Sabian Symbols, Evolutionary Configurations, and More.

This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this New Moon happening May 19.

This begins some revolutionary developments, both highly productive as well as highly unique. As you move into the birth of a greater joy, be strong yet flexible.

The last decan of Taurus is about securing what we have substantiated socially, emotionally, and spiritually. As Mercury’s now direct, everything’s in dynamic motion right now, as last month’s Aries initiatives are now grounding in a new stability, with many things about to break the surface of life! With Venus as the ruler of the Lunation and the Moon in Taurus ruling Venus, this mutual reception is a powerful “self-gathering” impulse which wins by playing defense. Be sensitive, courageous, and remember you can always smile, sit down, and say no to those who want to push or argue.

The Planetary Spread

In this chart, because the inner planets are in Taurus and Cancer in a 40+ degree span, we’re still experiencing a more spread out field of activity. We now have all the planets in half the zodiac in a perfect Bowl pattern. At this time, we have planets in Aquarius, Pisces, Taurus, and Cancer.

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 early Aquarius, and proceeds through Saturn in early Pisces, Neptune in late Pisces, Jupiter in early Taurus, 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 4 signs represented between Aquarius and Cancer, and the planets are spread out in a 180 degree span, this chart is a “Bowl” Jones Pattern.

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

This type of spread, with all the planets occupying approximately half of the signs with an empty half opposite the occupied half, creates a “special type of conscious selfhood,” which Dr. Jones says “marks the Bowl type of temperament. He goes on to state “Fundamentally it is an extreme self-containment,” which “holds things, and a Bowl individual is one who always has something to bear.”

He goes on to state that with the Bowl, “the whole dynamic of man, his total power of achievement, arises in his instinctive realization that he is set off against a definite part of the world, that there is a complete segment of experience from which he is excluded in some subtle fashion. The Bowl not only holds something, but also places whatever it holds into relationship with a larger consideration.”

Dr. Jones continues that “the occupied segment of the Bowl horoscope reveals the activity and organization of the self, since planets are significant according to their place by sign and house, and the unoccupied segment becomes a challenge to existence, or the need and emptiness to which the native must direct his attention. The outstanding characteristic of the Bowl temperament is its marked sense of what is self-contained in contrast with what the self cannot hold, and this take an everyday form in an advocacy of some cause, the furtherance of a mission, an introspective concern over the purpose of experience.”

He concludes his explanation of how the pattern works with “The Bowl native always has something to give to his fellows, whether literally or psychologically, whether constructively or vindictively, because his orientation to the world arises from division; that is, frustration and uncertainty. The leading planets, determined in exactly the same way as for the Locomotive pattern, give a point of application, and shows where and how the native seeks to carry out his mission or gain his everyday justification for existence.”

He brings up another important point of analysis, as he states “the leading planet is of secondary importance in the Bowl pattern, unless it is found in a strong opposition or cosmic cross. The fundamental attack on the problems of life by the Bowl individual is indicated more significantly by the tilt or house-position of the Bowl-segment.”

He concludes this section by stating “the Bowl character is definitely more self-expending, or self-seeking, and more practically interested in what things mean and what they are. It continually throws the emphasis from the signs into the houses. It a general way the Bowl tends to ‘scoop up’ things and initiate experience when the position of the leading planet ranges from the fourth cusp, up and over the ascendant, to the Midheaven cusp, and then inclines to “capture” things or consummate various phases of life when the leading planet is placed similarly from the tenth angle down over the descendant to the nadir.”

Pluto at 1 Aquarius is the leading planet on a degree of “an immortal vision of an ideal,” showing the seeds of transformational greatness of vision lead into experience. This entry to the Bowl tells us we are now sprouting the seeds of the Aquarian vision begun at the Grand Mutation at 1 Aquarius, transforming our world forever. With Mars in Cancer closing the Bowl, we’ll finish experience with a sense of how to nurture what needs nurturing with wisdom, tenderness, and courage. So we open with the seeds of a vision and finish with actions which help secure the new life set into motion the past 3 years.

This leads with actional and material contribution, and closes with individual spiritual “self gathering” so we know what we’re preserving as we launch into unknown zones. Because the leading edge is Aquarian Air, approach experience with a pragmatic detachment, friendliness, and broad vision of how to make a greater contribution to your world. Because the closing edge is Cancerian Water, by the time you’re done with a given experience, you’ll know wisdom, courage, and timeless truths.

