Often, the Virgo Full Moon
feels like a moment of clarity during Pisces season…where the dreamy light of
the Pisces Sun is reflected in the Moon with some Virgo discernment.It’s a bit of a wake up call…or sometimes
more than a bit.
Virgo is the sign of the
Priestess, and when the Moon is in this Mercurial Earth sign…she illuminates
our habits, rituals, and practices that either serve or no longer serve.Virgo Moon seeks to cut away what is
extraneous and no longer useful, and throws it in the compost to become useful in
another way.
This Virgo-Pisces axis we’re
feeling now is essentially about service.It highlights both the mundane (Virgo) and mystical (Pisces) sides of
Sacred Service on Earth.For those who
consider themselves spiritual…Virgo Full Moon will invite us to process our
beliefs with a critical eye.This is not
a self-serving axis we’re dealing with, so we may be called to examine how our
spiritual path is really helping the whole (or if there are pieces that can be
extracted from it that are unhealthy in some way).The way of Virgo, after all, is to find what
works and doesn’t work…and to clarify the most efficient way to grow.
For those who don’t consider
themselves spiritual in any way (and for those that do as well), there are some
very practical things to consider about your own habits and how that effects
whatever service you do provide.What
may feel like a ‘nagging’ feeling about what needs to be refined in your life is
now seeking some tangible expression.Virgo Moon gets down to ‘brass tacks’ about things and tends to focus in
on what needs some dedicated maintenance.It’s not the most comfortable feeling, because it usually points out
what needs work.
This Full Moon is in
harmonious aspect to Uranus in Taurus, amplifying the benefits of engaging with
something new and forward-thinking.At the
same time, the sextile between Saturn in Aquarius and Chiron in Aries point the
‘Finger of Gaia’ right at this Full Moon (through 150 degree quincunxes).This is a call to integrate some structured
healing of societal wounds through an uncomfortable growth process.For those who hear this call, we are more
likely to engage in a personal purification process that extracts something
that has been perpetuating woundedness in our society. It may have gone unnoticed for some time.It may still be difficult to see the whole
mess of it.And yet, the Virgo Moon will
highlight a key piece of it for each of us that can be extracted and
discarded.
With Uranus’s influence on
this Full Moon, we are drawing up plans for the future.There is a subtle and beneficial hint here
that what we are being called to express now is both original and useful for
more than just ourselves.We might sum it
up by considering it as a call for ‘radical integrity’.
New Moon in Aquarius:Awakening the Quickening Seeds
Moon conjunct Sun- 2/11/21 @
1:05pm CST
The Quickening Moon cycle
begins with a powerful stellium of Aquarian emphasis.The fixed air sign of Aquarius is Saturn’s
diurnal domicile, though it is also influenced by Uranian ideals.And right now, both planets are moving into their
first 90 degree square of 2021.February
is introducing us to the Saturn-Uranus dynamics that carry throughout this year
in the signs of Aquarius and Taurus.On
a collective level, this illuminates the Crisis of Human Innovation on Earth…as
well as the other side of this coin, the Crisis of Natural Law on Societal Systems.What we are seeing glimpses of now may ultimately
show the clash between the technosphere and the biosphere…both of which we are
part of, but one is so geared toward us that it largely disregards the rest of
life on Earth.
This Aquarius-Taurus square
informs the seed of this lunar cycle with our luminaries square to Mars in
Taurus.Mars is the planet of action,
and squares incline necessary action.This
vibration is best used in creative response rather than destructive reaction.
Essentially, something very
practical presses to be done in this Quickening cycle.It’s simple, but not easy.Quick as change wants to happen in this
Aquarian season, the way of Taurus can be very deliberate in the process.Mars in Taurus tends to be very hands-on in
the creation of things, which means we have to keep a steady pace that our
bodies can endure.
