by Robert Wilkinson
This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this Pisces New Moon chart. This Lunation will lead us to quiet time so we may receive new inspirations by tuning into collective consciousness as a prelude to a form of social rebirth later this month. This one is very productive, and gives us a “last look back” as we stand on the entrance to a new life just a few weeks from now.
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 late Sagittarius, and proceeds through outer planets in Capricorn, Pisces, and Taurus. This is a fairly narrow distribution, with all the outer planets in about a third of the signs (excluding TransPluto, since Jones didn’t use it in defining his patterns). That means the Jones pattern in the sky is primarily influenced by the position of the inner planets, shifting the pattern every so often.
At this point, Mars is in Taurus, and expanding the width of the occupied span. Jupiter rules the Lunation, expanding our preparation as “immigrants seeking entry to a new land.” The inner planets now occupy early Aquarius through mid-Pisces, creating a wide “Bundle” Jones pattern, opened by Jupiter in Sagittarius and closed by Mars in Taurus.
This month puts the focus on the sign Pisces. Since all the planets are spread out in 5 signs within a 141 degree span, as I noted, it’s a wide “Bundle” Jones pattern. This shows how the energies are to be approached, and how the sequence of any activity unfolds from beginning to end.
The Bundle Pattern and how it works
This type of spread, with all the planets occupying approximately one third of the signs with two thirds unoccupied, creates “the least common of the seven basic differentiations,” and creates a “bunching of interests or the intensive self-gathering which is least responsive to any universal stimulus” and as Dr. Jones noted in a section on another pattern, a “special obsession with some particularly narrowed aspect of experience” which characterizes the Bundle people.
He continues that “the meaning of the concentration of the ten planets in one single thirds of the zodiac is that the course of the native’s life is held to certain narrow bounds of opportunism,” and they are “almost completely inhibited, in contrast with the outstanding lack of inhibition in the Splash pattern. He then goes on to say that “Characteristic of the Bundle type is an outstanding capacity for making much of little, or for building small beginnings into great and often unanticipated final results.” He also notes this type can mold their world “by some highly centralized force of self-concentration.” This type is not universal in the slightest, but rather “brings universe to center.”
With Jupiter leading the concentration of planets, it shows we need to be open with a spirit of adventure, honesty, and truth-seeking to open our planetary experience. Lead all interactions with a sense of the bigger picture and the greater adventure in consciousness to enjoy. Dance with life’s openings, and be honest with yourself as you embrace the ride you’re already on!
The Outer Planets Anchor the Pattern of Half the Sky
At this time, Jupiter is moving closer to the occupied span involving Saturn, Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus. As it will still lead the outer planet occupied span through December 2020, Jupiter continues to play a major part in how we enter or focus other planetary energies. It's why sometimes these past few years have seemed like a wild ride, an adventure, a quest, and more!
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 in 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. Even though this month’s Jones pattern is a wide “Bundle” which will pass as Mars moves into Gemini, due to the increasing compression, by early 2020 we will begin to see more “Bundle” patterns than we’ve seen in many years, since the planets will all be within a 120 degree span.
Saturn continues to be the second planetary “pulse” of the occupied outer planet span between Sagittarius and Taurus, and trades primary rulership of the other planets with Jupiter depending on where the other planets are. When the inner planets transit Sagittarius and Pisces, Jupiter comes to the front; when the inner planets transit Capricorn and Aquarius, Saturn takes center stage.
In this chart, Jupiter rules Mercury, the Lunation, itself, and in worldly affairs, Neptune. That indicates in all areas ruled by these planets (worldly ruler of 6 signs, thus influencing half of our reality!), if we want any of them to operate differently, we must use Jupiter. Want to “move Mercury?” Use Jupiter. Going through an uncertain time with multiple options? Just good Jupiter skills and qualities you’ve developed, and you’ll do fine.
With Jupiter and Saturn trading rulerships over the other planets at this time, you may want to check out the section on the dance between Jupiter and Saturn in Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend, since as we learn the place and function of these two social-cultural heavyweights, we perfect our personality and take command of our lives. While Jupiter rules the planets in Pisces, Saturn continues to rule Venus, and therefore Mars and Uranus as well. Jupiter and Saturn will continue to trade off rulerships until Venus goes into Taurus in mid-May followed quickly by Mercury entering Gemini a week later. Then we’ll be back in a time of FIVE final dispositors!
