By Len Wallick
This last weekend featured what can fairly be described thus far as the aspect of the century: a partial lunar eclipse that was temporally current and spatially aligned with a grand cardinal cross. Hopefully you found some sort of reward in the time. If you are reading this you can at least say you survived to tell the tale.
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After such a weekend it may be well advised to step back and look at the big astrological picture of where we are and what’s coming up. Contrary to what one might expect, there is no let-down. The ramping up continues in the form of what might be called two intersecting continuums. The shorter-lived aspects of today and this week inform the process.
We are now in the two-week period between this last weekend’s partial lunar eclipse and the total solar eclipse on July 11 in the sign of Cancer. We are also in the multi-year period of the cardinal t -square. Those are the two continuums and they compliment each other.
Let’s begin with a review of the cardinal t-square. This started with Pluto’s ingress to Capricorn in 2008. It continued with Saturn’s transit to Libra in September of 2009 forming a 90-degree, or square, aspect to Pluto. Finally, Uranus and Jupiter crossed over to Aries just weeks ago, opposing Saturn and forming their own square to Pluto. Over this last week the Sun and Mercury crossed into the sign of Cancer, temporarily transforming the t-square into a very tight grand cardinal cross that was compounded by the lunar eclipse with the Sun in the 5th degree of Cancer, and opposed by the Moon in early Capricorn. This amounted to a crescendo of sorts but not by any means the end of the symphony.
One of the things that distinguishes the cardinal t-square is that it is a continuous aspect. This is not only because it involves slow-moving planets. As has been the case with Pluto and will soon be the case with Saturn, the transit of Uranus and Jupiter across the cardinal point takes place more than once. In all four cases the first ingress to the respective cardinal sign was soon followed by a retrograde into the previous mutable sign before finally settling in for a long cardinal transit. This has functioned to make the orbits of influence moot as the respective cardinal points are activated successively and in turn, over and over again.
This has served to prolong the corresponding synchronicity of a transit into or out of the first degree of a cardinal sign. The personal and political are one, and by implication, all human beings are one. It is no longer functional to compartmentalize our personal and public lives with different standards of behavior for each compartment. We are being compelled to integrate ourselves individually and collectively, presenting the same face to all, realizing that for all intents and purposes, we all wear the same face — that of a human being. It’s as if we are being given the opportunity to get acclimated to a new way of being, a new form of human consciousness so that it becomes second nature.
By extension, it is worth noting that Chiron is in the midst of a similar process between a fixed and mutable sign, going back and forth between Pisces and Aquarius. Like a rock skipping across a pond, Chiron is prolonging the contact on the interface between the last degree of one sign and the first degree of the next. This gives us time to get a feel for the edge, the border, the threshold, before starting a new phase. That Chiron is doing the same dance as the cardinal point planets is extraordinary and beyond coincidence. It seems to add a spatial parallax helping us to appreciate the depth of our time. Chiron writes a counterpoint to the harmony, providing needed complexity to address the requirements of specificity we face.
An eclipse cycle represents another kind of continuity born of the lunar nodes. The moon does not orbit around the earth in the same plane that the earth orbits around the Sun. If it did, every New Moon would be a solar eclipse and every Full Moon would be a lunar eclipse. Rather, Luna’s orbit around our planet is inclined to that plane called the ecliptic by about five degrees. The places where the Moon’s orbit intersects the ecliptic are called the lunar nodes.
There are four fundamentals of the lunar nodes to consider for our purposes today. First, they are not stationary; they move. The day-to-day detail of the movement is a bit of an oscillation but, in sum and over time it is functionally a retrograde movement. Second, the node that corresponds with the Moon moving above the ecliptic is called north (now in Capricorn). Third, the intersection point where Luna moves below the the ecliptic is called south (now in Cancer). Finally, the nodes exist in opposition to each other – the ultimate continuous aspect.
It is this perpetual opposition that invests the lunar nodes with their fundamental astrological property, that of having to do with the phenomenon of relationship. The north node is related to the future and the state of participating in its creation. The south node is interpreted as having to do with the past and dealing with its consequences. The aggregate retrograde movement implies a continuous review of the present.
When the Moon is at the full or new phase while at the same time being in the vicinity of a node, an eclipse takes place. The timing of the Moon’s orbit is such that a second eclipse of the complementary kind will inevitably take place when Luna’s orbit reaches the next node. Thus eclipses take place in pairs and the period between them takes on a quality of one continuous thing with a beginning and an end. One could call that a story or perhaps a song, but a very powerful one because things having to do with relationships are never quite the same again after the story or song is over. Things having to do with relationship are reset, rebooted and not by the eclipses themselves but by the synchronistic events that take place during that in-between time — events that you and I participate in. Hence we contribute to and must take responsibility for the new pattern that emerges.
So how do the two continuums — the eclipse cycle and the cardinal point t-square — connect? The answer is to be discovered and created over the next two weeks, informed by more ephemeral aspects and transits along the way. Today, there are two aspects that give us a good start.
The first is Mars in Virgo, applying in sextile (60 degrees) to the south node and trine (120 degrees) to the north node. Sextiles encourage and trines enable. Mars spurs us to action. The aspects of the cardinal t-square call for action. Hence, Mars bridges the two continuums, encouraging us to respond to the long term imperative of the t-square by first acting in the sphere of our relationships. In other words, act locally on what is your personal now but in the framework of a global and long term intent.
The second of today’s aspects to take into consideration is the conjunction of the Sun and Mercury opposing Pluto. This connects with the long term integration process implied by the cardinal t-square. It also relates to the concept of relationship implied by the astrological paradigm of opposition, the lunar nodes. Like Mars today it informs us that we must begin with ourselves and in our personal relationships. Begin by acknowledging the light of our rational and conscious mind represented by the Sun and Mercury, and the dark, irrational but creative side represented by Pluto, integrating them with an eye on the long term and the big picture.
So that’s the message today. It begins with the personal by providing space inside ourselves for that which we are proud of and that with which we are not comfortable. Then, acting consciously on that awareness, integrating both sides. Carrying that process over to our personal, everyday relationships, we are creating a foundation from which to expand that practice out into our communities, our tribes and the world as a whole. We don’t have time for a let down. We have our work cut out for us.
Offered In Service
I chopped some of the cilantro really fine with some shredded garlic clove and a bit of salt and mixed it into some of that wonderful Greek Yogurt and used it as a dip for the taquitos. OMG, SO GOOD! I don’t know if the Ghosts are guiding me or just regular rebellion against my usual better quality diet, but I’m enjoying it completely.
Fe,
Sounds like the perfect way to experience oppositions; just a different perspective. And it’s all good! Planting little thought-seeds too. I’m happy for you and was pretty sure you were on the right track all alongl.
Hazel,
I, like Moonrose, would have enjoyed that trip to the grocery with you. Hope that chinese food tastes great!
be
Thanks, Len. That helps a lot. Much appreciated.
I have read that the True and Mean nodes are two different ways of calculating the Moon’s North Node. And on the chart I have, it shows the dragon head next to both the mean node and the north node. So I’m still a little confused, but not as much. I’ll do a little more research as I thought I had the nodes downpat already!
To calculate my south node from my true/mean node, I’m guessing I would just add 180 degrees and that would give me the sign and house placement. The sign being six signs away (6 x 30 degrees) but the house will not necessarily be six houses away. Thanks!
xo
moonrose
PS. Thanks Fe!
Gary B,
You have given me a lot to think about. . . again! Thanks for that and I can say that while this hot degree of 0 Leo is not the primary celestial picture, it does appear to play a strong supportive role in the transformation and consciousness raising of earthlings. This is demanded by the cardinal t-square which is giving us several years to evolve into the kind of people who will love and care for this planet as well as each other.
There are a couple of things that support your feeling of this being a long term crisis in addition to what you have mentioned. Last July there was a total solar eclipse at 29 Cancer 27 with the south node (letting go) at 0 Leo 13. Pluto was in a pretty tight quincunx at 1+ Capricorn (rx) to 0 Leo and the famous triple conjunction of Neptune, Chiron and Jupiter were bunched at 24-25 Aquarius, 2 degrees from exactly conjunct the U. S. Moon. I for one, don’t remember just what was happening at that time, but it could have set in motion the Gulf disaster.
Also, in the U.S. progressed (Sibly) chart the asteroid Pelion (progressed) is at 0 Leo 50 something and is retrograde. I don’t know how long this will be the degree where Pelion resides but it is bound to be lengthy. One of the ways Phil Sedgwick refers to Pelion is “Sacred Space”. I can see this spot where the oil rig sank as being thought of that way in the future.
Also transiting Neptune will spend over 4 months on 0 Pisces, starting in April next year and, like Mars did at 0 Leo, station and go retrograde. His return back to Aquarius will bring him to within a degree of the U.S. Moon before going direct. He will park at that degree (28+ Aquarius) for over 4 months also, tying these two points together.
So, yes, final resolution to this crisis looks like it could be a long time off, but eventually we will move on. If we can just get the healing started, for the sake of Mother Earth, it will be a huge relief from the pain of watching the daily death and destruction that we live with now. Baby steps, but forward moving baby steps.
be
Moonrose-Len:
You’re right, my bad.
