Supermoons and Mastery

Supermoons and Mastery
by Allison Rae
April 6, 2012
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This weekend's full moon marks a turning point. Spiritual energies flowing through the lunar gateways in April and May culminate in a series of breathtaking planetary alignments in June.

Along the way, we'll enjoy three consecutive supermoons that coincide with the three major festivals of esoteric tradition. These are the Festival of the Christ (April 6), Festival of the Buddha (May 5) and Festival of Humanity (June 4). The religious holy days of Easter, Passover and Wesak are connected with these lunar festivals.

This year, the lunar alignments are "supermoons," meaning the Moon is at or near perigee (its closest approach to Earth). The proximity of the Moon increases the spiritual energy flowing through the portal formed by the alignment of Sun, Moon and Earth.

The third full moon in the series - the Festival of Humanity (or Goodwill) - is a partial full moon lunar eclipse that forms a grand cross in mutable signs with Mars and Chiron. The next day, Venus will visibly transit the face of the Sun, an event that won't happen again until 2117.

Later in June, the Cancer Solstice is followed by the first of seven exact squares between planetary heavyweights Uranus and Pluto that continue through 2015.

Throughout this time, magic, opportunity and creativity are interwoven with apparent crisis and chaos.

With this line-up, a complete turnaround is possible - the kind of transformation that happens through the process of death and rebirth.

Who are you becoming?

Lunar Festivals

Through the spring lunar festivals, the energy swells like a wave in the distance, gathering momentum before crashing to shore in June.

The full moons are points of initiation and illumination, opportunities for greater mastery, enlightenment, healing and service.

The process involves purification of the ego to allow for a fuller embodiment of the soul. Depending on how entrenched the ego is, this process may be extremely uncomfortable in the moment but leads to new levels of bliss as the soul is liberated.

Shamanic Venus

The current Venus cycle began November 5, 2010, in Scorpio and completes after a brief underworld journey in early June this year. Venus will disappear from our view on May 30, transit the face of the Sun on June 5/6 and return triumphantly as morning star in the east on June 12 when she begins a new cycle in Gemini.

As an expression of the goddess, Venus' passage since early November guides us to embody and honor the feminine. The most shamanic sequence of Venus' long astrological dance, the Scorpio phase speaks to issues of raw, vital, sacred feminine power, the essence of femininity as mystical, creative and sexual. This is the primal, tantric essence of Shakti.

Venus has to do with love, beauty, money, relationships and values. How have you shifted in these areas since November 2010? How has the world changed?

Uranus-Pluto Factor

Uranus-Pluto is the wild card in the current astrological progression. They meet in exact square seven times from June 2012 through 2015. This is a continuation of their long cycle that began with a conjunction in the 1960s. Themes of individual empowerment and revolution are rekindled throughout this period.

Pluto's transit of Capricorn heralds the reconfiguration of society at the level of institutions, economies, politics and social systems. We've already witnessed many examples of this shift around the world.

Uranus in Aries ignites the passions of the warrior. The tension of the square is combative and deeply transformational. As individuals, we must each stand in our truth and find our place within a changing world according to our unique talents and purpose.

Unpredictable Uranus is the driving force behind this year's transition, so predictions about exactly how things will play out are futile. By July, we'll have a sense of what the ongoing square will bring.

How This Feels

While the global drama of the major transits plays out publicly and involves many lives, the individual experience varies. How specific transits and alignments relate to your natal chart tells us which areas of your life will be most affected in coming months and years.

Some common experiences I've been hearing about from people around the world include:

a.. Sudden and sometimes unexpected changes in jobs, housing, family and relationships
b.. Major career and financial shifts, including unforeseen new opportunities
c.. Depression, grief and anxiety
d.. Feelings of isolation, helplessness, chaos
e.. An undeniable sense that change is coming, but uncertainty about the details or how to move forward
f.. Deeply spiritual phenomena, including clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, startling visions and precognitive dreams
It's a Love Thing

Whether we label our experiences as esoteric, shamanic, religious or otherwise, this passage is awakening us to deeper love. Love of self, love of humanity and the Earth, the cosmos, this creation. All that is.

Mastery begins with self-love. We learn to love and honor sacred other through relationships. Relationships are the building blocks of community. As we experience accelerated evolution through 2012 and beyond, it's wise to connect with others based on shared values - what we cherish and hold dear - and allow other relationships to dissolve if they don't match.

The 2012 passage signals the birthing of a new consciousness through the reconfiguration of our lives and our world. The new paradigm is deeply rooted in love.

Here's the line-up for this segment of the journey:

April 6 - Full Moon in Libra/Aries (supermoon) - Festival of the Christ

April 20/21 - Taurus New Moon

May 1-5 - Beltane/Samhain cross-quarter gateway

May 5/6 - Full Moon in Scorpio/Taurus - Festival of the Buddha/Wesak (supermoon)

May 20 - Gemini New Moon Solar Eclipse (annular)

May 30 - Venus enters the Underworld

June 4 - Full Moon Lunar Eclipse (partial) in Sagittarius/Gemini (supermoon + mutable grand cross) - Festival of Humanity

June 5/6 - Transit of Venus

June 12/13 - Venus helical rise in Gemini

June 16-18 - Pre-dawn alignment of Moon, Jupiter, Venus, Sun and Aldebaran

June 19 - Gemini New Moon

June 20/21 - Cancer Solstice

June 23/24 - Uranus square Pluto (first of seven exact from 2012-2015)

As I write this, the (super)moon is rising, and my heart is filled with hope and gratitude. The moon leans in so close I can nearly touch her. I whisper a prayer for the Earth and all beings on this sacred night.

May all be blessed.

Allison Rae explores eco-spiritual dimensions of consciousness evolution through 2012 and beyond. A passionate teacher and author of several books, Allison offers individual consultations by phone, and leads workshops, retreats and sacred sites journeys with groups. Please visit her website for more information: http://heyallie.com *