by Robert Wilkinson
This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this Taurus New Moon chart. This Lunation will help us find strength and power in our collective connections as we learn to enjoy ourselves. This gets us beyond appearances, and many will find their symbolic “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.” With the Lunation trine Mars, it’s time to act!
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 Scorpio, and proceeds through outer planets in 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.
At this time the inner planets have moved through the span between Scorpio and Aries, and are now in Taurus and Gemini. This indicates we have emerged from the Bowl, and are temporarily in a Bucket Jones pattern which will give way to a Locomotive patterns once Venus makes it to Cancer and trines Jupiter.
Long term, as Jupiter closes in on its conjunction with Saturn during the next few years, there will be times when most of the planets will be compressed into very narrow spans centered around Sagittarius and Capricorn. Though the outer planets have been expanding out to a wide spread these past 20 years since the last Saturn conjunct Uranus, the outers are now compressing, with Jupiter and Saturn headed to a karmic rendezvous with Pluto and Neptune over the coming years. Due to the compression, by early 2020 we will see the first “Bundle” in many years, since the planets will all be within a 120 degree span.
Since all the planets are in half the signs except one, and the one is enough degrees away from the other planets, we’ve now moved from a Bowl pattern to a Bucket Jones pattern. This will dominate the next 4 weeks.
The Bucket Pattern and how it works
This Lunation 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 Scorpio, 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 18 Scorpio.
As an aside, Jupiter has at some point been the nozzle for a Bucket pattern for the past 5 years. It was the handle when in Cancer, Leo, Virgo, and Libra, giving us 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.
Of importance is that Saturn leads the occupied span in the Bucket. This indicates that we’re all approaching our daily existence through the filter and lessons of Saturn. While things can be heavy with this placement, as I offer in my book on Saturn, it’s also the gateway to perfecting your personality and taking command of your life.
While it leads the occupied span and is about to return to its trine with Uranus, this time in Earth signs, look at your "response-ability," to see what you can do, or need to do, or need to learn to do, to anchor the new life that is opening. Now that it’s begun to make another trine, it’s a very favorable time to understanding how to innovate what is established, and how to stabilize the new.
In this New Moon, the most intense occupied span (in this chart the Lunation plus Mercury and Uranus) is 4 planets in 24+ degrees, making that the major focus. Adding Venus, the expanded specific emphasis is the span between Uranus at 30 Aries and Venus at 26 Gemini, involving 5 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 widespread distribution with most of the planets in Earth signs. This month we have Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini 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 25 Taurus. 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 Taurus 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 25th degree of Taurus is "A large well-kept public park.” In the original Jones class notes, Rudhyar says this is a degree of “social strength of collectivities,” “power of traditional culture,” “faithfulness to established achievements, “ and “immutability.”
In the Astrological Mandala, he goes on to say that this degree symbolizes “the cultivation of natural energies for collective use and recreation.” He states this symbol represents “the positive and impressive results of (our) collective endeavor to live in peace and to enjoy moments of relaxation,” with the park “designed and kept for the enjoyment of all…”
He says this is a phase of “collective enjoyment,” where we find “an emotional enhancement” through cultural things that give a feeling of “belonging to a large, organized peaceful whole.” He says this degree falls in the Span of Enjoyment, Act of Differentiation, and Scene of Confirmation on the Emotional-Cultural level.
Dr. Jones says this is a degree of “the everyday integrity of society at large,” and of “the divisions of labor through which each person gains the resources for well-being and self-enjoyment” which he says we cannot create through our “isolated efforts.” He offers this is about the “common experience” of being human as impacting our sense of worth and achievement for our “consequent self-discovery and self-realization.”
He offers us the keyword RECREATION. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is “a high devotion to the practical welfare of all people collectively.”
So the theme of this New Moon shows the Light for the next 4 weeks is illuminating our ability to enjoy life in mature and structured ways. This should provide a lot of stability, and the symbol implies there will be benefits from finding strength through enduring cultural symbols and areas and activities of collective enjoyment. Those who go to a “well-kept public park” will find enjoyment in ways they could not create for themselves alone, so allow yourself some recreation, as well as some form of practical welfare on behalf of others.
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. We have many more favorable than unfavorable forming or partile separating aspects, with several powerful specializing and stabilizing aspects featured prominently!
Frictional aspects include the Lunation sesquisquare Saturn, Mercury semisquare Neptune, Mars square Uranus and semisquare Neptune, and Uranus semisquare Neptune. This gives us three points of a larger Octile configuration, with hot zones around the end of the Cardinal signs and the middle of the Mutable signs. If you have anything near those zones, expect that planetary function in your to experience a “cutting, grinding, and polishing” friction which is leading you to awareness and the ability to act productively even in difficult conditions.
