The Cosmic Story: Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse, June 5, 2020

The Cosmic Story: Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse, June 5, 2020

The Old King is Dead. Long Live the New King.

Partial Lunar Eclipse

2020 just keeps getting more intense, doesn't it? We're just entering this year's first eclipse season and more intensity is on the way. It reminds me of the time during labor called transition when the labor pains keep coming without a break because the baby is ready to come out and be born.

So, here we go into eclipse season for more intensity. Eclipses are extra potent New & Full Moons that occur when the planes of the Sun, Moon & Earth meet at two points in space, called the Lunar Nodes. These nodes are believed to be points in a chart which show us the lessons we've come into this life to learn, both by what we leave behind (South Node) and what we have to learn (North Node). The nodes take about 19 months to travel backwards through a sign, and our present nodes just moved from Cancer (NN)/Capricorn (SN) to Gemini (NN)/ Sagittarius (SN).

Our new collective initiation and test for the next year and a half is to leave behind (Sagittarius SN) old belief systems, ideologies and ideas, whether religious or political or societal or economic, and look for all the information and options (Gemini NN) that would help create a more free, conscious, caring and united world.

There will be six eclipses this year instead of the usual four – 2 solar eclipses and 4 lunar eclipses (one was January 10, 2020). Eclipses are fateful turning points, both collectively and personally if they touch on aspects of your chart. Lunar eclipses reveal and release what is old and solar eclipses birth the new. In the next month, we'll experience two lunar eclipses and one potent solar eclipse. The other solar and lunar eclipse will be in November—December.

The Great Attractor

This week's partial lunar eclipse is on the Great Attractor – a gravitational force that is so strong it bends light (see Philip Sedgewick). And the south lunar node is near the Galactic Center. It looks like the heavens will be open to sharing some of their wisdom in this next month, so open your mind and be receptive to downloads. And pay attention to what you hear, see and dream, because whatever you're dealing with now will be waiting for you down the road this autumn.

But we shouldn't be surprised at the intensity of the past few years and the next few years because we're still in the vortex of energies created by the 7 squares between Pluto and Uranus that took place from 2012 – 2015. We are in the midst of Revolution and Evolution and we're all on this hero's journey together. And Americans are beginning our country's Pluto return, which always brings deep change and disruption to society. Hopefully, it will bring us reforms in government, business and finance.

Our world is on the brink of global change, and if we want it to result in a more peaceful, equal and healthy world, we have to do our part to make it happen. Because the old order isn't going down without a struggle. But we've all been born for this moment in time, so take heart – your soul knows what it needs to do.

In this time of uncertainty, there are so many stories about what's happening in our world. But are they True or False? How can we tell what to believe? Perhaps we've come to this cloud of unknowing as a global initiation to see if we can actually grow up into adult, responsible human beings and learn to live as one with Mother Nature and each other.

In this time of uncertainty, we are called to turn to our heart's knowing – after all, Venus retrograde just kissed the Sun and began her new Morning Star journey. She's happy to tune into the rhythms of her heart and listen for the wisdom there. This is a time when we have to trust our instincts, our human nature rather than our intellect. There are so many new possibilities to explore if we are open to them.

Our mind might be a traitor to the truth if we don't realize what is driving our beliefs. The media message is one of Fear, and our greatest unconscious fear is of death. But death is a part of life. What has made us so afraid of it? I believe it's our religious beliefs, because for centuries our ancestors were told that they would burn in Hell or Purgatory after death. Or religious wars that caused horrible deaths. Or being burnt at the stake or tortured. And they passed that fear onto us in our DNA. We've forgotten that death is just one gate of the wheel of life and that we do get recycled – both our bodies and our souls.

Where there is death, there is also rebirth. The Wheel of Life keeps turning. That's how evolution happens.

Fear, love, rebellion, anger, despair. Our thoughts are swamped by our emotions. These are not the messages of the Heart. The Heart understands feelings, which is how we value things. Something feels right or wrong. The Heart listens to the body and trusts its instincts. If something is really scary, our body knows. But we can trick it with our imagination if someone else suggests dire happenings. So it's time to stop listening to the media and start listening to your quiet heart.

The soul dwells within the hearts of all creatures, which is the source of real feelings and knowing. Yet this is not the physical heart but the core of our being, which we experience in the heart region of the physical body. The magnetic force of the soul, working through our hearts, holds us at a level that no external disturbance can reach. It regulates the heartbeat of creation. The causal body or sphere of the soul exists like a golden egg in the heart.

(Yoga & Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization by Dr. David Frawley)

When we discover our heart's truth, we'll know our truth. Where we stand. Do we believe in justice for all? Do we believe we're all equal? Do we believe in sharing the burdens and rights of community and citizenship? Have we gotten over being consumers? Do we all have the right to health care? Do we want to heal the Earth instead of raping her? Just what kind of society do we want and do we deserve? These are the questions we have to answer in this year of initiation and change.

Meanwhile our prayers, hopes and support are with our brothers and sisters who are standing up for their rights all over our world. We have to take to the streets when our governments try to take away our freedoms and our lives – putting our bodies on the line in hopes of a better world. May the Spirit bless and protect us all.

Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse 2020

The Gemini/Sagittarius Full Moon lunar eclipse occurs on Friday, June 5, 2020 at 12:12pm PDT/ 3:12pm EDT/ 5:12pm GMT. It will be visible in Asia, Middle East, Africa, Australia, Europe.

