This month’s New Moon occurs on January 9th 2016 at 6:30 pm Mountain Standard Time in the sign of Capricorn. Capricorn is a solid Earth sign representing security, stability and safety, and occurs at the darkest time of the year. The Moon is uncomfortable in Capricorn, so emotions tend to be channeled into practicality. We may also notice that our energy is lower than usual, particularly since both the Sun and the Moon have run into Pluto in the last week. This added intensity to the New Year, right along with Mercury beginning the Retrograde Dance on the 5th. Mercury will be retrograde until the 25th, spending most of the period in Capricorn as well. What this New Moon may be suggesting is to get down to business. You may be itching to start your business, but follow Mercury’s retro lead and do the research, read the contracts, re-read the contracts, dot the i’s and cross the t’s. And read the contracts one more time, for good measure. It’s best to wait until the retrograde is over – January 25th – to sign anything big, but sometimes life doesn’t give us that option. Just be aware if you do that something may need to be re-done or re-branded somewhere down the line. It’s also possible that the contracts might be easier to get out of, if need be. Life still goes on.

Elsewhere in the skies, on the 12th Venus harmonizes with Uranus, giving us a break from our normal routine. We may find ourselves running into unusual characters, or may choose on a whim to go get that rad hairstyle we’ve always wanted to try. On the 13th the Sun plays nice with Jupiter, gifting us with a day of harmony, expansion, and general all-around good feeling, or at least the energy to improve on things. The next day the Sun bumps into Mercury, who is enjoying a coffee with Jupiter as they exchange retrograde stories. This may heighten miscommunication, or it might entail a new mind expanding outlook on internal perceptions. The 17th brings Venus into conflict with Jupiter. Watch over-indulging in food and drink, and the temptation to overspend, though you might enjoy every minute of it! Mars harmonizes with Neptune on the 18th. This may be a good time to be in service to others. Practicing a spiritual discipline such as Yoga or Tai Chi may be favored as well. The 20th brings Mercury conflicting with Uranus, while the Sun enters progressive Aquarius. Brilliant ideas may be hatched. The 22nd brings retrograde Mercury into contact with Pluto. Power plays may go awry, communication may be powerfully understated and fully misunderstood.

In summary the time from New to Full looks to be one of getting back on track, researching options, and enjoying a little reprieve after the hectic holiday season. It might also feel like not much is getting done, but things are percolating below the surface, so please be patient. The light will soon return!

By Jill Pitts

This month’s New Moon occurs on December 11, 2015, at 3:29am Mountain Standard Time. The Moon is in Sagittarius the Archer and Centaur, teacher and wise one, party animal supreme. This is the idea time for holiday parties, but sadly, there is a twist – the previous day’s Mars/Pluto/Uranus meetup has sure left some of us irritated beyond reason. As a matter of fact, reason has momentarily left the room. Fortunately, Mars moves quickly and will be on its way, leaving Uranus and Pluto to break down and transform the damage. On the bright side, Venus and Neptune are in harmony this day as well; there may be deception afoot, but we can indulge in fantasy or create some spectacular art. New Moons represent new beginnings; this is an excellent time to jump start those New Year’s Resolutions. There may be some deception through the mass media on the 14th with Mercury nudging Neptune; the Sun will rub Jupiter the wrong way as well so things may get blown out of proportion. On the 17th Venus moves into an uneasy truce with Pluto; watch the credit cards. Between the 19th and the 20th, Mercury will occupy a spot similar to Mars on the 10th and 11th; sharp talk resulting from frazzled nerves may occur along with some bad news. Let’s aim for transformative and inspired conversation instead! The 21st is the Winter Solstice, where the Sun moves into Capricorn at 9:49pm. The days will begin growing longer now. Solstice is a good time to clear out the past and prepare for the new; prosperity work can be done at this time. On the 24th Venus nods to Jupiter, hopefully expanding the love and giving a bright light to all.

Peace on Earth. We need it.

By Jill K.

This month’s Full Moon occurs on November 25, 2015, at 3:44pm Mountain Standard Time.
The Moon is in Gemini, enhancing everyone’s restlessness. Ideas, and bullpuckey, are flying at supersonic speed. Saturn and Mercury are close in with the Sun, giving a hyper-focus on intellectual issues but slowing travel way down – patience is needed, especially with the Thanksgiving holiday upon us. Use caution on the roads as distraction may be running high. Airport delays are indicated as well. Let’s try to keep our focus on gratitude and use any delays as a time to ground and center as the holiday season begins.
Elsewhere in the skies, Saturn and Neptune conflict on the 26th. Reality and fantasy collide; health issues may have a spiritual solution. The Sun sheds light on both planets on the 29th; it may not be what we want to hear, but at least we can see what’s going on. On December 1st Mercury and Uranus play nice in the sandbox; this is a good time to brainstorm as new and innovative ideas can flow more easily now. Mercury challenges Jupiter on the 4th, this is good for projecting long term goals, but be mindful of details and keep arrogance in check. Venus moves into Scorpio this day as well; this could encourage spending on credit or spice up the bedroom. The 6th brings the Sun into an uneasy alliance with Mars, who is challenging Pluto. This can indicate power plays, or be a catalyst for transformation. On the 8th the Sun aligns with Uranus, giving us a boost of energy and the urge to try something beyond our comfort zone. The next day Mercury moves into Capricorn, grounding our thoughts and helping us stay more on task. The 10th brings Mars into opposition with Uranus; please be careful driving, as people may be explosively cranky today. It is also a good day to break free – or begin to separate -from something that has been holding us back.
This can be a stressful time of year for many; patience and compassion for ourselves and others helps us all. Transformation and change are afoot!

