Reality Check

Astro Notes for New Moon in Leo Cycle (Aug 4-Sept 2 2024)

For the first few months of this year, almost all the planets were moving forward, resulting in an exciting if hectic sense of fast-paced flow and forward progress. Since the end of May, the pace has been slowing down as first Pluto, then Saturn, then Neptune moved retrograde, shifting the focus gradually from outer action to more inward reflection and review. This month promises a rich stew of expansive opportunities amidst reality checks that will require us to enter more deeply into reflective space. At the very end of this month’s cycle, Pluto moves back into Capricorn for its final visit, one last reckoning with the old structures within ourselves and our world that need to die in order allow the new Aquarian ways that are coming to be born.

The month’s cycle begins on August 4 with a new moon in Leo in a sextile with Mars and Jupiter in Gemini. Leo is an expressive, playful energy that gives us permission to let our inner light sparkle and to connect with others in fun and creative ways. With Mars and Jupiter in harmonious alignment, the new moon offers us the courage and confidence to take advantage of this extraverted energy and connect with others in new and playful ways. If you have a choice, take a risk at this time, especially socially or romantically, and you will likely be rewarded.

On August 14, Mars is conjunct Jupiter in Gemini, initiating a 2 year cycle of growth and expansion in a new direction. When Mars, the principle of action, meets Jupiter, the principle of expansion, we have an opportunity to take action in a way that supports us to grow toward our deeper potential. It is a time to ask ourselves where we may have been underestimating our capacities and to say yes to opportunities that call us into the best version of ourselves. With this conjunction occurring in the mental sign of Gemini, these may be opportunities to expand our minds, to learn something new, or to exchange ideas with others in new and exciting ways.

Yet these expansive possibilities will first have to pass through an important reality test, since when Mars and Jupiter meet they will also be in a tight square with Saturn.

The Jupiter-Saturn square, which will be exact on August 20 but in effect throughout this month’s cycle, is one of the most significant transits of the year. It is best understood in the context of the Jupiter-Saturn synodic cycle, which began with the conjunction between these planets in December 2020. A synodic cycle is the period from one conjunction between two planetary bodies and the next one. The Jupiter-Saturn cycle could be said to represent the process of constructing new structures of belief and meaning, both in ourselves and society, to better serve our evolving reality. In December 2020 that process began anew, with seeds being planted in ourselves and our world for the creation of new systems based on new ideals and worldviews.

Now, with Jupiter and Saturn meeting in the opening square of the cycle, those new systems based on our new beliefs and worldviews will face their first serious test. We may have to experience something that humbles us, that confronts us with a limit, and that thereby requires us to enter into a more reflective place to figure out what we need to change. Saturn is always an initiation into greater maturity. We are forced to realize the gap between our ideals and how reality works and make the necessary adaptation — or not, in which case we kick the can down the road for a harsher lesson the next time around.

Saturn is often hard and disappointing in the beginning, yet satisfying in the end. If we can adapt to the challenge and meet reality as it is, we feel more secure, more grown up. We are grounded in reality and reality holds us.

We have a full moon in Aquarius August 19 in an exact square to Uranus and opposite Mercury. This is a highly visionary, mental energy where exciting insights and downloads that disrupt everything could drop in from nowhere. While we may initially resist the implications of whatever new ideas come in because of their shock factor, we can trust that they are giving us a nudge toward a future that is ultimately more aligned with who we are.

On August 23, the Sun enters Virgo. We move into that annual time of year when we return from our summer play and make preparations for the big push until the end of the year. The thing is, in Virgo season it usually feels good to take care of all the little practical things that make our life work.

On September 2, right at the end of the cycle, Pluto moves back into Capricorn. This is the last time Pluto will be in Capricorn for the foreseeable future. In November, Pluto will move into Aquarius and stay there for the next twenty years. So this is the final sweep of Pluto through any old and outdated structures in ourselves and our world that we cannot take with us as we enter into this emerging Aquarian Age. Don’t miss this final opportunity to release this burden from your soul.

Expect the Unexpected

Astro Notes for New Moon in Cancer cycle (July 5-Aug 4)

Before I talk about the main influences over this monthly cycle, I want to briefly recap where this year fits in the big picture, astrologically speaking. Since 2020, when Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto met in a triple conjunction, the world was plunged into an initiatory crisis, a crucible of change when the structures and patterns of the old order have been dissolving and the seeds of the emerging era have been/are being planted. From November 2024 to July 2025, Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter all change signs, meaning that we can expect quite soon now to pass through a rapid and unmistakable shift in the collective zeitgeist involving the start of many new plotlines in the human story and thus akin to something like a (re-)birth.

