Fomalhaut

Pisces New Moon

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Coin depicting fish-bodied Atargatis holding egg, flanked by barley stalks.
Audio recording of Pisces New Moon article

Pisces New Moon

The New Moon in Pisces on 20 February signals a shift from the airy abstractions of Aquarius into the dissolving waters and imaginal potency of Pisces. Not only does the New Moon at 1°22’ Pisces amplify the watery regeneration of the Sun moving from Aquarius into Pisces, but it also heralds the movement of Saturn from Aquarius into Pisces that will take place on 7 March during the forthcoming lunar cycle. While Saturn leaving its domicile of Aquarius to enter Pisces will mark a pivotal turning point in personal and world events, the liminal quality of the Pisces New Moon is even further magnified by the fact that Pluto will be passing over the final degree of Capricorn during the coming lunar cycle. Pisces is the mutable water sign that marks the end and beginning of seasons, and so the New Moon in Pisces is well suited to usher us across a major month of transitions that will involve Saturn leaving Aquarius to enter Pisces for the first time since 1993, and Pluto leaving Capricorn to enter Aquarius on 23 March for the first time since 1777. The darkness of the Pisces New Moon invites descent into realms of feeling and intuition, allowing self-created obstructions to dissolve within inner tide pools so that new creative solutions can begin to take shape.

The New Moon in Pisces is applying to a conjunction with the projected degree of the fixed star Fomalhaut, the mouth of the Southern Fish (Piscis Austrinus) who drinks from the celestial water poured by the Aquarius constellation. Although not the same constellation as the Pisces constellation of two fish bound together, some ancient star-lore viewed the Southern Fish as the mother of the two fish who form the image of Pisces. Similar to Pisces, Fomalhaut as the mouth of the fish has significations for aquatic life and the life giving nature of the oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams essential for our survival. Combined with the hard lessons that Saturn will bring to Pisces, the New Moon in Pisces will deepen awareness for corruption of water in current events, including the many stories connected with droughts, diseases, and toxic pollution that have been intensifying in concern recently such as the explosion of hazardous chemicals caused by the recent train wreck in east Ohio in the United States.

Yet during a time of collective uncertainty that has the potential to increase fear of the future, the Pisces New Moon aligning with Fomalhaut also contains a magical antidote from the realm of dream and imagination. Fomalhaut has long been considered to be one of the four royal stars that serve as guardians of the sky and hold tremendous power for both good and ill (along with Regulus, Aldebaran, and Antares). Amongst the royal stars, Fomalhaut is the most magical and otherworldly, the most powerful in terms of enhancing capacity for moving between dreaming and waking reality to give birth to new forms of vision, imagination, and hope for the future. Ptolemy connected Fomalhaut with Venus and Mercury, fitting its nature as a poetic, visionary, and mystical star. Bernadette Brady has described Fomalhaut as possessing the “nature of enchantment, wherein one accomplishes things through a deep natural understanding of the nature of relationship, rather than the use of will power.”

Bernadette Brady additionally wrote that Fomalhaut is not only associated with “charisma . . . beauty or perfect harmony,” but also “high ideals or lofty visions” that force individuals under its influence “to clash with mainstream thought in order to achieve these ideals.” Brady further noted that the gift of charisma brought by Fomalhaut is also its nemesis, as Fomalhaut can bring a downfall of fortune “if the ideals or dreams are corrupt in any way.” As a result, it will be important to explore the shadow side of dreams within the darkness of the Pisces New Moon, exploring the ways in which the manifestation of visions will impact the wider web of relationships in the world. It will also be imperative to resist fear and the obstruction of uncertainty, instead discovering sustenance and support through your inner capacity to re-dream the way forward. Practices of active imagination can have heightened capacity for revealing new paths of discovery that have been previously hidden from awareness, using methods that bridge the essential creativity of the unconscious with conscious awareness.

While the Pisces New Moon will take place in the first two degrees of Pisces, Venus will be in the final degree of Pisces when the Sun and Moon form their rejuvenating conjunction. Venus in her exaltation of Pisces has further connection with Fomalhaut, as many strands of mythology have linked the starry mouth of the Southern Fish with great goddesses from Syria such as Atargatis and Derceto. In one version documented by Eratosthenes, a Greek polymath from the third century B.C. who was chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria, the Southern Fish rescued the Syrian goddess Derceto after she fell into a lake. In another version, Derceto flung herself into a lake after falling in love with a beautiful mortal who she gave birth to a daughter with, surviving by changing into the form of a fish with a human head. Another version has the Southern Fish rescuing Isis, the great Egyptian goddess.

Gavin White in his book on ancient Babylonian star-lore wrote that “The Fish” containing Fomalhaut was considered to be sacred to the water god Enki who dwells in the watery Abyss beneath the earth. White wrote that since the Southern Fish would have previously been a marker of the Winter Solstice period, the Greek star-lore portraying the Fish as a protector of the Syrian goddess Derceto has similar symbolism to stories of the Pisces constellation in which two fish rescue a golden egg in the Euphrates river which they roll onto dry land where a dove then sits on top of the egg to hatch the Syrian goddess. White wrote that since these are constellations associated with the time between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, they portray “the fish as benevolent creatures of the watery depths, which rescued the stricken sun from the waters of darkness and guided it back to safety” and “its ascending path that leads towards the springtime.”

These mythic links between Fomalhaut with protection of the life-giving Sun and goddesses symbolize its strength for protecting our inner capacity for imagining and manifesting our creative potential. The 1st Century A.D. Roman poet and astrologer Manilius described the Southern Fish in association with diving into hidden depths to gather pearls. Yet Manilius further emphasized that “the diver who has plunged into the depths becomes, like the booty, the object of recovery.” As we come to the end of Pluto’s first pass through Capricorn, after dealing with five years of Saturn occupying its homes of Capricorn and Aquarius, we’ve all become more acutely aware of the toxic, oppressive aspects of societal power structures and the difficulty in effecting change and holding those in power accountable for reform and reparation. Fomalhaut’s presence with the Pisces New Moon is an invitation to seek answers from within the realm of dreams and imagination, utilizing fantasy as an inner respite from external stressors rather than as a distracting disconnection from reality. The New Moon in Pisces will offer opportunities for discovering solutions from internal sources of imaginal insight and within relational exchanges with the living enchantment of the world.

Dragonfly, plate 1 from Le Fleuve (1874) by Édouard Mane

Jupiter in Aries rules the Pisces New Moon while applying toward a conjunction with Chiron that will become exact on 12 March during the waning half of the forthcoming lunar cycle. While Jupiter in Aries can supply an underlying boldness of fiery assertion in pursuing larger goals and visions, its proximity with Chiron will put us into deeper touch with any past wounds and issues of identity and alienation that are reemerging to be faced again within current developments. As a result, the lunar cycle flowing forth from the New Moon in Pisces will bring opportunities for integrating parts of ourselves that have become wayward, repressed, or denied. While we often cast away parts of ourselves for protective reasons, the coherence of Jupiter and Chiron will create opportunities to foster a stronger sense of self value and inner security that can ultimately help us in achieving our most prioritized goals in the future. There is an excellent article written by Brian Clark about the Jupiter-Chiron cycle and their conjunction you can read here. Amongst many other themes, Brian Clark deduced that the start of a new cycle between Jupiter and Chiron in 2023 will highlight mundane issues centered around educational changes, medicinal wisdom, indigenous reconciliation, refuge for the displaced, and natural and psychic wilderness.

Mercury in Aquarius will weave connections between Jupiter and Chiron more closely together, as Mercury will be separating from a collaborative sextile with Jupiter in Aries while applying to a sextile with Chiron in Aries. Mercury in Aquarius is incredibly active during the lunation, as it will also be applying toward a catalytic square with Uranus in Taurus and a flowing trine with Mars in Gemini. Mercury is moving fast as a morning star and in strong position to translate and transmit informational exchanges amongst Jupiter, Chiron, Uranus, and Mars. While the square between Mercury and Uranus that will become exact on 21 February could bring jarring, unexpected news or twists in storylines, within the bigger picture the harmonious trine between Mercury and Mars will bring a helpful boost of clarity regarding whatever plans of action we have been developing and implementing. As the trine between Mercury and Mars becomes exact on 22 February, listen for insights being revealed about how to adjust plans, modulate your use of energy, and reframe your relationship with the larger goals in life you have been focusing on achieving.

The aspects Mercury will pass through following the Pisces New Moon can facilitate important dialogue within your relationships in order to gain insight for the changing nature of desires and needs for both individuals. Mercury clashing with Uranus may lead to impulsive thoughts of freedom and rebelling against restrictions, yet Mercury in Aquarius can listen with the degree of detachment needed to step back from emotional engulfment in order to discern the most beneficial path forward for everyone involved. Mercury in Aquarius is also in a strong position for brainstorming new ideas and innovative solutions, taking account of a multitude of competing factors, and bringing discerning analysis to any difficulties in need of being worked out. After Mercury forms its flowing trine with Mars on 22 February it will apply toward a sobering and grounding conjunction with Saturn in Aquarius that will become exact on 2 March. With Saturn at the final degree of Aquarius and on the precipice of entering Pisces, the union between Mercury with Saturn will help in letting go of what needs to be released, cutting away excesses and distractions, and realizing the central heart of issues that need to be focused on. Thus while there is a dreamy quality to the Pisces New Moon, the many important aspects that Mercury will make during the waxing half of the lunar cycle can lead to the formation of practical strategies, insights into problem solving, and effective adjustments to longterm plans so that there is greater alignment between your authentic desires and your use of time and energy.

