New Moon Eclipse in Taurus: Celebrate Your Greatest Gifts

This New Moon Eclipse (at 1:13am on April 29^th) marks the beginning of the Flower Moon phase…many things will be coming into bloom in our lives in the coming month, mirroring the blossoming Earth.  The degree of Taurus illuminated by our luminaries carries the symbol of ‘A decorated Christmas tree’.  This symbol may seem seasonally out-of-place, however, the meaning of the symbol goes much deeper than what it appears to be.  This is a time to celebrate the gifts with which we have been blessed during what may have seemed to many as a particularly dark or difficult time this past month.  It is a time of celebration, a conjuring up of some warmth and joy within even though the environment outside of us may have recently been either barren, difficult, or even hostile in some way.  We are beginning now to come off of the Cross of the previous week and into our new identity...the same soulful being, but one that has endured an experience that has elevated their outlook.  This symbol suggests that we transform the darkness and deprivation of a low point in our life cycle by celebrating the good moments, inviting them to return in abundance.  The symbol of the Maypole is one that holds a similar feeling of celebration more in line with our current season, and encourages fertility in its many aspects.  Perhaps those of us who celebrate Beltane at the beginning of May with maypoles and flower baskets will feel a bit like the Yuletide season stretched into Spring.  Or it may hold joyful echoes of the Yuletide to come.  ;)

Every New Moon is a time where an old cycle ends and a new one begins, but during an eclipse this initiation becomes even more powerful.  After those new opportunities from the New Moon present themselves, a glimpse at our collective shadow appears. After identifying what it is we need to do, and what it is we need to leave behind, in order to be the change we wish to see in the world…we may be backed into a corner by that which has held power over us for so long now. It’s important not to give in and go the easy route that takes little effort but has far-reaching drawbacks and debilitating limitations. There is light and shadow within each of us. Many of us hide from our shadows by playing the victim and pointing fingers outside of us…whether it be at parents, relationships, or the world around us. We have these experiences, though, to teach us the whole truth about ourselves and our interconnectedness to what we experience. Those people, those situations, those struggles…they are mirrors reflecting what we refuse to acknowledge about ourselves.

The shadow side of our personalities is the part of us we don’t want to identify with…the aspects of ourselves that we hide, repress, or dissociate after society teaches us various things that aim to correct what is ‘wrong’ or wild about us. We’re conditioned to watch our tempers, hold back our tears, look presentable, concern ourselves with money, keep our heads out of the clouds, not say something stupid or crazy, or any other variation on what blocks our self-expression. This is not to say that letting children run wild is the way to raise them. My parents laid down ‘the law’ for us, just as I find myself doing with my daughter now. But discipline is about teaching right from wrong and guiding along a morally sound path. Those are not the limitations to which I am referring. I’m talking about what makes us feel worthless, unloved, misunderstood, maladjusted, less than, wounded, afraid, disconnected or wrong. Harsh judgments stay with us, whether they come from outside or within. It’s those ideas that keep us from our highest potential. That is the shadow side at work…phantom pains from old wounds that demand that we heal them in order to discover our gifts.

This eclipse hastens us to begin or resume our healing process. Step out of self-defeating cycles and forge a new path filled with new discoveries. Identify your wounds, integrate your shadows in your healing and loving light, and identify yourself as whole in the process. Shed the limiting skin of the past and welcome the new you, The Healer.

This is a chance to focus the spotlight of the luminaries within and find previously undiscovered truths about life, and about ourselves.  Every eclipse offers us a new perspective.  This particular annular solar eclipse is rare because it is non-central (the central axis of the Moon's antumbral shadow misses Earth entirely while the shadow edge grazes the planet).  We won’t be able to see it, but as usual, we will feel it.  The eclipse will only last about 12 minutes…and its energetic influence will be relatively short as well, lasting about 2 months.  In a Solar Eclipse, the Moon occults the light of the Sun, showing only the Sun's corona.  This sight represents the brilliance of consciousness that we don't see everyday because we are blinded by the glare of everyday life.  In an annular eclipse like this one, we are able to see the outer ring of our consciousness by taking a step away from the 'core' of our lives (because, usually by this point, something in our 'core' has gone awry and we need a new perspective on life).

What's under the surface of how you've been presenting yourself lately?  When you take away everything that is superfluous, not really you, or accumulated from your environment or social upbringing...what reveals itself as the clearest path to your true aspirations in this life?  Remember that your circumstances, crises, and the stories about yourself that you've accumulated so far are not you...though they are likely representative of your previous actions.  We are meant to learn from our past only...not to take it with us for the long haul. What is important is the NOW of every moment.  The future will take care of itself, and the past is already taken care of.  In the now, we can actively create the world around us.

