Living with the Stars

  The Full Moon on the 18th September 2024 is also a lunar eclipse, and occurs in the mystical sign of Pisces, bringing with it a wave of emotional and spiritual transformation. By virtue of it being a lunar eclipse, the emphasis is on the emotional nature of our being and the astrological understanding is that it is an internal process. Having said that, all change first occurs within and then occurs outward. So let's have a look at this Full Moon chart and what it may mean.  Tomorrow's celestial event promises to be a powerful time for personal growth and healing as it activates Pisces' intuitive and dreamy energies. We must keep this in mind as there are a few aspects which, upon reading this blog post, may leave you breathless. Here's why. If we look at the chart, the first thing we might notice is the position of the Moon at 25 degrees of the spiritual water sign of the fish. Neptune, the planet associated with idealism and delusion is right up there with the Moon ...

  The 'old' year is coming to an end, and what a year it's been. Heat - lots of it....the hottest year on record, plus the wildfires, certainly made the news. There were also floods, severe storms and earthquakes. Then there were the disasters which were man made, the war in Ukraine, which marked its first year last February, and the attack on Israel in October, followed by the latter's retaliation. Kings were crowned (Charles III) and Rishi Sunak, whilst other kings found themselves in court (DJT of MAGA fame). Covid went from being a pandemic to being endemic (though this issue isn't settled yet). effectively de-throned, whilst the film 'Barbie' was a hit, as was Taylor Swift in the music scene.    Tonight, or tomorrow early hours, is the last full moon of 2023. The Moon in Cancer is opposite the Sun in Capricorn at almost 5 degrees. The Moon will be high in the sky, so should be quite visible; exact time of said Full Moon is 01:33.  Full Moons are a time ...

  On the 17th July, just after sunset, we have a New Moon in Cancer at 25 degrees. This New Moon brings with it the vibe of Leo as Venus, as an evening star, lies at the heart of the Lion, traditionally held to be at 28 degrees Leo conjunct Regulus, also known as Cor Leonis. Of course, with precession ( a process whereby the position of the stars and constellations gradually move in relation to the seasons), fixed stars have moved a little. Nevertheless, Regulus, one of the four 'Royal Stars', marked the summer solstice by the Persians in 3000BC, and was known as the 'Watcher of the North'. The other three royal stars are Antares, Fomalhaut and Aldebaran.  So what does this New Moon portend? Well, a new moon is always about setting new intentions. Cancer is ruled by the Moon. It is during the Cancer season that we experience the solstice, when the Sun reaches its highest declination and begins its 'travel' south (of course the Sun does not move...we know that). ...

  Full Moon tonight! If you look to the east, you might be able to see the Moon against the background of the Gemini Twins, with Orion to the right. Astrologically, it is a Full Moon in Cancer (something called 'precession'). The picture on the left is courtesy of Stellarium, a feature of my computer software. For those of us who live in well-lit areas, the above sight is something that we only see if it is computer simulated.  So what sky story is being told here? Well, if we take the story of the Gemini Twins, I think you'll agree with me that the story being played out in the media by the princes William and Harry has captured our attention.  From what I've read, Prince William allegedly called his brother by the name 'Harold' during a 'heated discussion', which made me recall the battle between William of Normandy and King Harold I in 1066, for the throne of England (another Will and Harry event). Interestingly, William Lilly, one of England's gr...

  Welcome to the New Moon in Cancer which occurred early this morning, on a day known to us Maltese as L-Imnarja, or Luminaries. This is essentially a farming tradition which goes back centuries, according to sources. The word 'luminaries' indicates this was a festival of 'lights' of some sort, bonfires and candles would be lit to mark the successful harvest.  Today's New Moon is all about communication, both interpersonal and intrapersonal. The ruler of the chart is Mercury (which rules Gemini) and if you look at the chart, Mercury is just above the eastern horizon, indicating that it has just risen (nine o' clock in the chart). That area is what astrologers mark out as the 12th house, which tells us that Mercury the informer/messenger is working behind the scenes.  The Sun and Moon occupy 7 degrees of Cancer, where the fixed star Mirzam is found. This star lies in Canis Major and carries the energy of an 'announcer', in that it announces the rising of ...

Have you ever wondered why we were taught that summer starts on the 21st of June? Or why the zodiac sign of Cancer begins around that date? Or indeed, the others seasons were assigned the dates they were assigned?  It is all very simple - it all has to do with the movement of the Earth around the Sun.  The summer solstice (as opposed to the winter solstice) occurs when the North Pole has maximum tilt towards the Sun. It is at this point that the sun reaches its highest position in the sky (outside of the tropics) and is also the longest day. Depending on the calendar, the summer solstice occurs between the 20th and the 22nd of June for the Northern Hemisphere (and between the 20th and the 23rd December in the Southern Hemisphere).  This year, the Summer Solstice occurs on the 21st June at 11:13am. This is when the Sun is at 0 degrees Cancer. This zodiac sign is associated with the crab, but in actual fact, it is the scarab which is a more precise representative of this si...

    This is the chart for the Full Moon of the 18 th January 2022. It occurs at 48 minutes past midnight – in Malta. This is a very particular Full Moon chart; both Mercury and Venus are doing their backwards walk (retrograde motion), Saturn and Uranus are disengaging from a challenging square aspect, and most notably, the Sun and Pluto are conjunct in Capricorn. This also means that the Moon opposes Pluto (because the Sun opposes the Moon, and the Sun and Pluto are within one degree of each other). This is going to be an intense time, especially because this Full Moon is a Cancer full moon. Cancer is the sign ruled by the moon, and in astrology, the Moon rules our emotions. Mercury and Venus are called the personal planets. Mercury tells us a little bit about how we effect communication. This planet is symbolised by the god Hermes, who, if you recall, wears a hat with wings, and also has wings on his feet. It tells us how we think. When Mercury goes retrograde, it can symb...