June 22nd New Moon in Cancer

by Barbara Hand-Clow

It is the New Moon in Cancer, the time to evaluate our feelings about our own security and a time to be nurtured and loved. Occurring little more than a day after the Summer Solstice, it infuses our bodies and feelings with the potency of summer, making us feel stirred, joyful, and safe. Because this New Moon occurs so soon after the Solstice, the added keys to its message are in the aspects that have changed a lot since the Solstice: the fast-moving Moon, Sun, and Mercury will cause subtle changes in the overall harmonics of the slower-moving bodies. I will consider these subtle shifts as well as offer a traditional reading to ascertain how the potent, sensual, and highly transformative Solstice dynamic might release during the New Moon in Cancer.

The Sun's opposition to Pluto has tightened to less than 1 degree (combust), and it will be exact around eight hours after the New Moon. This intensifies the Sun/Pluto opposition of the Summer Solstice. Of course, since the Moon conjuncts the Sun during the New Moon, they are fused in opposition to Pluto, which will be very challenging for your feelings and sense of personal identity. You may experience a cathartic emotional crisis that presents you with a newly truthful sense of who you really are. In the collective, Pluto in Capricorn (2008-2024) is directing a total transformation of our economic and societal systems and the way we use resources. Most people realize nothing will stop this process, and they have no idea what will replace this crumbling edifice. Our brains are hard-wired into the collective field, so beware of getting sucked into the collective dynamic and losing your identity on this day, since the Cancer New Moon is your time to discover yourself.

The New Moon in early Cancer inspires each one of us to find the goddess within, to find new ways to nurture life and ourselves. As we experience the rising of the goddess within, Pluto's opposition reminds us that Pluto takes the goddess Persephone into the Underworld while her mother, Demeter, searches for her and grieves. This mythical story of Demeter and Persephone reminds us that now the darkness is coming back as the strength of the Sun begins to wane.

Uranus in Pisces forms a T-square to the New Moon-opposite-Pluto, which brings another Greek god into the dance with Pluto. Uranus was so rabid to transform the world that he even ate his own sons and disgorged them in new forms, and Pluto stole Demeter's daughter for half the year, so who wants to hear anything more about these evil Titans? Well, this New Moon evokes a potent memory that has been lurking dormant within our societal memory-our experiences during Uranus-conjunct-Pluto in Virgo in the mid-1960s. This aspect during the sixties inspired great change, rebellion, and the desire for a better world-a desire that has been cooking and waiting to manifest for more than forty years. Since Uranus is stationary and turns retrograde on June 30, this wide T-square during the Cancer New Moon sends out a warning shot about the first (waxing) exact square of Uranus to Pluto since the grand conjunctions. The waxing Uranus/Pluto square will bring back the desire for a better world that came up during the 1960s, the hopes that were not realized. In July 2011, Uranus comes very close to squaring Pluto, and then there will be seven exact squares 2012-2015. Wow!

The coming Uranus/Pluto squares in Libra/Capricorn will be the driving force that creates a new evolutionary agenda based on human enlightenment, once the time acceleration of the Universal Underworld during 2011 is complete. [See Clow, The Mayan Code: Time Acceleration and Awakening the World Mind.] When two outer planets conjunct, as Uranus and Pluto did during the sixties, a whole new creation cycle begins. Uranus-conjunct-Pluto rules the transformation of the underworld-the shadow world-and in Virgo, the agenda is cleansing emotional wounding and healing ecosystems. Ecology, a conscious movement to heal the planet, emerged in the sixties. Now as Uranus and Pluto begin to achieve their first square, our species will manifest real and practical ways to achieve true ecology.

[Uranus goes into Aries from May 2010 through August 2010 and then fully in March 2011, and this will begin a new 84-year process of transformation. The last Uranus-in-Aries transit was 1927 through 1935, which might cause some of you to reflect on the likely condition of the economy from 2011 to 2019! When Uranus is in Aries, the old goes out and the new comes in, and when Pluto is in Capricorn, all basic structures are totally transformed. So, Uranus in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn will usher in a whole new world that nobody can even imagine now. Like all births, the process will be tumultuous. Maybe stationary Uranus in his T-square to the New Moon reminds us that everything always changes, even during the deep yin energy of the Cancer New Moon? The sign that resists change the most is Cancer. Regardless, you won't be able to ignore the creeping awareness of a roaring energy coming soon with Uranus-square-Pluto in cardinal signs. Radical change coming soon will slip into your consciousness during this New Moon, and then it will slip into a dormant place in your consciousness when Uranus turns retrograde June 30.]

