The Moon is in Cancer today, just over a day from entering the Dark period, and as time passes we may find the emotional life front-and-center. Luna will move to conjoin first Jupiter and then Venus over the coming day+, and our awareness grows around the ‘caring component’–that is, we’ll keenly observe what moves the social order and our own relationships. We’ll notice what they invest in, what they value, what they are willing to pay for, sacrifice, or support–and we’ll have our emotional reactions to this. We may think our responses arise out of approval or outrage, but they’ll actually have origins in our own ideas of what kind of opportunities they might bring for us personally. We’re hoping for Love and reward, of course, but if we’re too eager to gain (if we leap at the chance without looking at all the circumstances) we could suffer a loss that will deliver a bigger emotional impact than we might expect. It’s a day to keep our heads even as we scan the horizon for our chance to bring good things our way. With Jupiter involved in a Water Grand Trine with the Black Moon Lilith point and the North Node, being honest with ourselves and keeping one eye on the future are the ways to measure those potential opportunities, and assess them for what they really are, and what they really offer.
Please see yesterday’s post for other influences still in effect.
Today’s Daily Word Image is making a ‘clean sweep’. Is there some part of your life that needs a fresh start, one where you know a refresh is needed, where you can also be sure that you won’t be sweeping away anything still important or useful? We all have an area or three that we know holds only the outmoded or the useless, at least to us; what we need to ask, just before we take up that broom, is why we held on so long. There might be something in that answer to help us move forward in other ways, as well.
‘Cupping the Bees’ By George Mulready c1830 {{PD}}
I think for a while I’m going to offer very short daily commentary on current astro conditions. That does mean no long New and Full Moon analyses to chew on–just a little once-a-day nectar to sip.Seems like time to change it up.
Three situations stand out to me today, and all of them have that sting of facing someone or something and catching a glimpse of ourselves in the encounter/ experience. Venus is just out of maximum range of Jupiter, so that’s not going to save us; instead, it removes emotion (Cancer) and the unspoken hope of reward and puts them where they belong, out in the open and at the forefront of our thinking (Moon in Gemini). Refusing to keep secrets from ourselves is the way to avoid conflict and any nasty surprises. The Sun Fire trine to Chiron over the coming few days says it’s easy to feel hurt, and easy to wound others through our actions–so the question becomes, how much responsibility do we bear for others’ responses?
Two oppositions describe the kinds of issues we may be faced with: Mercury in Leo opposed Pluto in Aquarius, the latter of which is trine Uranus in Gemini=ego based or Self-glorifying thinking will definitely draw out those who want to bring us down a peg or maybe even wipe us out–that’s where the shocks and surprises originate, especially as we may see our own insistence on flexing our muscles in those who oppose us–if you get that kind of reaction to Self-assertion, it might be time to check yourself for hidden motives and the taint of vanity. Honest and sincere motivations (those not focused on Self-promotion or the ‘humble brag’) can put you ahead of the crowd, lead to inspired and innovative ideas, and foster Higher Mind understanding. There’s also a loose Air Grand Trine (Mars, Pluto, Uranus) that features a still-barely-there opposition of Mars to Saturn-Neptune across the Libra-Aries axis. This suggests that power and innovation balances can be thrown off by actions and choices that don’t take into account the gap between reality and what we want it to be, and the gap between the possible and the delusional. Framing issues as ‘Us vs. Them’ doesn’t lead to answers, or harmony. Staying grounded in the real and its potentials to manifest the ideal should be a priority today, as that will help us avoid 99% of possible missteps.
Today’s word image is a bee. Are you busy as one, and if so, how does that make you feel? Like a Queen, calling the shots, like a worker plugging away and forever putting off fulfillment (or even simple enjoyment) into the future, or like a drone, desperate to take things off automatic?
‘Boys Flying Kites’ Attributed to Nicolaes Maes c1670 {{PD}}
The Full Moon peaks at 00:54 AM PDT of the 9th at 16 Aquarius 59, and the most striking thing might be the tidy Kite configuration that doesn’t involve the Moon, though Luna does share a sign with one of the components, and another of the components rules the sign the Moon is in. That’s a tenuous connection but not an insignificant one; it suggests oblique links where Full Moon emotional outcomes may funnel through the shared-sign factor (a sign being an expression attitude), which just so happens to hold Pluto. That’s a naturally intense planetary energy ripe for projection or overreaction even in its most positive forms, and so all the more susceptible to being swept up in prevailing emotion. The fact that ruler of Aquarius, Uranus, is also part of the Kite only reinforces the prominence of the Waterbearer’s energy, which can surprise, shock, or show us something completely new.
So if there’s a Lunar wind behind that Kite, of what does it consist? A Full Moon is a culmination of feelings and perceptions that cohere into an event, realization, or completion related to the sign in which the Full Moon occurs; this may also engage matters of the House in the personal nativity where this falls, and/ or in the House or other placements ruled by the Moon or matters related to the sign ruler, in this case, Uranus, so potentially the House where natal Uranus sits or aspects it makes or other energies it rules. That’s a lot of places the Lunar energy can touch and the Moon moves fast; that’s why tight aspect orbs and a clear picture of what it involves, and what it leaves out, is so important. You’ll notice many of those factors are personal ones, dependent on the Full Moon’s interaction with your chart. Here the focus is on what’s consistent for everyone, as far as possible.
Aquarius tells us the Lunar event delivers revelation or revolution, and with Pluto a conduit for the Moon energy to the Kite, that may consist of ‘the Truth’, of secrets dug up and revealed, or the dawning of the need for change (along with its commencement), not to mention the possibility of an event that removes something or someone from our world, abruptly, and we are left to pick up the pieces and sort out what it all means. Things may be ‘in the wind’, that is gone, beyond our control. What Aquarius/ Uranus offers will always be something that expands our sense of understanding or our mind, that is future-oriented and signals ‘the coming thing’. That’s the wind that propels the Kite–but what is the Kite?
