The September 16th full moon in Pisces and lunar eclipse act as a counterpoint the September 1st new moon and solar eclipse as well as an iteration of themes that have been brought to the surface this past March and March of 2015 with solar eclipses in Pisces (note: the last set of Pisces eclipses occurred in 2006/2007, you might check in with your memory and see how themes have evolved since then.) If you keep a journal or record of some sort take a look at what was going on for you then and note how the same themes have evolved. In the astrological language eclipses are times of deep change and often significant beginnings or endings. Furthermore, the proximity of the moon to the asteroid Chiron indicates themes that are deep and longstanding. Those with significant placements in the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) will feel this eclipse strongly, but all of us should pay attention to the parts of our lives governed by Pisces. You can get a free chart to see where Pisces is important for you or you can request a reading to learn more about the ways that this moon and current astrology are shaping your experience. Pisces rules water. All water. It rules the entirety of water from the clouds to the streams to the water in your body to the water in your toilet. In astrology water is the element of emotional feeling. Pisces is so many feelings, all the feelings, all the time. Anything going on in Pisces means that it impacts all of us. We all need water and we all feel feelings. Water, like feeling, is everywhere and is shared with everyone.

Fairly intense aspects accompany this full moon including a conjunction with Chiron and a strong square to the planet Mars. Chiron is the wound we either learn from to become healers, or fester with to become perpetuation of the same hurt. Mars is war, aggression, desire, passion, and the absolute, unbiased energy of will power. In our collective experience the water wars are heating up. If you happen to be a middle or upper class citizen of a first world nation then you probably aren’t feeling that heat too much yet, but you will soon. The United Nations predicts that by 2030 we will have reached a global shortfall of water and I will bet you that the majority of available water at that point will be owned and sold by corporations. Which means that the thing all of our bodies are primarily made of, that keeps our weather patterns in balance, that feeds the trees we desperately need for C02 absorption… that thing will not only be expensive and inaccessible to a huge amount of the world’s population, but it will also become (even more of) a weapon and bargaining power in world affairs. On a personal level this can be read as pollution, dis-ease and distraction from our emotional reality and connection with others. The enormity of terror and despair is acting like a stopper for our hearts and becoming a magnification of our fears. Fear is what corporate power thrives on. It is what keeps us hooked to the same systems of consumerism that are raping the planet and its inhabitants. It is what keeps us small and hiding from what we know we can be for ourselves and one another.

If there was ever a time to become an activist it is now. Activism doesn’t have to mean picketing or protesting but it definitely means addressing our own pain and ignorance and deciding to do something about it.

As you consider your full moon horoscopes and intentions please also consider how you can be part of the change that we all need to push for. This could mean going to therapy or forgiving someone. It could mean upping your efforts to find common ground with folks who seem different that you. It could be dedication to conserve resources and encouraging your friends and family to do the same. You can write or call your elected officials and make some noise. You can support the thousands of Native Americans who are protecting our land and water against the shit show that the Dakota Access Pipeline is and will be. You can support safe passage and amnesty for the hundreds of thousands of refugees who are fleeing violence through waterways. There are so many ways to make change, but each one depends upon our personal clarity and commitment to promoting peace and tolerance within ourselves and each other.

I know that most of us feel overwhelmed, outraged and helpless in the face of so many issues that are unrelenting and all of which are urgent. I know also that we have to attend to our lives, families and projects. Few of us know how to, or feel capable of committing to activism full time… or even really know what that would entail. This year I am starting a project that aims to support us all in doing activist work on all levels: internally, interpersonally, institutionally and ideologically. I am putting out the call to all of you to join me in it. Learning To Love More is a study group, a support group for practicing task-based ethics, an art project and a community. It is open and I hope it is accessible to all. Learn more about it here.

My love and best wishes to you and yours on this full moon. -Renée

To learn more about the astrology and aspects of this full moon listen to the podcast

To practice attuning to the energy and opportunity of the full moon, listen to the guided meditation

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These horoscopes are written partially as affirmations. Affirmative thinking and speaking are a form of magic that works through magnetism. If your horoscope affirmation resonates with you, print it out and place it somewhere visible for the next two weeks. Repeat it to yourself often and notice how the magic works. I suggest reading horoscopes for both your sun and rising signs. If you’re interested in a more personalized approach to your astrology you can request a reading here.

