By Daniel Giamario

Full Moons that appear at or near a Solstice often had tremendous significance to ancient Earth/Sky peoples, in, among other places, the American Southwest.  It was one of the many ways to synchronize Solar ceremonials with Lunar ceremonials.  In ancient Egypt, the synchronization was between the closest tiny crescent new Moon with the March equinox to mark a new year, and even to have a sense as to the star of a whole new age.

This month’s Full Moon, happening at 8:36PM PST, on Saturday December 18th, is at 27Gemini29, less than 3 days from the exact December Solstice.  This certainly qualifies as one of these ceremonial synchronizations.  And there are many additional interesting features of this Full Moon.

This year the exact placement of Galactic Center is 27Sagittarius09.  The Sun will be at 27Sagittarius29!  The Moon, in opposition, will be also a mere 20 minutes from the exact Galactic Edge (what astronomers call quite inelegantly the “galactic anti-center”.  This has major implications as we shall see.

Does this happen like this very often?  To find out, it’s important to be aware of two remarkable features of the Moon’s cycles.  One is the Moon’s Metonic cycle; wherein the Moon will return to nearly the same place every 19 years.  Following is a tabulation of the closest Full Moons to the December Solstice:

December 19, 2002 27Gemini42    December 19, 2021 27Gemini29   December 18, 2040 27Gemini11

December 22, 1999   0Cancer25     December 22, 2018 0Cancer49      December 22, 2037 1Cancer02

December 21, 2010   29Gemini21   December 20, 2029 29Gemini21   December 20, 2048 29Gemini03

You will notice the 19 year pattern.  I think all of these qualify as Sun/Moon ceremonial synchronizations.  But there is more, far more.  The Sun, physically from our perception, never actually crosses in front of Galactic Center that lies somewhat below the ecliptic.  The Turning of the Ages coordinates, that I use, value 0Capricorn/Cancer as the key, as that is where the Sun is located in a seasonal change in the 26,000 year precessional cycle.  SAMS reckons 1962-2034 as the time-frame of the seasonal change we are in the midst of.  Thus 27 Sagittarius/27 Gemini are as important as Full Moons nearer to the 0Capricorn/Cancer Solstice points.  But, amazingly, the Moon, sometimes, does cross over Galactic Center and the Galactic Edge!

For this remarkable feature of the cycles of the Moon, we need to know about the Lunar Standstill.  Although this was hugely important to the ancient Earth/Sky peoples, this phenomenon was not even recognized by us moderns, until 1969.  Alexander Thom was most responsible for this.  Modern astrologers refer to this as merely as an out-of-bounds Moon.  The extreme Outer Lunar Standstill is usually termed the major lunar standstill.  This is when the Moon swings more than 5 degrees outside the boundaries of the Sun’s path, known as the ecliptic.  This occurred in 1969, 1987, 2005-6, and will take place again in 2024-2025.  Already the Moon is way out-of-bounds, beyond the ecliptic, when the Moon is near the Solstice points (Gemini/Cancer and Sagittarius/Capricorn).  This Full Moon is 26.15 degrees North of the ecliptic, nearly 3 degrees.  Any child that is born between 2021-2028 with the Moon in any of these signs, will have an out-of bounds Moon.  This is also true if you have one of those Moons and are born near 1950, 1969, 1987, 2006, or 2024-2025.  As we get closer to 2024-2025, the Moon will actually cross directly over the Galactic Center at the Southern extreme when in late Sagittarius or early Capricorn.  The absolute maximum extreme Outer Lunar Standstill will occur March 7, 2025, 28.42 North Latitude, more than 5 degrees beyond the ecliptic.  When near the June Solstice, the Moon does pass directly over Galactic Center.

What is the significance and practical application of all this?  This is the fourth and last time within the time-frame of the Turning of the Ages (1969, 1987, 2006, and now coming soon).  Considering the immense importance that the lunar standstill had for our fore-bearers; as witnessed by the numerous megalithic monuments across the world that ceremonialize it, it feels important it be aware of this.  This adds an even larger lens, and an additional framework, for having an understanding of just how important the times we are living are in.  The even greater changes may still be to come, as the Kali Yuga bottoms out, and the Fourth Turning is upon us.  On a personal level, if you are an out-of-bounds Moon person, you will clearly be on the front lines of global transformation, with the ability to see beyond the mainstream deceptions, and in a totally maverick and unique way, be able to pierce the veil of illusion and deception.  You may be able to participate in dreaming and then intending the next cycle.  For those without this feature, be aware that, in the past, lunar standstills were the time of the gathering of the tribes, the greatest ceremonies, the sharing of stories, and the periodic reanimation and revitalization of the world.

