Tag Archives: The Lunar Essence

Full Moon in Scorpio 7 May 2020

04 Monday May 2020

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‘The Path in the Wood’ By Hugo Darnaut 1884 {{PD}}

We have a Full Moon on 7 May at 3:45 AM PDT at 17 Scorpio 20. The Full Moon noviles Juno, opposes Mercury, trines Neptune, and quincunxes the combo of Vesta-Hygeia. A Full Moon brings conclusions, endings, big reveals, or makes it apparent that a situation will go no farther. We may see a definitive end or just a stall that makes us think things might go on–but they won’t, and we may not quite believe it at the time. Hope may spring eternal, but the Lunar cycle (usually) tells us what has matured and so we can turn our attention elsewhere; it also informs as to what’s just over, with or without our consent.

The most difficult thing about FM events is that it can be tough to see in the moment what is a true ending and what is merely a plateau, with this latter specifically making us think things will get rolling again, when they instead may refuse to develop any further, leaving us in a state of limbo that we may not immediately recognize as a prompt to turn to something else/ something new. This Moon’s placement in Scorpio points to at least some of the meaning of the event being hidden or obscured, from ourselves by ourselves (for our own safety, or so that we can stand to go forward with something we’d otherwise run away from) or by others, for any of the various reasons others keep things from us. And, there’s the potential for us to fail to recognize that current events may actually be prompting us to start something new, or to look elsewhere for what we have been getting from the present situation. So, we may mistake this for a pause, misreading it as a delay because of something we imagine or that we’re unable to see or understand via the ease with which a Neptune trine obscures, when it’s really time to move on and not look back, in no-nonsense Scorpionic Plutonian style.

Let’s look at each aspect, one at a time. The novile to Juno promises that the Lunar event will reveal clever, unique, and highly inventive ways to empower ourselves. Empowerment is a broad term, but we know it when we see it–or do we? Part of what a Scorpio Full Moon may offer is a new way of looking at the power situation, and this time we have the potential to see some truly genius ways of getting some for ourselves–that is, if we can cut through the Neptunian fog or distraction. The need to keep this in mind can’t be overstated: we must assume there’s something we’re not entirely aware of at the time of the Full Moon. Just knowing something is slipping outside the grasp of the conscious mind should be enough to help us navigate events–but of course, we’d all like to be completely conscious of conditions, wouldn’t we?

Three days before the Full Moon we have the Superior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury, which is the meeting of the two bodies during Merc’s direct phase, and by the time of the Full Moon Mercury is still within orb of opposition to the Moon-Earth combination. This suggests that what was revealed or came to fruition at the SC by the FM stands separate from Lunar implications. It’s as if what was central on Monday (the day of the SC) has somehow become much less so by the Full Moon. Since Mercury is in Taurus, this could translate as thoughts, approaches, or ideas that seemed practical, grounded, comforting, that suddenly don’t seem to be enough, in some important sense. That kind of discovery can be a bit disorienting, and so leave us open to the Neptunian distraction–or to the Neptunian creative surge.

And speaking of that Neptune, in connection to the Lunar event, we could be inspired by a wave of feeling energy, spiritually or artistically, or have pointed out to us our weak spots, those places where we are addressing reality with fantasy or the impractical. The House Neptune is currently transiting is a prime spot delineating the possible subjects through which we experience Neptune’s effect, as is any natal energies and/ or the House(s) these rule in the natal chart that are currently aspected by Neptune.

The Full Moon also makes a quincunx to conjoined Vesta and Hygeia. This suggests adjustment, especially emotional adjustment, to the need to honor our own health. Quarantine fatigue is real, and as someone said, it seems as if we’re right around the 64th of March. This is the point when renewing our commitment to behave in healthy ways for both our own and others’ benefit is paramount–and this aspect may remind us just how much relies on our own responsible behavior.

The Sabian for the Moon-Earth meeting is, ‘A Path Through Woods Brilliant With Multicolored Splendor’. We can see the way ahead of us, see which direction we need to go–if we’re honest with ourselves their will be no confusion about moving forward. A more literal idea of getting out in Nature is beneficial; Scorpio is a sign of renewal, regeneration, and re-birth, so a connection to growing, living things shouldn’t be overlooked as a way to refresh and replenish. Too, our task may be to appreciate the variety that surrounds us, and the journey itself, now more than ever.

We also look at the Sun, source of the Moon’s illumination, for a Full Moon. ‘A Woman Airing An Old Bag Through The Open Window Of Her Room’. The only reason for someone to air an old bag is to be able to re-use it. This image perhaps points toward the need to be more conscious of our resources, of what we discard too easily, what we re-use again and again, and what we think we need new and shiny when we might not need it at all. We are humans, and therefore we consume, so there’s no shame in it, but greater awareness in what and how much we use can only be a good thing.

