Solar Eclipse In Capricorn Jan 15th 2010

Eclipses are BIG signposts in astrology; big neon flashing signposts that shout ‘this is the way forward!’ Eclipses tend to happen two at a time, within a couple of weeks of each other (during New Years Eve we had a lunar eclipse in Capricorn, and now we’ve got the solar eclipse two weeks later to make the matching pair), and eclipses also happen twice a year, within about six months of each other. On top of that, they cycle through different signs of the zodiac over a period of about 19 years.

Each sign that the eclipses fall in can indicate the way forward through current life challenges because each sign has a particular way of approaching life; each sign has its own way of going about things and responding to problems and challenges, so whatever sign you are, and whatever it is you are personally going through (and eclipses do tend to stir up quite a bit of stuff that can stay relevant for months to come sometimes), these January eclipses are indicating a call for a Capricorn-esque response.

So what’s the underlying essence of the rumblings and stirrings that current situations have been bringing to your attention over the past few weeks? Eclipses are about moon cycles, and the moon rules emotions and feelings; so it’s about the emotions (usually negative at first) that situations are putting you in touch with - Powerlessness? Frustration? Overwhelment? For example, As I write this, the UK (whose sun-sign is Capricorn), is under an unusually heavy blanket of snow and ice. Collectively we’re all feeling the frosty pinch of popular Capricorn emotional metaphors: we’re all feeling a bit snowed under; a bit under the weather, a bit overwhelmed, a bit powerless against outside forces. We’re feeling a bit put in our place by the authority of the elements. It’s all very Capricorn, and it’s all very magnified, in that way that eclipses have about them.

But like I said earlier, just as eclipses stir up the kind of stuff very much associated with the sign they fall in, they also how they point to the way through it all: this is the flashing neon signpost that answers the question ‘how do I get through this eclipse stuff’ with ‘do it the Capricorn way’. Which means in its most positive sense Capricorn is a sign aware of current limits while not feeling defeated about future ambitions. It’s a sign that can look long-term, plays the long game by taking things step by step, and knows that day by day those steps mount up to something solid in structure.

Capricorn is very much aware of time, and like Old Father Time (a key symbol of the Capricorn season), is aware of its own mortality and therefore the temporary nature of all situations. Surrendering to the authority of time and trusting that all things happen in good time, turns out to be a potent stress reliever too; so basically, rather than being buffeted by overwhelming thoughts of the impassable, impossible limits of today, the Capricorn eclipse emotional rescue remedy is to quietly keep in mind that just like the heaviest of winter snow, in the grand scheme of things, ‘this too shall pass’.

New Moon In Cancer 22nd June...

... and it's powered by Pluto, standing right opposite in the zodiac, in the sign of Capricorn. I've been having super-charged Pluto transits lately, which always makes me go all quiet on this blog for some reason (Scorpio ruling 3rd house of communication perhaps?), and yet now look! - a Pluto powered new moon has brought me out of hiding! :)

Reason being I saw this luverly photo and quote, posted on a forum I visit (thanks Ocean!), and it just oozed what I feel about this new moon vibe. Whenever I am feeling frazzled and fragmented by life, I find that in a good contemplate over a picture of some fabulous symmetry in nature (especially circles), the image of natural wholeness soothes and heals my furrowed brow no matter how heavily it's been on overheat from hamster-wheeling through a problem; and there is something somehow so solution-orientated and nourishing for the soul about this pic and quote that feeds the intense need for completion and fulfilment being activated by this extra-emotionally driven Cancer Moon. So here's self respect in a new light, under the dark moon phase:



"You would all be all right with who you are if you had been making your decisions based upon how they feel to you all along. But it is because you have been trying to evaluate yourself through the eyes of others...You are so hard on yourselves when you are someplace different than where you want to be. And that is what this message is all about. You must soothe yourself into emotional comfort before your desires can become manifest. You cannot hold yourself in disrespect of self and get what you want."

