Saturday, December 10, 2016

The Cosmic Story: Gemini/Sagittarius Full Moon 2016

The Cosmic Story: Gemini/Sagittarius Full Moon 2016

Truth or Dare?

Where to start? This will be an 'end of the year' astrological look at the energies at play in the cosmos during this most intense, chaotic, antagonistic year. Let's look at these big aspects that set the stage for this Full Moon and the New Year.



Evolution & Revolution

That old Pluto/Uranus square that rocked our world from 2012-2015 is again being resonated now and next year by Jupiter's journey through Libra, mirroring the effects of its transit through Cancer in 2013-14. (These energies are especially affecting the United States because of our 4th of July Cancer birthchart, with Jupiter as our ruling planet.) Originating in the 60s, this Pluto/Uranus first quarter square brought together a clash of the titans.
 
Look at the economic chaos that's taken place here in America and around the world since Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008. Pluto rules all those things that need to accept death. (Accept is the right word – patriarchy refuses to accept its death and instead creates death all over the world.) Pluto is the ruler of the underworld, that part of human experience which we tend to ignore, repress and fear. Since patriarchy hasn't accepted its death yet—in fact, it came back stronger than ever during the US elections—it gets to exhibit, in front of the whole world, those shadow values and qualities that have taken root in this social paradigm: domination, greed, competition, misogyny, cruelty, death, hypocrisy and terror. Patriarchy's shadow thrives on terror. It appears we've voted for a close encounter with the zombie apocalypse 'coming soon to a neighborhood near you'.
Now look at all the social upheaval that's occurred since 2012, when Uranus entered Aries to awaken us to our archetypal identities and a new sense of ourselves as having an impact on the world. Uranus rules the upper world of the heavens, the immense possibilities of life, which naturally want to break free of old, constricting attitudes and stereotypes that no longer express their true archetypal meanings. Uranus in Aries gives us a sense of future possibilities of who we can be. We all get a chance to see ourselves in a new light as we realize how far we've come from the myth of America as 'the land of the free and the home of the brave'. Now we get to see out in the open how the top 1% controls all aspects of our collective life—especially under a Trump presidency. We got to see prejudice and racism in the highest levels of our government under President Obama. We get to see the prevalent misogyny of American culture, with Christianity offering the excuse, just as Islam does, for its need to control women's bodies. We get to see a complete disregard for the Earth as our only home, which is being polluted for profit.
And the cosmos asks each one of us, 'what are you going to do about it?'
Pluto killed us as consumers and Uranus awakened us as citizens.
Our cosmic instructions concern how we are relating to our collective culture (Pluto in Capricorn)—our economics, our social structures, the 'rules of engagement' that have shaped our collective purpose for quite some time now. What parts of this collective mindset no longer serve the goals of humanity and freedom? What parts do we need to preserve and expand on? Let your part of this old story go! The fabric is rotten and the weave unravels.
What does the future demand of us? How can we keep harvesting the gifts and treasures of Mother Earth without a thought of what future generations might need? How can we stop the train wreck of continual progress and find new ways to create a better life? To do this, the patriarchal mindset has to crumble. Once it does, it can be replaced by a partnership model of culture that values feelings as well as thinking, intuition as well as sensation, women as well as men, the Earth and all of nature as well as humans. It's up to each of us to go out and make the new story happen.
This is the energy Jupiter in Libra is bringing into this powerful engine of change. A sense of balance, of fairness and justice, of courtesy and honor, beauty and art. It's offering each of us (Uranus) a way to engage in the transformation of the culture (Pluto). We can begin to create this possible future with our art and our actions. Our actions, like what happened at Standing Rock with the Water Protectors, now will have more affect since we'll do it as a group (very Aquarian of us). We show our Aries courage in standing up to the wrong use of power, to the stupidity of self-destruction. Life is what matters. Uranus is energizing our pioneering spirit again, though this time let's seek the unknown for the good of all, rather than personal aggrandizement. 
 
Artists have a big part to play now too. The Arts used to be healing tools for the collective psyche, unlike how they are seen today as a commodity. When we return the Arts to their archetypal purpose—to teach, to heal, to create, to enliven, to imagine, to share, to learn—they will lead the revolution just as John Lennon and the Beatles opened up the world to a new paradigm. (written on December 8th-RIP John) Artists can bring the message home to the heart
 
When the North Node leaves Virgo and goes into Leo next year at Beltane, our cosmic destiny is to express ourselves, especially through the arts. The Broadway show Hamilton is doing it—bringing history alive again so we understand what moment in history we're at and how we've changed but stayed the same. When America has its first Pluto return in 2023 (yes, we still have a few years to go of this rot) the revolution will happen. If we play our parts in truth, it will be a peaceful revolution, because it will be the right thing to do. 
 
