May 15, 2018, 11:47 UT
The heroic act as a means of activating stability and fertility in life.
Values, attachments and our relationship to change
A new lunar cycle begins with an emphasis on values and the tangible reality of our lives. It is a fertile circle that urges us to communicate what we “possess” through alternative or unorthodox conditions, environments or relationships. The process will bring forth the power of our “voice”, the potentiality of socializing and encountering others, but will also show the resonance or the significance, of those things we believe, we love, we receive pleasure from and think to be our very own. This requires courage and subversive actions.
Taurus (fixed earth) is the expression filter that responds to art, aesthetics, money, stability, security, values, self-esteem, and sensuality. It responds to the fertility of the earth that provides sustenance. The Sun in Taurus focuses on and honours all of this, while the Moon in Taurus speaks of emotional responses or protection of those things.
The objective is communicative, as Venus ruler of Taurus is in Gemini, and unites through mental stimuli or exchange of data. Venus is out of bounds and in mutual reception with Mercury in Taurus. They are great allies! The love of words, speech or writing, and the joy of connecting and communicating dominates in this lunar cycle, while stimulating and giving motive to decisions that promote shaping, stabilization and evaluation from the point of view of appreciation. Before we convince others, we have to convince ourselves. Taurus like all fixed signs has to do with “attachments”. When something we own or have is communicated, we are confronted with our value system and our own way of appreciating things. It is a cosmic moment of great dynamic in communicating and connecting with others through what we value and love. Communication blooms in alternative ways, and contexts or any unconventional “voice”, value or work can find some kind of wider resonance, and help. The Moon in the sign of her exaltation marks the need for stability, through what we enjoy with our senses, and is well treated. Any threat to our value system at a collective or personal level may externalize combative responses and a kind of passing on the torch to Mars in order to reinforce reforms, completion, and promotion of radical actions towards a new order of things.
So, this is a fighting, critical and effective New Moon cycle, as the luminaries make an applying trine with Mars in the last degree of Capricorn (Mars in exaltation). This aspect may represent a victory, a particularly critical conquest, but it can also provide ease in manifesting conflicts, wars and break ups. This cycle assists breaking from habits, changes of strategy, and receiving recognition. It may also prove that what we fear could also be the beginning of exaltation of fertility in life.
The myth of Perseus is directly linked to the New Moon. It is in conjunction with fixed star Capulus in the constellation of Perseus. This is perhaps speaking of a brave act, a task that determines the developments of the month. A sighting, or a reconciliation with something that we have to do, but we may be afraid to face up to. Perseus had undertaken the task to cut off the head of Medusa, and he had help! From Hermes and Pallas Athena. Looking at the chart of the New Moon, Mercury is at 03 degrees of Taurus in the highest exaltation of the Moon, and Venus (ruler of the New Moon) at 25 degrees Gemini in conjunction with the asteroid Pallas Athena. In the myth, Perseus was armed with the shining shield of Athena which would help him see the head of Medusa in order to avoid being turned into stone by gazing at her. This is how he managed to accomplish his heroic act. The message of the New Moon is that we have the assistance to meet a potential difficult circumstance.
Mythological help is particularly evident astrologically, and it supports any act of commitment, in the form of a promise or a test. Vigor and desire is strong, through Mars in his exaltation. Creative intelligence and strategic thinking promises resonance, and what is externalized is the response to goals, the promotion of works and values that possess inherent boldness, courage or are not afraid meet any personifications of modern Medusas in our contemporary world. In the myth, Medusa is eventually beheaded, and as a result Pegasus is born; the winged Horse of the Muses who gave poets inspiration and flew them to the artistic heavens. There was also another offspring of this brave act, the giant Chrysaor, who was born with a sword of gold in his hand. The symbolism in this myth speaking through the chart of the New Moon is very telling of how fertile a brave act can be. Perhaps this is a heroic task that requires breaking the established order, or safety zone contexts in order to gain more stability.
The element of the Earth is emphasised in the chart of the New Moon, and it is the crystallization or shaping of a situation, project or venture that is going through the stage of assessment, appreciation, and communication that describes the experience. It is the resonance of the values and the form of things that is now tested in its interaction and its connectivity with the landscapes of life. Venus in Gemini gives the motivation to communicate something that has now acquired a certain form. Works, desires, creations, contractual relationships, yet also values that are now in tangible form, are progressively finding ground and seeking responsiveness, while the collective landscape can be surprised or even shocked by the trends in forming agreements. alliances and communicating values at a political or social level.
The celestial backdrop of the Lunar Month is largely influenced by a shifting energy with significant planetary transitions and slower moving planet aspects that will be active for a longer period of time: Mars – Uranus waning square, Uranus’s Ingress into Taurus after 7 years of his stay in Aries (re-visiting Taurus after 84 years), Mars in Aquarius, and Jupiter – Neptune waning trine at 16 degrees Scorpio – Pisces, which is perfecting on May 25.
This is a time of awakening, to do with alternative actions, our relationship to groups, values, resources and acquisitions. It is important to maintain alertness and observation regarding external stimuli or actions, and avoid exposure to risks or engage in unnecessary extremities. Mars cuts way, and promotes alternate routes through his tentative dialogue with Uranus. The need to do revolutionary acts and do things differently is heightened. The climate is pushing creative momentum to its limits, promotes expression of individuality, autonomous rebellion or enthusiasm. We may also succeed in shaping or giving form to something, even by accident.
Changes in fixed signs have a stable character, and require consistency. We have the whole summer to rethink our way of investing energy in this direction. We have about 7 years to discover new ways of managing and exploiting resources, awakening talents, renewing and changing relationships and liberating ourselves from values that do not help us to evolve.
Jupiter’s trine with Neptune in the water signs of Scorpio and Pisces, is an aspect that helps us to envision, to be inspired, to compose a dream. It brings revelations, greatly expands spirituality and knowledge, benefits art and creation, but also sets imagination on a higher and deeper vibration. It magnifies expectations, the expression of empathy, as well as intuition. It cultivates the metaphysical aspect of research and abstract concepts. It helps transitions, or transcendence, and charity work. It favours good intentions and conscious harmonization with groups of people who deal with social welfare or spiritual activities. The spread of beliefs is easier or any publication that deals with symbolism and higher concepts. We can see something important spreading or magnifying which can have resonance in the collective sphere, as well as a more socially sensitive political movement developing. On another level we could be seeing speculative moves for easy profit. There is more acceptance and sensitivity with this aspect. It can help create conditions of harmony between ideology, knowledge, morality and aspirations or ideals, either collectively or personally. This is the second time this aspect is activated since Jupiter entered Scorpio, and is part of the general backdrop in this special lunar month. It makes its third and third and final activation in August. As Jupiter is now retrograde, it particularly assists in strengthening and clarifying internal faith for the potentiality of the above themes.
(If you are familiar with your natal chart, the house that contains the 24 degree Taurus is the domain of life that activates a new intention of stability and fertile expression that will enhance your self-worth.)
The New Moon has a more personal feel for you:
If you are a Taurus Sun born May 13-17, Scorpio Sun born November 14-18, Aquarius Sun born February 11-15, and Leo Sun born August 15-19, or if you have Ascendant or personal planets at 24 (+/- 2 degrees) of fixed signs. It also affects those who have planets or angles at 29 degrees of Cardinal signs and 00 (+2) of Fixed signs. Scorpio or Pisces Suns and any personal planets or angles at 16 degrees of those signs, are affected by Jupiter’s trine with Neptune (see themes described above).
© Eleni Kostika 2018
Aries Point 