Living with the Stars

  If you are wondering whether I've been away for a wee while, then yes, you are right. Work priorities dictated that I had to devote all my time to reaching deadlines.  This still holds, though I though I'd just post a little article on today's New Moon in Scorpio as it seems to be pretty interesting.  First of all, we are going through a Mercury retrograde period when anything to do with communication can go belly up. Remember the Cloudfare outage a few days ago? Well, lo and behold when I tried to get my graphic table working today - it ain't cooperating. Mercury retrograde. Because of this, it was impossible to use it to label the planets in the diagram; I could just about try to draw straight lines with a mouse. Massive fail.  A New Moon in Scorpio opposite Uranus? Way to go, Uranus. New beginnings beckon which promise sudden change. Uranus is also at the anaretic degree (29th degree) which is sort of ominous. Uranus doesn't like restriction, so any attempt to ...

  Something extraordinary is going on. At 04:52 tomorrow morning, Pluto goes direct at 1 degree Aquarius after having gone retrograde on the 4th May 2025. For the past 162 days, Pluto appeared to be walking backwards in the sky. Fair enough, planets do have their retrograde periods at different points of the solar year.  It's what's going on in the sky that captures our attention. At the point in time when Pluto goes direct, Venus goes over the same degree as the 21st September solar eclipse of 29 degrees Virgo, and enters the sign of Libra at zero degrees. From here, she opposes Neptune at 0 degrees Aries. Libra is ruled by Venus, so she is very much at home here.  We all know that Venus is the planet associated with love and stability in relationships (business or otherwise). Opposing Neptune speaks of the themes of stability (Venus in Libra) versus idealistic (Neptune) action (Aries).  Look at the yellow highlighted triangle, with Pluto (transformation), Uranus (s...

  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...

As the sun sets on the western horizon this evening, the Full Moon rises in the East, reaching culmination at around 10:30pm. This is a Full Moon in the earth sign of Capricorn.  Full Moons are rather like a pause button, a time for reflection. What started as a New Moon on the 25th June (in Cancer) now asks us to take stock of our thoughts and actions since that time. What plans did you want to implement concerning hearth and home (Cancer)? Those plans may have been 'OTT' given that Jupiter, the planet which encourages expansion, was one degree away. Now that we have a Full Moon in the more practical sign of Capricorn, ask yourself the same question through a more practical lens. How much of your plans were you able to implement? Because the Moon reflects the light of the Sun at the full moon, it throws light on what was inspired at the new moon. Let's have a look at what the sky story is. Patterns in the sky. The chart here shows a triangle formation which pulls in all th...

  The cosmos is stirring up a storm - yes, a storm - as the planet associated with rebellion and innovation changes sign from Taurus to Gemini. Yesterday, 7th July, we bid goodbye to the presence of Uranus in grounded Taurus and witnessed its entry into the communicative Gemini, where it will reside for the next 7 years. Uranus orbits once around the Sun every 84 years, which roughly means that at around that age, you may witness a Uranus return to its natal position in your chart. But what does all this herald?  Uranus is what is called 'an outer planet', meaning that it is one of the planets which lies outside of Saturn's orbit. Until the late 1700s, there were only seven planets known to mankind. With the discovery of Uranus in 1781, astrologers began to attribute certain traits to the planet. It was a time of revolution, new ideas, freedom and individuality. Let's not forget the Declaration of Independence of 1776, and the French Revolution of 1789. Even our tiny is...

If you've been feeling something is in the air tonight (with apologies to Phil Collins), you are probably right. Over the past two weeks, we have had very significant changes in our sky stories. This, coupled with the Full Moon on the 11th June, made it all very interesting and it all has to do with Jupiter and Saturn. Firstly, gone are the days of Saturn (discipline) in Pisces (spirituality). On the 24/25th May, Saturn changed sign and moved into Aries from the watery sign of the fish. Now, that energy will want to be expressed differently. No more building of inner boundaries.  In astrology, Saturn represents discipline, structure, responsibility, and karmic lessons. It governs time, maturity, and the development of wisdom through challenges. Aries, on the other hand, is the fiery, impulsive warrior of the zodiac—bold, independent, and quick to act. When Saturn finds itself in Aries, we encounter a paradox: the planet of patience and caution colliding with the sign of raw energy ...

  So yes, this is quite late....but I'll get this information out there nonetheless.  On the 12th May, just after sunset, a Full Moon rose in the East. This is the Full Moon in Scorpio, where we found ourselves drawn into the depths of transformation, mystery and intense emotions. Scorpio is the sign associated with the 8th House, the house of hidden truths and secrets. It's also associated with what lies beneath the surface, and as the light of the Full Moon illuminates what lies in the shadows, we could discover hidden treasure in all forms.  Looking at the chart for the Full Moon, Mars, the natural ruler of Scorpio, lay at the highest point in the chart at 11 degrees of Leo. Mars represents the warrior energy in a chart, what motivates you to get out of bed in the morning, and in this Full Moon chart it may well symbolise the gift of the skies this lunar cycle - the energy to pursue what we need to be our authentic selves with others.  So what was the sky story on...

  Welcome to the New Moon in Taurus, happening on the 27th April at 21:31. In astrology, a new moon symbolizes fresh beginnings and opportunities. It marks the start of the lunar cycle, occurring when the moon aligns with the sun in the same zodiac sign. This phase is associated with setting intentions, planting seeds for future growth, and embracing change. The energy of a new moon encourages introspection, helping individuals connect with their inner selves and clarify their goals. It’s a powerful time for manifestation and renewal. It's a good time for planting new seeds not only in terms of setting a new pattern, but also a time for sowers to plant seeds (just in case you like gardening!).  At the time of writing, a pope is being given a send-off. Pope Francis' funeral will be the main focus of attention this weekend, with many dignitaries flooding the Vatican Square, many of whom are controversial figures in their own right. Twelve reigning monarchs will be attending (sur...

  The lovely thing about school holidays (yes, I teach) is that there is enough time to look up random stuff with my astrology computer software. No more calculating using pen and paper and looking up tables; in an instant I can get hold of a chart for any time, any date and any place in the world.  Today was such a day and I thought I would post this simply because it is interesting. I was browsing through social media when I noticed that there was a ceremony marking the anniversary of the George Cross being awarded to the Maltese nation on the 15th April 1942. Oh, I thought, let's have a look at what was going on in the sky.  When I first looked at the charts, I was jumping up and down with excitement. If you think that receiving the George Cross marked the end of the heavy bombing this nation endured, think again; in the second half of April 1942, Malta had become the most bombed place on the planet. I'm old enough to have walked through Valletta when some places were ...

  First of all, I'd like to present my apologia for not posting my solar eclipse report for the 29th March. The truth is my workload needed my total attention and priorities are what they are.  So, I aim to present all the information here, starting with the 29th March New Moon and also the Full Moon of the 13th April.  Also important is the number of planets that have gone direct or changed sign. I hope you will find this all very interesting.  The New Moon chart of the 29th March had a number of interesting placements. First of all, an Aries new moon is a fire moon, with its ruler Mars very prominently placed on the ascendant at 22 degrees of Cancer. We must remember that Mars had been backtracking through Cancer it its retrograde period and is now moving forwards. At 22 degrees it is conjunct the fixed star Pollux. This solar eclipse is only a partial one, which means it is not as powerful as a total eclipse. Still, eclipses in any form are not considered fortunat...