"Every now and then one paints a picture that seems to have opened a door and serves as a stepping stone to other things."

— Pablo Picasso

This week's shifts are noticeable and auspicious. The Sun arrives in Scorpio on Sunday, ahead of Tuesday's Scorpio New Moon (3:48 AM PDT 2° Scorpio) which is in a tight conjunction with Venus. The collaboration and connection building that was encouraged under the last lunar cycle begins to produce welcome dividends this week. As well, Jupiter returns to Pisces on Thursday, where it will turn direct near the end of next month. Although Jupiter's return to Pisces may initially feel somewhat jarring, we will eventually regain some of last Spring's [...]

"When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.'"

— Maya Angelou

The lurching, impulsive energy of the last New Moon (September 25th 2° Libra) comes to a peak with this Sunday's Aries Full Moon (1:56 PM PDT 16° Aries/Libra) which is tightly wound up with a Venus-Chiron opposition. Venus and Chiron focus our attention on those around us and encourage us to pay attention to the needs of others. While we may feel the urge to offer our help, support, and valuable perspectives, there is uncertainty and some concern about fully committing to any specific solutions. The layers of complications beneath the superficial, apparently simple, solutions go deep and create nagging uncertainty. We may be worried about our own stability if we go too far to help others. Or we may lack the confidence in our individual perspective to openly [...]

"In the true sense one's native land, with its background of tradition, early impressions, reminiscences and other things dear to one, is not enough to make sensitive human beings feel at home.'"

— Emma Goldman

We begin the week with a surprisingly impulsive Libra New Moon (2:52 PM PDT 2° Libra) which opposes Jupiter. Despite Libra's desire for clear judgment and balance, we are inclined to try to lurch ahead, mow down the challenging obstacles, or recklessly push past the slowdowns that are surfacing. However, perfectionism heightens our sensitivities, producing discomfort and keeping us from making the kind of progress we are trying to make. We may find ourselves especially sensitive to what seems out of place as we struggle to find continuity or understand the context of the situations, interactions, or challenges that we face. The perfectionism is something that could look suspiciously like [...]