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GEMINI NEW MOON - 22 May 2020

5/19/2020

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Exact at 8.38pm GMT, 3.38 EST
 
There is quite a lot happening during this New Moon, not to mention a considerable amount of planetary activity in curious, communicative and adaptable Gemini. Indeed, the planet of the mind and communication itself, Mercury, is also in Gemini, its own sign. Whenever Gemini is prominent we tend to experience an increase in mental activity and social interaction, as well as the potential for information overload! Gemini rules the media and often during Gemini season we are often exposed to so much information that it’s hard to tell the wood from the trees. The energy of Gemini, the twins, can also bring duplicity and even outright lies. As such, it may be hard to know what to believe at the moment, not to mention that there are so many differing points of view being offered that it could be overwhelming. This is not helped during this moon by Mercury forming a challenging square aspect to Neptune, the planet of illusion, fantasy and smoke screens. This means that the potential for fake news and propaganda is rife, so that it’s hard to know what is real and what is not. One of Gemini’s superpowers, however, is collecting facts and data, and so maybe this is what will save the day. As long at the data itself is correct, that is!
 
Mercury, the ruler of this Moon, is sitting right next to retrograde Venus in exactly the same degree of Gemini, which definitely increases the potential for more social interaction and communication. Venus is the planet of love and beauty, and as she is currently going “backwards” we are being encouraged to re-assess, review and reflect upon the way are are relating to and communicating with one another. We are living in unprecedented times, and there is a huge amount of fear around, as people’s survival issues are being severely triggered. Fear tends to close the heart and can cause people to act and react harshly and even turn on one another. Retrograde Venus combining with Mercury asks us to reconsider how we are communicating with one another and remember to be kind, loving and considerate to one another’s feelings.
 
Neptune is also challenging Venus and Mercury, which could make it harder to think and communicate clearly and could also make us considerably more sensitive and thin-skinned than usual. Neptune challenges us to “walk a mile in someone else’s moccasins” and to approach one another with love, empathy, compassion and consideration for one another’s vulnerabilities during this time. This could also be a time for us to take our heads out of the proverbial sand and wake up to what really happening, beyond the illusion. Are things as they really seem? Do we need to change some of our beliefs? Should we simply believe everything we are told? It is time to look behind the curtain and burst the bubble of fantasy? What are we not able or willing to hear? What do we need to say but are not saying?
 
The Sabian symbol for this conjunction of Venus and Mercury, at 21° Gemini, is: “A tumultuous labour demonstration”, which Dane Rudyar describes as “The revolutionary impact of mental concepts upon the collective emotions and desires of man.” and “The repressed or oppressed instincts stage an emotional outburst, claiming their due.” This symbol brings a sense of people who have been opressed joining to protest against injustices. It also hints at the need to come together and raise voices in order to be heard by those in charge. Neptune, which is squaring Mercury right now, represents the collective consciousness, and this symbol certainly reminds us that the power of the collective should never be underestimated, especially when there is a need to speak out over issues that are too important to ignore.
 
With all the divisiveness and polarisation that is occurring at the moment between people with their opposing views and beliefs and propensity for turning on one another, Neptune, the planet of unity and oneness, reminds us that we are all souls having the human experience. It is so important to remember that even if we have different opinions or beliefs, we all ultimately want the best and are trying to find the truth. This is a time to come together, not fall apart. United we stand, divided we fall! Neptune is also the planet of unconditional love and sacrifice; the part of ourselves that is willing to open our hearts and do the right thing, even if we have to give something up on a personal level. In aspect to Mercury, maybe we are being challenged to speak our truth, from our heart, even if that feels like a risk.   
 
Saturn and Pallas Athena are currently joining forces in Aquarius and have both just started going retrograde. They are also both forming a harmonious trine aspect to the Sun and Moon in Gemini. With Saturn now going “backwards”, having been in Aquarius since 22 March, we now get to look back and take a look at the implications and ramifications of what has happened since then. This is a good opportunity to gain more understanding of what happens when people’s freedom and liberty is inhibited and they are unable to mix with other people or gather in a group, or protest, or worship, or be with their loved ones when they are sick or dying. Is it possible to reconsider certain realities that we have recently found ourselves facing, including the virtual reality that has become the norm in recent times? Saturn in Aquarius also brings the potential for authoritarian control through the use of technology, the reality of which might be worth some consideration. What kind of a world are we headed for? Can we have a rethink?!
 