The Kite energies are set to work very smoothly together, though they are offshoots of a difficult central theme, in this case, an opposition between Saturn-Neptune in Aries and Mars in Libra. That’s the fulcrum across which we try to balance the individual needs and wants and those demanded by partners and all others, whether we are in a cooperative relationship with them or not. Saturn-Neptune can suppress the dream or give it concrete manifestation, warts and all, and the Aries placement says each of us is dealing with defining what and who we are, the ‘I Am’ attempting to sort our potentials from our pipe dreams, and learning just what we must do to make those dreams happen. This is faced, so to speak, by Mars, ruler of Aries and so of the individual Will and ‘I Am’, specifically as this quest to define and pursue the expression of the individuality relates to the Arts, and to others: do we need their cooperation to make ‘it’ happen? will fulfillment of our dreams change our interaction or relationships? is our Art, whatever that may be, and our expression of it more important than our connection to others, or is it dependent on it, in the sense that we may need ‘an audience’ or others’ participation to complete the dream’s existence?
So, the ‘spine’ of the Kite is this broad question; now we look at the other influences. Saturn-Neptune is at the midpoint of a trine between Pluto and Uranus, with these trine Mars. That means each Kite holds a Grand Trine, this one in Air, suggesting that if we can find the balance within the I vs. Them equation, we can activate an equilibrium among the need for change/ discovery of Truth, our understanding of the new, and our own efforts and drives.
The Moon offers its influence more directly through a sesquiquadrate to Mars, and a square to the Black Moon Lilith point. These are difficult aspects and will probably be the first energies we encounter in this process, as we find the problems and inadequacies of our current methods and approaches (sesq. Mars) and how our buried, denied, or angry feelings are causing conflict, and realize we must deal with these before we can move forward.
Mercury is still retrograde, so despite the way the feelings are front and center, we need to remember that revisions to Higher Mind and Uranian understanding may still need review, even after this Full Moon. Also note that Venus and Jupiter meet in mid-Cancer from the 9th through the 15th, and offer a lovely, feeling-centered energy that implies if we always keep in mind what it is we genuinely care about, we won’t stray too far off our goals, or take a misstep, something I think all this Lunar energy can be overly fearful of.
The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Watchdog Stands Guard, Protecting His Master And His Possessions’. I think this is a little of that Martian energy, the watchdog that wants to guard what we already have–but recall that Pluto is in the mix, and that could mean the loss of things, no matter what. The best approach may be to embrace the impermanence of all things–and put our energy not in fretting over the present state of things and their potential loss, but in efforts to give the future the shape we desire, no matter what is delivered to or taken out of our grasp. The Sabian for the Sun, the ‘triggering’ energy that makes our waxing and waning Moon possible, is, ‘A Volunteer Church Choir Singing Religious Hymns’. This is a symbol of unity, of like-minded faith that unites people. It may speak to those Mars in Libra energies–for don’t we all seek our place in the larger community?
The Sun and Moon meet at 12:10 PM of the 24th at 2 Leo 08–which puts the New Moon in close opposition to Pluto in Aquarius, trine Saturn and Neptune in Aries, and sextile Uranus in Gemini. That sounds like the recipe for a bomb. The question becomes: is the bomb one of unanticipated revelation, one that removes restriction (especially around what we think) or acts as impetus for individual initiative, or does this destroy our understanding, our capacity for change and embrace of the new, instilling fear of authority as well as eliminating our own trust of ourselves? That may be an individual matter, depending on how the Lunar event contacts your natal chart, but in either case, the presence of Neptune in the equation suggests that the basis of any effects rests in whether we know ourselves, or find our own workings a mystery; whether we’re honest with ourselves, deceive others, or hold to our highest ideals. That’s the nub of it: our energy surges, born anew with the combining of Solar and Lunar power, and so will take a creative direction; it’s up to us whether that creativity is of the productive or the destructive kind.
A few things of note: Mercury is retrograde and will meet the Sun in Inferior Conjunction on 1 August–we know this meeting, much like a New Moon, as an inception point, a new start to something, and considering the players, we’ll either see the beginning of whatever is conceived at the NM, or we’ll see a ‘new’ idea emerge from the mix of events and influences occurring now; Saturn and Neptune both retrograded earlier in July; Uranus just entered Gemini for the first time since 1949–so will be ruled for some time by Mercury (and Uranian energies then may have more ‘swing’ when under the sway of the oft-retro Mercury–like they need more instability). All this suggests there is a newness, a rawness, to so many energies involved with the New Moon, both from their locations in early degrees of a sign, and because of the several recent turnarounds, symbolic of a pulling back, a hesitation, a need to reassess territory one has already traversed. The subtle involvement of Mercury through rulerships and its own retro cycle emphasizes the messages we send others, and what we tell ourselves, at the heart of all that happens, with this Lunar event setting off a kind of ‘Truth Bomb’, a situation, gift of information, or realization that we meet with our current level of ‘truthiness’, that allows us to discover something more about ourselves and where we stand, about who we are at core and where we can ‘shine’ (Leo).
Also sextile the New Moon and conjoined Uranus are asteroids Psyche and Sappho, and object Sedna*; these bring to mind passionate relationships (and these can be relationships to groups or to a vocation or life subject/ path) where some knowledge or denial/ lack of acknowledgment (for a variety of reasons) may be involved. Too, with Sedna there’s the potential for this attraction/ interaction to sit in one’s ‘blind spot’, suggesting we may feel strongly but not be completely aware of our feelings, which may read like instincts or suppressed knowledge (as in, Psyche sensed there was something different about her lover Eros, but wasn’t conscious of it until she finally made the decision to light a candle so she could observe him at last). This New Moon is ‘lighting the candle’, about something we might already be knowledgeable of to some degree, but not have in the forefront of awareness. Linked to Uranus, this may contain Higher Mind knowing, or may have the purpose of disruption to the current order; in any case, our relationship to it is unique to us, original in the way we see, approach, and interact with it.
