Follow the Moon: Forecast September 29, 2013 – October 5

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Where does true beauty reside? What is the most potent moment of all? What is the key to unlocking true happiness? Who doesn’t want to know the answers to these questions? I could be wrong, but I really think the sign of Virgo* has an inside lead on the answers. This is the sign of the dedicant, the apprentice, and the pragmatic worker—which I suppose can sound too ordinary, but to me has always seemed like the very best way to live. I am not a Virgo myself, but have always longed for these gifts. If I can find the beauty in everyday life, beauty will always be available to me. If I can remember to dwell in the present moment, I have access to my power. If my work is satisfying and meaningful, I am happy. 

This doesn’t mean that every Virgo person is supremely happy. The sign, whether you are born a Virgo or not is pointing us in the direction we should go; it isn’t an automatic acquisition of the gifts. You know that feeling when you are so close to something you can taste it, but you don’t have it yet? That kind of squirmy, nervous anticipation that grips your insides? People with a Virgo emphasis in their birthchart can easily succumb to this kind of stress. So close to perfect happiness! Yet there is always more to be done, fine adjustments to be made, and more to learn. This squirmy quality points to a common problem for Virgos and for anyone trying to bring more awareness and meaning into life. When handling the details gets too stressful or when paying attention feels like sensory overload, then it is time to step away from expectations. Those hopes for the future distract us from embodying the present. As the Moon of this Virgo cycle wanes completely into the next New Moon on October 4, it may be a good idea to practice stepping away from managing everyday life and learn to love everyday life just for itself.

Forecast September 29, 2013 – October 5

Moon enters Leo at 2:57 am CDT
Sunday, September 29. What feeds your fire? What rekindles the sputtering flame? Given that we are in the waning phase of the Moon, you may feel like the juice is going out of life. Today’s Leo Moon is here to add the sparkle back. Don’t underestimate the importance of play or the excitement of romantic attraction. This energy will help us remember why we are doing the work of conscious co-creation. The Moon is square to Saturn today, so we get to combine the Leo sparkle with the transformative soul work of Scorpio (the sign Saturn is in currently). Mercury moves into Scorpio today as well, where it will spend an extra-long period of time due to a retrograde cycle that begins in three weeks. There is a shift towards the darkness. Notice the contrast between the sparkle of light and the allure of shadow. 

Moon in Leo
September 30—Balsamic Moon: Surrendering. This lunar cycle did you discover just the right balance between work and devotion and commitment and longing? These qualities have been threaded through this lunar cycle. Happiness in work is a balancing act and the weight is shifting constantly. The best way to balance one day probably won’t work the next. We can use the Balsamic phase of the Moon to release unproductive assumptions and expectations about ourselves and our work. Let’s shed that old skin. Use the Moon in Leo to restoke your passion. Kids are wonderful teachers for unbridled joy. Be a kid. It is good to cultivate our kid natures because life feels fraught with tension right now. This tension is likely to keep building until the New Moon on October 4. Take breaks and breathe.

Moon enters Virgo at 1:52 pm CDT
Tuesday, October 1. You might notice a subtle change in communication today. Mercury reaches the degree where it will station direct after the next retrograde cycle that begins on October 21. This is a foretaste of what Mercury will turn up in the fertile fields of Scorpio during this particular cycle. The experience will touch on deeper emotions. And though this can be uncomfortable as we explore hurt feelings due to communication problems, or notice jealousy or suspicion arising more often in our interactions, we also have the opportunity to get to the core issues that deepen relationships. With a trine between Mercury and Neptune today (the first of three due to this retrograde), listen to your dreams and inspirations. Let your heart melt just a little. Be brave. Intuition and empathy are allies for dealing with toxic power dynamics that could be revealed today. The Sun is square to Pluto—the fault lines are weak and it will be more difficult to control strong emotion. What do you need to let go of?

 Moon in Virgo
Wednesday, October 2.  A healing day. With the Moon back in Virgo in this cycle that began in Virgo, we are invited to reflect on the past month. It helps to take the long view. The older we get, the easier it is to see the patterns and roots of habitual responses. Perhaps it gets easier to consciously choose a better one. The waning Moon isn’t called an old Moon for nothing. Wisdom is pouring forth. Pay attention. It could really help us with whatever the next challenge will be. The best qualities of Saturn (commitment), Pluto (transformation), Chiron (compassion), and Jupiter (belief) are teased out and encouraged by this Virgo Moon. We actually feel stronger when we admit to being vulnerable. 

