Full Moon in Scorpio: Our Power of Choice

White Tara Goddess Art by Laura Milnor Iverson

Full Moon in Scorpio: Our Power of Choice

Moon opposite Sun- 5-18-2019 @ 4:13pm CDT

The focus is clear on this Full Flower Moon, even with all the complexity surrounding the current Taurus-Scorpio reflection. What is unfolding now is about power. The dynamics bring up issues of power over others, power under others, hidden power, and the truth of our free will power of choice within. What is intensifying now is our fixed focus on the body and our personal resources and values (Taurus Earth) and our fixed focus on the emotions that we feel deeply and share with others we trust (Scorpio Water).

It may be a surprise for some to consider that what is suggested by all the Earth and Water elements guiding us at this time is not a call to catch fire and heat things up, but to cool down and tap in to our Inner Wisdom. Easier said than done, I know, because what is happening around us is earth-shakingly turbulent. All the more reason to check in with your inner response-ability. How do YOU choose to use the wisdom of this lunar cycle?

Sun-Sedna-Artemis in Taurus 28

Sabian Symbol: ‘A woman, past her ‘change of life’, experiences a new love’

'Awakening Love in 2019' by Jalai Lama

'Sedna' by Germaine Arnaktauyok
The Inuit Goddess of the Ocean and Sea Animals

Sun illuminates this Full Moon opposition while flanked closely with the outer planet, Sedna, and the asteroid, Artemis. This alliance of earthy Taurus wisdom is connected to the Ocean (Sedna) as well as the Moon and Wilderness (Artemis). Archetypes of Mama Ocean and Wild Huntress radiate from the Sun’s beams at this time. They are also in conjunction with Mercury in Taurus, a few degrees away. Mercury brings the Collective Mind and our ability to communicate these Earth lessons into play...and acts as a translator of messages for the energies involved. Guiding all of this is Venus, the Feminine Principle of Love, who arrived home in this fixed earth sign a few days ago. About 5 hours prior to this Full Moon, Venus exacted conjunctions with Pandora and Uranus (working together to move our awareness out-of-the-box).

Anything is possible with this kind of awakening love response. And we will see it outside of us in many different forms, not all of them as romantic as this Taurus symbol suggests. It is important to tap into our own response to whatever ‘new love’ arises in our experience at this time. Uranus in Taurus reminds us to follow our own timing and keep the beat of our own drum. Venus agrees, and attracts new and unexpected experiences of love to celebrate this earthy season.

'Artemis (Diana)' by Catherine La Rose

And yet, what many of us are being faced with in our love for our own earth bodies and our personal choices to share this love with another...is strong opposition to our own abilities to choose these experiences for ourselves. The emotions from the lunar opposition are intense. The opposition can bring up powerful parts of the mythic storyline of these Goddesses illuminated by the Taurus Sun. Sedna’s storyline relates in that she was wronged and wounded by male dominated value systems, but ultimately became the powerful Mother Goddess of the Oceans with choice to offer her gifts to humanity or withhold them. Artemis’s storyline relates in that she chose to be a virgin midwife who honors the choice of each woman to choose motherhood or not. In her storyline, she not only successfully enforced her maidenhood choice on men who disrespected that choice...but she empowered other women to choose their own paths.

As more and more man-made, and ultimately dangerous, laws are being forced on our individual sovereignty...this Taurus Stellium empowers dedication to our freedom of choice. The mature woman in the symbol radiated here is breaking free of false limitations through the rebirth of love. We have the capacity for mature response to our experience of this time. Receptive wisdom is heightened, and we must trust our inner resources for response. The energies of this Taurus Stellium guide us to be open, receptive, and responsive to the Venusian Initiations being offered now.

Moon in Scorpio 28

Sabian Symbol: ‘The King of the Fairies approaching his domain’

'Oberon and Puck Listening to the Sea Maid's Music' by Chris Beetles

Our Full Moon is guided by Mars and Pluto, in both personal and transpersonal expressions. So what is coming up for each of us is guided by our recent experience of out-of-bounds Mars in Cancer (ruled by Moon, so in ‘mutual reception’ between Moon and Mars signs now). And transpersonally, we are guided by the Collective Soul regeneration of Pluto Retrograde in Capricorn (ruled by Saturn, who is also retrograding Capricorn). With this mix of ‘rulerships’ in the energy of this Full Moon, there is a many layered lesson in the symbol of this degree of Scorpio.

