Sabian Symbols, Evolutionary Configurations, and More.

This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this New Moon chart happening on August 27. This marks a month of imagining new realms of work, service, play, and plan.

This marks a turning point requiring willingness, humor and holding back before committing to a plan of action (which will no doubt have to be reworked in November and December!) This is the heart of the final phase of Saturn square Uranus.

The first decan of Virgo is where we adjust to future conditions which will come forth in Libra. Having launched into a new sub-era and a new way of Being at the Mars-Jupiter conjunction at 4 Aries in late May, this month opens the door to greater wisdom if we’re willing to listen.

Because of the ability to get things in motion at this time, make as much progress in these new directions as possible while keeping things integrated, creative, and as heartfelt as possible during the square between Saturn and Uranus now made into a T-square by Venus on the same degree as the Sun at the last Full Moon. Saturn square Uranus is now bringing that old conflict to a culmination, challenging us to know what’s pertinent and disregard the rest. Add Mars slowing to retrograde in late September, and we have a perfect storm for things crashing to a halt or spinning out in too many directions this Autumn.

This Lunation helps us open to new ways of seeing the place and function of things while helping us a) attune to a higher voice, b) part the veil and move into the unknown, and c) refuse old patterns and step into a more genuine expression of our true Self. We’re not in a transitional period through March 2023, since the Mars RX and shadow zone transit will hold up the Virgo energy from manifesting until next July. This month favors connecting with Solar power and heart power to eliminate difficult values and ways of relating to others.

Long Term Effects of the Capricorn and Aquarius Compressions

We all had important long wave Capricorn cycles set into motion in early 2020, and even more important long wave Aquarian cycles between March and December 2020. If you want to know more about the four year sequence of The Great Compressions of Early 2020, 2021, and 2022, that article explains that in January through March 2020 we experienced the second of four consecutive compressions of planets. The first was in early 2019 when all the planets were bundled in about one third of the sky, called a Bundle pattern, which is the rarest of all. While the inner planets transited through all the other signs after that, we again hit maximum compression again in March 2020, and then expanded through the rest of the year.

This clustering happened again in 2021 in the last half of January into early February, with maximum compression was around January 19-21 when all of the planets were within a 101 degree span, creating a very intense zone of activity wherever we have late Capricorn through early Taurus. Four planets in Aquarius and two in Taurus made for a very crowded house, with 10 distinct energies occupying less than 1/3 of the total space.

The Planetary Spread

This year we hit maximum compression in early March, with all planets between 28 Capricorn and 12 Taurus, only 104 degrees. In June we left the Bundle, and at this time the inner planets have again begun their months’ long approach toward the outer planet span. At this time the widest gap is between Mercury at 2 Libra and Pluto at 27 Capricorn, a 115+ degree span. At this time the inner planets are between late Leo and early Libra, making that area most active in our charts at present. Though there will not be a compression in early 2023, there will be one more in early 2024.

Depending on the position of the Moon and the inner planets relative to the outer planets, different months bring us different Jones Patterns. These patterns operate their own independent influence, regardless of which planet is in which sign.

Currently, the outer planet occupied span begins with Pluto in late Capricorn, and proceeds through Saturn in Aquarius, Neptune in Pisces, Jupiter in Aries, and ends with Uranus in Taurus. (We don’t include TransPluto, since Jones didn’t use it in defining his patterns). In this chart, the planets are distributed across many signs, with the Lunation the only conjunction. So in this chart, Leo, Virgo, and Libra are the focus in our charts. Because we have 9 signs represented between Capricorn and Libra, it would ordinarily fall into the “Spash” classification, but because the span between Mercury and Pluto is almost a trine, this would qualify as a “Locomotive” Jones Pattern, continuing the pattern from the previous Full Moon.

So What is a “Locomotive Pattern” and how does it work?

This type of spread, with all the planets occupying 2/3 of the signs with an empty third, creates an imbalance that leads to power if we can find the compensatory “weight” to make things move forward smoothly rather than rock side to side creating friction. Target what is needed, and provide compensatory energies accordingly.

As Marc Jones put it, “this type of horoscope reveals a balance of this sort in the life. A third part of things… consisting of a free span in experience, is set against a two-thirds part, embracing a related but limited span in experience…. The basis of the dynamic is found in the native’s resulting strong sense of a lack or a need, of a problem to be solved, a task to be achieved in the social and intellectual world around him.”

