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2022 Highlights
Three Supermoons in 2022
A “supermoon” takes place when two astronomical
factors come into play – during a New or Full Moon that coincides with
the lunar body approaching 90 percent of her closest distance (perigee)
to Earth. These events influence the Earth quite directly, since the Moon
has such a profound effect on the tides and organic life. New Moons
inaugurate cycles of growth, while Full Moons bring to fruition the
actions of the previous 14 days.
This year's supermoons are all full and follow each
other sequentially. In society, it will prompt a volatile summer season
with unrestrained movement followed by acceptance and stability.
Planning and organization follow, with government embracing innovative
approaches to education, child care, and social welfare.
Full
Moon June 14th
23º Sagittarius 25'
Full
Moon July
13th 21º
Capricorn 21'
Full
Moon August 11th 19º Aquarius 21'
Jupiter conjoins Neptune on April 12th (23º Pisces
59’), an event that will dramatically highlight the deceptions and
fictions that have evolved over the last 13 years, when this conjunction
last took place (2009, another pandemic year). At the same time,
progress in medical technologies will accelerate as new health hazards
are identified.
Jupiter then briefly enters Aries on May 11th,
retrogrades back into Pisces on October 28th, and returns to the domain
of Aries on December 20th. These periods signal significant efforts to
alleviate the displacement of communities caused by environmental
catastrophes.
Season of Scorpio: October 23 – November 21, 2022
Persephone
– Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882)
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Lifting the Veil
In Scorpio, life enters the cavern of hibernation, a
place where the darkness insulates us in a cocoon of transformation.
This is not a place of fear and avoidance, but an occasion for repose
and renewal. In the season of Scorpio, we may lift the veil that
separates light from dark and mortality from eternity.
The theme of entering the realm of the dead for a
season is enacted in the Orphic Mysteries, a Hellenistic tradition based
on the descent and return of Orpheus and Persephone from the underworld
back to the realm of the living. Persephone, daughter of mother-goddess
Demeter, is abducted by Hades, lord of the underworld. Though separated
from nature, she becomes queen of all souls as her mother mourns and
the Earth undergoes a fallow season. In another legend, Orpheus enters
the realm of the dead to retrieve his wife Eurydice, and is thus
empowered as lord of oracles and “caster of spells.”
We recapitulate these themes when the light of the
growing season becomes dim and the night of winter begins. At this time
the maiden transforms into the crone, the giver of life becomes the
harbinger of death. These images are distinguished in many cultures – on
October 30th with the South American celebration of El Dia de los Muertos
(“Day of the Dead”), on October 31st with the Wiccan cross-quarter of
Samhain (“sa-win”), and November 1st with the Celtic Hallowmas.
As the veil that separates the mortal from the
immortal worlds is lifted, augury and divination allow us to reinforce
the bonds we forge with the spirit realms. In antiquity, the
oracular art was practiced by sibyls and priestesses, dedicated in
subterranean temples to deities who spoke through visions and dreams.
The Pythia of Delphi, inspired by the hallucinogenic fumes of a chasm
upon which she presided, embodied this centuries-old tradition in
ancient Greece.
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Priestess of Delphi
– John Collier (1850-1934)
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Goddess Times
The witch, enchantress, and sorcerer are equally
elevated in Scorpio. We may honor Makaria (“blessed death”), daughter of
Hades who leads souls to the legendary Islands of the Blest at the end
of life. Praise may also be given to Cerridwen, shape shifter and lady
of the cauldron of wisdom, the vessel that grants inspiration, poetry,
and divine madness. And patroness of the season is Hecate, goddess of
the dark Moon and guardian of crossroads.
The Mysteries of Orpheus celebrated the soul’s
transmigration and eternal nature. One of its pre-winter observances was
the offering to Melinoe, another daughter of Hades. She is goddess of
ghosts and funerary offerings with black and white limbs, an image
similar to the Hindu Kali, goddess of change and transition. In her name
and all those who have passed through the veil, we may erect an Altar
of the Dead with bones, stones, and fallen leaves.
Goddess Offerings
Offerings to the dark goddess include pomegranate and
wreaths of palm, with incenses of Patchouli, Cypress, and Opopanax
(sweet myrrh). Her priestesses are veiled in maroon and
black, and don ornaments of bloodstone and serpentine.
The scents of Scorpio include Musk and Civet – one
legend relates that the Narcissus flower lured Persephone away from her
companions so that Hades was able to abduct her. Scorpio medicinals
include Mace, Hops, and Juniper.
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Irish Cauldron
Late Bronze Age (BCE 700)
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Cosmic Events
Standard Time returns on November 6th
The Sun enters Scorpio
on October 23rd at 6:35 am with an exact conjunction to Venus. However
favorable things may appear, Venus in this domain revisits Persephone’s
descent into the realm of Hades. Dreams become harbingers of dread, wise
resolutions are met with skepticism. This is a time to suspend personal
aspirations and be mindful of the motives and designs of others.
Jupiter in retrograde leaves ambitious Aries on the 28th for the calm of
Pisces until December 19th. This affords a period of reflection, when
reversals may occur in the public sphere.
The New Moon takes place
on October 25th at 6:49 am (2º Scorpio 00’) with a Partial Solar
Eclipse that presents new information, changing perceptions on
leadership, women’s issues, and public health. The conjunction of Sun,
Moon, and Venus rising dominates this week, indicating a flurry of news
and intelligence that empower the electorate. Jupiter retrograde in the
6th House protects public health, but the essentials of prevention and
preparedness remain deficient.
The Full Moon takes
place on November 8th at 6:02 am EST (16º Taurus 01’), bringing a Total
Lunar eclipse of 3 hours, 40 min. duration (in astrological reckoning,
this translates to a period lasting three months and three weeks). As
the Moon is eclipsed and moves to a close, volatile conjunction with
Uranus, erratic circumstances overtake expected conditions. Turbulence
in national events, inflammatory relations peak internationally, and
instability rules for the next week.
