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The Full Moon occurs at 04:12 GMT / 00:12 EDT on October 26, at 8 degrees of sidereal Aries, in the lunar mansion of Aśvinī, associated with unbridled power, swift action and impulsiveness. While Full Moons in Aries are typically invigorating, Mars in Cancer exchanges signs with the Moon, suggesting a need for restraint. This exchange strengthens Mars, but may also encourage us to overdo things. The best use of this energy is to focus on something important you’ve been putting off. With Jupiter preparing to leave Cancer, there may be a sense of resolution, or that something has come undone, allowing us to move on. Yet Mercury and Venus are both retrograde and opposite the Full Moon, alongside a fallen Sun in Libra. Confidence may be lacking. Don’t mistake bravado and bluster for genuine confidence - in yourself or another. The next New Moon in Libra marks one of the darkest periods of the year, not only because of the dark Moon and debilitated Sun, but also because of Jupiter’s and Mars’ conjunctions with Ketu in Leo, as Venus returns to Virgo. November may feel particularly dark, so resist the temptation to use up all your energy during this Full Moon. Keep something in reserve for the challenges ahead.

The New Moon occurs at 16:50 BST / 11:50 EDT on October 10, in Hasta, the lunar mansion of sidereal Virgo, meaning ‘hand’, associated with skill, dexterity, and precision. This New Moon offers an opportunity to refine certain areas of life. Saturn’s opposition to the New Moon brings a more sobering atmosphere, encouraging quiet reflection rather than excessive activity. All New Moons benefit from a slower pace, allowing time to reassess priorities before the Moon begins to wax again. Rather than exhausting yourself trying to accomplish everything now, recognise when to act and when to slow down. Virgo may prefer to perfect every detail, but knowing when to ‘make do’ is equally important. With Saturn and Neptune continuing through Pisces, there are limits to what can be known or resolved at present. This New Moon also marks the beginning of Navarātri, the ‘nine nights’ celebrating Durgā’s battle with the demon Mahiṣāsura. Her eventual victory symbolises the awakening of consciousness and the triumph of awareness over ignorance. Refine what you can, release what you cannot control, and recognise that true clarity comes as much from stillness as from action.

The Moon is full at 9° Pisces at 17:49 BST on September 26, in Uttara Bhādrapada. Uttara Bhādrapada is associated with the “serpent of the deep”: an image of slow change beneath the surface. This may describe shifts within the psyche, but it also brings to mind changes in the oceans, including concerns about the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Saturn returns to this lunar mansion in October, while Neptune continues its transit there. To me, the Saturn–Neptune conjunction here earlier this year marked a tipping point in the ocean temperatures. This Full Moon may help you recognise what is changing in your own life and what must give way. Pisces speaks of endings that make room for something else. Look at Pisces from both your rising sign and Moon sign. As the tides shift, something long buried may come into view. With Jupiter, ruler of Pisces, exalted and aspecting the Moon, there is an opportunity to see what is real more clearly, beyond fear (Saturn) or fantasy (Neptune).

In the latest episode of Maps of Consciousness, Kishori and I explore Maghā, Pūrva Phalgunī and Uttara Phalgunī, the three nakṣatras of sidereal Leo. We consider the journey from ancestral power and inherited authority to pleasure, creativity, and the commitment that sustains our relationships.

In this episode, I'm joined by Darinka Maja as we explore the volatile conjunctions of Mars, Jupiter and Ketu as they gather in Leo and eventually backtrack into Cancer. We consider what this unusual alignment could mean for each sidereal sign, as well as for conflict, politics, the economy and global security. The practice of backburning—deliberately burning the land ahead of an advancing fire—offers an important metaphor. Can a controlled crisis prevent something worse, or might an attempt to contain the flames cause them to spread? These transits suggest that actions intended to protect, correct or regain control could produce unforeseen consequences.

