The Lunar Planner

FORTUITOUS TIDINGS

This Lunar Cycle provides a reprieve from the severe intensity and stasis of the last several months. Saturn had been retrograde since September of 2001, but has now gone direct. Jupiter will complete its retrograde period in this lunar cycle. There are no other planets or asteroids retrograde other than Juno--asteroid of covenant relationships. In our last lunar cycle we found the sobering inspiration to begin anew. In this lunar cycle we have the commencement.

This New Moon lies in the last degree of sidereal Capricorn, in an area of the sky where the constellation of Capricorn and the constellation of Aquarius overlap, under the auspices of very fortuitous stars. Uranus, which has just moved into sidereal Aquarius in the last lunar cycle, lies also in the Sun's aura. This is wonderfully energizing for humanity to break from the conformity of the past and to function from a higher octave of being. The movement of Uranus into sidereal Aquarius, its domicile, marks a significant and radical shift into a humanitarian focus. Conjoining Uranus is the asteroid Ceres, stimulating radical change in the nature of how we nurture each other and co-participate with our environment. The last time the Sun and Uranus conjoined while Uranus entered sidereal Aquarius was in 1918.

Our primary New Moon star is Sadalsuud of Aquarius, the luckiest of the lucky, making this a fortuitous lunar month. Sadalsuud conjoins several other stars at the tail of the goat. Beta Grus, which lies south of the ecliptic, brings brilliance in the grammatical arts, especially in business legalities and associated disciplines--those requiring articulation of one's wisdom, the written word, or law. In one mythical image, Beta Grus is the throat chakra of Aaron the high priest-scientist, brother of Miriam and Moses. Aaron was masterful at the articulation of higher wisdom and truth, challenging the highest religious-political councils of law governing Egypt. Aaron's mission and message underwrite the humanitarian essence of Aquarius. Grus is also the stork, carrier of bodies of knowledge, information, and news associated with new life or new beginnings. Nashira of Capricorn conjoins Beta Grus, bringing good tidings regarding legalities and sanctioned matters of the soul, making this an excellent lunar cycle for concretizing legalities of any sort and for commencing new ventures.

Sadr, heart of Cygnus, the Swan, lies just across the cusp into sidereal Aquarius. Cygnus is also the galactic cross, lying north in the heavens along the galactic equator. Uranus, just into sidereal Aquarius, aligns with Sadr as well. Sadr conjoins the Lace (Veil) Nebula and asks us to look through the facades of personality consciousness and cloaks of mortal sexuality to see each other's soul / heart essence and to participate from the maturity of this awareness. The Moon's alignment with Uranus, Ceres, and Sadr, at the outset of this lunar month, provides impetus for radical new involvements with soul colleagues, severed from the limiting conformity of the past.

Also synthesizing with Sadr is Quasar 2134+004. Quasars tend to draw us into an introspective process, but one that reverses into a unique expression. This Quasar is one of the most luminous, and with that luminosity there can be a tendency to want to be the shining one of the show. But this Quasar demands we bring forth our true soul substance, that which is of true value rather than just the superficial, skin deep appearances. Here we must demonstrate our capacity to participate from true humanitarian vision, with interest for all, rather than from an egoic superficiality and appearance alone. This quasar challenges us to get real by stripping off the cloaks of any personality-based shenanigans we may wear, in order to reveal our true soul / heart essence in our involvements.

STIMULUS TO ACTION

Mercury (having just completed its retrograde period) conjoins Pallas just before the First Quarter Moon on Feb 18. This alignment provides stimulus to communicate and participate from beyond the judgements of one side versus the other, from an embracing creative wisdom gained only from having been on both sides of the fence at one time or another. The Mercury retrograde cycle was a time of redefining personal motive and professional strategy in our lives. Although Mercury has gone direct in the last lunar cycle, we do not fully go forward in the awareness gained during that time until Feb 28, after the Full Moon, when Mercury passes the point in the ecliptic at which it went retrograde.

The First Quarter Moon of Feb 20 conjoins Vesta, asteroid of focus, dedication, and commitment, under the Pleiades in early sidereal Taurus, asking us to seed our new involvements with physical action. Vesta, Goddess of the Eternal Flame, played a principal part in the previous month’s lunar theme--helping to ignite and burn away our diversional confusions in life so we could initiate action from a place of clarity, in pursuit of that which is of greater importance.

To learn of the astrological and psychophysiological characteristics of Vesta and the other asteroids see: The Asteroids. Saturn and Vesta together have been retrograde in sidereal Taurus and both have just completed their retrograde periods in the previous lunar cycle. You can learn of the Vesta-Saturn theme in the previous, Jan 13, 2002 Lunar Month material. In brief, the Vesta-Saturn retrograde theme is about getting clear, committed, and focused on our responsibility to free ourselves from our diversional confusions in life, and to initiate action to ensure the manifestation of that which is of true importance to us.

SETTING A NEW COURSE UNDER THE FULL MOON LIGHT

The eve of the Full Moon occurs on Feb 26 (MST), with the Full Moon itself occurring in the wee hours of Feb 27. The Full Moon lies in the midst of sidereal Leo, under Alioth of the Great Bear, and over the sextant, which lies just south of the ecliptic. Our Full Moon realization embraces the recognition that it does require personal effort to change course, but once our sails are set to catch the change of wind, we are off on a new tack toward our destination.

