Author: Ingrid

New Moon at 18 degrees Cancer

The new moon happens on July 9/10th in cancer. The new moon is a time for intention setting. This new moon focuses on family, tribe, tradition or new tradition. The Sabian symbol for the new moon is “A priest performing a marriage ceremony”. The marriage ceremony brings together two people to form a relationship. The priest performing the ceremony brings down heaven to sanctify it. The two individuals come together to form a new “blessed” third entity. This new “blessed” third entity, forms the structure for then building a family.

But there is a traditional family – two parents a boy and a girl and a white picket fence. And there are non-traditional forms of family, of which there are so many options! This new moon provides an opportunity for forging a new non-traditional family!

This new moon is widely aspecting a number of planets. It’s sextile Uranus in Taurus. This bringing in a desire to change or a unique approach to the security that family or the tribe brings. Maybe you’ve read the Ringing Cedars books and you are considering creating your own Kin Domain. Or you’ve realized that safety means being nomadic and have opted for the van life. Whatever the approach to family, this new moon brings in an opportunity to create something unique. The new moon is also trine to Neptune in Pisces, and this brings in bringing in less of ‘sanctified tradition’ (church or government) and more ‘spiritual inspiration’ (your higher self, league of angels, or spiritual guides). This can feel like a direction that you are meant to go in regardless of how strange it may look. It’s exciting and though weird taps in authentically to your sense of belonging and connection.

But the new moon also squares Chiron and opposes Pluto. This is not an easy decision or path to take! While this new moon brings opportunities to forge a new and unique sense of family, tribe, and tradition, it also presents risks.

Chiron in Aries and has been bringing up wounding around who we are. Chiron in the “who am i” sign of Aries brings up words like self-reliance, sovereignty, personal freedom, exploration. While in Aries, the wounding comes from stepping out and expressing your core self. The square aspect to this cancer new moon, causes the wounding to flare up and brings up conflict with the family or tribe. Do you’re family allow you to be who you are? Or for the sake of tradition and socialization do they try to force a certain way of being. You may feel like “nobody put’s baby in a corner” (Dirty Dancing reference). Maybe you want to swing your hips to the sultry moves of bachata, but your people would prefer you to keep it clean with a wholesome cha-cha-cha. The thought of it makes you miserable. Like Baby, you find yourself sneaking off to the underground Latin dance classes so that you can tap into your passions and properly express yourself. It’s not that you don’t love your family, you just have something inside that needs to “be you”. At this new moon, you can set intentions for truly healing those wounds around being yourself. It won’t be comfortable. But there is an opportunity for healing.

Those risks include the risk of banishment from those who you’ve known to be family and risks of power struggles as those old structures try to maintain. The new moon is also opposite Pluto. Pluto is in Capricorn where is bringing out the powerful and controlling aspects of old and traditional structures. Governments or old institutions may try to hold onto the power. In this case, the old institution of marriage or the social structure of the tribe (or nation). Perhaps they want you to do family or belonging in the traditional way. They may say to you “only the government or the church can bless a union” and try to tell you that your intended family structure is not legitimate. The trick to getting through this energy is to create an inner union. Connect with your spiritual guidance to create your own sanctity or blessings.

All in all this New Moon is a chance to find that place where you fit, even if the path to doing so is wrought with opposition. When you arrive, it will feel so right!

Happy New Moon in Cancer!

June 24, 2021, Full Moon

The full moon on June 24th happens at 3 degrees of Capricorn. It’s in its detriment, meaning it’s in a sign that it does not feel comfortable in. The emotional nature of the moon likes security, comfort, and tribal connection. But because the ruler of the moon is Saturn, a sign that is cold and structured, emotional security feels more like an orphanage equip with strict nuns, than mom welcoming you home with your favourite pie. That doesn’t mean that it does not bring gifts…

The phase cycle of this moon began on Christmas day in 2019. What began at that new moon is coming to a culmination at this full moon. Those were the last days before the pandemic hit. Recently I was reflecting on this day for another reason. Far from my family, I had gotten together with a bunch of friends, also isolated from their families. We ate, drank, and played games in our PJ’s all day. In the back of our minds, we felt a little sorry for ourselves, but we also had fun! One of the games we played was called Pandemic (not a joke). Pandemic is a cooperative game, meaning all participants have to work together to win the game. “ In Pandemic, several virulent diseases have broken out simultaneously all over the world! The players are disease-fighting specialists whose mission is to treat disease hotspots while researching cures for each of four plagues before they get out of hand.”

At the crux of the game pandemic, was the need for communication and collaboration. While people were assigned roles as outlined in the game, they also brought their own personality, emotional intelligence, and personal growth to it. In this Christmas day group, everyone realized that if we didn’t work together we were doomed. And so we did. And we won! No one person had all the knowledge and skill. No one person even had all the information. No one person could make all the decisions.

Similarly, the Sabian symbol for this full moon is “a party entering a large canoe”. It symbolizes a cohesive group working together to achieve a goal. Rudhar says of this symbol “the zodiacal sign Capricorn brings the common will to focus in concrete actions. It does so in terms of socio-political expediency and under a definite type of executive direction, even though the decisions are arrived at by common consent.”

At this full moon, we are in the same situation. And as is sometimes true in life – the truth is stranger than fiction; We are in an actual pandemic and to “win at it” we are being asked to play by the same rules – communication, the reliance on knowledge and skill, use of all the information and general consent.

This move is not always comfortable. The wayward elephants in China serve as a great metaphor. These elephants have strayed over 300 miles from their home. The change has resulted in millions in lost crops and danger as they crossed through majorly populated downtown areas. They’ve ignored police sirens and trucks of food designed to lure them from their path. Scientists have theorized that they are following a wayward leader who has led them astray! Others have theorized that they are working together guided by changes in the environment, food supply, and drought.

The problem right now is Saturn the ruler of the moon is in a square to Uranus. Saturn wants the status quo, Uranus wants to change. In addition Saturn, the planet that likes the status quo is in a sign of change, and Uranus the planet that likes change is in a sign that likes security. The tension is within, and it manifests outwardly with each other! What’s more is these two are fixed signs, and both have fixed approaches to the problem. If they operate out of fear, they will follow a wayward leader and get lost.  If they dig deep, they will all emerge as leaders, working together guided by instinct and guts.

But there is good news! The full moon makes an easy aspect to Jupiter, which has recently gone retrograde in Pisces. This allows us, if we take advantage of it, to move mountains. Jupiter helps us to reflect on the spiritual meaning. It brings in compassion and intuition. The Sabian symbol for Jupiter is “a petrified forest”. This symbol brings in a reminder of the indestructibility of past wisdom. Even when things are destroyed, there are petrified fragments left behind that remind us of the wisdom of the forest. Trees bring grounding. They bring food, medicine, and oxygen. They bring warmth when needed. And they lead us back to the energy of the moon – at the center of the forest is the mother, as DR. Suzanne, Simard, Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia, says in her recent book Finding the Mother Tree.

The truth, if we allow ourselves to find it, is that we are all connected and we need each other to survive. Inside of each of us is ancient wisdom. Inside of all of us is deep inner resources. Grounding ourselves like trees allows us to feel grounded enough to reach out and work together with others. At this Full Moon, that is what comes to culmination!

Happy Full Moon!

June 10, 2021 – Solar Eclipse

The eclipse on June 10th will be happening at 19 degrees of Gemini. Mercury which is now retrograde is right beside the eclipse. The nature of an eclipse is to bring things to light. They bring irreversible shifts, and this entire eclipse is about perspectives, facts, news, information, and communication. Mercury also represents schools, communities, and our siblings, so information about these areas may also come up. As mercury is retrograde it has us reviewing how we have approached all of these things in the past.

The solar eclipse is also conjunct the asteroid Bienor which according to Mark Andrew Holmes indicates:

“ exuberance, expansion, empowerment, liberalism, generosity, love of others, compassion, cooperation or alternately, condemning, hateful, judgmental, doomed effort, being attacked, becoming trapped”,

On the positive side, the eclipse and mercury make a trine to Saturn in Aquarius. This grounds the communication and brings in instant karmic feedback. If you lie, it will come back on you immediately. Similarly, if you are unkind with words, you will be held to account almost instantaneously.

Saturn also offers a grounding cord – in the air sign of Aquarius, it allows for a detached exploration of concepts and people. It also offers rationality, independent thought, though has a tendency to be fixed and prefers like-mindedness.

On the negative side, the eclipse and mercury will be squaring Neptune. Telling the truth will be hard. Knowing the truth will be even harder. This eclipse will make your mind seem as though you are in a not-so-fun house complete with mazes, mirrors, and illusions. Right now there is a huge bifurcation.

Scott Fitzgerald is quoted as saying: “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” Having gone into this world to explore all sides, I have concluded that it’s not about intelligence at all, but more about your internal integrity. The more you know yourself, the easier it is to explore other worlds and feel grounded.

Take for example the controversy with Dr. Fauci and his emails. On one side, let’s say you are a fox news watcher – there are visual displays of one offending email and speculation of criminal investigation, depictions of computers are being carried off and staff quitting. If you are a CNN news watcher there is little talk of an email – it is portrayed as misconstrued, and overreaction and not to worry all is well.

Unfortunately believing anything to be true at this point in time is hubris and will lead you into very tricky territory. If you are completely unaware of what the other side feels and thinks this will lead to fights and fury.

Very close to the eclipse is the Saturn Uranus square. On June 14th, just days after the eclipse it will meet up for the second time this year. This square has been in effect since the beginning of the year and will continue until the end of the year. This energy is about structure and restriction vs security. Uranus, the great awaken-er, and disrupter is in Taurus, a sign that likes security. This brings upsets and innovations (usually brought on by upset) in the areas of food, money, and security. Saturn is in Aquarius, which is its home sign. It brings in technology and some say technocracy. In a square these two are bringing up struggles with old and new ways – lab-grown synthetic meat vs free-range, fiat vs bitcoin, state-dependent universal income vs off-grid community living, new mRNA technology vs repurposed drugs, media censorship vs the Taurus throat chakra of speaking one’s truth – all of these have behind their values and a sense of innovation – and represent a clash of which is forcing paradigm shifts and structural breakdowns. It is in these two worlds that perspectives, facts, news, information, and communication will be very different.

The best advice for this eclipse is to stay open to surprises, be open to new and differing information, and if you can sit on that information for a while. In time all will makes sense.