Perspective Shift: Full Moon in Libra 2026

Full Moon @ 12 Libra 21’

April 1, 2026

10:12 PM EDT

7:12 PM PDT

April opens exactly with a Full Moon in tropical Libra on April 1st. It is a strong anchoring and grounding lunation, much needed amidst the very chaotic, unstable, and transformative astrology of the now. It squares Jupiter, so there may be some tension or pressure to expand deeper with whatever has our greatest focus, or to go further on an emotional or creative level.

There can also be a sense of pressure to push past a threshold or dissatisfaction with certain limitations or restrictions in our relationships. Venus, the Full Moon ruler, has ingressed into Taurus, so both benefics (Jupiter and Venus) are strong in their dignities, supporting more positive connections, encounters, and expanding our reach.

As with any Full Moon, there may be something finalizing here, perhaps some peace made in a conflict between personal and shared interests, a balance or reset that can gift us a fresh perspective. Compromise or agreement is another Libra/Full Moon symbol, signifying the conclusion of a negotiation or enduring debate.

This Full Moon reflects a moment of pause within a chaotic and active process, a chance to catch one’s breath, slow down, and sink deep into something of emotional or spiritual power. And its settling and balancing dimension brings us to a new level of agreement or more confidence in a process, goal, or project.

Trusting the Flow: New Moon in Pisces 2026

New Moon @ 28 degrees Pisces 27’

March 18, 2026

6:23 PM PDT

9:23 PM EDT

March’s New Moon in tropical Pisces arrives during a massive line-up of inner planets, asteroids, and the lunar North Node in Pisces. This builds on the Piscean flow from the previous Full Moon and lunar eclipse. This New Moon and lunation cycle also officially ends eclipse season, setting us on a more stable path.

This Pisces accumulation occurs alongside the Saturn-Neptune alignment in Aries, at the Aries Point during the equinox. This is a major world-transit event, shifting consciousness and the balance of world power, so stability is not a theme for these times generally. Pisces, in its shadow side, can create a sense of losing control and of being swept up by larger societal or cosmic forces.

With all this Piscean energy peaking, the Neptunian side of Saturn-Neptune alignment dominates consciousness and events. The result is an ambiguous,  illusory view of things. Clarity is unlikely. Much remains obscured about many events and situations now.

However, the deeper lesson of this sign is trust in a larger divine plan or purpose in our lives and world, something that becomes harder to hold on to in the midst of crises or collective turmoil. Yet, that is what the North Node among this planetary cluster suggests, reaching for some higher vision, spiritual purpose, or moral standard and staying true to it no matter what. Though the ultimate paradox of all this is that it collectively begs the question: whose “divine plan” is really unfolding here?

At 28 degrees Pisces, this New Moon sits on the Aries Point axis and brings in the Saturn-Neptune alignment. It is a strong starting point for a spiritual or creative vision or practice. Yet, there can be a real sense of darkness before dawn, heightened by all that’s happening.

This New Moon marks a key turning point in many personal and collective journeys. An awakening is slowly gaining power and momentum, especially as it reflects a unification of energy and power. The dam will break next month as Pisces turns to Aries, giving more ability to act and take charge. For now, focus on your dream or vision and trust its direction.

Surrender to Love: Full Moon/Total Lunar Eclipse in Virgo 2026

Full Moon/Total Lunar Eclipse @ 12 Virgo 54’
March 3, 2026
3:38 AM PST
6:38 AM EST

March begins with a total lunar eclipse in tropical Virgo, visible over the Pacific Ocean, western North America, Northeastern Asia, and Eastern Australia. The partial and penumbral eclipse will be visible for most of these continents including South America.

Lunar eclipses, especially total, amplify the Full Moon’s symbolism and energy, increasing the intensity of all processes reaching their natural climax and conclusion. In Virgo, this can relate to breakthroughs or critical thresholds in competency, workflow, self-care, or technical skillfulness.

Crisis is the other end of a shadowy, lunar eclipse, and one manifestation we can’t ignore, especially on the collective level. The eclipse ruler Mercury has also begun its retrograde cycle through Pisces, so we may be revisiting much residual karmic territory.

Add to this the lunar eclipse’s alignment with the lunar South Node, and we get a powerful eclipse portal that brings past energies into focus and a lunar cycle primed for the release of stagnant energies.

And while the Full Moon sits in Virgo, the Pisces archetype dominates the picture with a stellium of planets positioned here along with the lunar north node. Much of this energy can feel confusing and chaotic. The challenging dimension of Pisces reflects a tsunami of energy that can easily overwhelm.

The high end of this Pisces current, however, requires immense compassion and putting ego aside for the sake of a larger spiritual purpose or ideal. This end is reflected as well in Saturn and Neptune’s Aries Point alignment, pushing reality across a new boundary and demanding a new dream for the world.

The paradox of these energies can reflect a confluence of genuine spiritual awakening alongside that of a delusional, ego-driven madness, or losing oneself completely to powerful archetypal forces. Be mindful of all impelling forces right now, and choose to surrender to the forces of love, truth, compassion, and creative joy.

Breaking Through: Annular Solar Eclipse in Aquarius 2026

New Moon @ 28 degrees Aquarius 50’
February 17, 2026
4:01 AM PST
7:01 AM EST

We kick off 2026’s first eclipse season with a New Moon/Annular solar eclipse in tropical Aquarius. While not visible to most of the human world (it sweeps across Antarctica), astrologically, eclipses always have symbolic significance regardless of their visibility.

Occurring in the latter degrees of Aquarius and squaring Uranus (the modern “ruler” of Aquarius), this eclipse carries an immense tension between past and future. The final degrees of a sign represent a breaking point, a pushing of an event or process over the edge. This tension thus meets a critical moment of reckoning, not a resolution, but the beginning stages of it.