It is interesting to note that since Saturn has gone retrograde people have joined together all over the world to protest and voice their concern about the current situation. Saturn retrograde has also coincided with an easing of the lockdown in most countries in the world. This is an opportunity for a re-assessment of the whole situation, as Saturn goes back over the ground it has already covered since February. It will be interesting to see what happens when Saturn leaves Aquarius and goes back into karmic Capricorn on 1 July, and also when it goes back into Aquarius on 17 December. Are we going to have more of the same, or will we have managed to shift the energy into a higher vibration by then?Ultimately we are all being asked to be accountable and responsible (Saturn) for creating a vision of a better future (Aquarius) and also for questioning the status quo. It is time to become really clear on what kind of a world we want to live in and to do whatever we can to make it so.   
 
There is the potential, while Pallas Athena, the warrior goddess known for her sharp creative intelligence and capacity for military strategy, is in Aquarius, for people to come up with some ingenious and unusual solutions to the problems we are currently facing. Pallas Athena in Aquarius brings the potential for shrewdly intelligent and well-planned revolutionary action to defend humanitarian causes and well organised grass roots protests. However, as she is also with Saturn, the planet of authority and control, there could also be some master strategists at work coming up with ways to gain greater control and to counteract those who question and voice their dissent. And with Pallas Athena involved it could be very clever indeed. Pallas Athena will be in Aquarius until 3 June, when she will go back into Capricorn, the sign of government, authority, judgement and control. Hopefully she will harness the best of Capricorn, which is discipline, structure, good judgement and, above all, integrity.
 
Mars in Pisces is forming a challenging aspect to the Sun and Moon. Indeed, Mars and the Sun will be in this face-off with one another until mid June. This could potentially be calling for the divine masculine to rise within each of us. Mars is the warrior and represents our drive, courage, motivation, energy, desire and capacity to fight or assert ourselves. Mars in Pisces is quite gentle and more likely to be passive aggressive than overtly aggressive. We are asked to find greater empathy, compassion and acceptance of one another and to put our own desires aside for the sake of something bigger than ourselves.We are asked to find our sacred warrior who is able to listen to and act on intuition and spiritual guidance and is willing to stand up for the weak and the vulnerable and fight for our ideals and for the collective. The danger of Mars being in this gentle, compassionate and sensitive sign is that people may act and react in indirect or covert ways that could blind side us. However, this could help people to be less reactive and to be kinder, more tolerant and accepting of each other and better able to listen to one another’s point of view. There are many paths to the same destination.
 
The Sabian Symbol for Mars, at 7° Pisces, is “Illumined by a shaft of light, a large cross lies on rocks surrounded by sea mist” which Dane Rudyar describes as: “The spiritual blessing which strengthens individuals who, happen what may, stand uncompromisingly for their own truth. Men who do not depend upon collective values, tradition or support but seek at any cost to be true to their individual self and destiny almost inevitably face some kind of crucifixion. They are sustained only by the power within them, to which a light above answers. The symbol tells us: “Be true to thine own self, and in the midst of the outer confusion displayed by those surrounding you, you will realise what you really are as an individual – a son of God.” This symbol implies the supreme worth of a life guided by an inner voice and manifesting a high degree of self-assertion.” This symbol is a reminder to keep the faith, to trust our own intuition and guidance and to be brave enough to act on it, no matter what the cost and no matter what we might have to sacrifice.
 
There certainly is a lot of interesting planetary energy around right now! It seems that the overall message is that while we may have an overwhelming amount of information and disinformation being passed around right now, so much so that it is hard to know where the truth is, we need to trust our inner knowing. How do we actually feel inside our bodies when we see certain people speak or hear certain views and information? Who and what do we intuitively trust, despite our own belief system? Gemini encourages us to open our minds and allow ourselves to be open to differing points of view rather than burying our heads in the sand or rabidly defending our own beliefs. Gemini also invites us to research and collect information and data so that we can better inform ourselves. It is possible that we may need to completely change the way we actually think about the world. Above all, however, we are reminded to keep our hearts open so that we are kinder, more accepting and better able to “hear” each other, and also able to step up and do what we know in our hearts is the right thing to do. This New Moon may be prompting us to find the courage to put our fears aside and be true to ourselves, finding our voice in true Gemini style and speaking up even if it means facing “crucifixion”. However, hopefully it won’t come to that. Love shall prevail.
 
Much Love
 
Amy
xoxo
 
Artwork: Beyond Illusion, from Osho Zen Tarot deck. I went on to look at the description of this card and found it to be very apt, so I thought I would share:

The butterfly in this card represents the outer, that which is constantly moving and that which is not real but an illusion. Behind the butterfly is the face of consciousness, looking inward to that which is eternal. The space between the two eyes has opened, revealing the lotus of spiritual unfoldment and the rising sun of awareness. Through the rising of the inner sun, meditation is born.

The card reminds us not to look outside for what is real, but to look within. When we focus on externals, we too often get caught up in judgments--this is good, this is bad, I want this, I don't want that. These judgments keep us trapped in our illusions, our sleepiness, our old habits and patterns. Drop your opinionated mind, and move inside. There, you can relax into your own deepest truth, where the difference between dreams and reality is already known.

 

 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
        
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SCORPIO FULL MOON - 7 May 2020

5/4/2020

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SCORPIO FULL MOON - Thursday 7 May 2020, exact at 11.45am GMT, 6.45am EST
 
Scorpio is the sign of transformation, death and rebirth, power and powerlessness, and is the part of us that is willing to look into the shadows and face the issues that might be unpleasant and considered “taboo”. We are currently building up to a Full Moon in this powerfully cathartic and metamorphic sign, which has the potential to bring some intense emotions to the surface and could also bring some rather uncomfortable material out into the light of consciousness. Full Moons tend to bring out anything that might have been brewing since the New Moon, as if the emotions are somehow “pulled” out of us! Oppositions tend to play out in our relationships, and Full Moons definitely demonstrate this, as the Sun opposes the Moon. The opposition between the energy of Taurus and Scorpio is highlighted during this Moon, and the key is to find the balance between the two rather than going too far into the extreme of either sign.
 
Taurus is the part of us that might prefer to maintain the status quo, as it feels safe, secure and familiar. Rather than rocking the boat and taking a look under the proverbial carpet to see what might be lurking there, our inner Taurus might prefer to avoid anything that might make us have to face our own shadows, because it is too uncomfortable or “dark” and could upset the apple cart, threatening our peaceful existence. Scorpio asks us to take a risk, to shed some skin, to walk across a burning bridge and step into the unknown, because if we don’t we will not be able to evolve. Scorpio encourages us to play detective, to investigate, to dig around in the dirt, to become more aware of any psychological motivations and agendas that may be hidden beneath the surface of our reality. Scorpio is the part of us that asks “Why?” and isn’t afraid of the truth. Scorpio is the part of us that isn’t afraid to peer into the shadows and confront whatever we find there. This Moon certainly has the potential for some rather uncomfortable material to come to the surface. It could also help us to purge, transform and transmute whatever we find.
 
However, Taurus also reminds us to be sensible and to not become too embroiled in the drama, so that we can’t see the wood for the trees. We are reminded to stay grounded, and to trust that whatever might be going on in our lives and in the world, that we will somehow be provided for. If Scorpio is taken too far to the extreme we can become paranoid, distrustful, suspicious and fearful, and Taurus reminds us to keep our feet rooted in the ground and to “get a grip”. It’s all about finding balance between the two signs. It is important not to close our eyes to the darker side of life just because it might upset any illusion of safety that we have and make us feel uncomfortable. It is important, especially in this current situation, to question and to be willing to dig beneath the surface of reality, as all might not be as it seems. However, it is also important to stay grounded and rooted and, as much as we can, to cultivate feelings of peace, tranquility and serenity. Putting our bare feet on the earth can help, as can connecting with nature in whatever way we are able. Taurus asks us to trust that ultimately we are protected. The light shall prevail!
 
The ruler of the Scorpio Full Moon is Pluto, which is currently in Capricorn, the sign that represents societal structures, authority, our conditioning and control. Pluto has been in Capricorn since 2008, slowly but surely exposing the rot within society and the power structures such as corporations and governments.Capricorn also represents the work we do in the outer world, our career, our status and the striving for success. We are certainly going through a metamorphosis in this area right now, as people are being forced to stop and get off the hamster wheel, which for some has been a blessing and for many has been downright terrifying. The structure of our lives is currently going through a profound transformation; a death of sorts, and we don’t yet know what the rebirth will look like. We can only do what we can to keep informed, remain positive and keep visualising the world we would like to live in at the end of this.
 