So, celebrate and create.  You’ve endured a lot, and it’s about time you had a chance to enjoy yourself, your life, and all of the amazing people in it.  Here’s a new start, so use it wisely.  Taurus is about our values and resources…so this would be the time to set them straight and accumulate more of what you really need for yourself and your loved ones.  You can’t create abundance while holding on to the debts of your past, so move forward with the mindset of ‘like attracts like’…attract those things you need in your life and allow them to blossom under the Flower Moon next month.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

Square Five of The Fool’s Tower: Awakening on the Cross

Square Five:  Awakening on the Cross

4-21-2014 (Uranus Square Pluto in the 14th degree of Aries and Capricorn) @ 5:02am

Uranus and Pluto are two of the three Generational Outer Planets that allude to the collective experience of our global community.  These planets take much longer to move through our solar system, and so their energies have an enduring effect when triggered by alignment.  Though I am writing this series as they approach each of the seven exact square alignments, the powerful effects can be felt months before and after (as they gradually approach and recede from the alignment).

This April, the two are met by Mars Retrograde and Jupiter to heighten the experience.  The opposition of Jupiter and Pluto (now retrograde since the 14^th) are aligned near the galactic center, while the opposition of Mars and Uranus are aligned near the galactic edge...making this particular cross distinctly important in our collective evolution...so near the solstice and equinox points and in the Eclipse Cauldron (the window of time between April’s lunar and solar eclipses).  While a whole lot is brewing on a global scale, every individual is essentially ‘on the cross’ as well in some way.  Keeping that in mind may help you navigate through the irritations of this time and into the mindset of creative restructuring that the cross represents.

The Cardinal Grand Cross of April 2014

The atmosphere is heavy…and the world around you feels like it’s teetering on the brink of something amazing, or something disastrous.  At the same time, you feel stretched in multiple directions and that many things (including yourself) are sabotaging your own needs and desires.  How do you balance your energy, attention, and time between all of these things?  Where is your center between what you need for yourself, your family, your relationships, and your community/work?  Why, when you try to focus your effort on one of those things exclusively, does another come at you full-force with something that needs to be taken care of immediately…throwing you off balance again, ad nauseam?  Maybe work obligations or community related projects seem the most pressing…some shifts, changes, or new opportunities are demanding your time and attention at the expense of taking care of yourself, your family, or your relationship…and then suddenly, you or your whole family comes down with whatever nasty bug has been floating around, and you’re forced to take a few sick days.  Or relationship issues are throwing you off your game in all other areas of your life.  These are a couple of scenarios I’ve been seeing a lot lately, but there are many others.  On a daily basis now, especially since the Sun has been highlighting these squares since the beginning of this month, we’re faced with obstacles to overcome. Most of it has to do with needing to find a balance amidst a rapidly active and transformative cycle in our earthly lives.  It also has to do with finding our identity within the 4 areas of life I mentioned.  So many opportunities to make necessary changes, pulling us at once from all directions…the thing about it is that it’s not just you, this is happening in the lives of everyone around you in their own ways.  So what are we all to do?  Meet me in the middle.  Allow me to describe what the path to center looks like during this time so that you all may find your own ways.  We can make good use of the highly active, transformative, and initiating Cardinal Grand Cross (CGC) this time, together.

The Archetypes on the Cross

Essentially, the CGC is a great initiator of action. The uncomfortable tension of the right angles may cloud the fact that its design is like a nucleus of structure and strength that can be a tremendous resource. Finding the point of balance and integration in order to use this energy properly is a difficult challenge, but it can be done. The key comes from developing balance between the two oppositions. When balanced, they are wielding the same amount of force on the planets that are connected by the 90 degree squares, creating a solid foundation.

Many times, these four cardinal points activated will call forth issues of identity. The Aries planet (in this case, Uranus “the innovator”) inspires action that impulsively expresses the self. The Cancer planet (in this case, Jupiter “the patriarch”) inspires action that sees to the nurturance of the emotional identity. The Libra planet (in this case, Mars “the warrior”) inspires action that connects the social and intellectual identity. And finally, the Capricorn planet (in this case, Pluto “the transformer”) inspires action toward recognizing the tangible manifestation of the identity.

In the energy building now, Uranus is illuminating enthusiastic energy toward self-improvement through change. Jupiter is illuminating opportunities for growth and the emotions surrounding them. Mars is illuminating the active participation of our social and intellectual skills with others. Pluto is illuminating the mundane transformations we are being forced to make with the hidden resources of personal power we don’t always recognize. All of these illuminated aspects of our identities (individual and collective) are pushing and pulling in four different directions.

