A New Moon of Startling Consequence and Healing Potential

Thursday’s New Moon continues the cycle of Uranian lunations, so that as we head further into fall, we can expect more surprises and also hopefully a good dose of helpful illumination. Indeed we are ready for a brand new start, especially here in Northern California, where I reside. The fires have been devastating. We are fortunate that every thirty days we get to have such a fresh beginning, bringing new insights into play as it builds on the foundations of the old cycle. This configuration once again sees the preponderance of emphasis on the trickster planet, Uranus, as have recent New Moon lunations from the August 21st eclipse right through the previous late September cycle, when the Sun and Moon closely aspected Uranus in late Aries. This time, on October 19th, the two lights are exactly opposite to Uranus, in the same degree of Libra as Uranus occupies in Aries. Only a few minutes of a degree separates them from a perfect 180-degree aspect. Chiron, the Wounded Healer, is also again activated, being an inconjunct aspect away from the Sun and Moon of less than two degrees. There is certainly a truckload of trauma to deal with, from Sonoma and Napa counties here, to Houston, the Florida coast, Puerto Rico and even Hollywood. Scandals shake the film industry and our nation’s capital. We need to ask, what is the higher meaning of all this emphasis on both Uranus and Chiron? It is nothing less than the commitment to greater consciousness on the part of each one of us, as we are challenged to rise above the trauma in order to more fully understand the truth of our human situation, our individual and deeply-held values, and our ability to absorb the lessons of these terrible and beautiful times.

Several other important aspects support these same themes. Saturn precisely trine to Eris highlights both the new planet beyond Pluto as a serious and committed factor in these interesting days that we are all living through, and also supports a conservative holding back from the full-on progressive initiatives that are the prerogative of powerfully emphasized Uranus. There is in general a huge polarity between conservative – bordering on reactionary – policies and advocates versus a resurgent progressive movement, with the peace and love values of the sixties. This is quite appropriate for this decade of Uranus with Pluto, building on their conjunction at that earlier timing fifty years ago. The lesson here is transformation, the massive cultural shift that we are all experiencing and as well the deep-seated individual changes that are becoming more and more obvious in our personal lives.

We also find Mercury in close quintile with Pluto, further highlighting the consciousness of major change going down, and supporting Jupiter in Scorpio, another surrogate for strong Pluto and the implicit cultural shifts that accompany this transformational and evolutionary energy.

Uranus is also precisely semi-square to Neptune, highlighting the essentially spiritual nature of these times, while Jupiter is closing in on a tight septile with Saturn. This little-known minor aspect has its dark and twisted side, as is fitting for this period in our society, with difficult emotions to be handled and difficult situations brought to light such as the sexual harassment scandals rocking Hollywood. Jupiter with Saturn reflects that we indeed find ourselves at a significant cultural milestone at the ending of this crossroads year of a pivotal decade in Western history.

The Sabian symbol for this New Moon is interesting. For the 27th degree of Libra, we find this symbol of hope: “An airplane hovering overhead.” This is a fairly clear metaphor for keeping our minds affixed to the highest possible perspective. Marc Edmund Jones references, “the psychological maturity of humankind on the ideal side of life… the imaginative resourcefulness of character which makes [one] immortal.” He goes on to extol “high effectiveness in self-adjustment, a real skill in meeting the crises of life.” Indeed, as these fractious times for our society make very evident, the highest is what we must all aspire to, if we do not want to participate in its demise.

A New Moon of Startling Consequence and Healing Potential

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Chart for the New Moon on October 19, 2017

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April 2024