Babies in Sunbonnets: June's Sagittarius Full Moon

"I am May.   See May's sunbonnet.  It is my sunbonnet. Do you see May ?   Do you see the Sunbonnet Baby ?"

"I am Molly.  This is my blue dress.  See my pink sunbonnet.   I am a Sunbonnet Baby.  Who are you ?"

The Sunbonnet Babies Primer, written by Eulalie Osgood Grover, published in 1902, was illustrated by Bertha L. Corbett and revolved around the adventures of Molly and May, two little girls whose faces were completely hidden by large sunbonnets.

This month's Sagittarian full Moon is on June 8 in the US and June 9 in Australia. The Sabian Symbol is Sagittarius 18: Tiny Children Playing in Sunbonnets. The children in this image appear to be looked after, protected, sheltered from bad elements and difficulties, whilst being able to play, be creative and live like children are meant to live.

This is a beautiful image, one that should have people feeling safe, secure and looked after, and many will feel this way, but, unfortunately, not all are likely to be feeling that way right now. Still, this image says that we must strive to protect the innocent, the young or the naive, protect and shelter them from harmful or damaging elements that may rob them of their peace and quiet, their ability to be creative and enjoy life.

Sagittarius 18 - from my book 360 Degrees of Wisdom: Charting Your Destiny With the Sabian Oracle:

Someone may be in need of protection at the moment, and it is most likely for their own good, as long as there is not the sense of being 'overprotected' and insulated from having to be responsible for themselves. Without having to worry about complicated details and difficult consequences, the feeling of a sense of security and safety can lead to more carefree and playful moments. Don’t be distracted by efforts being made by others on your behalf, sometimes we need to be shielded by others from harmful elements. However, sometimes we also need to feel or intuit our way through the surface appearance of what’s really going on. There can be a sense of having to keep some emotion or anger away, so as not to disturb or frighten others, or ourselves, but this may lead to having the 'blinkers' or 'blinders' on and not seeing life as it truly is. Is there a sense of naivety here and missing the real point of life? Is someone being kept in the dark, or kept from seeing reality? On the other hand, you may need to look after others and ensure that their well-being is at the top of the list of priorities. Approaching this question with a childlike, carefree attitude, whilst all the while keeping a true eye on the situation, will probably bring the message that's needed. Whatever, there's a need to remember to play and have fun.

Keywords: Care taken with small beginnings. Protection or blinkering? Propaganda that hides more severe life realities. Censorship. Innocence. Being treated like a child. Mollycoddling. Sunblocks and sunscreens. Screens that filter.

The Caution:Overprotection by institutionalized procedures that can lead to not being able to see the whole picture. Organized religion and it's blinding of society to the true joy within and without. Infantile behavior. Being left in the dark without a clue as to what's going on. Naivety. Being overshadowed.

While we undoubtedly need to have protection for everyone who needs it, there's a certain element that implies the possibility of people wearing 'blinkers' and not being able to, or refusing to, see what's going on in the real world. Is there a reality that needs to be faced? Are you in a situation where you need to talk to someone about what's going on, to face up to the truth about a situation, a relationship, about how you or others are really feeling? Do you feel that by holding back and not revealing the truth that others will be 'protected'? This can lead to problems down the line when the truth finally comes out - when situations can no longer be suppressed and not taken seriously. Perhaps the real world sneaks up on you and you have to face something, to take action, to be really present as an adult, seeing things for what they are and taking responsibility for your situation. This can cause tiredness and difficulty in facing something that you've been hiding from others (perhaps more so from yourself).

Although having blinkers on can lead to reactions that are out of step with what's going on in the real world, it can also work in the opposite; through the media we are often seeing far too much nowadays, things that we wouldn't have imagined seeing ten or fifteen years ago - people dead on our television screens while we're eating dinner... headlines that scream obscenities as we go into a shop to buy milk or bread... the government, companies, big business, or, perhaps, our partners and loved ones hiding the truth from us because it is 'for our own good'.

Take for example the horrific truths of torture and death and destruction, in the name of the war on terror, that are being largely kept from our gaze. The wanton destruction by the White House of email and video evidence of torture and death...Of course, we get to see far too much in the way of visual and written images, these things bringing anything from a shocking sense of grief all the way to a complacent malaise that it's happening on the other side of the world to people different from us. People different from us - where is their right to a peaceful world and the ability to play and bring up their families in peace and happiness?