Uranus is a destabilizing archetype, and via the square, it applies some pressure to break free of rigid or limiting structures, or catalyzes an emancipatory impulse within much of what we’re dealing with and focusing on. Together, these symbols suggest a sudden acceleration and change of pace with all things brewing in the background.

Though with the start of 2026’s first Mercury retrograde cycle in roughly a week from this eclipse, this is more of a potent seeding point for restarting or rejuvenating some ongoing project, plan, or activity—pushing things through to a new level of potential or merely witnessing the effects of past actions and choices.

And as alluded to, with the Aquarius archetype, there’s an element here highlighting the tension between an old and new order, tradition vs. innovation, or a power struggle between an established authority and a new generation. It can all feel rather dramatic, especially where the shadow creeps in. Yet, integration is key: coming together, joining forces, and effectively bridging the polarity to create something new.

Seeing Light: Full Moon in Leo 2026

Full Moon @ 13 Leo 04'
February 1, 2026
7:07 AM PDT
4:06 AM EDT

February kicks off with a Full Moon in tropical Leo, opposing the big planetary lineup in Aquarius. This Leo Full Moon represents a brief break from the heavy and challenging dynamics that have been building over the past weeks, all of which will be intensifying this month.
As with many Full Moons, there’s a culmination of activity and events leading to a collective and personal fulcrum. Hopefully, we can grasp some of the more playful and creative energy of the Leo archetype here, a symbol of joy and expressiveness that can lighten up the mood and focus.

With Uranus’ direct station too, there’s the element of surprise, revelation, and breakthrough that amplifies the Full Moon’s culminating energy and symbolism—perhaps a needed “aha” moment or perspective that makes the more challenging collective dynamics a bit easier to manage.
Of course, Aquarian symbolism is strongest on the other side of the Full Moon equation, and Pluto (as discussed last week) is a big part of it, magnifying our collective shadow work. Naturally, it might feel as if some impending societal doom awaits us any minute.

Aquarius’s higher expression, beyond mobbish groupthink and conformity, is integrating our unique abilities and perspectives into a larger whole. The value and power of authentic community, mutual support, and coming together toward a shared purpose and vision are exceptionally strong. We can glimpse some of that around this Full Moon too—stepping out into the light, sharing our gifts, and balancing personal and collective goals and perspectives. 

Getting Aligned: New Moon in Capricorn 2026

New Moon @ 28 degrees Capricorn 44’

January 18, 2026

2:52 PM EST

11:52 AM PST

Our first New Moon of 2026 occurs in tropical Capricorn, alongside a rare solar system alignment involving Earth, Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto. With an added trine from Uranus, this is a powerful setup that can catalyze numerous powerful events, processes, and experiences within both the personal and collective fields.

Also occurring on the brink of Saturn-Neptune’s historically rare alignment on the Aries Point (the first degree of Aries and the equinox axis), there is a lot of tension building here that we can experience as emerging breakthroughs and as a tipping point into a momentous transitional phase.

The Capricorn archetype is undeniably present with this New Moon and the days surrounding it. It is a cardinal earth sign, concerned with bridging the inner and the outward on concrete, pragmatic levels. There can be intense solitude, retreat, and focus with Capricorn, yet also a surge of ambition and motivation to practically implement goals, objectives, and strong desires.

With the New Moon itself, we’re unlikely to see all that’s brewing beneath right now, or at least realize it’s full power and transformative potential, but we can feel it unconsciously. There is more depth to Capricorn than it’s often caricatured, and more potential for the wise implementation of creative vision.

Pay close attention to all that’s beginning to take shape, collectively and personally, all that’s gradually coming to the surface with this alignment. It signifies a much bigger process that will unfold and take shape over many months (and potentially longer). This is a powerful New Moon to put into motion anything we need a lot of momentum behind it, but also a turning point for much that we’ve already done.

Within Reach: Full Moon in Cancer 2026

Full Moon @ 13 Cancer 02

Jnauary 3, 2025

2:03 AM PST

5:03 AM EST

January’s Full Moon in tropical Cancer kicks off both the start of the month and the year 2026. Aligned with an exalted Jupiter and opposing the Sun, Venus, and Mars Capricorn trio, there is big energy peaking here where projects, intentions, or objectives are reaching critical crescendos.

The relational end of Venus and Mars (along with Mercury-Juno) can reveal deep tensions in intimate relationships, stirring up potential conflict but also insight and opportunities for boundary adjustments, modifying comfort levels, and support needs. The creative and sexual dynamic of the Sun, Mars, and Venus can show up as an intense focus on select passions.

Jupiter’s presence alongside the Full Moon culmination can give a lot of enthusiasm and excitement for something we’re bringing forward or into the open. There is an auspicious element here, too, where critical progress can be made, or the perfect opportunity or insight arrives when needed most.

Yet, there’s an over-the-top dimension to this setup, a way in which we can overdo things, take on too much, or overestimate whatever has our focus right now. A lot of optimism can run high with a powerful Jupiter in the picture.

The Full Moon-Jupiter in Cancer, balanced by the Capricorn planets, brings about an ideal compromise and integration between powerful emotional energy and a stoic fixation on whatever we’re pursuing and concretizing—allowing us to grasp or express something previously hidden, intangible, or out of reach.

Glimpsing the Other Side: New Moon in Sagittarius 2025

New Moon @ 28 degrees Sagittarius 25’

December 19, 2025

8:43 PM PST

5:43 PM EST

December’s New Moon in tropical Sagittarius is the last New Moon of 2025. It occurs just before the solstice (on Dec. 21). Free of Mercury’s retrograde phase and shadow (and with Mercury back in Sagittarius), we can feel the expansive, free-spirited character of the Sagittarian archetype here. There is more space to move ahead with much that’s been pending or held back in previous weeks.

Also, something we’ve been piecing together over the last month may be coming more into view, despite the usual ambiguity of the New Moon energy. There is, however, some challenge with this New Moon as it finds itself squaring the building Saturn-Neptune alignment along the Aries Point (AP) axis. There is more subjecting our emerging vision to some reality-testing. Also aligned with Venus, Mars, and Juno, this lunation cycle is packed with activity, motivation, and serendipity, but there can be a strong sense of feeling blocked through limiting beliefs or perceptions.

