by Robert Wilkinson
This revolutionary, activating, electrifying, “leaving the past behind” Full Moon occurs at 9:45 am PDT, 12:45 pm EDT, 5:45 pm BST on October 24, and falls at the 2nd degree of Scorpio and Taurus. As the Full Moon brings the themes of the New Moon to surface, so continue to find the peace, harmony, and balance of Libra and give it form and focus through being flexible when nothing else is.
Continuing the theme that proceeds at each Full Moon as they move through each polarity, this one gives us the ability to bring to surface the “repair and reconstruction work” we’ve been doing these past two weeks. We all broke up and broke free of some “old complexes” in September, and this one continues to give us a look back at old relationships and values to see how they shaped the enduring parts of our lives.
Today’s Full Moon post will be an overview of the Lunation and some of its primary qualities. In parts 2 and 3 we’ll cover the Sabian Symbols, aspects, distributions, and patterns.
An Overview
Continuing the theme that proceeds at each Full Moon as they move through each polarity, this one gives us the ability to use the transformational process in an intensified and efficient way to express emergent individuality. As Mars and Venus are the rulers of this Lunation, this is a time of transformation and saying goodbye to old people and experiences as new ones open.
This Full Moon helps us get clear about what we no longer want to carry with us, including old memories and emotional responses to things and people long gone. This can help us get clear about our main focus, where last month’s realizations arising from “feeling knowing” about what we need and don’t need, and what brings us security, can now be a part of our spiritual practice. This is another period of a “turning of the corner of destiny,” as the Grand Irrationality is fully activated by the Moon connecting with Jupiter and Pluto in a powerful 7th harmonic extraordinary, intense, and far-reaching evolutionary pulse in time.
Because so much ended during the Mars retrograde and the aftermath of the 2018 Summer Solar Eclipses, we’ve said goodbye to many things and withdrew from our projections on the world, and the world’s projections on us, especially in the late Capricorn and early Aquarius sector of our charts, as well as the areas of our chart between 21 Cancer and 19 Leo. We now have a technique that can help us “read the tea leaves” and know our individual spiritual place in the larger group work we’re a part of. Many things ended, or we simply no longer like doing those things any more and are now moving in new directions.
To remind you, we’re still receiving signs and signals about our ancestral (genetic) Wisdom, and new long term views based in the integrity we’ve embraced and the understanding we’ve received since the Cancer Solar Eclipse in July. The entire last half of 2018 is a period of phenomenal growth through embracing Heart power and demonstrating it through our understanding. Add the New Moon themes of September and October as explosions directed by our “will to wholeness” which were followed by “joyous repair and reconstruction work,” and you can see a lot has been left behind, and we’ve been working on repairing what needed repair.
The Rhombus
As Uranus is still semisquare Neptune, anchoring the off-again, on-again friction Rhombus Diamond configuration, we’ll have to continue to deal with this “cutting, grinding, and polishing” quality each time the Moon moves through the middle of the mutable signs and the end of the cardinal and beginning of the fixed signs. We recently experienced the extreme grind in the middle of September, with Mercury in mid-Virgo opposing Neptune at the same time Venus was opposed Uranus, with double semisquares and sesquisquares created between those planets. This created a massive Octile frictional configuration, indicative of the widespread grinding going on this past 10 days.
We had a perfect complete Diamond several times last year when planets transited mid-Virgo and late Libra at the same time. However, the good news is that the transits of mid-Virgo and late Libra are now past, so the full power of the Rhombus won’t be back until next year. Still, every time any planet transits through the middle degrees of the Mutable signs and the late degrees of the Cardinal signs or first degrees of the Fixed signs the friction returns.
This long wave general agitation began in mid-May when Mars entered Aquarius and semisquared Neptune and squared Uranus, and continued through the next two Mars square Uranus aspects made in early August and mid-September. We’ve now been cut, ground, and polished to perfection in multiple areas of our lives!
