Jupiter stationing retrograde

Leo New Moon

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from the Rosarium Philosophorum

Leo New Moon

The monthly unions of Sun and Moon purify and impregnate meaning for the lunar cycle ahead, initiating new growth and movement within the fertile blackness of moonless night. The Leo New Moon on July 28 is particularly potent as a threshold guardian that will lead us into one of the most volatile astrological months of 2022. Fortunately, the Sun and Moon in Leo are applying toward a close trine aspect with Jupiter in Aries, constellating a harmonious flow of uplifting spirit that can inspire creative solutions and expressions. With Jupiter in the exaltation of the Sun, there is a passionate, resonant interplay between the Leo New Moon and the star of Zeus that kindles faith in the unknown to come. The radiance of Leo with its indomitable fire that resiliently persists in the face of adversity is at the heart of the lunation.

The longstanding volatility across societal structures that has correlated with the catalytic square aspect formed between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus has been exacerbated during 2022 due to the presence of the North Node of the Moon in Taurus and the South Node of the Moon in Scorpio. With the friction between Saturn and Uranus amplified by eclipses taking place in the signs of Scorpio and Taurus, the missing fixed sign within the dynamic has been Leo. Call it a “grand square,” “fixed cross,” or whatever term you prefer; the Leo New Moon initiates us into a period in which all four fixed signs have a notable occupant: Mars, Uranus, and the North Node in Taurus, Saturn in Aquarius, Mercury and the Sun in Leo, and the South Node in Scorpio. As a result, the political and economic turmoil of recent current events will likely become even more amplified over the course of the forthcoming lunar cycle, with popular unrest in reaction stoked into even greater magnitude.

While the activation of Leo within the dynamic is not enough to solve issue of food shortages and economic collapse occurring in some regions of the world, it will be capable of facilitating significant growth and dynamic movement for many. As the missing fire element within the cross of fixed signs, Leo supplies the inspirational spirit necessary to fuel movements of political resistance so they may endure across times that feel bleak with little hope. The enormous activation of fixed signs also means that the changes occurring now are for the long haul and will have longterm ramifications. Although fixed signs are the most resistant to change, once they are set into motion they are able to conduct total overhauls of systems with focused thoroughness that brings things to completion in the end. Leo as the domicile of the Sun nurtures a sense of sovereign agency in taking the responsibility to creatively actualize and direct life in desired directions. There may be a need to strike a balance between enduring certain difficulties patiently while in other instances bringing mindfulness to rapidly changing dynamics that require quick, sharp responses.

by John Duncan

The Leo New Moon is resonant with the stage in Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey in which supernatural aid comes to the hero as they prepare to cross the first threshold from the known into the unknown. The key aspect of this phase is the willingness of the hero to accept the call of their own destiny and venture forth from the stability of the familiar into the volatility of the unfamiliar and uncertain outcomes. As the crossing of the threshold involves entrance into treacherous terrains where the hero may encounter fearsome foes, the hero’s decision to accept the trials that will occur by claiming their destiny invites the appearance of a mentor or magical helper of some form who usually delivers a talisman or magical gift that will become a crucial key to their journey ahead. The trine aspect between the Leo New Moon with Jupiter in Aries resonates with not only the willingness to fully accept the responsibilities of one’s destiny but also reception of beneficial aid in following the call wherever it leads.

The flowing trine between the Leo New Moon with Jupiter in Aries is extremely powerful not only because Jupiter is in the exaltation of the Sun, but also because Jupiter is stationing retrograde. When planets station they saturate the astrological landscape with their influence, as their divine presence takes on an amplified impact in daily events. Jupiter has a life-giving numinous presence, an archetypal force which nourishes growth, coheres, affirms, and inspires generous actions and leadership capacities. Jupiter also can facilitate reverence for the divine and communing with the sacred, as well as opportunities for material growth. Jupiter stationing retrograde at 8º43′ means that the star of Zeus has travelled as far into Aries as it will in its present synodic cycle, and so the trine between the lunation with Jupiter is an opportune time for reflecting upon gains in material as well as spiritual growth since Jupiter formed a conjunction with the Sun in Pisces on March 5, distilling whatever wisdom can be gained from events that have transpired over the past five months.

