We are entering an intense time of change astrologically along a series of astronomical high points. Tomorrow's Full Moon/Partial Eclipse in Sagittarius acts as a gateway to the Venus transit on June 5th/6th. This is an ultra busy day when fire and air will build the flames of action. The Moon is full in the sign of the Archer @ 14 degrees 13 minutes @ 4:11:33 AM PDT Sagittarius is the sign of the truth keeper and the Sabian symbol for 15 degrees Sagittarius speaks of this quest - "The ground hog looking for it's shadow." This is a time of conflict between the waking and sleeping minds as we all try to make sense of the current maze of symbolism and events. Like I said, this is a crazy, bizarre time filled with combustion and conflagration on many levels.
After the moon is one third covered by the Earth's umbral shadow at maximum eclipse, then the fiery Sagittarius Moon goes on to square Mars adding fuel to the fire. Moon-Mars can create angry words could degenerate into fights. The lovers come together as emotions over power reason with the Moon opposing Venus in as the twins vie for top position. Then Neptune the planet of illusion and imagination moves retrograde in Pisces as logic is set aside on the shelf and replaced by sensitive feelings and intuition. Neptune, the lord of the oceans and the music of the spheres joins Venus, Saturn and Pluto and continues retrograde till Nov. 10th. Passions and love making are on fire as Venus Squares Mars exactly @ 5:29 PM/8:29 PM. With Mars-Venus in difficult aspect it is time keep a cool head to avoid arguments. After all that we need a rest as the Moon sextiles Saturn which cools things down helps take the edge off the intensity. Finally the Moon in Sagittarius will oppose Mercury when more verbal restraint is needed.
This lunar eclipse, a twin to the May 20th Annular Solar Eclipse may not be noticed by most people more fixated on the Venus transit. Make now mistake this event and day are highly significant for all of us. Both this Partial Lunar Elipse the preceding Solar Eclipse (May 20th. ) with Sun-Moon-S Node and Venus all in Gemini are part of the Saros Series 14 South. This Saros Series is about both success that comes from long, struggling hard work and an obsessive idea which finally takes hold. There is a quality which relates to the highly mutable, changeable nature of both Gemini/Sagittarius where a breakthrough finally comes.
Looking at the salient astronomical points: At 3:00 am Pacific Daylight Time, not long before sunrise on Monday, June 4th, the Moon passes directly behind our planet. A broad stretch of lunar terrain around the southern crater Tycho will fall under the shadow of Earth, producing the first lunar eclipse of 2012. At maximum eclipse, around 4:04 am PDT, 37% of the Moon's surface will be in the dark. The eclipse is visible in North and South America, Australia, eastern parts of Asia and all across the Pacific Ocean. Observers in western Canada and the USA will have the best views with moonset occurring sometime after mid-eclipse.
In the two charts set for the West Coast, where there is maximum visibility for the eclipse, Taurus is rising putting emphasis on Venus intercepted in the first house. Of course the Sun-Venus are opposing the Moon in imaginative Sagittarius and TSQ Mars in either the 4th house (Set for San Francisco) or in the 5th. house (set for Vancouver) The Chart Below is set for San Francisco
Below the San Francisco chart here, is one set for Vancouver (Western Canada provides great visibility) at the time of the Full Moon on June 4, 2012 @ 4:11:33 AM PDT. Here Venus is rising but with Ceres and Jupiter in Taurus emphasizing fixed, earth and
potential seismic changes - along with an opposition to Juno (relationships) now in Scorpio. At 2:05 PM, Neptune stations to turn retrograde and is conjunct Fomalhaut (a fixed star in the mouth of the Southern Fish, Piscis Austrinus) The combination by longitude of Neptune/Fomalhaut relates to both charisma and illusion/deception.
Neptune moving retrograde of course will set up a long term square with Jupiter which moves into Gemini on June 11th but will be able to look past the denial and illusions
of current events. Neptune stationing retrograde can empower our perceptions as they become more acute like sensitive radar picking up the lies. Now is the time to listen to th e “inner voice,” but don't hold it inside. Let out your feelings, since Neptune retrograde creates a psychic overload for the intuitive and sensitive people.
Ruler of the chart Venus is essentially in dangerous vibe to Mars ruler of the Descendant in relenteless Scorpio. This chart below for Vancouver, like the one for San Francisco makes the passionate exact Venus-Mars square even more potent (exact @ 5:29 PM)
Fixed Stars over the West Coast
San Francisco Heliacal Rising Star: Ankaa
Ankaa is found on the neck of the mythical Phoenix constellation
We associate the Phoenix with the ability to renew, regenerate transform and rise from your own failures. The phoenix in mythology supposedly lives for 500 or 1000 years. At the end of its life, the Phoenix will build a nestlike funeral pyre of spices, and when the sun reaches its apex, the heat of its rays ignites the nest and the phoenix perishes in the flames. Three days later from its own ashes a little worm crawls forth which became the new phoenix. Ankaa or the phoenix can allow us to transcend our circumstances and see new potential in people and places which bring success. Also note that The "fawkes" in Guy Fawkes is said to be related to "phoenix", in fact the naming of Fawkes arises from the phoenix's tendency to burst into flames. We should expect some real explosions after this eclipse. After the last solar eclipse
we had the largest wildfire in New Mexico's history which is still threatens to grow bigger.
Heliacal Setting Star: Arcturus the star on the left knee of the Herdsman/Bootes. Arcturus, the 4th brightest star in the sky is known as the hunter and pathfinder. In this case this is about the vision to take the first step into the unknown and discover new territories. According to Robson - gives riches, honors, high renown, self-determination and prosperity by navigation and voyage...Fixed Stars for Vancouver, BC.
Heliacal Rising Star is Menkar a bright orange star in the open mouth of Cetus, the Whale, or Sea Monster. Myths tell of Cetus, the sea monster or whale sent by Neptune to devour Andromeda. There is much gullibility with Menkar rising According to Robson, Menkar when rising can causes disease, disgrace, ruin, injury from beasts, sickness, and loss of fortune. Menkar when rising is connected to nihilism - a doctrine or belief that conditions in the social organization are so evil, that only destruction will solve the problems. From Wikipedia: We see the danger here "Moral nihilists assert that morality does not inherently exist, and that any established moral values are abstractly contrived"
Heliacal Setting Star is Diadem the beautiful wreath of jewels located in constellation Coma Berenice's hair. Simply put Diadem is about sacrifice especially that of the feminine where glory or personal fame is not the goal. There is an element here that does glorify the desire to serve and that one must accept the losses of life. Unfortunately this star is also connected to the illusion of religious sacrifice that could even lead to mass suicide. Let's pray that this impulse will not occur even with the heavy element of panic and hysteria caused by the Neptune station.
Update: Looking beyond this eclipse which I viewed under cloudy skies here in the South Bay around 4:05 AM:
Despite the dreariness surrounding the energies with this eclipse, I have a gut feeling that a long awaited and heartfelt change is coming. First we have the Venus Transit tomorrow (June 5th), then on May 7th Mercury enters more tender, sensitive Cancer, Jupiter enters Gemini on June 11th. and finally Venus stations to move direct on June 27th. The Solar Eclipse on May 20th brought a detached hard edge to things and this lunar eclipse brings new visions beyond despair and doom. This conjures up a time when those oppressed and shut down can rise from the ashes of tyranny.
