The Low-Down on the Far-Out

Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius, Dec. 4, 2021

Solar Eclipse ~ New Moon in Sagittarius
Freedom Song in a Complex Rhythm

You wanna fly, you got to give up
the shit that weighs you down.
~ Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon

Dec. 4 ~ SOLAR ECLIPSE: NEW MOON IN SAGITTARIUS (12:21 Sagittarius)

Sagittarius is a freedom song to truth, adventure, knowledge and optimism. It is an adventure for spreading your wings and flying where your heart will take you.

Archetypally, after emerging from the intense underworld of Scorpio, who wouldn't want to cast off that heaviness and celebrate your survival?

So, in Sagittarius, don't expect to dwell on the past, nor to happily submit to arbitrary rules. This is a time to embrace the possibilities, to bring the far horizon into focus, and to discover the extent of your full potential.

There's also a quality to this freedom song that bounces to a different rhythm. One player in the orchestra who wants to do their own thing, jazz up the melody and throw in some discordant harmonies, just to make things more interesting...

Say hey to Uranus in Taurus in a tight quincunx aspect to the Sun and Moon! (150°)

In addition, the planetary ruler of the New Moon (and Solar Eclipse) is Jupiter in Aquarius, which by modern rulership has Uranus as a benefactor. So, Uranus makes his presence known in a number of ways, making him a rather dominant energy in the chart.

Jupiter, however, is the true King of Sagittarius. Positioned in rebellious Aquarius, Jupiter glares at dispositor Uranus and bellows "You're not the boss of me! Oh wait—okay maybe you are... But only for now!"

Saturn is the traditional ruler of Aquarius and is sitting strong in that sign. Says he, "Actually I am the real boss of you! In case you forgot our conjunction just a year ago in my sign of Aquarius..."

Saturn remains in a square aspect to Uranus (90°), which has largely defined 2021's prevailing energy. On both a personal and collective level, this transit has brought repeated clashes between authority and rebellion, realism versus imagination, rules versus to-hell-with-rules, and discipline versus spontaneity.

Saturn and Uranus are approaching their final exact pass in just 3 weeks (Dec. 24), and although they don't precisely cross paths in 2022, they do come within just over half a degree in October. So there will likely be more of these themes to play out over the coming year.

The Sun and Moon are sextile Saturn and quincunx Uranus, ironically suggesting that our Sagittarius nature (love of freedom, seeking a higher truth, yearning for hope and faith) may find a better ally in serious Saturn than in do-whatever-you-want Uranus. And visionary Uranus may be more of a disruption than a support to reaching a state of higher consciousness.

Say not, “I have found the truth,”
but rather, “I have found a truth.”
Say not, “I have found the path of the soul.”
Say rather, “I have met the soul walking upon my path.”
For the soul walks upon all paths.
The soul walks not upon a line,
neither does it grow like a reed.
The soul unfolds itself,
like a lotus of countless petals.
~ Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

The Lunar Nodes play a role in the chart—naturally, since this is an eclipse! An eclipse happens when there's a New Moon or Full Moon that is close to the Nodal axis, usually within about 18°. In this case, the conjoined Sun and Moon are 10:38 from the (true) South Node. The South Node is a place of letting go or moving away from what has been, and therefore it's often associated with something negative, difficult or unwanted.

I think this can also be a place where the object of our focus is ready to be moved from the foreground into the background – it's not so much a bad thing as it is no longer necessary to keep it in focus. In letting go of that focus, we create a space in which something new can move in – a new direction, focus, learning curve, or cutting edge of fresh growth.

Mars in Scorpio is also approaching a conjunction with the South Node (exact on Dec. 15, 2 days after Mars moves into Sagittarius). This suggests we are called upon to shed those things that are holding us back, which may include emotional baggage, obsessive persistence, or defensive paranoia that weigh down our ability to fly free.

And Jupiter is square the Nodes, becoming exact Jan. 3. A square to the Nodes sets up a conflict or challenge to what we see as our path in life, which changes and evolves over time as we grow and expand in our understanding of ourselves and life. Jupiter squaring the Nodes may say, "There's something over here, off your usual path, that you need in order to fulfil your potential along that path. Some knowledge or spiritual wisdom, a different view your opinions, or a lost thread that connects you to hope and belief in life." Or, it could say, "Are you sure this path fits you still? Check out this over here and see if it gives you a different perspective and a change of vision."

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
~ Rabindranath Tagore

There's also a lot going on by declination in the Solar Eclipse chart, both by parallel aspects and Out of Bounds planets. (What do declination, parallel and Out of Bounds mean?)

Naturally, the Sun and Moon are parallel – there wouldn't be an eclipse if they weren't. However, this eclipse is only visible in Antarctica, and partially in the extreme southern regions of South America, Africa and Australia. The Sun and Moon are 0:58 apart in declination—using a non-parallax measurement. (What does parallax mean?) For the Sun and Moon to be tightly parallel, you would have to measure the Moon's declination from Antarctica where their alignment is the strongest.

There's more to the Sun-Moon parallel though! For one thing, Pluto is also tightly parallel them both, as are Mercury and Venus. In fact there's a kind of "Rolling Parallel" – similar to a Rolling Conjunction in that several planets are aligned in a row, and although the first and last in the bunch aren't close enough to consider them parallel they are connected through the other planets in between.

