All the zodiac signs are at a party. Aries arrives first of course and has to be persuaded to wait patiently for the others to arrive. Leo is at centre stage, grandstanding, telling one of their stories. Capricorn is talking about their stock portfolio and investments. Aquarius is showing off their latest mobile phone to Sagittarius who is talking about their trip to Fiji. Pisces is propping up the bar while Gemini is telling them about the last book they read. Cancer has brought their emotional support ferret with them. Scorpio has found Taurus and they’re in an intimate huddle, planning to leave early to find ‘somewhere more private’. Libra arrives late – couldn’t decide what to wear! And there in the corner, scrolling on their phone, not really connecting with anyone is Virgo.

But please don’t feel sorry for Virgo. They organized the whole event. Booked the room. Checked everyone’s food preferences and ordered appropriately. Curated the mixtape. Will make sure that Pisces gets home safely and in one piece.

TWO

But even though the party was a success, Virgo did not celebrate. They simply focus on doing the job properly in the knowledge that if they hadn’t organised it, it wouldn’t have happened. They don’t need the flags and whistles. They will never do a celebratory lap. They did it because it needed doing. It’s enough for them to know that they did a good job.

THREE

Virgos have a reputation for being picky with food. They run the whole gamut from Vegan to Vegetarian to Paleo to Keto to Strict Carnivore. I’ve even heard of a Virgoan who would spray all their food with disinfectant before cooking it. Definitely not recommended!

That notwithstanding, Virgos are at home in the kitchen. They know what goes with what and how to blend flavours and textures, not only to delight the senses but also with an eye to good nutrition. Virgo understands ‘let your food be your medicine’.

You see, Virgoans are concerned with boundaries, and discriminating what is and is not allowed to cross that boundary. And the most important boundary to them is what is and isn’t allowed into their body. I’m talking about food here, but it could equally apply to other things. This is in comparison to or even contradistinction from its opposite sign of Pisces whose boundaries are altogether more vague, and who, from a Virgoan point of view, are liable to dissolve completely due to their lack of discrimination.

FOUR

In medical astrology, Virgo rules the digestive system and the gut. So as well as diet, they are concerned with regular bowel movements and consequently can be obsessed with routine and punctuality.

FIVE

Virgo is ruled by the planet Mercury. Mercury also rules Gemini, so we have to make a distinction here. To put it simply, Gemini is associated with the communication side of Mercury, dealing with information and the sending and receiving of messages. While Virgo is the trader, dealing with the buying and selling of goods, negotiating the right price.

The earth signs are associated with the functions of money. Taurus with money as the store of value, Capricorn with money as the unit of accounting and Virgo with money as the medium of exchange.

When we try to imagine the world before money we end up with the system of barter. Let’s say that I have apples and you have chickens. In theory, I would exchange my apples for your chickens. But if you don’t want my apples, or I don’t want your chickens, no deal. This is what economists call a “double coincidence of wants“. But if there’s something we can use as money, we have a means of exchange and we can do business and both sides can benefit.

As well as trading, Virgo is also involved in logistics – the business of getting the food from the fields, getting it processed, shipped and stored ready to be sold in local shops.  This is where Virgo’s ability to deal with detail is vital.

SIX

This connects Virgo with mathematics. Not only the business of buying and selling. It’s more than that. Virgo’s abilities apply to recognising patterns. While Pisces, Virgo’s opposite sees things in terms of vague, indiscriminate clouds of information, Virgo needs detail and the detail makes patterns.

If you look at the incredible mathematical patterns involved in Islamic tiles and how they fit together, you’ll see the essence of Virgo. And if there’s one mistake, like a misplaced comma, Virgo will spot that mistake.

Likewise, Virgo is concerned with rhythmic patterns. Listen to West African drumming and how the rhythms of the various players interlock with each other. Or the rhythmic talas of Classical Indian music. Pure mathematics! Pure pattern! Pure Virgo!

The magic happens when the rhythm becomes a groove, something to dance to and Virgo and Pisces take to the floor together.

SEVEN

Virgo’s reputation for purity comes from the origin of its name, the Anglo-French ‘virgine’, meaning ‘maiden, unwedded girl or woman’, or as an adjective ‘fresh, unused’. This developed later into the sense of inviolate chastity.

This does not necessarily mean prudishness when it comes to matters of sexual intimacy. But Virgo’s need for discrimination will probably keep bedroom activities well separate from the rest of life and a good shower afterwards is considered essential.

The problem is that Virgo’s need for purity can lead to perfectionism and worry if things are not perfect. And when this is projected onto others, Virgos can come across as nit-picky and overly critical. But, by the same token, they can be easily wounded by criticism.

Firstly, Virgo needs to realise that perfection is a limitation. Secondly, they need to learn to use their fault-finding faculties judiciously and if they feel the need to correct others, to do so without destroying them. Do unto others, dear Virgo, as you would have them do unto you.

EIGHT

Virgo’s colours are subdued and modest. These are not colours you will find on a national flag or being waved on a victory parade. Virgo’s tastes would never consider anything ostentatious or flashy. But there is a subtle charm in their simplicity and reserve.

Virgo’s colours tend towards beige, the natural colour of undyed wool. Beige shading towards a roseate warmth, or towards the cool soft greens of bracken, or  approaching the darker shades of heath and heather.

NINE

While fellow earth sign Taurus is associated with the fertility of the earth. Virgo is associated with the harvest. In the northern hemisphere, the sun is in Virgo during harvest time with its festivals celebrating the fruits of the earth.

The full moon at this time is known as the Harvest Moon. This was important in the days before electricity when people could carry on the harvest by the light of the moon. In many cultures, school couldn’t start until the harvest had been brought in as all hands – men, women and children were needed.

This association connects Virgo with the cycles and rhythms of the year. The times for planting and harvesting. Again, the sense of pattern and routine.

TEN

But it’s Virgo’s sense of selfless service that most distinguishes it from the other signs. At its most basic, service is associated with the role of the servant in relation to the master. In natal astrology, this is the sphere of activity of the sixth house of the birth chart which is also connected to the routine of daily work and the maintenance of health and well-being.

The idea of service is profound and takes different forms in different religions and spiritual traditions. The Christian understanding of service is any action or work with the intention of helping others, sharing the faith or honouring God. It is described as being motivated by love and models itself after the life and actions of Jesus Christ.

The equivalent in the Jewish religion is the idea of ‘mitzvah’ which originally means commandment but in everyday use it means any individual act of human kindness, nothing to do with legal duty but which conveys a sense of ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself’.

In Islam, the practice of ‘sadaka’ (also spelled sadaqah) is voluntary charity with the aim of helping others and pleasing God. It differs from ‘zakat’ which is a mandatory yearly tax, in that ‘sadaka’ has no rules or deadlines. In addition to gifts of charity, ‘sadaka’ can be performed simply by moving a rock out of the road, helping a stranger or even just sharing a smile.

Likewise, in New Age spirituality, service is seen not as traditional duty based on dogma, but rather as associated with spiritual growth and the awareness that we are all connected. Its avowed aim is to raise consciousness, heal the planet and align with universal energy. This often goes by the name of ‘lightwork’.

But it is in the Hindu practice of karma yoga that the idea of service is most developed. Karma yoga translates as the ‘yoga of action’ as compared to ‘jnana yoga’ the yoga of knowledge and ‘bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion.

This yoga is outlined in the Bhagavad Gita, which is considered to be the holiest book of Hinduism. It tells the story of Prince Arjuna who is duty-bound to fight a battle against family, friends and loved ones. He is torn by this dilemma but his charioteer, the god Krishna in disguise shows him how to handle the situation. He advises Arjuna on the performance of his duties and the nature of selfless service while completely letting go of attachment to personal rewards or the future results of his actions.

Service is then the heart of the sign of Virgo, and whether you call it mitzvah, sadaka, lightwork, karma yoga or just being a good person – it is essentially selfless and asks for no reward.

Ben Belinsky

August 2026

Featured image by Maksim Chernishev 

instagram.com/primipil

The post Virgo appeared first on Moonletter.

ONE

Leo is a fire sign, along with Aries and Sagittarius. Aries is cardinal fire, the ignition, the birth of the flame. Sagittarius is mutable fire, the beacon leading us on. While Leo as the sign of fixed fire keeping the fire going, preserving it, keeping it alive.

Before the classical civilisations of Greece and Rome, before the founding of the ancient city states of Egypt and Mesopotamia, back in the days while we still lived as wandering tribes, fire was something that happened by chance. Maybe it was caused by lava from a volcano. Maybe a tree was struck by lightning causing a wildfire to spread across the grasslands. Fire was useful, if you could control it.

