A Last Quarter Moon of Discovery

Monday night after midnight, early Tuesday morning on the west coast (later if further east by the number of hours from PDT) the Last Quarter Moon perfects with the Sun in early Taurus and the Moon in Aquarius. This phase represents a period of thoughtful reexamination of everything that has come before it, and arrives in the midst of an exciting time, as we go through the wringer of the cardinal cross involving Uranus and Pluto colliding in square alignment, as are also the Sun and Moon. These potent outer planets occupy respectively the signs of Aries and of Capricorn, representing intuitional identity versus structure. As we mull things over, we are summing up more than just the past few weeks, perhaps rather the past few years, as we try to see ahead to the top of the mountain that we are currently climbing. As we — in symbolic chime with the energy of this quarter moon — meditate on our situation, we are also attempting to assess that plateau that we have reached amidst the stages of our own developmental cycle, and in the turning of the ages, as we strive as a culture toward the new beginning represented by this 21st century's second decade.

The sign of Aries represents how we self-identify, and how we move forward in a way that is consistent with our most deeply held values. Capricorn is about the very structure of our lives, rooted in tradition and cultural conditioning, and as an earth sign is particularly resistant to inevitable change. Uranus and Pluto, residing there, are shaking up these facets of life. These areas are evolving on both personal and societal levels with every hit of this storied square. Their rulers, Saturn and Mars, are also prominent, with Saturn, ruling Capricorn, and highlighted in Pluto's sign of Scorpio, characterizing another powerful symbol of transformation. Mars is moving backward now through Libra, the sign of partnership, imparting that we need the reflection of ourselves that we find in the mirror of relationship for a most useful accompaniment to our own process of growth.

Chiron, the Wounded Healer, is also powerfully invoked in this quarter moon configuration, being currently conjuncted by Venus and trined by Jupiter. The emphasis on Chiron could indicate where we are caught up in fear of the changes being thrust upon us by the tough love of a caring yet implacable cosmos, seeking to move us along on the path that we have set out on from the very beginning of this earthly existence, or perhaps going back many lifetimes. Our movement now, along lines of ultimate destiny being made available to our conscious minds, thus has a power to resonate beyond the present moment and our local social group to other times and wider spaces. The bible says that knowing the truth will set us free, but first and foremost we must discern that truth and obtain knowledge and profound understanding of who and what we are, deep inside.

In this regard it is quite interesting to examine the Sabian Symbols for the grand cross at the 14th degree of each cardinal sign, where Uranus and Pluto, Mars and Jupiter currently reside. For Uranus, in the 14th degree of Aries, we find: "A serpent coiling near a man and a woman," to which Marc Edmond Jones assigns the keyword REVELATION, referring to "the acquisition of real understanding." Opposite we have Mars, retrograde in the 14th degree of Libra, with the symbol "Noon siesta" representing recuperation, a withdrawal from the struggle, which we obviously also need at times. The symbol for the position of Pluto in the 14th degree of Capricorn is "An ancient bas-relief carved in granite," perhaps the remnant of a long-forgotten culture, which reminds us of the unchanging face of ancient wisdom to which we must constantly return. For this symbol, Marc Edmond Jones has the keyword FOUNDATION. Finally, for Jupiter, the 14th degree of Cancer signifies "A very old man facing a vast dark space to the northeast." Rudhyar adds that northeast is "the direction from which spiritual-cosmic forces enter the earth-sphere." We are, indeed, simultaneously living our life just as we are, and yet constantly tugged into greater participation within the energy of the cosmos beaming down upon us. This implies continual discovery of the intuitional knowledge that we seek, as we must, in order to ascend along our pathway toward the greater spiritual evolution that is our destiny.