EcoAstrology: Capricorn-Cancer Full Moon

By Stephanie Austin M.A.

Important Dates:

July 16-17: Sun-Mars-Chiron grand trine (25º Cancer-Scorpio-Pisces)
July 18: Mercury trine Saturn (10º Leo-Sagittarius)
July 19: Full Moon 3:56 PM PDT (28º Capricorn-Cancer)
July 20: Venus trine Saturn (10º Leo-Sagittarius)
July 29: Uranus Rx (24º30’ Aries); Delta Aquarids Meteors

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

“Even a single candle dispels the darkness.”— Mahatma Gandhi

“It always seems impossible until it is done.”—Nelson Mandela

July 17, 2016
Dear Friends,

The rash of violence around the world can either harden our hearts or break them wider open. Love or fear. Which will we choose?

The next full moon, which peaks on July 19 at 28º Capricorn-Cancer, highlights the importance of balancing personal needs with maturity, freedom with responsibility. Where are we thirsting for more nourishment and support? Where do we need to set boundaries and be our own authority? What changes are we called to make in our home, work, and world?

The past few weeks there has been a predominance of planets in water signs, plus a increased influx of interstellar energies (see my Cancer New Moon update). SpaceWeather announced today that now two big sunspot groups, capable of generating M-class solar flares, are directly facing Earth. That, plus a solar wind stream already heading towards Earth due July 19, will likely spark geomagnetic storms. This affects the electromagnetic field of the Earth and everyone on it, and amplified by the full moon, further galvanizes repressed emotions and trauma to the surface for clearing and healing.

Violence stems from fear. Fear stems from separation. Separation stems from forgetting. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow can be. A shadow is the absence of light — the want of love, an amnesia of the truth that we are spiritual beings struggling to remember our divine origin and destiny. We are logged into a third dimensional hologram, a virtual reality of light and shadow, good and evil, and all the dualities of separation and limitation. Each one of us is a soul on an evolutionary journey, and at varying stages. We're widening the path for some, while benefiting from others who have gone before. The current turmoil on Earth challenges us to stay centered in our heart and aware of the bigger picture, while being fully present in each moment.

In essence, the theme for this full moon is emotional responsibility. As a water sign, Cancer immerses us in the complexities of feelings and needs, kinship and belonging. As an earth sign, Capricorn compels us to master the constraints of physical reality and the tests of personal power. When integrated, we have emotional intelligence — the ability to witness, decode, and act on the information our feelings provide, in ways that honor both our needs and the rights of others. Too much Cancerian ‘water’—too much subjectivity and unhealed wounding—and our frontal cortex is flooded, driving us into our reactive, reptilian brain.

Too much Capricornian ‘earth’ results in domineering, heartless destruction; a narrowing of vision which fuels desperate and disastrous delusions. For invaluable information and tools on achieving emotional literacy, read Karla McLaren’s wonderful book The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings Are Trying to Tell You. For insight into turning your dreams into reality, Barbara Sher’s classics Wishcraft and Live the Life You Love offers empowering strategies for discovering your strengths and achieving your heart's desires.

As we move around the wheel of the zodiac, we experience a distinct rhythm, an ebb and flow between yang and yin, active and receptive phases. Fire and air signs are yang; water and earth signs are yin. While it is easy to see how Cancer is a yin sign, it is less apparent with Capricorn, which in patriarchal times has come to be associated with more masculine traits. According to Geraldine Thorsten, in her beautiful book God Herself: The Feminine Roots of Astrology, Capricorn’s goat horns represent the crescent Moon, and the overflowing cornucopia denoted the bounty of the goddess, while the goat itself signified the Moon’s priestesses, who lived in mountain shrines and practiced healing arts for both body and soul.

Capricorn’s earlier image, the sea-goat, traces back to ancient Mesopotamia, where the Moon symbolized the goddess of the ocean, the primordial womb of creation. Time was first measured by the Moon; our earliest calendars were lunar, not solar-based. Saturn, now portrayed as Father Time, also has feminine origins; our modern Grim Reaper derives from an earlier deity of agriculture and emanation of the Great Goddess.

Patriarchal denigration of the feminine and disconnection from the wisdom and cycles of Nature have enslaved us to a linear, limited perception of time and a materialistic view of life. By doing less and being more, reducing exposure to needless distractions or fear-inducing media, and being in communion with our feelings, heart, and essence, we regain a sense of sanity, safety, and sacredness, which ripples out and helps stabilize the world as well.

Several other alignments expedite finding the answers to difficult questions. A water grand trine between the Sun, Mars, and Chiron counsels us to slow down and quiet our lives so that we can recharge, reorient, and receive the wisdom of our higher self. Mercury and Venus in Leo trine Saturn in Sagittarius, kindling our courage to explore and express our creativity, while their quincunx (150º) to Neptune calls us to allow our heart, rather than our head, to lead the way. Saturn and Neptune’s semi-square (45°) to the Moon and sesquiquadrate (135°) to the Sun highlight where we need to be proactive and take a leap of faith. Uranus’s approaching station retrograde on July 29 at 24°30’ Aries — sesquiquadrate Saturn and semi-square Neptune — amplifies our courage and willingness to try alternatives.  Where are you ready for a big change? If uncertain, take even a small step in that direction, and from there, you'll see the next step.

July 18 is Nelson Mandela International Day, launched in 2009 via unanimous decision of the UN General Assembly in recognition of his birthday and contributions towards peace, freedom, and social justice. After spending 27 years in prison for advocating equal rights, Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa in 1994, ending 50 years of brutal apartheid (institutionalized racism), and initiating the Truth and Reconciliation commission. Mandela fought for social justice for 67 years, and on July 18 we are invited by the UN and the Nelson Mandela Foundation to spend 67 minutes honoring his legacy through being of service in some way. For more, read Leslie Temple Thurston's inspiring article: South Africa: The Story of Fifty Years of Horrendous Abuse that Finally Collapsed—into Peace! here.

Full moons are extra potent times for ceremony and prayer. As the water element is in great need of healing on Earth, performing a simple ritual can be deeply transformative on many levels. Take some water from a natural nearby source, place it in a glass container, and leave it outside on the day and night of the full moon (July 19). Then place the container on your altar until the next full moon, charging it with your prayers each day until the next full moon, when you pour it back into its original source. Add crystals, photos, poems, whatever you feel guided to do to reinforce your healing prayers for the water and world. Everything and everyone is connected, so you and your prayers make a difference.

The violence of the past few weeks challenges us to hold a vision of peace, equality, and abundance for all. These channeled words explain it best: “Racial hatred is old deeply embedded cellular memory from past lives... A racist/bully is an individual filled with and functioning from a place of fear… These people often carry cellular memory of dis-empowerment, torture, rebuke, punishment, and death for no reason and are determined to never again allow themselves to be dis-empowered. This deeply held vow is often triggered into action by the smallest of incidents… It may look as if the world is regressing but it is not, rather it is waking up… Some will be guided to take no outer action but to simply send and hold Light for all involved.

Others may be guided to participate in peaceful protest, to sign a petition, or to take a leadership role but always spiritually inspired actions are based in love (realization of Oneness) and not revenge (energy of separation)… The higher dimensional energies are energies of Love, oneness, and wholeness. This is what ascension is all about, but in order to resonate with the higher frequencies, everything still resonating on lower levels must surface in order to be recognized and cleared… All is proceeding according to plan. No one ever dies. No one is or ever can be separate from the Whole, and no one is ever lost. You are on a grand journey toward awareness of this.” (The Arcturian Group, 7/10/16; full message here.)

Namaste,
Stephanie Austin
www.EcoAstrology.com
360-379-3060
PO Box 1745 Port Townsend, WA 98368

Stephanie Austin M.A.  is a full time astrologer specializing in life purpose, career, and relationship readings since 1986. She also teaches astrology and writes the New and Full Moon column for the Mountain Astrologer magazine. Her background includes a bachelor's degree in Psychology, a master's in Consciousness Studies, and a lifelong involvement with meditation, Nature, and healing. For more information on her astrology readings, eBooks, tutorials, and forecasts, visit www.EcoAstrology.com.

Resources

July 19-21: Shamanism Summit with Sandra Ingerman, Jose & Lena Stevens, and others here.

A Brief For The Defense by Jack Gilbert; an argument for delight in hard times here.

Bolivia's Law of Mother Earth by Ryan Hewlett, holding the land as sacred here.


Half of All US food Produce is Thrown Away by Suzanne Goldenberg here.

Diving Into Fear: A Conversation with Katie Hendricks and Eileen Fisher here.

These new and full moon updates are sent as a service to my astrology clients, students, and friends. To subscribe for 25 updates a year via PayPal, click here, or send a check for $12 (or more) to Stephanie Austin, Box 1745, Port Townsend, WA 98368, along with your email address. Your support is greatly appreciated!

©2016 Stephanie Aust