This New Moon will take place one degree from Pluto, otherwise known as Hades, Lord of the Underworld, the Great Transformer. Hades’ territory is as large as that ruled by his brother, Jupiter (Zeus), but it has different rules. Few visit Hades, but one was Orpheus, the most wonderful musician of all times. He went into the Underworld, and played for Hades and Persephone hoping they might release his darling, Eurydace. Persephone said ‘yes’ he could leave with her, but only if he did not look back until he was out of the Underground. He was fine. He was out of the entry, but when he looked back, Eurydace was still in the Dark Lands and had to return. What happens when a new Moon begins at the very doorstep of Pluto?
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is ‘a woman entering a convent.’ Entering a convent has some similtary to a period of residence in the Underworld. This period of new Moon energy is filled with challenge, a possibility of strife. It’s important to realize this if you feel as if there are sudden reasons to be angry and confrontational with people you normally love or, at least tolerate, you might want to take that energy on other directions. The Lady of Chaos, Eris has a direct and strong link to the Sun/Moon Pluto trio. She who felt overlooked, wrecked havoc on Greece and the city of Troy. But to be honest, it was the Greeks and Trojans who murdered each other. Hurt and anger are powerful forces which work together to destroy connection or create new understanding in relationships.
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass the world is too full to talk about. RUMI
Photo: Sarah Fuhro pottery bowl from the Fuller Craft Museum
Maybe the ancient people were right when they identified their animal side. I always hate to hear the phrase: ‘only humans….’ We are firmly in the animal kingdom. We need that animal nature for humor and survival. The amount of connection between the planets at this moment is a challenge to see how we can use Mars and Uranus and Lilith as a power source instead of electric shock treatment. There is lots of talk among some astrologers that this is a turning point in human capacity for helpful transformation. Maybe. But it doesn’t seem likely that this will happen while we are asleep. The whole world has a challenge with the new Moon and the other cosmic players as they begin a new cycle. Each moment there is an opportunity to find a solution to the shock and pressure coming from a perfect set up of ancient planetary impulses.
This is a chart with so many connections between planets. Perhaps this is a signal which says even very small or ‘mundane’ decisions with be deeply embedded in the future.
Here is the painting by Amelia Royce Leonards for CAPRICORN.
painting: Amelia Royce Leonards
Capricorn is very definitely an Earth sign. Full of inborn knowledge of how the world works, Capricorn is called The Goat, but actually she is traditionally a Sea Goat! At first, what we know of Capricorn appears to be above ground: visible, tangible, safe from Water’s dark mystery. This is a sign dedicated to the very solid Earth element, yet the symbol of Capricorn is a goat with a fish’s tail. Capricorn retrieves what was lost from sight in Scorpio’s dark waters. At the moment of the Solstice, we celebrate the promise of light and vision felt in spirit form during the long nights of Sagittarius. Manifestation is the power of this goat/fish. Keenly aware of darkness, Capricorn climbs to a high point to observe the return of the Sun’s light. Guided Moon, the Water Bearer, Aquarius
Tuesday is a full Moon in Cancer where the pleasures of feeding (Cancer’s speciality) another species may be the key to healing our own. We hold in our hand the ability to feed us all, to celebrate our connection and universal needs and talents. Chiron, the healer has a tight relationship (Square) to the Sun and Moon at this moment of peak expression in the Lunar cycle. So we have the Sun, the Moon and Chiron, in a very neat triangle of Cardinal energies. Cardinal signs are the seasonal markers, the Solstices and Equinoxes. The Sun has just entered Capricorn, the Winter Solstice, when the Sun appears to turn and head Northward. Chiron is in the realm of Aries (Spring Equinox) and the Moon is in the sign of the Summer Solstice (Cancer).
photo: Sarah Fuhro
It’s exciting to see Chiron, the healer in this close square to Sun and Moon. Chiron is symbolized by a key. To find a key is to experience the healing of Chiron from another dimension. We are all caught in the labyrinth of healing at this moment of worldwide pandemic. Just as Jupiter and Saturn entered Aquarius , vaccines arrived ready for use. Aquarius is a sign of science and technology (and astrology)! Jupiter and Saturn had been lurking in Capricorn from January until December. During this time, the vaccine was being developed by scientists all over the world, but it needed the final push from the combination of Saturn (formation) and Uranus (revolution) to put this new form of vaccine into the arms of those who need it most. Saturn and Uranus are the astrological rulers of Aquarius. They are an interesting combination of tradition, irrefutable rules and deep commitment, which is Saturn and the wildly erratic and innovative nature of Uranus to develop this vaccine so quickly and with so many new features.
Uranus is also very much part of the powerful pattern of this chart. His position in relationship to Sun and Moon is that of willing helper. He might be ready to turn our minds in new directions. We are in a crisis of hungry and homeless people in our country. It’s not revolutionary to imagine a change of direction away from ‘bottom line’ and ‘trickle down’ economics (Capricorn) to the Cancer Moon’s deep love of children, food, home and family, the family which includes all. Capricorn could then be the organizing energy behind a deep change of heart, which is put into Earthy form.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
The road ahead is not clear, but it is lit by a most beautiful Capricorn Sun. Was it only this Monday we celebrated the winter Solstice and the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn? We seem to be headed in a new direction of hope (Jupiter) and and deep commitment to constructive action (Saturn). Venus is rising with the Sun each morning. May she be our guide of love where we see the beauty in everything around us.
Angel Musician from the Aosta Cathedral
The Sabian Symbol for this Capricorn Sun who illuminates the brilliant Cancer Moon is ‘AN ANGEL CARRYING A HARP. The revelation of the spiritual meaning and purpose at the core of any life situation.’ The promise of this degree is the illumination which is always available when we are ‘open and listen to the total harmony of life.’ For life to be harmonious we must open our eyes and hearts to the needs of everything around us. Angels and birds have so much in common. They have wings and sing to make us joyous. Birds evolved from dinosaurs, huge lizards who couldn’t walk the Earth any longer, and so took to air.
Chiron
Here is Chiron illustrated by the artist, Amelia Leonards.
painting: Amelia Leonards
The bird has the key to unlock a powerful secret of healing. Even with the key, she needs to understand the lock. We are perched at this moment at a turning point. Can we share the answer to the key question which the tiny bird poses? How do we work together? It’s an ecological healing of balance in which we allow natural forces to do their work.
Sabian Smbols are verbal images for each degree of the Zodiac. Channeled by psychic Elsie Wheeler and transcribed by the astrologer Marc Edmund Jones in 1925. They were revised by Dane Rudhyar in his book Astrology of Personality. http://www.mindfire.ca/.
Sarah Fuhro The Wisdom Tradition evolved over the centuries to address our deepest human needs. Sarah Fuhro is a practitioner of its many forms; including Astrology, Tarot, Flower Essences and Druidry. In addition to personal consultations, Sarah teaches workshops and private classes, offering both clients and students knowledge powerfully rooted in the past, presented in the language of the present. For an appointment or to be notified of classes call 508 740 7039 or email her at sarahfuhro@gmail.com.
Amelia Leonards works with watercolor and graphite to create fantastical imagery. She draws upon world folklore, mythology and her imagination to create pieces imbued with sensitive and emotive storytelling. Throughout her work you will find an emphasis on feminine and natural elements, along with a hefty dose of humor and antlers. https://www.amelialeonards.com and https://www.etsy.com/shop/amelialeonards.
Bruce Lhuillier Is a French artist and photographer currently living near Boston. His ability to capture spirit in his photos and paintings is both unique and visionary. You can find his work on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Barknstone.
‘The Gate of the Cottage’ may represent the Solstice event of December 21 when Jupiter and Saturn meet, and enter the premises of Aquarius. At this time of pandemic crisis, all of us, are, in someway, blocked from celebrations we love with people we love. So we have to celebrate with the cosmos, with Venus so bright at dawn, with Jupiter and Saturn as they draw closer and closer till they become one beautiful star of the night. We are told this meeting of Jupiter and Saturn, an odd couple with complementary characteristics will be momentous. Jupiter and Saturn meet every twenty years. They begin a new cycle of outward events which have been brewing internally. The extra excitement around this meeting, at the moment of the Solstice is the location, Aquarius. Since 1801 the twenty year cycle has been in Earth signs. Oh, there was one meeting in Libra, another Air sign, a hint of things to come. Aquarius is in a new element, Air, and Air will be the element of the next several centuries for that twenty year meeting of Jupiter and Saturn.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
Air is associated with clarity, with the East where Sun and Moon rise to light our way. It is the beginning, the Sun, the Hawk of Dawn. In rituals which celebrate the Western Wisdom tradition, Air is associated with thought, with words, and with the double edged blade of mental processes, which cut through confusion and dullness. To meditate, I must focus on my breath, which is Air, to quiet my thoughts, which are Air. At best, Air represents crystal light. Something which goes beyond words, to the essence of clarity. Crystals are also associated with computers, and no doubt the next two hundred years will see computers in myriad forms take over from human thought, just as machines took over many human and animal physical function in the last two hundred years.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
But this new Moon, the new Moon which takes place on Monday, a week before the Solstice, what does she have to show us? This is not just any ordinary new Moon, but also a total eclipse of the Sun. The Sabian Symbol for this moment, A BLUEBIRD PERCHED ON THE GATE OF A COTTAGE‘ seems to have a happy purpose, yet the times feel ominous as we experience waves of death passing over humanity. There is a delicate balance here of what 23 degrees of Sagittarius holds for us: ‘the implication is the inhabitants (of the cottage) are well-adapted, either to the life of the community, or to their more or less isolated togetherness.’
photo: Sarah Fuhro
A Solar eclipse is another way we may begin again. The lights go out, and then turn back on again. I took this picture today at noon! It’s not an eclipse and it’s not sundown, but the Sun seemed to set at that moment, and then return. If you look into the pond, you can see the noontime Sun is still there. In past times, eclipses were feared as harbingers of evil and destruction, but I think of them more as exclamation points, a reminder that we are here and then gone and then here again.
Notice the asteroid Pallas Athena has entered Aquarius. I think this may symbolize the arrival of Covid vaccines on the world stage. Pallas Athena is the symbol of the immune system. She has been traveling with Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto through the sign of Capricorn during this whole year of pandemic. Now she has moved on into Aquarius, and I’m hopeful this might represent a greater respect for science and thoughtful care for each, rather than for the interests of business and governmental organizations (Capricorn). Chiron, the healer is aligned with Pallas Athena, and hopefully they will work together. The Sabian Symbol for Chiron is ‘two lovers strolling on a secluded walk.’
photo: Sarah Fuhro
This moment feels like Pandora’s box of fear and hope. Mars and Eris trine the new Moon with their contribution of lots of dark Fire energy. Venus and Juno in Scorpio are in sextile to Saturn and Jupiter and Pluto. The Sun will disappear into the dark shadow of the Moon during the eclipse, but the Moon is always swallowed by the light of the Sun at a new Moon. What are we to make of all of this? As we stand still in anticipation of a conjunction which will begin a new 200 year cycle. Maybe we just need to focus on the ‘Bluebird Perched on the Gate of a Cottage’.
painting: Amelia Leonards
Sagittarius! the New Moon’s location… and here is Amelia Leonards illustration for the Astrological Oracle deck.
Sagittarius comes around at the darkest time of the year, but this sign is filled with the ebullient joy of holiday celebrations. A spiritual warrior, with the body of a horse and the upper torso of a human, Sagittarius is also a combination of zest for life, and deep spiritual commitment. The sign is filled with the juice of Jupiter, expansive, optimistic, easily distracted, in love with the world and whatever is exotic. Sagittarius is both fascinated with, and open to all forms of religious practices and philosophies, but then can easily switch from a universal tolerance to dogmatic fundamentalism. Sagittarius upholds ideals of mental and physical freedom, but can be wrapped up in promoting something so wonderful it must be universally accepted. The athlete and horse lover are often people with Sagittarian energy. This is a mutable Fire sign with lots of talent as teacher, lawyer, priestess. He shoots straight and high into the sky, anything is possible.
