Envisioning a New Future for All of Mother Earth's Children
The culture might be breaking down but Mother Earth keeps spinning. We've already arrived at the cross-quarter holiday of the Wheel of the Year called Lammas, August 1-6 – the first harvest. So we must ask ourselves, out of our new isolation, what have we harvested personally and collectively? It seems pretty clear that the culture we've lived with for the past 70+ years is no longer viable, so who will envision where we need to go next? Let's not leave it to the politicians and corporate leaders who are eager to retain control of us, our world and their power.
This is a time for taking on our personal authority.
What we feel and imagine and do is more important now than ever. As
the old structures crumble, each individual in society has a chance
to make a difference, which is really what democracy is all about.
Let's take on that responsibility like the King who willingly
sacrifices himself for the good of his people at this harvest
festival.
Lammas Mask
The first harvest was always offered to the gods. We tend to forget that it is the masculine principle that continuously needs renewing. The divine feminine is the ground of life and renews itself, but as all the old myths tell us, it is the male deities who have to die for the good of their people. That's because the masculine principle tends to get stuck, or refuses to give up power, when it runs out of steam. The old culture doesn't want to die. That's the power struggle we're seeing in our society. It goes back to the myths of Saturn/Chronos, who swallowed his children rather than let them come into their power. And of course, that leads to rebellion where the old has to be overthrown, rather than having the courage and dignity to step down and transfer power to the next generation.
When things breakdown, we get a chance to 'break on through to the other side'. Or when it's time for an idea, a way of life, an old paradigm or belief to die, it means that something better can come of it if we all hold the vision. What better time than now to re-create our global society, when the virus has brought us all to our knees? If we don't do it now, we might not get this chance again.
So celebrate what we've harvested so far in our 'new normal' – a renewed love of Mother Earth, a new sense of our own authority to choose how we educate our kids or how we work, a new understanding of our need for connection and family, a realization that all that 'stuff we've been programmed to think we need isn't so necessary after all.
What can we sacrifice so that new life can come for us all?
Leo/Aquarius Full Moon 2020
This Monday's Leo/Aquarius Full Moon was seeded by the 2nd Cancer New Moon, when we got a chance to re-examine the seeds we planted at the Summer Solstice's 1st Cancer New Moon solar eclipse. As the Covid virus continues to bring down the American and world economy, we have to decide what we really want out of life. Many people are suffering from lost jobs and wages, and nothing viable is coming out of Washington, D.C. to justify our trust in our leaders. We are seeing our governments violently oppose our cries for freedom and human dignity. Why would we give them our allegiance if they're more concerned with corporate profits than human lives?
This is the first Full Moon in our new lunar rhythm where the Full Moon in a sign comes before its New Moon. So we're switching between different elements and stretching our understanding. From Cancer's water we're looking at Leo's fire and Aquarius' air, wringing out the dampness and bringing to light creative ideas and solutions not only for each of us personally but also for the collective.
Carl Jung said the the sign of Leo was about individuation – the need to be our own authentic selves. (He was a Leo!) Individuation is different from the idea of American individuality, which seems to mean I can do anything I want. Leo is the sign of creative self-expression, the things we create, whether our children or our art. This moment we are living in is a time of human evolution, and the only way we can do this is if we each express our unique gifts by connecting to our Higher Self. That's why everyone is asking, what is my purpose? We need to individuate to find out. We have arrived at a time when many human beings are becoming conscious of this need for purpose. This is the big evolution we face.
Aquarius is the sign of collective consciousness – the ideas of who we are as a collective culture, our tribal laws and beliefs. We can see by the absolutely devastating response to this pandemic that we are not living in a society that is suited to our personal needs. The reality is we have been living with the idea of an entitled group of people – whether kings or nobles, corporate leaders or just the wealthy – who believe they have the power to control the rest of us. It's time for us to grow up and get rid of 'big daddy'.
Aquarius is the sign of freedom and that is exactly what we have to imagine for all of us. So with this Full Moon, how are we each finding our own freedom? How can we take back responsibility for our own lives? How can we 'overthrow' those who would keep us imprisoned in poverty and need? How do we throw out the most awful idea ever thought of – the some are chosen while others are not!
The Aquarius/Leo Full Moon occurs on August 3, 2020 at 8:59am PDT/ 11:59am EDT/ 5:59pm GMT.
The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 12* Leo is: A dragon circling a fantastic tree from which a single golden apple is hanging. The tree of life gives birth to the golden apple of divine love. The dragon can be the dragon of unconsciousness, or it can the golden awareness of the unconscious, guarding life itself. Will we dare to claim the apple? What if we met the troubles of our time with the Hawaiian concept of Aloha – universal love. Be grateful and send out love.
