In this post, I'm going to break down working with the moon in daily life, and specifically how to harness the magic of this particular waning Virgo moon, arriving on the heels of Sunday's intense rut-buster of a Leo full moon amped by change-bringer and liberator, Uranus.

I'm going to do it in four sections:

1) "Lunar Cycles & Transits - The Basics,"
2) "Waning Moons & the Waning Gibbous Moon,"
3) "The Moon in Virgo," and
4) "Harnessing the Magic of This Particular Waning Virgo Moon," (happening February 7th and 8th, 2023). 

​Whether you no nothing about working the moon, or are more interested in this particular Virgo moon and how you can use it in within the bigger picture of what's happening currently astrologically, I've got you covered.  So let's dive in!

Let's quickly go over the basics of lunar cycles and transits first. 

The lunar cycle is 28 days - what our months are based on - and it is the time it takes for the moon, as viewed from earth, to move completely around the zodiac.

The lunar cycle begins at the new moon, when the moon and sun are conjunct, waxes for two weeks, climaxes at the full moon, when the moon and sun are in opposition, and then wanes for two weeks.

Waxing moons are times of growth, action, and cultivation.  Waning moons are times of integration, release, and rest.

Astrologically, we view the sun and moon as the two luminaries - the difference being that the sun generates light and the moon only reflects.  The sun is the light of consciousness, and the moon is the subconscious - even at the full moon, when the moon is fully illuminated by the sun - we only ever see half of it.

Thus, new moons are times of planting seeds and really when we are most inward turning and in touch with the subconscious, and full moons are times of culmination, graduation, fruition, illumination, and/or realization.

Lunar transits refer to the moon's movements through the zodiac.  It changes signs about every 2 1/2 days, and from each sign, it makes aspects to all of the other heavenly bodies.

Because the moon is our subconscious, it is strongly linked to our everyday moods, feelings, and intuition.  The moon is tied to our sense of emotional security and belonging, so by looking at the moon's phase, sign, and even current aspects (quickly passing - and it's important to note in general and to your natal chart), we can better understand where to direct our focus and energies on any given day to feel best about ourselves and life.

This Virgo moon comes on the heels of Sunday's Leo full moon (February 5th).  

The full moon was the climax.  It isn't just this month's lunar energy climax, it is the point of completion or graduation for what began with the Leo new moon six months ago.  What began in your life in August that you are now "harvesting?" (Either getting insight and illumination around, or bringing to full completion, or graduating to the next level?  Knowing what house or area of life Leo rules in your natal chart will give you further insight.)  

The waning moon covers the two weeks from the full moon to new moon each month where, just like it sounds, the lunar energy wanes.  We are done with the growth, cultivation, and action from the waxing moon.  Now it's time to take stock, ease up, and appreciate the fruits of our labor.  

The waning gibbous moon is specifically the week from the full moon until the last quarter square moon.  The last quarter moon is a choice point where we decide what it's time to release before we cross the threshold of the coming new moon.

The waning gibbous moon is the time to focus on easing up, practicing appreciation, and giving ourselves the necessary space to fully integrate and become aware of whatever has come to light with the full moon.  

The moon in Virgo can feel challenging because the moon's wants connection but Virgo's nature is to refine, perfect, organize, and sort. That doesn't feel so good to the emotional body, the moon's domain.

Virgo moons are wonderful times to schedule medical and surgical procedures, and a great time for anything that requires focus, organization, and precision.  This could be editing, or it could be cleaning house.

Virgo is mutable earth, ruled by Mercury.  It can have a nervous, critical, and perfectionist quality - it wants to refine, so it's important to channel the energy of the Virgo moon productively and in ways that feel supportive.

Keywords: attention to detail, routine, health, diet, desire to sort, separate, and organize, desire to be of service, devotion, perfectionism, criticism.

Harness it: get organized, find sacred in the mundane, devote yourself to daily routines, perform acts of service, fine tune and perfect things (with love).

Affirmations: "I release myself and others from the condition that I need to be perfect to be loved. I find joy in being of service. I take this opportunity to focus and streamline my life. I am tolerant of myself and others."

Body Sensitivity: Watch for sensitivity in: pancreas, small intestine, cecum, colon, digestive tract, duodenum, rectum, sense organs: eyes and ears.

To put it in perspective, Mars usually only spends about 2 months in each sign, and retrogrades every two years (the least amount of any planet), and it has been in Gemini since late August, and retrograde - in review mode - late October to mid-January.  Mars activates and agitates wherever it is in our charts, and it has spent an extraordinary amount of time focusing in Gemini.

Saturn changes signs every 2 1/2 years.  It moved into Aquarius in March 2020 - same time as pandemic lockdown really began for most of us.  It's transition into Pisces mid-March is going to likely be a welcome shift for us collectively.

Pluto entered Capricorn in January 2008, and the event that marked this was the Global Financial Crisis.  On March 23rd, it will begin it's year-long transition into Aquarius.  (It retrogrades back into Capricorn for a clean up round June til January 2024.). This is a monumental energy shift for us - Pluto will be transiting Aquarius and the house it rules for each of us personally until 2044!