See notes on the 4th, 5th, and 6th here–

New Moon 22 April 2020 Eye of the Storm

19 Sunday Apr 2020

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‘The Large Poplar Tree II (The Coming Storm)’ BY Gustav Klimt {{PD}}

The New Moon perfects on the 22nd at 7:26 PM PDT at 3 Taurus 24, both bodies moving quickly to conjoin Uranus–first the Moon, of course, then the Sun. This may build-in to New Moon events a particular, high-strung energy that makes everyone hyper-vigilant, hyper-aware, hyper-anxious, and just plain hyper–and this despite the event taking place in normally placid, steady Taurus. We may be presented with a surrounding situation that is all calm vibes and low-key mellowness, only to find that it’s very difficult to sit still, with reality and real-world circumstances forcing awareness of (and maybe ceaseless rumination on) problems or restrictions and limitations, or stressful (and likely confining) circumstances. Or, we could be the calm eye of the storm, with everyone or every thing else swirling around us. In either instance, a contrast that can’t be readily explained.

The thing is, Neptune is loosely semi-square the New Moon; that almost certainly brings a bedeviling energy, with imagination on overdrive and each of us too quick to believe what may not hold up upon examination. Too, this aspect of the NM to Neptune could bring the birth of a new dream, ideal, or misbegotten goal–that latter having its origins in a misconception from which nothing truly sound or productive can come. It’s our job, right now, to know the difference, but don’t be hard on yourself if you fall for a Neptunian delusion, as even with what appears to be a misstep, the contact of the NM to Uranus tells us that whatever transpires at this time offers enlightenment in the form of Higher Mind understanding (Uranus). We may be inspired, or we may falter, caught up in a spontaneous illusion, but in either case we learn a greater Truth, or see our world through a higher and wider perspective.

The Sun-Moon blend noviles the pairing of Venus and Hygeia, suggesting new awareness of the costs in both relationships and material assets of maintaining health. This most certainly applies to quarantining and lockdowns around the world. The New Moon may offer ingenious ways to cope, to soothe, and to provide (Taurus), and will likely show us what we’ll lose if we move too quickly and ignore what’s required to overcome this expression of Nature. Important to note that Ceres, Mother Nature Herself, is currently trine both the Earth and the North Node=we must balance our needs with Nature’s, in order to have a future at all. Ceres is also at 29 tense degrees, and novile Black Moon Lilith=Nature is forcing us to confront what we’d rather ignore; she’s in distress Herself, and needs us to acknowledge certain realities, if we’re both to go on. Ceres at 29 Aquarius screams loud and clear: we can’t go on intellectualizing, justifying our position with ‘reasons’! If we stretch we add to this the way the New Moon is also novile Vesta, suggesting that honoring the ‘right’ things is required, that it’s the smart thing to do, and that we must start today.

The New Moon is also within trine of the South Node and in wide square to Saturn and even 29 degree Pallas. Right now we may be seeing all the difficulties, all the restrictions and issues that the real world presents, the results of past actions and choices. But again, we see that doing the smart thing, the right thing, the wise thing, is required; we’re at a crisis point, and we’re being called to ‘go to war’ in an Athenian way, that is, with consciousness and good intent, to make things right, and to solve real-world problems.

The Sabian symbol for the New Moon is, ‘The Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow’. Well that seems kind of obvious, doesn’t it? We can see how to win, what material surroundings and the environment require–now we just have to keep ourselves united in purpose long enough to do it.

Stay safe! If the astrology for this New Moon doesn’t convince you that we need to continue to Self-isolate, I don’t know what will. And if anyone reading this happens to be among those who are protesting the Stay at Home orders, I say with all the love in my heart, go fuck yourselves–you clearly don’t understand what’s going on, and you don’t have the right to endanger the rest of us.

Libra Full Moon 7 April 2020 An Impetus to Action

07 Tuesday Apr 2020

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‘Moonrise’ By George Inness 1887 {{PD}}

Just a few notes about today, to add to the Full Moon influence:

It doesn’t take a genius (or even an astrologer!) to tell you that change, and the need to take action (even if that action is a withholding, a form of ‘sheltering-in-place’, physical, psychic, or otherwise) are the order of the day. The thing is, change is happening and much of it is outside our control; that means that in order to not just cope, but to thrive, we need to exercise as much control within our own purview as we possibly can. Repeatedly, studies have shown that taking even small actions in situations where we are largely helpless can give us a sense of empowerment, and can bolster our immune system as well as our mental and emotional health, and so help us survive–and in this case, the current astrological picture supports this approach whole-heartedly.

Embrace the reality of things (we don’t do ourselves any favors right now living in a fantasy or pretending that we can just go on in the same ways as always), and act based on facts and within the restrictions of the situation–obvious, but easy to forget when anxiety takes over. Focus should be in two areas: making changes to enhance health (obvs!) and listening to the instinctual, the unspoken, and making the effort to read between the lines, figuratively speaking, and then be willing to see the import of what’s not there, not stated, not coming forward. That’s where both information and empowerment on a personal level lie.

Stay safe, have a lovely Full Moon!