Hekate in Scorpio is square the New Moon=the Lunar event is a ‘way shower’, but either the way is difficult or seeing the direction we must go causes conflict. Lilith in Pisces is quincunx the New Moon=are we seeking to wield our power simply to express ourselves, or are we seeking vengeance? An important issue to sort before proceeding. And finally Dionysus is conjoined the New Moon but out-of-sign, from 29 degrees of Cancer=the stress response to all this might be to go wild, party like it’s 1999, or try to escape in whatever way will let us hide from our feelings (Cancer placement)–and we all know that’s never a good move.
The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Middle-Aged Woman, Her Long Hair Flowing Over Her Shoulders And In A Braless Youthful Garment’. I firmly believe that everyone should dress the way they want; this description, however, hovers close to judgment, simply by the details it chooses to include, details that suggest, with use of the designation ‘youthful’, that how this woman has chosen to present herself is inappropriate, because the first thing mentioned is that she is not, in the estimation of the image assessor, youthful. Is she dressed inappropriately? No, she’s not, and make sure you hear that: just because someone else thinks they get to judge you, doesn’t mean they actually have any business doing so. That kind of thing is the opposite of the ‘Truth Bomb’ the New Moon will set off.
The Truth, rather than ‘out there’, is ‘in here’, in our own hearts and minds. This New Moon brings something that helps us discover it, and no matter how stunning, shattering, or powerful the event or idea (or how subtle–we can’t forget the porousness of the unconscious, or the influence we tacitly accept without realizing it)–we do best to welcome it. And if the ‘bang’ doesn’t come with the New Moon, keep an eye on the Inferior Conjunction on 1 August.
Have a wonderful New Moon, my friends!
*Sedna is an SDO (Scattered Disk Object). These are small bodies located beyond Neptune’s orbital path that have eccentric orbits themselves, which is what distinguishes them from Kuiper Belt Objects.
‘The Cobbler’s Apprentice’ By Frank Duveneck 1877 {{PD}}
The Moon’s opposition to the Sun perfects at 1:37 PM PDT of the 10th at 18 Capricorn 50–which, of course, is conjoined the Earth in the flat chart. The first thing that jumps out is the way within a few hours the Sun will trine the North Node point (and even more quickly, the Moon will sextile the South Node), casting current events as both echoes of past emotional experiences and direct precursors to our futures, suggesting we may need to be as conscious as possible about where we put our attention (the Sun). The Lunar opposition could tempt us to bury or shut off input from the emotional or intuitive realities we’re feeling (Capricorn), especially those things we find restrictive or that deny us what we need, or that ask us to show restraint or to comply with structure or rules; in response we may be tempted to substitute what we claim to care about. I say ‘claim’ because we need to remain aware that what receives the Sun’s spotlight at any one time is what garners our attention; we tend to accept that as reality, no matter what else is going on or what other perceptions we’re having.
In this case, the Sun in Cancer makes us feel that the whole world is taking note of what we’re nurturing, what we care for, or are sensitive to–and that may make us feel so vulnerable that we reflexively push down our real concerns in order to present a caring scenario/ picture we believe is more presentable. Our genuine Lunar concerns are Capricornian in nature, and we may feel that hard-nosed examination of emotional territory for its actual effects on the structure of our life and relationships doesn’t play as well as the stereotypical sentimental soft touch of Cancer–which is a shame, as giving our emotions a stable and controlled arena in which to express is actually very important to our health and relationships, and should be honored.
Luna forms a wide sesquiquadrate to Venus in Gemini, but I count it because the Moon is moving toward perfection of the aspect (and that’s why with a Full or New Moon portrait I don’t count an aspect that is significantly past perfection, such as the trine the Moon made to Mars before the Full Moon occurred). Other than that, providing we keep to our relatively tight aspect requirements for a Lunar event, there are no other contacts–but we do see some interesting asteroid involvement.
There are so many asteroids that one can find a placement in almost any degree in the sky, at any time–and that means that we must be discriminating in which asteroids we incorporate in any picture. First thing is that we need to understand they’re not a substitute for major planet contact; they refine the story, adding nuance, rather than new plot. Second, we should only work with energies that we’ve either studied over time, and/ or that contribute clear meaning that coalesces with the other energies via the stories associated with their names. Either can be helpful, though again, not a replacement for the major planet Big Picture.
So, we have a sesquiquadrate between the significator of emotion and intuition, the Moon, and Venus, planet of Love, relationships, assets, talents, and values, suggesting that what we’re feeling around our relationships or earning/ asset situation isn’t what we think we should be feeling (Venus in Gemini). Our mind wants to see the scenario in question one way, but Luna’s Cappy energy says, ‘Wait a second, this doesn’t follow the emotional rules, or this treatment or use of assets doesn’t mesh with the things that would support me, make me feel safe, or help me contain feelings in productive channels.’ We may be left at an impasse, not knowing whether to believe the feeling nature, or the mental assessment of the situation.
