The Pull of The Moon

This awesome picture of the Moon is from NASA and I just couldn't resist sharing it here.

The colours show variations in the lunar gravity field. If you want to learn more, there's a video here>

There's no doubt that the Moon has a strong influence over us, both actually and symbolically.

If you follow the Moon's movements, you might be interested to know that over at my website there's a lot of useful and up to date Moon content:

Monthly Moon Phases
This page includes the phase of the Moon, the sign and degree of the Moon and the Sun and a brief explanation of each Moon phase and how its energy might best by used.

Monthly Void of Course Moon Times
Knowing when the Moon is Void of Course can be a useful planning tool. The chart, updated monthly, also lets you know exactly when the Moon changes signs. If Void of Course is a mystery to you, then it's all explained here>

The Moon through the Signs
This page explains how best to use the energy of the Moon according to the sign it's in. Try following the Moon for a month and see if you can feel the subtle vibe changes as it moves through the zodiac.

Each page also has a widget that shows you what phase the Moon is currently in.

I hope you enjoy working with the Moon, I know I take great comfort from knowing she's up there in the sky, watching over us.

With love,
Mandi
www.mandilockley.com

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MIT/GSFC

Everything you need to know about June 2012

June is upon us, bringing three significant and exciting astro-events.

Big(ish) Event Number One

Firstly, there’s a Partial Lunar Eclipse on June 4. It falls at 14 degrees-14 minutes of Sagittarius and Gemini. If you have planets or points at 13-15 degrees of the mutable signs - Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces - this Eclipse will touch your chart.

You can get your chart for free at http://www.astro.com/ or http://www.alabe.com/ and also see my article Working with Eclipses for tips on how to interpret Eclipses.

Big Event Number Two

June 5/6 brings a rare transit, when Venus, planet of love, money and values, passes directly between the Sun and the Earth and is visible as a small dark disk passing across the Sun’s face.

Significantly, Venus falls in the same degree as the Eclipse the day before, 15 degrees-44 minutes of Gemini, so if you have 15 degrees of the mutable signs highlighted in your chart, this is an event well worth following.

But what is a Transit of Venus exactly? What does it mean? The links below should help...

As usual, NASA is the first port of call for all things astronomical. Their special site includes explanation, history and a live webcast of the event on June 5/6: http://venustransit.nasa.gov/transitofvenus/

Everything you need to know, including advice on viewing it safely (you should never look directly at the Sun) at: http://www.transitofvenus.org/

A couple of good articles from the ever reliable TMA:
http://mountainastrologer.com/tma/venus-transit-the-message-is-love
http://mountainastrologer.com/tma/astrology-as-if-the-sky-matters-venus-retrograde

Finally, this excellent post discusses events that coincided with previous Venus Transits. What will this transit bring as Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee and mega-movie Prometheus is released? http://copycateffect.blogspot.mx/2012/05/venus-transits-sol.html

Click on image to enlarge

Big Event Number Three

June 24 sees the first exact square of Uranus in Aries to Pluto in Capricorn. On the big picture level, this aspect has been playing out a while, but now it’s exact it will reach its highest intensity, with six further exact squares coming September 2012 through March 2015.

Here’s what it signifies, in a nutshell:

Since 2007 an exciting, powerful and incredibly disruptive planetary alignment has been forming. Rebellious Uranus has been squaring up to Pluto in Capricorn. Uranus’ energies have been compared to those of the mythical Prometheus, who stole the fire from the gods and gave it to man. Combined with Pluto, Uranus ignites revolutionary impulses and upsets the status quo. This planetary combination has been associated with mass rebellion against the establishment, revolutions, civil rights movements and radical social and political change.

The above is from Uranus-Pluto and Our Changing World. The article includes a fascinating look back at historical Uranus-Pluto alignments. Read more here....

How are Astroair’s 2012 predictions playing out? Find out here...

Over the next three years the Uranus-Pluto squares occur between 6 and 15 degrees of Aries and Capricorn, so if these degrees are highlighted in your chart (and also 6-15 degrees of Cancer and Libra), then these squares will form a significant transit to your chart. A time of change is on the horizon for you, that's for sure.

Moon News

Moon Phases and Void of Course Moon Times for June are up on my website. See http://www.mandilockley.com/ for details.

With love,
Mandi

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Astrology for February ~ Neptune swims into Pisces & Saturn in Libra's on the turn

February is upon us and with it has come some pretty chilly weather across parts of Europe. But what about the astrological weather this month?