Salomé with the Ibis by Marie Laurencin

Venus will be at the final degree of Pisces when the Sun and Moon unite on 20 February. The star of Aphrodite will then exit her exaltation of Pisces in order to enter her inversion of Aries less than an hour after the lunation. The shift of Venus from Pisces to Aries brings a loss of essential dignity to Venus that could correlate with a need to let go of expectations in order to adjust to changing circumstances. Yet there is an important mediating factor at play when Venus enters Aries: the presence of Jupiter. Once Venus enters Aries she will begin applying toward a conjunction with Jupiter that will become exact on 2 March, the same day that Mercury will also form a conjunction with Saturn. Venus will stoke the flames of passion and inspiration while building toward her union with Jupiter, supplying a wave of uplifting support for goals and ambition. With Mercury conjoining Saturn in Aquarius on the same day, the grandiose plans of Venus and Jupiter will be tempered by a pragmatic grounding energy, which will necessitate being realistic with goals. The following day on 3 March, Venus will move into a conjunction with Chiron in Aries that will deepen awareness of any internal issues intersecting with your capacity to claim greater personal agency.

In addition, during the waxing half of the lunar cycle Mars in Gemini will move increasingly closer to forming a square aspect with Neptune in Pisces. Mars will not form an exact square aspect with Neptune until 14 March which will link to the timing of the last quarter phase of the lunar cycle. However, at the upcoming Full Moon in Virgo on 7 March, Mars will be within three degrees of a square with Neptune giving the clash between Mars and Neptune a powerful influence within the upcoming Virgo Full Moon. The square between Mars and Neptune is significant for many reasons, chiefly due to the fact that it was a major aspect embedded within the early stages of the Mars retrograde period last October and November. Mars previously formed a square aspect with Neptune on 12 October when direct and again on 19 November when retrograde, and so there may be issues re-emerging from last October and November to be worked out and resolved.

During the waxing half of the lunar cycle Mars will move within an orb of influence with Neptune on 24 February with their tension continuing to build with intensity as the Moon waxes toward fullness. Mars and Neptune are commonly viewed in astrology as difficult archetypal forces to bring together in combination, as the boundless and unifying imaginal force of Neptune brings obscuring fog to the focusing of Mars. Neptune can make it trickier for Mars to cut through options into focalized action in some cases, over inflating the hubris of Mars in other cases through dogmatic perspectives and self-righteous actions. Yet we can utilize the friction between Mars and Neptune to cut through the places we have deluded ourselves, allowing our experiences to reveal insights that can bring about a reorientation to our reality. Those experiencing a dissolution of longstanding beliefs will likely need to pass through a disorienting phase of fluidity before being able to gain clarity. With new storylines ready to leap into effect in the month ahead due to Saturn and Pluto changing signs, the square between Mars and Neptune will reveal ways in which the flux of change is showing up within both personal and collective events.

Pisces 1 Decan

The Pisces New Moon will activate the first decan of Pisces associated with the Eight of Cups card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. The image contains a figure retreating into a watery, island realm of caves and seclusion ideal for contemplation. With their staff planted in the earth, the red cape and boots of the figure symbolize the inner vitality they may utilize in discerning deeper understanding for their reality. T. Susan Chang in her book 36 Secrets wrote that the Eight of Cups teaches us how to face our fears of the unknown, bringing “realization in the realm of emotions” that reveals when “it’s time to move on.” The first decan of Pisces is the face of Saturn, a symbolism that aligns perfectly with the image of a hermit turning away from the accepted and familiar in order to receive new visions of depth and penetrating insight. Within the triplicity rulership scheme it is also the face of Jupiter, bringing a devotional quality to the soul searching enacted here that can nurture new perspectives by facing uncertainties and abandoning past assumptions. T. Susan Chang made the insightful point that within the “amniotic darkness” of the Eight of Cups, we can “let go of the fear that anything could happen, and open up to wonder and to awe: indeed, anything could happen!“

In Henrich Cornelius Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy, a “well-dressed man” emerges in the first decan of Pisces who is “carrying a burden on his back.” Agrippa mentions that this decan signifies “journeys, changing one’s place, and an attentiveness for seeking substance, and nourishment.” There is a subtle emphasis in this wording upon the “seeking” of substance rather than possession. Like in the image of the Eight of Cups, there is also a necessity for travel and change, journeying away from the familiar into the unfamiliar in search of what is being sought. Indeed, the Brihat Jataka gave the image of “a man decked with ornaments, holding in hand sacrificial vessels, pearls, gems, and conchshells and crossing the ocean in a boat in search of jewels for his wife.” Yet, the Yavanajātaka described an image of a completed journey: “a woman with a beautiful body whose eyes are expansive and long. Her body is adorned with silk and gold. She stands by the Great Sea, which she has crossed in a boat for the sake of a heap of jewels.”

Austin Coppock ascribed the image of “The Labyrinth” to the first face of Pisces in 36 Faces, writing that it signifies “a quest to map invisible walls of reality,” “the subtle structures which guide human life,” as well as the realization that our own unconscious is a primal progenitor of our current reality. Coppock wrote that the first decan of Pisces holds “the convergence point of perception and reality,” a place where we “recognize our imprisonment in our own reality construct” as well as “the possibility of liberation” from moving beyond our former boundaries into “a world as yet uncorrupted by our assumptions.” Coppock wrote “liberation is achieved here through insight alone,” as the discovery that our soul can be the designer and builder of our reality is the realization that can “transforms the structure itself from a prison to a palace.” Yet Coppock also warned of the dangers of becoming lost within the labyrinth found within this decan, writing that “much depends upon if the seeker knows what is sought.”

The link between the primal, fertile potency of the unconscious with the first face of Pisces is interesting considering that the Hellenistic text The 36 Airs linked the first decan of Pisces with the Titan Okeanos. More of a primal sea divinity than Poseidon, Okeanos was the great river encircling the world where the Sun rose from at dawn and returned to at sunset. Yet in keeping with the fecund nature of Pisces, the binding quality of Okeanos is also incredibly fertile. Okeanos and his divine wife Tethys, goddess of the sea, gave birth to the three thousand river gods and the innumerable Oceanid nymphs, creating aquatic life forms that bring divine purification and nourishment to our human realm. Carl Kerenyi wrote that Okeanos “possessed inexhaustible powers of begetting,” with the “rivers, springs and fountains – indeed, the whole sea – issue[ing] from his broad, mighty stream.”

Fitting for a decan that can place us in contact with the creator of our reality structure, it has also been suggested based upon lines from Homer that there may be an alternative tradition in which Okeanos and Tethys are the primeval parents of the gods rather than Gaia and Uranus. Kerenyi wrote that “ever since the time when everything originated from [Okeanos] he has continued to flow to the outermost edge of the earth, flowing back upon himself in a circle.” Kerenyi wrote that when the new order of Zeus was established, only Okeanos “was permitted to remain in his former place- which is really not a place, but only a flux, a boundary and barrier between the world and the Beyond.” Okeanos inhabiting the nexus between the known world and the Otherworld makes him a fitting divinity for the first decan of Pisces.

It’s further fitting that with precession, the tropical zodiac degree of the fixed star Fomalhaut is now found within the first decan of Pisces. With the Pisces New Moon conjoining Fomalhaut, we will have enhanced opportunity to encounter the meeting ground between dreaming and waking reality, leaving the illusions of consensus reality for the wisdom that can be found within imaginal depths. May you dream well with the New Moon in Pisces.

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References

Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius. (2021). Three Occult Books of Philosophy. Translated by Eric Purdue. Inner Traditions.

Brady, Bernadette. (1998). Brady’s Book of Fixed Stars. Weiser.

Brady, Bernadette. (2008). Star and Planet Combinations. The Wessex Astrologer.

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press.

Eratosthenes and Hyginus ; translated with an introduction and notes by Robin Hard. (2015). Constellation myths : with Aratus’s ‘Phaenomena’. Oxford University Press,

Kerenyi, Carl. (1951). The Gods of the Greeks. Thames and Hudson.

White, Gavin. (2014). Babylonian Star-Lore: An Illustrated Guide to the Star-Lore and Constellations of Ancient Babylonia. 3rd Edition. Solaria Publications.

New Moon in Pisces

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spring veils

Edna Andrade (1973) Spring Veils

New Moon in Pisces

The New Moon in Pisces on February 23 arrives not only during a change in season but also demarcates a threshold to cross into an intensification of the catalytic astrology of 2020. In the northern hemisphere, the days are growing longer as green shoots emerge from frozen ground; in the southern hemisphere, the peak glare of fiery Summer has passed as the encroaching darkness of Fall begins to increase. The year began with a potent seeding of vision in Capricorn involving Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter, Ceres, and Mercury that has required incubation and gestation to become more clear about its longterm ramifications. With the entrance of Mars into Capricorn, the Sea Goat stellium has become ignited just as the  Pisces New Moon forms a collaborative and harmonizing sextile aspect with all of it.

