Now I believe in semi-squares

The past few days, I've been overcome with anger and resentment -- which would make sense, since today is a Scorpio Full Moon -- but it hasn't until now, because I didn't see the Full Moon making any hard aspects to any of my chart points. I play by a hard-and-fast rule that a lunation doesn't have much of an impact unless it's making a conjunction, square or opposition (and maybe a quincunx) to a planet or angle. Trines and sextiles just don't force one to get out of bed in the morning, you know? So I've been confounded all day ... why do I feel so pissy? The Full Moon is making a not-so-tight trine to my Pisces Sun. Big deal.

But now I know. This Full Moon is exactly semi-square my natal Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio. When I was studying astrology with John, I was amazed that he could immediately identify semi-squares and sesquiquadrates, because unless they're identified by those little symbols in the center of a computerized chart, they don't exactly pop out at you. All the Ptolemaic aspects are pretty easy to notice, because they're in the same degree areas, unless you're looking the last degrees of one sign and the first degrees of another. But 45 and 135 degree angles don't share that heuristic. 26 Virgo and 11 Scorpio don't scream out, "Aspect!" You have to do the math in your head. 26 Virgo (my natal Pluto) + 30 degrees = 26 Libra. 26 Libra + 15 degrees = 11 Scorpio (today's Full Moon). Therefore, 26 Virgo + 45 degrees = 11 Scorpio.

The math isn't so easy, but it's worth it, because now everything has fallen into place. The tension, the seething underground rage ... there's a precise astrological corollary to it. All is right in the Universe.

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Pisces - March 18, 2007

Sometimes I listen to progressive metal, a hybrid of art-rock and heavy metal with guitar lines so low and loud, they shake every molecule of your body. Yet this music also includes all the pretentions of serious musicians intent on including odd meters and contrapuntal melodies -- not to mention lyrics about ancient civilizations and occult claptrap.

This solar eclipse is kind of like art metal. The Sun and Moon are conjunct (a New Moon ) in ethereal, musical Pisces, but in a tense square -- a 90-degree angle -- to Pluto, lord of the underworld. We plant our dream-seeds into the fertile earth, just a few days before spring, with the chthonic power of nature forcing our fantasies to either survive or perish.

Pluto drags our transcendent urges into the nether regions of our psyche, confronting us with our devils and demons. One spiritual downfall (to which Pisces is prone) is the propensity to meditate for hours on end, revelling in bliss states to escape one's very real problems here on earth. Altered states of consciousness are not ends in themselves, strivings to experience mental fireworks and out-of-body experiences. Rather, the "work" is useful insofar as it helps us to be more compassionate beings in daily life.

The elements of Self we have cast off into the recesses of our unconscious cannot be avoided, especially with Pluto blocking our path at the intersection between heaven and hell. An attempt to paint, write music or sit zazen releases all the twisted, dark images that have been rooting around in the basement. They can no longer be avoided. Instead, incorporate them into your art. Black paints, harsh power chords, chaotic dance moves ... unleash the hell-fire of Self and channel it into your spiritual strivings, creating the humus to bring your dream-seeds to life.

The Fine Print: This New Moon occurs at 28 Pisces. If you have personal planets or angles between 25-29 degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) or 0-2 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), this Solar Eclipse will have a strong impact over the next year. Look to the houses containing 28 Pisces and 28 Sagittarius to see which areas of your life will be affected.

Related posts:

• Fear of an eclipse
• How to prepare for an eclipse

The real definition of 'plutoed'

From astrobarry:

Among the innumerable inane end-of-year honors that show up in trivial headlines, this one from American Dialect Society caught my eye. Apparently, the verb 'plutoed' has been awarded its 2006 Word of the Year award. By their definition, to 'pluto' is 'to demote or devalue someone or something', an homage to by the IAU. In my book, however, a more precise definition of this planetary action-word is 'to repress awareness of difficult-to-process archetypes by deploying false labeling'. Language, by all accounts, is forever evolving.

New Moon in Sagittarius - December 20, 2006

This New Moon is closely conjunct the Lord of the Underworld, Pluto, and also trine Lord of Extreme Hardship, Saturn. I'm not a big fan of Saturn-Pluto (see "9/11"), but this time these hard-core planets are making a generous aspect to each other, with Saturn supporting our desire to transform ourselves -- it is easier to implement change and make it stick. Saturn is trine Pluto through Fall 2007, and the New Moon in alignment with this combo gives us a taste of the larger archetypal dynamics in play for the next year.

Pluto in Sagittarius relates to all this religious extremism we've been witnessing, as well as the uncovering of abuses in the church and publishing over the past few years. Saturn in Leo is hopefully forcing our leaders to be accountable for their actions (GWB!) and making us take our creativity seriously.

The New Moon in Sagittarius is a great opportunity to make a new start in changing our beliefs, pursuing an advanced degree, travelling the world, studying philosophy and world religions. Pluto brings to the surface old belief systems that are no longer in alignment with our true selves (if they ever were). Once we are aware of them, we can let them go and embrace a view of life more in tune with who we are. Saturn's trine supports us in creatively turning these beliefs into reality -- they are more likely to stand the test of time, since we have the discipline and patience to carry them out over the long haul.

If you approach this New Moon with a lack of consciousness, Pluto could simply intensify your current beliefs to such an extreme that you are not open to any other point of view!

This New Moon is most likely to impact natives with personal planets around 28 degrees of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) or the very early degrees of cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). If you've got a birthday around March 18, June 18, September 20 or December 19, prepare to be transformed!