Mars opposite Saturn

Capricorn Full Moon

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Agate ring stone (ca. 1st century B.C.–3rd century) 

Full Moon in Capricorn

The Full Moon in Capricorn on June 24 will illuminate the solstice turning point of the year, the time of peak light in the northern hemisphere and peak darkness in the southern hemisphere. Capricorn is zodiacal terrain ruled by the resilient endurance of Saturn which further exalts the courageous desire of Mars, a zodiacal place that nurtures our capacity for facing adversity and persevering through experiences of uncertainty and changing conditions. Fittingly, the surrounding astrological atmosphere is full of volatility and oppositional aspects that call for internal and external confrontations concerning the evolving nature of underlying dynamics. The Capricorn Full Moon will be the first of three full moons in a row ruled by Saturn retrograde in Aquarius, as there will be a Full Moon at 1°26′ Aquarius on July 23 followed by a Full Moon at 29°37′ Aquarius on August 22. As a result, rather than latching onto quick solutions we need to keep the long game in mind, patiently tending to whatever tensions are present to slowly and surely develop whatever we desire to build and create.

First and foremost, the Capricorn Full Moon will shine light on whatever has been stirred up by the recent eclipse season that began with a Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius on May 26 followed by a Solar Eclipse in Gemini on June 10. Furthermore, with the Capricorn Moon applying to a flowing trine aspect with Uranus in Taurus, it will deepen our relationship with whatever storylines and structural elements of our life have been radically reshaped by the ongoing square aspect between Saturn and Uranus that became exact for the second time of the year on June 14. With the Full Moon ripening within the cardinal, earthy sign of the Sea Goat, we can draw upon Capricorn’s immense capacity for sensing its surrounding environment in order to initiate a needed reordering of priorities and plans for the future.

With the Capricorn Full Moon separating from a harmonious sextile aspect with Jupiter in Pisces and applying toward an enlivening trine aspect with Uranus in Taurus, the visionary side of the Sea Goat will be present that can utilize its aquatic tail for sensing into the roots of surrounding forms and circumstances to distinguish what ideas and directions to cultivate. Although the lunation is ruled by Saturn, it’s important that the Full Moon is not forming an aspect with Saturn but is rather aspecting Jupiter and Uranus, two planets that are capable of piercing past the boundaries and limitations erected by the star of Cronus. A balance needs to be struck in being open to inspiration and whatever we most passionately wish to develop while also recognizing the hard aspects of reality that will need to be addressed and worked through step by step with the steady focus of Saturn. Rather than leaping ahead impulsively, a more careful approach will be needed that is capable of recognizing and resolving deeper issues so that plans can be developed with enough flexibility to adapt and last through the unknown changes to come.

It’s especially important to consider the impact of Mars in Leo upon the lunation, as Mars in Leo is applying toward an opposition with Saturn, the ruler of the Capricorn Full Moon. The tension building between Mars with Saturn will be exacerbated and amplified by Uranus in Taurus, who is forming a square aspect with both Mars and Saturn. Mars in the fiery sign of Leo, sparked by the emancipatory impulses of Uranus, will call us to confront whatever fears and anxieties connected with Saturn are creating an overly restrictive and stifling impact upon present developments. Yet at the same time, Saturn will be bringing a level of restraint and enduring patience that can prevent the influence of Mars and Uranus from trying to force things to happen to quickly without enough forethought. The friction between Mars, Saturn, and Uranus will be building in intensity in the week following the lunation, as Mars will form an exact opposition with Saturn on July 1 and an exact square aspect with Uranus on July 3. Keep in mind during this time that if feelings become overwhelming that it’s part of the immense push for change emanating from the hard aspects between Mars, Saturn, and Uranus. We may need to surrender to a period of unknowingness as we allow for the changes to take shape, finding our way through a process of centering, de-centering and re-centering amidst changing circumstances. Those who have been resisting change may realize they have to release control, while those who have been already crossing thresholds and accepting changes may experience an acceleration of developments.

