2009 Capricorn New Moon

by Stephanie Azaria

2010 Capricorn New Moon/ Annular (Partial) Solar Eclipse
25 Capricorn 01
2:12 AM EST / 7:12 AM GMT/ 11:12pm 1/14 PST

Halfway into the first month of this new year and this new decade, we are at one of the two most important New Moons of the year. January’s New Moon is a solar eclipse in Capricorn, the most goal-oriented sign of the zodiac. If you haven’t compiled your new year’s resolutions, now’s the time to make them. If you already have, bring your list out for reconsideration, commitment and a huge injection of cosmic Miracle-Gro.

As a solar eclipse, this New Moon is super-charged, setting events in motion that will play out over the entire year. It’s well worth examining what you’re contemplating at this time, because whatever is on your personal agenda is getting amped up by this event. This New Moon is a pivot point in the current Cancer/Capricorn eclipse cycle, which has been spotlighting issues of home, family, career and public standing since last July. Eclipses happen every year, and generally their impact depends on how closely they touch points in your chart. Eclipses on this particular axis, however, stir powerful responses and emotions in everyone, because it is connected with fundamental issues of emotional and financial safety — love, nurturing, food, Mommy, Daddy, shelter, belonging, prelingual matters that can cause otherwise mature and responsible individuals to tear up, crumble and reach for their security blanket.

These sorts of fundamental needs and longings have been popping up unmistakably in your life since the week after Christmas, no matter where the Cancer/Capricorn axis falls in your chart. The trigger was the Full Moon lunar eclipse in Cancer on New Year’s Eve, which escalated the natural tension between the Mommy (nurturing) and Daddy (providing) ends of the spectrum. It was a powerfully emotional year-ending, which spotlit people and situations from which you are receiving genuine nurturing and support — and the ones from which you are not. if you did not look at events in that way, reconsider them now. Did you any have conversations or encounters that stirred negative emotions? Made you want to get away? Left you physically uncomfortable? Those reactions were your evidence, whether you recognized it as such then or not. If you entered into an encounter feeling fine and lost your sense of well-being, it was not, if you think about it, a surprise. Odds are high that you’ve had a negative response in the past to that person, situation or dynamic and continued allowing him or it in your life for whatever reason (I need the money; it’s family; s/he is going through a bad time; it’s just the way s/he is; I have to fix this; I can’t afford to leave, etc., etc., etc.). Don’t brush these recent encounters away. Remember how you felt emotionally. Remember how you felt physically and energetically. The ones that made you feel good, safe, loved, secure, valued have a place in your life and on your list of 2010 resolutions, goals, intentions, whatever label you prefer. The ones that made you feel anything but that, don’t have a place, or at least not in the current form that has such power over you.

It all boils down to the state of your support system, or rather, the support system to which you belong (because your giving of nurturing is a factor, too). We’ve been living in the past two weeks in the middle ground between saying goodbye (lunar eclipse behavior) and looking forward (the call of the solar eclipse). The arrival of the solar eclipse means it’s time to turn our attention ahead. Drop thoughts of what you’re leaving or dismantling. Think in terms of what you’re building, you do want, what you do value and where and with whom you do experience a reciprocity of support and nurturing. What we’re beginning to set up place now will be with us for the rest of the year and, depending on how we fine-tune it this summer, for quite the long haul afterward as well.

We are very definitely, unmistakably in a new phase of existence now, individually and collectively, and the planetary line-up for this New Moon reflects the new paradigm we are developing this year. The Sun and the Moon are sandwiched between the North Node of destiny, the last point they crossed over before meeting, and Venus, ruler of our relationships, money, self-worth and values, the first planet they will each cross after parting. All things ruled by Venus have been sharpened, focused, stripped down to the most essential and most prized, since her meeting with Pluto just after Christmas. This new focus and intensity permeates the New Moon as well as the collective, represented by the North Node. This event is launching a new role of the feminine in our personal and collective structures, as well as a new appreciation of and respect for core values. We are building structures for our hearts.

Since the Aquarian traveling party is in a growth aspect to the New Moon (transcendent Neptune exactly so), these structures reflect the evolution we have made in living — and now planning — expansively, with a compassionate, healing outlook and our connection to spirit beaming right into mundane life. With Uranus the awakener in easy opportunity aspect to the New Moon, the offer is here for these structures to both liberate us from processing other people’s issues and also bring us into service of all life. (The more intact and true to ourselves each of us is, the more simply living our lives benefits everyone.) And with the New Moon’s ruler, Saturn, squaring Mercury and Pluto, the New Moon also carries forward the energy of the deep and penetrating overhaul that’s occurring in how we relate to and communicate with each other, including what we think about relationships. When the eclipse happens, Saturn is three days into his retrograde and Mercury is 12 hours away from stationing direct. Saturn’s retrograde will last until late May and take us back into one last refresher course in personal intactness and boundaries. Saturn’s retrograde status during the eclipse that he rules will make the eclipse’s unfolding impact long, slow and methodical, and will fill it with a deep reevaluation and restructuring of relationship issues, even ones we thought we’d fixed. Mercury’s influence is likewise prolonged. Because Mercury is still retrograde as the New Moon becomes exact, the researching, revisiting and readdressing practicalities inherent in his retrograde will color not merely this event, but the year unfolding from it.