Le Désir, Remedios Varo

The inspirational force held within the trine from the Leo New Moon to Jupiter will be especially helpful for finding creatively productive ways to work with the most impactful configuration within the lunation: the triple conjunction forming between Mars, Uranus, and the North Node of the Moon in Taurus. There are multivalent meanings involved in their alignment, including an intensified acceleration within current events of the numerous economic crises, food shortages, and political conflicts already under development. Yet while it is easy to see how the combination of Mars, Uranus, and the North Node can be disruptive in chaotically challenging ways in world events, its worth remembering how extremely powerful their union can be in our personal lives. Their shattering impact liberates within the disruption, like the chaos at the origin of all creation stories. Their union happening within the sign of Taurus points to the longterm impact of the changes brought by their combination, breaking us free from past patterns we have been overly attached to identifying with into a more authentic presence. The strife that comes in their wake, though difficult, may also simultaneously put us into palpable touch with our own essentiality in need of emergence.

As the triple conjunction of Mars, Uranus, and the North Node is occurring within the exaltation of the Moon, and the signs of Leo and Taurus also share sympathy due to being antiscia to one another, there is extremely creative resonance between the catalyzing impact of the square aspect occurring between the Leo New Moon with the triple Taurus conjunction. When Uranus entered Taurus in 2018, I wrote an article linking the meaning of Uranus being in the exaltation of the Moon to the work of Peter Kingsley, a scholar of ancient philosophers such as Parmenides and Empedocles, and his emphasis on incubating within your own inner sensations. Kingsley described inner sensations as “sacred ground” akin to the sacredness of the underworld to the ancient Greeks, yet in this case sacred ground you bear everywhere. Kingsley described the practice of lying down with full immersion within inner sensation a “practice of abandonment, the practice of giving up . . . when nothing else worked.”  Kingsley described how ancient people would seek a shrine to lie down within and be as close to death as possible when doctors were not able to diagnose a cure, and how through this process a healing remedy would emerge through submergence within inner senses.

To Kingsley the ancient Greeks had a fundamental need for the wisdom and understanding that comes through the incubation of inner sensation, stating “there was fundamentally no difference between a body that is sick, a mind that needs understanding, and a city that needs new laws.” Kingsley described that just as personal imbalances could be remedied through incubation, so could new systems of laws be brought to civilization by those who had entered and come back from “another state of consciousness by practicing incubation.”  Through incubation we become  “drawn into the underworld, into the depth . . . into that mysterious access point which is available in the underworld that gives you access to every level of existence.” With Mars and the North Node of the Moon amplifying the impact of Uranus in Taurus, it may be necessary to traverse dark nights of soul which force us to let go of old attachments. Yet as Kingsley described, the alchemy of incubation reveals the midnight Sun and that “the real light is found at the heart of darkness” and realization that “the source of light is inside.”

It’s worth noting how rare this exact alignment of Mars, Uranus, and the North Node is, as it has not happened in many centuries. The last time that all three came into somewhat of a hard aspect was not a conjunction, but rather an opposition: in November 1915 there was a wide opposition between Mars with Uranus, with Mars in Leo on the side of the south node of the Moon and Uranus conjoining the North Node in Aquarius. The last time there was somewhat of a close alignment between all three was December 23, 1458 with Mars at the beginning of Virgo and Uranus conjoining the North Node at the end of Leo; yet in this case Mars had moved on to a different sign when Uranus conjoined the North Node.

Fortunately, Venus in Cancer is in a harmoniously collaborative sextile aspect the Mars Uranus North Node union and is further more the planet responsible for its care. Mars will form a conjunction with Uranus on August 1 followed by Venus forming a sextile with Uranus on August 2, a few days after the lunation. With all three entities in the earthy home of Venus, and Venus occupying the watery exaltation of Jupiter and home of the Moon, there is increased potential for finding creative ways of working with the alignment. The presence of Venus in Cancer can help in making space for nurturance within relationship or within private places of solitude, creating the time needed to work through whatever disruptive issues emerge. It can be an extremely productive period of time for any work of creativity as a result of the synergy between Venus with the triple alignment of Mars, Uranus, and the North Node of the Moon.

TEJIDO ESPACIO-TIEMPO by Remedios Varo

Meanwhile Mercury is in position to receive a sense of nonlinear time within whatever linear processes become set off by the friction of the fixed cross of planets, gaining a sense for how the events of the upcoming time period have larger implications that will stretch out across the years ahead. Mercury is emerging into visibility as an evening star during the Leo New Moon, bringing the divine presence of the star of Hermes strongly into our lives. Moreover, Mercury is setting off the dynamics of the fixed cross, forming a square aspect with the Mars, Uranus, and the lunar nodes, as well as an opposition with Saturn. As a result, Mercury can help in deeply attuning to the volatile dynamic forming with the fixed cross as it forms a square aspect with Uranus on July 28 and then moves through an opposition with Saturn it will complete on July 30.