In many cases, this Cross can represent an identity crisis if not balanced…and during this month, that crisis is on a global scale. The four points involved are each pushing to express a facet of the identity, yet each operates from a different level and perspective of the self. This can cause people to feel overstretched or pulled apart. The influence can also cause frustration based on the desire to take action without a sense of focus or direction.

The 14^th Degree of Cardinal Signs

Aries: A Serpent Coils Near Lovers

For some this image will suggest the Adam and Eve (or Ish and Isha) archetypes, while others may immediately be drawn to the idea of Kundalini arousal.  Both have some merit here, but the focus is on self-realization as a shared transformation of Universal Consciousness.  The coiled serpent is all about potential lying dormant within us, waiting to be activated, and often being activated by encounters with ‘the other’ rather than the self.  The coiling itself represents the spiral-like process of evolution.

 

Cancer: A Very Old Man Faces a Dark Space to the Northeast

The Northeast (true north) is the direction of Changeless Reality, solitude, stillness, and silence.  It is the space that occupies the void between individuality and transcendence.  It is the chrysalis of transformation, the cave of hibernation, and the shedding of the skin that no longer serves us.  Jupiter faces us with our emotional baggage an effort to release what we have been clinging to that is no longer needed.  He urges us to let go of the blockages that keep us in the darkness, and awaken the sleeping energy within to bring us to illumination.

Libra:  A Man Takes a Noon Siesta

And speaking of sleeping energy…Mars Retrograde in Libra is an interesting combination of energies (I was born with this combination myself).  Mars is a passionate and active planet while social-butterfly Libra (ruled by Venus) inclines balance and diplomacy which tends to soften the hard edges of the planet of war and aggression, focusing the energy on relationships of all kinds.  In addition to this, the retrograde brings this energy inward…inclining the most necessary actions to be on the internal level, the relationship with the Self.  You may just want to sleep it off in the heat of what’s all coming at you (and from you) lately…but be careful of avoidant tendencies.  So we don’t like conflict and confrontation, but at the same time it’s these very things that are getting us somewhere now.  Do take time out to recharge…meditation, yoga, or power naps can go a long way in getting us through this Spring…but only as a means to relax and rejuvenate, not as an escape.  Escapism, in this time, will only bring about more conflict.

Capricorn:  An Ancient Bas-Relief Carved in Granite Remains a Witness to a Long-Forgotten Culture

This is a symbol which again brings up something that lies dormant until unearthed…wisdom from the ancients. It reminds us to unearth what has permanent value and to let go of non-essentials.  What is needed in this time is effort founded upon a valid historical perspective, which applies both to an individual’s past as well as to the history of a nation or group.

“At a time when in nearly every land men are questioning and challenging the validity of traditional beliefs and customary attitudes, it becomes necessary to separate permanent values and great principles or symbols from the many individual habits and the socio-political developments which more often than not have perverted or even negated the original ideals of the culture. We must strive to free these ideals from the wild growth of personal and class selfishness, from the greed and ambition so prevalent in human nature, and learn to appreciate the excellence of what is the immortal seed-foundation, as well as the spiritual harvest, of any culture — and by extension of every sustained and complete work produced by a man's indomitable effort to achieve creative perfection.” –Dane Rudhyar

Total Eclipse of the Seed Moon

The Full Moon Eclipse at 2:43am CDT on Tuesday, April 15^th initiated a time (between April eclipses) that is an opportunity to consciously connect to the shadows within. The way in which we work with these eclipse energies will have reverberations for the next 6 months, until the next eclipse window opens.  During a Lunar Eclipse, the Earth passes between the two luminaries and the Earth’s shadow falls on the face of the Moon…so while it evokes experiences that confront your own shadow nature, it also evokes the collective shadow of the Earth itself.

This energy is an emotionally intense transformation of death and rebirth…where the shadow conceals the light of the self (Sun) from being reflected in the emotional body (Moon) for a brief time before the light returns. Eclipse energy is a quickening of time, healing opportunities, and confrontation with who we really are and what no longer resonates at the vibration of our highest frequency. We often come across times that are astrologically sound for ‘out with the old, in with the new’ cleansings of our lives…but this particular eclipse window (the 15^th through 29^th) would be a key chance to have the universe act as a cosmic converter for everything that no longer serves us on our planet. Most of this process will not happen easily…crumbling foundations will leave a mess and people facing drastic confrontations of self may react with kicking and screaming victimization. However, there is a wide open door for those who wish to do the work required and get right with themselves for their own sake, and the sake of those they love.

Eclipse energy often highlights accelerated changes, clearing, eliminating, releasing, and transforming so new energies have room to manifest and grow. This can be like opening up a dark storage closet that hasn’t been opened for years, and thinning out the excess by determining what can be kept and what can be thrown out. Most of the things you find here will bring up shadows of your past, and you’ll have to let go of those attachments so that your new, more true to you, life has room to breathe.

