Full Moon square Neptune

Sagittarius Full Moon

/ grayastrology / Leave a comment
Maenad holding a thyrsus, 120–140 AD

Sagittarius Full Moon

Sagittarius is the ferocious speed of the arrow, the ruthlessness of pinpointing the target. The Moon flowering into fullness amplifies the quickness and fiery visions of Sagittarius, distributing revelations and bringing matters to a head in ways that starkly illuminate issues. The enflamed heat of the Full Moon in Sagittarius will activate pursuit of affinities, kindling the flames of inspiration to go after attractions and desires while separating from old associations that no longer hold the same interest. Although the sign of the Archer excels at striking targeted goals, the Full Moon in Sagittarius will be engaged with the nebulous influence of Saturn and Neptune occupying the mystical sign of Pisces.

The Sagittarius Full Moon on 3 June will be in between a confrontation with Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, as the Moon will be flowing away from a square aspect with Saturn into a square aspect with Neptune. The centripetal contraction of Saturn within the imaginal water of Pisces occupied by Neptune possesses a potent dissolving influence upon old forms of security and stability. We are only at the very beginning of coming to terms with how Saturn and Neptune’s alignment in 2025 and 2026 will reshape our world, and so the Sagittarius Full Moon will reflect the ways in which we can feel how Saturn and Neptune are already transfiguring our perception of reality and possibility. Within the downward spiral of Saturn and Neptune’s internal stirring, new forms of inspiration and creativity will begin coagulating and emerging at the same time we feel disoriented from the washing away of old ideals and dreams. If the Full Moon activates a sense of disillusionment, be curious about the ways in which you are being guided into a deeper understanding of your circumstances.

Unfortunately, those lacking self-analysis and interest in self-exploration can become easily provoked into self-righteous behavior under the influence of the Sagittarius lunation clashing with Neptune and Saturn. The inciting of hubris and assertive arrogance will be further accentuated due to the Full Moon emanating from a flowing trine aspect with Mars in Leo. However, the Sagittarius Moon is also applying to an integrative sextile aspect with Chiron in Aries that can be helpful in coming to terms with the ways in which old wounds of identity and relationship are intersecting with present circumstances. It will be helpful to engage in practices that facilitate grounding and mindfulness in order to clarify the ways in which you sense a shapeshifting of goals and creative direction occurring. With the Sagittarius Moon separating from both of the traditional malefic planets while applying toward Chiron and Neptune, there will be an opportunity to gain new perspectives upon issues that have been contributing to personal difficulty.

The Full Moon is in the fiery home of Jupiter while Jupiter is occupying the fixed, earthy sign of Taurus. Although Jupiter is not forming a major aspect with the Full Moon, Jupiter is forming a conjunction with the North Node of the Moon. Combined with the Moon’s aspects with Saturn, Mars, and Neptune, the aversion between Jupiter with the lunation could signify a blind spot in relation to present ambitions. Yet the fertile potency of the union between the star of Zeus and the lunar orbit will inspire making major forward momentum with plans. Jupiter in Taurus prefers slow and steady growth that leads to enduring forms of support, and so it will be advisable to contemplate present desires and goals thoroughly, taking your time to reflect upon underlying motivations and coming to terms with the essential core of your values and their alignment with your present trajectory.

Though it will be important to avoid leaping too quickly ahead, the speedy star of Hermes will be inciting drives for accelerated innovation due to forming a conjunction with Uranus in Taurus. The conjunction between Mercury and Uranus on 4 June at 20º24’ Taurus is more important than normal due to the fact that Mercury stationed retrograde in range of a conjunction with Uranus in Taurus on 21 April 2023. Now that Mercury has completed its retrograde phase and is quickly moving forward as a Morning Star into a conjunction with Uranus, we may experience significant revelations regarding whatever work we have been crafting since April. Moreover, we not only passed through a Mercury retrograde phase that lasted from 21 April to 14 May, we also passed through an intensifying eclipse season involving a Solar Eclipse in Aries on 19 April and a Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio on 5 May. The combination of Mercury retrograde with eclipses served as an immense catalyst for change, and while we may have had to undergo a period of volatility that made it difficult to integrate the full scope of change being felt on internal levels, the Full Moon in Sagittarius will spotlight the ways in which Mercury and Uranus are now making us fully aware of the most important direction to follow forward.

Simultaneously, Venus in Cancer will be reaching her greatest height as an Evening Star while also passing through a flowing trine with Neptune in Pisces. Venus resplendent in her maximum elongation and immersed in a watery flow with Neptune will evoke sensual pleasures and revelry in dreamy landscapes of imagination. Underneath the full illumination of the Moon, escape from the stress of daily toil may be found through intimate exchanges, exploration of fantasy, and ecstatic expression of creativity. Take delight in the watery pleasures of Venus, for once she enters the fiery sign of Leo on 5 June she will encounter the underworld inferno of Pluto.

