A Neptune Flavored New Moon in Sagittarius

Transcript

 

Hey everyone, this is Adam Elenbaas from Nightlight Astrology. Happy Monday, everybody. Today, we are going to look at the new moon in Sagittarius, which is coming through early this week. It is coming through in a square to Neptune. So that plays a major role in how we're going to look at this new moon cycle. But there are also a variety of other different contextual factors that are going to be really important for us to go over and understand as we approach this new cycle, the last cycle of the year, by the way, last lunation of 2023. So that's our goal for today.

Before we get into it, don't forget to like and subscribe share your comments and reflections, and you can always find if you want one; you can always find a transcript of any of my daily talks on the website nightlightastrology.com. Remember that we are in the midst of our 10th annual Kickstarter campaign, and we are trying to get the support of 1777 backers by New Year's Eve.

If you haven't already, please consider donating to support our channel and our team; you can find the link to the Kickstarter pinned to the top of the comment section or in the description of this video. As of the time of this recording, I'm recording the intro here; we're at 425 backers en route to 1777, which means we still need 1352.

That's a long way to go. I think we can get there. But we definitely need people to pitch in and help support this channel. When you support the channel, you're supporting me and a whole team of people that make this work possible five days a week year-round. I wanted to tell you guys a little bit about myself at the beginning of our videos this month so that you can get to know me, my values as an astrologer, the intentions that go into the work, and why I think this channel is worth supporting.

One thing that people may not know is that during these last 40 days of the year, in addition to fundraising for ten years now, I also go into a space of spiritual reflection on the year that has just passed as a content creator and as a practitioner of astrology as a sort of spiritual student of astrology and as a content creator who's going to make content in the year ahead, I also try to reflect on what I'm going to do going forward or how I might want to grow or change. So, during these 40 days, there are several things that happened and I thought I'd take some time to tell you about them today.

Number one is that during these 40 days, I take time to reflect on the content that I made in the last year; I go over all of the series that I made in the past year, like, you know, tips for parents, you know, with your kids with through all 12 signs of the zodiac. How do I how do I work with my kid? If they're Sagittarius? How do I help raise my child if they're a Cancer? That video series and series like that are all something that I look back over and try to figure out what did people really like this year? You know, what really worked? What was really speaking to people? And then I also tried to figure out what I really loved, and they're not always the same.

It's really important to look and see, like, what is the audience like, what do I like? And how do I, oh, carry the tension between pleasing the audience and making sure that I'm feeling creatively happy with what I'm doing. I think that's a fine line that a lot of content creators have to walk; it's like, your audience really matters, obviously. But then, like my own creative genie, so to speak, it also needs to come forth; otherwise, I start to feel dead, and that's not going to be good for the content. Even if I know what people like, my heart's not in it. It's going to be hard to make any kind of content.

So I always reflect on that, and I reflect on where I've been, what I've learned, and how I've grown through a lot of journaling and prayer and meditation during this time. That's the first thing I do.

Then, as I've reflected on the previous year, number two, I plan the content for the following year. So some of that comes in terms of, like, okay, I see what's working, and I want to lean into some of these things that I feel like people are really liking. I plan new content for the year ahead. We've done new series like Tao Te Ching for Astrologers. In the past, the Hermetica. Some of the interesting side projects that I want to develop on the channel when there are little lulls in the transits. Those series I write during this time.

I also prep and plan for all of the major transits of the year ahead, and which ones I know I'm going to cover month by month; I look at all the lunar cycles for the year ahead. So I do all of my research basically, at this time, and content prep, a lot of it gets fleshed out, and where I insert different series will change a little bit, and sometimes series do come up on the fly as the year goes on. But this is a lot of the way in which I use this period is to reflect on the previous year's lessons and growth and and then plan new content for the year ahead.

Number three, during this time, I renew my commitment to what I'm doing spiritually, knowing that the support for what I'm doing every year comes from all of you. It comes from the people that I'm in service to, and I love the Kickstarter. I mean, I love it, and I hate it. It's a weird thing as I love it because it is a reminder I am utterly dependent on an audience that values the service I'm doing, which means I feel like for it to work, it's not that I need to perform at a certain level, it's that my heart needs to be in it.

In my experience, what's made this model successful is using a Kickstarter, which is a major source of revenue for our business; my staff is like how we do everything. It's the uncertainty, and it's the coming back to there's a, there's a kind of reciprocity, and that the only thing that seems to make that work every year is coming back and emptying the cup out and saying, Well, who knows, it could totally fall fail, it could totally fall on its face and that kind of humility, and uncertainty will say, I love it and I hate it because it is, there's a kind of sacred anxiety during this time of year for me as a content creator. But it's also really essential to getting me back to the roots of why I do what I do, which is for the love of astrology, right, and it's like because I have to face basically every year, I have to look at this and go like, well, even if it fails, I'm going to keep doing this until the day I can't until I literally have to change careers because I can't pay the bills or something really, really dramatic happens.