This eclipse illuminates symbols that carry great potential.  The Sun in the 26^th degree of Aries highlights “a man possessed of more gifts than he can hold” while the Moon in the 26^th degree of Libra (where my natal Pluto is…which means this eclipse is highly transformative for me, personally) highlights “an eagle and a large white dove turning into one another”.  Essentially, the eclipse is showing the shadow side of being good at too many things and not being able to choose between them…often, instead, we will try to mix them together and ‘turn one into the other’ somehow in order to keep it all together.  All of us will be confronted with this now in some way specific to each of us.  It may be that too many people are vying for your attention and you finally have to choose who is most important to you, or it could be that you finally have to decide which career path to take, or that you have too many things going on at once (this is likely for all of us, because of the CGC) and you have to scale it all down to make the best use of your time now.

The four main feminine asteroids (Juno, Ceres, Vesta, and Pallas) are lining up with this eclipse, as well as the lunar nodes (mentioned in my post from last month).  Juno is in Aries conjunct the Sun and South Node…making primary relationships a focus now.  Ceres and Vesta in Libra are conjunct the Moon and North Node…making nurturance and spiritual dedication an almost necessary (though in many cases, underdeveloped) means to get through the rest of the month.  And then Pallas in Leo gives a beneficial outlet for these oppositions, giving us a sound and opportunistic strategy for making the best of these initial energies. Pallas illuminates the symbol “After a heavy storm, a rainbow appears.”  It suggests we keep in mind what happens after we make it through the toughest of life’s challenges.  With this, fear can dissipate…and action can be taken with commitment and confidence.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

P.S.  If you haven’t read the information I posted in June 2012 about the first of these squares as well as the general information about what these alignments mean, please check out this article from June 2012.  Here you will find the overview of the squares and their relation to the Fool’s Tower of the tarot.  If you also want a refresher on the themes of the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th squares, you can find them at these links: September 2012 May 2013 and November 2013.

The Dragon's Flight into the Libra-Aries Axis

On the Saturday following the Spring Equinox, the Moon’s nodes shifted from our last lessons of the Scorpio/Taurus plane to the lessons of Libra/Aries. The Lunar nodes, in scientific terms, are the points where the orbit of the Moon crosses the ecliptic. The astrological implications of the lunar nodes are about karmic lessons, and the necessary balance between what we’ve already learned and no longer need to focus on (The Dragon's Tail:  South Node in Aries) and what we must learn now, however uncomfortable and uncharted the territory, for the growth of our souls (The Dragon's Head:  North Node in Libra).

Each of us has our own natal nodes and lessons, which tend to answer the age-old questions, ‘Why am I here?’ and ‘What is my soul’s purpose?’ For example, I (and those around the same age as me) have the lessons of North Node in Cancer and South Node in Capricorn…our soul’s growth comes from spiritual nurturance and caretaking, learning the value of emotional fulfillment as we move away from our engrained urges to acquire fame, recognition, and materialistic pursuits.

But the positions the Nodes are in at the present moment affect the collective soul’s growth of our entire global community…so while we are each having our own soul’s intentions directing us one way, those lessons are also being influenced on a global scale by the current position of the Nodes.

And it’s that shift that I’m talking about now…the one we’re all feeling. Now that the South Node is in Aries, we’re being introduced to the lesson of self-centered behavior and the consequences of making rash decisions without consideration for others.  We’re currently so intent on pushing forward and impatient in the pursuit of our own individual discoveries, that we end up narrowly-focused on what we want rather than allowing others to have a voice in the outcome. The North Node in Libra directs our paths toward the benefits of partnership, finding a compromise with others that could actually improve our situations in the long term. Being overly-aggressive becomes problematic during this time because we may just push others away to the point of having little support when we really need it…and while we may be more comfortable working alone during this time, we may find ourselves constantly hitting impediments that could be eased by others. Our powers of patience and cooperation need to be cultivated now instead of aggressively seeking what will get us ahead.

This axis can be very frustrating, making it difficult to prioritize and commit to a single fail-safe strategy that has everyone’s best interests in mind.  Self-sacrifice instead of focusing only on what we want for ourselves is where we move past the old ways of thinking and come into our collective ability to diplomatically work together in making our lives more harmonious. One of the things you’ll see during this transit is a greater tendency to be bossy, aggressively exercising authority without concern for how it effects the productivity and well being of everyone else. Our own authority figures are already skilled in this, yet now is the time they will be faced with its negative implications as more and more people will be seeking out more harmonious environments where the atmosphere is friendlier and more conducive to accomplishing goals toward the greater good. This is the time we learn the lesson that relating is creating…and that putting ourselves above others, bullying, fighting, or any other manner of creating distance between others is destructive to everyone involved.  Balance, reciprocity, and healthy relationships on every level are the underlying goals for the next 18 months.

