Tag: Aries

Last Quarter Moon In Aries – The Missing Piece Of The Puzzle

Astro Butterfly

On Sunday, July 16th we have the Last Quarter Moon in Aries. The Last Quarter Moon is dynamic and unpredictable and will reveal something we’ve been missing. This “missing element” will take us completely by surprise, given that Uranus and Mars are in a very close aspect to this lunation.

Last Quarter Moons are always dynamic because there are essentially a square between the most important celestial bodies, the Sun and the Moon. This particular Quarter Moon will be even more so, because it triggers the Mars Uranus square in the Cardinal signs Aries and Cancer.

Because of these squares, Sunday and Monday will be very intense, in contrast to the rest of the week, which has been rather uneventful. After the powerful Full Moon in Capricorn we had some well-deserved time to chill out, reflect and regain our strength and clarity.

The Last Quarter Moon in Aries will be explosive and unexpected, like an alarm clock waking us up from a dream. Mars is pairing with the Sun while the Moon is pairing with Uranus. Sun and Mars in the sign of Cancer will seek the safe harbor, the familiar territory, while Uranus with the Moon in the individualistic sign of Aries will look for freedom and seek to rewire (Uranus) our patterns of behavior (Moon).

Last Quarter Moon Aries

Mars and Uranus are the most intense, active and alert planets so expect a lot of inner tension. We cannot have emotional freedom and play it safe in the same time. This is the message of this turbo-charged Last Quarter Moon. If you want predictability, you might miss all the fun. It is either, or.

Don’t try to fight the restlessness you’re experiencing because it is in the uneasiness of the conflict where you will find the way out.

Look at the moon right now. It is exactly half illuminated. Half light, half dark.  You are now at the crossroads, looking how far you’ve come and how much further you can get. It is a time of transition, transformation, of evolution.  Something is about to happen, something is about to change.

The message may not be so easy to decode as it is internal, so don’t expect something to just “happen” in the outside. You are the one who needs to make up your mind and make the necessary decisions.

Like with any decision, a part of us wants to move forwards, and a part of us resists change. This is not the time to make life changing decisions, this is a time for readjustment. It is a time to see what is not working, look at the cracks, see what exactly what needs to be changed, so you can prepare for something better.

The changes we make at the Last Quarter Moon are not so obvious, “in your face” like the changes we make at the First Quarter Moon.  If during the First Quarter we are motivated to build, to manifest in the outside world, during the Last quarter we are motivated to “de-construct”, to find a new direction.

The changes we make now require some sort of mental adjustments, a shift in our thinking, in our beliefs. They are very much internal and sometimes unconscious. Last Quarter Moons can be uneventful, but are uneventful only from the outside. Inside, things are changing.

Don’t try to resist them, go with the flow.  Just like the moon, we need to go thought the cycle of growing and disseminating, so we can grow again.

On Sunday especially, but also during the whole next week when the Moon is disseminating, let go of anything that needs to be let go of: projects, beliefs, attitudes, habits and behaviors, people, places, dreams, whatever it is that is holding you back.

Now is time to bring your life in line with what you deeply know to be true.

You are affected by this transit especially if you have planets or angles between 24°-29° in Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). Look in which house you have Aries to get more clues about how the energy will manifest in your life.

Things to do during the Last Quarter Moon:

Contemplate – Last Quarter Moons are those time in the lunar cycle when is actually beneficial to look back, evaluate and contemplate, while keeping the focus on the big picture. What have you learned from the moment of the New Moon until now? Last Quarter Moons are also a good time to look ahead, not necessarily with big dreams and hopes, but with wisdom and reflection:  what are you going to do different next time?  This is a time of change, to reflect on the consequences of your past actions as well as decide what you should keep on doing, and what not.  Ponder on why you have not achieved some of your objectives. And make sure next time, at the next lunar cycle, you avoid doing the same mistakes.

Make decisions – Write down all the projects you are working on but you did not have the chance to complete. Take a honest look at each single one of them. Which one is worth pursuing and which one is not? What do you need to eliminate so you can move forward? Circle the top projects and activities and make a commitment to do something about them, and plan the next steps to make sure you complete them. The Last Quarter Moon is your last chance to make changes and restructure your plans. And then cross out all the remaining  projects and objectives. Make the conscious commitment to release them.

Break bad habits – If you want to kick a bad habit, you might find it is easier to break it at a Last Quarter Moon phase than at a New Moon phase. This is because at a New Moon, when the Moon is invisible, we can feel quite confused, without a compass and we are generally low in energy. Use instead the active energy of the Last Quarter Moon square to end a habit you wish to quit.