Within the forthcoming lunar cycle after Mercury moves through its opposition with Saturn, the Sun in Leo will move into a square with Uranus on August 11 followed by an opposition with Saturn on August 14. The upcoming Full Moon in Aquarius on August 11 will deeply trigger the dynamics by forming a close conjunction with Saturn while also forming a square aspect with Uranus, Mars, and the lunar nodes. During a year of especially volatile eclipses that ignite the fracturing friction of Saturn facing off with Uranus, the present lunar cycle places us at the midpoint between the eclipse seasons, as well as deeply sets off the longstanding tension between Saturn and Uranus that has dominated the astrological landscape since the beginning of 2021. As s result it will be even more important than normal to pay attention to the changes taking shape and the directions they may lead us within the lunar cycle to come. Thankfully, about a week before the upcoming Full Moon in Aquarius, Mercury will enter Virgo on August 3 and become a fortunate point of focus for clarifying now to mediate and navigate through the changes occurring on both personal and societal levels.

5 of Wands by Pamela Colman Smith

Leo 1 Decan

The New Moon in Leo strides forward in the first face of Leo, associated with the Five of Wands card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. A tarot card associated with conflict and competition, the strife in the image suggests a need to stand ground and fight to achieve a desired position, or could instead be viewed as an inner battle of different aspects of one’s personality contending for control. T Susan Chang in her book 36 Secrets wrote that it’s worth remembering that the “Strife” associated with the Five of Wands “is just another way of saying ‘Striving.’ No matter how daunting the task, there is always a prize to be won. It may not be something we can polish and display on a shelf; it may not even be something we’d choose- but it might just be the making of our personal legend.”

Austin Coppock in his book 36 Faces ascribed the image of “The Spotlight” to the first face of Leo, describing its power as focusing “a mass of attention on one point or person,” while bringing karmic consequences to the role or mask one bears in public performance for an audience. Coppock in particular noted the importance of aligning one’s public persona with one’s inner authenticity so that we do not become trapped in a public role ill-suited to our nature. The need to align one’s persona with one’s authentic nature in relation to the responsibility that will result fits well with Saturn and the Sun being the rulers of the first face of Leo.

Saturn ruling the first face of Leo suggests the necessity of putting time and concerted effort into constructing an effective vehicle to broadcast our work and connect with a receptive audience. As the upcoming Full Moon in Aquarius on August 11 will be conjoining Saturn, we will do well by using Saturn’s gifts for slow and steady contemplation to consider whatever has been feeling inauthentic regarding the persona through which we have been engaging the world. The alignment of Mars, Uranus, and the North Node can force changes suddenly, but it may bring about the exact set of circumstances necessary to help shed the old aspects of your identity and ambition that need to be released in order to make space for more vital passions to emerge you may follow forward.

While the New Moon in Leo is in the first decan of Leo, it is also within the Egyptian bounds of Jupiter, meaning that Jupiter will be setting the terms of the lunation while forming a flowing trine with the lunation and stationing retrograde. Thus the potency of Jupiter stationing can help guide us in contemplating how to remake the mask we wear in public, drawing us into interior depths to discover inspiration attuned to our soul. Fittingly, the Hellenistic text the 36 Airs ascribed Hephaistos to the first face of Leo, the greek god of artisans, craftsman, sculptors, blacksmiths, and all manner of fire. Like Hephaistos, we may transfigure the pain of wounds and rejection into artistic forms, tending the fire of the forge as we melt down our old mask that can now be refashioned anew. The work of Hephaistos is not about speed and making something happen fast, but rather taking the necessary time to work and rework the matter into rarified manifestation. Similarly, we need to take our time and not demand quick results in August, letting our creative process align with the changes of nature taking shape within us and outside us.

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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 Scorpio

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Moon_Bat_Vortex

Image by Micelle Doucette (2020) whose work can be found at The Dreaming Canvas

Full Moon in Scorpio

The Full Moon in Scorpio on May 7, 2020 will illuminate the most inward depths of feelings and memories, penetrating underneath the surface of whatever emotional material has been gathered since the Taurus New Moon on April 22. Like laying down within a pastoral landscape of bees pollinating flowers, swallows diving and rising in flight, and the flowering of orchards, we may drink from the deep well of our psyche made from the ancient stores of our ancestry. Scorpio can be relentless in penetrating to the bottom line of surrounding emotional dynamics, exposing toxicity in a process that can bring about purification and the fertilization of growth from the decomposition. Immense emotional reactions and responses can be set off by the dynamics of the Scorpio Full Moon, bringing the opportunity for profound awareness as the courageous nature of the Scorpio Moon confronts whatever has been hidden in shadowy darkness.

