Living with the Stars

  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...

  Happy Chinese New Year - today 29th January 2025. The upcoming Chinese Year of the Wood Snake,  symbolises wisdom, intuition, and transformation. People born under this sign are known for their intelligence, grace, and enigmatic nature. This year encourages introspection, strategic thinking, and embracing change, making it a time for personal growth and new opportunities. This New Moon in Aquarius on January 29, 2025, marks a significant astrological event, ushering in the Year of the Snake. This New Moon is a time for new beginnings, innovation, and forward-thinking. Aquarius, known for its association with community, teamwork, and long-term goals, encourages us to embrace change and think outside the box. (The last time we celebrated the Year of the Wood Snake was in 1965. Martin Luther King Jr. and 700 demonstrators were arrested in Selma, Alabama, among other interesting facts. This particular fact is significant when you think that many on the planet are still figh...

  As with every other important event that we see on the news, the astrology of it is always something to ponder. This one is no less interesting - the inauguration of a new president.  POTUS45 becomes POTUS 47 at midday 20th January.... the time will be confirmed tomorrow when it actually happens.  Let's briefly look at the sky story of that given time.  Look, inauguration of US presidents always occurs at the same time of the year. That is a matter of counting all the votes, getting the election certified and a smooth transition time. So as such, astrological charts are always going to have the Sun in relatively the same position every four years. This time, however, there is a Sun/Pluto conjunction - and the last time that happened was in January 1778 (see below). That's when the US became a nation. What this tells us is that the USA will, as Pluto cycles are wont to do, go through a period of transformation. Pluto is about transformation; a prerequisite for trans...

  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...

  Welcome to the New Moon in Sagittarius happening on Sunday, 1st December at 7:21am. Sagittarius, the ninth sign of the zodiac, is symbolised by the Archer, representing a quest for knowledge and adventure. Born between November 22 and December 21, Sagittarians are known for their optimism, independence, and love for exploration. They are ruled by Jupiter, the planet of expansion and growth, which fuels their desire for new experiences and philosophical pursuits. Sagittarians are often seen as enthusiastic, open-minded, and honest, sometimes to a fault. They thrive on freedom and are always ready for the next big adventure, making them natural travelers and lifelong learners. Their infectious energy and zest for life inspire those around them.  Sag is always fun after the deep emotional angst of Scorpio, right? After going through the Scorpio experience (remember that Scorpio is a fixed water sign), the Sag experience is one of mutable fire - ready to change and driven b...

  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 ...

  Welcome to the Aries Full Moon which occurs on the 17th October at around 13:30. That evening, the Moon will rise in the east in a spectacular fashion. Since the beginning of summer we've had some powerful alignments and this month is no different. Just look at all the planets at twenty something degrees of a sign!  First of all, we need to look at the grand square in the chart. The Sun is opposite the Moon - that is typical of the Full Moon. This FM is in Aries, that is, warrior energy. The planet that rules Aries is Mars, which lies in Cancer at the moment. Mars' placement in this sign could be described as the warrior who defends the homeland (Cancer rules the home). Mars lies opposite Pluto, the planet associated with death and transformation. Death is a metaphor here for something coming to an end, which then transmutes and transforms into something new. Such is the principal energy of this Full Moon. When you consider what is going on in the world, one wonders whether ...

  You may be wondering why I chose to upload a blogpost entitled Plutonomics and its connection with President Roberta Metsola's chart.  Firstly, she is Maltese, and occupying one of the prominent positions in the EU is certainly of interest to astrologers. You may have been born on the same day but you aren't President, granted. The general idea is that planets in your natal chart have a way of playing out in your own life. How these aspects have played out in her life is very, very interesting.  So what does it have to do with Pluto? This small planet lost its status as a planet in 2006 which had us astrologers tickled pink - as if that was going to have us change the way we look at charts. The Moon isn't a planet either and yet it is a very important point in the chart. Same with Pluto.  In astrology, Pluto represents transformation, power, and rebirth. It governs the cycles of death, rebirth and renewal, symbolizing where power lies in the chart. When Pluto is pr...

  Full Moon tonight, folks. Yesterday's post was about the Solstice and the Lunar Standstill and tonight, we have a Full Moon in the early hours of the 22nd June. Let's have a look at what story the sky is offering us.  From the diagram on the left, you can see how the Sun and Moon are opposite each other. The exact moment of the Full Moon occurs as the Moon is setting in the west (position at 3 o' clock is where the West lies in a zodiac chart). The Moon is also out-of-bounds, making its nature something of a wild card. Hence, this Full Moon is highly charged, especially because of the aspects it makes to Neptune. The nebulous Neptune is a planet associated with illusion and delusion and can be deceptive. It tends to have a dissolving nature; whenever Neptune is involved in an aspect, it can don artistic genius but also take you down the rabbit hole.  Whatever the case, be aware of Neptune's nebulous power. This is a Full Moon, which means that the intentions set at th...

