Exact at 10.57pm BST, 5.57pm EDT!

This week we have a New Moon / Partial Solar Eclipse with the Sun, Moon and Venus in the very first degree of Scorpio, which brings a feeling of major new beginnings and the sense that we are somehow being given the opportunity to wipe the slate clean. Not only is it the beginning of Scorpio, the sign of transformation, but it is also a New Moon, which is a time for leaving whatever no longer serves us behind in the dark of the Moon and starting afresh with a set of new intentions. And this is no ordinary New Moon; it is a Solar Eclipse, which has the potential to shake up our lives and take us onto the next level somehow. Eclipses signify a very significant end of a chapter and beginning of a new one. The next set of eclipses will occur in about six months, so this eclipse will set a ball rolling which will play out until then. This is also the last in a set of eclipses in the sign of Scorpio which began in May 2012, so we could experience a sense of completion of a process which started then.  The process will of course involve the Scorpio themes of power, emotional honesty, trust, transformation, intimacy, sexuality, psychological insight and facing our shadows. Not only that, but the last time there was an eclipse in zero degrees Scorpio was 19 years ago on October 24 1995, so there is a link between whatever was going on for us then and what is occurring in our lives now. We could now be going onto the next level somehow.

New Moons involve the Sun and Moon joining forces in the same sign and so the seeds we plant and intentions we set will all revolve around the energy of that sign. We are able to be somewhat objective about what we need to let go of and what we need to develop more of. This New Moon carries more weight than usual, being an Eclipse, and in the sign of Scorpio it is asking us to be completely and utterly honest with ourselves, as uncomfortable as that may be. Scorpio is not afraid to delve into the depths and unearth the parts of ourselves we would prefer to keep hidden from view, or have denied or suppressed. She is concerned with the issue of power and powerlessness and I have a strong feeling that we are being asked to reclaim parts of ourselves during this Moon that we have pushed down or disowned, for one reason or another. It is usually something that happened in our childhood or past that has made us feel like certain traits or characteristics are somehow “bad” or inappropriate, so we have sent them into the shadows. This is Scorpio territory; our shadows and the parts of ourselves we would rather not talk about. Unfortunately, whatever we have denied or suppressed tends to come out in unhealthy ways or allows other people to have power over us because we project it outward instead of owning it in a healthy way. Now is an amazing opportunity to face our shadows and reclaim our power. Instead of these parts of ourselves lurking around in the shadows and infiltrating our lives in unhealthy ways we can bring them out into the light and have the courage to admit and “own” them.

Venus is sitting right next to the Sun and Moon in this very sensitive degree of Scorpio, bringing our relationships into focus. Venus in Scorpio brings up the issue of trust, vulnerability, sexuality, jealousy, emotional honesty, intimacy, release, possessiveness and power within our relationships. Venus also represents our femininity so there is a sense of us having the opportunity to reclaim our feminine power. We could be forced to look at where we are giving our power away in our relationships or, indeed, where we might have too much power. Scorpio isn’t afraid to plunge into the depths and confront those subjects that make us feel a bit uncomfortable, vulnerable or exposed. Trust is such a big part of the Scorpio experience and it takes a huge amount of trust to remain completely open and express love and tenderness. Trust lost or betrayed makes it very hard to open up again and can completely destroy a relationship. This New Moon could bring up the theme of trust and could also cause us to examine our relationships and see where we could open up more, allowing the possibility for greater intimacy and deeper connection.

Scorpio also brings release, transformation and renewal, and it could be a good time to be absolutely honest with ourselves about our relationships and either transform them or leave them behind in the dark of the Moon if they are not meeting our needs on a soul level. Venus in Scorpio really gets to the heart of the matter and forces us to shine the light of raw, emotional honesty onto ourselves and our relationships. It is a really good time to dive deep below the surface and contemplate what old trauma, loss or hurts might be holding us back from being able to love fully and completely. We have a chance to bring our shadows out into the light and recognise where we hold ourselves back from being completely open and what barriers we have in place preventing love from blossoming. This is also a powerful opportunity to be honest about who or what we need to forgive, release and leave behind in the dark of the Moon. As I said, this Moon has the potential for us to create a blank slate with which to start anew. As Scorpio likes to shed its skin, so we have a chance to release and renew in the realm of our relationships.

