Mid Week Moon

The Moon, our closest celestial body, is growing full.
The shining silver goddess will soon oppose the Taurus Sun, leaving us in the middle.

In traditional astrology the Moon represents our inner life, our emotions, and our darkside. Just as the Sun was occupying a particular sign at the moment of your birth, so was the Moon. It is this sign that represents your private self. The self you share with those you feel the closest to and who you feel most comfortable with.

It takes the Moon approximately 28 days to orbit the Earth. As Luna travels through our sky, her appearance changes. The lunar cycle follows the Moon’s progression of phases and begins with a new Moon. This occurs when the Moon is positioned directly between the Earth and Sun.

As the Moon advances along its orbit the lit portion grows. Luna then takes on a crescent shape. This growth is known as waxing. The waxing crescent soon reaches first quarter phase (Often called a half Moon). This occurs when the Moon makes a 90° angle with respect to the Earth and Sun. Now called a gibbous, (Meaning more than half but less that full) the Moon continues waxing. Maximum illumination occurs when the Earth is positioned directly between the Sun and Moon.

Now, more that halfway through its cycle, the Moon beings to wane. As it approaches another 90° angle, the waning gibbous reaches third quarter phase. Waning still the Moon tapers back to a crescent until she disappears from sight.

Each phase of the Moon brings a different vibe. The new Moon brings a feeling of new beginnings. This is a great time to make plans, start projects, and set goals. As the Moon waxes through its first quarter phase our actions grow. This time is traditionally associated with building and gathering information. The full Moon is a time for understanding and reflection. It is here that we should take stock of our progress and use the Moon’s energy to adjust our plans. Finally as the waning Moon goes dark we are encouraged to clear our lives of any negativity.

Today’s Scorpio full Moon invokes the feeling of “bring it on.” The challenges of Spring have made themselves clear and as we move further through the season our path forward will appear. While the Aries new Moon on April 15^th encouraged action and re-invention of one’s self, this full Moon in Scorpio pushes us to look beyond what is visible and turn our attention to what exists below the surface.

Scorpio deals with things we normally save for an accountable professional or our next of kin. Themes involved here include death, sex, and consequences. Combined with Mercury’s current retrograde, this full Moon brings us either results we cannot yet see or a mystery we can’t keep our eyes from. Additionally Mercury’s meeting with the Sun brings forth ideas of self-awareness. Factor in the winged messengers retrograde and what we have are memories.

As we push through these forgotten moments the idea of empowerment through transformation arises. Where in your life are you in need of change? Or perhaps a better question: What in your life appears to be changing beyond your control? According to this full Moon the answer begins with the self. However, before change can occur there must first be a complete understanding of where things stand and where our motivations are formed. It would be beneficial to our hearts for our heads to hear the truth.

It is the beginning of the end that makes another beginning possible and today’s full Moon is that beginning.

Daily Reading

Although the main event is tomorrow morning's Full Moon, today's energies will set the tone for this climactic turn of the lunar cycle. When the Moon is full (or entering its third quarter), everyone on Earth feels her power in some way. From a physical standpoint, she can be seen at her brightest, shining white and fully circular in our night sky. As if to poke her head into our daily business, the third quarter Moon can be seen rising in the east long before sundown (depending on where you are on Earth, of course). But the Full Moon is an issue for tomorrow. Today, we prepare ourselves.

Tonight, the Moon transits from Libra to Scorpio, tipping the scales towards our introverted, emotional indulgences. Feelings of passion, joy, love, and lust will all be intensified over the next few days. Neptune's relationship with our Moon comes into play once again; this time, they form a trine rendering both of them void (meaning neither will form another aspect before transiting to the next sign: Moon to Scorpio, Neptune to Pisces). As trines tend to foster synergy among planets, Neptune's dreaminess and the Moon's emotional comfort will leave us daydreaming and fantasizing to our hearts' content. Expect romanticism and idealism to be the norm today. The tricky part about Neptune's influence is its lasting impression of emotional sensitivity, which will be compounded by the Scorpio moon. As Neptune goes void, it may leave us with a feeling similar to the disappointment people felt after exiting the theater after watching "Avatar" (see Post-Avatar Depression Syndrome). OK, so maybe PADS is a bit ridiculous, but the notion that our physical world often falls short of our idealistic conceptualizations tends to come into play whenever Neptune is in our chart. As if to intentionally exacerbate the situation, the Moon also forms a quincunx with Uranus today, which will likely cause abrupt shifts in mood and attitude.
In other words, expect today to provide a degree of emotional instability. My advice: take today to buckle down on any projects that have been hanging over your head. A steady workflow can keep our focus off our dreams, fantasies, and emotions, not to mention that tomorrow's Full Moon will be provide a solid context for the completion of tasks and the culmination of plans.

Making the Most of Your Retrograde

Anyone who has read at least a few astrological texts in their day has probably heard something about Mercury in retrograde. It's a flashy term that's great for impressing people at parties... but what does it actually mean? Is it really all that important? How will it affect me?
Describing a planet as "in retrograde" (as opposed to "direct" or "in direct motion") refers to its trajectory through the sky as seen from Earth. Remember, all astrology relates to our positioning on Earth and the relative angles and courses of the celestial bodies around us. When a planet changes from direct motion to retrograde, it appears to the Earth-borne eye to literally reverse its course in the sky. If you were standing on the east coast of the US, you would have noticed this phenomenon around 12am on April 18th. Mercury's retrograde motion will last until about 6:30pm on May 11th.
Don't worry; Mercury is ok. In fact, it hasn't changed its orbital pattern one bit. The perceived shift in direction is actually a naturally occurring optical illusion caused by the Earth overtaking Mercury in its elliptical journey around the sun.
However, this reversal causes some serious chaos on Earth. As Mercury, master of all communications, loses its direct hold on our planet, expect messages spoken, written, and unspoken to miss their targets. We may often find ourselves making statements or accepting agreements based on a series of miscommunications or even a complete lack of communication, and therefore later regretting our haste. As a perfect example, does everyone remember May 2nd, 2003? It was the date that POTUS George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln to announce our victory in Iraq, stating that all major combat operations have come to an end. Mercury just so happened to be in retrograde at this point in time.

In retrograde, Mercury's mythological role as a trickster (more so in Greek mythology as "Hermes" than the Roman conceptualization) truly comes into play. The breakdown of communication is not just an interpersonal hindrance; unfortunately, Mercury also controls communication within our own bodies, from our central nervous system to our emotions and thoughts. Sound advice from any astrologer for this time period would involve a lot of "do nots" and "should nots", including avoiding making any important decisions such as signing contracts or solidifying major plans. So, can we use Mercury in retrograde to our advantage, or is April 18th to May 11th just a wash?
Mercury's retrograde is a time not just to put our feet in our mouths, but also an opportunity to meditate on the past several months. Astrologer Erin Sullivan has observed that the ratio of Mercury retrograde to direct corresponds with the average human sleep cycle; that is, Mercury spends as much time in retrograde (compared to direct) as we do asleep (compared to awake). By her view, this chaotic period can be seen as a time to relax, reflect, rejuvenate, and wait out the storm.
My advice: sit back and reflect on your experiences over the past few months, assimilate them into knowledge, and grow from them. Stock up on your energy, wisdom, and communicative urges, because come May 11th, it's time to move forward.

Weekend Forecast

As the moon prepares to exit Leo and set the tone for our weekend with its entrance into Virgo this afternoon, don't expect many of your plans to come to fruition. The moon throughout its transit maintains an opposition to Neptune, which hangs on to the cusp of Aquarius for the next several days. This opposition in our sky cautions us to postpone any decisive action until this void-of-course moon settles into Virgo.

The relationship between Neptune and Aquarius is one that will guide our thoughts for the next few days. Neptune, the ruler of our dreams and romantic ideals, will fall victim to the woes of erratic Aquarius, which will emit unreliable and even contradictory energies throughout the weekend. Moreover, Neptune has an inherent connection with the poisons that enter our bodies, so be careful when indulging in drinking or drugs this weekend, especially while the moon and Neptune (the co-rulers of our bodily fluids) remain in opposition. Although Neptune's positioning will affect our thoughts and dreams, try not to let the spontaneous and rebellious spirit of Aquarius overtake your worldly sensibilities; look to our Sun in Taurus to keep yourself grounded and rational.

Wait for the moon's trine with Mercury Saturday morning to get down to business. By then, the moon will have settled well into Virgo, flooding our consciousness with practical thought and a keen attention to detail. However, keep in mind that Mercury remains in retrograde; expect communications to break down, and realize that we are in a period of time that is more suited for reflection than action.