Month: April 2019

Spring Equinox and Full Moon

by Lynne Speight, posted in Equinox, Fullmoons

March 20th/21st 2019

Here are some insights into Spring Equinox – the opening up of a new phase of the year today. This is a time of richly potent forward motion dovetailing with a need to complete processes and lay issues of the last cycle to rest. With a nod to humility and greater powers than ourselves. May this be inspiring, useful and supportive on your Life journey!
Spring Equinox is when the day and night are of equal length, and the Sun bursts forth into the Zodiac sign of Aries!It marks the beginning of the new astrological year – and Spring. The essence of Spring Equinox is a balance point which inspires us with urgency to cast off winter’s cloak. Earth energy bursts upwards into visibility. This follows the deep nourishment of the Earth during winter’s hibernation, laying the ground for the new growth cycle of spring. Buds are opening, birdsong shifts in tone and volume as they busily build their nests. There is a great rising of Eros and a rampant and urgent drive to begin and create, to move forwards with fiery enthusiasm and courage. This year, a Full Moon accompanies Spring Equinox, occurring only a few hours after the Sun moves into Aries, together with Chiron being in conjunction with the Sun, and a retrograde Mercury in Pisces. So, let’s unpick this particular accompaniment to Spring Equinox, to support our knowing how to best engage with the present energy-weather.

Full moon – Sun in Aries, Moon in Libra 01.44hrs GMT, 21st March

Full Moon is when the Sun and Moon are exactly opposite one another. It is when the Sun shines directly onto the Moon, hence the Moon being bright and visible as a full circle in the opposite sign of the Zodiac. At Full Moon time in the Lunar cycle, things tend to reach a peak. The revving up towards this point is often felt during the two days before exactitude. Energy is building: dreams, hopes, issues and plans (both conscious and unconscious) which were set in motion two weeks ago on the Pisces New Moon, now reach a flourishing full blossom. There is a feeling of being on the crest of a wave about to break. The trick is to ride the wave, as with the grace and skill of a skilled surfer, going with and adapting to the power of the wave. Energy can be high and at a peak or running riot during the run-up to a Full Moon. Many people experience a feeling of being ‘wired’. For some, there is a feeling of being edgy, speedy, with diminished sleep, impatience and sometimes headaches. If this is so for you, consider this: find the dates of the Full Moons in your diary or calendar, and see if you can possibly ‘deschedule’ during the couple of days preceding Full Moon. Or simply make a note to be extra kindly and compassionate towards yourself! The essence of this week’s Full Moon is one of finding a way to dance with and between the opposites of individual drive to power forwards on an independent trajectory, whilst attending to the needs of relationship and considertion of others. We find we need to attend to negotiation and co-operation with others – to look before we leap, taking stock and carefully considering the short and longer term impact and potential consequences of our intents and actions upon both ourselves and others. It’s an act of honouring both Self and Other with power and grace.

Chiron conjunct Sun in Aries

This cosmic conjunction is simultaneous with Spring Equinox and Full Moon. It stimulates our awareness of where we may feel a sense of flaw or lack or wounding in our personal power; in our ability to push our lives in the direction in which we believe we should be going. Our Soul holds a deep wisdom as to our life direction, meaning and purpose, and we sometimes move into a collision with this when we try to push in a direction which is directing ourselves away from where we really need to be going! Our Soul is at all times whispering directions and encouraging us to keep us ‘on track’, and there are times when we each stubbornly refuse to read the signs and take notice! Chiron holds a golden key (this is visible in its planetary symbol), a key which turns at just the point in time when we ‘give up’, fed up of wrestling with an issue to no avail, humbled or even experiencing a feeling of quiet desperation. So there is a magic here, which comes into being at just the point we really feel our incapability. In this space, we ‘give’ up and open up, as it feels there is nowhere else to go. In turn, if we are willing to dwell in this uncomfortable place, we may discover the gift of being guided by an invisible hand and a sense that we are not alone after all.

