Venus Retrograde in Capricorn: A Practical Metamorphosis of Values

 

'Transformation' by Maciej Wierzbicki

Venus Retrograde in Capricorn:  A Practical Metamorphosis of Values

 

Still visible in our evening sky until her heliacal setting in early January, Venus has been slowing down in preparation for her retrograde station on Dec. 19^th.  Surrounding that station, Venus is conjunct Pluto…the planet of Decomposition, Metamorphosis, and Rebirth. 

Each time Venus comes to a retrograde, she is nearing the end of a synodic cycle.  This particular Venus cycle began June 3^rd, 2020 in Gemini and a new cycle will begin on January 8^th, 2022 in Capricorn.  Until then, an ‘elder Venus’ is releasing her last breaths of wisdom from a relatively difficult cycle.  All the while, Pluto is with her…acting as Death Doula and aiding her decomposition and metamorphosis that leads to her rebirth as Morning Star.

Art by C.H. Thorburn

This is a very soulful process we’re all feeling, especially as it relates to our values and our relationships, but it also intensifies the necessity of releasing that which is dying, served its purpose, and run its course.  Past relationships often resurface during Venus Retrograde times, as well as past transgressions in these relationships.  This one, with Pluto’s influence, might bring up some particularly heavy or even traumatic parts of our past to be worked through.  This part of the long-running transformation that has been happening in Capricorn since 2008 (when Pluto first entered this sign) may require a change of heart in all of us.  And, individually, that will look different for each of us.  But, collectively, we’ll be seeing a dramatic alteration in traditions that were once valuable to us but no longer reflect our collective values. 

Already, we can see some of these processes unfolding.  For one example, what once held the derogatory name of Squaw Mountain in Colorado is now being renamed Mestaa’eahehe Mountain (pronounced mess-taw-HAY) in honor of an influential translator and mediator in the early 19^th century, also known as Owl Woman.  Venus, as the quintessential feminine planet, often venerates women’s roles in relating, bringing things (and people) together, and reconciliation.  Venus in Capricorn also highlights the crucial role of the Wise Woman or the Council of Grandmothers who are important pillars of our society that have often been degraded (such as in the term ‘squaw’) or dismissed (such as the ageism that plagues our elder women) in modern society.  At this time, we’ll see more and more instances of them rising up to reclaim their power to guide us into values that are more sustainable.

Venus entered Capricorn on November 5^th, but it was November 17^th when she first entered the degrees of Capricorn that she will soon be retracing through her retrograde.  From that day until December 19^th, we were going through our first introductions of the kinds of changes she means to inspire in us throughout the course of this transition (which will come to a close in early March 2022). 

This introduction has already brought up some difficult matters of the heart and soul.  When Pluto is in the mix, things can feel heavier, more intense, or more crucial.  As the higher octave of Mars (which has much to do with the will to act), Pluto has to do with the deeper actions of rebirth that are beyond the will.  In other words, Pluto inclines the transformation processes that will happen whether we are willing or not.  It is the inner workings within the chrysalis…or the phoenix reborn from the ashes.

'From the Ashes', artist unknown

Beautiful symbolism, yes.  But when it comes down to it, we humans are largely terrified by the idea of losing anything we know well and surrendering to the life-altering changes that restructure our lives into ‘something else’.  It becomes a crisis, and often those crises bring us to total collapse before we can begin to rebuild what is necessary from all that has changed.  And yet, when we must…we must. 

We may be in a process of saying farewell to something we held tightly to in the past, whether it was good for us or not.  Many of us may find ourselves questioning the longevity of certain relationships in our lives, or even our own ways of relating with others.  Ideas, concepts, or structures of love, money, beauty, or anything that we may hold as valuable…any of it could be up for review as Venus slows down to retrograde and shift our perspective. 

The thing about Capricorn (or any sign of the Earth element for that matter), is that anything that expresses through Earth is concerned with practicality.  Capricorn, in particular, is an Earth sign that administers practicality through objective orchestration.  The Capricorn way is ultimately one that works to provide practical changes that will endure the tests of time. Sustainable change doesn’t often happen overnight (especially during a year where Saturn square Uranus is the dominant theme).  It is an incremental process that addresses what is systemic in the roots of a thing, and that requires some wise and careful planning and implementation.  Therefore, much of the Capricornian change is happening ‘underground’, so to speak.  So that on the surface, we may wonder if anything is really changing at all.  This can bring us humans, who have largely been conditioned to value both convenience and immediate gratification of our desires, into worry.  The worry is that the rot that threatens our roots is quicker and more powerful than our potential to reverse the damage done.  But the Capricorn way is often to be prepared for any challenge…making its way from sea level to mountain top one sure-footed step at a time.