Saturn is the Roman god of the harvest.  It's about the actions and discipline that get the results we want.  While Saturn is the task-master and it "crystallizes" - either helps us make our fears real, helps us make our dreams real, or shows us where we need to show up and be responsible, Pluto in transit first strips and exposes. 

Pluto is the cycle of death and rebirth, so many times Pluto transiting sensitive points of our chart will show, often through power dynamics, abuse, stripping, and exposing, where we need to let go fully.  Because Pluto rules the underworld.  It's about the buried, hidden, subconscious - all of our fears and insecurities that our personal power is wound up in.  

Uranus meanwhile is in the middle of its 7 year cruise through Taurus.  It's the "change-bringer."  Uranus is like a catalyst.  It can work through out of the blue insight or sudden knowledge, or events that disrupt - either way, it wants to shake up the status quo and help us innovate and move into the future.  

While Saturn rules the third dimension of conditions, Uranus rules the 4th dimension, and the way to access it is through appreciation.

Uranus has been near the north node of increase and destiny in Taurus for a while now - these two together means what we desire and are moving toward is all things Taurus.  Taurus is a Venus-ruled earth sign concerned with values, resources, abundance, material possessions, and living life with pleasure through the five senses.  Uranus here since 2018 means we are being asked to innovate the way we feel secure, especially through material possessions and resources.  We've seen that get challenged through the pandemic, and especially from February 2021 to October 2022 as Saturn (lack, limitations, and restrictions, fear and doubt) challenged Uranus four separate times.

However, as of Uranus stationing direct in late January, it did so for the first time in two years WITHOUT Saturn waiting to challenge it.  

Now that's a good feeling, but after how long we've been dealing with the other dynamic, it can also feel a bit unsettling - and Uranus IS an unsettling energy.  It's unpredictable, and it brings change.

So as we arrived at the Leo full moon on Sunday, February 5th, we arrived at a big energy full moon already high in intensity, in square to Uranus, in its full power.  

You may have noticed the big energy over the weekend, possibly experiencing upset or at least anxiety and nerves/agitation/irritability, or maybe an actual upsetting event.  Maybe it was a big breakthrough, new ideas, or realization, or a release of really old pain and trauma.  Maybe the full moon brought all of these things into your realm.

But now, the dust is settling, and as we land with this waning gibbous moon in Virgo, and Mercury leaves its retrograde post-shadow and prepares for its final meeting with Pluto while in Capricorn for the next couple of centuries or so, things are clearing out indeed, and quite possibly deep things having to do with your experiences over the past decade.

Time to clear the air, and everything else while you're at it.

Optimizing the waning Virgo moon energy means clearing space both physically and psychically to truly integrate whatever has come up and come to light with this past full moon.  This one had Uranus fueling it, so it was a rut-buster.  Uranus with the north node wants to move us out of the old, the outdated, the stale, the status quo, and right into the new, and what most likely was coming to light was whatever needs to go before we move into March and all the big changes it is bringing.

1.  Clean up, pick up, declutter, and organize - first things first.  With moon, emotions, in Virgo, refinement, order, and perfection, organizing your physical realm will organize your mental and emotional realm.  Make sure a couple of doors or windows are cracked to let in fresh air (and let out other things) and that shades are up so sunlight can get in.

2.  Clean.  Dust, vacuum, do the laundry, wash the dishes - whatever needs doing to get your nest feeling sparkly. ​

3.  Start making your magical floor wash - put sea salt (moon, sea, cleansing, rebirthing, banishing, grounding, and balancing) into a bowl.  Add rosemary  (cleansing, purification, healing, and protection), and rue (Diana, moon, purification, protection, and uncrossing).  Pour boiling water over the mix and begin stirring counterclockwise.  State out loud your intentions for this mixture: to cleanse, purify, and to remove any and all negative energy or energy not in alignment and in support of your spirit, truth, and highest good, across all time and space and all dimensions, within and without, as you continue to stir.  Then stop stirring.  Now add bay leaves (solar, sun, Apollo, Leo, protection, success, victory, releasing and manifesting), sage (Jupiter, protection, wisdom, as well as lunar, clearing, cleansing), and nettle (the herb of consent, sense of self, thresholds, boundaries, and coming into clarity after winter).  Now stir clockwise, stating out loud what you are calling in and creating:  strong sense of self, strong protective boundaries, knowing where you begin and end, what threshold you are now crossing, what you are calling into being, what you are awakening to, or choosing to awaken, abundance, expansion, success, love, happiness, high, bright energy.  Add lavender oil for Mercury, calmness, happiness, and high vibration, and add geranium oil for balancing.

4.  Let the floor wash sit while you smudge.  Make sure you have a couple of doors or windows cracked.  You can use basic sage, or maybe you prefer yerba santa or palo santo, but in this case, after such a big energy full moon, at this highly transitional time, as we are releasing a lot of stuff around the past decade of Pluto in Capricorn (because of Mercury's recent retrograde - it's just leaving the post-shadow 2/7), I recommend going all out with loose mugwort on a charcoal round.  Go to the left (counterclockwise around your space), setting your intention to clearing out anything across all dimensions that is not in alignment with the present moment and your highest good.  This includes stagnant energy, arguments, anxiety, etc. that's hanging around from the weekend or before.  This is especially important if you had a big emotional release over the weekend with the full moon.  (You might play Schumann resonance or music you like, or drumming while you do this - I like to follow moving clockwise burning something like lavender or dammar resin focusing on what I'm bringing into the space like happiness, love, and laughter, and then follow that with a 528 hz tuning fork.). ***I know this full moon was actually on my Leo sun and the past decade of Pluto in Capricorn involved a lot of trauma and abuse for me as Pluto opposed my 1st house Saturn and Venus, bringing on a full rebirth of self and identity.  It was challenging to say the least.  Interestingly enough, over the past couple of weeks I've been doing somatic exercises for releasing trauma stored in the hips, as well as taking a custom blend of flower and gem essences I made for myself (I've started making these for clients) focusing on releasing deep grief and anger.  Everything came out at the full moon!  In a healthy way, not sideways in triggers.  Full body shaking, crying, release.  So it feels really right and natural to use this waning Virgo moon to take it all in and clear the space on every level.

5.  At this point, now you can burn any incense you like or frankincense to "set the space."

6.  Now strain the floor wash you made - add vinegar or borax to it for extra cleaning power, or you can mop first with a stronger cleaner, then follow with the floor wash.  As you mop, remember all of the attributes of the mixture you just poured your energy, intent, and love into.

7.  Get your favorite flowers, play music, be of service, and enjoy your clean, beautiful, healing space!  I also like to wipe all the door and window frames and thresholds with rosemary oil, and wipe wood with sandalwood oil - especially in the bedroom.  Take an alchemical bath.  (I did a detox bath this time personally, with sea salt, bentonite clay, and activated charcoal - I also added some of the floor wash to it, and then extra geranium oil for balancing chakra, emotions, and masculine/feminine and easing anxiety, and lavender for peace, calm, high vibes, happiness, and harmonious communication.). Sink into your warm, cozy, clean and clear space and journal and nourish yourself!

There is so much wisdom and guidance within you - if you know how to listen.

Our feelings, our emotions, our dis-ease and aches and pains.  The little synchronicities, the gut yesses and no's.  The sudden flashes of insight and ideas that lead you to exactly what you needed.

Even our dreams.

Being professionally trained in hypnotherapy, I am very familiar with the subconscious mind and how it works.  It speaks to us in imagery, in metaphor.

So when I woke up this morning after dreaming all night that I couldn't move because there was a 12" long giant black scorpion (that was hefty) asleep draped across the top of my head spanning from ear to ear, you can bet I was intrigued.

Interestingly enough, eventually it stirred and I felt it crawl slowly off my head and slide off and as soon as that happened, I immediately woke up.

The first thing to take into account when analyzing a dream is the feeling that came with it.  In this case, it was intense - I couldn't move for fear of being stung, and couldn't speak loudly, and it was a heavy weight, so my neck and shoulders were burdened.  And I kept trying to get people around to help but no one knew what to do.  

But it was asleep (over my crown chakra).  And I could feel this strong vibrational pulsing energy emanating from it.  

And then it just moved on, on its own.  Suddenly I was free.

There was no actual threat or attack.  No sting.  Just a giant scorpion asleep on my head that finally went on its way.

Scorpions are associated with healing, transformation, death and rebirth.  They are protective and extremely vibrationally sensitive.  In many cultures, black is a protective color.  

In the dream there was a definite "weight being lifted" sensation - in fact I woke immediately.

Also, astrologically right now, the south node of past, karma, and release is in the sign of the scorpion, Scorpio.  

The Egyptian goddess Isis is strongly associated with scorpions.  In the myth of Isis and Osiris, at one point she travels with seven scorpions for protection.  

She is associated with healing - most famous for re-membering her beloved Osiris - and with magic, as is zodiac sign Scorpio, and the associated 8th house that isn't just themes of shared resources and other peoples' money, but also the deep psyche, the taboo, sex, death, loss, inheritance, and the occult.  

The 8th house being Scorpio's house (the 8th sign) means its modern ruler is Pluto.  As a Cancer rising, guess who just happens to be landing in my Aquarius 8th house in late March?  You got it - Pluto - the scorpion is of course about power too.

Interesting that it was covering my crown chakra and even while dreaming the pulsing energy I felt was palpable.  

Maybe this is a sign of releasing the past and clearing in preparation for the new coming in March.

Maybe it is a metaphor for major healing.

Maybe it is a sign of a period of major transformation coming to culmination.

Maybe it is all of the above.  Time will tell.

Whatever the meaning, it was significant.  That's for sure.

What are your thoughts?  Have you ever had dreamt of a scorpion?  What is your experience with dreams?  I'd love to know!

Yes, you read right - I said good news and breakthroughs are on for this weekend (January 27th through January 31st, 2023)!

Now, you might be feeling a little anxious, nervous, or uncertain right now, which is perfectly natural for this astrology.

Uranus is the outer planet that brings big change, and usually by disruption, sudden upheaval, and/or out of the blue insight.  Its methods can have us feeling impulsive, dissatisfied with the status quo, restless, and even rebellious.  It can feel like something big is about to happen but we don't know what, and we don't know if it will be good or bad, and that can lead to us impulsively acting and creating upheaval in our own lives.

Right now, we're feeling Uranus like we haven't in a few years.  That's because Uranus just stationed direct for the first time since 2021 without having Saturn in Aquarius right there waiting to block its expression.  

So you might feel a bit "out on a limb," as not having Saturn in square (and not to Uranus but just in genera) is something we haven't experienced in years.  Collectively, we aren't used to feeling this level of openness energetically right now.  It feels good, but at the same time a bit unfamiliar or even unsafe.  Just keep in mind this is big energy.

It's not just Uranus - Mars and Mercury are freshly direct too as of January.  This means we have all planets in forward motion for the first time since last April.  

But Uranus is the planet of breaking free, breakthroughs, and out of the blue insight, and this weekend, exact on Sunday, January 29th, it's making its third and final flow aspect to Mercury, the messenger.

This sets the stage not for just good news, but also big aha's and fresh insight that have been brewing since mid-December.  These planets are both in earth signs, so this may see us moving forward in very real ways.  

Plus, this is a trine aspect.  It's a positive, or flowing, aspect linking planets at the same degree of signs of the same element - this one happens to be earth to earth - but what it's really best at is speeding things up, so no matter what's been up, now we can expect it to move, and fast - it's going to break free, break loose.

At the same time, this weekend we have Venus freshly into Pisces and Mars in Gemini in trine (that same flow aspect) to the Aquarius sun.

Venus in Pisces is a lovely vibe shift since Our Lady of Love & Money has been in the Saturn-ruled signs of Capricorn and Aquarius since mid-December.  This by itself brings more flow.  Pisces is the water sign of healing, dissolving walls between us, forgiveness, creativity, and even romance, so Venus in Pisces feels really good.

Venus in Pisces also means she is in supportive aspect by sign to Uranus in her own sign of Taurus.  She won't make the sextile exact until a bit later, but we can feel it building already now.  Sextiles are less potent than trines but still positive, and speak to opportunities.  

Mars trine sun is again a flow aspect that speeds things up and helps us rut-bust and break loose, and this one is air to air, meaning it's in the realm of thoughts, words, ideas, and mental processes.  

This aspect is a bit like the Six of Swords in the tarot - it's the energy of victory, of winning.  It brings us confidence and enthusiasm, and boosts us with the courage and motivation to initiate action.

As we move through this weekend, on Saturday, January 28th, we also turn the corner from the waxing crescent moon to the waxing gibbous moon with the first quarter moon.  This is the halfway point between the new and full moon, and as we pass the first quarter moon and move into the waxing gibbous phase it's full speed ahead towards the full moon climax.

We'll feel energized to take action and push towards our goals now as we head into the February 5th full moon at 16° Leo, which just happens to be in square to Uranus and trine to Chiron in Aries.  

This means the big Uranus energy of restlessness and possibly even anxiety is going to be building all week along with lunar energy to the full moon climax.

The key will be to stay grounded and embodied so this energy doesn't push you around! 

I'll be going over this full moon, what to expect, and how to work with it in detail in the lunation report out to subscribers next week, so make sure you are on the list!

​With this new moon, it's time to fully and completely release the past (specifically the "pandemic years" up to the past decade) and look forward, and step forward into the new.  That means moving away from what feels familiar, and moving toward what feels exciting but also unknown, because it is completely and totally new.

This new moon is a potent new beginning for us - let me explain why.

Here's the thing:  this isn't just the annual new moon in Aquarius, and I'm sure you're feeling the difference. 

Uranus, the modern ruler of this new moon, stations direct just one day after, on Sunday, 1/22.  Now Uranus retrogrades every year - the past couple of years it has gone retrograde in August and direct in January.  However, since January 2021, it has been stationing direct with the traditional ruler of Aquarius in Saturn, waiting to challenge it. 

We had a total of 4 squares between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus between February 2021 and October 2022.  That's that frustrating feeling of wanting to break free but being blocked by forces out of your control that was so prevalent over those years.  But that's done.  In fact, we won't see any squares from Saturn to outer planets for something like the next decade, and that's really good news, because that is part of what has made the past few years feel so challenging.

So, at this Aquarius new moon, we are also feeling Uranus stationing direct for the first time in years without its energy being blocked.  It's also the final planet left in retrograde, so as of this weekend we are all forward until April. 

If you're feeling excited to the point of being ungrounded and almost unsure which direction to go first, THIS is why!  Don't worry - you don't have to do everything at once.  In fact, the key to accessing this magic is to stay grounded, to not rush or act impulsively, and to really fully form those ideas and action plans, anchor them, and nourish them.  

In fact, Saturn is supporting this as Venus conjuncts it on Sunday.  While Saturn and Venus together can always have us feeling a little restricted, held back, or like our parade is being rained on, the other side of it is the energy of fresh starts in love and money that are solidly foundationed, long-term, and built to last.  This means right now we can access Saturn's practicality and integrity to help us not rush or cut corners.

Looking deeper, there's even more magic to this new moon.

This new moon is at 1° Aquarius, and that means it is conjunct Pluto at 28° Capricorn.  Pluto has been in Capricorn since 2008 and is in its final weeks of that long transit, which truly has defined an era that began with the global financial crisis.  (Capricorn rules big systems like banking and government, Pluto strips and exposes so that, the old and rotten can be composted and that energy transformed into the new - just like the phoenix dying to the flames to be reborn from its own ashes.).

On March 23rd, Pluto officially moves into Aquarius.  2023 will actually be a transition year as Pluto will retrograde back into Capricorn from June til January 2024 for a final "clean up round" before returning to Aquarius to stay until 2044, but the new begins in March.  

That means this new moon is our introduction to the new, serving as a bridge between the two eras, as it is firmly planted in Aquarius with Uranus stationing direct and the Saturn-Venus conjunction speaking to a new beginning, but also conjunct Pluto still in Capricorn.

As we move through 2023, one of the defining astrological signatures will be Pluto in T-square to the nodes of the moon, the head and tail of the dragon, the points of destiny/future/increase, and fate/past/release, respectively.

Pluto brings transformation - Phoenix-style transformation - and from March until December as it moves back and forth across the Capricorn/Aquarius cusp, it will be challenging those points of destiny and fate, future and past.  

What does this mean for us?

It means that the magic this year is to be found in fully and completely letting go of the past so that we can be free to move untethered into the new, towards our future, our destiny.  And yes, that is much easier said than done, but this year is here to help us do it.  

Moving into the new always means moving into the unfamiliar, which can feel uncertain and uncomfortable, but the energy is clear:  with Pluto involved like it is, when we cling to the old and familiar and what was secure in the past, we will suffer.  This is a "let go or be dragged" situation.

Here's a secret:  later in the year, Leo energy is going to be a big help, so keep that in mind. 

Stay tuned, because I'll be filling you in on how to work with it, and all of the other energies this year as we go!

In just one day from the time I am writing this, Mars stations direct in Gemini. It's been retrograde, or in review mode, since October 30th.

Mars is "the warrior," the planet of the self, action, initiation, assertion, motivation, and passion.  It rules over how we go after what we want, how we assert and stand up for ourselves, how we confront, our personal boundaries, and even our anger when we feel our boundaries have been violated and crossed.  

Gemini is the mutable Mercury-ruled air sign of thoughts, thinking, ideas, connection, information (both opinion and fact), and words, expression, and communication.

Meanwhile, Mercury, ruler of Gemini and Mars in Gemini, is currently retrograde in earth sign Capricorn, stationing direct just a week after Mars on January 18th, bringing our review of thinking, expression, and communication that's been on since 12/29 to a close.

As these two linked retrogrades wrap up, we have an opportunity for profound realization around how much power our thoughts and words and how we choose to express and assert ourselves truly have.

One of the very first things I teach my Creatrix Coaching clients is this:  your mind is a tool that must be in service to your heart. 

Your heart, your higher guidance, your intuition guides you, and then your mind is the instrument by which you create in alignment with your heart.  It's easy to tell when you have got these things in reverse order because this is when your brain begins spinning out and you are anxious and uncertain, because you are trying to take action while disconnected from your guiding light, your heart, and thus when you are ungrounded - you are not "on your throne."  

These are all examples of the work of Masaru Emoto, who created the New York Times bestseller, "The Hidden Messages in Water."  

These images show water molecules under a microscope before words were spoken over them, and also after, showing the results of both kind and loving words and unkind and harsh words.

You can see the power of your thoughts and words clearly in these images - of ALL of our thoughts and words.

And now, as Mars and Mercury retrograde come to a close between January 12th and January 18th, is the perfect time to really take in just how much effect your moment-to-moment thoughts and words truly have and to set an intention for claiming more of your power moving forward by using your words and thoughts intentionally to create more of what you desire to experience in your life and see in the world. 

On mid-December 2022 into March 2023 we have a special over-arching astrological dynamic at play indicating water is the solution to what feels block and stuck in our lives. 

​Specifically, the energetic element that the sign energy of Cancer, cardinal water, brings.

For these months beginning 2023, we have a cardinal T-square, that's 3 planets in 3 separate cardinal signs all making 90° angles to each other - Ceres in Libra, Pluto in Capricorn, and Jupiter in Aries.  

A T-square is like three cars at a four-way stop, and no one can figure out who is going first so they are all just sitting there in "gridlock," with the energies all at impasses with each other.

This is a dynamic aspect that requires us to put effort into growing and overcoming the energetic impasse it brings to our lives.

This particular energetic impasse involves Libra (cardinal air), Capricorn (cardinal earth), and Aries (cardinal fire).  Cardinal signs are the signs of initiation - they are all the signs that begin our four seasons.  

The key here is to focus on the one that is NOT being activated by a planet - the cardinal water of Cancer.  

To work the energetic alchemy to bring balance into our lives where this T-square is creating an imbalance and stuck energy, we need to consciously focus on cultivating the energy of Cancer in our lives.

Cancer is the energy of the mother, intuition, emotional security, belonging, safety, nurturing, sheltering, accepting, family/tribe, acceptance, allowance, and connection.

As this year began, we still had three planets retrograde - Mars, Mercury, and Uranus.  In the second half of January, these three planets will resume forward motion, essentially taking off the brakes in our lives and allowing us to move forward.

Mars only goes retrograde every 2 years, and in Gemini it is tied to Mercury (ruler of Gemini) retrograde in Capricorn.

Mercury's retrograde in Capricorn December/January carries extra weight because it is the last time Mercury will retrograde in Capricorn with Pluto present there, because on March 23rd, Pluto is moving into Aquarius.  This is extra significant because Pluto brings death and rebirth style transformation to wherever it is transiting, and it has been in Capricorn, sign of social systems, financial systems, infrastructure, government, and even the patriarchy, since 2008, and it will be transiting Aquarius into 2044.  For you personally, this transformation has applied to whatever are of life or house Capricorn rules in your chart.

Mercury's current retrograde on a deeper level has been assisting us in reviewing/processing/digesting our transformative experience of Pluto in Capricorn in our lives between 2012 and 2022 - especially 2015-2017.  And yes, this includes our collective experience of the pandemic.  We are processing to bring closure and be able to fully release the past now so we are free to fully move forward by end of March.

The thing is, it isn't just about the cardinal T-square or these three planets stationing direct in the last two weeks of January.  

March brings the activator and agitator Mars FINALLY moving out of Gemini, where it has been since late August, and into Cancer.  Because Mars has been retrograde in Gemini since 10/30, its transit of the sign is quadruple the normal length, and wherever Mars is in your chart, it stirs, activates, and agitates.  This goes double when it is retrograde and in review mode.  So Mars out of Gemini and into Cancer in forward motion in March is indeed a big energetic shift in all of our lives.

Then, in mid-March, Saturn leaves Aquarius and moves into Pisces.  Saturn changes signs every 2 1/2 years, and it entered Aquarius in March 2020 not long after its conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn in late 2019.  All of this was directly tied to the pandemic.  The Saturn-Pluto conjunction was when the virus code was first publicly posted, like down to the minute, and Saturn, (restriction, fear, loss, authority, rules, illness, death) into Aquarius (circulation, humanitarianism, lungs) was when lockdown officially began in many places of the world.  So, Saturn getting out of the signs it is so strong in, Capricorn and Aquarius, where it has been since 2018, and into Pisces is going to be another extremely significant shift for us both personally and collectively.  Adding to that, as of mid-October, Saturn concluded its fourth and final square to Uranus in Taurus, and that concluded for the next decade or so an ongoing series of Saturn challenging outer planets that's been happening for years now.  

This is part of the reason Uranus direct this year on January 22nd is so potent.

Uranus brings change, typically through unexpected disruption and upheaval, but it brings the future.  It wants to break free of the status quo.  It wants innovative solutions.  Uranus stations retrograde and direct every year, but this time when it resumes forward motion halfway through its transit of Taurus that's been on since 2018, it doesn't have Saturn waiting there to challenge it.  In fact, Saturn in Pisces will eventually in the next two years be making a supportive aspect to the Great Awakener as it finally gets down to real business without the hold ups in Taurus.

Then, to really wrap things up and launch us into "the new" that 2023 is bringing, on March 23rd, Pluto makes its big move out of Capricorn and into Aquarius.

As a coach professionally trained in hypnotherapy (the subconscious mind) who also brings in astrology (energetic dynamics within and without) into my Creatrix Coaching sessions, I know the importance of both creating the opening and perspective shift with new information and inspiration AND taking this a step further by finding ways to anchor this new into our lives through taking action to create new habits and ways of being in the world with this new information.

With this in mind, I'm going to give you some ways to action this info and insight into your life starting right now.

First, here are a few journaling prompts to help you go deeper with this.

~ What are my default, habitual, auto-pilot thoughts and phrases I find myself thinking and saying every day.  Are they supportive and helpful, or not so much?  What feelings do these thoughts and words create in my body, and what is the resulting default behavior?  What typically triggers these thoughts/feelings for me?

~ What came up in my life around the week of August 20th?  (When Mars first entered Gemini and the house/area of life Gemini rules for you personally.)

~ What came up in my life between August 22nd and October 30th?  (Mars in the preshadow of its retrograde, making the first pass over the degrees it would backtrack over.)

~ What has come up for me to review - what's been coming up from my past or on my mind - around boundaries, self-assertion, expression of anger, and directly stating and going after my needs and desires - since October 30th?  (Especially around thoughts, words, and expression/communication - this is what Mars retrograde in Gemini has been reviewing.)

~ Have I noticed feeling low energy/vitality and lack of drive, motivation, and clarity of direction since October 30th in general?  (Mars retrograde means the energy of Mars has turned inward in our lives - we likely will feel low energy, confused, and lacking in direction and purpose during this time, because it is a time of reviewing and regrouping rather than of pushing forward.)

~ What came up in my thoughts, memories, and/or dreams, and/or what people or situations came back into my life between 12/12 and 12/29, especially having to do with transformative life events between 2012 and 2022.  (Mercury in the preshadow of its current retrograde in Capricorn, helping us mentally process the events that occurred when Pluto in Capricorn transited those degrees over the past decade, as Pluto prepares to leave Cap and move into Aquarius in March.)

~ What came up for me in these areas on January 7th that specifically tied back to 2015-2017 in my life?  (January 7th was Mercury cazimi, or Mercury making its inferior retrograde conjunction to the sun, light of consciousness.   This is the heart of the retrograde and the "aha moment," when the sun sheds light or grants wisdom to Mercury, ruler of the mind.  This is insight, and in this case it has to do specifically with what Pluto was doing at this degree of Capricorn.  It was there from 2015 to 2017.)

~ What am I processing and digesting now with new awareness and understanding from the past decade of my life so that I can bring closure to it and free myself to move forward completely unencumbered by these past events and experiences?

~ Where am I feeling a sense of lack, not enough, or insecurity in my life right now, especially around resources of any kind?

~ How can I cultivate the cardinal water energy of Cancer in my life between now and March?  (The energy of the mother, belonging, emotional safety and security, being taken care of, tended to, held, connected, nurtured, and fed.). (What thoughts, activities, actions create these feelings for me in my daily life?)

We anchor new ideas and beliefs and ways of being into our lives by both changing our default everyday thinking habits AND by backing that up with new supportive behaviors and actions.  It takes both to effectively create change in our lives, because we have to replace the old habits with new habits.

A perfect way to really bring this home in your life is to do Masaru Emoto's "rice experiment" for yourself, because you'll get to see the effects of your energy, thoughts, and words in action, right before your eyes.

Emoto's work shows that human thoughts and intentions have a direct and undeniable affect on physical reality - on life itself.

Here's what to do:
1) First cook rice in water (so the rice absorbs the water, as water is the key here).
2) Cool the rice and divide it evenly between 3 glass jars with lids (so the rice inside is easily visible).
3) Write ‘I love you’ on one jar, ‘I hate you’ on the second and nothing on the last one.  (You could use different phrases, but the idea is one gets supportive, loving, appreciative energy, one gets criticism/hostile energy, and the third one essentially gets ignored and denied any attention at all - it is neglected completely.)
4) Spend at least 30 seconds, twice a day, consciously sending out negative or positive thoughts towards the respective jars of rice.
5) Do this for at least 30 days, but 3 months to 6 months will provide even more powerful results and also give you more time to really download this new habit of being conscious of what energy you are broadcasting during your day.

If you've been following me on social media or are a subscriber, you are already aware about the shift in energy coming between January 10th and 24th, because I've been preparing you for it.

The second half of January is important because we will have 3 planets stationing direct, meaning by end of January ALL planets will be in direct motion and our lives will be "full steam ahead."

I've been saying that this new year wouldn't really get going until around the March equinox, and Mars, Mercury, and Uranus not all being direct until end of January is one reason why. 

​(The other reasons are that (1) the astrological year technically starts at the March equinox when sun enters the first sign of the zodiac, Aries, and (2) we have three significant planetary sign changes that will happen over the month of March, putting us in very different energetic terrain by April 1st.)

​The 2nd half of January, especially 1/10 - 1/24, is a period of SHIFTING GEARS into forward motion for all of us.

If you have been feeling blah, unmotivated, and a lack of clarity, you aren't alone, AND that's all about to change over the 2nd half of this month as Mars, then Mercury, then Uranus each station direct, one by one.

By January 22nd, we will have ALL planets in forward motion, and that means our lives will be in forward motion as well.

Remember that there is no need to push - we can simply stay conscious, allow, and let the current carry us - no need to jump ahead of the energy - let it unfold.

Keep in mind over this time that any planet stationing, whether stationing retrograde or direct, is at its most intense during the station and days around it, because this is when it appears from earth to come to a complete standstill.

You will feel this most if you have any natal points being activated by the station. In this case, that means 8° mutable signs for Mars, 8° cardinal signs for Mercury, and 14° fixed signs for Uranus.

Jan. 12th: Mars stations direct at 8° Gemini. Return of energy, drive, motivation, and newfound sense of self and self-assertion.

It's been retrograde since 10/30. Mars rules our drive, self-assertion, boundaries, passion, motivation, and life force energy.

It only goes retrograde about every two years, so the least out of all of the planets. Mars RX is traditionally a time to pull back and pull in, and focus on rest and reconnaissance/strategy. Rule of thumb is whomever starts it (initiates a conflict) loses. Mars RX in Gemini has been a review and how we assert ourselves and get what we want, especially around thinking, ideas, words, communication. That includes how we express our anger, if we threaten/intimidate/bully, if we tell white lies or omit information too. It also addressed times we were on the receiving end of that sort of behavior. Mars entered preshadow (arrived at 8° Gemini where it is now stationing direct) on August 22nd, so whatever is coming up now is tied to whatever came up then and we are on our way to resolution.

Jan. 18th: Mercury stations direct at 8° Capricorn. Communications begin to flow again, new solutions, new ideas, clarity, closure of past decade of transformation via mental digestion/processing.

It's been retrograde since 12/29. Mercury rules thinking, technology, daily commutes and connections, everyday money, and communications. Mercury retrograde is a review of how we communicate. This Mercury RX is extra potent because it is the final Mercury RX in Capricorn with Pluto in Capricorn (since 2008) and covered the degrees Pluto was at from 2012 to 2022. Pluto brings transformation through death and rebirth, and first it strips and exposes. Yes this covers the pandemic for the collective. Mercury's RX here has helped us process the transformation and maybe stripping/loss we've endured in our lives during those years, preparing us for an entirely new era as Pluto leaves Capricorn and enters Aquarius in late March. It was last at 8° on 12/12 when it entered the retrograde preshadow. Whatever is coming up is related to whatever came up around 12/12 and from then until 12/29 when it stationed direct.

Keep in mind when Mercury stations it is the fastest moving planet hitting the breaks - the station and the days around it are called the "storm period," and this one sits right between Mars and Uranus going direct as well, so count this whole time on as Mercury storm period and follow Mercury RX protocol - double check, slow down, think before speaking, double check itineraries and passwords, pay attention to where you are leaving your phone, etc.

Jan. 22nd: Uranus stations direct at 14° Taurus. Feeling free to embrace change without fear of lack or loss; welcoming the new, moving into the future with excitement.

It's been retrograde since 8/24. Uranus is an outer planet, so a collective influence more than a personal one as long as it isn't directly aspecting a point in your chart. You will feel this one the most if you have anything natally at 14° fixed signs. Uranus is the Great Awakener, the planet of 4D and unexpected disruptions that bring change. It is also the planet of innovative solutions, sudden flashes of insight, and thinking outside the box. It wants to break free of status quo. When retrograde, with this energy turning inward, rewinding, we may find ourselves in resistance to the change that is upon us - Uranus retrograde gives us a chance to process and catch up with big change happening in our lives. As it stations direct, this process comes to a close and we find ourselves ready to embrace the new and unfamiliar with a sense of excitement.

Chiron stationing direct in Aries on 12/23, the same day as the Capricorn new moon is significant - especially because it is going to be playing a significant role in 2023, popping up in aspect to many of the new and full moons over the coming months.

This makes now a really good time to go over what this means and how we can consciously harness this energy in our lives, because it's going to be coming up in significant ways consistently in 2023.

Here's the set up....

As you may already be aware, Capricorn season begins at solstice, this Wednesday the 21st, when sun enters the sign, joining Mercury preparing to station retrograde there as well as Venus and Pluto.

This marks a major turning point of the year, and this time around its carries extra weight, because Pluto, having been in Capricorn since 2008, is preparing to move into Aquarius for the first time in late March. Now, this transition will be happening into 2024 as Pluto moves back and forth over the Cap/Aqua cusp, but in the next couple of months, we will have our last Cap season and solstice with Pluto in the sign, our last Mercury retrograde with Pluto in the sign, and the last conjunctions between Venus, sun, and Mercury to Pluto in Capricorn as well.

Consider it the "big finale," and Mercury retrograde from 12/29 to 1/18 is helping us to mentally process the past decade of Pluto in Cap as it backtracks over the degrees Pluto was at from 2012 up into 2022.

So that's a lot of action in Capricorn.

Adding to that, on 12/18, the dwarf planet Ceres, "the mother" moves into Libra, and on 12/20, Jupiter reenters Aries, creating a T-square between the activity in these 3 cardinal signs of earth, air, and fire, that will be on now into March.

A T-square is a very dynamic aspect made up of 3 planets sitting at 90 degree angles to each other, so it's like two squares combined. It means we will be under pressure to grow.

Here's the alchemical key to this situation:

The sign and energy of Cancer, cardinal water. Cancer completes the "square" here between the four cardinal signs and represents the missing element/energy, so to balance this dynamic from now into March, we need to consciously infuse our lives with the energy of Cancer - the energy of water, the moon, and the mother, intuition, emotions, caring, belonging, nurturing, connection, tribe, family, and even tuning into where we come from in a deeper way and seeking ancestral support.