Moon Matters Magazine: Dalanah's Diary

Lot of Fortune- Preliminary Findings

Dalanah ♃ — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:02:01 GMT

My initial findings surrounding my natal Lot of Fortune. I plan to do a deeper evaluation of the derived places this coming week and will report on that next time.

Hermetic Lots and Eclipse Thoughts

Dalanah ♃ — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:02:12 GMT

Is it my Saturn in Capricorn that demands austere tradition? Sit in with me as I outwardly process this shift.

Performance and Self-Work

Dalanah ♃ — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 20:31:18 GMT

A soliloquy spurred by the upcoming New Moon Eclipse in Leo.

Full Moon Messy

Dalanah ♃ — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:00:35 GMT

Will this reach your inbox? Will I chicken out and scrap it before it sees the light of day? If you’re reading this, you have your answer.

Whether this digital diary makes it past a couple entries or not, the Full Moon/Jupiter cazimi energy has landed me here for now. Enjoy the awkwardness of my first entry. I can see me potentially making this a series …

Aphrodite Rising

Dalanah ♃ — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 20:01:46 GMT

It’s a commonly held belief in traditional astrology that the sign of the Ascendant is just as important, if not more important, than the sign of the Sun. The hour-marker denotes the sign that was rising over the eastern horizon at our time of birth— giving it say in the creation of our corporeal form and the scattering of our Fate.

I’m a Libra rising. I see my Venusian tendencies play out in the way I move through the world and my deep love of aesthetics. As a traditional astrologer, I adopt the viewpoint of the ancient sages. I too, believe that the sign of the hour-marker leaves a distinguished imprint upon us.

What the hour-marker imbues is not some cheap gilding that will tarnish at the sight of the Sun. It’s a lasting signature that brands us—forever a walking billboard for the mythos that was rising at the time of our descent. We owe ourselves an examination of the Gods we’re advertising.

This is mine.

We know I’m a Libra rising, making my Ascendant Venus-ruled. The rest of my chart, however, is a bit of a hellcat. I embody all facets of Fire— cardinal, fixed, and mutable— with a heavy emphasis on mutable. My chart ruler is Mars in Gemini.

That’s another difference between the ancient and modern practitioners. Modern astrology will default to the Ascendant as the ruler of the chart. Traditional astrology has something called “The Master of the Nativity”, and that becomes the chart ruler. I won’t be showing that delineation here— that’s another day’s endeavor.

Suffice to say, my chart is fiery and ruled by Mars. This doesn’t exactly scream the type of decorum that Venus would typically be associated with. Despite the rage my Aries Moon holds, the praise my Jupiter in Leo in craves, or the many fires my Sagittarius stellium lights— Aphrodite has claimed this vessel.

What I’m examining here is both the physical imprint and the Fated one. I’m stepping back and peering into Aphrodite’s looking glass. The energy that was rising amongst the eastern horizon has imbued me with finesse I don’t deserve and social graces I all but squander. This is an examination— but also a hearty appreciation.

Physical Imprint

I want to preface this portion by saying that just as the Fate of other Libra risings will differ, so too will these physical characteristics. You have to take the chart in its entirety when assessing Fate, as well as how your rising manifests physically. Aspects to the Ascendant will play heavily into the formation of the physical. So please, don’t think all Libra risings will embody these same imprints.

Synastry Reflections- Marriage Election

Dalanah ♃ — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:30:39 GMT

Three years ago I ran into the woods with a crown of horns on my head, a dress from Target that I bought the night before, and all my burning love. I was being ushered by Eros and summoned by Juno to fulfill an essential part of my Fate— I was eloping.

I’ve romanticized running away and getting married as long as I can remember. You can even see it within my natal chart, as Venus is combust under the beams and exactly conjunct both Juno and Lilith. Stories like the one in Moulin Rouge were my north star, setting my expectations for an epic romance— but hopefully with less tuberculosis.