'Star' card from Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti
Still, with Moon, Sun,
MercuryRx, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn all in Aquarius…there is a buzz from the collective
that urges us to connect with as many opportunities as possible now.The asteroid Pallas (Athene) is also integral
to this Aquarian Aerie, communicating her boundless wisdom through sound
strategy while conjunct this New Moon.We may see a battle playing out on the larger stage (and even
internally) between the passionate persistence of Mars in Taurus and the collected
foresight of Pallas in Aquarius.Neither
of these warriors are without support in their efforts.Mars has Uranus on his side, pitching the
curveballs that can throw our logic for a loop.Pallas is strengthened in the shared fixity of purpose between so many
planets in Aquarius.But an overall
agreement on priorities may not be the main goal.It’s really all about taking some form of
action that can alleviate the current stress while achieving measured
growth.
Moon-Sun in Aquarius 24
Sabian Symbol:‘a man, turning his back on his passions,
teaches deep wisdom from experience’
Aquarius energy is not without
its passions, yet there is often a turning from reliance upon those passions to
sharing the knowledge that has come from trial and error.We have had a pretty difficult past, no
doubt.2020 was full of hard edges for
most of us.There’s hope in the air this
year, but we have new challenges and lessons to learn too.This New Moon in Aquarius, especially as
Mercury is retrograde in this sign, is calling for a ‘head check’…possibly even
a revision of our Aquarian ideals.It’s
not about ‘what were we thinking?’, it’s about ‘what do we know now?’Because now we can put that knowledge to
constructive use.With Pallas joining
in, we are better able to see the patterns of things and choose the wisest course
forward.In doing so, we can teach by
example.
Mercury in the fixed air of Aquarius sends messages in
waves that connect through networks of people.This can link us telepathically, often to greater understanding of our
social systems.These days, such a ‘communal
bath’ for the collective mind tends to come through the internet (and
especially our social media outlets)…where we have the opportunity to instantaneously
share our unique gifts as individuals while we connect to our global community.
The World Wide Web was first introduced to us when Saturn
was last in Aquarius, and now that Saturn is in Aquarius again…this invention
is approaching its Saturn Return.When
we go through our first Saturn Return (around the age of 29), we are often
tasked with the many responsibilities of reaching full-blown adulthood.It is a Rite of Passage where we must commit
to something with newfound maturity and carry it through for the next few
decades of our lives.For us humans, by
the age of 29, we have gone through a series of tests where we confront the
concept of Authority outside of ourselves, only to return to the Authority
within ourselves.It will be interesting
to see how this will play out with the Internet, a non-human entity that humans
so often use.And Mercury in Aquarius will
likely be including this as part of the collective retrograde story this time
around.
Of course, any form of connection with community
(especially when using your individual gifts for a common goal) is linked to
this Mercury in Aquarius energy.But
technological innovation does speed up the process of Group Consciousness.Keep in mind that this energy does not
dissolve our differences to make us just like everyone else.More often, it combines many unique
viewpoints and shares them in ways that inform our world with whatever group
dynamics we create together.So Mercury
in Aquarius inclines us to be more consciousof what we’re contributing to the
group or community.We may be asking
ourselves, ‘how does this thing that sets me apart from others actually offer
something integral to my community?’
What is the purpose of a Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury, the Messenger, has a gift for storytelling.The Mercurial function is to spell the
message out in various ways to get the point across…usually from point A (let’s
say that’s you) to point B (let’s say that’s me).But in transit, bearing the collective
message, sometimes Mercury loops or zig-zags back and forth from point A to
point B three times.It is a message so
important that it needs repeating from multiple perspectives. A Mercury Retrograde expands the message into
a 3-part storyline.
From my view as an Astrology Writer, Mercury’s first direct
pass of the coming retrograde degrees is the Prologue of the story.During this time (January 15-30), Mercury
introduces us to the world and the main characters of the story.There are hints of what is to come, but much
of the detail is left out.Mercury
catches our attention, and promises to reveal more throughout the
retrograde.It is a time where, because
we were speeding along in our everyday lives, Mercury invites us to slow down and
pay attention to something we all zipped past without giving much time for
thought.
