Tag Archives: The Lunar Essence

Your Week Ahead + The New Moon in Taurus: The Right Magic

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Ambigram Magic Dream – mirror symmetry with a handheld pattern giving a reversed shadow on a blue wall. Photo By Basile Morin Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

I don’t think we should be looking at the upcoming New Moon (perfecting 19 May at 8:53 AM PDT at 28 Taurus 25) as a singular event; instead I see it as a moment made possible by the way these next few days flow into it. I’m seeing a chance for some to make dreams come true (Neptune-Mars trine), particularly in an area where crisis seems to dominate at the moment; I’m also seeing the possibility that, with the right attitude and moves, we can create an outcome that is more than the sum of its parts, giving the whole thing an aura of rightness and magic. So where should we be looking on the way to the New Moon that will make the best of the current influences?

First we note some crisis energies in play: Sedna in Taurus, and Mars in Cancer, both at 29 degrees. Sedna will actually be conjoined by the New Moon, and with these four bodies in sextile we have the base for a Finger of God. Though one doesn’t exist in the current picture, it may in the individual one, for those with a natal placement at 27 Sagittarius to 1 Capricorn. The Lunar event may act as either trigger or a conclusion that opens the way for a new beginning around our ability to access instincts and to act or choose according to those instincts or things we ‘know but don’t know’–or it may force action around something in our ‘blind spot’ that simply can’t be ignored any longer (and this may be something we aren’t aware of, but once revealed, may feel we should have known about)–and this is a condition everyone may face. For those who have a natal point forming the apex to a temporary Finger, the resolution of these actions and choices will have the character of the natal planet, and will be acted out via some combination of point energies, point House placement, or matters of the House that body rules.

With a New Moon in Taurus the senses are heightened (and this can be both pleasurable and off-putting, as in, for example, the case of ‘bad odors’ either literal or psychic, or as when you partake of a tasting menu that you’ll swear is the ‘best food you’ve ever eaten’), and this Moon brings new starts by way of realizations around material resources, artisanal pursuits, comfort, security, stability, and in matters where persistence is a necessity. Apply this, then, to the aspects the New Moon makes: to the sextiles already mentioned, making for intuitively or emotionally informed action and choice, to the Finger, if applicable, to an out-of-element trine to Pluto in Aquarius (changes may be bigger or more permanent than we realize at the time, made at an intellectual level, or in the name of modernization or in order to take one’s place in the avant garde), a semi-square to Venus, which rules the New Moon (we enter NM territory with the negative facets of relationships, finances, or values emphasized in our worldview), and another sextile, this one to Neptune in Pisces (illusion, delusion, creativity, or idealism influences the new start–and this is part of a Water Grand Trine involving Mars and Earth=emotions find stability and possibly expression through needed action to take things from the creative imagination and materialize them).

Mercury just turned direct, and Jupiter just entered Taurus, meaning that our lead-up to the New Moon will be full of ‘new’ information, facts, or revelations about subjects we already thought we knew well. The atmosphere may be one where we ‘want more’ and think we know how to get it–but success must take into account material realities and real-world circumstances, and if those are missing our efforts may be less than effective. There’s also a Grand Square which applies to the Moon via involvement of the Lunar South Node, and also involving Pluto, Jupiter, and Mars=long-term conflicts from the past may feel unsolvable, but in taking action and making changes that align with the facts we can break the impasse and, if not solve all the conflicts, at least reconstitute the issues in new forms that may be less toxic or persistent.

So where does the magic come from? A Mystic Rectangle of Sun-Moon-Sedna, Mars, Pluto, and Earth. We can use that fresh New Moon energy to move some pretty big energies around, ones that under other circumstances may make us feel tired just thinking about trying to alter or manipulate–but for this occasion, we have that wonderful Mystic Rectangle synergy that does the heavy lifting for us–and can result in the re-making of our efforts in ways that use intuition, feeling, and the senses to create a much more potent ‘flow’ than we normally could. Be aware, though, that these changes, if not permanent, will be significant and serious, so proceed with a clear and honorable intent.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘Two Cobblers Working At A Table’. The image suggests that our efforts might best be employed in areas where we already hold skills, especially ones that are practical and/ or call for cooperation. We also look at the Earth (it seems to flesh out the picture from its opposing viewpoint): ‘An Indian Squaw Pleading To The Chief For The Lives Of Her Children’. Here we see someone with less power pleading with someone who holds more power (maybe all power) not for sparing her own life but those of her offspring. It’s maternal altruism that may be in our DNA–imperative that our progeny survive, even if we don’t. And don’t mistake this for negotiation–for that both sides need to have some power–here only one does. This may suggest that the origins of our New Moon experience may lie in a situation where we either held all the power or none of it–and where one party or the other was hoping to further their cause, and perhaps to have an impact on the future. This symbol describes what leads us to the New Moon event–but it may have some long-ago origins, even in circumstances we’ve largely forgotten, until now.

Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio May 2023 What We Resist

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Kimono fabric from Japan, early 20th century, silk, yuzen (paste resist, hand painting), Honolulu Museum of Art
Photo By Hiart 2012 CC0 1.0

The Lunar eclipse (Full Moon) perfects at 10:34 AM PDT of the 5th, with a rather wide opposition pattern involving the Sun (of course), cupped by Vesta on one side and Uranus on the other, with this axis squared by the Black Moon Lilith point. Lunar energy is emotional energy and intuitive knowing, with a Full Moon bringing conclusions and realizations. In Scorpio Lunar perceptions naturally become restless; there’s a need to dig, to refuse to accept surface feeling as genuine (or at least, as revealing the entire emotional picture). This Moon placement can ‘smell’ the depths, the hidden nuances in communicated feeling–so when the Moon moves through Scorpio, secrets are not likely to stay secret for long–especially when an eclipse wipes away what may have been a camouflaging reality.

