Category Archives: Cardinal Activity

Just a Little AstroEssence 6 August 2017 Personal Paranoia

05 Saturday Aug 2017

Posted by in astrology, Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, forecast, Horoscope, Jupiter-Pluto square, The Daily Word Image

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Sometimes we have unrealistic expectations prompted by what we see around us, and insist on trying to live up to them. ‘Portrait of Marchesa Brigida Spinola Doria’ 1606 Artist Unknown {{PD}}

Though our thoughts center on priorities, values, and what we find sacred (who am I kidding–we’re a little obsessed with all that’s most dear to us!) we’re probably thinking about these so much because we have a sneaking suspicion that someone might take one or more of these away, or that time, the Powers-That-Be, or our own destructiveness might eliminate from our lives what we desire most. Understand that our highest values permeate our thoughts–and ideals are just that, often impossible standards that nothing can live up to. We’re also seeing our ambitions and desires in exaggerated form, perhaps seeing examples within the social order that we feel hard pressed to match. These are the reasons we are feeling stressed around such nebulous and demanding factors–and throw in the way transiting Saturn is inexorably moving toward the current Black Moon Lilith point, as well as the lingering Jupiter-Pluto contact, and we have a recipe for personal paranoia and a fear that the real world or those with power (who, strangely, we’re never imagining as ourselves) may blow it all up. I’m not saying this can’t happen, but I am saying it’s all much more within your control than you might think–and that should be very reassuring.

Los Angeles Alligator Farm — in a 1906 postcard {{PD}}

Today’s word image is an alligator locked away in a box; someone lets it out. Alligators don’t belong in cages, but neither do they belong roaming around where people are. What thing do you feel threatened by that’s where it is because of an inappropriate action that preceded it–and what will you do about it?

Just a Little AstroEssence 4 August 2017 Change We Can’t Ignore

03 Thursday Aug 2017

Posted by in astrology, Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, forecast, Horoscope, Jupiter-Pluto square

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William-Adolphe Bouguereau – ‘Flora And Zephyr’ (1875) {{PD}}

Though the focus is on Jupiter perfecting a square to Pluto today, we can’t discount two other influential aspects: Mars square Pallas and Venus opposed Juno. The latter two  create a ‘setting’ in which the Cardinal Jupiter-Pluto contact (once again) manifests, though we should be mindful of the way it can take a new form each time they meet. The atmosphere is one where egos, or the urge to act or do, butts heads with what’s wise or practical–and as if that doesn’t make for enough tension, we also see relationships or financial circumstances that undermine or stand against our most empowered position, meaning we may find situations where there’s a demand that we choose: the relationship or the status we want, financial security or the ability to make our own decisions, Love or Money versus having a lasting impact.

Into this comes another expression of Jupiter-Pluto. As with all aspects, how this connects to the natal chart is of supreme importance, and so is the ultimate indicator of potential effects on an individual level. What we see generally is expansion (of knowledge, horizons, world view) in conflict with forces of change, destruction, or transformation. We may hear and see those words so much that they become blunted, losing any real meaning; we may think, ‘All life is change, so how does that help us?’ It helps by pointing out that this aspect creates mechanisms for change that we can’t ignore. Everyday change is what we live with; what happens with Jupiter-Pluto is sweeping, permanent, and could alter beliefs or even ‘the facts’ forever after. We may feel what occurs is forced on us, but the reality is that changes with this aspect catch us up in some way; we have resisted something, and the Universe no longer allows us to continue in quite the same way.

Whether this change comes from rage (possibly our own or another’s, at having knowledge concealed or withheld), from the need to destroy something that has limited our reach or our getting ‘more’, from opportunities offered that would change our entire world, or from externals that force us to recognize our lack of info, experience, or opportunity as things currently stand, any form this aspect takes requires us to respond–and that’s what’s in play in this period, with perfection of the aspect today possibly making conditions obvious, and our choices clear.