Mercury Retrograde, the heart of the story, is the Deep
Think we all need (multiple times a year).This part of the story begins during Mercury’s station…when our
Messenger planet appears to slow down to a halt and change directions in our
sky.This, of course, only appears so
from our view on Earth…which is why these messages are so poignant to us Earthlings.Mercury is also closer to us in proximity
during retrogrades, so it feels more like an intimate Storytime for all of us.And the closer the degrees to our natal storyline
by dynamic aspect, the more we take in the story as it inspires us on a
personal level.
Because this is true, it means that the lessons contained
within each retrograde storyline are not always so specific to us.But they will be specific and personal to
many…so the more we interact with others during this time, the more we can
learn of the message.Contrary to
popular belief, Mercury Retrograde is not a time to hide under a rock and cease
all communications.Our connections bring
out more meaning to the story.However,
there is definitely an inward journey happening during any retrograde.And with Mercury as the guide, there is great
potential to shift our inward thought patterns into unexplored territory.
Throughout this apparent backtrack through what was hinted
at in Mercury’s Prologue, every aspect (new or repeated) is given a fuller
description.There is time to go deeper
and develop a different perspective on the story.It becomes more meaningful to us…just as a
reader falls in love with or increasingly identifies with a character.We become more engaged with the story.We are immersed in it.Mercury has a multitude of gifts for keeping
our attention stimulated throughout.
Within the Retrograde storyline, there is an Interior
Conjunction between Sun and Mercury that plants the new thoughtseed within each
of us that grows, gives, and composts through the rest of Mercury’s cycle.In a way, this is the main point of the
retrograde…to finish one cycle of thought so another can replace it.However, the Retrograde story doesn’t end
here.
The Retrograde concludes when Mercury carries our awareness
all the way back to the degree where we missed something important as the
Prologue began.This happens during
Mercury’s direct station.The Messenger
planet once again slows down to a halt and shifts directions…but not before
pointing us to a priceless message we need to retrieve and integrate for
ourselves.
The Epilogue, where Mercury describes the events in the
story after all plotlines are revealed, is the 2nd direct pass of
the degrees Mercury has traveled thrice.During this time (2/20 – 3/12), we are offered an opportunity to
integrate the meaning of this story into our lives.The events that play out during the epilogue
are signals on how to move forward with what we retrieved of the meaning.
How do I know if this Retrograde relates to me personally?
Not everyone speaks the language of Astrology, I get
that.There are ways to learn these
things…but most prefer to just consult an Astrologer for such advice.That is my job, and I love it.However, I was born in the Aries season so I
also tend to champion the way of self-reliance.If you’d rather learn to fish, I’m willing to teach that.But since I have a mixed group of readers and
clients (from novices to professionals), I’ll include more detail than the
general information.I was born at
Mercury Cazimi (the Exterior Conjunction of Sun and Mercury) after all, so ‘show
and tell’ is a big part of my personal toolkit.
If you are familiar enough with your natal chart, you can first
look to the part of your chart where Aquarius 12 – 27 is.This will show you the area of life (the Astrological
House) where this story will be set.For
example, this retrograde takes place in my 10th House…the House of
Career and Public Contribution.Then you
may notice if you have any planets or angles in this part of your natal
chart.If you do, you will have some
distinctly personal lessons throughout this time.If you don’t have anything in this part of
Aquarius, as it is in my case, you’ll see the lessons playing out by other
aspects with your natal chart.
The next thing to look for is whether you have natal
planets or angles in any of the other fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio)
between 12 – 27 degrees.It is likely
that you do.So, in this case, Mercury
will bring up dynamic square aspects (to Taurus or Scorpio) or a tense balancing
act with your personal Leo lessons.For
me, it’s all about the squares to my Taurus Ascendant-Chiron and my Scorpio
Moon-Ceres.In fact, there will be a
square between Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius and Mars in Taurus on Feb. 10
that will highlight my exact Ascendant degree.At that time, I’ll no doubt be pressed to take communicative action in
some way.
