Full Moon Astro-Tarot; Fire and Freedom
Friday 5th Junes brings a lunar eclipse in Sagittarius, although I'm wondering if there's any point in pointing out the peak energies of this eclipse, the supercharged full moon energy which comes when the Sun, Moon and Earth are in perfect alignment. You'd have to be living under a rock not to have noticed quite how much is coming to a head right now and also quite how much none of us can ignore inequality or injustice any more. The eclipse in fiery Sagittarius forms a tense square to Mars in Pisces, dissolving away boundaries and revealing universal truths. A lunar eclipse emphasises the balance of light and shadow and so many things which have been hidden are already moving into the light - the inequalities revealed by a worldwide pandemic, the depth of racism and injustice in our societies. With a tense semi-square between Saturn and the Moon also in the mix, the symbolism is unavoidable. Mars is the security forces, police and army as the representatives of Saturnian established authority facing down the assembled masses, symbolised by the Moon. The Sun in Gemini shows the media in all its faces, distorting the truth but also allowing previously silenced voices to be heard. There's also a powerful resonance with George Floyd's now famous words "I can't breathe", in the midst of a pandemic which affects the lungs, the breath and lungs both being ruled by Gemini. Gemini is the sign of duality and the "them and us" which defines and divides so much of society is hopefully a lot more out in the open than it was even a couple of weeks ago. The Moon in Sagittarius speaks of ideals and truths, so that the whole configuration shows us the distance between the way we would like the world to be and the way it actually is.
Sagittarius is the sign of the seeker, always wanting to find meaning, always ready to find a silver lining of understanding and growth in these traumatic times and events. More and more people are standing up to own their privilege, to use it for genuine good instead of just to prove how "woke" they are. Talking the talk isn't enough with this eclipse, we need to be acting on our values, donating if we can, challenging racism and injustice in all their forms. It's not just about rocking the boat with this eclipse, it's about overturning it, dashing it on the rocks and building a better one, one which has space for everyone to be their most fulfilled selves. Sagittarius is the sign of growth and learning and this eclipse reminds us that it's all for nothing if we don't put our learning into action - "Know better, do better". Sign a petition, make a donation, educate yourself - even the smallest actions build momentum and affect the collective.
So what does the tarot have to tell us about these challenging times?
Moon in Sagittarius - What does freedom mean right now? - Eight of Wands
Well, there's clear Sagittarius symbolism here! All those arrows - freedom means action and focus, movement and change. This is a card of speed and strong kinetic energy, reflecting how quickly everything is changing and developing right now. It confirms the message that it's time to let the arrows of our intent loose, to take action and do the work.
Sun in Gemini - How can we ensure that all beings can breathe freely? - Two of Wands
More fiery Wands, this time a little more focused. This card speaks of engaging our intuition, tuning in to our deeper knowing, shown in the image by a woman seeing a vision of her ancestor reminding her how to make fire. We ensure all can breathe freely by harnessing our personal power to change, not to talk and debate but to do what we know is right. These events are sparking so much change, awakening so many people, now it's up to us to nurture that spark into the flame which energies our actions. We can't afford to let all this power to fizzle out.
Square Mars - How can we fight for what we believe in? - Six of Cups
Now we move into the realm of the emotions - the Six of Cups here shows a powerful and intense rush of feeling, just as we are seeing awaken all over the world. We fight for what we believe in by allowing our feelings to fuel our action and our growth, letting them carry us along rather than trying to explain them away or dissipate. I'm struck by the horses in this card and the next one. Horses symbolise movement and power and our instinctive selves. We need to be aware of what's motivating us, what feelings are driving us forward and how we can express them for the good of all without losing their power.
Semisquare Saturn - How can we constructively challenge authority? - Daughter of Swords
Here is the Warrior Goddess, ready to fight but also firmly grounded on the earth. She is impatient and reckless, desperate to weigh in but also knowing that she needs to think strategically, to use all that energy for genuine good rather than rebelling for the sake of it. I feel like she's a reminder that quiet, measured action is important, especially in these times when we all want to be seen to do the right thing. There's a fine line between speaking out and performative allyship. The gift and the curse of social media. Especially for us white folk, who need to be shutting up and #raisingmelanatedvoices as well as working on ourselves.
Moon in Sagittarius - What does freedom mean right now? - Eight of Wands
Well, there's clear Sagittarius symbolism here! All those arrows - freedom means action and focus, movement and change. This is a card of speed and strong kinetic energy, reflecting how quickly everything is changing and developing right now. It confirms the message that it's time to let the arrows of our intent loose, to take action and do the work.
Sun in Gemini - How can we ensure that all beings can breathe freely? - Two of Wands
More fiery Wands, this time a little more focused. This card speaks of engaging our intuition, tuning in to our deeper knowing, shown in the image by a woman seeing a vision of her ancestor reminding her how to make fire. We ensure all can breathe freely by harnessing our personal power to change, not to talk and debate but to do what we know is right. These events are sparking so much change, awakening so many people, now it's up to us to nurture that spark into the flame which energies our actions. We can't afford to let all this power to fizzle out.
Square Mars - How can we fight for what we believe in? - Six of Cups
Now we move into the realm of the emotions - the Six of Cups here shows a powerful and intense rush of feeling, just as we are seeing awaken all over the world. We fight for what we believe in by allowing our feelings to fuel our action and our growth, letting them carry us along rather than trying to explain them away or dissipate. I'm struck by the horses in this card and the next one. Horses symbolise movement and power and our instinctive selves. We need to be aware of what's motivating us, what feelings are driving us forward and how we can express them for the good of all without losing their power.
Semisquare Saturn - How can we constructively challenge authority? - Daughter of Swords
Here is the Warrior Goddess, ready to fight but also firmly grounded on the earth. She is impatient and reckless, desperate to weigh in but also knowing that she needs to think strategically, to use all that energy for genuine good rather than rebelling for the sake of it. I feel like she's a reminder that quiet, measured action is important, especially in these times when we all want to be seen to do the right thing. There's a fine line between speaking out and performative allyship. The gift and the curse of social media. Especially for us white folk, who need to be shutting up and #raisingmelanatedvoices as well as working on ourselves.