Gemini is how we learn to perceive the world.  How we learn to bring things together, how we see opposition, how we think about and organize our world. How we communicate with others.  It's ruler is Mercury, the traveling God, the psychopomp who helps us travel between dimensions.  With Venus meeting the Gemini Sun before this Lunar eclipse, our next journey will be to learn about Love, to live Love, to Be Love.  Our quest will be to learn to communicate it, to live it, and to learn about it from others.

Sagittarius describes our beliefs about the laws of life and spirit, our curiosity about our world, as well as our will to expand beyond ourselves into other realms.   It is our ability to open our arms to the Other, to welcome in immigrants to our homeland and our hearts.  Or to reject the Other because of philosophical  and religious differences.  This is the Truth Speaker, the Truth Seeker.  Or the fanatic and judge.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 15*34' Gemini is: A woman activist on a platform, in an emotional speech, dramatizing her cause. An interesting take on this by Lynda Hill is that the situation is probably about inequality and the effort it takes for a fairer outcome for everyone. So it speaks to our situation, and to the fact that many black women leaders are speaking out now about justice and equality. And perhaps it's time to listen to women, who have always been the nurturers of community life.

The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 15*34' Sagittarius is: Sea gulls fly around a ship looking for food. This image speaks of the issue of dependence on something or someone else for our nurturing. This lunar eclipse speaks to our need to stop looking to others for answers to our questions. What we are being fed are just the left-overs and scraps. The positive potential is to stand up for ourselves and not wait for others to give us our independence and freedom.

Since Mars is exactly square this lunar eclipse, the Sabian symbol for Mars at 15*52' Pisces is: In a quiet moment, a creative individual experiences the flow of inspiration. This image can inspire us to open up to whatever new ideas and potentials waiting to come into collective consciousness from the collective unconscious. Listen to your dreams and visions now. With Neptune so close, the creative imagination is available to play with. We have to remember to 'become like children' to experience it in all its full glory.

These three images give us an idea of how to handle these energies. Let go of depending on others for your beliefs, be open to inspiration and imagination from your soul and don't be afraid to take a stand on what you feel is true.

Venus retrograde is also conjunct the Sun, having just connected with it on Wednesday June 3^rd. It is the start of a new Morning Star cycle for Venus. During this eclipse, she anchors the Sun to her powers of attraction, beauty, love and body wisdom. We can be extra aware now of what our body is telling us. And since Venus is also squaring Mars in Pisces, she can challenge him to let go of his need to dominate and embrace her more life-giving partnership mode of relating. As we're hearing without stop on TV – We're all in this together.

What would happen if we opened ourselves to new possibilities and let go of our old beliefs that keep us boxed-in to a system of belief that is no longer viable? Our patriarchal religions and society no longer fit our needs or our knowledge. We can keep what is good and true from the past, but so many of those rules demand unquestioning belief that takes away our free will. We have grown more conscious than these beliefs give us credit for. Or else, these unconscious beliefs keep feeding our fears and prejudices and in some cases, keep us innocent of the truth of what our governing institutions are really doing. 

Blind Justice

 

Thankfully, this lunar eclipse wants us to look at these old truths and leave them behind if they're no longer valid. We were taught that American justice is blind, that we are all equal in the eyes of the law. And yet, we've known for decades this is not true for many of our people – in terms of race, of gender and of wealth. How can we continue to deny it when we see black citizens being routinely and brutally killed due to suspicion and fear? Or seeing our taxes go to big corporations and wealthy individuals instead of to the small businesses and poor? Why is socialism good for the wealthy and for corporations but not good for 'we the people' who need health care, better access to technology and schooling and fair wages for our work?

This lunar eclipse asks us to question our beliefs and stay open to new information and new possibilities. And the most important belief that needs to go centers around toxic masculinity – through the square to Mars, which symbolizes men and the masculine energy of life.

This Mars squaring the full Moon energy can make us angry, frustrated and emotionally conflicted. So watch ourselves because emotions are already high. But there is also the possibility that this energy can give us the imagination and spiritual awareness to make necessary changes in our beliefs about ourselves and the world.

Mars was part of the grand conjunction of Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter in Capricorn earlier this year. Mars often 'sets off' the energies it encounters, and it certainly energized our knowledge and response to the pandemic as it transited Capricorn and early Aquarius in March and early April. We could say it picked up on the ideas and energies of the Saturn/Pluto conjunction on January 12^th that echoed the breakdown of our society since the beginning of 2020.

The toxic part of that energy was apparent to everyone in America as we watched the mess the American government made of its response to the pandemic as well as the response to the riots happening now due to the continuing violence against our black citizens. The most toxic outlet of masculinity comes from our president and his tweets as well as some of our other elected leaders and police. (This is not true of all of them). The fact that we are not handling these situations with competence, grace and resourcefulness means that something isn't working. Our collective Mars is not doing its job of grappling with the situation until things come out right.

Now that Mars is in Pisces, these old masculine energies are up for renewal. Pisces dissolves old energies and brings them back to Source. We have to give over to death and dissolution when Pisces is involved. The Old King is dead – but he doesn't realize it. And that brings out in the worst in him, for he'll do anything to keep from dying and giving over his power.

This is dominator energy, 'my way or the highway' energy. This is 'the father' energy of patriarchy which we no longer need. We've grown up and have to make our own decisions. We can no longer agree to domination. We have to insist on partnership and cooperation. That's why we need to step into our own authority now.