Remedio Varo, Mujer con Esfera

There is another major opposition occurring within the astrology surrounding the Capricorn Full Moon between Venus in Cancer with Pluto in Capricorn. Venus formed its exact opposition with Pluto a day before the Full Moon in Capricorn, but will still be within close range of an opposition with Pluto when the light of the lunation peaks. Moreover, the waning Moon will form a conjunction with Pluto followed by an opposition with Venus on June 26, further illuminating whatever has been stirred up within the tension between Venus and Pluto. While in some cases the hard aspect between Venus and Pluto may bring visceral awareness of desires that have been previously resisted, in other cases it can dredge up deep material sourced from the shadows of desires. By sitting with and sifting through any fears, anxieties, or insecurities brought to light by the Full Moon combined with Venus opposing Pluto, we may further deepen into relationship with the changes we have been experiencing. While some of the feelings may be uncomfortable, they can also allow us to address inner dynamics that need our tender care and attention so that we may ultimately feel more empowered in being able to reshape our life in desired directions.

After the Moon in Capricorn forms an opposition with Venus, Venus will enter the solar, fiery sign of Leo on June 26. The entrance of Venus into Leo will come at the same time that Mars will be enflaming the change inducing friction between Saturn and Uranus, further deepening our relationship and emotional involvement in whatever processes of change have been corresponding with the radical reshaping that has been incited by Saturn and Uranus during the past six months. Venus will follow behind the charge of Mars into the square aspect between Saturn and Uranus, forming an opposition with Saturn on July 6 followed by a square with Uranus on July 8. In some cases Venus can help unify and harmonize elements that have been separated and disrupted by the impact of Mars upon Saturn and Uranus, while in other cases we may be able to find ways to be more creatively active and expressive with Venus involved.

It’s further important that Venus will be receiving the square from Uranus in her earthy home of Taurus, as well as the fact that both Mars and Venus will be in antiscia with Uranus by degree within days of forming their degree based aspects with Saturn and Uranus (Mars will be antiscia Uranus from July 5 – 8, while Venus will be antiscia Uranus from July 9 – 11). Altogether this means there is a lot of synergy and connection between Uranus with Venus and Mars, whereas there will be a greater degree of tension constellating between Venus and Mars with Saturn. There will be a pull toward moving more rapidly into the desires and relationships that feel exciting and authentically passionate, yet we will simultaneously need to hold whatever tension is present from Saturn so that we may allow for an emergence of what wants to be born out of all of the changes occurring.

Venus and Mars are nocturnal planets that connect us with primal feelings and passions we discover within our inner darkness. While Mars stokes inner flames to pursue and protect what we desire, Venus reveals the underlying values and attractions of our desires. With both Mars and Venus activating the square between Saturn and Uranus during the same week, we will have the opportunity to deepen into whatever ways our desires for relationship and what we wish to create in our life have been changing during not only the past six months, but also across the past two years. This is due to Venus and Mars also being at the very end of a cycle that began with a conjunction between Venus and Mars on August 24, 2019 in Virgo. Venus and Mars will form their next conjunction on July 13, 2021 at 19°48′ Leo following the New Moon in Cancer on July 9. Between now and then as Venus and Mars close down their previous cycle, we may have an activation of old relationship patterns and issues that need to be cleared, released, or putrefied in order to make space for and fertilize the new relationship desires, patterns, and directions presently taking shape.

Antonio Muñoz Degrain, Nymphs bathing

The Capricorn Full Moon also occurs within four days of both Jupiter and Mercury stationing, creating a strong influence from both Jupiter and Mercury within the surrounding astrology. Jupiter stationed retrograde at 2°11′ Pisces on June 20; after spending another month in Pisces, Jupiter will return to Aquarius on July 28 where it will continue to move retrograde until stationing direct on October 17, 2021 at 22°20′ Aquarius. Since the Full Moon in Capricorn is forming a sextile with Jupiter it is an ideal time to make space for reflection upon whatever new sources of inspiration, hope, and growth have emerged since Jupiter entered Pisces on May 13. Now that Jupiter is beginning to move backwards through the zodiac we may find we are less consumed with finding new sources of growth and development and more interested in deepening into and solidifying the new sources of desires that have already been developing with Jupiter in Pisces. There is one more month left of Jupiter operating with direct strength and sovereignty within its watery home of Pisces, making it a powerful period for making further developments within whatever exciting directions have developed during Jupiter’s time in Pisces so far.

While Jupiter stationing retrograde in Pisces calls for deep reflection, the stationing direct of Mercury in Gemini will generate new movement and ways of mediating and working with changing storylines. Mercury stationed direct at 16°08′ Gemini on June 22, after having stationed retrograde at 24°43′ Gemini on May 29. The days surrounding the stationing of Mercury are important to be especially mindful with, but as Mercury begins to pick up forward momentum will will likewise discover greater agency in making things happen and generating change and development based upon whatever was shed and regenerated during the previous three weeks of Mercury being retrograde.

