Aries New Moon/Hybrid Solar Eclipse: Confronting the Shadows

 

Art by Rob Rey

Aries New Moon/Hybrid Solar Eclipse:  Confronting the Shadows

Moon conjunct Sun - 4/19/23 @ 11:12pm CDT

(Eclipse visible in NW Australia, East Timor, and Indonesia, partial eclipse in Australia and SE Asia))

 

This eclipse season begins with a call to clear out what is destructive in our lives.  Such an imperative can bring up some turbulent emotions, and some confusion about the origin of our most destructive habits, attachments, or feelings. 

In the final degree of Aries, this New Moon begins at an ending.  And, with Astraea conjunct these luminaries, its likely an ending we’ve been prolonging because we haven’t wanted to fully let go. Something in us is too tethered to a timeline that has already run its course beyond our ability to change the outcome.  Only in releasing ourselves from it can we occupy a space of choice again. 

'Astraea' by Karolina Jedrzejak

Aries is the diurnal domicile of Mars, who guides this eclipsed lunation.  Mars is currently in the water sign of Cancer…a sign where Mars has the most trouble performing the actions he does best.  In general, the nature of Mars is that of a Challenger or a Warrior…and those confrontational, combative skills are not so easy to use in Cancer, where emotional bonding and protective nurturing is key.  In an emotionally sensitive sign like Cancer, we often seek the comfort of what is familiar, nourishing, and safe.  Mars often needs a mission…something to go after.  So Mars transiting through Cancer can create a tendency to turn against those closest to us, sever emotional bonds, or push away nurturance to deny the vulnerability of need.

This is not the only way of Mars in Cancer…it is more of a triggered reaction to feeling vulnerable in the shadows of this season.  If we don’t feel safe or cared for, defenses come up quickly.  Cancer is, after all, a very protective energy.  And in this Aries New Moon, overshadowing the Sun, feelings of inferiority or invisibility may quicken our self-defensiveness. 

Mars is also a strong protector, ever-ready to defend a cause.  In those who were born with Mars in Cancer, there is a natural impetus to protect the vulnerable from harm.  But by transit, Mars in Cancer gives us less time to figure out how to best use the energies we’ve been feeling.  This can bring up a lot of frustration for anyone, no matter what sign your natal Mars is in.  Mars energy is often too restless to sit in an inactive feeling like frustration until it passes.  It needs somewhere to go, and something to do.  So anger often becomes the activation.  It can play out like an emotionally volatile cycle, especially as Mars is in Moon’s sign (Cancer) and Moon is in Mars’s sign (Aries).  Mutual Reception like this is often a mitigating influence…but with Moon and Mars in mutual reception, it’s a tricky combination.

Pluto squaring off with Moon and Sun during this eclipse brings up another uncomfortable necessity in all of this emotional turbulence.  We’re going to have to go deeper…way deeper…into what is surfacing from this eclipse shadow to uncover the real truth of what needs to be laid to rest. 

We may not have the full story of what we’re feeling the need to lash out about just yet.  After all, Mercury is slowing down to station retrograde this week.  We’ll likely be re-thinking soon what has been said in the past couple weeks.  And in this emotional mix of energies, some of us may have already said some things we’ll regret later.  If you’ve managed to hold your tongue and just sit with your frustrations lately, good on you.  Either way, it hasn’t been easy to do so.

But whatever it is that’s bubbling up in this Eclipse Cauldron for you personally…it’s not meant to be ignored.  There is something important to extract from this concoction of energies.  Something that needs to be recognized within each of us so that we may be more empowered to create the kind of magic we need for necessary changes in our paths ahead.  Confront the shadow you’ve been avoiding.  Let the feelings wash over you, but not settle within you.  Clear out what has become destructive, and trust the process will lead you toward a healthier way of being.