For those who have it relatively easy, and Mercury is not
making any dynamic aspects to your natal energies, you may find trines or
sextiles to natal planets in other air or fire signs (Aries, Gemini, Libra, or
Sagittarius).In that rare case of only harmonious
aspects, you may find you float along during this time with a great deal of
ease where nothing pushes you to engage with this story.It is possible, then, that you will be the
one who falls asleep during this Storytime and you miss the message.Or, if you do respond to the creative flow
and the opportunities this story presents for you, a lot of good can come from
your participatory engagement.Cancer,
Virgo, Capricorn, and Pisces are the parts of your chart that might not relate
to the Mercury Retrograde storyline much at all (as they are non-aspects to
Aquarius)…but it is highly unlikely that everything in your chart is only in
those signs.
And if you want to get really Astro-geeky with me, you may
find my outline of Mercury’s retrograde journey to be useful for timing
purposes.I’ve included Sabian Symbols
of the degrees that will be highlighted throughout as well…which can give you
some clues to the story’s action.
Keep in mind that the degrees listed are rounded up.So, where this whole Mercury journey begins in
11.01 Aquarius, it is considered the 12th degree of Aquarius.
1/15 – 1/30:Mercury’s Prologue (AQU 12 – 27)
1/20:Aquarius Mercury trine Gemini North Node
(part 1) (AQU/GEM 20)
Mercury-‘a white dove bearing a message’
North
Lunar Node-‘a cafeteria’
South
Lunar Node-‘men cut ice for summer use’
1/30:Mercury
stations retrograde (AQU 27)
‘An
ancient pottery bowl filled with violets’
1/30 – 2/20:Mercury’s Retrograde in Aquarius (AQU 27 – 12)
2/8:Interior Conjunction of Sun-Mercury (AQU 21)
‘a woman, disappointed and disillusioned,
courageously faces a seemingly empty life’
2/10:Aquarius MercuryRx trine Gemini North Node (part
2) (AQU/GEM 19)
MercuryRx-‘a forest fire quenched’
North Lunar Node- ‘a large archaic volume reveals traditional wisdom’
South Lunar Node-‘pelicans seek safer areas to raise their
young’
2/10:Aquarius MercuryRx square Taurus Mars
(AQU/TAU 18)
MercuryRx-‘a man’s secret motives are being publicly
unmasked’
Mars-‘a woman airing an old bag through an open
window’
2/13:MercuryRx conjunct Venus (AQU 15)
‘two
lovebirds on a fence’
2/14:MercuryRx conjunct Jupiter (AQU 14)
‘a
train entering a tunnel’
2/20:Mercury
stations direct (AQU 12) ‘People on a vast staircase, graduated upwards’
2/20 – 3/12:Mercury’s Epilogue (AQU 12 – 27)
3/2:Aquarius Mercury trine Gemini North Node
(part 3) (AQU/GEM 16)
Mercury-‘a big businessman at his desk’
North
Lunar Node- ‘a woman activist in an emotional speech’
South
Lunar Node- ‘seagulls fly around a ship in expectation of food’
3/4:Mercury conjunct Jupiter (AQU 18)
‘a
man’s secret motives are being publicly unmasked’
Full Moon in Leo: Courageous Expression through the Cutting
Edge
Moon opposite Sun- 1/28/21 @
1:16pm CST
It is the Full Wolf Moon, when
Luna’s call encourages us to express authenticity within the pack.And since it is a Leo Full Moon, her call
also encourages the pride.Amidst the
roars and howls of the collective at this Full Moon, what sound radiates from
your heart center?What do you feel
encouraged to express?
Every year, the Full Moon in
Leo commands attention…and this year brings a ‘cutting-edge’ quality more
dynamic than most.In a 90 degree square
aspect to our luminaries, Mars and Uranus in Taurus are activated.Taurus is fixed earth, and usually solid…even
predictable in its unfolding.But this combination
of Mars-Uranus we’ve been feeling this month is groundbreaking.Like navigating crackling ice beneath a
continuous snowfall…it’s not the most sure-footed feeling.We have to really trust our bodies to hold us
steady.
