The Cosmic Story: Libra/Aries Full Moon, March 31, 2018

The Cosmic Story: Libra/Aries Full Moon 2018

Time to Plan How to Birth Our New Life

Crocuses: First signs of Spring

This important Full Moon, the first of the astrological year, was birthed at the Pisces New Moon. Out of the ocean of life, out of the collective unconscious, we emerge, healed of our karmic wounds so we can birth a new world. Or at least we are aware now of the need to heal. The March for Life last Saturday, March 24^th, was such a beginning.

We need to heal our collective wounds as well – to face our responsibility for the death and destruction of Native Peoples and of the Earth our home, as well as the many wars we’ve started around the world. It’s time to leave the death culture of the Piscean Age behind us and begin to live the vision of equality and justice that is the basis of the future Aquarian Age.

This Full Moon also marks the Jewish Passover as well as the Christian Easter celebrations. It’s a good time to remember that our freedom – from slavery, from crass materialism, from patriarchal thinking – is central to this new world we’re birthing. The Christ shows us that we are more than our bodies – that we are eternal souls, part of the Source of all Life. It is not a call to reject the world of matter and physicality, but to see it for what it truly is: the Garden where we incarnate to become creators and manifestors. Where we take up our God/desshood and live it consciously.

Garden of Peace

The Full Moon is a time of flowering and fulfillment, of perfecting what was planted at the New Moon. At the Pisces New Moon, Chiron, the Wounded Healer and mentor of heroes, planted the seed of our healing. We saw the children take up that seed of woundedness and heroism and raise it to awareness – we choose life rather than death. Just like my generation did in the 60s when we stood up to the war machine that was killing our brothers in Vietnam, today’s children are standing up for themselves against the death machine that has taken over our society and our politicians. And this time, parents and grandparents are standing with them. And the children shall lead them.

Libra Full Moon 2018

Thia Aries/Libra Full Moon occurs on March 31^st at 5:36 am PDT/ 8:36 am EDT/12:36 pm GMT. 

 

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 11* Aries is: The ruler of a nation. As my kids used to tell me, ‘I am the captain of myself!’ or ‘You’re not the boss of me!’ It also can mean being original, innovative and active. Either way, we each have to be the ‘ruler’ of our own life so that we can be an example to each other and to the nation.

The Sabian symbol for Mercury retrograde at 13* Aries is: An unexploded bomb reveals an unsuccessful social protest. Here Mercury warns us that immature and violent actions won’t bring about success. Think! You can’t fight violence and ignorance with the same tools. Be creative and imaginative with your response to life. (If you need help figuring this out, I’m offering a special discounted Mercury retrograde reading. Email me for details at cathy@wisdom-of-astrology.com)

The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 11* Libra is: A professor peering over his glasses at his students. This symbol speaks to seeing the big picture, not squinting at books. Seeing the best way to pass on information to younger minds. It speaks to mental creativity and an innovative, progressive, reforming intelligence, perhaps even eccentric ways of imparting information. So improvise and be spontaneous. Don’t conform to social norms and customs.

I’m going to discuss this Full Moon in terms of energy use, using the three modalities of cardinal, fixed and mutable energies. They show us how the energies of the zodiac work.

Cardinal energy begins the cycle, like a birth. Cardinal signs begin each season: Aries/Spring, Cancer/Summer, Libra/Autumn, Capricorn/Winter. These signs initiate new types of actions so life can continue to evolve. Next comes Fixed energy, which takes that new life and stabilizes it so it has solidity and continuity. This is the maturing energy. Finally comes Mutable energy, which takes over when life has run its course and the energy begins to run out. This energy is adaptable, able to make necessary changes before it breaks apart, to reform as something else.

So lets look at this Full Moon chart in terms of the energy flow.

Out of the Watery Depths

Let’s start with the planets in Cardinal signs, which move the energy forward. For planets in Aries, a fire sign, it’s a call for action. At this Full Moon, the Sun and Mercury retrograde are in Aries, sparking the new fires of Life within us. The Aries Sun acknowledges the new fire and the need to take action. Mercury retrograde so close to the Sun, however, cautions us to slow down and think things through – these are important decisions we’re dealing with right now, and we can use our intuitive, creative Aries Mercury retrograde best by going within to imagine and think about what the fires are awakening in us. Instead of jumping into them! Because if we really want to create a new life, a new set of habits, a new vision for the future, we have to shed our patriarchal skins and find our way from the inside out.

