Living with the Stars

  On the 30th December 2024, at 23:26, the second New Moon in December marks the end of the calendar year. Although it marks the end of 2024, it also heralds the beginning of the new. And what a year it has been. It's also poignant that we have a new moon very close to the new year. Let's have a look at the story the sky is offering us.  The fascinating thing about this New Moon chart is that almost all the planets and lights (the Sun and Moon are called lights, in spite of the fact that the Moon reflects the Sun's light) aspect each other in some way.  The idea of a new moon is that it is the beginning of a lunar cycle which lasts 29.5 days. That is why we are asked to set our intentions at the new moon, which then reaches its peak at the full moon where we reflect (just as the Moon reflects the Sun's light) on what we have manifested in our lives. This New Moon is not only out-of-bounds (something of a wild card vibe) but is also is ruled over by Saturn -  by virtu...

  On the 21st of December 2024, at 10:20am, the Sun moves into the sign of Capricorn. Over the past three months, ever since the autumnal equinox, Planet Earth's wobble has tilted the northern hemisphere away from the Sun. Tomorrow, the Sun will reach it's maximum declination south of the equator (remember, it's the height of summer in the southern hemisphere) and will start moving towards the equatorial (the equator projected out into space).  So why is this chart is important enough for a blog post to be dedicated to it? This type of chart is called an Ingress Chart and is used in mundane astrology, which charts the progress of a place (in this case it is set for Malta) at the moment the Sun enters the sign associated with a solstice or an equinox. In short, the affairs of a nation can be judged by this type of chart and is one of the most ancient types of judged charts in astrology. The planets signify specific things; the Sun, the ruler of a nation; the Moon, its people...

  This Sunday, the 15th December, we will be seeing a big, bright moon in the sky. On the eve of that day, the Moon will be setting in the west, and as the Sun sets, it will be rising in the east. The Moon will be at 23 degrees of Gemini (whilst the Sun is at 23 Sagittarius). But before we get into the Full Moon chart, there are a couple of interesting things that caught our attention last week and the story the sky offered was in no way uninteresting. So I'll start with that first.  Story 1 : The Re-opening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. When heads of state get together under one roof, you just have to sit up and take notice. What's going on? What's the symbolism?  Consecration of Notre Dame Altar 19/5/1182 The history of Notre Dame Cathedral goes back to the 12th century when the altar was consecrated on the 19th May 1182. The cathedral, according to historians, was built on the site of a temple to Jupiter. I mention this because this is a significant detail as w...

  Something very significant is happening in the sky tomorrow the 19th November 2024. After a good 20-odd years, the planet Pluto is changing sign, leaving the business-like sign of Capricorn and beginning its journey through Aquarius, where it will stay until 2044. Pluto's ingress into Aquarius is a hugely significant astrological event that has captured the attention of many astrologers and skywatchers. Pluto is known as the planet of transformation, power, and rebirth, and moves slowly through the zodiac, spending about 20 years in each sign. Its transition into Aquarius, the sign of innovation, technology, and humanitarianism, marks the beginning of a new era.  It's a time that encourages breaking down old structures that no longer serve the collective and rebuilding in a way that aligns with Aquarian ideals of equality, freedom, and innovation. This is a huge shift! In this short post, I'm going to pay tribute to the late Michael Lutin, an astrologer who passed away ...

  Yesterday's Full Moon in Taurus is at 24 degrees in Taurus - meaning the Sun is directly opposite in Scorpio at 24 degrees. Following on from the very ominous new moon, we have a full moon with an equally forceful vibe. With all that's happened over the past two weeks (US elections) one would hope that things would calm down a bit (oh that Mars/Pluto opposition at the 29th degree of Cancer/Capricorn). The coming Full Moon is quite packed. Let's have a look.  Let's remember what a Full Moon is. The Moon reflects the light of the Sun. If we set intentions at the New Moon, the Full Moon is when the light reaches its maximum and then begins to diminish. Even as a child I was told that if I were to plant seeds, I had to do it between the new and full moon. Over the past two weeks, we have witnessed a shift in world affairs as signified by Pluto/Mars at that anaretic degree (29 degrees of anything).  In astrological terms, what was planted at the New Moon finds its maximum ...

  Welcome to the New Moon in Scorpio, happening today 1st November at 13:47. There is much to say about this New Moon, a time of seeding new intentions.  In this post, we'll also have a look at what is on most people's minds - the US elections, as well as what the Malta 'sky weather' is like. Last but not least, what the sky portends for us lesser mortals.  So many oppositions in a New Moon chart speaks of polarities. It's either this, or that, black, or white. The most obvious polarity is that of Pluto opposite Mars at the anaretic (29 degrees) degree. This is HIGHLY charged - it is akin to saying "change or die staying the same" (die being a metaphor for 'things will be changed without your consent'). Mercury, which is currently transiting the very secretive sign of Scorpio, is opposite Uranus, the planet associated with sudden change and innovation. Communication here is being supercharged with inspirational thinking. Venus, the planet associate...