Fire became a campfire, a place to gather of an evening, after a day of work. A time of conviviality, of enjoying food and stories or just spending time together.

Later, in settled communities, fire becomes the centre of the home, the hearth, the fireplace. It becomes the household spirit for example as the domovoy in Slavic traditions, respected as the spirit guardian of the hearth. In other traditions it is celebrated as the eternal flame or where the passage of time is marked in candlelight.

This is the energy of Leo, the sign of social gathering around a sacred flame. Keeping the fire going, keeping the culture going.

TWO

Leo is ruled by the Sun. The central fire of our solar system, the source of all light on earth, the light that illuminates the moon and all the planets as well as keeping the solar system together with its gravity

So many cultures venerated and worshipped the sun under different names: the Greek Apollo and Helios, the Egyptian Ra, the Japanese goddess Amaterasu, all associated with life and rebirth.

But we no longer worship the sun as a god as this story from the Talmud relates:

A Roman emperor asks Rabbi Joshua to show him God. Rabbi Joshua tells the emperor to try and look at one of God’s ordinary servants – the sun – shining in the midday sky. The emperor replies that he cannot look at it because the glare is too blinding. Rabbi Joshua points out the logic: “If you cannot look at the sun, which is only one of the countless creations of the Almighty, how much less can you gaze upon the Divine Presence itself?”

TWO and a half

In the Rider-Waite tarot pack (designed by Pamela Colman Smith) the card for the sun shows a naked child riding a white horse surrounded by sunflowers and under a radiant sun. The imagery speaks so clearly of joy and abundance and echoes the energy and symbolism of the sign of Leo.

This is Leo at its purest, most optimistic and brimming with self-expression.

THREE

Leo is the Cosmic Will. The will of the universe that underpins everything. Will is not rational, and it has no purpose. Just as the nuclear reaction inside a star has no purpose. Just as the photosynthesis inside every green leaf is without aim or purpose. It just is. Just as love has no purpose. It is, as they say, blind and often irrational.

This is the nature of Will as described by the German philosopher, Schopenhauer in his book “The World as Will and Idea”, as the fundamental, underlying essence of all reality – a cosmic energy that possesses no intelligence, no memory, no morality, and no final destination.

This will is impersonal but, as humans, we personalise it, projecting our own nature onto it. We talk about a personal God and the Will of God. We say “Thy will be done” subjugating our individual will to the will of a divine creator. We say “God Willing” or “Insha’Allah” meaning that something will happen if God wills it.

When it comes to human society and democracy we talk about The Will of the People. Also political will when we say for example that governments lack the political will to deal with the climate emergency.

At the individual level, we say that someone is strong-willed, or has the will to succeed, or that someone has or has lost the will to live. And then we talk about free will – the ability to choose between different courses of action.

While philosophers discuss the nature of will, astrologers see the strength of an individual’s will in their birth chart through the sign of Leo and the position and aspects of the sun, the ruler of Leo. A well-aspected sun in the birth chart suggests health, vitality and confidence. An afflicted sun suggests a weak will, that the individual is compliant, inhibited, lacks determination and cannot assert themselves. Then the challenges that life presents them will teach them to step up to the plate with determination, assertiveness and confidence.

This all depends where the sun is in the individual’s chart. Which sign, which house position, is it rising, culminating or setting, how it is aspected. This is the basis of chart interpretation.

FOUR

In the birthchart, Leo is associated with the 5^th house, described as the house of creativity and children. This is more than just the physical process of giving birth. Leo’s warmth is the psychological process of nurturing the child and imbuing them with the awareness that they are loved and valued. That warmth is needed for the child to develop a sense of self and self-worth. Without that warmth, the child can suffer core damage that may never be healed, and they will spend their life seeking for that warmth and validation in the external world, buying it, borrowing it, stealing it even.

The inner child is inherently creative. This creative urge is a manifestation of the individual’s will. It needs recognition, validation. And if the fruits of the child’s creative urge are disregarded or dismissed, then it is a long journey back to that state of innocent, joyful creativity.

Ursula Le Guin stated it clearly when she said: “The Creative Adult is the Child who Survived”.

Here’s the full quote:

“The creative adult is the child who survived after the world tried killing them, making them ‘grown up.’ The creative adult is the child who survived the blandness of schooling, the unhelpful words of bad teachers, and the nay-saying ways of the world.”

And to quote Pablo Picasso:  “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”

FIVE

Leo is associated with the archetype of the hero and the mythology of the hero’s journey.

A hero is someone who is admired or idealized for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In fairy tales and legends as well as in traditional and modern literature, they can be of humble birth, someone whose life journey leads them to show their true nature, their courage and fortitude in the face of the darkness that they must conquer. Harry Potter is an example of this, as is Bilbo Baggins from the Lord of the Rings.

Then there are the superheroes from the Marvel or DC universes: Spiderman, Green Lantern, Black Panther, Wonder Woman and of course Superman. Those with a special talent or power that they use to avert disaster and defeat evil.

Some heroes may be tragic figures, those who are flawed in some way and whose fate is to die or lose their powers in the performance of their heroic deeds. These include Shakespeare’s Macbeth, whose arrogance finally brings him down, Admiral Nelson who died at the Battle of Trafalgar, Philip Marlowe in the stories by Raymond Chandler, Sparrowhawk in Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea series.

Others may be of noble birth, Kings or Princes, for Leo, the lion king, is associated with royalty and nobility. These include Odysseus, King of Ithaca whose triumph in the Trojan wars and epic story of his homecoming is told by Homer in the Iliad and the Odyssey, Richard I of Britain, known as Lionheart, Louis XIV of France known as Le Roi Soleil (the Sun King) and of course the legendary King Arthur, the once and future king.

And this is what these Leonine heroes do. Long after their lives are over, the legends of their valour and honour continue to inspire us, to stand as role models for who we can be, how in our little ways we can overcome humble origins, show our true worth, and conquer darkness by our sheer solar brilliance.

SIX

Leo’s colours are the colours of royalty: scarlet and crimson and the Tyrian purple of the Roman emperors. It’s also the colours of the sun, from the brightness of midday to the rich purples and pinks of sunset. Then of course there’s the colour of metallic gold and finally the soft browns of the lion’s fur. Everything speaks of nobility and valour, luxury and power.

SEVEN

In medical astrology Leo rules the heart and the back. Both are central to the functioning of the organism. While Leo is the heart, its opposite sign, Aquarius, is the circulation distributing the blood around all the organs and returning it to the heart.

Both the heart and the spine are resonant structures that respond to physical and non-physical or subtle vibrations.

The heart consists of muscle fibres arranged in a spiral, a single continuous band of muscle running from the pulmonary artery to the aorta to form a functional vortex.

The spine is also a resonant structure, a standing wave from the tailbone to the base of the skull that creates different vibrational frequencies according the emotional and physical load it has to bear.

According to holistic health practitioners: ”A healthy spine generates its own harmonic waves that not only maintain the spine’s structural and neural integrity, but also are transmitted to the brain and the autonomic nervous system where they help balance breath, heart rate, digestion, and other body functions…”

The spine also focuses the seven main chakras. This makes both the spine and the heart responsive to sound and vibrational therapies such as sound healing.

EIGHT

Leo is ruled by the sun and in ancient alchemical symbolism, the sun is associated with gold. Gold has not only physical value but also symbolic value. It is jewellery, wealth, luxury, treasure. Gold is the king’s golden crown, worn to symbolise rulership and divine right.

Gold is Eldorado, the mythical golden city that explorers and conquerors crossed oceans for, searched and fought for but never found.

But what makes gold so special? For those who remember their high-school chemistry, gold is resistant to both acids and alkalis. In other words from an alchemical point of view it is pure and incorruptible.

For thousands of years the gold standard was the basis of money in many cultures. Even though the direct convertibility of currencies into gold has ended, countries still keep gold reserves to underpin their economies. Gold is an investment, something that keeps its value when economic systems go haywire.

NINE

Lions are an apex predator, known as the king of the jungle. But they also embody higher spiritual values.

The Timbavati game reserve in South Africa is home to the iconic white lions. They are not albino, rather they are a unique mutation that is prized by the local Shangaan/Tsonga people as sacred animals, sent to Earth as messengers of God and representatives of higher consciousness.

The story of the white lions and the struggle to protect them from big game hunters has been told in several books and movies. Linda Tucker’s 2001 book, ‘Mystery of the White Lions: Children of the Sun God’, and Gilles de Maistre’s 2018 film, ‘Mia and the White Lions’

The appearance of white lions is linked to the need for human beings to realign with nature; serving as stewards of balance, respect, kindness, compassion and harmony towards all beings. These are the higher values of the astrological sign of Leo.

