by Robert Wilkinson
This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in the Aquarius New Moon chart. This one is concentrating, idealizing, unifying, specializing, and shows us a bigger picture or a larger life.
This Lunation, along with the inner planets, are now in the span between Saturn in Sagittarius and Uranus in Aries, with an empty span between Uranus in Aries and Jupiter in Leo, creating what is called a “Locomotive” Jones pattern. An aside for astrologers: It also is a “Bucket” with Jupiter as the handle, since Jupiter is about 102 degrees from its nearest neighbor, Saturn in Sagittarius.
This combination of influences began in late October, and will continue through mid-April. It’s created by the inner planets moving through the span that begins in Sagittarius and runs through Cap, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries. That makes Jupiter the solitary planet well apart from the occupied cluster that spans Saturn in early Sagittarius through Uranus in Aries.
In this New Moon, the span occupied by the inner planets (in this chart the Lunation in Aquarius through Mars in Pisces) is 36+ degrees, and includes early Aquarius through early Pisces, making it a very tightly occupied cluster. Within that band, we have an intense focus indicated by 4 planets in the 19+ degrees between Mercury in Aquarius and Mars in Pisces. If we look at the span between Pluto and Mars, we find 7 planets occupying 52+ degrees, still an extremely tightly compressed cluster.
This month we have 10 planets occupying 6 signs, which are not fairly spread out around the zodiacal wheel. As mentioned, we’re now basically in a combination of a “Locomotive” pattern, defined by planets between Saturn in Sagittarius and Uranus in Aries, with a void in the empty third between Aries and Leo, and a “Bucket” pattern, defined by all the planets between early Sagittarius and mid-Aries, with only Jupiter in Leo well outside that span.
So What is a “Locomotive Pattern” and how does it work?
This type of spread, with all the planets occupying 2/3 of the signs with an empty third, creates an imbalance that leads to power if we can find the compensatory “weight” to make things move forward smoothly rather than rock side to side creating friction. Target what is needed, and provide compensatory energies accordingly.
As Marc Jones put it, “this type of horoscope reveals a balance of this sort in the life. A third part of things… consisting of a free span in experience, is set against a two-thirds part, embracing a related but limited span in experience…. The basis of the dynamic is found in the native’s resulting strong sense of a lack or a need, of a problem to be solved, a task to be achieved in the social and intellectual world around him.”
Dr. Jones states “The temperament reveals a self-driving individuality, an executive eccentricity that is not … unbalance but rather is power. It exhibits a dynamic and exceptionally practical capacity which is neither the broad universality of the Splash pattern, nor the special obsession with some particularly narrowed aspect of experience characteristic of the Bundle people.
He goes on to state “The Locomotive classification is … moved more by external factors in the environment than by aspects of its own character. The point of application for the powers of the self is shown … by the “leading planet,” or the one of the two in the empty trine which forms its aspect clockwise in the zodiac, irrespective of any distinction as “applying” or “separating.”
Jupiter is the leading planet in the Locomotive. Show humor, vision, and go for the loving protection of the heart when called upon to express yourself. Jupiter can bring joy and enthusiasm when it's being its natural expansive self, and in Leo, it's giving us all the chance to open our hearts to the joyous song of life!
This is the power of focused dramatic expression that can rouse others to a greater feeling-state. With Jupiter's honesty of genuine natural expression leading the way, it’s important to remember the wise words of the great wit Wavy Gravy that if you don’t have a sense of humor, it’s not funny!
The more we work with the imbalances that can lead us to creative and joyous power, the easier it will be to use Jupiter's energies skillfully during the times when it’s the nozzle for the other planetary energies through it being the handle of the bucket. This particular anomaly will be in force at each New Moon through next March, so get used to using Jupiter wisely!
By April, the “Locomotive” will be defined by the empty span between Jupiter and Saturn rather than Jupiter and Uranus, and by late April Venus will be close enough to Jupiter that it won’t really be a “Bucket.” By mid-June, it’s a “Splay,” so as you can see the Spring will feature a rapidly shifting string of various types of Jones Patterns.
The Bucket Pattern and how it works
Since it’ll be a factor through March, I figured I’d also give you what the "Bucket" Jones pattern is about, and how it works. The planets in this chart are clearly a Bucket Jones pattern. Since the “handle” of the Bucket involves the sign Leo, that energy helps us focus the energies of all the other planets.
A “Bucket Pattern” is a type of planetary spread with all the planets in about half the signs with one outside that span wide enough to be a handle. The energies of the occupied half are focused through the “handle,” or “nozzle,” in this case Jupiter, termed the “focal determinator.” The handle, or focal determinator, represents the way to greater effectiveness, the cause to be embraced, the lack to be filled, or the way to use the total energies of this time in a focused manner.
Dr. Jones states “the Bucket type indicates a particular and rather uncompromising direction in the life effort.” This pattern gives “interest in a cause,” with executive tendencies that will adapt allegiances to maximize results of the effort. He says “the Bucket type at its best reveals the real instructor and inspirer of others, and at its worst the agitator and malcontent.” This is the larger planetary pattern within which we’re all trying to do what we do.
We are also told this pattern is more about finding an effective release for energy within social settings, but also about the individual imposing their patterns on society rather than adapting to what is there. It’s about focused intention. So all of us can expect some sort of focused attention on the house where we have 20 Leo.
We also had this situation of having two different Jones Patterns in play at the same time a while back. Jupiter was the nozzle then as now, but was in Cancer at that time. It is now in Leo. Same handle, different expression.
So Jupiter’s been the nozzle for focusing the expression of the other planetary energies off and on for months at a time. As the Locomotive keeps things out of balance, Jupiter has been the front end to finding the way of initiating activity that must be accompanied by a compensatory “weight” to keep things moving forward rather than sideways.
Element Balance
Of the traditional 10 planets, there are 3 planets in Fire signs, 2 in Water, 1 in Earth, and 4 in Air. This indicates a huge emphasis on ideas, communication, relatedness, and stable inspiration, with very little practicality and some deep feelings that may be hard to pin down.
With so many Air planets dominant, idealism and larger visions of bigger pictures will be front and center. With Fire the next dominant element, inspiration, light, and heat will also be a huge part of the picture. Since Air feeds Fire, manage the flames and try not to let them run wild, lest you have a forest fire on your hands!
Except for the Full Moon in Virgo on February 3-4, we’ll be very short on Earth until the March 20 New Moon Solar Eclipse in Pisces that occurs 11 hours before the Equinox. Between now and then, we bounce between a lot of Air, Water, and Fire.
With 3 planets in Fire and 2 in Water, keep in mind that Fire and Water make for a very volatile combination that creates steam power when focused or fogs and mists when uncontained. Keep the boiler hot, but don't let it explode! Manage those elements the regulating the flow of Air, and it should all go well, especially those who are adept at managing pressure.
Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, things are a good balance between hot and cold. Air energy will be very strong for a few weeks, and then replaced by more Water planets in late January and a lot more Fire by late February.
Saturn's Influence
I include separate sections on Saturn in two articles in this Lunation series since Saturn continues to wax in importance in all celestial events of these times. This is the first New Moon of the Saturn in Sagittarius era, which should bring an entirely new energy to our Saturn experiences!
The August 2014 conjunction of Mars and Saturn that tredeciled Neptune began a two year period of serendipitous events related to where that conjunction fell in our charts, so many should reap gifts and blessings from how we’ve learned to use emotional intelligence to navigate through the fogs and mists of the collective field.
Some backstory: In 2012 Saturn helped us cultivate a new strength, came to a philosophical completion, and finish repairing or reconstructing something so that some final dues were paid and old karmas left behind. We grew into a new intensity, focus, emotional depth, and greater maturity relative to shared values, shared resources, deeper ability to commune with others as well as Nature and Spirit, and got a more structured connection and a more powerful Spiritual linkage with others and ourselves.