Today’s word image is a medic tending the wounded in the midst of battle. No matter what stresses we are under or struggles consumed by, we need to see to our needs, our injuries, those things that, if left untended, might completely incapacitate. Leave the fray at least long enough to patch yourself up and see to basics needs–you won’t be able to fight on long without such attentions.

12 January 2017 Come Together

11 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, forecast, Full Moon, Grand Cross/Grand Square, Grand Trine, Horoscope, Moon

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John William Waterhouse - 'The Decameron' c1915 {{PD}}

One thing I’m not crazy about with this picture is the way the women all seemed to be enthralled with the lone man–a discarded instrument even sits next to one, suggesting they’re all taking a passive approach to things, putting aside their interests–let’s not let this be the reality, ladies! John William Waterhouse – ‘The Decameron’ c1915 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: We have the resources to make dreams and ideals a reality–the question is, are we really willing to ‘spend’ them on our supposed dreams? This may bring a reality check of the kind that forces us to vet what we have been proclaiming we want–a ‘put our money where our mouth is’ moment–and should we discover we are unwilling to part with assets to back up our words or announced goals, we should celebrate it as a moment of true clarity, a chance to course-correct, to align our internal image with our actual manifestation of identity. We are likely to see that some of our priorities and commitments are actually unhealthy, and we begin thinking in concrete, practical, even hard-headed terms. It may be a rough ride for those who want to keep pretending they will become something they have no intention of actually investing in, but the rest of us can be free of old labels, and of the internal distortions created when we fool ourselves in an attempt to fool others. PS Chances of being fooled as to the actual state of relationships or finances is high, but so is the chance to profit from the creative or to spin an image of ourselves as Love or Money manifest (whether this is accurate or not) (Vesta sesq Hygeia, Venus conj Neptune, Mercury enters Capricorn)

full-moon-in-cancer-january-2017The Full Moon occurs at 3:34 AM of the 12th Pacific time at 22 Cancer 27, where it fills in as the arm of a Cardinal Grand Cross, with Jupiter-Zeus on one end and Uranus-Ceres on the other, with the opposition of the Sun filling in and inviting Pluto (despite the fact that the lord of the Underworld sees the Sun separating from contact). In other aspects we’ll keep our orbs crisp, with a quincunx to Saturn-Juno and a trine to Chiron. The config is dynamic, tense, but fueled by spontaneity, optimism, desire, an awareness of the fulsome presence of Nature (and Her unpredictability), and a consciousness that sees the need for change, destruction, and in some cases, transformation, in the name of renewal, and especially in terms of those who hold the Power. The Full Moon event should bring a culmination of energies that most likely sees a conclusion reached, spurred by changes in the reality picture and our awareness of it, and all of it based in what we care about, what we’re sensitive to (Moon in Cancer) and how this can mesh with real-world conditions and circumstances (Sun in Capricorn).

This brings healing (the Chiron trine) and forces us to adjust to the real-world state of our empowerment (quincunx Saturn-Juno)–fantasies will no longer do, echoing the other aspects for the day unrelated to the Full Moon. The Cross itself brings opportunity for ambition fulfillment and the need to balance this with our own unique needs within the power structure/ Nature, with what we care about, and with the conscious knowledge that certain facets of the reality picture (and possibly the emotional one) must change, in some stark and significant way.

Just maybe we may also want to consider a loose Water Grand Trine involving the Moon-Earth meeting reaching out to Chiron in Pisces and Black Moon Lilith in Scorpio. This hints at healing through balance that allows emotional acknowledgment of matters previously hidden, denied, or that enraged. The essence of many of the aspects for today and for the Full moon seems to hinge on successfully allowing two at least somewhat contradictory or unalike forces to meet, and from that meeting finding equilibrium; just something to keep in mind going forward.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘The Meeting Of A Literary Society’. This symbol speaks of the coming together of minds, to consider ideas expressed in a concrete form, in this case, in writing–and in a twist, this could specifically apply to contracts, as a meeting of the minds is the primary condition for the formation of such agreements. This suggests the Full Moon events express a material or manifest form of one or more ideas, allowing them to be vetted in the real world. Though the environment for inspection is a civilized one, what results may not be quite so, as the inclusion of Pluto, Zeus, and Uranus in the Full Moon picture suggests some extreme passions and unpredictable alternatives may suddenly be on the table, pushing the feeling nature (Moon in Cancer) to extremes and/ or draw conclusions.

