by Robert Wilkinson
This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this Virgo New Moon chart. This Lunation opens the door to the power of our personality, how to use our will power, and how to turn the creative power of Solar Fire that came forth in the 2 New Moons in Leo into plans that work for us. We have the inspiration of the Grand Fire Trines stabilized into our Hologram which now takes shape in Virgo. Some have received a mantle of power, while others had or saw an ego collapse.
As you understand by now, different months bring us 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 outer planets in about half the signs (excluding TransPluto, since Jones didn’t use it in defining his patterns). That means the pattern du jour is primarily influenced by the position of the inner planets, shifting the pattern every so often.
As I offered in part 1, now that all the inner planets are about to move through the span defined by Libra through Aries, for the next few months we’ll mainly have a Bowl Pattern, except when the Moon is in Gemini, Cancer, Leo, or Virgo. This is the last New Moon to feature a Locomotive Pattern until June 2018, though we will have a Locomotive at the early January Full Moon in Cancer, with the open trine between the Moon and Jupiter in Scorpio.
So What is a “Locomotive Pattern” and how does it work?
This type of spread, with all the planets occupying 2/3 of the signs with an empty third, creates an imbalance that leads to power if we can find the compensatory “weight” to make things move forward smoothly rather than rock side to side creating friction. Target what is needed, and provide compensatory energies accordingly.
As Marc Jones put it, “this type of horoscope reveals a balance of this sort in the life. A third part of things… consisting of a free span in experience, is set against a two-thirds part, embracing a related but limited span in experience…. The basis of the dynamic is found in the native’s resulting strong sense of a lack or a need, of a problem to be solved, a task to be achieved in the social and intellectual world around him.”
Dr. Jones states “The temperament reveals a self-driving individuality, an executive eccentricity that is not … unbalance but rather is power. It exhibits a dynamic and exceptionally practical capacity which is neither the broad universality of the Splash pattern, nor the special obsession with some particularly narrowed aspect of experience characteristic of the Bundle people.
He goes on to state “The Locomotive classification is … moved more by external factors in the environment than by aspects of its own character. The point of application for the powers of the self is shown … by the “leading planet,” or the one of the two in the empty trine which forms its aspect clockwise in the zodiac, irrespective of any distinction as “applying” or “separating.”
Venus in Virgo is the leading planet in the Locomotive. Find appropriate Virgo ways to initiate and embrace experience with an eye to seeing the parts in ways that show you the whole, figuring out who and what fits where. Step back from worry or criticism, be joyous as you go through your “liberating ordeal,” and prepare for entirely new ways of meeting and interacting with people.
Move with the irritating and/or annoying influences so you get clear about who is corrosive, or what attitudes are counterproductive. This can help us see what it will take to stick to the plan that will get us the most favorable concrete results for our efforts. Because the leading edge is in Earth, and the closing edge is Fire, approach experience with a willingness to adjust and serve the most efficient plan, since at the end of that experience you’ll see a bigger picture from “facing facts,” as well as a new identity more suited to your individuality.
As the Locomotive keeps things out of balance, Venus is now the front end to finding the way of initiating activity that must be accompanied by a compensatory “weight” to keep things moving forward rather than sideways. The more we get clear about practical necessities and do the work we need to do, the easier it will be to use Venus’ energies skillfully.
In this New Moon, the most intense occupied span (in this chart Mars, Mercury, and the Lunation) is 4 planets in 18+ degrees, making that the major focus. Adding Venus and Jupiter as the bookends, the expanded specific emphasis is the span between Venus at 1 Virgo and Jupiter at 26 Libra. This involves 6 planets in 55+ degrees, showing a lot of activity wherever it falls in our chart.
This month we have the 10 traditional planets occupying 6 signs, showing a wide but narrowing distribution with an intense cluster noted above. This month we have only Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius, Capricorn, 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 28 Virgo. It is said that the last third (decan) of any sign deals with the individual, mental, and spiritual levels of life, and being the third decan of Virgo it has a sub-influence of Taurus. While I've given you a sense of this degree up to now, this is where we go into depth.
The symbol for the 28th degree of Virgo is “A bald headed man.” In the original notes from the Marc Jones class on the symbols, Rudhyar ways this is a degree of “Driving power of real personality in moments of crisis,” “capacity for hard work,” and “compelling manifestation of inner self.”
In the Mandala he goes on to say this is a degree of “the sheer power of personality in times that call for decision.” He offers that at every level of life activities, there are times when obsolete patterns and structures must be challenged, and this is when “catabolic personages emerge to seize power and dictate decisions that alter the structures of society; or within an individual life, an intense urge for cathartic changes mobilizes the will, and traumatic decision are made.”
He says in this symbol “we face the unpostponable necessity for decision and transformation,” and everything is in motion. He states “no static formation … can remain long unchallenged,” and here we see “the power of the will” manifest. He states this degree falls in the Span of Experimentation, Act of Stabilization, and is the technical degree of the Scene of Education on the Individual-Mental level.
Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “a simple satisfaction in the inner rather than outer manifestations of reality,” where we are challenged to see personal attainment as a means to greater spiritual awareness. He states we are “not called on to make (ourselves) a scourge of (our) fellows any more than (we are) to be encouraged to neglect them, but there are illimitable areas in which the driving power of (our) personality can create or advance widespread opportunities for a richer and more enjoyable living.”
He offers us the keyword DOMINANCE. He states that when operating in a positive way, this degree is “accomplishment through a completeness of self-mastery and a rigid control of others.”
So the theme of this New Moon shows the Light for the next 4 weeks is illuminating the power of the personality to come forth in moments of crisis and decision and the power of the will in shaping outer events. We can now see the Light of self-mastery that helps us take charge of situations, and as this is the exact degree where Saturn went stationary direct in May 2010, we may hear or see echoes related to something set into motion then, or the hard realities we learned then.
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 chart has a mixed bag of aspects, with quite a few frictional “minor” aspects and only a few favorable ones. There is only one configuration, along with a lot of “standalone” aspects putting different pressures on various planets. The one configuration involves Mars opposed Neptune and trine Pluto, showing the need for clarity and efficiency in action, as well as strength, flexibility, sensitivity, and some type of nurture. This will benefit those with planets or angles in the middle degrees of Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces.
This Lunation features two oppositions, Jupiter in Libra to Uranus in Aries, and Mars opposed Neptune. These define the axes of the “Tension of Opposites” that need resolution through triangulated awareness.
Pluto provides the way to turn the tensional awareness of Virgo-Pisces to favorable Cancer expression, and Saturn provides the way to turn the tensional awareness of Libra-Aries to favorable Gemini expression. If you face a situation where you have either of these to opposing energies in play, use either Saturn in Sag or Pluto in Cap energy to resolve the opposition into productive understanding or stable productive movement.
The New Moon makes only two aspect: a quincunx to Uranus, and a tredecile to Pluto. The former shows it’s a time of major adjustments, with a need to find the core magnetism to keep something integrated, as well as the vision to see what’s coming in the future and prepare for it. In some strange way this will remind us of how we did this between June 2009 and January 2010.
The tredecile will bring “seeds of serendipity” to those affected, with circumstances perfect for your expression, and seed gifts for those who demonstrate the right personality focus. Areas most affected are around 2-6 Taurus-Scorpio, 8-12 Gemini-Sagittarius, 14-18 Cancer-Capricorn, 20-24 Leo-Aquarius, and 26-30 Virgo-Pisces. The seeds of highly specialized transformation are about to sprout in your lives!
Besides the aspects listed above, other forming inner planet aspects include Mercury sesquisquare Uranus and trine Pluto; Venus is conjunct Mars, opposed Neptune and sesquisquare Pluto; and Mars is semisquare Jupiter, sesquisquare Saturn, opposed Neptune, and trine Pluto.
Outer planet aspects are a bit thin, and pretty much what we’ve been experiencing for a while. Jupiter is opposed Uranus, sesquisquare Neptune, and binovile Pluto; Saturn trines Uranus, binoviles Neptune, and quindeciles Pluto; and Uranus is exactly semisquare to Neptune. I believe this semisquare is entirely behind the inner hard choices all of us are considering right now in how our individuality fits into the collective atmosphere, and why there is so much friction between the transpersonal Uranian forces and the transpersonal Neptunian forces at this time.
