I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man. Chuang Tse
With each passage of human growth we must shed a protective structure [like a hardy crustacean]. We are left exposed and vulnerable—but also yeasty and embryonic again, capable of stretching in ways we hadn’t known before. Gail Sheehy
The butterfly becomes only when it’s entirely ready. Chinese Proverb
There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly. Sarah Margaret Fuller
It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before… to test your limits… to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. Anais Nin
I feel my immortality over sweep all pains, all tears, all time, all fears, — and peal, like the eternal thunders of the deep, into my ears, this truth; thou livest forever! Lord Byron
Hope is the expectation that something outside of ourselves, something or someone external, is going to come to our rescue and we will live happily ever after. Dr. Robert Anthony
Higher than the question of our duration is the question of our deserving. Immortality will come to such as are fit for it, and he would be a great soul in future must be a great soul now. Ralph Waldo Emerson
I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work… I want to achieve it through not dying. Woody Allen
If a man carefully examines his thoughts he will be surprised to find how much he lives in the future. His well-being is always ahead. Such a creature is probably immortal. Ralph Waldo Emerson
August's Aquarius full Moon falls on August 20 in the United States and August 21 in Australia. This full Moon is likely to be very transformational for many people. A standout aspect to me is one of healing as Jupiter, the Moon's node and Chiron are in a lovely grand trine and Venus is just passing by the Super Galactic Center and on a fantastic degree in Libra, bringing us the opportunity of bringing our objectives into conscious alignment and ready and able to be made manifest.
The Sabian Symbol for the full Moon is Aquarius 29: A Butterfly Emerging From A Chrysalis.
The following is from my book The Sabian Oracle: 360 Degrees Of Wisdom
‘A Butterfly Emerging From a Chrysalis’ is nothing less than a complete emergence into a new life and total transformation. It’s facing a whole new beginning and an entirely new life from that which it has previously known. The ‘Butterfly’, after it struggles to ‘Emerge’ from its ‘Chrysalis’, takes a moment to stretch its wings and orient itself. It has shrugged off its ‘Chrysalis’ and is free to take flight when the moment is right.
Like an awakening, you may feel that you are suddenly able to do something that truly reflects your inner self and what you’ve always wanted or meant to become. Things have been developing within you that reflect who you truly want to be. Care will need to be taken with this great effort of birth and rebirth to ensure a smooth transition into another dimension of life. With this brand new start you will be able to realize many more of your talents and potentials, even the “latent” ones. What have you been storing up and learning and what do you see your life’s purpose to be? There is likely to be an awakening to a whole new field of opportunity, and this can be very exciting, although it can be somewhat confusing and confronting. A cautious but hopeful attitude at first will help you ease into it. There can be nervousness here, a feeling of having to “find one’s feet”. It may be a good idea to take a moment to adjust to any new developments before taking flight. There can be some pain involved in the birth of the new, but if one has faith in the new beginning, this is soon forgotten and life takes on a whole new meaning. Events often happen to us to help us come out of ourselves in a more meaningful and beautiful way. Seeing each event as an opportunity for rebirth can lead to new depths of life that you’ve possibly only previously imagined. Imagine the beauty that is coming through in the birthing of your new wings and this new life.
Keywords: Slow building of confidence. Coming out into a fuller participation in the bigger picture. Growing up and out. Emerging from the dark. Leaving yesterday behind. Becoming more and more beautiful. Finding one’s feet or wings. Metamorphosis. Huge changes in the works. Giving up struggling. The drama of new life unfolding.
The Caution: Failing to allow changes to be experienced. Feeling like one will never “arrive”. Struggling to emerge ahead of time. Feeling confined. Being tied to the past. Rushing leading to disorientation or injury.
Exactly opposite the Butterfly Emerging degree is the Sun on this full Moon - Leo 29: A Mermaid Has Climbed To The Rocky Shore Of A Bleak Coast She Awaits The Prince Who Will Bring Her Immortality.
'A Mermaid Has Climbed to the Rocky Shore of a Bleak Coast’, shows a woman who may have felt that she has, until now, merely existed in the waters of life and is now ready to emerge into a more conscious existence as an individual in her own right. She is willing to ‘Climb the Rocky Shore’ no matter how ‘Bleak’ the 'Coast' may be. She may have to leave her home and her past behind in order to move into a new life, a new relationship or new beginning of some kind. She will learn to better communicate her emotions, thoughts and ideas. In being able to more fully verbalize and express herself and to “walk her talk”, she can find her place and sense of purpose: the 'Immortality' that can be achieved in this new reality.
