The Cosmic
Story: Aquarius/Leo Lunar Full Moon Eclipse, August 7, 2017
Lammas &
The Power Gate of Leo
With this
Monday’s Aquarius Full Moon, which is a partial lunar eclipse, we
are half-way through the Sun’s journey in Leo. A lunar eclipse is
a potent Full Moon which offers us a chance to release old emotional
patterns we’re still holding onto. On the Aquarius/Leo axis, those
patterns relate to how we hold ourselves back to ‘fit in’, how we
hold onto ideals and judgments that no longer serve us, and most
especially, how we let our heads overrule our hearts. How
we dim our light.
All eclipses
help us shift our reality. The light and energy of the Sun is
blocked out from the Moon by the Earth, disrupting and then
re-aligning energies. This eclipse asks, how can we let our Leo
leadership abilities, our creativity and our bravery shine out to add
to, not take away from, the Aquarius group Mind? I like to think of
Aquarius as The
Round Table
where we all sit as equals, and this eclipse tells us to stop being
afraid to let ourselves shine out, especially when we’re with our
group. So let your Lioness roar and call out to your group. The
roars from your pride
will come back to you. And then let your group—your pride—support
you.
In Leo, we look
to the characteristics of the lion to understand why Leo is
associated with the Sun as well as the Heart. While male lions are
often solitary, groups of lionesses live together with their cubs and
a few lions, forming a pride.
Male
lions protect the pride, and it is in this role of defender
that
we see Leo’s leadership ability. Both male and females hunt for the
entire pride
and
perhaps that’s where Leo’s well-known generosity is rooted.
Lions are also playful – one of the ways lionesses teach their
young. Just as humans play with their kittens! Don’t forget, fun
is definitely a Leo word! And passion!
Another good Leo word, for passion ignites consciousness!
We are most
creative and ourselves when we’re having fun!
Lions and
lionesses are featured in most ancient mythologies and depicted in
cave paintings and temple carvings from over 40,000 years ago. From
Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia to the Americas, lions have
been connected with royalty. Lions came to represent kingship and
bravery, while lionesses were seen as fierce hunters and warriors.
Many ancient goddesses have lionesses supporting and upholding them.
The fierceness of a mama Lioness protecting her cubs is well known
and these ancient lioness goddesses were invoked to protect their
people.
Sekhmet ~ Katlyn Breene
Perhaps
that’s what we are being called upon to do now as the Sun and Mars
dance in Leo. The divine Feminine warrior has been resurrected (have
you seen Wonder
Woman?—definitely
in tune with the new Venus
in Aries
cycle) so we look to Sekhmet, the Lion-headed Goddess of Egypt to
show us what a feminine solar warrior does. She shows us how to
protect our people, our world, our Mother Earth from the savagery of
patriarchal beliefs, especially from the cancerous religion of
capitalism. She fights and will destroy, she heals and protects, she
loves and rejoices. She has 10,000 names.
Did you know
that we have fossil remains of lions from over 500,000 years ago?
10,000 years ago, during the Age of Leo, the lion was the most
widespread large land mammal after humans. No wonder the ancient
Egyptians honored the mysterious Sphinx, which might have come down
to us from that long-ago age, along with Sekhmet, whom you met in my
1st Leo New Moon newsletter. (if you didn’t already know
her!) The strength, power and beauty of these lady warriors is
returning to our collective consciousness; not as pale imitations of
male heroes but as uniquely powerful women warriors who also know the
power of love.
The Queen has returned!
The Lionsgate
This
year, the opening of the Lionsgate is especially potent, since
astrologically, the Leo Power Gate is at 15* Leo (just as there is a
powergate at 15* Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius). With the Full Moon
occurring at 15*25’ Aquarius/Leo, we are truly in this energetic
vortex. This is the degree in these four power signs that is a
doorway to the riches of each of these archetypal journeys. In Leo,
the riches we discover are self-confidence, power, leadership, pride,
creativity, self-awareness and light,
our light. In
Aquarius, we discover our visions for the future, our connection with
society and our archetypal Mind.
This Aquarius Moon will shape and embody these Leo gifts, will take
Leo’s offerings and shift out what is useful for our collective
well-being.
1st Harvest
This
is the season of Lammas,
the
Celtic festival of first harvest, when the King sacrifices himself
for the good of the land. It is the festival of first fruits, which
are always offered to the gods. For each of us, it is a time to
celebrate the beauty and wonder of life as well as to
release/sacrifice those aspects of our character—you can call it
the Shadow—that interfere with us shining our light
into
the world. You can read my Lammas story at The
Bard’s Grove.
It’s also interesting that after Lammas, the light begins to
decrease rapidly as the Sun descends toward the equator at Autumn
Equinox (for the Northern Hemisphere—Down South, Happy Imbolc!).