The Scorpio Full Moon is applying closely to an opposition with Mercury in Taurus and a flowing trine with Neptune in Pisces, as Mercury and Neptune simultaneously are forming a harmonizing sextile aspect. Mercury was recently reseeded in a new cycle with the Sun and is still invisible, incubating the new meaning of its cycle while hidden in darkness. Altogether, there may be a lack of clarity regarding the large emotions passing through and so it will be best to let the feelings pass without believing that you understand things completely. It’s a good mixture for imaginative, artistic, and creative work and letting yourself be carried away to wherever the inspiration of the muses direct you. If you are in difficult circumstances caused by repercussions from the pandemic, the more you can mediate anxieties and fears the better you will be able to flow with the emotive impact of the Full Moon and utilize it to help re-dream the next phase of life to come.

The flowing charge of the Scorpio Full Moon may dislodge inner blocks of all shapes and sizes, opening potential for becoming aware of inner parts that have been lost or locked away. At the same time that the Full Moon is forming a trine with Neptune in Pisces, Venus is simultaneously beginning to station retrograde while forming a catalyzing square aspect with Neptune. Since both Mercury and the Sun are in the fixed, earthy, and inwardly directed home of Venus, it will be beneficial to make time to nurture your body and sensuality, sensing desires and other messages that have been accumulating within your bones and tissues. We are on the threshold of entering the strange quality of time brought about by Venus retrograde, when old material will emerge to be purged while new desires and relationships erupt viscerally into awareness.

While the Sun in Taurus facilitates centering and patiently cultivating security, the Full Moon in Scorpio reveals the shadow of yearnings in its light, unearthing the deeper source of what we need to feel secure. Rage can erupt over feelings of being wronged, anger and grief unleashed over the multitudinous forms of injustice being exposed by the impact of the pandemic. Combined with Venus stationing retrograde, the Scorpio Full Moon will penetrate with its light into the underlying dynamics of relationships and material concerns, especially wherever we have been stubbornly trying to control or manipulate in order to guard against the threat of loss. The polarity between Taurus and Scorpio has strong capacity for commitment and resiliently completing work, yet there may be aspects of life we simply must let go of during this period. In the wake of its catharsis, the Scorpio Full Moon can help in refocusing on what will best grow and flourish in the current climate, so that we can complete all the necessary work to prepare our fields for the harvest we wish to reap in the year ahead.

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Yoshitoshi (1885) One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

Mars in Aquarius rules the Full Moon while in the final four degrees of Aquarius, on the verge of finally climbing out of its long co-presence of being in the same sign as Saturn. Mars first entered the same sign as Saturn on February 16 when they were both in Capricorn, and they have remained in the same sign for close to the entirety of the time that has passed since then, corresponding with the grim reality of quarantines needing to be instituted and economies shut down around the world. Crucially, their union in Aquarius also involved a square aspect with Uranus in Taurus, jarring loose discord as the pandemic brought a collapse of numerous societal structures. Just as the previous Taurus New Moon reactivated the harsh aspects between Saturn, Uranus, and Mars, so does the Scorpio Full Moon make a sequence of hard aspects with each, amplifying the emotional wattage of the lunation.

Furthermore, Mercury in Taurus is applying toward a contentious square aspect with Mars in Aquarius which will become exact on May 11. Within current events the square between Mercury and Mars can be witnessed through the combative disagreements over how to proceed through the next phase of the pandemic, with those on the side of opening up the economy and those on the side of protecting public health both stubbornly resistant to compromise. Mars in Aquarius is driven to take action over humanitarian concerns and intellectual ideas, and so both sides of conflicts will likely dig in due to believing they have the interest of the greater good in mind. Mars in the airy sign of Saturn, with Saturn also co-present in Aquarius, does have capacity for cooly detaching from heated conflict and so when possible it will be best to claim space for grounding and gaining a calmer perspective for which direction to take next.

Though the Full Moon is in the deep waters of Scorpio and the Sun is in the fertile soil of Taurus, both of their rulers Mars and Venus are occupying air signs. Mars and Venus in air signs lack grounding and can get caught in a spiral driven by stress and anxiety, but as long as we can stay centered we can draw upon the strength of the air element for listening, analyzing, and devising creative solutions. Mars and Venus have been in range of a flowing trine aspect during the past month and a half that has never completed due to Venus slowing down to station retrograde. The Scorpio Full Moon illuminates the final separation between Mars and Venus, with Mars charging ahead to enter Pisces on May 12 at the same time Venus stands still to shift retrograde.

