Category Archives: Sabian Symbols

New Moon in Pisces March 2022 Bursting

26 Saturday Feb 2022

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‘The Sword’ By Alfred-Pierre Agache 1896 {{PD}}

It may feel like we’re on the verge of bursting–with optimism, with excess, with too much, with after effects of ‘the facts’, with emotion, with gratitude, with our own or others efforts, positive or not, at expansion. Sun and Moon pause to meet up just before hitting Jupiter, so that the New Moon new start is, one way or another, all out of proportion. Pisces makes us see that what we dreamed is possible–or that we are on the brink of starting something inspired, preposterous, or a little of each.

The New Moon occurs at 12 Pisces 06 on 2 March at 9:34 AM Pacific time, and everything about its aspects is unusual–or is it that ruler Neptune is playing with us? There is a Finger of God that seems not to have anything to do with the New Moon–but absolutely does. The apex is Earth, and Chiron sextiles Juno, forming the base–and so catching the New Moon at the base midpoint. Actions that wound and are driven by ego, Will, or wanting to be first (Chiron in Aries) meet issues of personal empowerment (boundaries, the right to autonomy, etc.) specifically grounded in the modern world and in modern thinking (Juno in Aquarius) and the New Moon inspires us with ways to make for a satisfactory material outcome, where fair distribution of both responsibilities and goods is achieved (Earth in Virgo).

The Lunar event is also itself sextile Uranus in Taurus, pointing up the material facets of this New Moon and promising surprises, accidents, and the unexpected will be the biggest influence. Notable is the way the stellium of Pluto, Mars, Venus, and Vesta are semi-square the New Moon, all in Capricorn. Though we might be fooled by the ‘minor’ aspect, we might be wise to pay attention to how small things can quickly evolve/ devolve (Pluto) into base struggles between what should be complementary energies (Mars and Venus). Vesta tells us that whatever disharmony occurs, it will 1) touch on what we find sacred, what we honor (which can be a trigger for all kinds of feelings), and 2) that it will seem like life and death (Pluto, messing with our heads). This will reflect real-world issues involving change to the order of things (Capricorn, Pluto) and where we might be wise to find balance, if at all possible–otherwise, righteous anger or a fear of losing what we care about (or having it or ourselves disrespected) could make for some brief but wild bouts of temper. Listen, if this occurs, because if it does it will happen around important issues and/ or with those you truly care about–and so reveal much about the fears that need addressing, and the walls that need breaking down.

One final but perhaps vital point: the New Moon is novile Eris. Discord! But we must remember, Eris doesn’t bring discord, she simply reveals what’s already there, usually tamped down or hidden under a civilized veneer. In her own way, she’s a truth-teller, and a novile is an aspect that reveals genius–in this case, what comes forth in disharmony, clashes, or fury gives us priceless insight into what’s really happening, especially if it involves one party trying to blame another, when the only supporting ‘evidence’ is the accuser’s anger. You know that old saying, that when you point the finger of blame, four are pointing back at you? Yeah, like that.

The thing we’re going to gain most from this New Moon is information, much of it extant but concealed, until Eris breaks the seal, or Pluto shakes someone’s fear or rage, or until Jupiter shows us the facts or a positive way forward. The trick is to be thankful for what we’re shown, even if it’s not as pleasant as it could be.

The Sabian symbol for the New Moon is, ‘An Ancient Sword, Used In Many Battles, Is Displayed In A Museum’. Two thoughts here: that what was once a weapon should now be put away, seen but not used, and that to forget how far we’ve come is to lose our Collective progress. What was once something formidable, awe-inspiring, even necessary for the age, is now to be put aside–that kind of savagery isn’t needed, anymore. On the personal level this likely applies to the ways in which we engage in disagreement. Don’t forget what you’ve learned, should Eris come to call.

Full Moon in Leo 2022: Let’s Go There

14 Monday Feb 2022

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Grand Cross/Grand Square, Sabian Symbols

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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.