Every arrangement, in your head and out in the world, is up for renegotiation. Reciprocity is a key issue. If one side of an equation feels there’s an imbalance between what it’s putting in and what it’s getting back, it will demand redress, and not subtly either. (Great real-life example of the type of hard ball that’ll be common: the distributor of The Food Network and HGTV upping the ante in a contract dispute by pulling its programming New Year’s Day from a cable company in the NJ and NYC area.) We’re being called upon to be honest with ourselves, first, and then with the others in our lives. This ties back to all those uncomfortable encounters we had in the first days of the year — well, to be more exact, to all the encounters we had, uncomfortable and not. We will find words to cut people, patterns and situations out of our support systems and personal infrastructures — not long-winded, flowery words, but efficient, quick, unapologetic and to the point. Words will also come to us in the other type of situations — the situations that make our hearts open and swell and sing, that make us feel understood and nourished, safe and protected, cherished and loved for who we are. We will be thinking and speaking words of appreciation, connection and long-term planning with the members of our heart family and web of mutual support.

No coincidence, the Moon meets Venus two hours after the solar eclipse and then goes void until just after noon EST. Even though the eclipse happens while many of us in the Western Hemisphere are sleeping, its energy is with us as we awaken, with particular emphasis on the new construction we are doing to bring our life into alignment with what we value. Let thoughts, images, feelings and sensations swirl through you all morning. They will resolve into the path for you.

Some solar eclipses propel us forward as if we’ve been shot from a cannon. This one will work a bit more methodically. We are setting paving stones out in front of us step by step by step. Our hearts are choosing the nature, shape, size and direction of the stones. Our minds are stirring up quite a bit of talk to determine who’s walking along with us and how we’ll proceed. The next Saturn/Pluto square, at the end of the month, will push that discussion into clarity and action. By the end of June, we will pause in our journey and take in where it’s leading us.

Here is Lynda Hill’s interpretation of the Sabian Symbol for the New Moon at 26 Capricorn, reprinted with her kind permission from her book The Sabian Symbols As An Oracle, the Special Edition:
A NATURE SPIRIT DANCING IN THE MIST OF A WATERFALL.

Commentary: ‘A Nature Spirit’ is seen ‘Dancing in the Mist of a Waterfall’. The ‘Nature Spirit’ is a carefree and beautiful image of effervescence and fun. Nymphs are ‘Nature Spirits’ that live in water; they are divine manifestations of nature: of woods, groves, springs, streams, rivers, etc. The ‘Nature Spirits’ dance in the ‘Mist’ because they know to avoid the areas of heavy pressure in the ‘Waterfall’. Even though strength and power of emotional flow is in the middle of the ‘Waterfall’, it is not possible to survive under such a torrent for very long. It is not always good to assault oneself with the full brunt of pressure from life.

Oracle: This Symbol can represent feelings of emotional lightness and almost mischievous intentions. The deeper parts of feelings are sometimes ignored, or rejected, as the ‘Spirit’ flits over the surface of any troubles. ‘Nature Spirits’ should be carefree and able to express themselves as they want. Go with your feelings and don’t worry too much about social restrictions. Finding a comfortable and safe place in a situation or place may be necessary. ‘Dancing’ and going with your gut feelings can lift your spirits to new heights. Be aware, however, that some people may not take your actions seriously. If you feel like ‘Dancing’, there’s no need to worry that people might see you. Indeed, it may be a really good idea for people to see your light side, the one that can throw caution to the wind. Whilst this is, essentially, a beautiful Symbol of a “lightness of being”, there may be an element of feeling cut off from one’s body, or reality. Whatever, your worries or burdens can lift, leaving you feeling lighter and happier. Dance in ‘The Mist’, in the gentle mysteries that arise even in the midst of life’s struggles. That is the true way of the ‘Nature Spirit’; they’re not concerned with the inane problems of life!

Keywords: Effervescent spirits or escapism. Dancing in a carefree manner. Water and fun. Peter Pan characters. Mountains, mists, fog. Reveling in nature. Picking up subtle energies. Being healed because of the heightened atmosphere (altitude). Celebrations of the natural world. Waterfalls. Water spraying and dripping. Finding one’s habitat. Chinese water-torture. Water nymphs, fairies and nature spirits, devas, and angels.

The Caution: Irresponsibility, avoidance of real situations. Not taking anything seriously. Avoiding social restrictions. Flitting off. Being held down and repressed when one is longing for light relief. Feeling abused by pressure. Being subjugated by cold, icy elements, thoughts or emotions. Tricks or perceptions of the light. Fear of dark places.

SYLPH, n. An immaterial but visible being that inhabited the air when the air was an element and before it was fatally polluted with factory smoke, sewer gas and similar products of civilization. Ambrose Bierce

Dance like no one is watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like no one is listening, Live like it’s heaven on earth. William Purkey

The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. Eden Phillpotts

*The excerpts from Lynda Hill’s book The Sabian Symbols As An Oracle, the Special Edition, © Lynda Hill 2002, have been reprinted by permission of the author.

2009 Cancer Full Moon

by Stephanie Azaria

Blue Moon/ Lunar Eclipse
10 Cancer 15 / 10 Capricorn 15
December 31, 2009
2:14 PM EDT / 11:14am PDT/ 7:14 PM GMT

The year 2009 is going out with a bang. We’re ending with the second Full Moon of the month, and a lunar eclipse to boot. It’s interesting timing. New Year’s Eve is an artificial construct we’ve created to mark the end of a calendar year. The holiday generates nostalgia, heightened emotions and an inclination to look back as well as think about how we’d like life to go differently. This year, the skies are fueling all of those tendencies by bringing a lot of the story lines we’ve been following (and living) since summer to a dramatic crescendo.

The Capricorn Full Moon is the first measuring point in the current Cancer/Capricorn eclipse cycle, which began with a Full Moon lunar eclipse in Capricorn on July 7 and shot us forward with the Cancer New Moon solar eclipse on July 21. This cycle is bringing themes back to our attention that we experienced during the previous Cancer/Capricorn eclipses from December 2000 – June 2002 and July 1990 – December 1992. The date with the closest connection is December 30, 2001, when a Full Moon lunar eclipse took place within a few degrees of this month’s. More recently, this past July’s solar eclipse seeded the developments that are hitting a noticeable stage of unfolding now and will continue to build until next summer.

These eclipses light up issues of emotional and financial security, tribal allegiances and the eternal balance between family and career. In the bigger picture, the Cancer/Capricorn axis defines our private and public place in the world. The questions I posed in my report on the July 7 lunar eclipse still hold: Where do we feel safe? What do we need to feel loved? What do we want to achieve in our career and what quality and amount of effort are we willing to invest to get it? Who’s the daddy; who’s the baby; who’s our family? Here are some new questions: What were your answers to these questions a year ago? Can you even recall? I assure you they are not the same now as they were then. Last summer put us through a purifying gauntlet that restructured all of those answers. We became acutely aware of what we need individually in terms of nurturance and security. The cosmos suggested in no uncertain terms that we remove from other people the responsibility for meeting our own needs and place it within ourselves. Balances of power and allegiances shifted, and many of us permanently altered sibling relationships and decided who we do and do not want to be our family.

We didn’t all take action. Some decisions went under advisement, but not for very much longer. Now we have the chance, the impetus and in many cases the assignment to revisit them. The last holiday weekend of the year will spotlight what has developed since July, within us and around us. We may learn important details that we missed or that explain last summer. And it will feel increasingly like the appropriate time to start implementing some of the decisions we made then and put on the back burner.

Commitment and responsibility are the common themes in this process. The question will be: commitment and responsibility to whom? To your family? Your job? Your relationship? Yourself? Everything will be jockeying for first place. My money’s on the last one pulling ahead. We have undergone too much evolution to do otherwise. Our egos and desires are still empowered, refined and purified by the Sun and Venus’ transformative meetings with Pluto on Christmas and December 28, respectively. As if to drive home the message, Venus and Pluto are still standing guard with the Sun in this Full Moon. Whatever happened on either side of Christmas is still reverberating and plays into the scenario of the lunar eclipse. This New Year’s will not be like the ones before. Beginning with his entrance into Capricorn on the eve of Thanksgiving two years ago, when Pluto has been active on a holiday, our personal tradition of celebrating that holiday has changed. With Venus as his date for the lunar eclipse, big blow-out parties are unlikely. We’ll either be staying at home, sweet home or attending intimate gatherings with people who are extraordinarily dear to our hearts.

The Sun is also loosely conjunct Mercury and the North Node of destiny, encouraging us to communicate and reveal our newly honed and strengthened missions to the world at large. The final, and unavoidable, call to action is the wide T-square the Sun and the Moon are forming to Saturn, the ruler of the Sun and his Capricorn companions. A T-square is a dynamic aspect pattern that pushes energy through the planet in the middle (in this case, Saturn) and draws focus to the point opposite it. The demand of this T-square is dealing with Saturn in Libra — with issues of responsibility, fairness, equality and commitment in relationships. Saturn’s ongoing square to Pluto has been forcing us to renegotiate and restructure our relationship dynamics, and that demand is part and parcel of this lunar eclipse.

The relationship issue gets one more underscore if you take into account the asteroid Juno, the patient and loyal spouse and embodiment of relationship — here’s that word again — commitment. I don’t normally work with asteroids, but am mentioning Juno’s role in the lunar eclipse because she is in exact opposition to Saturn. Juno in Aries is no doormat, all-sacrificing spouse; she may view the world through the filter of her marriage, but she is perfectly capable of operating independently of it and taking care of herself. With Juno in the picture, the T-square opens up into an aspect pattern that is more complex, at least in theory. Juno and Saturn are forming a grand cross with the Sun and the Moon, a configuration that in most cases can whip us from one endpoint on the cross to another. This time, the whipping about keeps returning us to the same issues. The endpoints of one of the crossbars have an uncommonly unified message, arguing responsibility and commitment from both the masculine (Saturn) and feminine (Juno) perspective. The question still remains, though: responsibility and commitment to whom (or what)? Since Pluto is bearing down on both Saturn and Juno, the answer is probably not to existing situations and arrangements, at least not in their current form.

