ASTRO NEWS YOU CAN USE
from Karmic Evolution’s Astrologically Speaking’s
Sheri Horn Hasan
December 17-23


The Moon meets the Sun in the Jupiter-ruled sign of Sagittarius at 11:20 pm PT & 2:20 am ET on December 6 or 7th, respectively, depending on your time zone, and it’s time to let the good times roll–with some caveats…
Traditional astrology deems Jupiter the great benefic who bestows good luck, good fortune, and expansive blessings upon whomever it touches, whether by natal placement or by transit.
As with all archetypes, however, Jupiter has a darker side, which often manifests in the form of too much of a good thing, over-expansion, excessive over-optimism, or ungrounded exuberance. Like the 120-degree trine aspect between planets—often exemplified metaphorically by the ease of ice skating while the wind’s behind you—so can Jupiter’s energy sometimes bring us to the edge of the cliff or send us sailing over it, possibly with no parachute ensuring our safe landing.
Generally, though, Jupiter energy—and the energy of Sagittarius, the sign it rules—brings with it a rather optimistic, happy-go-lucky, glass is half full kinda orientation. You know, the sun’ll come out tomorrow type attitude…
Adventure–expanding one’s world through both formal education and learning via foreign travel & exposure to foreign languages and cultures–falls under the Jupiter/Sagittarian realm, as do philosophy, religion, media/publishing, politics, and law.
This Sagittarius New Moon is ruled by Jupiter, transiting now through its own sign of Sadge until December 2, 2019, when the king of the gods enters less inflationary Capricorn. This makes its energy even more optimistic & buoyant, & less prone to evaluating one’s situation realistically now.
Further compounding the issue of morphing potential inflationary desires into concrete reality is the fact that this Sagittarius New Moon is just past a square to a Mars/Neptune conjunction in Pisces.
Now it’s time to remember that—waaaaay back in ancient times, before the planet Neptune was discovered mathematically by Johann Gottfried Galle and Heinrich Louis d’Arrest in 1842, and by telescope in 1846—Jupiter was the traditional ruler of Pisces.
So, a correlation exists between this Sagittarius New Moon’s square to its traditional astrological ruler Pisces, leaving us to wonder how this enhances our interpretation of this square at this particular lunation.
The answer to that lies with Jupiter’s influence as Pisces’ ruler. Dreamy, empathic, charitable, & artistically-inclined, Pisces’s higher purpose revolves around recognizing our individual connection to a greater spiritual whole.
However, it’s darker side often raises its shadowy head through escapism, especially when the harsh glare & pain of reality might send us into depression, addiction, or some kind of imaginary world we deem safer than concrete reality…this shadow side may also occur through an incident of loss (including death), something with which both Jupiter & Pisces can be associated.
This energy was easily recognizable the day before this exact lunation—as the Sadge Sun exact squared Neptune in Pisces December 5—when America laid to rest one of its former leaders, President George Herbert Walker Bush. Veteran political operator Bush, also a decorated war hero whose plane was shot down at the age of 20 during WWII, was accorded a most honorable funeral as the entire nation shut down business for the day on December 5.
Pisces also indicates the ability to dream and to find in that dream the seeds of incarnate possibility. Mars in Pisces is not particularly proactive, though it can rise to a spiritual or religious cause. Many who are health practitioners—doctors, nurses, healers—and clerics, social workers, counselors, coaches, etc., &/or those who consider themselves spiritual warriors of one kind or another, resonate to this energy.
Converting our dreams into reality often proves problematic for many of us, so this lunation’s square to Mars, the god of action, and Neptune, an energetically spiritual, charitable archetypal energy that inherently understands no man is an island, might prove difficult.
Ah, but here’s the solution to an aspect that might cause us all to float away into our fantasies now, thus rendering planting the seeds of our grand plans and visions ultimately unsuccessful because they are not reality based:
Conjoined its ruler Neptune in Pisces—the traditionally Jupiter-ruled energy of two fishes yoked together but swimming in opposite directions—Mars is tasked with exerting his energies toward the conscious act of RECEIVING through meditation, prayer, visualization, and any of the creative arts which assist us in channeling our individual artistic nature…
Let’s say your dream at this Sagittarius New Moon is to start or grow a business into becoming increasingly abundant through the attraction of clients happy to pay for your products or services. Or perhaps you’re in the market for a new, better paying job, or simply one with better benefits. Maybe you’re looking to expand your happiness through a love relationship (after all, isn’t happiness a form of abundance?)
Regardless of our goal, it pays to understand that whatever we’re attempting to bring into concrete manifest reality must have a physical tangible component and that our aim, our end goal, is not an arrogantly selfish one, but rather has the spiritual health of the collective at heart.
We may choose to put the energy of the luminaries in square to Mars/Neptune in Pisces toward a crusade of some sort–be it religious, political, spiritual, or what have you—and use it to conquer the world for our own benefit so that we may rule.
But, if so, we should be mindful that the gift of Greek tragedy, the earliest form of drama, is that it warned us about hubris, or arrogance, and how this can become our Achilles heel leading to our ultimate downfall if we’re not careful…
In other words, if we myopically or narcisistically believe: “I alone can fix it,” do it, or accomplish it–without help from others or without their ultimate benefit in mind—this notion becomes our Achilles heel, or our greatest vulnerability. That’s because we can usually count on any opposition we rile up with this attitude to find a way to bring us down…
It pays to ask ourselves now: What or where is my Achilles heel, and how can I better work with this information/knowledge to accomplish my ultimate goals through humble acts rather than arrogant ones?
Meditation, prayer, & engagement in any creative endeavor will allow your higher self and authentic voice to come through and provide you with answers. As always, journaling or automatic writing may prove particularly helpful at this time as well! And, of course, pay attention to your subconscious when it speaks to your through your dreams, too…
Mercury stationed direct in Scorpio December 6 hours before the Sagittarius New Moon, and becomes part of a grand water trine with wounded healer Chiron (retrograde) & Hygeia, female goddess of health, both in Pisces, and the Cancer North Node.
