Cat-Moon Cartomancy: Autumn Insights

The Equinoxes are the times of the year where life calls for balance on all levels…as it is equal day and equal night.  What feels out of balance calls for integration at these times.  The beginning of autumn is a time of gratitude for all that has come from this cycle that began at the Winter Solstice last year.  It’s also a harvest holiday (Mabon); a time of sharing our gifts with the world.  In the spirit of sharing my own gifts, I facilitated a card reading for all of us on the moment of the Autumnal Equinox (9-22-17 @ 3:02pm CDT, when the Sun shifted into the sign of Libra).  Every cartomancy spread tells a story…as it is with all forms of communication with the Divine.  The question I asked for us was ‘What wisdom will this season bring for all of humanity?”  The following is my interpretation of the story that revealed itself in the cards.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

-Robert Frost

Above (Universal)- Two of Wands

This cosmic energy presents two windows of opportunity.  We are given the power to create change, and with that, the power of choice.  This symbol represents the pause before making that choice.  This pause is not one of inactivity, but of active discernment.  Either way we choose, we will be moving forward.  The question is, which path makes the best use of our creative power to transform our lives?  It’s clear we want to change or create something, but the path ahead is unclear right now.  Even still, we must make that choice.  There is a fiery, trailblazing energy associated with Aries in this card that activates the courage to make quick decisions based on intuition.  This discernment is not of the intellectual mind but of the instinctual mind (located in the gut rather than the head).  Trust your instincts.  No regrets.

Right (Projective)- Uranus Initiation

The energy radiating from us all now is the unpredictable, unknowable change coming forth that is meant to shake up what has been in place for some time.  It is an initiation we’ve been going through (brought on by Uranus in Aries from May 2010 to March 2019) that, even as we’re nearing the close of this time, still surprises us in all of the breakthroughs and breakdowns in our awareness.  Since this ingress into Aries, Uranus has been a key player in many 90 degree (square) alignments, some of which were major forces of change (particularly the Uranus-Pluto series of seven squares from 2012-2015) across the globe.  We go through drastic shifts on each individual level as well, mirroring our changing world.  How we deal with such dramatic changes has also been shifting over this time period.  There’s really no way to freeze of flee, so we had been defaulting on fight mode whenever acting or reacting to periods of instability, unpredictability, or destruction.  As this Uranus in Aries energy comes to a close over the next year and a half, a new response to all these changes is emergent.  The path we forge ahead of us is the choice we are poised to make in the Two of Wands symbolism above.

Below (Global)- Divine Child

Gestating in Mama Gaia’s womb throughout all of these breakthroughs, break downs, turning points, and transformations is the collective energy of the Inner Child.  This archetype is being reborn in all of humanity…through the growing connection to the divinity within every living being. While individually our inner child archetype has different expressions...it is the Divine Child expression that is emerging collectively from the enlightening energy of our current Uranus Initiation.  The choice of creative change mentioned in the Two of Wands is why we are now called to nurture our inner child and integrate this archetypal energy into being. There is a redemptive nature to this archetype, one which is integral to taking back our own power to create meaningful change.  The Divine Child within us all sees the potential for sacred beauty in all things, and embodies qualities of wisdom and courage in the face of difficult circumstances.  Gifted with the power of imagination and the belief that everything is possible, the Divine Child makes decisions based on love and not fear…and creates the world that our children and our children’s children will need as we move into an uncertain future.  Magical and innocent as this energy is, we have also seen two distinct faces of the shadow of this archetype.  One is the shadow of depression and pessimism.  The other is escapism.  Both are reactive to all that happens that seems unfair, too challenging, or unfixable.  One is the distortion that miracles are impossible…that nothing we can do can save any of us, or the planet.  It is a cynicism that creeps in on the idealism of youth and judges as foolish and nonsensical.  The other is the distortion that energy and action are not required…which allows for retreat into fantasy and doesn’t confront the issues that arise.  One form of this escapism that has been called out lately is known as ‘spiritual bypass’ or ‘light polarization’…where lower energies are ignored and we are above it all.  Or, another form most of us know well is allowing ourselves to be distracted with our addictions, comforts, or privileges.   It is within these shadows that we are currently peering…shining the light of truth in every corner.  We are transmuting an energy of impossibility and inaction into an active manifestation of miracles…and re-membering the Divine Child within as a rebirth of healing on Earth.