The next period of this “gem cutting exercise” will be as planets transit through mid-Sag, squaring Neptune and sesquisquaring Uranus. That will make parts of December and January hotter than firecrackers, with Sun moving through mid-Sag just as Mars moves through mid-Pisces, then Mercury goes through mid-Sag, followed by a Venus conjunct Jupiter in late January at 17 Sag, a degree of social rebirth.
Is the Grand Irrationality A Factor in this Full Moon?
The Grand Irrationality is a phenomenon we’ve been living within since 1993. Since then, we’ve been put through an irrational period that continues to this day. To refresh you, the Grand Irrationality is a long wave configuration set into motion every time a planet makes a conjunction, septile, biseptile, or triseptile to Neptune and/or Pluto. Septile series aspects show us points in time when our future destiny is precipitated by critical choices made in the present.
At this point in the year, Neptune is no longer septile Pluto, and even when they are at their closest in Winter, they no longer make an exact septile, showing the return of a long wave sextile at some point. However, it seems these past 26 years were preparing us for the current radical irrationality indicated by Uranus biseptile Pluto!
At this Full Moon, The Moon takes over Mercury’s place at the last Full Moon, continuing that Mercurial influence of last month. Then, Mercury was triseptile Uranus and biseptile Pluto, while now, the Moon makes those exact aspects, continuing the activation of the configuration in a BIG way! This indicates ideas and information exchanged during late September and early October continue to be important in the larger destiny unfolding both at large and in our individual lives during late October and early November.
This particular larger period in time is even stranger than it was before this time last year, since it combines Uranus’ semisquare to Neptune with Uranus biseptile Pluto. So along with the Rhombus friction, we’re also in a new phase of The Grand Irrationality! It’s not the configuration as we’ve known it since the 90s, since the Neptune part of the equation is gone, but we’re now in a “never-ending revolution” since Uranus, the Cosmic Awakener, has hit its “fork in the road of destiny” with Pluto, the Lord of Transformation. I term this phase The Grand Irrationality V.2!
We’ve now pretty much moved out of the Neptune driven part of the configuration, as they are beginning another long wave period in that cycle, since Neptune and Pluto are beginning to form a long term sextile, as they were for most of the last half of the 20th century. At this time, the Neptune component of the Grand Irrationality gains strength as we move into Autumn and Winter, and will again lessen in strength in the late Winter into the Spring and Summer. (Right now they’re 55d 04m apart, on the way to their closest orb at 53d 18m in late January. They won’t be that close again for over a thousand years.)
As I’ve explained in other articles, that means that in the Autumn and Winter (in the Northern Hemisphere) they operate as a simultaneous “pulse,” since they’re both aspected near the same time. But in the Spring and Summer we experience it as a rolling influence, with first Pluto aspected, and then Neptune at some time after that, depending on which planet is doing the aspect to these planets.
Because this configuration involves Neptune and Pluto, the outermost spiritual planets, they show a long wave evolutionary crisis for the entire human race. Since 1993, at one point or another, everyone on Earth has experienced a nonstop energy of having to choose, at the bottom of our beings, the path to evolution or devolution, progress or regress, love or fear, joy or control. It’s why things have been so weird, irrational, and hard-edged.
More on Uranus Biseptile Pluto
As I offered back in May when Uranus first entered Taurus, “… they will soon make a biseptile, guaranteed to be a very unstable and irrational time!” That prophesy has certainly played out in the news with trumpets blaring, thanks to other transits triggering these 7th harmonic non-rational energies.
This began at the end of June 2018 with Uranus 101+ degrees from Pluto, lasting through October when the orb gets too large. We then enjoy a brief return to the trielftile between December 2018 and April 2019. The biseptile comes roaring back between May and July, and again October 2019 through December 2019.
