A Full Moon of Innocence, Consciousness, and Action

Monday evening’s Full Moon in Cancer, taking place at the eleven-plus degree of the sign, makes a grand trine with Neptune and with Mars, all in the middle of Water signs. Jupiter in Scorpio is conjunct Mars, an aspect that will perfect on January 6th. Also Mercury is in forming trine with Eris and Uranus in Aries, giving us a few days of more awake exposure to the rebellious Feminine Warrior within us, aligned with spiritual rather than mundane necessity. The Sun and Moon in opposition closely aspect Venus, within a mere two degrees, which is powerful. And yet her very proximity to the Sun also blinds us to some part of her function. The Sun in mid-Capricorn makes a close sextile to Neptune in Pisces, signature of illusion and also brilliant optimism and idealism, having to do perhaps with career moves, and also with the needs of the domestic, private, and family oriented realms represented by that strongly highlighted Moon in Cancer. This is therefore a moment in time that encourages right action with a spiritual bent that will lead you toward your deepest soul desire, and the fulfillment of the personal evolution already somehow planned by the visionary activity of your Higher Self.

As mentioned above, Venus is quite prominent this first half of January. Venus is exalted in gentle Pisces, which is a far cry from the practical and austere Capricornian locale where she currently finds herself. There is a darkly transformative energy to Venus right now, about to cross Pluto’s path in Capricorn, one week hence, an aspect finding its perfection in the timing of the January 8th Last Quarter Moon. The power differential, much publicized in recent months, that has unfortunately ruled sexual connection in any workplace where too great a discrepancy in authority and influence has existed between men and women will undoubtedly get another and more deeply felt going over. The implications are there as well for all of our connections with each other, sexual or otherwise. Leonard Cohen ably described such everyday dynamics in his epic “Democracy is Coming to the U.S.A.” when he imaged “the homicidal bitchin’ that goes down in every kitchen/ concerning who will serve and who will eat.” During the initial two weeks of January, especially in the January 8th timing, we will be especially sensitive to all aspects of the hidden motivations underlying interpersonal relationship.

That this Full Moon comes on the very first day of a new year is also of course quite poignant. All individuals everywhere are hoping for the world to somehow hew more closely to their wishes, whether for prosperity, their freedom, greater available love, or world peace. This is very much in keeping with the strongly Neptunian tenor of these times, and of this Full Moon in particular. We now have our ideals on full display. We are also subject to the illusion of an easy path to our innermost wishes, even though Saturn, newly arrived in his home sign of Capricorn, is telling a different story. As this second decade of the 21st century draws nearer to its close, the future that we want to see emerging is doable, and as singer-songwriter Paul Simon says, “only a motion away,” but it will take lots of hard work on the part of everyone to see it through.

The other interesting outer planet combination, as we look out over the coming year, would be the Eris-Uranus conjunction in Aries, at present quite close. Less than two degrees separate these two outer planets, and just as they were both triggered by the New Moon configurations of late 2017, this remains true, for Eris especially, as they separate over the first half of 2018. This month is the closest that they will be in their conjunction for many centuries, and regarding this “world transit” (to use the term popularized by noted astrologer Richard Tarnas) the effects are valid until fifteen degrees, or the year 2020. This is also when massive societal shifts are presaged by the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of January, and the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in November of that year, which happens to be an election year here in the U.S. Leading up to that time, and especially over this year of 2018, one important theme is thus that of Eris in combination with Uranus. This strongly boosts the rebellious and progressive, future-seeking vision of Uranus, as reflected in the massive Resistance movement current in today’s politics, and also creates an emphasis on the Eris principle of the woman warrior, that is to say, of deliberate, forceful, and definitive activity in support of deep soul-level values. It is high time, and very nearly beyond high time, for each of us to take a stand for what we deeply and most sincerely believe, beyond all doubts and in spite of what others around us might think, or prevailing consensus attitudes attempt to contradict.

The Sabian Symbols for this Full Moon shed some light on this concept from a different angle. They are, for the Sun in the twelfth degree of Capricorn, “A student of nature, lecturing” in which we might be able to recognize a symbol for Natural Law. Marc Edmund Jones refers to, “direct fulfillment in consciousness,” and “self-confidence through … effective self-direction.” For the Moon we find the somewhat more mysterious “A Chinese woman nursing a baby with a message.” This seems especially apt as we begin what will be an important new year. Jones has, “Life gains significance to the extent that each person embraces the totality of [their tribe] in their own make-up, or seeks to embody universal values.” He goes on to state, “the degree is a gift for bringing the more Godlike resources of self to a point of real community service.” Indeed we are all, at some level of our awareness committed to the values promoted by our own Higher Self, though at times these are almost entirely hidden from our conscious mind. When we can find the way to develop them wisely we are acting out of the heart of our true nature, and becoming of real pragmatic service to our family, our culture and our world.