Part One: May the Force Be with You (and Not Against You)…
"It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.” –Obi-Wan Kenobi
There are many definitions of ‘force’, and this quote describes well the mythical/allegorical one many of us grew up with. And it certainly applies to the energy I’m about to describe, if you look into the mythic journey popularized by the Star Wars saga. However, there are other definitions that may hit even closer to home during this final stage in the trilogy of eclipses this summer.
This eclipse aligns with 3 outer planets (Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto) in an aspect configuration called a Cardinal Grand Cross. For those of you who were reading along last year, you may notice we are revisiting a similar energy now from last summer. Same Cross, but with less planets involved. When the planets and luminaries are in the four cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn)…something karmic is taking action. In fact, action is unavoidable now. Especially for those who, during the last eclipse, didn’t pay much attention to the aperture of light shining into our own shadows…this upcoming eclipse will literally FORCE you to see yourself in a light you can’t possibly ignore.
In this energy field, we may find ourselves faced with one or more of these challenges:
1. Someone or something strong and powerful will force us to move or take action (you may see this on a grand scale as well, like the flooding in our part of the country).
2. An influence will change our course or produce action or stress in our lives if we are not already working toward a beneficial goal (this is what you will see most often in those who have been resistant to changing their lives for the better).
3. We may, ourselves, be a force exerting power or influence over a situation or others (for those that read this, I would hope that use of ‘The Force’ would be more Jedi than Sith…and, indeed, times may call for such action).
4. We will see the powerful effect of something we have said or done.
5. A group of people (perhaps with you included) may band together and organize to create a necessary change.
6. Things may be broken into or taken by force.
7. You may feel the need to force yourself to do something that is uncomfortable or new to you.
8. Many of the changes we face will not come easily…they will take action and much effort.
9. You will be confronted with the potency of your own personal power and realize your own potential.
Part Two: Diamonds in the Rough…
The Solar Eclipse is Friday at 3:38am CDT and the New Blessing Moon begins several minutes later at 3:54am CDT. The degree of the zodiac being highlighted by both events is the 10th degree of Cancer. The Sabian Symbol for this degree is ‘A large diamond, not completely cut’.
The theme of this energy is that of a ‘diamond in the rough.’ The best way to express this energy is to recognize the value of yourself, others, and your situation…emerging as if a latent potential is about to be fully revealed. Shake off the illusion that you need to appear perfect before stepping forward…even a rough-cut diamond is still a diamond. Your inner light is invincible (after all, the word ‘diamond’ derives from the Ancient Greek meaning ‘invincible’) and potent. You will shine either way…all you have to do is break away from your self-limiting constraints (which has been an ongoing process, but it does get easier as the summer moves past these initial lessons of self-knowledge and integrity.
And look outside yourself as well…everyone is struggling with these themes in different ways. You can help others along by valuing and amplifying the positive traits of those around you. With patience and care, you can reveal your highest attributes while encouraging others to do the same.
Now, many times I will focus on the positive actions we can take in order to do the most good during these times of struggle…but it doesn’t mean I ignore that things are in massive upheaval (after all, these particular aspects of massive upheaval have been going on since last spring/summer). These aspects have coincided with things (which are still ongoing even if the media has moved on) such as the oil spill in the gulf, the Fukushima disaster, the upheaval of old regimes across the world, natural (and even unnatural) disasters, etcetera…ad nauseam.
In times like these, when powerful and drastic changes are so concentrated all around the world…condensed into a few years which look bleak at best from the world-view…sometimes the best we can do with our diamond-in-the-rough spirit is to shine our light into the wounds closest to home rather than scatter our energies into every direction the collective shadow rears its ugly head. The energy initiated by a Cardinal Grand Cross can feel like we are being pulled (or forced) in multiple directions at once. When we give more energy to one cardinal direction…the others jerk us back harder. The oppositions in this aspect configuration call for balance, while the squares call for action to alleviate the tension. Without actions of balance, and balances of action…we risk the tug-o-wars that oppositions can bring, and the extreme stress and duress that squares can bring. The diamond represents balance and abundance, and amplifies energy. To do the most good, we can amplify the positive rather than the negative.
Part Three: The Cross That Binds…
The Cardinal Grand Cross is a great initiator of action (I should know…there is one present in my own chart! It makes for a life full of change and challenges, but a great deal of self-motivation to actualize your goals. If you’ve ever wondered why I go by four different names…though most of you only know one or two of them…this describes why. If you want to know more about that, just ask). Grand Crosses are much like diamonds-in-the-rough, as far as aspect configurations go. The uncomfortable tension of the right angles may cloud the fact that its design is like a nucleus of structure and strength that can be a tremendous resource. Finding the point of balance and integration in order to use this gift properly is a difficult challenge, but it can be done. The key comes from developing balance between the two oppositions. When balanced, they are wielding the same amount of force on the planets that are connected by the 90 degree squares, creating a solid foundation.
Many times, these four cardinal points activated will call forth issues of identity. The Aries planet (in this case, Uranus “the innovator”) inspires action that impulsively expresses the self. The Cancer planet (in this case, our luminaries, the Sun and Moon “the ego” and “the emotions”) inspires action that sees to the nurturance of the emotional identity. The Libra planet (in this case, Saturn “the teacher”) inspires action that connects the social and intellectual identity. And finally, the Capricorn planet (in this case, Pluto “the transformer”) inspires action toward recognizing the tangible manifestation of the identity.
In the energy building now, the luminaries are illuminating our latent power and the emotions surrounding it. Uranus is illuminating enthusiastic energy toward self-improvement through change. Saturn is illuminating the honing of our intellectual skills for the benefit of imparting the wisdom of experience onto others. Pluto is illuminating the mundane transformations we are being forced to make with the hidden resources of personal power we don’t always recognize. All of these illuminated aspects of our identities (individual and collective) are pushing and pulling in four different directions.
In many cases, this Cross can represent an identity crisis if not balanced…and during this summer, that crisis is on a global scale. The four points involved are each pushing to express a facet of the identity, yet each operates from a different level and perspective of the self. This can cause people to feel overstretched or pulled apart. The influence can also cause frustration based on the desire to take action without a sense of focus or direction. Contained within the cross, the action or reaction lacks an outlet…but in this case, there is an inconjunct aspect from Pluto to Mars that we may use as an outlet.
The Finale: 3-2-1 ACTIVATE!
Mars “the warrior” is all about action, echoing what this Cardinal Grand Cross is forcing us to recognize. The inconjunct aspect is one that requires stepping into new, possibly uncomfortable, territory in order to learn and grow. In the 9th degree of Gemini, Mars activates the Sabian symbol of “a quiver filled with arrows”…a symbol that has much to do with preparation. With energetic and mental preparedness, we find the key to stability and accuracy in this time of crisis is to be poised and confident…ready to skillfully aim our ideas toward action. Be alert to the stressors of this time and how they relate to the identity. Maintaining a sense of focus on the bull’s eye in the center of this Cross while acknowledging that there is an action needed in order to express the self and uniqueness of the self makes it less difficult to make decisions.
Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi
PS- Music for the Soul from now throughout this weekend...particularly while watching fireworks in the dark moon sky..."Cosmic Love" by Florence + The Machine.