Saturn turns to direct motion
on October 23rd at 12:07 am (18º Aquarius 35’), the same day as the
Sun’s Scorpio ingress. These conditions provide resolve to leadership
and restore authority to government institutions, particularly those
that serve the needs of the disenfranchised. Obstructions remain, but
those resisting change and progress gradually lose power. Saturn
transits through the 7th House of Adversaries at the U.S. capital,
denoting a confrontation with bellicose parties and the potential for
their capitulation.
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Season of Libra: September 22 – October 22, 2022
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Mirror Handle of the Goddess Hathor
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
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Balance and Identity
As we enter the season of Libra, we cross the
threshold from individual ego to collective participation. The first six
Signs of the Zodiac signify the development of Will (Aries), Values
(Taurus), Self Expression (Gemini), Relationships (Cancer), Ego (Leo),
and Socialization (Virgo). In Libra, one enters the world of communal
interests and engagement. Throughout this season, we are prompted to
relinquish the things that serve only ourselves to find a genuine,
constructive place in the collectivity.
In ancient cultures, the Sign of Libra was sometimes
represented by the mirror, signifying the processes of reflection and
identity. Through relationships, personal and collective, we gain an
understanding of the wholeness that arrives from being a part of a
greater scheme. In Libra we learn the lessons of negotiation,
compromise, understanding, and harmony. From these experiences, our
values are shaped and continuously adapted to the changing world around
us. And so as we transition into the Sign of the Scales, it is important
to weigh our values against the transitory conditions of the hour and
be reminded that the balance in our lives can prevail against the
disharmonies of the outside world.
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Sacred Marriage
In Libra, the ideal of the hieros gamos
(sacred marriage) inspires our relationships to seek divine consonance.
This goal was enacted in ancient ritual with purification of the
couple, community acknowledgment of the union, and symbolic
consummation, intended to enrich society as well as the individual
participants. But the hieros gamos alludes to other significant unions
of opposites – the conscious Ego and the unconscious Self, the Ida and
Pingala forces of the body’s Chakra system, the Sun and Moon in
celestial life. In this time of equal day and equi nox (“equal night”), we come to know that even in seasonal terms the visible world achieves balance and equilibrium.
Goddess Offerings
The many faces of Venus, who
instills the striving for beauty and harmony, are reflected in the
Libran universe. Gardens at their fruition are governed by Libra, with
flowering plants that include the Primrose, White Rose, and Heartsease.
The Libran bounty includes the grape and olive, earliest cultivated
foods and mainstays of refined cooking.
Libran metals include Copper and
Electrum, precious materials used for casting images of the divine
consort in the ancient temples, placed on altars of Rose Granite or Pink
Alabaster from the quarries of the goddess. Before these images,
incenses of Cyprinum (Henna) and Myhrr were offered, along with wreaths
of Jasmine and Tuberose. A goddess shrine in your own space could
sustain this timeless tradition and invite her blessings to your
endeavors.
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Pharaoh MenKauRa & Queen KaMeriNebty
Egypt, 4h Dynasty
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Cosmic Events
The Sun enters Libra on
September 22nd at 9:03 pm with a Mercury conjunction , making possible a
“meeting of minds,” locally, nationally, and globally. With Uranus
rising at the U.S. capital, revelations and breaking news permeates the
airwaves. With Saturn occupying the Tenth House of the Executive, old
ways will slowly recede, as Pluto occupies the highest point at the
Midheaven, indicating transformative conditions taking place.
Other reversals are marked by the Moon’s Nodes at the Taurus ascendant,
denoting economic conditions that are not long to remain in stagnation.
This will be a memorable Autumnal Equinox.
The New Moon
takes place on September 25th at 5:55 pm (2º Libra 48’) with the
Lunation in the natural 7th House of Libra, accompanied by Mercury and
Venus. Though negotiations with enemies will be at a standstill, allies
are ready to move forward. With Jupiter in Aries, new resources are
developed and added to the arsenal of defense.
The Full Moon takes place on October 9th at
4:55 pm (16º Aries 32’) with a very close match to the angles of the
previous New Moon: early Pisces rising at the U.S. capital, Mars in the
4th House of domestic territory, and the outer planets unmoving in the
same Houses. The exception––Sun moves into the 8th House of investment
and Moon into the 2nd House of assets and commerce. There will be upsets
in these sectors, with long-term repercussions.
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Mercury turns to direct motion
on October 2nd at 5:10 am (24º Virgo 11’) with the divine messenger
rising in one of his domains, Virgo. Long term misunderstandings can be
resolved in the coming weeks, with agreements and new initiatives set
into motion. Neptune in the 7th House of Adversaries warns of deceptions
and misinformation on an international scale, while Jupiter moves
forward and continues to spread largesse to the needy. Vital legal
issues will be resolved in unpredictable ways.
Pluto turns to direct motion
on October 8th at 5:56 pm (26º Capricorn 06’), an annual event that
usually accelerates change, with last-minute decisions set in place
instead of deliberative thought. A friendly conjunction of the Moon and
Jupiter rise in the U.S. capitol, bringing favorable conditions for the
public welfare and growth in the electorate’s participation. Venus and
the Sun aligned with these factors promise fortunate conditions for the
majority.
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Season of Virgo: August 22 – September 22, 2022
Demeter and Persephone consecrate Eumolpos
into the Eleusinian Mysteries
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Nurturing and Cultivation
The season of the celestial virgin brings together
past, present, and future through the images of heavenly maiden,
guardian of hearth and home, and mother of the harvest. In Virgo, a
pantheon of goddesses from every world culture embodies these images at
this time of year. It brings a time of rest from the labors of
agriculture, of harvesting Earth’s yield, and preparing for the
hibernation of Winter. In Virgo we may experience the providence of past
efforts with the ripeness of nature in the present, and the hope of
what is to come through the roles of this season’s divinities.
In places where the goddess spirit is honored, much
is said of nurturing and cultivating knowledge in the next
generation. Though we may acknowledge these acts as essential to
communal progress, we often overlook their importance in everyday life
or leave such tasks to others.
In ancient Greece it was Demeter, mother of grain and
the seasons, who with her daughter Persephone initiated the youth
Eumolpos into the sacred science of agriculture. He then became the
legendary founder of the Eleusinian mysteries, whose descendants served
as high priests of a tradition that oversaw the annual sacred
drama of the fruition, reaping, hibernation, and renewal of life in the
harvest month of the year.
