A First Quarter Moon of Structural Transformation

Monday’s First Quarter Moon in Aquarius represents not only a significant follow-up to the dynamic Scorpio New Moon of October 30th, but also a very strong hit of outer planets Saturn and Pluto, in aspect to the Sun and Moon, and to each other, symbolic of major structural change taking place in our lives. This refers as well to greater recognition of those changes that we must acknowledge as already underway. The outer planet conjunction of Eris and Uranus is also featured, being separated, still, by less than a degree, and aspected in this quarter moon configuration by Mercury and also by Venus. The Sun and Moon being located in the middle degree of the fixed signs Scorpio and Aquarius, known to be power degrees, make this a particularly strong configuration, as do the positions of Saturn and Pluto, occupying the 15-degree mark of the signs between the Sun and Moon, namely Sagittarius and Capricorn, therefore not only exactly aspected by the Sun and Moon but found in a semi-sextile with each other, and as well in close parallel alignment. This entire arrangement is of considerable import as we struggle to define our goals, at deep levels, and also attempt to understand the obstacles that we have to making these more concretely realizable in our lives. We are encouraged to push through to what most clearly resonates with deep soul intention, rather than what is easy or popular, or going along with the normative behavior of the surrounding collective.

With Pluto so greatly highlighted, the transformation that we find ourselves in the midst of is carrying on apace, and with the Sun involved we are becoming more aware of existing conditions that we might have been busy brushing under the rug. While it is always a good idea to ask questions of yourself regarding who you are, and where you might be going, now might be an even more important timing — taking a big picture viewpoint into account — to seek answers to these important questions. If you can accept it that some part of your life is irrevocably changing, you might want to inquire about what part that would be, and how you can come to see the metamorphosis that you are in as being a beneficial factor for your best long-term interest. How does what you are attempting speak to your most deeply held values? Where is it that you are truly headed?

It is necessary now for all of us to take a closer look within ourselves for what we truly desire, as aligning with the core beliefs at the very deepest layers of our being. This powerful placement of Eris is asking nothing less of us than all that we have got.

The highlighted position of Eris in this configuration is strong. Mercury makes a partile aspect to Eris, an inconjunct or quincunx, while Venus is in trine, since a few days back and now fading. This trine aspect between Venus, representing what we value, together with Eris-Uranus, symbolizes an interesting state of mind, implying that our admiration is high now for anyone who by quirky and individually derived action, stands up for what they most deeply believe. In truth, at times the situation seems to call for such determined action, when forces conspire against you and you have bottom-line values that you feel are being violated. An example from the headlines is the protest against the oil pipeline construction that is going on at Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, where the very name of the place conveys the concept of standing up to powerful foes that are in pursuit of an outcome that you in actuality cannot abide. The resistance to this pipeline, intended to carry the dirtiest type of shale oil and passing through lands sacred to local Native American traditions, also tunneling under a river that supplies their water, with what they consider to be inadequate safeguards, has captured the imagination and the protest in solidarity of millions of people across the world. Because of the strong position of Eris-Uranus in these next two lunations, further intensity of developments over the course of these next two weeks can be expected.

The Sabian Symbols for this First Quarter Moon might shed further light on the tenor of the times. For the Sun, in the 16th degree (15+) of Scorpio, the symbol is a pleasant one: “A girl’s face breaking into a smile.” Marc Edmund Jones references, “the need to share any true essence of selfhood,” a theme that has been discussed in the preceding paragraphs. He goes on to state that, “No ultimate values can be cloistered forever in the depths of self … [one can even employ] the simple things of life for surmounting momentary obstacles to self-fulfillment.” For the Moon, in the same degree of Aquarius, we find: “A big-businessman at his desk.” This symbol is ironic, for while we can see in its essence an emblem of excellence in striving, it also today holds a resonance of the steam roller effect, at times, of big business run amok. Jones calls this degree “effective self-realization” and also has, “the position [that] an individual may win among his fellows requires a constant attention to his [or her] fundamental interests through the ebb and flow of circumstances.” Indeed we must constantly monitor all of our actions to see if we can successfully determine to what end they are tending. Only those that match our deepest intention will pass the test of ultimate usefulness for our soul’s continuing evolution. As American poet Robert Frost puts it “Only when love and need are one/ And the work is play for mortal stakes/ Is the deed ever really done/ For heaven and the future’s sakes.”