Sunday 24 January exact at 1.45am GMT, Saturday 23 January, exact at 8.45pm EST.
 
This Moon continues with the energy of the Pluto, Uranus and Black Moon Lilith T-square that has been so prevalent for most of January, causing breakdowns and breakthroughs and forcing us to face the shadows in ourselves and our relationships. Of course, Full Moons also have a tendency to bring to a head whatever may have been simmering below the surface over the course of the past couple of weeks; bringing them out into the light of our consciousness. This Moon will be no exception, as it is in the expressive sign of Leo, a sign that is not exactly known for holding back what it is feeling! Leo represents our inner child and so we are encouraged to express exactly how we are feeling without the filters that we adults place over our expression sometimes. Children just say what’s on their mind, without holding back, and naturally follow their bliss. They are true to the calling of their hearts, because they haven’t learned to guard them yet. Leo actually rules the heart, and so this Moon calls us to honour our heart’s true desires.
 
The Sun is in rebellious, innovative and unconventional Aquarius, opposing the Moon in expressive, playful and dramatic Leo and so we are asked to find some balance between the energy of the two signs rather than veering too far in one direction. Aquarius encourages us to release ourselves from anything that is preventing us from growth, including our parental and social conditioning, which is a powerful process indeed. Only when we strip away who we thought we were supposed to be can we find out who we truly are! As Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius, is such a big player at the moment it is quite likely that we are dropping outworn patterns like flies and facing the truth of ourselves and our reality rather than just “putting up with it”. Leo represents our will and encourages us to take control of our own destiny, finding our true purpose in life. Aquarius, however, urges us to align our own, unique and special gifts and purpose with some kind of social need, so that we are not just serving ourselves. This Moon asks that we let go of whatever is holding us back from finding our true path and nature and to find the courage to follow our hearts. This is a time of massive growth, when we are being forced to be very truthful indeed, as uncomfortable as that may be!
 
The Pluto, Uranus and Black Moon Lilith T-square continues, although we are now getting used to its energy somewhat! We are currently being asked to face our shadows and own the parts of ourselves that we would usually prefer to hide under the carpet. This is a time to honour the darker aspects of ourselves and be very truthful with ourselves and others. Honesty seems to be the catchword in recent times! With the Dark Goddess in Libra, the sign of relationships, we are finding that holding back our truth for the sake of keeping the peace is absolutely impossible. There is a deepening occurring which is quite profound, based on absolute honesty that strips away the veils of illusion and leaves our relationships with others far more real and true. Some relationships are falling away if they are holding us back from finding our truth, while others are experiencing a breakdown in patterns of relating and a restructuring of relationship dynamics. The old ways of relating no longer apply. The rules are changing and we are finding our way in the dark as we contemplate what it really, truly is that we want from our relationships rather than what culture and society dictates we should want. This is the time to find out what works for us, and us alone. Everyone is different.
 
Pluto and Uranus want us to completely release ourselves from anything and anyone that is not a reflection of our inner truth and what we are here to do. Pluto in Capricorn demands that we live authentically and with integrity and won’t allow us to simply be safe and secure if we are living a lie. Pluto will happily destroy anything that prevents us from growth on a soul level, especially if we are resisting it. Uranus is the Great Awakener, which will also blast away anything that might be holding us back from growth, whether that be our patterns or the circumstances in which we are living. In Aries he simply demands the right for us to have the freedom to be absolutely ourselves and to find out why we are here and what we are here to do. Combine this with the Black Moon Lilith energy in the sign of relationships and we have the potential for some real soul searching and utterly truthful relating, not to mention the possibility for the structure of our lives and relationships to experience a serious shake up if we are not being true to ourselves. This is a time to truly face ourselves, even if we don’t like what we see in the mirror. It could be a very unsettling time, but we must trust that we are being guided in the right direction.
 