This year, on the other hand, involves the end of several major cycles and therefore is characterized more by the energy of completion-decay-death than beginning-creation-birth. 2024 represents the last year (in the foreseeable future) that Pluto will be in Capricorn (a 17 year cycle), the last year that Neptune will (solely) be in Pisces (a 13 year cycle), the last year that Uranus will (solely) be in Taurus (8 year cycle), and the last year that Saturn will (solely) be in Pisces (2 and a half year cycle).

This is important context to keep in mind if we find ourselves getting dispirited by the collective picture of so much decay and loss. One of the main benefits of astrology is the way it reminds us that no archetypal reality is final. Everything is in process, and when the new archetypal configuration comes in, the whole collective mood and sense of what’s possible shifts with it.

At the start of this new moon cycle, Pluto, Neptune, and Saturn are moving retrograde. From the end of January through to the beginning of May, almost all the planets were moving forward, resulting in a very fast paced start to this year with a lot of forward momentum. Now we are entering a period when the foot will come off the accelerator a little, with more opportunities for reflection, review, and learning lessons.

It’s Cancer season until July 22, meaning the background rhythm in that time will be characterized by themes of healing, self-care, home, and family. The new Moon in Cancer on July 5 is conjunct Venus and sextile Mars, bringing a soft, sweet, and sexy energy to the start of the monthly cycle.

The period that stands out for me in this month’s cycle is from July 12-18, when Mars and Uranus will meet in a conjunction in late Taurus. Mars conjunct Uranus is associated with sudden disruptive events, accidents, ‘a spanner in the works’, and a general energy of impulsive reactivity. The transit is at its peak on July 15-16, when it will also oppose Moon in Scorpio, adding a dimension of emotional intensity and drama to the mix.

It so happens that the Republican convention is from July 15-18. One must imagine that things will not go smoothly or as planned.

Soon after that, on July 21, we have a full moon at 29 degrees of Capricorn, closely conjunct Pluto and in an exact trine to Mars at 29 degrees of Taurus. The full moon in the final degree of Capricorn — the sign of the political establishment — in a conjunction with Pluto, the planet of power and in a trine to Mars the planet of action — and coming right on the heels of what portends to be a sensational Republican convention. Very interesting. We could see shocking political developments and decisive, consequential actions that cut away aspects of the old order. (I’m not, by the way, making any specific predictions about the fate of Donald Trump, just delineating the general archetypal patterns, which could manifest in various ways. It would not surprise, though, if something unexpected did occur in relation to him at the convention, since the Mars-Uranus transit is conjunct his natal MidHeaven, which represents our connection to success and society.)

On a personal level, that period of July 12-18 is one to be mindful of in terms of both the potential for emotional disruption and the benefit of practicing non-reactivity as much as possible. On July 16, there is an auspicious grand water trine between Sun, Moon, and Neptune that offers an opportunity for us to hold our reactions in a healing, spiritual container. This can help to redirect our consciousness to the higher possibilities hidden within whatever disruptive events we might experience with the Mars-Uranus conjunction.

On July 22, we enter Leo season, with the Sun joining Venus and Mercury in the sign of the Lion. In the northern hemisphere, Leo corresponds with the peak of summer, and the spirit of play and creative self-expression that typically accompanies that time of year. Leo season is our annual time of year to let our hair down, to play, to take risks to let our inner light shine so that we give others permission to do the same. Leo is a heart-based energy; as such, it is the one sign of the zodiac that can fully trust the impulse of the inner child. Let your inner child lead you at this time. Soon enough, when Virgo season arrives, we’ll be rolling up our sleeves to get back to work.

Please Fasten Your Seatbelts

Astro Notes for New Moon in Pisces cycle (March 10-April 7)

There is an unusual pattern in the sky from mid-February to mid-May of this year wherein almost all of the planets are clumped together in one part of the chart at any given time (in astrology this is called a Bundle Chart Configuration, with all planets within 140 degrees).

This roving caravan started last month during Aquarius season, and will move slowly across Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, and Taurus over the next few months. What this means is that there is an extraordinary concentration of energy in one particular quadrant or hemisphere of our chart, supporting us to bring a special focus to that particular area of our lives.

At the same time, between January 20 and April 1, all of the planets are also moving direct, creating tremendous forward momentum in whatever area of our lives we are focusing on. While this can feel like an exciting ride, with much satisfying progress toward our goals, it may also create the impression that events are moving too quickly, and potentially careening out of control. It might feel at times that we need to be running very fast just to keep up with all the new developments coming in.

