The Lunar Planner: A Birth Portal

This Lunar Cycle

This is the first lunar cycle after the previous eclipse lunar cycle. Eclipse lunar cycles tend to create openings, they are times of letting go, times when we disengage from one octave of participation in our lives so we can engage in a new octave. This new octave begins now, starting on our Nov 1(MST) Nov 2 (GMT) New Moon. This lunar cycle marks our commencement, the time to re-engage and move forward into our next level of experience.

Our New Moon lies in mid-sidereal Libra, at the feet of the Virgin. In our stellar mythos (picture-language), this is where the Virgin births a soul into the re-incarnational clutches of the Scorpion, that is, into the process of soul growth through the balance of experience. This is the point of rebirth, of beginning anew, the place of "pure intention." It is where we get clear on our intent, and create the environment in our lives that supports that intent from a place of balance and equilibrium, and in this case, creating or restructuring our environment to support the changes in our lives that we have realized are appropriate to make in the previous eclipse lunar cycle. Far to the north lies the Northern Crown, emblem of claiming our freedom from previous entrapments, and to the south is the Centaur who stands over and protects the Southern Cross, the benevolent teacher of its principles. The Centaur teaches the principles of how to live in self-mastery so as to claim our freedom and greater fulfillment in life. The four stars of the Southern Cross (Les Cruces) embody the original cardinal virtues seemly lost to most of humanity. This is the cardinality (pure intention) of the soul--embodied by the Kappa Crucis Cluster, the Jewel Box. The Southern Cross embodies the pure intent of the soul before the aberrations, confusions, and attitudes incurred by the soul throughout its entire re-incarnational process.

Several dynamic shifts occur within this lunar cycle: Juno, asteroid of covenant relations, began its retrograde in Orion just prior to the New Moon. This month marks the completion of Juno's previous 100-day synodic cycle. Thus, this lunar month is a time of completion in relations or in our way of interrelating. Juno will begin its next synodic cycle on Dec 9 in the following lunar cycle. Mars, currently retrograde, ends its previous 780-day synodic cycle and begins its next as it squares Neptune (creating a Sun-Neptune-Mars T-square). Mercury begins its retrograde. It also completes its previous 116-day synodic cycle and begins its next. Uranus, which recently began its new synodic cycle, completes its retrograde and moves direct, marking the time for us to break away from the conformity of the past and to move forward with any radical changes we need to make in our lives. Vesta, asteroid of focus and dedication, begins its retrograde in sidereal Gemini, and Saturn begins its retrograde in Cancer with a potent Moon / Mars aspect. All create a very potent Lunar Month, especially from the Full Moon through the Disseminating Moon. Strong seismic resonances are possible during this time period as well. We will explore these events more as they transpire in the lunar cycle.

Expanding on the Theme

Image Credit: NASA. This (false color) image shows an edge on view of the plain of our galaxy, the Milky Way, a whirling disc composed of hundreds of billions of stars, of which our sun is one, spinning around a dense and massive bulge of stars and a black hole called the Galactic Nucleus or Galactic Centre. The disc itself is about 90,000 light years across, while our sun lies about 28000 light years from the center in the galactic plane and in one of the spiral arms called the Orion Arm. It takes about 200 million years for our Sun to orbit once around Galactic Center.

The hours before the Crescent Moon provide a time when we relinquish patterns of the past that would limit our creative ability to expand on the theme now unfolding. The Crescent Moon is the time when the sprouting seedling sloughs off its protective coat of the past, and emerges in its new expression. As the Crescent Moon unfolds, the growing phase of the lunar cycle begins as we start to amalgamate our personal creativity with the original lunar theme.

Our Crescent Moon occurs on Nov 5 in early Sag, just over Galactic Center and about to conjoin Venus (which is now on the Holy Cross' "Gate of God" (at 5° sidereal Sag). Not only does our Crescent Moon conjoin Galactic Center in ecliptic longitude, it passes directly in front of the Heart Center of our Galaxy because it lies a bit south of the ecliptic. Like a Zen Archer with undaunted focus, here we are inspired us to focus our intent upon our heart's truth, our passionate desire, love's fulfillment--while letting all else dissolve from view. (The Crescent Moon and Venus can once again be seen in the western sky at sunset). Over seeing this union from the far northern heavens is Etamin, eye of the Dragon. Etamin makes passage for those truly focused and pure of intent, in this case for those truly living from heart.