So this is a time where the uncertainty, the anxiety, and the reminder that there's a reciprocal relationship between this heart-centered content and the heart-centered generosity of the audience that that reciprocal dynamic and coming back to it is renewing, healing, purifying, and, and so for me, this is also a time of like, kind of just going back to my initial commitments to astrology that I started with, you know, almost 14 years ago. So it's great for that reason.

I so appreciate all of you guys for taking a moment to get to know me and the channel a little bit better. If you haven't already, we really appreciate your support. We still need 1352 backers, but I'm confident we can still get there. If you haven't already, the link is at the top of the comment section pin or in the description of the video. When you go over there, pick up a reward for your pledge, especially our class bundles.

Those are great deals that you can get; come study with us and use those they never expire, too. You can use them whenever you want. You could transfer one to a friend. So there are lots of other great rewards as well. Anyway, thanks for taking a minute with me, and I hope you will enjoy today's video on the new moon and Sagittarius.

Alright, let's go ahead and get into it. We are looking at the new moon and Sagittarius, which comes through today. We're going to look at the signatures of this new moon, and we're going to also try to contextualize them alongside of some of the major transits that are happening throughout the lunation cycle that starts with this new moon. So that is our agenda for today. I've got ten features of the new moon cycle in Sagittarius. I realized after I wrote the list, by the way, that I might end up bouncing around the list because there, it might make more sense for me to pull on number ten after number three; I was like, gosh, I'm just not sure exactly once I get in a flow, which order is going to make the most sense. So, I apologize if these ten things, these ten features of the new moon cycle, are somewhat out of order. I guess we'll live.

So, anyway, let's go ahead and put the real-time clock up. Here we go. I've been enjoying taking a new approach to the new moons and sometimes even doing full moons, and I guess my little heart is opening with respect to doing moon cycle forecasting. I had done it for a really, really long time, to be honest with you, and then, once in a while, it's like you get like sick of certain structures that are almost like demanded or expected of you. I have a Sun trine Uranus in my chart, so I'm rebellious, but not like super in your face rebellious.

But anyway, so I was at one point, I was like, I just can't do these Moon forecasts anymore. They're driving me nuts and then gradually, like certain things that drive me nuts eventually, like, Oh, I missed them. So they've been coming back. If you've noticed, I've been spending more time with new moons and slowly, occasionally, doing full moons. But part of that is also because of the Roots and Spheres program, and I want to let you guys know that one thing we're going to be doing the Roots and Spheres program, by the way, in case that doesn't make sense is our monthly Moon circle that meets up before new and full moons to discuss the astrology of the month and to be we work with plant teachers every month so if you want to check that out.

Ashley and I will be doing a preview of the 2024 routes and spheres program and a video that will come out in the next week or two; it'll be looking at the major, the biggest lunation cycles of 2024, and we'll give you a sneak preview of some of the plants we're working with and stuff like that in case you want to join. But it'll also be a good look at the big moon cycles of the year ahead.

Anyway, the point is I've been opening up to doing these more, and one of the things that I've really enjoyed has been digging into some of the nuances and details that you really see at the new moon that tells the story of the entire lunation cycle. It's like a seed that's being planted. Oftentimes, just like conception, in you know, like, pregnancy and conception, like you don't, you don't know when you're pregnant, you don't it takes a little while to be like, Oh, I guess I'm pregnant, I miss my cycle and then, you know, it takes a while for it to show and the full moon is a lot like the full belly of the pregnancy, you can now you can really see it and then the fruits are, you know, often associated with going from full moon to last quarter where this kind of harvesting or, or birthing and flushing out of all of the results of the cycle that starts with the new moon.

So, long story short, if you want to know what the cycle holds, look very carefully at the signatures of the new moon. Not only that but look at the different transits that will be unfolding throughout the cycle relative to the significations of the new moon. So that's why I've got a list of about 10 Interesting little nuances to pay attention to today for the new moon cycle.

Okay, well, let's go. A new moon in Sagittarius happening today, Tuesday, December 12. Got co-present with Mars, and, of course, the big, big news of this new moon is also that the sun and moon are moving into a square with Neptune. Of course, the sun will be squaring Neptune shortly after the new moon. Eventually, in the cycle, Mars will square Neptune eventually, and Mercury, through its retrograde, will conjoin Mars and square Neptune. So this month really is the story of a new moon with a bright, interesting square to Neptune. So it'd be a big part of what we talk about today.

