Aquarius New Moon / The Year of the Rabbit

 A young rabbit - photo credit Marcus Sumnick (2008)

One of our world’s great international festivals, the Chinese New Year has come to be celebrated far and wide. It’s fun, its happy, it’s a time to share and give gifts – often of money, which is interesting from the western astrological point of view since this New Moon/New Year festival falls in the sign of Aquarius, sign of society, the marketplace, acceptance corporations and income.

It also starts with prayers and the lighting of candles - and yes, sometimes fireworks - which are not so much about the celebration as about the desire to 'chase away' whatever ill feelings and bad spirits may be left lingering at the end of the previous year.

 

 A firecracker caught in the moment of exploding

photo credit: Sebastian Ritter (2006)

While I’m not anything close to an accomplished eastern (Chinese) astrologer, some things about the Sheng Xiao (Chinese astrology) system make perfect sense. For one, the animal totems associated with each year in turn are expressive of Jupiter and Jupiter’s 11.86 year orbital cycle. That 11.86 years is pretty close to twelve years and there are twelve Chinese animal symbols.

That the years are called by their animal names very much reflects the fact that since time immemorial, eastern philosophies have all placed their emphasis on knowing. It is the wise who flourish, it is what one knows and comes to understand (i.e., wisdom) in the world and about themselves which allows a person to flourish in this world, provide for their loved ones and earn the respect so essential in eastern cultures.

Astrologically speaking, it’s also interesting to note that the ‘classical’ Chinese planets are Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn. Notice anything different? There’s no Sun, no Moon – and certainly no Earth in this equation!

What that speaks to is the eastern philosophy of acceptance. Chinese astrology starts out with accepting that we are – the Sun and Moon part, giving us a totem animal ‘attribute’ which is more about our general tendencies of habit, not our conscious (Sun) or instinctive (Moon) orientation.

And thus we come to the idea that each Chinese New Year is about a new cycle of learning.

But the Chinese system doesn’t just mark out its years by animal! Oh no, grasshopper! The next thing the Chinese (and their astrologers) take into account is the yin and yang of each year. You remember yin and yang, right? Often rather badly referred to as ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine,’ the ‘yin’ of life is the receptive/responsive ability to contain and learn from, as opposed to the ‘yang’ quality which is all about going out to explore and breaking new ground. Both ’yin’ and ‘yang’ are in us, each and every one.  And in our world.

But wait – there’s more! After all this, each Chinese year is described by element. Western astrology uses four elements: earth, air, fire and water. Each of the twelve zodiac signs is associated with one of these elements. Chinese astrology uses five elements - wood, fire, earth, mental and water – with each element having a correspondence to one of the classical Chinese planets, not to signs.

When you put it all together, this gives the Chinese system two ‘set’s of calendric cycles – a ‘wheels within wheels’ effect not unlike that developed by the ancient Maya, if less complicated than the Mayan calendar.

(LINK to a blog on the Mayan calendar)

The first Chinese cycle is most of us have heard of – the 12 year cycle…the one named by animals. This is associated with Jupiter and thus describes how we learn, what we reach for and how we are going about trying to grow, build and expand our life, our world, our understandings.

The second is the sixty-year (“sexagenary”) cycle which combines the animal, and yin or yang elemental quality….12 (animal signs, each of which is yin or yang) times 5 (elements) equaling sixty.

So with all that said, Happy New Year! Yes, come February 3rd at 2:30am (UT/+0) we enter the Year of the Rabbit. What is the basic Year of the Rabbit theory? Well, here’s a list of Rabbit qualities copied from Wikipedia’s article – just to give us a baseline:

Rabbit: gracious, good friend, kind, sensitive, soft-spoken, amiable, elegant, reserved, cautious, artistic, thorough, tender, self-assured, shy, astute, compassionate, lucky, flexible. Can be moody, detached, superficial, self-indulgent, opportunistic, stubborn. 

Those born in a year of the Rabbit would assume they’re endowed with these qualities, right? Well, yes. But... even the barest scratching of the Chinese astrological surface we are also given the hint that these attributes are also all about what we have to learn to use, and use well. 

You know – that Jupiter thing. And no, this is really no different than western astrology. The Sun sign we are born with does equip us with a certain perspective and set of tools, but our life is all about learning how to use that perspective and those tools - first to our advantage (in youth) and ultimately, as the masterful experience (maturity). 