The New Moon in Pisces is separating from a sextile with Uranus in Taurusand applying toward a sextile with Mars in Capricorn. The New Moon is also waxing toward a sextile with its South Node in Capricorn and a flowing trine with its North Node in Cancer. Thus the Pisces New Moon opens the long range view of a falcon encircling the sea from above, with potential for rapid acceleration of vision sourced from inspiration. Yet as a larger picture of what can take form this year coalesces, so will a stronger sense of all of the necessary work that will be required to bring it fully into being. Mercury retrograde in Pisces mutually applying to a conjunction with the New Moon can be helpful in surveying resources and goals to determine where adjustment or additional support is needed. Some aspects of current plans may need to be shed, while the unorthodox motion of Mercury may also retrieve  old ideas or capture unexpected thoughts to integrate into developing projects.

The applying sextile between the Pisces New Moon with Mars in Capricorn is particularly invigorating due to Mars being co-present with the trio of Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn in Capricorn. Before Mars fully activates the Sea Goat trio, however, it must first cross the initiatory threshold of passing through the South Node of the Moon in Capricorn. One one hand, the union of Mars with the South Node also means that it is triggering the eclipse degree of the Solar Eclipse in Capricorn on December 26, 2019 and therefore enflaming collective events that have been simmering and ready to erupt. On the other hand, the conjunction between Mars and the South Node of the Moon will also draw attention toward the deeper motivations underlying our striving. Rather than insisting on continual expansion and progress, take the time to reflect upon the nature of your aspirations with willingness to lay some desires to rest while committing a deeper investment to what emerges as your most essential desire.

The potency of the collaborative sextile between the Pisces New Moon and Mars exalted in Capricorn demands movement, whether toward external goals or toward inner insight. Some additional symbolism describing the richness of the New Moon’s dark soil comes from its conjunction by zodiacal degree with two significant fixed stars:  (1) Fomalhaut, the mouth of the Southern Fish swimming beneath the Water Bearer of Aquarius, as well as (2) Deneb Adige, the brilliant white alpha star in the tail of Cygnus the Swan.

Fomalhaut is the mouth of the Southern Fish that Bernadette Brady has linked with the mystical salmon invested with wisdom in Celtic mythology, a point of intake for magically making change through relationship with Nature rather than through control or domination over Nature. Similar to how Ptolemy connected Fomalhaut with Venus and Mercury, Fomalhaut has been described as a poetic, visionary, and mystical star associated with the kind of magical charisma that can seductively influence the course of events.  Bernadette Brady further associated Fomalhaut with idealistic visions that necessitate conflict with the dominant culture in order to bring about manifestation. Fomalhaut’s presence near the zodiacal degree of the Pisces New Moon is a warning to be careful for what you wish for, utilizing the purging nature of Mercury retrograde in Pisces to come into deeper relationship with what you truly wish to create with your life.

Deneb Adige is the starry white tail of the Swan gliding gracefully across the great watery section of the heavens, the alpha star of Cygnus that Ptolemy also connected with Venus and Mercury, just like Fomalhaut. Water birds are sacred in Celtic traditions due to integrating the elements of earth, air, and water, and Bernadette Brady further connected Deneb Algede with not only the deep spirituality of the Swan but also the aggression and combativeness of swans when defending their territory. There is common ground with Fomalhaut here, in that Brady also connected Deneb Adige with the “journey of actively seeking spiritual awareness” that demands “a deeper step, to feel that one has to walk the less trodden tail.” Indeed, Brady declared Deneb Adige to be the “shaman’s star,” viewed by the ancient Egyptians as “the exit of the birth canal of Nut,” the starry goddess who continually gives birth, rebirth, to the Sun and its illuminating light. Deneb Adige brings the steely inner strength to the lunation also found by the New Moon forming a sextile with Mars in its exaltation of Capricorn.

New Moon in Pisces

Felix-Hilaire Buhot (1889-90) The Cliff – Bay of Saint-Malo

Jupiter in Capricorn is the domicile rule of  the Pisces New Moon, while the New Moon is also occurring in the exaltation, bounds, and triplicity of Venus in Aries. Venus and Jupiter ruling the New Moon is notable due to the fact that Venus in Aries is applying toward an exact square aspect with Jupiter in Capricorn as Luna and Sol unite in Pisces. This brings a wave of extreme desires to reach a peak, requiring a measure of tempering to avoid the type of overinflation that can bring about a painful fall. While you may feel the stirring of large appetites it must necessarily be set against the constraint and contraction of circumstances signified by Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto being hosted by Saturn in the Capricorn terrain being catalyzed by Venus in the fiery sign of Mars.

Adding immense depth to these aspects, Jupiter also formed an exact sextile with Neptune in Pisces a few days before the lunation on February 20, and is now slowly applying toward a conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn that will be building throughout the next month. Simultaneously, Venus in Aries will also be applying toward a cathartic square aspect with Pluto as the Moon begins to wax in light, forming an exact square with Pluto on February 28. With Venus engaging in a sequence of square aspects with Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn, the realm of relationship will be a source of change where we may receive intimations of new possibilities and potential while also contending with whatever present Saturnine tests we are facing. Any disillusionment felt can be utilized in reconsidering the inner values you feel are truly worthwhile to embody and center choices around. With Mars in Capricorn ruling Venus, we must enter the fray rather than hold back from fear, being willing to shake things up rather than remaining stagnant.

It’s further significant that both benefics, Venus and Jupiter, are occupying challenging signs since Venus is in the sign opposite its home of Libra and Jupiter is in its fall in Capricorn. In contrast, both malefics, Saturn and Mars, are in places of great strength since Saturn is in its nocturnal, earthy home of Capricorn and Mars is in its exaltation of Capricorn. In part this signifies the lunar month ahead is not a time for lazily luxuriating in pleasure but rather gathering strength and resources to strike out resiliently with hard work and effort. While it may be necessary to experience change within relational dynamics and desires, any experiences of separation we must endure can facilitate penetrating more deeply into reconsidering inner ideals, value, and meaning. Even taking small steps in making space for contemplation free from the usual distractions and responsibilities of daily life will help in gaining clarity for where to let go versus where to focus for an influx of growth opportunities.

Turner_Ovid_Banished_from_Rome

JMW Turner Ovid Banished from Rome

Crucially, the New Moon in Pisces is mutually applying toward a conjunction with Mercury retrograde and combust under the beams of the Pisces Sun. While the New Moon in Pisces occurs during the most intense phase of purging and putrefaction within Mercury’s retrograde movement in Pisces, two days after the lunation on February 25 Mercury will experience the purification and rebirth of its inferior conjunction with the Sun. Mercury being in the heart of the Sun will be most intense when Mercury is within sixteen arc minutes from the Sun, from roughly 2:30 pm PST until 8:45 pm PST, with the exact solar union occurring around 5:41 pm PST on February 25. This is an ending and beginning, a rebirth moment for Mercury that deserves time set aside for contemplation and consideration, as Mercury becomes revitalized with the creative potency of our solar light.

During the same time that Mercury retrograde is conjoining the Sun, Mars in Capricorn will also be passing through a conjunction with the South Node of the Moon in Capricorn. Furthermore, this will all occur just as the waxing crescent light of the Moon forms a conjunction with Chiron in Aries and a square aspect with Mars in Capricorn. There is deep potency here for descent into inner realms of shadow and exploring our relationship with the ideals we use to generate our force of will in the external world. It’s an opportune time to contemplate our relationship with having agency in our life. The etymology of agency involves effectiveness, power, performing, setting things in motion, and driving things forward. We can also become agents of larger forces and institutions as part of going after what we want to possess in life. Who are you serving with your agency, your performance, and your power?

8_cups_rws_lg

8 of Cups by Pamela Colman Smith

Pisces 1 Decan

The Pisces New Moon falls in the first decan of Pisces associated with the Eight of Cups card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. The image contains a figure retreating into a watery, island realm of caves and seclusion ideal for contemplation. Their staff planted in earth, their red cape and boots signify the flowing vitality they may contact within a cultivated space of sacred meditation and ritual. The first face of Pisces is ruled by Saturn, which aligns perfectly with the image of a hermit turning away from the accepted and familiar in order to receive new visions of depth and penetrating insight.

Austin Coppock ascribed the image of “The Labyrinth” to the first face of Pisces in his book 36 Faces, noting it signifies “a quest to map invisible walls of reality,” “the subtle structures which guide human life,” as well as the realization that our own unconscious is a primal progenitor of our current reality. Coppock wrote that in the first decan of Pisces we “recognize our imprisonment in our own reality construct” as well as “the possibility of liberation” from moving beyond our former boundaries into “a world as yet uncorrupted by our assumptions.” Coppock concluded the “liberation is achieved through insight alone,” meaning that through acceptance of our capacity for re-creating our maze-like circumstances, we may reframe the sense of imprisonment within our labyrinth as having dominion within our own palace. This meaning of the first face of Pisces fits well with the Pisces New Moon separating from a sextile aspect with Uranus in Taurus.

The link between the primal, fertile potency of the unconscious with the first face of Pisces is interesting considering that the ancient Hellenistic text The 36 Airs linked the first face of Pisces with the titanic sea divinity Okeanos. More of a primal sea divinity than Poseidon, Okeanos was also known as the oceanic field surrounding the world where the Sun rises from at dawn and returns to at sunset. Tim Addey in The Seven Myths of the Soul stated that Okeanos was considered the “God of Separative Intellect” in Orphic theology. In its Orphic Hymn, Okeanos is described as the source of every river, sea, and spring that brings divine purification to our human realm. The nourishing mists from this fertile, oceanic void touch us when adrift upon waves of aquatic life or when staring into the sea. Allow the purifying waters of the New Moon in Pisces to cleanse your vision, fortifying your resolve to embody your most sacred values in relationship with others.

