A Full Moon Eclipse of Recognition and Regeneration

Friday afternoon’s penumbral Lunar Eclipse represents another powerful lunation, as so many of these recent configurations have been, in this case particularly selecting out Venus, Mars and Chiron for special attention. The Sun and Moon in opposition, at the 24-degree mark of Virgo and Pisces, make a T-square to Mars at 23 Sagittarius, while the eclipse Moon closely conjuncts Chiron. Venus meanwhile is sextile to Mars, and opposite to a highlighted presence of Uranus in Aries, which in turn is closely in trine with Mars. This suggests that buried anger could suddenly arise, particularly in terms of conflicts of interpersonal relationship, and thus present the occasion for some form of deep reflection – very appropriate to this monthly cycle of retrograde Mercury – regarding from whence such reactivity might ultimately derive. Far from being a negative, I believe that this configuration represents a vital opportunity for each of us to discover more about those dark places within us that we can seldom directly observe. Chiron, known as the archetype of the Wounded Healer, symbolizes the recognition of ancient trauma, likely stemming from the time of early childhood. These are wounds that have long been walled away, and that yet can rule patterns of behavior from below the level of normal conscious awareness. Becoming more alert to these complexes of inner wounding within yourself is the key to moving beyond them into integration and healing. The key is being willing to take an honest and unbiased look at the painful places inside you that demand acceptance and love. By refusing to look away, you become more whole.

With Mars finally past the restrictive grip of Saturn, now traveling more easily through Jupiter’s sign of Sagittarius, we have a wild impulse to be free with our actions, to do exactly what we want. This is greatly encouraged by Uranus conjunct Eris in partile trine with Mars. There is an urge to speak out, and to stand up for oneself that throws off any attempted barrier or limitation, blurting out whatever might be on the surface of our thoughts and feelings. This is how reactivity can come up and be expressed, and it is important to review the ways in which this impulse can also be harmful to those we love. It might be good, when we can, to mentally step back in a mindful way, and take some deep breaths before commentating. It helps to remember to be cautious, especially when we bear in mind that our inner wounding can interfere with clear thinking, and with seeing the true causes of our upset.

Saturn is also present in the configuration of this potent Full Moon, being in close quintile to the Sun/Jupiter midpoint, and remaining in nearly perfect square with Neptune. We are pulled in two directions by the clash of energies represented by this collision of antithetical archetypes, and benefit from taking the largest possible view of everything that is going on around and within us at this timing. It is almost as if we are aided by being able to rotate the frame and see the scene’s players from above, at distance, in order to more completely understand the action taking place.

These outer planet energies of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, those that seminal 20th century astrologer Dane Rudhyar called the “ambassadors from the galaxy,” do serve to take us to a higher place, when we are willing to be so led. Uranus, as well as Neptune, by providing a better grasp of the cosmos in which we have our fullest being, takes us to another level of perspective, whereby the details of conflict vanish in favor of a vibrational viewpoint on what is truly going on. This intuitive level of profound vision is augmented at the present time by the close conjunction with Eris, Feminine Warrior of soul intention, now also trine Mars in this important eclipse configuration. This greatly strengthens the impact of Uranus upon us. We are given a glimpse of our own power, which arises all on its own when we can more fully align with what our higher Self has to offer. By discovering that which is distinctively ours to give, we are free, and can find our happiness just in doing the very best that we can to promote this vision for ourselves – and for our evolving society.

The Sabian Symbols for this extra-powerful Full Moon are enlightening as well. They are, for the Sun, in the 25th degree of Virgo, the somber symbol of “A flag at half-mast,” reminding us of our mortality, and the significance of every moment of earthly existence. Marc Edmund Jones has, “This is a symbol of the inevitable judgment which life must pronounce on itself [since] reputation is the subtle coin by which personality creates an enduring wealth for everyone.” We would add: providing that we can embrace that part of ourselves that is our own unique individual gift, in service to the larger collective. For the Moon, in the same degree of Pisces, we find, “The purging of the priesthood,” to which Jones attributes a similar meaning, referencing “the sure penalties that await whatever may fail to prove its worth.” He goes on to state that one “demands an absolute integrity for [one’s] spiritual or immortal insights… [and] approaches the problems of [their] own regeneration through a dramatization of potentials he [or she] recognizes but cannot altogether instrument.” Cannot, that is, without the aid of those spiritual powers, symbolized in the subtle planetary archetypes that are present in everyday life, although difficult to discern without coming to a deeper mode of introspection than consensus materialistic thinking can provide.