The Moon reaches the Sun’s degree on September 11 at 04:27 BST/ 23:27 EDT. This New Moon occurs in Pūrva Phalgunī, the lunar mansion ruled by Bhaga, the god of enjoyment and creativity. It is one of the zodiac’s most pleasurable and creative spaces. Those with the Moon here often delight in artistic expression, romance and pleasures of the bed. Procreation is itself a form of creativity, although this energy can find expression through many creative pursuits. Whatever Leo represents for you is where you’re likely to find greater enjoyment. Although the Sun and Moon have passed the South Node, some uncertainty may remain. Yet the Sun is now far enough beyond it to bring greater clarity and confidence. With Mercury and Venus strong in their own signs, and exalted Jupiter supporting this New Moon, this may be one of the most auspicious lunar months of 2026. However, this is the calm before the storm, both literally and figuratively. Make the most of it by planting seeds for a creative endeavour. This New Moon is more likely to inspire new ideas, especially with both Mercury and Jupiter exalted. Venus in Libra adds to the month’s potential rewards. Whatever you begin, however, keep Venus’ retrograde in October in mind. You may need to revisit your plans and reconsider where you compromised too much to get started. In the coming lunar month, creativity may mean tearing up the original plan and beginning again.

In this podcast, I examine the recent eclipses and planetary transits surrounding the devastating floods in Nepal. Using these events as a case study, I explore an important distinction in Indian astrology: the difference between general aspects and dṛṣṭi, the particular “sight” or influence cast by a planet. Although the terms are often treated as interchangeable, understanding their differences can add greater precision and depth to chart analysis.

The Full Moon in Aquarius is a partial lunar eclipse, reaching its maximum at 05.12 am BST/ 00.12 EDT on August 28. This is (almost) the last eclipse in this sign until 2035. There will be another lunar eclipse on the cusp of the sign in August 2027. Rāhu continues to transform this area of your life. Collectively, Aquarius represents AI technology and its impact on society. Personally, whatever Aquarius represents in your chart is undergoing a similar upgrade. This can bring growth, but may prove too much, too soon, unless approached consciously. There can be an ‘all-or-nothing’ approach. You may obsess about it and then dissociate. We tend to rush forward wherever Rāhu transits, and a lunar eclipse can accelerate this. Change is necessary, but greed inevitably creates losses later. Both lunar nodes are transiting lunar mansions associated with them in Indian astrology: Rāhu in Śatabhiṣāj and Ketu in Maghā. Rāhu is stronger in Aquarius, encouraging experimentation and innovation. Meanwhile, Ketu in Leo can diminish confidence or prompt us to reject what Leo represents as we pursue something in Aquarius. We can see this play out in mob mentality. The eclipse occurs in Śatabhiṣāj, meaning “one hundred healers”, symbolised by an empty circle. Healing is possible, but unexpected developments must also be considered. It may feel like taking medicine that cures one condition while creating another. Whatever Aquarius represents for you, this is where you are evolving, consciously or otherwise.

In this episode of Maps of Consciousness, Kishori and I explore the three nakṣatras spanning sidereal Gemini and Cancer: Punarvasu, Puṣya and Āśleṣā. We trace the movement from renewal, through nourishment and belonging, to the deeper entanglements and transformative wisdom.

Does astrology make life easier? Perhaps not immediately. Greater awareness means we can no longer distract ourselves from what life is asking us to face. Yet, over time, astrology can help us embrace experience more fully, savouring every flavour, or rasa, of life. Even grief and sadness, when deeply felt and understood, hold the potential to be transmuted into bliss.

The New Moon on August 12 is a total solar eclipse. In areas of totality, including parts of Iceland and Spain, the Sun will be eclipsed as it sets, creating a striking spectacle. Traditionally, we are advised not to watch eclipses but to turn inward. I believe we can do both. Observing the outer world while remaining aware of the one who is observing can be deeply illuminating. This is an essential lesson of the lunar nodes: witness what is happening without becoming consumed by it. Insights are more likely when the Sun, Moon, Earth and lunar nodes align. Ketu and the eclipsed Sun occupy different divisions of the sidereal zodiac, bringing both Cancer and Leo into focus. Eclipses reveal and conceal, so bear in mind that the full picture may not be immediately apparent. We would usually look to Jupiter for guidance, but Jupiter is also involved in this eclipse, as it is hidden by an eclipsed Sun. Although it emerges from combustion by the end of the month, whatever insights arise, keep them close to your chest until matters become clearer. At the same time, this eclipse is asking you to let go of something you may have a hard time letting go of. The eclipse occurs in Āśleṣā, a complex lunar mansion at the end of Cancer. Symbolised by a coiled serpent and ruled by the serpent deities, the Sarpas, it represents attachment, instinct, and entanglement. It may also reflect kuṇḍalinī śakti—the coiled energy at the base of the spine—and the spiral of DNA, connecting it with healing. This eclipse represents a shedding of skin, a deep process of emotionally letting go. With Ketu’s help, we are asked to loosen our attachments and transform basic survival instincts into something more conscious and evolved.