Edgar Degas - 'Achille De Gas in the Uniform of a Cadet' c1856 {{PD}}

Edgar Degas – ‘Achille De Gas in the Uniform of a Cadet’ c1856 {{PD}}

The Sabian for the Sun, instigator of the Full Moon phenomenon, is, ‘A Soldier Receiving Two Awards For Bravery In Combat’. The figure of ‘a soldier’ suggests one of many, who is responsible for and in control of only him or herself–but all awards a soldier can receive on the battlefield are tied directly to her or his actions that specifically benefit both his cause and his fellow soldiers. So, this could imply that what culminates at the Full Moon started with actions that went ‘above and beyond’–and this is the result.

Bonus: those with natal placements at 20-23 of Leo may be in for major emotional healing or wounding, likely as Full Moon events reveal something about their origins that was previously unrealized.

Bonus bonus: Full Moon work with Auntie Moon

For those born with the Sun at 22 Capricorn: You’re at or very near the summit, right about now, and you reach the crest of your goal only to find–another big climb ahead of you. Don’t despair; you can rest for a brief while and gather in the benefits of the level you’ve already achieved–and if you look around you’ll see that you’ve got the resources, the support, and the personal authority to begin the journey up that next mountain–and it’s more than likely that you’ll reach the summit for this Solar year’s goal much sooner than you expect–so get ready to celebrate–after that climb, of course. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

Donate! Read! And have a wonderful Full Moon!

Focus on: Merc Meets Pluto 29 January 2016

28 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by in astrology, Capricorn, Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, Mercury, Pluto

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We may wonder in our own world which side of the power struggle is Jacob, which one the Angel? 'Jacob Wrestling with the Angel' by Léon Bonnat 1875 {{PD}}

We may wonder in our own world which side of the power struggle is Jacob, which one the Angel? ‘Jacob Wrestling with the Angel’ by Léon Bonnat 1875 {{PD}}

Merc and Pluto both show up for this meeting in button down shirts, clutching their wallets and pearls, equipment for weighing and measuring carefully calibrated, posture rigid and eyes glazed over with ‘the rules’–they’re ready for business. Mercury has finally given up flight and is headed back to where he left off; he’s ready to talk, to negotiate, to inform, as long as things stay on topic, and he’s aware of the status quo, conscious of the need to deliver the establishment’s message. Pluto is out to change the system, destroy boundaries, and he’s been in this territory for a while; once he’s altered or transformed what is, a strange thing happens: the destructive energy is dissipated, and expressions of power come forward, power that enforces a new set of rules, boundaries, and installs a new authority in place of the old. The question is, where do these two meet in expression? Capricorn gives them both a tone, a background, a set of attitudes to play with, but each carries its own essence, bringing about a kind of chemical reaction that, despite their meeting in the same sign, may bring confrontation.

The root of the conflict may be this: Mercury is messenger of those who hold the reins right now; Pluto, half way through the sign, has already thrown the acid, the Molotov cocktail, and is in the process of taking the ruin of what was and constructing something new from it. That, my friends, is a fundamental conflict of interest. These two come together, and one, the quicker-moving one, is interested in making the argument for keeping things as they are; the other has been at work for quite a while, and is in the midst of creating a kind of re-birth in our ideas of authority, boundaries, and restraint. And both claim practicality, and the health of both personal life structures and those of governments, countries, and large systems, are best served by their methods.

