by Robert Wilkinson
This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this Leo Lunation chart. This New Moon falls in between the inner planet oppositions to the outer planets, so consider this a pause that refreshes! Play, be creative, use the Leo to Sag trine productively, and have fun!
This month puts the focus on the sign Leo. Because the Sun rules every planet not in their home sign, Leo holds center stage and dominates the energies. This is the fourth Lunation outside the outer planet occupied zone, and all the planets are now converging in Leo preparing for multiple conjunctions late Leo and early Virgo just a few weeks from now.
A few months back we had all the planets bundled in about one third of the sky. They’ve now expanded again into a highly irregular emphasis which doesn’t fit into any of the classic Jones patterns. As it doesn’t have oppositions, it cannot be a See Saw. Because it doesn’t have anything near a grand trine, it’s not a Splay. But because it has a strong open trine between planets in Leo with Jupiter in Sagittarius, it does conform to the requirements of a “Locomotive” Jones pattern, opened by Jupiter in Sag and closed by the Lunation, Venus, and Mars in Leo.
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 mid-Sagittarius, and proceeds through outer planets in Capricorn, Pisces, and early 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.
Mars At the Far Side of the Occupied Span
We haven’t had a Mars opposition to any outer planet since December 2017. Between December 2017 and April 2018 we literally had no non-lunar oppositions. Between late October 2018 and early May 2019 we had only one non-lunar opposition, between Venus and Uranus in early December. As oppositions bring awareness, we were in a time of compression rather than awareness.
Mars began this year’s run of its oppositions in early May with the opposition to Jupiter. In June it joined with Mercury to oppose Saturn and Pluto as the Sun and Venus opposed Jupiter. So we went from months of no oppositions to a season of many oppositions!
This period will culminate with all the inner planets and Mars opposing Neptune in September, and will finish as the planets all oppose Uranus in October and November. By December we will again be in a long run of no non-lunar oppositions, with all the planets in half of the zodiac. By early March 2020 every planet will be compressed into a span of about 108 degrees, which is an extremely rare occurrence!
Applying this to your chart, oppositions are great for producing integrated greater awareness and the ability to use that energy to achieve what we need to in our own planetary matrix. Each of these oppositions makes many aspects to your chart; the sextiles and trines to your planets will help you understand and stabilize those energies, and the quintile and related specializing aspects show unique processes which can be used according to your need through planets which square them.
Because Mars is at the far side of the occupied outer planet span, it is a major player in all Jones patterns created in 2019 before it again disappears in the occupied span in 2020. At this time, all the planets are spread out in 6 signs within a 244+ degree span, making a wide “Locomotive” Jones pattern. This shows how the energies are to be approached, and how the sequence of any activity unfolds from beginning to end.
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.”
Jupiter is the leading planet and the Stellium in Leo are the closing planets in the Locomotive. Find appropriate individual-spiritual Sagittarian ways of seeing the future in the now through understanding the seed of the future is already in motion in the present. Jupiter opens the future and closes the past, so embrace an abundant forgiveness of all that is passing with the lighting of new fires.
As Sag opens, embrace experience with an eye to new truths, new understanding, and the freedom to “break on through to the other side.” Because the leading edge is in Fire, and the closing edge of the Locomotive is also in Fire, open through inspiration, move through the experience, and at the end come out with a greater spontaneity, love, or creativity.
As the Locomotive keeps things out of balance, Jupiter in Sag 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 work with the imbalances by elevating our view to get a broader perspective and frames of reference, the easier it will be to navigate the imbalances in this pattern and come to a different way of acting on our needs. With Sag leading, show enthusiasm as you reorient; with Leo closing, embrace the adventure with an eye to the fun you could have along the way.
The Outer Planets Anchor the Pattern of Half the Sky
At this time, Jupiter is retrograde, continuing to expand the occupied span involving Saturn, Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus to 141+ degrees. Once Jupiter goes direct, it will still lead the outer planet occupied span through December 2020, when it conjuncts Saturn at 1 Aquarius! So last year, this year, and next year, Jupiter plays a major part in how we enter life experience. 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 late this year and next, 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 then Neptune over the coming years. 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 we no longer have only Jupiter and Saturn ruling everything else, and are in the midst of many months of shifting rulerships and dispositors. As I mentioned in part 1, the Lunation is ruled by the Sun, continuing our run of fours “Final Dispositors” during these months.
Want to “move Mars?” Use the Sun. Want to move Mercury in Cancer? Use the Sun-infused Lunar energy. Want to move Uranus? Use Venus ruled by the Sun.
In this New Moon, the most intense occupied span (in this chart the span between Mercury and Mars) is 5 planets in 25+ degrees, making that the major focus. As this is the most intense cluster, there are no adjacent planets we can add to expand the range of 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 9 Leo, and it is said that the first third (decan) of any sign deals with the actional, material, and physical levels of life, and being the first decan of Leo it has a sub-influence of Leo. While I've given you a sense of this degree up to now, this is where we go into depth.
