by Robert Wilkinson
This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this Capricorn New Moon chart. This Lunation can help us organize our understanding so we may attain effective power. This period will yield insights into things past with implications for 2018 and beyond, so take a new look at the law you’ve been living and see the understanding it’s given you.
For much of 2016 the planetary layout has moved between many different Jones Patterns, depending on the position of the Moon and the inner planets relative to the outer planets. These patterns operate their own independent influence, regardless of which planet is in which sign.
Currently, the occupied span begins with Jupiter in Libra, and proceeds through planets in Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries. This is an almost ideal spread, with all the planets in half the signs. It will continue over the next few months as the inner planets continue within the span defined by Libra through Aries. This pattern, where all the planets are within the span of half the signs, is called a Bowl Jones pattern.
The Bowl Pattern and how it works
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 leading this Bowl pattern, it shows us the need to use “expansive balance,” “balanced truth and view,” and “abundant well-roundedness” to open our planetary experience. Take a large and generous view of the many ways a thing can be approached or understood in its larger picture. As Jupiter is in Air, understanding and a sense of how things are related in a balanced overview will open doors to experience.
In this New Moon, the most intense occupied span (in this chart Saturn in late Sag through Pluto in mid-Capricorn) is 5 planets in 25+ degrees, making that the major focus. However, if we add Venus, Mars, and Neptune, we have 8 planets in the 78+ degree span between Saturn in Sag and Neptune in Pisces. Regardless of which grouping you use, this is a very intense cluster, guaranteed to set a lot into motion wherever it falls in our chart.
This month we still have the 10 traditional planets occupying 6 signs, which are fairly spread out around the occupied part of the zodiacal wheel. As noted, we have Libra, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries represented, with no planet in the other signs.
The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon
A New Moon sets the seed forms for what the following month will demonstrate. This Lunation falls at 8 Capricorn. It is said that the first third (decan) of any sign deals with the actional, physical, material levels of life, and being the first decan of Capricorn it has a sub-influence of Capricorn. While I've given you a sense of this degree up to now, this is where we go into depth.
The symbol for the 8th degree of Capricorn is “Birds in the house singing happily.” In his notes from the Jones class, Rudhyar says this is a degree of “the happiness that radiates from an integrated personality,” and “firm self-establishment in social comfort or respectability.”
In the Mandala he goes on to say this is a degree of "the wholesome happiness which subservience to the ideals and patterns of a well-established culture brings to those who accept them unreservedly,” and states this is a part of the cycle that brings us power and benefits if we willingly accept certain limitations that will ultimately lead us to a “serene and happy existence.” He says this symbol is one where we learn to “enjoy our life condition by allowing the spiritual values it embodies to fill our consciousness” so we can find “enjoyment in the roles (we) are born to play.”
So the seed forms being given both Light and Warmth, as well as Care and Nurture, involve expanding our embrace of certain responsibilities, roles, duties, and easing into playing a role we were born to play. Here we get to integrate in an illuminated way and enjoy the limitations that are more boon than bondage. He states this degree falls in the Span of Illusiveness, Act of Capitalization, and Scene of Crystallization on the Emotional-Cultural level.
Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “the descent of spirit or intelligence into every last ramification of everyday reality,” and of our fulfillments as we are “successful in shaping circumstances or precipitating events so that they become the ultimate and outward revelation of that higher vision by which (we) continue to be (ourselves) at core.” He says this is about the “impregnable independence of the individual” where we make the world our own and share it with others.
He offers the keyword ESTABLISHMENT. He goes on to state that when operating positively, the degree is “an insatiable urge to put everything to use and to employ every least talent of self.”
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 mentioned in part 1, the Lunation makes several important aspects, featuring a semisquare with Venus, binovile to Jupiter, vigintile to Saturn, sextile to Neptune, and conjunction with Pluto. The conjunction to Pluto puts the spotlight on that planet and ends the old Sun-Pluto cycle while offering a promise of the new one to come at the conjunction in about 9 days. This awakens and vitalizes the Plutonic seed themes of the year to come involving our need to release ourselves from certain obsolete inhibitions.
Here the Lunation does an interesting dance of influence with Mars which is conjunct Neptune in Pisces and septile Pluto, triggering the Grand Irrationality which will no doubt create some extremely important forks in the road for humanity over the next few weeks. This forms the most important focus of the dynamic for this period.
The Lunation is separating from its sextile to Mars but applying to its sextile to Neptune. As Mars is still forming a conjunction to Neptune, the Lunation sextile to Mars is still in effect applying. This is a very powerfully productive reorganized adjustment to make things flow more easily. Mars boosts Neptune, while the New Moon sprouts the Plutonic seeds.
And Mars is septile Pluto, activating the waxing septile point for the first time this year. Venus will follow in the second week of January, and the Sun and Mercury will finish the sequence by early March. Each of these will of course also accompany a conjunction to Neptune, beginning those yearly cycles as well wherever they happen in our charts. A very good line of study involves seeing how each of the outer planet year cycles begin and unfold, and then see the themes of each year over year related to the life area house they fall in.
Other forming aspects include Mercury quintile Jupiter and Venus novile Pluto. Moving to the outer planets, Mars makes only those aspects already discussed, Jupiter is sextile Saturn, Saturn is quindecile Pluto, and Uranus is novile Neptune. So we see a healthy dose of specializing and spiritual aspects, including a vigintile, quindecile, quintile, novile, and binovile. With Mercury retrograde, take a new look at things you need to round out your understanding, or take a new look at past events that conditioned your present understanding.
The septile, novile, and binovile are spiritual aspects. All novile series aspects introduce an element of gestation, whether something is going into it or coming out from a gestative period. These aspects hold the promise of realization and revelation, pointing us toward whatever spiritual pulse governs the planetary interaction.
The quintile and its sub-harmonic aspects the vigintile (18 degrees) and quindecile (24 degrees) are all specialization aspects. You can find more by going to Astrology Class on the Specializing Aspects Pt. 1 – Quintile, Tredecile, Decile, and Biquintile, and Astrology Class on the Specializing Aspects Part 2 – The Quindecile and the Vigintile.
You can find out more about the spiritual aspects (septile, novile, and elftile series) by referencing this brief overview of the Spiritual aspects, complete with glyphs for all of them, or purchasing the much more extensive in-depth class on the spiritual aspects, including the septile (7th harmonic) series, novile (9th harmonic) series, and elftile (11th harmonic) series aspects. If you want the class with powerpoint graphics and accompanying recorded tracks, email me.
Element Balance
Of the traditional 10 planets, there are 2 planets in Fire signs, 2 in Water, 4 in Earth, and 2 in Air. This indicates we have an emphasis on practicality with a balance between inspiration, interactivity and feeling. The larger pattern shows we are in a stabilizing future-oriented period, and just rearranging the priority of some things.
Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, things will be running fairly cool, with less volatility than usual. Get used to it, since in a few weeks Mars will enter Aries and it will be flame on! The emphasis on Earth should keep everything fairly well grounded, with most of the Water action on subconscious or global levels.
The current sequence at present of Deciding, Feeling, and Thinking
We’ve been through several different sequences over the past few months. There are six patterns, and each has their strengths and weaknesses. We’ve now shifted pattern again. As a process of moving through events, this New Moon shows us that over the next 4 weeks the most effective “firing sequence” for approaching life and experience involves leading with our thinking, then deciding, then feeling.
This pattern leads with a vision, or an understanding, or a communication, and then makes decisions and actions based in those things. While it is tempting to move back into more thinking, communicating, and envisioning, it is more important to move from deciding or acting into feeling what we’re experiencing as a result of those actions and decisions, and bring those feelings to the surface of your consciousness and get clear about what you’re feeling and why.
By naming the feeling or experience, it will naturally lead us back to new information, new vision, new ideals, and new understanding upon which you can do your next set of decisions and actions. Then again name what you’re feeling. That way nothing will get bottled up through underuse, and you can move through experiences with power and clarity. And yes, with Mercury retrograde, don't get too hung up on the past, or the lack of completeness in your understanding. Things may take some interesting twists and turns before it all becomes clear in late January.
Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend
Given Saturn is an important dispositor for most of the planets in the sky and makes the powerful sextile with Jupiter (and will for many months to come), you will be assisted in navigating these strong tides of destiny by taking a look at the material I present in my new book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. Saturn helps us give form and structure to our quest for Self-realization, and in Sag, will help bring an openness to the Capricorn energies in play for the next few weeks.
This book takes an entirely new look at our inner Saturn and the power it gives us to take command of our lives and destiny. If Saturn represents all that limits us and holds us back, it’s only because we must master those lessons so we may become spiritual adults and fulfill our purpose for being alive on Earth. By knowing our Saturnian strengths, we can overcome fear and any sense of victimization or powerlessness.
It was written for both astrologers and non-astrologers, and gives the reader the power to understand why some things happened when they did. Throughout the book, it offers ways for us to “make friends” with this part of our existence and take command of our destiny. As you read each chapter, you’ll become more aware of all the factors assisting Soul growth through understanding how our Saturn lessons relate to Dharma (our Highest Spiritual Function) and various types of karma, both those we cause and those which are "Sacred Wounds" leading us to a greater compassion and understanding.
And as you've just sampled, we explore the concept of Saturn representing our Ring-Pass-Not, or that part of us which is limited while we learn certain lessons related to our understanding of who we are and why we can or cannot do certain things. As our Saturn expands its understanding and wisdom, then our Ring-Pass-Not expands so we can find purpose and meaning in each chapter of life. It is the secret to our power to guide our own evolution as we become conscious of the meaning of why we are on Earth.
The second part of the book examines how Saturn cycles mark major points of choice and change throughout life, and what we can expect when Saturn makes conjunctions, squares, and oppositions to our planets and Ascendant. There are tables assisting the reader to know when Saturn was in each sign, so even those with little or no understanding of astrology can track the timing on their major life changes. There is an entire chapter dedicated to the Saturn Return, perhaps the most important times in life when our decisions profoundly shape our future.
Part two closes with a chapter on one of the most crucial factors in our personal unfoldment: how the progressed Moon and transiting Saturn cycles track each other throughout life and relate to our emotional growth, and a chapter on a global phenomenon happening since 2003 impacting everyone on Earth. The Epilogue offers a few insights about living “the spiritual life,” and opens dimensions of higher and broader possibilities of personal evolution, regardless of which path to Truth we may be on.
This is a book you will reference many times for many reasons, and each time you pick it up you’re sure to find undiscovered gems of insight on each page. This book can help you throw off all the attitudes and memories which have held you back from finding and living the life and purpose you’ve been searching for since you were young. Welcome to the journey of self-discovery, and finding your power to live your life on your own terms, fulfilling your reason for being alive as an Eternal having human experiences!
Please order your copy today! You can go to the Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend page and order your copy of either the paperback or the ebook. I’ve been told that people who live overseas can get their copy much faster by going through Amazon. And if you would, please write a review on the Amazon site, since the more reviews, the bigger the boost on their site.
© Copyright 2016 Robert Wilkinson
I really like how you say "it’s only because we must master those lessons so we may become spiritual adults and fulfill our purpose for being alive on Earth"....
Can't wait to see how 2017 aka the last of my Saturn return year will play out.... :)
xx finja | www.effcaa.com
Posted by: finja | December 28, 2016 at 04:08 AM
Great post (as usual) with loads of meaningful information that will help clarify the individual experience and the collective, world experience.
Blessings be to all.
Posted by: Nic | December 28, 2016 at 05:58 AM
Robert, I got to wondering about the application of this transit chart with a bowl pattern...to a natal scatter chart. I imagine the emphasis in the bowl would throw the lack in the transit chart into the opposite side of the natal. One could speak to what one knows there with more impact?
Of course, the impact of the bowl chart varies with the different natal chart patterns.
Posted by: Jo Garceau | December 28, 2016 at 02:47 PM