With Mars conjunct Neptune in Pisces squaring this lunar eclipse, we can't bypass this energy. We have to deal with it. It needs renewal. The question is: Can we let go of old illusions, beliefs, superstitions and ideas (SN Sagittarius) that feed the anger, resentment and dominator control of patriarchy and open ourselves to new ideas, knowledge and solutions to our collective problems (NN Gemini)?

The New King

Can we let the old stereotypes of male superiority, of action over being, of intellect over heart wisdom, of power over instead of filled with power dissolve in Neptune's embrace and prepare that energy for its rebirth in the second half of 2020?

Because Mars will stay in Aries for the last six months of 2020 instead of its usual six weeks as it retrogrades in Aries over Eris, the Warrioress of the Heart and challenges the teetering power structures of our western society by squaring Pluto/Jupiter/Saturn in Capricorn. Mars in Aries can lead us to war, or it can lead us to new ways of being.

This will be the time when we'll need to stand up to stop any potential wars and martial laws that the powers-that-be might try to enforce. Our masculine honor and courage will be reborn during those months if we let it. We have to get over our fears about the virus and not be afraid to take a stand if that becomes necessary.

When we let the old king and his tools of violence, prejudice and domination die, we can look for the new king to arise with the strength to stand up for peace and justice.

So this lunar eclipse can open us to new ideas and new beliefs. We have to release any old beliefs that can keep us from creating this new world. That means fear of the virus, fear of the police, fear of the Other. Things are heating up in America, and while we don't have to get caught up in the violence, we need to contribute our energies to bringing down patriarchal power. This is the time. This is our moment.

Other astrological events:

June 3, 2020 at 10:44 am PDT/ 1:44pm EDT/ 6:44pm GMT. Venus kisses the Sun.

Venus conjuncts the Sun at 13*36' Gemini, starting a new Gemini Venus star-point. In 2004 and 2012, Venus crossed the face of the Sun during this same transit, something that only happens twice in a row every 120 years or so. So we are exploring a new dimension of Venus' powers as she becomes a Morning Star on June 12-13. Venus symbolizes the archetype of attraction, one of the primal forces of the cosmos. Our new quest is to find out what attracts us, what makes us passionate, whether in love or in knowledge or in discovery. So you know where Gemini is in your chart? It will help you discover these new passions,

The Sabian symbol for Sun conjunct Venus retrograde at 13*36' Gemini is: Bridging physical space and social distinctions, two people communicate telepathically. Hopefully this indicates that we'll be establishing our own 'innernet' connections so we can dump FaceBook and Twitter. Otherwise, it's about sharing our thoughts and feelings with others, no matter the distance. And understanding each other completely. This will be helpful if we continue to 'social distance' ourselves, but hopefully, we'll be able to also physically touch each other sooner rather than later.  Because Love will always be the answer. 

June 13, 2020 – Mars conjunct Neptune in Pisces

Here is the moment of dissolution of the old masculine and the birth of a new and vibrant masculinity. Or we can get lost in our illusions, delusions and fake news. The choice as always is up to us. It's always good to know where Pisces is in your chart – the place where you let go and let Spirit flow into your life.

June 17--18, 2020 – Mercury goes retrograde at 14*46' Cancer until July 12, 2020.

The Sabian symbol for Mercury at 14*46' Cancer is: In a sumptuous dining hall, guests relax after partaking of a huge banquet. This has been described as the manifestation of plenty and pleasure, of the bounty of Spirit here on Earth. As Mercury goes retrograde, we have to consider what will fulfill our needs. What is it we desire most? I'm voting for our new normal to be kind to Mother Earth and stop destroying and polluting her air, water, land and food. What about you? Find out where Cancer is in your chart so you can see what it wants you to re-imagine. New talents, new forms of work, new creative endeavors, new ways to be of service.

June 20—21, 2020 – Summer Solstice/Litha. Solar Eclipse in Cancer.

More on this in the next newsletter. Just know that this eclipse is in the same family of eclipses as the one that occurred in June of 2001 – before 9/11. This is why it is so important that we get our Mars in order – what kind of actions will we take if things take a turn for the worst? Will we let another president tell us to 'go shop' while they take our rights away again? It's time to step into our own power and authority.

Prepare yourselves for more initiations.

Blessed Be!

Cathy

Only Once

All which, because it was
flame and song and granted us
joy, we thought we'd do, be, revisit,
turns out to have been what it was
that once, only; every invitation
did not begin
a series, a build-up: the marvelous
did happen in our lives, our stories
are not drab with its absence: but don't
expect to return for more. Whatever more
there will be will be
unique as those were unique. Try
to acknowledge the next
song in its body -- halo of flames as utterly
present, as now or never.

~ Denise Levertov ~

(Selected Poems)

The Cosmic Story: Gemini New Moon, May 22, 2020

The Cosmic Story: Gemini New Moon 2020

The New Normal: Wise and Witty Conversations

As we find ourselves getting comfortable with the 'new normal' shaped by the pandemic, this New Moon in Gemini offers us the perfect tool to connect with people, since we can't hug and touch each other. Which is driving many Taurus' crazy since we love to touch each other. 

But with Gemini, we enter the realm of the Mind, and so we have to learn how to touch each other using other senses – our hearing and our sight. We might learn to consciously embrace each other with our energy fields. Although this happens naturally, we can also practice sending and receiving hugs energetically. As you can see, this crazy pandemic offers us opportunities to expand not only our consciousness, but also our senses. With Venus retrograde in this sign, it's time to be playful with our experiments.