Full Moon in Libra April 2020 An Impetus to Action

04 Saturday Apr 2020

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‘Amor Holding a Glass Orb’ By Caesar van Everdingen c1660 {{PD}}

The Full Moon occurs at 7:34 PM PDT of the 7th at 18 Libra 43, and the immediately striking thing is that so many of the potential aspects have a wide orb. With that in mind, I’ll discuss those toward which the Moon will be moving to perfect contact; those that are past perfection won’t be included (unless still within a 2 degree margin), simply because in symbolic terms the wider margin and separating contact suggest what’s already past, not what’s coming. When the orb is smaller (that is within my normal consideration range of 2 and in some cases 3 degrees), applying or separating won’t hold so much weight, as I consider it as part of the current Full Moon picture.

The emphasis on Cardinal contact made by this Cardinal Moon can’t be over stated, and neither can the prominence of the Air element. This is a Moon that brings mental activity to a peak, and that in some way forces action. Out of the endings around relationships, contacts, partnerships, cooperative efforts, aesthetic efforts, and those who surround us or make up our audience, come the beginnings of new associations, and a new imperative to act, maybe in ways that create or reflect major change, especially if change has come to the ‘facts’ of the situation (this showing the strong influence of the Moon moving toward square of Jupiter-Pluto). What conclusions we draw, or what speaks to us now, brings urgency to the feeling nature, propelling us to do or think differently than we do now.

We’ll start with the closest aspect: a sesquiquadrate of the Moon-Earth combo to Venus. As ruler of the Full Moon, Venus connects through her placement in Air (Gemini), but the aspect itself implies difficult circumstances, possibly ones where what we like or assess as worthy is shown by a Full Moon conclusion to be less than we think. This may pertain to relationships, finances, or values, but will certainly cause emotional disquiet about with whom to share or partner. What’s revealed is that our stance in this regard has been taken largely for emotional reasons–and now the impact of that stance comes clear.

The Full Moon is heading toward squares to Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn, both just over 6 degrees from perfection, which tells us how closely Jupiter and Pluto remain conjoined. This may suggest that the Full Moon reveals the true depth of this combo’s impact on our relationships, partnerships, and to those with whom we share and cooperate. We see the ways problems here may be inescapable, and may see interactions shut down, confined, restricted, or irrevocably transformed or changed. The emotional impact of the pairing is revealed through difficult circumstances or difficult interactions; feelings may be raw, but politely hidden or acted out through passive aggression, since Libra can’t bear to be seen as impolite!

The Full Moon also quincunxes Neptune in its own sign of Pisces, suggesting perhaps that our dreams will have to accommodate FM changes/ realities, or that we must let go of a delusion or two, as the need for action or different thinking just can’t accommodate what’s blatantly untrue or based in fantasy. The need to adjust may show as a need to let go of what’s not seated in reality, or in the need to adjust the dreams or goals to better fit revelations delivered by Full Moon endings.

The Moon and Earth are also heading toward a trine to Ceres in Aquarius. Ah, Mother Nature again, this time facilitating or making what must stop or conclude with this Moon quite obvious, and in a way, easy. She’s handing us the ability to understand in an academic sense; that means we still have time to deal with all she’s been showing us. Those who understand Nature, who accept its power, and recognize its authority, will look for ways to cooperate with Her–everyone else may fall victim in some form, insisting that Humans can conquer anything. No, not for long, we can’t, and it may be time to pay the piper. Approach the natural world with respect, or have the results taken out of our hands.

And lastly, the FM will meet up with (and should be considered conjoined already) to Zeus. This pulls focus toward the personal ambition and desire nature, showing an emotional culmination around the way forward and our own fulfillment.

Well, this hardly seems like a fair match. A Gang of Robbers Attack a Woman, Artist Unknown, 15th century {{PD}}

The Full Moon Sabian is, ‘A Gang Of Robbers In Hiding’. Is that the ‘hidden’ impact of Jupiter-Pluto, waiting to hit us emotionally with this Moon? Or is it humanity, having stolen from Mother Nature and the natural order, now hoping to get away with it? Or is this symbolic of something we’ve been hiding from ourselves, something we’ve been dishonest about, not wanting to admit its true impact? To whom does our world belong, and does this image suggest overreach, that now brings an emotional (and perhaps material) conclusion?

We also look at the Sabian for the Sun with a Full Moon: ‘The “Magic Carpet” Of Oriental Imagery’. Maybe what we’ll see at this Full Moon is the result of so much wishful thinking engaged in, so much indulgence in the idea that we can magically ‘escape’ our own actions or conduct. I think this Moon will tell us No, we really can’t.

 

New Moon in Aries 24 March 2020 ‘It’s All About The One’

23 Monday Mar 2020

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‘King David: “Oh, that I had wings like a Dove, for then would I fly away, and be at rest.” Psalm 55-6 By Frederic Leighton 1865 {{PD}}

By ‘The One’, I don’t mean that magical someone who, we are taught (especially when we are little girls) will change our lives–or am I? I’m talking about each one of us–and in that sense, we are indeed ‘The One’ who can bring about change, hopefully for the better. Required isolation is putting the emphasis back on Self-responsibility, on taking the needed initiative individually–and this New Moon reflects that.

