‘The Great Wave of Kanagava’ By Hokusai Katsushika {{PD}}
Here we are, in that valley between eclipses, all nerved up, everything seeming in limbo, our feet hovering three or so inches above the ground, worn out and yet brimming with energy. Exhausted and lit up–that’s no way to live! We’re riding that subtle wave pushed out by the Lunar eclipse, trying to get our bearings, and we’re distinctly ungrounded, not through any fault of our own, but as a byproduct of that pull between Moon and Sun, shifting our inner tides, making us feel, really feel, the flow of the Universe in a way we’re seldom so conscious of. And what is the low ground this tsunami of energy, this intense but subtle wave from the Lunar event, seeking? It’s urging us to find that stable place to cool, to collect ourselves, to get our footing–and we find it centered on the North Node point, our indicator of which direction the energy is flowing. That’s currently 16 Aries, still conjoined Chiron, the Sun moving ever nearer, the Node caught at the rough midpoint of Venus-Jupiter=we’re under a growing awareness of the real-world situation, focused on our own wounds–if that remains the center of our consciousness, we’ll get nothing more out of it–but if we can move past our fixation on our own weaknesses or deficits we find: 1) more Love! or other reward, 2) the freedom and benefits that come from taking personal responsibility (focus on our role and acting cooperatively–that is, in harmony with others–but autonomously, exercising our own authority, is key), and 3) a new relationship to the public, our audience, or those in our circle.
The Sun is at the rough midpoint of Neptune and the North Node, and also trines Pallas and quincunxes Juno=we’re aiming to make ideals and dreams our future reality, and we have the wisdom and practical judgment to do so, though we aren’t quite empowered to do so yet–patience. We get a hint that our lack of power is to our benefit, as Neptune square Vesta suggests our dreams and aims aren’t yet aligned with our highest values, or reconciled to our commitments; we haven’t yet fit them around what we care about in life, an important step in moving forward. Mars is semi-square the North Node=actions are hobbled, difficult, but again, that’s to our advantage, giving us time to prepare ourselves, even more than circumstances, and Venus sextiles Uranus=surprise! The only thing we can be sure of is that the unexpected will be featured, delivered through relationships, the material situation, or in where loyalties ultimately lie.
We’ll be in this bardo, more or less, until very close to the Solar event. Each of us does best to get outside our own heads and past our own grievances as much as possible, and to use the time to formulate next steps around hopes and dreams. It’s vital we have those aims clearly visualized, if we want to act effectively. I’ll be unavailable (answering no correspondence or filling book orders) until early next week, when I’ll provide a look at the upcoming Solar eclipse. Have a great week!
Orders made to the Press and all comments and questions will be filled/ answered after my vacation from computers, 27 March-2 April.
‘Portrait of Three Women’ By Charles Giron, before 1914 {{PD}}
The Lunar eclipse perfects just as the 24th becomes the 25th, 12 AM Pacific time (12:12:51, to be precise), but begins at 9:53 PM of the 24th and concludes at 2:32 AM. This is a penumbral eclipse, meaning the Earth, as it comes between the Moon and Sun, with all lined up on the ecliptic, will only block at portion of the Sun’s reflected light; that means the shadow itself may be hard to see, as the Moon will only appear dimmed from our vantage point here on Earth.
A Lunar eclipse is, always, a Full Moon, with eclipses occurring at points when the transiting lights are close to the Nodal axis points (the Nodes are determined by the points at which the Moon crosses the apparent path of the Sun). The opposition between Moon and Sun occurs at 5 Libra 07, with the Moon widely conjoined (but moving toward) the South Node and the Sun in Aries approaching conjunction with the North. There are only a few aspects to what I consider major bodies, so I played around with some of the named asteroids, a consequence of my computer failure and astro program then being unavailable, and my need to use other than my usual sources, a kind of serendipity, I suppose, that takes us on a female energy-oriented path expressed through this Lunar culmination.
Pallas in Sagittarius forms a sextile to the Lunar eclipse, suggesting that a matter of wisdom and/ or practicality will be part of what motivates our response to events; we find ways to answer what comes forward using our beliefs (which either shows their validity or shows their need for revision) or using our own knowledge and the facts at hand. The knowledge we have (or lack) is instrumental to both the source of the Full Moon event and its resolution. The opposing Sun is conjoined Hera (the Greek version of Juno) in Aries, suggesting a kind of Solar power (that is an animus-aligned, ‘doing’ power) displayed by the goddess, the queen of Mt. Olympus and all the gods–but a queen known for her response to being disrespected by her husband-king. She gained a reputation for enraged vengeance–but how can we blame her, as her actions arose from a sense of powerlessness within her particular situation? So perhaps we should ponder where in our own lives are we in a position where we should be able to exercise real power and choice, but are prevented from it, by uncooperative partners or others who don’t respect us.