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 29 Taurus, and it is said that the third third (decan) of any sign deals with the individual, mental, and spiritual levels of life, and being the last decan of Taurus it has a sub-influence of Capricorn 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 29th degree of Taurus is "Two cobblers working at a table.” In the original Jones notes published in The Astrology of Personality, Rudhyar says this symbolizes "a symbol of discursive reason, the battle of ‘pros and cons’ within the inner being” and “analytical, recapitulative judgment.”

We are told in the Astrological Mandala that this degree follows the “rejuvenation” and “rebeginnings” of 28 Taurus, and is a technique learning perspective through comparing and contrasting different viewpoints. He tells us this is about “the two-fold character of (our) mature understanding,” where we use two or more points of view or approaches to gain understanding and a sense of perspective through “dispelling shadows.”

He continues that the “two cobblers” are about different “contrasting ways of approaching the understanding of an experience” giving us form “which may clothe and protect the understanding.” He speaks of this being the way mature minds gain perspective, where “a true perspective becomes the foundation upon which to build a new approach to life.” He says it falls in the Span of Enjoyment, Act of Differentiation, and Scene of Confirmation on the Individual-Mental level.

Dr. Jones says this is a degree of “the cooperative wisdom by which (we) make the world (our) own, solving all its special problems through (a) communion of functions performed in a genuine division of labor.” He says this is about “discursive reasoning,” a “balancing of the pros and cons” as we are assisted by others in working through ideas. He says “there is high reward for the creative operations (we are) able to claim as peculiarly (our) own”

He gives us the keyword CAPABILITY. He states that when operating in a positive way, it's said to be a degree of "a recognized integrity as an outer sign of exceptional talents.”

So the specific theme of the next month involves the applications of several angles of understanding, exploration, or dialog to come to a well-rounded approach to any project involving a shared “division of labor.” We’re learning how to confirm something about our individual spirituality in grounded straightforward ways which require strength and flexibility.

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.

The Lunation is semisquare Venus, sextile Mars, binovile Saturn, sextile Neptune, and out of sign trine to Pluto. Mercury is bielftile Venus, sextile Saturn, conjunct Uranus, and novile Neptune; Venus is quintile Jupiter, septile Uranus, biseptile Neptune, and pentelftile Pluto; and Mars is square Jupiter (oos), biquintile Saturn, quintile Uranus, and opposition Pluto (oos).

Outer planet aspects feature the powerful ongoing Jupiter sextile Saturn, elftile Neptune and square Pluto; Saturn is quintile Uranus and decile Pluto, and Uranus is septile Neptune and tredecile Pluto.

Special Configurations in Evolutionary Astrology

This month we have 4 evolutionary configurations in play.

>1) The Monster T-square! At this time Jupiter is exactly square Pluto from 1 Taurus to 1 Aquarius, and Mars is within a degree of the opposition to Pluto and square to Mars. As Pluto is the exact degree of the Grand Mutation at 1 Aquarius directly affecting the next 19 years, Jupiter at the waxing square is now set to release a lot of potential energy related to the future vision. This will most impact planets we have in the last 3 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, the first 3 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, and 13-17 Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. If you have planets or points in any of these areas, be cautious and take heed of the advice in the previous paragraph.

The other side of this equation is that if we have planets at the end of Pisces or beginning of Aries, the end of Taurus and beginning of Gemini, the end of Virgo and beginning of Libra, and the end of Scorpio and beginning of Sagittarius then this is an extraordinarily favorable T-square, since those planets harmonize the Mars opposed Pluto which release the dynamic productivity and understanding through the square to Jupiter, a very favorable thing!

2) We have Mars biquintile Saturn and quintile Uranus, with Saturn quintile Uranus, giving us three points of a “Five Pointed Star of Specialization.” This will bring “quintessential” developments wherever this falls in our charts, as well as between the houses they rule. This most impacts planets and points near 5-9 Pisces, 17-21 Taurus, 29 Cancer-2 Leo, 11-15 Libra, and 23-27 Sagittarius.

3) We have the Mars opposition Pluto cut into a decile and biquintile by Saturn, generating a specializing void around 7 Virgo. This is a configuration bringing partly developed gifts and unique interactive events.

4) As mentioned, Venus is triggering the Grand Irrationality through its conjunction with Uranus and septile to Neptune. The Uranus septile Neptune has been the primary activator of the irrationality of recent years, and the anchor of the configuration. This aspect creates 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” near 5-9 Aquarius, 26-30 Pisces, 18-22 Taurus, 10-14 Cancer, 1-5 Virgo, 22-26 Libra, and 14-18 Sagittarius. This is the final forward set of zones which began in 2018-2019 when Neptune was at 13-17 Pisces and Uranus was at 4-8 Taurus.

Explaining Harmonics

This month we have a lot of aspects with a generous helping of those in the various spiritual series and just five frictional aspects. The friction is provided by the Lunation semisquare Venus, Mars square Jupiter and opposed Pluto, and Jupiter square Pluto. This is the first non-lunar opposition since the oppositions to Uranus in late 2022.

In the 7th harmonic aspect series of “destiny,” we have 2 septiles and 1 biseptile. In the 5th, 10th, 15th and 24th harmonic specialization series, we have 1 decile, 3 quintiles, 1 tredecile and 1 biquintile. The 9th harmonic gives us 1 noviles and 2 binoviles, and in the 11th harmonic faith series there is 1 elftile, 1 bielftile, and 1 pentelftile.

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 slight imbalance in the elements, with the 10 traditional planets occupying 4 signs with a heavy emphasis in only 3. We have 0 planets in Fire (inspiration and warmth), 5 planets in Earth (practical grounding), 1 in Air (relatedness and communicating), and 4 in Water (feelings and experiencing). This month we have one-third of the signs represented.

Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, it’s slightly more cold than hot, with no fire at all and all the earth provided by Taurus! With the preponderance of Earth and Water, it should be good for for making bricks but avoid getting stuck in the mud of ambivalence or thinking what’s passing is viable in your future.

Because the New Moon falls at the penultimate degree of Taurus, Uranus is the planet leading the Sun. This is the “gateway to the Light” showing we need an innovative, unique, or individualizing approach to the Light, as well as an ability to sense a greater “lightness of Being” before we see the Light in events. Uranus occupies a degree of spontaneous expressions of joyous response to life, so this is the birth of a new form of joy wherever Uranus is transiting in our charts. Be willing to individualize, seeing the humor in events. The study of which planet leads the Sun is a crucial but 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. For now, as a process of moving through events, the most effective “firing sequence” for approaching life and experience over the next four weeks involves leading with our thinking, communicating, envisioning and finding a new view of things, followed by decisions and actions, and then feeling what we’ve done and seen.

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. After the decision or action, sit with the feelings and experience them, bring them to a conscious focus and get clear about what you’re feeling and why.

Summing Up

This New Moon is going to accelerate and stabilize our sectors even as we begin to experience Cancer energies a little earlier than usual. With Mercury direct, we are now moving fully forward at maximum speed, and now that Jupiter has entered Taurus, this is the birth of a new way of enjoying life. This is a point of critical emergence of the long wave Aquarian pulses for 2023.

Recent eclipses are stripping away anything which would block a more enjoyable way to “do our Being.” The past three weeks have given us a glimpse into the Autumn and Winter, so be a good bridge builder. Keep moving forward with strength and resilience, good humor and a sense of caring. Mars is showing us venerable things to preserve as we stand on the threshold of an entirely new Jupiter experience.

Be careful of extreme people and situations, keep everything open and above board, agree to nothing in secret, and be willing to make clear and specific demands on situations so they are in your continue interests. We’re all deepening, so welcome what you’re attracting and don’t lament what is leaving. We are now at “the far side of experience” and opening to new energies and new responses. Remember the year’s theme involves understanding old answers can’t confirm the new conditions of existence, and old approaches won’t get the job done. Secure what needs securing, and enjoy what needs enjoying.

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. 2022 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, and are now entering a new phase as Jupiter now occupies Taurus and Mars enters Leo.

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 now solidly in Pisces. This helps us to a deeper feeling of connection with others and Source. 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 occupies 13 Cancer in this Lunation chart and quintile Jupiter, thus providing sensitive strength and flexibility in how the Jupiter square Pluto manifests, it provides a degree of tenderness and care in our relationships. This is a protective position, and helps us synthesize objectivity with a search for part of our Mystery. This brings an experience of Cancer which anticipates the Sun and Mercury transits of early July when they too will trigger the Grand Irrationality for the last time.

Venus is now helping us care for ourselves and others who are in our spiritual family and soon will enter Leo, where it goes retrograde, promising 4 months of learning to like all things Leo! This will bring beauty of something of value to wherever we have Leo in our charts, and people with significant Leo planets or points will love the fire they’re feeling in their interactions.

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 you power to shape your future 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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