On Sunday night, May 15th, the Sun, Moon and Earth will align creating a Total Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio. Eclipses happen when the luminaries are near the Moon’s nodes and thus have an impact on our evolutionary development. Lunar eclipses affect our emotional body. We cannot avoid feeling them, especially when they are in Scorpio, the deepest, most intense sign in the Zodiac. Prepare for a toxic purge.
I have long maintained that this time in our history is the end of one era and beginning of the next. We are all undergoing transformation, including the Earth herself, and so far it’s been pretty painful. Millions have died of Covid, millions more from violence, suicide, disease, poverty and starvation. Our world is reflecting sickness and death because our past has brought us to a dead end. Our way of life is unsustainable. We must make drastic changes, and to do that, we begin with ourselves.
We are evolving, awakening to the nightmare we have created. More and more of us are beginning to dream of a better future: an end to war and suffering, a kinder world in which we realize that humanity is one family. If our civilization is to thrive, we must consider the welfare of all of us, care for the most vulnerable. This was the message of the avatar that came to point the way 2000 years ago. Instead of living his message, we created yet another institution that robbed us of spiritual sovereignty and repressed the Divine Feminine. The past has served a small percentage of us and foolishly we have handed them all the power. We are now ruled by a minority and increasingly victims of its brutality.
While Putin is laying waste to Ukraine, the Republican-influenced Supreme Court is ravishing the rights of women to self-determination. War is raging, and just as big bully Putin has inspired the Ukranians to fight for their precious democracy, here in the States, radical conservatives are driving women to fight for their freedom to create their own lives. The abstract threat to our Democracy has come home to roost in this blatant attempt to seize control over women’s bodies. Can’t get any more personal than that. I believe, however, that ultra-conservatives have made a strategic error just before the mid-term election. Like Putin, they will be forced to retreat with their tails between their bandy legs.
How timely then is this lunar eclipse! Men trying to eclipse women – an ancient tradition of domination whose demise is imminent. Synchronistically, this Total Lunar Eclipse, also known as a Blood Moon, couldn’t be more pertinent.
Full Moon in Scorpio/ Sun conjunct Algol
As planets and luminaries align, the Moon is conjunct the South Node in Scorpio, the depths of the Underworld. What is the source of this fear men have of women’s power? The roots go deep and it’s time to unearth them, confront them, heal them and let them go.
Opposite the Moon is the Sun at 25+ degrees of Taurus, home of Venus and all feminine pleasures. The Sun conjuncts Algol, the darkest star in our mythology, located in the eye of Medusa in the Perseus constellation.
I haven’t brought in the Fixed Stars before, but I’m participating in Divine Harmony’s Stargate Mystery program. We follow the Sun through the Zodiac as it conjuncts various stars, perform ritual to connect with them and ask for a dream. On the first day I was inundated with insights. This is a sacred journey which I will share with you throughout the coming year.
Back to Algol. Bernadette Brady describes Algol in her Book of Fixed Stars: “Algol is the wild, raw frightening face of the outraged feminine which has been labeled as demonic or simply evil.” By whom, you ask? Ancient Greek patriarchs of course.
She goes on to say, “This star seems to contain immense female passion and power. It is the power of the Feminine or the potential power of Mother Nature.”
So the context of this Full Moon is purging the past at the Moon/South Node conjunction and claiming our passion and power and outrage at the injustice taking over our world. So let’s take a look at the Medusa myth.
Medusa
We all shudder at the thought of this female monster with snakes in her hair and eyes that turn us to stone. That’s some kind of power! But she didn’t start out that way. Medusa’s origin varies from version to version, but the point is that she was a beautiful maiden worshipping in the temple of Pallas Athena when Poseidon spotted her, and as all these abusive gods did, raped her.
Pallas went ballistic when she learned that her temple had been desecrated. We have to remember that Pallas sprang from the head of Zeus – she was not birthed by a mother and therefore represents the integration of the warrior into women. But she has deep patriarchal roots, so who did she blame? Medusa, the victim. Pallas punished Medusa by making her ugly and repulsive with this power that everything she viewed would turn to stone. It’s sort of a Midas touch curse.
