 By the new moon all the congregation of the planets in the fire of Sagittarius will have moved into the earth of Capricorn. This weekend we wane down into this collection of Moon, Sun, Mercury, Mars, Venus and Pluto all aligned in the crocodile or sea goat constellation. All in the same lunar mansion of Uttarashada. The later victorious star. This one is STRONG. But perhaps not in the way you may first think.
Ganesha the elephant deity of beginnings and remover of obstacles is highlighted here. Through these obstacles we now face we need to remember the bigger picture and the long-term victory that is assured with sustained effort and most of all patience. This is a reality check moon and really it doesn't need to be any harder than that. Of course if something is an obstruction in your life at the moment and it doesn't have the legs to walk the distance it will be removed or you will remove it - but the symbol of the tusk is here and in mythology Ganesha snapped off his own tusk to write the great Mahabharata - which says though self sacrifice you achieve great things. So this moon is more a hang in there and keep going then a give up or quit kinda energy. Like the elephant we continue walking slow and steady. Not alone and with the weight of purpose. You can win if you have the knowledge and wisdom that you can. I'll leave you with a song: Walk on through the wind Walk on through the rain Though your dreams be tossed and blown Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone ~Gerry and the pacemakers/Rodgers and Hammerstein Stay light, Mark :)
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 The sea, it swells like a sore head
And the night, it is aching Two lovers lie with no sheets on their bed And the day, it is breaking On rainy days we go swimming out On rainy days swimming in the sound On rainy days we go swimming out You're in my mind all of the time I know that's not enough If the sky can crack, there must be some way back For love and only love ~U2 2026 here we are! All aboard for the intense full moon ahead. But this intensity comes with optimism. A cracking entry into this year to get us all moving. The sun remains sandwiched in between Venus and Mars (attraction and assertion) like it was for the new moon previously. Wants and needs are now ready to be proclaimed as we move forward into this coming year. But with the new moon there was an inner digging to find the root or source of these wants and needs, we are now in the driver's seat to move forward and tangibly grab them. Now an Ardra full moon is the energy of a storm. It requires you to sit in the eye of this storm and with persevering effort you can wash away the past and with resilience move forward into achievement. There may be struggle ahead. Most definitely it's time to act and to back yourself. But we now have energy at our disposal to use. Use this full moon to be clear, set goals and begin. It's also handy to express anything left unsaid or needed to be said so you can move forward. And forward we go. Stay light, Mark :)  Shut your mouth, baby, stand and deliver
Holy hands, will they make me a sinner? Like a river, like a river Shut your mouth and run me like a river ~Bishop Briggs As I sat down to look at where the stars were sitting this morning I noticed the moon was conjunct Ketu (the past life axis). The moon being with Ketu is a fleeting event but a potent hit regardless. Today is a good time to cut something. I chose the literal and decided to cut my mullet off. But you could go further and cut something that has been weighing on your mind since the past new moon. This is a turning point kind of day. A time to release more than hair - it is a past that doesn't serve you any further and it can be a quick but final detachment. This day if you choose to use it's karma can help pave the way for the new moon ahead on the 20th. The last new moon for this year. This new moon (I will write more when we come to it) has the power to centre us completely and get to the source of something. To find the root cause of an issue, or the real essence of something that has been otherwise deceptive until now. The new moon to end 2026 is a promise of getting to the bottom of it. Stay light, Mark :)  With Mercury and Saturn out of the retrograde woods we only have one inner planet (Jupiter) and two outers (Uranus and Neptune) looking backward. And really this Rohini full moon tomorrow night is a sweet one. It is promising growth. The Sun and Mars in Jyestha opposite grant us the courage to conquer whatever we need to do to receive the expansive growth we desire.