Be sure to go out and with be this Full Moon.  And remember that the Moon is exactly at the Galactic Edge, the place where so very many cultures perceived as where souls and new creation enters.  This is the Silver Gate.  And then, being aware that the Sun, is “on the cross’, at the Galactic Center, the Golden Gate, where that which needs to be composted, gets composted, or concurrently, where entrance into a new 5D reality can take pace.  One additional thing to take notice of, should you watch the Moonrise or Moonset: the place where the Moon rises or sets will be far to the North of where you will see the Sun rise or set, this can be quite surprising and really unique.

This Full Moon will be at the Northern extreme (late Gemini).  Interestingly, Chimney Rock, in Southern Colorado, a Chaco Canyon outlier, was built specifically to ceremonialize this Northern extreme.  This became evident in 1987 when archaeoastronomers finally realized that the extreme Northern Moon at the standstill season passed through the rock chimneys. Before that, most of them arrogantly assumed that the Native Americans could not have known of this!  I was there to witness this amazing event in 2006.  I invite anyone near Chimney Rock, to go at this Full Moon and see if the Moon is far enough out-of-bounds now, to go between the chimneys.  It sure will be at 2024-2025 nearest to December Solstice Full Moon.

I will be writing a lot more about this over the next year, in preparation for this most important punctuation point in the unfolding great Turning of the Ages.  Meanwhile, please consider joining us for our Solstice presentations:  CLICK HERE

By Daniel Giamario

The news of the death of the mythopoetic giant, Robert Bly, on November 21st, aged 94, came to me after I had already decided to share about a fabulous and important book that I have recently read.  Synchronicity can be quite an astonishing thing.  The book is “Toni Wolff & C.G. Jung: A Collaboration”, by Nan Savage Healy (2018).  It is truly amazing how these themes weave together, for me, as well as the inspirations for important features of the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm ™.

Robert Bly, a gifted poet, author, anti-war activist, counter-culture figure and transcendentalist, has come to be best known for his book “Iron John”. Bly was credited for inspiring a nascent men’s consciousness movement, which generated both praise and criticism and somewhat diminished his earlier work.  I had the great good fortune of attending many of his workshops, particularly when he collaborated with Tai-Chi master Al Huang.  What is considerably less known is that Bly was an early advocate for expanding the perception of women’s archetypes, particularly the dark chthonic feminine.  Poems such as “The Teeth Mother Naked at Last” and his essay “I Came Out of the Mother Naked” were highly influential to me and to others who were reformulating mainstream astrology in a more feminine direction, considerably less patriarchal in flavor.  But the greatest gift of all that I received from Robert Bly, and from others in those halcyon days of cultural renaissance, was his efforts to bring to the world’s attention an essay by Toni Wolff: “Structural Forms of the Feminine Psyche”.  This had such a profound impact on me that it has remained the foundational bedrock of my understanding of the full spectrum of the archetypes of the feminine (and similarly influencing my view of masculine archetypes).

So who was Toni Wolff? 

This brings me to the book I have just finished reading.  Finally, here is a book that delves comprehensively into the story of the woman, whom Jung referred to as his “second wife”.  She was the medial psychopomp for his many descents into the underworld in the 1910’s and 1920’s, and the mainly un-credited collaborator to his famous “Red Book”.  She was Jung’s main collaborator in his theories regarding anima and animus, psychological types, archetypes and analytical psychology.  She faded into the background and has been largely written out (including by later “Jungians”) and not much talked about, until now.  Few of her essays have yet to be translated into English.  The book is amazing, bringing essential background to concepts that have been uniquely incorporated in the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm ™. I also have often tried, for many years, to bring to the attention of our students and teachers the great importance of Toni Wolff (and obviously Jung).

Most importantly she saw the foundational structure of the feminine archetypes as a fourfold structure on two axes. The Vertical axis was the personal one with the “hetaera” at the top, and the “maternal” at the bottom.  The horizontal impersonal axis had the “medial” woman on one side, and the “amazon” woman on the other side.  This understanding was highly influential to me, and in a foundational way, allowed me to expand this to 12 authentic expressions, a full spectrum, of the archetypes of the feminine.  This approach is far more useful than the more widely known use of the three-fold triple-goddess: Maiden, Mother, Crone. Two of our online courses expand on this in rich detail – CLICK HERE to learn more.

