Virgo's Moon, a Total Lunar Eclipse:
The Virgo Solar Festival
Subtle Meanings of the Full Moon in Pisces 2007 [part 2]
Malvin Artley continues his esoteric commentary on the astrological meanings of the Virgo Solar Festival, the associated eclipses and planetary aspects. He explains the meanings of the active degrees and need for a new beginning under the eclipse factors.
What we are all coming to realize is that there is a certain way we that each and every one of us has to BE. That Being carries with it a certain action in the outer world. How could it not? Some of us are meant to be teachers, some healers, others business people, some householders, politicians – any and every form of expression in human life. Every such expression, however, carries with it a particular lifestyle and we are all being shifted about, eventually to find ourselves in that very space and with the very people with whom we can most essentially BE.
Some might argue that one can be one's self with anyone, which is true – but only in a limited context – not 24/7. I have heard these very arguments from many people. So many relationships are under stress and at every level of living, not just at an intimate level. Business relations, professional relations, international relations, intimate relations – none are escaping this influence. We all struggle to BE because we get hooked into everyone else's 'stuff' and hence ignore what is true to us. The 'body' never lies. It is not really that difficult. Essentially, we will never live a happy life (I speak here of true happiness borne from a virtuous life) until we live as though we know we have to BE. And that means we have to make certain 'adjustments' in our relationships, if you know what I mean. Those adjustments are in the wind, as we will see. To sum all this up, then: We are all becoming acutely aware that our outer experience must match our inner truth. Otherwise we will never fully realize the potential of our life. That awareness is exactly that of which the Saturn/Neptune opposition has made us aware.
At this point there is one observation about Virgo that becomes sometimes painfully obvious when we look at what is going on around and within us. A bit of explanation is in order to bring clarity to the point to be made, though. In a sense, experience in Virgo is the fruit of Leo self-discipline and effort. Those readers familiar with electional astrology will know to what I refer here. Virgo rules the natural sixth house, which is the house that governs cooperative efforts and co-workers. Virgo is one of the 'service' signs/houses. It is the sign that exemplifies 'skill in action', Virgoans being known for their work skills, capacity for work and attention to detail. Self-discipline is instituted and fully realized in Leo and is necessary for any true progress, either human or spiritual. In becoming self-disciplined one comes up against all sorts of obstacles, all arising from resistance to change within one's own lower nature.
Through the struggle that ensues one learns the merits of steady work, compassion for others and the sensitivity born out of struggle. Leo is one of the signs that strongly indicates struggle in a person's life. There is a dual side to the results of the Leo struggle. If one learns the lessons properly, the Leo type becomes a magnetic center and 'a shepherd among men', leading by example and being acutely sensitive to the struggles of one's charges. Surprising as it may be, Leo is one of the signs of the zodiac that denotes a great sensitivity, both to people and to environment. On the other hand, if through self effort one remains self-centered, then the most negative qualities of Leo come out – pride and conceit – the great obstacles to the Path. Thus we can perhaps see that Leo is a sign of crisis and decision, which is about precisely which direction one's orientation is upon the Path. This description of Leo is necessary to understand the point to be made about Virgo.
Each Sign has its Tests
Each sign of the zodiac could be said to be the resultant of the sign that precedes it upon the wheel. Each sign also has its tests. In Virgo the test is about cooperation. The main obstacles to cooperation, either in work or on one's path in life are precisely the negative Leo traits just described. For those who know Virgoans well, there is a curious sort of pride that can attach itself to the Virgo type. It is pride in one's skills and a tendency to look down upon those who are less skilled, as well as a pedantic adherence to the letter of how a thing should be done. At its best, Virgo exemplifies the fruits of self-discipline and skill-in-action, cooperative effort and sensitivity to others. It thus becomes one of the great signs of healing, for a high-minded Virgo type always instinctively knows how to bring healing and right relations to bear in any situation.
At its worst, the Virgo type can display the most amazing mental pride and sniping/critical attitude. Every time Virgo is emphasized, either through birth or through transit (as in a solar festival), one is tested as to one's orientation and one's ability to cooperate with others. Most of all, though, one is tested as to the amount of pride still existing in one's nature. It can be a sobering experience. As with every experience through the zodiac, there is a test here regarding the truth of one's expression and thus a measure of one's progress along the Path. In the Virgo experience the test is always about one's measure of mental pride and the exercise of one's skill-in-action. Virgo is one of the great measurers of one's spiritual progress. This brings us to a consideration of the eclipses to come.
Beginnings and Endings Marked by Eclipses
Both of the eclipses mentioned at the heading of this letter occur in the sign Virgo. The types of eclipse that each is has been mentioned. Each one will have a different effect and each one is different from most eclipses in that they are both 'finished' by Saturn very quickly, comparative to most eclipses – both within less than two years of their occurrence. These eclipses are of the 9 New South Saros series, which is described as appearing to bring up long-term worries about loved ones, health or paperwork and/or communications. Any news will be felt to have a sort of fated or destined quality to it.