There, see, the new moon, / The King of life blessing her; / Fragrant be every night / Whereon she shall shine!

Be her lustre full / To each one in need; / Be her course complete / To each one beset.

Be her light above / With every one in straits; / Be her guidance below / With every one in need.

May the moon of moons / Be coming through thick clouds / On me and on every one / Coming through dark tears.

May God’s hand on me dwell / In every strait that me befalls, / Now and till the hour of my death, / And till the day of my resurrection.

— Traditional Scottish prayer

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References

Brady, Bernadette. (1998). Brady’s Book of Fixed Stars. Weiser.

Brady, Bernadette. (2008). Star and Planet Combinations. The Wessex Astrologer.

Carmichael, Alexander. (2006). Carmina Gadelica: Hymns and Incantations. Floris Books.

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press.

Full Moon in Pisces: Flow into Fomalhaut

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Pisces fish with ship hermetic

from the book of Lamspring (1607) kept in the library of Salzburg

Full Moon in Pisces

The Full Moon in Pisces on August 26 illuminates the lunar cycle that began with the partial Solar Eclipse in Leo on August 11, facilitating the finding of one’s place within all of the volatile changes that have been stirred up since June by Mars retrograde, Mercury retrograde, and a series of three eclipses in a row. Eclipse season has now ended, Mercury retrograde is over with Mercury firmly direct, and Mars is finally stationing direct as the Full Moon forms. The changes stirred up by the eclipses and Mars retrograde will be continuing to take shape in the next couple of months, but the Pisces Full Moon contains many supportive aspects that makes it an ideal time to recenter and revision plans in accord with recent shifts in storylines.

There is a stabilizing, flowing earth triangle formed at the Full Moon by the Sun in Virgo,  Uranus in Taurus, and Saturn in Capricorn. The Full Moon forms what some astrologers call a “kite” with the earth triangle, with the Pisces Full Moon at the midpoint of Saturn and Uranus, forming a harmonious sextile to each. Making this alignment even more potent, Saturn in Capricorn is slowing down to station direct on September 6, making the influence of Saturn especially strong in the week following the Full Moon. Altogether these aspects support breakthrough plans, taking new initiative cut free from inhibitions or restrictions from the past. Most importantly these aspects provide tangible, practical grounding into discerning how to structure and manifest innovative ideas and make real progress toward overarching goals that weave together diverse elements of core values.

The Full Moon is ruled by Jupiter in Scorpio separating from a trine with Neptune in Pisces, and applying toward a sextile with Pluto in Capricorn. As a result Jupiter in Scorpio brings a deepening and intensification to all manner of visionary projects and creative expression worked on in the light of the Full Moon.  These aspects with Neptune and Pluto form part of the central promise of Jupiter’s time in Scorpio that began in October 2017, and so the Pisces Full Moon highlights how we can find treasures within the underworld domain Jupiter has been inhabiting while in Scorpio. The gifts Jupiter brings while in Scorpio are not found within easy experiences so much as they are discovered when bravely confronting difficult questions and dynamics. Jupiter remains bright in night skies and is moving direct through its final passage in Scorpio that will end November 8 when Jupiter enters Sagittarius.

As there have been numerous difficult collective experiences occurring with regard to environmental and political toxicity, the Pisces Full Moon points to what positive growth we can cultivate for ourselves and surrounding communities. If things have been falling apart around you and you have been burdened by grief or anger over upsetting events, the Pisces Full Moon also offers a climate supportive for an outpouring of emotion that can bring cleansing through the release. In particular the Pisces Full Moon is well suited for transmuting difficult feelings through expression and creation in any of the arts, whether that process involves tactile building or more intellective, abstract processing.

piscis notius

Pisces Notius aka Piscis Austrinus “the Southern Fish” with Fomalhaut in the mouth drinking the water poured by Aquarius, from Uranographia (1801) by Johann Bode

Fomalhaut

The Pisces Full Moon is aligned closely by zodiacal degree with the great fixed star Fomalhaut, one of the four royal stars of Persia considered since ancient times to be one of the four watchers of the year. Due to precession, around 3,000 BC in Persia it became known as the “Watcher in the South” due to marking the Winter Solstice, according to Bernadette Brady in her book on fixed stars. Its heliacal rising was also aligned with Greek temples devoted to Demeter around 500 BC. Fomalhaut is a star in the mouth of the Southern Fish, a constellation distinct from the fish of the Pisces constellation. Fomalhaut is at the point of intake where the Southern Fish is drinking from the celestial water poured by the constellation of Aquarius, the Water Bearer. Bernadette Brady wrote that Fomalhaut and the Southern Fish can be associated with the fish in Celtic mythology holding great wisdom to be discovered by those willing to venture into its watery depths. Ptolemy linked Fomalhaut with Venus and Mercury and there has been a long tradition by various astrologers of describing it as an angelic, poetic, guiding star of mystics.

Bernadette Brady additionally wrote that Fomalhaut is not only associated with “charisma,” “beauty or perfect harmony,” but also “high ideals or lofty visions” that force individuals under its influence “to clash with mainstream thought in order to achieve these ideals.” Brady also noted the warning that comes with all of the Royal Stars, that while Fomalhaut can signify true success it can also lead to a total downfall “if the ideals or dreams are corrupt in any way.” Oftentimes Mars retrograde periods call us to do things differently, taking action in areas we have previously held back from engaging with. When our ideals clash with the status quo, unless we are rebellious by nature it can take time to cultivate the inner fortitude needed to buck convention. With Mars now stationing direct, Fomalhaut’s co-presence with the Full Moon will strengthen resolve to follow through with unconventional visions.

There is interesting symbolism with Fomalhaut drinking the water of the Aquarius constellation, since Mars stationed retrograde in tropical Aquarius and is stationing direct as the Full Moon aligns with Fomalhaut. Fomalhaut’s influence will aid in creatively actualizing whatever has been stirred up by the Mars retrograde, fueling achievement of idealistic visions. Interestingly, the Pisces Full Moon is the most auspicious full Moon we have experienced since the Sagittarius Full Moon on May 29 that was aligned with two of the other royal stars, Antares and Aldebaran (Sun was conjoining Aldebaran; Moon was conjoining Antares). The Sagittarius Full Moon occurred before the Mars retrograde, and so with Mars stationing direct now there can be significant movement on whatever has been developing since that time. The Pisces Full Moon signals a time to take action on developing vision.

lamspring unicorn and deer

from the book of Lamspring (1607) kept in the library of Salzburg

Venus & Mercury: Creative Visualization

The Full Moon is in the bounds of Venus, with Venus at her brightest phase during twilight as an Evening Star. Venus is also at home in Libra and so strongly sovereign in both phase and place: she is embodying her role as Queen of Heaven. Yet she has an important challenge to face and integrate from Pluto in Capricorn, as Venus is in a square aspect with Pluto. This aspect can dredge up deep, previously buried desires to process, as well as catalyze empowering ambition that will benefit from the spacial and relational perception of Libra that can discern how to take action without causing damaging disruption within relationships. Venus in Libra is on the superior side of the square with Pluto, suggesting that social justice conflicts involving plutocratic power structures will have the scales tipped in favor of those fighting for equity and possessing ethical concern for oppression caused by systematic bias. As the fullness in lunar light amplifies feelings, so will the tension between Venus and Pluto lead to an outpouring of emotional expression and catharsis.

After Venus completes her square with Pluto, she will begin moving toward a square aspect with Mars in Capricorn during the waning cycle of the Moon that will finally complete on September 8 during a Dark Moon in Virgo. Venus will also begin to descend lower and lower each night in elevation as an Evening Star as she approaches her retrograde phase in Scorpio that will begin on October 5. Venus will enter the zodiacal degree shadow zone of her upcoming retrograde phase on September 2 at 25°14 Libra, the degree at which she will eventually station direct at the end of her retrograde in November. Since we know a Venus retrograde period is coming in October, we can begin to gain awareness for shifting narratives and changes we can sense are beginning to take shape in relationships.

Fascinatingly, just before entering her shadow zone Venus will form a conjunction with the benefic fixed star Spica on August 31, a conjunction that will not only happen by zodiacal degree but also visually in the sky. Around August 31 we will be able to see Venus as an Evening Star in the same space as Spica, the fixed star that forms the wheat held by the winged goddess of the Virgo constellation. Spica is associated with Venus and has a long tradition of being connected with bountiful gifts, talents, and reception of important knowledge. As a result it as if Spica is initiating Venus into her upcoming underworld journey, giving us a gift of insight to take with us into our experience with Venus retrograde in Scorpio and Libra in October and November.

A day after Venus enters her shadow zone she will form an exact sextile with Mercury in Leo on September 3. At the time of the Full Moon Mercury is already within four degrees of a sextile with Venus and so will be in an extended harmonious relationship with Venus in the week and a half following the Pisces Full Moon. Mercury is also applying to a square with Jupiter in Scorpio at the Full Moon, the third and final time that Mercury has formed a square with Jupiter recently due to its retrograde (previously Mercury was square to Jupiter on August 11 and July 9). This is yet another element of the Pisces Full Moon supporting taking a leap forward toward visions we have previously not felt ready to devote ourselves fully toward.

