Holy Days Full Moon
Cancer/Capricorn Full Moon 2023
Pacific City, OR, Rock A, photo by Jim Eaton. Majestic Capricornian rock in rippling Cancerian ocean images the natural earth/water feel of this Full Moon. See more of Jim's fine photography here
FULL MOON at 4 Cancer/Capricorn 58
December 26, 2023 at 4:33pm PST, 7:33pm EST,
December 27, at 12:33am GMT, 8:33am AEDT
"'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free,
'Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place that is right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight." —Shaker folk song
This Full Moon in Cancer/ Sun in Capricorn ends the year and is always one of the most significant Moons each year, sometimes occurring further into the new year. The Moon rules Cancer, so is particularly strong— a nurturing, gentle, giving, caring Moon—attending to home and family, our personal inner circle of loved ones as we gather round the hearth. Cancer seeks security. Essentially an inner experience, yet we need interactive receptivity to that which supports us. Who can you count on for support? What do you have to give? Cancer is often more comfortable giving that receiving.
Cancer influence softens the 'rock' of Capricorn, a sign of responsibility, living up to your capability, organizing according to sacred geometries, honoring life-sustaining tradition and ancestry. Capricorn, a self-sufficient sign, also needs to acknowledge self-limitations and welcome help where and when needed. The Full Moon trine to Saturn in Pisces also help with softening, compassion and, you step in, an emotional settling.
KBO Salacia, Queen consort of Neptune, is in a square dynamic with this Full Moon from 7+ Aries. When activating Sun/Moon opposition, this creates a focal point for the Full Moon. Salacia creates the shimmering light on the seas, and stimulates light vitality in the water element in all the places and spaces the water flows—including our inner salty sea.
On Solstice morning, I saw the most subtle drift of celestial 'glitter' sparking down from the skies. I had to look twice to make sure it was really there. All I can say is, in my world it was really there!
Ah! and did you see the waxing Solstice moon at night accompanied by Jupiter's majestic radiance and benevolence? We are being truly gifted, even as the old world is still crashing down around us, New Earth is emerging moment by moment. Truly I feel that Solstice is the threshold into the New Year.
After the Solstice turning of the season and Nature's New Year, this Cancer Full Moon leads into the calendrical new year with several planets coming out of retrograde and turning forward into 2024:
Chiron at 15+ Aries, is officially direct an hour after the peak Full Moon;
Jupiter at 5+ Taurus turns direct on December 31;
Mercury at 22 Sagittarius turns direct on January 1, 2024
Chiron direct at 16 Aries
Sabian Symbol— "Brightly Clad Brownies Dancing in the Warm Dying Light"
The earth magic of Capricorn nature spirits celebrate the 'dying light' of 2023, ready for the new year. These often-mischievous creatures are likely appreciating the trickster side of Mercury retrograde. I was a 'victim' of such tricks the other day when my car drove itself in a slow turn into a snow bank on the side of my driveway. OK, OK, I was a little absent-minded with Mercury retrograding around my own Mercury—and squaring Neptune, no less—but I got the message, thank you, and will not again leave my car in gear when I dash back into the house to get something I forgot. Someone was watching over me. There is more to that story, with a zeroed-in, point-it-out clearly Chiron influence.
"Yes, yes, there it was, just like a clock's tick only lighter, more secret within itself, yet telling the time as good as if it spoke louder. It broke time into small bits that one could hear, made it real and urgent in each moment of its passing. How would it be to measure one's life by such small pieces? How could one know how to live by the minute and the hour? Time was large and wide as the sky, one part slipping into the next, unbroken as the flowing of water. She would not like it shattered so.