What seems to be obvious, in the sunlight for all to see, is swept aside in favor of an in-depth, Scorpionic Truth–the group of which we’re a member, our academic or intellectual standing or prowess, our unique approach, revolutionary ideas, or individual talents, all that we honor or find sacred–the eclipse brings forward some (possibly uncomfortable) realities involving these things. Be prepared to find that your real-life role (or real-life feeling) is much different than you’ve been telling yourself and others it is. This eclipse delivers an emotional shock that is also a ‘get out of jail (or the situation) free’ card, if we’re wise enough to see that what’s revealed is genuine, and that what we’ve been telling ourselves isn’t.

But there’s a rebellious energy in the air, thanks to Uranus, the kind of knee-jerk resistance that arises without thought in response to those areas/ illusions we have an emotional need to protect, and this reactivity is only exaggerated in the presence of Vesta, with her high ideals and strong commitment. Nobody wants to see that what they thought was worth their devotion really isn’t. The Black Moon Lilith created T-square presents us with what we are in denial of, what we’ve been ignoring, or what enrages us made visible through some sort of conflict–likely the conflict, largely internal, that comes about when what we think we know or are is challenged by what is.

There’s also a rough Fist of God with base of Venus square Neptune, apex the Lunar eclipse, that suggests again illusions around something we love being challenged by the feeling picture shown us by the eclipse–or is it that the illusion is rent when Love doesn’t conform to our ideal? In either case, we get to the emotional truth of the matter–the only issue is whether we’ll believe what is revealed.

The Sabian for the eclipse is, ‘Children Playing Around Five Mounds Of Sand’. There are many possible associations that can be made with the number five, but for our purposes I’d like to talk about the 5-pointed star, with each point referring to the elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) and the fifth to Spirit. This is the environment we’re all born into, one made up of these elements, with ourselves as the fifth, spiritual aspect of the experience. And certainly, play is what occurs in the physical world as we come to know it–so what does this say about the current eclipse? The image adds something essential to the physical picture of existence, something we might almost consider as another element: that of Time, symbolized by the flowing, uncapturable nature of sand–not to mention its function in the earliest of timepieces. I think the image is reminding us that time is ever-moving, inevitably changing everything eventually, and its the timeless nature of the Universe that we may not be thinking of right now–we may instead be focused on ourselves and our roles, as if these are the be all and end all. So, the idea may be not to take what occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and Moon too seriously. Instead see it as a reminder that we are, in the end, timeless Beings ourselves.

The Sabian for the Sun is, ‘Head Covered With A Rakish Silk Hat, Muffled Against The Cold, A Man Braves A Storm’. This image always reminds me of a Toulouse-Lautrec litho. Once more I think the image relates to our focus on ourselves and our worldly role–and how the Earth coming between the Sun and Moon interrupts with a shadow experience our concepts about ourselves and our place. Resistance, as we all know, is futile; take an attitude of play, and enjoy the time you’re here!

Solar Eclipse in Aries April 2023: Who We Were

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Binu.mhp Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 2019

An eclipse is a time when what was, at least in one area of our lives, is erased, and with a Solar eclipse (also known as a New Moon) we see this eliminated material replaced by or clearing the way for a spark, a seed, something new, something just beginning. The eclipse makes room in our lives for the birth of a new entity, endeavor, event, or circumstance that holds the character of the sign in which the eclipse occurs, and takes the shape of the House in the natal chart where the eclipse falls. That means for all of us there will be a similar, sign-oriented flavor to what happens, but that for each of us the eclipse material will take a unique and personal form.

This Solar event occurs at 9:12 PM PDT of the 19th. Since we already had a New Moon in Aries this year (on 21 March at 00), we may be wondering about the way the impetus for new beginnings of a similar, Arian kind is duplicated, as if we get a do-over, and in a way that’s what we’re getting. To immodestly quote myself from the post for the 21st: “A New Moon at the Aries Point is the most bare, exposed, fresh, even raw of beginnings, a seminal point of germination, discovery, inception, origination. In Aries we have initiation, both in the sense of the start of something new, and in the sense of being brought or accepted into something–both are personal, in that they are happening to the individual, but one speaks of a new venture, occurrence, or climate, while the other speaks of something that exists already, into which we enter and become a part. At the Aries Point, we are the Initiate; expect to become, to gain an aspect of identity that you did not carry before, and that you probably won’t be able to anticipate.”

So, we were given a beginning so completely fresh that it was likely without definitive form–and what will Aries do with such energy? Shape the hell out of it; it’s all about becoming, the process of individuation, the formation of identity, and employing that Cardinal energy to impress ourselves and our Will upon the world. We were probably just beginning to get a handle on these new implications for identity and role when along comes the eclipse–uprooting those tender seedlings and making one thing abundantly clear: the identity we were constructing is inadequate to completely express who we are, with the eclipse at 29 degrees suggesting 1) it’s imperative we recognize that what we’ve chosen is not enough, in some sense, and 2) that it’s important we acknowledge we know a whole lot more than we did back in March–oh, how far we’ve come!–and the roles we’re creating for ourselves must take into account all we’ve learned–otherwise, what we create will be obsolete before we even get started.

