by Robert Wilkinson
This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this Aries New Moon chart. This Lunation can help us drop hesitancy and embrace a new way with enthusiasm, direct action, and unique personal style. The Fire trines are boosting the love!
For most of 2016 to now the planetary layout 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 outer planet occupied span begins with Jupiter in Libra, and proceeds through planets in Sagittarius, Capricorn, Pisces, and Aries. This is a hemispheric distribution, with all the planets in almost half the signs. That means past patterns have been mainly influenced by the position of the inner planets, shifting the pattern every so often.
This New Moon begins an entirely new set of patterns, since Mars is at 13 Taurus, well outside the 180 degrees defining an ideal Bowl. So while this Lunation has elements of a modified Bowl, it is more truly a Bucket Pattern. That’s because all the planets are between Sagittarius and Taurus except for Jupiter in Libra, which is the nozzle or focal determinator for all the other planetary energies. By next month’s New Moon in Taurus, Mars will be in early Gemini and be the closing end of the Air trine of a Locomotive Pattern.
The Bucket Pattern and how it works
This is a Bucket Jones pattern, since Jupiter is far enough away from the nearest planet to become a nozzle for the focus of all the other planetary energies. Since the “handle” of the Bucket involves the sign Libra, 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 Libra.
As an aside, Jupiter has at some point been the nozzle for a Bucket pattern for the past 4 years. It was the handle when in Cancer, Leo, Virgo, and Libra, so we’ve had a long run of learning how to focus all the other energies through Jupiter. So it’s the same handle, but with a different expression each year during those parts when Bucket patterns happened.
In this New Moon, the most intense occupied span (in this chart Venus at 4 Aries through Mars at 13 Taurus) is 6 planets in 39+ degrees, making that the major focus. This is a very intense cluster, guaranteed to set a lot into motion wherever it falls in our chart.
This month we have the 10 traditional planets occupying 6 signs, showing a widespread distribution with an intense cluster noted above. This month we have Libra, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Pisces, Aries, and Taurus 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 Aries. 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 Aries it has a sub-influence of Aries. 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 Aries is “A large hat with streamers flying, facing east.” In the original notes from the Marc Jones class on the symbols, Rudhyar says this degree is one of “first real attempt at self-exteriorization and embodiment in consciousness,” where “Eastern individualizing forces are suggested.”
In the Astrological Mandala, he offers that this degree is about “protection and spiritual guidance in the development of consciousness.” He speaks of the hat being a protection against the forces of Nature, and how at this level the mostly undeveloped mental processes need protection from too-great openness to elemental energies. He says this image implies strong “spiritualizing and creative-transforming influences,” with the streamers indicating the source of these.
So the image “symbolizes a stage of development of consciousness in which the nascent powers of the mind are both protected and influenced by energies of a spiritual origin. This suggests a probationary stage in the process of individualization.” He states that here we deal with results of prior actions and need “protective forms… and sensitivity to spiritual energies.” He says this degree falls in the Span of Realization, Act of Differentiation, and Scene of Desire on the Emotional-Cultural level.
Dr. Jones says this is a degree of “naïve creativity,” and our stirrings as we are moved to respond to larger potentials of being. These are said to enable us “to realize and utilize the ever-emerging novelties and variations of human relationships.”
He states that this implies “an unconditioned and complete co-operation with every immediate trend of event, whether consciously or otherwise,” and offers us the keyword EXCITATION. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree “is continual self-orientation to the nascent potentialities of all life and experience.”
From this symbol we see the theme of this New Moon involves synthesizing the need for self-definition with a realization we can “be” in several realms and find fulfillment in them into a receptivity on the emotional or social level that allows our mind to be open to forms of greater love and wisdom. Many will awaken to the Ageless Wisdom in the next few weeks, while others will remember things and people from the past that taught them practical forms of the Ageless Wisdom, even if it didn’t seem like it at the time.
For now, enjoy seeing how to embrace newer ways to BE and newer forms of love and wisdom to live. This is an extraordinarily dynamic New Moon, and “cheerfully balance a mountain of baggage” to mobilize for some sort of personal gain or well-being. See how old endings freed you to embrace this new phase of life with enthusiasm and love, and ride the waves of intensified spiritual energies that are awakening you to your individuality and unique part to play in the One Life we all are together.
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 an earlier part, the Lunation makes several important aspects, featuring a wide opposition to Jupiter and conjunction with Uranus. It also makes a binovile with Pluto, showing a phase of realization after a waiting period. The other planets make a host of major and minor aspects, with a wide mix of harmonic series in play.
The forming inner planet aspects include Mercury quindecile Venus, vigintile Sun, trine Saturn, semisquare Neptune, and trielftile Pluto. Venus makes a novile to Mars, pentelftile to Jupiter, square to Saturn (out of sign), vigintile to Neptune, and quintile to Pluto. Mars makes a strong triseptile to Jupiter and trine to Pluto.
Mercury trine Saturn is strengthening for all inspired planning, and harmonizes with any planets we may have in the late degrees of the Fire and Air signs. The Venus quintile Pluto makes for gifts and specialization between our ongoing Venus RX reflections and reviews, helping us get to the core of any matter we need to. This most impacts planets and angles we have near 18-22 Capricorn, 30 Pisces through 4 Aries, 12-16 Gemini, 24-28 Leo, and 6-10 Scorpio. As the trine throws the void into Leo, this can give us "loving mature understanding" of a future potential. Concentrate on the inner heart energy and how it connects to all the heart energy on the planet, know that a linkage between your lower self and Higher Self is taking place that will bring blessings "after the death of useless things," and enjoy exploring all the spiritual thoughts and insights there for the perceiving.
Mars triseptile Jupiter will initiate many cooperative collective enterprises. This is a cooperative “fork in the road of destiny,” and since it’s waning, it shows the beginning of many important unions and plans. This most impact those with planets or angles near 11-15 Taurus, 2-6 Cancer, 24-28 Leo, 15-19 Libra, 7-11 Sagittarius, 28 Capricorn – 2 Aquarius, and 20-24 Pisces. It will work out through the houses where we have Aries, Taurus, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Pisces.
Outer planet aspects include Jupiter quintile Saturn, opposition Uranus (through translation of light), biquintile Neptune, and exactly square Pluto, and Saturn trine Uranus. So while there are only two frictional aspects, this Lunation again features prominent specializing and spiritual aspects, including 2 quintiles, 1 biquintile, 2 vigintiles, 1 quindecile, 1 triseptile, 1 trielftile, 1 pentelftile, 1 novile and 1 binovile.
The novile, septile and elftile series are feature spiritual aspects. All novile series aspects represent gestative energies that can lead to great spiritual realizations. Septile series aspects represent forks in the road of destiny, and the elftile series aspects represent issues requiring we resolve some sort of duality by making a leap of faith to attain a form of mastery over that type of duality.
The quintile (5th harmonic) and related 10th, 15th, and 20th harmonic aspects 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 6 planets in Fire signs, 1 in Water, 2 in Earth, and 1 in Air. This indicates we have a huge preponderance of Inspiration and Spirit (Fire), with harmonious Earth (Practicality, Grounding), and barely any Air (Relatedness, Ideas) and Feeling-Experiential (Water). Of these, Water is a constant backdrop due to Neptune’s invisibility, and any emphasis on Air is about learning to focus through Jupiter in Libra. At this point, Air will be in short supply until Mars enters Gemini on Aril 21.
Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, things will be heated up with inspiration, light and heat at the forefront. With the harmonious Earth trine, it should aid in the grounding of the inspiration. It should be a wild ride energetically, with the Air of Jupiter feeding the Fire trines.
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 has shifted again, showing that over the next 4 weeks the most effective “firing sequence” for approaching life and experience involves leading with our feelings, then deciding, then thinking.
This pattern leads with feelings, and then makes decisions and acts based in those feelings. While it is tempting to move back into more feeling after the actions, after we make our decisions and/or act, it will be important to get new information to come to a new vision or understanding. Once we get the right view or understanding, then a new feeling-experience will naturally arise that points the way to the next action.
So when you are moved by a feeling or experience, it will naturally lead to decisions on the basis of those feeling experiences, which should be followed by a search for new information, new ideas, new interpretations, and new views. We’ll be “feeling our way” into new experiences, then deciding and acting on the basis of those feelings. After a decision or action, then we’ll have to find newer, more up to date information, facts, and understanding so we can get a new vision.
So learn and teach through anecdotes, seeing how others handled things practically, or how you handed things practically in the past. Let your thinking and communicating and envisioning follow your actions, and let your feelings follow a new understanding, a new perception, or a new view.
Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend
Because Saturn is important as a stable leg of the Fire trines happening during these months, it’s a great time for seeing how to blend past and future together and craft your future destiny. Then you’ll be ready to stabilize that electric Fire and distributive Fire and express it in a loving, creative form as the inner planets move through Leo between July and September during the Grand Fire trines. You can learn more about mastering the Saturn and Uranus part of generating your future 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 “expansive structure” to the Uranian energies infusing with with concentrated doses of spiritual energy.
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. It's also available as an ebook on B&N's Nook. 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 2017 Robert Wilkinson
hank your Robert for a very comprehensive two post on this New Moon.
Blessings be to all.
Posted by: Nic | March 28, 2017 at 06:48 AM
Thank you for so generously sharing insight and your astrology classes. Blessings Robert.
Posted by: Bonnie Orgren | March 29, 2017 at 06:36 AM