The Cosmic Story: Aquarius/Leo Total Lunar Eclipse, July 27, 2018

The Cosmic Story: Aquarius/Leo Lunar Eclipse, July 27, 2018

Birthing the New King

The cosmic waves of change keep rolling in. Get ready for another powerful eclipse (although we won’t see this lunar eclipse here in the western hemisphere). This is the 2^nd of three eclipses occurring this summer – from Cancer to Leo. Don’t forget to go out and look at the Full Moon, even if you can’t see the eclipse. The sight of the Full Moon and brilliant Mars shining nearby will imprint on your psyche in a magical way.

Eclipses are magical moments where something slips through an energy portal to both destroy and create. It’s a path opener. Eclipses are known to bring things to a head; something is released, especially at a total lunar eclipse. It’s time to bring things sleeping into the light.

The energies during the past few months have been intense and chaotic, and it feels like things are getting more intense, very much like the stage in labor called transition – the contractions keep coming without stop. It’s an intense time, but it presages birth. Just as it is a dying time, it is also a birthing time.

This Full Moon in Aquarius and Leo was seeded by the big Momma Cancer Solar Eclipse on July 12-13, and some of us are ready to give birth (we’ll see this happening more and more next year when the nodes move into Cancer/Capricorn). Stepping away from collective expectations and finding new solutions to our old problems is part of that birth.

It’s during this most intense stage of labor that mothers have to try to stay focused on our task – to birth new life. The pain may be intense, but it has a purpose – new life. So during this powerful Blood Full Moon lunar eclipse, when the light of the Moon is veiled, we have to stay focused, to see and understand what lives deep within us, those parts of ourselves we’ve locked away from our awareness that need to be seen and acknowledged. These parts might be gifts we developed in other lifetimes, old behavior patterns shaped by beliefs that no longer serve us, or lies we’ve told ourselves about who and what we are.

This lunar eclipse is the longest in the 21^st century: totality lasts around 1 hour and 43 minutes. This means its influence will continue to affect us for years to come. And just as the Cancer Solar Eclipse pulled in the transformative power of Pluto in Capricorn, this Aquarius Lunar Eclipse draws in the awakening power of Uranus in Taurus. When outer planets are involved in an eclipse pattern, it signals a change in the collective energies as well as in our personal energies.

So, stop hitting the snooze button and wake up! 

 

 

That’s Uranus’ message to us as it challenges this eclipse energy. Change could happen quickly now. Don’t be afraid to step into the unknown. 

We have the Cancer Solar Eclipse’s grand water trine gift for diving deeply into our emotions as well as the grand earth trine’s grounding. It’s time to figure things out – to see the root cause of our trauma and heal it through the trine to Chiron in Aries – through a new understanding of who we really are. We can ground in the meaning and purpose of our life experience when we see ourselves clearly.

The healing is for masculine energy in men, women and the world. The signs of this necessary healing: Mars retrograde conjunct the south node of the Moon, the collective emotional ideals of mental Aquarius that need regenerating, and Chiron in Mars’ sign of Aries and identity. 

The New King whose sign is the Tree of Life 

The Divine Feminine has been awake in the world since the 70s. It’s time for the Divine Masculine to be birthed anew. This energy needs a new form: not a heavenly father and son who must die, but an earthy power of growth and life, of community and love, of protection and caring. And of an acceptance of death in its proper time and place. (One of the reasons I feel we create so much war and destruction is because of an unconscious terror of death. We need a better belief system to understand death and rebirth than burning in ever-lasting fire.)

Warrior, father, lover and magician: these are the archetypal energies that need to be embraced and developed as the New Masculine. Will men rise to the occasion? Some of you have. Hopefully, you will help others who are ready. This means women have to do things differently as well, since we also have patterns of how we use our masculine energies that have been shaped by patriarchy. It’s time for women to find our own way of doing things. And many of us already have.

Deep change is upon us and we have a chance to work consciously with it. While people are experiencing tremendous breakdowns and breakthroughs, we have no idea where it will all end. Thus the adventure continues!

Aquarius/Leo Total Lunar Eclipse, July 27 – 28, 2018

The Total Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius/Leo occurs on Friday, July 27 at 1:20pm PDT/ 4:20pm EDT/ 9:20pm GMT. The eclipse will be seen in most of Asia, the Middle East Africa and Europe, but not in the western hemisphere.