Around the same time that Venus will be enthroned at her greatest height following sunset, she will also enter the queenly sign of Leo on 5 June. Due to Venus stationing retrograde on 23 July at the end of Leo, the star of Aphrodite will remain in Leo from 5 June until 8 October. As we begin to adjust to the extended journey of Venus in Leo, she will come closer and closer to Earth in her orbit while also becoming brighter in light, amplifying desires and creative impulses in the month ahead. We have a long road of Venus in Leo opening up, one that will shake things up in order to rebalance the harmony of relational and creative elements in our life. Due to Venus immediately forming an opposition with Pluto in Aquarius on 5 June and then traversing tension with the lunar nodes at the northern bending on 8 June, from celestial heights will Venus survey the wide expanse of Eros. Soak in the whole scope of desire, noticing the depths of both the light and dark side of dreams. The creative passions of Venus in Leo will begin pulling us toward the upcoming season of chthonic transformation that the star of Aphrodite will be guiding us through.

The entrance of Venus into Leo also brings Venus into the same zodiacal territory as Mars. Venus and Mars will cohabitate in Leo from 5 June through 10 July, but due to Venus slowing down in speed they will never form a conjunction. With Venus stirring things up with Mars in the month ahead, be aware that dramatic issues may be brought to light that will take time to fully work out. Though the phase of Venus retrograde is typically the most volatile, the period leading into her stationing at the end of July may coincide with internal or external conflicts that need to be addressed before Venus takes her plunge into the underworld. Venus and Mars in Leo may also put us into deeper contact with our essential Eros and the exciting new creative direction we wish to pursue.

Sagittarius 2 Decan

The Sagittarius Full Moon will illuminate the second decan of Sagittarius associated with the Nine of Wands card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. In the image a bandaged and alert figure stands with his chosen staff planted firmly in the ground, with eight other wands of varying size rooted behind him. The resilient strength and courage to persist in the face of opposition found in the image resonates with the meaning of the second face of Sagittarius. It is significant that the figure has been wounded at the top of his head, as Sagittarius unifies fiery spirit with the will of the body. T. Susan Chang in 36 Secrets associated the Nine of Wands with “peak power in the realm of ambitions and drives,” and “the kind of strength you need to meet challenging situations- which inevitably arise despite your firmest convictions that they won’t.” Since the Moon is ruler of the second decan of Sagittarius, the Full Moon will experience illumination within her own face.

Austin Coppock in his book on the decans 36 Faces ascribed the image of “The Bridle” to the second face of Sagittarius, stating that the battles and conflicts pictured in the Nine of Wands card “are necessary to inflame the will and provide the heat necessary for the fusion of the mind and body.” Coppock praised the capacity of the second face of Sagittarius “to keep the body and mind in line with intention, despite contrary forces,” as its rulership by the Moon and Mars brings the ferocious resiliency needed to protect what we most value in the face of opposition with all of the odds stacked against us.  Yet Coppock cautioned that while the second face of Sagittarius “represents a formula for strength in the face of opposition,” we must discern when circumstances “do not demand, nor reward such a response” but instead require yielding to develop a different strategy.

The dichotomy of fighting to protect a vision, whether it is securing a boon through victory or bewailing the loss of defeat, is found in ancient textual images of the second decan of Sagittarius. In the Birhat Jakarta a golden woman of grace picks up gems from the ocean, while in The Beginning of Wisdom by Ibn Ezra as well as the Yavanajataka there is a chest of golden ornaments and jewels set before a beautiful woman. These images are in contrast to images in other texts signifying sadness and fear, such as a “lamenting woman” in Three Books of Occult Philosophy.  These images of mourning and unearthed treasure are also curiously resonant with the figure of Kore who was ascribed to the second face of Sagittarius by the Hellenistic text the 36 Airs. Austin Coppock linked Kore’s presence here with her form as Persephone Praxidike, mistress of the furies and the forces of Nemesis that create the adversarial force necessary to bring forth our most heroic qualities.

Safron Rossi in The Kore Goddess: A Mythology & Psychology associated the archetypal Kore with “psychological integrity” and “what it means to be grounded in one’s essential nature as an individual.” To Rossi, the sacred qualities that the Kore personifies include “unto-oneself, sovereignty, vitality” and “authenticity,” viewing “one-in-herself as central to the archetypal stream of the Kore.” She further referenced classicist Guilia Sissa that the Greek meanings of kore and parthenos included “a treasure that one guards (phylassein), a value that must be respected (terein).” Rossi identified “innocence” as being intrinsic to the Kore’s shadow that can lead to becoming “untouchable, impenetrable, self-enclosed.” Associating the Kore with Persephone, Rossi noted that “when we can embrace a more complex perspective that is not primarily concerned with maintaining psychological innocence, Persephone’s myth shows us how Kore consciousness is forged by underworld initiation.” Indeed, Rossi stated that “Persephone-Kore is the divinity within the painful loss of innocence for it is she who shows how there would be no growing down into authenticity without the forays into the underworld.” These archetypal revelations concerning Persephone-Kore will be important to keep in mind as Venus heads toward her retrograde phase that will begin toward the end of July.

May the silvery fullness of moonlight unveil the presence of lovely-tressed Persephone Praxidike, the pure bloom who nourishes life and guides souls through the trials that bring forth destiny.

If you enjoy my writing please consider supporting my work through a monthly subscription on my Patreon page. Take a look to see the benefits you will receive as a patron!

become_a_patron_button

References 

Chang, T. Susan. (2021). 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot. Anima Mundi Press.

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: the history, astrology, and magic of the decans. Three Hands Press.

Rossi, Safron. (2021). The Kore Goddess: A Mythology & Psychology. Winter Press. 