Abraham-Hicks, Ashville 10/23/05

New Moon In Capricorn And Byron Katie

It's AGES since I wrote anything here, so a Capricorn new moon with Saturn in Virgo is just the ticket to feel guilty about not keeping up to speed with something :)

There's 6 planets in Capricorn at the moment: Sun and moon together (making the new moon), Jupiter, Mercury, Pluto of course, and Mars which has just moved into this sign, right next to Pluto. That's a lot of planet energy focusing in a Capricorn way. Capricorn loves taking responsibility and being the boss, because its the boss who makes the rules, and as there's nothing better for Cap than following the rules, the only way to make sure you're going to like telling yourself what you 'should' be doing, is to be the one who makes the rules. Capricorn is also the sign associated with time, age, and the awareness of mortality, so it's no surprise that Old Father Time is connected to this month, as the old year passes away and a new year starts, and I feel it's the time we feel stress and pressure the most too (stress and pressure aka 'resistance' in current spiritual thinking)... the holiday season does that to people it seems... but it's all that responsibility, all that following rules and traditions; and especially with Capricorn ruler Saturn in the sign of Virgo the perfectionist at the moment, it brings out the 'get it right or it means you are wrong' kind of thinking. And mix this with a fiery Mars and intense Pluto coming together things can easily feel heavy and traumatic right now.

So as there's this new moon (new beginning) happening today through the qualities of Capricorn, and as Mercury, planet of thoughts and communication, is also in this sign, and as Mars is the planet of action and motiviation while Pluto is the planet of transformation, this seems like a good time for Byron Katie's approach to alleviating stress and pressure, to lessen that load of the Capricorn burden a bit... her method is called 'The Work', which is a hugely Capricorn name in itself, and it's a four step approach. You take a thought that is bothering you, upsetting you, obsessing you, weighing you down, or that you feel you have no option about, and you ask:

-is it really true, yes or no?
-can I know this with absolute certainty?
-how do I react when I believe this thought?
-who would I be without this thought?
...then turn the thought around (eg, he never listens to me becomes I never listen to me, etc). The process is outlined in detail at her website here

if you think this sounds simplistic, have a look at her in action using the process with a woman who has a 'he shouldn't lie' thought. Fabulous!!

A 4th House Story And A Full Moon In Cancer

Don't know about you but my December has whizzed by in a Saturn in Virgo style flurry of lists, commitments and stuff to sort, as well as a waving off of old stuff and welcoming in of new stuff, and in trying to suss my damaged internet connection... Amy Winehouse has been a more reliable performer than my net connection of late, which along with a continuing saga of various housing situation issues (noisy neighbours, grrrr) meant I've been able to spend even less time than usual writing this blog than I would like.

Transformation planet Pluto hit the base of my chart, my 4th house, a couple of years ago (4th house rules comfort zone, home and family, what's private, personal and very emotionally driven, just like its ruling planet, the moon), and it has been a bit of an intense emotional rollercoaster since then to say the least. Pluto has been in opposition to my Mercury/MC combo at the highest point of my chart, which has manifested as a constant challenge of whether home/personal stuff or work/outside world stuff wins my attention. And months ago I spotted the pile-up of planets that were due to congregate around Pluto at this time of the year and eyed it with trepidation, wondering what on earth else might be about to manifest in this 4th house mix as a result of the Sagittarius sun, expansion planet Jupiter (my 4th house ruler), and communication planet Mercury mingling and merging with the Pluto energy.

I've worked with astrology long enough to know that any energy, no matter how intense looking can express positively, yet it still felt bizarre last week, when with utter synchronicity, right in the heart of all the swooshing busyness, a perfect and peaceful new place for me to live appeared from apparently nowhere (on the day Jupiter moved into Capricorn), transforming everything in my situation including my faith, in a Pluto moment. I've always been into the 'create your own reality' approach of the Law of Attraction philosophy, but what I'd found difficult was not the idea that we are each the creator of our own reality, but the challenge of holding faith long enough toward a preferred vision of the future for positive thinking to get going a snowball-down-mountain type momentum and expansion.

How to think positively when you've already got yourself in a real negative situation is always the dilemma; how to hold the dream while reality keeps biting. Well it can't be done overnight that's for sure, but there's nothing like a stellium in the sign of Sagittarius to help be buoyant enough to rise high above 'reality' and realise that reality is built on belief, and so is as transient and pliable as belief itself.

