Full Moon in Virgo – March 11, 2009, 02:38 UT
The New Moon is a time of beginnings, and the Full Moon is a culmination point of the lunar cycle. Things we started at the Pisces New Moon two weeks ago have developed and matured. The Moon is growing towards the Virgo Full Moon. Virgo is the sign of a harvest.
Dedication, willingness to serve, analytical abilities, capacity for selection, precision and prioritizing are attributes of Virgo. It is important to be able to discriminate what is important in life. The chart now shows potential for great development in our aspirations; innovative and sparkling ideas are pouring out. Communication is highlighted.
The Moon is conjunct a binary planet Logos, a cubewano with an orbital period about 305 years. This is a trans-Neptunian object with a binary companion called Zoe. Logos and Zoe are a paired emanation of the deity in the Gnostic traditions and are part of the creation myth in this tradition. Astrologically Logos can be associated with logic, scientific breakthroughs and technology. Eric Francis has noted that Logos would appear to represent the “higher octave� of Mercury. Zoe represents the Divine Spark in all of us.
Mercury, the planet of communication and mental activities is the ruler of Virgo. In the Full Moon chart Mercury has entered Pisces, the realm of limitless imagination and intuition. Sue Tompkins associates Mercury in Pisces with dance or drama therapy, for instance, and sometimes with communicating through the medium of dance or music. Dance is a strong theme of this chart, represented also by a minor planet called Quaoar, which I will cover a bit later in the article.
Mercury sextiles Pluto, an aspect which intensifies intellect and gives depth to the thinking.
The Pisces Sun is conjunct Uranus, the planet of originality and intellectual brilliance, providing us with flashes of insight. Uranus is also about technology and inventions.
A main-belt asteroid Hermes conjuncts Jupiter. Hermes is named after the Greek equivalent of Mercury. Jupiter is associated with justice and wisdom and expands everything it touches, so the communication which is kindling may be very rewarding and righteous.
In Sagittarius a Kuiper belt planet Quaoar is forming a T-square with the Sun and the Moon. Quaoar is in exact square to the Luminaries. The orbital period of Quaoar is about 287 years. Quaoar has a satellite which hasn’t been named yet.
Quaoar is named for the Tongva creator god. The Tongva are the native people of the area around Los Angeles, where the discovery of Quaoar was made. According to the myth, Quaoar sings and dances the world and other deities into existence. Quaoar was sorrowed by the emptiness in existence and began to dance, whirl, and twirl all about while he sang the song of creation. God of the Sky was first to be formed of the creation melody. Next came the goddess of the Earth. These two new deities joined in the dance and created the Sun and Moon. Together these five sang and danced everything else into existence: animals, plants, people, and the other gods as well.
Scientists have been surprised to find crystalline ice on Quaoar. Being so far from the Sun, Kuiper belt objects should not be warm enough to form crystalline ice without some sort of unusual circumstance. How did the crystalline ice form and why is it still there? Is there a volcano on Quaoar? The impacts of micrometeorites may have raised the temperature of the surface enough to produce crystalline ice. The most discussed theory speculates that cryovolcanism may be occurring. A cryovolcano is an icy volcano. Rather than molten rock, these volcanoes erupt volatiles such as water, ammonia or methane.
Quaoar is a great creative and inspiring force. Mark Andrew Holmes’ keywords for Quaoar include creating abstract mental models.
Eric Francis’ research suggests that Quaoar deals with the family patterns that we enter unconsciously from birth. It is associated with the power of our personal creation mythologies (everything from how we were created, to how we ‘create ourselves’ in the process of life). These are patterns that existed before we were born and into which we were integrated without really noticing, like picking up a dance by feeling the rhythm of the music.
Quaoar in the chart can reveal to us something hidden and difficult to notice otherwise, like the eruption of an icy volcano. Planets in square aspect to each other create tension and action. The bright light of the Full Moon helps us to see clearly. Quaoar in square to the Sun and Moon may help us to break free from the old patterns from the past. Let’s dance!
References:
Sue Tompkins, The Contemporary Astrologer’s Handbook, 2006, Flare Publications
JPL Small-Body Database Browser
Eric Francis, PW Daily Astrology & Adventure, May 19, 2008
Astronomers Contemplate Icy Volcanoes in Far Places – New York Times article
Eric Francis, Mixed Signals, Bright Ideas: Mercury Retrograde in Gemini
March 10th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
I found the reference to the Tongva to be very interesting, and most unexpected. Can you provide additional insight into the historical or practical assocation and/or astrological relationship between the Tongva, Quaoar, and Sagittarius? Thank you.
March 11th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your question.
Quaoar is a so called cubewano, which according to the guidelines of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) are given mythological names associated with creation. The discoverer of a minor planet has the privilege of suggesting a name to the IAU. Quaoar was discovered by astronomers Chad Trujillo and Michael Brown.
Mike Brown writes in his blog http://www.mikebrownsplanets.com/:
“…we quickly named it Quaoar, after the creation force of the Tongva Native American tribe indigenous to the Los Anglels basin, in homage to the fact that the discovery was made by us right here in the Los Angeles basin.�
http://www.mikebrownsplanets.com/2009/03/snow-white-needs-bailout.html
In an earlier blog entry he stated:
“We take naming objects in the solar system very carefully. …Each of these names came after considerable thought and debate, and each of them fit some characteristic of the body that made us feel that it was appropriate. …Quaoar was, we felt, a nice tribute to the fact that all mythological deities are not Greek or Roman.�
http://www.mikebrownsplanets.com/2008/07/whats-in-name-part-2.html
Quaoar was discovered in 2002 at 10+ degrees of Sagittarius. The orbital period of Quaoar is about 287 years, and currently it can be found at 20+ Sagittarius. So far we have been able to consciously experience Quaoar only in Sagittarius. An interesting period occurs in 2015, when Quaoar will be conjunct the Galactic Core. The sign change into Capricorn is going to take place in 2017.
It has been said that “all Tongva are dancers”, because of the importance of dance as a ritualistic way of attaining harmony with nature, placating adversity, celebrating events, expiating tragedy, and explanation and initiation. The tribe dances at various festivals from spring to fall. They continue create new dances, which demonstrates their mutable qualities.
Dancing in general is not specifically a Sagittarian activity, it is usually associated with Pisces. Each sign can have its own dance expression though, and cultural dance styles can be associated with Sagittarius. I strongly associate fire dancing with Quaoar in Sagittarius.
http://planetwaves.info/gallery/index.php?pic=firedance2_web&st=&
Eric Francis suggests that Quaoar deals with the family patterns that we enter unconsciously from birth. He writes about Quaoar and Ixion (another trans-Neptunian minor planet):
“With these factors placed in Sagittarius, we add the dimension of abuse perpetuated by religion and religious ideology, and, in addition, how this expresses itself in families.”
Kirsti
March 12th, 2009 at 12:48 am
YouTube – Tongva – Indigenous of Los Angeles valley:
Documentary about the Tongva, Native American culture that was declared extinct, the Tongva culture survived many years in secret.
http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=T9DM7A1lrSs&feature=related