There will be a lot of competitive behavior and rushing into battle with little consideration for those involved during this time, as well as more heated arguments that only further separate us from the compromise we desire to achieve. As we go through these lessons, we learn that peace is priority…not self-interest.  The balance of give and take, amongst our human race as well as between us and our whole planet, is a necessity that can no longer be ignored.  Life is not a competition, it is a gradual unfolding of our interconnectedness.  All life requires some type of partnership in order to grow, after all.  Now is the time to realize which of those partnerships are the most important to our survival as well as our collective ability to thrive.

To see in what areas of life this shift affects you personally, look to the houses in your natal chart where Libra and Aries begin. The last time the nodes were in this axis was between August 1995 and January 1997. Try to remember what was going on in your life at that time to get an idea of what is to come now, after maturing since then. Astrology follows patterns, and recognizing those patterns can help you to work with the energies when they come around again.

Here are some ideas on how to make the best of this ingress: Reach out to others, both to help as well as to ask for help.  Rediscover your identity by relating with others, not by distancing yourself from them.  Share.  “Make love, not war.”  Agree to disagree. Negotiate.  Compromise.  Slow down and think things through before you act.  Talk it out.  Cultivate patience.  Work together toward a common goal.  Get involved with those around you in more meaningful ways.  Learn to commit whole-heartedly to something, or someone, other than yourself.  Create beauty.  Connect.  Be tactful.  Live in harmony.  Try yoga.  Socialize in other ways besides online.  Create positive friendships.  And most importantly, strive for equality in all relations.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

New Moon in Pisces: Illumination in the Dark Night

At 2am on Saturday, the Storm Moon begins a new cycle.  The luminaries meet in the 11th degree of Pisces to provide a path to Illumination for those of us who seek it.  The moon is dark, we can't see it but we feel it...we are challenged to walk on blindly toward sanctuary.  This Dark Night of the Soul has been a long one.  Even when we feel it may be coming to a close, we are suddenly pulled back inward.  Endings are never what we think they should be, after all.  They are transitions instead, where transformation takes place in the evolution of our stories.

Opportunities for healing transformations have been in full force all month, and will continue, as Pluto and Chiron have recently exacted a sextile.  Mercury is now direct again, after a particularly disorienting retrograde jaunt from Pisces back to Aquarius for most of this month.  Of course, we're not completely in the clear until its release out of the shadow of the retrograde on March 21st...but at least now we can move forward with what we've rediscovered since this shadow period began at the end of January.  While the spotlight is on communication and our mental state (Mercury), the stress is still on bringing the unique ideas of our higher mind (Uranus, Mercury's higher octave, is still at the apex of a T-square with Pluto and Jupiter Retrograde) out in the open in original ways.  And soon after the new moon begins, Mars and Vesta, conjunct at the end of Libra, slow down to go retrograde together...followed by Saturn in Scorpio going retrograde the following day.  So, the planet of action (Mars), the asteroid of spiritual dedication (Vesta), and the planet of responsibility (Saturn) will soon be taking the spotlight as we move into a phase of difficult internal work on those things about ourselves that we've been ignoring while other things demanded our attention.

But first, Mercury paved the path to the illumination that our luminaries suggest in their conjunction.  We may have gotten caught up in helping others without giving the same attention to ourselves, which set us back a bit throughout this month...as we revisited those things within that weren't going to just go away.  Now, we've been faced with the task of our own healing...finding better, more proactive ways of keeping ourselves from spiraling out of control in destructive patterns.  This is when our ingenuity (a distinctly Uranian concept) comes into play, and we have to shake up our lives a bit in extraordinary ways to get back on track.  After all, if we don't do it...someone/something else likely will.  The path we've been trampling for the past few months isn't getting us anywhere new...and it looks all too familiar.  But in this dark night, the new moon seems to tug at us to go off the beaten path and we soon find a new one...one that promises something we've been seeking all along but somehow couldn't find it.

Leave your expectations behind this time.  Leave your worries, leave your self-judgments, and leave your ideas of perfection that only lead you to procrastination.  Walk on, unencumbered by negative thoughts or pre-conceived ideas.  Be new with the moon, and as she returns each night and shows more and more of her face...she will reflect your own becoming.  Be fearless and follow the directional flow of your soul.