The eclipse also forms a wide trine to Pluto in Aquarius, which itself happens to be conjoined Psyche. Again, we see a kind of victim motif, one where we’re being ‘kept in the dark’, as Psyche was by her husband Eros (Pluto as the dominating, ‘dark’ male, the one with the power to destroy, change, or control. See a theme here? I think it’s ‘The partner who exerts power by disregarding and disrespecting, with a little gaslighting thrown in!’ And with Pluto involved, this may feel like an intense, life or death situation). Eros is at 16 Taurus, conjoined Jupiter with both quincunx the South Node and sextile Venus in Pisces, forming a Finger of God–and Venus is Eros’ mother, the one who both instigated the string of events that inadvertently brought Psyche and Eros together, and the one who views Psyche as a rival, as she not only took away Eros’ attention, she was as beautiful as Venus, validated by Zeus when he made Psyche immortal and allowed her to taste the Ambrosia of the gods.
Add to this that Cupido–Cupid is the Roman name for Eros–is in Cancer, sextile Juno, quincunx Pallas, and square the Lunar eclipse, suggesting that how much the partner cares will figure in to how smart their response to the scenario will be. In this myth, Venus displayed some of those negative Venusian traits: jealousy, envy, vindictiveness, aimed at the mortal who dared to replace her (speaking from Venus’ viewpoint). So, we have a dynamic energy in play that mirrors at least some of the eclipse energy: exaggerated passions/ sense of ownership, control of the partner, ‘rights’ and privileges trampled and conferred, and secrecy (Jupiter-Eros) combines with jealousy or envy, or possibly beauty or reward/ value (Venus) to create a familiar partnership, relationship, or Arts-oriented situation from the past (South Node in Libra).
If an eclipse is a wipe-out energy, we may wonder why it’s returning us to something already lived. We can’t forget that Merc is due to retro on 1 April, with the Solar eclipse due a week later; the turnaround of Mercury will occur in Aries and remain there for the entire 3 weeks, and this happens to be the sign of the Lunar Sun and Solar eclipse. That points us toward a larger theme of reconsidering ourselves, our Self-image and Self-concept, our actions, choices, and motives, about who we are and how we think about ourselves, with the Lunar eclipse a kind of kick-off point for the journey, where we start by considering our partnerships or other alliances, and what they may impose on us.
A few more interesting tidbits: Sappho is conjoined Pallas and so sextile the Lunar event=passion, and passion for the Arts, align us with what’s wise at this point, though we can too easily tip into potential Self-sacrifice, if we take things at a dramatic (that is, exaggerated) level. Nobody needs to throw themselves off a cliff, no matter how nasty the relationship with the partner reveals itself to be. Circe is quincunx the eclipse from Pisces=Circe is the enchanter of men, who rather ruthlessly turned them to pigs, in a part-punishment, part humiliation that allowed her to keep total control. I think we need to see this not as a woman seeking power over men (though that’s definitely part of the context), but as someone in a traditionally disempowered role (that of a woman) calling the shots and then going a teensy bit overboard. This harks back to Hera, to the attempt to right wrongs (or at least to extract a measure of vengeance and satisfaction for oneself). I’m seeing this as a kind of warning, an admonition: extremes won’t give us the satisfaction we desire, and ultimately, won’t give us what we want (remember, Odysseus and at least some of his men escaped Circe’s domain). And we see Diana, Huntress and goddess of the Moon, sextile the Lunar eclipse from Leo=here’s an example of a woman empowered in herself, as an individual force. She’s a specific kind of Nature goddess, one who reigns over animals, the woodland, and fertility, with her Lunar association suggesting she is tuned in to the rhythms of both natural and planetary cycles. Her role here might be to remind us that our expressions of power are most effective in the right context–that is, in the areas and roles where we best ‘fit’ in life. That requires of us a good understanding of who we are, and what we are adept at–as always, knowing ourselves is more helpful than almost anything else.
A final contact, and maybe the most important one, is a sesquiquadrate of Uranus to the Lunar eclipse. Uranus rules the transiting Pluto position, that dynamic, dark force in the current Lunar equation, and promises the unexpected, the unanticipated, the shocking, the surprising, the revolutionary and revelatory, coming from difficult or unpleasant facets (the sesquiquadrate) of this event. Brace yourself for new, forward-oriented, innovative aspects to figure in, even to seemingly come out of nowhere, at this time.
The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Man Watches His Ideals Taking A Concrete Form Before His Inner Vision’. This is about seeing those vague spiritual and creative ideals we carry inside take on a physical form that we can then use to translate them into the world. If we can see it clearly with the inner eye, we can make it happen in a way that materially impacts the world, simple as that. The Sun Sabian is, ‘A Square, With One Of Its Sides Brightly Illumined’. The thing about squares is that each side is exactly the same as the others; it’s their sense of absolute equality among the parts that draws our attention–so what does it suggest when one side is illuminated? We might observe that some gain the spotlight even when they seem no different than anyone else–but we should look again; they are successfully ‘shining’, precisely because the role they are playing completely fits their assets, talents, and abilities. This harks back to our consideration of the ‘Diana’ energy, a knowing who we are that surpasses any ‘shape’ others may want us to take. This eclipse gives us myriad examples of power expression of the anima, ‘being’ energy–it’s up to us to choose carefully among them.