One dimension of this New Moon is inherently relational. It may touch deeply on ideals and visions we share intimately with others. Some conflict or realization of differences can be highlighted. Yet there’s also a new phase of reimagining—a new collective or creative vision that can be born if we’re willing to push it through to the other side. Whatever begins seeding now (in the creative, relational, or purely ideological realms) requires immense effort and strength to succeed.

This New Moon alignment also seems to foreshadow much that will be culminating on a higher level at the start of next year via Saturn and Neptune’s exact alignment in late February. Both collectively and personally, we may find ourselves crossing a major life boundary, reimaging the future, or breaking free of limiting ideals or delusions. For now, we’re getting glimpses of the other side and what’s possible through patience, persistence, and groundedness.

Book a personalized astrology or tarot session with Chad at Kosmic Mind Astrology to gain clarity and guidance for the year ahead.

Incoming Possibilities: Full Moon in Gemini 2025

Full Moon @ 13 degrees Gemini 04'

December 4, 2025

6:14 PM EST

3:14 PM PST

December's Full Moon in tropical Gemini culminates as its ruling planet, Mercury, slowly regains its forward momentum after its retrograde cycle through Sagittarius and Scorpio. Mercury's direct station gives us some extra time to vocalize something deep and meaningful, carefully execute a message, or savor a new perspective or powerful emotional experience.

With Mercury's direct station alongside this Gemini Full Moon energy, expect some rapid-fire ideas and communications to increase their flow, at least shattering any boredom or usual routine. We can also expect a more constructive phase to emerge from here, where a rising vision can take more solid shape and decisive action is better supported.

However, feeling scattered or paralyzed by a confluence of stimuli (or potential options) is a likely downside to this lunation setup. Still, it does represent an interesting crossroads and turning point from the "backward" flow of previous weeks. The constant redirections, refocusing, and realignments are coalescing into a steadier stride and focus.

A new reality (or possibility) has likely opened from this Mercury retrograde/Grand Trine energy flow. The flow continues beyond this lunation, though now with more clarity, purpose, and direction at hand, which means more constructive, creative flow and intuitive backing to bring some of what we've been stewing in to a breaking point, breakthrough, or conclusion.

Into the Deep: New Moon in Scorpio 2025

New Moon @ 28 degrees Scorpio 12'

November 19, 2025

10:48 PM PST

November 20, 2025

1:48 AM EST

November's New Moon in tropical Scorpio marks a significant turning point within the month and year--a fulcrum of future potential and past residual energy. Aligned with Mercury retrograde, the asteroid Lilith, forming a grand trine with Saturn, Neptune, and Jupiter (and striking an opposition to Uranus), there is a lot of dynamic energy reaching a breaking point that can feel powerfully creative, serendipitous, and emotionally strong.

There is a liberating and "breaking free" dimension to this lunation via the Uranus opposition, and the free-flowing psychic energy current (along with the powerfully highlighted Scorpio archetype) draws our attention to the underbelly and inner working of all that has our attention now. There may be a surfacing of strong, unexpressed potential during this New Moon that draws us closer to unconscious undercurrents or blind spots in a way that's easier to integrate and confront.

While Mercury retrograde is not an ideal moment for finalization, conclusions, or launching a solid or critical plan/endeavor, its alignment with this New Moon points to the birth of unexpected new directions, or paths long forgotten, put aside, or delayed. We're likely to stumble into, or suddenly find ourselves immersed in, the flow of some new activity, while also tying up loose ends or attending to unfinished business.

This is the Mercury retrograde dimension that's likely to infuse itself in this New Moon transition, working both its serendipitious and trickster magic (or likely both), bringing about perceptual shifts, insight, or creative possibility (also paradoxically alongside some inconvenient breakdowns, glitches, and detours).

There is also the possibility of getting carried away by strong emotion or hyperfixated to the exclusion of the bigger picture of what we're stewing in. The hidden, occult, or mysterious dimension to this lunation cannot be overstated, where flowing along with the current can feel incredibly uncertain. Yet, moving forward now might be surprisingly easier than expected, despite the need to abandon ultimate expectations or control.

Book a reading or counseling session through Kosmic Mind Astrology.

Grounding the Flow: Full Moon in Taurus 2025

Full Moon @ 13 degrees Taurus 23'
November 5, 2025
5:19 AM PST
8:19 AM EST

November’s Full Moon and Supermoon occur in tropical Taurus just before Mercury’s retrograde station. It brings some collective energy and events to a critical fulcrum before we plunge deep into this highly revisional and improvisational phase. Mercury’s retrograde through Sagittarius and Scorpio begins Nov. 9 and lasts through Nov. 29 (though there is always roughly a week on either side for the shadow stage of the cycle).

This strong and powerful Full Moon in Taurus is a solid grounding point amidst the building Saturn-Neptune and dynamic water sign energy. Much of the current moment is imbued with a deep sense of ambiguity, mystery, or a feeling of being carried away by larger forces. With this Taurus Full Moon, we can grasp onto whatever is culminating here—a solidifying new skill level, valued resource, or grounding physical or spiritual practice.

A Taurus Full Moon brings something tangible into form and within reach, where we can feel and interact with the results of something we’ve worked for or strongly desired. The paradoxical aspect of this Full Moon is learning to walk a tightrope while balancing both simplicity and complexity—finding peace and acceptance despite our inability to control everything or resolve every crisis, whether in our own lives or in the broader world.

Mars’ opposition to Uranus alongside this Full Moon adds a chaotic element to the mix, where actions and desires can shift and change course. So, there is another paradox here: we can feel grounded and secure in what is developing, while also feeling some excitement about taking off on a new path or adventure. Of course, given Mercury’s retrograde cycle, practice non-attachment to ultimate outcomes or end results. Flexibility and course corrections are required.

