Exact at 7.41am BST.
 
Well, it is not often that we have a New Moon and Eclipse and the Solstice all in one day! This feels very significant indeed, especially in the light of all that is happening in the world right now. An Annular Solar Eclipse is otherwise known as a Ring of Fire, which must have seemed like a sign from the gods in times gone by! Indeed, it has lost none of its magic now as it is a truly magnificent sight, symbolising a significant shift in consciousness and the beginning of a new chapter. This is like the mother of all New Moons, as we are starting a new cycle, setting a ball in motion that will have an impact on the next 6 months, culminating with the Eclipses in November/December. What do we need to leave behind in the dark of the moon and what energetic seeds do we wish to sow for the coming cycle? This Eclipse cycle also has a resonance with the Cancer New Moon 19 years ago, on 21 June 2001. This is the next phase of a 19 year Nodal cycle.
 
The Sun and Moon have literally just moved into the very first degree of Cancer, where they are forming their monthly union. This takes the emphasis from the mental, communicative busyness of Gemini to the emotional, nurturing energy of Cancer. This is the sign of the home, family, childhood, emotional patterns, ancestral roots, nationhood, motherhood. This is the sign that helps us to find a sense of belonging and connects us to certain places which may or may not be the country we were born in. Cancer asks us to find a way to meet our emotional needs, but when it is out of balance can make us incredibly needy and insecure, reverting to childish behaviour in order to get our needs met. This is the sign of national pride, with a great emphasis on finding our “tribe”, which may be our family and country or origin, but may also be our soul family that we have found along the way. It is possible that the emphasis of this Moon may be on contemplating where home is and where we belong. Times like these certainly make us more aware of who is in our soul tribe, that’s for sure!
 
The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon/Eclipse is very interesting, at 1° Cancer: “On a ship the sailors lower an old flag and raise a new one”, which Dane Rudyar describes as “ A radical change of allegiance exteriorised in a symbolical act: a point of no return. On the “ship” which symbolises the ego-consciousness floating on the sea of the vast Unconscious, the individualised will makes a basic decision. The “collective” will gradually overcomes the “individual” and at the end the state will overpower the person. Now, however, the individual person enjoys his most glorious hour; he exults in this ability to make a “free decision” – i.e. to act as an individual who selects his life goal and his allegiance. His consciousness accepts a process of fundamental REORIENTATION, implying the stabilisation of his energies”.
 
This symbol is profound, as it feels like a turning point and a big shift, on top of the energy of the  Eclipse. There is a sense of a change in where we place our loyalties, and a feeling that what came before is no longer relevant. What this flag represents may be different for each of us, but it could be seen as our ideals, hopes or even our beliefs. Something may happen that there is no coming back from, both personally and collectively. It is important to note that this symbol sets the tone for the next 6 months, so it will have far reaching impact and consequences. It brings the feeling that things will be very different for all of us after this period of time is over. We may be called to make profound changes that we couldn’t have foreseen, but which are absolutely necessary given the present circumstances. We may be asked to make a choice, a decision, a symbolic act that shows everyone where we stand. No sitting on the fence. Which flag shall we be flying? What do we stand for? What do we believe? What needs to be left behind in the “old world”? What old habits and patterns are simply not relevant anymore? The significance of this symbol will reveal itself no doubt, in the coming months, as the old world passes away and we move towards the new one, in whatever form it may take. However, it does seem as if we are asked to make a choice about which reality we wish to live in.
 
Usually an Eclipse involves the Sun and Moon being in the same sign that the Nodes are in, but not in this case. The Nodes are very close indeed, but they have recently moved from the Cancer/Capricorn axis into the Gemini/Sagittarius axis. This is the axis of truth and lies, of travel, of beliefs and opinions versus facts and data. We are being asked to keep an open mind right now, as we may find that some deeply ingrained beliefs about life could be blown out of the water. We are asked to listen to one another and to do some research in order to better inform ourselves about what is really going on in this world of ours right now. With the ruler of the Sagittarius South Node in Capricorn right now, there are many who are in fear, defending their rigidly held beliefs as if they are a matter of life and death. In fact, there is some down-right bullying going on as people attack others for having an opposing point of view that challenges their world view. It is important to recognise when we are being triggered into an angry or irrational response and to question why this might be. Why might we be so unwilling to accept that there might be another point of view? What fears prevent us from hearing other people’s opinions and beliefs?
 
We are currently being encouraged to use our Gemini “street smarts” and to look behind the curtain, questioning the narrative that we are being told and allowing our Capricornian conditioned and “programmed” beliefs to be challenged and broken down. This is a very important period in history when it is essential that we open our minds and do the necessary research to inform ourselves so that we can make the right choices moving forward. Gemini also invites us to find our voice and speak our truth, whatever that might be. If people don’t agree with whatever we have to say then so be it! However, we all have a right to speak our version of the truth and to be heard and listened to (or ignored!) instead of being attacked, judged or ridiculed. We should not need to be afraid of simply trying to voice an opinion or giving an alternative to the prevailing narrative. If we open our minds and give up the need to be right then we might learn something! As Einstein said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”, while George Bernard Shaw said “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”.
 
Jupiter and Pluto are building up to their second conjunction in Capricorn, which will be exact on 30 June, and are being joined by Pallas Athena, the goddess who is very adept at the art of military strategy and is known for her creative intelligence. The last time these three joined forces was at the beginning of April, when pandemic pandemonium was at its worst and fear was spreading like the plague. Indeed, Jupiter can certainly magnify our fears and with Pluto can make us believe that we are under threat and our lives are in danger. It can also mean that our beliefs become a matter of life and death, taking on a far greater intensity and bringing out the very worst and most ugly parts of ourselves. There is also a sense, with Pallas involved, of some very clever strategy being employed for manipulation of the truth, propaganda and mind control. Pluto is the planet of power and is very adept at the art of psychological manipulation and hypnosis, so there is the potential for us to be convinced that something is “truth” when it is in fact very far from it. Capricorn is the sign of authority and control and represents our societal conditioning, so there is much potential for authoritarian control through the use of incredibly clever techniques that convince us to believe things that promote division and fear and that bring out the very worst in us.
 
However, this combo also brings the potential for a profound Plutonian transformation of our belief systems. In fact, all that we have been conditioned or “programmed”  to believe is real and true could come crashing to the ground like a house of cards. This could be a painful process, but could also be profoundly liberating and enlightening. The truth shall set you free! Pluto is the detective in us that encourages us to dig deep beneath the surface of reality and find whatever is lurking there. What we find may be shocking, dark and disillusioning, but also has the potential to open our eyes and expand our minds. Jupiter and Pluto will have joined forces three times by the end of this year, by which time what we believed to be true about all things Capricorn, such as authority, government, society and those in control, could be completely and utterly transformed. Pluto is currently taking us through a process of exposing the rot, corruption and any hidden agendas within the power structures that rule us, and what is uncovered has the potential to radically shake up our world view and open our minds to the truth of the matter. We just have to be brave enough to keep an open mind, think for ourselves and to be willing to look under the proverbial carpet and behind the curtain.
 
Which takes us to the ruler of Capricorn, Saturn, who is now back in the very first degree of Aquarius, having recently gone retrograde. Saturn is forming an inconjunct “crisis” aspect to the Sun and Moon, so it is a significant player in this Moon/Eclipse. Saturn went into Aquarius on 21 March and is going to go back into Capricorn on 2 July until 17 December, when it will go back into Aquarius. While Saturn has been in Aquarius we have had the curbing of our freedom via lockdown, those in authority preventing us from meeting in groups, social distancing, an increase of virtual reality, the censorship of any alternative viewpoints, the increased usage of technology to track, trace and control, suppression of civil rights and liberties and in recent times, while Saturn has been retrograde, rioting and civil unrest.
 
It is important to remember that Saturn rules Capricorn, where Pluto, Pallas and Jupiter are joining forces right now. This brings the capacity for mind control and manipulation by those in power that then feeds into Saturn in Aquarius, bringing the civil unrest and even greater division than we already had before this. This is the old age strategy of Divide and Rule. People are fighting each other over their beliefs and emphasising their differences rather than recognising the need to come together to fight for something much bigger - the future of humanity. To come together in order to create the world we want our children to live in rather than the dystopian reality that could potentially be looming. To take our power back and stop being blindly led by those corrupted by greed and power who no longer have our best interests at heart. To question any rules that simply don’t make sense. To take responsibility for a “New Normal” that feels healthy and free and equal and just and more in line with the natural rhythms. Lockdown has given many of us a change of perspective on the way we want to live our lives, so maybe it is time to “hoist a new flag”. As the structures crumble we have a chance to create, from the bottom up, a true democracy whereby we all take responsibility for making the world a better place to live.
 
It will be interesting to see what will happen when Saturn and Jupiter join forces in this same degree of Aquarius in December, exact on the 21st, which is the next Solstice! What will have happened in the 6 months between now and then? What choices will we have made? How will life look different? The Sabian symbol for the degree where Saturn is now and where Saturn and Jupiter will be on the Solstice is: “An old adobe mission in California” which Dane Rudyar describes as “The power inherent in all great human works to endure far beyond the workers’ life spans… While the zodiacal sign Capricorn begins with a symbol of social-political power, Aquarius, at its start, presents a more spiritualised and idealistic or creative picture of the social forces at work. Moreover, it stresses the enduring character human achievements ensouled by a great vision. At least within the frame of reference of our Western civilisation, the symbol speaks of the projection of a noble ideal into concrete forms of beauty and significance, thus of the radiation of the “civilising” power into an institution offering, to primitive men, the opportunity to reach a higher, more organised and productive, level of activity. It speaks to us of THE CONCRETISATION OF AN IDEAL.” This feels like we have an opportunity here to create a new world, so it is important that we all take responsibility for the kind of world we envision in our dreams, rather than our nightmares!
     
One last thing of note. Mars, the warrior planet, is about to go into its own sign, Aries, where it will remain for the rest of the year.This will happen on 28 June. Usually Mars is only in a sign for a month or two, but Mars will go retrograde in September, so it will be there fr 6 months. Mars in Aries is raw, unfiltered anger, honesty, aggression, impulsiveness, forcefulness, enthusiasm, bravery, act first, think later. This combination could certainly bring out the fighting spirit, and fires that could literally and metaphorically burn out of control. Tempers could flare and brute force and Martian aggression could be more prevalent. In the same token, this could help us to find our courage and the “fire up the arse” that we need to make choices, decisions and to take action where and how we need to. Mars is going to be forming a challenging square aspect to Pluto and the other planets in the Capricorn party three times this year, due to going retrograde. The sign of authority and control going up against the planet and sign of anger, aggression and war.
 
Pluto and Mars will square off against each other in August, Sept/Oct and Dec/Jan, which has the potential to bring acts of brute force by those in authority and could also bring up rage against those in power and anger as we face some very uncomfortable truths. This combo could also bring psychological warfare. It could also bring the courage and power to overcome some huge obstacles and perform feats that we would never have thought possible!  During this Moon Mars is still in Pisces and is forming a square to the Nodes of the Moon, which also highlights the Martian energy of anger and aggression, especially around people’s beliefs and opinions. How is anger playing out in our lives? Who and what is triggering our anger right now, and why might that be?
 
 
These are certainly unprecedented times and this is no ordinary Moon! Indeed, this next 6 months could be quite pivotal. The Sabian symbol certainly seems to indicate so! As ever, we must not forget Neptune in Pisces, the planet reminds us that we are not separate and that ultimately we are all consciousness in different bodies and having different earthly experiences. Neptune reminds us to treat one another with kindness and compassion and to remember that what happens to one happens to all. This is not an abstract concept - it is real. We are going through a massive collective shift right now and this Eclipse season is the next phase in this process. Many are extremely vulnerable, scared, and starved for touch right now, and that does strange things to the psyche. So we must be gentle with one another.
 
This Cancer Moon reminds us to take care of each other and also to admit when we need help or can’t cope. Neptune reminds us that we are all simply souls living in very uncertain times right now, and we are bound to have a wobble or two. Spending time in nature is essential in times like these, as it can centre, ground and reconnect us when we are feeling overwhelmed or fearful. Fear contracts the heart and causes us to act and react in crazy ways, so it is very important to find ways to reconnect to the love that is innate within all of us. Neptune is the planet of unity. United we stand, divided we fall. Never has this statement been more pertinent than now.
 
Much Love
 
Amy
xoxo
 
Picture: Annular Solar Eclipse - Unknown source
 

​VIRGO NEW MOON / SOLAR ECLIPSE – Thursday  1 September 2016, exact at 10.03am BST, 5.03 EDT.
 
Well, this is one powerful New Moon, that’s for sure! It is also an Annular Solar Eclipse, so it will have more of a far reaching impact on our souls’ journeys than an average New Moon. This is a time of significant soul growth and represents the end of a chapter in our lives and the beginning of a new one. Solar Eclipses involve the North Node of the Moon, which means that they prod and poke us to move out of our safe, known place and take a step forward into the unknown. It is always somewhat uncomfortable to change the way we do things, but it is so worth it! On an individual level it will help us to continue the journey from our own South Node towards our North Node, which is shown by the house and sign of the Nodes in our individual chart. The Nodal axis is called the Destiny line and is very important indeed. The South Node represents where we come into this life and what we are carrying forward from past lives. As such it is quite a familiar, comfortable place for us to live in, but staying there does not help us to grow. The North Node represents the potential for growth and where we want to get to on a soul level in this life time. This Eclipse is definitely encouraging us to step up to the plate and grow.
 
On a collective level the South Node, which is where we are coming from, is currently in sensitive and empathetic Pisces, while the North Node is in practical and discerning Virgo. This is the healing axis, and it seems as if we are being asked to be more in our bodies and to find ways of doing something practical, tangible and useful with our compassion, sensitivity and empathy. This is certainly showing itself with the refugee crisis, that’s for sure.  It’s a great time for giving and receiving healing, but it is very important to stay grounded. Virgo asks us to make some concrete decisions in order to help ourselves, rather than merely feeling like we are at the mercy of fate or the victim of circumstance. In short, the Virgo North Node tells us to get a grip! Virgo and Pisces ask us to find a more holistic way of approaching our lives and health, and there is also a sense of the finer, more subtle energies becoming more grounded on the earth plane. Virgo helps us find tangible, grounded ways to express what Pisces intuitively senses. We have a chance to really embody our spirituality at this time.  
 
The Sun and Moon are forming their monthly union in Virgo. This is an interesting sign, as it shows where we feel like we need to improve ourselves and do better. When Virgo is highlighted it can bring about some kind of crisis whereby we feel like we are not good enough, or feel inferior, or become very critical of ourselves. When we are critical of ourselves we also tend to be more sensitive to any real or perceived criticism coming from the external environment.  Virgo strives for purity and perfection, which can be very difficult to attain and can mean that we beat ourselves up somewhat! Virgo season correlates with going back to school and so at this time of year we may concentrate on getting into healthy routines. It’s certainly a good time to get organised and put our lives into order.
 
Virgo is the sign that comes after playful and confident Leo and before Libra, the sign of relationships. It is a sign of transition and can bring about some kind of crisis in terms of how we relate to others and show what we still need to learn in order to relate to people successfully, as equals. We may go through a period of intense self-analysis whereby we realise that we still have a lot to learn and so this is an opportunity to take a long hard look at ourselves and make the necessary adjustments. This can be a bit of a painful process, but very rewarding indeed if we learn our lessons well! Virgo is also the sign of discernment. As such, we may need to make some important choices during this time and think long and hard about what is truly good for us and what needs to go. Again, this can be quite painful and challenging and we may have to be quite strong.  It is time to separate the wheat from the chaff and to step back a bit instead of acting impulsively. This is a time for self-evaluation and self-care of the highest order.
 
The ruler of the New Moon is Mercury, who goes retrograde in Virgo on August 31st. Lots of this discerning Virgo energy around at the moment! The few days before and after Mercury going retrograde can be quite challenging in terms of communication and there is strong potential for misunderstandings to occur. It is important to be very clear in our communication and to hold off rushing into any conversations or decisions that are important. Be patient, hold back a little and wait until Mercury has settled into going backwards. The chances are that whatever we are thinking about can wait, and things might look very different by then! Mercury Retrograde is a great time for looking within and re-evaluating our lives. In Virgo it is a great time for some inner analysis, providing we are not too hard on ourselves!  We must try not to look back and feel guilty or pick ourselves to pieces! It is much better to simply see how we could have done better and work with that. Mercury will be retrograde until 22 September. During this Moon he will be sitting right next to Jupiter, which will really help us see the bigger picture and expand our viewpoint.
 
The Saturn Neptune square is being directly activated by this Moon/Eclipse, which will bring its energy to the foreground of our lives. The square will be exact on the September 10, so it is currently building in intensity. One of the ways this can manifest is by Neptune dissolving Saturn’s structures. It is as if the structures that we have come to rely upon are falling away and it is unclear what will take their place. This is where the ongoing theme of “Faith and trust” comes into play. We are not in control, much as we might like to think we are, so we much just learn to let go and go with the flow of life. Saturn can hold on too tightly to people or situations through fear, while Neptune urges us to gently let go and see what happens. If they come back to us, all well and good. If not, then it was simply not meant to be and something much better awaits us just around the corner.
 
The square can also highlight our blind spots and show where we prefer to live in the land of fantasy rather than facing up to reality. Neptune likes to avoid reality but Saturn will make sure we face the truth in no uncertain terms, whether we like it or not. It is very important, however, that we don’t become too rigid in our beliefs and remain open to other people’s version of the truth. We may also find it hard to know what the truth really is, because what we thought was true may actually be an illusion. Squares between planets to prod and poke us to grow and do better, so while this square can feel quite heavy and has the potential to bring up vague and irrational fears and anxieties, is can also help us to ground our dreams and ideals into reality. Neptune dreams the dreams, while Saturn is willing to put the time and hard work into making them real. Indeed, this could be a very good time to practicing manifesting our intentions.
 
Mars is conjunct Saturn during this Moon as well, which feels somewhat in line with the Mercury Retrograde energy, in that it could put the breaks on us acting impulsively or asserting ourselves. Mars is a doer and represents our assertive, active desire nature. Saturn says to Mars “Hold on, wait a moment and look before you leap.” This could be quite frustrating but is also quite sensible, because it makes us act more consciously and mindfully. It does seem like we are at a moment in time when we have some choices to make, but are being asked to slow down a bit and consider them wisely. What is the saying – “Only Fools rush in”? We need to take a moment to decide what is really good for us rather than acting by default, or on auto-pilot. We may feel like we are being held back, blocked or reined in, but there is a reason for it. Wait and watch. All will be revealed in the fullness of time. Mars and Saturn were exactly conjunct last Wednesday 24 August, but the energy would still be active now as the New Moon is activating it.
 
The Sabian symbol for the New Moon at 10° Virgo is “Two heads looking out and beyond the shadows.” This feels very much like the Saturn Neptune Square, as it shows how we can perceive the same situation from two different perspectives, such as Love and Fear. It is important for us to be able to see whatever we are facing from more than one side, because the truth of the situation may be shrouded somehow. We are being asked to look out from the shadows into the light. Maybe we need to look at things in a different way before we can shift or move beyond.
 
I always wonder what people must have thought during Solar Eclipses when they looked up into the sky and saw a great ring of fire! They must have thought it was the end of the world, or that the great sky god was trying to tell them something very important. Certainly they do have a powerful impact on our lives and are not to be scoffed at! Eclipses move in 19 year cycles, and this one is linked to one that occurred on 1 September 1997. As such, whatever is happening now could have a resonance with that time, or some kind of echo. It could be that we are moving onto the next phase of whatever was started then. It is also linked to the Solar Eclipse on 8 March this year. There could be a sense of completion now, as one phase ends and another begins. There is definitely a sense of us being asked to step back and re-evaluate ourselves and the way we approach life and relationships. It is very important not to be hard on ourselves, but rather to recognise what might need tweaking in order for us to be more effective in our relationships. We need to practice the Virgoan art of discernment and remember that in each moment of our lives we have a choice on how to act and react. We get to decide what is good for us and what must fall away as we move onto the next chapter.
 
Much love
 
Amy
xoxo