Those are literally all the frictional aspects. The waxing Uranus semisquare Neptune marks a crucial point of shift in the opening of their very long wave cycle. Uranus semisquare Neptune is an indicator of our unsettled times, and specifically impacts those with planets near the late degrees of the Cardinal signs and any of the middle degrees of the Mutable signs.
This very frictional energy has been with us a while and will continue to be with us a LONG time! That aspect anchors a very frictional configuration that is kicked into play whenever planets pass through late Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, as well as mid-Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. It is especially powerful when a planet transits mid-Virgo and late Libra.
As the planets make various octile aspects to these Uranus and Neptune, those phase shifts generate a LOT of tension and friction in the atmosphere, creating a grind for us wherever we have mid-Mutable and late Cardinal sectors. 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.
Last Autumn, this “Rhombus Diamond” octile was created during the transits of the mid-Virgo and late Libra zones. Again, this is a “cutting, grinding, and polishing” type of frictional energy that can lead to awareness via the opposition(s) and the ability to act productively even in impossible conditions.
As I told you in the September 2017 Rhombus Diamond articles, we can expect solar flares and plasma eruptions, warping in the electromagnetic field, breakaway impulses, sideways explosions, and all equivalent human behavior symbolized by these octile aspects testing our clarity. It has presented all of us with certain questions. What is your role as you would define it? Reject timidity and uncertainty, and find your place in the larger scheme of things.
Now to the favorable aspects. There are so many favorable and spiritual aspects going on that it’s a great time to make the most of what’s coming forth!
Inner planet favorable forming (and partile separating) aspects include the Lunation semisextile Venus, trine Mars, quindecile Uranus, and quintile Neptune; Mercury is septile Venus, trine Saturn, and biseptile Pluto; and Venus is biquintile Mars, biquintile Jupiter, sextile Uranus, trielftile Neptune, and triseptile Pluto.
Outer planet favorable aspects include Mars quintile Jupiter; Jupiter septile Saturn, pentelftile Uranus, and trine Neptune and conjunct Pluto; and Uranus is again trielftile Pluto. Again, partile separating aspects are still powerful, since they indicate the period immediately past which led to the NOW.
I spoke of the powerful Mercury septile Venus and biseptile Pluto with Venus triseptile Pluto in part one, since this triggers the Grand Irrationality in a huge way. As this multi-level “forks in the road of destiny” involves the worldly rulers of Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, Libra, and the Spiritual ruler of Aries and Scorpio, with these occupying Taurus, Gemini, and Capricorn, you can see that this will put choices and changes on our plates in these areas of our chart.
Jupiter septile Saturn is another huge event, since it is part of the larger “seeds of future destiny” being formed by Jupiter at its closing phase with Saturn. Those most affected by this septile have planets and points near 15-19 Scorpio, 6-10 Capricorn, 27 Aquarius-1 Pisces, 19-23 Aries, 10-14 Gemini, 1-5 Leo, and 23-27 Virgo. If you have something near these points, you are definitely at a fork in the road of your larger social-cultural destiny!
The other powerful configuration is barely separating, but still very powerful. With Venus biquintile both Mars and Jupiter, themselves in Quintile, we have a 5 pointed Star pattern active showing high specialization and unique gifts and interactions to those impacted. Zones most affected include 16-20 Scorpio, 28 Capricorn- 2 Aquarius, 10-14 Aries, 22-26 Gemini, and 4-8 Virgo.
Taken together, the harmonious aspects seriously outweigh the frictional. We also have a very high number of specializing and spiritual harmonic aspects. Of the specializing aspects, we have 2 quindeciles, 3 quintile, and 2 biquintiles. Of the spiritual aspects, we have 2 septiles, 1 biseptile, 1 triseptile, 2 trielftiles, and 1 pentelftile.
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
This month we move back into a very skewed element balance, with two signs overrepresented. Of the traditional 10 planets, in this chart there is 1 planet in Fire signs, 2 in Water, 6 in Earth, and 1 in Air. This continues the huge emphasis in Earth, with more in that element than the others combined. This indicates a very heavy emphasis on practical grounding (Earth), with strong stabilized feeling/experiencing (Water), and almost no inspiration and warmth (Fire) or relatedness/communication element (Air).
Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, things will run very cool, with the Earth power of Mercury trine Saturn in Capricorn and the Lunation in Taurus trine Mars to keep it all grounded.
Because Mercury in Taurus leads the Lunation, the Light is being led by the mind getting racing forward to catch the Sun in this next era in between retrogrades. This ushers in Illumination through our ability to see “the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” showing our search for heavenly rewards will be made into real assets if we have patience, tune in, and get over our preconceptions while expressing our vision.
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. As a process of moving through events, this New Moon continues last month’s pattern, which also dominated late February and March.
Over the next 4 weeks the most effective “firing sequence” for approaching life and experience involves leading with our vision, understanding, and thinking, and follow what’s being communicated and understood into decisions and actions. Then after the decision or action, sit with the feelings and experience them, bringing them to the surface of your consciousness and get clear about what you’re feeling and why.
This time you feel and experience will lead you back to new information, new vision, new ideals, and new understanding, which will naturally lead you to see your next set of decisions and actions. Then again go deep, and name what you’re feeling. That way nothing will get bottled up through underuse, and you can move through experiences with power and clarity. Allow your feelings to follow your actions, and allow your mind to follow your experience, and all will be in proper sequence.
Summing Up
2017’s Fire trine between Saturn in Sagittarius and Uranus in Aries stabilized unique forms of heart expression, love, or creativity. This helped launch the final phase of our “escape from a narrow destiny” begun in the Summer of 2016. While the Fire trine is done, now we enter a new era of Saturn trine Uranus, this time from Saturn in Earthy Cap to Uranus in Earthy Taurus.
Much has been quickened since last Spring, and we have been eliminating all that would prevent our spiritual Self from demonstrating itself with ease. This is the fifth New Moon of the Saturn in Capricorn era, showing us “promises to keep, and miles to go before (we) sleep,” to quote the legendary Frost. We trained in 2017, and each will reap a promised blessing in 2018.
This is the eighth New Moon with Jupiter in Scorpio, and you can bet that as Jupiter transits the various Scorpio eclipses, Lunations, and planetary stations over the next 6 months, many things promised by those events will become blessings, opportunities, and liberating factors in life. With Jupiter in Scorpio as the handle or nozzle of the Bucket, it’s clear our approach to life will have to become laser focused and as efficient as we can be as we live a grand adventure in going deeper and experiencing a greater intensity in our lives!
Because of the Bucket, keep your expectations real if you want to “break on through to the other side,” finding ways to embrace the adventure into a deeper Soul connection, faith in action, and courage as a magnetic force in your life. This Lunation revisits how we’ve been transfigured or are being transfigured, taking the powerful magnetic “pulse” into a larger vision which allows us a deeper connection with Nature.
This New Moon allows us to enjoy ourselves, our lives, and our environment, both physical and psychic. We will see the essence of things behind the forms, and yes, many will truly find a metaphoric “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” as well as get clear about their effective field of activity. Some will come into “executive power” in the next 4 weeks. Just remember to keep attuning, surrender when needed, conform when needed, and focus your heart’s intensity.
We are still in the process of a long term major transformation period, so use your imagination to find a new way to turn old defeats into current and future triumphs. This Lunation continues our review of our depth-journey into the magnetism of our Mystery, our “hero’s journey” and Quest for Self-Realization thanks to Jupiter.
Jupiter continues to help us eliminate past patterns to clear the space for future patterns to emerge, and with Mars, Saturn, and Pluto in Capricorn, it’s time to be disciplined as we learn to express our Spiritual Maturity. This will stimulate the core wherever this occurs in our charts, so take a look at the divine “Economy of Energy” opportunities to express your skill.
Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend
Because Saturn is now in its home sign of Capricorn for the first time since 1991, it is the final dispositor of all planets transiting Capricorn and Aquarius from now through 2023. It was a ruler of the last two eclipses, making it an important factor for the next few years, and it will continue to play a different and powerful part in world affairs between March and November because Mars will be transiting those signs during that time. That makes Saturn a major force to be reckoned with in 2018!
Add the fact that it’s doing a very interesting dance with Uranus all of 2018, and now that they’re again forming a trine between May and October involving Capricorn and Taurus, it’s the next chapter in us learning how to blend past and future together and craft your future destiny. After the 2017 Fire trines between these planets stabilizing Electric Fire and distributive “Fire by Friction,” this will provide practical grounding to our efforts.
In 2017, we stabilized Electric Fire, harmonized 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, as well as every month when the Moon was in Leo. 2017 was the next step in understanding the movement of Fire in our lives, which will yield to Earth understanding in a few months!
This will help us organize and simplify our Saturn-Uranus “dance of individualization” in our charts. You can learn more about cooperating with Saturn and Uranus to create your future destiny by taking a look at the material in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. Saturn helps us give form and structure to our quest for Self-realization, and in Capricorn, will help bring an “organized personal 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 how 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 2018 Robert Wilkinson
Thanks for a great overview and guidelines.
Blessings be to all.
Posted by: Nic | May 15, 2018 at 05:13 PM
Ty Robert.
This article is extraordinarily clarifying to my current personal condition.
Posted by: Sherry | May 16, 2018 at 05:56 AM