This lunar eclipse involves two other planets along with the Sun and Moon. The Moon is conjunct Mars retrograde, opposed to the Sun and square Uranus in Taurus. The reflective mental, retrograde Mars energy (which just joined the South Node in Aquarius on July 20^th) and Uranus’ shake-up, wake-up energy brings more intensity to the mix. It seems to be a call to action.

The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 5* Aquarius is: A council of ancestors is seen implementing the efforts of a young leader. This is a promise that we’ll be able to access our wisdom when we step forward and lead.

The Sabian symbol for Mars retrograde at 4* Aquarius is: A Hindu yogi demonstrates his healing power. What better symbol for the healing of our Mars energy?

The Sabian symbol for the South Node at 6* Aquarius is: A masked figure performing ritualistic acts in a mystery play. These rituals put us in touch with cosmic law and our place in the universe.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 5* Leo is: Rock formations tower over a deep canyon. This symbols helps us expand our perspective, showing us the vast stretches of time that shape our world. Do not despair! This too shall pass.

The Sabian symbol for the North Node at 6* Leo is: A conservative, old-fashioned lady is confronted by a ‘hippie’ girl. Placed alongside of the Sun’s symbol, this shows us that our societal values change quicker than the world of nature.

The Sabian symbol for Uranus at 3* Taurus is: Natural steps lead to a lawn of clover in bloom. As the bees gather honey, we too have to follow a natural path to achieve enlightenment. Time is on our side if we flow with Nature’s natural rhythms.

Dennis Chabot of POSNE NightSky captured this photo of Mars on July 21, 2018.

The Aquarius Moon is a degree away from Mars retrograde, which is at its brightest as it opposes the Sun and is its closest pass to the Earth in 15 years. The Moon will have a deep, red glow as the Sun’s light passes through Earth’s shadow, and there, beside the Moon, will be brilliant Mars.

Mars symbolizes men as well as the masculine principles of intention, focus, will, assertion and action. Reviewing our beliefs around these issues as Mars goes back into Capricorn before it turns direct, we get to set new rules and new intentions about how masculine energy is needed in society.

These cosmic alignments focus on what questions we need to be asking ourselves. How does masculine spirit want to be renewed and incarnated now? What actions are we taking and why? How do we deal with Mars’ shadow of aggression, anger and competition? What is bravery? How do we change our way of doing things? How can we shape something different by how we act in the world? Are we living our dharma? How are we contributing our knowledge and wisdom to the world?

This Full Moon eclipse added to Mars’ dynamic energy enables us to transmute old, wornout collective beliefs and ideals into new possibilities. Leave the past behind and open to what’s possible now. The total lunar eclipse occurs on the same day Mars reaches its opposition to the Sun, when it will shine at its brightest in the night sky. Isn’t this a sign of a desire to release the past and work toward the future good of the planet?

Mars retrograde with South Node in Aquarius will find us walking away from collective expectations of what we should do and how to do it. Just as Aquarius rules the round table of collaboration, it also rules mob mentality. South Node in Aquarius demands that we look at how we betray our beliefs when we don’t have the integrity to act on them. When it comes to dealing with Mars – the masculine spirit, left brain rationality and men – how have we been betrayed by them? What are our collective masculine beliefs if not that we are entitled to more because we are Americans. That we have to be rugged individuals and go it alone. That hard work will bring us happiness and success. That we are all equal. That we are free.

Which of these beliefs do we hold in our hearts? Which no longer serve us? If we want freedom, we must be free. That means we have to be free to be ourselves, to choose our own course, to love and create as only we can. That’s what the Leo North Node and the Leo Sun are calling us to do. Saying we’re free doesn’t necessarily make us free.

With the collective nature of Mars retrograde on the South Node in Aquarius at this lunar eclipse, it’s time to recognize that our world’s fate is in our hands. When we engage in community on whatever level, we are participating in our world and bringing our unique gifts to the collective. Look at what you’ve been hiding from and bring it into the light of day where you can create something new out of it.