'Capricorn' from Cyril Rolando's Dancing Zodiac

These Pluto in Capricorn lessons have been important for the whole world to experience on a deeper level since 2008, but they are even more crucial for the people (and the government) of the United States to learn.  This country was founded when Pluto was in Capricorn (27 degrees tropical Capricorn, or 5 degrees sidereal Capricorn).  Pluto reaches 27 tropical Capricorn in February 2022 and 5 degrees sidereal Capricorn in 2024…which is a two year window where the U.S. is building up to its first Pluto Return, a significant Rite of Passage for any nation.

On either side of this national Rite of Passage, transmutations (beyond the will of the country) will happen.  It is a long and often grueling process that leads to a completely new expression of our national soul through crisis.  We have been through a couple years now of the Separation phase of this Rite of Passage.  And for the next two years, we will be Crossing the Threshold.  Then in 2024, we will be in the Integration phase of this Pluto Return, where we gradually begin to express the deeper meaning behind this Capricorn change through Pluto in tropical Aquarius. 

So with Venus showing us how to rebirth in Capricorn at this time, her dance with Pluto is wise medicine for the resilience of heart and soul through hard times.  As we Earthlings dance along with our sister planet, we celebrate the beauty of these Solstice days we are entering and the shifts we all must go through to honor our light. 

 

wise words from Alice Walker

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

 

 

P.S.  Below, I have listed some of the dates of this part of the Venus cycle (as Venus transitions from Evening Star to Morning Star, making her way through these degrees of Capricorn and beyond).

 

Venus Cycle

11/17/21- Venus first enters Rx degrees in direct motion

11/19/21- Venus trine UranusRx (single transit)

Unprecedented advancements of females.  Amplifications of expressions of ‘strange beauty’ or ‘strange love’ that unites traditional values with untraditional twists.  An emphasis on the social side of technology.  Out-of-the-box expressions of creativity.  Spontaneous and improvisational ways of relating.  An easy flow of unexpected reconciliation that may only last briefly, but provides something novel to consider.

Global example:  U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is transferred presidential power for a short time while President Biden undergoes medical treatment, making Harris the first woman in U.S. history to become acting president. During this unexpected event, the transiting trine formed a Grand Earth Trine with Harris’s natal Uranus-Pluto-Venus stellium in Virgo, and the transiting Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse was conjunct Harris’s natal lunar nodes.

11/30/21- Venus sextile NeptuneRx (Part 1:  The Introduction)

Opportunities to engage the heart with the higher octave of the heart.  Mystifying occurrences, as if in a dream, that may pull on the heartstrings.  A confusion of values that can draw people together spiritually or creatively.  An inspiration of creativity when working together with others. 

Global examples:  Honduras elects Xiomara Castro, their first female president.  Dame Sandra Mason is inaugurated as first president of Barbados, as the country becomes the 34^th Republic in the Commonwealth of Nations.  Mass shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan, USA.

12/3/21- Evening Star Greatest Brilliance

Venus at maximum brightness in the night sky.  From this point, she begins to significantly slow down in preparation for her retrograde station.  This gradual shift intensifies Venusian themes in our Earthly awareness.

12/11/21- Venus conjunct Pluto (Part 1:  The Introduction)

Crisis of the heart.  Dramatic change through destruction that leads to rebuilding.  Crucial lessons in relating.  Things of long-held value lost or released, making way for the rebirth of our values.

Global example:  Quad-state tornadoes leave a trail of death and damage in the U.S.

12/19/21- Venus stations Rx in CAP 27 (Sabian Symbol- ‘a mountain pilgrimage’)

We are not quite ready for the mountain pilgrimage that the heart desires, we have some preparation to do first.  With Venus, we will retrace these Capricorn steps to find the Heart Matter we must bring with us to this Mountain.  All Venusian themes are on high…be it lessons in reconciliation, relationships, love, beauty, money, or values…and we’ll feel the great pause to reconsider these things leading up to and through this station. 

12/25/21- VenusRx-Pluto conjunction (Part 2:  The Retrograde Revisit)

The reconnection of Heart and Soul.  Reconsideration of what transpired around 12/11 with a different perspective on what we’re releasing. 

12/29/21- Mercury-VenusRx conjunction (single transit)

Aligning the mind with the heart.  Expressing ways of communicative relating.  Messages of love or value.

