1st Sept 2016 NEW MOON SOLAR ECLIPSE VIRGO

With the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter and North Node all in Virgo and with yesterday's New Moon, Solar Eclipse, 1st September 2016 at 9 degrees Virgo, it is a strong, positive time to embrace this earth energy to plan what you want to do! A Solar eclipse is when the Moon stands between the Sun and the Earth, cutting off the light to the Sun. Solar Eclipses herald big life news, often new beginnings or endings that will bring about new chapters. Eclipses force changes and help life to move forward. Dates that you will remember for years. If it doesn't impact you directly, then family or friends may experience these major life changes. Generally though New Moon, Solar Eclipses bring about new beginnings and new opportunities whereas Lunar Eclipses are more about emotional changes, revelations or facing the truth. Positive unexpected occurrences that bring about changes often happen as a result of a Solar Eclipse too. Virgo is an intelligent, practical, dexterous, perfectionist energy. The fact Mercury in Virgo is in Retrograde and Mercury rules Virgo, gives us an opportunity to re think and re do things, a second chance. A Solar Eclipse is a much more powerful New Moon and so it's effects and influence can be felt for up to three to six months afterwards. Not everyone will feel the effects of an eclipse strongly unless you have your Sun, Moon or Ascendant in this sign. It also depends in which house (which area of life) this occurs as to how it may manifest. What is not so easy, for everyone is the Saturn (in Sagittarius) square Neptune Retrograde (in Pisces) Saturn is about structure, responsibility, lessons/karma. Neptune is about illusion, mysticism and magic. Sagittarius is about freedom, truth, expansion and Pisces is about imagination and fantasy. Neptune in Pisces is rose coloured, romantic and sensitive. So this square can be felt negatively as fear, paranoia and a struggle between responsibilities and escapism. The harsh reality of life may leave you feeling bereft, disappointed or depressed. “The shattering of illusion is like waking up from a bad dream” Questions about what we believe in and dreams we have that have may have died pave the way for a new path. It's a hard time and there have been several squares between Saturn and Neptune since November 2015 but this final aspect culminates on 10th September. So once this influence settles after 10th, with open eyes we should find we are able to start to move forward and build new foundations or deal with the reality which will be less scary than feared.

New Moon in Gemini and Grand Cross on 5th June 2016

An intense, unusual New Moon at 14 degrees Gemini today, 5th June 2016, due to the challenging grand cross that is triggered by it. As this grand cross involves mutable signs (Sun, Venus, Moon in Gemini, Saturn in Sagittarius, Neptune in Pisces and Jupiter in Virgo) trying to go with the flow and adapt to necessary changes will help. Don't be surprised if many people feel scattered energies, confusion, chaos, lost and an anticipation of change on the horizon. It can be exciting but also very unsettling. With so many big shifts and oppositions and squares in the sky, the way you may feel or be effected will depend on your individual birth chart and the houses (areas of life) that are engaging these dominant outer planets. New Moons usually highlight a positive time to set new intentions but with so many other over powering influences this month it's more like a New Moon heralding bigger changes. With the Sun, Moon and Venus all in Gemini one would expect a light hearted, sociable feel but with this Moon in opposition to Saturn in Sagittarius people may be feeling a range of fluctuating feelings from vulnerability to defensiveness. With Jupiter in opposition to Neptune, extreme desires to escape. Neptune in Pisces square Saturn in Sagittarius could be felt as fears about the future or fears of what the outcomes could be. Other possible ways the Moon in opposition to Saturn square Neptune could be felt as big dreams that could lead to disillusionments or disappointments or plans that felt possible could turn out to be thwarted. There are so many other ways these many influences could be experienced. But just a few examples should relay how confusing and hard this grand cross is. Even the Sun square Jupiter (a planet of bonhomie and expansion) could mean blind faith and optimism are felt and then the Moon Square Saturn can be depression or melancholy so swinging between different polarities and emotions is possible too this month. Plus don't forget Gemini is a very changeable sign, with the Sun, Venus and Moon here. Finding new ways to express yourself and learning adaptability may be valuable tools to embrace. The positive thing about Grand Crosses (whether natal or transitory) the challenges bring about change, healing and transformation. Themes for this grand cross are communication (Gemini), truth and reality (Saturn in Sagittarius), Illusions and dreams (Neptune in Pisces) and adventures and philosophy, healing and service to others (Jupiter in Virgo/North Node)