Intuitive Insight Pathways, Dr. Catherine Al-Meten: Full moon in Pisces, Sun in Virgo: Unity in Oppos...

Intuitive Insight Pathways, Dr. Catherine Al-Meten: Full moon in Pisces, Sun in Virgo: Unity in Oppos...: Waning Moon, Astoria                                                                                 Catherine Al-Meten The 2nd fu...

Full Moon in Pisces, Sun in Virgo: Unity in Opposites

Waning Moon, Astoria                                                                                 Catherine Al-Meten

The 2nd full moon in August 2012, is called a Blue Moon.  A third full moon in a season is also called a Blue Moon.  This Blue Moon is in 8° of Pisces opposite the Sun in 8° of Virgo. Also called the Full Sturgeon Moon. 

According to Deborah Bird of EarthSky, “The idea of a Blue Moon as the second full moon in a month stemmed from the March 1946 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine, which contained an article called “Once in a Blue Moon” by James Hugh Pruett. Pruett was using a 1937 Maine Farmer’s Almanac, but he simplified the definition. He wrote:

Seven times in 19 years there were — and still are — 13 full moons in a year. This gives 11 months with one full moon each and one with two. This second in a month, so I interpret it, was called Blue Moon.”

“EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd happened upon a copy of this old 1946 issue of Sky and Telescope in the stacks of the Peridier Library at the University of Texas Astronomy Department in the late 1970s. Afterward, she began using the term Blue Moon to describe the second full moon in a calendar month on the radio. Later, this definition of Blue Moon was also popularized by a book for children by Margot McLoon-Basta and Alice Sigel, called “Kids’ World Almanac of Records and Facts,” published in New York by World Almanac Publications, in 1985. The second-full-moon-in-a-month definition was also used in the board game Trivial Pursuit.”  

According to Byrd, there can occasionally be two blue moons in single year; the last time it happened was in 1999, when both January and March had two full moons and February had none. Visit EarthSky for more fascinating information about astronomy. 

Pisces considered the mystical archetype of the Zodiac, sits in opposition to Virgo (all Full Moons are in opposition to the Sun), calling us to unite the mystical with the  pragmatic parts of our nature. The Blue Moon in   8° 33 seconds Pisces  aspects all the mutable signs  in 7 to 9° of Pisces, Gemini, Sagittarius, and Virgo.   This results in energy sweeping into whatever aspect of your life the mutable signs rule.   Any area of life that has been stagnant or blocked will now feel a shift or release.

Full moons illuminate just as the landscape and waters around us  are awash in moonlight,   reflecting  the Moon’s energy and  light for several days before and after the full moon.   Not only might this be waking you up at night or making your sleep more restless than usual, but also this is a period when your waking and subconscious lives may be revealing and opening your awareness to those areas both within and without that have been hidden.  

This particular full Moon  is also  meeting up with Chiron, the Wounded Healer. Chiron’s steady, slow transit through Pisces  has been opening us to receive  the necessary healing of body, mind, and spirit.   The transit of both the Moon and Chiron through Pisces reminds us that our healing depends  on our willingness to face the truth-- that which our heart knows to be true about ourselves,  about the world around us,  and about our connection to the divine and sacred.   In keeping with this very special aspect is an opportunity. To be more open to the opportunities of this special time,   I share with you a prayer given to me by Dr. Christiane Northrup:  “Divine Beloved, please change me into someone who receives, who trusts, who rests, who feels loved ( add your own requests and make it yours.).”  The more we are open to this awakening, the greater the likelihood that we will be able to benefit from this full moon's gifts.

As the Full Moon awakens us deep within our spirit, it  is essential to recognize this very special opportunity to open ourselves to deep soul healing.  By  facing and confronting,  within ourselves, any ghosts or residual memories of the past that are blocking our healing, we can recognize this as a time to release what has been making its way into our awareness, consciousness, and daily life, blocking our growth or draining our journey towards healing and  wholeness.

 The Pisces Full Moon and its conjunction with Chiron,  is a separating conjunction.  What that means is they are moving apart from one another creating first a sense of energy building up  within us as the Moon grows in intensity.  As the moon has been building up to its fullness,  you may be experiencing more and more  doubts, weaknesses, inner (and maybe some outer) conflicts,  painful feelings or memories, frustrations and fears.  Look to your dreams and listen to your intuition or those random thoughts that catch your attention throughout the day. Our channels are open to receiving nudges, messages, and establishing/restablishing connections.  When feelings, emotions, dreams, intuition or memories seem to connect you to fear, frustration, grief, sadness, or loss, reexamine the experiences to determine (under the analytical lens of Virgo Sun, what it is that is still striking your heartstrings. Whatever we are still attached  to is a result of whatever work you been doing to release yourself from unhealthy and limiting thinking, habits, behavior, patterns, and other ways of being. Now is the time to separate the wheat from the shaft---to let go what is completed or no longer viable and to revisit, mend, heal, and reestablish ways to build that which is meant to be carried into the future. Whatever we determine at this point, will travel with us for some time to come.