What can we expect? The voice of current power-holders may carefully craft their message, with restrictions on who knows what, meant to keep things static, for safety, for the well-being of all, and of course, to retain power; the agents of change may claim a moral superiority in their very existence, a ‘change for change’s sake’ stance that does not acknowledge the new authorities rising from the ashes, intent on replacing the old, are just as distorted in priorities and viewpoint as the previous holders of power were. In other words, change does not equalize anything, nor does becoming part of the current power structure, because both are intent on grabbing power and keeping it–and when that is the goal, no message will assuage those without influence, and no revolution will make the situation more equitable.

So, what we may witness today are communications that have power acquisition and retention at their core–and this may be played a thousand ways, with harsh or destructive words, transformational ideas, the resurrection of concepts we thought were surely gone, and the obliteration of the old rules–but all of it concealing, one way or another, the power struggle currently at the heart of the Universe. In your own life an awareness that power is behind literally everything we deal with at this time will help reveal the layers of meaning. We need to understand that there’s an intensity to this (thanks, Pluto!) that goes beyond the normal level of power-seeking we see everyday, giving even the simplest exchanges a life-or-death tone that may seem over the top–but if we purge our minds of clutter and propaganda, we see the Truth of what’s being negotiated beneath.

Jupiter Opposed Neptune September 2015

17 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by in astrology, Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, Jupiter, Neptune

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There are pairs, and there are pears, and there are 'Pears and Oranges in a Bowl' - William Glackens 1915 {{PD}}

There are pairs, and there are pears, and there are ‘Pears and Oranges in a Bowl’ – William Glackens 1915 {{PD}}

With Jupiter opposed Neptune, knowledge and ‘the facts’ face off against illusion, against what might be–and if we aren’t truly clear on who we are and in our connection to reality (and how can we be during Merc retro in Air?) then we may come out the worse for it. This aspect initiates an even more serious gap between those who believe in the rational and those who cling to fantasy–and the problem is that both sides see themselves as the rational ones! Jupiter in Virgo, moving into trine with Pluto, quincunxing Vesta and sesquiquadrate Ceres, tells us that the devil is discovered via the details, in critical examination that is not overly respectful of authority, and in a certain willingness to question our values and then adjust them according to what we find. If we fail to do that, we are definitely living Neptune at the moment, feet firmly planted in the fog of our own hazy reasoning. Look around: it’s Mulder and Scully, George and Gracie, Cheech and Chong, Lucy and Ethel, Bert and Ernie, Bart and Lisa, Holmes and Watson, Spongebob and Patrick, and I’m giving no hints as to which of the two in each of these pairs was the one really being realistic.

This is the only aspect for Neptune at the moment (and we’re not counting the fleeting touch of the transiting Moon); that suggests that those disconnected from reality have no touchstones, other than the Jupiterian facts, to pull them back into this dimension. When you hear an assertion, look for the reality behind it; don’t trust, verify the reality of what you believe, before making it your anthem. Normally I would say something about creative types and creativity getting a boost from this, but this time, No–a big part of true creativity is about being able to work with reality, to mold it, to see the potentials–and that’s only possible when we work with what is. We can try to turn water into wine all day, but if we don’t acknowledge that wine comes from grapes, and so must be our starting point, we’re going to serve one weak-ass beverage this evening.

Also of note: Juno and the North Node meet up at 00 Libra, showing us (if we’re paying attention) precisely how much the shaping of our future relies on our own empowerment. If you have placements within two degrees either side of this, or in hard aspect from the other Cardinals, that energy contacted will be instrumental, especially over the immediate future, in determining which way you go and how successfully you do it. Who used it best? might be the Universal question at this point, focused on your natal contacted energy.