1/2/22- Heliacal Set as Evening Star (West)

At her setting, we say farewell to Venus gracing our night sky as she rests into the invisible transition between cycles.  This invisible phase, lasting until Heliacal Rise on 1/14, is when the retrograde pull of Venus draws us most deeply into our inner heart.

1/5/22- VenusRx sextile Neptune (Part 2:  The Retrograde Revisit)

Another opportunity to engage the heart with the higher heart, but on a more inward level than on 11/30.  Inspired creativity from within.  A mystification of inner values that can lead to constructive release of addiction or escapism as one Venus cycle ends to make way for the new.

1/8/22- Interior Conjunction of Sun-VenusRx (New Venus)

The Capricorn Venus cycle begins in CAP 19.  The Sabian Symbol is ‘a 5 year old child carrying a huge shopping bag’.  In this New Venus cycle, we are tasked with showing up in more responsible ways.  These new responsibilities require a great deal of effort…maybe more than it might seem we can handle at first.  But we are stronger than we may think.  In this cycle, we can prove that we are capable of taking on these responsibilities and contributing our efforts in new ways.

1/14/22- Heliacal Rise as Morning Star (East)

Around the time we can first see Venus rise before the Sun as Morning Star (which is different for each of us, and dependent on our location)…we may start seeing how our own heart transformations reflect in our environment. 

1/29/22- Venus stations direct (trine Uranus):  Sabian Symbol- ‘a student of nature lecturing’

The intensification of Venusian themes returns and draws us outward and forward again to integrate what we have learned through retrograde.  While Venus does not fully return to exaction of the 11/19 trine with Uranus, those themes of unexpected occurrences and out-of-the-box ways of relating are still part of the shift.  We have a fresh perspective now on the nature of Heart Wisdom, and we want to share what we’ve learned with others.

2/14/22- Morning Star Greatest Brilliance

Venus is at Maximum Brightness in our pre-dawn sky.  From this point, she begins to pick up more speed as she moves forward through our Zodiac.  Soon, she will begin her long descent in our sky toward her ‘Underworld’ Initiation. 

2/16/22- Venus-Mars conjunction in Capricorn

Venus meets with her lover, Mars, to combine the heart with the will.  These are often passionate conjunctions, where desires feel paramount.  There are two this year, which is unusual.  And, in this one, Mars is moving a little faster than Venus.  So he catches up with her, overtakes her, and moves ahead of her for a few weeks.  And, although Venus is still quite bright in the sky, Mars is exalted in Capricorn and much stronger at this conjunction.  There is likely to be a theme of taking what we want in a calculated manner.  Consideration for others who will be impacted by such moves is key.

2/24/22- Venus sextile Neptune (Part 3:  The Integration)

Lessons that arose for us on 11/30 and then again on 1/5 are now being integrated after revision.  The creativity of this aspect may now become fully manifest.  Working with others on creative or spiritual projects can boost opportunities.

2/27/22- Moon-Venus conjunction (1^st Descending Gate, the Gate of Authority)

Venus, now descending in our morning sky, begins her long journey through the Underworld gates…a visible representation of the Inanna myth.  This first gate is related to the crown chakra, where Venus/Inanna gives up her royal crown to pass.  This is symbolic of releasing any distortions we have of our own authority and distortions with our direct connection to Spirit and our own divinity.

2/28/22- Venus trine North Lunar Node, sextile South Lunar Node (single transit)

Venus is in good relationship with what we are collectively taking in as well as releasing during this time.  Soul encounters with others now are likely and ultimately beneficial. 

3/1/22- Venus leaves previous Rx degrees

As Venus finally moves past the 27^th degree of Capricorn where she stationed retrograde in December, we are now able to move forward with our plans to make that symbolic ‘mountain pilgrimage’.

3/3/22- Venus-Pluto conjunction (Part 3:  The Integration)

Themes that were present surrounding Venus’s retrograde station in December (particularly the 1^st two Venus-Pluto conjunctions on 12/11 and 12/25) return for deeper integration in our lives.  What have we learned of the crisis we have been through?  There may still be some remnants left of that time to more fully release.

3/6/22- Venus-Mars conjunction in Aquarius

Venus catches up with her lover, Mars, for one more conjunction…now in the 1^st degree of Aquarius.  This time, she overtakes him…but in doing so, she finds herself caught between the two malefics (Mars and Saturn) again for another few weeks.  While there may be some noticeable constriction from Saturn’s influence in Aquarius, the inherent passion of this conjunction is still present.  When used constructively, it can add a little more spice to a relationship or bring more motivation to creative endeavors. 