This creates an easy flowing energy that can allow us to process intuitively channeled information more easily now, so that we translate it into a spiritual KNOWING that allows us to move forward at this Sagittarius New Moon seed-planting time.
Beware however the hubristic notion that only your sensitivity counts, and not that of others. Grand trines can function as a kind of closed circuit, and in water reflect a potentially hyper-sensitive emotional nature. Bottom line: we may be more sensitive to ourselves than to others now, which is antithetical to any spiritually-oriented plan intended to help others heal…
Since Mercury’s direct now, it’s the perfect time to incorporate into this Sagittarius New Moon seed planting time any revisions to previous plans that will make them more workable and easily manifest going forward.
This means Mercury & Chiron/Hygeia also form sextiles to the Capricorn South Node. Sextiles represent opportunities, but they must be recognized or they may pass us by in the blink of an eye, as they say…
Mercury in Scorpio sextile the Capricorn South Node allows us to use our rational function to dig deeply into our unconscious and bring forth ways of communicating our grand plan to build a stronger foundation going forward. It also allows us the opportunity to let go of any nay-saying, nagging energies that might hold us back from giving credence to, or implementing, our ideas…
Chiron/Hygeia sextile the Capricorn South Node likewise presents the opportunity to heal our wounds—particularly those related to health, be it on a physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual level—by taking concrete steps forward in this regard. Channel now through your intuitive process what might work for you on the mainstream empirical level, as well as what to incorporate from the holistic realm.
Venus, now in Scorpio, opposes Uranus retrograde in Aries, and both square the transiting karmic nodal axis in Capricorn/Cancer at this Sagittarius New Moon.
It’s difficult not to see the effects of this rapid shift in values within the collective at play now, both in the U.S. and around the world. Venus=values; Uranus=revolution or rapid change; square to the Nodes=triggers to collective humanitarian goals & desires, brought to a head through political, religious, or moral circumstances/revolutions rife with anger about inequality.
Whether it’s about sexual abuse in the church, higher taxes for basic necessities like fuel, or gender/religious/political differences among people, this Venus opposite Uranus square the Nodes configuration has been prevalent during the past few lunations.
Venus begins to move out of this configuration, though she acts as a bellwether for when Uranus reenters Taurus on March 6, 2019, which coincidentally occurs the day after the next Mercury retrograde in Pisces begins.
Where has revolution been brewing your life, particularly around the issue of inequality? Where do you feel like “I’m not gonna take it anymore!” or “something’s gotta give, gotta change!”
Chances are these are the growing tensions to pay attention to in your own sphere of life as you plant seeds now at this Sagittarius New Moon that contain the knowledge that you want to do it your way. As long as “your way” ultimately aims—like the Sagittarius archer—to strike a chord within the collective for greater healing…
The song High Hopes seemed the perfect one for this Sagittarius New Moon, written by Brendon Urie, lead singer for Panic! At The Disco, born April 12, 1987 @ 1:30 a.m. in St. George, Utah, who’s a Sagittarius Rising with both Saturn & Uranus in Sadge.
When High Hopes released…Brendon Urie tweeted: “I spent too long not setting my expectations high enough, worried about how it felt to fail. I hit a point when I realized I had to aim high and fail, fail, fail in order to keep growing. This one is for all of you who helped me go for it all. I thank you.”
“High, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn’t make a killing
Didn’t have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn’t know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes
Mama said
Fulfill the prophecy
Be something greater
Go make a legacy
Manifest destiny
Back in the days
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Mama said
Burn your biographies
Rewrite your history
Light up your wildest dreams
Museum victories
Everyday
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Mama said don’t give up, it’s a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I hate to see you waiting
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn’t make a killing
Didn’t have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn’t know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes
Mama said
It’s uphill for oddities
Stranger crusaders
Ain’t ever wannabes
The weird and the novelties
Don’t ever change
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down
Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down
Mama said don’t give up, it’s a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I hate to see you waiting
They say it’s all been done but they
haven’t seen the best of me, eh eh eh
So I got one more run and it’s gonna be a sight to see, eh eh eh
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn’t make a killing
Didn’t have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn’t know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes…”
Some soul-soothing words or other healing communications are possible when Mercury retrograde in Scorpio exact trines wounded healer Chiron–retrograde in Pisces–late December 3 or early on the 4th, depending on your time zone.
When the Sagittarius Sun squares Neptune in Pisces on December 5, we may put some effort into promoting romance & creativity or, alternatively, we may find we dream the day away. No harm done—especially since our imaginings may someday come to fruition–but watch out that your fantasies don’t obscure hard-core reality.
Mercury stations direct on December 6, ending the messenger god’s three-week backtrack through the heavens, meaning communication will once again begin to flow. This may happen slowly, so be patient; however, we may now begin to shift back to implementing our inspirations, rather than simply reviewing & revising them—at least until the next Mercury retrograde period begins on March 5, 2019.
The Sagittarius New Moon continues this forward positive motion when the Sun & Moon unite later that night (or early December 7) to provide us the opportunity to plant seeds that may ripen from mere high hopes into manifested reality. Look for this planting to come to fruition by the next Sagittarius Full Moon at July 17, 2019…
If you’ve used this current Mercury retrograde cycle to make sure there’s a solid plan behind your grand visions, then there’s no reason to assume your dreams won’t ultimately come true!
One caution, however–when Mars exact conjoins Neptune in Pisces a few hours after the Sadge New Moon—beware over-optimism or idealism, self-deceit, and/or escapist tendencies. As always, remember this advice: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. Use this time instead to creatively visualize your end-goal so that you can ultimately make it happen!