With 6 of our 10 planets in fixed signs during this eclipse, there are possibilities of big personal breakthroughs on issues that have been stuck for a while. With Mars retrograde joining the lunar South Node in fixed air Aquarius opposite Sun and lunar North Node in fixed fire Leo, both square Uranus in fixed earth Taurus which widely opposes Jupiter in fixed water Scorpio, the power potential of this fixed grand cross is enormous. If you have natal planets in the early degrees of fixed signs, you’ll be most affected. 

4 Elements:  Earth, Air, Fire, Water

 

How are we concentrating our elemental powers? Our fire, our water, our air and our earth? How are we balancing them? Fire and water gives rise to spiritual healing and vision. Fire and air give rise to new beliefs. Water and earth give rise to fertility. Balancing water and air brings peace.

With all these planets in fixed signs, our patience will be tested. Staying calm and centered is the way to go. But with Leo/Aquarius, we need to go out and be with people. Be ourselves with people. So find your tribe and support each other as the energies intensify. Find the balance between calm and passion!

Venus is in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces (still trine Jupiter in Scorpio). Your imagination is wide open now. The connection is strong now between imagining and mastering what you love. Self-integration is the key.

We’re all being tested. Trust your inner spirit. Don’t fear the changes. We don’t have to go through anything alone. Where’s your tribe? Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s help with a sick friend or help for an internet attack, we don’t have to go through things alone now. That’s a new way to solve an old problems – help each other.

Mercury will go retrograde on July 26^th at 24* Leo and it will retrograde back to 12* Leo on August 18^th -19^th. All the Mercury retrogrades are occurring in fire signs now, helping us realign our passions, creativity and spiritual intuition. Mercury conjuncts the Sun on August 8^th at 15* – 16* Leo – the power gate of Leo. It’s a good time to reclaim your sovereignty.

Uranus in Taurus will retrograde on August 7 and will go back into Aries on November 6^th for a few months until it returns to Taurus in March 6 – 7, 2019.

When Uranus goes retrograde, there will be 6 planets retrograde for about 10 days. Just sit back and watch what goes on.

Enjoy this amazing summer,

Cathy

Letters to a Young Poet (excerpt) -- Rainer Marie Rilke .... have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~ (Letters to a Young Poet, translated by Stephen Mitchell)

The Cosmic Story: Cancer Solar Eclipse, July 12, 2018

The Cosmic Story: Cancer Solar Eclipse 2018

This week’s partial Cancer solar eclipse is powerful for many reasons. First, all solar eclipses make for extra powerful New Moons, since the planes of Earth, Moon and Sun are aligned for the energy transfer. The second reason is that Pluto stands opposite this solar eclipse, confronting us with the mysteries of power and transformation. The third reason this is a powerful eclipse is that it occurs on the North Node of both Saturn and Pluto.

Solar eclipses are New Moons where the Sun and Moon travel a parallel path together. So they not only occupy the same astrological sign but are aligned in the same ‘space’. Since this solar eclipse is the first of three eclipses that occur over the next month, it sets the stage for the last two eclipses occurring in Leo/Aquarius at this time. They are the bookends of the eclipses that occurred last August, especially the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. How has your life changed since last summer?

I’m going to skip to the third reason – that this solar eclipse occurs on the North Nodes of both Saturn and Pluto. Just as the Moon has nodes – points in space where the planes of Earth, Moon and Sun come together – so too planets have their own nodes where they align with the plane of the Sun. And just as the nodal axis of the Moon reflects where our emotional development and growth needs to occur, the nodal axis of a planet reflects collective issues that need development around that energy.

The nodes of the outer planets change slowly and right now, the north nodes of both Saturn and Pluto are close, around 17* - 21* Cancer, while their south nodes are in Capricorn. As both these planets shape collective energies, their nodes energize possibilities – which will happen at this Cancer solar eclipse. Saturn will test us concerning our integrity and character as a collective (the Russia investigation, political corruption, social inequality, religious hypocrisy) to see if we take responsibility for our collective lives. Since Cancer has a great need for security, they will shake up both our physical and emotional security through these hard lessons.

The south node in Capricorn is a perfect expression of a patriarchal society, one that is bound by rules, order and the rule of authority figures. It can make us feel responsible for contributing to our society or motivate us through guilt, repression and fear. Saturn’s Capricorn south node expressions tend to be repressive and restrictive, while Pluto’s Capricorn south node will use the power to dominate. Sound like the world we’re living in?