Over the past two thousand years, astrologers have accumulated, repeated and refined an extensive body of sign delineations. Yet during that same period, precession has gradually displaced the tropical signs from the sidereal constellations and stars with which they once broadly coincided. Could astrologers still be sensing the accumulated meanings of those original signs, while attributing them to zodiacal positions that have since moved away from them? Like a phantom limb, a tropical sign may continue to be felt as a real and meaningful presence—not necessarily because it remains where it was, but because its image has been preserved within the inherited body of astrological practice. Tropical delineations may therefore persist through accumulated observation, cultural memory, symbolic association and continued reinforcement.

Venus moves into Virgo at the beginning of August, following its conjunction with Ketu in Leo, the South Node and ‘remover of obstacles’. Yet Ketu can also remove things we would prefer to hold onto. In the end, whether of this life or a chapter within it, we must let it all go if we are to evolve. The Ketu part shows where we might hold on, or revert back to something familiar, while Rahu, the North Node, points us forward to where we must try something new.   As we have seen in recent weeks, wars have ramped up, reflected in Venus’ conjunction with Ketu. Venus’ ingress into Virgo, a sign it's fallen in, does not bode well for peace in the more immediate timeframe. The mood is likely to dip, and things you would usually appreciate may lessen in your eyes somewhat. Venus does not have the support of Mercury in Virgo, which, following its retrograde in July, slowly returns to Cancer in August, where Jupiter remains exalted. Venus is opposite Saturn and squared by Mars while in Virgo. With Venus under such scrutiny, it would be far too easy to complain about whatever Venus represents for you. Generally, we’re all likely to complain about the lack of accord and goodwill in the world. The concerns are also likely economic, as well as diplomatic. Diplomatic failure may trigger economic issues, of course. Jupiter offers hope that all may yet be well, despite the challenges ahead. However, Jupiter is combust in August as the Sun moves through Cancer, making it difficult to see the results we are hoping for. This is where faith becomes important. We must have faith in the process, even when progress is not immediately visible. An uprising or revolutionary movement may struggle to gain traction or make a meaningful impact on entrenched systems, as Jupiter continues to oppose Pluto in Capricorn. Positive changes (Jupiter in Cancer) you know you must make may not be as easy to implement when there’s so much else to adjust to. The biggest adjustment we must make is the eclipses in Cancer and Aquarius. Time can feel warped and events more fated. The positive vibes will return in September, so use August to be open to the change that must happen. Jupiter continues to aspect Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, so this can bring more of a sense of what’s the right thing to do, despite Saturn’s and Neptune’s retrograde in the depths of possibility, asking us all to keep an open mind about eventual outcomes. Whatever form the astrological weather takes for you in August, hold firm to whatever gives you a sense of meaning, while remaining realistic about the issues that must be addressed.

The Moon reaches its brightest in sidereal Capricorn on July 29 at 15.35 BST/ 10.35 EDT, conjunct Pluto and opposite an exalted but combust Jupiter in Cancer. This Full Moon may bring resolution and mark a significant turning point. It occurs in Śravaṇa, the lunar mansion associated with listening and tradition. This is a time to tune in and hear what matters, as Saturn, Capricorn’s ruler, begins to backtrack. Ruled by Viṣṇu, Śravaṇa seeks balance and harmony, although this must sometimes be restored through major events that require more adjustments. Globally, tensions may emerge between the profound changes underway and how leaders respond. Important steps are likely to be taken, which will affect the world in various ways. This Full Moon also coincides with Guru Pūrṇimā, a Vedic festival honouring teachers and commemorating the birth of Sage Veda Vyāsa. This year’s observance is especially significant, as Jupiter (Guru) is exalted directly opposite the Full Moon. It is a powerful time to reconnect with teachers and teachings that clarify what is right and true, inspiring us to act for the good of all. Emotions may run high as we dig beneath the surface and listen for the deeper truth.

A look at the minor grand trine between Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus, as Jupiter opposes Pluto. What this so-called 'basket' is, and what it clearly isn't.