There’s an old saying that goes something like this: “One swallow does not a summer make.” That aphorism might be said to apply to the astrology right now. That’s because Mercury will enter the sign Cancer tomorrow, less than 15 minutes before retrograde Mars resumes direct motion in Scorpio.
At its fastest, Mercury moves around the zodiac at a rate of more than two degrees per day. Hence, Mercury changing signs is neither rare nor unusual. Even so, tomorrow’s Mercury ingress is part of a recent trend to populate a core part of the zodiac which has long been fallow.
The adjoining signs Cancer and Leo might arguably be considered a core of the zodiac because of the objects they correlate with. Cancer is the only sign ruled by the Moon. Similarly, Leo is the Sun’s singular dominion.
When you get right down to it, the motions of and relationships between the luminaries (Sun and Moon) form the core of astrology. Both are very bright and familiar to anybody blessed with eyesight. When the Sun and Moon oppose for a Full Moon, they form the template for all astrological aspects, called an opposition. The same is true for how a New Moon (which takes place when the luminaries conjoin to share the same degree of the same sign, roughly once a month) defines all conjunctions. The examples go on and on.
It is thus undeniable that the Sun and Moon combine to constitute the framework upon which astrology is built. Whether one is speaking of aspects, ingresses or nearly any other form of celestial phenomena as perceived from Earth, it is fair to say that the so-called “lesser lights” (planets) are interpreted to be in emulation of the two greater lights (Sun and Moon). In a way, the same goes for the two signs ruled by luminaries.
On either side of Cancer and Leo on the zodiac wheel are Gemini and Virgo — both ruled by Mercury. Keep on going around in both directions and you come to Taurus and Libra — the two dominions of Venus. After that, you reach Aries and Scorpio, both originally ruled by Mars. Following come Sagittarius and Pisces, which correspond to Jupiter. Finally (on the other side of the zodiac from Cancer and Leo) you arrive at Capricorn and Aquarius, the classical domains of Saturn.
Continuing the theme of how the Sun and Moon are the essence of astrology, it is almost as if the layout of the zodiac itself blossoms like a flower from the emblematic bud formed by the two signs ruled by the luminaries. Interestingly, for the last nine months or so (until Venus led the way into Cancer 11 days ago), there were no sign-ruling planets other than the Moon traversing Cancer and Leo.
So, for an unusually long time there were no major aspects (other than lunar) from or within the most definitive section in the circle of signs. Recently that started to change, and rapidly. Following the Venusian ingress to Cancer on June 17, the Sun entered Cancer to precipitate a season-changing solstice on June 20. Tomorrow, Mercury will follow suit, making its own contribution to begin what might fairly be called a precipitous sequence re-populating the core of the zodiac.
Given the often-proven dictum “as above, so below,” it would thus not be surprising if we were to see some apparently precipitous events here on Earth during the current season. As Venus, the Sun and Mercury make their rapid way through Cancer and Leo during the weeks to come, you might note or experience some things which, by themselves, give the impression of being unprecedented or game-changing — long after Mars has left its retrograde period behind. If so, you would be well advised to take those things with the proverbial grain of salt.
Just as there is nothing new under the Sun, it is not advisable to take any earthly or astrological event by itself. It’s important to see the whole, and how all of its parts relate to one another. While the Sun and Moon (both in and of themselves, and also represented through activity in the signs Cancer and Leo) do count for a lot, nothing is everything.
In all probability, as our current season plays out over the next several months, what you will experience and observe will not represent anything truly new. It is more likely that any seemingly precipitous events coming up will only emulate a significant rainstorm after a long drought, functioning as part of a bigger picture and a longer cycle now moving towards balance once again.
Offered In Service
Attention anyone with a Cancer Sun, Moon or rising: Eric has recorded the audio portions of your birthday reading for the next 12 months — nicknamed The Cancer Illumination Kit. You can access them by ordering now; the video will be released after July 4. Not familiar with Eric’s audio or video readings? You can listen to last year’s reading here, as a gift.
So Len, you are saying that size matters but it’s not everything, am I right? They are big and glorious and perfectly matched so how could they not be the core of astrology, our Sun and Moon. How the wise men and perhaps some women defined the art of astrology is quite simple in many ways, much like your blooming flower, and just as irresistible….drawing one into an almost inescapable labyrinth.
Seeing the whole takes practice, and practice takes time. Meanwhile the beat goes on and now the beat is focusing on the core of astrology. There is this regularity, this continuity to astrology’s passage that is comforting, almost hypnotic, while contemplating the whole which can be quite disturbing at times. The beat goes on.
Last week Pallas stationed retrograde and Juno stationed direct. This week Chiron stationed retrograde and Mars will station direct. Each has a part to play yet it is only Mars that (for now) has gotten so much attention due to his strategically placed aspect with transiting Uranus and Eris and Ceres. Again, it is the whole to be considered.