TEN

The ego cannot see beyond its own limits, but the higher Self (capital S) has no limits and connects all living things through universal consciousness and boundless compassion. Unevolved Leo is tied to the ego. It sees everything in terms of “I, Me, Mine”. This can come across as ‘main character syndrome’, treating everyone else as bit-players in their life. Their confidence and charisma shines. They own the stage. They cannot but own the room. For Leo, everything is personal – while for Leo’s opposite sign, Aquarius, everything is impersonal.

I can’t say it better than Isabel Hickey in her book “Astrology, a Cosmic Science” :

“Leo people are too attached where those they love are concerned. They have to learn true detachment. Can the Sun shine for itself or just one other? Only when Leo individuals become impersonal and give their warmth and affection to all do they come into their inheritance.”

“There is dignity, self-respect, courage and integrity in the evolved Leo individuals. They are honest, direct and fully dependable when they are evolved; arrogant, egotistical and bombastic when they enthrone their ego where their Higher Self should be.”

“The Leo destiny is a high one. No man can be a true leader until he is willing to be servant of all. The greatest gift a Leo can bring to the world is an understanding heart.”

Ben Belinsky

August 2026

Featured image by Foto Martien

The post Leo appeared first on Moonletter.

The second sign of the Zodiac is Taurus, named after the constellation of the bull. Taurus is a fixed earth sign, the most difficult to move, the least likely to change. At best, solid, dependable. At worst, stubborn, intractable.

Taurus is about to be transformed by the transit of the centaur Chiron through this sign over the next seven years / until 2034.

TWO

Taurus is the sign of material reality, the soil where everything grows. The thin, outermost crust of our little planet from which all life comes and to which all must return. The soil that even when subject to the harshness of radiation, as after the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, maintains its ability to produce and nurture.

THREE

The keyword of Taurus is “I have”, and Taurus is instinctively involved in possession and ownership. But this doesn’t have to mean bondage to the material world and a denial of anything beyond the physical. Taurean consciousness is uniquely qualified to take us into the spirit of the earth.

Many years ago, I met a coal miner from Yorkshire, England who was retired and running an organic smallholding and was an active member of the Soil Association, an association that promotes and certifies organic food. He’d spent his working life underground and knew that the earth wasn’t just a dumb heap of rock and muck. He had experienced the earth as alive with its own spirit. A spirit that is inherent in and inseparable from the physical.

FOUR

Taurus is the earth sign you would expect to find in the charts of physicists, those scientists who explore the actual composition of the physical world. And it is interesting that some of the most famous physicists have come to the realization that it is consciousness rather than matter that is the basis of reality. Here’s a quote from German physicist and quantum pioneer, Max Planck.

“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.” (The Observer, 1931)

Incidentally, Planck had sun in Taurus as part of a powerful stellium of six planets plus three centaurs. By virtue of his work, humanity has been able to explore even deeper into the nature of physical matter.

For further observations about the nature of consciousness and matter, see the writings of Austrian physicist, Erwin Schrödinger.

FIVE

The three earth signs of the zodiac, Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are associated with the three functions of money. Taurus represents the store of value, Virgo, the medium of exchange, Capricorn the unit of accounting.

Let’s look at some examples. Your local currency, dollar, euro, pound or whatever is a pretty good store of value, but when inflation goes up, the value of your currency will go down. A car will lose value over the years. A laptop may have use value, but its resale value evaporates as soon as you take it out of the box. So, Taurus is looking for what keeps its value. There’s property of course but if you need something more liquid, there’s that designer handbag, or that first edition copy of Harry Potter. So, we return to gold. Something that has been the store of value for thousands of years.

In the movie Dune, the Fremen, the people of the desert, store their value in massive reservoirs of their most precious asset, namely water.

Also, in the financial markets where stocks, bonds and commodities are traded, the term ‘bullish’ describes an optimistic, confident outlook, where value is expected to be added and prices are expected to rise. How Taurean!

SIX

Taurean colours are the colours of the earth. Deep browns, off-whites, clays, ochres, tans, and terracotta. These are also the colours of the plant-based dyes that can be made from nature rather than synthesized in a laboratory. Taurean colours are comforting to the eyes, comfortable to wear and to live in. While fashions may change, the earth tones are always there, solid, immutable.

SEVEN

Taurus is into all the five senses but the first is the sense of touch and what that tells us about the texture of the world. Is the soil gritty, smooth, sticky or soft? Is it fine or coarse? And what about fabrics? Are they velvety or fleecy, ribbed or sheer?

Then after touch, there’s the sense of smell as refined in the art of the perfumier. The comforting smell of vanilla, the zest of lemon or lime, the intoxicating bouquet of jasmine or ylang-ylang, the delicate perfection of rose, the earthy smell of sandalwood, the dark animalistic scents of musk or leather.

Taurus is the sign of the artist, working with the sensory and sensual. The quality of a voice. The unique sound of a trumpet or saxophone that musicians work so hard to cultivate.

But the artform that is the most Taurean is dance. The human body in relation to the earth, to gravity. This is more noticeable in the dance of cultures that are connected to the earth and the cycles of nature, rather than the gravity-defying leaps of classical western ballet, or the robotic movements of body popping as well as moonwalking that creates the illusion of floating disconnected from the earth and from gravity.

In the Celtic calendar, the festival of Beltane falls on May 1^st when the sun is in the sign of Taurus. Traditionally it was celebrated (in the northern hemisphere) by dancing barefoot on the earth.

EIGHT

In medical astrology, Taurus rules the neck and throat and is associated with the beauty of the singing voice. The neck and the neck muscles are also the place where we carry determination, and the throat chakra is the place where we voice our inner truth and speak our needs.

NINE

This brings us to the planet Venus, the ruler of Taurus. The planet of beauty and love. Venus represents that which attracts us, that which we value, that which we hold dear. Taurus rules the realm of the senses that are inflamed by the sexual act.

TEN

A beautiful example of the Taurean love of sensual pleasure is the story of Ferdinand the Bull by Munro Leaf, written to showcase the illustrations of Robert Lawson. Ferdinand is sweet little calf who prefers to sit under his favourite tree, sniffing flowers, rather than butting heads with the other bulls. And even when he grows into a massive adult bull, he still keeps true to his peaceful nature.

This charming children’s book upset some dictators when it was published. The Spanish dictator, Franco banned it and it was ordered to be burned by Hitler who described it as ‘degenerate, democratic propaganda’.

For when all is said and done, Taurus is the sign of peace and beauty.

Ben Belinsky

July 2026

Featured image by Robert Lawson from “Ferdinand the Bull” by Munro Leaf

The post Taurus appeared first on Moonletter.

Sagittarius is a complicated sign. It’s represented by this creature, which at first glance looks like a man on a horse but when you look closer, you realise that the man and the horse are one being. It’s a centaur, a creature that straddles the worlds of the animal and the human. This suggests a fusion of human intelligence and animal instinct, the civilised and the primal.

Imagine growing up as one of these. It’s complicated. Young Sagittarians have strong instincts and will often get into what we might call ‘learning situations’ before the intellect can guide them. On the other hand, the more intellectually oriented Sagittarian has to learn to put their mighty brain to one side and trust their instincts. All this can take time.

TWO

Now, once the young Sagittarian has got the horse and the human parts of their nature to accept each other and cooperate, there’s a bow and arrow. Arrows need a target. Sagittarians need goals. Whether it’s a ‘type sportif’ wanting to win the race or break a record; or a businessperson with their monthly or annual targets; or a creative type with their projects, a Sagittarian needs a goal, a project, something to aim for.

As Alice Bailey wrote in her book “Esoteric Astrology” (part of A Treatise on the Seven Rays), “I see the goal. I reach that goal. I see another goal.” This is believed to be the only joke she ever wrote.

THREE

So now we’ve got this fusion of man and horse, and it has learned how to shoot arrows. You definitely can’t keep it indoors. It needs plenty of space where it can gallop around and fire off its arrows. In fact, Sagittarians belong in the wide-open spaces. Somewhere with big skies where it can run and race and shoot. Lots of space. Few restrictions.

This is where the Sagittarian interest in foreign travel and other cultures comes from. I’m not talking about a trip to the beach or the mountain. Ideally it has to be a trip abroad, somewhere they speak a different language, where the food is different, where the social rules are different. The type of travel that broadens the mind.

This echoes the Sagittarian desire for adventure and exploration, and their curiosity may lead them to take risks, to find out where this path leads…

According to St Augustine, whose north lunar node was in Sagittarius, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

FOUR

The need for lots of space also symbolises the Sagittarian tendency to see the big picture. This can mean the overview, the long-term, the grand plan that lies behind it all and explains everything. This need can take Sagittarius into the worlds of philosophy and religion. These are often associated with academic institutions such as universities and established religions. I’m not talking about vocationally focussed courses like accounting or product design. Rather Sagittarians are drawn to subjects such as history, politics, and philosophy, where deep principles are examined.

