One thing I’d like to say about Eris: Quit blaming her for strife! She doesn’t bring it, she makes space for it–a huge difference. She connects with another energy by transit; if it’s by soft aspect (sextile, trine) she says, ‘You know, I think you need to let that tension out’ and if it’s by hard aspect (square, opposition, with the conjunction going either way), she prods, dares, irritates, or forces, and the underlying tension appears and is expressed. Since an atmosphere of strife is simply two or more conflicting intentions going at one another, Eris can’t be directly blamed, though the sign she’s transiting at any one time can suggest the attitude that spurs what comes next. For example, in Aries (as she is right now) it might be egos that rise up, while in Gemini it’s words, and in Capricorn it might be attempts to stop others, but when in Scorpio wanting to get vengeance, destroy, or reform might be the match to the fuel. Eris is a catalyst; best to see her as making the upset possible, rather than creating it, and don’t forget that oftentimes such expression is for the good, releasing things that no one needs to carry around.
Neptune’s opposed Hygeia right now (only two minutes off exact), suggesting that health matters might be very difficult to assess–and that it may be a ‘do or die’ moment when living our healthy ideals might be vitally important.
Venus will be square Saturn now through late on the 17th PDT, telling us that relationships and/ or finances might look more limited, unloving, restricted, or even ‘dead’ than they actually are. Venus is in Scorpio, prompting her to dig dig dig and it’s just not the thing to do, right now. Saturn says, ‘Let some time pass.’ It’s an unspoken request for emotional lockdown, an attempt to organize by slowing things down–understandable, a kind of restraint that loving (and demanding) Venus needs to practice, in order not to tear it all down.
Add to the above that Mars has just moved into Libra and will soon trine the North Node. Yes, Libra is one of the signs (Taurus the other) where Mars is in detriment–but that only means that the style of the sign doesn’t come naturally to expression of the planet, and that’s okay. Mars can adapt, but right now, before he gets used to being here, he may push too hard in relationships, which would back up Venus’ current inclinations but run them both into a Saturnian brick wall. So, let that make for a double warning: take it easy with others, especially those close to us; ask, but only if you must–best practice is to be gentle, hang back a bit, and absolutely don’t demand–Eris is square Pluto and Earth will perfect semi-sextile tomorrow (which means the Sun will perfect quincunx), and that suggests that pushing too hard could burn it down, have actual material consequences, and perhaps alter our own Self-image if we indulge in such behavior, forever after (and retro Jupiter is in the mix at the same degree, sprinkling the glitter of exaggeration and overdoing–and you know how hard it is to clean that up!!)
Neptune’s also quincunx Zeus right now, suggesting that any ways in which we’ve been fooling ourselves about the ambition and desire picture are currently causing a nagging feeling of upset or doubt, or are playing out through bewildering responses to our efforts. Just know that this is meant to alert you to a need to come clean and stop pretending: refocus on ideals and the essence (rather than the trappings) of the dream itself. And, Chiron sextile Ceres says we have the chance to heal and/ or use the unique skills if we’ll accept personal responsibility–do it now, before a hard aspect forces consequences of not taking responsibility.
‘Jupiter and Tetis’ By Dominique Ingres 1811 {{PD}}
In doing some chart work this past week, it occurred to me that Jupiter really does offer us a kind of mission statement, an approach blueprint for what we’re here to do, beyond any Soul intentions (the Sun) or Earthly needs (Earth, always directly opposed the Sun, designating the environment or atmosphere or material requirements necessary to fulfill the Soul’s purpose). This is a thread that likely runs through so much else that you do or strive for; it’s probably a sort of ‘silent component’ that is part of any activity or intention, aside from a stated goal or point. So, here are a few brief potential mission statements for each sign; these are off-the-cuff, so please forgive any shortcomings or things I might have forgotten.
Aries: the mission is to discover who you are. The reason for being, exploring the needs and consequences of action and choice, and to plumb the depths and limits of the personal Will. Showing others the importance of acting, doing. The value of the Self.
Taurus: the mission is to discover forms of harmonious expression of the Self through materiality. To explore the array of bodily needs from survival to luxuries, and the value of refining a necessity (such as food) to an artisanal level. Our connection to Nature through diet and environment. The value of caring for the body and honoring physical needs, and of imbuing the everyday with artistry.
Gemini: the mission is to discover forms of connection and communication. To explore, act as a ‘translator’, in both the language and broadcast senses, and to share the web of perpetual communication that is always present, always informing. Thinking as a necessity. The value of being informed, and the importance of that to our interconnectedness.
Cancer: the mission is to discover what it truly means to care. To nurture and be nurtured, to experience the beauty of keeping another being alive, to guide others with loving energy attuned to their welfare, rather than your own. To soothe and emotionally support. Exploring the concept of sacrifice for others, and knowing when that’s appropriate, when to be avoided.The value of positive action supported by emotional investment.