A Sun-Moon meeting at the 29th degree carries its own message: this is a crisis. The feeling may be that we’ve been wrestling with these identity factors for a long time, and should be farther along. We feel we have to do something. There’s an emotional dissonance in the identity department that we’ll need to recognize. And all that begs the question: why aren’t we more clear on who we are? The answer is: a state of crisis is Self-defining (we find out who we are in a pinch) and that some hindsight will be necessary before we can get a true and accurate reflection of who we have become in the Self-image mirror of the mind.

The eclipse makes few contacts, though it’s conjoined Vesta in Taurus; this clues us in to the fact that what we’re dealing with now in shaping the ‘I Am’ is both sacred and fundamental to our security, prosperity, and comfort. We’re not just being asked to declare ourselves, we’re being asked to put forward what we stand for, to state explicitly what and who we honor, and what we are willing to dedicate our life energy to. The seriousness of this identity declaration may be the source of the tension and the feeling of crisis. We’re at some level aware of how important it is at this time to know ourselves; to fail to define our identity and character is to fail to prepare ourselves for what’s to come. That said, the world doesn’t come to an end if we remain unsure of our feelings or identity–but it does move forward, whether we’re prepared or not.

The New Moon makes a semi-sextile to Sedna in Taurus at 29 degrees (crisis around comfort, security, stability, prosperity), suggesting that instincts can aid us in our identity quest, and that the instinctual nature will transmit messages through discomfort or an ‘off’ feeling–listen to those. There’s also a novile to Venus in Gemini, implying a spark of genius in the thinking, when it’s centered on values or the mind is focused on seeing the beauty (or the profit) in the world. And the Sun-Moon/ Earth axis forms a T-square with Pluto, itself still raw, newly entered into Aquarius, suggesting that transformation won’t be easy–but that it’s inevitable, and that we, and the landscape, won’t reach the Lunar eclipse with the same outlook, or even wearing the same identity ‘shell’ (like a label, role, or job title).

The eclipse Sabian is, ‘A Duck Pond And Its Brood’. This brings to mind the story of ‘The Ugly Duckling’, which is a tale of finding one’s identity–and also one’s group. It may be that, if we’re really stumped about our own identity, looking around, examining who and what we’re surrounded by, will give valuable clues–as we must know who we are in the present to know what must change to create our new identity, which in turn creates our future. A bit of a ‘duck and egg’ thing, I think.

It may be a matter of the eclipse wiping out who we were (or our idea of who we were) in favor of something hinted at with the New Moon of March 21st, now ready to be born, to be revealed, or to be realized. A kind of denouement may arrive with the Lunar eclipse–until then, we do our best to put the pieces together, and to understand as well as we can who we are, and to move toward who we want to become.

Here’s a good explanation of a hybrid eclipse– The kind of eclipse we experience doesn’t change the astrological effects, but we can’t overlook the symbolism of, in this case, a hybrid event. It suggests something changeable–that then changes back. It hints that permanent change promised by Pluto may at least appear not to ‘stick’–it may morph back to a previous state, before again changing. Just be prepared to witness fluctuation in our perceptions, and to stay nimble enough that we can respond to what we might not fully anticipate.

And here’s a link that describes paths of upcoming eclipses that will be visible in North America-– many thanks to reader John Spirko for sharing this..

Full Moon 5 April 2023 The Empowering Wound

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‘Satan Watching the Caresses of Adam and Eve’ By William Blake 1808 {{PD}}

I’ll be away from my computer until next week. Please be patient–I’ll do my best to answer comments and fill orders when I return.

The Full Moon arrives on the 5th at 9:34 PM PDT at 16 Libra 07, delivering conclusions about or making clear our relationships with others, particularly those tender parts that persist as wounds. Here’s the thing about wounds: we tend to fixate on the apparent perpetrator of the injury, but the reality is, a situation involving hurt is under our control at all times. Does that mean the person isn’t responsible for the transgression? No, but it does mean that we were vulnerable to them in that area, open in such a way that we allow their actions or opinions to impact us. Does that imply we should never open ourselves to others? Of course not–but it does mean that we either 1) made a poor choice in whom to trust, or 2) need to reassess our own sensitivity levels concerning the input of others. With the first, well, we (hopefully) learn our lesson; with the latter, we may need to review just what has been triggered in us, and whether that’s truly a valid reaction. It may be a matter of perspective: if we realize that what’s really been violated is our own expectation, then we are free to re-align our vision toward a more accurate picture of the situation, and the relationship.

This Full Moon promises revelations along these lines, with the Moon-Earth in Libra opposed the Sun-Chiron conjunction in Aries (placing a spotlight on the responsibility of the individual in areas of wounds and the act of wounding) suggesting that the most potent of injuries (and the most compulsive hurts delivered to others) reside in matters of identity and role. It may also be that we or others need so badly to justify how we see ourselves that we are blinded to the way we are hurting or being hurt. It may be that the disturbances to relationships are, at least in part, reflecting back to us discrepancies in who we think we are vs. who we actually are as revealed by behavior and choices. It’s a sometimes bitter pill, to realize that we aren’t quite who we imagine ourselves to be–and yet, such knowledge is necessary if we are to make the most of our talents and relationships.

The Full Moon also quincunxes Uranus-Juno in Taurus, telling us that the uncomfortable or irritating may require spontaneous response, or may bring shocking or unexpected developments (especially in areas of material welfare or comforts), but that if successfully answered, will bring empowerment. This may be a situation where we’re thinking we’re focused on the prickly connections of relationships, but have something sprung on us that offers us more autonomy or control–and maybe this is able to happen only because we are distracted tending our wounds or trying to repair a fall out. Or, there’s revelation around a group that ostensibly supports us but that may or may not serve our empowerment needs–and then there’s the possibility that we must choose, between the health of a relationship (Libra) and our own individual empowerment needs (Uranus-Juno).

There’s also a loose squine from the Full Moon to Pluto, spanky new in Aquarius. Since we’re prone to take an intellectual approach in Aquarius, we may believe it’s time for some housekeeping, for sweeping the slate clean in some regard–but that can be a very harsh approach to emotional matters, with the aspect telling us that this attitude has both an up and a down side, so proceed with great care in the elimination department, as removals may be more permanent than we imagine.

One thing I’d like to add is a note on the opposition of Ceres in Virgo to Neptune in Pisces. Though not in contact with the Full Moon, this pairing suggests an atmosphere where we already have a critical eye on our own personal sense of authority, and that this is in direct conflict to what we consider our ideal. It can mean that relationship matters, and particularly our part in them, have been under consideration for quite some time–and the Full Moon simply brings them to a head, likely through a minor but unanticipated event or interaction. It can also mean that we’ve recently been over-critical with ourselves, prone to compare our real world interactions with an impossible-to-attain perfection that never was and never will be.This atmosphere may be ripe for a wounding scenario–but consider how much of that hurt is simply coming from ourselves, from a misjudgement where we may, consciously or not, contend we ‘deserve’ it. No, we don’t.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Retired Sea Captain Watches Ships Entering And Leaving The Harbor’. The image presents a knowledgeable observer monitoring the kind of comings and goings which they once commanded. That implies that in some important way, what we see/ learn at this Full Moon is something we are already removed from, but have the experience to understand completely. And maybe that’s the point: that only hindsight can offer a truly impartial assessment of what happens. It also suggests that, in some important way, we may be past the actual impact, the wounding, itself, and are only now reacting to it–which again may point us toward the necessity of reviewing our own sensitivities and the reasons for them. The Sun’s Sabian is, ‘Two Dignified Spinsters Sitting In Silence’. When we consider that the Sun is the light source for the Moon, and so for this event, we may see that there is a certain commonality in interaction; that is, that one can’t be hurt without an Other–and yet the Other is in the same position, subject to the same conditions that are rooted in our solitary existence, in the difficulty of genuinely communicating, of truly understanding others. This image, I think, counsels compassion, and urges us to look for our likenesses, rather than our differences. Too, the image may imply that this is a comfortable silence–an acknowledgment, perhaps, of our ability to know one another without ever exchanging a word.

New Moon in Aries 21 March 2023 A Raw Beginning

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‘In the Waves’ or ‘Ondine’ By Paul Gauguin 1889 {{PD}}

A New Moon at the Aries Point is the most bare, exposed, fresh, even raw of beginnings, a seminal point of germination, discovery, inception, origination. In Aries we have initiation, both in the sense of the start of something new, and in the sense of being brought or accepted into something–both are personal, in that they are happening to the individual, but one speaks of a new venture, occurrence, or climate, while the other speaks of something that exists already, into which we enter and become a part. At the Aries Point, we are the Initiate; expect to become, to gain an aspect of identity that you did not carry before, and that you probably won’t be able to anticipate.

The New Moon perfects at 10:23 AM PDT at 00 Aries 49 sits at the rough midpoint of the Pluto-Sedna trine, with the sextile to Pluto catching Saturn at its midpoint. Like nesting dolls the contacts are, at first glance, hidden beneath what appears to be a much more obvious aspect. A trine between Sedna and Pluto suggests ease of change, or transformation, or even destruction, but to a facet of the inner landscape: to the instincts, those things we ‘know but don’t know’ (with the obvious possibility that something like this will become conscious), or to those ‘blind spot’ materials or factors that everyone else can see, but for us is the critical ‘missing part’ to understanding a situation or relationship. Add Saturn, and we add the potential for materialization of this change, or the idea that we may try to make the change ourselves, only to meet barriers. If you do encounter limits, these will be Universe-provided ‘safety rails’ that future hindsight will reveal to have been blessings in disguise. Note, too, that matters around this aspect will have begun to coalesce before the New Moon–the Lunar event simply brings it to our attention, as either our intuition or feelings are stirred.

There’s a squine (that squirrely trine-square mash-up of 105 degrees) of the New Moon to Pallas in Cancer, notable not just because of the conflicting energies of positive and negative but because with both NM and Pallas in Cardinal signs, this might be the agent behind actions we take and choices we make–that is, one informed by the wisdom inherent in caring (Pallas in Cancer)–that is, the way what we care about, and the way we feel about it, automatically means we will approach it in the best way we know how. When we don’t want to mess things up, we invariably do what’s smartest (or what appears smartest to us!) There may be both the feeling one needs to do something, and that one wants to, but either this hasn’t been clear before or hesitation, for a variety of reasons, has kept the urge in stasis.

The New Moon is semi-square to Venus-Juno in Taurus, which are tightly conjoined (only two minutes apart), suggesting a little tension over resources, or conflict over what some (especially the partner) needs for comfort and security. The Lunar event will simply show that the need is unmet, and possibly not even recognized, before now. Smart money says pay attention to this–it’s the kind of thing that can grow beneath the surface and fuel big blow-ups later.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Woman Just Risen From The Sea; A Seal Is Embracing Her’. The connection to the goddess Sedna is apparent, so emphasizing Sedna’s place in the astrological equation. That’s the instinctual nature, those things we know in our bones but may not hold in consciousness, those things we are not cognizant of but are putting out into the world anyway–others see this, we don’t–and this affects our choices, actions, and relationships. This suggests to me that all of what happens now is coming directly from the primal and instinctual natures, and particularly applying to the way all of us live in (at least) two worlds: personal and public, professional and intimate, seen and secret, and so on. For more on the relevance of this symbol, you might enjoy “Sealskin, Soulskin’ from Dr. C.P. Estes’ book, ‘Women Who Run With the Wolves’.

Don’t expect anything to have its final form; what happens at this New Moon is protean, in the sense that it’s so new in some way that it possesses an endless number of potential directions. Just know that this beginning may be raw, yet unformed, but certainly a herald of a whole new epoch.

Full Moon 7 March 2023 We’re Not in Oz Anymore

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Evolution of a Tornado.jpg
This image is created from eight images shot in two sequences as a tornado formed north of Minneola, Kansas on May 24, 2016. This prolific supercell went on to produce at least 12 tornadoes and at times had two and even three tornadoes on the ground at once.

JasonWeingart

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That dynamic of Earth and Moon in Virgo–framing emotional and material matters as practically-oriented, accountable, detail-aware, all with an eye to what will be produced (the harvest)–opposed the Sun in Pisces–the illumination of the creative, the ideals, of delusions and deceptions, of inspirations and dreams–is always one of learning how the two energies can be woven together, to support each other in ways that maximize their positive qualities. It takes organization, method, and attention to detail to successfully create, just as it takes an ideal against which to measure what one has built. The two ends of this axis, just like every other cross-pairing in the horoscope, at best work together to make a whole larger than the sum of their parts–or butt heads endlessly, as the critic and the dreamer find it impossible to connect.

This Full Moon, perfecting at 4:40 Am PST 7 March at 16 Virgo 40, enters into this necessary dialogue between the energies of the two ends of the axis obliquely, largely through a set of quincunxes to the Moon-Earth combo. In this instance I’d stretch the quincunx to about 3.5 degrees either side of exact, for the simple reason that the cluster of energies are themselves conjoined; it’s like the energies ricochet off one another, and in their blending then relate, more or less, to the Lunar event.

We’re counting Jupiter, Chiron, and Venus, all in Aries, as the pivotal players at this point. Those Virgoan Lunar energies funnel down to material matters (Earth) by what needs adjustment, what cries out for modification, what requires change by the fact of the friction the two ends of the aspect are creating. So, we see a Self or action-orientation (Aries) of the emotions (Moon) in areas of relationship or finances (Venus), in our response to wounds, especially long-standing ones (Chiron), and in both our place in the social arena and our attempts to exploit opportunity or expand our world (Jupiter). This can bring realization or the coalescing of a picture that’s been gathering for some time, one focused on who we are and how we feel about that image/ role in one or more of the aforementioned categories.

The Lunar energy is one that examines, and possibly critiques, these identity functions/ roles, but something we’ll need to remember is that the picture presented is an interpretation run through our emotional lens. Yes, we’ll be perusing material circumstances as ‘evidence’, but the reality is that what we see is derived from feelings, from our most vulnerable reactions to things, and not from any objective scenario. If we can remember that what we’re seeing is our own reaction to things that have made us feel very sensitive, to matters where we feel nakedly vulnerable, then we have a chance of gaining some perspective on ourselves, by looking carefully at what kind of reaction we’re having, or what interpretation we’re arriving at.

It’s no accident that the areas quincunx the Moon are some of the areas where we feel most exposed as individuals. The tender connections among our Self-esteem, our feelings, and our relationships (Venus–and don’t underestimate the impact finances can have on how we see and assess ourselves, either), our childhood wounds we still carry and often respond automatically to (Chiron), and the place we believe we fall in the ‘pecking order’ of life (Jupiter). All these are hyper-sensitive, and will be triggered, through some discomfort that comes forward, at the time of the Full Moon. These tornadoes, big or small, will lift us out of the world as we’ve seen it, distorted by our imaginings, and set us down somewhere solid, that we need to assess–all we’ll know for sure is that we’re not in Oz, anymore–but where will we be?

The trine from Uranus in Taurus to Moon-Earth, and a novile of the Full Moon to the Black Moon Lilith point, may explain things in a little more detail (something this Moon may demand!) Uranus suggests that either approaching things as an individual, solely responsible for oneself, or as part of a group, one of which you are actively a member, may be the best way to go–though only you will know which offers you better support. There is also the way Uranus might simply ‘spring’ our feelings on us–we may be going along, thinking we don’t care much one way or the other–then bam! The novile implies that Lunar events (which we might even classify as Lunar feelings) offer a way of uncovering what’s been ignored, denied, or hidden, or that has enraged us even as we’ve refused to respond, and that this is, in some way, genius, either in the brilliance of what it allows us to see, or in supplying a smart way to handle things that’s beyond what we might’ve come up with on our own.

This Full Moon, through the discomfort and gentle discord it engenders, lifts us out of some illusory way we’ve been existing, and takes us to a spot where we are better able to see ourselves clearly, to see what function (Virgo) we actually have, and what ways we actually serve (also Virgo). The Full Moon Sabian is, ‘A Volcanic Eruption’. So, upheaval, a combination of the Earth of Virgo and the flowing quality of Pisces–but we must remember this applies to a highly individual experience (Aries, the Uranus trine)–a Fire one, yes–but a volcano overwhelms, subsumes, and so destroys, while a tornado (my interpretation) can lift one up and put one down just as neatly; though certainly destructive, a tornado transports–and that’s a little more what I see, particularly with the quincunxes. Undoubtedly, some of you will have a fiery episode–this volcano’s for you!

We also look at the Sun for the ‘origin story’: ‘An Easter Parade’. Well, that’s unexpected! Is this image pinpointing a time in the near future, the Full Moon offering a ‘if things keep going as they are’ scenario, or is it more about pride? To be in a parade one literally displays something–a creation, a skill, a belief, an affiliation–they’re proud of, something they want to ‘show off’–perhaps this is pointing us toward Uranus and the uniqueness of each of us that, if it gets out of hand, can undermine precisely the kind of things we cherish most, those Venusian and Jupiterian experiences, as well as our attempts to heal what has been so badly marred (Chiron). This Full Moon requires us to have an experience of leaving one place (an illusory one, or one we no longer see with clarity) behind, and embrace critically where we then find ourselves–and it may be in our most unique qualities (Uranus) and our group and individual identities (Uranus, the Sun, Jupiter) that we’ll find ways to align ourselves with the new ‘territory’ we come to occupy.

New Moon 19 February 2023 Subtleties

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‘Garden of Gethsemane in Fog’
G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection {{PD}}
Taken between 1940 and 1946

It may be the bodies at 29 tense degrees that steal the New Moon thunder, catching that Moon at the midpoint of a Venus-Pluto sextile, and so forming a Finger of God with Earth as apex, and involving Saturn, out-of-sign conjoined the New Moon (but only at 28 degrees, so not at the crisis point, yet). And that’s not to mention (though I am) another Finger, this one with New Moon as apex, base of Black Moon Lilith and Ceres (though we note this config is looser than the other Finger). Other than that, we have the New Moon squine (105 degrees) Mars in Gemini, and the Lunar event semi-square the midpoint of Juno-Chiron–so a great many subtle influences, or even some energies disguised as others, or by others, perhaps pointing up how much influence the sign of the New Moon has over its contacts–and it’s only exaggerated by the presence of Neptune and Venus in the Great Obscurer’s sign of Pisces.

This picture forms on the 19th at 11:06 PM PST, with the Moon meeting the Sun at 1 Pisces 22. There are few contacts made– and that out-of-sign conjunction of the New Moon to the ancient ruler of Aquarius in Aquarius, Saturn, its own story, one that informs the nature of the New Moon obliquely, with Aquarius signaling that our emotional perceptions and intuitions are all reality-based and rational, a triumph of the higher intellect over the imagination, and yet the Moon in Pisces either obscures that reality, is inspired by it, or sees it as ideal when it’s anything but.

With that kind of ‘now you see it, now you see it differently’ energy at work, the Fingers both take on a quality where our intuition and atunement to the nuts and bolts of our world will be vital to actually making use of the energy–that is, if we don’t understand how things are actually working, we may be misled or distracted. The Finger with Venus and Pluto as base originates in crisis or under extreme stress; we may ask what is destroying or altering beyond recognition either our source of Love or source of income/ support/ reward–and could it be the partner or Other themselves that is the agent of change? We can’t know, with Venus in Pisces, and Pluto in Capricorn only tells us that those structures, methods, rules, and frameworks we’ve relied upon will change–but it doesn’t tell us whodunit. Apex Earth in Virgo tells us that accounts are being balanced, the earthly results of our efforts critiqued–but we still don’t know by what hand the balance is delivered.

That revelation may fall to the other Finger. Base of Black Moon Lilith point and Ceres suggests, if I may resort to an old saying, that the chickens are coming home to roost. That’s another version of the Earth in Virgo, paying debts and settling accounts. We see what we have ignored, been in denial of, or what has enraged us meet the forces of Nature, some supreme authority, or our own need to be responsible for ourselves, and out of the blend the New Moon event is crafted–and it has physical/ material world contours that we will recognize intellectually (Saturn in Aquarius) and respond to emotionally (Moon in Pisces). The key is not to let our imaginations or fears run away with us in response to what comes forward–that would not only be pointless, but would lead to us missing the positives (that is, the scale-balancing of Virgo and Ceres in Libra that allows for a re-set in our world). Gratitude for the potential re-birth (Pluto) of some vital life factor (Venus) may not be easy, if the lesson is a difficult one, but will, no matter what, benefit us in the end.

The squine of the New Moon to Mars in Gemini points again to the prominent place of the mind in understanding what’s unfolding, with the aspect appropriate in the way it both makes for discomfort or upset even as it opens the way for new or better–and that will be through our choices (Mars). The semi-square to the Juno-Chiron midpoint is very minor, but emblematic of the entire Lunar happening: it will hurt, it will empower, and out of the struggle a new emotional perception will be born.

The New Moon Sabian is, ‘A Squirrel Hiding From Hunters’. That may be exactly what it feels like: as if we are small, simple Beings faced with much larger, more complex, and more powerful forces in the world. Hiding in this case, rather than being an act of hunkering down, closing our eyes, and hoping for the best, may instead signify what’s smart in any circumstance where we are faced by something overwhelmingly larger than ourselves that could wield life-changing power: we step aside, allow it to proceed, and deal with the changes once the alterations are done. This mirrors the dynamic of Venus-Pluto–and we all know that fighting Pluto isn’t a possibility–but that harnessing, channeling, and accepting what it creates is.

We may be so distracted by this Venus-Pluto thing that we miss the more subtle developments of this New Moon–but that’s okay. We do best to focus on seeing clearly and understanding what’s happening (though the why or who of it can wait), and then processing our emotional responses, most particularly in light of how much closer we are to realizing our ideals (Moon in Pisces).

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Full Moon in Leo 5 February 2023 An Emotional Spotlight

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‘A Ray of Sunlight’ By John White Alexander 1898 {{PD}}

Ah! With the Full Moon in Leo we get a symbolic meeting of the Sun (through rulership) and Moon that suggests the kind of atmosphere where emotions come into their full glory. Maybe it’s no coincidence that this always falls relatively close to Valentine’s Day–or maybe it’s just that this combination offers a glimpse into what we’re putting in an emotional spotlight.

The event comes at 10:27 AM PST at 16 Leo 40. The only major aspect is the Moon-Earth forming a separating square to Uranus in Taurus. That suggests the Lunar culmination brings to light some conflict, difficulty, or stress (maybe related to material matters, intractability of a partner, or issues of security–Taurus) that offers a shock, a surprise, a revelation, or an innovative response–and this brings us to a conclusion, close out, or new understanding of what our feelings really are, and what they’re all about.

Sabian for this Full Moon is, ‘A Volunteer Church Choir Singing Religious Hymns’. Religion suggests an organized approach to faith, while we are told the participants are volunteers, joining voices to let their vision of how the Universe is organized be known and praised–and that requires belief in the unseen or unverifiable, as well as belief that one is perceiving what’s beyond the senses correctly. We always look at the Sun as well for a Full Moon: ‘A Watchdog Stands Guard, Protecting His Master And His Possessions’. Combined with the Full Moon Sabian, this suggests defending what we believe in and see as ours.

If this in combination is the energy of the Full Moon, we’re likely to react automatically and defensively when that Uranian challenge comes along and stirs our emotions; it possibly also stirs our fears of chaos or others moving along into the future without us. We are shocked by something, or shocked by our sudden understanding of something, and our immediate idea is to defend how we see things–but we’ll find our harmony by, rather than barking at what upsets us, singing the praises of what we genuinely accept and believe. Rather than struggle or become a victim of our own reactions, we should focus on the core matters of our faith, whatever those may be.

The fact that the Moon has recently quincunxed/ Earth was recently quincunxed by Venus, current ruler of Uranus, says that we’ve received ‘warnings’ (the quincunxes) in the recent past, gotten glimpses of the relationship issues (and these can be with others, the material world, and/ or with the spiritual) that will come forward–it’s just that at this point they bring the unexpected and seem to come as a shock or to deliver a dose of understanding about something that didn’t seem so clear before–with the challenge to us a call to see ourselves in a new light, especially emotionally.

There’s a minor contact of the Moon-Earth by septile to Ceres, which hints at it all in the end being about Power: who holds it, who exercises it, who oversteps their bounds, who’s responsible for what (and especially for whom). Ceres is also our connection to Nature, and to our own personal sense of authority, the kind that perpetually asks us, Am I truly in charge of myself? It asks us to inspect our choices for the influences, even coercion, of others, and it asks us to be genuinely responsible for everything we do. It also asks us to recognize the existence of powers beyond our control, such as Nature and the passage of Time; there are some things we must accept as out of our control, and so not our responsibility. The septile implies a spiritual tone to all this; we then must look at the Lunar event aware that whatever comes forward is a lesson (though I dislike that word, as we’re learning all the time) in our larger involvement in things. That promises that what occurs mirrors our spiritual state, with others or a situation standing in for the Universe itself. It’s about relationship in its biggest sense, and who we are as an individual (Leo), making our way into the future/ forward with the group (Aquarius).

New Moon in Aquarius 21 January 2023 The Prison of the Mind

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A new moon setting over Gåseberg, Lysekil Municipality, Sweden, 2016

Photo courtesy of W.carter

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

That’s a little dramatic, isn’t it? Maybe it should be something like, ‘Isolated in (or by) our own minds’, or in its most benign form, ‘Alone with our thoughts’. The Moon in the sign of the intellect is always a little uncomfortable (though more easily tolerated by those who live with a natal meld of Water/ Air or who have the Moon in an Air sign); there’s a quite natural struggle to parse feeling from thinking, and knowing the difference depends almost entirely on how clear we are about our own feelings.

We shouldn’t forget that the ancient ruler of Aquarius is Saturn, suggesting the potential for fear or depression to arise from emotional discomfort. It’s a mistranslation of feeling, the emotions taking a negative form of Aquarian shape, and probably taking a form that distracts you and so prevents you knowing what that true feeling is. That means you miss how you feel about something important, or vital, or simply right in front of you, because the mind is too busy looking out for what you fear will appear, or what you fear will oppress you. It’s a way of protecting yourself from being uncomfortably clear on reality–which says you’re hiding from some facts or situation you desperately need to be aware of.

New Moons are new beginnings, and with this New Moon in Aquarius we can plant a seed of awareness, begin to embrace intellectual understanding of some issue, or lay plans to take a chance, rebel, revolutionize ‘the system’. The NM is widely conjoined Pluto in Capricorn, and opposed the Black Moon Lilith point, suggesting that what we may see is new thought or understanding (NM in AQ) springing from the termination, destruction, or resurgence of a framework, system, or set of standards or rules (PL in CAP). This shift, whether it’s obliteration or a re-birth, allows us to uncover what’s been ignored, denied, or has enraged many in material matters (BML-Earth), and in so acknowledging make the first steps toward true change. We can’t change what we don’t see and admit the existence of; that’s a painful part of the energy of transformation that can then lead to healing.

We might also experience this New Moon as a time to shake things up, to be the rebel–but don’t fool yourself, even if it seems the group is behind you, you’ll end up going it alone–and again, any unusual stir may be camouflaging genuine feeling, re-directing the energy that should go to processing this emotion into a ’cause’ or a sense of righteousness that will totally distract from the actual emotional issue at hand.

There’s also a wide out-of-element trine to Sedna and a sextile to Jupiter-Juno in Aries, both of which suggest, in the most general terms, that efforts must be made to sort instinct from social conditioning, personal autonomy from the need to parent or supervise, and to sort out who holds authority, who’s in charge, in any situation–and this is so even if you’re someone who’s not looking to boss anyone around. The aloneness we may find ourselves trying to go beyond will either be an emotional and mental ‘prison’, tormenting us as we fail to reach others, or can become a chance at quiet introspection, making the mind a meditation chamber instead of a torture one.

Now, that struggle for the Moon in Aquarius in knowing what’s a feeling, what’s a thought, is ongoing, though it becomes the environment for all of us each time Luna passes through the sign. A New Moon here promises us the chance to hold something in the mind in a clear, new light. With the current dearth of New Moon aspects, though, we may feel a potential sense of isolation, even confinement–the ‘prison’ of the title–with no easy means of reaching out to or communing with others–even as those tussles over who holds authority blossom. Growing awareness of the new means we are that much more focused on the fact that we are discovering, learning the facts, on our own, in a way that makes it difficult to share our experience, and so alleviate any unsteadiness or doubt or fear. Awareness of the social sphere (Jupiter) and any power struggles that may come along (Jupiter-Juno) only enhances our sense of separation from others. It’s a wee bit strange, a wee bit uncomfortable, but the process is one that is meant to spark reform and help us learn to trust our own instincts and those things we, deep inside, ‘know but don’t know’ (Sedna).

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘An Unexpected Thunderstorm’. There’s Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, in both the unexpected nature of what will occur, and in the symbol of the thunderstorm–so a bit of rough weather, the kind that’s a little dangerous but that energizes, that brings a cleansing, healing rain. No flood here (unless it’s a flash flood, which has a Plutonian nature, of wipeout that leaves nothing behind), as thunderstorms are typically volatile but brief, a discharge of energy that ‘clears the air’–and so this New Moon can be for us.

The Cancer Full Moon 6 January 2023: Ideas vs. Wisdom

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‘Two Odalisques Contemplating The Bosphorus’ By Ernest Hébert 1843 {{PD}}

The Full Moon perfects at 3:07 PM PST of the 6th at 16 Cancer 21, putting it conjoined Pallas and opposed the Sun and Mercury just before they join in Inferior Conjunction (the conjunction that occurs when Mercury is retrograde). Practical thoughts are being re-visited, illuminated, and how we feel about our environment, our surroundings, our accomplishments (or lack of them) is also being considered–and the outcome may be unpredictable, uncertain, institute radical shifts, or shock and surprise us (FM sextile Uranus), though we can be sure what we weigh and ruminate on at this point will be vetted against our highest values and commitments (FM trine Vesta). Perfection of the Inferior Conjunction will bring the illumination of something fresh, the planting of a seed, the inception of something, an idea or conception of the world (Capricorn) that may or may not prove viable–but the Full Moon helps with this, shining reflective light on the feasibility of it, and most importantly, on the wisdom of what we’re contemplating, along with, in this instance, the ability to see ahead, to visualize the outcome of our idea, and particularly the emotional impact this idea may have on us, if it comes to full term.

The Full Moon also forms a minor aspect with Jupiter, the squine (105 degrees), often defined as having characteristics of both the square and the trine–but that’s not very helpful in telling us what it means, is it? I think of it more as a pushme-pullyou aspect, one that takes the energies of the involved bodies and stirs them up in such a way that there are positives and negatives swirling around–and we as individuals pluck those factors we most respond to from the chaotic mix.

That means Jupiter’s influence will be highly individual, dependent on our own relationship to ‘the facts’, to the social order, to the idea of expansion, to education or religious belief/ indoctrination. Look for these personal effects in the House Jupiter rules in the natal chart, in matters of the House where it’s currently transiting for you, and/ or in expression of your own Jupiter placement, likely as a challenge that requires you to choose a path or an attitude that either embraces a Jupiterian factor or rejects it, opening the way for a ‘new’ version to be adopted.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘The Unfoldment Of Multilevel Potentialities Issuing From An Original Germ’. So, as expected, we will see the possibilities in a particular matter, one we will either choose to nurture or quash entirely, and these will bring an emotional effect, particularly emotional conclusions (the Full Moon), the “Germ” of course being found at the Inferior Conjunction. We also look at the Sabian for the Light-Giver, the Sun, and find this: ‘A Repressed Woman Finds A Psychological Release In Nudism’. This may be about freeing the mind (or relieving it) by adopting unvarnished honesty with ourselves, hiding nothing, ‘letting it all hang out’. I know honesty’s a theme with me, but it’s true: if we accept reality as our baseline, the need for subterfuge, deception, artifice all fall away–and leave that much more energy to make our own choices and institute what we want–and we have the advantage of actually seeing what is, which makes our decisions that much more effective, since they proceed from a realistic take on circumstances.

Also of note: Juno and Pluto are sextile=power struggles, but gentle ones, or maybe passive-aggressive ones, where it’ll be hard to say, “Stop!” without appearing to be churlish. Just know you are right–that is aggressive, no matter how many pretty bows are tied on it. Venus and Ceres are trine in Air, giving those with an anima orientation (that is, those who are receptive, who know that Being is as dynamic and effective as Doing) who also accept their own right to Self-determination, are able to reason out what’s worth it, what will payoff. Relationships do well at this time when everyone is clear on where their responsibilities and autonomy end and another’s begins.

Important, too, is that the Black Moon Lilith point pencils out to the 29th degree of Cancer=hidden, denied, or enraging matters are the most potent movers of the emotions. Be on the lookout for their sneakily invasive influence.

And have a lovely weekend!