Illumination follows a period of purification where we are often faced with our greatest fears and our darkest feelings.  The dark night of the soul may break us down and have us feel that we will never be the same again...but that's also the point.  We are never the same after we face our fears.  We become more powerful and more aware of ourselves, and our life changes because of it.  It's hard to believe, while we're still in that struggle, that we could ever relate to the word 'powerful' again.  It's human nature to size up personal power as it relates to things outside of ourselves...so at our lowest we see that this person is mentally stable, or this person is in control of her emotions, or that person is financially secure while we may pale in so many comparisons.  But true power is the soul stripped of all those outward manifestations and suddenly free to choose the path it means to follow.

Breathe deeply, and walk on.
Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi

Square Four of the Fool’s Tower: The Turning Point

Square Four:  The Turning Point

11-1-2013 (Uranus Square Pluto in the 10^th degree of Aries and Capricorn) @ 5:02am

Uranus and Pluto are two of the three Generational Outer Planets that allude to the collective experience of our global community.  These planets take much longer to move through our solar system, and so their energies have an enduring effect when triggered by alignment.  Though I am writing this series as they approach each of the seven exact square alignments, the powerful effects can be felt months before and after (as they gradually approach and recede from the alignment).

It is important to note that this 4^th square in a series of seven (from 2012-2015) between these planets is a turning point of these revolutionary energies, and leads up to the synodic square (the heliocentric square) occurring in the 138-year Uranus-Pluto cycle that began on January 7^th, 1966 (at the exact peak of the Vietnam War and the height of the Flower Power Movement).  The synodic square, where these energies culminate toward action, occurs on November 24^th of this year.  At the beginning of this synodic cycle, in the late 60s, the theme of this cycle emerged…which can be summed up as ‘war and peace’, ‘destruction vs. creativity’, or even ‘fear vs. love’.  For those born in the late 1960s, it may stimulate dynamic radical action of these matured forces within them.  For humankind, in general, we carry on this theme but bring it now to an evolved and active manifestation.  The ‘Flower Children’ were the fledglings of this revolution…but it is at this time where we show how we have grown and take action against the forces that continue to cause destruction on our planet.  This is the next major shift in our group consciousness, where the square pushes us to take dynamic action to realize those goals that began in the late 60s.

While the following focuses mostly on these transformations from an individual perspective (because if you can’t change yourself, how can you change the world?), the same can be applied on the collective level (as above, so below; as within, so without).  This is so you can apply these energies to what you are personally going through first, while keeping in mind that everyone is going through similar changes that, as a whole, reflect upon our collective transformation.

Uranus in the 10^th degree of Aries

The Sabian Symbol for the 10^th degree of Aries is ‘a teacher gives new symbolic forms to traditional images’.  This is a symbol of re-interpreting what we see and have come to understand in one way, and redefining it in a new way that speaks to who we are currently.  An underlying theme of Uranus-Pluto aspects is often about releasing old structures that no longer serve us to make way for the new…which is why, for the past few years, I have been writing on this subject.  This symbol shows that there is much to be gleaned from the old ways, as long as we can apply them to what is current in a way that creates something useful.  It shows that we have exhausted old habits and ideas in their current form, and need to transform them.  Something has been holding us back through all of these shifts occurring around us, something we weren’t willing to let go of, and now we’re facing it head-on with no recourse but to see it for what it is…an obstacle to our growth.  Though the root is there, in plain (albeit symbolic) sight, and the forces surrounding us push us to address it…we have the choice.  We can rewire our brains, so to speak, and choose new actions…resulting in the difficulties that ensue when we, like reformed addicts, give up something we have relied upon for years.  Or we can make excuses and continue in that world of addiction that we know so well, because at least we know how to navigate that pain by now.  However, to continue only furthers that self-destruction along…without true release.  At least, after making the needed change (whatever it might be), we’ll be better for it eventually.  Do we choose to prolong the pain, or fight through it for a relatively short duration until we can reach the equilibrium we seek?

The Stellium in Scorpio align in sextile to Mars in Virgo to point directly to Uranus at this time in an effort to show us the way to our own specific revolutions.  It seems change is inevitable…so do we follow suit now, while it’s critical, or do we wait until something really terrible (perhaps even irreversible) happens? 

Give yourself a new form, and let that revolutionary energy spiral out from your center to help inspire others around you, and the world itself, to effect more change.  Words mean very little when actions do not back them up.

Pluto in the 10^th degree of Capricorn

The Sabian Symbol for the 10^th degree of Capricorn is ‘an albatross feeding from the hand of a sailor’.  At the last new moon (October 4^th), Pluto was prominent in this same position…and has returned to teach the same lesson. Reciprocity is still the key to unearthing our desired actions.  Giving and receiving in kind creates the necessary balance that provides for everyone involved.  There may be a bit of fear holding each side back from cooperation, after all, there is the potential one could get hurt.  It is disempowering on one side to give too much, and on the other to give too little.  But this symbol reminds us that Generosity heals the wounds that Greed creates.