New Moon in Aquarius 31 January 2022 Time and Tide

28 Friday Jan 2022

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon, forecast, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

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‘Low Tide’ By Avery F. Johnson {{PD}}

What’s your first thought, as the New Moon forms just in the lee of Saturn? And I say ‘thought’, rather than ‘feeling’, deliberately, even though we might expect the information to come in feeling form; that’s in part because Aquarius is the sign of Higher Mind, and in part because Saturn, which both Moon and Sun will conjoin soon after their meeting, is the ancient ruler of Aquarius. They’re in his territory, a place that Saturn relates to in a primordial, ancient roots way, and their post-New Moon meeting with him will be the key to what happens at the New Moon–take notes, so you’re ready for the manifestation, the barrier, the delay, the detour, or the sense of rock-solid surety that will come, appearing through Higher Mind, through the group and especially your place in it, through innovation, invention, and the imposition of ‘the modern’ on existing realities.

The New Moon arrives at 9:45 PM PST of the 31st, Moon and Sun meeting at 12 Aquarius 19. The Lunar event forms very few aspects, and they’re all past perfection, aside from the approaching conjunction with Saturn, suggesting that the New Moon new start is more of a cumulative build-up than a single moment; with the Saturn contact being the only future one, we can guess that as the Moon hits Saturn we’ll feel the emotional reaction to the built-up energies, then as the Sun hits a couple days later, we’ll see precisely the effects it has all had on our world. In Aquarius this likely involves shifts in the Zeitgeist that turn our attention with what feels like turns in the tides of time and development; the ‘new’ thing takes on prominence, brings responses from groups (and often entails individuals leaving, taking a leadership role, or joining, so that the group itself takes on a new form), shows us the inevitability of some life factor (likely something ruled by Saturn or sitting in Aquarius or Capricorn or related to their Houses in the natal chart), shows us what time and/ or rules or delays have resulted in, and may alter our personal relationship to authorities or ‘the system’. We might rebel, we might take action to stand out from the crowd, we might present something original to our milieu, but no matter what, our response will be singularly ours, even if this is part of or in response to a group.

The past aspects include a sextile to Chiron, as the arm of a T-square with the Uranus-Hygeia opposition, and receding contacts of a semi-square to Pallas in Pisces and a semi-sextile to Vesta, which also happens to be very close to a stationary Venus in Capricorn (Saturn again!) Now, I only pay attention to Hygeia when it announces its presence, as it does here, alerting us to the Lunar ‘statement’ on accidents, surprises, and shocks, and their effects on our well-being. The sextile to Chiron lets us know that the focus may come in an area we feel we’ve recently made healing progress in, or in a wound we’ve lately been trying to address. The Pallas contact says we may not have handled things in the near past in as wise or skillful a way as we could, and the Vesta-Venus contact suggests the recent Venus retro period has helped us re-evaluate where we want to invest our energies, and into what–and so links the New Moon to this adjustment to values and what we honor in our lives in a deep way, one that affects our relationships, finances, and expenditures of time and Love.

With this New Moon, we’ll in some way be required to recognize the effects of time and tide, the way the waters of simply being alive have shaped us. We’ll become acutely aware of the minutes (or hours, or years) passage and the inevitable shifts to the larger social order–and we’ll have to recognize the ways in which those larger currents shifting in the outer have made incursions on our inner world, especially on our own Higher Mind. Our attitudes toward our most unique traits may also come into focus, and we may see just how accepting we actually are of our own need to be responsive, flexible, and to honor our own most original ideas. This period may be particularly challenging for those who resist the idea of responsibilities or obligations; those who define freedom as doing whatever they want may be in for a shock.

The New Moon Sabian is, ‘A Barometer’. Yes! We are taking measure, through a particularly Aquarian lens, but one that requires we bring our observations and conclusions down to earth; barometers measure air pressure and its changes, a perfect illustration for the Air of Aquarius, and pointing to the way the sign’s Fixed nature may resist what the New Moon reveals.

And a note on the Dark of the Moon leading up to this New Moon: lay low, don’t expect too much from yourself, those around you, or the environment. It’s a time for introspection, with all energies having a natural tendency to turn inward. Rest, recover, and don’t require accomplishment right now–even if you complete something, it may have an underwhelming quality that requires a fresh look and approach later–so save your strength.

Full Moon in Cancer 17 January 2022 The Engine of Knowing

15 Saturday Jan 2022

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Sabian Symbols

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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.