We all experience now the rising of the shadow-- back within us which we have refused to  acknowledge or have tried to suppress.  Pretending it does not matter is not an option anymore.   Feeling the effects of the conjunction of the Moon with Chiron happens more likely than not before the moon reaches her peak.   Now is the time to  use your spiritual practices and prayer  to surrender that  which  you have been avoiding.  It may be time to reconcile and forgiveness the forgiveness.   For those particularly with planets or aspects in Pisces or Virgo (especially but not limited to the early degrees of the signs),  this is a potent time for a major breakthrough.   Something of great importance, a heart matter,  now  reaches  culmination.   Four days on either side of this full moon will result in a release and sense of complete happiness on some level, either in the finished product or project, that dear relationship,  for some long unresolved matter.   Connections from abroad figure prominently in the promise and energy of this Full Moon.  Opportunities to travel open up  and connections  to form a substantial partnerships and gain support our gifts of this Full Blue Moon in Pisces.

With Mars having recently entered Scorpio, actions and activity complement and affirm the desires and intentions we set during this full moon period.   We are called, from the center of our heart and our being to trust that which is true, from a divine source, and the next right step for our lives. Our lives are truly heroic journeys, and we all arrive at the edge of the abyss to wonder if we are capable and strong enough to face the truth of who we are and what we are meant to do and be. As Joseph Campbell, one of the great teachers of our times said so simply and so eloquently,

“It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure. Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”

The ongoing energy of Uranus in Aries squaring Pluto in Capricorn is bringing about major changes, shifts, transformation in the way we, humans interact with one another and live together. The journey ahead is one that affects all of us, our quality of life, the health and survival of the planet and the diverse species that depend on Earth for their home. Our obligation is to first be willing to release ourselves from whatever is holding us back from using our gifts, knowledge, and life energies in the most life-affirming ways. We need to reconnect to that life force breathed  that breathed into being all that is, and gave us all the capacity to create, love, build up, and add to the ongoing health our world.  This is not a new journey; it is a path in the eternal breathing forth of Life. We are called to awaken to our place and part in living out the Divine in our lives now.

The Virgo Sun provides us with the focus and energy needed to put our learnings, gifts, and intentions to work on the behalf of our own health and creativity and for the good of all. By seeing our lives as a spiritual journey, we can focus on seeing every aspect of our life, from the mundane and routine to the profound and significant, as all part of what and who we are meant to be. This is what we have created, and we are who we are right now. Virgo Sun brings the reality of our being to light and enables us to gain perspective of the great importance of the least important task we put our hearts, hands, and mind to. 

In the unity of the pragmatic Virgo Sun and the mystical Pisces Moon, we come into greater awareness of our multilayered being, recognizing the bedrock of the riverbed that shapes the path and passages that form  our lives. The Moon’s sextile to the Great Transformer, Pluto in Capricorn (the one who has been turning over the soil for us to experience great change and transformation) lends support for those areas of your life where you have been meeting the challenge. Honor the gifts of your journey, and celebrate the fulfillment and success so far. Our destiny is not a destination, it is the way we live and honor our gifts, our lives, and the awesome wonder of living our spiritual life in this magnificent physical manner. We are here to respect and honor the divine gifts and our part in serving, creating, and working together to live out our soul purpose. Whatever you have discovered about your life, yourself, and your purpose so far, is worthy of celebrating, honoring, nourishing, and accepting so that you can use your gifts to help in the healing that needs to take place. 

The Pisces Moon has us doing deep soul searching and purging. The Pisces Full Moon brings us to a point of completion, fullness, and unity. Not only are Blue Moons rare, but also so too are  times of great awakening when we can see, feel, and understand the unique opportunity we have to be our best selves and share what we have to create more beauty, bring about lasting peace, and stand in our truth for  equity and justice for all. What are you called to do and be, and how are you called to serve and create? What is holding you back? How can you, through healing yourself, bring about greater peace, beauty, and justice? 

Celebrate the Full Blue Moon in Pisces in a dance with the Sun in Virgo, and find meaningful, practical ways to share the joy and gifts you possess. Come together in gratitude and celebrate in love.

