DECEMBER 30 - JANUARY 1, 2017: VOID OF COURSE DAY - GOOD AQUARIUS DAYS! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

After a VOID OF COURSE DAY on Friday December 30 from 3:07am EST, the MOON ENTERS AQUARIUS at 8:29pm. VOID OF COURSE cautions apply: Important practical actions initiated during this time tend not to work out as expected. This is a time for inner creative work, planning ahead for future implementation. See Dec. 7th post for more. MOON REMAINS IN AQUARIUS  until January 2, 2017 at 2:59am. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Conjunct Venus in Aquarius! Ruled by Uranus, this Fixed Air sign - the Water Bearer - reflects our impulse for community, humanity, equality and uniqueness. It also represents enlightenment as sudden awareness of true reality. As an Air sign it reflects a more mental than emotional approach to life. Uranus, also symbolizing the principle of Separation, breaks things apart so our individuality and need for Freedom, as well as a more detached objective emotional condition is emphasized. This is a GOOD time for community activity, especially Artistic projects with the Last Aspect Conjunct Venus. Actions along these themes are blessed by Venus and tend to have GOOD results. Mercury Retrograde cautions still apply! See Dec. 19th post.

2017 CHART FOR THE YEAR: With the Aquarian /Uranian Moon carrying us into January and the North Node in Virgo in the 11th House, Aquarian's natural home, this new year wants us to think in terms of our local and broader communities. What will get us through this eccentric, upsetting, disparate time of shocking and eccentric leadership (the least optimum expression of Aquarius) is its most optimum expression: attention to our larger family of humankind, all manner of community, our sister and brotherhoods, our unique individual contributions of awareness to these communities as well as the creative use of innovative technology and science - particularly computers and the internet. 

See Planet Waves Eric Francis' many articles on Mass Media Philosopher Marshall McCluhan's ideas (The Medium is the Message) and the effects the internet is having on our psyches, collective and personal. While unifying us by making communication faster, easier and long-distance access possible, it simultaneously separates us into non-local sound bytes, tweets, simplifications and other undeveloped and unstudied self-expressions. Just listen to the broken (non) verbal language of the most unpresidential figurehead the electoral collage has declared to be our leader. We tend to be more detached than ever, with social media not affording us human Face to Face encounters - apart from our digitally pixelated, breathless images giving the illusion of unity. This is also the least optimum expression of the Aquarian/Uranian archetype.

Because the New Year Aquarius Moon is in the 4th House throughout much of the world, the Feminine more sensitive and inclusive Cancer presence exists. The Aquarian/Cancer combination could be described as a more objective expression in the Home and Family arena, or objective meets subjective perspective - a perfect opportunity for a kind of Marriage of Opposites (the signs aren't opposite - they are inconjunct or quincunx 150 degrees - but the meaning can be interpreted as such). We can step outside our personal perspectives within this localized community and allow a less emotional attitude to color our experience in larger global communities - less bigotry, pitting group against group, culture against culture, male against female, human against Nature. Notice all the planets except Uranus fall in the lower hemisphere of the chart. This adds to the increased focus on the more personal aspects of the psyche. (Uranus will continually rise in this chart until it reaches the Midheaven in 2035-6, symbolizing its conscious prominence in our collective psyche.) Pluto conjuncts Sun/Mercury in Capricorn at the bottom of the chart, reflecting a range of expression between the Tranformational Power of the Healer and the Overpowering Egocentric Leader. Which end of this spectrum will we choose to empower? While the Sun and Mercury always reside here at this time of year (because at 12am the Ascendant is always around 11 Libra), and all the outer planets have been placed in this hemisphere for many years (having been transiting through Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Capricorn), we have been continually asked to do the work on our own individual psyches to evolve our humanitarian consciousness and bring this expanded awareness of kindness, compassion and presence to the global experience. The Last Aspect of Moon Conjunct Venus reflects Blessings on this endeavor - for these Aquarian Moon days and for the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8HdOHrc3OQ&t=60s

SCENE FOR THE DAY AND THE NEW YEAR: The Great Dictator, 1940; Director, Screenwriter and Actor: Charles Chaplin. The film's title obscures the satiric narrative that unfolds in this profound drama. Chaplin plays dual roles - as lowly barber as well as political demon. Looking alike, the barber is mistaken for the dictator at one point and this speech about war finally ensues. "Machinery that has given us abundance has left us in want...more than machinery we need humanity, more than cleverness we need kindness...without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost." This film from over seven decades ago, sadly still resonates with our contemporary war-torn world. Chaplin's speech is remarkable in its clarity and force. It is every word an Aquarian declaration...in its Most Optimum Expression! Happy New Year.

DECEMBER 28-30: NEW MOON IN CAPRICORN

MOON ENTERS CAPRICORN at 10:12am EST on Wednesday, December 28 and remains until Friday, December 30 at 3:07am when it goes Void of Course for most of the day. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Square Jupiter in Libra. The NEW MOON is exact at 1:53am EST on Thursday, December 29 at 7 Capricorn.
This New Moon is the harbinger of the New Year. In Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, it suggests a time of hard work and discipline which produces results. Saturn rules time, old age, bringing into form and Mastery suggesting what's available to us if we do the work. We often experience Saturn/Capricorn as the limiting force which can make us feel fear, depression or just not good enough. But this Cardinal Earth sign also rules the 10th house of public presentation or career, with its cusp at the Midheaven. It resides at the pinnacle of the horoscope where the sun is at high noon in the natural chart, and, when the sun transits through annually, is also considered the Harvest period of one's year. So, bite the bullet, do the work, slowly and surely with the intention of manifesting your intended goal. This period will support you. Actions initiated during this time will tend to have GOOD results. With the Last Aspect Square to Jupiter, the advice is not to overdo it and seek your inner guide for wisdom. Hoes will your Mastery manifest? And, of course, Mercury Retrograde cautions still apply (SEE DEC. 19th). 