Neptune in Pisces is forming a harmonious aspect to the Sun, Moon and Venus, which will help us do whatever work is needed in the spirit of Love, compassion and kindness. Neptune represents a higher, unconditional love and is capable of great devotion. It is a gentle, tender and empathetic influence on this New Moon and reminds us that we are all just human and have our faults and frailties. It is the essence of acceptance. Neptune greatly heightens our sensitivity to one another and allows us to keep an eye on the big picture. Forgiveness and healing are possible under this influence as we are able to consider the needs of our loved ones and also have compassion for ourselves and our shortcomings. Neptune can greatly help us open up and trust each other with whatever we find when delving around in the shadows! It is an ideal time to do some inner work, whether it be through meditation or by seeing a trusted healer.

Mercury will be at a standstill at the time of the New Moon, getting ready to turn direct on the 25th having been retrograde since the 4th of October. This will make his energy more powerful and noticeable, so communication will be heightened at this time. He is also forming a conjunction with the North Node of the Moon in Libra, which could mean that we receive important messages that have an impact on our relationships on a soul level. These messages can help us move forward and greatly improve the quality of our relationships. He is also forming a positive aspect to Jupiter in Leo, which will help us see the bigger picture and to express ourselves with confidence, from our hearts. Of course, as is always the case when Mercury is stationed ready to turn direct, miscommunications, misunderstandings, travel and transport disruptions and delays are more likely, so it is important to be aware of this possibility and just go with the flow. We must make sure we are clear in our communication and check and double check any important documentation. We must also maintain a sense of humour!

This really is a wonderful time to do some deep inner work and contemplate where we are stuck and what old patterns and beliefs need to be released in order for us to empower ourselves. Mars in Sagittarius is forming an harmonious, out of sign aspect to the Moon, helping us not only to face our demons but also to open up and trust others with our innermost secrets. It is not easy to expose our tender underbellies, but if we don’t then we can’t allow others to really know us. The theme of trust is a major part of this Moon, methinks, with all of this Scorpio energy around, and trust really is an essential part of any kind of relationship, intimate or otherwise. Trust betrayed or lost is disastrous for a relationship, while being open enough to trust another with our heart and soul is so utterly beautiful and precious!

Power is another theme, and this is a wonderful time to delve deep within and recognise where we hold ourselves back from standing in our true power. What part of ourselves are we suppressing or denying? Scorpio loves playing detective and probing around in order to gain psychological insight, so this is a really great time to bring our shadows out into the light and make them less scary! Like the monster that hides under the bed, all we have to do is have the courage to look underneath and he quickly loses any power he had over us! This Eclipse is certainly an opportunity to set some powerful intentions that will have an impact for months to come and will very likely be a game changer, though it may not be immediately apparent. The more honest we can be with ourselves right now and the more we can release and let go, the greater the chance we have of taking a big leap forward!

Much love

Amy

xoxo

Photo: Allium by Dan Leak  Inflorescenic

Exact at 11.51am BST, 6.51am EDT!

Well, October is quite a month, that’s for sure! We have two Eclipses, a Grand Fire Trine and Mercury retrograde so we can expect some turbulence, transformation and significant shifts of consciousness to take place in certain parts of our lives. The Pluto Uranus square is also starting to build again and is very much activated by this upcoming Full Moon. We generally only experience emotional shocks or a shake up when something is out of balance in our lives or if we have strayed off our path, in which case we might experience some kind of a prod or a poke to set us back on the right track. The upcoming Full Moon and New Moon and their Eclipses are likely to be a game changer for many, as Eclipses tend to signify major beginnings and endings and can herald a new chapter in our lives.

There is a connection between these eclipses and the last two sets of eclipses in October 2013 and this April, so think back to those times and try to remember what you were going through.  In April we were also contending with the Cardinal Grand Cross, which was a difficult time for many and was a catalyst for some profound shifts. Something that we learned then could now be coming to fruition, or we could experience a continuation of something that started then; a similar theme. The theme is quite likely to be relationship oriented, as the eclipses have all occurred on the relationship axis of Aries and Libra. Many people experienced a significant shift this April and the same is possible now, as these Eclipses have some powerfully transforming energy connected to them.

This Full Moon/Total Lunar Eclipse involves the Sun in balanced, harmonious and relationship oriented Libra sitting directly opposite the Moon in impulsive, courageous and self-oriented Aries. The Aries/Libra polarity is the relationship axis, so we can expect our relationships to be highlighted during this Moon. Not only that but Venus, the planet of Love and Beauty, is sitting next to the Sun which further brings our relationships into focus. Full Moons also tend to show their energy through our relationships and bring whatever might have been bubbling below the surface into plain view! The Sun is in Libra for the month, bringing the themes of love, peace, balance, harmony relating and justice to the fore. Full Moons ask us to find some balance between the two signs involved and in this case we are being asked to find the balance between the masculine and feminine within ourselves. While Libra always puts the needs of others first, Aries is well practiced in the art of Self Love. Libra is amazing at compromise and team work, while Aries has a tendency to use independent initiative and follow his own desires. Somewhere in the middle is the way and this moon will make it glaringly obvious where we are out of balance.

Aries is ruled by Mars, the warrior. There is no doubt about it; this Full moon has the potential for emotions to ride rather high and the flames of passion to get a little out of control! Aries is passionate, enthusiastic, impulsive, courageous and quick to anger. The Moon rules the emotions and when she is in forceful Aries our emotions could come bursting out rather aggressively, because Aries does have a tendency to act first and think later! Aries is without guile and has a hard time holding anything back so it is quite possible that some cards will be laid on the table during this moon. We might have to find our inner Aries and be rather brave, methinks.

Uranus, the Great Awakener, the Rebel and Revolutionary, is also sitting smack bang on top of the Moon and he does like us to be utterly true to ourselves, to the extreme, in fact! The combination of Uranus and Aries could produce some emotional shocks which could be rather unsettling but also quite liberating. What is it they say about the truth setting us free? Tee hee! Uranus sitting on top of the Moon could threaten our sense of emotional security and force us out of our comfort zones. His energy is shocking and awakening. We could well experience some emotional curve balls that seem to come from nowhere and upset the status quo. We could also have some sudden realisations and anything we have been hiding from ourselves and others can be revealed now. This is the perfect opportunity to break free of any restrictions, stand up and shout to the world who we are and what we want without holding back!

Pluto in Capricorn is also a massive part of this Full Moon, as he is challenging both the Sun and the Moon and also Venus and Uranus. We are getting a dose of the Pluto Uranus square in our relationships for this Moon, as Pluto challenges the structure of our relationships and forces us to confront our shadows while Uranus urges us to stand up for our rights and be true to ourselves. Pluto could bring some very intense emotions up from the depths and anything that has been simmering and smouldering below the surface, forcing us to face up to some not so pretty truths. The energy of Pluto is much like a volcano, with a pressure building until it erupts. Uranus is akin to an earthquake, when everything gets shaken and rattled about, or a bolt of lightning. This is the energy we are dealing with during this Moon. Eruptions and explosions, turbulence and shocks. Emotional truths being revealed which have been festering away. People being brave and bold enough to dare to show all of their cards. A complete overhaul of our relationships and/or transformation of the way we relate to each other. Power struggles and issues of trust. Obviously this could all be quite scary and unsettling, but how freeing as well! It is far better to have it all out in the open, as vulnerable or exposed as we may feel!

The Sun and Moon are also involved in the Grand Fire Trine between Uranus, Jupiter and Mars, which adds some exciting and exhilarating energy to this Full Moon! This is an incredibly passionate and fast paced Full Moon, that’s for sure! We could find ourselves being taken for a ride and the fire could easily burn out of control if we are not careful! I have written about the Grand Fire Trine already, so I will not repeat myself. Suffice to say, this is a wonderful time to open our hearts and take a leap of faith! This is certainly not a passive time, but rather a time for taking action. Here is more on the subject if you wish to read further - GRAND FIRE TRINE 2014

Lunar Eclipses come about when the Sun and Moon are aligned with the Nodes of the Moon. They represent major beginnings and endings that can have an impact on our lives for many months to come. They are representative of a new chapter beginning and an old way passing away, though what that is exactly may not be immediately apparent, but rather will show itself over the next three to six months. During an Eclipse we can have life changing revelations, especially with Uranus involved, and significant changes in consciousness. The North Node of the Moon is in Libra, the sign of love, balance, harmony and peace. This is the ultimate aim of the Full/Moon Eclipse, despite the turbulent, forceful and explosive energy that surrounds it. Libra wants us to find a way to bring balance to our relationships and bring peace and justice to the world. Sometimes things have to get shaken up a bit in order for balance to be restored. A true and successful partnership can only be achieved when both parties are true to their own path and are completely honest about their needs and wants. True intimacy can’t be achieved unless we bare our souls somewhat.

This Moon certainly has all the ingredients needed to really stir things up; forcing us to be honest and face our shadows and possibly creating circumstances which could make or break our relationships and force us to grow. As I said, crisis only occurs when something really needs to change or we are straying off our path. Ultimately this Full Moon / Total Lunar Eclipse has the potential to be profoundly liberating though somewhat unsettling! Anything that we have just been putting up with or suppressing is likely to come bubbling up to the surface and exposed by the light of this forthright, honest and transforming Full Moon! We must embrace the bravery and courage of Aries within our relationships, but with Libra’s spirit of harmony and peace in our hearts. This month could be a game changer, that’s for sure! How exactly will be revealed in the fullness of time.

Much Love

Amy

xoxo

 

We not only have a Grand Trine building in the inspirational, enthusiastic Fire signs but the three planets involved are quite exciting as well! This Trine could bring an amazing boost for many and will certainly generate an air of excitement in the days to come and the sense that anything is possible if we are brave enough to take a chance. I suppose the only danger with Fire is that it can get out of control of we’re not careful. This is something to be aware of, but overall this is an incredibly positive configuration that will help us take risks and dare to step outside of our comfort zones.

The three players are Uranus in Aries, Jupiter and Leo and Mars in Sagittarius. Quite a lively bunch, that’s for sure! Uranus in Aries wants us to be utterly true to who we really are, not what we were taught to think we were growing up. He wants us to stand up and be counted as the unique individuals that we all are! He is the planet of sudden change and creates external events that will help put us on the path that is right for us. He will not stand for stagnation and will do what he can to blast any cobwebs away and lift us out of any ruts we may find ourselves in. Change can be uncomfortable but stepping outside of our comfort zones is what brings the greatest growth. Uranus has been forming a beautiful trine with Jupiter in Leo in the past couple of weeks, bringing the potential for sudden opportunities to move forward on our path and helping us open our hearts so we can allow positive changes to take place. This trine was exact on the Libra New Moon on the 24th of September.

Jupiter is in Leo for a year, encouraging us to take risks, follow the path of joy and find the playful, childlike part of ourselves that loves to explore and express itself without holding back. Our greatest growth will come from opening our hearts and listening to our heart’s wisdom. Not only that, but we must also act on what our hearts tells us. That is where Mars in Sagittarius comes in! Mars is the pioneer, the planet who gives us the drive and motivation to actually get things done, what better planet to add some fuel to this beautiful fire? Mars in Sagittarius is fearless, brave and bold and has absolute faith that everything will turn out the way it should. That is the beauty of Sagittarius; life is a grand adventure and he can see the positive in any outcome. To Mars in Sagittarius, the possibilities are limitless. Failure doesn’t even begin to enter his mind.

This Trine asks us to have the courage to open our hearts and take a chance on something that we might normally be too afraid to try. There is a great deal of dynamic energy and enthusiasm to this combination of planets and we may well find ourselves being taken along for a ride in the next few days! This Trine will also be a big player in the upcoming Aries Full Moon / Total Lunar Eclipse on the 8th, so this is a very significant time in our development and passions will be riding high in the coming week! It really is an ideal time to take a leap of faith, though only if it is right for us and helps us along our true path. If it doesn’t resonate with the truth of who we are it is unlikely to work. We all know, deep inside, what is right for us and what isn’t. Generally our bodies tell us. We all know the difference between excitement and dread, and now if the time to listen to our hearts, follow our passions and do what brings us the greatest amount of excitement and joy! Enjoy the ride!

Courage = “of the heart”

Much love

Amy

xoxo

Mercury turns retrograde on the 4th of October, having been in the shadow period since the 24th of September. He turns retrograde in the insightful, probing sign of Scorpio and then travels back into Libra, the sign of balance and harmony. As with all Mercury retrogrades it is important to remember that communication breakdowns can and will occur and that maintaining a sense of humour is absolutely essential! This is a time when travel plans could go awry, cars could break down; indeed anything to do with getting from point A to point B could be subject to delays and confusion. Instead of getting frustrated it is better to accept that maybe there is a reason that we are being delayed and that possibly we are being shown that there is another possibility that we have missed. Basically we should try to relax and enjoy the ride rather than banging our head against a brick wall and complaining about what isn’t working. Similarly anything to do with communication, such as phones and computers, could be more problematic than usual so it is important to be patient and also to check and double check that people have received emails, understood what we are saying etc etc.

Misunderstandings are more likely to occur during a retrograde period, where we say one thing but it is taken another way altogether! As such, it is important to be mindful when we communicate with others, whether verbally or in written form.  This is a time when it is important to read between the lines and not take what people say too literally. It is just good to be aware that the possibility for mistakes and glitches in communication exists and to make sure all the “T”s are crossed and the “I”s are dotted. Signing important documents is not exactly recommended during a Mercury Retrograde, but sometimes it is hard to avoid it, so just be careful to read the fine print. Mercury is a pesky trickster when he is retrograde so it is easy to get tripped up!

The best thing to do during Mercury Retrograde is to accept that the logical, analytical, rational Left brain function (Mercury) has gone on holiday for three weeks and to embrace a more intuitive, creative, Right brained reality for a while! The Retrograde action of Mercury gives us the opportunity to look back over things and see if there is anything we have missed. We may have been so busy just getting on with things that we may have missed an important piece of the puzzle and now we have the opportunity to go back and look with fresh eyes and a different perspective. We may have convinced ourselves that everything is ok and turned a blind eye to certain details, but Mercury retrograde will force us to take and other look. Indeed, this is an ideal time for re-doing anything; reflecting, reviewing, relaxing, rewinding, renewing, he-hashing,  re-enacting, refining, re-visiting and so on and so forth. We have a chance to go back and do things differently if we need to. Retrograde periods can also bring people up from our past because there is something we need to readdress with them. This can be a time of tying up loose ends.

Mercury goes retrograde in Scorpio, which means that certain truths could be revealed and we could also have considerable insight and understanding of what is going on beneath the surface of reality on the days before and after he goes retrograde. Mercury in Scorpio is incredibly perceptive and is not satisfied with superficial understanding of matters. He will uncover the truth at all costs. It can also produce some very revealing slips of the tongue! For most of the retrograde period, Mercury will be found in Libra, so we will be more concerned with understanding others points of view and finding balance and harmony in our communication with others. This is a great time for going back to the drawing board and negotiating a peaceful plan of action. Libra is a very diplomatic, peace loving sign who likes everything to be fair and just. It is also the sign of relationship, so we may find ourselves looking back over our relationships somehow, whether it means revisiting one from the past or talking over current relationships. There could have been something we missed or ignored in recent weeks that we have to look into again.

I will list the actual dates below, but Mercury will be joining up with the North Node of the Moon three times during this retrograde period. This could bring fateful encounters with people or messages that could be very significant for us, helping us to move forward on our soul’s journey. Whatever we say or hear at this time could be extremely significant. Each time it passes over the same point more could be revealed and by the third pass we should have greater understanding of what the message is. Similarly, during the retrograde period Mercury will be passing over the same degree of Scorpio as the Solar Eclipse on October 23rd, so these three dates could also be very significant. Again, something could be revealed or the same theme could be repeated so that by the third pass we should have more insight and understanding. It is possible that some emotional truths could come to the surface or that we could have to face something that we would rather ignore. Again, I have listed the actual dates below.

Another significant date is the 16th of October, when Mercury is conjunct the Sun in Libra. This could be a very big day for communication and our relationships. It could be a good idea to remember to listen and not be too attached to our own point of view! On the 20th of October Mercury forms a positive aspect to Jupiter in Leo, which will allow us to see the bigger picture and truly communicate from our hearts. This aspect will help us get our point across with confidence and ease and will also give us a more optimistic outlook and perspective.

It is very important to be patient during this time and remember that it is just Mercury getting up to his usual tricks. Often when we are delayed or a communication error occurs there is some higher reason for it that will be revealed in the fullness of time. There could be something we have missed or a message we haven’t picked up on. For instance, we may miss our train but run into someone we know on the next train who has an important message for us. It is good to remain alert and open to anything we hadn’t previously noticed because it could be significant! We should use this time to look at our lives from a different perspective. Try a different approach to the same issue and see what might happen! And most importantly, keep a sense of humour!

Four days before and after Mercury turns retrograde and direct is when its effects are at their strongest.

24 Sept – Mercury enters retrograde shadow
28 Sept – Mercury enters Scorpio
4 Oct – Mercury turns Retrograde
10 Oct Mercury re-enters Libra
25 Oct – Mercury turns direct
9 Nov – Mercury re-enters Scorpio
10 Nov – Mercury leaves retrograde shadow

Sept 17 – Mercury conjunct North Node (1st pass)
Oct 21 – Mercury conjunct North Node (2nd pass)
Oct 30 – Mercury conjunct North Node (3rd pass)

28/29 Sept – Mercury at 0 degrees Scorpio (same degree as Solar Eclipse) 1st pass
10 Oct - Mercury at 0 degrees Scorpio (same degree as Solar Eclipse) 2nd pass
9 Nov - Mercury at 0 degrees Scorpio (same degree as Solar Eclipse) 3rd pass

Much love

Amy
xoxo

Photograph: Looking back – Andrea Gracis