This is the first biseptile in the larger Uranus/Pluto cycle that began at their conjunctions in the mid-1960s. The waxing septile occurred 1989-1991, so this is the next point in that larger “Pulse of Destiny.” The hot zones, measured from the current Uranus biseptile Pluto, are around 18-22 Capricorn, 9-13 Pisces, 30 Aries-4 Taurus, 22-26 Gemini, 13-17 Leo, 4-8 Libra, and 26-30 Scorpio. If you have anything near these zones, your life has had some abrupt transformational experiences this Summer, with more to come over the past week and next few weeks due to Jupiter activating both Uranus and Pluto!
As this aspect was in play during the Solstice, and will still be in play in the coming September Equinox chart, it’s no wonder that we’ve had radical events, and continue to have radical events, now and into the future! This is a major fork in the road for the entire world, and things may become extraordinarily irrational at times. The Moon officially kicks it into the stratosphere in this “Cosmic Visitation” Full Moon forcing us to be as flexible as possible given the incredible number of planets in Fixed signs.
As I told you at the Solstice, if things don’t make sense, they don’t have to. The only thing that matters is to know how to focus and not get distracted by the craziness in the atmosphere. Sometimes, when we keep our heads when all around us are losing theirs, we come out on the other side looking and feeling good!
Planetary Distribution
In this Full Moon, the span occupied by the inner planets (in this chart Sun at 2 Scorpio though Mercury at 22 Scorpio spans 20+ degrees. This span will be the focus of broad activity in our charts. When we add Jupiter the span increases to 25+ degrees. From there we see Saturn and Pluto making early and mid-Capricorn active, Mars making mid-Aquarius active, and the intense focus of the Moon exactly conjunct Uranus in the first 2 degrees of Taurus. Our planetary spread is now expanded to half the signs. We hit maximum compression last March, with all planets between Jupiter at 24 Scorpio and Uranus at 27 Aries, making a very powerful triseptile between the bookends.
At this time we have the 10 traditional planets occupying 5 signs, in an uneven widespread distribution. Currently, the outer planet occupied span begins with Jupiter in late Scorpio, then moves through Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, Neptune in Pisces, and Uranus in early Taurus, with the inner planets (except Mars) now occupying Scorpio, with the Moon joining Uranus to define the far rim of the Bowl at 2 Taurus.
With Saturn in Capricorn and Mars still in Aquarius, we again have ALL the planets disposited by Saturn! I’ll discuss the ruling dispositors in another article. We’re also back in a time when no planet leads the Sun, which will last until Venus makes its “Inferior conjunction” with the Sun on October 26, after which it will “lead the Light” until the next Mercury Inferior conjunction in late November.
We’ve now moved into a time period of shifting Jones pattern. The patterns change mainly due to the position of the Moon, and at this Full Moon, we’re in a perfect hemispheric “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 the Sun leading this Bowl pattern, it shows us the need to use “a spotlight to see into the depths,” “intensely penetrating illumination,” and “our Enlightened Spiritual Warrior” to open our planetary experience. Scorpio is relentless in its pursuit of a deeper connection with life and experience, and offers us ways to clean out the old to invite the new, as well as understanding of turning apparent defeats into spiritual victories.
Take an illuminated and/or enlightened view of the Divine Workings in your lives, be in awe of the greater transformational process that eternally makes all things new, and let go of lesser ways so you may move unhindered into your new lives. As the Sun is in Water, connectedness, emotional intelligence, and being fluid and flexible will open doors to experience.
Is the Sun Following the Moon, or the Moon Following the Sun?
There are two patterns; one is when the Full Moon Sun is the same sign as the previous New Moon Sun, and the other is when the Full Moon Sun is in the next sign from the Sun in the previous New Moon. We had the Sun in the same sign in both the New Moon and Full Moon between September 2013 and September 2014. We then changed pattern, and between October 2014 and May 2016 we had a “reversed pattern” of the Sun of the Full Moon occupying the sign after the New Moon Sun.
