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Tag Archives: The Lunar Essence

16 July 2019 Lunar Eclipse in a Venus Sky

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The Milky Way arches across this 360-degree panorama of the night sky above the Paranal Observatory, home of ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The Moon is just rising and the zodiacal light shines above it, while the Milky Way stretches across the sky opposite the observatory. To the right in the image and below the arc of the Milky Way, two of our galactic neighbours, the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, can be seen. The open telescope domes of the world’s most advanced ground-based astronomical observatory are all visible in the image: the four smaller 1.8-metre Aŭiliary Telescopes that can be used together in the interferometric mode, and the four giant 8.2-metre Unit Telescopes. The image was made from 37 individual frames with a total exposure time of about 30 minutes, taken in the early morning hours. ESO/H.H. Heyer CC BY 4.0

The Partial Lunar Eclipse is at 2:38 PM PDT of the 16th at 24 Capricorn 04, and perfects against a Venus-heavy sky, with Venus sesquiquadrate Ceres, quincunx Jupiter, and opposed Saturn. Since Venus is just inside combustion range of the Sun, we would expect its contacts to be less prominent–but in this case, we may see them as backdrop to emotion, passage-of-time, or feeling-based (Lunar) eclipse events, subtle ones that may either operate below consciousness or that we may be aware of but unable to give time or attention to.

Relationships and/ or assets, then, may be the underpinnings for eclipse impact, and may involve a situation where we are wrestling with who holds power in a relationship, or who holds spending power within a relationship, or in a situation where we can’t reconcile Love’s presence with the need to take responsibility and to set boundaries. The social sphere or some fact we’ve learned is calling for us to adjust our interactions or our finances, and we may have a hard time wrapping our heads around that (eclipse novile Jupiter). And then there’s the way we may be tempted to ignore the rules, boundaries, obstacles, or reality itself, when it comes to relationships or finances. All this makes for a disconcerting undercurrent–and then we have the Lunar event itself.

Falling in Capricorn, a Lunar eclipse suggests an ending to some sort of restriction, sense of discipline, support structure, or material reality, and it’s likely an ending where we are aware of its finality, even in some cases of the way we can do nothing about it. Restraints may reach a peak or disappear entirely, depending on your personal situation, but in either case the ending is clearly defined and makes an emotional impact.

The most startling thing may be the Lunar eclipse conjunction to Pluto, which implies the eclipse is a powerful moment, shot through with meaning in the form of Truth, and may incite transformation or obliteration at a core level. That’s a scary thought, but consider: there have been any number of life-changing moments you’ve already gone through, and nine times out of ten you probably didn’t know that was a transformational moment, or a course-changing event, until later, maybe much later.

Pause on this: that a Lunar event, one focused on feeling, and on bringing that feeling into a tangible or material sphere (Moon conjoined Earth in Capricorn) will occur, and it’s meant to bring completion to some matter related to the House where it falls or the matters this House represents in the natal chart, or possibly those represented by a natal body or point that is affected. Impact is inevitable, but the sense of catastrophe or loss is not. ‘Getting right’ with our own destructive impulses or urges toward power is the way to sail through this and even make the most of it.

The widest allowable aspect the event makes is a trine to Sedna (just under 4 degrees), which implies we know the meaning and impact of the eclipse at an instinctual level. It also implies information about the event is most accessible through the natural instincts, through being open to ‘what we know but don’t know’, which requires we trust ourselves–often easier said than done.

But there’s also a semi-square to the Black Moon Lilith point, suggesting that what stirs our instincts may be the rough edges around things we’re ignoring or denying, or that enrage. And then there is the novile to Jupiter, promising that whatever occurs at the eclipse, it will open up our world, will offer new or clearly perceived facts, will show those beliefs that are ‘right’, offer a religious experience, and/ or allow us to face emotionally-charged real-world events philosophically, easily seeing a way to process and accept what occurs.

The Sabian for the Lunar eclipse is, ‘A Store Filled With Precious Oriental Rugs’. These, even when the patterns are the same, are unique, one-of-a-kind creations–just like individuals. The eclipse, in pointing up our beauty as creations, also shows us the loneliness inherent to our form. Being one-of-a-kind carries with it the knowledge that we are separate, and the symbol also suggests that we are filled with things of worth (the store) and all we have to do to live that purpose is to be.

For a Lunar eclipse we also look at the Sabian for the Sun, since she is the light-giver that makes the whole show possible. The Sun’s is in Cancer: ‘A Willful Man Is Overshadowed By A Descent Of Superior Power’. This suggests that what casts the eclipse shadow in the first place is an instance of noticing our actual power in the larger scheme of things, and this is driven home by awareness of those who hold power superior to our own, and is so despite our very Arian inclination to Willfulness–which seems to point to the only item in Aries right now, Chiron. Is this a hint that it’s our own hurt at not having our way that re-aligns us with our effective place in the Universe, with a proportional understanding of each of us as an individual? Perhaps, though when we hark back to the Lunar eclipse Sabian, we might conclude that we are works of Art, and that we are unable to adequately express as long as we are wrapped up in our own heads, our own want, our own Willfulness.