Note: The glyph for Capricorn is the Mountain Goat climbing the Mountain of Ambition. But in today's post we have the Sea Goat, which is also representational of the Capricorn myth. Notice the glorious fish tail which not only animates the surefooted persevering antelope relative, but associates it with a more watery relation, Capricorn's opposite sign Cancer. (Remember I like to consider the entire axis of polar opposites in the interpretation of a sign.) This highlights the emotional reality that Capricorn tends to suppress, which can often result in depression. It reminds us to keep the earth moist with life-giving water - to express our feelings to the appropriate person at the appropriate time, however hard it may be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HjBQ-A7vnw

 SCENE FOR THE DAY: The Last Samurai. 2003; Director: Edward Zwick. Ken Watanabe plays Katsumoto, Samurai master opposite Tom Cruise's war-worn and torn American Captain Nathan Algren. Katsumoto spares Algren's life after a battle because, enlightened warrior that he is, he wants to know his enemy. Algren, a man tormented by past horrors and unexpressed emotions, is bathed in the Japanese samurai tradition while living through the winter in their remote village and feels calmed for the first time in a long time. The two master warriors talk warcraft and philosophy as Algren shifts allegiances to Samurai values and learns from the traditional Japanese culture how to begin his life anew (Capricorn New Moon).

DECEMBER 25-27 VOID OF COURSE DAY - GOOD SAGITTARIUS DAYS

MOON ENTERS SAGITTARIUS at 10:19pm EST after a VOID OF COURSE day on Sunday December 25. It remains in Sag until Tuesday December 27 at 8:45pm. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Sextile Venus in Aquarius. The non-productive Void of Course day on the 25th will probably be more appreciated than usual, being Christmas and the first day of Chanukah. It's a great time to just Be, with family and friends, not attempting important practical activities. Actions initiated during this V/C period tend not to work out as planned or desired. As the Sagittarius Moon approaches, we are readying ourselves for the philosophic mode that comes with it. Ruled by Jupiter, this Mutable Fire sign is the Truth Seeker, the adventurer of mind and body, traveling long distances in either form for the purpose of comprehending the world and our place within it. "Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?" to quote post-impressionist French painter Gauguin. It is generally a time to optimistically look ahead to the future. Sag is drawn to philosophy, religion and abstract thoughts, theories and principles in general. We must pay attention to the details, though, as well as the bigger picture if we are to actually get anything accomplished. Sagittarius tends to need Freedom and Independence; most often their adventure is a solo one. Just as Jupiter is our largest known planet we also have to remember to minimize our tendency towards excess at this time. Overdoing it during the holidays is classic, so keep conscious about presents, sugar and family dynamics! This would be a GREAT few days if Mercury were not retrograde - the Last Aspect of Venus blesses this time. So, although retrograde cautions still apply in terms of important purchases contracts and travel, enjoy the Venusian love that's surrounds you, invisible though it may be. Love yourself as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtDBjNSMXpQ&t=60sion

SCENE OF THE DAY: Rectify, 2013-2016; Series Creator: Ray McKinnon, Sundance Channel. Our main character is most decidedly on a solo adventure as a man miraculously released from a Georgia prison after being on death row for almost twenty years. Daniel Holden, played by an other-worldly Aden Young, is one of the most complex and enigmatic dramatic characters of recent memory. He is the Truth Seeker because the line between reality and illusion as well as existence and non-existence is very thin for him indeed. I offer this clip as representational of the religious-philosophical theme that runs through the film, especially in these scenes between Daniel and Tawney, his step-brother's wife.  It is, however, only one thread in a magnificently woven tapestry of rectification. I'm currently thoroughly taken with this series. I suppose it's due to the depth and complexity of Daniel's character. But all the other characters are beautifully written and performed as well. Daniel finds his Venus and we're glad she's the One. I hope you treat yourself to this soulful saga. The first three series are streaming now on Netflix and the fourth and final series in on the Sundance Channel as well as YouTube. This clip is a compilation of several scenes - please begin at 7:50:00.

DECEMBER 23-25 - POSSIBLY GOOD DAYS!

MOON ENTERS SCORPIO at 9:32am EST after being VOID OF COURSE early morning on Friday December 23. It remains in Scorpio until December 25 at 2:22am. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Square Venus in Aquarius. Ruled by Pluto - which the Greeks believed was associated with riches - and traditionally, Mars, the theme of resources is highlighted now. This is heightened with Venus reflecting the Law of Attraction, which often involves what we value, which often means money. I give this period a 'POSSIBLY GOOD' because the Square to Venus can be tricky...This may be a time of issues with women or money, but because Venus can also bless what she touches - even with the challenging aspect of the square - you can have GOOD results from actions initiated during this time. It may depend on how Venus is placed and aspected in your natal chart. I would, though, hold off making financial arrangements with women at this time. The Scorpio Moon addresses the buried emotional life; it supports penetrating to the root of a psychological complex. This could be a very strong time to deal with psychological concerns, as in beginning analysis. As the Fixed Water sign, be willing to be as flexible as possible now in terms of negotiating and compromising. Remember Scorpio is the only sign with three glyphs reflecting its transformational power: the Scorpion/Serpent, the Eagle and the Phoenix. Go Deep, Re-Create and Prosper!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmVnIRgfng

SCENE OF THE DAY: Girl Interrupted, 1999; Director and Screenwriter: James Mangold; Adapted from the novel by Susanna Kaysen. This scene, featuring Vanessa Redgrave as Dr. Wick and Winona Ryder as resident in a mental hospital (Susanna), is a powerful example of the relationship between analyst and patient. Wick is planting the seed of self-witnessing here both as authority figure and wise-woman. Susanna is angry, defiant and has, according to Wick, plateaued in her therapeutic progress. Where can she go from here? How deep is she willing to go to mine her unconscious wealth? "Quis hic locus, quae regio, quae mundi plaga? What world is this, what kingdom, what shores of what worlds? It's a very big question you're faced with, Susanna. The choice of your life..."
This partial Latin quote from Seneca's Hercules Furens continues: "Ubi sum, sub ortu solis, an sum cardine glacialis ursae? Where am I? Under the rising of the sun or beneath the wheeling course of the frozen bear? Susanna does go deep, she re-creates and heals herself. Pluto is a powerful Healer.

DECEMBER 20-22: LIBRA MOON - WINTER SOLSTICE

MOON ENTERS LIBRA at 9:40pm EST on Tuesday December 20 and remains until Thursday December 22 at 2:31pm. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Opposite Uranus in Aries. Venus is the planetary ruler of Libra and we all know Venus is the symbol for Love, Beauty, Art and Balance/Equality. With the hard Last Aspect to Uranus, relationships may experience upsets or unexpected circumstances. Libra wants to unite in equality while Uranus in Aries needs to strike out on its own and assert its separate will. Therefore, it's important to respect independence, freedom  and innovative behavior within our partnerships now. Otherwise, this is likely to be a time when relationships are in conflict and may break up. Actions initiated during this time tend to have CHALLENGING results. This can be a very creative time if you are willing to negotiate and compromise your way through. This is the time to Make Art and Love!

Sunrise at Stonehenge on Winter Solstice

WINTER SOLSTICE, when the Sun enters Capricorn, is exact at 5:45am EST on Wednesday December 21. It's an important celestial moment to mark with friends in the form of a Ritual. Acknowledge this season when the light, in all its physical and symbolic meanings, is least available to us. Because the 23.5 degree tilt of the earth is furthest from the Sun in the Northern Hemisphere at this time, it creates the shortest day and the longest night of the year. At this point, as the earth continues its orbit around the sun, daylight slowly increases. It is the time of the re-birth of the Sun-King, the return of the Light! Something to Celebrate!

SCENE FOR THE DAY: Winter Guest, 1997; Director: Alan Rickman. This poignant mother/daughter character study, featuring Emma Thompson and her real-life mother Phyllida Law, reflects the darkest moment - a death in the family - and the destined return of the light. We see how each character must learn to have equal respect for each other before reconciliation is possible. 

DECEMBER 18-20: VIRGO MOON - MERCURY GOES RETROGADE

MOON ENTERS VIRGO at 12:52pm EST on Sunday December 18 after being Void of Course from 11:55am. It remains in Virgo until 8:56pm on Tuesday December 20. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Square Sun in Sagittarius. Mercury-ruled Virgo, the Mutable Earth sign which represents the mental drive for order and perfection is at its best when integrating the separate details which it has ably discerned. This allows us to analyze and evaluate any particular situation intelligently. Given this Last Aspect, though, its very likely that our attention on the smaller picture activates Virgo's picky, critical, narrow-framed attitude which may obstruct the equally valuable broader picture - more abstract thoughts and generalized principles of Truth. Specific data is necessary to negotiate life but we also need perspective and context with which to consider these pieces of information. Actions initiated now will tend to have CHALLENGING results. Be careful during this Moon period that you don't get lost in the minutia; then we are likely to criticize ourselves and others for not getting it right. Look up and out into the future - remember your goal, the spirit of your adventure. Let the details inform you but not paralyze you. A Great use of this Virgo Moon would be to take some alone time to clean the house and clear out what you no longer need. Organize what remains. Watch your thoughts, both big and small and put them into order as well! Keep a journal or write in some conventional literary form. You'll be amazed at what comes through!

 MERCURY GOES RETROGRADE at 5:55am EST on Monday December 19 at 15 Capricorn until 4:43am EST January 8, 2017. For these three to four weeks, while practical actions often don't go as planned - they're delayed, mis-communicated, misunderstood - mechanical breakdowns occur more often than usual...and the like, there may be other very exciting opportunities available to us. The Retrograde is a kind of going-back-over actions taken in the past that didn't go according to plan; this period is often when we can discover how to do them over and get them 'right'. It also seems to be a space where the 'irrational' quality of life opens up to us. Our imaginations soar and new realities become apparent. It can be an enormously creative time. I look forward to my dreams which become more vibrant and symbolically enlightening. Surprising ideas often pop into my head, connect with other ideas and new concepts are born. I keep a journal on my night stand so I can wake up and easily record what I experience as stream-of-conscious thoughts that race through me. It is that numinous in-between place where light shines and new perpectives are formed. Take advantage of this time and let go of the small frustrations of the material logical world. It's not the time for that reality now.