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ARIES Religion is different than faith. Faith is different than practice. Practice and faith together create forms for worship. At their essence, religions are mostly based in sincere desire for communion with something greater. And this, in essence, is necessary for survival as well as for any kind of meaning. Our bodies are fairly frail. At this point in our evolution we don’t have the hides, soles, or teeth to really tough it out in the wild. Similarly, our human instinct means that most of us need the container of some kind of community. Without basic connection we will die. Finally, the world is fucking confusing and humans have found ways forever to make themselves and others suffer. It makes sense that we tell ourselves stories about higher powers that have the ability to justify or control things that we cannot. I’m mentioning all of this because right now the Aries chart is lit up in the places that have to do with faith, practice and belief. I want to tell you what all the messengers have already said – No one can get in the way of your connection with God/Spirit/Nature. You don’t need an intermediary and you absolutely don’t owe anything or anyone your suffering. Communion with the divine is available now and everywhere. All you have to do is practice paying attention to the incredible organization of your body and the planet. Where religions go wrong is when the form of practice becomes a tool for violence and oppression. Notice your own fundamentalism and address it immediately. It won’t do you, or anyone, any good. Your affirmation for this full moon is a prayer, May I live each day with reverence and respect for the mystery that I cannot perceive. In all my relations may I offer reverence and respect for the mystery that I cannot perceive. May I open my heart and my being to perception, and my I remember that there will always be more mystery. I joyfully release the need to know.

TAURUS This full moon is highlighting resources and resourcefulness for you. Not necessarily in terms of finance, though it could be, but more in terms of the energetic exchange that it takes to make things happen. The last year has been one that asked you to hone in on, and get practical about your creative process and the ways you play. In the coming months you will have ample opportunity to put what you’ve learned into practice, and to define a whole new way of understanding your personal sense of balance and wellbeing when it comes to utilizing your talents. Success of any sort depends upon two things: your personal fulfillment on whatever levels you prioritize being fulfilled, and the support, enthusiasm and encouragement of others. And… unless you’re going for a Vincent Van Gogh kind of experience, you probably want your personal fulfillment to coincide with external support. The next few weeks bring a weird blend of simultaneous desire for alone-time and encounters with others that may go far beyond the typical boundary lines of intimacy. You’ll have make some choices about how much you choose to share and what you choose to be available for. Remember that you are not obligated to deal with anyone else’s drama… But, being available for real connection with others could very well earn you their forever fondness, and that might be worth something to you someday when you need their time and attention. Your affirmation for this full moon is inspired by don Miguel Ruiz and his amazing coffee table book The Four Agreements. Here it is, I am only responsible for my own experience. How others behave is the expression of their inner experience and has little to do with me. I am responsible for my actions and reactions and they are responsible for theirs. I remember that regardless of this we still impact each other and learn by example. I choose agency over confusion.

GEMINI Families are never perfect. They are full of flawed people performing confusing relational roles, held together by the intangible, ineffable bonds of entrainment, obligation and belonging. The ways we’ve learned to be familiar, and familial, with ourselves, others and the world will always carry the resonance of our first experiences. Families are forever… try as hard as you can, but you won’t escape the imprint of their emotional and physical DNA. September’s full moon speaks to the ways in which you’ve evolved from your family system, the work that you’re carrying now in the world, and those who are working in partnership with you. This moon remembers the place you’ve come from and illuminates where you’re going. Remember that everything is a trajectory. There is no finish line that doesn’t have a starting point. The anchor of home (your home now and the ones you grew up in) has everything to do with what you’re compelled to create and grow towards. This moon is an invitation to examine your motivations and determine what you want to keep growing with. It is a call to root out the belief systems that don’t support your vitality and joy; any relational patterns that have been modeled to you which you do not wish to perpetuate; and all methods of articulation that keep you bound up in limitations, negativity, or suppression of you authentic self. Remember also that as an adult you are the boss of you. It doesn’t serve you or those who you are relating with to hand them blame or burden them with responsibility for your happiness or fulfillment. The same goes for them. Your affirmation for this full moon is, I am courageous and dedicated in my life and on my path. I open my heart to receiving what I truly want from life and love. I humbly and respectfully honor those who have come this far with me. I commit to making choices for where we are going that respects and honors who we are now and frees us from obligations to who we were then.