Sound, Words, Intention and Healing

An article summarizing some of the research done to link sound, words, intention and healing. This particular article pertains to the connection through the DNA. 

w.selfgrowth.com/articles/Sound_Intention_Genetic_Healing.html

Virgo Sun, Sagittarius Moon: First Quarter Square

In Flight                                                                                Catherine Al-Meten

Friday, August 24, 2012.  The Moon in 1/48 degrees of Sagittarius made its first quarter square to the Sun In Virgo at 6:54 PDT. The Moon, in the last degrees of Libra, turned Void of Course on the afternoon of August 22 (12:14-12:54 PDT; 3:14-3:54 EDT). 

VOC refers to the time when a planet, star, or in this case, the Moon is in the last degree just before it enters a new sign. With the Moon, VOC is felt more deeply than other heavenly bodies, for two reasons. One, we feel it physically and emotionally as we are connected to the movement and energy of the Moon like the tides.  Secondly, our Moon is closer to the  to the Earth and its orbit is complete in a sign every  2 1/2 to 3 days.  It is often suggested to hold off on making decisions or trying to get chores done during this time. Great time for a nap though!

While new moons signal beginnings, new plans, and setting forth on a journey, the first quarter square builds up energy that often creates chaos or crisis (real or imagined), concern and doubt about how things are going, or simply finds us checking to make certain all our ‘Ts’ are crossed, and our ‘Is” are dotted. It’s a good thing to monitor our progress as long as we don’t create problems where there are none, and use our concern as rationale for not taking necessary steps. We do come to a greater understanding of how our choices, actions, and behavior affect others as  first quarter moon in Sagittarius squares the Sun in Virgo.

The Sun has traveled through Leo since July 22. On August 22, the Sun entered the Earth sign of Virgo where it will transit until September 22. Our focus now shifts from the powerful, creative fire sign energy of Leo into the more subtle, detail-oriented sign of Virgo. I for one, look forward to this as I find it’s easier for me to make progress on the detail work  of projects.  There is a tendency for us to be more analytical in whatever area of our lives the sun is transiting. In general, there’s a sense of “getting down to business” about Virgo transits. Whether or not it’s also coupled with the start of an academic year, the gradual change of the seasons, or our passage through the gates of Virgo, this is a time of the year when we gather together the fruits of our labor, and begin to put the pieces of our lives together in a way that gives it shape, form, and structure. At approximately 11:06 Pacific Daylight Time,  the Sun entered Virgo on August 22. 

In very Virgo-like fashion, we begin to organize ourselves, our homes and offices, and our relationships and social lives to get organized, to make new plans, to wrap up loose ends and finish old business, as we begin to envision how our plans are unfolding. It’s also a time when we put into words our expectations, intentions, and desires. We all have Virgo influencing some area of our life. Notice which house in your chart is the home of Virgo, and this will give you an indication of how Virgo influences (and has done so throughout your life).  For example, my Moon is in Virgo, the realm of my emotional life.  For me, this makes it an emotional necessity for things to be in order before I can take care of business. 

Often considered a difficult aspect, oppositions like squares and quintiles, can be a source of strength and energy when we learn to work with them.  Wherever Virgo is in your chart, notice over the next month how you might be using your analytical skills to evaluate and discern situations, conditions, and relationships. It’s a good time to look at all sides of a situation, as long as you don’t find yourself becoming too critical or obsessed to the point where you become afraid to take a necessary risk or or make a much-needed change. 

The transit of the Sun in Virgo brings with it the mutable Virgo energy and the focus on communication. Virgo’s ruler, Mercury, the archetypal messenger and ruler of communication. Virgo loves to get to the heart of all forms of communication.  People with the Sun in Virgo are generally hard-working and responsible. Somewhat self effacing, Virgo will promote others through their gifts and service, rather than seeking a spot on center stage. This of course, depends upon other aspects. The Sun represents the prevailing force and energy of our personalities. With the Sun in Virgo, our curiosity is stimulated. We become more aware and attentive to what makes others “tick”. We want to know other people on a deeper, more dynamic level. We are curious about what makes our relationships work and what is keeping us from fully engaging in connections. We may question  how our perceptions affect the ways  we are perceived and understood both in our relationships, and in our own sense of who we are and who we want to become.  A very introspective time in one sense, but also a time when we value our relationships (and our intuition, dreams, insights about those relationships) for what they can reveal about our true self. 

We may seek to become more self sufficient while still maintaining our ability to  communicate and connect with others with greater intensity and understanding. As the Sun transits Virgo, some of the qualities of Virgo become more predominant, providing a very intellectually stimulating time. It’s a time we may take a greater interest in our personal appearance, hygiene, and well being. A time when we place greater value on quality over quantity, it’s also a great time to sort through (physically and metaphysically) our closets.  It’s easier during this period to see what is no longer relevant or necessary for a healthy life. We can get rid of possessions, challenging situations, poor patterns of behavior and relationships because we are much more able discern what is truly life-affirming  from what is not.  