Sorry there’s no chart this time. I’m working on it!
Just some bits I didn’t get to in my last post. My computer that holds my astro software crashed so I’m flying blind, with only notes to go on at the moment. I could argue that it’s a pre-eclipse debacle, as the first eclipse of what my ephemeris describes as a 3-eclipse set falls at the midpoint of my Mercury-Mars–is it wiping out my ability to assert myself, to communicate, or is it clearing the way for new forms? Since I believe that the Universe always works in our favor, I’ll take it as something that’s meant to steer me in a ‘better’ direction, if not an entirely new one. I’m thinking that having to use online sources to draw up an eclipse chart will mean I won’t have my usual assortment of odd bits and bobs, and that could mean my attention will go in a different direction, and so allow me to see things in a way other than I normally would. I’m still at work on that Moon book, itself swelling like an ever-waxing Lunar orb, so of necessity it won’t be long before I’ve got another computer and updated software–but until then, it may be a grand adventure into unfamiliar lands.
The 17th-19th we have Venus square Pallas; then Venus hits Saturn (20th-23rd) while Ceres is still sextile the old man=this is a picture of those who love unwisely suppressing their personal power and autonomy–but to what end? Is it a relationship that calls for betraying the Self in favor of the wider partnership, or is it economics or a question of values that requires restraint and a kind of Self-denial? Or is it that we’ll insist on something impractical in the name of Love, and disempower ourselves in the process?
We’ll also see Mercury conjoin the North Node=this may deliver messages from the future, in the realization that what we think now will, quite literally, make the future into what it will be. It’s a moment when our own power becomes ultra-real, scarily apparent, and we’re challenged to accept, in ways we’re usually able to hide from ourselves, that we truly are in charge of where we go and what we become. And finally, Jupiter quincunxes the South Node, blowing the past all out of proportion. Here it may be vital that we don’t take memories–which will definitely be distorted right now–as ‘the way it was’; this aspect also shows us quite clearly how our beliefs need adjustment, because the facts are different than they were in the past. These two aspects, Merc-NN and Jupiter-SN, work together to create our mindset; it’s up to us to make sure the conclusions we reach are as aligned with reality and our own ‘right action’ as possible.
‘Summer Idleness–Day Dreams’ By John William Godward {{PD}}
Everybody’s talking about the Sun conjoining Neptune, now through the 20th–why? It happens every year, but with Neptune in its own sign, the Solar light applied to transcendent Pisces illuminates ideals, creativity, and community at their highest levels–and inevitably leaves a lot of dissatisfaction in its wake. The wash of big ideas with even bigger intentions is inspiring, yes, massively so, and it’s only human that our results will, with few exceptions, be somewhat less than those dreams we dreamed, making the reckoning between what was visualized and what was realized something we should be prepared for, accept, and still celebrate–reaching for the stars is thrilling, and if we don’t reach our final goal, we still find ourselves in the stratosphere, with a wider view and more far-reaching results than we ever would’ve created without those lofty inspirations.
This duo also trines Vesta, which may be why we’re so focused here, at the moment: Vesta is what we revere, what we find sacred, what we dedicate our life energy to–and that may put a lot of pressure on each of us, whether we’re conscious of it or not. We may feel like attaining those ideals and creative goals is more than necessary–we may in fact feel as if success is mandatory, that we will be ‘less than’ unless we get all the way to our aim. Though high standards are admirable, it’s definitely too much to hold ourselves to such stringent requirements, especially when there are likely one or more components that will be at least to some extent outside our control. We just need to focus on what we gain, what we do create, even if that creation doesn’t go as far or as wide or to completion as we’d hoped.
Chiron is quincunx the Black Moon Lilith point, amping things up even more as we carry in the back of our minds the awareness that what we ignore, deny, or are enraged by carries the potential to hurt us–and that means we know we’ve got to face what we’d rather put aside for later, or never, in an attempt to minimize our own injury. It’s smart to take it head on, as we exercise a lot more control over something we accept as reality than we do over something we’re insisting isn’t a thing. Note: if you have a placement 17-19 Scorpio, this fills in a Finger of God that suggests the fill-in energy plus the sense of woundedness combine to form a sort of dark point around something you’d rather forget–but shouldn’t. Again, addressing it is better than denying its existence, and keeps you in the driver’s seat.
And that brings us to Eris opposed Zeus, with Zeus receiving a trine and Eris receiving a sextile from aggressive Mars. Here we have the agent of discord facing off against our ambitions and desires, with Mars inserting the impetus to act on those wants, with those actions and choices easily putting a target on our backs for anyone with a beef. This is just life, really; there’s no way to control how others see and respond to us, so we must act and be with integrity, pursue our desires and aims, and let others feel and think what they may. That’s how we keep from being paralyzed by the judgments or slights handed out by those who’d rather critique us than look at their own flawed character.
