From the Full Moon to the New: Finding "Best Practice"

What is being mirrored?

Disseminating Moon in Cancer
November 21, 2013
11:38 am EST / 4:38 pm GMT

Last Quarter Moon in Virgo
November 25, 2013
2:28 pm EST / 7:28 pm GMT

Balsamic Moon in Libra
November 29, 2013
10:00 am EST / 3:00 pm GMT

New Moon in Sagittarius
December 2, 2013, 7:22 pm EST
December 3, 2013, 12:22 am GMT

This Full Moon has been, for me, a time when time itself seemed to alter. We think of time as linear, discrete, one. second. after. the. other. But we invented that with clocks and computers. How we experience time is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

In the past days, some events seemed to expand and some to contract, some gone by in a flash and some lingering. Always, always with a special emphasis, as if the cosmos were saying, Look how this works! I'e been watching what happens, how I react, respond, and in some mysterious way, anticipate.

Maybe it's been like that for you, too. If so, it could be a relief to hear we're moving firmly into a more practical, action-oriented phase.

Important caveat: We're not out of Scorpio's deep woods yet! The Sun remains in Scorpio for another few days, and throughout this lunar cycle, Saturn, Mercury, and the North Node will also remain.

That ongoing sense of everything having a deeper meaning, something to be noted and learned, will continue. We will have ongoing opportunities to confront our own Shadow material and face our fears. (oh, yay)

AND ... other energies are shifting the key questions away from: What does this mean? What am I supposed to realize about this? toward: What decision needs to be made here? What can be done about this?

We're beginning to look for best practice, a term used in fields from medicine to education to computing to signify what we know works best, so far, based on past experience.

This transition will not feel easy, for many of us, or for some of the issues we're working on. We're now in the waning half of the Moon's cycle, the time when we see the results of the Full Moon's illumination, share achievements, and begin sorting out what goes from what stays.

The Disseminating Moon on November 21 confronts us head on with finding the balance between emotional ties and commitments, and pragmatic reality. The Sun on this day is in the especially strong, possibly merciless, final degree of Scorpio. This Sun will unflinchingly put before us whatever we need to see.

The key aspect pattern at this Disseminating Moon is the opposition between tender, nurturing Cancer and hard-headed Capricorn.

On the Cancerian side, we have the Moon, Jupiter retrograde, and asteroid Lilith. This trio has the power to hold on tight to the past, to what we feel are our emotional commitments and duties, and to the safe and familiar, even if it really isn't.

This Cancerian group also says, Look carefully at what you would discard. There may be gold here, vital aspects of your ancestry, perhaps, or important learnings from the past. And never overlook the value of commitments to family and tribe. Sometimes, that's what gets us through the night.

On the Capricorn side, we have Pluto and Venus. They say, Look, we get it, the past is important––in fact, we agree with you Cancerian folks that traditional values are solid and good. But you can't live in the past all the time. Sometimes the tough decisions need to be made, to cut ties, move on, get it over.

Or perhaps the Capricornian side says to you, It's time to step up and honor your commitments, to take the hard steps to make a cherished dream come true, to go for the goal in a way that celebrates your past and who you are.

If Cancer is stuck, Capricorn pushes for movement. If Cancer is wishy-washy, Capricorn says, get on with it! But when Capricorn is materialistic, Cancer says, there are other values than success in the marketplace. When Capricorn is cold, Cancer says, hey, you need a hug.

That's a lot about Cancer and Capricorn, but the polarity of those two energies remains a key theme throughout this cycle. At the Last Quarter Moon of November 25, Venus in Capricorn and Jupiter in Cancer oppose each other, keeping that conversation going.

rev your engines!

Meanwhile, the Sun has popped into upbeat Sagittarius, with the Moon squaring from careful Virgo. We may be ready to hit the road, but the Moon wants to go over the checklists one more time. Are we really ready? Are we sure about this? OK, then, let's give it a try––but not everything at once! Mars has been transiting Virgo too, so taking small steps at first feels right.

At the Balsamic Moon, the pace picks up. The Moon in Libra squares Jupiter in Cancer, offering ideas, negotiating, and gently pushing toward a new balance. Meanwhile, the Sagittarian Sun trines Uranus in Aries, feeling the fire and ready for anything.

Take the time now to review, to work with the Scorpio energy and the Disseminating Moon to be as sure (as sure as you can be) you've found you're best practice. Balsamic Moons are times of letting go, composting, releasing. When this particular Balsamic arrives on November 29, you could feel ready to just haul it all to the curb and set in on fire.

When the New Moon arrives on December 2, big changes could look really good––why not? we may say, it'll be fun! Sagittarian New Moons are for planting seeds for new journeys, new philosophies, new expansion. This New Moon will trine Uranus and square Chiron, so the "damn the torpedoes" vibe will be high. (I'll post a more in-depth profile of the New Moon closer to the date.)

So, take advantage of the current energy pushing us to look within, examine values, see who we really are. This has not been comfortable, but the work we do now helps find the best practice for moving ahead. Energy is shifting. Now's the time to take one more plunge into the depths.