by Robert Wilkinson
We have the Full Moon coming Wednesday just before the Sun opposes Mars! This polarizing, reorienting, transformative, and renewing Full Moon occurs at 8:08 pm PST December 7, 4:08 am GMT December 8, and falls at the 17th degrees of Sagittarius and Gemini. Use the light of the honesty of a new understanding which has dawned since the New Moon, and through developing strength and resilience despite past or present disappointments, visualize what you want to see made real in the future.
So what can we expect from this Lunation? Given the power of the recent eclipses, we’re still releasing many things, and reconnecting with Source while demonstrating our skill at wielding spiritual power in some way in our lives. Many things are being recycled, even as this Full Moon brings the Light of the Sun opposition Mars into acute focus. Whether this diminishes the assertive urges of Mars, or brings up repressed material from the subconscious mind depends on the individual. It is said Mars retrograde is good for getting behind inhibitions, with a need for either “curbing enthusiasms” or seeing clearly what’s inhibiting our natural expression.
This is the power of a form of public self-renewal expressed in transformed and transforming ideas. We all will be able to get to a lot of buried material these next two weeks via the houses where we have mid-Gemini and Sag. Because of the nature of this decan, look for built-in dilemmas or dualities of a Venus/Mars nature if there are any questions or disputes. Definitely be alert to deflective or divertive behavior or arguments which go nowhere. That said, this opens a much wider view of the future, with the power to visualize elements of that future which will be made real in 2023.How it manifests will be influenced by Mercury on a degree which tells us that “wrong use of force damages relationships and things of beauty.” That cautions us to be judicious before we speak or act, with the courage to back off or try something new in the face of unnecessary struggles. The old answers won’t confirm the new conditions or questions, so adopt a “live and let live” attitude and “return to simpler joys for pleasure and revitalization.” This is another Full Moon focused on actional and material levels of functioning and awareness. It’s almost time to act, so get clear about the archetype you wish to embrace in the future.
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
This Full Moon brings the Light of the Sagittarius New Moon into a broader view of hidden things so we may move forward in the future unencumbered by subconscious hesitations or diversions by distractions. This can help us understand our inner knowing from a totally different angle of seeing that we don’t need to push the river, and patience goes a long way in producing that which is both functional and beautiful, whether inside ourselves or in the world. The strengths we build via Saturn will help us cultivate good heart energy.
This Saturn-cultivated strength will be released through the integrative power of the T-square formed by the Moon is conjunct Mars both opposing the Sun and forming squares to Neptune, generating a powerful void in mid-Virgo. As this void is “the volcanic explosion,” you can bet many things will blow up and our in our lives and world these next two weeks! Allow your “will to wholeness” break up old complexes so you are free to take your own guidance. Because the Moon forms a square to Neptune, it brings the Mars square Neptune back into focus. Be clear about how to function despite the collective fogs, see it all as preparation for “entry into a new country” and a chance to demonstrate how well you’re tamed your ego impulses so you can “put on the show.”
The next two weeks helps us expand our view, and contact deep inner knowing which can lead us out of old ghosts and into a better view of the future. We’ve already cleared out a lot of old emotional material these past 7 weeks, leaving us lighter and brighter in many ways. This one allows us to feel the vastness of the collective field, and shows us that once we truly let go of the past, we are free to fly into new worlds.
Besides knowing how to focus our enthusiasm, this Lunation challenges us to develop the ability to stick with things long enough to get the rewards we want. So don’t bail on something too soon, while keeping in mind not to get distracted by lesser things, not compromise when you shouldn’t, and stay focused on your real interests. Figure out how to follow through whenever it’s needed, and stay aware of the ultimate ends you want to achieve.
As with all Full Moons, use the light you’ve been seeing and expressing since the New Moon, and give it form and focus to see how to anchor those themes in expression. The New Moon’s themes were intensification, honesty, and mobilization of individuality. We’ve been harvesting “rewards from Spirit,” and balancing our focus related to body, feelings, and mind. And we’ve been saying goodbye to people and things.
Is the Sun Following the Moon, or the Moon Following the Sun?
This Lunation is the seventeenth Full Moon where the Sun is in the same sign (Sagittarius) as it was in the New Moon two weeks ago. We are now in “the regular order” of the Sun/Moon relationship cycle, and this one brings Life and Mind together in unique forms of spiritual mobilization, with the inner supporting the outer. We can now take the last New Moon themes of accelerated growth, accelerated release, and accelerated rewards to finish what needs finishing as we open to a wider future and the transfiguration of our vitality into the power of mind to build ideas and use them effectively.
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. The Sun was in the same sign in both the New Moon and Full Moon, the so-called “natural” order, between April 2019 and August 2020. At the August 2020 Full Moon we entered the “reverse pattern” of the Sun of the Full Moon occupying the sign after the New Moon Sun, since the previous New Moon Sun was at 29 Cancer and that Full Moon Sun was at 12 Leo.
Now that August 2021 brought us the New Moon Sun at 17 Leo and Full Moon Sun is at 30 Leo, we’ve been back in the natural order which will continue until the New Moon of April 19, 2023, which will be at 30 Aries, with the following Full Moon Sun at 15 Taurus. (That Full Moon is a Lunar eclipse). You can find out more about the “seed forms” of the New Moon two weeks ago by going to the archives.
Past As Prologue
The 2020-22 Eclipses moved us all in new directions, reorienting wherever we have Taurus, Cancer, Gemini, Scorpio, and Sagittarius in our charts. Remember that all Eclipses are “Cosmic recyclers,” taking away what is obsolete or de-magnetized in our lives. These losses clean out psychic and physical spaces so newer life substance can come forth. We’ve cleared out many old ideas, truths, habits, and perspectives the past 2 years, and now have a wider view regarding our life and the Life around us at the beginning of a new 20 year Aquarian era for humanity.
As you know from other articles, 2020 was the last year of a 200 year Earth era, with Air power building throughout the year which primed the pump for the 200 year Air era which began on the Solstice with Jupiter conjuncting Saturn at 1 Aquarius. However, we will still be “under the beams” of the powerful conjunctions in Capricorn, since between January and March 2020 we began new Saturn/Pluto, Jupiter/Pluto, Mars/Jupiter, Mars/Pluto, and Mars/Saturn cycles. The first of these launched a new 33 year era into motion.
Due to these conjunctions in late Capricorn and both Mars/Saturn and Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions at 1 Aquarius, we are in a long term period of finding wisdom by understanding transfiguration and enlightenment as verbs rather than nouns. We’ve now officially taken the first step into the coming Aquarian era. While this is not yet “The Age of Aquarius,” this is the final intensification of those energies which will sprout seeds in the second quarter of the century which will take us across the threshold of the Great Age soon after 2050.
Planetary Distribution
In this Full Moon, the span occupied by the inner planets (in this chart the Sun at 17 Sagittarius through Mercury at 2 Capricorn is 15+ degrees, a fairly narrow span. This will be the primary area stimulated in our charts, and continues the approach of the inner planets to the outer planet span. At this time Mercury, the Sun, and Venus are outside the outer planet span, continuing our series of changing Jones Patterns in the near future, mainly determined by the Moon.
Right now all the planets occupy about half the chart; the inner planets span late Sag and early Capricorn, leading into the outer planet span plus Mars is between 27 Capricorn and 17 Gemini. Because the occupied span runs exactly 180 degrees, and the empty span runs 180 degrees, we now have a perfect “Bowl” Jones pattern. In this chart we have 4 oppositions built around the oppositions of the Moon and Mars to the Sun and Venus, because the Moon translates the Light of its forming conjunction to Mars and “translates” the Venus opposed Mars back into play. Mercury is out of sign and therefore isn’t part of the translation of light.
At this time we have the 10 traditional planets occupying 6 signs. Currently, the outer planet occupied span begins with Pluto in late Capricorn, then moves through Saturn in Aquarius, Neptune in late Pisces, Jupiter in late Pisces and finishes with Uranus in mid-Taurus, with Mars occupying Gemini for many months to come.
So What is a “Bowl” Jones Pattern and how does it work?
This type of spread, with all the planets occupying approximately half of the signs with an empty half opposite the occupied 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.”
The Sun at 17 Sagittarius is the leading planet on a degree of joining with others in some form of public social renewal, an activating decan of an Aries subinfluence which will help us “come out of doubt” and see how we can live naturally conforming to the spiritual law of our Being. With the Moon conjunct Mars closing, the end result of experience is in understanding ideas and communications from different angles of approach, steadily growing from outer to inner things while realizing “deeper realities” and wisdom. This leads with actional and material abstraction, and closes with actional and material exteriorization.
Is the Grand Irrationality A Factor in this Full Moon?
Because this section is so long, I decided to create an article which explains what it is, how long it’s been in effect, and which zones of the zodiac have been most impacted and when. You can find all you need to know about this configuration associated with widespread irrationality and hard-edged “forks in the road of destiny” we’ve all confronted at various times by going to The Grand Irrationality. As we’re at the end of the long wave configuration, I’ll update the main article to sum up all that has happened to our world these past 29 years.
Any transit making multiple 7th harmonic aspects put this “7-pointed Star of Destiny” evolutionary configuration into play, bringing choices and changes affecting our future. The generic configuration is why things seem so crazy and hard-edged at this time in history, and why humanity seems to have been at an unending “fork in the road of destiny.” In this chart Uranus has again returned to the septile to Neptune, but there is no other planet in a septile series aspect to either of these spiritual heavyweights.
Obviously, this evolutionary configuration is activated throughout the year when a planet moves through any of the hot zones of the configuration. This configuration will next be triggered when planets transit early Aquarius and make septiles to Neptune and biseptiles to Uranus. I’ll speak more about the aspects in part 3 when I cover the special configurations.
Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend
Because Saturn continues to occupy center stage in its home sign of Aquarius, it is the final dispositor of all planets transiting Capricorn and Aquarius from now through 2023. This chart gives us a look at how strong and resilient we’ve become as a result of past disappointments in relationships. We’ll be rising to occasions which continue to expand us, helping us become more expert in our Aquarian role to play.
This month Saturn has so many favorable aspects that it’s safe to say regardless of “unfortunate events,” we will be “enriched.” The next two weeks we’ll get clear that the heart is the source of all knowing and power. Just be alert to situations where ego flaps its wings, thinking it can fly. Detachment and friendliness are the keys to keeping the boundaries clear.
Saturn, ruler of our Capricorn and Aquarius sectors and any natal or progressed planets we have in those signs, is not taking through the last part of our Aquarian training to play our part in the larger group work of the future. Though Saturn can feel heavy and bring heavy life lessons, it also in the part of us which can take charge of our lives and destiny by using Saturn’s virtues in the right way and time. Our ability to steer our “ship of personality” into its rightful “role of destiny” has brought us to the threshold of new parts to play on the stage of Life.
We’re still in a long wave period of crystallizing visionary roles to play in the emergent Aquarian era, and with the dance Saturn and Uranus did last year has returned and will play a huge part in the friction between now and the end of the year. This square require that we figure out what matters to us and what doesn’t, with our final exam in “squaring ourselves with reality” happening over the next few months. Uranus has awakened us to new roles to play, while Saturn has brought new mutations and an accelerated evolution which bring us to this point of getting to utilize spiritual power effectively through deliberation rather than instinct.
I explain how Saturn and Uranus work together to awaken us to our Higher Powers to take command of our destiny in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. Saturn helps us give form and structure to our quest for Self-realization; in Capricorn, it teaches us how to accept and use personal power within a socially responsible context, while in Aquarius it teaches us how to make a greater contribution to our civilization and come together with others in a great effort “ensouled by a great vision.” Coupled with Uranus having awakened us to the fact that the old answers aren’t enough along with the need to accept spiritual power to shape our world, we are collectively “breaking on through to the other side” into an unfolding Higher awareness.
The book 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 throw off all the attitudes and memories which hold you back from finding and living the life and purpose. 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! 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 which will offer us opportunities for renewal, different ways to see, understand, and express things, and begin a major redirection in the pace of the near future. We are at “the end of the end” where we are dreaming the future between now and the December Solstice. Be compassionate, and if the feelings get overwhelming, remember Pisces is where we connect with all of humanity, including the collective unconscious. Just bless it to leave, forgive as much as possible, and be as clear as possible about the elements of the future you’d like to see made manifest in 2023.
While there may be disruptions in the next two weeks, either they are necessary to redirect what is done and how it’s done, or it’s necessary to prevent premature action. This is a transmutational time, where we must act with awareness, but not push the river or get caught up in unnecessary quarrels and disputes. When you’re in the presence of contention, back off and be pleasant, combining your sense of beauty with practicality as per Venus.
Because Venus is septile Saturn, the next two weeks puts many relationships at a fork in the road of destiny. So be thoughtful in your Venus responses to others as you face the future. Because Venus is square Jupiter, it should bring clear feelings about which corners need to be turned, and letting go of old relationships, get clear about better ones we would like in the future.
If you want to know more about your Venusian power to shape your relationships into enjoyable interactions and friendships, please consider getting a copy of my newest book The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames. It is the most comprehensive book on Venus ever written, and explains why we attract who we do and how to create more satisfying relationships in the future. You will understand the foundations of long term healthy relationships and friendships, why Soul Mates come into our lives, and how to dance with your inner Beloved and mirror that to your world.
The new roles and responsibilities we took on in 2019-2020 led to new social effectiveness in 2021 which continues this year. Again, look to where you have late Capricorn and early Aquarius in your chart to see the focus of coming years. The compressions in Capricorn led us to forms of personal power, and being very long wave cycles, indicates our work for a long time to come. We finished this year’s Aquarius compression in March, and since then have been learning how to manage our responses to fulfill our new emergent role in the long wave Aquarian energy.
We’ve entered a new chapter in our spiritual journey at a fork in the road of our collective destiny. 2020 was about forging our connection with the World Soul, our Wisdom, and our greater dedication. 2021 began the new era in our lives. We’re all wiser than we used to be, have been given ample opportunities to value our heart connections with our friends, and display the vaster spiritual awareness we share with our Brothers and Sisters.
I’ll see you soon when we’ll discuss Sabian Symbols, evolutionary configurations, and other important chart factors.
This article explains past, present, and future compressions, where they fall, and who they affect. The Great Compressions of early 2020, 2021, and 2022
This one explains the January 2020 compression and the multiple conjunctions setting themes for decades! The Great Compression of January 2020 – Mercury, Sun, Saturn and Pluto all Conjunct in Capricorn
© Copyright 2022 Robert Wilkinson
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