The Lunar Planner: It Takes Two

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The Lunar Theme for the
June 25, 2006 New Moon

It Takes Two

The Lunar Month of
June 25, 2006 - July 24, 2006

Nick Anthony Fiorenza

Astronomical Myth is a "picture language," imagery that articulates the qualities of cosmic intelligence expressing throughout the greater heavens and through our lives. We are not separate from the greater heavens, from the stars and planets around us, or from our beloved Earth, but are intimate parts of this dynamic, continually unfolding heavenly symphony. This entirety is our cosmic consciousness, the totality of our being. To explore the greater heavens and the heavenly cycles is to explore that which we are--our embracing consciousness and our spiritual evolution.

The stars would not be in the heavens
if we were meant to walk in darkness.

Please remember that the purpose of the Lunar Planner is to learn to live in the experiential awareness of the present. Although the material below can provide philosophical context for your personal experience, the New Moon is the ideal time to experientially "tune in" to get your unique new lunar month theme. Then, consciously participate with the changing Lunar Phase Characteristics in the unfoldment of that theme in your daily life.

This Lunar Cycle

Our New Moon of June 25 lies in the midst of sidereal Gemini and conjoins the foot of Castor, one of the Gemini Twins.

Gemini is of cooperation, communication, commerce, enterprise, and the daily activity and logistics of life. Depicted as the Twins, Gemini is about relations, what occurs between two parties, between sides or polarities. A relationship can be defined as the ratio created between two, that is, the resonance that occurs between two, whether that is a resonance of harmony or discord, whether there is compatibility or incompatibility--the entwined dance that occurs between two and expression of its music in the world.

The twins, although quite different of character, Pollux being the strong immortal one, the extraterrestrial incarnate (of an extraterrestrial/human bloodline), the ambassador between men and gods, and Castor being the mortal one, of the Earth alone (of human bloodline) knowledgeable of the carnal world and the daily interactions of man, nonetheless worked hand-in-hand for the betterment of humankind. Thus this lunar month brings the nature of our relations to the forefront, the nature of the resonance we create and hold between each other, the conflicts and compatibilities, and the effect it produces in our lives.

The foot of Castor is composed of Tejat, Eta Gemini; IC 444, a bright emission nebula, IC 443, a supernova remnant; and Dirah (Tejat Posterior) Mu Gemini. Feet in general correspond to the actions we take and the their long term effect in our lives. Tejat and IC 444 portend eminence and renown, and will make visible, even dramatize in a unique fashion, the choices we make and the actions we take. Tejat will make visible that which has been suppressed, oppressed, hidden in the closet, but that needs to be seen. This can indicate the need to emerge from our own mental obscurations and illusions that keep us from actions we need to take. As Tejat brings to visibility that which has been suppressed, we may draw experiences that reflect parts of our selves that seem rather dark and opposing to our unfoldment--the fears, hesitancies, and blockages within our selves that keep us from stepping forth into a greater harmony in life. Tejat asks that we be willing to walk through the shadows of self to claim our power and place. The more we express the truth of who we are openly in our relations and in the world the less is there room for forces that suppress that truth.

Our Tejat New Moon indicates that it is time to come out of hiding, to stand forth in the limelight, to make self visible, available, and approachable; to communicate and demonstrate with actions that which we want to establish in our lives and in our relations. Tejat can also indicate those who are physically marked in some way: including birth marks, genetic marks, or other unique features including tattoos, and especially jewels; or it may reveal signs indicating it is time for action, even demanding it.

Responsible Relationships

Juno, asteroid of covenant relations, and Saturn conjoin just after the New Moon (the twosome being a part of the several planet conjunction occurring in sidereal Cancer, along with Vesta and Mars--getting clear and focused in our capacity to act for a greater vision), which can bring issues about compatibility and mutual respect in partnerships to our awareness that must be dealt with. Juno and Saturn conjoin Asellus, the ass of the Crab, and Delta Hydra and nearby Pulsar CP0834, which comprises the brain of Hydra the water snake. Conjoining from the far north is Gianfar of Draco--the poisoned heart. This stellar dynamic can produce an undermining multifarious experience if we are not willing to deal with our limiting underlying mental-emotional patterns that perpetuate such experience and to emerge from that which perpetuates our incompatibilities, to have the self-respect to emerge from any bitterness we may hold in our hearts and to migrate onward. Our responsibility to each other is to honor that which is and is not of mutual compatibility and emerge into a new consciousness accordingly. Living from the pure heart rather than from denials of the bitter heart is the greatest gift we can give to another, for it offers all parties the choice to expand into a greater awareness and freedom of being.