Here in Australia, we have had a huge number of shocking stories of children dying of neglect and abuse while the authorities stood by and did nothing, or did very little, or didn't have the staff numbers or the funding. No doubt, it is the same in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Many people have no access to good medical care because they can't afford it. This should not be happening. Many people don't have access to good nutrition because it costs more than eating junk. Many people don't have time to play and be with their families, working 2 or 3 jobs, or are so stressed by the harsh realities of life that they can't find a space to be happy and playful and available to their children or their partners. We all need to feel safe, secure, loved and protected, just like the children in the beautiful image of The Tiny Children Playing in Sunbonnets.

Interestingly, the degree after Sagittarius 18 is Sagittarius 19 - the Quest Symbol of this full Moon: Children Disturbed By the Garbage of People Move Their Young to a New Habitat. If we can't get away from the 'garbage' that we find ourselves immersed in, we may have to devise creative ways of escaping it. Some will move their homes or leave relationships that are toxic, threatening or confining. Whatever 'it' is that one's escaping, important things to remember are - be creative, stay positive, associate with those who uplift you and your spirits, be with people who share the beauty of life, moments of innocent play, those you trust with all your heart. Some will have to turn off the television, not listen to the news, not face the full force of the things that are going on around the world. It's hard to play, be creative and enjoy life while so many others suffer, but suffering ourselves is obviously not the solution.

Standing opposite the full Moon is the Sun at Gemini 18: Two Chinese Men Speaking Chinese in a Western Crowd. This degree speaks of finding those of like mind, people having a specialized language that doesn't communicate with the larger population, people being drawn together through their similarities (or differences) and communicating on a deep level with those who almost feel like family members. It shows the necessity of spending time with those who really know and understand you on many levels.

Forming a t-square to this full Moon is Saturn at Virgo 16: Delighted Children Crowd Around the Orangutan Cage in a Zoo. This is an interesting degree that can talk about the fascination that children can feel when observing monkeys in a zoo. It can translate into us feeling like we're living in a zoo, or we're waiting to see what's going to happen. Perhaps we're waiting to see what others are going to do. Keywords include karmic confrontations between the creatively integrated and the unevolved, objects of derision, fascination or worship, showing off or acting to get a reaction from others, trying to relate to those that don't or won't understand, observing others, television shows such as Jerry Springer, news networks, the media, lack of social inhibitions, etc. 

With Saturn at the focal point of this t-square to the full Moon, many are likely to be feeling the strain of the realities that are surrounding us now. It may be that we have to take off our blinkers, yes, but there's also the beauty of immersing yourself in something that brings you joy, creativity and a feeling of being young, vital and alive. If that means lowering your eyes from the harmful and difficult things going on around you, then perhaps that's exactly the recipe of this full Moon. Others will feel a strong pull to make sure that those around them understand their needs, thoughts and feelings. Whatever, being creative and finding people to share with are the major themes.

N.B. As I was just finishing writing the above a story came on the news about the 25th birthday of a silverback gorilla that was born in Melbourne, Australia. The keeper said that he was a bit angry on his birthday - she said : "When he gets a big crowd he gets intimidating; he likes to throw things at people." Click here for a story out today about orangutans.

Comments

[Valley]

My calendars show the full moon on June 7th for Pacific Standard Time. And one of my calendars is an astrological one.

[Lynda Hill]

Hi Valley

You are right, it is June 7, not June 9. Australia is ahead of the United States by one day, but I took it the wrong way this time. I don't usually get it wrong, but I did this time!

[Valley]

Well, Mercury is in the shadow of RX. Coyote is tricking all of us at the moment. I picture Mercury as a Coyote.

[Tara]

Hi Lynda, I nomimnated you for a Lemonade Award. Please see my post dated May 31st. I am definitely feeling the energy of this Babies in Sunbonnets degree. Glad to see I'm not alone. Tara http://stargates54.wordpress.com/

[nico]

Hi Lynda - thanks for all the insights. Definitely feeling a bit of a tug of war. My North node is 18 Sag, South obviously 18 Gemini. Wondering your take?? Is it too late to ask...Thnx, nico

[dan]

look all paradigms ultimately flawed ,all systems deceive,all group efforts will ultimately fail,...only in your heart will you find the way through ...an that will be the start of everything you do....!

[dan]

like it! .good koan my friend!, and i truly believe that it is possible to become totally awake in ourselves and eternity ....however where is the love is this whole equation of things....?!......i'm getting there!....