At the time of the Pisces lunation Mercury will also be at maximum elongation as a Morning Star after having previously gone through its retrograde phase, which is in contrast to Venus being at the maximum elongation that precedes her upcoming retrograde phase.  Altogether this means there is an exchange of insight occurring between Mercury and Venus as we transition from a period of Mercury and Mars being retrograde into a period of Venus being retrograde. We now have the potential to embody increased levels of creativity sourced by the regenerative process of Mercury being retrograde in July and August during a series of eclipses. The week following the Full Moon will support taking risks and initiating change in alignment with whatever wants to emerge from the recent period of volatility.

Mercury will enter its home and exaltation in Virgo as the Moon wanes in light on September 5, forming a trine with Saturn as it stations direct in Capricorn on September 6. Immediately upon entering Virgo, Mercury will re-activate the earth triangle formed by Uranus in Taurus, Saturn in Capricorn, and Mercury in Virgo. Mercury is extremely effective with discerning analysis while in Virgo, and will prove to be a valuable ally in figuring out how to most effectively implement plans and problem solve whatever difficulties arise.

lamspring raptors in tree

from the book of Lamspring (1607) kept in the library of Salzburg

Mars Stationing Direct

An immense influence over the Pisces Full Moon comes from the fiery red planet Mars that is finally stationing direct. Mars will station direct on August 28 at 28°36′ Capricorn, dominating the astrological atmosphere with its assertive, separative, and martial influence in the surrounding week. Mars has been retrograde since it stationed at 9°13′ Aquarius on June 26, and with it finally beginning to slowly shift forward again in the week following the Full Moon, those who have felt frustrated by their experience and expression with Mars retrograde may get the sense of their full will force returning to them. The Pisces Full Moon will also serve as a final illumination of whatever inner transformation has coincided with Mars being retrograde and is now informing outer expression.

Although Mars stations direct a couple of days after the Full Moon, it essentially is not moving  and will remain between 28 and 29 degrees of Capricorn through September 3. Mars will eventually return to Aquarius on September 11, form its final conjunction with the South Node of the Moon in Aquarius on September 25, and will finally exits its retrograde shadow zone on October 8. This means that we are going to continue dealing with all of the changes brought by Mars retrograde over the course of the next month and into October. Keeping this in mind, the stationing of Mars will bring revitalized desire to strike out in a new direction or go deeper in current direction. It’s also a good time to watch for triggers to conflict and avoid fights that are not necessary and drain energy levels. If you have been dealing with a lot of strife recently involving separations of some kind, there is likely a reborn presence you have recovered in the process to now embody more fully.

8_cups_rws_lg

8 of Cups by Pamela Colman Smith

Pisces 1 Decan

The Pisces Full Moon falls in the first face of Pisces, associated with the 8 of Cups card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. In the image the Sun appears to be becoming partially eclipsed, an interesting connection with the Pisces Full Moon illuminating a lunar cycle that began with a partial Solar Eclipse in Leo. The image contains a figure retreating into a watery, island realm of caves and seclusion ideal for contemplation. Their staff planted in earth, their red cape and boots signify the flowing vitality they may contact within a cultivated space of sacred meditation and ritual. The first face of Pisces is ruled by Saturn, which aligns perfectly with the image of a hermit turning away from the accepted and familiar in order to receive new visions of depth and penetrating insight.

Austin Coppick ascribed the image of “The Labyrinth” to the first face of Pisces, noting it signifies “a quest to map invisible walls of reality,” “the subtle structures which guide human life,” as well as the realization that our own unconscious is a primal progenitor of our current reality. Coppock wrote that in the first decan of Pisces we “recognize our imprisonment in our own reality construct” as well as “the possibility of liberation” from moving beyond our former boundaries into “a world as yet uncorrupted by our assumptions.”  Coppock concluded the “liberation is achieved through insight alone,” meaning not only that our soul can re-create our maze-like circumstances, but also that through acceptance of our present labyrinth we may discover what we felt to be a prison can instead be experienced as a palace.

The link between the primal, fertile potency of the unconscious with the first face of Pisces is interesting considering that the ancient Hellenistic text The 36 Airs linked the first face of Pisces with the titanic sea divinity Okeanos. More of a primal sea divinity than Poseidon, Okeanos was also known as the oceanic field surrounding the world where the Sun rises from at dawn and returns to at sunset. Tim Addey in The Seven Myths of the Soul stated that Okeanos was considered the “God of Separative Intellect” in Orphic theology. The following Orphic Hymn to Okeanos was translated by Thomas Taylor:

Ocean I call, whose nature ever flows, from whom at first both Gods and men arose; / Sire incorruptible, whose waves surround, and earth’s concluding mighty circle bound: / Hence every river, hence the spreading sea, and earth’s pure bubbling fountains spring from thee: / Hear, mighty fire, for boundless bliss is thine, whose waters purify the pow’rs divine: / Earth’s friendly limit, fountain of the pole, whose waves wide spreading and circumfluent roll. / Approach benevolent, with placid mind, and be for ever to thy mystics kind.

There is a sense of the fertile void that gives birth to all we can feel when staring into the ocean and smelling its scent, when drifting within its waves and aquatic life. Open to communion with soul at the Pisces Full Moon, and allow yourself to be guided from what emerges from within. The Pisces Full Moon signals a period of recovery from the stormy astrological weather of recent months, a time to nurture newfound strength and take initiative in helping to create the world we wish to live in. As Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote:

Whoever you are: in the evening step out / of your room, where you know everything; / yours is the last house before the far-off: / whoever you are. / With your eyes, which in their weariness / barely free themselves from the worn-out threshold, / you lift very slowly one black tree / and place it against the sky: slender, alone. / And you have made the world. And it is huge / and like a word which grows ripe in silence. / And as your will seizes on its meaning, / tenderly your eyes let it go . . .

“Entrance” by Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Edward Snow

 

References

Addey, Tim. (2000). The Seven Myths of the Soul. The Prometheus Trust.

Brady, Bernadette. (1998). Brady’s Book of Fixed Stars. Weiser.

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press.

Rilke, Rainer Maria. (1991). The Book of Images. Translated by Edward Snow. North Point Press.

An angel watches over an argument between Ceres and Mercury

/ grayastrology / 9 Comments

Euphoria winged heart

In Pisces Time

  • Venus is conjunct Neptune in Pisces at 2 – 4 degrees.

  • Sun is conjunct Chiron in Pisces at 9 – 10 degrees.

  • Mercury retrograde is conjunct Mars in Pisces at 19 -20 degrees.

Pisces is always on our minds at this time of year, the end of Winter in our northern hemisphere, with green shoots soon to be Narcissus poking through the dark earth.  This February and March, however, has more Piscean energy than normal.  The Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Chiron, and Neptune are all in Pisces, with Mercury retrograde combined with Mars, Venus combined with Neptune, and the Sun combined with Chiron now at the end of February.  The Pisces-Virgo full moon that just occurred on February 25 was within a couple degrees of Chiron in Pisces.

Pisces is an archetype of the infinite and timeless, of the higher Spirit, God, or Goddess interconnecting all of life, in all dimensions and realms.  Moving in time with Pisces means moving in rhythm more with kairos time, the opportune or intuitively correct time to do something, more so than chronos time, the chronological time we “should” do something.  In Pluto: An Evolutionary Journey of the Soul, Jeff Green links the Taoist concept of Wu Wei with the Pisces and the 12th House archetype.  Green explained that wu wei is an important Piscean development of awareness to act in accordance with the needs of the eternal now, more so than the needs of our egocentric point of view.  Therefore, if decisive action is required, we act directly; if it is a harmonious time to become more internal and self-reflective, we can enter a more contemplative state of being.  My cousin, who has been studying the Tao through acupuncture and qi gong, told me that  wu wei is “actionless action,” “action without action,” or “doing without doing” because if you are in line with the Cosmos, “then all of your actions are completely in integrity and you influence the world without trying.  The political idea (from ancient China) would be a ‘sage king’ who is so attuned with the Universe that the kingdom and all the subjects benefit without him doing anything. The simplest image . . . is to flow like water.”

Now that Mercury is moving retrograde in Pisces, it will take extra effort for us to keep up with chronos time and the deadline-bound demands, expectations, and responsibilities of our daily work and life.  It will be harder to make it to work on time or have an expected project completed by a specific deadline unless we place a lot of conscious focus there to make it happen.  In contrast, it could be easier to drift off into a more creative, artistic, and reflective pursuit that may on the surface appear to be escapist and not make much sense to the expectations of others around us.  We must be careful, however, of escapist desires that are masking deeper wounds in our psyche we do not want to face;  the Mercury retrograde and Mars conjunction in Pisces right now is in square to Ceres in Gemini, which could reflect addictions and compulsions we fixate on such as over-eating, drug use, or co-dependent relationships in order to provide for our nurturing needs in a grasping manner, instead of finding ways to nurture ourselves that keep us on a healthier path.  Also, remember that Mercury and Mars were traveling together direct in Pisces for most of the month of February before only recently coming into a square with Gemini Ceres; earlier in February Pisces Mercury and Mars were conjunct Chiron in Pisces and squaring Jupiter in Gemini.  Thus, throughout February the Mercury and Mars conjunction in Pisces could have reflected us stridently acting and perceiving events from an emotional perspective that could be either distorted by limiting beliefs or past unhealed wounds.  In contrast, if we have been working on facing past patterns and issues with intention of transformation, we could make choices from a more intuitively feeling place we have helped cultivate through a mindful practice of some sort that helps us heal and purify our inner psyche to create a healthier root foundation for our actions.  Now that Mercury has shifted into a retrograde phase, there could arise more discrepancy between our internal desires for what we want to do with our time and energy versus the external demands of our environment for our time and energy.  The strong squares from Gemini Jupiter and Gemini Ceres, the ultimate divine sister and brother team, to all of the intense Pisces energy of the moment could place us in fast moving and shifting situations full of turmoil and chaos.