You must have belief in your ability to cope as an individual emerging into new arenas. ‘The Prince Who Will Bring Her Immortality’, can show the seeking of perfection in one’s self through relationships. Be careful, however, not to project too much authority onto partners. This can lead to feelings of insecurity and being out of one’s depth. With this degree prominent, you may expect others to acknowledge your existence, possibly feeling invisible until they do. However, other people, and probably someone in particular, may bring you insights into your capabilities, talents and attributes so that you can become more of what you’re meant to become. The female/mermaid, male/prince doesn’t necessarily always translate into these gender definitions. The ‘Mermaid’ may indeed be male, waiting for his “princess” (or his "prince" for that matter) to come to make his life complete. Whichever, is there an issue around how the partner will cope when the ‘Mermaid’ truly gains her own feet and voice? With this new sense of belonging, ideas can be brought into reality in a new world of experience.
Keywords: Coming into conscious form. New ways of being. Transformation. New forms emerging out of the past. Needing, and probably expecting, recognition. Feeling different from the crowd. Learning to stand on your own two feet. Problems with feet and legs. Longing to make an impression.
The Caution: Focusing on social or rational aspects before being ready. Naivety. Being thrown in the deep end. Relying on relationships too much. Looking to the other for validation of one’s existence. Co-dependent behavior.
This is a dynamic opposition, with the Aquarius degree of The Butterfly Emerging pointing to the Leo degree of The Mermaid Awaiting Immortality. Interestingly, in amongst other things, The Butterfly can have us gaining our 'feet', while the Mermaid can bring us a sense of our 'feet and our voice'. So, for many people, the issue will be about finding your feet (and your voice).
The Karmic Condition (the degree before) of the new Moon is Aquarius 28: A Tree Felled And Sawed To Ensure A Supply Of Wood For The Winter. This Symbol speaks of the need to have resources, food, money, fuel, security, etc, stacked and available for the future, perhaps for harder times or times of scarcity or issues to do with aging such as pensions and retirement funds. Many people are feeling the pinch of these difficult economic times, but there's also a knowing that there is enough in the world; enough money, enough resources and enough of what we truly need. Of course, having resources of all kinds makes it easier to 'emerge' or blossom or create that new life we seek. Dropping any worries about having what you need can lead to having more of what you also desire, especially if you see the emergence of new possibilities through positive thought and appropriate and well-directed action.
Keywords: Gathering resources. Being prepared for harder times. Stocking up and stockpiling.
Log cabins. Open fires. Care and reverence for things of wood and the earth. The making of paper. The publishing of books. Renewable resources. Xmas trees. Axes and tools. Stores and provisions. Logging. Timber. Wood for burning. Oil, petrol, fuel of all kinds. Wood chips. Storage. Money.
The Caution: Hoarding supplies—not wanting anyone to get them. Destroying the old for modern advances. Feeling cut off at the knees. Being chopped down and stacked away somewhere. Fearing that there won’t be enough fuel, money, etc. for harder times. Nonrenewable resources. Wanton destruction and logging of the forests. Waste.
The Quest degree (the degree following) the full Moon is Aquarius 30: Moonlit Fields, Once Babylon, Are Blooming White. This degree holds a message that, like all Symbols, can be interpreted in many ways. One of its manifestations is the decay and dissembling of civilization. I'm not suggesting what's coming is TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It), but there is a feeling of having to take environmental issues more seriously, along with a feeling that things could go to hell in a hand basket at any moment. And of course, on some levels they already are - especially in the financial markets, militarily and the general way the world is going. That these 'Fields' were 'Once Babylon' can also bring up issues to do with the middle east, and the terrible events in Egypt this week come to mind. Uranus was transiting this degree as Colin Powell was thumping the desk and saying that a weather station truck in Iraq was a chemical weapons vehicle.