We have potential, though, for an illuminating Cardinal Grand Cross, if we use relevant asteroids: Moon-Earth is conjoined Sphinx in Capricorn, Eros and Kassandra are square and together in Aries, Nemesis is in hard aspect from Libra, and the Sun is conjoined Hera in Cancer–plus Amor in Virgo trines Luna-Earth. We note that Love is the easy (trine) conduit for conveying and receiving emotion, which suggests a certain amount of vulnerability via relationships–and that’s definitely where we’ll see the Full Moon activity (and this is so even if we look around and think, ‘Hey, I’m not having a relationship tussle’, to which I would answer, ‘That’s because you’re in the emotional box provided by the Capricorn Moon–you’re shut out of the current emotional reality, perhaps deliberately, though not necessarily consciously’.
The Cross paints the conflict picture (or really, the multi-directional pull of simultaneous energies all activated at once): the feelings, and the physical setting, are an enigma (Moon-Earth-Sphinx)–we can’t read ourselves, or maybe that’s our response to the Capricorn Moon, to isolate the feelings, so they don’t distract us from all the other things we’ve got to deal with; the sense of individuality, of relying only on the Self, is strong, as is the desire nature and the idea that communication isn’t working–no one believes us, and we don’t believe them! (the Aries setting for Eros and Kassandra); partners seem like (or maybe feel like) enemies, no matter the surface interactions (Nemesis in Libra); and our attention is on how much we care, and how much we’ve been wronged, disregarded, or stymied in using our position and power (Sun and Hera, the much disrespected sister-wife of Zeus, in Cancer–and this placement adds the frustration of the unappreciated nurturer, the carer who’s also a caregiver, who receives no caring themselves).
So, we may experience a number of emotional perceptions that our brains or our social arena or what we expect our relationships to provide and be directly contradict–and the Full Moon energy is the point when those come to a head, must be exposed, explored, expressed, and recognized. We shouldn’t expect to immediately understand what we feel–remember the Sphinx?–and sorting feelings from the real world circumstances may be challenging, at the very least.
This time, the Sabians hold the keys to ultimate meaning. For the Moon: ‘A Five-Year-Old Child Carrying A Bag Filled With Groceries’. We aren’t ready to undertake the ‘job’ (task, role, function, responsibility) we’re currently trying to perform. Yes, the advice is that blunt: we’re not ready, not mature enough, or just not physically (or in some other way) capable–and all this clash between the surrounding scenario and our emotional perceptions has been about avoiding seeing and acknowledging this. Though we can be helpful (all hands, no matter how young or small, can help carry groceries) no one in our position should be expected to perform this particular task or live this particular role (no five-year-old should have the burden of providing sustenance for themselves or others)–it’s that simple.
The Sabian for the Sun is: ‘A Priest Performing A Marriage Ceremony’. Aha! This is about discovering, acknowledging, accepting, and then incorporating or otherwise uniting with a necessary Other (which can be anything needed, from assets to learning skills to ‘maturing’ in some way to actually partnering with others). Something else is needed; we’re getting ahead of ourselves–and in that way, we’re being unkind to ourselves, judging and not extending the understanding we would almost certainly offer someone else in the process of developing their abilities and trying new things. Expecting ourselves to be completely formed, completely knowledgeable, completely ready for anything, is to forget that life is a process, one long experience of learning and re-learning and shaping and re-shaping who we are and what we can do. It may be a long time since some of us were beginners–but it’s the right time to be new at something, all over again.
By ‘us’ I mean each of us, individually, as the upcoming Mercury retrograde is contained entirely within Leo, focusing our thoughts, concerns, communications, judgments, conclusions, and revelations, whether we want them to or not, firmly on ourselves and our roles, socially, with our families, and within the greater scheme of the Cosmos. Leo intends to show whatever passes through it how to ‘shine’, but that useful reveal could be thwarted by our own reluctance to appear selfish, out of fear if we take our eye off our duties we might fail our relationships or those who rely on us, or from simple modesty–it’s not uncommon to want to inspect ourselves and our Soul’s work privately, and the Leo spotlight may feel not just too revealing, but as if we’re seeking attention–but you need to know, that’s not what’s happening, at all.
Personal enlightenment is one goal during this retro cycle, while gaining a better understanding of ourselves within the current parameters of our lives is another. One mistake easily made is to believe during the cycle we’ll sufficiently understand what we learn and what it means, that we can immediately charge forward (which is something, of course, that saucy Fire sign Leo will encourage us to do). We’ll need both processing time and the perspective that automatically comes when we are a step or two past the retro season. For instance, just as Merc retrogrades it’ll sextile Venus in Gemini–which almost certainly will persuade us we know and understand the ‘lay of the land’ in terms of both relationships and asset earning and usage; we may quite literally believe ‘we know what we think’ (Gemini). The problem is that, just as our capacity to handle things with the mind is withdrawn, we’ll get the impression that we’ve hit on what we need to know about Venusian matters; that’s when we’ve got to remember that feeling, sensation, intuition, sentiment, Love are how we gather knowledge during Merc retro–all else is misinterpreted or incomplete, lacking a full picture, or crucial details, of situations or events.
The moment of retrograde comes on the 18th at 9:45 AM PDT at 15 Leo 34, during a last quarter Moon on its way to the Dark period, suggesting a kind of ‘winding down’, energetically speaking. Merc will turn around sesquiquadrate Saturn, which will go retrograde itself just 5 days before; this suggests that understanding what’s concrete or solid, and what a barrier, rule, or prohibition actually means, may be a significant challenge during this period. Rules may not be clear, and the smartest option may, consistently, be to wait for direction to make a choice, decide, or to inspect circumstances again in a new light. At the time Neptune, which retros on the 4th, will still be conjoined Saturn; use the influence to make dreams a reality, and to give the imagined goal physical form, rather than succumbing to misleading or confusing detritus that only clouds the picture.
And, in less than a day, the Moon in Taurus will move into position to create a brief T-square with Mercury and the Black Moon Lilith point in Scorpio. This may bring feelings and intuitions about stability, security, and resources to the fore, and encourage us to believe this is the whole picture; not only will we be missing the details, we may also be ignoring those things we find less than positive, those things that threaten to destroy our emotional or mental balance, or which through neglect or refusal to acknowledge we have buried like a ticking time bomb somewhere out of sight.
The 29th retro Merc will semi-sextile Jupiter in Cancer, bringing enormous optimism into play. Remember, using the intuition and feeling nature at this time is the way to gain information, with the caveat being that we may accept that as the whole picture–which it definitely is not. This may feel like a high, and could urge us to put things in motion too soon–and the feeling carries over to the Inferior Conjunction, where it just might take on an exaggerated sense of urgency.
The Inferior Conjunction, the meeting of the Sun and Mercury during Mercury’s apparent retrograde phase, occurs on 1 August at 9 Leo. Within the past week both bodies will have opposed Pluto in Aquarius, suggesting interludes of despair, the threat of obliteration, an awareness of mortality or the inevitability of change, or realization of the power to transform–so it’s not like we’re hitting the Conjunction free of shadows, fears, or insecure in some way. With this as background, the Inferior point could see us vowing to overcome, to meet the challenge, or to give up and release ourselves to the flow of events.
For once this Conjunction doesn’t really serve us taking a new perspective or beginning anew; we’d do better to tell ourselves there’s no need to start over, that all that has happened was necessary to deliver us to our current position. Reminding ourselves of the eternal nature of the Soul (Leo) is needed–and if that’s not true, if instead we wink out of existence when it’s all over, that should be in its own way reassuring as well, because in either case, there’s nothing to fear.
Mercury’s direction occurs on 11 August at 4 Leo 14, and there’s an unusual amount of harmony among bodies, even as some of these combos are potent and possibly a little threatening. Mercury turns around at the rough midpoint of the Mars-Uranus trine, is opposed Pluto, and is trine the still extant Neptune-Saturn conjunction–and of course all these other entities make their own contacts to one another, as well. This forms a Mystic Rectangle among Mercury, Mars, Pluto, and Saturn-Neptune. Mystic Rectangles allow the four or more involved energies to function in a way that makes for a larger positive whole than we could’ve assembled from the pieces singly. In this case, we should expect the Truth, how to apply this to what we think and what we do, making areas to transform clear and the path to implement the dream obvious. The one energy left out of this equation, but which still contacts Mercury, is the sextile to Uranus–so the fact of surprise, revelation, innovation, or unexpected upheaval may be the trigger that sets off fate-shaping events.
Don’t expect it all to be revealed at once, despite the big impact the direction might deliver. The Pisces Moon passes over its own North Nodal point on that day, suggesting we become aware of our life direction in a big, Universal way, as Luna heads toward the upcoming eclipses of September. Don’t expect to enter autumn without having undergone a summer of change, and a reinvigorating of, and reinvestment in, your life.
Your Word Image for this week: ‘Mistaken Identity’
The Moon reaches peak opposition to the Sun at 12:43 AM PDT of the 11th at 20 Sagittarius 38. A Full Moon in Sagittarius brings knowledge, an awareness of ‘the facts’, exposure to or a reveal of the influence of what’s ‘foreign’ or exotic, the moment of sharing or broadcast (of previously assembled materials) and the results this brings, or the realization of the impact of institutions, specifically religious or educational entities, in the life of the individual. This Moon brings in some form emotionaladventure that enlightens, with a need to act (Sag is a Fire sign) on what we learn or discover (though when it’s Sag, the action can coalesce around the mind as much as in the physical realm).
The Sun-Moon axis squares the Nodal one, suggesting tension inherent in what is revealed with the Lunar event; with Sun in Gemini it’s possible what happens will be all talk, or maybe just inside our own heads, but that doesn’t make it any less real, or any less volatile. Our feelings gel into a coherent picture at the point of the Full Moon, and this may spur us to act on what until now was only a concept or inclination, a possibility–so be prepared to change your mind about how assertive you want to be in the areas where the Full Moon falls in your natal chart. You may suddenly find a fire lit beneath a choice or act you hadn’t taken seriously before, and you may find that you’re focusing on the state of the mind, rather than the facts, which could be a clue that you’re on the road to hurtful Self-talk, and so looking too much inward.
There’s a Fire Grand Trine that will perfect a few hours after the Full Moon. The Trine involves the Moon, Eris and Chiron in Aries, and Mars in Leo. That suggests our emotions, fears, and/ or intuitions are set off by hurt experienced through the Willfulness of others and our own actions and choices, especially those fueled by ego and ‘heart’, the latter signifying what we pour ourselves into. We feel intensely, and react intensely–and so do others–which may mean that everyone’s acting out and reacting, true communication is rare, and there’s a good chance that what we’re responding to isn’t so much externals but our (wounded) perceptions of ourselves and our position.
So, it hurts if we express ourselves, and it hurts if we don’t, and the question becomes, How conscious are we of what we’re thinking, doing, processing? If we recognize our typical vulnerabilities and our reactions to them, we can spot the familiar pattern of reasoning, and so short-circuit our usual ‘loss of Self-esteem’ loop. We can instead substitute the emotional facts the Full Moon offers, and the other influences in effect right now can steer us toward some rewarding efforts, should we be open to them.
The Moon sesquiquadrates Venus in Taurus, and Venus is sextile Jupiter-Mercury in Cancer and square Pluto in Aquarius. Big thoughts, big promises, centered on what we care about (Cancer). Serious transformation is a possibility, if we can implement two things: if we can formulate our beliefs so that we see the value of them, particularly the way they add worth to our way of thinking and communicating, and if we can adjust our emotional reactions to the Full Moon to the needs of our relationships–that is, consider what each relationship requires apart from our own Lunar needs. Venus also opposes the Black Moon Lilith point, suggesting that what we don’t acknowledge could hurt us, denying us reward or satisfaction in relationships, and tempting us to hide what we don’t want to acknowledge–in essence, saving up our hurt for later.
Saturn-Neptune in Aries squares Mercury-Jupiter in Cancer and needs mention (as it connects to the Moon via Merc-Jup sextile to Venus sesqui Luna) because some of us may find we’re pitting the facts that have expanded our minds/ thinking against the opportunity to make our real-world dreams a reality. This may present as someone saying they’ll deny you your dream (if projected), or you are acutely aware of real-world barriers to implementing ideals or dreams-come-true (too much awareness of Saturnian blocks), and we may let our emotional perceptions about the other’s/ external power dictate our beliefs (Jupiter)–essentially, we stop ourselves because we don’t believe we hold the power. In many ways, this Full Moon is a lesson in connecting to reality and then being responsible for that reality–beliefs vs. facts, and all of it at the least a little uncomfortable.
The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Child And A Dog Wearing Borrowed Eyeglasses’. Okay, I’ve got some questions: are they both wearing glasses? and borrowed ones, at that! That’s how the image reads to me: both are wearing spectacles that belong to someone else. When we’re in our ‘animal’ Self, or when we’re immature, we do use the lenses that others offer to measure the world. Growing up is about fashioning our own way to see. Maybe this refers to the tendency that may occur at this time to go with knee-jerk reactions, feeling states set in childhood, borrowed opinions and outlooks that appeal because they are familiar–and have never been examined. Watch for these kinds of prejudices within yourself, as they can stunt growth almost before it starts.
We always look at the giver of light, the Sun, for a Full Moon: ‘A Tumultuous Labor Demonstration’. Wow, shades of current events! We can’t demonstrate our support, or march for the way things should be, if we haven’t yet determined what we think that is. This image suggests it’s important we work it out, important we get the glasses that fit us, not leftovers from somebody else. This is just one more (important) step in embracing more fully what’s genuine to us as individuals.
Hi All! My apologies for being so late getting this out. I had a couple of vaccinations that knocked me flat. I’m all better now, and hope you’re enjoying June!
The New Moon perfects at 8:02 PM PDT at 6 Gemini 05, just three days before the Superior Conjunction, the meeting of the Sun and Mercury in direct motion. That suggests the New Moon generates fresh feeling that creates new thoughts or ideas (Gemini), or that a new, seminal-feeling idea engenders new emotional response, and that leads to the event the Sun-Mercury meeting promises: the culmination of energy and intent seeded with the Inferior Conjunction of March 25th. This connection is doubly potent, doubly exciting to the interplay of mind and emotion, because of Mercury’s rulership of Gemini. It will likely feel, between the New Moon and the Superior Conjunction, like we are seeing things in a whole new light; it dawns on us that we weren’t putting all the pieces together, weren’t appreciating what they mean or how we genuinely feel, with the result that we experience a quickening of mental activity, perceptual acuity, and an awareness of the depth and true nature of our own feelings. Think ‘Mercurial’, and expect some lightning-quick reveals, realizations, and thought and ideas that will shift and shift again our viewpoint of the current situation and what we must do.
Saturn has just entered Aries, is conjoined Neptune, also new in the sign, and makes a very wide sextile to the New Moon=the real-world consequences of our own choices and actions, what started with these and the emotional impact they have, is just now beginning to be apparent. We’re both moving toward the ideal, and moving deeper into the fog. Questions around discipline, boundaries, constraints, denial, and suppression all come to the fore, we attempt to measure what may be impossible to quantify (are we living our dreams and ideals? How successful have we been at embracing the spiritual? What are the real impacts of our creativity?), and, for good or ill, awareness of the individual’s responsibility for what they put out into the world is more acute than ever. This New Moon offers mental clarity in the midst of these contradictory trends, something we desperately need as the planet of ‘No’ meets the planet of ‘I don’t know’. The good news is neither Saturn nor Neptune is in ultimate control; it’s up to each of us to apply the constructive and restrained influences of Saturn to the creative and spiritually-oriented impulses of Neptune, in the hope that we choose well and Aries provides sound and rewarding results for individual choice and action.
The New Moon is trine Pluto in Aquarius and closely quincunx the Black Moon Lilith point=Aha! What we’re being offered with this fresh Lunar energy is the chance to change our minds. May not sound all that revolutionary, until we consider that’s the exact energy that’s currently motivating Pluto: Aquarian forward-thinking, upsetting the status quo, innovation and invention. The question is, will we embrace change because we have a progressive vision, a desire to transform and regenerate? Or will we destroy simply to see the world burn? It’s an important distinction, best determined before you light the match. Important note: the match itself may consist of those things we’ve ignored, denied, or been really p*ssed off about, and the danger there is that those angry, disowned energies may desperately want to strike without much consideration for what may result.
The dangerous part of this multi-energy mix is that we may expect ourselves to have all the answers, know exactly what we think and want, when this is actually the perfect window to re-consider, to discover, to explore, to acknowledge our uncertainties and what we’ve neglected or ignored. It should dawn on us that a) we don’t know everything, and shouldn’t expect ourselves to (that is, a little humility and modesty will go a long way), b) that there’s no virtue in being inflexible or failing to incorporate new information, c) that though what we think is a precursor to what we do and become, it isn’t who we are–don’t think that the story in our heads is more ‘real’ than the interactions we have and the real-world results we create. Too, just because we think a thought doesn’t make us a good (or bad) person–it’s what we put our energy into (and what we withhold it from) that counts.