Left (Receptive)- Saraswati

The energy we are receiving as an aid to this stage of our journey is an invitation to access the Akashic Records.  Saraswati is the Devi of wisdom, knowledge, and learning…with an affinity for music and arts.  Her name means ‘one who leads to the essence of self-knowledge’. Images of Saraswati often depict her wearing white on or near a white lotus, symbolizing purity, knowledge, and truth.  In her four hands she holds a book, a crystal rosary, a water pot, and a musical instrument.  The book represents universal knowledge and all forms of learning.  The crystals represent the power of meditation, inner reflection, and spirituality.  The water pot represents the purifying power to discern between what is true and what is untrue.  And the musical instrument (called a veena) represents all creative arts and sciences…her holding it symbolizes expressing knowledge that creates harmony.  One of her totems is the swan (hamsa), a symbol of pure being and of the soul’s highest aspiration.  The swan symbolizes the removal of blocks that prevent us from realizing this state as our true nature.  Release from these blocks moves us closer to experiencing our true selves…limitless beings in a state of freedom rather than our self-limited, smaller selves that we often mistakenly believe ourselves to be.  Saraswati’s swan shows us the essence behind the masks we wear.  Saraswati is usually depicted near a flowing river or other body of water, as she is also known as a river goddess.  There are many songs written as an invocation of her energy…she is known as “she who dwells on the tongue of poets” after all…but this song is one of my favorites as it combines “Jaya Ganga Ma” with “The Ocean Refuses No River”.  While listening to Sparrow Grace’s “Jaya Ganga Ma”, allow yourself to flow with the rhythm of the music.  Saraswati is associated with anuraga (the love for and rhythm of music), which represents all emotions and feelings expressed in speech or music.

Center (Soul)- Raido Rune

This is the rune of journeys, movement, and cyclical change.  It is about living in the present moment, ever guided by our inner compass.  This energy shows the directional flow of our soul…always learning, growing, and making progress…even if our physical reality presents setbacks along our path.  Raido teaches mastery of circumstance and taking the reins of our own life in order to move forward.  When we do not learn a lesson, we will inevitably cycle back to it until it is mastered.  Now is when we can realistically assess our potential and make clear decisions based on moral responsibility and integrity.  To be fully present is to journey away from unnecessary fears and past experiences that weigh us down with too much baggage.  Now is the time to scale down, lighten your load, and choose your path wisely.

I wish you all a blessed season!

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

New Moon in Virgo: Owning your Own Power

New Moon in Virgo: Owning our Own Power

Moon conjunct Sun @12:30am CDT on 9-20-17

Released from the shadow of Mercury’s retrograde (at 11:10am CDT on the 19th), the collective mind has collected some wisdom with which we can move forward into new territory in this dark moon transition.  And though the solar month of Virgo is coming to a close on the Autumnal Equinox of September 22^nd, Venus is making her ingress into Virgo at 8:15pm CDT tonight (the 19th)…which means that when the Moon and Sun conjunct, three planets will also be highlighting Virgo energy (Venus, Mars, and Mercury).  Virgo is the pure priestess energy of focus and dedication to spiritual service…much like Vesta (the asteroid that just moved from Virgo to Libra this Monday and was prevalent last month in Mercury's Retrograde station), it is the energy that keeps the sacred flame lit.  In this illuminating energy, we are inclined toward the discernment of truth.  Even as Neptune and Chiron are retrograding through Pisces in opposition to all of this Virgo energy…plunging us into the uncharted seas of the collective unconscious…we are seeking a balance within that will help us discern what is real and what is illusion.  So it’s time to ignite the fire within as we approach the colder months in our Northern Hemisphere.  What we radiate out to the world right now is what we will see shining back at us.  

Sun and Moon in Virgo 28

The Sabian Symbol for the 28^th degree of Virgo is “A bald-headed man who has seized power.”  This symbol has many facets…but whatever feeling you get at first from this image may give you the best clues for what you will personally be experiencing during this lunation.  However, let’s bring the focus to the details of this symbol (Virgo energy is good for such focus)…as it can help us zero in on how to best seize and use this power provided by our luminaries.  The main focus is on ‘power’.  What is power?  The word’s origins trace back to ‘ability’, ‘efficacy’ and ‘potency’.  It is the ability to create, decide, and act.  We all have this ability…even with other disabilities.  We all have power.  We all have the potential to use our power.  Another thing we all have is a larger environment of power dynamics that often keeps us feeling small, ineffective, unimportant, or unable to create necessary change (powerless).  But energy shifts from one moment to the next, and there are always opportunities that arise where we can seize back our power and activate our potential. 