We’ve reached a stage of living in awareness of the blending of our spiritual and physical existence, of the alignment of our masculine and feminine sides and our minds and hearts, of what we truly desire and value and, most importantly, who we really are. That awareness permeates our experience of the energies of this lunar eclipse. Because of it, we will choose commitment and responsibility to ourselves. That does not rule out acting with commitment and responsibility in a relationship, or your family, or your career. In fact, it is the foundation piece to meaningful, honest commitment and responsibility in them, as well as in any other area of life. With that piece in place, all your relationships and obligations, both family and career, will fall into line. For many people, this lunar eclipse will lead to a deepening of connections, by conscious choice, and by conscious recognition that a partner or a development in your home or career is a wondrous and energetic match for the person you are now. And if the revelations go the other direction, the comfort and certainty you experience in yourself will fuel the resolutions you’ll be contemplating until the Capricorn New Moon solar eclipse at the middle of next month. Either way, be prepared for hugs and frequent use of tissues. This Cancer Full Moon will be brimming with emotions and tears, of joy as well as of sorrow.

A word about the collective impact: Since the North Node is part of the Capricorn stellium, watch for signs of a shift in how our tribe defines and wields power. Expect revelations about big corporations and financial institutions, government officials and personalities that we have treated as authority figures. With Pluto active in the lunar eclipse, we could have another wave of celebrated departures, likely to be heavy on individuals that have guided us for a long time.

The Sabian Symbol for the Moon at 11 Cancer is:
A CLOWN IS CARICATURING WELL-KNOWN PERSONALITIES.

Commentary: ‘A Clown Caricaturing Well-Known Personalities’ symbolizes someone clowning around, doing impersonations (or taking on other personalities), and putting on a mask. There can be role-playing here, where someone is putting on an archetypal “face” and performing because one must, for some reason. The entire act can be masking what is really going on within them. This can end up obscuring who one truly is on the inside. This can be because it is difficult, or compromising, to let one’s real emotions or thoughts be known. Perhaps there are secrets or information that it’s best for others not to know. The ‘Caricaturing’ can take up time whilst things, or conditions, change for the better.

Oracle: Laughter is often said to be the best medicine and “many things said in jest” may be a useful thing to remember as you relax and get things back on the right track. Perhaps someone is not being real, using masks and play-acting in order to hide what their true emotions, needs or objectives are. Or, they can just be playing the fool when the situation needs a more serious response. This can be acceptable for a while, but, sooner or later, this kind of behavior can end up being both annoying and frustrating. This can also be about the need to see things objectively or from someone else’s point of view. Things may seem exaggerated and blown out of proportion. “Chameleons”, people who act differently around different people, are somewhat hard to take seriously. Are people being true to themselves in this situation? What is really behind the facial expressions and masks?

Keywords: Exaggerated responses. Wanting to entertain. Show business. Trying to be something or someone that one’s not. Putting on a face. Comic performances. Parodies of personalities. Making fun of someone. Clowns and clowning. Life imitating art. Always performing. Irony. Satire. Objective observance. Criticism. Laughter. Caricatures. Cartoons.

The Caution: Being foolish in the face of positive potential. Trying to cover up reality through buffoonery. Being constantly “on stage”. Living vicariously. Inauthentic behavior. Not having the courage to display one’s true self. Putting on a face to manipulate or fool others. Irritating behavior that wears thin after a while. Being the laughing stock.

He’s a Fool that cannot conceal his Wisdom. Benjamin Franklin

Clown and guru are a single identity: the satiric and sublime side of the same higher vision
of life. Theodore Rozak

We take greater pains to persuade others that we are happy than in endeavoring to think so ourselves. Confucius

There are no greater wretches in the world than many of those whom people in general take to be happy. Seneca

I have spent more than half a lifetime trying to express the tragic moment. Marcel Marceau

Art must discover and reveal the beauty which prejudice and caricature have overlaid. Alain Locke

There is hardly any mental misery worse than that of having our own serious phrases, our own rooted beliefs, caricatured by a charlatan or a hireling. George Eliot

Now there’s some sad things known to man, but ain’t too much sadder than the tears of a clown when there’s no one around. William “Smokey” Robinson

The Sabian Symbol for the Sun at 11 Capricorn is:

PHEASANTS DISPLAY THEIR BRILLIANT COLORS ON A PRIVATE ESTATE .

Commentary: ‘Pheasants Display Their Brilliant Colors on a Private Estate’ is an image of beauty, color and wealth. It pictures a situation of the enjoyment of life’s luxuries. The ‘Pheasants’ are beautiful as they ‘Display Their Brilliant Colors’. They have long tails and brilliantly colored plumage. People are drawn to their beauty and can be awed by their presence. That they are on ‘A Private Estate’ shows an environment of privilege and security.

Oracle: This can picture going after one’s life goals. Riches, refinement and abundance are everywhere. However, just take care: ‘Pheasants’ can be game birds, so there may be an element of underlying danger. Displays of wealth and beauty can inspire others, but they can also lead to jealousy and begrudging acknowledgments. That this place is pictured as a ‘Private Estate’ signifies that it may need to be protected, and kept ‘Private’. People who don’t belong there may be able to come and visit, but it may be that they’re really invading someone else’s space or privacy. The visitors need to show respect and courtesy and not presume that they can move in and take over. On the other hand, being ‘Private’, this place may not be truly welcoming to people; they may find it unwelcoming and forbidding in some way. There may be difficulty in keeping up with the amount of work that goes into the maintenance of this ‘Private Estate’ it may take a lot of time to look after the house and grounds. Who does the work and who appreciates the luxury? Looking after the lawn and the garden can bring a feeling of improved well-being. Regardless of whether you’re a visitor or an occupant, just going out and looking at the beauty of the place, the plants and the wildlife can heighten your day.

Keywords: Glorious houses and estates. Lawns and gardens. Statues and birdbaths. Peacocks, pheasants, swans, etc. Enjoying the riches the environment offers. Large plots of land. Nature reserves. Game birds. Aristocracy and the ruling elite. Beauty, elegance and grace. Fabulous displays of color. Parks.

The Caution: Foolish disregard of pending danger. Feeling that one has to be “on parade” or else they will be overlooked. Issues of standing out from the crowd. Jealousy and envy through things on display. Luxury and beauty or snobbery that excludes. Showing off. “Do not enter” signs.

Fine feathers make fine birds. Traditional Proverb

It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds. Aesop

It is not that the French are not profound, but they all express themselves so well that we are led to take their geese for swans. Van Wyck Brooks

Few rich men own their own property. The property owns them. Robert Greene Ingersoll

The more things accumulate the more life is wasted because they have to be purchased at the cost of life. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (a man with some 90 Rolls Royces).

copyright: K. Biehl 2009/2010 All rights reserved

2009 Sagittarius New Moon

by Stephanie Azaria

2009 Sagittarius New Moon

New Moon December 16 09

24 Sagittarius 39

7:02 AM EST / 4:02am PST/ 12:02 PM GMT

December’s New Moon in Sagittarius inspires us to broaden our horizons, mentally and physically. It continues the themes of growth, healing, enlightenment and innovation in the context of the ongoing celestial focus on relationships. It’s a happy, heart-expanding and sociable moment. Bass chords are playing in the background, though, signaling that all is not as light and frothy as it may seem.

Sagittarius is the sign of the higher mind. It’s where we take the information and messages we picked up during the Gemini Full Moon and process them into a bigger picture of explanations and philosophies. It’s where we want to learn and expand and come into contact with concepts that are not native to us. It rules higher education, legal processes and other systems of thought, publishing, and foreign places, people, languages and travel. A New Moon in this sign instills a quest for adventure and experiencing life on a grander scale in some way. It may set us thinking about improving our minds and gaining training and credentials. It will draw focus to our outlook on life. This year it invites us to let that outlook soar far and wide, into the clouds and into the future — and to take some dear companions along for the trip.

The Sun and the Moon are conjunct Venus, ruler of love, money, our possessions and our talents, and all that we value. We can now turn all the experiences and realizations that we have been having on this front into coherent philosophies. We can, at minimum, begin to understand the relationship dynamics that we have been rewriting and renegotiating. Venus is happy, excited and energized as she approaches the Sun and Moon. She is moving into a trine with her cosmic consort Mars, which is exact the day after the New Moon. The masculine and the feminine, assertive and receptive energies, men and women, all are enjoying harmony and cooperation, each stoking the fires of the other. Neither is overpowering the other; instead, each partner is contributing his or her unique qualities and the result is combustion. (Suffice to say this bodes quite well for reigniting relationships, sparking new attractions and having fun socially in general.) Venus carries his enthusiasm and verve to the Sun and the Moon, making this a highly active time. Much of what starts or moves quickly forward at this time will come back around again during Mars’ retrograde, which begins four days later.

The Sun, the Moon and Venus are all sextile their ruler Jupiter, who is traveling ever more closely with Neptune, Chiron and Uranus. (The New Moon is exactly conjunct Neptune by degree.) We’re in the last round of the healing, the blending of spirit and physical existence, the wisdom, enlightenment and optimism and the outright magic that this quarter has been bringing us all year. Last week, Jupiter had the final of three conjunctions with Chiron and the last of three semi-sextiles to Uranus last week too; his final conjunction with Neptune coming up on the 21st. Hindrances are crumbling. Wounds are settling into ancient and forgiven history. The glass is switching from half-empty to half-full, even if the contents have not changed. Dreams are in fact coming true. There is a substantial element now of rewards rolling into our lives and situations coming into being (or into new levels) that have been brewing for a long, long time.

