As discussed in this column on Friday, today’s Full Moon is rather unique because it takes place in the degree of Capricorn where Mars is exalted. Nonetheless, today’s opposition between the Sun (in Cancer) and the Moon (in Capricorn) has at least one thing in common with all Full Moons.
When the Sun and Moon share the same degree of the same sign during a New Moon, any trend initiating at the same time (and seeming to correlate to the New Moon) will tend to elaborate for weeks on end. Not so with a Full Moon. In contrast, any energy corresponding with a Full Moon will often taper off rapidly.
When a Full Moon takes place late in a sign, the usual tendency towards the ephemeral is even more pronounced because both participants (Sun and Moon) move on to other signs soon after. That’s a big deal.
In mundane astrology, a celestial object changing signs is one of the biggest deals of all. One metaphor that might help you to understand the significance of a sign ingress is a theatrical one. Think of the object in question as the actor, and the sign as a costume. Although there are some notable exceptions to the rule, most of the time the same actor in a new costume represents a different role.
A bit more than four hours after today’s Capricorn Full Moon, which occurs shortly before 7 pm EDT (22:56:31 UTC), Luna will doff its Capricorn costume and don Aquarius raiment. If you are awake for the occasion, you might well note a more intellectual detachment taking over. If you are asleep when the Moon slips into Aquarius overnight, you could very well experience a difference in dreams as compared to the few nights before.
Because the Sun is likewise in the latter days of its role in the costume represented by the sign Cancer, you can also anticipate a new solar role coming up. That will come on Friday shortly after 5:30 in the morning EDT (9:30:08 UTC), when the Sun comes home to the sign that represents its astrological dominion: Leo.
As Robert Hand succinctly noted in his book Horoscope Symbols, the astrological symbolism of the Sun is rather straightforward. The Sun’s emblematic role in astrology corresponds directly with the role of the actual Sun in your life. As Mr. Hand put it, the actual Sun is day and light at its most fundamental. Correspondingly, then, foremost among the Sun’s astrological correlations is the illuminating light of consciousness.
Hence, the annual tour of the Sun in its home sign of Leo represents a time when one might be best able to be more consciously aware as compared to other times of the year. Of course, that role is also yours to play.
The process of raising your understanding from just below the level of explicit awareness and into the daylight will differ depending on who you are. Nearly everybody, however, has the experience of a light ‘coming on’. Sometimes the experience happens in the process of being educated when a teacher says just the right thing and you ‘get it’. Other times after a long process of persevering in solitary study, a metaphorical bulb will appear over your head. Either way, you get the idea. The impending role of the Sun in Leo is to set the stage for you to get any idea that has been eluding you up to this point.
Your role after today’s Capricorn Full Moon is thus to do a bit of costume changing on your own. In all probability, your part will consist of putting on a proverbial thinking cap and persisting through whatever conundrums you are facing right now. There may be some significant work involved. You may need to extend the Sun’s light into the night by putting some so-called ‘midnight oil’ to use. On the other hand, clarity could come rapidly (in which case you might want to double-check to make sure that your brilliant insight is indeed correct).
No matter how it works for you, the hours and days to follow today would be a good time to be proactive in achieving greater awareness. If there is anything to the astrology (and if you do your part to bring it about) a dawning of some sort could be just over the horizon for you.
Offered In Service
Thank you, Len,
I will change my costume and even get off my flowered almost couch more often. This Libran must not wait till Jupiter enters Libra.
Mars is still just 2degrees off of my natal Chiron…Blocks are strange things, coming in all shapes and sizes. Seemingly insignificant but repeated damage to my shoulder prevents me from cutting up vegetables…washing dishes…for more than a few minutes at a time.
Your thoughtful writing has helped me to change mes ideas…change my way of thinking in English but carrying a special denotation in French.
Thank you,
Carolyn k
Carolynkc: Thank you for your gratifying comment. May the direct motion of Mars mark a beginning of relief for your shoulder. Thank you also for the French lesion. My own version of French if far more plebeian, and obliges me to say “excuse my” afterwards.
Well Len, with the Full Moon conjunct the U.S. Sibly chart’s Pluto at 27+ Capricorn we might be seeing some unbecoming light shed on the power dealings of Washington these next 2 weeks. Appropriately the two parties in this country that have represented those in power for close to two centuries now will be putting on their dog-and-pony shows during the 2 weeks this full moon is in effect. And a change of costume will certainly apply to the nominees going from their presumptive candidate status to the without-a-doubt Chosen Ones.
The Full Moon Mercury, as foretold in the June Cancer Solstice chart reflects (on a personal planet level) the activity prevalent this summer as it was depicted in the Solstice mutable grand cross he shared with Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. This full moon now has Mercury strategically quincunx transiting Neptune (he at 11+ Leo and Neptune at 11+ Pisces) while his partner (in the Cancer Solstice chart) Vesta, is now quincunx the Full Moon itself (Vesta at 27+ Gemini and the Moon at 27+ Capricorn) and as well the U.S. Pluto. Lots of shifting positions taking place as we watch (if you have the fortitude to do so) the Pubs and the Dems don their new costumes.
With the transiting Sun’s move into Leo this Friday AM, midway between the conventions of these dueling monoliths, it could dramatize the possible beginning of the end of an era; the 2-party system in the U.S. maybe?
Bearing that in mind, yes it IS a big deal; planets changing signs is rhythmic, routine and predictable. People changing the way in which their government is determined. . not so much. Just another opportunity to see history in the making though. As transiting Neptune subtly dissolves the structures we had assumed would be around our whole lives, we get to witness (Mercury in action) a power-play on a cultural level; Jupiter and Saturn, the planetary symbols of the cultural/societal level – having completed their 3 final squares last May – prepare for the climactic end of their cycle in 4 years.
This December, after the election has finally closed this long fractious period of political pissing contests, transiting Uranus will (in the height of the holiday season) oppose transiting Jupiter in Libra and trine transiting Saturn in Sagittarius. The Big Dogs of Government will fail to completely deal with the obvious discord (Jupiter does not quite make an exact quincunx with Saturn due to slowing down before stationing retrograde). Rather they will wait until the following August to make amends (they sextile on August 27, 2017).
Of note is the long awaited (by me anyway) trine between transiting Uranus and Saturn, the co-rulers of Aquarius this Christmas. As it happens, transiting Uranus will be conjunct the U.S. Chiron in the 4th house of the Sibly chart (opposite the U.S. Juno where transiting Jupiter will be) while transiting Saturn will be in the Sibly 1st house. Hopefully this will signal a new persona change in the U.S.; one that goes a long way in healing legendary wounds. We could be seeing the makings of this giant step forward right now, within or beneath the chaos and the costumed play-acting there is give and take, push and pull going on in this country. But, until then, the show must go on and although revolting or hilarious it may appear, even so the wheels are grinding out something more than just your routine sausage. Perhaps by Christmas we will have something special to celebrate.
be
Barbara: The first step to the fortitude you speak of is conscious awareness. Hence, thank you for providing us with that requisite. Your point regarding Mercury at the Capricorn Full Moon is especially brilliant given how Mars and Uranus-Eris have opened the floor for reconsidering the quincunx. Though it may sound strange, i’m looking forward with an upbeat form of uncertainty to the trine of Uranus and Saturn reaching exactitude.
Regarding the Capricorn full moon’s Vesta and Mars, I had not realized Hillary’s chart would be impacted by both of them. Vesta trine’s to Hillary’s Pallas (conjunct the U.S. Sibly Moon) at 27+ Aquarius and Mercury’s sextile to her natal Neptune at 11+ Libra seems like a perfect lead-in for the Dem candidate at her party’s convention in Philadelphia next week. In fact, it’s a test of one’s credulity to believe this whole process has not been choreographed by these two people, Hillary and Donald.
Seriously, the driving influence at this moment – as we know – is transiting Neptune square transiting Saturn and Hillary’s Neptune, along with the FM’s Mercury in Leo provides the sextile to complete a Yod with transiting Neptune. Personally, I’m not sure anyone other than Hillary could ever come out smelling like a rose after the maniacal display of the Pub convention’s speakers and attendees this week. And yet, this woman is endowed with the capability of mirage-making, what with her natal 12th house Sun and her Pisces Moon. Now the Capricorn Full Moon’s Mercury has put her over the top during this quasi-realistic time frame (which is anything but real!)
The fact that transiting Mercury and transiting Vesta have such a powerful cycle this time around (his occultation of Sun on the U.S. Vesta certainly helped too) as their conjunction (cycle start) reads like a script starring Hillary. With the transiting Mercury and Vesta conjunction in Taurus (April 16th) opposite her natal Venus in Scorpio, along with the transiting South Node and transiting Chiron both conjunct her natal Moon in Pisces, and we mustn’t forget transiting Venus in Aries trine her Mars-Pluto conjunction in Leo, the role of heroine is her’s to lose.
That Hillary was having a Pallas Return (transiting Pallas at 27+ Aquarius conjunct her natal Pallas which conjuncts the U.S. Moon) at the time of the Mercury-Vesta cycle start is nothing to be taken lightly either. Pallas was a warrior goddess, proficient in strategy. With the power of this Mercury (fleet-footed trickster that he can be) and Vesta (a workaholic’s determination and focus) cycle at her back she will have us all cheering in the stands next week.
When it comes to opportunism, the Universe leaves no stone unturned.
be
Barbara: Seriously indeed regarding what you call “the driving influence of this moment.” Few other than you could be the symphony conductor who can so adroitly read transits to two charts (the U.S. Sibly chart and the nativity for Ms. Clinton) in parallel as if reading a symphonic score. It’s not the stones unturned i’m concerned about, however. It’s whether there will be any turns un-stoned. With Neptune so powerful, that would seem to be a valid concern.
Priceless. You’re so funny Len!