dark moon recommendation

new moon in pisces | February 23 @ 10:32AM EST

I’m sinking deep into exploring my own emotional availability during this dark moon. it’s bringing up all the things that are taking up space. kinda like my phone keeps telling me there’s no more storage. I tried just deleting stuff but I actually need an upgrade, a whole new phone. which also challenges my ability to trust the resources for that will show up.

this has me thinking about how not holding on to more than we need offers us emotional availability. knowing when we actually need more & being willing to receive it generates emotional generosity. generous = giving that exceeds expectation without promise of equal exchange. you can only sustainably do that if you’re emotionally available to yourself, first & foremost. this may require tapping into your unconditional lovability.

what would being emotionally available to yourself feel like? what could you let go of so a different, more supportive iteration showed up? do you believe that’s possible? how would you bravely experiment with it?

in the prelude for the March horoscopes, I write about shame as the inverse of resentment/ the relationship between anger, grief work, & unconditional lovability/ why boundaries protect love/ using your agency to create clear containers & more.

at least until the new moon, hydrate like every drink is a benediction & breathe like every inhale is a gift you give right back to the world.

oxo
ARI

Mercury RX in Pisces: horoscopes & Ritualistic Protocol for tender times

February 2: Mercury entered shadow zone (warm up)
February 16: Mercury stations retrograde
March 9: Mercury stations direct
March 9-30: Mercury shadow zone (cool down)

Mercury retrograde in pisces is a time to reimagine possibility, surrender, & sovereignty. when Mercury entered the shadow zone, I shared some of how I am supporting myself in navigating this specific retrograde. I thought I would offer horoscopes to support you in navigating these tender times, too. they include tips for what to reimagine & what themes you can shape your ritualistic protocol around. more pro-tips at the bottom.

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pisces rising
reimagine yourself as an ocean only you know. create pockets of empty time where possibilities & epiphanies can float to the surface. consider space, quiet, & intentionality the filters that keep your waters sovereign. if you feel a current pulling you away, surrender to its guidance or use it to resist directions/movements that don’t resonate anymore.

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aquarius rising
reimagine where your money & resources are leaking. this may be about spending/giving too much or where your relationship to those things leaks power. to begin to plug the leak, you may need to consider different possibilities than you were given. surrender to time revealing the origin point & the medicine.

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capricorn rising
reimagine the art of minding your business. this time period is full of possibilities to show mastery in it. when the business is yours to mind, be extra deliberate about honoring your sovereignty in communication. surrender isn’t just boundary work, it is also response-ability.

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sagittarius rising
reimagine your ancestors in the way you reach your roots down, in the way you react when they’re disturbed. contemplate the medicine of your origins. experiment with the possibilities of just being. surround yourself with those who recognize your sovereignty. think about “enough” as a matter of surrender to your inherent lovability.

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scorpio rising
reimagine creativity as operating within a nonlinear timeline. the clearer you can be about why you’re showing up, the easier it is to maintain your sovereignty amidst plot twists. use play (another word for surrender) to clear your channels for input about possibilities.

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libra rising
reimagine a functionality that does not determine your sacredness. caring for your health & well-being is simply one possibility of loving yourself, not for proving your sovereignty to the world. give yourself as many breaks as necessary to catch your breath. there is no shame in using floaties so you don’t drown.

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virgo rising
reimagine relationships, people as mirrors, functional boundaries. the slippery slope of taking responsibility for other people is more slippery than usual right now. possibility: ever so gently practice redirecting attention to yourself in small doses until you become more comfy in your sovereignty.

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leo rising
reimagine tending to your mental health, grief processes, or discomfort within collaborations/shared resources. embrace possibilities to slow down & make necessary adjustments. containers of solitude help sift through what does/doesn’t belong to you. you are sovereign here & now, you were sovereign a long-time ago.

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cancer rising
reimagine what it means to live in an ethic of curiosity. you may need to surrender versions of yourself to do so. yet the truth might be more generative than constricting your sovereignty. what is possible is not only about the questions you ask, but the answers you allow yourself to receive.

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gemini rising
reimagine your life-direction. is it nuanced, complex, flexible enough for you? sovereignty isn’t sitting on a throne that never moves, it is being on your throne no matter where you are. possibilities of surrender are everywhere: the trick is to know which align & which distract. get quiet inside-out to know which.

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taurus rising
reimagine community as shared wealth, health, & resources. what you can contribute with ease then becomes a benefit, rather than overextending from your own deficits. this is how you honor everyone’s sovereignty. there are more possibilities than you could ever surrender to at once so choose the one that brings calm right now.

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aries rising
reimagine your emotional & spiritual well-being as an ongoing learning curve. you don’t need to know everything or be everything to survive. surrendering to what’s true for you right now opens up possibility in ways not visible before. your sovereignty is not dependent on your submission. carve space for yourself within.

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pro-tips: what’s your ritualistic protocol for Mercury rx? take a moment to use your horoscope to shape a strategy of more space, surrender, & self-support. I use the word shape because it will be most effective if it is flexible, adaptable, & gentle. if you use tarot/oracles, expand on it by choosing one for this time period. make reminders/make it visible.

if this is your Mercury return, you have significant mutable (gemini, sag, virgo, pisces) placements, or you are gemini/virgo rising you may experience this retrograde more than most. if you share your ritualistic protocol for Mercury rx on social media, you can tag Saltwater Stars or use the hashtag #ritualisticprotocol.

for further astrology & emoceanal support, book a reading or become a member for access to full length monthly horoscopes.

