The Full Moon this month is in Gemini at 27° 28′. This is a culmination of the Total Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius. It ties back to the Solar Eclipse in Gemini on June 10th.
During this Mercury-ruled Full Moon, Mercury squares Chiron, who is in the middle of stationing Direct. Important conversations can be very illuminating at this time. New information may come to light that has been brewing under the surface since the Solar Eclipse. This info relates directly to our Chiron story of inner wounding and will propel us to take a stand for ourselves. But it also has a lot to do with Venus Retrograde.
Third Decan of Gemini: The 10 of Swords
The story here is of shedding an old way of thinking. We have to adapt, as we’ve come to a place where what we once thought to be true is no longer the case. This is the end of a worldview that we’ve held, which can come as a betrayal. From here we have to rebuild, and the Venus Retrograde will help us figure out what is most important from here.
The New Moon in Sagittarius on December 3-4 is a Total Solar Eclipse! This powerful Eclipse falls on the side of the South Node, a karmic release point associated with the past. So get ready to PURGE. Things empty out at the South Node. But for some this emptying out is a source of power. What new form will you take when you give yourself that fresh start? A new year is coming, in more ways than one (I’m looking at you, Jupiter in Pisces)!
With Sagittarius, you have to trust your gut and take a leap of faith knowing that you’ll catch the wind. But this new beginning comes as a result of clearing the way for something. Chances are you’ve already felt it, as we’re nearing the end to this story (this whole lunar cycle being the final chapter). Sometimes we have to get to the bottom before we can find our way back up to the top.
The Sun and Moon are in the middle section of Sagittarius. Zeus, the glowing king of the gods, commands Sagittarius overall. During this lunar cycle, Jupiter splashes into Pisces – a major upgrade for him, as it’s his other abode (cue the Angel choir). We saw a glimpse of this magical energy when Jupiter was in Pisces for a short stint this Summer (exact dates being May 13 – July 28).
Ever the optimist, Zeus is happy to lift us up and to see us through a tough time, even as we nurse our battle wounds. It isn’t easy emptying out before you can fill back up. Shed your skin willingly, though, and you can decide what happens next.
This is our last Eclipse of the Gemini-Sagittarius Eclipse series. Eclipses usher in change, release, and awakening in the area where they land in our charts. See if you can find a theme or pattern to major changes in your life (internal & external) during the dates below.
A Look Back: Gemini – Sagittarius Eclipse Cycle
June 5, 2020: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius (15° 34′)
November 30, 2020: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse in Gemini (08° 38′)
December 14, 2020: Total Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius (23° 08′)
May 26, 2021: Total Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius (05° 25′)
June 10, 2021: Solar Annular Eclipse in Gemini (19° 47′)
December 3, 2021: Total Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius (12° 22′)
You will want to look at placements in your chart that fall in the Houses of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. Need help?
November 19, 2021 is the day of the Full Moon, a Lunar Eclipse in Taurus! This is our first Eclipse of the season. It’s also the very first Eclipse to grace us from the Scorpio-Taurus axis, a set of Eclipses that takes us from this moment into 2023. This Full Moon is the culmination of the New Moon in Scorpio that fell on Thursday, November 4.
Turbulent Uranus still has his hands in the cookie jar, and will continue to be an important player throughout this Moon cycle. He’s sitting opposite hot-headed Mars on Wednesday the 17th, putting tension on our need for independence, freedom, and change that can lead to hasty decision making or other bold moves.
Uranus is also in a more harmonious relationship to Venus, which helps during the Lunar Eclipse in Taurus, because Venus is the ruler of that sign and is overseeing Uranus’ actions. Venus has also just entered the shadow zone of her upcoming retrograde in Capricorn (the shadow starts on November 17).
Mercury rules this chart (set for Portland, OR) and is opposite the Moon during her Eclipse. Mercury in Scorpio opposite the Lunar Eclipse in Taurus can pit our emotions against our logical mind or at least separate the two. Even if we know something logically, emotionally it may be a completely different matter. Now we’re looking at the third decan of Scorpio, which is about passion, hunger, and death.
The New Moon in Scorpio is on November 4, 2021. This Lunation is the beginning of Eclipse season, with our first Eclipse on the Scorpio/Taurus axis falling on November 19. The New Moon in Scorpio is directly opposite unconventional Uranus. Follow that up with a partial Lunar Eclipse in Taurus, and November 2021 Astrology is fairly electric. It will spotlight the ongoing Uranus in Taurus stories unfolding in each of our lives.
The cycle begins in the middle decan of Scorpio, with magnanimous Sun and Jupiter ruling this portion of the sign. The 6 of Cups is the soft underbelly of Scorpio, playful and nostalgic, recalling our inner child. With the middle decan of Taurus opposite (the 6 of Pentacles), there is a reminder of the importance of reciprocity. There has to be a give and take, and equal energy exchange in all that we do.
Venus is in the final degree of Sagittarius during the New Moon, changing signs on the following day. Within this lunar cycle, she will begin her shadow period preceding Venus Retrograde in Capricorn. This period is a precursor to Venus Retrograde. It’s made all the more important by Venus’ rulership over the Lunar Eclipse in Taurus later in the month.