Medusa retreated to a cave where she could hurt no one. At this point Perseus made his appearance. The back story is a tale of jealousy and lust, what my husband calls Soap Opera of the Gods. In short Perseus was commissioned by a king to bring the head of Medusa to him as a gift for his new bride. Some gift! The king believed that Perseus would be turned to stone and therefore no longer a competitor in his pursuit of some damsel. Perseus gets assistance from Pallas who plots with him to decapitate Medusa and avoid his own demise.
Okay, pretty grim, but look at the themes – blame the victim, demonize the woman, curse her, repress her, drive her into the dark, not to mention the betrayal of women against one another. We are wounded by women as often as men.
Feels to me like it’s time to draw a line in the proverbial sand, soak in Medusa’s power and make a stand. This is no time for complacency. We cannot afford it. So how do we exercise our power? Well my favorite comes from another Greek story about the women of Lysistrata who were fed up with war and made a pact to deny men any sexual access until they stopped fighting. It worked, and in record time according to the fable.
Beyond that, (1) We vote for liberal candidates who will defend women’s rights. (2) We donate to their campaigns especially congressional and gubernatorial races. (3) We speak up – protest and or write letters, send emails, post on Twitter, or Facebook. Participate in the protest in whatever way we can. We need an uproar! (4) Support Planned Parenthood because they have the most resources to challenge this outrage. We do not need to become victims, nor condemn our daughters and granddaughters to a Handmaid’s Tale future.
Let’s go back to the lunar end of this eclipse.
Moon conjunct South Node
The Moon is opening the Pandora’s Box of our collective past. Pluto, ruler of Scorpio’s murky realm, is sextile the Moon, adding more intensity. It is also trine the Sun supporting our Venus values. Scorpio is about power, fears, phobias, toxicity, control, secrets and corruption of power. Over the next six months we will see our world with new eyes. Pluto unearths what is toxic, corrupt, horrific. It dominates our news and we’re about to get a new download. Even darker secrets will emerge.
Appropriately the Moon is in the USA 12th House, the “House of Undoing,” of confinement within institutions, of the collective unconscious from which our physical reality emerges. This is the House of Letting Go. Associated with the final sign of the Zodiac, Pisces, the 12th House is about endings. Think of all the things we would like to end! Oppression, poverty, deadly disease, inequality and injustice, power-over dynamics, the insane pursuit of wealth that is destroying our environment – oh yeah, war, racism and abuse of women.
We will all feel this eclipse in one way or another. It may take some time to sink in to the depths of our psyches, but it is burrowing as I write. There are many energy signatures that can trigger anger, frustration, our defenses, our shadow material. What matters is what we do with this darkness. We can transmute it into light by processing. We may need to speak with someone about it. We can write in our journals. We can step back from involvement in the drama and watch what emerges from our depths – take the scientific approach and research our own psychic makeup. We can work with it energetically, bathe our fear, anger, hopelessness in love. We can ask for elucidating dreams. We can use the energy creatively. Or get outdoors, be active, immerse ourselves in the healing power of nature and beauty. We can reflect on it, learn from it and grow.
Retrograde Mercury
On May 10th, Mercury turned retrograde in its home sign of Gemini, just 3 degrees away from our collective Uranus. It’s time to review, remember, reflect and renew. Our minds are so busy. We are bombarded with information every minute and we can easily get overwhelmed. When Mercury turns retrograde, we can let our minds stop spinning and sink into deeper territory. This is a time to take stock. What have we learned in the past four months? How do we see things differently? What is going on in our inner world? The next three weeks are about integrating the last four months, and whatever issues emerged from our distant past.
On May 21st, Mercury and the Sun will reunite and begin a new cycle. This is like a New Moon in that it happens in the dark, seeds are planted but not yet sprouted. Nevertheless, we may get glimmers of themes that will develop over the next four months. The Sun/Mercury conjunction happens at 0+ degrees of Gemini, a powerful shift of energies supporting the mental realm, communication and perception of reality. Mercury will conjunct our natal Uranus close to the Summer Solstice. This could be a collective “aha!” moment. I almost can’t wait!
Jupiter in Aries
Also on May 10th, Jupiter moved out of Pisces into Aries. Jupiter is the big boomer in our solar system. He blares everything louder and he’s beginning a new 12-month cycle through the Zodiac. What changed for you 12 years ago? What new project, or relationship, or career move might have shifted for you then? Take time to trace your path. Maybe consider a new direction? From now until October we will get a preview of 2023 spiritual potential. Jupiter dips into the first degrees of Aries, turns retrograde at the end of July and retreats back into Pisces on October 28th. On the December Solstice it once again enters Aries.