Zeus and Venus are also sextile; should you have anything at 14-18 Virgo you have a temporary Finger of God that implies your ambitions plus relationships, finances, or values, when working together, will successfully bring about a positive expression of the Virgo energy. With Venus trining Pallas and catching Zeus at the midpoint, be smart and/ or practical about the use or role of that Venusian asset, for best results. And if you have anything at 14-18 Taurus, that becomes apex to a Finger with base of Zeus (ambition and desire) and Pallas (wisdom, practical skills), making for the obvious formula of applying wisdom to ambition creates, what, at this time? Whatever you’ve got at that point in Taurus.

The Cancer New Moon 15 July 2015: Healing An Imbalance

11 Saturday Jul 2015

Posted by in astrology, Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, New Moon, Sabian Symbols, T-Square

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Paul Gauguin - Vahine no te miti (Femme a la mer) (Mujer del mar) 1891 {{PD}}

Paul Gauguin – Vahine no te miti (Femme a la mer) (Mujer del mar) 1891 {{PD}}

The New Moon in Cancer occurs at 6:25 PM Pacific time on the 15th at 23 Cancer 14, and makes only a few contacts, so I’ll be stretching orbs a bit so that we get some kind of picture. Usually I shy away from expansive orbs, as I feel things can get sloppy fast; this time, though, we have a loose Grand Trine that really may be the heart of the event. Too, I usually don’t pay much attention to what else is happening, preferring to focus on the New or Full Moon contacts so that we can delineate the NM or FM effects away from everything else, making it very clear what leads to what. Today I’m breaking both those rules–hold on!

Though I’m stretching those orbs, I won’t go crazy with it, and that means that the Mercury-Mars pairing that some might consider conjunct the New Moon won’t be for me–but we still need to note that aggressive speech under a banner of how much one cares may be the offering of the day. This also suggests that those not normally assertive verbally or with their ideas may find a little fire today and let everyone know what they think–and this possibly signals for them a new way of communicating or of expecting to be treated, courtesy of the New Moon.

There’s also the matter of Venus at 29 tense degrees of Leo. The poor girl is wound up tight about identity, who’s in the spotlight, about matters of generosity, about how to best shine, and about recent vicissitudes in Love or Money–and she’s preparing to retrograde soon, which implies that all this stress will find outlet in re-visiting similar topics, matters, or life areas from 8 years ago, whatever those were for you, when she last retrograded at approximately this point in the chart. Note this: whether or not current Venusian stresses seem to relate to 8 years ago, they will flow out through those life areas where Venus retros soon, the same ones visited 8 years ago–so don’t be fooled if the forms they take look new or unfamiliar.

Now, finally, the New Moon! It has sextiles to Black Moon Lilith and Sedna (though fails to fall at their midpoint), creates a loose Water Grand Trine with Saturn and Chiron, and the Sun-Moon/ Earth axis forms a T-square with Uranus. What’s born at the New Moon is born from instinct, or from those things we’ve ignored or denied, or by anger stirred by matters that normally fall in our ‘blind spot’–suddenly we see them, and wow, are we upset! What’s born makes for emotional release, and that can’t help but offer healing, even if the precipitating event itself is upsetting.

The idea is that if we attended to things yesterday (see my post for the 14th) what comes forward now may be something healing and emotionally positive (the Water GT, Chiron), and that potentially results in real-world change or the lifting of restrictions (Saturn). The ‘T’ involving Uranus suggests we may be taken by surprise by what’s born–we may not have anticipated the new understanding that underpins events, and we may feel pressure to ‘modernize’, to learn new protocols, to catch up to the group, or to be original and inventive–but in any case what begins is something unusual, at least in terms of what we cared about (Cancer) previously. Likely subjects are described by the natal House where the New Moon occurs, and/ or the Houses where your natal Sun and Moon sit, or those they rule (and probably a combination of these). A few will rebel or act erratically in reaction to what happens, taking anything upsetting as an individual affront, and missing the chance for healing and removal of restrictions that events bring.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Woman And Two Men Castaways On A Small Island Of The South Seas’  Now, no matter how copacetic a scenario involving three may be, eventually someone feels like a third wheel–and that makes either a tricycle, or a really uncomfortable scene. With this image we’re told these are castaways–so involuntarily in this situation–and the implication is there’s no one else there. We should also be aware of the imbalance in energies: two representatives of the animus, doing energy and one of the being, receptive energy–and so the symbol may speak to an imbalance in our own approach that possibly precipitates the New Moon upset or change. We may be emphasizing aggression, action, ‘tackling’ a job, and using too little receptivity; the result of this kind of imbalance is typically the kind of surprises we will have at the New Moon: entirely of our own creation, we look upon them astonished, shocked that such upset, healing, and the resulting freedom, are actually of our own making.

See my books here, and watch for my new offering on Vesta, available later this month!

The New Moon in Cancer 15 July 2015

Just a Little on the Cardinal Grand Cross of April 2014

23 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by in Cardinal Activity, Cardinal Grand Cross April 2014, ECLIPSE magazine, future events in the sky, Grand Cross/Grand Square

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'The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed With the Sun' William Blake {{PD}}

‘The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed With the Sun’ William Blake {{PD}}

This is an excerpt from the Grand Cross article in the current ECLIPSE:

The aspects don’t actually perfect all at once; in fact, I don’t think that’s possible, with Mars traveling in the opposite direction to the other three, and with Pluto-Uranus being exact on the 21st and Jupiter closest to them on the 20th. Mars is the hold out; every other body has to wait for him to create the Cross (a very Martian, ‘the world revolves around me!’ attitude!) though by the time he arrives, Jupiter is already poised to flee and Uranus and Pluto are parting So, the T-square is actually stronger prior to hooking up with Mars, and that implies that, depending on where in the personal chart each arm falls, we may already be in the midst of developments when the Martian energy arrives—and that suggests that things that have occurred have accumulated so that, with Mars in the picture, we are prompted to choose or act definitively on the concerned circumstances.

Something to consider in the personal chart is that two of the Cross factors will be below the horizon, and two above; this means that the above horizon elements are much more likely to involve others directly, to be ‘visible’ to onlookers, to involve contact with the world, institutions, businesses, or to involve one’s own job or vocation. The below horizon elements are much more likely to be processed at an internal level and to drive one’s own impulses and choices but not necessarily be obvious to others.

We can speak in general of what one of the energies above or below the horizon might mean, always keeping in mind that the particular House it rules in the natal chart, as well as its natal situation and any aspects it’s currently making to natal factors, can all figure in to meaning. For instance, Jupiter in Cancer above the horizon in the Whole Sign 10th=the broadcast or public ‘reveal’ of sensitivities, knowledge, beliefs, or the Jupiterian facet of the Cross/ T experience comes from others or is ‘out in the open’ in some way, definitely affecting the reputation or career; Pluto is then below the horizon in the 4th, suggesting that the change, upset, destruction, rage, or transformative facet happens on the inside or ‘close to home’ in some way, and may be a factor in what’s revealed, in this case coming either from the deepest Self or through the family relationship or actual living situation.

 For the whole story, plus much more, order here!

Just a Little AstroEssence: Sun-Pluto Pre-Retrograde Square

31 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by in Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, Retrogrades

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'The Third of May 1808' Francisco Goya 1814 {{PD-Art}}

‘The Third of May 1808’ Francisco Goya 1814 {{PD-Art}}

The 31st of March/ 1st of April sees the pre-retrograde square of the Sun to Pluto, illuminating the lord of the Underworld as he prepares to backtrack in Capricorn. This is the point when we get a glimpse into the shadows; the door swings open and just for a second we see the tooth as it’s pulled, the sobbing man, the child about to step into the street and in front of a car he can’t see, but you can. We get a look at something dark and usually hidden, or as with the child, we see a usually unnoticed action, as from most vantage points it seems harmless, the approaching car hidden by another car parked just so. Pay attention to what you glimpse; even though it can be shocking or disorienting or produce anxiety, it can also tell us something: the dentist is a sadist, avoid him; the man needs help; the child needs supervision. What we see may appear minor or disconnected from the larger picture or even none of our business–and yet the Universe has opened that door, just as you walked by and turned your head, and observed–now what will you do?

23 September 2010 Full Moon: Glimpsing Intentions of the Soul

22 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by in Aries Point, astrology, Cardinal Activity, Consciousness Explored, current events in the sky, ECLIPSE magazine, Full Moon, Juno, T-Square

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Olaus Magnus 1555 'On the Activities of People at Moonlight' {{PD-Art}}

The women were like beings made of moon milk, and their skin shimmered with little silver dots like those of the salmon in springtime, and the women’s feet and hands were long and graceful.

Clarissa Pinkola Estes Phd,  WOMEN WHO RUN WITH THE WOLVES

The Full Moon for September occurs at 2:17 AM PDT on the 23rd at 00 Aries 15–the Aries Point! In the most straightforward terms, the Aries Point is the slice of space/ time where spirit enters matter, the collision point of  all that is real and unseen with discernible material form. So, a big deal, as for the individual, this point in the flat chart of the natal horoscope designates the point at which the individual meshed the spirit and the physical as we know it; it’s the place where the Soul entered active engagement with the present lifetime. What does this mean for us when the transiting Full Moon coincides with what we might see as a doorway between spirit and material?

The occurrence of the Full Moon at the Aries Point may open a doorway to our origins, to the most fundamental expression of who we are, at that moment when we both took material form (birth) and still retained full consciousness of the Soul essence. The Sabian symbol for 0-1 Aries is: ‘A Woman Just Risen From the Sea; a Seal is Embracing Her’ This image brings to mind the Archetypal story of the Seal Woman who mates with a human male, has a child, and slowly loses her health–all because as she celebrated herself, a hunter saw, and took the sealskin she wore as her ‘true’ identity. The story is given form in ‘Sealskin, Soulskin,’ in Estes’ marvelous ‘Women Who Run With the Wolves.’ She divides the story (which is told in many cultures in many forms) into parts that I know  I can’t improve on, so we’ll look at each part and how it might relate to the Full Moon experience.

Since this is a Full Moon, we know we’re speaking of culmination, the rounding out of some part of our own story. First, there is a kind of initiation that comes through a loss, in one form or another, of the Soul. I think this can be equated to birth, represented by the Aries Point as the doorway; we can’t help but become disoriented, losing a bit of ourselves in the process. Then one ‘loses one’s pelt’ in earnest–we are trying to enjoy our new human form, but in celebrating this we set aside the Soul connectors we still retain, in order to fit in to the earthly realm. We substitute the values of the culture and our tribe, and though these are not completely alien, they do represent the values of consensus, and that means we lose our awareness of those things that make us unique; this loss is represented by ‘poor’ choice (and by that I mean the kind of choices we inevitably make in an attempt to regain that part of ourselves we sense we’ve forgotten) and the way we are lured by the things we think will provide our lack. So we are, like the Seal Woman, left naked and shivering as we search for our eternal Beingness.

Next there is communion with the hunter, the individual who has ‘taken’ our skin–of course, we don’t know that we are facing the thief. This is represented by any animus oriented energy to which we succumb: our own interior animus, our ego, or an external animus: a man, ambition, society’s definition of ‘making it.’ Note that though this story is told as a woman’s loss, this tragedy happens to men, as well; they lose their unique ‘Soul skin’ in an attempt to be the kind of man society (and perhaps the partner) demands, rather than the kind of man they are naturally. The ego and its particular form of vanity promises to fulfill us, to return to us that missing Soul piece, if we will only do its bidding–but this is just not true–it cannot return what it does not possess.

The woman, the entire time she has spent on dry land, has been hearing the call of the sea (her true environment) and has been conscious of her vibrational connection with her child, her spiritual ‘home,’ in a sense. This spirit child in the story is the child of the Seal Woman and the hunter who captured her by stealing her skin. This is representative of the pure, inner connection we retain to the Soul (it can be ‘the inner child,’ though I think it’s something much purer, the experience of the Soul rather than just the seed-manifestation of it), and it’s this element in the story that, agitated by its mother’s distress, stumbles out into the night and trips on the mother’s wrapped up Seal skin, finding and delivering back to the woman her true identity.

So, in all this we are seeing an Archetypal journey in miniature; the Full Moon presents us with the ability to re-acquaint ourselves with that moment when as Soul we slipped into flesh–and this is a vital point, as it is the one time in the incarnation experience (other than the moment of death) in which we can be fully aware of the enormity of who we are, and can re-connect so directly with it.

Using our strict orb, we see that the Sun/ Moon/ Earth makes only one aspect, a T-square with Pluto in Capricorn. Ah ha! Besides being able to glimpse in its purest form the Soul and its intentions on incarnating (in the Sabian, this is the seal embracing the woman, a return to the natural sensibilities), this Full Moon also offers the power (Pluto) to transform (Pluto) our own manifestation in the material (Capricorn). Since the inner is the outer, and the outer the inner, this means we can change anything on any level, with corresponding changes visible (or felt or realized) in the opposite venue.

In ECLIPSE I called this Full Moon “the true birth point of fated Cardinal action,” and outline the other influences in effect at the moment of Full Moon fulfillment that will act on our transformational choices. If you’re planning on getting this issue and you just haven’t yet, now’s the time http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-summer-2010-eclipse/  The life long journey to empowerment is closely related to  the mini-empowerment we will be instituting with this Full Moon; see more on that here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com  in my new book on Juno. Thank you!

And have a wonderful Full Moon transformational experience!

6 September 2010: The Saturn Butterfly Effect

06 Monday Sep 2010

Posted by in Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky

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We all know about the ‘Butterfly Effect’ theory, right? How could we not, after its repeated mention in popular culture; with everything interconnected at a quantum level, the flap of a butterfly’s wings in South America ripples and magnifies and picks up energy along the way until it forms a tsunami in Asia–or so the theory goes.

So, I’m thinking that what’s going on right now is something of a Butterfly Effect involving Saturn, but in reverse: the massive energy of the much-discussed Cardinal energies of Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter are, rather than showing their considerable muscle directly (exceptions of course being contact to one’s natal placements), they are funneling the energy into Saturn–and it’s coming out in Saturn-related events.

This is just a guess; maybe it’s entirely personal for me. But, other than those Cardinal contacts, Saturn has been pretty lonely lately–and the Nodes are now just within a 5 degree orb of T-square contact, and I’m wondering if that isn’t creating an effect where it’s all about Saturn, with the energies of all the other contacts moving into reality, into visibility, through the Saturnian structures of our lives–and I’m seeing Saturnian upset all around me. Just this weekend within my sphere, there’s been a bone infection discovered, an infestation of the framework/ walls of a house, and the experiences of a few people I know who are getting a good, hard dose of reality–and reacting to this Saturn energy with some of their own Saturn stubbornness and stonewalling, a clear rejection of the need to modify their approach to the material–and yet the Nodes are moving inexorably into contact with the Old Man, and I’m thinking that when the T perfects (by degree, at 7 of their respective signs, on September 25th), the Saturn effect will reach a climax; we’ll all, at this point, see marked change/ effects in the Saturnian structures of our lives.

Anybody else feeling structures shifting beneath your feet, reality changing, or the framework of life threatened by decay (Pluto), untoward expansion or through social feedback (Jupiter), or the expression of one’s individuality and the consequences of this within the group (Uranus)?

We’re already in the Dark of the Moon for the upcoming New Moon. See ‘What You Won’t See on the Blog,’ and much more, here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-summer-2010-eclipse/ Thanks! And here’s a look ahead at the Autumn Equinox http://judecowell.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/ready-for-autumn-equinox-2010/