Latest on Substack
I write regularly at jessicashepherd.substack.com — soft, human words on healing, astrology & intuition:
Blog
Anesthesia for Aquarians: The Jupiter/Neptune/Chiron Conjunction
I’ve just given birth to a creative baby – my first book. This culminating on the meeting of Jupiter (ruler of my Third House), with Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius in my Fifth House. As I experience waning labor pains, like most mothers, I begin to think about what kind of world I’m bringing my baby into. And I realize, also like most mothers, that if I really think about it too hard, say, look around at the state of things, more precisely, the state of collective consciousness that will be...
The Moon’s Full in Scorpio – Even in Switzerland!
Happy Scorpio Full Moon and greetings, from the Land of Cheese (Switzerland). As a Mercury retrograde (May 6-30) preventative, I've personally decided to not reinvent the wheel, a little difficult for an author when she's under multiple writing deadlines. So in keeping my promise to myself, I'm 're-'publishing a previous post. A ringside seat into the sex lives of insects - you’ve got to see it - it’s an irresistible watch. It’s like national geographic meets, david lynch, meets playboy, or in...
New Moon Taurus: The Best Things in Life Are (Almost) Free
I used to date a musician, and as all music lovers, he loved music. Me, I was painting and making art and loved that, and we - well, we both appreciated one another's creative pleasures, those being the foundation of our otherwise elusive connection. I remember waxing philosophical (more than once) to him, but this time in the context of creative gifts and money - surely a Taurus theme. In a rush of inspired optimism about our shared passions I exclaimed: 'The best things in life really are...
Full Moon in Libra: The Cardinal Rules
As the official sign of ME, Aries season insists that each (wo)man is an island, and that's not altogether wrong. Yet, in many spiritual communities at least, ego has become a dirty word. The fact is, we need our ego. Without an ego, we wouldn't have a Sun to orbit, all definition-less and wandering. Implicit on this ego's journey, we need to identify what it is we want, when we feel trespassed, and what activities and interests and passions make us feel totally alive. Then we need to...
New Moon In Aries: Red Is The Color Of The Heart
As a Cancer Sun sign holding a tight t-square between Mars & Pluto, I have my fair share of battle wounds. I don't really know why I'm the first to get honked at on the road (Mars in Aries. I am speedy but I also know how to use my instrument). Or why I had more 'life/death' experiences under my belt by age twenty-one than anyone else I knew. As Aries rules my seventh house of relationship, for the large part of my single life I also attracted immature, narcissistic, maybe even...
Ask Moonkissd: Is Aries In It For the Long Haul?
Hi Jessica, I was born on the 31st of March, 1970, in Canberra, Australia at 1.27am. My boyfriend was born on the 5th of April, 1970, Brisbane, Australia, time unknown. Over the last couple of weeks, our communication and his affection has been different. Today he tells me that he doesn't know what he wants in all aspects of his life, and doesn't know what he wants in regards to me. He says his feelings have changed towards me, he just doesn't feel the same, and doesn't at the moment see our...
Full Moon in Virgo – The Myth of Mondays
It's Monday morning. I awaken early in Calistoga, Ca at crack o' thanks to a cabin mate who has elected herself camp rooster. I awaken reluctantly after a night spent on a hard mattress but definitely in LOVE...(that's the name of the cabin I stay in). And I also awaken very excited for day three of sitting at the feet of master evolutionary astrologer Steven Forrest. When I arrived, the first thing I noticed that was unusual about this particular retreat - other than the usual colorful but...
New Moon in Pisces: Notes From the Fishbowl
I never had the aspiration to be an actress. I was once given the part of handmaiden (with no lines) in a Sheherazade play in highschool which I boffed by giggling nervously on opening night. However, recently I played astrodrama with my astro-friends and found myself cracking everyone up with Saturday Night Fever dance moves. I played North Node in Leo, grabbing a red blanket and squishing it close to my heart and then Chiron, picking the wounds off my magic wand, I felt as though a new...
Aquarius New Moon Solar Eclipse – Of Omens & Kings
Eclipses were the ancient astrologer's predictive tool. The original omen of the future, when eclipses appeared in the sky, foreboding and awe would pass over the collective. This awe was the source of strange superstitions; people might cover their windows and stay indoors during an eclipse. And their awe wasn't unfounded - because huge shifts, like the overthrow of Kings, deaths of people in power, and big news took place around eclipse time (this made the astrologers of yore either very...
New Moon in Capricorn: 2009 :The Year of Keeping Your Cool
Capricorn has his eye on the prize. In fact, I haven't known any Capricorn who hasn't had their eye on some kind of prize. A book deal. A tenure. A hot tub. A new car. Which begs the question: now that the Eliminator, Pluto has come to town, paring down our visions of sugar plums dancing, into something else...what is that something else? Some of us have long-held dreams which may need to be transformed for the times; others may already be riding, or gilding, the wave of what's coming next....
