This Lunar Eclipse is like the final stages of cement curing. Time is winding down to create your mark in what’s unfolding. This stage began in January of 2020 and moves out of this moldable stage with this eclipse cycle. We have had this impressionable space within us so we learn to understand how we act on our behalf out in the world. We’ve faced an unmistakably changing world. Now is the time to take a good look at what those changes brought about in you.
What intrigues me is that this Lunar eclipse includes a debilitated Venus in the sign Mars rules. And it’s also in tense connection with retrograde Mars in Mercury’s sign. Furthermore Mercury is in Mars sign. Let me break that down for you. Your words and actions align easily, for better or worse right now. And your actions of the last two years are what’s written in cement. Look back on what you chose. How many of your decisions came from the way Love moves? Now how many came from the way Fear moves?
I can’t speak for you, but I look back over this time and honestly had to laugh at how absolutely not in a row my ducks have been. Like this popular meme of duck-savaged cement, my prints are all over the place. I prefer making things orderly and beautiful, so having this image in my mind made me twitchy. That’s when I asked my wise self to show me the patterns in the pattern. Where did fear decide and how could I love those moments into something more brave?
Before things dry into solid mass, the best I can do is to love myself in those spaces where fear decided for me. Because when I do that I move the way love moves, even in the face of what frightens me. It organizes the craziness into a more beautiful picture. Suddenly those mismatched patchwork moments became like a kaleidoscope, one of my favorite things in the world. If I keep turning my mind’s eye, then something beautiful can emerge. This way I lock that reframe into my curing process.
Since I can’t promise that fear won’t continue to be present and powerful as I expand, I can let love be the last word. We know that brain biology has us overestimating risk to keep us safe. Which means fear is a survival mechanism and has a function. In crisis and chaos, we don’t know how to feel safe because old ways don’t work. I invite you to please add loving acceptance of your patterns to your cement, no matter how much you wish to deny, improve, edit or change them. Why not add the desire to grow as life unfolds. That keeps you from rigid brittleness, which to me is always a hallmark of fear. This Lunar Eclipse makes it easier to spot the difference.
About every 60 years we have these periods of shake up. (All you have to do is watch the documentary on 1964 to witness another time of essentially wet cement humanity). What you do matters, but how you do it matters more. In your thought, speech, actions why not anchor in kindness – starting with yourself. This isn’t weakness. Not at all. This is a time of balancing what we want and how we express it to benefit the greater good. That requires self awareness and accountability. You are loving when you recognize what you feel and strong when you shape it instead of letting it shape you. Your efforts now become part of the kaleidoscope of life. So be deliberate with this. Let love animate you from the inside out. The Cards and Stars can help.
Thank you,
Lisa Greenfield
11/8 Scorpio Lunar Eclipse king of swords
We have an epic eclipse day here in the United States. It’s Election Day. I’m not going to talk politics, I’m here to talk people. I’ve got a range of friends on both sides all the way out to the fringes. I’ve seen good people, kind people, post lies and ugliness out of fear. I’m fortunate enough to know them, some of them for decades. So I know they are not cruel, uncaring, vengeful or hateful. But their words are. They move the way Fear makes them move. Which is why the antidote to that is to see the whole picture. That’s what this King represents, the ten thousand foot view.
Ironically, it is the same card we had for the Solar Eclipse two weeks ago. Which suggests these events are strongly linked in this curing phase. Obviously, it also means Spirit thought the message was worth repeating. This is why I told the duck story and included the picture. It could just as easily have been an impressionist painting to illustrate the point. When you stand close to one, it’s a hot mess of color. You get some perspective by standing back and then you can you see the beauty emerge.
What beauty can be found in the world today, you may ask? We have woman the world over struggling for basic freedoms removed by brute force and lies. You have countries squaring off over who gets control of what land, resources and people with bombs, guns and threats of more violence. Illness, pollution and extreme weather are dispossessing countless numbers. What beauty is there in this? It is the beauty of one generous gesture, one kind word, one moment of willingness to dialogue instead of fight.
