“A life truly lived
burns away what is no longer relevant
gradually reveals our essence
until, at last, we are strong enough
to stand in our naked truth”
Marion Woodman
from “Coming Home to Myself”
This Gemini New Moon features an interesting astrological pattern called a Grand Cross, and it will challenge us all to look closely at what we take on faith in our lives, at our personal philosophies, and how we craft our daily lives from ideas, beliefs and emotions.
We all have some faith. It’s not a religious thing, though it can be. Faith is made up of the beliefs we hold so close to our hearts that we think of them as truth. One belief I’m sure most of us hold — our planet will continue its orbit around ol’ Sol for the remainder of our lifetimes — frees us to plan our lives around a predictable cycle of night and day and the seasonal path of our Sun through the sky, as opposed to having to worry about, say, being blasted out of orbit by The Mega Asteroid From Hell. Faith in the eternal nature of Consciousness (Spirit, God/dess, Tao, All That Is, whatever you want to call that which connects us all), and knowing that we are part of that Consciousness, offers a perspective on life that inspires and encourages us. Indeed, faith can be a good thing. But it’s not always justified.
Re-testing our faith is one of the major themes of this New Moon chart, and it asks us to recognize our illusions, prejudices, and self-deceptions, and re-align ourselves with truth. How best to do this is a critical question to consider, not only this month, but for several months ahead as well. As usual, the clearest path to insight and truth for most of us will be found through ritual, meditation, magic, connecting with teachers and guides, and/or journaling. A good place to begin your life review is with one of your core articles of faith.
As an example, one of my own closely held articles of faith is that Consciousness is ultimately creative. It’s not about good and evil — good and evil are the result, not the cause, of our individual consciousnesses and choices. And I believe we do have choice, we have free will, or we would be unable to create. For me, this is a pretty unshakable article of faith, and it is to this core belief that I go when I need to re-examine my life and my life’s direction.
Reconnecting with a core belief will give you a starting point for evaluating your life, especially if/when you find yourself facing a crisis that tests your faith, as so many of us will under this sky. From the center point of that core belief, look at your life as honestly as you can through the lens of each of the four Elements: Air (knowledge and intellect), Fire (will and desire), Water (love and empathy), and Earth (manifestation and growth).
A Grand Cross has a planet in each Element, so working with the elements is a particularly effective technique to use during this planetary alignment. The work involves not only looking honestly at your life, but taking practical steps to change it, to change yourself in whatever way seems necessary to live your life in line with your personal values. I consider magical work to be one of those practical steps. If you do, too, then set up your altar for some elemental magic this month. If that’s not your path, then get out your journal, your meditation cushion, whatever you use to help you evaluate and realign your daily life with your spiritual beliefs and longings.
Here are some examples:
Air: Get your facts straight, and be honest with yourself. What is really going on in your life? Are you “resting up between engagements” or have you been out of a job for six months and not even updated your resume? Are you exercising daily like you promised yourself, or making excuses four days a week? Do your frequent illnesses have more to do with a job you hate than viruses or genetic problems? Think it through, write it down. Pen and paper are magical tools. You can write in your journal, you can also write a few words or draw a sigil on a piece of paper that you will keep on your altar, or somewhere you will see it often.
Fire: Check in with your desires — do you know what your deepest desires are, or do you only think of your current wants? Are you actively working towards those desires, or just getting through one day at a time? What are you willing to release, to transform to create what you currently just dream of?
One good way to work with fire in ritual is using an alcohol fire (½ cup Epsom salts, ½ cup 90% alcohol in a fireproof dish on a fireproof surface with nothing above it. More info here. There are some good ideas for magic in that article — give it a read. You needn’t use the chalices they are selling, a small iron cauldron or any fireproof dish is fine.) You can add resins and essential oils in small amounts to the Epsom salts. Burn a small piece of paper on which you have written something you want to transform, and then watch the flames while you envision the transformation you want. Let go of “what is no longer relevant”.
Water: Love and forgiveness has to start at home. So while you are being honest with yourself about your faults, keep in mind that you are human, that you will make mistakes and do things you regret later, and you are still worthy and deserving of love and forgiveness. A ritual bath can help you release regrets (after doing what you can to make things right) and remind you of your worth.
Earth: Yes, you guessed it, grounding and centering. Do it often. Also, figuring out what you need to do to create the changes you want in your life. A to-do list can be a magical tool! Check your personal environment as well. Look around and be honest — does your home encourage and reflect what you want your life to look like? Is your workspace conducive to work? Is there beauty around you?
If you will find and focus on at least one core article of faith that is central for you, and let your life reform and shift and change around it, you’ll be working with the planets this month. Let go of what needs to leave. Create what you need. Have the courage to face facts. Dance with change.
As always, the planets, houses, and aspects in your natal chart that are activated by current planetary alignments determine where the action is going to be in your life. If you want to know more, contact me for a consultation.
On the national stage
I’ll get into a bit of the astrology now, too. Find the chart here.
The Grand Cross is in mutable signs, which suggests, in addition to the need for change and integration, volatility and unpredictability driving the tension inherent in the aspect. Note the conjunction of Venus with the New Moon and the mutual reception of Venus and Mercury — discerning truth and communicating with others about shared values will be particularly favored through the 12th, when Mercury moves into Gemini, emphasizing the sociable, unpredictable, communicative nature of the month.
Also note the opposition between Mars and Mercury, tying the planet of aggression and action, strong in its own sign, into the communications channel Mercury and Venus have opened between them. The political 3-ring circus is likely to find the tigers breaking free, the elephants stampeding, and the net under the high-wire cut loose.
Because — as those of you who follow the planets know — we are also in the middle of the Saturn-Neptune square, when deception, delusion, and scandal run rampant, and you need to be careful not to fall victim to fraud and scams. The only real solution is to take practical action based on spiritual principles, but that approach will probably be less common than the one that takes the easy way out — lying, cheating, and attempting to manipulate others. Just remember that taking the high road may be harder, but will lead to a better outcome.
The 12th house Pluto suggests that our national Shadow will be on display in all its dark glory, so we are likely to see more othering, violence, racism, etc. You can do your part to counteract that by working to integrate your own shadow, and holding the resonance of inclusion, peace and compassion. The fifth house emphasis will encourage playful attitudes — perhaps inappropriately so, given the aspects. There is also likely to be a great deal of confusion and criticism around issues of resources — environmental and financial. Again, the atmosphere is one of confusion and deception — don’t get sucked in to scams.
The Summer Solstice is coming up in a couple of weeks, just hours after the Full Moon. That’s an important chart that sets the stage for the next three months, and I’ll have a post about that up in 10 days or so.