  Finally, time to write a few words (hopefully more) about the solar eclipse of the 2nd October 2024. If my schedule this week was a description of the nature of this solar eclipse, then I might feel less perturbed for not having this blog post up in time. Between work, rehearsals for a concert, a funeral and a wake, there was hardly any time to look at the charts. In this blog post, I'll try to bring the essentials to your attention.  Solar eclipses come in families and like children, they are born, grow up and pass on. This family of solar eclipse (also called Saros Cycle) was born in 1718 CE and will end in 2962 AD. Work done by the esteemed astrologer Bernadette Brady informs us that the nature of this eclipse is one of separation and loss, so let's keep that in the background. She further describes this 'separation and loss'  (among other things of the same nature) as when we finish something and have to let it go; the feeling of having to go forward without that ...

  Welcome to the Libra Ingress of the Sun, the moment when the Sun enters the sign of Libra marking the beginning of what is termed Autumn (though in Malta we don't really have four seasons; we have two - hot and not so hot).  In my last post, I remarked that things may get a little intense as three planets get to the anaretic degree - the 29th degree of a sign. Well, two and a half, if you like, as Uranus is at 27 degrees of Taurus. Nevertheless, I had to include it as it is close enough to make an aspect to both Pluto, Neptune and a faster-moving Venus.  Let's have a look: the planets marked in light blue are either on or close to that anaretic degree. When a planet is on that degree - 29 degrees - it is poised to change sign. It has garnered all the experiences of the sign it has travelled through and will begin anew in the following sign. What does this mean - well it sorts of mean that things may come to a head.  There is a lot going on in the Vernal Equinox cha...

  This is just a short post - I just had to share it with you as it had me jumping up and down with excitement. Just how crazy is this?  This morning I was perusing through some news about the DNC, who spoke, who said what and so forth. I don't think I'm the only one who is interested in how we humans are going set the scene for the next few years.  I watched a few videos and, of course, that included Pete Buttigieg's speech (the US Secretary for Transport). His birth data is pretty much available online, so I had a peek at his birth chart. For those who may not know, this guy has Maltese ancestry and so this made me even more curious. What's his ascendant? Where is his Moon?  Talk about the universe having its way of reflecting the sky story. If you have been following my posts over the past few months, you'll know that there are a few things going on that made me sit up when I saw this.  First of all, Uranus is currently transiting 26/27 degrees of Taurus, con...

  And what a Full Moon this is! On Monday, the 19th of August, the Sun will oppose the Moon in what is the Full Moon cycle. As the Sun is still transiting the zodiac sign of Leo, the Full Moon will occur in Aquarius at 27 degrees. And oh, what a supercharged Full Moon it is - but more about that later. Hold onto your seats!  At this time, the Moon is at maximum reflecting capacity of the Sun's light which is a little like telling us that we should reflect on events and feelings (after all, the Moon is representative of our emotional nature) of the previous 14 days.  This is an Aquarius Moon which opposes a Leo Sun. These two signs are polar opposites. Lets have a look at what these two signs represent.   Leo represents our solar nature and its mythology is rooted in Ancient Greece. It tells of the Nemean Lion, a fearsome creature that Heracles - Hercules - had to defeat as part of his twelve labours. The Nemean Lion had an impenetrable hide, making it invulnerab...

  On July 21, 2024, at 12:17 CEDT, the Moon reaches its full illumination in the sign of Capricorn. This event marks the second Capricorn Full Moon of the summer, with the first one occurring on the 21 st June. There are key themes associated with Full Moon. First, lets have a look at the diagram for a visual. This chart is particular to Malta at the time of the Full Moon.  So - there's a Full Moon at 29 degrees of Capricorn (with the Sun at 29 degrees in Cancer). The Sun is about to change sign, and this is precisely the energy of this lunar event. This is what astrologers call the anaretic degree and it suggests that something is about to change. Having acquired all the knowledge and wisdom acquired from the Cancerian journey, we are now ready to jump into a new reality. That's the gist of it.  But wait! That Pluto is sitting on the Full Moon! Gosh - Pluto demands nothing less than transmutation and transformation. It does nothing by halves.  Neptune, the planet...

  On Thursday night, at 21:50, we celebrate the Summer Solstice. the time of year which celebrates the first astronomical day of the Summer season in the Northern Hemisphere. This means that tomorrow marks the longest day of the year and also the shortest night, measured in terms of daylight.  https://www.umass.edu/sunwheel/pages/moonteaching.html The Solstice marks a point in the year when the Sun is at its northernmost point. This point is an abstract one, on the celestial Tropic of Cancer (the Tropic of Cancer projected out into space), a parallel 23.5 degree north of the celestial equator (the equator projected out into space). At this solstice, as opposed to the Winter Solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is most tilted towards the Sun by a maximum angle of 23.5 degrees.  The Ancient ones knew about this day and gave it the utmost importance. They tracked the Sun's path across the sky and the length of daylight hours.  Scientifically, the summer solstice represents...