Seize is an interesting word with many meanings.  It was originally a legal term referring to feudal property.  It is about possession…what we have and what we lay claim to.  And since we each can lay claim only to our own power…not the land, not others…the phrase ‘seized power’ has a hidden connotation that is often overlooked.  If we are seizing power, we must take back what is rightfully ours…and what is ours is only ourselves.  But first we must truly understand our own power.  Essentially…to seize is to grasp.  We must grasp our own power.  Another more formal definition of ‘seize’ is ‘to understand something quickly or clearly’.  Virgo energy, of which there is a potent amount right now, inclines us to get down to brass tacks about things.  So, naturally, we’re starting off this moon phase by separating the wheat from the chaff of what power really is, and how we can most effectively use it. 

And as if we haven’t learned enough already from bad examples of misuse of power (well, some of us haven’t learned)…there will likely be more blatant misuses of power to remind us of the obsolete power dynamics that are on their last grasp before falling away.  That ‘power over others’ rather than empowerment of ourselves AND others…it’s still clinging for life.  The best we can do is stop feeding it more power.  But that is a difficult understanding to grasp…an opportunity many of us have yet to seize.  It does seem that more and more are catching on, though. 

So the bald-headed man, then.  Why him?  There is some connotation of male domination within this symbol…but beyond our needs for gender equality, this is about revealing the head (which holds the power of the mind) and its ability to make necessary decisions about what power we have to create a change…and how to effectively use that power.   There is certainly a mental switch that must be flipped in order to activate ourselves within our own power.  We all understand on some level that thoughts and feelings can open and close doors of opportunity in our lives…we have the ability to empower ourselves or to shut ourselves down at each crucial moment where we must make decisions.  In this lunar phase, where Chiron opposes our luminaries and Neptune opposes Mercury, many of us will be feeling like escaping our wounds…and confused about what power we even have when our woundedness surfaces.  Decisiveness will likely feel like a tug-o-war of internal (Chiron Retrograde) and external (Sun/Moon) forces until we find the balance within these opposing energies.  

Chiron Retrograde in 27 Pisces

Opposite the New Moon, we have Chiron focused on the degree with the Sabian Symbol of “the harvest moon illumines a clear autumnal sky”.  It is harvest season…the Autumnal Equinox is just two days after the New Moon…and we are reaping what we have sown (but also what we have failed to cultivate).  So Chiron’s influence here either brings blessings of fulfillment for work well done…or feelings of lack for not quite getting there by this time (or both). A wound reopened at the last full moon may come to full integration through a healing process undergone in the last couple of weeks…depending on how you addressed that wound.  Chiron in this position pushes us to reveal the gift within the wound, and seize the power to heal ourselves.  In the larger scope, we will likely see plenty of wounded people in power positions, making decisions from that feeling of woundedness, lack, or the shadow of powerlessness…generally acting from this wound results in hasty aggression and a lack of compassion for others.  What we can each do, individually, to counter that is to not mirror the same reactions within ourselves.  Instead, we can recognize the illusions brought up from those feelings of separation:  powerlessness, lack, and fear…and then transmute them with the light of truth illuminated by our luminaries:  own your own power.

There is an aspect pattern called a Yod (‘the finger of God’) pointing a focus at Chiron Retrograde during this New Moon…and at the foundation of this Yod is a sextile (beneficial aspect of 60 degrees) between the North Lunar Node in Leo and Jupiter in Libra.  This sextile creates two inconjunct aspects pointing to Chiron…showing an opportunity for necessary growth through integrating energies that don’t seem to fit together easily.  It does take work to heal whatever wounds are being highlighted at this time, but it is important to make the effort. 

And speaking of inconjunct aspects, the New Moon is directly inconjunct (uncomfortable aspect of 150 degrees) Uranus…adding some irritation to the wound…which makes it more imperative to heal.  