CANCER Meaningful work is important for all of us. To feel that your life energy is given to efforts that you believe in is basically the make it or break it of health and happiness. This doesn’t necessarily mean your job or career though. Many people find meaningful work through service to others, creative pursuits, hobbies, attending to home, children, animals and the Earth. Your astrology is currently illuminating questions of how to make life more meaningful. Alongside these questions are opportunities to expand what’s important and some tension around what and where you should invest in. Let me tell you that there will be no quick fix. Anything you’re thinking about now should be considered as a project – something to take a long-term view with and something that you can commit to enjoying as a process without impatience for a final goal. As priorities shift and you discover what is meaningful for you now I encourage you to set a precedent with yourself of forgiveness, good humor, and curiosity in the moment that is arising. As this year progresses there will be more and more emphasis at home and in your relational life. Let yourself pause in the spaces that hold tenderness and small satisfactions. Let yourself settle in the questions and stop rushing to find the answer. Most importantly, consider that just about anything can be deep and important if you take the time to see the value in it. You might be surprised what opportunities arise. Your affirmation is, I dwell in limitless opportunity for discovery. I am at home with myself and with all of my relations. There is no need to prove anything to anyone. I allow all that I love to permeate from within me and illuminate my path.

LEO It feels a little bit like stage fright, a lot like shyness, a little like fatigue, a lot like determination. There is always that moment that is just before. Whatever it is… the first show, the first kiss, the first dance, the first day of school... This pause before is so potent. It is where all the fear lives. All the possibility of what really is happening, not just dreaming about or planning, but happening – it’s here and it’s huge and it’s still unknown. This is a time to watch your thoughts closely, and to notice the link between what you think and your immediate emotional response. Especially when it has to do with expectations of how you will be perceived and what someone else will think. Especially when it is your own fearful self-criticism. You have no time for that now. Notice your breath. It is your best friend, ally and strongest weapon. It is the thing that will keep you present through the worry and bring you home to yourself when you get lost in your head. Affirm it to yourself, I have a lot to give. I bring value to others. Who I am does not need to be kept hidden with insecurity. I release others from my fear of their judgment. I release myself from the need to please. I am free and supported to show up completely as I am and with all that I am.

VIRGO Taking a stand for what you know is true for you sometimes means conflict or confusion with others. It’s ok. An important part of any spiritual path is accepting what freedom is – basically, we have no control over anyone or anything else, and to try and control what’s outside of ourselves means that we create a prison of our own expectations. It would be great if Hollywood gave examples of relationships that allowed freedom of personal process instead of the same old tired trope of monogamous redundancy that never gets past the Happily Ever After. The truth is that relationships which are based on notions of ownership over another person’s body, sexuality, attention, or desire will never be the ultimate satisfaction of Happily Ever After. Why? Because everyone is their own person. We each have our own value systems, priorities, fantasies, addictions, and convictions, and they change over time. It’s the best we can do to show up for each other when and where we can, to acknowledge that all of us are here struggling for happiness, and to give to each other the greatest offering of love possible: acceptance. Steadiness and stability can’t be a thing you seek from anyone else, it has to be something that you give to yourself. If you can find that kind of anchor or root, the comings and goings of others can be a dance instead of a drama. Your full moon mantra is, I commit to myself and to the pursuit of my own happiness. May my happiness serve the wellbeing of the world. May I never lie to myself or others in trade for affection or safety.

LIBRA This is a full moon to pay attention to what you say, how you say it, and who you share it with. There’s some very real potential for insight and articulation of ideas and thoughts that have been previously hidden and intangible. I advise you to carry a journal or recorder with you for the next few weeks and document your observations. You may find synchronicities in the course of your conversations and casual circumstances that for some reason align your mental process and words in ways that are surprising. Also, listen to other people! Their words, mannerisms and gestures may show you something that is surprising or revelatory. It seems that there might be some confusion, setback or frustration in something that has your daily attention. If this is the case it won’t do you any good to try and force it before it’s ready. A better approach is to take the time to listen deeply. Not just to words but also to fantasy, dreams, and symbolic gestures. There might be an answer that isn’t going to be found by trying to think it up, but instead which wants to be discovered. So pay attention to what’s right next to you and make a practice of enjoying whatever is arising. Discoveries waiting to happen like to show themselves in moments of receptivity, which usually occur when we are relaxed and not forcing the issue. Your full moon affirmation is, I take delight in the teaching of right now. Whatever is arising is the supreme teacher and I am a dedicated and joyful student. I watch and listen with attentiveness, contentment and respect.

SCORPIO This full moon is a serious creative push. Whatever you’ve been working on and thinking about in these past few months… Now is the time to take action. For those of you who express creativity through parenting it is a time to choose your battles, remember what your long-term vision and commitment is to your kiddos, and then to do that dance between friend and authority that parents get so good at. In short, this is a time to stay awake, stay aware, and work for what you want. The energy of this moon is ripe a breakthrough in how you use your resources to push your ideals and vision forward. Remember that resource is about energy before it’s about money. Don’t get caught up in petty drama or needless bickering. This is a time to prioritize, conserve and channel what you have into what you want. Your affirmation and mantra for this full moon is, My energy, enthusiasm, and creative agency are all absolutely valuable and absolutely vital. I prioritize my time and attention accordingly. I easily pass by opportunities for stagnancy and conflict by absolutely committing to the joy of my pursuits. I replenish myself by remembering that my attitude is always my choice.