In this New Moon, the most intense occupied span (in this chart the Lunation plus Mercury and Neptune) is 4 planets in 13+ degrees, making that the major focus. If we add Venus in Aquarius and Saturn and Pluto in late Capricorn, we expand we expand the range to 7 planets in 71+ degrees, keeping an intense focus in that area of the zodiac.
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 16 Pisces, and it is said that the second third (decan) of any sign deals with the emotional, social, and cultural levels of life, and being the second decan of Pisces it has a sub-influence of Cancer. While I've given you a sense of this degree up to now, this is where we go into depth.
The symbol for the 16th degree of Pisces is "The flow of inspiration.” In the original Jones class notes from The Astrology of Personality, Rudhyar says this is a degree of "subjective source of strength around all manifestation,” “communion with accumulated race power,” and “deep, vibrant inspiration.”
In the Astrological Mandala, he goes on to say that this degree of "reliance upon one’s inner source of inspiration or guidance,” where we are beginning to deal with something that enables us to perpetuate the enduring elements of whatever cycle is ending. He states “the inspiration, original and individual though it may be, is given a form which is conditioned by the cultural, social and religious background of the creative person,” who “merely records an answer to the needs of (their) time.”
He offers that we may be the creators, but the urge behind that creativity or inspiration “has arisen in the vast collective mind of Humanity.” He continues that this shows us the “need for concentration and at least inner quiet,” where we may “have faith in (our) own subjective strength.” He says this degree falls in the Span of Protection, Act of Capitalization, and Scene of Perpetuation on the Actional-Physical level.
Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of "the spiritual power which the development of civilization has brought to a point of practical potentiality,” which we draw on as we meet critical issues in our lives. He offers we have “illimitable resources in the world of reality,” and “maturity at root is a conscious and disciplined sensitiveness to these.”
He states we are ourselves as we put our “talents and skills to a real test, welcoming each new challenge to their competency.” He offers the keyword INGENUITY, and states that when operating positively, the degree is "exceptional capacity for meeting the unusual developments on every level of human experience.
From these symbols it seems we enter a month of the Light illuminating how we can find a newer, deeper, “vibrant inspiration,” seeing our gifts and challenges as opportunities to have faith in ourselves as we meet “critical issues.” We can find new inner and outer resources, and develop new or refined talents and skills.
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. Partile separating aspects show what’s been going on in the Now. This section covers only forming and partile separating aspects.
While there is just enough friction to keep us alert, this Lunation will be very favorable in many ways! There are many productive and harmonizing aspects, and while the Grand Irrationality V.2 is not in play right now, the next four weeks will help us say goodbye to many things, blessings and forgiving much, while seeing the manifestations of Grace in our lives. This period allows us new inspirations as we stand on the threshold of an entirely new set of life experiences beginning in just a few weeks!
Forming (and closely partile separating) frictional aspects include the Lunation square Jupiter and semisquare Uranus, Mercury semisquare Mars and square Jupiter, Venus square Mars and semisquare Jupiter, and Uranus semisquare Neptune. As you can see, the friction is around early and mid-Fixed signs and mid- and late Mutable signs. As the friction does include the Lunation, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, there will be many internal crises to deal with if you have planets in one of these zones. Still, even friction from Jupiter can lead to a fortuitous blessing, so get the right attitude and get ready for some great gifts after the transition!
Favorable aspects include the Lunation conjunct Mercury, novile Venus, sextile Saturn, quintile Uranus, conjunct Neptune and sextile Pluto; Mercury quintile Saturn, semisextile Uranus, conjunct Neptune, and sextile Pluto; Venus is vigintile Saturn and novile Neptune; Mars is biquintile Jupiter, trine Saturn, sextile Neptune and trine Pluto; Jupiter is quindecile Saturn and semisextile Pluto; and Uranus is trielftile Pluto.