Both Eris and Uranus are also in the later degrees of Aries, still connected to Pluto in Capricorn. They form the energetic matrix that all these cultural challenges and changes are emerging from. They push us to discover: What is our archetypal identity? How has patriarchy wounded the divine feminine? How does the culture have to change to accommodate deeper self-awareness about ourselves and the world? The Eris/Uranus energy will play a big part in the Aries New Moon in a few weeks. What they’ve awakened in us in the past 7 years will inform what we do with this year’s blessings of life energy. How much will we take in and use? That’s up to us, isn’t it?

The balance we need to achieve comes to us through the Libra Full Moon. Libra is the sign of the Other/ the not-me. Libra wants us to act to create a balance between Self and Other. How do we ‘do unto others what we would have them do unto us?’ Libra is a cardinal air sign, so it energizes social give and take. Its’ energy brings people together to create change for justice and fairness. Like the March for Life, it sees that what happens to me could happen to you, so why not change things so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.

We often talk about Libra in terms of our romantic relationships, but in reality, Libra is an air sign, concerned with all our relationships. And it’s not just concerned with our familial and sexual relationships, but our relationship to the whole world – its people, Nature, the Earth and Sky. How do we want to relate to our Tribe? Libra says, through art, music, beauty and harmony, Through fairness and justice for all.

The third cardinal sign energizing this Full Moon is Capricorn. It moves us to fill in the empty spaces left by the wrecking ball of the Pluto/Uranus square of 2012-2015. Three years later we can see the corruption of our economic/political systems, which gives rise to the uprising of people everywhere to change things. Finally, here is the change we’ve been waiting for. 

Mars and Saturn in Capricorn square this Full Moon, instructing us to take responsible action to change our habits and the unconscious habits of our society. It’s time to stop being consumers and start being citizens. It’s time to grow up. It’s time to live the life we imagine. And to do it, we have to slow down. Mars usually wants to leap before it looks, while Saturn urges caution. While the combination of Mars and Saturn can give rise to frustration and limitations, if used wisely, it can lead to great determination and mature actions. On April 2, Mars conjunctions Saturn, beginning a new 2-year cycle of bringing our desires (Mars) into reality (Saturn). So consider what you really want to bring into the world over the next two years. If you build it, they will come.

Once again, look at the kids from Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school. They’ve used their wound and their passion to create change that will benefit everyone, and they’re doing it with more maturity than the adults running our country, our corporations and our world. They are the future.

There are planets in 3 of the cardinal signs. If anyone has planets in the 4^th sign, Cancer, you can ground this energy more easily than others. Check to see if you have Cancer planets from 5*-15*, and 20*-29*.

So the Full Moon pattern of energy runs like this. Our identity and destiny are aligned with others. We are never alone in this world. We are connected through the great energy grid of Mother Earth. If we approach life with responsible action, we will benefit not only ourselves but everyone else. This is the set-up for this next year. If we stay true to ourselves while also considering others, we will create the deep and meaningful relationships we all long for.

Fixed energies (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) strengthen and build on the energies the cardinal signs engender. While Mars in Capricorn rules the Aries’ Sun, the Libra Moon is ruled by Venus. And since Venus is in her other home sign of Taurus, she is very powerful. Go look for her in the western sky at sunset. She is shining as the Evening Star of wisdom. For Venus, the question is always ‘what are my values’ and ‘where are my true connections’? For Venus in Taurus, her values lie in peace, beauty, love, the Earth and relating. But these values always arise from self-worth and self-acceptance. When we find our own inner beauty, peace and love, then we can open ourselves to the Other and to the world in all our relationships.

Venus, Moon, Mercury ~ Brett Joseph

Both the Leo North Node and Ceres want to ground in and nurture the fires of the heart in these values, while the Aquarius South Node connects us to our tribe who shares our values. We must remember that we are interconnected and need our people to accomplish our mission.