We ended the first phase of Saturn in Scorpio set into motion when it went retrograde at 12 Scorpio in February 2013 at the time Saturn moved beyond that degree October 2013. However, the Solar Eclipse at 12 Scorpio in early November 2013 has been shutting down parts of our life related to those lessons that we couldn’t take with us into 2014 and beyond.
We’ve now had many months of clearing out our emotional body through occasional intense purifications. While we may have felt very vulnerable from time to time, we’ve also been strengthened and become cleaner and cleaner over this period.
Of some crucial note is that in 2012-2013, Saturn triseptile Uranus showed us how our individuality did or did not cooperate with our sense of purpose. We had opportunities to break free of fear through numerous irrational situations, and this helped us define our expression for years to come. We were shown how limitations could be renovated to express our unique qualities. Some had to confront fear of loss with a willingness to be a pioneer in some realm where they could express their genius or unique qualities.
Spirit walked with us during the times that configuration was in play, as it walks with us during times when other major septile series aspects between the planets occur. In this chart, we see Jupiter is biseptile Saturn, a major “fork in the road” between these two powerhouses during the waning phase of their 20 year cycle that began with the conjunction in Taurus in 2000.
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.
Saturn taught us a lot about how to conduct ourselves at a higher, more elegant and/or formal way of relating to others in 2013. The Eclipse in Scorpio again put the light on those Saturn lessons, and since the Mars-Saturn conjunction of last August, we’re learning new Scorpio ways of applying those truths of our direct experience
Generally, when Saturn was in Virgo we learned lessons of Divine Discernment, practical functioning, and attention to detail as we were educated through learning to see life as a series of experiments. In Libra, we all went through a transfiguration in our ideals and relationships, and many started living elements of their Divine Archetype. That required some ability to do forms of repair and reconstruction work in the last half of 2011 and most of 2012 to pay some karmic dues and come to a philosophical completion.
We’re now almost done with the Saturn in Scorpio era, and we’ve all experienced deeper feelings about relationships. We’ve cleaned out, let go, purified, focused, dealt with death and loss, restructured how we share with others, and all those other Scorpio keywords that usually terrify the lower ego.
As Saturn co-rules rules Pluto (and all the other inner planets) in this chart in worldly affairs, it shows that when we are confronted with the need to deal with something or someone in an organized, efficient manner, reference Saturn in Sagittarius and the Fiery chain of dispositors mentioned earlier. Allow the focused intensity gathered the past 2+ years to be cut loose into a larger understanding of a bigger picture.
This brings short and long term pressure to bear on bringing forth a broader view of what we honestly believe can bring us to a more loving or heart-oriented future. Saturn in Scorpio taught us what we had to eliminate some things to find the emotional stability we now have. Now we can open to a greater view of why we had to let go of whatever or whoever to see where we want to go from here.
Naturally, the usual Saturn keywords will be crucial to effective behavior - patience, discipline, organization, patience, structure, maturity, patience, understanding, wisdom, patience, authority, responsibility, and of course, patience.
Jupiter in Leo disposits Saturn in Sagittarius. Leo is in harmony with Sagittarius, and the biseptile between Jupiter and Saturn indicates we’ve hit a huge turning point in the cycle that began in 2000, with this biseptile being a dress rehearsal for the next one between mid-May and mid-June. Big changes are in the air between now and then, with some pretty weird and crazy stuff happening that will create a gigantic collision when Jupiter squares Saturn in July and early August!
So as you open to the first New Moon of 2015, take a new look at what Saturn helped you let go of throughout 2013 and 2014, as well as the long term regenerative self-discipline that’s also been there, if you saw limitations with a mature eye. We deepened our regenerative life magnetism, or a deeper communion with some inner or outer element of our Being. Now it’s time to fly free!
Important Aspects
Remember that in reading a Lunation chart (as well as a horary, inceptional, electional, or any event chart) the forming aspects show things to come, while separating aspects show things already past. This section covers only forming aspects.