We might also practice our communication skills, since this is the gift that Gemini and it's ruler, Mercury, offer us. It's time to start having not only polite conversations, but wise, witty, deep, truthful conversations. It's a time to speak from our hearts and use our emotional intelligence so we can start to heal our divisions. Gemini is about being curious and open to new ideas and new people. What would be the fun of cutting off experiences that can teach us new things about the world?

Since the Lunar nodes moved out of Cancer/Capricorn into Gemini/Sagittarius, our collective lessons have moved from what makes for a secure and happy life to what are the new ideas that can support the truth of life. We are at the end of an age – the future will look back to these years and see that ending and hopefully a wonderful new beginning. That means we need to keep hold of the archetypal truths that build life while leaving behind the moral bias and beliefs of this passing Piscean Age. The age of religious intolerance, casual cruelty and capitalistic greed is dying. Let it go!

The lunar north node of Gemini and south node of Sagittarius suggests that as we explore new ideas, we have the opportunity to find our own truth as we stay open to others truth as well. As Venus connects us to our Divine Source through her square to Neptune in Pisces, we can connect to our own truth and sense of Self. Centered in that truth, how can it hurt to listen to someone's opinion without jumping down their throats with our own? It's time to take out our talking stick and wait as we pass it around the circle. All opinions are welcome, even when it's not our truth.

This Gemini New Moon asks us to learn deep listening skills. As we get good at that, we can hear what is being left unsaid. It is those deeper truths that can illuminate why people have their opinions. Underneath those opinions, you can often hear their fear of the unknown, their fear that others will control them, their fear for the world. It's only when we face our fears that the false beliefs fall away and the eternal truths can shine out.

 Venus & Mercury ~ Walter Crane

We can also practice choosing our words so we seduce with them rather than hurt others with our opinions, which is a gift of Venus conjunct Mercury. Telling a story speaks to the heart. A little seduction goes a long way when we're trying to get our point across. Because if we're not clear, there's a good chance others won't be either. With Venus retrograde conjunct Mercury in Gemini squaring Neptune in Pisces, we can use the arts of wit and imagination to build a picture of what we want to get across. Or else these energies can make us lose focus and get distracted.

This is also the time to re-imagine our relationships. How can we be true to ourselves and yet committed to our relationships? Since Gemini rules siblings, we have to remember that our relationships with family and friends are just as important as our romantic relationships. Whether you're connecting with brothers and sisters of your family or your heart, it's time to step up your communication skills and listen for ways to weave a stronger bond. 

Gemini Sun & Moon 

With Mercury and Gemini, there is a tendency to be scattered, since everything looks and sound so interesting. Since Gemini is a mutable air sign, it generates wind and movement. Gemini encourages us to take short trips or deep breaths. The trick is to stay centered. So don't forget to breathe!

The Gemini New Moon

The Gemini New Moon occurs on Friday, May 22, 2020 at 10:39am PDT/ 1:39pm EDT/ 6:39pm GMT.

Gemini New Moon

The Sabian symbol for the Sun and Moon at 2* Gemini: Santa Claus furtively filling stockings hanging in front of the fireplace. This symbol speaks to the spiritual blessings given to the pure of heart. It is our child-like wonder and belief in the magic of the universe that bestows on us the gifts that make life worthwhile.

With Gemini's ruler Mercury conjunct Venus retrograde at this New Moon, we have a direct connection to our deepest values and the ability to articulate what we're feeling. If we can re-gain our child-like innocence, we can embrace a different perspective on life. One that isn't ruled by patriarchal shoulds and oughts, worries about money and prestige and fears of the future. This makes it a perfect time to re-write our personal stories and to re-imagine our collective future. Like the children's game of telephone, pass around your ideas and let others play off of them. And see how that original idea morphs into something new and wonderful.

Saturn retrograde in Aquarius trines this Gemini New Moon, keeping us connected electronically with our tribes. Remember that we're creating the future although we don't know yet what it will be, but know that we can begin to imagine it. Venus retrograde wants to keep learning, keep connecting. Saturn can help us stay tuned into our tribes to see what others are learning. It's time to share the wisdom.

The big challenge of this New Moon is its square to Mars in Pisces. We can't get lost in the collective fears of people around us. Mars will want to shoulder other's burdens, but now is not the time to do that. Everyone has their own karma to deal with. Mars in Pisces is a spiritual warrior, and this energy can be used to help those who cannot help themselves. It's a great time to tithe to those issues, either with your time or your resources.

Although it annoys me to see those TV ads which state, we're all in this together, we are in this together as one world. Perhaps for the first time in human history. So what will we make of this time? The future is watching us.

Blessed Be!

Cathy

A Blessing for Equilibrium

Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore,

May the music of laughter break through your soul.

As the wind wants to make everything dance,

May your gravity be lightened by grace.

Like the freedom of the monastery bell,

May clarity of mind make your eyes smile.

As water takes whatever shape it is in,

So free may you be about who you become.

As silence smiles on the other side of what’s said,

May a sense of irony give you perspective.

As time remains free of all that it frames,

May fear or worry never put you in chains.

May your prayer of listening deepen enough

To hear in the distance the laughter of God.

~ John O'Donohue ~

(Benedictus - A Book of Blessings)

The Dance of Earth and Venus

The Cosmic Story: Scorpio/Taurus Full Moon 2020

The Cosmic Story: Scorpio/Taurus Full Moon 2020

Emergence: Who will we be?

Ancient Beauty, as it were, shall pour over the land...

Ancient, Aboriginal, Primal Beauty...