 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

Aquarius Cross-Quarter: Imbolg

 

Art by Ruth Sanderson

Aquarius Cross-Quarter:  Imbolg

(Sun at 15 degrees Aquarius- 2/3/23 @8:43pm CST)

 

Imbolg Origins and Variations

 

Imbolg is a Gaelic name for the cross-quarter fire festival celebrated at the midpoint between the December Solstice and the March Equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere.  This holiday is also called Imbolc, Candlemas (the Festival of Lights), the Feast of St. Brigid, or (especially in the States) Groundhog Day.

 

Though the meanings of Imbolg and Imbolc refer to different things, the pronunciation is the same (both are pronounced ‘IM-olk’).  One of many old Gaelic language rules is that G is only pronounced like a G if at the beginning of the word…elsewhere in a word it is pronounced as a hard C.  Take the Scottish Gaelic word for Gaelic, for example, which is ‘Gaidhlig’ and pronounced ‘GAA-lik’.  Also, the B in Imbolg/Imbolc is silent (or a very subtle touch-and-release of the lips without a plosive sound), as in the word ‘limb’. 

 

Imbolg refers to ‘In the belly’.  Not only is this the 1^st of 3 Spring Holidays, when seeds are stirring within the belly of the Earth and the first signs of life begin to spring forth, but this is also traditionally the time of year when dairy animals begin to give birth…such as the start of lambing season.  Because milk is plentiful at this time, dairy is often featured prominently in Imbolg feasts.  And, as far as human births go, if one was conceived in the lusty month of May (Bealtaine/Beltane), then they would be born around Imbolg.  Interestingly, the last name ‘Robinson’ comes from such traditions.  Because it was common for the mother of a child conceived in the throes of passion at Bealtaine to not know who the father was, the baby was said to be fathered by ‘Robin Goodfellow’ (one of many names, such as Puck, for the Pan-like Trickster of the Forest)…thus ‘son of Robin’ becomes ‘Robinson’. 

 

Imbolc refers to the word ‘folc’ which means to bathe, wash, or cleanse…a term that mirrors the purification and purgation roots of the Roman month of Februarius.  As such, Spring Cleaning or House Cleansing rituals are also ways to honor this time of year, as a way of sloughing off the stagnation of Winter in preparation for Spring. 

 

Candlemas refers to this time of year having many associations with lighting up the home with candlelight.  In celebration of the light of the Sun increasing in the Northern Hemisphere, householders would light a candle in each room of the house on the Eve of Imbolg. 

 

And as Brigid/Bride/Brigantia (Pan-Celtic Triple-Goddess of healing, smithcraft, fire, fertility, midwifery, and poetry) is the Goddess of Imbolg, she was eventually syncretized to Catholicism as St. Brigid…and this time of year, then, is also called the Feast of St. Brigid.

 

Imbolg is also traditionally a time of weather divination.  It is said that when the weather is bright and sunny on this day, the Cailleach (Winter Witch/Hag Goddess) awakens to gather firewood for the rest of winter.  If she wants winter to last another 6 weeks, she will make sure it is a clear and sunny day.  If the weather is otherwise, it means she slept in and winter is almost over.  Most times, Punxsutawney Phil (of Pennsylvania’s Groundhog Day traditions) agrees with the same pattern on February 2^nd each year:  seeing his shadow means 6 more weeks of Winter.  This year, Phil ‘saw his shadow’ on this bright morning…heralding an extended winter. 

 

Astrology of Imbolg’s Quickening

 

In the Northern Hemisphere, where these customs originate, this is the time of year that daylight expands the Sun’s promise to Spring.  That growing Fire informs the chilly winter Air of Aquarius season to carry the message to Water.  As the ice crystals melt that watery message into Earth, the thaw stirs the seeds in Earth’s belly, quickening their growth. 

 

'Quickening Moon' by Erynnar

In February, which Imbolg heralds, one of the names for the Moon (and my favorite of them) is the Quickening Moon.  This year, the Quickening Moon is full on Sunday, February 5^th (12:27pm CST)…less than 2 days after the Imbolg Cross Quarter.  All that was seeded at the contemplative Aquarius New Moon of January 21^st is in full bloom with the expressive fires of Leo on Sunday.