So
in this time of great Light, we are called to shine out at the
approaching darkness. This is our time to do it, if there ever was a
time in history. Chaos is breaking through, as the grip of
patriarchy loses its strength. An old order is dying and if we want
to create the ‘paradise’ that we actually have the potential to
create, we have to step up. We have to stop wars, stop the
degradation of our environment, have to stop poisoning our food, our
people and our minds. Those in power won’t stop—these poisons
give them power. We the people—especially Americans who will be
singularly affected by the August 21st
total solar eclipse—are responsible for our future. That’s the
whole promise of America, isn’t it? Self-determination. So as
light-bringers,
our work is to be creative and find ways to heal the minds and hearts
of our fearful neighbors.
LOVE TRUMPS FEAR.
The Aquarius-Leo Full Moon partial Lunar Eclipses
The eclipse occurs on Monday, August 7, 2017 at 11:10am PDT/ 2:10pm
EDT/ 6:10pm GMT. This lunar eclipse will be seen all around the
world except for the Americas. Since we’re the only ones getting
hit by the solar eclipse in two weeks, we can’t complain!
The
Sabian symbol for the Moon at 16* Aquarius is: A
big businessman at his desk.
Oh, this symbol can be taken quite literally about you
know who!
Or we can see someone who understands how to organize large groups
of people and things. As a sign of collective consciousness,
Aquarius can be future-oriented (Uranus as ruler) or stuck in
conventionality (Saturn as ruler). Let’s vote for an organizer who
understands what people need and want. So use your imagination to
figure out how to release the control and greed factors of being a
‘big businessman’ within your own psyche – that’s the Shadow
to be released. Let life flow a bit and let it reorganize itself.
The true patterns of life will emerge. Then you’ll know what to
do.
The
Sabian symbol for the Sun at 16* Leo is: The
storm ended, all nature rejoices in brilliant sunshine.
The potential of this degree is a release from ‘the dark night of
the soul’, a rebirth of the light and a new beginning. Here comes
the Sun! And life rises up in response.
As this new life arises, let it self-organize. Don’t be afraid to
be weird or original if that’s what life demands. Who knows what
we’re really here for?
Reading
the story of the chart is interesting. All 4 elements are involved
and therefore we have lots of trines, which create blessings for us.
Creativity, opportunity, an open Mind and Heart are the gifts
attending this eclipse. Earth—Pallas
in Taurus, Mercury and Vesta in Virgo, Juno and Pluto in Capricorn;
Water—Venus
and Ceres in Cancer, Neptune and Chiron in Pisces; Fire—Eris
and Uranus in Aries, Mars, Sun, Moon and North Node in Leo, Saturn in
Sagittarius; Air—Jupiter
in Libra, Moon and South Node in Aquarius.
As
you can see, fire
is definitely strong with air
fanning the flames. This is a lot of masculine energy. We have lots
of inspiration, passion, vitality. It wants to go into something or
it will burn through your life. The feminine energies of earth
and water
use their magic to tame and channel those energies though. Understand
that your emotions, when named, become feelings which can tell you
what you value. Earth is your grounding, so you don’t fly away
into the vortex. Remember, the feminine warrior! We have the
ability to ground and nurture all that creativity, especially with
the Moon tempering the wild winds of Jupiter into the solid,
contained Leo bonfire.
The
Leo Sun is once again aligned with Mars in Leo, just like at the 1st
Leo New Moon. The Aquarius Moon will be blocked from making her usual
judgments by the eclipse, so see where your Martian energy wants to
take you. Let it play—Mars is just an aspect of Eros—the
god of desire!
Listen to your heart—your head is anchored in the past (South Node
in Aquarius conjunct Moon). Old friends, groups, communities, goals,
ideals will tug at you. Stand your ground; let Pallas Athena help,
because the wise strategist squares this Full Moon from Taurus. Let
that peaceful energy shift through all the things we think we ‘need
to do’ and find what we ‘want to do’.
The
fire of Eris in Aries will block any effort to go ‘against the
heart’ by creating discord in your life—so listen for the signs.
But if you resonant with the cosmic laws of life, Saturn will hone
your desires and help build trust in the outcome. Both Uranus, which
just turned retrograde on August 2nd
and the Leo North Node add a bit of color and celestial magic to the
fires burning within and without. (2017 is the worst year for fires
on record.) We need to contain our inner fires—as within so
without! Let’s work some Earth magic and help stop those fires as
we stop burning. What’s happening in the world is intense, but
don’t get caught up in it. Be
in the world but not of it.
Listen to your own rhythm—your heart’s rhythm.