OXO
ARI

a love letter from venus in pisces

am I lovely? did you see me with the rising moon & think there’s no possible way I didn’t come from divinity? I ask because this is how I feel when I look at you.

you might think that it can’t be true. I remember them telling you that your divinity is something you must strive for as if you’re not inherently pure. my heart didn’t start breaking until you started believing them. because seeking something you already are only takes you further from it! I wish I could’ve risen with the moon the night your cells absorbed that poisoned water & whispered to you the truth. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. but I’m here now. will you let me in?

your anger & disappointment is valid. it hurts to realize you’ve been manipulated, deceived, or not supported in your agency. it hurts to realize you’ve been so caught up in running that you left your integrity behind. it hurts when people don’t have the capacity or willingness to be who they say they are, do what they say they’ll do, be there for you. it hurts when the person betraying you is you.

I know you’re terrified to believe differently. to understand yourself as inherently good & pure changes everything. you’ll no longer need to prove yourself, you’ll no longer need to punish yourself, you’ll no longer need to abandon yourself. freedom that requires you forgive yourself or move on from others is not easy. I get that. I’m not asking you to choose it now— I’m not asking you to do anything. I just want to know: do you believe you could? how does it feel to consider it to be true? would you be willing to try?

resist the temptation to dissolve into other people- their presence, their projections, or your imaginings of them. deliver yourself from self-righteousness so that you may experience the unconditional love. because isn’t that what you’re really looking for? isn’t that what you really need? I love you so vividly, I would give it to you if I could. but you must choose it for yourself. maybe now, maybe later, maybe a thousand times over until it is your kingdom come.

Venus has been in pisces since January 13 & will enter aries on February 7th. Venus is exalted in pisces (super happy) but has conjunct Neptune & been squared by Mars, adding layers of anxiety, confusion, & frustration. especially when it comes to relationships/resources, give yourself space/solitude to navigate this transit responsibly.

oxo
ARI

new moon in pisces mini 'scopes

read for your rising and/or sun. for full length ‘scopes, ritual suggestions, & astral support for the overall astro-climate join the COMMUNE. share witcha frendz!

PISCES: this portal is for you to let go of the myths of unattainability that keep you from being available to the magic you are & that others have to offer. could you be open to learning new ways of engaging with your surroundings & community that are self-affirming rather than self-sacrificing?

ARIES: this is a time to devote yourself to a frequent as possible practice that supports your upward spirals & downward dives. the amount of pisces energy you’re working with in the sphere of the un/subconscious requires sustainable, consistent containers that help you find yourself again & again.

TAURUS: gather your learnings & use them to create something magically different, exponentially more resonant, & communally necessary. the kind of growth that happens in the weaving of multiple threads, some of which are yours & most of which are not, requires an understanding of linear & nonlinear time.

GEMINI: diffuse frustrations with contemplation vs. decisions during this period. having it all figured out can stay at the bottom of the priority list as you reconnect with what it means to go through the world connecting dots with sheer instinct & joy. nonlinearity, trust, & honesty is your best friend right now.

CANCER: let your softness be your most ferocious teacher; it gives you so much to give to the world. it is a reckoning in its own right— staying tender in the process of creating meaning where there seems to only be suffering. your portal this New Moon is to weave the threads between your pain & your power, your wounds & your healing.

LEO: you’re growing inside out, even as you’ve been busy with external shifts & adjustments. be present to what you are not in control of so as not to get caught up in the overwhelm of attempting to energetically or mentally track the multiple, unpredictable threads that are woven into floward movement.

VIRGO: what you need to feel supported is as important as what you do to be supportive. the more intentional you are about your containers for self-actualization, the more prolific your experiences of growth will be. you’re already on your way to changes you maybe can’t put your finger on yet but have been longing for.

LIBRA: focus on creating|maintaining boundaries around your time & energy. all you need to do is be open to changing your relationship to the way you run certain aspects of your life & let this month show you what those changes could be. less task lists, more trust in rest as the practice that will consistently carry you through.

SCORPIO: it’s a fresh beginning in relationship to people/projects/experiences that inspire your personal power & collective contribution. this also means refreshing your filters for what you allow in your indisputably magnetic orbit. don’t be impatient with the length & nonlinearity of this process. be with it as the surest route towards defining what you want.

SAGITTARIUS: new ways of watering your roots are emerging out of the whispers between letting go & dreaming up. emotional freedom is less about non-attachment & more about the willingness to dig through what comes up. there’s vital information here about what is tethering you to the past or has the potential to send you into the future.

CAPRICORN: consider this entire month practice ground for affirming sacred boundaries around what comes in & goes out. trust urges to clear the air that are rooted in transparency & healing connections. let other temptations towards regressing into old patterns of martyrdom or heroism (hyper-individualism) fade out.

AQUARIUS: take as much time as you need to be able to return|locate a place of trust that what you need will flow to you, even as it seems to be leaving. this is an opportunity to begin a relationship that isn’t based on controlling your resources but infusing them with interdependence & interconnectedness. 

oxo
saltwater & stars