Returning is the motion of the Tao. Yielding is the way of the Tao. The ten thousand things are born of being. Being is born of not being.
— Lao Tsu
Both the timing of and aspects from tomorrow’s Last Quarter Moon at 22+ Cancer will imply the many things a return can be. Most notably, there will be indications of how a theme of return will probably be expressed somehow for more than just you in more ways than just one.
A return can just as easily be a beginning, or a midpoint, as a conclusion — although conventional use of the word “return” often unequivocally assumes the latter in error.
Another, non-linear perspective can emphasize returning taking place continuously on an axis, in a center, or at a circumference where initiation and completion concur in simultaneity — just as viewing a lunar eclipse from the Moon means “seeing every sunrise and every sunset in the world, all of them, all at once.”
Then again, returning can describe reciprocation and/or exchange, calls and/or echoes, progress as well as reversal, either balancing or tipping points, and thresholds as often as reconsiderations.
As with all lunar last quarters, the aspect between the cardinal Libra Sun and cardinal Cancer Moon tomorrow will be a closing square. So called because the two luminaries will be at their last separation of 90 degrees (a square aspect), after returning from a Full Moon opposition a week before, and before closing in on a New Moon conjunction a week later.
In the case of this particular Last Quarter Moon, we will also be midway between the Aries total lunar eclipse of Oct. 8, and the Scorpio partial solar eclipse on Oct. 23.
Beyond being precisely between eclipses tomorrow (and beyond any recent memory) we will simultaneously be very near the temporal midpoint of a Mercury retrograde. Mercury is recently returned from Scorpio; the midpoint of the retrograde will come with Mercury conjoining the Libra Sun on Thursday.
We are at the same time approaching a threshold represented by the cross-quarter point between the Libra equinox and Capricorn solstice.
Extrapolating further, we are also within spitting distance of being halfway between Pluto entering Capricorn (twice) in 2008 to begin our current era (as defined by Uranus and Pluto in a continuous cardinal square aspect between 2012 and 2015), and Uranus leaving Aries for Taurus in 2018 to initiate yet another era as yet undefined.
In addition to temporal midpoints, the tension inherent in tomorrow’s closing square aspect between the Sun at 22+ Libra and the Moon at 22+ Cancer will be echoed by complementary major and minor aspects from the luminaries to Mars, Saturn and Eris.
The Sun tomorrow will be consciously endorsing Mars at 22+ Sagittarius with a fluently interactive sextile of 60 degrees. Meanwhile, the Moon will simultaneously be feeling an awkward and uncomfortable quincunx (150 degrees of separation) mismatch between its own passions and Martian desire.
Reciprocally, the Cancer Moon at last quarter will be firmly feeling the flow of achieving (at 120 degrees of separation) an unusually sober and stable water trine to Saturn at 22+ Scorpio.
Meanwhile, the sentience of the Libra Sun will be all but blind to any correlation with Saturn’s formal predilections because of the thorough mismatch of element, quality and polarity between adjacent signs represented by a semi-sextile’s separation of 30 degrees.
Finally, Eris, which provoked a reconsideration of the entire solar system after its discovery in 2005, will be at 22+ cardinal Aries tomorrow. That means Eris will be exactly (to the degree) opposed by the Libra Sun while just as precisely squared by the Cancer Last Quarter Moon.
The combined aspect from the Sun-to-Moon-to-Eris will be a T-square, returning us to the years immediately preceding 2012. At that time, Saturn’s traversal of Libra exchanged the same combined aspect first with Pluto and then Uranus. Saturn then yielded (as is the way of the Tao) to retrograde Mars, which returned once, and again over the same arc of Libra to do the same, before yielding to Mercury — which is even now returning to do the same.
All while Uranus and Pluto continue their series of seven returns to precise square aspects extending from 2012 into next year. All leading up to tomorrow’s theme of recursive temporal and reminiscent spatial returns, and the single theme that correlates all forms of return — motion and yielding.
It’s the motion of complementary principles into and out of tension, yielding the reciprocation and exchange between being and not being, which defines how your life correlates with all things.