Moon enters Libra at 9:59 pm CDT
Thursday, October 3. Perhaps the other shoe drops today. The Sun opposes Uranus, just a few days after making a square to Pluto. Uranus and Pluto are coming close to another exact square on November 1. The Sun is giving us a preview. Although the New Moon in Libra doesn’t happen until tomorrow, we are already feeling the major issues of this next lunar cycle dedicated to the sign of Libra. One of these themes is the dance, or perhaps we should say conflict, between individuation and partnership. With the rebellious energy of Uranus moving through independent Aries, many of us are pushing back against people and institutions that want us to conform, play nice, or compromise. There is value in having the strength to go your own way if necessary, but too much opposition is isolating and ineffective. We need relationship. What is happening in your relationship dance? Look for the balance between freedom and commitment—that is sweet spot for sure.

Moon in Libra
October 4—New Moon: Dreaming. Balance is a dynamic, responsive dance with all things. I used to think balance was a static state of equality; all we have to do is balance everything with its opposite quality and stay there, don’t move. That kind of balance lasts about a second and doesn’t cultivate the real reason that balance is a gift. Balance is a fluid state. It is the ability to pay attention and be responsive to others. I think this is why the balancing sign of the scales is also about relationship. How are your relationships doing? How is the fluid dance of balance going for you? This lunar cycle we have the opportunity to do some adjusting to these qualities. It will be an interesting journey.

A call to attention. The chart for the New Moon features a t–square aspect pattern. The Sun and Moon in Libra are opposite Uranus in Aries and square to Pluto in Capricorn. Much has been written about this three-year series of square aspects between these planets. Suffice it to say, this transit symbolizes the crossroads we find ourselves at right now. Choices and changes need to be made. This Libra lunar cycle emphasizes the effect these choices will have on our relationships and reaffirms that relationships make change possible and sustainable. If balance is a dance, then we get to become much better dancers this month.

Another important influence lasting all month is the retrograde journey of Mercury through Scorpio. Right now Mercury is making the first direct pass through the area it will be retrograding through later. These initial contacts begin the conversation that will twists and turn through Mercury’s travels. The most important contact is with Saturn and the North Node of the Moon. All three are close together now. The North Node represents a new experience or truth that we are hungry for. Scorpio, a sign of mystery and not just a little danger, holds treasure. Saturn is the guardian standing at the portal like a dragon demanding we take this opportunity seriously. In myth, Mercury often plays the thief or trickster who gets the treasure by cunning. It sounds like The Hobbit, doesn’t it? Play with that idea. Each of us, no matter how small, is a hero in our own story.

There will be a Lunar Eclipse at the Full Moon in two weeks. This adds to a heightened sense of potency mixed with unpredictability at the New Moon too. Twists and turns, indeed!

The quincunx aspect between Saturn and Uranus, exact today, forces us to limit choices and actions in order to be effective. There is a great desire to break free but it is as if we only get one chance to do it. Choose that action carefully.

Moon in Libra
Saturday, October 5. The dance begins. What would bring the most fluidity and balance to your relationships? The Moon squares Jupiter this morning—strong emotions could help us realize where we need to focus next. Later in the day, a supportive sextile between the Moon and Mars helps us to take action. 

* To read more about the Virgo lunar cycle that began on September 5, go to http://tinyurl.com/jvks9tg

Contact Teri at teri@starsdanceastrology and visit her website at www.starsdanceastrology.com

Follow the Moon: Forecast September 22, 2013 – September 28

Physical work has a fine way of bringing balance into my life and I really need that. Frankly, being an astrologer can sometimes be a pretty ungrounded profession. I take regular spirit journeys into the stars while writing a forecast or preparing for a consultation. I am inspired and nurtured by communion with the cosmos but I also highly value being present in my body in the here and now. From here, I believe I do the most good for others and I live the best life for myself. Over the years, I’ve developed a sense for when I’ve traveled too far and for too long and need to reel it in. Everyday work, anchored in the physicality of earth, helps me do that.