Uranus Retrograde in 28 Aries

The Sabian Symbol for the 28^th degree of Aries is “a large audience confronts a performer who disappointed its expectations”.  Uranus loves surprises, but in this degree…the surprise is more of a disappointment from the masses that were so hopefully expecting something great to happen (see, at the end of this post, my take on the Rev 12:1-2 sign of September 23^rd for clues on how this energy of disappointment may play out on the world stage).  There is both a caution here of taking on more than we can effectively deliver and also a caution of setting our hopeful expectations too high on others.  How we handle our disappointments is crucial to understanding our own power, and understanding how it is regenerative through such growth experiences.  The manner in which we meet these disappointments in life determines our future possibilities of development and achievement.  This is about taking responsibility for our actions and how they affect others…something we all must consider when ‘seizing power’.

Mercury in 13 Virgo opposite Neptune Retrograde in 13 Pisces

Adding to the focus on the Virgo-Pisces axis, Mercury exacts an opposition to Neptune shortly before the Moon conjuncts the Sun.  This first degree after the retrograde shadow concludes is the 13^th degree of Virgo, and the Sabian Symbol here is “a powerful statesman with a strong hand supplants political hysteria”.  So Mercury is reinforcing the New Moon degree symbol about power and how best to use it.  Neptune is still in the same degree as it was during the Full Moon this month (when it was opposite the Sun and conjunct the Moon then).  The Sabian Symbol for Neptune is “an ancient sword, used in many battles, is displayed in a museum”.  For more about Neptune in this degree, see Full Moon in Pisces.  Essentially, as the two are in opposition, the balance between these opposing forces has to do with activating our inner will power (Neptune) toward ‘getting a grip’ (Mercury) on unhealthy emotional panic.  Again, as it was during the Full Moon on the 6^th, we are drawing from ancestral power to really put things into perspective and shift the over-dramatics of this time into more reasonable actions that aren’t a waste of energy.  

A Note about Revelations in a Neptunian Climate

A question from a friend about September 23^rd arose after my previous post:  Kristi said, “Thank you for this insightful article. Do you have anything to say about September 23rd? There seems to be a lot of buzz on the Internet as that being a disastrous day.”

Thank you for your question, Kristi.  I must admit, I was not aware of the buzz until you mentioned it.  It was a bit of a twilight zone even stepping in all that coverage that would have otherwise alluded me…trying to keep my wits about me to discern what is real and what is blown out of proportion. Proportion is not something we, as a human race, have a reliable grasp on.  We often let it get out of hand.  Predictions are tricky things, especially when they are misused to invoke fear or separation.  What I mean is, looking at the larger scope of things and interpreting symbolism and signs can be a transformative experience of soul growth. What is tricky is sharing that power of insight with others.  Veering from ‘the stars incline; they do not compel’ to ‘the fault in our stars’ often leads to distorted views of ‘disaster’ (which literally means ‘bad star’).

It’s why I am not a predictive astrologer.  It seems a better use of this second language of mine is to interpret and translate as an art form…so that the reader may glean their own meaning from it as one would with a piece of art. 

Those new to astrology who are more versed in their own interpretations of available biblical text might not understand fully that the cosmos teaches us both about our interconnection as well as multiplicity of outcome.  It’s a big topic to teach…and each human teacher who learns is not allowed time enough in our bodies to ever reach a mastery level.  Such is the nature of wisdom that shifts and changes in timelines more vast than we can currently wrap our heads around.  As a whole, the human race has learned very little about our own Mother Earth in our time here…and her classes should be a pre-requisite on this Earth Walk.

The same can be said for those of us relatively new to interpreting bible prophecies who are more versed in a less limited cosmovision.  I’m no bible scholar.  Use your own best judgement.  My interpretations are more from a cosmic understanding rather than a religious one.  

That being said, I have researched the supposed ‘Revelation 12 Sign’ that has been forecasted for the 23^rd.  And though I am clearly pagan, I have been known to break out my own copy of the Bible from time to time in order to research symbols (my Great Grandma gave me one with my name on it when I was my daughter’s age, to carry on my wedding day).  While the alignments of the constellations, planets, and luminaries are indeed very interesting in matching certain parts of the biblical text in Rev 12:1-2, I believe they are taken out of context, especially in the predictions of the Christian idea of the Rapture.  Those who believe they will be leaving this earth because of these astronomical alignments will likely be disappointed to still have to be dealing with the worldly turmoil we’ve drummed up as a species.  But we’ve been there plenty of times before, remember?  Some Christian teachers/preachers are so eager to leave this world behind (spiritual bypass in its most obvious expression) that apocalyptic predictions are a dime a dozen…and all of them have proven false flags as well.  The difference with this one is that it’s very clever, quite fascinating with the many twists and turns in its interpretative spin.  But Virgo is a priestess energy of pure focus, of discerning what is true and what is not, so tapping into all of this Virgo energy of this New Moon is beneficial to keep us centered while the Neptunian/Piscean confusion creates opposition.

For those of you who have no idea what I am referring to, there are some who believe September 23^rd has biblical significance based on the alignments of the luminaries, the inner planets and Jupiter, and the constellations resembling a prophecy in the Book of Revelation.  The prophecy describes ‘a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth’.  With astronomy software you can see that on the 23rd, the constellation of Virgo (the female figure of our zodiacal constellations) will have the moon at her foot, the sun on her shoulder, some semblance of a ‘crown’ of stars above her head (depending on which 12 stars and/or planets you chose to count), and Jupiter moving out of what would be her womb space after a period of time similar to the gestation of a human baby.  All of these components are true, which is why it is fascinating even as a non-Christian astrologer.  Also, as an astrologer, I give a nod to the storyline of ‘rebirth’ that parallels what the stars have been telling us about this year already. 

However, there are some neophyte discrepancies that seem to be a distortion of the cosmic truth in order to fit it into a somewhat cherry-picked box of biblical interpretation.  Firstly, such a sign cannot be seen by us humans because the sun blocks our view of all of it (you can only see it in this way through astronomy software on a computer screen).  Secondly, the main point of this ‘Rev 12 Sign’ is that the crown is supposedly made up of the 9 main stars of the Leo constellation and the planets (which means ‘wandering stars’) of Venus, Mars, and Mercury positioned above the head of the constellation of the The Virgin.  This part is a bit confused because there are actually many more fixed stars than 9 that are visible to the naked eye in Leo.  There is also already a crown constellation (Coma Berenices) above Virgo…as well as 12 other visible fixed stars always above her head in an even more ‘crown-like’ formation.  There are other slight discrepancies, but I’ll leave it at that.  The point I’m trying to make is that aside from Jupiter’s involvement being congruent with human gestation within the Virgo constellation…the rest of the alignments are relatively common (Jupiter being ‘within the Virgin’s womb' happens about every 12 years…it’s just that this time, Jupiter is there for about 42 weeks).  It is an interesting spin, but understandable, to associate Jupiter with Jesus.  Jupiter was, after all, named after the Roman ‘King of the Gods’.  Astrologically, Jupiter’s energy is often Bacchanalian (or can be, since it's very expansive and abundant).  There are some obvious correlations between the dying/reborn God-man of Bacchus/Dionysus and the later story of Jesus.  This is a stretch, but so is most of it.  Also interesting to note is Comet Borisov (which many are now calling ‘The Conception Comet’) came from the loins of The Lion and travelled through The Virgin’s womb just before Jupiter entered the womb (Immaculate Conception?). 

Whether you take all this as a sign of The Tribulation Period or not, it is always best to know who originated the idea that this is the actual sign described in The Book of Revelation.  Most importantly, what have they gained?  Aside from that, how do they reconcile what their bible says about astrology and divination?  Why would a biblical sign, then, be shown astronomically and then be interpreted as a predictive astrologer might interpret it?  This is the biggest stretch.  I have heard some say that “it’s astronomy and not astrology”…but if you take an astronomical alignment and ascribe meaning to it as it relates to humans on earth, you are practicing astrology.  Predicting dates of the ‘End Times’ based on astronomical alignments is also in the realm of astrology (not good astrology, but astrology nonetheless). 

I know, it’s difficult to live within such rigid rules of what you can and can’t do if you’re a follower of the Biblical God…or the Church’s interpretation of God.  There’s a whole lot of Neptunian confusion surfacing around this…and there will be more to come after.  Perhaps our collective power to interpret things would be best focused not on how to escape responsibility for the tribulations of our planet, but on how to not contribute further distraction and destruction and to actually midwife the rebirth and restoration with more conscious contributions to Mother Earth.  There’s a hopeful thought to consider.  “Not our problem, we’re gonna get raptured” just doesn’t seem very ‘Christ-like’.