The New Mars Synodic Cycle

Image Credit: NASA and
The Hubble Heritage Team

On Nov 7, between the Crescent and First Quarter Moon, in the Flowering Phase of this lunar cycle, Mars begins its new 780-day synodic cycle. Looking from the sun, Earth and Mars align the midst of the sidereal Aries. The stars in this part of sidereal Aries reveal the theme of the new Mars cycle. As of late, the winds of Mars have been rather extreme creating a massive dust storm on its surface (visible through backyard telescopes) that is changing the face of Mars, perhaps redefining the expression of this force in our lives as well. Mars is currently quite bright in the heavens because of its close proximity to Earth. (Its closest proximity actually occurred on Oct 30.) Although Mars was much closer to Earth in August of 2003 when it began its previous synodic cycle, it is now closer than it will be for the next 13 years.

Mars Psychophysiology:

Mars governs the base chakra (the seat of survival and unconsciousness) and our sexual capacity and function. Mars governs our creative force and our capacity to use our creative power to initiate action and response.

Mars in its clear expression is creativity assertively applied with power, strength, and confidence. Mars embodies abilities of leadership, is self-reliant, victorious, audacious, brave, instinctual, passionate, erotic, and willful.

Mars is generally associated with the male while Venus and the Moon with the female, but both males and females have hearts and base chakras. Both have the capacity for love and application of creative power and sexual force. In Atlantian lore, the female was the aggressor, the male the seduced. The Moon in many cultures is also thought of as male, though today generally its intuitive quality is considered a female trait. I suggest it is neither and both. Although we can associate Mars with the male and Venus with the female in today's world, it helps to think of Mercury, Venus, and Mars vertically aligned in both sexes rather than merely defining the sexes. Respectively they embody the three primary bio-energy centers: the intellect, communication; the heart, intuition; and sexuality, creative power.

Mercury alone is "logistical thinking"; the integration of Mercury with Venus results in "intuitive knowing"; and the integration of Mercury, Venus, and Mars results in "experiential wisdom" applied in creative manifestation.

Mars (base chakra / sexuality) is generally the facet of self that is held in most judgment due to this force having been used destructively and manipulatively in the history of the solar system. Because of this, total rejection and lack of love is often projected toward the Mars (male) energetic--alienating it even more. Mars is now dubbed the planet of war. Without love (heart - Venus - female), Mars expresses as a wayward and ballistic use of power in conflict.

Mars in its aberrant expression (base chakra issues): all survival issues; fear of not having enough, hoarding, and jealousy. There can be a need to control, manipulate, and exploit others or one's environment for personal gain and sustenance. There can be an inability to trust self, Earth, and to experience the connection between the two. Aberrant Mars feels unloved and unsupported, with the experience to affirm it, which can result in wayward or ballistic behavior, isolation, loneliness, hate, greed, brutality, or self-annihilation. Aberrant Mars can express as an inability to see or discern manipulative or dark forces; it can be over-bearing, argumentative, and intimidating, which hides a lack of self-confidence. Aberrant Mars can also expresses as judgment about use of other's creativity, use of power, and sexuality, as infertility or impotency, and as sexual frustrations and dysfunctional reproductive organs.

Primary associated bio-energy centres: Base chakra; all reproductive glands: prostate, testicles, ovaries; also the adrenals and kidneys, and the liver and blood. There are musculature tie-ins to the right arm, right knee, and the right calf (the ability and power to act on both short term and long term goals). Common secondary tie-ins occur to the thyroid and liver. Associated brain centers: Ego Pressure (sex regulation), cerebrum, pituitary, and hypothalamus--regulating blood pressure, stress response, sexual activity, Xi (Chi), and kundalini release.

