Cancer Full Moon - December 23, 2007

I work from home, so the career/family duality is collapsed, in a way. Although I don't see colleagues on a daily basis, I have the comfort of my wife and daughter being around in the afternoons. Although there's not a whole lot of interaction, I do have someone to touch base with throughout the day. The downside is being interrupted when I'm focused on something, as well as feeling I need to do dishes after I eat lunch instead of letting them sit in the sink until nighttime ... or hoping someone else will do them.

Nonetheless, I put in many hours, and it's difficult not being able to sit back and relax, to just go within and be with my feelings. Instead, I'm interacting with a computer screen all day. But I don't have it so bad ... I could be working at an office, commuting two hours a day, not being be able to spend much time with my daughter before she goes to bed. I don't want to be the dad who comes home from work after the kid is fed and reads her to sleep.

We all struggle with balancing work (Capricorn) and home (Cancer). Some people would rather work more and do less puttering around the house. Others would like to spend less time at the office. This Full Moon in Cancer puts the focus on our emotional need for a home base, a feeling of security in family connections. Yet it's more difficult to achieve this now, as Jupiter has just entered Capricorn and is conjoining the Sun. The world of work is celebrated now, and for the next year we'll be taking advantage of opportunities to climb the ladder in our fields. If anything, that means spending less time with the family.

Meanwhile, retrograde Mars in Cancer conjoins the Moon. Mars, a work planet, is both moving (apparently) backwards in the sky and in the sign of his "fall." The action planet does not thrive in such an indirect sign. The crab moves sideways, while Mars (ruler of Aries) wants to charge forward. Mars is in a defensive posture, and while both conjunct the Moon and residing in Moon-ruled Cancer, he fights to protect those he loves, at the ready to keep the women and children safe.

Yet the opposition between Jupiter and Mars is the backdrop of this Full Moon. Both are in the sign of their fall, yet in each other's sign of exaltation. (If I were a traditional astrologer, I could tell you that means something!) Typically, the Mars-Jupiter aspect relates to an expansion of the Martian principle, leading us to over-act on our desires to copulate or conquer ... or that our assertive energy is fueled by higher principles to justify our actions. The opposition, though, is about relationships: someone takes on the role of Jupiter while you take on the role of Mars, or vice versa. Perhaps a business mentor (Jupiter in Capricorn) inspires you to clean up your act at home, clear up unresolved family issues that hold you back from success (Mars retro in Cancer) ... so that when Mars stations direct in late January, you'll have the drive to move ahead, with the security of knowing that you have your eggs lined up at home.

The Fine Print: The Cancer Full Moon is at 1 degree Cancer. Mars and Jupiter exactly oppose on the day after Christmas. If you have any planets or angles in the first 5 degrees of cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), this Bud's for you.

Gemini Full Moon: November 24, 2007

A few days after Thanksgiving, we are trying to remember what we are grateful for. The abundant meals, the large families, the sense of bounty in our lives ... we forgot all this on Friday when we went shopping. And on Saturday, we're focused once again on the minutiae of the Olsen twins' health and love lives.

The Gemini Full Moon features the stressful opposition between the Sagittarius Sun and the Gemini Moon. It is a culmination point, when information comes to light. However, do not trust the news during this lunation. Gemini's ruling planet, Mercury, is in Scorpio in an exact (partile) square to Neptune. Mercury-Neptune is the aspect of deception and lies, confusion and delusion. Poetic language may be nothing more than a veil covering over the ugly truth. And with Mercury in Scorpio, how can the information that's been exhumed be anything but dark and dirty? The gossip pages will likely offer "suggested" evidence regarding a celebutante's or politician's sexual proclivities, accompanied by the Neptunian spin of his or her publicist, denying the facts without actually stating that nothing happened.

The Fine Print: The Full Moon is at 1 degree 55 minutes Gemini. Mercury is at 19 Scorpio. The Full Moon will mostly impact natives with personal planets in the first few degrees of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces).

Taurus Full Moon - October 26, 2007

This Full Moon is the apex of an Arrowhead, otherwise known as Thor's Hammer or a Quadriform. Venus in Virgo is square Jupiter in Sagittarius, and both planets sesquiquadrate the Moon in Taurus. A square is a 90-degree aspect and a sesquiquadrate is a 135-degree aspect, all "hard" or stressful aspects.

Venus square Jupiter has the quality of Taurean overload. All things Venus -- Taurus' ruling planet -- are expanded and exaggerated by Jupiter. It is the planetary combination of over-indulgence and over-spending. Granted, Venus in Virgo will be cautious about what she eats, and will question if she really needs another purse, since the one she has contains compartments for her cosmetics, supplements, car keys, change purse, first aid kit, lip balm, Blackberry ....

The conflict between Sagittarian going-all-out and Virgoan health concerns -- combined with the amplified desire to experience pleasure, regardless of how one goes about doing it -- must be resolved by the Moon in Taurus. This is patently unfair, because obviously the Moon will side with Venus. The planet of pleasure rules Taurus, and both the Moon and Venus are in earth signs. Yet, the fire of Jupiter in Sag is part of this configuration, and cannot be ignored.

Part of the problem is that Jupiter in Sag can be moralistic, or downright judgmental. Can you enjoy a glass of dessert wine and a bowl of ice cream if you feel that such indulgence disconnects you from God? It really depends on your conception of Higher Power. Some gods don't want us to experience sensual pleasure, and others want us to revel in the joy of being in a physical body. It's up to you to decide which god -- if any -- you want to worship.

Maybe the key is to moderately indulge in foreign foods (Virgo/Taurus/Sag) or go on an adventurous nature hike while snacking on fruits and nuts. Go ahead and do what feels good ... but as they say in the alcohol ads, do it "responsibly."

The Fine Print: The Full Moon is at 2 Taurus. Venus is in the last few minutes of 15 Virgo. Jupiter is at 18 Sagittarius. Oh yeah, there's also a Scorpio Sun in there somewhere. As well as some soft aspects to Mars in Cancer and Saturn in Virgo. You figure it out.

Aries Full Moon - September 26, 2007

Shacking up with someone has its benefits, but there comes a time when you don't want to spend every waking moment with your partner -- you want to do your own thing, even if it disturbs the equilibrium of your relationship. However, if you make too many sacrifices to please your partner, you end up feeling resentful.

During this Full Moon, the spotlight shines on your needs. It's "me" time. Meanwhile, the "we" is tugging at your sleeve, wanting to talk talk talk, when all you want is to do do do. Now is not the time to start something new, as much as to recognize how you've been neglecting your impulses to carve out your own direction in life.

Doing your own thing does not necessitate moving out or moving on. However, to maintain an independent spirit within a relationship, you have to make sure you don't neglect the needs of your partnership. There's no easy formula like, "I'll see The Jane Austen Book Club tonight with my girlfriends, and tomorrow we'll see your friend's band together." Each relationship is its own ecosystem, and you have to figure out how to maintain homeostasis. A general rule of thumb, though, is that too much time either separate or together can threaten the delicate balance.

Look to your Sun Sign (or better yet, Rising Sign) below to see in which area of life you want to charge forward -- without having to ask your boyfriend or girlfriend's permission:

• Aries: The Full Moon is in your sign, so it's all about you and your appearance.
  
• Taurus: What you need more than anything is retreat. Go to an ashram for the weekend.
• Gemini: Spend time with your friends. And don't take your spouse with you!
• Cancer: Just this once, it's OK to spend too much time at the office.
• Leo: Run to the airport and book a flight to another continent. If you're on the cheap, read a good book.
• Virgo: Start psychoanalysis, or study the occult. What a little magic can do!
• Libra: Ah, there's the irony. You just can't escape your need for relationship, so don't even try!
• Scorpio: Take the dog on a walk, go for a run in the park. Or go to lunch with a co-worker.
• Sagittarius: Lock yourself in your studio and paint. Or go to Las Vegas for the weekend.
• Capricorn: Visit Mom and Dad. You know their daughter- or son-in-law doesn't like them anyway.
• Aquarius: Chat it up with the neighbors or your grocery clerk. Or just go for a solo drive.
• Pisces: Stop daydreaming and start making some money! Or think about what you really value.
  

Pisces Full Moon (Lunar Eclipse) - August 28, 2007

It's eclipse time, y'all! Eclipses are uber-powerful lunations, as the Moon and Sun are conjunct the Lunar Nodes, which are the points in the sky where the Moon's path intersects with the Sun's apparent path (ecliptic). (The astronomy's kinda confusing, I know!) All you really need to know is this: If a regular Full Moon makes people crazy, a Lunar Eclipse requires that twice as many looney-bin paramedics be on call than usual.