 

Square to this Sun-Moon opposition is Uranus in Taurus, adding much need for improvisation in tangible materialization.  Balancing the head of Aquarius air with the heart of Leo fire requires an innovative approach now.  And Uranus can bring some unpredictability to any quickening, especially through the necessity of a square.  It can feel unsettling, so grounding is also necessary to keep your balance.

 

There is great potential for brilliance to burst forth from the solid intentions of two weeks ago.  The Mars-Chiron sextile in Gemini and Aries offers a subtle, but substantial, safety net for any risk Uranus may incline us toward.  The key to this benefit is in communicating actional healing to guide the best possible expression of this quickening.  With this more harmonious approach, self-care can act as a bit of a shock-absorber for Uranian electricity. 

 

Celebrating the Imbolg Cross-Quarter

 

Many celebrate Imbolg on February 1^st or 2^nd…but because I’m an Astrologer, we tend to celebrate the cross-quarters according to the Astrological midpoints when Sun is at 15 degrees of each fixed sign (Imbolg/Imbolc- Aquarius, Bealtaine/Beltane- Taurus, Lunasa/Lughnasadh- Leo, and Samhain- Scorpio). 

 

So, for the Kavi Family, we’ll be celebrating from Friday evening into Saturday.  Kavi traditions at this time vary based on weather, timing, and what our family feels is needed each year.

 

When Alyrica was little, she used to act as Brigid for our family…lighting the first flame.  She also used to get out her doll bed and dress up her doll as Brigid…keeping her bed next to the front door on Imbolg Eve.  Now that she’s older, we do less of that…but she’s still our honorary Brigid of the House. 

 

When we can, we brave the cold and light up the fire pit…usually burning many of the dried flowers and leaves we’d been gathering throughout the previous year.  Very often, we’ll do a House Cleansing ritual where we all participate in clearing out old energy from every room of the house.

 

photo by Michael A. Michail

Sometimes we make crafts for the season, such as Brigid’s Crosses.  Sometimes we plant seeds at this time.  We always have a feast and a candlelit ritual to ensure good health for our family (including, of course, our cats). 

 

And I, personally, love to immerse myself in self-care with a candlelit Brigid’s Bath…enlivening the senses with essential oils and bath salts.  I also, always, make time to play some music for the season and write some poetry.

 

Here is my Imbolg playlist on Spotify.

 

And here is a poem I wrote 13 years ago, which I change slightly each year to reflect where we are in the moon phase.

 

She Sings the Silent Song of Sun

By Felina Lune Kavi

 

The New Year outlasts January.

A dawning is vast as horizon,

In vivid watercolor light…

New dreams awakening from night.

 

She sings the silent song of Sun.

The light reflects in everyone.

 

Quickening Moon flushes February.

The Earth is moved by loving life,

She shivers seeds astir again…

Another cycle to begin.

 

She sings the silent song of Sun.

The life renews in everyone.

 

Remembering February

(recycled from last year’s Imbolg post)

 

Why is February the shortest month?

 

If you’re a word nerd like me, and you love etymology, you may have noticed that the names of September through December follow the sequence of the numbers 7 through 10. The Romans who named these months originally considered Winter to be a monthless period, so it was a 10-month calendar from March to December.

 

It wasn’t until around 713 BCE that Numa Pompilius added January and February as the last two months. February remained the last month (even more truncated back then, with an intercalary month occasionally following February to realign the year with the seasons) until about 450 BCE.

 

Under the reforms that instituted the Julian calendar, January became the 1st month, so February was thereafter the 2nd month…but it still remained the shortest month and held the additional day every ‘leap year’. The Gregorian calendar reforms made only slight changes, so February is still the shortest month to this day.

 

What does February mean?

 

Being long ago the last month of the year, February derives from Februa which refers to instruments of purification and purgation. Therefore, the (former) final month became a time of cleansing in preparation for the growing season.