And now the Solstice is upon us, serving as a cosmic timer for significant turning points, and it means there's a change of mood afoot. Here in the northern hemisphere, Winter Solstice marks the beginning of the sun's journey through earthy Capricorn. This year it is joined by expansion-orientated Jupiter; and during the early hours of Christmas Eve here in the UK the sun in Capricorn stands opposite moon in Cancer, indicating a full moon. With Mars close to the moon on one side of the zodiac, and Pluto still close to sun/Jupiter/Mercury on the other side, it all spells tension as the energies pull against each other. But while I'm gritting my teeth having to write this through my neighbour's endless repeat drivel of overly loud bad-taste power ballads on a hi-fi that only seems to work to its full capacity very late at night, by the end of January I'm outta here, which makes the anticipation of change a real tension breaker.

Change and transition is such a big theme of late 2007 and early 2008; it's everywhere you look, and the mood has now moved from the recent promise of Sagittarius to the anticipation of commitment in Capricorn. Where Sag was about huge leaps of faith, Cap is the next known small step, so Capricorn is easier to handle in that respect; but it's also the sign of great expectations, and apparently the universe delivers experience according to our expectations of it. Therefore this full moon might be a good time to look at expectations of experiences ahead, increasing a feeling of deservability accordingly if low levels are sighted.

Two Weeks No Smoking & A New Moon in Capricorn

Well, it's 15 days no smoking to be exact, as every second still counts :-) I've been looking forward to this New Moon, as it was during the Full Moon two weeks ago that I gave up the cigs, and decided to use this New Moon time as my first milestone. Lot's of tears and a few tantrums later, here I am. Smiling too.

The New Moon is exact around 4am GMT on the 19th January, though there's always a day or two either side when the energy is in full flow. It's happening in the late degrees of Capricorn, which means the Sun is about to change signs from Capricorn to Aquarius. This will correspond to a shift of focus of energy very soon, but as Capricorn and Aquarius share Saturn as a ruler, the essence of that planet will still be at work, and no doubt hard at work, being Saturn.

New moons indicate new phases, where we are most receptive to the qualities of the sign they take place in, and where we can set intentions using these qualities to benefit our current circumstances. Capricorn is big on commitment, on responsibility, on discipline, and on step by step progress, because this sign looks long-term, holding a plan in mind to work to, without needing to see immediate results. An instinct for timing and the patience for satisfaction through a slow unfolding of events means Capricorn energy has an edge all of its own.

So during this New Moon, in true Capricorn-style, I'm setting fresh intentions for the future, as well as marking a milestone - the first of many I hope.

Full Moon In Cancer 3rd January

2007 kicks off with a full on kind of Full Moon on 3rd January at around 2pm GMT, when the Moon in comfort-zone craving Cancer stands in exact opposition to the Sun in duty-bound Capricorn. This is an annual occurrence, and part of the solar/lunar cycle we’re all naturally attuned to on the deepest levels, but the question is how best to tap this current energy and work consciously with it?

A Full Moon in any sign can lead to an emotional shift or turning point of some sort, often arising from an ever-increasing tension around an issue that there’s suddenly no escaping. The tension is symbolised by the Sun and Moon positioned at opposite ends of the zodiac, 180 degrees apart, each expressing according to the nature of the particular sign they both occupy.

The Moon rules the sign of Cancer, emphasising the focus on all emotional attachments. The emotional ties can be with anything from actual home and family bonds, to our most familiar friends, as well as routines and habits, and memories and nostalgia for old faces and forgotten places. Meanwhile the Sun in Capricorn speaks of responsibility, duty, maturity and authority. It's all about expectations and demands, terms and conditions, as well as creativity through timing, planning, progress and discipline.

Mix and match these or similar keywords for your personal Full Moon theme. My theme is about a habit I know I have to break. A few months ago, I started smoking again after over two years smoke free. My excuse was the stress of my current living circumstances - I live right on a very busy crossroads, where the traffic literally shakes the walls and rattles the pots and pans. As well as this, I have a noisy neighbour who plays music every night. And I mean EVERY night!