I want to especially honor the contribution and brilliance of Robert Bly, who died at his 8th Jupiter return!  I am going to include here the charts of Bly, Toni Wolff, and C.G.Jung, all three such remarkable and important contributors to our school and paradigm.  I strongly suggest seeking out Nan Healy’s book should these subjects be of interest.  I believe the subject matter to be rather important in these times.

Ramblings, Reflections and Ruminations — November New Moon

By Daniel Giamario

The Eclipse Season

Every year has two eclipse seasons, about six months apart.  The second season of 2021 has a partial lunar eclipse and a total solar eclipse.  I have always been fascinated by eclipses, even, at times, referring to myself as an “eclipse junkie.”  I have been fortunate to see two total solar eclipses, four annular solar eclipses, and have lost count of how many total lunar eclipses.  I have always been fascinated by the ancient Sumerian view that your “age” was based on how many eclipse seasons you have experienced rather than solar years (therefore twice the number of solar years).  Let’s examine this eclipse season from November 19th through December 4th and the two eclipses.

Friday, November 19th at 12:57AM PST at 27Taurus14:  Partial Lunar Eclipse.  Although technically a partial, actually it’s really close to a total, it’s 97.4% total!  It will be visible over North America and most of the Pacific Ocean regions.  The whole show takes nearly six hours!  This is a North Node eclipse and presages the, soon to be, entrance of the transiting North Node into Taurus on January 18, 2022.  Although all eclipses counsel to always be aware of the “shadow,” personally and collectively, North Node eclipses contain more of a sense of looking ahead and moving forward. And, lunar eclipses are “Super Full Moons” as our school uses the term.  This eclipse also features Mars and Mercury in Scorpio together with the Sun, and will also presage the rise of Mars in Scorpio from out of the Underworld on November 22nd at the 15Scorpio, the cross-quarter degree.

Saturday, December 3rd at 11:43PM PST at 12Sagittarius22:  Total Solar Eclipse.  This eclipse occurs far South mainly over Antarctica and is a shorter one; one minute and 55 seconds of totality.  This eclipse is with the South Node, placing a greater emphasis on the personal and collective past of global humanity.  In the paradigm of the school this is a “Super New Moon” and a time for planting seeds of intention for at least the next six months.  However, I think that this eclipse is presaging something far more important.  During 2021 I have spent a lot of time researching the United States chart in light of the “Fourth Turning.”  I have also detailed the four eclipse paths that crisscross the US from 2012-2024.  See my previous articles on this HERE.  The New Moon/Eclipse degree is 12Sagittarius 22, almost exactly the degree of the US Ascendant of 13Sagittarius10, as rectified by Dane Rudhyar.  I really get the sense that this South Node Super New Moon Solar Eclipse is putting a really bright cosmic spotlight on the Pluto return, the Chiron return, and the Neptune opposition to Neptune on the United States Chart.  This will totally involve the upcoming eclipses over the US in 2023 and 2024, which also directly connect to the US chart.  I think that this solar eclipse places lots of emphasis on the shadow and light of the Sagittarius Mystery School, certainly for the United States, but also for the entire world.  The light of Sagittarius is the quest for meaning and purpose, a love of truth, and well-founded optimism for the future.  The shadow is various forms of fundamentalism and the desire to impose a “belief” in a truth on everyone else.  The deeper essence of Sagittarius, in my view, is the courage to not be attached to “a truth,” as it’s actually a moving target.  I am reminded of a favorite William Blake poem.

“He who binds to himself a joy, does the winged Life destroy;

He who kisses the joy as it flies, lives in Eternity’s sunrise.”

I greatly appreciate the Sabian symbols of my first astrological mentor, Dane Rudhyar.  What he writes about 13degrees of Sagittarius is quite amazing in light of what I have written here.  Here it is:

PHASE 253 (SAGITTARIUS 13°): A WIDOW’S PAST BROUGHT TO LIGHT.

KEYNOTE: The karma of past actions as it affects opportunities presented by a new cycle.

What the “widow’s past” is remains obscure but the point is that even as a past cycle is closed — a phase of married life ends — the karma of whatever deeds or misdeeds this cycle witnessed will almost inevitably intrude into the new life period. Also, once a cycle of activity is concluded, much that was unclear or unconsciously motivated in the events it witnessed can now more easily come to the clear consciousness of the mind. It is possible to joyously herald the dawn from high above the actual stresses of existence (the preceding symbol), but the new day may be found loaded and darkened by the unfinished business of many a yesterday.

This is the third stage of the fifty-first five-fold sequence. Mankind is “the widow,” because our soon-to-be-concluded Piscean Age has buried most of the ideals it once revered and proclaimed. Yet the New Age will have to deal with many oppressive ghosts. This is a symbol of RETRIBUTION

The Saturn/Uranus Waning Square Accelerates.

There is so much to unpack during this lunation.  The most important global aspect of 2021 is the triple (waning) square of Saturn to Uranus.  So far there have been two exact squares: February 17th at 7Aquarius13/7Taurus13, and June 14th at 13Aquarius07/13Taurus07.  The third one happens December 24th at 11Aquarius05/11Taurus05.  There is very nearly an exact fourth square in September-October of 2022!  This is a truly significant transit.  It is a process that began with the Saturn/Uranus conjunction of February 1988.  The previous conjunction was in 1942.

I perceive these days surrounding, and following, the Scorpio New Moon, to be a pivotal turning point in the universal intent of this global planetary process.  Here is why:

This past Saturday, October 30th, the Sun squared Saturn at 2:53AM PDT at 7Scorpio12/7Aquarius12.  Notice how close these degrees are to the February square (almost exact!).  Also on Saturday, October 30th, Mars, while still in the Underworld, entered into Scorpio.

The Scorpio New Moon happens at 2:15PM Wednesday November 4th, at 12Scorpio40.  Certainly this New Moon signifies a turning point.  (We will have additional posts about this New Moon).  Amazingly, a few hours later, the Sun reaches its yearly opposition with Uranus at 4:58PM PDT at 12Scorpio48/12Taurus48.  Again, notice the degrees, and especially if you have anything important on your natal chart near these degrees in the signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius.

Almost as footnotes, we can also add to the great cosmic drama of the clash of planets the following:  Mercury enters Scorpio on Friday, November 5th.  And, then on November 10th Mercury and Mars are conjunct, whilst Mars still in the Underworld at 7Scorpio22.  In addition the exact Samhain cross quarter is on November 6th (15 Scorpio), the degree that Mars rises from the Underworld on November 22nd.  Mars, now so very much a part of the Saturn square Uranus situation, will square Saturn on November 10th at about 7Scorpio40, and then will be in opposition to Uranus on November 17th at 12Scorpio15.  Think of it as a long-lasting T-Square with Mars activating the already dynamic Saturn square to Uranus.

I see this as a full speed ahead to the intended result of the Saturn-Uranus triple square, just after the December Solstice.  Every time that there is the Aries synodic overtone of Mars, he will rise from the Underworld in Scorpio (most recently 1910, 1942, 1989 and now).  This happens November 22nd at the cross-quarter degree of 15Scorpio.  A really great pressure has been building up and will certainly continue.  Maybe you can see, why I do, that this is a great turning point.

My speculation involves the fate and/or destiny of the United States, and indeed, all of global humanity.  So much of what is happening is not as it seems in the mainstream.  I will not pretend to know what “Great Mystery” or Gaia, herself, has in mind at this time.  Much depends on the Aries god, for both Men and Women.  Will there be the capacity to surrender, change the game of 12,800 years, and to actually grieve, and see a new and different way forward?  With so much emphasis growing from the Scorpio Mystery School now, much also depends on the willingness to own and then integrate the shadow and the “mistakes” of global humanity’s recent history.  I can also see this as a decision, on a personal and collective level, to either choose to fulfill human 1.0, that represents our water based organic destiny, or to align with human 2.0, an artificial intelligence, silicon based, hunger for an unearned immortality.  I know well where I stand on this, but also totally advocate that every individual can have the freedom to choose their own course and to not impose their views on others.  We stand always for personal sovereignty and honoring all places on the wheel.  And always, to surrender to what Great Mystery is orchestrating.  We can only play our part, as best we can.  We must be awake, and remember what is at stake.  Hopefully, this is helpful, to be aware of the cosmic players that are instructing us.