Now that Mercury will be moving forward again it means that Mercury in Gemini will complete its third and final square aspect with Neptune in Pisces on July 6. Mercury formed its first square aspect with Neptune while direct on May 22 and its second square aspect while retrograde on June 5. If you have been involved in any disillusioning experiences or undergoing a process of evaluating areas of life or your work where you have needed to question your beliefs, the final square between Mercury and Neptune may bring a needed piece of information or insight to bring greater clarity. Within the wider context of the longstanding square aspect between Uranus and Saturn that will be activated by Venus and Mars, the third square between Mercury and Neptune may help us gain a sense of the vaster reality possible to cultivate out of present circumstances, bringing realizations of how to make possible things that may have previously appeared impossible. In other situations the friction between Mercury and Neptune may reveal where we have been deceiving ourselves and need to reorient toward the actual circumstances we find ourselves within rather than what we wish was occurring.

2 of Pentacles by Pamela Colman Smith

Capricorn 1 Decan

The Capricorn Full Moon will illuminate the first decan of Capricorn associated with the Two of Pentacles card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. The image is fitting for the volatile astrological atmosphere centered around Saturn in Aquarius in square aspect with Uranus in Taurus, as the juggling magician set against a backdrop of a pivotal sea change embodies the capacity of Capricorn to penetrate into structural forms and impact matter from the underlying fabric of reality.  Austin Coppock in his book on the decans 36 Faces ascribed the image of “A Headless Body” to the first face of Capricorn, stating it “entails the descent of the spirit into the body of the world itself,” bringing consciousness to deeper and deeper levels of matter to “set those powers in motion” as well as “use the higher, logoic functions to guide them along their course.”  Coppock analyzed the ancient attribution by Ibn Ezra of a bestial man carrying a cattle prod to this face, suggesting it reveals the capacity of this decan to not only set material forces in motion but also steer them in order to create change such as new sources of work and sustenance.

The “atavistic consciousness” Coppock described within the first decan of Capricorn that “descends into the natural world with ease” connects well with the ancient Hellenistic text 36 Airs of the Zodiac attributing the ancestor of earth and body-based healers, Asklepios, to the first face of Capricorn. Furthermore, there is also an Asclepius asteroid #4581 which will be in Libra and forming a catalyzing square aspect with the Capricorn Full Moon.  Asclepius, son of the Sun god Apollo and a mortal woman, embodies a centered focus which integrates all surrounding realms, both material and immaterial.  Rooted in Earth, Asclepius is a healer who emerges in times of crisis and cathartic change, reverent of Nature, in balance with masculinity and femininity,  and reliant upon ritualistic incubation to find healing cures. Asclepius is associated with healing through dreams, an incubatory process that reveals the connection between external symptoms and the underlying unconscious.  With his hermetic staff planted in the ground, Asclepius weaves together meaning from celestial and chthonic realms through discernment centered in his sensual nature, applied to his work through disciplined spiritual practice. The capacity of Asclepius to monitor synchronicities in waking and dreaming life for deeper meaning will be especially helpful to cultivate in our own lives with Mercury having stationed direct only a couple of days before the Full Moon.

Jupiter is the ruler of the first face of Capricorn in the Chaldean descending rulership scheme, Saturn the ruler in the triplicity scheme, making it a face ruled by the two planets that ushered in the dramatic changes of 2021 with their great conjunction in Aquarius on the Capricorn Solstice. As the Full Moon in Capricorn initiates us into the second half of 2021, it will be worthwhile to reflect upon all of the changes that have happened since Jupiter and Saturn formed their conjunction on December 21, 2020. While there are many more changes to come within both societal systems and personal relationships, making some space to consider how much has already changed will help in reorienting to how you wish to creatively participate in the changes going forward. Let the Full Moon stimulate your full presence, drawing upon the capacity of Capricorn for bringing sensual awareness to the myriad fluctuations of growth and decay occurring all around. Find ways to center within the integrity of your own essential values so that as you remain open to flowing with the wider changes occurring, you will be able to stay rooted in creating and directing in line with what matters most to you.

