Distant Galaxy captured by Hubble telescope.

Here comes Thursday. The Moon is working well with both Saturn (practicality), and Jupiter (prosperity), while showing stress in the realm of Chiron (the “Healer”). One simple interpretation is that being practical in your finances is the path to fixing any unbalances and will lead you to prosperity. Sound like common sense? Tell that to Congress, Wall Street, and all those loan lenders that didn’t serve us well. The Moon (Emotions) also cooperates well with Uranus (New Ideas), so you can work with this energy to give birth to your inner feelings. That’s just as important in your career as it is in your romantic life.

“Yes — check things twice and thrice because of the Retrograde period, but don’t hang back now. “

Earlier this week, we saw Mars dancing with Pluto. Pluto’s energy is about transformation and renewal, so mid-week brought a good time to put forward a proposal to try something new… at work, or in your personal relationships. How did that work out for you?

Friday looks a little emotional with the Moon (Emotions) putting stress on the Sun (Personality). Then we have Saturn (Restrictions), and Mercury (Communication) putting stress on the Moon. Hmmmm. Remember too that the Mercury Retrograde is in effect, so it is a time to be very careful in your negotiations. There might be something that has been holding you back, which you need to speak about with a boss or a loved one, but you’re worried about how emotional it can be. Just do what you know to be right, based on your Spiritual principles. That’s all any of us have to do at any time. And, we are emotional beings, so some feelings are to be expected.

On Saturday, the Heavens get busy and “bring it” with the Sun making nice with the Moon, Mercury dancing with Chiron the Healer, and the Moon playing well with both Chiron and Mercury. This is the time to speak and negotiate as it can bring about a fortunate result for you. Yes — check things twice and thrice because of the Retrograde period, but don’t hang back now. Your emotions and personality are all aligned with the potential for healing from your communication which means both speaking… and listening. Good luck.

Colorful image of Mercury — now in Retrograde… stay cautious in your communications — from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab

On Friday, the Moon is cooperating well with both Mars AND Venus.  Man, Woman.  Action, Romance. A good day for a date with a new friend or long time romantic partner.  There’s also harmony with the energy of Pluto (renewal), so a date with your love interest could be just the ticket you need to fuel the fires.  The Moon (and that relates to a pull on your emotions) is at odds with Saturn, the planet of practicality, however.  Financial woes at home, and in the markets got you blue?  Don’t overspend to fight it.  Practical, down to earth, prudent moves exactly what’s needed right now.

“Since this is a time of caution, make sure your logical thinking keeps your feet on the ground before proceeding.”

Earlier in the week, we began Mercury Retrograde, so be very cautious about all communication and negotiations. The Moon is also showing an opposition with Neptune (Religion), but in harmony with Mercury (Communication).  So go with your gut feeling — your instincts — when you’re wondering what to say.  And use that uneasy feeling you may have about what’s going on with your Spiritual pursuits to make needed adjustments and get right with your Spiritual goals.

Saturday brings some interesting aspects, with the possibility of some ruffled feelings. Remember to communicate clearly, and to listen (an often overlooked skill in communications).  The Moon is working well with Jupiter today, so there’s a feeling that your growth plans are going to be OK.  Of course global financial markets are still in flux, so stay prudent and cautious.  Venus (Romance) is also putting some stress on feelings today, so make the right moves to be there for your partner.

Sunday finds Mercury (still in Retrograde) working well with Neptune — the planet of inventions and new ideas. This presents both an opportunity and a note of caution.  You may find your self in talks with colleages, family members, and coworkers about some business ideas you have, or perhaps a project or two around the house.  Good.  Just make sure you make all the details and your intentions clear — Retrograde is a period (in Mercury) known to foster errors in communication.

Peaking into next week, Monday is showing the Sun (personality) at odds with Neptune, so yesterday’s good feelings about a new project may get a double-check when you look more closely and logically at how it might proceed. That’s OK.  In business and at home, there’s always a push and pull between gut instincts and good common sense.  Since this is a time of caution, make sure your logical thinking keeps your feet on the ground before proceeding.  The Moon and Sun are also in conjuction today, so this is another sign that it is good for you to balance intuition with clear thinking.

A NASA image of Hoag’s Object, a non-typical galaxy of the type known as a ring galaxy, discovered in 1950 by astronomer Art Hoag.

