Tag Archives: full moon

The Day of the Grand Gesture: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Oct. 12
The Day of the Grand Gesture | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

You may find your one-to-one relationships gaining a touch of extra zing this year, whether that involves meeting exciting new people or getting some pep injected into current connections. Variety being known for its relish, visiting some unfamiliar places or trying a different hobby will almost certainly encourage a sense of freshness. The thing to remember is that any particular change you wish to foster can start within you; you can set an example for those around you to follow if they wish.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have your Sun, Moon or rising sign in Libra? If so, Eric has much to say about stabilizing your relationships in the chaos of the internet, getting some traction in your career, and most of all, how to frame your own reality. in the 2019-2020 Libra Astrology Studio, now available for instant access. Check out the video preview for the reading here.

Written in the Planets

With the Moon entering Aries in the wee hours this morning, the day could be marked by especially impulsive responses and behaviors — whether yours, or those of people you’re interacting with. Tomorrow’s Full Moon (opposite the Libra Sun) won’t be exact until that evening; but with Aries and Libra signifying ‘the individual’ and ‘relationships’, you can expect any situation to be amplified where those concepts are central.

This is on top of today’s opposition between Venus (love, emotions, relationships) in Scorpio and Uranus (surprises, upsets, awakening) in Taurus. Remember that encountering the unexpected in a relationship (especially one that’s set in its ways) can actually be refreshing, invigorating and conducive to rekindling passion. Of course, shocks to perceived stability can also exacerbate tensions and anxieties; more so if the people involved have been ignoring certain matters that have gotten stale, stuck or were left on autopilot for too long.

If you’re partnered, can you seek out some new stimulation together, and appreciate each other’s zest for life, curiosity and willingness to grow? Adventures that feed the individual soul also foster a greater sense of inner abundance; and this can be shared openly with others to mutual benefit.
— by Amanda Painter

My autumn readings, called In These Times, offer a place of refuge, an opportunity to suspend self-judgment, and my careful reading of the charts. I offer you reasons to be motivated, and strategies for handling the strange complexity of society at this time. To this work, I bring all of what I have learned as a journalist, editor, astrologer, spiritual student and man of the world; and I offer it to you for an affordable price. Read more here.

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The Day of Gracious Ease: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 11
The Day of Gracious Ease | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Regardless of how long it takes you to get there, what you are currently aiming for is within your power to achieve. You might think doing so will necessitate some deus ex machina, but you already contain all the resources you require, in terms of skill, knowledge, character and sheer guts. Even if this isn’t immediately clear to you now, certain tools tend to become visible as they become necessary. Take courage. You have everything you could possibly need to draw on, and then some.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Mercury enters its pre-retrograde ‘echo’ or ‘shadow’ phase in Scorpio this evening. The actual retrograde begins on Oct. 31, and could signal a few more Halloween/Samhain hijinks than usual. Between now and then, you may get a little taste of what this retrograde is about, beyond SNAFUs and confusion. With the planet of the mind in the deep-feeling sign of mystery and intensity, you might frame this as your chance to play Private Investigator in your own psyche. What truths are you ready to uncover, and then put to use in your process of becoming?

Note that with the Aries Full Moon approaching on Sunday and a Venus-Uranus opposition tomorrow, certain interpersonal situations could feel loaded — whether with challenging surprises and exciting new possibilities, or with an urge to make big changes, or both. You can roll with it, though a little flexibility, a sense of humor and curiosity will help. The more conscious you can be about how you direct your energy and creativity, the more empowered you’ll likely feel in the face of any pressures and worries that may be cropping up.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Day of Prudent Economy: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 10
The Day of Prudent Economy | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Were there not sufficient time for pauses and smelling the flowers, our lives would be rather dull. Society seems to place little value on such moments, but you know better; you’re aware that finding something in each day to enjoy is the summit of human experience. Make sure you keep that understanding in mind this year, especially during those times when you’re at your busiest. Let the child and the artist in you out to play often, in order to kindle and rekindle your love of the world and its many beauties.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

As we get closer to Sunday’s Full Moon in Aries, you may notice certain relationships are intensifying — along with any of your usual Full Moon effects such as sleep pattern shifts, changes in emotional responses, or needing to negotiate a situation that’s starting to feel a little stuck. Even though the Moon is not even in Aries yet, the Libra Sun is making contact with Pluto in Capricorn and Ceres and Jupiter in Sagittarius — all of which will be directly in aspect to the Full Moon.