As the cycle goes on, we're going to talk about a couple of other features today. Jupiter, the ruler of the new moon cycle, is slowing down stationing and turning direct. So, the turning direct of Jupiter as the ruler of the new moon cycle is a huge part of the story.

We also have the Mars-Neptune square forming as the month goes on. Month; by the way, it comes from the word moon. Isn't that kind of cool? So there we have Mars-Neptune squaring. Another interesting thing we'll be talking about today will be the new moon in the bounds of Mercury.

The new moon at 20 Sagittarius, according to the Egyptian Table of Dignities, is in the bound of Mercury, which is from 17 to 21 degrees. So we have that. We also have Mercury stationing to turn retrograde and Mercury forming a trine with Jupiter both at the time of the new moon as the bound ruler of the new moon, and as the retrograde goes on, that trine comes back as an exact aspect. Those are really interesting things.

We have the new moon taking place in the third Deccan of Sagittarius. We're going to talk briefly about that symbolism by visiting a little entry from T. Susan Chang's book 36 Secrets of Mechanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot. We'll be telling you about one of the tarot cards that she associates with the last decan, which is interesting. It's also interesting to note that as the cycle unfolds, one of the big aspects of the cycle is Venus heading into opposition with Uranus. That's a really significant part of the cycle ahead.

The other thing that's happening, which we visited in a video somewhat recently, is Pluto moving into the last anaretic degree of Capricorn that will be taking place during this lunar cycle. Mercury and Mars will meet in a conjunction through Mercury's retrograde back into Sagittarius.

Interestingly, Mercury will be cazimi with the sun on the winter solstice, which also happens not too long after the new moon. So that's a lot of information. Here's the way I work; let me pause, special message: Don't do drugs. No, I'm just kidding. Well, I mean, no, you shouldn't do drugs, but you get what I mean.

So, anyway, there is no one way of synthesizing every piece of information that I have just presented. They are all interesting, archetypal nuances to be explored jewels; we're going to hold up today and turn around in a variety of different ways to catch light from a variety of different angles and give us things to start thinking about contemplating meditating on or keeping our eyes open for as the cycle unfolds.

So, this is not an attempt to create one grand synthesizing story that every last soul will be going through. In fact, it really drives me nuts when astrologers are like, here's what we're all going to be going through. No, we're not, it's their archetypes. We all have very diverse idiosyncratic natures and experiences of the archetypes every month, and so what we want to do is capture some of the big archetypal motifs and speculate about some of the other signatures so that we can be prepared to notice them and participate more consciously with the cycle ahead.

That doesn't mean we're going to have one grand unifying field theory here. Okay, so just remember that when we look at these kinds of nuances, that's the goal. All right. Now, let us turn our attention back to the new moon. These are the ten features of the new moon cycle and Sagittarius that I want to spend time with.

Number one is, squares to Neptune lead the way. So when you have a cycle in Sagittarius, with a square to Neptune, sort of, again, sort of leading the way. What does that mean? Well, a new moon planted in the fiery sign of the Centaur, a Jupiter-ruled sign, pertains to those grand unifying features of our individual lives. Speaking of grand unifying features.

So, our beliefs, our moral or spiritual compass, our philosophical or political ideals, even the way that we like to order our daily lives to create a sense of coherence or flow, the vision we have for our life in the kind of principles of unity that flow down to us and give us the ideals by means of which we can create a cohesive little personal universe, cosmos. You guys will hear more about that as the week goes on.

So this square, first and foremost, the opening conjunction in Sagittarius, suggests a period of working through revising or even implementing things in our lives with respect to our beliefs or the ordering principles of our lives, whatever they may be.

So now, the New Moon in Sagittarius is fiery, excitable, and optimistic. It tends to be very buoyant and light charismatic. It has a little bit of a crusader feeling behind it. So, there may be the kind of conviction of a fire sign behind where we're going and why we're heading in the direction that we are as this moon cycle begins.

However, the square to Neptune is really interesting. The square to Neptune, for example, could have us chasing illusions or could have us fueled by some kind of delusional sense of certainty or self-righteousness. The square to Neptune could indicate, in other words, that there's a kind of fanaticism or a blind compulsion to follow a belief, regardless of how it may impact or affect other people or regardless of, you know if it's really good for us like maybe we have not taken enough time to really consider it.

The allure of Neptune in Pisces is emotional, and we can be like one of the tarot cards that comes to my mind with the squares, the knight of cups, who's kind of like a romantic crusader and very charismatic, very charming, very compelling and it reminds me a little bit of like, the boys in Dead Poets Society. What was the quote from Walt Whitman? In that movie, I sound my barbaric yop from the rooftops of the world, or carpe diem, seize the day. So that kind of like romantic spirit is really strong in this moon cycle.

At the same time, you know, there are many examples of this same spirit being delusional, fanatical, the same kind of romantic zeal can lead people to drugs and alcohol and sort of irreverent, you know, hedonistic attitudes about life nihilistic self-centered, you know, like, like partying, which is part of the symbolism of the Centaur. By the way, the Centaur sometimes struggles with, you know, how do I, how do I hold the tension between the kind of rational, controlled parts of my nature and the wild horse-like parts of my nature.

So, you know, when a new moon and Sagittarius, it's co-present with Mars, and it's also square to Neptune, comes through, it's possible that there's a wildness that's kind of a restrained, and it can cloak itself in high-minded ideas that we become fanatical about. So you want to be careful of a sort of fanaticism or blind zealousness, the kind of delusional attitude that can come forth.

Now, on the other hand, the beautiful thing here is that when there's a real vision, when there is a sense of hope and optimism, and you're you're fueled by something bigger than yourself, it's amazing how suddenly it says, though, as opposed to fighting against, you know, you're like in a little Kayak or something, and you're trying to go against the current of the river, that when you find something bigger than yourself that you can align yourself with suddenly, it's like the kayak gets turned around, and now you've got the current moving you and all you have to do is kind of gently steer a little bit.

So this could also be a moment where we move from fighting against something or being in a phase of resistance to finding that connection to something bigger than ourselves that moves us along, inspires us, and carries us. That's the real exciting part about this transit is the enthusiasm that can come and act as a kind of moral or spiritual compass; it just go this way, and all of a sudden, you find that there's this mighty current of support spiritually or energetically sort of helping you out.

But is it mine? Is it my ego? Is it my way? Is it my will, is it my desires? Is there like a, you know, something like that, that there's a temptation to be swept up in something self-centered or delusional. So we have to be a little bit careful about that and also the way in which it can cloak itself in, you know, good things, people throughout history, you know, if you think about the, the ideas that people have been most willing to use, for the sake of, you know, like, like harming other people.

A lot of times, if people believe that those ideas are good for everyone, that they're somehow Noble or virtuous ideas, then they forget that, like, you know, killing other people in the name of something you believe in that you believe to be good is questionable. So anyway, you get what I'm saying. All right.

Now, the second feature of the moon cycle that I think is really fascinating is that Jupiter is turning direct during this moon cycle. So if the cycle goes on, this is December 12, by the end of the month, and let's just take this forward a little bit. We can see that Jupiter actually turns direct just after the full moon. So, just after the full moon comes through right around, I think this full moon is with a 27 or 26. Maybe it's a 26. So then, if you take this forward just a few days later, right at the 30th, Jupiter is stationing and turning direct.

So it is really interesting how this cycle By the time that the belly is showing by the time that we're ready for delivery, so to speak on a kind of karmic level, Jupiter, the ruler of the New Moon, is turning direct in Taurus. I would like to think that Jupiter in Taurus ultimately is bringing us some kind of reassurance, stability, grace, ease, temperance, a sort of balancing effect.

Jupiter in Taurus is in a stable Venus-ruled earth sign. That's a nice thing for Jupiter to be turning direct, as this fiery Neptunian square, you know, squared new moon, and Sagittarius is coming through for the ruler to be turning direct in a stable earth sign, to me, suggests that the vision is finding, you know, where the temptation is there to go over the top or to become zealous or to just, you know, go crusading for something with all the romantic zeal in the world behind us that there's also this very earthy weighty temperament, quality that's there to support us.

Now, the other thing that could represent is that this cycle, quite literally, refers to the reorientation or implementation of a new mode of being. Remember, the new moon and Jupiter sign can relate back to those principles, those ordering virtues that Jupiter is so frequently associated with, and if Jupiter is about to station and turn direct, a period of having them broken down or a period of setbacks or delays or revision or introspection, relative to the kind of the way in which we're living in the goals or ideals by means of which we see ourselves into the future, they're going through some kind of change this month, and Jupiter turning direct after the full moon would suggest that that's what we're in the process of birthing somehow in this cycle and it could be very small things, don't underestimate how important small little changes are, and how a cycle like this, when you hear it on an astrology channel can feel like it's this huge thing. But actually, it's a really subtle thing.

They might have to do with a different philosophy you're taking with respect to your health or your diet; it could be a slightly different approach you're taking to your spiritual practices could be a slightly different approach you're taking to the management of your assets or resources. There's some kind of philosophical systematic turning, that might be reflected in the cycle or even a managing of your desires or your impulses. So I love Jupiter turning direct as kind of the ruling symbol, the ruler, and the symbolism of it turning direct as the ruler of the lunation.

Alright, number three is Mars-Neptune square, coming behind. So, as the month goes on, one of the things that you'll see is that Mars is going to get into the square with Neptune. Surprise, surprise, this also happens right after the full moon. It is a Mars in Jupiter sign connected to Jupiter that's turning direct. Mars-Neptune squares are very magical, but they also tend to coincide with fanaticism. They can be magical, and I've used this; if you listen, watch my channel; you've heard me say it a million times. It's the Joan of Arc transit. I think she was in a garden when she got the vision to, you know, be something of a fighter. Right? Like she got a holy call to war.

That's a very Mars-Neptune archetype, really speaking, and that call can be a call to action on behalf of a vision larger than ourselves. Surprise, surprise, that was the cycle that was the new moon signature as well. Right? Mars is sort of amplifying that exact same idea, and no surprise is happening as Jupiter is turning direct. So the Mars-Neptune squares sort of amplifying the feeling that this cycle is about taking action on behalf of renewed or shifting ideals or visions for life and starting to feel enthused by them.

Now, again, watch for the shadow of fanaticism, watch for the shadow of self-righteousness or, you know, sort of delusions of grandeur or something like that. But be excited. It's not illegal to be excited.

The other thing that I find really interesting is that, and I'm going to discuss where I jump around a little bit that, Mercury and Mars will be meeting in Sagittarius around the same time. So notice that the Mercury-Mars Mercury retrograding back into Sagittarius comes into conjunction with Mars right after hitting a square to Neptune. So Mercury, Mars is very vocal. This is where, you know, we might be feeling very vocal and what's the word I want it like convicted, vocal, loud, demonstrative, enthusiastic, cheerful, but also sort of provocative. It wouldn't be surprising to see people getting into verbal arguments or spats for people to make, you know, sort of irreverent declarations that seem a little bit like the Mad Hatter sat down at the table.

You know, the square to Neptune here in the month. This is coming right around again right after the full moon, which is right after Christmas. This you can see wow, there's a signature here of sort of otherworldly enthusiasm, seeing beyond the veil receiving visions speaking. You know, it's great Mercury Neptune, by the way, and it is fantastic for meditation, psychedelic experience, artistic transmissions, and ideas that are somehow otherworldly and yet suddenly intelligible.

But the conjunction with Mars in a fire sign both Jupiter ruled as Jupiter's turning direct could also be just what you need to shift a belief from somewhat fanatical to a little bit more balanced and stable. So you see how that theme just keeps repeating itself. Anyway, Mercury and Mars meeting and Saj during the cycle is also very interesting. Let's go back. See, I told you to jump around in order.

Now, the New Moon is also taking place in the bound of Mercury. So, if we go back in time, here is the new moon in Sagittarius, and it is taking place in the bounds of Mercury. Now Mercury is stationing and turning retrograde, literally within the day of the new moon within 24 hours. So, we have a simultaneous bound ruler turning retrograde. What is the boundary ruler? People ask the question all the time.

The best way to think of the boundary that I've come across so far is to think of it in terms of the planet Saturn. All the dignity categories, by the way, have interesting philosophical connections to the nature of different kinds of planets. For example, excitations have an interesting connection to the moon. Domicile rulers have an interesting connection to the sun. Triplicity rulers have an interesting connection to Jupiter, and we have in the bound ruler is an interesting connection to Saturn.

So, with the bound ruler, what you're thinking about is what kinds of expectations, prohibitions, restrictions, or structures is the new moon forced to work within and notice here; this is freaking fantastic. Mercury's turning retrograde, which suggests the cycle has some kind of revisionary component. What is it turning retrograde into a trine with Jupiter, who is stationing and turning direct? So Mercury will trine Jupiter.

That is fantastic, because it essentially suggests some kind of practical, stabilizing revisioning redemptive quality like, you know, this cycle will help us with our most passionate ideals, visions, the things we're connected to that are bigger than ourselves. But it'll also help us revise those beliefs and transcendent features of our lives so that they're more practically beneficial and useful.

Sort of like saying all the greatest ideas in the world are great, but if you don't have practical plans to use them or to implement them into your lives, then you're not bridging heaven and Earth, and that's part of what astrology is really all about. There's an alchemy, there's a yoking of the above and the below, so to see this kind of fiery Neptunian signature around the new moon, all the squares to Neptune. Then the bound ruler, the thing that grants form and structure, is materializing through Mercury's retrograde in Capricorn, a Saturn-ruled sign trying Jupiter who's turning direct in Taurus.

So again, I love that connection, as the retrograde gets started, as fantastic because Mercury can kind of break things apart; things can start to deconstruct with Mercury, and especially in an earth sign, you can feel like structures are sort of coming apart. But the trine to Jupiter suggests they're coming apart because it's like you're taking the legos and rearranging them into a new structure, and the new structure is, you know, it's like you're modifying an existing one; it'd be like sort of like a renovation rather than a tear it down to the, to the foundations and build it up again, kind of thing. I mean, that's the image that comes to my mind anyway.

So I love this because it's another, it suggests on another level, that there's this kind of revision of Jupiterian values, beliefs, structures, very lofty, visionary, excitable energy, but then very practical, tangible ways of making change. I think it's also fascinating on the same note that I'm jumping around again here; this is number eight on my list; I just couldn't decide. But then you have as the cycle goes on, look by December 20, which is just after the first quarter moon, Pluto goes into the anaretic degree of Capricorn, once again, suggesting that the Plutonian ability to shift and transform deep structures of karma is peaking.

Isn't that fantastic? What a cool set of symbols we have in earth signs that suggests that the ideal and sort of transcendental Till visionary level is being married to deep, practical, earthy transformation. All right, anyway.

Now let's go into see the other thing that's really fascinating on the exact same note, and I'm jumping around again here, but look at what's happening on the winter solstice, right as the sun crosses into Capricorn, which is the winter solstice in zodiacal language, but it could be you know, opposite solstice if you're in the southern hemisphere. Either way, on the solstice, the Capricorn solstice, we have Mercury cazimi at the heart of the sun; as the sun moves into an earth sign and simultaneously starts trining Jupiter, what does the sun's trining to Jupiter indicate? Always in the superior cycles, synodic cycles between sun and Mars, Sun and Jupiter, Sun, and Saturn that trine from same element the same element means that the planet is about to change directions.

So here we have after this again, sort of very fiery, visionary kind of new moon, we have earthy earthiness, like over and over the Mercury cazimi at the heart of the sun on the solstice suggests a kind of a catalyst for change of you know, it's sort of reiterated or amplified by Pluto at the anaretic degree by Jupiter turning direct and an earth sign.

So, I see this as a very empowered moment, almost like you know, the design or the blueprint that's being laid out through Mercury's retrograde and trying to Jupiter, who's turning direct is being empowered, it's given all the tools it needs by the sun, it was the cazimi was said to be Mercury like sort of seated on the throne of the king. So he was an empowering moment for this Mercury who's trying to implement change, of course; then Mercury backs into Sagittarius, conjoins Mars, and hits the square to Neptune again, which, once again, says we are working in two spheres of visionary sphere and a sort of practical application sphere. Okay, so, see, see how the pattern just reiterates all over again. It's really pretty cool.

I'm going to finish with the third deck, and as the final thing, we look at. The next one is that Venus is also heading into an opposition with Uranus. So that Venus Uranus opposition also comes on the 20th just before the winter solstice, and you know, Venus, Uranus. Look at that, you know, interesting that there is this, you know, here we have what looks to me like, again, it's almost like plans, visions, and orientations changing, insights being crystallized, and so forth.

Now, all of a sudden, we have a serious relational ramification, where the goddess of love relationships, friendships, lovers, sex, art, beauty, women, etc., is hitting an opposition to Uranus. This is a moment of tremendous freedom, growth, exploration, creativity, originality, breakthroughs, and liberation in love and relationships. Is it happening right in the midst of this, which makes me wonder if some of these changes are helping us to free ourselves up, to love more, to love better, to love more freely, to love more authentically, to create change in healing and growth in relationships?

This is a deep, cathartic moment with Venus in Scorpio opposing Uranus in Taurus. It's almost as though all of this is going to change how we relate to other people there's a real relational component that comes in right around the 20th at the time of the solstice.

Now, finally, I want to look at the third Deccan of Sagittarius. The new moon is happening right around that third deccan, the 20th degree, the last 10 degrees of Sagittarius story. The 10 of Wands comes to mind. Anyway, this is Sagittarius three, the third deck in where she actually also uses the world and temperance along with 10 of wands. I'm going to read you some of what she says about the third deccan, and again, this book is called 36 Secrets that Mechanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot by T Susan Chang. I've been getting into the deccans a little bit more lately, and I find that you know that it's not my favorite astrological tool, but I'm getting it. I'm opening myself to it. Anyway, it is there you useful though, so that my interest level does not indicate their level of importance.

We have arrived at the final Deccan of Sagittarius; the northern sunlight is steadily diminishing, bound to reach its nadir at the conclusion of this period, and remember this is in the symbolic zodiacal language, which came from the northern hemisphere. The arrow, propelled with ruthless swiftness by the archer's strength, buries its shaft in the bull's eye with a fatal thunk. Almost two-thirds of the Zodiacal year is spent, and we shall see no more of the fiery suit of Wands till spring when we get back to Aries.

Everywhere, folks are straining at max capacity somewhere along the line. Probably back in the seventh, someone said failure is not an option, and now everyone is paying for it. The planetary major of Saturn is the world corresponding to long time spans, mass, pressure, and enclosure. The Zodiacal major of Temperance is Sagittarius, corresponding to long distances and far reaches in high aspirations. Did you know, by the way, that Sagittarius was also associated with running marathons?

So it's worth asking what happens when you try to carry the weight of the entire world on a long-distance hike. I've said that the story of Fire is a story of heroic adventure. I call the Aries cards how to aim high, the Leo cards how to go public, and the Sagittarius cards how to be a legend.

Fires elemental major is the judgment card in which our narrative is polished to its final degree; the ten of Wands can be our greatest victory, the final forging of our legend, or we can literally flame out in an orgy of destruction that consumes either ourselves or others or both.

Doesn't that feel isn't that interesting? There's this thought of like a culminating moment that's either a breakthrough or a collapse. The other thing we could have said about Neptune and all these aspects to Neptune is that it can represent failure, exhaustion, defeat, giving up trying to escape, drugging ourselves out, or putting ourselves to sleep or numbing ourselves out because somehow the burden is too much.

I chose a very heroic, optimistic way of looking at it. But it is true that all of the Neptunian signatures this month could be testing our faith. Can you push through to the end with courage and determination, holding to your vision? Even if you have to make some changes? You know, can you do that? Or will you get exhausted? Or will you get exhausted because you're a workaholic, pushing too hard? You know, it's a fine line, you know.

A whole bundle of fascism, she says in the next section; the hermetic title of the 10 of wands is the Lord of oppression. Well, all 10s carry tons of freight, but none are as burdensome as the 10 of wands. Why is that? Well, let's look at the themes we've explored in the Wands suit: dominion, virtue, completion, strife, victory, valor, swiftness, strength, and now oppression. These are stations along a journey of conquest. Some are more useful than others, but the fiery ambition of the suit of wands was always going to come to one of several charismatic ends, an epic victory to be immortalized in song and story, a crushing of the spirit beneath the weight of one's ego thinks Citizen Kane, isn't that interesting? We just mentioned Citizen Kane recently, where the ruthless suppression of all who stand in one's way.

You see how all in all of those descriptions she's giving, there's a sense of, like, do I go nuclear and fanatic and get crushed under the weight of my own ego and have to repair the damage? Or is there some kind of immortal victory that is awaiting if I keep the right spirit in work, like sort of whistle while I work through the difficult end?

One afternoon, having drawn the 10 of Wands and doing a very 10 of wands, chore pruning and weeding the raspberry patch, I found myself listening to a podcast on fascism. This prompted me to look at the etymology of fascism, which I learned derives from fascists. I think that's how it's called fascists, a bundle of sticks, including sometimes an axe, whose handle was tied into the bundle. This icon of ancient Rome symbolizes the power of the state to exercise capital punishment, the ultimate form of control.

So this card has come to be closely allied with the notion of authoritarianism, at least for me, and the fascist dynamic; both oppressor and oppressed bear burdens, though they are of different kinds. A tyrant who sacrifices humanity for an end that justifies the means, and now he must forever defend the shell of his victory. The subjects, meanwhile, have lost their freedom and autonomy even as they strain into the yoke; the seeds of their eventual uprising already germinate. Hidden in there, unrest as the axe handle is hidden in the sticks is the tyrant's fateful downfall.

Now, that tyrant could also be applied to a part of us that is being unrealistic or too hard on ourselves, or that we don't have a compassionate enough vision, or that we don't recognize the currents carrying us we think we have to do all the rowing, in which case we're rowing against the current rather than going with it.

See how those themes have to do with how we carry burdens and how do we get things accomplished. There's a lot of that also with Mercury trine Jupiter, the sun trine Jupiter turning direct in Taurus. It's generally accepted that Smith took her inspiration for the 10 of Wands image from the 10 of swords in the 15th-century Sola Busca tarot I don't know if that's pronounced right, but black and white images of the Sola Busca deck were produced in 1907 and exhibited in London. The Waite-Smith collaboration took place in 1909. When you compare the two, the color palette is different, and of course, one has one of swords, but the framing, the body language, and the awkwardness of the image is the same. The bundle's on the bear's back; it'd be heavy but manageable; as it is, the bundle is precariously balanced, ergonomically ridiculous, and what's more, it's blocking his sight; who carries anything like that?

So you know, there's that quality of like being blinded by something and maybe not carrying it in the right way, and we've had to make adjustments, and if we have made adjustments to how we're carrying something difficult, then maybe we have the foresight and flow to carry something through to completion. The fact is, those sticks are coming down, and the question I've been asking my clients over 20 years is this where are you going to drop them in front or behind you, drop them behind you, and you move on? Less empowered, maybe, but baggage-free? Drop them in front of you, and you get to do this all over again?

The other thing to consider is this what are wands made of wood fuel for the fire? The main source of heating in my house is a woodstove at the time of year indicated by this card. Firewood is a big part of our lives, back and forth to the woodpile, to the wood box, and the wood box to the stove, when we're not neck deep and that other winter tasks shoveling the driveway, it's cyclical hibernal drudgery.

One thing I can tell you about building a fire is that if you load in too much wood, it won't light fire feeds on Earth, but it needs air to breathe, so too can ambition stifle the talent and inspiration that surrounds it. See that these are great themes for this last, this new moon in Sagittarius square to Neptune, Mars square to Neptune and also the significations of especially Mercury and Jupiter and earth signs.

I've often drawn the 10 of Wands with the fool, which corresponds to elemental air I've taken as a reminder to breathe less the fires of your spirits suffocate under the Saturnian weight of your own expectations. I also drew the 10 of Wands when protests erupted over the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. George Floyd wasn't the first victim of police brutality to cry out I can't breathe, and unfortunately, he is not likely to be the last. So there's a message in the card about the way authoritarianism literally stifles one's life breath stacked into cordwood; the ten wands become fuel for barracks and beacons for revolution. They are the weight born patiently for decades. But once they are ignited, a true conflagration will ensue; it will not stop until is that it has exhausted itself by consuming everything down to ash, and that's a message of this card, too.

She goes on to talk about a few other things. But one of the things that I really appreciate about this is that she's really basically saying, you know, how do we carry heavy things through to completion, and a part of whether we are able to or not depends on our attitude, how realistic we're being, how compromising, how flexible, how much we're willing to allow higher powers to help us carry the weight so that we can breathe.

There's a hexagram in the I-Ching that I cast that I didn't think to bring up formally, but it's called Worrying the Tiger, and it has to do with a person following a tiger through the jungle; I heard one commentator put it this way was really beautiful. The tiger represents the power of Heaven. So let's say that's a vision or a hope, or an aspiration, something that you hope to get at the 10 of wands, something that you've been pushing for with visionary zeal. So you follow the tiger through the jungle.

You can't be too afraid to not; you have to walk closely behind the tiger to make sure you follow it to the destination. You can't walk too closely with too much ambition that you step on its tail; it'll bite you, and it'll destroy you at the same time. If you're afraid and you trail too far behind it, you won't see what it's doing, and you'll lose the trail.

So we have to walk this path when it comes to our ambitions; we have to follow the tiger, knowing that it is the way and not us. That's an ego submission thing. We also can't run too close to it, pushing ahead of it. Our ego gets bitten, and we drop the stack of wood, and it's all over. On the other hand, if we don't take up the ambition at all, we don't take up the mission, the crusade, the vision, and follow closely behind the tiger with some courage even though our hearts pounding, we also won't get where we want to go.

So it's a tricky balance to figure all of that out. Isn't it interesting that, you know, this is all happening as Jupiter, one of the meanings of Jupiter in ancient astrology, would be like temperance at its best. Now, Jupiter can also mean excess, but it tends to be either excessive or sort of temperate. So, at any rate, the Jupiter theme turning direct and a Venus-ruled sign would show us something that is more stable and more stable, and have we learned a lesson about how to be more stable in the way that we do things at all? And can we learn it as we go, following something through to completion that we're very charismatic about?

These are all different ways of looking at the significations of this lunar cycle. I hope that they have have been useful to you and you know that they help you think about what's to come in ways that are engaging so that you can engage with the lunar cycle more meaningfully.

Anyway, as you guys know, we are trying to reach 1777 backers by New Year's, speaking of goals and carrying them through to completion. If you haven't already, please consider pitching into the Kickstarter; we thank you so much if you have.

You can find the link to the Kickstarter, by the way, in the comment section pinned to the top or in the description of this video. Pick up 50% off any of my online courses 75 when you bundle three or four courses together or six different programs we offer; there are other readings we offer that you can pick up through the Kickstarter and some really interesting talks that I don't offer anywhere else. We really appreciate your support, and again, a big thanks to everyone who's already pitched in. Alright, that's it for today. Have a great new moon and a great cycle to come by, everyone.