Toward a Metamorphosis

The upcoming full moon in Sagittarius will occur at exactly 2°55′ of the Gemini–Sagittarius axis on Thursday, May 23 at 6:53 AM in California, 07:53 hours in Mexico or 15:53 hours in Santander. However, there are many events happening prior to the full moon so I wanted to send this article a bit earlier. I began writing on Friday, May 10, with the lunation barely entering its Crescent Moon phase, and I find the events during the waxing phases to be of singular importance. Let me start, however, with a few words about the powerful radiation we have been receiving these past few days.

Solar Flares

The sun flips its magnetic poles about every eleven years, a period called a solar cycle that presents variations in the number and size of sunspots, solar flares and coronal loops, from a time of minimum activity to one of maximum activity and back. Upon reaching the Earth’s magnetic field, solar flares are responsible for geomagnetic storms that produce auroras and electromagnetic disruptions. Solar cycles have been sequentially numbered since 1755, when extensive recording of solar activity began, and we are currently in the twenty-fifth one. Although solar cycle 25 was supposed to reach its maximum activity in 2025, the prediction was revised a few months ago and the peak is expected this year.

As a matter of fact, we may have entered such peak in the past few days, for the number and, moreover, the magnitude of the solar flares we are currently experiencing is truly enormous. To give you an idea, in the first ten days of May, we had thirteen M-class flares, when we had none in all of 2018, and we even had three X-class flares! Not only that, the activity was even higher during the weekend of May 11–12, when I am writing these words.¹ The classification system uses a logarithmic scale of energy flux (power emitted per surface area) such that the M-class is ten times more powerful than the already strong C-class, but ten times weaker than the extreme X-class. Similarly, geomagnetic storms have a G1–G5 classification, akin to hurricane categories, and we had over the weekend several of magnitude G5.

They affect us because our bodies receive the storms and react in various ways, perhaps lack of sleep, headaches, excessive ringing in the ears (tinnitus), exhaustion, and many more. The flares are but the physical manifestation of a subtler level of consciousness we are receiving for humanity’s quantum leap, and our bodies are trying to assimilate them. So, the more we relax and welcome the new consciousness, the easier will be our transition. Consciousness is the substance of the mind so all we need to do is open and relax our mind, that way it can detect and hold-on to the subtlest level of consciousness possible.

These peaks seem to be associated with the Jupiter–Uranus conjunction, particularly energized now that Jupiter get closer to the anaretic degree of Taurus, the sign of the conjunction. The same thing happened during the 2010 conjunction that produced intense solar flares, even though that cycle didn’t reach its peak until 2014. The effects of the conjunction will continue to be felt for the rest of the month and beyond, so what I wrote about following our heart with faith will continue to be relevant through most of 2024.

The Waxing Phases

In the new-moon article, I briefly discussed the salient events we should expect in the next few days so I will just expand on a few key points. Chiefly, before May 20, when Sun will enter Gemini, there will be a large number of planets in Taurus (up to five) forming important aspects in the last ten degrees of the sign, as we will presently see, so what I said about having a desire for stability and attachment will hold true at least until then. The Earth and its biosphere, as well as our bodies with its needs and desires, will remain front and center. Unlike our minds that can easily fool us, our bodies are our “antennas to reality”, as José Millán eloquently said. It is important that we listen as objectively as possible to what our body tells us, for example with the help of Vipassana meditation. Those of us with planets or angles in the 20°–30° range of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) will feel more strongly the energies of the next ten days.

Last Monday, May 13, we experienced the exact conjunction between Sun and Uranus at Taurus 23°06′, which formed a sextile with Moon at Cancer 29⁰17′, whereupon it formed an exact trine with Neptune (Pisces 29⁰16′) and an out-of-sign opposition, that was exact a few hours later, with Pluto at Aquarius 2⁰05′. Thus, the two luminaries and the three transpersonal planets, representing our core and the generational cosmic processes, are requesting from us a deep personal transformation.

Briefly, those planets are urging us to renew ourselves and be attuned to the overall “upgrade” in consciousness for the biosphere, including and especially for humanity as a whole. I find it notable that it is through Moon that Pluto exerts the Sun–Uranus power for Aquarian change; you may recall that, being in Aquarius, Pluto is currently ruled by Uranus. The Moon–Pluto opposition is saying that the impulse and the resistance to change, both, will be emotional (Moon), perhaps associated to personal memories, which may be subconscious, or from traditions and other collective memories (Neptune).

Mercury in Taurus

This may have become evident today, May 15, when two key events took place: the entrance of Mercury into Taurus and the First Quarter phase. When I mentioned Mercury in Taurus in the new-moon article, I said that our interaction with the environment acquires a high degree of materiality in Taurus: things have to be touched, smelled, the body must agree with the mind, and with what we eat, plus our relationship with nature, all become important. Every time a planet enters a sign, their joint archetypes are strongly felt, and this is especially true now due to the crisis of the First Quarter phase, a crisis about specific ideas we may want to materialize and that surged since the new moon.

On Friday, May 17, Mercury will transit through Taurus 2⁰03’ and form an exact square with Pluto at the same degree of Aquarius. Any connection between those two planets brings to mind the revelation of deep secrets, particularly seeing that Pluto is in the truth-seeking sign of Aquarius. Looking ahead, you can see in the full moon chart that Mercury will be peregrine at Taurus 11°03′, meaning that it doesn’t form a major aspect (conjunction, sextile, square, trine or opposition) with any other planet and it is free to “roam around”. However, a week later, on May 30 or 31, it will form a very important conjunction with Uranus, its higher octave, at Taurus 24⁰08′, which will align the rational and intuitive aspects of our mind around issues of innovation, reform or rebellion.²

Venus, Jupiter and Neptune

The following day, Saturday May 18, will sport two exact conjunctions within a few hours: the first between Venus and Uranus at Taurus 23°24′, and the second between Sun and Jupiter at Taurus 28°18′. Since they are only 5° apart, the planets will act as a quadruple conjunction in Taurus. Their archetypes will offer a new perspective, an opportunity to see the world from a higher point of view, with the “new eyes” of an expanded consciousness.

Venus in Taurus is normally a conservative phase for our relatedness but Uranus will have it look for new horizons. At the same time, the Sun and Jupiter conjunction will optimistically bless “socially” whatever “crazy” relationship or investment is presented by Venus. The enormous amount of Taurus energy, which includes Mercury, will be perfect for a weekend of heightened sensuality, perhaps surrounded by nature. It is worth noting that Saturn is absent from this picture so, even though Taurus is a conservative sign, we may want to sprinkle a healthy dose of skepticism in case Venus proposes something wacky this weekend.

Aries Contingent

Finally, on Sunday May 19, the day before Sun enters Gemini, Mars will be conjunct with the North Node at Aries 14°56′, bringing out the Mars archetypes to our daily life, for the Nodal axis has a slight Jupiter–Saturn effect on planets conjoining it. When a planet forms a conjunction with the North Node, its archetypes are expanded by being imbued in our everyday experiences, whereas a conjunction with the South Node has a contracting effect by crystalizing the past. On one hand, Mars and the North Node may bring the shadow Martian aspects of war and general violence, but it will also be energy to begin something new, in particular if you have planets or angles around the Nodal axis, in the 15⁰–20⁰ range of Aries or Libra.

Near the end of the month, on May 29, Mars and Chiron will form a conjunction at Aries 22⁰10′. Chiron in Aries brings out the “right to exist” issue, and often fuels pacifist movements, student protests and the like. The combination of Mars transiting over the North Node and later over Chiron may first bring out atrocities near the nineteenth, followed by peace initiatives around the twenty-ninth.

Full Moon in Sagittarius

Between those two dates, at the time of the full moon of May 23 (see the enclosed chart on the left), all three will be found in a tight Aries stellium flanked by the North Node at 14°42′ and Chiron at 21°53′, with their midpoint (18°18′) being less than one degree away from Mars at 17°32′. It is worth noting that all three form 135° sesquiquadrates with Moon and 45° semi-squares with Sun, two aspects that bring awareness, although not as forcefully as the opposition.

In a full moon, you may recall, the fruit of what was accomplished with the new-moon seed during the waxing phases is displayed by Moon, literally reflecting the polarity of Sun’s sign. For two lunations, Chiron’s message of having personal sovereignty, as defined at the last full moon, has been emphasized in the field of experiences symbolized by the birth-chart house in which Chiron (Aries 19°–22°) has been located. Mars will provide the necessary energy and the North Node a combination of daily opportunities and synchronicities to work on our personal sovereignty. Recall that the aspects formed by the stellium with Sun and Moon will help us become aware of any issues.

Other full-moon energies include a sextile between Saturn at Pisces 18°18′ and Uranus at Taurus 23°42′ which may bring some stability to the perhaps odd ideas that will surface at the full moon.

Jupiter in the Spotlight

Pam Gregory called this full moon “Jupiterian”, partly because Jupiter is the ruler of Sagittarius, where the full moon will occur. In traditional astrology, Jupiter is associated with good fortune and its transits are generally good. In reality Jupiter is the process of expansion which could make things worse in an already bad situation, for instance if transiting over the seventh house of intimate relationships in the chart of someone having marital problems.³ However, even in that dire situation, Jupiter will allow the problems to be seen from a higher perspective, instead of focusing on minutia.

At the full-moon, Jupiter and Venus, another planet whose transits are generally benign, will form an exact (same degree) conjunction in Taurus. Venus will be at 29°40′ and Jupiter at 29°26′, both forming exact sextiles with Neptune at Pisces 29⁰30′ and all three acting from the anaretic degree of their respective signs. I have mentioned that the anaretic degree intensifies the archetypes of any sign, often exposing its shadowy side. The expansive nature of Jupiter links it with law, philosophy and religion which may invoke religious mysticism or compassionate visions of a new society when combined with Neptune. Venus and Jupiter also form a conjunction with Uranus at Taurus 23°42′ which could bring sudden revelations or rebellions around those themes or “legalize” unusual relationships or investments at a personal level.

Two days after the full moon, Jupiter will enter Gemini, a sign where it is not comfortable and yet will transit until June 2025. I will say more about Jupiter in Gemini in the next article but it is worth mentioning that on the same day (May 25) Mars will transit through Aries 20°, the degree occupied by Sun, Moon and Chiron at the solar eclipse, thus reactivating the healing energies received in early April.

The Gemini–Sagittarius Axis

It is time to talk about the star of the show: the Sun–Moon opposition in the Gemini–Sagittarius axis. Gemini is mainly concerned with extending the personal experience through many kinds of human contacts and the absorption of information readily available. It is the sign of intellectual curiosity and a mind that aims to analytically classify knowledge for practical and personal use. The opposite sign, Sagittarius, refers to a more abstract and mature type of knowledge, desiring to integrate distantly related factors in the pursue of basic values and understanding, and even wisdom. Such quest may take form in philosophy or religion. Whereas Gemini deals with easily accessible encounters and the concrete mind, Sagittarius is concerned with all that expands the horizon, takes us from routine existence, inciting us to dream great dreams. Ruled by Mercury, Gemini represents the type of mental faculty concerned with controlling the environment for personal convenience and ego gratification. Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius, imprints in the sign a desire for ever larger horizons and the thirst of great adventures beyond the familiar.

Mystic Triangle: Sun, Moon and Pluto

At the full moon, Sun in Gemini will form a fairly tight (only 3° wide) but out-of-sign conjunction with Jupiter, ruler of Moon in Sagittarius, enhancing the contrast between practical information and visionary dreams. Moreover, Pluto at Aquarius 2°00′ forms a trine with Sun and a sextile with Moon, completing an exact mystic triangle with the full-moon opposition. Recall that mystic triangles represent a creative and productive alternative to the raw awareness of the opposition. Not only that, Jupiter has barely begun a new cycle of visionary innovation with Uranus, ruler of Pluto, with whom it is still conjunct, thereby adding a futuristic bend to the full-moon energies.

Sabian Symbols

The symbol for Gemini 3° (Sun) has the image: “The Garden of the Tuileries in Paris”, further explained as the formalization of collective ideals through the application of reason and order to newly discovered aspects of nature. Its keyword is: Formalism. Meanwhile, the symbol for Sagittarius 3° (Moon) has the image: “Two men playing chess”, expanded as the transcendent ritualization of conflict. Its keyword is: Interplay.

The Garden of the Tuileries is what remains of a royal palace begun by Catherine de Medici in 1564 and burned in 1871 by the Commune. Along with Versailles, which was built for Louis XIV in 1682 as a symbol of a divinely ordained royal family, it was a symbol of the system of government that was overthrown in 1789 while Pluto was in Aquarius, the sign of reform and rebellion that inevitably involves conflict. Chess, on the other hand, represents with six different types of pieces (king, queen, bishops, knights, rooks and pawns) the complex types of energies which, in their togetherness, symbolize the complexity of a human person. The conflict between the white and black pieces, Yang and Yin, typically ends in checkmating the king, which is nothing else but the human ego.

As usual, we must relate these symbols to the new moon, which had the image of a new continent rising out of the ocean that symbolized how a new potentiality always emerges from a crisis if we live in spontaneity, metaphorically checkmating our conscious, rational ego. The full moon symbols tell us that, if we are not afraid of conflict when dealing with obsolete formalism but instead focus on the interplay of all polarities, we will be able to transcend our ego and expand our horizons.

Discussion

Every lunation brings us opportunities to advance our soul’s evolution by living another aspect of our personal destiny or dharma. The overall pattern may be expressed quite simply. At the New Moon phase, we are presented with a seed of potentiality in accordance to the zodiac’s yearly rhythm. During the fortnight of waxing phases, we may actualize some of that potentiality to keep evolving, which requires overcoming inertia, the inertia of behaving as we always have behaved and staying in the comfort of what is known, the inertia of remaining in the past. The seed tells us little of what can be achieved in the lunar month at the personal level, for we are still operating from the memories of the past cycle until the Crescent phase, when the seed has germinated and we become not only aware of what is achievable but also of how much effort it will take. But it is during the First Quarter phase when we must decide whether to go ahead and do the necessary work, or abandon the effort altogether and forego the lunation’s opportunity for growth. Such phase represents what we have called a crisis of action.

The “seed meaning” of the current lunation, as symbolized by the Sabian symbol of the new-moon conjunction, makes an explicit reference to the infinite Ocean of potentiality that becomes available, like an emerging new continent, when we overcome a crisis. This is why I placed so much emphasis on the astrology of the waxing phases. The potential gain from this lunation is huge but we must do the necessary work starting today, when the First Quarter phase begins (May 15). A phase in which we may experience “external” challenges for what we need to accomplish, even though they are likely to be the product of our own subconscious, or when the tasks ahead just appear too daunting.

It is not possible for me to be more specific, in part because that would require seeing how the lunation phases develop for a particular birth chart, but more so because this lunation is complex, with opportunities for growth in many areas. However, only a few will resonate with the specific conflicts each of us is facing to open our minds, set our ego aside and accept the new consciousness we are being offered. Conflicts that will likely be emotional.

Wrapping Up…

As I mentioned earlier, today’s beginning of the First Quarter phase coincides with the entrance of Mercury in Taurus, the fifth planet in the sign of nature and of our planet. In the 1970s, James Lovelock proposed the Gaia Hypothesis, named after the Greek Earth goddess, which “proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic and self-regulating, complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet”, according to Wikipedia. Although many evolutionary scientists fond of reductionism, like Richard Dawkins, have criticized the hypothesis, it has found a receptive ear among progressive evolutionists, like Stuart Kauffman and Denis Noble. The hypothesis, however, is consistent with our view that reality is constantly being co-created by an interplay of organic and inorganic processes. Earth, as the totality of five spheres: atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), lithosphere (rock), pedosphere (soil), and biosphere (life), is being “upgraded”, and that includes us.

When we speak of metamorphosis, both at a personal and humanity-wide levels, we should take a cue from what goes on inside a chrysalis. Recent studies show that the caterpillar already has “butterfly cells”, loosely speaking, within its body. Those cells are unable to manifest but gain strength in the caterpillar such that there is a battle of sorts inside the chrysalis. It is worth mentioning that the two types don’t mix, they share no DNA. Slowly, the “butterfly cells” become powerful and “defeat” the caterpillar equivalent, the inertia of the past, and emerge victorious in the body of the butterfly. However, without the resistance to change, the “butterfly cells” would not gain enough strength to survive after emerging and the entire process would fail. We must view our conflicts as providing enough resistance so our metamorphosis will succeed.

The Full Moon phase is a time of realizing how much potentiality we were able to actualize in this lunation, but it is also the start of the waning phases, when we will attempt to consciously incorporate the changes in our lives. I will expand these thoughts in the next article.

Always Love. 🌹🙏💖

1. If you care to follow the solar activity, simply go to the Space Weather website. I just read that yesterday, May 14, we had an X8.7 solar flare, the strongest in solar cycle 25 thus far. ↩︎
2. There will be presidential elections in Mexico on June 2 and I will post a brief article about them in the next few days. ↩︎
3. My Ascendant is at Taurus 14°, so Jupiter has been in my first house of personal appearance for a few months now and I am definitely gaining weight, which I attribute to a Jupiterian expansion … of my waist! ↩︎