In January, we had a heavy dose of Capricorn energy that provided strong support for developing new structures and routines to enable us to better implement our goals and visions. It’s a good time to call upon these structures now to keep us on track even while we are racing ahead at breakneck speed.

This advice may soon become even more relevant as we head toward an especially intense eclipse season (from March 25 to April 8) and the much-anticipated Jupiter-Uranus conjunction on April 20, both of which entail potentially explosive energies of transformation.

It’s like we’re hurtling down a runway, and when we hit the breakthrough energies coming up in April (with the eclipses and Jupiter-Uranus conjunction), we will want to be poised enough to achieve lift-off, rather than crash and burn.

Major Transits

March 10: New Moon in Pisces

The new moon in Pisces initiates and sets the tone for this monthly cycle in a deceptively powerful way that might be overlooked. With the Pisces new moon, we are swimming in the deep and subtle waters of consciousness, close to the Mystery. This new moon is conjunct Neptune and sextile Uranus, a combination associated with altered states of consciousness. While subtle, the effect of the new moon can be to initiate a gentle revolution that dissolves boundaries of separation, both within us and in the world at large. A beautiful day for meditation.

March 12: Venus enters Pisces

When Venus was in Aquarius, how we related to others and what we desired was up for a change. Our hearts may have been excited by a new vision that serves the greater whole. When Venus moves into Pisces, we are drawn into deeper emotional waters, our hearts seeking to merge with their divine source. From these depths, we find it easier to feel the unity that underlies all, and can relate to others with greater compassion and acceptance.

March 17: Sun conjunct Neptune in Pisces

The Sun represents the ego, which is defined by time and space. In Pisces, these egoic boundaries become permeable to the infinite and the eternal. With Sun conjunct Neptune in Pisces, the ego dissolves entirely into the One. From the perspective of the separate self, this might seem like a set back. We may wonder why we feel so weak-willed. Unable to find our usual energy or drive, our very identity may seem in question.

The only way to approach this transit is through surrender. It’s time to put down our to-do list and simply be. There’s a profound transmission and healing on offer here, if we can allow ourselves to relax and do nothing.

March 19: Sun enters Aries

Welcome to the start of the astrological year! After the individual self has dissolved into the ocean of consciousness in Pisces, it is reborn when Sun moves into Aries. The life-force is strong, surging back with fresh energy and initiative. It’s time to take action, launch something new, feel the fear and do it anyway - another epic new cycle has just begun.

March 20: Mercury conjunct Chiron

We may experience our core wound being activated by something someone says. It may be helpful to understand this communication as a divine message, rather than making it about the person who delivers it. Although there could be pain involved, there is also healing in this exchange, including ways we are discovering how to help others who suffer from the same wound we do.

March 22: Venus conjunct Saturn in Pisces

There is a sober dose of realism associated with this transit that can bring some of the dreamy energies of Venus in Pisces reluctantly down to Earth. We may be forced to develop more realistic expectations about our relationships in ways that feel emotionally challenging. Although it’s not an expansive time for expressions of affection, this transit offers an opportunity to establish a deeper foundation for a long-term partnership based in truth.

March 22: Mars enters Pisces

When Mars is in Pisces, our personal will seeks to align with the Universal Will. The Taoist concept of wu Wei, or ‘effortless action’, is a perfect descriptor of this dynamic. If we try, when Mars is in Pisces, to assert ourselves from our usual perspective of the separate self, we will find that we lack the strength to get the results we expect. If, however, we allow ourselves to ‘go with the flow’, and align our actions with where the whole is moving, we reach our destination effortlessly. It’s a time to be adaptable, as we practice surfing the currents of life rather than pushing ahead with our agenda.

March 25: Full Moon South Node lunar eclipse in Libra

An intense eclipse season opens with a south node lunar eclipse in Libra, the sign of relationships. The eclipse is in a trine with Pluto in Aquarius, indicating that we will have the chance to understand and transform our relational dynamics in positive ways.

Libra is concerned with issues of balance and fairness in relationships, while Sun in Aries prioritizes the needs of the self. During this eclipse, issues about how we balance our own needs versus the needs of our relationships will come into focus. Whatever outdated relational patterns need to go will be discarded during this eclipse.

April 3: Venus conjunct Neptune in Pisces

This is one of the most magical days of the year, opening a portal to sublime states of beauty and love. Our artistic imagination is boundless at this time, allowing us to bring through exquisite gems of creative inspiration. We can experience a heightened sense of spiritual connection, our hearts deepening in devotional love for the divine. Yet we need to be mindful of the risk for romanticizing situations, so it’s helpful to keep a discerning eye open to distinguish genuine epiphanies from merely wishful thinking.