We will feel more compelled to put order into our lives during this transit, and will find that once we clean off our desks, clear out our files, and let go of that which holds us back or drags us down (work, relationships, living situations, quality of life issues, obsession with the past or worry about our future security needs), we will have an abundance of energy and increased focus and concentration to get things accomplished. It’s a great time to improve our diet and eating habits, to get back on track with our exercise routine, sleep regimen,  or personal habits and hygiene.  Consider eliminating anything that is toxic to your personal, psychological, mental, emotional, and spiritual being. Channel the energy you have spent on unhealthy practices (smoking, too much of anything, alcohol, carbs, sugar...whatever you do too much of) into more constructive and active pastimes. Consider working on those types of pastimes that require more attention to detail as the energy available to us now, and it’s a good time to develop some new patterns that serve you better. 

Mercury has been in Leo since June 25  making our dreams and goals grand.   It is still a good time to be thinking of the expression and creative focus we would like to use to enhance some of the projects were working on.  Storytelling, speech writing,  writing lyrics and composing as well as  other creative modes of expression, are favored while Mercury remains in Leo until August 31. We   are persuasive feel more  confident than we normally do. It is important that we listen to what others are saying right now, and this may be difficult because our inner  voices, our imagination, personal excitement and our feelings continue to generate an abundance of  good ideas which we feel like sharing.   A good idea to capture some of this excitement you may be feeling is to write down some of your ideas so you can work with them later and share them when they have been more thought out.

Since August 7 Venus has been in Cancer  where she will stay until September 6.  On August 21, Venus came into conjunction with Mars causing us to feel that we had to figure out how to handle relationship issues NOW! In relationships (personal and business) we struggle between 2nd Chakra concerns and 3rd Chakra concerns. Our second Chakra relates to how we interact with one another while our third Chakra relates to our own personal power and identity.  In cultures where our lives are not quite as prescribed as in more communal and traditional cultures, we struggle more in trying to figure out where we are rooted (1st Chakra=who are we and where do we belong), and we tend to do this more  at the level of the 2nd and 3rd chakra interplay.  How do we balance out our personal sense of self worth, identity, personal power, and trust with the myriad relationships we are expected to fulfill (family, work, friends, society, the natural world).   This conjunction,  which has an effect right before and right after the exact conjunction, calls into play the uniting of masculine and feminine both within ourselves and within our lives with others. 

Venus is currently at   14° 37 min. Cancer),  so you might want to check that area of your chart and see how it affects your natal planets, your progressed planets, and that particular area of your life. Jupiter entered Taurus on the 17th of May, 2012, and will complete its passage in Taurus on the 31st of May, 2012. Jupiter takes approximately 12 years to cycle through all the constellations that are comprised in the zodiac. That signifies a 12-year cycle of abundance, good fortune, and other auspicious conditions in each area of your life.  When you hear someone make statements like, “I have Jupiter in my chart,” they probably don’t understand that we all have Jupiter somewhere in our chart. It resides in one particular place from our birth (natal placement), and then the transits of Jupiter affect our lives in 12 year cycles. 

This 12 year cycle began about two years ago when Jupiter was in Aries, so looking at your chart, you can determine when the Jupiter transit will aspect different areas of your life. Jupiter. Jupiter is the archetypal ruler of children, wealth, all areas of power and influence, higher education and religious and philosophical thought and ideals. Physically, Jupiter rules the circulatory system, the liver, arteries, thighs, neck, and health issues related to this system (cholesterol, blockages, diabetes, weight issues, buildup of toxins). Classically, Jupiter was thought to increase our appetites, making us overindulge.  You might consider how Jupiter’s entry into Aries has stimulated your appetites. Vedic astrology considers Jupiter the most beneficent and auspicious of all planets, but of course it depends upon what part of your chart/life it falls.

 A very benevolent aspect occurred  on Tuesday when Mercury sextiled Jupiter.  Mercury   at 13° 33 min. of Leo and Jupiter  at   13° 33 min. of Gemini formed an aspect signifying  communication of good news, abundance, and good fortune.   Depending upon where this fell  in your own chart and life, this aspect indicates the giving or receiving of  good news and/or learning about good fortune coming your way. You may hear about this or get a response about something you received or sent out at that time. 