Beauty that shall stop the Mind...

Beauty from all Pastime, blended into the NOW...

Beauty of unprecedented splendor shall flow across the land...

Primordial's Beauty has always been with us...

only now are we prepared to see... to BE.

(Galactic Shamanism the Star-Stone Ones by Mary Saint-Marie)

As we enter this season of Beltane, when the energetic veils between dimensions are thin and magic seeps through as the Beauty of Spring's returning life, we will have to embody this primordial Beauty in new and more creative ways. Dancing the Maypole or knocking back margaritas on Cinco de Mayo will probably be off the agenda. If we can't gather in our old cultural settings, we will want to find new ways to celebrate life, recharge our spirits and gather as a community.

Our world has changed in ways we never imagined.

Our world has the opportunity to change for the better.

How we handle this unfolding will determine if we become the change or not. That's what we've been saying to ourselves these past years, isn't it? Be the change you want to see.

Beltane is a cross-quarter fire festival, a celebration named for Belenus the Celtic Sun god. It is a celebration of the growing power of the Sun, bringing life back to us. This is a celebration of the fires of Life, the passions of Life, the embodiment of Life. So let us celebrate Beltane this year by opening ourselves to the Light. 

 

This is the moment, the moment of emergence. Like the Hopi myths of the changing of the ages, we will be emerging out of caves of isolation within our Selves, our homes, our communities and our countries. What will we choose to engage in when we emerge? Will our caterpillars turn to butterflies? Or will we be content to go back to what was before? Although I question if that is even possible.

We have been blessed with this amazing opportunity! The modern world and its machines have stopped! Once we start up again, it really is up to each of us how things turn out. Do we go back to supporting unconscious consumerism to get corporations flourishing again on our work and money? Do we want to create alternative cultures that incorporate a more spiritual, conscious vision? Do we value our time differently so we balance work and play?

How will we fill our lives now that we have our freedom (?) again.

We don't have to have the full picture yet of how and what we can do differently. We just have to start knowing that we want to live this new way of life. And stop the old habits from creeping back in because it's easier.

Hold onto the vision of the possible future. This is when we get to be co-creators.

Taurus shows us where our true wealth lies – in the bounty and fertility of the Earth as well as our inner wealth from all the lifetimes we've lived as well as from this lifetime. We come into life with a wealth of knowledge and talent and possibilities. Look for the house Taurus occupies – that's what gifts you've brought in. 

Pablo Amaringo

 

The Taurus Moon cycle began with Uranus joining the New Moon, awakening us to our new reality and giving us the opportunity to discover how we are going to embody that Aries primal fire. What have we discovered about ourselves that makes us passionately alive? What new ideas have come to us. This Taurus Moon cycle calls us to embody something new – some new behavior, physical action, decisions we've made. We don't have to solve the problem, we have the whole Moon cycle to work on what we need to do to embody this new energy.

In Taurus, our lesson is to learn to embody the Aries' fire. This year's Taurus' lunar cycle can ground in this newfound freedom to move and connect as states and countries start to open up. How we move and connect will determine the new form this fire will take in each of us. In some ways, staying indoors all these months has kept us not only from each other but just as importantly from Nature – from wind and rain, clouds and sunshine, moonlight and frost.

As you Emerge, imagine you are being Reborn into the truest version of yourself.

As you head out into Spring, let you senses awaken again – that's Taurus' specialty. Let yourself see, hear, taste, touch, smell and sense the world as if you are a child. Feel the world, take it into yourself, take joy in it.

Scorpio/Taurus Full Moon

The Taurus – Scorpio polarity is an important one to work with, especially now. It embodies the mysterious and powerful polarity of Life and Death.

Taurus calls us to embody the beauty, pleasure and intimacy that make life worth living, as well as learning to receive love, not just give love. As a Taurus, I can confirm the truth of that. Taurus often feels easier giving than receiving. So when you open your heart chakra, don't forget to open up the receiving side of it – in your back.

Taurus wants to incarnate Spirit in all things, bringing us back to the paradise that Earth was and still is. We have the opportunity to 'get back to the Garden' when we emerge back into the world. It's all about how deeply we see what we're looking at.

Scorpio teaches us the lessons of death and rebirth by taking us down to the depths of ourselves to face our wounds, our fears, our shadows. Once we face them and integrate their lessons, we are reborn into our true Self. Then we can learn to hone our Will so that we know who we are and what we really desire. Because Scorpio wants to feel the intensity of life without being overwhelmed by it.

The energy of Life cannot exist without the energy of Death. They are one and the same energy. So with this Scorpio Full Moon, Life itself demands the release of dead energy within us so that we can plant the new seeds we want to blossom in the coming years.

The Scorpio/Taurus Full Moon occurs on Thursday, May 7^th at 3:45am PDT/ 6:45am EDT/ 11:45am GMT. 

 

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 18* Taurus is: A woman airing an old bag through the open window of her room. This symbol speaks to the need to let go of our old ego attachments: it's the opportunity to let go and purify who we think we are.

The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 18* Scorpio is: A path through woods brilliant with multicolored leaves. This is the way to face death! To see the glory of a life well lived. We need to trust that all our troubles, our pain, our issues have been there to teach us how to meet this moment and transcend our fears. The future awaits us!

Full Moon energies bring what's been hidden from our ego consciousness to light. As we re-engage in the world, this Scorpio Full Moon might reflect back to us what we really yearn for – those things in life that bring us peace and joy and satisfaction. I hope we remember this as we fully emerge and get back into the swing of summer life.