Do some recycling or small DIY projects – If you are not a DIY person yourself, you can instead go and shop for any type of item that has been recycled, reprocessed or reused, for example reclaimed wood, or for anything that has to do with energy saving, for example energy efficient appliances, energy efficient light bulbs, energy efficient windows.

Reclaim your job – Last Quarter Moons have a Capricorn vibe because Capricorn is the last Cardinal sign, connected to Aries (the Sun’ equivalent of the New Moon) with a square by sign. That’s why during Last Quarter Moon any type of adjustments related to your status, to your career, anything that has to do with reclaiming your status and authority is favored now.

Do gardening – if  you have a garden, now is time to harvest or weed the garden, and prune dormant fruit trees. The Last Quarter Moons in general are also a great time to start building a new compost heap.

Take care of the details – this is a great time to deal with those “odds and ends” you’ve been neglecting, dig into the details, and finish the work you’ve been procrastinating. Either if it is finishing some paperwork, paying the bills, cleaning out the cupboard or reinventing the existing space in your room, now is time to organize, streamline, clean up, throw away whatever is impractical, useless, or toxic (those decades’ old jars in the fridge or the empty spray bottles for example), and in general to toss out the old stuff to make space for the new.

Move! Let’s not forget that the last quarter Moon is a square, and if you feel a rush of energy and don’t know what to do about it, yoga, martial arts or any type of movement that  aims to align the body with the mind are very beneficial right now.

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Grand Fire Trine – Building Castles In The Sky

Astro Butterfly

We have a Grand Trine in Fire signs between Saturn, Uranus and the North Node which started forming mid-May and will last until mid-June. In the middle of the transit, the Grand Trine will turn into a “Castle” a highly beneficial configuration that will enable us to actualize our life mission, turn our vision into reality and make our wildest dream come true.

Grand Trine Uranus

Every time the Nodes are involved, we have the choice to stay where we are, adding an extra layer of security to the comfort of our South Node, or move into the unknown, pushing of our instincts to the pull of our purpose (North Node).

3th of June will be the highlight of this very special energy, due to some very special transits:

  • Venus conjoins Uranus, adding an “extra sparkle” to the Grand Trine.
  • Mars, in the last degree of Gemini, applies a sextile to the North Node and to Venus and Uranus
  • The South Node is in sextile with Saturn and Venus/Uranus

On 3rd of June 2017 the Grand Trine will become a Double-Kite, also called a “Castle” which is an extremely rare and progressive astrological configuration.

Castle

I like the symbolism attached to the Kite, which is a bird flying between Heaven and Earth bearing the sign of the Cross. The role of the Kite is to stimulate the expression of the Grand Trine, of the infinite potential of the Universe through our consciousness. The Grand trine energy is expressed through the Kite.

In our case we have two possible “outlets” for the Grand Fire Trine energy (North Node/ Uranus/ Saturn): one is though Mars and the other though the South Node. We have to choice to either “act” upon our mission in this lifetime, and literally start building castles in the sky, or to go back to our comfortable routine and do nothing (South Node) about the opportunity we’ve been presented.

And because we have 2 kites the configuration becomes a “Castle”. The Castle is a highly stable structure, resting on the base of the trine / triangle. The planets we have at the base are Saturn and the North Node. The foundations on which we are building our castle are solid (Saturn) and aligned with our soul’s Purpose (North Node).

The Universe is giving us everything we need to turn our dreams into reality.

Who said you can’t build castles in the sky? The highest point of the Castle is the Uranus  / Venus conjunction signifying the edelweiss on top of the mountain, the stunning beauty of the higher realms of the sky, the promise of heaven.

Leave behind your comfort zone and chose action instead, you now have the chance to build upon a foundation that will stand for an eternity.  

If you have planets or angles around 27° in Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, you are especially favored by this transit.

Why The Spring Equinox Is The Start Of A New Astrological Year

Astro Butterfly

A new astrological season is about to come along. The Spring Equinox of 2017 – or the first day of Spring arrives on March 19th/20th (depending on your time zone).

The Sun will enter the first sign of the zodiac, Aries and mark a change of seasons as well as the start of the Astrological New Year.

In fact in many cultures The Spring Equinox is celebrated as the start of a new year. Spring is the time of year when the cycle of life, death, and rebirth is complete.

As plants bloom and new life returns, the theme of resurrection is ever present. For example, the Christian tradition of Easter is celebrated soon after the Sun moves into Aries.

Equinox literally means “equal night.” At the Spring Equinox, day and night are the same length.

springequinoxaries

And although most of us have already written our New Year’s Resolutions early January, NOW is the best time to start something new.

Aries (the first sign of the zodiac) definitely has the power to lead the way and is a powerful manifestor. That’s why Aries season is the best time for new beginnings, for expressing oneself and making bold moves.