Moon and Sun meet at 4 Aries 12, at 2:28 AM PDT of the 24th, just before conjoining Chiron and the Black Moon Lilith point. This suggests a strong new course for healing by paying attention to all those things we’d rather ignore–or, in a less likely scenario, a deep, primal wounding via those factors we’ve insisted on ignoring–but in Aries, we are each, as a single entity, allowed to take our pick, to make our choices (or to garner the results of those choices already made).

The New Moon combo is moving toward perfection of a semi-sextile with Uranus in Taurus–something we don’t always need to take note of, but in this case, we do, because it’s approaching, rather than separating–and again we see the importance of the individual, this time as playing a role within a group (the dual symbolisms of Uranus), and all of this figuring in to the welfare of the environment (Taurus) as the group and individual are both part of it, and as they affect it.

The New Moon also forms a semi-square to Venus in Taurus, which in this chart is in its own sign and rules Earth, Juno, Zeus, Sedna, and Uranus, as well as a semi-square to Ceres, which places the New Moon at their midpoint. We could call this ‘The Worth of the Earth’; the bodies under Venus’ rulership suggest that we come to a new assessment of the value of human autonomy (Juno), the costs of ambition on a larger scale than that of the individual (Zeus), and of the price of paying no attention to our instincts and what we ‘know but don’t know’ (Sedna). The NM at the midpoint says that a new path must be found, a new balance, between Ceres in Aquarius (the demands of ‘the modern’ on Mother Nature, a new, progressive view of our relationship to and obligations to Nature and the natural order) and Venus in Taurus, which in a least one expression tells of the human need for material comfort and sustenance, which are gleaned from the environment and its products and assets.

In fact, the square between Venus and Ceres forms the base of a Fist, with the apex the Earth in Libra: it’s only by cooperation, by caring for others as much as we care for ourselves, that the New Moon tension can be resolved and reach some sort of accommodation between Nature and Humankind, a resolution that supports the health of the Earth, as well as the health of her inhabitants.

There is also the way the Sun-Earth axis, joined by the Moon, continues a Cardinal Grand Cross/ Square, for those who accept the Nodes as valid configuration points (long-time readers know I do). The need for action is both clear and fundamental to the way forward; we must deal with what we’ve wrought, in a way that handles both material and spiritual realities, and that recognizes the  rate of the passage of time is a crucial factor to success.

Though it’s a wee bit wide for a New Moon sextile, we can include Vesta in Gemini, if only because the symbolism is so striking: our ultimate values, what we find sacred and dedicate our energies to, are renewed, re-dedicated at this New Moon, as each individual takes action, makes our choices, takes on a new way of thinking (Gemini) that defines both our priorities and the way we will live day-to-day (around the Vestal hearth).

‘Wing of a Roller’ By Albrecht Dürer 1512 {{PD}}

The Sabian symbol for this New Moon may confound us, at first: ‘A Triangle With Wings’. A flying inanimate object–I can’t help but picture a cold geometric shape with the feathered wings of a dove–makes an absurd image, until we think of the way a triangle is balanced, each leg in equal proportion to, and supporting, the other two. It’s this state of true balance that the New Moon is sparking in each of us, via the mechanism of individual choice, responsibility, and commitment. The wings are the symbolic equivalent of the spiritual component of all endeavors, reminding us that a kind of flight of the spirit is what we are always seeking, always aiming for, working to lift ourselves ever ‘higher’–and this image tells us that lift is achieved by attaining that balance. Usually we see this as an inner function, a personal goal, but the Aries New Moon tells us that spiritual ascension is possible only with the correct measure given each of the three legs of the triangle: the individual, the Collective, and Mother Nature Herself.

 

 

 

New Moon in Pisces 23 February 2020: A Dawning Awareness

22 Saturday Feb 2020

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‘The Three Sisters from Policeman Creek, Canmore, Alberta, Canada. The Three Sisters are a trio of peaks. They are known individually as Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister.’ Photo By Jakub Fryš – Own work CC BY-SA 4.0

The New Moon occurs at 4 Pisces 28 on the 23rd at 7:31 AM PST, semi-square Venus and loosely semi-square Jupiter (placing the NM at the rough midpoint), sextile Uranus and Mars (again, the NM is caught between them), and in loose trine to the North Node point and loose sesquiquadrate to Zeus-Juno in Libra. A New Moon in Pisces can bring a new dream, a dawning awareness of some new facet of the life, of some burgeoning desire or ideal, or the birth of a vision, fantasy, or even deception that inspires, whether what we imagine is true or not.

In this instance we are offered a spark, a fresh idea, that arises from the difficulty in balancing relationships or the need to earn with the social whirl or with a multitude of opportunities. Our own willingness and initiative, and serendipitous events and ‘coincidences’, shape our life direction and put us in a quandary: do we bow to the needs of others, graciously making ourselves small in order to ‘get along’ (and so, we might imagine, earn their Love), or serve our own ambitions and in the process discover who among our companions supports us, who falls away?