Each of us is ultimately the authority of our own lives, the Fairy King shows us. Signs from the Spirit World will be emerging from deep Scorpio waters, revealing the Mysteries beyond the edges of our awareness. As the Mother Moon illuminates this degree, each of us encounters our own lunar reflection of the truth of our hidden power. And Scorpio is about sharing our truth...merging truths together with others to get right to the core of what life means to us.

Some truth does hurt. Some truth heals. Thus, the intensity of Scorpio waters shows us the deepest experience of life's truths. One reflection of this Full Moon is in the power of creating alliances with others as well as aligning with Natural Law. The Laws of Nature are synchronized to Mother Earth’s body. Man-made law cannot restrict her or control her. It can scarcely define her at this point, while it is so heavily controlled itself by those who don’t respect and honor her.

Mother Earth is the Prima Genetrix. She has the ultimate power of choice. Her allied forces among us remind us that within her Natural Law, choice is always necessary...because choice brings evolution to this mix of Spirit-Soul-Matter that we embody.

'Black Butterfly' by Larry Poncho Brown

Many of us, not even just those of us with a uterus, are feeling Mother Earth’s call. We mirror her feelings, as we all feel an organized and invasive attack on the Feminine Mysteries we ALL hold within our bodies from our own lineage of Mothers. We’re picking up more pieces of Truth in this Full Moon phase, investigating the Mother Mysteries together as a shared discussion and discovery. Just as each of us has our own knowledge of these Mysteries within us, passed down through ancestral mothers...there are also other Nature Spirits among us we are increasingly discovering as Allies. They have their own pieces of our Truth to share with us. This expands our Womb Wisdom of the World through the connections in the Mother Mind.

What our Natural World is saying to us, a culture that has become largely enslaved and disconnected to Nature, is that we are connected to something greater than what we’ve been seeing in the human realm. They are guides and allies, championing our rights to make fully informed choices for ourselves. They show us the way to be with others who need allies to clean up this complicated, twisted mess we’re all in globally. In this unified field together, we are protected while protecting each other. We become the Wayshower within.

This Soul level discussion I’m offering here may seem too ‘out there’ for many people, and that’s understandable. We, as modern humans, often come into the teaching that we can’t trust what we can’t confirm with our own senses...even while being conditioned to see Spirit through the eyes of other humans. What we forget is that we all see from the perspective of our own InnerSpace. Scorpio Moon reflects in ways that show us what appears ‘out there’ is really ‘in here’...in the light we carry within our own bodies.

The Fairy King whispers, "Be not afraid of what you cannot always see. Trust that there are forces supporting your enlightenment."

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

New Moon in Taurus: Beltane Blessings of Ayni

New Moon in Taurus: Beltane Blessings of Ayni

Moon conjunct Sun @ 5:45pm CDT, May 4^th, 2019

We enter the Flower Moon cycle just before the Beltane Cross-Quarter (May 5^th, when Sun reaches 15 degrees of Taurus). This initiation (as all New Moons are monthly initiations) is a particularly potent one to tap into with some ceremonial (or literal!) planting of a seed from the fruit of the previous cycle (the Seed Moon). Not only is the Moon exalted in Taurus, but Beltane (opposite from Samhain on the Wheel of the Year) is a time that is very potent for planting seeds of many kinds.

And Taurus energy loves to grow steadily and abundantly. Venus rules Taurus, which means the Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Attraction is like a Guardian to those parts of you represented by natal planets in Taurus...as well as to the transiting bodies that move through her sign of fixed earth.

