by Robert Wilkinson
This Partial Lunar Eclipse will take away everything which would block our ability to accept a “mantle of power” so that our Light can take shape as a new form of Truth. We’ve all been developing our sense of humor, irony, and/or perspective since the Solar Eclipse 2 weeks ago, or found something leaving our lives which would block our humor from coming forth.
This Lunar Eclipse has four oppositions along the Cancer/Capricorn axis, with one “out of sign” but forming between the Moon and Mercury retrograde. The 4 oppositions will produce extraordinarily high awareness and a “Tension of Opposites” accelerating our growth in anticipation of enjoying future rewards and growth in our personality integration skills, and cut us loose from some old inhibitions so we can grow.
As the Full Moon fulfills the themes of the previous New Moon, we now can take the Light, humor, and understanding of human nature we’ve generated since that New Moon and give it expression in new forms of self-control, expertise, and a refined sense of what we’re here to do. This Eclipse will help us reorient in responsible ways over the next few months, letting go of our old comforts so a new way of being at ease in society doing group work can come forth.
This Full Moon opens new doors of perception and new life adventures. Don’t fall into stress at not knowing what’s ahead, since this is a cosmic moment of pause where we can take a look at what we need to do and how we need to do it. Many will throw off old fears, as well as ways of relating to others which are too rigid or depressing. If that means letting go of someone in order to grow, then that’s exactly what needs to happen.
This is an intensely polarizing Eclipse, and if you find yourself frustrated in getting what you need, or getting lost in loose ends, let go of whatever or whoever you’re clutching and open to a better future. There is great good fortune to come as a result of what gets in gear these next few months, so remember that rather than fear the void, welcome what will fill it appropriately in due time.
The Sun in Water and Moon in Earth shows a time of the cardinal water (feeling experience) of Cancer expressing its need to integrate or reintegrate in a personally meaningful way through the cardinal Earth (practicality) of Capricorn. The inner planets are now totally outside the outer planet span, and Mars won’t return to the outer planet compression until next March, when it will join Jupiter in Capricorn and conjunct Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn.
All the planets but two are in the second or last third of their signs, indicating a broad social-emotional and mental-spiritual emphasis these next two weeks (and the months to come under the influence of this Lunar Eclipse.) This one urges us to take the initiative, accept the power to fulfill a higher or more important responsibility, feel your relief at a transfigured existence, and do what you must to shed your social inhibitions or need to hide. As with recent and current oppositions, find ways to “tack into the wind” to maintain momentum despite the headwinds.
As with last month’s Full Moon toward the end of Sagittarius, this one is also NOT a “Void of Course” Moon, because it makes a novile to Jupiter and an important septile to Neptune before leaving Capricorn. As I mentioned, there’s an “out of sign” (aspects made after the Moon changes signs) forming opposition, which indicates a transition must take place before the action indicated by the forming aspect occurs.
[A brief note on Void of Course Moons: historically the VOC Moon was used ONLY in Horary Astrology before the latter part of the 20th century. It was never used in natal or mundane astrology, and generally wasn’t considered a factor in evaluation a Lunation where the Moon falls in the final degree(s) of a sign. Also, I’ve found that those of us who have planets in the last degrees of their signs never experience a VOC Moon, since it’s always making some kind of aspect in our charts.]
In part 1 I explained why there’s some constant friction and agitation in the collective atmosphere off and on during these months due to Uranus semisquare Neptune anchoring constant friction whenever a planet moves through the middle degrees of the Mutable signs and beginning of Fixed signs. This anchors the on-again, off-again energies I have termed a “Rhombus Diamond,” associated with a “cutting, grinding, and polishing” energy that’s very frictional and disruptive. At this time, we’re past the direct influence, which will come back with a roar once the Sun and Venus square Uranus and sesquisquare Jupiter.
Why Are Full Moons So Important?
At a Full Moon, that which has opened since the previous New Moon surfaces in a public form, and heads toward the culmination and fruition symbolized by the second half of any cycle. First half, birth into form and field. Second half, culmination and completion of the purpose of that cycle.
That’s why it’s important to regard the New and Full Moon charts as “God’s Footprints in Time,” since one follows the other in an unending sequence of births of newer and newer seeds. The New Moons show us the seeds that will flourish under the reflected light of the Full Moon.
Full Moons heighten feelings, due to the opposition of the Moon and the Sun. As noted, this Lunation has four oppositions involving the Moon opposed to Sun and Mercury and Venus opposed Saturn and Pluto. This puts the evolutionary “Tension of Opposites” at work wherever we have the second half of Cancer and Capricorn in our charts.
We’re now in the heart of a long period of forming oppositions between Mars and the inner planets with the outers. Mercury and Mars have already opposed Saturn and Pluto, followed by the Sun a few days ago and Venus in the next few days. While the compression of planets were very tight between November 2018 and March 2019, now that the planets are outside the outer planet span, they’ll be opposing Neptune, and Uranus from September through November.
Dispositors - What's the Backdrop to the Energies?
The Sun is in Cancer, making the Moon in Capricorn its worldly ruler and itself its spiritual ruler. The Moon in Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, making Saturn its worldly ruler and Uranus in Taurus as its spiritual ruler. We are now in a period of shifting dispositors, since when a planet is in Cancer, the Moon is its dispositor, and it moves through many signs in a short time.
This month we’re back to the default three “final dispositors” in Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. [A final dispositor is a planet in one of the signs it rules.] This month, Saturn returns to major status, as it rules itself, the Lunation, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Uranus, and Pluto. Jupiter continues to disposit itself, and as usual Neptune disposits itself.
So this month we have all the planets ruled by three final dispositors with Saturn in the forefront. By looking at how “chains of dispositors,” “final dispositors,” and “mutual reception” are in play between the planets, we get a clear picture of the backdrop for how each planet operates. You can find out more about dispositors in general, chains of dispositors, and mutual reception by going to Astrology Class – What Is A Dispositor and What Is Mutual Reception Between Two Planets?
The Sabian Symbols for the Full Moon
This Partial Lunar Eclipse Full Moon falls at 25 Cancer and 25 Capricorn. It is said that the third third (decan) of any sign deals with the individual, mental, and spiritual levels of life, and as the Lunation is in the third decan of those signs, invokes a sub-influence of Pisces and Virgo.
Since the Moon always focuses the light of the Sun in specific forms, the degree symbols for both are important. The Sun degree is the illumination or enlightenment of the Lunation, whereas the Moon shows us the potential forms that enlightenment will take. Though I’ve given you a sense of what this is about up to now, here’s where we go into detail.
The Solar degree symbol for the 25th degree of Cancer is “A dark shadow or mantle thrown suddenly over the right shoulder.” In the original Jones notes published in The Astrology of Personality, Rudhyar says this is a degree of the “support of unconscious elements in every fearless and positive stand of the ego” and “restoration of strength; or self-discovery.”
We are told in the Astrological Mandala that this degree symbolizes “the response of spiritual forces to the integration of personality through positive will-full endeavors.” We are told that when we use “will and positive imagination” in facing our life issues, we are given “a pentecostal descent of power” in the form of grace or “Providential assistance” which can make us leaders of some sort in our society.
He states that this symbol shows us “a more transcendent expression of ‘success,’” which isn’t necessarily external success, “but a spiritual response, a sign of inner strength and uncommon endowment.” He says this degree falls in the Span of Ingenuousness in the Act of Stabilization, and is the ultimate degree in the Scene of Consolidation on the emotional, social, and cultural level.
Dr. Jones says this is a degree of “the irrevocability” of our obligation to our reality, with a focus on our “capacities of leadership as a revelation of racial stewardship” in a personal or spiritual way. He continues that “self-expression here is a release of (our) inner potentialities, and it becomes both an individual gratification and an expanding responsibility to all other individuals making up the social complex.”
He gives us the keyword DESTINY. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is “some dramatic manifestation of genius vital to the general welfare of (everyone).”
From this symbol it seems the Light of destiny will present itself over the next few weeks by what is taken away and what takes its place in our lives. We should see how humor is allowing us to leave some old emotions behind so that we can test our leadership capabilities and demonstrate our inner skills and abilities. So this is a degree of emotional, social, and cultural blessings so that our individual genius for leadership can come forth.
The Lunar degree symbol for the 25th degree of Capricorn is "An oriental rug dealer.” In the Astrology of Personality, where Rudhyar uses the original Dr. Jones' class notes on the symbols, he states this degree is about “first realization of cultural values through sensuous enjoyment,” “refinement of sensations,” and “psychological enrichment.”
In "The Astrological Mandala he states this degree is about “the use of cultural and artistic processes as a means to enhance personal comfort and appreciation.” He goes on to say this is about “the material, yet esthetic, aspect of the benefits a society can bring its members,” where the rug symbolizes “something on which a persona stands or sits,” and a “foundation for cultural understanding, and as such it can have a magical or sacred meaning.” He says this implies “society offers the relative comfort of beautiful rugs so (we) may meet the universe…. Protected by and securely established on the mental-spiritual, as well as manual achievements of those who keep the cultural symbols alive.”
He offers that this symbol “shows the beautiful products of dedicated and inspired group performance at the level of tradition” emphasizing “the value of reliance on tradition.” He states this degree falls in the Span of Dependence, and is the final degree in the Scene of Group Performance on the emotional, social, and cultural level of the Act of Group Integration.
Dr. Marc E Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “the irrevocability of (our) obligation” to our reality, with a focus on “accumulated knowledge or acquired skills as an indication of (our) enduring competency” in practical and immediate ways. He continues that “self-expression here is the use of various advantages and resources as actually a commerce in human potentialities, and this becomes an individual’s real service” to others.
He offers that “eternal values are meaningless until they are woven into the fabric of humanity’s familiar transactions.” He offers us the keyword CONSIGNMENT, and states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is “an effective employment of the facilities and goods of a modern society.”
So this is a degree of finding transcendence in comfort, and becoming psychologically enriched by refining our sensations. We can all find a greater enduring competency in practical ways, and as we use “advantages and resources” we’ll be of real service to our world.
TransPluto, Divine Mother, and the Tests of Human Redemption
Both Neptune and TransPluto represent very vast fields of feeling and connectedness beyond individual control. Neptune is the oceanic field of collective consciousness in which we all swim, and TransPluto is an almost incomprehensibly vast Divine Mother energy which redeems all things, brings grace to all circumstances, and is beyond even Death itself. When these two planets make an aspect, it shows us how the collective field is relating to Divine Redemption in a historically significant way.
Many important collective developments related to these themes began to surface between 2009-2012, when Neptune in Aquarius was in very close opposition to TransPluto, or Divine Mother. That’s a major factor in why things became so polarized during those years, where the “tension of opposites” began to bring forth lessons in our Oneness, our need to share, and the human collective consciousness faced its need to embrace compassion and learn Viveka, or Divine Discrimination, especially when TransPluto was at the first degree of Virgo. Since that important opposition, we’ve all experienced intensified opportunities to join together in the Great Mother and realize our interrelatedness on a feeling level with All-That-Is.
In terms of the larger Era, we’ve now ended the TransPluto (Percephone, Parvati) in Leo era that we knew from September 20, 1935 through July 4, 2014. The transition period where this planet danced at the last degree of Leo and first two degrees of Virgo began October 2011 and ended July 4, 2014, when TransPluto left Leo for many centuries to come, and entered into Virgo for the next century.
TransPluto, or Divine Mother, danced between 1 and 2 Virgo between July 2014 and Oct 2017, showing us the larger view of what we are learning about how we conceive of God the Mother. The symbol for 1 Virgo is about how our ideas and ideals shape the outer forms in our lives, as well as how we act. It’s about picturing “the salient features and the overall meaning of any life situation,” as well as the Path of discipleship and other forms of training.