Sagittarius Full Moon

/ grayastrology / Leave a comment
Terracotta oinochoe (ca. 430–420 B.C.)

Sagittarius Full Moon

The Full Moon in Sagittarius on June 14 illuminates an active and dynamic period of astrology ripe with opportunities for making significant progress on developing plans and visions. Sagittarius calls beyond the blur of distant horizons, instilling vigor in pursuit of quests for meaning and targeted goals. The Full Moon in Sagittarius can catalyze desire for seeking knowledge beyond present parameters and journeying across external and internal landscapes to experience new sources of inspiration. As the lunation comes at a peak turning point of the year, a week before the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere, the galvanizing fire reflected in the light of the Full Moon in Sagittarius can rouse a renewed sense of promise for the second half of 2022. No matter how dark the night, Sagittarius is a zodiacal sign especially receptive to the hope instilled each dawn as the light of the rising sun cracks open the horizon.

The inspiring promise that can be felt when watching the rebirth of light during sunrise will be especially potent in the time period surrounding the Sagittarius Full Moon, as most of the visible planets will be direct and visible as morning stars heralding the rise of the Sun. Mercury will be direct and visible in its airy home of Gemini, Venus will be direct and visible in its earthy home of Taurus, Mars will be direct and visible in its fiery home of Aries, and Jupiter will be direct and visible in its fiery triplicity of Aries. With the strong currents of so many planets being direct and visible with essential dignity creating an astrological atmosphere ideal for assertively generating forward momentum, it’s noteworthy that the Sagittarius Full Moon is applying toward a sextile aspect with Saturn retrograde in its domicile of Aquarius as well as a square aspect with Neptune in Pisces. The Full Moon shining light upon the recent stationing of Saturn (Saturn stationed retrograde on June 4) while activating the boundless visionary field of Neptune makes the Sagittarius Full Moon ideal for reviewing life structures and taking stock of progress on larger life goals, finding a balance between making practical assessments and allowing for a more expansive sense of potential to be received and planned for. The Sagittarius Full Moon in aspect to Saturn and Neptune will shine light upon wherever idealistic dreams have led to expectations that need to reconfigured to the reality of one’s circumstances, making adjustments to assumptions and projections to be more grounded while also open to emerging possibilities.

Jupiter in Aries is the ruler of the Sagittarius Full Moon, making the lunation especially fiery and capable of fostering enthusiastic, assertive action. Fire is the element in astrology most strongly associated with Spirit and divine inspiration, possessing a hot and dry quality that invigorates outward action as well as clarifies distinctions in decision making. With Jupiter and Mars in Aries stoking the flames of the Sagittarius Full Moon, there will be ample celestial fire available to bring about a renewal of meaningful purpose and open vision to potential that had previously been restrained or blocked from perception. The fire of the Full Moon in Sagittarius will feed on whatever knowledge and experience inspires us, whether it be from philosophical revelations, captivating stories, or in physical, sensory engagement with the natural world.

Further quickening the tempo of the time period following the Sagittarius Full Moon is the collaborative, harmonious aspect taking shape between Mercury in Gemini with Jupiter in Aries. Mercury in Gemini is applying to its third sextile aspect with Jupiter that will become exact on June 20 around the same time as the Cancer Solstice. Mercury previously formed a sextile aspect with Jupiter on April 26 while direct and on May 19 while retrograde, and so we may gain resolution or reach a new level of growth and evolution regarding projects and relationships that have been developing since the end of April and underwent important renovations during the period of Mercury retrograde in Gemini and Taurus from May 10 to June 3. Mercury in Gemini will reach maximum elongation as a Morning Star on June 16, demarcating the solar phase of Mercury in which the fleet footed messenger planet picks up speed so that it moves increasingly faster than the Sun and likewise increases the pace of mental pursuits. Mercury being powerful by both zodiacal sign and solar phase will amplify capacity for making mental connections, communicating understanding, and flexibly shifting perception and awareness as needed to discover deeper meaning and bring into form the imaginal visions of Jupiter.

In addition to the harmonious interplay between Mercury picking up speed in Gemini with Jupiter in Aries, Mars is further revving up the rhythm of events and action due to occupying its fiery, outwardly directed home of Aries. Yet Mars is also applying to an exact conjunction with Chiron during the Full Moon, adding complexity and possible trials by fire to whatever goals the combined presence of Mars and Jupiter in Aries have been inspiring us to chase after. Mars combined with Chiron in Aries may force us to face whatever old wounds, defense mechanism, or psychological blocks are in the way of claiming a more assertive sense of agency in going after what we want in life. This is the second conjunction between Mars and Chiron since Chiron entered Aries in 2018, with the previous conjunction occurring on July 14, 2020; with Jupiter additionally present in Aries this time, the mentoring side of Chiron will be available to assist in bridging between old, inauthentic identities ready to be released with a more vital sense of self that requires passing through unsettling, radical change in order to become more fully realized. Though the pace of life may feel quickened, the presence of Chiron with Mars invites patience and measured contemplation regarding the next steps to take rather than rushing full speed ahead.

Greek, Silver ring with Maenad (ca. late 5th century B.C.)

