We relieve the tension only to find out the master’s name.
— Jon Anderson and Steve Howe from “Close To The Edge”
The first quarter square from the Cancer Moon to the Aries Sun at 8:32 am EDT Thursday will likely find you feeling some sort of edge. What type will depend, in part, on how the day is approached. Anticipating the sharp and precipitous will increase chances of such an encounter. An alternative focus will contribute to an alternative outcome.
In the sky, the luminaries are at right angles during the lunar first quarter. On the zodiac, the same is true, placing the Sun and Moon in signs that share the same quality.
On the zodiac circle, any four signs sharing the same quality (cardinal, fixed or mutable) are positioned at right angles to each other. Four right angles define a geometric square.
That is how objects in the same degree of different signs that share the same quality are said to be in square aspect to each other. Square aspects often translate to being in conflict with yourself, in the nature of the objects involved. The luminaries correlate to consciousness. The Moon for where you come from, the Sun for where you are going. Hence, any first quarter Moon represents inner tension on your way from one place to another. Because inner tension is uncomfortable, square aspects get a bad reputation as something to be dreaded. That reputation is not useful.
Dreading square aspects often results in needlessly ascribing your inner tension to others, who in turn, lose empathy with where you are coming from, and compassion for where you are going. That predicament solves nothing and stunts your personal growth, to say nothing of the damage done to others. Discerning the conflicts that originate within you as your own is an essential first step for turning tension into growth and avoiding damage.
The second step is to act with just as much discretion. Fatigue challenges both prudence and action, and that is what distinguishes this week’s first quarter Moon from most luminary squares, because it will find the Sun and Moon in the last two degrees of their respective cardinal signs.
When an object in direct motion reaches the final few steps of traversing any given sign, it is said to be in the ‘anaretic’ degrees. Anaretic positions often correlate with evidence of fatigue in areas of your life that correspond to the character of that which is in motion, and the field it is reaching the end of. This is usually most evident when Sun and Moon are the parties in question.
For the Moon, it is subtle but detectable. Keep track of your recurrent need for a bit of distraction or play every two or three days, and check the lunar position. You will likely find that the need is aroused just before the Moon shifts into a new zodiac sign. In the Sun’s case, the anaretic fatigue is even more pronounced because it builds over the course of a month.
By the time solar Aries draws to a close on Friday, it is a safe bet that even its natives will have had their fill of its tableau. Just observe your own recent reactions to those who interject, interrupt or disrupt to draw attention to themselves, and you will have a good example. Yet, allowing the self-involved to make you less self aware is to go over the edge with them. That’s how your approach to this particular first quarter Moon becomes important.
Not every edge is sharp or the prelude to a long fall. Some, such as the edge of a river, are the threshold of refreshment and conveyance to another realm. If your focus this week is to look for that type of boundary, you will enhance your chances of finding where all tensions and conflicts resolve into the nothing that prevails wherever and whenever everything flows together. Be there on time Thursday, with awareness, and you will have mastered your own ferry from the edge you came from to the edge of where you really want to go.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
hey, thanks for the props Daniel! technically, that is my mom’s sage advice to me, especially when I get stuck in fear and negativity – always a reminder to focus on the love, not the fear of a situation because you will attract whichever you focus on most. i’ve also found it’s a big, if not THE BIG lesson in TRUSTing, especially in times of such uncertainty, which is something many of us in Western society have a hard time with considering the “certainty” we’re fed about life on a daily basis. Cheers to All in the process! ♥☮♫
For strawberry laughter……..all paths lead nowhere but the meaning which you give the end, so free yourself of worry about the outcome! Blessings on your journey.
Strawberry, you are so welcome. What you’re describing about fear, I know so well. What a powerful, completely useless waste of energy it is. And yet so motivating too, as you suggest.
Thank you, Daniel. I’ve been looking at this fear & realizing it’s everywhere in my life–kind of like a subfloor in the house, it’s so fundamental to how I see things. Then I ran across a brilliant (because aren’t they all) article of Eric’s on the 12th house and Mars, where he says “Mars in the 12th, in particular, can also signify a lot of fear clouding over one’s life; fear to the point of paranoia.” I almost jumped out of my chair thinking THAT’S ME! Totally. I’ve been looking for Mars everywhere, unable to find him, and here he is–underfoot. Haunting me like some Edgar Allen Poe-ian specter. This has the power to change things, I can feel it. Because if he’s in the subfloor, it’s up to me to decide whether his hints are haunting or supporting me. I’m so glad I spoke up yesterday, and thank you all for your perspectives!