The North Node in Cancer is where evolution is taking us – to a more gentle, feminine, nurturing society that values feelings, creativity and women. The return of the Goddess is certainly part of this evolutionary trend! 

 

So the energies of authority, structure and responsibility (Saturn) and the energy of powerful evolution and regeneration (Pluto) meet here in Cancer, the sign of the Mother and of our emotional body. The cosmos is setting up an evolutionary impulse for us to take responsibility for ourselves, family, children, community, the feminine and most of all, for our Mother, the Earth.

These two nodes in the Cancer/Capricorn polarity are establishing new foundations for how we live here on Earth. Since Cancer and Capricorn reflect the maturing processes of life, we are certainly in a time when humanity has to consciously evolve to a higher level of self-awareness if humans are going to continue to exist on Earth in a positive way. Here is the new story we are challenged to engage in. Will we be part of the problem or part of the solution? 

 

This New Moon eclipse sets the tone for the foundation of how we go forward into the future. Mothers and father set the foundation of their children’s lives – for good or ill. Can you imagine if both parents were aware and equally empowered? They would raise conscious human beings – this is a future worth having. While our politicians engage in divisiveness and corporations continue to consolidate power, the cosmos is on the side of we the people of the world as we circle the wagons to protect what we love and cherish. 

 

The third and final leg of power of this eclipse is the New Moon’s opposition to Pluto retrograde in Capricorn. Picture this.

You’re home with loving family and friends, celebrating life and enjoying summertime. Suddenly, you hear a loud knocking on your door. You go and open it and you find Mr. Pluto standing there, looking you over as if he’s an ICE agent come to cart you away.

There stands POWER. How will you deal with it?

What is it you see in front of you? (Pluto is the invisible god – open to our projections.)

Do you have something to hide? Have you refused to look at your Shadow during Jupiter’s retrograde in Scorpio? There’s your ICE agent coming to find you.

Are you standing up for what you believe in? Uranus in Aries woke you up to a new identity. Perhaps you see a Warrior King come to recruit you?

Are you ready to use your talents and gifts in service to the world? Neptune in Pisces can connect you to your soul. The Master stands there, ready to initiate you into the power of higher consciouseness and spiritual insight. The Lady stands there, blessing you with Wisdom and Knowledge.

Pluto in Capricorn has been unearthing the corruption of our patriarchal society since 2008. But even as the hypocrisy and corruption are exposed, what is no longer viable is still struggling to keep control. The old does not want to give up its power. And so it has surged forth to make a last stand.

But Pluto is like the lava streaming out of Kilauea. It is unstoppable, pure evolution. It is creating new earth. We cannot go backwards. It’s the people who go forward who create the future.

Are you an artist, musician, dancer, storyteller? This is your time. It’s time to wrest our people’s imaginations away from mass media programing and get them to wake up their own imaginations. Live theaters are closing because young people don’t go anymore. Everyone is engaging alone with machines. It’s time to change that.  It's up to our artists to awaken people out of our collective trance.

Cancer Solar Eclipse, July 12, 2018

So what are you, and we, going to do with the power that stands before us? As with all New Moons, it’s a time to plant seeds. Add in the power Pluto transmits through the solar eclipse and use it to plant the important seeds, the ones that will go deep and stay true if we nurture them. In Cancer, these seeds can flower for our families, our homes, our kids and our communities. These are special seeds of creativity and nurturing and emotional intelligence. These are seeds of our imaginations, visioning a different and better future.

The sign of Cancer begins with the Summer Solstice, when the fruitful earth bestows its bounty on us (in the northern hemisphere). Cancer is the sign of the all-nurturing good Mother. But what happens to Mother under patriarchy? She becomes the witch, the Negative Mother. She has to follow the rules, she is inconsequential compared to the father. She doesn’t know how to make us feel loved and worthy, because she doesn’t know herself. Her power turns manipulative to make sure she gets her way. Love is abandoned for power.

