Today is Friday, July 15, 2011. With the Moon finally reaching its full phase at 2:39 am EDT, we had the first lunation in six weeks that was not some form of eclipse. But you may not have found recent days to be any less prickly, either personally or politically; witness the US budget standoff. The deadline for deciding whether or not to raise the country’s credit limit is August 2 — when Mercury stations retrograde — which means Congress is playing high-stakes chicken.
As the day goes on we’ll see if the Full Moon breaks the stalemate, now that Obama has put on his spurs, six-shooter and sheriff’s badge and told House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, “Don’t call my bluff.” Between the wild west White House and some prickly inter-personal exchanges lately, I think the Pima tribe was onto something when they dubbed this “The Moon of the Great Cactus.”
Whatever they had in mind, the image is perfect since we tend to externalize Full Moon energy, and cactuses — for us, at least — are all about those sharp bits on the outside. Cactuses present a clear boundary between inner and outer; that is less and less so in the interpersonal human realm. It’s a concept that has been called into question more and more since the eruption of the Internet in recent years. In fact the Rupert Murdoch / News of the World scandal is proving beyond doubt, and with a particularly Capricorn twist, there is no distinction between public and private anymore.
This is an uncomfortable place for most of us to be. But as many have noted, one way to make being seen or being known for who we are less traumatic is to present ourselves authentically to all people in all situations. I’m not saying that what reporters did at NoTW is okay or that the victims of their tactics should not be upset. I’m saying being angry that someone was snooping and feeling ashamed of who we are or what we’ve done are two different things.
Of course, being authentic means we first have to see into ourselves and recognize all aspects of our ourselves without shame, and this is not necessarily easy. Our culture isn’t going to hand our wholeness to us — we need to claim our own inner territory first. As mentioned recently, this is a message coming from many places in the sky right now, most strongly from the Varuna-Eris aspect brought to light by the Full Moon. Varuna is conjunct the Sun in Cancer, and Eris is in late Aries squaring both Sun-Varuna and the Moon in Capricorn. That square in particular brings into focus gender integration, and its companion aspect of Mercury in Leo opposite Vesta in Aquarius adds a special flavor.
Mercury is generally thought of as androgynous. The Vestal Virgins who tended the sacred flame in the temple of Vesta vowed to remain chaste for the 30 years of their service. This opposition between the sign of the Self and the sign of the collective, then, indicates a special message regarding this process of presenting a whole, authentic self to the world. It suggests that making contact with our inner male and inner female asks us to let go of sex roles. We don’t have to give up sex; this is about seeing the insistence on traditional sex roles as the divisive war that it is — and seeing how it is being exploited, to the detriment of everyone.
You don’t need to go out and buy a magic wand for this. But you do have to pay attention, listen, give yourself some space and allow those around you theirs. Just as the opposition of a Full Moon is polarizing, so too is standing in your full truth in a roomful (or world full) of people who don’t and can’t even conceive that it’s possible. Not everyone currently in your life is going to jump for joy when they start to notice how bold you are in stark contrast to their fear — at least not immediately. But you never know who you might inspire simply by your being you, and those who are waking up to their power will be glad to see you standing with them.
Be myself. That’s priceless, Amanda. Perfectly written. Yet this time of being myself and seeing my whole self has me dealing with all the old fears of being selfish and manipulative. Is it selfish to do something that helps another “do the right thing” even as I and my family benefit from that? Is it selfish to use my intelligence to help someone do the right thing? I feel the sting of inner censure; the fear of being wrong because it benefits me as well as the other person. Will I encounter bad karma because in doing this thing I am benefiting my kids? Is it ever ok to use influence to help someone if it also helps you? I question my motives every day.
::::sigh:::: A year ago, I would never have even thought to do this because I would have felt it was wrong. Yet that was the old, “never ask for anything, even when I have a need” me. The new me is asking and getting and still feeling guilty for even asking.
That’s what Jupiter in my eighth house, trine Pluto in my 12th and opposition Neptune in my 2nd house feels like even as Chiron sits atop my Sun in my 6th house while that Cappy full moon is just past my natal Cappy moon but in the 6th house (whereas that natal moon is in my 5th house). Transiting Pluto is in my 4th house and trans Uranus is in my 7th. I have a LOT of stuff going on right now! Thanks for your insights!