By Jill Pitts

This month’s New Moon occurs on November 11th at 10:47am Mountain Standard Time. The Moon is in transformative, brooding, and psychic Scorpio. Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Chiron, and Pluto are all affecting this Moon, each in its own way. This combination reminds me of a dark swamp, holding its secrets until a bold of lightning ignites the gasses and brings that darkness into the light, however briefly. When the swamp returns to darkness, it has been seen, it has been transformed; it is still dark but no longer unseen or unknown. The New Moon is similar to the swamp; it is traditionally a time of new beginnings, of bringing the unseen into the light; bringing new possibilities into manifestation. This New Moon is a time to develop our hidden potentials. Psychological, spiritual, psychic and healing energies are particularly favored now.
Elsewhere in the skies we have Mars entering Libra on the 12th. Mars is uncomfortable here; the focus is often on relationships and others, Mars prefers the focus to be on him. Competition may arise. However, finding balance between “me” time and time with others is the challenge, and Mars is up to it. Mars can also fuel interest in the arts here. On the 13th, Venus has coffee with Saturn, and Mercury meets Jupiter at the library. This is a good time for financial and social planning, especially with the holidays and calendar year end fast approaching. The 17th brings Mercury right into the Sun; drama and pomposity may ensue. Neptune turns direct on the 18th, bringing forth artistic creativity and enhancing the beauty of the season – enjoy the lights! Mercury moves into Sagittarius on the 20th; watch for foot-in-mouth syndrome with the relatives this Thanksgiving (US). The same day Venus has strained relations with Pluto; watch for excesses; it may be the day a big purchase is made on credit. The Sun moves into Sagittarius on the 22nd, lightening moods and giving us the energy and, hopefully, positivity to swing into the season. On the 23rd Venus opposes Uranus – a sudden awareness of our financial or relational status may ensue, or we might be prone to impulse buying. Mars waves at Saturn that day as well; that might actually bring us back to an uneasy reality. The next day Mercury bumps into Saturn, and later that day comes into conflict with Neptune. Logic and belief – compare, contrast – are likely to spur some interesting conversations today, if we can keep from putting our feet too far into our mouths.
Until the Full – Namaste!
-By Jill K.

This month’s New Moon occurs on October 12th at 6:06pm Mountain Daylight Time. It is in the sign of Libra, the sign of harmony, partnership and balance. It is a good time for artistic endeavors and socializing, though this month we have Uranus in the mix. This can lend itself to breakups or breakthroughs and sudden flashes of creative genius. It also sets up a flavor of unpredictability for the next two weeks or so while the moon waxes, so it’s a good time to ride with the changes. This is especially pertinent with Mercury having just gone direct three days prior.
Elsewhere in the skies on the 13th Mercury waves at Saturn, focusing communication and minimizing chit-chat. The 15th brings Mars into harmony with Pluto – watch for power plays, but also for opportunities to empower transformation in our lives. On the 16th Venus opposes Neptune, which can bring deception and disillusionment to light. Has our service been in vain? Positively this can inspire and support the arts, or just give the urge to wear something fashionable. The next day Mars runs into Jupiter, shifting the energy to one of unbridled enthusiasm and giving us impetus to get up and get going. There may even be noteworthy healthcare news. The 22nd brings Mercury into conflict with Pluto; communications may be blunt but please watch the snark. On the 23rd the Sun moves into the sign of Scorpio, shifting life to a more internal experience as the days grow shorter. The same day Venus harmonizes with Pluto, turning up the sexy and changing up the finances. A major purchase is a possibility, especially when Venus meets up with Jupiter on the 25th. That same day Mercury is moving by Uranus; pay extra attention when speaking and traveling.
All in all the next two weeks should be something of an adventure – intense, but eye opening and transformational. Peace to all!

By Jill K.