Pluto noviles Saturn=we have the power to change our reality in transformative and quite brilliant ways–just know that alterations made now have a permanence about them that can never completely be undone; also know that changes imposed by externals have that same permanence, and are absolutely, 100% to our benefit, no matter how things look on the surface. Ceres also sextiles Saturn, reinforcing the idea that there’s power contained in facing reality–and both aspects to Saturn tell us that at this time, it’s much easier than usual to control those power expressions, to shape real-world results just as we’d like them to be. That puts powerful mojo behind those Sun-Neptune manifestations–and, as long as we follow a few cautions, puts us in control of our own choices and their consequences.
I’ll follow up with a few other things happening in the coming week. Have a great weekend!
‘Washerwomen on Lake Garda’ By Ettore Tito 1888 {{PD}}
The New Moon at 20 Pisces 16 on the 10th right at 2 AM PDT (when the clock moves forward one hour from 1 AM) presents a compelling dynamic: the receptive Waters of the imagination, the Cosmos, the All-That-Is are the inception point for a birth, a beginning, that is based in facing what we’ve been ignoring or denying about our reality or our environment. Ideals (Pisces ruler Neptune) fuel what starts at this time, with that sparking New Moon energy bouncing off of, or even caused by, the opposing Black Moon Lilith point, which is conjoined the Earth itself, and so describes how what we are ignoring or denying or enraged by in our material circumstances or in our environment is what drives our New Moon new beginning.
That suggests that the impetus for change is found in frustration or disappointment with our reality; there are several energy clusters extant in the event chart that clue us in to what’s not working. The North Node conjoined Chiron suggests we fear that if we don’t do something the future will be painful. Mars squares Uranus and widely trines Vesta, which itself trines Zeus, tells us that the results of our actions and choices have been a surprise, certainly not what we anticipated, and that though we based those choices on our highest values and life energy commitments, we didn’t account for the way desires, ambitions, and even animal lust got in the way. This all hooks into the New Moon with Mars’ semi-sextile to it, and the New Moon’s square to Vesta–and then we see that Ceres is novile Mars, hinting that it’s in pursuing expression of our personal authority, and trying to balance it with our responsibilities, that we’ll stumble upon a (relative to the circumstances) brilliant answer or approach.
So, it’s in facing our dissatisfaction or inadequacies, and embracing our duties, that we happen upon a rather perfect way to address what needs modification–and this is supported by other current contacts. Mercury has just entered Aries=taking both responsibility for ourselves and the initiative within the situation is the right thing to do–maybe a little awkward at first (00 placement) but effective nonetheless. The New Moon forms a septile to Pluto=there’s power to be found in that New Moon start, power that is seated in our own spirituality, in our awakened sensibilities; don’t underestimate the unseen (including intent and desire) in its ability to transform at this time. Juno in Virgo opposes Saturn in Pisces, perhaps shaping events in a man vs. woman mode, or status quo vs. the effectiveness of the empowered individual, or even in a power struggle between two, matched entities, one ensconced in the fantasy that their authority is supreme or forever-lasting, the other critiquing the situation from a point of personal facility that knows exactly how to bring change. One issue: Eris is sextile Vesta, alerting us to the need to be aware that others may be agitated by, or may not accept, what we choose to give our energy to–they’ll just have to get over it.
The New Moon Sabian is, ‘Under The Watchful And Kind Eye Of A Chinese Servant, A Girl Fondles A Little White Lamb’. I really don’t like having to deal with racist tropes that all too often figure in to the Sabian symbols, but it’s the only way to get past the outdated assumptions behind the images and land somewhere that makes sense today. The Chinese servant conveys the idea of the Selfless, all-sacrificing Being who lives to serve, who doesn’t just put others first, he or she has no needs of their own (or if they do, those needs are sacrificed on the altar of someone else’s needs–why would we ever see that as a good thing?) That idea is more unrealistic now than it’s ever been, as we recognize the fullness of each human being, the right to autonomy, and benefits to all of cooperative rather than one-sided effort. The girl and the lamb aren’t much better: two emblems of purity and innocence that carry the burdensome projections of an adult need to characterize certain states of Being as untouched by the world (in contrast to the projector, who sees themselves as very much of the world). Lamb and girl are seen as pristine, superior in their untouched state, and so in need of preservation in that state, which is characterized as somehow more worthy than a worldly one. In the images of the servant, the girl, and the lamb (which with this latter carries further implications in the Christian worldview, of both purity and sacrifice), we are offered the same idea: an entity that lives in a rarefied and elevated, and so very unrealistic, state–and further, they are all expected to stay in that state, so that the rest of us are either served or reassured that such purity exists in the world. Servants are entire human Beings, and girls and lambs grow up and experience the world–and their initial innocence is inappropriate when perpetuated for too long, just as a too-extreme dedication in service to others is unfair to the individual. Above all else, I see this image as one of unrealistic expectations of others. It’s up to us to ask ourselves who or what we may be insisting must live up to an image we want them to carry–one that makes us feel more worldly than they, more free than they, and that, one way or another, we benefit from, when they stick to their modest, serving role, or their status as icons of purity–which can translate as immature, unworldly, and so naive, allowing us to step in and be the opposite. In terms of the New Moon, this may be, at least in part, what we are in denial of, with the New Moon energies encouraging us to look at expectations and roles as we apply them to both ourselves and others, asking, ‘What’s appropriate?’ and ‘What’s our call to make?’