For personalized astrological and spiritual guidance, book an astrology reading or counseling session with Chad at Kosmic Mind Astrology. I offer natal, forecasting, and focused question readings to support clarity, grounding, and intentional decision-making.

Crossing the Liminal Threshold: Saturn, Neptune, and 2026

An archetypal view of astrology conceives the movements of the planets and their highlighting of specific archetypes during key alignments as brief subjective encounters with a particular frequency of reality and the universe. Each frequency is real in its own right but only represents a part of the whole despite its potentially all-consuming and possessive power. The melding of Saturn and Neptune in early 2026, via their rare conjunction, is creating such a time, a distinct archetypal resonance that permeates our collective and personal psychological landscapes.

Especially during Saturn-Neptune's peak alignment over the following six months (and rippling through the following year), we will be immersed in the Saturn-Neptune archetypal field. For a while, we might be convinced that it represents how things will always be. Yet one of astrology's primary advantages is knowing that certain phases and periods of our lives have a specific duration, whether expansive or contractive (or somewhere in between). Life will change, and the archetypal landscape will evolve into something entirely new. Another lies in at least symbolically understanding the archetypal quality, nature, and, on some level, intent of any particular cycle.

The Ancient Crucible

When Saturn makes significant alignments in the individual natal chart —or, more collectively, when it aligns with the outer planets —its archetype is magnified (and filtered through the contacting planet). Saturnian periods of our life can often feel like being in a crucible. They're sometimes painfully constrictive, presenting us with a myopic or suffocating view of things. With Saturn, there can be a more pronounced encounter with limitation, pain, or suffering, though that is not the whole picture. There can also be more willingness (or incentive) to take on daunting challenges or step into a hard-earned position or role. These can be incredibly constructive and growth-promoting times.

We can ripen and blossom alongside Saturnian turning points, but we are ultimately outgrowing something (or many things). What we're experiencing is the painful (or at least uncomfortable) aspect of that realization and the process, as well as the awkwardness of transitioning to a graduated way of life and being. Saturn can grant us more freedom, but also some burden and responsibility. There is also often grief, as we move beyond the past and an old order and structure of life.

That Saturn's cycle closely corresponds to various biological and developmental stages of our lives is one way to understand this. Phases such as puberty, the end of adolescence in our early 30s, midlife, and, for women, more specifically, the menopausal process, all deeply reflect this symbolism. Profound changes and adjustments occurring biologically at these times compel us into entirely altered ways of being and engaging with the world. Such phases not only change how the body functions, but also our very pursuits, focus, desires, values, and perception of reality.

The process — the liminal stages of those transformations — is not actually the new normal to come, but it is the most critical, since it shapes the new era. Anyone who has lived long enough to reach the other side of some of those phases knows that we eventually figure it out and reclaim stability and ease in who we become. Yet the liminal part of the process can be frightening and uncomfortable — imbued with uncertainty and the terror of the unknown. And truthfully, until we get to the other side, there is no way to know subjectively what it'll truly be like, because of its radically graduated level compared to where we were before. While in it, the other side is unknowable, and the permanent nature of these transitions makes them more threatening to the personal ego.

Neptune and the Daimonic

Similar to the transition from 2019 to 2020 (with the alignments of Saturn, Pluto, and Jupiter), the alignment of Saturn and Neptune represents a crucible we're collectively and personally experiencing —a critical stage and threshold we're crossing. We've outgrown something, but the most challenging part of this particular cycle is not knowing what that is. Enter Neptune. The Neptunian archetype is infamously foggy, deceptive, and ambiguous. As mentioned, it represents encounters with the numinous, with "higher powers" and overwhelming forces of nature.

That Neptune is a "transpersonal" planet is a somewhat general statement. Still, it's a critical piece because it speaks to one of the primary ways we experience its cycles and placements in the natal chart. While we spend most of our days in our ego-centered identities, we all have a transpersonal dimension and experience layers of our lived environment that are invisible to us. Neptune deals deeply with this fact.

We don't even need to get metaphysical to understand this. It is an established aspect of even materialist metaphysics, with numerous invisible forces intersecting and influencing the material universe. Biologically speaking, forces are steering us with quite separate agendas from those we consciously identify with. Countless biological processes operate totally outside of our awareness and control, from the immune system to the vital flow of blood throughout our bodies. Sexual and erotic desires commonly diverge from our perceived morals, ideals, and identity, impelling us in ways we might not relate to as coming from "ourselves." Neptune's own discovery resulted (and was predicted) entirely from its mysterious, gravitational pull on Uranus, like a hidden hand working from some yet unseen place.

The Neptunian archetype points to aspects of our reality and even aspects of ourselves that, because they lie outside of our conscious awareness and outside of our ability to completely hold, contain, and understand, we often experience as a vague hint of something "other," alien, or distant from the more conscious center of our beingness. And that doesn't discount its power and influence. What is unconscious can exert significant influence. A gut feeling, intuition, or a vague voice "in our head" can lead to profound, life-altering choices. The ripples of such experiences can reach far and wide.

Those with strong Neptunian symbolism in their astrological makeup often lead their lives in this manner, guided by the various vague hints and suggestions they receive from the transpersonal layers of their being. In ancient times, the daimon was a concept that well encapsulated this experience and dimension of reality. This spiritual, guide-like being kept us aligned with our fate through subtle nudges and external experiences (some good, some seemingly ill-fated) that later seemed perfectly orchestrated to help us fulfill our destiny. Christianity bifurcated this concept into "angels" and "demons," though many religious traditions have similar concepts. Modern new-age conceptions of spirit guides also draw on this very ancient idea.

We can equate Neptune with encounters involving entities such as daimons, spirits, fairies, and, as mentioned, UFOs/UAPs, aliens, or any noncorporeal being. In addition to its more mundane significations related to overpowering natural forces (such as a hurricane, tsunami, or viral plague), Neptune, as a transpersonal force, also exists within ourselves and our very reality — something we can experience but not fully know or understand.

