By: Janette Dalgliesh – Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the know.
18 August – 17 September 2020
Welcome to another Lunar Cycle, starting with a gloriously radiant New Moon in Leo (exact times below).
The themes this month are fiery and revolutionary, with a side order of exquisite ice-cool clarity and articulation (if you choose).
Uranus went into Retrograde motion over the weekend, which always triggers a change in perspective for this guardian of our own defiant spirit.
With the Dark Moon in Leo also at play, chances are high for personal revelations about what we will no longer tolerate – and also what we would MUCH prefer to say ‘yes’ to.
The New Moon in Leo activates nearby Mercury (how we think and how we speak and listen), and also feisty action hero Mars in his home sign of Aries.
If you’re reading this before the New Moon, you might be aware of some rising innovations which want to be expressed, but aren’t quite here yet. This isn’t a time to push, because it’s Dark Moon – but after the New Moon, you can begin letting those new ideas have their say, and put in place the plans to make them real.
That thing you came here to do and be and express WANTS to be made real.
Your only job is to decide how best to say yes to it, and that will become clearer thanks to the influence of this inspirational dynamic.
Right now, though, set aside any frustration you might be feeling and simply allow new ideas to surface so you can capture them.
Soon after the New Moon, Sun moves out of Leo and into make-shit-real Virgo, bringing a sense of stability to all that inspiration and making it way easier to start thinking about how to create tangible results.
The First Quarter Moon in potently transformational Scorpio then invites us to grasp our own deepest power and actually use it to create change; both within our individual lives, and within the society within which we function.
It’s as thought the inventive solutions we’ve been nurturing from this weekend will begin to take shape, to change our own reality, to become even more powerful in the world in a natural flow.
That process might not feel 100% comfortable if we’re clinging to the past.
But a willingness to say yes to possibility, and then keep revisiting what inspired us in the first place? That will fuel the work we need to do.
The Full Moon is our time of harvesting the work of the previous two weeks, and here in Pisces it seeks a deep connection to all things.
You can imagine it as a beautiful, dreamy dynamic where the most effect comes from the ways in which we deliberately choose to lose ourselves and surrender.
It might seem counterintuitive, but it’s all about the ‘less is more’ principle. Relax, let go of the need to control, trust that what you’ve set up is working.
You can imagine it like a moment of delicious free-fall after a couple of busy weeks of surfing the tides of change.
Immediately after the Full Moon, we’ll experience a call to push the envelope when it comes to articulation.
North Node in Gemini (the Mercurial sign of intellectual curiosity, truth-telling, communication and questioning) will be lit up by both make-shit-real taskmaster Saturn, and break-the-rules Uranus.
This is a powerful opportunity to activate our own discernment, to ask for better and more diverse evidence from multiple sources, to clearly SEE the difference between good solid information, and shaky unreliable conspiracy theories.
There is a great potential for us to use this Gemini energy to ask ‘what are the sources, who paid for this information, who is distributing it, whom does it serve, what is the science?’
Collectively and individually, it’s an invitation to do our due diligence when it comes to all matters of authority (Saturn) and challenges to authority (Uranus).
At the same time, Mercury (the ruler of Gemini) moves into the calmer waters of Libra, where equilibrium and harmony are in good supply.
Libra’s ability to see both sides of a story will help with this process of pausing, taking a breath, seeing more clearly, and checking the data before leaping ahead.
With the Third Quarter Moon also following close behind and also happening in Gemini, this reinforces our ability to apply our own intellect – not only for the information we take in, but also for the assumptions we experience from our own brains.
It’s a brilliant time to question our own confirmatory bias, to aim for curiosity rather than judgement, regardless of how much outrage or emotional turmoil we might feel.
And that’s really good news, because at around the same time, we’ll also experience Mars turning Retrograde in his fiery sign of Aries.
As with any planet moving into Retrograde, this means a change in perspective; a reexamination of the things that planet represents.
We can use the wisdom and knowledge we acquire thanks to all that Mercury/Gemini energy, to asses our own actions and our plans for action.
This Mars Rx takes place in the third decan of Aries, so it’s definitely Mars in his own sign of leadership and taking the initiative, and Mars here is not known for his patience and tolerance.
Things may well get a little hot under the collar, especially if we don’t take advantage of those earlier nudges towards our calm intellectual curiosity to get all the info.
But happily, this is also Mars in the third decan of Aries (20º to 29º), which brings in a good dose of optimism and exploratory energy from fellow fire sign, Sagittarius.
And we can take advantage of that.
The questions to ask ourselves are things like ‘I wonder what is possible?’ and ‘I wonder how I / we could accomplish the seemingly impossible?’
These also become useful in our wider communications.
Less ancient warrior energy, more investigative exploration.
Human brains love to be asked all kinds of questions, and a Retrograde period is a good time to choose those powerful questions of possibility, and anticipate some new ideas.
A few days later, we have superpower Jupiter himself turning direct in Capricorn, so this adds another layer of that anything-is-possible visionary energy to the mix.
This is an outer planet, so the change in direction happens over a period of some days; but this change in perspective will eventually lead to a feeling of ‘brakes off’, especially in terms of our own relationship wth what we are building for ourselves, and what we are building in our world.
It will be especially interesting to see how this plays out in areas of life where we’ve been asked to pay special attention to our relationship with power and governance.
The most obvious spot is the US elections, but there are other countries also being forced to examine their own relationships with power, including my own patch of the world in Australia.
When our very social systems are being asked the question ‘what is a better way to do this?’, it can feel unsettling AF.
And it’s a necessary question, if we want to see a world where everyone has access to privilege.
Your own mission for this cycle?
Easy!
Get extra picky about both the information you take in, and how your perceive that input.
Ask ‘is this well-researched? Does it point in the direction of making things better rather than merely triggering my outrage / fear? What possibilities are opened up by this input?’
Allow your inspiration to arise, capturing even the most crazy-seeming ideas, and giving them time to percolate so you can light up your own action plans.
Turn your own powers to making tangible changes in your life that are going to open up the doors of possibility.
Do the same for the world, in whatever way you’re able.
It’s also smart to undertake some conscious work towards managing any of the low hum of stress you might be experiencing, thanks to global events.
And remember, lots of people in your world don’t have your advantages – they may not understand why THEY are feeling unsettled with all this astrological weather for change.
Practice patience, or simply walk away if they’re really spoiling for a fight.
Or share this article with them, if you’re feeling kind.
The possibilities this month are amazing. Your only job is to open the door and say YES to them.
If saying YES is tricky for you, I’d love to help you master the Art of Receiving Your Good. I’m running a masterclass, followed by a mini-challenge where we’ll put the theory into practice – and it’s completely free of charge. Sign up for the masterclass here, and you’ll automatically be invited to the mini-challenge too.
Exact times (US Eastern timezone):
- 18 August, 10:43PM – New Moon at 27º Leo
- 22 August, 11.45AM – Sun enters Virgo
- 25 August, 1.59PM – First Quarter Moon in Scorpio
- 2 September, 1.23AM – Full Moon at 9º Pisces
- 3-5 September – Saturn quincunx North Node; Uranus semi-square North Node
- 5 September, 7.53AM – Mercury into Libra
- 9 September, 6.22PM – Mars turns Retrograde at 28º Aries
- 10 September, 5.27AM – Third Quarter Moon at 15º Gemini
- 12 September, 8.41PM – Jupiter goes direct at 17º Capricorn
- 17 September – Dark Moon in Virgo
The Lunar Cycle and how to navigate
- New moon – good for new wishes, intentions, leaving lots of wiggle room
- Crescent phase – collect information, allows the thing to take shape
- First Quarter Moon – take action to resolve any issues, and to build whatever is being built
- Gibbous phase – organise, integrate, plan, analyse
- Full Moon – launch – time for full exposure, blossoming, harvesting – go public if appropriate – can get a new perspective with the illumination from the moon
- Disseminating phase – share information
- Third Quarter Moon – readjust, respond to any issues on you awarenesses – learn from the project – prepare to drop/close the project or phase
- Balsamic phase – a period of transition in preparation for the ending of the cycle
- Dark moon – the end of the cycle, time to release, clear, let go – tie up loose ends, rest and recharge – set up to incubate the next cycle
Janette Dalgliesh helps rebel progressive women create their 5-year dream in three months (even if they don’t know what that dream is yet). Her international clientele — the poets, the politicians, the artists and the entrepreneurs — all use their unique skills and talents in the work of dismantling outmoded systems, both external and internal. Janette uses her unique blend of astrology and neuroscience-based coaching to help women come home to themselves and their inherent, world-altering power, so they can do work which makes a difference, makes good money, and makes their hearts sing. Find Janette at her website.