Mercury retrograde in Pisces

We are at this time within a Mercury retrograde phase (5th-28th March). Mercury retrograde is a much maligned phase which seems to inspire fearful anticipations, being used as an excuse for flakiness as well as some amusing memes!!It is a phase where communications and plans do sometimes go awry. But the reality beneath this so often comes from our trying to push or gallop off in a certain direction which we are not yet ready for. We may need to stay still and gain clarity first, by sorting out issues which need to be addressed, before we can move ahead. In some ways, Mercury retrograde is rather like a cosmic holding pen where we are waiting for the next ‘bit’ to happen, but first, we need to stop, look and listen – which of course can be very frustrating! So if you are feeling frustrated in your personal direction, maybe take some time out to pause, make a cup of tea, sit outdoors and bask in the wonder and beauty of Spring. Look back over your shoulder at things in your Life which may need attention in order to lay them to rest…before you can power forwards with maximum velocity!It’s a dance of many varied steps. As Mr.Booja-Booja says: “What else might be possible that you haven’t considered yet?” And, last but not least, check where you can let your dreams, hopes and wishes for a compassionate world, infuse and inspire your life, in any ways you are able. This Mercury retrograde is conjuncting Neptune in Pisces!

Questions and enquiries to keep us on track

  • Consider any areas in your life which may be out of balance. (Clues to this are spotting areas of life which are irritating or bothering you, or simply feel clunky or ‘wrong’!).
  • Look at what you may be able to adjust, accept what you can’t adjust and make any necessary adaptations in your attitude to heal the situation.
  • In which areas of Life are you feeling you want to fire ahead? What can you begin to put in place here?
  • What might be holding you back…or exerting a pull-back force? Look closely!
  • What needs clearing away in the Undergrowth?
  • What’s inspiring you…driving you…pressing upwards into your consciousness?
  • What needs expressing? Go for it!
Today is a really powerful day to set clear intents… Spring Equinox is the time of beginnings. “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” (Anster/Goethe). With Spring Equinoctial Blessings, Lynne

Pisces New Moon

by Lynne Speight, posted in Newmoons

Old Moon and New Moon | 5th/6th March 2019

     An Astroblog created to enhance understanding and engagement with the forthcoming Dark or Old moon (Tuesday 5th March 2019) and the following day of the Pisces New Moon (Wednesday 6th March 2019). May this be interesting, useful and supportive of your Life’s journey! You may have already noticed the forthcoming New Moon on Wednesday 6th March, in your diary or calendar. The preceding day is an ‘Old or Dark’ Moon. This last phase in the Lunar cycle just isn’t noted or ‘publicised’ in the same way. Yet… it carries a very important essence and energy; of looking back, laying to rest, letting go and releasing. Very valuable stuff in itself… and engaging with this process also clears the ground, and the stage, for the energy of the following day’s New Moon to be utilised… with maximum potential. So, we find ourselves amidst the influence, and cosmic energy-weather of A Dark Old Moon in Pisces on Tuesday 5th March. What does this actually mean?! (This is really the whole purpose of this blog… to delve and discover… hopefully yielding something which you can tuck under your belt for use in your everyday.) Let’s go back to basics for a moment, to gain some context….

Cycles of the Moon

Each month, the Moon moves through different lunar phases, or tides, in its orbital dance around the Earth, due to its inter-relationship with the Sun and the Earth. The Lunar cycle begins at New Moon, then waxes to Full Moon, and finally wanes back down to Dark Old Moon. We can see these phases visibly occurring by watching the Moon in our sky, month by month, and also by referring to a calendar, diary or app, to track the ebbs and flows. Have a look… become a Moon gazer… it’s interesting and worth it! Because… as well as being a beautiful flow to observe, doing so reminds us that the Cosmos is an amazing place of exquisite planetary dances and inter-weavings… AND… it reminds us to tune in to our lives being touched and moved by the Moon’s cyclical journey; we can feel it in ourselves and see it in the world around us. We really don’t have to look too hard – we just need to put ourselves in ‘noticing’ mode. And of course it’s useful to gain some idea about how we might best engage with this ‘happening’ each month. These cycles of the Moon really do carry a natural flow of shifting, morphing energy which we find ourselves immersed within, as Earthlings. There are different sorts of energetic waves to ride at different times throughout the monthly flow of waxings and wanings. It would be really handy stuff for us to be taught in school… so we embed this wisdom early on in the marrow of our psyches. So, onto the specifics of Dark Old Moon… Dark Old Moon is the final day of the waning, ‘shrinking’ moon, when there is no moon visible in the sky. This is the energy-weather within which we find ourselves this Tuesday, 5th March. And this Moon phase happens against the backdrop of the Zodiac sign of Pisces. So… what’s particular about this, and what to do?

