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 14^th, 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 15^th 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 19^th. First it connects to the South Node in Pisces on November17^th, 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.

The Cosmic Story: Scorpio New Moon, October 30, 2016

The Cosmic Story: Scorpio New Moon, October 30, 2016

Entering the Cauldron of Regeneration

The Sun entered the sign of Scorpio on Saturday, October 22, 2016. Leaving behind the airy social realm of Libra, we now plunge into the dark watery realms of the Unconscious. As we worked to balance our inner and outer lives in Libra, now we come to the point where we have to let go of what no longer serves us. This requires that we turn within and look at those emotions which keep us imprisoned in our pasts.

 

As we face our inner darkness, the world outside is also growing dark. The Sun moves lower into the southern hemisphere, bringing them the warmth of Spring and coming Summer, while leaving us in the North with fading light, shorter days and colder weather. Nature is letting go of its life as the year dies.

Just after this intense New Moon we'll be celebrating Samhain, the last Gate of the Wheel of the Year. At Samhain, the old year dies so the new year can be born. The veils between the world are very thin, and the spirits of the dead are very close to us. We celebrate Samhain, Halloween, All Hallow's Eve, the Day of the Dead, All Saints Day and All Souls Day to honor our ancestors at this transitional time. 

Hecate ~ Katlyn Breene

 

The great goddess who embodies the energies of Samhain is Hecate, most ancient Goddess of the Triple Crossroads, Queen of the Witches and Guide and Protector on the road to the Underworld. She stands at the Crossroads with her two torches and her black dog at her side. She can see the past, the present and the future and while we each have to choose our path, she lends us one of her torches and sends her faithful companion to guide our steps into the mystery of our future selves. For more about Hecate: http://ladywisdomchronicles.blogspot.com/

Scorpio New Moon

Scorpio is often considered the most powerful sign in the Zodiac, and those who incarnate as Scorpios, some of the most powerful souls. For Scorpio's initiation is pivotal to our soul's growth, which is to die to be reborn again. For anyone living under patriarchy, where we have been disconnected from our feminine, soulful consciousness, death is the ultimate test to our unconscious Ego. We have been taught to fear death as a punishment or an end, rather than as a transition, a change that will give us back eternal life. And so FEAR is the Gatekeeper we have to face as we sink into the dark, murky emotions from past lives which keep us stuck in old patterns of disconnection, betrayal, horror and hurt. 

 Charon & Psyche ~
John Roddam Spencer Stanhope

 

It's interesting that the American elections are always held during the Sun's transit through Scorpio, signaling a transition of power, a transformation of our collective lives. Indeed, that's also what Scorpio is about. Power. The ruling planets of Scorpio are Mars and Pluto. Pluto, or Hades, is the Lord of the Underworld, ruling the unconscious depths within us. These depths can lie quiet when we live by ourselves, but they get stirred up when we relate to others. And that's why Scorpio also rules intimacy, the emotional sharing that's necessary for a deep, rich life. And Mars the Warrior is what is needed to give us the courage to face those emotions.

Scorpio is concentrated emotional power which propels the energy of evolution, and so it is the repository of unconscious instinctual drives, old emotional patterns and attachments and the compulsive tendencies that we bring with us personally and collectively from other lifetimes as well as from our early childhood. These old emotional wounds keep us stuck in fear and suspicion. Jung called them the Shadow. They are the parts of us that we can't see about ourselves and which we tend to project onto others instead of taking responsibility for ourselves. The Shadow is alive and well in our culture at the moment. Perhaps the very obvious examples we see in the news will help us deal with our personal Shadows.

When we operate out of these unconscious patterns, we tend to use emotional manipulation, defensiveness and vindictiveness to get our way. This is the lowest form of Scorpionic energy, the unconscious energy of survival at all costs. The Snake often symbolizes this aspect of Scorpio, although its transformation is possible with the shedding of its skin—or our unconscious Ego drives. In many ways, snake is best seen as our instinctual wisdom so perhaps the better symbol is the Scorpion, which will sting itself in its frenzy to sting the other. We've seen this kind of lower Scorpio energy in some of Donald Trump's attacks on women and minorities instead of admitting his own mistakes.

 

Scorpio has three symbols because it concerns the process of transformation, and three is the number of process. The unconscious residue from other lifetimes which eats away at us is symbolized by the scorpion. Once we begin to recognize our Shadow and can name it, the symbol shifts to an Eagle. And Eagle is the highest flying bird, able to see far and wide. Like Great Spirit, it gives us an overview of our lives. Eagle Scorpios can look at and name their Shadows, but they can also repress those shadowy instincts and certainly not talk about them! They use their will power to keep those negative instincts in line. 

 

But that's just a step to the third part of the process: the death of old habits and complexes. The re-integration of those repressed emotions and instincts then give rise to a new birth, which is symbolized by the phoenix, who burns up old karma and arises out of the ashes with a new, spiritual vision. This is the initiation of Scorpio. To go through all the tests that life brings us and learn from our mistakes and find the meaning of what it is we are sent here to learn.

The two ruling planets of Scorpio are Pluto and Mars. Pluto, as Lord of the Underworld, contains the raw primal power of evolution, the unconscious urge to be more than we believe we can be. We can't stop Pluto's energy of transformation—we have to give over control and roll with it. Pluto exposes what is dead and decaying within us as well as within our society. And then he wants to throw it in the cauldron of transformation so we can use that energy for new life once it's cooked enough.

Mars is our desire nature, our ability to go after what we want, our will to achieve. As Aries' ruler, he goes out into the world to conquer it, to become 'somebody'. In Scorpio, Mars becomes a tightly focused laser with the ability to turn within and use its willpower to achieve its goals. This is the energy we need to face our Shadows and dance with them until they yield the golden energy within them. 

 

So with this Scorpio New Moon, we have a chance to plant a seed of power, the power to transform what is dead into soil for new growth. It is a time of letting go and shedding our old skin (that Scorpio Snake).

Scorpio New Moon October 30, 2016

The Scorpio New Moon occurs on Sunday October 30^th at 10:38am PDT/ 1:38pm EDT/ 5:38pm GMT. 

The Sabian symbol¹ for the Sun and Moon at 8* Scorpio is: A dark lake bathed in Moonlight; a powerful dragon slowly rises from the water. This beautiful and intense symbol speaks of the power of the unconscious to inspire us through the imagination. It reminds me of the dwarf king's initiation in Guy Gavriel Kay's magnificent Fionavar Tapestry trilogy. In this story of the end of an age and the defeat of an ancient evil, Matt Soren, the true king and Kaen, who has ruled the dwarves in Matt's absence and who has gone over to the dark side, must throw their creations into the magical lake on Full Moon night. The guardian spirit of the lake is a Dragon of great antiquity and power, who arises to choose which candidate is worthy to be king. Like Matt, we too must give our offerings to the Collective Unconscious and see what arises from that exchange.

  

Mercury, which entered Scorpio on October 24^th, is conjunct this New Moon. Mercury in Scorpio has strong emotional intelligence, able to see below the surface and strategize its next moves. There's a strong will here and an ability to communicate its vision to others. The Sabian symbol¹ for Mercury at 10* Scorpio is: Dinnertime at a beautiful old home; the father says a prayer and breaks bread. This image of gathering together, sharing food and blessing the meal helps us remember what is important in life. The blessing unites us with higher consciousness, shaping the mundane into the magical. 

 

Both rulers of this Scorpio New Moon are in Capricorn, the sign of our collective culture. While Pluto has been swinging his cosmic wrecking ball back and forth, bringing down rotten structures and dead weight, Mars is working to preserve what is still useful. Mars in Capricorn is happy to focus on what needs to get accomplished and does it. Mars here exhibits leadership and experience, taking responsibility for his actions.

On the day before this New Moon, October 29^th, Mars in Capricorn will square Uranus in Aries, perhaps setting off some unpredictable chain of events, especially regarding the US election. Personally, watch out for accidents because this energy is intense, dynamic and erratic. Freedom to be you clashes with the need to take responsible action. Mars has set off the Uranus in Aries/Pluto in Capricorn square throughout this past month, so if you've been feeling the Bern again, try to find ways to turn your ideals into action. On the day of the US elections, Mars is at 29+* Capricorn, signaling a responsibility to act thoughtfully and conscientiously before Mars slips into Aquarius at 9:52pm PST. That means, “Go vote!” Whether or not you're happy about your presidential choices, voting for members of Congress is even more important. 

 

The Sabian symbol¹ for Mars at 23* Capricorn is: A soldier receiving two golden medals for bravery. When we stand up for our principles and do the right thing, people take notice and we become examples. This is the perfect time to stand up for our ideals, even without getting those medals!

The Sabian symbol¹ for Uranus at 23* Aries is: A woman in a summer dress is carrying a precious veiled burden. New life is possible when we know what's important and precious. This is a great image for the protesters against the Dakota Pipeline. They are holding the space for the Water. Water is Life!

 

Also on Saturday, October 29^th, look for the Venus/Saturn conjunction in Sagittarius, making this day even more intense. When Saturn and Venus join together, we often feel unloved and unappreciated, as well as frustrated that we can't connect to what we love. (Donald Trump has a natal Venus/Saturn conjunction in Cancer, so he might be feeling this one very strongly, since it also is near his Moon and South Node in Sagittarius.) It may feel like you can't get what you want—as the Rollings Stones sing it, You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime you find you get what you need!

The Sabian symbol¹ for both Venus and Saturn at 15* Sagittarius is: Ground hog, out of its winter sleep, looks for its shadow. This is a image of prophecy, the foreshadowing of events and the willingness to believe in the possibilities presented to us. So put your intuitions to the test today and trust yourself!

The New Moon, and most especially Mercury, trine Neptune in Pisces, opening us to the Collective Unconscious and its deep stories and ancient songs. Meditate and listen to your imagination today to discover what deep soul longings want to be reborn within you. The Sabian symbol¹ for Neptune at 10* Pisces is: The aviator sails across the sky, master of the high realms. This seems to echo the energy of the Scorpio Eagle, the ability to see further and deeper than usual. So attune yourselves to higher wisdom and find that new perspective that will give rise to a better future for yourself and for all of us. Don't doubt yourself! 

 

It's time to step into personal as well as our collective Darkness with courage and a willingness to 'take Death as your adviser' as don Juan advised Carlos Castaneda. 

 

Have a blessed Samhain/All Hallows. Ask advice from your ancestors and face the unknown with courage. 

 

Bright Blessings!

Cathy

Sweet Darkness -- David Whyte

When your eyes are tired
the world is tired also.

When your vision has gone
no part of the world can find you.

Time to go into the dark
where the night has eyes
to recognize its own.

There you can be sure
you are not beyond love.

The dark will be your womb
tonight.

The night will give you a horizon
further than you can see.

You must learn one thing:
the world was made to be free in.

Give up all the other worlds
except the one to which you belong.

Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn

anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive

is too small for you.

~ David Whyte ~

(House of Belonging) 

1.  Steve Eardley, The Revised Sabian Symbols.

Copyright 2016 Cathy Pagano.  All rights reserved.

The Cosmic Story: Aries Full Moon 2016

The Cosmic Story: Aries/Libra Full Moon 2016

Make Love Not War

Volatile. Tense. Strained. Charged. Explosive. Inflammatory. Turbulent.

This weekend's Full Moon is supercharged by disruptive Uranus, the newly discovered dwarf planet Eris, intense Pluto and assertive Mars. Wow! Explosive energies. Or transformative energies. It's up to us. The Full Moon falls right into the lap of the intense Pluto/Uranus squares of 2012-2015. Have we woken up and evolved yet?

While most of us know about revolutionary Uranus and evolutionary Pluto and their 60s dance, and the always on-demand warrior archetype of Mars, few of us know about this new 2^nd largest dwarf planet in our solar system out beyond Pluto. Named after the Greek goddess Eris who was made famous in Homer's Iliad as the Goddess of Discord, Strife & War. As with all patriarchal myths, we have to dig deeper to see the real goddess energy behind the perceived (by Greek men) energy.

In Homer's tale of the Trojan war, Eris is the sister of Ares, the war god. When she isn't invited to a wedding, she comes anyway and roles a golden apple into the banquet hall where all the Greek gods are celebrating. For the Fairest One it says. Thereby causing Strife among the gods, who turn to a human prince, Paris of Troy, to make their choice between Hera/Power, Athena/Wise Strategy and Aphrodite/Love & Beauty. The human prince chooses Love. And so starts the Trojan War.

Like the 13^th Faerie/witch/wise woman in the fairy tale Briar Rose or The Sleeping Beauty of the Woods, this aspect of the Divine Feminine was rejected by patriarchy, and it will always cause trouble if we don't acknowledge it. This is the feminine warrior who stands up for the truth of our hearts. And when she's ignored and enslaved, she causes strife and discontent. It's a big Shadow coming into clearer view in America at the moment. What kills love quicker than being forced? Aphrodite with her beauty and sexuality has been made to serve all patriarchal systems, and now we see the disease of that rape. Aphrodite's revenge is to cut ourselves and others off from our hearts and souls.

When we 'disconnect from our hearts', we're disconnected from our essential grounding and are plagued by our fears and insecurities. Then we disconnect from others. Through fear's lies and hypocrisy, we create discord and strife, choosing competition, domination and control rather than cooperation, consideration and compromise. And to win what? Money, power, fame—all the things that young prince Paris rejected. And the Beatles sang, “Can't buy me love!”

 

The core disease of our society is the disconnection between our Heart and our Head.

So the Sacred Marriage of Love and Strength must be consumated within each of us.

According to Wikipedia, the Greeks had another view of Eris. In Hesiod's Theogony, Eris/Strife, the daughter of Nix/Night, brings forth her children: Hardship, Forgetfulness, Starvation, Pains, Battles, Wars, Murders, Quarrels, Lies, Stories, Disputes, Anarchy, Ruin and false Oaths.

It's important to understand how our Western culture has been shaped by a patriarchal mindset. Strife does cause hardship, pain, forgetfulness, murders, quarrels, anarchy and ruin. And of course, false oaths, lies or broken contracts do cause strife. As the daughter of Nix/Night, Eris' mysteries are dark, but not evil. Starvation, forgetfulness, pains, stories and disputes comprise the painful aspects of life. That's just part of having a human, earthly nature. That's what we're here on Earth to experience. Perhaps it's even our soul's initiation: Who do we become in the face of the darkness of human nature? How do we handle those experiences? Do we choose war and betrayal? Or courage and compassion?

Strife and discord are part of the human experience. But the interesting thing is that if you look up the origin of the word discord, it means dis-against and cor-heart. So discord means to go against the heart. Of course it does. We are not thinking with our hearts when we choose wars, murders, quarrels, disputes and lies. Paris was a smart man when he choose love. Perhaps he was a follower of the Goddess, a kind and strong warrior of heart. And so he chose connection. But the rest of the guys were set on war and spoils, hell bent on strife. This story sets the tone for for the next 4000 years of patriarchy. Make War, not Love!

So what does this have to do with our upcoming Full Moon?

The Aries/Libra Full Moon, October 15-16, 2016

The Aries/Libra Full Moon occurs on October 15 at 9:23pm PDT and on October 16^th at 12:23am EDT/ 4:23am GMT. 

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 24* Libra is: A butterfly with an extra left wing, balancing on a wreath of baby's breath. This is an image of delicacy, for what is more insubstantial than baby's breath? What is the delicate balance we have to sustain? Butterfly is an apt symbol for the psychological freedom that comes from transformation. Butterfly symbolizes our soul and for this butterfly to have a third wing goes back to the tension of opposites and the transcendent function which creates the new pathway. And of course, left belongs to the feminine, so the feminine capacity for imagination is becoming more conscious and connected to the Self. Steve Eardley's The Revised Sabian Symbols states that this image is connected to Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance, to the High Priestess and to Aphrodite, 'to grace and poise and to graceful harmony and interdependence'. Our conscious viewpoint must be graceful if we want to relate well with others. Why be crude?

The Sabian symbol for the Moon and Eris at 24* Aries is: Spring breeze blows a gauzy white curtain into the shape of a cornucopia. The breath of new life, those gentle Spring breezes, can shape our imaginations. When we open our inner windows and let in fresh air, the thoughts and ideas that are 'in the air' take shape for us. Stay connected with your heart while you listen to the wind. The cornicopia is a symbol of abundance and nurturing. Why not imagine what good things you desire? Now this is where the balance needs to be struck between Self and Other. Yes, imagine what you desire, but also keep in mind the needs of other beings and the Earth. This mindset will ensure prosperity for all of us.

The Sabian symbol for Uranus conjoining the Moon at 23* is: A woman in a summer dress is carrying a precious veiled burden. The word burden comes from the same root word as 'to bear, to give birth, to carry'. When I first saw this symbol, I immediately felt the woman was carrying a baby. There is something precious about new life that needs to be veiled from too many eyes and opinions. The summer dress goes along with the cornicopia—summer is a time of growth and abundance. So there's that abundant attitude. And yet, she has a responsibility (part of the burden) to that veiled being. Once again, how do we make the Other a precious part of our consciousness? 

Every year, the Aries/Libra Full Moon makes us aware of how we balance Self with Others. Aries fire leaps into the world, ready to take on any experience to achieve its purpose, which is the search for an individual identity—scientist, inventor, warrior, mother, teacher, writer, fisherman, tinker, farmer, artist… . There's that Spring breeze blowing our imagination wide open! And because that's Aries purpose, Aries energy is self-directed. What do I want? What will fulfill me? It's ruler is Mars the Warrior, because we need both his desire and his will to grapple with life to get what we want.

Libra's steady flow of air circulates our breath and connects us to others, motivating Libra's purpose, which is to learn how to be in relationship with others. Libra is open to listening to, working with, helping and loving other beings and uses her ability to connect to others to bring fairness and balance to situations. Libra's ruler is Venus/Aphrodite, the goddess energy of Love, Sensuality and Wisdom. The energy of connection.

