Balsamic Moon in Cancer: The Weight of the Heart

cozy at home with the Cancer Moon

Balsamic Moon in Cancer
September 1, 2013
8:29 am EDT / 1:29 pm GMD

Today we enter the final release before the coming New Moon in Virgo. This is the time in the lunar cycle to let go of what we no longer need, prune away what is unhealthy, compost what is finished. We're preparing new ground while clearing away the old.

The Cancerian Moon is strong in her home sign, wanting nothing more than to curl up at home with a good book and a strong cup of tea, having first checked that all her loved ones are safe at home as well.

The Moon is void of course all day today, and while I no longer emphasize the importance of void Moons as I used to, it's intriguing we have another sign suggesting we keep our heads down today.

Except, the world isn't exactly letting us, is it?

Americans especially, and the world at large, wait to see what the US government will do in Syria. In in surprise move overnight, Obama has put things "on hold" which seems like a good move astrologically. We're now holding our collective breath, hoping to step away from yet another brink.

Political astrology is not my expertise, but I'll note this Balsamic Moon is conjunct the US Mercury (in the Sibley chart) and inconjunct the US Moon at 24 Aquarius. May our nation weigh the consequences of its actions carefully for families everywhere in the world, taking counsel from the heart and releasing any need to "take a stand" only to "take a stand." Sometimes standing our ground is the right course; let's just please be really sure it is.

For us personally (and a Cancer Moon feels very personal), these are days to feel where we are now.

The Sun trines alchemical Pluto today, so it's quite possible we'll (finally) get clarity on what the next step is on our transformational path.

I think most of us have now accepted the inevitability of big change, and some have even embraced it––sometimes the trickiest thing is figuring out what to do next. We could get some light on that now.

But how do we feel about it? We're heading into a Virgo New Moon, the Sun already in Virgo, working with Pluto.

Today's Balsamic Moon probably isn't on board yet. There are emotions floating around: anxieties, regrets, nostalgia, even enjoyment of things as they are and love of what we already have in our lives. Aren't things better as they are? Why rock the boat?

Today's Moon is conjunct Pallas Athena, ready to take a cool, calm view. Eris, goddess of discord, squares the Moon from fiery Aries, while trining Vesta in Leo, the goddess ready to stand on her own and be who she is. This trio shows us how to be independent and step outside the box. Yet right now, they could feel pushy.

Here's the thing. The Moon in Cancer often prefers to stay put, hold on, dig in her heels. Emotions like to move. Emotions need to move. The challenge of this Balsamic time will be to stay with our feelings (when other forces urge practicality and action) while also allowing our feelings to move, to lead us into areas where reflection and processing and (yes) release are needed.

Allow time over the next few days to attend to emotions. Notice what triggers strong feeling. Follow the wave, noticing how things shift (and they will shift) as you pay attention while letting things move. Try to stay with what your body feels, instead of going right away to labels and reasons.

Doing this over the next days will bring comfort to the Cancerian Moon, which is good, because when Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. More than that, though, following the waves of emotion will bring new information to the surface, shifting our understanding and alerting us to what we can let go of, to prepare for the new to come.
    

How Important Are Void of Course Moons?

on course with the Moon

I write a lot about the Moon, work with the Moon's energy as best I can, and yet you've not seen anything in my recent posts about void of course Moons. Why?

First, an explanation: Void of course Moons raise almost as much dread as mercury retrograde, in some circles. "Nothing will come of it" the saying goes ... anything new started under a void of course Moon.

Second, a definition: When is the Moon void of course? The most common definition is, the Moon is void of course when she doesn't make any more major aspects within a sign, until she enters the next sign. For example, the Moon went void of course around 10:40 pm EST on Valentine's evening, and stayed void of course until 5:00 am the next morning, which might sound like a really lucky thing to some people.

The problem is, this happens a lot. The Moon goes void of course almost every couple of days, sometimes for just a few minutes and sometimes for a day or more. Tracking this is complicated, and  really, can we choose not to start anything new that frequently?

In my life, I must admit, I simply don't pay much attention to void of course Moons.

I tried to, for major events, and the results were unclear: When I put my house on the market, the Moon was going void of course around 5:20 pm. I tried to get the contract signed beforehand, and didn't quite make it, although I made sure we had a firm verbal agreement earlier in the day. In fact, the house sold much more slowly than anticipated. There was a major ice storm right after it was listed, and the winter overall was horrible. I had to drop the price. But it did sell, I got what I needed, and I moved on ... did I dodge a void of course disaster or not? Hard to tell.

I also adjusted my own definition, to reduce the number and length of voids. In this post from 2010, I began using the inconjunct aspect, as well as aspects to Chiron. But over time, tracking void of course periods didn't engage my interest as much as what the Moon was up to by sign and phase.

So, yesterday I listened to two podcast episodes which offered new perspectives on the void of course Moon. (I should clarify, the perspectives offered are new to me... since they come from Hellenistic astrology, they are actually really old. Classic, even.)

The fourth and fifth episodes of Chris Brennan's The Astrology Podcast focused on political astrology, and because Obama was nominated under a void of course Moon, the conversation turned to this dread phenomenon and what it portended.

The technical details are thoroughly explored in this article at The Political Astrology Blog, also by Chris Brennan. In brief, it turns out there are alternative, stricter definitions of when the Moon is void of course, the obsessive focus on the dread nature of Moon voids is fairly recent (early 1900's), and the justification for it may not be too solid.

Based on Chris Brennan's analysis and Barrack Obama's winning campaigns, it seems we can get a whole lot more relaxed about the whole void of course thing.

I'm actually finding, though, that my interest in this topic is piqued. Now I'm curious about these various definitions, and what they imply about the Moon and about us. I'm also curious about Chris Brennan's argument that Obama himself needn't worry about void of course Moons because he seems to do well with them.

Not only is there more to the void of course concept than I realized, it's also a "your mileage may vary" kind of thing. Now I'm curious. Maybe all voids are not equal, or not equal for all of us.

Do you pay attention to void of course times? Has it seemed to make a different for you? More to learn about the Moon!
    

Moon into Virgo: Preparing the Way

Saturday night through Monday night

The Moon stepped into detailed-oriented, organized Virgo just after midnight last night. In this sign, the Moon takes on the mantle of the helpful servant, one who prepares. During this transit, the Moon will be as self-effacing as the most humble of workers, as she spends most of the transit void of course.

in the cocoon

Overnight, the Virgo Moon opposed Chiron in Pisces, a meeting of healers in which cosmic energy and physical well-being could align and balance. The opposition is an angle of 180 degrees––a straight line, in fact, and not something we think of as an angle at all. We might imagine this particular straight line, Virgo Moon to Piscean Chiron, as the path of the chakras, reaching from the grounded first chakra, seat of trust, to the celestial crown chakra, opening to the cosmos.

Not long after, the Moon formed an inconjunct angle-of-adjustment with Uranus in Aries. This connection highlights our feelings of being ill at ease with the pace of change today, and looks for adjustments that allow us to not just survive, but thrive in these times.

Early this morning, the Moon formed a flowing trine with Pluto the alchemist, an acceptance that the only way out is through. We enter into the cauldron of transformation, as the Moon now moves toward a trine with Jupiter in Taurus, bringer of calm and peace.

The Jupiter trine is the Moon's last classical aspect in Virgo, and so she will be in a time-between-times until she enters Libra late Monday night, heading toward the New Moon in Libra (7:09am EDT Tuesday). During this void of course period, the Moon will square the Nodes of the Moon, suggesting we sit with the quiet of Jupiter the sage during this time, and contemplate our life path.

emerging reborn

This New Moon in Libra, arriving so close to the Autumnal Equinox, brings an intense focus in Libra: The Sun and Moon at 4 Libra, Mercury at 2, Venus at 15 and Saturn at 18. Libra is cardinal Air, initiating new ideas, actively seeking balance and harmony, mediating solutions to knotty problems. Libra is ruled by Venus, keenly aware of the needs of others, valuing fairness, creating beauty.

Where in our lives do we need a new beginning? This Libran New Moon can help create the concept. Where in our charts does this New Moon fall? This is where we may feel rebirth.

Once we reach the New Moon on Tuesday morning, our wishes and intentions can fly into the bright air like a cloud of butterflies. Now, in this time of the waning Virgo Moon, we rest in the stillness of the cocoon, preparing ourselves.
   

Waxing Moon in Pisces, Moving into Aries

No way around it, today looks to be an intense day. In fact, part of the message of this Mercury retrograde in Capricorn is precisely that: The is no way around, except through. So, we're all invited (umm ... pushed? compelled?) to reexamine whatever seems to be blocking us, and make peace with it.

North Dakota blizzard, 1966

This morning, the Sun and Moon challenge each other in square (8:59am EST). This is the First Quarter Moon, when our commitment to New Moon intentions is tested. Do we really want what we asked for? Maybe now, that wish looks a little different than we thought. Maybe it looks harder to attain. Are we willing to work?

The Moon's final aspects in Pisces are her conjunctions with Jupiter (3:16pm) and, later, Uranus (7:35pm). This is a deeply intuitive time, as the personal, body-centered wisdom of the Moon joins the Jupiter the philosopher king, and then Uranus, the trickster revolutionary.

This afternoon and evening present wonderful openings to meditate, dream, vision and journey, to receive guidance from powerful teachers. The Moon is void of course after joining Uranus, where she remains for seven hours.

During this time-between-times, Mercury reaches his powerful conjunction with Mars and Pluto, with the North Node just one degree away. When Mars and Pluto come together, force of action combines with deep power to break things open. With Mercury, that force is communicated.

This triple conjunction could bring into sharp focus energies building since the New Moon around power, action, sexuality, and transformation. With Mercury retrograde and the Moon void of course, we are cautioned to slow down, consider the consequences, and maintain conscious awareness.

Today we may experience what happens when power is unleashed. The choice will be to let go, or to channel that power.

Overnight (2:14am Tuesday), the Moon emerges into Aries, Cardinal Fire, the new power made manifest. Usually, we think of void-of-course times as quiet, waiting, not-doing times. It appears that what happens during today's void time, will have a vital influence on what emerges.

Waxing Moon Moving into Pisces

 Today's notes include the Moon's transits in Pisces for today and tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday.

The Moon reaches her final aspects in Aquarius this morning,  joining visionary Neptune and maverick Chiron. The conjunction with Neptune at 9:09am EDT marks the classic beginning to the Moon's void-of-course time, but I'm now including encounters with Chiron and the inconjunct as important Moon aspects (discussed here), and that moves this void a bit later.

fog over a lake

The Moon reaches her exact conjunction with Chiron at 10:20am, and is exactly inconjunct the Virgo Sun at 11:18am. Reckoning with these additions, the time-between-times begins at 11:18 and continues until the Moon swims into dreamy Pisces at 4:15pm. This puts the center of the work day in a time when beginning new projects is not advised, so use this Monday to finish up whatever remains from last week.

Opening the week with a few hours of quiet reflection may be a good thing, as the week ahead offers some intense astrological events. Emerging into Pisces, the Moon's first aspects highlight this intensity as she flows energy in sextile with deeply transformative Pluto at 9:56pm and incisive, focused (and possibly angry) Mars in Scorpio at 12:45am Tuesday. These connections between the Pisces Moon, and Pluto and Mars, can bring calm to intense situations if we align with the Pisces Moon's intuitive flow, but may create emotional confusion if we do not. Tonight is a time to invoke peace if anger arises, and look for intuitive guidance in deep, vivid dreams.

Tuesday's Moon aspects include a flowing trine with Venus in Scorpio (exact at 9:23am) and an opposition with Mercury in Virgo (exact at 2:42pm).

The Pisces Moon-Scorpio Venus meeting offers deep, intuitive insights into our key relationships, as long as we avoid slipping into suspicion and confusion. This Moon-Venus connection also creates an opening for messages from the Muse that infuse our creative work with depth and power. Remember the Moon communicates through feeling and memory; visioning techniques are likely to be powerful this morning.

girls carrying water in India

The Pisces Moon-Virgo Mercury opposition opens a dialogue between feeling and thought, the big picture and the small details, and cosmic vision and everyday reality. If we can dream universal dreams while keeping our feet on the ground, these two planets will be happy.

The Moon-Mercury opposition is emphasized by the Sun, who prepares to leave practical Virgo by opposing Jupiter and Uranus in Pisces. Uranus and Jupiter together in Pisces ask for visioning that is radically exuberant, dreams with revolutionary enthusiasm, and spiritual connections that take us on unexpected journeys. Meanwhile, the Sun reminds us to chop wood, carry water, and care for those around us. Another reflection of the challenging dialogue we find ourselves in these days, about staying grounded in times of great change!

Wednesday brings the Autumn Equinox, followed six hours later by the Full Moon in Aries ... but more on that tomorrow :)

Waxing Moon in Libra

We are in the crescent phase of the waxing cycle now. The Moon flowed energy with the Sun in sextile at 6:06am EDT, moving us out of a quiet time of germination and into a more active, visible phase of growth.

Under this Libra Moon, infused with energy from the Leo Sun, growth will be creative, as both Libra and Leo share this characteristic. Libra brings grace and balance to Leo's passion and enthusiasm; a lovely combination. Today, it might feel as if the Sun has come out from behind clouds, illuminating our next steps.

The Moon moves into a flowing trine with Neptune at 4:06pm, an opening of intuitive flow between the Moon's deep knowing based in the body, our felt experience, and the support of the ancestors, and Neptune in Aquarius with her cosmic dreams and visions. Libra and Aquarius are both Air signs, facilitating thought and communication. A good time for meditation or other visionary practice.

In classical astrology, the Moon enters her time-between-time with this trine to Neptune. Yet Neptune continues walking together with Chiron also in late Aquarius. The Moon reaches her trine with Chiron the wounded healer at 6:26pm, extending the window for receiving flows of intuitive guidance, especially in areas of healing and mentoring.

Then we have Uranus, always a force to be reckoned with! He now sits at the very edge of Pisces, slipping back into that visionary sign. The Moon reaches an inconjunct angle-of-adjustment with Uranus at 8:24pm. As Uranus moves back into Pisces, we are offered a chance to revisit our ideas and experiences of radical change, reflect on how they are linked to our dreams and visions, and adjust as needed.

If we include the trine with Chiron, and the inconjunct with Uranus, as significant aspects (and they seem so to me), today's void of course becomes very brief. The Moon dives into shadowy Scorpio at 8:26pm.

In Scorpio, we are tested. Do our dreams, visions, assumptions, ideas and plans hold up to deep, incisive scrutiny? This sign of investigation and insight may make us squirm a bit, as ideas and feelings we were so sure of may not hold up under the Scorpio Moon's searching examination. If our towers are going to stand tall, our foundations have to be rock solid. Testing the foundations is Scorpio's role, which is reinforced as the Moon sextiles Pluto (ruler of Scorpio) in rock-solid Capricorn at 1:36am EDT Sunday.

Today's Moon begins with the bright, active energy of the Sun, moves into a contemplative time with Neptune and Chiron, has the opportunity to revisit ideas of radical change with Uranus, then enters a time of deep research and review with Scorpio and Pluto. Quite a ride!

The painting A Sunny Day at Shinnecock Bay by William Merritt Chase and the photo of the cave diver by Clark Anderson are available through WikiMedia Commons.

Void-of-course Moon Moving into Libra

Well! A mistake at the end of yesterday's entry stated that the void-of-course cauldron of transformation ended at 6:42 AM EDT when it continues throughout the day, ending at 6:42 PM. So, what is a void-of-course Moon and how does it affect today's energy?

The Moon is the fastest moving body in our sky, container of moods and feelings, signifier of the natural rhythms of life. She focuses our feelings as she moves through astrological space, touching other planets in the sky as well as points and planets in our own charts. We look to the relationships between the Moon and these other planets and points to gain insight and guide action.

The Moon moves through each sign of the zodiac, from 0 to 29 degrees of each, in about two and half days. Within each sign, she touches everything located at the same degree, in some way. When she no longer touches any other planet, the Moon is said to be void of course. She continues in her path, but has no other touchpoints until she enters the next sign.

Because this void-of-course concept emerged from classical astrology, it takes note only of the classical planets and the Ptolemaic aspects, which are the conjunction, opposition, trine, square and sextile. This leaves out the asteroids, including Chiron, as well as aspects like the inconjunct (also called the quincunx).

The standard advice is to avoid starting anything new during a void-of-course period, as whatever is begun, will not prosper. This comes out of electional astrology, choosing when to sign a contract, make a major purchase, or take some other important action. Voids of course are also considered to be more inwardly focused, reflective times, while the Moon is on her own, not in dialogue with other energies. On the other hand, some astrologers, and many people, pay no attention to voids of course at all.

Voids of course times, as with anything else in astrology, are patterns for us to explore. Astrology is one of many ways the cosmos communicates with us. As we move through our lives, we listen, look, use all our senses to take in the world around us. Then we respond. Are voids of course meaningful for you? Ultimately, only you can answer that.

As I attend more closely to the Moon's patterns, I find that voids of course do feel more reflective, and allow myself more time for meditative thought and practice. Some things about the classical approach I'm not comfortable with, though. It's time to change how I view this pattern, and see where that leads.

Chiron, the wounded healer and mentor who urges us to fully embody our unique selves, is an important archetype and energy in my astrological practice. He's at 28 degrees of Aquarius now, and no other planet is later in degree. So although he is omitted from standard calculations of when the Moon goes void of course, he's actually the last body touched by the Moon at this time. I plan to recalculate the beginnings of voids of course to include Chiron.

The other change I'm making is to include the inconjunct. This awkward angle that requires active adjustment seems to be a powerful one for the emotion-filled Moon. The inconjunct is also the key to the yod pattern, the isoceles triangle formed from two inconjuncts and a sextile.