Patrick Harper's "Daimonic Reality" is a helpful framework here—a realm that intersects with our own, inhabited by shapeshifting, intelligent beings who appear in a range of guises across history and cultures but who ultimately share the same archetypal ground of being and emergence. From a Jungian point of view, Neptune is a construct that connects us more deeply into the collective unconscious itself, a bridge into the transpersonal and from where it emanates, and a place inhabited with intelligences more conscious than we are. Thus, whether a vision of Christ, Buddha, or a UFO, the visionary, archetypal, or "projected" thing is not any less real but derives, actually, from the greater reality —the more conscious and transcendent layer of it.

Reality Check

Saturn, however, is not at all like Neptune, though both archetypes develop and impact our sense of what's real. They touch archetypally and deeply on the nature of reality, and that blends into all dimensions of knowledge, whether derived culturally, scientifically, or mystically. Saturn is our "brick wall of reality," as coined by astrologer Steven Forrest. It is "plainly and clearly the way things are" or "the way things have always been." Though again, for anyone who's lived on Earth long enough, it should be well known that the subject of those statements can and often change.

Saturnian reality is not always what's actually true, but what's conveniently true, what's true enough, what needs to be true to get along with the broader social, cultural, or moral order. In medieval Europe, the idea that tiny, microscopic organisms cause much disease would have been considered crazy and heretical. How strange and outlandish one would look for obsessively washing their hands or boiling their drinking water. Fast forward to 2020, and how radically such a basic concept had shifted and impacted the whole of the modern world and its consensus rationality.

Scientific and cultural shifts can profoundly change the Saturnian "reality" and ontology. Saturn's reality today will not be the same a few centuries or millennia from now. Neptune's alignment with Saturn on the AP foreshadows such a collective shift — ontological, cultural, political, or otherwise. Though this shift in particular may be more rapid and shocking than perhaps the last closest alignment over 2,000 years ago (in 594 BCE), alongside the "dawn of Greek philosophy," Western "rationalism," and the "Axial Age". As a simple (and deeply naive) mythos, this rationality that paved the way for modern science, materialism, and the Industrial Revolution has reached a critical turning point and a much-needed revisionary phase. Perhaps the synchronicity of this alignment suggests that we are at another turning point in redefining what "rational" and, by extension, "reality" truly are.

The Wisdom of Letting Go

More subjectively, encounters with Neptune, especially in that liminal, crucible stage, can feel paralyzing and overwhelming. The enormity of a revelation, realization, truth, awakening, or simply being in contact with the archetype of eternity can make it feel impossible to move. Encountering the vastness of the whole Self and all its shadow complexes, unknown potentials (and vulnerabilities and evil) is a lot. It's too much for a single ego to process and grasp at once.

Yet, for a while, that is how it might feel, because the Saturnian structures, authorities, "the way things are and have been," many of them, are dissolving, losing their power, falling helplessly into the unknowable abyss, all while things seem to be going on as they always have. There may be only vague hints, suggestions that something is not quite right. Meanwhile, the overwhelming reality is seeping through the cracks and holes. The Saturnian ship is really sinking, overcome by a larger surreptitious force.

Learning the value of letting go, surrendering, being okay with not knowing, or letting yourself get lost in the fog are all wise approaches to navigating a Neptunian period. In the real world, getting lost without a clear directive and strategy is sometimes a worthwhile (though frustrating) experience. Sometimes, in not knowing, we eventually come to know. And sometimes, in the absence of a clear sense of Self, purpose, or dream, we awaken to what we truly are, to what lies beyond the facades and illusions of culture, family, tribe, and egoic perception and expectation. Something reveals itself to us from beyond the confines of our conditioned limitations and preconceptions.

We are all outgrowing a previous vision and faith, and maturing into something new. To describe this alignment as a personal and collective visionary reset (and, more broadly, a civilizational one) is fitting. Disillusionment is also a significant part of it, and its accompanying grief. To describe it as a personal and collective awakening to the transpersonal is even more so. We are getting closer and closer to the edge of that threshold between what we know and what we don't know, but on the other side lies what we will eventually come to know, grow into, concretize, and develop (or at least a larger portion of it).

To get there, we have to trust the process, because, even if bizarre and terrifying, it's a deeply natural and ancient one. Awakening to ourselves—or merely to a profound truth about ourselves—is a significant step. Still, it reveals more of what's there —or what's always been there —more of the vastness of what we truly are. And from there, we have more ability to choose and maneuver our lives. We become freer and more autonomous, gaining a deeper understanding of the Self, the universe, and whatever lies beyond it.

Subjectively, this period will bring a lot of uncertainty, as if the ground beneath us is crumbling, shifting, or dissolving. Disillusionment represents the cognitive dissonance we experience as we come to terms with deception and become aware of our ignorance. Still, it's a critical piece of any awakening process because the old reality must die to make way for the new one. It is deeply liminal, imbued with death and new birth. Even more so as this process is occurring, astrologically, on the point of the vernal equinox, a powerful archetypal symbol of a new beginning, budding potential, and blooming.

As an inherently "fated" process, one that is supposed to happen at a specific time and stage, it begs the question of the purpose behind its uncomfortable and painful aspects. Is there a purpose to the labor pains? Is there a purpose and meaning in the crucible? Is it possible to make it to the other side of such a process without some level of suffering, confusion, and terror? I hesitate to say no, but there's a lot of wisdom and humility in admitting that.

We need pain to grow, and if we don't grow, we die. This is a truth of both archetypal Saturn and Aries. Birth can be a beautiful and miraculous event, but it can also be horrifying. There is a struggle in all birth —a fight to claim life —and that struggle is a deeply ancient and transpersonal one, well etched in all of us by billions of years of evolution. The struggle pushes the new and helpless thing into life. The same is true of growth, of the biologically ingrained growing pains that provide the incentive to push through to the other side — to make the old way so unbearable that we have no choice. Sometimes we have to meet this face of Saturn, and in the foggy depths of Neptune, pushing through into an unfathomable unknown provides no clear or rational incentive.