This Scorpio Moon has the potential to peel back another layer in this process. We might not like what we see, as Pluto in Capricorn forces us to confront the darker aspects of all things Capricorn, such as greed, power, manipulation and hard control. We may also be forced to see how we have been programmed and conditioned to behave and respond to authority. However, ultimately it could bring greater transparency ,as agendas are exposed and hidden motivations made more visible, and the potential for some kind of purification process,as we rise like the Phoenix from the ashes. Pluto remains in Capricorn until 2024, so we are coming close to the end of the process that started in 2008. It certainly does feel as if the structure of life as we have known it is crumbling right now, and we can only hope that something much better will take its place. Certainly things cannot go back to the way they were.
 
To take the story further, the ruler of Capricorn is Saturn, which is currently in Aquarius. This brings up quite a few issues, but also helps guide us forward. On the one hand, as I have mentioned in previous posts, we have the potential for our civil rights and liberties being contracted, as we are certainly seeing in the current situation. There is also the potential for dystopia and the use of the internet and technology for authoritarian control. There is the possibility of increased censorship, and a suppression of freedom of speech and freedom of choice. Aquarius is our capacity to protest and to stand up for our rights. Saturn represents authority and control. In a very literal sense, our current situation makes it difficult to gather in groups to protest against anything. Internet censorship preventing people offering differing points of view is also becoming more and more prevalent in this current climate.
 
However, this combination also asks us to take responsibility for questioning authority and the “rules” and any laws that we feel are an infringement of our basic human rights. Together with Pluto in Capricorn, Saturn in Aquarius asks us to transform our relationship with authority, and rather than blindly accepting all that we are being fed and doing everything that we are told by “those who know what is best for us” we are encouraged to peer behind the curtain, as Dorothy and her friends did in the Wizard of Oz. We are encouraged to do our own research and seek out the truth, asking important questions. Saturn is asking us to take full responsibility for the world that we wish to live in. As the structures crumble and those in power are forced to become more and more transparent, we are invited to become fully accountable for our future reality. Do we want Utopia or Dystopia? Saturn in Aquarius makes it our duty and responsibility to question, to stand up for our human rights, to protest, to be brave enough to put our present safety and comfort aside for the sake of our children’s future. Some rules make sense and are  in our best interest and for the greater good of humanity. Some are not.
 
To take the story even further, the ruler of Aquarius in Uranus, which is currently in Taurus, the sign of physical and financial security, our values and Mother Earth herself. Uranus is the harbinger of sudden change, the Revolutionary and the Great Awakener. Certainly we are experiencing an enormous amount of turbulence and uncertainty in terms of the economy, as millions of people suddenly find themselves on the bread line and we face the threat of economic collapse. All that seemed so safe and secure is suddenly revealed to be inherently unstable. Uranus is the planet which helps to release us from our conditioning. One of the gifts of this situation is the potential for an Awakening, as we take a step back and see things as they really are. We are also given the gift of a radical change in values, as spiritual values become more important than material values. What is more important, the health and safety of our loved ones or the latest gadget?
 
All is completely unknown at the moment, as we experience a situation the likes of which we have never seen before. Many face economic ruin, and there is talk of a digitized currency. What will come from all of this is as yet unclear. However, Uranus in Taurus does bring the potential for amazing innovation and radically ingenious solutions that could take us by surprise. Necessity is the mother of invention! Again, this goes back to Saturn in Aquarius, asking us to take responsibility for the world we want to leave to our children and grandchildren. We do live on an incredibly abundant planet which has the capacity to provide for us all, if we only learn to treat her the right way and harness her natural and sustainable resources, such as wind and solar power, in a responsible and respectful manner. We simply cannot go on as we have been, mistreating the earth with our toxicity and greed and stripping her bare. There is enough to go around, but we might need to “wake up” and reset our conditioning and programming in this area, letting go of our tendency to cling onto what is “mine”. Who knows, maybe the barter system may become part of our future!
 
Mars is still in Aquarius and will be in this rebellious, humanitarian and non-conformist sign until May 13. Mars is the warrior and represents our capacity to act, assert and motivate ourselves. It is the agent of anger and represents our drives and conscious desires. While Mars is in Aquarius it brings the potential for people getting angry and defending their rights and liberties. People are more likely to be brave and to fight for their freedom, equality and the right to question authority, our “programming” and any rules that don’t make sense. Mercury is also moving from Taurus into its own sign of Gemini on the 12 May.
 
