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The Lunar Theme for the
February 6-7, 2008 New Moon

The Serendipity of
Fortuitous Encounters

The Lunar Month of
Feb 6, 2008 - Mar 7, 2008

Nick Anthony Fiorenza

Copyright © 2008 Nick Anthony Fiorenza, All Rights Reserved

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 personalized lunar month's theme. Then, consciously participate with the changing Lunar Phase Characteristics in the unfoldment of that theme in your daily life using the Lunar Calendar and Lunar Planner Introduction (links at the bottom).

New Moon Phase Characteristics

The New Moon

Our New Moon of Feb 6-7 produces an Annular Solar Eclipse. We will also experience a Total Lunar Eclipse on the Full Moon of this lunar cycle.

Generally, an eclipse lunar cycle is a time of relinquishment and new beginnings, allowing opportunity for a fresh start. The solar eclipse offers opportunity to release roles we play in the world that are no longer appropriate in our lives, our modes of self-perception, and self-expression. It provides a doorway to re-define self, to begin a new way of life or new way of participating in life.

Technical Information about the Feb 6-7, 2008 Solar Eclipse:
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/OH2008.html#2008Feb07A

Our New Moon Annular Solar Eclipse occurs in sidereal Capricorn, but in the area where the constellations Capricorn and Aquarius overlap, which creates an energetic shift from the more personal and exclusive self-interest nature of earlier Capricorn, to that of a more inclusive interest for the betterment and well-being of our extended families and friends.

Our New Moon lies under the auspices of Delphius, the Dolphin star system, and conjoins Sualocin, the principal star of Delphinus. It lies between the longitudes of Al Nair, Alpha Gruis, and Beta Gruis, with the latter conjoining Nashira of Capricorn.

Al Nair, Alpha Gruis and the northern Delphinus constellation mark the beginning of the last decan of sidereal Capricorn, while Beta Gruis and Nashira of Capricorn lie in the midst of the last decan.

Gruis the Crane, entering the ecliptic from the south, provides an underling and eloquently supportive influence to the last decan of sidereal Capricorn. Gruis as the stork, is carrier of bodies of knowledge, information, and good news associated with new life and new beginnings. The southern Toucan’s loquacious and gregarious qualities also underlie Gruis and contribute to the expressive and articulate nature of this area of the zodiak.

Gruis brings brilliance in grammatical arts, and is a contributor to the excellence in legalities, business contracts, and associated disciplines requiring articulation of the written word. It is of libraries, courts, publishing houses, literary agencies, or where any legalities are formulated, agreed upon and concretized. Here lies the constructive character of Saturn, which is at home in Capricorn.

Another mythical image of Gruis is that of Aaron the high-priest scientist, brother of Miriam and Moses, with Al Nair, Alpha Gruis, being the head or wisdom of Aaron, the embodiment of knowledge; and Beta Gruis being Aaron's throat chakra--the eloquent articulation of that knowledge.

Fortuitous Nashira of Capricorn is the bringer of good news, especially regarding legalities, business, and constitutional matters, as well as sanctioned matters of the soul; it is of new life and new beginnings.

This Lunar Cycle is of fortuity and serendipity. The principal quality of this lunar theme, nesting in the background energetic set by the surrounding stars mentioned above, is revealed by Sualocin of the northern star system Delphinus.

Sualocin of Delphinus offers guidance for those willing to trust in greater forces than their personal efforts can generate alone. The Dolphins, an expression of angelic dominion, are angelic messengers and guides for the wayward, as old salts know. They reveal the way to make safe passage to our destination, to our greater nourishment and fulfillment, provided we listen to and participate in the serendipity of life.

To experience the serendipity of life requires we surrender the pre-occupations of reasoning mind, those of worry and our need to define and control, of what we "think" we "should" be doing. It instead requires us to be attentive to and trust any subtle impulses we may feel at any given moment--to move with the Divine Intelligence that permeates and fluidly guides our lives. Here lies the art of getting out of our own way to allow creative solutions that lead us from the conforming bounds of limited mind.

For example, we may feel a subtle impulse or have a brief unexpected thought to stop somewhere along a journey, but ignore the impulse with a canceling thought like "I do not have the time," or "that makes no sense--a diversion I am too busy for." When we ignore such an impulse is when we also ignore our opportunity to experience fortuitous serendipity. To honor such impulses or messages is when we find, are serendipitously guided to, that special something--a fortuitous encounter, a chance meeting, an item required, or a piece of information that can make all the difference in the world. Ii is when we receive that guidance that leads us safely onward when we do not know where to turn.

Crescent Moon Phase Characteristics

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 Feb 10 occurs in sidereal Pisces and lies under the auspices of the Great Square of Pegasus, holds the mystery of the metamorphosis of the physical body into light body, and Lacerta, the primordial Lizard. The Moon conjoins northern Alpha Lacerta and Alpha Reticulli, which lies in the very southern heavens.

Above the Great Sqaure in early sidereal Pisces lies Lacerta, the primordial Lizard, gate-keeper protecting the entryway to the "Primordial Origin" of man. Conjoining Alpha Lacerta is Alpha Reticuli, which resides in the very southern heavens. Unlike the mentalized and emotionally detached Zetas of Reticuli (the name is plural because there are two zeta stars), which lie quite distant and separate from the four primary stars of Reticuli, Alpha Reticuli is the foci of the reticule, the sacred geometry of the DNA refined to crystal clarity, the underlying rhomboid or diamond. To illuminate this human vessel, to make carbon into diamond, we must fully embrace the primordial aspects of life, to infuse the high spiritual awareness of soul in and through our entwined genetics of physicality to become the glistening diamonds we can become. The real "secret" revealed here is that this is not a mere mind trip, something we do in the head, in just how we think, but requires a surrender of the emotional tension of resistance we hold and embrace our primal carnal experience unconditionally, without resistance, with love and compassion, so we can relinquish the stored e-motion we hold and allow the true gift of Spirit to fully infuse into and move through our lives.

First Quarter Moon Phase Characteristics

Gibbous Moon Phase Characteristics

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.

This Gibbous Moon of Feb 17 resides in sidereal Gemini, in the midst of the Twins. It conjoins Sirius of Canis Major, which lies south of the Twins. Sirius is the impetuous great world teacher and can catalyze events of life changing proportion. Meetings and communications occurring during the pollinating phase of this lunar cycle can be of this nature.

The Gibbous Moon lies exactly opposite Jupiter (conjoined Vega of Lyra) in sidereal Sagittarius. These two longitudes in the ecliptic also mark where Earth's equatorial plane and the galactic plane currently intersect (which moves with Earth's precession). This axis is one where a direct Earth-galactic resonance occurs, we might say bypassing the mediating ecliptic plane, and thus resonating directly with the collective evolutionary affairs occurring on Earth. The Gibbous Moon Jupiter opposition occurring on this axis is part of a continuing series of astronomical events stimulating an expansive movement in human consciousness, in this case one bringing perspective regarding our need to mobilize with the accelerating evolutionary currents verses our need to expand within regarding how we feel about and experience self--our self-worth and sense of value to do so. This Gibbous Moon-Jupiter opposition along with the Sun-North Node Aquarian shift, invites, tempts or teases us to get out of our personal shells and participate in a far more embracing way.

The New Earth-Orcus Synodic Cycle
A New Breed of Leaders

As the Sun moves through early sidereal Aquarius over the several days ahead, it first lies opposite Orcus (Feb 18) and then Saturn (Feb 24) in early sidereal Leo. This means that the Sun, Earth and Orcus align; and then (about a week later just before the Disseminating Moon) the Sun, Earth and Saturn align. Theses Sun-Earth-planet alignments mark the start of two new synodic cycles, the new 366-day Orcus Synodic Cycle, and then the new 378-day Saturn Synodic Cycle.

A few months back, in Aug of 2007, the very significant 32-year Saturn-Orcus synodic cycle began, presented in "The New 32-year Saturn-Orcus Synodic Cycle & The New Earth-Venus Cycle."

The Earth-Orcus and Earth-Saturn synodic cycles, which occur almost annually, can be thought of as sub-cycles within the 32-year Saturn-Orcus cycle; a series of sub-cycles articulating the 32-year cycle theme's unfoldment.

Orcus, moving much slower than Saturn, resides south of the ecliptic in the constellation Hydra. Because of its slow movement, the Earth-Orcus star alignments, which define this Earth-Orcus synodic cycle, are the same as those defining the original Orcus-Saturn synodic cycle that began in Aug of 2007.

This is however the first Earth-Orcus sub-cycle since the start of the Saturn-Orcus cycle and thus grounds or brings the original Saturn-Orcus theme into a more palpable realm in our lives.

Some highlights regarding this 2008 Earth-Orcus theme are:

The passage of Orcus through Hydra, the underwater snake, suggests that powerful transcendent currents are stirring and awakening the human family from its slumber, and as well those stepping into leadership positions (under the Head of the Lion).

The association of Orcus with living our "soul oaths" and its power being equivalent to that of Pluto, although perhaps working in a more subtle way, suggest the emergence of those destined as the trail-breakers and leaders to emerge on the global stage, however, those who are aligned, or shall we say more aware at a soul-level of their roles on Earth, and who are in tune with the accelerating evolutionary currents awakening humanity.