This month’s Full Moon occurs on September 27, 2015, at 8:50pm Mountain Daylight Time. This Moon is different from others in that it is a Supermoon Eclipse. These are rare; they’ve only happened 5 times since 1900, the last one being in 1982, and the next one won’t be until 2033(www.Space.com). This alone makes it powerful; add in the fact that this is the last of four “blood moon” eclipses in a row (a “Tetrad”) and the Moon is in Aries, and we have a winner, folks! Much has been written about prophesies and doom and the end of the world being heralded by this–I do not subscribe to that myself. This Moon is a fantastic opportunity to really let go of what no longer serves, while bringing in a new and fresh way of being. Aries is the beginning of the Zodiac; its energy is initiating and adventurous. Let’s choose to ride this tide! Communications may be a bit challenging with Mercury still in retrograde; the usual confusion and delay apply.
Elsewhere in the skies the Sun bumps into Mercury on the 30th; there may be some epic miscommunication afoot. October 6th the Sun conflicts for a brief moment with Pluto, Mercury gives Saturn an opportunity to explain himself, and Mars gives Neptune some energy and awareness. This might be a good day to volunteer for those less fortunate, get together with friends to discuss esoterica, or create an inspired, focused, transformational work of art. On the 8th Venus enters Virgo, healing dramas and turning the focus to work and service. With Mars, Jupiter and Venus all in Virgo, we can also hope to see a lot of cleaning, clearing, organizing and decorating going on. Mercury goes direct on the 9th – yay! Now we can look into starting up anything that inadvertently (or not) got put on hold since September 17th. On the 10th Venus and Saturn glare at each other; romance and finances may present challenges. The 11th brings us a nice aspect with Jupiter and Pluto; think Pope Francis, transforming his spiritual path. The Sun and Uranus face off this day as well; new flashes of insight are possible, expect the unexpected. Change is in the air!
By Jill K.

This month’s New Moon occurs on September 13th at 12:41am Mountain Daylight Time. It is a solar eclipse, which magnifies the New Moon energies. With this charged up Moon in Virgo it is an excellent time to clean, clear, and reorganize; get rid of what doesn’t serve or suit you anymore. Cleaning out closets and minds and donating items is a good way to put this energy to practical use.
Elsewhere at the New Moon we have Chiron across the sky from the eclipse; health issues may show up or need a closer look. On the 16th Jupiter and Neptune meet across the sky; watch for over-zealous religious proclamations, deceit, and/or fraud to make headlines. Creative energies may be high; it might be difficult to navigate for those who are not grounded, and weirdness may be the way of the day (though it’s felt “weird” for about a week now…). The 17th brings us Mercury turning retrograde in Libra; whatever relationship issues we didn’t get to during Venus’ retrograde we will get to look at now. The good thing is that we may reconnect with old friends again. Even better, invite an old friend to help clean out closets and reorganize! Saturn *finally* moves out of Scorpio and into Sagittarius this same day. Besides lending practicality to our dreams, Saturn in Sagittarius helps us overcome adversity with work, persistence and humor. Saturn will remain in Sagittarius until December 2017.
The 22nd brings a Venus meetup with Uranus, potentially complicating things with an unexpected issue. On the 23rd, the Sun enters Libra – the Fall Equinox- at 2:21am MDT. Later that day, the Sun brushes with Saturn, giving our harvest celebrations a more serious, grounded energy. The next day Mercury squares up with Pluto, Mars crosses into Virgo, and Pluto turns direct; communications may get nasty and overly critical. Obsessively cleaning and reorganizing a closet or living space might be a better use for this energy combination. Mars challenges Saturn on the 25th; this combination may feel like driving with the brakes on – nothing seems to move. Mercury still in retrograde may add to any confusion and delay. This brings us up to the Full Moon/Supermoon/Blood Moon Eclipse on the 27th – more on that next time.
The two week period in between eclipses is generally more intense than normal. The build-up of energy during this time is asking us to continue to let go of what no longer serves – not just closets and stuff but thoughts, habits, feelings, attitudes, and ways of doing things. This may be to make room for new and exciting things to come!
Eclipse on!
By Jill K.

This month’s Full Moon occurs on August 29, 2015, at 12:35pm Mountain Daylight Time. The Moon is in Pisces, the sign of the Fish: watery, emotional, sensitive, intuitive. This Moon is close to perigee (closest point to the Earth), giving it “Supermoon” status (Space.com, timeanddate.com). Actually, this Moon is a super moon – the Pisces Moon is joined up with Neptune, the ruler of Pisces, enhancing its Piscean qualities. Joined with the Sun in Virgo is Jupiter, expanding and magnifying the discerning Virgo energies. This is an excellent time to get into a creative space: art, music, dance, spiritual work. We can combine the abundance of Virgoan fine-tuning and attention to detail with the flow of Piscean emotion and intuition to enhance our arts and endeavors. Watch out for being overly critical, hung up on details or inappropriately expressing emotion. Be on the lookout for deceptive practices as well. While Neptune and Pisces deal with, among other things, spirituality and trust, not everyone takes the high road. That said, this is a good time to be of service and share your gifts and talents with others.
Elsewhere in the skies we have Venus and Mars hooking up for some romance in Leo – a tendency toward drama in relationships is indicated. Impulse spending is possible as well. On September 5th the Sun waves to Pluto; this might be a good time to put some research into practical matters and get stuff done. On the 6th Venus turns direct! Hopefully the economy will begin to rebalance as she moves forward again, and perhaps we’ve relearned a lesson or two about how we connect – or don’t – in relationships. On the 8th Mars greets Uranus, which can break us out of our routine to bring us new experiences and a fresh perspective. On the 9th Mercury conflicts with Pluto – beware of harsh words, though communications may lead to transformation of thought.
Until the New,
Namaste!
By Jill K.

This Month’s New Moon occurs on August 14th 2015 at 8:53 am Mountain Daylight Time. The Moon is in the dramatic, charismatic sign of Leo, along with the Sun, Venus, and Mars. That’s a lot of Leo! There is plenty of opportunity for romance here, though with Venus well into her retrograde we may see former lovers reappear. Watch your bank and credit card accounts; fraud is running rampant. Adding fuel to this fire is Uranus from Aries; expect the unexpected. Creativity and courage move to the forefront; Venus’ influence, much stronger than Mars’, brings the attributes of the Lioness to bear. It is an excellent time to get in touch with heart matters, as Leo rules the heart.
Elsewhere in the skies we have Mercury in harmony with Pluto on the 15th; transformational discussion and communication are favored. On the 19th Venus conspires with Pluto for some intensity – a good day to delve deeply into art, dance or music. The Sun conflicts with Saturn on the 21st, giving us a dose of mundane reality, while the Moon conflicts with Jupiter the next day, letting us feel more expansive. So although we realize there are limitations, we are aware that we can still move on in spite of them – actually, because of them, as structure manifests our dreams and ideas. Shortly after, the Sun moves into discerning, industrious Virgo. This grounds us as we prepare the harvest or go back to school. On the 26th the Sun meets up with Jupiter, and Mercury and Saturn have a chat. This combination also supports the manifestation of our dreams, ideas, and goals. The next day Mercury moves into Libra, shifting the focus to balance and justice.
Happy manifesting!
By Jill K.

This month’ New Moon occurs on July 15th 2015 at 7:25 pm Mountain Daylight Time. The Moon is in the sign of Cancer, the sign she rules. Cancer Moons are a good time to be reflective (pun intended) as the Moon rules our emotional cycles as well as our subconscious. This New Moon is likely to ramp this up a bit as there is a LOT of activity going on out there! Joining the Sun and Moon in the sign of Cancer are Mars and Mercury, traveling together for a short time this week. They can stir up storms (literally as well as figuratively) in our minds and our homes. Add in Pluto, directly across the skies from Mars/Mercury, and those storms become transformational. Speaking of Pluto, July 14, 2015 saw the New Horizons spacecraft fly by Pluto for a first close-up look at this faraway world. How well this fits with this New Moon! From our Home (Sun and Moon in Cancer), a spacecraft flies (Uranus, Mars) to gather data (Mercury) to send home (Mercury in Cancer), including pictures (Neptune/Sun-Moon). Even its name- New Horizons (New Moon – Sun/Moon with Saturn)-seems to fit to a “T”! Here on Earth things might be a little more on the intense side with all this activity, though it is a lighter, quicker intensity than what we’ve experienced in the past three years or so. The 15th through the 18th we may wish to hold our tongues a bit, as the urge to be more than brutally honest may show up. New and unexpected ways of processing and talking things out may present. This may also be a great time to put things out to the Universe (Higher Power, God, etc) as Venus and Jupiter dance with Saturn, assisting manifestation efforts. Venus moves into Virgo on the 18th for a short stay; she turns retrograde on the 25th, goes back into Leo on the 31st, and turns direct again on September 6th. During a Venus retrograde period we can expect financial matters to take a pause – Saturn is involved so it may include limitations on spending and funds, or a restructuring of our finances. We may also reconnect with previous lovers – suddenly that old boyfriend or girlfriend shows up or calls. Past fashion trends may resurface at this time as well, and our values and lifestyle may need a re-think. The Sun enters sunny Leo on the 22nd; brightening things up a bit. Use caution on the 25th; Mars and Uranus are butting heads so watch your movement to avoid clumsiness or accidents. Following on Venus’ heels, Uranus turns retrograde on the 26th until December 25th. Uranus retrograde gives us a chance to review and reflect on changes put forth during Uranus’ direct period, and may give us more sudden insights on those and other matters under review. It can also uncover bugs in technology and inspire new, creative fixes for them.
New Moons are good for intention setting; and this one is a gem. Go for it!
By Jill K.