Expanding on the Theme

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 of June 29 in late sidereal Cancer resides under the auspices of the head of the Lion and conjoins Subra, paw of the Lion and Alpha Pictoris. Here we find inspiration to discover a new path, perhaps one obscured in the sands of time, and to allow a new picture to begin to emerge.

The New Pallas Synodic Cycle

On July 1 retrograde Pallas begins its new ~465-day synodic cycle, in the center of sidereal Sagittarius., conjoining Alpha Scutum of the Galactic Shield of the Holy Cross, AM Hercules, and Gamma Mensa of the Table Mountain.

Often described as exotic and enigmatic, AM Hercules expresses a powerful magnetic synchronizing force capable of assembling spirit substance into exquisite order in form. Here is a spiraling but directed force to funnel our intent into ordered achievement.

This Pallas cycle's theme asks to rise above the petty judgments of this side verses that, those of lower reasoning mind that keep us in spiteful retreat, and apply the wisdom from having been on both sides of the coin with artistic creative intelligence to make possible our greater fulfillment, and especially to realize we have a greater universal force supporting us to do so. This 465-day cycle will fully emerge as Pallas returns direct on August 24. Learn more of Pallas.

Asteroid 2004 XP14 Flyby

Asteroid 2004 XP14 will cross Earth's orbit in the early hours of July 3, jet before First Quarter Moon, coming as close the Earth as our Moon. Learn more here:
A Bit of Extra Stimulus: The Asteroid 2004 XP14 Flyby.

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 First Quarter Moon occurs on July 3 in sidereal Virgo conjoining several principle stars of Corvus the Raven the messenger bird. Algorab, Eta Corvus, asks us to be attentive to the natural world around us moment-by-moment, as Divine Intelligence permeates and thus communicates through all of nature. The signs found in the simplest of life experience have meaning if we are willing to be attentive to them. In fact, we can even ask to receive guidance through prayer or simply by briefly holding the intent to inquire and then letting it go. It is the sincere projection of clear intent that vibrationally invokes a response from the world around us. All we need do is show up, pay attention, trust, and participate.

Mercury Retrograde / Jupiter Direct

Mercury begins its retrograde on July 4 as we complete Mercury's previous 116-day synodic cycle, discussed in the Feb 27 2006 Lunar Planner. Mercury's new cycle will start later in this lunar cycle.

Jupiter returns direct on July 6 fully commencing its new 399-day synodic theme which began on May 4, discussed April 27 2006 Lunar Planner.

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 July 7 in sidereal Libra conjoining and activating the new Jupiter theme, and creating an air of expansive movement, inspiration to live a greater truth.

The Gibbous Moon (along with Jupiter) lies at the Feet of the Virigin, under the Northern Crown, and over the Southern Cross, all inspiring our return to the power of pure intent and choosing alternative paths that lead to our greater freedom and fulfillment rather than those that lead back into any entrapping scenarios of the past.

Vision, Enthusiasm, & Realization of the Theme

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.

This Full Moon occurs on July 10-11 in latter sidereal Sag under the auspices of inspiring Lyra, Harp of the Angels, conjoining Sheliak of Lyra, the Starseed Ring Nebula M57, Zeta and its partner Epsilon Aquila the Eagle, and the nearby neutron star SS433 also of Aquila. Zeta Aquila, Deneb Al Okab, has an amazing rotational speed, 165 times the equatorial speed of our sun, and articulates the ability to rapidly remove self to vast distances and height to gain an accelerated and embracing perceptual awareness.

The beautiful Starseed Ring Nebula M57 of Lyra is the result of a super nova explosion. In galactic myth, home to several star civilizations before the subsequent fragmentation of consciousness into various stellar races or rainbow rays of evolutionary unfoldment. M57 inspires multi-spectral creative expression--a multiplicity of opportunity for fulfillment when individuality is creatively amalgamated into a greater expression than one could achieve alone. M57 also holds the memory pattern that unifies our diversity--reminding us that all rays of color and creed are the unbounded expression of one unified Creative Intelligence.