So while the Leo Moon calls us
to emit our radiant heart, Aquarius Sun shines consciousness on group
awareness.In all oppositions, we are
challenged by the tension between what appears to be opposite expressions.In this Full Moon, we meet this challenge by expressing
the creative light of our individuality through our collective experience.The square from Mars and Uranus in Taurus
shows us how we are urged to express it.
The cutting edge of Mars and
Uranus in Taurus earth is guided by Venus, who is currently conjunct Pluto in
Capricorn.This is Love’s Wisdom from
the depths of Earth, giving sound advice for our actions.Venus orchestrates these Taurus vibrations with
a powerful understanding of the Plutonian seed of this lunar cycle.New Moon began conjunct Pluto, and the cycle
has grown since to a Uranian crescendo.With
these outer planets involved, the charge of change is received by Earth.It is a time where what once may have been
predictable becomes unpredictable.There
is a wildness emerging from fixed earth that is as exciting as it can be unsettling.Can you trust yourself to harness it and put
it to good use?
Remember that the way of
Taurus grounds us with the senses, whether we’re responding to something quick
as a bolt of lightning or gradual as new wings emerging from a chrysalis.Taurus is not averse to change…it’s just that
it must be aligned with Natural Law.After
all, it is both the fertile soil and the productive unfolding of Mother Nature.Taurus earth’s fixedness is in the
determination to grow.And growth
requires us to respond to changes.
What kind of changes are moving
our response?The Leo Moon is conjunct
the asteroid Hygiea, a clue that one of the greatest resonances in her call has
to do with health.Hygiea (whose name
gave us the word ‘hygiene’) is the Goddess of purification and holistic
health.It is not mere coincidence she is
so present when vaccine rollouts are being amped up…and she raises the question
of what practices are the most beneficial for the body when the collective
desire is to prevent any further damage to our health.In Leo, Hygiea encourages self-awareness to
determine what is healthy for each individual.After all, we are not the same…even as we are part of a collective.The tension arises in our varied responses to
what is being amplified in our collective awareness.
The Aquarius Sun is conjunct
Jupiter…and this gas giant is all about amplification and expansion.If you’re in any way connected to any
community that speaks of Astrology, you’ve no doubt heard an amplified buzz about
‘Aquarius energy’.People are positively
giddy about it, which is an inclination of Jupiter’s current influence in this air
sign.Some expand the current energy so
far as to herald it as ‘The Age of Aquarius’.Those who understand the enormous breadth of the Astrological Ages are
not so quick to punctuate the flow.These are transits in Aquarius we are feeling, a much more particular
resonance than the precession of our ages.Such a predominance of transits in Aquarius, however, do clue us in to
what our Descendants will be working with over a century from now.
And yet, not all of the ideals
included in the 5th Dimension song give a full picture of what is on
the horizon for humanity.There is a
distinctly technological factor to our collective experience of Aquarius that
has become increasingly engrained in the fixed Air of this sign.There are also some lessons to learn about ‘Groupthink’…so
the current opposition of Jupiter and Hygiea means to challenge our previous
ideas of ‘Herd Immunity’, whatever they may be for each of us.This Leo-Aquarius combination brings up the
importance and benefit (Jupiter) of Holistic Health practices (Hygiea) to prevent
illness.
But you’ll see, because of the
rather bullish nature of this T-square pooling the tension in Taurus, that
there isn’t actually a whole lot of Aquarian agreement on what will give the
best results for each individual as well as the collective.In many cases, even the Leo heart-radiance is
overshadowed by fixed reactions to opposition and challenge.
Leo Moon’s fixed fire reminds
us to respond by leading with love.Treat others as individuals who are blessed with the ability and the
will to be their authentic Self.In this
quickening Aquarius season, the lesson is to encourage the unique expression of
each of us to creatively contribute to the health of the whole.When amplifying this underlying wisdom, we
can break new ground in our Earthly unfolding.