During this Moon we also have Mercury retrograde joining Pluto for the second time, bringing the potential for some very deep, honest conversations that really get to the truth of the matter. In the same token, it provides the opportunity for us to know our soul’s truth and to heed the urges coming from depths of our being. This aspect combines Pluto, the planet of power, transformation and the soul (or our deeper self), with Mercury, the planet of our conscious minds and thought processes. This combination could make it hard to ignore our deeper truth, that’s for sure!  In the meantime, Pallas Athene is sitting right next to the Sun during the Full Moon, and has been there since the weekend. It was exact on Monday the 18th. This brings the potential for some wake-up calls and sudden change and disruption in our lives. Pallas gives us a higher understanding of whatever we are experiencing at the moment and also helps us to understand what processes we need to go through in order to make the necessary changes, however challenging and difficult they may be and however they may upset the status quo. Basically, she helps us realise what needs to change and how to go about it, although her energy can cause quite a lot of stress if we resist the need for change in our lives. Better to just go with the flow!
 
All of this is happening under the umbrella of the Jupiter North Node conjunction which is so prevalent throughout the first half of this year. Jupiter is pulling us forward on our paths and helping us to grow and heal. We are being asked to let go of being the helpless victim of our lives and to take responsibility for our stuff so that we can move forward and realise our full potential. The potential for some deep healing is great at the moment, but we have to be willing to do the work on ourselves.
 
This Moon definitely seems to be asking us to truly express our truth and follow our hearts. We know in our hearts what is right for us and it is very important that we listen to that wisdom, even if it seems to completely upset the status quo. Towing the line simply for the sake of peace and security doesn’t seem to be an option anymore. Not if it involves sacrificing our truth and integrity in any way. Anything that involves compromising who we really, truly are, whether it be a relationship, job or simply being stuck in our old patterns, will find itself under an enormous amount of pressure to change during this time. The rules of the game are changing and we have to adapt and shift rather than resisting. Something amazing awaits us on the other side of all of this – we just have to be brave enough to make the leap!
 
Much Love
 
Amy
xoxo
 
Picture: “Follow Your Heart” by Amanda Cass

Sunday 10 January, exact at 1.30am GMT, Saturday 9 January, exact at 8.30pm EST.
 
The first New Moon of 2016 is packed with intensity and the potential for making profound breakthroughs in our lives and relationships. New Moons are extremely potent and whatever happens around this time has the potential to take seed and grow as the month progresses. It is a time of new beginnings, and the seeds that we sow now and the intentions we set have the potential to blossom and grow until they reach full bloom around the time of the Full Moon. While the New Moon may not have the emotional intensity of the Full Moon, one must not underestimate its power. This particular New Moon holds amazing potential for recognising what is no longer serving us and leaving it behind in the dark of the Moon, moving forward with truth and integrity. It is a Moon of profound transformation, where we have the opportunity to really break down old, outworn patterns and structures and achieve profound change and breakthroughs. This does not come without the willingness to do some serious soul searching, however.
 
The Sun and Moon are forming their monthly union in earthy Capricorn, the sign of discipline, structure, commitment and integrity. Capricorn is the mountain goat, who sets his sights on a goal and slowly and surefootedly makes his way to the top of the mountain, never taking his eyes off the goal. Capricorn is the ruler of the 10th house, which represents the role we play in the outer world, our purpose in this lifetime and our capacity to find achievement and success in the societal sense. Capricorn asks that we truly take responsibility for ourselves and act with integrity. During this New Moon Pluto is conjunct the Sun and Moon, urging us to commit to a path of emotional honesty and a willingness to work on ourselves. While Pluto has been in Capricorn, since 2008, we have all been through a process of aligning our soul purpose with our outer purpose. This New Moon will deepen that, asking us to dig deep and have the courage to be who we really, truly are. This is a time of empowerment in the truest sense of the word. The process may not be easy, but at least we will know that we are on the path that is right for us.
 
There is a lot going on during this Moon that signifies that we are at a very important time in our development. We are literally being forced to live our truth. The Pluto Uranus square is activated during this Moon and it is also joined by Black Moon Lilith in Libra, the sign of relationships. This is a time of reckoning, when we are really being asked to live our truth. Following our truth is more important than keeping the peace within our relationships. We are entering a new paradigm and the rules are changing. The old way of relating is rapidly disappearing and so it seems almost impossible to compromise our higher selves merely for the sake of security in relationship. The relationship must be a reflection of our inner truth. The Pluto Uranus square is having its last hurrah before the two planets move their separate ways for good. This is a time of breaking down patterns, blasting through blocks and liberating ourselves from whatever isn’t serving us. We have the opportunity for amazing breakthroughs and it seems as if we have no choice but to go along for the ride!
 
