Full Moon in Gemini - Rethinking Fear Based Beliefs

"Change your thoughts, and you change your world." - Norman Vincent Peale

This Thanksgiving holiday week/end ushers in big planetary aspects that have been brewing in our world view since the beginning of the new moon in Scorpio on 11/11. The Sun and Mercury have recently moved into Sagittarius, the sign of the Archer, with religion, beliefs, travel, and foreign matters coming into the forefront of our consciousness. As we start to get settled in the initial 10 steps of Sag, we will first have a full moon in Gemini on Wednesday, followed by the Sun making its way to conjunct Saturn which happens to also be squaring Neptune in Pisces. The Sun hasn't crossed the Great Malefic in Sag since 1985, and events that happened then during the first pass of the Sun over Saturn are very telling of the similar issues that are hot topics today. We will discuss these events later on in this article.

Tuesday we will be coming off the Venus in Libra opposition to Uranus in Aries just as Mercury conjuncts Saturn in Sagittarius. With Mercury and Saturn both approaching a square with Neptune in Pisces, there is a nebulousness surrounding our systematic beliefs with the Taurus moon grounding us in our positions despite the confusion... and stubbornly so. Many figures of authority will be on their high horses this week. Sobering news which seemingly comes out of thin air could also hit your doorstep as Saturn aligns with the messenger Mercury. On Wednesday, the Moon in Gemini saddles up to its opposition with the Sun at 7º Sag (exact at 5:44 EST / 2:44 PST). We are reaching the apex point of the new moon in Scorpio which asked us to examine what we wanted to transform in our lives; this full moon is now asking us, in order to make that transformation, we must reevaluate our outdated belief systems and how emotionally charged thoughts from outside may have created said beliefs.

Our true core beliefs come from within, not without. The thoughts we consume become our beliefs which then become our reality. Aligning with the nature of creation, we only care and believe in what our heart wants us to. However, in today's society with the constant bombardment of news and social media, it is getting ever harder to be clear on what beliefs are our own or that of others. It is crucial to find that place in your heart that you resonate with and not to choose from the many options that swirl around us which inevitably limit ourselves. At this point in time, we are asked to look deeper within our "Self" to discover the answers we seek. Look within your own psyche to find understanding and meaning regarding the personal Truth we as humans are after. If you are tired of the struggle, it is crucial to reexamine the thoughts that uphold the long held beliefs that no longer serve you. By living with these outdated emotionally based thought patterns, you ultimately limit your own expansion hindered by the fear of what is to follow.

The full moon in Gemini (squaring Neptune in Pisces and opposing Saturn in Sag) is ramping up the emotionally charged ideas and opinions behind the idealistic beliefs that are currently out in the open. How sound is your argument? With Neptune being at home in Pisces, Saturn in Sag is in a weaker position. Exaggeration of a fear one cannot see is clearly on the forefront as the issue of terrorism is once again in the limelight. Both the Beirut and Paris attacks took place days into this new moon cycle, bringing us to this moment where our thoughts are filled with fear and our steadfast views are being challenged. Neptune in Pisces is testing our humanity to align with empathy and trust without doing so naively. With Sag representing all things foreign, we find that many on this planet are restless and fearful of what is foreign to us, example being the Syrian refugees. If we focus beyond the fact (Gemini) that opening our doors to refugees can be taxing on our resources - which were never truly ours to begin with - we can begin to see that the Sun in Sag encourages us to expand our awareness into a big picture world view despite fear (Saturn) wanting us to stay confined in self proposed limitations. Put yourself in the shoes of a refugee; what seems foreign to us is just as foreign to them. Would you want to be forced out of your familiarity into an unknown land, loosing every possession you have and being separated from your community and the life you have built up until this point?

On Thanksgiving Day, Saturn directly squares Neptune. This is the first exact square of 3 which will end this cycle in Sept 2016. Neptune is a master concealer, and when combined with Saturn's fears it's the perfect recipe for "terror." This perceived terror begins to escalate, perpetuated by the media. All the talking heads on all sides of the issue will be ramping up its own brand of "media terrorism." Even the State Department has already issued a worldwide travel warning to perpetuate the fear even further. What is not being realized is that by taking such precautions we only weaken our position with the unseen enemy... We publicly show our fear and give these factions the power to take the joy out of our lives. This brings in question once again, are we sound in our own beliefs to not panic or overreact? Are we finding our answers from within or are we adapting them from the reporter on the tube, the wary politician, or one of the countless internet articles written everyday on the subject? This is a turning point and true clarity might be elusive until the transit finally passes next Fall.

On "Black Friday," the Moon is void for the majority of the morning while it heads its way into Cancer. If you are going to participate in the shopping madness, I recommend sticking to your list and not making impulse purchases. You probably will realize shortly after that you didn't want it after all. Void is never a time to be decisive. With the Sun inching it's way to conjunct Saturn on Sunday we will probably see the scenarios discussed in the above paragraph start to escalate. The entire weekend is fit for activity. An injustice could take place.

Once the Moon has become well situated in Cancer Saturday morning, there will be quite the air of protecting one's own turf. Nationalism will most likely be at a high. The Moon will be squaring Mars in Pluto and Uranus in Aries, as well as, opposing Pluto in Capricorn. The sky will be in a cardinal grand cross configuration and tension will most likely fill the air. It is even possible that some will try to "take matters into their own hands" upholding their long held positions. There will be great illusion regarding our idealistic perception of protection within our outmoded orders and borders.

Sunday is the day we hit our exact conjunction with Saturn in Sagittarius for the first time since 1985. It is also squaring Neptune in Pisces in a tight orb. I decided to go back and take a look at the first pass of that same conjunction back in '85. It was fascinating because I immediately found headlines that speak of the issues that are so hot today! At the time of the '85 conjunction was the tragic Egyptianair hostage situation; three Abu-Nidal Palestinian terrorists hijacked a plane leaving Athens that was heading to Egypt. The plane was forced to land in Malta due to lack of fuselage pressure and fuel. Once landed there was a 2-day hostage stand-off (held out in traditional Saturnian fashion) which ended with the Egyptian commandoes storming the plane to apprehend the terrorists, killing 50+ hostages in their wake. The commandoes overzealous approach did more harm than good and the U.S. was angry that their special terrorism team had been refused by the Maltese government. Security at Athens' airport was highly scrutinized and, on top of everything, the Maltese misinformed their people through the media, claiming that all the hostages were alive and no one was hurt. In New Zealand, French terrorists were being sentenced at that same time for sinking the Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace flagship. What I also find interesting, is at the same time in Los Angeles, the largest ever swearing-in of immigrants happened. Over a span of nine days, 38,648 immigrants became official citizens of the U.S. of A. There had been such a back-up of processing immigrants (of many nationalities) that the wait to be "official" was in the years. The city developed this record breaking event to do their best at catching up with the mounting paperwork. Another intriguing observation is around this same time period of the Reagan years, is when he turned the translated Russian proverb "Trust , but verify" aka "Doveryai, no proveryai" into his signature phrase. He was advised by a Russian writer that their people like to speak in proverbs and by Reagan doing so he would have better communications with the Soviet Union. Each one of these examples resonate with the planetary vibes that we are currently processing.

Once again, we are at yet another turning point in this astrologically tense sky configuration that has been continually turning chapters for some years now. By refusing to be frozen in time to beliefs that were instilled in us long ago, we free ourselves to new possibilities and ways of viewing life in broader terms - a clearing of the outdated thought cache. We all know that the real truth may only be found in our heart of hearts. I would like to readopt the Russian proverb to read "Trust, but verify within." Be clear on what you fundamentally believe and manifest away from fear, not towards it. Start first by getting in tune with your heart and coming from a place of joy and love, holding this space until horizons expand and beliefs transform. I wish all of you the best of Thanksgiving holidays and, as always, may the stars be with you...