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December’s New Moon is a Vegas kind of Moon — big, bold, and dramatic. It heralds a holiday season of screaming headlines, explosive events and probably some wild parties, as well. The entertainment industry, issues of children and youth, especially education, and any kind of gambling, including the stock market, will be emphasized in the coming month here in the USA.

Let’s cover the basic astrology first. (Non-astrologers can skip this paragraph) The chart can be found here. Set for Washington, DC, it features the New Moon in Sagittarius in the 5th, with Sagittarius’ ruler, Jupiter, powerfully placed on the Ascendent in Cancer, the sign of its exaltation, opposing Venus, and widely opposing Pluto, as well. Uranus sits in the 10th house, adjacent to the Aries Point Midheaven, which is opposed by Mars. The Uranus-Pluto square is in full force, and the Sun-Moon conjunction plus Mercury are in a wide square to Neptune. There is a strong trine between Jupiter and Saturn, and between Uranus and the Sun-Moon. The New Moon falls in the fifth house, joined by Mercury and Saturn, and the fifth house rulers are Mars and Pluto. The houses and angles on this chart are specific to the USA, but much of what I say here will be applicable globally.

I call to you at the
Newness of the Moon.

I wait at the crossroads
And, call out in longing
For you to ask of me what you will.

I stand clothed in the promise
Of guiding you as I light the way.

I wait and there is only the
Sound of my own longing to
Enliven and stir within you
The drive and will that sets
You upon your path.

I am cloaked in the darkness
But those who have the
Courage to call to me
See the truth of my hidden
Light that burns brightly

With the Divine spark of youth.

This post is the first of three about the Triple Goddess Hecate and her gifts expressed through the face of Maiden, Mother and Crone. Hecate is the Greek Goddess of the Underworld; Queen of Magick and daughter of the Titans Perses (God of Destruction) and Asteria (Oracular Goddess), from whom she was gifted with rulership of heaven and earth. She is most noted for her place of guide at the Crossroads carrying the flaming torches that light the way for gods and mortals. My intent is not to provide a full history of the Goddess (there is a plethora of information to be found), but rather to provide my personal experiences with her.

There are two interesting lunations (New or Full Moon) coming up in October that can give us some insight on the month ahead — the New Moon on October 4 — and on the upcoming 6 months or so in the case of the Full Moon on October 18, which is an eclipse.

Let’s start with the New Moon. These are some of the configurations astrologers will want to take note of (here is the chart): Cluster of planets in the sixth house, 3 planets in Scorpio including a Mercury-North Node-Saturn conjunction. Venus rules the chart from her throne on the Descendant in a house she rules, but in detriment and tensely aspected. It’s a Libra New Moon, so we are looking for balance, and there is little to be found, with the Moon/Sun tightly configured with the Uranus-Pluto square. Mars is square the AS/DS axis and Venus, and in tight aspect (SSQ) to both Uranus and Pluto.

What to make of all this? From the point of view of mundane astrology, things look a bit tense. (I should note here that individual humans can use the energy of the planetary patterns to change themselves and their lives. Hence, individual reactions to a lunation are more likely to be positive and less “fated” than events in the nations and large groups that are the subject of mundane astrology. My fellow blogger here at Pagan Square, Kate Cartwright, has written about how best to use the personal aspects of this lunation here) This chart is cast for Washington, DC, so it is predictive for the entire country.

First, of course, we’ll look at the Sun and Moon, which are activating the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square (UPS). This means that surprises, transformations, explosive (physically or emotionally) events, and powerful breakthroughs are all likely. It’s probable that many of these manifestations will be in the realm of relationship, particularly, from a national point of view, the relationship of the people of the country to its leaders.

Smile O voluptuous cool-breath'd earth!

Earth of the slumbering and liquid trees!

Earth of departed sunset — earth of the mountains misty-topt!

Earth of the vitreous pour of the full moon just tinged with blue!

Earth of shine and dark mottling the tide of the river!

Earth of the limpid gray of clouds brighter and clearer for my sake!

Far-swooping elbow'd earth — rich apple-blossom'd earth!

Smile, for your lover comes.
Walt Whitman - Song of Myself

 Beltane always falls when the Sun is in Taurus; if you celebrate Beltane astrologically, the Sun will be exactly halfway through Taurus, and halfway between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice — always a few days later than May 1st. (This year, it fell early on Sunday, May 6th) Whether you are heading towards summer or winter, the Earth is in transition. Perhaps this is why the sign of Taurus is so concerned with security, with farming, and the Earth. Taurus’ other main focus is a sensual connection with the Web of LIfe, and the creation and enjoyment of beauty.

The New Moon Eclipse on May 9th will highlight Taurean themes for some months to come. There are four planets (a stellium) in Taurus in this chart — Sun, Moon, Mercury and Mars — and if you follow this blog, you’ll recall that the influence of a solar eclipse can be as long as a year. Saturn in Scorpio provides a balance point for all that Taurean energy. Though there is no direct opposition, as I noted in this post,  “We can look on the progress of Saturn through Scorpio over the next 2 ½ years as an initiatory undertaking  — a deep, transformative time when, if we will discipline ourselves to fulfill the requirements of the body and the Earth, we can create with power, insight and spiritual awareness.”

Venus, the ruler of Taurus, has just moved into bright, aware Gemini, where life is a question to be answered, and connection to others is key. Venus is square to Neptune in Pisces, and Pisces' other ruler, Jupiter, is also in Gemini, unaspected, making it even more of a wildcard than usual.

All of this suggests that in the months to come, issues of material security will be raised again and again at varying levels of intensity depending on how this configuration falls in your personal chart. Are you stuck in a rut somewhere? Has the pursuit of security smothered your creativity and playfulness, or do you need to pay more attention to how you support yourself on this Earth? What are the personal and social costs of the way you live your life? If you don’t ask yourself some of these questions, they will be asked of you, and the answers will demand both action and clear communication.

I believe in the flesh and the appetites,
Seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles, and each part and tag of me is a miracle.
Walt Whitman - Song of Myself

Just a few quick notes on the Aries New Moon that happened earlier today, and what it might tell us about the month ahead. It gives us a line-up of 5 planets in Aries, Pisces rising in Washington, DC, with Neptune in the 12th, and Mercury on the Ascendant, ruling the 3rd, 4th and 7th houses. Jupiter is in the third house. In the USA’s (Sibley) chart, all the Pisces/Aries action is in the 3rd and 4th houses, squaring natal Mercury, with the Sun and Moon conjunct the USA's natal Chiron. For the country, I very much hope this will manifest as a vigorous public discussion on environmental issues. In my post on the Spring Equinox chart, I noted the strong possibility of industrial accidents, particularly involving mining, fracking, or any extraction of resources. There have been three major oil spill accidents in the country in the past week, and it becomes clearer every day that such a discussion is long overdue.

The stellium in Aries in the New Moon chart suggests a time of pioneering attitudes, of accepting challenges and fighting for freedom. Tempers tend to flare, and no one seems to want to back down. The Obama administration will, I think, be having a hell of a time with foreign affairs, and we all will get an opportunity to think about where courage,  strength, and initiative bleed into foolhardiness, willfulness, and unwarranted aggression. When Mercury moves into Aries in a little over a week, we can expect to see an increase in bombastic rhetoric on the world stage. In our personal lives, we can use this time as an opportunity to communicate with honesty and courage.