SCENE FOR THE DAY: Barry, 2016; Director: Vikram Gandhi. This small but informative Netflix film addresses the period of time when Obama transfers to Columbia University and struggles to fit in to the harsh New York urban culture. More pertinently, he struggles to synthesize his disparate selves into a integrated identity - the Virgo purpose. Lead actor, newcomer Devon Terrell, captures Obama's speech, demeanor and physicality so powerfully I was completely pulled in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6qlPeS1kGY

DECEMBER 16-18: MOON IN LEO - CHALLENGING DAYS

MOON ENTERS LEO at 8:15am EST on Friday December 16 and remains until Sunday December 18 at 11:55am. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Opposite Mars in Aquarius. Ruled by the Sun, the self-oriented bravado Leo Moon can get itself into trouble now! Opposing Mars may incite major ego conflicts. Shedding light and heart on controversial topics is tricky. Know and Love who you are but acknowledge others' thoughts and desires as well. Our child selves will want to play and be creative but we may buck up against the Group ego which doesn't appreciate our need to stand out. Surprising and upsetting results may ensue. Actions initiated now will tend to have CHALLENGING results. NOTE: Today marks the three-days-before Mercury Goes Retrograde, so check and double check all communications. Mechanical breakdowns are more likely. Things will NOT tend to go as planned in general during this 3-4 week time. It's a time for PLANNING, BEING CREATIVE and FOCUSING ON OUR INNER/SPIRITUAL LIVES. Initiating projects, journeys agreements etc. will have better results if you wait until mid-January when Mercury turns Direct.

SCENE FOR THE DAY: West Wing, 1999-2006; Episode 1, Director: Thomas Schlamme; Writer: Aaron Sorkin. Here we see the playful President telling the Christian right the-way-it-is...and surprising and upsetting results ensue in the most creative way. Sorkin's sharp dialogue mesmerizes in this first diatribe of Jedediah Bartlett played lovingly by Martin Sheen. If you haven't seen this series, let this clip turn you on to tv brilliance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTG5p4wEAAM

DECEMBER 14-15: MOON IN CANCER - CHALLENGING DAYS

MOON ENTERS CANCER at 7:09am EST on Wednesday December 14 after being VOID OF COURSE in the early morning. Moon remains in Cancer until 4:37pm on Thursday December 15 when it goes Void of Course until the Friday the 16th at 8:15am. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Square Uranus in Aries.  As the Moon begins to wane and the Gemini climax has come and gone, we find ourselves back in the womb of The Feminine archetype. In its own sign of Cancer, the Moon is comfortable; home and family, the emotional life and the past, food and all that nourishes  - and of course all things Women - are highlighted during this period. We are likely to find, however, that actions initiated now will tend to have CHALLENGING results. The Square to Uranus may show up as sudden upsets, breakdowns, breakups, and just your basic run-of-the-mill disruptive situations. While Uranus reflects the theme of separation, the Moon symbolizes the container that holds things together. Their combination in square, is indeed a conflict - the breaking of the vessel. It brings to mind the Kabbalistic concept of Tikkun Olam, of which I have previously written. The translation from Hebrew is the 'mending of the world.' The simplified story goes: The Divine force put all his/her Light into a vessel which could not hold all this energy, so it shattered. The moral is: It is the work of all human beings to gather the shards of the vessel to repair the broken world. Our world feels more fragmented than ever these days. Perhaps we might consider that the Challenge of this Moon period is to find ways to mend emotional hurts, notice what is separated that wants to be united and to look outside our subjective selves to see what others need. It's likely, though, that we'll feel our own wounds more than usual now. This is a GOOD time to stay home and tend the hearth...and all that that implies.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeOtS5crtco

SCENE OF THE DAY: The Bee Season, 2005; Directors: Scott McGee, David Siegel. I've written about this film before (the clip was banned for rights issues on youtube, though, so I'm using the trailer this time). It's one of the most poignant films I know. The Broken Mother archetype, embodied here by the magnificent Juliette Binoche as scientist-wife Miriam to Richard Gere's professor of spiritual studies Saul, is a pivotal theme of the narrative. She is drawn to Saul for his academic wisdom about healing. His rational intelligence, however, is not what repairs this shattered family. While older son Aaron (Max Minghella) searches for his own religion, it is daughter Eliza (Flora Cross) who turns out to be their spiritual guide as she intuits what they need for reunification. The visual sequence of her encounter with the Divine, before the National spelling bee finals, is something to behold.

DECEMBER 12-13: FULL MOON IN GEMINI - GOOD DAYS

MOON IN GEMINI from 7:41am EST on Monday December 12 until 0:57am Wednesday December 14. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Trine Mars in Aquarius. FULL MOON EXACT (22 Gemini) at 7:05pm on Tuesday December 13th. Pull out all the stops during this Mercury-ruled Moon: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! Speak, Write, Teach,  Pray, Question, Request, Declare, Demand, Scream, Sing! Whatever form you use, there should be an abundance of energy to accomplish your goal. Mercury also rules travel, so this is a VERY GOOD time to begin a trip.  (Again, remember Mercury goes Retrograde on the 19th and,  these are the last Good Days to initiate action before the turning.) It's a particularly good time for electronic communication because of the Aquarian Mars. This is a GREAT time for writers to submit manuscripts on the computer. The Full Moon reflects the culmination of ongoing projects, so this period is perfect for concluding any activities in these arenas. It's likely that tension will rise as we build towards the Sun/Moon opposition (Sun in Sagittarius/Moon in Gemini), but don't let that stop you from reaching completion. The satisfaction you'll feel will be well worth the struggle. 