The Purpose of Delusion

I want to wrap up with a quote from astrologer and Jungian psychologist Liz Greene, because she encapsulates this more painful aspect of the Neptunian archetype that the heroism and narcissism of the Western mind and culture deeply struggle with. In her book, The Astrological Neptune and the Quest for Redemption, Greene argued,

"…there is often profound meaning in what is conventionally called pathology, addiction, or madness; and the individual in the grip of Neptune's peculiar form of breakdown may ultimately see further, and more, than the doctor who is treating such a patient. What is deception, and what is illusion? Who is deceiving whom, and about what? And where, as any Neptunian might well ask, is the rule-book which offers us a definition of reality so unshakable that we know with certainty at least whether that Other, which is the object of our longing, is merely the opiate of the masses, or alive and well in the great transcendent unity we call life, or just another word for Mother?" [1] [emphasis added]

We can well associate Greene's "Other" on one level with the daimonic and transpersonal, but, as Greene's larger argument takes us, also into the watery and placid depths of biological gestation, a ground from which we all emerge (and at least symbolically, will someday return). Greene intertwines this longing for redemption with the primal longing to return to Mother and womb, and with the more transcendent longing of the religious, spiritual, and transpersonal, whether through a God, Goddess, or universal consciousness. From this, we can equate both ends of the archetype with the sense of a "hidden hand" at play in every human life, from the unseen forces of biological evolution to the mysterious and daimonic — guiding and directing, yet also beckoning us to return to the ground of emergence.

Neptune touches deeply on this dimension of every human experience: having to submit, let go, and surrender to this hidden hand, letting it have its way with our lives. Both the historical and archetypal Christ, and its inherent martyrdom, are deeply involved in this, as were many mythological, Christ-like progenitors. Whether in the throes of love and infatuation, carnal passion, ecstatic mystical union with the divine, a compulsion toward some higher calling, or in the depths of so-called "madness" or "pathology," where do we ultimately draw the line? Saturn is our means of distinguishing between those acceptable and unacceptable means of madness, but as Greene ultimately invites us to question, where "is the rule-book which offers us a definition of reality so unshakable" that we at last have certainty about it all?

Further, is there a purpose to our delusions? Without them, there would be no awakening. Without being given only part of the picture or story, we would never discover anything, and perhaps, we would never take critical steps toward our destiny. There are destinations in life for which we cannot fully know, otherwise we wouldn't consciously move toward them. There would be no genuine revelation and or transformation of consciousness.

And the same is true of pain and suffering, light and dark. As Jung famously stated, "There is no birth of consciousness without pain." [2] For Jung, the psyche — and, by extension, our whole subjective experience of life — was a struggle to integrate and come to terms with our own inherent paradoxical nature. Denial of this truth of reality leads us only deeper into delusion, madness, or evil.

The most mad and evil among us are those who believe they're immune or cleansed of such pathologies. Yet, there is much growth and beauty in embracing our madness, confusion, and mystery. We exist in a whole culture that tries to pathologize and thus control everything--medicate, cleanse, and fix via every conceivable positive affirmation or antidepressant, to even out and make smooth the mess and confusion we sometimes find ourselves.

Does anyone really know what's going on anyway? Saturn's role is to convince us that someone or something knows, yet, on a bigger, cosmic level, there may be no rule-book after all. There may be no one with any ultimate control. Yet, that doesn't discount the notion of fate, a larger plan, or a hidden hand with its own agenda and directive. A plan can exist without ultimate control. We may only know that a larger plan exists, or that some other force beyond the biological and evolutionary does.

We may never get closure on any of this in our embodied experience. Our human tendency is to construct some grand narrative (via worldview or cosmology) to make sense of it all, to ensure that it'll all be okay in the end. Anyone deeply entrenched in shadow possession may well believe that such is true for the chosen, for those most rational, pure of heart, intellect, or bloodline to discern the bigger plan, or for those who leaped to the "right" timeline.

Yet the actual, more uncomfortable reality is that we're all in this together, whether we like it or not. There's no way out alive, with ultimate certainty, or with clarity. Will we ever know the ultimate purpose of our life, or any life? These are uncomfortable daimonic and thus Neptunian questions. They bring us to the layer of our lives and experiences that seem unconcerned with our petty, egoistic needs and problems (and their limited perspective).

Extrapolating to the level of humanity, civilization, and its real but ultimately petty problems (at least from the perspective of billions of years of biological evolution), what is the purpose of any of this, the whole arc of so-called "progress" we think ourselves to be on? I don't think anyone knows, and if Neptune has a say in it (which, at the moment, it very much does), it would suggest that purpose is not at all what we think — or would like to believe.

So what do we do with that? Jung would argue that we do our shadow work, get on with waking up and individuating, and allow the inner work to shape our destiny. With that, I wholeheartedly agree. I also suggest that we humbly surrender to the transpersonal hand doing what it wills, because, aside from the painful aspect of the process (which we cannot fully escape), there is still the possibility of awe, wonderment, and enchantment on the other side. It's possible the plan, no matter how crazy we might think it is, is a good one. Life may all be a paradoxical mess, but there's always that end to any Neptunian experience, always the hope that something beautiful awaits us beyond the liminal threshold if we can merely let go and trust the wisdom in the process.

Footnotes

[1] Liz Greene, The Astrological Neptune and the Quest for Redemption (Boston & York Beach: Weiser Books, 2000), p. xv

[2] In "Marriage as a Psychological Relationship", Jung stated, "there is no birth of consciousness without pain," in reference to the (mostly) inevitable crises he argued were inherent to any relationship--describing marriage as a catalyst for individuation, involving the complex confrontation with one's shadow unconsciously projected onto one's partner. Elsewhere, in Contributions to Analytical Psychology, the phrase "there is no coming to consciousness without pain" is translated and commonly quoted.