 

In the early years of Februarius, the patron God of the month was Februus (‘the Purifier’) who was a personification of February’s cleansing festivals. And because of the association with the February festival of Parentalia (which honored the family ancestors), Februus was also a God of the Dead and was a chthonic deity equated with Pluto (‘Dis Pater’, meaning ‘Rich Father’), who was a combination of the Greek Gods Pluton (God of the Underworld and Afterlife, a.k.a. Hades) and Ploutos (God of Wealth, as mineral wealth was found underground). So February, holding an ancient association with finality, was also a time to celebrate the dead.

 

Later, the month was also associated with Juno (‘Bona Dea’, meaning ‘Good Goddess’), for which she carried the epithet Juno Februa (or Februtis). This epithet referred to her aspect of being a fertility goddess, the patron of midwifery and the purification processes involved in childbirth. In this respect, she represented the fertility and creativity that comes from clearing out the old to make way for the new.

 

Interestingly, many of these same associations are still alive today in the Celtic pagan traditions of February being the month of Imbolg (meaning ‘in the belly’ and referring to fertility and childbirth) or Imbolc (derived from ‘folc’ which means ‘wash’ or ‘cleanse’, referring to purification and purgation).

 

And…now you know even more pagan origins to the systems we still use today.

 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

 

 

 

Super Moon in Capricorn: Drawing in the Crone

 

Art by Suzanne DeVeuve

Super Moon in Capricorn:  Drawing in the Crone

Moon opposite Sun – 7/13/22 @ 1:37pm CDT

 

Capricorn Moon in her fullness is near her perigee (closest to Earth in her orbit).  Her presence is felt, reflecting back to us the Cancer Black Moon seed of this cycle. 

How have we grown to this midpoint? From swimming in the deep with Dark Mother Protectress…to calling in the wisdom of the Crone Goddess through Capricorn, we are finding the inner strength to support us all through hard times.  Capricorn Moon teaches much resilience through overcoming obstacles with measured steps.  It isn’t the easiest sign for Moon to express through…but at her fullness, and in perigee, she is a strong Wayshower of Capricorn Mysteries.

It may all be hitting very close to home in this cycle, whatever the theme is for you personally.  Collectively, the events of this lunar month have come to each of our nations in various expressions…but all with a Motherly Call to Action, as the Cancer-Capricorn axis inclines.

What is your personal call to action?  The one that your Ancestral Grandmothers support (from within you) to contribute to the next generations.  The one you feel in your bones.  The Crone Mother draws closer to listen deeply to Earth’s voice, and she has much wisdom to share with us. 

Moon in Capricorn reflects the wisdom of the Crone because this Cardinal Earth sign is guided by Saturn.  Saturn, often referred to as Lord of Time, is the planet of elders and senescence.  Saturn teaches responsibility, respect, and regulation through rules and restrictions that are meant to promote maturity and sustainability through the tests of time.  Sometimes, Saturn’s lessons may have us feeling like we are enrolled in the School of Hard Knocks…because they rarely come with ease and the rewards are rarely gained fully in the immediate moment.  Saturn would suggest that the lasting effects of change take time to cultivate and bring to fruition.  With Saturn, we remember the old adage ‘patience is a virtue’.

But this Capricorn Moon is also working closely with Capricorn Pluto, and aspects to Mercury, Ceres, Uranus, Neptune, Juno, Eris, and the lunar nodes.  There is a bit of a ‘safety net’ if we should fall while balancing on this Cancer/Capricorn axis.  And the strong trine from Venus to Saturn suggests that the strength of our relations, and our responsibilities within relationships, are supportive at this time for whatever it may be that we each are being called to realize.