Unlike Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter, Venus is not occupying a sign known for speed. However, while Venus in Taurus is known for slowing things down and sinking into a deeper sense of sensation, during the period surrounding the Sagittarius Full Moon the movement of Venus through its fixed, earthy home of Taurus will be actively catalyzing significant developments. Under the light of the lunation, Venus will be separating from a conjunction with Uranus and applying toward a conjunction with the North Node of the Moon in Taurus, as well as applying toward a tense square aspect with Saturn retrograde in Aquarius and a creative sextile aspect with Neptune in Pisces. Since Uranus and the North Node of the Moon are occupying the domicile of Venus, the reception between Venus with Uranus and the North Node will amplify desires for new growth that feels exciting and fosters full passion in being alive. Especially due to the recent experience of eclipses (on April 30 and May 16) in which the Sun was aligned with the North Node of the Moon, the activation of the North Node by Venus will promote taking significant steps and making important decisions regarding whatever new storylines took shape in April and May.

Yet with Venus heading toward a square aspect with Saturn that will become exact on June 18, it will be necessary to bring a reality check toward desires to test which ones can securely take root and blossom in one’s circumstances, versus which ones are not able to align with the demands of necessity. The activation of the longstanding square aspect between Saturn and Uranus that has instigated numerous disruptions to global structures in the past couple of years will bring more issues to the surface revealing personal and collective systems and structures that are at a breaking point or in need of reform. With so many current events causing additional disruption to longstanding issues such as economic supply chains, it can feel difficult for many to plan for the future given so many looming uncertainties. As Venus receives the North Node of the Moon through a conjunction and then moves across aspects with Saturn and Neptune on June 18, pay attention to messages regarding what needs to shift within plans and relational dynamics to align more effectively with changing conditions. As societal and personal structures continue to undergo radical change, there will also be new potential paths opening up full of exciting creative opportunities that the current transit of Venus will also be able to bring to your attention.

10 of Wands by Pamela Colman Smith

Sagittarius 3 Decan

The Full Moon in Sagittarius will illuminate the third decan of Sagittarius associated with the Ten of Wands card illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith.  Human toil, endurance and perseverance are some of the immediate associations evoked by the image of determination, as this card has been associated with oppressive dynamics and limitations we must face and work through when following ambitious desires. The third face of Sagittarius is ruled by Saturn and the Sun, bringing together within its space of relentless determination the polarized tension between the limiting contraction of Saturn and the animating spirit of the Sun. T Susan Chang in her book 36 Secrets on tarot and the decans observed that the image of the wand bearer precariously burdened by the weight of the ten wands blocking his sight suggests the need to “consider carefully whether you are going to drop [the wands] in front of your own stumbling feet, or behind you so you can move on.” Chang wrote that the Ten of Wands can be “our greatest victory- the final forging of our legend,” as well as circumstances in which “we can literally flame out, in an orgy of destruction that consumes either ourselves, or others, or both.” Chang concluded that since the Ten of Wands can signify “a sense of suffocation, being smothered in obligations” it requires creating “a little leeway to breathe freely, play by [Saturn’s] rules and schedule the downtime” as needed.

Austin Coppock ascribed the image of “A Horse’s Skull” to the third face of Sagittarius in his book on the decans 36 Faces, describing how it reveals the unification of mind, body, and spirit through committed work and effort yoked to a goal.  Coppock also wrote that the final face of Sagittarius brings a reckoning regarding whatever needs to be sacrificed in pursuit of desires, noting that “those who walk this face must choose which burdens they will bear to the bitter end, and which are not worthy of such feats of will and endurance.” It’s further significant that both the Picatrix and Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy warn of the “evil inclinations” that can be harbored within this decan for those overly desperate to achieve objectives. Coppock described the intoxicating pursuit of victory that is found in this face, noting a need to realize when the “desperate fervor” of this decan’s power is appropriate and when it is inappropriate and will exact “a heavy toll.”

In keeping with themes of necessity, the Hellenistic text The 36 Airs of the Zodiac proclaimed the presence of the primordial goddess Ananke in the third face of Sagittarius.  Ananke is the mother of the Fates, the overseer of souls incarnating in Plato’s Myth of Er, and is the primordial mother of creation in some strands of Orphic cosmology who governs the cyclic nature of the cosmos. Ananke is the goddess of Necessity whose watchful eyes alert us to whatever actions needs to be taken and whatever responsibilities need to fulfilled as we contend with the burdens of Necessity. Yet as the phrase “necessity is the mother of invention” suggests, Ananke also gives birth to creation with her constraints a necessary aspect of all creative processes that will bring new forms into our world. Honor Ananke and her sacred cycles as you contemplate the insights received during the Sagittarius Full Moon, allowing the limitations of Necessity to help shape and strengthen the creative desires emerging from within so you may clarify the goals worthy of committing yourself fully into following until the end of their manifestation.

If you enjoy my writing please consider supporting my work through a monthly subscription on my Patreon page. Take a look to see the benefits you will receive as a patron!

become_a_patron_button

References

Chang, T. Susan. (2021). 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot. Anima Mundi Press.

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

Full Moon in Gemini

/ grayastrology / 1 Comment

270910C3-705C-4A97-A7AA-A1FCFDA982F2_1_201_a

Sasanian silver plate (5th – 6th Century CE)

Full Moon in Gemini

“Fair Hermes, crown’d with feathers, fluttering light / I had a splendid dream of thee last night: / I saw thee sitting, on a throne of gold, /  Among the Gods, upon Olympus old,  / The only sad one; for thou didst not hear / The soft lute-finger’d Muses chanting clear, / Nor even Apollo when he sang alone, / Deaf to his throbbing throat’s long, long melodious moan. / I dreamt I saw thee, robed in purple flakes, / Break amorous through the clouds, as morning breaks, / And swiftly as a bright Phoebean dart / Strike for the Cretan isle; and here thou art!”