New Moon in Capricorn: Commitment to Transformation
Moon conjunct Sun- 1-12-21
@11:00 pm CST
So many transformations we’ve
been going through…for over a decade, it has accelerated.Humanity is becoming more attentive and
attuned to Natural Law.Not that we have
it all figured out yet…this is a long but necessary process.And we keep coming to these initiatory points
that evolve us further along the path of reconnection to Earth.Some are huge societal and world changes like
the bookends of 2020, the Saturn-Pluto and Jupiter-Saturn Conjunctions.But within those larger changes, there are
smaller (but no less important) changes that occur.This Lunar Cycle is one of them.
But the fixed air of Aquarius
is the dominant theme now, right?
Jupiter-Saturn on December Solstice ushered in this new wave…and the
struggles of Capricorn Saturn-Pluto that marked the beginning of 2020 are in
the past, yes? Well, yes…and we’re still
learning our Saturn lessons this year. These
are not the same lessons, but the underlying theme is the same: Responsibility. Saturn guides the lessons of both Capricorn
and Aquarius like the two-headed Janus that gave this month its name. Janus is a threshold guide, God of
Doorways. One head looks to the past,
one to the present. Two perspectives in
one entity, a conjunction of opposites. Where
we have been and where we are going are two sides of the same coin, and our
response in the present joins what we have learned to what we will learn.
This present initiation is
marked by our luminaries conjunct Pluto in Capricorn.Pluto has been traveling through this
cardinal earth sign since 2008.Slow-moving as this outer planet is, Pluto’s lessons are deep and
enduring…always prevalent just under the surface of things until crisis brings
it out for catharsis.
Tonight’s conjunction is in
the same area of the sky where the Capricorn Council met throughout last
year.The emphasis on Capricorn now brings
our recent past to the present for another transformation, one which will bring
us through this lunar month.
Moon-Sun in Capricorn 24
Sabian Symbol:‘A woman entering a convent’
This symbol represents our
initiations of intent where we dedicate and commit ourselves to a life
transformation.We step beyond the
threshold from what was known to what is unknown.We make a commitment to follow through with
our choice.For each of us, this is a
personal choice…though you may feel you have no choice in the matter, as we are
following a soul urge that is calling us to surrender to change.But the very foundation of this choice is in responsibility…in
our ability to respond.It is how we
respond to the call of the transformational initiation in this lunar month that
guides our change.
In the initiation of this New
Moon, our previous comforts may be stripped away…revealing the bare bones of
who we really are.Whatever it is
personally that requires your total commitment now is likely to take you beyond
your previous comfort zone.That which
was excessive or frivolous in your life will not help you transform into who
you are becoming.It may be that a
health issue requires you to give up certain foods, or maybe time management is
required in the weeks ahead to bring focus to your priorities.Whatever it is, this is a good time to set
yourself up for success in your endeavors.If you come out of this lunar month feeling like you took care of your
responsibilities through hard work and dedication, you’ll have made the best of
this time.But if you focus on all you’ve
had to give up rather than what you’re giving it up for…you may find this lunar
month to be particularly difficult.
Pluto in Capricorn 25
Sabian Symbol:‘A store filled with precious oriental rugs’
The woman entering the convent
chooses to no longer rely on the comforts and conveniences of the outside world,
no precious rugs beneath her as she kneels to pray.While Pluto’s influence is always about the
depths of the transformational process, this God of the Underworld also rules
material wealth.With this symbol, Pluto
is bringing up the deep chasm between comforts that the affluent may take for
granted and the hardships of those who struggle just to live or provide for
their families.Pluto here is dismantling
traditions of Wealth Comfort through Soul Crisis.This larger transformation in our world
enters the personal experience through understanding what we can live without
and what is necessary for our survival.
Some may cling to their
comforts and not make the changes that their soul urges them to make.They’re likely to learn these lessons the
hard way.But if you choose to let go of
what no longer serves you and find a new way to move forward, you’ll thank
yourself for that choice later.
