Not only is next Wednesday’s Full Moon the peak of a cycle that started with an eclipse, but it falls at the exact degree of a big solar eclipse in July 2009.

The 2009 event, on July 22 (July 21 in the Western Hemisphere), was a total eclipse and the longest of the century. It was the second in a new series of eclipses in Capricorn and Cancer. There is one more eclipse left in this series, on July 1.

Astrologers debate how long the influence of eclipses lasts and what factors determine this timing. My gut feeling is that a total eclipse that’s the longest of the century has got to have long-term meaning, and since eclipses appear to be windows on time, we should look for clues about what “time” is being revealed. A Full Moon at the exact degree and minute – 29°27′ – is a mighty big hint.

I ran a comparison to look at the two charts together, and a couple of things jumped out at me. First, Uranus is still in late Pisces, just one degree from his position in the chart for the July 2009 eclipse. Uranus is the rebel, the inventor, and the bolt of lightning that blasts erroneous beliefs from our minds. That is often what it takes to wake us up. Remember, the seventh planet was discovered in 1781, between the American and French revolutions. If that wasn’t a political awakening, I don’t know what was.

I’m going to digress for a minute to mention something I read recently in the subscription-only newsletter from CounterPunch (which I highly recommend; it’s only $35 a year). The entire December 16 issue was devoted to an article by Mason Gaffney, a professor of economics at the University of California, about how radical political reform in the United States has grown out of cyclical religious awakenings.

According to Prof. Gaffney, the First Great Awakening led to the American and Jeffersonian Revolutions, the Second Great Awakening led to the Civil War and Abolition, the Third Great Awakening led to the Populist and then Progressive Movements, the Fourth Great Awakening led to the New Deal, and the Fifth Great Awakening led to the “Great Society,” feminism, and social upheavals.

Prof. Gaffney’s prediction that another awakening was about to happen gave me chills.

“Expect to be surprised, and expect it fairly soon,” he writes. [T]he calamities of President G.W. Bush and the fumbling of President Obama have opened the doors for a new alignment.”

Back to the chart for Wednesday’s Full Moon, Uranus is in close conjunction with Jupiter at 29 Pisces, the last degree of the zodiac, representing a “wrap-up” of spiritual searching and discovery. Among his attributes, Jupiter expands minds and fosters spiritual growth.

It’s interesting to note that at the July 2009 solar eclipse, Jupiter was tightly conjunct Neptune in Aquarius. Neptune and Uranus remain in mutual reception, and they also have been in a close semi-sextile since mid-2008. A transit to one is a transit to both. Moreover, Neptune in Aquarius and Uranus in Pisces both reflect a sea change in the collective unconscious. It’s only a matter of time before new ideas bubble to the surface.

Spiritual is the new religious. Could that be the missing link that Prof. Gaffney has overlooked? Elsewhere in his article, he notes that the new movement will come out of left field and will be resisted by academics and intellectuals. What is more resisted by academics and intellectuals than astrology? We need only review the past week’s media shenanigans to reaffirm that truth.

In a strange way, last week’s media fiasco represents a shift in itself. Is it not ironic that the tables are turned, and now astrologers are trying to prove that an ignorant scientist had his facts wrong? I was dismayed by the media response to the brave astrologers such as Susan Miller and Jeff Jawer who tried to set the record straight. For their efforts, they were misquoted and further ridiculed. But that’s part of shifting consciousness. As the status quo is challenged by new ideas, the initial response often is anger.

The Moon’s trine with Jupiter is the last aspect she makes before entering the next sign. The following day, the Sun enters Aquarius, which in modern astrology is ruled by Uranus. Mars is already there, stirring the pot.

The rest of the chart reflects this week’s planetary aspects, which I’ll cover in my forecast later today.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Moon at 29°27′ Cancer is, a daughter of the American Revolution, with the keyword INHERITANCE. This is an interesting symbol in a time when the ground beneath our feet seems to be shifting. It speaks to the old, established way of doing things and of forming ties with others based on tradition and social status. There is a natural tendency to protect the status quo, especially in the face of outside pressures. However, this symbol cautions against resisting necessary change. There’s also a message here that if you have inborn talents and gifts or are otherwise in a privileged position, you’re a natural leader, but you will get into trouble if you think this makes you superior to anyone else.

For the Sun at 29°27′ Capricorn, the Sabian Symbol is a secret business conference, with the keyword OPPORTUNITY. Unlike the symbol for the opposite degree above, which is about tradition and identifying with a certain group, this symbol is about taking advantage of situations that crop up from one day to the next by forming relationships with the people involved. I’ve always maintained that good things come to us through others, and the best things come through those with whom we share positive feelings. The downside of this symbol is exploiting others for our own selfish gain.

Again, it comes down to maintaining your integrity. This is more important than ever when we’re being tossed about on the astrological tides and sometimes lose track of who we are and what we’re here for. It’s also essential that we find our circle of friends, the people who will be our allies in the times ahead. Knowing what you believe is important, and being able to examine those beliefs objectively is even more so.

Pat

** From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, by Dr. Marc Edmund Jones. The author, an astrologer, channeled this work in 1925 with the help of Elsie Wheeler, a gifted psychic. There’s one symbol one for each degree of the zodiac, and we can use them to gain insight into charts.