— from Lamia by John Keats

The Full Moon in Gemini on December 11 pours down its light of silvery synthesis into places where rigidity has taken root in fearful or judgmental beliefs. The crater patterning of its reflective glow transmits the wink of sly Hermes, a reminder that we don’t know the whole story or the pattern being weaved from the warping and wefting of our thread. Multiplicities and multitudinous musings unravel in the Gemini Moon, inviting new questions, curious investigations, and willingness for a new narrative voice to shift the storyline we have been telling ourselves.

The Gemini Full Moon is ruled by swift Mercury riding a speedy Sagittarius stallion into the beams of the Sun. As the Full Moon peaks, Mercury will be making its final appearance as a Morning Star before entering its invisible phase in which it moves at its fastest speed on the other side of the Sun from us in orbit. Before disappearing from view, Mercury turns to deliver a message we need to hear, a riddle to ponder and contemplate during the darkness approaching over the horizon. There is a bigger picture we need to see and connections we need to make, with a willingness to look in places overlooked by most, to listen to voices who many do not listen to.

Although the Full Moon is separating from a square aspect with Neptune in Pisces, the enchantments and imaginal inspirations of Neptune will be washing over our sensations as the Moon waxes toward peak fullness.  For those who have been working hard with focused seriousness recently, it can be an ideal time for respite within regenerative fantasy. For those who have been neglecting duties or details, there may be a sudden awakening to what needs to change and what needs to be taken care of. For those who have been deceiving themselves, the fog of illusion may part to reveal personal truth and self realization.

With Mercury, the Sun, and Neptune all under rulership of Jupiter in Capricorn, it’s vital that Jupiter is separating from a catalyzing square with Chiron and applying toward a flowing and innovative trine aspect with Uranus in Taurus. Furthermore, it’s significant that Chiron in Aries is stationing in stillness at 1º26′ Aries, with Mercury in Sagittarius also separating from a trine with Chiron. Altogether, these aspects will be most effective when questioning any dominant paradigms and cultural influences that have made you feel disappointed in not living up to whatever you feel you “should” be achieving, or has led you away from whatever brings you real happiness. Being willing to experiment with an adventurous spirit may not manifest your idealized results right away, but the shake-up to your status quo will dislodge essential insights that will bring rewards by choosing a dynamic direction rather than sustaining whatever has become stagnant or unfulfilling.

Whether you want things to change or stay the same, deep shifts and changes are on the horizon as we come to the end of a decade with a Solar Eclipse in Capricorn as the final lunation of the year on December 25 or 26, depending on your time zone. The Gemini Full Moon demarcates the threshold of entering “eclipse season,” in which the Sun moves within range of nineteen degrees away from the transiting South Node of the Moon. This means that eclipse related events will begin occurring during the waning half of this lunar cycle, events which can sometimes have a strange and unexpected quality along with a far reaching impact. Eclipses release the unmanifest into manifestation, with new relationships and storylines entering our life at the same time that old ones pass away. Since the eclipse is aligned with the South Node of the Moon, there is a stronger focus on release, purification, and harvesting of the past more so than a surge of new growth. The impact of changes will be most apparent for those with natal chart placements close to 4°06′ Capricorn where the darkening of the Sun’s light will occur.

 

Aphrodite_Epitragia

Roman Cameo, 1st Century BC – 2nd Century

“Are then regalities all gilded masks? / No, there are throned seats unscalable / But by a patient wing, a constant spell, /  Or by ethereal things that, unconfined, / Can make a ladder of the eternal wind, / And poise about in cloudy thunder-tents / To watch the abysm-birth of elements. / Ay, ‘love the withering of old-lipp’d Fate / A thousand Powers keep religious state, / In water, fiery realm, and airy bourne; / And, silent, as a consecrated urn, / Hold sphery sessions for a season due. / Yet few of these far majesties, ah, few! / Have bared their operations to this globe — / Few, who with gorgeous pageantry enrobe / Our piece of heaven– whose benevolence / Shakes hand with our own Ceres; every sense / Filling with spiritual sweets to plenitude, / As bees gorge full their cells. And by the feud / ‘Twixt Nothing and Creation, I here swear, / Eterne Apollo! that thy Sister fair / Is of all these the gentlier-mightiest. / When thy gold breath is misting in the west, / She unobserved steals unto her throne, / And there she sits most meek and most alone; / As if she had not pomp subservient; / As if thine eye, high Poet! was not bent / Towards her with the Muses in thine heart; / as if the ministering stars kept not apart, / Waiting for silver-footed messages. / O Moon! old boughs lisp forth a holier din / The while they feel thine airy fellowship. / Thou dost bless everywhere, with silver lip / Kissing dead things to life. The sleeping kine, / Couch’d in thy brightness, dream of fields divine: / Innumerable mountains rise, and rise, / Ambitious for the hallowing of thine eyes, / And yet they benediction passeth not / One obscure hiding-place, one little spot / Where pleasure may be sent: the nested wren / Has thy fair face within its tranquil ken, / And from beneath a sheltering ivy leaf / Takes glimpses of thee; thou art a relief, / To the poor patient oyster, where it sleeps, / Within its pearly house; — The mighty deeps, / The monstrous sea is thine– the myriad sea! / O Moon! far spooning Ocean bows to thee, / And Tellus feels his forehead’s cumbrous load.”