While this watery Full Moon brings up issues of letting go of what no longer serves life, it also has a powerful hit from Neptune in Pisces, opening us to compassion, not only for all people suffering during this pandemic, but also for ourselves. We came into this lifetime with lessons which were probably meant to help us forge a new vision of life, because we are the most conscious group of human beings this world has seen in millennia. This is the time and the place we need to begin.

Neptune also gives us the tool of the creative imagination to help us through this death and rebirth of our culture. For this is the death of patriarchy if we want it to be. As we release the emotional wounds that keep us repeating our insanity, we need to fill those spaces with possibilities. And that's what Neptune can do for us. Living in our active imaginations can change our habits quicker than anything else.

Since Mercury is conjunct the Taurus Sun, we have the ability to see and communicate what is broken in our society (Mercury trine the Pluto/Jupiter conjunction in Capricorn) as well as what expectations we need to let go of in trying to return to 'normal'. Instead, we can be looking for opportunities to bring something into play that people need. Something many of us have spent our lifetimes discovering and learning.

Now is the time for us to lead the way into a better future.

Venus is the ruler of Taurus while Mars is the ruler of Scorpio. At this Full Moon they are in a great relationship with each other. They're talking, which is an important part of any relationship right now. Venus doesn't want to be tied down since she's slowing down to turn retrograde on May 12-13, especially since she is out of bounds (beyond the cultural norm) and therefore a wild card. Venus is in Gemini, where she wants to keep her options open. Since Mars is in Aquarius, his energy is affecting our collective consciousness – so stand up for our ideals and change how people think about things by our actions. Mars is the protector and defender, the energy that isn't afraid to grapple with an issue to discover it's best resolution.

Aphrodite is the earlier Greek version of Venus and she has much to teach us. Aphrodite wasn't a mother or wife. She was the sexually free woman, but she wasn't promiscuous. She chose her partners and held them to high standards. She wanted the experience of Beauty, Sexuality and Love to combine intimacy with autonomy. Letting ourselves experience Love outside the norm – a great time to go love a tree.

This is the question that Venus retrograde in Gemini will pose us is: If love doesn't embody freedom, is it really love?

Since Venus in Gemini loves a witty, wise conversation, this is a good place to start. If we are rebirthing the world, we need to rebirth the love experience, which starts with communication and understanding.

This Venus retrograde, which will see Venus descending into the western horizon ending her time as an Evening Star, will resonate back to 2004 and 2012, when Venus crossed the face of the Sun. What was happening in your life then? Look to your Gemini house to see.

The great challenge of this chart is the Saturn in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus, which will operate the whole of 2021. So we are seeing a bit ahead to what is waiting for us next year. Saturn and Uranus have a 45 year cycle which brings into society new ideas, inventions and life circumstances. Uranus gives us the new creative ideas while Saturn gives us the forms and structures that will manifest those ideas.

It's time to liberate ourselves from old collective mindsets. It's time to bring all that creativity into our bodies and the physical world. This is where we are meant to make a difference. This is where we are meant to be. It's time to start creating a structure or plan (Saturn) to establish the new possibilities the world needs (Uranus).

Uranus was in earthy Virgo during the birth of this Pluto/Uranus cycle. And look at all the creative, outlandish, wild and free things that came out of the 60s. Taurus will offer us another chance to bring that Uranian energy down to earth, so let us be disciplined wild people and cultivate our relationship with Mother Earth while letting the creative force flow through us. 

 

This is the Wesak Full Moon, when the Buddha attained Nirvana – when he saw the truth of the world. It's amazing to realize we've all been on a retreat in our isolation, meditating on life. With this Buddha Moon, it is a time of realization, when even the most unconscious of us had to look at ourselves and our behavior. Who are we now? Who will we be when we go back out – emerge – and what will we see? Will we see with new eyes? What will come of it.? We've all been on retreat for 40 days/40 nights. The question is, what have we discovered?

This winter and early spring, all the planets were moving forward (except for Mercury from February 16 – March 9). Now we're going to see some of the planets start their retrograde motion – meaning we'll be still looking inside ourselves even as we get out of our isolation.

The Lunar Nodes are changing signs on May 5th.  They leave Cancer/Capricorn and start to make their way through Gemini/Sagittarius.  Our new concern is to be open-minded, not bogged down by the truths of the past.

Pluto in Capricorn went regrade on April 25, giving us a chance to examine what power is and what it means to us.

Saturn goes retrograde in Aquarius on May 10-11, giving us a chance to restructure how we want to go forward after this.

Venus in Gemini goes retrograde on May 12-13, giving us a chance to decide what's important to us – what our values are and how we want to live them.

Jupiter in Capricorn goes retrograde on May 14, giving us a chance to expand our understanding of what is happening in our culture and how we fit into a new society.

The asteroid Pallas, the energy of strategic knowledge, goes retrograde on May 17, helping us to formulate our specific strategy for the future.

The asteroid Juno, the energy of relationship, goes direct on May 26-27, so take your relationships to a new level.

May the 4^th be with you!

Cathy

The Cosmic Story: Taurus New Moon 2020

The Cosmic Story: Taurus New Moon 2020

“ Creating the Future from Aries Primal Fire”

EarthRise ~ The Woman Clothed with the Sun

Happy Earth Day! Mother Earth is much happier now that we've just stopped. The air pollution is down and wildlife is taking advantage of our human isolation. On this 50^th Anniversary of Earth Day (isn't it sad that we even need to have Earth Day rather than it being Earth Day everyday), let's all remember that the Earth is the only home we have. Is economic wealth worth losing that home?