"Oh, it was better not to be accustomed to clocks, better to know only the dawn's blending with the sunrise and the day's slow sinking into dark! Then one might pass smoothly into the largeness of eternity." —from Tammy, Out of Time
[Thanks to my friend Tammy for sharing this quote, by which she lives as much as she can in this tick- tock world]
An hour after the peak of this Full Moon, Shamanic Chiron turns direct, heading for a ride at the head of the Dragon, the North Node of the Moon. Chiron tends to "have a foot in two world," bridging levels of consciousness. As this conjunction culminates in mid-February, we find our experience of Time increasingly altered. And then! Chiron is precisely conjunct (to the minute!) the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8— for such a quantum shift in consciousness that it is no use to fathom any kind of good guess.
"Each time the world surprises us with its twisting time-bends,
a shiver runs through our soul... time bends to meet the curve of our souls....
Either we meet it half-way or we don’t."
—Phil Cousineau, Once and Future Myths [I think]
‘Chironic’ or ‘Chirotic Time’ is more cyclical, rounded and natural than our linear time count. Remember that Chiron is the "Be Here Now" "Synchronicity Strikes Again" alignment of our spiritual-mental-emotional-physical experience. In its brief pause between retrograde and direct motion, all sorts of paradigm activations are likely to begin lining up. [I will soon post one of my archived article on Chiron. It will also be posted on my website’s AstroMythology page]
"Time stood still, caught between the Pole Star, the Great Bear and the Southern Cross—though I do not know, for it is not my job to know, whether such in fact were the constellations, so numerous their vertices, their sidereal fires, mingled and combined, shuffling the allegories they symbolized." —Alejo Carpentier
Jupiter direct at 6 Taurus
Sabian Symbol— "A Bridge Being Built Across a High Narrow Gorge"
The Bridge seems to be an important symbol as we cross from 2023 into 2024. Does it feel that we are crossing a 'high narrow gorge"? Sabian specialist Lynda Hill writes (in The Sabian Symbols as an Oracle) that this symbols "is about finding a creative and concrete solution to a way to cross to the other side of a separation or dilemma. This may represent a separation, or gulf, shown here represented by the 'Gorge', between places, people or objectives. 'Bridges' need to be built to overcome separate areas of activity and to link people and places together."
I'm sure we can think of many ways to apply this, with Jupiter's agenda for the longterm benefit of us all.
Mercury is retrograde for just a few more days, turning direct on January 1
at 23 Sagittarius— "A Group of Immigrants Fulfilling Requirement for Entering a New Country…Leaving the old behind in order to pursue a new life in a new place," writes Lynda Hill.Sure sounds like a fresh new year coming up! Use these last few days of this retrograde to look back on your 2023 and imagine your entry into 2024 with clarified perspective, directed vision, positive-mindedness, trust in your intuition and faith in your future. Your vision fuels the collective vision.
Let's also note that Tolkien's StarLady and Light Bringer Varda, (Kuiper Belt Object) is currently circling the Galactic Center degree at 26 Sag, as is retrograde Mercury. Together they convey messages of Light channeled from the Heart of our Milky Way Galaxy, and render these cosmic communications in a way that stretches our mental perception, aligning mind and heart. Mars activates this 26th degree as the December 29-31 at year's end. Love this special alignment to Light up our collective Vision.
Mars/Mercury in Sagittarius (and Varda) square Neptune
Another way to say 'collective vision' is the 'Big Dream,' designated by Neptune. With Mercury (and Mars and Varda!) square Neptune, we have access to this Big Dream which we see played out in the illusion of Life, and know right away if that is a vision we want (Mars) or not. If you are feeling frustrated, take note as soon as you can and channel that energy into movement or some other activity.
Another caution: consider your words before you speak. Sagittarius, the Truth-seeker and Truth-speaker, be overly hasty and often very blunt. Add in this retro Mercury/ Mars activation, and this tendency can be amplified in a way that causes distress, hurt, or misunderstanding. There are ways and ways to say something. Do you really want the other person to hear what you are saying? You might write it down, edit and rewrite, and rehearse. This exercise also helps you get clear on what you want (Mars) to say (Mercury), and allow time to consider the best way, and the best where and when to say it. This is a great planetary dynamic for journaling as a process to review the old year, and to clarify and confirm in writing your goals and vision for the new year.
As I wrote last time:
”Mercury gives us time to look back over this past—rather challenging!— year to realign both our goals and our visions for the New Year. We can recalibrate, not according to what the current elusive 'reality' is pointing us toward, but what our stirs in our deepest desire for a positive future. That's the Sagittarian 'modus operandi'. Act on that and see how your reality shifts accordingly. Magic? more like Quantum Creativity. We are invited.”
Use this opportune time wisely. It is up to us to direct (Sagittarius) our vision and not be distracted by what is seemingly going on 'out there'. Life is very confusing at the moment; we can feel buffeted by the stormy seas and wild winds. Best to pull in, listen in a retrograde way! Meaning listen to our intuition, our inner knowing, to determine your true path forward. Intuition is the Sag level of perception, an instant knowing.
Neptune has more of a psychic or spiritual way of tuning in, even channeling. Using a fusion of these perception modalities can be very illuminating to reach new insights, which we will need to language to convey.
This Biblical quote beautifully sums up the generational agenda that Neptune represents, particularly in light of its current square process with Mercury :
"Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God's will..." - Romans 12:2
Or said another way:
"Most of your problems are not even your problems. You are conditioned to think in certain ways and when you break the pattern of your thinking style, you'll come to know that - the problem wasn't outside, but it was in your way of thinking and perceiving things and situations as the society has taught you. When you give birth to a new mind, which is independent to think, that's when you actually start living your life with freedom." -the consciouswriter [thanks for sharing, Honey]
As we head into 2024, let's hold our Sagittarian arrow aimed straight and true from our hearts, ready to let that arrow fly toward the goal that calls to our soul. It is important to direct your energy, maintain a strong vision, be courageous, daring and prepare to act, even while allowing new information to be considered and discerned as to truthfulness and usefulness.
Venus in Scorpio trine Neptune
With Venus in its dark chocolate sign, plunging us into our emotional depths, we tap into our deepest desires, now with the potential to be divinely-inspired by Neptune. With compassion for ourselves as well as for others, simple kindness goes a long way. Together these two planets evoke Divine Feminine, bringing not only Sweetness, Grace and Compassion to Bless this Holy season, but a profound call to let go of lesser, superficial habits. Allow the power of Soul to rebirth your life into this new year.
[Note: if you are born in the late 1960s and have Neptune in the late degrees of Scorpio, this may be an especially deep spiritual time for you.]
BLESSINGS OF THIS SEASON.
MAY WE EACH COMMUNE WITHIN OUR HEARTS & SOULS,
GROUND INTO THE DEPTHS OF OUR BEING,
CROSS THE BRIDGE INTO THE NEW YEAR TO FIND
THE WHO & WITH-WHO &WHERE WE NEED TO BE
JOINING OUR HEARTS AS ONE
TO BRING IN A BEAUTIFUL NEW YEAR AND ERA
With Mercury retrograde, it might be helpful to review this whole Moon cycle on Moons & Mythos #17, a dynamic discussion with Davyd Farrell, Quantum Plant Healer. We talked about the KBO pairing of Quaoar and Ixion that colors both the Mercury retrograde and this Full Moon. Also the asteroid influence of Eros and Psyche (which has moved into Capricorn. My last New Moon post on my Substack discussed this cosmic couple.
The Infinite Soul Wisdom Council gathering may also be inspiring:
In honor of Solstice and the ending of a long and challenging year, a circle of women gathered to share perspectives on how to navigate these times.
To book your personal astrology overview for 2024:
I have 15 sessions left in January. email me at kelley@heliastar.com
$175/75 min, focusing on 2024 (not for a first time reading)
See other options here
US/Canada only can purchase a reading on my website but need to schedule by email.
Email me for bookings at kelley@heliastar.com
Also, if you still need an astrological planner for 2024, you might like Veil Voyager's PORTAL,a yearly guide for Spiritual Self Care & Medical Astrology found here.