On August 23, 2012, Mars left Libra. We have just completed a cycle where we may have discovered how to temper our impulsiveness (or learned lessons about where we need to do so) by using more of our charm, persuasion, or a more adept debater. Mars’ normal take charge archetype was transiting the sign of Libra which entailed learning a bit more about how to balance the more challenging, assertive, and sometimes dominant tendencies of Mars in order to learn how to play more fairly with our partners. It may have been very difficult for some whose strong Aries tendencies were more or less pushed through a sieve in order to learn that even though we may not want to act decisively or take more responsibility for our actions, we need to make changes in such a way that we don’t trample over others or resort to passive aggressive behavior, both shadow aspects of Mars in Aries. You may notice how this archetype affected whatever area of your life you find Aries. 

Mars now in the early degrees of Scorpio, ushers in a new kind of energy. Our active and energetic focus goes underground, diving into the depths with one aim--to get what it wants. We become more single-minded and determined in whatever areas are of greatest importance to us. Where we may have been weighing possibilities, without every being able to make a decision, now we know precisely what we want and we set about to obtain it. We are more aware of what others are not saying as opposed to what they are saying (in actions as well as words). Situations, conditions, and relationships may now reach a point of conflict and crisis. We now seem drawn to the deeper more emotional exploration and transformation of our lives in order to discover deeper fulfillment and meaning. 

Where we might have been forced by Mars’ transits through Virgo and Libra to put a lid on our emotional and physical expressions, we now operate from the depths of our psyche and are determined to bring into force, the actions we have longed to take. We move from a point of sustained and in-depth transformation to a point of weighing all choices, options, and possibilities...all with an eye to understanding who we really are, what we really need, and what we really must do and be in order to live out our soul purpose. Now Mars’ entry into Scorpio impels us from within, to act on our dreams, desires, and destiny. Mars in Scorpio, according to astrologer Dane Rudhyar, is about “communion and faith.” Communion, meaning becoming one with All including being whole within ourselves,  and Faith being the ability to act, believe, choose, and move from a point of trust that you are equipped with what you need, and the way will be shown. By now we have been tested, tempered, and dragged through whatever inner and outer experiences and awakenings we have needed to prepare for the next part of our journey. 

As Saturn slowly creeps through the last few degrees of Libra, we have either done one of two things. We’ve finally surrendered to the truth of what we know of ourselves and the world we’re in, or we are still trying to make the world fit our ideal of what it should be. Mars in Scorpio reminds us to experience, understand, and accept life (ourselves, others, situations, conditions) for what they are, not what we’d like them to be. And then our actions should fit accordingly. Stay or go, but know that if we fail to face the truth of ourselves or others, or if we think we can continue the journey in spite of who we are or who or what we’re connected with, we will be responsible for whatever we have created. By now, that is either evident to you, or you’re still fighting it.  Look at the lessons of Saturn’s  arduous and challenging passage through Libra, and discern for yourself what the real major lessons have been for you. For one thing, the lessons are not about what’s wrong with the “other” (whoever/whatever that is perceived to be). The lessons are about who we are and how we choose to change in order to live out our life purpose, to honor the gifts we have been given, and to serve  and take on our role as part of the Creator’s ongoing Creation.

While the conjunction of the Sun, Venus, and Mercury earlier in the week brought a slight improvement of the economy of the world, Mars’ entry into Scorpio and Saturn’s transit through Libra coupled with the Moon in Sagittarius’ first quarter Square to the Sun in Virgo may reveal deeper rifts that are causing  the final throes of economic and political situations that have become unviable, decayed, and more obviously inequitable than is possible to hide from the view of people wherever they are. The Mars’ energy that is unleashed at this point, is still somewhat held in check as Saturn makes this final passage before October 6th.  Scorpio represents the truth of life, that which we cannot run away from. Scorpio is courage of the heart...to act and be who we are because we have no  choice in the matter. 

We  can play games in our minds to attempt to repress our true nature and needs, but the more deeply we move into the realm where our passions (Mars) and the courage (Scorpio) meet, the less willing or likely we are to do so. Between now and October 4-6, we are preparing for a major change in our personal and collective journey. We tell the stories of our lives through the way we live. I had a conversation with a friend last night. We were talking of war. I said that I believe, and have believed my whole life, that we need to end war as a means of solving problems, finding meaning, and communicating. It is too destructive. Her response was that “We have always had wars, and we always will. It’s our human nature.”  I believe this is what faces each of us, personally and as a whole.  We have the choice to tell our stories differently. We can choose to change our actions so that they express our higher, greater, and more creative qualities, or we can continue being in conflict over land, power, rights, resources, control, and domination. We are all fortunate to live now, and to have some choice in the way we live our lives, some of us more than others, but we can communicate and we can take small steps wherever we are to live from our hearts instead of living for power over and domination.