Mars and Venus are the closest planets to us in orbit, nocturnal planets that connect us with primal passions we discover within inner darkness away from the rationalism and judgment of daylight. While Venus relates to what unites us and what we find pleasurable and valuable, Mars represents our ability to pursue our desires, fight for our values, and separate ourselves from threats. The closeness of their trine aspect that never completed correlates with yearnings that will need to be purged during the next month of Venus shifting retrograde, as the next aspect completed between Mars and Venus will be an intensifying square aspect on June 2 as Venus is simultaneously being regenerated by its conjunction with the Sun. The Scorpio Full Moon can open a sense of what will need to be released in order to make space for the new desires that will be emerging during the upcoming Venus retrograde period that will last until the end of June.

Light _ snow _shadow _ rest

Image by Michelle Doucette whose work can be found at The Dreaming Canvas

There is a charged atmosphere around the Scorpio Full Moon due to not only Venus stationing within a week of the lunation, but also Saturn and Jupiter stationing and further saturating the astrological climate with their significations. Saturn will station retrograde on May 10, 2020 at 1°57′ Aquarius and will remain retrograde until stationing direct on September 29. Jupiter will station retrograde on May 14 at 27°14′ Capricorn and will remain retrograde until stationing direct on September 13. As a result, the week following the Scorpio Full Moon will bring a major change in storylines in personal and current events that will mark a dramatic initiation into the final period of the second quarter of 2020. The intensification of Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn simultaneously will involve an inward pull toward reorienting values in relation to the immense societal changes taking shape. Rather than clinging to what brought security in the past, it will be vital to be open to following a new direction forward as the world will not be returning to the way it began 2020.

The Full Moon in Scorpio is especially attuned toward the stationing of Jupiter in Capricorn, as it is applying toward a harmonious sextile aspect with Jupiter and Pluto retrograde in Capricorn. Moreover, Mercury in Taurus will be forming shadowy  contra-antiscia aspects with Saturn stationing on May 10 and 11, with Jupiter stationing on May 12, and then finally with Pluto retrograde on May 13 and 14. Once the catharsis of the Scorpio Full Moon passes, make time and space in the week following the lunation to monitor inner feelings closely and find ways to get a sense of what wants to emerge from you through journaling, art, or any type of meditative or spiritual practice that clears channels of reception. There is no doubt that outrageous corruption will continue to occur as global powers try to hold onto their disproportionate share of resources, yet these same astrological aspects on inner levels can correspond with profound moments of discovering the integrity and ethics you will be willing to embody and courageously stand up for in the tumultuous year ahead.

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Silver coin from Knossis (400 B.C.)

Another major astrological shift illuminated by the Scorpio Full Moon is the transition of the transiting lunar nodes from Cancer and Capricorn into Gemini and Sagittarius on May 5, 2020. The true calculation of the lunar nodes have been in Cancer and Capricorn since November 6, 2018 and so you may notice that themes in your life that became activated at the end of 2018 related to the lunar nurturance of Cancer and the Saturnine contraction of Capricorn are in a state of resolution or dissolution. The waning Moon in Sagittarius will make its first contact with its South Node in Sagittarius on May 10, which will bring a more palpable sense of how the shift of the South Node into Sagittarius is unveiling old issues in need of digesting, decomposing, harvesting, and release.

As as result, Saturn is releasing its rulership of the South Node of the Moon and handing rulership over to the wise counsel of Jupiter in Capricorn. The transiting South Node of the Moon in Sagittarius will be calling for an examination of the underlying philosophies we live and make choices from, shedding old beliefs that no longer align with our experience. There is an obvious need to reckon with numerous old beliefs that have been at the center of societal structures due to the pandemic and its cataclysmic impact on economic and health care systems around the planet. On a personal level we may notice new seeds of vision emerging through letting go of beliefs that had been filtering our perception, while in other cases we may receive a rich harvest of meaning from systems of knowledge we have been extensively exploring.

In contrast, the fluidly mediating Mercury has taken over rulership of the North Node of the Moon in Gemini, guiding us in discovering new desires and ambitions as well as in the absorption of new material.  The transiting North Node of the Moon in Gemini will not be a straight path forward but rather a wildly divergent one requiring digressive changes in direction. Suiting the chaotic climate of the pandemic, Mercury will necessarily lead us away from preconceived plans and require a constant readiness to change directions, question beliefs, and remain open to new perspectives. The transiting North Node of the Moon in Gemini will incite insatiable drives of curiosity that can become overwhelmed by more pursuits of interest than can be adequately processed and integrated. Thus balance can be found through the South Node of Sagittarius using its fire to burn off whatever has been distracting or dissipating our full engagement, honing our sense of what pursuits we want to focus our full energy on developing.

