Living with the Stars

  The Full Aries Moon at 14 degrees occurs tomorrow morning at 05:47, after which it sets in the western horizon. In Asian cultures, this is known as the Autumn Moon. The Autumn Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is celebrated across many Asian countries including China, Vietnam, Korea and Malaysia. Held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, it honours the full moon and the harvest season. Families gather to share mooncakes - round pastries symbolising unity - and admire the moon's brilliance. Lanterns light up streets and homes. In Vietnam, it is a joyful children's celebration, while in Korea, Chuseok blends ancestral rituals with feasting.   The New Moon two weeks ago had quite a different vibe - yet this Full Moon is still under the influence of that moon as it is part of the cycle which began two weeks ago on the 21st September which was also a solar eclipse. So let's look at the story the sky is offering us.  An Aries Moon is all about initia...

  This is the second Virgo New Moon in a calendar month and if you hadn't noticed by now, the world has changed significantly since the New Moon at the beginning of the month. That in itself is a sign of the times, and whereas before it took days for news of events to reach news portals, we now see it live on a screen. The thing is, even if we see it on TV or online, we now doubt whether what we see is the truth. I mention this because Virgo is a sign ruled by Mercury the Messenger. The Sabian symbol for six degrees of Libra is "the ideals of a man abundantly crystallised". Ideals are made crystal clear - unlike the fogginess of reality we deal with at the moment.  But there's more to this very powerful New Moon than that. Let's look at the story the sky is offering us at this time.  Look at the diagram to understand the different aspects of tomorrow's eclipse chart. To begin with, kite formations in astrology are generally seen as a beneficial aspect where de...

  Today's Full Moon is a total lunar eclipse, though not totally visible from here. In Malta, Moonrise is at sunset - obviously - the Moon is opposite the Sun, so be sure to look at the horizon and enjoy the spectacle.  A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun, casting a shadow on the Moon.  Due to atmospherics, the Moon will appear reddish in colour, which is why they call it a 'blood moon'.  Astrologically, this 'blood moon' is quite powerful, and although lunar eclipses are not interpreted in quite the same way as solar eclipses, they still speak to us about our instincts and emotions.  Let's have a look at what story the sky is offering us.  Firstly, any Full Moon is the culmination of the intentions set at the New Moon. A full moon throws reflected light to Earth, so similarly full moons heighten emotions and instincts, allowing us to review our reactions and feelings to issues close to our hearts. But this is als...

  Good morning y'all! Let's all bid welcome to the Virgo New Moon. New Moons are a time when we set our intentions for this lunar cycle, so be sure to have a think about what it is you want to manifest.  We have just left the zodiac sign of Leo, a time when the emphasis was on creativity and finding your inner king. But like all kings, they need their subjects who recognise them as king. The keyword here is recognition and therefore, in other words, the essence of Leo is about knowing who you are, what you're about and what you stand for. It is the myth of Parsifal.  After completing the journey through Leo, when we go in search of ourself, we move into the next sign, Virgo, where, knowing who we are and all that, we separate the wheat from the chaff; we evaluate and sift through our experiences. That is why Mercury rules this sign; this Mercury (as opposed to the curious, information-chasing Merc we associate with Gemini) has a more discriminating and discerning nature w...

  So the Mercury retrograde had me delay uploading this post until after yesterday's Full Moon in Aquarius, so I'll do my best to get this to you before the sun disappears over the western horizon today.  Let's start with the obvious. An Aquarian Full Moon occurs when there is a full moon when the Sun is transiting the zodiac sign of Leo. Full Moons reflect the light of the Sun and throw light on the intentions sown at the beginning of this lunar cycle, the New Moon. This Full Moon is an aquarian one, meaning there is a certain amount of emotional detachment (Moon in Aquarius), highlighting a need to let go, and this month it is particularly strong owing to the kite formation as shown in the chart. Let's unpack this.  You might notice that there are quite a few planets positioned over 1 degree of something; Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (in fact, all the outer planets are at one degree of a sign, signifying they are transiting a new 'landscape'). The f...

  For some odd reason (which in my sphere is not odd at all), the importance of the Leo season has been somewhat brought to my attention in a number of ways. Walking past a jewellery shop, there was a display of 'the age of Leo' range of rings and more. Switch on the TV, and the Lionesses chase a ball. That and other small but significant signs. And I'm a Leo native. It's Leo season. The month of July brings with it what is known as the 'dog days' - the intense heat associated with the 'dog star' Sirius, whose heliacal rising occurs this year on the 29th July (but I bet you can feel the fire too - temperatures here in the Med are crazy hot). Sopdet Taken from Wikipedia This fixed star, known as Sopdet to the ancient Egyptians, was a celestial herald of renewal, appearing just before sunrise at the time of the flooding of the River Nile. In this respect Sirius - associated with the goddess Isis, signified a life-giving event that marked the beginning of t...