This just in:the RNC just installed two Trump loyalists to run the Republican party. Today is the 8th, less than 48 hours before a New Moon, a time known as the Dark. One of the best rules I’ve ever followed is to take no position and make no commitment during the Dark of the Moon; inevitably, the position or venture itself dissolves, circumstances change, or agreements and cooperative efforts just doesn’t go forward. Usually we’re riding the changing Lunar energy, which offers a certain flow and impetus, but this period of three days before a New Moon is a time for retreat, contemplation, and relaxation, not charging forward, especially with new duties or obligations. That suggests these appointments won’t last, possibly indicating a loosening of Trump’s hold on 30% of the populace. Stay tuned to find out.
Inherent in any beginning is its ending, just as in any ending there are the seeds of a new beginning. We have to remember that, particularly when there is a New or Full Moon; the possibilities that live within the event stretch in both directions, with the Lunar occurrence merely a marker along the way. That’s especially important to keep in mind as we examine the Full Moon in Virgo, coming on the 24th at 5 Virgo 23 at 4:30 AM PST, as it can be seen as the opening salvo in an Earth Grand Trine that will reverberate, as Earth-Moon conjoined in Virgo and Ceres in Capricorn all move closer to aspect with Jupiter in Taurus.
Normally I wouldn’t include something 5 degrees outside of exact as part of a Lunar event configuration, but with all factors approaching I think we’re seeing one of those instances where what’s happening is resonating over a longer-than-usual window for a Full Moon. The idea is one of timing with material matters, something centered on the exercise of our own personal authority, probably over something we’re responsible for, and involving the public or some effort at expansion of our reach or our world. The Full Moon casts a critical, Virgoan eye on the situation, urging us toward personal expression that brings us closer to harmony (and therefore success) with the public role or interaction.
Other Full Moon contacts fill in the picture: a novile to the South Node suggests a potentially brilliant spark (of thought or action, with Cardinal Libra) arising through partnership or artistic activity; a septile to Zeus implies desire or ambition may act as a compass to guide us, as our wants subtly align with our spiritual needs; a square to Pallas creates a T-square across the Sun-Earth-Moon axis, promising tension around what’s seen as wise or practical–if it also serves our ambitions or desires, it’s likely the right thing; an opposition to Mercury is technically in the past–and so suggests we’ve been thinking on what to do in this Full Moon area for awhile (and it’s slated to conjoin the Sun in Superior Conjunction in the next couple of days, so should reveal an ending of its own)–and an opposition to Saturn is in the near future, implying real-world results are on the horizon.
The only other thing I’m concerned with right now is the Nodal axis, with the South Node previously discussed, and the North Node conjoined Chiron and both quincunx the Black Moon Lilith point and Juno in Virgo. Out of fear that the future will be painful, we may make adjustments to our own empowerment situation–but even these will be chosen from fear, or heavily influenced by those things we are enraged over or in denial about, and so may not be as carefully thought out as need be. There may be a certain panic setting quietly in over material circumstances (Sedna at 29 Taurus) that’s fueling it all–so be aware that injury may permeate choice, and so send it in a less than desirable direction.
The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Merry-Go-Round’. It may feel like we’re getting nowhere, right now–but that’s an illusion, as progress aligns out of our sight, reveals itself as a fait accompli only later. We also look at the Sun: ‘A Parade of Army Officers In Full Dress’. Uniformity and conformity may seem overwhelming, as if we have no other choice–look how organized, how unified, everyone else seems to be!–but ‘parade’ is our clue that what we’re seeing is a show, not the real thing as it exists in the real world.
It seems to me that distraction, our attention drawn by energetic noise generated by those who traffic in misleading and confusing in order to profit, is our biggest challenge. Use that compass of desire, the inspiration offered within genuine partnership, to guide you, and just let the sound and the fury, signifying nothing, go on by.
Dear Reader ‘Cars & Stories’ asked for a little on Venus meeting Pluto–and I failed to get to it in time. My apologies–life just gets in the way, you know? But I have a few observations that I’ll share here, late though they are.