Healing continues as Chiron stations direct in Pisces late on December 8 or early on the 9th, depending on your location. The wounded healer’s on a mission to finish up its past eight-year mission of helping us develop stronger internal emotional & spiritual boundaries so that we have the courage now to express ourselves honestly—physically, mentally, emotionally, AND spiritually–going forward…
https://karmicevolution.com/astrologically-speaking/ Join me on Thursday, December 6, @ 11 a.m. P & 2 p.m. E, with guest professional astrologer Michael Bartlett as we discuss the importance of transiting Jupiter in Sagittarius for the next the next year, its natal placement in your chart, and more!
See you then, namaste!
#astrology, #NewMoon, Chiron, healer, Mars, Mercury, moon, Neptune, pisces, retrograde, Sagittarius, SunThis Aries Full Moon, occurring at 2-degrees Aries/Libra–@ 7:52 p.m. PT & 10:52 p.m. ET–sets up a confrontation between clearly male & female archetypal energies, and between our rational ego-dominated beliefs and perceptions & those that hail from a more intuitive lunar landscape.
Every month a different full Moon sets up an archetypal confrontation between two polar opposites, and between the rational, objective ego (read: Sun) & intuitive, subjective unconscious (read: Moon) realms of our psyches.
This serves the purpose of providing us the opportunity to make conscious our unconsciously-driven (or subconscious) emotions, habits, and deeply-rooted needs for security. The need to release our ego’s attachment to the empirical factual world only, & its reluctance to acknowledge the importance of intangible feelings & intuitions, is what’s highlighted at every full Moon lunation.
Why is this so?
Because when we can release our ego’s stubborn reliance on the empirical world by entertaining the notion that emotions are not necessarily antithetical to objective rational reasoning, we may begin then to integrate any given set of opposite archetypal energies.
In general, the Libra Sun is an archetypal energy that doesn’t feel whole without a partner, and identifies itself as relationship-oriented. Libras are kind, artistic, considerate—they are after all Venus-ruled!
Archetypally, Libra energy applies its principles of fairness, balance, justice, & harmony to relationships, which is why this archetype is so very good at mediation & striking compromises.
The down side of Libra energy, however, lies with the fact that so good is one at seeing, hearing, & understanding both sides of an argument, the result can be confusion about how one really feels.
This can virtually paralyze those who carry Libra energy to any great degree, as they become hampered by their indecisiveness & truly unsure about how they feel about any particular subject.
Such indecisiveness earns Libra the reputation of “fence sitter.”
Further, so skilled is Libra at brokering a compromise, the person forging the compromise doesn’t always realize whether or not the end result of that negotiation will prove long lasting. In other words, will the truce negotiated truly satisfy them forever?
The bottom line here is that Libra prefers to avoid confrontation at all costs and would rather give in or compromise than fight.
This sets up a situation that results often in passive-aggressive behavior by this Libran archetypal energy. In other words, compromising too much for the sake of a harmonious relationship may make us angrier in the long run.
And so any given compromise may come back to haunt us—and often does–sometimes in the not so distant future…
The question ultimately becomes: Where does the Libra archetype draw the line? When does she find that compromise is no longer the answer because she feels too strongly about an issue to sacrifice her dignity, pride—perhaps even her entire identity—as she’s too greatly threatened to compromise away her rights?
In short, when does Libra decide she has no choice but to fight?
The Moon in Mars-ruled Aries is a fighter. This archetypal energy can run the gamut from the violent warrior–in the fight purely to satisfy his blood lust nature–to the higher-minded understanding that one can (& should) fight for those who are too weak to defend & protect themselves.
The Moon signifies our emotions, our inner child, & our intuition. It’s the repository of our past & dwells in the realm memories, habits, & the less conscious behaviors we exhibit throughout our lives. Thus, the Moon depicts female anima energy that uses the intuitive process to alert us to what we need to feel truly secure.
The Moon in Aries seeks to move and express itself freely, be that mentally, physically, emotionally, &/or spiritually.
Aries is an instinctual, naturally proactive energy which manifests often inathletes, soldiers, adventurers, and entrepreneurs, or those who forge ahead independently in any given industry or area of life.
When that freedom is thwarted, regardless of the reason why, this lunar energy can become frustrated or angry.
Aries Moon energy wants action & wants it now! This is soothing to the Aries archetype: witness anyone you know with Aries energy (or a fire Moon for that matter) who needs to run, exercise, scream & yell, or take some kind of outward action when frustrated or angry.
How we manifest our frustration &/or anger in the concrete physical world of our current incarnation is up to each of us. Mars, known to be impatient, impetuous, fast-moving (as in acting before thinking), motivated, & assertive, can also be aggressive, angry, & potentially violent when feeling thwarted. This is the sign of male sexuality.
At this Aries Full Moon, this more subjective emotional Aries Moon—prone to movement & freedom of expression as part of its need for security–pits herself against a cooler, rationally objective Sun, which believes compromise is the only way to end a dispute.
One can almost feel the palpably rising tension & anger in the air as we wax toward this Aries Full Moon. And that tension becomes ever more heightened when we realize this lunation forms a cardinal T-square to Saturn.
And Saturn’s in Capricorn, meaning he’s part of the establishment. He believes that rules, boundaries, & barriers form the safest and most structurally sound foundation in life. When crossed, he can be rigidly inflexible, punitive, and adamant in his belief that carrying on old traditions is the best–& only–way forward.
In short, the Saturnine archetype—including as the ruler of Capricorn—often translates into fear of change…
What becomes extremely clear at this Aries Full Moon is that the battle between our need to be free to express ourselves vs. our need for peace born of compromise can fill us with insecurity about in which direction we may “safely” push the envelope.
Do we side with the Aries Moon, which meets up with Hygeia (the female asteroid signifying health) & wounded healer Chiron, the dwarf planet representing karmic wounds, including those from both past lives and this lifetime?