— from Endymion, Book III by John Keats

Venus in Capricorn is in a quincunx aspect with the Full Moon, but most vittally is separating from a conjunction with Saturn and applying toward a conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn. There has been incredible intensification during the past year in whatever areas of your life are connected with Capricorn, as Saturn, Pluto, the South Node of the Moon, and eclipses have shaken and reshaped matters. Now that Venus and Jupiter have joined the Sea Goat’s procession, we can feel revivifying winds blowing through the rocky terrain of Capricorn that bring awareness of how to mend and tend to whatever has been been triggered or fractured as Saturn and Pluto have moved within close proximity during 2019. Visions of essential growth can arise through the stillness of surveying the many sides of your circumstances, sparked by the stones of Necessity. Yet dreams of new creative endeavors will require the time it takes to construct a secure and stable foundation before they can take form and successfully put down roots in your community. The astrology of upcoming months supports long-range goals that will require incubation and adjustment, but can ultimately manifest into enduring forms of shelter and support.

When Venus is uniting with Pluto during a Full Moon, there is a greater intensity of depth within relationships, with volcanic and volatilizing feelings breaking through awareness. The potency of Pluto’s influence on Venus penetrates under the surface of relational dynamics, bringing the potential for honest communication and the cultivation of greater intimacy or mutual empowerment if both sides are able to listen and share. However, Venus is coming to Pluto soon after meeting with Saturn, and so the manner in which we addressed whatever issues arose as Venus united with Saturn in the week before the Full Moon is pivotal. If the austereness of Saturn’s influence on Venus led to strained conversations, harsh criticism, or feelings of not being heard, it will be especially important to resolve any lingering issues before they fester and foment a larger implosion. Since Pluto dramatically amplifies compulsive and obsessive feelings, it will help to sift through the feelings being stirred up to contemplate what truly needs to be communicated versus what does not.

Venus weaving in between Saturn and Pluto during the Full Moon is perfect for attuning to the larger changes taking shape in correspondence with the conjunction of Saturn and Pluto that will happen on January 12, 2020. Richard Tarnas in Cosmos and Psyche used extensive research to show that periods of Saturn and Pluto aligning involve uncompromising, polarized conflicts that lead to fears of being overwhelmed by disruptive forces out of our control. This leads some to feel a need to restrain instinctive desires that feel threatening to established orders, others to project their own shadowy material onto others who serve as scapegoats. The reflective light of the Gemini Full Moon can illuminate inner depths and the complex, contradictory multiplicities we all have within us.

With Mars in Scorpio applying toward a harmonizing sextile aspect with Saturn in Capricorn and a flowing trine with Neptune in Pisces, allow yourself to face the lessons you’ve learned from failure, acknowledge the unsavory aspects of yourself you prefer to keep hidden from others, while resurrecting a more essential image of your creative potential to strive toward in the year ahead. It’s often the case that our frustrations with current relationships and scenarios mirror issues within our inner darkness, but during the time period ahead dominated by Saturn and Pluto it will be especially important to take responsibility for one’s own issues and to relate with the actual presence of others instead of the unconscious material we are projecting onto them. By descending within our own darkness we can not only connect with desires that will truly activate our creativity and presence, we can also take advantage of the transit of Mars in Scorpio harmoniously interacting with Saturn and Neptune to generate new forms and growth from imaginal sources.

swords09

9 of Swords by Pamela Colman Smith

Gemini 2 Decan

The Full Moon peaks at 19º51′ Gemini, the very end of the second decan of the Twins. Associated with the Nine of Swords card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith, the image of nightmarish worry and anguish under a cover of astrological symbols takes on new meaning when considering that Austin Coppock in his book on the decans 36 Faces ascribed the image of “The Hermaphrodite” to this face. Coppock described the second face of Gemini as being a place of mediating “continuing duality” in which “we must learn to reconcile angels and demons within a single soul.” The obsessive, negative thought cycles shown in the 9 of Swords through this lens reveals an “inability to reconcile dualities within oneself, within the world,” to Coppock, “the moments of despair” which can occur within the “irreconcilable places” found within this decan. Yet to Coppock there is a great gift to cultivate in the second face of Gemini in terms of recognizing how each side of dualities like love and war perpetually turn back into one another through the “arts of union and separation.” Coppock concluded that whoever “accepts these oscillations comes to understand the whole of interaction- they are unbothered by either, knowing the other waits in turn.”

Fittingly for a hermaphroditic decan, the second face of Gemini is ruled by both Mars and Venus, and numerous ancient texts have ascribed images of dualistic forms. The Hellenistic text 36 Airs attributed the ancient goddess Cybele to this face, whose creation story involves an original hermaphroditic form. The Liber Hermetis described a double faced man holding a bow and arrows, treading on rabbits with both feet. Ibn Ezra in The Beginning of Wisdom described another man holding a bow and arrow, but one whose head is bound in lead with an iron helmet featuring a silk crown, who is enjoying “ridicule and mockery” while walking around a garden playing music and picking flowers. While the Picatrix described an eagle-faced man also with bow and arrows, iron helmet, and silk crown, the Yavanajataka described a graceful black woman in bright garments who delights in the arts, singing and storytelling and who is pleased to be holding a lyre.

