Full Moon in Sagittarius- Caelestis

Lightning Crashes by dollen, CCL

Effective Date- 6/20/16

Helios says:

Wait, hang on- didn't we just do this one? *checks files in a mad flurry, throws papers and ephemera around the room* Yeah, I'm NOT crazy!! Take that therapists! So this is the second full moon in Gemini season, at the absolute tail end of the sign- And despite my best efforts, it is hopeful as shit. That's Sagittarius for you- The moment things look darkest, there he comes riding in, looking perfect and with just the right wink to assure you that he has a plan, even when you both know he's just winging it. It makes you want to kiss him and punch him right in his smug face, just so he doesn't get too full of himself. It's aggravating and comforting in the same breath. It gives you that second wind, and a reason to fight on in the gravest circumstances.

And if you cry out to heaven for help now, it just may be your lucky day...

Artemis says:
"We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us. " -Joseph Campbell


O man O man, I don't know if it's the huge bowl of assorted liquors that I just drank, or this full moon is going to be fucking great.  Here I am, sputtering this away as best I can while my vision is fading, but what other way could someone write about Saggo full moon than plastered drunk at 3 in the morning (especially after pulling the 9 of Cups)?  Right as we are about to shed into Sun in Cancer, a surprising second moon in Sagittarius is going to be supplying the fire for our transformation.  This is a very special full moon indeed (as if we weren't having a fuck ton of weird and special astronomical events happening this past year already).  Halfway through this full moon, Luna will be switching from Sagittarius to Capricorn.  This makes it a duel ruled full moon.  This is a clear metaphor for metamorphosis.  It is brimming with electricity and excitement and lots of "push" energy.  This is a clear indicator that you need to just fucking jump into it and do it.  The self made person doesn't manifest their existence by observing the universe but by acting and actively seeking their destiny.  What is it that the Christians always say?  God only helps those who help themselves.  Yeah, I would say there is some truth to that.  It's time to make that critical move.  But hey, be playful about it.  Maybe drink an entire bowl of assorted liquors like I did, or hell, I dunno, run screaming into the hoard singing because we've fucking got this good good energy!

Helios: The Sun, Moon and Venus- To move forward, we have to look back. Think back to what you have already overcome to get to this point- Not to rest on your laurels or pat yourself on the back, but to see how you can build on your past successes as you are increasingly pushed out past your comfort zone. No, you will not always know the right play to make, and you will make some mistakes. But mistakes have brought you here, for better or for worse. As we broke down in the Venus post (click on her if you missed it) the road immediately ahead of us requires some vulnerability- the hard edge you have cultured since 2011 needs dulling- not all fights need to be fought (just don't let Mars hear me say that!). There is a storm within you, and it can either empower or destroy you- it all depends on how willing you are to dodge some lightning bolts! You must embody both your earthly self and the greater self that transcends this meager reality, with both power and humility. Be both the storm and the eye. You must also be honest with yourself about what it is that you want, and you must demand it from life. Not receiving what you don't ask for is your own damn fault. (Minor Planets- Juno, Lilith, Teharonhiawako, Logos, Isis, Terpschiore, Klotho, Pelion, Kassandra, Tantalus)