Such dramas are metaphors of both the human life
cycle and the soul’s entry into divine worlds. They remind us that
coming generations must carry the seed of our knowledge and experience, a
gift to the future that may yield a harvest of harmony and prosperity
if we scatter the kernels of our maturity wisely and cultivate it in
others unselfishly.
Whether you are a mother of experience or a
child of learning, this is a time to consider the breadth of what you
have acquired and how it may best serve the future. We tend to forget or
trivialize the hard-won lessons we have known and the wisdom that
arises from them. In the Virgo season, we may assess this reservoir of
knowledge and begin to scatter that seed for the future.
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Sacred Calendar
The Volcanalia is observed on August 23rd, a fire festival best
celebrated with the lighting of candles for those departed. The flames
represent the souls of ancestors who remain our inspirations and guides
through difficult times. This is the theme of the Japanese Obon, a
three-day celebration in mid-August that honors ancestors with the
lighting of lanterns that are placed in rivers and streams to return
their souls to heaven. It is followed by the Bon Odori, the dance of
joy.
August 24th is the
Cerealia (“cereal festival”), the Roman event honoring Ceres, goddess
of the grain harvest. By this event we honor the accomplishments of
those in our local communities, no matter how small, by sharing summer’s
bounty. And in keeping with the ancient tradition of remembering those
gone before us, we also nourish those who will carry our harvest into
the future.
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Roman goddess Ceres
– Giovanni Francesco Romanelli (1610–1662)
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Goddess Offerings
Plants governed by Virgo come from the families of digestive aids,
antiseptics and diuretics. These include Parsley, Fennel, Rosemary,
Melissa (Lemon Balm), Spearmint, and Peppermint. Scents are sweet,
flowering greenery, including Gardenia, Magnolia, and bulb flowers such
as Hyacinth and Tulip. Perfumes are Storax (Liquidamber) Lily of the
Valley, and Honeysuckle.
Most grains of the ancient world
were governed by a harvest goddess, thus the Virgo New Moon is
traditionally known as the Barley Moon. It is the most auspicious time
to prepare the Octoberfest beer from the first threshing of barley. To
native Americans, the Virgo New Moon is known as the Corn Moon, to
stargazers it is the Red Moon because the lunar body is low on the
horizon at this time of year and is colored reddish-yellow by refraction
from the Earth.
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Cosmic Events
The Sun enters Virgo
on August 22nd at 11:16 pm with Uranus rising at the U.S. capital. With
Aquarius ruling the 10th House of leadership and executive office, this
season’s environment is dominated by surprise events, disruptions, and
rebellion. The progressive agenda ascends, but not without resistance
and opposition. We also find Saturn posited in the 10th House, and while
he occupies his natural domicile, the weight of tradition and
convention slow the restless evolutionary spirit. Pluto in the 9th House
of the Judiciary resolves the struggle.
The New Moon
takes place on August 27th at 4:17 am (4º Virgo 03’) with the Lunation
taking place in the 2nd House of Assets at the U.S. capital. This
signifies a new direction in the accumulation of goods and services, the
prospect of growth for infrastructure, land development, and tangible
goods. American farming and manufacturing will benefit from subsidies
and increased demand.
Conditions for allies do not fare so
well. Saturn in the 7th House of partner countries shows hardship, with
a few changes in leadership that will present challenges and delays in
assistance. Mars moving into the 11th House of Legislature promotes
animosities, though none are long lasting.
The Full Moon
takes place on September 10th at 5:59 am (17º Pisces 41’). This Harvest
Moon will not be widely celebrated as the beneficial conclusion of a
planting season that produced so many expectations since the Spring
Equinox. Nevertheless, as the Sun and Moon straddle the horizons on this
day at the U.S. capital and beneficial policies can now move forward.
Prosperity is acknowledged and the public mood is raised.
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Season of Leo: July 22 – August 22, 2022
The star Sirius
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Goddess Appearing
The hottest time of the year in the northern
hemisphere coincides with a forty-day period when Sirius (alpha Canis
Majoris in the constellation of the Great Dog) rises with the Sun.
Hence, this time is known as the “Dog Days” (July 3 – August 11). This
event brings the hottest days of the year, but it is also the most
honored as it features the brightest star in the night sky. Its rising
at dawn marked Summer Solstice in the Pyramid Age and the seasonal
rising of the Nile. The Egyptians revered the star as Sopdet, the cosmic
form of Isis as bringer of rejuvenation and birth mother of ascended
souls. Sirius (Latin: “scorcher”) has been represented in
countless historical periods and cultures, as Sothis of the Greeks, the
Arabian Ashshira, and Rudra (a form of Shiva) in the Vedas.
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky that
rises after the constellation Orion. The forty days of her rising with
the Sun were regarded as most sacred in the ancient cultures of the
Levant – from Egypt to Babylonia, including Greece, India, and as far
East as China.
The lore associated with this event has been passed
down through the ages. The shade of the naturally blue-white star is
significant – if it appears bright and clear, the ancients foretold an
abundant harvest and a year without conflict. If it was dim or reddish, a
poor harvest would be expected with hostilities from foreign lands.
As the season of Sothis now begins, we prepare for
the star’s emergence just before dawn in early August. At the end of the
forty days’ Solar conjunction, she appears on the horizon at dawn
before the Solar aura becomes visible (the heliacal rising). This was
viewed by the ancients as “the herald of the Sun’s divine companion.” It
marks the beginning of the temple’s sacred year and the rejuvenation of
the gods in the sanctuary.
Sirius rises in ancient Heliopolis on August 6, 2022 at 4:35 am Local Time (GMT+2).
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Egyptian Sopdet
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Cosmic Events
The Sun enters Leo on
July 22nd at 4:06 pm with Mercury and the Sun posited in the 9th House
of judicial endeavors. As the Sun has moved away from an opposition to
authoritarian Saturn, we can expect a significant response to and
revisitations of current court opinions. In the coming weeks, new issues
affecting the public sphere will be litigated as the Sun moves to a
favorable trine aspect with Jupiter and despite the usual obstruction
from Mars.