'Star' from Legacy of the Divine Tarot
by Ciro Marchetti

One of those celestial bodies, the asteroid Astraea, is very influential on the themes of this New Moon. Just one degree away from the luminaries, Astraea brings up the archetypal storyline of the Star Maiden, Goddess of Justice. In Taurus, she can be quite fixed on the part of her storyline that shows how she will stay the course to help others grow, even when they are hell-bent on falling short of their potential and falling into their own shadows. She comes with another Venusian theme (from the Cardinal Air sign of Libra) of balancing the scales...and this translates through Taurus in ways that relate to our body, the sensual experience of life, what gives us both pleasure and sustenance to grow, our resources, what has worth and value, and what yields fruitful results. There is work to be done, but there is also pleasure to be received...and Astraea reminds us to get steady and balanced through moderation. Taurus is a gradual sign and unfolds in natural timing...it can’t be forced. So if we’re over-working...there is likely to be a resistance to the growth that needs to unfold. And, conversely, if we’re only focused on what gives pleasure to ourselves...we’re not as able to tap in to the productivity of this fixed earth sign. Balance is needed between work and play...so we can have the creative energy to grow. This balance Astraea is teaching us in Taurus is the very balance we need with our Mother Earth as well as with each other: the reciprocal flow of give and receive.

Planets in Mutual Reception

'Connection' by Carla Woody

On May 1^st, the day many pagans celebrate Beltane, we had an opportunity to learn this reciprocal flow through the Mutual Reception of Mercury and Mars in sextile. The 60 degree sextile between planets brings up some opportunity through this vibration of good rapport. And so we may feel it as things working harmoniously to bring about a good opportunity. Of course, you have to put in some effort to tap into that flow...where both you and others can benefit. With Mercury in the sextile, communication is key. With Mars, it’s about taking action. And with them both in Mutual Reception (meaning that Mercury is in the Mars sign of Aries and Mars is in the Mercury sign of Gemini), this rapport was especially helpful because both planets have a good understanding of the other’s current expression or quest. Mars’s quest through Gemini, while he is currently out-of-bounds of the ecliptic path, is in the farther reaches of this Air sign where curiosities and fascinations driving us bring us experiences that are beyond the bounds of what we’d normally do. Mercury provides some guidance there that can be very helpful for the journey ahead. While Mars provides the actions that allow us to think in the quickfire, instinctual nature of Aries. While, at this New Moon, the strength of the sextile is receding...the Mutual Reception between the planets is still in play.

Mercury has been quite active in the waning of last month’s Seed Moon...where we are wrapping up (and distilling the essence of) the previous phase. Squaring the lunar nodes, Saturn Rx, and then Pluto Rx...Mercury has been pressed at the apex of a T-square. This may have felt like a buildup of mental stress in this transition between April and May. A call for dynamic Aries expression has been sounded through the Messenger. With help from Mars, taking decisive action to alleviate those stresses will continue to be key as we move from the Seed Moon into the Flower Moon cycle. On May 2^nd, Mercury also exacted a flowing fire trine with Jupiter Rx...which can give a creative boost (or perhaps a way to relax) to ease any mental tensions.

Mars will also exact an opposition with Jupiter Rx the day after the New Moon (May 5^th, the astrological cross-quarter of Beltane). This will be one of the main influences on the start of the Flower Moon cycle (as well as Astraea’s Taurus expression). With every opposition, there is a need for balance in an effort to integrate the opposites. And Mercury will also be helping to achieve this balance through beneficial aspects to both Mars and Jupiter.

Both of my children have this same aspect (Mars opposite Jupiter) in different signs. The aspect itself seems to be quite lucky...even though the tendency is often to leap before looking while following optimistic impulses. It can go either way and produce lucky breaks or amplified missteps...but often with an ability to bounce back, learning a lot through the experience. I can’t even count the number of times that, as a mother of a couple Capricorn kids with this energy, I have cringed at moments when it seemed the worst could happen...and somehow these kids come out mostly unscathed. As we begin our journey through this Flower Moon, Jupiter Rx may promote an exaggerated sense of adventure and invincibility to our out-of-bounds Mars energy...and rebelliousness is likely. Mercury’s help may be a reminder to at least have good cause behind our actions.