Don’t throw away your resolutions. You wrote them just after the Winter Solstice, another important astrological date.

If the Winter Solstice (period just after Christmas and beginning of January) is the best time to conceptualize things and aim high (yes, Capricorn), the Spring Equinox and the start of a new Sun cycle is the best time to make these goals tangible and put them into action. So if you haven’t done much with your resolutions by now, no worries! Now is the time to bring them to the next level!

Let’s take some examples…

  • If early January you set the goal to find a new partner, the Spring Equinox is about getting clear about what kind of partner you want (maybe you met some interesting ‘prospects’ 😉 since then), where can you find him/her, and then go and get them!
  • If you set a goal to double your income this year, now is the time to decide what are you going to do about it: ask for a raise, get another job, become self-employed, go and invest in the stock market.
  • If your goal was to learn a new language, now is the time to enroll to a language class or download a language app and start practicing.

History gives us so many examples about the importance of the Spring Equinox in the ancient world. The Great Sphinx of Egypt and many other sites around the world were positioned facing the Rising Sun at the Spring Equinox.

These sites used to be power spots, meant to attune to the eternal, everflowing energy of the universe.

Ancient Celtic and Mediterranean people celebrated the Spring Equinox as a sacred marriage between God and Goddess, yin and yang, day and night.

otherworld

The reason why the Equinoxes are so powerful is that they are the only times of the year when the day is equal to the night, no matter where you are on Earth.

And it is only when the day and the night are equal, when the sacred feminine and sacred masculine come in the same doze, that life can emerge.

It is this perfect equilibrium that allows the universe to manifest itself.

The Sun’s journey throughout the course of the year signifies an universal journey, undertaken by people throughout the world, and throughout time – the journey to enlightenment.

Take your time now and put your attention on what you want to create. Take advantage of this natural life force that arises with the Spring Equinox and the start of the New Astrological Year. This is a chance to manifest your soul’s desires.

Your intentions are like seeds that if planted in fertile soil and taken care of, will grow over the next season, to bloom at the time of the Summer Solstice in June. The harvest of the fruit will come at the Autumn Equinox in September when you will get the chance to ponder over what you’ve done  -and reap what you’ve sown. And later in the dark of the winter months, you can finally take the time to reflect on what is really important for you and prepare yourself again for the Spring.

The new Astrological year 2017-2018 arrives on March 19th/20th and will end on March 19, 2018.

To get a glimpse into how the New Year is going to look like let’s have a look at the chart of the Spring Equinox. If we focus on the closest aspects we notice that:

  • The ruler of the Equinox, Mars, is in Taurus
  • Sun is at the mid-point between Venus and Chiron
  • Moon exactly conjuncts Saturn at27° in Sagittarius and both conjunct the Galactic Center
  • Jupiter square Pluto
  • Jupiter opposite Uranus

This New Astrological Year will be about emotional maturity (Moon/Saturn) and breaking through the conditioning (Jupiter, Uranus, Chiron, Pluto) so you can fully shine your light of your true self (Sun, Venus, Chiron). The world needs you and your gifts!

The New Astrological Year will be dominated by Mutable and Cardinal energy, signifying change and a desire to move to the “Next level”. When it comes to elements the new cycle will be dominated by Fire and Water – there is a very “conducting” energy in the air this year meaning that our creative pursuits will ask for expression.

We have a lack of Fixed and Air energy, meaning that objectivity and persistence can be challenged this new Sun cycle. We are so eager to try everything that we can lose our head and skip important steps.

If natally you have a lot of Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) or Fixed energy (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) this year will ask you to find creative ways to deal with the environment around you.

predictions-main

The very high concentration and Cardinal and Mutable energy will make us all restless – we will want to move forward and start new things.

The trouble is, we won’t have the discipline to focus on our initiatives because we have a surprising low amount of “Fixed” energy.

On top of this, Mercury “the quicksilver” is the most active planet of the month. March is a month of action, but wait for April to start setting foundations (in April we will have Sun, Mercury and Mars in Taurus adding some stability).

The first part of 2017 is high on ”Mutable” and “Cardinal” energy, because the “big planets” that change sings slowly are all in Mutable and Cardinal signs: North Node (in Virgo, Mutable), Jupiter (in Libra, Cardinal), Saturn (in Sagittarius, Mutable), Uranus (in Aries, Cardinal), Neptune (in Pisces, Mutable), Pluto (in Capricorn, Cardinal), Chiron (in Pisces, Mutable).

Things will start to slowly stabilize when firstly in May we will have the North Node changing sings and moving into Fixed Leo and few months later in October when Jupiter will move to Scorpio.

Those of you that natally have a lot of Mutable and Cardinal energy will feel at ease because the environment will be on the same frequency with you. You will miss though some opportunities for profound transformations because it won’t be anything out there to get you out of your comfort zone.

