 |
| Bleeding Hearts and Pine Catherine Al-Meten Meyers |
The Cup of Communion that is represented by the Full Moon in Virgo with Venus, our commitments and passions at the base of the Cup, brings us a moment in our lives when we can unite our Soul, Body, Spirit, and Mind in the energy brought to life within us now. Venus's retrograde phase began on March 4 and will continue until April 15. Venus in Aries is impulsive, passionate, and in search of what is worthy of her love. As Venus retrogrades she wakes us each to how we define and understand our own need for love and the path we have been following. Venus in Aries has formed some upsetting and surprising changes in our views of love, romance, creativity, and finances. We may have faced some shortages or unexpected expenses. Venus' cycle for this next month does have a strong influence on the Full Moon in Virgo. The Full Moon peaks on Sunday, March 12. As Venus moves in reverse through the decans of Aries and then back into Pisces, it will come into a powerful aspect with both the Sun and Moon. For this reason, I will spend some time describing what we can expect with Venus in this retrgrade cycle.
The week leading up to the Full Moon in Virgo is full of challenging changes and influences. The week began with Mercury passing over the Sun in Pisces forming a powerful conjunction. Let's first begin though by looking at the line up for the day of the Full Moon. By March 12, much will have changed. As I write on Wednesday, March 8 (International Women's Day) the Moon is changing signs from the security-conscious homebody sign of Cancer to dramatic Leo. Expect your emotional equilibrium to shift a bit, bringing about the need to act out your needs and desires, or at the very least to feel more worked up and expressive than you might have been feeling. The Moon in Leo makes a number of hard aspects throughout the day though it does give you a hint of what you need to be examining. First the Moon trines Chiron in Pisces (before it changes signs) pointing us toward those old lessons that require some new solutions and perspectives. Later in the day as the Moon squares Mars in the final degrees of Aries, we may feel compelled to wrap up some business, put an old issue to bed, or finish something we started long ago.
On Thursday, March 9 Mars leaves the fiery realm of Aries enteringTaurus. On the same day, we get a pleasant sextile forming between the Sun in Pisces and Pluto in Capricorn. Perhaps we awaken to how the transormations that have been taking place in our lives for the last couple of years are finally becoming a part of new perspective and pattern of behavior. Epiphanies, prophetic or prescient dreams, or a soulful awakening can be part of this energy. With Mars in its Taurus, we may begin to feel that we are beginning to feel more capable of having an affect on our environment, the conditions of our lives, or current situation. We feel a sense of spiritual strength that we've been pouring into more fiery and spasmodic release.
Friday, March 10, the Moon leaves Leo entering Virgo. The Virgo Full Moon may feel like a three or four day affair this month as so much energy is being generated. The Virgo Full Moon is opposite the Sun in Pisces at 21/36 degrees. The Moon makes a series of aspects starting with an opposition to Neptune at 12/5, then the Sun at 21 degrees, Chiron, the Wounded Healer at 24/31 degrees, and then Mercury at 26/18 degrees Pisces. The Sun, Chiron, and Mercury are all in close conjunction making our experience of healing and recovering from old wounds paramount on our hearts and minds And with the influence of Mercury we will want to express it through some form of communication.
The Moon in Virgo's opposition to each of these orbs calls us to integrate the polarities in our lives. We may feel more inclined to butt heads, but with all the Pisces energy, it's more likely we'll combine forces or elements and be more creative. Jupiter will be at 21/25 Libra, retrograde, and Saturn will be at 27/16 Sagittarius. Uranus in Aries at 12/5 continues to make stress aspects, stirring up the post with more surprises and unexpected situations. Once Mars enters Taurus, we'll begin to feel the need to clean up after the messiness made as Uranus continues to create little eddies of confusion in its naive effort to learn something new. We are familiar with this energy in our lives. It's been stirring things up for several years now. Notice that area of your chart/life, and remember what you have learned when dealing with the unexpected.
The North Node, gateway between the past and future, remains at 2/31 Virgo, retrograde. We tend to revisit the past to remember what it is we've learned that will help us move forward. We may feel sometimes like we're taking three steps forward and three steps backward. Look at life as a dance. You're doing the Cha Cha right now with something important. Stop trying to figure out why, just enjoy the dance.
Now to Venus retrograde. Venus retro cycle started on March 4 and will continue until April 15. On the day of the Full Moon, March 12, The Moon forms a quincunx with Uranus in Aries. If we were to look at the constellation called The Crater. Crater means cup or chalice in Lain. According to Greek mythology, the constellation forms the cup of the god Apollo. Legend says that Apollo needed some water in order to perform a ritual. Apollo ordered Raven to take the two-handled chalice to find some water. Raven being a bird who enjoyed his leisure, stopped by a stream where there was a fig tree. Raven lazed about in the sun for a few days waiting for the figs to ripen. After gobbling the delicious figs down and realizing he was late, he filled the chalice with water, grabbed a water snake, and flew back to Apollo. Raven used the water snake (Hydra) as an excuse for his delay, but Apollo saw right through Raven's lies. Angrily Apollo casts Raven (Corvus), the Chalice (Cup), and the water snake (Hydra) into the sky. He cast a spell on Raven vowing that he should be eternally thirsty.
The Full Moon in Virgo sits right at the base of the Cup, Chalice. It is the archetype of the Healer, the Nurse, and symbolizes the need for us to take care of ourselves or endanger ourselves by depleting our energy and destroying our health. During this full Moon, Venus retrograde calls upon us to look to the areas of our lives where we may have suppressed desires, stored resentment, or adapted a martyr complex from doing too much. We may even feel we have not been appreciated the way we hoped to be. We can either turn this in on our selves by feeling lie a martyr or getting angry and resentful for others not living up to our expectations. We may all feel this at times, but during this Full Moon in Virgo, it will be more obvious how this may adversely affect our health, our relationships, and our perspective on life.
We want to be careful how we treat our wounded egos. Addictions need to be put in check; the answer is taking better care of ourselves, not endulging or overmedicating ourselves into numbness. There is also the likelihood that with the Moon in Virgo quincunxing Uranus in Aries the lunatic fringe may be loose. The need to shock, outrage, or strike out may stem from unhealed trauma from childhood raising its ugly head. What has been suppressed depresses, that is until it flies out in rage, frustration, or unchecked paranoia. When we feel unhealed emotional pain rising up, we need to rely on grounding practices and healing connections to help us cope with what remains unhealed. We are not meant to cope with such pain alone, neither are we meant to project it in all our relationships. Take this time to do the work you need to do to heal from wounds from the past.
With Jupiter oppoiste Uranus, the Libra-Aries axis, we have an opportunity to learn and evolve. Whatever inner conflicts, emotional tension, or unresolved trauma we are dealing with can be used to help us grow. Personal development is the gift of this healing Virgo Moon. As we take the wine, the sacrifice of Christ, to help us come to wholeness in communion, we now can come into unity within ourselves, accepting what has happened, facing what we need to to do heal, and then moving in the direciton of choices and attitudes that are life-affirming. What is happening at this Full Moon has triggered this moment in time. It is considered a revelatory, turning point time. One of those moments in our lives when we can trudge along with the illusions we've now become aware of, or we can move towards clarity and light. We've already experienced a lot of this. You may have noticed yourself questioning your own views of romance, family, and your role in life.
One other possibility during this time, is the need to find an answer before we are clear about the illusions we've been under. Avoid starting any new relationships at this time, or throwing yourself headlong into a new project. You may be itching for change, but beware of being seduced into the shiny fantasy whichs a path that doesn't acknowledge your own inner strength and abilities. Saturn in Sagittarius squares the Sun at the time of the Full Moon calling us to pay closer attention to our needs. It is a time to gain clarity about decisions, balancing head and heart. Discernment is needed to get clearer about where you truly feel commited. Strong emotions may have more to do with unhealed needs than with what is really good for you. Sometimes finishing something is better than trying to resusitate it.
Another aspect that is playing a powerful role in our lives right now is what's called the Hard Wedge or Masculine Wedge. A wedge is half of the Mystic Rectangle aspect. Three planets in a chart form one opposition, one sextile, and one trine. The mascuine/hard Wedge occurs when those planets are in the elements of air and fire; a feminine wedge is when the elements are earth and water. Masculine energies are considered active, feminine are considered passive. This manifests in the wedge as expressive, acting out, and exerting power (masculine wedge) and calm, determined, and motivated by a sure commitment (feminine wedge). In the case of this Full Moon in Virgo the wedge is formed by the water-earth elements of the Sun in Pisces and the Moon in Virgo. It can be quite a good time to focus in on what matters most in our lives, and commit ourselves accordingly.
It couldn't be that simple, right? We also have the connections between Mars (Taurus) , Uranus (Aries), and Jupiter (Libra) wedge, so the tendency to act out, feel the need to take a position of power in some way, and be heard. When we have these oppsoing energies, and the power of the Full Moon working together, we really need to be awake and aware of how we are using our energy. Find ways to use your excess energy in constructive ways. Physical exercise, dance, movement, geting outsidw and using our energy, helps to ground us. Avoid being in situations or with people who are out of control, acting rashly, or are draining your energy. Healthy use of energy and power is what is required right now. I would say the Leo Moon is going to stir up our emotional energy, so notice what is rising up. And cope with it in healthy, creative, and healing ways.
The Full Moon in Virgo peaks at 7:5 a.m. PDT on Sunday, December 12. In the US this is also the day we change the clocks to Daylight Savings Time, so energies can be a bit off center. People ask me about when the Moon is really full. The energy of a Full Moon is building up as it waxes to fullness. We will feel the energy of this Ful Moon as the signs change from Leo to Virgo, so use remain alert, aware, and conscious throughout the weekend. Notice how different parts of your body feel. Notice your emotional and psychological states (leading up to and during the full moon cycle). Learn what you can about how the moon's cycles and the different planetary aspects affect you, by simply listening to your being. You may feel more relaxed or more grounded.
Dreams and intuition should be heightened, and the content of dreams, visions, and hunches could be very practical and useful. Align your thinking and intentions with what you want to learn, what you want to create, and how you want to develop. This should be a wonderful time for evolving, working through karmic and lifelong patterns, habits, and residue. Focus on what brings you to life, what allows for the full expression of your life, and what really holds purpose and meaning for you. Sending good thoughts to you. Take this Cup of Love and let it fill you, body, mind, heart, spirit. Let yourself be transformed to be a path for Peace.