Saturday finds the Moon under some stress from Mercury, Venus, and Mars. They are the planets closest to earth, and so spin closer to our Emotions at times. Remember that stress is not always a bad thing. The right kind of “creative tension” is what makes the world go around. Literally. In this case, while you may feel a bit nervous over your decision to speak about your lovelife with your partner — when you do so in a measured fashion based on right principles — it will go well.

“…Mars (Initiative) cooperates with Neptune (Spirituality) — a perfect early Fall day to concentrate on your religious beliefs and have a good talk with God.”

On Friday, the Moon squared off with Neptune, but danced well with Uranus — it was a good time for you to try out some new ideas in your job, and relationships. Earlier in the week, our emotional Moon was showing harmony with Saturn (Practicality) and Jupiter (Growth). Practical Growth. That’s a good theme in light of all the out of control problems in the stock market and financial markets. Back to basics are good in your personal life too.

The Moon does show some stress with the Sun (Personality) tomorrow, which usually means your head is not exactly where your heart is. Where is your heart? Always a good question. Take a look at your spiritual values now, because there’s also some stress in the air with Uranus (religion and illusion). Stay practical based on sound spiritual principles. We’re heading into the balancing time of the Autumnal Equinox, which a good reminder to stay balanced, mentally, spiritually, and of course Financially. Balance the books.

On Sunday, Mars (Initiative) cooperates with Neptune (Spirituality) — a perfect early Fall day to concentrate on your religious beliefs and have a good talk with God. The Moon (Emotions) is also cooperating with Mars which means that the spiritual initiative you take today will feel right to you. The other incentive is that the Moon is interacting well with Pluto (transformation) today which means that the renewal you need lies on a pathway from what you feel in your heart to what you learn from the Spirit.

Ready to howl at the Moon? Now’s a good time, under the light of the magnificent full Harvest Moon. A time of culmination, completion, finishing plans and a project together. Emotions run high during this time. A time of romance, fertilization, relationships, emotions, feelings. Welcome to the Harvest.

There are four distinct phases of the Moon, with the Full Moon falling in the third Quarter of the Moon’s cycle. This Harvest Full Moon in September (named so because in the extra light, people were able to continue working to gather the season’s Harvest), is a time of gathering, potent energy and success.

“A time of romance, fertilization, relationships, emotions, feelings. Welcome to the Harvest.”

A person born during the third quarter Moon will be sensitive to the needs of others and expects others to be sensitive to their own needs. There is an underlying sense of watchfulness similar to the energy in the zodiac signs Libra and Scorpio. The person will need friendships, colleagues and relationships, and will relate well to others. They will either be drawn to highly successful people and help them achieve their goals, or else achieve success themselves with the help of others. There is a tension and nervousness at play which can lead to a short attention span and a constant search for new people and experiences, and sex will play some kind of transformative role in their life. The most successful time of life will be in the middle years.

In Chinese Astrology, the third quarter Moon symbolizes organization, harvest, collection and storage, and is associated with autumn, the west and the element metal. This lunar phase governs the signs of Monkey, Rooster, and Dog.

Time to complete your work. Time to celebrate. The end of Summer, beginning of Fall. So go the cycles in the great celestial circle of the year as we bask in the full light of the Harvest Moon.

The ESO (European Southern Observatory) shot this picture of galaxies interacting — part of the astrological forces that influence us on earth.

Welcome to Friday. It’s a busy day for the Moon (Emotions) with a number of planets forming a lively dance in the heavens — Mercury, Venus, and Mars are partnering with the Moon, and so it’s a good day to take the initiative to speak about your love life goals with your romantic interest. Probably an early Fall evening out with dinner and music are in order. But the Moon is also stressing a bit with Pluto (transformation) and the Sun (Personality), so things are not so simple. Are they ever? So, yes — it’s a good time to talk, but don’t expect an immediate change. Give it time.

“Harmony, then discord — so go the cycles of life. Remember that change, growth and development… all come with some ’stress’…”

Earlier in the week Venus (Love, Women) was in conjunction (Interacting) with Mars (Initiative, Men). This made it a natural to work things out with coworkers of the opposite sex, and also with your family members or partners of the opposite sex. Remember the book, “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”? That’s catchy — and true a lot of the time as the two sexes have different ways of relating to others and to the world. Did you find some easy going at work or at home? What about new brainstorms you had earlier in the week — did you right them down so you can work on them later?