While the ingress of the North Node of the Moon into Gemini will primarily amplify the significance of Venus stationing retrograde in Gemini, there is important additional meaning to be found in the fact that the asteroid Vesta is applying toward a conjunction with Venus that it will complete on May 15. Vesta is a goddess who sustains the sacred fire of the hearth and so will bring the devotional strength and enduring focus of the high priestess into relationship with Venus stationing retrograde. Vesta in Gemini will first form a square aspect with Neptune on May 12 before meeting Venus, mediating the meaning of the building tension in between Neptune and Venus.

Vesta’s role in sustaining the sacred fire requires maintaining the kind of cleansing, purifying, and grounding that we will need to avoid becoming lost in illusions constellated between Neptune and Venus stationing retrograde. Vesta in Gemini can also help in finding common ground with others even when isolated at home, as the tending of individual hearths and altars creates interconnection with others around the world doing the same. The intense focusing prowess of Vesta can help us orient toward the heart of the matter that needs our undivided attention as Venus stations retrograde, using the imaginal strength and dissolving capacities of Neptune to wash away blockages and barriers.

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Six of Cups by Pamela Colman Smith

Scorpio 2 Decan

The Full Moon in Scorpio arises in the second decan of Scorpio associated with the Six of Cups illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. The image reveals the innocence of receiving through giving, which connects with the Sun and Jupiter being the rulers of the second face of Scorpio. Austin Coppock in his book 36 Faces ascribed the image of “An Apparatus for Mutual Distillation” to the second decan of Scorpio, describing it as a face in which mutual distillation within relationship allows for matters to be passed back and forth as in an alembic, “growing increasingly rarefied and potent.” Coppock wrote that while “it is easy to imagine these dynamics between romantic partners, all relationships which rely on trust and continuous exchange generate such circuits.”

Coppock’s description of ideal relational exchanges rooted in trust also brings to mind its antithesis of broken trust that unleashes overwhelming emotions and catalyzes separations and letting go. 12th century astrologer Ibn Ezra in The Beginning of Wisdom wrote that within the second face of Scorpio there “ascends a woman who has left her house; she is naked and has nothing on and she is entering the sea.” Austin Coppock described the second decan of Scorpio as warning that we need to be careful to whom we bare ourselves to, because the “virtuous circuit of exchange can become vicious in this face . . . the process of dual cultivation becomes one of mutual degradation, each destroying the quality of the other with each pass.”

Further showing the importance of separating from degrading relationships in the second decan of Scorpio, the Hellenistic text 36 Airs ascribed the Titan goddess Leto to the second face of Scorpio. Sister to the starry, divinatory goddess Asteria and mother to the twin lights of Artemis and Apollo, Leto’s presence in the face where the Scorpio Full Moon arises reveals the need to protectively nurture and cultivate whatever we hold most dear and wish to bring into the world. Leto had to flee and take refuge on an isolated island unattached to the ocean floor in order to escape the wrath of Hera, who had made all lands exclude Leto from entry due to her anger over the affair between Leto and Zeus.  It was said that the twin offspring of Leto would stabilize the new order of Olympian deities, and so her persistence in nurturing the birth of Apollo and Artemis was additionally a birth of a new collective age.  As the astrology of 2020 portends a new collective era emerging at the end of the year, Leto is a fitting symbol for taking whatever steps are necessary to give birth to the world you wish yourself and the generations to follow to inhabit.

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References

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

 

Virgo Full Moon: Pisces Wave

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Rosette

India (1645) from Metropolitan Museum of Art

Full Moon in Virgo

Now all the truth is out,
Be secret and take defeat
From any brazen throat,
For how can you compete,
Being honour bred, with one
Who, were it proved he lies,
Were neither shamed in his own
Nor in his neighbours’ eyes?
Bred to a harder thing
Than Triumph, turn away
And like a laughing string
Whereon mad fingers play
Amid a place of stone,
Be secret and exult,
Because of all things known
That is most difficult.

To a Friend whose Work has come to Nothing by W.B. Yeats

The Full Moon in Virgo on March 1 is full of inspirational force, imaginal vision and emotional tidal waves.  The Sun, Neptune, Mercury, Venus, and Chiron are all lined up in Pisces opposite the Moon in Virgo, with the lunation’s intensity deepened by a harmonious aspect with Jupiter in Scorpio and catalyzed with explosive vitality by an amplified Mars in Sagittarius.   Ideally during the period of fully reflected light one can situate themselves in a place of stimulating learning or creativity where the dynamic force of the Full Moon can be transmitted into tactile manifestation or revelatory reception.  The potential conflict from Mars comes from dogmatic ideals and subjective projections within an atmosphere making the dry discernment of Virgo challenging.  Mercury rules the Full Moon as it applies to a union with Venus in Pisces and so we experience the Moon in Virgo under the sway of poetic richness, emotional reception, and the intuitive knowing of feelings within the body.