Dr. Jones states “The temperament reveals a self-driving individuality, an executive eccentricity that is not … unbalance but rather is power. It exhibits a dynamic and exceptionally practical capacity which is neither the broad universality of the Splash pattern, nor the special obsession with some particularly narrowed aspect of experience characteristic of the Bundle people.

He goes on to state “The Locomotive classification is … moved more by external factors in the environment than by aspects of its own character. The point of application for the powers of the self is shown … by the “leading planet,” or the one of the two in the empty trine which forms its aspect clockwise in the zodiac, irrespective of any distinction as “applying” or “separating.”

At this time, Pluto is the leading planet and Mercury is the closing planet of the Locomotive. Approach experience through seeing seed forms in the ongoing transformation of humanity and embracing the power of your spiritual group allies. With Mercury closing, see all experience as giving you signs and signals from your Soul. Because the leading edge is Earth, approach experience with practicality. Because the closing planet is in Air, it implies that after all is said and done, you’ll find a new perspective or sense of proportion about the process of perfection. Open to experience using Capricorn spiritual power, and come out of experience with Mercurial Libra vision.

As the Locomotive keeps things out of balance, Pluto in Capricorn is now the front end to finding the way of initiating activity that must be accompanied by a compensatory “weight” to keep things moving forward rather than sideways. The more we work with the imbalances by making efficient, energy saving reorganizations, seeing what’s core and what’s peripheral, the easier it will be to navigate the imbalances in this pattern and come to a different way of finding the assistance we need to keep things grounded.

What is needed is Scorpio and Sagittarius energies to complete the empty span. Focus, eliminate, open, a see a wider view. As we find the balanced perspective at the end of the process through Mercury in Libra, move into healthy Scorpio and Sagittarius expression which will naturally lead to the next Plutonic entry into the next phase of experience.

The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon

A New Moon sets the seed forms for what the following month will demonstrate. This Lunation falls at 5 Virgo, and it is said that the first third (decan) of any sign deals with the actional, physical, and material levels of life, and being the first decan of Virgo it has a sub-influence of Virgo with an added dose of the Sun. While I've given you a sense of this degree up to now, this is where we go into depth.

The Sabian Symbol we’ve been given for the 5th degree of Virgo is “A man dreaming of fairies.” In the original Jones class notes Dane Rudhyar published in The Astrology of Personality, he states this degree symbolizes “constructive imagination as it reveals unconscious realms of being,” “creative fantasy,” and “contact with inner life energies.”

In The Astrological Mandala,, Rudhyar offers this degree refers to “the opening of new levels of consciousness,” where we reach a “further stage of realization… in its initial and relatively primitive character.” He says this degree is one where “the consciousness is gradually reaching beyond physical characteristics and becoming aware of energy processes… which externalize themselves as life forms.”

He continues “the mind in its objectivizing and analytical character always tend to give Name and form’ to that which it contacts as energy processes. It ‘images forth’ energy or feeling, relating it to more or less familiar sense experience. We call this imagination.” This degree falls in the Span of Idealization, and is the final degree on the action-physical level of the Scene of Characterization.

Dr. Marc E Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “the imaginative resources of life as manifest in the folklore of the race,” and our ability to use our “inner and eternal experience with a practical wisdom and insight.” This is a phase of our “effective communion with the personified powers of the everyday world, as this instruments (our) efforts whenever (we move) toward our goal and reorders (our) perspective whenever (we) five voice to (our) vision.”

He offers “the dreams of men are always the foretaste of human achievement, and gives us the keyword OUTLOOK. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is “subtle persuasiveness by which real support is gained for any given end.”

So the specific theme of the next month involves our “creative imagination” showing us unconscious and subconscious facts of existence and new ways to “contact inner life energies” so we may contact our inner powers. Our imagination is the gateway to greater things, especially as we become clear what is true and what could be true.

Important Aspects

Remember that in reading a Lunation chart (as well as a horary, inceptional, electional, or any event chart) the forming aspects show things to come, while separating aspects show things already past. Partile separating aspects show what’s been going on in the Now. This section covers only forming and partile separating aspects.

We now have all the planets spread out fairly evenly across 9 signs, with no particular cluster in any sign at this time. We’re now in the time of year when we have all kinds of wide angle aspects, unlike the first half of the year, when right up to May there were no major aspects wider than a trine, with most no wider than a quintile.

The Lunation is square Mars, tredecile Uranus, quadranovile Neptune, and biquintile Pluto. Mercury is novile Venus, trine Mars, opposed Jupiter, and sesquisquare Uranus; Venus is sesquisquare Jupiter, opposed Saturn, square Uranus and biquintile Neptune; and Mars is sextile Jupiter, biseptile Saturn, and quintile Neptune.

Outer planet aspects feature the powerful ongoing Jupiter semisquare Saturn, novile Uranus, and quintile Pluto; Saturn is exactly square Uranus, decile Neptune, and quindecile Pluto; and Uranus is widely septile Neptune and tredecile Pluto.

As you can see, there are some very productive and specializing aspects with the powerful integrative mechanism of the T-square, which serves to release the positive aspect relationships to Venus, Saturn, and Uranus. Despite being squared by the Lunation, Mars is extraordinarily favorably aspected in this chart, so use Virgo to express positive Mars in Gemini, and use Gemini to express positive Virgo. Saturn is still fairly stressed, but with Uranus so favorable, this month promises to be an extraordinarily spiritually beneficial.

Special Configurations in Evolutionary Astrology

Interestingly, we have four evolutionary configurations in play, with three involving Uranus! In no particular order of significance, they are:

1) The Lunation is tredecile Uranus and biquintile Pluto. This triggers a “10 Pointed Star of Serendipity” and opens 10 zones of personal and interactive specialization and extraordinary unique events and things. The main zones for this “spiritual-gestative” energy are 1 Leo/Aquarius, 3-7 Virgo/Pisces, 9-13 Libra/Aries, 15-19 Scorpio/Taurus, 21-25 Sagittarius/Gemini, and 27-30 Capricorn/Cancer.

2) Mercury is trine Mars and opposed Jupiter while Mars is sextile Jupiter. This is a powerful configuration creating realization and awareness on the axis of the opposition, in this case made into productivity and stable harmonized function by Mars in Gemini. This will create very harmonious energy movement for planets or points we have between 1-9 Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

3) Venus, as mentioned earlier, forms a T-square by opposing Saturn and squaring Uranus. This is a powerful integrative configuration which throws the void into 18-22 Scorpio, thus affecting any planets or points we have in that zone in Leo, Taurus, or Aquarius, as well as 3-7 Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. When we add Jupiter to the mix, we see Venus sesquisquare Jupiter and Jupiter semisquare Saturn creating the need for positive action in those areas of our chart.

4) As usual, the Grand Irrationality is still in play, though in the background at this time due to no planets making 7th harmonic aspects to Uranus or Neptune. The evolutionary configuration known as the Grand Irrationality is anchored by Uranus septile Neptune, and is a long wave configuration affecting all of us for the past 30 years. At the present time, choices and changes are triggered for those who have planets or points near any of the 7 affected “hot zones” around 2-6 Aquarius, 24-28 Pisces, 16-20 Taurus, 7-11 Cancer, 28 Leo- 2 Virgo, 20-24 Libra, and 11-15 Sagittarius.

Explaining Harmonics

This month we have a mixed bag of aspects in the various harmonic series with a heavy concentration of spiritual aspects. In the 7th harmonic aspect series of “destiny,” we have only 1 septile and 1 biseptile. In the 10th and 15th harmonic specialization series, we have 1 quindecile, 1 decile, 2 quintiles, 3 tredeciles and 3 biquintiles. The 9th harmonic gives us 2 noviles and 1 quadranovile. This month we have no aspects in the 11th harmonic faith series.

The novile (9th harmonic), septile (7th harmonic) and elftile (11th harmonic) series all feature spiritual aspects. All novile series (9th harmonic) aspects indicate things which need to be put on the shelf for a while, or that which has been gestating can now move forward. They represent gestative energies that can lead to great spiritual realizations. Septile series aspects represent forks in the road of destiny, while the 11th harmonic elftile series indicate that faith is required to deal with transcending some dualities, issues and points of evolution where we confront the need to resolve some sort of duality by making a leap of faith to attain a form of mastery over that type of duality. This series tests our faith. Both the 7th and 11th series involve non-rational aspect values, bringing an element of irrationality in behavior and circumstances.

The quintile and biquintile (5th harmonic) and related 10th (decile and tredecile), 15th (quindecile), and 20th harmonic (vigintile) aspects are all specialization aspects. You can find more by going to Astrology Class on the Specializing Aspects Pt. 1 – The Quintile and Biquintile, and Astrology Class on the Specializing Aspects Part 2 – The Decile, Tredecile, Quindecile and the Vigintile.

You can find out more about the spiritual aspects (septile, novile, and elftile series) by referencing this brief overview of Astrological Aspects – the 7th, 9th, and 11th Harmonic Series Aspects and their Symbols.

Element Balance and Who’s Leading the Sun

This month continues a dramatically shifting imbalance in the elements, with the 10 traditional planets occupying 9 signs and a major imbalance between cold than hot. We have 2 planets in Fire (inspiration and warmth), 4 planets in Earth (practical grounding), 3 in Air (relatedness and communicating), and 1 in Water (feelings and experiencing). This month we have all signs represented, except for Cancer, Scorpio, and Sagittarius.

Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, it’s as chilly as a mountaintop in Winter! This should be good for practical ideas, visions of productive structuring. With just enough Fire to provide a lot of inspiration, especially since Venus in Leo precipitates the power of the T-square. As usual, Neptune hangs out in the background, providing vast and vague feelings related to the collective feeling field.

Because the New Moon falls in early Virgo, Venus in mid-Leo is the “Gateway to the Light.” By finding our connection to Source and the power to be drawn from the Sun in our relationships we’ll find the entry to the potential illumination seeing how to compare and contrast that illuminated theme to be clear about what’s being pulled and what’s being eliminated.

The current sequence at present of Deciding, Feeling, and Thinking

We’ve been through several different sequences over the past few months. There are six patterns, and each has their strengths and weaknesses. This Lunation shifts the pattern from the previous Lunation and begins a new one. As a process of moving through events, the most effective “firing sequence” for approaching life and experience over the next two weeks involves leading with our feelings, and then making a decision and/or acting on the basis of that feeling or experience, and then finding a new way of communicating, understanding, or coming to a new vision of what is or what could be.

This pattern feels their way into decisions and actions, but then wants to return to more “playing of hunches.” Instead, after we decide and/or act, it will be important to get new information to come to a new vision or understanding. Once we get the right view or understanding, then a new feeling-experience will naturally arise that points the way to the next action.

So over the next 4 weeks we’ll still be leading with our feelings, then making decisions on the basis of those feeling experiences, followed by new information, new ideas, new interpretations, and new views. We’ll be “feeling our way” into new experiences, then deciding and acting on the basis of those feelings. After a decision or action, then we’ll have to find newer, more up to date information, facts, and understanding so we can get a new vision.

This pattern has a gift for learning and teaching through anecdotes, seeing how others handled things practically, or how you handed things practically in the past. Let your thinking and communicating and envisioning follow your actions, and new feelings will naturally arise from your new understanding, new perception, or new view.

Summing Up

This New Moon in Virgo is very practical and should bring us unique interactive gifts and blessings. The T-square is actually favorable, as is the square of the Lunation to Mars, since they’re both very well aspected and can release energies through each other. This is a time to value and express the creative genius which has come forth since this time last month, and be willing to do what you must do to improve your health, your work, your routine, and your spiritual disciplines.

Have fun as you find power and heart strength which will lead you to the light of imagination. This month has so many unique gifts and blessings, open to the unusual, the “out of the blue” unique possibilities of interaction and expression. This month should help us find tremendous connectedness with Source, Self, and others. While there may be disappointments, in our willingness to become strong and resilient we’re practicing a type of spiritual power which we’ll used in the future.

We’re now living in new ways, so take a new look at the beauty of your unfolding Self. This is a great time for “thinking in the future,” with visions of a greater life adventure available for those willing to take the leap! Remember that purifying the mind and claiming our individuality is the evolutionary line of greatest development, as well as seeing any conflict as between spirit and matter, truth and illusion. There are revolutionary new impulses streaming in, as well as subtle forms of the Eastern Wisdom blowing in the wind.

This is a time of rapid progress for those who can return to source, not get lost in psychic traffic jams, learn or teach basic skills, view things with dispassion, and see life as a marketplace with the ability to master discouragement as we rally at the end of an old cycle. Continue to get things in place these next few weeks, since things will begin to slow down in October. We’re still in a period which is testing our ability to utilize spiritual power effectively, so continue to purify your ego so that your light can shine bright and strong in 2023. There is much to teach and be taught if can just find “the right point of view.”

During the coming few months those who have trained will be able to “know at a distance” and send constructive thoughts to those who need it. We are in revolutionary conditions with Uranus both conjunct the North Node, recently activated by Mars which is pulling us into greater spontaneity after cleaning out our mind and its perceptions and interpretations. Let in new ideas and spiritual sunshine. Go forward or withdraw, based in the situation. Be receptive for the unique gifts and serendipitous circumstances these next four weeks.

In 2020 we entered a transition phase in human history. While we still have to function within the Capricorn cycles we began in 2020, we also have crossed the threshold of an era unknown to humanity since the 13th and 14th centuries. Even then, we were still in the depth of the Age of Pisces, so the awakening of new ideas then were relative to the old era, whereas what’s coming involves wave after wave of Aquarian energies, pushing us to the coming Great Age emerging in the second half of this century.

The long wave Aquarian pulses were initially set into motion by the Mars conjunct Saturn at 1 Aquarius on March 31, 2020, marking the initiation of archetypal Aquarian preliminary structures offered by Saturn. The promise and potential of the new Aquarian pulse then began to expand into a greater social and cultural vision beginning at the Jupiter conjunction with Saturn, the Grand Mutation of the Solstice also at 1 Aquarius. So we have 20 years of Aquarian energies set into motion by that conjunction!

When Venus and Mars conjuncted at 1 Aquarius in March 2022 it gave a new impetus and new expression to the Aquarian structures which took shape in 2021. The next time Mars transits Aquarius will be in February and March 2024, when it conjuncts Pluto at 1 Aquarius in February about 3 weeks after Pluto’s first ingress into Aquarius. That begins the Pluto in Aquarius “generation” of the 21st century which lasts until 2043. As there will be a Jupiter conjunction with Pluto at 15 Aquarius in 2033, we’ll see the “expansion of the Angels of the Age of Aquarius” at that time.

2021 opened a new adventure for all of us, and the long term “metamorphosis” we went through showed us what the beginning of the coming Age of Aquarius is about. Last year helped us remember we are Beings of Light, a Superstar shining the Light of our Eternal Love into our world. We’re now expanding that promise and we’ll see developments related to this evolutionary leap beginning this month.

New groups of Spiritual communities formed last year and will continue to form this year, and those which are Aquarian in nature were “lifted on the wings of angels” in 2021. Trust the process. We are learning not to play to the generic confusion, irrationality, and misleading notions. Revolution is in the air! And when you find things and people of eternal worth, value them with all your heart.

Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend

Saturn continues its long term occupancy in its home sign of Aquarius. While we’ll still be focused on the group work set into motion last year, we are now experiencing Saturn’s late Aquarius qualities. It was a major influence in the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Eclipses, continuing its years-long power behind events.

Because Saturn plays such a large part in our lives, if you haven’t gotten your copy already, please give yourself the timeless gift of my book, Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. This book shows you the way to take command of your power to steer your life in a conscious way, using Saturn’s strengths and skills to master life on your own terms. It was written for both astrologers and non-astrologers, and will help you understand how your life experiences assisted your Soul growth and your power to change negative karma to positive karma. Each time you re-read any part of it you’re sure to find undiscovered gems of insight helping you throw off attitudes which frustrate your ability to live your higher Purpose on your own terms.

And now, on a related note….

Because Venus is the entryway to the Sun, as well as part of the “chain of dispositors” ruling all the other planets except Neptune, She will be an important part of what’s going on because of being the planet precipitating the integrative power of the Fixed T-square. If you want to know more about the power of our Venus to attract more ideal interactions and happier friendships and loving relationships, I’ll recommend my newest book, The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames. This book explains how Venus shows us why we like or don’t like the people and things we do, why we attract who we do, and how to create better relationships in the future. You will understand the foundations of long term healthy relationships and friendships, why Soul Mates come into our lives, and how to know the difference between a Soul Mate and our Twin Flame.

It has chapters on the qualities of each sign’s natural mate, the qualities of Venus in each sign, and when crucial choices and changes are made, affecting who we attract in the future. It was written for both astrologers and lay people, and as it has a thousand gems for better relationships, with self, others, and Source, please consider getting your copy by going to the link above! (And when you’re done, please leave a review on Amazon, since it helps the book and all other books on astrology as well!)

Part 1 on this New Moon

The August New Moon at 5 Virgo Part 1 – What is Happening in September

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with written permission from Robert Wilkinson. Copying this article to other blogs is strictly prohibited. It is copyright protected. 

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