This degree has much to do with nurturance as well as working harmoniously with others who may be very different from you.  This same symbolism can be seen in the alignments of the planets as well.  There are many harmonious aspects working along with Pluto at this time to feed this transformation among us.  It may be that, because we’re all experiencing this tempestuous energy in our own ways, we are coming together in a spirit of solidarity to provide a safe harbor for each other during difficult times.  Look around you.  Many are likely dealing with serious medical issues, financial troubles, a heavy workload, a job change, a change of residence, a failing relationship, a death in the family, etc.  Even if you can’t see it, know that something is either falling apart in their lives to make way for something new, or something is reaching a frenzy that may be stretching them thin in many directions to push them to find their center.  You’re not alone.  Each individual lesson may be different, but it all relates back to the same theme:  necessary transformation.

The world is not against you.  The world is against itself right now.  Each of our individual struggles are like symptoms of a root cause that deals with collective identity.  Who are we?  And how does what we create, nurture, or destroy tell us about who we are?  What do we manifest when we go through an identity crisis?  Chaos.  What do we manifest when we act with self-awareness?  Order.

Either way, the sea of change is rocky right now.  But do we want to be in the thick of the storm with no place to land, or do we want to be on the ship with all of the other sailors who might just make it out alive with pieces to float upon if the ship wrecks?  I think I'll take my chance on the ship, and maybe we'll all have some good stories to share after this storm blows over.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

P.S.  If you haven’t read the information I posted in June 2012 about the first of these squares as well as the general information about what these alignments mean, please check out this article from June 2012.  Here you will find the overview of the squares and their relation to the Fool’s Tower of the tarot.  If you also want a refresher on the themes of the 2nd and 3rd squares, you can find them at these links: September 2012 and May 2013.

New Blood Moon in Libra: Reapers and Resurrections

New Blood Moon in Libra:  Reapers and Resurrections

 New Moon Phase begins 10-4-13 @ 7:34pm CDT

October often evokes a contrast of symbols:  goldening greens in glorious display followed by their inevitable fall, the cooperative harvesting of the fruits of our labors followed by the urge to turn inward, and the festive acceptance of spooks and spirits followed by the frightful skeletons that emerge from our past.

The month begins in Libra, after all, urging the balance of opposites.  The October Moon is known as the Hunter’s Moon or the Blood Moon, as now is the best time to hunt for that which comes out to feed upon the remains of Mother Nature’s bounty.

This dark moon phase begins in a haunted tone, as it reveals the ‘ghost of yet to come’ with its activation of the Uranus-Pluto square that reaches its synodic exaction on November 1^st.  But this is not just one opposition between our luminaries and Uranus, both in squares to Pluto.  The Dark Moon Lilith is opposite Pluto tonight, engaging all four points in a Cardinal Grand Cross.  We have been seeing a lot of this kind of cross since 2010…the tensions of which are almost familiar by now, but no less active.  This is essentially a stretching of ourselves in four directions, an identity crisis of humankind.  Too much emphasis in one area causes friction and backlash from other areas.  It may seem like you’re damned if you do, but you’re most assuredly damned if you don’t.  Squares hold the energy of activation…pushing us through stressful situations in order to affect a necessary change.

The following brings to light more conflicting symbols associated with the current squares of this Cardinal Grand Cross.  The goal is to give consideration to each as it applies to you, and humanity as a whole, and activate the balances needed to bring about necessary change inwardly and outwardly.

Sun and Moon conjunct in Libra 12:  Miners Emerging from a Mine

Something dirty from the deep is now illuminated in our awareness…and its emergence may bring gifts from those depths while simultaneously evoking feelings of disdain for the dirty deed done.  Hidden truths may be drawn out, information coaxed, or secrets revealed. 

Pluto in Capricorn 10:  An Albatross Feeding from the Hand of a Sailor

Reciprocity is still the key to unearthing our desired actions.  Giving and receiving in kind creates the necessary balance that provides for everyone involved.  There may be a bit of fear holding each side back from cooperation, after all, there is the potential one could get hurt.  It is disempowering on one side to give too much, and on the other to give too little.  But this symbol reminds us that Generosity heals the wounds that Greed creates.

Uranus in Aries 11:  The President of a Country

You see how our own president is put on the cross by the bullies of congress during this government shutdown…this is the same symbolism happening with our own lives, the symbolic countries we oversee.  We can expect a similar dynamic…stubborn refusal to go along with what has already been set forth.  Any unnecessary ego battles are going to hurt others who may not have been considered.  Innovative action is needed to get every element of this stalemate and struggle back on the same page.  Each of us must face the responsibility ahead of us to affect this change.