If Sagittarians can avoid the trap of focussing exclusively on the big stuff and the long term, their desire to explore and understand will often make a genuine and long-lasting contribution to human knowledge.

*

Later in life with all the rich experiences that they have garnered, Sagittarians can start to think they’ve got it all sussed. However, when something doesn’t fit in with their ‘grand scheme of things’ they can become dogmatic and judgmental. In fact, some astrologers go so far as to say that there is nothing more dangerous than a Sagittarian who is sure they are right.

FIVE

Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter, named after the king of the gods in Roman mythology. Jupiter was also known as Jove, as in the word ‘jovial’. The Greeks knew him as Zeus. The name Jupiter comes from “Dyeus Pater” which means ‘sky father’.

In astronomy, Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. For astrologers, Jupiter is the planet of growth and optimism.

In his Planet Suite, Gustav Holst describes the planet Jupiter as the bringer of jollity and Sagittarian playfulness and irrepressible humour are a hallmark of the sign.

Jupiter is also the planet of generosity, always willing to give, to teach, to explain. In Indian astrology he is known as Guru, the guide to personal growth, the teacher of spiritual wisdom. But sometimes growth presents challenges as it takes us out of our comfort zone.

SIX

Sagittarian honesty is a noble quality, but it can lead to situations of social embarrassment when it’s inappropriate. The Sagittarian habit of opening their mouth and putting their foot in it is well known. But their positive demeanour means that blame rarely sticks. Their honesty can also lead to an “The Emperor has no clothes” moment when innocent perception demolishes conventional bullshit.

SEVEN

In medical astrology, Sagittarius rules the hips, thighs and buttocks.

By way of contrast, Gemini, the opposite sign to Sagittarius rules the arms and hands as well as the lungs. So while Gemini is the juggler and master of the arts of prestidigitation (aka sleight of hand), Sagittarius rules the muscles and the energy that drives you forward and gets you galloping over long distances.

EIGHT

Different signs have different attitudes to sex. For Cancerians for example, sex is an expression of emotional commitment. For Taureans, it is a sensual adventure and an affirmation of belonging. While for Scorpio sex is where they seek a passionate merging of bodies and souls.

For Sagittarians, of whatever gender, sex is a sporting activity. Sagittarian lovers are interested in the sheer physicality, a return to our animal origins and most of all, fun. And if you get a slap on the arse afterwards, that’s their way of expressing affection.

These are of course broad generalisations. Astrologically, an individual’s sexual attitudes and preferences are also subject to the influence of Mars and Venus.

NINE

The colour palette for Sagittarius is one that expresses joy and optimism. Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign, shading across a spectrum from brilliant yellow to gas-flame blue. And always with strong contrasts that make the whole experience stand out. More mature Sagittarius is into deeper hues such as royal blue, navy blue and regal purple.

TEN

The jewel in the crown of Sagittarius is the Galactic Centre. This is the point at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way, about which our galaxy rotates. In the birth chart it’s located at 27 degrees of Sagittarius.

Astronomically, the Galactic Centre is a dense cluster of stars around a super-massive black hole with an estimated mass of about 4 million suns. It has been described as a place where stars are born.

This point acts as a place of incredibly focussed creative energy, coming from who knows where. Some astrologers have suggested that this point is the place where the extreme darkness and receptivity of yin gives birth to the ultimate expression of yang. Others see this point as a place of higher consciousness, spiritual awakenings, interdimensional channelling, and a sense of having a soul mission.

Ben Belinsky

June 2026

The post Sagittarius appeared first on Moonletter.

The fourth sign of the zodiac named after the constellation of Cancer, the crab. Cancer is the cardinal water sign, and like its animal namesake, it is ruled by the tides. In this case the changing moods of the sea, high and full, ebbing and exhausted, rough with the winds of the world, smooth and placid, on rare occasion given to devastating tsunamis.

Mature Cancerians are virtuosi of emotion riding and surfing the changing waters, while young Cancerians may struggle to keep their heads above the water of moods and emotions.

TWO

Cancer is ruled by the moon and Cancerian changeableness is echoed by the rulership of the moon as it cycles through its phases from new, to first quarter, to full, to last quarter and back to new. Check the moon age of your Cancerian, what phase was the moon in when they were born. Be aware of their susceptibility to the changing phase; full of a certain energy when the moon is full, an energy of uncontainable emotion; and when the moon is new, an exhaustion which can seem like being stranded by the receding tide.

THREE

But Cancer’s ebb and flow of emotion may not always be apparent to others. The crab consists of a hard shell, like armour protecting the soft flesh inside. Cancerians need to keep their protection up and to try to penetrate or break through into their inner feelings is unlikely to be successful. They will let you in when they are ready.

FOUR

The natural house in the horoscope for Cancer is the fourth house. This is traditionally the sign of home and family. And however far they may voyage, Cancerians are instinctually drawn back to the security of home. But home also means ‘where we come from’ in the broader sense, the traditions and culture we are born into. While Capricorn, the opposite sign of Cancer, is the sign of ‘where I’m going to’. For Cancer ‘where I’m coming from’ means not only our home, the house where we live, our hometown, our state, our nation, but also our environment in the largest sense. So, while Cancerians may be homebodies, they feel what is going on for our home planet, the changing currents of the oceans, the effects of El Niño, the effects of the poisoning of the rivers and seas,

FIVE

Cancerians feel a deep attachment to family. That can also mean to tribe, nationality or race. In a positive sense this can be a connection to our roots and a desire to trace the family tree and explore genealogy. On the other hand, this can lead down the rabbit hole of nationalism, exclusiveness, and ethnocentrism.

But as well as bolstering the sense of personal identity, the connection to ancestors can empower us, connecting us with ancestral wisdom. In many cultures the ancestors are thanked and venerated for getting us to where we are. In other cultures, the pain and struggle that the ancestors have gone through has left a deep trauma that must be acknowledged, processed and ultimately healed.

SIX

Cancer is the sign of memory. Not the short-term memory of ‘where did I leave my keys?’ but the memories that are suffused with emotion and feeling, the memories that come back to us like an incoming tide as when we remember a departed friend or family member, when we remember an event that meant so much to us. These can be personal memories or family, tribal or national memories. But memories come and go, they are not a place to dwell.

These memories can be recorded in histories, embodied in souvenirs and heirlooms, or present in music from the past that carries and will always carry the feeling of a particular time in our life, the emotional intensity of our adolescent years, or an association with a place or a relationship.

SEVEN

The colour palette of the zodiac sign of Cancer is inspired by its ruling celestial body, the Moon, notably the ethereal, almost supernatural colours of moonlight, evanescent and mystical and always about to change. In Japanese aesthetics, these colours have a sense of yūgen (profound grace and subtlely) and mono no aware (the beauty of things that are impermanent).

Cancer also echoes the colours of the sea, from the sparkling turquoise blues of the surface tipped with flashes of white horses, the silvery greys reflecting cloudy skies, the menacing heaviness of dull greens telling of an approaching storm, to the dark blues and indigos of the depths of the ocean.

EIGHT

Cancer is associated with mothering and the role of the mother. The mother is focussed on the needs of the child. In the birth chart, the moon – ruler of the sign of Cancer – is to do with need; how I meet others’ needs and how my own needs are met. It does not come from the bright light of solar consciousness. Rather it is at a deeper, more ancient, instinctual level of the human psyche, almost like a gravitational pull.

A strong presence of Cancer in a birth chart can lead to a focus on the needs of others. But always with the caveat of while I am so focused on others’ needs, I may forget my own.

NINE

In medical astrology, Cancer rules the breasts and belly. The glyph of Cancer repeats this. The belly is the womb of course, the place where new life grows and the breasts are where life is nurtured.

TEN

The most difficult thing for the sign of Cancer is to stop protecting and to let go. Once the crab’s claws have taken hold, they are reluctant to release. The emotional holds of home, of homeland, of memories, of ancestral fear or trauma. The letting go of children to allow them to grow to be strong, independent adults. These can be difficult for those with strong Cancer in their birth chart.

This is similar to the situation of nations that can’t let go of the glories of the past and are clinging on to memories of empire.

Ben Belinsky

June 2026

The post Cancer appeared first on Moonletter.

This July (2026) there’s a powerful planetary setup coming involving four of the slow-moving, outer planets making an exact configuration. When we have such a complex pattern as this, the questions are ‘how to read it?’, ‘where to start?’ My answer is to read from the planet that is closest to the sun. In the configuration we have coming in July, the closest planet to the sun is Jupiter. That’s where we start.