Scroll down for the forecast and birthday look ahead for the 15th. Thank you, and Happy Eclipse!

For those born with the Sun at 24 Cancer. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). Dear Cancer, the emotional impact of this year, especially what happened just a smidge before your birthday/ Solar Return, can’t be understated–and yet, know that you must deal with ‘the facts’ honestly in order to move forward and embrace the Truth, and through it the Power, that is slated to be yours. If you don’t already have a form that this power can take and express through, you may want to spend your birthday considering what you ‘know but don’t know’, as well as facing what you’d rather ignore, and so finding out exactly what you should be doing, as you take your place in the vanguard of your social sphere, peer group, or profession. Good luck!

The table’s all set for a Happy Birthday. ‘Open Door on a Garden’ By Konstantin Somov 1934 {{PD}}

 

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2 July 2019 Solar Eclipse in Cancer: A New Dedication

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‘The Temple of Vesta and the Falls at Tivoli’ By William Callow 1859 {{PD}}

Sometimes we find that with an event we must loosen our orbs in order to get a picture of what’s going on; in my view this lends the whole thing a subtler influence, making a softer impact in the life, or maybe making the kind of difference we don’t really comprehend until later, as other things unfold and make the event (or point in time) results apparent. This is the case for the Total Solar eclipse at 10 Cancer 37, starting at 12:16 PM PDT of the 2nd. There’s only one close contact, and that’s to an asteroid, a sextile to Vesta, right away signalling that what happens at this time will (gently) wipe out or otherwise alter something we care about, something we are dedicated to, or will in some way offer us something new to honor, or bring us something new, a cause or mission or ideal or even a partner with which to merge, that sets us on a new path, or that changes the direction of the one we’re traveling now.

The eclipse also forms a semi-square to Hygeia, suggesting that through some tough but minor changes we create something a lot more healthy for us. With generous orbs, we get a T-square with Pallas as arm to the Sun-Moon opposed Earth axis, bringing a challenge: what happens at this time may conflict with what we consider wise or practical, or may point out we don’t have the skills we think we do. That can be a bitter pill, but as the aspect to Hygeia points out, swallowing it is actually to our benefit.

The eclipse also forms a loose trine to Black Moon Lilith, pinpointing the eclipse energies as able to easily deal with what we’ve ignored or denied, or what has angered us; we have the emotional strength at this time to face what we otherwise look away from, and that’s a gift we should accept.

There’s also another T-square with an arm of Chiron (which is NOT opposed Pallas–the orb is just too big–so no possibility of a Grand Square/ Grand Cross). This again points us toward the need to heal ourselves (Chiron in Aries), perhaps through hewing more closely to what we truly care about, rather than through some image we may have been trying to perpetuate that just isn’t really us.

The Sabian symbol for the Solar eclipse is, ‘A Clown Caricaturing Well-Known Personalities’. This suggests deliberate mimicry, the kind that could be perceived as part of the individual’s role. What role are we playing, job doing, persona-wearing, that has us behaving as someone else? This Solar eclipse may be a call to seek out the ungenuine that we carry and let it go; this meshes perfectly with the sextile to Vesta that offers a gentle boost toward being more closely aligned with our own deepest feelings, interests, passions, and to give our energy to what really matters to us. It may also point out that doing things or meeting life in the ‘style’ of others is a bit ridiculous, casting us as unreal (clownish) in the way we come across or in the things we apply, as they’re most suitable to others. This might be an especially important message for those who’ve been trying to succeed in some area that hasn’t gone as well as they’d like–it may be there’s a need to recognize that impersonation will never make us into someone we’re not.

The New Moon eclipse offers a re-dedication or a new dedication, a chance to commit to something we care about, to something we love, and to do so in a state that is more genuine to our Soul’s intents–and that sounds like it’s only for the good, to me.

Scroll down for the forecast for July 1.

Happy Birthday, you. ‘Cakes’ 1963 By Pplachigo Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

For those born with the Sun at 10 Cancer. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). Dear Cancer, halfway through the solar year to your next birthday, you may feel burned down to a nub, as if it’s all gone, even to the point of wondering what it’s all for. This can be a purely interior condition, though it’s possible one or more of the things you care about will transform and fall away, but in any case may be a difficult emotional journey, initially. Look ahead, though: by late in the calendar year, you will likely see a major re-birth in yourself, a serious new cause or affection that may completely re-build or re-order your world. Not an easy time, but if you always keep what you truly are dedicated to in the foreground, you won’t let go of anything that truly matters to you, and you’ll shape a whole new emotional outlook in the process. Good luck!

