Tuesday morning, we reach the Last Quarter Moon. Now, at this waning square, the Moon is back within the Earth orbit and closer to Venus. Yet the keynote of this phase is the square between the Sun and Moon.
After the illumination of the Full and sharing the results during the Disseminating Moon, we face another challenge.
The tender-hearted Cancer Sun is facing a sharp-edged Aries Moon conjunct Chiron. Healing is needed. Cutting is called for. The Moon has steeled herself for the deed, but the Sun, worried, asks, how much will this hurt?
The answer seems unclear.
Venus in Gemini opposes Jupiter in Sagittarius as both square Neptune in Pisces. There is enough distraction, confusion, and misplaced certainly here for legions of lost souls.
Radical response is called for. Joseph Campbell said “the first work of the hero is to retreat from the world scene.” An Aries Moon, retreat? Never!
This is not an actual retreat, however, but a shift of focus from the external to the internal realms, what Campbell calls “the causal zones of the psyche where the difficulties really reside.”
Yes. We go within to face our own demons, sorting light from shadow, truth from lies, the vital from the merely distracting.
This is, Campbell tells us, the Hindu and Buddhist process of discrimination called viveka. One of the four aspects of a spiritual disciple, it is entirely appropriate that we meet this at the Last Quarter.
It could feel fierce, dangerous, and uncompromising. It is necessary.
If we stay the course, we will reach, on Thursday night, the waning sextile that holds a promise of deep understanding.
The Moon is now in early Taurus, conjunct Uranus. Even though the Moon still wanes, we sense new growth, something green but unseen. Chiron still squares the Sun, but we are already healing.