 

Additional Coming Transits

12/19/21- Chiron stations direct in Aries

12/21/21- Sun enters Capricorn (December Solstice)

12/24/21- 3^rd Saturn-Uranus square

12/28/21- Jupiter re-enters Pisces

Full Moon in Gemini: Expansive Connectivity as Preventative Health

 

'Spreading the Light' by Yorum Raanan

Full Moon in Gemini:  Expansive Connectivity as Preventative Health

Moon opposite Sun- 12/18/21 @ 10:35pm CST

 

This Full Moon ushers in the many Solstice Celebrations that close our year in festivity.  While our friends in the Southern Hemisphere are celebrating the height of light at Midsummer, we in the North make merry our longest nights at Midwinter. 

And no matter where we live on Earth, this Full Moon shines bright blessings to guide us beyond the strong pull of eclipse season.  There is a Grand Air Trine between Moon (Gemini), Jupiter (Aquarius), and Hygiea (Libra) that forms a Kite pattern…anchored in the Sagittarius fires of Sun aligning with the center of our galaxy.  This pattern can be rather uplifting, especially with Jupiter involved.  And it is ultimately communicative and friendly. 

Gemini is Mercury’s diurnal sign, so a Gemini Full Moon is naturally a time when we feel like communicating.  The Messenger planet is currently in Capricorn, inclining our communication to be practical and useful.  And yet, the Moon is reflecting the light of the Sagittarius Sun conjunct Galactic Center…where an abundance of information is pouring in right now.  So the invitation is to determine what of the many messages we are receiving now carries the most practical wisdom for each of us. 

Jupiter’s trine facilitates amplification and growth.  Hygiea’s trine facilitates health and well-being practices that prevent illness.  And with this Grand Trine in Air signs, the focus of these positive energies is on our mental health.  You may ask yourself at this time, what can I do to strengthen my mental health while preparing for the holidays and the coming year?

The inclination is to reach out and connect with others, share ideas, and spread some happiness around.  It’s a chance to lighten things up a bit.  Sagittarius, the anchor point of this Full Moon Kite pattern, is Jupiter’s diurnal sign.  And Jupiter, the planet of Luck and Expansion, is ultimately a jovial influence (a bit like a Cosmic ‘Santa Claus’). 

Photo Art by Amy Lynn

Communicating joy is good medicine right now.  Of course, it usually is…but the current cosmic climate indicates that its effects are even more potent and far-reaching.  So even if you have been riddled with worry or overwhelmed with sadness lately (or you have noticed the same in others), this is a powerful Moon for lifting the spirits.  Tap into these blessings while you can, and celebrate what is joyful in your life. 

We’re wrapping up a few cycles as we move forward through December, and many of us will be facing some difficult choices if we haven’t noticed them already.  However, this Full Moon has the potential to repair and prepare our mental states for such choices with a more positive outlook on the changes we must make. 

 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius: Dispatches from the Great Beyond

 

Solar Eclipse art by Dan Fajardo

New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius:  Dispatches from the Great Beyond

Moon conjunct Sun- 12/4/21 @ 1:43am CST

 

While the totality of this Solar Eclipse will only be seen from Antarctica, it will still have a strong pull on the rest of the globe.  The Moon is very close to our Earth (perigee) right now, and we’re feeling that proximity to the Mother Mind.  At the same time, our luminaries (which are also conjunct Mercury and Vesta at this New Moon) are conjunct a faraway intergalactic destination called ‘The Great Attractor’.  So dispatches from the ‘Great Beyond’ are contained within the seed of this Solar Eclipse. 

 

It has proved difficult to define the Great Attractor, which goes right along with the way of Sagittarius.  This mutable fire sign expands our vision into the ‘Big Picture’ view rather than focusing in on the details and definition.  What we know of the Great Attractor, though, is that it is a gravitational pull point in the Laniakea Supercluster (a vast collection of superclusters of galaxies that includes our own galaxy).  The GA is a gravitational anomaly in that it functions like a black hole (it warps space, time, and light) but, unlike a black hole, it has no event horizon.  It also appears to be pulling galaxies toward it (Milky Way Galaxy included)…hence the ‘attractive’ name.  GA falls within the ‘Zone of Avoidance’ (where objects in that direction of our sky are obscured by the galactic plane of the Milky Way), making it difficult to observe directly.  However, observation of the motion of galaxies and their peculiar velocity as they are drawn toward the GA shows the anomaly is a localized concentration of mass millions of times more massive than the Milky Way. 