 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

 

Black Moon in Cancer: The Dark Mother Protectress

 

Photo by Beatriz Mariano

Black Moon in Cancer:  The Dark Mother Protectress

Moon conjunct Sun – 6/28/22 @ 9:52pm CDT

 

New Moon Aspects-  Moon-Sun-Black Moon square Jupiter, trine Vesta, semi-sextile Venus

Dominant Outer Planet Theme-  Neptune Station Retrograde

 

In Astrology, the Black Moon is the lunar apogee (apo = ‘away from’, gee = ‘Gaia’).  It is the farthest point from Earth in the Moon’s orbit, when Moon is visibly smaller from our Earthling perspective of the sky.  That is, if Moon is visible at all.  At this New Moon in Cancer…she is at her apogee, but we cannot see her because she is joined with Sun.

Moon’s apogee is called Black Moon because it is not a celestial body, and it cannot be seen.  There is nothing physically there, unless the Moon is there and visible.  But the void of this place does not blacken the Moon by sight, only by expression.  And what is the expression of Black?  It is timeless, endless, infinite.  It is…space.

And space has been crowded by Earthling men for some time now…in every way we Earthlings witness the myriad meanings of ‘space’ (if we have any concept of it at all).  From actual Space Junk, to fortresses upon Earth, to stripping privacy from people…the Male Gaze has seen enough through a distorted, domination perspective.  Nothing of any of Earth’s cosmic neighborhood, body, or children can be owned, controlled, or dominated.  To think so is faulty man-made law.  As we begin this Cancer Lunation, we return to Natural Law…which, at its core, is of Creatrix/Destructress energy.  At this Black Moon Initiation, we withdraw our bodies, our freedom, our wise and wild souls from the encroaching Male Gaze of the Dominator Culture.

Feeling the Dark Mother

The closer Moon is to her apogee, the farther she is from us.  We Earthlings feel that separation…which can manifest as feelings of rejection, exile, or restriction…or, in more healthy expression, an objective emotional outlook on earthly experiences.  And all of those things at once, and more.  But as pushed to her limits as she is…as faraway as she is now…we still feel her.  She still plants the seed intention of her monthly beginning, as we do with her.  But she plants it outside of any untrained gaze…outside of the walls that falsely enclose Earth’s Gardens.  As do we. 

Art by Iren Horrors

Black Moon is often called, by many Astrologers, Black Moon Lilith…as Lilith was one of the original feminine outcasts from the patriarchal worldview that runs rampant in human societies today.  But Lilith is one of many archetypes of the Dark Mother that express from the Black Moon.  All stories of the Feminine we are aware of, and all those we have yet to re-member from our Ancients, are stored within the womb of this space.  

Each Goddess meets with her dark side there…whether it is Inanna in the Underworld to meet with Ereshkigal (a story that mirrors Venus’s journey through our sky), or Eris uninvited to the party, or Demeter’s actional grief for Persephone…or Lilith, cast out from the Garden and deemed impure to Man.  It is all one larger story of the Dark Mother.  She is Mama Tuta, Baba Yaga, Kali, Hecate, Nyx, the Morrigan, and so many others.  Every archetype of maiden, daughter, sister, wife, mother, queen, warrioress, priestess, grandmother, crone, witch…the dark side of any of these has been dismissed, cast out, oppressed, vilified, or objectified by the predominantly male worldview.  The illusion is that we are separate from her, but we are not.

Photo by Daniel Vasquez

The Masculine having a dark side is familiar to Men…commonplace, even.  It’s come to be more acceptable in society…to the point where nothing interruptive is really done when young men massacre women and children, or adult men sexually or physically abuse women and children, or governments dominated by older men allow man-made laws to restrict and control the private health matters of women and children.

But what of the dark side of the Feminine?  It’s the most fearsome thing to those who would seek to dominate and control women, and keep the Divinity of the Feminine far from view.  Can they look at the darkness of Feminine with anything other than misunderstanding, contempt, hostility, blame, shame, disgust, rage, fear, banishment, or the desire to control her unknown wildness?

