♋♑ ~> River Deep – Mountain High - Sun in Cancer Full Moon in Capricorn 17°09’ @5:07 UT July 9th

☽☼☾ On July 9th, from the outer reaches of our solar system, the astrological Lord of the Underworld, Pluto, aligns perfectly with a Full Moon @ 17°09’ Capricorn, opposite the Cancerian Sun (at same degrees). During this alignment certain situations, feelings or relationships are cosmically bound to transform purely by being confident, caring, and daring to look and indeed going beyond the norm. Take note: this is a Full Moon where discipline is called for when taking action to go bravely beyond one’s comfort zone, especially when exploring Pluto’s mysteries.

Enigmatic Pluto is a generational planet, meaning entire swathes of people born between rather long time frames have a similar means of transforming all that which no longer serves. Ruthless in fixity, Pluto is the planet of extremes that takes one higher onto the mountain, deeper into the unknown, safe in the wisdom that we are never really alone and that the cosmos always supports – even in the face of adversity. The generation born today will bear the celestial hallmark of an Pluto in Capricorn, the sign of the spiritual and ambitious mountain goat. Thus, it’s a collective, all-or-nothing transformation of authority, taxes, business, and, perhaps most importantly, the conservation of shared resources, such as the land, mining and forestry. Sharing such assets could also come naturally to those who are intent on making the world an easier place for the many and not the few*.

Often with an air of invisibility, Pluto is an metamorphic planet of secrets and power, sexual magnetism and psychic sensibility – a slow-moving planet that can indicate a seductive gradual unfolding of subtle energies now illuminated by the Sun. Due to its long orbit around the Sun (248 years), Pluto is currently slowly ploughing through earthy, ambitious, mountain-climbing Capricorn, making transparency – or the lack of it – a key issue for those hungry for control by any means possible. But while the last of vestiges of the ‘7x Uranus-Pluto Cardinal square’ continues to spotlight corruption and tyranny (without and within), the collective task of altruistic 'social reform in the age of technological innovation'** (the Uranus-Pluto square that lasts from 2010-2018) continues apace, sadly all-too-often with the kind of upheaval and disruption that can make people cynical, anxious and suspicious.

Because the sensitive Moon is in its’ ‘fall’ in Capricorn, even the unconditional nurturing nature of Mother Moon may seem limited. For whatever reason: too busy, too tired, too hard bitten, or unable to emote by letting the mind rule the heart, the Moon with profound Pluto indicates there’s a tendency towards a broody sangfroid, dressed up in a seductive sexiness that exudes issues of control, that do no one any favours. Should you encounter this attitude within yourself or others – as the Moon and Pluto in Capricorn can turn things against oneself, best move on, investing time and energy into accomplishing matters that satisfy the deeply spiritual side of yourself by being profound in ways that empower, yet still allow one to remain private and confidential in one’s accomplishment.

From the astrological historical point of view, what makes this Moon Pluto contact most interesting is how both the Cancerian Sun and Mars (the latter a Pluto adversary) have all come together to highlight the degree of Pluto’s discovery, which was in Cancer at the time when the nuclear bomb was discovered, as well as the introduction for birth-control pills for women. Pluto is the planet of sex, death, snake medicine, and other people’s assets, so it no surprise to see life and death issues now raised – and attempts to control the feminine Shakti power. It’s also evolutionary Pluto’s nodal degree, indicating an unseen power portal has opened, through which we can jointly tunnel through difficulties, by concentrating and holding the light in focus.

All the while Pluto and the Moon reflect the beams of the comforting Cancerian Sun – in the Moon’s home sign; the strength of which may resemble the warm love a mother has for her child, a love which may even negate and avert any potential dark night of the soul, especially for those who can handle opposition with grace and clarity.