And now we turn to the whole issue of truth vs. illusion, fake news, strong beliefs and the end of the world.

Truth or Delusion

Wow! What a year! It's been all about our beliefs, whether they reflect the Truth or not. With Saturn journeying through Sagittarius, all of our beliefs, our tenuous connection to the cosmic laws of life, are being scrutinized. We like to think that our scrutiny reveled deep-seated beliefs that reflect our overt religious beliefs and spiritual aspirations. And yet, with Neptune in Pisces throwing his glamour over everything, we had to work hard (Saturn) to discern what was true from what was illusion. Instead of revealing our integrity, our honor, our sense of unity, the US presidential race revealed something else about our country. It revealed America's shadow: our misogyny, lies, tax evasions, racism, competition, bullying and hypocrisy. Instead of truth and imagination (which is a very conscious option of these energies) we got sex, lies and videotapes (the dumbed-down version). 
 
What can we believe? Saturn is a taskmaster but he only sets us tasks that our soul requires us to learn. Instead of being afraid, feeling limited and wanting to hide under the covers, Saturn can help us focus on finding our cosmic rhythm – he does rule Time and Space, our 3-D reality. He's the Reality Check who grounds us in who we really are or trips us up when we pretend we're someone we're not. Truth or Dare? What will it be?
Saturn is connected to the archetypal Father, the energy that guides us into the world, the bridge between self and other. When we have a hard time creating our lives, perhaps we have a poor relationship with the Father/Saturn. Or maybe, we just never fit into the Father's agenda and so stayed limited on the edge of things. Either way, Saturn trained us. We probably are more disciplined, more organized, more grounded knowing our limits and filling them out. Now if we've embodied our Saturn, what happens next? With Saturn in Sagittarius, we stand up for our beliefs—whether they're bullying, racist, dominator beliefs; morally, enlightened religious beliefs; or compassionate, fierce protective beliefs. 
 
Enter Neptune, swimming with both dolphins (to lead us on) and sharks (to devour the dead). Neptune entered his own sign of Pisces in February 2012, just after Uranus entered Aries. Neptune in Pisces awakens our longing for spirit and for a better world, a unified world, a healthy world. And it rules mob psychology and delusion—we saw a lot of that during the campaigns. Neptune deludes us with the illusions that feed our ego needs (delusion is a belief that, though false, has been surrendered to and accepted by the whole mind as a truth) rather than our soul's needs. Conscious Neptune enchants us with the magic of the imagination. Neptune sends us dreams from the collective unconscious, where the hopes and fears of humanity lie. Neptune only deludes us if we are can't find our center. That's Saturn. If our Saturn is too rigid and fearful, we can't stay centered in ourselves, so we are easy victims of delusions. The need for control arises from our fears. Let them go. 
 
Pisces is also our collective heart and Neptune has us listening to different dreams, dreams not controlled by collective consciousness but by our heart's desire. Patriarchy fears that most of all, so it seeks to control our imaginations through its use of the media, overwhelming our collective psyche with images of their choosing, not ours or the Earth's. But if we pull back and listen in the silence, Neptune's mystical voice tells us that it is our heart which knows our true desire and it is our imaginations which will show us new possibilities for life. Not the corporate media.
All year long, these archetypal opposites challenged each other. Neptune's energy enhances our receptivity, our feelings, our imaginative visions and probably multi-dimensional wormholes. Saturn is form and structure, time and space, limits and responsibility. Very opposite energies. The argument about Fake News is an aspect of these conflicting energies. What's real or just illusion? With a president-elect who can't seem to tell the difference, we'll have to find out for ourselves. The challenge of a square is that we have to see which energy has to give and where and see what we come up with. 
 
If we let Neptune dissolve some of Saturn's formative beliefs, we can realize that some of our beliefs are childish, outworn or just not true. These are the beliefs that don't hold true for our grown-up experience of cosmic laws. They need to be taken back into the collective unconscious and dissolved back into their essence. If we let Saturn give some form and structure to our visions and feelings, we can build our new life story. So the gift of this square is to see through our limiting beliefs and choose to create a new ground of being for ourselves based on our soul's purpose. What would our life look like if we lived with empowering beliefs rather than limiting ones? We create a whole different story, don't we? It does involve standing up for our beliefs, but without the rigidity of needing to be self-righteous. Instead, we can let our imagination enchant someone awake instead of insisting that they wake up.
Now that Saturn is moving a bit beyond its square to Neptune, the asteroid Chiron becomes Saturn's Neptunian partner in this portion of the Cosmic Dance. What can Chiron teach us about the needs of humanity at this evolutionary moment? Chiron in Pisces teaches us we are here for everyone else and that we need to know who we are and what we value to succeed in our individual quest. Perhaps next year we'll get a chance to heal the divisions within ourselves and within society. Wouldn't that be the best outcome for our current situation? I think once we see what kind of government our corporate leaders give us, the middle will become more radicalized and we will unite and find our common interests aren't so different. In part, we will recognize that our religious beliefs no longer suit the multi-dimensional world we live in. The hope of the Aquarian Age is that each of us gets to live out our soul's purpose with creativity, respect and integrity, and that our lives will benefit the whole without taking away our uniqueness and freedom.
The Moon in Gemini now becomes part of this truth-seeking mix, so let's turn to the Gemini-Sagittarius Full Moon.