Or do we place our bets on the Libra Sun, Mercury, & Ceres, & simply hope that another mediated agreement will keep everything copacetic—for now?
The implications of an either/or scenario become more fraught when we realize that the presence of Ceres, known in Greek mythology as Demeter, can gives rise to a “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” kind of energy…
Demeter is the mother of Persephone, who’s infamously kidnapped, raped, & taken to the underworld by Pluto/Hades, the ruler of this territory, to become its eventual queen.
However, prior to Persephone’s terms of release (6 months in Hades, 6 months above ground with her mother), Ceres’ grief and wrath at her daughter’s sudden shocking disappearance continues unabated as she begs the gods to release her daughter.
When they refuse—mostly by throwing up their hands and saying “what can we do?”– Ceres storms the earth, unable to contain her rage & grief at what she deems to be an unnaturally forced separation of mother & daughter.
Thus, as she allies with the Libra Sun & Mercury now, opposite to the Aries Moon/Hygeia/Chiron, she seems to be saying “I’m mad as hell & not particularly interested in the establishment’s inability to act right now!”
It’s this deeply-rooted karmic anger and grief that the Aries Full Moon asks us now to act upon in order to ultimately release it. She asks us as well to let go of our rational objective animus-oriented reliance on the past as protocol for the future, implying that action is necessary for positive growth & movement forward, and reminding us that progress is not made by standing still…
We realize that revolutionary Uranus—square the transiting karmic Nodes of the collective at this Aries Full Moon—demands change as well. Retrograde, but still in Taurus, Uranus calls us to find new, innovative, & outside-the-box solutions to old dilemmas, particularly as they relate to any old, outdated, or outworn value systems.
Mars on the Aquarius South Node square Uranus says much the same thing, and calls to us to release that which keeps us stuck in a past that refuses to accept change as a natural law of physics.
In recognizing the undeniable winds of karmic change blowing now, we may ask ourselves:
We must remember that stasis is unacceptable, as change is part of the law of natural cycles. Likewise, these cyclical attributes of nature demand to be respected. Anything less will be considered a denigration of anima-related holistic, healing, time-honored intuition, and considered a crime against nature…
Finally, it pays to remember that “hope” was the last thing to fly out of Pandora’s box of evils once opened & sent out among humankind.
We may see some salvation out of this seeming impasse through the positive flowing aspects of the Aries Moon & Libra Sun to the Aquarius South Node/Mars & Leo North Node now.
Any actions taken (read: release) as a result of this lunation can’t fail to move us in the right karmic direction—both personally & collectively.
Let’s just try to remember that killing the messenger—ultimately—won’t do any good for our future prospects of living in peace & harmony. If we can release our karmic wounds so that healing may begin we’ll be able to move into a more positive, less combative, more harmonious future…
…one that doesn’t require so much compromise that the same issues simply continue to arise again and again and again…
It seems most appropriate at this Aries Full Moon to post both the lyrics & video
of Helen Reddy singing at the Million Women March in Los Angeles in early 2017:
Helen Reddy
“I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back and pretend
‘Cause I’ve heard it all before
And I’ve been down there on the floor
No one’s ever going to keep me down again
Whoa, yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
You can bend but never break me
‘Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I’ll come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
‘Cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul
Whoa, yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
I am woman, watch me grow
See me standing toe-to-toe
As I spread my loving arms across the land
But I’m still an embryo
With a long, long way to go
Until I make my brother understand
Whoa, yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
Oh, I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman…”
~ Helen Reddy, Ray Burton
As we wax into the exact Aries Full Moon tonight, September 24, at 7:52 p.m. PT & 10:52 p.m. ET, we cannot fail to see the issues of male & female, the patriarchy vs. the matriarchy, animus/anima playing out in the collective!
Pay attention to how this applies to your own life!
• Where have you comprised too much for the sake of partnership & “peace?”
• Where do you need to stand up and fight for yourself now?
This Aries Full Moon highlights past traumas—particularly as they relate to the issue of sexuality & disempowerment or forced silence (be this self-imposed or otherwise) as it conjoins wounded healer Chiron and opposes both the Libra Sun & Mercury.
• What’s the message you’ve been afraid to reveal & where have you been disadvantaged by your silence thus far in life?
• How can you speak out about past wounds without fear that others may seek to kill the messenger!
Remember your message is valid regardless of any response to that message!
The Aries Full Moon’s square to Saturn advises us this may require a great deal of courage, and we may have to stand alone—at first…
Try to refrain from victim behavior as Chiron retrograde reenters the sign of Pisces on the 25th, & know that the Libra Sun trines Mars on Sept. 28, which should make it easier for us all to speak out & to maintain the kind of fair & just balance Libra desires.
When Pluto stations direct on September 30, its sets us up for greater empowerment, regardless of how disempowered we may have felt in the past, especially around Plutonian themes that may have remained hidden (sexual harassment/abuse, blackmail, betrayal, manipulation, etc.)—until now…
Join me Thursday, September 27, @ 11 a.m. P & 2 p.m. E, when we look at the upcoming October 5 Venus station retrograde in Scorpio with Julija Simas, professional astrologer & head of the Cosmic Intelligence Association (C.I.A.!) https://karmicevolution.com/astrologically-speaking/
See you then, namaste…
Ok, first let’s dispense with the astronomy!
January 31’s Full Super Blue Blood Leo Moon total lunar eclipse (say that three times fast, I dare ya!) is so named because it’s a:
“That red light you see is sunlight that has skimmed and bent through Earth’s atmosphere and continued on through space to the moon,” notes Alan MacRobert of Sky and Telescope magazine. “In other words, it’s from all the sunrises and sunsets that ring the world at the moment.”
