Something is Stirring
By Lauren Howard Coleman
Posted on February 14, 2025
The Inner Voice Gide Us Into Strength and Self-Trust
Posted on February 14, 2025
October 26, 2024
Traditionally this time of year was seen as the beginning of Winter. As the days become shorter and cooler here in the Northern Hemisphere, we go within, focussed on making our inner world safer. We would do this in preparation for the dark months ahead, but also to protect ourselves from the denizens of the other worlds. For it was also believed that at this time of year, the veil between the human realm, and the realm of the spirits, the ghosts, the wraiths, became permeable. The recently departed would walk the earth, and the living would leave them spirits and treats as they passed through. Samhain, Halloween, the Day of the Dead, along with festivals of light, such as Diwali, are all celebrated in the depths of Scorpio season.
This is a a very occult and mystical time of year. In addition to preparing hearth and home, we are also asked to turn within to do our own inner work. Scorpio is a sign of transitions and endings, and so we honor and pay respects to the dearly departed, sending them off to the other realms This is a time of letting go, of releasing, not only those who had passed, but to also confront our own mortality, as a natural part of the alchemical process we call life. Endings and beginnings, birth and death, are as mundane as they are profound. And so we all turn within along with the turning of the veil, where the past and the future collide, and our insights into the very meaning of our lives runs penetratingly deep.
This year we dive even deeper, as Pluto is in this very last degree of Capricorn, along with so many other planets, also in the very last degrees of their signs. Like a farewell party to what once was, we are bidding goodbye to a prior era. And there will be no going back to what once was. And while some will be celebrating, others will be desperately holding on to the status quo.
For the next few weeks, Mars, which is apparently slowing for its retrograde station on December 6th, will be opposite Pluto. Both at the anaretic 29th degree of Cancer and Capricorn, this is yet another portent of endings that are well nigh due.
Mars/Pluto oppositions are indicative of extreme power (even life and death) struggles with others. Because of the retrograde phase of Mars, this transit will be repeated 3 times. The first will be exact on November 3rd, the 2nd on January 3rd and the last one on April 26th. This first one is the longest of these 3 transits, and the only one when Mars is in Cancer, and Pluto in Capricorn. The struggle continues. But there is no going back after this. For on November 18th Pluto will enter Aquarius, where it will remain for the next 20 years.
What I know is that the young women I met across northeastern Syria, from all its communities ~ Arab, Kurd, Christian ~ want the same things from their lives as thousands of girls I have met every other place in the world, including the United States: a chance to go to school and an opportunity to forge their own future. The world has a way of telling girls and young women what they should want from their lives, and of telling them not to ask for too much. ~ Gayle Tzemach Lemmon (The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage and Justice)
There can be a holding on to the past in the very last degree of a sign, even if it must be at the expense of future growth. The Sabian symbol for the degree that Mars is in, this last degree of Cancer is “A Daughter of the American Revolution”, which speaks to the idea that there are those, once benefitting from their own revolutionary past, now aim to repress the emergence of new revolutionary ideals. They squelch any new revolutionary ideas, because they fear losing all that they have built up, and have held on to up until now.
There is a certain stability and security found in the patriarchal sign of Capricorn. Capricorn represents what we are familiar with, and what we know. It is what is already established. And any changes to this can feel destabilizing. Especially for those who benefit from it. But we are all subject to growth. The sort of growth that begins from the inside, and to which the outer circumstances of our lives need to adapt. And like a hermit crab that has outgrown its shell, periodically we need to search for one that is more accommodating.
Cancer is a matriarchal sign associated with Women, with Families, and Community. The warrior god in the sign of Cancer, is the stealth amazon, ready to take up arms, when feeling motivated to do so. And Mars in Cancer will be motivated to action when backed into a corner. Especially when she is also being called on to protect or defend those in her care. We tend to circle the wagons when Mars is in Cancer, defending the people and things that matter most to us. It could take a lot for Mars in Cancer to rise to the occasion. However, like the strong Mama bear she is, Mars in Cancer will leap into action when she perceives her loved ones or all that she loves is in danger of annihilation. She is the hero who lifts the car off the child, who stands up to the bullies, and secures the perimeters. Just know that when Mars in Cancer feels called to action, as she will when pushed into a corner by Pluto this week and next, she will be a force to be reckoned with.
But she is not alone. There are allies, and buffers, holding her aloft. Her heroism will not be forgotten, nor will it be for naught. In the days leading up to the Mars/Pluto opposition, Mercury in Scorpio will trine both Mars and Neptune, while sextile Pluto, creating a Kite formation, with a Grand Trine in Water. This is a configuration of great potential. Of possibility, hope, courage and aspiration. Of Love, Kindness and Compassion transcending oppression. And as Pluto grasps on to its last bastion of power in Capricorn over the next few weeks, you can almost hear all the planets whispering in their own sacred voices: Once you have known what freedom feels like, there is no turning back.