Gemini-Sagittarius Full Moon 2016

The Gemini-Sagittarius Full Moon occurs on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 4:05pm PST/ 7:05pm EST and on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 12:05am GMT.



The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 23* Sagittarius is: The torch and spiked crown of the Statue of Liberty. (This image comes from Steve Eardley's Revised Sabian Symbols.) This symbol speaks to “promethean man—urging humankind to attain their full statue'. It speaks to a freedom of spirit which encourages us to fight for political, social and religious freedom and makes us vigilant in protecting democracy from dictators and the rule of force. We are being called to stand up for our freedoms in this image. I love synchronicity! While Dane Rudhyar's An Astrological Mandala gives this image: A group of immigrants as they fulfill the requirements of entrance into the new country. This image speaks not only to our current immigration issues but also on an inner level to the need to consciously accept the new ways of being that a new life demands. 
 
The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 23* Gemini is: Three fledglings look out from their high nest. (This is the same image in both systems.) This symbol speaks to the process (3 is the number of process) of creatively integrating this new reality into our personality. It calls us to step back and look at things from a spiritual perspective, rather than from our fears and anxiety. This attitude can help us share our point of view in a calm and considerate manner instead of needing to 'fight' those we oppose.
A Full Moon asks us to bring together complimentary ideas: Sagittarius wants us to see the Truth of the matter while Gemini wants to communicate the information that can help us see more clearly what our truth is. A Full Moon makes us aware of what we've been unconscious of. So step back and take a look at your core beliefs then look at what you're thinking. What ideas and information and knowledge no longer fit the truth? Are these beliefs the result of old psychological wounds (Chiron in Pisces challenging this Full Moon)? How have we been distracting ourselves with information overload when the truth can be found in our hearts? What thoughts, words and information need to be refined and which need to be let go of?
Saturn joins the Sun during this Full Moon, helping us set up filters for discerning what information is true and what is false. Saturn wants us to take responsibility for our beliefs and because Saturn symbolizes authority, we need to understand that the word authority confronts us with the question, 'who is the author of my story'. The word author means 'one who makes or creates'. We can give away our authority and let someone else write our story or we can take back control and become the authors of our own lives. 
 
The Sabian symbol (Rudhyar) for Saturn at 19* Sagittarius is: Pelicans menaced by the behavior and refuse of men seek safer areas for bringing up their young. If we are concerned for the future, of our planet and of humanity, we have to find new ways of living that protect the environment and connect us with Nature. Ancient traditions about the pelican imply that they are so protective of their young that they will pierce their own hearts to feed and protect them. Are we willing to sacrifice our entitled way of life to stand up for the future?

The Sagittarius Sun and Saturn opposite the Gemini Moon and Uranus in Aries opposite Jupiter in Libra form what is known as a 'mystic rectangle', an aspect of two oppositions whose ends both trine and sextile to each other--positively supporting the energy generated.  Its highest potential is self-recognition and awareness, which can give rise to practical mysticism. (Dane Rudyhar)  

Interesting fact: Donald Trump was born on a lunar eclipse—his Sun is at 23* Gemini and his Moon is at 23* Sagittarius. This Full Moon's Sagittarius Sun sits on his Moon and the Gemini Moon sits on his Sun. It will affect him in ways we cannot foresee. Will he be willing to look in these cosmic mirrors? Will he finally see himself clearly? Will he continue his delusions and his cons? Will he decide reality TV is all he can handle? Stay tuned!

The ruler of the Gemini Moon is Mercury, which is connecting with Pluto in Capricorn just as it's slowing down to turn retrograde on Monday December 19, 2016the day of the Electoral College vote. Pluto deepens the Mind (Mercury) and strips it of everything that is non-essential. This should be interesting. Will enough electors desert Trump to make the election invalid? Will the vote be challenged and changed? We have all experienced how Mercury retrograde can put a stop to our plans. Mercury is also square Jupiter in Libra and Uranus in Aries. Curiouser and curiouser.
 