I love that Earth Day takes place during Taurus, the first, fixed earth sign of the zodiac. And this year we are blessed. Wednesday's Taurus New Moon will be very different from other Taurus New Moons because it will be joined by Uranus, the planet of Awakening and Innovation. Usually the energy of the Taurus New Moon is sensual, calm and practical. But not this time. Watch for a surprise.

With Uranus' lightning bolt energizing this New Moon seed, we'll be stepping into the future in some way. Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune will also be challenging this New Moon to open us up to new ideas and visions, even if we all just want to find some peace and quiet in the beauty of Spring. We're challenged to let go of the old story and plant the seed of the new story.

Of course, the background to all this innovation is the pandemic the world is dealing with. And that goes back astrologically to the big Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto conjunction in Capricorn that we've been dealing with since January 12, 2020.

Astrology is so amazing because it gives us a cosmic perspective on what may happen in our world. Knowing that something big was going to happen this year, while not knowing exactly what form it would take, helped us prepare ourselves for the shock, and is helping us see the deeper meaning in what we're experiencing.

This potent conjunction symbolically informed us that the very structures of our society – our governments, our finances, our corporations, our institutions – were going to crumble under some form of stress. That those institutions which were no longer viable were not going to be able to handle the situation. And so it has proven to be. 

 

I keep thinking of a 60s musical – Stop the World, I Want to Get Off. That is what's happening right now. Oil prices have hit rock bottom. The institutions we've come to depend on are overwhelmed. Our world has stopped working. And that might be the best thing we could hope for. Because we are heading into an unknown future which needs us to reinvent almost all aspects of our common life.

Those corporations which we've fed by our consumerism have outsourced the ability to take care of our basic needs. Our food, our medicines, our resources are not easily available when they have to come from the other side of a shutdown world. We are discovering that we need a new system. And one that helps 'the people' and not corporate interests, like world leaders did in the 2009 financial crisis.

And whether we want to admit it or not, our 'death' mentality – our constant wars, our environmental degradation, the violence in our media, our wealth inequality which gives rise to our homeless populations, our starving people, our refugees – is coming back to haunt us. This pandemic has sent us to our rooms to make us face death.

The old patriarchal rules that shaped our behavior since childhood are also dissolving within each of us. We're being left alone to face our Shadows and re-discover our Inner Light. If we can work through those Shadows – are we good enough, pretty enough, wealthy enough, clever enough, determined enough – we can uncover the original light that came into the world at our birth. We can go back to that original blessing and build the future world on that.

That is the promise of this unique Taurus New Moon (Uranus hasn't been in Taurus since 1935-1942, during the New Deal). Perhaps this will be the opportunity we need to get the Green New Deal up and running. How can any of us want to go back to 'normal' after we've seen and experienced clear skies, clear water, quiet nature? As one young girl told her mom, 'We can't go back to normal. That would mean we haven't learned our lesson from this.” Out of the mouths of babes...

The Taurus New Moon occurs on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 – Earth Day – at 7:26pm PDT/ 10:26pm EDT and on Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 3:26am GMT.

Taurus New Moon April 22, 2020

The Sabian symbol for the Sun and Moon at 4* Taurus is: The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Just the message we need to help us envision the future rather than retreat to the past. Rainbows have always been symbolic of a bridge between Heaven and Earth, a promise of peace after the storm. When we see things from a higher, larger perspective, anything becomes possible. With this symbolic pot of gold, we can build a better future. Isn't that what we all long for? To create a better future for ourselves and the world? 

Amanda Curtis -- Long Island 

This year is the time to start. We each have the power within us to leave the old 'death' society we've been born into and together create a new, better version of the world. One where we work with and honor Mother Nature. Where no one is left behind. Where individuals, not corporations, decide what is best for life. Where creativity and kindness, community and partnership are the foundation stones of a new society that will stretch 2000 years into the future.

We are those foundation stones.

The Sabian symbol for Uranus at 7* Taurus is: The woman of Sumaria at the ancestral well. This symbol comes from a beautiful story about the Christ. Early in his ministry, Jesus comes upon a woman at a well from a tribe despised by the Jews. She is also unmarried, probably considered a prostitute and therefore an outcast in some ways. She would certainly be considered 'unworthy' by the leaders of both her tribe and the Jews. And yet because of her kindness in offering water to Jesus when he was thirsty, he reveals to her, for the first time to anyone, that he is the Messiah. Jesus came to replace an old tribal, patriarchal order with a new order based on Love. 

 

This Uranus calls to the Exiles and to those people and values our collective society has rejected and reviled. And it is especially the rejected and reviled feminine spirit within each of us that can receive this new spiritual, evolutionary and society-transforming vision of the future. The creative future descends first to that which has become chaos. And old order is never open to a new Revelation until it has accepted disorder in the name of that Power which subsumes all forms of order, i.e. Love. (An Astrological Mandala: Dane Rudhyar.)

Interesting that the Greek myth of the creation says that 'first there is chaos and then arose broad-bossomed Earth'. And when Uranus became all too much for our Momma Earth, she got Saturn to cut off his phallus, which birthed Aprhodite – Love and Wisdom of the Earth. The archetypal energy that rules this New Moon and Uranus.

Taurus is a fixed earth sign, the builder and container of the primal fire of Aries. Taurus asks: How does that fire want to manifest? We astrologers say that our soul's creative impulse starts in the house that Aries occupies in our natal chart. You might want to think about that. Where is that fire in you, and how does it want to manifest? 