Yes.  They can look straight into the vast darkness of her with honor, respect, and love for her Great Mysteries without having to steal them from her and change them to suit their comforts.  Unlike what we see most from men, the Dark Mother is a Destructress but her destruction is not purposeless.  She does not destroy just to destroy or dominate.  She destroys to create.  And, in her cycles of growth, death, and rebirth…there is powerful wisdom that has been mostly hidden from the dominating worldview.  

As we sleep and dream something new into being during this faraway New Moon, may it strengthen the re-membering of the Dark Mother in our world.  She is Creatrix and Destructress…and, wholly, she is Protectress.  May more and more of us learn to trust her and invite her into our lives with gratitude for her wisdom.  And May we, together, evolve the stories of her for our children to re-member.

 

Art by Barrett Biggers

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

 

Total Lunar Eclipse/Full Moon in Scorpio: The Sacred NO

 

Art by Masashi Kishimoto

Total Lunar Eclipse/Full Moon in Scorpio:  The Sacred NO

Moon opposite Sun- 5/15/22 @ 11:14pm CDT

Eclipse totality duration- 1hr 25min (partial eclipse for 3hr 27min in total)

Visibility of totality- The Americas, Western Europe, and most of Africa

 

The stirrings in the Eclipse Cauldron are highly active now, as Moon at her South Node prepares to redden in the shadow of our Earth.  The Way of Scorpio is of Immersion and Becoming.  It is penetrating insight from transformative depths.  It pulls you in.  It uncovers your secrets.  It goes to the edges of life and death to experience and regenerate the power that moves us. 

Moon feels all the complexities of emotion in Scorpio’s fixed waters.  With her, we are challenged to sink to the bottom of something…to discover the crisis and catharsis of Deepest Truth.  To meet this challenge, we can’t just dip our toes in.  We immerse ourselves completely, shadows and all.

And just as the shadow overwhelms the Moon during this total eclipse, our own shadows will come to call.  Such crises are meant to be private experiences, and yet some may erupt into the shared experience of the Collective…too powerful to move through alone. 

And what can we do to move these crises toward the catharsis of Deepest Truth?  Especially when we feel stuck…bounded by societal constraints, or social taboos, or systems of oppression. 

We dig deep, and we find our Sacred NO.

 

Saturn and Vesta in Aquarius, Square the Luminaries 

'Sacred Flame' by Joyce Huntington

Saturn is still strong in his diurnal air sign, and this Taskmaster is tasked to address the tension between Taurus and Scorpio (Body and Soul).  On the collective level, we will feel the ‘full stop’ of boundaries that cannot be crossed in our societal structures.  This echoes through to our personal experience as the necessity of ‘drawing the line’ on a crucial matter.

Vesta, whose efforts keep the Sacred Flame lit for the community, joins Saturn to address the tension.  She is Priestess, sovereign unto herself, and supporter of strong sisterhood bonds.  Communal as her Sacred Work stretches, she is Goddess of Hearth and Home…the realms of privacy and protection.  When working with Saturn at the apex of a fixed T-square pattern, the stress of over-work may arise in the eclipse shadows.  Both Saturn and Vesta are well-known for carrying quite a bit of weight…they are dedicated and devoted to their work, their responsibilities.  But when the stress of over-extension becomes too much, Saturn exercises the power of contraction.  Combined, these two celestial bodies will signal that Sacred NO to each of us.  And the squares suggest we must pay attention and respond to the Sacred NO we feel within.

 

Mars and Venus, Rulers of Scorpio and Taurus

Art by Geraldine Arata

Mars is often known as the God of War, or the planet of action.  In this lunation, though, Mars conjunct Neptune in Pisces is offering some helpful advice toward stress relief.  Mars likes a challenge, and one of the main challenges Mars will be working with is easing the extremes of emotion the Scorpio Moon will be navigating.  Scorpio is Mars’s nocturnal domicile, where Mars teaches a more measured way of action that focuses in on the underlying motivations rather than immediate results.  And, through Pisces, the water trine vibration from Mars-Neptune to Moon can suggest benefits from energetic healing of the emotions.  In some cases, a practitioner of such healing may be called upon.  In other cases, we may wish to find our own ways of moving the emotional state from crisis to catharsis.  Either way, such internal movement is necessary to dissipate whatever muck we may be stuck in.  While the opportunities for wise use of Mars’s benefits will be subtle, there is no shortage of this offering of flow.