But really I want to talk about the most intriguing part of this full moon. A day after the full moon, aka Saturday, Jupiter will step back into Gemini. Since the 15th of May this year until 19th of October our planet of expansion zipped through the sign of communication. What happened for you during this timeframe? In my own life it marked a time of unexpected international travel (to give you an example). Now with that in mind it's retrograde back to this sign (and more importantly the house it governs) will give us a repeat of that capsule of time to revisit and perhaps correct. Even more fascinating, it stays within the lunar mansion of Punarvasu. Punarvasu is a return to light, a second chance of success. There is something about these 5 months in 2025 that deserves another go now. Jupiter will be retrograde until March 11th 2026 and on 3rd June 2026 swim into the nurturing and most auspicious sign of Cancer. But until then we have something to gain from going backward to learn something from this year. Perhaps we rushed through the lessons. Maybe we didn't communicate or express fully what we needed to. Maybe there was a piece of the puzzle that didn't come together at that time that could now, particularly when Jupiter moves direct in March next year. Either way, have a ponder and feel free to share in the comments below or book a reading with me to explore further. I wish you a wonderful full moon ahead. Stay light, Mark :)  You know the day destroys the night
Night divides the day Tried to run, tried to hide Break on through to the other side ~The Doors Tension ahead! With so much in Scorpio (Sun, Moon, Mercury and Mars) and the two big players Jupiter and Saturn retrograde we have a lot of moments for breakthroughs on the horizon or should I say on the internal plane/battlefield. With Jupiter in Cancer and Saturn in Pisces there is an abundance of water energy. Water heightens our intuition, our emotional responses and also our propensity for enlightenment. An Anuradha moon requires the devotion in relationship to ourselves, our loved ones and to our purpose. It is time to push through the barriers that guard the door that carry us away from love and instead forge onward toward strong and enduring commitments. I read a quote by Ravi Shankar today "If there is fear or confusion in your life, it is because of a lack of commitment". Commitment takes strength, worship, faith, transformation and patient persistence. Where do you justify your bad habits, gaslight yourself or others to feed lack of integrity or scatter your energy needlessly. With retrograde Jupiter and Saturn we have a beautiful opportunity to dive inward in regards to our beliefs and morals and overhaul anything not true or serving us/others. Listen to your heart/your inner guidance and you will know where you need to grow this new moon. For Radha (who this moon is named after) embodied unwavering and passionate intensity for her love of Krishna (the divine). With full expression, ecstasy and utter commitment she earned the right to dance and be the dance of life and love. Stay light, Mark  I did not believe the information
Just had to trust imagination My heart going, "Boom-boom-boom" "Son, " he said "Grab your things, I've come to take you home" Hey, back home ~ Peter Gabriel I want you to imagine yourself walking through a pitch black cave. Sand beneath your feet. The smell of the damp walls surround your senses. You cautiously step forward. One step after a hesitant other. This cavern contains your past, your fears of the future and the void of the unknown present. As you walk through this darkness you begin to see a light ahead. This light ahead is the full moon on Wednesday night. Since the new moon a fortnight ago what has become obvious hindrance or stagnant of where you need to move to? What is residing in your life that needs to be taken away to get there? This full moon has quite a lot of birthing energy to it but with a birth we must pass the threshold of death to get there. Like Charon carrying the mortal to immortal on the boat to Hades - we must have something taken away from us to provide the fertility of new ground. And new ground is cultivating, is culminating this full moon. Let go or be dragged. Basically the quote for 2025 am I right? Stay light, Mark :)  ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed! ~Amazing Grace There is much to say about this new moon approaching on the 21st. It is the Indian new year Divali - where the sun is at its darkest and the moon cojoins to light the lamps of the soul to carry us over the threshold. The moon and sun are in Chitra the divine architect who builds merit for the good karma we have offered to the world. But even more so tonight (around 6:30pm AEST) Jupiter moves from Gemini to Cancer exalting in the sky. This exaltation heralds a return to wisdom. A return to truth and goodness. A return to light. Of course there is so much to observe that is wrong, unjust and to be corrected in this world but Jupiter finding its feet in Cancer is a welcome step forward. Cancer is the nourishing love of the mother. Much like the cow (a holy sattvic animal revered in India) it overflows with milk much more than its calf requires. There is an abundance of love and support available and there is a steady kindness providing this nutrients. Until the end of the year this new moon carries the foundations to make things right, to correct wrongs, and to hope again of a better future. To explore this further book a reading with me how it effect you personally. Stay light, Mark :)  Bright lights and tired streets
We could get away No time to even speak Nothing to say No rain or storms above That could make us stay Let's walk above the city You and I ~ Paper Kites Ok listen up my cherished readers. Yes, we are heading into a powerful lunar eclipse Sunday eve/Monday morning. Yes, eclipses are karmic. Yes, they can be unsettling energetically. Yes, they can quickly change your mindset/life. No, they are not the elevation of humanity in 5D. No, they are not ruining your life - that is up to you. No, they aren't inherently negative energy. And yes, you may smoothly sail through unaffected. With that out of the way here are some suggestions of what is arising this full moon lunar eclipse. A Purva Bhadrapada Moon opposite an eclipsing Purva Phalguni Sun has much to say. The easiest way I can to break this down is to say there will be some detachment from initial enjoyment of self to amplify raising spiritual energy up. This raising of spiritual energy can bring a moment of clarity depending where the moon is in your chart. On the opposite side there may be some release from where the sun is causing a cut of old identity/mask one has worn. All in all I personally see this as a positive karmic shift for many of us this weekend. Conversations or encounters could be enlightening and quickly evolving. Fears may surface to be either confirmed or held/seen and put to bed. The symbol of the moon is quite fascinating here - two faced, two edged sword, funeral bed or lightning bolt. The two faced symbol can mean playing both sides but can also mean there is two ways things can go, two sides/two perspectives - the sword can be used to offend or defend - the funeral bed means a surrender/ending - the lightning bolt brings in instant resolution and insight. So this insight can be used for good or bad it's up to you but ultimately this eclipse brings an end to confusion and elevates us into a way forward. Stay light, Mark  Here I am again facing an anger and fear that is not my own.
