Moonwobble May 2021

Watching my fellow travelers hurl their big vehicles across the lanes of the Washington beltway over the weekend like children released for recess, and observing no less than five significant car crashes in two days on those roads, I thought I'd better examine the energies involved in this Moonwobble period.

The New Moon chart for May 11 (21 deg Taurus) for Washington DC suggests a period where higher learning is emphasized and philosophical perspectives get respect. These are tied to imperatives that move the nation and its people forward, not without challenges. Quick thinking is essential (and available) during this period to navigate these challenges.

A very practical outlook appears to be in the offing, but unreasonable expectations, especially with regard to others (individuals, nations), need to be taken into consideration. The Biden administration would be well advised to put any rose colored glasses into storage.

A deficit of resources in the area of meeting essential needs appears to be an inherited situation: for example, labor shortages related to existing conditions before the pandemic struck may make expansion as things open up troublesome.

Powerful transformative energies continue to shake institutions in apparently random ways, disconnected from perceivable relationships with specific areas of life. Those who believe they understand the cause of all this upheaval most likely are mistaken.

There is the opportunity for disciplined thought and intelligent structuring of responses on many levels.

Important context, for U.S. citizens, involves Pluto heading for a return to its place when the Declaration of Independence was written (Sibley chart). Increasing polarization will continue to undergird American affairs.

As the peak of Moonwobble approaches (May 31, June 1, 2) Mars forms an opposition to Pluto that aggravates the deep institutional challenges and brings them to the fore. It's possible a crisis may evolve in foreign affairs or (less likely) civil unrest may develop that challenges the nation's sense of identity.

Mercury goes retrograde on May 30 and remains so until the cycle is well over, going direct around June 22. This will give the peak period an even stronger appearance of instability as communications systems (including your nervous system) need attention or repair.

Use the Mercury retrograde period to study. During Moonwobble it pays to use meditation practices to shift your attention from the inevitable drama to a place of unchanging integrity. More experienced practitioners, such as translators, may be able to use the notes above to focus their process, with significant benefits.

Pluto and the end times

I've spent the last two days hanging out with the very impressive students and tutors of the Faculty of Astrological Studies. It has been a great joy to visit Oxford, England, each August for the past several years to spend 5 or 6 days talking with astrologers and listening to eye-opening presentations by some of the biggest names in the business.

This year's event was canceled - and then transformed from the usual 8 days to just a weekend teleconference with a carefully crafted program of eight presentations and designated spots for students to contribute their reflections about the Summer School experience. All in all this was a brilliant pivot that gave students the opportunity to have a taste of the event they remember with such joy.

The topics, of course, focused one way or another on the times we are in and in particular on the transits of Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter through Capricorn, all of which are associated with the global pandemic, the subsequent lockdowns, and the psychological challenges that such an enforced change of routine necessarily incites.

Let's go back three years, to August 2017.

For that event Alana and I decided to take our vacation time during the weekend workshop events and just attend the week-long Summer School. On Monday morning I entered the classroom and introduced myself to the instructor for that session, one Michael Lutin. He looked at me as if to say, "Ok. Is there something you want ?" I mentioned that Alana and I had liked the look of his weekend workshop but decided not to attend because, "we weren't sure we'd be able to muster the energy to do that and then make it through the week." He got a rueful look on his face and said, "Yeah, it was a lot of energy out."

What I did not know at that moment was that Michael Lutin had been asked to step in to cover the sessions originally planned for Rob Hand, who was not able to make the cross-Atlantic trip due to an eye operation. How he managed the energy to pull it off I have no idea. One of the lectures (each one 90 minutes) dealt with planetary nodes, a topic you don't hear a lot about these days. In that presentation he laid out the positions of the planetary nodes and talked about their role in getting context for the solar system environment within which our planetary transits occur.

Michael Lutin, unjustly cropped by a data obsessive, talking about planetary nodes at the FAS 2017 Summer School

Michael is a very entertaining lecturer, and he's an experienced hand, which means he doesn't just sit down and read a paper to you. He dropped an enticing statement into his presentation (and expanded it in a separate session later). He suggested that when Pluto transits its own South Node (20 deg. Capricorn) we should expect "something really big". When pressed to give details he simply said, "Just remember that in the worst case, say, a total nuclear war in which civilization is destroyed, a few days after it's all over, out from under a rock somewhere, will come . . . a Scorpio." This got a big laugh, but nobody could get him to be more specific.

In the follow-up lecture he spent all of his time talking to his astrologer peers, saying that when this transit happened there would be great need for the people in the room to provide guidance for a lot of people who would be in dire straights emotionally and psychologically. He wouldn't be more specific, and there were more than a few frustrated attendees.