Alternative accommodation is hard to find where I live, but I have a potential new place just perfect for me, that I first heard about last March (on the day of the solar eclipse in Aries!), and I'm just waiting for the call to say it's mine. But it’s been a long wait! And I started smoking again in a misguided attempt to cope with the relentless stress and pressure of the constant noise and disturbance.

So here I am feeling at odds (Full Moon) with this habit (Moon/Cancer), versus the need to get real (Capricorn) and admit smoking is a coping mechanism that isn’t working, having only really brought a new stress all of its own. I've taken the first step and bought my nicotine chewing gum, but haven't had the guts to set the date yet. As far as the astrology goes, I’m well aware this is a great time to be planning to break a habit, as Uranus is in strong and supportive aspect to the Full Moon, and in my own chart the South Node of the Moon is currently crossing my natal Pluto (old habits dying hard!).

Thanks to astrology, I'm also aware that the best way to deal with the at-odds feeling of conflict and opposition is to not push against the feelings that are brought up. I know at some point very soon I'm going to have to feel those nicotine cravings through without resisting by lighting up another cig.

So wish me luck! And I wish you the same if the Full Moon is raising your interest in making a resolution or two...

0 Degrees Of Capricorn - Season's Greetings

In the northern hemisphere, when the Sun begins its journey through the sign of Capricorn it's the Winter Solstice, and the 2006 Solstice takes place on 22nd December, at around 12.15am GMT. The Winter Solstice has always been a time of celebration, as it marks the spot of the longest night, and the beginning of longer days. The Sun is reborn at this moment, to grow in strength until the Summer Solstice in June, when the cycle of shortening nights repeats again. Different cultures and different religions have had their own way of celebrating this time for thousands upon thousands of years. Some of the traditions have merged with others, some remain unchanged, but the celebrations continue to be an important part of people's lives everywhere.

It doesn't take a great amount of google searching to discover the origins of Christmas link to the Winter Solstice. Research certainly indicates that the story of the birth of a son to a virgin is a lot older than 2000 years. According to Achayra S in The Christ Conspiracy, there's a long list of deities who share a similar story, many of whom were born to a virgin on or around the 25th December (old calendar Solstice time), visited by wise men, and who grew up to be healers and saviours. Some of the more famous ones she includes are Mithra, Buddha, Krishna, Dionysus, Hercules and Horus (Her theory is all these characters, Jesus included; refer to an original solar myth with astrological correspondences).

I mention this not to get the backs up of Christians who are Christmas story devotees, but because it fascinates me that this Solstice based tale has stayed with us so strongly through the ages, in its various forms, and across so many cultures. To me this means it's vitally important to us that it stays in our conscious awareness. Why that is, I don't know. I know why it's important to me, being an astrologer with a passion for the cycles and seasons I live within; but I don't know why it's had such a hold on the collective psyche for so many thousands of years, with all its diversity of belief and interest.

Is it because it expresses the deep magic and mystery of the human condition? or is it something more astrologically mundane, and simply our collective response to the story, expressing according to the nature of the sign the celebrations fall under? Or is it both? A mix of mystery and mundane?

The adherence to tradition and ritual that has stood the test of time is very Capricorn. Time itself is related to Capricorn, so it would be appropriate to be celebrate it's seasonal passing. It's also in the nature of this sign to be a bit of a humbug about enjoying the festivities. Way back when the Romans celebrated this time as Saturnalia (Saturn rules the sign of Capricorn), Seneca complained that "the whole mob has let itself go in pleasures", while Pliny the Younger retired to his room to avoid the celebrations. This is also the season of the lecture about materialism, consumerism and the perils of excess, maybe because Capricorn is associated with limits, discipline and restriction. There's always a cry from someone to return to the good old days, when people celebrated with appropriate modesty, respectfully mindful of the 'real' message (back to that ever present solar deity myth); though when that was I don't know, as there's always been an associated history of hardcore merry-making. Finally of course, there's the extensive preparations for the holiday season - there's nothing more Capricorn-esque than a step by step, stressful build-up to fulfilling a goal. Preparation, pressure, and planning; it's all Cappy territory.

There's more on the rich tradition of Solstice time here.