My impression of the Venus-Pluto meeting at the 00 degree of Aquarius was one of learning the limits of Love. That sounds ominous, but I think it’s more of a touchstone where we saw circumstances, interactions, and exchanges that showed us the very real boundaries within situations and relationships; we saw that beyond particular points we couldn’t be certain of another’s feeling or our own. Though unconditional love is always held up as an ideal, I have no doubt that each of us has experienced relationships where exercising unconditional love would’ve led to destructive conditions, for ourselves or for others. There’s nothing loving about allowing another to cause harm to you, and I think that’s what the past few days have reminded us of: there’s a fine line between love and martyrdom, and crossing that line obliterates the love. I think we’ve been allowed to know this intellectually (Aquarius)–which makes me think it’s only a matter of time until we meet a real life challenge that tempts us to accept what we shouldn’t. This is where we thank the Universe for making us ready.
The Sun will shorty be moving into Pisces, putting the spotlight on the creative and the delusional. The big test is, can we tell the difference? No one wants to pour effort into something that lacks relevance, so how do we tell them apart, especially when sign ruler Neptune is in Pisces, strengthening both the creative impulse and the illusion? It doesn’t help that the Sun-Earth axis at 29 degrees squares Sedna, creating a T-square that strains every instinct we have. That, though, might be how we meet this: trusting instinct, even though we feel pressured and can’t put our finger on specifics. This may be a point when knowing we have the answers within has to proceed on faith alone, and a belief that we will not betray ourselves when making choices. The Universe doesn’t test us–we test ourselves, and that means that as long as we are honest with ourselves, we really can’t choose wrongly.
We may hesitate as right now the North Node conjoins Chiron and both quincunx Black Moon Lilith-Juno. This is a recipe for questioning our empowerment and abilities, even our right, to move forward–and it doesn’t help that the future looks like it will hurt! The questioning of the Self is actually a good thing, meant to, once again, prod us to be honest with ourselves. That’s really where the power lies–and can lead to clear thinking about our most important priorities (Mercury trine Vesta). So don’t worry about the future–it will take care of itself, as long as we face the present with our integrity intact, and our highest ideals in mind.
The aspect can be a sort of personal sunrise, allowing us a chance to cleanse and renew ourselves. ‘Sunrise on the Matterhorn’ By Albert Bierstadt after 1875 {{PD}}
That’s one possibility, of course, if we can embrace the need to cleanse the intellectual beliefs, if we can accept innovation, spontaneity, revolution, and not look back. The meeting of Mars and Pluto in Aquarius bodes well for accepting refurbishment of the Higher Mind, at least in terms of how we interpret our place within the group, within the world. The sudden impulse to eradicate the ego can overwhelm and create a new way of understanding that allows us to rise, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the old Self. We can wipe out anger, while still retaining what anger offers us: a way of knowing what matters. We can remake the way we take action, and the way we make choices, as well. It’s all in the ability to accept the new, and to allow the old ways to fall away, specifically in the life areas of the House where this conjunction takes place in the natal chart.
This pairing can also manifest a furnace of temper, a rage and the ability to act on it that can destroy worlds–or we can react to what seems like attempts at obliteration that come from without, the ego struggling to understand the why of it, and what to do to save the Self. In this instance it might do to ask oneself, ‘Should I be trying to save (or resurrect) the ego, should I insist on the old ways of doing, the old power structure?’ The answer is an unqualified, No. Fear, or fear of nothing known existing on the other side of the ego purge, is certainly understandable–but this is also an aspect of resilient power, the exercise of which puts the individual into a crucible–and out comes a Being stripped of b*llsh*t. I don’t know about you, but I’d step into that crucible every day if I thought it would burn away the unnecessary and leave only the core of who I am. How much easier, I’m imagining, it would be to be, to choose, to act, without the detritus that distracts, the irrelevancies that demand our attention and burn our precious hours here on Earth.
Mars and Pluto will meet again a number of times before Pluto quits the sign, so we’ll face this influence repeatedly over time, and likely handle it better with each meeting. If we don’t, the Universe will confront us with it’s own version of a forced retrofit, one that speaks in harsh language and makes no excuses. If we’re addressing the energies with the equivalent of someone rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, we will, one way or another, go down with the ship. Consider yourself advised.
The Sabian symbol for this conjunction is, ‘An Old Adobe Mission In California’. To me this is an image of a system of oppression, the imposition of the Will and beliefs of one group upon another, the attempt to eradicate a civilization and way of life out of the assumption that the one imposed is ‘better’. This combines both the potential to re-make systems and deal more honestly with our own Will, and the need to let go of that which is now outdated or inappropriate. It reiterates the Mars-Pluto conundrum that asks us to choose: what do we keep? What must we eliminate? And what about ourselves, our individual Will and ego, must be stripped away, so that we can meet our own Power?
One thing that caught my eye: a Finger of God with base of North Node-Chiron in Aries and Mercury in Aquarius, apex the Black Moon Lilith point in Virgo. This suggests that obsessive mulling of any hurt we anticipate suffering in the future, especially that resulting from our own actions and choices, will require we face what we’ve been ignoring, denying, or that which has enraged us, with a discerning eye–that is, we must take those recurring thoughts (and they are definitely thoughts about potential fears), face what we may not be acknowledging about the situation, and then look at it all with a critical, dispassionate mind, in order to get some distance, to see ways in which we can think about this without succumbing to worry, without wasting time afraid of the what ifs of our world. The point here may be that our own minds can steal our happiness, if we indulge in unproductive mental exercises. It’s just another thing Mars-Pluto can help us eliminate.
The New Moon perfects at 2:59 PM PST on the 9th at 20 Aquarius 40. This also marks the start of the Lunar New Year as celebrated in a number of cultures (it’s the year of the Dragon in China, for those keeping score). A New Moon in Aquarius promises new beginnings, offering a blueprint to integrate feelings with understanding of the things that trigger those feelings. It’s a dawning within the human psyche, a point when Higher Mind can process reality in ways that will benefit us, if we can let go of preconceived notions and level up.
Three aspects stand out immediately: a square to Uranus, a trine to Vesta, and a quincunx to Juno. This is a tough picture, implying unexpected, spontaneous, and difficult, disorienting events. Chaos, revelation, or revolution may result, or we could find it’s the individual versus the group. What happens is measured against what we honor and find sacred–that will determine our reaction to what occurs, with adjustments needed on our part to gain or maintain empowerment. It could be a Uranian event that challenges us to respond, or it could be that the Uranian action is ours (and if so, we may not know it’s coming until it arrives), based on protecting what we honor, particularly in the way of partnership, but in any case our ability to answer from a position of personal strength will require modifications to our approach and/ or our behavior. The contact between the New Moon and its ruler suggests a tight relationship between Lunar events and the nature of the Moon in this sign–it all may seem random, haphazard, unpredictable, but it’s almost certain that we’ll look back on this as something we could’ve anticipated–we may even convince ourselves we did.
We’re offered a measure of grace, though, via a septile between the New Moon and Ceres, the latter newly arrived in Capricorn and still at the 00 degree. This suggests there’s a spiritual way to synthesize reality, what’s ‘natural’, our emotions, and our personal power and authority picture; we’ll see where and what we’re actually responsible for, and be given a grace period during which we can vet the situation and choose a way to meet it. This will be new to us and likely brings forward ‘fresh’ feelings; it almost certainly involves any position of responsibility we hold or may involve Nature in the form of natural disasters or events, our health, or inevitable changes such as aging. How we meet these will be paramount; it’s only in accessing our spiritual core that we’ll do our best when confronted.
The New Moon makes a semi-sextile to Venus, and I’m not comfortable claiming a sextile between the New Moon and either the North Node or Eris, both in Aries, but I am ready to say there’s a sextile to their midpoint, with a corresponding situation involving a trine to the midpoint of the South Node and Zeus in Libra. This is a mirror situation with a stand-off between energies of letting no stone go unturned (and so no issue not dredged up and flayed), and the elements of desire (lust, even!) and ambition, with these latter asking us to focus up on long-term goals and let go of distractions. We’re likely to be keenly aware of discord as distraction, even as we believe we must handle it in order to maintain control of our life direction, and there’s a corresponding sense that what we’ve done to fulfill ambitions and goals in the past should have pointed us to the right aesthetic choices and the right partners for our endeavors. Both sets of these perceptions are misleading: the very worth of working this out is highly questionable, with the apparent conundrum essentially one huge distraction. Our energy best goes toward in-the-moment responses to new developments (Uranus square), with our responses both keeping what we find important in mind (Vesta trine), and orienting any reaction toward amplifying our own empowerment within the situation (Juno quincunx).
The Sabian for this New Moon is, ‘A Disappointed And Disillusioned Woman Courageously Faces A Seemingly Empty Life’. This may speak of the anima, the receptive, ‘being’ energies in each of us, stirred by the cool Aquarian Moon to awareness of the clinical side of things, our losses and failures, the ways in which we have let ourselves down, and the reality of being existentially alone. Depressing, right? But the nature of an Aquarian New Moon is such that it offers fresh insight, even as it mercilessly reminds us in detail of the state of things. Notice use of the word ‘seemingly’. That implies the situation only appears to be without anything worthwhile, with the words ‘disappointed’ and ‘disillusioned’ suggesting that ideals have been pummeled, hopes dashed, but that courage is the secret ingredient for re-framing, and so taking both a more optimistic (that is, less negative) inventory, and a more accurate one.
First a word about Pluto, which has just entered Aquarius. The thing about the ‘heavy’ planets is that they act more as background than foreground material the majority of the time. Pluto’s change of sign brings a shift, yes, but one that, if we’re distracted by the everyday, we might not feel for some time. We should expect tonal variation, rather than a big splash, though one reason people may be so focused on this sign change could be due to the shift in element: we see Plutonian matters that for so long carried the density, physicality, and real-life ground-beneath-your-feet quality of Earth take on a mental essence of Air, which likely sharpens awareness, even as it alleviates what for so long felt like a continual onslaught of Plutonian threats to our very existence. It can lead to a series of pretty grim thoughts, even mental breakdown and despair, before resurrecting the thinking in new ways that are more effectively responsive to circumstances, especially those that feel life-threatening, than our ways of thinking before. Attitudes about death, change, renewal (including 2nd chances and new ‘lease on life’ possibilities), and what needs to be eliminated will, through Pluto’s transit of Aquarius, become different, and will likely continue to re-make themselves until Pluto finally enters Pisces for good, almost 20 years from now.
With Pluto in Aquarius the perceptual challenges center on both Higher Mind and the thinking around the frameworks we use to elaborate on and explain various life areas, what we might label the impersonal academics of What Is. One of the Aquarian keywords is ‘Understanding’, so that this period may usher in breakdowns in our ideas around methods of destruction, transformation, and renewal, may completely re-formulate our ideas around the sciences, as well as sparking new, innovative approaches to ‘old’ problems, especially ones like climate change and ‘progress’ in tech and AI that once appeared to seriously threaten our own obliteration.
Big effects for individuals emerge with Pluto contacts to the natal planets and points, so will be felt, though the sweeping changes the lord of the Underworld brings with changes in sign are more an experience of societies as a whole, rather than as personal ones for each of us. That said, we can’t help but be affected by what goes on in the wider world, and of course, when we do experience Pluto on an individual level it feels like the most personal of experiences, which are almost guaranteed to emphasize our own powerlessness in the face of the inevitable: aging and death, entropy, permanent loss, transformation, rebirth–in short, the Truth of the Universe. The thing about a Pluto transit to a natal placement, especially to the personal planets and points like the Ascendant, is that it changes us in large and permanent ways that feel like they’re happening only to us. During a Plutonian experience the best thing we can do is take a step back and acknowledge the Universality of the experience, beyond our own personal loss or trauma.
The Full Moon perfects on the 25th just before 9:54 AM PST at 5 Leo 14, with both Earth and Moon recently opposing Pluto, newly arrived in Aquarius. A Full Moon in Leo puts emotional focus on the Self, on something discovered or coming to light about ourselves that we didn’t know before. In this case, the conclusions reached can’t be separated from the effects of Pluto contact; that is, the change, transformation, elimination, or destruction wrought by Pluto is now processed by us emotionally. We see what that change really means to us, with the nature of the change or loss related in some way either to matters of the House(s) that hold Capricorn (most likely), Aquarius (less likely), Scorpio (possibly), and/ or the House where natal Pluto is located (this most likely if transiting Pluto or another body is currently aspecting it).
The Sabian symbol for the Full Moon is, ‘A Conservative, Old-Fashioned Lady Is Confronted By A “Hippie” Girl’. The new meets the old. What we need to remember is that the new isn’t necessarily better, just different–and the same can be said for the old. The kind of discrimination Earth placements offer us may be what needs following here, in order to determine what to keep, what to change. That suggests both Venus and Juno in the current scenario–Love and Empowerment. Keep those in the forefront, and you’ll discriminate correctly.
We also look at the Sun for a Full Moon: ‘A Masked Figure Performs Ritualistic Acts In A Mystery Play’. What’s shrouded in mystery and ritual isn’t really mysterious at all when we come to understand the symbolisms involved–it’s instead a shorthand of sorts for a means to enlightenment. Is anything really hidden from us? I don’t believe it is, if we have the courage to genuinely look at what’s before us. It’s true of the world, and it’s true in our relationships. With the Leo Full Moon, what’s on offer is emotional revelation about ourselves. Don’t be afraid of what you’ll see–it’s truly for the best.
There’s a T-square formed by the Full Moon axis which squares Jupiter in Taurus=this suggests our own experience of the Full Moon will be strongly colored by ‘the facts’ around material matters or in our experience of some larger social condition that affects our material well-being. It’s a distraction, in terms of the eternal; it as well represents a potential overindulgence engaged in as we attempt to cope. It could stand for an emotional disappointment–we expected too much–or the realization that all that glitters isn’t emotional gold. There’s also a square between Vesta and Juno, with the Full Moon at the midpoint, making it semi-square each=what we truly care about, and our own empowerment, are at odds. Taking emotional inventory, weighing what matters most, will be vital to resolving the tension. Surely there’s a way to honor what’s important and still feel we are effective–your job is to find it.
The final aspect that stands out to me is a loose Finger of God, with base of Venus, fairly new in Capricorn, sextile Saturn in Pisces, apex the Full Moon=we may be hit with the realities behind love, assets, relationships, or rivalries, and they hold a paradox: the realities of the situation feel somehow unreal, maybe ideal, or promise to hold creative potential, while our impulse to love and relate is taking a practical tack, wanting to stay grounded in reality (the last thing Venus wants to do right now is go overboard, or assume a potential that doesn’t really exist). The balance between these two attitudes, between the unrealness of the real and the desire to stay grounded in what we’re sure of in relationships, is key to understanding our emotional reactions and reality at this time. It may be a ‘feels too good to be true’ scenario–but for once I’d say, it’s not only true, it’s the beginning of something really rewarding. Trust yourself and your intuition, and enjoy.
Julie Demboski's ASTROLOGY 
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