The Moon was in the groove with Uranus (New Ideas), so you may have noticed good ideas percolating in your workplace, and also in your family life. Getting out of the rut — brainstorming improved way to do things. That’s the ticket, but you need to follow through now. There’s was also a little stress showing with Saturn — a planet that generally influences restrictions. Isn’t that the way it goes? You have a new idea… but others are resistant to change. Hang in there, real progress can only come from good new ideas and the change they inspire.

Looking into the weekend, the Moon (Emotions) is getting a little feisty on Saturday, showing some stress with Mars, Mercury, and Venus. That’s Initiative, Communication, and Love. This comes after cooperation with the same planetary energies yesterday (Friday). Harmony, then discord — so go the cycles of life. Remember that change, growth and development (in your family, career, romances, etc.) all come with some “stress” on the learning curve when you move ahead. That’s life. So, if you had a good conversation with a loved one on Friday, you could see a little “positive” stress on Saturday as the details get worked out. “Postitive stress?” Sure. Stress is a natural part of life and if it helps you get somewhere you need to go — that’s “positive,” right?

Galaxies Collide in this NASA photo from the Hubble telescope — think of the energy and power in the Cosmos and how it affects Earth.

On Thursday, the Moon (Emotions) is happy with Jupiter (Growth), and Saturn (Restrictions). Huh? Well, sometimes the Cosmos dance as crazy as your life appears to be here on good old Earth. And, to understand what it means for us takes a bit of what it takes to understand a good poem. You know, paradoxes like “the way forward, is the way back?” If you can find the truth in that, then call it the Universe’s poetry, and search for the truth of growth in restriction. How? One example is learning — you’re restricted to the basics at first, but as you proceed with the right foundation, you gain in skill, potential and prospects. So, ask yourself what your emotional intelligence knows to be the right discipline now — in learning, relationships, and your career — so you can continue your development. And the Moon is also harmonious with the Sun (Personality) today, so it’s a good time to “get it together.”

“…while you may fear communicating with your romantic partner, when you finally take the bull by the horns, you work out a practical solution for one of your challenges that you didn’t see at first.”

Earlier this week, the Moon was working with Chiron — known as the great healer. This can be a good follow-up to your speaking from the heart. Sometimes the truth can be painful… but emotions can and do heal. Tomorrow, Wednesday, the Sun (Personality) works in conjunction with Saturn (practicality) so you find yourself managing things on a budget (positive), but a bit restricted in your plans (the flip side). Our emotions are a bit at odds with what our head is telling us — how often is that true? Well, there’s some cosmological tension between the personality (Sun), and our feelings (Moon), and this again indicates Saturn (restrictions) influence. One good example of this is that your emotions tell you to buy that expensive piece of clothing (advertising gurus know that all purchases are made on emotion), while your head tells you to stay in budget. Which do you think is best?

Friday finds the Moon “in stress” with four planets — Venus, Mercury, Mars, & Saturn. Wow. Emotionally that suggests some tension in the areas of Love, Communication, Initiation, and Practicality. One example of how this can play out in your life is that while you may fear communicating with your romantic partner, when you finally take the bull by the horns, you work out a practical solution for one of your challenges that you didn’t see at first.

And, looking into the weekend, Saturday shows the Moon working well with Venus — the planet of Love and Romance — this after some stress with it on Friday. Whoo Hoo — time to celebrate your love life this weekend as a result of the courage you displayed in your conversation on Friday. See? “No fear” does have it’s rewards.

Above, Virgo (from an medieval astrology text), may be Astraea… the goddess of justice, from Greek Mythology.

As we saunter into Virgo, on August 22nd, suddenly we are moe disciplined, more aware of our surroundings, and more alert to details. We can get more done yet… are we spinning our wheels in the wrong direction? What truly matters to us? Perfectionism or Excellence? Balance is important as we move through this time.

“There is a constant dynamic tension in our lives between what our minds tell us, and what we feel in our hearts.”

In astrology, Virgo is considered a “feminine”, introverted sign which brings good attention to details. It is also considered an earth sign and ruled by the planet Mercury (Communication). So, you may find yourself talking about the details of your career, and your romance — but are they the right details? One clue from the mythology of Virgo, is that in Greek history, it was thought that Virgo was actually the virgin daughter of Zeus and Themis — Astraea… the goddess of justice. This is a key for your focus on details at this time — look for what is right — just — as you work things out.