The Earth / Mars alignment (at 20° sidereal Aries) conjoins Menkar, the jaws of Cetus; Almach, the princess Andromeda's snagged foot; and Alpha Horologium, the pendulum clock--all revealing our new 780-day Mars synodic cycle. Will the princess (the divine feminine) be forever devoured by Cetus, the technobureaucratic monster of fear-based collective consciousness, or will we change how we express the force of Mars in our lives, how we use our creative power, the nature of the actions we initiate in our lives. Whether man or woman, do we respond to our life situations from a fear-based consciousness and act in ways that squelch our hearts (Venus / the feminine principle), or even avoid action altogether, or do we take steps in audacious confidence to support and fulfill our heart's truth. The pendulum clock is ticking. Time is at hand. See: The Royal Family to learn more about Andromeda and Cetus.

Initiate Action

The First Quarter Moon of each lunar cycle draws an external stimulus to initiate action as we move from the inspirational quarter of the lunar cycle into the action quarter. Our external stimulus occurs on Nov 7-8, in the 24 hours before the First Quarter Moon, as the new Mars synodic cycle begins. From Earth's perspective, Mars and the Sun lie opposite in the ecliptic, with both squaring Neptune. At the same time our first quarter Moon conjoins Neptune. This creates a significant emphasis on Neptune and its expression in our lives. Neptune conjoins Cygnus X-1 Black Hole, the Saturn Nebula, and Al Nair of Gruis. Here we may find emphasis on covert use of power being exposed in courts, through legalities, and through the media. In an environment of mixed people, we may see some genuinely wise, articulate, and beneficent, and some merely self-proclaimed leaders on an illusory high horse due to their own self-deception, illusion, and self-importance. Many of the self-proclaimed have group followings and many are cons merely teaching their own ignorance, judgments, and illusions of personality to the sleeping masses or naive followers they drag along. These types often think they need to educate or give advice to everyone they meet, who think of themselves as the world's saving grace, some even using slight-of-hand magic tricks to woo and wow the naïve. These individuals are found both in the legal system of courts and in the spiritual arena of established followings expressing through the media or performing arts. True teachers and genuine guides can also be found here. They however are more humble and genuine, with little need for a masquerade of advertising antics, guruistic titles, or followings. These individuals are guides with true wisdom and with capacity to articulate that wisdom (of Al Nair, star of the high priest-scientist). Cyg X-1 separates those participating from egoic persona and self-interest from those participating from genuine soul awareness with interest to serve all.

Our First Quarter Neptune Moon of Nov 8-9 also conjoins Sualocin and Rotanev of the Dolphin star system. Perhaps a deciding time for our allegiances and with whom or what path we will follow. To trust in the serendipity of life is merely to surrender our personal righteous reasoning mind that needs to define and control, and to allow our selves to move with the Divine Intelligence that permeates and fluidly guides our lives. Here is the art of getting out of our own way to allow a creative solution that leads us from the conforming bounds of limited mind. But this does not imply waiting around for the winds to blow, or following blind, but using discernment in our choice of direction and with whom we shall move. Here lies the need to integrate logistical mind (Mercury) with our true heart's desire (Venus) to initiate action (Mars).

Attraction & Involvement

The 24-hour period just before the Gibbous Moon is a time of perseverance, of pushing through in the midst of the action quarter of the lunar cycle. The Gibbous Moon is when the pressure releases and we enter the Pollinating Phase of the lunar cycle, which begins a social and communicative time of magnetic attraction. Our Gibbous Moon occurs on Nov 12 in wet sidereal Pisces about to separate in square from Venus--again indicating participation from the emotional passion found deep within our hearts.

During the Pollinating Phase, before Full Moon, Uranus returns Direct in sidereal Aquarius. This marks the time of commencement, a time to begin to take the steps to make any radical changes pending in our lives, to break from the conformity of the past. It marks the time to fully engage in the current Uranus 370-day synodic cycle that began about two months ago. The Uranus synodic theme was presented in part in the snippet: "The Pouring Waters of the Waterman." Now Uranus is asking us to pursue that which is truly supportive to our greater wellbeing and to those around us. There is not a separation between the two. To live our hearts' truth always supports each party to change and grow, to self-sacrifice our inner heart's truth. thinking this is a humanitarian gesture, is only living a lie that perpetuates all parties to stay stuck in the mire without opportunity to change or growth, it is to compromise integrity. To live heart is to not only give from the heart, but to walk in the truth of heart.