Associated with the spring and the blue/green forms of aquamarine, the Year of the Rabbit year is also tied to an ancient Chinese constellation called the ‘White Tiger.’ If you look at a sky map trying to find this constellation, you won’t find it. But look it up and you’ll find it’s associated with Andromeda, Aries, Taurus, the Pleiades and Orion – all of which seems logical as these would be the zodiac and astronomical references to spring in the northern hemisphere (fall, obviously, in the southern hemisphere).

 Aquamarine in crystal form

photo credit: Vassil (2008)

That there is such a reference to the Pleiades and Orion suggests it’s also worthwhile to think of this White Tiger – as a Rabbit year ‘reference’ in terms of the meteor shower associated with same.

(LINK to blog post on Orion and the Orionid meteor shower)

Given that astrologically, the first three signs of the zodiac (Aries, Taurus and Gemini) are specifically about the journey we undertake in learning about  ourselves, we can expect this Chinese year of February 3, 2011 to January 22, 2012 (or at least this February 3rd to March 3rd lunation) to be greatly about exactly that. We’ll learn about ourselves, and in the greater sense, get lessons in what it takes in the general sense to be a person. With this Year of the Rabbit being marked by a yin/wood factor, this is a year about the tangibles of earthly life (wood) and all the yin implications which go with that: what we have, what resources we can get, what we may have to do without (or what it means to go without), containment of affects, learning to hold onto the necessary (and thus what is necessary)…and in the greater sense, learning from experience.

Sounds like a pretty tall order and a pretty provocative year, doesn’t it? Looking ahead at astrological doings yet to come, I’d say so.

Yin influences often tend to make us want to be self-protective. But that’s not really the answer. ‘Judicious use of resources’ is probably closer to the mark – and that probably isn’t entirely about the me, myself and I of it all!

Enter the chart…

February 3, 2011 - 2:30am (UT/+0)

Aries Wheel - Location Not Specific

First of all, this New Moon takes place at 13 Aquarius – the fourth New Moon in a row to take place at this degree of various signs. Aquarius being a worldly, societal, public air sign about ‘the idea of the thing,’ that this New Moon is a 2nd decanate (between 10 and 19) degree tells us that there is going to be a lot of fervency in the air, whatever else goes down. It may be constructive, destructive, objective, benighted, compassionate, uplifting, insulting or simply true, false, inspiring, repulsive or anything else.

What it isn’t likely to be is un-opinionated!

The lore for this degree giving us notions of courage and assertiveness in the face of difficulties, there is always the fact that this means there are very likely to be difficulties one must be courageous and assertive in the face of!

There is also at this degree a need to learn respect – oh, shades of ‘what else is new?,’ right?

With Ceres at 12 Aquarius just behind this 13 degree New Moon and Mars at 14 Aquarius just ahead of it, the implication is that those who have thought things through and who are willing to deal with the effort it takes to get to their goals will in fact, be able to bring things to fruition – bring in the (Ceres) harvest, if you will.

This argues against purely emotional arguments, though it’s not likely to eliminate them.

The Venus connected with this Chinese New year is here pictured at 28 Sagittarius conjunct Scylla with the North Node arriving at this Venusian position in mid-March. Ideally, Scylla/Venus here will be the continuing to find out what will or won’t work. But realistically? Especially with Venus pictured here in a pretty darn exact square to Uranus at 28 Pisces and Juno at 28 Virgo, there’s likely to be a lot of ‘blowing off’ off efforts. Or efforts which get ‘blown off.

Uranus here being conjunct Scheat (bad reception by others/rejection) and Phaethon (headstrong stubbornness of the immature type) there’s a lot of ill feeling going to be displayed this year. Add that to Juno and Venus in the middle (the t-square position) warns us that it is our desire to make nice as opposed to making things works so that everybody will be happy enough to BE nice is probably the issue.

And this is what we will learn, learn from – which would be the whole Rabbit year concept. It doesn’t take a degree in Chinese astrology to understand that the willingness to deal with how we feel (Uranus in Pisces) and the emotions which are, or are likely to be raised by others, external events, situations and various kinds of provocations…that this is going to be a big challenge going forward.

The Rabbit’s charm and elegance is the optimal way to deal with things. The fixed yin wood quality of this year promotes a hope that we will all learn to hold ourselves to standards of behavior and ask (insist?) that others hold themselves to the same.

Uranus conjunct Scheat is really the big clue: we need to be willing to either work through the displeasure of others or learn from them what doesn’t work. Either way, the real issue is pictured by this t-square as only being ‘part one’ about the issue itself. Mostly it’s ego.

Oh yeah…ego. And since when was ego a problem?

Forever?

A few last notes…according to Chinese astrology, this year has associations with matters having to do with lung/respiratory issues and the intestinal system. As one not particularly studied in this way of looking at life energies, I would guess that would not be global – for this to be an issue in your life your natal chart would have to be marked with an indication that this might be an issue.

On the other hand, who knows…maybe we will hear of great medical discoveries on this front!

Finally…being that the Chinese don't do anything half way when it comes to having a great holiday the whole evolution of their New Years lasts a full fifteen days. Those into western astrology numerics will recognize fifteen as an astrological ‘cross-over’ number indicating the leaving of one phase and the moving on to the next. With the Chinese New Year, this apparently suggests that the new year is now 'securely' under way - and to celebrate same (plus perhaps to 'give us light by which to travel') they end the New Year celebration with the Lantern Festival – a time to light lanterns (usually orange or red) and for celebrating moving on with one’s life.

Red lanterns hung for a Chinese New
Year's celebration in Nagasaki

photo credit: Ken Funakoshi (2008)

Nice, huh? Something to look forward to!

Fate vs. Free Will in the Kitchen Dynamics of Life

One of my long-time and very dear friends is an astrologer with whom I have a near-daily correspondence. Over the years we have traded joys and problems, cats having their way with him in his household and cattiness doing a number on mine.

It's an excellent friendship. And one which has grown to be as solid as any could be despite the fact we've never met each other face-to-face. I think we've talked on the phone once or twice, but the fact that I can't remember when that might have been tells me it was a long, long time ago if it even ever happened.

A hundred years ago this might not sound so astonishing. Back in the day, pen pal relationship were considered a norm. But then, back then, the ability to write was considered a sign of class and potential - how well you did that one thing often was the key to doors we now think of as being unlocked by degrees, money and connections.

Anyway...this dear friend of mine and I, we come back again and again to questions of whether the natal chart is dynamic or static. He feels that since he brings the same "him" (the natal chart) to any moment, that nothing ever changes. He is always who he will be - that's what's written in his chart.

To some extent, that's obviously true - I was (for instance) born with a Scorpio Moon (conjunct Saturn and trine Sun and Venus, if you must know)...and I will always have that Scorpio Moon and its buddy, my illustrious Scorpio Saturn.

Yes...for all you Saturn haters out there, I do love my Saturn. It gives me endurance and has provided stability in an at-times raucously unstable life.

Does this Saturn+Moon+Scorpio combination also speak to some difficulties? You betcha! And I've had them...and expect [sigh...] that periodically my life will be a bit like a traipse through a sewer system wearing a white frock and 4" heels.

But that's just the point. My life started out rough. Very rough - which I'm beginning to talk about on the sister blog to this one - the Pinocchio Girl blog. The term 'used and abused' seems the genteel way to put it, so for now we'll leave it there - if you want to read more about surviving trauma I hope you'll join me on the other side of the digital wall. But to say that I can't size up what the possibilities are - that I can't say abuse and fear and poverty and sorrow are classical Scorpio Saturn/Moon symbolisms but only one pole thereof - THAT's the point.

And that's one of the great gifts of astrology - in particular, western (tropical) astrology, as opposed to Vedic, Chinese and heliocentric astrology, to name a few of the other formats out there to be explored. I'm not saying they do have their merits - they do. But 'standard' western astrology has come to be a body of thought built on free will, employing a psychological point of view. In other words, every symbol, every sign, every position and aspect and whatnot in a chart - it represents a polarity of potentials with (typically), one being a negative attribute and one being a positive pole.

But even that's not entirely true. I may have been gifted with a childhood which instilled in me fear and sadness and struggle, but those very attributes are what allow me to feel the pain of others, to relate to their problems and to know HOW to struggle. Thus have I found my way to growth.

I still fall down. I still cry. But I have learned how to fall down. I have learned how to cry, and when I compare that to people so fragile that they can't bear to see or feel pain, I think myself incredibly, terribly lucky.

Natal attributes are...to recall a lovely set of lines from the original 'Pirates' movie... they're rather more like a guideline. Yes, they are true and they stay with us for the whole of our life. But they are also ours to expand upon.

Hopefully we do. Hopefully we put forth the effort to challenge ourselves and to here and there, occasionally move out of our comfort zones. We don't have to do it daily. We just have to do it often enough to in time learn that we can do it. The very rhythm of planetary motion - that everything except the Sun and Moon has retrograde patterns, that suggests in fact that we aren't supposed to simply bulldog through each and every day, throwing ourselves against the unknown, bruising ourselves in the attempt to push back the boundaries and broaden our horizons. Retrogrades, planets moving into this sign and that - the whole symphony of astrology suggests that as said in scriptural writings, to everything there is a season. So we venture. We build. Then we take what we have gleaned and gained and we consolidate that within ourselves.

The timing of when these periods of growth - and what kind of growth it's going to be - that's what transits are all about. The transits which occur on your chart individually are the most potent of all - and of course, impossible for us to talk about in general. But we wouldn't want to. You are an individual. And the individuality of your life is your uniqueness, your special assembly of gifts. So if this means anything to you, if you want to know more...then you need to consult an astrologer such as myself. Or you need to learn how to do astrology yourself.

Just never underestimate your specialness. And don't underestimate the potentials thereof. Your makeup - as written in your chart - that may challenge you. Like me, you may have a chart loaded with graces over which you stumble like a goofy-footed drunk dropped into an obstacle course. But that doesn't mean you can't change, grow and make good on many of your potentials. It just takes time, effort and the willingness to confront not just who we aren't (the glass half empty) but who we are - the glass half full which we see we have room to yet pour something into...the life which yet can be fulfilling.

In all this, transits - the other thing my friend remarked on to me this morning in his latest email (yes, we did move to email after years of writing letters) - transits mark a period of opportunity. They are typified by the nature of harmonics: conjunctions are unities - we either have the thing close at hand or we can't see the forest for the trees. Squares are challenges - we can use them to build, as architects use the 90 degree square to set a ceiling atop a wall, or we can run smack dab into our lesser nature as when two cars collide at an intersection.

And make no mistake - though the things we encounter come to us from outside, from others, since its our life the energy of the experience is ours. That other person...they're going to walk away. As I've told many a client, just remember, I can't fix anything. My job is to be a mirror so you can see yourself and make better, more informed choices. But when you leave this room, your chart goes with you. Sorry, but I have enough troubles with my own.

That's the truth of it. We all want someone to 'fix' us. We all want a 'magic pill.' But there is none. The only pill we can really swallow is the somewhat bitter pill that we are our own person and that reality - the facts - are what we have. Dreams are nice, prayers and lovely and optimism is a fine thing to be sure. But in the end, the facts and the effort we make to deal with fact is all which really counts. The rest of it...sorry to say...most of the rest of it is snake oil, though prayer has been shown to work when it's for someone else.

Ah yes...the non-egocentric universe. Another element to [sigh] at. Apparently life is not all about us, even if our experience is. And that such a thing is true would seem to be all about what we have, what our ego is useful for is the harnessing of our capabilities, the recognizing what we can do about something.

But whether we actually DO it? That's up to us.

Transits marking the period of our opportunities in life, what of them? says my friend. I am always the same person and my life is what it is. (I'm paraphrasing, not quoting here.)

The point really is that our life is all about what we make of it. If your natal position is flour, then with that flour you can make bread, pie, cookies...you can thicken a stew, team up with butter and make a roux...you can do many a thing. No, you cannot be the seafood. But you might contribute to a seafood dish of your own in a very crusty, toasty, floury way.

I don't want you to think that my friend isn't a good astrologer. He is. What he does with a simple cup of astrological flour sometimes simply floors me (after which, I have to sweep up).

I learn from him as you perhaps learn from me. But when it comes to learning, like with anything else, the real issue is why such an idea or means or inspiration appealed to you. That's the you of it, and you are your own kitchen larder. Your ingredients remain static.

But what you make of you? That's uniquely you and up to you to choose. As planets move through signs, the world is 'attuned' to certain flavors...this week, month or year the most apt combination may be of the Cajun sort. Next month (or whenever), the combination of tones might be more apt for those who cook Middle Eastern, or Russian, or Chinese.

Whatever it is, sometimes we fit in, sometimes we don't. Easy transits to your birth chart tell you when your 'natural' blend - the spiciness which is you - is in vogue, making it easier for you to open doors.

But you still have to reach out there, take hold of the knob and turn. You have to want to open that door. And once its open, you still have to walk in and do your thing.

Life is not room service.

But it is a full spectrum menu. You may not want to order off every page, but that doesn't mean those pages don't exist. You have free will - and that free will includes the right and ability to say 'uh, no thanks, not for me!' And yes, some things you have to work for. Sometimes you have to be very, very inventive in life. Sometimes the vogues are all not your thing and you have to learn how to adapt without that nourishment which feels so native and comforting to you.

Again, that's just life. In this 'instant-oatmeal' age we have come to think everything is easy - or should be easy. Unfortunately on that one, the head Universal Chef votes no. We either cook from scratch or the plate goes out empty and comes back just as empty and (yes,) unfulfilling.

And with that said, I'm going to dessert you for the day (couldn't resist)...wishing you good cookery and bon appetit!