The next few months are crucial to our Planet Earth, and we can create a shift in how we communicate and treat one another. We have many wounds to heal and much brokenness to mend. If we each start now where we are, we have a chance to become the blessed peacemakers. 

Today, August 24, the Sun is at 1/50 Virgo, the Moon is at 2 degrees of Sagittarius, Mercury is at 16 degrees of Leo (still exchanging and opening up to creative ideas, energy, messages, and opportunities). Venus is in 16 degrees of Cancer, emphasizing our needs and conflicts over security in love, romance, relationships with children, and anything that makes us feel more safe, secure, and at home with ourselves and those we love.  Saturn is in 25/34 Libra, and will be completing this transit in early October. A time of culmination....final tests, lessons learned, opportunities to shape the way we move forward hopefully with healthier, stronger, and more intentional ways of perceiving, understanding, discerning, behaving, and caring for our selves and those we have commitments with.  

Neptune and Chiron (Wounded Healer) are both in Pisces, moving out of conjunction with one another. We have passed through a period of time when we have received deep healing, insight, intuitive awakening, and a somewhat treacherous and difficult journey through our shadow (undeveloped, unhealed, and undiscovered inner realms of consciousness).  Pluto in 7 degrees of Capricorn, continues its transformative work in whatever area of your life is undergoing this transit. It continues to be activated by different aspects with Mars and other planets, and will for a long time to come. Jupiter, in 13 degrees of Gemini, indicates that where we have often looked for good fortune, is no longer where we find it. Expect the unexpected.  The north node (the gateway to the future) is at 0 degrees of Sagittarius. At its initial point in a fire sign, we can anticipate changes happening rather quickly, ushering in whole new ways of living, perceiving, and opening us to new dimensions of ourselves.  Embrace the goodness, look for affirmation of life through whatever you do, and surrender to the power and grace of the Divine working in and around your through all of Creation.

Blue New Moon in Leo August 17, 2012

Early in  the week of August 12-16, we are passing through the dark of the moon; the period near the end of the lunar cycle leading up to the next new moon. This is a time when it is a good idea to tie up loose ends, get some rest, and prepare for upcoming changes.

On Friday, August 17 at 8:45 PDT , and 11:54 AM Eastern Daylight Time, we have the Blue Moon in Leo at 8° 25 seconds.  A blue moon occurs when in a given lunar month, two full moons occur.  This New Moon in Leo signals a new opportunity for choosing life, creativity, and fulfillment over fear, hatred, and stagnation.  We always have these choices, but particularly at this new blue moon time. The archetypal energy and symbols point us in the direction of life affirming change.  

This new Moon sextiles the  Mars-Saturn conjunction in Libra.  Mars and Saturn moving through the late stages of Libra have been pushing us to learn the lessons necessary for our own health and happiness.  Mars has activated this passage of Saturn bringing us ever more lessons and opportunities to make the changes in whatever area of our lives this passage has been taking.  By now you know for it has been going on for several years. Saturn in in the last few degrees of its passage through Libra (it will leave Oct.4-5).  We are in the final stages of Saturn's transformative passage through Libra, so don't be surprised if you feel like you are still wavering between the past and the future in some kind of noosphere...an area between the past and the future where you still stand in awareness of what was and what could be. Life   will change significantly when Libra enters Scorpio in early October. 

All planetary change has an effect both before and after the exact time of transits or conjunctions or aspects.  This new moon for example is preceded by a period called the dark of the moon--a time where the moon is not visible in the night sky and a time when we are completing both inner and outer work from the last lunar cycle and preparing for movement into the next season or face of life.  Gradually throughout August in the Northern Hemisphere, the days have been growing shorter.  The opposite is true in the Southern Hemisphere.  We can also watch as the sun sets farther and farther south on the horizon as we watch the night sky light up earlier and earlier with constellations, meteor showers, and the waxing moon. We feel and observe the seasons changing, and we too are affected by the changes. As we approach a new moon, we are readying ourselves to cross another threshold into a new phase of life. 

Influencing us at this time is  the moon's aspect to Saturn and Mars. This new Moon acts as a threshold to the beginning of a completely new leg of our journey.  You may have noticed yourself feeling more tired lately or longing for a lull in all the summer activity (or a break from the winter doldrums in the South).  During the dark of the moon, the next 3 or 4 days, it may be a good time to pay closer attention to providing  body, mind and spirit with some quiet and stillness. 

Look into the mirror and assess how you are really feeling, what  your state of health is, and how you have been taking care of yourself.  Notice where you are out of alignment and where you need to take better care of yourself.  For example, what kind of nourishment have you been taking into your body?  How much exercise have you been getting, and have you been getting a comparable amount of rest?  What kinds of activities have been taking up most of your time?  How much time have you spent getting fresh air, a blast of natural wonder, or some playful time swimming in the pool, walking on the beach, or just sitting around the campfire laughing, talking, and singing? 