There has been a palpable sense of fear in many who follow astrology concerning the transits of 2020 such as the alignment of Saturn and Pluto that begins the year. While it is true that the astrology transits of 2020 portend a period of major endings and beginnings, remember that within the same fear over what could happen you will discover the vivifying excitement of creative potential you want to make happen.  In The Myth of Analysis, James Hillman wrote that “Those twins, compulsion and inhibition, are familiar enough in all creative efforts where one is both driven and blocked, enthusiastic and critical, on fire and fearful . . . Demon and daimon are one; if we suppress the compulsion, we lose touch with the guiding voice of the daimon . . . At the deepest level of fear an eros appears . . .” As we draw to the end of the year, the end of the decade, and the liminal time of two-faced Janus, allow any fear concerning the unknown future to help clarify what you want to devote yourself toward bringing into being.

 References

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

Hillman, James. The Myth of Analysis.

 

Full Moon in Sagittarius

/ grayastrology / Leave a comment

Full Moon in Sagittarius Angel by Basquiat

by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Full Moon in Sagittarius

The Full Moon in Sagittarius on June 2 is extremely mutable in activity, with the Full Moon square to Neptune in Pisces and the Sun also conjunct Mars and Mercury retrograde in Gemini.  Mutable signs are also known as double-bodied signs, as they each symbolize a different aspect of dualism:  the two fish of Pisces, the twins of Gemini, the winged maiden of Virgo, and the centaur of Sagittarius that is half human and half horse.  The transits at this Full Moon contain something in each of these signs:  Black Moon Lilith in Virgo, Neptune and Chiron in Pisces, Mars, Mercury retrograde, and the Sun in Gemini, and Pallas Athena, Saturn retrograde, and the Full Moon in Sagittarius.  Since this full lunation illuminates the sign of Sagittarius, it is worthwhile to consider how the other mutable signs impact Sagittarius through transit.

Ah, to be a boundless centaur, galloping freely across meadows and within forests, instinctually acting on animalistic passion and impulse, alive with presence in the moment with attunement to the surrounding natural world.  Sagittarius has a mission of evoking fiery vision that coalesces the duality of spirit and matter, intuitively acting from a place of inner knowing.  Yet this inner knowing can also lead to the shadowy side of Sagittarius that assumes it knows what is right, that does not question if their own personal truth is in conflict with the truth of others, and that expresses their ardor without being aware if their passionate action is transgressing the boundaries of others.  The opposition from Gemini and square from Virgo and Pisces to Sagittarius can bring lessons of humility to temper the narcissistic tendencies of Sagittarius, as well as challenges of discernment and the multiplicity of perspectives present in the ultimate philosophical understanding Sagittarius often strives for.  Despite the untethered bravado of Sagittarius, there is potential for the belief system Sagittarius welds from experience to become dogmatic, and so hard aspects from Virgo, Pisces, and Gemini force the centaur to acknowledge that there are many other belief systems circulating with an equally valid perception of truth to their own.

With such strong Gemini energy now (Mercury retrograde, Sun, Mars all within range of conjunction) the Sagittarius Full Moon could spark a synthesis of all the fragments of mental activity we have been exploring recently into a fresh vision to live from, or create a deepening of understanding along a line of thought we have been developing for some time.  The square from Neptune in Pisces to this Full Moon brings a wave of deliquescence and a challenge to our Sagittarian vision that will cause disillusionment wherever the belief system we are perceiving from is out of alignment with our actual reality.  Events can pull us out of abstract theorizing and into the heat of the moment where we experience the stark effect of acting from our beliefs.  Wars, fights, arguments, and debates rooted in ideological conflict are likely to emerge in this atmosphere, with Neptune cloaking the clashes in a fog of idealism.  Yet with a focused use of our mind, there is also potential for the square from Neptune in Pisces, in tandem with the other aspects present in this Sagittarius Full Moon, to help us penetrate into bodies of knowledge that were previously mysterious and facilitate reception of a profound message.

Full Moon in Sagittarius Ascent by Basquiat

by Jean-Michel Basquiat

The Full Moon in Sagittarius is ruled by a Jupiter in Leo that is conjunct Juno and forms a Grand Fire Trine with Uranus in Aries, Pallas Athena in Sagittarius, and the Full Moon in Sagittarius.  This is an incredibly liberating arrangement of potent creative visualization and progenitive insight.  The trine between Jupiter and Uranus has been with us since last September 2014, and we now have less than a month to enjoy it’s dynamic energy as it’s last exact aspect occurs on the Solstice later this month.  Trines generally require something to kick us into gear to activate them, and so the opposition of the Gemini Sun, Mars, and Mercury retrograde to the Sagittarius Full Moon can do the trick.  Open your mind and seize the moment, for this is an opportune time to be pioneering and initiate bold action to propel you into a new level of development.  If a clear direction is not coming to mind, it can also be a powerful time to brainstorm and mind map as many options as possible in order to realize the choice that will be break you out of a past limiting pattern and into a broadened horizon.