  A full moon in Scorpio will grace our skies in the early hours of Wednesday 24th April. Full Moons represent the culmination of intentions set 14 days prior, in this case, at the New Moon on the 8th April, which was also a solar eclipse. That eclipse was associated with Chiron, the Wounded Healer, asking us to heal our inner wounds and transform them into our biggest strengths.  This Full Moon is actually doubly emotionally charged. Firstly, Scorpio is a sign associated with secrets, other people's resources, death and rebirth. Secondly, the Moon is highly secretive - a bottomless sea - in this sign, so we could see emotions  running high at this time.  And there's more..... To this, add the conjunction of Uranus and Jupiter in the sign of Taurus. This meeting of two heavenly giants occurs every 14 years, so although the astrological community has been looking into this cycle.  The last time this conjunction occurred was in June 2010, in the sign of Aries. Thi...

  Full Moon in Leo this evening at 18:53. You should see it rising over the eastern horizon. it's quite cloudy today so I imagine that we shan't be getting a clear view of the stars.  Full Moons are about the culmination of intentions set at the New Moon, two weeks ago in the sign of Capricorn. If Capricorn was all about building, Leo is about the emotional satisfaction of being the main character in your own play. There are, however, a few things you need to keep in mind.  Let's look at the story the sky is offering us at this Full Moon.  First and foremost, we need to talk about that Sun/Pluto conjunction. As the planets travel around the Sun, every year there will be a time when the Sun is conjunct the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto). It is not every day that Pluto changes sign, however, and it certainly isn't every day when Pluto changes sign AND there is a full moon. So, if we look at the dynamics of this lunar cycle, we can see that any Sun/Moon/Pluto...

  This post is about Pluto. Yes, something 'big' is going on in the astrological skies. Pluto is moving sign - not something that happens every day as it is a very slow moving planet.  On the 21st January, at 01:56, this planet will move into the air sign of Aquarius. If Capricorn was the sign of big business, Aquarius is about how we, as a human race, move forward. This is quite a momentous time. Pluto has been stepping in and out of Aquarius since last year (retrograding back into Capricorn) and when it did enter Aquarius, we got AI. What Pluto in Aqua is about is rediscovering our humanity. Aquarius is about ideas, ideals, innovation and change. Just imagine Pluto, the planet associated with transformation there.... we will most definitely be challenged with changing how we view our ideologies. Pluto was in Capricorn from 2008 until now, and it challenged us on how we conducted business. Before that, when it was in Sagittarius, it all about how we viewed truth. Pluto will b...

  And here it is, the first New Moon of the new calendar year. Notice how all the planets are above the horizon; Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Let's not forget Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The last three planets are not visible with the naked eye, and even if they were, being daylight it would be impossible to see them. The same goes for all the other planets. The lady leading the dance is Venus, who is in her morning star phase. The photo on the right was taken on the 9th Jan, just before sunrise.  So, what story is the sky offering us this New Moon? As with every new moon, it is a good time to make your intentions for the next two weeks. Being the new year, we all make our resolutions, even if it is only one resolution we make.  Just look at that line-up. The New Moon in Capricorn occurs at 12:57 on Thursday 11th and the whole dance is led by Lady Venus. Pluto, the planet associated with death and rebirth is at 29'41 Capricorn and is poised to enter...

  So there's going to be a Full Moon at 16 degrees of Libra this morning, just before sunrise. Tonight's moon will be bright and full, and will reach its opposition to the Sun just before sinking below the western horizon. What is striking about this Full Moon is the number of planets setting as the Moon is rising (last night at around 7:00pm). Indeed, the only planets inhabiting the sky tonight will be Pluto, which cannot be seen with the naked eye, and Saturn, which rises as the Moon is about to set.  Which brings me to the next two topics: just what is going on in the world? Well, Saturn and Pluto changed signs recently. Saturn, the planet to do with taking organisation and responsibility, rules two signs: Capricorn and Aquarius. Capricorn is the sign of big business, in our times traditionally associated with big corporations, CEOs and all that. Following that sign is Aquarius, which is unlike Capricorn being an air sign. Aquarius is known for being an independent and unco...

  Pluto in Aquarius: Revolutionizing the Future Pluto, the planet of transformation and rebirth, takes approximately 248 years to orbit the Sun, spending around 20 years in each sign. On the 23rd March 2023, Pluto will enter Aquarius, marking a significant shift in the way astrologers look at and interpret astrological charts with this new placement.  Aquarius is the sign of innovation, technology, and social change. It is associated with progress, revolution, and unconventional ideas. When Pluto, the planet of power and intensity, enters Aquarius, it brings with it a wave of transformative energy that will challenge the status quo and push us towards a more progressive future. One of the key themes of Pluto in Aquarius is the idea of collective empowerment. Aquarius is a sign that values the power of the collective, and Pluto will amplify this energy, encouraging us to work together to create meaningful change in our communities and in the world at large. At the sam...