Speaking of psychosis, this Full Moon is in Pisces, the sign of crazies and mental hospitals. After all, when life gets too stressful, you either drink, do yoga, or disassociate from reality altogether. The problem is that rigid Virgo Sun, always trying to analyze and compartmentalize.

Virgo is the nurse practitioner at Bellevue, trying to ascertain whether your psychotic episode is due to mental illness or if it's just alcohol-induced. She's completing a five-page assessment while you're in la-la land, wondering how those bunnies got into the room with the cushioned walls.

The Virgo part of you creates obsessive-compulsive rituals to stave off the anxiety of Piscean boundlessness. If you check that the front door is locked -- three times -- then your home just might be safe! That is, you might be safe. But not really, because you know that you're just this close from the edge of the cliff of consensual reality, and your rigid habits only create the illusion of control.

The conventional psychiatrist will just dose you up with a nice cocktail to zombify you. However, one of those wacko transpersonal docs may prescribe surrender. Just go with the flow, man! What do those bunnies mean, anyway? Can your dreams, however cockamamie, tell you something useful about either your unconscious or God's will? Maybe insanity is just a deviation from the collective's immersion in media and material consumption! If so, then -- PLEASE -- go off the deep end! Let it all hang out!

But if you see the men in white coats, do me a favor -- RUN!

The Fine Print: This eclipse occurs at 4 Pisces, so it will have the most impact for those natives with planets or angles around 4 degrees of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces).

Note to Commenters: I will be on vacation the week of August 27, and am unlikely to respond to your comments. So help each other out!

Full Moon in Aquarius - July 29, 2007

As individuals, we desire recognition. We are each unique, and want to shine in our own way. However, as performers, we require an audience. Without one, we may feel we do not exist, like the narcissist who breaks down if there's no one there to reflect her image back to herself.

It is developmentally necessary to be seen when you are a child, to have your mother convey -- through her words, tone of voice and facial expressions -- that you are the most special person in the world. If you integrate this message well enough, you can survive adulthood, when, invariably, you often feel invisible or unacknowledged.

Unfortunately, few of us absorb our mother's message 100%, because mothers are imperfect (or because we've got a nasty Saturn-Moon square in our horoscopes). Those moments when we crave recognition and don't get it can lead to all manner of reactions, ranging from temper tantrums to indulgence in fantasies about being loved and adored.

Unless we feel confident in our soul purpose, we yearn for validation. And even if we know we're on the right path, it feels good to be applauded, for this reassurance keeps us going when the going gets rough.

An antidote to reactivity is to not take the lack of an appreciative audience personally. We're all pretty self-centered. I've heard numerous times that you shouldn't worry too much about how you're going to appear to others, because most people are too obsessed with themselves to notice you. In other words, we need detachment to divest ourselves from our incessant need for ego-stroking. Detachment doesn't mean "I don't care." Rather, it means having a sense of perspective, when we can observe ourselves and witness our longing for approval. From this contemplative standpoint, we can notice our inner divas but not feel compelled to meet her demands.

The Fine Print: The Moon at 6 Aquarius opposes the Sun at 6 Leo. If you have planets or angles around 6 degrees of fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), this Full Moon will resonate in some cosmic way with your life circumstances.

Full Moon in Capricorn - June 30, 2007

When I grew up, my dad wasn't home enough, and my mom was home too much. (No offense, Mom!) This dichotomy was all too common due to gender roles among the Baby Boomers, such that the mom didn't join the workforce until her nest was empty. Nowadays, often both parents work and leave the kid with a nanny (if they can afford one). Either way, there is a split between nurturance and breadwinning, such that it's unlikely that one individual can both succeed in the workplace and be an everpresent caretaker in the home.

Beyond this sociological conundrum, we've got this contradiction in our inner lives as well. If you devote yourself to career growth (Moon in Capricorn), do your efforts come at the expense of your feelings (Sun in Cancer)? Your task at this Full Moon is to balance productivity with self-nurturing.

With the spotlight on Capricorn, the tension is more likely to be noticed at the workplace. Maybe your boss is critical of your need to cut out early because your kid has a half-day at school. Or your work performance is suffering because you've been preoccupied with your ailing parents. Or you may go "workaholic" to avoid tensions in the home.