One take-away here has to do with the potential potency of this total lunar eclipse and the archetypal energies involved. Remember that eclipses can act like jump starts to a car, and jolt us into a new direction, way of thinking, or some kind of change, etc.
They can lead to sudden, unexpected events or revelations (especially this one on the Leo/Aquarius axis), that will likely manifest in the areas of your chart (houses) where the Sun & Moon fall at this time. Eclipses generally manifest between three weeks before and six months after, though they have been known to extend their effects for several years, depending…
Another message coming from this Leo Super Full Moon (closer to the Earth, remember?) may come in larger than life drama queen scenes, so be on the lookout now for displays of over the top emotion or histrionics. It’s like a “normal” full Moon on steroids, so this Super Moon’s closeness to Earth can make us even more “lunatic” (read: loo-nah-tic!) now, which is to say we may feel this energy more strongly than usual…
Since Full Moons are always about release, a simultaneous total lunar eclipse indicates endings as well. Eclipses run in what’s known as the Saros Cycles and have been traced back through the ages by many astrologers, among them Bernadette Brady.
Brady notes in “Predictive Astrology, The Eagle and the Lark,” that this particular Leo Full Moon total lunar eclipse (Saros Series 1 South) “is concerned with ideas and their enthusiastic expression,” and that “if this eclipse affects your chart, you will be flooded with ideas or options. There may seem to be an element of haste, but if you can go with new ideas, they will have positive outcomes.”
Hmm…sounds like in order to allow in such new ideas, we’ll probably have to release some older ones, eh? And that this may happen naturally. Be aware of where this eclipse is hitting your chart and you’ll be able to guesstimate into what area of life your new ideas will come…
This Leo Full Moon is a lunar eclipse because the Aquarius Sun joins Venus, Hygeia, Juno, and the Aquarius South Node (past karma), while the Leo Moon aligns with Ceres & the Leo North Node in opposition.
As we feel the strong pull of Aquarian South Node energy to the past, we notice that only the Leo Moon & Ceres are aligned with the North Node, the direction of our future destiny. Let’s review how we might move forward consciously.
When the Leo Moon reflects back to the Aquarius Sun its own bright light, we’re reminded–while the Sun moves this month through this group-oriented, humanitarian, aha! moment sign–that the whole collective of humanity is comprised of separate individuals.
However mindful of this we remain, we also must recall that all full Moon energies require integration and balance to operate optimally.
What does this energetic integration look like?
First of all, what’s wounded you in terms of the Aquarian archetype either in early life or past life karma, particularly in the area of breaking away (or not!) from a group or tribe (i.e., family, religion, school, community, etc.) and their particular way of thinking. What’s got you clinging to an old way of dealing with issues around health and/or partnership?
You might have been ostracized (which could lead to self-ostracizing, aptly espoused by Groucho Marx’s famous quip: “I don’t wanna be a member of any group that’ll have me as a member!”) Perhaps you were ahead of your time and everyone around you thought you were crazy. Maybe you were, or you became crazy as a result, doubting your own intuitive or intellectual knowledge.
Or, alternatively, you stuck with the group (and its way of thinking) out of habit, or a sense of guilt or betrayal should you decide to leave, but you knew at some point that the group’s philosophy varied greatly from your own.
The results of sticking with that group or collective energy over time might have pushed you into a position of authority—one from which it became harder and harder to escape. So now you’re living a life that doesn’t include being true to yourself or your own individual beliefs, and which doesn’t leave you feeling truly happy or secure.
This Leo Full Moon lunar eclipse calls us all to think about why we align with those we do, whether they constitute a literal group or simply a particular philosophy or set of beliefs or rules–and whether this way of thinking benefits your freedom of self-expression, health, or one-on-one partnerships.
We’re drawn back now toward releasing old negative philosophical Aquarian collective ideas &/or trauma-related karma in order to move forward toward honoring our future solar creative individual selves…
The Sun will shine, regardless. You get to decide how much you want your individual light to shine, and whether or not you need the group or collective to be able to do this.
We all walk that fine line between being accepted and being ourselves. Many of us—for whatever reason—feel we must hide our true inner selves for fear of being shamed, blamed, or otherwise deemed “different.”
The Leo Moon/Ceres/North Node call us to utilize what we’ve learned from any group or tribe to which we belong or previously belonged, and to bring it forward in our lives. Dwarf planet Ceres’ connotation is around sustenance, be it literal or metaphorical, so now is the time to figure out how to self-nurture by shining one’s own creative, solar light out into the world in order to fulfill one’s karmic destiny–without fear.
I’ve noted before that Jungian astrologer Liz Greene points out that the dilemma for those who carry Aquarian energy is about separating from the collective. Since we all have Uranus (Aquarius’s ruler) somewhere in our chart, the house or houses with this sign prominent represent areas where our ability to express our emotional and instinctive individual needs is being tested.
In The Art of Stealing Fire, Uranus in the Horoscope, Greene cautions against considering unconventionality equal to individuality. She writes: “…please try to rid yourselves of the association of Uranus with individuality,” because “unconventional does not mean individual…because the act of rebelling against something means that tone is in some way deeply bound up with, and subtly dominated by, the very things one is fighting. This is not an expression of individuality, because that comes from within, and is not dictated by attempting to be the opposite of something one perceives in the outer world.”
She adds: “One needs to be able to say, ‘hang on a minute. This is a wonderful and inspiring vision of the future, but does it apply to the world in which I am presently living? Is it viable in terms of my experience of life and human nature? Do I believe it with my heart and gut, as well as my head?…Can I contribute anything truly individual to making it work?’
“Without this kind of perspective, Uranus may wipe out individual values and individual authenticity, and what we have left is polemics. In its most negative form, these are the polemics of the terrorist, or the polemics of any mass movement which is aimed at destroying institutions or structures which are deemed in need of radical change.”
