Capricorn Full Moon

The Full Moon in Capricorn is upon us, giving us a hint of how Pluto in Capricorn will be for us as individuals and as part of the collective.

In general, what you seed at the New Moon and should begin to show results at the Full Moon. It may be a flower or a weed, but you'll have something. Then you must decide if you want to keep it or not.

In many traditions of the world, but not all, the Sun is considered masculine, the Moon feminine. What we have now, is the opposite. Presently the Sun is in Cancer, which represents the archetype of the Mother; the Moon in Capricorn, the Father. Each has a role to play in society and within our own psyches. The Mother bears, nurtures and protects the child. The Father teaches the the child how to function in society, often by preparing him/her to work. In tradtional societies boys learned their father's trade and moved into it when they grew up. Mothers taught their daughters, usually by example, how to cook, sew, raise children etc. Of course, now days these roles are not as rigid as they once were. I do believe, however, that they have made an imprint on our psyches after the thousands of years that they were in operation and that they have made their marks on our karma.

It has only been a short time since the societal roles for men and women were rigidly defined. For most people in the world, they still are.

In any case, Our inner Mother is how we nurture ourselves and others. Our inner Father is how we work with structure in our lives and discpline ourselves to accomplish things. This Full Moon gives us another opportunity to look at this. Do we work too much leaving no time to enjoy life and be with our loved ones? Are we in touch with what we need to be nourished besides food? Studies indicate that most Americans are sleep deprived and/or have trouble sleeping. Yet, how many hours do we spend watching T.V. or on a computer (blogging)?

Not only does our body suffer from this lack of sleep, but also our dream life. Dreams serve many functions. Dreaming is a way for the psyche to process the events of our day and an avenue for inspiration. Many famous scientists report that they got the idea for a breakthough from their dreams. Artists, writers and composers are often inspired by dream images.

Stephanie Austin in The Mountain Astrologer, says that the Full Moon illuminates the shadow side of each sign as well as its spiritual tasks. Cancer must learn about receiving, Capricorn about giving back. The Crab can build too thick a shell; the Mountain Goat may climb the wrong mountain. The fourth sign must develp healthy roots; the tenth must share the fruits of its labor. The more we diregard our own feelings and needs, the greater is the risk that we will violate the rights and concerns of others. The less responsibilty we assume, the less power we have. The light of this Full Moon reveals whether our crab shells are too thick or too thin--showing us where we need to shed our defenses or establish better boundaries. We wee whether we are climbing the right mountain, or treading someone else's path.

Yesterday Karyn Sanders on her radio show The Herbal Highway on KPFA, talked about how so many Americans are like children and how remaining a child also means you have no power. The entire show was about herbs and flower essences that would help one face reality and grow up and that the among the rewards of adulthood was the increased sense of power and authority. Right in line with this Full Moon. You can listen to this show or any other archived at KPFA.

So the challenge is balance. Retaining the open-heartedness of childhood and the responsibility of adulthood. Learning when to give and when to receive, when to work and when to rest. On my blog Hamida the Herbalist, the issue of the week is about the relationship between gratitude and abundance - which are related to giving and receiving. What is true security? Being heart-centered. It's all connected.