Taurus New Moon – BURROW

Change can be painful, and it is usually more so if we resist it. This new moon in fixed earth sign Taurus (Tuesday 11th May, 19:59 BST) is conjunct Uranus and squaring off against Jupiter and Saturn – expand, no contract, no expand. What are we supposed to do? The instinct of Taurus is to dig your heels in and stay as comfortable as possible.

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What I also notice though is that there is a strange kind of support offered by Pluto (via a trine) at this time.

The Pluto themes of death and rebirth, within earthy Capricorn, is something which I can see being understood by Taurus now: change is part of nature and can be accepted now as such (even when it seemed totally unacceptable before). This is when the big change can take place. It is time now.

Likely we may not be able to fully describe or articulate what that change is right now, maybe even to ourselves. It is the journey in to the labyrinth which we are on. Coming back to the light will come later. But it will come.

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

― Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Divination/ Journalling Prompts

*How can I let go of excess baggage?
*What do I need to carry with me now?
*What support do I have as a burrow inwards?
*What waits for me at the heart of the labyrinth?

Ritual/ Spellwork/ EveryDayMagic Suggestions

*Any kind of death/ rebirth ritual which appeals to you is appropriate now.
*If you have access to a physical labyrinth (or finger labyrinth) which you could walk that would be awesome
*Accessing ancestral wisdom can be really supportive now. There have been bigger changes than what we are going through now in the past, and our ancestors have knowledge which carried them through. Ask for their guidance and support.

Aries New Moon – REBIRTH

Over the course of a lifetime we gather many things. Some of these are good for us, others are not so good. Some were good for us at one point in our journey but now they hold us back. Sorting what is helpful and nourishing from what is stifling and painful is not always easy. Sometimes it is our most closely gathered treasures which weigh us down the most.

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It is a strange thing that we hold onto pain. But often it is because we do not know who or how we will be if we let it go. If you are brave enough, now, at this Aries new moon (April 12th, 3:21 GMT), is the time to find out.

“We stood there, looking at each other, saying nothing. But it was the kind of nothing that meant everything. In his eyes, there was no trace of what had happened between us earlier and I could feel something inside me break.

So that was that. We were finally, finally over.

I looked at him, and I felt so sad, because this thought occurred to me: ‘I will never look at you the same way again. I’ll never be that girl again. The girl who comes running back every time you push her away, the girl who loves you anyway.’

I couldn’t even be mad at him, because this was who he was. This was who he’d

always been. He’d never lied about that. He gave and then he took away. I felt it in the pit of my stomach, the familiar ache, that lost, regretful feeling only he could give me. I never wanted to feel it again. Never, ever.

Maybe this was why I came, so I could really know. So I could say good-bye.

I looked at him, and I thought, ‘If I was very brave or very honest, I would tell him.’

I would say it, so he would know it and I would know it, and I could never take it back. But I wasn’t that brave or honest, so all I did was look at him. And I think he knew anyway.

‘I release you. I evict you from my heart. Because if I don’t do it now, I never will.’

I was the one to look away first.”

― Jenny Han, It’s Not Summer Without You

Divination/ Journalling Prompts

*What am I clinging onto too tightly?
*How can I release?
*What labour pains am I experiencing?
*What am I birthing now?

Ritual/ Spellwork/ EveryDayMagic Suggestions

*Starting with smaller, less frightening changes/ sacrifices can be a way to ease into bigger changes. Perhaps it is time for a haircut, a change of wall colour, a different route to somewhere you go regularly.
*What we need surrounds us. What plants are growing around you now? Choose one that calls to you and get to know it. Nettle is a good teacher for this work of rebirth, if that is local to you.
*Nurturing practices like baths, naps, yin yoga – whatever makes you feel held and safe enough to release, let go, and be born anew.

Pisces New Moon – HIGH VIBES

I can be a bit suspicious when people say things like “high vibes only” and “love and light”. In my experience sometimes those phrases are used as a form of spiritual bypassing, of looking away from what is really happening and privileging one set of experiences and ways of being in the world over another. Not cool. Obviously. And yet, at this new moon (on March 13th 10:21 GMT) with the Sun, Moon, Venus and Neptune altogether in Pisces, it feels like the most tantalising possibilities can become manifest.

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And not only manifest, but easily and gracefully – perhaps even enjoyably? This moon is one of the most potent new moons of the year for setting intentions, so, even if you don’t do it usually, do it now.

“If you knock the right door, on the right time; you reach and meet the right person.”

― Ehsan Sehgal

Divination/ Journalling Prompts

*What are my wildest hopes and dreams?
*What is blocking me from living them?
*How can I release that block and move forward now?
*What is a loving thing I can do for myself or others at this time?

Ritual/ Spellwork/ EveryDayMagic Suggestions

*Sigil, sigil, sigil
*Simple new moon intention setting: write down what you want, ask your guides/ the moon/ your god/dess for assistance.
*Creative activities of all kinds are favoured now. But stay grounded in your body. Stay away from substances which can unground you, if you are prone to being swept away. You want to be aware and creative IN your body now.

Aquarius New Moon – RECALIBRATE

The New Moon falls on the 11th of February (19:06 GMT) with the moon joining the pile up of Sun, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus AND Mercury retrograde in Aquarius (phew!). The Aquarius stellium is also squaring off against Mars and Uranus in Taurus.

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The change that we have been resisting, on both a whole world scale and in our individual lives, is coming. Time to recalibrate, shed the dead stuff, breathe in the new possibilities.

“Pain in this life is not avoidable, but the pain we create avoiding pain is avoidable.”

― R.D. Laing

Divination/ Journalling Prompts

*How do I currently approach change?
*How can I embrace change?
*What change do I need to welcome now? (don’t be freaked out of you get the death card here, 99.9% of the time it’s a metaphor – but heed that metaphor)
*How does a recalibrated me look/ think/ feel/ do? (you can take a card for each, or one card to represent the whole recalibrated you)

Ritual/ Spellwork/ EveryDayMagic Suggestions

*Purification ritual, a smoke bath using incense would be Aquarius appropriate
*Burn and release spell work (which is exactly what it sounds like, more info on how that might look here)
*Creating space for change, and new ways coming in, by doing the mundane time management type stuff

Full Aquarius Moon – Connect

The Full Aquarius Moon (August 3rd, 16:59 BST) brings a window of opportunity to connect with like-minded and interesting people. If you’ve been feeling a bit stale in your relationships (and I suspect that is the case for many of us during global restrictions of freedom of movement) what can you do to breathe some fresh air into this part of your life?

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It’s not so much the super deep and meaningful relationships I’m talking about here, it’s more friends/ acquaintances.
I read an interesting article yesterday on the (excellent) Mooncircles.com site by April Elliot Kent entitled “Aquarius Full Moon: Alone, Together” where she talked about this, which really resonated.

“You know when you begin to feel a lack of balance in your life, a paucity of happy, uncomplicated places where you can simply show up, be yourself, and have the sense that you belong there.”

April Elliot Kent

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*What is the current state of my friendships?
*What do I need to to fulfil my needs in this area?
*How can I protect my need for space?
*How can I foster “happy, uncomplicated places”?

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*It’s Full Moon Ritual time!
*Release what is holding you back, perhaps through burning a list of those things and blowing the embers away with the breeze
*Invite what you need, perhaps through creating a charm bag with representations of what you’re looking for and some herbs/ stones to bolster your intent

First Quarter Moon in Scorpio – SWEAT

As the month draws to a close, the moon reaches its first quarter in Scorpio (July 27th, 13:32 BST). With Mars energy already holding sway, I feel like this first quarter, in Mars’s (traditional) home sign, will further fan the fire.

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They say that what we put our attention on grows, well, it is also (more) true that what we put our effort into flourishes. What do you want that you aren’t currently giving enough effort? Put your back into it, at whatever level you can manage. Not all effort is physical.

“Be of good cheer. Do not think of today’s failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.”
― Helen Keller

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*What area of my life requires more effort right now?
*How can I best spend my energy?
*How can I work smarter, not harder?
*What is possible for me in this area?

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*Effort is not confined to physical work, magical work counts too. Where can you throw some extra magic at a goal?
*Sigil shoaling for tangible short term goals will be effective now
*Support your increased effort by extra care for your physical body, a footbath, an early night. What replenishes you? Do that.

Cancer New Moon – LEAN IN

The new moon in Cancer (July 20th, 18:33 BST) is opposite Saturn in its home sign of Capricorn. It feels like the two grandparents, stern, but ultimately invested in our wellbeing, are watching over us. 

In a year already filled with weirdness, what happens next? Is it possible to bring elements from the past (ours, and from our ancestors) forward, in a healthy way, into the present? Not everything is obsolete, and equally, not everything traditional is useful. Lean in to what works, discriminate wisely. Ask the elders, incarnate or in spirit, for help. 

“The songs of our ancestors are also the songs of our children”
― Philip Carr-Gomm

 

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*Whose child am I? 
*What are my ancestral blessings?
*What are my ancestral burdens?
*What is the song of my ancestors that I should sing today?

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*Spend time with your ancestors, whatever that looks like for you
*Spend time with your ancestors of place, the tree/ mountain/ city/ river spirits who you cohabit with
*Write your epitaph, what is your legacy? This doesn’t need to be morbid. I would love for mine to say “was kind”. 

Third Quarter Aries Moon – INCITE

The Third Quarter Moon (July 13th, 00:29 BST) joins Mars in Aries, squaring off against the sun. The mood is explosive. Something has to move. Stasis is anathema now. 

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Where in your life do you need to take action? What sparks need to fly? Dare to light the match. Begin. 

“These are burning times. And they call for Burning Women. Women embodied in their passion. Woman feeling in their bodies. Creative women. Courageous women. Women who have learned to run on a different power source to the world which is falling into flames around her. She has already disentangled herself from the wreckage of the patriarchal culture, so she will not be dazed, confused and disorientated by the systemic changes happening around her. Centred within herself, receptive to the Earth beyond her, she knows how to cultivate from the ashes, she knows how to find the embers to fuel the new fire.

Burning Women arise.
Our time is now.
Our time has come.”
― Lucy H. Pearce, Burning Woman

 

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*What fuels my fire?
*What has burned out?
*Show me ways to burn that support my growth (take 3 cards)

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*Candle magic
*Fire ritual, burn off old habits, create space for new
*Drink hot and spicy tea, I love a blend of cinnamon and turmeric

 

Full Capricorn Moon & Eclipse – RELEASE

The full Capricorn moon (July 5th, 5:44 BST) is eclipsed, though only a faint shadow of the sun will be visible from the UK. This is a more subtle eclipse, rounding off the Cancer/ Capricorn eclipse cycle of the last 18 months or so.

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Eclipse energy is unstable. Better to rest and release expectation than to make and carry out grand plans. Take some time to look within and beneath.

“If you spent your life concentrating on what everyone else thought of you, would you forget who you really were? What if the face you showed the world turned out to be a mask… with nothing beneath it?”
― Jodi Picoult

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*What do I see in the mirror?
*What don’t I see?
*What lies beneath?

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*mirror scrying
*offerings to local spirits, the sun and the moon
*ritual bath – include bay and rosemary for cleansing and protection

First Quarter Moon in Virgo – CORONATION

Venus is invisible, and it may feel right now that all the beauty and goodness is being sucked out of the world. The enormity of the changes ahead has started to sink in. What do we do?

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Well, for one, we can focus on our own wellness. What does it mean to be healthy? What does it mean to be strong?

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

Separate the minors in your deck into the four suits. Ask “how can I best support myself now?” then draw one card for each aspect/ element – mental, spiritual, emotional, physical.
Repeat asking “how can I best support others/ be of service now?”.

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*Good old fashioned healthy diet and exercise (whatever that means to you, try not to get snagged in the details/ minutae of diet religion)
*sigil like a mad thing for all kinds of wellness goals: “full health and wellbeing”, “immunity to all disease” that kind of thing