Hallo bb,
I last wrote you only two weeks ago but it feels like everything has changed since then. We’re at the beginning of something. Both Mars and Mercury reset their cycle with the Sun. Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury all stationed direct. Venus moved into Sagittarius. When we pay attention to astrology, we understand that cycles are constant and overlapping. There’s always a path to something. Transformation is possible if we’re willing to ride the waves.
The Full Moon goes exact today (October 20th) at 10:56 am ET at 27º Aries. This Full Moon is a ceremony. Both a culmination and an initiation. This Full Moon is difficult. This Full Moon is frustrating. But still somehow, it comes as a relief. This Full Moon is an unburdening.
The Sun, the Moon and this lunation’s ruling planet Mars are all square to Pluto, primed for something drastic. Mars square to Pluto hurries the unburdening process. But with Mars in Libra (its antithesis), the actions we must take aren’t so straight-forward. What we must do is counterintuitive. This Full Moon roots for the underdog, goes against the hypothesis, rewrites the dominant narrative. Mars last squared Pluto on December 23, 2020; Mars then opposed Pluto on June 5, 2021. Think back to both of those dates, what was coming to the surface? How does it to connect to what’s unfolding now? When you eventually tell this story to your friends, they might cringe. “You sent that text?” “You said what in the interview?” “You let him take you where for dinner?”
Who cares what they say if you get what you want?
Pluto is death and rebirth. Pluto is power. Pluto is both caring too much and not giving a fuck. I want us to spend some time with Pluto. What is it we’re facing?
Trying to get in the mood for “spooky” “season” the other night, I watched the classic 90’s “horror” movie, Death Becomes Her. This campy masterpiece is chock full of the Pluto archetype. For the uninitiated (I can’t believe this was my first viewing), the plot centers on the power struggle between two frenemies. There’s Madeline, a famous—though somewhat washed up—actress (Meryl Streep) and Helen, a less-than, “aspiring” novelist (Goldie Hawn). After Madeline steals Helen’s fiancé (Bruce Willis, who is a plastic surgeon—a very Plutonian career), Helen spirals into a deep misery. Pluto’s domain. We then cut to seven years in the future, where we see Helen at the behest of dozens of cats, sitting on a recliner and obsessively watching the death scene from one of Madeline’s films. Helen sits, cackling, rewinding and watching this scene over and over and over again, taking extreme pleasure in watching her “friend” get murdered. Pluto is obsession.
As the plot picks up, Pluto problems become urgent and unavoidable. Revenge is necessary. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to each other, Helen and Madeline both make a deal with a sultry devil (Isabella Rossellini) and drink a potion which grants eternal life and keeps them looking forever young. Why change when you can “stay” “beautiful”?
Helen plots to kill Madeline with the help of her ex-fiancé—who has been forced out of plastic surgery due to his alcoholism and is now an undertaker. But when he gets ahead of himself and pushes Madeline down the stairs, she somehow “survives.” Having drank from the fountain of youth, she’s, well, undead. Then, in retaliation, Madeline shoots Helen in the gut. The twist? Helen is also undead. Both can rot but they’ll never die.
Thankfully, they have a pathetic man who makes the dead look good for a living at their disposal! (His secret? Spray paint.) But at the movie’s climax, he escapes their clutches. He doesn’t choose Pluto’s tempting offer of immortality. Now as they have nothing to do but radioactively decay, they must bury the hatchet and help each other maintain appearances for the rest of time. Revenge has consequences. Living forever is not the dream.
Pluto takes 248 years to travel through the zodiac. An unfathomable amount of time. Only nations and religions and trees have Pluto returns. Not people. Pluto returns bring a consolidation of power. Also, an eruption of it. Toxicity is unleashed, the files get burned, and babies get thrown out with the bathwater. The United States is currently going through its first Pluto Return. That’s all I’ll say about that.
The thing about rebirth is that first, we must die. We must commit to the alchemy of the present moment. As we learn in Death Becomes Her, staying alive requires constant maintenance. The decision to leave, to shift, to conjure is only the first step. The rest is upkeep. I know that doing the bare minimum is hard enough. But when it gets hard, is when we’ve actually set out on our hero’s journey. We must keep going. And when we can’t keep going, we must submit to release because holding onto something (un)dead is more painful than letting it go.
Vibes & protocols for this Full Moon:
-a wild night at the bar in an unfamiliar town
-reconstructive surgery
-ruby kintsugi on a cracked iPhone screen
-finding a sugar daddy / becoming a sugar daddy
-Internal Family Systems therapy
-Bloody Marys
-a mosh pit at a post-hardcore band show at Terminal Five circa 2005
-breaking a mirror and accepting the curse that is bestowed upon you
-chilaquiles
-Adam Driver
-vandalizing an art gallery
-Search Party Season 3 (the trial)
-rough sex in a cute place
-making a plan, writing down everything that could possibly make this plan into a disaster, burning the list, doing it anyway
-admitting you were wrong and then laughing it off
-hot yoga
-confessions
-alternately, keeping secrets
It’s normal to fear what’s waiting for us in the shadows. But what if we looked death in the eye and laughed until we cried, until our stomachs hurt, until we fell off our chairs. What if instead of rolling into a ball of despair, we simply waited, expectantly, for what’s next. Passion activated. Heart on our sleeves.
What’s worth getting fired up about?
xoxo, Jaime
Horoscopes follow for each sign. If you know your rising sign, reading that horoscope provides insight. Tbh, reading any/all of them will give you something. As you may have noticed, this newsletter is now on Substack! Paid subscriptions support the its creation for $7/month. Bonus content for subscribers has started dropping ; ).
You can also tip me here or @Jaime-Wright on Venmo. I really appreciate it if you do! My books for readings are open! I’d love to talk about what you’re moving through together. Book here.
Aries
Obsessing over everyone else’s life has been a necessity for survival this season. But this Full Moon is about reclaiming your right to throw a fit. Emotions are impossible to contain, not that you’re one to stress about keeping your cool anyway. Belting karaoke feels amazing and so does taking an extra hot bath. Light your senses on fire and soliloquize as release. Following your own path is the only way to heal. Vocalize that. Your partners in crime are ready and willing to listen.
Taurus
Today’s Full Moon reveals how isolated you’ve become. Everything heartbreaking is illuminated. You can’t look away. Solitude isn’t always negative. But there’s something you’ve been avoiding on purpose. A connection or risk that feels too difficult. That’s what stranded you on this island. Indecision. Engage in ritual. Cut off the phantom limb. Forgive yourself for allowing things to get this far out of control. Once you sweep aside the chaos, there’s magic waiting for you on the quest.
Gemini
Full Moons are like opening night. The curtain rises and the performers meet the audience. Both need something and both receive it. When you’re in a relationship, you don’t need to give your all at every moment but what you do have to show up. Bear witness. Bask in the light. This Full Moon reminds you that your dreams require funding. You need another round of that power on tap. You’re ready to grow and multiply and spread your influence. But first, someone needs to write you a check. Who has always been a patron?
Cancer
Everyone’s looking at you, bb. Me, you, everyone we know, etc. The moon is smiling at you. The trees are swooning as you strut down the avenue. The cashier likes your hat. What’s felt stagnant erupts. Everyone sees what you’re doing. You might feel like this happened too quickly, like you weren’t ready yet. Like the moment is fleeting and this was your only shot and yes the moon smiled but what if you wore that other skirt instead? Would that have made a better impression? This isn’t your last chance. It’s only the beginning. Bask in the attention, even if you feel like a mess.
Leo
You’ve been waiting for a sign (yes, another one) that you’re on the right track. Today, you get one so clear that it’s like a smack in the face. A cardinal lands on your shoulder, a tree branch falls in your path, your ancestors appear in your dreams. Friendly omens are here to take off some of your load. This omen could also come in the form of a mentor you’ve been craving. You can get there on your own but wouldn’t it be nice to let someone else take the wheel? At least for an hour or two?
Virgo
Tangled up in someone else’s resources is where you find yourself at this Full Moon. Whether it’s money, shadow work, or a collaborative project, you’re deeply aware of how much you cannot do this alone. You must seek patronage! You must go back to therapy! You must ask your frenemy for feedback! A major block to your creativity is uncovered with this simple sacrifice: admitting that you need help. It’s OK not to be where you want to be. What do you need?
Libra
That thing you really want? That thing you keep obsessively asking the tarot cards and your friends about? Surrender to it. Confess your desire. Send the text message. Stop torturing yourself about it. It doesn’t have to be today. But today has to be the last day you try to convince yourself that you can “get over it.” Or “stop thinking about it.” Or “change how you feel about it.” You feel how you feel. So what are you going to do?
Scorpio
Living in the moment is messy. You can’t always show your best angles. Some of those photos are not meant for hard posts on Instagram. That’s OK. The messiness of life is what makes us fall to our knees in wonder and awe. The Grand Canyon was not carved politely. The excavations you’ve done this season have given you even more room to collect some clutter. If you love your mess then your mess has integrity. Some of it can be recycled.
Sagittarius
Someone’s crushing on you. They wrote you a song. Do you want to hear it? Muses fall from the sky blessing you with divine inspiration. Do you want to receive it? Feeling wanted is sexy. But what do you want? It’s not that you’re plagued with indecision or confused about where to go next, it’s just a fine line between validation and ecstasy. This blessing is hot. Touch it only if you’re OK with the burn, the consequences. Don’t let this be a tonic for your boredom. Let it actually change your life.
Capricorn
Something isn’t settled at home or in your very foundation. But perhaps it’s not the environment, the circumstance or the geography that’s actually unsettled. Maybe it’s you. Perhaps you’re worried you haven’t changed enough. Or you haven’t lived enough. Or you’re just not “ready” for whatever this next step is. Really though, this shift has been inevitable for a long time. It’s the playing catch up that’s stressing you out, not the decision. Gulp from the chalice. You’re alright.
Aquarius
Revelations about where you want to be, what you want to learn and how you’d like to spend your days are as plentiful as the sugar pumpkins at the Farmers’ Market. Some are unwieldy, all are oddly shaped and most won’t ever get eaten. But the point is for you to collect and to observe and to carry your influence with grace, even if it’s heavy, even if you’d rather just skip the produce, get a pecan bun and call it a day. Not everyone needs to know your thoughts right now. Secrecy is power.
Pisces
Throwing your stuff out the window (literally or metaphorically) feels empowering today. This Full Moon wants you to honor your right to abandon a bad idea and start from scratch. Trash the novel. Dump your dissatisfaction. Empty your closet and begin again with a capsule wardrobe. Your values, like your assets, are yours to cultivate. It’s not that you’re afraid to take the plunge, it’s that a worn out commitment has been keeping you small. It’s heroic to take up this much space.