(Mars trine Moon-South Node = beneficial flow and ease, Mars sextile Sun-North Node = opportunities through mutual benefit, Mars semi-octile (22 degrees) Venus = activity addressing health concerns, Mars semi-sextile Saturn = small opportunities for integration through awareness, Mars sextile PlutoRx = opportunities through mutual benefit)

Venus is often known as the Goddess of Love, or the planet of relating.  In this lunation, Venus in Aries has some subtle magic to offer through aspect as well.  Sun is in Venus’s nocturnal domicile of Taurus…where Venus teaches the value of unfolding and receiving.  The two are in a 40 degree novile aspect, which cultivates a nurturing bond between Sun and Venus.  This can suggest the benefits of grounding with support from those we love.  Along with this lovely vibration, Venus invites us toward other relational gifts to help us work with the eclipse energies too.

(Venus novile Sun = nurturing and bonding, Venus semi-octile Mars = activity addressing health concerns, Venus septile Saturn = focus/commitment/sacrifice, Venus semi-sextile Uranus = small opportunities for integration through awareness, Venus bi-quintile South Lunar Node = advantage through perception and resourcefulness)

 

The South Node Eclipse 

'Loslaten (Let Go)' by Marjolein Caljouw

This Lunar Eclipse at the South Node will bring up the past in many ways.  It could be recent past, history long past, ancestral past, karmic past…or any combination of these.  At a South Node eclipse, the shadows that arise are coming up for release.  There is no room for growth if we keep holding onto them as such.  In Scorpio, the way of release involves transformation…from shadow to wisdom.  Scorpio has a purifying effect through this transformation, where learning the truth about our shadows and releasing the knots of emotion tied up in them can lead to becoming more in tune with our own power.

So, ominous as a Total Lunar Eclipse in the sign of the Moon’s fall can sound…make good use of the subtle energies surrounding this time and engage in the opportunities for healing that arise.  Saturn-Vesta at the apex of this T-square will be the obvious challenge, requiring us to set our boundaries in no uncertain terms.  But there is support for this, if you can step back from your tangled up emotional state and take notice of the invitations to unwind and let go.

 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

 

 

Taurus New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse: Opening the Beltane Book of Shadows

 

Taurus New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse:  Opening the Beltane Book of Shadows

Moon conjunct Sun – 4/30/22 @ 3:28pm CDT

 

On Beltane Eve, Moon joins Sun to open the Eclipse Cauldron for this seasonal Cross-Quarter Holy Week.  If your local weather allows, let your Maypole ribbons…and your bodies…dance.  Or dance in the rain, or indoors.  I know I’m not the only one with the urge to dance right now.  If you listen closely, you can hear it in the Music of the Spheres.

Maypole art installation by Kristi Malakoff

Toward the end of this Saros cycle (Saros 119, which first opened in 850 CE), this is a moderate partial eclipse of the Sun.  Moon will obscure 64% of the Sun for those in the South Pacific and western South America who will be in the direct path of viewing.  But moderate and partial as it is, and unseen as it is for many of us, this Eclipse holds both subtle and earth-shaking vibrations to start off Eclipse Season.

Whether you reside on this eclipse’s path or not, you will feel in your bones the ground-breaking energy within this Eclipse Cauldron Initiation.  And it will be even more potent if you have planets or angles in aspect to the 11^th degree of Taurus, where our luminaries meet for this Initiation.

 

The Uranian Effect

 

The usual Taurus rhythm may feel a little off beat…certainly off the beaten path…as our luminaries are conjunct Uranus, planet of Innovations and Awakenings.  Reliable as the Tao of Taurus often is, the Uranian vibrations have been keeping us on our toes for sudden changes to our Earthdance.  But our embodied Taurus earth receives it all, allowing it to unfold.