Leo: the mission is to discover what it truly means to be fulfilled. To explore what efforts and attention are genuinely meaningful, what works to uplift others, what it means to each individual to live optimally, making the most of their talents and opportunities. Learning to ‘shine’ from the core Self. The value of doing and being your best.
Virgo: the mission is to discover the subtleties of discretionand their expression through useful critique and analysis. To explore concepts around accountability and responsibility, and to insure everyone receives what’s due. The value of seeing things and people as they are, and so assessing them for best function/ role.
Libra: the mission is to discover what cooperation and partnership really entail. Exploring recognition of and regard for ‘the Other’. Learning when to put ‘we’ before ‘I’. Seeing when and where aesthetics matter. The value of doing things with others, not out of survival or want, but out of Love.
Scorpio: the mission is to discover what ‘the Truth’ really means. To explore when to dig, when to let things alone. Learning to let go of things in order to clear the way for something else. Developing the ability to know when sacrifice is necessary, and when to ‘try again’. The value of persistence; the good judgment to know when something’s over, and to recognize when something’s real.
Sagittarius: the mission is to discover what Faith really means to you. To explore the middle ground between facts and beliefs, and to know the difference between them. Being willing to discover other ways of seeing and being. Learning how and when to reach out, ‘spreading the word’, and refusing to exaggerate or over-promise. The value of moving forward/ sharing based on real-world facts or on genuine belief, and honoring accumulated knowledge by doing so.
Capricorn: the mission is to discover the importance of feeling secure to the human spirit. To explore the optimal uses of guidelines and structures, literal and figurative; to learn when to follow tradition, when to discard it. Learning to gauge when restraint is needed, and when it must be removed. Offering others a ‘safe place’. Learning positive ways to accumulate in the material world. The value of creating something strong, solid, orderly, that gives a sense of security and shelter and anchorspeople in reality.
Aquarius: the mission is to discover how to connect with Higher Mind in the moment. Exploring what genuinely reflects elevated consciousness/ core spirituality, what is shallow, academic, or a fad. Seeing the modern, and how it can mesh with what is/ the past. The spirit of innovation, inventiveness. The value of understanding as it supports acceptance and opens the way for ‘the new’.
Pisces: the mission is to discover the Oneness of All. Exploring the source of both creativity and spirit. Learning the means and power of manifestation. Promoting Universality in positive ways that allow distinctiveness and creative expression within the Collective. Showing that the only sacrifice necessary is one of ego. The value of recognizing everything is spiritual.
Edward Burne-Jones ‘Love Among the Ruins’ 1894 {{PD}}
The New Moon in Virgo forms at 14 Virgo 38 at 5:52 PM PDT on the 6th, with its closest aspect a tidy little trine (just one minute off!) to Uranus in Taurus. This is, of course, like a great big shocking air horn scream: surprise! look out! wtf! At first, it may feel like a ‘love among the ruins’ scenario, finding a big, Universal positive in some sort of fail or calamity, and this may involve a group with whom you’re entangled instituting something of consequence to you personally. The New Moon is, in this case, definitely an inception point to be wary of, though this shock, even if accident-related, isn’t necessarily a negative one; try to take the long view, the one that says the Universe is always working in your best interests, even if it’s very difficult to recognize that. Especially if you have some material facet of your life you’ve been looking to for a result, particularly if that result is of a critical nature or brings an assessment or accounting or even a ‘harvest’, you are more likely than not to get a reality check that’s positive; at the very least, positive in the sense that you’ll now know, without doubt, where you stand.
All the other aspects are a tisch wide, meaning the Lunar energy is largely focused through that Uranian event, though there are a couple if those contacts we should count. The New Moon squares Juno, suggesting power struggles might be a New Moon feature, and it’s in wide quincunx to Chiron–and here’s why we count that: though out of solid orb to the NM itself, Chiron does trine Juno with only 20 minutes of differential, looping it in to the power struggle and implying that those conflicts may, just may, arise from wounds (with a small percentage arising from jealousy, as some use the empowering Chirotic gift and are targeted for it).
One other contact of note: the New Moon noviles Venus. And this may be the ultimate experience of things: whatever occurs brings, is the result of, fosters, or in a few unfortunate cases, denies, Love or material benefit. So, that surprise might be better than we think, after all–and certainly revealing.
The Sabian symbol for the New Moon is, ‘A Fine Lace Handkerchief, Heirloom From Valorous Ancestors’. Something refined and of worth, inherited, may figure in, either through the exercise of talents (especially the Chirotic ones), or with a kind of genius gain of assets or in highly positive relationships–or some combination of these. My sense is this may be quite literal, especially in the ‘family talent’ department, so it wouldn’t hurt to take a look back at where your DNA came from–such an examination could point you toward something newly activated or discovered in yourself. The symbol describes this attribute or endowment as coming from the best of your ancestors–so seek with that in mind.