There is some concern from Christians who hold the 'no man shall know the time or date' view of all these various End Times predictions and also from Christian Astronomers who are trying to give the facts in a climate which would rather propagate whatever is more sensational.  They worry that the disappointment that will arise after this weekend will be similar to The Great Disappointment that resulted in so many different off-shoots of the faith (which also followed a failed apocalyptic prediction).  They'd like to guard against people losing faith again because of more false flags.  I'd just like to guard against a possible scenario of Christians blaming astrology for them being 'left behind' with the rest of us.  Remember, this arose from biblical prophecy students still trying to pin down the perfect day to get the heck off of this planet...I don't even know any actual astrologers who are even propagating this idea.  We're still just doing what we do.  But even though we didn't make this mess, we'll still be here teaching the lessons we can learn in the aftermath of Neptunian mystification. Stay tuned.  

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

Full Moon in Pisces: Accessing Ancestors, Guides, and Totems

Full Moon in Pisces:  Accessing Ancestors, Guides, and Totems

Moon opposite Sun at 2:03am CDT on 9-6-17

As August moved into September, the shifts in our awareness have continued.  The first of the month began with the Sun moving through the degree (9 Virgo) that Mercury Retrograde was in during the total solar eclipse.  On the morning of the 3^rd, Mercury and Mars both meet in the degree (29 Leo) that the Sun and Moon met in during the total solar eclipse…the same degree Mercury will be stationing in on September 5^th.  Mercury will be holding focus there in the ‘Mermaid’ degree from September 2-7.  At the time of that Mercury-Mars conjunction, the Sun will be in the degree (12 Virgo) that Mercury stationed retrograde in on August 12^th.  Essentially, August shifted into September with our consciousness (Sun) integrating the quickening download of mind-altering information (Mercury Retrograde) we received from that eclipse portal…and with our minds hovering (Mercury station direct) on what we learned from the shadows brought out in our conscious awareness (Eclipsed Sun) last month.  Mars adds additional activation of those eclipse energies still coming forth in conjunction with Mercury this Labor Day weekend.  That mental initiation brought on by Mercury Retrograde and Mars is the energy of homing in on ‘What do we WANT to communicate into being?’

This conjunction not only activates the energies from the eclipse, but it also reconnects to the Grand Fire Trine mentioned in my previous post (lining up, as the Sun and Moon did previously, with Uranus in Aries and the Galactic Center at the end of Sagittarius).  I encourage you to read (or re-read) that post, particularly the section on the Galactic Center, as it applies this whole week as well.  Here's the link:  Total Solar Eclipse.  As mentioned, it is a portal through which we connect with multi-universes…so more downloads of wisdom from our Star Nations are issuing forth again as we begin this month.  At the eclipse, these insights came to our collective consciousness (Sun) and stirred up some shadows from humanity’s past (Moon)…then after some time to integrate, we get another chance to further connect with that information on a physical/active level (Mars) and, especially, a mental/communicative level (Mercury).

Once that is activated this weekend, Mercury stations for the beginning of the post-labor day workweek on that very same ‘Mermaid’ degree of bringing form to our intentions (rebirth)…extending the Grand Fire Trine for several more days.  Then on the morning of the 6^th, the Full Harvest Moon gathers up all that energy and encourages us to celebrate the hard work we pushed ourselves through and share with others how and what we’ve grown, reaped, and processed.  The feast before us is abundant and all are welcome.  Love and gratitude for life’s many blessings is in the air.  The cross-talk at the table is no longer geared toward denial, shame, or unchecked expressions of our shadow…but instead we share a new awareness of how we’re healing those separations with the very differences that make us unique individuals. 

After a post-eclipse adjustment period where out-of-the-norm extremes seemed to take hold of us (from lethargy to heightened, often forced, activation), this full moon will act as a lighthouse signaling us home after a long journey.  Mercury will still be at a standstill…but the retrograde phase will be over (of course the post-retrograde shadow persists until Mercury is past 12 Virgo on the 19^th…but it is often a smoother journey than the pre-shadow).  The collective soul retrieval mentioned in my Mercury Retrograde post has been carried out, and now it is up to each of us to nurture what has returned to us in the next step of integration that follows.

Sun in 14 Virgo:  A Family Tree

With all the shadows that came out, front and center, from our ancestral roots last month…a deep wisdom emerged as well: our ancestors are evolving with us.  Our ancestors are not static reflections of their living personalities…they are energy that shifts with us, finding resolution in all that we learn in this time.  Their wisdom and guidance is both in the ways that helped them throughout their own lifetimes, and in healing the shadows that occurred from their own mistakes so we do not repeat or perpetuate those ancestral wounds. 