Some of us work too hard while others never seem to get down to business.  What does your wife look like, and how Mike should move into choices and actions that nourish and support higher levels of energy and life giving motivation?

The lessons that Saturn has been teaching us have to do with those areas of our life where we have been called to metaphorically and literally clean out the closets, face the unresolved issues in your life and allow some light on the   shadows that still hold you hostage. Dust off your dreams, and take one step and then another in the direction of those dreams.  

Whatever you have been looking to change in your life now requires you to step out onto a path equipped with all you need for the dreams and goals you have.  No matter how together we may feel spiritually, mentally or physically, we must also develop patterns of behavior and attitudes that allow us to be receptive, intentional, and aware regardless of who or what we are dealing with.  Just as we have no control over the automatic nature of our physical body (our heart beats on its own, our breath comes in and leaves our bodies,   not at our will but its will), much of what happens in life is beyond our ability to plan, control, or predict. Instead, much to our chagrin, life happens despite what we plan for  or what we can control.  How we understand and perceive life however, is within our control. Therefore, being conscious and intentional about how we live, is vital to our ability to create, be productive, find meaning, and understand what we are called to do and be. I'm reminded of this by a friend who currently is struggling with a physical issue that has him in the hospital. He is used to taking an active role in life, and now is having to surrender to the care of those who are working to get him healthy again. His part, at this point, is  to surrender and receive what is being done for him and to him.  It's one of the hardest things to do for some of us; to be taken care of. It requires that we surrender our will, our ego, and our need to fix things.  The gift for him, and for us, is that we are surrounded by those who love us and enveloped in the power of the Divine which guides and guards our every step. We can choose to see life as a gift to be treated with great care and respect, or we can fail to see the gifts in the garbage.  The choice is always ours.

The archetype of Saturn, that great teacher, has been performing an awakening within us and within our world, reminding us of the undeveloped parts of our  personal and collective lives that needs to be strengthened and developed. The Mars/Saturn conjunction that is sextile the Sun in Leo also calls us to  express ourselves more independently,  and in relationships to feel less afraid to be ourselves.  Our relationships with one another and to our work provide us with opportunities   to either  become a cog in the wheel  or  to express our individuality and creativity in ways that enhance our work.  In relationships, we often and go through phases where we try to be what the other person wants us to be.   While all relationships require  an element of compromise and adjustment, to bury the truth of who we are in  a relationship, is to doom the relationship and ourselves.   We did not come to this   Earthly experience to be someone else; we came to express our divine gifts, to work out our sacred destiny, and to express our true nature.

With Mercury in its stationary position until the 21st (not yet moving full speed ahead), and with  Jupiter in Gemini square Chiron in Pisces, the healing of old emotional wounds still requires our attention. And we won't be able to just think ourselves through the pain. We need to use more than logic for healing.   Music, dance, bodywork, and a deeper more spiritual process can help us better face whatever grief, sadness, disappointment or losses  are blocking our good.   Whatever we have chosen to bury remains in our body, mind, and emotional being.  It does not go away just because we wish it would period.  

Chiron( the Wounded Healer) in Pisces  represents our need to transform our tears into gladness--in other words, we need to deal with whatever has piled up within us in order to be healthy, happy, and whole.  We also need to face  whatever is unhealed in our experiences in order to continue to grow, develop, and create.   With the energy of the  Sun in Leo, we may feel more motivated to befriend the shadowy parts of ourselves that are calling to be attended to. Leo's joyful, playful Sun shines on us and fills us with confidence, reverence for life, and desire to dance for joy. For some reason, this joyfulness makes it possible to heal more easily. We experience a lightness of being which casts even our shadow issues and memories in a brighter, more easy-to-deal with light.

This New Moon opposes Neptune-Chiron (quincunx) resulting in a new start that may be based somewhat on illusions and fantasy. It may also be influenced by powerful dreams and strong intuitive hunches. We are cautioned to be discerning about what we are basing our choices on right now.  Intuition and dreams are powerful tools for our insight, but both require an awareness of how they may be practically applied to the choices and plans we are making now. There is a fine line between delusion and true insight.  Allow what ever dreamed, intuition, and fantasy guide you at this time to stand the test of time.  Whatever is brewing,  requires some time to reveal any flaws or distortions  in your plans.

