Greetings!

Today we have the full moon, with the sun in the cardinal earth sign Capricorn and the moon in the cardinal water sign Cancer. Today is the first full moon of the calendar year, which sets the tone for the upcoming year. The dominant energy in the air currently is that of emotions, intuition, and spiritual development, evidenced by the moon-Mars conjunction in Cancer and Venus, Saturn, and Neptune in Pisces, giving us five planets in water signs. No other element is as near as strong, with the closest element being earth, where we find three planetary placements. This wide difference tells us that this is the time to focus on emotions, listening to your intuition, your connection with divinity, and embrace your creativity.

But, there are other factors at play, and it is this supporting cast that makes this an interesting time. The first feature to note is that there is a challenging, pressurizing, cardinal T-Square aspect pattern present, between the moon and Mars retrograde in Cancer, opposing the sun in Capricorn, and both squaring Chiron in Aries. The T-Square is a less intense (but still intense!) aspect pattern of a Grand Cross, so if you learn to navigate one, you can manage the other. Aspect patterns are geometric patterns comprised of some interlocking aspects, and when woven together, they give us an overall general vibe to understand and manipulate. The nature of this aspect pattern is that of pressure and agitation, but not without purpose. These are the challenges and agitations that come along to instigate change. To use a common phrase, you can’t have an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and this aspect pattern is the breaking of the eggs. Another phrase that comes to mind is from Dr Carl Jung, “There’s no coming to consciousness without pain.” Essentially, both of these are saying that you can’t have something greater without breaking the current state of being. This aspect pattern says: “The snowglobe of your life is being shaken up, and it is time for a change.”

The current T-Square tells us that challenges, agitation, and opportunities are present, particularly regarding the abovementioned traits. I point this out because this aspect pattern does not necessarily reach into all areas of life, but rather are more focused on love, creativity, and spirituality. These challenges may manifest in a number of ways. This pattern could mean problems in your romantic life, creative blockages, too much creativity to be harnessed, spiritual issues, or psychic skill problems. So, don’t worry about other life areas as much. Breathe deeply.

The way to work with this energy is to trust divinity, however you define it. Even if you are an atheist, you can put your trust in yourself, or others that have earned it. You can see how this can be challenging to many, especially if one feels like they have been let down by divinity. But, trust in the unknown is exactly what is called for right now. Or trust in yourself, if that is your belief. Invite Spirit into your life. Work with concepts such as faith and trust during this full moon.

Besides the T-Square, there is also a unique feature present, which is that Mars is retrograde right now in Cancer, and conjunct the moon. Mars only retrogrades every two years or so, and when it does, it does not always retrograde in the same sign each time, and the last time Mars was retrograde in Cancer was 1992/1993. When Mars is retrograde, it tells us now is a good time to review your relationship with your inner masculine side, and when Mars is located in Cancer, it tells us something more. The Cancer placement tells us it is time to do this review as it pertains to your family, home life, and religion. To illustrate, now is the time to review your religion as well as your role in your family unit. WhenI use the word religion, I mean how you live your spiritual beliefs and personal code, and not some codified religion as people generally understand the word. How do you live your beliefs? What needs to change? And, if you think nothing needs to change, then you’re lying to yourself or others. All of us have room for change. Cancer is also the sign of nurturing, informing us that now is a time to change how you nurture yourself and how you nurture others.  With this conjunction and all of the Pisces placements, it sways the weight of the full moon to water rather than earth, even though the sun is in an earth sign.

Uranus and Neptune are minor players at the moment but are worth mentioning because both positively relate to the sun and moon and in this way, can help us find our way through the present murkiness. Uranus is the planet of the higher mind, and Neptune is the planet of meditation, mysticism, and metaphysics. Thus, working with these traits can help guide you through this challenging time of transition. Both are social planets too, meaning social tools can help you if things get too overwhelming. This can also mean that now is a good time to reach out to friends and family members who can help you through your current trials.

Be careful though, as a danger right now is “loose lips sink ships,” meaning that now is a time to practice discretion regarding who you share what information with. Not everyone in your life needs to know everything, and be careful what you volunteer to others because it may come back to haunt you later. Another danger present is that of too many emotions causing a loss of control, or being so wrapped up in the invisible world that you miss out on the physical world around you, and this comment illustrates “too much of a good thing.” Finding harmony between interacting with the visible and invisible worlds is a major skill to cultivate right now.

All of this implies that we are currently going through a culling period, cutting away what is dead and replacing it with what is alive in our lives. This means we are at a crossroads between the old and the new, the past and the present, and where we focus. Meditation can be a powerful tool right now to help you discern, as can emotionally connecting with others or disconnecting, whichever is appropriate to your situation.

However you decide to handle this full moon, know that this calendar year starts with a bang. Can you step up to what is needed in your life to take you to the next level? Will you?

Namaste,