This New Moon has some great aspects! As I explained in part 1, the dominant influences are the Lunation sextile its worldly ruler Saturn and quintile its spiritual ruler Uranus. This is highly productive specialization, and should yield unique gifts and blessings for those with planets or angles near 11-15 Aries, 23-27 Gemini, 5-9 Virgo, 17-21 Scorpio, and 29 Capricorn – 3 Aquarius. It will be a solidly productive time for those with planets or angles in late Pisces, Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, and Capricorn, as well as early Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.
Then we have Mercury, who reversed these aspects, making a quintile to Saturn and a sextile to Uranus. That will prove to be also specializing and productive, weaving the rulers of the Lunation expressed through Mercury’s coordinating quality. Areas affected are 14-18 Aquarius, 26-30 Aries, 8-12 Cancer, 20-24 Virgo, and 2-6 Sagittarius, and those with planets and angles near the middle of the Fire and Air signs mentioned at the end of previous paragraph.
Venus septile Uranus shows that Venus will precipitate choices and changes in the areas it rules relative to the productive and specializing Uranus energy created by the Sun, Moon, and Mercury. Affected zones are 20-24 Aquarius, 11-15 Aries, 3-7 Gemini, 24-28 Cancer, 16-20 Virgo, 7-11 Scorpio, and 28 Sagittarius-2 Capricorn. This puts our Venus ruled life areas at a turning point to the larger individualization process we’ve all been going through for over 4 years and most affects our Capricorn, Aquarius, Aries, Taurus, and Libra houses.
Jupiter is big news this month! It forms a close biseptile to Saturn, which I spoke of earlier. It also makes a strong Fire trine to Uranus, bringing a lot of heat inspiration into the mix. And it makes a very favorable biquintile to Pluto, relieving the pressure on that planet created by the constant tension of the square from Uranus. So this month we have the Uranus square Pluto being acted upon by some very favorable counter energies.
This Jupiter biseptile Saturn puts the world at the first of two major turning points in everything related to the areas these two powerhouse planets influence. Affected areas are near 18-22 Leo, 9-13 Libra, 1-5 Sagittarius, 23-27 Capricorn, 15-19 Pisces, 6-10 Taurus, and 27 Gemini-1 Cancer. Jupiter biquintile Pluto creates interactive specialized activity near 18-22 Leo, 30 Libra-4 Scorpio, 12-16 Capricorn, 24-28 Pisces, and 6-10 Gemini.
There is also Mars conjunct Chiron in early Pisces. This facilitates healing through Pisces traits such as forgiveness, compassion, empathy, and knowing you are part of a vast feeling field with all others, past, present, and future. Stand for what you believe in, disregard appearances when real needs present themselves, and find ways to get closure on old aggravations, battles, and things that once made you mad.
At least the Uranus square Pluto should give power to positive expressions of the planets listed above. This tension is a constant, so it’s good to cultivate abilities to use the energy productively. This is the Unconstrained Creative Divine Individualizer in friction with the Lord of the Underworld and the Destroyer of Worlds.
When the planets went through Capricorn last month, it activated a new yearly Pluto cycle. The next big shift will occur in early March and again in early April. Everything that comes down during these squares should be related to the Great Fracturing of January through June 2014 that affected everyone wherever these signs fall in the birth chart.
Because Mars in Pisces is a favorable time in the Mars conjunct Saturn in Scorpio period that began in late August 2014, remember the flow you learned in 2013-2014. Practice your emotional intelligence as you move forward, but at your own pace. Do not let others dictate the pace these next few weeks, since what we close and let flow down the timestream will create the space for the gigantic leap forward in late February when Mars and then Venus enter Aries and activate a new yearly Uranus cycle!
The Sabian Symbols for the New Moon
A New Moon sets the seed forms for what the following month will demonstrate. This Lunation falls at 1 Aquarius. While I've given you a sense of this degree up to now, this is where we go into depth.
The symbol for 1 Aquarius is “An old adobe mission.” According to Rudhyar’s notes from the Marc Jones class, this degree is one of “Mastery of man over environment while becoming an integral part of it,” “Recognition of established values,” and “Impressiveness.”
In the Astrological Mandala he states this degree is one of “The power inherent in all great human works to endure far beyond the workers’ life spans.” He goes on to state this is about the Aquarian quality of “a more spiritualized and idealistic or creative picture of the social forces at work,” stressing “the enduring character of human achievements ensouled by a great vision.”
He then continues that this is about “the projection of a noble ideal into concrete forms of beauty and significance,” offering others the chance to reach a higher level of activity. He states this symbol “speaks to us of the concretization of an ideal… (implying) the immortalization of an individual within a great collective and cultural enterprise.” This symbol is said to be in the Span of Defensiveness, Act of Capitalization, and is the initial degree of the Actional level of the Scene of Contribution.
Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this degree is one of “everlasting sustainment” and the need to be oriented and stable as we move through life. He says it’s about “enduring ties which (we) must neither neglect nor underrate,” which calls us to remember who we really are at core.
He concludes that this is an “emphasis on unbroken continuity between the psychological and physical certainties of (our) being, and a reminder of their continuing value…” He offers us the keyword DURABILITY. He states that when this degree works positively, it is one of “effective breadth of vision and a respect-compelling depth of character.”
It would seem that this New Moon is about up opening to a greater vision of how we can contribute to the future of humanity in our unique way by joining with others in some effort. This should create or bring back timeless ties with others who share our vision of a better life and world, however we see that.
Transpersonal Spiritual Influences
Pluto
Pluto, the Cosmic Purifier, will be in Capricorn for many years. It continues to teach us deep lessons about practical, organized economy of energy and efficiency in sprouting seed forms of the new "laws of our lives" we can relax into. 2012 and 2013 were mainly about being organized in finding and demonstrating ways to get beyond fear and radiate harmlessness and mature fellowship with Nature, whether our own, another's, or Nature Herself.
As Pluto moves forward, it spends time in various narrow zones that it hasn’t been in for about 250 years. In April 2014, Pluto went retrograde at 14 Capricorn. 14 Capricorn is a technique for sorting out what’s valuable and what’s not in our past, so we can find a way to a greater assurance and “personal immortality” (as strange as that concept is!)
Since then we’ve been reviewing the lessons of 11-14 Capricorn. We learned to attune to invisible realms and get beyond fear in 2012 and 2013, during 2013 and 2014 we’ve been in a time of opening to new ways of viewing how to claim our divine power and express it creatively as we explore the natural laws underlying manifestations, and see Nature Herself as a laboratory where we learn about how our system is constructed. We can “pierce through appearances” to see the magic at the core of things, and through a “keen vision” can find or demonstrate a “universal living touch.”
In Jan-Feb 2014 we moved into signs and signs of self-transcendence. These set the stage for another phase of self-transcendence in June and the first half of July 2014. We continued to review our “science lab lessons” through November, and in this chart, find ourselves once more examining our perspective of how the past came to be the present, and what is more and less valid to us on the deepest levels via the intensely purifying experiences of Pluto. This process will be intensified off and on the entire year, and be completed by February 2016.
Neptune
Neptune represents what is “in fashion” in the collective, where we get another glimpse through intuition and a greater feeling-connection of our positioning within a vaster field. Different cultures and subcultures interpret this global pulse in different ways. Neptune recently went stationary direct at 5 Pisces, showing that the collective field now has a platform of developing through “interchange of spirit and understanding on which groups are built,” “new self-development," and “discouragement mastered.”
Last Northern Hemisphere Summer/Southern Hemisphere Winter we were summoned to a form of rebirth through "hearing the call." We then did a review and had opportunities to get a new feel for our place in the larger social or collective field, experienced new ways of feeling a new dedication to “collective values” we want to uphold and defend, and many have perceived higher goals through a process of “self-testing.”
