Full Pink moon in Scorpio (with partial lunar eclipse) on Thursday 25th April 2013, Pluto square Uranus 25th May.

I do wish the moon was actually about to turn pink on Thursday! It's the correct shade of moon glow in my opinion :)  but sadly not, this Pink moon is only named after a spring plant that is prolific in North America at this time of year.

From an astrology perspective the Pink moon is the annual full moon in Scorpio, the sign of renewal and rebirth. It’s the time of year when the sun (currently in the earthy and stable sign of Taurus) stands exactly opposite the moon in Scorpio - at 9pm London time on the 25th April, to be exactly exact J - and this full moon is also a partial lunar eclipse (full moon eclipse is also called lunar eclipse) which in astrology terms gives it a little more va va voom  impact-wise than just any old full moon.

I feel drawn to write about this lunar eclipse because the planet patterns look interesting, and also because one of the major planet patterns of the year, Pluto square Uranus is underway (exact on May 25th, but active long before and after that time), and as Pluto is the ruling planet of Scorpio it means a lot more attention than usual is on all things Pluto/Scorpio related.

If I could give this annual full moon in Scorpio a name it would be the Unfinished Business moon. Pluto is retrograde at this time of year (where it appears to be moving backwards in the sky), which in Pluto language is about going back to clear the clutter, or maybe the clutter coming back to haunt you a little…  Pluto itself is all about the clearing and recycling process of life, physically, mentally and/or emotionally, which allows a natural transformation and evolution process to happen in all kinds of ways.

So this Pluto retrograde and Scorpio moon might coincide with stuff being brought back or brought up that needs dealing with; unfinished business that was swept under the carpet deliberately or accidentally. What was lost is rediscovered and what got buried under more pressing priorities is brought to life again, for the purpose of renewal and rebirth.

We have got treasure in store from all this but don’t worry if at first a specific situation makes your heart sink to see the past repeating itself; don’t fret, its not same old same old…it’s all about to be updated and rebooted…. Pluto squaring (challenging) the future focused planet Uranus means trust that the process you are going through now, whatever the situation, is pulling what is valuable from your past into the future, while letting go of what isn’t necessary for moving forward from here. It’s the old you transforming into a new you, in other words, through gaining a sense of closure and of tying up loose ends on what was unfinished business up to now.

Just remember Pluto square Uranus isn’t  usually a gentle prod, it’s usually more like a powerful shove in the shoulder blades into letting go of the past in order to accept an unknown or unfamiliar future, and all the feelings that go with that. It’s really a form or version of us we are letting go of, whatever the situation looks like, in order to accept a new version of us that is unfamiliar and unknown to us (scary as that is all we have to rely on and lean on). This translates in everyday life as challenges that pull the best out of us, that evolve us, and spiral us into a new relationship with ourselves first, and then the world.

The lunar eclipse chart for Thursday shows how the momentum is building in this, and what I like about this chart is the Neptune energy working nice n easy to soften any hard feelings and dissolve old hurts and stored resentments, allowing us to let go and move forward with a more open hearted approach to new/old situations.

The message, as always with strong Pluto/Scorpio symbolism in planet patterns is trust the process, it’s rebirth and renewal of your life in some way… don’t cling to the past form or structure of a situation as 'that was then this is now', and really it’s just an old ‘you’ that you are clinging to, whatever form the situation would take. Allow the new forms and structures to reveal themselves, they are this way right now because they will evolve to best support the emerging new you. It's time to step into the unknown and meet yourself in whole new way :)

Venus Retrograde In Scorpio 2010

This week, during the new moon in the Venus ruled sign of Libra, Venus was coming to a grinding halt in the skies, ready to change direction on the 8th October and move back on itself, reversing its forward motion. It wasn't really of course, it just looks that way to us because of orbits and things - it makes a sort of optical illusion from where we stand. It will continue this way till November 18th, when it appears to stop and turnaround again, to resume it's forward motion.