Posted on 25 of March, 2024
Posted on August 26, 2026
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Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try ~ the more we step outside our comfort zone ~ the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives. ~ Janet Rae-Dupree
On September 15th, Mercury will station direct, ending its retrograde phase. This week, just before that station, we go through another period of orientation and adjustment to what we would consider to be normal. The information we received and the seeds that were being planted and germinated during the New Mercury phase last week, will begin to grow once Mercury is in its direct phase again. But it is this week that we are gradually shifting our perspective, gaining greater clarity, and feeling like we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
One day before Mercury stations we have a New Moon in the Mercury sign of Virgo at 21º Virgo 59’. Planets are always stronger when they station. And as the lord of the New Moon, further strengthened in its own sign of Virgo as well, this adds a little extra edge to the Virgo Moon this year. Just a fabulous Moon for all things Virgo, and even more.
As I mentioned with the New Moon in Leo last month, we are in the midst of a series of New Moons (all the way through the New Moon in Taurus in May) that are all in alignment with unpredictable, changeable and unabashedly authentic, Uranus. This is the planet of miracles. The planet of surprises and possibility. The planet that even has the capacity to show us glimpses of the future and what could be.
People are creatures of habit. We tend to do things the same way over and over again. We create routines. It helps us to remember things. They are comfortable and familiar. But over time what once served us so well, can also get us into ruts and bind us to promises and habits that we can’t seem to get ourselves out of. That is where the unique genius of Uranus transits can come in really handy.
In some way we are being urged to step out of our usual comfort zones. Not to the point where you will become totally stressed out and overwhelmed. But by stretching yourself just beyond your comfort zone, and into what Janet Rae-Dupree describes as “the awkward and unfamiliar territory of the new and untried” it can open you up to all sorts of possibilities. Stretching beyond the familiar is good for us. It forces us to learn new things and acclimate to a better life and lifestyle. And has a surprisingly beneficial effect on our physical and mental health and well-being.
The retrograde phase of Uranus is a time to internally process all the changes in our lives. Either we are trying to make sense of the changes that have already occurred, or accustoming ourselves to any changes that we are hoping to make in the future. It is when Uranus is retrograde, that we are also being asked to get in touch with our own inner truth, so that we can strive to live a more authentic life and lifestyle.
Some weeks after the retrograde station of Uranus it always makes a trine to the Sun. This happens every year, but rarely does it coincide with a New Moon as it does this year. This is when we are becoming acclimated to any changes we have made, or hoping to make in the future. The New Moon is asking us to try something new, to be innovative, and to step, just enough, outside of our usual comfort zones. And if we are willing to do so, even just a little bit, Uranus can reward us with a whole new perspective and outlook. And sometimes just by being willing to look at a situation from another perspective, we can suddenly see solutions where previously we saw none.
You cannot have innovation, unless you are willing and able to move through the unknown and go from curiosity to wonder. ~ Dawna Markova
Virgo New Moons are great for trying something new in the work space, starting a new project, learning new skills, simplifying and organizing your life and routines. It is a good time to begin a new health and wellness program, tweak a diet or begin a new fitness program. This Moon in particular has an affinity for new gadgetry or technology that will help to make your life simpler and get your work done in a more efficient manner.
Some possibilities for the New Moon in Virgo on September 14th might be:
Virgo is a sign that strives for organization, and finding solutions. It is a sign that loves patterns, spreadsheets and efficiency. It is also a sign that continually strives for that ever-elusive concept of perfection, and so is naturally geared towards improvement, always searching for better methods and practices. And Uranus is here to lead the way, letting us all know that you don’t have to keep doing things the way we always have in the past. That there just might be some innovative solutions to the problems that plague us and our world. May it be so.
New Moons are times of new beginnings, and if you wish to use this New Moon to set intentions or make positive affirmations for the month ahead, do so during the New Moon phase when the Moon is at its youngest and filled with potential. The New Moon phase begins with the New Moon on Thursday, September 14th, at 9:40 pm Eastern time; 6:40 pm Pacific Time, and on Friday, September 15th at 2:40 am Universal Greenwich Time. The New Moon phase ends with the Crescent Moon on September 18th. Some positive intentions or affirmations for the New Moon in Virgo might be:
Lauren Howard Coleman
Posted on August 26, 2026
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This is a busy week astrologically. Perhaps the astronomical highlight of the week might be the Super Full Moon on the 30th, the brightest and largest Full Moon of the year. And a blue Moon at that, as it is the 2nd Full Moon in the month of August. Uranus stations on August 28th for its retrograde phase which lasts until January 27th, and this weekend Mars enters the sign of Libra. All of these are significant for their own reasons.
At the Full Moon the Sun in Virgo is at exact opposition to the Moon in Pisces. This is when we are often most challenged to be able to make sense of the insensible and to create order out of chaos. This Full Moon which falls at 7º Pisces 25’ on August 30th (or 31st, depending on where you are), is also conjunct retrograde Saturn. The Saturn opposition to the Sun, which occurs in the middle of the retrograde phase of Saturn, will be exact just a few days before the Full Moon. Whatever limitations, oppressions, fears that we’ve been contending with or kicking down the road, could reach some sort of crisis point with the Full Moon. As a result whatever you may have been avoiding, or putting up with, can no longer be ignored.
