Jasper Johns, “Map”

Tomorrow, as the United States celebrates its birthday, the Cancer Sun, poised to the degree over its natal position, will oppose the Capricorn Moon. The Earth, caught in the middle, will cast a shadow over the Moon, narrowly eclipsing our nocturnal orb. This is more than just a full moon: the synchronistic timing and the involvement of the south node in Sagittarius bring karma to bear on this transit. This is the last eclipse we will have on the Cancer-Capricorn axis until 2037, when we will pick up this thread again.

All around the cardinal axes of the zodiac—Cancer, Capricorn, Aries and Libra—the bases are loaded, creating a tension above and beyond that of the full moon alone. Cardinal signs represent initiatory energy, and a configuration such as this contains powerful dynamism and a sense of urgency that must find action—or activism—to keep that energy flowing productively and to forestall gridlock and frustration. In Cancer, we have the Sun, Mercury and Vesta (see my previous post for more on that). In Aries—Mars, Chiron and Lilith. In Libra there is Juno the All-Mother—presiding solo, but not to be ignored. And in Capricorn, not only the Moon, but Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter and Pallas, all of whom are now back within its walls due to retrograde. We’ve talked about them quite a bit this year. In short, strong minds and strong opinions, in either square or opposition to one another, are holding down the four corners of the zodiac and demanding to be heard. Fierce queens and warrior kings face off in a battle of wills. 

Racism, sexism, xenophobia, nationalism, leadership, security, societal structures and institutions are the themes of this story. How we build, how we protect, how we relate and how we confront. The planetary bodies in question, in our lived experience, express themselves in the numerous and diverse voices of society: some champion the underdog, some uphold the dynasties; some argue for maintaining tradition, others for breaking with it; some want violence, others want peace. All have the courage of their convictions behind them, and none especially want to listen to what the others have to say. 

What version of the past do you subscribe to? What type of fight do you believe is worth fighting? What constitutes peace and balance for you, and what are the power dynamics that play out in your relationships? What is burning to be initiated in your life and what are some goals to work toward so that you don’t feel stuck or stagnant? The full moon will shine a light on whatever those stories are and the eclipse will send them reverberating in all directions of the ineffable cosmic timeline.