The Sabian symbol (Eardley) for Mercury retrograde at 16* Capricorn is: An earthen cave crowded with uniformed men. This image implies that when we're grounded by Mother Earth, within our own psyches, we can find the discipline and focus we need to effect social change. This small group represents the critical mass needed to change things, if we volunteer to take action. Will the electors see what is needed and change the script? The ruler of the Sagittarius Sun is Jupiter in Libra, expanding our vision of fairness and justice. The Sabian symbol (Eardley) for Jupiter at 19* Libra speaks to group protests against unbalanced social injustice. Robbers hiding in a starlit forest, ready to attack a caravan laden with precious cargo. How do the dispossessed find justice?

Upcoming Astrological Events

December 19, 2016: Mercury goes retrograde at 16* Capricorn conjunct Pluto, square both Jupiter in Libra and Uranus in Aries. We have to take ourselves and our world seriously. Mercury is retrograde until January 8, 2017.
December 21, 2016: WINTER SOLSTICE—the rebirth of the Sun in the northern hemisphere.
December 24, 2016: Saturn trine Uranus. There's more flow now and new forms can be created. Responsible changes might be on their way.
December 26, 2016: Jupiter opposes Uranus. It's time to do things differently.
December 28, 2016: Capricorn New Moon.
December 29, 2016: Uranus goes direct. Watch out for wild energies and abrupt changes.

This will be my last Cosmic Story newsletter for a while. I'm taking a break while I travel in December-January and while I contemplate my next writing project. I'm still available for private consultations, so email me at cathy@wisdom-of-astrology.com to set up an appointment. Thank you all for your support for the Cosmic Story these past 12 years. I hope I'll return to it once things settle down.
Wishing you a wild and wacky and wonderful holiday season. And may the New Year bring us all the energy we need to help the world through the dark times ahead.
Solstice Blessings,
Cathy

All The Hemispheres ~ Hafiz

Leave the familiar for a while.
Let your senses and bodies stretch out

Like a welcomed season
Onto the meadows and shores and hills.

Open up to the Roof.
Make a new water-mark on your excitement
And love.

Like a blooming night flower,
Bestow your vital fragrance of happiness
And giving
Upon our intimate assembly.

Change rooms in your mind for a day.

All the hemispheres in existence
Lie beside an equator
In your heart.

Greet Yourself
In your thousand other forms
As you mount the hidden tide and travel
Back home.

All the hemispheres in heaven
Are sitting around a fire
Chatting

While stitching themselves together
Into the Great Circle inside of
You.

("The Subject Tonight is Love" - versions by Daniel Ladinsky)

Friday, November 25, 2016

The Cosmic Story: Sagittarius New Moon 2016

The Cosmic Story: Sagittarius New Moon 2016

The Quest for Truth & Meaning

Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of humankind. Did you think the Creator would create unnecessary people in a time of such terrible danger? Know that you yourself are essential to this World.” - Chief Arvol Looking Horse

The Sun entered fiery Sagittarius on November 21st until December 21st, emerging out of the darkness of our Shadows and our fears about death which we encountered in Scorpio into a more light-filled, optimistic energy that heralds the rebirth of the Sun's light and our inner 'light' on Winter Solstice. As the days shorten in the northern hemisphere, we are called to the hope, optimism and gratitude that Sagittarius is known for. 

 
After any death-and-rebirth experience, we emerge with an expanded vision of the possibilities of life. Sagittarius is the sign of philosophy and cosmic law—where the central truths of life and death are honored. This is the sign and the time to emerge out of our self-centered vision of life into a much broader view of life that includes others as well as the Earth and all her children. We are seeing that as patriarchy makes a last grab for power, the Divine Feminine is on the rise. It is the women of Standing Rock who lead with prayer and vision. The men are there protecting them. That is the true balance between men and women which patriarchy tried to overthrow.
Sagittarius is all about the Truth. Sagittarians are Truthspeakers and Truthseekers. Since they're also curious about life, they often wander off on travels that will help them understand the fullness of life. Restless as all fire signs are, Sagittarians always have a goal in mind. That's the arrow that this celestial archer aims at the heart of the matter.
Sagittarians see life as a quest for meaning, seeing endless possibilities and opportunities to go on adventures of discovery. So you can see why Sagittarians are so much fun—they want to break out of old molds and do something expansive and sometimes even extreme. Fun-loving and often very comfortable in their physicality, they don't mind pushing the limits both physically and mentally.