Green concludes, “if someone is trapped in such receptivity to the collective, without any individual sense of self to monitor, sift, and shape the revelation, he or she may lose touch with what is nourishing and creative on an inner level, and many important aspects of personal life may be unwittingly crushed.”
The Moon quincunxes Neptune at this Leo Full Moon lunar eclipse, which says we may be confused, easily deceived, or put our faith into something Quixotic; however, we may still continue to dream of what we can someday become…
It pays now to remember “from chaos comes clarity,” and that as long as we’re aware this is the dream stage and not the actuality, we should be fine. Quincunx is tantamount to an annoyance which, through its irritation, causes us to adjust something or other in our immediate environment.
So, when dealing with the more impersonal Aquarian energy prevalent right now, we can remind ourselves that through this Moon/Neptune quincunx we can adjust to any annoyances by allowing ourselves freedom of creative and emotional expression as at least a brief respite. This is preferable over putting too much faith in others and ending up deceived.
In addition, Mercury moves just after this Leo Full Moon from “work hard,” “keep the status quo,” and “don’t rock the boat” Capricorn energy into more objectively forward thinking, impartial, collective Aquarius energy, and we may have to put on our thinking caps to ascertain if what’s being said (or what we’re saying to others) is what we truly think or feel.
The courage and strength to think and feel freely is the right and proper integration of the Aquarius and Leo energies prevalent now.
The message inherent in this Leo Full Moon lunar eclipse is that we must sustain ourselves by shining our true light up and outward and, in doing so follow our hearts regardless of the strong pull of the collective right now.
Though the Aquarian archetype often likes its external battles—think Prometheus and his defiance of Zeus when he stole fire to give to mankind–the battle now is within, not without.
It’s about finding that liminal space inside where you sing your own song, paint your own picture, dance your own dance, and generally simply follow your heart…
Why?
Because it’s your heart that knows whether it’s on the “right” road or not, even if it’s not the permanent road. And it’s your heart that cannot sacrifice its individual unique means of expression, or sublimate its feelings to any particular group or the collective as a whole, to be lost to anonymity forever…
Here’s a song that sprang to mind when writing this piece that I feel aptly describes the energy of this Leo Full Moon total lunar eclipse & its potential integrative energies…note how there’s an orchestra (group) AND soloists (individuals) ALL expressing themselves creatively! (Sorry the film’s a bit fuzzy in places, but I couldn’t find a clearer version…)
From the movie “Fame”
“I sing the body electric
I celebrate the me yet to come
I toast to my own reunion
When I become one with the sun
And I’ll look back on Venus
I’ll look back on Mars
And I’ll burn with the fire of ten million stars
And in time, and in time we will all be stars
I sing the body electric
I glory in the glow of rebirth
Creating my own tomorrow
When I shall embody the earth
And I’ll serenade Venus
I’ll serenade Mars
And I’ll burn with the fire of ten million stars
And in time, and in time we will all be stars
We are the emperors now and we are the czars
And in time, and in time we will all be stars
I sing the body electric
I celebrate the me yet to come
I toast to my own reunion
When I become one with the sun
And I’ll look back on Venus
I’ll look back on Mars
And I’ll burn with the fire of ten million stars
And in time, and in time we will all be stars
And in time, and in time we will all be stars…”
On this Scorpio New Moon, when the Moon meets up with the Sun in the sign of the scorpion (who’s sting can transform us from one dimension to another, i.e., through the transformative cycle of death and rebirth), the time is ripe for evolution…
What kind of evolution?
EVOLUTION REVOLUTION!
Well, evolution implies the need for change, and when it comes to Scorpio energy, it’s about empowerment and/or dis-empowerment.
Whichever way you roll, it’s got the word power in it, lol…
Ergo, the question becomes: will change help move us toward true personal empowerment, or will resistance keep us hidden back in the shadows attempting to pull the puppet strings from afar, thereby controlling situations without honestly confronting them?
The Scorpio archetype revolves around the concept of wholeness and regeneration, which is why one of the key words for this sign is transformation.
The universe is made up of energy, and energy needs to constantly flow as that’s its nature. When we refuse to move toward change, we deny a law of nature. And that usually comes at a price far higher than most of us are willing to acknowledge, never mind admit…
WILLING TO MARCH INTO HELL FOR A HEAVENLY CAUSE?
Scorpio also carries a psychic signature. Pluto–after whom the sign’s modern ruling planet is named—is the Greek god of Hades, the underworld.
Able to imperceptibly cross the divide between the earthly plane of humans and Hades, known as the land of “shades” to the ancient Greeks, Pluto represents the realm of souls who’ve “crossed over” from one dimension to another after the soul leaves the body at death.
It’s this “crossing of the divide” that most interests a psychological/archetypal/evolutionary astrologer like me…
Renowned psychological astrologer Liz Greene has written and lectured about how the planet Pluto, the modern ruler of the sign Scorpio, attempts to annihilate anything it touches.
Her point? That the Scorpio archetype is part of the alchemical process of change, or the normal (and necessary) course of evolution (including transformation through the cycles of death and rebirth) inherent in all life forms…
Unlike Scorpio’s traditional ruler, the planet Mars, Pluto is less interested in fighting (be it for a just cause or simply because one has a chip on one’s shoulder!) than he is in evolving.
“Fighting for territory, fighting to win, fighting for a mate, fighting to procreate, fighting for leadership of the pack–these are all Mars functions,” writes Greene in “The Mars Quartet.”
“Pluto is concerned with the overall evolution and survival of life, but survival does not necessarily involve fighting, and evolution may require adaptation…”
The risk behind not adapting is extinction, Greene adds.
If and when forced to fight, Pluto’s battle cry sounds like this: Change or be changed! You can go easy or you can go hard, but either way you’re goin’…how you go is your choice…
SOMETIMES THE SHADOW WINS
Scorpio energy likes to dig deeply into the seamy side of life. Of all the signs, Scorpio is most indicative of our “shadow side.” That’s because everyone’s shadow lies buried deep within and only by dragging it out into the light can it be seen in its proper perspective.