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References

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

Full Moon in Sagittarius: Tides of Jupiter & Neptune

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rufino-tamayo-landscape-with-moon-1977

Rufino Tamayo Landscape with Moon

Sagittarius Full Moon

The Full Moon in Sagittarius on June 17, 2019 illuminates the intersection between our beliefs and ideals with the reality of our current experience. It’s a perfect time to take a contemplative look at oneself and one’s behavior in the world to note however we can make changes to be more aligned with the values that are most important to us. If we are undergoing any disillusioning experiences, the lunation can also bring light to how our personal vision and perception needs to be readjusted in order to flow in greater harmony with the life around us. The Sagittarius Full Moon can also help open a wider view of anything we have been struggling with in our day to day efforts at survival and managing the difficulties of life. Rather than denying the suffering happening around us, the lunation can facilitate acknowledgment of present struggles within a larger perspective of the greater cycles of time we are traversing. Let your mind wander beyond the short term goals of the moment in order to envision ideas of what you want to create and where you wish life to lead you in the next few years.

The Sagittarius Full Moon is at a pivotal point within the Jupiter and Neptune cycle, as Jupiter retrograde will form its second exact last quarter square aspect with Neptune on June 16. Previously, Jupiter and Neptune formed the first of three square aspects in the sequence on January 13,  2019 at 15° with both direct; Jupiter and Neptune will do so again a third and final time on September 21 at 17° with Neptune retrograde. Jupiter and Neptune form a conjunction once every thirteen years within their cycle, typically in a successive sign of the zodiac, with their last conjunction occurring in 2009 between 24º – 27º Aquarius. Viewing the 2009 alignment as a seed of the new vision being birthed by Neptune and Jupiter, we are now at the point of harvesting the meaning of their cycle and utilizing the knowledge gained from our experience to reorient and reorder our vision for the future. Dane Rudhyar believed that the Jupiter and Neptune cycle is one of the most important cycles to pay attention to, as it reveals the ripple effect that comes from changes in individual perception and meaning-making impacting the wider collective.

While the Jupiter and Neptune cycle is being amplified by the Sagittarius Full Moon, it is taking place within a wider context of Saturn and Pluto coming together at the end of their cycle while forming an opposition with Mercury and Mars in Cancer alongside the transiting lunar nodes.  Following the Full Moon, the moon will begin waning toward the Total Solar Eclipse in Cancer that will occur on July 2, bringing us into the strange quality of time found in eclipse season and a further intensification of the polarity between Cancer and Capricorn. The divisiveness and acrimony in global politics, the decay of old societal structures, the obsessive attempts to consolidate greater power by those in power, the heartfelt anger and outrage over the myriad forms of oppression and injustice occurring, are all outer signs of deep internal changes beginning to take shape.  Allow the light of the Sagittarius Full Moon to show you what elements of life need your full engagement, what needs to be protected and nurtured, and where you need to share and be more giving.

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Nike of Samothrace (2nd Century BC)

Jupiter in Sagittarius rules the Full Moon while forming its catalytic square aspect with a stationing Neptune in Pisces. Neptune will station retrograde about four days after the full moon on June 21, which means that the archetypal influence of Neptune will be saturating the astrological landscape in the days surrounding the Sagittarius Full Moon. Moreover, while the Full Moon is separating from a conjunction with Jupiter, the true node of Black Moon Lilith is within five degrees of Neptune in Pisces. Altogether this points to the necessity of contemplating the bedrock of our thoughts, the oftentimes hidden beliefs that source the way we imagine and perceive the possibilities available. It’s clear in current events that many people around the world are clinging to old, outdated beliefs about the past they have distorted in their minds such as those consumed with nationalistic and racial pride and hubris. At the same time, there are traditional elements of our past and ancestry that can help us mediate strife and create a healthier and more fruitful lifestyle.

Allow the light of the Sagittarius Full Moon to shine upon your inner convictions, those ideas and ideals you are usually unwilling to question and tend to self-righteously act from. Do you wish to harness the power of creation for your own benefit or instead attempt to flow with natural forces in a way that can help others as well as yourself negotiate challenges? In the season ahead, with the intensity of the coming eclipses aligning with Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, there is no doubt that there will be tumult to contend with. In many situations it will be necessary to fight with resistance in order to protect what is held most dear. Let the Sagittarius Full Moon illuminate what will be worth fighting for and whatever can be let go and released.

