Category Archives: Full Moon

Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio 15 May 2022 Total Emotional Metamorphosis

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‘Butterflies’ By Odilon Redon c1910 {{PD}}

Is it the T-square formed by this Lunar eclipse, the Sun-Sedna, and the arm of Saturn-Vesta that will be most prominent, the T offering a dynamic emotional confrontation (probably over what we should see/ recognize, but don’t) that may be resolved through honoring real-world manifestations of what’s sacred (or that may conclude with the shut-down of some outlet we have been dedicated to)? Or will it be the trine to Mars-Neptune sending at least some of us chasing the Dream (or maybe, the mirage), or will we feel the delicate quincunx to Eris, as she extracts full-blown conflict from what should be minor discomfort? Much of what’s emphasized for the individual will depend on what in the natal chart is stimulated–but all of us are likely to feel the sweep of this Total Lunar eclipse in Scorpio (that happens to sextile ruler Pluto) as it digs deep, brings forward a Truth, unearths secrets, purges shame or guilt, resurrects what we thought lost, or brings a searing and complete end to something that once was a passion: vital, central, something we believed we couldn’t live without.

That’s the essence of it all, really, right there–to go on would just be extraneous. So, other energies in play may include the Jupiter-Ceres Cardinal square at 00 Aries-Cancer, respectively=the individual role within the larger social order or belief system (Jupiter in Aries) has to work it out with the sense of personal authority, and/ or the care-giving role(s) (Ceres), as they are chosen to show who and what we care about (Cancer). At time of perfection Chiron and Venus are still very close together in Aries, and semi-sextile Uranus=hurt in relationship may take on a too-singular view, losing sight of the fact that any interaction automatically involves more than one person, who also has needs and viewpoint of their own–and something in this arena could shock or surprise us–so get out ahead of it by keeping the needs of others in mind. And finally, Hygeia in Scorpio opposes Pallas in Taurus=what’s practical or wise will expose the weakness or rot behind what we’ve been calling healthy–not pretty, but infinitely useful.

I’d like to look at the Sabians involved in the T, as I suspect these will be the major energies felt by most. The Lunar eclipse Sabian is, ‘American Indians Making Camp After Moving Into A New Territory’. The question here is, is the new territory a place entered by choice, or was the move forced, remaining where one is untenable? Considering the general history of the Native American, we might infer that this move, whether willing or not, may be due to the incursion of others.

For the Sun we have, ‘A Spanish Gallant Serenades His Beloved’. The Sun, as light-giver to the Moon, may represent the catalyst: a (potential) invader, indeed, who likely sees himself as a ‘lover, not a fighter’–or maybe in the case of wooing someone, a (forceful) persuader. What does the T tell us? Saturn describes real-world circumstances or conditions: ‘A Butterfly With The Right Wing More Perfectly Formed’. That phrasing implies the left wing is perfect–the right is just more perfect! Is that even possible? There are no degrees of perfection. Add this to the symbol for Vesta: ‘A Tree Felled And Sawed To Ensure A Supply Of Wood For The Winter’. Storing up for the future, investing, in a sense. Does that suggest that exaggerated assessment, judgment, or appraisal is a kind of storing up, putting things in a kind of relationship bank? That can certainly be what someone serenading another is thinking–that the attention and flattery is an investment in the future–but what about moving into new territory?

To my mind at least one of the possibilities is encountering (or being) someone at the eclipse who goes into what for them is new territory: trying praise, flattery, and maybe a little smoke (!) in place of more aggressive methods for getting what they want. If you run into someone who’s, probably outside their usual behavior, trying a ‘catch more flies with honey than vinegar’ approach, you’ll know that they want something. It’s not necessarily nefarious in its current form, but whatever they’re aiming for, know that going along with it might eventually completely run you off what is, right now, your territory, your land. Be aware this condition is possible through the next eclipse set, 6 months down the road.

The event itself falls on the 15th, 9:14 PM PDT, at 25 Scorpio 17.

Full Moon in Libra April 2022 Out There Vs. In Here

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‘Fiskerens stue’ (Fisherman’s cottage) By Harald Sohlberg 1907 {{PD}}

The Full Moon perfects at 11:54 AM PDT of the 16th at 26 Libra 45. The first thing that jumps out is the oppositional nature of the energies, with the Full Moon culmination in Libra zeroing in on the Us vs. Them, or Me vs. The World, or Internal vs. External dynamic. It’s a face-off, but one that involves wildly mismatched viewpoints and intentions, each seen through a highly emotional or subjective lens. On the Lunar side we have the emotional or intuitive essence of We/ Us, acting from an ambition to form a more perfect real-world union (Zeus, Moon, and Earth in Libra), and this confronts or is confronted by a fighting spirit that sees interaction/ cooperation as assault, and struggles mightily to maintain the established individual identity, both out of a belief that they are right to remain separate and a desire to blame others for the aggression–though without that aggressive nature, this side of the equation would no longer be (that is, have the core identity) that makes up the current ‘I Am’ (the Sun, Eris, and Pallas in Aries). The Solar side of things fights and opposes because that’s who they believe they are, as they conceive this to be their right, while the Lunar side of things wraps their own ambitions and desires in a cloak of ‘for the good of All’. Neither side is willing to entertain the idea that their choices are Self-serving–but that’s exactly what’s needed to open the way to actually employing this Lunar event effectively.

The way to gain perspective may be found in the other aspects the Full Moon makes. It acts as apex to a loose Finger of God with base of Sedna/ Jupiter-Neptune=here we see the instinctive nature/ blind spot material collude with an overblown imagination to create that thing we think we’re doing for everyone else–and of course, part of dictating what ‘should be’ is the belief (delusion? conceit?) that we as an individual know what’s best for others (Jupiter-Neptune as the ideal social order). On a much more positive note, we could read this as the instincts instructing us on how to pursue ‘The Big Dream’, with the Lunar event signalling an awareness of who we need to cooperate with in order to fulfill ambitions.