But this energy doesn’t have to end with harvesting the past. The New Moon is receiving the energy of the triple conjunction and carrying it into the future. Be mindful of this when you set your intentions for this Moon cycle. In fact, be mindful of it whether you make a practice of setting intentions or not. How we are viewing our lives right now will reverberate into the next Gemini Full Moon one year away. And relationships are smack in the middle of that perspective. It will not be easy to miss that, with the excitement that the Venus/Mars trine will be sending off. Take all the energy that you are feeling now and channel it into both the past and the future. Ask for a healing of any relationship dynamics and attitudes that are still skulking around in your past. Then look forward. Contemplate what you want to experience with and in a partner, and cast off the limitations and disappointments of what you have experienced before (even in your current relationship, if it’s one that is continuing and growing). Don’t attach your desires to a specific personality, but think instead of qualities and traits. Dream bigger and bigger, and open yourself to the possibility of a partnership that is based on each person being true to their deepest selves — and living simultaneously as a spiritual and as a physical being. Spread this energy around in all your dealings; don’t focus it only on a romantic desire. The triple-conjunction is bringing together communities of heart-driven individuals who accept and delight in one another and share the same life philosophies, passions and dreams for the future. Open yourself to grand adventures with them under this New Moon.

The Moon goes void of course immediately after meeting the Sun, from 7:02 AM to 5:32 PM EST. We have the entire day to sit with the energies of their union and contemplate what they mean for our lives and the expression of our ego.

As the Sagittarius Moon spins off fun and flirting and passion and parties, a serious undercurrent is roiling beneath the jolliness. The Sun, the Moon and Venus are all in an out-of-sign conjunction with Pluto, the great transformer, and will soon join him on his current turf. The Moon meets him at 11 PM EST on the 16th, some 17 hours after the New Moon, and intensify, purify, focus our emotions. The Sun will meet him on Christmas Eve, Venus four days later on the 28th. Enormous issues of power and desire will bookend Christmas and color the whole week. A greater hand than our mortal one is shaping our experiences. It is forcing us to look at how we share power, how we relate, what we desire and how we got after it. As we enjoy the laughter and optimism of the Sagittarius New Moon, we understand instinctively that it’s not all idle play. The course of our future is at stake.

The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon at 25 Sagittarius is
A CHUBBY LITTLE RICH BOY RIDES UPON A HOBBYHORSE

Commentary: ‘A Chubby Little Rich Boy Rides Upon a Hobbyhorse’. The dictionary defines a ‘Hobby Horse’ as “1) a strong active horse, of middle size 2) A stick, often with the head or figure of a horse, on which boys make believe to ride 3) A subject or plan upon which one is constantly setting off; a favorite and ever-recurring theme of discourse, thought, or effort; that which occupies one’s attention unduly, or to the weariness of others; a ruling passion.” ‘A Chubby Little Rich Boy’ shows a young child that has all his material needs met; he’s well fed and looked after. He ‘Rides Upon his Hobby Horse’, which could be anything from a real horse to a stick horse, and presumably he enjoys the fun and the motion, perhaps it soothes him or just keeps him occupied when he has nothing else to do. Perhaps there are many other things he could be doing, such as school lessons or domestic chores, but he’s probably not thinking about those right now. Does he really enjoy what he’s doing or is it more that he’s gotten into the habit of being on his ‘Hobby Horse’? If he’s just started playing, he may soon discover that he can’t actually go anywhere with this “toy” as it’s very limited in its range or motion. Indeed, if it is a “rocking horse”, it has no forward motion, rather it continually goes over the same ground, backwards and forwards.

Oracle: Somebody in this situation may feel that they are doing what is necessary, but it is probably not the real thing, but more of a training session. Are you, or someone else, doing something over and over? Perhaps there’s a feeling of being bored with all the big plans and big endeavors that go nowhere and largely come to nothing. This is more like a practice run. Still, this may be a time of learning. Looking upon life’s experiences as a lesson will help you to move onto the next stage of the situation. Keep up the practice and the play, one day you’re going to have to prove yourself in a more rigorous, demanding situation.

Keywords: Hobbies and their pleasures. Unrestrained, imaginative play that can lead to truly wonderful creations, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Protected practice. Having to have one’s sexual needs fulfilled before one loses energy. Exercise, doing something because one can. Constantly going off on distracting schemes. Boys and their toys. Unrestrained passion.

The Caution: Someone spoilt and shallow. Feeling that one can take on anything, without thought to the actual consequences. Playing when one should be more serious about life. Not doing one’s work, avoiding it by doing ‘fun’ things instead. Having no friends to play with.

Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy. Lazarus Long

Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches to conceive how others can be in want. Jonathan Swift

It is amazing how quickly the kids learn to drive a car, yet are unable to understand the lawnmower, snow blower, or vacuum cleaner. Ben Bergor

In this era of affluence and of permissiveness, we have, in all but cultural areas, bred a nation of over-privileged youngsters, saturated with vitamins, television and plastic toys. Judith Crist

Well, you know when you’re rocking in a rocking chair, and you go so far that you almost fall over backwards, but at the last instant you catch yourself? That’s how I feel all the time. Stephen Wright

“Why do you ride that crazy horse? Inquired the shadow with little remorse. Neil Young

2009 Gemini Full Moon

by Stephanie Azaria

2009 Gemini Full Moon

December 2, 2009

2:31 AM EST /11:31pm December 1st, PST/ 7:31 AM GMT

10 Gemini 15 / 10 Sagittarius 15

In keeping with December’s lighter air, this month’s Gemini Full Moon lacks the intense and dramatic aspects that have made recent Full Moons such a challenge. It’s on the axis that deals with the mind, which does not in itself preclude heavy emotional reactions. This time, though, none of the cosmic change agents are commandeering the event, an absence that should allow a more mental experience of it than usual.

This one promises some distance and an intellectual perspective on the evolution in relationship dynamics we’ve been undergoing of late. The Gemini Full Moon is in a tight growth aspect to last month’s Taurus Full Moon (which lit up issues of sharing), as well as a close opportunity aspect to September’s Aries Full Moon (which activated the whole I/Other seesaw). Venus, the ruler of relationships, is watching over the event from the safe distance of a wide conjunction to the Sun (which means a wide opposition to the Moon). As a result, there is likely to be a noticeable relationship overtone to the messages and bits of information that your heart will be picking up, processing and sending out, with the Moon in Gemini. The Sun’s impulse in Sagittarius will be to make sense of the data bits by arranging them in categories or theories or, best of all, overarching constructs that further understanding of your life. With chatter at one end and philosophizing at the other, the combined effect will be to deliver a status report on how your relationships are doing.

Where they might be heading is also part of the picture, because of the influence of Jupiter and his traveling companions in Aquarius. He has a say on both ends of this Full Moon. He’s the ruler of the Sun in Sagittarius, of course, but the Moon in Gemini answers to him, too, because her ruler Mercury is Sagittarius as well. He encourages looking on the bright side of situations and going easy on yourself. He brings optimism and good humor and the pay-off from efforts you engaged in long ago, perhaps so long ago that you forgot about them.

Apply these characteristics to the Gemini/Sagittarius axis and our ongoing relationship lab, and he will be urging you to go easy on yourself as you receive messages and look for their bigger-picture meaning. He also counsels looking beyond the confines of the moment. In Aquarius, Jupiter is throwing his substantial weight behind expanding your perspective, your vision and your dreams. He’s also pulling in the heaven-on-earth aspects of his ongoing contacts with Chiron (who embodies overcoming our abiding wounds and thereby mastering our selves), Neptune (who unmoors us from mundane existence, preferably through transcendence and enlightenment) and Uranus (who brings insight and liberation at times and in ways you’d least expect). Jupiter is currently in the final minutes of perfecting his third conjunction this year with Chiron. He’s moving toward his third conjunction with Neptune and semi-sextile to Uranus, both of which come later this month. Their combined influence can provide a higher, future-oriented, network-building, “it’s all for the best” perspective on whatever comes to light during this Full Moon. (Remember to ask for it if it doesn’t automatically come to you.)

At the moment, Jupiter and Chiron are beaming healing and backbone-strengthening energies into everything that develops under this Full Moon. They’re also reawakening the realizations and decisions you reached in the volcanic first week of February, when the lunar eclipse in Aquarius followed the second rattle of the Saturn/Uranus opposition. Jupiter and Chiron are now at the degree of the February 9 lunar eclipse, which made you aware of situations that you were going to have to leave eventually. The time was not yet right for the departures you contemplated then. It may well be now. The Full Moon may resuscitate some of the issues you looked at around that February eclipse. It will certainly bring information that sheds light on them.

Don’t be surprised if movement on those issues starts occurring shortly after the Full Moon. The first planet that the luminaries contact after leaving each other is Mars, and he’s likely to trigger motivation, if not kick events in motion. When the Moon sextiles him barely 12 hours after she is Full, a door swings open that you may jump through without realizing what you’re done. (It’s a good development.) Action will be more conscious when the Sun trines Mars next week, on the 10th.

The Sabian Symbol for the Moon at 11 degrees Gemini is
NEWLY OPENED LANDS OFFER THE PIONEER NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE.

Commentary: The ‘Pioneer’ in ‘Newly Opened Lands’ shows someone who is ready to break away from old familiar ground and move out into unknown and more exciting territory. This new sphere, these ‘Newly Opened Lands of New Opportunity’ are open to ‘The Pioneer’, someone who is prepared to venture into the unknown for the benefits that may be there. It is the ‘New Opportunities For Experience’ that this Symbol is promising, a chance to explore the unexplored. Fear is often the greatest barrier to moving forward, but any fears must be put aside or faced and the familiar must be left behind for these new possibilities to occur.

Oracle: This situation is one that will fulfill its potential if you go forward, leaving the past and what’s familiar behind, to seek out potential new ‘Experiences’. Although it can take some time to adjust to a new place or space, different customs or unfamiliar conditions, striking out for what’s possible can be rewarding in the long run. However, if someone is merely trying to manipulate the world to give them exactly what they want, or are just moving on in order to get more control, they may be sadly disappointed. Don’t rush or expect too much but also don’t accept too little from these ‘Newly Opened Lands’. There may be some experiences that come your way that seem difficult, hard work or just plain undesirable, but that is often the result of venturing into new and unfamiliar environments. There may be a need to start life all over again in this new ‘Newly Opened Land’. You could be starting from scratch. Be open to whatever comes your way. Take the time you need to adjust to this ‘New Opportunity’ and enjoy the experience!

Keywords: Pioneering attitudes bringing rewards. Going off the beaten track. Coming up with new ideas. New spiritual realizations opening up vistas of hope and experiences. Opportunities to move on to new realms of being. Adjusting to new places. The Promised Lands. Be prepared to take risks. Moving out. New time zones. Foreign customs and languages. The Caution: Clinging to the old and familiar when it is outworn and boring. Restricting growth and change. Not moving on. Invading other people’s space. Claiming what’s rightfully someone else’s. Hanging on when it’s time to let go. Running off to avoid involvement or responsibilities. Moving in and taking over.

Explore thyself. Herein are demanded the eye and the nerve. Henry David Thoreau

Explorers have to be ready to die lost. Russell Hoban

Civilization no longer needs to open up wilderness; it needs wilderness to open up the still largely unexplored human mind. David Rains Wallace

In my writing I am acting as a mapmaker, an explorer of psychic areas. . a cosmonaut of inner space, and I see no point in exploring areas that have already been thoroughly surveyed. William S. Burroughs

Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. Dale Carnegie

The Promised Land guarantees nothing. It is only an opportunity, not a deliverance. Shelby Steele

In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration. Ansel Adams

Let us rejoice at the many unexplored fields in which there is unlimited fame and fortune to the successful explorer. George Washington

The Sabian Symbol for the Sun at 11 degrees Sagittarius is
IN THE LEFT SECTION OF AN ARCHAIC TEMPLE, A LAMP BURNS IN A CONTAINER SHAPED LIKE A HUMAN BODY.

Commentary: ‘In the Left Section of an Archaic Temple, a Lamp Burns in a Container Shaped Like a Human Body’ pictures a need for linking the spirit and the ‘Body’. Sometimes we need to remember to be “in our bodies” and this Symbol shows the reward that can come from regarding our body as our ‘Temple’. Logic is not always involved in this equation; it speaks more of emotions, spirit and physicality.

Oracle: Watching bodily rhythms can teach us something about the timing of our biology. There’s a need to eat when we need to, to sleep and exercise when we need to; to be alive and happy. The spirit within us can shine out to enliven the spirits in others. We can somehow amplify light ourselves, like the ‘Lamp that Burns’, shining outwards, projecting our spirit and personality. To provide clues to your current situation, it may be a good idea to light a ‘Lamp’ or a candle and place it to ‘The Left’ of where you’re sleeping, working, eating or exercising. The ‘Temple’ of this Symbol implies that there may be a need for peace and quiet and respect. There may be a feeling that one somehow doesn’t “belong” in their body. Is someone losing the plot and “leaving their body” in this situation? Is there a need for grounding your physical energy? How are you regarding your body and feeding yourself? Having faith and belief in one’s self can lead to knowledge and enlightenment. Rituals of many kinds can help link mind and body so that a healthier you can result. This period may mark an incredible leap forward in understanding and consciousness.

Keywords: Connecting the left and right sides. Working out, physical fitness and exercise. Yoga. Grounding reality. Sexuality. Realizing that body is the same as spirit. Remembering to be in the body. Light workers. The acceptance of the body and its functions. Sport and its physical rewards. Metabolic rates.

The Caution: Worshiping the body at the expense of the psyche or spirit. Concentrating exclusively on physical desires and needs. Rationalizing intuitive thought until it is rejected. Needing actual physical evidence to accept anything. Being caught up in the illusion of the body, the “physical self”.

Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones. Henry David Thoreau

A bodily disease may be but a symptom of some ailment in the spiritual past. Nathaniel Hawthorne

He who knoweth the precepts by heart, but faileth to practice them, Is like unto one who lighteth a lamp and then shutteth his eyes. Nagarjuna

If anything is sacred the human body is sacred. Walt Whitman

Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light. Albert Schweitzer

For this is the great error of our day in the treatment of the human body. That physicians first separate the soul from the body. Plato

Kathy is offering a holiday special for readings booked and paid for by December 31, 2009: $160 for one hour or $90 for a 30-minute SWAT look at your chart. Email kbiehl@fortunaworks.com to book.

Visit Kathy’s NEW SITE EmpowermentUnlimited.net for podcasts, mp3s, a discussion forum and more on the eclipses, the Aquarius/Pisces traveling party and the Saturn/Uranus opposition. To join her mailing list, send e-mail to kbiehl@fortunaworks.com.