Concurrent with the Uranus transition, Mercury begins its retrograde, beginning a few-week period of redefining logistics. Now we compllete the previous 116-day Mercury synodic cycle discussed in the August 4 lunar cycle--getting us sober about our responsibilities. We will begin the next Mercury synodic cycle in the midst of Mercury's retrograde later in this lunar cycle.

Vision, Enthusiasm, & Realization

The Full Moon marks the culmination point in the lunar cycle, the climax, the point of excitement and celebration. The hours leading up to the Full Moon provide a time of "vision and enthusiasm." The time just after Full Moon is a one of "realization of the lunar month's theme," a time to kick back and relax to allow our realizations to surface in consciousness.

Our Full Moon of Nov 15-16 occurs in the last degree of sidereal Aries, while the Sun conjoins Pallas just as the Sun is about to enter sidereal Scorpio. Our Sun-Pallas conjunction may reveal any issues we may have about withdrawing based on judgment of this side verses that verses participating with creative wisdom beyond the judgments of mind alone.

Our Full Moon conjoins Zaurak of Eridanus, the River of Life. This part of the heavens lies under the auspice of Perseus, twin flame of Andromeda in the story of the Royal Family. This area of the zodiak is where Perseus is about to slay Medusa to claim his own self-mastery prior to being able to step into his intended soul destiny and help anyone else. Zaurak is a point along the initiatory river of life where we must hold our own light because the path is dark. Tension and anticipation mounts. Perseus must slay Medusa (his inner fears) without looking directly at her, lest he will turn to stone (frozen in fear). Here is the impetus to trust our inner heart light and follow through despite any fear that the way is not entirely clear.

Manifestation & Demonstration

The hours leading up to the Disseminating Moon generally is an accelerated and busy time of last minute preparation that leads into the birth point in the lunar cycle, the time of bearing the fruit in the cycle.

Saturn However, time stands still for this birth: Not only is Mars still retrograde (the new synodic cycle not yet fully engaged), but Saturn is slowing to station in Gemini before it begins its retrograde--all surrounding the Disseminating Moon of Nov 19. Time is suspended leaving us in a very intense space. Just prior to the Moon shift, Mars (retrograde) squares stationing Saturn (Nov 18), Vesta as well stations in Gemini to begin her retrograde--beginning a time of re-focusing, and just after the Disseminating Moon, the Moon conjoins Vesta, and then Saturn just as Saturn begins its retrograde (Nov 22).

In addition, our Disseminating Moon of Nov 19 occurs in sidereal Gemini directly opposite Venus in Sagittarius and perfectly square the Lunar Nodes--all creating a very potent Grand Square--a portal in space-time. The way is through the e-motion of the heart.

Our Disseminating Moon conjoins Sirius, the Great World Teacher, making this birth portal most significant, perhaps of life-changing proportion. This portal, with Venus opposite in Sag, provides one way only, the opportunity to live the high ideals and truth of Heart. The out if there is one? Fall back only to observe nature's signs (the signs in our daily lives) in denial of our entrapments and deal with the ramifications, or address our denials and naiveté, and follow our heart light through the dramatic flowing waters of change.

Time for Change

Our Last Quarter Moon of Nov 23 brings our inner need to initiate change in the lunar cycle as we move into its last quarter. The moon lies just past Regulus, Heart of the Lion, in early sidereal Leo while conjoining the very southern Vela Pulsar on the sail of Argo Navis. The Vela Pulsar, an extremely old Super Nova remnant conjoining Alpha and Gamma Sextans and expressing through the Sextant's theme navigating and plotting a new course), has a fundamental frequency of 11.2084065685 Hz., which translates to a color harmonic of 3800Å--a high spiritual violet, bordering near UV.* Pulsars in general are beacons for the soul, constantly providing an inner message or reminder for those attentive to such subtleties. Although the Vela Pulsar can create somewhat of a spiritual serenity, much like we might have relaxing on a sailing ship in a light breeze, there demands the preparedness and alertness to leap into action as the increasing gales and changing currents require. The Vela Pulsar reminds us to remain serene but alert and preserving along our journey, to continually plot our position and adjust our course so we can arrive to the sanctum we seek. The Vela Pulsar reminds us to set our direction based on the underlying evolutionary currents guiding our lives rather than on the winds of the moment, the diversionary and transitory surface breezes, to plot the path on our long-term (soul's) direction. If there is any pulsar equated more to the maturity of the old soul (old salt), the Vela Pulsar is it.

