The Sagittarius First Quarter Moon: Living In Our Brilliance


Posted on September 15, 2018 by Henry Seltzer of ASTROGRAPH.COM
 

The First Quarter Moon is the time in each lunar cycle when the light coming to us from the Moon is growing (waxing), and when we are asked to tend diligently and assertively to the seeds we are sewing and growing during the lunar cycle thus far. This lunar phase also marks the moment when the Moon makes a 90º square aspect to the Sun. Square aspects represent creative tension and challenge, inviting and fostering growth through effort. During this particular First Quarter Moon, taking place on Sunday, September 16th, in the afternoon or evening, depending on your location, the Moon in explorative Sagittarius is square to the Sun in refined Virgo. The astrological sign of Virgo asks us to point our awareness towards cleaning up and sorting through – both in the material world, and in more intangible realms – keeping and sprucing up that which is of use, and returning that which is not to the compost pile. Contrastingly, the Moon in Sagittarius asks us to expand upon and to further explore more options than we had previously considered. It’s a bit of a trick to bridge the broad brush strokes of Sagittarius with the micro fine pointillist dots of Virgo, and yet when we find a way to marry the two, why then we may find that we have a gorgeous painting to enjoy! In other words, this is the time to tend to the Virgoan nitty gritty details, but not to get so lost in them that they slow your momentum of what you truly wish to create. We note that Venus will begin her retrograde on October 5th, so don’t hesitate on things you want to move forward. Be precise and mindful, and yet also swift!


And what we are being asked of at this time is nothing less than total transformation of our current selves into the radiant star beings that we have it in us to become. There are large forces in motion within us, as indicated by the prominence of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in these September skies, and in keeping with the Sagittarian impulse of this First Quarter Moon, we will want to make the most of them in the direction of our soul growth.


One of the major energies at play in this current lunation is active Mars in square aspect to revolutionary Uranus. Can you say, kaBOOM?! The combination of these two can indicate strong and volatile emotions rising to the surface, and as well, powerful currents of activity in the direction of our very deepest intuitional understanding. Mars has returned to socially minded Aquarius, the sign where he was when he stationed retrograde in late June, and also where Uranus finds his modern rulership. Uranus in the early degrees of Taurus is all about bringing his high-flying energy down to earth-centered practicality. This position of Mars, also aspected by Saturn and Chiron, is asking a lot of us. This is essentially an opportunity for a habitual pattern in our lives, that hasn’t wanted to shift, to really begin to MOVE and reshape itself. As life and the cosmos nudges us each along to be in better alignment with what we hold inside, and with the highest good, much of our old patterning will shed away and be reorganized, thus allowing each one of us to step more fully into our own individual genius.


At this time also, whatever in us has been bracing in resistance to this shift will need some tender, loving care. Because Mars is nearing a conjunction with the South Node, we may have to learn to say goodbye to something that’s very hard to let go of, even though we know in our heart of hearts it is no longer serving us. Remember to be gentle with yourself and others in the course of this development, but not so gentle that resignation of escapism can be allowed to sneak in and stymie the process. Try to remember to imbibe a good dose of Virgo self-care amidst the tumult: drink lots of water, pay attention to your body’s needs, meditate, eat well, and get lots of rest. Cultivating a daily spiritual practice of some kind is also very helpful in these massively transformative times. When we stop each day to tune in with ourselves, meditation becomes an anchor point in our consciousness where we can find stability amidst the storm. And, in the spirit of Virgo’s devotion to benefiting others, when we can find stability in ourselves, that’s when we can more fully step into our brilliance in order to contribute, and be of service to our families, communities, and world.


The Sabian Symbols for this lunation are, for the Sun, in the twenty-fifth degree of Virgo, “A flag at half mast,” which Marc Edmund Jones describes as, “the highest of everyday values for the common [person] are created in a public service which has its first compensation in the individual’s self fulfillment, and its ultimate justification in some measure of immortal contribution.” This speaks to the Virgo principle of service, and while its function is to some degree for a sense of personal fulfillment, beyond that, it is to contribute something lasting and beautiful for the greater whole of humanity. For the Moon, in the same degree of Sagittarius, the symbol is “A chubby boy on a hobby horse,” and Jones references, “the ambition by which [a person] ultimately manages to leave his immortal stamp on the world around him.” This symbol also relates in some ways to the sign of Sagittarius, as Centaur, or man-horse, in a youthful frame. The connections to the previous symbol for the Sun are somewhat uncanny, as both symbols can be seen to be about the mark that we leave behind us, perhaps prompting us to think about what we are creating in our lives. When we eventually find ourselves on our deathbed, we might wonder what will we look back upon and best remember. What will we be proud of? What will we regret? How will others recollect us? We also might want to ask ourselves about what we can do differently now, in light of that shift in perspective. May we each one of us taste the joy of living out our lives in our full brilliance; and that is to say, in devotion and service to something larger than ourselves.