Lilith in Cancer 14:  A Very Old Man Facing a Vast Dark Space to the Northeast

The Northeast is the direction of solitude, stillness, and silence.  It is the space that occupies the void between individuality and transcendence.  It is the chrysalis of transformation, the cave of hibernation, and the shedding of the skin that no longer serves us.  Lilith draws us inward in an effort to release what we have been clinging to that is no longer needed.  She urges us to let go of the blockages that keep us in the darkness, and awaken the sleeping energy within to bring us to illumination.

Maybe it all sounds like bad news, but there’s good in it too.  Helpful, harmonious aspects abound within and around these tensions.  Look for good opportunities to take action, and make something extraordinary happen in the face of adversity.

Happy New Moon!

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

The Grand Sextile: Symphony of the Sacred Sisters

A grand sextile is a very rare astrological occurrence.  It is an aspect configuration of three oppositions and two interlocking Grand Trines which create a six-pointed star of sextiles (harmonious aspect of 60 degrees).   The last Grand Sextile was in 2003, and the next won't come around until 2025.

This particular one has a short duration because the quick-moving Moon forms the final point of the star.  It peaks around noon today (July 29th), but is in effect throughout this day.

What all of this means is that the celestial bodies are aligning at this time in the spirit of creative cooperation that provides positive opportunities toward pure intentions and goals.  In this configuration, these bodies are all in the first decans of the feminine Earth and Water signs, which deal with manifesting these gifts on the physical and emotional planes.

In addition to this, and to add activation to the Grand Sextile, the lunar nodes and asteroids form a Fixed Grand Cross incorporating each of the Elemental Sacred Sisters (earth, air, fire, and water) in signs that are known for stability, determination, depth, and persistence.  The main purpose of the Fixed Grand Cross is to maintain and follow-through with the momentum gained from changes made during the many Cardinal Grand Crosses we have experienced in the last few years.  This cross is made up of 4 squares (aspects of 90 degrees that initiate action) of two oppositions.  The lunar nodes in Scorpio and Taurus are one opposition, while the other is Vesta in Leo and Juno in Aquarius.  The lunar nodes provide us with destined meetings between people who can further us along our paths, while the asteroid sisters chime in with devotion to a creative cause and loyalty to the greater good.  The underlying themes of this time is dedication toward improving self-worth (Fixed Grand Cross) and creative manifestation (Grand Sextile).

And though there are many challenges present with all of these oppositions, the Grand Sextile aims to bring it all home and focus the energy toward positive outcomes.  But these are not opportunities that just fall into our laps...there is work to be done.  Much of the work is symbolized in the balancing of opposites.  

Mars-Jupiter-Pallas opposite Pluto (Cancer/Capricorn):  The Spiritual Warrior

Within this balance, we find the ability to conquer the ego and gain control over our inner lives.  The archetype of The Spiritual Warrior represents physical and emotional strength and the ability to protect, defend, and fight for one's rights.  This is the Hero's Journey, in both the masculine sense as well as the feminine sense, where an individual goes on a journey of initiation to awaken an inner knowing or spiritual power. The Self emerges as the Hero/Heroine faces physical and internal obstacles, confronting the survival fears that would compromise his/her journey of empowerment and conquering the forces arrayed against him/her. The Hero then returns to the tribe with something of great value to all.

Venus opposite Neptune (Virgo/Pisces):  The Magical Child

Within this balance, we find love in its purest form and the potential for sacred beauty within all things.  The archetype of The Magical Child is gifted with the power of imagination and the belief that anything is possible.  An example of this archetype would be Anne Frank, who wrote in her diary that in spite of all the horror surrounding her family while hiding from Nazis in an attic in Amsterdam, she still believed that humanity was basically good. Her insights, offered at a time when most people were collapsing under the weight of war and persecution, continue to inspire people to seek out the wondrous side of life, even in a crisis.

Moon opposite Saturn (Taurus/Scorpio):  The Hieros Gamos

Within this balance, we find the Sacred Marriage...the divine union of opposites.  There are many archetypal unions within this energy...but most notably the Goddess and God or the Mother and Father.  When combined, these archetypes are life-givers, teachers, and protectors, at their best when cooperating their talents together.  This opposition is a call to unify the sacred feminine with the sacred masculine within us all in order to give birth to the life we desire to live.

So, take these opportunities that arise today to balance yourself in meditation on your greatest dream.  Remind yourself that you have the strength to overcome all obstacles placed in your path and learn from them, you have the creative ability to make anything possible, and you have the union of opposites within you to breathe life into the world.  Listen to that quiet, inner voice for direction toward your goals...and don't sabotage your abilities to choose the right path by giving energy to any fears or difficulties that may arise.

Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi