full Moon / Lunar Eclipse

It is hard to believe that this is the solar/lunar anniversary of finding my current home. That is to say, it was during the Full Moon in Scorpio, in early May 2012, that I managed to use astrology to my advantage. It's not all that easy to pull off, because astrology is not this abstract concept, but life itself, and life tends to be pretty unpredictable and messy. Understanding the meaning of an aspect (e.g., Full Moon in Scorpio) does not automatically lead to understanding how the aspect will manifest. You might know what chord will be played, but not how loud it will sound or how long it will reverberate.

I always think of Siddhartha, aka Buddha, during this Sun/Moon combination. Specifically, I wonder how the hell anyone born with the Sun in Taurus and Moon in Scorpio could be detached or calm about anything, much less found a religion (which many prefer to label a philosophy) that most assuredly does not have to do with accumulating material goods and various sensual pleasures (Taurus). As for that Scorpio Moon...

Well, the Moon in Scorpio is often misunderstood, even by those of us born with this Moon placement. In its "fall" (according to traditional astrology), it tends toward extremes, with an aura of danger and a natural inclination to provoke (in a far more unsavory way than rebellious Aquarius). The sexual wattage and seething intensity often eclipse this placement's mystical, sensitive qualities. Just off the top of my head, the Lunar Scorpion Pantheon includes James Dean, Edie Sedgwick, George Harrison, Charlie Chaplin, Warren Beatty, Pat Benetar, Alfred Hitchcock, Elizabeth Taylor, Scarlett Johansson, Bjork, Miles Davis, and Isadora Duncan. The only one on this abbreviated list who might not be considered a sex symbol is Hitchcock -- but his writing was certainly not for the faint of heart, and his name was worthy of an A-1 porn star!

One of the dicier qualities of a Scorpio Moon is its tendency to test people. As a lunar Scorpion, I can attest to this and roll out the excuses while gloomy-doomy music plays in the background: we do it because we don't trust easily; we were betrayed early and repeatedly by the very people who were supposed to love and protect us; we need to know if you'll still love us after we usher you inside our darkness and explosive sensitivity, and one declaration or "proof" of fealty probably won't be enough. It can get pretty tiresome and crazy-making, but we do try to make up for it in other ways that you probably won't find in other, more genteel and balanced Moon signs. To repeat: we are not for the faint of heart.

Perhaps ol' Siddhartha might have been the most evolved type of Scorpio Moon by testing himself above all else. By breaking through all the taboos and don't-go-theres of his comfortable Taurus background, he lived out his Full Moon with great intensity and consciousness.

And only a Head Cheese of the Scorpio Moon variety could inspire this Zen koan: "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." Like practically everything else about the Moon in Scorpio, this instruction is not meant to be taken at face value. But the imagery is pure Full Moon in Scorpio: enlightenment may not come from letting go, but from killing your know-it-all-ism before it makes you insufferable.

On this imaginative, spiritually oriented Moon-Neptune trine shortly before the Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse, try to take a brief break from the mundane, and stretch out that minute or hour as long as you can.

Exploding into Spring: Sun-Venus-Uranus Conjunction in Aries

Warning: This post is intended only for adult readers who are not prudes.

This morning, just a few hours before the Sun-Venus conjunction in Aries became exact, I had a dream that I believe perfectly captures the meaning of this conjunction, in fact the entire stellium of Sun-Venus-Uranus: self-love via onanism, and how frustrating yet necessary it can be to find that private moment for yourself amidst all the chaos and demands on your time. You know, what Cyndi Lauper sang about nearly two decades ago in "She Bop." Still in the dark? Be a perv with an impressive vocabulary and knowledge of '80s pop music. You have the technology; look it up.

Particularly in the aftermath of the Full Moon, the Sun-Venus conjunction heightens love relationships and the pleasure principle -- but placed in Aries, that love has to come from loving yourself, and not in the abstract, but in a fiery, ultra-personalized way. And although the orgasm is most associated with the planet Pluto (as it rules the sex organs and all kinds of seeds), spasms of all kinds fall under the jurisdiction of Uranus.

This Full Moon week, the headlines have been filled with the Supreme Court's back-and-forth regarding benefits for gay married couples (that is, in the nine states plus DC that allow gay couples to get married) and the discrimation inherent in the Marriage Protection Act of 1996. Certainly, the Full Moon in Libra (the "marriage" sign) as well as the revolutionary impact of Uranus acting on Venus (the "marriage" planet) speak to this spotlighting of equal rights (more Libra, anyone?) for all couples. And I believe that my sub-generation, born in the late '60s to mid-'70s with Uranus in Libra (an era of Women's Lib, gay rights, and rising divorce rates) will ultimately leave behind a legacy of overturning many laws we deem to be unfair or unequal. But no relationship, whatever its sexual orientation, stands a chance unless each partner is capable of self-love. This may sound like a cliche, but at least some cliches come about because they contain a whole lot of truth. And no, I do not think it's okay to engage the sort of selfish behavior that is ruthless and causes others pain...only pleasure.

Hurricane Sandy: The Aftermath / Election Day: Oh, Boy

By now, many of you astrology hounds have undoubtedly unearthed many fine articles about Hurricane Sandy as well as the upcoming presidential election. I am adding my thoughts mainly because I feel a certain responsibility to astrologize, even though those two cents may as well be two drops in the cyberspace bucket. I know that I am not alone in feeling a certain ambivalence toward the up-to-the-second online updates that sometimes makes the information age feel more like information overload. (Did the acronym TMI even exist back in the '90s?)

Just read over the above paragraph. Aren't I a little ray of sunshine today? The Sun is coming up on its annual conjunction to my Moon, which sounds like it should be a ton of fun, except that the sign involved is Scorpio, which can be ecstatic but rarely happy.

Pressing on regardless:



Of course the Full Moon increased Hurricane Sandy's power, since the Full Moon translates into higher than usual tides. But what is even more striking about the chart of Hurricane Sandy as it reached landfall by slamming into Atlantic City at 8pm on Monday night is Jupiter in Gemini on the Ascendant with Mars setting in Sagittarius (the sign traditionally ruled by Jupiter). Jupiter always does things in a big way, and Mars can indicate aggressive destruction. The opposition between Mars and Jupiter occurred the day before Sandy hit landfall, but since these two planets are on the most sensitive angles of the chart, this opposition cannot be dismissed as "separating" (i.e., diminishing in intensity). Interestingly, Jupiter also rules gambling, and Atlantic City is one of the top two gambling spots in the nation.

With Gemini Rising, the planet Mercury is of crucial importance as well. Mercury has just entered Sagittarius (traditionally considered a detrimental placement), is placed in the 6th House of health and work, and is just separating from a square to Neptune (ruling the sea and floods), the most elevated planet at just 9 degrees from the Midheaven in the 10th House. Obviously, business was not able to go on as usual as the storm cut its devastating swath through the tristate area and beyond, with loss of life and homes, as well as electricity and dwindling food and gas supplies. Halloween this year turned out to be more about tricks and less about treats -- though with that elevated Neptune, the blessing in disguise was the in-your-face confrontation of how man-made climate change is resulting in extreme weather patterns. (Ironically, right before Halloween last year NYC was hit by a so-called freak blizzard.)

As someone lucky enough to have gotten through Sandy in good company (boyfriend and boyfriend's affectionate little gray tabby), with electricity (though no heat) and plenty to eat, my cell phone the only thing not working throughout the week, I still feel compelled to mention a disconnect within the lucky camp that I feel is represented by the Mercury-Neptune square. There were salaried workers who were able to stay home and telecommute (or not work at all) without any loss of income, but there were also plenty of workers who had to commute four hours to receive $10 an hour starting on Wednesday, with the MTA barely functioning, or who lost a week's worth of income because their workplaces were shut down. I myself was able to do a phone interview for a job midweek (I did not get it, boo hoo) only because my boyfriend has a land line, and a work package I was expecting to receive on Tuesday will not get to me until the messenger service is up and running again. Not that I would trade places with someone who has a steady job but no home, or someone who drowned during the storm.

With so many people in NYC still going without, especially in Staten Island, it is fortunate that yesterday the mayor rescinded his tone-deaf, gung-ho attitude about the annual marathon -- but if he had stuck to his guns, the disconnect would've been even more severe come tomorrow. A Mercury-Neptune square is not known for clear thinking or good judgment calls.

______________________________________________

Plenty has already been written about the upcoming Election Day occuring when Mercury turns Retrograde (just as the polls are closing on the East Coast). It is too bad that the U.S. government cannot delay voting for another three weeks -- though come to think of it, the 2000 elections occurred the day Mercury stationed Direct. It is clear from an astrological perspective that we may not find out who the true winner is for weeks, if not months, as Mercury will square Neptune two more times. I think this is also an indication of lingering trauma from Sandy effecting the ability of storm-struck individuals to vote. Whatever happens, I hope that any lingering sense of complacency will have been replaced by urgency and an unwillingness on the public's part to settle for a stolen (or even "borrowed") election, even if the candidates want to do so for the sake of peace, harmony, and moving forward. In the United States, we get the government that we deserve. We cannot afford not to rock the boat -- another interpretation of the Mercury-Neptune square.

Harvest Moon: Thunder, Lightning...Apocalypse Now?

The Harvest Moon is exact tomorrow, Saturday 9/29, at 11:19 p.m. ET. (Please note that all times given are ET.) Under more normal conditions this would merely be an important Full Moon, for this stage of the lunar cycle always marks the culmination or climax of something. And the Full Moon in Aries always has something important to say about our relationship to ourselves as well as to our significant others. Under our current planetary conditions, hold on to your seats and take a deep breath: we are all in for a dark, stormy night.

The Full Moon will begin to be felt as early as 3:19 a.m. on Saturday, when the Sun opposes Uranus. Ego clashes and relationship troubles are very likely -- as are electrical fires and bizarre technical malfunctions. Individuals who have heart conditions or are accident prone are particularly vulnerable under this aspect.

We will barely have time to recover from the fallout of this explosive opposition before the Sun squares Pluto (exact 1:54 p.m.). Control issues and resentment over being controlled or exploited will come to a head. The balance of power is unbalanced, and the square indicates a real tug-of-war is likely. On the bright side, real healing can begin at this time -- but it is not going to tickle, because it involves letting go (an anathema to Pluto). Oh, and they also just ran out of anesthesia. You may feel compelled to transform at the same time that someone or something is holding you back; before you lash out at any jailors in your life, first look within to determine whether that holder-backer is, in fact, you.

The Moon in Aries conjuncts Uranus and squares Pluto shortly before the Full Moon, at 9:40 p.m. and 10:34 p.m., respectively. While the Solar aspects earlier in the day concentrated on crises of self-identity and ego clashes, the lunar aspects will home in on your emotional well-being -- how you really, truly feel, and what you really, truly need. With the conjunction between the Moon and Uranus, you may feel hotheaded, headstrong, and determined at all costs to have it your way. You may even run a literal fever. Even the most steady, levelheaded individuals may wind up doing something totally impulsive and out of character. If it is illegal or dangerous, arrest or death may result, as the Moon squares Pluto less than an hour after the conjunction.

This Harvest Moon will bring the notorious Uranus-Pluto square of 2012-15 (which was exact for the second time on 9/19) to everyone's attention in a deeply personal manner, via crises concerning self-identity, relationships, and emotional health. If you have up until now considered the Uranus-Pluto square a collective aspect that is "out there" and does not really affect you, this Full Moon may very well make you start singing a different tune.

Once in a Blue Moon

This Blue Moon seems so close
Though in reality is so far away --
Dream yourself a little dream
Before you reenter the fray.

Let yourself imagine
Let yourself be magical
Let yourself howl at the Moon
Before you get too logical.

This month was born on a Full Moon
And is set to die on one, too --
The pearly orb will rise at sunset
And doesn't have to be sad, just blue.

Sun in Taurus + Moon in Scorpio = Buddha Moon

This may be my favorite Full Moon of the year, as it is the same Sun-Moon combo as Siddhartha Gautama, aka the Buddha, was born under. Born into luxury and privilege (as represented by the Sun in Taurus), Siddy chose to kick himself out of a sheltered, edenic existence and live out to the fullest his Scorpio Moon, an intense placement full of angst, challenges, and pitfalls (indeed, the Moon is traditionally held to be in the sign of its "fall" in Scorpio)...but with the greatest potential out of the entire zodiac for enlightenment, transformation, and ecstasy.

Just for fun a couple of years ago, I took a test on "OKStupid" to see which religious founder I most resembled, and the answer was none other than Buddha. I took that as the ultimate cyber-compliment, even as I realized that I am "detachment challenged."

Taurus and Scorpio are both Fixed signs and therefore are loath to let go of anything or anyone, out of fear of losing control or appearing weak. The paradox, of course, is that by letting go, you are more likely to have your heart's desire fall into your lap and never let go of you.

Mercury Turns Direct; Full Moon Fever

Mercury is one of those pesky planets in that it nearly always seems to be retrograde. Actually, Mercury only turns retrograde (from Earth's perspective, that is; planets never actually reverse their respective orbits around the Sun) three times a year. However, each retrograde period lasts about three weeks, making approximately nine weeks out of each year a Mercury retrograde period.

Enough has already been written, here and elsewhere, about the communication breakdowns, travel delays, mysterious losses, and technical difficulties that are common when Mercury is retrograde. Therefore, I will concentrate on the meaning of Mercury stationary direct (i.e., barely moving at all before it gains its customary speed), as well as this stationary directness occurring on a Full Moon.

When Mercury is stationary, it is a particularly fortuitous time to meditate (to let go of all conscious thought) as well as to concentrate (to sustain laserlike focus on a thought). This is the paradox of Mercury, particularly Mercury in the mutable, double-bodied sign of Pisces. If you are a visual thinker, or an artist, you may come up with some pretty stunning images at this time. You may be slow to absorb information at this time, but on the other hand, you are unlikely ever to forget what you are now learning.

On the upcoming Full Moon in Libra, it is particularly important to reopen the lines of communication that had been closed off or snarled up for the past three weeks. The next two days present a great opportunity to clarify and improve relationships of all kinds, especially if they are romantic or business-oriented in nature. Emotions do run high on the Full Moon, though, so try to keep your head (Sun in Aries) while the Moon in Libra works its charm. This will also the Passover Full Moon, so relationships will be front and center at many a Seder.

Ready for the Full Moon / Lunar Eclipse?

Although the upcoming Lunar Eclipse (exact Saturday 12/10 at 9:36 a.m. EST) lacks aspects from other planets, it is significant that just a few hours before this eclipse is exact, Uranus turns direct at 0 degrees (a "critical," i.e., powerful degree) of Aries. Any Full Moon that involves Gemini and Sagittarius is bound to be restless; because this is also a Lunar Eclipse, there will be much travel of mind and body. Flights of fancy are likely. If you are able to concentrate, much can be learned under this Full Moon; even if you have some variant of ADD, you will still emerge with more knowledge than before.

However, with Mercury still Retrograde in Sagittarius until Tuesday 12/13, reflection is still encouraged, even necessary. As we near the peak of the holiday season, try not to get caught up in consumeritis while Mercury is still Retrograde; returns of purchases are likely for myriad reasons, ranging from wrong size / icky color / already falling apart / never worked to start with.

On a personal note, I survived Neptune square my Neptune with just a few more gray hairs and a clean bill of health. It is indeed a good thing I had my midlife crisis at age 27, or else I'd be embarrassing myself even more than I had 13 years ago, when I was desperately trying to recapture my Lost Youth by dating 25-year-old rock musicians. Seriously, the Neptune square Neptune was not pretty. Yet despite the pain and loss I have gone through in 7th-house matters (my 7th-house cusp is Pisces, the sign ruled by Neptune), as the Neptunian fog starts to clear and lift, I have reason to believe in hope. I have reason to believe that I am entering a new chapter of My So-Called Life even as I linger in a domestic transitional limbo, courtesy of the harsh realities of NY real estate.

Lunar Eclipse: Get Ready for the Most Restless Full Moon of 2011!

As we wend our way through the final week of spring, hold on to your hats -- this is going to be the most restless Full Moon of the year, as it falls in the zodiac's most restless signs (Sun in Gemini, Moon in Sagittarius) and also occurs on a Lunar Eclipse. The Full Moon / Lunar Eclipse is exact tomorrow (Wed. 6/15) at 4:14 p.m. EDT, but the energy has been building ever since late last night. I experienced typical Full Moon insomnia when I should've been in the Land of Nod, and have also been unusually productive in terms of writing (an activity I unfortunately cannot devote too much time to on weekdays).

This is a make-or-break point in the lunar cycle: look back to two weeks ago, when we had the Solar Eclipse / New Moon in Gemini. Have you been busy building or repairing lines of communication with those people who are important in your everyday world? If you can honestly say yes, then you will begin reaping the benefits during this Full Moon / Lunar Eclipse. If you have been "too busy" or out to lunch, then tomorrow may force the issue in a most unsubtle way.

This lunation encourages reading, writing, learning, teaching, lecturing, traveling, multitasking, and athletics requiring agility and strength. It does not lend itself to relaxation, meditation, empathy (indeed, you may have a hard time understanding and coping with your own feelings, let alone the emotional states of others), or agreeing to form any commitments that last longer than a day or two.

If you are familiar with your own natal chart, check which of your houses are involved in this Full Moon / Lunar Eclipse and you can see which areas of your life will be particularly affected, with the Gemini-Sagittarius overlay as explained above.

To give one example, this lunation falls across an angle in my chart -- exactly conjunct my Midheaven and IC (i.e., 10th-house cusp and 4th-house cusp). Therefore, I can expect to deal both with home issues (with the Moon placed at the 4th) and my public persona and career (with the Sun at the 10th). I am already feeling the effects of the Sun approaching my Midheaven, as I have been more visible at work this week via extra hours, and have also been preparing to give a featured reading performance (my first since last November). I do hope that once the Moon enters my
4th house, I will literally be able to spend more time at home!

Post-Full Moon Reflections

As a Plutonian with Pluto exactly squaring my Midheaven and a 10th House Sun, I have a love/hate relationship with authority and officialdom.

I want to Be Somebody in capital letters -- actually, make that Somebodies, as I wear more than one hat careerwise (as one might expect from a Gemini Midheaven). Yet all the self-promoting I must do in order to ascend a rung or two higher on that never-ending (for a 10th House Sun, anyway) ladder of Something in capital letters, as I lack an agent or pilot fish of any kind to do it for me, gives me a serious stomachache -- even as my heavily aspected Mercury (widely conjunct Sun and tightly conjunct Mars in Cancer, square Jupiter in Libra, and exactly trine Neptune in Scorpio), plus an ultrasociable 1st House Uranus in Libra, readily engage in this song-and-dance.

Basically, I'm an introvert masking as an extrovert (except in the workplace; I do not blast Pandora toward the end of the day or hang out in the kitchen area unless I'm boiling water for my late-afternoon cup of tea). It does not trouble me in the slightest to enter a room full of strangers, whether it's a party or a meeting or some combination of the two (as it was at last night's NCGR panel discussion), because I survived middle school and sleepover camp in the time before adults began to at least pretend to care about the harm that bullying can do to young'uns. Nor does it bother me to be the Stranger in the Midst because I am fully aware that at social functions, most people put on their public persona -- their joker mask, their king-of-the-hill zoot suit, their small-talk tutu -- and that meeting people under such circumstances is not the same as really knowing them (though it's a perfectly valid point from which to begin plumbing their depths).

That said, I was aware yesterday that on the approaching Full Moon across my Ascendant/Descendant, it was likely that I was going to be highly visible, even with the Moon still transiting my 12th House -- hardly a Fly on the Wall at NCGR. I was also on high fashion alert with Venus in Aquarius squaring my Saturn in Taurus, which translated into a bohemian long Indian-print skirt (Aquarius), but my entire outfit was black (Saturn), and I decided to forgo my specs, as contact lenses would allow for better eye contact. I believe it was also this square that triggered my becoming an NCGR member last night, though the Full Moon had a lot to do with this decision it as well.

It was a freakishly warm day in New York City (76 degrees according to an online weather source), and the room in which the panel discussion was held was in a building just a few blocks from my office. Unfortunately the room itself was quite overheated, but in a way this was a good thing, since it killed my appetite (I did not wind up having a light supper till after I got home at 10:something). I'd estimate there were around 30 to 40 people there. Some other people besides myself were becoming members that night, too. It seemed like a real community, with plenty of friendly greetings going on before the panel discussion began.

The panel discussion itself was very interesting; four astrologers from four different generations held forth on various astrological topics, three of which were based on studying the notes from focus groups conducted back in the 1980s by a highly esteemed, recently deceased astrologer and NCGR member Patricia Morimundo. Each astrologer spoke for 15 minutes, and then the floor was opened for a Q&A.

In particular, I was moved by Shirley Soffer's discussion about the focus group concerning the affect of the Saturn in Scorpio transit (the focus group happened in 1985, with Saturn in the last degree of Scorpio) on people with natal Sun/Saturn or Moon/Saturn hard aspects. I myself have a wide but approaching Moon/Saturn opposition, and I remember who I was c. 1984-85, during the time that Saturn went over my Moon and opposed my Saturn -- a solitary, snubbed, scared, skinny teenager who was convinced, as I put it so Plutoniously in my diary, that I would die an unknown virgin. As the designated "problem" in the family (when truth be told, we all should've been in family therapy), I was sent to a psychologist -- against my wishes, of course -- and of course, by the end of the school year, just as I'd begun really opening up to this gentle, compassionate woman (who was around my parents' age), my parents pulled the plug. In their opinion, I had not been fixed or even shown any signs of improvement. I am sure they were threatened that I could tell my troubles (which included them) to a therapist, when I had such difficulty confiding in them, which was because they either overreacted by blaming me, or underreacted by refusing to take whatever it was seriously.

And yet. While all this fresh Saturnian hell was going on, there was a constant loop of reading and writing, of museum-going and drawing, and achievement. In 1984 I won the Litarary Magazine prize at the middle school graduation ceremonies, and the following spring, two months before I was yanked out of therapy, I was profiled in the local pennysaver for having been the editor in chief of the same literary magazine, which had just been judged by the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) as "Excellent," surpassing thousands of lit mags at the high school level. I was even hired by the pennysaver as their weekly high school correspondent, which meant I was paid $10 a week to cover such hot topics as the high school's booming business department, the annual student-teacher debate, and Spring Fling. When my editor relocated to Zimbabwe that summer, he let his replacement know of my existence. But my heart was not in journalism, and I did not need that ten-dollar carrot enough to continue cranking out articles about the student government and SADD. This decision may not sound Saturnian, since Saturn is about obligation and duty, yet this planet also has a way of paring everything down to the essential. I did not need ten extra bucks a week, so I said the hell with it and went back to my other need: writing short stories and poems, which I could only work on outside the classroom (my "day job" at that time).

It is also worth mentioning that after Saturn went over my Moon and opposed my Saturn, it trined my Sun, Mars, and Mercury -- and passed over my Neptune. I remember that by the end of this transit, although I was very upset that I'd lost my therapist whom I'd come to trust ( Saturn conjunct Neptune), I also had a clearer sense of my goals (Saturn) and because my parents thought that studying was more important than having a part-time job, I was able to stay true to my visions (Neptune) and integrity (Saturn). Oh, and I also got braces (Saturn) "upstairs" due to impacted incisors (the ones next door the front teeth) that came in late (Saturn) and looking like fangs (I dunno...Pluto?) after the dentist extracted the immovable baby ones (on the Saturn/Pluto conjunction).

The other astrologer on the panel I found exceptionally interesting was Tracy Allen, who shared her findings from a focus group Patricia Morimndo ran back in 1989, which dealt with people sharing the the effects of transiting Neptune in Capricorn in hard aspect to their Sun, Moon, or Ascendant. Ms. Allen also gave her own insights into the Neptune in Scorpio generation. In the first case, I remembered that it was back when Neptune was in Capricorn and opposing my Sun that I delved into such Neptunian realms as astrology, lucid dreaming, and various mind-altering substances. I also met scores of Pisceans, mostly male -- though with that sign on my 7th House, it's hardly surprising.

During the Q&A, I spoke up after the first two people had asked their questions and made various comments and no one else seemed interested in contributing. I decided to concentrate only on the topics raised by Shirley and Tracy, as I did not want to speak endlessly and having to speak into a microphone near the front of the room (the mic, which was not a cordless model, did not reach all the way back to where I was seated) made me pretty self-conscious.

Fortunately, once the talk was over and everyone moved toward the back of the room for refreshments, I was able to speak with one of the other astrologers, who actually recognized me from an astrology Meetup I'd gone to years ago (he still runs it, and seems a nice guy, but the Meetup itself just didn't do it for me). I also met Stephen Fleming, the editor of Ingress, who was very friendly and encouraging; he introduced me to a few other people, and I introduced myself to a few other people, and I gave out some of my business cards. By the time 9 p.m. rolled around and the room needed to be cleared, I was ready for some fresh air (though my appetite was still suppressed from the heat). And the beautiful, bright Full Moon accompanied me on my short walk to the subway.

Happy International Astrology Day!