Jupiter in Scorpio asks us to acknowledge our Shadows and transform them as we adjust our values with others’ values. While we all have our own goals, we share many of the same general values and goals and Jupiter in Scorpio can teach us how to relate to others who we meet on our path. Not everyone is a member of our tribe, but we can acknowledge and accept other’s differences without judgment. For ourselves, Jupiter can bring a depth of psychological understanding that we haven’t seen before.

The Aries Sun and Libra Moon are supported by the Leo/Aquarius Nodes, bringing us together with our tribe and our hearts’ goals. How can we give our creative gifts to the world? That’s the question. Do we create just for ourselves or are we here to create something together for the benefit of the world? Isn’t it time to drop patriarchy’s limited ideas about the purpose of life? What if we are all on a mystical, magical journey to face down evil and bring the light of goodness and peace to the world? For all of you who ever wanted to be part of the Fellowship of the Ring or fight for Pandora, this is your chance!

Mutable energy disperses all the built up energy of this Full Moon chart. Pallas in Gemini finds us the right information for our purpose and helps us stragegize our next moves. Vesta the priestess lingers at the end of Sagittarius, holding the flames of our beliefs strong and steady. Neptune, Juno and Chiron in Pisces pull up the treasures of the collective unconscious - the wisdom of the World soul. People will be dreaming more, especially people with Virgo energy between *0, 13-17*, 25-29*. The answer to many of our questions about life come to us through our dreams. Don’t waste this opportunity to learn and grow.

Venus shows the way to our values and sends her wisdom to Saturn/Mars – to stand up for truth, beauty, peace and love. She bring our feminine energy into balance with the masculine energy of Mars/Saturn. Jupiter is big enough to recognize his own shadow and adjust his opinions and judgments to accept what is as a test of our resolve. Jupiter also adds to the spiritual messages and dreams coming out of Pisces.

Vesta in Sagittarius is in a waning square to Chiron in Pisces, both of them in the last degree of their respective signs. Vesta warms us with the flames of cosmic order, showing us the right way to heal our wounds -- through seeing with new eyes, with spiritual eyes. To live differently. To evolve.

Blessings of this special season – Easter, Ostara, Passover.

Cathy

The Journey -- Mary Oliver

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice --
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do --
determined to save
the only life you could save.

~ Mary Oliver ~

(Dream Work)

Copyright 2018 Cathy Pagano

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The Cosmic Story: Pisces New Moon & Spring Equinox, 2018

The Cosmic Story: Pisces New Moon & Spring Equinox, 2018

Letting the Tides Take Out the Old and Bring In the New

I felt the full breadth and depth of the ocean around the sphere of the Earth, back billions of years to the beginning of life, across all the passing lives and deaths, the endless waves of swimming joy and quiet losses, of exquisite creatures with fins and fronds, tentacles and wings, colourful and transparent, tiny and huge, coming and going. There is nothing the ocean has not seen. –Sally Andrew

When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come, I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds, cleanses me with its noise, and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused. -Rainer Maria Rilke

And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came. –John F. Kennedy

The ocean is a place of skin, rich outer membranes hiding thick juicy insides, laden with the soup of being. –Vera Nazarian

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. -Jacques Cousteau

Pisces New Moon, 2018

This last Piscean New Moon of the astrological year invites us to remember that we come from the ocean of life and will return to it when this life’s journey here on Earth is done. The ocean of life is deep and full, bright and calm, dark and dangerous. The ocean is a place of wonder and mystery. The Ocean is the Source of eternal life we are all seeking. It is where we are all One.

These days, with the pollution of our waters and the dying off of species, that might be hard to remember. These days, when our collective psyches are polluted with the violent images we see in movies, tv and real life, our inner life can be polluted and in turmoil. That’s when, as Rilke says, it’s time to go to the sea and let it wash us clean and impose its life-giving rhythm upon us once again.

 

The best way to get through times of turmoil and change is through a strong connection to our souls and a deep belief in the power of spirit. This is the time for deep soulwork. It’s time for inner work. The best way I’ve found to do this inner work is through dreamwork and shamanic journeying.

