Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Full Moon in Gemini: Pandora's Gifts


Full Moon in Gemini: Pandora’s Gifts
Moon opposite Sun- 12/11/2019 @ 11:12pm CST


This Long Nights Moon brings many fascinating gifts to pique our curiosity in true Gemini fashion. Information is coming in from all sides. There may even be a feeling of too many choices, which can create some confusion. Coming in soon after the Venus-Saturn conjunction in Capricorn, this information overload is likely to feel more restrictive than expansive. Venus-Saturn is asking us to commit to something we love.  This energy wants to reign in a lot of the mutable energy surrounding this time and make solid plans.  And yet...Moon conjunct the asteroid Pandora in Gemini may be bringing in more feelings and ideas than we know what to do with. The two energies, in quincunx (150 degrees), don’t exactly mesh well.  But integrating both brings growth, however uncomfortable.

With Neptune square our luminaries, ‘not knowing’ is part of the activation taking place. The Neptunian fog sets in and all those many choices we’re presented with have a lot less definition. When Neptune is square the luminaries, there is often a strong pull toward escapism. However, the higher vibration of this Neptunian T-Square pattern is to use that tension we’d rather escape from and channel it into actions that are either creative or spiritual.

Seven of Cups, Rider-Waite Tarot

A theme this whole month, where the Capricorn energies are beginning to heighten in preparation for what is coming in January, is about decisiveness. It’s also about objective awareness of the goal and reigning in our energy so that it’s not unnecessarily dispersed through too many avenues. And yet, this Full Moon highlights an energy that opposes that preparatory feeling...and there may be a feeling of overwhelm (heightened for those of us trying to prepare for the holiday season). Neptune’s square reminds us that we actually have no idea what is coming...and that it’s okay to not know right now. This is a time where adaptability to whatever arises now is key. There will be plenty of opportunity to get back into the measured steps of Capricorn’s Cosmic Council soon enough. Right now, why not celebrate that we have more choices than answers? For some, that’s a big leap...definitive answers being a comfort zone. For others, that’s life.

Chiron, the Cosmic Shaman, is stationed now in Aries and will once again return to a direct path soon after this Full Moon. During stationary shifts, the themes of that celestial archetype are more prevalent. So, Chiron’s mythic storyline of the wounded healer may pervade this Full Moon time. While in Aries, Chiron teaches us about integrity and self-reliance while we find the healing path from the wound of ‘Who am I?’ The wound of the individuated self is often the hardest to process, which is why Chiron spends much more time in Aries.  But the Sabian Symbol that Chiron's been pausing on lately is 'a comedian reveals human nature'.  He teaches the medicine of the Sacred Clown...often through humor and opposites...so that we may see ourselves more objectively, maybe even having a laugh at how much self-involvement our healing path has taken lately.  

'Pandora's Box' by Wisnu Tan
Perhaps the strongest unseen element in this Full Moon is coming from the conjunction to the asteroid Pandora. Pandora is an interesting figure in myth. Before Hesiod transformed her story into an anti-feminist fable which was later mixed with the storyline of Eve (the ‘first woman’ in Christian myth), Pandora was an ancient Goddess similar to Gaia or Demeter. Her name (Pan meaning ‘all’ and Dora meaning ‘gift’) was originally a reflection of her ‘all-giving’ nature. Hesiod’s version was a twist on her gifts.  He painted her as ‘all-gifted’ from the blessings of the Gods, created by Zeus as a punishment to man for Prometheus’s theft of fire. Coming in with so many god-given gifts, she was irresistible to Epimetheus...who took this ‘first woman’ as his wife, despite his brother’s warnings. Along with her, she carried a vessel which she was told to never open. However, Hermes also gave her his own trickster gift of curiosity...so she just couldn’t resist finding out what was in the vessel (which was similar to a storage jar, though it later became known as ‘Pandora’s Box’). From it, she unwittingly released all the evils of the world...only able to hold onto Hope (or, more specifically in translation ‘Anticipation’).  Or so the story goes, however socio-political the agenda.

'Seven of Cups', an oil painting by Lacey Bryant
for 'The Slow Tarot' at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco.
Notice the apple and snake suspended from the tree?

