The intense energy of the past three eclipses was like a giant wave that has brought us to a new shore. Our new destination might not be clear yet, but there's no going back now. New patterns of perception are beginning to operate in our new emotional bodies, giving us the opportunity to see the world with fresh ideas and possibilities, as the old social structures continue to crumble and open up spaces for new life.

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Capricorn Full Moon, July 14-15, 2011

"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

John F. Kennedy

 

            The intense energy of the past three eclipses was like a giant wave that has brought us to a new shore.    Our new destination might not be clear yet, but there's no going back now.   New patterns of perception are beginning to operate in our new emotional bodies and we get to see the world without the patriarchal filters that offer us only fear and loss, competition and war.   Instead, we are given the opportunity to see the world with fresh ideas and possibilities, as the old social structures continue to crumble and open up spaces where new life can take root and grow.  

The astrological Moon symbolizes the emotional body and the Unconscious.   But we can get a better idea of the power of the Moon by the many words connected with its linguistic roots.   These words take their meaning from the ancient understanding of the Moon's attributes.   Some of the words are: MENSIS, month; MENSES, blood flow; MENOS, spirit, heart, soul, courage, ardency; MENOINAN, to consider, meditate, wish; MEMONA, to have in mind, to intend; MANIA, madness, possession; MANTEIA, prophecy; MENUO, to reveal; MANTHANO, to learn; MEMINI, to remember; METIS, wisdom; MATRA-M, measure; METIESTHAI, to dream.   All these words stem from the one original Sanskrit root HATI-H, which means thought, intention, measure and knowing.    

            The Moon, and the consciousness and knowing its light bestows, is therefore necessary for measuring, considering, revealing, learning, remembering and dreaming.   It is the bringer of wisdom, as well as of madness and lunacy; it gives the ability to walk in the spirit world, or to be possessed by it or the contents of the collective unconscious.   It also gives courage, heart and soul to the undertaking of becoming human.   The light of the Moon is the consciousness by which we incarnate, the spiritual light that brings change and growth to life here on Earth.   We are indeed blessed, for we have been given the great gift of choice by whoever created us.   Since we are made of the same stardust as a galaxy, we must adhere to the cosmic laws of our galaxy and cosmos.   Even if we don't realize we are doing so.  

            Our great gift is to be conscious that we have a choice.   And then make one.   Unfortunately, our patriarchal society seems to be ignoring the real, great crisis of our times, choosing instead to try to prop up a failing economic system.     Some scientists are saying we've already passed the point where we can heal the environment.   Others say we have about 10 years to make a shift.   I'm going to go with the 10 year theory, because the rest of the cosmic story says we're due to have a revolution in the next three years.   And you, dear reader, are probably going to be one of the leaders.   Because this revolution is going to be a peaceful one, but it's going to take educating our people about the realities, the hopes and the fears for these coming years.

            The Capricorn Full Moon's main message is: if you want to create a fulfilling life that includes those people and tasks and things that are most important to you, then you have to take responsibility for your society.  

                As my friend Tamara Ison explains, this full Moon marks the energetic establishment of a new structure of collective consciousness that we've all be working toward in ourselves.   If we've reached a critical mass of consciousness, perhaps we can turn things around in the next 10 years.   It's our blessing and our curse -- we have to make a choice.   We have to make it now.   And if we stand back, undecided, then our choice becomes staying in the old field of patriarchal consciousness.    Sorry, but this full Moon has been waiting for us since the beginning of time.   It offers us a mirror on our society, asking us to pursue some of the Moon's power: we need to consider, meditate on, keep in mind what is going on in our society, and then we have to decide where we stand.   We can ask for a vision, dream a dream, make a wish, but then we have to do something to manifest it in our physical reality.   We have another cardinal grand cross in this full Moon chart, so get ready to keep moving that 4-armed wheel of beginnings.

            But more on that part of the cosmic story later in this article.   For now, let's go back to the Moon and its powers and how we might work with them.   