The Full Moon is also trine a wide conjunction of Juno-Saturn in Aquarius, and is sesquiquadrate Venus in Pisces=what happens at the Full Moon carries the potential for real-world empowerment–but we must take care not to carry illusions about the costs: to relationships, to assets, and to those things that bring Love into our lives. Our final clue is in the Full Moon-Pluto square=this Cardinal conflict is combustible, if we take our actions to extremes, or if we fail to understand the potentials of destruction that are inherent to the energies of change.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘An Airplane Sails, High In The Clear Sky’. The ideals have a chance to soar–but remaining reasonable, honest with ourselves about our capacity and motives, and aware of real-world consequences, is key to ‘smooth sailing’. For the Sun the Sabian is, ‘Through Imagination A Lost Opportunity Is Regained’. Aha! The entire goal of this is re-capturing the inspiration that drives aspirations, especially those chances we believe we’ve missed–the window for something we once dreamed of opens again–be on the lookout.

Inspired or delusional, it’s up to us to decide. The spiritual, the unfathomable, the dream, beckons–how you approach it is all.

The lengths to which we’ll go to justify our own choices

Full Moon in Virgo 2022: A Grand Earth Affair

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‘Still Life with Cake, Lemon, Strawberries, and Glass’ By John F. Peto 1890 {{PD}}

Configurations are the focus with this Full Moon, and for once I won’t bury the lead: the Lunar culmination brings a shocking punch via a Fist of God, and an Earth Grand Trine with Pluto and Sedna; all this makes the wide opposition to Neptune, and the square to the Black Moon Lilith point, seem like a cake walk. (Have you ever actually participated in a cake walk? I thought it was a phrase meaning, no more difficult than eating a piece of cake–while walking?–but then was at a fair years ago, where there was an actual cake walk–and I won a cake! And then shared it with all my friends, right there at the fair, eating with our hands–only when you’re a teenager, right?)

The Full Moon perfects at 11:18 PM PST on the 17th at 27 Virgo 40–though perhaps surprisingly, not yet Void as it pulls away from Earth/ opposition to the Sun, as at culmination it will already be forming a Grand Trine with Pluto and Sedna, which are 30 and 38 minutes ahead, respectively. This suggests a balanced state of energies–but have we considered that this doesn’t necessarily mean peaceful? Balance can mean forces that are equally matched, like the pressure each leg of a tripod applies to the others–and that’s the case here. We see the Moon-Earth in Virgo (emotions, particularly critical ones, around practicality, accountability, and results), Pluto in Capricorn (expressions of power, destruction, transformation, or change around established systems, organizations, rules, authorities, and structures, figurative or literal), and Sedna in Taurus (instinctive knowledge of material matters, what we ‘know but don’t know’, ‘blind spot’ material, especially around what is or isn’t a necessity) exerting equal ‘push’–and this may either confer a sense of stagnation, that things will never change, or find us having to choose–which things will I support, which things allow, which things try to stop? The presence of Sedna suggests, no matter the effort we expend, our judgment may be off, skewed by a POV that omits certain facts (‘blind spot’ material). That means we may be making decisions that affect our world in big ways, in physical and organizational ways, and that we may be recognizing or refusing to recognize particular authorities (including ourselves, in our own lives), based on an incomplete or distorted picture.

Then we have the Fist of God (or Thor’s Hammer), with the Full Moon apex sesquiquadrate each side of a square between Venus in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus. The punch comes from conflict between forward-thinking elements in relationships or finances, and inclinations toward keeping things the same by undermining updates, so to speak, through inciting chaos, rebellion (individually or in a group), or by refusing to present a reliable ‘face’, especially in matters of security or material need (that is, by being unreliable ourselves). This conflict creates emotional turmoil, via the actual impact on the material world (Virgo), especially in the distribution of rewards or goods (the ‘Harvest’ and accountability functions of Virgo).

Is the more forward-looking attitude ‘right’, or is it smarter to undermine what’s being labeled ‘progress’? I suppose that depends on your viewpoint; my thought is that if you balk at reforming, improving, modernizing, bringing the individual into line with group efforts, or at applying Higher Mind awareness to interactions or assets, then you need to be very clear why. Disruption and rebellion can serve a Higher Good–but too often we use these when we simply don’t want things to change, or won’t accept reality. So, an honest assessment of our own motives is in order, along with a careful examination of real-world circumstances. If there’s one thing that’s clear in the light of this Moon, it’s that real-world matters (the prominence of Earth signs) will be on the table at this time, in need of sorting and subject to our judgment of which matters are worth supporting/ pursuing.

The Virgo Full Moon’s opposition to Neptune and square to Black Moon Lilith forms a T-square that suggests the way to see clear of our illusions, to meet the creative impetus inherent in reality/ the Truth, is to be willing to face head-on those things that we or others/ the system have been ignoring, denying, or that have enraged us but which we’ve not acted upon. In its own way, this says the solution to the emotional tensions culminating at this Moon depend for resolution solely on our own ability to see reality, and our part in it, fully and completely, for what they really are.

The Sabian needs no explanation, I think: ‘A Baldheaded Man Who Has Seized Power’. The sense of this image that can apply to every one of our lives is this: the simple reason someone seizes power is because they don’t want anyone else to have any. It’s in the word ‘seize’, which tells us quite clearly it’s been grabbed, not handed over willingly. Look for the entity doing that, be totally honest with yourself about your own concerns and motives, and you’ll know exactly how to handle the days ahead.

We always look at the Sun for a Full Moon as well; its Sabian is, ‘A Fertile Garden Under The Full Moon Reveals A Variety Of Full-Grown Vegetables’. This tells us that something we ‘planted’ long ago, has, probably without our attention, reached maturity. Time for the harvest!

Full Moon in Leo 2022: Let’s Go There

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‘The Bridle Path, White Mountains’ By Winslow Homer 1868 {{PD}}

There are a few striking things about this Full Moon, falling on February 16 at 27 Leo 59, at 8:56 AM Pacific time. One is that there are only two close aspects involving bodies: a quincunx to Pluto and a square to Sedna; there are also things happening that don’t necessarily touch the Lunar culmination, but that will definitely figure in to the atmosphere, so need to be considered; and finally, there is a configuration not all astrologers will judge as legitimate, though experience has told me I should count it: a Grand Cross with the Sun-Earth/ Moon squared by the Nodal axis (with the North Node still conjoined Sedna, though separating).

Let’s start with the planetary contacts. A Full Moon is a summing up, a pulling together of a certain emotional and feeling picture, and in Leo this is very much centered on the individual, what each of us brings to the party, so to speak, what we are a ‘shining example’ of. Talents are a focus, as are unique qualities and characteristics, and the theme may be, ‘Who am I, and what do I live for?’

The Lunar event in quincunx to Pluto suggests a breakdown, of sorts, one that wants to get beneath the curated identity presented by Leonine energies to reveal all the Truth under that pretty surface. Something will make us uncomfortable (the quincunx) and that’s our cue to dig, to look for what may have changed without our having noticed, to to search, in particular in areas where we have felt secure, or where rules and boundaries seemed to be quite solid, even permanent (Capricorn). This digging should lead to transformation, but we need to be prepared to accept that something may in the end need to be purged or destroyed–and that the leeway to choose what needs doing or how things play out may not remain in our hands.

The square to Sedna on its own implies the instincts or those things that lie in our personal ‘blind spot’ may be causing friction, obliquely pointing out tension that again, we may not have been aware of–and with Sedna conjoined the North Node, how we handle these matters will determine our life direction. Sedna is also what we ‘know but don’t know’, knowledge we have that remains below the surface–and may be the very thing that Plutonian excavation is meant to uncover.

Look to the House in the natal chart where the Full Moon falls for the ‘triggering’ event or perception, the House that holds transiting Pluto, and the natal House it rules, for clues as to where to dig/ what has changed or needs changing, and the House Sedna is now transiting (Taurus) for the nature of the information that needs bringing to light.

Other relevant influences include the conjunction of Venus and Mars in Capricorn, only one minute from perfection. They are semi-sextile Saturn and on their way to conjoin Vesta. This suggests a reality check in relationships or in interactions where complementary balance is key. Working responsibilities out for both parties in relation to their obligations to each other will lead to an effective re-dedication of energies and so a renewed commitment to what each holds sacred.

There’s also a Mercury trine to Ceres, with Pallas caught at the midpoint. The message is one that supports out personal authority–it’s meant to show us at least in part where we are most effective–and enhances personal wisdom–and yet, we may resist if what’s communicated is unpleasant, or demands much from us. That’s where the choice will lie: not in whether something should change or be eliminated, but in how we receive this information. Smart money says we process what we learn through the intellect (Mercury in Aquarius), with assessment of our own responsibility (that is, in both the ‘I did it’ sense and the ‘ability to respond’ sense), and then the courage to act on it (Pallas in Aries) the ultimate goal.

The Grand Cross gives us the large, sweeping map of where we’re headed, so let’s go there. It’s made up of the Nodal axis/ Sedna squaring Sun-Earth/ Moon, and simply points out how important understanding what we’re doing and why we’re doing it is right now, because of the way it will determine our path into the future. That’s a big trajectory determined by choices big and small, even minute–the danger is that we convince ourselves what we’re choosing now doesn’t really matter, or that shifts in the path can easily be corrected later–it will be much harder to turn the juggernaut than we think–better to aim well in the first place.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘Many Little Birds On A Limb Of A Big Tree’. The Sun’s Sabian, which we always inspect for a Full Moon scenario, is, ‘A Tree Felled And Sawed To Ensure A Supply Of Wood For The Winter’. The Moon’s Sabian is one of good weather, no danger, a Collective well-being, but the Sun’s may portray what happens after that peaceful moment. Something about where we’re ‘resting’ now needs to be dismantled, because taking it apart will insure well-being later. Cryptic, but right in line with what the planets are telling us.

Full Moon in Cancer 17 January 2022 The Engine of Knowing

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Involving another kind of engine, of course. ‘The Traveling Companions’ By Augustus Leopold Egg 1862 {{PD}}

There are a couple of configurations formed by this Lunar event, and a smattering of other combos worth noting as contemporaneous influences, all under the sensitive Cancer Moon. The Moon ‘meets’ the Earth at 27 Cancer 50 on the 17th at 3:48 PM PST. A Full Moon in Cancer should be a culmination of feeling or intuitive knowing–but of course, once one knows what one feels, one must act.

How do we see that energy channeled? For one, it may scoot along a somewhat loose Finger of God, with Full Moon sextile Sedna-Ceres in Taurus, apex Mars in Sagittarius. This may seem odd, but this suggests to me revelations about what we care about/ how we feel that are prompted or induced by diet of sustenance availability/ weather/ natural events and our intuitive understanding of the message they carry. This pushes us to act on what we know, on ‘the facts’, or on our beliefs–so the emotions and intuition power a kind of engine of faith that drives our inner knowing out into the world so that we may do what it urges us to.

The Full Moon opposes Pluto, Juno, and of course, the Sun, and this is part of a Mystic Rectangle, with the Lunar end as noted sextile Sedna-Ceres, and the Solar end widely sextile the South Node–and so drawing the North Node into the Sedna-Ceres end of the configuration. A Mystic Rectangle promises that the various components are in position to work exceptionally well with one another, and so offers a sum greater than its individual parts. Here we may see that the ‘caring revelations’ we receive with the Lunar event are directly 1) opposite of the matters where we’ve been putting our attention (the Sun), 2) not as destructive or transformative as we may have been telling ourselves, 3) and not as empowering or disempowering as we’ve believed. What we’re shown is the way our fresh understanding under the Full Moon liberates us from certain notions we’d previously carried; things are not as scary, intimidating, debilitating, or serious as they seem, and they either allow us more agency, or at least don’t take our current agency away, as we’d feared.

The Mystic Rectangle employs all the knowledge we’re not conscious of, especially what we’ve gleaned from the past, marries it to our sense of personal authority and responsibility, and gives us power that will effectively shape the future. Now that’s not scary at all, is it? We’re in charge–if we are comfortable with taking on a role that accepts our own power, particularly the power to direct our own course.

We also should note the close conjunction of Neptune and Pallas in Pisces=the ideals, creativity, and spirituality are the conduits for both what’s wise and what’s practical–listen to that inner voice. There is also a T-square with Eris in Aries opposed Zeus in Libra, the arm Juno in Capricorn=when we don’t understand our own potential for authority and power (whether we over- or underestimate our capacity), we end up attracting all the sh*t stirrers every time we go after what we want–so if people seem to be popping out of the woodwork and giving you problems, it’s time to reassess your own abilities and roles. Both these situations offer context and influences active when the Lunar event occurs.

All other contacts are not only past, they’re well past, so we need to look at one other thing: the Sabian symbols. For the Full Moon in Cancer we have: ‘An Indian Girl Introduces Her White Lover To Her Assembled Tribe’. This is more than just an image of a couple from two different worlds, creating a bridge via personal relationship, with one side having first contact with the larger world of the partner, the one from which she came, the one that shaped her; this is an image that emphasizes status differences we may not at first recognize or think of. We’re instead attuned to Love, to see them as two individuals, viewing it as a ‘Love conquers all’ scenario. But, we must consider when the Sabians were delivered in order to decode this image successfully–and the society into which they were delivered was white-controlled and male-dominated, a social order based on the assumption of cisnormativity, and the inferiority of other races and cultures. When viewed through that lens, there might be a belief that the Indian girl is moving up in the world, or maybe even that this is the very reason for the relationship at all–and that only the white lover is being genuine in his feelings–after all, why would he want to be with someone ‘lesser’, except for his emotional involvement? This is all very ugly, viewed from a 21st century position–but we must be clear: there are still plenty of people who would make these assumptions, would read into the image in this very way–or in other ways, such as believing the white lover was superior for leaving the white world and joining a group they might characterize as living a more ‘natural’ way of life. Possible assumptions and judgments abound and are just waiting to be made by the observer.

I’m interpreting the girl of the image as a Native American. Her entire culture was overrun, decimated, changed forever with the arrival of white invaders. And yet, she falls in love, and brings him home to her family (tribe). But we must ask, how much does the white lover’s superior power position affect the interaction? Is a genuine relationship possible between individuals who have unequal power, autonomy, or privilege? We don’t know if her white lover is a male or a female, but considering the era in which these symbols were formulated, I believe the assumption was definitely that the lover is male. Now, it’s not at all fair to assume that the inherent power imbalance between a member of a subjugated group, who also happens to be of a sex that is also viewed as inferior at the time the image was formulated, and a member of the invaders will necessarily infect the relationship–but each individual will undoubtedly bring lots of assumptions and beliefs and reactionary material into the interaction, at the very least.

So, the symbol brings two ‘messages’ to mind: that it’s not enough to know how all the parties to an interaction feel, we also need to be cognizant of the context in which the interaction is taking place. What’s the bigger framework? The social underpinnings and potential assumptions by the parties? And most important, who holds what power? Does the power imbalance require varied things from the parties? Does it confer privileges to some, penalties, pressures, or restrictions to others?

The other message is this: that there’s always a danger of us superimposing our own framework, beliefs, and assumptions onto a situation, ones that spring from our own cultural teachings, experiences, and ideas about others. We have to be aware of what we’re bringing into our interpretation of any situation. If we are, we’ll have a much better chance of truly understanding what’s really happening before us.

All this suggests the Sabian, in the most general way, is a Rorschach for our own assumptions and beliefs, a warning to make us aware of the lenses we use to view the world. For a Full Moon we also look at the Sun’s degree, as this provides the light of the Moon in the first place. This one is, ‘A Large Aviary’. An aviary is, first and foremost, unnatural, in that it’s a human-created place to keep a creature plucked from Nature. No matter how benevolent, it’s still captivity, a system imposed overall in which living things are expected to function–a lot like the social order and the larger cultural context in which we live, and which provides potential frameworks for interpretation of events, come to think of it.

Full Moon in Gemini 18 December 2021 Change of Mind + Standoff: Stagnation and Chaos: Saturn-Uranus Square

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We’re going to get more information, with this Full Moon; we have to be open enough to assimilate it. ‘News from Afar’ By Alfred Stevens c1865 {{PD}}

The Full Moon (8:34 PM PST of the 18th at 27 Gemini 28) forms a Grand Air Trine with Jupiter in Aquarius and Hygeia (of all things!) in Libra. A healthy balance, in thought and relationships, personal and societal. In my mind this announces a theme, more than anything else, one keyed to the event being in Gemini and to the involvement of Air signs: Communication. Obvious, right? But then again, maybe not quite in the way we might initially think.

It seems to signal information exchanged, generated, and/ or coming our way in two sectors: the social one (Jupiter, both one-to-one and on the larger scale) and the personal relationship or financial one (Libra); Hygeia comes in as we are prompted by the Lunar culmination to think about the health of our interactions and cooperative efforts in areas of the social, the intimate, and those where an exchange of energy brings assets, or the opposite, where we are releasing assets in exchange for the energy of others. Since the Moon itself can represent both our individual emotional state and ‘the People’, we may be in for some enlightening and potentially definitive statements in one or both arenas.

Notable is the fact that this Full Moon, though late in the sign, is not bringing a Void on separation; instead we see that the ‘big reaction’, whether on a mass or personal scale, follows (with completion of the trine to Jupiter). Then the Moon goes Void, and we have a brief interlude of ‘floating’ before we can solidify a reliable of our emotions (when the Moon enters Cancer, at 1:42 AM Pacific of the 19th–so about 5 hours after culmination–and boy will we feel, as Luna enters her own sign!)

At the time of the Full Moon that Jupiter contact is the only other major aspect yet to be made, but we can see a couple other contacts that, though in the immediate past once the Full Moon arrives, are still not just active and relevant, but will undoubtedly set the stage for Full Moon events. And, there are a couple of minor or less precise aspects that also contribute to the picture.

There are a pair of quincunxes, to Pluto and Venus, so recently together and still within punching distance of each other, that suggest changes or dissolutions that have recently occurred are not yet completely set in stone–the emotional picture or reactions may not be clear, just yet–but those circumstances will become firmly entrenched, if we don’t do anything (their Capricorn placement tells us this)–though, at this point, it may be the way we think about these things that needs to change, as much as any action is needed. So, whatever your feelings are telling you about these recent shifts must be acted upon, if that’s what’s called for, or possibly just reacted to, with a change of mind–and for at least some of us, this will be precisely the ‘message’ delivered by the Gemini Full Moon.

There’s also a loose sesquiquadrate to Saturn in Aquarius, a semi-square to Uranus in Taurus, and a semi-sextile to Sedna, also in Taurus. This suggests the reality picture, or some constraints or restrictions we’ve been operating under, are part of the impetus behind communications received or the changes we’ve made or are considering. The implication may be that what we thought we were creating turns out to be more constraining or difficult than we anticipated. With Uranus we introduce the element of surprise–but this may be no more than being surprised we didn’t think of these difficulties ahead of time! And finally the touch to Sedna says that what we find out with the Full Moon is very likely either something we know instinctively, or that we have carried below consciousness, and now we have to admit we ‘knew all along what we didn’t know’!

The Sabian for this Full Moon is, ‘Through Bankruptcy, Society Gives To An Overburdened Individual The Opportunity To Begin Again’. I think this specifically applies to the condition of the Venus-Pluto quincunx: we are being offered a do-over, in some sense, one that has not turned out as we planned (Uranus, Saturn). In order to re-make things effectively, we have to acknowledge what this has cost us, or perhaps what we’ve lost (the bankruptcy). Think of this period, rather than as a time for achievement, as a time when we can rid ourselves of burdens that have drained us, and we are able to do this by admitting something we thought would be more profitable has actually been a negative. It’s ‘the truth shall set you free’, but it only works if we’re the ones able to hear, accept, and so act according to that truth.

For a Full Moon we always look at the Sun as light-giver; the Sabian for this Moon is, ‘An Old Bridge Over A Beautiful Stream Is Still In Constant Use’. This points us toward those connections (remember Libra, and the ‘health’ of our interactions as a FM theme?) that are solid, reliable, and that have actually facilitated our progress. This may be where at least a little of that Full Moon truth-telling is needed; do you find it hard to admit who’s really helped you, vs. those people you’d like to think of as supportive, who may not really be (or who may only talk a good game)? Knowing and admitting the reality of the Libran cooperative situation, and the accuracy or misleading nature of communications, will go a long way toward successfully informing our choices, especially those around recent Venusian-Plutonian upset, and changes in the ways and with whom we interact.

And just a word on the Saturn-Uranus square, due to perfect on the 23rd: it may feel like a forced choice between high-minded but constricting options vs. a kind of material (or at least uncomfortable) chaos, but thinking of things in these terms will only keep us from processing both events and how to best respond to them.

And just a word on the Saturn-Uranus square, due to perfect on the 23rd: it may feel like a forced choice between high-minded but constricting options vs. a kind of material (or at least uncomfortable) chaos, but thinking of things in these terms will only keep us from processing both events and how to best respond to them. In reducing it mentally to ‘I can be right and feel unfulfilled, or I can experiment and create chaos’, we may be giving ourselves an excuse for not doing anything, or for acting out in ways that don’t improve the situation.

It’s a bit more like this: we’re trying to implement ideals in real-world terms (Saturn in Aquarius) but we are confronted by more accidents, unanticipated events, anomalies, and original circumstances, particularly material ones or ones that affect (or even threaten) our security and comfort (Uranus in Taurus) than we thought possible. We may need to accept these Uranian events as features, not bugs; if we cast them as serendipitous, we allow ourselves to be more flexible, to learn from what occurs, to see the potentials inherent in ‘happy accidents’, and we can invite ourselves to frame all that happens as the Universe acting in our best interests. Take that tack, and the unburdening we seek is all but inevitable.

Lunar Eclipse 19 November 2021 Eraser

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‘Blackboard after Radical Digital Painting Lecture’ By Jeffrey Alan Scudder

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The most striking thing to me, once again in recent Lunar events, is how few aspects are made, with those that are close also for the most part being minor–or, the aspect is to a minor body, as it is with the eclipse Moon-Earth approaching conjunction to Sedna. Long-time Readers know I see asteroids and other minor bodies as facets of the umbrella larger energy represented by the major planets–so the emphasis this eclipse on smaller entities emphasizes their particular nature, their ‘attitudes’.

This is a partial Lunar eclipse, meaning the Earth, as it lines up on the ecliptic with and comes between the Sun and the Moon, won’t create a shadow that entirely blocks the reflected light of the Moon. In symbolic terms this suggests a ‘mild’ eclipse effect (if that’s even possible!) so that, considering the minor aspect-minor body angle, what we might see are surrounding events that cast a more modest shadow on circumstances than we might expect. Changes, rather than devastation, as we might anticipate with a total eclipse or with strong contact to our own charts (see the previous post for one such example).

The eclipse occurs at 12:57 AM PST of the 19th at 27 Taurus 14, close to conjoining Sedna, suggesting that something might ‘click’ soon after the eclipse: we may realize what we ‘know but don’t know’, what has been sublimated, or only instinctively known, up until now. An eclipse is like an eraser run across the blackboard of life: It can wipe things away, sometimes even bringing a literal ‘clean slate’, but we’ll still see the remnants of what was, the ghost images of what was written before–and with this eclipse, we see that with the separating square from Jupiter and the separating trine of Pluto. Both imply these things are past, but recently enough that they figure into, even shape, the eclipse events. The Moon-Earth combo moving away from a square to Jupiter in Aquarius speaks of difficult material and emotional impacts of having acquired new knowledge or understanding, or of some social injustice or unrest–it may also hint that in some instances, we may have exaggerated the importance of this. The same duo leaving a trine to Pluto says that change or destructive/ transformative influences snuck in easily; only with the eclipse may we begin to realize how much the ground beneath our feet (Pluto is in Capricorn, after all) may have shifted, given way, or heaved up right under us.

We also see two lesser, but in this case probably no less important, aspects: a just-separating quindecile to Mars, and a sesquiquadrate to Venus–which happens to place Venus and Mars in sextile to each other. What may look harmonious on the surface, a blending and cooperative effort of different but equal, or of complementary ‘parts’ or energies, will reveal its more challenging facets under the Lunar shadow. The eclipse aspect to Mars is one that calls out extreme reactions, the obsessive, the disruptive, the restless, and speaks of motivations–in this case, perhaps actions taken or choices made as to what must go, must be eliminated or altered, what steps must be taken, and all with the aim of either ridding ourselves of a negative element or getting to the Truth (Mars in Scorpio).

With the aspect to Venus, we see slightly less tension, and something akin to excessive irritation, the kind that lights a fire under us. Venus is in Capricorn, possibly speaking of dissatisfaction with the status quo, with rules and regs, with constraints, especially societal ones, and these irritations are delivered through tension in relationships or surrounding the financial or asset picture. It could arise from some upset with someone we love and feel safe with, who under the eclipse light suddenly threatens the tidy arrangement we have–or it could be that our own efforts, especially artistic creations or things created out of our own love for them, won’t be appreciated by the larger social order. In any case, these are disruptive and disturbing elements that arrive in our lives in what seems like a very personal form–and so we may not realize everyone is experiencing these effects in some form.

What we thought we had, what has made us comfortable, what we see as assets or talents, is likely to get scrutiny, and get a shake-up, either from us or from the outside world, should we not respond to the need for change. The Sabian for the Full Moon eclipse is, ‘A Woman, Past Her “Change Of Life”, Experiences A New Love’. In this image we have a receptive agent (a woman), specifically post-childbearing years, who finds a new love. That seems to me a lovely reminder of the worth of a human being beyond any socially designated biological role. It’s also an image of optimism, of hope: one doesn’t have a prime for Love–that can happen any time. It’s an invitation to live life to its fullest.

We always inspect the Sun’s Sabian for a Full Moon as well: ‘The King Of The Fairies Approaching His Domain’. What Kingdom do you rule? This speaks of territory, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, that you know is yours, that you have been aiming to completely master, occupy, or return to–you’re almost there, with the notation that the eclipse energy, no matter how it plays out, is meant to get you closer to this destination.

A Point of Fate: the Vertex

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Posted by in Astro Lessons, astrology, eclipse, Finger of God, Fist of God, Full Moon, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Natal Delineation, the Vertex

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‘Fate’ By Alphonse Mucha 1920 {{PD}}

A Reader has put forward a question on the meaning of the natal Vertex, and she’s interested not least because she’ll be experiencing the upcoming eclipse conjoined this point in her chart. I use the Vertex to add meaning to interpretation for individual charts–it can be very telling of what someone may be especially attuned to and sensitive to, seen by them as matters that are fated, for good or ill–but it seldom figures in to the transit picture, so I don’t often address it here on the blog, the exception being examining an event chart–then it can speak loudly, particularly as to the ‘inevitability’ of an outcome or effect, or to the unavoidable nature of the event itself.

The Vertex is defined as the intersection of the ecliptic (the path of the Sun) and the Prime Vertical (an imaginary circle keyed to a specific location–where the zenith–high point–and nadir–low point–meet in the east and west, these directions as shown in the flat chart). Yes, it’s a not-very-helpful description, but gives you some idea of how this attempts to measure extremes, both high and low, in the life; these tend to be the very kinds of events we see as fated, unavoidable, inevitable, destined. They shape the life, and can send us careening off in entirely new directions–just as eclipse contact to the natal picture can–so in a brief examination of the upcoming eclipse’s contact to this individual’s Vertex I’m hoping to illuminate how the Vertex (and eclipse impacts) have the potential to affect us all, particular to our own individual charts. The combined effect of an eclipse contacting the Vertex is a double-whammy, a wipe-out that shifts the very fate.

The eclipse, falling at 27 Taurus 14 and conjoined Sedna at 28.44, does indeed fall right on this Reader’s Vertex at 26 Taurus 24 in her Whole Sign 8th of other people’s resources and influence. Right away we’re alerted to the way the Lunar energy will impact (possibly even literally, with the eclipse in an Earth sign, echoing the potential for changes in the material situation, assets, talent expression, or comfort picture) the fate, the path forward, the destiny itself. Now, that sounds very dramatic, but the events themselves might not be; it’s not unusual for those path-changing occurrences and decisions to happen quietly, undramatically, unrecognized as the fate-shapers they are. How many times do we expect those life-altering changes to come with a big bang? Too many, as in looking back for those shift points, what we often see are that they happened in those quiet moments when our minds have changed, our attention goes permanently in a new direction, or when small choices lead to big shake-ups. That should tell us that not all things will be obvious or automatically bring devastating change; instead we should see an eclipse as designating a point of important change or development, that we might not recognize as such.

The eclipse will form the arm of a T-square with this woman’s 29 degree Nodal axis, and with her Mars, which is conjoined her NN. This suggests a life direction challenge offered in the form of a question: What should I do? What action should I take, or choice make? With the eclipse occurring in the 8th House, this may be a choice or action forced by others (and that may be as much this individual’s perceptions as it is the reality of the situation), and the unfortunate thing may be that this individual may feel they owe it to these others to comply–or that the actions of others must be responded to, that the individual has no choice. That’s not a great feeling, by any measure.

The eclipse also sextiles the individual’s natal Juno-Pallas conjunction in Pisces in the 6th (wise empowerment at the everyday level, the kind that is hyper-responsible and likely to make duty and obligations to others a top priority, along with a life-long effort to live in as healthy a way as possible, probably with an orientation to the spiritual and to the good of All–Pisces). Together the eclipse and this natal duo form the base of a transitory Finger of God, apex (the point both are quincunx) the natal Libra Ascendant. This ramps up the sense of what happens with the eclipse being very, very personal, to the point where the individual may feel singled out, even unfairly targeted. Why me? might be the initial reaction–but the practical spiritual orientation will quickly realize there’s broader meaning here, despite the personal circumstances in which it presents. Libra is already inclined to strong awareness of others and what they want–this may make that awareness almost painful in its intensity.

This eclipse also trines her natal Saturn in Capricorn in the 4th–and this Saturn happens to quincunx the natal Cancer Sun in its 00 10th House position. The quincunx suggests a perpetual questioning of the Self brought about by real-world experiences, with the Sun/ identity ‘new’ in the sign of caring and caring for, vulnerability, and emotional and intuitive sensitivity, meaning the Soul is attuning itself to a fresh orientation, a new perspective on the Self and where she fits in to the world. Considering all the ‘Other’ orientation of various natal placements, this should draw our attention to the way this Sun may suggest the individual is learning how she fits in with others, in what ways she’s obligated to them, where and how and for whom she should care–and with that it’s inevitable that there may be struggles to establish boundaries, and guilt about these that others may try to take advantage of.

Add in the eclipse to the Sun-Saturn dynamic and she may get a jolt to the identity–what she thought settled about who she is may prove not to be–and I suspect that what happens with the eclipse could trigger the Libra Moon to react: once Libra realizes things are out of balance, that she may be giving more than is reasonable, that Air element can kick in, diverting what had been an emotional reaction to be assessed by the mind–where lines will be drawn, even if the emotions are uncomfortable with it.

The Libra Ascendant is apex to the Finger, but we see fellow Libra placement, this sensitive and caring Moon, has another role: as part of the base of a Fist of God, as it’s squared at eclipse time by transiting Venus, with a configuration apex of the eclipse, plus transiting Sedna. This speaks of relationships or assets (Venus, which just happens to be ruler of the eclipse) creating difficult emotional responses or situations (the square to the Moon), resulting in an eclipsing event (that is, in something, that happens, or is perceived or felt) that wipes out the ‘old’ path or destiny (eclipse conjoined the natal Vertex), and this is known but perhaps not known consciously, or is felt instinctually (Sedna)–and that may imply that the emotional impact of what happens may actually obscure for a time the true changes that come about or are seeded by the eclipse activity.

Also of note is the Full Moon (which is what a Lunar eclipse is) position of the Sun in this whole thing, as it’s the light giver, literally. For this individual the eclipse Sun will fall in the natal 2nd, once again echoing the Taurean theme of assets and talents, along with concepts of Self-worth and personal finances/ assets. For this Reader, it appears to me the eclipse may bring some tough emotional situations, even showdowns, over who owes what to whom, for this individual requiring a reassessment of what she believes she must do for or give to others. The old way of seeing things is wiped out, particularly, with eclipse contact direct to the Vertex, the previous destined direction; an eclipse comes along and re-writes the book. A redrawing of boundaries may result, the kind that shape the path forward, which give new and perhaps unanticipated form to what, when it arrives, appears to have been destined all along.

I must note that this is the general outlook for the eclipse for a single individual; this applies to no one else. But, discussing it here does allow you to get a glimpse of how, in at least this one instance, the Vertex and an event like an eclipse might interact. I want to thank this Reader, for trusting me to study her chart, and for her generosity in allowing me to write about it publicly, so that others might benefit.

The eclipse report for the upcoming Full Moon will post shortly!

Full Moon in Aries 20 October 2021 Leave Anger in the Past

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‘Méditation’ By Henri Rachou

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Though the Full Moon (7:56 AM PDT of the 20th, at 27 Aries 26) seems like prime time to lash out, as Mars moves to perfect a T-square by opposing Eris and squaring Pluto (with the Eris-Pluto square only off by 9 minutes), with Mars just separating from a trine to stationing Jupiter, suggesting the time for optimism is past, we’d be wise to realize that 29-degree Sedna in its last Taurean gasp may be stirring things up we’re not consciously aware of. The Aries Full Moon may shout, ‘It’s time to look out for #1!’, with surrounding aspects (like the Mercury-Black Moon Lilith trine=thinking about what we’ve been avoiding/ ignoring, or what enrages us) prompting us to feel we’re finally ready to face things, leading us down a path of misunderstanding and anger.

The important thing to note is that the Full Moon perfects well past the Sun-Moon-Earth contact to Mars, Eris, and Pluto (their positions at 23 and 24 degrees of their respective signs), meaning that all that assertive, upset, hyper-reactive, destructive, Me First energy isn’t something to carry into the present. We may try to justify it with the FM Aries energy, believing we haven’t been standing up for ourselves–but as Maury Povich likes to declare, results in hand: “THAT would be a lie!”

In the period between Mercury’s direction and the Full Moon (just about 48 hours) we’ll be presented with a pretty clear picture of things; the question is, will we admit to ourselves that what’s revealed is the Truth? How honest you’ve been will determine how much you want to use the Arian Moon energy as an excuse to go after what you want, or to attack others. You can be sure that the stronger your urge tp aggress, the more you need to step back and take a personal accounting of reality.

That means that if you succumb to a righteous anger at the time of the Full Moon, you could make some serious mistakes. The Sun, Earth, and Moon are making contact in what is, once the Moon begins to separate, a Lunar Void condition. There are no Ptolemaic (major) aspects to come before these bodies leave the signs they’re in (there aren’t even any minor ones, except for a semi-sextile of Moon and then Earth to Sedna–with Sun quincunxing–but we’ve already accounted for this general influence).

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Large Audiences Confronts The Performer Who Disappointed Its Expectations’. In this case, we may be both audience and performer; our job is to confront ourselves over our own behavior, assumptions–over our ‘performance’. A big dose of reality needs to be accepted; so does a reasonable (not exaggerated or martyr-ish) sense of personal responsibility. Those are the ways that Full Moon in Aries events won’t just be brought to a head, but will bring a more complete (and so secure) sense of Self.

The Sabian for the Sun, giver-of-light in the first place, is, ‘A Man Becoming Aware Of Spiritual Forces Surrounding And Assisting Him’. This suggests that we’ll be offered plenty of unseen support. The Universe will whisper at us, giving us a clear (though possibly quite subtle) direction. Will we listen? That’s a question for the ages, as they say.

Full Moon in Pisces 20 September 2021 Putting Your Finger On It

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Detail of the hand of Oopjen Coppit with Cuffs and pearl bracelet, By Rembrandt 1634 {{PD}}

The Full Moon perfects at 4:54 PM PDT on the 20th at 28 Pisces 13, sextile a 29 degree Sedna and forming the base to a Finger of God with apex Vesta at 00 Scorpio. What happens when feelings reach a zenith (FM), in fact overflow with no boundaries, and spring from the (overactive) imagination (Pisces)? And then reach accord (the sextile) with either those things we ‘know but don’t know’, or our ‘blind spot’ material (Sedna)? In this case, they give us a fresh (00 degrees) deep dive (Scorpio) into our core values and commitments (Vesta). The emotional impact of Full Moon realization is a brand-new take on what we care about most. What have you been dedicating your life (especially your emotional energy) to, and how, after this Lunar experience, will what you honor, find sacred, and commit your energy to, change?

The Full Moon in Pisces promises to make us aware of an ideal or dream we have been assembling, reaching for, or planning for (albeit probably below the conscious level) that is informed by things that are either a deep part of us (instinctive) or that we have absorbed without knowing we have, and these will require a new take on what we regard most highly in life. Look to the House in the natal chart that holds Scorpio to know around what subjects our ideals have, are, or will be changing, and consider that these changes are meant to be toward a dream or ideal form.

The Full Moon is also widely opposed Mars and semi-square Uranus, suggesting that matters of personal Will, ego, identity, or choice may factor in, and that surprises or sudden revelations, especially through accidents or the serendipitous, could be part of the Lunar event. You may ask, is the Full Moon conjoined Neptune? Sextile Pluto? What about quincunx Mercury? No, no, and no–remember, precision in drawing the event picture is necessary to drawing accurate conclusions that reflect the actual Full Moon and what it brings.

In the non-Lunar things I want to note category is the almost perfected at the time of the Full Moon (only one minute past!) trine of Mercury to Jupiter in their respective Air signs. This implies an atmosphere of easily exaggerated thoughts and communications, a tendency to ‘live in our heads’, to over promise, or to believe something we’ve thought, but don’t actually know. The Preacher, The Trickster, The Zealot, and The Persuader will all be overly potent at this time, making those who vibe to these Archetypes unusually influential–and not in a good way.

Then we have the way that, through Mercury, this ties in to a T-square with Mercury opposed Eris, with the arm Pluto. Communication might just naturally open the way for discord; if there are any destructive intents behind words, thoughts, agreements, or random comments, they will fly out like the ills of the world from Pandora’s box–and speaking of minor planet/asteroid Pandora (at 16 Libra 14, and not shown on the chart below), it’s currently forming, with Juno, the base to a Finger of God with apex Uranus. That sounds to me like being too strident about our position, status, or what we believe is owed to us, or vengeful for perceived wrongs (recall Juno had a difficult time feeling disrespected) can combine with poor choice (Pandora) to lead to sudden and quite unintended or out of control consequences. So take care, as all of this creates the atmosphere in which the Full Moon changes and revelations will occur.

One more thing: there’s also a loose Grand Trine of Mars/ Saturn/ North Node-Black Moon Lilith. This suggests taking action right now might inadvertently lead to stasis, perhaps promoting rage or forcing us to deny or ignore things that will turn out to be life direction shaping. Could this aspect also offer security, a solid footing from which to take action? Probably not, as even if things look steady they would be based on what we’re either angry about or in denial of–and that’s not a healthy recipe.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘Light Breaking Into Many Colors As It Passes Through A Prism’. The image suggests we’ll have an experience that allows us to separate into individual parts of the spectrum what lights (enlightens, illuminates–that is, makes life worth living, translating to those Vestal things we’re dedicated to) up our world–and so we’ll understand better which hues we want to enhance, which we want to move away from. The Sun, provider of light and symbol of ourselves/ the Soul in the individual chart, sits at this Sabian: ‘A Seeker After Occult Knowledge Is Reading An Ancient Scroll Which Illumines His Mind’. It’s in taking a posture of seeking, openness of mind, willingness to learn, that we receive that illumination; the ‘right’ attitude (the attuned attitude) opens the way for the re-assessment of priorities promised by the Full Moon in Pisces.

Everyone, have a wonderful Full Moon! Concentrate on realizing the Full Moon energies and what they can show you about your own priorities, and maybe hold back from too-active communications or actions, as that’s where the booby-traps lie.