Mercury in Taurus can mean that it is hard to change people’s minds, as we may tend to stubbornly defend our own opinions and views and be quite slow to take in new concepts. There is also the chance of us “seeing red” when presented with information that makes us uncomfortable or threatens our sense of peace. With Mercury in Gemini, thoughts and opinions will probably fly around and people could be more open minded and able to accept differing points of view. It is quite possible that information could spread like wild-fire and communication and media could be very active indeed! Mercury in Gemini thinks fast and grasps new concepts easily. However, Mercury is also the Trickster, so it may be hard to know what to believe.  
 
Neptune is forming a harmonious aspect to the Sun and Moon, which brings a beautiful reminder that ultimately we all come from the same melting pot. Neptune helps us to find compassion and empathy for others and encourages us to be very kind and gentle with each other, as most people on earth right now are going through a very difficult time, although each in different ways. It is so important to take care of one another right now and to be aware that a lot of people are feeling quite tender and fragile. Neptune can also cause our imaginations to run wild, and all in the wrong direction sometimes! We are invited to dream a new world into being, one that is more inclusive, fair and just. However, we can just as easily dream up our worst nightmare, especially if we allow ourselves to be ruled by fear. It is so important to keep the faith and to do all that we can to stay in the light. Meditation and prayer can really help right now. There is the potential here for a profound shift in consciousness and this Moon could help us along the way, and with Scorpio involved it could be profoundly transforming and cathartic! Sometimes we have to take a long hard look into the shadows in order to grow, evolve and shift.
 
Neptune involved with this Scorpio Moon could help us to collectively and gently “open our eyes” to what we were unable to see before. However, it could also make some of us want to just bury our heads in the sand! Reality can be hard to bear sometimes. We are in the midst of a great awakening, with more and more people waking up to the truth, which also involves facing our shadows. Ultimately, however, we must have faith that all that is occurring is ultimately for the greater good and that there is some kind of divine plan at play here. We are in the process of birthing a new Gaia, a new world. All that we are experiencing is helping us to see and understand that which we were blind to before when we were so caught up in the rat race, and how and what we have been doing wrong up until now. There is so much potential for growth and transformation right now. This is a very important moment in our evolution and we have all signed up to be here for it! Neptune may ask us to make some kind of sacrifice for the greater good of humanity. To put aside our own selfish needs for something much bigger than ourselves.
 
The Sabian symbol for Neptune, at 21° Pisces, is: “Under the watchful and kind eye of a Chinese servant, a girl fondles a little white lamb.”, which Dane Rudyar describes as “Growth in consciousness in its earlier tactile awareness of the wonders of unsophisticated living. The “Chinese Servant” represents the past, as a servant of the new evolution. (The “white lamb” suggests the sign of all beginnings, Aries.) This new evolution is just about to begin during the late Pisces phase of the year cycle. It is as yet an ideal, a white loveliness” This symbol brings a sense of being guided and protected by higher forces as we experience a shift in consciousness. There is a feeling of the collective being very gently woken up by a force of greater awareness. The servant guides and watches benevolently, but is not the parent and so offers an alternative to authority. As Rudyar concludes, there is “ a vision of WHITE HOPE, a hope for a future that can only be felt, almost naively.”
 
There is so much going on right now that I could keep writing forever! However, hopefully I have got the main points in. Scorpio is the sign that questions “Why?”. It is the sign that is not afraid to dig beneath the surface in order to find the truth, even if it’s not pretty. Scorpio invites us to take a long hard look at ourselves, even if we don’t like what we see. We have the potential for some deep transformation and growth here, but it might involve taking a peek behind the curtain and opening our eyes to that which we really don’t want to see. This Moon could help us to look at the shadows and could also bring up some very intense and powerful emotions as we confront material that is potentially quite challenging. However, there is no darkness without light, and so the brighter the light shines, the darker the shadows seem. We are asked to bravely pick up the torch of truth and put our own selfish desires aside for the sake of the greater good. Ultimately the light shall prevail and the truth shall set us free!
 
Much Love
 
Amy
xoxo
 
Picture: The Rebirthing, by Dan Lish
 

 
 
   
 

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    Amy Bird

    I love writing about the Moon and the effect it has on us all, both collectively and personally. We all look at the same Moon and feel her energy, albeit in different ways. It reminds us that we are not alone and there is something very comforting about that!

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