The New Moon takes place
on July 28th at 1:55 pm (5º Leo 38’) with the Lunation again posited in
the 9th House of judicial endeavors. This promises to be a significant
month for progress in new prosecutions of public concern. Mercury
has moved into the 10th House of executive power, drawing attention to
new rules and regulations that address current national affairs. Venus
stands alone in the 9th House, emphasizing women’s issues and the
elevation of female legislators in government and international service.
Jupiter turns to retrograde motion on
July 28th at 4:37 pm (8º Aries 43’) and will remain moving against the
solar path until November 23rd. In the national horoscope for this
event, Jupiter is posited in the 4th House of geographic terrain,
indicating extreme conditions in the southern states. Neptune opposes
the Midheaven from the 3rd House of travel and communications,
complicating commerce and economic security in those industries.
The Full Moon takes
place on August 11th at 9:36 pm (19º Aquarius 21’), with deceptive
Neptune rising at the U.S. capital. The Sun-Moon opposition is also
lined up with oppressive Saturn and in adverse aspect to disruptive
Uranus and bellicose Mars. As the last Supermoon of the year, this
configuration is intense, and brings confrontation with aggressive
forces that may appear both nationally and internationally.
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Season of Cancer: June 21 – July 21, 2022
Illumination of the Sanctum
Abu Simbel, Upper Egypt
by Olaf Tausch
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Mid-Year Stillness
The month of June brings a solstice, a “standing
still” of the Sun as it appears at the zenith in the sky, it’s most
northerly position on the horizon for the year. In Neopagan lore it is
the feast of Litha, opposite the feast of Yule at the Winter Solstice in
the sacred year.
At Abu Simbel in southern Egypt, the temple of
Rameses II was originally oriented to sunrise at both winter and summer
solstices. In the sanctum, the Solar light illuminated the two images of
Amun and Rameses, while Ptah and Ra Harakhte remain in embryonic
darkness.
In Europe, the peak of the Sun’s passage through the
sky is honored with bonfires, with each country interpreting the Sun’s
ascent to the north in a distinctive way. But a commonality is
shared as well – all recognize the creative fire of the Solar gods, past
and present, East and West.
Native American Plains Indians hold the renewing Sun
Dance at the Summer Solstice and Hindu tradition holds a number of
celebrations throughout the month to the goddess Parvati, consort of
Shiva and mother of Ganesha.
The day before the Solstice is Midsummer's Night's Eve, traditionally a
time of magic and cosmic power. Dreams and the visitation of fairies
are attributed to this night, as Shakespeare so cleverly demonstrated in
his timeless play of this event.
Midsummer Night’s Eve also marks the Egyptian festival of Lailat al Saratjan (“Night of the Crab”). Charms are fashioned and hung on walls to drive away the insects of summer.
Tradition also has it that medicinal plants and
magical herbs gathered at midnight are said to be at their full potency
of the year and may be dried or distilled for the coming months.
Cancer-ruled plants harvested on this day include St. John’s wort
(Hypericum), associated with John the Baptist, whose feast day is
celebrated in the Roman Catholic church on June 24. The plant is said to
banish depression and treat alcoholism. Others include Catmint, Lemon
Balm, Poppy, Cardamom, Chamomile, and Licorice.
Goddess Times
June 18 commences the season of Ethiopian rains that
bring the Nile floods. It was honored by the ancient Egyptians as Gerh-en-Matuiy
(“Night of the Teardrop”), when the goddess Isis wept on learning the
death of Osiris and commenced her journey down the Nile in search of his
body. The Islamic and Coptic communities similarly celebrate it as Lailat al Nuktah.
June 27 honors Aestas (“summer") the Roman patroness
of the season, a corn goddess and consort of the Sun god Phoebus. She
brings warmth and protection to all that grows in her season.
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The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania
Scene from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
– Sir Joseph Noel Paton (1821–1901)
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Cosmic Events
The Sun enters Cancer
on June 21st at 5:14 am, a sunrise solstice that features all planets
above the horizon with maximum influence. Mercury is in his domicile of
Gemini, as is Venus in Taurus, Mars in his rule of Aries, Saturn in
dominion of Aquarius, and Neptune on his throne in Pisces – these powers
dispel the hazards of the moment and relay confidence in the near
future. The Moon moves toward a friendly conjunction to Jupiter in the
10th House of Leadership, while moving away from her obstructive square
to the Sun, an indication that major issues of conflict will be resolved
in this season.
The New Moon
takes place on June 28th at 10:52 pm (7º Cancer 22’) with the wide,
90-degree spread of planets below the horizon. Saturn rising in Aquarius
at the U.S. capital compels serious attention to existing problems,
though in retrograde condition he delays agreement and concern for the
masses.
The focus of the solstice now moves
to stirring economic growth with Neptune (oil) Jupiter (banking) and
Mars (military spending) in the 2nd House of Finance. Resources for
youth move forward in health and education with the Lunation in the 5th
House of Children and Education. Meanwhile, Venus and Mercury in Gemini
bring strong storms and energy-grid disruptions in the 4th House of
Environment.
Neptune turns to retrograde motion
on June 28th at 3:55 am (25º Pisces 26’) with Venus rising at the U.S.
capital. Matters pertaining to family and women take precedence, but
delayed action prevails. Until Neptune turns direct on December 3rd,
resolution remains elusive.
The Full Moon takes
place on July 13th at 2:38 pm (21º Capricorn 21’). This is the second
Supermoon of the year with the Moon closest to Earth, summoning some
unrest and volatility. The Moon’s impending conjunction to Pluto in the
3rd House of Propaganda brings stunning revelations, protest, and
misinformation. The Sun in the 9th House of the courts draws attention
to anticipated new decisions that are accompanied by congressional
reforms.