February brings two big events, Neptune enters Pisces on February 4th and Saturn in Libra turns Retrograde on February 7th.

Neptune dipped its trident into Pisces back in April last year, before re-entering Aquarius in August. Now it settles in Pisces until 2026.

Neptune is the planet of illusion, dissolution, the dissolving of barriers and boundaries, meltdowns, glamour, scandals and collective emotional undercurrents. Pisces is the sign of compassion, imagination, spirituality, merging, yielding and the victim-saviour-martyr complex. Put them together and the possibilities are endless, indefinable, unfathomable.

See A Neptune in Pisces Miscellanea for more themes associated with Neptune in Pisces, based on its last stay there. It looks at fashion, compassion, watery technology and how we all need to be more sensitive to the feelings of others…

No doubt there’ll be more to come on Neptune in Pisces in the following weeks…

When Saturn turns retrograde in Libra on February 7th, take some time to consider how you came to be where you are right now. This could be an important step in the process of negotiating a way forward, even if it means taking a temporary step back.

To find out more about why this Saturn retrograde is an important one and how to do you your own personal Saturn review, see An Urgent Post about Saturn in Libra

See also Saturn in Libra through the Houses to find out which areas of life Saturn is prompting you to review.

February 7th also brings a Full Moon in Leo. New facts come to light under a Full Moon and emotions come to a head. We feel more sociable and keener to put ourselves under the spotlight.

Full Moons ask us to consider the issues of the opposing signs the Sun and Moon fall in. Together, Leo and Aquarius symbolize the need to balance the individual need for personal gain and acclaim with the need to help, support and be equal to everyone else. Aquarius shouldn’t deny Leo’s right to be king, but needs to insist that the king serves with integrity and honesty. Teamwork and delegation of authority is everything to Aquarius. Selfish greed is not acceptable. Aquarius teaches that it is through serving the group, the community, the team, our friends, that we gain the honour and significance that is so crucial to Leo. Conversely, Leo teaches Aquarius that sometimes you have to take the lead if the cause is important enough. Somebody has to stand up for the masses, rebel against the status quo and shake the system up if there is to be any chance of a lasting change for the better. An important message for our current times, I feel.

Later in February – on the 19th - the Sun moves into Pisces, immediately joining up with Neptune for what promises to be an emotionally sensitive few days, especially as this segues with the Pisces New Moon – the dark of the Moon – on February 21st.

By the time the New Moon comes around, we’ll feel the need for a bit of R&R and TLC. Slow down, sleep, dream, listen to your intuition, send out healing thoughts, sing, dance, create something beautiful. Go with the flow. The time to act on plans will be after this New Moon, but bear in mind that both Saturn and Mars are retrograde so it might take a little longer to put your plan into action or to see the results of your efforts.

For more insights into Pisces see: Pisces Quotes: Woundrous Words of Feelings and Pisceans In Their Own Words
For dates and details of all the Moon’s phases this month, see The Moon Pages at Astroair Astrology.

Here, you will also find February’s Void of Course Moon Times. The basic premise is that if you attempt to do something important under a Void of Course Moon nothing will come of it. It’s not a theory to plan every little detail of your life by, but I’ve found it a useful tool for planning important events and making crucial decisions. Find out more here. The Void of Course Moon chart also shows when the Moon changes signs (which happens approximately every two and a half days).

Enjoy February, which this year – being a Leap Year – gives us an extra bonus day!

With love

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/ 

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Astrology for May, Plus the 4 Charts to Watch this Summer

May's Astrological Highlights:

May Day Blessing! As we enter the glorious month of May, Mercury is Retrograde and we’re still reeling from the latest Saturn-Uranus Opposition.

Before Mercury stations Direct on 11th May, we have the general election to contend with here in the UK, on 6th May. Here’s my look at the Election Day chart, in which Mercury Retrograde plays an important part: The UK Election

On 19th May, Venus moves into Cancer, a cosy, caring, nurturing placement for Cancer, a nice time to reach out to a loved one.

On 20th May the Sun moves into restless chatty Gemini. Come back here on the 20th when I will post some great quotes from some well known talkative Twins!

On 23rd May: Jupiter makes its first opposition to Saturn in this current cycle. Click here> to read my previous blog about the Jupiter-Saturn cycle.

