The Cosmic Story: Capricorn Full Moon: July 3, 2012
America's Birthday Challenge
This full Moon falls right before America's 236th birthday on July 4th. (236=11 for those of you into numerology -- 11 is a Master number of spiritual purity and new beginnings, balance and inner power.) The country's solar return chart for this year has a cardinal grand cross demanding a renewed our sense of ourselves as Americans -- Pluto's square to Uranus will energize America's Sun/sense of identity. Mars (finally leaving Virgo after 8 months) goes into Libra a few hours before the full Moon, making the 4th leg of the grand cross. For those of you with planets between 0 -- 14* Cancer, you will also have this grand cross for your solar return year. This is a hard but active configuration that demands that we make changes in our lives -- and in our attitudes. While this grand cross might bring us face to face with outer frustration and inner tension, it can teach us self-discipline and moderation. Sounds like all of us could use a dose of that, especially in politics.
A cardinal grand cross has at least one planet in each of the cardinal signs: Pluto in Capricorn is opposite the Sun in Cancer squaring Uranus in Aries opposite Mars in Libra. Pluto is continuing to expose the decay in our cultural systems, forcing us to really look at ourselves (Sun in Cancer), as individuals and as a country. He asks, "I s this really what you want to support? This kind of corporate power? This level of greed? This disregard of Life?" The Cancer Sun needs to answer these questions. Is our way of life really nurturing us? Mars, just entering Libra, is there to grapple with the issues of fairness and partnership. How will we resolve our differences? Do we really need to pull apart, or can we be grown-ups and find solutions to our problems together? But Uranus in Aries will demand that we stay true to ourselves, because we've finally come to ourselves and understand that we each have to stand up for our truth and add our gifts to the world. At this crisis point in our history, these energies are driving us to make changes that will affect us personally but also collectively.
Americans do have clear issues we have to face -- just as the rest of the world does to. What kind of economic system supports all of us in a fair and equitable manner, balancing family security; shared communal responsibilities such as education, health, the environment, social services; business interests; creativity and the Arts. People everywhere are faced with big decisions, asking questions about what is important in life.
Behind all the political rhetoric, shouldn't we be asking questions about where we put our resources and why? As a community, what do we feel is important for us to do together? When we look at our national budget, we might ask: Why is America an arsenal of War? Why is our defense budget bigger than the next 25 nations' budgets added together? Is that crazy or what? Or Why do we let our representatives in Congress engage in political fighting when there are important decisions to be made regarding our internal infrastructure? People need to think about what they value.
That's the identity crisis Americans have to face. We want to believe we're the land of the free and home of the brave but we haven't been acting like that lately. At least our government hasn't by narrowing our rights in the name of national security. And in many ways, neither have we the people. So, each of us has to ask ourselves, how do I embody the values that America stands for? Many of us are upset that our constitution is being ignored, but we can't expect a corrupt government run by big money to make it better. If we really live in a democracy, that means it's up to we, the people to demand the changes we believe our country needs and so we have to incarnate that spirit of freedom within ourselves and act on it.
Because this cardinal cross operates best when we take action! We need to engage in activities that use our energies to begin something new; at the same time, it demands that we cooperate with others to achieve our purposes. It sounds like it's time to work together to create a "more perfect union' rather than continue to draw the line with confrontation. With Mars and Uranus in the picture, there can be lots of impulsiveness where we overdue aggression and action, ambition and competitiveness. But if we stay conscious, the situations we face can teach us patience, endurance, inner composure and a focused use of energy. If we let Mars grapple (which is the original purpose of the Roman god) with our need to cooperate while we let Uranus infuse us with our archetypal identity, we can change the dynamics of the political discussions all over the world.
Perhaps the US Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act is part of this change of priorities that the Pluto square Uranus is pushing for. We might be seeing the beginning of a new, more compassionate sense of ourselves as Americans. We are, after all, a Cancer country. We see ourselves as nurturers -- we were the breadbasket of the world for a while there. But America has always been one of the most patriarchal countries in the world, advocating rugged individualism over communal help, self-interest over the common good.
When immigrants came to America, they left behind their clans, their tribes. They came to America to make something of themselves. But the truth is they had to do it on their own. And the American Dream said that's the only way to do it. That rugged individualism was better than tribal support. It advocated a masculine competitive spirit that has led to the greed and corruption and power-grabbing we see today.
Cancer caring and emotional creativity are downplayed in America today. So this full Moon, perhaps we Americans need to take a second look at the myth of "as American as Mom and apple pie." America has a patriarchal Mom = negative mother complex. We are only valued if we make money -- that's our highest value. It doesn't leave much room for caring, compassion, the arts, health and a viable environment, etc.
But Cancer is the emotional matrix of the zodiac, and it wants us to love ourselves for who we are -- not who we're supposed to be. That's real freedom! Once we leave the Father's house of patriarchal thought, we can give value to the feminine virtues of life as well as the masculine. That's one of the questions this full Moon poses. Just before the full Moon, Pluto comes together with the Moon to continue to clean out old patriarchal rules and regulations within our psyches. Use this time to actively investigate what wants to die in you. And let it go! And then let the love and compassion of the feminine spirit speak to you of real security and peace. You'll be surprised at what comes out of it.
Capricorn Full Moon
This Capricorn full Moon asks us to become aware (full Moon) of the state of our family and home (Cancer) and the state of our society (Capricorn). Are we living up to our ideals of conservation and healthy living? Are we simplifying our lives? Do our homes reflect the joy of family and community? Does our culture support us in maintaining our homes? If not, what needs to change?
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