So at the Aries/Libra Full Moon, we work to unite these opposites of Self and Other. When the Warrior loves and is loved by the Goddess of Love, he becomes the Protector of Life. Whether we speak of Arthur and Guinevere, Mars and Venus, Aragon and Arwen, a warrior's energy needs to be bound by Love, otherwise he just wars on everyone and everything. The strength and power of the Masculine needs the softness and heart of the Feminine to make the best warriors.

So how do we hold the balance? As Jung would say, we need to stand in the tension of opposites, working to reconcile opposing needs, and wait until a third way opens for us. Then watch life change. What better energies to work with than the power of our will and the power of our heart's love, since this is the time for us to stand up for the truth of who we are at the same time as we also stand up for other people, for our environment and all of Earth's children. Hold both in mind until you figure out what you need to do.

This Full Moon is once again resonating with the waning Uranus in Aries/Pluto in Capricorn square. Revolution and evolution on a personal and cultural level. When we throw together the awakening, disruptive energies of Uranus with Eris' warrior energies on this Aries Moon, we can certainly expect the unexpected this weekend. Full Moons facilitate an awareness of something in our unconscious that's been influencing us. Our Shadow. A hurt, a pain, a grievance that shapes our actions. If we leave these unexamined feelings simmering in the unconscious, they can shape events in our outer lives, magnetizing experiences that will shake us and wake us up. Especially if we keep disconnecting from our hearts.

Pluto just turned to direct motion in the past few weeks, and so begins the next phase of his demolition derby. Mars, that warrior ruler of Aries, has joined Pluto in Capricorn, making for a dynamic duo that challenges this Full Moon. Our desires, shaped either by the patriarchy's vision or by a new vision of the possible future, become the hinge of these energies, and it's up to us whether they are used for life or for destruction.

Pluto reveals the horrific dead matter of our culture, such as the revelations about Donald Trump's crude sexual mindset, only the latest example of an old collective, patriarchal male mindset of domination and ownership over women and our bodies. Or Pluto reveals our own mindset. Those Hillary emails show us what all politicians have to do to use their power. Truthfully, without being naive, politics does take maneuvering and changing positions which feels like a lie to many of us. Besides the missing email issue (which was completely ignored when Bush & Cheney did a similar and worse thing), wouldn't a connected heart acknowledge that maybe those deleted emails where private and about her daughter's wedding? I certainly have thousands of emails hanging around online. Why not Hillary? Perhaps because we have a disconnected link to our hearts and therefore choose strife and discord. Why choose to see only the worst of someone? We do create our own reality, don't we?

We add the Warrior's energy to the challenge for us to do what's right for others as well as ourselves. Mars and Pluto together are hard to resist. Add Pluto's primal power to our individual desire nature and will, and we become a channel of either evolution or devolution. Is our desire appropriate to our soul's task? Can we be a vessel for the energy of a transformed warrior? What needs to get done in the most life-enhancing way?

Mars will conjunct Pluto in Capricorn on October 19^th, carrying our Full Moon wake-up call into Pluto's cauldron of regeneration. Let the old die so the new can be reborn again.

The Sabian symbol for Mars and Pluto at 16* Capricorn is: An earthen cave crowded with uniformed men. Steve Eardley's explanation is pertinent. People are the basic resource a society can draw upon for all its group efforts. Ministering to the needs of the masses. The power of a disciplined subgroup to effect social change. Or, conformity, ignorance and authoritarianism. The symbol signals us to be prepared.

A good way to work with these intense Aries' energies—this Moon sparks our courage to explore the new, Uranus sets off the flames of self-awareness and inspiration, while Eris wants to know if we'll bring our hearts online—is to start with Eris and ask the questions. How do we handle conflict? Where do we create conflict and discord in our lives? What do we do when others create it and want to involve us? And then bring our heart into the picture. Can we get over our hurt feelings? Can we choose connection over competition? Can we step back, stay centered and bring some resolution to the conflict?

As we hold the tension of opposites, can we develop a strong compassion, a kind strength? Once we embrace Eris, the Great Awakener will use the power of the Pluto/Mars conjunction to bring down heavenly fire to inspire us to be more heart-centered in our relationships.

In the background, Saturn in Sagittarius still is challenging both Neptune in Pisces along with the Moon's Nodes in Pisces and Virgo. Now more than ever, life demands our full attention. We can stand up for what we believe and value or we can continue to let the world drift by. We can allow the lies and hypocricy to swollow our hope, or we can imagine a better future. What is real and true? Aligning ourselves with our truth is our responsibility.

Walk in the Light,

Cathy