The Old Moon

Well, this Dark Old Moon phase is a time of release. We often experience it as time of inwardness and retreat. There can be a desire to hunker down and snuggle up, to be in a more ‘yin’ space. Sometimes you may find you are tired at this point in a lunar cycle. It’s a real opportunity to ride the wave of a big ‘let-go’. It’s time to reflect, look back over the last month, do a mini-appraisal of the meaningful things which happened… the good, the bad and the ugly… as well as the beautiful, the wonderful, and the mysterious. Glancing retrospectively, honour your engagement with it all; the wisdom which you gained from experiences, recognise what you found glitchy, or where you might like to do ‘it ‘differently next time, or how you might like to continue. Look particularly closely at your recent visions and ideals of bringing change(s) into being; new potential, new ways; thinking beyond the box. Look at your hopes, dreams and wishes which you have been holding dear and doing your best to cultivate and bring into being, particularly over this last month. These are the themes at play in your life since the last New Moon in Aquarius, approximately a month ago. Take a look at your personal balance of giving to others and the world… and giving to yourself. Is the ratio a healthy one – not too tight and not too loose? Do you need to give some attention to tweaking and recallibrating that balance? Looking back over our shoulder in this way, at Dark Old Moon, lays things to rest and releases a space into which New Moon energy is most likely to be maximised. At New Moon, the ground is ready for a new cycle to commence. This is best unfettered by cobwebs of stuff which needed to be seen, sifted, shifted and let go. Dark Old Moon is a good time to rest and nourish ourselves, to eat purely and drink plenty of water, and be, rather than do. On this Piscean New Moon, you will benefit from attending to some simple psychic clearing, too.

The New Moon

New Moon is when both the Sun and the Moon are in the same place in the sky, the brightness of the Sun masking and ‘disappearing’ the Moon, hence its being invisible. Wednesday’s New Moon is at 16.05 GMT/UT on Wednesday 6th March 2019, with Sun and Moon both in conjunction with Neptune, the planetary ruler of Pisces. This combination enhances our potential connection with the aspect of ourselves which seeks to connect with Spirit and unification with the Great Beyond, from whence we came, and where we will eventually return… and our desire to love with compassion and healing. New Moon is a time of new beginning… an energy-rise. It’s about initiating, action and ‘doing’, the best time to begin, to commit, to be bold, to plant the seed of our intent, to go for it with conviction, energy, faith and gung-ho! And, in order to maximise the particular energy of this Pisces New Moon, we need to make space for listening to our intuitions or dreams, and the whisperings of our Spirit guides, as they don’t generally like to bellow (even though at times they might feel the need to). These intuitions can very powerfully infuse our everyday, giving us a sense of connection with our deeper purpose and being part of something greater than ourselves. Listening in this way is something which is, of course, always helpful, as it’s a particular echo of this New Moon in Pisces, as well as throughout the next two weeks of the Sun being in Pisces.

Questions to keep us on track

  • What is really touching and stirring you at present? What moves you into your heart and inspires a desire within you, to help, to heal, to make life better, to offer loving kindness to yourself and others.
  • In what areas of life might you be inspired towards a more compassionate flow?
  • In what way may it be possible for you to engage in that life area, big or small, near or far?
  • Remember, this is the month for Random Acts of Kindness!
Blessings upon each of these Lunar phases. May you surf the lunar wave with curiosity and a sense of adventure! With Blessings, Lynne