Merc Retro in Aquarius 14 January 2022: Mind Inspired

10 Monday Jan 2022

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Nicolas Poussin c1627 ‘Venus and Mercury’ {{PD}}

Mercury pauses and enters apparent backward motion at 3:42 AM PST of the 14th, and the effect is likely to be subtle but far-reaching. The planet has stationed at 10 degrees, arriving there one day before and remaining one day after; the turnaround itself occurs at 10 Aquarius 20. The Sabian symbol for this degree is, ‘During A Silent Hour, A Man Receives A New Inspiration Which May Change His Life’. This is the heart of it: the retro period brings re-consideration of our ideals, of what we find sacred and honor, of how we wish to spend our days and hours–we look at how we are actually spending our time (what a phrase in English! Equating our lives with the use of any other asset), and how close this comes to (or diverges from) what we truly find of value.

We may find ourselves comparing our current situation to the dreams we have and had, especially those expectations for life that we carried at an earlier time. We are able right now to set aside those rationalizations that may have made us compromise our visions and goals; we see exactly how we may have diluted our aims to accommodate practicality, expediency, and varied duties. Some of these duties and choices, we’ll find, do represent what’s most important, in the form of commitments to others or to causes; some won’t pass the smell test, no matter what we tell ourselves–and this retro is the time to see, acknowledge, and then prepare to do something about the ways in which our thinking and pursuit of Higher Mind goals have gone seriously off-track.

This need for re-consideration is apparent in the contacts Mercury makes at the moment of retrogression. Happening in Aquarius, a Fixed Air sign, we know that previously rock-solid ideas and opinions will be examined by the Higher Mind and vetted through current or near-future conditions–and we know that at least some of the revelations we’ll receive will come through accident, surprise, or rebellion, which in this instance will be necessary catalysts to the examinations we must make.

Mercury will be novile both Neptune-Pallas, planet of creativity, imagination, ideals, and delusions, united with the asteroid of practicality, skills, and wisdom, and the asteroid Vesta, harbinger of what we honor and dedicate our life energies to–in fact, Mercury will turnaround at the midpoint between the other two points. The novile is an aspect that draws the genuinely innovative and ‘genius’ elements from the two bodies in question; in this case, we have four, three of which, in two portions, Neptune-Pallas, and Vesta, aren’t in major contact to each other–but they are through the mechanism of Mercury and his retro mentality of review. We can expect the retro period to offer inspiration as to what we want to use our life energy for, where we want to focus our efforts, and how we can best fulfill our highest ideals, and to offer this in both practical and smart forms. This may or may not reveal itself in material forms (Merc ruler Uranus in Taurus/ ancient ruler of Aquarius, real-world oriented Saturn, just ahead of Mercury in Aquarius), but we will certainly get a solid mental picture of what needs to occur upon direction–and this is contrary to the usual message of letting the mind rest during a Merc retro. In this case, we just won’t be able to. The hamster wheel will keep spinning–just be aware that final conclusions shouldn’t be drawn until well after the tension of retro and direction have passed, in this instance maybe even waiting until once-again direct Mercury passes its retro point, around the 25th of February–which is also the time when Mercury will, just past the retro point, square Uranus.

We have noted that Mercury turns around just short of completing a square to sign ruler Uranus, now in Taurus. This suggests that we won’t actually confront material realities during the retro, that instead those will be delivered through difficult (the square) Uranian circumstances after direction (and those may include through leadership issues, group mandate, innovation, rebellion by ourselves or others against demands or constraints, accidents, surprises, or serendipities, through application of academics or Higher Mind thought, through revelation, invention, or modernization, or through taking an original approach or manifesting an original idea).

At the point of retrograde Mercury will also be in wide conjunction to Saturn–again as with the square to Uranus, not perfected, and so any limitations or constraints won’t be applied to matters, just yet–and sextile Chiron, offering some promise of healing through the retro review. This is a ‘make plans, understand what you really want and care about’ retrograde, with careful attention to aims and extended consideration of wants vital to eventual good decisions. The usual admonitions ‘don’t sign, don’t buy’ are still in force, though as always I would add that if something has been thoroughly vetted or chosen well before the retrograde, proceeding during to complete the deal typically holds no more risk than when Mercury’s direct. Though I often suggest using the feeling senses as the go-to during a Merc withdrawal, this time, as I’ve already noted, it may not be easy or even possible; the less time we spend judging our mental state during this retrograde, the more actual, effective exploration of our priorities and our ability to implement them is likely to get done. The unsuitability of emotions and senses for processing may be shown by the retro moment’s capture of a tight quincunx between the Moon in Gemini and Venus in Capricorn, implying that the feeling nature and relationships/ wants will be generating their own friction, and so might not be available as an alternate conduit for perceptions right now.