If we want to change the world, we have to change how we live in the world. That means we have to know ourselves and heal our wounds and then live our talents and our possibilities. It’s time to stop living by patriarchal rules and start living our soul’s dreams. This possibility is the gift of this last Pisces New Moon before the Spring Equinox: a deep dive into the collective unconscious, so we can cast our nets to gather all of our ancient wounds and gifts and bring them up into the light of day. 

Like the ocean, life doesn’t travel in straight lines but in currents and flow, waves and calmness. We have to be strong swimmers if we want to live a life outside the patriarchal patterns laid down for us by our parents, our society, our education and our religions. That’s easier said than done. 

We keep getting pulled down by the undertow of our old fears, beliefs and behavior patterns, so we re-act rather than take action. With the watery energy of Pisces, things are mutable – nothing is as it seems. With Chiron, the Wounded Healer, aligned with this New Moon, we have a chance to meet our inner mentor, who can help us see our wounds, understand our wounds and heal our wounds.

 

It’s time to heal the wounds of thousands of years of lifetimes. Whether we’re just dealing with the lifetimes of the Piscean Age or if it goes back even further, we are here this lifetime to finish up the old business. Because a New Age is upon us, and we have to go into it washed clean if we want it to be different from these past ages. 

It’s time to release our Judeo-Christian (and Islamic) guilt, that we’re not good enough, lovable enough, talented enough, worthy enough to actually connect with our heart and soul and live by their rules. Guilt is such a wasted emotion. Guilt keeps us stuck in old patterns and fears – even if those patterns seem to be good and helpful and kind. Guilt can keep us from making the decisions that will bring us our own purpose and destiny.

We can feel too much responsibility to others and so neglect what could bring us our own joy and freedom. That is what this New Age demands of us. It’s not a selfish act – it’s a responsible act because if we can’t access our own joy and freedom, how can others ever learn to live that way. We’re supposed to be examples of a new spirituality that embraces life rather than denies it. We are not supposed to carry other peoples’ crosses for them. No matter how much it hurts to see our people hurt, we cannot heal them. They have to heal themselves, they have to become conscious through their pain and suffering. Haven’t we gone through those dark nights of the soul to find our own light? It does them a dis-service if we don’t allow them this chance to heal themselves and access their inherent connection to their soul. 

 

Uranus prepares to leave Aries this year, dipping into Taurus from May 15 to November 6^th (the US election) before heading back into Aries until it enters Taurus for good on March 6, 2019. Uranus in Aries has tried to wake us up to our real identities – our archetypal purpose. Instead of longing for the perfect love, perhaps we’re really here to be the Teacher or the Visionary. Instead of getting lost in Piscean service that sucks our energy, perhaps we are here to be the World Servant, one who balances Self and Other as the best kind of service we can offer. Instead of being called to Spirit as a nun or a monk who denies the body, perhaps we are called to be the Priestess or Priest of Life and Love, following the demands of our heart, our body and our soul, trusting the Truth they show us. 

If you want to discover why you’re here this lifetime, look for the house in your natal chart where your Sun lives. That is your true calling. If your Sun is in the 7^th house of partnerships, you are here to balance others with harmony, beauty, justice and consideration. If your Sun is in the 2^nd house of talents, you’re here to let your talent flourish for the world, not necessarily to make money. If you’re a 12^th house Sun, be the Visionary. Patriarchy gives us few choices – to be in a ‘romantic’ relationship, to work, to make money. Boring and narrow choices that feed the patriarchal machine but don’t necessarily nourish the soul.

So if you haven’t already found your purpose, take these next few years to do it. The world will be better for it. And you’ll be more fulfilled. Once Uranus goes into Taurus from 2019 – 2026, we will be building our new world based on what we have discovered about ourselves.

Mars is in the last degree of Sagittarius conjunct Vesta – the fire priestess-- on the Galactic Center. He is her spiritual warrior and protector. They challenge this New Moon to stay open to new beliefs and possibilities. Don’t fall into the Shadow Sagittarius’ judgment and self-righteousness, although the world at the moment will call it forth. It’s okay to get angry at what is happening in the world or what your people are up to, but don’t get lost in the anger. All emotions are necessary and important. It’s how we deal with those emotions that matter. Stand up for your truth in the face of bullying and disrespect, but don’t do the same back. As that wise teacher, Jesus of Nazareth once said, ‘Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.’ Shame them into it if you have to by your own strong example.