With the Full Moon illuminating Saturn we are being asked to face reality. Pisces represents our highest ideals and aspirations. It is a sign of dreams, wistful hopes, imaginings and sometimes illusions. If we have been in denial about an issue, what is being disclosed at the Full Moon can no longer be denied. If we have been holding ourselves, back, procrastinating, or resisting change, the Full Moon can show us the consequences of doing so.
It can sometimes feel, when Saturn is in Pisces, that we are at risk for having our dreams denied us. But this is not entirely true. For Saturn, the planet of reality, when in the sign of dreams and vast aspirations, also has the capacity to make our dreams a closer reality. The Sun in Virgo can bring us useful tools to facilitate that process, but only if we are willing to fully face the reality of the situation.
Saturn retrograde can show us where we are facing certain challenges, obstacles or self-doubt. We can restore that confidence, and are even given the tools to overcome our challenges through the auspices of the Sun. On October 24th a trine from the Sun to Saturn will help to facilitate that process. This is the trine that aims to restore the status quo, and will then be followed by Saturn’s direct station on November 4th. This week we have the opposition between the Sun and retrograde Saturn.
We have the Saturn opposition to the Sun every year in the middle of Saturn’s retrograde phase, but rarely is it illuminated in this way by the Full Moon. Therefore pay attention to what is being revealed to you in the light of this Super Full Moon. Richard Nolle defined these Super Moons as New or Full Moons that occur when the Moon is perigee or at its closest point to the Earth in its orbit. It makes the Moon appear to be that much larger, and all the more so when it is setting or rising. And it is said to have a greater impact on the tides and affairs of the planet, as well as our lives.
The Full Moon can also be seen as an opportunity. The time is ripe. The tide is high. And we are being asked to ride the crest to the opposite shore. Therefore ask yourself with the Full Moon in Pisces on August 30th:
On August 28th/29th Uranus will station for its retrograde phase which lasts until January 27th. When we work in a conscious and healthy way with Uranus we come to appreciate that which makes us unique. By compromising our own individuality in order to fit in, or not upset the status quo, we can lose touch with that singular uniqueness. It is when Uranus is in its retrograde phase that we are offered opportunities to get in touch with our own inner brand. So in order to make the most out of the upcoming retrograde phase of Uranus, it is important to first acknowledge your own inner truth.
Because this is so important right now, you will be less likely to tolerate others trying to label you, dominate or control you. Neither will you want to compromise your own integrity just to fit in or be part of a rising trend. This is about you being you. When you truly connect with your own unique brand, you don’t need other’s permission to do so. Nor do you need to flaunt it. You will simply be it.
When Uranus is in its direct phase we are more aware of the outside circumstances that may or may not support your true authentic self and path. As a result we may find ourselves shifting gears, or moving in a new direction to accommodate that. But when Uranus is in its retrograde phase, the adjustments being made are more internal.
If you have experienced or made any changes recently, this is when you would adjust to, and try to make sense of the changes that have already occurred. If you are planning or expecting any changes in the future, this is when you would likely make the internal shifts that will allow you to accustom yourself to the idea of change. These retrograde periods of Uranus can therefore be a preparation phase for the changes that are yet to come. By internally processing the idea of change, it allows you to be ready, and perhaps to even anticipate the changes that are yet to come.
On August 26th/27th Mars enters the sign of Libra. The primary reason this is important is because the Nodes of the Moon have recently moved on to the Aries/Libra axis. Mars as the ruling planet of Aries, moving into the opposite sign of Libra, will have an impact on the trajectory of these markers of evolutionary growth.
Libra is a sign of peace, and when the warrior planet enters its domain, it is required to leave its weapons at the door. Libra is supposed to be neutral territory, where allies, as well as enemies rub shoulders. But Mars is our protector. And without his usual weapons at his disposal, he has to look for other ways to set boundaries and defend this territory. And if Mars is unwilling or unable to fight directly, he will find other means to get his way: either through manipulation, passive means or out-right avoidance.
However, Mars, representing the North Node, is entering South Node territory. And so has the capacity to raise the narrative within the Libra paradigm. And although a reluctant warrior in the sign of pacifist Libra, there is nothing that motivates Mars in Libra more than issues of fairness, justice or equality. And although it is not able to be as aggressive as usual, it can still be effective using non-aggressive, peaceful means for achieving its ends.
Mars will be conjunct the South Node in Libra in early October. When considering the Mars relationship with the Nodes we may all be on the fence as to when to take action or veer on the side of compromise and retreat. It could be that we find ourselves not wanting to rock the boat or get involved, but at what cost? No matter how much we avoid, or compromise, there is likely to be a greater awareness of the need for fairness, equality and justice during the Mars in Libra transit which lasts from August 26th thru October 11th.
Lauren Howard Coleman