This super full moon in Aquarius on Sunday 10th August 2014 at 6.10 pm is in a tight T-square with Saturn. Integrating this uncomfortable Saturn energy then is the key to understanding that the challenging aspects in the fixed signs of Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius give opportunities for the possible transformation of very long-established patterns.
I always feel uncomfortable writing about ‘difficult’ moons such as this. It feels like either way you can’t win; speak positively about something difficult and you risk being out of touch with reality and speak honestly, and people take it as negative. Saturn is dreaded more than any other planet too; over the years I have surprised myself and personally made my peace with Saturn, now valuing it more than any other planet (something I thought would never happen).
With this sort of moon though, we will naturally gravitate towards a more pessimistic outlook, and that’s just how it is sometimes. But we can look at pessimism differently too, perhaps through the lenses of realism. It’s also worth while knowing though that in medieval times, Saturn was seen as a blessing. Going through Saturnian-like experiences was seen as soul deepening, granting gravitas, experience and wisdom.
Thomas Moore writes how the soul comes in many different shades, including grey and black; “melancholy gives the soul an opportunity to express a side of it’s nature that is as valid as any other, but is hidden out of our distaste for it’s darkness and bitterness”. Moore writes about how melancholy allows for introspection and reflection, a time for taking stock (The Gift of Depression).
When Saturn engages uncomfortably with a Sun conjoined Mercury, a kind of solitary, stoical seriousness takes over our minds; this weekend there could be some sober conversations taking place. Its time to be in our own authority, to hold ourselves and others accountable to their word – this energy forces us and others into congruence so we say what we mean and mean what we say. If we can share our fears and depths now the burden will feel at least shared if not somewhat lifted.
At this full moon, Black Moon Lilith, BML for short, is conjunct Sun/Mercury, opposite the Moon and obviously also square Saturn. BML is a geometrical, rather than physical celestial body, she’s the apogee of the Moon’s orbit, or the place where the Moon is furthest away from the Earth. There are three different astronomical forms of Lilith, but only the BML is relevant here.
One biblical myth speaks of Lilith as Adam’s first wife. She refused to obey him as he desired and so flew away from him, and paradise, i.e. far away from earth. Now from this far away place, she is calling us at this point in time, to step outside of our own familiar perceptions of what it means to be a woman and of flesh, to get to know the Goddess in Her less familiar forms.
BML is about a wholly different concept of the Goddess and feminine. At the edge of society and consciousness, she represents the primal, instinctive, witchy feminine that has been ostracised, rejected and since buried for millenia. Lilith, rather than adhere to Adam’s demands, followed her own inner truth and power, and so in her wholeness, she embodies a provocative feminine sexual power. For Lilith is about being true to herself, not to any outer authority.
This is clearly juxtaposed to Eve, Adam’s second wife, who represents the unblemished, ideal feminine principle – maintained by patriarchal society – which through trying to replicate, perpetuates shame, unworthiness and deep inadequacy, particularly in relation to the body. The civilised, perfected perceptions of the feminine which we get from the adverts and magazines actually stifle our power and extinguish our light. We might not think twice when we look at them, but they take away our light.
There is a real urgency now for women (and men) to heal, but perhaps even more relevant, access and express BML. That means allowing her to be free, go wild and crazy sometimes, stop trying to conform so neatly all the time. Significant BML placements in natal charts such as BML conjunct the north or south node, square the node, or its ruler, conjunct Chiron and the south node, conjunct an angle and many more subtle combinations can be incredibly powerful and creative when accessed.
Often accessing this energy in past-life or ancestral work is necessary as it enables a witnessing of BML, a crucial part in the healing story. Sometimes the abuse history from this life can hold the power of BML too, unlocking the force within the abuser energy, which is also within the victim (out-pictured on another level of reality) can hold the key to accessing what’s trying to emerge in the individual.
Common themes are coming to terms with female power (relationship to feeling, proprioception and body movement) and of course body image. Sometimes there is strong abuse history, deep rage (often towards parents), a sense of injustice and nearly always a deep underlying unworthiness that can manifest outwardly in forms of self-harm, eating disorders, self-critical thinking and sometimes even severe physical symptoms. It’s very difficult for women (and, to lesser extent, men) to feel comfortable with this energy for its been forbidden and cast out of society, stifled without any healthy expression.
With BLM in Leo, the current transit, we have the feminine power that wants to be centre stage, be creative, to lead, but with Saturn squaring BLM, Mercury and the Sun, this is clearly not possible right now. Saturn temporarily limits and puts restrictions on action, depresses our minds and bodies, makes us hopeless, brings exhaustion and asks us to reflect and take a step back, rather than push or force a path through.
This weekend, the overarching sense is of restriction and blockage – no flow, no fluidity and no let up. Perhaps you can feel it in the air, the atmosphere holds a lot of heaviness, like you just want to sleep all day, and it looks dark way before sunset. These more debilitated and dormant energies can frustrate and exasperate symptoms.
So how can we work with such difficult energy? Well, as with all things, its a transition and so temporary and to be utilised rather than suffered. Its important to allow this full moon to provide you with a glimpse into what really needs your applied work.
At the same time, Chiron trine Saturn brings in a multidimensional awareness of our present issues and asks us to recognise that we can’t control the right timing of our healing and transformation but we can support the slow release of age-old fears and our overall wellbeing with focused work and healthy boundaries. A slow, disciplined approach will work well for you right now, it’s a great time to firm up any healthy routines that seem to be working for you.
This trine is a comfortable aspect that encourages the healing of our relationship to the father or our relationship to the father principle showing us where our limitations no longer serve a purpose. Saturn says it will take as long as it needs to take but this is easy for us to see right now, and probably what we need to tune into if we want to feel peace around these aspects.
Aquarius can bring an instant objectivity and perspective – since Aquarius allows a level of detachment and inspiration that’s quick and truthful. Being able to pinpoint quite clearly what’s feeling wrong is very liberating and empowering. So with reflection we can now isolate what is going on for ourselves and then take steps to support ourselves better. There might be no great flow and lots of heaviness, but if we follow the no flow and heaviness, where does it take us? Most likely downwards, to sleep, letting our unconscious minds work out the issues in dreamtime. Less activity and more downtime to protect health too, our bodies are more vulnerable at full moon times when the energies are strong and heavy.