Here I am again repeating old patterns that crush my soul. Every time I think I've made a step, every time I feel I've moved along, every time I know it's for the best, every time I break ~ 17 year old Mark Ashmore I've written songs since childhood. A musical journal of longing, angst, hope and sadness which was my way of expressing shadows I feared and doorways I couldn't muster the courage to enter. But recently this old song I wrote has been playing in my head. As we approach this upcoming new moon we are at a collective precipice. This new moon begins the eclipse season ahead and has much to say about the past and what we are all holding onto and more importantly being asked to end. Magha is a moon that casts us backward to ancestry. To the lines, traditions, expectations and trauma of our bloodlines and genetics. It is here we are entrenched in a family of karma and past actions that has to play out and places our current lives where we are. Our race, economic position, health, habits etc are governed by this line and force us into an institution that governs our fate to some degree. Of course under universal law this is already decided but on a human level it can often feel unfair or limiting to some degree. The vedic master David Frawley writes about Magha "The importance of moving beyond physical forms and structures comes out here." So as much as we deeply need to honour our ancestry and pay respect to it for surviving and thriving us into being we are also called to embrace our inner sovereignty and now leave it behind to move forward. So over the next day or two meditate on your past and particularly why you do the things you do that aren't consciously embedded in soul and now it is time to bow to them, thank them and let them go. Stay light. Mark :)  Don't lose your faith in me
And I will try not to lose faith in you Don't put your trust in walls 'Cause walls will only crush you when they fall Be, Be here now, here now ~Ray Lamontagne From an astrologers perspective I can't recall the amount of times I've been asked in desperation this year 'Mark, what is happening in the stars?!' (in comparison to other years). As a chainsaw trims a cherished Hibiscus outside my window as I type I think this describes the year thus far. We are being pruned, cut back and it's loud, irritating and why won't it stop?! And as I tried to persevere through the chainsaw-ery and was beginning to come into a reactive/judgemental state I realised: hey, there are other rooms in this house and I can change my environment/mindset instantly to something more preferable (and peaceful). And this my friends/readers brings me to our upcoming full moon. The sun in Ashlesha is bringing up our poison (so watch what and how you say what you want at present) and across the earth the moon is in Shravana. With Mercury (our comms) and Saturn (our karma) retrograde we are being asked to step back. Not into the past. To step back from the momentum. To not continue the past and its trajectory. These spirals we find ourselves sinking down, these drains we keep, are no longer if we don't want them and now we have the opportunity to pause the continuity. A Shravana full moon is asking you to look at the poison arising (that wants to come up and out, not go back in and store) and listen to the wisdom of what it has to offer. Shravana has a symbol of the ear. The receptivity of hearing is a passive one. The active state of listening is one that requires understanding and paying attention. It is a process of both this full moon. Take in what you hear at present - the pain and the lessons of the past, then listen to what your inner compass/soul/intuition is asking of you to step into/out of. Remember a spiral can move in either direction. As the environmentalist prophet of 90s morning television Captain Planet once said: the power is yours. Stay light, Mark :) |