by Robert Wilkinson
This stabilizing, focusing, attuning, healing, releasing and intense Full Moon showing us what to clear out, what to regenerate, and what we’ve completed and done well falls at the 15th degree of Scorpio and Taurus. This is the power of deepening in our communion with others, ourselves, and the Earth will help us get clear about a bigger picture, and how we can make a greater contribution to our world.
At a Full Moon, that which has opened since the previous New Moon surfaces in a public form, and heads toward the culmination and fruition symbolized by the second half of any cycle. First half, birth into form and field. Second half, culmination and completion of the purpose of that cycle.
That’s why it’s important to regard the New and Full Moon charts as “God’s Footprints in Time,” since one follows the other in an unending sequence of births of newer and newer seeds. The New Moons show us the seeds that will flourish under the reflected light of the Full Moon.
Full Moons heighten feelings, due to the opposition of the Moon and the Sun. This particular Lunation has one other forming opposition, that being Moon opposed Venus.
As Venus is a personality planet opposing the Moon, we can use Venus (social feelings and sense of value and relatedness) to express the Moon (personal feelings and a sense of security) and vise versa. So while there will be polarization, we can also come to a transfiguration by asserting the deeper parts of our personalities in straightforward ways so we are not taken for granted or as irrelevant to what’s going on.
This Lunation marks another period when we have some powerful squares and T-squares in play. This has been happening off and on throughout the past several years, with 2014 particularly difficult due to the Grand Crosses in play during the time of the Great Fracturing between March and June 2014. If you’re wondering why so many things have crashed, or been challenged, or turned radical life corners, it’s due to the Uranus square Pluto that have formed two legs in the various T-squares in play since 2010, and especially late December 2013 through June 2014.
That cut loose very volatile energies that fragmented everyone’s life in some way. Many had some very inharmonious experiences, creating echoes and energy releases related to other cardinal T-squares over the past 3+ years. As I’ve told you before, this square between Uranus and Pluto is most affecting those born the first week of April, July, October, and January, as well as those with planets or angles between approximately 10-15 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
The good news is that each time planets transit mid-Cancer and mid-Libra they form a T-square, which can release a lot of pent-up energy, helping break log jams and stuck situations. In this chart, Mars and Saturn both make Octile-series frictional aspects to Uranus and Pluto, showing a particularly volatile time. Because of the Martian square, keep it fair, reasonable, moderate, just, gentle, kind tender, and caring in balanced, sensitive ways.
Dispositors - What's the Backdrop to the Energies?
The Moon in Taurus is ruled by Venus in worldly affairs and TransPluto in spiritual matters, and the Sun in Scorpio is ruled by Mars in worldly affairs and Pluto in spiritual matters. This makes the Water and Earth elements strong in how the Moon expresses itself, while the Earth element predominates as the backdrop to the Sun.
In this chart, in worldly affairs all of the planets are ruled by Mars in Capricorn and Saturn in Scorpio, which are in mutual reception, since they occupy each other’s home sign. This is a very strengthening and self-reinforcing energy loop that makes them the final dispositors for all the other planets except Neptune in Pisces, which is its own final dispositor.
That makes these two planetary powerhouses the primary directors behind the scenes in this chart. You can find more about dispositors by going to Astrology Class – What Is A Dispositor and What Is Mutual Reception Between Two Planets?
The Sabian Symbols for the Full Moon
This Full Moon falls at 15 Scorpio-Taurus. It is said that the second third (decan) of any sign deals with the emotional, social, and cultural levels of life, and being the second decan of those signs, invokes a sub-influence of Pisces and Virgo.
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 15th degree of Scorpio is “Children playing around five mounds of sand.” In the original Jones class notes, Rudhyar says this is a degree of “The world of the five senses as the playground of God and Soul,” “Honesty in self-expression,” and “Bondage to sense patterns.”
In the Astrological Mandala, he goes on to say that this degree symbolizes “Early steps in the development of a mind seeking to be attuned to the higher level of human evolution.” He offers that 5 is the number of “mind in its most creative and penetrating aspect,” the quintessence of individuality arising from 4, which symbolizes the biosphere, and that humanity has been stuck for a long time in “mind contaminated by compulsive instincts.”
He also says that this symbol can bring forth those individuals who embrace their potential to cultivate the higher, creative mind, and in the right social environment, could master ways of expressing their creativity to express their Higher Self. Ultimately this degree is the fulfillment of the energy of interaction with others, and so flows toward “future oriented growth.” He says this degree falls in the Span of Retention, Act of Group Integration, and Scene of Communion on the Individual-Mental level.
Dr. Jones says this is a degree of “Absolute self-integrity at a simple extreme of social consciousness,” and of our Spirit’s “competence for meeting all possible eventualities.” He says this is about dramatizing psychological faculties as a means to interact with others, and of “the illimitable capacity for experience in any situation” in which we find ourselves.
He continues that “the individual is able to deal with whatever may arise in the circumstances of (their) being, and to commit to whatever proves to be worthwhile.” He offers us the keyword NAIVETE’. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree “is a gift for a continual discovery of new and effective facets of selfhood.”
So the illumination available via this Full Moon is through the light of individual-mental communion that shows our integrity as we play with a higher creative aspect of Mind. As it’s the Eagle point, it marks a degree of ultimate transcendence, and the ability to move that which usually cannot be moved, and stabilize that which is usually unstable. And of course, Scorpio often deals with some kinds of healing.
The Lunar degree symbol for the 15th degree of Taurus is “A man muffled up, with a rakish silk hat.” In the original notes from the Marc Jones class on the symbols, Rudhyar says this is a degree of the “Supremacy of conscious mind over brute nature forces,” “full appreciation of outer difficulties,” and “great inner resources.”
In the Mandala he says this is a degree of "the courage needed to meet the crises precipitated by social ambition,” where regardless of what we have already succeeded at, we will still confront inner and outer storms the more “successful” we become. He says we must be ready to face these storms with courage and be willing “to accept crises and to go through them” to develop strength of character, which becomes the vehicle for Higher Consciousness.
He goes on to say this symbol “implies a transition to a new level at which the individual who has learned from experience demonstrates a truly mature mind. What is revealed here is character under adverse circumstances.” He states this degree falls in the Span of Experience, Act of Differentiation, Scene of Substantiation on the Individual-Mental level.
Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “Absolute self-integrity at a simple extreme of self-consciousness,” and of our Spirit’s “inherent supremacy over all possible limitations or embarrassments.” He says this degree is about dramatizing self in “a continual and effective awareness of a role to be played in life.”
He offers that we must be “willing to utilize whatever arises in experience” while transcending the limitations of even the least part of it. He offers us the keyword SOPHISTICATION. He goes on to say that when operating positively, the degree is “a superb aplomb arising from the constant rediscovery of greater powers latent in selfhood.”
So the focus of the light of this Full Moon requires us to be willing to go through what we must to cultivate the better aspects of our character as the foundation for living our Higher Self. This is the culmination of making something substantial, and because it’s the Ox point, it also perfectly balanced the power of the Eagle point. While the Eagle Point Sun is a degree of ultimate transcendence, the Ox Point Moon is a degree of ultimate stability, and therefore it also shows the ability to move that which usually cannot be moved, and stabilize that which is usually unstable.
This is a concentrating, specializing, and integrative Full Moon, even if it does challenge our ability to keep things in proportion with a view to the bigger picture and better angels of human nature. Given the forces in play via the Fixed T-square, keep it all very friendly and detached, practicing volition – being consciously thoughtful in choosing our responses - in responding to circumstances and people rather than reacting from pure instinct.
This is the last “re-visiting” of the Saturn in Libra era for this year. It will mainly focus on the Venus lessons set into play Nov 2011, and the Mars in Libra lessons set into play in Feb-Mar 2014. We can now see how we used to feel cut off but are now connected, or used to feel isolated but now feel the life/love that’s all around us. This finishes the time of “looking back” at repair work in the past, or how things came to be in the past that are now over.
Again, keep your eyes on the prize and don’t settle for lesser things when greater rewards are to be had. Assert your subtle personality strengths, and look at crises and trials as helping you become a more substantial and powerful force for good in your world. Because of the T-square, be alert to extreme, corrosive, stubborn or egocentric people, as well as those whose motive is not above board.
Due to some very unfavorable Saturn aspects, try not to get lost in the limitations that seem to be real, or manipulations that are unsound. This is the first crisis of how to use the energies of the Mars-Saturn conjunction from last August, and it’s an interesting coincidence that Venus is on that exact degree in this chart! And in the next part of the series I’ll discuss the current Saturn semisquare Pluto, which is creating a lot of points of crisis in those specifically affected by this aspect.
Since July, Jupiter has been helping us all expand our heart expression. We built a lot of fire energy via the Grand Fire Trine of late September and early October, and this Scorpio transit represents the waxing square to those Leo beginnings. Even a T-square to Jupiter can have beneficial results if we know how to handle those energies in an integrated way!
TransPluto, Divine Mother, Neptune, and the Polarization in the Collective Atmosphere
In the Full Moon charts of 2009-2012, Neptune was in a very close opposition to TransPluto, the planet symbolizing Divine Mother Energy. That’s one factor in why things have been so polarized the past several years, teaching humanity compassion and the need for Viveka, or Divine Discrimination. 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 continues to occupy the first degree of Virgo, showing us the long term future of humanity. Again, the Divine Redeemer is showing us ways to show Viveka through understand the place and function of individual differences.
In terms of the larger Era, we’ve now ended the TransPluto (Percephone, Parvati) in Leo era that we knew from September 20, 1935 through a few weeks ago. Since October 2011, we’ve been a transition period where this planet has danced at the last degree of Leo and first degree of Virgo.
On July 5, 2014, TransPluto left Leo for many centuries, and entered into Virgo for the next century. It made it to 2 Virgo on October 16, so we’re now experiencing “a liberating ordeal.” Because it’s Divine Mother, I would think that would mean we all will be tested to allow compassion and understanding to come forth as humanity stands at the crossroads of time.
So we’ve officially entered a different Spiritual Era will last through July 2107, when it leaves Virgo for good and re-enters Libra for the first time in many centuries, also after a few years of dancing on the cusp of Virgo and Libra. If you want to know more, please revisit the recent article Astrology in the Age of Aquarius - Transpluto, a.k.a Divine Mother, Parvati, and Percephone, Just Left Leo and Entered Virgo
As the Lunation articles have grown to impossible lengths, this closes part 2 on this Full Moon. Part 3 will cover important chart factors, New Moon themes, Jones Patterns and more, so I’ll see you soon!
Because Mercury is still in its shadow zone of its recent retrograde, we’re still playing out those Mercury retrograde in Libra and Scorpio themes (and will be until next January, when it again goes retrograde.) You can find out more about what this past retrograde was about, as well as what the Jan-Feb 2015 Mercury retrograde in Aquarius will be about in general and for you personally, by getting a copy of the new expanded 2nd edition of my work “A New Look At Mercury Retrograde,” available on Amazon kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook as an eBook.
As I’ve told you before, in this new edition I have rewritten and expanded the chapter on Mercury retrograde in the houses, as well as the chapter on Mercury retrograde in the signs. There’s also a lot of in-depth information about Mercury retrograde periods and people and what the entire Mercury Retrograde phenomenon is about. This book will help you understand what’s in play during every Mercury retrograde period, regardless of what signs or houses in your chart are affected by Mercury retrograde.
© Copyright 2014 Robert Wilkinson
Sun-Pluto in middle degrees of Libra, Moon in middle degrees of Cancer, and once again I feel on the cross. Each time I break into greater wholeness. I feel sanctified and blessed as much as I feel ripped asunder, mostly by feelings of shocking intensity. This life thing is not for the faint of heart! I thank you, Robert, for your consistent wisdom and compassion,which have been such a solace during these great fracturings. I send my love to you and all the brothers and sisters who visit the Cantina. May we all be better expressions of the Light. The resurrection is forthcoming.
Posted by: Shekinah | November 05, 2014 at 07:40 PM
So, a Full Moon right on my Taurus ascendent. Does that mean Double or Triple Whammy Robert?!!! Thank you for all the helpful information.
Posted by: Ann | November 06, 2014 at 12:10 AM
The full moon conjuncted my Taurus full moon (I was born on a full moon-sun at 22 scorpio 2nd house) at 21 degrees in my 8th house. I got a full blown clear view of the inner weakness/old magnetism of the past, and I had an opportunity to stand at the crossroads of a corrosive situation, and see it clearly, and do something different. But I saw how unconscious that old magnetism/rut was...and I surprised myself, as it involved standing up to an authority figure who had taken advantage, and there was no wavering....just pure calm strength. I heard his voice change to conciliation when I faced him, as he heard and felt the strength too :)))))))))
Posted by: Suzanne | November 11, 2014 at 01:36 PM