Midweek, the Moon is also very active working well with Chron (Healing), but in opposition with Saturn (Practicality), and Mercury (Communication). Remember that it is the Sun (Personality) that prefers the details now, not necessarily your emotional self (the Moon). There is a constant dynamic tension in our lives between what our minds tell us, and what we feel in our hearts. Sometimes these two ways to focus are in harmony, but on Wednesday (two days prior to the Sun entering the detail focus of Virgo), you may find yourself feeling frustrated with the “small print.” Take a break for an hour or so. Think about what’s really important in the bigger picture, then return (to a work project, or a discussion with a loved one) and find the right details to support what is the right course of action.

Welcome to the full-Moon eclipse weekend!  Full Moons are noted for their potency. And the Lunar Eclipse occuring on Saturday heightens awareness.  Think, “powerful awareness,” and you have a recipe for a weekend of discovery — inward and outward.

Celesial events have been churning up the emotional tides. Remember this formula: Feel, Deal, Heal.

Earlier this week, the Moon was working well with Mercury (Communication), but showing some stress with the Sun (Personality). One thing this can mean is that while you feel you wish to talk about what is in your gut, your mind might be telling you to hold back.  What to do?  Take some time and consider carefully what your emotions are telling you.  Write what you learn in a journal.  Then, and only then, consider talking to the person your feelings concern — likely your romantic partner, though possibly someone at work.

On Friday, as if the coming eclipse wasn’t enough, the Moon was very busy show stress with six planets:  Uranus (New Ideas), Mercury (Communication), Saturn (Restrictions), Venus (Love), Mars (Initiative), and Pluto (Transformation). Wow.  A potent mix of emotional soup.  Don’t worry, this “percolating” is what’s necessary at times in life to brew up something good.  Advertising people have long understood the emotions drive all key decisions.  Oh… and, Astrologers too.  Remember that the full Moon gives you the power to deal with whatever comes up.  Let’s concentrate on just three powerful ideas for Friday:  New Ideas, Communication, Transformation.  What new things are you feeling you’d like to try?  When you communicate those to important people in your life — you’ll find it can renew your life.

On Saturday, in addition to the awareness raised by the eclipse, the Moon (Emotion) also finds itself in conjunction with Chiron — the healer.  That’s a good sign.  Celesial events have been churning up the emotional tides.  Remember this formula:  Feel, Deal, Heal.  If you think about it, all of the important lessons, and resulting growth, involve some pretty intense emotion.  Go with the eclipse awareness energy and learn from what you are feeling.  You’re ready to enter a new and better phase in your life.

Relative sizes of the terrestrial planets, from left to right: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Mercury (Communication) is particularly active right now, Astrologically.

Welcome to Thursday. The Moon (Emotions) is dancing well in the heavens with both Pluto (Transformation), and Venus (Love) today. Hmmmm… a good time to have that talk with your romantic partner that can deepen your relationship. What talk? Well, talking about precisely what you each are feeling. That’s right. Feelings — remember those? Take a break from your busy week, pour a glass of wine and chat comfortably about them. With Pluto involved, there’s also a sense of renewal — and that is good for your partnership.

You’re in the mood for a new way to work things out, and you find you can communicate well about it.

Earlier in the week, the Moon was working well with Mercury (Communication), and Chiron (Healing), so you may expect some good news about health related matters for you or someone close to you. The Moon and the Sun (Personality) are also working well together today — another sign that you’re feeling healthy. Interestingly, both the Moon and Sun are a bit agitated with Jupiter (Growth), so today is not the right time to make plans to expand a project, or increase spending.

Friday looks interesting. The Moon (Emotions) is dancing well with Uranus (New Ideas), and Mercury (Communication) is working well with Pluto (Renewal). So far so good. You’re in the mood for a new way to work things out, and you find you can communicate well about it. But the Moon (Emotions) is squaring off with Neptune (Spirituality), and that can leave an uneasy feeling when it comes to Faith. What’s Faith got to do with it? Everything. At work, and in your romance relationships, Spiritual energy is of the essence.

And this weekend, Mercury is again active — making nice with Pluto (Transformation), but showing stress with Jupiter (Growth). Isn’t that a common thing that happens in our life? We want to bring about positive change, but we’re nervous about how the growth it requires might stretch us. All change is stress. But, positive growth (a promotion at work, a deeper commitment in our love live) is the kind of change where the temporary stress is worth it.