Sabian Smbols are verbal images for each degree of the Zodiac. Channeled by psychic Elsie Wheeler and transcribed by the astrologer Marc Edmund Jones in 1925. They were revised by Dane Rudhyar in his book Astrology of Personality. http://www.mindfire.ca/.
Sarah Fuhro The Wisdom Tradition evolved over the centuries to address our deepest human needs. Sarah Fuhro is a practitioner of its many forms; including Astrology, Tarot, Flower Essences and Druidry. In addition to personal consultations, Sarah teaches workshops and private classes, offering both clients and students knowledge powerfully rooted in the past, presented in the language of the present. For an appointment or to be notified of classes call 508 740 7039 or email her at sarahfuhro@gmail.com.
Amelia Leonards works with watercolor and graphite to create fantastical imagery. She draws upon world folklore, mythology and her imagination to create pieces imbued with sensitive and emotive storytelling. Throughout her work you will find an emphasis on feminine and natural elements, along with a hefty dose of humor and antlers. https://www.amelialeonards.com and https://www.etsy.com/shop/amelialeonards.
Bruce Lhuillier Is a French artist and photographer currently living near Boston. His ability to capture spirit in his photos and paintings is both unique and visionary. You can find his work on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Barknstone.
How wonderful! The Sabian Symbol for Monday’s full Moon in Gemini is ‘A quiver full of Arrows’ And the Sun, in opposition to that Gemini Moon is in Sagittarius, an archer who aims high… The Moon has been growing and glowing. Lots of fog and swirling clouds make her look like a swift moving centaur galloping across across the night sky. The Moon is quite close to the North Node. This will be a Lunar eclipse, but a slight one. Here in New England we might be able to seen that eclipse at 4:30 AM, just before she sets and the Sun rises. The Luminaries take turns lighting our way at a full Moon. The excitement is already palpable!
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
Chiron, the great healer makes a fiery trine to the Sun, and a warm and friendly sextile to the Moon. It would be wonderful if Chiron’s aspects means healing is on the way. Chiron, present in everyone’s chart, means we must all find our method of healing, for ourselves and healing for those around us. Chiron is a centaur with a quiver full of arrows, and Sagittarius is another, half man, half beast with a bow and arrow! What is the target of this moment, as the bow is drawn back and the arrow is precisely aimed?
John Singer Sargent mural: Chiron and a Youth from the The Boston Public Library photo: Bruce Lhuillier
We are in a period of endings, and beginnings. This long strange year is ending, and a twenty year cycle, which began in 2000 will end on the Winter Solstice. All full Moons are a completion which begins a give away time. The Moon has been gathering light and fullness, and, at the full Moon, she will give it all away until she is a tiny cusp seen at dawn before she becomes completely invisible in the arms of the Sun.
This is the chart of the last full Moon before a cosmic marker which takes place on the Winter Solstice, December 21. Jupiter and Saturn represent a matched set of oppositions. Jupiter is expansive, Saturn concentrates. Together, like the opposing signs of each full Moon to the Sun, they present a wholeness of some aspect of energy and creativity. December 21, as we celebrate the return of the Sun to the Northern Hemisphere, Jupiter and Saturn come together in the first degree of a new sign, Aquarius, after a year long journey spent in Capricorn with Pluto and Pallas Athena. Jupiter and Saturn meet every twenty years and we often date historical periods from these conjunctions. Last time they met was May of 2000. Since then the world has deeply embedded the computer in every aspect of our lives. The conjunction this December will also mark the first time Jupiter and Saturn have met in an Air sign (Aquarius) for hundreds of years. This will shift the world wide culture in some deep way. The meeting of Jupiter and Saturn has taken place in an Earth sign every twenty years since 1802, when the industrial age began. They will continue to meet in Air signs until 2159.
photo: Robert Fuhro
Before you begin something new you look back on what you are leaving behind. There may be much about this year of 2020 which we will need to look at again. . Perhaps the ‘quiver full of arrows’ which marks this full Moon is the precision and focus we need to create a future which includes all of us, in a joyful reunion with the Earth.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
Gemini is the constellation of communication, curiosity and conversation. It’s an Air sign, Mutable, ruled by Mercury, in charge of the lungs. It is the chatter in our head, and the constant possibility for words to give us pleasure, poetry, song, jokes. Gemini is an expert at ‘fixing’ difficult emotions with intellectual constructs. But there is another side to Gemini as well: Magic and transformation. Gemini’s ruler, Mercury is a magician, a healer, a shape-shifter, much like a butterfly, who moves from, egg, to caterpillar to fully formed flying creature who can sail across thousands of miles of ocean to reach a destination totally unlike the one she was born into. Gemini is a ‘double’ sign. It’s about twins, so it can always, with Mercurial speed see both sides of an issue and spend a lot of time with decisions. Choice is a tough place for Gemini. Why not include both sides of the argument?
photo: Robert Fuhro
Thanksgiving Day I walked into the wet and twilight woods with friends. The light was filtered by leaves left on the trees. The sky was reflected in the puddles left by a day of rain.
photo: Sarah Fuhro
The interaction between water and light was everywhere in a mysterious mixture of clarity and fog. This is is a wet and borderless place where a wild wood behind an industrial park. .
photo: Sarah Fuhro
Everything in that environment seemed to be speaking, which left us in awe and almost whispering in order to hear the messages. As I wandered in the darkening woods with my friends, I felt the speech which is all around us in the natural world.
photo: Sarah Fuhro
Gemini is Airy and Mutable, changeable and yet always a good friend. Ruled by Mercury nothing stays the same for long in Gemini’s realm. Our thoughts are received and then expressed through Gemini’s ruler, Mercury. Gemini urges us to explore through words, thoughts, messages, and communication, and most of all: curiosity. The Air element is felt in the wind, but the wind itself is invisible, only the effects can be seen and experienced. Castor and Pollux, the constellation of Gemini, are the special protectors of sailors. And this may be the best way to understand the role of Gemini in our chart. Gemini does not drown in the emotional mutability of the deep sea. Air is associated with our mental, windy, ever changing thoughts, but Air, like the suit of Swords in the Tarot deck, like the ‘quiver full of arrows’ seeks clarity, sharpness, the final word. Thoughts create action, dreams, visions, speech, poetry. But try to meditate, and you quickly learn about the Gemini twins and Mercury. They will not stay still, and they do not want to be classified and filed away. Our thoughts can be ruthless in their fixity or flighty as memories we cannot recall. This constellation represents the twins Castor and Pollux. The twins had two fathers, but were hatched from a single egg. Castor, the son of King Tyndareus was mortal, Pollux the son of Zeus was a demi god. This represents our own dual nature. We are mortal, but are filled with immortal spirit.
There’s always more to be said about Gemini! Here is the image for that sign created by Amelia Leonards. This will be part of an astrological oracle deck when it is finished.
painting: Amelia Leonards
*Sabian Symbols are verbal images for each degree of the Zodiac. Channeled by psychic Elsie Wheeler and transcribed by the astrologer Marc Edmund Jones in 1925. They were revised by Dane Rudhyar in his book Astrology of Personality. http://www.mindfire.ca/.
Sarah Fuhro The Wisdom Tradition evolved over the centuries to address our deepest human needs. Sarah Fuhro is a practitioner of its many forms; including Astrology, Tarot, Flower Essences and Druidry. In addition to personal consultations, Sarah teaches workshops and private classes, offering both clients and students knowledge powerfully rooted in the past, presented in the language of the present. For an appointment or to be notified of classes call 508 740 7039 or email her at sarahfuhro@gmail.com.
Amelia Leonards works with watercolor and graphite to create fantastical imagery. She draws upon world folklore, mythology and her imagination to create pieces imbued with sensitive and emotive storytelling. Throughout her work you will find an emphasis on feminine and natural elements, along with a hefty dose of humor and antlers. https://www.amelialeonards.com and https://www.etsy.com/shop/amelialeonards.
Bruce Lhuillier Is a French artist and photographer currently living near Boston. His ability to capture spirit in his photos and paintings is both unique and visionary. You can find his work on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Barknstone.
Oh, Moon and Sun, together at last in Scorpio, you have chosen courage as your theme, the courage to face the unknown.
At this moment, the Luminaries are connected to Eris (dwarf planet), she who stirs the pot. And we need ERIS because it is her degree in Aries which promises ‘openness to the influx of spiritual energies.’ The degree of Eris in Aries is the same as the Sun and Moon in Scorpio, two signs where Mars rules..
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
Eris is waiting to enter the window of our consciousness. ‘ The wind (pneuma, spirit) blows through the open mind and brings into the house of personality a promise of more-than-material potency.’ BLOWN INWARD BY THE WIND, THE CURTAINS OF AN OPEN WINDOW TAKE THE SHAPE OF A CORNUCOPIA.’*
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
It takes courage to accept a journey towards a new definition of prosperity. In my own life and, as an astrologer, I hear and feel this many times as we all struggle with questions of what road to take which will support us, and yet feed our creative appetite. Each month the New Moon gives us all a fresh start to look at what is really our desire in this lifetime.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
And what happens when you choose the path which leads to the clarity of transformation, the illuminated journey, and then you return home to the everyday reality of life? It’s not easy to bring what you found in the sacred pool into the moment by moment challenges and responsibilities of life.
The intensity of this new Moon is furthered by the connection Sun and Moon make to Pluto, Jupiter, Pallas Athena and Saturn in Capricorn. These four have been together in various configurations since January when we first had news of an approaching pandemic. They have arranged themselves in various configurations, moved in and out of retrograde and direct motion, but they are not finished with their pressure on us. Capricorn is a place of construction, deconstruction and organization. Since we were having trouble with new patterns of being, the pandemic came along and created a predicament for all the world. Together we turn our heads toward a shared new reality.
photo: Sarah Fuhro
Amelia Leonards and I have been at work on a series we hope will become astrology oracle and teaching cards. Each new Moon she designs an illustration for the sign of the Sun and Moon. This time it is Scorpio!
painting: Amelia Leonards
Walking under a cold November sky this afternoon was the perfect way to contemplate Scorpio. A fierce truth is in the nature of this sign, which is about endings, death, and the dark compost of next year. Scorpio, which keeps much under wraps. does not expect to be understood or even liked, it is the power we forget is there, until confronted by cold reality. There! I have used ‘cold’ twice, but there is fire in this water sign. Mars ruled Scorpio until Pluto, a more deadly god was added to the pantheon of planetary rulers. Yet there is much to be admired in Scorpio and much to be desired. Scorpio knows what is behind the curtain. There is very little which will escape notice or be forgotten by Scorpio’s truthful gaze. Scorpio does not vaunt her power, she keeps score, and works quietly behind the scene, just as November prepares us for spring, with a rich layer of leaves and long dark nights.
*Sabian Symbols are verbal images for each degree of the Zodiac. Channeled by psychic Elsie Wheeler and transcribed by the astrologer Marc Edmund Jones in 1925. They were revised by Dane Rudhyar in his book Astrology of Personality. http://www.mindfire.ca/.
Sarah Fuhro The Wisdom Tradition evolved over the centuries to address our deepest human needs. Sarah Fuhro is a practitioner of its many forms; including Astrology, Tarot, Flower Essences and Druidry. In addition to personal consultations, Sarah teaches workshops and private classes, offering both clients and students knowledge powerfully rooted in the past, presented in the language of the present. For an appointment or to be notified of classes call 508 740 7039 or email her at sarahfuhro@gmail.com.
Amelia Leonards works with watercolor and graphite to create fantastical imagery. She draws upon world folklore, mythology and her imagination to create pieces imbued with sensitive and emotive storytelling. Throughout her work you will find an emphasis on feminine and natural elements, along with a hefty dose of humor and antlers. https://www.amelialeonards.com and https://www.etsy.com/shop/amelialeonards.
Bruce Lhuillier Is a French artist and photographer currently living near Boston. His ability to capture spirit in his photos and paintings is both unique and visionary. You can find his work on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Barknstone.