Yet even though the radiant Sun is in the Moon’s domain, Sol cosies up to usually dynamic Mars, but which is now in ‘detriment’ in the sign of the Crab, i.e. Mars is not the Sun’s usual strong henchman and both Sun and Moon sense vulnerability. Mars is in fact currently very weak and battle scarred, possibly even needing a place to rest and looking forward to holidays. In Cancer, heroic Mars also defends ideals that lie in the ancestral past. Even if skeletons rattle in the Plutonic closet, family ties are important over this Full Moon. With nepotism aside, Mars with the Sun also suggests the chances for staying home to make fairy cakes may (eventually) ignite more passion than swashbuckling with celebrity pirates in super yachts and other such brash summer fun. So best save the bling until the New Leo Moon in a couple of weeks, when its sparkles a-go-go.

Within astrological rulerships there are times, however, when planets in ‘fall’ and ‘detriment’ can still helpfully connect to facilitate positive outcomes. And this could well be the case at this Full Moon, as Mars is exalted in Capricorn, and the Moon at home in Cancer. So both Mars, and Luna, find themselves in signs in which the other excels. This kind of mutual admiration from afar can work wonders; a configuration such as this can help clarify good friends from bad enemies – which could be very handy at a Full Moon that reactivates the now infamous ‘Cardinal Cross of The Central Spiritual Sun’: the astrological configuration dominating the heavens in various waves of intensity for the past seven years raising spiritual awareness as well as the materialistic opposite. As the Lights, Sun and Moon, also form a tight T-Square to expansive Jupiter in harmonious Libra, they also tighten the square towards Uranus in Aries July 10th, as the Moon then creates a square Cardinal sky mandala, with four planets each approximately 90° apart. Just as Jupiter’s far sighted wisdom make it the Cardinal Cross’s synthesiser, it is Uranus that functions as THE ‘Agent of Change’, with the intention to benefit others the stimulus to act. Those who have planets dominant in Cardinal signs, Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn in his or her scope may even experience a seemingly sudden change of direction the day after the exact culmination of the Full Moon, around July 10th, extending the time-frame to the above mentioned New Leo Moon, July 23rd.

A Cardinal Cross is always action-packed, and the will to perfect good actions will certainly hold one in karmic stead. Whatever a planet/sign joins the either Sun or Moon, in this instance of the Cardinal Square with Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, Uranus, it further defines and suddenly brings to light, from out of the shadows all kinds of previously hidden and murky issues. Pluto in Capricorn, for instance, means empire-building Big Boys feel the heat. Make no mistake, getting to the bottom of certain shared secrets and investments during this Full Moon is no ordinary mission, but one that requires utmost self-control, responsibility and TRUST.

Sun and Moon are approaching good aspect to Chiron, which has just gone retrograde for the rest of the year, only going forward at the beginning of December, bring the healing of our waters, emotions and dreams to the fore. Shaman Chiron squares up to karmic Saturn to face-up to the pain which teaches compassion.

This year of the Fire Bird’s insightful and creative ‘Fire Trine’ also now begins to witness planets and asteroids come and go within 2017’s astral triangle featuring key players: Uranus in Aries, North Node in Leo, and Saturn in Sagittarius. Notably, Warrior Goddess Pallas Athena, though now shifting signs into Taurus, stays close to Uranus for the rest of the year, indicating a need to plan for iconoclastic change; and Karmic Saturn now joins the dark side of the feminine, Black Moon Lilith, for a few months of intense soul searching into one’s own truth, especially giving form to the heady responsibility of the wild woman’s freedoms; plus the August eclipses when The Lights’ really begin to spark and burn away the dross to reveal an innate inner-wisdom.

To sum up, standing in the shadows may seem like a preferred option for some in the run up to Full Moon culmination, but as Luna peaks the desire to instigate alternatives and revel in the new and beautiful may be too irresistible – though it may still take time to formalise options and adjustments.

With Full Moon Blessings of Love and Light - especially as this is also Guru Purnima, the day we honour our teachers, to whom I give thanks for their blessings and faith, from Laura aka Astro Dakini 🙏❤️💖💙💜💛

Also, a note to say there are a few places left for this year’s Astrology Retreats in Southern France.
And a mention to two astrologers whose work struck me this week : * Bill Herbst – Mountain Astrologer Dec ‘15 & **Astrid Fallon – Planetary Cycles, with Love and thanks 🙏💕also to Onejian from Deviant Art for Buddha Mountain Buddha artwork 🙏❤️