SAGITTARIUS At some point in all journeys there comes a time to make a decision. The road forks and two paths diverge. Each path will offer challenges, success, and ambitions but towards different ends. For a while you’ve been standing at the proverbial fork in the road – weighing options and looking for a middle path. I’m not about to say there can’t be a middle path. Not at all… But. It is time to make a choice. This full moon is pulling at you to take action of some sort. What this action is has everything to do with your identity and how you want to grow into it. I don’t know what your choice is and even if I did I wouldn’t know where to start with telling you which way to go. I can say though that in making your choice you should definitely consider your community. Not so much your close friends and neighbors, but the community that is built upon the choices you have made and will make in your work. They need you to be there and they need you to be whole. If your priorities and commitments are strong enough you will find a way to serve them no matter what you do. Make sure that whatever it is you’re making strides towards also makes room for what keeps you nourished, sane, and stable. Your mantra is, I will not agree to contracts or long-term decisions that go against my deep instincts. I am patient, trusting and willing to wait for the right options. I have enough resources, agency and creativity to design my own path. I will find the balance that I seek.

CAPRICORN For a long time now your astrology has felt like battling invisible giants. You have been up against some of the roughest, toughest forces in the zodiac and they have not let you rest. These giants may have felt like forces out of your control, and in many ways they have been since they’ve been made by forces that predate you (lots of family karma and cultural baggage.) However, astrology posits that what is external is a mirror of what’s internal and I think that the battles you’ve been fighting are not only battles with your personal unconscious, but also battles with a collective unconscious. Yes that’s right. You’ve been on the front lines for all of us, and as you slay one giant at a time the rest of us can all breath a little easier. So, two things: 1.) Thank you for doing the intense, scary work that you’re doing. Really. Thank you. 2.) This moon doesn’t want you to back down. It wants you to put on your sword and shield and let rip your loudest, baddest battle cry yet. The energy that is here right now is ready to take down a really big one that has been oppressing you for a long time. As you face whatever it is that you’re facing, repeat this to yourself, I am a strong, skilled, smart motherfucker. I am doing good work and I will continue to do it. I commit to remembering and embodying the essence of what I strive for. I will not back down, give in, or give up. My choices are rooted in my intentions for healing and progressive change towards a better future for myself and all others.

AQUARIUS It can be weird and confusing to try and figure out our personal relationships to money and wealth. On the one hand there’s comfort and necessity, both of which are much easier to attend to with some funds. On the other hand there’s the knowledge that wealth is never made by an individual and that all wealth is built on labor, which makes individual funds something of a personal puzzle and a shared prison. As an Aquarius you are more attuned than most to the quandary of personal vs group need, and I imagine that your relationship to money is very much influenced by this attunement and your ideas about it. This full moon is illuminating a tender spot for you that might have a lot to do with these themes. How you earn, what you share, and how your contributions position you in the future are at the forefront of your attention. As you grapple with these questions I would like to suggest that you also consider the power of magnetism. Where you place your energy will be what you grow. If you put a lot of emphasis on fear or scarcity you will find reasons to believe your fears and feel your scarcity. If you focus on noticing what is available and supportive then you will feel supported and see opportunities. This may sound simple or cheesy but in fact it’s quite deep. When you actually take the time to examine the ways in which you keep yourself from contentment you might find that the answers you’re looking for are as easy as making up your mind. Your full moon affirmation is, I want what I have. I see the the value I have created in my life for others. I see the value that others bring to me. Everything I think I need is here already.

PISCES This is your moon. This is your eclipse. This is your revolution, illumination, negotiation, reconciliation. This is the balance between what you do for you, what you do for others, and where that’s going to get you. This is your shadow and reflection, a time to see yourself as you can be and a time to see how your self image shifts depending on who’s looking at you. This is a force that starts at your center and root, that has pushed hard to bust through limitations (real and imagined,) and that is now crowning in the light of your awareness. This is you not backing down. This is your standing for what you want, what you know you are, and what you deserve. This is you examining the word ‘deserve’ and recognizing that it’s not about entitlement or righteousness, but simply about time and effort. If you know you’ve worked and sacrificed for it, then don’t feel guilty or self-conscious for claiming it. Your affirmation is, I hold the pain and the past with tenderness and respect, but without attachment. I am here now and no longer entwined with what can not be changed. I bravely march towards the future with confidence. I am sure of my direction.