Full Moon - 18 Capricorn - July 10, 2006

How do we balance work and home? It's certainly a struggle for me. The more I want to succeed in my career, the less time I have for family. No doubt the judgments about mothers in the workplace comes down to the tension between Cancer and Capricorn -- if you're a stay-at-home parent, does that make you "better" than someone who works and pays for childcare? I'm not here to weigh in, just to point out that we all have to come up with a solution that we're comfortable with. And unfortunately, many parents don't have much of a choice, depending on the economy and their level of family and social support.

There are two Full Moons per year along the Cancer-Capricorn axis, and now the Moon is in Capricorn. The world of work, status, and building reputation is in the spotlight. Capricorn also relates to what structures we build in our life, what we want to conserve. If you know your natal chart, you will know which house carries this weight -- just look to the cusp on which Capricorn sits. This area will be where you strive to succeed, to build. The house in which this Full Moon falls will be the area of your life that is being illuminated.

Wherever you are striving in your life, note what is being neglected. The Full Moon is an opposition between the Moon and Sun, and it is difficult to find balance in this aspect. Remember that however much success you achieve, it only feels meaningful when you come back home into the Cancerian embrace of family (whatever that means to you).

During this Full Moon, there is also a mystic rectangle involving Pluto, Neptune, Venus and Mars. Venus in Gemini opposes Pluto, Mars in Leo opposes Neptune, and these planets make soft aspects (sextiles and trines) to each other. We need to find ways to regenerate our relationships, and to act for a higher purpose. The Full Moon is tied into this configuration, with the Moon quincunx Venus and semi-sextile Neptune. Our idealism about love and art (in attention-deficit Gemini) does not integrate well with our desire to cement a reputation for ourselves. Distracted by other fish in the sea, we find it difficult to maintain our focus at work. The image I get is of looking through the office window at hot summer bodies, when one should be completing the big project. Enjoy the view, but get back to work! And call the wife and kids!

Tags: Full Moon - Capricorn - astrology