We have now gone deeper into our dedication, and this month begins our final weaving of that dedication into our lives. The past few months we’ve been learning to withdraw from an old experience so we can regrasp reality in another realm, especially when the situation attempts to repudiate our higher ideals.
We now know what life allegiances are worth defending and maintaining because they make our lives worthwhile, and those who have learned to listen to their inner voice have quickened their Soul’s expression. Follow your conscience into a great compassion for yourself and others, and be independent of spirit while courageously rejecting that which would compromise your highest spiritual principles. The next few weeks will give us clearer signals about the larger dedication we’ve been flowing toward since mid-2013.
Uranus
In 2013, our ability to embrace imagination, original thinking, and a self-generated individuality led us to an awakening of a new identity, as well as any impatience we may have had at the pace of transforming something within or something in our external existence. That led us to see how we had to learn to concentrate so we could see the whole picture of anything, which was one of the keys to our advancement in 2014.
The first half of 2014 was mainly about using concentration to understand old symbols in different ways, glimpse a new worldly order that could work for us as well as a new way of viewing our higher spiritual possibilities, move into a new way of self-expression, and understand a broader, higher, and truer way to view the dance of relationship from a more timeless perspective. It also provided opportunities to awaken to a new inspiration and potential while being forced to withdraw from unprofitable or frustrating interactions.
We reviewed these lessons between July and December 2014, and now that Uranus is direct at 13 Aries, have our new identity firmly set as a platform for future individual self-expression. This completes what was introduced in the Summer of 2014, and we now can follow through, showing what we know, while continuing to let go of impatience, abrasiveness, combativeness, and any fear connected to showing the world our new identity.
Thinking, then Feeling, then Deciding
We’ve now shifted the pattern of Feeling-Thinking-Deciding in each of the past 3 New Moons. In the month after the Scorpio Eclipse New Moon, we led with our thinking, and then moving through feelings to get to a decision or action. In last months’ Sagittarius New Moon, it shifted to leading with thinking, then deciding and acting, and finally getting to feelings. This changes the pattern yet again!
At the Capricorn New Moon, we shifted into a pattern of deciding, then thinking, and then feeling. That continues with this New Moon. 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.
A final reminder: With Pluto in Capricorn leading the Lunation, understand there are deep transformational forces at work for the next 4 weeks. Up to now, Saturn in Scorpio required constant elimination of old forms and occasional major restructuring in any of the life areas ruled or occupied by Saturn. The past 26 months, we’ve grown by accepting appropriate duties, obligations, and ultimate loyalties, and found virtues of self-discipline, patience, persistence, understanding, and long range vision.
Now that Pluto’s dispositor Saturn is in Sagittarius, all that was bound under pressure in Scorpio gets cut loose into larger views, larger truths, larger lives, larger adventures, and larger futures. Enjoy the ride, since it’s the prelude to what late 2015 through 2017 will bring! And keep your Saturn lessons and virtues in mind, since the final exam comes this Summer!
We’re still finishing a season of flaming on via Jupiter in Leo while withdrawing from obnoxious and nasty people and situations, trusting our inner Truth, and seeing what’s culminated in a glorious transfiguration. Since Jupiter’s both the leader of the planetary parade AND the handle and nozzle for expressing the energies of the other planets, go for the creative, playful, natural forms of expression, see how to expand your love, and find the humor and/or irony in situations.
While some things may seem weird and under pressure, a lot can get done with the right plan and right execution of that plan. And of course, since God loves gratitude, practice appreciation for what is gone, what is, and what’s to come.
© Copyright 2015 Robert Wilkinson
Well Robert, you've summarized me nicely. haha. I feel-think-decide that you have connected lots of dots for my personal place in this menagerie. Often, I see where your posts are relevant to ME, but this time, the larger view you have offered here has illuminated the shadows. Pretty funny in the dark moon. Thank you. Veronica
Posted by: Veronica Norman | January 20, 2015 at 06:34 PM