*See "Planetary Harmonics" to learn of planetary-light-sound correspondences, the Schumann Resonances, and more about harmonics.

Mercury's New Synodic Cycle

Just after Last Quarter Moon of Nov 23, retrograde Mercury conjoins the Sun on the Head of the Scorpion (Dschuba) marking the time of Mercury's new 116-day synodic cycle. Dschuba asks us to take personal responsibility for the entrapments we may find ourselves in rather than placing blame on those situations. Mercury's new synodic theme is however found looking from the Sun toward the Mercy-Earth conjunction which lies at 7° sidereal Taurus between the Pleiades and Hyades, and conjoining Mirphak, Alpha Perseus, and the stars Omi (Atiks) and Zeta, and the potent X-Perseus neutron star, which make the foot of our heroic Perseus. (To learn why Mercury's synodic theme is opposite the Sun-Mercury conjunction, see "Synodic Cycles and Planetary Retrogrades.")

Mirphak, a fortuitous star, embodies the totality and success of all that Perseus has been through in his initiatory trials with need to now live his destiny. See the "Royal Family" to learn more of Perseus.

Here we are asked to claim the true gift of the inner refinement that the past initiatory fires of life have catalyzed, and to accept that our trials had to precede stepping forth into our greater fulfillment and destiny. Here we must begin to live that destiny in the material world.

The foot of Perseus, (created by the stars Atiks, Omi Perseus; Zeta Perseus; and the intense neutron star, X-Perseus) brings a powerful capacity to infuse the spiritual power gained from our initiations in life and to manifest our longer-term purpose and destiny in the physical world.

Also adding to this theme is Quasar 3C110 of Eridanus, the River of Life. Eridanus is of the soul's evolutionary journey through incarnate life. Eridanus is a very long constellation, winding its way from Orion (in late sidereal Taurus), backward in the ecliptic (east to west), through Aries where it reversing direction twice, then into Pisces and completing its journey in sidereal Aquarius. The stars of Eridanus reveal the nature of the trials and rewards found throughout life's winding sojourn. Quasar 3C110 of inspires us to apply a laser like focus to mold what appears to be a physical barrier into the means to accomplish our greater vision.

Mercury's new synodic theme will fully engage as Mercury completes its retrograde and returns direct on Dec 3-4 in the following lunar cycle.

Focus to the Future

Our Balsamic Moon occurs on Nov 27. The Balsamic Moon marks the time in lunar cycle when we coalesce the experience of the lunar cycle into its seed essence, which will then sprout through the theme of the following lunar cycle. It is when we turn our attention from this lunar cycle in anticipation of the next to come. The hours before the Balsamic Moon provide our time of coalescence while those after mark the time when we turn from looking back over the past cycle and look toward the future cycle to come. This Balsamic Moon lies in later sidereal Virgo conjoining the very southern Alpha Volantis.

Volantis, the Flying Fish, which lies quite south under the keel of the Argo in the area of the heavens associated with navigational mapping and directing of evolutionary currents that guide our lives. Piscis Volantis is associated with the soular plane (not earth plane), specifically, the foundation for souls, the ability to support souls' uninhibited true expression. The flying fish provides an extraordinary force and ability to leap into and spread its wings to glide through new or other dimensional realms, realms not common to itself.

Alpha Volantis' conjunction with Eta Carina, the thigh of Boötes, and the sacrum of the Virgin brings awareness about the subtle but powerful soul-directed primal / sexual / creative forces guiding our lives and the need to participate with powerfully focused intimate sensitivity to pierce the limiting envelope of our existing perceptional bubble and birth a new life expression.

Our next New Moon occurs on Dec 1, 2005 conjoining Antares, Heart of the Scorpion. More to come then....