17 June 2019 Full Moon in Sagittarius: Denouement

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‘The Banquet of the Officers of the St George Militia Company in 1627’ By Frans Hals {{PD}}

The Full Moon, at 25 Sagittarius 53, occurs at 1:30 AM PDT, and is apex to a Finger of God with base of Juno-Sedna–which sextile naturally catches the Sun, currently parallel to Mercury, at its midpoint. The only other viable contact is the Full Moon in (very) wide conjunction with Jupiter, its ruler. A Full Moon in Sagittarius brings a sense of ending, completion, or denouement, but one filled with optimism, that possibly presents new opportunities, and perhaps one that reveals needed knowledge, information, or ‘facts’, and these may either offer new directions to the individual or show precisely why the situation is viable no more.

Every Full Moon is a Moon-Earth conjunction, and this points up the way there is typically an emotional conclusion and a material one. Either we have a feeling reaction to what ends, or our feelings bring about the end of some physical situation, but in any case, there is both an internal experience and an external one, though certainly, the impact for one or the other varies with the individual. Some will feel the event is solely internal, others only external, but it benefits us to look at circumstances and try to draw the thread that connects our emotional state (of which we might not automatically be aware) and what’s happening, especially what’s coming to a close, around us physically.

The Finger suggests that what concludes arose from stress, in the clash between our status or a role that empowers us or where we can express ourselves, and our own instincts and our inability to follow them. Somehow our responsibilities, especially if we feel a certain amount of resentment or anger surrounding them, may be the foundation for this; our denial of those instincts, of our own needs or wants, is too powerful at this point to be dismissed–and so the events of the Full Moon appear, as the psyche manifests before us, possibly in exaggerated but also in informative ways.

We need to exercise caution: we may be acting from our ‘blind spot’, from some area or on some issue that we believe we understand or have dominion over, though in reality we don’t. We might also be mustering our instincts out of hurt or vengeance–remember, Juno didn’t take that disrespect dished out to her lying down.

The Sabian symbol for the Full Moon is, ‘A Flag Bearer In A Battle‘. The flag bearer is essentially a non-combatant, even though this individual risks just as much as anyone else out on the battle field. We may feel that we are simply a standard bearer, that we are ‘letting everyone know’, and so not really involved in the battle–and this tells us that’s a false perception, likely offering us a false sense of safety. And maybe that’s what we learn with the Full Moon events: that we can’t hold ourselves separate from the tumult around us.

The purpose of a flag bearer in battle is to help orient the soldiers to where their forces are gathered, and to how far forward, or how much in retreat, they are at any one time. So, for some of us this Sagittarius Full Moon may be a marker of sorts, one that tells us how much progress in ‘the fight’ we’ve actually made.

Dominique Lang ‘Matin d’hiver’ 1916 {{PD}}

The Sun, always vital in a Full Moon scenario (how else would the Moon shine?) has the Sabian, ‘Frost-Covered Trees Against Winter Skies‘. This suggests to me that Full Moon events were either set in motion last winter, or if we look carefully, we will see their origins there. At the time we may have had the impression that related matters (maybe even our feelings) were ‘frozen’–now we know they’re not.

No matter what happens at this point, we learn something, facts or how we feel–that’s the beauty of Moon in Sagittarius.

‘Cakes, 1963’ Photo By Pplachigo – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28954794

For those born with the Sun at 26 Gemini. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). This solar year for you, dear Gemini, may bring some a number of endings, especially emotional ones, and it may ask you to find a role in life that both empowers you and allows you to show and make use of your vibrant inner life. That’s a tall order, when most of us are just trying to make a living, but you have the capacity this year, through to your next birthday, to create/ find the perfect spot for you. As a natural consequence, this will change many things in your life, but I’m guessing you’re more than ready to show more of who you are, even as you heal your sense of yourself as a unique and interesting individual. Good luck!

3 June 2019 New Moon in Gemini: Evolved Beyond

31 Friday May 2019

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

The New Moon occurs at 3:01 AM PDT of the 3rd at 12 Gemini 33. This event makes only two reasonably close aspects to other bodies: a semi-square to Vesta and a trine to Pallas. A New Moon in Gemini ushers in a new way of thinking, probably centered in the matters of the House of the natal chart within which this falls. The aspects tell us that what arises from (or sometimes ushers in) this change is a challenge to the highest values, something that comes forward and dares us to defend our commitment, our cause, what we honor or find sacred–and the great thing about this is that it shows us the wisdom (or lack of it) within our choice. Is our energy well dedicated? Are we on a sinking ship? Have our values and priorities changed over time such that this cause isn’t really ours, anymore? The New Moon shows us, in largest terms, how and where we have evolved beyond the current ideas we carry–and that will carry clues as to where we put that energy now.