Jupiter’s presence may be greasing the wheels of any potential power struggles (especially with authority figures) that you might be navigating currently. Normally a Sun-Jupiter sextile is considered ‘lucky’ and good for social interactions of all kinds, but Pluto’s a pretty serious heavyweight. So rather than leaning on Jupiter to push your luck in risky ways, perhaps think of it as just enough of a buffer from the full pressure of Pluto to allow you to do what needs to be done — with careful reflection on your plans. A close look at any attendant fears or other emotional issues could also offer significant benefit today and through the weekend.

With Ceres there, we get an image of how we can teach by example, and learn from the examples and mentorship of others. What new lessons are you learning now, both from your inner grappling and from your interactions with people — including those you might be in a position to guide? What feels like a bit of an adventure, or is otherwise nourishing to your spirit? Who might be looking up to you, taking notes on what you say and the choices you make? Who are you seeking guidance from, and in what form? The more actively you can engage these questions and processes, the more you’re likely to get out of them — and the more you’ll have to give in the balance.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Aries Full Moon and Friends

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By Amanda Painter

How’s your sleep this week? And your relationship to authority figures — the ‘real’ ones and the internalized ones? Where are your thoughts going, and how do you feel about it? What about your urges and responses in your more intimate relationships? How conscious are you about using your energy in a creative, focused way?

The 2015 Aries Full Moon; photo by Amanda Painter.

As we end this week, several planetary events are conspiring to drive questions like those. The headlining act is the Aries Full Moon on Sunday.

Before we get there, Mercury enters its pre-retrograde echo (or shadow) phase tomorrow. On Saturday, Venus opposes Uranus to add a little extra voltage. Let’s take them in chronological order.

Mercury entering its shadow/echo phase Friday evening is your heads up to prepare any and all things related to communication, its related technologies, spending, transit, and how you handle your frame of mind in general. As in: back up your computer, tie up any loose ends with contracts and major purchases, and begin to get back into habits that help to safeguard against sending emails that ought not to be sent.

Mercury won’t actually station retrograde until Oct. 31 (Trick or Treat!). But as you may know, things can sometimes get even funkier prior to the retrograde than during it. Mercury will station direct — still in Scorpio — on Nov. 20.

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The Day of the Perceptive Critic: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Sept. 14
The Day of the Perceptive Critic | Order 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Your birthday this year plays host to the Pisces Full Moon amid some eventful astrology. You may well find yourself both unusually busy, and in an especially good position to make things happen. It’s likely you’ll easily figure out how to turn an idea into a concrete reality or a practical application, or set a long-term project in motion. The only thing to be wary of is if you have a tendency to self-doubt. If so, keep an eye on your state of mind, and check in regularly with people you trust.
— by Amy Elliott

If your Sun, Moon or rising sign is Virgo, you are heading into a most unusual solar year, set up to do the thing Virgo is designed for: integrate the elements of your being, find your direction and purpose, and act on it. Eric lays it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio, now available for instant access.

Written in the Planets

With the Pisces Full Moon peaking early this morning (12:33 am EDT), hopefully you’ll start noticing some relief if this week has felt a little crispy around the edges yet soggy in the middle. Planets are still opposing Neptune, but the Moon is easing off from its role as emotional intensifier/polarizer. You’ll still want to beware of mind-altering substances this weekend, particularly if you need to drive, do anything physical, or handle hot or sharp items. Easy does it today. There is still a ‘things may not be as they appear’ undercurrent to many interactions and circumstances.

Mercury and Venus are traveling together in a conjunction for a few weeks. They begin the day in Virgo, square the centaur planet Pholus in Sagittarius. Then Mercury enters Libra at 3:14 am EDT, and Venus follows suit at 9:43 am EDT. One thing this could represent is a revelation — either something is revealed to you, or you reveal something (to yourself or to another).

Whatever it is could have effects well into the future, or could point you in a new direction. Mercury and Venus entering Libra may describe an increasing sense of balance or spaciousness in thought processes, and in the emotions that influence them. You can let that buoy you, though stay aware that with Jupiter and Neptune still moving toward their exact square, the reference points for what counts as ‘realistic’ remain nebulous and shifting.
— by Amanda Painter

My readings offer a place of refuge, an opportunity to suspend self-judgment, and my careful reading of the charts. I offer you reasons to be motivated, and strategies for handling the strange complexity of society at this time. To this work, I bring all of what I have learned as a journalist, editor, astrologer, spiritual student and man of the world; and I offer it to you for an affordable price. Read more here.

