NEW MOON - December 16, 2009

FULL MOON - December 31. 2009 (BLUE MOON!!) 

A Time for Transformation

by Heather Ensworth

On December 16th, we enter into a new Moon cycle that precedes the Winter Solstice on December 21st.  This New Moon cycle and Winter Solstice are a profound time for healing and transformation.  In the past several years, the Sun at the time of the Winter Solstice has come into alignment with the Galactic Center, which is part of the profound transformative energy of 2012 and the ending of the 26,000 year precessional cycle, marking the ending of a world era and the beginning of another .  At the time of this New Moon, the Sun, Moon and Pluto all fall into alignment with the center of our galaxy and call us into this time of transformation. 

Many of the planetary configurations that we have been following in past months all come into play with this New Moon cycle. With Pluto squaring Saturn in Libra, we still feel that tension between our attachment to old forms and structures (Saturn) that we identify with our cultural heritage and sense of personal security, yet Pluto is challenging us to let go of those old forms and move into new ways of being.  On a more collective level, Pluto is also challenging our global community to find new more just and fair expressions of power and more authentic ways of establishing our financial and social systems. 

This new Moon is in a trine with Mars in Leo, calling us to have our will and our actions be in alignment with Source and with this time of transformation into new ways of being.  The triad of Neptune, Jupiter and Chiron is also in aspect to this new Moon, assisting us in letting go of what we need to release and continuing to open us to healing our core emotional and karmic issues.  Added to this, we have Uranus in a square with the New Moon, intensifying the change process and shattering the blocks and obstacles that keep us from being in alignment with who we are meant to be and who we are becoming.  This strong Uranus energy may also bring some energy surges or feelings of agitation and a sense of urgency.  Finding ways to ground the energy while opening to the clarity and messages from Spirit will help us navigate this time.  Venus is also in the mix, lying close to the Sun and Moon signifying the way in which our relationships are also called to change and deepen.  Uranus is also squaring Venus, so we are challenged to see the truth in our relationships and to make changes to allow them to be more authentic, more free, more open to the shifts in this time of transformation or to honor that it is time for those relationships to end.

From a star-based perspective, if we move from our tropical zodiac and actually look at where the New Moon lies in the constellations, we see that the Sun, Moon and Venus are all at the foot of Ophiuchus, the Serpent-Holder.  Ophiuchus is the thirteenth constellation that falls along the ecliptic (the path of the Sun, Moon and planets) and is one of the largest of the constellations, yet it is omitted in our traditional 12 sign configuration.  Thirteen is the number of full moons in a solar year and is a number that is associated with the Sacred Feminine, which may be why it became viewed in a negative way as we shifted into patriarchal rule. The image of Ophiuchus is of a man holding a serpent, and in mythology, this figure has been associated with Asclepius, the wise healer in Greek mythology who knew the ways of life and death.  He was thought to have the blood of Medusa in his veins and to carry a strong connection with the Sacred Feminine such that he carried the energy of creation in his right side and the energy of destruction in his left side.  He understood the mysteries of life, death and rebirth.  This constellation symbolizes the union of the sacred masculine and feminine and shows us how to move into new ways of being that take us out of the destructive polarities of the past age.  With the New Moon lying at the feet of Ophiuchus, we find ourselves being guided in how to move into the new ways of being and how to recreate our lives with the wisdom of the Sacred Feminine.  Ophiuchus holds the serpent which is a powerful symbol of ancient Sacred Feminine wisdom and of the knowledge of how to shed our skins and open to new forms. 

As we move into the time of the Full Moon on December 31st, the profound transformative energies of the New Moon and Winter Solstice begin to integrate and take root in our lives.  The Full Moon lies in Cancer in the tropical zodiac and in the heart of Gemini, between the Twins if we look at its placement in the sky.  With the Full Moon lying between the twins, Castor and Pollux, again we feel that call to integrate the light and dark aspects of ourselves and to move beyond polarization and dualities.  It is significant that this Full Moon is also a partial eclipse, not visible here but in other parts of the world -- again speaking to us of that integration of light and dark.  The Full Moon is in a square with Saturn, allowing us to become more grounded in the changes that we are going through.  However, if we have been resisting the currents of transformation, we may find ourselves feeling stuck, in inner turmoil and feeling insecure and filled with self-doubt.  This would be a signal to open our hearts and minds to let go of patterns that no longer serve us and open to our connection with Spirit and the energies of transformation.  

With Venus beside the Sun and next to Pluto at the time of the Full Moon, this supports our primary relationships in continuing to transform and find new forms.  If in our relationships, we are not open to that transformation, we may be caught in power struggles.  Again, that would be a signal to open to the more authentic and truthful ways of relating to each other that this Full Moon represents.  

At the time of the Full Moon, the Sun and Venus lie in the sky at the head and hand of the Archer (Sagittarius), who holds the bow pointing towards the Galactic Center.  Our beliefs, our ways of being in relationship, our core sense of self are all being asked to align with Source and to set our intentions on living in a way that it true to our path and purpose.