The Quest degree of the full Moon is Aquarius 30: Moonlit Fields, Once Babylon, Are Blooming White. Even though the grandeur of the past may be lost, changed or damaged by war or time, the energy and power of a place remains. This Symbol reflects the permanence of the natural essence of a place, a person, an idea or a civilization. The essence will long remain and the seeds will sprout forth anew as these ‘Moonlit Fields Are Now Blooming White’. Rewards come from nature’s bounty for all the work that’s been done even amongst the devastation and ruin that has been endured. No matter what is thrown at something, the resilience and beauty of its spirit will continue to push through the odds. There may be a feeling that you are in the right place at the right time. All in all, your best qualities or your talents will be recognized and appreciated. When you are following a true path, you are able to rely on the support of the universe in its flow. This is the degree of the beginning of the Age of Aquarius. As the energy of the Age of Pisces wanes, the Age of Aquarius sprouts forth like a “flower” from the ruins of the old.
Keywords: Rewards coming through from past generations. The feeling of ancestors surrounding one’s present deeds. Alchemy. Loss of ancient civilizations. Reverence for things from the past. The Middle East and all things middle-eastern. Belly-dancing. Rebirths of old civilizations. Grandeur. Seeds of the past becoming the flowers and fruits of the present. Records. Fields that were once Avalon.
The Caution: Disbelieving because there are no rational structures or support. Destroying ancient lands or monuments because of religious beliefs or greed. The devastation and ruin of Iraq in order for the modern world to succeed. Projecting the sins of the world onto people or places that are foreign.
The Quest degree of the Sun is Leo 30: An Unsealed Letter Has Vital And Confidential
Information. This can bring up issues of sharing information with others. How much is 'Confidential' and how much do you want your private or hidden thoughts let out into the ethers? By the same token, it can be a question of having to speak our thoughts, to get our words and emotions out so that others can know and recognise us, along with our knowing and recognising others.
Keywords: Wearing your heart on your sleeve. Shared thoughts and feelings. Declaring what needs to be said. “Dear John” letters. Laying one’s self on the line through writing things down. Diaries. Letters. Penmanship. Messages of intent. Things said out loud. Confidences.
The Caution: Playing games with information. Concealing for the purposes of deceit. Blurting things out. Not giving any indication of what’s thought. Being upset about having things out in the open. Passing on the secrets of others. Revealing things that shouldn’t be revealed.
Mercury is on Leo 25: A Large Camel Crossing A Vast And Forbidding Desert. This speaks of having to take supplies, to have the things that you will need for the time ahead, for the journey, the unfolding, or just your life as you experience it every day. This can show a hard slog, and it can be a lonely journey, but it can also imply voyaging together and finding that place, that oasis in the 'Desert'.
Keywords: Completing a journey. Protecting oneself from spiritual “sunstroke”. Tests of karma. Taking on daunting tasks. Taking one step at a time. Feeling totally at home. Provisions that nurture and satisfy. Camels, caravans, oases, mirages, water, deserts. Stamina and fortitude. Crossing to the other side. Endurance. Thirst. Survival against the odds. Transport. Bad backs. Back packs. Cargo. Saddling up.
The Caution: Not preparing properly and running out of reserves. Feeling weighed down and in danger of not making it through. Not seeing the big picture. Lack of sustenance. Big plans with no back up. Taking on huge tasks when one shouldn’t. Being daunted by huge projects. Mirages that confuse objectives.
A few days after the full Moon, Mercury will traverse over the degrees of The Mermaid Emerging and The Unsealed Letter, bringing those issues to light once again (or even more).
Venus is on a wonderful degree, Libra 6: A Man Watches His Ideals Taking A Concrete Form Before His Inner Vision. On the few days leading up to the full Moon, Venus will be
traversing the Super Galactic Center, a place of manifesting power and energy, and it is not
only on the SGC, but this degree backs up the meaning of manifestation on a concrete conscious level. This degree shows that this full Moon is a wonderful time to put your beliefs, desires, thoughts, ambitions, etc, out there and see what happens.
When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state. Sivananda
The pure impulse of dynamic creation is formless; and being formless, the creation it gives rise to can assume any and every form. Kabbalah
Keywords: Vivid confrontations with one’s objectives. Creative visualizations. Imagining things. Meditations and affirmations. Ideas crystallized. Putting things out into the universe. Making things happen. Seeing things take shape and form. Clairvoyance. Film making. Writing and getting published. The power of manifestation. Solidification.