So one of the two great themes Divine Mother taught all of us those years was to see life as a whole, and find meaning in seeing the significant features of the entire picture. We had to understand the value and function of differences, and see how our personal integrity allowed us to make our ideals real through accepting some sort of responsibility.
TransPluto then made its first entry into 2 Virgo October 2014, and we began humanity’s “liberating ordeal.” The initial visit was between October 2014 and mid-January 2015, and began the themes of the “crucifixion” of our sense of ego-separateness so that compassion and understanding could come forth. We are told it symbolizes “eminence at the cost of struggle,”’ which certainly seems to be very much the case as humanity redeems the promise of its better nature.
It was at 2 Virgo between October 2014 and mid-January 2015, after which it retrograded back to 1 Virgo. It re-entered 2 Virgo in early September 2015, and stayed at that degree until February 2016, when it retrograded back to 1 Virgo again. In mid-May 2016 it went stationary direct at 1 Virgo, and then re-entered 2 Virgo in early August 2016. It remained at 2 Virgo until the end of March 2017 and then retrograded back to 1 Virgo between April and the end of June 2017.
It then again remained at 2 Virgo until October 11, 2017, when it entered 3 Virgo, which we are told is a degree of “Two angels bring protection,” symbolizing inner powers and “divine help when human efforts fail.” Its occupancy of 1 Virgo ended, and since October 2017 we’ve been in the next phase of our collective “liberating ordeal,” promising relief, protection, as well as the manifestation of unexpected latent powers.
The themes of 3 Virgo include forms of security via “the simple and consistent convergence of all good things toward their own kind.” This is a type of conviction that guarantees “an effective fulfillment of our dreams.” With the planet symbolizing Divine Mother expressing help via guardian angels, that began a time when we began to be provided welcome relief from some parts of our “liberating ordeal.”
It went stationary retrograde at the end of November 2017 at 3 Virgo, and re-entered 2 Virgo on Jan 19, 2018. It occupied 2 Virgo until it went stationary direct in mid-May 2018 on that degree, and stayed on that degree until Sept 6, 2018, when it re-entered 3 Virgo again. Our guardian angels were then back on the job as we cultivated “inner powers” as well as a greater recognition of how we have divine helpers everywhere!
As you can see, while we dealt with themes related to 1 and 2 Virgo for a long time, we’re now occupied with themes related to 2 and 3 Virgo for many months to come. It occupied 3 Virgo until late February 2019, and now again occupies 2 Virgo in this chart. It went stationary direct in mid-May at 2 Virgo, and in early August it will again move back to 3 Virgo. It will return to 2 Virgo one last time between April and June 2020, and then move forward through 3 Virgo again, finally moving into 4 Virgo in October 2020, introducing a new redemptive theme for humanity.
Planetary Cycles Bringing Forth Divine Mother
The energies of Divine Mother will only grow stronger throughout this century, and these will be demonstrated each time the planets make significant aspects to TransPluto. One major set of cycles were set into motion When Saturn conjuncted TransPluto at 28 Leo in August 2007, and of course Saturn’s SD point at 2 Virgo in May 2008 is currently being transited by TransPluto. Those Saturn-expressed TransPluto Leo and Virgo lessons will hold sway until their next conjunction at 9 Virgo in Sept 2037.
Another important cycle was set into motion when Jupiter conjuncted TransPluto at 1 Virgo in August 2015 in Virgo, beginning a new 12 year cycle of how these “Divine Mother energies” will manifest. It also began a new long wave era, since Jupiter will conjunct TransPluto in Virgo every 12 years until the 22nd century!
Related to that Jupiter conjunction, Venus went stationary retrograde exactly conjunct TransPluto in late July 2015, also at 1 Virgo, setting up Venusian manifestations of Divine Mother that will show each and every time 1 Virgo is transited. That means the Venusian Divine Mother promise of late July 2015 was expanded, or set into motion somehow, by Jupiter's transit of 1 Virgo in mid-August 2015, and then took expression due to Mars’ transit of that degree in late September 2015, and found “beauty of form” when Venus transited it again in early October 2015.