According to the Celtic Lunar Calendar, this is the Full Moon of Ivy..Gort! Ivy winds around trees and posts and walls in a double helix pattern, which says: creation does not follow a straight line.
photo: Robert Fuhro Bowl and Doily Spider Web
To Celebrate Hallowe’en, we will have the full Moon in Taurus, security, the gifts of the Earth, ruled by the lovely lady, Venus, with deep desire to hold and enjoy life. But the Sun is in Scorpio and says: Transformation! It’s time to jettison what is no longer vital, and death is a balance to the life force of Taurus. The planet Mars is in charge of Scorpio, Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, as well. They love excitement, action, the darkest of bright truth and change.
photo: Robert Fuhro Full Moon in branches
With each full Moon, we begin to leave behind what we don’t need any more. This full Moon takes place on Halloween, when we take leave of the usual rules of living and contemplate the rules of death. We embrace what frightens us and acknowledge our past and future in order to live more fully in the present.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier Salem Cemetery
One day my grandson asked me if there are more dead people or alive people in the world. We were driving past a large cemetery, and I felt his deep understanding and connection to the dead. This is the season we set aside our natural embrace of life and value death as a way to clear away and store what is no longer vital. This Moon with its promise of life (Taurus) in the season of death (Scorpio Sun) is perfectly situated on a holiday to honor Death and the Ancestors. Scorpio’s Palace is a crowded place.
Photo: Bruce Lhuillier
But this won’t be just another Halloween, or even just another full Moon in Scorpio. Death is stalking us with a pandemic, which won’t go away. Halloween, Samhain begins a traditional round of holidays which lead up to the return of the Sun at the Winter Solstice. But we must now weigh the pleasure of family and friends gathered around the table with the threat of illness. Add to this, for the United States, a contentious election which seems to ask: ‘which way are you going?’ over and over and over…
But this chart has some extra information about the moment. The Taurus Moon is in the company of the planet Uranus. He is the ‘Booo’ of this Halloween, the surprise we cannot prepare for, the shock, which will offer a chance to delve into our store of creative resilience. A shock in the Earth sign of Taurus might mean an upheaval like an earthquake or a shock to our sense of security.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
But this moment holds so much more! Venus, the planet of Taurus is in Libra, where she is also queen, but with a very different kingdom! Her Sabian Symbol might be the clue to this chart: ‘A man revealing to his students the foundation of an inner knowledge upon which a ‘new world’ could be built.’* This potent Venus has an opposition with Chiron, the healer. Together they challenge our view of healing, of what is possible. But surely it must begin with love, for Venus is all over this chart. With the help of a candle, we light the way of connection between love and healing.
photo: Sarah Fuhro
Taurus is the Sign of the Moon and here is the illustration from Amelia Leonards which will become a set of astrological Oracle cards.
Taurus painting: Amelia Leonards
When the Moon is in Taurus, she is in her exaltation. This is a mirror to the last sign, Aries, when the Sun was in his exaltation in Aries. The Bull is chosen as a sacred symbol of the Moon because his horns are the crescents which mark waxing and waning. Moon is joyful in a sign ruled by Venus, and loves the mystery of fertility which this symbol honors. For the Druids Taurus was a sacred time, and the bull was a sacred animal. It’s interesting that Saturn, the great teacher is powerful when located in the two signs, ruled by Venus, Taurus and Libra. There is some sweet connection between this feared and ancient magician, and the power of the Queen of Love. The illustration is also connected to the Three of Cups Tarot card. Celebration and gratitude are part of the season. The constellation is connected to the labyrinth of Crete and the sacrifice of a white bull each spring in the Celtic lands. Taurus is one of three Earth signs in the zodiac, and Beltane, the Fire Festival of this element falls on the fifth day of May. Taurus is ‘fixed’ upon the unfolding of each blossom and the opening of the season of Green.
*Sabian Symbols are verbal images for each degree of the Zodiac channeled by the psychic Laura Wheeler and transcribed by the astrologer Marc Edmund Jones, revised by Dane Rudhyar. http://www.mindfire.ca/.
Sarah Fuhro The Wisdom Tradition evolved over the centuries to address our deepest human needs. Sarah Fuhro is a practitioner of its many forms; including Astrology, Tarot, Flower Essences and Druidry. In addition to personal consultations, Sarah teaches workshops and private classes, offering both clients and students knowledge powerfully rooted in the past, presented in the language of the present. For an appointment or to be notified of classes call 508 740 7039 or email her at sarahfuhro@gmail.com.
Amelia Leonards works with watercolor and graphite to create fantastical imagery. She draws upon world folklore, mythology and her imagination to create pieces imbued with sensitive and emotive storytelling. Throughout her work you will find an emphasis on feminine and natural elements, along with a hefty dose of humor and antlers. https://www.amelialeonards.com and https://www.etsy.com/shop/amelialeonards.
Bruce Lhuillier Is a French artist and photographer currently living near Boston. His ability to capture spirit in his photos and paintings is both unique and visionary. You can find his work on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Barknstone.
During this time of great uncertainty and revealed world patterns, astrology is a powerful tool for guidance, healing and courage. As a professional astrologer, I want to offer my services to any one who feels they would be helpful. Please feel that you can ask for astrological guidance at whatever price is right for you now.
As the Dark of the Moon arrives each lunar month, people and animals seek out dark and still places. There is a sense of isolation, the need to find a quiet and secluded sanctuary. Something new is coming, but is not accessible yet. This is a very powerful new Moon, with huge potential for change in the way you and I respond to challenge. The pandemic and the pandemonium continue, and a tremendous divide shakes not just my country but many.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
There is a cave shaped design to the astrology chart for the New Moon on Friday. Sun and Moon, cosy as always at the start a new Lunar cycle are in Libra, ruled by Venus the goddess of love. The heart of Sun and Moon beat together in the same degree, yet are directly across the circle from Mars in Aries, the warrior activator. Sun and Moon in Libra, the sign of the Scales provide a gentle balance to the anger and chaos which we may all feel stirring in our perception of the world, and reflected in our bodies and minds. Aries can be Life Force or vengeful destroyer.
photo: Bruce Lhuilier
A third side of the triangle in the chart connects the Libra Sun and Moon to three planets who have been symbolic of the current predicament of a world pandemic and instability in the social contract. They are also the potential architects of a new form of social contract between humans and between humans and the rest of the environment. Saturn, Pluto and jupiter have been conjunct in Capricorn since January. Capricorn is about organization and responsibility. When responsibility is missing from organization, it begins to collapse.