We then went back to the “natural” order between June 2016 and the late July 2017 New Moon in Leo, when the Full Moon Sun fell in the same sign as the Sun of the previous New Moon. This is the fifteenth Full Moon since then where we again are in a “reversed pattern” of the Sun of the Full Moon occupying the sign after the New Moon Sun. So we’re now in “the other” New Moon/Full Moon sign expression.
We finished the period of the “natural” order of Lunation Suns at the August 2017 Solar Eclipse in late Leo and began this other sequence, since that New Moon Sun was in Leo, but the subsequent Full Moon Sun was in Virgo. Since the New Moon offers us seeds in the first half of the month’s lunar cycle, and fulfillment in the second half, we now are in a sequence with the “Seed Light” of Libra coming to a Full Moon illumination through the current Sun in Scorpio and Moon in Taurus.
Because the New Moon preceding the Full Moon always represents the seed forms that are brought to surface at and after the Full Moon, this begins the fulfillment of the theme of the recent New Moon at 16 Libra. You can learn more about that New Moon in Libra by going to The October 2018 New Moon at 16 Libra Pt. 1 – What’s Happening in October- November 2018, and The October 2018 New Moon at 16 Libra Pt. 2 – Signs, Sabian Symbols, and What it All Means.
Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend
Because Saturn is 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. This chart maintains Saturn’s hold on its throne, because it is the final dispositor of ALL the other planets! It will continue to play a powerful part in world affairs through November 2018 because Mars is still transiting Aquarius during this time. That makes Saturn a major force to be reckoned with in 2018!
Add the fact that we’ve had numerous long term events featuring Saturn in Capricorn trine Uranus in Taurus, we’ve begun the next chapter in learning how to blend past and future together to craft our future destiny in conscious ways. Their 2017 Fire trines stabilized Electric Fire and distributive “Fire by Friction,” which led naturally to the Earth trine helping us ground our efforts in practical ways.
We are all learning to organize and simplify our Saturn-Uranus “dance of individualization” in our lives. If you haven’t already, I cover a lot of their dance guiding us to create our destiny in conscious individualized ways in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. Saturn helps us give form and structure to our quest for Self-realization, and in Capricorn, teaches us how to construct an “organized personal structure” to the Uranian energies making our spiritual life come alive.
It was written for both astrologers and non-astrologers. Even those with little or no understanding of astrology will benefit from understanding why you had to make certain choices at crucial times that shaped your life in profound ways.
Each time you read any section of this book you will find new insights about your power to steer your personal evolution. You will understand how to throw off all the attitudes and memories which have held you back from finding and living the life and purpose. Through your journey of self-discovery, you can find ways to live your life on your own terms, and fulfill your purpose for being alive as an Eternal having human experiences!
If you’ve haven’t already gotten your copy, you can go to the Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend page on Amazon and this should be all you need to order your copy. It’s also available on Amazon and as an ebook on Kindle, so if that’s more to your liking, go for it! I’ve been told people who live outside the US can get their copy much faster by going through Amazon. If you would, whether you’ve gotten the ebook or the paperback, please write a review on the Amazon site, since the more reviews, the more of a boost they give it.
On A Final Note
See you in the near future with parts two and three on this Full Moon precipitating major transformational changes in our lives, perfect for who we are and how we’ve prepared up to now by letting go of that which no longer attracts our subconscious mind. While this one will be fast paced and things will often make no sense, by being flexible we can maintain our inner peace despite the craziness of the times. This will help us “keep calm and carry on” while experiencing power surges and tremendous transformational forces all around us!
This Full Moon continues to show us what we can and cannot hold on to, and surrendering old sentimentalities to newer, more complex, intense, and fulfilling relationships will help move everything forward. Many things will be unmasked during the coming weeks, including things from the past we may not have known at the time. This is a time to understand that regardless of how complete a picture we believe we have, there’s another who set of facts and perspectives that will open the view to a larger perspective on why some things and people die, while others live.
There are very few frictional aspects, and a LOT of “destiny producing” aspects! So be at peace as you navigate the stops and starts of the Scorpio-Taurus oppositions, and be flexible as you assert the deep and subtle aspects of your personality. Don’t be afraid to be more assertive and stick to your principles. Have the courage of your convictions, while focusing on the greatest good for the greatest number, however large or small your field of effective focus.
The old forms have fallen away; old forms continue to fall away, even as we continue to reconstruct and/or repair what needs joyous care. We’ve seen the larger sweep of the creative process, seen what we no longer want to hold on to and what we do, and can now go deeper into why some things had to be eliminated in order to purify our vision and plan to express our Soul, whatever that means to each of us.
Surrender to achieve victory. See how you surrendered in the past to open the space for long term creative expression. See how 2018 is the culmination of an old process, and what’s been lost this year opens doors to new dimension of emotional experience and expression. Unmask, mobilize, keep your camouflage in unclear situations, and be at peace moving into unknown zones. This is a transformational Full Moon, so when the pace quickens, embrace it with joy and courage. The coming season changes lives, so keep laughter in your heart as you move into the future!
I’ll see you soon when we’ll discuss Sabian Symbols, aspects, and other important chart factors.
© Copyright 2018 Robert Wilkinson
Hi all. I was asked on another thread what I think "cosmic visitations" might look like. I responded:
Anything transformational could be a "cosmic visitation." That degree was also active in every Lunation since June, so we've already had more than one. In my case, during the time this degree has been active, I've been given a prestigious award I never anticipated in any way, been offered interviews in global astrological forums related to important inner and outer events, and on a personal note, was unexpectedly told I had to move before year's end, and in less than 72 hours I was given the opportunity of a lifetime related to that move.
I have been "the visitation" for many in past weeks, and been "visited" by events that left me in awe of the blessedness of walking in conscious grace whenever possible. I have seen the redemption of a promise giving great joy to an old woman after hope was gone. I have heard the shout of life ringing in my ears and heart, as well as the stubbornness of ego mind creating an unnecessary death by yet another form of suicide. I have seen "50 years of frozen yesterdays," while also finding great joy in being accepted to play one of the most important roles anyone could ever play for another person, and know across time and space that "something's lost and something's gained in living every day."
This comment could well be a "cosmic visitation" for anyone who reads it.
Posted by: Robert | October 22, 2018 at 12:58 PM
Thanks for this first post on the coming Full Moon and for the comment on Cosmic Visitations. Clear and revealing. I think we need to open and welcome the visitations for them to occur, as you have done. Congratulations also on the award received, the interviews opportunities and all the other experiences you shared with us thorough that post, regardless of how they might appear to be at a given moment, for nothing is lost in the human experience.
On another issue I have a question regarding this post. You wrote: "but we’re now in a “never-ending revolution” since Uranus, the Cosmic Awakener, has hit its “fork in the road of destiny” with Pluto, the Lord of Transformation. I term this phase The Grand Irrationality V.2! " I can understand why some things and events are and could also appear or be perceived as Irrational. Many examples to prove this. But, here is the question, the fact the The Cosmic Awakener is meeting at a fork on the road with the Lord of Transformation may also bring illumination, revelation, meaning (sense) and even a rational form of understanding, does it not?
Blessings be to all.
Posted by: Nic | October 22, 2018 at 05:21 PM
Yup, the Uranus opposition was in full evidence at work today. And dreams recently have been dredging up some really old stuff in dramatic contexts.
Congratulations on your award, and best wishes as you move into a new part of life!
Posted by: Denise | October 22, 2018 at 08:03 PM
Thank you Robert for your inspirational update!
Posted by: Ilse | October 23, 2018 at 04:07 AM
Congrats on your well earned good grace...Powerful words stir powerful energies.
Posted by: sue | October 23, 2018 at 06:30 AM