Jupiter in Pisces is also really close to a conjunction with Uranus, but won’t quite catch up with Uranus until June, by which time they are both in the sign of Aries.  Still, they are close enough for us to be feeling it already. Read all about the exciting Jupiter-Uranus cycle here

The big news of the month is Uranus’ much anticipated ingress into Aries. See Uranus in Aries: Claiming a Self Reliant Future at Auntie Moon, for a pick of the best Uranus in Aries articles. Uranus only gives us a brief taste of life in the Aries fast lane before he moves back into Pisces from mid August until March 2011.

Hot on the heels of Uranus’ pit stop in Aries, Saturn in Virgo turns around and moves forward again on 30th May, eventually hitting 0 degrees of Libra again in July, ready for its next opposition to Uranus and Jupiter and its next square to Pluto, forming the much anticipated Cardinal T-Square.

Astrologically, May has the feeling of preparation and anticipation, as all the main players - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto - get themselves in position for the main event, the Cardinal T-Square, which will come into its fullness this summer.

Four Charts to Watch this Summer: 

1. The Solstice chart on June 21st. Solstice charts are always good for getting a feel for the season to come and in this one, the Sun at 0 Cancer plugs into the outer planet T-Square, forming a Cardinal Grand Cross. 
2. Then on June 26th, the Capricorn Full Moon falls across the early degrees of Cancer and Capricorn, again forming a Cardinal Grand Cross as it picks up the outer planet T-Square. (article forthcoming)
3. 21st July when Saturn returns to 0 degrees of Libra. (article forthcoming)
4. 30th July, Mars enters 0 degrees of Libra, joining up with the Cardinal T-Square. (article forthcoming)

Charts 1, 3 and 4 in particular have planets at the Aries Point - zero degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn - the point where the personal becomes public and vice versa. 
 

May’s Lunations:

New Moon in Taurus on 14th May

Full Moon in Sagittarius on 27th May

Finally, here’s a link to the Moon Sign Changes and Void of Course Moon Times for May

With love,

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Photo credit: http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Void of Course Moon Times for January

Happy New Year everyone & I hope the Eclipsed Blue Moon on New Year's Eve heralded a bright new start for a happy, peaceful 2010.

Void of Course Moon times & Moon sign changes for January are now up on my website:
http://www.mandilockley.com/moonpages.html

Blogs on January's astrological happenings to follow as they happen, but for my preview of January and the general Astro Energies for 2010 click here>.

Lots of love,
Mandi xx

December’s Astrology (including VOC Moon times)

Welcome to December!

Here's a link to: December’s Moon sign changes and Moon of Void of Course times

November was marked by the Sun’s passage through Intense Scorpio and expansive Sagittarius. Neptune turned Direct early in the month, the last of the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron triple conjunction to do so. This rare conjunction in Aquarius will make its last exact hit on 21st December, before Jupiter starts racing forwards to meet Pisces.

In mid November, two of the sky’s heaviest hitters, Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn met for the first of three Squares. I have posted a number of blogs on this topic and here is a link to the first one, which introduces the major themes of this planetary alignment: Saturn-Pluto themes and processes.

December starts off very busily, astrologically speaking, with Uranus turning Direct on the first of the month. To read about how Uranus Direct is reflected in current world events, click here>. To read about how Uranus Direct might affect you personally, click here>.

Uranus Direct marks the first and only time this year that all the major planets have been Direct! After what feels like months of delays, reviews and u-turns, we can expect some rapid forward movement, as well as some unexpected developments! (For an explanation of Direct and Retrograde, click here> and for planetary Retrograde dates for 2010, click here>.)

Also on the 1st December, sociable, charming Venus moves into gregarious, fun loving Sagittarius, just in time for the party season. This is closely followed by a Full Moon in Gemini on the 2nd. Social butterflies at the ready! Party time will have peaked by the time of the Sagittarius New Moon on the 16th, after which we’ll probably all feel like just flopping in front of the TV with a glass of sherry and a silly hat!

As Christmas week approaches, Mars in Leo goes Retrograde on the 20th, closely followed by the Sun’s ingress into Capricorn on the 21st, marking the Winter Solstice in the Northern hemisphere and the Summer Solstice in the Southern. Mercury manages to squeeze another Retrograde in from the 26th and finally, as if all that wasn’t enough, the year ends with a Cancer Lunar Eclipse on New Year’s Eve, an ending and a fresh start indeed!

Blogs on all of December’s astro-action to follow, but in the meantime, bring me a mince pie, I’m exhausted just thinking about it!!!

