An Intense Yet Thoughtful New Moon

The New Moon in late Cancer taking place on Wednesday evening, July 18th, is a powerful one. For one thing this New Moon squares Saturn, slowing us down. In another quite significant and yet contrary development, a strongly aspected Mars has come into exact opposition to Uranus – making for an exciting, lively and potentially accident-prone time. Meanwhile Jupiter is exactly parallel the Sun and also closely aspects Pluto, by quincunx, triggering the Uranus-Pluto square of these summer skies that is still quite active, being currently less than a degree from exact. Then, too, Mercury has only just recently retrograded, and makes a quincunx aspect to Chiron, bringing a deeper meaning to the transformational tension of this timeframe, one that relates to inner wounding with regard to some important part of ourselves, and, ultimately, to healing in these crucial areas.

Uranus square Pluto, as I have been describing for many weeks now, represents first of all the sudden realization that strikes without warning, regarding some part of our lives that has become dysfunctional, and then a bold move to cut ourselves off from this sense of dysfunction by eliminating the problematic factor. When we do not take action, either through complacency or from fear of the unknown, then the forcefulness of the universe comes in to assist us in making healthier choices, although perhaps in a disruptive way that seems unkind or even cruel at the moment of the discontinuity. This is the so-called kick in the behind that pushes us over to what we eventually can see as what was truly needed. This could refer to job loss, removal of money or possessions, perhaps to relationship adjustment. Sometimes that which we love and refuse to part with must be nevertheless sacrificed. As columnist Cheryl Strayed puts it, "Go, even though he's your best friend, and even though there is nowhere to go... Go, because you want to." Like it or not we must sometimes come to realize that this loss and subsequent rebirth is the beating heart of our time on planet Earth and of life unfolding.

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon presages a warning: A storm in a canyon. The way for our salvation might be narrow at this time and results might come in a flood, faster than we can easily handle. It is good if we can to move with all due caution. There is, after all, simultaneously a slow-motion effect in these days of Mercury Retrograde and with Saturn strongly aspected in Libra. Also it might be that things will not go the way that we planned, might even come out 180 degrees the other direction. We are seemingly moving fast and strange, but if we can take a moment to reflect there is much wisdom to be found in the turning.