Those two conjunctions have dominated the Virgo landscape in our charts since then, and were given new value, new power, and new understanding each time the inner planets transited those early degrees in 2016 and 2017. Related to this, please take a new look at the Mars-Jupiter cycle set into motion by their conjunction in mid-Virgo between October 2015.
Of some interest is that over a 10 day period in late August 2019, we'll have Mars, Venus, the Sun, and Mercury all conjunct TransPluto! This will set numerous "redemptive cycles" in motion, especially for those born in late August or who have planets in early Virgo. Allow the vast redemptive energy to wash many things clean in your lives, and you'll know by 2021 you have "made it through the night" related to whatever planets you have in early Virgo, as well as early Gemini, early Sagittarius, and early Pisces.
So we’ve officially entered a different Spiritual Era that will last through July 2107, when it leaves Virgo for good and re-enters Libra for the first time in many centuries, also after a few years of dancing on the cusp of Virgo and Libra. I offered you a bit more about this vast spiritual energy field in Astrology in the Age of Aquarius - Transpluto, a.k.a Divine Mother, Parvati, and Percephone.
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Last month on the Christfest Full Moon I gave you a universal prayer/meditation offered to us by the Tibetan Master D.K. in April 1945 at the end of the war. Tens of millions around the world do this prayer every Full Moon, tuning into the Whole which we ALL are together. I said it every day for many years, and still say it every Full Moon. (It was a real trip to see eyes suddenly open and/or lightbulbs go on over people’s heads when I did it countless times riding the NYC subways when I lived there in the early 80s!)
In 1976 I changed a few words to make it more universal. For your consideration,
The Great Invocation
From the point of Light within the mind of God
Let Light stream forth into the minds of All,
Let Light descend on EarthFrom the point of Love within the heart of God
Let Love stream forth into the hearts of All
May Christ return to EarthFrom the center where the Will of God is known
Let Purpose guide the little Wills of All
The Purpose which the Masters know and serveFrom the center which we call the Human Race
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.
Again, as I’ve offered you many times before, when you see the title "The Christ" if you are so inclined please substitute "World Teacher," "Bodhisattva," "Imam Madhi," "Krishna," “Kristos,” "Avalokiteshvara," "Maitreya," "Messiah," or any other term used to describe this Great Being. And if you substitute “Enlightened Ones” or “Wise Ones” for “Masters” I doubt it would offend anyone.
See you soon with part 3 covering aspects, planetary sequencing, and other important factors in this Partial Lunar Eclipse.
© Copyright 2019 Robert Wilkinson
Moon just above the horizon about 45 minutes ago. Mostly still behind the pine trees, but even though only partly visible, it is a weighty presence. Hard for me to tell how much of what I feel is the Moon and how much is Pluto and Saturn. The night sky with Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon (and unseen Pluto) has been pretty spectacular this past week. And yes, this does feel like a big one. Solar eclipse was in my 10th, just a few days after I retired - symbolism doesn't get much more obvious than that! Interesting Sabian symbols and this full moon is conjunct my Part of Fortune. Waiting to see what comes next.
Posted by: Denise | July 15, 2019 at 09:14 PM
Beautiful moonrise here, too. A weighty presence, as Denise wrote :)
Robert, I've been reading your work since 2007, and so often over the years I've had the "that's what I've been feeling!" feeling. Your words have been a great comfort through the wilds, reassuring me that I was at least attuned to some of the cosmic waves some of the time :)
This time, it feels like you're writing straight to me -- so my level of attunement must be increasing. And I am comforted and thrilled to know these last powerful weeks have been similarly powerful for so many.
Also, I personally love that you mention Christ.
Steady on, everyone! There are bright days ahead, indeed.
Posted by: Bonnie | July 15, 2019 at 09:56 PM
Eagerly waiting to experience the lunar eclipse moment to take place. Precise and informational blog post.
Posted by: AstroTalk | July 16, 2019 at 03:35 AM