My natal NNode in Cap is in the 11th House, not the tenth, while my south Node is still in the 5th in Cancer.
moonrose,
Cancer is the fourth house.
Aries first.
Taurus second.
Gemini third.
Cancer fourth.
Cancer and Capricorn are opposing signs.
The lunar nodes are in opposing signs.
Signs are equal in size (30 ndegrees apiece). Houses are not. Signs are the outsider part of the wheel. Houses are the inside “spokes”. Houses on a hoary chart are affected by latitude/longitude/time. North, South, true and mean nodes mean different things.
`K?
-Len
Slowin’ down……need to slow down….too much aries or somethin’ in this little fish:
Chiron “returnin” was not the right idea – I had my personal Chiron Return somewhere back in Aquarius.
Rather, he is busy hovering around conjunct my natal sun.
I’ll get this yet…
xo
As always, thank you Len. Very much.
My novice impertinence (or is it a planetary alignment? 🙂 pushes me to point out that it would also appear that Hygeia is opposing Chyron at this time.
(She’s hanging out over there at the tail end of Leo with Orcus (and with MY natal Pluto, fancy that, which opposes my natal Sun which is busy with Chyron Return-ing. All that and Crosses in the Sky and more. Whee!)
It seems her presence there – opposing or balancing our famed Wounded Healer – suggests even more opportunity to bring a little of that balance into our world.
xo
I’m confused. Fe says, “My natal nodes are in Cap (north) in the 10th and Cancer (south) in the 5th” – how can that be?
Is it true that signs on a natal chart are equal in size? I do know that houses vary in size. If these are both true, then then nodes would always oppose one another in signs (ie, Cancer-Capricorn) but not necessarily houses (ie, 10th-4th). Right?
But even so, in looking at my chart it looks like opposing houses are close in size, which would cause the nodal houses to be separated by six. Is that not the case with all charts, like with Fe’s?
I’m confused. And I’ve never seen a chart print out the south node, only the mean or true node (I’m assuming the mean node is the north node?). I’ve always figured the south node was exactly opposite on the chart. On my chart, that means exactly opposite in house and sign.
Help?
MoonRose
Hazel1, I would have liked to have ridden in your shopping cart during that excursion! Were the ghosts influencing your dietary choices? 😉 Very odd, and fun, indeed. Well, if you bought any of that cinnamon or have it around, it’s really helpful with blood sugar – so add some to all that HFCS! Maybe it will help, and the food might smell better too.
I love beautiful views of far and wide. Lucky you to have them close at hand.
xo
moonrose
Yup, survived the weekend. Saturday actually had quite a peaceful feeling about it. But, my energy has been zapped – if mars was a balloon then someone certainly pricked him. Maybe all that action on my aries point mars did it. I’m feeling like hibernating but that doesn’t seem to be the most productive use of this in-between time you mention, Len, so I’ll have to resort to discipline rather than feeling and get my butt out and around friends and others.
Thanks, Len.
MoonRose
Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts, that’s what I’m swimming through, feels like. I’m so discombobulated that I was just at the grocery store buying things and I smelled this wonderful smell, since I was near the meat area I thought it might be a prepared roast of some kind. After further consideration, I remembered that it was cinnamon! I’m so out of it I forgot what cinnamon smells like! I also bought things I never buy, I always cook my food myself from scratch, this week I bought frozen things that look really good, but I’ll probably go into a high fructose hydrogenated coma. I think I’m healthy enough to handle it, physically, though. Usually Sunday is Ghost Day where everything is quiet and my mind can see a really long way forward and back and I spend most of the day outside, I live out in the country with beautiful views far and wide, so I let my mind “go” to the places far away that I see and I smell the ground under my feet, feel the sun, etc., and remember. Sometimes it’s sad, sometimes it just feels really “full”. And then I go feeling my way into the places to come, I usually look up when I do that, checking out the thunderclouds if there are any (this time of year there are). But it usually is only on Sunday that this happens, it looks like it’s carrying over into Monday too. On Saturday I worked at our flea market for our animal shelter, we made good money and people were very polite to each other, which is a novelty from many of these things that I’ve been to. I’m hoping it’s a good sign. So, I guess I’ll be swimming through ghosts of past, present and future for a bit, if we’re in the two weeks between full and new moon. It’s weird to have this feeling for such a long time, of being able to feel and see so much. It’s like when they say that Halloween is the time when “the veil” is thinnest, well, it’s turned to a wobbly saran wrap window for me and it’s not even close to Halloween. It’s not bad, really, two things I did get were cilantro and parsley to make a salad thing, I’m hoping that these two pungent, lively herbs will help me be at least a tiny bit grounded. Especially when I’m also eating taquitos, tempura shrimp things and some kind of frozen Chinese dinner thing that looked really good. Oh! And Klondike bars. I forget what else, jeez, what a trip.
Len and be:
There is something about everything I’m doing right now that feels like I’m going over the same ground but with new perspectives.
My natal nodes are in Cap (north) in the 10th and Cancer (south) in the 5th, so every choice I’ve made since birth seems to have led me to this place, and its GOOD. It doesn’t feel old. It feels different. It actually feels cohesive. For me the change is not so much in turning a completely different direction, but accepting that which was natally mine and which I’m heading to, embracing it and making something of it instead of fighting it.
Funny, of all things, I was spending the weekend with my niece, whose Cancer solar return is today. We both love to cook, and she caters with me. We talked about further ways to monetize our passion. Actually talking about raising food for the catering business at her parent’s farm.
be,
Thanks for following up on your previous thread. I am hopeful, as you are, that the wound will start to heal. However, it seems that not much seems to be resolved short term these days–Afghanistan war, energy independence, etc.– so I am looking at this crisis as a longer than expected resolution.
If you look forward to the next time transiting Mars hits the sensitive degree of 0 Leo, September 19, 2011– add to that the final activations from Uranus (trine) and Jupiter square to that degree in December 2011, while Chiron makes it last direct station in early Pisces it might be that distant date that the resolution/healing has finally arrived.
A long way off, with immeasurable damage, but the silver lining could be a financial and ecological imperative to reduce our military spending, withdraw from foreign conflicts and a massive drive to remove ourselves from dependence upon nonrenewable energy. Could Mother Earth sacrifice that much and still heal while marking our turning point? Let’s hope!
I have an interest in the areas of activation as I have natal Uranus at 1:30 Leo and natal Sun at 2:13 Libra. It will be interesting!
Gary B
Hi Len,
Thanks for reminding us of the big picture. . the big, complex picture. It does make sense when you can back off from the immediate problem and begin to understand how all the continuous problems fit together. Change is just too chaotic to comprehend when close up and in your face. And it is so very much about relationship and choices, I agree. Only time will make things clear, so I’m very glad you are here to penetrate through to the process.
On one of your reports last week I commented that the degee of 0 Leo seemed to be linked to the BP oil rig eplosion. Gary B asked if I would followup regarding the upcoming passage of mercury over 0 Leo and the Full Moon on July 25 in which the Sun would be near that degree too. I focused on these transits this weekend and have some thoughts I’d like to pass on.
To reiterate, the day the Sun went into 0 Taurus, Chiron went into 0 Pisces and less than 24 hours later the BP oil rig exploded. No other major planet aspects took place that day, April 20.
The Sun was square the 0 Leo degree and Chiron was quincunx it. Zero Leo had endured a 22 day conjunction by Mars as it slowed to station then turn direct and moved away from that degree on March 21. I believe the Sun and Chiron pressured the weekend 0 Leo degree into rupturing and releasing oil from below the earths crust.
On July 9 Mercury will reach 0 Leo. He will sextile Saturn and trine Uranus. Chiron, now retrograde will be moving away from 0 Pisces and back to Aqurius, so at this time he won’t be as intense as he was in April. Hopefully, this will mean that Mercury’s presence at this sensitive degree will bring good news regarding the containment of the oil gusher.
Oddly enough, I got 3 different listings from 3 different sources for the degree of the Full Moon on July 25; 3 Aquarius 0, 2 Aquarius 60 and 2 Aquarius 59. Curious, I read the Sabian symbols descriptions for the 3 & 4 Aquaraius degrees and the 3 & 4 Leo degrees and it appears that each of the 4 symbols is about the relationship of an individual to his or her society or as you say, his community.
In the chart for this full moon, the three oppositions between Sun and Moon (Leo, Aquarius), Uranus and Saturn (Libra, Aries), and Mercury and Neptune (Aquarius, Leo) are also symbolic of our relationships with our communities and well as one another. The 0 leo degreee has served its purpose of dramatizing the crisis between greed and need and, with Chiron no longer in Pisces, and the harmoneous relationship with Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn, this degree, 0 Leo, can finally start healing the wound.
At least that’s what I’m praying for.
be
Thank you, Len!
Sitting here with a b***h of a summer cold, which just happened to hit, oh, around midday on Saturday here in the UK. 🙂
So I’m in bed, reading my blogs, eating a very interesting elderflower pancake that Kati, our au pair, cooked up for us; doing some long-needed guided visualisations … while the sun shines outside. I feel awful, but somehow that feels good and I’m making the most of it.