So we’re still dealing with the “tensional awareness” of the long term Jupiter opposition Uranus, liberating us into new visions, new truths, new adventures, new ideals, and new ways of being in relationships. This also has been and is expanding the hard edge of the imbalances and protests against perceived and actual injustice in our world, and our task is to find the balance, perspective, or healthy proportion to keep everything reasonable and harmonious as we make progress.
Here I’ll note that there are 4 exactly partile separating aspects, showing energies swirling at the center of the NOW! These are almost exact but separating at this Lunation: The Sun and Moon vigintile Mars, Mercury opposition Neptune, and Mars biseptile Saturn. The Mercury opposition Neptune and Mars biseptile Saturn are very powerful angles, and show critical forks in the road of destiny have been hit in recent days, as well as the ending of some illusions.
The novile (9th harmonic), septile (7th harmonic) and elftile (11th harmonic) series all feature spiritual aspects. All novile series aspects represent gestative energies that can lead to great spiritual realizations. Septile series aspects in this New Moon, they represent forks in the road of destiny, while 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 and biquintile (5th harmonic) and related 10th (decile and tredecile), 15th (quindecile), and 20th harmonic (vigintile) 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.
Element Balance
We just did a heavy shift from Fire to Earth! Of the traditional 10 planets, in this chart there are 2 planets in Fire signs, 1 in Water, 6 in Earth, and 1 in Air. This element spread heavily emphasizes practicality (Earth), with stable inspiration (Fire), and a balance between and feeling/experiencing (Water) and relatedness/communication element (Air), both deficient at this time.
Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, things will be fairly cool, with inspired practicality and practical inspiration running high. With the harmonious Fire trine still strong, shine the Love brightly, and joyously adapt, allowing Soul force to come up naturally and spontaneously.
Because Mercury leads the Sun from Virgo, the Light is being led by a calming and adaptable practicality. As Mercury is the final dispositor for all the other planets except Neptune, it is the effective ruler of all the energies at this time.
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. This Lunation offers as a process of moving through events, the most effective “firing sequence” for approaching life and experience involves leading with our feelings, then thinking, gathering information, and searching for a vision before we make decisions and act on that understanding.
As a process of moving through events, 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.
Summing Up
Now that we’ve experienced our heart expression, love, or creativity in stable ways this Summer, it’s time to get to work! We’re in process of closing out two important year cycles, and this helps us get our personality in gear to accomplish whatever we will. Get and stay clear about what needs to be done and when, and you should find you’ve accomplished a lot between now and the next New Moon in Libra.
Things may seem off balance somewhat, but if you can find the right “rhythm of response,” then you can glide between different activities without getting hung up by any one thing. Remember the Locomotive needs a counterweight to keep on track, so find the right balance between using will and love, mind and heart. Keep expunging your inhibitions while showing courage by the example you’re setting, face facts, and follow the upheaval into a new identity.
There is a lot of work to be done, so do it joyously, but try not to let your mind get ahead of the process. Be clear about the single thing that needs to be done to move everything forward by single steps. Concentration will yield huge benefits.
This makes the heart Fire of the “2017 Summer of Grand Fire Trine Love” manifest in practical forms, so be outgoing, make connections, interact with those who share your Spiritual Light, and stop worrying or criticizing yourself for not “doing it perfectly enough.” You’re almost finished being educated for this year, and about to enter into new archetypal activities, relationships, and a more concentrated potency. And of course, since elements of the Soul realm have already begun to erupt in our lives, be loving, be beautiful, and BE the power of your radiant heart, supported by the blending of the established with the innovative, and your destiny with your emergent individuality!
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. We have just finished a season of stabilizing Electric Fire with Distributive Fire by Friction, and learned to express it in loving, creative forms of Solar Fire 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 my 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 infused with concentrated doses of spiritual energy that is making our spiritual life come alive.
Our inner Saturn gives us the power to take command of our lives and destiny. Saturn shows us those things we must master to 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.
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
As usual great two post on this New Moon.
Thanks Robert.
Blessings be to all.
Posted by: Nic | September 20, 2017 at 07:16 AM