Once again, here's the link to December’s Moon sign changes and Moon of Void of Course times a very useful tool for assessing each day’s subtle energies.

Season’s Greetings to everyone, whether you celebrate Yule, Christmas, Hanukkah, something else, or nothing at all!

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

November's Moons

Happy November everyone & I hope you all enjoyed Samhain / All Saint's Day / Halloween.

Here's a link to: November’s Moon sign changes and Moon of Void of Course times

October was marked, astrologically speaking, by the ingress of Mars into a long transit of Leo. Jupiter went Direct mid-month after travelling backwards through Aquarius since June and Chiron has just gone Direct. Neptune, who has been Jupiter and Chiron's travelling partner these last few months, also goes Direct on 5th November, in time for Guy Fawke's. A review of the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction coming soon.

The big news though was Saturn's ingress into Libra on 29th October and the hot topic for November will be Saturn's square with Pluto in Capricorn mid month, the first of three exact squares over the next ten months. Moving Saturn-Pluto contacts tend to signify huge shifts in the infrastructure of the collective world and our experience of it. These squares also fall against the backdrop of the long running series of Saturn-Uranus oppositions (disruption of the status quo / old vs. new). A huge topic, much more on this to come.

For now though, we have a Sun in Scorpio, giving us a Taurus Full Moon on the 2nd November and a Scorpio New Moon on the 16th. Notes on these lunations to follow.....plus a piece on adventurous Sagittarius, the Sun's host from the 22nd.

Here's a link to November’s Moon sign changes and Moon of Void of Course times a very useful tool for assessing each day’s subtle energies.

Enjoy November
http://www.mandilockley.com/

October's Moons

Here's a link to October’s Moon sign changes and Moon of Void of Course times


After a September marked by Mercury Retrograde and Virgo New Moon falling on the third exact hit of the ongoing Saturn-Uranus oppositions , as well as Pluto’s station at the Capricorn Aries Point, it’s been a crazy, unsettling month.

Now it’s October and the season has turned. The Sun is in Libra and we are about to have an Aries Full Moon, plus a Libra New Moon later in the month.


Mercury is direct, but will be passing forward through his Retrograde degrees until mid October, once again conjoining Saturn before re-entering Libra on 9th October and making a challenging square to Pluto. However, on the same day, the Sun begins to trine the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction, suggesting that some optimistic, hopeful, healing energy could be on hand as well.


Venus moves into Libra on the 14th, where she feels happy and at home, presenting us with an opportunity to strive for a bit of love, peace and harmony.


Two days later, Mars swaps his passive aggressive placement in Cancer for a long soiree through fiery Leo, where he will be able to use his warrior energies much more directly and forcefully right through until June next year.


The Sun moves into passionate, controlled Scorpio on 23rd October and finally, at the end of the month Saturn takes his first tentative steps into Libra, anticipating an exact square with Pluto mid November, a clarion call for the Cardinal Climax (the Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T Square) coming in 2010.


More on all of this in forthcoming blogs, but in the meantime, I have updated my website with October’s Moon sign changes and Moon of Void of Course times which I find is a very useful tool for assessing each day’s subtle energies. I hope you find it useful too.


Enjoy October.

September's Moons

Welcome to September everyone...it's the beginning of the start of Autumn for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. It's usually my favourite time of year, but this year I can't help but feel a little tense.

Astrologically, it looks set to be a very interesting month with a Pisces Full Moon, a Mercury Retrograde and the third in the series of tense, exciting and dispruptive Saturn-Uranus oppositions. This time Saturn and Uranus are bludgeoned by Pluto who turns direct on the 12th, forming the apex of a T-Square at 0 degrees of Capricorn, a powerful point of public projection. Three days after the opposition exacts at 25 degrees of Virgo and Pisces, a Virgo New Moon falls exactly at the same degree of the Zodiac. Drama indeed!

That the Saturn-Uranus opposition exactly squares my Jupiter at 25 Gemini and that Pluto finally moving forward at 0 degrees Capricorn means that next year it will conjoin my Sun at 3 Capricorn, will have me following these transits very closely.

Blogs about Saturn-Uranus-Pluto and the Virgo New Moon coming soon, but in the meantime, I have updated my website with September's Moon sign changes and Moon of Void of Course times and with info about how to use the energies of the Moon according to which sign she's in

Enjoy!

I hope September is a good one for you & perhaps the motto of the month should be Out with the Old, in with New.