Pluto in Capricorn encourages truth and integrity and has the capacity to strip us to the core in order to make sure that the structure we are standing on is real and resonates with us on a deeper level. He forces us to dig deep and find our buried treasure and also to find a place of absolute authenticity. His is a deeply transforming and metamorphic energy. Uranus in Aries is asking us to be absolutely true to ourselves and break down any patterns that are sabotaging us. It feels like this is the time for us to truly face and let go of them. Enough already! The energy of these two planets can sometimes make it feel as if forces are operating that are outside of our control, and this is only because they are realigning us with our truth. Black Moon Lilith is incredibly visceral and in Libra she forces us to listen to our gut instincts about our relationships. She is forcing us to go deeper and face the shadows so that we are truly operating from our emotional core, which will make our relationships deeper, truer and far more fulfilling.
 
These three very intense energies have been dancing with each other since Christmas and the energy is peaking during this Full Moon. It is quite likely that we will have had very visceral feelings about whatever isn’t quite right in our lives and a feeling of being driven by forces out of our control. However, this force actually comes from within, as it is our own soul driving us to live up to our full potential and showing us where things are out of whack. Saturn, the ruler of the Capricorn Moon, is sitting right on top of Venus, asking us to take full responsibility for our part in relationships and to be willing to work through any issues that come up. It is quite likely, as these two are in Sagittarius, that issues around freedom will come up and that our beliefs surrounding relationships and relating may be deeply challenged. Saturn and Venus are a good addition to the mix, because while Saturn may shine the harsh light of reality on our relationships and our patterns, he will also help us to have the willingness to really work on ourselves and achieve mastery of our relationships.
 
In the meantime we have retrograde Jupiter sitting right on top of the North Node of the Moon, indicating that this is a very important time in our evolution. The North Node represents where we need to move towards on a soul level in order to grow and Jupiter is there, helping pull us forward at the moment. This is certainly a time for taking responsibility for the part we play in our own lives instead of passing the responsibility and blame onto others and playing victim. It is so easily done, but it serves no-one. When we were children we were not in control of what happened to us. Now we are. With the nodes on the Virgo/Pisces healing axis and Jupiter and the nodes forming positive aspects to this Moon, we have the capacity for some amazing healing to occur, as long as we are willing to face ourselves and accept the part we play in creating our own story. This certainly does feel like an amazingly powerful time for releasing old patterns.
 
Meanwhile we have Mercury retrograde from 5 January and from the day he turns direct, on 25 January, until around the 30th, he will be right on top of Pluto, activating the Pluto Uranus square! That could be a time of reckoning, for sure! It is very likely that we will experience profound realisations, breakdowns of thought processes leading to amazing breakthroughs and shocking truths revealed. I should imagine that it will be hard to hide from the truth during this time. Mercury will be interacting positively with retrograde Jupiter throughout this month as well, which can really help us see the bigger picture and bring helpful messages if we are open to hearing them. This is definitely a time to listen to our intuition and gut instinct rather than trying to figure things out in our heads.
 
Mercury Retrograde is a time for looking back and reflecting and reviewing rather than making concrete decisions or commitments. It is a retrospective time, and in Capricorn it represents a time to make absolutely sure the structure of our life is sound and that we are on the right path. Sometime people come back from the past or we have to revisit something in order to learn something crucial for us to move forward. It is of course important to remember that misunderstandings and miscommunications can easy happen during Mercury retrograde. As such, we should make sure that we are very clear indeed, for damage control!
 
There’s a lot going on right now, that’s for sure! This is definitely a time of new beginnings and releasing old habits and patterns, and the Capricorn energy is asking us to take personal responsibility for our “stuff”. Unless we face our own shadows we will continue to see them in others.  There is definitely a sense of us having to operate from a place of integrity and truth and to make sure that we are on the right path. If there is something awry we will be feeling it acutely and will have no choice but to make the necessary changes to make ourselves feel comfortable again. It is very important that we align with our truth and be prepared to face ourselves and our patterns with open hearts and the willingness to stretch and grow. This may not be a comfortable process, but who knows what rewards might await us on the other side! We are definitely moving into unknown territory now, with old ways of relating falling away and patterns and beliefs dissolving. It is exciting, scary, uncomfortable, and exhilarating all at the same time!
 
Much love
 
Amy
xoxo
 
Photo:  Unknown