Slow Magick Journal
A Place in the Sun
It’s the Aries Full Moon!
I love this time of year. The light is so beautiful, and it feels like golden hour all day. After the hard work of the harvest, we have a moment to enjoy ourselves before the nights get longer and colder. We may even be lucky enough to have a friend or two to share the fruits of our labor with, look back on what we accomplished over a glass of fresh-pressed cider, and dream about what’s to come as we sit around the fire pit and watch the sun set. I feel a cozy satisfaction just thinking about it.
We welcomed fall here in the Northern Hemisphere on Tuesday, September 22nd, at 5:05 PM PT, when the Sun entered the diplomatic social sign of Libra, and this season will bring us some of the year's most personally impactful astrology.
Both Venus and Mercury will station retrograde in October, but before that, the Sun activates the Fire-Air transpersonal planets by standing in one of the positions in the kaleidoscope, as I call it, on Friday the 25th, followed by the Full Moon the following day.
Optics and Light
The Kaleidoscope of Becoming
It’s been fascinating to see how many ways people are talking about the transpersonal planets’ configuration in the sky. Basket? Maybe. Bowl, sure. Vessel, definitely.
I prefer thinking of the aspects between Pluto in Aquarius, Neptune in Aries, Uranus in Gemini, and Jupiter in Leo as a kaleidoscope, as the word’s etymology breaks down into “observation of beautiful forms.” The word kaleidoscope was also coined alongside its creation by its inventor, David Brewster, in 1816. So both the word and the instrument were birthed at the same time as a way to study optics and light. Sound familiar?
When Your Harvest Has Rats
The Virgo New Moon
This evening at 8:26 PM PT, the Moon joins the Sun in Virgo at 18°25’ for the New Moon, and we’re blessed with knowing the changes we need to make in this part of our lives. The ruler of this face of Virgo is Venus, so it helps us see the details of what we value here. This is the part of us that knows everything about what’s here.
You see the sumptuous vineyard you’ve spent years tending and crafting, all ripe for harvest, and as you make the wine for future enjoyment, you’re also acutely aware of the growing rat problem.
August Eclipse Season 2026 - Part Two
Virgo season has arrived. I know the air betwixt is busy with talk of this lunar eclipse and its square to Uranus, our agent of disruptive chaos. But eclipses rarely move in straight lines, and this one holds more than one surprise for those of us standing at the threshold.
On August 27th, the eclipsed Full Moon in Pisces dances near Fomalhaut. Her square with rebel Uranus is a friction point, yes—but where there is friction, there is the possibility for something entirely new to catch fire.
Eclipse Season August 2026 - Part One
Eclipses are considered fated events by traditional astrologers, meaning they bring sudden endings and beginnings.
This eclipse is more likely to impact you if you have nodal luminaries, are in a Leo or Cancer period with the Sun or Moon as your Time Lord, especially if your natal Moon is a Leo Moon, or have personal planets or angles at 20° of Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, or Taurus.
Aquarius Full Moon - Leo Season 2026
The Waterbearer’s Cup Runneth Over
A look at the astrology leading up to and following the Full Moon in Aquarius
The Sun entered Leo on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2026, at 12:13 PM PT, and we begin the season of the lion. Collectively moving us out of the watery ocean currents of Cancer and into the fiery blaze of dazzling Leo. With Jupiter already here, it definitely feels bigger and brighter than usual, so get ready to be admired, even if it's just you gazing at your own reflection.
How do I find my Time Lord for the year?
Your Time Lord / Time Lady for the year is based on what astrologers call Annual Profections. It is one of the traditional timing techniques astrologers use to determine whether the year ahead will be easy, challenging, or both. Starting at birth (age 0), each sign of the chart receives an entire year of focus, with greater emphasis on that area of life.
Astrology Planners and Applications
An astrological calendar, app, or planner is a tool that I could not live without. It is just as important to me as my tarot deck. One of the first things I recommend to my ritual clients is observing the movement of the planets in the sky. Depending on their experience level, this is as simple as tracking the moon or as detailed as a personalized ephemeris.
This share is about the different calendars, journals, and digital tools that will help you not only track the spirits of the sky but also assist you in learning astrology if that interests you. There are various options, everything from free tools to subscription-based apps, and I’ve personally worked with all of these. If you have a favorite calendar or app, please let me know in the comments. I’d love to check it out.
What does it mean when planets retrograde?
Because of our perspective, we see planets periodically appear to move backward in the sky because of their orbit around the Sun and how it interacts with the orbit of Earth, and we call this retrograde motion. This creates approximately three passes, or transits, across several degrees in any one sign. Let’s look at our opportunities during retrograde so you’ll know how to approach or work with it.
Astrology Basics: How to get a free copy of birth or natal chart
Your birth chart is based on the position of the visible and nonvisble planets at the time of your birth. It’s a snapshot of the cosmic energy at play. It can help give you a sense of your core values, personality tendencies, strengths and weaknesses, and how you might experience specific life situations and possible ways for dealing with them effectively.