Optical illusion or not, it's significant in astrology, and what with last weeks Mars/Venus conjunction, and with that Venus ruled new moon (new moon = new emotional phase), it makes for a particularly amplified Venus vibe right now, which turns up the volume, and no doubt the heat (Scorpio is an emotionally intense sign at the best of times), on all Venus ruled matters... relationships - especially relationships with women - also money, property, self worth and self esteem; those issues are all making their presence felt more keenly through circumstances right now.

There's also a particular emphasis on any unfinished business... this is Scorpio territory anyway, but also because retrogrades are noted for things cropping up again - places and faces from the past re-emerge into consciousness for whatever reason, and Venus retro in particular is into reconnections of relationships. And thanks to the Scorpio flavour, re-emergence is a key theme; what was hidden comes to light, and what was lost is found.

This retrograde cycle also links back to 8 years ago, which was the last time Venus retrograded at this spot. Think back to 2002 and you might see echoes or reminders from then working through current events. Not necessarily literally, it's usually emotionally; how you felt back then as result of significant situations connects in some way to where you stand now; you can trace your emotional evolution from back then to now.

So what did last weeks events throw up emotionally for you, as there's a clue there in how this cycle might be playing out at deep levels. Scorpio is always deep, and is also about the process of moving within unknown or unknowable territory, and also about getting comfortable with the uncontrollable (pretty much everything outside yourself), and this is why so much of that sign revolves around trust and learning to trust your own instincts, intuition and your emotional resources. When you are left not knowing what is round the corner, or left feeling in the dark, it's all you've got to go on.

Venus deals with what you value and appreciate, in yourself and therefore in relation to others and the physical world itself. The Scorpio process is an emotionally focused one, that requires the willingness to let go of what you have known to be true about yourself in the past, in favour of deciding what might be more true now, given who you feel you are now. It's a healing, renewing, transforming process, while the retrograde phase is a period of review... always a review of the self, no matter how much it seems to be about others, they are just the excuse to feel the way you do... whether positively or negatively, situations and relationships with others call attention to your relationship with yourself; as what you say about them, how you see them, how you view them, reflects how you are really feeling about you. So Venus retrograde says if you don't like what you see it's time to re-view it - look again by looking at yourself differently in a situation - re-value your place within it... you're worth it :)

Second Scorpio Full Moon Tonight

...well, in the early hours of the 20th actually, at about 3.10am, UK time. Scorpio has the reputation for being the sign of sex, drugs and rock and roll, though I think there would have to be some Sagittarius and Pisces aspects mixed in there for true hedonism. Scorpio has that reputation though because it's about extremes. It's always all or nothing with this energy, and this is what has been in the air, floating through situations since 20th April when the last full moon in Scorps took place. I think there's also a theme of unfinished business going around, as well as what is hidden or buried coming to light. And also it's about whatever or whoever it is that is really getting under your skin, for good or ill.

The healing capability of Scorpio energy in situations lies in the ability to trust in the unknown or to trust the process. Scorpio deals with the dark, literally sometimes, but mostly metaphorically, feeling into what is unknown and finding the faith to instinctively to move forward despite not knowing what is ahead. Having a peek at the Scorpio full moon (if cloud allows) can a powerful way to plug back into this instinct, even in a world that likes to leave the lights on at night.

Sun In Taurus, Full Moon In Scorpio, Mars And Jupiter Opposition

Oh it's all happening at the mo. More than can fit comfortably in the title, because it's also the first of two full moons in Scorpio; first one today (20th April) just as the sun is moving into the sign of Taurus, and second one is 20th May, just as the sun is leaving Taurus.

Full moon in Scorpio happens every year around this time, but it's not standard astro procedure to have two moons in any sign, never mind Scorps (full moon happens when sun stands opposite moon, so to find which sign the full moon is in for any month, check what sign the sun is in, and the moon will standing 180 degrees away at some time in it's monthly cycle)...so really, the 20th May moon is a kind of zodiacal blue moon, which means the folklore metaphor applies: it's a time for things happening that don't happen very often, or at all, and these blue moon type events are building or unfolding from this current lunar energy right now and over the coming weeks.

The two full moons gives situations a strong Scorpio/Taurus theme for the next month, so for example there would be a polarity pendulum swing, or a 'to be or not to be' thing going on with:

SCORPIO/TAURUS =
letting go/holding on
going through a point of no return/unwilling to shift on an issue
what is hidden and concealed/what is touchy-feelingly obvious
hidden treasure/available income
trust/control
trust/value
unknown/known
your stuff/my stuff
endings/everything stays the same

Added to this mix is Mars, co-ruling planet of Scorpio, about to stand opposite Jupiter, in the signs of Cancer (emotions) and Capricorn (boundaries). It's another polarity to blend:

MARS OPPOSITE JUPITER
passion/expansion
action/increase
intentions/upliftment
desire/faith, hope and optimism

Mars is also in dynamic alignment with Venus, ruler of Taurus:
VENUS/MARS=
value/desire
worth/passion
balance/action
yin/yang

You can also mix and match the keywords for Mars/Jupiter/Venus together too...

and if THAT wasn't enough, how about throwing in the fabulous grand trine aspect between Sun, Saturn and Pluto that is part of the full moon pattern...

SUN/SATURN/PLUTO =
being self/authority/trust
shining out/allowing or disallowing/trust,
creativity/limits/unknown
heart of the matter/timing/conceal or reveal

And if THAT wasn't enough, the new moon (new phase) in Taurus on 5th May takes place at 15 degrees, which indicates it's the astrological Beltane (May Day), one of the important calendar dates in the Wheel of the Year, when energy is in full flow through the shifting of the seasons.

But lots to play with over the coming weeks means there's plenty to enjoy...

Scorpio New Moon

This new moon takes place on the 9th Nov, around 11.05pm GMT. New moons are strongly associated with beginnings, while Scorpio is strongly associated with endings, so the beginning of the ending looks a logical theme to run with, especially with Scorpio ruler Pluto so near the end of its stay in Sagittarius.

Some people often look at astrology and the like for signs of doom to worry about, and there’s nothing like the mention of the beginning of the end to set folk off worrying we’re all headed for hell in a handbag especially when there’s an unexpected comet on the loose and 2012 is a date about to figure highly in any five year plan instead of just being a sci-fi theme or ancient manuscript reference; but what I’m discovering at the moment is that beginnings of endings can be more like a welcome light at the end of the tunnel, which is why I’ve decided to now interpret the Comet Holmes appearance as exactly that.

You see, this week was a bit of a week for me. I’ve had agoraphobia for years (which intensified dramatically once Pluto hit the 4th house cusp of my chart a while ago btw). But this week on the day that the sun hit 15 degrees of Scorpio, in fabulous aspect to freedom planet Uranus, and Scorpio ruler Mars, I suddenly ended up out and about on my own for the first time in many years, wandering around like a comet on the loose. And today I went back to the shops and stayed in there long enough to know the other time wasn’t a fluke. I was only vaguely aware of the exact astrology of now, having been all engrossed in my healing stuff for the past couple of weeks (how Scorpio in itself), so it was a bit satisfying to say the least to see the astro significance in all its glory.

If you’ve ever had a panic attack or you’ve a fear of heights, or enclosed spaces, or the dark, or the dentists, or spiders, birds, mice, love or commitment, flying/driving, life or death, etc etc, then you’ll have an idea of the kind of fear that goes with agoraphobia, and anyone who doesn’t relate at all to any experience of ‘irrational fear’, you’re either very very lucky or in complete emotional denial, and I don’t relate at all to you. It’s only now I’m realising the utter gift of this kind of experience, in the positive broadening and deepening of self-knowing that comes in direct relative proportion to the intensity of the negative experience. The balance of it feels like perfect justice. True it’s bittersweet, as I spent the best part of ten years chasing a freedom I only half believed existed, and I won’t get those ten years back (grief and loss is another Scorpio theme); but there’s no way on earth I would exchange what I’ve learnt about myself and the world as a result. Who would have thought an agoraphobic could learn anything about the outside world, but there you go.