Jupiter just turned retrograde in Scorpio on March 8^th, allowing us time to dive even deeper into our complex psychological identities and expand our knowledge of who we are in ourselves and in our relationships. When Jupiter turns back to direct motion on July 10^th, if we’ve done our inner work, we’ll be ready to ride the waves more securely into the future.

The Pisces New Moon occurs on March 17, 2018 at 6:11am PDT/ 9:11am EDT/ 1:11pm GMT.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun and Moon at 27* Pisces is: The Harvest Moon illuminates a clear autumnal sky. Dane Rudhyar in his An Astrological Mandala states that this degree is a karmic moment – it’s the seed of a new cycle of manifestation. Make it so! This harvest Moon is the light of fulfillment that blesses work well done.

 

The Sabian symbol for Chiron at 29* Pisces is: Light breaking into many colors as it passes through a prism. This next to last degree of the zodiac speaks to the fact that just as we seek unity with Self, with Spirit, with Other, we will always break up into multiplicity again – but on a higher level. Become the Rainbow! 

 

These images speak of letting go of the past and allowing a new order or configuration to arise from it. And see – it is BEAUTIFUL!

The Sabian symbol for Jupiter turning retrograde at 24* Scorpio is: Native Americans making camp after moving into a new territory. This image implies the ability to adjust swiftly to a new situation by tuning into its requirements. Living in harmony with nature helps us live intuitively. Live within nature’s cycle and you’ll be at home in the world.

Spring Equinox 2018

Spring Equinox arrives on Tuesday, March 20^th at 9:16am PDT/ 12:16pm EDT/ 4:16pm GMT. On this day of the balance of Light and Dark, the goddess Persephone arises from the Underworld and brings back life to the northern hemisphere. The Sun will rise due East on this day as it begins its ascent into the northern hemisphere. And Aries, the first fire sign – the cardinal fire sign – brings back the fires of life to us. So take time today to meditate, journey and dream about what new life you want to bring into the world this year. 

 

The Sabian symbol for this first degree of the zodiac is: A woman just risen from the sea. A seal is embracing her. This symbol resonates with the symbol of last summer’s Great American Eclipse at 29* Leo: A Mermaid emerges from the ocean waves ready for rebirth in human form. Let this new life come from your heart’s hope. It’s the only way to live if we want to change the world!

 

Kerstin Zettmar ~ Aphrodite Rise from the Sea

The Spring Equinox chart describes the next 3 months – some think it describes the whole next year. The chart has an Aries Sun trine the Mother Goddess Ceres, a waxing crescent Taurus Moon trine Saturn and Mars in Capricorn and sextile Neptune in Pisces, making for grounded, creative growth. Venus and Mercury are conjunct in Aries, helping us to speak with beauty and consideration – even when we’re irritated. There might be economic troubles heading our way, but we knew this, didn’t we?

Mercury Retrograde, March 22, 2018

It’s felt like Mercury retrograde for the past month or so, hasn’t it? Even though all the planets have been in direct motion until Jupiter’s retrograde on March 8^th. I guess 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Mercury turns retrograde at 17* Aries back to 5* Aries. All the Mercury retrogrades this year are in fire signs – helping us curb our enthusiasm so we feel and think before we act.

The Sabian symbol for Mercury retrograde at 17* Aries is: Two dignified spinsters sitting in silence.  Spinsters originally were women who spun thread and yarn -- valuable workers who made clothes.  It was only later that the word was used for older, unmarried women -- women who 'belonged to themselves'.  Never forget, the Fates were spinners. This symbol indicates it’s time to use our minds to turn within, look within and listen within. A great idea that indicates that this Mercury is related to the alchemical Thrice - Great Hermes. It's time to let your mind spin some magic!

 

May the Balance of Light and Dark guide you now.

Cathy

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Copyright 2018  Cathy Lynn Pagano