Should be an interesting one, as we are approaching the Full Moon...if you have a heavy dose of Virgo and/or Pisces in your chart, be sure not to hide your light under a bushel tonight; relationships (especially related to work and spirituality) come to the fore. Geminis and Sagittarians may attract attention and conflict in equal measure. Cancerians, Scorpions, and Capricorns may get the best of all possible worlds.

I for one intend to celebrate by attending an NCGR panel discussion after work, about "Astrology and Generations," which longtime readers of my blog know is one of my interests. And who knows...I just may wind up joining this club that would have someone like me for a member.

My article "The 'We' Regeneration: The Pluto-in-Libra Group Faces the Pluto-in-Capricorn Challenge" has just appeared in the Spring 2011 NCGR newsletter Ingress, and will also appear on its website (details forthcoming, but you may find this article in its entirety right now by going into this blog's March 2010 archives.

Cheers...now stop procrastinating and go loony-lunar.

Lunar Eclipse at the Edge of the Winter Solstice!

This is the third Full Moon in a row that falls in the 29th and final degree of a sign. Back in October, the Full Moon was at 29 Aries; in November, the Full Moon was at 29 Taurus; now we have the final Full Moon of 2010 at 29 Gemini, shortly before the Winter Solstice.

The last degree of any given sign is known as the "cusp," and its energy is highly unstable; it teeters on the verge of the next sign, yet is not quite there yet.

I have never read this anywhere, but it is my belief that the final "dwad" of any given sign (i.e., 27.30 to 29.59 degrees) has great potential to achieve mastery of the nature of that particular sign. My favorite aspect in my own chart is the trine between my Mercury at 28 Cancer and Neptune at 28 Scorpio.

In the case of this Full Moon, which is also a Lunar Eclipse (exact 3:13 a.m. EST--quick, go outside and start watching the Moon turn into a bronze medal!), the mastery can be found in the attributes of Sagittarius and Gemini. Although these two signs are opposite each other, they have much in common: curiosity, a desire to communicate on an intellectual and philosophical level, an affinity with travel, teaching, and learning.

When negatively expressed, Gemini is prone to gossip; Sagittarius, to overly blunt tactlessness. Since we are still within orb of the very recent Sun/Uranus, Mercury/Uranus, and Moon/Uranus squares, be particularly careful not to let your rebellion and desire for freedom get the better of you; these difficult squares may be manifesting as "December burnout"--losing patience with various holiday obligations and purchases.

Just after the Solstice at 6:39 p.m. is the Mercury/Jupiter square, so do try not to bite off more than you can chew. With the Sun moving into Capricorn, you won't be able to stomach overindulgence of any kind as well as you could with the Sun in Sagittarius.

Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn: Time to Cut Those Apron Strings!

If a simple pair of scissors won't do the job, if those apron strings are more like unyielding steel or sharp barbed wire or a brick wall, then locate a chainsaw or machete. Whatever it takes, fellas.

(I've decided to use the salutation "fellas" instead of "lovelies," often used by female bloggers and hip party promoters, because I'm too much of a misanthropist to believe that most people are deserving of such an endearment. Chocolate ice cream, however, is lovely, so any chocolate ice-cream cones reading this post, especially soft-serve ones with rainbow sprinkles, are absolutely exempt from "fellas.")

Okay, so I'm late to the Lunar Eclipse party. I'm probably the last serious astrologer in cyberspace to post about it. But last night I was using the approaching Full Moon in Capricorn energy to clean up my apartment, which had degenerated into a pigsty during the past two weeks when I had a terrible head cold, and preparing for an erotic writing workshop I'm facilitating at the PEX festival in Maryland next weekend.

And I was obsessing about my family even more than I usually do. It gave me a typically Cancerian tummyache.

Yes indeed, fellas, this is the Full Moon in which you too may be obsessing about your family and home, your career and ambition, and any ties that bind. Not all ties and obligations are bad, to be sure--but if you feel you're being held back in a big way, go fetch those scissors or stick of dynamite, pronto.

This is also the time to try to balance your homebody-slippers-domestic self with your ambitious, latent-CEO-of-your-universe self. If you deny either side, if you claim to be fine with your humdrum existence while secretly daydreaming of glamor or a more creative existence, you will truly feel more torn apart than under any other lunation of this year.

The Lunar Eclipse adds power to any Full Moon, and good ol' Pluto adds even more power--but on the downside, more issues dealing with resentment, manipulation, and skeletons rattling around in the closet. I don't happen to agree with the puritanical statement that "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger"--it can make you bitter and twisted and wanting to treat other fellas like shit to prove the point that life is unfair. So if you're feeling subterranean rumbles of resentment or suspicion, for god's sake deal with it now before it gets out of hand and explodes six months from now.

Now I've got to get ready for an evening of astrologizing at a local shop/cafe called Hom, which is having a Full Moon dinner event, and my mini readings are the icing on the cake.

By the way, the image in this post is one I painted several Full Moons in Capricorn ago, titled "Quite a Kid," all rights goddamned straight reserved.

Under a Pesach Moon

As we've moved toward the Full Moon in Libra these past two weeks, things have been more than a little hectic (but mainly in a positive way) for this Pluto Rising astrologer. I am writing this on the fly from my mishpoka's place on Lawn Guyland (aka Wrong Island) before the Seder to wish my slightly increased readership a very Happy Full Moon, exact tonight at 10 something EDT. Whether or not you celebrate Passover, use today and tonight to concentrate on your most important relationships. If you manage to balance your independence (Aries) with diplomacy, (Libra) you as well as your relationship will experience a growth spurt. If you are not romantically involved with anyone, you could focus on improving matters with your boss, your business partner, your landlord, or anyone with whom you have a contractual relationship.

The Jewish calendar is a lunar one, and Passover, which always falls on the Full Moon, marks the spring in Judaic tradition in not just a literal way: although the days are indeed getting longer and warmer in the Northern Hemisphere, this holiday marks the springing as in liberation, of when the Jewish God acted in a particularly Mars-like manner to loose his worshippers from 430 years of slavery in Egypt. A host of troublesome and downright violent plagues were visited upon the Jews' Egyptian oppressors, and the Jews were free to wander the desert for 40 years (almost 10% of their slavery years...was this their Freedom Tax?). The pascal lamb that is featured at the Seder is an apt symbol of sacrifice, rebirth...and also Aries!

Once in a Blue Moon New Year

That's right, my Western Civvers: it's New Year's Eve (even though it's still morning in my neck of the woods) and it's happening on a Blue Moon, which means the second Full Moon of the month. The last time we had a Blue Moon was May 31, 2007, so you can see the expression "once in a blue moon" in literal action. This Blue Moon is even rarer, though, since it's also a Lunar Eclipse.

I realize this New Year's Eve recommendation may not make me popular among my not-impressively-vast readership, especially since none of you specifically asked for my advice, but this is not the New Year's Eve to party to excess, unless it is a dinner party that culminates in a food fight. Yes, there's a lot of Full Moon energy out there, and it's a Lunar Eclipse, and you may feel as if you are being magnetically pulled out of your home or your comfort zone. This is because of the opposition and possible conflict between the Sun in publicly-oriented Capricorn and the Moon in home-oriented Cancer. You may have the opportunity to attend a party that will increase your public standing or your influence--but only if you don't mess it up by getting plastered and generally loony. You may have the opportunity to spend New Year's Eve with family, which could be quite comforting as long as your family is unmarked by dysfunction in any way.

Still with me?

It takes guts to gently decline getting together with people, many of whom you may barely tolerate, and say no to spending money you do not have on the most loaded night of the year (in the sense of having expectations of tons o' fun, not indulging in your favorite poison--though that naturally goes with the territory). This night is doubly loaded because of the media spotlight on bidding adieu to the naughty aughties, the less than zeroes, or the Decade of Decline; never mind that the next decade doesn't actually begin till January 1, 2011. Yet not only is the Moon in the most home-oriented of signs tonight, Mercury and Mars are both Retrograde. You may be having second thoughts about whatever commitments you made for tonight (Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn), and you may also be confused about what you really want in order to express your joie de vivre (Mars Retrograde in Leo). Collectively, we are entering 2010 as a breech birth: looking backward, pulling inward. A Caesarian section is indicated.

If you can manage a quiet night in with your nearest and dearest, I don't think you'll regret it. If you have no nearests and dearests, it might still be better for you to be a party of one instead of with pseudo friends or desperate strangers.

As for me, who just so happens to be born under the sign of Cancer, I will most likely put my socializing off until tomorrow morning. There's an interesting sounding after-party going on not too far from me, and on a Moon/Uranus trine (exact at 10:43 a.m. EST) it might be worth it to get to sleep reasonably early tonight, wake early tomorrow, and head over there. If that actually happens, I'll be the freshest daisy in that crowd.

Stay tuned for 2010 predictions.

Full Moon Fever: Relationships in the Hot Seat

Your faithful astrologer attempted to post this update last night, but her computer was out getting loaded, and the dashboard wouldn't load.

Anyway, we are still in the Full Moon period (exact at 2:10 a.m. EDT) and the Moon in Aries still has a few aspects to other planets to make before it moves into Taurus tomorrow, so this post will still have plenty of Full Moon food for thought.

In astrology, the "relationship aspect" is the opposition, and Libra is the sign of the zodiac that is the most naturally attuned to the concept of relationship. Therefore, this particular Full Moon highlights relationship issues. They need not be romantic connections, particularly if you are not involved with anyone romantically; issues in business partnerships may be of concern at this time. Yet since Libra is ruled by the "love" side of Venus (the "material" side of Venus, i.e., money and matters of the flesh, is the domain of Taurus), it's most likely that any issues that have been building within a love partnership have reached the boiling point with the Moon in fiery, aggressive Aries. If you are single, this weekend may have been a time of being "on the hunt" for a lover.

The conflict between this Full Moon that can also lead to its resolution is "me or thee?" Aries, the polar opposite sign from Libra, is all about the self. Unlike its romantically inclined fire-sign cousin Leo, there is very little awareness of "the Other." This does not, of course, mean that Aries is incapable of having relationships--just that this very first sign of the zodiac is more concerned with being for itself. Aries can be a great leader, and also, despite its potential for extroversion, a great loner.

