Test of Wills

The main attraction for this article is the full moon in Aries, even though we continue to receive most of our growth energy from the Minor Grand Trine formed by Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. In such a configuration, the planet with the two sextiles, i.e., Neptune, acts as some sort of emcee or director. I don’t have to remind you that Neptune is transiting over the final degrees of Pisces, the sign it rules, because we have seen it near the 9 o’clock position in the Aries charts for months. In mundane astrology, Neptune represents processes related to masses of people and Pisces is the sign of the oceans, literally as masses of water or as a symbol of universal consciousness, especially Carl Jung’s collective unconscious. It should be no surprise that we have had mass migrations over water and also flooding affecting large communities in Europe and other parts of the world.

Pluto in Capricorn

At the current stage of humanity’s growth, however, Pluto is still the most influential planet, pointing the way of evolutionary growth. Its final return to Capricorn empowers the Minor Grand Trine to complete the destructive phase in the dissolution of the old patriarchal structures. In the article about the last solar eclipse, we looked at the chart when Pluto became stationary on October 12, at the same time Jupiter was stationary retrograde, both planets acting intensely in their respective degree which, for Pluto, is the anaretic of Capricorn.

The significance of this 16-year transit of Pluto through Capricorn, from November 26, 2008 to November 19, 2024, cannot be overstated. Pluto transits are about deep transformations at both the individual and collective levels. Every transformation requires us to leave some old patterns and embrace new ones. Our individual and collective attitudes toward letting go of the past will greatly determine how we are affected by Pluto transits. The more attachment to the old, the harder and even violent the transformation will be. On the other hand, if we are able to let go and flow with the rhythm of life, Pluto will empower our evolution.

When it transits through a sign, Pluto will expose its archetypes. Ruled by Jupiter, Sagittarius is the sign of expansive societal visions and Pluto’s transit through Sagittarius (1995–2008) began with the reality of Internet-based commerce and ended with the promise of economic globalization. Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, is the sign of societal structuring into a State, with institutions that preserve its integrity but may impede the acceptance of new visions. When this happens, we have a basic conflict between the processes of Jupiter and Saturn which Pluto exposed when it entered Capricorn. An immediate result was the 2009 worldwide financial crisis that sparked the Great Recession in the US. Over the next fifteen years, Pluto empowered the ruling global elites yet exposed many global inequalities at the same time, and institutions have fallen by the weight of their own inability to evolve while clinging to obsolete values.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the United States. As the epitome of the “occidental values”, the US has become the modern version of Rome in the Roman Empire. Just like that empire didn’t fall until Rome fell, any changes in the western value-systems will have to occur in the United States. The US chart¹ has Pluto retrograde at Capricorn 27°33′, so the first Pluto return in their history occurred three times in 2022: on February 20, July 11 (retrograde), and December 27, but it has been within orb of the conjunction almost continuously since April 2021. During this period the US Congress passed key legislation that has reshaped the global economy.²

Pluto Bids Farewell

Pluto made an initial entrance to Aquarius on March 23, 2023, spending a few weeks in the first degree before returning to Capricorn on June 11 and moving back as far as Capricorn 27°54′ on October 10, just 0°21′ from another exact return. It remained two weeks (October 2–18) forming a same-degree conjunction with its US-chart position, even changing direction there. These dates correlate with the start of the war in Gaza that affects not only the Middle East but the entire world, and which has become a crisis for the US, especially in an elections’ year.

Pluto went back to Aquarius for several months on January 20 of this year but returned to bid Capricorn farewell between September 1 and November 19; eleven weeks that include the US presidential elections. It entered already slowing down and became stationary on October 12, as mentioned earlier. Three days later, on October 15 (yesterday), Pluto began to move direct from Capricorn 29°39′, as shown in the enclosed chart, less than 2° from yet another conjunction with its US-chart position.

The trine between Mars at Cancer 22°01′ and Venus at Scorpio 27°11′ has widened since the solar eclipse. It will briefly disappear but return when both planets move retrograde and direct again, essentially being in orb most of the time through April, 2025. That ensures opportunities to integrate our sacred masculine and feminine aspects, and our needs and desires, especially in the area of relationships. In the new-moon article, we remarked on a powerful Grand Trine in the water signs involving Venus, Mars and Saturn which enabled us to reflect on the structures of our relationships. However, when Pluto begins its direct motion in the last degree of Capricorn, Mars and Venus form trines with Neptune (Pisces 27°52′) so the water Grand Trine of the solar eclipse has effectively moved from Saturn to Neptune. This could bring idealism and even mysticism to our relationships given that Neptune is the higher octave of Venus. Unfortunately, it could also bring deception and disillusionment.

The opposition to Uranus (Taurus 26°30′) and sextile to Pluto continues to place Venus in close contact with the outer planets. Our relatedness has been emphasized ever since Venus was the leader of the Neptune-piloted Kite on August 28. At that time, the opposition with Neptune asked us to reflect on the higher values of our relatedness. The opposition to Uranus is asking us to operate in our relationships with truth as our beacon. We may get important insights that could in turn put pressure to make relationship decisions in the waning phases of the lunation, after the full moon.

Cardinal Grand Cross

The full moon in Aries will occur just two days later, on October 17, 2024 at 4:26 a.m. in California, 5:26 a.m. in Mexico City, or 1:26 p.m. in Central Europe, with Sun at Libra 24°35′ and Moon at Aries 24°35′, as seen in the chart below. The Aries full moon brings awareness of how we see ourselves as individuals and as participants in a relationship. By then Venus will have moved to Scorpio 29°36′, intensifying the aspects it makes with the Minor Grand Trine from the anaretic degree of Scorpio and its complex archetypes of depth, power, death, rebirth, etc. Not only that, it will form an exact sextile with its ruler Pluto who remains at Capricorn 29°39′. The emphasis on relationships continues.

However the biggest configuration of the full moon is a Grand Cross with Sun, Moon, Mars (Cancer 22°55”) and Pluto. Grand Crosses are formed by two perpendicular oppositions, in this case Sun–Moon and Mars–Pluto. The configuration is also called a Grand Square because the planets form four squares between them. You can see it in the chart pictured as a red square with blue diagonals, one of which is the full-moon opposition. Whereas the squares are aspects of action with energy to build or destroy, the oppositions are aspects of consciousness about the signs’ polarity as it relates to the planet archetypes and their conjunction cycle. Both types of aspects are called “hard” in astrology because they demand attention by being highly energetic even though their effects differ.³

The four planets of a Grand Cross may work together if we integrate the oppositions at the center of the chart. The sign and planet archetypes, along with the degree meanings (Sabian symbols), must be seen with an emphasis on collaboration and complementarity. If instead we focus on differentiation and competition between the polarities always present in an opposition, each planet will, speaking metaphorically, try to shine on its own and even act destructively against the others. Unlike the squares, the oppositions go through the center of the chart and may be used for integration into a meaningful mandala. Just like Grand Trines normally occur within signs of the same element, Grand Crosses normally involve signs of the same modality. In this case, the power generation of the cardinal modality is emphasized and that makes a cardinal Grand Cross particularly difficult to ignore since that power must go somewhere and be utilized.

Mars and Pluto Opposition

Before talking about the Sun–Moon opposition that forms each month at the full moon, let me say a few words about the one between Mars and Pluto. At its core, Mars represents the will of the individual, of either the ego or the Self, and Pluto symbolizes the will of the collective, from the State to the universe, and even Divine Will; this is why Pluto has been described as the “higher octave” of Mars. Their opposition occurs every 2–5 years due to the high eccentricity of their orbits, but the exact opposition of November 3, 2024, which will begin to be felt with this full moon, is special because it will be the last major aspect of Pluto while in Capricorn. Of course, it is significant that it comes two days ahead of the US elections, when the “will of the people” will be cast at the ballot box. However, the opposition will be exact twice more: on January 3 and April 26 of next year, possibly signifying a struggle of wills that could result in even more chaos and violence worldwide. At a personal level, the oppositions may make us conscious of whether we are working in the direction of evolutionary growth and transformation, or simply pandering to our ego desires.

Sun and Moon Opposition

Every month we follow the energies that come to us from Spirit, the integrating Principle of Wholeness, through the lunation cycle. As the integrator, Sun marks the overall rhythm in its yearly cycle through the zodiac, thus Spirit emphasizes different aspects in every lunation. This doesn’t mean that we should always or only work on those aspects each month, but that Life as the processes of Spirit will be offering more opportunities to work on those aspects. The Libra lunation, when the Night Force has just become prevalent, is most concerned with the value systems of how we form and maintain relationships, trying to understand the relative value of each relationship, and thus we have in Libra the symbol of the balance.

The full moon in Aries brings to light the individual we project in our relationships. Are we overbearing or over-pleasing? Before we look at the Sabian symbols of this particular full moon, notice that Moon forms a conjunction with Chiron (Aries 21°06′) which brings energy for emotional healing. Chiron in Aries has been linked to a feeling of going through life largely unnoticed, which may provoke insecurities or overcompensation. Its opposition to Sun at the full moon is likely to energize our personal Chiron regardless of its sign. You may recall that the wound symbolized by Chiron never stops hurting but becomes a great source of personal power once it is consciously understood and assimilated.

Sabian Symbols

The symbol for Cancer 23° (Mars) has the image: “The meeting of a literary society”, expanded as an objective and critical approach to the common factors in our culture and to its psychological problems. This symbol refers to Intelectualization: the defense mechanism by which reasoning is used to block confrontation with a subconscious conflict and its emotional stress, in other words, where thinking is used to avoid feeling. We have analyzed the symbol of Capricorn 30° (Pluto) which contrasts executive power and social responsibility with the image: “A secret meeting of men responsible for executive decisions in world affairs”, expanded as the power to assume responsibility for crucial choices arrived at after mature discussions with those who share this power.

On the other half of the Grand Cross, the symbol for Libra 25° (Sun) has the image: “The sight of an autumn leaf brings to a pilgrim the sudden revelation of the mystery of life and death”, expanded as the ability to discover in every experience a transcendent or cosmic meaning.This symbol speaks of Seeing Through the common phenomena by apprehending reality under a new state of consciousness. The image of Aries 25° (Moon) is: “The possibility for man to gain experience at two levels of being”, explained simply as the revelation of new potentialities. This symbol announces the possibility of a new step in evolution if we rely on faith. Writes Rudhyar: “Man can only truly experience what he deeply believes he can experience”—emphasis mine.

The Cancer–Capricorn polarity refers to the integrated personality and its integrated society, which are the epitomes of the Day and the Night force, respectively. Mars, our individual will which is likely responding to our ego desires, is focused on thinking to avoid feeling. Pluto, the will of the collective, is in the degree of asserting executive power judiciously. They seem to say that we should listen to our feelings before acting, as opposed to acting based solely on our thoughts. Meanwhile Sun, in the sign of idealized relationships, brings light that allows us to see reality under a new consciousness. Moon, conjunct Chiron, can distribute emotional healing to those who have faith in the process. Together, they speak of emotional healing by elevating our consciousness.

Chart of Kamala Harris

Before ending this article, I want to say a few words about the US Vice President Kamala Harris who is also the Democratic candidate for that country’s presidency in this year’s elections. But that’s not the reason, her birth chart is very relevant to this full moon. Kamala was born at the 1964 full moon in Aries, only 0°09′ from being exact! And her 60th birthday will be just three days after the 2024 full moon in Aries. But, astrologically speaking, this full moon will be very significant for her. However, before speaking about full-moon transits, let me say a few words about her chart because it has some remarkable features. I want to make it clear, this is not an interpretation of her chart, not by any means.

On Natal Charts

First of all, let’s orient ourselves, the left-most position, where an Aries chart has the beginning of the zodiac, corresponds to the Ascendant, our self-image, which is Gemini 24°26′ in Kamala’s case. The point that lies directly across, at Sagittarius 24°26′, is the Descendant and corresponds to the image we use to relate at a personal level as well as what we look for in that kind of relationship. The horizontal axis joining the Ascendant with the Descendant is the horizon and it is the axis of consciousness between those two images. As with any opposition, we want to integrate them by maximizing their complementarity while minimizing their differences. Unlike in Aries charts, the principal twelve divisions of the chart do not correspond to the signs but to the astrological houses which represent fields of experiences—the sign boundaries are also shown in light gray. Houses are numbered counterclockwise from one to twelve, starting at the Ascendant and often using Roman numerals. That way, the horizon joins the beginnings, called cusps, of the I and VII houses.

Besides the horizon, the other important axis is the meridian, which joins the cusps of the IV and X houses and is the axis of power obtained from integration. Near the top of the chart, the cusp of the X house is called the Midheaven or M.C. (Medium Coeli) and represents the power we obtain from integrating ourselves to various societal groups, our public life that is often but not exclusively our career. Directly opposite to the M.C., as cusp of the IV house, we find the I.C. (Imum Coeli) symbolizing the power we obtain from the process of individualization, a superset of Carl Jung’s individuation, in other words, from integrating ourselves as an individual.

Salient Features

Going back to Kamala’s chart, note the conjunction of her Ascendant with the North Node at Gemini 25°47′, which signifies a destiny to be found by developing qualities of leadership and self-expression. In general, the house in which we find the North Node denotes the field of experiences that may be difficult to develop because those experiences imply soul growth in the evolutionary sense. Life will send opportunities and synchronicities to work on them, and we can make use of resources from experiences in the opposite field, the house where the South Node resides. Being not only in the first house but conjunct her Ascendant, the North Node ensures the collaboration of Life to work on her leadership. What better example than the opportunity to be the most powerful woman in the world made possible by a series of synchronicities that include the sitting President no longer seeking reelection?

Her M.C. is at Pisces 2°24′. Rudhyar writes of a Pisces Midheaven: “The public and/or professional life should be concerned with large social issues, especially in terms of a transformation of the status quo“. When interpreting the Sabian symbol for Pisces 3° (“Petrified tree trunks lie broken on desert sand”), having the keyword: Indestructibility, Rudhyar writes: “[This symbol] brings the promise of social immortality”. The tenth house is empty but for Chiron which in that position often creates a never-ending ambition to achieve in a public stage. Her career began as a prosecutor of crimes against defenseless people and communities. Her Mercury is ahead of Sun and already in Scorpio, signifying an objective thinker able to get to the bottom of things, perfect for a detective or, indeed, a prosecutor. Mars in Leo in the house III of communications nearly guarantees a fiery speaker, again perfect for a prosecutor. Finally, note the Grand Trine in the air signs of mental processes between Sun, Saturn and the Ascendant (with the North Node), shown as a green equilateral triangle, that gives mental acuity, integrity and stability to her self-image. Also note how the Grand Trine forms a Moon-piloted Kite configuration with Sun as leader. This is the powerful chart of a visionary leader.

Full-Moon Transits

The next chart shows in blue the positions of the planets at the time of the full moon over Kamala’s natal chart. This time, the aspects are drawn between the two charts. Even though we use tighter orbs, both Sun and Moon form conjunctions with their positions in her natal chart which pretty much guarantees to get her attention, particularly with Pluto forming squares with her Sun and Moon. The squares are exact with the location of Pluto in the US chart!

We spoke earlier of her Chiron in the tenth house and how it can provide much ambition in the public arena. Such drive is sharply focused by the conjunction formed by transiting Saturn with Chiron near the top of the chart. The full-moon opposition of Venus and Uranus forms squares with her Saturn, and Uranus also forms a conjunction with her Jupiter in the house XII, which receives a sextile from transiting Mars. The overall picture is one of realizations that may reshape how she approaches the rest of the campaign.

60th Birthday

Just for completeness, I enclose the chart for her solar return, when Sun is at the same position of her birth, her astrological birthday, a chart of potentialities for the following year similar to the new-moon “seed”. Not much will have changed between the full moon and her birthday three days later. Moon, the fastest planet, will have moved to Gemini 12°48′ forming squares with Chiron in house X (the ambition) as well as Uranus and Pluto in house IV. Mercury, the second fastest, will have pushed further into Scorpio, distancing itself from Sun and thus providing a clearer, more objective mind all of next year.

Wrapping Up…

I wanted to write about the astrology of what we have called the chaos because it gives context to such chaos. The test of wills is pronounced in certain regions of the world and many people are suffering, but everywhere we must act based not solely on cold thinking. It is time to align our individual wills in the direction of our soul’s evolutionary growth.

At the personal level, we must continue working on making sure that our relationships are honest and based on a value system that relies on truth. To do that, it is very important that we honor and integrate our sacred masculine with the feminine.

Always Love. 🌹🙏💖

1. July 4, 1776 at 5:12 p.m. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ↩︎
2. The $550 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was published on November 15, 2021 and the $891 billion Inflation Reduction Act on August 16, 2022, together making an enormous injection of money to the country. ↩︎
3. Dane Rudhyar goes further and distinguishes between waxing and waning squares, depending on whether the faster planet is moving towards an opposition or a conjunction with the slower one. The former represent crisis of action while the latter symbolize crisis of consciousness, both with energy to either build or destroy. ↩︎