A bit of background first. Jupiter (and Saturn) are social planets. They deal with our place in our communities, our place in society. We can see their roles in the up-bringing / socialization of children – Jupiter (as parent) encourages, saying “Come on! You can do it!” While Saturn places limits, saying, “Don’t do that!”

Looking at the glyphs for these two: Jupiter is the hook that holds you up. Saturn is the hook that holds you down. Too much Jupiter and there’s a child without limits – an entitled brat. Too much Saturn and the child is anxious, shy, inhibited. As ever a balance is needed.

So, this July, over the span of a few days Jupiter in Leo gets an opposition from Pluto in Aquarius, a trine from Neptune in Aries and a sextile from Uranus in Gemini. All exact, at 4 degrees of the signs.

Taking these in turn and looking at their influence on Jupiter before going for the whole picture. In Greek mythology, Jupiter was known as Zeus, the king of the gods who ruled over the sky and Mount Olympus. Pluto, known as Hades, was the ruler of the underworld, the land of the dead. Although often depicted as rivals, in fact they ruled over different realms and respected each other’s power.

And that’s the keyword for talking about this relationship: power.

In astronomical terms, Pluto’s orbit of the sun is 248 years, while Jupiter’s orbit is 11.8 years – for practical purposes 12. Because Pluto moves so slowly, Jupiter has gone once round the sun while Pluto has barely moved through one sign. This means they meet, forming a conjunction or opposition every 12.5 years. So this aspect in itself is not so unusual.

As I said, this is not necessarily a rivalry. It does not require a power balance to maintain peace. This is a mature relationship of respect. And even though we’re heading to an opposition, we’re not looking at conflict, we’re looking at a complementarity. What can each give to the other.

Here we have to remember that one of Jupiter’s main roles is that of teacher. Not the elementary school teacher of reading, writing and arithmetic, but the teacher of philosophy and spiritual values. In Vedic astrology, Jupiter is known as Guru.

So here, in this configuration, we have Jupiter, the guru teaching Pluto’s curriculum, the deepest values that come from our understanding of the cycle of life and death. This is a learning about the nature of power and it comes with its challenges.

We’ve explored the influence of Pluto in Aquarius in a number of articles on this site, looking at Pluto’s role in redefining what it means to be human, for example in relation to the burgeoning of technology, the identities we construct for ourselves, and the way we live together in communities. Pluto will often take us right to the edge, pushing us to a crisis in order to make the necessary changes.

*

Then we have the aspect from Neptune to Jupiter. It’s a positive supporting aspect but this can go two ways. In the best sense, Neptune dissolves the boundaries that separate us, adding spiritual insight, wisdom and compassion. This all sounds lovely but to have compassion and to really appreciate and feel another’s pain, to tune in to the personal suffering of those in the conflict zones of the world is not for the fainthearted. It takes a certain strength and groundedness. It’s a lot easier to retreat into an idealized vision of the world.

And Neptune can provide these distractions, these illusions, these rose-tinted glasses. But when ungrounded, it can also add confusion and uncertainty. In practical terms, it’s getting more difficult to tell an AI generated video from the real thing. And when Neptune is backed by the persuasive power of Pluto, we are more open to being persuaded to believe ‘six impossible things before breakfast’.

*

We’ve been living with the easy aspect of Uranus trine Pluto for the last few months. But it’s been very much in the background. A feeling of deep convulsive change going on. Massive uncertainty. But nothing we can really pinpoint and no sense of any way of getting through this.

The addition of Jupiter to the mix when it makes the opposition to Pluto and aspects Uranus should clarify things. The implicit should come out of the shadows and stand before us explicit and clear.

Uranus contributes a suddenness and unpredictability to proceedings, making it difficult to say how this complex energy pattern will manifest in the real world. There are just too many factors and too many unknowns. Except to say that since all the planets we’ve mentioned are in fire and air signs (Jupiter and Neptune in fire, Uranus and Pluto in air), the power struggle for truth and clarity will be going on in the mental realms.

*

But there’s one thing, or rather, one planet missing from the setup. Saturn is in Aries but not directly connected to the tight configuration of the other four. Saturn is your reality check. Making sure that your focus is on what is necessary, keeping you grounded during the shifts and feints as the various players try to control the narrative and run the show.

*

Here’s the schedule for when the planetary aspects are exact but they will be in effect for the whole of this period.

Uranus sextile Neptune 7^th July

Uranus trine Pluto 15^th July

Jupiter trine Neptune 20^th July

Jupiter opposite Pluto 20^th July

Jupiter sextile Uranus 21^st July

Neptune sextile Pluto 25^th July

Ben Belinsky

May 2026

The post Jupiter opposite Pluto : July 2026 appeared first on Moonletter.

ONE

Libra is the only zodiac sign that is represented by an inanimate object, namely a pair of scales. Of the other signs, there are animals like Aries the ram, Taurus the bull, Cancer the crab, Scorpio the scorpion, Pisces the fish and Leo the lion.  There are also hybrids of two animals like Sagittarius the centaur and Capricorn, the sea-goat. Then there are the signs represented by human figures like Virgo, the woman holding a sheaf of corn, Aquarius, a man pouring water, and Gemini, the twins. But Libra alone is an inanimate object representing the abstract principles of harmony, balance, fairness and justice.

TWO

Libra’s principle of harmony and balance are in particular about harmonious personal relationships aka love. And there are of course different kinds of love. With Libra we’re not talking about love of one’s country or football team. It’s individual love in the sense that Plato uses it, where two people come together and complete each other.

In the birth chart, Libra is associated with the 7^th house and the descendent. The first house is ego, and opposite it is the 7^th  house, alter (the other). Libra sees everything in terms of personal relationships and partnerships.

THREE

Libra’s ruling planet is Venus, adding a sense of beauty and proportion to Libra’s balance and harmony. Anything rough and unkempt is a no-no, nothing that jars. Aesthetic considerations are paramount. What brings people together is important.

FOUR

Libra’s colours are usually softer pastel shades. Stronger, more saturated colours are more concerned with contrast and difficult to harmonise. Even if you don’t go for these shades, the principle of balance is the most important.

FIVE

Like the other air signs, Gemini and Aquarius, Libra is concerned with the thinking processes. While Gemini deals with the opposition of either / or, Libra deals with both / and, being inclusive, taking all sides into account, keeping a balance, going for agreement and consensus.

This makes Libra the best referees and arbitrators with the ability to see both sides.

SIX

There’s an old saying: “Lazy Libra loathes a duster” But that’s not fair! Librans may prioritize aesthetic concerns. They may consider relationships more important. They consider it unbecoming to exert oneself and you’ll rarely see them running around getting things done. Librans work on the principle of minimum input, maximum output. Efficiency! Libra’s secret weapon.

SEVEN

In medical astrology, Libra rules the systems in the body that maintain homeostasis – the biological process of maintaining a stable, constant internal environment within an organism. It keeps conditions like body temperature, pH, blood glucose, and fluid balance within optimal ranges for survival.

Libra also rules the kidneys, the organs that are vital for balancing the bodily fluids and essential minerals such as sodium, potassium and phosphorus, and for regulating blood pressure.

EIGHT

In the business world, Librans are people managers rather than task managers. They know that a well-balanced team with a supportive culture will get things done. They won’t necessarily be leaders, but they’ll make sure that everyone gets on with everyone. They’ll prefer one-on-one meetings to large, conference room events. They’ll rely on the previous sign of Virgo to allocate roles, and the following sign of Scorpio to deal with crises.

NINE

Another area that Libra excels in is the formation of alliances. As the sign that deals with relationships at the personal level, with partnerships and joint ventures in business, in military matters as well as in politics and diplomacy, the formation of strong, clearly negotiated alliances is crucial.

TEN

While Libra’s opposite sign, Aries looks to end a conflict by winning, Libra looks for diplomatic means. But that does not mean ‘peace at any cost’. The aim of Libra is to restore peace, not necessarily by outright victory but by disabling or neutralising an attacker (as in Aikido) rendering them ineffective and harmless, in order to re-establish a balance of power.

While Aries moves quickly and impulsively, based on the needs of the moment, Libra’s process is slower and more considered. Consequences have to be taken into account, as do different points of view as well as the very factors that led to the conflict in the first place. In this way further conflict can be avoided.

As Carl Von Clausewitz says in his book On War, “Peace is maintained by the equilibrium of forces and will continue just as long as this equilibrium exists, and no longer.”

Ben Belinsky

April 2026

The post Libra appeared first on Moonletter.

Pluto has been in Aquarius since November 2024 and we are now beginning to see the changes in the economic and social spaces that are linked to its influence.

The zodiac sign of Aquarius is known for being future-oriented, independent, free-thinking and democratic. In economics it is not to with with the accumulation of wealth, rather with its circulation.