I’m knee-deep in my Moon book and really shouldn’t be here at the blog, but I just saw a couple of things that I think I should comment on. First is that we’ll be entering Dark of the Moon in about a day; that says, ‘Get your sh*t done now, and then tuck in to a smooth period of contemplation and, as much as possible, withdrawal from the worldly’.
The second is the very-nearly-exact opposition of Mars in Virgo to Neptune in Pisces. A big determiner of how this goes for each of us will rest in the House axis across which the opposition lies; that gives us an outline of the areas where we may most clearly see the opposition manifest. The general effect, though, may be one of two things: either we stop dead in our tracks, uncertain of where we stand, questioning (and probably worrying about) everything, or we put the pedal to the metal and Create (with a big ‘C’–and remember, creative energy fuels every thing, every action, choice, and intention, so be as aware as possible of precisely where your energy is being directed).
We also see Venus-Vesta-Zeus conjoined in Libra, quincunx Pallas (which happens to conjoin Neptune). This suggests being flexible and willing to adjust in relationships, in how we honor others, and in how we pursue ambitions and desires, is the smart way to go–and will help support that big ‘C’ creativity mentioned above.
The Sun is also briefly quincunx both Saturn and Chiron, making for a window when attention to real-world wounds or the ‘reality that hurts’ will allow for adjustments to approach, attitude, and most importantly, viewpoint, thereby giving us a better perspective on things, one where we can either remedy some wound, muster our unique skills to address it, or contain that pain in some way that makes it easier to live with.
And over the coming few days (by the 4th) Mars positions himself to trine Pluto and act as apex to a Finger of God with base of Jupiter sextile Eris. That, my dears, is when we make our move. We change or transform what needs changing, and find we have the power to do it, and our actions and choices should be supported by solid belief and the willingness to stir things up to get things done. We’ll still be in the Dark period, but should find either that we’re able to act because opposing energies are ‘down’ right now, or that we don’t act but plan meticulously, knowing that our plans are well-formed and slated to prevail. It’s a point of greater access to the unseen, and we take advantage of it.
This all leads up to the New Moon in Virgo on the 6th. The big headline there will be the surprise, innovation, invention, or shock factor, as the NM forms a trine only one minute from perfection with Uranus. Also of note at that time: the North Node closely conjoined the Black Moon Lilith point. That suggests we reap the repercussions of those matters that have shaped our future but that we are still in denial of, angry about, or roundly ignoring. Good luck to us all with that!
Just a few things to take note of during this retro period. Technically Uranus gained retro status on the 19th, but it remained stationary until the 23rd. I like to look at the point a body retrogrades for the picture it presents in relation to other bodies, making a kind of birth chart for the retrograde itself. This can give us the general tone of the period, a snapshot of what to expect, though I have to emphasize, particularly with the slower moving bodies, that the point of retrograde just isn’t, well, as pointed as it is with a quicker moving body. That’s because a slower planet stations for some time both before and after status change, making the retro a window, rather than, once again, a point.
Uranus stationing and reversing always suggests shifts in the Zeitgeist, and in personal momentum, and in each case the individual experiences this in one of two ways: when Uranus is direct, one flows along with the greater ‘group’, accessing inventive and innovative energies relatively easily, with accidents swiftly righted and surprises usually the kind we look back on and say, ‘I knew it!’; then Uranus retros, and things take a somewhat negative turn, with Uranian energies overwhelming or shocking and relationship with ‘the group’ suffering static in the ‘who’s responsible for what’ category. Generally speaking, the individual oriented to this Uranus pattern finds Uranus-related circumstances during the direct phase to be, even if surprising, understandable, with those during the retro period seemingly more random or confusing.
The second type of individual experiences Uranus like this: the direct phase is the one that delivers the electric shock, the trouble with groups and one’s place in them, one seemingly being more methodical and less inventive as this specific energy seems to suffer a short circuit, with accidents feeling arbitrary, things sometimes prompting the question, ‘Why me?’ Then the retro comes along and this kind of individual is suddenly finding much less resistance to the inventive and innovative energies, with sudden events turning out fortuitously and the serendipitous signaling the individual flow within the larger Uranian energies. In this case, the retro gets the Uranian energy out of its own way, allowing the current (and therefore the capacity for understanding) to flow.
This time, Uranus retrograded at 14 Taurus 47, with Mercury soon to perfect a trine and Vesta soon to perfect a quincunx, followed by perfection of a trine from Mars. Everything within this picture is in Earth, except for Vesta in Air (Libra). This made me think that the material world will correspond precisely to the unseen, like a shadow made solid. Thoughts and communications will be shaped into our surroundings and events in surprising or unexpected ways–so be very conscious, during this retro period, with what you’re really thinking and expressing, and take communications from others with this same sort of ‘this is shaping reality’ awareness.
What we experience may challenge, or at least make uncomfortable, our attitudes or practices around those things we feel are sacrosanct–and likely what occurs will show us how we need to modify our values in theory so that they match our values in practice, and vice versa, align our real-world behaviors with the ideals we claim and identify with. And from these things, an awareness of the impact of thought on the material, and the need to modify and align ourselves with those things we genuinely find sacred, we will find the perfect (and perfectly applicable) actions and choices to move us forward.
Also, be aware of how on the 25th the Moon will pass over Chiron in Aries and then Venus will oppose it from Libra. That’s a recipe for emotional wounds to spill out into the open, for relationships awash in the full brunt of feeling, and for the cost of our own wounds to become apparent. Just take care, and be kind, especially with yourself.
An Air Grand Trine has formed, consisting of Venus on her home turf in Libra, Saturn in Aquarius, and Ceres-North Node in Gemini. It’s a little bit like Venus is the hopeful balloon, thinking good thoughts especially about relationships and aesthetic matters, Saturn is the anchor that keeps Venusian optimism connected to both reality and Higher Mind, and Ceres-NN lends thought the authority to lead us confidently in our destined direction. That’s a lot of ‘mind energy’, a lot of ruminating and pondering that won’t be completely conscious–and that’s the thing we need to remain aware of.
For all the overt reasoning and perception that will be going on in this period (and the seemingly super sane and rational way it will appear), we may be faced with influences we didn’t really know were there, until they’re right in front of us. For instance, Venus is sextile Juno by the midpoint of the period, suggesting that our Venusian viewpoint will be confident in its own status and authority–but Venus is also on the move toward perfecting an opposition to Chiron, meaning that despite our good intentions and our Grand Trine inclination toward harmony and balance, the relationship or financial aspect of things may be headed toward hurt, either because we plow forward without enough sensitivity or responsiveness to others (which the circumstances of the GT may encourage), or because we see something in current situations that mirrors old wounds, and react.
Too, there are things that aren’t directly connected to the GT but that are crucial to be aware of, as in the case of the Pluto-Eris square. It’s important chiefly because it’s Cardinal; we can’t hide from that dynamic ‘doing’ energy even if we want to! This means that the Pluto-Eris scenario will be present at the same time (though not necessarily intertwined with) the Grand Trine. So, there’ll be a dynamic situation of conflict, destruction, or serious/ massive change going on while the GT is occupying our minds with other, likely much more personal, ideas. This may create an atmosphere of dissonance, a feeling that ‘I’ve got it together over here, why can’t all those upset people get it together over there?’
And that’s how we may miss the square’s influence in our own lives. That clash is between a rage for Power by one party, and a catalyst energy that’s embodying disharmony already extant but perhaps pushed under the surface, until now, by the other party, and we may be more than a little inclined to believe we’re neither of those entities, that this conflict just doesn’t apply to us. Look more closely: the personal manifestation of this will come as emotional strain (signified by the Full Moon) that is perpetrated via what we ‘know but don’t know’, or by matters that reside in our ‘blind spot’ (both Sedna)–perceptual areas we may try very hard to disown, right now.
Seems like we may have an (overly) emotional scattering of days ahead of us, but I do see at least one way to channel the discord and the ‘living in our heads’ energies effectively: by plunging into the work of the ‘Smart Creative’. That’s the creative thing you know you should do, but are prone to undermine yourself by ignoring. By creative I don’t necessarily mean something in the Arts; that can just as easily apply to anything where you generate and guide the energy to shape, form, or simply do something. It’s about funneling energy from inside you to outside you, into affecting something external, whether that be materials or another human Being (Neptune conj Pallas in Pisces).
55 Cancri e: Skies Sparkle Above a Never-Ending Ocean of Lava. Poster from the NASA Exoplanets Exploration Program’s Exoplanet Travel Bureau {{PD}}
‘Moment’ of crisis isn’t quite right, is it? More like decade–but then again, has there ever truly been a time of no crisis? Even if one’s corner of the world was peaceful, or one’s awareness was truncated, there was still turmoil elsewhere–so no, we’ve never been without that condition. It’s just that this Full Moon falls at 29 Aquarius 36, at 5:01 AM PDT of the 22nd of August–and as we all know, that’s a degree rife with tension. So then we must ask, How will the stress of this culmination affect me?
The answer, of course, is found in how this event interacts with the natal chart, but here we must speak in more general terms–and I don’t mean mundane, worldly ones, but in ways that address the individual. A Full Moon in Aquarius promises ends, peaks, denouements, and final pronouncements or dispensations in matters of the natal House where it falls, and/ or in areas where we are involved with rebellion, with being in the avant garde, in areas that touch on Higher Mind or academics, in our group involvements (especially those that include a question of leadership), in what’s most original about us (and by extension, involving our original thoughts or products), in those life areas where we feel most unique or individual, and in matters of the unexpected, accidental, or of the ‘rare bird’ variety.
And what does that 29 degree placement add? Anticipation to the bursting point. Shock. Anarchy. Surprise. Excitement. Chaos. Or a kind of irrelevance of events or perceptions, as we take an academic approach to something that we need to feel. We may find ourselves floored by an ending we never expected, a mishap that changes everything, a sudden revelation that brings understanding (for understanding is the expression of Aquarian divine nature), a fantastically original idea–or a pervasive idea given a whole new approach. Consider the mind blown.
This time the aspect picture looks like it’s written in code: the Full Moon bodies of Earth-Moon have recently passed over Jupiter, the Earth just a few days before, the Moon a few hours, and they can still be considered conjoined. Immediately we know the FM event or experience will be exaggerated, and/ or that we’ve lately been hit with ‘the facts’ or our belief system has sustained a blow or received a revelation, with these related to a material circumstance (Earth) that we then have an emotional reaction to (the Moon)–and no matter which applies to us, the FM brings the moment of Truth (otherwise known as, you got it, a moment of crisis or opportunity) in terms of what this means to us, what concludes, reaches apex, or stops short, providing an opening for something new.
We also have a pair of squares, one rather wide, to Black Moon Lilith, the other close, to Sedna (and these two can be considered widely, out-of-sign conjoined). What comes with the Full Moon is instinctive knowledge, or ‘blind spot’ material, that we’ve hidden even from ourselves–and the difficult, stressful, or urgent Lunar events bring this to light.
The Full Moon also sesquiquadrates Vesta, suggesting events create a need to adjust or otherwise modify what we honor, what we consider sacred–so this challenges the way in which we frame our world and our priorities. And there’s a quindecile to Mars, a prompt to action, likely that involves actions we don’t want to take, or choices we don’t want to make, or the whole thing is just painful, in terms of what we’ve found/ learned/ discovered, and what we must do about it. With any luck, it’s just a matter of having to go outside our comfort zone–so not so bad, really.
It all sounds no fun, but considering the degree at which the Full Moon forms, the involvement of Sedna and BML, and the way Earth and Moon have just met with Jupiter, we would be wise to realize: 1) what we need or are forced to do at this point is truly necessary, that 2) it’s likely something we’ve put off, consciously or not, and 3) though this may bring disarray or upset, at least initially, it not only needs doing, it will clear the way for a fresh and probably more accurate understanding of and relationship with our world.
The Sabian is a wordy one: ‘Deeply Rooted In The Past Of A Very Ancient Culture, A Spiritual Brotherhood In Which Many Individual Minds Are Merged Into The Glowing Light Of A Unanimous Consciousness Is Revealed To One Who Has Emerged Successfully From His Metamorphosis’. Roughly translated: if you’ve done the work, you graduate at this point to a ‘next level’ of consciousness. Not that it’s an up-and-down hierarchy; it’s more like a giant Cosmic map, with each individual ‘location’ being different, rather than superior or inferior to others. Even if you don’t level up, you are promised like-minded surroundings–or put another way, water seeks its own level, so wherever the Full Moon leaves you, you’ll have company.
The Sabian for the Sun, which generates the light in the first place, is ‘An Unsealed Letter’. Something that had been hidden ‘under seal’ is illuminated. Now we know; we would expect no less, with a Jupiter redolent Full Moon in Aquarius!
In honor of Eris helping us not be run over. ‘A Woman Defends Her Castle’ From Smithfield Decretals [Decretals of Gregory IX] Author: Raymund of Peñafort, editor; Bernard of Parma, glossator France 1300-1340 (text), England circa 1340 (illumination) {{PD}}
So, I thought after yesterday’s explanation of how I see Eris, an example is in order. The current situation with the sitting governor of the state of New York, Andrew Cuomo, involves women speaking up about mistreatment–which seems like an Eris situation, or at least one where she might have something to tell us. How convenient that Cuomo has promised to walk away from the governorship after accusations by at least eleven women of groping, assault, and inappropriate behavior led to a plethora of investigations, a potential impeachment, and (so far) at least one criminal complaint.
As of the 10th’s egregiously Self-serving press conference, the situation has revealed that 1) Cuomo’s made so many enemies during his strong-arm political career that when he needs them he’s without friends, and 2) that in spite of his many excuses, no one’s buying his ‘they moved the line as to what’s acceptable’ reasoning. Touching someone against their Will has always been over the line; Cuomo’s inability to admit he’s wrong is firmly rooted in Self-justification that says, I have the right to do as I please with others–the kind of power statement made by those who both hold power and believe in their own superiority. All his rambling, kitchen-sink speech on resigning the governorship has done is show the world how Cuomo doesn’t grasp that hiding his aggressions behind ‘friendly’ manhandling of both men and women isn’t acceptable–no matter how you characterize it and what you call it.
We have a birth date and place but no time for Cuomo (6 December 1957 ntk Queens New York USA). I drew a noon chart, as this gives us a clear idea of what his Moon situation is–in this case, showing that no matter when he was born, the Moon was in Gemini; this also shows us he was born not long before a Full Moon that will form early hours EST of the following day. No time unfortunately means we have no angles and no Houses, but we can see plenty just from relationships between bodies.