NOTE: This is a GREAT TIME to sign this petition for the Electoral Collage to elect Hillary:  https://www.change.org/p/electoral-college-make-hillary-clinton-president-on-december-19-4a78160a-023c-4ff0-9069-53cee2a095a8?utm_medium=email&utm_source=notification&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&share_context=signature_receipt&recruiter=30446941

(SEE December 10-11 Post on Trump's Astrology and the Electoral Collage schedule - it makes the goal of this petition seem very possible!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX8aFpnWxPA&t=7s

SCENE FOR THE DAY: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939; Director: Frank Capra. Jimmy Stuart, Jean Arthur and Claude Rains head the cast in this classic Hollywood political comedy-drama. Stuart's Jefferson Smith is the leader of a Boy Ranger group in his home state who, when suddenly asked to replace a deceased Senator, becomes an archetypal defender of justice. The sequence that relates so perfectly to the Gemini Moon Trine Mars in Aquarius is his legendary Senate filibuster. Our novice politician talks till he finally drops, after more than twenty-six hours of almost every form of the aforementioned modes of Mercurial expression...There are even hundreds of letters delivered to the Senate chamber, newspaper men and women on phones, printing presses operated by young boys (Gemini) running at top speed - it's a veritable Mercury-fest! And keeping with our political theme of Standing Rock's great victory, where the little guys triumph against the corporate pipeline, our hero's diatribe convinces the villain (Senator Claude Rains) to admit his guilt and wins the day.

DECEMBER 10-11: TAURUS MOON - CHALLENGING DAYS

MOON IS VOID OF COURSE until 7:41am EST on Saturday December 10. MOON ENTERS TAURUS at 7:41am and remains until 11:04pm Sunday December 11. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Square Mars in Aquarius. Important practical actions initiated during the early morning V/C Moon are likely not to work out as planned or desired. Because of the Last Square to Mars, actions initiated when Moon enters Taurus will also tend to have CHALLENGING results. This configuration brings to mind the Taurean Bull who can do his namesake justice-to-the-max if he gets caught in the shadow of the Fixed Earth element he symbolizes. We mostly know this attribute as stubbornness, but with Mars in Aquarius, real willfulness is evident and, if challenged we find ourselves radically defending our independent point of view. Because projects begun now are likely to create circumstances where we butt heads in conflict with others and are easy to anger (especially over money issues), do remember Taurus is ruled by Venus and Aquarius carries a sense of equality for all groups of people. Call up to consciousness your generous heart. While the Sun conjoins Saturn at 18 Sag now (3 degrees away from Trump's Moon), exact on the Saturday the 10th, this may be a real test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRvPTWwuXDg

SCENE FOR THE DAY: Trump the Bully: from The Democratic National Convention, 2016. This clip sums up the above description to a T...for Trump. Really. Watch this compilation of moments, all with which you're probably familiar. But then Hillary appears...and, whatever you think of her, it's bloody perfect! I couldn't get this guy out of my mind for this Moon period; please forgive me. I'll get back to movie scenes next post. (Saturn will conjunct T's Moon at 21 Sag the last days of Dec. and first week of January '17. Let's see if we see any indications of it...Remember, the Moon reflects the Public as well as the Women and Emotion in our lives. When Saturn conjoins it, the Moon is likely to feel shut down, rejected. Saturn will simultaneously Oppose his Sun/North Node! His sense of self, self-expression and Destiny are all being tested - given a reality test. He's in for Somethin'!) 
Post Script: I just researched the dates for the Electoral College process of declaring the Presidential winner (see: Electoral College Schedule): The states vote on December 19th when Mercury goes Retrograde (which can often indicate a reversal of a previous action), and December 28 - January 6 is when the President of the Senate receives the votes, Congress counts the votes, then the President of the Senate (the VP) declares the winner...this is the precise time Saturn is at 21 Sagittarius. Michael Moore believes they won't go for Trump. (Salon Article) After predicting that he would win the election, let's hope he's right again! There is Hope.

DECEMBER 8-9: ARIES MOON - GOOD/GREAT DAYS!

MOON IN ARIES from 5:16am EST on Thursday December 8 until 8:06pm Friday December 9. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Sextile Mars in Aquarius. This is a GREAT time for initiating action! The first sign of the zodiac, a Cardinal Fire sign, Mars-ruled Aries loves to begin a project! With Warrior courage, incentive and passion for whatever you desire, this Last Aspect indicates that you're very likely to see your endeavor through to a successful outcome. Aries reflects identity. This is a time when knowing who you truly are will be particularly important. Be careful not to to be so caught up in yourself, however, that you forget to acknowledge others and their ideas. Moon/Mars connections can be testy, no matter how positive the aspect, so take a deep breath and let any knee-jerk anger go. Take advantage of these energetic days before Mercury goes Retrograde on the 19th (December 12th and 13th are the last Good Days before the turning!)

