by Robert Wilkinson
This Lunar Eclipse Wesak Festival Full Moon falls at the 6th degree of Scorpio-Taurus, and begins to stabilize the recent beginnings set into motion by the multiple conjunctions in Aries. It's time to anchor forms of compassionate wisdom that will be activated at the Full Moon of Gemini-Sagittarius.
The next two weeks offer us ways to ground and solidify recent life developments expressed as intense magnetic forms of our spirituality. We shall see the light of cooperative building expressed in “tearing ourselves away from the known and familiar, gambling everything on a great dream.” Here our spiritual grounding will become polarized, and enable us to gather what we need to sustain what’s already in motion.
This Lunar Eclipse Full Moon is stabilizing and confirming, and the second of the “Three High Moons” of Spring. Today's article will cover an overview of the Lunation and some of its primary qualities. Part 3 will cover the various rising signs around the globe and the Sabian Symbols. Part 4 will cover the aspects, configurations and patterns, and which signs are most likely to be affected by where this falls in their charts.
This stabilizing, grounding, “Buddha-Nature” infused Full Moon that will help us bring new responsibilities, power, and authorship to the surface of our lives so we can mobilize in our “enlightened self-interest” falls at the 6th degree of Taurus and Scorpio. This Lunation, helping us turn away from chains, fears, and obsolete duties and limitations, occurs April 25 at 12:57 pm PDT, 3:57 pm EDT, and 8:57 pm Greenwich (UT).
An overview of this period ruled by this Full Moon shows it will illuminate our ability to link our energies with others to bridge some “void” that’s a natural part of human evolution, or the landscape of our lives. This is an incredibly stabilizing Lunation, and marks a point of consciously leaving some things behind while mobilizing to find our “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
This Lunation is practical and inspired, with a lot of focus on feelings but a bit short on interactivity. We shall see many things that have been shown before now develop quickly, and those who get it in gear will find the momentum is squarely in their benefit. Here courage in commitment to a higher path will yield great rewards, since activity will lead to linking “the above and below” in our nature.
The focus of the light will reveal a need for a new field of activity, and some will throw themselves into a “passionate quest for universal values” which may disrupt current patterns. It will be a time to leap into new social and cultural opportunities that help us find newer, more mature and appropriate forms of service.
Critical decisions must be made to reverse and repair old social roles that have become crystallized or a hindrance to our ability to substantiate new values, new life forms, new life resources, and new ways to enjoy life. See what brings you down, and renounce it completely at the core of your being.
This can give us a sense of control over what fills the voids of our existence, and we can grow through making basic personal decisions that help us turn away from conflicts we do not need, patterns that have us overextended or out on a limb, renouncing lesser obligations and duties when called to more important things. If we can assert the deep and subtle parts of our Being in ways that help us mobilize for some form of gain, increase, or accumulation of that which is value, we can then find ourselves expressing our “God within.”
At noted in other articles in this series, we are going through a time of “gain through loss.” What we accumulate is not important in itself; it’s what we choose to say yes to, and what we say no to, that will determine what fills our voids in the future. This continues to show us a new way of living our Archetypal Self set into motion in 2010, and what’s been shut down, cleared out, and let go of since 2011 has helped clean our decks for future responsibilities more in line with our evolved Self.
The coming months will be powerful in helping us eliminate whatever is no longer relevant to our purpose and ability to respond to growing into a more mature role in our world. Things may seem out of balance, and even bring contradictory impulses, and any dualities that arise can only be resolved by making a leap of faith demonstrating some form of magnetic or emotional mastery over those dualisms. We’ll all certainly be able to get to the core of things, and see the innermost life and vitality (or lack thereof) in people, situations, and arguments.
This Full Moon helps us solidify recent new beginnings that are really old beginnings. As this Lunation makes a very powerful sextile and trine with Pluto in Capricorn, it’s great for knowing how to use discipline and power in structured ways. This is the end game of some things leaving forever, except for those that are part of your greater “Spiritual Mystery.” Imagination at critical times when we must show skills will help us glimpse a new dedication, a new fulfillment, and a new law of living.
With the Moon in Scorpio, find an appropriate emotional vehicle to navigate this time of tremendous feelings. Clean out, clear out, and/or repair whatever you need to in order to be able to interact with others in non-corrupted ways.
Due to incredible productivity in the Cancer sector of our maps, once we find the right “emotional intelligence,” then the more we care, the more we become sensitive to, the easier the flow through the crosscurrents and oppositions. We cannot avoid the crosscurrents and polarizations, but we do not have to feel helpless in navigating them.
In February and March we got to part the veils and enter the “sacred chamber” leading us beyond old ego limitations. Keep the discipline of rising to a more refined level of social interaction, or a higher, more sophisticated and refined way of relating to ours and others’ feelings as you move through social experiences. This is a very long term structuring power offered to humanity at this time. We now have learned the power of harmlessness, and those who have lessened their fear can now radiate a calm that transcends normal understanding.
It began Spring 2012, and we’ve now entered a space-time sector where we are learning to view much of what goes on at core through a sense of life being a “science experiment,” with our task to understand the laws that underlie what’s going on. As the Saturn sextile Pluto will be with us for quite a while, even though it’s now separating, relax into the intensified feelings and experience what’s been emerging these past several weeks of a deeper and larger “group consciousness.”
Ultimately this Full Moon will bring tremendous movement toward something that takes care of us, something we care about, or a beginning of a new base of emotional functioning. Take care of details, work the plan, master discouragement through deep compassion for what has been, what is going or gone, and what is to come. This Lunation, despite pulling us in disparate directions at times, overall will be very productive, stabilizing, and harmonizing, with some unique gifts for those who can get it in gear.
Again, I’ll write more about these things in parts 3 and 4. The next two weeks will bring release, relief, renewal, regeneration, and solidify some important patterns that can lead us to material and emotional well-being. This is a time to trust “the God Within,” be self-reliant, and see the “cooperation between spiritual and material agencies” in your life.
There is a potential for tremendous stability and clear understanding, as well as great productivity and ability to move out of the old into the new. This may challenge some of our conception of what we’ve been doing and why, helping us turn away from lesser things and simply and efficiently embrace greater things.
To sum up, it’ll be an important two weeks, 4 months, and year, with releases that will diminish the old ways while feeding the new ways. Here there will be favorable “karmic adjustments” that will yield basic life understanding and show us important facets of our “Spiritual Mystery.”
With the preponderance of planets in Aries and Taurus, get things in motion and be ready to stabilize, guard, or defend what needs it. This is a time to anchor the material and non-material asserts we need to support the life initiatives that have renewed these past several weeks. We’re moving into a new adventure, a new magnetism, a new potency, a new way of enjoying our lives and relationships, so let go of feeling stuck or ambivalent and link with others to “transmute life into love.”
This event offers us physical vitality, coupled with the power of the mind to move into deeper realities. We can find greater awareness through our innate wisdom and steady growth. Just don’t forget to feel once you’ve committed to some decision or action. Those who understand how to navigate feelings into new visions and new understanding will find it’s easy to know when and how to act with efficiency, simplicity, and clarity regarding what’s enjoyable and what isn’t. Then what to do becomes self-evident.
Here's the first post in this Wesak Festival Full Moon Lunar Eclipse series: Spiritual Astrology in April 2013 - It's A Happy Buddha Birthday at the Full Moon of Taurus-Scorpio, a.k.a. The Wesak Festival!
For more about Eclipses in general, how they are timed for effects, and other seldom considered considerations (con = "to be with" + sider = "the stars"), please check out the second post in this series, Astrology in April 2013 - On The Threshold of a Partial Lunar Eclipse at 6 Scorpio
© Copyright 2013 Robert Wilkinson
Well, I was going to have a Wesak Moon meditation this Thursday, but I found out that 8 million Buddhists think it is May 24th. Yes, I had learned that it is at the Taurus -Scorpio Full Moon. I am under the impression this information originates in the West from Madame Blavatsky. Well it seems this year Wesak is celebrated by actual Buddhists in India, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, and China, etc. on May 24th.
Posted by: Isispriest | April 24, 2013 at 06:37 PM
Hi Isispriest - As I explained, in the East they use the Sidereal system, which subtracts x degrees from current positions and proclaims them the "real" positions. Which is completely erroneous, as I've explained in previous articles through the years. There are more than a couple of legit objections to the assertion that Sidereal positions are somehow "more accurate" than any other positions (which they're not.) "Whole Cycle" approaches seem best to me as far as yielding meaning from any given thing within that cycle. So yes, some "actual" Buddhists in the East often use Sidereal positions. Or at least we can say that some of them do and some of them don't.
"8 million Buddhists" is an interesting number. Wonder where that came from? This info does not "originate" with HPB, but with the Buddhists and Lamaseries as she knew them in the 19th century. Moreover, most of what we currently celebrate as Wesak derives from the Tibetan Master of AAB, especially in terms of the details of "the Three High Moons" of Spring.
As far as I'm concerned, the Full Moon of Taurus-Scorpio, which is being celebrated by countless millions around the world as we speak, is the Wesak. And I will also celebrate the next Full Moon, both as an "Eastern" Wesak and a "Western" Christ Fest (which "actual Buddhists" don't celebrate, due to them being doctrinaire and not into the Whole Cycle.)
You will also note this is not an issue when a Full Moon is more than 23 degrees of Taurus-Scorpio. So about a quarter of the time East and West are in accord, and the rest of the time they're not. Oh well.....
Posted by: Robert | April 24, 2013 at 07:00 PM
ELLIPTICAL MOON HALOS: The moon is waxing full, which means now is the time to be alert for icy moon halos. On April 22nd, Darryl Luscombe of Sointula, British Columbia, saw an unusual specimen. Instead of being circular, as usual, this halo was elliptical:
"I dont think I have ever seen an elliptical halo around the moon before," says Luscombe. "I looked up and just stared for about a minute. Then I raced inside to get my camera. I just managed to photograph it before it disappeared."
Atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley comments on the apparition: "There have been quite a few ellipticals seen in the last few weeks both in Europe and the US. Something strange [is happening] in all our skies!"
"These unusual ice halos are much smaller than the ordinary 22 degree halo encircling the sun or moon," Cowley continues. "In the 22 degree halo the ring is effectively made by light refracting through a 60 degree ice prism. The smaller elliptical halos need much narrower prisms and we think that six sided plate shaped crystals with very shallow pyramidal ends might do the work. The problem is that such crystals are unphysical and computer simulations using them do not predict the halo very well. An alternative is the wedge shaped sections of small snowflake-like crystals. Whatever their cause, they are rare and mysterious!"
~ spaceweather.com
Hey Robbert I do think that something is really so going to change our world this year, maybe by the time it next new moon Annular Solar Eclipse in May we all hopefully will be marching to so different drum. I have faith in the human race that the end being the actual beginning of the story Humanity..
'A' HAPPY BUDDHA BIRTHDAY..
Posted by: Morlokk | April 24, 2013 at 08:00 PM
Hi Robert, I was wondering if you have any suggestions for a ritual or any other way to honor this powerful lunation? I followed your winter solstice ritual and found it extremely effective...
Posted by: Laura | April 24, 2013 at 08:21 PM
saturn currently conjuncting my 1st house neptune in scorpio which means the passion is directly on it full burst and the sun is like a spot light shining on it, all that is me will be revealed, hope I did all the work the divine mother has set me whilste doing the laundry in my chiron return, ooer did I put on the cleansed clothes, actually feels more like an MRI with neptune in scorp involved lol. The anxiety indicating fear within my mind has been much less lately and doesnt seem to be rising much this time, soooo I will have faith with jupiter releasing from the trine on my moon as south node passes my vertex and hope all the trials are done ethically and good and humour now on the agenda for the next archetypal committee meeting :) Helping quite a few already with head injuries from that saturn infused energy of the full moon, actually more pride injuries really.
Posted by: Debbie | April 24, 2013 at 09:47 PM
Robert, your post here is so inspiring, uplifting. Thank you for your dedication in helping us to see from these perspectives; and feel some sense of being on course. It resonates very much with my current intuitions and 'embodiment' practices. The clouds are clearing.
Posted by: William Croft | April 25, 2013 at 12:36 PM
A very Happy Wesak to all sentient beings. May Peace Prevail. Om Mane Padme Hum.
Posted by: dcu | April 25, 2013 at 02:01 PM
Whew! That all sounds so inspirational. This eclipse happens to be square my natal moon on one side and square my natal mercury on the other...and I was dreading it! Perhaps, unnecessarily.
"See what brings you down, and renounce it completely at the core of your being."
I have a file in which I keep all my favorite quotes from your blog, Robert. This one definitely goes in. True renunciation is so powerful. It's too easy to get habituated to draining people, endlessly frictional situations or life stories that grind us down.
Thank you for a fresh perspective. I've been growing tired of my "squares, squares, and not a drop to drink" inner narrative of late!
Posted by: Tolly | April 25, 2013 at 05:20 PM
I enjoyed this so much.
Posted by: Beverly | April 25, 2013 at 05:24 PM
Hi Robert , this lunar eclipse is very close to my birthday at 26th April.I feel scared at contemplating its implications.Am i going to lose someone or my health???
Posted by: sofia | April 26, 2013 at 03:31 AM
Hi Morlokk - I've never seen an elliptical Lunar ring, though I have seen plenty of circles. First thing I thought of was planetary orbits, which are also elliptical. Yes, I believe we are entering decades of "miracles and wonder" (and major upheaval!) Remember that matter does not shift easily, but when it does it alters reality for us humans. I believe many of us are already "marching to a different drum," and are merely feeling used to it. The others who are hypnotized by the "self-grasping mind" (as HHDL puts it) are finding themselves in weird reality warps. By the news I'm reading, some are dealing with it better than others, choosing to learn rather than crash and burn. And a happy to you, mate.....
Hi Laura - I was on the road when these comments came in and couldn't answer. That said, the best rituals are those of profound meaning for us. While we can always learn from those that already exist, it's also a profound experience to create meaning on one's own terms. Every Full Moon I do the Great Invocation, and accept the Illumination that is and to come. Even reading these articles is a good ritual, allowing one's imagination to reveal a greater meaning beyond the words I write here. And all rituals that "work" humble me to the synchronicity of the Wholeness of All-That-Is.
Hi Debbie - "You're not a kid anymore..." Saturn in the first shows you what you've trained for, and what training is now required to express a newer, more mature and capable YOU. Neptune in the first usually makes a person bugged by the lack of clarity in their view of themselves and why their personality lacks stable form. Saturn transiting your Neptune will bring the crystallization of a new self-image and a new ideal more in line with who we are now rather than what we idealized 30 years ago at the last transit.
Hi William Croft - Thanks for your praise of the work. It's Dharma Seva. We do live in exciting times!
Hi dcu - Blessings be to you, all of us, and the Whole.
Hi Tolly - Inspiration is a good thing. Eclipses are Cosmic Garbage Collectors, forcing us to let go of what we no longer need so we can have a void or two that life will fill. The trick for us is to learn how to hold the void so it's not filled with echoes of memories of perceptions that have no substantial reality except in memory. In one of the Eclipse articles I link to one I wrote a while ago about how favorable Eclipses can be, despite bringing major endings. And yes, it's always good to see what's bringing us down and go in a different direction. We are under no obligation to suffer, especially given how many are under the illusion of "misery loves company."
Hi Beverly - Glad to be of service! May you have many more enjoyable experiences!!
Hi sofia - All Eclipses help us eliminate that which is no longer relevant or valuable to our lives. Perhaps what it takes away will help you shine your Light in the world. Do not fear. In fact, eliminate all of your fear of the unknown. That would be a great use for this Eclipse.
Posted by: Robert | April 26, 2013 at 07:19 AM
Thank you for your insight into the energy of this eclipse! I'm currently undergoing a period of serious testing as a leg injury is precluding my ability to work and maintain self-sufficiency, while the surgery required to ensure proper healing is requiring me to fall deeper into debt. I've been trying to avoid falling into a trap of self-pity, but sometimes it's very tough.
This particular eclipse falls right on my Taurus AC and also seems to be a direct play on the most important aspect configuration in my chart -- Taurus Moon in the 1st house opposite Sun conjunct Saturn in the 7th, widely conjunct Tau/Sco nodes. After reading your article I am able to synthesize that I am being challenged to let go of my fears of being helped by others, and to move forward from my self-limiting beliefs that my artistic contributions (through writing and music) must somehow be approved by others before I can hope to pursue them.
Thanks again for your insights!
Posted by: Derek | April 26, 2013 at 10:50 AM
Hi Robert,
Excellent article. This eclipse was conjunct my Natal moon. I have been feeling a bit fuzzy over the last few days. Could this be be because of this eclipse?
Posted by: Arjun | April 26, 2013 at 11:53 PM
Good morning Robert! What sign is DC under? Aries? Merci
Posted by: Lorochka | April 27, 2013 at 06:07 AM
Enjoyed a much needed re-connection with oldest son, in between some life changes, and healing time, hadn't seen in person over three years.
A surprise severing of a platform for new age healers, yet a new more in line with right relationship and right commerce is forming. Yes, a ending of a few things for sure.. and more better and new ones emerging. Thanks for the writings! Love and Light.
Posted by: sunshyne99 | April 27, 2013 at 10:52 PM