The Fine Print: This Full Moon is at 8 degrees Capricorn. If you have any personal planets or angles between 7 and 11 degrees of cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), this lunation will have an effect. This Full Moon is also tied in with the Saturn-Neptune opposition by semisquare/sesquiquadrate, so the whole "manifest your dreams and bust your illusions" theme will apply to your home/work conflict.

Sagittarius Full Moon conjunct Jupiter - May 31, 2007

Philosophy, the Ivory Tower ... the academy can be pretty dry. Professors in their tweed jackets at the lectern, discoursing on their topic of expertise, can either induce sleep or inspire one to take up a new course of study. One is unlikely to finish a Ph.D. without passion, but expressing it -- so that it becomes contagious -- takes a special talent. I'm sure we've all had at least one teacher who has sparked our quest for knowledge, someone whose course stood out amongst our mostly tedious classes. We study, not just to learn, but to find meaning in the theories that we digest. However arcane the Law (legal, religious), it just "clicks" for some people, and summons them on a path most of us would never take. It may not be apparent from the outside while they spout obtuse jargon, but the fire is inside.

But what good is that fire if it does not spread? Sure, personal fulfillment is important, but many spiritual explorers want to share the Word. They have to tap into our emotions to convert us. Logic alone will not do. Facts do not persuade us. We need to be inspired, to feel the call in our bodies. When you listen to a teacher and feel the heat -- that is how you know you have been touched. There is a convergence of mind and spirit, a bell ringing both in our heads and our hearts.

This Full Moon is an especially ripe time to be seduced by the Call. The Moon is in Sagittarius, conjunct Jupiter, the sign's ruler. Jupiter is retrograde, so you may feel drawn to re-evaluate an old philosophy or religious practice that you had previously discarded. Or an old teacher may come back into your life. It is time to be open to that which you had been closed. Let your feelings be your guide, don't reject on the basis of thought. However, don't let yourself get carried away, either. Jupiter expands the Moon, and you can ride on an emotional high, neglecting the fine print because you're so lost in the Big Picture.

The Fine Print: This Full Moon is at 10 Sag. If you have any personal planets or angles around 10 degrees of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces), this lunation will have a strong impact. In addition, Venus at 25 Cancer is making a stressful 135 degree angle (sesquiquadrate) to the Moon, so planets around this degree in the cardinal signs may also be affected. Your attraction to family traditions may inhibit you from being open to expansive ideas.

Now I believe in semi-squares

The past few days, I've been overcome with anger and resentment -- which would make sense, since today is a Scorpio Full Moon -- but it hasn't until now, because I didn't see the Full Moon making any hard aspects to any of my chart points. I play by a hard-and-fast rule that a lunation doesn't have much of an impact unless it's making a conjunction, square or opposition (and maybe a quincunx) to a planet or angle. Trines and sextiles just don't force one to get out of bed in the morning, you know? So I've been confounded all day ... why do I feel so pissy? The Full Moon is making a not-so-tight trine to my Pisces Sun. Big deal.

But now I know. This Full Moon is exactly semi-square my natal Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio. When I was studying astrology with John, I was amazed that he could immediately identify semi-squares and sesquiquadrates, because unless they're identified by those little symbols in the center of a computerized chart, they don't exactly pop out at you. All the Ptolemaic aspects are pretty easy to notice, because they're in the same degree areas, unless you're looking the last degrees of one sign and the first degrees of another. But 45 and 135 degree angles don't share that heuristic. 26 Virgo and 11 Scorpio don't scream out, "Aspect!" You have to do the math in your head. 26 Virgo (my natal Pluto) + 30 degrees = 26 Libra. 26 Libra + 15 degrees = 11 Scorpio (today's Full Moon). Therefore, 26 Virgo + 45 degrees = 11 Scorpio.

The math isn't so easy, but it's worth it, because now everything has fallen into place. The tension, the seething underground rage ... there's a precise astrological corollary to it. All is right in the Universe.

Scorpio Full Moon -- May 2, 2007

One of the most difficult lessons of early childhood is learning how to share. When you discover the concept of "mine," as well as the sensual delights of touching, smelling, tasting, viewing and hearing your toys, the loss of "yours" to someone else brings up all these dark feelings: rage, coveting, jealousy, possessiveness. Mom must intervene at the sandbox, teach you a "life lesson."

After graduating from toys, you move on to other acquisitions, but is sharing any easier? Can you share your spouse? Time on your entertainment system? Your hard-earned money? NO! IT'S MINE! I worked my butt off to get these things -- do you think I'm just going to hand them over to someone else?

Yet, how lonely is it when you keep your possessions to yourself? Why bust your buns, if not to share what you have with your loved ones? It can be easy to do so, when it bridges the gap between yourself and someone else. You give freely when you trust another.

In fact, do you really "own" anything? It all turns to dust. Your money, your house, it just gets transferred to someone else when you die, or it decays over time. Your possessions only provide an illusion of security. Don't get me wrong, creature comforts are important, and you need to pay your rent, but what do you really need? The intimacy you share with another human being, the trust you develop by having integrity ... are these intangibles not more valuable than your car?

You can lose all your worldly possessions in the fire, or you can lose yourself in the fire of regeneration. When you merge with another, a part of you dies, but you become larger as a result.

Libra Full Moon -- April 2, 2007

Relationships are difficult. It takes an ability to achieve homeostasis for a partnership to thrive. Even when waves rock the corny boat of love, equilibrium is (eventually) maintained in a healthy twosome.

One of the major challenges in a relationship occurs when one individual has a need that upsets the balance of the partnership. Let's say Jack wants to go to a concert on the same night that Jill has her regular girls' night out -- if you'll pardon my heterosexist example. Jack's favorite band only tours every couple of years, but Jill relies on the sustenance derived from her weekly ritual, and they can't afford babysitting nowadays. ("What, you can buy a $60 ticket, but you won't spend the same money on a sitter if we want a night alone together?") It seems that somebody has to give. Jack and Jill cannot both get their needs met simultaneously. A compromise must be made.

This Libra Full Moon illustrates the challenge of negotiating my needs versus our needs, with the Moon in relationship-focused Libra opposing the Sun in self-focused Aries. The light shines on the Libra side of this polarity, emphasing the need to shift a little. Compromise does not entail being a doormat, or surrendering to the other's desires and then feeling resentful. It is about a healthy give-and-take in which two partners sit down and negotiate their needs, both as two individuals and as a couple. Ideally, one partner is willing to forego their own immediate pleasure (Aries) out of love for their partner (Libra). This requires open communication, reflecting Libra's Air nature.

Full Moons are culmination points, and as such, energy comes to a head. In our relationship lives, the balance of "we" has been thrown out of whack by too much "me." How two individuals sort this out will be the dance of this Full Moon.

There's more to the story. Mars (ruler of the Aries Sun) in Aquarius is making stressful eighth harmonic aspects (135 degrees and 45 degrees) to the Sun and Moon, adding an "edge" focused on being independent, acting to detach from intimate partnership. This causes friction, and supports Aries' side of the equation.

Additionally, the Sun and Moon are making soft angles to Jupiter and Saturn. The Aries Sun is in a Grand Fire Trine with the planets of expansion and contraction, drawing on the supportive relationship between these social planets. What does this mean for our partnerships? Our one-on-one concerns take place within a larger framework -- religion, law, corporations. All the elements of culture that have been developed to support (or regulate) relationships are on our side. Although we may sometimes feel restricted (Saturn) or judged (Jupiter) by the powers-that-be, during this Full Moon we may turn to them to help iron out our differences. Use this opportunity to turn to a religious figure or a wise elder for assistance.

The Fine Print: This Full Moon mostly impacts those individuals with personal planets or angles near degree 12 of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn).

Houses: If you are familiar with your natal chart, you will be able to determine which houses (areas of experience) tenant this Full Moon. By noting which houses are involved, you may be able to predict which "actors" you may struggle with during this period.

• 1/7 - your husband or wife, long-term partner, best friend, business partner, client, open enemy.
• 2/8 - psychotherapist, accountant, investment banker.
• 3/9 - siblings, neighbors, teachers, gurus, people from a foreign country, in-laws.
• 4/10 - Mom, Dad, the boss, the realtor, any authority figure, any nurturing figure.
• 5/11 - friends, groups, children, lovers.
• 6/12 - service people, co-workers, prisoners, hospitalized persons, monks, nuns.

Want to Get to Know Your Chart? Jeffrey Kishner is available for astrology readings.

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Virgo - March 3, 2007

Dear Virgo,

Whether it's the daily yoga routine, the weekly colonic or the three-times-a-day ingestion of multiple supplements and herbs, you get understandably upset when your schedule is disrupted.

Virgo, meet eclipse. You two should get acquainted, although I doubt you'll hit it off. Although the lunar eclipse is in your sign, you're being opposed by a Uranus-Sun conjuction in Pisces. I know that deep down you like Pisces, even though she neglects picking up after herself and plucks away at the guitar too often, singing in that longing, wispy voice. However, Uranus gets your goat. This planet's sole purpose in life is to upset the apple cart, to throw you off your equilibrium. The guy who surprises you from behind when you're perusing vegan cookbooks at the food coop, poking you in that sensitive spot on your waist, nearly making your flower-essence-enhanced spring water spill? That's Uranus.

Imagine knowing that Uranus can catch you off guard at any moment, over the next six months, but you don't know exactly when -- or how -- he'll strike. That's gotta suck, Virgo, because I know you like things just so. And do you know what's worse? There's absolutely nothing you can do about it. You can't tell him to go away. I mean, you can, but it will do no good. He'll say, "Oh, my bad. I'll leave you alone with your organic acai juice," but he doesn't mean it. He's just screwing with you!

So, what can you do to impose order on chaos? Unfortunately, you can't contain the uncontainable. As the astrologers say, "Expect the unexpected." Yet I know you're not going to stop your Virgo ways. You will continue to enter appointments into your Blackberry, consult with your nutritionist, meet with your personal trainer. But as hard as you try, everything will not go as planned. Pisces wants you to let go, and Uranus wants you to identify and dismantle all the rigid structures and attitudes in your life.

Loosen up! Because if you don't, Uranus will be the lightning that strikes down the tower of your carefully constructed life. It will come crumbling down ... but that's a good thing, because these bricks and stones you've laid are covering over your Authentic Self, and the only way to release this alive, thumping heart -- the beating Self constrained by your stratified ways of protecting yourself against Disorder -- is to allow the waves of revolution to wash over you.

The nitty gritty: This lunar eclipse occurs at 13 Virgo. If you have a personal planet or angle between 10 and 18 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces, this eclipse will have a powerful impact on you. For everyone, look to the houses that contain the middle degrees of Virgo and Pisces to determine which areas of your life will be affected. Jupiter in Sag is making a T-Square to this eclipse, which exaggerates an already unstable situation.

Related posts:
How to prepare for an eclipse
Fear of an eclipse

Leo Full Moon - February 2, 2007

We all want to be adored. But at this Full Moon in Leo, the Finger of God is pointing at us, and we demand to be recognized, dammit! Full Moons are already stressful, as the Sun and Moon are in conflicting signs of the zodiac, trying to negotatiate a way to get opposing needs met. But this time, Uranus and Mars are in the picture, each making an exact quincunx -- a 150 degree angle -- to the Moon. This configuration is called a yod (Bob Marks provides an excellent explanation), with Uranus in Pisces and Mars in Capricorn sextile (60 degree angle) each other, and the Moon opposing their midpoint. (Have I lost 90% of my readers yet?) In addition, the Sun is sitting at the Mars-Uranus midpoint. In a yod, the two planets in sextile put a focus on the third planet -- in this case, the Moon.

Cafe Astrology provides the following planetary pictures:

MA/UR=MO [Moon at Mars-Uranus midpoint] Excited females. Accident or operation (female). Womb operation.

MA/UR=SO [Sun at Mars-Uranus midpoint] Sudden bodily action. The energetic or fierce man. Sudden injury to the body.

Mars-Uranus aspects relate to sudden action, restlessness, impulsivity. Accidents can occur under Mars-Uranus aspects because one doesn't stop to think before one acts. Additionally, Mars governs sharp objects, and Uranus governs electricity. Fortunately, under a sextile these two planets don't create too much havoc. However, in a stressful relationship to the Moon and the Sun, there is a problem "fitting in" this energy with the Leo-Aquarius axis. The Moon and Sun are in outgoing, yang signs (fire and air), whereas Mars and Uranus are in introverted, yin signs (earth and water). It is almost as if there are two different musical acts playing in the same hall at the same time, and each band refuses to play the others' tune.

Mars is hard at work in Capricorn, the Sun is focused on helping humanity in Aquarius, Uranus wants to rock the Spirit in Pisces, while the Moon -- all the way at the more "personal" side of the zodiac -- just wants some attention! Why do you y'all have to be focused on these bigger issues? Why can't we just play, or have sex, or hop on a bus to Atlantic City?