I’m going to be writing more on this in connection to Pluto transits in particular, but wanted to mention it in connection with this new moon, because I'm feeling the joy at the moment of realising that while there’s no point (and no need) trying to be positive about whatever it is that is turning you inside out, there’s every reason to feel positive about the potential of the direction you are headed in as a direct result of the negative experience itself.

Full Moon In Scorpio

This week the annual full moon in Scorpio is on the 2nd, then the sun reaches 15 degrees of the sign Taurus on the 5th. Meanwhile Venus, ruler of Taurus, is moving to stand in opposition to Pluto, ruler of Scorpio.

Which means Taurus and Scorpio themes abound. Ownership, possessions and relationship to the material world are the realm of Taurus, and what lies beyond, underneath or within it all - the space between - is Scorpio. There's also resources (Taurus) and others resources (Scorpio); your energy and their energy. And the trust issue of relationships. It’s all at the forefront now, and wherever there’s a full moon there’s an amount of tension associated with it, as a full moon represents a culmination of energy, and a change in emotional focus or attitude.

I’m feeling all this in my search for somewhere new to live. My current house is driving me nuts with noisy neighbours and loud traffic (hence blogging is thin on the ground until I get some PEACE to concentrate!). And I’ve been looking for somewhere new for months but I’m renting and it’s a nightmare with my budget and current availablity of properties. Also, my Venus in Taurus doesn’t relish renting ANYTHING off anyone, but unfortunately I have Neptune right opposite Venus. Plenty of character building lessons for me in that one, let me tell you.

Ready to count the Taurus/Scorpio themes? Here goes: I have this deep, abiding resentment of landlords. I have a deep discomfort about being beholden to them for my living space. Many bad experiences in the past have led to a deep mistrust. I don’t like the way some of them take advantage of tenants, and I don’t like that my home is their business. It was all summed up the other day on one of the myriad of property programmes currently flooding UK television screens, when a buyer looking at a potential place was advised it wasn't suitable for him to live in, and was only for the rental market. Apparently it wasn’t nice enough for an owner-occupier, it was only good enough to paint over the cracks and get some tenants in to pay dearly for it.

I’m FED UP of landlords/whoever thinking that if you have little money and few possessions you don’t want a decent place to live, and have no interest in keeping the place you live decent. I could send them something informative on Venus/Neptune contacts I suppose, but I’m too into the idea of the Law of Attraction at the moment. The idea that I'm responsible for my reality through the nature of my thoughts, beliefs, and attitude both excites and repels in equal measure, and this is the crux of my full moon in Scorpio dilemma: dropping the bitter taste of Scorpionic resentment towards the average landlord feels like I'm letting 'them' get away with it, but at the same time, letting it all go and Taurusly owning my reality does curiously feel like the ultimate living space I’ve been craving for years...

15 Degrees Of Scorpio On 7th November 2006

15 degrees of the fixed signs (Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus and Leo) are the cross-quarter days of the zodiac, marking the mid-points between the cardinal cross of 0 degrees Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.

As the sun reaches 15 degrees of Scorpio, it's astrological Samhain/Halloween - the beginning of the Celtic new year. The Celts divided their year into two halves, and Samhain translates as 'summer's end'. The astrological date changes slightly year to year to fit with the solar movement, but it's always around the beginning of November, and marks the noticeable shift in the Northern Hemisphere into colder days and longer nights.