During this Virgo lunar cycle* I’ve been exploring work. Virgo is the mutable earth sign that reminds us that ordinary, everyday activities make us whole and give us meaning. It is true: What I spend my days doing becomes who I am. Doing and being unite in Virgo. Virgo’s placement at the end of summer is significant too. We are given the opportunity in this season to refine the sense of balance that comes from our work. After that adjustment we are ready to step into the fall season through the balancing sign of Libra.

Wholeness, balance, and work are themes for the week ahead. The Moon is waning. We are beginning to notice the difference between what we expected to happen during this lunar cycle and what actually did happen. We reap the gifts and we analyze the results. The Virgo cycle isn’t over until the next New Moon on October 4. Until then it is good to notice the affect your work has on you. What is the balancing activity that helps you achieve wholeness? What are the barriers to bringing that balance into your life? What are the gifts? When I reach a obstacle, I try to look for a way to reframe that challenge into an opportunity. What is your opportunity?

The planets help us reframe. The questions around what longing, commitment, and surrender have to do with work still resonate. Mutable signs seek integration and knowledge. Weaving together our expectations with our actual experiences, we acquire new wisdom. In everyday work, the most profound truths of our lives can be revealed.

 Forecast September 22, 2013 – September 28

Moon in Taurus
September 22—Disseminating Moon: Sharing. Fall Equinox. Through the course of the year, the Sun travels through the sky in a big wave pattern. It appears to travel north during the spring to its highest declination at the summer solstice, then it turns south rising lower each day until the winter solstice when it turns north again. The fall equinox marks the halfway point in the extremes of the Sun’s journey from Cancer (summer) to Capricorn (winter). Libra, the sign marking the fall equinox, is the balancing sign. I like to think that on this day, those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are handing the Sun off to the folks in the Southern Hemisphere. We say goodbye and they say hello. On that day we are connected globally through this exchange; there is a whole-planet sense of balance and relationship.

Step into that balance. Let it imprint your cells. This sensation is a gift for recreating balance in our lives when we most need it. The Moon in Taurus is an ally of embodiment. In the chart for the Equinox, the Moon opposes Saturn, Venus, and the North Node. Saturn’s journey through Scorpio has complex meaning, hard to sum up in a sentence or two. The directive, however, is to go deeper, to confront shadow and fear and powerlessness in order to claim a deeper knowledge. The experience is transformative and healing. The Moon in Taurus reminds us to balance that intensity with the gifts of beauty, embodied pleasure, and stability. Also in the Equinox chart, Mars in Leo is square to the Taurus/Scorpio opposition. The strong desires of this Mars could be the most likely factor to upset a sense of balance. The extremes of the Leo lion can range between a ravenous hunger for attention to an incredible generosity of spirit. A balanced ego helps us to balance the extremes of this season.

This complex day also represents the beginning of the disseminating phase of this lunar cycle. There are gifts to share. What are the greatest gifts you’ve received from your work? Perhaps you haven’t yet found the work that really feeds you. Can you let the longing for such work be the gift? We begin to celebrate the fall harvests—a good time also to honor all we have been given.

Moon in Taurus
Monday, September 23. The earthiness of today’s Moon in Taurus helps us to evaluate what we love and hate about our work. The focus is on security and comfort. Does your work provide this for you? Satisfaction comes from sensual pleasures. Smell, taste, and touch bypass the thinking processes and that is a good thing. The Moon is void-of-course all day adding to a sense that not much needs to happen today. It is good just to enjoy our ordinary lives.

Moon enters Gemini at 2:34 am
Tuesday, September 24. Oh where did yesterday’s solidity go? With the Moon entering the mutable air sign, Gemini, thoughts are stirred up. Where thoughts go, actions follow. What are you anxious about? Take clarifying deep breaths. With the Sun in trine aspect to the Moon, notice how your thoughts affect your sense of balance. It may be easier today to make the mental adjustments necessary to achieve inner peace. However, complete clarity may be hard to find because Neptune is giving us mysterious messages today and tomorrow. The response to confusion may be to numb out and look for answers later. Notice whether this is your best choice.

Moon in Gemini
Wednesday, September 25. What leap of faith would help you begin to make the changes you really want to make? Today there is guidance coming from intuition and from rational mind. Most people seem to favor one way of thinking over the other. Today, entertain contradictory messages and stretch yourself to follow them somehow. This is a good day to say what is on your mind. It is a risk, of course, but we are feeling bold.