The Moon sets the timing rhythms of life and as it progresses through the signs, it nudges us to pay attention to different aspects of our life.   Since the full Moon occurs in the sign opposite where the Sun is, it gives us an awareness of the emotional state of that aspect of life.   As the Sun goes through the first six signs of the zodiac from Aries to Virgo, our Sun consciousness focuses our awareness on our personal objectives.   When we reach the full Moon for each of those months, the Moon energies are in the opposite, more collective signs of Libra through Pisces.   The full Moon energy during these months implies that we might come to understand ourselves through the emotional lens of another person, our society, our spirituality or the groups we belong to.   Since the Moon is the guardian ruler of the Sun in Cancer, this is a very important full Moon.   It means that if we do not handle these Cancer/Capricorn, Mother/Father, Soul/Society issues, we cannot have the secure and creative life that we want.   So let's explore this Capricorn Full Moon.  

            When the full Moon is in Capricorn, the sign of our social systems and structures, we are asked to reflect on and give thought to what their purpose is in our collective life so we can judge if they are performing well or not.   We need to take measure of how well they serve our interests, since we establish these institutions for the betterment of life -- everyone's lives, not just the ruling few, in a true democracy.

As I mentioned, the full Moon often reveals our emotional involvement with the issues the Sun brings up.   Cancer rules the emotional body, the juicy life of the heart which longs for love and security, creativity and connection.   The Capricorn Moon shows us the rules which govern our collective life, such as "don't be so emotional', "money talks', "stick to the facts' etc.   The Capricorn Moon insists on duty, responsibility and obedience to the patriarchal rules.   It doesn't give us much room to maneuver and so we often fall short of the rules.   And are judged and shamed for it.   So the full Moon presents us with an awareness of how those rules and structures are really serving all of us.    It isn't looking good.

So, here is this full Moon drawing up greater emotional awareness of our collective life: our society and our common institutions.   What are we seeing in the political/societal emotional body?   Antagonism and obstinacy, hypocrisy and greed, fear and floundering.       One of the ways I would describe the purpose of Capricorn is how we organize society, whether it's a tribal society or a technological one.   How do groups of people live together?   What are the societal structures we agree to live within?  

In a tribal society, everyone has a purpose and place, with set rules and expectations.   Children are taught the tribe's strictures through their old stories and by example.   They are trained to take up their crafts, their duties and their visions.     Central to their life is the welfare of their tribe.   In many tribes, the most vulnerable ones were protected and nourished.     In other tribes, these same ones were vilified and outcast.     Feudalism was a form of society in which the few ruled the many.    The noble's word was law.   Then we have democracies, where each person is free and equal.   But what happens when that democratic individuality goes overboard and becomes "every man for himself'? Or "every corporation for himself' (I think modern corporations are intrinsically masculine, so I'm going with that pronoun).   There are all sorts of societies.    

Which kind of society do we live in? What kind of society do you want to live in? Americans like to believe that we live in an enlightened society and that we are good, moral people, and yet in a time of major crisis we are allowing our political structures to sacrifice our most vulnerable people -- women, children, elders and the sick - instead of standing up for our "moral' values and taking responsibility for what we have created.   Instead of doing the right thing by sharing a common vision of sacrifice and unity, these vulnerable ones are being short-changed by an elitism of money and wealth that is even at odds with many people's overt religious beliefs.    How do we treat our much-touted "heroes' who are returning from war, many with PTDS?   We have no jobs for them.   So how do we honor them beyond showy words and one night tributes?   How do we ensure for the future when we take away money from our children's education?   How do we take care of our sick when we allow the depredation of our environment which is our first defense against disease?   How do we live an honorable and happy life if we can't take care of our basic needs?   What kind of society do we live in?

This Capricorn Full Moon offers us an emotional picture of how our most basic needs are being considered and taken care of.   That goes for each of us personally as well as collectively.   Each of us has a set of patriarchal rules entrenched within our psyches, embedded there before we had a choice.   Each of us is shaped by our society.   Capricorn delineates the structure in which we live our common life.   The full Moon here asks us to open up our eyes and look at our society and acknowledge how we feel about living in it.   Societies can be healthy or sick, vibrant or dying.  

What kind of society do we have when people don't take their neighbors into consideration?   Out-of-control individualism is not what freedom is all about.   What would you do if your neighbor blasted the radio out into the yard every weekend from 10am to 10pm -- and add to that screaming children - and then told you when you asked them to please turn it down that they could do whatever they wanted at their own home?   How do decent people handle situations where people don't remember that we're all in this together?   And if we can't remember consideration on that very personal level, how do we have consideration for each other on a global level?   If we can't see our connection to each other, how can we see our connection to the Earth and Nature?        

These are big questions, but if we don't think about them, who will?   Someone has to because it will not be our governments and politicians who make these decisions.   They are too entrenched in the patriarchal system, too indebted to banks and corporations to do the right thing.     This is where those other powers of the Moon come in: spirit, heart, soul, courage, ardency .   We the people are the ones who have to take our society back into our own hands and change our world.   That's what these next years will be about.

Capricorn Full Moon

            This full Moon doesn't make any aspects except to Venus in a wide conjunction to the Sun and opposition to the Moon.   So Venus becomes an important energy, since it "rules' Saturn in Libra which "rules' the Capricorn Moon.   And Venus also completes the 4th leg of the cardinal T-square that has been so influential since last summer and which is leading up to the squares between Uranus and Pluto which will begin next year.   So let's look at these energies and decipher what's going on.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 23* Cancer is: The meeting of a literary society.   This symbol is meant to indicate a gathering of like-minded individuals to discuss the common factors in our culture and its problems.   It is the sensitive people in a society -- the poets, the writers, the artists, the mothers -- who try to understand our social structures and how they operate and then imagine what might be.   These people are able to name their emotions and think about what it means for themselves and society at large.   This image can include social networking where we share insights.   But the times are calling for us to take it a step further and begin to manifest some of those important future visions.

The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 23* Capricorn is:   A soldier receiving two awards for bravery in combat.   With the two awards, this image implies unusual bravery being recognized with respect and appreciation.   There must be a mutual give and take between the individual and society if we are going to live in a free world.   This full Moon is calling us to make an important social or cultural contribution to our times.   It begins with listening to your imagination and finding your destiny.   We all have something to contribute.   Now is the time to believe in yourself and begin to do it with the help and support of your "literary circle'.

The Capricorn Moon is "ruled' by Saturn at 12* Libra. Miners are surfacing from a deep coal mine.   This is the deep excavation that we've all be working through, digging for the wisdom we'll need to bring about a real transformation in our society.   It's been hard, lonely work, searching for the answers to seemingly impossible questions.   Take a breath of fresh air -- you deserve it!    Saturn stills forms one leg of the cardinal grand cross that now includes the planet Venus.

Venus is the "ruler' of Libra, and therefore has influence over Saturn.   She softens Saturn's hardness through love mixed with responsibility.   Together Venus and Saturn give shape to the fairness and balance we all must achieve personally so we can serve as examples for society.   Venus is at 14* Cancer, the degree of America's 4th of July chart.   A very old man facing a vast dark space to the Northeast.   This old man can be an aspect of the archetypal Wise Old Man.   The Northeast is the direction from which spiritual/cosmic forces enter the Earth-sphere through the dark void of creation.        This wise old man must face the changeless reality of spirit and see the truth.     Perhaps the truth is that it is time for patriarchy to die so that a new society can arise.   If this is America's destiny (Sun at 14* Cancer) then it is up to us to finally achieve it.   Our founding fathers knew that the power of corporations was growing and they wanted us to resist it.   We are approaching our second revolution as Pluto goes through Capricorn for the first time since just before the American Revolution.   We must take that revolution to its next step in our own times.

With Venus at this sensitive spot, the energy we must use to face the dark void is Venus in her aspect of Aphrodite Urania, or Lady Wisdom.   Women are being called to reclaim our ancient powers of wisdom and insight to help birth a new world.   Time to step up, Ladies!     Venus exactly squared Uranus on July 7th, opposed Pluto on July 8th and squares Saturn on July 13th, challenging us to honor our relationships with Wisdom.

Once again, Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Aries form the last two legs of the grand cross.   These four energies are squaring and opposing each other, challenging us to push through the resistance in ourselves and in society and take responsibility for ourselves, our society and our world.  

Uranus, which turned retrograde on July 9th, is still at 5*Aries: A triangle with wings.   This image symbolizes our capacity for self-transcendence.   We can reach a new dimension of being.   It challenges Pluto at 6* Capricorn: Ten logs lie under an archway leading to darker woods.   We are shown the threshold we stand on.   On the other side lies a dark and unknown future, but like Arthur's knights who go in search of the Grail, we must each enter into this dark woods and achieve our quest.  

To work with this grand cross, you must find a way to use both Uranus's originality and revolutionary spirit and Saturn's hard work of mining coal in the depths to make something new of yourself.   Then you have to go to Pluto's threshold and let Venus' Wisdom shine a light in that dark woods.   You have to embody the Moon's power of Spirit, Heart, Soul, Courage and Ardency to create change.   It's hard work, but as J.F.K. said before his vision could take hold in a hostile world, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."   My generation heard him say it.   It is up to us to help our children finally do something about it.

Another new energy arrives to add to the cardinal cross for this full Moon.   Ceres, the giant asteroid which symbolizes the Earth Mother's nurturing energy, moves into 0* Aries from July 11th to August 10th, going retrograde on July 26th.   For this month, Ceres' nurturing energy will support our transformation.

Jupiter in Taurus is still in a good relationship to Pluto in Capricorn, grounding in the new structures so many people are creating through the creative imagination (Neptune and Chiron in Pisces).   To help, go sign up for Next World TV at http://www.nextworldtv.com/ and receive daily videos about common sense solutions to some of our problems.   While we have to make changes in our society, we don't have to re-invent the wheel.   The solutions are out there.   It is up to us to find them and then to educate our neighbors about the possibilities of the future rather than let them wallow in the fears that permeate our patriarchal social structures.   As you can see in the news, the old power players and structures are bringing about their own demise.   We can step out of the fight and instead offer a picture of the possible future.  

To begin the discussion, why not bring home our troops and give them jobs re-building our infra-structure here in America.   We can either pay them through the military's budget or take back most of the money from the Pentagon's budget and put it to use on national projects.   It would give our soldiers the work and respect they deserve -- the twin medals the full Moon points to.

What other ideas are you working on?   How will you bring it to the attention of your community?   It's time to attend town council meetings, city council sessions and even pay a visit to your state assembly to offer them new insights into your local issues.   Co-ordinate your efforts with like-minded         individuals                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     and take responsibility for this beautiful world we live in.   We'll discuss how to bring our create vision into the mix with next month's Leo/Aquarian moon cycle.

Until then, pay attention to your dreams, for they will give you the information that is cooking in the unconscious.   As always, I am here to help.

Good luck and Goddess bless!

Cathy      

Authors Website: http://www.cathypagano.com

Authors Bio:

Cathy Pagano is a spiritual advisor and Jungian psychotherapist, storyteller, author and teacher.

She is the author of a book on the return of the Goddess, "Wisdom's Daughters: How Women Can Change the World".

Cathy trained at the C. G. Jung Institut-Zurich in dream interpretation, has an M.A. in Counseling Psychology in Feminine Spirituality, and is a certified Life Coach.

As an astrologer and storyteller, she weaves the Cosmic Stories written in the stars. From The Bard's Grove, she writes about emerging archetypal themes in movies and books.

Cathy works with the tools of the imagination - dreams, alchemy, myths, astrology, symbolic language, storytelling, ritual - to awaken the Soul's wisdom.



I believe that Americans are called to a higher consciousness at this point in our history. We are called on to live up to our ideals and create the country our forefathers imagined. Inner consciousness needs to be acted upon for social justice.



Cathy believes that our writers and artists must take up our responsibility to create art that inspires, teaches and heals our humanity.



Cathy writes about political, psychological/spiritual, and cultural issues.