The August 28th eclipse will bring new starts and healing or completion (which is a type of healing, too) in the emotional sector. This may be pleasant or painful, but the net result will be good in the longer term. The Sept 11th eclipse will bring definite completions and resolutions of old scenarios and scores. That eclipse will set people free for new areas of experience. We all know by now that such a thing is most often personally painful, but it does not necessarily have to be so. If one is on the right path, then such an eclipse will simply mean a gentle realization that certain things need to be left behind in order to pursue a fresh course of action. If there is discomfort with either of these eclipses it simply means that we are too attached to our present circumstances and that we need to learn to let go. Let us now have a look at the first eclipse.
The eclipse of 28 Aug 2007 occurs at 8:38 PM AEST (10:38 AM UT). It is a total lunar eclipse and is best seen throughout the Pacific region. Since this one is the full moon of Virgo, the symbols for it bear more than the usual significance. The symbol for the Sun reads thus:
“A man becoming aware of nature spirits and normally unseen spiritual entities.” – 5° Virgo
It is this symbol to which the opening paragraphs of this letter alluded. The vast majority of people are blissfully unaware that there is anything beyond physical existence, yet the subtle realms teem with life and entities more splendid and/or bizarre than we could possibly imagine. It is said that the angelic host outnumbers the human kingdom by at least 2-to-1, and that does not even take into consideration the numberless hosts of lesser lives (nature spirits, as they are called) who take their command from the greater devas/angels. Our world is virtually full of life at every level, yet we are unaware of the greatest part of that life.
This bears an analogy to the fact that we only use 1/10 of our brain capacity. In other words, we have abilities beyond which we can even imagine. All we have to do is figure out how to unlock all that hidden potential. If we are open, then we can start a process with this solar festival wherein we can make ourselves more aware of the greater spiritual energies that surround us. Keep in mind that each solar festival plants a seed in the collective human psyche. Whether or not that seed sprouts and eventually bears fruit is up to us and the effort which we put into the cultivation of it. Each seed may take many years or even lifetimes to sprout and grow, but if we put in the needed work, success will come.
This is not simple pie-in-the-sky thinking. It is fundamental occult Law. There is a great key to the development of these seed thoughts, too – especially this one – and that is the creative use of the imagination, one of the most powerful of human attributes if we could only realize it. The symbol for the degree of the Moon represents that which is reflected back to us and the legacy which is being overcome. It reads:
“A church bazaar.” – 5° Pisces
Organized religion always carries implicit within it the use of ritual for the furtherance of spiritual progress. One of the problems with that, though, is that people tend to get hooked into the letter of the rituals and dependence upon the 'good feelings' they give rather than seeing the life and meaning behind them and living that life at all times, regardless of the ritual. The ritual then becomes a crutch after a while and it thus crystallizes and loses its meaning. To be clear, ritual in life is needed – absolutely – but ritual divorced from its meaning is harmful and an obstacle to the path. What is inherent in the symbol for the church bazaar is the aspect of coming together in a social setting, rather than a spiritual experience. Bazaars are put on to raise money for the parish, true, but they are also social functions, quite aside from any religious significance.
One of the things a person learns very quickly in spiritual life is that if a ritual or activity is not somehow efficacious to the advancement of one's virtue and the furtherance of Truth for others then one is 'corrected' and that activity is abandoned. Sometimes one is purposely removed from long-beloved rituals, either through circumstance or by direction from a Teacher, simply because those rituals have become habits-ingrained mental and emotional patterns, rather than living steps in the spiritual journey for that person. Also – and this is a major consideration with this solar festival and its dynamics – when one begins to dwell 'in the realm of the Spirit Dancers', one's old life is often and usually irrevocably changed. This symbol can have a more positive meaning, too, but the lunar degree in a solar festival represents the past and habitual patterns, thus its interpretation here.
In part three of this article Malvin concludes his discussion of the esoteric impact of the 2007 Virgo Solar Festival. He discusses the influence of the planetary aspects and the effect of the Spirit Dancers on our daily rejuvenation, joy and spiritual connection.
 Now read part three of The Virgo Solar Festival 2007.
 Malvin Artley is an accredited member of the American Federation of Astrologers. His primary focus over the past 25 years has been on the sciences as they express occultism and with bridging work between the two. His special interests in those fields are the human subtle energy system and all the chakras, or energy centres, physics and technology, astronomy and all aspects of Chinese occultism.
He sends out periodic emails about astrological happenings and developments. These letters are sent out as a gift and a service. If you wish to be added to or deleted from the mailing list please let me know. If you feel inspired to pass them on please do so, but do so without alteration or charge. They are sent to people of many persuasions, not just astrologers. Blessings. Click here to subscribe to Malvin's periodic letters.
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