by Robert Wilkinson
This initiating, balancing, inspired and transformational Total Eclipse Harvest Moon at 5 Libra-Aries will initiate a lot of movement as we stand at a huge series of forks in the road of destiny that interlock over several areas of life! Here we see the light of perfect archetypal forms showing us a new view of who we are based in training we’ve done since late 2014
This Harvest Full Moon Lunar Eclipse (which should be spectacular!) will help us focus the strength, courage, and power that began to come forth at the recent New Moon Solar Eclipse, and give it focus and form through embracing the adventure of self-transformation. Fire begins our experience, and fire ends it. We have been learning how free we are to accept forms of play in our lives, and how these strengthen our Spirit. Now we get to live the adventure!
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 two other oppositions, those being Moon opposed Mercury retrograde and Mars opposed Neptune,
The Moon opposed Mercury requires that we not get confused about what part our mind and feelings are playing in polarizations leading us to a balanced awareness of how the past has impacted our lives up to now. Go for a balanced social sense, focus your feelings to put them to good use, and don’t get marginalized. Look at “unsuspected resources” in situations, and if you have a chance to break new ground in your life, go for it!
Mars opposition Neptune requires that we get clear about how to express our greater ideal or sense of what’s needed in the bigger picture, and will probably take shape as a form of “liberating ordeal” as a result of “hearing a call” that will further our life renewal in play since the Summer of 2014. Find the cooperation you need to make the most of opportunities to move in a different direction or express your ideals, don’t give up too easily, and when you can, be a source of inspiration in the moment, leading others to a greater appreciation of life.
There is also a very wide Sun opposition Uranus, showing a need to be wholehearted in living our unique truth or higher Law, expressing our genius or special abilities within a cooperative setup. This is the Light expressing the collective genius, and shows us values that life will reward consistently.
There are no mitigating aspects that can help ease these oppositional tensions, and so we’ll be confronting “headwinds” where we’ll have to use our natal and progressed planets if we want to achieve forward motion. This Full Moon continues a string of various additional oppositions off and on for many months.
Dispositors - What's the Backdrop to the Energies?
The Moon is in Aries, making Mars the ruler in worldly affairs, and Pluto the ruler in spiritual matters. Mars is in Virgo, and is ruled by Mercury in Libra, which is ruled in turn by Venus in Leo, which is ruled by the Sun in Libra. That makes Earth (practicality), and to a lesser degree Air and Fire, important in how the Moon expresses itself in worldly things. Pluto in earthy Capricorn is on a degree of self-transcendence, supporting the Sabian symbol influence of the Moon at 5 Aries.
The Sun is in Libra, making Venus its ruler in worldly affairs, and TransPluto in spiritual matters. As the Sun in Libra is ruled by Venus in Leo, and Venus is ruled by the Sun, this creates a “mutual reception” that governs the backdrop for how all the planets manifest, except for the standalone Neptune in its home sign of Pisces. You can find out more about dispositors in general, final dispositors, and mutual reception by going to Astrology Class – What Is A Dispositor and What Is Mutual Reception Between Two Planets?
Because Mercury in Libra and Venus in Leo are such powerful influences, be sure to maintain your balance, or sense of perspective or proportion, as you move through the various Virgo experiences promised by Mars and Jupiter. Keep your inner equilibrium as you embrace the loving strength and creativity of Venus in Leo, releasing your heart energy in forms that express your Soul and show you have trained for this moment in your life when you can easily shed old “skins of personality."
The Sabian Symbols for the Full Moon
This Full Moon falls at 5 Libra-Aries. It is said that the first third (decan) of any sign deals with the actional, physical, and material levels of life, and as the Lunation is in the first decan of those signs, invokes a sub-influence of Libra and Aries.
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 5th degree of Libra is “A man teaching the true inner knowledge.” In the Jones class notes, Rudhyar says this is a degree of “knowledge and experience put to the test,” “greatness calling its own to itself,” “ordered seeking,” and “distrust of appearances.”
In the Astrological Mandala, he goes on to say that this degree is about “the necessity for the youthful spirits to learn from a Teacher who through his long experience has been able to reach solid and illuminating truths, i.e., ‘seed ideas.’” He goes on to state that this is about the wisdom and mastery that “appears” when we are ready to learn, and how we may contact wisdom and knowledge through a Teacher, but also have to show we can live those truths.
This symbol is about “the essential, withal rather mysterious, process of transmission, What is transmitted … is not merely knowledge. It is actually ‘being-ness.’” He says this degree falls in the Span of Perspective, Act of Group Integration, and Scene of Transfiguration on the Actional level.
Dr. Jones says this is a degree of “the inviolability of all genuine inspiration, and the opportunity offered every individual to reach out” to others through joining with them in everyday experience, and share our “deeper insights to them through common responsibilities.” He continues that our “integrity of being lies in (our) continual self-orientation” to others and the world “in terms of ultimate potentialities.”
He offers us the keyword AFFINITY. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree “a genius for understanding and calling out the underlying realizations by which human character comes to know itself at its best.”
The Lunar degree symbol for the 5th degree of Aries is “A triangle with wings.” Rudhyar says the Jones class notes indicate this is a degree of “evolution of values in the sphere of inward self, but at a stage not yet substantiated” and “eagerness for a spiritual goal.”
In the Mandala he goes on to say this is a degree of "the capacity for self-transcending,” and a “desire to reach a higher level of existence, of pure aspiration or devotion, of bhakti.” He states this is a further development in the process of “differentiation,” where we become aware of possibilities of future growth.
He offers that this is still an ideal we long form where we envision “a new dimension of being … mobilizing creative endeavors.” He states this degree falls in the Span of Realization, Act of Differentiation, and Scene of Desire on the Actional level.
Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “the inviolability of (our) essential nature throughout every ramification of (our) experience, as long as (we) hold to the purity of (our) original impulses.” He states this brings “a very practical balance in (our) self-fulfillment, thanks to (our) threefold individuality in terms of skills, loyalties, and values.”
He continues with “Light rather than darkness remains the goal of (our) life, and (our) personal capacities become a continual refinement of every baser metal in selfhood. He offers us the keyword ZEAL, and states that when operating in a positive way, the degree is “the creative transformation of everything into an expression of enduring idea and a reflection of the real vision ahead.”
From these symbols it seems we can see the light of seeking, finding, and living higher truths, with “greatness calling us” to express our integrity in greater potentials. This light will be expressed through finding balanced and practical forms of fulfillment, “in terms of skills, loyalties, and values,” where Light becomes the goal of our lives. This is the Light of Divine Transfiguration and “right relations” expressed through a dynamic and active creative transformation bringing forth enduring ideas and vision.
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 a major factor in why things became so polarized during those 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 is direct at 2 Virgo, showing us the long term future of humanity.
The Divine Redeemer is showing us ways to demonstrate a higher and broader level of discernment through accepting experiences that liberate us so that “compassion and understanding” may come forth. We’re still in the set of lessons related to the period when it occupied the first degree of Virgo in October 2011 through October 2014, as well as the time after that when it occupied 2 Virgo. It began its transit of 2 Virgo in October 2014, remaining there until mid-January 2015 when it retrograded back to 1 Virgo.
It re-entered 2 Virgo in early September 2015, and will stay at that degree until late Feb 2016, when it retrogrades back to 1 Virgo. It then goes forward to 2 Virgo in early August 2016, and stays there until the end of March 2017, when it again retrogrades back to 1 Virgo. As you can see, we’ll be dealing with themes related to 1 and 2 Virgo for a long time to come. To note, this Lunar Eclipse kicks the themes of 2 Virgo into high gear, since Mars is on that degree.
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 July 4, 2014. The transition period where this planet danced at the last degree of Leo and first two degrees of Virgo began October 2011 and ended July 2014.
On July 4, 2014, TransPluto left Leo for many centuries, and entered into Virgo for the next century. It made it to 2 Virgo on October 16, 2014, where it eventually went stationary retrograde. That degree is one of humanity 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.
Of some importance is that Saturn has been squaring TransPluto since December 2014. That has severely tested our ability to be far sighted, compassionate, and discerning in seeing the larger redemptive possibilities of this time in history. Between now and early October, Saturn will be in continuous waxing square to TransPluto, finishing this 11 month challenge to find responsible ways to release this “Divine Mother energy.”
Also, when Jupiter recently conjuncted TransPluto in August for the first time in Virgo, it began a new 12 year cycle of how these “Divine Mother energies” will manifest. It also began a new long wave era, since Jupiter will conjunct TransPluto in Virgo every 12 years until the 22nd century!
To finish this brief section, Venus also went stationary retrograde exactly conjunct TransPluto in late July, setting up Venusian manifestations of Divine Mother that will show each and every time 1 Virgo is transited. That means the Venusian Divine Mother promise of late July was expanded, or set into motion somehow, by Jupiter's transit of 1 Virgo in mid-August, and is now taking shape in further expressions and actions because of Mars’ transit of that degree right now, and again as Venus transits it in early October.
So we’ve officially entered a different Spiritual Era that 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. I just offered you a bit more about this vast spiritual energy field in Astrology in the Age of Aquarius - Transpluto, a.k.a Divine Mother, Parvati, and Percephone.
A New Look At Mercury Retrograde
Because this Lunar Eclipse happens while Mercury is retrograde, and Mercury’s influence is very powerful due to it being the dispositor of Mars and Jupiter, if you haven't already gotten your copy, you may want to buy a copy of the new expanded 2nd edition of my pioneering book A New Look At Mercury Retrograde, the 2015 winner in its category of The Indie Spiritual Book Awards.
The first major work on Mercury retrograde ever written, it offers in-depth information about Mercury retrograde people, Mercury retrograde in the various signs and houses, and what the entire Mercury Retrograde phenomenon is about. If you want to know what we can expect from Mercury retrograde in Libra, or the last one in Gemini, or the others in any other sign and the influence in the houses, it’s all in there.
By knowing more about 2014's Mercury retrograde periods in Pisces/Aquarius, Cancer/Gemini, and Scorpio/Libra, or 2015’s Mercury retrograde periods in Aquarius, Gemini, and 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 past events. And you can get a heads up by taking a look at the coming 2016 Mercury retrograde periods in Aquarius/Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn/Sagittarius. It’s all in the book!
Here's the Amazon link to the page where you can order your paperback or ebook copy of A New Look at Mercury Retrograde. It is an invaluable resource for understanding past, present, and future Mercury retrogrades, so get your copy today. Just make sure you get the 2015 edition, and not the 1997 first edition, since the second is a far superior product!
For more about Eclipses in general, how they are timed for effects, and other seldom considered considerations (con = "to be with" + sider = "the stars"), please check out the previous articles in this series:
Astrology in September 2015 - On The Threshold of a Total Lunar Eclipse at 5 Libra-Aries
This closes part 3 on this Full Moon. Part 4 will cover important chart factors, aspects, configurations and more, which I'll give you soon.
© Copyright 2015 Robert Wilkinson
Beautiful and deep post. What a fantastic understanding and communication skills to write it down so clearly. AS usual, thanks Robert. Now, much to ponder and put in perspective in a personal perspective of our role within the Big Picture.
Blessings be to all
Posted by: Nic | September 26, 2015 at 12:33 PM
Thank you dear Robert... you always have more answers than I have questions...
So with Divine Mother conjunct Jupiter in the 4th house would be a good time to publish part one of Mother Earth's Book of Rants?
Posted by: sue | September 27, 2015 at 06:20 AM