Strawberry! Thank you for sharing! I’ve been a little consumed at work but I just wanted share something really quick. I agree so much with Len’s perspective. I have tried my best at doing this type of story shift. For so long, I’ve felt a certain aggressiveness/dominance against or at me in relationships, partly because of my natal chart and partly the current transits, and of course my own crap. What I’m trying my best to do is be the activator instead of the activatee. To seize opportunities rather than have them inflicted upon me. As Stormi wrote, to “shift the crystal” and see life from a different energy dynamic – will often open doors in the process. I’m not sure it this helps but I just wanted to offer it in case it’s helpful or affirming for you.
Cheers! 😉
There is so much to feast on here!
Thank you Len for such an interesting piece. full of wisdom as be says, and for highlighting the anaretic degree which has sent me back to my chart and online to find out more.
Wished I had been here earlier to join in the wonderful discussion too.
Me too! ((()))
That’s so, so true, Lizzy. I can’t remember the last time I felt like I was standing on solid ground! But I love who I am now, compared to a few years ago–I fit me so much better. I just need to put more trust into the knowledge that the only “Monster at the end of this book” (favorite childhood book) is me :-). So happy to be sharing this journey with you!
Ps I’m a Cancerian too – and think this period is really challenging many of us to let go of the desperate need to feel safe and secure, to stop being so afraid of what’s round the next corner, to open our crabby claws and let go.
Good for you strawberry! I’m delighted to have been of some help. Did me a lot of good, too, putting those words down – was speaking to myself, too!
Lizzy (and Len): Thank you for bringing up the worry & dread again. I tend to work so hard to get everything “right” that I can’t see I’m working from a self-negating position of fear to begin with. This is heavy duty advice for me, from both of you, and it speaks to something deep inside. I think I will start with some tai chi. Love to you!!
Thanks Len and good first quarter moon at all 🙂
Although the exact quarter moon is Thursday morning, Wed. will be feeling very tense and “square” as it is 4 Earthquake on the Maya tzolkin. Thoughts will be crossing other thoughts and this will be felt everywhere as tension and anxiety, unless you are an Earthquake sign on the Maya calendar in which case you may feel inspired by challenging ideas or thrilled by Danger.
There are a few sentences from a novel written by Junot Díaz, I always kept in mind: “You can never run away. Not ever. The only way out ist in.” And the more I learn about Astrology here on Planet Waves, the more I unterstand that astrology provides a beautiful, detailed map to track life through time – a guide through past, present and future – and to see more than only parts of the larger picture. But there is never, not ever a map exactly for today, for the moment we are in; todays landscapes must be traversed, seen, felt, experienced. And if there were a shelter and a storm in front of me, it´s me all on my own who has to decide about running away, taking refuge or singing and dancing in the rain.
Thank you Len, be, all for being my teacher.
Stefanie
“…allowing the self-involved to make you less self aware is to go over the edge with them.” OH, how I wish I’d been able to read this yesterday, Len – *before* the fireworks with the new Cancer roommate, and me with my Cancer Moon. A fatiguing square, yes, no doubt for both of us, and all about adjusting to a new & less than ideal shared living arrangement.
Throw into the mix transiting Uranus in exact conjunction to my natal Eris, Eris now conjunct natal Lilith & square natal Sun (how many years will I be stuck with THAT!), and the Moon now conjunct natal Vesta (sacrifice?), these are not easy days, nor months… Close to the edge indeed.
I may have just been hoist by my own petard. Damage already done. One step forward, two steps back. Sigh. Thank you as ever for putting it all into perspective. The work is mine to do.
Len, Thank you – resonance frequencies of this one came across very clear. With natal Sun and Moon square and, North Node and AC squared, and also Venus, Mars together squaring Pluto navigating energy boarders while not giving away personal power has been a big life lesson for me. As you so excellently express:
“…allowing the self-involved to make you less self aware is to go over the edge with them.”
Although the edges lately have been dissolving in better balance (maybe my natal Moon in Libra) I am feeling great floating freely on my own now. No more anchors…away!
Thank you for exquisite piece, Len. Wonderful reply to Strawberry’s questions.
Strawberry, I couldn’t begin to reply to your questions, but would like to suggest that maybe you could try to worry and dread less about what will happen in the future. This is something I have to work with a lot myself. We never know what the future will bring. You have a particularly traumatic past, so it’s even moreunderstandable in your case – but trust that that’s the past. Do things to stay grounded and present in this moment – whatever works for you, painting, walking, tai chi…. Trust in life and in the healing power of staying in present time. xxx
Yes, Len, thank you for your reply. I will work with your advice until it finds its home in me.
Many thanks
be: Thank you so very much for the benefit of your experience with timing squares. Thank you also for the gift of joy you presented by indicating that my service was found worthwhile and useful today.
Strawberry: Thank you for your question. The forst thing to consider is the power of your words. That is not to say that the term “fireworks” is “bad” or “wrong”. It is to suggest that you experiment with a different “story” and watch how that changes reality. The same applies to the “Irish wake” characterization (unless you take it to the James Joyce level), please, try a different story on for size. Next, Juno. Eric nailed how Juno indicates places or times where needs are not expressed. Look at Juno in the context of your natal chart – transiting Juno is trine your natal Juno, that indicates an opportunity to air-out your needs fearlessly, so long as you come from and appeal to the intellect. Be reasonable, receive reasonable. That includes the “story” behind yoour language. As for the houses – good to go there. The thing to do is research how other astrologers interpret houses and experiment, because houses are complex. Please don’t get stuck in the “story” of one way of interpreting a house. Get creative. Change the story, change he outcome, just like this week’s First Quarter Moon. Please, does my response address your question in a satisfactory manner?
Chief Niwot’s Son: Thank you. Bless you. Thank you. What would we do without you?
Len, from this day forth, when I read your poetic paintings of astrological portents, I will remember these words:
“Reaching out to call the color of the sky…”
– Anderson & Howe “Close To The Edge”
Speaking of squares.
Hi all. I’m wondering if anyone can give me a little guidance on how to handle some upcoming fireworks. (LOOONG post here, please forgive me!) I’ve been tracking Juno lately (mine’s at 11 Libra, so she’s been waiting patiently for me to notice her across this Pluto square for a few months now), and just in case I’m not hearing her clearly enough (which I’m not), toward the end of the month as Uranus moves into 10 Aries I find I’ve got a Cardinal grand square between those three and my natal Bacchus/Atropos in Cancer. Everybody’s at 10s or 11s. And actually, it’s effective from now through June or something. (Plus natally, I have Juno & Uranus in a 3-degree conjunction.)
So from where I sit, this looks like an Irish wake (Bacchus) for the shocking & sudden (Uranus) death (Pluto, Atropos) of my relationships. There’s gotta be a better way to see this. Because the fireworks start later this month when Jupiter crosses my Saturn, giving me LOTS of room to reconsider the structures that do & don’t work in my life.
But I want to bring the houses in, (and as I do, I gain greater appreciation for all of you at PW! I feel like my head will explode if I add one more variable here). Juno is in my (2nd) house of values, so based on my life lately, this is all about shifting the values on & through which all of my relationships operate. Pluto is in the (5th) house of play, curiosity and risks, which softens the Plutonian doom and gloom aspect of it a little, and supports sex/relating being center stage. Uranus (within 2 degrees of my Eris) is lighting a (wild?)fire under my (8th house) taboos, again supporting a restructuring of the way I view power and sex. And then Bacchus/Atropos in my (11th) house of social groups suggests…what? That all this shaking-things-up business is cause for celebration. That tearing down these barriers gets me closer to true intimacy. That I need to consciously upend these structures together with the people they involve. I don’t know. I’m pretty far out of my depth here.
What if this Irish wake in Cancer were about celebrating with compassion the largely unfulfilled and sexually damaged relationships and mores of those who’ve gone before me and have got me to where I am today as they are allowed to pass out of my life. Enlisting my ever-present Cancer Sun energy to be that “river’s edge” ushering me into and through this relational revolution.
I don’t know how you do it, Len. The squares you were looking at are not the squares I’m looking at, but this was so what I needed today.
And unless I’m stretching this Bacchus/Atropos/Cancer energy beyond what it can hold, this revolution looks less like death and more like somewhere I really want to go.
Anyone have input? Cautions? A whole new direction?
Fascinating Len; planets symbolizing a weariness with the mode – the sign they travel in towards the end. I had not thought of that until reading your offering. Each sign has a life cycle; a birth and a death, just like plants and people. How very helpful to be cognizant of this feature on a routine basis. I have a natal planet that is retrograde in the early degrees of a sign and as I grew up it “progressed” into the preceding sign ’til finally it stationed direct, and I admit to a weariness of both the energy of the planet and the sign it had backed into. How refreshing to think that in 8 years this once-retro natal planet will come back to its ‘home’ sign – wiser but with a recharged attitude. In the meantime I will approach the river’s edge with a glad heart.
As for those pesky squares, “discerning conflicts” and “avoiding tensions” is a practice put to use some time ago when I learned how much easier it was to go shopping or schedule trips to the doctor’s or dentist’s office under trines and sextiles rather than squares or oppositions. Other drivers are less anxious too, and even the lights are mostly green during those times! Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us Len.
be