Artemis:  Sun (5 of Cups), Moon (9 of Cups/Ace of Pentacles), Venus (4 of Wands):   DRUNKENESS!  AND IT'S NOT JUST ME!  I pulled the 9 of Cups into the Ace of Pentacles for the full moon in Saggo/Capricorn, so it looks like there will be a lot of joy and insight brought by Luna.  With Venus in sensitive Cancer when this lunation takes place, there will be an opportunity for ecstatic states of vision and happiness available to us if we can move past the fact that nothing will ever be absolutely how we imagine it to be.  If we can realize that no situation can be perfect, nor will it ever be perfect, we can actually make due and ENJOY what we have.  I know it's hard to realize that dreams don't always manifest the way that we want them to.  We spend countless hours daydreaming about what our perfected actions could sprout into our world, but it takes a special kind of courage to realize when something is not right for your path.  It also takes a special kind of person to look up from the mess around them to see what is still standing.  We can imagine ourselves happy in millions of scenarios in our head, but we must also realize that what we are imagining is limited in scope.  Life is full of disappointments left and right, and finding out that something we fantasized so deeply about is going to crumble in our hands is a hard fucking thing to swallow.  The thing is, if we take the energy of this full moon and just let the fuck go, we will be gifted with eyes to see the REAL opportunities.  The expectations that we build will ruin us.  The things we demand will enslave us.  Saggo is all about the vision.  It never actually comes from him, but from the summation of everything around him.  This is why it is a vision.  One must be able to drop their own ego in order to receive what is truly the best course for them.  Sometimes we don't realize what we actually wanted - what was actually good for us - until we take that leap of faith.  Sagittarius craves an ecstatic state, and from this ecstatic state of vision, he moves his plan into the hands of Capricorn.  This full moon is all about the realization of destiny, and knowing that we must look up from the spilled milk to see it cross our path.  Sometimes broken things may be a vehicle for our destiny, but how high we climb the ladder our particular culture hands to us at birth has nothing to do with the real myth inside of us.  Saggo coming into Capricorn tells us that our work must be fueled by vision separate from the ego.  If we do not feel a fire from our work, then it is dead work.  Plain and simple.  Only through the fire shall find true fortune.  We must match our rhythm with that of the world around us.  Only then will we find the flow and stop fighting our eternal transformations.  You must LET GO in order to change.  We must allow ourselves, and the ghosts of dreams rattling in ours ears, to die before we may be fully renewed by the fires of this full moon.  Open your eyes to the people around you.  From the Gemini new moon onward, we are getting a push to alchemically meld with those in our tribe.  It is time for us to come out of the inner cavern of the past few months and celebrate and explore with others.  I am getting good signs in regards to love and friendship from this reading.  That is...  as long as we can look up from our egos and recognize that no vision is the the one vision.  We must juxtapose, and in order to do that, we must relate with openness.  So, in short, what this full moon is telling me is to let mutable Saggo melt your old expectations so that your real abilities may start to shape a more stable, realistic, far more adaptive future for you and those in your tribe.  As Mark Twain said, "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."

Helios:  Mercury, Saturn and Neptune- Ooh, now this is some fun- and great news for us, right now. Neptune is the grand vision, Saturn is the work and the reality of the situation, and Mercury is the details that get handled to align the two. These three can be used to bring your wildest dreams into reality right now, all you have to do is be bold enough to state your desire. Oh, and do the work required of course. What that entails varies with each vision, but that will be made clear to you- Just not all at once. You have to be willing to take that great leap, even if you don't know where you will land. None of know where we are going to end up in the end, and it wouldn't be any fun if we did! (Minor Planets- Hidalgo, Toro, Asbolus, Astraea, Hekate)

Artemis:  Mercury (Page of Swords), Saturn (5 of Pentacles), Neptune (5 of Swords):  Well, this is an interesting combination.  The great thing about the 5 of Pentacles in Saturn is that it tells me that we will be forced to experience vision even if everything needs to be torn away from us for this to happen.  Don't let it get that far.  Do you hear that voice deep inside of you that has been tugging you a certain direction your entire life?  Yeah, follow that bliss.  If you don't follow that bliss, you will be met with challenge after challenge until you are so broken down, so impoverished that you are forced to look.  From rock bottom, you can't avoid seeing everything.  Again, don't let it get there.  Jump and leap now, follow your vision but please heed another warning; do not trample on others to do so.  Again I am getting a message that we must remain extremely open to other's opinions right now.  No-one is an island, so sail the seas that connect us and bring a greater vision to yourself and others.  Don't get so trapped in your own ego that Saturn needs to pwn the fuck out of you for you to finally see everyone you have been hurting with your viciousness.  When we are scared of the fragility of our vision, we attack.