Mercury clears the shadow of last month’s retrograde just ahead of the New Moon early in the month. The swift-footed one is finally moving on from the prolonged conversation and balancing act he’s been at in Libra. On the 5th of the month, he plunges headlong into the cold waters of Scorpio just on the heels of the Sun and the Moon.
Now we are once again entering new territory. We know it when Mercury and Venus change signs – from active modalities to passive-receptive modalities – on the same day.
Venus leaves fiery Sagittarius in favor of the more reserved and cautious terrain of Capricorn also on the 5th. Here she prepares for next month’s Venus Retrograde in Capricorn, a period of review and reconfiguring of relationships, finances, values and valuables. The shadow period for her Retrograde cycle begins on November 17th.
The second half of November 2021 Astrology sees Mercury moving swiftly on to wax philosophical in Sagittarius. The Sun will of course lead the way just ahead of Mercury, beginning Sagittarius season on November 21 this year.
The Full Moon in Aries is on October 20, 2021 in the final decan of the pioneering sign (at 27° 26′), which is ruled by Venus and Jupiter. This decan represents a rite of passage or celebration of initial success. In the Tarot, it’s assigned to the 4 of Wands, whose esoteric name is the Lord of Completion, or the Lord of Perfected Work.
Since the New Moon in Libra on October 6, Mars and Mercury have both been reborn in the heart of the Sun, starting new planetary cycles. Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury have all ended their Retrograde cycles, making way for a new chapter where energies can begin to move forward again. Pluto is in there breaking down the old structures and rooting through the ashes for gold and information.
With so many planets stationing direct, there is both the feeling that things are starting to move ahead, and that the energy is standing still. It will take Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter time before they get back up to speed (while Mercury will be a little quicker on his feet).
The New Moon in Libra falls on Wednesday, October 6 in the wee hours of the morning (4:05 am Pacific). This strange New Moon is in cahoots with aggressive Mars and a rather mischievous Mercury Retrograde in Libra. Both of these planets are readying to be reborn in the heart of the Sun over the course of the next few days – Mars on October 7th and Mercury on the 9th.
Pluto stations direct, ending a Retrograde journey from 24° – 26° Capricorn on the same day as the New Moon in Libra. The Moon, Sun, Mars & Mercury will all square Pluto over the course of the next month as this drama unfolds. These Libra planets, with their diplomatic skill and carefully honed strategies do have an upper hand over Pluto, but are heavily influenced by him to slow down and dig deep at this time.
With the New Moon in Libra directly opposite the wounded healer, Chiron, there can be a feeling of woundedness and personal injury now. We can be acutely aware of any wrongdoings and injustices that have thrown off the sacred balance of Libra’s scales. This constellates around the theme of independence and having the freedom to be ourselves. This is a motif that Chiron has been navigating since 2018-19.
This chart is ruled by Mercury Retrograde in the 2nd House. This is a time of going inward and contemplating what matters or has value, including our own sense of self-worth. Venus is the secret puller of strings behind the scenes. She sinks to the bottom of the chart in the final degrees of Scorpio. Just after the New Moon, she makes a bold move into Sagittarius. Here, she and the Moon join up with the South Node, activating the cosmic release hatch.
The Full Moon in Scorpio occurs on Monday, April 26 at 8:32pm Pacific Time. At 7° 06′ of Scorpio, this Full Moon corresponds to the 5 of Cups (a decan of Mars). The Lord of Disappointment deals with negative emotions, such as loss, grief, and angst.
Mars rules the New Moon and the Full Moon for the current Lunar cycle (April 11 through May 11), bringing passion, desire, conflict, and assertive/decisive action to the forefront thematically. This is our drive to act, our source of willpower, physical movement and sexuality. Mars inspires independence, survival, self-sufficiency, strength, and courage in the best of times. Aggression, violence, control and imposed willpower are also under his domain.
The New Moon began in Mars-ruled Aries on April 11 and reached a point of significant development with the First Quarter Moon in motivated Capricorn on April 19. We may feel highly determined during this Moon cycle, driven by our hunger for something worldly – whether that’s love, money, or the promise of attaining something more abstract. Of course how you feel individually will have a lot to do with how it interacts with your birth chart.
The Astrology of March 2021 drops us into Pisces season, with a dreamy New Moon in artistic Pisces happening on March 13. We can expect an increased focus on emotional and psychic awareness, creativity, and heart-centered connection this month. The heavily Aquarian-influenced period that we’re moving out of was a lot more cerebral in nature.
Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius (January 30 – February 20)
Mercury stations Retrograde in Aquarius (26° 29′) on Saturday, January 30, 2021. February 20 will bring the end of Mercury Retrograde (11° 01′), although the total shadow period is January 14 through March 12.
This Mercury Retrograde period happens about three times a year. Visually in the sky, Mercury appears to move in reverse. He slows down and draws to his closest point to the Earth. As Mercury enters this part of his cycle, it’s as if our minds and daily mundane affairs — which are ruled by Mercury — are operating on a different wavelength.