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Season of Gemini: May 20 – June 20, 2022
The Divine Mercury
Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617)
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From Earth to Air
As the gentle climate of May hastens our gardens to bloom,
the sanctified Earth welcomes the winds of change and motion brought by
elemental Air. The season of Taurus now transitions to Gemini, while the
mistress Hathor gives way to the matron Juno, Roman goddess who
presides over marriage and the essential union of family and state. But
while she oversees these affairs in one’s culture, she also opens the
door to individual wisdom as the “bringer of light,” a power in the sky
who gives vision to newborns and insight to her followers.
How often do we bypass our own insights, allowing instead
our desire for acceptance or fear of criticism to subdue our better
instincts? An understanding of what Goddess truly provides – the inner
sense of what is true around us – is what this season awakens. As the
plants in our gardens sprout, let our natural gifts of knowing the
direction of the spiritual wind unfold.
Goddess Times
In the ancient world, some were dedicated for life to know
the ways of the inner powers, fulfilling this duty to both gods and men.
In Rome it was the Vestals, a celibate priestesshood of custodians who
safeguarded legal and historical documents and the genealogies of the
aristocracy. But in addition to these civic duties, their task was the
keeping of the sacred fire from which all hearths in Rome were alighted.
This, in reflecting the character of their patroness Vesta, “the living
flame.”
In Greece, Hestia also embodied the powers of the hearth to
bless those who were nourished by its fires. In this role the goddess
lives among mortals, to protect orphans and children and ensure they
always returned to the altar of sustenance. She is honored by the
charity we extend to others by sharing the food we prepare from our
kitchens.
Between June 9–14 the Romans celebrated the Vestalia, both
in public and private. The hearth flame was renewed from the sanctuary
of the Vestals, and special cakes of salt and freshly-ground grain were
prepared and offered at the family altars.
This is an ideal time to share the duties of cooking with a
gathering of friends and family. On the 15th of June, homes are cleaned
by ceremonial sweeping, the burning of incense, and baking of
newly-leavened bread.
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Djehuti, Lord of Writing
Karnak
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Cosmic Events
Jupiter briefly entered Aries on
May 10th, retrogrades back into Pisces on October 28th, and returns to
the domain of Aries on December 20th. These periods signal the
significant displacement of communities caused by war and environmental
extremes.
The Sun enters Gemini
on May 20th at 9:22 pm accompanied by a retrograde Mercury. The planet
of messaging falling back in the Sign of communication does not bode
well for truth telling, particularly when they are both domiciled in the
6th House of Public Health. We can expect rumors and disinformation,
followed by corrective efforts to set records straight. Economic matters
are also adverse, with the Moon separating from Pluto in the 2nd House
of Finance. A diverse grouping of planets (Saturn, Neptune, Mars,
Jupiter) in the 3rd House of transportation presents forward momentum in
travel and the distribution of goods nationwide.
The New Moon
takes place on May 30th at 7:30 am (9º Gemini 03’) with deceptive
Neptune at the Midheaven, bringing confusion and new concerns on the
direction of conflicts in the East. Venus enters her ruling Sign of
Taurus, emphasizing the status of women and their rights. But with the
Lunation in the 12th House of privacy, the promise of policies that
benefit the public is placed on hold as special interests wrangle behind
closed doors.
The Full Moon takes
place on June 14th at 7:52 am (23º Sagittarius 25’) moving to a hard
angled square with Neptune in the 9th House of the Judiciary.
Inconsistency and obfuscation rule this period, following by focused
activity to resolve Piscean vagaries and duplicities. The instability is
transitory, but fear and disquiet prevail.
This is first of three sequential
Supermoons this year (a lunation that takes place with the Moon closest
to to Earth), impelling restless conditions over the summer months.
Mercury turns to direct motion
on June 3rd at 4:20 am (26º Taurus 06’), limiting the production of
misinformation for a time. In the meantime, the Moon in her own domicile
of Cancer moves to oppose authoritarian Pluto, who stands at the
Midheaven in the U.S. capitol. Though the power brokers may appear
unmoving, a public groundswell will summon change.
Saturn turns to retrograde motion
on June 4th at 5:47 pm (25º Aquarius 15’) until October 23rd, slowing
efforts to revise and reinforce the interests of the people. Dramatic
weather conditions prevail, especially in southern regions.
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The Vestal
Frederick Lord Leighton (1830-1896)
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Season of Taurus: April 19 – May 20, 2022
The Hesperides
– Burne Jones (1833-1898)
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A Divine Garden
At the edge of the world, where Earth
and sky meet, the Olympian gods created a garden with orchards of
miraculous fruit trees. Guarded by maidens known as the Hesperides
(“Daughters of Evening”), the garden is a passage to a celestial realm
where beauty and song gladden heroic sojourners. Likewise, the season of
Taurus celebrates the victory of life emerging from winter’s quiescence
following the Spring Equinox, and sets the stage for nature’s
proliferation in the coming months.
In the garden of the Hesperides, the
golden apples of immortality were given to those who ventured as far
west as the setting Sun, an allusion to the rewards awaiting the
virtuous at the gates of the afterlife. It is the endowment of the soul
that ventures past the comforts of mundane existence and seeks the fruit
of a mythical tree in that garden – the one that offers knowledge of
good and evil. And here another obstacle exists – the tree of golden
apples is also the abode of the dragon Ladon, who must be slain or
transformed by the hero/ine before immortality can be obtained.
The tree, its fruit, and the dragon
represent the both the lure and the dangers of mortal life. In the
season of Taurus, we may become complacent with the return of Spring and
the warmth of nature that revitalizes the living, but heroic acts await
us each and every day. Problems must be resolved, threats must be
transformed into accord. These are acts that transcend time and create
the miraculous fruit of harmony and celestial song – the reward of
virtue.
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Goddess Hathor embraces Pharaoh Seti
Embodiment of her consort Horus
– Tomb of Seti I, Valley of the Kings
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The
union of man and goddess, the seeding of the soil and the fertilization
of the land, was celebrated in ancient Egypt with the Festival of the
Joyous Union, the annual mating of the goddess Hathor with her consort,
Horus. In an elaborate holiday involving temples, citizens, and fleets
of Nile boats, the image of the goddess sailed from her great house at
Dendera upstream to the god’s domain at Edfu at the New Moon in Taurus
(this year on May 18th).