Image: The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA)

Multi-spectral Shelaik, the significant alignment, has the visible brilliance of 2000 of our suns, and is actually dual star, one orbiting and eclipsing the other in a period of about 12.9 days. So massive and so close, the two stars transfer streams of matter from one to the other. Sheliak marks the strings of the Lyre, inspiring holographic visualization and attunement to heavenly realms of angelic light, and the transfer of that multi-dimensional awareness through multi-media and art-sciences incorporating light, sound, and geometry. The Lyre was used for divine communion and healing, and Sheliak is about out tuning and being attuned for that very reason. This Lyrian Full Moon inspires cosmic visualization and consciousness that serves to educate and illuminate. Learn more about Lyra and the Lore of the Lyre.

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. Our Disseminating Moon of July 14 occurs in mid-sidereal Aquarius conjoining fortuitous Sadachbia of Aquarius, the "lucky star of hidden things." Sadachbia indicates a tangible gift of extreme value can be discovered, revealed, or claimed if we are willing to explore, give, and receive.

Time for Change

Center of the active Galaxy NGC 1097 in Fornax. Image: European Southern Observatory (NACO/VLT)

The Last Quarter Moon creates our "inner need to initiate change" in the lunar cycle as we move into the cycles last quarter. Our Last Quarter Moon of July 17 occurs exactly on the cusp of sidereal Pisces / Aries, while trining Pluto), also as the Sun makes it transition from sidereal Gemini into sidereal Cancer, and just before Mercury begins its new ~116-day synodic cycle--creating a perfect time to let it all go, what has been that is.

The Moon now leaves the emotional Piscean aquatics and enters the firey Arian desert as it conjoins Beta Fornax of the initiatory and transformative Furnace. Here we find the spiraling black hole galaxy NGC 1097 also of Fornax, where matter is consumed and transformation takes place. Fire on the shore is the theme crossing this cusp, consuming e-motion (the undigested motion of experience).

Classically, Aries is figured as a reclining ram with its head looking back over itself, admiring his own golden fleece. The theme of Aries the Ram, whether articulated by the Royal Family or Jason and the Argonauts search for the golden fleece is about the initiatory challenges that continually create obstacles and limitations across life's path. These obstacles, often created by our righteous attitudes of arrogance, create painful and repetitive lessons in the fires of life about that very thing--pride, arrogance, and greed--lessons that ultimately produce the alchemical honing of self. The lessons of Aries awaken us from our denial and naiveté regarding how arrogance and greed create our own entrapment in the Jaws of Cetus--the jaws continually pulling us into the transmutational fires of human experience.

Mercury's New Synodic Theme

In the midst of its retrograde, Mercury begins it new 116-day synodic cycle. Retrograde mercury and the Sun conjoin at this time. If looking from the Sun however, we would see Mercury and the Earth aligning. The stellar backdrop from this (solar) perspective reveals the new synodic cycle's theme. Mercury and Earth (from the sun's view) reside in the first degree of sidereal Capricorn. This is the point in the zodiak where we move from the high vision and spiritual inspiration of Sagittarius and Lyra, and concretize that vision into practical application in the physical world. As mention throughout the lunar planner material, the first degree of a sidereal sign embodies the essence of that sign. Here we find support (provided by Eta Mensa of the Table Mountain) to manifest our visions and ideals, but we are also faced with the difficulties, distortions and challenges inherent to the material world as we are inspired to do so (created by the nebulosity of planetary nebula NGC 6818 and the irregular galaxy dwarf NGC 6822).

The first few degrees of Capricorn can also involve areas of all esoteric sciences, as well as the secret places and orders associated with those artsciences--places of personal retreat, seclusion, hermitages--places strategic to manifesting our purpose. Here we find inspiration and support to identify and move into such places as well, those conducive to manifest our strategies. Siderealist Andrés Takra adds that "the first few degrees of Capricorn are also of magic, hermetism, esoterism, and religion." Here is where the pure spiritual essence and principles common to sidereal Sagittarius can get converted into monotonous or lost into empty dogmatic doctrine--just something to be aware of over the months ahead as we work on applying and grounding our current visions. Mercury will return direct on July 28, early in the following lunar cycle, where we move fully forward with this new synodic theme.