From my personal experience during this time period, the universe has been asking me to embrace a higher level of frequency and speed in my daily life, a need to attune to quickly shifting needs relating to my daily work responsibilities.  My Mercury and Midheaven are at 4 degrees of Pisces and have been especially struck with Pisces transits recently, as well as my Pallas Athena at 9 degrees, and Sun at 28 degrees of Pisces conjunct Jupiter, all in my 10th House.  The difficulty has been balancing the myriad needs of my work environment with my own needs for personal time and the needs of loved ones in personal relationship with me.  I have felt, however, that the Universe has been asking me to think, process, make choices, and act at a faster rate and a higher frequency, not so much as multi-task as being able to focus on one thing and then shift focus to another. It has felt like an important time of preparation to be ready to face greater responsibilities and challenges in the near future.

The Venus-Neptune conjunction just coming into manifestation at this time can help with a greater heart opening and awareness of where we need to direct our love and energy moment to moment.  Venus and Neptune combined in Pisces can certainly lead us down illusionary paths, make us more prone to be lost in a fantasy world.  However, if we have been on a path of intention recently to connect more with our true Soul path in life, then this current conjunction of Venus and Neptune can help our heart pierce the shell of crystallized patterns, habits, and emotions we protect our true vulnerability with, for us to open to the potential of expressing unconditional love and faith in our daily life.

In the greater cosmic context of the ripening Pluto-Uranus square, with Saturn in Scorpio moving retrograde, the potential heart opening of Venus and Neptune together in Pisces could even feel shattering.  In current events, it is symbolically fitting that the Pope resigned earlier in February with the intense Pisces conjunctions of Mercury, Mars, Neptune, and Chiron, as the structure of the Catholic church is being shaken in a Uranian way for a potential Plutonic transformation.  Pisces, an archetype in line with the true message of Jesus, fittingly has intense energy being expressed at the same time a bright light is being shone upon the “viper’s nest” of political intrigue amongst Cardinals and other catholic power structure elite who have been covering up sexual abuse and other corrupt practices within the Church.  Whether or not Catholic officials choose to take this moment of “divine intervention” to truly attempt to reform and remake their structure,the opportunity has presented itself.

In our personal lives, the Sun currently being conjunct Chiron in Pisces, the recent conjunctions of Mars and Mercury with Chiron, as well as the conjunction of Venus and Chiron in Pisces in the near future, point to the combined archetypes of Chiron with Pisces being important in this time.  The Chiron archetype is often described as a wounded healer ability we have to heal and transform others as a gift from having done the hard work of facing our own wounds.  However, Chiron is also the trainer of heroes, and we are being asked to step more deeply into our special heroic identity and destiny at this time.  The call of our heroic journey has been more piercing recently because Chiron in Pisces has been in the process of being tested by a square from Jupiter in Gemini.   Integral to this process of stepping into our “Hero’s Journey,” as Joseph Campbell so famously illuminated, is the archetype and function of Mercury.  Mercury first moved direct conjunct Chiron while being conjunct Mars in Pisces at the same time at the beginning of February.  This was a time to begin to harmonize our force of Will (Mars) with how our sense of perception (Mercury) is shaped in relation to our Chiron issues: our wounded past, our special gifts and talents buried in our psyche, and the tremendous strength we can mine from going deep inside to confront our personal demons and fears, gaining the ability to re-emerge with gifts we can share with the people we attract into our life.  Recently Mercury stationed retrograde and became conjunct with Mars once again in Pisces, and now Mercury has embarked on his retrograde journey into our personal underworld, eventually becoming conjunct Chiron again moving retrograde, stationing direct around the Spring Equinox, and then moving direct to conjunct Chiron a third time in the Spring of 2013.

To put it all in a mystorical perspective, Mercury moving retrograde in Pisces at this time is like Hermes journeying into the underworld in order to negotiate a release of Persephone from Hades so that she can return to her mother Demeter.  The Gemini Ceres squaring the Pisces Mercury-Mars conjunction is like the anger and rage of Demeter over losing her daughter Persephone to the underworld and Hades.  She is furious at her brother Zeus for allowing it to happen, and so Zeus convinces Hermes to brave the underworld in order to guide Persephone back to the arms of her mother.  Taking my own creative license with the myth, I feel that Demeter as the Great Goddess of Earth and fertility would clearly have had strong opinions about exactly how Hermes should proceed and attend to the safety of her daughter; Hermes, being slippery and intelligent enough to negotiate not only the underworld but also the power of Hades, likewise would have had the ability to hold his own with Demeter in an intense debate about how he would have to negotiate with Hades.  Ultimately, Hermes is able to retrieve Persephone from the underworld, but it came at a price that Demeter would have to compromise in a Piscean manner of surrender:  Persephone would spend half of the year above ground with her mother Demeter, and the other half of the year presiding over the dead and guiding Souls in the afterlife in the underworld with her partner Hades.  The fact that this tragedy that befell Demeter ultimately resulted in our seasons of the year, the glorious fertility of Spring, and our corresponding conscious awareness of the rebirth from death element inherent to creation, means that her letting go of attachment to possessing Persephone has a fated quality linked to the guidance of the angelic realm.  This theme can be mirrored in our personal lives today anywhere that we are overly attached to based upon our nurturing needs, needs that often have to do with unresolved wounds from our childhood and later personality development.  If we are creating suffering for ourselves because of grasping to control or possess an object of desire, we may be forced to surrender and let go of it in order to find the Piscean faith that our lives will ultimately work out in a manner that will help us heal and rebirth ourselves in a manner for the greatest good.  Ceres and the Demeter myth have a lot to teach us about grief: our reactive ego parts of personality may feel like bitterly reacting with vengeance like Demeter, refusing to express our fertile love in our environment, metaphorically refusing to let flowers, life, and the harvest bloom around us.  If we keep in mind the wisdom that is often symbolized by the concept of Angelic guides, however, we can keep in mind that new life and creation will come out of the death and grief process, we can realize that new exciting endeavors await us.  Reflecting the recent transits of Chiron, Neptune, Mars, Mercury, the Sun, and Venus over the fixed star Fomalhaut, the Archangel available to guide us on our hero’s quest at this time is Gabriel.

Fomalhaut

The Archangel Gabriel

Archangel_Gabriel_(Gelati)

  • Fomalhaut is a fixed star at 3°52′ of Pisces, a reddish star in the mouth of the Southern Fish, Piscis Austrinus.

  • Neptune in Pisces is conjunct Fomalhaut from May 1, 2012 until February 22, 2014.

  • Neptune will be especially close to Fomalhaut from March 16 until March 31, 2013 (also August 20 until September 7, 2013,  and from January 15 until February 1, 2014).

  • Pisces Mars conjunct Neptune on February 4, 2013 was conjunct Fomalhaut

  • Pisces Mercury conjunct Neptune on February 6 was conjunct Fomalhaut

  • Pisces Mercury conjunct Mars on February 8 was conjunct Fomalhaut

  • Pisces Sun conjunct Neptune on February 20 was conjunct Fomalhaut

  • Pisces Venus conjunct Neptune on February 28 is conjunct Fomalhaut

  • Dark Moon in Pisces conjunct Neptune on March 10 is conjunct Fomalhaut

Fomalhaut is a fixed star at four degrees of Pisces, also known as the Archangel Gabriel star.   In the 3rd Century B.C., Fomalhaut marked zero degrees of Capricorn, the Winter Solstice.  It became associated with the archangel Gabriel as one of the four key archangel stars and the watcher of the South, along with Aldebaran (Michael, watcher of the East), Regulus (Raphael, watcher of the North), and Antares (Oriel, watcher of the West).  The temple of Demeter at Eleusis held daily sunrise worship of Fomalhaut around 500 B.C.¹  Thus, there is a herstorical and historical connection between the Angel Gabriel and the Goddess Demeter.

Gabriel is an angel who has made appearances in some of the most famous scenes of the dominant world religions of today:  in the Bible, he appeared to Daniel to aid in explaining the significance of his visions, he is the angel who appeared to the Virgin Mary in order to explain about the birth of Jesus, and he also appeared to Zechariah to foretell the birth of John the Baptist.  In the Qu’ran, Gabrielle is the angel who delivers the message of the Qu’ran to the prophet Muhammad³.  Thus, there is an otherworldly quality to Fomalhaut and Gabrielle that go well with the energy of Pisces: an ability to perceive beyond the limitations we often put upon our reality, to feel the meaning of visions and dreams, and to also have the ability to communicate the significance of these visions in a message that others can understand.