The symbol for the 9th degree of Leo is “Glass blowers.” In the original Marc Jones class notes on the symbols published in The Astrology of Personality, Rudhyar says this is a degree of ““the formative power of the Soul in moments of emotional intensity,” “controlled self-expression,” and “art as a spiritual fact.”
In The Astrological Mandala,, Rudhyar offers this degree involves “the need to involve one’s most spiritual and vital energies in the creative act if it is to produce significant and beautiful new forms.” He states these symbols have deep meaning, as “the breath represents the power of the spirit, animator of all living manifestations. Because the glass blower uses (the) breath to shape the glass vessels, (it) is a fitting symbol of how deeply any creative individual has to involve (their) total being in (their) creation.”
He continues this is about “using the fire of the spirit – transpersonal inspiration – or … the fire of deeply felt emotions.” He goes on to say that we really have to put “fire” into our creations, and this degree is the technique we use in any transformational work, which he calls “creative intensity.” He states that this symbol falls in the Span of Assurance, the Act of Stabilization, and the Scene of Combustion on the Emotional-Cultural level.
According to Dr. Jones, this degree is about our “inexhaustibly creative skill of hand and genius of self-application” and our drive to get things done that “justify our ideals.” He offers that this enables us to contribute “enduring form to things through a private manifestation of the divine breath, and a manipulation of the baser materials of life through a heat that represents (our) living enthusiasm.” He finishes with “the arts and crafts of a culture are both its first beginnings and its final testimony.”
He states they keyword is DEFTNESS. He says that when positive, this degree is “an effectiveness of personal participation in everyday existence.”
So this Lunation indicates these next 4 weeks point to “the formative power of the Soul” to expression through our controlled breath, feelings, or enthusiasms. Some will find inspiration in how their “art of life” can take greater shape, or will find a new way to give life to their expression. Dr. Jones said some amazing things up there. Please re-read it, since it is truly a formula for moving matter in creative ways.
If appropriate, be wholehearted and demonstrative in some creative way, or some way that expresses the heart. This can generate or develop spontaneity, and leads to powerful manifestations of Spirit! This is growth through rousing self and others through creative or heart-felt demonstrations of authentic self-expression.
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 this Lunation is oriented toward openness and should provide power in substantial ways, there’s actually very little conflict in the chart, which is mainly dominated by the powerful Fire trines made by the Lunation, Venus, and Mars. (Even though Mars is separating and Venus might seem to wide, because of “translation of light” the entire Leo stellium is considered trine to Jupiter).
There are somewhat fewer aspects in this chart, and they’re mainly harmonious and productive of spiritual realizations. Of the most prominent aspects, we see the Lunation triseptile Saturn, promising a turn of events in the near future for those impacted, and the very powerful Mars biseptile Uranus and in double quincunx to both Neptune and Pluto, forming a Yod, or Finger of God. This is literally the first Yod since 1993 to have Neptune and Pluto as its base!
As I mentioned in part 1, even though Mars is biseptile Uranus, this doesn’t trigger the Grand Irrationality, since it also biquintiles Saturn and quincunxes Pluto and therefore doesn’t pull the Capricorn element into the aspect. Areas most affected by choices and changes will include 5-9 Taurus, 26-30 Gemini, 18-22 Leo, 9-13 Libra, 1-5 Sagittarius, 23-27 Capricorn, and 14-18 Pisces.
The Yod is a specific evolutionary Kite configuration requiring multiple “expansions through sacrifices.” The sextile provides the productive power, in this case from the invisible realms. This can show us the power of voluntarily surrendering to achieve spiritual victories as a result of “hearing the wisdom of the Master” as we move through the collective atmosphere.
The focus is found through Mars, the nozzle for the Yod. Something must be sacrificed and/or adjusted to achieve the spiritual focus promised by Mars. Since it’s on a degree of connecting with the Source of Life, it’s time to do our Sun Salutations! Because Mars is out front of the rest of the planets, each time there’s a transit to this degree it’ll set the Finger of God into motion. Lots of expansion through sacrifice on the way!
Forming (and closely partile separating) inner planet aspects include the Lunation conjunct Venus and Mars, trine Jupiter, and triseptile Saturn; Mercury is quindecile Mars and binovile Uranus; Venus is conjunct Mars, trine Jupiter, quadranovile Saturn, square Uranus, and sesquisquare Neptune; and Mars makes all the aspects discussed above.
Outer planet aspects include Jupiter semisextile Saturn and decile Pluto, and Saturn is tredecile Uranus; Uranus and Neptune make no aspects to each other or Pluto this month. This means Venus square Uranus and sesquisquare Neptune is triggering the Uranus semisquare Neptune associated with the general friction in the collective atmosphere without the nonrational energies of the biseptile.
Special Configurations in Evolutionary Astrology
As you’ve read in other articles, Uranus is also involved in a “bottom tone” of friction in the collective consciousness because of its long wave semisquare to 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
This month, because there are fewer aspects, there are fewer spiritual and specializing aspects. Of the specializing aspects, we have 1 quindecile, 1 decile, 1 tredecile, and 1 biquintile. Of the spiritual aspects, we see only 1 binovile, 1 quadranovile, 1 biseptile, and 1 triseptile.
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 6 signs, with a skewed distribution. We have 5 planets in Fire (inspiration and warmth), 3 planets in Earth (practical grounding), 2 in Water (feelings and experiencing), and no planets in Air (relatedness and communicating). This month we have Sagittarius, Capricorn, Pisces, Taurus, Cancer, and Leo 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 a bit hotter than cool, and should be a good time for inspired and grounded experiences.
Because the New Moon falls in Leo, Mercury in Cancer is the planet currently leading the Sun. That makes sensitive coordination, and feeling one’s way to understanding as the gatekeeper of the planetary energy we need to approach the Greater Light. Be open to seeing your interrelatedness, and be open to finding new ways of demonstrating your power and you’ll see clearly what to do and how to be led to the 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 brings a new pattern, as Mercury is now behind the Sun.
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 thinking, communicating, understanding, and envisioning, and follow that with our feelings and ability to experience that vision or understanding. For the next few weeks, those feelings must be followed by decisions and actions.
This pattern leads with the mind, then references feelings to see how it is experiencing those ideas. At some point, after enough thinking and feeling has happened, this pattern MUST make a decision and act. This pattern is extraordinarily perceptive, but needs to get it in gear.
So lead with your thinking, your vision, your understanding, and then feel your way to decisions and actions. After you do the single act that can move everything forward one step, then you’ll naturally understand or find new ideas, information, and visions that can help us find a new way to experience our feelings.
Due to the Mercury stationary direct quality of how the mind works in this New Moon, we’ll be seeking information and or a vision that may have echoes in the past, after which we’ll “feel our way” into new feeling experiences, getting hunches about decisions and the need for action. After we come to the fundamental fact that allows us to decide and act on that decision, we’ll naturally find new information and views which lead us to new experiences. So lead with thinking, see how the vision or information is related to the past or is a new iteration of that view, then move through the feelings and experience of that vision into a new action.
Follow your mind’s sensitivity to a need, and let your ideas and vision lead you into 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 has already triggered numerous past Sagittarius eclipse, Lunation, and planetary station points. Whatever was “bound up” or “cocooned” when Jupiter was in Scorpio is now blasting off into infinite space as Jupiter moves through Sagittarius! Especially with the current dynamic of the inner planets in Leo trine Jupiter preparing to all coming together in the trine to Saturn and waning square to Jupiter in September, this is stabilizing our practical inspiration and inspired practicality!
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
This Lunation helps us focus our emotional intensity into forms of creative power. We can feel deeply, and create works which others will feel deeply. We will begin to appreciate the length of time it takes for creative works to be completed, and understand our interdependence as we stand on the threshold of new adventures, new truths, and new futures!
We continue to train to use power in different ways later this year, and this period continues to bring us “whispers of wisdom.” It’s a time to “exercise” however we need to, and use foresight to see what’s coming down the road. We all are in a search for transcendent security while learning to accept those things which will yield major rewards in 2020 and beyond.
So we enter a period of intense creativity, intense feelings, and a lot of spiritual expansion through worldly sacrifices. This is a time to “light your fires,” and feel the power you have by being open to the Light and Life giving Source. Consciously identify with the source of power on Earth, and accept the electromagnetism which will inspire you in new forms of service in the near future.
This is a time to allow a new love and vision to take flight in our lives! Our sacrifices will bring us new power, new openness, and new ways to focus our spiritual intention. Jupiter is the oracle of the omens of things to come, and Saturn is our coach, training us to do group work in the future.
Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend
Saturn in its home sign of Capricorn for the first time since 1991 makes it 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 many things came to the surface through the recent oppositions which will be anchored as practical methods to mastery in late August and early September. As Saturn is training us for group work to come next year and beyond, remember that as you make inner Saturn your friend, you’ll overcome fear and be able to embrace your higher Destiny.
If you’re wondering what that would look like, 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
"We are all in a search for transcendent security" - so true. It's the only security that really exists and the last kind we generally look to. Thank you.
Posted by: Valerie BE | July 30, 2019 at 04:31 PM
Once again, thank you for your clear insights and knowledge.
Blessings be to all.
Posted by: Nic | July 31, 2019 at 09:29 AM