 

'The Portal' by Aged Pixel

Astrologically, when our luminaries or planets are conjunct this area of our sky, we are drawn into the gravity of something we aren’t even completely conscious of (if we are conscious of it at all).  We may act out the anomaly in our own lives in various ways, often becoming fixated on something that is inherently mutable and in motion…a moving target, as it often is with Sagittarian goals explored.  And with the Moon obscuring the Sun at this total solar eclipse, we may be faced with a fixation on some shadow material being revealed to us in our natal house where Sagittarius resides. 

 

As Mercury is also conjunct this Great Attractor Solar Eclipse, there is an intergalactic invitation to release old thought patterns that have only served to hold us fixed when we are meant to move.  This is an eclipse near the South Node of the Moon, so the shadows revealed to us now may go far into our past.  And with Mercury’s more personal influence bringing messages in from the more transpersonal influence of the Great Attractor, things that were once hidden in our own ‘Zones of Avoidance’ may be observed in both our own thoughts and in the way we are communicating. 

 

This Solar Eclipse is also conjunct Vesta, revealing some of the shadow effects of what we have previously been devoted to and inviting us to dedicate ourselves to a new way of serving in our rapidly changing times.  With a supportive sextile to Saturn in Aquarius from this Sagittarius Stellium, we will see our best potential when working constructively with others to build sound foundations from our ideas.  And the square to Pallas Athene in Pisces from this Sagittarius stellium further highlights the necessity of changing our patterns of avoidance or escapism…facing them instead as a path to wisdom.

 

Moon and Sun at Sagittarius 13

Sabian Symbol- ‘a widow’s past brought to light’

 

This symbol really highlights what it is like to experience a South Node Total Solar Eclipse conjunct the Great Attractor.  Eclipses, in general, tend to bring up the notion of karma in some way…that something already set in motion returns to be addressed and (hopefully) resolved.  And if we attempt to avoid it or escape it, it only pulls us in stronger…not allowing us to fully move forward unless we face it.  In the symbol, the widow’s past is ‘brought to light’ so that she may move forward.  This happens with a solar eclipse too…where the light of the Sun is momentarily blocked by the Moon, then Moon passes through and the light returns.  Essentially, shadows of our past return to be dealt with…momentarily obscuring our usual state of consciousness.  By bringing such things to light, we may resolve those issues and move forward into something new. 

 

 

A note to those of us in the U.S.:  This Solar Eclipse is conjunct (just one arc minute away) the Ascendant of our country’s natal chart (the Sibley chart).  So while the visible path of this eclipse does not go through our country, the energy of this eclipse has a direct effect on how we are showing up in this world right now.  In essence, the shadows of our U.S. history are rising to be seen in what we, as a country, are showing to the world…whether any of us like it or not…through our response to our current global crises.  Much of what I described above about this area of Sagittarius (where we can be fixated upon Sagittarian ideals that are actually mutable and meant to evolve) also describes our country’s approach to the world.  The shadows behind those fixations are being revealed now…and something new is on the horizon from that revelation.  This Eclipse sets us up for the years of our country’s Pluto Return we’ll be in the thick of for the next few years.  This Pluto Rite of Passage we’ve been moving toward has been revealing the dark underbelly of the Plutocracy, control and power dynamics in the U.S., and will only get more obvious throughout the coming years.  All of these things our country has spent centuries trying to repress, suppress, or oppress are coming forth so that we may transform.

 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse in Taurus: Eclipse of the Scapegoat

 

'Medusa' by James Bousema

Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse in Taurus:  Eclipse of the Scapegoat

Moon opposite Sun – 11/19/21 @ 2:57am CST

 

“The search for a scapegoat is the easiest of all hunting expeditions.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

This eclipse season opens with 97% of the Moon’s surface darkened by the Earth’s shadow, with the duration of the partial lunar eclipse lasting 3 hours and 28 minutes.  The red-orange tint to this Full Moon will be visible in east Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and the Americas. 

The Earth’s shadow upon the Moon’s surface shows us our own shadows at each lunar eclipse, reflecting them back to us through the strong emotional pull of the Mother Mind.  During this lunar eclipse, Moon is close to her apogee (where she is farther from Earth).  So, while some of us with natal planets aspected may be feeling it very personally, this lunar eclipse has more association with a broader collective shadow we need to address. 

Bringing in even more farther-reaching associations, this lunar eclipse will be close to the Pleiades from our earthly view, conjunct the fixed star Algol, and conjunct the trans-Neptunian dwarf planet Sedna.  It is those last two conjunctions that will have a significant effect on how this eclipse acceleration plays out. 