Moon enters Cancer at 2:24 pm
September 26—Last Quarter Moon: Evaluating. Something about the fall air lends itself to examining the past with an eye for what we want to do about it in the future. We are busy evaluating our successes and failures in this season and phase of the Moon. How happy are you about the structure of your day-to-day life? Does it support your health? Your relationships? Your reason for being? These are big questions and most of us do not lead perfect lives that completely support the lives we deserve to live. Many of us still need to make adjustments, and that is not all bad. The fall air also brings a sense of excitement about beginning new projects.

Keep these contrasting qualities of critique and excitement in mind as you make your way through the day. Contrasts are present. On one hand, an emphasis on water (Venus in Scorpio trine Jupiter in Cancer, Moon in Cancer trine to Neptune in Pisces) creates sensitivity and flow and a desire to acknowledge the role that emotion plays in how we feel about our lives. Intuition is a key component to decisions. On the other hand, today and tomorrow, the Moon and Sun are part of a tense aspect pattern with Uranus and Pluto (Grand Cardinal Cross). Frustrations lead to impatience, which can lead to poor decisions. Our frustrations are messengers, however, for what isn’t working in our lives. Pay attention.

Moon in Cancer
Friday, September 27. The tensions and frustrations of yesterday may be even stronger today. Strength to stick with intention comes from a trine between the Moon and Saturn. The tension comes with the Grand Cardinal Cross aspect pattern that stimulates the ongoing square between Uranus and Pluto. This isn’t new energy but something to pay attention to none-the-less. We’ve almost reached the halfway point of this nearly three-year period of these two planets coming in and out of exact square aspect. (The next exact square will be on November 1.) Are we getting used to the friction between these planets or are we poised to respond more dramatically to this friction?  Mileage varies for individuals based on personal birth charts. The same goes for nations. The affect of this ongoing square in the Mideast is profound and dramatic. Pay attention to the news today. We could see trends that are significant for the next few months.

Moon in Cancer
Saturday, September 28. It feels good to be home today. Hopefully, wherever you are you can evoke the sense of home, belonging, and that delightful sensation of nesting that fall brings out in us. Beautification projects feed us soulfully. The cosmic lovers—Mars and Venus—meet in a square aspect. The tension is both sexual and demanding. Compromise may not be easy, but it could be exciting to find the right balance between self and other.

* To read more about the Virgo lunar cycle that began on September 5, go to http://tinyurl.com/jvks9tg

Follow the Moon: Forecast September 15, 2013 – September 21

I’ve been cringing a little when I walk outside my door. It’s the last week of summer and my garden is looking tired. We’ve had a drought for the last month at least. Many plants are starting to turn brown and lose their leaves. I’ve got a nice crop of weeds and some plants need pruning and staking. The theme of this Virgo cycle* is work. My garden is great at showing me how much work I’ve done and how much I’ve postponed, right out there, for all the world to see. And that is one of my problems—a tendency to equate this very visible lack of perfection in my garden as a judgment of my essential nature. The faulty logic goes: If my garden is a mess, I must be a mess. Once again, I am reminded that the work of this cycle isn’t about my work; it is about my assumptions about my work.

Where did all this come from? After all, one person’s mess is another person’s glorious experiment. It is all terribly subjective. And even if my garden doesn’t live up to my expectations, why does the imperfection cut so deeply? How did I come to believe that the quality of my work was an evaluation of the quality of me? This assumption is a myth that needs retelling. I certainly don’t want to cringe when I look at my beautiful and imperfect garden anymore.

Mess is present. I am not a mess. If I want to change a personal story, it helps to get in touch with physical reality. The best way I know to do this is through mindfulness practices. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a meditation and mindfulness teacher, defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way; that is, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” This practice is particularly appropriate for the Vigo cycle where our expectations for the work we do (or don’t do) is high. When I become mindful, I see the mess in my garden as physical reality. Yes, imperfections and messes are present, but it isn’t a judgment on my worth to the world. That is a story I can shift. When I do, I can get up in the morning and begin the next project, not because I will ever achieve a perfect garden, but because the work of gardening is also an act of devotion that feeds me.

Devotion and work have a close relationship. When I take the judgment out of it, my devotion to what I love leads me to my work, and my work leads me to deeper devotion. We can notice this relationship between devotion and work this week as the Moon waxes into fullness. The Virgo intention is enriched by the waters of Pisces and Scorpio this week and deepened by Venus, Saturn, and Pluto connections.