I’ve lived a rich romantic life, filled with many whirlwind romances. Chiron transiting my 7H has been a huge part of that whirlwind— weaving marriage, unrequited love, divorce, and eloping into my personal mythology over the last 9 years. I say “lived” a romantic life, but the truth is, it feels like it’s only just beginning. Eloping was the nexus between my idealized version of what I felt love should be and my day-to-day reality of actually living it.

My three year elopement anniversary falls on July 16th. My husband, Cary, and I were wed in the woods by a man that looked like the Lorax. We had a handfasting ceremony and I was able to fully customize the ceremony script, as well as pick the date for our marriage. Being a professional astrologer, it felt crucial that I pick that date and make it astrologically sound. Now that three years have passed, it’s time to see what’s come of it.

Below is the chart for our elopement. I prefer to call it an elopement over a wedding because that’s what it was by actual definition. We ran away in secret and didn’t tell our families until after it was done. We announced it by printing out pictures from the ceremony and giving them as gifts— which was actually received quite well.

I want to look back at the day I chose and see how the energy has permeated our lives thus far. I chose this date and these transits. One of our witnesses told me the exact time we were announced as being fully bound for eternity, so this chart is as accurate as can be. This is both an examination and celebration. When we pick an election date, we’re not just picking the benefics and molding auspicious energy. We’re purposefully placing malefics and hardship as well. This is an examination of how these energies have played out, and a celebration of how we’ve embraced them together over the last three years.

To keep things organized, I’ve chosen the most glaring parts of the chart— the ones I know pushed me towards this election— and I’m going to review them. This chart spans the entirety of our marriage, of our lives. While some of this has already come to pass, its energy will always be with us and will continually show up in new ways. This is simply how it’s shown up for us thus far. Let’s start with the Moon and Juno.

To Cary— If you’re reading this, I love you.

A Letter to Jupiter in Leo

Dalanah ♃ — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:32:28 GMT

Being in your Jupiter return is a little wild— especially when you have a good amount of placements that are Jupiter-ruled. The Sun, Mercury, Venus, and of course Lilith and Juno, all fall under the sign of mutable Fire. Being in my Jupiter return feels like a call to action, a renaissance, something I can’t seem to ignore, or more appropriately, something I’m not allowed to ignore.

It feels appropriate that I should try to maximize this time to the best of my ability. I struggle with the weight of opportunity my Jupiter placement carries, so I’m hopeful that the next year can bring ways of embracing its energy without losing myself. To do this, I need to get clear on what it is I want. I also need to be realistic with what I know Jupiter wants. I’m a professional astrologer. It’s pointless to delude myself into thinking I can circumvent Jupiter’s wishes while still obtaining my own. The monkey’s paw that is a bolstered Jupiter has come home to roost.

My Occult Diary

Dalanah ♃ — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:30:56 GMT

I’ll be the first to admit— I’m a bit of a recluse. The vast majority of my personal planets are below the horizon line, yet both my chart ruler and Jupiter (who rules my stellium and is in its place of Joy) are well above the horizon line and looking for recognition.

I’ve made mention on the weekly podcast that it’s my Jupiter return, which means my Jupiter is in Leo— not exactly the subtle type. During my last Jupiter return (12 years ago) I was just beginning to understand my place in the spiritual world. And I mean, just beginning. I was not the fleshed out occultist that sits here with 20 tarot decks, a bookcase filled with sacred texts, and a dedicated meditation space. I was a baby magician, and in many ways, I still am. Occultism isn’t something you master, and maybe that’s why I like it.

This diary is the start of a journey that’s meant to be witnessed. I’m not sure why it needs to be witnessed, to be seen, to be consumed by the world— but it does. I fight the pull to be a public figure every day. Many of you know I have a deep disdain for the world of social media, yet my Jupiter yearns for the connection and recognition that being in its Joy can bring. With every passing day that I remain a hermit, I mock the gods— I mock my Fate.