Sound similar to Eve’s bite of the apple? Yeah, there was a definite shift happening in Hesiod’s time from matriarchy to patriarchy...and who better to blame for all of our troubles than the ‘first woman’? And even though Pandora’s somewhat splintered mythic storyline begins with the gifts of the nurturing ‘Great Goddess’ and ends with a more patriarchal undertone...both parts are infused into this one archetype. So, the Moon with Pandora does bring many gifts...but the many gifts may be more than we were hoping for. Curiosity, which is strong with Gemini energy, is heightened now with Pandora’s influence. We may be more inclined to follow our fascinations down a rabbit hole, not knowing where it may lead, than to make more reserved (Capricorn) choices in what we do with this energy.

However, Chiron’s influence suggests that what we find may show us the gift within the wound. Instead of fighting it, which can lead to that confusion and overwhelm...perhaps we would do better to accept that, right now, our decision-making processes may be slightly skewed in this Neptunian fog. Even Mercury (our Collective Mind) quincunx Uranus (the Awakener), exact several hours before this Full Moon, suggests that we aren’t quite in the headspace to see what’s coming. Oh, it will all get much clearer, even seriously so, as we head into Capricorn season soon enough. The Stellium we’re building to now between our Capricorn planets (Saturn-Pluto with Ceres, Mercury, and Sun a month from now) will have some very specific lessons to teach us. But, in THIS time, you may just want to celebrate feeling a bit more distracted from some of the weight that awareness has been building. Tap into the creative curiosity of this time, or the mystical and dreamy elements that Neptune is bringing up. It may bring something magical to the table that could be just as useful later as a prioritized 'to do' list.


Moon in Gemini 20
Sabian Symbol: ‘a modern cafeteria displays an abundance of food, products of various regions’

A friend who passed away this summer often used the quote ‘moderation in all things, including moderation’. The memory came up while considering this Moon’s Sabian Symbol, and made me smile...as both of us were often trying to moderate our food intake in healthier ways than what we grew up with. This cafeteria symbol shows us the abundance of choices before us, some of which are fascinating as they aren’t things we usually have the opportunity to try. In the Full Moon’s light, the many choices can appear as an overabundance, which often leads to waste. In this symbol, it is the community that comes together to ensure that all have what they need, just as it is the community that must ensure nothing goes to waste. The Gemini-Sagittarius axis, currently being highlighted by our luminaries, is apt to share generously when a surplus of information (or food) is more than just one person can digest. With Pandora’s pre-patriarchy influence, this is a time of expressing humanity's giving nature. You have more than you know what to do with? Share with someone who’s feeling less than blessed. ‘Tis the season, as they say.

Sun in Sagittarius 20
Sabian Symbol: ‘in an old-fashioned northern village, men cut the ice of a frozen pond for use during the summer’

Opposite the cafeteria symbol, we have another image that suggests what can be done with a surplus. In this case, the image shows a scene from the cold months, where ice is most abundant. The symbol involves some foresight...an understanding of this community that what is in abundance now will likely be very necessary months from now. Cutting ice is hard work, but the rewards for this symbolic village are that they may have a means to keep their food cold when the days are longer and the temperature is much hotter. This is the Sagittarian way of seeing the bigger picture, even as the Gemini Moon is taking in the smorgasbord of curious details immediately before us. There is something in this time which will sustain us through our journey ahead. With Pallas Athene conjunct the Sun, even with that Neptune square, if we tap into the patterns arising in this time (such as knowledge of the seasonal cycles helps these men cutting ice) we will be better prepared for the big changes coming.

Like bookends to this Full Moon, Venus conjuncts Saturn before and she conjuncts Pluto after. So, ahead of time, we are feeling the need to commit to something solid, taking measured steps toward something of value. Then, we have this Full Moon where an abundance of information might confuse the goal for a time. And after, Venus meets with Pluto...which may even dramatically shift our values through a transformation of the heart. So, try not to get too down on yourself (or others) when what you thought should be solid isn’t appearing so. Big shifts are happening just beyond our awareness right now, but clarity will return.

Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi

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