The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 12* Aquarius is: Life's broad stairway, each landing a new grade of life. This symbol can indicate the evolution we're undergoing. It's time to realize we can all be uplifted and an upgrade – not just a minority of the 'chosen' but all of us! (The Revised Sabian Symbols by Steven D. Eardley)
During this Full Moon, two strong T-squares form. Going back to Jungian theory, Jung believed that if we hold the tension of opposites, a third way, called the transcendent function, appears. So let's see how this plays out in our two T-squares.
The first T-square, which consists of an opposition of two planets with a planet squaring them both, is between the Leo Sun and Aquarius Moon squared by Uranus in Taurus. Uranus rules the Aquarius Moon, so it welcomes this third energy. The Full Moon is open to incorporating new ideas about living and what kind of society will meet our collective needs. It's time to be innovative with how we protest, how we develop and use energy, how we learn to live creatively. Instead of rioting and causing damage to people and buildings, why not create living art? Or do guerrilla theater in the streets? The main point is to be creative and free. Like how after the 'moms' barrier got attacked the men showed up with leaf blowers to blow the tear gas back on the police.
This T-square highlights what needs to change. What are the collective ideals about individuality, especially in America? Do we really need to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps or do we need a 'village' to help us through these trying times? Uranus in Taurus demands that we seek alternative methods of securing our lives. With people being evicted from their homes because they've lost their jobs and their unemployment benefits, should we leave their welfare up to our inept government, or do we come together as communities to help and sustain their lives. Can our communities give them shelter from the storm or at least demand that our representatives do something about it? How can we as community help individuals in their time of need in new ways?
The second T-Square involves an opposition between Mercury in Cancer and the Capricorn Amigos – Pallas, Jupiter, Pluto and especially Saturn, squared by Mars and Eris in Aries. This past week as Mercury transited opposite retrograding Pallas, Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn, he picked up the messages the other planets gave him about the state of the world and at the Full Moon offers them to Saturn. Saturn is about authority and we can see how our outer authorities are dealing with the disruption. It's time to become your own authority – because really, you are the author of your own life.
With Mars and his sister Eris in Aries, we get a chance to become the spiritual warriors of life. Or we can act out and just get angry like a child. It's time to put away the things of childhood and take a stand. Mars in Aries is asking us to choose how we use his energy. Are you into 'tantrum yoga' or are you asking for the courage and patience to grapple with what life is bringing to you? Remember what you've been going through this past week, because Mars has entered what we call its shadow phase, the degrees (15* – 28* Aries) that Mars will retrograde back to this fall. You'll probably be working on these same issues. Mars has hopefully come through Pisces as a spiritual warrior willing to grapple with the issues at hand.
Eris is called the goddess of discord, but really she is the warrior who stands up for what our hearts know to be true. Patriarchy has never liked people who listened to their hearts, because that frees them from patriarchy's rules. And of course, it's never like the feminine view of life which Eris stands up for.
Mercury is at the degree of the last Cancer New Moon, checking in with the Mother about what needs are being met and which one's aren't. It is conjunct the asteroid Vesta, the sacred fire priestess, who sees with the eyes of spirit and knows how to help the community prosper. The question is, will we stand up for those needs or fold to the collective pressures? If we stand with Mars and Eris, we can make a difference.
Venus in Gemini is conjunct the North Node in Gemini, giving us fresh perspectives on love, relationships and communication. Don't you miss hugs? Venus asks us to let go of our past insecurities around love and relationships and develop Psyche/Soul, our unique take on love. This is the time when we need to stay open to compassionate new ideas, changing our vision of society from winner takes all to it's time to share. It's sort of like the question King Arthur had to face – is it 'might makes right' or 'right over might'.
The South Node in Sagittarius is on the Galactic center, asking us to receive the cosmic vision and renew it. Neptune in Pisces squares the lunar nodes, challenging them to include a deeper spiritual vision in its plans and ideas.
This is helped by the very nice sextile between Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces. This is an aspect of the new opportunities we have to ground in a new spiritual vision that gives us hope and inspiration as well as gratitude for life. How do we let go of limiting beliefs about what Spirit is really asking of us and expand our beliefs that we are all worthy of life and love and happiness? Our old religions were built on guilt and sin and unworthiness. Let's let that go and open to a loving Spirit that wants us to co-create with it.
So go out and have some fun (Leo) with your tribe (Aquarius) maintaining good social distancing. Wear a mask that is creative and fun like you would wear on Halloween.
And the Blessings of the first harvest fill you with hope and gratitude.
Cathy
When the threads that bind a heart to the past are severed and the old ways scattered to the four winds, how do you raise a new world, a new land, a new life? You gather the bones and from them weave a new garment: its warp is the words and memories passed down from the last of the elders, and its weft is the courage and determination of those raised in the wilderness. From this fusion a spark kindles to become the light that will guide you home.
Kate Elliott Buried Heart
