Break of Day
Chapter 118
BREAK OF DAY
The story for the end of summer:
July 17 – Sept 13, 2023
This has never happened before.
I wrote an entire chapter, and then…I deleted it.
On Saturday, July 15, 2023, three hours after the moon moved into Cancer, I was in tears. Not little baby tears. But full-on ugly crying. The kind that forms swollen eyes and a pile of Kleenex.
This was, in part, a consequence of watching the final episode of a beloved television show, and really, there’s nothing like the swirl of gratitude and grief at the end of a good story to get my lacrimal glands going, but this sob sesh was also more than that.
While I was crying, I found myself thinking about this chapter and the month ahead, and I was struck by the deep knowing that…I need a break. I haven’t missed a deadline or taken a break from this story in two years, and it’s time.
So, in honor of everything discussed in the last chapter, I am trusting that Spirit knows the way. I am listening to my heart and giving myself what I need: a summer break. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect because this is the start of a whole new cycle.
At 2:31 PM EST on July 17, 2023, there is a new moon at 24°56’ Cancer. And this new moon isn’t just marking the start of a new lunar cycle (like all new moons), but it’s also marking the start of a new karmic cycle.
At 3:59 PM EST, eighty-eight minutes after the new moon peaks, the karmic nodes of the moon are changing signs for the first time since January 18, 2022. With this, we are moving away from one cycle of growth (a period detailed in the story of The Great Divide) and towards a whole new beginning — one full of magic and joy.
According to the story I channeled shortly before the tears arrived, this new cycle is bringing immense lightness to our lives. Typing this now, I can’t help but smile. I’m grinning ear to ear and feeling the same deep sigh of relief that I felt when intuitively tuning into the cycle (which goes through January 2025). You can read the channeled story and astrological analysis of this new karmic cycle here, but really, the reason why I think this is such a perfect time for a break isn’t just because a new karmic cycle is starting.
It’s because as the cycle is starting, the north node of the moon (aka the destiny point) is conjuncting asteroids that literally mean BREAK OF DAY and MOST BEAUTIFUL. As in, this moment right now is offering us the most beautiful break of day, and so…we must take it. Whatever that means for us.
We open our hearts to the mysterious unfolding of this moment. We step into this new cycle with nary a map to guide us, and we let ourselves see what will break through the wide-open space. What new thing will grow here? And what’s already here that maybe we’ve forgotten?
For this is also a time for remembering.
The new moon perfectly conjuncts the memory asteroid Mnemosyne, and just a few degrees away, is the asteroid Hekate. Hekate was named after the Greek goddess of witchcraft and magic, and perhaps coincidentally (or not), I found myself invited to museum of witchcraft and magic just three days before this new moon.
This karmic cycle begins in the shadowed spaces of remembered magic. During the new moon time from July 17 through July 31, we are remembering our magic. We are remembering that magic is real. We are maybe even remembering specific ways that magic has been expressed in our family through generations. This is the magic of home. A childlike magic. The magic of your childhood made real, and with this, the tangled knot of destiny is unraveled, and you are UNBOUND.
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On July 7, 2023, my husband turned on an episode of The Witcher, and for whatever reason, he hit pause right away. In that moment, I saw the progress bar. It read 00:00 on one side and 57:57 on the other. My mind immediately translated 57 to asteroid #57 — Mnemosyne — and then my eyes flashed up. I saw the word “witch” in the name of the show, and my mind translated that to asteroid #100 — Hekate. I pulled out my phone, entered both asteroids into my software, and laughed because of course, OF COURSE — how is this always the case? — the asteroids Mnemosyne and Hekate are aligning at the same place in the sky as both the sun and the moon on this Cancer new moon.
As you can see in the picture below, Mnemosyne is a very tight conjunction (in basically the same place in the sky) while Hekate is a little farther away. Though, as you will soon see, Hekate and magic will continue to play a big role throughout this entire lunar cycle — from new moon to full in August.
And so, I saw the asteroids thanks to the paused Netflix screen, and then, I noticed the name of the episode: UNBOUND.
It felt like part of a sign — a message, a wink — reminding me of what was written about fate in the last chapter:
A knot is unraveling. Our destiny is straightening out.
All in time for the start of this new karmic cycle. A cycle that just so happens to include a deep healing of our destiny, for during this cycle, the destiny point will be transiting Chiron — an asteroid that’s all about healing big wounds.
