by Robert Wilkinson
This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this Scorpio New Moon chart. This one is purifying, unveiling, and teaches how to play a new game (or nu game!) with intensity and skill!
We’ve now left the long period of Jones patterns that shifted between Locomotive, Splay, and Buckets, and now have entered a long term Bowl pattern, anchoring the main way the energies express. A Bowl is defined as all the planets occupying signs between Jupiter in mid-Virgo and Uranus in mid-Aries. While it’s not an “ideal” pattern of all planets within a 180 degree span, it’s close enough.
This Bowl will dominate for about 2 weeks at a time, when the Moon is between Virgo and Aries. The pattern will shift when the Moon is between early Taurus and late Leo. During those 2 weeks, it will again make a Locomotive, Bucket, or Splay, depending on what sign the Moon is in.
Ultimately it will give way to a Bucket pattern once Mars begins its long stay between late Scorpio and early Sagittarius. That will dominate February, March, and April, and by May we’ll be back in a Locomotive pattern, except when the Moon is conjunct Jupiter in late Feb and late March, when it’ll make a See Saw. To note, these patterns operate their own independent influence, regardless of which planet is in which sign.
In this New Moon, the span occupied by the inner planets (in this chart Mars in Virgo through the New Moon in Scorpio) is 49+ degrees, making it the major focus in our charts. This cluster is split between Venus and Mars 4+ degrees apart, and the New Moon plus Mercury in a 3+ degree span.
This month we have 10 planets occupying 7 signs, which are fairly spread out around the zodiacal wheel. We have Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Pisces, and Aries represented, with 7 planets clustered between Jupiter at 19 Virgo and Saturn at 6 Sagittarius. That’s the major focus of action these next 4 weeks.
So What is a “Bowl Pattern” and how does it work?
This type of spread, with all the planets occupying approximately half of the signs with an empty half opposite the occupies half, creates a “special type of conscious selfhood,” which Dr. Jones says “marks the Bowl type of temperament. He goes on to state “Fundamentally it is an extreme self-containment,” which “holds things, and a Bowl individual is one who always has something to bear.”
He goes on to state that with the Bowl, “the whole dynamic of man, his total power of achievement, arises in his instinctive realization that he is set off against a definite part of the world, that there is a complete segment of experience from which he is excluded in some subtle fashion. The Bowl not only holds something, but also places whatever it holds into relationship with a larger consideration.”
Dr. Jones continues that “the occupied segment of the Bowl horoscope reveals the activity and organization of the self, since planets are significant according to their place by sign and house, and the unoccupied segment becomes a challenge to existence, or the need and emptiness to which the native must direct his attention. The outstanding characteristic of the Bowl temperament is its marked sense of what is self-contained in contrast with what the self cannot hold, and this take an everyday form in an advocacy of some cause, the furtherance of a mission, an introspective concern over the purpose of experience.”
He concludes his explanation of how the pattern works with “The Bowl native always has something to give to his fellows, whether literally or psychologically, whether constructively or vindictively, because his orientation to the world arises from division; that is, frustration and uncertainty. The leading planets, determined in exactly the same way as for the Locomotive pattern, give a point of application, and shows where and how the native seeks to carry out his mission or gain his everyday justification for existence.”
He brings up another important point of analysis, as he states “the leading planet is of secondary importance in the Bowl pattern, unless it is found in a strong opposition or cosmic cross. The fundamental attack on the problems of life by the Bowl individual is indicated more significantly by the tilt or house-position of the Bowl-segment.”
He concludes this section by stating “the Bowl character is definitely more self-expending, or self-seeking, and more practically interested in what things mean and what they are. It continually throws the emphasis from the signs into the houses. It a general way the Bowl tends to ‘scoop up’ things and initiate experience when the position of the leading planet ranges from the fourth cusp, up and over the ascendant, to the midheaven cusp, and then inclines to “capture” things or consummate various phases of life when the leading planet is placed similarly from the tenth angle down over the descendant to the nadir.”
With Jupiter as the lead planet in this Bowl pattern, open to experience with a discerning eye to what fits where in the bigger picture, and organize a plan or series of plans that will yield practical innovation or the ability to “apprentice” in a way that opens doors to a larger life and effectiveness. Jupiter teaches us lessons involving Wealth v Poverty, and how our consciousness shows whether we are “grasping circumstances with abundance or neediness. With Jupiter leading the planetary parade, we can see if we’re using time, energy, or money effectively, and open to the eternal abundance of the Universe and accept what we need when we need it.
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 20 Scorpio. While I've given you a sense of this degree up to now, this is where we go into depth.
The symbol for the 20th degree of Scorpio is "A woman drawing two dark curtains aside,” showing the need to enter into the unknown. In "the Astrology of Personality," where Rudhyar uses the original Dr. Jones' class notes on the symbols, 20 Scorpio is said to symbolize “courage needed to enlarge sphere of being,” “readiness to press beyond self,” and “ the ‘woman’ within, opening the gates to Spirit.“
We are told in the Astrological Mandala that this symbolizes “the revelation to the human consciousness of what lies beyond dualistic knowledge.” He offers that “the woman within” represents “faith that is rooted in the deepest intuitions of the soul,” and here unveils “the realities which the either-or, pro-and-con mind … cannot perceive,” and that “the unitive life” is opened up as we eliminate “fear, egocentricity, and dualistic morality.”
He states that this symbol “reveals what a positive reliance upon faith and intuition can bring about. Courage is needed to go through the veiling darkness – the courage to venture beyond the familiar and the traditionally known, to plunge ahead into the unknown.” He says it falls in the span of Appreciation, and it’s the fulfilling degree in the actional level of the scene of Faith in the Act of Group Integration.
According to Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, this degree is about “the enduring values ... behind the outer façade of everyday existence,” and of the human need to move into deeper and “more worthy dimensions of experience.” We are told this is a degree of “the courage of the Soul” as it crosses threshold after threshold of temporary limitations.
He offers that here we “gamble” on our ability to “break on through to the other side.” He says the keyword is DARING, and when positive this degree is “the psychological indomitability with which the human spirit plunges ahead in every new adventure of accomplishment.”
This implies that the next two weeks are leading us to go deeper, go farther, with courage, into the unknown. Here we continue the work of feeling a deeper communion with our Divine Self as well as others, and open to a newer, deeper social or emotional connectedness to enter into unknown spiritual zones.
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.
As I outlined in part 1, the Lunation makes three important aspects: a semisquare with Venus, a septile to Mars, and a tredecile to Neptune. We’ve been living with Venus semisquare the Sun for a while, with Venus as a morning star leading the light of the Sun. The Lunation septile Mars is a major indicator that we’ve all hit a point of cutting loose from something, especially since Mars is biseptile Pluto, activating the Grand Irrationality!
All septile-series aspects indicate a measure of non-rationality, where why something has come to be is not as important as what we will choose to do about it, or how we choose to handle this fork in the road. Those most affected have planets or angles near 27 Virgo – 1 Libra, 18-22 Scorpio, 10-14 Capricorn, 2-6 Pisces, 23-27 Aries, 14-18 Gemini, and 6-10 Leo. You will note the approximate zones of the Grand Irrationality I gave you yesterday fall just a few degrees after these spans, so many more people will be affected by these septile-series aspects than usual.
The Lunation tredecile Neptune will be very favorable for all who can take advantage of serendipitous circumstances and gifts promised by that aspect. Most affected are those with planets or angles near 1-3 Leo/Aquarius, 7-9 Virgo/Pisces, 13-15 Libra/Aries, 19-21 Scorpio/Taurus, and 25-27 Sagittarius/Gemini. Other specializing aspects include the wide forming Jupiter quintile Saturn, and Saturn decile Pluto.
Besides those already mentioned, other important aspects include Venus sextile Saturn, Mars bielftile Saturn, Saturn quadrelftile Uranus and square Neptune, and Uranus novile Neptune and square Pluto.
Mercury is a very important player in this chart, since it semisquares Venus and conjuncts the Lunation while also making a sextile to Jupiter and a quincunx Uranus. Because it closely leads the Lunation, it creates a “collection of Light,” bringing the recent Moon and Sun sextiles to Jupiter back into play, as well as their quincunx to Uranus.
It also brings back the Jupiter quincunx Uranus, thus creating a Yod, or Finger of God, with Uranus as the nozzle of the configuration. This is a powerful configuration that squeezes out whatever we need to in order to become more focused and effective in spiritual ways. Sacrifice whatever you need to in order to find a balance between outer activity and the need to withdraw into the inner world of self. Find ways to “preserve potency” and “live rhythmically.”
The Elftile series aspects show we must use a form of faith to overcome a duality in order to attain a mastery, and the Saturn square Neptune shows that if things get confusing, narrow the scope, narrow the focus, get a better sense of the whole of things, don’t surrender to drifting or a sense of futility, and cultivate connectedness within a larger field of expression. So overall, this Lunation features a mix of productive, spiritualizing, specializing, and irritating energies. There is tremendous promise or practical harmony and understanding, along with interactive gifts and specialized circumstances.
Element Balance
Of the traditional 10 planets, there are 2 planets in Fire signs, 4 in Water, 3 in Earth, and 1 in Air. This indicates a major emphasis on intense feelings and a workable expanding practicality, with some inspiration and not a lot of interactive idealism, except for Venus in its home sign of Libra, which helps us find relatedness.
With the emphasis on Water and Earth, we have a combination of strong feelings and practical grounding, but keep in mind that Earth plus Water equals either mud or bricks, depending on how you work with the material. So while some will find a sensitivity as they organize things so they further an “enlightened self-interest,” others will find themselves “stuck in the mud” of defensive calculations.
Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, things will be running a little more hot than cold, with the Earth element steadying the energy.
What's the proper sequence at present of deciding, feeling, and thinking, with an Overview of the Lunation
As a process of moving through events, over the next 4 weeks we’re all going to be inclined to feel our way into ideas, visions, interactions, and understanding. Once we’ve felt our way to a vision or understanding, then it will be important to make a decision and act on it. Once we’ve moved everything forward that one step, then a new feeling-experience will naturally arise that points the way to the next view or information needed to again move it forward one step.
So feel, flow, experience, since these will lead you to information and understanding. When your understanding leads to a clear vision, then see the fundamental fact, or act that must be done to move it all one step forward. Let your feeling and experience follow your actions, and let your mind follow your feelings into new views and understanding that can help you make decisions that you’ll act on.
The Virgo energy leading the occupied half of the map should help us be practical in how we express the new adventures initiated when Mercury, the Sun, Mars, and Venus were in Virgo between August and October. This should bring a grounded practicality and productive use of power that will be a permanent part of our tool box in 2016.
The next 4 weeks will offer us all opportunities to enter into unknown zones in a big way! Find the right way to join with others in experimental efforts, allow yourself to be educated by what you find, and you could find yourself in a fear-free zone of consciousness, or at least experiencing a broader, wider effectiveness.
The next two weeks promise gifts and unique circumstances that help us leave the past behind! Be joyous in “broadening your life horizons,” and be willing to “rise to the occasion” to “escape from a narrow destiny.” The new adventure has begun!
© Copyright 2015 Robert Wilkinson
Thank you for the articles, Robert. My Mercury and North Node are in 19 and 21 Scorpio respectively, Moon is in 19 Taurus, Saturn in 2 Leo, Jupiter in 15 Aries, Vertex in 9 Virgo. Add Sun in 25 Scorpio into the mix, Venus+Pluto in 9-10 Libra and Ascendant in 5 Aquarius. Your writings help me navigate through the challenging times.
Posted by: Olga | November 12, 2015 at 12:01 PM
Great information! (as usual). Interesting and existing times ahead.
Loved the image of the woman opening the dark curtains. Brilliant!
It is all there, what we do with it is up to us.
Blessings be to all
Posted by: Nic | November 12, 2015 at 12:58 PM
Strange, but somehow relateable. Am experiencing this thing where the opposite is the defining factor. Hard to explain. An example would be escaping a 'narrow destiny' as opposed to opening up to a 'broader experience.' Escaping a narrow destiny brings it home for me. (Still on the run maybe.:D Living like a refugee) It's been happening like that lately. And the bowl pattern is not real comfortable for me. The what I choose to do with it is helpful. Bigger picture and all. There is some solace in that.
Posted by: caliban | November 13, 2015 at 06:09 AM
Thanks Robert,
Met that woman...she lives in the mountains and works with Earth energies!
Posted by: sue | November 13, 2015 at 09:08 AM
You nailed it ... and Finger of GOD are her three muses...Yeahbut, Whatif and Why...
Posted by: sue | November 13, 2015 at 09:48 AM
I've met her in the ocean, the desert, the forest, the lake, and the prairie too.
Posted by: caliban | November 15, 2015 at 06:52 AM