There is quite a lot of symbolism in both the mythic storyline of Medusa (Algol is the ‘eye star’ of Medusa’s head in the Perseus constellation) and the mythic storyline of Sedna (the Inuit Goddess of the Ocean).  Where the stories overlap is that both Medusa and Sedna were mistreated, cast aside (from society or from family), and ultimately used as Scapegoats for the protection of others.  Another overlap is that they were both scorned women who threatened the established order of things, but became even more powerful once they were transformed (Medusa into a Gorgon, Sedna into the Ocean Mother).

As one of the Behenian stars, Algol is a potent influence.  It is a binary star where, every 69 hours, it dims in magnitude for 10 hours before returning to brightness.  So essentially, there’s a light side and a dark side to Algol’s influence…but it’s that dark side that is often dwelled upon most (because, especially to the men who proliferate patriarchal tales, there is nothing scarier than a woman scorned having power).  And so we often hear how violent, destructive, and unfortunate Algol’s influence can be.  Ultimately, Algol contributes a great deal of passion and protection (especially to oppressed minorities, outcasts, and exiles).  But this star can also incline rage and victimization.  Essentially, whether literally or symbolically, there’s an increased chance that someone (or many) might ‘lose their head’.  Sometimes, it’s even a ‘Head of State’ or person in a powerful position becoming demonized or falling out of favor.  When things go wrong, the inclination is to find a Scapegoat to carry the ‘sins of the sinners’. 

Salvador Dali, who was born with Mars conjunct Algol,
paints Medusa's head on his wife, Gala.

Afterall, Medusa really didn’t do anything wrong.  It was Neptune who raped her in Minerva’s temple. But Medusa was transformed into a monster, forced to carry the blame.  As the fearsome Gorgon, Medusa’s gaze was so petrifying that it could turn one to stone.  The enduring shadow of this eclipse may have a similar, symbolic effect…where the ‘freeze’ response to what arises may temporarily halt us from moving forward on something.  And as the eclipse lifts, Algol’s gaze may be turned toward another monster (as it was when Perseus held Medusa’s head to petrify the Sea Monster, Cetus (the ‘Kracken), sent to kill the innocent Andromeda, who is just another Scapegoat)…a more destructive monster that has been lurking beneath the Scapegoat story we’re fed.  This is where the protective nature of Algol becomes apparent. 

What Medusa’s story can teach us at this time is that victimization, and victim blaming, can have a disastrous effect.  Be wary of it where you see it (in your personal experience or in the news)…and turn Medusa’s stone-cold gaze upon it to stop it in its tracks.

This Lunar Eclipse is also conjunct Sedna, bringing back many of the issues of our human impact on the rising sea levels that were highlighted during the Blue Moon in August this year.  For a recap about Sedna’s growing influence in our experience, please read Blue Moon in Aquarius:  The Stirrings of Sedna.

The elites recently finished their COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow with little to nothing to show for it, even after such unprecedented events occurred at Greenland’s ice sheet summit this year.  And this eclipse may show the accelerated shadow of such indecision. 

This may bring us back to another part of Sedna’s mythic storyline that correlates with Medusa’s…the betrayal of Sedna.  To make a long story short, Sedna was forced to marry a ‘Bird-Man’ that mistreated her.  Her father, feeling guilty for his role in this decision, came to rescue her.  However, when Sedna swam to her father’s boat…the Bird-Man was enraged and created a storm so fierce that Sedna’s father became afraid for his life.  So he cut off Sedna’s fingers that were clinging to his boat…and she sank into the Ocean.  Her severed fingers became the ocean animals and Sedna became the Mother of the Ocean.

'Sedna' by Genevieve Cseh

Sedna was betrayed by men who were supposed to love and protect her, and she became the Scapegoat for the sins of her father.  Clearly, the Ocean Goddess is still being betrayed and cut off from the human world…and in the Blue Moon post, her response to such mistreatment is laid out (along with our path to righting those wrongs).  With this eclipse showing our collective shadow more clearly, we have to face it one way or another.

One more thing about this Lunar Eclipse in Taurus is that it is in Venus’s earth sign, where Moon is exalted (which means the Moon is well supported to do what the Moon needs to do).  Venus is currently in Capricorn, the earth sign of Saturn, where she takes on the role of Wise Woman and orchestrates actions that are both structured and sustainable.  Venus is also currently out-of-bounds from the ecliptic, so there is still quite a bit of out-of-the-box expression to her influence.  Creative ideas for structure and sustainability are more likely to come from places that are ‘off the beaten path’, or collaborations that might seem out of the ordinary.  Our planet of relationships is now in the 12^th degree of Capricorn where she will return to through her coming retrograde…so much of what she is showing us now will go through a process of revision in the months to come. 

