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| Full Moon on the Rise Catherine Al-Meten |
Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse Saturday, May 25, 2013 12:25 AM EDT; May 24, 9:25 PM PDT.
We are entering a very active week, with the Uranus/Pluto square, the movement of the Sun into Gemini, the waxing Full Moon and the final lunar eclipse in this cycle.
The Moon’s Movement.
The Moon is moving through the sector of your chart/life that is ruled by Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio setting off emotional responses and reactions to the last three solar cycles of Pisces, Aries, and Taurus. These last three solar/lunar cycles have been particularly potent and upsetting as each has been filled with an abundance of planets, the Sun, and the Moon lining up in the stellia groupings; first in water signs, then in fire, and this month in earth. And all were in opposition, at one point or another, with Saturn, the North Node, and in square aspect to Pluto. Jupiter has also been the wild card, toying with our expectations, aspirations, illusions, and mental health in some ways. Jupiter is the promise of abundance, good fortune, and hopeful optimism, however when aspected in certain ways, finds our dreams and visions falling apart or at the least, undergoing a reality check that changes our perspective, reality, and plans....often in a big way.
Over the weekend of May 18-19, the First Quarter square of the Moon and Sun emphasized the issues and areas of life that have been most affected by the series of eclipses we are currently experiencing. On Sunday, the Moon in Virgo grounds us in practical matters. We have the capacity and the mood is set for solving problems, fixing what needs to be fixed, getting organized, and supporting others in whatever way we can. We both seek and offer assistance while focusing on cleaning up our own messes and evaluating the choices we have been making.
The Moon in Virgo makes it easier for us to see any incongruence in our lives. We are better able to reconcile the conflicts in who we think we are and what our actions and behavior actually say about who we are. This is the time to face any disparity between the two, and start facing what our actions are sowing in our lives and the lives of others. Take care of business, and reevaluate current plans rather than setting out on new adventures. Before we can move into new areas, we have to have taken care of business right where we are. If we fail to do so, we seed any new projects with unfinished business. That means we carry the unfinished part into any new relationship, project, or direction that we set off in.
Growth comes through being able to get to the heart of current relationships, experiences, projects, and issues. Grow where you are planted, and deepen the roots that have been set. Allow what has been seeded to come to full bloom and allow the fruits to ripen for harvest.
Moon in Virgo makes a number of aspects to the transiting planets. The Moon opposes Jupiter, activating an emotional response to plans, hopes, and dreams. There is a strong desire to solve problems, discover the answers that may have been hidden or kept from you, and to gain greater clarity on what you really have to deal with right now, right where you are.
This is a good time for mental activities, taking care of household and work-related business, establishing workable routines, and taking care of details.
The Moon enters Libra on Monday, May 20, 2013, at 1:08 PM EDT/10:08 PDT. The Libra Moon transit lasts until May 22, and then by late Friday evening PDT/early Saturday morning EDT, waxes to her fullness at 4/8 Sagittarius opposing the Sun at 4/8 Taurus in a full lunar eclipse. This eclipse will have a potent impact on those with personal planets and aspect points between 29-30 degrees of fixed signs including Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, and those whose personal planets and aspect points are between 0-9 degrees of mutable signs including Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. For others, notice where these aspects are in your chart/life, and observe the kind of impact this transit may have for you.
The Moon’s transit through Libra and Scorpio for the rest of the week will highlight those areas where we are working to unite the opposites in our lives. Through Libra, the Moon’s journey triggers our emotional need to seek balance, live in harmony, create beauty, and reconcile itself with the pull of Taurus. As the Moon transits Scorpio, she triggers a soulful search for meaning, and as the Moon conjuncts both Saturn and the North Node, the Moon sets off a stronger move toward resolving and learning the lessons that Saturn has been moving within. The North Node indicates that news may come of some kind of long-awaited change, or signifies, perhaps, that the time is now to take the next steps. When the Moon comes into opposition with Uranus in Aries, expect sudden, out-of-the-blue surprises and news.
Aspects and Transits.
Beginning late Sunday night, May 19-20, Saturn forms a seisquiquadrate to Jupiter, and Uranus squares Pluto. Whatever we are trying to ‘make’ happen, building, or thinking about expanding, meets with major challenges. We are forced to be more realistic with our plans, projects, dreams, and ventures. Any sense of dissatisfaction, seems stronger under this influence. We may feel more restricted both internally and externally. The more we can adopt a sense of living mindfully, and accepting the present, the less we will feel trapped, challenged, or under the influence of this energetic aspect. Notice when buried feelings, memories, or desires rise up, and allow for a safe, constructive way of dealing with any strong feelings, urges, or issues.
Some major changes may occur, either in your own perspective and determination, or within the structures, relationships, and dynamics of the world in which you live. When we work on ourselves, as we have been forced to do by the experiences and dynamics acting upon us over the last year, we know that changing our habits, patterns, and outworn ways of viewing and rationalizing our areas of discord, weakness, or other challenges, is called for. The Sun is moving through the last degree of its passage through Taurus. We are putting a final touch on whatever has been highlighted during this last month’s transit, and with all that has risen to the surface through the eclipse cycle.
Also on May 20, Venus squares Chiron, activating healing changes around areas of how we view love and how we define and tap into our own sense of self esteem and security. While Virgo was opposing both Neptune and Chiron during the Moon’s recent transit, things may have come up, arisen from our unconsciousness, or been triggered by something that made us feel more insecure about our ability to love and be loved. As Venus squares Chiron, we again have the opportunity to use this awakening to help us understand our true nature and the true nature of love and security. Understanding that we have to love ourselves, feel secure in who we are, as we are, and feel connected in some way, to the Divine Source of love....for in that Divine Love we live and move and have our being. Our ego-needs must be balanced out with a greater understanding about who we are on all levels of being.
The Sun enters Gemini late on Monday, May 20. The Sun will stay in Gemini until June 21, 2013. Gemini energy activates a quest for knowledge and diversity. Our curiosity takes off in many directions, and this is yet another reason to spend the last few days of the Virgo Moon cycle getting your life and business in order. The Gemini Sun increases the desire to communicate more, though not nearly on as deep a level as we may have been seeking more recently. The Sun in Gemini fosters activity, gatherings, quests, and a deeper search for knowledge and information. The quest you begin now will open doors to knowledge, study, writing, reading, and art. Whatever journey you begin now leads to a great deal of personal discovery and will capture your attention for some time to come. Emphasis belongs on worthy topics, relationships, directions, and meaningful and ethical behavior and conquests. As you treat others now, so shall you be treated. The ethical balance of personal journey needs to be weighed with the commitment you have to those you love and have connections.
Mercury is in Gemini, as is Venus. Communication and knowledge are the keywords for Mercury in Gemini. A cycle of seeking, a quest for knowledge, and a desire for understanding through experience, learning, and communication, is marked by the cycle that Gemini ushers in. Mercury allows for both writing and speaking with clarity and eloquence. Real pleasure comes from the intellectual interaction and involvement in seeking greater meaning now brings. Our focus is on communication in and about relationships, and using technology to heighten our experiences of connection and communication.
Mars remains in Taurus, pushing us to use our energy to create what is lasting and of great value. Mars in Taurus continues to temper and ground the fiery energy of Mars now. We have the ability to channel, direct, and maintain a great deal of focus on whatever we are now creating, building, or growing.
The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse occurs with the Moon in Sagittarius 4/8 and the Sun in Gemini, 4/8. Full Moons are always in opposition to the Sun, highlighting the polarities in our lives. The opposition of Gemini/Sagittarius calls attention to what we need, desire, and feel disconnected from in our lives. Determined by what areas of your life/chart these two signs rule, this Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse focuses on the mental aspects of our minds and intellect. Gemini represents the logical, intellectual, and analytical facets of our thinking. Sagittarius represents the intuitive, imaginative, and the more spiritual depths of our thinking. We are in search of deeper meaning while needing to be conscious and aware of the physical manifestation, the details, the functional reality of our lives. Living in either end of the spectrum to the exclusion of the other, is harmful and delusional. We need to be aware of both the practical reality of our lives (as the Virgo Moon highlights) and the intuitive and emotional reality of our spiritual essence and being. The Lunar eclipse calls on us to live in harmony; the process of seeking balance as we live our lives in each moment.
Our experiences, the events happening around us, our relationships, and our feelings, emotions, desires, memories, and spiritual needs all call for attention and expression. Whatever practices help us express ourselves, communicate, and live out our true being need to be cultivated in order for us to walk on the path of harmony.
We are brought to the brink through a crisis of some type that rocks our sense of identity, shakes up our idea of what relationships should or can be, or brings us to deeper and raw awareness of lack and disconn
We need to express our feelings, in a healthy manner so as to avoid either turning those emotions inward on ourselves or projecting them out onto others around us. The chronic things, those things that keep recurring regardless of who we’re with or what we’re doing. Physical ailments brought on by repression, suppression, deep hurts, high expectations, chronic and traumatic stress are in need of tending to now. Anxiety and chronic stress and exhaustion, all are manifestations of our need to come into greater balance again.
Relationships of all kinds may be reach a crisis point at this time. The third of seven exact squares between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, occurs on Monday, May 20. Uranus represents that part of us that seeks our independence and autonomy, and Pluto is the archetype for power and transformation. Pluto seeks power; Uranus seeks freedom. Much of how the Uranus-Pluto square cycle operates is in the larger scheme of things. It is playing itself out on the financial markets, in the fields of science and technology, and the repercussions affect us individually and within our families and communities. When corporate and institutional power is sought at the expense of those they serve, the result is the widespread abuse of power and the lack of institutional conscience that acts abruptly to protect its own interests. It’s a bit like Frankenstein’s monster gone mad. Sudden, chaotic disruptions and selfish abuses of power are possible. However the outer planets slow-moving and long-lasting movements affect society as a whole and us individually, we are required to connect to our inner truth and center as we navigate the choppy waters of the transformative processes.
The Uranus/Pluto square activates a time of testing, and continues to focus our attention on those areas of ourselves and our lives where we need to seek and be receptive to Divine guidance and a deep sense of inner truth and serenity. Challenges are brought up to be dealt with during this time. The challenge may be a crisis of consciousness or a crisis in some area of our lives (health, finances, relationships, identity, direction, purpose, role). When we view a crisis or challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow, we are better able to use the energy from this time to deal with whatever arises or whatever has been in the process of transforming in you and in your life. Relationships of all kinds are dynamic and are undergoing dramatic changes now. Our ability to tap into our intuition, to be receptive to the messages of the psyche, our dreams, and the movement within our lives, is heightened now. As is the case with our ongoing transformation as indicated by the Great Transformer, Pluto in Capricorn, the earth beneath our feet is shifting all the time, but now we are more aware than ever of the tenuous nature of life.
We are feeling the urges to live fully, claim our power and use it to express ourselves freely and creatively. When we fail to understand the nature of change and its dynamic force to move us into action and out of complacency, we fail to appreciate the gifts that are before us to use to help us through the transformations, transitions, and changes we need to make in ourselves, with our relationships, and in our perceptions of what our purpose and direction is. It’s important to listen to and respond to the insight, signs, Divine guidance, and movement taking place in and around us now. Using your spiritual practices (meditation, prayer, discernment), allow yourself to be open and receptive to insight and intuitive knowledge that can support you. Notice any area of your life where you are feeling a particular lack or longing, and be open and receptive to understand what that is calling up in you. Be aware of how what you seem to lack can be an opening or reveal a deeper calling than what you may have been focusing on or holding onto.
The Full Moon and Lunar eclipse of May 25, is the last in the Gemini/Sagittarius series which began in December, 2010. Think back to what issues began arising then, and what has been happening over the last two and a half years, to get an indication (if by now you need one) to see where the eclipse has been energizing and calling you to change. This lunar eclipse and full moon occurs at the same time Saturn in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces are in a trine alignment. Saturn in Scorpio deepens our intuitive awareness and our soul-searching reveals our hidden intentions and motivations. Neptune in Pisces is awakening us to that which has perhaps been dormant or tamped down in our subconscious or blocked by our analytical or rational mind, in favor of that which we needed to fit into roles, achieve goals, or maintain the status quo within relationships, jobs, lifestyles, or traditions that no longer work or are in need of deepening, altering, and transformation. As Neptune awakens us to the realm of endless possibilities and hidden meaning, Saturn in Scorpio is awakening us to the areas within ourselves that require awareness, growth, and movement into concrete action. When inner knowledge begins to arise, we need time and perspective to discern what the meaning is. The danger for some when this aspect coincides with the Lunar eclipse and the Full Moon in Sagittarius (fire) as the Sun is in the early degrees of Gemini (air), is we have a powder keg of elements and energy that bring forward a thunderous explosion of ideas, feelings, visions, possibilities, insight, intuition, dreams, and issues related to the heart of who we are. Those who have planets, aspects and transits within 0-9 degrees of Saturn (Scorpio, Gemini, Taurus) may feel some stress in whatever area of your life Saturn is transiting and aspecting. Those who have planets, aspects (including oppositions), and transits within 0-9 degrees of Uranus in Aries (Aries, Libra) may experience some stress.
From what I hear from any number of people, this last few weeks has been bringing issues to the forefront and has been resulting in actions and crises requiring response and resulting in reactions, both of which are still creating stormy seas for some. The only way to ride out the storm, is to find that calm within so that whatever arises, you are able to maintain an even keel, a cool head, and an open heart to accept that whatever is emerging, you are capable of riding out the storm and of making any adjustments to your life, perspective, and desires that is necessary. Again, difficult or disruptive circumstances in our lives, are the norm. We are part of a dynamic Universe that is always growing, always in motion, and always changing. As we are part of that Universe, Divine Creation, we too grow, move, and change. What we can do is deepen our awareness of how we are connected to the Divine Creation, and move with intention, mindfulness, and purpose to create more peace within, greater compassion with those around us, as we develop a more harmonious way to walk together under the light of the Full Flower Moon (also called Full Corn Planting Moon, Milk Moon). Enjoy the energy of this powerful and beautiful week.
The Sun in Gemini quickens the pace and lifts our thoughts onto a higher plane. We are beginning to feel lighter and less constricted. Next week I will write more about the Sun in Gemini. For now, feel it lift you up, watch the subtle changes that occur as the Sun moves into the air sign Gemini...the archetype for uniting the polarities. We can live as if we are constantly trying to walk forward and backward at the same time, or we can see that time is really a cyclic and spiral path that has us meeting parts of ourselves, our past, our present, our future, again and again as we deepen, growth, and move further into our soul’s journey. This article covers some most of the major transits, although some weeks are more active than others. I would suggest reading several different reputable and knowledgable astrologers to get different perspectives and focus on this week's astrological activities. Emily Trinkaus, the Mountain Astrologer, and Susan Miller all present distinctly different and interesting perspectives.
See the Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse at EarthSky.
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