dorothea-tanning-maternity

Dorothea Tanning (1947) Maternity

Following the peak of the Full Moon on June 17, the waning Moon will occult Saturn in Capricorn on June 18 and then occult Pluto in Capricorn on June 19. This is due to the Moon aligning with its own south node while Saturn and Pluto are also aligning with their own south nodes. Simultaneously, Mercury will form an exact conjunction with Mars in Cancer on June 18, with both Mercury and Mars forming an exact opposition with Pluto on June 19. The volatility of this configuration will be amplified due to the fullness of the Moon, as the silvery Moon is the ruler of Mercury, Mars, and the North Node of the Moon. Thoughts can be irrational, dreams more intense, emotions more unhinged and exacerbated when the Moon is at its peak light, even more so when the Moon is ruling Mars and Mercury as they conjoin the North Node and oppose Saturn and Pluto. The loosening of passions can become difficult due to the widespread destruction signified by the rancorous configuration assembled around the lunar nodes.

The gift of having Mercury as an Evening Star aligning with Mars in Cancer is the wry wink and smile of the trickster Hermes. Moreover, the union of Mercury and Mars with the North Node of the Moon is also forming a flowing trine with Neptune stationing in Pisces. The more we can have a sense of humor about what’s happening, the more we can be willing to put our ego and pride aside when it is drawing us into petty conflict, the more smoothly we will be able to navigate the swirling tides that will be following in the wake of the full moon. In fact, the volatility of these aspects also makes this an incredibly creative time in which breakthrough ideas can be dislodged from stuck and stagnant places. If possible, find a creative outlet through which to transfigure fraught or explosive emotions into transmission of artistic expression, or take on a challenging physical expedition. There has been so much emphasis on the Capricorn side of the lunar nodes for so long with Saturn and Pluto camped out there, the dynamic onrush of Mercury and Mars across the North Node of the Moon can bring a productive jolt forward.

an economy of grace princess victoire of saxe coburg gotha.jpg

Kehinde Wiley, An Economy of Grace, Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

Around the time of the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere and the Winter Solstice in the southern hemisphere on June 21, Venus in Gemini will descend under the beams of the sun into its invisible phase. As a result Venus is on the precipice of descending into the Mysteries of its upcoming underworld phase at the time of the Full Moon. Venus will eventually be re-seeded in the sacred heart of the Leo Sun on August 13 at 21º07′ Leo, and then will re-emerge in visibility as an Evening Star around the end of September. At the same time as the solstice, Neptune will station retrograde in Pisces while Venus in Gemini simultaneously forms an opposition with Jupiter in Sagittarius and a first quarter square with Neptune in Pisces. Adding to the mystery being nurtured by Venus, Venus in Gemini is forming a shadowy antiscia aspect with the Mercury and Mars conjunction as well as a contra-antiscia aspect with Saturn in Capricorn in the days surrounding the Sagittarius Full Moon.

Drink in the final light that Venus has to offer as a Morning Star in the days following the Sagittarius Full Moon. In Gemini, Venus promotes holding a multiplicity of perspectives and a willingness to question and contest dogmatic diatribes and stubborn viewpoints. Venus in Gemini finds depth in the connections found between what appear to be differences on the surface. Listen as closely as possible to your inner voice, the nudges of your intuition, the signs and omens of nature that cross your path, for the current phase of Venus signals a shedding of the values that have been prioritized and an expansive revisioning. Ask yourself what you can do differently, what potential path is available that up until now you have believed to be impossible due to your old conception of circumstances. Venus entering its invisible phase brings us into a long period of regeneration in which we can reconceptualize how we have been engaging in our relationships and work. Rather than seeking rapid success in the season ahead, focus instead on sustaining effort that will rebuild and reconfigure the foundation you launch yourself from.

wands10

10 of Wands by Pamela Colman Smith

The third face of Sagittarius where the Full Moon in Sagittarius culminates is associated with the Ten of Wands card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. Human toil, endurance and perseverance are some of the immediate associations evoked by the image of determination, and so there is strong alignment between the 10 of Wands with the astrological atmosphere of Mars and Mercury opposing Saturn and Pluto during the Sagittarius Full Moon. In tarot this card has been associated with oppressive dynamics and limitations, and in fact is called Oppression in the Thoth deck.  Fittingly, the third decan of Sagittarius is ruled by Saturn, a planet that involves the type of difficult circumstances that force us to cultivate endurance and new structures of support.

Austin Coppock ascribed the image of “A Horse’s Skull” to the third face of Sagittarius in his book 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.” 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.”