This New Moon in Cancer trines the Triple Conjunction of Chiron, Neptune, and Jupiter in Aquarius. This is rich in meaning and suggests that our healing and nurturance this month comes from the energy of the Triple Conjunction. For the past few months, we've been whipsawing between flashes of enlightenment and searing deep wounding. We've been driven into old pain, and many can see that these wounds are what have been limiting the expansion of feelings and knowledge. Each time we've allowed the process to run its course, we've been rewarded with stunning spiritual insight and exquisite ecstasies. This ability to break through blocks is becoming Pavlovian (people being ruled by conditioned responses); we are learning how to dive into the pain to find ecstasy. The lovely trine from the new Moon to the Triple Conjunction helps us know that ultimately it is the goddess who heals; we find ourselves by going into the dark. So, even though Persephone was stolen away from her loving mother, she discovered how to be a woman and a lover. This lunation is really about loving your woman within, and you have her too, guys. The goddess within is the deepest source of creativity for all beings; only the goddess can show us how to live in balance with Earth.

Between the Solstice and the New Moon, Venus was exactly conjunct Mars in Taurus in exact trine to Saturn, and these aspects are very tight at the time of the New Moon. These are earthy and deeply reassuring aspects that take us back to being a secure child of loving parents, an experience we have all had at least in some lifetimes. Venus/Mars in Taurus is passionate and secure, while father Saturn in Virgo is the perfect guardian and organizer. This month you may find you can accomplish almost anything as long as you allow the wounding/breakthrough process of the Triple Conjunction. This lunation is a great time to fall in love and to insist upon things that are good for you. Mercury is moving into a square to Saturn that will be exact on June 26, so you can easily solve problems and clean up details right after the New Moon.

Pluto is closely quincunx the lunar South Node in Leo, which moves into Cancer in late July. Pluto in early Capricorn is pushing us to finish the last issues that have come up while the North Node has been in Aquarius since December 2007. While the North Node has been in Aquarius, we've been pursuing idealism and selflessness, and when the North Node goes into Capricorn in July, we will focus on practical ways to manifest these ideals. Thus, Pluto in Capricorn quincunx the South Node pushes us to reevaluate our cherished ideals during this lunation, since soon we will focus on hard realities and figure out how to bring those ideals into working form.

This New Moon sends out a strong message to consider what really matters to you, so that you will have the strength and resources to face great changes. It is a time to value the small things, the tender things, and to make sure you are finding new ways to protect them no matter what. The New Moon trine to the Triple Conjunction informs us that healing ourselves is the way to create a healthy, nurturing world, and Venus/Mars in Taurus trine Saturn assures us the path is there if we take the time to enjoy simple pleasures. This will be an exceedingly pleasurable and thought-provoking month.

For more, visit Barbara's website at: http://www.handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

Heaven is Here

The Flower Pot Story

Gemini New Moon on May 24th

by Barbara Hand Clow

Coming after the great Earth awakening during Taurus, now the New Moon in Gemini quickens the plants, animals, and our body/minds. The Gemini New Moon is always enlivening and exciting, and 2009 is no exception because it describes the spiritual quickening of our species. We are remembering our destiny as a cosmic species, which is making many people desire to end their painful separation from divine consciousness; the Triple Conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune in Aquarius will catalyze human communion with the divine. This opening is going to quicken during the Gemini lunation, which will release the powers of this subtle planetary fusion with the divine.

The midpoint of Day Six of the Galactic Underworld (January 1999 to February 2011) was May 11, 2009. [See The Mayan Code: Time Acceleration and Awakening the World Mind.] I was amazed by what was going on in people's auras during the midpoint. Cosmic forces seemed to be penetrating deeper and deeper into their auras, and this seemed to be eroding the boundaries separating them from full energy potential. They were opening like flowers amidst the building influence of the Triple Conjunction. The midpoint weekend was also a wild Full Moon in Scorpio, during which Gerry and I conducted a "Journey through Nine Dimensions" activation in Vancouver, BC. We were both quite astounded, as well as concerned, by what was going on with students.

Because many participants were feeling their boundaries softening, the activation was almost too much for some of them, which made teaching more difficult for us. Yet, these students were achieving non-separation, which meant we equalized with them as teachers. Of course, this intensification arrived during the midpoint of Day Six, which is the high point of our evolutionary flowering during the Galactic Underworld! I am sharing these recent experiences with students because I am sure that many of you readers are feeling emotional and physical stress yourselves. This is always what happens when dormant spiritual awareness is awakened; so, you must rest, be in nature, and eat very healthy food. I also recommend you read Carl Calleman's reflections on this midpoint of Day Six. [Visit www.calleman.com.] He says we are now moving into egalitarian society, the time when we are equals in our planetary work. We saw this already happening in our workshop! Hooray!

The second half of Day Six has begun, and our creations are going to become much more complex as we access more levels of awareness. Regarding the Mayan Calendar, the god or goddess that rules the next cycle (Night Six in this case) begins its influence during the second half of a Day or Night. The deity that rules Night Six, which opens November 7, 2009, is Tlahuizcalpantecuthli, the ruler before the dawn, Day Seven. The arrival of this deity heralds the time when those who have been intentionally transforming themselves will begin to feel better; however, those who've been resisting change will be very stressed and freaked out. Meanwhile, I think the only way we could have an egalitarian world would be for each one of us to attain personal enlightenment-to fully manifest our spiritual and healing capacities. Astrology provides exquisite cosmic metaphors that are right in tandem with the last days of the Mayan Calendar. For example, as we turn this next great corner to our freedom, the Gemini New Moon reveals the codes of our quickening. After all, we are the yeast in the rising bread of enlightenment, which is why our spirits chose to incarnate now. I will read this New Moon's chart as a script for this quickening, as our attainment of flow with spirit.

The New Moon is in 3 Gemini, trining the lunar North Node in 2 Aquarius; it also quincunxes Pluto retrograde in 3 Capricorn. The trine to airy North Node in Aquarius (which will soon move into Capricorn) means we will have an easy and firm grasp of karmic purpose during this lunation; we will know what me must do and experience a good sense of timing. During the Spring Equinox, we began to actually feel ourselves creating the greater reality; this was due to the pushy influence of the equinox Sun closely squaring Pluto in Capricorn. Now this spring energy comes to fruition by this solar/lunar quincunx to newly retrograde Pluto in Capricorn; our co-creational powers churn in our guts. We feel the seriousness of our times and know that we are connected to the events and outcomes. A great place for observing this push-and-pull between individuals and collective dramas is in the massive closing of automobile dealerships, which have been economic bellwethers and community fixtures since the Great Depression. Transformations like this are now penetrating deeply into the American economy, underscored by Pluto turning retrograde on April 4, 2009, while Saturn was also in retrograde. Then, amidst complex and divisive Mars/Venus aspects during the spring, many of you were living out personal dramas that felt like archetypal battles between the Greek gods. They are! They were all designed to get you on the stage of life and act! The collapse of the auto economy is designed to release an old technology and all its limitations, but most people are totally addicted to its comforts.

Pluto's intense, transformational agenda just found a new avenue during Saturn's direct station on May 16, 2009, right after the closure of many car dealerships was announced. With Saturn's assistance in reliable and responsible Virgo (which trines Pluto in Capricorn), people are searching within themselves for new ways to live. Amidst this deep consideration, retrograde Pluto sucks our consciousness into greater connection with all that is, to our cosmic linkage. The Mayan Calendar and astrology are in concordance with these driving forces. For example, Pluto's crossing of the Galactic Center during 2007 locked our souls into great cosmic processes, when Chiron and Neptune were moving closer together in the sky. The outer planets are always the key to great changes in our world.

In Capricorn until 2024, Pluto forces us to clean up the excesses of the National (3316 BC-AD 2011) and Planetary (AD 1755-2011) Underworlds. These change processes moved inward with Pluto's retrograde on April 4, which made it possible for each one of us to realign ourselves with each other and the new flow. At this point, enough people realize that the intense change processes are not going to stop, and they are seeking new ways to cope. Then, when Saturn turned direct at 15 degrees of Virgo on May 16, a great balancing act began between each one of us and the universe. Instinctually, we sense that reliable old Saturn will soon change into another force. Yes, Saturn goes into Libra in late October, where he will be much less kind and much more demanding. Meanwhile, somewhere within the divine spark in each one of us, we remember who we are and why we are here now. Some even sense that the undirected "unjust" outer world is beginning to align with the real needs of our species. Therefore, the collapse of totally outmoded systems like autos not only makes some sense, it is even welcomed by some. The Gemini New Moon quincunx Pluto retrograde in Capricorn may release a tone from unsold cars in weedy lots that are mysteriously honking their horns just before the Summer Solstice! We'd better be listening to these horns, since quincunxes always get their way.

The New Moon quincunx to Pluto is a waxing quincunx-one that is moving into the Sun/Pluto opposition to come just after the Cancer New Moon, which occurs right after the Summer Solstice. Waxing quincunxes are very pushy and demanding because they are revving up to attain the full power of the coming opposition. So, the New Moon quincunx Pluto brazenly taunts smoldering Pluto in early Capricorn: "Come on, big boy hiding in the deep, show me your staying power, if you have any." Many of us will reorder their priorities during this lunation. Once upon a time in the ancient days when this influence would occur, maybe a great volcano would blow. But now, the volcano is heating up the magma in our hearts, and transmuting us with fire. You must use this energy judiciously, which is not possible without taking advantage of the things you've learned from your spiritual practices all these years. Luckily, the indications are in the sky and their meaning is clear and undeniable: The key to handling the New Moon's challenge is to open yourself to the Triple Conjunction-Jupiter/Chiron/Neptune in Aquarius.

We astrologers talk on and on about Neptune as a guide for connecting with spirit worlds. It has become a cliché, and most people just don't think about what that means. So, I will attempt to find other words to describe Neptune's influence. Most of the time, we are separated out from all-that-is, the timeless energy fields of our cosmic bodies. We are caught in time and place, and then once in awhile we experience a breakthrough into all-that-is-a peak experience. When this happens, the boundaries around our separated selves melt, and we experience "oneness" or enlightenment. Children frequently exist in oneness-especially infants-but then painful experiences cause them to close up and separate from divine consciousness. While we are alive, Chiron's transits-usually by conjunction, square, and opposition-erode the boundaries of the separated self by means of piercing stabs into deep inner wounds. When these wounds occurred in this life or past lives, we erected boundaries around the wounds, yet the very energy that could reconnect us with spirit-Neptune-is locked out. So, Chiron and Neptune working together can erode these boundaries that block cosmic fusion. In other words, accessing pain sometimes opens spiritual connection, and this is what we resist the most.

Chiron's transits inspire us to heal our selves and others by piercing the deepest wounds of this life and from the past, so we can be healed by Neptune's balm. These days, this tandem process causes many to realize that we are a multi-traumatized species that is healing now. So, piercing core wounds and melting the boundaries separating us from spirit is a collective experience. The Triple Conjunction catalyzed by this Gemini New Moon opens the collective wounds. As mentioned last month, right after the last Triple Conjunction in 1944, the Americans dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the most obscene wound afflicting our species in thousands of years; now the potential for healing this murder by radiation has arrived. Then, as Chiron and Neptune do their work, Jupiter is expanding and expanding their healing powers; Jupiter pushes us to oneness. The exact conjunction of Chiron and Neptune occurs three times during 2010, when we will experience the ultimate breakthrough of spiritual awakening through the surrender of our collective wounding. But, the aspects between the three planets just before, during, and after this New Moon are very close, and also Chiron and Neptune are stationary in the sky. This planetary stand-down will tear away the outer shells of our resistance to spirit, like a planet's atmosphere being stripped off by a close asteroid. Fortunately, Saturn's forward direction in mid-Virgo is a wonderful constructive scaffolding for our quivering minds and souls. Let us look at the dance between these three planets to comprehend how they are affecting us even now. No one will escape this intense "chirotic" fire.

Our soul-burning began on May 16 when Saturn turned direct in mid-Virgo, the day when the Sun in 26 Taurus first squared Jupiter in 26 Aquarius, next squared Chiron in 26 Aquarius, then squared Neptune in 26 Aquarius. The solar squares to the Triple Conjunction occurred just before the last-quarter Moon, the reckoning moment of each lunation. Jupiter was exactly conjunct Chiron on May 23-expanding and exposing our access to inner wounds-and will conjunct Neptune on May 27, which will expand our spiritual contact. Then, almost unbelievably, Neptune will turn retrograde on May 28, Chiron will turn retrograde May 30, and Jupiter will retrograde June 15 and go right back to conjunct Neptune and Chiron again! That is, the two-day-apart Neptune/Chiron retrograde stations will nucleate the closest pass of all three planets in Aquarius. I guarantee it, these aspects may test your sanity in light of the pain you must face; I suggest you remember how to pray. The point of the Triple Conjunction is to railroad our species into adopting spiritual healing, so we'll get an explosion of guidance if we just ask for it.

The powers of the Triple Conjunction will flow strongly through its close sextile to Mars in 24 Aries. Often, Mars-in-Aries energy is too strong for most of us, and we just avoid it, but this time we will appreciate its clear and demanding directives. Our inner female will cooperate with Mars, since Venus in Aries is in a wide conjunction to Mars; we will feel strong and sensitive, alert and allowing. Venus in Aries is also in a waning or completing quincunx to Saturn in Virgo, which suggests we have learned to value feminine strength that comes from surrender and "allowing". This quincunx encourages women to value masculine Saturn's ability to structure and order things, which has been most welcome amidst so much change. I feel that advances for women are coming along very nicely these days, and the exact quincunx of Venus to Saturn may spotlight influential women.

Uranus, the planet that rules transformation and change, is in 26 Pisces sextiling Mercury retrograde in 24 Taurus. Mercury turned retrograde May 6, 2009, at 2 Gemini, and he goes direct May 30 at 23 Taurus, and his exact sextile to Neptune will occur June 6. So, our mental reflections are still very inward during this New Moon, and the sextile from Uranus in Pisces suggests that our thought processes tend to be very spiritual, very subtle. Mercury rules the lower mind and Uranus rules the higher mind, and sometimes a sextile between Mercury/Uranus allows us to bridge to higher worlds, which is even more likely when Mercury is in retrograde. Yet, Mercury is slow and plodding in Taurus, and Uranus in Pisces transforms inwardly, so perhaps you will have wonderful dreams.

As you can see, this New Moon is generally very spiritual, but it is even more than that. The Triple Conjunction is now in action full bore for almost a year, and then Chiron and Neptune will travel close together in the sky through 2013. The Chiron/Neptune conjunction occurring during the last days of the Mayan Calendar means we are ready to release our boundaries around thousands of years of wounding experiences. The dance of the Triple Conjunction says we will expand beyond inner wounding and manifest the spiritual powers that are our birthright. This New Moon in Gemini is the seed of alchemical healing, the seed that will germinate within our species and take us back into cosmic fusion through 2011.

Last, but not least, the Moon in the 1776 USA Founding Chart is 27 Aquarius conjunct Barack Obama's lunar South Node in 27 Aquarius. This means the Triple Conjunction will have an especially intense impact on the United States, and this should result in some very painful yet meaningful events. Considering Obama's South Node, he has returned from the past to lead America through this treacherous passage. It will be extremely interesting to see how the Gemini lunation plays out, especially in the United States. Some form of surrender and healing may occur, and Obama may be President for just that reason. Stay tuned!

For more, visit: http://www.handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

The Sun is Stirring

From SpaceWeather.com:

NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft is monitoring an active region hidden behind the sun's eastern limb. On May 5th, it produced an impressive coronal mass ejection (CME) and a burst of radio emissions signalling the passage of a shock wave through the sun's outer atmosphere. Activity has continued apace today, May 6th, with at least two more eruptions. The blast site is not yet visible from Earth, but the sun is turning the region toward us for a better view. Is a new-cycle sunspot in the offing? Readers with solar telescopes could see it emerge as early as May 7th or 8th. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images, movies and updates.

Meteor Showers from Halley's Comet

From SpaceWeather.com

METEOR SHOWER ALERT: Earth is entering a stream of dusty debris from Halley's Comet, the source of the annual eta Aquarid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Wednesday, May 6th, with as many as 85 meteors per hour over the southern hemisphere. Rates in the northern hemisphere will be less, 20 to 30 per hour. The best time to look is during the dark hour before local sunrise on Wednesday morning. Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps and details.

Affirmation for Health and Joy

I effervesce with the most radiance, joy, and superior health. I consistently feel the best ever. Beauty and love radiates from my being. Love is my essence. I am joy. Always!