Fomalhaut seems to be a misunderstood star that is similar to the archetype of Pisces, known to reflect poetic, artistic, and spiritual gifts as well as propensity toward illusion and delusion².  Those who have the ability to perceive more of the phenomenal world than others who are more limited by consensus reality, run the risk of being labeled crazy by authorities of consensus reality.  Apparently, Ptolemy viewed Fomalhaut as having the nature of Venus and Mercury, and many astrologers today see it as combining the archetype of Neptune as well¹.  With Neptune currently being conjunct Fomalhaut as well as Venus, we can be guided at this time to write or create art, transform whatever difficulties or stress we are dealing with into poetry and art.  Gabriel is the most poetic, artistic, and magical of the four archangels, and the most peaceful as well².  The otherworldly quality of this star being transited by Neptune and Venus now could reflect a propensity of ours to become more spaced out, less grounded, and more inwardly focused upon ourselves and our spiritual or artistic interests–  ideal for a time period in which Mercury is retrograde in Pisces.

Similar to warnings about the Pisces archetype, we must be careful to not perceive ourselves, our reality, and others around us in relationship through the lens of being a victim when we are dealing with the Fomalhaut archetype.  Instead of using our perceptual abilities to see beyond reality in order to express spiritual visions or artistic depths, we distortedly filter everything through a victimizing perspective that sees or feels things that are not truly there.  We can become victim of our own thoughts and beliefs that lead us to our own suffering.  Put those hard feelings into some form of art instead!  Through the process of art and creativity, we can express a larger spectrum of our feelings and emotions, integrating greater meaning into the complex archetypal symbolism of a fairy tale or artwork than we could by trying to more logically explain what has been difficult about our experiences.

A famous example is the late Olympia singer songwriter Kurt Cobain, born with his Sun, his soul purpose, conjunct Fomalhaut. Kurt put his difficulties as a homeless youth with mental health issues into his art, his guitar playing, and channeled his heart through his voice into songs, lyrics, and a primal scream that connected with millions of youth crossing through their individuation process while expressing the message of the punk lifestyle deep into mainstream and consensus consciousness, temporarily taking over the corporate media outlets even.  He was able to attract widespread fame and a massive generational audience to his work, able to pierce through mass consciousness to a core feeling of Piscean empathy that crossed over many diverse audience backgrounds.  Fomalhaut is a Piscean and angelic archetype that knows how to navigate the avenues of fame and fortune, following illusion after illusion at times.

In our retelling of the Persephone myth, I can imagine the Archangel Gabriel watching over and helping a hurt and grieving Ceres come to a greater understanding of the great prophecy and mystery she is becoming a part of, a story that did indeed become embedded in the Eleusian Mysteries.  According to Demetra George in Asteroid Goddesses, the Eleusinian Mysteries were enacted for two thousand years (1600 BC to 400 AD) and were the major initiation rites in the ancient world. George described “the esoteric level taught by the initiates of the Eleusinian Mysteries…[was] the great transformation mystery- the cycle of birth, death, and renewal” (p.44).  Integrating esoteric knowledge into initiation rituals in which participants re-enact characters and events of ancient myths seems like a perfect use of the poetic Fomalhaut archetype.  From the mythic perspective, by releasing her daughter to become the Queen of the underworld who can help guide the Souls of the dead to their eventual rebirth, Ceres is able to contribute to greater collective spiritual understanding as well as gain the ability to spend quality time on Earth with her daughter in the Spring and Summer.

Ceres

Ceres statue

  • Ceres stationed direct on February 10, 2013 in Gemini at 20 degrees.  Gemini Ceres was inconjunct the North Node of the Moon in Scorpio at this time.

  • The Heliocentric North Node of Ceres is 20 degrees Gemini

  • Pisces Mercury stationed retrograde in square to Gemini Ceres on February 23, 2013

  • Gemini Ceres squared the conjunction of Mercury retrograde and Mars in Pisces on February 26, 2013

  • Venus in Pisces will square Ceres in Gemini on March 18, 2013

  • The North Node of the Moon in Scorpio has been inconjunct Ceres in Gemini from Ferbruary 7 until March 1, 2013.

  • The asteroid Persephone is currently conjunct the North Node of the Moon in Scorpio and widely conjunct Saturn retrograde in Scorpio

  • The asteroid Persephone will station retrograde conjunct the North Node of the Moon in Scorpio at 18 degrees on March 14, 2013

  • The asteroid Persephone will be closely conjunct the North Node of the Moon in Scorpio at 18 degrees from March 24 until March 26, 2013

  • The asteroid Persephone will eventually be conjunct Saturn retrograde in Scorpio on May 28, 2013 at 7 degrees.

Ceres, also known as Demeter in Greek myth, recently stationed direct at 20 degrees of Gemini on February 10, 2013.  This zodiacal degree is especially significant because it is the heliocentric north node of Ceres:  meaning the north node from the perspective of the Sun (in contrast to the geocentric nodes, from the perspective of Earth, commonly used by astrologers).  At the 2011 Evolutionary Astrology conference, Demetra George gave a brilliant lecture on Ceres in which she illuminated the meaning of this heliocentric Gemini north node:  the development of the rational or logical mind in Femininity and Matriarchal consciousness.  When Demetra was speaking (in November 2011) I tried to write down as much of her message as possible, the fruits of which follow in the passages below.

Developing our rational or logical minds may seem unnecessary in this time period we find ourselves in, dominated by a cultural worldview that is overly rational and negates the feelings of the Anima Mundi that runs through all of life.  Instead of feeling the energy and messages in the trees, animals, water, and life around us, many in the dominant culture choose to view human beings and the narrow pursuits of humans as being the only viable life force to take account of.  However, while paying attention to our intuition is important, there can be something to be said for developing our logic when we fall victim to our emotions and feelings overwhelming us to such an extent that we begin to perceive things in distorted ways unconnected from reality and what the universe is providing for us to act upon in a moment of grounded presence.  We can also use our rational mind to analyze past patterns of behavior to see where we have been stuck or distorted with our thought patterns and work to begin to shift our perspective through mindful practices of gratitude, creative affirmations, or other techniques.

Thus, if the heliocentric North Node of Ceres is Gemini, it draws attention to an evolutionary development of the archetype away from the dogmatic beliefs of it’s heliocentric South Node in Sagitarius.  Sagitarius can be helpful at times through development of a strong value and belief system we can act from through intuition at any moment.  However, when we become stuck or fixated in a certain belief system, believe that others should also have the same belief system perspective that we do, attempt to convince or manipulate others to develop the same belief system as ourselves, or become stuck on a certain belief that is ultimately creating a limited perspective of reality for us, that is when we are heading into the dogmatic danger zone of Sagitarius.  There is a reason we humans developed the scientific method, after all, and there is good use the Goddess Ceres can make of it.  The logic and rational elements of the scientific method, the mutable nature of it that can shift perspective according to evidence manifesting in reality, is after all how humans such as Kepler and Copernicus were able to prove that our planet is revolving around a Sun in a greater universe, as opposed to the universe revolving around our planet.

Along these lines, in the myth Ceres is so devastated by the loss of her daughter Persephone that she loses connection with her passion and purpose to bring fertility to the Earth, and the Earth goes barren as a result.  Ceres uses opiates to escape from her pain and clearly views herself to be a victim in the scenario.  Unfortunately, events take an even greater tragic turn when she becomes raped by Poseidon, aka Neptune.  This event not only symbolizes the  oppression we are at risk of undergoing from the Patriarchy, especially women, it also symbolizes the indescribably tragic horrors that can happen to us when we become overwhelmed by our emotions to such an extent that we lose connection with our passions and purpose in life.  Lots of Pisces energy does not mean everyone is going to be mellow and meditative; instead, there is the potential for lots of anger, escapism, addictions,  and rage, especially with Mars and Mercury conjunct in Pisces.

However, the healing of Ceres from the rape of Poseidon reveals another Piscean avenue of healing:  purification from water.  Ceres releases and heals her anger and rage at Poseidon while taking a bath in a river.   Although she may have become angry or argumentative with Mercury for not being able to retrieve Persephone so that they could spend the entire year together,  in the end, through many trials and tribulations, Ceres is able to gain the logical perception that being able to have her daughter back with her for at least half of the year is better than nothing, and finally that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few in this case because of the multitudes of Souls her daughter will be able to help and heal through returning to the underworld to rule over the kingdom of the Dead.

Synchronistically, the asteroid Persephone at this moment in time is moving with the evolutionary journey of everyone on this planet, currently moving toward a conjunction with the North Node of the Moon in Scorpio.  This will become even more intense in mid-March when Persephone will station retrograde conjunct the Scorpio North Node, and then move backwards along with the retrograde motion of the North Node.  Eventually in late May of 2013, Persephone will have moved far enough back in Scorpio to be conjunct Saturn in Scorpio.  The amazing symbolism of these cosmic events clearly highlights the Scorpio power that Persephone ultimately claims for herself in the myth by owning her relationship with Pluto and becoming the Queen of the underworld who is able to help guide and heal the Souls of the dead.  In our own lives, we can step into this power no matter how difficult, tragic, oppressive, or cataclysmic our experiences feel: if we face the situation courageously we will activate a deep well of ability we may not normally utilize inside of our self.  Persephone does not end up being a victim: she becomes the Queen of Spirit.