New Moon in Capricorn 2 January 2022 A Grounded Utopia

31 Friday Dec 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Jupiter in Pisces, New Moon, Sabian Symbols, Saturn in Aquarius

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Map of Utopia By Abraham Ortelius c1595 {{PD}}

A New Moon in Capricorn promises a fresh emotional grounding, a window during which we see what can bring us a sense of security and a feeling of accomplishment. This New Moon in Cap (2 January 2022 at 12 Capricorn 20 at 10:34 AM PST) brings a little something more: a sense of what’s truly real-world possible for us in the near-future, indicated by the close semi-sextile of the New Moon to Saturn in Aquarius. The conduit the New Moon creates between the ancient and modern rulers of Aquarius, Uranus (which trines the New Moon) and Saturn (which aspects and rules the New Moon and is currently in Aquarius), allows for a harmonious marriage of what is with what could be–but it’s up to us to follow a few simple New Moon hints that will allow us to guide our own personal progressive vision to successful realization.

Is it a reality check if we’re already clear on circumstances, but are shown possibilities for the future? Current energies are operating in a kind of flux that turns the meaning of a reality check on its head; instead of showing us where we’re disconnected from the true nature of things, we’ll be shown how completely aware we are of what is, and how our reality can fold outward from itself, how it and we have the momentum to bring about a bright, shining, personal utopia–or at least, we’ll have the ability to see it, reach for it, aim for it.

The New Moon is novile the South Node, suggesting we have a (temporary) genius for parsing the past and extracting resources, particularly things we’ve discovered or learned (SN Sagittarius) that can help us build our brave new world. The Lunar event is also trine Uranus and sesquiquadrate the close Sedna-Ceres conjunction, all in Taurus. Here the New Moon emphasis may be on innovation, realizing (as in making real) our own original ideas and impulses, and finding ways to create change or progress that both supports and makes use of our instincts and ‘what we know but don’t know’, and that can effectively draw on the actual personal power situation we have command over. It’s all about material or conceptual changes that implement our most unique visions; it’s a statement, presented via the feeling nature: we have what we need to make ‘it’ happen–go out and do it!–and that may introduce the element of surprise, to ourselves at what we’re capable of or equipped for, and to those around us, who may not have realized we are ready and able to shape the future as we truly want it to be (and an approaching semi-sextile of the Sun-Moon to Mars in fiery Sagittarius puts the responsibility on each of us to do what we know is right, in terms of our own knowledge and beliefs).

But, we must first know what those beliefs are, before we can act on them. We have an intriguing Sabian Symbol for this New Moon, one that seems especially applicable, considering the way idea inception seems to be so prominent at this time: ‘A Fire Worshipper Meditates On The Ultimate Realities Of Existence’. The symbol speaks of a dynamic individuality that steps outside its own action urge in order to contemplate the larger mysteries of the Universe. This may indeed be what we do: we may feel grounded, and therefore safe, in taking a pause in order to understand what lies beneath the reality that surrounds us. In doing that, we better see and understand the implications that our own actions may have. A thoughtful period before implementation of goals is required before proceeding; don’t allow yourself to think that this caesura is a waste of time, as without it you won’t truly understand the ultimate effects of what you’re doing.

Also of note: the recent foray of Jupiter into Pisces only aids us in accessing our dreams. The ancient ruler of the sign offers an energy that can lift the innovation and originality to new heights, and can free imaginative and creative impulses that can inform our efforts and our creative product–however, don’t lean solely on the Jupiterian impulse to get things done–you’ll go wildly off-track if you do–instead accept the need for constraint and emotional discipline the Lunar event will remind us of, and use it to harness our natural largesse and generative ability in service of our New Moon new beginnings.

I want to thank my Readers for their support and participation in 2021, and I hope to see each and every one of you here again in 2022. Happy New Year! Sending you all heartfelt wishes for a safe and happy year ahead.

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

15 Wednesday Dec 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Full Moon, future events in the sky, Sabian Symbols, Saturn square Uranus

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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

17 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, forecast, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

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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.

New Moon in Scorpio 4 November 2021 Baggage

02 Tuesday Nov 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon, forecast, Lunar Aspects, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

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Baggage ticket from a Titanic passenger. {{PD}}

The Moon and Sun meet at 2:15 PM PDT on the 4th at 12 Scorpio 40, just shy of perfecting an opposition to Uranus in Taurus. We may think Halloween is over, but this set-up screams that a shock, shift, change, accident, revelation, revolution, new understanding, or good old-fashioned scare is slated for the Lunar event. We may simply observe this (the opposition), or we may live it ourselves (likely through the House matters where the NM falls in the natal scenario, or the subjects of the House where Uranus is transiting, or the House it or the Moon rules natally), but either way it will shake us, our world, or it may change our viewpoint in radical or unusual ways.

