It seems like just yesterday that we were in “eclipse month,” with three eclipses in a row from June 1 to July 1. This week’s Full Moon marks the halfway point between those eclipses and the next pair, in November and December.

What direction are you heading in? What progress have you made since last December, when the new series of eclipses in Sagittarius and Gemini began? What challenges are still before you? Are you limiting your potential for success by clinging to erroneous beliefs?

These questions may have some very interesting answers this week, which is about deep insights – the kind that can change your beliefs and thus your whole world. Even if you don’t go looking for evidence of the “spiritual,” it may come looking for you.

We start the week with Mercury in a trine with Pluto. In classical mythology, Mercury (Greek Hermes) was the only god who could come and go in the underworld at will – the underworld being Pluto’s domain. Mercury, with his winged sandals, is a symbol of intellect and thought, while Pluto represents our unconscious, primal instincts and urges. These subconscious tendencies show up in mythological stories as demons and scary monsters. When the hero descends to the underworld, he usually finds some precious treasure, but not before killing a hideous beast or two and fighting his way back out.

Pluto is at a dead stop, preparing to return direct on Friday, so this is an incredibly powerful moment to peer into those dark corners. A smooth-flowing trine from Mercury allows us to get a glimpse beneath the surface – not just of ourselves, but of the material world – without feeling as though we’ve been to hell and back.

The peak of the Mercury-Pluto trine occurs just four hours before the Full Moon in Pisces, which also represents the subconscious. However, Pisces is more about deeply buried memories, be they from childhood, our spiritual past, or the collective unconscious. This is where “everything’s connected.”

As human consciousness expands, more people are meeting soul mates from “past lives,” remembering past-life experiences, and encountering disincarnate beings. I put quotation marks around “past lives” because these contacts and experiences are just outside time as perceived by the human brain. Indeed, what appears to be happening is that we’re seeing the true nature of time. Those who have experienced this phenomenon have found it disorienting. Whether mildly or extremely depends on the nature of the experience. Some question their sanity, which certainly is a logical response!

The tricky thing here is discerning whether what you’re seeing and feeling is real or an illusion. Pisces has an active imagination, and Neptune is known for fog and confusion. We have an advantage this is week in that Mercury and the Sun are both in Virgo, sign of discernment. As I’m so fond of telling clients, just because you “channeled” something doesn’t mean it’s true. You need to run it through the Virgo fact-checker. If it still holds up, then you’re onto something.

Mercury trines Jupiter on Wednesday, Jupiter being about growth and expansion. Here is yet another opportunity for expanding your mind and breaking out of self-limiting beliefs.

Also on Wednesday, Venus glides into her own sign of Libra. In general, relationships should be more balanced and free of demoralizing nitpicking. However, her first order of business is to oppose Uranus on Saturday, a wildly unpredictable aspect that could result in a breakthrough or a total meltdown. To get an idea which it might be, check to see where these two are in your chart.

Speaking of which, I want to give you another gentle reminder that the StarGuide Fall 2011 Forecast is ready. Fall is less than two weeks away! I’ll be going back to school on the 26th, so if you think you’d like a report or consultation, I encourage you to order soon! Once classes start, there will be a longer turnaround time for reports and limited availability for consultations overall.

Wishing you much love and courage,
Pat