Forecast September 15, 2013 – September 21

Moon enters Aquarius 7:05 am CDT
September 15—Gibbous Moon: Perfecting. OK, here it is, the ultimate Virgo challenge: trying to perfect our intentions without succumbing to perfectionism. I am thinking about redefining perfection as the state of being entirely present to the moment. Present to the work I’ve done, to the work I am doing, and to the possibility of the work that will surely come? At this phase of the Moon, I invite you to be present, non-judgmentally, to what is present concerning your work.

With the Moon in Aquarius and the Sun in Virgo, the potential for innovative, ordered thinking is quite high. Computer programmers love this type of energy. The downside is a tendency to become over stimulated mentally or to lose human connection. Mercury, the planet of mind and communication, is also active. Mercury is in a quincunx aspect to Chiron today and will more significantly oppose Uranus right after midnight (technically tomorrow). The Chiron connection could bring paradoxical insights, especially concerning healing and compassion. The Uranus connection brings a questioning of assumed truths. Since this happens late, this could be a night of little sleep.

Moon in Aquarius
Monday, September 16. The day begins with loads of questions and insights, but perhaps at the expense of a good night’s sleep. The Aquarius Moon may have kept you up last night as it contacted Uranus, Mercury, and Mars. None of these planets are known for being mellow. So what are you going to do with all those ideas? Because the Moon is void-of-course all day, don’t let listlessness frustrate you. It may be a good day to journal so you don’t forget those creative thoughts.

Moon enters Pisces 8:58 am CDT
Tuesday, September 17. I hope you got a nap yesterday because Mercury and Mars were eagerly engaged as you attempted to sleep last night. The energy could inspire active creativity or a burning passion to express something. Listen to your passions. Then let go of urgency and sense into your feelings when the Moon enters Pisces this morning. This shift feels like a welcome respite and a time to remember what dreams inspire our devotion and work. Venus, Saturn and Pluto are aligning over the next two days to favor us with beauty, commitment, and deep transformation. Today, the Moon nudges us to open to the gifts.

Moon in Pisces
Wednesday, September 18:  The conjunction of Venus and Saturn is visible at sunset. [See EarthSky ]. Saturn is known for cutting away extraneous things, especially in the sign of Scorpio. Since Saturn entered Scorpio in October 2012 we’ve been on the plan of purging unnecessary bits and pieces from our lives. Joining with Venus, Saturn asks us to trim away the extraneous in our relationships and in our habits of consumption. We need less, but the quality of what we need is much higher. This purging encourages better relationships and a better handle on our resources. Venus also connects with Pluto today by an encouraging sextile aspect. Pluto is the planet, in all signs, that encourages release and transformation. We are in a deep process that offers more rewards than sacrifices. This energy is present for the next few days, do your relationship/money work!

Moon enters Aries 11:58 am CDT
September 19—Full Moon: Illuminating. At the New Moon*, I noticed an aspect pattern that spoke to these qualities surrounding a Virgo intention this lunar cycle. The qualities are Longing, Commitment, Work, and Surrender. There is just enough tension in these qualities to urge us to develop a new understanding of self and action. What gets you out of bed in the morning? Is it a desire to do good work? Or is it a desire to follow your devotion? Do you see these two things as vastly different or do they seem to be the same thing? Another way to look at this: Work is mundane, it is what we do each day to fulfill our obligations. Devotion is spiritual, it is what we do to serve our ideals. How far apart are the notions of work and devotion in your life? The Full Moon offers a chance to bring them closer together by illuminating just how far apart we’ve let them grow.

In the chart for the Full Moon, support for devotion and emotional understanding comes from Venus and Saturn conjunct the North Node of the Moon encouraging us to evolve through commitment to high-quality relationships and resource responsibility. Pluto adds the support of soul development. Chiron adds the support of integration of our vulnerabilities with compassion.

The tension present in this chart creates dissatisfaction with meaningless action. We want to push the edges and are more and more ready to instigate change, whatever the cost. The relationship between Mercury, Uranus, and Jupiter—called a t-square—evokes an increasing frustration.

We can’t ignore the desires of the ego either. Mars in Leo is square to Venus, Saturn and the North Node. Each of us wants and needs affirmation. If you feel particularly hungry for this, find an honest way to get it. The danger is to let that desire take precedence over everything else.

