Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio: In the Belly

Tomorrow, we enter the Last Quarter with the Moon in mid Scorpio.

We’re about to reach the turning point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, the moment of one of the four great Celtic Fire Festivals. We’re about to reach Imbolc.

The ancient Celts divided time into dark and light halves, a pattern that correlates somewhat to the amount of sunlight available. At a deeper level it invokes the alternation between yin and yang.

At Samhain, we started a new Celtic year in the dark half of the dark half. Now, at Imbolc, we enter the light half of the dark half. Yang will begin to stir within the depth of yin. New life stirs in hidden places.

This holiday shows up in the US as Groundhog Day, in which an animal emerges from his den underground to see whether winter is ready to loosen its grip.

In Celtic myth, the goddess Bridget begins to wake up. As the Sun strengthens and warmth returns, the Cailleach grows sleepy. She will retire to a stony cave to allow Bridget to awaken the world into spring.

Astrologically, Imbolc arrives when the Sun reaches 15 Aquarius, which will be early Sunday, Feb 4, in my Eastern US time zone.

The name “Imbolc” is ancient, its meaning unclear. One common interpretation is “in the belly,” referring to the lambs growing inside the ewes at this time. Even though we cannot see it yet, the quickening of the world (in the Northern hemisphere) is underway.

This year, Aquarius itself is quickening (and deepening, and growing more intense) with the arrival of Pluto. Over the next days, conjunctions with Mercury, Mars, and Venus with give us more personal, down-to-earth indicators of what Pluto in Aquarius will mean for us.

These three personal planets are all in Capricorn, moving steadily toward Aquarius. On February 5, Mercury enters Aquarius and conjoins Pluto. Mars enters Aquarius Feb 13 and conjoins Pluto Feb 14. Venus arrive in Aquarius Feb 16 to conjoin Pluto Feb 17.

While each conjunction will have its own meanings, the overall pattern is also important. Unless your birth chart gives you an up-close relationship with Pluto, it can be tricky to see what this far-away planet might mean to us. Mercury, Mar, and Venus’ first conjunctions with Pluto in Aquarius will bring Pluto’s shift home to us in more personal ways.

The Last Quarter Moon has another message for us. In addition to squaring the Sun (the marker of the Last Quarter phase), this Moon is connecting to Jupiter and Uranus.

In late April, Jupiter and Uranus will meet in late Taurus, an important, innovative, and creative conjunction. The Moon at this Last Quarter is just leaving Jupiter and moves to join Uranus, a process called transfer of light.

Imagine the fast-moving Moon as a messenger. Her role right now is to carry information from Jupiter to Uranus, reminding us of the conjunction to come, and possibly offering a bit of a preview.

This is a longer update than I usually write for a lunar phase, but this Last Quarter includes a variety of important events. Within the depths of transits and world happenings still to emerge, we’re being offered a variety of previews.

Change is stirring. Pay attention to what comes up for you at each of these events. What we notice can help us plan for what lies ahead.