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...

  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...

  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 ...

  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...

  Welcome to the Virgo Full Moon of the 24th February 2024 at 5 degrees. The exact moment of the Full Moon occurs during the day, so you will have to wait until after sunset to see that fabulous moonrise in the east.  As always, the Full Moon is the culmination of all those intentions set at the New Moon fourteen days earlier. These past few weeks have been nothing short of explosive: Mars, which travels faster as it has a smaller orbital path, met Pluto on its travels around the Sun on the 13th February, just nine days ago. This Mars-Pluto conjunction at 0 degrees Aquarius combines the fiery energy of Mars with the harbinger transformative energy of Pluto. So if any one of you celebrated your birthday around the 13th February, this year you may find yourself making changes. What type? Anything that involves you.   The real star of the show is the 'heavenly lovers' i.e. Venus and Mars who are meeting in the sky for a little tryst. Although this is not a rare event, i...

  As promised, in this post I am going to include the information from the New Moon which occurred on the 13th November. In my apologia last week, I mentioned that the New Moon in Scorpio was quite a sizzler, and the reason for that was that together with the Sun and Moon, was a spectacular Mars opposite Uranus aspect. I also mentioned that I connected it to volcanic activity in Iceland. I don't think that volcano has erupted yet but it has kept everyone there on full red alert. Similarly the Middle East, which is so delicate and complex a topic that to analyse it from an astrological perspective would require deep study; that's for another time, perhaps. What I would like to mention is that this New Moon occurred a day before King Charles' birthday, which means that his Solar Return chart for the coming year would have contained that very energized Mars/Uranus opposition.  Briefly explained, a solar return chart is something astrologers use to predict the year ahead for th...

    The New Moon on the 20th April occurs at 29degrees 50 minutes of Aries just before sunrise. This means that the Sun will be just below the horizon and not visible at that time. It is a hybrid eclipse. What does this mean?  In one calendar year, Earth usually experiences four to six eclipses. Most years we get two eclipses twice yearly as they usually come in pairs. Some years we have two pairs of three eclipses. Hybrid eclipses are not common and happen once every decade. For a more detailed explanation, apart from knowing that solar eclipses happen when the Moon blocks out the Sun's light, go to https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/hybrid-solar-eclipse.html (copy and right click to open in a new tab).  Eclipses are 'wild cards' which portend change, and depending on where they fall in your astrological chart, expect change to unfold, especially if they aspect a personal planet or one of the four angles of one's chart. Just to remind you, in days of old, the ...

  On the 21st March, 2023, just after sunset, the Sun goes into 0 degrees of Aries, marking the beginning of the Spring season in the northern hemisphere.  It is not every year that there is a New Moon on the Equinox, when the Sun reaches the first point of Aries. This event will mark the beginning of a new lunar cycle and an excellent opportunity for us to set intentions and start new projects. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and is known for its bold and assertive nature. It is a fire sign, which symbolizes passion, creativity, and action. When the New Moon is in Aries, we are encouraged to embrace our inner warrior and take bold steps towards achieving our goals. The New Moon in Aries is a time of new beginnings, and we are urged to take action and seize opportunities. It is a time to break free from old patterns, habits, and limiting beliefs that may be holding us back. We are encouraged to be brave, take risks, and trust our instincts.  It is also a great ...

  So, as yesterday's Ghar iD-Dud was replete with couples carrying roses and other red paraphernalia, two heavenly bodies were creating some heat in the sky.  Yep, Mars and Venus were having a 'thing', though Venus, our goddess of love, moves faster than Mars, and so she'll leave him in the lurch and toddle off. They may have been visible as a single light sinking into the western horizon at sunset yesterday. Both planets are in the zodiac sign of Capricorn (though in the sky the constellation of Sagittarius would have been visible as a backdrop - the reason for this will be in another post. Astrology can be sidereal or tropical, in short) and Capricorn is not a sign known for love; it is an earth sign and also a cardinal sign. Moreover, Mars is in exaltation in Capricorn (powerful), Venus in the sign of Capricorn has no special power, but there was a nice trine (120 degree aspect/relationship) to Uranus, so there was a general overtone of 'let's do the unusual ...