Jupiter in the air sign of Libra expands and accelerates our quest
for wholeness and balance, and adds this beneficent energy to the
Full Moon. If we want to heal the divide between us, we have to heal
the divide within us. Balance your feminine imagination with your
masculine rationality, your receptive side with your assertive side,
your love with your will.
Know your desires, check in to see if your heart agrees and let
Pallas in Taurus find ways to build it into your life. The universe
will provide us with opportunities and choices. Pallas can help with
the choices. She’s connected with the power and riches of Pluto in
Capricorn and has the analytical awareness of both Mercury and Vesta
in Virgo to shape it into a masterful form. Trust Pallas’
groundedness—she knows how to deal with things. Just don’t
repress your Sun/Mars energy! You’ll probably end up hurting
yourself.
Go outside and be in nature so you can hear Mother Earth’s
wisdom.
Venus
and Ceres, the nurturing Mother, swim together in Cancer. Our hearts
need are our hearts need. Love what really nurtures your growth, not
what nurtures your fears. This aspect is like the Tarot card, the
Empress.
She is life’s fertility, beauty, peace and abundance. Let her
swim and imagine, because Neptune in Pisces will support her
imaginings with the power of the Collective Unconscious. The World
Soul needs us to acknowledge what we’ve rejected and vilified.
Instead of power, ask for love. Instead of work, ask for creative
expression. Instead of money, ask for vitality and fun. Instead of
fear, ask for hope!
Uranus
begins its yearly retrograde on August 2-3 at 29* Aries: The
music of the spheres.
It’s time to turn within and listen to the voice of your soul.
The wisdom is there. Pay attention to your dreams – the best
source of news about YOU!
Jupiter
in Libra has its 3rd
and final square with Pluto in Capricorn on August 4th.
Jupiter expands and accelerates, while Pluto takes us deep into our
evolutionary path. Watch for the signs – it’s time to deepen!
The movie Detroit
comes
out today. It’s about social justice or injustice. Will we heed
the message? Jupiter/Pluto evolution.
Mercury
goes retrograde on August 12th
at 12* Virgo. The Sabian symbol for 12* Virgo is: After
the wedding the groom lifts the veil from his bride.
The feminine is the dream of love and connection, of safety and
home. The masculine must unveil that dream and act on it.
The
most fun part of this retrograde is that Mercury stops and turns
direct on September 5th
at the degree of the Total Solar Eclipse at 29* Leo: A
mermaid emerges from the ocean waves, ready for rebirth in human
form.
The longings of the heart cannot be ignored forever. Mercury wants
us to name it, be it, and do it.
On August 15-16, Venus opposes Pluto and she squares Jupiter. When
love comes up against power and expansion, it’s always wise to
listen to your body, trust your intuition and know your values.
This
lunar eclipse is speaking to us Baby Boomers born between 1946-1950,
when Pluto traveled between 12*-16* Leo. Our evolutionary path is
calling to us. Be The
Fool and
follow your dreams!
Until next time. See you at the Solar Eclipse!
Blessings,
Cathy
Red Bird Explains Himself
“Yes, I was the brilliance floating over the snow
and I was the song in the summer leaves, but this was
only the first trick
I had hold of among my other mythologies,
for I also knew obedience: bring sticks to the nest,
food to the young, kisses to my bride.
But don’t stop there, stay with me: listen.
If I was the song that entered your heart
then I was the music of your heart, that you wanted and needed,
and thus wilderness bloomed that, with all its
followers: gardeners, lovers, people who weep
for the death of rivers.
And this was my true task, to be the
music of the body. Do you understand? for truly the body needs
a song, a spirit, a soul. And no less, to make this work,
the soul has need of a body,
and I am both of the earth and I am of the inexplicable
beauty of heaven
where I fly so easily, so welcome, yes,
and this is why I have been sent, to teach this to your heart.”
~ Mary Oliver ~
(Red Bird)
“Yes, I was the brilliance floating over the snow
and I was the song in the summer leaves, but this was
only the first trick
I had hold of among my other mythologies,
for I also knew obedience: bring sticks to the nest,
food to the young, kisses to my bride.
But don’t stop there, stay with me: listen.
If I was the song that entered your heart
then I was the music of your heart, that you wanted and needed,
and thus wilderness bloomed that, with all its
followers: gardeners, lovers, people who weep
for the death of rivers.
And this was my true task, to be the
music of the body. Do you understand? for truly the body needs
a song, a spirit, a soul. And no less, to make this work,
the soul has need of a body,
and I am both of the earth and I am of the inexplicable
beauty of heaven
where I fly so easily, so welcome, yes,
and this is why I have been sent, to teach this to your heart.”
~ Mary Oliver ~
(Red Bird)