When we speak of Sagittarius, we think of the Centaur—the horse-man—whose constellation shines in the night sky. Sagittarius is the sign where we unit our animal nature with our human spirit. And while most of the Centaurs were wild, unruly beings, the most famous Centaur associated with Sagittarius is Chiron, who was the wise teacher of many of the Greek heroes. In fact, Sagittarius is associated with Spirit, the fiery essence within each of us that yearns to expand our awareness and our field of influence, for Sagittarians are also the teachers of the zodiac who want to motivate, inspire (in- "in" + spirare "to breathe") and 'light up' others. It is when Spirit finds a home in our human nature that we thrive.
But sometimes we forget that the image of Sagittarius is that of an archer who is aiming his arrow. In fact, Sagittarius' glyph is an arrow. So you'll find that Sagittarians often aim their arrows high, especially through their blunt and direct speech. They'll tell you the truth, whether you want to hear it or not. That's because Sagittarians are 'straight arrows' – sincere, honest, above board and bound by their promises.
Unfortunately, Sagittarians expect the rest of us to do the same, and when we don't, they get very depressed about hypocrisy and the state of the world. And when that happens, the initial generosity that prompted the promise leaks away and they get scattered. So it's important for that Sagittarian part of each of us to stay focused and concentrate on what's important to us. Find Sagittarius in your birth chart to see what aspect of life is shaped by this need for Truth and openness to possibilities.
Otherwise, the disappointment turns into Sagittarius' Shadow—dark despair and an inability to find their faith again. Or even worse, they believe they're the only ones who own the Truth and can become quite overbearing at times. Donald Trump has his Moon exactly on his South Node in Sagittarius—so with his South Node emphasis, he's apt to feel he's right while everyone else is wrong. His 'I'm the only one who can fix this' attitude comes from this old Sagittarian complex which can deny truths (such as Climate Change) which run counter to unconscious beliefs from past lives, like his grandfather's and father's belief that they could con the masses by blaming their detractors. Having the South Node on his Sagittarian Moon increases the possiblity of being lost in the negativity rather than in Sagittarius' natural optimism. (For an interesting read about the President-elect, read The Making of Donald Trump by David Jonston—winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for journalism.)
While the Sun travels through Sagittarius, remember to stay open to new ideas and possibilities for your life, since these will enhance the new light and life that we'll birth at Winter Solstice and all through 2017.

Sagittarius New Moon 2016

The New Moon in Sagittarius occurs on Tuesday, November 29th at 4:18am PST/ 7:18am EST/ 12:18pm GMT.



The Sabian symbol for both the Sun and Moon at 8* Sagittarius is: Within the depths of the Earth, new elements are being formed. This symbol is so apt for what is going on in America and around the world today. Unconscious forces are at work with our collective psyches, helping us find new responses and solutions to what is happening in our world. We are finally waking up to a new sense of ourselves as empowered citizens. All this is going on within our individual psyches, so pay attention to your dreams for they'll show you the way.
The asteroid Juno/Hera is conjunct this New Moon, so when you're planting that new Sagittarian seed, remember that it is our relationships which define us. The Greek goddess Hera was called the Perfect One and her consort was supposed to perfect her. When Zeus didn't, she raged. With Jupiter/Zeus now in Libra, the sign of partnership, perhaps he's finally willing to listen and engaged in equal partnership. The people at Standing Rock are showing us the right way to do things between the sexes.
This New Moon squares (challenges) Neptune and the South Node in Pisces, asking us to really discern what is true from what is delusion and to let go of the fears and victimhood that are such a profound part of the Age of Pisces. For those of you with a strong spiritual center, this aspect can also awaken your imagination to help you discover your truth.
Saturn and Mercury are also in Sagittarius, so question your beliefs and find your truth. Don't look outside yourself for the answers, but go within and listen!
Jupiter is considered the 'ruler' of Sagittarius, meaning his curiosity, his sense of expansive vision, his spiritual awareness of the cosmic laws of life align with Sagittarius' purpose. Jupiter is in Libra now, expanding our sense of fairness and justice—especially important in America as we see patriarchy fighting to hold onto control. This is the moment to take justice and fairness into our own hands and not be afraid to stand up against tyranny and oppression. We see it happening in North Dakota, as the 'security forces' the oil company hired are seriously injuring the peaceful protesters. Those 'new elements' gestating in our collective unconscious will help us stand up for truth. Mars in out-of-the-box Aquarius supports Jupiter in Libra's quest for fairness and justice. It's time to stand up for our ideals and grapple with the forces of regression and domination. 