This healing will be especially intense for me and everyone else who was born between April 7, 1986, and December 2, 1987. For starting now, we are having what’s known as our karmic return. That’s when the nodes of the moon return to where they were when you were born. And we aren’t alone. Anyone born when the north node was in Aries and the south node was in Libra is having their karmic return. This includes everyone born during the following times:
July 8, 1930 - December 28, 1931
January 26, 1949 - July 26, 1950
August 20, 1967 - April 19, 1969
April 7, 1986 - December 2, 1987
December 27, 2004 - June 22, 2006
The December 27, 2004, to June 22, 2006 karmic cycle was the last time the nodes were where they are now. For me, this period included my high school graduation, my freshman year of college, and my fateful decision to transfer schools after that first year.
What was happening in your life between December 27, 2004, and June 22, 2006?
What happens now will not be the same as then, but that cycle and this new one are connected. That one then helped you grow in similar ways as this one will, but your starting position is likely very different, for surely, you are not the same person you were in 2004.
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As you make your way through the early days of this cycle, numerous big events are happening. The Map of Dates is FULL:
While I will not be releasing separate chapters of The Magic Guide for each of the August moons, I have written numerous readings to help guide you through this period. They are all linked in the calendar above, and for the rest of this chapter, I’ll be detailing all of the moons between now and September. Below, you’ll find reflection exercises and messages that you can turn to throughout the month of August.
So…I guess we do have a bit of a map. 😊
May this serve you during the remaining days of summer (or winter if you’re down under).
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NEW MOON
July 17, 2023
24°56’ Cancer at 2:31 PM EST
This Cancer new moon time takes us from July 17 through July 31. As stated above, this is a time of deep remembering, of remembering magic, and of experiencing a whole new beginning in the direction of your destiny.
But it’s also not just about remembering magic. It’s about memory itself. During this period, we are remembering how much the world has changed and how our memory works.
On July 22, Venus turns retrograde for the first time in eighteen months, and as you’ll see below, Venus figures prominently throughout the month ahead.
Everything that happens during this time is building to Harvest Season in September and the Cancer full moon on December 26, 2023. All rituals and intentions set now will be connected to these larger cycles as well as the lunar cycle that takes us through the Aquarius full moon on August 1st.
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FULL MOON
August 1, 2023
9°16’ Aquarius at 2:31 PM EST
This Aquarius full moon opposes the sun and the asteroid Hekate, helping us embrace even more of the magic that we began remembering with the Cancer new moon.
This is a BLOOMING of the magic that drew our attention at the start of the new karmic cycle, but really, the blooming of this magic was first initiated seven years ago.
It started with the movement of Venus in the sky, for every eight years, the path of Venus forms a pentagram that resembles a five-petaled flower, or — as I like to think of it — a wild rose.
“Wild roses…do you have the answers? And if you do, would you tell me?” Mary Oliver once asked only to have the roses laugh softly in response: “Forgive us…but as you can see, we are just now entirely busy being roses.”
Which is, I think, what is asked of us right now. On this first full moon of the new karmic cycle, take a cue from the wild roses and just be.
You are embarking on the final stretch of a Venus cycle that began in June 2016. Back then, the first of five petals began to form in the sky. It’s been slowly blooming ever since. On August 13, the fifth and final petal begins to unfurl. It will open fully in June 2024.
Reflection for the Full Moon Time (August 1 - August 15):
What started in the summer of 2016 and how has it evolved over the last 7 years? To better answer this question, take some time and reflect on the following dates. They mark pivotal points in the blooming of each of the four petals to date:
March 25, 2017 and January 9, 2018
October 26, 2018 and August 14, 2019
June 3, 2020 and March 26, 2021
January 9, 2022 and October 22, 2022
Finally, what did you experience during the Aquarius new moon time from January 21, 2023 - February 4, 2023? The events of this full moon connect to then.
For other major moments during the first two weeks of August, follow the links in the calendar above. A Mercury retrograde cycle starts on August 4th — click here to read the messages for THE FINAL EMBODIMENT.
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NEW MOON
August 16, 2023
23°17’ Leo at 5:38 AM EST
This Leo new moon conjuncts the planet Venus and the asteroid Lilith. This new moon time — from August 16 to August 29 — is all about embracing what’s commonly referred to as the “divine feminine.”
The divine feminine is larger than notions of male and female, man and woman. It flows through all of us to varying degrees and speaks to a divine power behind all instances of conception, birth, and nurturance.
It is sweet and soft, and it is wild and strong.
Venus was the most classically beautiful woman in Greek mythology, but she also had a fierce temper. She, like Lilith, was wild and free and powerful, and this moon is really about helping us connect with the parts of ourselves that are the same. This is about allowing a divine feminine authority to freely express itself through you. In other words: What would a goddess say? What would a goddess do? What are you creating? What stage of creation are you experiencing?
Everything during these early days of the new karmic cycle is heavily tied to Venus “energy.” Colloquially, this is all about beauty, love, and money, but really, I think of Venus as the planet of energetic exchange. As in, I give you something, and you give me money in exchange. Or I stand before you (giving you my presence), and you see whatever you see (on the scale of beauty) in exchange. Etc, etc. How are you giving to the world? What are you giving? What are you receiving?
The “divine feminine” is often reduced to being all about receiving (as in, the feminine is receptive “energy” versus assertive), or it’s often reduced to being all about giving (as in, the divine feminine is like a self-sacrificing mother). But really, all you have to do is think about pregnancy to see that the divine feminine RECEIVES to GIVE. It’s not just one or the other. You must receive to give. (And this lives in contrast with taking and consuming and hoarding.)
For more on Venus, look to the Venus retrograde cycle reading: The Marriage Exchange.
This new moon sets the stage for everything that will happen with the Leo full moon in January 2024, but it’s also intimately woven with the harvest moon at the end of September…more on that to come when The Magic Guide returns.
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BLUE MOON
August 30, 2023
7°25’ Pisces at 9:35 PM EST
August is doubling up on full moons. Giving us one at the start and one at the end, which makes the August 30th full moon a Blue Moon. According to the farmer’s almanac, it’ll be the largest supermoon we’ll have all year, so try to step outside and see it. (The Aquarius full moon will also be a supermoon, but this one is closer to the earth, so it will appear larger.)
This full blue moon is conjunct the planet Saturn in the sign of Pisces, opposing the sun in Virgo.
Saturn is currently retrograde in Pisces, a sign it entered for the first time in twenty-seven years in March. Back then, I dreamt of golden tears, and I can’t help but think now of the tears that started this chapter. The tears that made me delete what I’d written and create a clean slate of SPACE from which to grow.
Saturn is a great teacher and a great equalizer — the ruler of Roman mythology’s Golden Age — and Saturn in Pisces is here to help us purge our collective trend towards narcissism. What happens right now is bigger than you. It’s bigger than me. It’s bigger than us. This is about the WHOLE world, which is so much more than the plants, the animals, the earth, and us. It is so much more than we can see. And so, we soften into the whole.
During this blue moon time, you experience the whole in a whole new way — a way that started revealing itself to you during the Pisces new moon time from February 20 to March 6, 2023. Reflect back on that time to help yourself better understand what you’re experiencing now, which at times may feel like clarity, but also, it may be a bit disorienting in its greatness.
Grab hold of your experience and all its questions. Don’t let your desire for answers slow you down. JUST KEEP RIDING THIS WAVE.
Venus goes direct on September 3rd, and I’ll be back with the next chapter of the story on September 14th.
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On September 14, 2023, a Virgo new moon arrives, kickstarting our Harvest Season!
I am so curious and excited about this harvest. I’ve had multiple dreams already about September. (One mentioned something that will happen then, and another gave me an explicit date.) Then, last week, I dreamt about the golden kernels of fresh corn only to wake up and find a mysterious half-eaten ear of corn in the backyard. When I saw it, I thought of the corn moon, which is another name for…the Harvest Moon! It’s coming on September 29th, but first, there’s the Virgo new moon, which is when this story will resume.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for being here. Thank you for giving me the grace of this break, and if you’re interested, I am still available for one-on-one sessions during this time, so please feel free to email to book one of those.
Now…here’s to whatever’s coming next!
Which almost certainly includes…the changing of leaves, mist rising from the pond out back, the crisp sensation of cooler air, and all the pumpkin-flavored things I can get my hands on.
Oh, fall, how I love you. I can’t wait.
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To be continued on September 14, 2023…
Long Story Short:
This Cancer new moon marks the start of a whole new karmic cycle. One that’s all about healing our destiny. And sometimes, to start something new, it’s best to start fresh — with a lot of wide open space and very few expectations. What will show up for you over the next two months? Where will this time take you? Let it surprise you. Let old memories surface. Remember who you are and why you’re here. JOY JOY JOY. Have fun! Enjoy the last days of summer (or winter), and don’t worry too much about the future. Certainly, don’t try to control it. Instead, give yourself all the space in the world to be surprised. And you will BE SURPRISED. Things can happen magically! Unexpectedly! This is a time for remembering magic. If you actually believed — like, really believed —then what would you choose? Go ahead, take that leap of faith. A harvest is growing. You can’t even see it yet, but it’s coming — in September. As my teabag recently reminded me, let us “give thanks for unknown blessings that are already on the way.”
The Tip Jar
The Magic Guide is a calling I answer every time I sit to write. Every month, I spend 50+ hours creating it, and I couldn’t do it without you. If you’re enjoying The Magic Guide, please help contribute to its continued creation. Thank you.