It can be easy to have your pride wounded this Full Moon, because face it ... you're not the be all and end all. Mars, Uranus and the Sun are telling you that there's a whole world out there that does not cater to your wishes. And they're doing it in a way that can come as a shock. A little brusque. A bit cold.

But don't give up. You are important, even if it's a struggle to get noticed. In the meantime, avoid "excited women" and "fierce men." And it's probably wise to avoid surgery.

Full Moon in Cancer - January 3, 2007

The New Year rings in with the Sun in Capricorn -- serious, withdrawn, a little melancholic. The light is growing after the Solstice, but it is still dark and cold. What better way to combat hardship than by cozying up with the fam in front of the fireplace? A home-cooked meal, a hug from Mommy -- we've stored away acorns all year for this moment. To hide in our little hole in the tree, shielded from the winter chill.

Cancer craves security and that down-home feeling, but unfortunately we have to work our buns off to create a safe haven for our loved ones. If both parents have to slave away at their jobs to afford a Tivo and a full-time nanny, then the boys and girls at home are going to suffer. Yes, they will be able to watch SpongeBob at any hour, but where's the love? In our Capricornian pursuit to have it all, emotional needs are neglected. And when the Moon is in Cancer, our feelings matter.

Capricorn and Cancer may oppose each other in the zodiac, but they can't live without each other. Both want stability, both are conservative, and someone's gotta surrender to Saturn so that everyone else can have the Moon. Cap is willing to make this sacrifice, for he feels more valuable when he can provide -- but spend too much time at the office, and your inner life starts to shrivel. You've got to replenish yourself with loved ones in a cozy environment. It's called home base because work is war, and you have to return once in a while to get your rations and rest on your cot.

This Full Moon is making a 120-degree angle, or trine, to Uranus, planet of revolution. How can you shake things up domestically? We're not talking about breaking down the walls -- a trine is supportive, offering an opportunity to change. We have an awareness of our stagnant emotional patterns or rigid family dynamics, and Uranus provides the impetus to disrupt the usual flow, so we can do something different this time around. Happy New Year!

This Full Moon will mostly affect people with personal planets or angles around 12 degrees of cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn), as well as those with birthdays around January 3, April 2, July 4, and October 6.

Full Moon in Gemini - December 4, 2006

There are ideas, and then there are philosophies. Our chattering mind is constantly running. What gives our thoughts a sense of cohesion is an over-arching framework -- something that gives the many little facts in our heads a sense of meaning.

Facts are the realm of Jeopardy. But of what use is information -- other than winning on quiz shows -- if these bits and bytes do not cohere into something bigger?

Of course, the danger of a belief system is that we tend to filter out the data that does not fit our philosophy. Whether you're a Christian, a Nietzschean or an astrologer, you seek out evidence to support your view of the world.

There's nothing inherently wrong with this. Life can feel pretty empty without a sense of meaning guiding us, so we latch on to a philosophy or religion that inspires us. But there's no one "truth." The realm of facts and figures is quantifiable, but the domain of meaning is subjective. We can all agree that an Electric Mini can go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds, but this statistic will inspire some (greenies, car enthusiasts) and do nothing for others.

The Full Moon highlights this conflict between ideas (Gemini) and philosophies (Sagittarius). Our will is directed towards expansion and inspiration, while our comfort needs are met by solving Sudoku puzzles and reading gossip blogs. Geminian pursuits provide pleasure, but reading about Britney Spears doesn't significantly enlarge our perspective on life. (Or does it?)

Uranus in Pisces is making a square (a 90-degree angle) to both the Moon in Gemini and the Sun in Sagittarius, challenging us to shake up those ideas, opinions and beliefs of ours that have stagnated over time. Uranus introduces information to shift our paradigms, to bring fresh insights into our lives. During this Full Moon, you may receive a shocking e-mail, or you may have a conversation that disrupts your mental equilibrium. Since Gemini also relates to short-distance travel, neighbors and siblings, you may have an unpredictable encounter with the girl next door, or get into a bicycle accident. Wear a helmet!

This Full Moon will most directly impact people with planets or angles around 12 degrees of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces), as well as those with birthdays around March 3, June 3, September 5, and December 4.