A Last Quarter Moon of Intensity and Transformation

This coming Monday, October 17th, at 10:15 am on the best coast, later in the day for points east, we will have the Last Quarter Moon in Cancer, which is also the last major lunation preceding the partial solar eclipse of October 25th. This latter can be paired this fall eclipse season with the extremely powerful total lunar eclipse of November 8th – in fact corresponding to election day here in the U.S. – with influence extending to the end of the 2022 year, and beyond. This Last Quarter Moon is itself quite a potent configuration, signaling the end of Mercury’s retrograde shadow period, and with a flamboyant very nearly partile grand cross featuring Sun, Moon, Eris and Pluto. This is therefore an entirely transformational configuration with a strong level of intensity in the transforming. Eris represents taking a stand for whatever it is that you most deeply believe, while the Pluto factor implies radical metamorphosis, butterfly out of caterpillar, leaving behind what no longer serves you in your quest. We in fact find Sun, Moon, and Eris, all in separate cardinal signs, each at precisely 24 degrees respectively of Libra, Cancer, and Aries, while Pluto at 26 Capricorn is closely opposed by the Moon and squared by Sun and Eris. This is an extremely potent grand cross configuration. The Sun is also within 2 degrees of a conjunction to Venus at 22 Libra, further spicing things up, as Venus trines Saturn. Then, too, dour and limiting Saturn remains in close square with the antithetical archetype of Trickster Uranus, in mid-Taurus, the cosmic joker who will do or say anything just to shake things up.

What this all implies is personal transformation on a grand scale, plus the continued structural transformation of the society that surrounds us. We might look for evidence of this latter as the cataclysmic U.S. election approaches. Even though things have been quite dicey in the national and world headlines over the past several weeks, we can expect things to grow noticeably even more intense from now until the end of the year.

In other factors of this upcoming Last Quarter Moon configuration, Mercury is past its shadow period, at least. This has been a potent retrograde period, even in the gradually growing calm of the passing of Mercury’s retrograde shadow, that is coincidentally finally over with in this same timing. We are therefore emerging from a period of questioning and potential course correction, perhaps in many areas of our lives, and are ready to set sail for what is likely to be a powerfully stressful and ultimately decisive fall and winter.

With Saturn additionally in square with Uranus, representing the collision of conservative holding back versus innovation, there is added intensity. We are seeing this most poignantly expressed in the chasm between right wing and left wing in the United States at this time, and all over the world, with an unknown resolution. In some ways the right is a reaction to the depth of current changes, holding back from going too fast, too far, and of course there needs to be a balance. Not everything that is novel is going to be viable. We need that sense of caution in our own individual lives, and in regard to the society. It also might be of interest to reflect that while Saturn represents the past, and paying homage to existing and perhaps overly rigid tradition, Uranus is more about the unknown future that is aborning. A very wise astrologer, Jan Spiller, once told me that between Saturn and Uranus in collision, Uranus wins. But it does take time.

So what to do in the face of overwhelming change coming down upon us? Why of course we must not despair but rather do our best to make the decisions that are the right for us, in the light of our principles and values, keeping our bearings. Optimism helps, along with our utmost sincerity, and the faith that the Universe has our backs no matter what. The future is ours to create.

A Last Quarter Moon of Intensity and Transformation

Solar Return Report

Chart for the Last Quarter Moon on October 17, 2022

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November 2024