It is just uncanny what un -forseen benefits a Jupiter transit can do for a person.
This is so good
wings — sounds like your name says it all. keep flying — you’re not actually flying solo at all.
i’m a taurus sun, but i’m coming to learn my pisces MC may have a hand in my creative endeavors.
Amanda – you’re such an amazing photographer and writer. What sign are you?
I’m with Burning River on that quote and in fact a friend emailed me the quote (as if I don’t read PW every day) and said this is you now and it has made some people in my life very uncomfortable. But it feels so good to stand solid and speak from the core, centered with no emotional “charge” on things.
actually, it’s great on any part of the anatomy. just an all around super massager. 🙂
This reminds me of a pix I took at a sex toy party where I gathered all the dildos together for one shot. very amusing.
Thanks, Amanda – for the magic and the massage-to-the-spirit.
bc — that occurred to me hours after i posted it. that idea does not embarrass me at all, but i have to say the one time i turned one of those on in a store, it scared the crap out of me! waaaaaaaaay to intense for my tastes, and the thought of buffering with a folded towel as some recommend does not appeal to me at all — totally the wrong texture for this picky taurus!
Your photo makes me think of the Hitachi Magic Wand, of course! 😀
“Just as the opposition of a Full Moon is polarizing, so too is standing in your full truth in a roomful (or world full) of people who don’t and can’t even conceive that it’s possible. Not everyone currently in your life is going to jump for joy when they start to notice how bold you are in stark contrast to their fear — at least not immediately. ”
Your entire article is so articulate and “well said”, Amands. But I pulled this Quote out as the by-line of my life if a picture were taken of it at the moment. Referring all the practical human realities as you do to our present overhead cast of players is very strengthening to me to stick to this summers’s course. You and your articles, my dear, are highly valued and importnat to my life right now. May all this energy you are supplying your readers return to you in warm waves.
BC – thanks go to eric for the “game of chicken” metaphor. it’s amazingly apt.
Hi Amanda, I particularly enjoyed this one, thanks!
“The deadline for deciding whether or not to raise the country’s credit limit is August 2 — when Mercury stations retrograde — which means Congress is playing high-stakes chicken.”
Oh gee whiz. As if the stand-off wasn’t nerve-wracking enough.
“Mercury is generally thought of as androgynous. The Vestal Virgins who tended the sacred flame in the temple of Vesta vowed to remain chaste for the 30 years of their service.”
Funny you reminded me of that. I have Vesta at the very top of my chart in a tight conjunction with Mercury, my chart ruler. Just over a year ago I turned 30, and my life since then has been a kind of highly traumatic coming-out process, as though my term of service is over and now it’s time for me to enter the world, but in many ways I feel like I’m starting from scratch — far less experienced in worldly ways than my years suggest, but likewise and paradoxically far wiser. I say this as someone who already went through a sexual coming-out process 10-12 years ago (I transitioned from female to male), but this one feels different, like a higher-level reiteration. I thought it was just a delayed Saturn return (which I didn’t much notice at age 28-29 when it happened), but now I wonder if it’s not connected to the Vesta placement. Huh. Would be curious to hear if anyone else with a strong Vesta had a similar experience at age 30.
For me this full moon has felt like a great big push forward — and I do mean push, as though from without. Like being shoved into the light, but it feels good and warm. I definitely felt it building all week.
half — egoless? not sure what you mean… unless it’s the lack of byline you’re referring to? in any case, i think i did better with yesterday’s, though writing that one at midnight was quite a challenge.
len — thanks, though i tend to set the camera on “automatic” and cross my fingers. i can take no credit here for technical mastery, but i let myself play and who knows what may be drawn into the equation when play is at hand!
I applaud loudly in your direction ! Own who you are, faults and all. To hell with those who judge. That’s their issue. Not yours.
I love you’z guys !
Amanda,
Once again a skillfully lit and cropped photo of challenging subject matter. Once again deserving separate appreciation and thanks. Timely and evocative artistry.
Amanda,
What Half said and more. You deserve a standing ovation for this one. Thank you for the smile and the thoroughly satisfying read.
An egoless masterpiece! But is there really no ‘i’ in Capricorn? 😉
Great work. Let’s have even more… soon