The time of the new Mercury synod (occurring at the mid-point of its retrograde) can bring Mercurial related issues we hold within to a crisis point. This is common to a Sun-Mercury conjunction (looking from Earth's perspective), which astrologers call a planet being "combust." In the context of synodic cycles, this is a natural experience while shifting from the previous cycle into the next. The crisis point offers opportunity to surrender a mode of being common to the last Mercury cycle so we may shift into a new neurological resonance and subsequently a new level of experience. We can shift smoothly with practice by exploring and embracing the issues we hold within, or grind the gears a bit if fighting our resistance to change--'tis how we grow and evolve.

Mercury Psychophysiology

The astrophysical resonances of Mercury embody these aspects of our psycho-physiology (our entwined mental, emotional and physical facets of self): logistical thinking, speech and communication, and all neurological processes. Mercury's corresponding bi-energy centre is the throat / thyroid (seat of suppressed anger)--with a neurological tie-in to the liver (our ability to act on our truth) which also expresses through the right knee and calf muscles.

Evolved Mercurial qualities express as creative, coherent and intelligent expression. This is our will to live and speak our truth in confidence, clarity, and appropriateness. Mercury provides ability for mental focus, concentration, and even telepathy and telekinesis. Mercury's resonance defines learning and reasoning abilities, language skills, and some motor skills associated with coordination and dexterity.

Afflicted Mercury holds suppressed anger and expresses as covert hostility--spite and vengefulness. Suppressed anger blocks effective communication and speech, and distorts what we hear; i.e., anger has no ears. Mental–emtional issues of "appropriateness" are held in musculature of the back of the neck. Aches in the back of the neck can indicate that we are not living our truth--inappropriately living a lie--or that we are in denial of the truth wanting to express from our hearts (fear). Suppressed anger can create an inability to concentrate, learn, grow, and change. It creates confusion within self to make choices that are not in the highest interest of our true soul destiny and greatest happiness.

Thyroid related problems are driven from suppressed anger. They can express as overt of covert hostility, incessant mentalization of life (excessive Mercurialism), endless talking and thinking; and forcing one's beliefs onto others in righteousness. It can also result in arthritic and obese conditions due to stuffing anger rather than resolving it. Reflexed ties to the liver can manifest as skin problems and the inability to detox properly, or as an inability to hold our vitality and stamina and express it in a healthy way.

Focus to the Future

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 of July 21 resides in latter sidereal Taurus conjoining the "The Shield" of Orion; Gamma Camelopardalis, on the neck of the Camel; and is close to Kursa, the start of Eridanus, the River of Life. The energetic of our balsamic lunar elixir, in which the seed of our next new moon marinates, is one of establishing a field of nurturing protection while preparing for a fresh start or new project along our journeys in life.

Our next New Moon occurring on July 24 lies in early sidereal Cancer. More to come then.

* * *

To learn how one lunar phase shifts and changes into the next, and to learn how to live in attunement to the lunar cycles, in the experiential empowerment doing so offers, please download the Lunar Planner Introduction and each monthly Lunar Calendar, and use them daily (PDF file links below)--its all a gift.

* * *

We need not live in endless struggle, overwhelmed by the surface turbulence of our growth and awakening process. We can establish an inner peace instead, with life becoming a graceful dance when we attune ourselves to the natural spiral of growth that is guiding our lives. Living in attunement to the natural Lunar Cycles is an effective and empowering way to do this. Living in attunement to the natural astronomical cycles of life is living in faith and trust in the Divine Creative Intelligence expressing throughout our lives.

The Lunar Planner is an experiential tool teaching us how to live in attunement to the natural lunar cycles. Astronomical Sidereal Astrology and Star Lore reveal each lunar month's theme, and the planetary themes unfolding throughout the year. Each lunar month's theme weaves a continuing story line of the patterns of growth unfolding in our lives.

The Lunar Calendar reveals the dates and times of each lunar phase shift and their changing characteristics as well as key planetary alignments. Use this like a calendar or daily planner. The Lunar Calendar goes hand-in-hand with the introductory material. Use this daily to learn how to live attuned to the Lunar Cycles of Life.

Step by step instructions on how to use the Lunar Calendar with a detailed description of the changing lunar phases. This will teach you how to live in attunement to the Lunar Cycle. The Introduction goes hand-in-hand with the Lunar Calendar.

The Lunar Theme for the June 25, 2006 New Moon