Still, this is an eclipse…when change is often accelerated, and multiple timelines converge to form new pathways.  And since this is a North Lunar Node Eclipse, the whole point is to take in new lessons that are outside the usual comfort zone.  The energy may be buzzing, and even a bit jarring to some, as the first ingredients are poured and stirred into this Cauldron. Maintaining a well-grounded conduit of your physical body will keep the energy moving through you instead of getting stuck in your head and your nerves. 

 

Guided by Venus

 

Even with the rather quirky vibes of Uranus traveling through this sign, Taurus is always guided by Venus.  In fact, the Venusian elements of this lunation are very strong.  Venus directs the Taurus Eclipse Initiation from 27 degrees of Pisces, her exaltation degree, while in partile conjunction (near exact) with Jupiter…who guides Pisces.  Essentially, Venus has an abundance of support for what she is brewing in this Taurus Eclipse Cauldron. 

Art by Emily Balivet

What are the aims of an exalted morning star Venus in Pisces conjunct Jupiter and Neptune, and sextile Capricorn Pluto stationing retrograde?  She wants deep dives into the uncharted realms of intimacy, exploration of our core values, heightened attention to sensory reception (especially interoception, the inner feelings of the body) as well as extrasensory perception, and a penetrating look into the many shadow facets of our desires around beauty, love, and relationships. 

Eros (asteroid 433) is closely conjunct our luminaries at the start of this lunar cycle, doubling down on the theme of needing to let love into this Eclipse Cauldron.  As we know from their mythic storyline, Eros (Cupid) is the son of Aphrodite (Venus), and he carries out the Venusian work of who falls in love with whom by the arrows from his bow.  As a more personal inclination to this larger Eclipse story, many of us may feel a bit more lovestruck than usual.  There is certainly a stream of ‘love potion’ swirling in the cauldron for those who are open and, most importantly, aligned to it.  But, with all eclipses, the shadow elements of what comes through for you will also need to be addressed.

With such a strong Pisces Stellium working in their mystical magic to this eclipse, we may be addressing the shadows of our dreams and fantasies surrounding any number of Venusian themes (including, but not limited to:  love, beauty, art, value, worth, and money).  If you’ve found yourself getting too carried away with the ‘sweet escapes’ of this Pisces Stellium, there may be some reality checks in store for you at this time.  If you’ve found yourself more inclined toward resistance (by your own volition or not), you may find an opening into the abundant blessings through addressing what has been holding you back from receiving.  Whatever you may experience in this Venusian opening of Eclipse Season, you’ll likely feel that your values are changing at an accelerated rate.  Uncomfortable as that can be for some, it is all part of the process as we lead up to the total lunar eclipse in Scorpio in the middle of May.

 

The Mars Opportunity

 

The Taurus Stellium of Moon-Sun-Uranus is in a beneficial sextile with Mars in Pisces, establishing a good rapport with the “Planet of Drive” to take action on subtle opportunities in our field.  And if we should need to sever some ties to old patterns during this eclipse season, Mars will provide the courage for that.  Sometimes we just have no room to explore the new experience wanting to come in if we’re dragging around the past.  And Mars is good at cutting away what holds us back.

The Mars in Pisces energy of this lunation is generally softer than the usual sharpness of Mars.  This is more ‘Spiritual Warrior’ energy than the type of warrish conquests our human race has so venerated for ages.  Yet, the energy may be even more useful for addressing the shadows that arise with this eclipse.

 

Moon and Sun in Taurus 11

Sabian Symbol:  ‘a woman watering flowers in her garden’

 

art by Vickie Wade

Sometimes even the simplest, mundane acts…when done with love…contribute to growth.  The luminaries highlighting this symbol bring up the idea of cultivating beauty in our world.  It is a nod to the blessings of reciprocal appreciation between humans and Mother Earth.  Water the seed of this New Moon with love, and it can grow into something beautiful.

 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi