Chodesh Kislev 5780: First Steps in the Maturation Process

CHODESH KISLEV: FIRST STEPS IN THE MATURATION PROCESS

"Mazal Keshet", the constellation / zodiac sign of Sagittarius, which is the Hebrew month of Kislev. From the Sefer Evronot, Pinchas ben Avraham Segal of Halberstadt, Germany 1716.

Chodesh Kislev (November 28 – December 27) is usually the most jovial of months, chiefly because Kislev’s ruling planet Jupiter (Tzedek) is connected to optimism, inspirational ideas, and hope. This year Kislev takes a turn towards the serious when Jupiter enters Saturn/Shabbtai-ruled Capricorn December 2, where he’ll be transiting until his conjunction to Saturn in Aquarius, the zodiac sign of the Jewish people, in December 2020. The Jupiter-Saturn “Great Conjunction” has been an important part of historic Jewish messianic speculation since the early Middle Ages. This year, Kislev 5780 marks the beginning of this significant planetary process climaxing in December 2020. Will it be “good for the Jews”? Only time will tell.

Kislev’s Tribe is Benyamin, portrayed on his flag as a ravening wolf on a rainbow background. Benyamin’s fierceness is focused on issues of unity and inclusion. His flag’s rainbow background incorporates the colors of all the Tribes, who unite as one in the Holy of Holies, located in Benyamin’s Tribal portion nestled within the larger Tribe of Yehuda, upon whose land the Holy Temple stood. The Full Moon in Gemini December 11 exposes multifaceted allegiances, the spiritual light of Chanukah which falls on the Winter Solstice December 21-22 pierces divisions, exposes sectarian biases, and illuminates the illusion of fragmentation. The Solar Eclipse/New Moon in Capricorn December 25 reveals where we may lack maturity, wisdom, patience, and endurance. These qualities must be integrated, or we will suffer the ill effects of immaturity, ignorance, and impatience, especially around issues of the resources we all share: this Earth and the environment we all have in common. 

Kislev with Jupiter in Capricorn this year inspires through introspection, the practical manifestation of abundance, the embodiment of dreams, and real-world modeling of good will, generosity, and idealism. These are Kislev’s gifts which keep on giving!

Astral Weeks for August 26 - September 1: Full Pisces Moon & Mars Direct Bring Opportunities For Heart-Healing

Astral Weeks

August 26 – September 1^st

Sunday begins with a big, bright, full moon in Pisces, Big, wet, maybe a tad weepy. Full Pisces Moon sextiles Uranus in Taurus and Saturn in Capricorn, softening both Earth signs (mud is what happens when water meets earth). Good chance of unexpected opportunities for healing via surprising glimpses of the Divine disguised as the mundane. As the Grateful Dead sing: "Once in a while you get shown the light / In the strangest of places if you look at it right." 

Because our bodies are mostly water, full moons in water signs can be – moist. Sensitivities are enhanced, and energies take a turn for the forward on Monday when Mars, after an entire summer of Retrograde zig-zagging through the early degrees of Aquarius, finally stations Direct at 28 Capricorn, where it will linger until September 9^th before beginning his inexorable march back through Aquarius. Mars conditions are what they were mid-May of this year – it’s like you get to time-travel without all the mess and expense – make it count this time! Tuesday the Moon enters go-getter Aries, making a conjunction to the asteroid Chiron and uncovering feelings of vulnerability – but wait, don’t allow yourself to go into automatic defense / shut-down mode, those feelings are valuable indicators of places within yourself which need further nurturing and love. 

The Aries Moon squares Pluto in Capricorn on Wednesday night, revealing the roots of emotional power struggles and professional rivalries, followed by the Moon’s opposition to Venus, in her home sign of Libra, on Thursday morning. When asked if she would rather make love and not war, Venus in this case may opt for war if she’s feeling overlooked or underappreciated. When the Moon enters Taurus Thursday evening, she makes a conjunction to unpredictable Uranus, which, depending on whether you’ve gone to war or opted for peace earlier in the day, may invite either innovation in lovemaking or doubling-down on stubborn pride using emotionally extreme measures (advice: don’t do it!). 

Friday’s Moon-Sun trine in Earth signs Taurus and Virgo respectively may bring the grounded emotional harmony you’ve been seeking all week. The Moon’s sextile to dreamy Neptune Friday evening may be the very thing to reintroduce feelings of one-ness, smoothing the rough edges and ruffled feathers and restoring peace. Saturday is Shabbat, Parshat KiTavo, the beginning of a long Labor Day weekend in the United States, and the first day of September. Moon in Taurus opposes Jupiter in Scorpio in the wee small hours of the morning, arousing issues of possession both emotional and material. If you’re fighting over the blankets, best to roll over and seek body heat rather than battle it out over who gets the covers. If you’ve played your cards right all day, the Moon-Mars trine late Saturday night might reward you with a deeper and more grounded emotional energy and a more profound sense of partnership.

Astral Weeks August 19-25: How Do You Spell "Relief?" Mercury Direct & Sun Enters Virgo

Astral Weeks

August 19-25

When you wake up Sunday morning, you’ll find Mercury has stationed Direct after his long Retrograde in Leo (since July 25^th). Start your day feeling positive with the Moon in jovial Sagittarius, and if you want to go the real feel-good route, Jupiter in Scorpio’s Trine to Neptune in Pisces will give you all the watery lubrication you need. Overindulgence in food and especially drink is a possibility: take a ride share service or party at home! Hydration is the key to avoiding a hangover, and you’ll want to avoid that because the short-lived party winds down as the Moon enters hard-working, responsible Capricorn on Monday evening, spurring you on to clean up your act and get on with the show. You can be proud of any hard-won achievements Tuesday as the Sun at 29 degrees Leo says a dramatic farewell and takes his final curtain calls, bowing out (not without encores), and introducing Sun in Virgo, enter stage right, Wednesday evening. 

The Moon enters radical, futuristic Aquarius Thursday morning, making a conjunction to Retrograde Mars and sparking strong emotional energy centered on universal issues of humanitarianism and community. Moon in Aquarius opposite Mercury in Leo on Friday pits the feelings of the collective against the voice of the individual, perhaps in a very public way.  

Saturday is Shabbat Parshat Ki Teitzei, the Sun in Virgo making a hard Trine to Uranus in Taurus in the morning and another Trine to Saturn in Capricorn in the afternoon. All three Earth signs involved in these transiting Trines, calling us to ground ourselves in the loamy soil of Mother Earth and remember the common soil of our shared humanity. The Moon moves into dreamy, imaginative Pisces late Saturday evening, preparing for the Full Moon at 3 degrees Pisces on the morning of August 26^th.

Wishing everybody everywhere a great week, and may our Creator’s celestial luminaries be lights along the way!