The New Moon is pulling away from a semi-square to Juno but approaching semi-square to Venus, and that may suggest that empowerment issues, struggles to have our way or for supremacy (especially in partnership), and matters of status that have lately been before us give way or resolve in the face of love and the importance of relationships–but that both aspects are semi-squares tells us that the fresh lens of Venus brings attention to a whole other set of factors: the potentials for jealousy, rivalry, lust, competition, especially for love or resources, and for examination of what assets or talents we do or don’t have.Venus is at 29 degrees, under stress, perhaps acting in ways that feel a little desperate, a little deprived. We are letting go of one set of concerns because we recognize the power and sanctity of love–and then find ourselves in danger of sabotaging the very relationships we care most about, because of our own Venusian weaknesses.

This isn’t the whole picture, of course, but it is a more prominent part of things than the relatively minor aspects involved might first suggest. A New Moon in Scorpio means new starts, but in this sign that can be particularly disruptive to our emotional health; we just naturally want to dig, to excavate whatever captures our emotional attention or stirs feeling at this time, and nothing, not a relationship or a person or an onion, does well having those protective layers of skin peeled away.

The Scorpio New Moon makes only one other close aspect, a quincunx to the Black Moon Lilith point. This says that what arises now may come from discomfort (the quincunx) with those matters we’ve been ignoring, are in denial about, or that have enraged us but haven’t yet been addressed. So, Luna opens the door and shines an ever-growing light on what’s bothering us–and that may manifest through a Uranian event like an accident or a Higher Mind revelation, or may channel into relationship issues. It’s the conscience and its conceptions of right and wrong that are sending and receiving right now, so that the more consciously aware you are of your own motivations and needs, of how honest you’ve been and how much you may have deviated from or stayed within the framework of your ideals, the more adept (and less surprised) you’ll be at handling what comes forward.

We have a very Uranian Sabian Symbol for this New Moon: ‘An Inventor Performs A Laboratory Experiment’. This re-focuses us on the importance of Uranus and Uranian elements in this New Moon equation, and points to a few possible questions you might want to meditate on before the Lunar event: how do you feel about shocks and surprises? do you seek them out, enjoying the charge, or do you hate them and the disorienting feeling they convey? do you insist on having control (or that you are in control) and find it offensive when others/ the Universe point out there’s no such thing? how do you really feel about change? do you see it as a catastrophe or a chance to escape? There are two keys in this symbol, ‘Inventor’ and ‘Experiment’, and these offer us a good way to approach this New Moon. We are natural inventors–seeing ourselves that way should show us how much power and creativity we actually carry within–and we are in the midst of one enormous experiment–and that means nothing is certain. All we can do is respond to what comes at us, to what we create, to what’s drawn to us, with the greatest capacity for understanding, and the ability to invent and innovate, that’s most uniquely suited to who we are.

I looked up the Sabian for Uranus, thinking it might give us more detail about what Uranian thing we might expect, and it didn’t disappoint: ‘A Porter Carrying Heavy Baggage’. This points us toward the trigger of all those Black Moon Lilith things we’ve stuffed down into the dark. What we’ve been trying to out run or hide, our baggage, may become too heavy for that part of ourselves we’ve assigned to haul it around. Wouldn’t it be better to drop that stuff off, for good? This New Moon might be the chance to do just that.

A note about Ceres, Chiron, and Pallas at 9 degrees of their respective signs, which would seem to put them in generous orb to the New Moon: you know I’m careful about drawing as precise a Lunar picture as I can be; in this case, these placements, you’ll notice, are all past aspects, indicating the Moon’s contacts prior to meeting the Sun. Since these all occurred in the Dark of the Moon period, I suspect they’re hidden in our own personal dark, carried in the Lunar event but not actively informing it. So, that would say that wisdom, personal power situations, and hurt all affect what happens–they shape it, rather than drive it, intimations of what’s coming like whispers that precede a shout, that you’ll probably ‘hear’ on the 3rd.

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

13 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by in astrology, forecast, Full Moon, Sabian Symbols

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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.