Mercury septile Venus for the second New Moon in a row puts us at another fork in the road, this time with lessons related to dreaming our future, and being a “solitary officiator” over our “Mystery ritual” as the pressure increases to find greater ways to contribute to our greater goals or a greater social good. It shows a major fork in the road of our lives in the areas we have early Aquarius and late Pisces, affecting houses and planets we have in Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, and Libra. It will most powerfully affect degree zones around 5-9 Aquarius, 27 Pisces-1 Aries, 18-22 Taurus, 10-14 Cancer, 1-5 Virgo, 22-26 Libra, and 14-18 Sagittarius. If you have any planet or important point in these zones, expect turning points and shifts in direction.
Special Configurations in Evolutionary Astrology
As we are now done with oppositions from the inner planets to the outer planets for many months except at the Full Moons. At this time, due to how the planets are clustered, we only go through the ordeal of “the Tension of Opposites” when the inner planets are moving through Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, and Scorpio. As you can see, we won’t have another significant non-Lunar opposition until Mars opposes Jupiter. However, any planets we have in Leo, Virgo, and Scorpio are experiencing oppositions from the transits.
We still have the “bottom tone” of Uranus semisquare Neptune, anchoring the octile-driven “Rhombus Diamond” configuration with intense “cutting, grinding, and polishing” energies wherever we have the very early degrees of Taurus and Scorpio, as well as the middle degrees of Pisces and Virgo.
As you know if you’ve been reading this column for any length of time, the waxing Uranus semisquare Neptune marks a crucial point of shift in the opening of their very long wave cycle, and is a major significator of our unsettled times. This very frictional energy has been with us a while and will continue to be with us a LONG time! That aspect anchors a frictional configuration that is kicked into play whenever planets pass through early Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, and mid-Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. It is especially powerful when a planet transits mid-Virgo and early Scorpio.
As the planets make various octile aspects to these Uranus and Neptune, those phase shifts generate a LOT of tension in the atmosphere, creating a grind for us where they fall in our chart. This semisquare is indicative or the hard edge all of us are going through as we try to find 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, when it’s active 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.
Explaining Harmonics
We now take a look at the specializing and spiritual aspects. Of the specializing aspects, we have 1 vigintile, 1 quindecile, 1 quintile, and 1 biquintile. Of the spiritual aspects, we have 1 septile and 1 biseptile, 3 noviles and 1 trielftile.
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 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 – The Quintile and Biquintile, and Astrology Class on the Specializing Aspects Part 2 – The Decile, Tredecile, 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 and Who’s Leading the Sun
This month we have the 10 traditional planets occupying 5 signs, showing an extreme “balanced imbalance” with a lot of Earth and Water, and almost no Air and Fire. We have 4 in Earth (practical grounding), 1 in Fire (inspiration and warmth), 1 in Air (relatedness and communicating), and 4 in Water (feelings and experiencing). This makes for a lot of feelings and practical emphasis, with little inspiration or relational-interactive energy. This month we have Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Taurus represented, with no planet in the other signs.
Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, things are fairly balanced, though with the excess of Water and Earth, remember this combination makes either mud or bricks, depending on how you work with the material. So while some will find a sensitivity as they organize things so they further an “enlightened self-interest,” others will find themselves “stuck in the mud” of defensive calculations.
Since Venus conjuncted Pluto, it again is the planet currently leading the Sun. That makes Venus the gatekeeper of the planetary energy we need to approach the Greater Light.
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 New Moon continues last month’s pattern.
As a process of moving through events, the most effective “firing sequence” for approaching life and experience over the next 4 weeks involves leading with our feelings, then deciding, then thinking. This pattern leads with feelings, and then makes decisions and acts based in those feelings. While it is tempting to move back into more feeling after the actions, after we make our decisions and/or act, it will be important to get new information to come to a new vision or understanding. Once we get the right view or understanding, then a new feeling-experience will naturally arise that points the way to the next action.
When you are moved by a feeling or experience, it will naturally lead to decisions on the basis of those feeling experiences, which should be followed by a search for new information, new ideas, new interpretations, and new views. We’ll be “feeling our way” into new experiences, then deciding and acting on the basis of those feelings. After a decision or action, then we’ll have to find newer, more up to date information, facts, and understanding so we can get a new vision.