For more on the unfolding Saturn–Neptune cycle, explore [From Disillusionment to Global Awakening] and [The American Dream and Other Delusions]—two earlier essays that trace this alignment’s historical roots and collective psychological impact.

To explore how the Saturn–Neptune alignment—or any major planetary symbol—speaks to your personal chart, book a private consultation or reading with Chad Woodward of Kosmic Mind Astrology. His sessions blend evolutionary and psychological astrology with spiritual insight, offering grounded guidance for navigating cycles of change and self-realization.

Seeing the Other Side: New Moon in Libra 2025

New Moon @ 28 degrees Libra 22'

October 21, 2025

5:25 AM EDT

8:25 AM PDT

October's New Moon in Libra forms the head of a yod formation involving Saturn-Neptune and Uranus. The combination of quincunxes is commanding--they direct us and compel us toward higher goals. Yods give our activities a sense of mission and purpose, but they also imply some level of sacrifice or inconvenience.

Archetypal Libra is the sign of relationship, involving our willingness to understand others, find common ground, and compromise. It represents putting some of our needs and preferences aside for the sake of union or agreement. The grand cross involving the New Moon amplifies those qualities of Libra that are more difficult for the personal ego.

The New Moon's grand-cross with Pluto, Jupiter, and Chiron can represent a collision with wounds, residual trauma, and various insecurities, all of which we can feel stuck with, inhibiting our ability to connect, reach out, or put ourselves out there. Yet the conflicting elements here can also serve as catalysts for awareness, and thus for healing and breakthrough.

The New Moon ruler, Venus, is in her own sign, so there's a way to find peace, agreement, and allies. This New Moon reminds us about all that we're connected to, and the necessity of interdependency, collaboration, and working together. We can feel a lot of weight and pressure with this lunation, but also gain the needed incentive to change, find help, or make some shift that can break us through to the other side.

A Way Forward: Full Moon in Aries 2025

Full Moon @ 14 degrees Aries 08'

October 6, 2025

8:48 PM PDT

11:48 PM EDT

October's Full Moon (and Supermoon) in tropical Aries frees us from the shadowy depths of eclipse season, representing a powerful break with the past. In fire sign Aries, and with Mars in its ruling sign Scorpio, this Full Moon can catalyze more directness and assertiveness, which can help establish clearer boundaries and make progress toward objectives.

As October hangs in the balance between eclipses and an impending Mercury retrograde cycle in November, this is a time in which we'll have more direction and influence, so October is a month for making some vital headway. Also, as a Full Moon, the effects and reverberations of past actions and efforts can manifest strongly here, mainly involving past collaborations or relationships.

The tension in this Full Moon lies in the strong sense of purpose that it can ignite, which can conflict with more immediate or personal interests. There is a transpersonal pull here, reflected in the rough yod formation created between the Moon, Venus/North Node, and Mars. Additionally, the Sun in Libra's pull is also present, revealing the balance and tension between personal and collaborative interests.

This energy is less about achieving personal fulfillment and more about submitting our will to a higher order or a more complex social need. Still, there is something in this Full Moon that ignites or excites our passion and willingness to more seriously accept or pursue a personal (or transpersonal) purpose.

Making it Real: Partial Solar Eclipse in Virgo 2025

New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse @ 29 degrees Virgo 05'
September 21, 2025
12:45 PM Pacific
3:54 PM Eastern

September's New Moon in tropical Virgo is the final solar eclipse of the year and stimulates the Aries Point (AP) axis and Saturn-Neptune conjunction. Also, it occurs just before the equinox on the anaretic degree of Virgo (29 degrees). Symbolically, this eclipse suggests a major push forward or even an explosive type of energy that will infuse itself into this dynamic transitional point in the year. 

There is a notable line-up of objects happening here: Sun, Moon, Earth, Saturn, and Neptune form a direct alignment in the solar system. This planetary chain also coincides with the peak of the current solar maximum cycle, characterized by dynamic sunspot activity and intense space weather that generates significant energy in the planetary sphere, manifesting in critical social and natural events worldwide. 

Planetary alignment occurring as part of this partial solar eclipse (Image created with SolarSystemScope).

There is definitely a level of conflict inherent in the Saturn-Neptune and Sun-Moon opposition, especially when it occurs on the boundary-pushing AP axis, reflecting a struggle to overcome certain barriers or restrictions that limit the concretization of a desired reality. There is also a visionary, spiritual, and transpersonal dimension to this eclipse that we can implement powerfully in creative ways.

The Virgo archetype reflects idealism channeled through concrete service, self-improvement, and the pragmatic embodiment of a transcendent vision. Virgo is about walking the walk and living true to one's morality, ethics, and highest vision. With Virgo, we bring down to earth and attempt to implement what can never be fully realized or known, but the effort gets us part way, imparts some imprint into the physical world of something beyond. 

There can be some structures dissolving here, and even some disillusionment in relation to certain beliefs, ideals, or idealized figures. The Neptunian archetype's transpersonal dimension suggests a level of fate and contact with aspects of life and reality we have no control. Yet, all of this opens up space for something new, especially a new vision and dream, pushing the boundaries of what's possible for ourselves and the world we inhabit, allowing us to move on to the next level. 

A solar eclipse is a powerful starting point, initiation, and transformative portal. As a south nodal eclipse, we must release and let go of some baggage and limitations to move ahead, and with Neptune involved, perhaps also some delusions and false perceptions. However, there can be a positive uplift from this eclipse that can set us further toward perfecting our vision and gaining more competence and skilfullness to make our vision real.