If natally you have a lot of Fixed energy, and less Mutable and Cardinal, the opposite stands true – you might not feel “at ease” because the world will miss the stability you dearly need, but in the same time you have plenty opportunities for growth and personal transformation.

What should you do during the Spring Equinox (hint: wait for after the Spring Equinox kicks in, not before).  Here some suggestions:

  • Light red candles and speak aloud your intentions for the Astrological New Year
  • Do a brain dump: get all your goals and TO DOs out of your mind and onto paper
  • Prioritize: What are your top 3 goals? And what is your Number 1 goal for this year? How does everything fit together?
  • Start something completely new. If you don’t have inspiration, throw a dart, or simply pick randomly and event to go to or a class to enroll (of course everything you do should be legal and moral…but hope you get what the expansive and “beginner’s mind” Aries energy stands for 😉
  • Enroll in a gym, take up a sport or find something to do with your body. Aries is a highly active sigh dominated by Mars and Mars loves to make use of energy
  • Plan a date with your partner or with your new romantic interest. Don’t forget Venus is very close in the sky 😉
  • Gather with your close friends around a fire to share stories, music and dance. Dance around the bonfire. Do a ritual to celebrate the symbolic rebirth of the world around you.

Mercury in Libra is opposite Uranus in Aries

Astro Butterfly

Our thoughts, ideas and opinions will be a little bit “different”, if not unusual!, and our mind will shine brighter during this transit. Both Mercury and Uranus rule the intellect, with Uranus being the higher octave of Mercury. Uranus transforms the logical processes of Mercury into sudden shifts of awareness. Together, the two will look at mundane things from innovative, highly interesting perspectives.

mercury-libra-opposition-uranus

Image: Michael Cheval – Swing of Love

Speaking our mind, not matter what, will become more important than ever. The Mercury / Uranus aspect is found in the natal charts of Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, James Madison and other epic figures that have set the foundations of what we call now “freedom of speech”.

Mercury in opposition with Uranus will also manifest in some sort of “rebelling” on a mental level. We can get easily distracted and disconnected from activities that bore us, and let our mind instead take off to some more interesting places. And because Mercury is in Libra, these places will tend to be beautiful and have plenty of socializing opportunities.

Things to do during this transit:

  • Question anything that society says is “the way it is”. Or, how Buddha puts it: “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” Doubt everything, find your own light 😉
  • Write a blog / conduct a research / communicate about an idea that no one has explored before. Research studies such as “Couples who drink more red wine stay together longer and partners are less likely to develop dementia “ or “How chicken feathers can be used to determine the speed of a tornado” were probably conducted during a Mercury /Uranus transit 😉
  • If single, check some internet dating websites – Mercury is in the sign of partnerships and Uranus can make anything possible 😉

 

A Crazy, Unpredictable Full Moon in Aries

Astro Butterfly

The Full Moon in Aries takes place on October 15 or October 16, depending where you live.

This also a Supermoon – that means that the Moon will appear brighter and bigger than usual – so you might want to go out and gaze into the moon and the night sky.

full-moon-aries-october

The message of this Full Moon is: expect the unexpected, or even better, don’t have any expectations at all. With Uranus conjunct this Full Moon, absolutely, but absolutely anything is possible.

Is not that the surprises that this Full Moon will bring will not make sense. Bob Dylan being awarded the Nobel prize for literature is a very good example of possible outcomes of this Full Moon.

The ruler of the Full Moon is Mars which makes it a fiery Full Moon. Full Moons by definitions mark energetic peaks, and are a catalysts of emotional release. And because  Mars is conjunct Pluto – this time the energy will be explosive, “nuclear”, atomic – you name it.

We want to take a stand and claim our power.  The Full Moon is an Aries so “our needs” become more important than other people’s desires and expectations. Aries likes to start new things, new journeys and new ideas – and this Full Moon will teach us how to be a bit more like an Aries. In which area of your life you would like to start something new? The SuperMoon will give all of us all a much needed push forward.

The Full Moon is not only conjunct Uranus, but also Eris, the warrior Goddess who fights injustice.  Self-empowerment themes become more important than ever.

Try to channel your emotions in a constructive way. Pluto and Eris as transpersonal planets can give us the focus and determination, and enlighten us to do the right thing. Our actions might look crazy from the outside, but make absolute sense to us.

Those of us with planets or angles around 23° in Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) will feel this Full Moon veeery strongly.

Now is the best time to take action in exposing a truth about yourself  or your relationships. You will finally stand up for what you truly believe in.

Whatever emotions you have repressed in the past may come spilling out with this Full Moon, so be prepared to do some cleansing.

Express yourselves and take your life to the next level.