FULL MOON, Partial Eclipse at 15 Leo-AQUARIUS 25
August 7, 2:11pm EDT, 11:11am PDT, 7:11pm BST,
August 8, 4:11am AEST
Image: Praamzius, from my Planetary Gods & Goddesses Coloring Book. This Lithuanian High God gave his name to one of the many new planetoids discovered in the distant Kuiper Belt, this one as recently as 2012. Praamzius {prom’-zee-oos) created the world and determines the fates of all beings. Ruler of sky and time, he is known to foster peace and friendship among the people. This depiction showing an ancient fire ritual, kept alive by this Baltic people, is particularly appropriate now, as planets in Leo, Sagittarius and Aries make a grand fire trine pattern, encouraging celebration, activity and creativity.
Dragon Power!
This Partial Lunar Eclipse, Visible from most parts of South and East Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia, we opens the door to the more powerful Total Solar Eclipse on August 21. Whether we can see it or not, the effects ripple around and through planet Earth.
Eclipses are indicated by the Nodes of the Moon, also known as the Dragon Head and the Dragon Tail, points where the path of the Moon crosses the path of the Sun, in a 19-year cycle through the Zodiac. These points have been in Leo-Aquarius since May: the North Node (Head) in Leo and the South Node (Tail) in Aquarius.
In a lunar eclipse, like this one, the polarity between the signs is more highly activated, with the Sun conjunct one Node and the Moon on the other. The Sun in Leo throws the shadow of the Earth across the Full Moon in Aquarius. What is revealed in this dark mirror of Earth? The global drama is highlighted with such an indicated shift in the collective awareness, first by shadow issues, which are often the things that are getting in our way, what we need to work on.
As much as this is dramatized in the collective drama, we each have our own personal experience of this as well. What revelations will the dark mirror reflect back to you? Aquarius has the capacity to step back from the drama, to watch and comment upon it— even your own drama! What role are you playing in this non-rehearsed life, and how are you doing with it? How do you like the roles you play? Do you want to change your role or the players? That’s one perspective to consider now.
Another way to work with the shadows that are reflected in the mirror of your life is suggested by Rumi, in this poem I had never heard until yesterday, when a special friend read it to a group of us (thank you, Susan). It beautifully addresses the strong eclipse theme of what it means to be human.
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
—translated by Coleman Barks in the Essential Rumi
Yet another way to explore the texture of this Full Moon shift is to gather in community, share perspectives, appreciate each other as we light up the co-creative potentials with the bright energies and motivations of the planetary triangle in fire signs that lasts through the rest of this year. How much we can accomplish together when we come together in the right spirit, each of us heart-centered. In that spirit, appropriate to the Full Moon in Aquarius, I am sharing more commentary from others that resonate for me.
Thinking about the strong presence of Mars with the Sun, this quote stood out, shared by Dream Change agent John Perkins, in his recent newsletter.
“The world is violent and mercurial–it will have its way with you. We are saved only by love—love for each other and the love that we pour into the art we feel compelled to share: being a parent; being a writer; being a painter; being a friend. We live in a perpetually burning building, and what we must save from it, all the time, is love.”
― Tennessee Williams
With Mars conjunct the Sun, there is a tendency toward anger, frustration, bursts of emotion. We have a challenge here to focus that energy in a more heartfelt way. Leo rules the heart. We can open more deeply to the richness of love in our lives.
In her recent newsletter, Vicki Noble, co-creator of the Motherpeace Tarot, wrote:
“For all of us in general, it’s good to pay attention at times like this, especially during the two weeks in between the two eclipses. Be mindful, do good things, try not to make negative karma (“harm none”), as Indigenous people have warned us that eclipses create a powerful vortex that multiplies and amplifies the effects of whatever we think, say, or do. Eclipses take us into the Mystery and are often full of surprises or turns of events. Let’s put our collective progressive minds together and imagine… that we can actually build the world we want (even inside our present conditions of climate chaos, racism, misogyny, global war, and economic inequality). So don’t be passive. It’s a perfect time to imagine the impossible and get behind it with our bodies and minds—to intentionally make our thoughts, speech, and actions matter. “Never give up,” as Emmeline Pankhurst counseled the Suffragettes a hundred years ago; or if you liked the Wonder Woman movie, think of the way she defeated Ares, the god of war, through the powerful volcanic love that erupted (in true comic-book fashion) from her Amazon heart!”
Thanks to Vicki for allowing me to share this here with you. It is such a spot-on consideration for this eclipse season, with the strength of the feminine leading the way empowered by this month’s potent eclipse energy for transformation.
With the powerful August eclipses in Leo, be on the lookout for the Lion Lady. From ancient civilizations the world over, we see images of the Goddess flanked by or riding lions, tigers or leopards. She may be lion-headed or lion-bodied, Sphinx-like. Egyptian Sekhmet is one of the best known, a warrior goddess who wields the power of the Sun. “May the force be with you,” may be an invocation to Sekhmet. When humans break cosmic law, disregarding justice, her wrath is ignited. She is likely to go on a destructive rampage, slaughtering all in her path. Sun god Ra had to pour in her path beer colored with pomegranate juice to assuage her thirst for blood. Yet this Lady of Terror becomes the Lady of Life, for transformation and healing. Today we modern women recognize that powerful female images have often been demonized. As we reclaim our inherent powers as mothers, leaders, healers, protectors, creators and change agents, Sekhmet leads the way to transmute negativity, chaos and terrorism into a powerful life-giving expression—but only when we approach her with respect, honor and caution. She confronts us with our unhealed shadow issues to own, then release, reminding us that to change the world, we must first change ourselves. She steps through the August eclipse as a source of strength, independence and assertiveness to dissolve limiting belief systems, negative habits of thinking and feeling, and ways of living that no longer serve, so that we can create a world culture that supports public wellbeing and empowers individual fulfillment.
Let us all welcome this open door of the Full Moon eclipse and walk tall and fearlessly forward through the dark whole of the Total Eclipse, on the August 21 New Moon. (You may even find yourself riding the lion—or the dragon!)
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2017 Total Eclipse: The Lion Goddess & The Sphinx
Thanks to all for came to the webinar on Sunday and everyone listening to the recording today or later this week. The recording is available, for those who have registered and anyone who still wants to:
https://www.learnitlive.com/class/11110/2017-TOTAL-SOLAR-ECLIPSE-The-LION-GODDESS-and-the-SPHINX