At the time of the lecture, Pluto was at 17 deg. Capricorn. It first reached 20 deg. Capricorn in February 2018, then went retrograde and passed 20 deg. again in June 2018; then went direct and passed it again in December 2018; it came back for its final pass in September 2019 and stationed at 20 degrees Capricorn on October 4 for seven days until October 11, 2019. This was the last pass of the transit. Pluto went retrograde on April 25, but will only get to 22 deg Capricorn before going direct on October 4.

All of this tells us some interesting things :

  • Michael Lutin nailed this transit; he identified it as something an order of magnitude beyond what we're used to projecting for transits of any kind.

  • What we are experiencing in the pandemic coming out of the autumn of 2019 has roots in February, June, and December 2018. It's not just COVID-19 but a constellation of developments that have prepared the way for what we are experiencing now. In the U.S. this corresponds to a weakening of the powers of the central government, at least.

  • None of this diminishes in any way the excellent analyses that are being made about the effects of the conjunction of Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn.

  • Planetary node transits need more attention.

Moonwobble March 2020

The next Moonwobble cycle is upon us. Let’s start with the basics : Take your time; think things through; look at everything twice, or more. Most importantly, don’t identify with aggravation (e.g., do not get into a game of chicken with fellow drivers on the road). The energy will shift significantly when the Sun moves into Aries on March 20. The tone will shift from confused and unpredictable to strident and pushy.

Culmination of the cycle comes when the Sun reaches 4° 50’ of Aries, square the lunar nodes at the same degree of Cancer (N) and Capricorn (S).

The Washington DC chart shows the Sun in the 6th house with the nodes in the 9th and the 3rd respectively. I suppose we should be grateful these are cadent houses, suggesting that the culminating tensions will show up sluggishly. Which is just as well because Jupiter, Pluto, and Mars are angular on the 4th house cusp and we will be getting plenty of energy from them. Fourth house is home, domestic policy, and of course - elections.

Saturn has moved away from this Capricorn love fest but is still in orb at 0° Aquarius.

Interestingly, this Moonwobble culminates just after the coming New Moon in Aries. For this analysis, though, I’ve chosen to look at the New Moon of February 23, in Pisces, because this sets the stage for the coming several weeks.

That chart, for Washington DC, has about 2° Cancer ascending and Mars angular in the 7th house, suggesting aggressive attitudes about others and how we in the United States relate to them. It is sextile the New Moon pair and trine Uranus.

I would expect an aggressive U.S. foreign policy aided by fresh initiatives based on philosophical positions, possibly drawing upon an interest in what is perceived as constructive social change. It is a Pisces New Moon, of course, but it’s also in the 9th house and its energy will show up in philosophical discourse and the nation’s way of seeing its own potential growth and learning. Mercury, an important planet in the President’s chart, is on the Midheaven here so, no surprise, he will be prominent during this cycle.

And now for the most interesting piece

In the February New Moon chart, Chiron is angular on the 10th house cusp. There is a lot of conversation about “wounding” around Chiron. I’m not so sure; I think the jury will be out for some time yet on how we interpret this object. I view Chiron from the perspective of androgyny (i.e., stepping away from socially constructed gender identification), in keeping with the era of its discovery (1977).

This chart gives us a chance to see it in action. It is prominent here in the 10th house of business and is squared by Mars. The two planets form a T-square with the chart ascendant. As I write this we are six days into this new moon cycle, and those days saw a severe plummet in equity values on markets around the world. So far the U.S. market has lost 10 percent of its value, over 4,000 points.

That is 10th house wounding if anything could be, and quite aggressive.

What makes this interesting is that by the time Moonwobble culminates on March 24, the Sun will move into conjuction with Chiron. This is a very lonely Sun (and Moon) in the 6th house with no major aspects apart from the Chiron conjuction. (Pisces is on the 6th house cusp !) I think of the 6th house in this kind of chart as the home of the needy and unfortunate, or those needing help and support. I expect their plight to be brought home to us in a big way by the time we get to the Moonwobble peak.

As for that Sun - Chiron conjunction : I’ll be watching. I’m curious to see if any elements related to LGBT*, trans, or other non-binary identification / roles show up in any way.

Moonwobble Heads-Up

Just a reminder that we are heading into another Moonwobble cycle. This one will culminate on 29-30-31 December 2019. There will be an annular solar eclipse a few days before.

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One important note : This cycle coincides with an approaching conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn (22 deg. 47 min.), which will be exact on January 12, 2020. We have been building to this for at least a year and we should expect to see events working toward a crisis during this moonwobble cycle and beyond.

What this means for you personally depends on where Capricorn falls in your horoscope. People with Sun in Capricorn or Cancer and, to a lesser degree, Aries and Libra will be very aware of the energy.

More detail to come - for the moment forewarned is forearmed as they say. Be aware of the tensions that show up in your muscles, emotions running close the surface, short fuse - it differs for everyone. The more you can see your own frustrations the more you can defuse situations that threaten to escalate unnecessarily.


The April-May 2018 Moonwobble Report: New Moon in Aries

By William and Alana Fennie

From William:

The peak of this cycle is 30 April, 1-2 May. The day leading up to the New Moon, April 15, saw ferocious storms across the United States with unusual cold and snow on the northern Great Plains, tornadoes in the Southeast, and a heat wave in the Southwest. The mid-Atlantic region around Washington DC saw temperatures around 90 degrees followed by plunges to near freezing and a slow return to seasonal temperatures. This corresponds appropriately with a conjunction of the New Moon pair with Uranus as the latter prepares to make its first foray into Taurus on 16 May where it will remain until November, going retrograde around 8 August.

Two days later Southwest Airlines flight 1380 experienced a mid-air engine failure that killed one passenger, the first air-related death in the U.S. since 2009.

Some of the biggest news comes from abroad with the Trump administration and North Korea making big promises about a sunny new future on the Korean peninsula. Let's remember that MW can bring resolutions to long-standing conflicts (1918 Armistice) as well as unleashing the dogs of war (First Gulf War).

I have found Uranus by aspect to bring outrageous and exciting experiences but not necessarily long lasting satisfaction. If the energy is to be productive then the calm, patient-builder quality of Taurus will be essential.

New Moon chart for 15 April 2018 - click to enlarge

The New Moon chart (see illustration) for April 15 provides the context for interpreting this MW cycle, and it is again heavily weighted with Cardinal Earth and Fire, the chart ruler, Mars, in Capricorn in the second house suggesting an emphasis on issues of personal security or, in this case perhaps, the financial markets. The stellium of Saturn, Mars, and Pluto in Capricorn does not put the mind at ease, and the square to the new moon pair suggests a period of tension and challenges to leadership. The emphasis on martial energy ameliorates somewhat a strong tendency toward overindulgence and excessive word games that are marred by heavy-handed criticism.  A little bit less “communicating” and a little bit more responsible education could go along way toward moving productively through this cycle. 

Despite the news of unexpected advances in foreign affairs, this chart suggests that all the action is at home with only Jupiter above the horizon, in the 12th house. Hard work is in fact taking place, but not in the public eye.

Those with important factors in Taurus, Leo, or Aquarius may find themselves resonating with this erratic and highly charged "weather." The cycle brings disruption, of course, but can also enable a needed clearing out of the old and a re-vision of routines, goals, and hopes.

Alana has some exercises to help with identifying the relevant issues for you, personally.

Aloha. . . .

Exploring Moonwobble Energy: Journal Prompts

Because the nodes of the Moon do not change sign quickly, a Moonwobble Cycle will often share the same nodal access as its previous cycle. This phenomenon may make it seem that during a Moonwobble Cycle issues and patterns you thought you completed or “dealt with” already seem to resurface. You’ll often find some twists, though, as the New Moon which initiates the current Moonwobble Cycle will likely be in a different sign, often bringing with it a new polarity, elemental and modality. The New Moon offers context and context is everything.

Let’s examine what that means with the current cycle, since its nodal axis recalls the last two Moonwobble Cycles, including the very noteworthy July – August Moonwobble Cycle from 2017 – noteworthy because that cycle included the “Great America” Eclipse of August 2017. Patterns that began in those cycles are being further worked on with new energies. 

So, in all the last three Moonwobble Cycles, the Moon’s Nodes fall across the Leo-Aquarius axis, with the North Node in Leo and the South Node in Aquarius. The New Moon in July-August (2017) was in Leo, a yang or masculine, fiery, fixed sign. In the last Moonwobble Cycle (what were the dates for this cycle?), the New Moon was in Capricorn, a yin or feminine, earth, cardinal sign.  Our current Moonwobble Cycle occurs under a New Moon in Taurus, an earth, yin sign like our last cycle, but fixed recalling the energy of the Leo New Moon of last July-August. 

It’s likely that in July-August 2017 – especially in anticipation of the “Great American” eclipse – you may have been inspired (a very fiery feeling) to review your approach to the world or your identity in that world. In an outgoing, extroverted sign, Moon in Leo may have nudged you to think of ways to present yourself or express yourself in some external way, possibly in art, social media posts, writing, or even in how you groom yourself or do presentations at work. Likely, this energy focused on expressing a self you already claim as yours, rather than encouraging you to change or think deeply about your identity.

Whatever new ways you dreamed up to present or express yourself in the summer of 2017 likely clamored for more structure during the last Moonwobble Cycle. You may have asked yourself, What is my plan for implementing a sustained creative practice? How might my output or my self-expression move beyond the personal to help lead the changes that I would like to see in the world? 

The current Moonwobble Cycle asks you to now make a sustained and sustainable plan to stay the course on your creative process. You’ve had the inspiration; you’ve organized your ideas and made a plan to bring them into reality. Now this Cycle is testing the strength and viability of your plan.

One final note before some simple exercises to help you strategize. Unlike the previous two Moonwobble Cyles, the current Nodal Axis configuration during the New Moon is unaspected! It’s possible that instead of experiencing direct challenges to your plans, you are feeling an intense distraction. You may feel incredibly passionate about the changing stories that appear in your news feed. You may intensely want – or even feel a deep need – to act, but you cannot determine if that need comes from a genuine feeling or if it’s a product of external stimuli. You may further feel a contradictory sense that time is passing by so quickly, too quickly, and yet you are not accomplishing anything.  

Consider any of the following reflective exercises as a way to connect with the energetics of this Moonwobble cycle. 

We recommend keeping your insights private until this Moonwobble cycle is over, since one of the lessons of the fire Trine here is to consider when, with whom, how, and how much we share of private self and creativity with the outside world.

1. Internal versus External

Spend a day tracking how often you feel compelled to comment on some social issue or news event, as well as what the topic is.  Before you do make a comment to the world via social media or even to the people in your “real life” (IRL), consider whether the impulse comes from within or is a reaction to external stimuli. Do you have a position to share that comes from deep within your philosophy or your spirituality – or are you adding noise to the social sphere without making a point you’d want your grandchildren to read? 

By no means does every post, conversation gambit or offhand comment have to have a larger point or connect to something greater. However, we are so often encouraged to “share your thoughts” or “share your feelings” about a topic du jour that we often don’t consider whether we want to share. 

Saturn square Mercury in this cycle may already be making you feel constrained in your expressions and thoughts, but this may be a blessing in disguise. Keep in mind that Mercury is in Aries this Cycle and may speak without thinking of the (especially long-term) consequences, and the restraining power of Saturn in Capricorn (this Cycle) may actually be helping you from making lasting damage to your reputation.

Saturn in Capricorn also gives the pause that may help you disconnect from the noise around you and connect back into the ideas generated during previous Moonwobble Cycles. Since the Nodes are unaspected this Cycle, their “voice” may be harder to hear at this time.

2. Inspiration and Structure

Take 30 minutes or so to reflect back on the brainstorming you did during the last Moonwobble Cycle. During that time, we suggested that you brainstorm what needs to happen to make your creative idea(s) a reality. Did you brainstorm various steps – and equally importantly – did you schedule the steps into specific dates on your calendar? 

It’s time now to evaluate your progress. What worked and what just led to procrastination? Most importantly consider why you were able to complete some tasks, but not others. Sometimes it truly is out of our control, but in other instances we just lose steam. 

Once you’ve done an initial evaluation, it’s time to think sustainable progress to project completion! Consider working with a friend who can truth check you for how realistic your plans are. If a key word comes up about why you aren’t making progress, great! You’ve got the topic of your next translation! If a memory comes up, consider doing an RHS.

 

Faith

"The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple,
among his followers, gives not of his wisdom
but of his faith and his lovingness
."
- K. Gibran

 

 

The real challenge of being a teacher has nothing to do with mastering the actual subject matter, although that is necessary. The key to any teacher is his or her willingness to meet the others in his world and to speak from the place of his deepest understanding. Every teacher must find the ones to whom she can speak. More importantly, every teacher must have the courage to speak of that which she knows and that which he also knows is practically impossible to communicate. 

Evangeline - New Orleans

This restaurant is located on Decatur Street not far from Jackson Square and the Café Du Monde.

The bar at Evangeline

Like so many spaces in New Orleans, this restaurant has a very small front space. But it has a large, long interior space, and even a courtyard.

I had just decided to walk around the French quarter, looking for a restaurant that I enjoyed it very much during my last visit in 2008. I was unsuccessful. And, now hungry, I began the long walk back to my hotel. My journey was interrupted by the sound of Irish music coming from the pub. I went in and ordered a Guinness, but found out that they were not serving any food. The bartender recommended the place next-door, Evangeline. The most impressive thing about Evangeline is the atmosphere. Wait staff in almost every New Orleans restaurant is very professional. The difference here was that the patronne was very attentive, and welcoming. By itself, this is wonderful. In this case, however, the spirit of the welcome carried over into every transaction of my entire visit.

I decided on a pasta dish, cold pasta Evangeline. This is a linguine served with an delicious olive oil, shrimp, of course, a few grape tomatoes, some mushrooms, and a few slices of Parmesan. It was a beautifully balanced meal, and the patronne was also able to guide me to a very nice Chardonnay to go with it.

There were not very many people in the place by that time of night. So it's not surprising that the waitstaff was able to talk with me and pay attention to my needs. I can't say what it would be like if they were very busy. All in all, I was very impressed with the sense of welcome, the sense of local spirit, and, of course, excellent excellent cooking.