On Monday the 20th, its own day, the Moon is transiting through Sagittarius in perfect conjunction with Saturn. They both form a 90° angle with the Sun, when it enters the first sign of the Zodiacal sphere, which serves as a backdrop for the planetary interaction. The first day of this week —also the first day of a new astral year— has thus begun.
The Sun has completed its annual stroll over the southern hemisphere and is now equidistant from both of Earth’s poles. The Equinox, when the night is as long as the day in both, north and south, has made its appearance. It is the moment when spring starts blossoming in the northern latitudes, and the autumn winds become active in the southern region.
This Equinox has a few peculiarities: in this part of the world it occurs at the same time with dawn. A doubly significant moment, because as the Sun rises in the east, it crosses the upper space of the terrestrial equator. The awakenings of a new day, and of a new year, coincide.
Simultaneously with the Equinox and the aurora, there commences the Moon‘s Waning phase, which at that moment mixes with Saturn’s energy load: two polarities that integrate dialectically into one single force. The free and spontaneous emotional expression, as represented by our maternal, nocturnal luminary, along with the severe restriction transmitted by the paternal image of the multi-ringed planet.
A few degrees ahead of the Sun, there still remains the confluence of mediator Mercury with seductive Venus, who comes five days later, in retrograde motion, to meet with the Sun. The planet homonymous with the goddess of Love will commence a new cycle when it merges again with its source of light and energy, under conditions similar to those of eight years before (in retrograde motion, and almost in the same zodiacal length).
Located respectively in the signs of Aries and Libra, Uranus and Jupiter remain opposite each other; both, at a critical 90° angle with Pluto, standing halfway between the two of them. A special, highly confrontational configuration among these three distant planets is thus created, suggesting the notion of demolition, rupture and liberation.
On Friday the 24th, the waning Moon, in its pursuit of the Sun, turns Balsamic, diminishing its luminosity and presence every night, until disappearing completely at the time of joining the Sun and originating the first post-equinoctial New Moon, on the first day of next week. The healing character of this lunar balm intensifies when it merges with the Chiron planetoid, a few hours before doing the same with the Sun.
This description of the jazziest planetary aspects of the very moment when our Sun crosses the imaginary border separating north from south while projecting itself on the sidereal sector known as The Ram, expresses the symbolic dimension that will characterize the new annual cycle.
During this new lap that we shall make together with our planet around the Central Star we will connect with personal and collective experiences associated with processes of termination (Waning Moon), involving the confrontation between the notion of formal imposition (Saturn) and spontaneity (Moon), in a conflict accentuated by the vital impulse that the solar energy generates in Aries.
The triangulation of devastating forces represented by the Uranus – Jupiter opposition as catalyzed by the annihilating condition of Pluto, will stimulate the rupture of a decadent order and expired structures, which will yield like egg shells before the thrust of a new way of being and doing, in the relations of power.
Mediator Mercury’s union with a Venus in retrograde motion can point to the need for reviewing similar situations of the past that represented affective experiences of rapid adaptation to new times and circumstances. The integration in Pisces of the agonizing Balsamic Moon with Chiron will help heal, with pain and suffering, the emotional wounds that these struggle and resistance processes may have caused.
This Equinoctial manifestation, as a geo-astrophysical phenomenon, came loaded with symbolism: a new year begins, emerging in a new dawn. Under this image, and that of the planets interpreting their own melody, the new and strange earthly spring expresses itself.
Translated by Jorge Pardo Febres-Cordero, Certified Public Translator (Spanish-English-Spanish) – [email protected]
Photo Credits: Stephen Rahn