A good way to deal with visions, dreams, and what may seem illusionary, is to be creative. Write in a journal, paint a picture, play with clay, dance around the kitchen, or in the backyard under the moonlight. Whatever you do, get your feelings out in a positive way, so that you allow yourself time to discern how they fit into the shape your life is taking.

The new Moon in Leo is also influenced by a cardinal T-square.  Venus squares  Uranus in the early degrees of Aries  and opposes Pluto in Capricorn.   This is likely to inject an element of emotional and dramatic energy  into the areas that are most affected by this new moon in your life. Leo is dramatic as well as creative,  so this could encourage greater romantic and showy displays of affection and feeling.   If you are into drama,  you could give one of your best performances.  For those who seldom express their emotions, this new Moon encourages a bit of a release and a fuller expression  of your being.   There are very positive ways to express emotion including music, dance, games, and acting.  Planning some end of summer impromptu skits or play to entertain friends could be one positive way of using this kind of energy.   Have some fun with this.  Last night in my  meditation class I introduced the idea of active meditation through Native American spiritual practice meant to honor the directions and the setting of the sun.  Our class is held by the river and the ocean and the sun was setting as we began so it seemed the perfect moment to introduce a special honoring ceremony.  We moved together to honor all who live in the four directions. It helped us connect to the world we live in and to one another.

Ceremony and ritual in our lives allow us to connect to the Earth,  to the elements, to the Universe,  to one another, and to the wholeness of our own being.  We do not enter ceremony for   gratuitous dramatic expression-- ceremony is about expressing  meaning and connection in our lives  wholeheartedly-- using our body,mind and spirit.  In the Northern Hemisphere  this has been a  time, of abundance,  fruitfulness, and growth.  For a short period of time our attention was gathered together with those who participated in the Olympic Games in England.   For this period of time opportunities opened up for us to connect with one another and nurture the common good.  It is always easier to do so when we are enjoying ourselves.  We need to take some of this energy and  connection and plant seeds that will grow from the positive experiences we humans have so we can work together to heal ourselves, our relationships with one another, and our planet.

Venus, the Moon's ruler, in Cancer releases us from the losses, lack, and isolation that we may have been trapped in due to taking care of old business. Someone once said, "If you carry the bricks from the house that was destroyed to use to build your new house, you will be rebuilding the same old house." Through all the transformative movement and destruction of the past that has been taking place with Pluto, Saturn, Uranus, and Mars' movement through areas of our lives that needed to be overhauled, we probably all now understand the lessons we have been learning. We have examined how we entered into relationships, what roles we played, and how our expectations honored or dishonored ourselves and our partners. We've learned to forgive, release, and be comfortable in our own skins again. We have become more comfortable with the whole of who we are; allowing ourselves to accept both our strengths and growing edges. Letting go of the patterns that no longer nourish and support our growth, health, and well being, is required if we are to develop and grow, if we are to step forward on the path toward our highest good and soul call.  Our life is a spiritual journey that we live out  through our actions and behavior, our relationships, through how we fulfill our obligations, and through how we live out our dreams and plans.

The idea has been over the past year or two, to face within  ourselves and our lives, that which was falling apart and away, and to clean up, finish up, and relinquish that which no longer served our good or the good of those we care about.   Sometimes the loving thing to do is to let go.   Sometimes things do this to try harder.  The Venus archetype calls attention to our need for love   as well as the patterns and expectations that have formed our ideas about love. Venus in Cancer has us seeking nourishing, kind, and loving relationships during this transit...we seem more aware of our need to maintain our sense of feeling safe within whatever relationships we choose to create.  We move toward a more nurturing experience for ourselves, yet one that allows us to be ourselves and allowing others to be who they are. With the independence and confidence of the Leo Sun, we are apt to find ourselves reveling joyfully in the full manifestation our our being.  We find more ways to express our creative spark and to develop more meaningful ways to live in harmony with one another. The more we have healed through the transformation, the more we can accept others for who they are as well.  Knowing we are all required to surrender to the greater will of the Divine in order to receive the gifts and resources, helps us move into the energy of the New Moon with greater optimism, hope, and commitment than we have in quite some time.  We can now use the shadow material we have worked up out of our subconscious to  "turn the garbage into gold."  

The idea of the Blue Moon connotes an unusual and rare experience.  This New Blue Moon  Leo is just such a time. We have the opportunity to begin anew each day, and at the New Moon, we enter a new lunar cycle. This time of the cycle evokes our emotional responses, and calls for a more fully manifested expression of our true nature and being.  Now is the time to begin anew, and to remember,you have the opportunity to consciously and intentionally, use each moment wisely. "Wherever you are is the entry point." You need not be anywhere but where you are. You need not be anyone but who you are to live out the full expression of your being. The New Moon calls you to do so joyfully!