_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hunger Moon
The Impeded Stream
It may be that when we no longer know what to do,
we have come to our real work.
And that when we no longer know
which way to go,
we have begun our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled
is not employed.
The impeded stream
is the one that sings.
– Wendell Berry
I’ve titled this blog after one of the indigenous names for the March Full Moon, coming up on March 7 at 4:11 am PST. This year’s Hunger Moon occurs when the Sun is at 16° Pisces, opposing the Moon at 16° Virgo. The tensions we are called to integrate with this polarity involve Virgo’s concerns with ‘mundane’ life routines and concerns, such as health and work, and the Piscean concerns with transcendence, flow, and dwelling in ‘big picture’ realms. So it’s very much an As Above, So Below conversation.
The invitation here is to honor the Virgoan determination to create order out of, or in concert with Piscean flow and fog, while not inhibiting the intuitive sparks that emerge when allowing ourselves to drift in the waters from which all is birthed. In other words, to allow the not-knowing, the letting go, but to still tend to the earthy need for practicality and function. For Virgo organization and skillfulness help ground the psychic intimations of Pisces that can otherwise get lost.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cross to Bear
Echoing this dichotomy between order and chaos is the ingress of Saturn into Pisces, which happens just an hour after the Full Moon is exact, therefore strongly influencing the signature. Both of these events pair the two Yin (Feminine) elements of Earth and Water—Saturn being the natural ruler of Earth sign Capricorn, Virgo being an Earth sign, and Pisces being a Water sign. This blending of the Yin energies invites grounded receptivity.
The image above evokes an optimal such blending of Earth and Water, with the hills of this seductive cove on the Hebridean Isle of Barra, a five-hour ferry ride off the west coast of Scotland, framing and containing the brilliant blue waters. It is written that this isle was the actual “Land of the Lotus Eaters,” where Ulysses was detained in Homer’s The Odyssey! I myself was certainly detained there when I visited last fall at the start of a solo bike journey, such that I didn’t make it to that evening’s intended destination, and had to rely on the Universe to present a Plan B, grace of the kindness of strangers!
♄ Not one for lotus-eating, however, the Saturn archetype, associated with the father, is focused on outer goals and achievements and thereby known for its taskmaster means. But it is actually in its original sense a feminine archetype. Saturn’s glyph, an upper cross supported by a semi-circle, points to the primacy of the Earthy mundane realm (the cross to bear), with its circular base being a Feminine indicator of soul and subconscious mind.
Depth psychological astrologer Liz Greene, in her seminal book Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil, points to the esoteric teaching that Saturn is the planet of discipleship, with an ancient lineage, referring in myth and fairytale to the notion of kissing the frog or facing the devil (of limitation or form) in order to achieve blessing. This could be seen as a facing of the darkness, or Shadow, associated with the Feminine Earth realm, which our modern culture has become so averse to, and which requires that we pay attention to the small stuff: the limits, the hard work, or the pebble in our shoe, which might actually serve as the alchemical prima materia (lead) at the start of a transformational undertaking, if we can face and take responsibility for it.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Containing the Waters
So, interestingly, we have this pairing of Saturn, no longer in one of its “home” signs (for the past three years it was in Aquarius, of which Saturn is a co-ruler, and prior to that, it was in Capricorn, of which Saturn is sole ruler), now entering the very different, watery realm of Pisces, associated with the Fish, and the transmutation of consciousness. Perhaps this is an invitation for the reemergence of Feminine ways of being to seep in through our infrastructures, infrastructures that, during Saturn’s time in Aquarius we already saw starting to shift, and perhaps begin crumble. In Pisces, it will be a time to practice allowing the inner world, the feelings, the intuition, to inform how we relate to outer “reality” through the Forms we inhabit (and those that may in-habit us!). But also, to make sure we contain and honor, through self-discipline, these nebulous inner waters. Outside in my garden, or on my walks, I am particularly drawn these days to the frequent presence of large, dark buzzards, gliding silently and effortlessly, never flapping their wings, as they surf the wind currents. And I think how the reconfiguring needed at this time is no longer going to be so tilted towards the rational Aquarian flavor, full of bright new ideas (and technological “solutions”), but more of the intuitive, effortless Piscean dive into the silent unknown. With Saturn as frame, this could mean a renewed emphasis on faith and perhaps spiritual practice, whether through meditation, a movement form such as Qi Gong that invites a connection to heaven and earth in our bodies, or communion with the natural world. It could involve deepening our discipline with a creative path. However we access and land them, our intimations, visions, and dreams are all needed to inform where our troubled culture and its relationship to our biosphere goes next. The imagination will be needed, for seeding new stories about the world and new ways of orienting to Life in these coming years. It will be important to schedule in “space” to our routines, as well as to add a quality of spaciousness to our reflections on that which has already past. Saturn being operative within Time, and Pisces, about that which stretches beyond time, and even space as we know it. In my own life, one way that the combination of Saturn structure with Pisces in-dwelling is already manifesting is that for the most part, I am tending to keep ‘protected’ (good Saturn word) my regular walking times as a solo incubation lab, when random observations, insights and ideas inevitably flow, instead of walking with friends. Another is that I have created the Saturnian ‘structure’ of my creative offering through this blog, whose timings are based on the cycle of the (Feminine) Moon – not exactly regular in terms of calendar days, and whose content is calling us (myself included!) to decenter from the strictly human realms and routines, and re-center on Earth and Sky. |
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
♓ Piscean Pitfalls and Blessings
Something to take heed of with the Saturn in Pisces energy is not to overdo empathy, and lose ourselves in giving and serving others’ needs—but to maintain our distinction (Saturn), and not let others’ pain become ours. Likewise, with our losses, and the compassionate grief we undoubtedly will feel and are feeling, whether for aspects of the beloved Earth and its inhabitants that are suffering at the hands of human greed, or for the personal losses in our own life. In order to not let our feelings flood our moods, it’s good to find containers for our grieving, such as grief rituals, or support groups; or writing, drawing, or visualization practices, such as found in the Mind Body Skills work I have trained in.
As well, this will be a time to work on dissolving (Piscean) false perceptions, delusions and illusions, to overcome denial and unrealistic expectations. And to instead harness our imagination and inspiration towards grounding and bringing in the light, in this time of great uncertainty. To be little lighthouses in the mist! (Above photo, also from my Hebrides trip, taken after having cycled around Barra and ferried over to the Isle of South Uist, leaving fair weather behind!)
As I write, here in Northern CA, this wintry day features flashes of sunshine interrupted by repeated deluges of rain, the latter compelling me to stop and simply stare at—and feel— the wonderment of rains pounding down in sheets. (We have been drought-stricken for so long here, that driving rains are indeed a marvel, and a blessing.) It’s a rainbow kind of day even here at home, and indeed, I was blessed by a double rainbow spun over my street, and my very house, returning from a walk earlier. For extra special effect, the small pink blossoms of my flowering plum are wafting off the branches amidst the rain strokes, giving a heavenly ‘pink snow’ effect.
So in this season of rain, it feels all the more fitting to be writing about the signature of the astrological time heading into Pisces, the last of the water signs, and of the mutable modality (mutable pertaining to change, learning, and adaptability). Joining Saturn, we already have the planet Neptune, a water planet, in its naturally ruled sign Pisces, as well as Mercury in Pisces. Mercury in Pisces is inclined to ‘channel’ its communications rather than rationally think them through. But being the next quickest moving planet after the Moon, Mercury will only stay in the Pisces waters till Mar. 20. So catch the inspired flow while you can! Pisces is definitely where the Magic lies! (Although if you ask Virgo, God is in the details. 🙂 )
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Longing for More
The Hunger Moon is so named because at winter’s end, prey is more scarce, plant life hasn’t yet burgeoned, and there is hunger abroad in the animal and bird kingdoms. However, another interesting twist to the name is that during this movement into the Piscean signature (where Saturn will dwell for the better part of three years), we humans may very well be visited by an increased hunger at the soul level. This will vary by degree of course, depending on how transiting Saturn affects our own natal chart. (If you’re curious to know, click here to learn about astrology sessions with me.)
Pisces energy impels us to thirst and long for realms beyond the ordinary, for experiences of Oneness, be it through meditation, immersion in the magic of Wild nature (such as my current rain torrents, accompanied by big winds roiling through the redwoods around me), inspired creativity, psychedelic journeys, or uplift through music. Or, in its less centered manifestations, we may find an increased impulse to escape to other worldly zones, whether through substances, romantic or spiritualized fantasy, the over-use of screens and technology, or an over-giving of oneself in the name of compassion and healing—some or all of which can easily become addictive. In effect, all of this ‘hunger’ is for a unification with whatever we may call the Divine, or the Beyond.
Historically, Saturn in Pisces, has been conflictual. On the socio-political sphere there has been much destruction, war, killing, and oppression, as the Saturnian forces of the status quo seek to control and suppress the Feminine impulses that threaten them. In effect, the work of opening hearts and minds to the greater Whole unfortunately most often comes at times when the greatest density and destruction provoke it.
So this configuration asks that we hold steady—with Saturnine patience—and steadfast to the work that Pisces calls us to, of deep listening, trust, and acceptance of what is and is not given. It is a good time to remember to temper our dwellings on the difficult news of the day, whether outer or inner, with focusing on the beauty and wonder of the Community of Life itself – such as the rains and the rainbows, the shimmering trees as they announce the winds, the plant-life heralds of spring, or the enthusiastic chatter of our neighborhood birds. Be on the lookout for whatever may shift our lenses of perception, and for that which invites us into embodied, soulful knowing.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I recommend the following video interview with well-known seed and women’s rights activist and quantum physicist, Vandana Shiva, and Dougald Hine, co-founder with Paul Kingsnorth of The Dark Mountain project in the UK, and author of the just released book, At Work In the Ruins.
In the video, these two discuss author and progressive thinker Bayo Akolomafe‘s oft-quoted saying, The times are urgent, we must slow down, and invite us into the very Saturn in Pisces dance of which I have been speaking, between the slowed down, reflective space, and grounded action. (As you will see if you choose to read about him at the link above, Bayo is himself a great expert and advocate of becoming “lost in the wilds!”)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
All photos copyright Diana Badger 2023