The Sabian symbol for this New Moon is, ‘A Church Bazaar’. This is an event where like-minded (we might even say, spiritually attuned to one another) individuals who share a common belief framework about the ‘right’ way to live gather in order to share their handiwork, their creations, in a celebration of fellowship. Nothing wrong with that, right? Except how much do we experience, learn, or test our beliefs if we surround ourselves only with others who share an identical viewpoint to our own? This New Moon may incite a search for the wider world, as we seek the commonalities among, for instance, humankind, or those qualities we share with other sentient beings, rather than shrinking our world down to others who are more like us than not.

Aspects and Sabian combined suggest a need for new and broadening experience with others of the ‘not-like-us’ variety. It dawns on us that there’s more to the world than we suspected. Pisces wants us to dream, wants us to connect with the Collective, wants us to accept and to be accepted–and that last is probably, for anyone, a good place to start.

This is it for at least a couple of weeks. Have a wonderful and safe late winter–see you by spring!

Leo Full Moon 8 February 2020 Call and Response

07 Friday Feb 2020

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‘A Bather (Echo)’ By Jean-Jacques Henner 1881 {{PD}}

The Full Moon in Leo occurs at 11:33 PM PST at 20 Leo 00, sextile Zeus-Juno, square Vesta, and sesquiquadrate the South Node. These are contacts that wouldn’t even show up in most charts set to calculate only the ‘classic’ major bodies and points–so what does that say? Maybe it implies that what culminates here is subtle, and let’s face it, subtle isn’t a vibe that Leo does easily. Conclusions or endings arriving today may be, quite suddenly, dumped in our laps, presented as fait accompli, something we must just accept, no matter how we feel about it. That can make for major surprises delivered quietly, with a wink and a nod and a sudden twist of the entire landscape. We could feel ambushed, with delight or with upset, stunned in a way that on the outside is liable to be mild, even barely perceptible to others, but that inside re-shapes our outlook, or our entire world.

The sextile to Zeus-Juno in Libra points toward a resolution around ambitions and desires, and so a change (or cementing in place) to status and empowerment modes. If you have something at 19-22 Pisces in the natal chart, you may get a message delivered as clearly as a weather vane indicates the direction of the approaching storm, a sudden drop in pressure pulling in an answer to your goal or power situation represented by the Pisces natal energy or point. It acts as apex to a Finger of God; people who experience this may feel the whole thing is out of their hands, happening to them, rather than being at least nominally driven by their choices.

The square to Vesta may show us how and where our commitments and priorities clash with the demands of our own emotions or with our intuition. We have to ask: are we in conflict because we need to modify our stated values, because they don’t actually represent who we are, or is it that we fear what those values will be bringing us? Our reaction may spring, at least in part, from unpleasant experiences of the past, ones we link, consciously or not, with current events. Don’t be afraid to examine these issues at this time; the Leo energy of a Full Moon promises that we have a strong grip on identity, and though we may be surprised by our feelings, they aren’t alien to us, but instead easily traced to their origins. They hold recognizable shapes, and the FM may require we measure them for accuracy, ‘fit’, and appropriateness to our values, and vice versa, measure our values to see how we truly feel about them.

The Sabian for the Full Moon falls precisely on the degree without any minutes, meaning we read 20 Leo: ‘Zuni Indians Perform A Ritual To The Sun’. The symbol for the Sun, which we always inspect for clues as to the origins of the Full Moon light, is, ‘A Large White Dove Bearing A Message’. Taken together they make a kind of Cosmic call and response, a ritual ‘cris de coeur‘ to the source of all life, and the answer that is given. Whatever happens for the Full Moon, make sure you pay attention–this is energy put out into the Universe by the Soul, and that means what comes back to us has a great deal to say about who we are, and where we’re headed.

New Moon in Aquarius 24 January 2020 Birth of Unanticipated Beauty

23 Thursday Jan 2020

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‘The Birth of Aphrodite’ By Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky 1887 {{PD}}

The New Moon in Aquarius (also known as the Chinese New Year) occurs at 1:41 PM PST of the 24th at 4 Aquarius 21, sextile Chiron and square Uranus, but both of those on the wide and separating side, and we can also include a loose novile to Venus in Pisces. That suggests in a psychic sense the New Moon is dangling out there, a loner, an individualist, on its own, birthing something unanticipated, something startling and beautiful–and in Aquarius, that can be something new, modern, advanced, academic, unpredictable, or chaotic.

We may take an intellectual approach to the new feelings sparked at this time, or may discover a new understanding of an already extent situation, and these viewpoints arise from both a shock and a healing moment; those may be the same thing, or two different things, but together end up opening the door brilliantly to a reward, relationship, or ‘treasure’ of great spiritual depth, one that connects us in a unique way to the Collective.

However, there’s nothing brash about what happens here. The shocks are mild, traceable to a recent conflict or difficulty, and perceived in such a way that with a bit of effort, all can be healed, smoothed over, or put right, with the upset likely showing us exactly what we need to see. Conflict with the group is possible, or we may be guilty of erratic behavior, unreliability, or generating chaos ourselves, but it’s within the tumult that we find the seeds of understanding, revelation, and ultimately, acceptance.