The Caution: Being dissatisfied with what was thought to be the true ideal. Feeling that things are “written in stone” and can’t be changed. Calcified situations or emotions.
Mars is on Cancer 26 and it forms a minor, but perhaps somewhat irritating quincunx aspect with the full Moon. There can be issues around privacy, quiet times, reading, writing, chatting, being on the same wave length, taking time out to think and digest ideas or conversations, etc. It can also show, especially as it is Mars, issues of who does the work and who gets to sit around and do nothing - to goof off. It could be about someone getting in the way, or someone barging in and taking over or forcing ideas on others.
The Sabian Symbol for Mars is Cancer 26: Guests Are Reading In The Library Of A Luxurious Home.
Keywords: Sharing of thoughts and ideas in an environment of social privilege. Social protocol that says what one should be digesting, emotionally, intellectually or physically. Libraries. Hotel reading rooms. Chatting quietly. Books, magazines. Quiet, knowing atmosphere.
The Caution: Relating on a superficial level or not being able to relate at all because of social expectations. Being told to “keep quiet”. Not saying what one really feels. Focusing on the mind, not the heart. Not being invited to the inner circle. Special privileges for the few.
The degree of Mars in the day or two following the full Moon is worth mentioning as it is a particularly 'Mars-like' degree and especially with Mars on it. It's Cancer 27: A Violent Storm In A Residential Canyon Filled With Valuable Homes.
Keywords: Arguments and emotional confrontations. The “pressure cooker” environments of modern-day living. Psychic energy unleashed. Furious emotions. Changing the status quo. Bad weather and its consequences. Rebuilding from the foundations. Living in canyons. Being surrounded by mountainous peaks. The awesome power of nature.
The Caution: Wrongly believing that you are in control of the uncontrollable. Enjoyment of emotional storms and turmoil. Lots of noise that erupts out of nowhere. Whipping things up. Life threatening behavior. Confrontations. Storm fronts. Social upheavals. Disturbing or violent reaction.
Perhaps we need that time out 'in the library' - or it may help to get outdoors and burn off some energy.
Jupiter is on Cancer 13: A Hand, Which Is Held Out Receptively, Is Remarkable For The Suggestion Of Character In It's Prominent Thumb. This is a degree of extending one's self to others, for reaching out and meeting others and for having a good, strong will.
Keywords: Openness and willingness to extend oneself to others. The handshake and the need for it. Being approachable and friendly. Palmistry and palm reading. Having a firm will. Introductions. Strong characters. Flexible behaviour.
The Caution: An aggressiveness and overbearing nature. Feeling that one is better, or stronger, than others. The smooth handshake that manipulates to impress one’s personality. Unbending and dominant behaviour.
Saturn is on Scorpio 7: Deep-Sea Divers With Special Machinery. This is a powerfully intuitive, "all-knowing" type of degree, but with Saturn here, we may need to put on our steam-punk diving helmets.
Working on navy sonar systems, we knew that sound propagates approximately
four times faster in water than in air. Now here’s an interesting image. When exploring the depths of the seas - symbolic of soulful emotions - acoustic images (as in hearing) arrive four times as fast. The suggestion is that with seeking out the greater depths, hearing, both audible and non-audible, happens substantially faster. Perceptual abilities increase several fold. Philip Sedgwick
Keywords: Studying unconscious energies. Uncovering wonders. Breath meditations and techniques. Plunging in. Seeing things that others don’t. Having the special insights, talents or technology to affect healing on deep levels. New levels of experience seen and felt. Atlantis and Lemuria. Breathing apparatus. Getting “the bends” and cramping up. Inner space.
The Caution: Pretending to plumb the depths, but only for show. Escapism. Going over the top emotionally. Being unreachable by shutting off to the outside world. Feeling gloomy. No light, no oxygen. Losing touch with reality or the real world. Feeling like you’re in a bubble. Isolation and dark thoughts. Not seeing the full picture.
Uranus is on Aries 13: A Bomb Which Failed To Explode Is Now Safely Hidden From Discovery. This can show, especially with Uranus on it retrograde, the relief that can come from situations being defused, or hidden from sight, forgotten or covered up in some way.
Keywords: Pressure valves. Getting away with something. Tantrums and frustration. Tempers that simmer. Explosive behavior. Bombs, explosions. Sudden and forceful events. Intelligence organizations, CIA, FBI, ASIO, etc. Valuable lessons of self-restraint. Relief from problems. Discharging nervous energy.