But shouldn’t we, in fairness, consider as part of the whole the additional influence those 3 other bodies were exuding as they halted their movement? Timed as they were around the Cancer Solstice, the themes of partnership, planning and pain must be considered within the big picture for the next 3 months. Even bright Vesta who was neither slowing nor gaining speed was in fact conjunct the degree where transiting Venus occulted the Sun 4 years ago, and she was exactly square the north and south node at the time of the Solstice. That counts for a lot too.
All in all, the goddesses represented by asteroids, or in the case of Ceres, a dwarf planet, have a sublime influence on the next 3 months symbolized by the Cancer Solstice. They represent a subtle but growing symbolism, as above so below, of the changing balance between yin and yang. Unlike the Sun and Moon, these lesser goddesses and gods do not command attention (consciousness), except of course when Venus crossed the face of the Sun 4 years ago.
Chiron too, the ever-present companion to Uranus in recent years, following a discreet 30 degrees more or less behind him, was trine the soon-to-station-direct Mars. I like to think he absorbed some of that quincunx energy passing between Mars and Uranus. How like Chiron to do that. He too is vital in the big picture for the next 3 months.
You hit the nail on the head again Len, we are moving towards balance. . . again.
be
Yes Be… Len keeps hitting the nails right on :))
How you PW smarties keep throwing cherrios my way so i can actually see the astrological scenery design drawn out for conscious comprehension just awes me! … and the beat goes on 🙂
Here is what i see.
Since YIN our grandmother moon is cancer (receptive) and YANG our grandfather sun is leo (action), they are the reflection of collaborating balanced energies (rhythms) beating within each living being (amongst them, us the universe s privileged children) on mother earth held by father sky.
The picture is just glorious!
lindeelou
By Jove, I think you’ve got it puma pink; thanks for sharing!
Len 🙂 your blossoming flower was such an eye-opener for me 🙂 man how our sky is smart eh?! How everything always intelligently fits 🙂
And with regards to our moon and our sun (stuck in the middle with you 🙂 … as essence in astrology;
cancer being all about the ‘family’ and leo about the ‘me’…. isnt that really all what is perpetually going on here on our earthly plane, amongst all its 10 000 forms?!
Magnificent!
lindeelou
Oups.. meant to write… Solo Cancer and Solo Leo (as you explained Len)
Something else about Len’s observation regarding Mars station direct and Mercury’s transition from Gemini to Cancer (within minutes of each other tonight) adds to their impact on the present time and that is their present cycle’s beginning. It happened on July 16, 2015 when they both were conjunct the U.S. Sibly chart’s Sun and square the Sibly chart’s Saturn and opposite the transiting Pluto. I’d never done a chart for a Mercury-Mars cycle but for this one I did.
Besides the obvious connection to the U.S. natal chart and the remarkable timing of their conjunction (transiting Mercury and Mars) opposite the ominous transiting Pluto, a New Moon had just occurred at 23+ Cancer. This was only 1 degree from the U.S. natal (Sibly) Mercury at 24+ Cancer. At that time, on July 16, 2015, that New Moon in Cancer was quincunx transiting Pholus (small cause big effect) in Sagittarius who was trine Eris (discord) at 23+ Aries. 23+ Aries is where the triple conjunction between Uranus, Eris and Ceres just occurred (see Cancer Solstice chart for June 20, 2016).
This means that the noteworthy changes for transiting Mercury and Mars tonight implies changes for the U.S Sun and the U.S. Saturn, as well as the U.S. Mercury, and those changes all carry the vibes of transiting Pluto. I don’t have a clue (yet) what that suggests but I’m sure it will be mind-altering on some level.
I can tell you that earlier this month transiting Mercury and transiting Mars were opposite each other at 25 Taurus and Scorpio. Mercury in Taurus was conjunct transiting Sedna. To me this suggests something to do with the environment. There is something going on about truth in food labeling; I believe a new law in Vermont (or some other New England state) is being challenged in the U.S. Congress by big business interests and they appear to be winning. I could check on that if anyone is interested. Maybe the mind altering effect is also food altering.
be
BE,
This means that the noteworthy changes for transiting Mercury and Mars tonight implies changes for the U.S Sun and the U.S. Saturn, as well as the U.S. Mercury, and those changes all carry the vibes of transiting Pluto. I don’t have a clue (yet) what that suggests but I’m sure it will be mind-altering on some level.
UR pres was yakking with ours in OUR House of Commons last night :))
Talk about a big minds shifting! 🙂
ll
oups
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/obama-warns-about-perils-of-inequality-in-speech-to-parliament-1.2967397
P.S. Rachel Maddow just did a big update on Flint Michigan’s poisoned water and it is shocking just how many people in that city are still being exposed to lead poisoned tap water. Now in its 3rd year of do-nothing political action, someone (sorry didn’t catch the name) suggested we get the Army Corp of Engineers in to replace the Flint water pipes now. Why not for Pete’s sake!
Also, it WAS Vermont that had the labeling law challenged. Here is a link to that info. . .
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/dont_let_Monsanto_and_organic_elite_kill_GMO_labeling