Therefore, Persephone is connected with our evolutionary journey forward at this time.  According to Demetra George in Finding Our Way Through the Dark, the Persephone archetype in our birth charts involve issues surrounding our separation from our mother and “how and where, either physically or psychologically, we may be abducted and plunged into an underworld experience (sometimes at an early age) where we encounter terror, loss, and confusion, and feelings of abandonment” (p. 101).  Persephone in Scorpio is making this underworld feeling described by Demetra George even more intense:

This descent can enable us to develop a relationship with the hidden forces in our unconscious, activate our psychic abilities, release the past, discover a new sense of our adult self and strengths, and emerge transformed and renewed. Some individuals who experience Persephone as a tragedy from which they have never recovered may react by developing patterns of distrust, withdrawal, fear of sexuality and intimacy, fantasy life, depression, chemical addictions, separation anxieties, victimization, passivity and powerlessness, and being acted upon by the strong will of others (p. 101).

Persephone in Scorpio also reflects our potential to step into the eagle aspect of the archetype, taking responsibility and power in our own daily lives and being an effective guide for the transformation of others.  Scorpio Persephone could reflect a latent psychic gift inside our psyche awaiting our cultivation and development.

In contrast, Ceres in Gemini will be showing up in our lives as themes, issues, events, and people in which or with which we have a nurturing role or relationship.  Certainly anything that has to do with the birth or raising of our own biological children or issues with our parents, but also anywhere in our lives in which we are taking on a nurturing role with more of a collective family.  For example, anyone who is a teacher knows the caring vibration you develop for your students, and anyone who works in the social services, mental health field, or medical field, also is well aware of the caring vibration you develop for the people coming to you looking for healing.  Challenges with the people we are working with to help may be triggered at this time, calling us to devise more effective methods at meeting their needs, but more importantly helping them meet their own needs.  Our work with Ceres in Gemini at this time will involve the use of our Mercurial functions of perception, analysis, and communication in order to help nurture ourselves so that we can be come strong nurturers and advocates for others.  In Asteroid Goddesses Demetra George described another Mercurial Ceres issue we may be dealing with now, as she explained that stressful aspects between Ceres and Mercury “indicate difficulties in communicating one’s nurturance needs to others, especially the family.  A common example is the person who expects others to know what he or she needs without having to say so, and becomes angry when the other person doesn’t ‘come through'” (p. 72).  George also described stressful aspects between Mars and Ceres as reflecting feelings of inadequacy, incompetence, or powerlessness and that the resolution is to balance “self-will with the desire to nurture and be nurtured” (p. 73).  We can use Mercurial functions to help with this such as creative affirmations or visualization-  in any case, George suggests that we  remember we have the opportunity to transform our “subconscious self-image and replace thoughts of fear and inadequacy with those of confidence, courage, and self-reliance” (p. 73).

Interestingly, this pairing of Ceres with Mercurial functions goes very nicely with the elevation of Ceres to dwarf planet status, the same planetary classification as her nemesis Pluto.  In the December/January issue of The Mountain Astrologer, Maria Kay Simms elucidated a logical argument for making Ceres the modern day ruler of Virgo.  Not only is the Goddess Ceres the actual constellation used with the Virgo archetype, going step-by-step through the assignment of modern day planetary rulership would make Virgo the next in line to receive a modern day ruler, which in synchronicity happens to be Ceres (Ceres was elevated to current planetary status in 2006;  since Eris was elevated in 2003, Simms in the same article argues that Eris should be the modern day ruler of Libra).

Mercury

Mercury and Pegasus

  • Mercury is retrograde in Pisces from February 23 until March 17, 2013

  • Mercury in Pisces moves direct beyond the “retrograde shadow” stationing point on April 6, 2013

  • Mercury and Neptune conjunct in Pisces on February 6, 2013 at 3 degrees.

  • Mercury and Mars conjunct in Pisces on February 8 at 6 degrees, in square to Jupiter in Gemini.

  • Mercury retrograde and Mars conjunct in Pisces on February 26 at 20 degrees, in square to Ceres in Gemini.

  • Venus conjunct Mercury retrograde in Pisces on March 6 at 12 degrees, in square to Jupiter in Gemini.

  • Mercury will have final square with Ceres in this cycle on April 16, 2013 with Mercury in Aries and Ceres in Cancer at 4 degrees.  The Mercury-Ceres square of this time will be within 5-7 degrees of the Uranus-Pluto square.

  • Mercury will have final conjunction with Mars in this cycle in Taurus at 14 degrees on May 7, 2013.

Pisces in Mercury may make some think of a poet, or an overly sensitive dreamer who lacks assertion, but during this time in which Mercury and Mars are traveling together in Pisces the energy will be more like a strident Pegasus stubbornly breaking free of any attempt to reign the energy in.  As I wrote about in one of my first blog posts in August 2012, I love the heroic quality of the Mercury archetype, who appears in myths as Hermes or Mercury over and over again to make truly miraculous acts of heroic rescue.  Mercury is the one God who is repeatedly able to travel down to the depths of the underworld and handle himself enough to rescue a Soul in order for a return to the upperworld.  In the myth of Demeter and Persephone, Zeus knows that the only being capable of negotiating a return of Persephone from Pluto back to her mother Demeter, is Hermes.

On an archetypal psychology level, we are able to use our Mercurial functions of perception to explore our dreams, visions, and unconscious patterns that can have great impact on how we are perceiving reality on a conscious level.  When Mercury travels retrograde, it is like the same symbolic movement of Hermes traveling into the underworld to communicate with Persephone.  Before Persephone was abducted by Pluto, or chose to go with Pluto as the more ancient versions before the invasion of the Patriarchy tell it, she was a young maiden who had not yet explored the dark depths of her psyche or come to an understanding of the unconscious elements of her psyche that influence her daily conscious choices.  For example, if she really chose to be taken by Pluto at that time, was she really aware of why she would have been attracting that situation to herself?  In the end, whether or not she chose to be taken by Pluto does not really matter because Persephone ultimately faced the reality of her situation of being trapped in the underworld and stepped fully into her power as the Queen of the Spirit world.  When Mercury finally reaches her, he is not able to negotiate a complete release of Persephone back to her mother Demeter and the lush green world of the Earth’s surface.  As a result, Persephone becomes a bridge between the upperworld and the underworld, between the unconscious and the conscious, and a powerful symbol of the human ability to explore archetypal patterns of our collective and individual consciousness, and to guide others toward a healing and holistic rebirth of their fractured and fragmented unconscious.

The heroic ability of Mercury in myth to travel back and forth from the underworld to the upperworld, from the unconscious to the conscious, mirrors the human ability to use our minds and perceptions to explore what can appear like otherworldy phenomenon that can be at the root of our perceptual nature.  When Carl Jung wrote and illustrated his Red Book, for example, he may on the surface have appeared to be lost and crazy to others.  However, the legacy of the work he was able to take from his Red Book explorations, his ability to also use his Mercury function to then logically structure writing and communication that could express some of the unexpressable knowledge he had received to a mass audience, ultimately caused a collective revolution in psyche that is being used today by countless healers to help others find and heal themselves.

This ability of Mercury to bring logical written form and structure to otherworldly perceptions and visions, to encode the meaning of the message in the form of a myth, story, or fairy tale, or more analytically organize the message into a more academic psychological or scientific theory, is the power of Mercury in Pisces combined with Fomalhaut, the archangel Gabriel.  In Asteroid Goddesses, Demetra George described how the myth of Ceres versus Pluto was used to transmit esoteric knowledge and healing to participants, and how this transformative process is reflected today in Mercurial explorations of our inner psyche:

Within the framework of this archetypal drama, the Eleusinian Mysteries led their initiates through the drama of Ceres and Persephone, of loss and return. First, the story was retold; then, in the Lesser Mysteries, the participants identified with the story’s action; finally, in the Greater Mysteries, they received a vision and revelation that the great mythic drama took place within themselves. These rites are still taking place today, as reported by psychotherapists who have observed the symbols of the ancient initiatory process emerging in their patients’dreams and fantasies. Thus, Ceres’ rites of passage are now being lived out on the inner planes as stages of psychic transformation (p. 45).

Just as the angel Gabriel brought the message of the Qu’ran to the prophet Muhammad, the message of the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary, so can we make sense and order out of perceptions we have during this time that may seem wild and illogical at first.  At the beginning of February, Mercury was moving direct conjunct Fomalhaut at the same time it was conjunct Neptune and Mars; days before the Spring Equinox when Mercury stations direct it will be in range of a conjunction to Fomalhaut once again.  And then Mercury will move direct and eventually be conjunct Mars for the final time in this cycle on May 7, at the height of Spring in full bloom, a potentially peak time to fully manifest the visions currently simmering inside. At this Spring Equinox, as Persephone returns from the underworld to her mother Demeter, as flowers rise out of the earth, and birdsong returns to the trees, we will likewise have the opportunity to bring form, order, and manifestation to new visions arising from within.

Demeter finds Persephone

References

  1. http://www.constellationsofwords.com/stars/Fomalhaut.html
  2. http://www.darkstarastrology.com/fomalhaut
  3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel
  4. George, Demetra. Asteroid Goddesses.
  5. George, Demetra. Finding Our Way through the Dark.
  6. Green, Jeff. Pluto: the Evolutionary Journey of the Soul.