SCENE FOR THE DAY: Smoke Signals, 1998; Director: Chris Eyre. The first sign of the zodiac made me think of 'firsts' which, having Standing Rock on my brain, led me to original or Native Americans. I immediately thought of one of my first and favorite movies from Sundance - Chris Eyre's indie gem, Smoke Signals. Victor and Thomas, two young men from the Idaho Res, initiate a journey together upon learning Victor's father has died. The road-trip genre is a perfect vehicle for self-discovery as we witness in this scene. Normally reserved Victor reaches his tolerance limit with chatty and seemingly more superficial Thomas and calls him on 'how to be a real Indian.' Thomas proceeds to find his Aries Warrior self.

NOTE: While I'm on the indigenous subject...I wanted to say that for many years I've felt that the U.S. soul can be healed only when we elect a Female Native American for President. I was excited when Winona Laduke ran for V.P. with Ralph Nader on the Green Party's ticket in '96 and 2000. In her lecture, 'Thinking Beyond Empire' the perspective is so much broader and innovative than we can imagine hearing from average politicians, one that is outside-the-box. I've written previously that this election period required a Uranian Revolutionary to fit the archetypal bill. (See: NOVEMBER 8-9 POST) Trump may be considered by some to be the necessary outsider business leader, but the revolutionary many of us believe we need includes a worldview of earth-conscious inclusiveness. I think Laduke is someone special. Here's a link to this lecture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XCi6_7plUo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcJaUaVfR0

DECEMBER 7: VOID OF COURSE DAY

MOON IS VOID OF COURSE from 9:05am EST on Wednesday December 7 until Thursday December 8 at 5:16am. This is not a time to initiate practical action as it will tend not to work out as planned. If you want a project to not take off for some reason, this would be the time to begin it! The best use of this time is for planning action for the future or doing inner/creative/spiritual work. Let your imagination take you places that inspire you. You may land on possible answers to long held questions or alternative ways to proceed in problematic situations. You are likely to find that not much gets accomplished today. Let go of any frustration and take heart in knowing this is as it should be. Take advantage of this time to exhale and go with the flow. Wait until Thursday to act, when the Moon enters Aries.

DECEMBER 5-7: VOID OF COURSE DAY - PISCES MOON

MOON IS VOID OF COURSE ALL DAY MONDAY until it ENTERS PISCES at 11:31pm EST and remains until 9:05am Wednesday Dec. 7. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Square Saturn in Sagittarius. It's best to use this Void of Course day for planning future actions or doing inner/creative work. Important practical actions during this period will tend to have CHALLENGING results. The Pisces Moon period with the Last Aspect to Saturn reflects a harsh hit of reality while lost in our Neptunian dream world. Indeed, Neptune and Saturn could be considered complete opposites. Pisces has boundary issues where all is merged into one, the Great Dissolver of separations. Saturn is the great definer of form and structure, distinguishing things from one another, delineating boundaries. Pisces is the romantic idealist - Saturn, the pessimistic pragmatist. Be careful to separate truth from fiction at this time or you will have a rude awakening. Make Art for its own sake now, not with the intention to sell. Actions initiated during this Pisces Moon will tend to have CHALLENGING results. Pay attention to the practicalities and necessary limits of your boundless imagination and make sure to get a reality check from someone whose feet are on the ground!

SCENE FOR THE DAY: Days of Heaven, 1978; Director: Terrence Malick. In this clip from Malick's second full-length feature (twenty years after Badlands) a young Richard Gere admits to the Texas landowner (Sam Shephard) - where he, his sister and lover work the fields - that his dreams haven't come true. I always found this scene a simple profundity, a reality for most of us, in one way or another. For these two characters, pit against each other in love and death, this moment is an unusual intimacy shared before the storm will break. While this film was difficult for many of my students due to its minimal dialogue and simple plot, the visuals are unforgettable. Cinematographer Nestor Alemendros won an Academy Award for his expressive magic-time canvas of light. Malick has been considered cinema's poet/philosopher and this film, a Piscean wonder, clinched this legacy for him early in his career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z84lfJCdKMI

DECEMBER 3-5: VOID OF COURSE MOON - EXCELLENT AQUARIUS DAYS

MOON IS VOID OF COURSE from 5:16am EST until 2:44pm on Saturday December 3. MOON ENTERS AQUARIUS at 2:44pm and remains until 6:23am on Monday December 5. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Sextile Uranus in Aries. Ruled by Uranus, the natural qualities of this Aquarius Moon period are strengthened by this Last Aspect. We will tend to be driven towards Freedom, Justice, the Sister/Brotherhood of Humanity and the Future at this time. Aquarius must be given its independent space to be its unique separate self while also being part of a collective. While more sensitive Water people may experience a cool, aloof or distant vibe from others now, try not to take this objectivity too personally. As a Fixed Air sign, this is a more mental than emotional time when great far-reaching ideas are born and Revolution is in this air. Actions initiated during this time will tend to have EXCELLENT results, especially if they reflect Change of any kind. Great opportunities are likely to be available to you from these acts of courage. The electronic/digital arena is especially highlighted - so use your computer to distribute your New Ideas that serve your Communities, both great and small. Note: Saturn is the traditional ruler of Aquarius. We must remember to include Saturn's qualities of grounding, discipline and perseverance in our spontaneous Aquarian actions if their results are to endure.