Susan Seldon Boulet ~ Libra
 
Jupiter becomes part of the still dynamic energies of the Pluto in Capricorn/ Uranus in Aries square. Jupiter opposes Uranus, Eris and Ceres in Arie, showing us that when we are willing to be warriors for the Truth, we need to collaborate with like-minded individuals. When Jupoiter squares Pluto and Venus in Capricorn, we are pushed to shift our perspective about what is important to preserve in our society and what needs to be released. We do not need more oil pipelines (which keep bursting and polluting our water) when new sustainable energy technologies are becoming readily available. The pipelines only purpose is to feed corporate profit.
It's time to take responsibility for the world we live in, for our own authority—for who else is the 'author' of your life? Our choices and our actions speak to who we are. Are you happy with your choices? Did you make those choices in consideration of others' needs? We have to start thinking about 'us' rather than only about 'me'. We have to stop being selfish and entitled and grow up to our responsibilities.
These energies form a tense aspect called a T-square, meaning these planets are all in 3 Cardinal signs. The fourth leg, which can stablize the energy, is in Cancer, so if you have any planets from 15*-25* Cancer, work with this nurturing, feeling, feminine energy now to center yourself in these chaotic times. Find your center within yourself—find your soul.

Americans are celebrating our Thanksgiving this week, a time to be grateful for the gifts we have. Even in our dark times, we have been blessed. So take a moment and pray for those who are in need, in war, in famine and in pain. And most of all, pray for the Water Protecters who are facing horrific menace brought to them by North Dakota and our tax dollars. (Did you know that Trump owns $2 million stake in this pipeline? http://www.nextworldtv.com/videos/energy/no-water-no-life.html )

In these dark times, my wish for you is to walk in the Light.
Cathy
Psalm 15 -- Mitchell Translation

Lord (and Lady of Life), who can be trusted with power,
and who may act in your place?
Those with a passion for justice,
who speak the truth from their hearts;
who have let go of selfish interests
and grown beyond their own lives;
who see the wretched as their family
and the poor as their flesh and blood.
They alone are impartial
and worthy of the people's trust.
Their compassion lights up the whole earth,
and their kindness endures forever.

(The Psalms, translations by Stephen Mitchell)

Thursday, November 10, 2016

The Cosmic Story: Taurus/Scorpio Full Moon 2016

The Cosmic Story: Taurus/Scorpio Full Moon

“There is a medicine story that tells of Crow's fascination with her own shadow. She kept looking at it, scratching it, pecking at it, until her shadow woke up and became alive. Then Crow's shadow ate her. Crow is Dead Crow now.” 1


As we come out of our collective fog over the results of the American presidential election, this ancient medicine story speaks to our need to deal with the Shadow, not only of our American psyche but of the patriarchal structures that shape our world. I guess we tricked ourselves into thinking that we were ready to move beyond the patriarchal limits of our western society, or the strength of the unconscious messages of that mindset within us. I guess it's time to eat crow.
After the election, I found myself feeling anger that we had let this happen—our environment given back to big oil and coal, our Supreme Court given over to right-wing Christian morality/hypocrisy, our most vulnerable citizens (seniors, the sick, prisoners, the poor) abandoned. There goes any hope of intervention against the Dakota Pipeline—let alone any others. But it wasn't just anger at Trump supporters. It was anger at our own progressives—and to be truthful, at myself for not doing more to help stop Trump. While we on the left very loudly condemned the hatred and bigotry apparent at Trump rallies, we were forgetting to look at our own Shadows.
There was so much hatred for Hillary Clinton among certain 'Bernie or Bust' progressives that we seemed to ignore the BIG issues in this election—the Supreme Court, the environment and social justice. Astrologically, people were caught up in the Saturn/Neptune delusions and misinformation about truth and reality, and people on both sides of the issues were easily distracted from the end game—patriarchy remaining in power. People thought it was better to bring down the whole structure rather than transform it. Pluto in Capricorn is already doing the heavy lifting—showing us what needs to go while leaving what is still viable. We have exposed the corruption within our political system and in our corporate state. But it won't go away unless we change it, since we've allowed it by our complacency.
Hatred is such a strong emotion. Usually, we hate someone we're personally involved with because of a personal hurt or betrayal we've experienced. But to hate someone in politics is a strange situation. We can disagree with their policies, but that much 'hatred' for somebody we don't know personally is usually not only an indication of believing other people's stories about that person, but also of PROJECTION. That much hatred begins in you. You can object and stand against certain actions like Trump's misogyny and bullying, but to hate someone on the basis of unsubstantiated 'evil' is another indication of projection. Hillary's emails were nothing compared to Bush & Cheney's email dumps. So what made Hillary's 'crimes' worse than others? Perhaps some of it was because she's a powerful woman. But most of the reasons for this hatred were pretty nebulous—another example of the Saturn/Neptune square. If Hillary in the service of America is a 'murderer' because of her support for America's wars, then aren't we all murderers, since she worked for us! What did we do to stop those policies? I haven't seen any big marches against our wars lately, have you?
So we can play the blame game or we can look at our own Shadow. We progressives didn't continue the Bernie 'revolution' because Bernie didn't get the nomination. The game is rigged. We need Bernie as our leader. Really? All the issues were still there, and there was a clear difference in position and policy between the two candidates. Instead of working with the reality of the situation, many progressives continued to concentrate on Hillary's faults instead of supporting the policies she promised to enact. A leader is only as good as the people who support her. It seems we're still looking for the perfect 'leader' instead of leading from behind. We could have held her feet to the fire with more success than we'll have with a Trump presidency.
So in a way, we progressives failed our initiation—so many people filled with hatred just as much as Trump supporters seem to be. While many new agey people spewed Hillary hatred all over FaceBook, they now want to spread 'love and light'. As Jung said, we need to bring the Shadow into the Light, not ignore it. So it's time for all of us to eat crow and figure out how to own our Shadow. Just because we didn't get the leader we wanted, we forgot that it's up to us to pick the best choice for the good of the whole. If you've seen the marvelous movie, Captain Fantastic, it speaks to the issue of how our beliefs can injure the people around us. Yes, we have to live with integrity, but we also have to learn to compromise when there are other people to consider. That's what living in a democracy (or being in a good partnership) is all about—bringing together different attitudes and opinions and finding the best solutions for both sides.
I will admit I'm not over it yet. Today as I walked around my little New England village, I ran into two disreputable-looking white guys who took glee in pointing out that Hillary was going to jail. And I saw my brother-in-law in his fancy Porche who is happy for a Trump win and thinks things will be better now. Maybe for his business, but certainly not for his children and grandchildren if the environment continues to break down. Then other acquaintances said, oh well, it's over. Life goes on. As if it doesn't matter already. But the truth is, the fallout will be hard on all of us, even those who look to Trump to be their savior.
Taurus/Scorpio Axis of Values
What does all this have to do with this Monday's Taurus Full Moon? Taurus is the sign that deals with values. What are our values? What is of value and what do we want to build based on those values? What kind of society do we want to live in? What talents do we have that we can contribute to the whole?