Along with turning back all our environmental, social and scientific advances, the US president (who, along with his followers, seems to have a negative mother complex) has chosen this time to start a ‘trade war’ with both our allies and our business partners. He’s sure that our ‘exceptionalism’ will win the day. But he doesn’t realize that we have passed our vision of equality and democracy, as well as all our industry, to the rest of the world, and we are no longer exceptional. We are part of the whole – we are a community of countries who all share one home – the Earth.

So this is how he’s using Pluto’s power. To dominate, war and control. But that’s the old way – the old patriarchal way of using power. Pluto is opposing the New Moon, not to beat it down, but to offer to work with it to establish something more true to our values and ideals.

Pluto wants change. But we have to die to get reborn. Evolution can be painful.

If we want to see real change in the world, we have to be the change we’re looking for. How long have we been saying this? We have to do our part and step into our true power by choosing our heart values instead of our culture’s values. Our thoughts create our reality. Our change of heart will be shared on an energetic level, and that will create more power.

The (1) Cancer New Moon forms a magical grand water trine with (2) Jupiter in Scorpio (just gone direct on the 10^th) and (3) Neptune retrograde in Pisces, combining the power of evolution with the power of water to cleanse, to heal, to refresh, to imagine and to love both our physical bodies as well as our emotional bodies. And then it’s up to us to live in the heart. If you have planets from 11* to 23* of water signs, you will experience something special if you open to it!

There is another grand trine in Earth during the Eclipse, that is made up of (1) Uranus in Taurus, (2) Venus in Virgo and (3) Saturn retrograde in Capricorn. This is the blessing of grounding in the new for us. The cosmos wants us to grow something new and unique in our lives. Something that will free our souls and feed the world. If you have planets from 0* to 6* of the earth signs you will be affected by this earthy blessing. If you have a garden, go plant some new seeds. If you don’t, find a pot.

These two grand trines are in the feminine triads of water and earth. Wash the wounds clean. Then try to keep things from getting muddy. Know how much water your earth needs.

We humans are part of Gaia’s ecosystem. We really need to reclaim our place in the life cycle of Earth. To do that we have to honor and listen to our Earth Mother – to Nature and to our own natures. What are the cosmic laws of life? That’s what we have to get back to.

Then we’ll be honoring our Great Mother, our creative center and our cosmic purpose.

There are 4 planets cooking in the fixed signs, signaling a time to concentrate our energies. Uranus in Taurus opens up new horizons for us. Mercury in Leo isn’t afraid to speak up. Jupiter direct in Scorpio has a lot of juice, gathered during his retrograde – where should it go? And Mars retrograde in Aquarius is altruistic enough to listen to what you have to say. Both Uranus and Jupiter are part of the grand trines, so this cauldron of energies can be siphoned to both trines. Use this energy wisely and well.

The Cancer Solar Eclipse occurs on July 12, 2018 at 7:48pm PDT/ 10:48pm EDT and on July 13, 2018 at 3:48am GMT.

Other Celestial Happenings:

Did you know that on Wednesday, July 18^th, all the planets in our solar system will be on one side of the Sun. How do you imagine it will affect Earth?

There are between 5 – 6 planets retrograde this July—August. Time to relax and go within.

Tuesday, July 9^th: Venus leaves Leo and enters Virgo.

Tuesday, July 10^th: Jupiter stations direct at 14* Scorpio.

Thursday, July 12^th: Cancer Solar Eclipse.

Thursday, July 26^th; Mercury goes retrograde in Leo until August 19^th.

Friday, July 27^th: Aquarius/Leo Lunar Eclipse.

Saturday, August 11^th: Leo Solar Eclipse New Moon.

Walk in the light of the Sun and the Moon –

Cathy

Copyright 2018 ~ Cathy Pagano. All Rights Reserved.

Being a Person

Be a person here. Stand by the river, invoke
the owls. Invoke winter, then spring.
Let any season that wants to come here make its own
call. After that sound goes away, wait.

A slow bubble rises through the earth
and begins to include sky, stars, all space,
even the outracing, expanding thought.
Come back and hear the little sound again.

Suddenly this dream you are having matches
everyone's dream, and the result is the world.
If a different call came there wouldn't be any
world, or you, or the river, or the owls calling.

How you stand here is important. How you
listen for the next things to happen. How you breathe.

~ William Stafford ~

(Quiet Places: Poems)