Note:  Check out this Amazing Revolutionary Declaration from the City of San Francisco! May other cities/states have like responses: http://sfbaytimes.com/san-franciscos-official-response-to-the-election-of-trump/

SCENE FOR THE DAY: V For Vendetta, 2005; Director: James McTeigue; Written by The Wachowski Brothers (now known as Lilly and Lana). What better electronic revolutionary declaration could we have than this exhilarating scene from the creators of the Matrix, the brilliant and always forward-thinking Wachowski sisters. Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea and John Hurt lead the intense cast in full-tilt-boogie performances. We see the digital arena in several forms in this clip including the DVD, the small television screens and the large outdoor screen. The human community finds its rallying cry for the future at this moment in the film. Freedom Needed: Inquire Within.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKvvOFIHs4k

DECEMBER 1-3: EXCELLENT DAYS!

MOON IN CAPRICORN from 3:52am EST on Thursday December 1 until 5:16am Saturday Dec. 3. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Conjunct Venus. Ruled by Saturn this is a very practical time with EXCELLENT possibilities for initiating projects which manifest desired results. The conjunction to Venus blesses your disciplined efforts with financial success. A slow steady process - the Mountain Goat climbing the Mountain of Ambition - wins the day! Also a Good day to support the body's structure: Bones and Teeth in whatever ways are needed. At this time especially it serves to honor our relationships with Saturn-ruled elder friends, relatives and authority figures. This is one of the last GREAT days to initiate an important practical action before Mercury goes Retrograde on the 19th. Take advantage! 

SCENE FOR THE DAY: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, 2015; Director: John Madden. In this scene Dev Patel's Sonny, manager/part owner of the hotel, defers to elder Evelyn, played by Maggie Smith, for her wise support in attaining financing for a second hotel from lawyer Ty Burley played by David Strathairn. This wonderful cast and endearing story demonstrates how life-wisdom grows as we age and that the I Ching's phrase 'perseverance furthers' is the great Saturnian truth!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG-rMpQT-GQ

NOVEMBER 28-30: VOID OF COURSE MOON/ SAGITTARIUS NEW MOON

MOON IS VOID OF COURSE ALL DAY Monday November 28 until it enters SAGITTARIUS at 3:46pm EST. NEW MOON IS EXACT at 7:18am Tuesday November 29th. Monday is yet another V/C day when important practical contracts, projects and purchases tend NOT to go as planned or desired. Don't expect to get much accomplished today; just let yourself relax into the flow and let the day and your imagination take you where it will. Magic may find you there. Wait until after 3:46pm to Act on whatever insights you discover.*  LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Conjunct Mercury in Sagittarius. Mercury is in Detriment in Sag, naturally ruling the opposite sign of Gemini. Therefore, the attention to accurate specific information tends to be lost on us. We'll be more interested abstract theories, possibilities and principles during this time. We'll tend to be more broadminded, optimistic and thoughtful rather than being very logically verbal about substantiating our long range philosophical ideas. Ruled by Jupiter the Sagittarius Moon demands freedom, so we may also want to go solo now as opposed to being social. This Mutable Fire sign is an Adventurer and Truth Seeker who unifies separate facts into a cohesive whole; but given that the Moon makes a Square to confusing Neptune in Pisces and later Conjuncts Saturn in Sag, what appears to be a clear long-range vision now will demand a reality check down the line! So...the result of actions initiated during this time is a tricky call. Since the NEW MOON is ripe for beginning New Chapters, let's call it GOOD as long as you take time to check your facts. Mental Mercury may be in sync with our Lunar Emotions but they both may seeing through rose-colored glasses!

*Note: One wonders at all these longer Void of Course periods lately. Perhaps, instead of feeling frustrated that desired practical results elude us more often now, we re-frame our perspective to realize the different opportunities each current quality of time affords us. In the open undefined space available to us during Void of Course Moons, we can train ourselves - through whatever practice suits us - to be more present: meditation, yoga, extreme sports, sex, dream work, authentic movement, automatic writing, making Art - whatever your fancy. Perhaps the Moon's Void of Course in-between place is even an arena where the unnameable, unknowable Divine is more accessible. 

SCENE FOR THE DAY: Robin Hood, 2010; Director: Ridley Scott. In the following scene from this classic adventure film, Russell Crow as Robin Longstride, speaks Truth to Power combining long-range Sagittarian vision of unifying the land with clear information to substantiate his plan. While he's undermined by Prince-turned-King John's nebulous Neptunian relationship with Honesty, Longstride-turned-Hood wins with his followers in the end, as most classic Heroes do!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if34bKbBqXI

 

NOVEMBER 25-27 VOID OF COURSE/SCORPIO MOON - GREAT DAYS!

MOON IS VOID OF COURSE ALL DAY FRIDAY NOV. 25.
Moon goes V/C at 8:52am EST and remains until 3:01am Saturday Nov 26. Important practical contracts, projects and purchases tend NOT to work out as planned or desired. Best to go with the flow today and let your imagination go places you've never before envisioned. Best to wait until tomorrow to act.
MOON IN SCORPIO from 3:01am EST Saturday November 26 and remains until Sunday Nov. 27 at 4:48pm. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Sextile Venus in Capricorn. Finally! We're likely to spend Thanksgiving weekend purchasing and being passionate - both with GREAT SUCCESS! The Saturnian Venus may curb our spending, but you should find some things that please the eye and the wallet. If the stock markets were open on the weekend it would be a great time to invest, but if there's any other investment opportunity available at this time, its probably a good bet. 