So learn and teach through anecdotes, seeing how others handled things practically, or how you handed things practically in the past. Let your thinking and communicating and envisioning follow your actions, and let your feelings follow a new understanding, a new perception, or a new view.
Go with the flow while opening to deep and vast feeling experiences, since these will lead you to know what decisions and actions to take. When you’ve done what you needed to do, then allow yourself to see a new vision, or a new understanding. When you come to that clear vision or understanding, then the next feeling will naturally arise, showing you the next action to take.
The Sagittarian Promise
2017’s Fire trine between Saturn in Sagittarius and Uranus in Aries stabilized unique forms of heart expression, love, or creativity, and launched the final phase of our “escape from a narrow destiny” begun in the Summer of 2016. We’ve been quickened since Spring 2017, and in 2018 Jupiter taught us to eliminate all that prevents our Spiritual Self from coming forth with ease. Saturn in Capricorn continues to show us “promises to keep, and miles to go before (we) sleep,” to quote the legendary Frost.
Jupiter is now solidly in Sagittarius, and begun to transit past Sagittarius eclipse, Lunation, and planetary station points. Whatever was “bound up” or “cocooned” when Jupiter was in Scorpio has or will blast off into infinite space as Jupiter moves through Sagittarius!
The North Node was in Sagittarius between March 2011 and August 2012. Whatever was removed by the Eclipses of that period created space that will be filled with new Jupiterian material this next year. Longtime readers will note that June 2011 Solar Eclipse was VERY powerful, and helped us break loose from “ghosts of the past” over the 3.6 years it was in active operation. We also had a Solar Eclipse in early Sag in Nov 2011 and early Gemini in May 2012. All of those voids will open to a new Sagittarian promise.
Summing Up
We are now into the next phase of our contact with the larger collective field in which we live, breathe, and have our being. Take time to get away from routines, and drink in inspiration so you can get a new sense of how you can be of greater service to the world. This prepares us for a major social renewal in April, and the next few weeks should find much going slow, steady, and solidly grounded in practical considerations. This is a great time to promote efficiency and sound practices as we dream the future we want to see made manifest.
In 2018, our “defeats” spelled true spiritual victory. What we pulled back from created voids that will be filled this year and next. The Summer and Autumn gave us opportunities to reunite with people, memories, skills, and parts of our past, all parts of “the power of our spiritual ancestry” we’ve been learning about the entire year.
So we enter 4 weeks of accelerated growth, the seeds of rewards for our courage, and the need to keep it slow, steady, and pleasant as we become more sure of ourselves navigating the endings and beginning of the next 4 weeks. Group activity will be an important theme in 2019. We’ve been reorienting, getting ready for some “planned group behavior.” Have courage as you officiate over your “Mystery ritual” which may create conflict from increasing the pressure.
Forgive much, bless much, and generate as much compassion and positivity as you can. See how Divine Grace has manifest in your past and present life, and by opening to a greater forgiveness of self and others, you will see powerful demonstrations of Grace pointing the way to your future. Take a look back, be precise in crafting the thought forms which will become real in your future, and be willing to get a larger picture of the movie of your life. You’ve found your places in the Cosmic Choir. Just remember the choir rules you’ve been taught these past 21 months, and sing your part within the One We Are All Together.
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 major influence in the Jan-Feb and July-August 2018 eclipses, as well as the more recent January 2019 eclipses, continuing its years-long power behind events.
Saturn continues to hold court in its home sign of Capricorn, and will continue to play a big part due to its biseptile with Uranus, indicating we’re all at a major fork in the road of destiny wherever we have mid-Capricorn and early Taurus. We now have seen what parts we should play in the larger Light/Life field, and are getting ready for more effective functioning in our world.
In order to use your inner Saturn power to shape your destiny by being aware of what to do and why, if you haven’t already, please consider getting a copy of 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.
It was written for both astrologers and non-astrologers, and will help you understand why some things happened when they did. 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 which have held you back from finding and living your life and purpose, and fulfill your destiny as an Eternal having human experiences!
Please order your copy today! You can go to the Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend page on Amazon and this should be all you need to order your copy. The ebook is available through Kindle and Nook. And if you would, please write a review on the Amazon site, since the more reviews, the bigger the boost on their site.
© Copyright 2019 Robert Wilkinson
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