Wednesday morning we have an eclipse of the Moon. This follows, by two weeks, a recent eclipse of the Sun. If everything is feeling a little more manic than usual — if time seems to be whipping by, people are coming and going from your life or if you’re suddenly making big decisions — think: eclipse.

Partial lunar eclipse over Colorado. Photo by Steven Bratman.

Eclipses represent turning points, or what you might think of as threshold moments — where you may transition from one phase of your life to the next. You might be swept up in events, or you may consciously invoke changes.

The idea is to keep making conscious decisions and to correct any errors you make as soon as you can. Eclipses come with moments of what used to be called quickening (in older New Age parlance), where the energy speeds up, the molecules of existence have a little more room between them, and there is the potential to mix, blend and balance the flavors of your life.

If you’ve been feeling stuck or as if you need to groove on something new, now is the moment to get your energy moving. We have been repeating the refrain “act on your intentions” — this is the time to vote for yourself with what you do rather than what you think. I’m saying that the inherent difference between thought and action is more meaningful right now.

I’m also suggesting we’ve done plenty of thinking and it’s time to shake it up. Full Moons of any variety are great tools for resolving situations that have come to an impasse, and we have an excellent one on its way.

The Moon is now approaching first quarter phase, halfway between last week’s New Moon and next week’s Full Moon. However, the New Moon was a total solar eclipse in Pisces, and the coming Full Moon is a lunar eclipse.

Speaking in practical terms, this is the moment to act on your intentions.

It’s true that in our great, vast, creative universe, everything is possible all the time; though there are especially lavish moments, and the ability to see them is why we use astrology. We could call out many themes from this pattern of eclipses (I have described the recent Pisces eclipse in this article).

The space between two eclipses is a moment when the physical world is particularly flexible, and subject to creative intentions. Eclipses are moments to both establish new patterns and release old ones. That’s what makes them especially fertile events.

We are building toward a Full Moon, which means you can hitch your wagon to that pony and pick up the momentum. Grab anything in motion while it’s within reach.

Stay tuned to Planet Waves for special coverage of the solar eclipse this week. I’m planning to dust off Planet Waves TV, and will have a special edition of Planet Waves FM that we release a little earlier in the day Tuesday.

Tuesday’s total solar eclipse in Pisces is far beyond the ordinary: for an eclipse or any other astrological event. It’s a centerpiece of what is by any measure a truly extraordinary time, and much of what’s so, well, ‘now’ about now involves Pisces.
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We’re in the midst of one of the most full-on Pisces alignments so far this century. Planets are rapidly gathering in the last sign of the zodiac, the one that people don’t necessarily recognize is their favorite.

Fractal with Teal Waves, by Dev Moore

Whatever you may think of Pisces people, the subjects of Pisces include music, movies, romance, fantasies, your favorite beverages, photography and your favorite art. What’s not to love?

For the next few weeks, everyone is an honorary Pisces, especially with the Sun close to the Pisces-related planet Neptune right now. This is opening up what you might call the ‘psychic field’ and we’re all being invited to tune into the sixth sense, to notice beauty and to feel some of the comfort of being in a body.

Indulge in the pleasures of your choice. Use your imagination; it’s longing for your attention. Take some time away from the grind, even if it’s just a few hours. Pisces energy tends to put people in a good mood, and the world is a little softer.

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Today is the Full Moon in Virgo. (It’s exact Monday, Feb. 22 at 1:20 pm EST / 9:20 am PST / 18:20 UTC.)

What opportunities will this Full Moon bring you? Photo by Mr Seb.

Think of the Full Moon as a peak of energy, like a wave coming to its crest. You may feel energized by this astrology, and many people tend to get a bit of insomnia when the Moon is full — a throwback to when the bright nights were the time of the hunt.

In a modern context, the Full Moon has some exciting properties. One of them is that it helps resolve conflicts, or deadlocked situations. The key to using this quality is by gently — very gently — guiding things in the direction you want them to go, and then letting the momentum help you get to where you want to be.

For that to work, you need to know what you want. You need to identify the things you want to resolve or work out; and, rather than pushing toward a goal, look for an opportunity to get there.

Today’s Full Moon in Virgo makes many oppositions to planets in Pisces. You could have a series of unusual encounters with people today and through the week. There’s a hint of mystery to this, where the purpose of the meeting might not be obvious right away. Let the story unfold; let people reveal their secrets to you.

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THIS WEEK — Mercury is now in Aquarius, and on Monday it enters new territory for the first time after the recent retrograde. Since the Internet came along, it seems like everyone has heard of Mercury retrograde, though there are nuances.

“Aphrodite Urania as patroness of the arts” — Griepenkerl, 1877-78

What happens today is that what’s called the ‘shadow phase’ ends, and the retrograde cycle comes to an end.

If you’ve been experiencing frustrations with technology, with communications, with money or with getting your plans in order, you’re likely to get some relief.

More significant is that you use this two-month phase of what I will call ‘Mercury clear’ to initiate your new projects. This is a much better time to make major purchases, conduct negotiations and enter agreements than any time around the retrograde.

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“Girl with a Book” — Jose Ferraz de Almeida Junior (1850-1899) — date unknown.

THIS WEEK — Monday there is a spectacular New Moon in the sign Aquarius. Looking at the chart for this event (at 9:39 am EST or 14:39 UTC), the picture is one of connection, of purpose, and of easy access to the energy you need to fulfill your desires.

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“Visions of Jupiter”. Jupiter may be considered the Lord of Dharma astrologically — he acts as if to hold the world together. Image by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / CC

Good morning.

It’s been a week since Mercury stationed direct, though the long conjunction to Pluto that peaked over the weekend may have extended the drama a bit. The benefit of that was discovering deeper answers to questions you were asking, and working out lasting solutions to to problems you may have discovered only recently.

Keep making decisions, and keep working your way toward the heart of the matter. Current aspects favor honesty, and also experiences where passion is a feeling. Three signs join forces to create that effect — Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces. You could not want a richer mix of earth and water, especially with Venus moving into a conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn.

Any irritation you may have experienced during the Moon-Mars conjunction that lasted from Sunday into Monday will give way to the feeling that you’ve come around a corner. Try not to bring any emotional residue of the past with you. If you can manage that, aspects reveal deeper feelings that make room for honest commitments.

When you’re asked something, try responding honestly, and letting your feelings show. When you need something, ask with the feeling of faithful expectancy. That is not arrogant. If you were to study only politics, you might think that average folks all hate one another — but that turns out not to be true. In fact we all have a stake in one another’s success.

With Jupiter conjunct the North Node, you’re reminded that what is good for you is probably good for everyone. You can afford to be generous, so offer yourself and pass forward your own blessings and abundance.

In that spirit, I’m happy to offer you a preview of all the work I’ve been doing on Vision Quest. If you visit this page, you can listen to previews of both your astrology and rune readings for the year.

As one reader wrote today, “Your readings confirm my process over the last so many years. This reading confirms a turning point that seems to be happening.”