As we lay to rest a year that
faced us all with our mortality, may we find solace in the requiem song of all
that passed.Our final full moon of
2020, known as the Long Nights Moon in our Northern Hemisphere, sings a song of
comfort and care from the cardinal waters of Cancer.Again, as the New Moon whispered weeks ago,
these comforts are not without some sadness as we look back at all that
transpired this year.But we who are greeting
this Full Moon now…we made it through, and we can sing for those who didn’t.
Often, this Full Moon in
Cancer each year is one which illuminates the importance of emotional bonds and
familiar protection, no matter what we may be going through.This time, our luminaries are in a 90 degree
square to Chiron in Aries, the Cosmic Shaman who has been teaching the Aries medicine
of self-reliance with a call to ‘heal thyself’.Alongside Chiron is the asteroid Requiem.This main-belt asteroid was discovered and
named in 1977 by Nikolai Chernykh, whose mother (Melaniya) died the day he
discovered it.
Chiron’s wisdom, at the end of
this year, tells of the great healing power in honoring all we have lost in
2020 with a collective prayer of Requiescat in Pace (Rest in Peace).And, at the same time, this dynamic square calls
for a Requiem of Woundedness that has been viral for centuries longer than
Covid19.May we lay it all to rest in
this year where we learned we cannot live well without each other.May we lay it all to rest in this year where
we learned our natural world can heal in the absence of who we were.
And may this teaching provide
the solid foundation from which Humanity creates a future of Peace with all
life on Earth.
Total Solar Eclipse in
Sagittarius: The South Node Seeding
Moon conjunct Sun- 12/14/20 @
10:16am CST
In the shadows of Eclipse
Season, we begin the last lunar cycle of 2020, a year to remember.Here in the Northern Hemisphere, as we approach
the Midwinter Solstice, we welcome the Long Nights Moon cycle.Our sisters and brothers in the Southern
Hemisphere, as they approach Midsummer Solstice, welcome the Strong Sun Moon
cycle. Together, we are welcoming a
shift of season that holds a solar standstill and a Great Conjunction of
Jupiter and Saturn.
We also say our goodbyes to
the previous Jupiter-Saturn cycles so we may usher in the Aquarian air of the
next.As the story goes with the 20 year
conjunction cycle of these two planets, ‘one king dies as the next king reigns’.This Aquarian conjunction happens on December
21st, Solstice Day, and carries a strikingly similar theme to a
story of our Solstices.Within each
solar standstill, the Holly King and the Oak King engage in battle.Each rules for half a year, before the other usurps
them.This story tells of the growing,
dying, and rebirthing of the Sun throughout our seasons.
'The Riddle of Strider' by J.R.R. Tolkien
And within this total solar
eclipse, this ‘death and rebirth cycle of the Sun King’ theme is accelerated as
the shadow of Moon sails across our Sun for 2 minutes and 10 seconds of
darkness.Not all Earthlings can visibly
observe this totality, but every one of us can feel it.On the other side of this eclipse portal, a
rapid rebirth of light ensues…reminding us of so many ‘changing of the guard’
moments in our Earthly lives.
This total eclipse is at Moon’s
South Node…seeding a new cycle with Sun that honors the fruit, flower, and root
from whence it came. Within this seed,
past provides future potential as we approach Solstice.
Yes, but shadows…so many of us
would hide from seeing the truth within them.The Shadowland seems dangerous territory…we cannot rely upon our sight
and we are challenged to practice the extra-sensory navigation we were born
with, but often forget how to use.The
Unknown envelops us as we cross into the Void.We search for some comfort or safety as we have known it before…but
there is only what can be birthed from this darkness.Even the words to describe where we are now have
acquired some dreadful connotation from a past that has tried to dissociate
from Goddess Wisdom.But as all Dark
Moons in Dark Nights teach us, light is reborn in the dark.