Sheltered within the sanctuary for 14
days, the powers of the deities fused, to later disperse in a great
ceremony at the following Full Moon. It would mark the conception of
their child, Ihy lord of harmony. In modern Egypt, the ancient festival
is still commemorated in the public holiday of Sham el-Nessim
(“breathing the air”), held on the Monday following Coptic Easter (this
year celebrated on April 13th).
Sacred Calendar
The eve of April 30th is
Walpurgisnacht, marking the commencement of the annual mid-Spring
European festival of Walpurgis through May 5th. Bonfires fueled by
outworn winter goods are lit at night, followed by the May 1st ritual of
dancing around the Maypole, symbol of the fertilization of the Earth
and the flowering of vegetation to come. The roots of “spring cleaning”
are arise from this celebration, this year make it a labor of
rejuvenation with recycling and regifting.
This time is honored in the
Celtic/Welsh feast of Beltaine, honoring Blodeuwedd, Goddess of Flowers,
and Llew, the Oak king and lord of the waxing Sun in the northern sky.
Mystical union is the theme of this season, as the seeds of life take
root in the womb of nature. Bring these powers into your own environment
with seedlings at your windows and ribbons bound on budding branches at
your door.
Earth Day is celebrated on April
22nd, a time to reflect on our bond with the planet we inhabit and the
great spirit that enlivens it. Even if some do not relate to Deity as
mother, it is evident that all existence is dependent upon one’s
cooperative relationship with nature, and what it provides us to grow
and mature throughout its rhythms and seasons as that bond deepens.
The ancients seemed to understand this
intrinsically and consistently. The Romans honored the goddess Flora,
patroness of Spring, from April 28–May 2nd. Her Floralia was both a
festival and an evocation of the dormant powers of life in the soil to
awaken. Though reported to be an event of indulgence and licentiousness,
it is one of many ancient festivals acknowledging the bond between
mortals and nature, the mating of humankind with the Earth. It marks the
onset of the agricultural calendar, the first sowing of the seed.
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Cosmic Events
The Sun enters Taurus on
April 19th at 10:24 pm with a stellium in Pisces at the U.S.
capital. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune fall in the 4th House of
Homeland, with Saturn trailing in the 3rd House of Infrastructure. This
grouping creates delays, misinformation, and conflicting agendas that
will bring additional gridlock to solving national problems. Geological
and weather-related conditions add to disruptions. At the same time,
progress and optimism grow as the Sagittarius Moon points to new
beginnings among allied powers.
Pluto turns to retrograde motion
on April 29th at 2:36 pm (28º Capricorn 35’) and remains in regressive
mode until October 8th. Insurrections are uncovered, restructuring of
outmoded regimes begin, and new powers are recognized.
The New Moon takes place
on April 30th at 4:28 pm (10º Taurus 28’) with the Lunation in a
partial Solar Eclipse. The volatility of this conjunction is amplified
by its close proximity to Uranus in the 8th House of National Debt. The
current Pisces stellium falls in the 6th House of Public Health and
Education, amplifying the national division in such matters. A return to
some pandemic conditions is indicated. On May 1st Ramadan ends.
Jupiter enters Aries on
May 11th for a brief period, returning to Pisces on October 28th and
re-entering the domain of Aries on December 20th. This will relieve
inflation during the Aries period.
The Full Moon takes
place on May 16th at 12:14 am (25º Scorpio 17’), bringing a Total Lunar
Eclipse of 3 hrs 27 min duration (the astrological period of influence
translates to 3.5 months). While a temperamental atmosphere is fostered
during this period, forces moving toward stability act by covert means.
Individuals in high places meet, agree, and disclose a plan of action.
Mercury turns to retrograde motion
on May 10th at 7:48 am (4º Gemini 51’), as the planet of transmission
begins to leave the Sign of communication. While the situation often
reoccurs at this time of year, it doesn’t diminish the predictable
confusions, backtracks, and double dealing that transpires among the
unbelievers. Until June 3rd, when the slog back to normalcy returns.
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Roman Goddess Flora
by Luca Giordano (1634–1705)
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Return of Persephone
Lord Frederick Leighton (1830–1896)
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Season of Aries: March 20 – April 19, 2022
The seasonal change that takes place between Winter
to Spring has been universally regarded as a time of renewal and
regeneration. In celestial terms, it is the Sun’s passage from the
watery torrents of Pisces to the fiery warmth of Aries, a restatement of
creation when the spark of life arose from the depths of the cosmic
ocean in timeless time.
The Vernal (from Latin vernalis, “of the spring”) Equinox (equi nox, “equal
night”) is the first of two events in the Earth’s annual circuit around
the Sun when the terrestrial axis is upright, when night and day hours
are of equal length. Likewise, we may be raised up from the incline of
winter and the preoccupations of physical existence, to reach for the
sky’s intangibles once more.
In ancient Greece, the renewing forces of Spring were
embedded in the great mythos of Persephone, daughter of the Earth
goddess Demeter. Abducted by Hades and forced underground for part of
the year, her return to the ream of the living was commemorated in the
Eleusinian Mysteries, which celebrated the reunion of mother and
daughter at the Vernal Equinox. Persephone’s return from the underworld
signifies the return of nature’s fecundity and our return to nurturing
and growing.
Another ancient motif of renewal is portrayed in the
legends of Cybele, the Phrygian mother of the gods and personification
of Earth. She chose Attis, an innocent shepherd youth, as her consort.
Believed to have been born from a virgin birth, he was tricked into
suicide by jealous gods and died on a Friday. Cybele resurrected him
mystically after three days of mourning, and each year his return to
life was reprised during the Spring Equinox. The festival, known as the
Hilaria, is celebrated on March 25th with the raising of a Pine tree.
For us, it is a time to exercise our own renewal and organize the coming
plantings. Start your seedlings and visibly engage the mystic force of
life in your environment.
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Nymph Chloris
Detail from Botticelli’s Primavera
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Goddess Times
The embodiment of Spring is the Greek Chloris,
goddess of greenery and growth. Consort of Zephyrus, god of the West
wind, she governs fields and gardens, which come to life in her season.
She brought the Rose into being from a lifeless nymph, a metaphor of
nature’s power to awaken our inner beauty. With her consort, she also
gives life to the supreme goddess of devotion, Aphrodite.
April 1st is the feast of Veneralia, dedicated
to the Roman Venus Verticordia (“changer of hearts”), the goddess who
restores purity and intent. As we are in the season of renewal, this
deity gives attention to the ideals that have hibernated through a
winter of isolation from our kindred spirits, those who share life with
us on Earth. Let us “change our hearts” from personal concerns to share
with others what the goddess has already provided in our lives.
April also heralds the season of Fortuna Virilis, the
goddess “who makes men virile.” She was invoked by Roman women to
ensure happy marriages and strong sons. Regarded as Bona Dea, “the
good goddess,” she brings abundance and assures a time of plenty. We
would do well to invoke her for the sake of all who seek respite from
the fears of the present.
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Cosmic Events
The Sun enters Aries on
March 20th at 11:33 am . This is indeed a momentus equinox at the U.S.
capital: the Sun is
followed by Neptune, Jupiter, and Mercury, warning leadership of
deceptions and overblown communications. Truths are later revealed, as
Venus, Mars, and Saturn appear with compromise and the rule of law. The
Moon at 29º Libra is moments away from the domain of Scorpio, where
in coming days she will encounter disruptions and enmity. Emotions will
rule the day as hurried actions are put into place to avert chaos.
Stability awaits, and will be found.
The New Moon takes place on April 1st
at 2:24 am (11º Aries 30’) as the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction edges
toward an atmosphere of overblown, confusing mandates. Sorting out
priorities and facts will take time as competing interests vie for
public attention. In the meantime, a Fourth House Uranus at the U.S.
capital rattles the complacency of those in power. The Second House of
Financial activity moves forward with new policies while growth remains
steadfast.
Ramadan begins at Sunset.
The Full Moon takes
place on April 16th at 2:55 pm (26º Libra 45’) as Jupiter and Neptune
form an exact conjunction. Over the last few days tension has risen, but
solutions to imponderable problems are presented through diplomacy.
Along with Jupiter and Neptune, Venus and Mars fill the Seventh House of
allies, engaged in actions of mutual interest, including a powerful
entity that has waited in the shadows. Compromise and preliminary
accords are forwarded, even though limited.
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The Avenue of Rams
Luxor, Egypt
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The founding of the Ukrainian nation following
its separation from Russia in 1991 reflects a proud, visionary state
that models endurance and a continuation of its historical antecedents in a new form.
Since January 2021 it has experienced its first
Saturn Return and awaits
a conjunction of Saturn to its Aquarius Moon (April 1st–December 29th
of this year). Yes, difficult times are ahead, but a period of renewal and rebuilding awaits.
Will the vision prevail?
Those with insight are welcome to prognosticate
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Season of Pisces: February 18 – March 19, 2022
Pisces, last sign in the annual cycle of
the Sun through the houses of the Zodiac, brings a period of
completion and preparation for a new cosmic journey.
In Greek legend we are told of the monster
serpent Typhon, who sought to overthrow Zeus and the Olympian gods. As
he battled the divine patriarch, the gods sought refuge in Syria and
Egypt. Among them, Aphrodite and her son Eros plunged into the river
Nile to escape the predations of Typhon, and took the form of fishes.
Their images were placed in the heavens as the Ichthyes (“fish”),
forming the constellation Pisces. They swim in the waters of baptism,
where we are not cleansed of any mortal stain invented by false
prophets, but returned to the amniotic waters of rejuvenation and made
whole again.
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Eros and Aphrodite, the celestial Ichthyes
in the Pisces constellation
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Goddess Times
In ancient Egypt, the water goddess initially takes form as
the frog-headed Heqet, dweller in the primordial swamp. She is the
source of cosmic proliferation, the bringer of births in all dimensions
of celestial life. Heqet brings life to the barren, and in this cycle we
can depend on her for fertilizing the imagination of what is possible.
And in the realm of nature, Nut is seen as the celestial
mother, incubating within her body the spirits of past and future. As
keeper of these exalted spirits in the guise of celestial asterisms, she
becomes mistress of enchantments in the incubation sleep of the temple.
Through Nut we may remain connected to our ancestral heritage, both
human and divine. She also takes us to the well of memory, past and
future.
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Heqet
Primordial goddess at Philae Temple
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Goddess Nut as the arc of the sky
– Papyrus Greenfield. British Museum
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Similarly, Tiamat, the Babylonian sea goddess and primordial being lived
in the waters of the abyss before time became manifest. Through her we
are connected to the ancient sea on which our strivings and visions sail
– the collective unconscious. We may use this time to tap into
our spiritual reservoir and draw on the strengths we often forget.
The great number of nature spirits in ancient Greece
assumed form as water nymphs – the Nereides (goddesses of the sea),
Naiads (beings of fresh water, brooks and foundation stones), and
Oceanids (powerful children of Oceanus and Tethys). Each is a mirror of
wisdom, enchantment, or inspiration, and each is a gift we may access in
the cycle of Piscean contemplation.
Cosmic Events
The Sun enters Pisces on
February 18th at 11:42 am with Saturn the most elevated planet in the
sky. This puts a damper on the growth and delayed prosperity that
Jupiter brings in the coming months. Mercury’s position in Aquarius at
the 9th House of international communication draws like minds together,
both in dialogue and summits. A grand Earth trine of Moon, Pluto, and
the Moon’s North Node promises economic growth this Spring in gradual
stages.
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The New Moon
takes place on March 2nd at 12:35 pm (12º Pisces 06’) also emphasizes
the 9th House of international relations. The Lunation here emphasizes a
long term accord or multinational plan that is implemented on short
notice. Both Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces straddle the midheaven,
indicating underground resources such as oil, natural gas, and shipping
traffic that are at issue. These powerful placements will dominate
global commerce for more than the duration of this Lunar month. Venus,
Mars, and Pluto form a stellium in the 7th House of allies and enemies,
representing potent forces at odds with each other.
The Full Moon takes
place on March 18th at 3:18 am EDT (27 Virgo 40’) as Venus, Mars,
Mercury, and Saturn are domiciled in the 2nd House of natural wealth.
This grouping brings economic and monetary fluctuations, affecting
mostly eastern countries. It may lead to a transitory panic, but new
approaches to capitalizing on existing natural resources will be
employed. The Moon in the 9th House of international relations shows
other fluctuations, from hesitancy to active participation by allied
powers.
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Abduction of Ganymede
–Peter Paul Rubens, 1577–1640 |
Season of Aquarius: January 19 – February 18, 2022
And godlike Ganymede,
Most beautiful of men;
The gods beheld and caught him up
To heaven, so beautiful was he, to pour
The wine to Jove, and ever dwell with them.
– Homer
Aquarian Acts of Service
Ganymede, a
Trojan prince, was viewed by the Olympian gods as the most
attractive among mortals. But with this admiration came notice from Zeus
himself, who sought the young man to serve as cupbearer to the
celestial powers. Taking the form of an eagle, Zeus swooped down from
the heavens and abducted Ganymede, who became an immortal but also a
servant to the gods. His image is embodied in the constellation
Aquarius, and is accompanied by the eagle constellation Aquila.
This ancient story tells of the obligation
human beings have when they seek to become “godlike.” The individual ego
is subsumed by divine will, and those powers hold greater sway over
mortal destiny than the petty aspirations of the individual. A lesson to
be well understood by those who strive for the ethereal heights!
But the Aquarian motif also alludes to a
cosmic secret – the gods seek our service as much we we seek their
gifts. The exchange of powers––human and divine––becomes possible when
each recognizes the needs of the other. It is the ancient art of
theurgia that endows this secret, a sacred tradition that is unlocked
with the words and gestures of magic. In this way, the server is given a
true place in the heavens and is served by the powers s/he has honored.
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Sacred Calendar
The Celtic Midwinter festival of Imbolc is
celebrated on February 2nd, the first of four cross-quarter (falling
between a solstice and an equinox) festivals of the pagan year.
Imbolc is derived from the term for “sheep's milk,” hence it is a
festival welcoming the birth and first cleansing of newborn lambs.
Imbolc is also celebrated as Candlemas, Bride's
Day, and Brighid's Day and is associated with the Full Moon of
Leo-Aquarius, which takes place this year on February 16th. Though
traditionally a time given to predicting if winter will linger (a
precursor to Groundhog Day), it is a spiritual doorway that promotes
divination. In keeping with the original festival of the fire goddess
Brighid, the purification of hearth and lighting of candles are rituals
enacted to bring forth the patroness of light.
The Brighid Cross is a talisman signifying the four Cross-Quarter festivals in the Celtic year.
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The Muse Ourania
Simon Vouet, 1590 - 1649
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Also associated with this season are virgin deities
and child goddesses. In Ireland: St. Kinnia, in Nepal: Kumari, and in
Greece: Ourania, the muse of astronomy. Appropriate rituals for this
season include the passing of fire from hearth to lamp (Roman: Vesta),
invocations to the divinities of learning and record keeping (Egyptian:
Ma’at and Seshat), healing rites that convey sustenance (Greek: Hygeia
and Hindu: Parvati), and clothing sacred images (Greek: Athena and
Egyptian Taiyet). Offerings include candles, butter, cheese, and linen.
On February 8th the Hari No Kuyo is celebrated
in Japan, a women’s day of rest and recreation. This Shinto
festival, also known as the Festival of Broken Needles, puts to rest the
worn and broken tools of the homemaker and honors the oft-overlooked
daily work of the seamstress and tailor. For despite the sorrows and
sacrifices of these laborers, weaving and sewing convey the tremendous
power of healing to its practitioners and recipients.
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Cosmic Events
The Sun enters Aquarius
on January 19th at 9:39 pm, with concerns of public health uppermost as
Virgo rises in the U.S. capital and Neptune descends below the horizon.
The issue may be addressed directly, but Mars at the cusp of the
domestic 4th House bears obstruction and conflict. The stellium of
planets in the 5th House of Youth and Education emphasizes matters of
importance but fail to go forward with Mercury’s retrograde position.
The New Moon takes place
on February 1st at 12:46 am (12º Aquarius 19’) with the lights leaving a
square to Uranus and applying to a conjunction with Saturn. Conflict
with an outside enemy fades, though overreaction may be difficult to
curb. In the meantime, Saturn obscures and obfuscates forward progress,
energized by the Capricorn stellium (Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Pluto).
Nevertheless, the Aquarian lunation is progressive, becoming evident a
few days later when Mercury’s motion turns direct.
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This event marks the
Lunar New Year, the year of the Black Water Tiger, a Yang (active) year.
The hexagram representing this period is #48 Jing, The Well. It is comprised of the trigrams water above, earth below. Hexagram 48 instructs “the need to nourish and
strengthen the soul constantly as the flow of life is always moving
forward.” An inexhaustible supply of water and sustenance are referenced
by this hexagram. It represents the time to plumb the depths of our
resources and plan for their use. If the well appears to be dry or the
water is difficult to access, cooperation with others will resolve the
need. Besides the well of resources, the well of knowledge is plumbed
for its depths, and the kingdom benefits from the wisdom drawn.
Mercury turns to direct motion on
February 3rd at 11:13 pm (24º Capricorn 22’) during an exact Sun-Saturn
conjunction. While agreements are made, frustration is not dispelled
and delay can not be avoided. This is a time for patience, as forward
motion is assured. As Mercury moves toward a conjunction with Pluto in
the coming week, transformative agreements are achieved incrementally.
The Moon separates from deceptive Neptune, uncovering and resolving
longstanding fictions.
The Full Moon
takes place on February 16th at 12:46 am (27º Leo 59’), very close to
the star Regulus (Cor Leonis). This asterism has been regarded from
antiquity as “the star of kings,” but has itself migrated forward to the
constellation of Virgo in 2011. This represents the power shift from
private to public access, and the effort to establish social equity. At
this Full Moon, such conditions are uppermost in the endeavors of
lawmakers, whether they are personally committed or compelled to act by
public demand.
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