A Difficult and yet Rewarding Last Quarter Moon

Wednesday's Last Quarter Moon comes at a time when families are potentially gathering all across the Western world because it is also Christmas Day, when we celebrate the birth of the divine within us all; a date that is also timed to coincide with the ancient celebration of the return of the solar light. The Solstice itself, having taken place on Saturday, December 21st, provided a very interesting configuration with Venus changing to retrograde motion on the very same day. This brought a distinct note of introspection in, especially regarding the relationships of our lives. Now, with the moment of this very special quarter moon day, we have in the heavens a grand cross forming that speaks to the issues of transformation, reactivity, and connection that will be the theme of family gatherings everywhere.

This is because as Uranus and Pluto draw near once more to their entirely transformational exact square alignment, perfecting over the early months of 2014 in the signs of Aries and Capricorn, they are each opposed, Uranus by feisty Mars in Libra and Pluto by Jupiter in nurturing Cancer. Furthermore, since Mars rules Aries, where Uranus resides, and opposes it exactly, we have an unusually large helping of impulsiveness on hand to go with the Christmas turkey. Pluto is square, within 2 ½ degrees, while Jupiter chimes in and amplifies the situation from across the Zodiac in mid-Cancer. The Moon also conjuncts Mars by mid-afternoon or early evening. There could be accident-prone situations with this lineup. This is as well an almost perfect recipe for reactivity or outbursts of anger that combined with family angst — and in many cases prior trauma — could lead to quite a scene. And yet this is also a terrific opportunity for finding another way through leading upward toward the higher self presence that we also bring to this table.

Neptune in its own sign of Pisces is also an important part of this Last Quarter Moon configuration, being sextile to the Sun and inconjunct the Moon, with Jupiter and also Mars chiming in. This numinous planetary archetype lends a certain degree of fuzziness and spaciousness to the proceedings. There could also be elements of confusion and misunderstanding between family members or others, together with a greater opportunity for sensitivity to blossom in regard to the early warning detection of how someone else is feeling. Compassion is another potential outcome, and a saving grace of this position, together with the friendly Jupiter alignment. We have the true opportunity now to rise above.

It is really all about awareness and mindfulness. If we can somehow catch ourselves, silently witnessing our reactivity, short-circuiting any outburst until we can count to ten or perhaps leave the room for a moment or two, we might be able to reflect, as a noted psychologist once stated, that "we are never angry for the reason that we think we are." In most cases the anger is stored away inside us for whatever reason, and then explodes like a volcano when a fault line breaks open allowing the spillover. Since Chiron, the Wounded Healer, is also very definitely highlighted in this Christmas Day configuration, being parallel the Moon, exactly semi-sextile and also contra-parallel with Uranus and sextile Pluto, we might well encounter the wounding implicit in these fraught circumstances. We might find also, perhaps unexpectedly, the healing. When we explore the wounds that we ourselves bear and acknowledge those of other family members or friends, we go a long way toward better connection with others around us, and at deeper levels with ourselves also.

The Sabian Symbols of the Sun and Moon in early Capricorn and Libra speak to some of these themes: for the Sun, "A party entering a large canoe" which Marc Edmond Jones relates to "an exceptional capacity for bringing all proper relationships to a point of effectiveness," while for the Moon we have "A group around a campfire." This last suggests a more natural and slow-paced way of relating; taking the time to reflect on what is really happening and what truly counts. And as far as gathering with any group of fragile and precious persons, it might be well to regard the major mission as trying our best to keep the shared canoe upright and afloat.

A Difficult and yet Rewarding Last Quarter Moon

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Chart for the Last Quarter Moon on December 25, 2013

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