The theme of the ‘Cave of the Heart’ gives us a chance to look closely at our ways of relating to each other. By withdrawing into our own seclusion we can imagine a better way to interact.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
Our ancestors did not live in caves, but they used them for ritual and incubation. A cave may be where we need to go to relate with the equality Libra years for.
photo: Robert Fuhro
The Sabian Symbol for the degree of the new Moon is ‘A Butterfly with a third wing on its left side. The ability to develop, new modes of response to basic life situations. ‘ And here is where the ‘cave of the heart’ might be a symbol we can use over the next few days as we pass into a new Moon cycle. To survive in peace with each other and the environment, we may need to go into the cave, or, like the butterfly, acknowledge that the time spent in the chrysalis is growing time.
Libra
painting: Amelia Leonards
Libra has an interesting relationship with both Venus and Saturn. Venus is considered the ruler of Venus, but she is a subdued autumnal Venus, more involved in the beauty of refinement and tenderness than the wild springtime Venus of Taurus. She is an older and wiser Venus with a deep commitment to social arts, partnerships–relationships built on equality. Libra is considered the sign of Karma, or the notion that ‘as you sow, so shall you reap.’ Justice is a theme for Libra illustrated in the Tarot deck as her card. Libra wants to be known as fair and impartial. A lot of Libra in a chart can mean it takes a long time to make decisions. All sides must be considered and balanced. Fairness is essential. The Air element of the sign means there is further reason to be indecisive, but because Libra is Cardinal, there is a little more form to the decision process. The desire for balance can bring about new forms of relationship. Libra is the master/mistree of relationship, and does not want to let go of an old friend in exchange for a new one. Libra Venus takes form in tasteful decoration, a sense of good design, and the ability to make simple forms into elegant artworks.
Sarah Fuhro The Wisdom Tradition evolved over the centuries to address our deepest human needs. Sarah Fuhro is a practitioner of its many forms; including Astrology, Tarot, Flower Essences and Druidry. In addition to personal consultations, Sarah teaches workshops and private classes, offering both clients and students knowledge powerfully rooted in the past, presented in the language of the present. For an appointment or to be notified of classes call 508 740 7039 or email her at sarahfuhro@gmail.com.
Amelia Leonards works with watercolor and graphite to create fantastical imagery. She draws upon world folklore, mythology and her imagination to create pieces imbued with sensitive and emotive storytelling. Throughout her work you will find an emphasis on feminine and natural elements, along with a hefty dose of humor and antlers. https://www.amelialeonards.com and https://www.etsy.com/shop/amelialeonards.
Bruce Lhuillier Is a French artist and photographer currently living near Boston. His ability to capture spirit in his photos and paintings is both unique and visionary. You can find his work on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Barknstone.
All Summer, Jupiter and Saturn have been very bright in the Eastern sky. Both are teachers, but with very different styles. On December 21, they will meet at the moment of the Winter Solstice. Jupiter and Saturn come together every twenty years, and when they do, they are seen as the beginning of a new twenty year cycle.
The Wheel of Fortune/Jupiter The World/ Saturn
The last meeting of Jupiter and Saturn was May, 2000. Soon after, the attack on the World Trade Center shifted American attention and led to ten years of United State combat in the Middle East. On a personal note, it marked the month and year I began my study of Flower Essence Therapy at a professional level and could then incorporate a healing modality with the pattern of plants into my astrology practice. The conjunction took place in Taurus, a sign of powerful Earth energy.
The conjunction this December will be the closest since 1623. This is a date which marks the beginning of European settlement of North America. We are now at a point of environmental crisis, which is worldwide, but has many roots in this date. The values and relationship of indigenous human beings to the Earth was lost during this colonial period. I don’t mean that this all started in 1623, but it was certainly a turning point on this continent.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
I mention the long anticipated Jupiter-Saturn meeting because this full Blue Moon is preparing us for the change ahead. The Aries Moon, who rises as the Libra Sun sets carries an interesting message in the Sabian Symbol for the moment of fullness: ‘A TEACHER GIVES NEW SYMBOLIC FORMS TO TRADITIONAL IMAGES.Revision of attitude at the beginning of a new cycle of experience.‘ Dane Rudhyar, An Astrological Mandala.
photo: Sarah Fuhro
Part of the ‘revision of attitude’ is carried by the presence of Chiron close to the Moon. Chiron represents the power of healing. In this case the healing may have to do with waiting. There is a great deal of Aries (Fiery) energy at this time. Aries is the warrior, ready to do battle, but a masterful Aries is willing to wait until the perfect moment to strike. This full Moon has the potential to turn anger into well focused life force. The Libra energy of the Sun, and Chiron’s healing power may be able to channel the Aries impulsive fire of the Moon and Mars to relief and stability.
photo: Sarah Fuhro
The fiery Aries energy of Moon, Mars, Chiron is linked to the earthy manifesting Capricorn energy of Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter and Pallas Athena. I wonder if Uranus in Taurus, close to the fiery Aries planets is expressed in the fires of the West Coast. They are the unheard voice of the Earth out of balance, suffering from drought and exploitation, but still capable of fighting back, even while ignored. For the warrior in each of us, may this full Moon bring patience and focus. Since there are two full Moons in the month of October, we have twice the fun….thank you, Blue Moon!
A closer look at Aries. This is the continuation of the series of illustrations by Amelia Leonards for an Astrology Oracle Deck we hope to finish next year.
painting: Amelia Leonards
Aries is the energy of the Spring Fire we can feel in our feet in March and April if we live in the Northern Hemisphere. When it shows up in Autumn at the time the Harvest Moon…the biggest, most energized Moon of the year, we cannot ignore it. This Moon is large and intrusive, yet because of the Libra energy pouring in from the Sun’s position, this is not about impulse, but more about gathering and refinement. Mars rules Aries, and Mars is presently in the sign of Aries, moving in reverse, retrograde. A time to rethink and reimagine.
Aries is Cardinal and Fiery in every possible way. The Spring equinox takes place at 0º Aries and marks the beginning of the astrological year. The head is where Aries is especially powerful, that includes teeth and eyes. People with a lot of Aries energy tend to go ‘head first’ into whatever they do. Aries is the ram, the male sheep who uses his head to battle his way to leadership of the flock.
The Life Force of Aries is developed and refined by his opposite, Libra, ruled by Venus at the time of the full Moon in Aries. With each choice we make in life we channel our life force towards construction and destruction. Embrace the Aries in your chart, notice if there are planets in that sign, and which house carries that energy of Fire and of new beginnings.
Sarah Fuhro The Wisdom Tradition evolved over the centuries to address our deepest human needs. Sarah Fuhro is a practitioner of its many forms; including Astrology, Tarot, Flower Essences and Druidry. In addition to personal consultations, Sarah teaches workshops and private classes, offering both clients and students knowledge powerfully rooted in the past, presented in the language of the present. For an appointment or to be notified of classes call 508 740 7039 or email her at sarahfuhro@gmail.com.
Amelia Leonards works with watercolor and graphite to create fantastical imagery. She draws upon world folklore, mythology and her imagination to create pieces imbued with sensitive and emotive storytelling. Throughout her work you will find an emphasis on feminine and natural elements, along with a hefty dose of humor and antlers. https://www.amelialeonards.com and https://www.etsy.com/shop/amelialeonards.
Bruce Lhuillier Is a French artist and photographer currently living near Boston. His ability to capture spirit in his photos and paintings is both unique and visionary. You can find his work on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Barknstone.
Today is a new Moon in Virgo, which appears after the full Moon in Virgo on September 2nd. That’s confusing, but not uncommon. The sequence feels out of order. It’s natural to think of the new Moon as the seed or the egg form of the full Moon. But that is just to let us know that sequence and time are at the will and the whim of the Moon and her relationship to the Sun. The Sun sets the entry into each sign on or about a certain date on our solar calendar. But the Moon begins her own cycle with her arrival at the Sun’s degree. She is the calendar in the sky which predates solar reckoning and is still retained as the marker of time by Jews, Muslims and all who feel the pulse of her journey.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
The light has shifted since we moved into Virgo. Long shadows walk in earlier each day, and fall upon the quiet fields in strange patterns. The Sabian Symbol for this this new Moon, A BOY WITH A CENSER SERVES THE PRIEST NEAR THE ALTAR, suggests that we are in the presence of a great mystery. Twice a year dark and light come into balance over all the Earth, and celebration is natural to any who feel the living pulse of the planet, our body. Earth energy is abundant at this moment so it’s easier to create a tangible expression of how you feel….. like the altar in the picture above.
The Luminaries (Sun and Moon) are in close contact with many other planets at this moment. When the Moon joins the Sun to begin a new Lunar cycle, she is hidden from sight. But the power of the moment is felt through out the Earth and is reflected in human affairs. Over the next few days, we can feel the tide ready to carry us into new waters. Saturn is ready to help with any form of material creation. Pluto promises to make it last and carry weight. Mars and Black Lilith and Eris buzz around like bees on the last blossoms of the year. And since this is a world wide event, feel the spring energy of the Southern Hemisphere, awakening to fire and the advancing light of the Sun’s return.
photo: Robert Fuhro
Yes, we are in Virgo, the season of Harvest in the Northern Hemisphere, the season of Spring awakening in the Southern Hemisphere. Mercury is the planetary ruler, and he sets the pace of this sign. Mercury/Hermes, always close to the Sun is associated with message and movement. Messenger, magician, healer is Hermes. He comes and goes with no fixed residence, quicksilver. The element Mercury it does not hold a shape, but is always breaking apart or coming together, interacting with whatever is near. In Virgo, Mercury acts to diagnose and analyze. The sign is dedicated to the element of Earth, and like Mercury, mutable, ever shifting like this season of change. Because Virgo falls at the time of the harvest, that ability to mentally sort and choose is useful to determine which seeds will be food during the winter months and which will be stored for new plants in the spring.
Virgo: painting by Amelia Royce Leonards
This beautiful image of Virgo by Amelia Leonards expresses the special light of the season and contains many clues about the nature of this sign of the Zodiac. The painting ispart of a series to become an astrological oracle deck over the next year. I dedicate the fertile energy of this new Moon to that project, which began last January!
The wren is a tiny bird with a loud song. She is sacred to many stories and songs in the Celtic and other traditions. She builds her nest in cavities: holes in trees and walls and between stones. Her size does nothing to diminish her presence because her singing is her real nature. In the same way, Virgo is often an artist/crafter, making beautiful objects for use and pleasure. Virgo enjoys the whole process of work in many forms. She is the busy bee of the Zodiac.
Virgo is the physician with an excellent ability to diagnose what is needed and apply it. Herbs and diet are a specialty. Mercury, the ruler of the sign is often pictured with the double serpent wand which we call the cadeusus, the symbol of medicine. The serpent connection is important, because like the snake, Virgo has the ability to renew herself, she is always ‘virgin.’ That may account for her ability as physician as well. She knows the body is not fixed but her like her sign, is mutable, available to healing from wounds and sickness. Virgo is ever young because of the quicksilver nature of Mercury. He is never pictured with a beard, neither is he a boy, but a manly youth, with a quiver full of skills.
Foxes are Virgo because they are secretive, but curious. They are dedicated to their family, yet do not live in packs like wolves and coyotes. Virgo renews herself by solitude, even in small doses, yet with a deep commitment to community and her service to whatever group she joins. Like the ‘boy with the censer’ in the Sabian Symbol for this degree of the Virgo Moon, the nature of this sign is is to serve, and to serve wholeheartedly.
Sabian Symbols are the verbal images which were first notated by the astrology Marc Edmund Jones through the psychic channel, Elsie Wheeler. These were then notated and edited by Dane Ruhyar and can be found in the form I use in his book An Astrological Mandala.
Today’s new Moon in Virgo is associated with this symbol: A BOY WITH A CENSER SERVES THE PRIEST NEAR THE ALTAR.KEYNOTE:The first stage of actual participation in the great ritual of planetary evolution.
Sarah Fuhro The Wisdom Tradition evolved over the centuries to address our deepest human needs. Sarah Fuhro is a practitioner of its many forms; including Astrology, Tarot, Flower Essences and Druidry. In addition to personal consultations, Sarah teaches workshops and private classes, offering both clients and students knowledge powerfully rooted in the past, presented in the language of the present. For an appointment or to be notified of classes call 508 740 7039 or email her at sarahfuhro@gmail.com.
Amelia Leonards works with watercolor and graphite to create fantastical imagery. She draws upon world folklore, mythology and her imagination to create pieces imbued with sensitive and emotive storytelling. Throughout her work you will find an emphasis on feminine and natural elements, along with a hefty dose of humor and antlers. https://www.amelialeonards.com and https://www.etsy.com/shop/amelialeonards.
Bruce Lhuillier Is a French artist and photographer currently living near Boston. His ability to capture spirit in his photos and paintings is both unique and visionary. You can find his work on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Barknstone.
Wednesday’s full Moon will be in Pisces, the exact placement an invitation: ‘to seek at whatever cost entrance to a transcendent realm of reality.‘ Hmmm, how do we seek a ‘transcendent realm of reality’? In America and Europe during the 60’s and 70’s it was through experimentation with drugs, and a deep exploration of meditation techniques; for the Sufis, it is dancing in circles and spirals; for some of us, it is walking in nature, walking, and walking, and walking.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
Dancing under the rising full Moon, offers the possibility to open a gate to transcendent reality at each Lunar cycle. ‘The Path is always open to the pure in heart, the mentally aware, the conqueror of emotions and the spiritually self-mobilized.’* With this full Moon, if we find the path to mystical unity, we encounter the challenges of the Pisces Moon, perhaps a wordless experience which cannot be shared, while Virgo Sun may want to categorize and analyze it into tiny pieces. When they are working at their most evolved level Virgo is the physician and magician side of Mercury, Hermes. Pisces is the the sublime love of Neptune and Jupiter.
As always, the full Moon is situated exactly opposite the position of the Sun. Full Moons are in signs with contrary characteristics, and impulses. This is what makes the energy around the time of the Full Moon so exciting. We can feel the vibratory conflict between the nature and the impulses of the two signs and we want to dance with them both, dance until they are one! If the tides in the earth’s oceans are affected by the Moon, why would we, watery creatures, be exempt from her influence? In late summer, the insects raise their voices in a chorus of praise as the Moon ascends, and wolves and coyotes join their song.
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
This monthly excitement is compounded at this full Moon by the planet Uranus in Taurus. He pours his vibrational and irratic energy into the mix. In a natal chart connections between Uranus and the Moon often indicate a deliberate name change. Uranus aspect to the Sun also hint at the possibility of a very strong shift in identity. Here we have both. Uranus is at the same degree (10) as Sun and Moon, and makes a sextile to the Moon and a trine to the Sun. These are harmonious connections, a reminder of what is demanded by the Sabian Symbol for human evolution ‘purity of heart, mental awareness, conquest of emotions and spiritually self-mobilization.’ Easier said than done, but let the journey begin…Walk On!
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
*Sabian Symbols are a visual image for each degree of the zodiac. They were gathered by astrologer Marc Edmund Jones through the imagery of the psychic, Elsie Wheeler in 1925. Dane Rudhyar, a French astrologer and composer then rewrote them as: An Astrological Mandala in 1973.
And now to honor the full Moon in Pisces. Here is the painting of the artist/illustrator, Amelia Leonards. This will be part of the a set of oracle astrology cards we hope to produce over the next year!
painting: Amelia Leonards
Pisces is about the connection between two fish swimming in opposite directions. A wet and watery sign, Pisces is ruled by Jupiter, and possibly by Neptune as well, since that planet was discovered in a very Piscean age, 1846. Romantic poets, strange religious sects, experiments with opium were all prominent at the time, and they are all very much part of Pisces, and Neptune. Pisces is the very last sign of the zodiac, and so is a place of release, of endings, of surrender. Jupiter also seems right as ruler, as he is the ‘big’ god of Olympus. Pisces is often connected to religious communities and to Christianity and to surrender, and to sublime love. Where Pisces dwells in your chart is where you give way to the inevitable.
Sarah Fuhro The Wisdom Tradition evolved over the centuries to address our deepest human needs. Sarah Fuhro is a practitioner of its many forms; including Astrology, Tarot, Flower Essences and Druidry. In addition to personal consultations, Sarah teaches workshops and private classes, offering both clients and students knowledge powerfully rooted in the past, presented in the language of the present. For an appointment or to be notified of classes call 508 740 7039 or email her at sarahfuhro@gmail.com.
Amelia Leonards works with watercolor and graphite to create fantastical imagery. She draws upon world folklore, mythology and her imagination to create pieces imbued with sensitive and emotive storytelling. Throughout her work you will find an emphasis on feminine and natural elements, along with a hefty dose of humor and antlers. https://www.amelialeonards.com and https://www.etsy.com/shop/amelialeonards.
Bruce Lhuillier Is a French artist and photographer currently living near Boston. His ability to capture spirit in his photos and paintings is both unique and visionary. You can find his work on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Barknstone.
photo: Sarah Fuhro 
photo: Bruce Lhuillier
Angel Musician from the Aosta Cathedral 
photo: Robert Fuhro 
photo: Bruce Lhuillier 
photo: Robert Fuhro Bowl and Doily Spider Web
photo: Robert Fuhro Full Moon in branches 
Photo: Bruce Lhuillier 