Not only do we have ancestral roots to our Mother Earth which track our ancient bloodlines and evolution as a species, our awareness is growing that we also have celestial ancestors who have lived the bigger picture of what our existence is.  The total solar eclipse experience for me was an even greater connection to the cosmos than I ever felt before.  We still have so much to learn from our Star Nations, but this year we have all received (and continue to receive) our own individual experiences of the enormous download from the Oneness that connects us.  It really has been mind-blowing to see it glow from the heart of so many more people lately, even if they don’t quite understand how brightly their medicine is radiating while we’re getting swamped by so much muck.  The murky waters surrounding us right now are depressing…there’s no denial of that.  But look at the lotus blossoms blooming from it too, my friends.  Our fellow humans are in desperate need of help, and what do we do?  We transcend our differences and we help a brother or sister out.  Such selfless service is at the root of the Virgo-Pisces axis our luminaries are illuminating.  The root power of this particular Virgo Sun energy is that which continues to plant the seeds of tomorrow.

Strengthening our connections to our ancestral roots provides us with the power to succeed through times of crisis.  Just as the germinating seed relies on its roots to provide essential nutrients as it grows, we have an essential source connection within us that provides the guidance we need to achieve our best possible outcome.  This information may be coming from our physical ancestry, cosmic beginnings, and/or past lives.  For some, it may only be in their awareness as stemming from their own personal past.  That is certainly part of it, as we’ve just taken a trip down memory lane for a few weeks with Mercury.  But it’s not about how far-reaching it occurs to us.  The focus here is on how we are evolving…as individuals and as a species.  Our ancestors know that beyond our current struggles to shift into a new timeline lies the promise of our next generations of life on Earth. They are, quite literally, “rooting” for us. 

Moon in 14 Pisces:  A Lady in Fox Fur

The lady in fox fur symbol can be seen in many ways, and that is the nature of this influence.  At one moment, you may see the symbol as a socialite rubbing elbows with powerful personalities.  You may even immediately have a reaction to the excesses of luxury accumulated and flaunted at the expense of others’ lives.  At the next glance, you may witness the actual fox totem medicine she draws upon in order to move in unison with society, simply by shapeshifting how she appears.  After all, who’s to say she isn’t the self-reliant trapper herself, living a scaled-down life off the modern beaten path?  The symbol itself leaves the interpretation very open…and we all have our own unique first-glances of it based on our own experience.  My own personal experience of this energy has more to do with what fox medicine has taught me throughout my life, as it is a personal totem of mine.  Two years ago, I posted about Fox Medicine in this blog.  I encourage you to read that post for a deeper insight into what wisdom this creature teacher has for all of us to tap into through this lunar energy.  We’ve all heard tales of how swift and clever foxes are, but their adaptability and familial connections may also be of great importance to learn about for many of us who are currently navigating through various life changes or family crises.

Not only does this symbol specifically bring up the fox totem, it also brings to our awareness how beneficial our own personal totem connections are right now.  Some of us have one totem that is very prevalent as an animal connection in our lives.  Others have multiple medicines from which they can draw upon.  Fostering stronger connections to all the many creature teachers in our lives provides us with the power to work with Mother Nature in ways that modern humans have tended to stray away from.  This lunation is highlighting the many rich sources of wisdom which we are reconnecting to in our awareness.

Neptune in 13 Pisces:  An Ancient Sword, Used in Many Battles, is Displayed in a Museum

Now, Neptune’s influence is coloring a lot of what is going down this month…so the tight conjunction between Neptune and the Full Moon in Pisces is important to note.  Neptune is joining in the influence of the degree previous to the ‘fox fur’ degree…showcasing the dynamic ancestral power we carry within our modern walls and display cases.  Within the museum environment where we further learn of our history on Earth, there is an acknowledgment that we should look but not touch.  Even from observing these symbols of power and courage, or demise and destruction, we may glean much information for future actions or better solutions. 

Neptune can be as confusing as he is inspiring, though.  So interpretation of these ancient symbols will likely stir up a vast sea of different meanings for each individual.  For example, some of us may see a certain display in a museum as a symbol of courage.  While others of us will see any range of symbolic meaning from oppression, to cowardice, to obsolescence.  Neptune points out that we are each always looking through our own lens of experience…and some may be cloudier than others. 