 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

 

New Moon in Scorpio: Mars Strikes Back

 

'Mars' by Michael Whelan

New Moon in Scorpio:  Mars Strikes Back

Moon conjunct Sun- 11/4/21 @ 4:14pm CDT

 

As the veil between worlds becomes transparent at the Samhain Cross-Quarter (November 6^th/7^th), there is a Scorpionic unveiling of the power underneath.  This reveal can show the power of Mother Earth beneath our over-sized carbon footprints, the power of people to put their resources together and strike back against the systemic oppression they’ve been under for too long, and even the inner power we each individually have hidden underneath the weight of living in these heavy times.  This New Moon in Scorpio is a potent seed for transforming ‘what was’ into ‘what becomes of us’.

While Pluto has great affinities with the nocturnal, fixed water sign of Scorpio…this sign is traditionally the domicile of Mars.  In Mars’s water sign, the Warrior devises thoroughly planned strategies to present enough of a threat that a war becomes inconceivable to the opponent.  Of course, if the opponent is foolish enough to underestimate that potent force…they will meet the stinger of Mars in Scorpio. 

To set the scene for this potent New Moon seed, Mars entered Scorpio on October 30^th.  And at this New Moon, Mars is still close enough to the luminaries to make a strong impact.  Since they are in the house of Mars, Moon and Sun operate by Martian rules.  And Mars has been pretty fired up since coming home to Scorpio, as the planet of action begins its closing square with Saturn, the established order.

This particular cycle of Mars and Saturn began back in March 2020, when the two planets met in Saturn’s earth sign, Capricorn, to set forth a malefic directive.  Mars energy thrives with a solid Capricornian mission…but along the way to where we are heading (the Closing Square), this initial agreement became a bit (well, a lot more) volatile. 

Mars and Saturn were in agreement until their Opening Squares in August and September 2020, then with a final opening square in fixed signs by January 2021.  After a long transit through Aries, extended by a retrograde, Mars was strengthened by his diurnal fire energy and said ‘to hell’ with Saturn’s rules.  So by the time the two malefics were in fixed signs (Mars in Taurus and Saturn in Aquarius), the resistance had firmly set in. 

But the volatility of the malefics squaring off was amplified into unusual territory once Mars brought Uranus in Taurus to the fray during the 1^st month of 2021.  By the Mars-Saturn opposition in July this year, all the tension between the malefics was pooled into Uranus in Taurus (at the apex of that T-Square).  And the true grassroots of rebellion grew in that stirred-up Taurean earth.  As we make our way to this closing square (November 10^th), Mars has been reborn with the power to fully challenge the Saturnian societal systems that more and more people are fighting to rise above. 

It’s the position of being ‘underneath’ a ‘power over’ that brings the ‘power of many’ to strike back and demand change.  We can see this in the union strikes happening all over the world…from nurses to production workers and all manner of strikers in between.  It’s likely happening within you individually as well…with whatever that internal battle has been for you.  There’s a ‘last straw’ feeling to it…and it’s being incorporated into this New Moon so we, the people, can really FEEL it throughout this Lunar cycle. 

The difference now is that the luminaries are in strong opposition to Uranus in Taurus (closest to Earth in its orbit that it can be, even visible to some naked eye sky watchers).  This is an opposition that Mars is heading toward now too (November 17^th).  Buckle up, because it’s going to be a crazy ride this month. 

Individually, we can do much to ground ourselves and use this energy in innovative ways.  But collectively, things can get volatile.  Still, that volatility can also enact real change if we learn to harness it together and put it into progress for our progeny.  The voice of our youth in these larger battles will also be amplified as Mercury conjoins Mars in Scorpio (November 10^th, during the Closing Square of Mars-Saturn).  So it’s best to consider our children (and their future) as integral to our motivation to rise up from underneath the weight that’s been holding us down.

The pressure from the Scorpio-Taurus oppositions this month is challenging the Saturnian establishment to make a choice.  If we can wisely tap into this demand for change, we have the upper hand right now to make it imperative.  One can only hope that this will all go well for the collective…because there will be some unanticipated Uranian ‘curve-balls’ thrown in to respond to.  But, clearly, something’s gotta give to make way for new trajectories.