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The Day of Passionate Care: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Sept. 13
The Day of Passionate Care Order 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Particularly if you move with confidence, those around you are likely to sit up and pay attention. You seem to be invested with substantial charm, and may need to be prepared for a surge of interest in you and your projects. If you’re working on something specific and introduce it to the public view, there’s a chance it could take off unexpectedly. Regardless of what happens, practice honesty, clarity and setting boundaries. These could almost certainly be put to some use.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Tonight into the wee hours tomorrow is the Pisces Full Moon. It’s a special one, since it’s conjunct Neptune. Possibly you’ve been feeling a subtly building form of pressure — not as hot as an Aries Full Moon, not as piercing as a Scorpio Full Moon. More like (to borrow a recent description by Eric) your bladder filling with 50 gallons of water. It’s hard to move, it feels like it will never release, and somehow you didn’t see it coming until you realized you were full.

Adding to the sense of pressure building is that the Moon has been gradually opposing all the other objects in Virgo yesterday and today. So we’ve been getting various preliminary flavors of this Full Moon, all infused by the rather confusing, soggy notes of Neptune. It may be worth tracking your various moods, urges, doubts and inspirations from the last couple days and through the weekend; you might find yourself figuring out something you did not even realize you were puzzling over.

Mars in Virgo is opposite Neptune currently (exact tomorrow). This aspect serves as a caution — for instance, about overestimating how much you can drink or indulge in drugs. Best to avoid them; stay home if you’re not willing to abstain. Beware of misjudging what you can handle physically and mentally, particularly if you’re feeling stressed out. No matter how much you want things to go a certain way, don’t let that desire cloud your ability to see what people are really doing. Misunderstandings could feel especially frustrating right now, but staying aware of your ego-based reactions could help in understanding yourself and navigating the conflict.

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The Day of Royal Command: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Aug. 15
The Day of Royal Command | 2019-20 Leo Astrology Studio is available for instant access | All Other Signs

This is likely to be a pivotal moment for you, highlighted by an influential Full Moon on your birthday. You’ll probably find yourself with fresh motivation to focus on matters you might previously have begun to let slide, or able to clear certain hindrances that may have seemed immovable in the past. The choice of where and how to devote your energy is yours alone; you’ll therefore want to be sure you can voluntarily honor any commitment you make, through all weathers.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have a Leo Sun, rising sign or Moon? Your last couple years may have left you reeling trying to figure out which path forward is best. Hear Eric’s thoughts on expediting your post-eclipse process in your 2019-2020 Leo Astrology Studio reading.

Written in the Planets

Mercury leaves its post-retrograde shadow phase this morning, freeing up thought patterns and communication just in time for today’s Full Moon in Aquarius. The Aquarius Moon opposes the Leo Sun and Venus at 8:29 am EDT (12:29:08 UTC), which means it will be separating and the energy beginning to dissipate during the day. Yet even as the Moon moves along, the Sun and Venus will still be closely aligned — offering warm, heartfelt social vibes for a few days.

That said, if you’re in a funk or not feeling as social as everyone around you seems to be, there are elements in the Full Moon chart suggesting that a ‘fake it till you make it’ approach could be worth trying. Sometimes we feel limited in how expressive we can be with others, or in who exactly we’re able to connect with. And while that can speak to concrete circumstances, often it’s just a matter of perception (and specifically, self-perception) that’s based more on past or internal emotional habits than on the present moment’s opportunities.

Showing up bodily in a specific physical space where others are gathered may help you to find the leverage needed to rise above perceived limitations (or to hold space for others to do so), and let a little friendliness shine out. Yet you can offer this to yourself, as well, by setting aside some time and space to do something kind, creative or playful for yourself. Whether solo or with others, these options are a form of love — ones that cost little to give, yet are priceless to receive.
— by Amanda Painter

Aquarius Full Moon (and Friends)

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By Amanda Painter

Mercury leaves its post-retrograde shadow phase this morning, freeing up thought patterns and communication just in time for today’s Full Moon in Aquarius. The Aquarius Moon opposes the Leo Sun and Venus at 8:29 am EDT (12:29:08 UTC), which means the aspect will be separating and the energy beginning to dissipate during the day.

A sunflower demonstrates the Golden Ratio; photo by Amanda Painter

That could translate into any seemingly stuck situations starting to resolve — though this appears to be a Full Moon with less of a conflict/tension signature compared to many other Full Moons.

This one looks more social, with the energy peak having come Wednesday night. Yet even as the Moon moves along from this opposition, the Sun and Venus will still be closely aligned — offering warm, heartfelt social vibes for a few days. Mercury finally treading new ground in Leo describes lively and possibly even dramatic communication of ideas — the bigger the audience, the better.

That said, if you’re in a funk or not feeling as social as everyone around you seems to be, there are elements in the Full Moon chart suggesting that a ‘fake it till you make it’ approach could be worth trying. That would be the asteroids Achilles (false confidence or false lack of confidence) and Icarus (a desire to escape restrictions, exuberance of youth; also potentially reckless actions) conjunct the Moon in Aquarius.

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