That’s where you will be tomorrow, along with all things, no matter where or to what you return. If you can but be at least somewhat aware of the vantage point tomorrow’s lunar last quarter affords, you will have lived it well.
If you can build on your awareness, and find your own way to move with and yield to what looks for all the world like an unprecedented moment by rejecting the unequivocal while also embracing the continuity of return to your own place among the “proverbial ten thousand things,” what follows for you may well be profoundly, (and probably indescribably) in kind.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
I knew that transiting Saturn is almost to my natal Venus (where it will trine 1st. house natal Saturn Rx), & that the sun is crossing my 5th house Jupiter/Chiron conjunction. Today’s information rounds out the picture considerably., adding other considerations to the mix. I believe
I can work with the sun/Mars sextile (Mars being crossing natal Mercury Rx) – & with the Cancer moon/T-square. Perhaps it will ease my rising Saturn a bit?
I’m still awaiting an outcome which will be created by another’s decision (my part in the transaction being mostly completed) – both desiring movement & knowing these things need to take their own sweet time.
Sometimes I fall into lamenting feeling so “stuck” that I fail to notice areas where movement IS possible – the things right in front of me which CAN be done, many of which are part of preparing for the winter ahead.
So I’m working at remembering patience – pacing – acceptance. Your gentle counsel & lyrical descriptions of the surrounding astrology are much appreciated, Len. Thank-you!
You are very welcome, Bette. None of us can control the decisions (or choices, or actions, etc) of others, but it is useful to notice (as you have demonstrated so instructively) that movement of some kind is usually available somewhere. As Eric has inferred in his blog today, this may very well be a time to persist in apparently minor matters – possibly very personal, internal things in preparation for the greater things that depend on the cooperation of others.
Len, you could have simply said: “everything’s happening at once!” The placements and angles involved touch myself and people close to me in a myriad of ways, and I pray we will all do well under the circumstances.
Chief Niwot’s Son: Well, not precisely everything is happening at once. There is a unifying theme. The Sun and Moon at their last quadrature between eclipses and during a Mercury retrograde is indeed a lot. Of course, Uranus and Pluto have been the “big picture” background with (as Eric frequently puts us) an “everything at once’ correlation with the first degree of cardinal signs for a couple years now. Saturn and Mars play a role tomorrow because they have both retraced Libra as Mercury is doing now and will be placed to aspect the luminaries at their last quadrature tomorrow. The proverbial “then thousand things” are understandable when see through the framework of return and yielding in their many manifestations. Please allow me to contribute my own prayers, and my thanks to you, to go along with what i hope will be a useful service through my words today.
return and yielding amid ten thousand changing things — indeed! totally cogent as my mars return conjuncts Pholus/Ixion with its draconic chart placement also widely conjunct draconic AC from the 12th.
thanks and cheers!
Where is “Be”, since the change, of this blog, I haven`t seen her name. Has anyone heard from her via e-mail? Is she ok? She went out of her way for me giving me the exact as to what will happen . I`m deeply concerned. If it is money to join, my salary is small right now, but I will see to it that she will be covered to join again.
Marilyn
diego maling jr.: My thanks to you in turn.
Marilyn: Please send me an e-mail and i help you get in contact with “Be”.
And where is young Holly? Hope alls well..
Kate: i’m not sure about Holly. i will try to find out.
Len I was wondering the same about Be. Always thought she should have a regular job as a contributor at PW. I’d put a little money toward her membership renewal if that’s all that’s stopping her. One of the reasons I enjoy this website is the reader contributions, even when I don’t agree, and I enjoy Carlos’ Mayan column too, which was another reason I renewed. It doesn’t mean I agree with Carlos either, but the perspectives of each of you are so different it certainly engages the thinking processes. I don’t read everything on this website, but certain items ring my ancient inner bell, so to speak. It’s what keeps me coming back. Will send Chelsea a cc donation if that’s what is needed.
Patricia: Thank you. i have given “Be” the information to contact Chelsea and make the arrangements for continued participation, and encouraged her to follow-through when her busy schedule permits.
Patricia, Marilyn, all: “Be” (Barbara) is back! Please see her comment to my Thursday (October 16) blog.