Also conjoining our Full Moon are the transcendent forces of Velorum--the sail of the Argo in the southern heavens, and Thuban of Draco, our pole star of about 2600 B.C., which lies in the northern heavens. The stars of Velorum provide a transcendent undercurrent that is guiding us along our greater evolutionary fulfillment, forces that we can attune our personal efforts to so we are not left following diversionary surface stirrings that are not aligned with our soul path.

In the greater esoteric scheme of things, Thuban marks a tear in the Bear, a point in Earth’s precessional cycle where a turning and fraction occurred with controlling global powers--severing those choosing to fight for a greater evolutionary vision from those wanting to maintain totalitarian control of the Earth. The manipulative forces were specifically dominant from around 4800 BC to 2600 BC in Earth's evolutionary cycle of the soul. Alignments with Thuban can imply responsibility for having directed the evolutionary affairs of life on Earth during that period with repercussions incurred at soul level, and with responsibility to ensure evolutionary fulfillment now.

MOBILIZATION AND EXPANSION

Jupiter completes its retrograde period just after the Full Moon on Mar 1. Jupiter had been retrograde since early November of 2001. Jupiter is also a key-player in the longer term Saturn-Pluto opposition cycle, which began in August of last year and that will complete in late May of 2002. Jupiter's alignment with Sirius, the impetuous great world teacher, in the Twins, played a significant part in the Sept 11 World Trade Towers event.

Jupiter, still residing in the Twins (Sidereal Gemini), now turns direct while accessing the stellar qualities of the foot of Castor and the bright reflection nebula IC 444. Tejat and Dirah, the stars creating the foot, and IC 444 portend eminence and renown, and will make that which they align to stand out in a unique fashion. These stars make visible that which has been oppressed or hidden in the closet and that is destined to be seen. This alignment marks the time to stand forth in the limelight and to make ourselves available or approachable in our roles in the physical world. Forces of the mortal world may indeed be out for our demise, but they are our worthy opponents, for they reflect the fears, hesitancies, blockages, and shadows within ourselves that we must step forth from into our true fulfillment in the world.

Mirzam, the Scout of Sirius, also conjoins Jupiter and the foot of Castor. Mirzam provides a sign that indicates a greater event, action, or involvement is yet to come, even one of extraterrestrial proportion. Mirzam indicates the need to redirect our daily efforts into preparatory activity to be ready for a greater event or involvement.

FROM THE WORLD OF EGOIC FEAR TO THE UNIVERSE OF OPEN SOUL

Our Last Quarter Moon of March 6, stirring our inner need to change, aligns with Pluto and Chiron in succession. Count on Pluto to take things apart, but for a healing crisis to result. And by March 9, Pallas conjoins Neptune in the midst of sidereal Capricorn. Until this time, it had been a bit nebulous to see a creative solution beyond the judgement of life's paradoxes, but now it is time to move beyond our limiting mental imaginings as we turn from the growth gained in this cycle toward the future cycle to come.

Alignments at the mid-point of Capricorn raise issues of Trust. Suspicion will be aroused more so for the female gender due to this alignment being with Pallas, but not exclusively. The real issue of trust however, underlying whatever appears to be the issue on the mortal plane, is surrendering over to soul personality's need to be in control. This is the point where we are asked to shift from participating from personality consciousness and self-interest, to soul awareness with an expanded interest. With Pallas, this shift is from participating from the judgements of this versus that in the bi-sexual world, which is generally projected onto the use of sexuality and patriarchal power, to expressing our soul wisdom that lies transcendent to the mortal facades we wear. Neptune reflects our fear-based judgements as apparitions that appear real until this veil is passed on March 9. But this trust issue may remain if we have strong Pallas issues and carry our illusions forward, rather than relinquish them now, as Pallas moves through the rest of Capricorn through April, and then again at the end the year, when Pallas retrogrades back into Capricorn toward Neptune. To learn of Pallas and the other asteroids see: The Asteroids.

Entering the mid-point of Capricorn is Alpha Tucana, which can express as a loquacious babbling of inanities due to an inner nervousness of personality needing to surrender to soul. Conjoining also is Theta Microscopium adding a contentious attitude and demanding obsession to detail—not such a good combination with an unevolved Pallas expression. Thankfully, magikal Neptune will help to dissolve our judgemental illusions in the process. This mid-point of Capricorn is where the ego-based fear climaxes before we move into the Aquarian-Capricorn overlap of later Capricorn, which is more conducive to soul awareness. The mid-point stars of Capricorn articulate the epitome of the confused mind frenetically struggling to maintain control before it surrenders to soul.

Also conjoining the mid-point is Pulsar JP 1953, which lies north in Cygnus. Pulsars are beacons for the soul helping to guide us through life. The message of JP 1953 is to let go and move on--from the old covert, egoic way of needing to control, common to earlier Capricorn, to participating from a more open, non-exclusive, expansive way, common to humanitarian Aquarius. This pulsar reminds us to live in the interest of all, beyond the babblings of the fear-based mortal mind.

Our lunar cycle closes with the Moon in Aquarius, aligning with the same planets it aligned with at the cycle's start, Uranus and the asteroid Ceres. Now, Mercury has also joined, creating an electrical stimulus of higher mind applied with humanitarian purpose.