The first Full Moon of the year carries powerful spiritual energies. The Moon at 16 Cancer is only 3 degrees away from the USA natal Sun and within 2 degrees of the fixed star Sirius, the spiritual Sun of our Sun. It also falls on the cusp of our 8th House, taking us into the mystical realms of the unknown.
Furthermore, the very first astrological aspect of 2023 was Venus conjunct Pluto, shortly after midnight on the East Coast, setting the theme for the year – Empowering the Feminine.
Pluto as Lord of the Underworld is associated with the unconscious, depth-psychology, death, rebirth and transformation. Over the past three years, since the conjunction between Saturn and Pluto, we have seen the deterioration of our institutions, the failure of our sociopolitical system to serve its citizenry, and the corruption that lies at the heart, not only of our politics, but our economy which has become the center, as well as the context of modern life. Capitalism has usurped our founding values, substituting blind ambition, dreams of success, and an addiction to accumulating wealth and power. Capitalism justifies the shameful gap in economic status that causes so much anxiety and suffering for the majority.
For 5000 years we have been immersed in the patriarchal values of the Masculine. In its highest expression, the Divine Masculine Energy is protective, supportive and effective at meeting needs and achieving goals. The shift that occurred with the Age of Aries slowly transformed a peaceful, matriarchal society into a competitive, aggressive and rapacious system that devalues our humanity and views Earth and nature as a resource to be plundered. While this phase was a necessary part of our evolution, it is clear that our society and collective psyche are way out of balance, and we are are now facing the consequences. Fortunately the cosmic pendulum has come to rest and is beginning its slow swing in the other direction, toward balance.
We have arrived at the evolutionary threshold of a paradigm shift, a rebalancing of dual energies, learning cooperation as a way of relating, inclusiveness as a way of celebrating the glory of our diversity, cocreation for the joy and beauty and welfare of All.
This year, as the strength of the Feminine builds, we will be drawn to a gentler side of ourselves. We’re sick of fighting, of war, of so much suffering in the world. We long for peace, for kindness and connection.
Monday night, football fans witnessed an example of this shift. During the Bills/Bengals game, a 24-year old Buffalo Bill defense player named Damar Hamlin, tackled his opponent whose helmet crashed into his chest. He was knocked down, but sprang up, seemingly unscathed, only to keel over backwards, unconscious. Damar suffered cardiac arrest and is currently in a medically induced coma.
I learned from the news later, that accidents like this have happened several times before. Players have actually died on the field, been carted off and the game resumed. But not this night. Every team member got on their knees in a circle around Damar as medics attempted to restart his heart. Arms around each other, forming a healing womb-like space, they prayed for him. And the players’ union suspended the game.
The world is constantly reflecting the shift in consciousness which is emerging more and more in acts of heroism, kindness and conscious caring. People all around the world are connecting, forming spiritual alliances, focusing on the health and welfare of humanity and our planet, all signs of the emerging Feminine context.
Over the next many months we will examine the qualities of the Feminine. This month it features our emotional wealth and psychic sensitivity. The Full Moon on Friday January 6th is in watery Cancer, bringing the focus to our feelings, our emotional bodies, our need to nurture and be nurtured, to belong, to feel safe and secure within the blessed arms of the Mother.
Cancer is the realm of the changeable Moon, and as the first Full Moon of the Year, she speaks to us of comfort. She also invokes emotions that bring up old limitations and unresolved issues, including childhood trauma. This is a great opportunity to do Inner Child work, to process their wounds, to give them the love, safety and support they didn’t receive, to be the mothers they needed. This is the first step to authentic self-love. So many of the limitations that frustrate our adulthood stem from childhood assumptions and misconceptions that become the healing themes of our lives.
Full Moon Chart
The Sun is in Capricorn on the cusp of our 2nd House. This is where we explore value – what we value and how we do, or do not, value ourselves. Sun is within 1 degree of retrograde Mercury. The day after the Full Moon, Mercury will conjunct the Sun and begin a new four-month cycle. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn and has become associated with the institutions of power in our country. But the essence of Capricorn, before it was subsumed into a Masculine culture, is Feminine, with a focus on spiritual growth and the integration of our inner diversity.
Themes of integrity, wholeness, responsibility and self-actualization are up for careful consideration. We are complex beings with sensations, thoughts, feelings, conditioning, emotional wounds, self-concepts and stories that explain it all. We all underestimate ourselves. We all shrink ourselves down to socially acceptable parts. Most of our true identity is hidden from view, even from ourselves.
Yes, there are the dark shadow parts we deny and project onto others, but there are also the luminous parts that we project onto our idols. We wish we could be more like them. But we recognize those qualities because they are part of who we are. It is from others that we get reflections of ourselves. Relationships are abundant resources for inner reflection. Rather than judging others, we can take in the information they are reflecting back to us about ourselves. We can locate those parts of self, acknowledge them, and take responsibility for them. This is how we build integrity.
The Moon at 16 Cancer is just two degrees shy of retrograde Pallas Athena. This warrior goddess brings the courage we need to face the bald truth about ourselves. She also helps us recognize the wisdom that lies beyond our denial. The Moon in the 8th House calls for a deep dive into the Unknown. It’s the perfect gift for a Mercury retrograde.
Shadow work is part of that quest and we have additional help from Vesta at 16 Pisces, trine the Moon, sextile the Sun and opposite the dwarf planet Orcus. Orcus is in our collective 9th House where we sift through our information and experience, and formulate beliefs, a world view, a paradigm. This is where we develop our wisdom.
Vesta is the Keeper of the Sacred Flame that burns in our core. She is devout and vigilant. In Pisces she relishes the spiritual waters of Oneness. Orcus assists our inner work by bringing the shadow to light and transmuting its energy. In Virgo he radiates discernment. Vesta at the Full Moon is conjunct Selena, the White Moon that illuminates our spiritual path.
At the same time retrograde Mars at 8 degrees of Gemini is conjunct our natal Uranus, stimulating insights, curiosity, a longing for change, for independence. Mars will turn direct on January 12th and makes his station right on Uranus. Look for signs of change, listen for the insights that come in a flash, open to the unknown and exercise curiosity. Gemini is about duality. What can we learn about our dual selves. How much can we integrate to expand our consciousness? In the 6th House we are asked to examine our daily lives, our habits, routines, work.
Mars is square our Piscean Sedna, letting us know that this work is part of our spiritual destiny. Varuna is conjunct our USA North Node in Leo supporting our path to sovereignty of the Heart.
On the Full Moon Venus at 4 Aquarius is conjunct our South Node, a portal to our past, helping us remember, let go, forgive and release. She is conjunct the nurturing centaur Chariklo.
The Full Moon axis is square to the USA natal Saturn as well as transiting Chiron. This may be a challenging two weeks for some of us, but the Heavens tells us that this is all part of a bigger plan. The healing we do for ourselves, the love we hold for our ancestors, the releasing and integrating we accomplish are gifts to all humanity. When we let more light into our consciousness, we lighten the load for all.
Mercury turns direct on January 18th at 8 degrees of Capricorn forming a quincunx with the Direct Station point of Mars conjunct our natal Uranus. This is a powerful time for insight. The more clearing we do in the next two weeks, the more clarity we will receive. The New Moon begins a lunar cycle in Aquarius on January 21st. Uranus stations direct the next day at which point all major planets will be direct and ready to support our progress as Jupiter moves through the dynamic sign of Aries, the beginning of a 12-year cycle of spiritual growth.
These are potent times inviting us to let go of our attempts at control. Now is the time to trust our feminine intuition to guide us into the evolutionary flow.
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