That addition is right there, in your hands. It’s accessible, real and cumulative. When you see one act become a stream of acts, become a river and then an ocean, you’ve helped change the world. With one kind act, you can be part of the big picture. The balance of power within you is achieved. By all means, let the feelings be what they are. But then act on them in a way that benefits you and harms few or none. If you feel a victim of circumstances in the world, start taking your power back with your own emotional expression. You make a difference and it starts in your mind. How you talk to others is how you think about yourself. There are a lot of people using hateful language to make themselves feel less frightened and more powerful.
But let kind strength be water on the rocks of hatred and fear. In time it reduces them to fine sand. There is an indescribable power of being kind in the face of cruelty that changes you. When you feel strongly but don’t let the impulse overtake the action, that’s power. When you discover you’ve acted impulsively and you know it, be accountable and circle back to redo or update things. These decisions let you know the world is a safer place by your one action, regardless of how others behave. Why not let the softening effect of strong, loving-kindness wash through you today. Who knows how far that wave will ultimately travel.
11/9 the hanged man
How appropriate to get this card after Election Day here in the United States. This card signifies heart over mind and a transition period that takes time to reveal results. No matter what happens, we are in an integration process. That goes for us globally. We have to learn how to operate in a New Normal. Post pandemic, Russian War, Extreme Weather, Global Supply Chain, these are big shifts that affect our day to day. So many people are burned out and exhausted. When you look at all that happened the last couple of years, it’s no wonder.
What is the purpose, you may ask? I know I have spent time wondering. Which is when I turn to the heavens. The great arc of time that plays out in the galaxy around us offers long term wisdom. We are at a crossroads represented by this fulcrum on November 8, 2022. We are meant to integrate our Venusian lawless, desire-nature with our security seeking, community well being Moon side. The next 60 plus years turns on how well we honor the uniqueness of what we are drawn to along with the wisdom of how we express it.
Yesterday’s Lunar eclipse had Venus opposite the Moon who sits with Uranus. To me that indicates freedom from inherited fears (Moon/Uranus) that was passed down mother to child. Yet Venus is limping along in Scorpio, trying to learn how to express those desires in a way that doesn’t eclipse our well being. Runaway desires, achieved at all costs, are a cautionary tale down through history. Tales of Kingdoms lost to ungovernable impulses. Wars fought that decimated economies and countries due to irrational demands achieved at any price. Pause, integrate your desires with a way to achieve them that serves you and ultimately benefits the collective. It is possible. One step at a time, we feel our way.
11/10 two of swords
This two is about our mind working against our better interests. You know, those pesky little nibbling away at our peace of mind with whispered overestimations of fear. Yet the aspects today favor expansion. Which is exactly when the brakes of logical thinking that refuses to believe in magic appear. Think about it. In nature you can cut off all visible signs of life above ground in a bulb, like Irises. Only to find fresh optimistic growth emerges next spring. See what your internal chatter reveals to you today about what you long for and what you fear. Then find ways to integrate them both into a better choice of action to bring about your desires while you minimize your fears.
11/11 six of swords
This six is the announcement that you have managed to withstand the storm and are sailing into calmer waters. At least mentally, anyway. The world may need a bit more time to arrange itself to follow your thoughts, but patience. Today the Sun squares Saturn, a signature that requires us to change over time. Or said another way, it is time for change. With the Moon square Neptune we can be confused about boundaries and motivation.
Pauses are good. They give you an opportunity to be kind to your internal chatter. Some quality time spent on what you feel and what that feeling needs is an excellent addition to your day. Remember, your handrails are to check in on those desires and how to bring them into fuller expression in a way that adds quality to the situation. With calmer seas ahead there’s more energy available to be creative instead of reactionary out of fear.
11/12 ten of cups
We have a loving Cancer Moon today and Mercury in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces today symbolized with this Ten of Cups. For the non astrologers, we have three water signs to help describe our emotional functions. With a planetary pile up in all three signs it can bring a feeling of connection, communication and flow to big feelings. Ten is always about taking things to the next level. It’s an empowered one. Your feelings can carry you to what’s next. So why practice directing the flow instead of stopping or judging it? The Moon squares Chiron which often means the childhood wound of powerless is there in your story.
