There’s been a lot of Big Astrology over the last week, and this week brings still more: Wednesday morning we have the annual sun-Jupiter conjunction in Leo, followed by the Full Moon which arrives at 6* Aquarius at 10:35am Eastern on Wednesday, July 29th.
(For those of you keeping track: yes, the Full Moon is exact ~five minutes~ into the MEET YOUR MUSE ritual workshop tomorrow. Yes, I planned it that way. Yes, I’m expecting this particular ritual workshop to be potent AF.
The deadline to sign up for MEET YOUR MUSE is midnight tonight! The link to the Zoom will go out tomorrow morning!)
But something I notice in Such Times is that folks tend to get very overwhelmed by the astrology.
There is, underneath all of the technical jargon and “wow this seems big!” a central question of but what do I do with it?
You may be surprised to hear that my answer, quite honestly, is: Nothing.
Okay, not nothing nothing (I am facilitating Meet Your Muse at that time, after all!). But less than you might think you “have to” or “should” be doing.
You don’t have to have a Big Plan to “maximize” or “optimize” an astrological transit.
In most cases, for most people, it’s actually best that you don’t.
The thing about astrology is that it is working on us regardless. To be honest, the deeper I get in my own practice, the less importance I place on ritualizing or celebrating specific astro moments. And when I do ritualize them — as with Meet Your Muse — it is with the intention of going deeper into relationship with myself and Spirit.
I know that what the planets ULTIMATELY do is bring me deeper into relationship with myself, my environment, and my beloveds, and so the best thing I can do for any given transit is to focus on living my goddamn life and making my goddamn art.
Astrology is a practice that reveals its lessons to us over time. Hindsight is the greatest gift it gives us. It is for this reason that I most like to teach astrology as a mindfulness practice, both for reflecting on the past and also for being more present in the everyday.
And what do mindfulness practices do?
They slow us down.
They bring us into deeper intimacy with our creativity, with the world around us, and with ourselves.
They keep us present — and accountable to that which is in the present. Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself, etc. etc.
The point of practicing astrology, to me, isn’t to optimize my life or be a more productive writer.
The point of paying attention to it is that it explicitly provides me with scaffolding that encourages me to slow the fuck down and purposefully engage with every corner of my life.
The point of practicing astrology is to wake up to your own life — and then (to quote Dolly Parton!) to do it on purpose.
If you want to “do” something for this Full Moon, do something that cultivates and nurtures this relational intimacy. Journal. Have a catch-up brunch with a beloved friend. Come to Meet Your Muse. Touch base with your WIP. Facetime your long-distance bestie and take stock of your Years So Far.
Writing Prompt for the Full Moon in Aquarius
If you do want to take an Aquarian big picture lens look for at this lunation, think back to the Aquarius New Moon earlier this year (that was a solar eclipse) on February 17th. What were you beginning in the Aquarius house of your chart (detailed below) around then? What has shifted since?
This is the last Aquarius lunation that will not be an eclipse for several years, so take stock of the areas of life that the lunation is most highlighting for your rising sign and how those intersect with your current energetic preoccupations. Where are you welcoming CHANGE in these areas?
Aquarius rising: self-expression, identity, appearance, persona, your style of showing up in the world
Pisces rising: the subconscious & our personal connection with the unseen world; what we are slowly integrating into our consciousness; ancestral legacy
Aries rising: friendships; community commitments; professional networks; the internet; hopes and dreams
Taurus rising: career & legacy; professional and public roles
Gemini rising: teaching & learning within the wisdom pathways (philosophy, religion, spirituality, and astrology); beliefs; long-term plans and ideas; publishing; travel
Cancer rising: collaborations with others; debts, taxes, inheritance, alimony, child support, and other such arrangements; grief and loss; mental health
Leo rising: committed partnerships (whether romantic or business; also, agents, long-time editors, and co-writers)
Virgo rising: daily work life; health & wellness; how work impacts the body; pets
Libra rising: your creative and erotic energy; important children in your life
Scorpio rising: home; relationships with caregivers, parents, and grandparents; roots and cultural heritage
Sagittarius rising: your daily rituals and routines; communication; K-12 education; siblings and close friends; local neighborhoods
Capricorn rising: your budget and personal finances; how you spend and how you save
P.S. After Meet Your Muse, I’ll be opening the doors to Book Deal Breakthrough, my 10-week workshop that blends magical ritual with practical planning, for writers who want to get published in a way that’s both smart and soulful.
Book Deal Breakthrough is a high-touch 10-week intensive that includes:
8 ritual workshops
9 live Q&As featuring publishing industry guests including my literary agent Dana Murphy, my Astrology for Artists Hachette editor Natalie Bautista, indie publicist Cassie Mannes Murray of Pine State Publicity, NYT bestselling memoirist Lyz Lenz, USA Today bestselling romantasy author Nikki St. Crowe, and award-winning YA horror and sci-fi author AND indie bookstore manager Nino Cipri.
Query letter workshop in the final week
(Traditional) Publishing 101
Witchcraft 101
Recorded instructions for Get an Agent and Get a Book Deal spells
A sugar jar spell that I work on behalf of all participants throughout the container
Book Deal Breakthrough is $2250, or 3 monthly payments of $750. Folks who pay in full will get a 30-minute 1:1 video call with me during the ten weeks.
Three fully funded scholarships will be offered for low/fixed income folks who are LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and/or chronically ill/disabled. Scholarship applications will open after Meet Your Muse.
Book Deal Breakthrough registration will close mid-August, or whenever spots fill. You can sign up for the waitlist here.