The Hellenistic text The 36 Airs of the Zodiac placed Ananke, the primordial goddess of Necessity, within the third face of Sagittarius. Ananke is the mother of the Fates and 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’s presence in the third face of Sagittarius which holds the full light of the Moon further amplifies the fateful feelings incited by Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn aligning with the lunar nodes and the season of eclipses on the horizon. It will not be possible to hide from the watchful eye of Ananke, meaning that whatever life dictates needs our attention we must do and follow through with full consciousness. Though there are things to do we simply must do, issues to face we simply must face, there can also be revelation and insight discovered through the effort of will applied diligently to the task at hand. As the traditional Irish blessing goes, “May the road rise up to meet you.”

References

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

 

 

 

Gemini New Moon: embodied strength and vision

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sigge bergstrom woman praying in forest

by Sigge Bergstrom

New Moon in Gemini

Silent, her Gemini mind rests from weaving together her present thoughts with the ancient words on the parchment lightly held by her fingers. Her elegantly long fingers, equally skilled at composing musical notes as they are at drafting lines in ink, close the tome.  The ceaseless wisdom of the old library with its smell of books no longer satiates her, and so she departs into a sensuous sunset sky of shifting colors signifying the time of transition.  She savors each breath of fresh wind and call of birdsong, finding her way to her favorite field to lay within and dream.  Feeling her hair in the grass, the vibration of earth below her, a waft of pungent sea air overcomes her.  She knows inside what she must do, the challenges she will have to face and the opposition of those in authority she will have to overcome.  She smiles pondering that no doubt centuries before her someone else lay in the same field she finds herself within now, his vision every bit as curious and adventurous, his determination and resiliency equal to hers.

Mercury in Taurus rules the New Moon in Gemini on May 25,  and is applying to a harmonious and dreamy sextile with Neptune in Pisces.   The New Moon also occurs within the bounds of Mercury, degrees of Gemini that the Hellenistic astrologer Vettius Valens described as “practical, musical, and fertile” as well as “calm and gracious, ringing with clarity and intelligence” while indicating “many skills, from scientific thought to true wisdom.”  Yet Mercury finds itself in the home of Venus, and Venus in Aries at the New Moon is in the middle of extremely volatile aspects both dredging up deep issues while offering insights into how to find a sense of freedom and hope in facing the forces of necessity.  Meanwhile, Mars is co-present in Gemini with the New Moon and applying toward a harsh opposition with Saturn retrograde in Sagittarius, an aspect which demands hard work, accountability, persistence, and focus in whatever we wish to manifest and must tend to in our daily responsibilities.

sigge bergstrom woodcut landscape

by Sigge Bergstrom

Mars opposing Saturn

Mars is out of bounds in declination at the New Moon and will continue to be out of bounds in the forthcoming lunar cycle, signaling that Mars has a more unrestrained and rebellious martial force than normal.  However, Mars is facing an opposition with a slow, plodding Saturn moving backward in Sagittarius, suggesting that the wild calls of adventure and discovery will face tests and judgment.  This could in part involve moralistic judgements from those in authority or anyone coming from a dogmatic perspective of how one is supposed to live that does not account for the unique circumstances of the person or situation they are judging.   Mars being out of bounds in the variable, airy, hot and moist sign of Gemini suggests that the energy is present to effectively move beyond the old dogmas of Saturn as long as one is simultaneously taking responsibility and living in integrity with inner principles and values.

Yet the opposition of Saturn to Mars also means that Mars cannot do whatever it pleases without consequences.  It also suggests there are some elements of challenges in our current reality we will not be able to change or control, and instead need to accept and mediate.  The days following the New Moon are ideal for becoming aware of all of the elements of life that need work in order to have a secure foundation from which to launch dreams and goals for the future.  It is an important time to honor one’s own boundaries as well as the boundaries of others, and to listen closely to the needs of others in surrounding community.  It will be helpful to recognize what aspects of current circumstances are out of our control and need to be dealt with, versus other elements that are possible to directly manage and will benefit from working to change.

The opposition of Saturn is the initiation of Mars into a season of purification and challenges that are frenetic and catalytic in charge at times.  In 2016 we went through a long period of Mars retrograde that culminated with Mars uniting with Saturn and Antares at the end of August 2016.  Much has changed since that time and we have had opportunities to discover a new sense of how we exert ourselves with our will force in the world and co-create within surrounding structures.  If the opposition between Mars and Saturn corresponds with disappointed feelings in one way or another, consider all of the growth you have undergone during the past nine months of Mars moving from a conjunction to an opposition with Saturn.  The coming lunar cycle is ideal for building upon the gains of the past with hard work, and hold potential for liberation from past limitations into finding ways to live and create with greater vital force.