The novile to Venus in Pisces holds our ideal of Love, relationship, asset acquisition or talent expression before us, and shows us a clever and inspired way to achieve it; we still have to reach for it, putting in some energy to make it a reality–nothing is guaranteed, and the unpredictable element, if left unaddressed, can take it all sideways in a heartbeat.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Council Of Ancestors Is Seen Implementing The Efforts Of A Young Leader’. Here the emphasis is on the experienced group recognizing the innovative leader, with the mention of youth a clue to that figure’s link to Higher Mind–for where else does wisdom come from, if one is short on experience? This implies that the revelations or reveals that accompany the New Moon are informed by a higher intelligence, and that it will take a cooperative effort, or an acceptance by the majority, to implement them.

No matter what form taken by the unanticipated beauty of the New Moon, and no matter how disorganized or shocking it is initially, it promises positives, information that makes our lives better, an understanding that unites rather than divides. It takes our breath away, and shifts our world-view toward the modern, the fresh, the future.

Lunar Eclipse January 2020

08 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Retrogrades + Directions, Sabian Symbols, Sun/Mercury Superior Conjunction, Uranus

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Lunar Eclipse, from ‘Kitab al-Tafhim’ By Al-Biruni c1000 {{PD}}

The Lunar eclipse begins at 11:21 AM PST January 10th at 20 Cancer 00. An eclipse, Solar or Lunar, is an energy disruptor, with the Lunar being oriented toward endings, conclusions, denouement, resolutions, outcomes, final denials, or the finishing of one period so that a new one can begin. That’s what can be confusing about eclipses: the endings hold the seeds of beginnings, and the beginnings contain some finality. We couldn’t have one without the other, and sometimes its nearly impossible to tell in the moment whether what’s happening is the end to something, or the beginning to something else–but in some way, it’s likely both.

This Lunar eclipse in Cancer suggests we may stop caring about something or someone that had been important to us, or may withdraw nurturing from someone or something we have previously sustained, or one or both of these may happen to us, as someone else turns their concern in another direction. This sounds negative, but is really about finding the ending inherent in any relationship, which allows psychic ‘room’ for a new start. It may be felt more as a shift than an ending/ beginning, a movement of intention, especially supportive attention, to a different subject, and may show the end point of an old attention goal, the start of a new attention goal, or both.

The eclipse is involved in three major energy ‘clusters’: a T-square involving a loose conjunction of Juno and Zeus as the arm of the T, with Sun et al. as the balance; the opposition as its own dynamic, enhanced beyond the usual Full Moon opposition to the Sun by inclusion of Ceres, Saturn, Mercury, and Pluto; and the final a grab bag with a pair of individual contacts, possibly less strident in expression but no less significant, a wide, separating trine to Neptune in Pisces, and a very close but separating sesquiquadrate to Mars in Sagittarius.

This eclipse coincides with the Superior Conjunction of Sun and Mercury, with both semi-square Mars and mirroring the complementary aspect to the ones made by the eclipse–and of course, opposed the Full Moon itself. The Sun and Mercury are also conjoined by Ceres, Pluto, and Saturn, making for an intense grouping gathered within a less than three degrees span. In the context of the eclipse, this may suggest powerful forces that combine to create the eclipse effect–but this may not be an accurate perception. It may instead be a seminal perception, one that causes some mildly difficult actions and choices that bring forward another ending, this one initially planted at the Inferior Conjunction and now coming to fruition.

L’éclipse, acquaforta, by Félix Bracquemond, in Sonnets et eaux-fortes, Paris, 1869 {{PD}}

Here’s the thing: amidst the cacophony of endings and beginnings, the Saturn-Pluto meeting likely already will have set in motion a serious and permanent change dynamic keyed to Capricornian institutions, structures, rules, authority figures, power figures, the status quo, and generally pushing strongly and persistently toward breaking down the old order, the old construct, the old power balance, with ‘old’ simply suggesting ‘established’, and it should take both a personal version (related to natal contacts and/ or the House subjects where the eclipse falls in the natal chart) and a larger societal one that you personally become aware of and observe. There may be no telling one change from another.

Too, don’t expect total destruction; this could instead resurrect things, especially things surrounding what we believed already dead, as new life in a new form is breathed into them, supplanting the old order, but not with anything new. In so many ways, that’s a horrifying thought. There’s even the chance that current power situations are cemented in place, with change only in the surface appearance, if at all, the prevailing power structure firmly fixed.

The presence of Ceres suggests Nature has her say, or that our connection to the natural world undergoes a time in the Underworld and is then brought into our reality, our Beingness forever altered by the experience (an illness or near-death event, mourning, an experience of grief, an encounter with the unseen, a spiritual event, a birth, an encounter with a ‘ghost’, any real-world happening that plunges us into awareness of the unseen and the pattern of life-death-life). Or it could be that we see real-world authority change right before our eyes, transforming into something Other. No matter what, we’ll find out something about our own place in things, and about the reach and extent of our power to make change, and this in many ways could be a double-edged sword.

The difficult thing is that all this change, upheaval, transformation, and re-birth acts as a full throttle background to the eclipse; that’s where we may get the idea that the eclipse is the source, but the eclipse is only our emotional response, and so contains any changes prompted by that response. We react to the power situations, personal and in the wider sphere, and either communicate or receive messages that have been some time in the making.

The T-square suggests that in the course of all this power examination and potential upheaval we see conflicts or hard choices related to our empowerment, specifically how much ability we enjoy to pursue ambitions and desires. The separating trine to Neptune implies we’ve already approached ‘the Dream’ or are clear on our ideals (or thoroughly immersed in our delusion), with the sesquiquadrate to Mars telling us we’re actually in the midst of some uncomfortable or tough to implement choices or actions, know it or not.

Uranus is at this point stationary but still not direct, offering the tension of imminent chaos, but not breaking in that direction just yet. Uranus’ direction may free the rebel, unleash mayhem, strike a note of individuality or originality, or release the energies of Higher Mind, the latter prompting a possible ‘hand of God’ scenario carried out through groups or movements, or our own conviction about what’s needed and ‘right’.

Partial eclipse of the moon. Observed October 24, 1874. (Plate VII of The Trouvelot Astronomical Drawings 1881) By Étienne Léopold Trouvelot {{PD}}

Normally I don’t address other current aspects at a New or Full Moon, but Pallas quincunx and Venus square Sedna suggest a threat to what we care about via unwise or ill-advised Self-messaging. The instincts need modification, flawed as they are at present by one or more consuming fears or bits of misinformation/ void of useful information. Those fears are the kind we carry inside but don’t make conscious–and yet they leak out into our choices and what we do, often surprising us with their intensity and seeming irrationality as they bring forward startling emotional responses in ourselves. These energies work in concert with the Cancerian eclipse promise of closure to caring or nurture, and the hard-edged real-world power issues or changes in progress now.

The Sabian symbol for this eclipse is, ‘Venetian Gondoliers Giving A Serenade’. Of note is the way there are no minutes attached to this eclipse degree, meaning we take the Sabian symbol that leads up to and includes 20 degrees. This symbol points to people not necessarily in the same ‘boat’ but ‘singing’ together. It’s their shared status or function (gondoliers), their shared interest in entertaining or attracting ‘business’ (which could be acceptance, attention, or some other benefit), and possibly sheer delight in life, coupled with the acting out of ‘traditional’ roles, that causes their singing. But further, a serenade actually implies a chosen and present audience, and the desire to bring pleasure or persuade–and that may be related to both the power situation and the Superior Conjunction, with most ready to state their fully-formed argument for what they see, what they believe, in the hope they may bring others to their way of seeing. Others will sing, and we’ll decide how we feel about that, and make changes or take action as a result.

I don’t anticipate understanding this eclipse period until well after it passes. The best we can do, then, is be aware of the feeling dynamic, the sentiment, beneath what we see transpire. That may be our touchstone to meaning; feelings will connect us in ways the mind cannot, as it’s already reached a maximum point within the cycle (Superior Conjunction), and may not accommodate the ‘stretch’ needed for illumination. The Sabian for the Sun only reinforces this: ‘A Hidden Choir Is Singing During A Religious Service‘. It’s the unseen source of ‘song’ reflecting our core Beingness, our faith, and our viewpoint of established institutions and organizations we ‘believe’ in, and our emotional response to and interpretation of these, that can give us the most reliable information, right now.

More on eclipses here. For some this may be too elementary, and some of what’s presented is just a wee bit fanciful (I don’t think it’s provable that romance is enhanced during a Full Moon!), but still full of interesting facts.

Solar Eclipse in Capricorn December 2019: Expansion Valve

20 Friday Dec 2019

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

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The Solar eclipse perfects initial contact at 9:12 PM PST on the 25th at 4 Capricorn 06, with both Sun and Moon just over one degree from conjoining Jupiter. A meeting of Sun, Moon, and Jupiter in Capricorn speaks of everything (the attention, the emotional nature, the intuition, the fears, ‘the facts’, the public, the nations of the world) all focused intently on the material state of things, the surroundings, and the rules, restrictions, and structures, governmental, societal, familial, that give it all form and make it all tick. We may be intent on making all this bigger, in some way, in constructing (or possibly deconstructing) something greater than ourselves, fueled by our beliefs or philosophy, or by the inspiration we get from what’s unusual, new, foreign. In any case, the inception point marked by the eclipse event is one of generosity, abundance, of largesse and, possibly quite literally, of more; whether that is desirable or simply exaggerates our fears (especially our fears of restriction, suppression, or of governmental or other authorities controlling us), giving us more of what we don’t want, is an individual matter, probably concentrated in the subjects of the Houses across the Capricorn-Cancer axis of the natal chart.

The eclipse forms a Cardinal T-square with Chiron, but one that is separating, the Sun-Earth axis well into the process of moving beyond orb. That suggests that what precedes the event is a dynamic and difficult circumstance that creates tension and maybe outright conflict, the source of which is one or more of our own wounds or ‘weak points’. Eclipse events may come from this, as a consequence of previous choices, or the eclipse may disrupt this, possibly implying that the problem we thought we had is losing validity in light of (or more literally, in the shadow of) eclipse events.

The Sun-Moon-Jupiter also noviles Mars in Scorpio, implying that, despite any trauma or upsets that occur, our choices and actions will aim at getting to the Truth, to the facts, and that what we choose to do about things at this time holds a touch of genius, inspired in the creative way we go about it, in the moves we make.

The eclipse also trines Uranus in Taurus, but again, this aspect is separating; the implication is that, after taking an original or inspired approach we are onto the next thing with the eclipse; that is, eclipse events, like those associated with Chiron, may be springing from this Uranian effort. We may have asserted our uniqueness, used ‘modern’ methods, rebelled, been unreliable or erratic, may have been surprised or ambushed in some way, and our relationship to ‘the group’ may, through our choices or theirs, have caused the Solar eclipse new start.

An eclipse in Earth creates an abrupt shift, one that ripples out like an earthquake; sometimes those are deep and barely perceptible, while other times the moving and crashing together of the tectonic plates shakes and rolls everything in its energy path. The size of the effect generated in the individual life is difficult to judge ahead of time, but we do know that at the very least an eclipse changes the backdrop against we operate, specifically, in the case of an event in Earth, the material conditions, resources, and physical matters surrounding us, and can temporarily put a specific other set of conditions into play (designated by the aspects the eclipse forms), from the event itself through to the next Solar eclipse in six months.

The Sabian symbol for the eclipse is, ‘Indians On The Warpath. While Some Men Row A Well-Filled Canoe, Others In It Perform A War Dance’. Yes, some of the Sabians are dated, and at times clearly and condescendingly taking the predominant-at-the-time white, male viewpoint. And yes, I know that these were channeled by the gifted Elsie Wheeler, a woman–but that doesn’t mean she, like so many of us, wasn’t subject to seeing things through the dominant lens of the culture of which she was a part.

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, we can get to dissecting the symbol. First, nobody dances in a canoe. Ever. Or at least, they don’t dance for long in a canoe–so right away, we know this image is emblematic, rather than realistic. Too, ‘Indians on the warpath’ is an old stereotype that has entered the language as a phrase meaning, ‘Somebody’s angry and looking for someone to take it out on.’ There’s an implication not just of aggression, but of unreasonable aggression, of a wish to wipe out an enemy.

There’s also irony within this symbol: the Indigenous Peoples of North America were very nearly themselves wiped out, and certainly remain disempowered to this day. The image suggests a people at their apex, and with hindsight applied we know this will not last forever, crumbling beneath the relentless onslaught of the Europeans, of what’s foreign–the epitome of the world-expanding Jupiter for both natives and intruders.

The symbol may suggest a warning. Individually and/ or Collectively, we may be at an apex; new things will be introduced, things will change, and it may be important to realize that a change in attitude, tactics, approach, and interactions may all be necessary to survive, and hopefully thrive.

There is an opening up, a state of expansion, that occurs with this eclipse within the confines of those Capricorn elements of the life–and this eclipse and its events may act as a safety valve, keeping the whole thing from blowing up, and so keeping us from a wipe-out, even as it’s clear we need to adapt to all the changes over which we have little or no power.

Potentially of note is the fact that on the West coast of the US the perfection chart has a 00 Virgo Ascendant. Even though this isn’t a Horary or Electional chart, where that would have definite meaning, we might surmise that the new beginning promised by any New Moon, and the powerful one augured by a Solar eclipse, would be amplified in an atmosphere where the ‘birth’ of the event bursts on us as a new ‘moment in time’ (and so connection to the world, as symbolized by an Ascendant) occurs. This describes a brand new attitude that accompanies the new beginning; Virgo suggests our initial approach may be critical, believing assessment is the way to get a grasp on things, and as well, believing that making a critical ‘statement’ about things will bring a kind of ascendancy. Friends on the West Coast, keep an eye out for this–for me it brings to mind a Washington state legislator who’s been charged with domestic terrorism–certainly those kind of actions constitute a critical statement about the current structure (Capricorn), with both eclipse and Pacific time Ascendant in Earth, suggesting something materially affecting ‘what is’ may be on the agenda. Or is it an earthquake, with Ceres (Mother Nature) in perfect sesquiquadrate to the eclipse chart Ascendant? Time will tell.

‘Solar Eclipse In Fedosia’ By Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky {{PD}}

Here’s an interesting link to a list of the Saros solar eclipses to which the upcoming eclipse belongs. The most recent in this series was in December 2001, and I went looking to see if there was any suggestion within events the last time that could be harbingers for this time–but that’s a true rabbit hole, with events that month including the Battle of Tora Bora and the shoe bomber incident that caused us to forever after have to take off our shoes at the airport. The Saros cycles aren’t something I spend a lot of time investigating, but there are astrologers who make it a regular part of their work, such as the groundbreaking Bernadette Brady–so you might want to start there, if you want to know more.