Helios:  Mars, Uranus and Chiron- It's not enough that we have Uranus and Eris to deal with on this one, that we have to add in Mars and Chiron too? You are jumping at shadows, raring for a good scrap- You don't trust anyone around you, and you trust yourself least of all. You are still grappling with your own mind, and your base nature is coming out- the cracks on your facade are showing, and you are long past caring who sees; you are wearing your scars proudly, but is that getting you anywhere? What do you gain by continuing to play the victim? We all have wounds, its time for you to pull yourself together. Yes, there is a lot going on in your life, but its time to start taking care of your shit now- you have left it go far too long. Remind those around you that you are a force to be reckoned with. (Minor Planets- Eris, Ceres, Sedna, Varuna, Quaoar, Ixion, Psyche, Typhon, Apophis)

Artemis:  Mars (10 of Pentacles), Uranus (King of Cups), Chiron (The Fool):  Well daaaamn, the cards are letting me in on a little secret here.  You know all that bullshit you have been battling inside of you?  Uranus is not going to let is sit on that.  It's time to let it explode and do something with it.  With The Fool as Chiron, our ability to transform this deep hurt inside of us into something new and helpful will be at it's prime during this lunation.  Uranus is not going to sit there quietly while we bottle things up some more, noooope.  And Mars is going to help him dig out all of the gunk once and for all (until the next cycle, that is).  This is good.  Unless there is some fucked up shit that you are working on that may disturb your reputation, but in the end, it needs to come out for your own sanity.  Be prepared for exposure, but be aware that this is a great opportunity to use your past hurt to heal others setting out on similar paths  Again, this is a very tribal moon.   

Helios:  Jupiter and Pluto- Now here is a showstopper for the finale! Paradoxically, these two are the source of the great hope that tinges this whole lunation. Yes, the moon's ruler Jupiter is at full power right now, direct and heading towards Libra at full tilt, but its not just him- Pluto is winning hearts and minds of his own, and its all about what he promises that Jupiter can never deliver on. Jupiter, for all of his best intentions, will always fail to fully deliver on his promises. It's just his way- he will promise you everything, and you may get some of what he promised, but never all. Pluto on the other hand, promises you nothing but will leave you with greater treasures than you can imagine. He will strip away your illusions and leave you face to face with the truth: And it will hurt, unimaginably so if you have never fully worked with him- But it is worth it. In the sense of authentic power, he wins against his brothers every time- yet he continually is marginalized and stuck in the underworld, far from lofty Olympus. Why? Why do you let others marginalize you and stick you where you don't belong? Why do you accept this as your fate? Power and authenticity alone will not help you achieve your goals though- In the end, you have to inspire others, there must be a reason for others to join you in your aims. It cannot just be you. Isolating yourself and working towards your own glory is a recipe for disaster- ask Hillary Clinton. You must embody both Jupiter and Pluto- Carrying both Heaven and Hell within you. Only then can you see your dreams come to life. (Minor Planets- Vesta, Deucalion, Ceto, Bienor, Cyllarus)

Artemis:  Jupiter (Ace of Swords), Pluto (King of Wands):  Well isn't this lovely!  Jupiter is like Excalibur right now!  He is leading the way, pointing us to the exact place we need to go.  This is truly a visionary moon.  Get your thinking caps on, because now is the best time to implement what has been resting in your head.  Luck and fortune are here for us, and whatever we ask for will manifest very quickly.  With Pluto being the King of Wands, you can't do anything but thrive in your vision.  The god of the Underworld is demanding that we use our power to change things, and Jupiter is telling us that we are heading toward that change with a jovial heart and BLISS in mind.  Again, follow your bliss.  This seems to be the clearest message of all.  There is bliss in destruction just as there is bliss in creation, and Pluto teaches us that we must destroy in order to create.  So what are you willing to let burn away once and for all so that you can march forth without shackles toward your vision?  You can't fly with the world sitting on your shoulders.