For example: I teach people how to get in touch with their inner dreams, intuitions, feelings and their heart values so that we can access the inherent wisdom within us. Yet I am still amazed that so much of the focus in many 'spiritual' courses is on 'abundance'--which still seems to concentrate on monetary abundance, even when we say abundance is about a joyful inner life. Is that what our imagination and spiritual will are supposed to be used for? To get more money and joy out of life? That is patriarchy dressed up in spiritual materialism and it's still alive and well, living within our psyches. That doesn't mean we have to reject money and a joyful life, but as a Taurus, I do think that using our wise gifts to 'invoke' abundance/ riches/money, is falling short of what Taurus is all about. Taurus is concerned with building something of worth and value in the world. The movie Field of Dreams states the Taurus message, If you build it, they will come. It wasn't invoke abundance/money and we'll build something special.
Taurus is also associated with money and possessions. But only in service to self-worth. When we have little or no self-worth, we need money and possessions to make us feel good about ourselves. When we have self-worth, money is only another tool in our toolbox for living. Just as our capitalistic system has made a god of money (the Protestant work ethic says, if you have money, God loves you. If you're poor, you're a sinner.), we have to see what part money plays in our psyches. Having money or not having money is so often a source of pride or embarrassment. Until we clean up our complexes around money, we will keep getting sucked into the old vortex of giving money the highest value. (I am not advocating leaving the wealth inequality in place. We all need a certain minimum to have a healthy and good life.)
So when we topple the money god, what do we replace it with? I would say Self-worth. A friend was telling me about a man she likes a lot. But he isn't rich or well dressed or any of the things she is looking for in a new partnership. But her dreams show her that this man gives her a sense of love and security and self-worth, a deep soulful connection that she never felt from the other men she dated who did have money and nice things. She is going to choose that deep soul-connection rather than the outer show of wealth. She is choosing self-worth over outer worth.
The Taurus-Scorpio axis is concerned with values that are matters of life (Taurus) and death (Scorpio). While Taurus' energy is warm, open, honest and sometimes naive, Scorpio's energy is withdrawn, secretive, suspicious and intense. Taurus brings in the summer season of life (the Celtic Beltane) while Scorpio ushers in the cold season of death (Samhain). While Taurus often feels as if she has to do everything from scratch and by herself, Scorpio knows how to share knowledge and help with those he trusts. When these two energies unite, it really is about shared values that leave us open to intimacy and ultimately to transformation.
In Taurus we are hopeful, while through Scorpio we learn to face our fears. Together, they work to change form (Taurus) through Scorpionic shadow work. This is a good time to look at ourselves and see where we've been selfish rather than concerned with the greater good. Becoming conscious and self-aware also entails knowing that we affect everyone around us. We are one living planet and we have to make choices which are good for the whole, even if it means we have to sacrifice a bit of ourselves to make it so. That is the truth of the Aquarian Age. It's not about losing our identities, but rather bringing our individual truth to the collective table and finding common solutions.