 

Taurus embodies our values and self-worth, as well as the talents we have. They are the building blocks of what we manifest. Taurus values love and sensuality, peace and security, simplicity and even frugality when balanced. Most Taurus' are humble and modest and kind and compassionate. The interpretation of a materialistic Taurus who overdoes things is the most negative reading of Taurus, seeing greed and possessiveness as its hallmark as exemplified by the story of Midas and his Golden Touch.

But it is Taurus who sees the promise of the Garden of Eden – the simple, blissful life when we were connected to Mother Nature and all beings were at peace. The vision of spirit come to Earth. Where we appreciate beauty and serenity, comfort and connection. Taurus is ruled by Venus/Aphrodite after all. Love is always at the Center for Taurus. That's the true nature of Taurus. That's the image we can hold in our hearts as we imagine our Future this month. 

 

Venus is the archetypal power that energizes Taurus. Venus is now in Gemini, the sign of the mind and consciousness and is about to go retrograde in Gemini on May 12^th – 13^th at 22* Gemini back to 6* Gemini on June 24^th – 25^th. Gemini is the sign of curiosity and the search for knowledge. So Venus is going back to find some bit of knowledge that she left behind.

The Sabian symbol for Venus at 22* Gemini is: Dancing couples at a harvest festival. This image of couples dancing in a new yet old rhythm speaks to the need for us to unite our masculine and feminine energies as well as partnering up with men and women who can help us keep up the rhythm. A harvest festival means that we have grown something that can sustain us through the coming cycle. The dance encourages the need to embody our emotions and then use our mind to 'make it so'. 

 

Venus is an Evening Star now but will be moving between the Earth and the Sun when she retrogrades. Venus will disappear from the evening sky on May 28^th and become a Morning Star on June 11^th.

The Sabian symbol for Venus turning direct at 6* Gemini is: Night workmen drill amidst noise and confusion. This is what we are facing. We need to look it in the eye and name it for what it is. The noise and confusion of our modern life isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it? We need to think about what we really want and need, what we really love. That knowing will decide how to act to change the world.

So with the Taurus New Moon/ Uranus and Venus in Gemini, we are invited to imagine what the most beautiful, most ingenious, most interesting future for ourselves and the world might be. This is our playtime this year – things won't be really changing until next year. There will be lots of revising and reconsideration this year, so don't get stuck on one option or one point of view. This is the year to explore possibilities.

Venus and Mars are both in air signs, so they are open to conversing about these new possibilities. The issue is that the old ways are dying and these are the masculine yang aspects of our society. We have to let the the yang die so the yin, feminine energy can re-birth the world for us, as the divine Feminine always does. Mars is the dying and rising God, just as Venus is the Eternal Mother and Goddess of Life. So Venus and Mars are trying to work it all out. Mars in Aquarius helps us find our ideals and open to cosmic vision about what the masculine yang energy needs to do and become.

Venus and Mars

The other player in this situation is Mercury, which went regrade in Pisces for almost two months before heading into Aries on April 10^th. Perhaps you've noticed that people have been expressing their opinions rather loudly (the strikes and also online) since then. Mercury, the messenger god and ruler of Gemini – and Venus and therefore an influence on the Taurus New Moon – loves a good fight when in Aries, either physically or verbally. Mercury in Aries is a brilliant planner, and is at its most positive when we use mental energy to start making plans for the future now. Don't waste time arguing with people – everybody thinks they're right. That's Mercury in Aries for you.

As astrologer Anne Ortelee so brilliantly reminds us, Mercury is giving us the message to pay attention to what's going on now as it comes up to its square to Pluto and Jupiter in Capricorn. Because it will show us what we'll be dealing with in the second half of the year.

We're in for a rocky ride come this summer when Mars travels through Aries and retrogrades there, remaining in Aries for 6 months instead of 6 weeks. From the last days of June until January 2021, Mars will challenge us and the world as it keeps squaring Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn at the same time that it joins Eris, the Goddess of Discord in Aries. The second half of the year will be our test. Will we descend into fighting or will we take a stand for a new world, a better world?

It's also time to gather seeds and plant gardens, a great Taurus activity, because our food chain has been disrupted and there probably will be food shortages this summer. Just saying... Be cunning now and watch what's going on in the news, not in fear but to gather information (Venus in Gemini). We need to know what's going on so we're prepared for what's coming next.

Ask yourself, what is the creative solution that will help me grow? Remember, simplify and prepare for the future.

May you walk in the Light with gratitude and delight.

Cathy

“Finisterre” by David Whyte

The road in the end taking the path the sun had taken,
into the western sea, and the moon rising behind you
as you stood where ground turned to ocean: no way
to your future now but the way your shadow could take,
walking before you across water, going where shadows go,
no way to make sense of a world that wouldn’t let you pass
except to call an end to the way you had come,
to take out each frayed letter you had brought
and light their illumined corners; and to read
them as they drifted on the western light;
to empty your bags; to sort this and to leave that;
to promise what you needed to promise all along,
and to abandon the shoes that had brought you here
right at the water’s edge, not because you had given up
but because now, you would find a different way to tread,
and because, through it all, part of you would still walk on,
no matter how, over the waves.

Please Like and Share.  Thank you!  Stay well and safe.

 

The Cosmic Story: Libra/Aries Full Moon, April 7, 2020

Here is my Libra Full Moon video: 

Thank you!