- Sabian Symbols, Evolutionary Configurations, and More -

This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this New Moon happening February 20. This marks the next step into the Aquarian promise of 2023, along with a full forward energy because right now, no planets are retrograde!

The first decan of Pisces is about structure at the end of a cycle, and what fellowship we feel a part of. We’ve been through a “crafting and reshaping” period of Mercury retrograde, and now have the ability to attune to our invisible helpers and take aim at whatever social goal we have. Pisces seeks compassionate understanding and closure of all which cannot move forward into the future. With Jupiter as the ruler of the Lunation and having launched a new sub-era at the Mars-Jupiter conjunction at 4 Aries in late May, this month offers a vision of what’s to come after we go through a metamorphosis.

The pace has begun to pick up since the Sun/Mars opposition on December 8, and as the dispositor of all the other planets except Neptune, Saturn remains the main player on the stage of life. This month we’re re-evaluating many images from the past, learning to trust our inner barometer, and entering a time of purification and transfiguration. Guard against those who are unnecessarily aggressive, and find a place of inner or outer safety as you see the future before it arrives.

Long Term Effects of the Capricorn and Aquarius Compressions

Everything that’s going on has to be referenced within the larger Capricorn and Aquarius cycles set into motion in early 2020, as two are in play for 12 years and one is going to last 33 years! Each year January and February have been the period when a series of Great Compressions have brought all the planets together in a relatively narrow span in 2020, 2021, 2022, with the last one in 2024.

This explains the four year sequence of The Great Compressions of Early 2020, 2021, and 2022. 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

In 2022 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 now have arrived at this season’s time of compression which isn’t as tight as the past several years.

In this chart, because the inner planets are now in Aquarius and Pisces, we are again in a tight span of activity. We now have all the planets in the 136+ degree span between late Capricorn and Mars in mid-Gemini with Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini all occupied by at least one planet. At this time the inner planets are all in the 47+ degrees between 12 Aquarius and 30 Pisces, making that area most active in our charts at present. Though there will not be a tight 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, as just noted the outer planet occupied span begins with Pluto in late Capricorn, and proceeds through Saturn in late Aquarius, Neptune in late Pisces, Jupiter in mid-Aries, and ends with Uranus in mid-Taurus. (We don’t include TransPluto, since Jones didn’t use it in defining his patterns). Because we have 6 signs represented between Capricorn and Gemini and the planets only occupy about half the signs, this chart is an imperfect “Bundle” Jones Pattern.

The Bundle Pattern and how it works

This type of spread, with all the planets occupying approximately one third of the signs with two thirds unoccupied, creates “the least common of the seven basic differentiations,” and creates a “bunching of interests or the intensive self-gathering which is least responsive to any universal stimulus” and as Dr. Jones noted in a section on another pattern, a “special obsession with some particularly narrowed aspect of experience” which characterizes the Bundle people.

He continues that “the meaning of the concentration of the ten planets in one single third of the zodiac is that the course of the native’s life is held to certain narrow bounds of opportunism,” and they are “almost completely inhibited, in contrast with the outstanding lack of inhibition in the Splash pattern. He then goes on to say that “Characteristic of the Bundle type is an outstanding capacity for making much of little, or for building small beginnings into great and often unanticipated final results.” He also notes this type can mold their world “by some highly centralized force of self-concentration.” This type is not universal in the slightest, but rather “brings universe to center.”

With Pluto in Capricorn leading the concentration of planets, and thus the entry to the entire pattern, it shows we need to be disciplined, organized, and economical in our approach to all things as we accept responsibility for being a decision maker. This is the time to trust your power to direct activities by being practical, reasonable, and balanced.

With Mars in Gemini closing the Bundle, we’ll finish experience with a sense of some message which needs to be spread to others. So we open with organization, and finish with adaptability.

This leads with individual spiritual crystallization, and closes with ideas to be externalized through positive actions. Because the leading edge is Capricorn Earth, approach experience with a pragmatic and mature honesty, and because the closing planet is Gemini Air, it implies that after all is said and done, you’ll recognize the many perspectives which come from seeing what’s in or out of balance, and the need to rebuild or find a new way to communicate something.

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 2 Pisces, 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 Pisces it has a sub-influence of Pisces with an added dose of Saturn. While I've given you a sense of this degree up to now, this is where we go into depth.

The symbol for the 2nd degree of Pisces is "A squirrel hiding from hunters.” According to Rudhyar’s notes from the Marc Jones class originally published in The Astrology of Personality, this degree is an “instinct for self-preservation as a basis for greater realization,” “lifting of self to surer foundations,” and “transference.”

In The Astrological Mandala he states the keynote is "the individual’s need both to ensure his future subsistence and to protect himself from aggressive social elements.” He says this symbol is about being on the lookout for dangers involved in gathering what we need. He offers “the individual is never certain of being safe” among others, “once the process of individualization – with its negative aspects, competition, social aggressivity and greed – forces the breakdown of the organic tribal state” of humanity.

He continues that this symbols “warns of the danger of life in society during an era of exacerbated individualism, when… the need for self-protection and caution is ever-present.” He states this degree is in the Span of Innocence, and it's the counterpoint degree of the actional level of the Scene of Federation in the Act of Capitalization.

Marc Jones says 2 Pisces is a symbol of "conscious conservatism through which (we) preserve our more enduring values, here emphasized by an uncompromising loyalty to (our) own self-interest.” He offers that this implies “a species of high courage in refusing to enter any phase of experience where the risks are out or proportion to probably rewards.”

He continues with “a sense of illimitable self-adequacy is contingent on good judgment as the highest of human potentialities.” He offers us the keyword CAUTION. He goes on to state that when this degree is operating in a positive manner, it is “an intelligent independence of spirit and a consequent real gift for setting the conditions for all personal participation in events."

So the specific theme of the next month involves the Light of events that require we focus on self-preservation, find the protective mechanisms we need, be loyal to our self-interests, and refuse all situations where the reward isn’t worth the risk. This is about good judgment, caution, and independence of spirit.

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 a planet in each sign between Capricorn and Gemini. While we have quite a few aspects, they are mainly favorable and promise us very positive conditions!

The Lunation is vigintile Mercury, biseptile Mars, quintile Uranus and elftile Pluto. Mercury is semisquare Venus, trine Mars, conjunct Saturn, square Uranus and novile Neptune; Venus is semisextile the Sun, quintile Mars, elftile Saturn, semisquare Uranus, and sextile Pluto; and Mars is bielftile Jupiter, tredecile Saturn, semisextile Uranus, binovile Neptune and sesquisquare Pluto.

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

Special Configurations in Evolutionary Astrology

This month we have 3 evolutionary configurations in play. In no particular order, they are:

1) Mercury is trine Mars and novile Neptune. This activates 3 points of a “9 Pointed Star of Spiritual Realizations,” with realizations coming after a period of gestation, or putting some things on hold so they mature a while. Zones most affected include 3-7 Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, and 13-17 Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius, and 23-27 Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.

2) Jupiter is decile Uranus and quintile Pluto, with Uranus tredecile Pluto. This makes for 3 points of a “10 Pointed Star of Serendipity,” with gifts and blessings of a unique nature, both personal and interactive. This will be exceptionally uniquely favorable for planets or points in the affected zones, which are 2-6 Pisces/Virgo, 8-12 Aries/Libra, 14-18 Taurus/Scorpio, 20-24 Gemini/Sagittarius, and 26-30 Cancer/Capricorn. As you can see, the Lunation is also pulled into the pattern via the quintile to Uranus, even if it’s not in aspect to Jupiter.

3) While not specifically triggered at this time, the Grand Irrationality is still active in the larger spiritual atmosphere. As you know from previous articles, this is the primary activator of the irrationality of our times. Uranus septile Neptune anchors the configuration, creating an invisible spiritual field of “fork in the road of destiny” type of energy which triggers any planet or point in any of the 7 active zones. This long wave configuration has affected all of us for the past 30 years. At the present time, choices and changes are activated for those who have planets or points near any of the 7 affected “hot zones” around 1-5 Aquarius, 23-27 Pisces, 14-18 Taurus, 5-9 Cancer, 26-30 Leo, 18-22 Libra, and 9-13 Sagittarius.

While not an entire configuration unto itself, the Lunation biseptile Mars will be a major factor in the next few weeks, putting our activities at a culminating spiritual turning point. The caution and protection required by the Lunation must be balanced against Mars in Gemini’s theme of “spreading the word to attract a following.” Of course, it may be that we become grateful for the protection we already have as we spread ideas and views. Those most affected have planets or points around 1-5 Pisces, 23-27 Aries, 14-18 Gemini, 6-10 Leo, 27 Virgo-1 Libra, 19-23 Scorpio, and 10-14 Capricorn.

Explaining Harmonics

This month we have a lot of aspects with a generous helping of specializing aspects and a light concentration of frictional aspects. The friction is provided by 2 semisquares, 1 square, and 1 sesquisquare, with no more oppositions until May when Mars opposes Pluto. The sheer quantity of specializing aspects promise partially developed gifts and unique circumstances to those affected.

In the 7th harmonic aspect series of “destiny,” we have 1 septile and 2 biseptiles. In the 5th, 10th, 15th and 24th harmonic specialization series, we have 2 vigintiles, 3 quindeciles, 1 decile, 4 quintiles, and 2 tredeciles. The 9th harmonic gives us 2 noviles and 1 binovile, and in the 11th harmonic faith series there are 3 elftiles and 1 bielftile.

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 indicates a huge imbalance in the elements, with the 10 traditional planets occupying 6 signs and a balance between cold than hot. We have 1 planet in Fire (inspiration and warmth), 2 planets in Earth (practical grounding), 3 in Air (relatedness and communicating), and 4 in Water (feelings and experiencing). This month we have half the signs represented.

Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, it’s fairly balanced, even if there’s a lot of Air and Water! This should be good for empathic or universal ideas, or understanding the experiences of common humanity. As usual, the Fire is provided by Jupiter, while Neptune continues to hang out in the background, providing vast and vague feelings related to the collective feeling field.

Because the New Moon falls in early Pisces, Saturn is the planet leading the Sun. This is the “gateway to the Light” showing we need a mature, disciplined, and visionary approach to finding the Light, and with Saturn where it is, there will be major transfigurations happen before we see the Light in events. The study of which planet leads the Sun is a crucial but often overlooked part of understanding how the planets work in sequence.

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 continues the pattern from the last New Moon. As a process of moving through events, the most effective “firing sequence” for approaching life and experience over the next 4 weeks involves leading with our thinking, then deciding, then feeling.

This pattern leads with a vision, or an understanding, or a communication, and then makes decisions and actions based in those things. While it is tempting to move back into more thinking, communicating, and envisioning, it is more important to move from deciding or acting into feeling what we’re experiencing as a result of those actions and decisions, and bring those feelings to the surface of your consciousness and get clear about what you’re feeling and why.

By naming the feeling or experience, it will naturally lead us back to new information, new vision, new ideals, and new understanding upon which you can do your next set of decisions and actions. Then again name what you’re feeling. That way nothing will get bottled up through underuse, and you can move through experiences with power and clarity.

So lead with your vision, understanding, and what’s being communicated into decisions and actions. Then after the decision or action, sit with the feelings and experience them, bringing them to the surface of your consciousness and get clear about what you’re feeling and why. Just be careful not to get caught in a loop between thinking and doing while ignoring your feelings!

Summing Up

This New Moon is going to help us be cautious as we move forward in some ways and say goodbye to others. We’ve been “liberated from adverse circumstances” the past month, and some have had to mobilize due to radical circumstances. We’ve now renewed the Aquarian pulses for 2023, and are moving through the dream state, demonstrating our gratitude and appreciation in ways which show these are spiritual powers. With so many conjunctions, we’ll all have complex “dual pulse” experiences, whether Mercury/Saturn, Sun/Moon, Venus/Neptune, or Jupiter/Chiron.

This is another “fork in the road” of our spiritual work as we move through a transformation wherever we have Capricorn and Aquarius in our chart. We now have a sense of the role we’re here to play within the collective field. With so much Pisces, be thoughtful in your choices, more compassionate in your view, and accept the need to grow beyond your previous conception of self. This is a huge turning point, with new ideals, new ways of seeing the larger scope of the creative process, new allegiances, and an ability to gain perspective through elevated consciousness and view.

We’re now done with re-working, undoing, re-doing, or reevaluating our ways of getting something done. Past weeks may have brought reversals or slowdowns as a result of what’s being surrendered, or perhaps some things from the past needed to drop away so we could see the essence of the landscape and what we’ll be dealing with in the future. This time may have accompanied the need for us to set something or someone free. As we have released what we no longer needed to hold on to, we’ve felt emotionally lighter in many ways.

The pace begins to quicken from here on. This is the final phase of demonstrating how we use those spiritual powers effectively, so continue to purify your ego so that your light can shine bright and strong in 2023. Remember the year’s theme involves remembering the old answers can’t confirm the new conditions of existence. Re-evaluate whatever you need to, allow Spirit to act through you, and accept your inner knowing.

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 our spiritual knowledge, understanding, and effective forms of service, with rapid developments on the way by mid-January.

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 is almost done with 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 at 30 Pisces, helping us “dream the future” before it’s made manifest, it plays a huge part in how our genius expresses itself as the ruler of Uranus. We’ll see that future come to life over the next 5 weeks, so if you want to know more about how Venus works its magic to bring us the people and things we need to find spiritual understanding, you can get a deeper understanding of this and more by getting your copy of The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames. It is the most comprehensive book on Venus ever written, and offers a multi-faceted view of why we attract the people we do, as well as how to re-shape our inner Venus to create more satisfying relationships in the future.

This work is an in-depth examination of the psychological dimension of Venus, the spiritual dimension of Venus, and the astrological dimension of Venus. It offers practical techniques for changing your image of what you want to attract your heart’s desire, and how to make your relationships more fulfilling because you are living a Soul-ful life. You’ll find out about why you like or don’t like people and things, why you’ve attracted who you have in the past and present, and how to make those attractions more aligned with your Soul purpose in the future. A major theme weaving the various dimensions together is understanding 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, Venus retrograde, 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!)

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

© Copyright 2023 Robert Wilkinson

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