The Tao of Taurus

'Gaia' by Minjae Lee

With that backdrop of where we are coming from and where we begin anew...let’s return to the New Moon lesson of Taurus. What is the way of fixed earth? It certainly isn’t immovable (and stubborn, as is often projected on this sign)...though it does teach the wisdom of resting for better productivity. Essentially, Taurus unfolds with Venusian beauty like an Earthly blossom. It also has the energy of bringing things to completion, which is part of the nature of all 4 fixed signs. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun enters Taurus after Spring has been established in Aries...and the delight of the sensual experience of this season is filling our bodies with the promise of growth. Though the Southern Hemisphere experiences the opposite, but just as sensual experience, of the Autumn giving way to Winter in the promise of rest. Both are part of the Taurus/Scorpio axis that link Beltane with Samhain.

So Taurus, as anything which flowers and bears fruit to later die and become the seed again, is the fixed earth way of Mother Nature. There is a certain timing to it that can’t be rushed, as gardeners and farmers know well. There is also room in this timing for the unexpected (such as the storm that may alter the course of growth). This is where Uranus in Taurus factors in...the unpredictable element within the somewhat predictable timing and flow of fixed earth. Uranus can heighten the punctuation in the rhythms that Taurus sustains...throwing in some improvisational jazz to Mother Earth’s music. And Taurus Earth, as a feminine sign, is receptive to such awakening input...so mutations and new variations on Her structure are born.

Moon and Sun in Taurus 15

Sabian Symbol: ‘Head covered with a rakish silk hat, muffled against the cold, a man braves the storm’

'The Man in the Storm' by Yeesam Art

So, if we’re to grow in the kairos (quality of time) that is our current environment...we may want to tap into the Taurus persistence and perseverance that draws upon our inner resources to withstand the weather of whatever may come. But be prepared to be changed from the experience, however it might arise for you. Growth is not about the destination, but the process. Continuing to do the same thing over and over to achieve a certain result can sometimes lead to success, but it can also lead to a sticking point where a new perspective is needed. The Jupiter-Mars opposition in good relationship with Mercury as we begin this new cycle may allow for that widened perspective that helps us to choose the best course of action. It will likely give us that rakish (confidently carefree and bold) air that can face any crisis with optimism.

This New Moon energy, for me personally, brings me back to a time several years ago when I was stuck and didn’t think I had the energy or inner resources to brave another storm. After years of trying to conceive a child, my husband and I miscarried Phoenyx when we finally thought we were being blessed with a new addition to our family. It was devastating. It made us question our own faith in ourselves. And then, not long after, I came across this blog post from Dan Teck called ‘The Pitfalls of Perseverance’. The way he wrote it spoke to me (and my Taurus Ascendant conjunct Chiron)...and it shook me out of a perspective of failure through laughter and the wisdom of opposites (very Heyokah medicine). What his words awakened in me then was much like this ‘rakish’ quality that braves the storm in our New Moon symbol now. It was, ‘if it is meant to be, it is meant to be’...and I let go of any need I had felt to control a very natural process. From that thought-seed of a different perspective, our son Felix (which means ‘lucky’ or ‘happy’) came into our lives the next year. Amazing how the ‘don’t try so hard, and it will happen’ advice from loved ones didn’t quite set in until the message came at me from an unexpected angle. So it often goes.

I bring this part of my personal story up, and the link that relates to the turning point, because I know several of you are facing your own Dark Night of the Soul right now (there’s an additional link for you, if you want to know more about that part of the Soul’s Journey)...and your own crises of faith. Perhaps reading about ‘The Pitfalls of Perseverance’ by Dan Teck will also help you to shift your perspective in this month of fixed earth, when perseverance is part of the theme. A little warmth as you muffle yourself against the storm. Much love to those who are feeling loss or lost in this greater cycle of Saturn-Pluto endings leading into Jupiter-Saturn beginnings by the end of next year.

Sundial in Arbor Lodge's Sensory Garden
Nebraska City
Beltane 2018

Time passes, memories remain. And in those memories from past cycles are the seeds of new life.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi