by Robert Wilkinson
Though this is a bit late, remember we are still under the influence of a very important Wesak Festival Lunar Eclipse. Here’s part 3 of the series, where we go into the meaning of the Sabian Symbols and how this Eclipse will shut down areas in our life in order to create a void that we can fill in the future.
This is the second of the "three High Moons" of Spring. It is said that this stabilizes the life and spiritual energies that come into play each year during the Full Moons of Aries-Libra, Taurus-Scorpio, and Gemini-Sagittarius. I explain more at the end of this article.
Now we take a look at the rising signs around the world. The Lunation finds 14 Leo rising in Santa Monica, 17 Leo in Vancouver, 23 Virgo in Montreal, and 19 Virgo in Washington DC, showing (from west to east) mid-Leo through late Virgo as the rising signs across North America. We move east where we find 27 Libra rising in Rio, 14 Scorpio in Lisbon, 15 Scorpio in London, 24 Scorpio in Berlin, 8 Sagittarius in Sofia, 13 Capricorn in Johannesburg, and 8 Sagittarius in Moscow.
Moving into Asia and Oceana, we find the Ascendants to be 30 Capricorn in Abbottabad (Apr 26), 8 Aquarius in New Delhi, 16 Aquarius in Trivandrum, 27 Pisces in Hong Kong, 5 Taurus in Tokyo, 30 Pisces in Perth, 23 Aries in Melbourne, 2 Taurus in Brisbane, 16 Taurus in Wellington , and 6 Cancer rising on Maui (Apr 25).
So you can construct a rough chart for where you are in the world, I’ll give you the rounded up degree for each planet. Use the Ascendants given above to get a rough sense of what’s on the eastern horizon where you are, and using an Equal House system, you can see what’s going on in your part of the world for the next 4 weeks.
In this Full Moon with the Sun at 6 Taurus and the Moon at 6 Scorpio, Mercury is 20 Aries, Venus is 13 Taurus, Mars is 4 Taurus, Jupiter is 17 Gemini, Saturn is 9 Scorpio retrograde, Uranus is 11 Aries, Neptune is 5 Pisces, Pluto is 12 Capricorn retrograde, TransPluto is 30 Leo retrograde, Chiron is 13 Pisces, and the NN is 17 Scorpio.
Because the New Moon preceding the Full Moon always represents the seed forms that are brought to surface at and after the Full Moon, please check out the recent New Moon articles New Moon in Aries Pt. 1 - What’s Happening in April-May 2013. You’ll find more at New Moon in Aries Pt. 2 – How Will This Lunation Affect Us? and The April New Moon in Aries Pt. 3 - Signs, Sabian Symbols, and What It All Means.
Those around the world who will definitely feel effects of this Full Moon are the places where it falls near the angles of the chart. Places on our list where the Lunation is near the angles and activating energies powerfully are (Sun/Moon): Vancouver and Santa Monica, (MC/IC), Rio, Lisbon, London, and Berlin (Dsc/Asc), Pakistan and India (IC/MC), and Tokyo, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Wellington (Asc/Dsc).
Full Moons heighten feelings, due to the opposition of the Moon and the Sun. This particular Lunation uses that opposition to make a very powerful and productive sextile and trine to Neptune and Pluto, throwing very favorable voids into 4-13 Cancer and Virgo. This should bring a type of “abundance” into our lives, and build our material and non-material resources in all the Earth and Water houses in our charts.
Still, ideas and decisions are at the forefront of activity these next two weeks, so see what you care about and either get a plan, implement a plan, refine a plan, and mobilize to secure whatever needs to be secured. And of course, it will help to continue to show gratitude for what's been lost and what's been gained, since we’re in the midst of great losses, and many things from our past will be cleared out as a result of this Eclipse, as well as the two to come over the next 4 weeks impacting our lives for many months and years.
Venus and TransPluto rule the Sun, while the Moon is ruled by Mars and Pluto. This makes the aspects between these planets very powerful as backdrops to this Lunation. With Venus and Mars both in Taurus and in trine to Pluto, we are moving from an understanding to a stabilizing action, and since Venus and Mars make no forming aspects to TransPluto, overall this is a favorable harmony between worldly and Spiritual energies.
As the Moon is ruled by Mars in Taurus and opposed to Venus, and Venus is in its home sign of Taurus and the dispositor of all the planets except Neptune, it makes Venus the predominant power in this chart. Given the spread of the planets, we will take the initiative in thinking new ideas and understanding with Mercury in Aries which will then be stabilized by the planets in Taurus through actions and experiences of some form of abundance via the Venus.
Due to Saturn being a dispositor of Pluto, and being the nozzle of the Bucket element of this chart, since the Moon is conjunct Saturn it intensifies the prominence of Scorpio energies. We continue to be put in touch with a deeper reality, or a deeper feeling of connection with others as well as our own emotional depth.
This one is enormously productive in helping us finish eliminating ghosts of the past so that we can regenerate our magnetism by holding the empty space and seeing what we’ve attracted since June 2011. We are creating voids in all life areas influenced by Scorpio, Capricorn, and Aquarius, and over the next few months while Saturn is retrograde, will be raising our interactions to much higher levels of refinement and culture. Our appreciation for whatever and whoever is structuring future returns accordingly.
We are now moving forward into a period of stabilizing the future patterns set into motion during the Jupiter conjunctions in Aries between March and May 2011, and stabilized while Jupiter was in early Taurus in the last half of 2011 and the first half of 2012. These were renewed in March and April 2013, and with this Eclipse, much will be eliminated or shut down that will clear the decks for new life experiences along the lines this Eclipse indicates.
Is the Sun Following the Moon, or the Moon Following the Sun?
This is the eleventh Full Moon where the Sun falls in the subsequent sign to the Sun at the previous New Moon. This is the next step in a reversal of what we experienced between September 2010 and June 2011. We last had this sequence of Full Moon Suns in different signs than the previous New Moon from July 2009 through September 2010. Since then, we’ve had a sequence of the New Moon Sun being in the same sign as the next Full Moon Sun. As I've explained in previous Full Moon articles,
... the Full Moon being in a subsequent sign than the previous New Moon indicates that what is released as realizations in the Full Moon period actually "prepares the ground" for the coming New Moon seed. Strange reversal of function, since you would think the New Moon provides the seed for the next Full Moon. But this set of Lunations works the opposite way....Another way to look at this is the Sun sign of the Full Moon is the same as and precedes the Sun sign of the next New Moon, reversing the usual way Lunations work. So the fulfillment of the Full Moon sets up the next "seed" to be revealed at the next New Moon....
So Sept 2010 through June 2011 we had the New Moon Sun in the same sign as the subsequent Full Moon Sun every month. From July 2011 the pattern continued, but the New Moon began to fall at the end of the month, with the Full Moon in the middle of the next month. Even though the New Moon Sun was in the same sign as the Full Moon Sun, the seeds were set into motion at the end of a month, with Full Moon activity beginning the middle of the next month.
This shifted in May-June 2012, when we had a New Moon at 1 Gemini in late May, a Full Moon at 15 Gemini-Sag in early June, and another New Moon at 29 Gemini in late June. That began the current sequence of the New Moon Sun at the end of one sign, with the following Full Moon Sun in the next sign.
So June 2012 began our current reversed experience from the “normal” New Moon-Full Moon cycle. We’ve been having an illuminated form shown to us at the Full Moon, followed by the Sun being in the same sign as the previous Full Moon. This is fulfillment followed by similar Solar seeds of potential while reversing the natural process.
So we’re still experiencing the New Moon Sun in a different sign than the following Full Moon Sun. The December 13, 2012 New Moon Sun was at 22 Sagittarius, while the next Full Moon Sun was at 8 Capricorn. The January 11, 2013 New Moon Sun was at 22 Capricorn, while the next Full Moon Sun was at 8 Aquarius. The February 10, 2013 New Moon Sun was at 22 Aquarius, while the next Full Moon Sun was at 8 Pisces. The March 11, 2013 New Moon Sun was at 22 Pisces, while the next Full Moon Sun is at 7 Aries. The April New Moon was at 21 Aries, while this Full Moon Sun is at 6 Taurus.
This “reversed Sun sign” phenomenon will continue until August 2013, when we will have a New Moon at 15 Leo on August 6-7, and a Full Moon Sun at 29 Leo on August 20-21. This will restore the “natural” order of Lunation Suns, offering us seeds shown in the first half, fulfillment in the second half.
The Sabian Symbols for the Full Moon
This Full Moon falls at 6 Scorpio-Taurus. It is said that the first third (decan) of any sign deals with the actional, physical, material levels of life, and being the first decan of those signs, invokes a sub-influence of those signs, Scorpio and Taurus.
Since the Moon always focuses the light of the Sun in specific forms, the degree symbols for both are important. The Sun degree is the illumination or enlightenment of the Lunation, whereas the Moon shows us the potential forms that enlightenment will take. Though I’ve given you a sense of what this is about up to now, here’s where we go into detail.
The Solar degree symbol for the 6th degree of Taurus is “A bridge being built across a gorge.” In the original notes from the Marc Jones class on the symbols, Rudhyar ways this is a degree of “Conquest of difficulties and limitations by intelligence,” “directed effort toward solving a problem,” and “Channel-ship.”
In the Mandala he goes on to say this is a degree of "the conquest of separativeness through group-cooperation,” and states this symbol is about participating in some collective project to overcome any sense of loneliness. “All great evolutionary challenges imply the overcoming of basic difficulties.” Here we confront “an abyss” that is “no longer a personal void” but a chasm that must be bridged to achieve evolution.
He says here “a link must be built through the power of the collective mind of (the group or community) on the basis of the legacy of the past, to make a bridge…” He concludes the “bridge built with collective skill gives substance to and demonstrates (our) capacity to conquer obstacles and to achieve evolutionary continuity…”
So the illumination available via this Full Moon is through the Light of building bridges with others to achieve some form of evolution in a group setup, and conquering difficulties, limitations, and separateness “through group cooperation.” He states this degree falls in the Span of Experience, Act of Differentiation, and Scene of Substantiation on the Emotional-Cultural level.
Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “the conquest of natural difficulties by conscious means,” and of our independence from “nature’s accidents or inconveniences.” He states “there are always ways in which physical limitations may be transformed into personal or social assets,” contributing dependability and consistency that ensures “continuance and intelligence to human experience.”
He offers the keyword CHANNELSHIP. He goes on to state that when operating positively, the degree is “the directness and the practical instinct by which personality achieves ultimate benefit of its powers.”
The Lunar degree symbol for the 6th degree of Scorpio is “A gold rush.” In the original Jones class notes, Rudhyar says this is a degree of “the passionate quest for universal values, destructive of cultural ease of living,” “leaping to opportunity,” and “avid seeking.”
In the Astrological Mandala, he goes on to say that this degree is about “the passionate search for new values which, at any level, promise a more abundant life.” He goes on to state this is about an arousal or intensification of desire, whether for a thing, role, status, or part to play in the world. He says “always at this Scorpio level the yearning is for an ever more intense and all-absorbing union with a person or a community… which motivates a search for more effectual means to achieve as total a feeling experience as possible.”
He says this symbol is about our ability to break free from “the known and familiar, gambling everything on a vision or dream. He gives the keyword as AVIDITY, and says this degree falls in the Span of Retention, Act of Group-Integration, and Scene of Communion on the Emotional-Cultural level.
So this symbol shows the form of this Full Moon Lunar Eclipse over the next 4 months involves the ending of some old potential clearing the ground for us to “tear away from the known and familiar” on a social or emotional level. Whatever ends will help us move into more universal feeling experiences that will lead us to new opportunities and new roles to play.
Dr. Jones says this is a degree of “”the exploitation of natural resources through personal initiative and intelligence,” and of our “essential independence” from “commonplace limitations or superficial inadequacies of life.” He says this symbolizes that there are rewards for our efforts, and that we are able “to improve (our) immediate condition in all possible directions.”
He states “Human skills are forever challenged to their own good fortune,” and offers us the keyword AMBITION. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is “instinctive self-dedication to the unseen potentials of everyday existence.”
So What Do These Symbols Mean?
From these symbols it seems we can see the light of cooperating in some “bridge building” or linking process with others to achieve some sort of evolutionary continuity. This will express in forms of an intensification of feelings that will lead us to break away from something that is familiar to us. Here the light of social cooperation results in new ways to use our resources to become independent of limitations and superficialities. The is the Light of our natural cooperative instincts expressed in an aroused ambition that will lead us to rewards and a form of good fortune.
Important endings and new stability are promised by this Full Moon Eclipse over the next 4 months, as well as very productive attractions that offer us new possibilities of a more intense life experience. This will help us see how to balance competing instincts in organized and intuitive ways helping us gather what we need and get the plan we can execute.
The abundance we find at “the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow” may be a form of regeneration, or faith in our instinct for what must be done, when it must be done, and how it must be done, all within easy expression of our natural abilities. This can help us more easily let go of the past and strengthen our feeling of connectedness with others. This feeling magnetism is showing us those in our Soul-group we can build and cooperate with, as well as what we must tear ourselves away from, or who will have to be torn away from us.
The Dance of Neptune With TransPluto
One important thing to note. In previous Full Moon charts, Neptune was in a very close opposition to TransPluto, the planet symbolizing Divine Mother Energy. That is one factor in why things have been so incredibly polarized the past several years. The opposition has been teaching humanity compassion and the need for Viveka, or Divine Discrimination, as an expression of the Divine Heart-force. This has offered all of us opportunities to join together in the Great Mother and realize our interrelatedness on a feeling level with All-That-Is.
The energies of Divine Mother will only grow stronger throughout this century, and these will be demonstrated each time the planets make significant aspects to TransPluto. In this chart TransPluto has slipped back into the final degree of Leo, accenting the “caring and sharing” of important knowledge. Again, the Divine Redeemer is showing us ways to release individual-spiritual energy through sharing what we deem important in selfless ways.
While Neptune has now moved on out of the exact opposition, they will again be very close between August and November 2013 when TransPluto again is in early Virgo and Neptune is in early Pisces. The only important forming aspect to TransPluto in this chart is Jupiter in close quintile, showing that “Divine Mother energy” can be uniquely expressed and refined through Jupiter.
This generates a 5-pointed Star pattern involving 16-19 Gemini, 28 Leo-1 Virgo, 10-13 Scorpio, 22-25 Capricorn, and 4-7 Aries. This will provide expansive energy to what we experienced at the last Full Moon, when Venus, Sun, Saturn, and TransPluto were in three of those zones. Whenever the Moon occupies any of these five zones, expect unique circumstances and special gifts.
Obviously, if you have a planet or point in any of these zones, you continue to be blessed in unique ways. As I put it last month, “just wait till Jupiter crosses the Gemini zone in late April and early May! Events related to the past two Full Moons plus this one will explode then!” Welcome to the NOW!
When this Jupiter quintile TransPluto is triggered, we will confront “quintessential” conditions that offer special gifts and circumstances to anyone with planets near any of these 5 zones. This on-going activity has introduced some very specialized opportunities, and brought “Divine Mother energy” into the magnetics of situations helping us all transcend limitations.
Those who have cultivated interactive compassion and/or intuition have and will continue to find themselves attracted to situations of larger influence, where our gifts, talents, and skills can bring us significant forms of material and nonmaterial abundance. With Mars leading the Sun, this Eclipse will be pace-setting, and bring many exactly what they need to fulfill a higher destiny they’re just now glimpsing. Link your energies with others to overcome impotency or any sense of separateness, and you will find yourself mastering discouragement while seeing and knowing higher things.
A brief note on the larger Era. We approach the end of the TransPluto (Percephone, Parvati) in Leo era that we’ve known since September 20, 1935. Since October, 2011, we’ve been a transition period where this planet will dance at the last degree of Leo and first degree of Virgo through July 5, 2014.
As it’s back at the final degree of Leo, enjoy this penultimate period before the transition to a different transitional Era. After then we enter the TransPluto in Virgo era that will last through July, 2107, when it leaves Virgo for good and re-enters Libra for the last time, also after a few years of dancing on the cusp of Virgo and Libra.
What Are the Three High Moons of Spring?
On a final note for today, long time readers on this site know the first Full Moon of Spring marks the first of the "3 High Moons" occurring each year that offer the world a new infusion of Light, Dharma, and Love. According to one respected source, the Full Moon of Aries/Libra brings the renewal of the life force for the year (at least for the Northern Hemisphere). The "Second High Moon," the Full Moon of Taurus/Scorpio known as the Wesak Festival, brings a new outpouring of the "Cosmic Buddha Nature" that brings all a renewal of the qualities that Sage brought to humanity to lessen suffering for all sentient Beings.
In the same tradition, the Full Moon of Gemini/Sagittarius is the "Third High Moon," and known as the Christ Fest. This is the point in the year cycle where the World Teacher of the Age takes the wisdom of the Buddha Nature and infuses it with the Loving magnetism so that all may become more lovingly wise and wisely loving according to the lesson of the year. That Christ Fest Loving Wisdom pulse has been active since early June of 2012, and will be replaced by a new pulse in the Gemini/Sagittarius Full Moon to come.
For now, if you're in the Northern Hemisphere, enjoy Spring and the rush of life that's already appearing all over the Northern Hemisphere that is now expressing energies of “the Cosmic Buddha Nature,” which is the wisdom form all of humanity will be learning, as well as blessed by, through the First High Moon of 2014. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, check out to see what types of new Taurus energies and activities are showing themselves in your life, find the wisdom forms to be harvested, and see how to find abundance in new communions.
In Part 4 we'll cover the aspects, configurations, and which degree spans will be impacted by this Full Moon Wesak Lunar Eclipse in Taurus-Scorpio. See you soon!
As I’ve given you in past Full Moon posts, here are a couple of articles written about Neptune opposing TransPluto back when the former was in Aquarius and the latter in Leo. Now they’ve moved into a separating opposition that is out of sign, since it falls from Pisces to Leo. Still, what you’ll read in these and in the internal links to other articles will help you understand how TransPluto, aka Percephone, Parvati, or Divine Mother, is influencing the 21st century and our human conception of “G_d.” And of course, I'll be updating the information in the future.
© Copyright 2013 Robert Wilkinson
I'm comfortable with the 'bridge building', but the more 'intense life experience' oh boy. I've already cut coffee, am monitoring my food intake, and getting more physical exercise toward being able to better resonate with this thing.
Posted by: caliban | May 01, 2013 at 11:27 AM
Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge about astrology. This can help many individuals in every aspect of their lives.
Posted by: Danica | May 02, 2013 at 02:20 AM
My stars must be in the right places; you said " the illumination available via this Full Moon is through the Light of building bridges with others to achieve some form of evolution in a group setup, and conquering difficulties, limitations, and separateness “through group cooperation.” ". On May 1st an Art Instructor position at a shop called Lazy Daze of Counter Culture pretty much jumped into my lap! I'll be leading an art class teaching how to individualize Munny art dolls. I believe this is a direct result of my sharpening my multimedia skills for the last two years. I am quite excited to be able to share my skills with others in a fantastic setting with like minded people.
Posted by: Cinda | May 03, 2013 at 06:45 AM