Referencing a 25 Cancer Full Moon

Austria's Melk Benedictine Abbey Library

(photo credit: Arthos Wien, January 2013)

The Sabian Symbol for 25 Cancer reads as follows:

GUESTS ARE READING IN THE LIBRARY OF A LUXURIOUS HOME

Astrologer Marc Edmund Jones made a note on this degree which in the light of this month’s Full Moon seems particularly apt, seeing as any Full Moon is technically an astrological opposition, oppositions being formulations which cause us to face…or be faced by situations, challenges, realizations and - in this case - our feelings about things. Marc Jones referred to this degree as one embodying ‘the transference of social privilege to the level of intellectual enjoyment’ which here taps into both the Cancer 'home-residence-established base of operations' sense and Capricorn standing as the zodiacal sign most associated with social status and achievement.

One one level this image functions for each of us as a whole: we are each thinking through what we need to do, who we are, who others are, how we do or don’t connect to whomever – all those many things which have to do with our ongoing lives. What are we doing? Will our current plans get us where we want to go? On one side we want, need and crave freedom...on the other we want (and need) a measure of stability.

It's a quandary - one which leaves us quite sure of the confidence we have in our Self even as we are aware of (and perhaps bothered by) things we know we don't know - and indeed which we can't know, or manufacture a 'knowing of’ (or about) by ourselves.

And that quality…issue…notion…whatever we perceive as a gap between our capacity and what we consider optimal - or the disparity between expectations (always dangerous, those expectations) and results (or lack thereof)...all that is now in mind, affecting how we feel not about life - but about how we're living that life.

Occurring at 4:53 in the morning (UT/+0 time) on January 16th under Venus retrograde, we are in a time more likely to be touching than jubilant and more touchy than gratified. None of this really has anything to do with anyone else, but we’re likely to feel a bit distanced, regardless. The Venusian flip side here being not feeling appreciated for what you have done, this Full Moon could also set off spats and disagreements, most of which will merely be the venting of frustrations.

All of us are going to be trying to sort through something. For some of us, it’s how we will deal with whatever feelings come welling to the surface.

The image of the Full Moon as a ‘wave’ of emotionalism seems particularly reasonable with the Moon in Cancer as Cancer is the first of the water signs and thus associated with first encounters with every form of anything. Or places in life where we either avoid getting in “over our head” or where we weigh up what it will take to get past those waves to more easily negotiated ‘waters’ (water here being a metaphor for sense of position or safety).

Sign of amphibians and all things which live both in and out of the water, Cancerian situations tend to manifest in ebb-and-flow (give/take, go/come, send/receive, in/out, spend/earn, learn/teach) patterns which ‘start’ with our being on whatever we think of as ‘dry land’ from which we ‘venture’ into emotion-provoking waters.

And that might be fine except…well, Black Moon Lilith conjunct the Moon from 24 Cancer is telling us that our successes of the past are not ours to rest on - and that doesn’t feel so good. With fixed star Pollux (one of the Gemini twins) involved, the choice is ours – we can try or not try. Trying, however, involves substantial work…and that’s likely to be a rub, whether because we’re already overloaded, tired, busy or whatever else.

The Main Library at University College London (UCL) with artwork from the Flaxman collection

(photo credit: SomeDriftwood, 2010)

In essence, this is a reality test.

Do we want ‘it’ or not?

If we do, we will put in the time and effort to grow – either into the mold of today or past that into cutting edge, leadership or ground-breaker territory.

You know…the stuff of tomorrow?

It’s our choice. And granted, most of us are going to be pretty well stuck (aggrieved?) in present tense situations (which yes, may at present make us very tense) which appear to aggravate the problem.

But I have to…

Fine. You have to. That being true, all you have to do is decide whether you want to be doing this same ‘I have to’ tomorrow.

It’s simple. Dauntingly simple. That’s the overall bottom line drawn by the rather brilliantly obvious grand square included in this chart:

January 2014 - Full Moon Chart

January 16 - 4:52 a.m. (UT/+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

 

The Capricorn Venus squaring Libra Mars bespeaks great urgency and desire – but then, Venus square Mars always does, and there are always glitches. Either the timing is off or it’s not time yet or someone (or something) isn’t available…it’s always something.

And yet, if we can harness our willingness to connect with others bringing our very best and most considered Self to the fore, much can be accomplished. Still, there’s likely to be some tension as indicated by Venus conjunct Klotho – the wanting (or needing) to get something done so that results can be reaped. Mars/Typhon favors the new and in particular that which reaches deep within the core of what it means to be human (think: basic, primal, primitive, survival).

But as soon as we say that…Venus is still retrograde. So it’s a thought – but not the final thought. We’re paused for a moment so that we can reference our notes and search our mental files for what we know…

A (pre-digital) card catalogue

(photo credit: Stuart Caie, September 2009)

 

….and what we need to reference in whatever we do next, accepting that this is a time for inward consideration – and reconsideration. This ‘elevation to the intellectual level’ referred to by the Sabian symbol reflects an Eris-Mars ‘separating’ of perspectives which may be literal (as in a disagreement) a separation – or dealing with how you’re being seen…and what that means about those who are reacting to you.

Who knows…through whatever happens you may realize something very different about yourself. Or you may discover that someone you thought was ‘this’ sort of person is very distinctly ‘that’ sort of person.

Given life’s current multi-lateral backdrop of mild dismissals (the manifestation of the floating Venus retrograde quotient) Eris appearing conjunct Tantalus says there’s a lot of resistance to the idea of changing how we do things – or that we need to do things. Against this we have  Vesta (the cost of the promise) opposing from Libra with Typhon and Haumea in attendance.

It’s easy to finger-point now. It’s also easy to feel  overwhelmed.

And yet, we’ll carry on. After all, what’s our choice?

The end of this lunation probably can’t come soon enough for most of us. For all that there are things to be done and never enough time in the day to put every task to rest, demands are constant, if not consistent. Once we the Full Moon crests however, things will begin falling more or less together, carrying us through several weeks of activity and interaction rather different than the reaping, responding and reflecting we’ve been in since New Years.

The work goes on – that is the nature of Capricorn. With the Sun at 25 degrees of Capricorn we know there are only a few more days until it reaches 29 and then moves on into Aquarius, broadening the ‘playing field’ as well as our understanding and reach. These last few days are highly useful for those concerned with social, marketplace or economic fundamentals though what is learned or gleaned now is probably yet a bit in the future.

January 2014 is one of those so-called ‘blue moon’ months: a month in which we have two New Moons. The first was on January 1st and the second will be on January 31st – the same day Venus goes direct. In many ways that ‘encapsulates’ the whole of the current lunation (the one which started on New Years) as being about whatever it is we are working or recognizing under Venus retrograde, some of which probably isn’t making us all that happy.

(Sorry, that just happen with Venus retrograde.)

However…! The more we do or learn now the better equipped we will be once we get past this January surf zone. There are wider waters beckoning. Not all of them will be smooth sailing, but to those who would hang back on dry Cancer land, a warning: those who never leave port never arrive at the desired destination.
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