We’re starting to see the beginnings of this democratisation and decentralisation at all levels of the economy and society. Here are some examples.

Community Wealth Building

Aquarius differs from the previous sign of Capricorn in one particular respect. Capricorn is rules-based and impersonal, more concerned with institutions and corporate culture. While Aquarius is more people-centred and communal.

But just to mention that while Aquarius is concerned with community, it is not so much concerned with the kinship and tribal nature of community (that’s more Cancer’s business). Aquarian communities can be based on shared interests, skills, like-mindedness.

These principles can be seen in the development of Community Wealth Building. The best way to describe this is with an example. Let’s say there are two coffee shops on the same high street. One is part of a chain that is owned by a corporation whose branding and supply are determined by a head office maybe based in a foreign country. And this corporation is in turn owned by a private equity group whose investors keep their money in  tax havens to avoid paying tax – sorry, I mean to optimize their tax position.

The other café is a family-owned business. They live locally. They source their snacks and eatables from local suppliers. Their children go to school locally. They pay tax locally. They are part of the community. The money they make from the business goes back to the local community.

Instead of a café, we could be talking about a supermarket as against an independent convenience store.  Or a hotel chain against a local, family-run guesthouse.

Usually, the system is rigged against independent local businesses in favour of the high street chains. The chains are owned by the corporates who have deep pockets. They can afford better locations for retail outlets. They can dictate terms to small suppliers. In extreme cases they can force out small businesses by undercutting them when it comes to prices. Eventually they can kill any competition and become monopolies.

The current system is unfair in that it advantages the international corporates. The only way to correct it is by local regulations. And this is what is happening in Scotland with a new law recently (February 2026) introduced to encourage local ownership, to support employee-owned businesses, cooperatives and social enterprises and to keep money circulating in the local economy by prioritising local businesses. This system is called Community Wealth Building (CWB).

So, for example if a school needs a cleaning service, it is obliged by law to prefer a local cleaning company rather than a corporation. Similarly, it will source its food from local producers rather than wholesalers and importers, use local tradesmen for maintenance and repairs.

There are other local authorities in the UK that are promoting CWB (see the Preston Model for example) but Scotland will become the first country in the world to legislate for implementation of this economic development model at national, regional and local level.

More information here:

The Multipolar World

Pluto’s move into Aquarius means that the opposite sign of Leo will be under stress. Leo represents kingship, hegemony, and central control, while Aquarius represents democracy and distributed power.

In 1944, the Bretton Woods agreement set up the world’s first fully negotiated monetary order intended to govern monetary relations among independent states. It was dominated by the United States which had survived the second world war virtually unscathed and at that time controlled two thirds of the world’s gold.

In the chart for the Bretton Woods agreement (22 July 1944), while the sun is in the last degree of Cancer, there are five planets in Leo: a conjunction of Venus and Pluto and a stellium of Mercury, the Moon and Jupiter. While Cancer’s emphasis is on homeland protection, Leo is associated with the power of gold.

This agreement has assured the financial dominance of the United States and the dollar. For example, the US dollar is the world’s dominant reserve currency as well as being the currency that is necessary for the purchase of commodities on the international markets especially oil and gas. Not only that, the whole of the world’s banking system is based on SWIFT, controlled by the US and its European allies which means that any country that suffers the political displeasure of the United States can have its access to international banking limited or curtailed.

Currently, the hegemony of the US dollar is facing challenges on a number of fronts. Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney’s speech at The World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026 made explicit the rupture that he sees as going on in the world economic order. That the great powers are seen as bullies, using their superior economic power to enforce their will, often unfairly, and that the only way forward for small and medium countries is to come together to form regional groups in order to be able to negotiate from a position of strength.

Such groups already exist, from ASEAN in South East Asia, ECOWAS  in West Africa, Mercosur  in South America, as well as established regional groups such as the European Union, intergovernmental groups such as BRICS and wider trade agreements such as the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership).

These groupings of small and medium sized countries (economically speaking) are in accordance with the spirit of Aquarius and represent a fundamental challenge to the hegemony of Leo, as well as signalling the evolution of a multi-polar world.

What about Cryptos?

I felt quite enthusiastic about Blockchain technology when it came out. Bitcoin, the best-known of the Blockchain based cryptocurrencies, was launched in 2009, just after the 2008 financial crisis, and with Pluto at the beginning of Capricorn. In astrological terms, it ticks the boxes for a system that undermines (Pluto) the existing structure (Capricorn).

But to disrupt is one thing. To replace the system of national currencies with something based on a computer algorithm is something else.

Essentially cryptocurrencies are based on a decentralised peer-to-peer system (known as Blockchain), such that, rather than any transaction being verified by an intermediary, such as a bank, which takes a cut, the proof of the transaction exists in an immutable block of code on a distributed computer system. This is quintessentially Aquarian, being both the zodiac sign that pushes advances in technology and the sign that functions in an egalitarian manner, without the need for a centralised authority.

The results have been mixed. Some countries have embraced cryptocurrencies. Others have banned them. Some people have made massive profits; others have lost their crypto assets when exchanges were hacked. Unlike national currencies which are backed by state banks, there is zero protection should your crypto assets be subject to theft. For most people, national currencies, so-called fiat currencies still hold sway.

But now Pluto is in Aquarius and Aquarius supports such ventures, so maybe crypto’s time is coming. That is if the Scorpionic matter of security can be dealt with. This could happen when Pluto is squared by a conjunction of Saturn and Chiron in Taurus in 2028, or when Jupiter in Scorpio and Chiron in Taurus both square Pluto in November 2029. These aspects are bracketed by a series of Jupiter-Saturn oppositions from 2028 to 2031, historically a time of reduced economic activity.

Breakup of monopolies

Back in the 1970’s, Bell Telecommunications – known as Ma Bell dominated the US telecommunications sector. After an anti-trust law suit, its monopoly was broken up into seven regional companies.

Are we heading for a similar situation today where giant companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Google are forced to break up into smaller units?

We have seen in recent years (2008-2013) Microsoft being fined over €2.2 billion ($2.4 billion+) in antitrust penalties by the European Commission for anticompetitive behaviour including bundling software and failing to comply with browser choice commitments. More recently, in 2025, Microsoft avoided further fines by agreeing to unbundle Teams from Office, following investigations into unfair market dominance.

Similarly, Google has been issued with significant fines by the EU due to concerns about its market dominance, including a $5.14 billion fine in 2018 related to its Android devices and a $2.9 billion fine in 2017 related to its comparison-shopping tool.

Then in September 2025, Amazon agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to resolve allegations that it duped millions of users into signing up for Prime subscriptions and made cancellations intentionally difficult. The deal includes $1.5 billion in consumer refunds and a $1 billion civil penalty.

But while US legislators have so far fought shy of requiring the breakup of these companies, individual consumers around the world are looking for ways to sidestep these greedy American techno-giants.

For example, the movement away from Microsoft Windows is growing as end-users baulk at being forced into mandatory online accounts, greater dependency on Microsoft’s cloud structure and being subject to surveillance and illegal data collection for AI training, not to mention widespread dissatisfaction with the bloatware that is Windows 11.

One of the keywords for Aquarius is independence. And with Pluto in Aquarius, anything which forces dependence is a no-no. As a result, more and more end-users are exploring the use of Linux as an alternative. And this free, community-based, open-source operating system with its suite of applications looks like it will grow beyond the hobbyists and become a significant player in both home and business software.

Crisis in the monarchies

Aquarius has the reputation of doing for monarchies. In fact the last time Pluto was in Aquarius – around 250 years ago – the French were overthrowing their monarchy and the Americans were breaking free from the rule of a crazy British king, George III.

Now with Pluto back in Aquarius, there are crises hitting the British and Norwegian royal families due to their association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Former Prince Andrew, brother of the king has progressively had his military titles taken away from him, followed by his dukedom, then his princely title and is to be removed from the line of succession. Plus he has lost his 30-bed mansion in Windsor. All this while paying £12m to the late Virginia Giuffre as some sort of settlement for alleged sexual trafficking and abuse which he denies. The king himself is not particularly popular, and his wife Camilla less so. But the British monarchy will no doubt survive as the top of an entrenched racist class system.

Meanwhile in Norway, the monarchy is reeling from revelations that Crown Princess Mette-Marit, maintained her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a minor. Plus her 29-year-old son is facing 4 charges of rape.

The influence of Pluto in Aquarius can also be seen in the “No Kings” movement in the United States, whose main objection is to a president not only behaving in monarchical fashion but also as if he was ordained by God to lead his country.

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Pluto’s transit through Aquarius will last until 2043, so there’s plenty of time for its influence to transform society and the world of business. This is happening at all levels from the grass-roots level of local communities to the power of the techno-giants, to the world of money with the crypto currencies, to the functioning of the online world, to monarchies and established power all over the world.

What we have described here is just the beginning of the process. Pluto’s job is to clear out the crap, to bring it to the surface where it can be seen for what it is and cleared. It is a process of transformation at the deepest level. Activities which are in tune with the Aquarian principles of diversity, equality and independence will flourish. We are seeing the emergence of a new geopolitical order that will end the hegemony of the superpowers and return power to communities and groupings of mid-ranking nations and usher in a multi-polar and ultimately more equitable world.

See you there!

Ben Belinsky

March 2026

For more background on Pluto in Aquarius:

https://moonletter.co.uk/aquarian-economic-paradigm/

https://moonletter.co.uk/pluto-in-aquarius-reminding-us-to-be-human/

The post Pluto and the Aquarian Economy appeared first on Moonletter.

I feel like I’ve been unfair to Capricorn recently and I’d like to redress the balance. You see, it has become usual practice among astrologers to identify Capricorn with faceless corporate culture. And sure, Capricorn is concerned with status and hierarchy. But it’s a lot more than that.

The problem, or rather the situation is that we’ve recently had Pluto going through Capricorn (from February 2008 to January 2024). Pluto’s job is to bring the crap to the surface where it can be recognized for what it is and cleared. and true to its nature, Pluto has brought out the worst of Capricorn, particularly in the political and financial spheres with tales of corruption and dodgy deals.

But now Pluto has left Capricorn and moved on to Aquarius, and we can now have a fresh look at the sign of the sea-goat.

ONE

That’s right. It’s not just a goat – it’s a sea-goat – a mythical creature, a chimera with the head, body and forelimbs of a goat and the tail of a fish. The symbolism is of an animal that is as much at home in the depths of the ocean as it is at the top of a mountain. That’s the incredible range that Capricorn has. From the depths and foundations of life to the heights of ambition and social status.

TWO

The main key word for Capricorn is ‘structure’. In medical astrology, Capricorn is the ruler of the skeleton. The bones. The physical structure of the body. You can sometimes see this in the elegant bone structure of folk with Capricorn sun or ascendant.

THREE

In the natal chart, Capricorn is associated with the 10^th house and the mid-heaven, the highest point in the sky. This is the polar opposite of the 4^th house, the house of home, family, tribe, environment. The 10^th house is the place in the chart where we go out into the world, which in some cultures can be described as career. More generally it’s our place in wider society. While in our media obsessed society, it’s to do with fame, public renown or infamy.

FOUR

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn and has a reputation for dourness and seriousness. Saturn is the realist – it deals with necessities, it takes responsibility, it accepts limitations and the aging process – the ultimate reality check. Capricorn folk know this instinctively and, unless Saturn is badly aspected, or disconnected in the chart, their Saturn return can be less of a challenge than it is for other signs. See How to Dodge the Issue during your Saturn Return, and The Parable of the Caravan – Saturn in the Signs.

FIVE

If I were to give a colour palette to Capricorn it would be dark browns and greys, midnight blue, black of course. Colours that are contained, sombre, unexpressive, with a suggestion of power.

SIX

In the military, Capricorn is the system of ranks. The hierarchy that ranges from the humblest private to the general.

A similar hierarchy is found in the social structure of many societies. The classic example is the Indian caste system. This consists of four main varnas – with the Brahmin priests and academics at the top, then the Kshatriyas (warriors and administrators), then the Vaishyas (the artisans, traders, farmers and merchants), all the way down to the Shudras (labourers, peasants and servants). Then outside the caste system are the Dalits (formerly known as  the “untouchables”), the street sweepers, the latrine cleaners.

SEVEN

As an earth sign (along with Taurus and Virgo) Capricorn is practical and materialistic. The three earth signs are associated with the three functions of money. Taurus is the store of value. Virgo is the medium of exchange. Capricorn is the unit of account. Without Capricorn, we wouldn’t have a way of measuring and comparing the value of goods, services and assets and deciding the price of things.

EIGHT

Many modern civil institutions were set up on January 1^st while the sun was in Capricorn. The UK in 1801, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, The European Economic Community was established in 1958, The World Trade Organisation in 1995 – to name but a few.

NINE

For Capricorn, the rules and the structures are more important than the feelings of the individuals involved. In a social structure, one’s position is defined by one’s duties and responsibilities, not how you feel. Formerly, the duties of husband and wife defined a marriage rather than their personal feelings. Capricorn’s adherence to the rules can make it appear impersonal. The social world is made up of norms, customs, traditions and institutions. The conformity to the rules can lead to a situation such as that described as ‘tall poppy syndrome’ or ‘the nail that sticks out is hammered in’.

TEN

That being said, Capricorns have the maddest sense of humour. Dry and ironic certainly, but also playfully subversive and completely whacky in a way that fucks with your expectations. I’m not allowed to say more than that, as analysing humour kills it.

CAPRICORN MEETS THE OTHER SIGNS

Capricorn gets on with the other earth signs, Taurus and Virgo. They all share a practical and materialistic mindset. While Capricorn is about structure, Virgo is about pattern and order, and Taurus is about substance – the stuff of physical reality. In financial terms, the three earth signs represent the three functions of money. Taurus is the store of value. Virgo is the medium of exchange. Capricorn is the unit of account.

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Capricorn is square to Aries and Libra and has a useful tension with these two signs.

As cardinal signs they all initiate. Aries go-ahead mentality and spontaneity may get frustrated by Capricorn’s rules-based systems. But when they work together, Capricorn supports Aries by providing a structural framework and a chain of command within which to lead.

Libra on the other hand can find it difficult to make decisions. It takes time to consider and balance all the factors involved and all the consequences. Capricorn helps Libra by providing a format – procedures and a set of rules for making decisions, for example writing lists of pros and cons. In addition, Libran diplomacy is enhanced by Capricorn’s system of protocols and rules of engagement. On the other hand, Libra makes sure that Capricorn’s structures are balanced and fair.

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Cardinal earth sign Capricorn has a natural affinity with the water signs: Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces,

Cancer is the opposite sign of Capricorn. Opposition here does not mean conflict. Rather these signs make a polarity within which they complement each other. Cancer turns Capricorn’s structure into a home, making a space emotionally relevant by feeding in memories, heirlooms, souvenirs, all the things that create a sense of familial and cultural belonging. Capricorn makes sure that the bills are paid and the structural integrity of the house has been professionally checked and legally registered.

Capricorn and Scorpio work well together. They both have an innate seriousness, and an awareness of what failure can bring. Scorpio appreciates Capricorn’s structure and rules although it may try and subvert them. Capricorn likes Scorpio’s hard-earned realism and ability to deal with crises and to come back from disaster.

Piscean formlessness might seem totally different from the structures of Capricorn. But Capricorn helps Pisces by providing a framework for the process of imagination and fantasy, the walls on which a beautiful mural can be painted, the institutional financing for the orchestral performance and so on. Grounding Pisces to that it can return to earth and live in the real world with the fruits of its imaginal processes. While Pisces softens and enchants Capricorn, adding value that goes beyond the material.

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Then there are the two signs that Capricorn is inconjunct to, Leo and Gemini. Inconjunct signs are five signs away and their relationship is described as awkward – like strangers shaking hands.

Capricorn finds Gemini superficial and inconsistent. Gemini finds Capricorn rigid and inhibiting. It can take other factors in the chart or charts to bring them together. And when it works, Gemini can learn to appreciate that Capricorn knows the game inside out and provides a strategic framework for thinking. And Capricorn learns to value Gemini’s range of input, if not their conclusions.

Capricorn doesn’t do performance and can find Leo showy and vainglorious. Leo finds Capricorn colourless, monolithic and dull. But they both have an eye for prestige and status, and Leo will not hesitate to celebrate Capricorn’s wins. And if Capricorn can ignore Leo’s dramas, it will be able to appreciate Leo’s feeling for luxury branding and the status that it brings.

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That leaves the two signs adjacent to Capricorn: Sagittarius and Aquarius. Capricorn learns from Sagittarian clear targeting and will provide a system of performance related bonuses that validate and motivate Sagittarius.  While making sure that Sagittarius doesn’t blow all the budget on foreign travel, overseas trade deals and sushi.

Aquarius and Capricorn have history. Before the discovery of Uranus, they both used to be ruled by Saturn. Now, Aquarius is now ruled by Uranus – the intuitive innovator and disruptor. As an earth sign, Capricorn was concerned with the traditions of hierarchy and seniority. While Aquarius prefers a flatter, more democratic structure and is more open to the latest technology. Capricorn watches and waits for Aquarius to fuck up with its new-fangled ideas. But is always there to restore order. Aquarius would probably be lost without Capricorn’s structures to rebel against. When they can work together, they hold the past and the future in balance.

PLANETS IN CAPRICORN

Moon in Capricorn

This is the one that gets people. Here, the moon is a long way from her home in the nurturing, caring sign of Cancer, and she is uncomfortable with feelings. But she will always make sure that her bairns are fed and clothed and that their needs are met in a clear practical way. Don’t expect sentimental displays of affection from moon in Capricorn. This is about duty. Unfailing duty. Preparing her children for life in the world, supporting their ambitions and instilling fortitude in them.

Sun in Capricorn

Solar consciousness is something we develop throughout our lives. We grow from our childlike world of lunar unconscious instincts into conscious awareness. Folk with sun in Capricorn grow up quickly and seem like old souls, older than their years. As they grow, their awareness and acceptance of the society they are born into grows as well. The world with its opportunities and limitations, its responsibilities and necessities. They are aware of the social structure, and that awareness may lead to ambition or to the acceptance of ‘knowing one’s place’.

Mercury in Capricorn

Communication will be structured and clear, with a beginning, a middle and an end. There is concern for sentence structure and grammar. Yes, grammar – the locomotive that drives the meanings of the sentence and the paragraph. Mercury in Capricorn’s PowerPoint presentations may not be animated mood boards or brimming with motivational homilies, but they will present the information with diagrams and bullet points clearly and logically.

Venus in Capricorn

Loyalty is unquestioned. If the relationship turns into marriage, there’s sure to be a prenup. Venus in Capricorn understands that commitment in relationships is the bedrock of society. That doesn’t necessarily mean a return to the traditional gender roles of the nineteen fifties. But whatever the deal, it is carried out with responsibility and maturity.

Mars in Capricorn

If there was to be a race between the different signs of Mars, who do you think would win? You’d think it would be Mars in Aries. Aries would be first out of the blocks but would soon fade, being better as a sprinter. The sign that would keep going, despite everything, with sheer bloody-minded persistence would be Mars in Capricorn. They’ll outlive you as well.

Jupiter in Capricorn

Expansive Jupiter is not at home in the structured world of Capricorn. There is a tendency for Jupiter’s legalistic side to come out here. Everything is understood through rules and procedures which can lead to an overabundance of caution. Jupiter in Capricorn needs to remember that duty and correctness are only part of the story, that human values must sometimes override the rulebook.

Saturn in Capricorn

Saturn is in its own sign here. Utterly solid and dependable. Slow and sure. Able to concentrate on tasks. But must remember the limits of responsibility, otherwise it can take on the responsibilities that others should be carrying themselves and end up being the fall-guy.

The outer planets in Capricorn

The influence of the ice giants – Uranus and Neptune in a particular sign are not necessarily personal. Rather they are social and transpersonal and influence a generation.

Uranus’ influence is on technology and innovation and the mindset that goes with this. Uranus challenges the status quo of Capricorn and demands change. Individuals born with Uranus in Capricorn (December 1988 to March 1995) have had a tough time dealing with the traditional patterns of working life. Things will make more sense with their half Uranus return when Uranus moves into Capricorn’s opposite sign of Cancer – May 2033 to July 2039.

Neptune was in Capricorn from February 1984 to November 1998. It’s difficult for Neptune’s cosmic and otherworldly influence to express itself in the practical, structured sign of Capricorn. One way to read this is in Neptune’s social influence, namely the images that we construct and the images that influence us – for example in the worlds of fashion and movies. During this time, the world of images became a post-modern game of codes and references making clever, often brilliant use of Cancer’s historical palette of styles. Movies referring to other movies, fashions referring to other fashions, pop music based on sampling the greatest hits of the past. See Neptune and Fashion, and Neptune and Social Media.

As Pluto moves through the signs, it exposes that which has been kept hidden in order to bring it to the surface and heal it. This often manifests as challenges associated with shifts of power. So, while Pluto was in Capricorn (2008 to 2024) we were dealing with Capricornian matters, namely the dark side of the corporate world and the financial markets, starting with the crash of 2008, followed by the birth of the crypto currencies, the exposing of the role of the rogue offshore financial industry in the ‘Panama Papers’ and in general the bringing to light of political and corporate corruption.

Ben Belinsky

February 2026

The post Capricorn appeared first on Moonletter.

The story of the Pilgrim Fathers and their journey across the Atlantic in the Mayflower is part of the myth of nationhood of the United States. The Pilgrim Fathers were religious dissenters in days when the Church of England was the national church, and it was illegal not to attend church on a Sunday subject to a fine of one shilling (the equivalent of around $25 today) for each service missed and larger fines and imprisonment for actually conducting alternative services. They decided to leave England for the Netherlands around 1607-08 and after failing to adapt to life there, they sailed for America in 1620 in the Mayflower. Thanksgiving celebrates their first harvest in 1621.

The narrative of this myth underpins much of the national identity of the United States. Started by a cult of dissenters who risked everything for freedom of worship, the concept of freedom is fundamental to the American experiment. Freedom from the arbitrary rule of kings, freedom from unfair taxes, freedom from state control, freedom to carry guns, freedom of speech etc – these are all explicit and celebrated. But implicit in the culture is the membership of cults. America was born of a cult and 250 years after its inception, it is still astonishingly fertile ground for the growth of cults, having produced more than any other society: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormons), Scientology, The People’s Temple founded by Jim Jones which finished with the deaths of 900 followers in Jones Town, Guyana in 1978; Heaven’s Gate founded by Marshall Applewhite whose cult led to a mass suicide in 1997; he Branch Davidians led by David Koresh who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993, and more recently the MAGA cult of Donald Trump.

United States of America. Birth data: 4 Jul 1776, 17:10. Philadelphia, PA

Pholus 6 Aquarius 58, conjunct moon’s south node, 7 Aquarius 35.

In the chart of the United States, Pholus, the centaur associated with intoxication and cults is conjunct the moon’s south node. The moon’s south node represents karmic legacy. It’s what we come into the world with. And for a nation, it represents their collective karma. But karma is not immutable. For the individual, the life’s journey can be described as the journey from the moon’s south node to the north node – the north being the place where we grow and move on, where we become our true selves. And while we may never abandon the legacy of the south node, it is always available to us as a place to recharge, to stay there means that nothing fundamentally changes. The spiritual journey of the United States is from the south node in the 2nd house to the north node in the 8th house. This involves leaving the acquisitiveness and materialism of the 2nd house and travelling to the higher values of the 8th.

Add to this the influence of Pholus and it means that the cult leaders, including the leaders of the evangelical megachurches might wish to abandon their desires for yet another private jet. Fat chance! And any politician who plugs into the intoxicating energy and adulation of cult worship will find it almost impossible to go cold turkey.

As in the case of Donald J. Trump, 45th and 47th President of the USA.

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The midpoint of Venus and Saturn is a dark and loveless place – a place where relationships are treated as transactional and sex is a power game, a place where any brief satisfaction is vulnerable to the blight of jealousy. These planets are conjunct in Trump’s chart – Saturn inhibiting Venus’ ability to love and the ability to receive love.

But not everyone with this aspect is emotionally dysfunctional. We are not our birth charts and it is possible to grow beyond any apparent limitations. Venus-Saturn conjunctions can be transformed into universal love, informed by a powerful sense of duty and steadfast loyalty. But in Trump’s case loyalty is something he demands but does not give. And the love he supposedly gives to his family (his Venus-Saturn conjunction is in Cancer, associated with family) is flatly conditional.

Donald J. Trump. Birth data: 14 June 1946, 10:54 (from birth certificate). Queens, New York.

Pholus 24 Capricorn 48, exactly opposite the midpoint of Venus (25 Cancer 44) and Saturn (23 Cancer 48) at 24 Cancer 46.

In Trump’s chart, the exact opposition from Pholus to the midpoint of Venus and Saturn – exact by 2 minutes of arc – is the only thing that replaces the simple human need for love and affection. The viewing figures from his TV appearances, the size of the crowd at his inauguration, the adulation he gets from his rallies, the number of followers on X (Twitter) or ‘Truth Social’, the number of times his face appears in the press and online, the number of votes he gets. This is oxygen to him, but it is also a need that can never be satisfied.

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This is an extract from the book “Pholus : Cults, Intoxication and the Divine” by Ben Belinsky where we explore the myth and astrological influence of the centaur-asteroid Pholus in the lives of abusers, cult leaders, cult victims and cult busters.

This book is available as an e-book from Amazon.

#pholus #centaur #cult #unitedstates #trump #pilgrimfathers

Ben Belinsky

February 2026

The post Pholus and the Land of Cults appeared first on Moonletter.