Try this: Meditate at this Full Moon on opening the shields and barriers erected around your heart. Put aside the voices that say work and devotion can’t be united. Be aware without judgment what comes up. Let thoughts and feeling dissolve back into the waters of being. Dwell in your longing, your commitment, your surrender, and your work.

Moon in Aries
Friday, September 20. Twice a year Pluto appears to come to a standstill and changes direction. Although Pluto has been demoted to dwarf planet status, the impact of this planet is immense. Perhaps it is because this god is called Lord of the Underworld. When Pluto changes direction, it is as if the god of the dead sends a vibration through the earth into our souls. Today that happens as Pluto stations direct. I suspect we will need to be alert to intense feelings today also. The Moon in impatient Aries is contacting the Jupiter, Uranus, Pluto t-square today too. I’d say, don’t make any rash decisions but you might have to take your own advice on that one. If we are resisting change, then we might need to surrender to impulsivity. But I recommend figuring out how to make conscious change that is in alignment with soul, in honor of Pluto.

Moon enters Taurus 5:33 pm CDT
Saturday, September 21. Saturn encourages Pluto through a sextile aspect. The changes we make right now have the possibility of being sustainable and long lasting. This could feel like pressure to do it right. Perhaps trust in your deep self is all you need. As the Moon enters Taurus, it would be a really good thing to listen to your body. What gives comfort? What gives pleasure? What helps you be present?

* To read more about the Virgo lunar cycle that began on September 5, go to
http://tinyurl.com/jvks9tg

Follow the Moon: Forecast September 8, 2013 – September 14

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There’s a mountain of grain to sort. Last week*, I wrote about the how Psyche’s challenge to sort a mountain of grain seemed like the kind of work that Virgo often has to take on. Detail-oriented, sometimes overwhelming, and at times very mundane; it is easy to get off track when we encounter a mountain like that. What do you feel about your work? How do you approach the details? Have you lost the connection between your heart and your everyday actions? How impatient are you to see results from your labor? What gets to you most—the stress or the boredom? Many of us have a problem with work. The good news is that the Virgo season is ripe for reframing our attitudes toward work.

My friend Paul has coined a term that I love, “joyful obligation.” The words beautifully evoke the how and why of good work. Standing before a mountain of work, I ask myself, “Does this obligation bring joy?” If not, what must change? This lunar cycle I am exploring the balance of these points: Longing, Commitment, Work, and Surrender. I suspect that just focusing on the mountain of work that lies ahead of me isn’t enough to bring me joy. What does my heart want most? How committed am I? What are the next steps to take in the work? And in the end, what are the gifts found in surrendering attachment to outcome?

I am eager to see how the transits this week involving Mercury, Mars, and Venus influence my Virgo intention. Every planet is an ally if we meet them where they like to roam and approach them with the heart of a dedicant. Mercury is the ruler of Virgo. He is the Trickster god who is also a master alchemist. Mercury’s terrain is the mind in all its states from clarity to confusion. Perhaps he will share a secret to attaining balance and joy in my work. Mars is the Champion, the hero in us who valiantly throws himself into the fray. In Leo this month, Mars calls attention to our ego needs. That probably has something to do with work, wouldn’t you think? Venus also plays a role, perhaps as the Goddess who inspires us to beauty in all our work. Venus moves from Libra to Scorpio this week, encouraging us to go under the surface of pleasure and desire.

Forecast September 8, 2013 – September 14

Moon enters Scorpio at 8:44 pm CDT
September 8—Crescent Moon: Beginning. Sighting the first crescent curve of the Moon in a new lunar cycle always makes my heart leap. Beauty and hope are all tangled together in the moment. Beauty and hope are perhaps the best motivators for beginning any work. Invite in this energy as another cycle of mindfulness and intention begins. The sky is collaborating. Right after the Sun sets today, if the western sky is clear, we are treated to a beautiful conjunction of the crescent Moon and Venus. I dare you to be unmoved by the sight. No wait, I ‘d rather dare you to let this beauty inspire you to create more balance and joy in your work. I’ll join you.