Jupiter in Leo has also been holding compelling aspects to the Pluto and Uranus square, as it is applying to a trine with Uranus in Aries and separating from a quincunx with Pluto in Capricorn.  These aspects ask us to take the liberating thoughts and expansive visions associated with Jupiter in Leo and the Grand Fire Trine of this Full Moon, and to discern how to integrate the corresponding gift and message into our surrounding community.  Instead of forcing our will like the idiom of driving a square peg into a round hole, Pluto in Capricorn wants us to figure out how we can use the creative actualization of Jupiter in Leo to meet the needs of our society.  While Pluto in Capricorn does have to do with the tearing down of systems of power, there is still a dominant power structure intact.  Instead of hurling ourselves with anger, shouts, and fists at oppressive powers, these aspects between Uranus, Pluto, and Jupiter suggest a more subversive route of figuring out how to infiltrate into networks of the power structure and transform the system from the inside out.

Sagittarius Full Moon with Mercury retrograde in Gemini

by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol

This Full Moon illuminates our experience of the Mercury retrograde in Gemini so far, as it comes a few days after the inferior conjunction of Mercury retrograde with the Sun.  In keeping with the symbolism of the Sagittarius archer, the Grand Fire Trine between Jupiter and Juno in Leo, Uranus in Aries, and Pallas Athena and the Full Moon in Sagittarius is like an arrowhead on a shaft of opposition to Mercury retrograde, Mars, and the Sun in Gemini, with this Gemini trio in sextile to Uranus in Aries and Jupiter in Leo.  There is potent force in these aspects, and as a result it necessitates a mindful presence so we can focus on aiming at targets that will inspire instead of harm others.  To make productive use of the Mercury retrograde in Gemini requires that we actively focus our mind, and if we do so now the recent retrograde rumination will clarify into a reception of meaning that has a transformational impact on us.

As the Sun is separating from Mercury retrograde in Gemini at the time of the Full Moon, it is actively chasing after Mars in Gemini.  The Sun gains ground on Mars by zodiac degree each day in the next two weeks, but Mars will manage to barely stay ahead of the Sun until they finally become conjunct on June 14 at 24° of Gemini.  While Mars this close to the Sun may lead to hot tempers difficult to manage, at this Full Moon there is an inspiring sextile between Mars and Uranus as well as between Mars and Jupiter that can link our will-force to our soul-purpose.  Similar to Jupiter, Mars is forming a quincunx to Pluto in Capricorn at the same time as its harmonious aspect with Uranus in Aries.  This means that by transit there is temporarily a yod formed between Mars in Gemini, Pluto in Capricorn, and Jupiter in Leo.  Crucially, the trine from Uranus to Jupiter and sextile from Uranus to Mars means that if we push past whatever fear is coming up for us with regards to initiating a new, dynamic step forward in our growth, we will experience an upswell of invigorating force that will lead us into acting from a revitalized belief system that liberates instead of limits us.

Full Moon in Sagittarius II Decan

9 of Wands by Pamela Colman Smith

Sagittarius II Decan

The Moon is the ruler of the second decan of Sagittarius, and so the Full Moon on June 2 illuminates the depth of this decan.  The 9 of Wands is the associated card in tarot, and in the image above illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, we see a wounded yet resilient figure brandishing a staff in front of the eight staffs of the previous card, the 8 of Wands, planted in the ground.  It’s as if the rushing, quicksilver visions of the 8 of Wands and the first decan of Sagittarius has brought about conflict from adversaries in the surrounding environment.  Receiving an inspired vision, as we may at this Full Moon, is only the first step in what can be a long and arduous process of manifestation full of conflict.  We are often not aware of all of the obstacles standing in the way of our vision becoming palpable in material form until we decide to take action and strive to make our vision a reality.

Austin Coppock in his book 36 Faces paints the second decan of Sagittarius as being a test of the Sagittarian purpose of unifying manifold elements into a cohesive system, as in this decan “the figures struggle to maintain that unity under the assault of contrary forces” (p. 198):

Yet the trying circumstances depicted in this face are utterly necessary to produce the force of will required to sustain the conjunctio between body and spirit which is this face’s purpose . . . The strength pictured here is the strength to defend what one has established- the ability to keep the body and mind in line with intention, despite contrary forces.  This may seem stressful, but this level of friction is necessary to generate the heat capable of fusing mind and body, vehicle and will. There is no hero without a nemesis.  (p. 198)

With Neptune in Pisces being in square to this Sagittarius Full Moon, possessing resilient faith in the unknown and our capacity to adjust to change and collaborate with others for help when necessary will be key.  While Austin Coppock described those that emerge from the conflict of the Sagittarius II decan as being “ruthless, bold, and of undivided will” (p. 200), attempting to aggressively fight back against the forces of Neptune in our way is unlikely to yield us positive results.  Instead, we may need to surrender or let go of something, and in the process of eliminating what no longer serves us or is out of alignment with our experience, we will make space for new inspiration. Anyone who is a writer or artist can also utilize this same energy to imbibe their creations with amplified power.  If we are holding a vision dear to our hearts that is truly good and beautiful for us, it will hold up against the square from Sagittarius to Neptune in Pisces- in this case we need to resiliently stand firm in our fiery desire and spirit.

Full Moon in Sagittarius June 2, 2015 chart

References

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