These changes in my approach have an immediate impact. Classically, the Moon has been void of course since 8:04pm EDT yesterday, and will remain so until she enters Libra at 6:42pm tonight. If we include Chiron and the inconjunct aspect, the Moon is not yet void.

The careful, practical Virgo Moon is moving toward an inconjunct with visionary Neptune that will be exact at 2:41pm EDT. This will be followed by an inconjunct with Chiron at 4:59pm EDT. If you find your moods and reflections today touched with a felt need to balance visionary healing (Neptune and Chiron) with practical everyday life (Virgo Moon), perhaps these patterns are part of your Moon experience as well.

At 6:42pm EDT, the Moon steps gracefully into balanced Libra, and immediately confronts the Cardinal Cross. She will need all her Libran charm and diplomacy as she opposes Uranus (6:46pm), conjuncts Saturn (10:01pm), opposes Jupiter (11:06pm), and squares Pluto (11:38pm). What a lineup! The Moon then moves toward conjunctions with Venus (4:58am EDT Friday) and Mars (9:21am EDT Friday).

The Moon's transit through early Libra becomes a kind of swan song for the Cardinal Cross, as Uranus will retrograde back into Pisces at 11:36pm Friday. Powerful aspects will continue to unfold, and our time of great change is far from over, but as Uranus slips back into the sign of cosmic visions, we can expect an energy shift in that direction as well.

Amid the technical details, here's the emerging theme: The Moon today moves through a reflective time includes some difficult terrain. We may feel uncomfortable, a bit out of balance, as we try to hold both the practicalities of daily life and larger visions of change and healing.

Tonight, the Moon moves into Libra, a sign usually marked by grace and balance, where she will face a series of significant planets and patterns. The Moon brings our feelings into focus around the changes we see around and within us. What does global change mean for me? How am I feeling about what has emerged so far, and where this might lead? Where is my personal balance point? These are perennial questions, to be sure, and the Moon leads is there once again.

The images of the waterlily and the pointe shoe are available through Wikimedia Commons.

Waning Moon Transitioning in Leo

For most of today, the Moon continues in her long void of course time, resting, reflecting, finishing. We have entered the balsamic phase of the lunar cycle, when whatever we experienced in this cycle is reduced to its essential form. The balsamic phase is the end of the cycle, marked by an awareness of loss, the ephemeral nature of life, and the inevitability of change.

As the Moon waits in a time-between-time, Venus conjoins Saturn in Libra. Venus has been approaching this point for days, taking her turn in one of the Cardinal Cross hot seats, opposing Uranus and Jupiter, and squaring Pluto. Today's exact conjunction with Saturn brings Venus into focus. As she lends her creative charm to Saturn's attempts to hold the line, challenges Uranus and Jupiter to bring an awareness of others into their bold demands for radical change, and tempers Pluto's relentless drive to tear down everything in pursuit of improvement, we may feel our own Venus issues coming to the fore.

Are our key relationships balanced and beautiful? Is our creative life flowing in harmonious ways? Are we attuned to the flow of our lives, dancing with the energies around us, so we experience serendipity, synchronicity, "luck"? These are Venus-and-Saturn in Libra questions.

Best to think about them during the void, too, because when the Moon steps onto the Leo stage at 7:23pm EDT, she'll join a drama already in full swing. The Leo Moon begins strutting her stuff with a flowing trine to fiery Uranus at 7:36pm, a sextile to responsible Saturn at 10:02pm, a sextile to lovely Venus at 10:36pm, a trine to exuberant Jupiter just after midnight, and a sextile to fair-minded Mars at 5:40am Monday. The Moon's going to need all her creative passion tonight!

I like Auntie Moon's blog post for the upcoming New Moon, titled Please Acknowledge Me, and let me say right here how much I enjoy her insightful, creative writing. CJ Wright shines her light on how we can navigate today's transition from a void Moon with a Venus-Saturn focus on the important other people in our lives, to the "look at me!" energy of a Leo Moon.

Look in your birth charts to see where Leo falls. This is the area of life in which we most crave acknowledgment. And here's the key to today's transition, as she says:

"If you haven’t told someone recently just how much you appreciate them ~ those silent, behind-the-scenes people who carry your weight on their shoulders ~ give them a moment in the Leo spotlight by telling them now. You need to tell them, and they need to hear it. Acknowledgement. Appreciation. There’s nothing like it. It always feels good, and it really hurts when it’s missing."

Today's images of the lotus and the hug are available from WikiMedia Commons, and I thank all the wonderful creative folks who share their work through that website!