by Robert Wilkinson
The recent activating, organizing, specializing, and productive Full Moon at 15 Cancer-Capricorn will move us into taking charge of what we care about so we can make the spiritual real in some way in our lives. It will also bring many a “cosmic visitation” related to last month’s Full Moon, as well as the coming Mercury stationary direct period.
Important Chart Factors
Venus is on the “cosmic visitation” degree that Mars occupied at last month’s Full Moon and where Mercury will go stationary direct on February 11. Obviously this is a theme for these months, and in some way, we all have been or will be “liberated from adverse conditions” that are “galvanizing to action.” This degree will be dynamized and “lit up” by the Sun in January 21-22. “See the light” and you may get a glimpse of how you’re “getting it in gear” somehow!
This process began with Mars at 2 Aquarius influencing the last Full Moon. Mercury crossed this degree on January 5-6, entering its shadow zone and giving us a signal about its stationary direct influence. Now Venus lends its light to this process, which will be vitalized by the Sun in a couple of weeks.
So since the last Full Moon we’ve been in a process that will prove to be the foundation of our understanding by mid-February. This is a mobilization degree, where we are moved to action by “spectacular developments” associated with “a cosmic visitation.” Mercury will bring it all front and center by mid-February, and that will impact the entire Spring.
Because of the very tight square between Uranus and Pluto, keep your balance and sense of perspective, be moderate and diplomatic, and use your imagination creatively while showing strength and flexibility. This is the final platform for expressing a new individuality in the making these past two years, using the seed power of self-transcendence. The next two weeks try to be as courageous and tender as you can while moving in wider directions.
We’re still discovering the deeper elements of our personal Dharma involving going through what we have to go through. And as I’ve told you before, because chasing our Mystery usually means going into unknown zones, at some point when we’re sailing to the new world, we must lose sight of the old lands and accept the wisdom of the course we’re already on. The coming 2 weeks offer us all glimpses into ultimate Truths and a timeless, fearless view of our place in the Eternal.
Between the death of the old and the beginning of the new, we must spend some “down time,” whether in the underworld of our existence, or in solitude, going deep to experience whatever that death or ending was about. That is the value of what Saturn in Scorpio has taught us. There is deep wisdom in finding our magnetic root with the source of life if we are to live a deeper, more fulfilled existence.
Many have found a new stability, structure, or new sense of permanence via Saturn experiences and lessons wherever they have Scorpio in their chart. However, others are being forced to confront various life voids, and learning to “hold the empty space” to get a better sense of the limits and possibilities of their magnetism. Everything we’ve learned about positive Saturn function will come into play this Summer when Jupiter at the end of Leo squares Saturn at the end of Scorpio. More on that in future articles.
Jupiter at 22 Leo is showing us that we’ve “come home” in some way, and have a special message to offer our world. This “world servant” energy will show as a natural creative or playful self-expression, or a heart energy that naturally expresses some form of higher loving awareness.
Because it’s retrograde, we’re reviewing what Mars activated in October and Jupiter brought forth in November. Jupiter’s larger teaching through this July involves us seeing how we’ve tamed and trained our animal nature so we can now “put on the show,” or maybe how we need to train our lower ego to express the love of our Higher Self.
So learn to be skillful in utilizing the powerful energies of your vital nature, allow everything to “rise above the commonplace,” and show your virtuosity! This should show as arousing others to a greater emotional intensity through expressing the creativity and spontaneity of Jupiter in Leo into emotional and/or social forms of integration and release.
Major Aspects and Configurations
As this is the first Full Moon with Saturn in Sagittarius, it begins the long range Saturn square Neptune influence. I’ll write more about this in the near future. It will lead to some hard realizations where ideals or expectations have been inflated, but it can also bring incredible clarity as to how to bring a collective ideal into reality. If you have planets or angles in the early degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces, this begins an era where you will integrate many expressions of your effected planets.
All in all, this will be a productive 2 weeks since we have Mercury conjunct Venus with both quadranovile Jupiter, sextile Saturn, and quintile Uranus. This is generally a specializing productive spiritual interactive selection process, with innovation and seeing the big picture favored. This will harmonious blend the life areas where these aspects fall in our charts.
(ASTROLOGY CLASS - Even though Venus is barely separating from the aspects, Mercury approaching Venus creates what’s called a “Collection of Light.” This is when faster planet A approaches B after B has already made the aspects. Then the faster planet forms the aspects, “collecting the energy” of those aspects and offering it to planet B through their conjunction.)
Difficult aspects include Moon semisquare Saturn and Sun semisquare Saturn, creating a configuration of agitation and friction about doing what must be done, with as much adaptability as possible. Another way it could manifest is through unexpected blessings and benefactions that will only come when “we’re not there,” so to speak.
Those most impacted have planets in the early Mutable signs listed 3 paragraphs up, as well as those with planets in the middle degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. This last group should already be fairly well trained and adept at using these frictional tensions productively, given the amount of training we all got in 2014 via the Great Fracturing from the Grand Cardinal Cross involving the ever-present Uranus square Pluto.
We also have Mars semisquare Uranus, so take care if you unexpectedly find yourself in volatile conditions. Beneficial aspects include Sun biquintile Jupiter, Jupiter trine Uranus and biquintile Pluto, and Saturn novile Pluto. Taken together, lots of interactive unique conditions and events, the return of old skills that help us interact with others’ skills, and on the whole a lot of courageous creativity and expansive possibilities!
In this chart, there are no forming planetary aspects activating the Grand Irrationality. That said, the Sun is barely separating from its conjunction to Pluto and septile to Neptune, so it’s not like the energies haven’t been in the air! The news seems to confirm that it’s been a pretty crazy time!
So though this “destiny producing” energy isn’t active in this chart, it will be activated when Mars septiles Pluto and conjuncts Neptune. That will be the first in the sequence of planets that trigger the Grand Irrationality at this time of the year. Decisions, choices and changes coming down as we speak!!
Briefly, the Grand Irrationality in play for about 20 years, and it has affected various generations at different times. Everyone has been touched at some point in huge ways. Spirit walks with this configuration, as well as any major septile series aspect between the planets.
The choices we make as a result of these non-rational aspects show us our “direction of destiny,” and determines if the Spirit will grow stronger and closer with you, or if you will move in directions away from Spirit. Given that most of this community is intentionally trying to live in harmony with Life, Nature, and each other, chances are that whatever you – yes, YOU the reader – are confronting will show you a deeper, richer, more powerful Spiritual life. Which is a good thing.
Other Factors of Note
This is the eleventh Full Moon with the North Node in Libra. When the North Node was in Scorpio between September 2012 and February 2014 we went through a long wave Scorpio process of learning to “shed skins,” and let go of echoes of memories of perceptions by taking a new look at what we used to believe. Factoring in the November 2013 Scorpio Solar Eclipse, we’ve all been learning “gain through loss,” so that we could have faith, go deeper, and receive impressions from higher planes.
The Saturn in Scorpio focus since October 2012 has helped us intensify our striving in structured ways so we can unveil the life Mystery we’ve been chasing for quite a while. This has anchored a deeper emotional stability and magnetism in those who have done the hard work of making Saturn your friend.
During the recent months of Saturn in Scorpio, we’ve incorporated the old North Node in Scorpio lessons into our ongoing responses to life. Saturn also taught us to see a) how we have shifted our magnetism on relationships since then, and/or b) how we need to find a new view or way of understanding the losses and eliminations of the past we’ve been through.
Now that the North Node is in Libra, that sign symbolizes our line of greatest development. Therefore, the lessons we learned while Saturn in Libra are being developed at this time. There are direct connections between our current growth and what Saturn taught us in 2010 and 2011, since the degree of the North Node in this chart is the same degree Saturn transited in Nov-Dec 2010, March-April 2011, and late August 2011. Whatever Saturn taught us during those months will be part of our growth the next two weeks.
So What is a “Splay Pattern” and how does it work?
This month is fairly spread out in terms of planets in signs, since the 10 planets occupy 7 signs and are fairly spread out around the zodiacal wheel. So we’ve left the “Bucket” previously defined by planets in Sagittarius through Aries except for Jupiter, which is usually the “nozzle” through which the planetary energies must focus.
Due to the Moon in Cancer, we no longer have that “Bucket.” This type of spread, with all the planets in odd angles to each other with differing distributions among the signs, creates a “Splay” Jones Pattern. As Marc Jones put it, “the arrangement is neither even nor symmetrical,” revealing “strong and sharp aggregations of the planets at irregular points.”
Dr. Jones states “This suggests highly individual or purposeful emphases in the life, where the temperament juts out into experiences according to its own very special tastes.” This pattern “makes its own anchorage in existence,” and has a quality of “rugged resistance to pigeonholing, either in the near conventional compartments of nature, or in the idea-pockets of associates.”
He goes on to state this pattern gives a “persistent emphasis on individuality,” and the “spokelike emphases of the planetary groupings” are random, but have a “tripod” footing and approach to life circumstances. He says this pattern “reveals a very intensive personality who cannot be limited to any single steady point of application.” This temperament is “particular and impersonal in its interests,” rather than “universal-impersonal” or “particular-personal.”
This implies that affairs will be diversely spread out, some will not mesh well with others, and there will be a “hub and spoke" quality to what happens these next 4 weeks. This spread shows a wide diversity of things going on that promotes individuality.