Moon in Scorpio
Monday, September 9.This is a richly complex day and because the Moon is in Scorpio, the complexity feeds the soul and creates possibilities for transformation. First of all, the master alchemist, Mercury enters Libra, creating an emphasis on mental balance that especially predominates when Mercury contacts other planets this week. What will you do to bring in more clarity? Mars, the champion for self-worth, squares Saturn. Doubt is present. But the idea is not to let that discourage us. How hungry is your ego? How does a healthy and satisfied ego help you in your work? We all need recognition. If that feels too vulnerable to you, lean into it and see what shifts. The Moon also plays into this square between Mars and Saturn, increasing the odds that we will feel this potential blockage on an emotional level. Self-love helps; is this your work?

Moon in Scorpio
Tuesday, September 10. There are as many clichés about Scorpio’s moodiness as there are about Virgo’s perfectionism. I hate to feed those stereotypes but emotions are strong today with the Moon in Scorpio. This will feel really good to some of us who like these hidden and intense spaces. Others may be feeling reactive. Regardless, emotion is present and may be giving us important information about our desires for connection. These messages may be real or may only feel that way. Use your discernment and continue to practice self-love.

Moon enters Sagittarius at 1:35 am CDT
Wednesday, September 11. Contrasts show more starkly today. On the one hand, the Moon in Sagittarius pushes out into the world from beneath that Scorpio rock we were under yesterday. On the other hand, Venus enters Scorpio and a quincunx aspect between Mars and Pluto push us back under the surface as we deal with strong feelings around power, ego, and self-worth. Who doesn’t appreciate you? That hurts of course, but the antidote is to cultivate more pride and appreciation for ourselves. Pluto makes sure we don’t get to rest in external validation. Starting today and ending on September 14, Mars is at the apex of a Yod aspect pattern with Pluto and Chiron. The Yod pattern creates tension to resolve paradox. This paradox involves having the right amount of ego attachment to stand in our power while being acutely aware of our vulnerabilities. Another quincunx between Mercury and Neptune emphasizes the need to understand these stresses intellectually and intuitively. Figure that one out! As the day progresses, the desire to get away from it all increases. This is the Sagittarius Moon contacting Mercury, Mars, and Uranus and whispering in our ears to get over it and have fun.

Moon in Sagittarius
September 12—First Quarter Moon: Manifesting. This phase of the Moon represents the challenge of differing desires meeting head on. Our responses to the challenge helps us manifest change and awareness. What are you noticing? Contrasts were present yesterday and continue today. The Sun in Virgo remains committed to finding right relationship to work. While the Moon in Sagittarius is a bit like the devil who tempts us to forget all this stuff about work and hightail it out of here. These two signs behave like quarreling siblings who really have more in common than they let on. Both signs are Mutable—they both are seeking understanding and integration. Virgo uses the element of earth to make sense of things, like work, and Sagittarius uses fire. There is a crucial bit of wisdom that Sagittarius shares with those of us who have a hard time finding the joy in our work. Cultivate the instinct for knowing when to stop trying so hard. Begin to know when to follow your bliss.  

Moon enters Capricorn at 4:56 am CDT
Friday, September 13. Capricorn presents another face to work. Virgo’s attitude to work is humble, motivated by service and holistic balance. Capricorn sees work as a means to achievement. We feel ambitious today. Planetary allies are Venus, Neptune, and Saturn. Venus and Neptune encourage us to be sensitive to the truth that honey attracts more flies than vinegar. Sweeten your work with harmony and empathy. Saturn helps us stay the course. It feels good to be responsible. Even though we get a lot of support, not everything runs smoothly. In the evening, the Moon contacts Pluto and Uranus, which could trigger frustration and impatience.

Moon in Capricorn
Saturday, September 14. Since Wednesday, a Yod aspect pattern involving Mars, Pluto and Chiron has been tweaking our experiences just enough to create a little more tension. The crux of the transit has been to understand the value of healthy self-respect in our approach to work. If the work becomes all about us, we lose the connection to higher ideals that inspire our work. If we sacrifice self-interest entirely, we are in danger of becoming servants to someone else’s ideals. There may be good opportunity to notice this dynamic today. How do you find the balance point? Notice too, the desire to speak your truth to power. A trine between Mars and Uranus encourages us to take risks to bring about change. Coupled with the desire to confront abusers of power, we might find ourselves in arguments. The underlying desire is to be authentic. It can feel good to release the expectations that don’t fit who we really are.

* To read more about the Virgo lunar cycle that began on September 5,
go to http://tinyurl.com/jvks9tg