Looking at the bigger picture, I see Neptune’s influence on this month as further highlighting the karmic imbalances left over from the fall of Atlantis…a mythic storyline that resurfaced in our awareness during our Mermaid Eclipse last month.  As the story goes, Atlantis was a civilization descended from Poseidon (Neptune)…who fathered the kings who presided over the island (the eldest of which was Atlas, whom Atlantis and the Atlantic Ocean are named after).  Generations later, while their technology and military power became increasingly advanced, their sovereign connection to the land and their spiritual connection to their ancestral roots was disregarded.  In Plato’s ‘Critias’, the story was a cautionary tale with which to inform his people how to avoid the demise that can often come from hubris and the misuse of power. 

In our current political atmosphere, the same stench of hubris and corruption of power permeates the air.  Dangerous power plays amongst individuals disconnected from what is really important to the whole of Mother Earth are continuous threats to sustainable life.  Not only are natural disasters wreaking havoc across the globe, but so are man-made disasters.  As if to back up that statement, my husband played a video tracking earthquakes while I wrote that last sentence.  In the video, which was created on the night of September 2^nd, the person tracking current seismic activity witnessed a 6.2 earthquake as it happened at the North Korean nuclear test site.  That’s a very direct and current example of hubris and misuse of power.  A man-made earthquake of that size from a hydrogen bomb test will have an effect in the days following throughout all of Asia…not to mention the future threat that this accelerated increase of nuclear testing poses. 

Interestingly, this ‘ancient sword’ symbol is said by Dane Rudhyar to highlight the effectual use of will power.  He says, “This symbol emphasizes the imperative need to make use of the will in meeting the basic challenges of the inner life as well as outer adversaries.”  The collective will of the Whole is being called to act in these tumultuous times, within and without.  With the swift adaptability of the fox mentioned in the Moon’s symbol, we must focus the collective mind on thrusting the sword of our will against that which doesn’t serve our survival.  Fortunately, the widespread solidarity that is growing between us after a series of unfortunate events is the very power that has the greatest effect upon forces that seek to divide and conquer.

It was the global disasters I was about to mention when I saw that video of the newest man-made one, as many of them have resulted in flooding (Neptune’s domain as God of the Seas).  Closest to home is the massive flooding from Hurricane Harvey, which is surely on everyone’s hearts and minds here in the states.  Its damage has evoked memories of Hurricane Katrina from 12 years ago.  Disastrous flooding is also happening in South Asia, where the death toll is over 1000.  This deluge from monsoon season is also the worst since 12 years ago during the Maharashtra floods in the same area.  As an astrologer, picking up on patterns is part of the work…so a 12 year recurrence signals me to look at Jupiter’s cycle (which traverses our zodiac every 12 years).  Jupiter (expansion) exacted a square with Pluto (transformation) last month, forcing huge changes…and 12 years ago, Jupiter was sextile Pluto…providing an opportunity, through large-scale changes, to learn and grow in those areas of life that were affected.  In some ways, we may have learned how to better show up to aid in disaster relief…but we certainly didn’t change the ways that got us into similar predicaments.

There has also been a fatal mudslide in Sierra Leone after torrential rain and flooding in a heavily deforested area occurred throughout Mercury’s retrograde station last month.  The death toll there is also around 1000, and there is the additional threat of waterborne disease spreading in the aftermath.  The path of the solar eclipse that came after the mudslide lifted off in the Atlantic Ocean before the totality could reach Africa, but the path was pointing directly at Sierra Leone (as if to say what’s happening there could have an effect on everyone for months to come).

These are just some of the recent, large-scale, examples of the floods accumulating in our awareness as Neptune Retrograde opposes the Sun on September 5^th and then conjuncts the full moon the following day.  If we scale it down, what is flooding your awareness in your own life right now?  Have there been massive changes lately in your individual experience that have brought you to a Neptunian place of nebulousness or confusion?  This, too, shall pass…as it is all part of the rebirth of consciousness we’re experiencing now.  We’re all either struggling to break through the earth like a sprouting seed or we’re adjusting to the confusion like a newborn just entering a new experience.  Either way, we must have patience with ourselves and others this year.  Treat each other, and yourself, as a mother to a newborn or a gardener to a tender shoot.  We are meant to nurture new growth in this time as caretakers of life on Earth.  Call upon the connections to ancestors, totems, and guides to help you navigate this time of integration…and call upon your friends and family to aid you in times of need.  At the same time, these energies ask you to be of service in whatever way you can for others.  Together, we are recalibrating the energetic balance of healthy giving and healthy receiving on Mother Earth.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi