Sagittarius - expand the view!

This month’s New Moon chart has a closely linked pattern, most of the planets joining in with the New Moon itself. So the focus is clearly dealing with Sagittarius issues: learning and sharing knowledge; a bigger philosophical picture and global involvement; religious ideologies and spiritual wisdom; moral judgements and open minded love. Each of these issues will be pointed up over the next month, and we will each come up against those issues nearest to our own life situations and concerns.

There is also likely to be a huge pull towards practical considerations which may have nothing to do with all the above! (Mercury unaspected in Capricorn) This could be a distraction, but also it may be a way of grounding and balancing the various pulls of different factions globally, and also bringing us down to earth in our own personal lives. As you know, we can only effect any degree of real change on the outside, by doing the work innerly; so let’s look at the different energies involved.

Home in with harmonising help

Primarily, this energy pattern is about considering the broadest picture we can muster from which to recognise where you stand (Sun/Moon trine Uranus in Aries). Having chosen our highest stand point, we need to use our view to find and support the most harmonising action in the situation (Sun/Moon sextile Mars in Libra). The most unhelpful thing to do would be to judge others’ actions from a high moral ground (Sun/Moon square Jupiter in Virgo) while not doing anything helpful at all. The better use of this energetic pattern is asking for as much information as possible to facilitate win/win solutions.

Accepting the facts is the starting point for change

Another pitfall would be to give up entirely because the pain we are witnessing is too much to understand, and we want to blame the powers that be, or look away because we can’t handle the pain of being human (Sun/Moon square Chiron in Pisces). It’s important to remember that, in the totality of life, nothing can be rejected out of Oneness because there’s nowhere to reject it to! Everything that is done, said, felt, has to be included in life as it is: that is not to say approved of, just that we need to accept the facts as the starting point. Human nature contains an entire spectrum, and is as capable of the darkest atrocities, as it is of the widest compassion and greatest joy and peace.

Our job is to keep edging towards our souls’ highest yearnings (Venus in Scorpio trine Neptune), not to allow ourselves the indulgence of resentment over an emotional upset, or mentally ranting about a troublesome neighbour or the latest budget (Saturn in Sag squaring Neptune). Notice how your body feels when you allow yourself to function from this ‘heavy’ level, and how much lighter you feel when you aim higher. This is not rejecting our instinctive reactions however negative we may feel them to be, but it might help to think of them as coming from the reptilian stage of our human evolution, definitely more engaged with survival than humanitarian relationships! We can choose which aspect of our nature we act on.

Do whatever you do as your contribution to world peace

Two solution points show up in the chart: one is the healing intention to do what helps the whole situation, or, putting it another way, doing what you enjoy that most helps others (Mars quincunx Chiron). I think that the entire energy of this month is working towards just this, because that is what will enable the major evolutionary changes to unroll (Chiron sextiling Pluto). These acts of kindness could be every now and then, maybe something you do without drawing attention to it (Mars opposite Uranus). You may find that you’ve attracted opposition from people or circumstances, which requires that you hold your ground - not the same as being aggressive! Following through, you could find others inspired to join with you (Sun/Moon in Sagittarius trine Uranus).

The other potentially helpful condition this month is the practical focus of communicative energy (Mercury in Capricorn). This could be a tendency to bury our heads in the sand by thinking only about the next job around the house, or how to re-organise some aspect of our daily living (Mercury makes no strong connections to the other planets). But if we remember, and keep in mind, that everything we do can add to the smooth flow and harmonious balance of life generally, this could be our contribution to the well being of the whole. In any case, we can be mindful of the physical effects of mental and emotional efforting, and perhaps find ways to earth our good ideas.

Full Moon 25 December - feed yourself/feed the world

Let’s not forget another of the positive characteristics of Sagittarius: playful fun and joyful sharing. We head towards the Solstice, where the Sun enters Capricorn on 21 December, and find the next Full Moon on 25 December at 11:11 Universal Time. All that careful organisation and practical arrangements come to wonderful fruition - perhaps it’s winter soup-kitchens for the homeless, perhaps it’s giving life’s necessities to refugees, singing with the local children or asking elderly neighbours round for a meal (Full Moon in Cancer). Whatever you do in this frame of mind and heart will join the natural flow of loving energy, and that is what helps humanity’s present evolution most (Mercury sextiles Venus, and trines Jupiter on the North Node). Whatever our contribution, let it be given with love, and the purpose of life is served.