Venus in Cancer- Refuge

a woman of the world by piotr mamniemie, CCL

Effective Date: 6/18-7/15/16

Helios Says:

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable.” -Madeleine L'Engle

Hello Cardinal Crisis our old friend....

That's right, its that time of year again- Back into the churn we go! But this time... are we really? Are we in for another round of shakeups and chaos and illusions being destroyed? I mean, most assuredly, but this one... it feels different. Like there is a purpose behind it, and that it will be less about wanton destruction and more about growth for once. Well, to be fair it has always been about growth, but this time it definitely feels more insistent and demanding, but subtly so.

If you cant tell, I have issues with the water signs- Much confusion. Many subtlety.

The good thing is that the aim of this transit is crystal clear to me- Since the Full Moon in Cancer, you have been about picking up the pieces of the shattered relationships and failed loves that have gone before. You have been taking back what has been lost to you, the shards of  your heart that you have given away- Now you that you have (more or less) done that, you have to start opening yourself up again. You will need to relearn vulnerability, while at the same time not forgetting the lessons of  the failed affairs from before. You cannot lose yourself in any of these new loves, or falling to obsession, nor can you remain icy and distant for long. You must strike a balance between the two extremes. Open and inviting, yet independent and strong.

From here on out it will be more of a mature love that will be expected of you, yet this is no less fun! All it means is that you will get hurt less (but no less hard) and will cause less damage to the hearts of others. This will require some very radical candor on your part, and you must be clear about what you want from your partners and in your life. You must realize that you cannot have everything and everyone, and for some of you this is harder to accept than you might think (casts pointed side-eye at mirror) but if you are willing to accept this you can stop wasting time and get down to the nitty-gritty of what it is that you actually desire. Most of all, you have to be honest with yourself first about what it is you really need. Once that bridge has been crossed, you may not realize when this round of the Cardinal Crisis hits, and those things you would have once fought so hard to protect will pass away without so much as a whimper!

Artemis says:
Cards:  The Lovers, 9 of Cups, 5 of Swords

“Only the united beat of sex and heart together can create ecstasy.” 
― Anaïs Nin, Delta of Venus


The feeling of Cancer always reminds me of being nestled warmly under the roots of a big, old tree.  The Crab is a sentimental lover with big watery eyes and hands that are always reaching for yours.  There is an eternal coziness to Cancer, and snuggling up with one is like being surrounded by blankets right out of the dryer.  They are also needy as fuck and will suck you dry if you are an individual that craves freedom in relationships.  Sorry, Cancer, gotta tell it like it is.  You can't keep us hostage forever with your hot chocolate and tears.  I will dig my way out of the room with a fucking spoon, I swear to the gods.

The lesson we do learn from Cancer is that the heart is required for truly ecstatic states. You need to feel comfortable enough to melt and relax into someone in order to be taken to great heights.  With this card combination presented to me, we learn that a true merger of spirit to create something beyond the two individuals involved creates states of drunken ecstasy.  This sounds quite lovely.  The summer time is the perfect time for lusty romances, and without the constant threats coming from winter weather, we can fully focus on melding with individuals around us.  This floaty Cancer energy will be wonderful for tribal love.  You will find a softening happening all around you and stronger, far more open bonds developing between friends.  Cancer tells us there is no need for the harshness.  Summer is here and we have plenty.  Let us share.