There is simply something sublime about the Moon in Virgo ripening full in reflection of light cast by the Sun uniting with Neptune in Pisces.  In Virgo we can sense the spirit in our flesh and the soul of the earth around us like nowhere else in the zodiac.  Virgo can both discern and analyze insight from difficult or confusing experiences, as well as weave together meaning into tangible forms of shared understanding.  Attaining calm presence in the moment amidst the tumult of ceaseless change is key to optimize the grounded, pragmatic wisdom available in the sign of the Winged Maiden.  The overflowing Piscean influence on the surrounding time period of the lunation makes it easier than normal to fall into illusory pursuits or projections, yet the combined earthiness of the Virgo Full Moon in harmonious relationship with Saturn in Capricorn brings the potential to make the magic of Pisces real, true, and embodied.

deer mandala of kasuga shrine
Japanese silk scroll (late 14th century)

The Virgo Full Moon is ruled by Mercury in Pisces applying to conjoin Venus and Chiron in Pisces, as well as applying to a stabilizing trine with Jupiter in Scorpio.  Mercury resides in Pisces in polarity to both its home and exaltation in Virgo, yet since it is being received by Jupiter it has the resources of Jupiter fully loaded in its tool kit.  Combine the fact Mercury is simultaneously uniting with Venus in its place of exaltation, and we have a deeply visionary and imaginative Mercury that can grasp understanding of one’s larger emotional environment as well as perceive creative solutions.  Flashes of intuitive, direct knowing may be received and the inward earthiness of the Moon in Virgo can facilitate processing perceptions in order to receive a harvest of important insight.

Most auspiciously, both Mercury and Venus are emerging as Evening Stars at the time of the Full Moon, regaling the twilight with their bright starry presence.  Venus has already been visible at twilight in the week leading into the lunation, but the fullness of the Moon rising is perfect for celebrating the return of Venus glowing bright on the horizon.  We haven’t been able to see Venus since she was in her Morning Star phase last November, and so her longly anticipated return to visibility is an omen of good tidings.  The following hymn “The Lady of the Evening,” adapted from ancient Sumerian text by Diane Wolkstein and Samuel Noah Kramer, celebrates the re-emergence of Venus as an evening star:

At the end of the day, the Radiant Star, the Great Light that fills the sky,
The Lady of the Evening appears in the heavens.
The people in all the lands lift their eyes to her.
The men purify themselves; the women cleanse themselves.
The ox in his yoke lows to her.
The sheep stir up the dust in their fold.
All the living creatures of the steppe,
The four-footed creatures of the high steppe,
The lush gardens and orchards, the green reeds and trees,
The fish of the deep and the birds in the heavens-
My Lady makes them all hurry to their sleeping places.

The living creatures and the numerous people of Sumer kneel before her.
Those chosen by the old women prepare great platters of food and drink for her.
The Lady refreshes herself in the land.
There is great joy in Sumer.
The young man makes love with his beloved.

My Lady looks in sweet wonder from heaven.
The people of Sumer parade before the holy Inanna.
Inanna, the Lady of the Evening, is radiant.
I sing your praises, holy Inanna.
The Lady of the Evening is radiant on the horizon.

Fascinatingly, due to Mercury slowing down and then stationing retrograde in Aries on March 22, Venus and Mercury will remain in range of a close conjunction all the way through the waning half of the forthcoming lunar cycle, so that on the following Pisces New Moon on March 17 they will still have only one degree of separation between them in Aries.  This is an unusually long time to live with Venus and Mercury transiting in such close proximity to one another and so brings an opportunity to find greater alignment between inner values and outer expression and communication.  There will be a notable shift on March 6 when both Mercury and Venus will move into Aries, bringing potential to take the inner illumination received from their time together in Pisces into direct, courageous action in the world.

While Venus and Mercury are uniting at the end of Pisces they are also taken into a deeper dimension of perception by their additional conjunction with Chiron in Pisces.  Chiron is a celestial centaur who bridges the divide between Saturn and Uranus, the key holder who brings access to vital subconscious information.  Since Mars in Sagittarius is also approaching a challenging square aspect with Chiron, there is a collective trigger that reflects the gaping, aching wounds of trauma and oppression felt throughout the collective, injuries often brought about through violence and conflict connected to dogmatic paradigms of belief.  During the days following the Full Moon there is potential to journey within to both face and dissolve old wounds that are ready to be dislodged.  However, some wounds may still feel more painful than fully engaged in healing and if this is the case the over abundance of planets in Pisces can allow for a flow of emotive release.