South Lunar Node in
Sagittarius 20
Sabian Symbol- ‘in an old
fashioned Northern village, men cut ice from a frozen pond for use during the Summer’
There is an interplay of hindsight
and foresight within this last month of the 2020 vision…one in which the
shadows of the past reveal a message for the future.Where we come from arrives at this threshold
in a transformed state, supporting our growth into where we are going.We
are leaving something behind in a South Node Eclipse, but we carry forth the
past that matters most to our growth:the wisdom of experience.This is
where hindsight gives birth to foresight in Sagittarius South Node medicine.We anticipate the needs of our Collective
Soul by surviving and learning from past experience.Within this symbol, we carry forth what we
need of “frozen” memory as a way to care for each other in times to come.The South Lunar Node, a portal to the soul’s
past, carries experiential wisdom from our Ancestors that they pass through to
us.In bringing forth the ice cutting
symbol, our Ancestors of many realms provide insight to the natural cycles.As Earthlings, this is our rhythm…the
drumming of Gaia’s Heart.Listening to
that rhythm, even in the dark, connects us to the beat of our Collective Earthdance.There is a message in that song, being seeded
now within the compost from past cycles, of planning for our Descendants…considering
who we are as Ancestors and how we may show our support for the future Now.This message, this cyclical rhythm of Mother Nature,
it holds true for us even through the Shadowlands of our journey on Earth.
Moon-Sun in Sagittarius 24
Sabian Symbol-‘a bluebird perched on the gate of a cottage’
Our luminaries resonate with
the medicine of Bluebird…often considered a threshold guide in many
cultures.Bluebird sings a Sacred Song to
the rhythm of our earthly cycles and invites us to show our true colors.
You may have heard of the Bluebird
of Happiness. As a child, I first
encountered this winged symbol in my favorite Shirley Temple movie…where her
character follows a bluebird into a magical Otherworld much like White Rabbit
leads Alice and a Twister guides Dorothy.
The coming-of-age journey of these young girls mirrors Bluebird
medicine, which guides us through our passages in life. The search for happiness brings us through
unexpected realms…what we once knew can go through reversal to be understood
more wisely. And so not all experiences
on the path to happiness are as joyful as we hoped.
When Bluebird perches on the
gate, as it does in this symbol, there is an invitation to a journey guided by
what illuminates happiness.There is a
promise of joy and good fortune here, when we move beyond the gate, and yet
happiness is not separate from the blues of our sadness.There is a type of joy that is only
experienced through grief…one where compassionate care and support embraces us
in both states at once.
Sadness and Joy with core memory in 'Inside Out'
This is a theme seeded now and
amplified in the Solstice Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn.Jupiter expands, Saturn contracts.Jupiter is jovial and festive, Saturn is
serious and solemn.And their conjunction
has them expressing as one for our Collective…just as a New Moon marries the Spirit
of Sun and the Soul of Moon in the Matter of Earth.
Perhaps, in our pursuit of
Happiness during this holiday season, we may find the truth of that journey in
our Sadness.What we have collectively
experienced throughout 2020 has largely been a Saturnian lesson of limits and
responsibility.The year began with a Saturn-Pluto
conjunction in Saturn’s nocturnal sign of Capricorn earth, a necessary
breakdown of our societal structures through soul crisis.The year closes with a Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction in Saturn’s diurnal sign of Aquarius air, a productive progression
of ingenuity for our societal systems.As we head into 2021, multiple planetary cycles are seeded in Air
signs.But what have we learned of our
Earth cycles?We will carry forth the
wisdom of those past experiences, both happy and sad, to inform and provide for
our future.
You may ponder, in this
eclipse, what you have learned from your past adventures…in the saddest challenges
and the happiest blessings.What truth
have you found there that can sustain you through the months ahead?The hard work initiated this year does not
disappear after 2020 closes and the new year begins.We are to see it through in new ways.And in this renewal of many cycles, we have a
responsibility to ourselves, to each other, and to our future…that this new
vision of society is sustainable and supportive of Life on Earth.
I wish you all a Blessed
Solstice, Happy Holidays, and a Prosperous New Year!May our light shine bright, even through the
dark.