Earth and Orcus also reside on the Lunar South Node while the Sun and Vesta conjoin on the Lunar North Node in Aquarius indicating a humanitarian soul-level purpose of those breaking trail and of this new breed of leaders. Here is impetus to clearly focus, dedicate and commit their leadership capacities in the interest of humanitarian freedom. This alignment initiates the same motivation within ourselves--to break trail new in our lives for the benefit of our freedom of being and the freedom of others.

Mercury Direct

Mercury completes its retrograde on Feb 18-19, just hours after the Earth-Orcus synod. This marks the full commencement of the new 116-day Mercury synodic cycle--the pursuit of a greater vision that serves our emergence from the darkness of the past into a new light--presented in the previous Lunar Planner of Jan 8, 2008.

Full Moon Phase Characteristics

Vision, Enthusiasm, & Realization of the Theme
A Total Lunar Eclipse

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.

Lunar eclipses in general are about releasing the emotional bonds within ourselves that reach out and glue us to involvements that are less than we truly want or deserve. This is about our emotional and experiential aspect of our relations with others and with the world. It provides opportunity for an emotional "fresh start."

The entire eclipse is visible from South America and most of North America; as well as Western Europe and northwest Africa.

Technical Information about the Feb 20-21, 2008 Total Lunar Eclipse:
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2008Feb21/TLE2008Feb21.html

Our Full Moon Total Eclipse of Feb 20-21 occurs in sidereal Leo as it nests between Orcus and Saturn. The Sun conjoins Vesta on the Full Moon as well, marking the mid-way point of realization in the current 500-day Earth-Vesta synodic which began in May of 2007 and was presented in the May 16, 2007 Lunar Planner.

Our Full Moon eclipse in early sidereal Leo conjoins the Sextant, Alpha and Gamma Sextans; Megrez and Phecda (Phad) of the Great Bear, Ursa Major; and the Vela Pulsar on the sail of the Argo.

Megrez and Phecda inspire us to look at things from a different, alternative, or askew perspective to see what is otherwise not seen. This is about re-alignment of self, to re-examine our integrity to self, our stance and position in the world. It marks a place best described where a change of tack is required, much like sailing into the wind, where we must now shift the sail to catch the wind from its opposite side to continue upon our course.

The sextant is a navigational instrument used to determine the "vertical" position (angular distance) of the sun, moon or stars from the horizon. The sextant reveals the need to reorient self so we know our position so we can plot our course, and take a new tack on our journeys in life. On a greater scale, this can be in regard to changing allegiance of our energies from the outer world, self-sacrificing to diversionary forces or currents in the world around us, to the vertical integrity of our inner soul / source directive and truth. On a mundane level this can be in regard to changing our fundamental approach or path in life, to establish our position so we can plot or take a new tack toward our goals.

The Vela Pulsar, an extremely old Super Nova remnant conjoining Alpha and Gamma Sextans, expresses through the Sextant's theme. Pulsars in general are beacons for the soul, constantly providing an inner message or reminder for those attentive to such subtleties. Here the reminder is that the subtle winds and currents do not stop as we take a new tack, but we must remain alert and maintain our poise as we assess our bearings, all factors involved, and reorient ourselves to engage on the next leg of our journeys.

Our Full Moon eclipse provides enthusiastic vision and realization regarding this Lunar Month's theme and the opportunity to reorient emotionally, to take a newly required tack, with a new clarity and focus of purpose so way may continue onward upon our sojourns in life with a greater sense of emotional freedom.

The New Earth-Saturn Synodic Cycle

The Sun, Earth and Saturn align on Feb 24, 2007, in the crescendo leading in to the Dissemienating Moon, on the day of preparation and acclereation in the lunar cycle to birth/manifest the fruits of this lunar cycle. This marks the start of the new 378-day Saturn synodic cycle.

As presented above, this new Saturn synodic cycle is the first sub-cycle articulating the 32-year Saturn-Orcus cycle theme, which began in August of 2007. Saturn, now in the midst of its retrograde, has since move from its location with Orcus in earlier Leo and now resides a couple of degrees past the location of our Full Moon elcipse. Earth and Saturn conjoin Alpha Sextans; the Vela Pulsar; and also the Vela X-1 Neutron Star on the sail of the Argo. Near by is also the ecliptical longitude of Thuban of Draco.

Here again we have the theme of the Sextant (ploting a new course, taking a new tack), but also the potent forces of the Vela X-1 Neutron Star and the influence of Thuban of Draco.

Thuban lies in the far northern heavens. Thuban was Earth’s pole star circa 2600 BC near the "tear of the Bear," a point in Earth’s ~25,920-year precessional cycle at which a turning and fractioning occurred in the hierarchical powers. This severed those choosing to fight for a greater evolutionary vision from those wanting to maintain totalitarian control of the Earth and who provide the dramatics to do so.

The 180° point in the Cycle of the Holy Cross, which occurred about 4880 BC, marked the epitome of darkness in the last temporal 12,000-year period in the precessionally driven, evolutionary cycle of the soul. Dark manipulative forces were specifically dominant from around 4800 BC to 2600 BC in Earth's evolutionary cycle of the soul.

Alignments with Thuban can indicate a responsibility for having directed or having been involved with setting the direction of evolutionary affairs for life on Earth during that time period with repercussions incurred at soul level, and with responsibility to ensure evolutionary fulfillment now.

Conjoining Thuban from the southern heavens is Vela X-1, a potent neutron star that creates a relentless drive to apply personal will responsibly to affect long-term evolutionary change, and to become responsible for the ramifications of using personal will. In typical black hole fashion, this is an all or nothing deal, as that which we set in course now, dramatically affects our evolutionary outcome.

This new 378-day Earth-Saturn theme starting now brings to conscious awareness our responsibility to navigate our evolutionary course with the understanding of the long-term ramifications involved. In addition, we find the need to shift what was perhaps a long-standing momentum established in the patriarchal-based bureaucratic structures governing our world, as well as our need to take a new approach regarding those long-standing but now out-dated established life scenarios or modalities of being within our own lives.

Disseminating Moon Phase Characteristics

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, of claiming its gift.

The Disseminating Moon occurs on Feb 24 in late sidereal Virgo and conjoins Alpha Volans and Eta Carina and the Eta Carina Key Hole Nebula of the Argo.

A hallmark of dramatic change, this is the time to demonstrate the new birth, the new start this lunar cycle offers. The Moon also lies in the womb of the Virgin, a place of preparation for a new birth.

Eta Carina is Lord of the Waves (the Akkadian Ea (Ia), the Sumerian Enki, chief god of the city Eridhu--he who warned Noah), generally is considered the foreteller of impending catastrophe, but also the instructor of the way through such evolutionary transitions. Eta is also associated with the Sirian amphibious fish-man "Oannes," who taught the Chaldaeans, both esoteric science and that which would civilize their lives, from building cities and temples to agricultural technique. (Robert Temple, "The Sirius Mystery" / Blavatsky, "Isis Unveiled") Eta embodies the esoteric Theosophical Gnostic wisdom behind what to most is merely the mystery of life or unfathomable acts of God. Oannes is the emblem of priestly, esoteric wisdom; he comes out from the sea, because the 'great deep', the water, typifies...the secret doctrine." (Blavatsky, "Isis Unveiled")

Eta Carina is the most luminous, massive, and energetic star known in our galaxy--estimated to be 100 times the mass of our Sun, and to radiate five million times more energy than our Sun. A gas shell surrounding Eta extends 4000 times the size of our solar system. Eta is highly unstable and prone to violent outbursts. Eta was seen to erupt in 1840 A.D., then making it the second brightest star in the sky. Eta recently doubled its X-ray emissions in a four-month period sometime between 1992 to 1994, indicating an intensified influence of the Eta Carina theme. Eta then doubled in brightness in 1998--perhaps Eta's warnings. Because of Eta’s strong X-ray spectrum and galactic equatorial orientation, it expresses significantly at the soul level--stimulating an awakening on Earth to our greater purpose as sentient souls responsible for Earth's safe evolutionary outcome. Current observations indicate that Eta Carinae remains highly unstable and may explode as a supernova at any time!

Volans (Piscis Volantis), the unique flying fish, generally found in warmer tropical oceans, is known for its winglike pectoral fins that allow it to glide through the air. Volans, residing quite south under the keel of the Argo, resides in the area of the heavens associated with navigational mapping and directing of the evolutionary currents that guide our lives. The flying fish mythically articulates an extraordinary force, the ability to gather the momentum and build up the speed to make the leap into and glide through a new realm of experience, one not common to itself. Generally the flying fish is leaping into the air to avoid its predators, adding the element of strategically creating an alternative environment for a safe passage. Volans also articulates the soul in its submerged transcendent environment about to birth into visible form--a theme of the Virgin. Volans conjunction with 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 directed intimate sensitivity of intent to pierce the limiting envelope of our existing perceptional bubble and birth a new life expression.

Venus & Mercury Synthesize

Venus catches up to Mercury's apparent slower movement through the ecliptic due to Mercury's recent station, thus they conjoin in mid-sidereal Capricorn on Feb 26. The twosome will remain in close conjunction throughout the remainder of this lunar cycle and throughout most of the following lunar cycle when Mercury passes Venus on March 24 in sidereal Aquarius. This is a strengthening alignment supporting the integration of head and heart--logistics of the heart.

Last Quarter Moon Phase Characteristics