As you can see, this Full Moon is powerful. It is also a Super Moon, which means the Moon's orbit is the closest to Earth, and this Moon will rise very large, since the Moon hasn't been this close since 1948. Although the Full Moon occurs in the early morning of the 14th, seeing it rise Sunday night will be just as powerful. With this powerful energy we can change our form, our complexes, our habits and beliefs, if we use our Taurus/Scorpio resourcefulness, perseverance and power to liberate ourselves from our fears and doubts. Both signs have great inner strength and willpower to become whole, to face our Shadow and discover our Higher Self. We'll need this in the years ahead as we stand and protect our rights and the rights of Mother Earth.
This Full Moon can be a time to rededicate ourselves to our highest values. If you're disappointed in the outcome of the election, this is a great time to rededicate yourself to protecting what's important to you. Just as Samhain is a good time to release what is dead in ourselves as well as to release those loving spirits who have passed on this year, we can release old shadow energies to be regenerated in Hecate's Cauldron. What old values no longer suit your life? What parts of your life have been holding you back from living your new story? We all have dead issues dragging on the ground behind us, keeping us locked into the old story, even when we think we're living in the new one. This is the time and season to let it go. You don't have to know what's coming, you just have to know what's dead.
Taurus-Scorpio Full Moon
The Taurus-Scorpio Full Moon occurs on Monday morning, November 14, 2016 at 5:52am PST/ 8:52am EST/ 1:52pm GMT.
The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 23* Scorpio is: A rabbit metamorphoses into a nature spirit.2 A rabbit, besides being a symbol of fear, is also a symbol of fertility. When we let go of our fears and stop thinking only in terms of physical fertility, we can see this refers to our instinctual energies of life and death. Nature spirits are associated with the cosmic laws of life. We are called to transform our fears for the future by understanding the cosmic laws of life. When we say something has to die to be reborn, then we can use this knowledge to face the coming years as we experience the death of patriarchy. It's hard and dark now, but we have to go through the process to reclaim light and life.
The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 23* Taurus is: A treasure chest overflowing with brilliant jewels.3 This is the potential we still have, the eternal values (jewels) which are within us. The gems are natural products which have been worked by humans into something of value. Our original impulses, instincts, talents are worked into something of value. This is another symbol of self-worth. It calls us to a vision of a better future.
This Full Moon Sun inconjuncts Uranus, Eris and Ceres in Aries, provoking in us a need to show the world who we are and what we stand for. If Eris demands that we stop going against our heart and Ceres asks us about what nurtures us, then we need to wake up and live those values. We need a deep transformation of our individual values if we want to see the same transformation in our society. Live simply and get engaged in your world. Bring the feminine values of caring, cooperation and sustainability into whatever you're engaged in.
Jupiter in Libra is connecting with the Pluto in Capricorn/Uranus in Aries square. How do we stand up for fairness and social justice in dark times? There's a big protest going on in Washington DC on November 15th to stop the Dakota Pipeline. That's one way to do it. Another is to do it in your personal life. Jupiter squares Pluto in Capricorn on November 24, 2016 , March 30 & August 4, 2017, challenging us to continue to work for social, gender and environmental equality. Jupiter opposes Uranus in Aries on December 26, 2016 and March 2 & September 27, 2017, probably asking us to take more risks to ensure fairness and justice. Our work isn't done.
Neptune, the planet of spirituality and imagination as well as of illusion and distortion, is about to turn direct on November 19th. First it connects to the South Node in Pisces on November17th, dissolving old shadow qualities of victimhood and martyrdom, codependency and escapism. Let the old karma go. It's time to imagine the possible future. We have to remember, when they go low, we go high.
Stop being a hater and become a lover.
Walk in the Light,
Cathy
The Fountain -- Denise Levertov

The Fountain

Don't say, don't say there is no water
to solace the dryness at our hearts.
I have seen

the fountain springing out of the rock wall
and you drinking there. And I too
before your eyes

found footholds and climbed
to drink the cool water.

The woman of that place, shading her eyes,
frowned as she watched-but not because
she grudged the water,

only because she was waiting
to see we drank our fill and were
refreshed.

Don't say, don't say there is no water.
That fountain is there among its scalloped
green and gray stones,

it is still there and always there
with its quiet song and strange power
to spring in us,

up and out through the rock.

~ Denise Levertov ~

(Poems 1960-1967)








1. Jamie Sams & David Carson, Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Way of Animals. (Santa Fe, NM; Bear & Company)., p. 133.
2. Dane Rudhyar, An Astrological Mandala,
3. Steve Eardley, The Revised Sabian Symbols.