Gemini Balsamic Moon
—July 23
Hallelujah!—the sun shines upon us!
>deep exhalation<
The strategically selfish saturations of Cancerian waters evaporate almost immediately beneath the brightest, boldest rays of Leonine sunshine, the pessimistic wetness naturally drains back into the sandy shadows and underneath the oceanic bric-a-brac—wholly sucked back with the tide… while the hopeful, confident vibrations of the Leo sun shines on, warming all lingering chilly sea breezes.
Whatever house in your personal nativity chart that is governed by Cancer is likely the sector of your life that is somewhat shuttered, strategically and selfishly saturated… while the house thereafter, where Leo is in your chart, offers opportunity, and warm openness.
Today’s sun shines back at the moon by sextile through a degree that associates itself to the concept of conflagration, which, by definition, refers to ‘a destructive, and usually extensive, fire’, whereas, more metaphorically speaking—this degree suggests the proverbial spark, as well as lightning, or to inspire the inner flame.
Negatively, then, ‘to burn up’ and mindlessly expire all potentials and/or resources thoughtlessly or recklessly would be inferred… astrologer Dane Rudhyar even references this in comparison to the energies of your rudimentary Sagittarius frequencies, in that within its very essence is an inner friction and/or confliction to itself, in which navigation through needs to be exhaustively learned…
Symbolically, for today, as the sun moves into Leo—the moon moves into Gemini to connect—think of this as a dark Cancerian cloud moving out of the way, and it’s been such a long time since you’ve seen and felt the sun… it’s witnessed and experienced as that much brighter—but as pleasant as this feels, you’ll burn just as quickly, just the same… ‘the sun can destroy as well as vivify’.
Rudhyar refers to apoplexy, which is a fun word the Victorians used to use (somewhat exhaustively, ironically—cautioning from becoming potentially apoplectic) to refer to physical excitation, to the point of convulsion.
Combustion is another word choice of Rudhyar’s.
Then the moon moves on, moving into an exact midpoint in between Jupiter in Aries and Mercury in Leo by sextiles, through a degree that refers to creative intensity…
And this is when it becomes even more intense… or, potentially apoplectic—because Mercury in Leo, and, you know, Jupiter in general.
Rudhyar describes this degree as “the breath represents the power of the spirit, animator of all living manifestations… because the glass blower uses his breath to shape the glass vessels, he is a fitting symbol of how deeply any creative individual has to involve his total being in his creation—he is also using the fire of the spirit—transpersonal inspiration—or, in another sense, the fire of deeply felt emotions… any creative activity which does not involve both the ‘breath’ and the ‘fire’ cannot transform into beautiful artworks—or indeed into any new form of order—the raw materials, remains of the past…”
Perhaps, as the moon weakens ever more within its midpoint aspecting, and surrenders toward the inevitable upcoming new moon, the now exalted sun is preparing the moon (for its newness next week), in turn, for an inevitable lunarly combustion… an inevitable lunarly outburst of inner creativity surging forth, outward, to be shared generously and enjoyed most thoroughly…
❝Passion is the spark that put you on fire for combustion and propel the wheels of productivity that brings your ultimate success.❞
——Lord Robin
🖋️ by Jamie James; 📷 by takiisbranding
Goldsmith, M. ‘The Zodiac by Degrees.’ Weiser Books; ©2004.
Hill, L. ‘360 Degrees of Wisdom.’ A Plume Book; ©2004.
Kaldera, R. ‘Moon Phase Astrology.’ Destiny Books; ©2011.
Kaldera, R. ‘Myth Astrology.’ Llewellyn Publications; ©2004.
Rudhyar, D. ‘An Astrological Mandala.’ Vintage Books; ©1973.