But here’s our warning: the New Moon is conjoined asteroid Icarus at 5 Gemini. Could we have a clearer message to keep our heads about us, to not let the misleading energies of the imagination pull us too far astray from the real and the practical? No, we couldn’t. And, Jupiter and Uranus are semi-sextile each other=though optimism can spark the unexpected, the fortuitous, the unlooked for opportunity, and the shock of the ‘new’ can send us careening in an entirely unexpected direction, whatever happens, we’d do best not to fly too high, to note the distinction between exploring mentally and translating that into concrete events–one doesn’t necessarily have to follow the other, at least not without some solid, Saturnian footings beneath it. Or, we can see it as Chiron sextile Jupiter, with Uranus at the rough midpoint=that lets us know that hurt might underlay a lot of the big pushes forward right now–and we all know the wound is never the best engine for choice/ decision making.
‘Daedalus and Icarus’ By Orazio Riminaldi c1625 {{PD}}
The New Moon Sabian is, ‘A Well With Bucket And Rope Under The Shade Of Majestic Trees’. We’re offered emotional ‘water’ at this time–the image is of a pleasant spot, a place of rest, and maybe that’s Luna’s point right now: we’re at the beginning, with what we learn at the New Moon, and with what we feel; best to take it easy, as many of the other current influences will push us to do the exact opposite, with very likely unhappy results.
‘The Icebergs’ By Frederic Edwin Church 1861 {{PD}}
The Full Moon perfects at 9:55 AM PDT at 22 Scorpio 12. At this point, Lunar energies (emotion, intuition, sensation, the concealed or obscured but felt, caretaking, nurture, mothering, the changeable and ephemeral) reach a peak, and in Scorpio this means things plunge into the depths. The Moon’s palette dovetails nicely with the Scorpionic; their watery emotional viewpoint unites them, as does the orientation of both toward perceiving the hidden or unseen, the unspoken and implied,and reacting to it through the feeling nature. Chances are this occurs unconsciously, with only the tip of the emotional iceberg perceptible to us, and that means that under a Full Moon in Scorpio feelings we didn’t even know we had can come to fruition–and our reactions to those emotions are reflected back to us through matters set in motion/ orchestrated by that current of feeling. Recognizing that our own emotions are the source of what’s presented at the Full Moon is vital; so is the need to read what occurs as if we’re sending ourselves important messages, things which may be too disturbing to the routine or status quo, or that we may be in denial of, to have delivered any other way.
This time the Full Moon is conjoined Juno and opposed, as always, the Sun, which is joined by Hygeia and Uranus=Personal empowerment, making ourselves felt in the world, is key this Full Moon, and if we neglect to claim our sovereignty, we’ll be faced with an unhealthy situation, one chaotic, surprising, or that demands we innovate or invent in order to survive, or in less extreme circumstances, in order to assert our individuality or uniqueness, to remain free of ‘group think’. Drama is a Scorpio specialty, exacerbated by the easy trine the Full Moon makes to Saturn and Ceres in Pisces (with Saturn conjoined Neptune in Aries, which is too far outside orb to be contacted by the FM)=we can be misled, deceived, or can simply allow wishful thinking to override a more concrete picture of how things are and what our personal power scenario is. Tuning in to reality is particularly difficult right now–things are fuzzy and motivations, thinking, and who holds what power is unclear, at least in terms of understanding realistic goals and potentials–and that means making choices can be harder than usual.
The Full Moon is part of several configurations, and we pull in little-used but illuminating points to complete the picture. There are two Fingers of God, one apex the Moon and Juno with base of Jupiter conjoined Hera in Gemini sextile Chiron, Sappho, and Eris in Aries=this suggests that either the belief system or what we believe we know is under strain within the larger social sphere, disregarded and disrespected, and this hurts, turns us toward those who choose as we do, and stirs up any latent discord that’s been dormant, with the result being an emotional lesson on where and how we are actually empowered (as opposed to where we thought we commanded power). The other Finger is Moon-Juno sextile Sphinx in Capricorn, apex Jupiter-Hera=here emotional empowerment is found in accepting mystery, acknowledging what is unknowable, right now, and moving forward anyway; the result is a broadening of our reach and potentially our knowledge, as well as the possibility of open acknowledgment by others as to where we’ve been wronged or not respected.
‘The Questioner of the Sphinx’ By Elihu Vedder 1836 {{PD}}
A T-square with the Full Moon opposed Uranus, Hygeia, and the Sun in Taurus, all square Pallas in Aquarius rounds out the FM picture=though emotional revelations and measures of emotional health draw our attention (and possibly our concern), what we need to remember is that, difficult as it is, what we’re being shown must be answered either with our innate wisdom or with a strong sense of practicality. ‘Make it useful’ could be our motto, at present; we might add to this a Cardinal T-square that could make its own waves by proximity, rather than direct involvement: Uranian Zeus opposed Eris, Chiron, and Sappho, both squared by the Sphinx=it’s useful to admit what we don’t know, or what’s unknowable, no matter what; when we do that in relation to our ambitions and desires, we disarm those who might want to struggle with us or hurt us, in spite of the way they are likely to be just like us. Taking ammo away from those who are looking to attack is a strong incentive for them to take their aggression elsewhere–or even to realize we’ve more in common than not, after all.
The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Rabbit Metamorphosed Into A Nature Spirit’. This Full Moon makes apparent the essence of what’s special and spiritual within. It’s there within our everyday, ‘rabbit’ form, but events now release what’s closest to Nature inside us. Expect revelations around feeling and purpose.
We also look at the Sabian for the Sun, giver of light: ‘A Jewellery Shop Filled With The Most Magnificent Jewels’. The more mundane face of this Full Moon energy shines on actual material matters–the spiritual essence we discover is reflected in these, but not derived from it. The wealth, and the payoff, really do come in an elevated spirit; the sense of prosperity or reward is just a nice extra.
There’s a great deal of feeling stirred up by this Full Moon, and so much of it we’ve likely been unaware of–our task is to give those emotions context, to configure them so they’re meaningful to us, and thus useful, and to remember others are having a similar emotional experience–again, seeing that we’re more alike than not can help bring down barriers that have been contributing to our sense of the ‘Other’ as invasive force, rather than as potential ally, collaborator, or partner.
‘Circee’ (Circe), drawing By Jean Delville 1893 {{PD}}
A New Moon in Taurus may ask if we are born from our environment, a material, sensuous Being with qualities and personality fully formed and fully intact, or if we are born into our environment formless, a tabula rasa upon which our surroundings write their influence? Of course, in absolute terms when we’re born, or re-born as part of the Lunar cycle, we’re neither totally unformed nor are all our characteristics already determined; anyone who’s dealt with an infant knows they’re distinctive from birth, even as they are learning and changing all the time, and so it is with us all through our lives: we live, we grow, and even as we develop we’re aware that there are some responses, feelings, traits that have always been within us.
Any New Moon offers us a moment of re-birth, a moment in which, in areas related to the sign and the House it occupies in our natal chart, we can begin again; with Taurus we focus on our surroundings, the atmosphere, our assets, what we have or are missing (and related to this, what we need, find comfort in materially, and what personal expression and power we derive from our wealth or talents), such that we may feel the sign concerns things outside ourselves, and so outside our influence or control. An easy mistake to make; that’s why we are obligated to remind ourselves that where we are in life, and what surrounds us, is a direct and undeniable result of each and every decision we’ve ever made. The outside matches the inside, not one-for-one, but in ways where many things are more subtle, cumulative, or far-reaching, extending into our futures and or sending tendrils of meaning and re-interpretation back into the past.
This New Moon sparks at 12:30 PM PDT of the 27th at 7 Taurus 46, conjoined (and moving toward perfection of the conjunction with) the asteroid Circe=the child of gods, but described as a sorceress and minor goddess, Circe is chiefly known now as having used her power to turn men into pigs just to keep the one she desired (Odysseus) trapped on her island. Like so many people used to wielding power, used to getting her way, Circe didn’t see how she was encroaching on others’ boundaries, that she was behaving in abusive and controlling ways, simply because to people who process power the way she does, others aren’t as real as she is–she’s a narcissist.
Together the New Moon/ Sun-Moon conjunction and Circe act as one arm of a Grand Cross made up of Mars in Leo conjoined the asteroid Karma, Pluto in Aquarius, and Black Moon Lilith and the asteroid Hekate in Scorpio. In a more conventional interpretation only the T-square would be considered, with Hekate (the one who shows the way) ignored–which may be the case even as we note Hekate’s presence, because it’s conjoined the Black Moon Lilith point, urging us to bury the info we’re being given about which way and how to go.
So, conscious of this tendency to skip over what’s uncomfortable or inconvenient, especially if it illuminates the direction we should take, we look at the other energies in play: Mars in Leo makes us want to act or choose, to our own glory or for our own Will or purposes; Pluto in Aquarius may, in this Lunar light, take on an unusually negative tone: awareness of Higher Mind, taking an intellectual tack, being inventive or innovative, may feel destructive–or, change and transformation seem to be required to move successfully into the future. Either way, the pressure is intense–and so may be the fear.
But, we haven’t addressed one element: the asteroid Karma in Leo conjoined Mars. Here we have a chicken-or-egg situation: do we act or choose because we’re meeting some facet of our Karma, something we have created ourselves and now must face (or embrace–it could be a good thing), or are we creating Karma with our actions and choices? Inevitably, both are true, in the larger scheme of things, but the label of ‘Karmic’ is one we should use with care; really, either everything is Karmic, or nothing is. Mayhap we should read this, then, as facilitating something we deserve–no more, no less–and no matter where or from whom this appears to come, we as individuals have earned it (Leo).
One other thing worth mention: the New Moon is at the midpoint of another energy picture, a trine among Requiem in Cancer and a conjunction of Orpheus and Damocles in Pisces. Requiem in the sign of Lunar sensitivity and emotions suggests an end to something, a feeling or caring situationmemorialized which reflects the presence of Pluto in the larger equation. Orpheus attempted to retrieve his beloved from Hades, only to fail when he lost trust and looked back, violating the only order he’d been given; combine this ‘blowing his big break’ with the story of the Sword of Damocles, wherein it’s made clear that with enormous privilege comes a much higher level of danger/ threat, and we get a portrait of an individual granted extraordinary favor who then, either through his own misbehavior or through a newfound awareness, loses what he so deeply wanted. He is disabused of the idea either that he deserves an exception to the very rules of life and death, or that those with a particular status are immune from these rules. The Moon-Sun, then, poised between these, may imply that a particular idea about what one desires will need, one way or another, to die.
The Sabian for this New Moon is a little startling: ‘A Sleigh On Land Uncovered By Snow’. We’re given a symbol of movement that’s in a totally unsuitable environment. This just reiterates that the ‘old’ idea of how to move forward needs revision–and certainly, that what we find comfortable and secure may need to be revised, updated–because how many of us regularly drive a sleigh anymore? You see what I mean.
That New Moon in Taurus gives us a re-birth in what’s not just materially important or possible, but in what we want and deserve. Awareness grows, likely through emotional processes, and so our ideas about what brings comfort, prosperity, or security, particularly on an individual level, change as well. We’re re-vivified through a process of assessment and evaluation–and we are shown in the light of the New Moon exactly what we must do, what direction we must take, to make it happen. We’re, in some important way, back from the dead, in the Taurean areas of our life. Enjoy it.
Julie Demboski's ASTROLOGY 
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