If you wish for happily ever after, which is one meaning for this Ten, then it requires fresh eyes on who you are and what you feel. We are heading for a Venus Pluto sextile after midnight tonight, so you get a little bit of pull helping you move along out of those stubborn whirlpools that circle and circle without moving things along. Just stay open to all you feel, then construct a new shape for those old emotions. Imagine them in a new way. Like the kaleidoscope, turn your view and see if you can enjoy the shifting patterns of what emerges. The very act of doing that is what love moves like.
11/13 the devil
Mercury is in a challenging aspect to retrograde Mars today. We have to be very careful of the stories we tell ourselves. One such example is a neighbor is absolutely convinced I’m the one who complains about his smoking. We had issues in the past and I let it go. I know he won’t change by my asking him to do anything differently. But now three additional neighbors have complained to management about the issue. He refuses to believe it is anyone but me, because I openly asked him for change in the past. Except he is convinced based on old evidence that he’s right.
Where are you drawing new conclusions from old evidence? With the Cancer Moon in easy aspect to the Scorpio Sun, those stories provided us with comfort and a feeling of power in the past. If we understood what happened, we could make sure it didn’t happen again. Especially if we were bothered by the outcome. Still, there may be a lot of new information that isn’t being processed The Devil card says. It reminds us that appearances can be deceiving. So investigate, be open and curious. Past performance is no guarantee that the present circumstances are the same.
11/14 queen of wands
We have a grand water trine today with this Fiery Queen. For the non astrologers, we have three water signs to help describe our emotional functions. With a planetary pile up in all three signs it can bring a feeling of connection, communication and flow to big feelings. Why might you ask does the Fire Queen show up? As the Moon moves into the sunlight hours she also moves into Leo. Time to take a good look at our ego and how it factors into what we long or lust for.
Even if you have a moment or two of self pity, hear what wants to be recognized in you. Our complaints can turn into a brave and vulnerable ask with a little support. Instead of a whirlpool of self pity, use this direction to help you frame a request – even if it is just to the Universe for now. This fiery Queen favors a bold ask for yourself. Then Pluto and Mercury flank you to help turn ego into courage. You’ll want that with you, because the Sun and Neptune are in easy aspect to help you imagine a better future, regardless of how things were in the past.
11/15 ace of pentacles
This Ace symbolizes that mighty oak tress come from tiny acorns. The aspects today hold a lot of tension, restless impatience too. Then the Ace pops up to remind us to take it a step at a time. The more attention you give the quality of this moment, the more the results will exceed what you could imagine looking at that little acorn. When we expand fear shows up to stomp on the brakes. Temper those impulses. Learn to be deliberate about when you speed up and when you slow down. A little practice these days will cure the cement in ways you can build on happily and safely for decades to come.
11/16 temperance
The last quarter of this Moon cycle is upon us as the Moon squares off with the Sun today. No wonder we get the card that says, ‘don’t push, don’t shove’. Patience is a skill and a real advantage. Let the circumstances help you build yours. Notice what your mind says to get you to jump ahead. Whether you jump to conclusions or rush to action, neither of those serve you well over time. In fact, they often create more obstacles than progress.
Mercury is trine Jupiter, the Great Expander. So watch for overstatements. Whether they happen in your head or come out of a mouth, know that it’s easy to overpromise today. This is just the kind of pressure that makes for mistakes or damages trust in relationships. Work on a more accurate reflection, even if it takes a few extra minutes (or days) to determine that. Better to under promise and over deliver. But for now, let’s just shoot for better balance, right?
11/17 emperor
Today the main actor on the celestial stage is Mercury as it moves out of the expansive trine to Jupiter and into the idealistic and sometimes bombastic Sagittarius. With the Emperor’s appearance today, let those big ideas teach you more about big dreams and goals. It’s okay to let your mind take flight, which is easy to do today. What inventions do we have today that didn’t begin as a wild idea, right? Then the next step is not to act on it, not yet. Rather it’s to track where those flights of fancy show you about you. Who are you when you let your imagination soar. This card is about putting a confused life in order successfully. Order in this case, is a map of where your big ideas take you. It’s a way to map the edges of your possibilities.