So, "me or thee?" For those of who you may have been doing too much for that "Other" in your life, this opposition challenges you to take better care of yourself, even if that means doing it on your own and detaching from your partner in order not to live through him or her. For those of you who have been living out the Aries side of the opposition, this Full Moon may motivate you to consider the needs of your partner above (or at least as much) as those of your own, to develop a better give-and-take situation instead of mostly taking and not even saying "thanks."

This is not a typical horoscope blog, but individuals that are likely to experience the highest degree of conflict with this Full Moon are Cancer and Capricorn natives, followed by Aries and Libra (although these two signs stand the most to gain, as well). Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, and Aquarius are more likely to resolve relationship conflicts without ultimatums, and even if there is a loss or a break, these four signs are most likely to not let icky emotions like fear and neediness get in the way of personal growth.

This is also the Harvest Moon, so regardless of what sign you are born under, it is a time of reaping what you have sown back in the spring. The Full Moon always brings a culmination to the monthly lunar cycle. What has not been resolved during this period is not likely to fix itself over the next two weeks as the Moon wanes. This does not mean you should throw in the towel if your relationship seems to be going down the toilet, but not to force any needless issues, particularly since we are coming up on a difficult Mercury/Uranus opposition (exact today at 5:06 p.m. EDT). Under such an aspect, it would be far too easy to snap during a conversation. A real breakdown in communication may result, along with a break. You may instead wish to consider quietly gathering your forces for the New Moon in Libra on 10/18, which will give you a fresh chance to unite your own emotions and needs with that of your partner's. And once again, if you happen to be single, this will also be a good time to consider what relationships mean to you, and how you can strengthen your relationship with the one person who will never leave you: yourself.

Full Moon in Pisces: Purification Via Tsunami

It's a damned good thing I practice astrology, or else I'd be convinced I was going off my rocker. For the past day or so I have felt the energy of the Full Moon in Pisces, and this lunation is exact at 12:03 p.m. BFT (Brooklyn Freelancer Time).

Full Moons always bring a culmination to the lunar cycle: for the past two weeks, whatever has been building in yourself as well as the outer world will reach its maximum form of energy. A Full Moon can shed much objective light on an important situation and provide excellent, creative release if you use its energy wisely. Otherwise, the energy curdles, and the next two weeks of the waning Moon may be spent wondering, "Where did it all go wrong?"

Full Moons also illustrate a very important principle in astrology: polarity. Instead of thinking of twelve separate signs, living and dreaming in their twelve separate zodiacal boxes, think instead of six poles, each consisting of a particular sign and its opposite. You may think that opposing signs are truly opposite and have nothing in common; nothing could be further from the truth. Opposing signs always share a "quality," i.e., cardinal, fixed, or mutable, and also occur in compatible elements, i.e. Fire/Air, Earth/Water. Visualize the beauty of the yin-yang symbol: two interlocking black and white paisley shapes, each sporting a drop of the oppposite color. In astrology, each sign contains its opposite in seed form. Much, therefore, can be learned from your opposite sign. Interestingly, the astrological aspect that concerns relationship issues is the opposition! In other words, without the opposition, there would be no awareness that "the Other" exists...I am not just talking about relationships between people, but between objects, words, numbers...the world of abstractions.

For the purposes of this particular Full Moon, which is a "pure" one because no other planets are aspecting it, I shall concentrate on the Virgo/Pisces polarity. Both of these signs have unusually heavy karma attached (the other "heavy" of the zodiac is Scorpio). In the case of Virgo, the stage of self-consciousness has been reached; the self needs to be purified in order to enter the realm of relating that self to the rest of the world. Virgo is considered the final "personal" sign, which does not mean the signs that follow are impersonal; however, the second half of the zodiac generally is pulled toward shared resources and experiences, which culminates in the universality, empathy, collective unconscious, and dissolution (and unfortunately disillusion) of Virgo's opposite sign of Pisces. The Full Moon in Pisces urges us all to consider how healthy we really feel, and this is not limited to our physical body, but how we are getting along with the planet Earth (remember that Virgo is an Earth sign!), and our mental health. Some of the difficulties that can surface during this Full Moon include:

- Extreme perfectionism and dissatisfaction over only being human, leading to beating yourself up (Virgo) or fatalistic "I give up" depression (Pisces)
- Hypochondria
- Psychosomatic illness brought on by constant worry and anxiety
- Indigestion, often due to bad food/drink choices
- Insomnia
- Addictive behavior (if you have a strong Neptune in your natal chart, you may find that you are particularly vulnerable to the energy of Moon in Pisces)
- Reaching the breaking point in terms of services rendered: "After all I've done for (him/her/the world), THIS is what I get in return?" (Slam door, brood, and retreat for the rest of the lunar cycle)

If the above list leaves you shaking your head and wondering if there is anything good about the Full Moon in Pisces, here is another, admittedly smaller list of its more positive manifestations:

- Insightful creativity in the arts, especially writing, film, and dance
- True selflessness that encourages you to serve without expecting a reward
- Increased environmental awareness
- The ability to synthesize trillions of bits of information and, in so putting some metaphoric jigsaw puzzle together, understand the whole
- Setting more reasonable "shalt nots" and "shalt dos" in your life, especially those that affect your physical and mental health

Catch the wave!