If we’re brave enough and don’t falter–though we may at times tremble with fear–we allow ourselves to travel beyond our ego’s borders into the misty twilit swamps of our unconscious mind…
What we discover there could change us irrevocably…
It’s never easy to try to learn what we don’t know, but only by digging deeply—asking questions, being persistent, not taking no for an answer—can we begin to make progress.
Only by bravely standing at the ready to hear, see, feel, taste, touch, and ACCEPT–regardless of final outcome–can we begin to integrate the unconscious into consciousness and thereby become truly WHOLE…
Thus, this Scorpio New Moon is about embracing the shadow rather than obliterating it…
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL…
So what’s it gonna be for you on this Scorpio New Moon?
We receive a potential boost from this Scorpio New Moon–which falls at 7 degrees, 43 minutes–because it conjuncts Mercury, trines transiting Neptune and the South Node in Pisces, and sextiles the Virgo North Node.
A trine is a 120-degree angle–known as a “soft aspect”—that allows circumstances or people to move forward easily. Of course, there’s no guarantee that “forward” is “good,” as such easy momentum can also result in situations or people moving TOO fast…
This trine to Neptune/South Node can go one of two ways: you may find moving out of the Neptune/Pisces South Node energy of escapist or addictive behavior, and/or victim or martyr tendencies, comes easily to you now.
Or, you might let the ease of this transiting aspect suck you back into the oblivion of an insulated, passive, somebody-else-has-to-take-care-if-it-and/or-me attitude of yesteryear…
My money’s on the former, mostly because this Scorpio New Moon also sextiles the Virgo North Node. Sextiles are 60-degree angles that represent opportunities, as long as we are smart and swift enough to recognize and act on them.
Now is the time to seize the day and move away from any Neptune-induced fog into which we may have become immersed (especially with the recent Saturn square Neptune energy of this past year still in evidence) and toward the clarity of Virgoan discernment.
Virgo sweats the details. Pisces does not. Need I say more?
Recognizing one has a choice is the first step in the battle toward bringing the unconscious into consciousness. And integrating the dark into the light allows us to better achieve our karmic mission in this lifetime…
Helping us to think (and dig) more clearly and deeply into our situation–and how we might profitably plumb the depths of our psyches to excavate and extricate our true inner wisdom–is the Scorpio New Moon’s conjunction with Mercury.
Powerfully deep is Mercury in Scorpio—with heart (Moon), ego (Sun), and mind (Mercury) in alignment there are no depths to which we cannot (or will not) dive!
The potential result?
The planting now of seeds of self-empowerment which ultimately produce perennial and evergreen buds that bloom into a beautiful garden. In turn, we’re likely to reap the benefits of increased self-confidence and gain the type of empowerment borne out of self-knowledge and greater understanding.
Such enlightenment not only increases our ability to recognize, but to speak, our truth and to stand up and be counted…
HEAVEN HELP US ALL
Helping us to “sweat the details” also is a Venus/Saturn meet up during this 48-hour dark of the moon period.
Venus is about values; Saturn about maturation, among other things. When the two cross paths in the sky like this, we can also go one of two ways but always we’re asked either to make a commitment or to give something up.
If the latter, we should rest assured that whatever we give up is no longer instrumental to our future growth. It’s not always easy, and sometimes may cause pain, but it’s always about moving forward free and clear of obligations that will serve no future purpose other than to weigh us down and impede our karmic progress in the end…
This Venus/Saturn pair up also square Neptune and the Nodes (karmic indicators), strengthening the notion that whatever commitment you’re asked to make–or challenge you face now about letting someone or something go–has longer term implications for you.
If you’ve experienced anything sudden and/or unexpected in the past few days, it’s likely the effect of Mars having squared Uranus on October 28. When these two planets connect via a hard angle (as the square is known) this “something sudden” may prove problematic in some way…
The challenge, as always, is to face it squarely and recognize the need for change. Occurring so close to this Scorpio New Moon, can you see the redundancy of the theme of CHANGE?
Finally, Jupiter is approaching an exact square to Pluto on November 20. As he does so, the energy is waxing, or getting stronger.
Jupiter, the king of gods—the great benefic who often brings good luck and good fortune, and about whom the worst that can be said is that he brings TOO MUCH of something—is getting ready to confront the god of transformation.
I interpret Jupiter as THE planet of higher consciousness. His square to Pluto indicates—again following this Scorpio New Moon’s theme of TRANSFORMATION—that taking the higher road toward transforming darkness into light in the form of self-knowledge may not be easily achieved, but is one way we can proactively choose to go…
Harking back to the Venus/Saturn square to the karmic Nodes, Jupiter’s square to Pluto is also about conquering any resulting difficulty we may have believing in ourselves. Whatever commitments we make, whatever we’re forced to give up, trusting it’s all for our highest and best good–regardless of any opposition (internal or external!)–is called for now…
Continuing to have faith that whatever decision we make will mature us and stand us in good stead down the road is one not-so-small step forward in our karmic evolution …
Namaste…
Here’s the song Heaven Help Us All, performed by Ray Charles, reminding us all to keep the faith:
“Heaven help the boy who never had a home,
Heaven help the girl who walks the street alone
Heaven help the roses if the bombs begin to fall,
Heaven help us all.
Heaven help the black man if he struggles one more day,
Heaven help the white man if he turns his back away,
Heaven help the man who kicks the man who has to crawl,
Heaven help us all.
Heaven help the boy who won’t reach twenty-one,
Heaven help the man who gave that boy a gun.
Heaven help the people with their backs against the wall,
Lord, Heaven help us all.”
