The Winter Moon brings light to these dark nights as it grows to fullness, but when she disappears into her own darkness, the nights seem just that much longer. Whatever phase it is in, the Elusive Winter Moon hides behind clouds and storms, peeking out behind thunderheads if we are lucky to catch a glimpse. Here we are cuddled in our warm homes, hardly seeing the moon at all. Knowing what phase the moon is in will help us to find her in these cold nights. Look for her setting in the west after sunset about 3 days after the new moon. Watch for her as she makes her monthly trek across the night sky, rising 50 minutes later every night, until she rises in the east at sunset at the full moon. Then, of course, she continues to rise later and later until we lose sight of her as she heads toward the morning sun. Spiraling on, she separates from the sun and returns to the sun, over and over and over again. Isn¹t it absolutely wonderful and phenomenal that we have this intimate companion? Steady and simple, she invites us in to her profound and cyclic mysteries.

What does she have in store for us this moonth?

January 2, 2003 ~ New Moon in Capricorn
A Moon of mixed messages... It is a new calendar year and a new moon, why do we not feel like charging forward with all those good intentions? Trickster Mercury went retrograde in Capricorn just a couple hours earlier on this very day. We are being asked to wear our eyes on both sides of our heads. To move SLOWLY. To assess our commitments as they fit into our bigger picture and to truly evaluate past choices. What have been the structures that have defined you? What forces have shaped you into who you are today? What forces shape you now? Capricorn can be tricky because we may feel the tug of scarcity thinking, and the sense that things are a struggle. However, Capricorn is also a very spiritual sign, an energy that reflects the crystallization of consciousness. We can ask ourselves, what do we want to crystallize within us in the form of our intent and capacity to manifest?

January 10, 2003 ~ Waxing Half Moon in Aries
A waxing half moon is right over head at sunset, square between the horizons. This is the turning point, named a crisis of choice by lunation expert Dane Rudhyar. Not this it has to be a crisis, per se, but it is a place of important choice. A bit of tension can be good medicine to help us grow. Mercury is still retrograde, now very close to the sun, pulling us inward still to reflect and assess. The moon is in Aries urging us to act, empowered by Jupiter and Pluto (all in fire signs). Balance the scales of maturity and inspired actions, and be careful not to react.

January 18, 2003 ~ Full Moon in Cancer
The sun is in Capricorn opposing the moon in Cancer. Full Moons are always oppositions between signs that are each other¹s opposite, compliment, balance. This particular axis describes a ³parental² conversation between stern, supportive father and nurturing, overbearing mother. We may want to baby ourselves and each other or we may feel like the taskmaster urging discipline and focus in our lives and the lives of others. Are we balanced in this dynamic, or are we polarized within our selves or with another person? How can we internalize these archetypes and be nurturingly responsible? Mercury is STILL retrograde! Look to your past for information, close your eyes and receive the answers to your questions. Since retrograde Mercury is such a close partner in this moon cycle, the full moon climax may manifest on the plane of our inner landscape.

January 25 ~ Waning Half Moon in Scorpio
As we let go of this lunar cycle, things begin to shift. Mercury is direct now. The Sun is in a new sign and heading toward a conjunction (same sign and degree) with Neptune in Aquarius. This waning moon is a juicy moment in time. Sexual energy activates within us. Rudhyar calls this moon a crisis of consciousness. We shed the skin, allowing the past to go now, and we set ourselves on course with the next cycle of vision and expression...

For information about astrological consultations with Cassandra or to share your thoughts, questions, or comments on her column, send an e-mail to cassandra@spiralmuse.com

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