NOTE: Remember MERCURY GOES RETROGRADE on December 19 (remember the 3 days before and after shadow period which makes December 15th the last workable date - and considering beneficial Last Aspects, December 9th will be the last solid Good Day to initiate actions until after the Retrograde period. December 12 and 13 are also GOOD days, although they carry both the tension and culmination qualities of the FULL MOON - so they're a bit tricky! (Mercury turns Direct on January 8, which makes the January 12 Full Moon in Leo the first All Clear day - and really, January 15th's Moon in Virgo with Last Aspect: Moon Trine Sun in Capricorn is the first clear Great Day! It's a solid Earth day - so a perfect time to act with ambition to produce material results!)

SCENE FOR THE DAY: Pretty Woman, 1990; Director: Garry Marshall. Julia Roberts succeeds at both purchasing and passion in this classic film! The attraction between Roberts and Gere is totally palpable. In this clip we see how much fun it is to have a lover's no-limit credit card on Rodeo Drive. Now...I can't help but tell you the story of my Richard Gere dress...Years ago, I was shopping in Soho for a formal dress for a cousin's wedding. I brought my painter friend Daniel with me for yay's or nay's. We went into The Irish Shop and I chose one amazing silk dress in two colors, one silver grey and the other deep purple. I must have gone in and out of the dressing room four times with the different dresses on, Daniel voting for the silver and me still not sure. The last time I walked through the store in the dress I was so embarrassed about my indecision, I looked at the floor the whole time. A voice said, "I like the purple one!" I did take the purple one and when I got to the counter the saleswoman said, "Do you know who that was? It was Richard Gere." I had no clue. So now it's affectionately known as my Richard Gere dress!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_TZEsUhXRs

NOVEMBER 23-25 LIBRA MOON

MOON VOID OF COURSE until 2:42pm EST on Wednesday November 23. Practical actions initiated at this time will tend not to work out. Best to use this time for inner creative work. You're likely to feel that you didn't accomplish much during this part of your day. Enjoy the in-between places! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

MOON ENTERS LIBRA♎ at 2:42pm EST and remains until 8:52am on Friday November 25. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Opposite Uranus in Aries. Actions initiated during this time will tend to have CHALLENGING results...a recurring theme lately! Libra, ruled by Venus, reflects a period highlighting relationships - partnerships of all kinds. A Cardinal Air sign, its glyph is the Scales of Balance, Harmony and Justice. Libra also places high value on Beauty and Art. These themes are likely to come into play now and it benefits us to pay attention to them. With the Opposition to Uranus, there are likely to be surprises or upsets in these areas. For example, if you initiate a relationship at this time, it's likely to break up in a sudden unexpected manner. Or there may be some strange circumstance or piece of information that demands you to make an immediate change. It's possible that one person is more innovative or forward thinking and the other is more conventional. If you can find a way to compromise - embrace both Libra's desire for romance and aesthetics with Aries' drive for assertive willfulness and sexuality - you may be able to work it out! Be careful not to fall back on Libra's default mode of needing to please the Other. Viva la revolution!

MOON GOES VOID OF COURSE at 8:52am Friday Nov. 25 for the rest of the day. See Above.

SCENE FOR THE DAY: High Fidelity, 2000; Director: Stephen Frears. Best rejected proposal ever! John Cusack plays Rob Gordon, record store owner, who talks directly to the camera as he tells us enthusiastically about his ten top relationships and his theme-based music compilation tapes. His current-ex, Danish Iben Hjejle, is on the receiving end of his unusual proposal. This wonderful light romantic comedy features Jack Black in a show-stopping rendition of Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get it On' and Lisa Bonet in her sweet version of Peter Frampton's 'Babe I Love Your Way' and a fabulous soundtrack in general! Break-ups can be accompanied by great rock 'n roll!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnkrIObJqpk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrYejxBHeYc

Enjoy these great performances!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzl_l5gC5is

NOVEMBER 21-22 VIRGO MOON

MOON IN VIRGO from 4:34am EST on Monday November 21 until 12:41pm on Tuesday November 22. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Square Saturn in Sagittarius.  Ruled by Mercury, this time is focused on mind processes - analysis, critical thinking, writing, speaking, teaching or interviewing. Virgo pays attention to the details, order, health and purity of things. It strives for perfection. Consequently, we may span the range of being discerning or critical in our expression, perhaps judging others as well as ourselves. The Square to Saturn aspect can have our words or evaluations be in conflict to existing structures. Reflecting a constraining or conventional force, Saturn can limit our communication in some way. We might be nit-picky about some abstract thought, conservative philosophy, religion or government or criticized for our opinions. Actions, particularly communications of any sort, initiated during this period will tend to have CHALLENGING results. Perhaps the best way to engage with this energy is to acknowledge Virgo's ability to clean and purify. This would be a great time for re-structuring, re-organizing your home or office. Limiting or changing one's diet or even cleaning the fridge would be a perfect use of these archetypes. If you're a writer, this is the time to get to work! Edit, edit, edit.

SCENE FOR THE DAY: All the President's Men, 1976; Director: Alan Pakula. Keeping with the political theme of late, this powerful re-telling of the Watergate scandal and the consequent resignation of President Nixon focuses on the newspaper investigation of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The real-life drama, a political thriller which because of the reporters' discerning Virgonian attention to details, topples the existing structure of a presidency. This is a must-see film. We witness what is possible when one goes step by step, analyzing separate pieces in order to unravel a top-to-bottom cover-up conspiracy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn3MSQogVeY