Eris is conjoined Hygeia and Vesta in Aries, and may sextile the Gemini Moon. If the sign in which she sits is any indication (and it is) his Eris may have issues with Will, assertion, and aggression. He may, in a phrase, insist upon himself. This also suggests a focus on ‘Me First’ in areas of health (reasonable) and in what he may commit to and find sacred, the problem with this latter being that, when one believes the decision of what’s sacred, what to respect, is one they are personally granted to make, one doesn’t completely respect anyone or anything else–the viewpoint is instead that they are the final arbiter of every topic and individual’s worth.
Eris’s placement is both a little wide for a quincunx to the North Node, and for a trine to Uranus–only a square to Mercury in Capricorn is in orb, aside from the conjunctions. Mercury in Cap suggests organized, structured, and constructive communications–we saw this in his daily Covid briefings early in the pandemic–but these same briefings also showed a plodding insistence, repetitive expressions, and a notable defensiveness (just think of the nursing home scandals that he managed to, if not bury, certainly dilute their political potency). In square with Eris-Hygeia-Vesta, we see persistent defensiveness over what, and probably how, he communicates, especially in areas of health, commitment, and what should be honored–so with the latter an inclination to reject what the establishment (Cap) thinks is honor-worthy in favor of, again, whatever he decides (Aries).
From what I could find, it appears the press conference began at 11:53 AM EDT 10 August. If that’s even close to accurate, that gives us a Virgo Moon square the natal Sun-Saturn-MC/ Earth-Juno axis, suggesting an emotional point of extreme tension regarding the established professional identity/ reputation and the material empowerment situation, especially the way the fortunes of the material environment ‘turn’, for him, on the empowerment of women. The natal situation with Earth-Juno further suggests that how he treated women he found ‘worthy’ was an integral part of his story–certainly true right now, and perhaps true over and over for him, throughout life.
And what’s transiting Eris doing right now? She’s conjoined his Sedna in Aries, and opposed, only one minute past exact, his natal Jupiter in Libra. aha! Here Eris’s presence may reveal by disturbing the ether, by shaking things up, by seeking justice, as she forces what Cuomo ‘knows but doesn’t know’, his ‘blind spot’ material, out into the open, this only reinforcing the awareness that he really does know what he did was wrong–but that he also allowed himself to continue with this behavior by pretending it wasn’t.
Transiting Eris’s opposition to Jupiter is interesting, if we see it both as his proclivity to push past reasonable boundaries (literally encroaching on others’ personal space) within relationships (Libra), and opportunity, publicity, and popularity, as defined through the public lens. An opposition describes some of what he did in his resignation speech: point the finger of blame at absolutely everyone and everything else, from cultural norms to political enemies to (hold on to your hats for this one) vengeful women.
Currently, transiting Eris is in close semi-sextile to transiting Pallas and square transiting Pluto, suggesting that difficult change, even destruction, stirred up by Eris (remember, she’s a catalyst) contains a certain amount of wisdom. As to the idea that what’s happening is vengeance on the part of the (female) accusers, it’s pretty clear to me it’s not. Transiting Eris is quincunx transiting Venus in this chart, the latter of which was due to be hit by the Moon before it left Virgo, which may at first glance imply this is revenge on the part of the women–but look again: t Eris isn’t contacting his natal Venus, which is at 00 Aquarius, implying a newness for Cuomo in the ‘modern woman’ concept as part of his core perceptions, and t Eris also isn’t in contact with his Ceres at 29 stressful degrees of Cancer, making Ceres a natal out-of-sign opposition to his natal Venus.
That scenario says it was almost inevitable that his reaction to the personal authority and autonomy of women in his life would create problems. Ceres so late in Cancer and under pressure from the modern idea of womanhood (opp to Venus in Aquarius) suggests to me that he’s a bit of a cave man, longing for the days (at least, a time he thinks existed) when women were responsible for nurturing–indeed were required to nurture (and so required to coddle, indulge, and cooperate with) everyone in their sphere. He’s always had trouble treating women Beings as valid in their perceptions and rightfully autonomous as himself; that’s his flaw, not theirs. When we see that transiting Juno is trine his Eris, and transiting Mars is quincunx it, we get the message that it’s his own assertive actions, his own choices, that have put him in this uncomfortable position (the quincunx), and that transiting Juno in Sagittarius has been stirred to speak up for herself, to take her own power back by broadcasting exactly what happened, by getting the facts out into the open.
And to those who say, why didn’t those women speak up sooner? I have to answer: if you’re asking that question, then you’re either oblivious to the system we live in (one in which it’s an uphill battle for women to be taken seriously, to be believed, even after Me Too), or oblivious to the massive power imbalance that made Cuomo, like so many other men, feel it’s their right and privilege to take what they want.
This is the shotgun wedding Eris was supposedly so bent about not being invited to. ‘The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis’ By Peter Paul Rubens 1636 {{PD}}
I make a practice of not jumping too quickly into using a body in astrological analysis; normally I watch and wait, until a consistent interpretation picture forms, one that is born out in chart interpretation. That means I may not publicly use all the chart bodies my contemporaries do (and I use a few they typically don’t), but when I do feel comfortable, sure of it’s meaning after long observation, it becomes a part of every chart reading.
One of the things I’ve learned is that asteroids, dwarf planets (with the exception of Pluto), and other minor objects tend to enhance meaning, refining it and making it more specific, that’s carried in broader terms by one of the major astrological bodies or lights. Eris is no exception; my initial inquiry placed her as goddess of discord and chaos, relating her to facets of major bodies Uranus, Mars, Venus, and Pluto, and to the calculated point Black Moon Lilith. That means though she holds some of the same character and characteristics of other entities or points, she brings her own special viewpoint–and our task is to define that the best we can, sharpening her meaning within the chart over time and from experience and observation.
When I started my investigation of Eris, I looked to both the conclusions about meaning some of my contemporaries have come to, and to the myths about her and her character, and one big thing began to bother me: there are an awful lot of minor bodies named for female goddesses or other entities that are described as “vengeful”; in fact, many of them have rage as their defining (and sometimes their only) characteristic. And yet I don’t see male entities ever characterized that way. They may exact revenge, but it’s described as righteous, as appropriate (read ‘manly’) Warrior behavior or a seeking of justice, a righting of wrongs, as noble, or even just as a display of temper that they’re entitled to, while the female taking the same steps is portrayed as petty, acting from ego, vanity, or jealousy. Women are treated as if their anger is personal and toxic, typically coming from some form of rejection (though often that assertion almost has the quality of an afterthought, as if her anger needed a bland, no-questions-asked raison d’etre), while a man’s anger is seen as a reasonable response, a necessary action, as energy mobilized to redress injustice–and yet when they’re essentially the same thing, dressing them up so differently depending on who is taking the action tells us that the way these entities are described is rife with negative assumptions about women, positive assumptions about men, and the belief that these prejudiced lenses are required to understand these actions–and they are, if we’re talking about making those images fit into Western patriarchal culture.
But if we’re talking about making them speak in astrology, a patriarchal lens doesn’t do us any good at all, except to parse out how images may be distorted. Too, it doesn’t help that Eris is more of a personification of particular traits than an actual goddess, often referred to as Strife, and sometimes equated with Enyo, a Greek goddess of war and sister of Ares. A long list of Eris’s ‘children’ includes starvation, murders, lies, and forgetfulness, and Eris, having been snubbed on a wedding invitation, responded by ginning up the Trojan Wars–or so the most famous story about her behavior claims. Interesting side notes name her sister Aneris as representing Order and Non-Being (so does that suggest that chaos and strife are an integral part of being? I vote Yes), and Eris’ Roman equivalent may be Bellona, or Discordia, depending on how you sort things and who you ask.
In my search she struck me as very much a kind of Trickster in that her purpose seemed much more to sow chaos and confusion than to punish–and though I can’t count how many times I saw her referred to as ‘vengeful’ or ‘angry’, I can say that her characterization was paper-thin. Some have valiantly tried to give her more of a personality, to define her in something closer to three dimensions–but the reality is she appears to be more of a construct around a concept–which makes the attribution of vengeance and spite and rage at not being invited to the figurative party all the more puzzling (or more probably projection, or again, succumbing to the ‘enraged woman’ as some kind of short-hand explanation for everything, an explanation that satisfies the misogynist and the unthinking).
So, the more I searched, the less she seemed to be about creating discord, and the more she seemed to simply embody discord–that is, she seems to represent the state of disorder that is a natural part of the Universe. We can’t know order without the absolute of chaos, but there’s an enormous area in between when things aren’t completely chaotic, but they are discordant, not yet harmonious but with all factors searching for order, searching for pattern and rhythm, not through consciousness but through the tendency of dynamic systems to organize by interacting. In that sense Eris may be a catalyst energy, and that’s one of the functions (maybe the main one) I think she performs: her presence brings out the rage, upset, irritation, and, yes, vengeful inclinations, of others. She may set up the circumstances, but like the Devil, she can’t actually make anyone do anything–at least, that’s my hypothesis.
A couple other ideas on this: she definitely carries a ‘Warrior spirit’, but it seems to be one that responds to the unspoken messages in the environment, to what’s conveyed beneath the surface of things–again, like with the Trickster activity, I’m seeing her as linked more and more to Mercury–and that warrior tone isn’t so much that of a fighter but of an assertive quality–which, if you’re someone who expects smiling compliance from a female, you may interpret as aggressive–so in my reading modifying the martial nature of Mars to something less than the stereotypical warrior, to something more along the lines of confident and sure of right and wrong within the situation.
There might also be a difference in how we see this energy in the charts of males and those of females, just as we see with Juno: my thought is that in the female (or anima identified) chart Eris might indicate what issues she’s willing to fight for or about (this differs from Black Moon Lilith’s willingness to fight, in that BML is enraged, typically because of injustice done–in her case, the anger spurs her to fight, while fighting may or may not be part of Eris’s response); in a male (or animus identified) chart, Eris’ contacts may point to areas where he insists on the ‘upset’ nature of things (or just plain insists upon something, drawing chaos or ire by so doing), or possibly projects his own anger into related relationships or circumstances–but within the male chart, Eris always carrying the sense of ‘these aren’t my energies, they’re really out there’.
The fact that Eris is a dwarf planet, bigger by almost 1/3 than legit major body Pluto, suggests to me that her presence, her impact, is far greater than as humans we consciously acknowledge. Entropy is pervasive, and we may be exceptionally uncomfortable with that pervasiveness; I think it may trigger an animal response in us, so aggressively do we reach for order–because order means we have control of (or at least a chance of controlling) our world–and anything less is threatening, a requirement we acknowledge there are things bigger than ourselves in this Universe.
Many may be uneasy not having an explanation for why Eris would behave the way she does. Is enjoying chaos not enough for them? The tendency is to go straight for the idea that she must be angry, and that her anger must come from being told she can’t have something she wants, but I’m going to refuse that idea for now; instead I want to emphasize that she represents natural stesses that are just part of being alive. Her energy may be most comfortable in that space between chaos and order–and she just naturally brings that to anything she touches. Any results from her presence, then, should be read from where she sits in a chart, what rules her, and what she contacts, specifically as those stresses may ‘trigger’ those related or contacted energies that presumably are in their own, less-than-ordered state. It just may be, this is what Eris is meant to point out.
Of course, these theories of Eris’s meaning will be tested and modified over time–and discarded should they prove to be inaccurate. I’ll be back tomorrow with an example in the chart of a current newsmaker–until then!
‘Study at a Reading Desk’ By Frederic Leighton 1877 {{PD}}
The New Moon forms at 16 Leo 14 at 6:50 AM PDT on the 8th, and I want to call this a ‘looking back’ Moon (with the exception of one thing I’ll mention last). We keep our usual tight orb and get a very succinct picture: the NM makes a square to Uranus, and a wide trine to Chiron, and nothing else. Both aspects are separating–and that places them in the past. The scenario is of a recent material surprise, group choice, or sudden shift or erratic choice that affects surroundings, comfort level, or asset situation, upsetting, real-world shock, environmental revelation, rebellion, or Higher Mind conclusion, or some combination of these that shook up the scene, and this is either wounding or arose from your own responses to wounds–and the New Moon now delivers a kind of answer to this, in the form of how you as an individual ‘light’ should proceed.
Leo requires you shine–but what does that mean for each of us? The place to let yourself glow out into the social order is outlined by the natal House where this New Moon occurs. Subjects found here tell you where your particular brand of ‘me-ness’ is needed, and welcomed, with the New Moon instruction one of ‘go forth and dazzle!’ Doing so offers healing–though there’s a caveat: we must do our thing, take our light out from under the proverbial bushel for all the world to see, most likely without immediately seeing where and how the healing occurs. We don’t have to take this step on blind faith so much as by having faith that what we do matters, is important, and is a contribution to the good. So, act on matters of the House where the New Moon falls with some confidence, knowing that action here is a necessary part to the healing formula.
I want to point out two other things that are happening at the same time as the New Moon that are likely to figure in: a still extant square between Sedna and Jupiter–this suggesting lingering and significant conflicts between our own inner perceptions and instincts and the public/ wider world and/ or ‘the facts’–and a Finger of God with a base of Pallas sextile Pluto, apex in just a day or two Mercury, this latter with the Moon in just three days, and the Sun in nine days, following behind and filling in, each in turn, the Finger’s apex. This suggests a kind of flow into the future of the New Moon energies as they follow in the wake of wisdom (Pallas) plus change (Pluto) creating a firm, possibly ‘new’, idea (Mercury) of who you are (Leo). Then the Moon comes along and offers emotional illumination of the change that has occurred; the Sun brings the final reveal, a kind of spotlight moment that shows you the real state of your own intentions, and Soul, as it has been shaped by the recent string of events.
The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Volunteer Church Choir Singing Religious Hymns’. This emphasizes the group facet of Uranus, probably signalling that what comes at us is more than just personal, that it may affect many. There’s also that ‘faith in the Self’ aspect, where the New Moon asks you to ‘sing out’–so do, as this is the key to healing–and we all hope for that.
Sharp-eyed readers will notice I’ve added Eris to the chart (she’s there at 24 Aries, looking like a buoy with an anchor, to me), and I’ll be reading the lady in, when applicable, from now on. There’ll be a post soon to come on this new addition.
Thank you, everyone, especially to those who’ve offered individuals they would like to see examined in the upcoming Moon book–and it’s not too late! If there’s someone you’d like to suggest, please do. Have an excellent New Moon experience!
.jpg){kind=link}