The traditions and customs associated with this time are all of a Scorpio theme. Scorpio is the sign associated with death and the worlds beyond, or below this one. The underworld, which Scorpio ruler Pluto has dominion over, was known as the place of no return, and it's this perspective of no going back that Scorpio brings an awareness of in relation to all endings. It's the letting go of what was in order to move forward that defines the Scorpio experience, just as the old year must pass to make way for the new, and summer must make way for winter in order to begin the cycle of growth once more.

Samhain was a fire festival, like the other cross-quarter festivals (Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh), and here in the UK the tradition has been kept alive at this time of year through Bonfire Night, held every 5th November. In true Scorpio style the 5th November is to remember the story of Guy Fawkes, who was involved in a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliment in 1605, but was caught red-handed about to light the fuse. He was tortured, then executed, and this execution is symbolically repeated by the burning of an effigy of Guy Fawkes on bonfires across the nation. Fireworks are also a big part of bonfire night, and like the gunpowder plot itself seems to capture the spirit of Scorpio's traditional ruler, Mars.

Whether it's Samhain, Halloween, All Souls, or Guy Fawkes night, the Scorpio symbols are there; the darkness and the light, the mysteries of death and what lies beyond, and the promise of rebirth and renewal as the cycle of life continues despite our worst fears. There might be no going back in this life, but for Scorpio there's no such thing as a dead end.

Read more about Guy Fawkes here

All these planets in Scorpio...

The Sun is now in Scorpio, season of mists and Freudian slips, inappropriate obsessive crushes and raging paranoia. And starting today we have a rare of line-up of 5 planets in Scorpio. Along with the Sun, there’s Mars, Venus and Jupiter; and Mercury, which also adds significance by turning retrograde on 28th October.

Maybe it’s all these planets in Scorpio that gave me the urge to dust off my 1910 edition of Wuthering Heights (bought from a bookshop in Bronte country), wrap myself up in my favourite faux fur throw and nestle down for the chilly autumn evenings, dreaming dreams of dark-eyed vagabonds with a gypsy soul and fierce unbridled ardour, chasing love amongst the bleak and ruthless, wild and windy moorland.

If you want to get a feel for the best and worst that Scorpio has to offer, Wuthering Heights is a great place to start. It’s Scorpionic through and through. The strong loyalty/betrayal/revenge theme, the unshakable passion that defies death do us part vows, and the messy, messy manipulative control dramas; it’s no surprise to find Emily Bronte had her ascendant in this sign, as well as south node of the Moon.

So in praise of Venus conjunct Mars, etc, in Scorpio, here are a couple of quotes from the most terrifying of twosomes, Cathy and Heathcliff...


This is Cathy, caught between Heathcliff’s rock and hard place:

"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it... My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."


And this is Heathcliff's hymn of the uber-obsessed:

"And I pray one prayer - I repeat it till my tongue stiffens - Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living! You said I killed you - haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered the earth. Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!... I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!”

This is the thing with Scorpio. When it’s important, it's life and death, all or nothing. No middle ground. No grey areas. It's an all encompassing, utterly absorbing, and inescapable power that Scorpio deals in, and touching on this kind of energy can drive people to do strange things. They can turn unrecognisable even to themselves. Even the quiet ones, who of course by Scorpio standards are the worst.

But don’t forget that Scorpio, like all other signs of the zodiac, is ultimately positive, purposeful and well designed as a medium to experience the best that the mystery of life has to offer. It’s through Scorpio that we come to know Love by first meeting what Love is not. It’s up to us how much we allow ourselves to be impacted by that knowledge, and how much we are willing to let go of what Love is not.
One of the most powerful symbols associated with this sign is the phoenix rising from the ashes. It's transformation, it's rebirth and renewal. And in Wuthering Heights it happens through Cathy's daughter and her relationship with Hareton.



There'll be more to come no doubt on this Scorpio theme over the coming weeks, check out what my fellow astrology bloggers have to say on all this too, especially Kathryn Cassidy at Collaborate With Fate, who has a couple of great articles dealing in detail with this upcoming Scorpio alignment here and here.