One of the biggest factors in the Virgo Full Moon, however, is Jupiter in Scorpio not only forming a trine to Mercury, Venus and Chiron, but also beginning to station retrograde.  Jupiter in Scorpio will station retrograde a week after the lunation on March 8 and is barely moving at the time of the Full Moon, bringing its archetype into a stronger presence within the collective.  Whenever a planet stations its archetype saturates the landscape, so prepare for lessons involving Jupiter in Scorpio to become abundantly clear.  We have passed through a season of eclipses that formed a square to Jupiter in Scorpio, and so we are primed to receive direct knowing from the accumulation of recent experiences.  Although Jupiter and Mars are not in a major aspect, they are mutually exchanging signs with Jupiter in the home of Mars and Mars in the home of Jupiter.  With regard to the additional interplay between Mars and all of the action in Pisces that Jupiter also rules, Jupiter in Scorpio can help us shed attachments to old illusions of belief and ready us for a new influx of understanding.  Once Jupiter turns retrograde in the first week of March, it will move backwards through our zodiac until stationing direct again on July 10 at 13º20′ of Scorpio.

mount meru mandala
Cosmological mandala with Mount Meru (14th century China)

While Mercury and Venus are separating from a square with Mars in Sagittarius, Mars is applying to a trine with Eris and Uranus in Aries.  When we also factor in Mars being conjoined with the asteroid Vesta at the Full Moon, there is potential to utilize the fiery volatility of Mars in Sagittarius to not only explore exciting frontiers but also utilize the focus necessary to bring something worthwhile back to share with the wider collective.  Aspects between planets are multivalent in expression, and so while there is potential destructive conflict signified by the aspects Mars is making at the Full Moon, this same energy of Mars can correspond with separating yourself from previous limitations or oppressive circumstances and making visionary strides forward.  Mars in Sagittarius is fast moving and curious with ample stores of generosity and optimistic hope available to fuel striving for greater freedom and making real progress toward idealistic pursuits.

In addition to all of the watery and fiery dynamics previously mentioned, there is also a lot of the grounded earth element involved in the Full Moon.  As the Moon waxes full in Virgo it will form a trine with Saturn in Capricorn, and then following its opposition with the Sun the Moon will move toward a trine with Pluto in Capricorn.  When we also consider the placement of the asteroid Pallas Athene in the middle of Taurus, there is a stable earth triangle formed that also involves harmonious sextile aspects between Saturn with the Sun and Neptune in Pisces.  As a result, there is potential to find surrounding structures to stabilize and ground the insight available in correspondence with the lunation into tangible manifestation.  It also highlights the availability of outlets for grounding or compassionate support if the emotional waves of the abundant Pisces influence becomes overwhelming.

pents09
9 of Pentacles by Pamela Colman Smith

Virgo 2 Decan

The Full Moon in Virgo arises in the second decan of Virgo associated with the Nine of Pentacles card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. The image is resplendent with a golden aura surrounding a Venusian figure, and fittingly Venus is the ruler of the second face of Virgo.  On her hand sits a bird of prey ready to strike out for resources, while ripening grapevines surround her.  This tarot card is traditionally associated with gains in wealth, and Austin Coppock in his book on the decans 36 Faces analyzed how the hooded falcon (a symbol of spirit enclosed in matter) is a protector of the grapevine resources linked to her wealth since it feeds on the creatures who would damage the growth of the grapes.  Coppock found a theme of continual reshaping and refinement of matter in this decan that unveils the diverse extremes of experiences that unite within the final form of a created work that contains spirit:  “Alchemically, this face provides understanding of the many beautiful and repulsive states the matter attains throughout the Magnum Opus . . . . [and] brings one to inspect material processes and note the efficiency or lack thereof” (p. 146).

Interestingly, the fragmentary Hellenistic text the 36 Airs linked the Moirai to the second face of Virgo.  These are the daughters of Necessity, the goddesses of fate: Clotho the spinner of the threads of life, Lachesis the measurer of fateful threads, and Atropos who cuts the threads.  These goddesses of fate appearing in this decan points to the importance of centering within the actual currents of life so that choices can be discerned that will allow one to navigate with as optimal a flow as possible.  While there is incredible imagination available with the overflow of Pisces influence on the Virgo Full Moon, this visionary capacity needs to be grounded in the truly developing elements of life rather than dissipated through denial of what is actually happening.  Through a combination of grounding while simultaneously opening to the full range of possibilities available in the moment, the Virgo Full Moon can facilitate awareness of new choices freed from the limiting thoughts of the past.

References

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

Wolkstein, Diane and Kramer, Samuel Noah. (1983). Inanna: Queen of Heaven and Earth.  Harper & Row.