Ready for another rollicking week? Here we go!

As I type, the relationship-oriented, people-pleasing Libra Moon is waxing Full — exact at 3:42AM ET on Tuesday. And as you may have heard, this Full Moon will also be a total lunar eclipse, suggesting a push for a release of old patterns in relationship. But before we get to the Full Moon/Eclipse, we need to get through this business day, so let’s see what’s cooking.

Well, the Moon is cooking — even without the eclipse — as it makes its weekly contact with the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square, which it will do between 5:20AM ant 6:08AM ET. Note your dreams upon waking (wild?) and check the headlines for the usual upsets and power plays.

What’s also cooking is Mercury, referring to mind, communication and travel — charging through the impulsive, brash, inspiring and impatient sign of Aries. And while it’s charging forward, it’s crashing into the people-pleasing Libra Moon (3:01AM ET), then expansive Jupiter (2:32PM ET), then rebel genius Uranus (7:15PM ET) and finally, with ruthless, corruption-exposing, power-mongering Pluto (12:12AM ET on Tuesday). Wow — there could be soooo much hyped-talk today — or actual, mind-blowing revelations.

Call it a sneak preview of next week’s much-ballyhooed (and rightfully so) Cardinal Grand Cross, though with less testosterone (action hero Mars). Call it information overload…and that will explain your frayed nerves and aching head, as you cope with those around you who are not hip to the potential of supercharged planetary patterns and are therefore “acting out”. Or call it an opportunity to absolutely, positively, finally acknowledge What Must Be Done to make this planet a Sustainable World…as suggested by the latest UN report announcing that “catastrophic climate change can be averted without sacrificing living standards”.  Zounds! This report even includes a zippy marketing campaign — way to condense the message into a pithy slogan, Mercury in Aries! Ready?

“It doesn’t cost the world to save the planet,” said economist Professor Ottmar Edenhofer, who led the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) team.

Brilliant! Can we act on this right away, implores the Other Latest UN Report on Climate Change…Or Else.

If you are not in a position to make an earth-shattering presentation today, take note of the buzz in your head — it could be a brand-new Attention-Deficit Disorder — but resist the urge to rush and/or engage in thoughtless talk. Ground yourself in preparation for tonight’s eclipse (says an old wives’ tale) by eating some potatoes…and drink plenty of water.

But wait — not so fast. Before we get to the Full Moon/Eclipse, Pluto, Lord of the Underworld turns retrograde  at 7:44PM ET. Pluto will be at 13 degrees of Capricorn. Retrograde planets appear to be moving backward in the sky, as seen from Spaceship Earth. Here is a picture of retrograde motion, courtesy of someone at NASA: http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question46.html

During retrograde periods, areas in life that are ruled by the planet are held back and are up for review. For example, Pluto refers to power plays, resources, perspective, transformation and “news from underground”.  Wherever Pluto falls in your horoscope; i.e, wherever you have 13 degrees of Capricorn, is where issues of power, resources, perspective and transformation will come up. You will do a lot of learning in that area of your horoscope at this time. Try looking inward for power and resources first — before turning outward. Going within is an effective strategy for managing the energy of any planet that is retrograde. Pluto turns direct on September 22nd.

OK. Now for the eclipse. Most everyone in the United States will be able to see all of it, including people in Hawaii. Here is a nifty article from space.com that explains much of the astronomical tech stuff, while cheerfully assuring us that this first of four so-called “Blood Moons” is not a sign of the Apocalypse. Agreed.

Eclipses interrupt the regular flow of light and whatever other energy flows from the Sun or the Moon, like a river meeting a dam. Eclipses act as “bottlenecks” of energy. Light flowing from the Sun or Moon is temporarily interrupted, focusing attention on the interrupted point and allowing something new and possible fragile to enter the picture and grow. And here I would be thinking of Michael, the kindhearted policeman in the storybook Make Way for Ducklings, who stopped the flow of traffic on Beacon Street so Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their brood of eight could safely make their way to the Boston Public Garden. Of course while traffic is stopped, it’s also backing up…and when it flows again, it’s possible that some drivers may hit the gas a little too hard — and wham! — there’s a sudden release of the bottlenecked energy.  If you have a planet or point at the degree of an exceptionally potent eclipse, you may feel the effects of the release of the bottleneck for months afterward — sometimes even years.

There are a number of astrologers who believe that eclipses may function as portals for groups of souls incarnating on Earth. What do you think of that, cherished ducklings?

This total eclipse happens at 26 degrees of Libra (Moon) and Aries (Sun), suggesting illumination on issues in relationship  — the “we” of Libra vs. the “me” of Aries. How do we find a balance?  In the chart for this eclipse, I am intrigued by the presence of four significant asteroids — all goddesses, mind you — around the Sun and the Moon. Ceres, Goddess of Grain and Agriculture and Vesta, Goddess of the Hearth is aligned with the Moon. Two Goddesses you really do not want to discount are aligned with the Aries (warrior) Sun: Juno, wife of Jupiter  and Eris, sister of Mars. If you agree that astrology is a symbolic language reflecting the consciousness of those who create/use/modify the language, what are we to make of this symbolism — expressed in the language of Western Astrology — for the Western World — at this particular time?

The Sabian Symbols for this eclipse are as follows. For the Aries Sun: “a man possessed of more gifts than he can hold”. For the Libra Moon: “an eagle and a large white dove turning one into the another.” Well, geez. Those two birds are diametrically opposed to each other, aren’t they — a bird of peace and a bird of prey — but in this symbol they are interchangeable. And a man with more gifts than he can possibly hold probably doesn’t know which one to apply first — or which way to turn.  Or so suggests Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee in his nifty book.

You are more personally affected by this lunar eclipse if you have a planet or angle at 26 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn…or if you were born around the 15th of April, July, October or January.  Consult your local astrologer for details.

Finally — your Moon voids for the week: Tuesday 3:42Am ET – 12:20PM ET (East Coasters take note); Thursday — a bust — as the Moon will be void from 3:09AM ET until 5:44PM ET…..we’ll need the time to rest and process the Full Moon…and prepare for the Cardinal Grand Cross-o-rama that happens early next week.

What’s going on in YOUR horoscope? If you’re feeling a need for clarity and guidance, consider making an appointment for a personal astro-logical consultation. Thank you for reading this forecast — and sharing it with the Entire Free World :)