Archive for December, 2017

Winter Solstice – December 21, 2017, 16:28 UT

Thursday, December 21st, 2017

New Moon in Sagittarius — December 18, 2017, 6:30 UT

The New Moon at 26+ degrees of Sagittarius on Dec. 18, 2017, was at the Galactic Centre and in conjunction with Saturn, centaur planet Pholus and trans-Neptunian object Quaoar. At Winter Solstice the Sun, Saturn and Quaoar are in exact conjunction in the first degree of Capricorn, one of the Cardinal Points, which tend to connect us to the larger world around us.

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, and Saturn entered its own sign yesterday. The Sun followed there today. Quaoar is a trans-Neptunian object with an orbital period of 284.5 years. Quaoar ingressed Capricorn two weeks ago.

Quaoar is a quite large cubewano, possibly a dwarf planet, discovered in 2002 by Mike Brown and Chad Trujillo. At the time of its discovery it was the largest object found in our Solar System since the discovery of Pluto. Its orbit is nearly circular and moderately inclined. Quaoar has a moon, Weywot, discovered in 2007 by Mike Brown. Both names come from the mythology of the Native American Tongva tribe in Southern California, where the discovery of Quaoar was made.

Quaoar was the creation god of the Tongva. Quaoar has no form or gender. He danced and sang the sky god Weywot into existence. Together they created everything else into existence: other gods, people, animals and plants.

According to Eric Francis, “Quaoar’s placement in a natal chart gives an intimate portrait of the dance of the family’s emotional process and its impact on us. Quaoar speaks to the rhythms and choreography into which we were born, as these manifest within the family pattern going back generations.”

Saturn once represented the edge of our Solar System. Then the development of astronomical equipment allowed us to see Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. After the discovery of 1992 QB1, thousands of distant minor planets have been found. The Solar System as well as our understanding of it has broadened.

Quaoar has a special meaning for me. In 2002 when the discovery of Quaoar was announced, Quaoar was transiting my natal Moon and my lunar North node. It was the first trans-Neptunian object besides Pluto that I noticed, and which lead me to become aware of the centaurs and all the other intriguing worlds beyond Neptune. Quaoar danced the other small worlds and gods into my awareness.

Full Moon in Gemini — December 03, 2017, 15:47 UT

Sunday, December 3rd, 2017

Today you may have an exceptionally easy access to your subconscious mind. Pay attention to your dreams. The Full Moon at 11+ degrees of Gemini is a SuperMoon. The Moon is in conjunction with the trans-Neptunian object Altjira. Mercury is the ruler of Gemini, and Mercury is stationary at the Galactic Centre in Sagittarius.

The Moon symbolizes our instincts and reactions, and it is a container for our experiences. The Gemini sign is one of the three air signs. Quoting Stephen Arroyo, “The Air realm is the world of archetypal ideas beyond the veil of the physical world; in the air element, the cosmic energy is actualized into specific patterns of thought.” Gemini is the sign of gathering and sharing information. Connections and communicating belong to Gemini.

Every Full Moon is an opposition of the Sun and the Moon. The Sun is at 11+ degrees of Sagittarius. Mercury, the ruler of the Gemini, is about to turn retrograde in the last degree of Sagittarius. Mercury is stationary at the moment. Stationary planets are powerful. Mercury is in conjunction with Saturn and the Galactic Centre. Melanie Reinhart describes planets at the center of our home galaxy in her article published by The Astrological Journal:

“When the last five degrees of Sagittarius are stimulated by transiting planets, a process of awakening is initiated. The arrow of the centaur points ‘beyond what we know’, and at the same time refer us symbolically to ‘what we have always known’ in our inner depths.”

The Roman god Mercury is equivalent to Greek Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Hermes was a god of transitions and boundaries. He was a guide to the underworld. He was able to move freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine. He was the bringer of sleep and the conductor of dreams, and thus we can also consider him as a messenger between the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind.

The Full Moon in Gemini is in exact conjunction with 148780 Altjira, a binary trans-Neptunian object discovered in 2001. The secondary was discovered in 2007. It is large compared to the primary and for some reason it has not been named yet. The orbital period is 294 years.

148780 Altjira was named after the sky god of the aboriginal people of Australia. Altjira was the central god of the Dreamtime, a sacred era which existed before the life of the individual began, and continues to exist when the life of the individual ends. In the beginning Altjira created the Earth and gave the humans everything they needed for survival. Then he retired to the sky. The Aboriginals believe that the Dreamtime is a return to the real existence, and that life in this time is a passing phase. They also believe that during sleep a person leaves their body and temporarily enters the Dreamtime.

In recent years sleeping disorders have become a growing health problem around the world. Perhaps Altjira’s current journey in the mutable air sign Gemini has something to do with this. Altjira entered Gemini in 2007-2008. The energy in this sign can be nervous and make the planets in the sign more scattered.

The ruler of Sagittarius is Jupiter, which magnifies everything it touches. Jupiter at 11+ degrees of Scorpio is forming exact aspects to the luminaries. Neptune rules the oceans, and the ocean is a symbol for unconscious. Dreams belong to Neptune’s dominion. Neptune at 11+ degrees of Pisces squares the Sun and the Moon.

A SuperMoon is a term launched by astrologer Richard Nolle. It happens when the Full Moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its orbit. If you have a clear sky, you can see the Moon shining brighter and larger than usual.