 

Moon, Sun, and Minerva in Scorpio 13

Sabian Symbol:  ‘an inventor experimenting’

When Uranian energy is involved, the need to try out experimental methods to reveal a truth is at hand.  We become very resourceful and inventive in the moment, sometimes even shocking ourselves with such spontaneous ingenuity and revelation.  So the combination of Moon, Sun, and the asteroid Minerva (Goddess of Wisdom) in this degree, opposing Uranus, highlights the need to explore all the patterns merging together as an awakening of deeper wisdom coming forth.  To harness the power within this time for something that brings progressive change to our world…we must also approach this with some humility.  There are forces at play that are far beyond our human scope and desires, and as we employ our own free will to explore what they have to reveal to us this month, understand that those cosmic forces are more timeless than our mortal lives can claim as our own invention.

 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

 

 

 

Full Moon in Aries: The Eris Moon

 

Art by Emily Balivet

Full Moon in Aries: The Eris Moon

Moon opposite Sun- 10/20/21 @ 9:56am CDT

 

This Full Moon will no doubt be a dynamic one…it’s why we’ve been needing so much rest leading up to it.  The dwarf planet Eris, named after the goddess of strife, is conjunct this Moon in Aries.  She is opposing Mars, who is conjunct the Sun in Libra.  And this opposition creates a T-Square with Pluto in Capricorn at the apex (where all the tension from the opposition pools and demands action). 

Eris and Mars (Ares) are warrior siblings, usually working together on the battlefield…but they are currently at odds.  And this opposition heightens the enduring Pluto-Eris square that has been exact 5 times between January 2020 and this month.  The added Libra element, this time, puts more pressure on Pluto in Capricorn to respond with dramatic alterations. 

When Eris is in the mix (and she’s been stirring the pot for years now), an element creeps into our unassuming lives to wreak all havoc (you know, like a virus that changes everything).  It’s not that Eris seeks to destroy, though.  Her intentions are to reveal what is false about the status quo.  And there’s nothing like a bit of chaotic crisis (which is at the crux of this long-running Pluto-Eris square) to show us how out of integrity we humans have become.

Eris and Hades from 'Hercules'

Consider that pre-covid, many of the strongest supporters of ideas like ‘my body, my choice’ were on one side of the partisan spectrum while the other side was vehemently against that idea.  Now consider the most polarizing issue at hand these days…covid vaccine mandates.  Again, we’re hearing ‘my body, my choice’…but the opposition to that call is now predominantly coming from the same political side that championed choice in the abortion debate.  Eris, Mars, and Pluto are suggesting that we all take a good hard look at the underlying motivations and influences behind our often wavering ideas about choice.

In any conflict, Eris is a champion for those who are being ostracized or exiled from society in some way.  She knows what that feels like, and she’ll make it her mission to expose the injustice. 

Her brother, Mars, though…he’s more of a dutiful warrior.  If his orders are to oppose his sister, as they are currently, he’ll put aside his feelings before entering the battle and go for the glory.

The problem is, both sides of the conflict believe they are acting in the best interests of the greater good and protecting the rights of the people.  And yet, the square to Pluto (from both sides) suggests that hidden motivations are influencing the conflict on both ends.  And our luminaries at this Full Moon are illuminating the underlying Plutocracy controlling the controversy. 

Pluto at the apex of this T-Square suggests that we, the people, need to take back our power to initiate total transformation of the societal structures that have been crumbling under their own weight for over a decade now.  Yes, it’s a heavy imperative we’re facing…but that’s what a Pluto square presents us with.  In this, it comes across as a ‘do or die’ kind of choice…which doesn’t feel much like a choice at all.

Now, that is the global picture…but what of this influence on the more personal, individual experience?  That all depends on what you are personally battling.  An illness?  An imbalance in your life?  A fear?  A bad habit?  A soul-crushing work environment?  A more personal injustice?

The key with Pluto at the apex is to look deeper into your own motivations, transform them if they are out of integrity with who you truly are, and reclaim your hidden power that has been buried underneath it all.  Easier said than done, I know.  But that’s what’s up right now.

We do have a bit of a saving grace from Jupiter in Aquarius at this time.  This benefic influence brings a subtle opportunity for release of the tension through a sextile from Moon-ErisRx and a flowing trine from Sun-Mars.  The natal house that holds the Aquarian energy in your chart can show the area of life where you may feel the benefits of that release.  Still, it is in your Capricorn house where the stress will ultimately demand a necessary change. 

It will be a challenge to balance your Aries initiative for personal integrity and self-reliance with your Libra initiative for social harmony and diplomacy.  But the key is to surrender to what structures need to transform (Pluto in Capricorn) while envisioning a brighter future (Jupiter in Aquarius).

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi