New Moon/Solar Eclipse
July 1, 2011 @ 09 degrees Cancer
4:54 AM Eastern
1:54 AM Pacific

This is the first New Moon of the Summer Season, which also happens to be a rather potent Solar Eclipse. This is the final eclipse of three, the closing of a cycle which began with the New Moon on June 1st. The theme of this particular lunation cycle has been the clearing out and releasing of the past, which will continue throughout the Summer season, given the prominent symbolism in the solstice horoscope. This Eclipse, like the eclipse which occurred in early June, is a south nodal eclipse (occuring near the south node of the moon), and again, relates to a process of letting go, releasing, and moving forward from stagnation. The predominant aspects within the New Moon/Solar Eclipse horoscope are seemingly challenging, and with this in mind we can anticipate much pressure to be imposed upon the collective and the individual, because there is much potential for growth to occur within the ensuing months, and this Eclipse is very much the catalyst for this. As we set our intentions this New Moon, there is much to be conscious of, and much to look forward to, if we can collectively let go of, what no longer serves us. What are you holding on to at this juncture? Is it a lifestyle, a belief, an ideology, an expectation, or an assumption? How can we expand our perception of what's possible so that we can allow ourselves to become more in line with the true intention for our lives? Is it a childish pattern of behavior that needs to be addressed and released? Is it a limiting and restricting perception of reality? Is it a job, a living situation, or a relationship that needs to change?

Humans are indeed creatures of comfort, and we all certainly like to have a sense of security based on routines and activities that bring us a sense of stable predictability. We must balance, however, our desire for security and comfort with that equally powerful desire for change, growth, and evolution. When we stay stuck doing the same thing, when we refuse to let go of the familiar because we fear the unknown, we stagnate evolution and we stop growing and maturing. Individually, and collectively, we are indeed experiencing the pressure to move on, to really reach out of our "comfort zones" to experience and awaken a dormant aspect of ourselves, a piece of us which lies just below the surface of our awareness. This piece is our true potential, that part we all, consciously or not, strive to become when we attempt to "better ourselves". The reality is that it's not about becoming "better", but actually, a process of simply letting go of what we are not, and conversely, embracing who we truly are. Each of us enters this world exactly as we were meant to be, and somehow, along the the way, we lost sight of that inner spark, and we stopped listening to that voice which radiates from the depths of our being. Most of the time we were pressured to stop listening because everyone else did too, or someone told us that who we are was inappropriate or inadequate. If we continue to turn our backs on this divine light within, we will only sink deeper into the darkness of collective delusion which currently beleaguers us from all sides. When doors close in front of us, when things "fall apart", it is often a sign that we are not in synch with divine timing, which means that we are trying to go where we don't belong. The truth is that there are many more doors for us to open, but we just don't see them because we are attached to a certain direction or path we "think" is the right one.

Solar Eclipses are extremely powerful New Moons, and their effects can last for several months. This means that intention is magnified more so than with other New Moons, and they are excellent times for projecting longer range goals. Eclipses in general symbolize the clearing out of energies within multiple dimensions simultaneously. We often experience this as a chronic agitation, or an inner restlessness, because unconsciously there is much that is about to shift and change. This psychic clearing is a natural and cyclic process which happens all the time, but some eclipses are more prominent and noticeable for certain people and groups then others. As a general rule, Solar eclipses tend to relate more to physical changes, and the bringing up of material from the unconscious into the conscious awareness of the individual. This shifting of energies within all dimensions often manifests within earth changes such as thunderstorms, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc, but not always. It is important to be mindful of this so that we can understand that such events are nature's way of clearing things out and releasing built up tension. Lets take a look at some of the aspects within the horoscope of the New Moon/Solar Eclipse. This Solar Eclipse is in opposition with Pluto retrograde in Capricorn, and Pluto is Trine Jupiter in Taurus. If we do not choose to reach beyond our shells of comfort, then we may be "forced" to by external events which work to pressure us out of stagnation. In reality, outer events only reflect an unconscious process within ourselves that we manifested within the outer world. The New Moon/Eclipse sextiles Jupiter, and Trines Pluto, showing us that we can create change and growth by taking things step by step, we do not have to change all at once. However, if we refuse to take these first formative steps, it may appear to us that some external force is pressuring us to do it all now. Jupiter in Taurus is giving us the opportunity to really ground and connect deeply to ourselves, and this is a time when carefully plotted action and strategic planning is highly favored. The South Node in Gemini is conjunct Venus, and the ruler, Mercury, sits at the 28th (anaretic) degree of Cancer. This indicates that there has been a rather long and possibly arduous process of considering options or alternative directions, and now comes a moment of decision, where further indecisiveness will only hinder our need for growth. The potential, the gift, which is Venus, is ready for us to bring forward into the world, we must simply let go of our fear that we'll make the "wrong" decision. When we hesitate we are not trusting our heart, and we are not listening to our inner voice which knows exactly what to do.

Follow your instincts and not your mind, the mind will only bring more confusion at this time. This does not mean that one should jump into action with each impulse, but to very consciously tune into an inner feeling of what feels right or what feels wrong. Saturn also makes a square to the New Moon/Eclipse and Pluto, indicating pressure coming from our relationships, personal or otherwise. Here we feel the need to consider some blind spots, the areas of our lives and personality that we are not consciously aware of. Are we stepping on someone's boundaries without consideration? Equally, are our boundaries being intruded upon by another from their inconsideration, demands, or agenda? How can we become more aware of our relations with others so that we don't step on someone's toes? How can we open ourselves up, come out of our limited and narrow perspective and consider that of another? If we are open to it, relationships provide the greatest lessons and reflections of ourselves, and what bothers or triggers us the most is usually something within us that we refuse to see as a fragment of ourselves. This eclipse is also providing an opportunity to create more harmony and balance within our relationships so that there is more equality and consciousness of give and take. Mars in Gemini is sextile Uranus in Aries and Trine Saturn in Libra. There is much energy for self awareness, as well as the ability to take constructive action through the activation of will, but we must act on this ourselves, because soft aspects do not force us to. We also see an opportunity for the assertion of self interest, to communicate who we are and what we need to others, and this could open some illuminating dialogue with those in our personal lives.

The Sabian symbol for this New Moon reads:

"A large diamond in the first stages of the cutting process."

This symbol compliments so perfectly the configurations we see within the rest of the horoscope. A diamond is a natural "stone", which when found in the earth is in a raw and untamed formation. The cutting of the diamond symbolizes the harnessing and shaping power of the mind, to improve upon, and make more intelligible, pure and raw potential. Here we see quite vividly a process in which we begin, collectively, and individually, of taking that first step towards "perfection", which is to say, to reach the highest potential of what's possible for ourselves and others. Dane Rudhyar, in an Astrological Mandala, has this to say of the symbol:

"The Arduous training for perfection in order to manifest an ideal."

"We are still dealing with the evolution of consciousness and of personality at a preliminary stage. The potentiality of a completely formed mind through which the light of understanding will shine brightly is already in evidence, but much work is still to be done. We may meditate upon the transformation of the "pond of water" (in the preceedng symbol) into a diamond not yet completely cut. The conscious mind must acquire solidity so it can be worked upon by higher agencies-ideally by the teachers of the community. It no doubt must be a painful operation for the rough stone, but the goal is worth the suffering, the heat, the grinding noise...provided of course the diamond cutter is an expert craftsman-a rare case amoung teachers!

As keyword we suggest CRAFTSMANSHIP, here meaning especially the training for perfection."

A lot can be gleamed upon mediation of this symbol and well as Rudhyar's interpretation. What are you striving to create in your life and in the world? How can you shape your ideal, and make it tangible, make it real in the world of everyday life? What can you do to enhance your abilities, your craft, so that you can have the best tools at your disposal to make your dreams a reality? What steps must you take now to perfect this raw and untouched potential within yourself? This may not be the moment when it all happens and comes to life, but the first stage, the first step of anything, is the most crucial to how the rest will unfold. If, as individuals, and as a collective society, we can be conscious during these first steps then we will have a much better chance for success later down the road. How we begin something is as much, if not more important then how it ends up. Like the old saying goes, "It's not about the destination, but how you get there that truly matters".

Image Credits

Image 1: Born From The Sea by Vladimir Kush

**UPDATE:

This particular eclipse isn't particularly strong by itself, however, it occured within roughly 3 degrees from the Sun and roughly 4 degrees from Jupiter in the USA horoscope, at precisely the Sun/Jupiter midpoint. Due to this, its influence is particularly stronger for the collective psyche of the United States, and will have a tremendous impact during its activations from other planets. The symbolism fermented in this article will become more clear and prominent, I feel, as Pluto transits in opposition to the Eclipse position from March of 2012 through October of 2013. Special attention should also be noted for August of 2013, as Jupiter will simultaneously conjunct this Eclipse along with the asteroid Pallas Athena, the goddess of war, intellect, and problem solving. Additionally, Uranus will be in a wide square to the Eclipse, activating it with a first pass in April of 2013. There will also be a grand trine formed between Jupiter conjunct Pallas Athena in Cancer, Saturn in Scorpio, and Neptune in Pisces. I believe this period will mark a very critical and important time for the United States, a time for manifesting and implementing a new vision for the future, one that completely separates us from the ideals of the past. This is likely to manifest as some form of event which will build progressively, whatever that may be, and will cement this realization quite strongly among the American peoples. The exact timing of this culmination is unclear, but will likely occur generally around late August of 2013. We cannot, obviously, control the outcome of these energies or its intention, but we can focus inwardly on ourselves and the processes that arose at the time of this New Moon/Eclipse, and consciously work toward their resolution in our personal lives. The more we heal ourselves, the more we heal the collective, and the more "positive" and constructive outer events in the world will become.

Love & Light