 

marie laurencin the amazon close up

Venus square Pluto

Venus is barely separating from a square with Pluto in Capricorn as the New Moon in Gemini forms, but it is significant that she is in fact separating.  This means that the full intensity of Venus dredging up deep Plutonian issues will be felt during the Dark Moon immediately preceding the New Moon.  As a result the Gemini New Moon opens us to a new cycle in which we have already felt subconscious material arise within us, giving us the opportunity to bring awareness of deeply rooted feelings into an exciting and accelerated time period for Venus in which she will form a trine to Saturn and a conjunction with Uranus.  We will have the opportunity during the waxing of the Moon to free feelings from our depths and channel them into creative projects and unions in relationship.  Furthermore, collective events will involve numerous surprising and dramatic twists in storylines as Venus connects the tension of Pluto and Jupiter to Saturn and Uranus.

Venus has now cleared her retrograde shadow zone, formed her opposition with Jupiter, and completed her square with Pluto.  Venus has faced numerous, constant tests and difficulties in recent months.  However, instead of forming a harsh square with Saturn as Venus did when she stationed direct over a month ago, Venus will now be forming a harmonious trine with Saturn bringing the opportunity to embody greater strength drawn from the tribulations of recent months.  After Venus forms an electrifying union with Uranus, she will enter her home of Taurus while Jupiter begins to station direct in her other home of Libra.  Although the lunar cycle begins with tense aspects between Mars and Saturn as well as Venus and Pluto, as the Moon waxes we will find opportunities to practice equity in relationship that fosters freely sharing our essentiality in mutually supportive relationships.   It will not be a time of escaping in a fantasy of relationship, however, but rather grounding relationship in the details of daily reality and finding creative joy in the process.

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8 of Swords by Pamela Colman Smith

Gemini 1 Decan

The New Moon falls in the first face of Gemini associated with the Eight of Swords card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith.  In the image of a woman appearing to be frozen and tightly bound, many interpret its meaning as being paralyzed by fears running rampant within.  Sometimes the fear of paralysis connects to real trauma in the past that has become triggered by fears related to present circumstances.  While some interpretations suggest that the same mental swords enveloping the figure could also be used to cut away the fabric of bondage, it is also important to note the moist and muddy fertility of the ground she is standing on top of.  In relation to the Gemini New Moon, the 8 of Swords image also highlights how fear can arise in times when a huge new potential becomes available to step into.  As much as it is possible to release fears related to what has happened in the past that are being projected into the present moment, the more gracefully we will be able to flow into the tremendous change opening up at the beginning of this lunar cycle.

In contrast to the tightly bound woman in the 8 of Swords image, ancient texts ascribed a graceful woman of flowing mind and deft dexterity.  Ibn Ezra pictured “A beautiful woman standing in the air, and she can sew,” while in the Picatrix we find “A beautiful woman, a mistress of stitching, and with her ascend two calves and two horses. This is a face of the art of the scribe, of reckoning, of number, of giving and receiving, and of the sciences.”  Austin Coppock in his book on the decans 36 Faces connected the image of the 8 of Swords with older images through the power of the first face of Gemini to “discover the multiplicity within all unities, the complexity in apparent simplicities” which leads to “clever methods” and an opening of abundant flow that “de-centers and sometimes paralyzes its inhabitants.”  Coppock noted that the mental acuity of this face not only generates all arts and crafts, it also directs its prodigious curiosity to explore the multitudinous found within, both the light and the shadow of the deep Self.

Jupiter rules the first face of Gemini, interesting in terms of the forthcoming lunar cycle as Jupiter will station direct in Libra at the same time as the upcoming Full Moon in Sagittarius.  With Mercury in Taurus ruling the New Moon after having moved past its retrograde shadow zone into a harmonious aspect with Neptune in Pisces, there is a lot of visionary and imaginative potential buried in the darkness of the New Moon that will be unearthed as the Moon waxes in light.   Follow your obsessions, passions, and desires where they lead you, as the gifts of the coming lunar cycle will come to those willing to courageously open themselves fully to what life has to offer rather than recoil in apprehension over what fate may befall them from risking their heart in action.

References

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

Vettius Valens of Antioch, Book One. (2016). Rendered from ancient Greek into modern English by Andrea Gehrz. Moria Press.