Full Moon in Pisces: The Goddess and the Unicorn by Deirdre Tanton

As I looked at the chart of the full moon for September 4, 2009, I was struck by a sense of melting and collapsing (Pisces) into an aesthetic world (Ceres and Mercury in Libra sextiling Venus in Leo), like a romantic dream (full moon disposited by the triple conjunction) woven (a Saturn in Virgo structure) in shimmering light. This feeling brought me into the world of tapestries and as I began to look at images from the Hunt of the Unicorn series, I noticed the theme of a woman in gentle embrace with a unicorn.







My sense is that the unicorn symbolizes Pisces imaginary healing energy and the woman symbolizes Virgo as channeler of good health. I thought about the guys in the tapestries freaking out over unicorns because their healing powers were a hot commodity.






"The unicorn is the only fabulous beast that does not seem to have been conceived out of human fears.” writes Marianna Mayer, author of The Unicorn and the Lake. She continues, “In even the earliest references he is fierce yet good, selfless yet solitary, but always mysteriously beautiful. He could be captured only by unfair means, and his single horn was said to neutralize poison."






This full moon in Pisces is at the tip of a yod centered over a sextile from Venus in Leo to Ceres in Libra which says to me Aesthetics, like a beautiful fashion show, flowing, swishing, flashy, pretty and tailored, while backstage and in the tension all around, the grand square tense by contrast to fashion's illusionary beauty. Mercury is barely moving, about to go retrograde on Monday, September 7, which is Labor Day in the U.S. when we pause and honor the Virgo in us all.

In the full moon chart, Sun is conjunct Pallas in Virgo. Pallas Athena was born in full armor and had a spear. She was born with a job which was to protect and bring luck in warfare and for the next couple of weeks this will be our job too.

The symbol I associate with this moon is a goddess embracing and protecting the powers and vulnerability of the unicorn. For the next two weeks in preparation for the new moon in Virgo, while Mercury turns retrograde in Libra, we can re-think how we embrace our own inner beast so sought after in the shadows of the hunt in our lives.

Tapestries courtesy Wikipedia Commons

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Fun in the Sun

New Moon in Leo Thursday, here to remind us to appreciate fun, kids, our own inner kid, recreation and so... have fun.

The Memory of Everything

The keywords that come up in my mind for today's astrology are:

1. Sun sextile Mars: Activity, motion, and low body fat. 24°
2. Mercury conjunct Saturn: The sober memory of everything. 21°
3. Sun opposed Neptune: An offer which could dissappear. 25°
4. Mars trine Neptune: Uncharacteristically, a double feature. 25°

When Mercury conjuncts Saturn, there is something to learn as in you can take the words and put them in your head. I have noticed in charts where people are born with Mercury conjunct Saturn, that they have extremely good memories. They archive.

With Sun in Leo and Moon in Cancer, this means the Moon is one sign behind and so hidden from the Sun, a 12th house aspect. Sun opposing Neptune is imagination at best. but I would say use the video function on your phone or get out your camcorder and make a movie of the day, its a way to document the illusion to turn it into "The Sober Memory of Everything"

Slip into Your Creative Director Shoes

It may be hard to know exactly which transit has recently had the most impact on our lives. It could very well be the big Solar Sclipse of July 22, or the Lunar Eclipse from August 6, or all of this with the triple conjunction in Aquarius or that we are in shock at Pluto's being comparatively freshly new in reality-driven Capricorn. Or maybe it has been just one teeny tiny sesquiquadrate between two yet-to-be-discovered dwarf planets. In whatever case, for many of us, even in very subtle ways, our lives have taken on a new cast. We may be looking for a job or struggling to keep a job, we may be starting a new chapter outside of a relationship, or we may feel as if we are in a small row boat way out at sea reeling in a fish that is quite a reel of a project.

On August 10, there will be an exact square between Mars and Saturn. Mars is in Gemini, and Saturn is in Virgo. When two planets are in square, they are trying hard to make something or do (Mars) something which for some reason is not easy — will get done but not without sweat. There is also the feeling in a square of turning a corner, just as in a literal sense when we walk around the corner of a building for the first time in a new city, if we are curious (Gemini) we kind of crane our necks to see what the heck is around the corner of the building, so we keep walking.

When the Mars - Saturn square is exact this Monday, Sun will be in Leo at 19°, the degree on which Mars goes retrograde in December. What I find so important about this Leo Season (specifically July 22 - August 10 the first 19 degrees of Leo), is that it is a small sneak preview into a larger project. This winter we all have a lot of energy to move. Mars will be going retrograde in Leo, which may feel like no energy is moving at all sometimes. This corresponds to normal phases in a project when we can get stuck, need to re-meet, re-group, re-think and take a new strategy.

I think that what we are working on right now, is going to expand like a big accordion, opening space with many compartments. In the winter we will be creating (Mars in Leo) a new creative structure in our lives. If you have a calender, write down what you are doing these days, notice the common threads and be thinking like a fearless, creative, dashing director. If you are not naturally like this, think of a Leo you know who loves to be on stage and be cruise director.

Today as Moon slips into Pisces its a good day to slip into some one's shoes, so pick a Leo and if you don't know any, then pick a creative director from an agency who you admire, or pick a Mom who you admire how she is with her kids or pick an artist who you admire how they work. We can apply this energy to whatever we are trying to work out around the weekend and around the 10th of August. I think this will help for the winter when its cold and we are gathered around the fire wanting progress in creating our lives.

For more details, here is another post around the Mars retrograde.

Brothers and Sisters All Together, Letting Go; Lunar Eclipse by Deirdre Tanton

What I notice as this week's lunar eclipse nears, is a different clustering among friends and associates. Strange that a lunar eclipse is about letting go, yet new friends are coming in, or friends who have always been meant to be are randomly shoring to the beach, landing on eachother's doorsteps and in eachother email boxes.

This lunar eclipse has a lot to do with letting go of our addictions or habits, whatever they may be. Friends may be coming together to help each other or support each other in this highly sensitive subject where nobody did wrong, it just is.

As Moon in Aquarius can tend to be distant, and intellectualize, it may be a good idea to remember compassion and withhold judgement. When we let go, it can be scarey and for that we stand taller with our brothers and sisters.


Look at this chart. Even if you cannot read a chart, know that the sensitive points are at 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock. Planets are moving counter clock-wise, and so we can see that each of the o'clocks, or angles, as they are called in astrology, have a celestial body coming toward them. These angles are the place where the personal is political and vice versa. This is one sign that points loud and clear to: We Need Eachother! This is no time for isolation!


Another sign re-inforcing this coming together as partners within groups is the three planets you see up around 10 o'clock. That's Neptune, Chiron and Jupiter in Aquarius. If you don't understand what this means, just have a party and invite a few Aquariuses and see how the party comes alive, has an edge a vibe and an undertow and becomes unforgettable. Many Aquariuses instinctively know how to get us together. Uranus, the ober über Aquarian planet, is inching toward 0° Aries, (9 o'clock) the ober über most sensitive point on the chart. And Uranus is opposing Saturn, Aquarius's ancient ruler. This explains why tough personal-political issues are creating a festering in the folk.


I think this lunar eclipse is bringing us closer to our next community. During this time we may notice who is around, who is calling, who is showing up, where have we landed and who is missing. As the Saturn - Uranus oppostion tightens during September, lets try to notice what issues are dividing what camps and remember if we were camping on the moon during the eclipse we may see the Earth disappear - and at that point, how silly that the camps were ever divided.