Aries is about beginnings. It is a fiery, dynamic energy. We may feel a rush of energy, new ideas and goals. However this exciting ingress coincides with Mercury stationing retrograde. You might want to postpone new ventures, take three weeks to make sure you have considered future repercussions, trends, your own commitment. We will all have more information in three weeks and our minds might change.
Jupiter is square Ceres in Cancer at 00 degrees. Nurturing Ceres is entering nurturing Cancer and bringing the focus to our Mother Earth, food supply issues, environmental impact. Jupiter is asking “where do we need more cherishing, how can we care more for ourselves, our resources, our home planet?” Ceres will be in Cancer until the end of July, passing over the USA natal Venus, Jupiter and Sun in succession. It’s as if the Divine Goddess is blessing us with Her love.
Supporting Cast
The eclipse isn’t happening in a vacuum. Many planets make a contribution to our experience. Saturn is still squaring the nodal axis as well as this eclipse axis. Our future literally hangs in the balance. Saturn urges us to be responsible, to mature through our challenges, to consider our choices carefully. Saturn is our Time Lord and deliverer of karma. He is screaming at us to pay attention, take responsibility for our shadow issues, exercise discernment and grow. Our future depends upon it. Saturn wants to mature and evolve us into our future awakened selves.
The Sun is sextile Neptune while Mars is conjunct Neptune in Pisces reinforcing the spiritual context of this eclipse. The focus is on connection, identification with a larger whole, putting our spiritual ideals into practice. Meanwhile the Sun is within three degrees of Sedna, the guardian of our spiritual path and current outer limit to our expanding consciousness. Imagine how our neighborhood has spread all the way out to the orbit of a planet that takes 11,400 years to complete one cycle. That’s how much space opened in our consciousness! Filled with new faculties to explore and integrate. That potential lies within us all.
Venus is conjunct Chiron in Aries. Let your broken heart be healed. Jupiter will pass over Chiron in 2023 and we will get a boost to our collective healing. This lunar eclipse gives us a chance to start the process. I sense that 2023 will begin the healing phase of this alchemical evolution of consciousness as we transition into a new age.
Pluto is still doing his dance with Eris and Haumea, squaring both from the latter degrees of Capricorn. Eris pierces our pretenses, Pluto uncovers shadow material and Haumea prepares the way for our rebirth.
Key Dates in May
15 Sun Square Saturn – responsibility, integrity
Sun sextile Neptune – surrender to Spirit
Total Lunar Eclipse
Ceres enters Cancer
17 Mars conjunct Neptune – let go of control
19 Sun trine Pluto – watch the news for hints
Mercury sextile Jupiter – lots to think about!
20 Sun moves into Gemini – shifting to the mental realm
21. Sun conj Mercury – new cycle begins. Look for the theme
22 Mercury retrogrades into Taurus – reconsider health
Mars sextile Pluto – use your power responsibly
23 Sun sextile Jupiter – booming day!
Mars sextile Mercury – energy to focus the mind
24 Vesta into Pisces – devotion to spiritual practice
Mars into Aries – put your principles into action
Venus sextile Saturn – speed bump on romance
25 Mercury trine Pluto – what toxic mental habits need purging?
26 Venus square Pluto – had your heart been broken?
28 Venus moves into its home in Taurus – enjoy life’s pleasures
29 Mars conjunct Jupiter – channel energy creatively
30 New Moon in Gemini – see you then
Sorry this is so long. There’s just so much going on this month and this lunar eclipse is an opportunity to uncover hidden motives, repressed shadow material, trigger issues and phobic fears. This is a good time to cleanse. Make this Mercury retrograde about introspection, cleansing your body, your emotions, the torments from your past. It’s time to let go.
A word about the eclipse path. Totality covers all of South America, the Eastern third of the United States and much of the Yucatan peninsula. So if you live west of the Mississippi, you probably won’t get to see a Blood Moon which only occurs with totality. But it will still be dramatic. It reaches its peak around midnight in Washington DC. Has the Cosmic Clock run out on Washington?
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