The Sabian symbol for this New Moon is, ‘A Famous Pianist Giving A Concert Performance’. Considering that the NM event contacts Vesta, the body that describes what we revere, what we ‘worship’, in many senses, and that it also contacts Pallas, which can describe skills, we might see this symbol as expression of a well-developed skill or ability. The New Moon, then, might show us either that we have reached a peak in development in some area where we’ve dedicated ourselves and now must find a new form or direction, or it shows us the potential for mastery that dedication will bring.

The House in the natal chart that holds Gemini should offer some personal guidance and some hint as to what the New Moon might bring, and for all of us, it offers a ‘new way’ to think of something important to us, something that may be vital to the overall health and development of the Collective, and to our contribution to it.

‘Cakes, 1963’ Photo By Pplachigo – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28954794

For those born with the Sun at 13 Gemini. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). Dear Gemini, what is it that you’ve just begun? The solar year, through to your next birthday, may be keyed to this, or to some Lunar (read, ‘intuitive or emotional’) matter that is developing, growing, and that may figure large in your life very soon. Down sides to your year may feature a too-fixed mindset that doesn’t accept a new idea easily, and a tendency to exaggerate both your own willingness to do something and your ability to do it, and Up sides include rewards commensurate with the extent of honest, serious change you undertake. At some point there may be a showdown over personal power issues, but if you remind yourself of what really matters to you, you’ll know exactly how to handle it. Good luck!

The post for 2 June follows at 7 AM Pacific time on the 1st, as usual.

 

18 May 2019 Full Moon in Scorpio: Sip From The Cauldron

16 Thursday May 2019

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‘Still Life with Copper Pots’ By Martin Dichtl 17th century {{PD}}

If you’re looking for the forecast for the 17th, it’s here–

What happens when assertive energies, frustrated by their place in a sign that requires feeling instead of doing, contact a dark point where one may hide what is ignored or denied, and this meeting coincides with Love or Money delivering accident, shock, or revelation, simultaneous to a Full Moon in Scorpio that ramps up the feeling atmosphere to 11, with that Moon precisely opposed (only 30 minutes variation) Sedna, harbinger of difficult-to-access knowledge, instinct, and our own blind spot? Well, we’re going to find out, aren’t we 🙂

The day threatens to be a hot mess, one created by our actions driven by what we’ve ignored or denied, or by an unacknowledged rage, one where our relationships or finances hold the power to shock and surprise, to rob us of our usual understanding through sudden developments or information delivered in a flash or by (or through) accident. Our attention will be on what we instinctively respond to, but the clarity of our perceptions is dependent on Self-knowledge; if we are operating in our own blind spot, our only way of knowing is to read the faces of those around us, and hope that someone will tell you what everyone but you knows.

The Full Moon perfects just a couple of days before the Superior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury; this is our first clue that the emotions and information in the atmosphere will be liminal, not entirely conscious, and not entirely available to the conscious mind, even one that is seeking it. Our second clue is in the fact that it occurs in Scorpio, the sign of the dark, the hidden, the subtle but deeply felt. The third is in the Full Moon’s opposition to Sedna, the vehicle for our instinctive nature, for what we ‘know but don’t know’, and for the folly of those areas we think we understand, but don’t.

Forming at 2:11 PM PDT at 27 Scorpio 38 on the 18th, the Full Moon, as mentioned, opposes Sedna as well as Mercury, reiterating the idea of information, messages, communications, knowledge that we may feel but may not have access to (though both Sedna and Mercury are posited in Taurus, suggesting a way in to that information through the sensory world, if we can allow a feeling state without demanding the brain translate).

Keeping tight orbs, we also see a sesquiquadrate to Juno in Cancer. Aha! We’ve found the culprit–that is, the one detail that can elaborate on what it is that’s happening behind the scenes, that thing we are feeling and trying to suss out, with little success. It’s all about our personal empowerment, feeling we are both free and equipped/ competent to handle what comes, and the blow back we get from those who want to keep us, for one reason or another, in the dark about our own potentials. The reasons these others want us to remain unaware may not be nefarious, but in some shape or form our uncertainty, dependence, or lack of awareness will serve those others. We’re feeling this friction at the Full Moon, and being presented, particularly in matters that span the Scorpio-Taurus axis of our natal chart, with issues that need to come to conclusion, to be dealt with once and for all. We’ll all be dealing with darknesses that need to come to light.

Other contacts offer details. The Full Moon is semi-square Pallas, either suggesting that something unwise is the trigger to discovery, or that our initial response to what we see at the Full Moon is an unwise or impractical one. The Moon is also novile Zeus; that suggests that somewhere in the Full Moon events is a clever answer to some ambition fulfillment dilemma.

All this occurs as Venus meets Uranus and Mars trines Black Moon Lilith (with some of the possible effects noted in the first paragraph). In particular, this may be a recipe for shocking surprise in relationships, as each acts according to what they are trying to avoid, or what stirs anger, a sort of unintentional lashing out that has roots still very much alive but buried, and so convincing us that we’re ‘over it’.

The key is to control the brew (previously referred to as a potential “hot mess”) so that your sip from the Full Moon cauldron is transformative, is re-making of the House matters where it falls, or of some Scorpionic situation in your life.

The Full Moon Sabian is, ‘The King Of The Fairies Approaching His Domain’. This is an empowerment image, one meant to imply that Full Moon events do happen within our domain (and that’s so even if others insist this isn’t our territory); it’s also meant to point out the role of a ‘light touch’, to reassure that we are in charge, and to suggest something slightly magical or otherworldly in events.

We also look at the Sabian for the Sun as the light source of the Full Moon. ‘A Woman, Past Her “Change Of Life”, Experiences A New Love’. I’ll just go with this: It’s never too late.

Bonus: If you have a natal placement at 18 Virgo or no more than two degrees either side, this fills in a Mystic Rectangle with Neptune and the transiting Nodes. The Full Moon may inspire creative or other real-world efforts that will be life-direction changing for you–just don’t let yourself fall for an illusion, because that, too, could be life-changing.

(Mars trine Black Moon Lilith, Venus conj Uranus, Sun conj Sedna, Full Moon in Scorpio)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 27 Taurus. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). You are one with the senses and instincts this year, dear Taurus, in a way that can guide you successfully, but that also may allow you to blunder into situations unaware of the true lay of the land. How to listen to guidance without becoming victim to the pitfalls? Be searingly, gut-wrenchingly, no-holds-barred honest with yourself about what you want. Mistakes can only flourish in an artificial environment that is created by artificial thinking, pretense, and perpetuation of a false image. Accidents that affect relationships and fortunes may be the rule rather than the exception this year, and some of these, whether they seem positive or negative, will offer you the chance to heal some long-held wound. Good luck!

More on the Full Moon from Astrologer Verena Heinrich

4 May 2019 New Moon in Taurus: Healing Through Instinct

03 Friday May 2019

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‘Cures’ come in many forms.’The Last Message’ By William Hatherell 1917 {{PD}}

If I had to sum up this New Moon day, including the non-Lunar related aspects, I’d call it Healing Through Instinct. This is the form of instinct that knows our wounds, and so our needs, that is aligned with our ideals, highest values, and most sacred feelings, and that calls upon both inner wisdom and personal authority (the latter in the form of both a sense of understanding and an awareness of one’s domain). This is the inner voice that speaks for the Soul, and for your truest intentions; it’s not always easy to tell it from the voices we’ve incorporated from caretakers and authorities, or that express contrary and Self-destructive impulses, but today, we can be assured that the inner voice, the inner impulse, is very much our own, and expressing in concert with our highest aims, to make some sort of New Moon new start, one with a Taurean flavor and so likely having a material aspect or impact.

The Sun and Moon meet at 14 Taurus 10, at 3:44 PM PDT of the 4th. The New Moon as a singular occurrence is very much a conscious one; it’s the accompanying non-Lunar aspects that add subtlety and instinct to an already intuition-raising event. The event itself makes a semi-sextile to Vesta, a novile to Chiron, and forms apex to a Finger of God with base of Pallas-Ceres. The contact to Vesta insures we are aware of our values specifically because either the origins of the New Moon event or the event itself contrast mildly with our stated, conscious standards; this requires a confrontation with the primal wound, and shows (via the novile) a genuinely brilliant way this can be healed.

As the apex of the Finger, the New Moon is in some way the outcome of knowledge or facts (Sagittarius) that support or express our personal position of responsibility or authority (Ceres) and that then engages in cooperation or exchange of this wisdom or practical information with others (Pallas in Libra). This New Moon may manifest as an event of inner healing that has an unusual external component; this healing is facilitated by the partner or well-meaning others, in some way utilizing the acquisition and sharing of knowledge, and the clever way it discomfits our values and beliefs, challenging us to re-shape them, just slightly, in order to fit their real-world expression.

These two are meeting the world with style. By Beinecke Library – Flickr: [Photograph of a man wearing a top hat and a woman with a lace overskirt], CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16215370

The Sabian symbol for the New Moon is, ‘Head Covered With A Rakish Silk Hat, Muffled Against The Cold, A Man Braves A Storm’. In this instance, I take the symbol to be an example of how to face what comes up at the New Moon: even if it’s difficult or uncomfortable (the storm), one should not only dress for the occasion (be prepared) but should take a daring, confident, and even playful approach to trouble, which in this case is likely the wound that needs healing and the circumstances that brought it forward. That is, don’t take yourself or your problems too seriously; a sense of proportion and humor will bring benefits and spark inventive solutions that aren’t available to those who are reverent of themselves.

(Add to the New Moon influence the perfection of Juno and Venus novile Sedna, Mercury parallel Sedna and sesq Ceres)

For those born with the Sun at 14 Taurus. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–that offers a more complete picture of your year ahead). The year offers you a fresh emotional start, dear Taurus–will you take it? Or will you insist stubbornly that the course you are already on is the only smart way to go? Because that wouldn’t be smart at all. See this coming Solar year as a chance to start fresh with yourself, and to re-make your relationships in the image of your highest ideals. What you find sacred should be your guide–but again, don’t be stuck, be willing to admit when those things you are honoring by rote no longer make sense–and as well, admit what in your life needs to be added to the pantheon, to be given more regard than it is right now. Good luck!

19 April 2019 Full Moon in Libra

17 Wednesday Apr 2019

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The Full Moon falls at 29 Libra 06 at 4:11 AM Pacific time. A Full Moon in Libra promises an ending, culmination, conclusion, or end of a phase, probably keyed to a relationship or to many relationships, as the individual assesses their part in a larger, group picture. We see some dénouement occur with a partner or spouse, or even in a situation with an enemy, and this opens a way forward. Cooperation and diplomacy may start or stop, and events at this time may show us, most importantly, who’s on our side, who’s not.

Falling in an anaretic degree, this Full Moon is under stress; the FM fills in an Air Grand Trine with Juno and Black Moon Lilith, pointing toward Full Moon events as a safety valve or means of balancing emotional and mental issues around empowerment and what we have chosen to ignore or deny. The FM is also apex to a Finger of God, with base of Venus sextile Sedna, which suggests that what culminates now is a combination of instincts and values, that kind of automatic response that springs from a prompt generated by what we care about. It seems we’ll be driven largely by what we’re only partially conscious of, with the FM showing us, in big, bold terms, the results of such a stance.

There’s also a loose Mystic Rectangle–or rather, a tight MR except for one loner, expansive Jupiter–everything else sits at 29 degrees of their respective signs, implying that a Jupiterian event or figure comes along and lights the match to the Full Moon, Juno, and the Sun. In his own sign and newly retrograde, Jupiter may be the key, the attitude of overdoing, the hubris, the god-like individual, the casual imposition of the Will onto others, the exaggeration, the facts or beliefs used as a bludgeon.

The FM also opposes Hygeia-Uranus, both of which are within orb of the Sun as it approaches. This implies there’s an element of surprise, alarm, shock, or a group or avant garde influence–and is this a healthy thing, something we need to see, know, or understand, or is it detrimental, shaking up the world we think we know and so undermining our place in it?

The Sabian symbol for the Full Moon is, ‘Three Mounds Of Knowledge On A Philosopher’s Head’. I take this as a reference to the massively unscientific practice of phrenology, the study of the bumps and lumps of the head, and the mistaken idea that we can measure the level of someone’s wisdom and sophistication via this discredited methodology. It suggests to me some dodgy practice we engage in that serves to support our own assumptions and beliefs, rather than to reveal or clarify reality, even if that’s only the kind of Self-talk that has us looking for answers and yet insisting we can measure the validity of those answers with the very brain that came up short in the first place! Maybe it’s the superstitious reassurance offered by a lucky token, the Self-seriousness with which we approach our spiritual study or practice, the insistence on not stepping on a crack in the sidewalk (‘you’ll break your mother’s back!’) or the kind of thinking that labels some life elements as ‘spiritual’ and others not–these and many other versions of our ideas of ‘right living’, both minor and major, may need to fall by the wayside in order to allow a more objective perception of reality and the way the Universe actually works. For those longing for a more traditional interpretation of this symbol, I found a good one here, but would caution: always looking for the high falutin’ explanation of something is an example of exactly what I’m talking about.

We also inspect the Sabian for the Sun in a Full Moon scenario: ‘A Duck Pond And Its Brood’. This suggests that the origin of all this FM tension may be a group or familial situation, a Tribal attitude or expectation, perhaps, one that comes from being part of any group and while being in their ‘habitat’. That kind of situation can make it difficult to see circumstances any other way, between the force of habit, the influence of all those around us, and the ‘world’ (the pond) that seems to support only this one way of interacting. This symbol simply points to the way what falls away at the Full Moon may have been with us since early days, and may be, rather than something we’ve chosen, some old hangover from a scenario of which we’re no longer a part, or at least where we don’t play the same role we did when very young.

The product of this Full Moon, when all’s said and done, seems to be the ending of old, outmoded, misleading, and unproductive ways of interacting with ourselves, others, and the Universe. If we’re seeking clarity, and even if we’re not, the events of this Full Moon will help us find a little more of it.

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

For those who have the natal Sun at 29 Aries. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–that offers a more complete picture of your year ahead). Something comes to fruition this Solar year, dear Aries, something that you’ve been working toward completing and have devoted a great deal of your energy to–even if you haven’t done so consciously.In fact, your job this year might be to become as conscious as possible of not only what you’ve set in motion, but how you can best respond and so direct the developments in your own life. It could be a time of revelation, particularly in terms of you seeing just how much sway you truly have. No longer can you say, ‘If I had my way, I’d . . .’ because you’ll see that you already do, and it’s all within your power. Good luck!

New Moon in Aries 5 April 2019 Spirit In All Things

03 Wednesday Apr 2019

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

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‘The Storm Spirits’ By Evelyn De Morgan c1900 {{PD}}

The New Moon occurs at 1:50 AM PDT at 15 Aries 17. The Aries New Moon always feels like a fresh start, doesn’t it? Our personal energy and drive are renewed, it falls more or less at spring in the Northern Hemisphere and sees autumn in the Southern (those fall days their own kind of renewal), and as such it’s reasonable to look at this Moon as a personal new beginning, a statement of ‘I Am’ in the sign of the individual viewpoint. The Sabian for this NM is, ‘Nature Spirits Are Seen At Work In The Light Of Sunset’. This points us in an interesting direction when we consider the ‘I Am’ new start nature of the New Moon itself. The Sabian suggests an ending, an abating of light–which of course is a new beginning of its own as night encroaches–and maybe suggests this New Moon is a reminder that spirit/ the Universe/ the Unseen is active in all circumstances, not just in shiny new beginnings, the bright light of day, or in those areas where we’re focused on subjects we approve of and see as ‘spiritual’. When we define certain things in life as spiritual and denounce the rest as less than, we set up a dynamic that fails to recognize spirit in all things, so we repeatedly end up confused by the experiences we’re having and the results we’re getting. Life is not experienced piecemeal, and it shouldn’t be interpreted that way, either.

As my regular readers know, I like to keep orbs very tight for New and Full Moons. This time around that gives us only two aspects, a trine to Ceres and a novile to Sedna. The picture is one of Self-possession, autonomy, personal authority, that aligns us with all we need to know to act and choose appropriately, if we trust our instincts and are conscious of our blind spots. That may be a big ‘if’, but a willingness to be Self-aware (as opposed to a pick-and-choose awareness that simply ignores what we don’t like or don’t want to change in ourselves) is key. What starts at this New Moon may be a fresh, crisper image of ourselves, one that is much more confident as it is both more responsible and more responsive. We see that moving through life takes much less of a power stance than we thought, much less outright assertion, and much more pure competence and openness to instinct and all that we know but don’t know.

 

20 March 2019 Full Moon in Libra: Call And Response

19 Tuesday Mar 2019

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

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‘La répétition de chant’ By Edgar Degas 1888 {{PD}}

There’s a Full Moon as the Earth slips into Libra and the Sun into Aries, the culmination occurring at 6:43 PM PDT at 00 Libra 09, with the Moon-Earth quincunx Uranus and opposed Chiron, the latter of which the Sun is moving toward conjoining. It’s a very simple Full Moon picture, but not necessarily a direct one; the quincunx speaks of the need for adjustment, to the unexpected, to revelation, to sudden understanding, to the standards of Higher Mind, to the academic (rather than real-life) requirements of a situation. In some way, what we’re not looking out for comes along and creates the need for our response–and that is something coalescing with the arrival of the Full Moon, an attitude or realization that only now becomes fully formed, and may only now be graspable–and it presents either fresh injury or the chance to heal from an old one.

The Sun at the Aries Point (just as it crosses the equatorial plane on its way North, marking the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere), opposing the Moon in Libra, both at 00 Cardinal and so at liminal point in the zodiac, suggesting that the Sun’s position points to a change in us as individuals, where we bring something within us into manifestation, with the Full Moon in Libra showing a kind of result of that, as our ‘I Am’ statement is translated into a change or development in our relationship to others. This shift may be brought forward by that unexpected event or response, or the unexpected development may spring from our ‘I Am’ call and response; in either case, it presents a Chirotic moment, one wherein we can access healing, or hold more tightly to new-found hurts, all depending our your point of view.

The Full Moon Sabian symbol is, ‘In A Collection Of Perfect Specimens Of Many Biological Forms, A Butterfly Displays The Beauty Of Its Wings, Its Body Impaled By A Fine Dart’. In my mind, the beauty of any such image is quickly overwhelmed by the static nature of the display, by the fact that the living thing is only so closely observable because it’s dead. Think in large terms: are we looking at a relationship that may have some lovely qualities but that in fact is lifeless, trapping the participants in a situation not just of immobility, but of an inability to even respond, offering no chance of changing or leaving? And, even more important, do we even want change in this regard?

The Sabian for the Sun may help: ‘A Woman Just Risen From The Sea; A Seal Is Embracing Her’. This symbol is pure Sedna (and if I used bigger orbs, we could count a wide out-of-element trine of the Full Moon to Sedna in Taurus). As such this points to the way the current, static relationship has arisen directly from our own instincts and inclinations, from what we sense and ‘know but don’t know’, and may have been specifically designed to show us our ‘blind spot’. Paying clear-eyed attention to what we see at this time is paramount to getting what we need from Full Moon events.

Don’t look for solutions in this Full Moon; listen instead for the response the Universe offers to your personal ‘call’. This marks a subtle but vital shift in both the identity ‘statement’ we make in the world and the way that affects our relationships. If you see the effect as you being the same but others suddenly reacting differently, look more closely: you’ve changed.

The day also sees a trine between Mars and Pluto, and a sextile between Mercury and Saturn. These offer the energy and strength to make your move, and the mental stability and attention to real-world circumstances that will make that move truly effective.

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 00 Aries (check your natal chart for your Sun degree!) What’s ending right now, at birthday time, and what’s beginning? It may feel disorienting, like the world is shifting beneath your feet, like you don’t really know any more who you are, and particularly who your friends (and enemies) are. This is actually a good thing; it’s time to re-orient yourself to the world. Things aren’t like they used to be, and neither are you, and a re-tooling of attitudes, behaviors, and even instincts is necessary if you’re going to stay a part of the scene–to do otherwise is to step out of the stream of life, and we don’t want that! Attune yourself by defining what it is you care about. It’s not going to take much more than that to bring you some stellar benefits this year, through to your next birthday, though it would be smart to also take advantage of the ease with which you can purge yourself of otherwise difficult past conditions.

6 March 2019 New Moon in Pisces: The Dream Renewed

05 Tuesday Mar 2019

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, current events in the sky, forecast, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

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Scene from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ By John Simmons 1873 {{PD}}

The New Moon occurs at 8:04 AM Pacific time at 15 Pisces 47, closely conjoined (but still before perfecting) a meeting with Neptune and Vesta. This ‘announces’ a highly Neptunian experience, one aligned with our commitments and ideals, one that shows us what’s sacred (and perhaps, what’s not). We may see the dream renewed, a new direction, fresh support, or a creative work-around offered by Lunar events. Our imagination is our limit–but that also means, if we are in a bad head space right now, that there’s potential for our fears to dominate, instead, and these may center on changes or loss related to those things to which we are committed, or that we dedicate our energies to. We may fear that new circumstances could cause the old to vanish–and while that’s indeed possible, the way to meet that fear is to look for the advantage to dream realization that the change has to offer–because it absolutely does.

The New Moon happens semi-square Uranus, fresh at 00 Taurus 00, and is still within sextile of Mars and heading toward forming one with Saturn; it also noviles Venus. These feel like contained, ‘small’ events to me, internal or simply serendipitous when external, a kind of poetic set of sparks that say, ‘Surprise! It’s a New World! One where you can gain–and you are poised to act, to choose, and so to change your reality’.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘In The Quiet Of His Study A Creative Individual Experiences A Flow Of Inspiration’. Again, that sense of what occurs being largely internal, inspiring, creative, and very personal. This also suggests that time spent alone, in meditation or just in quiet circumstances may be vital to making the most of the New Moon new beginnings.

From Nuremberg Chronicle

And for those born today, with the Sun at 16 Pisces: The Sun and Moon have just met before moving on to your Solar degree, signaling a kind of new beginning, a refreshing of the emotional perceptions that aligns with who you are right now. The cycle has started, no more than a day or so before your birthday–and so you begin your Solar year ‘fresh’, in some sense–and what a year it will be! You have the opportunity to bring the highest order of your vision/ dream into being–and some of the keys to successful realization will be: 1) taking a new role within ‘the group’, or at least a new attitude toward cooperation, 2) taking great care with your words and always being hyper-aware of the real conditions of agreements and promises, and 3) proceeding as if you have never been hurt. This last condition may be most important of all, the most ‘refreshing’ kind of newness being one that carries no lingering regrets, shadows, upsets, or resentments.