The Caution: Suppressing stress or illness. Doing inappropriate things and thinking the secret safe. Repressing emotions. Undefined anger. Pressure cooker energy that needs to be released slowly. Explosions damaging more than expected. Activists. Deception behind one’s back. Clash of ideals.
Neptune is on Pisces 4: A Church Bazaar. Neptune can be about charity and things done selflessly for others and this is exactly what the Church degree is about. You could feel that you, or someone else, puts in a lot of work for little reward or that you have to put your own needs aside for others.
Keywords: Overcoming loneliness and alienation. Selling things. The issue of real worth. A lot of effort for small rewards. Small scale commercial bartering and interchange. The collection plate. Generosity and charitable community attitudes. Jars of jam and things handmade. Bric-a-brac. Bargains. Practical spirituality. Volunteers. People sharing the load. Charity work. Money raising. Garage or yard sales. Second hand clothes.
The Caution: Spiritual or social exclusivity. Giving things smaller worth than they deserve. Using people. Deception on the grounds of faith. Fussing about small details. Fighting over “position”. Issues of territory. Pushy people. Social boundaries that exclude some.
Pluto is on Capricorn 10: An Albatross Feeding From The Hand Of A Sailor. Pluto has been on this degree for some months. It speaks about the beliefs, memories and thoughts we may have about ourselves or life that hangs around our neck like a dead albatross, committing us to the same old round of difficulties or negative outcomes as we allow something or someone to continue to pollute our lives.
Keywords: Feeding one’s higher nature with good nourishment. Banishing worries, so that one can fly ever higher. Overcoming superstitions or beliefs. Travelers who put themselves at risk in
foreign lands or cultures. Talking to anybody anywhere. Sharing one’s bounty. Sailors, boats. Birds. Empathy and sympathy for others. Restoring trust and hope.
The Caution: Manipulating events or people with false nourishment. Having alternative motives for wanting to draw others close. Being extremely afraid of strangers or strange situations. The loss of independence.
Chiron, The Wounded Healer and The Stories We Tell Ourselves, is on Pisces 13: A Sword, Used In Many Battles, Is Now In A Museum. With Chiron on this degree, many are finding that they do not want to continue being in the fight - they want to 'lay down their sword' and let go of the fight.
If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility. Longfellow
Keywords: Willpower. Martial arts. Putting aside thoughts of vengeance and revenge. Hanging up or laying down one’s ‘Sword’. Trophies of conquest that remind us of the past. History. Aging and maturing. Retirement. Remnants of battles. Souvenirs of the past. “Words as swords”. The Spear of Destiny. The Sword Excalibur. Disarming weapons. The search for truth and justice. Suits of armor. Peace at last. Sexual impotence.
The Caution: A lack of sensitivity. A pretense of one’s abilities. Giving up and “falling on one’s sword” from defeat. Grudges. Wanting to go into ‘Battle’ at the slightest excuse. Selfish agendas. Weapons of mass destruction or weapons of mass distraction? Pre-emptive strikes. Defensive behavior. Domestic violence.
Last, but not least, is the Moon's north node on Scorpio 11: A Drowning Man Is Being
Rescued. It sounds like it's time for those who feel like they are 'drowning', whether it's financially, in a relationship or feeling out of their depth, to signal that they are within reach of a rescue of sorts. This is a powerful degree of help arriving when it is needed.
The salvation of the world consists in the salvation of the individual soul. C.G. Jung
Keywords: Resuscitation. Regaining one’s breath. Finding life
renewed. Asthma, bronchitis, breathing difficulties. Finding
help in moments of crisis. Needing a hand. Being rescued.
Salvation on any level. Ventilators. Breathing equipment. Oxygen.
Dependence. Last minute reprieves.
The Caution: Panicking in order to draw help rather than learning
how to cope. Constantly finding reasons for losing control of
situations. Getting into deep water on a regular basis.
This full Moon feels like a bit of relief after the lunations we've had lately that have felt so fraught with difficult or tense energies. I hope I'm right, after all, I feel certain that we are due for some slack. I like Venus' take the most: A Man Watches His Ideals Taking Concrete Form Before His Inner Vision.
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