The New Moon at 1 Leo Pt. 1 - What’s Happening in July-August 2017

by Robert Wilkinson

Over the next 4 weeks, the New Moon in Leo indicates a time of intense creative-expressive bursts of energy, and any inconvenience that “quarantines us,” preventing us from doing something, shows us the way to play and relax.

We left the past behind in April, and had “a new quality of being which renders the old patterns obsolete” open up in May. We explored the power of words and images in June, and since the Cancer New Moon 4 weeks ago, we reoriented, explored unknown zones, and had our will tested. The coming weeks will be quite forceful, with major gifts and specialization on the table involving some sort of repair or reconstruction work. The quintile between the New Moon and Jupiter offers the promise of great beauty, whether we behold it or create it. This is the gift of a loving radiant heart expressing a perfectly balanced and elegant vision.

This is the twenty-third New Moon since the launch of the Saturn in Sagittarius era in late September 2015, and that planet continues to be important in several ways during this time of the year, especially since it’s one of the legs of the Grand Fire Trines dominating this Summer! There are a number of important aspects in play which I’ll discuss in part two. This Lunation flips the Jones Pattern again, this time bringing us a “Splay” Jones pattern, with the tripod shown by the Grand Fire Trine of Mercury in Leo, Saturn in Sagittarius, and Uranus in Aries.

Jupiter continues to play a major part in the skies at this time since it is direct and forming an opposition to Uranus, pulling together and feeding the energies of the Fire Trine. As Jupiter also is the dispositor of Saturn, it indicates how we can get a handle on focusing and expressing the best of Saturn’s energy.

As Jupiter is in Libra, it continues to favor being diplomatic, pleasant, reasonable, and expansive in our sense of how to smooth things out. Alternately, stand up for peace, justice, what’s fair, and see what’s out of balance to find your way to contribute to the general harmony. Libra is the sign of relationships, reconsideration of proportionality, and the dance of interactivity, so keep embracing new ideals and new ideas.

As Jupiter also has an influence of what we expect, imagine, and hope for, be balanced in how you express those Libra energies as you find the right rhythm of repair and reconstruction, as per its Sabian Symbol. Be joyous as you repair something previously “wrecked by storms.” And remember to seek peace, think peace, and BE peace. This is the Summer of peaceful warriors assembling, mobilizing, and concentrating heart power through creativity.

So What’s Happening?

Today we’ll do an overview of the Lunation and some of its primary qualities. In part 2 we’ll cover Sabian Symbols, aspects, distributions, and patterns.

This spontaneous, combustive, creative-expressive New Moon that will forcefully launch many things where we have early Leo in our charts occurs at 1 Leo on July 23 at 2:46 am PDT, 5:46 am EDT, and 10:46 am BST. Leo takes the introversion and self-nurturing we experienced in Cancer and turn it into an outer expression of heart strength.

This New Moon is the fifteenth and last in a sequence where the Sun falls in the same sign as the Sun in the next Full Moon. There are two patterns: one with the Sun in the same sign as the Sun in the following Full Moon (New Moon between 1-15 degrees of a sign), and one with the Sun in a different sign than it’s in at the following Full Moon (New Moon between 16-30 degrees of a sign).

We’ve been moving through a time of the “normal order” of Lunation Sun placements. This will shift to the other pattern at the New Moon Solar Eclipse on 21 August at 29 Leo. The Full Moon after that places the Sun at 14 Virgo and Moon at 14 Pisces. The last time we had this “different order” was during the 16 months before the 2016 New Moon in Gemini. Since I explain this phenomenon and what it means in the Full Moon articles, you will learn more from consulting recent Full Moon articles.

The New Moons and Full Moons are “God’s footprints in time.” Each shows the next in the 12 phases of how things come to be each year. The cycle could be described as follows: Life energy is initiated in Aries, substantiated in Taurus, explored in Gemini, grounded in Cancer, renewed and creatively expressed in Leo, refined and ordered in Virgo, balanced and made pleasing in Libra, purified and focused in Scorpio, expanded in Sagittarius, organized in Capricorn, solidified into a vision in Aquarius, and ended/perpetuated in Pisces.

An Overview of the New Moon

Even though the Jones patterns shift quite a bit due to the sign position of the Moon, during the time we have New Moons between Capricorn and Cancer we have either a Bowl or a Bucket Jones pattern. Now we enter a period of experiencing a variety of shifting patterns.

This chart has a huge number of forming aspects in the “spiritual” 7th, 9th, and 11th harmonic series. Unlike the past Full Moon, this chart has almost no frictional aspects, and a wide variety of favorable ones. In fact, there are only two oppositions creating a “tension of opposites,” the closest being Venus opposing Saturn, creating an axis of awareness in Gemini-Sagittarius. The other “tension of opposites” I’ve spoken about in previous articles involves the forming Jupiter opposed Uranus.

Ordinarily this would create a rectangle configuration, and does by sign, but not by aspect. While the Grand Fire Trine is pulled together by Jupiter, and Venus makes its opposition, of note is the immediately separating Venus septile Uranus. The two oppositions are testing us to use the polarization to understand something hidden seeks to come to the surface, and our attitude is everything as we stand on the threshold of “entrance into a new country.”

As unique or unexpected events present themselves for your awareness, listen to your inner voice to find your place in the Cosmic Choir. Here it’s useful to remember that in any choir, there are times to sing unisons, times to sing harmonies, times to sing solo, and times not to sing at all. Even when we’re not singing, we’re still part of the choir. What is your part to sing?

This New Moon will jumpstart Leo energy wherever it falls in our chart. With this Lunation, we are in a time where we can and should allow what needs expression to come out, naturally and creatively, and be joyous as we refine some things and specialize in specific ways we’ve already trained for. Children, creativity, and theatricality are associated with this sign, so expect many dynamic developments as things erupt up and out into the world!

The ongoing Saturn trine Uranus this year is giving us the ability to cultivate heart strength, creativity, and the Solar Fire by which we become our Eternal Light that can never be extinguished. By developing new heart strengths via the Fire trine, using Jupiter to express different kinds of power in balanced, rhythmic ways, we’re learning to adjust to the natural rhythm of the NOW. Those who are disciplined and mature in their adaptation have found and will continue to find great good fortune and joy through the Summer.

So What Rules the Lunation?

This New Moon in Leo has the Sun in Leo as the worldly ruler and the Moon in Leo as the spiritual ruler. This makes the Sun very strong, since it is the final dispositor of every other planet except Neptune in Pisces, which is a “standalone” dispositor of itself. So in this Lunation, we don’t have any chains of dispositors, or planets in mutual reception.

You can find out more about dispositors in general, chains of dispositors, and mutual reception by going to dispositors and Mutual Reception at the link.

The Grand Irrationality

The reason this section is a recurring feature in the Lunation articles is because it was set into long term play by the 2011 Solar Eclipse, as well as subsequent Solar Eclipses whose influence continues. These effects are triggered each time any transiting planet occupies any of the 7 zones of the Grand Irrationality. Since then it’s been reinforced and triggered by various Lunations, planetary stations, and transits.

It’s been triggered in quite a few past Lunations, including the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Pisces 3 months ago. That means humanity at large is in for major choices and changes over the next few years, which will certainly keep things dynamic, if unstable! This configuration is set into motion by any conjunction with or septile-series aspect to Neptune or Pluto.

We just had Mercury moving through the mid-Leo zone in mid-July, and Venus is currently triggering the Grand Irrationality by its triseptile to Pluto, to be followed by the biseptile to Neptune about 4-6 days after the Lunation. Then the Sun will move through the Leo zone Aug 3-9, followed by Mars activating it in a big way Aug 7-16. As you can see, early August will be a radical turning point in our world in some significant way!

All of this is within the umbra of the late September 2016 Sun conjunct Jupiter triseptile Neptune, keeping the energy active throughout various points in this Sun-Jupiter in Libra cycle lasting through this October. Each time there’s a transit to any of the 7 zones, it profoundly affects those with a planet or angle in any of the 7 “hot zones” defining the phenomenon.

For those who are new to the site, here’s a bit of explanation about this thing called “the Grand Irrationality” associated with why everything continues to be so weird. As I’ve explained many times before, the Grand Irrationality is a long wave non-rational influence that has put everyone on Earth on the unceasing edge of major choice and change.

Everyone has been confronting inner compulsions, continual choices that seem to have a major impact on our destiny, and occasionally irrational behaviors in others or external conditions. It is why things seem to have an unending hard edge, why so many choices are continually thrown in our faces that require immediate attention, and why reason seems to fail at critical moments of decision.

When the Grand Irrationality is in play, it’s a time when things don’t have to make sense. We’ve been living with it for almost 25 years, and it will be active for a couple more years to come, even though we’ve begun to be on the far side of that influence.

Though it will wane in intensity in the future, there will be enough set into motion that won’t make sense that we certainly can’t be lulled into a false sense of complacency! Add its influence in Solar Eclipses that can last for years, and it’s no surprise that we’re certainly still seeing some global craziness and irrational behavior, so be aware!

Because late Autumn through mid-Spring brings Neptune into a close septile with Pluto, during those months the configuration acts as a simultaneous “pulse” that activates Neptune and Pluto at the same time. However, as we get into late Spring through mid-Autumn, we’re experiencing a lag in how Neptune and Pluto operate, since they’re now out of the septile and again approaching the sextile they made from 1942-1995.

The current degree spans that trigger this transformative mass configuration are around 13-17 Leo, 4-8 Libra, 26-30 Scorpio, 18-22 Capricorn, 10-14 Pisces, 1-5 Taurus, and 22-26 Gemini. If you have a planet or angle in any of these zones, you are making critical choices and decisions that will alter your future in important ways. This event requires that we allow what’s been stuffed down to come up to the surface of our lives, and see how we can allow use the available power wisely.

Neptune and Chiron in Pisces

I have offered this segment each month for years to give you a broader perspective on the collective atmosphere, and the long wave changes humanity is going through. However, since they have long passed the cusp of the Great Age, I am no longer going to post this segment as I have, and will instead post the entire piece updated at key points in the Neptune cycle in the future.

Because Neptune and Chiron have been in Pisces for 5 years, we’ve been navigating through the threshold of an entirely new era that will not resemble the old Age in any way within just a few decades. We’re already solidly in the Dreamscape, and are already seeing long wave manifestations of the ending of the old and the emerging field we’re all learning how to maneuver through.

The last half of 2011 helped many break out of their "chrysalis" and transform their lives and relationships. If you want to know what's coming for many years to come, take a look back at the intuitions and sense of belonging to a vaster interrelated whole you were shown in Spring and Summer of 2011. It may help to give a sense of our collective lesson in dissolving our separateness as we finish this transition through "the Winter of the 21st Century" on our way to Spring, beginning in 2025!

In this chart, Chiron is still at 29 Pisces. This is the same degree where Jupiter conjuncted Uranus in 2010, so we should get flashes of how we’ve been healed or mentored since then. Chiron has not been in this “face” of Pisces since 1966-1968, and this is the degree where it just went stationary retrograde, making the theme of the relationship of the parts to the whole at the end of cycles important in healing and/or mentoring to come.

As Chiron and Neptune pass through late Pisces, we shall see echoes in the collective consciousness related to the various Uranus stations from 2008-2010, and specifically the Jupiter conjunctions to Uranus during 2010. We have been and are being shown healing and mentoring techniques that can help us deal with the larger collective atmosphere in the years to come.

Chiron transits help each of us heal anew through our positioning within collective consciousness, assisting us to find ways to mentor and be mentored in Piscean ways. This one also has the themes of “a closing in of vision” that leads to an “enlargement of perception.” We can learn the power of “subtle analysis” while seeing how the forms fall away from the essence at the end of a cycle of manifestation, showing us how Light forms the spectrum, and the spectrum is resolved in the Light.

This comes as part of a larger cycle of purification and closure. Here we heal into our higher Self by forgiving much and enjoying even more as we experience the end of a long cycle.

Neptune shows us how to merge the sacred and the everyday in our lives. Over the past several years, we have heard a call to a life renewal, dumped excess and unnecessary baggage to quicken the pace in achieving some social goal, mastered something important in our spiritual quest, been offered higher responsibilities, and been shown what spiritual goals we’re fit to accomplish. The March 2017 Solar Eclipse in Pisces continues to assist us in releasing the last baggage we no longer need over the next few years.

2016 completed our realizations of these lessons, and prepared us to move forward. This chart has Neptune retrograde at 14 Pisces, so we’re retracing steps and getting a new perspective on how collective consciousness is now related to the themes of this degree. We first traversed this degree in April-May, and it’s showing us we may need forms of “camouflage” as we do our sacred work in a hostile and unevolved world. Some are being led to a “superficial advertisement of inner worth” to prove their merit, while others need protection from aggressive social elements.

Collectively, we’re now solidly launched into a newer spiritual realm, where our ego mind has been introduced to a deeper and vaster Soul realm and our testing has begun. We originally “entered this sanctuary” in the Spring of 2016, and got a review in August and September. In 2017 we’re “proving our qualifications,” as Neptune’s retrograde will move back from 15 to 12 Pisces, its SD degree later this year.

Beginning June 2016, we were introduced to a new ideal of courage and focused will power within a greater cause or dedication. We’re now in a time of learning a technique of “camouflage” so that we can do what we have to do without being unnecessarily exposed or hassled by the world. Worth is being made evident as part of further testing during 2017, which is opening a “Sacred Space” for each of us, where we may awaken to a greater role, let go of fear, and learn from those who are true custodians of Soul force.

Because Neptune is at 14 Pisces, the collective atmosphere is related to the quickening in collective consciousness awakened by Uranus in 2006-2007. Though we will be finishing up some lessons related to earlier degrees in Pisces through 2017, we are now in a culminative zone, since Neptune has not been in this face of Pisces since 1852-1854. Now that we are past Neptune’s previous forward station, we are in an entirely new era in Neptune’s influence on the collective consciousness!

As Neptune has not experienced this span of Pisces since the 1850s, it indicates that collective consciousness in 2014-2017 is in a zone filled with turmoil historically. Given Pluto is also in a zone where it last was in the 1770s, it would seem revolution is in the air!

Because of where Neptune went RX June 2016, it’s part of a larger phase of showing courage and valor in demonstrating our ability to focus will power to be the vehicle for Divine Will to manifest in our world. We’ve been tested, and faced forms of collective wisdom to re-affirm our purpose. Some have received revelations about God or Truth, which will be key factors in the courage we have to demonstrate and the will power we have to focus now, but with the added theme of taking a new look or finding a new understanding related to our personality’s entrance into the Soul realm.

The North Node

We’ve now entered the North Node in Leo and South Node in Aquarius era, showing our greatest development is now in a different element and mode of expression than it was before May. When the NN is in Leo, our greatest development is through our ability to love, to create, to play, to be spontaneous, and to be wholehearted in “tending the Solar Fire” that shows the world our heart’s strength and desire. Because the SN is in Aquarius, we will demonstrate these qualities through dispassion, idealism, working for the greatest good for the greatest number, and finding others in our true spiritual group of world servers.

The North Node in the third decan of Leo brings a more specific focus on growth in that direction. This seems to be laying down a favorable growth vector that will be made real in July, August, and September as the inner planets all move across the North Node while making Grand Fire trines with Saturn and Uranus. This should manifest as another type of “Summer of Love.”

We are now are going to develop through the Saturn skills and disciplines we confronted when it transited this degree (25 Leo) in November-December 2006, January 2007, and July 2007. That means the next 4 weeks are directly related to the disciplines and hard truths we learned and duties we assumed in 2007 that blessed us to move in a new direction in the Summer of 2015 when Jupiter transited Leo.

This NN degree is the 25th degree of Leo, which we are told is "A large camel crossing the desert.” In "the Astrology of Personality," where Rudhyar uses the original Dr. Jones' class notes on the symbols, 25 Leo is said to be a symbol of “Superiority of knowledge and will over hostile nature,” “mental self-control,” and “spiritual strength in facing past Karma.”

In the Astrological Mandala, he says this degree involves “self-sufficiency in the face of a long and exhausting adventure,” where “the camel symbolizes a living organism that is able to sustain itself independently of its environment at the start of a trying journey.” We are told this creature “carries within itself what is absolutely needed for survival.”

He offers this is about “the value of self-reliance and self-sufficiency as (we) enter the occult Path leading to a more dynamic and more inclusive realm of existence. He states “in order to be released from bondage to the ‘old world’ we should be completely self-contained emotionally, having absorbed the mental food which this old culture has given us…. We need total independence from our surroundings and utter self-reliance.” He says it falls in the span of “Interpretation,” and it’s the last degree of the emotional-cultural level of the scene of Release in the Act of Stabilization.

According to Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, the degree is one of our “capacity to overcome the handicaps imposed on (us) by the … limitations of the world” where we find our “inexhaustible endurance.” He speaks of “a psychological integration of human character, revealing an effective self-mobilization” we can easily accomplish.

He states that our “achievements in the face of the difficulties to be overcome are the real foundation of (our) self-refinement and ultimate self-discovery.” He offers us the keyword of ADEQUACY. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is "uncompromising persistence and uncomplaining self-expenditure in any course to be followed.”

So the North Node, our line of greatest evolutional development, indicates these next 4 weeks point to growth via self-loving self-reliance, strength in facing karma, and using will to focus spiritual knowledge in social ways. Overcome handicaps if they present themselves, be enduring, and pursue the Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in all things.

These will express through the South Node at 25 Aquarius. The themes are to be more volitional and less reflexive when making assessments and decisions, opening to “alien ideas,” and solving problems by being aware of the big picture and finding alternative choices when put it trying conditions.

Summing Up

I’ll close today by offering that this New Moon initiates a VERY energetic period ahead! Things may “explode” in various ways, and again, remember if you find yourself “quarantined” where your “school is closed by an epidemic,” remember that our old friend the I Ching tells us that “sometimes we are enriched by unfortunate events.” It pay show as “gain through subtraction,” and constructive results can come from “inconvenient events.”

There is a lot of work to be done, so do it joyously. The Fire Trines are showing us a new “Summer of Love,” where many beautiful things can be expressed. If you need to do some sort of repair work, or reconstruct how things came to be in some life area, this is a great time to find the right attitude in an effective “rhythm of response.”

As you know, ever since the Solar Eclipse in Pisces “the race has begun,” and there’s no time for hesitancy or unnecessary considerations. Do what needs to be done quickly and efficiently, and let the ghosts of the past flow down the time stream. Forgive much, let go of much, give away all you no longer need, and await the revelation to come.

We can now make rapid progress in many areas; see where your heart’s at, find a natural, creative, beauty of self-expression, and you could find a grace and elegance in style that will serve you in the future. This is the dawning of a new day that lasts for many weeks to come, so enjoy the lightness and brightness, preparing your attitude for the new land you’ll enter soon. A greater Selfhood beckons: reorient as needed, and be awake and alert to expanding your heart, your Light, your Fire, and your inspiration.

What are you dedicated to? The old life has died, even if there are echoes of memories to be cleaned up, cleaned out, and blessed that come forth occasionally. The new day has in fact already dawned, and a new way of life has been revealed to each of us. The chaotic past is now rapidly moving down the timestream, so face forward, as there are new opportunities as well as old promises to be redeemed. Be the Light of your most genuine and enjoyable self, and say goodbye to the past that’s already gone.

See you soon with part 2, which will cover Sabian Symbols, Jones patterns, element distribution, and a whole lot more!

© Copyright 2017 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[claire daring]

yes indeed the past is past, and with all the adventures I have had over my many years of living , I am writing a book about my family and my adventures, thought it would be to painful but it is the opposite thankyou Robert for your fiery and endearing words

[Vassilis]

Hello Robert,
When you refer to the Moon nodes is that the true nodes or the mean nodes ? Their difference may vary a couple of degrees so the Sabian interpretation will vary.

Kind regards,
Vassilis

[Robert]

Hi Claire - Excellent! Writing is a great meditation, and helps us get perspective we may never had seen before!

Hi Vassilis - It's the True Node, since that's where it's at.

[Vassilis]

Hi Robert,
The ephemeris until the end of July 2017 has the true node in the region of the 26th degree Leo.Take a look and let me know .

http://www.astro.com/swisseph/ae/2000/ae_2017.pdf

[Carmen Viola]

Namaskar, you spoke directly into my being

[Nic]

Thanks for the broad scope of information so clearly explained. Very useful. Ready for part 2.

Blessings be to all.

[Robert]

Hi Carmen - Thanks, and namaskar to you as well.

Hi Nic - You're welcome. Part 2 probably tomorrow.

Hi Vassilis: From the astro.com link, True Node: 24°18 Leo, Mean Node: 25°29 Leo. The Mean Node in this chart is approximately the True Node at the last New Moon, so you can find out more about 26 Leo in that article.

[Vassilis]

Thank you Robert

[sue]

Thanks Robert...those wise words stir ...
The whole of Chinstrap Productions wanted the night to see Bob Dylan but the couldn't afford the camel...

[Layli Maparyan]

SO many gems in this post, Robert!! I will be referring to it time and again as this year unfolds. Thank you! Pranam!!