The 9 of Cups reminds us that we have the capacity to love and feel fulfillment if we just looked around at what we already have.  We attract what we put out, so a jovial and fulfilled attitude only attracts others who want to propagate this attitude.  The 5 of Swords warns us that we must think of others at this time.  We have all been through weeks of hell with all of these retrogrades, Eris and Uranus finally coming into conjunct, and the grand cross only 4 days away (6/6).  So when Venus finally rolls into Cancer, we will be coming to heal each other with the vast mental resources we have scoured from the depths of our being.  Is your point of view really more important than the ties you have with others?  Before speaking, observe your tribe.  What do you all need to be strong?  It is always easier, far more fun, and far more interesting working with like minded friends and lovers than it ever is going at it alone and pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps.  We will be learning the meaning behind tribe, and the security and nourishment provided by the tribe.  Without this, we cannot grow into full individuals capable of taking on whatever is dealt our way.

In short, it's time to learn how to play trust games with those we love.  The only way to reach ecstatic states is to be able to trust and let go.  Don't worry if you are initially having a very difficult time developing these bonds with others, because it is literally one of the hardest things we will ever learn to do.  But it is also one of the most important.

Mercury in Gemini- Long Shot

card shark by twak, CCL

Helios Says:

“Scientists have calculated that the chances of something so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.” -Terry PratchettAfter what seems like a lifetime of plodding through Taurus, Mercury has finally decided to get his shit together and head into Gemini, the sign he rules, and it could not come at a better time. You see, Taurus is all about "Slow and steady wins the race". Incremental success is valued, after careful and consistently applied effort. Using that approach, a bird could peck away at a mountain with just its beak!

Of course the problem with this approach is that we as living beings have a finite amount of time, and who wants to devote that precious time to one, singular pursuit? Wouldn't it make more sense to just get a shitton of TNT and blow that damn mountain up?

In a nutshell, that is what he is pushing you to do right now. You have done all your prep work, you have been hustling behind the scenes for months now, and now it is time to make your move. Of course, nothing is ever guaranteed, as much as we would love for it to be- at the end of the day, whenever you take an action, there is a certain element of risk or chance. Mercury is all about speculation and luck, especially in Gemini. This is literally his deal. Sure, you may not come out ahead 100% of the time, but you will miss every shot that you don't take!

Let it ride

Artemis says:

Cards:  Temperance, Judgement, 7 of Wands

“Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose circumstances you know nothing about?”  - Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird

I’ve been preaching a lot of compassion lately.  I believe that it is probably the most important thing in the world right now.  Only when we open our channels up to merging with others will we be able to make the vital connections that are necessary for conscious evolution of our kind.  Today (6/1) another immense event is taking place.  Uranus is going conjunct Eris.  The majority of the planets are in mutable signs at the moment, and a mutable grand cross is only days away.  There is no better time than now to choose how you want to climb the shifting ladder of ideas.  Spin your webs and get ready for what’s ahead.  

Mercury in Gemini has a very busy energy about it.  What is the essence of this archetypal combination?  I believe Gemini is constantly trying to make pairings and connections (hello twins), so I would say that intellectual conversation will be on a dramatic rise.  This is good.  We are being set up to help each other shift right now.  With Mars retrograding in Scorpio, you will have to fight back feelings of judgement and rashness with words.  Is it better to instantly judge a thing before exploring a thing?  Gemini would say that would be a spit in the face of the scientific process.  

We have a warning here.  It is extremely easy to make snap judgments and move on with our shallow interpretation of reality.  It is comfortable that way.  It’s hard to have to actually chew on things and process and merge with people.  Listen, you only have so many years to live in your short little mortal life (I mean, what we know of at least).  Sure, you can shut out everyone who dissents and tunnel your way toward a dead end, because that’s exactly what it is when you don’t take in all data (Gemini the scientist is being very serious about this).  Or you can explore people’s minds and find the undeniable connections we all share.  

This reading is giving me one more warning.  Mercury in Gemini energy is extremely hyper active.  7 of Wands is telling us to solidify our determination because it will be harder than ever to stay the course.  When so many things are coming at us right now, it is hard to keep our course on projects we have committed to.  Keep an eye on your agenda while making sure to leave enough flexibility to get the most out of this energy.  Balance has been the key in the past, and never will it not be the key.