11/18 nine of cups
What will you do to make your dreams come true? This Nine of Cups is the wish fulfillment card. Yet the aspects today will highlight where we don’t trust ourselves or the world, so we cut corners. Where have you manipulated rather than asked for what you wanted? Or maybe you coerced, threatened or even emotionally blackmailed to get results. Those places are less obvious, but they are there. Find yours today. Because when you know where they are, you understand what holds you back from a fuller expression of your desire nature. It allows you to replace your wishbone with your backbone. When you do, there’s enough substance for results that exceed your expectations. That’s reason enough to do your homework, right?
11/19 six of cups
This is the second six in a cycle which stands for love and marriage. It makes sense since six is the number of wholeness that precedes the partnership of a seven. When you have two whole individuals it better allows for a happier, productive union. The Moon in Libra is sextile both Venus and Mercury in Sagittarius. This can bring out the desire for a better love story than the one you saw growing up. Or it can indicate a happier partnership of equals that includes the sweeter moments of childhood this six represents.
With retrograde Mars exactly square to Neptune today, we need to remember this old saying. “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results”. If you want better relationships, they come from you doing things differently. This usually begins by seeing what you’ve done in a new light. Understand where fear motivated you instead of love. Think back over some crossroads in relationship and apply that filter. What would love have chosen? This is not to beat yourself up over those moments. It’s to let something good come of them. If you understand where fear had you contract, you are less likely to blindly do it again. Don’t worry about sweeping changes. Just let the cement dry on you knowing the difference between fear and love in you.
11/20 ten of wands
This is the second ten of the Moon cycle. What’s interesting is this ten highlights a burdensome ending followed by an inspired new beginning. The first ten symbolizes a happy ending followed by a new level of love that’s possible. Two tens together signal good fortune associated with changes in effort. In other words, the efforts you make on your behalf bring you good fortune. A grand Air tine between the Moon in Libra, Saturn in Aquarius and Mars in Gemini help give the big picture to your process. Air is the element of that ten thousand foot view, so your fears (Moon) and your actions (Mars) over time (Saturn) can bring you lasting benefit when you see and understand yourself better. It is a big bite to chew, to know thyself. But what greater gift can there be, right?
11/21 four of pentacles
The Moon squares Pluto today, bringing themes of powerlessness and reactions to that emotional state. When we feel powerless, fear is almost always present. This four invites us to put things on a firm foundation. The caution is to be mindful we don’t box ourselves in out of reaction to threat. Remember that fear overestimates the threat and underestimates you as a survival tactic. Do you know what triggers you and do you understand how you handle it when you are in that state? Today is a good day to map those details about you.
Mercury and Venus meet up in Sagittarius exactly today giving us a more global view on how to understand what we love regardless of how much fear is evoked. It can lend a lighter note, a playful approach to deep subjects. Why not give your trigger responses names. One client called her angry self the Red Queen after the Alice in Wonderland character. She knew that when the Queen was provoked, she would verbally take some one’s head off without realizing it. Why not get to know the triggered parts of you in a way that makes you feel better about yourself.
11/22 two of wands
This is the third two in the Moon cycle, which means a change in direction from feedback and discussion. How perfect that the King of Swords, with his wise, big picture view is where we began and this two signals you’ve made meaningful shifts. It’s like a cosmic gold star for achievement. The Sun moves into Sagittarius today ahead of tomorrow’s New Moon. So this two, which stands for shared ideas sparking new illumination helps carry us out of the stickiness also present today.
We have the Scorpio Moon opposite Uranus to free us from power struggles and dark fears. Saturn steps into the picture as it squares the Dark Moon and reminds us that when we change how we look at the world, the view changes, too, in time. It’s the ‘in time’ that helps keep the light alive in us. So don’t let today’s fears have the last word. Love the fear itself as an indication that you are growing, expanding and in new territory. Let that love be what moves you, more than the fear itself.
