The biggest astrological event this week is the Full Moon in Capricorn, which brings more emphasis to the cardinal T-square/grand cross that just won’t quit.

Normally, what we start at the New Moon comes to fruition or at least reaches a major milestone at the Full Moon. Capricorn is known for being orderly and structured, but with the Sun and Moon in a fairly close square with erratic Uranus, the order is subject to change without notice. Also, Mercury was retrograde and behaving strangely at the New Moon. Add Uranus into the mix, and “fruition” prbably won’t be what you had in mind.

Now, that could be a good thing. Initially, it might not seem so, but eventually the logical progression of events will be apparent. It seems to me that many of us have been like flies banging against the window, convinced that that’s the way to get free. When they do that in my home, I open the door and use a broom to try to redirect them. They can be within a few feet of the doorway, a fraction of a second from freedom, and yet 90 percent of the time, they return to the window and continue to ram the glass, buzzing in frustration.

The ruler of this Full Moon, Saturn, isn’t known for freedom, but for obstacles and limitations. Yet there can be freedom in structure. A good example is learning a musical instrument. You have to play the scales over and over and practice correct fingering until you want to scream in boredom. Then one day, you suddenly realize that you are playing a song without effort. Eventually, you can do improvisation, which seems to have no structure at all. Musicians who don’t bother with the boring exercises can end up being more limited in their ability, and they reach a plateau beyond which they can’t progress.

Another thing I like to point out about Capricorn is that it is often called the mountain goat, but it actually is a sea goat, a mythic creature that is half goat, half fish – the caprine version of a mermaid. Capricorn not only scales the highest heights, but it plumbs the unfathomable depths. And while we often think of Capricorn as representing father, it’s an earth sign and feminine. The Romans associated it with Vesta, goddess of hearth, home, and family – attributes that we typically assign to its opposite sign of Cancer.

In any case, themes of this Full Moon are order and structure and how it can lead to greater freedom. Both the Sun and Moon are in positive aspect with Saturn in Scorpio, which favors the beneficial side of Saturn. Remember, too, that the Romans honored Saturn as a god of agriculture, and his festival, Saturnalia, was in late December. In a way, Saturn is a sort of Santa Claus, in that he represents manifestation on the physical plane – but only if you’ve been diligent and done the hard work (otherwise, you get a lump of coal in your stocking). Saturn’s energies are particularly potent right now, as he is stationed to return direct next week.

At the Full Moon, the Sun and Moon also are in positive aspect with Chiron, which forms the third leg of a grand water trine with the Sun and Saturn. The more we are able to heal the wounds in our energetic body, the better we’re able to manifest what we want, and without what I call “gremlins” – the unwanted side effects you didn’t count on. In Greek mythology, the Sun was personified by Apollo, who also was a god of healing. Indeed, sunlight has many healing qualities and is a natural disinfectant. In astrology, the Sun represents the heart and the core of who we are.

In the Full Moon chart, the Sun and Moon are in an even closer square with Mars, who is now out of range of the square with Pluto and opposition with Uranus. In less than three weeks, Mars finally will leave Libra and enter Scorpio, which he co-rules with Pluto. Still, he has enough time to make more mischief. Mars usually doesn’t stir up trouble where none already exists, but where there’s a bomb waiting to go off and the conditions are right, he lights the fuse. For example, if Mars is moving through your seventh house of relationships, and one or both partners have been avoiding a difficult subject, events this week could force the issue. Should that happen, though, a lovely trine from Venus to Mars over the weekend is perfect for getting a relationship back on track once the air is cleared. With Venus in Gemini and Mars in Libra – both air signs – talking out your troubles can work wonders. The Venus-Mars trine is exact on Sunday (July 13).

On Monday and Tuesday, Venus sextiles Uranus, quincunxes Saturn, and squares Chiron. Unexpected encounters could be pleasant, but close relationships may feel cold for a day or so. It will pass.

At the end of the week, Mercury re-enters Cancer. The Messenger briefly entered Cancer before turning retrograde on June 7 and returning to Gemini on June 17. Next week, he’ll pass his retrograde point. Projects that stalled, required revisions, or otherwise got off track can resume. If you do creative work such as painting or writing, you’ll be able to approach your work with fresh creative juices.

Also next week, Jupiter enters Leo – a major shift that I’ll cover in detail in my next forecast. I’ll also write more about Saturn’s return direct.

Wishing you all much love and courage,

Pat

© Pat Paquette, RealAstrologers.com, 2014.