Because we had a situation of having two different Jones Patterns in play at the same time a while back, it bears noting again that Jupiter’s been the nozzle for focusing the expression of the other planetary energies off and on for months at a time. It will become very important in the next Full Moon, since the Moon will conjunct Jupiter and put the focus on that expressive expansive energy!
Keep showing humor, vision, and go for the loving protection of the heart when called upon to express yourselves. This is the power of the mature heart interacting with others in elegant ways, life as art and art as life. Because it’s Jupiter, to paraphrase the great wit Wavy Gravy, if you don’t have a sense of humor, it’s not funny!
Element Balance
Of the traditional 10 planets, there are 3 planets in Fire signs, 2 in Water, 2 in Earth, and 3 in Air. This indicates a pretty good balance between the elements, with a slight emphasis on inspired thinking and interactions.
With Fire and Air dominant, restlessness and high spiritedness will prevail, though the Moon in Cancer with Sun in practical Capricorn will keep things fairly well managed in the here and now. Mercury, Venus, and Mars provide all the air, so socializing is up, as are strong visions of activity oriented toward the future or a greater social contribution.
Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, things are going to be fairly balanced between hot and cold. Mainly the Fire and Water involve the outermost planets with the Moon being the focus, and the Air and Earth involve the inner planets, bringing grounding to the total.
Now that Saturn is in Sagittarius, it marks the beginning of long term diminishment of the Water element. That means whatever emotional intelligence we learned in 2013-2014 must now be a part of our inner makeup to be used wisely as we navigate a long term Fire period!
More on how Uranus Square Pluto Is Ramping Up Radical Energies!
As I’ve mentioned off and on over the past 3+ years, we’re all learning to manage the “out of control” energies of Uranus square Pluto. They are certainly front and center at this exact point in history, and this Lunation brings it to the forefront, since once again it is exact!
’ve discussed this aspect at length over quite a few articles in the archives. Please use the site google box to find out more about this years’ long disruptive revolutionary influence. Welcome to the 21st century of upheaval, transformation, and titanic collisions between a new world being born and an old age that’s digging in even as it’s dying.
That square represents the ongoing revolution of our times, with innovations and pioneering energies in conflict with restrictive and controlling power structures. We’ll be dealing with this for a few years, and it promises to make this year and next very “electric and eclectic,” moving the world through a revolution unlike any seen since the 1960s!!
Uranus is now moving through a span of degrees active between 2013 and 2015, and went stationary retrograde last Summer on a degree where we’re learning to retire with dignity from dramas we don’t need. This is the first step in knowing what we do not have to be involved in as we learn to focus our potency.
From mid-June through the end of August, Saturn and Uranus were in quincunx, forcing hard adjustments, corrections, and necessary sacrifices preparing us for the release of pressure over the next two weeks. We’ve been learning to sacrifice of old desires, attachments, and old limiting magnetism, while breaking into new discoveries and newer, better functioning by what has been adjusted. Keep seeing what you need to withdraw from while maintaining your dignity and trusting your inner “God” or “Truth” to lead you to wisdom.
Pluto has now finished its years of teaching us harmlessness, kindness, and magnetism that brings forth a more gentle set of interactions through the deeper transformations going on in our lives. This Lunation shows us another way of embracing the feelings and experiences of that emergent transformational role we accepted 2009-2010. Keep purifying yourself in every way, since the less sludge we carry forward the lighter and freer we’ll feel.
We have now been guided through deep experiences that taught us how to get beyond fear, see life as a science lab, and learn the principles governing what comes and what goes in our perceptual reality. This is the next step in learning “a valid historical perspective,” where we separate out the core principles from the events surrounding them. We now enter the next stage of self-transcendence, with the final exam September-October 2015.
As we learn to master Uranus square Pluto, we will be able to see the true causes of any social disorder, constructive versus destructive justifications and motives, and see where mistrust and mischief-making originate. This allows us to grow into a greater power when we’re confronted by old Pluto roles, coercions, and heavy-handed corrosive behavior. We can use the square between Uranus and Pluto in two big ways, both now and into the future.
We can exercise good Pluto function to put the brakes on negative Uranian manifestations, and good Uranus function to put the brakes on negative Pluto manifestations. Look to the harmonizing aspects to each to show which is building and which one is the release point for those energies. In this chart, Uranus is specializing many things in everyone’s lives, so go with the new rather than the established.
What's the proper sequence at present of deciding, feeling, and thinking, with an Overview of the Lunation
At the last New Moon we shifted into a pattern of deciding, then thinking, and then feeling. Efficient, practical decisions and actions will lead the way, which will be followed by new information, new understanding, new vision, new communications, and new ways of interacting that helps us get clear about something. Following this thinking function, we will need to reference our feelings and what we’re experiencing as a result of those insights, memories, understanding, or vision. After we decide or act and then think, we then need to go deep within to feel the implications of those ideas and visions.
So get it in gear, act on the facts at hand, and then go get new information or new ways of seeing things. After that, feel your feelings and check in about how you’re experiencing those thoughts, or that information or vision. Make a decision, get the view you need, and then name how and what you’re feeling. Try to show care in terms of how others feel, and when you most want to use “hard power” turn instead to “soft power.”
With Pluto leading the Sun, show courage as you dance closely with the Lord of the Underworld. This can bring a fearless sense of a greater timeless Truth, along with a new perspective on how the narrative of your life has led you to this point of radical self-transformation going on the past several years. Let the past slip away, and take responsibility for tending to your core to balance some things out.
This Full Moon intensifies our process of self-liberation, since we’ve finished our 2 year Scorpio lessons helping us go deeper into what has value to us, which made it clear a) what we no longer needed, and b) what we needed to attract so we could get a new potential. We’re still under the beams of the Scorpio Eclipses of 2012, 2013, and 2014 that continue to shut down old parts of our Scorpio life experiences. And we’ve begun the Eclipse cycle involving shutting down old parts of our Aries-Libra life experiences.
Having heard the call to renewal since June, keep it natural, bright, and positive while staying as creative and demonstrative as your hearts tells you to be. The next two weeks can reveal the future by extrapolating the past, and many will see clearly what must be done or sacrificed in the present to secure future well-being.
Since the Summer, we’ve all been through some explosions of repressed material that healed us, or began a healing process. We’ve broken up old complexes, and touched “the God within.” We continue to train our lower nature to be the vehicle of our Higher Self in a form of love, wisdom, and intelligence in action.
This Lunation shows us how to be courageous and mature in embracing a wider vision or social contribution, and we are now free to live a new life and make our spiritual ideals real. Remember one of the larger lessons we’re all practicing is that though life can be painful, we do not have to suffer. And as we learn to break the link between pain and suffering, we heal our part of humanity and the world.
As noted earlier in this series, it is important that Venus at this Full Moon is the exact degree where Mercury will go stationary direct after its late January and early February retrograde period. If you want to know in advance what to expect when Mercury is retrograde in Aquarius, if you haven't already gotten your copy, you may want to go over to the Amazon or Barnes and Noble ebook websites and get a copy of the new 2nd edition of my book A New Look At Mercury Retrograde. It was written for both astrologers and laypeople, and has just about everything you could want to know about Mercury retrograde, from how it works, what it means, celebrities who have it in their charts, historic events that happened during Mercury retrograde, and what signs are involved in future Mercury retrograde periods.
By knowing more about 2014's Mercury retrograde periods in Pisces/Aquarius, Cancer/Gemini, and Scorpio/Libra, you may see patterns in what was going on in your life, what you were taking a new look at and why, and how this "looking back" influenced your choices as you moved through the past year's events. And of course, you will have the advance info on 2015's Mercury retrograde periods in Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra. Here's the link to where you can order your copy of the new edition of my ebook, A New Look at Mercury Retrograde.
For your contemplation, a final meditation I offer each month at the end of our Full Moon journey of exploration.
We are Light. All things are composed of Light in various frequencies that express as limitless forms. Some light frequencies are of greater density than others.
All shadows result from light hitting a dense object. Psychological shadows too. Therefore, it’s good to become as translucent and translucid as possible to dispel lurking shadows.
If you must look at and/or deal with shadows, whether your own or another’s, then refocus your Light on the object being illuminated, since that form is the source of the shadow.
Find the correct 4 angles of illuminating whatever you want to focus on, and all shadows will be dispelled. Then you’re seeing things with an illuminated mind, and can act accordingly.
© Copyright 2015 Robert Wilkinson
Robert, your in depth part three articles for the full moon and new moon are the work I eagerly await! As always, this one is jammed with important detail. I especially like the "early warning" about 2 degrees Aquarius, the ingress of Saturn into Sagittarius and fire inaugurating a new era, and Saturn square Neptune for a significant length of time.
Am I correct in assuming that if one has progressed planets in Aquarius this is significant, even if there are no natal planets in that sign? On second thought, I imagine any energies in Aquarius will enhance the impact on natal Uranus.
I attempt to anticipate changes and go with the flow, but I'm always aware that if I fail to see what should be done, it will happen any way. For example, I've enjoyed the income of a part time job for ten years. I would never have stopped on my own accord, but the employer decided for me. I see this development as a part of the streamlining that occurred over the past couple years, a focusing of energy in the work I do.
Thanks again for your wonderful service to so many people!
Posted by: Jo Garceau | January 08, 2015 at 11:59 AM