Pushing the Boundaries of Reality: A Conversation with Chad Woodward of Kosmic Mind Astrology (Podcast)

I recently had a conversation with astrologer Kristine Backes over on The Natural Wisdom Podcast. Kristine and I delve deeply into the Saturn-Neptune alignment over the Aries Point, but inevitably expand into its broader implications, encompassing consciousness, the nature of reality, science, and the current paradigm shift. It was a lot of fun. I also recommend checking out Kristine’s Substack and writings as well!

You can watch or listen to the whole podcast discussion here

Deep in the Flow: Total Lunar Eclipse in Pisces 2025

Full Moon @ 15 Pisces 23'

September 7, 2025

2:09 PM EDT

11:09 AM PDT

September's Full Moon in tropical Pisces is a total lunar eclipse, pulling us deep into 2025's final eclipse season. It also occurs alongside Uranus' retrograde station, amplifying the archetypal qualities of the liberator and change-maker, infusing some instability and creative spontaneity into this eclipse. Combined with the lunar eclipse's spacious trine with Jupiter and its placement in Pisces, this eclipse opens new perceptual and psychic horizons.

Lunar eclipses usher in highly potent Full Moon energy, indicating that we're approaching a climax and resolution of some critical dynamics in our lives. Lunar eclipses represent powerful collective and personal fulcrums that help to settle and conclude longstanding issues or challenges, offering a transformative potential that can inspire hope and a fresh perspective.

This lunar eclipse offers a much-needed break in our focus, allowing us to see ourselves or our circumstances from a broader vantage point. With that, it is much like coming to the surface to catch your breath, to take in something new, and find some relief from the repetitive mode of action and day-to-day processes.

Jupiter rules this lunar eclipse and receives a harmonious trine. Exalted in Cancer, Jupiter brings with it gifts and blessings that have been concealed from view. Although fleeting, this eclipse brings forth a powerful new perspective or emotional release that can provide some hope or inspiration.

Of course, there is also a powerful feeling-based current here that could open up psychic and emotional floodgates. There is an unsettling potential, especially when there has been emotional or intuitive stagnation and an excessive focus on the rational or intellectual plane. However, it creates and opens up much-needed space in the collective, and there will be much to reflect on further over the following months.

Intentional Refocusing: New Moon in Virgo 2025

New Moon @ 00 Virgo 23'
August 22, 2025
11:07 PM Pacific Time
August 23, 2025
2:07 AM Eastern Time

August's New Moon is the first of two New Moons this year to occur in tropical Virgo, the second being a partial solar eclipse on September 21, occurring on the Aries Point axis and opposing the Saturn-Neptune alignment. The solar eclipse represents a more powerful transition, starting point, and restart in the year, but August's New Moon is our gateway to this transformative lunar cycle.

August's New Moon may be a rather abrupt transition from the delayed and potentially stagnant energies of previous weeks. It cuts through much of our routinized approaches and guides us (gradually) to a new vision we can practically implement in our lives. However, two quincunxes to the New Moon from Pluto and Saturn-Neptune also reflect a frustrating crossfire between a desire for liberation and larger societal or transpersonal forces that impede quick results.

Uranus' square to the Virgo New Moon suggests we're challenged to initiate a fresh start in several endeavors, especially those that involve a fine-tuning of details, gaining greater competence and proficiency, and humbly updating skills, workflow, health, and self-care. With Virgo, there's always room for improvement, and Uranus suggests that something has to give. 

Be conscious of the likely unpredictable directions that new endeavors will take from here, and the dramatic changes they'll endure over the following month. Embrace more spontaneity and creative detours with this energy rather than a straight and stable path to your goals. While there may be more to work through and resolve, with some extra focus and effort, we can push through to new ground. 

The Aries Point Axis

In researching the Saturn-Neptune (and much later Saturn-Uranus) conjunction, I dove deep into the Aries Point, or AP for short. This is the first degree of tropical Aries, where Saturn and Neptune are currently making their historic alignment. I compiled this research for a few lectures/presentations I gave for various meetups and conferences. I plan to write this all up into an article, but current time contraints have focused me elsewhere. Last July, I did a presentation for NCGR San Diego and discussed my AP research for nearly two hours. I’ve posted that recording on YouTube which includes lots of slides, visuals, and chart data. Check it out and give it a like or comment if you can.

Surrender to the Flow: Full Moon in Aquarius 2025

Full Moon @ 17 Aquarius 00'

August 9, 2025

3:55 AM EDT

12:55 AM PDT

August's Full Moon in Aquarius occurs just days before Mercury's direct station (end of the retrograde cycle) and Mars' opposition to the Saturn-Neptune alignment. Additionally, Venus and Jupiter will soon meet up in Cancer, making this Full Moon alignment a bitter/sweet paradoxical mix.

The Full Moon always reflects a crescendo in our lives and in world events, a culmination of efforts and energies, sometimes resulting in a critical, decisive point. However, with this Full Moon, there is a lot of ambivalence mixed in here, especially in relation to our actions and ultimate end points.

Mars' opposition to the Saturn-Neptune alignment (and its crossing the Aries Point or AP axis) suggests major global shifts (literally and symbolically). This means a significant amount of energy is being released in the collective. Yet, we might feel confused or uncertain about where to direct it or make use of it because there is much that has not been settled or fully resolved.

Mercury's direct station, while ending the retrograde, can overwhelm us with a lot of data, dialogue, and options. Also, delays and technical issues can still cluster here, so it's best to plan for extra time and needed flexibility.

The Full Moon itself is almost lost in the mix of other alignments, but the Aquarian symbol is still relevant, directing us to the larger collective or greater impact. It is a forward-thinking sign, concerned with what lies ahead, and that brings plans and objectives more solidly into focus, a solidifying of our past efforts and their greater effect.

This Full Moon is not a time to keep forcing our will or desires especially if encountering resistance or pushback. Venus-Jupiter in Cancer reflects a need to soften and receive what's coming now, take a step back, wait, pause, and retreat. There will be an acceleration of energy in the coming weeks, so take your time and let go of the need for a clear view or directive.