Watch & listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2jPRvtnnZc
archetype, death, Hades, Liz Greene, moon, Pluto, rebirth, Scorpio New Moon, scorpion, shadow, soul, Sun, transformation, Truth
Ah, Libra—the sign of balance, equality, harmony, and loving partnerships!
As the Moon meets the Sun at 8 degrees Libra, this Libra New Moon bestows upon us all an excellent opportunity to do some work around the theme of relationships!
Libra is known to be a sign that has great difficulty making decisions. That’s because those who carry a good deal of Libra archetypal energy have a knack for seeing both sides of a situation.
Ergo, they are capable of understanding, sympathizing, and potentially empathizing with those who express two different sides of an argument. This can make it difficult for one who carries Libra energy to choose.
I VS. THOU
In addition, Libra energy is known as one that does not feel whole without a partner. Thus the sign’s tendency—because it is about balance, fairness, and peace—is to compromise, sometimes too much, for the sake of their partnerships.
On the flip side, however, positive Libra energy revolves around creativity, compromise, and negotiation. Many who carry Libra energy make excellent negotiators, diplomats, peacemakers, artists, etc., precisely because they can see so clearly opposite sides of the same dilemma and sense the opportunity for peace in the middle.
This Libra New Moon–which brings together the Moon and the Sun in the sky (as do all New Moons)—carries with the potential for an alignment of the heart and mind. This metaphysically portends that an ultimately successful “make love, not war” philosophy is possible.
LIBRA NEW MOON & JUPITER IN LIBRA: WHOLE LOTTA LIBRA
All roads may seem to lead to partnership this year, and the fact is that we are entering a whole new era of relationships.
However, this news isn’t necessarily all sweetness and light, as this Libra New Moon might otherwise seem to indicate. Rather, combined with Jupiter’s journey through the sign of Libra until October 12, 2017, the message is that we must watch out for Libra’s potential pitfalls.
“Relationships are only as good as any individual continues to grow in ever-evolving independence and inter-dependence,” according to Kim Marie Weimer of the Evolutionary Astrology Network, in a recent lecture on the topic of Jupiter in Libra.
While we all have before us the potential “to achieve new equalities—racial, gender, economic, religious, and the balancing of self vs. other(s),” we also must watch for the distortions in our partnerships, which may include “selfishness, extremes, war, patriarchal grabs, and violence,” Weimer explains.
Crucial to the message of this Libra New Moon is how self-reliance and honesty with oneself promote our ability to relate to others as equals and to forge alliances free from power struggles, disillusionment, and confusion. Weimer suggests that Jupiter in Libra will help us instead to recognize “we are all in it together, honoring self-needs [as] equal to another’s needs.”
LIBRA NEW MOON HEART/MIND ALIGNMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Libra New Moon’s separation from Jupiter bestows a kiss of luck upon the new couple, who not only receive this anointment from the great benefic Jupiter, but a boost from their approaching sextile to Saturn as well…
This sextile to Saturn is what presents us with our opportunity, as a sextile is always an aspect that can increase our ability to seize the day–as long as we’re cognizant that this is so.
Saturn is always about maturation, and maturity often comes only at the expense of hard work. Whether that work entails learning from one’s mistakes en route to following a pathway toward success, or simply putting one’s shoulder to the wheel and pushing it uphill, there is always exertion involved.
The Libra New Moon’s sextile to Saturn portends an easier route, or flow if you will, toward that maturation. In other words, you have the wind behind your sails as you attempt to bring your heart and mind into alignment vis-à-vis the subject of your relationships.
The biggest fly in the ointment becomes the Libra New Moon’s square to Mars, along with the red planet’s square to Jupiter as well…a little self-discipline wouldn’t hurt, as Venus-ruled Libra New Moon might otherwise be prone to a bit of excess born of frustration with any particular partnership.
Seeing red might bring about a confrontation with another that’s long overdue, but anger for the sake of itself will not solve any long term problems. Be mindful that it pays to look at where you’ve been compromising too much for the sake of partnership and of blaming another for letting the issue(s) go on for too long…
This Libra New Moon ask us to get creative in finding the kind of middle ground that won’t leave us frustrated and angry in the long-term…
LIBRA NEW MOON OPPORTUNITY: FALL IN LOVE—WITH YOURSELF!
Those of us who dream of soul mates and miraculous partnerships made in heaven, it’s usually good to remember that all relationships represent parts of ourselves that we attract to ourselves in the form of another.
These are the bits and pieces of our personalities about which we are unconscious–and one of the best roads toward consciousness is when we can see ourselves through the eyes of another.
To be made more fully aware of who we really are is the true gift of any partnership—be it a relationship with a significant other, our family members, friends, colleagues, or higher up authority figures.
So this Libra New Moon reminds us that it’s time to start anew and plant a seed of loving oneself first before one can truly love another. It also reminds us that every relationship has a lesson for us because it teaches us more about ourselves.
The issue of whether or not relationships are meant to last is often a moot point disregarded by those hell bent on finding their true soul mate.
This Libra New Moon’s quincunx to Neptune and the South Node in Pisces indicates that although relationships are important, adjustments must be made to bring your attention back down to earth and to the most impactful relationship you can possibly have: the one with yourself!
THIS is the partnership that needs the most attention, because cultivating self-love first allows you to see this love reflected back to you in the eyes (and behavior!) of another.
In turn, this kind of loving partnership with another brings you the opportunity to continually learn about yourself, grow in consciousness, and love yourself even more…
Here’s a fun video to help remind you to keep the focus on YOU within relationship when you might otherwise distort your view of a partnership and blame (or love!) only the other…remember it’s possible to start evaluating your relationship with yourself FIRST and then move onward and outward to others:
Hailee Steinfeld’s I Love Myself!
Namaste…
artists, Jupiter, Libra, Libra New Moon, Mars, moon, peacemakers, relationship, Saturn, Sun