A rolling configuration acts as a kind of Newton's Cradle or pendulum – when the ball (or planet in this case) at one end is activated, the energy flow is passed down the line so that all of them are connected to that energy, including the one at the other end.

In this case, there is a string of parallel planets: the Sun, Pluto, Moon, Mercury and Venus, and even though the Sun and Venus are too far apart to be parallel on their own, the planets in between provide a bridge.

The primary difference between a Rolling Conjunction and a Rolling Parallel is that parallel planets don't have to be (and often aren't) conjunct. In fact, Pluto has a semisquare aspect to the New Moon – 45° or 8th harmonic: a cousin to the square family and therefore focused on struggle and taking action for problem-solving. And Venus has a very tight novile aspect to the New Moon – 40° or 9th harmonic: a distant cousin to the trine family of aspects, and focused on gaining that which allows us to make our efforts pay off.

Mercury is part of the group parallel and happens to be closely conjunct the New Moon as well as parallel. Mercury is in Sagittarius, so it is in detriment which means it's easy for our minds to struggle trying valiantly but perhaps poorly to take in the whole wide field of what is happening around us. And Mercury's square to Neptune doesn't help.

It's like you can see what's there and you struggle to make sense of it all as a whole, but may worry that you'll fall short of a satisfying grasp of it all. And snuggling up to the Solar Eclipse could feel like you're supposed to solve all the problems of the world in one sweeping grand gesture.

No pressure!

To top it off, Mercury and Venus are both Out of Bounds by declination (seen in the above diagram above the "Ob" line). Venus has been OOB since Oct. 9, reaching her peak on Nov. 6, and coming In-Bounds on Dec. 7. Mercury is OOB from Dec. 2 to 28, peaking on Dec. 15. Being OOB means they are beyond the maximum declination of the Sun (23:26 North or South), and as a result they don't always behave like a good little boy and girl that would gain them approval by society.

As a result, your thinking, ideas, intentions, and understanding of what's going on around you (Mercury), may seem out of sync with what's expected of you. Same with your ability to connect socially with others, or your need to bathe yourself with beauty, or your ability to establish a reliable resource for material security – these too may wander easily off the straight-and-narrow and prefer to play by a different set of rules.

So, don't be surprised if you find yourself seized by a kind of wanderlust in your mental focus or your need for interpersonal connection. You could either be drawn to an unconventional direction (e.g. attracted to people you usually ignore or choose to avoid, or exploring an "out there" topic), or to just wanting to get away from it all (e.g. spending time alone, or planting yourself in front of the TV, a book or video games, to give your brain a rest). A good motto here is to remember that soon or later you need to bring yourself back down to the ground again, so it may help to think in terms of how your out-of-bounds impulses can be integrated into conventional society again.

Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose -
and commit myself to - what is best for me.
~ Paulo Coelho, The Zahir

In addition, Venus and Pluto are closely conjunct as well as parallel, and this has far-reaching implications. On their own, their conjunction in Capricorn points to an urge to nail down a committed, solid, reliable form of material resources and/or personal connection with others. For example, you may want to make an investment (material or otherwise) that will carry you through difficult times down the road, or establish a long-term commitment from your partner, or you might feel a bit trapped and want to find a way to loosen the bonds a bit.

The bigger story is that Venus is slowing down and getting ready to go retrograde (Dec. 19 to Jan. 29), and when she turns retrograde she is tightly conjunct Pluto. In fact, Venus and Pluto remain conjunct within a 1° orb from Dec. 8 to 28. Although Venus and Pluto can stir up some passion or turmoil in relationships, material resources, beautifying your life, when Venus turns retrograde at the same time the effect is likely to be quite intense, deep or overwhelming.

As a result, you may need to re-examine how you utilize and express love, beauty, creativity and appreciation in your life. Are you working with these themes in a way that truly reflects your authentic self? Or are you mostly going along with what other expect of you, or what society recommends?

Venus remains in Capricorn throughout her retrograde cycle, so all of this unfolds in the context of manifesting something real on the outside that reflects the real you on the inside. Venus will station retrograde the day after the Full Moon in Gemini. There is more about the long-term Venus-Pluto conjunction below, and there will be a lot more about the Venus retrograde cycle in the next update.

Jumping from boulder to boulder and never falling, with a heavy pack, is easier than it sounds;
you just can't fall when you get into the rhythm of the dance.
~ Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums

There's a lot going on in this Solar Eclipse! It's a lot to juggle and it could be easy to feel a bit overwhelmed, like you're on the verge of dropping all the balls you're trying to juggle. It can help to relax and put yourself into a Zen-like state where you can go with the flow.

This Solar Eclipse chart is like polyrhythm in music that contains multiple rhythms that are distinct yet blend with each other into a mystical nexus. It reminds me of a song by the alternative rock band Dead Can Dance, called Nierika on their Spiritchaser album. If you listen closely, at the beginning you hear a complex percussion rhythm and it's not clear which is the primary rhythm—

—until the amazing Lisa Gerrard starts to sing! Then the stratified levels of percussion suddenly shift in focus and a different rhythm suddenly rises to the top, so that all others are heard within the context of the primary beat. Then it shifts again, and now she's singing in time with a different rhythm, then the percussion comes in with another rhythm again. Some are 1-2-3, 1-2-3; others are 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4; and so on, yet they all cross paths in such a way that she steps from one to another seamlessly. It may sound a bit confusing but if you go with it, not only does it start to make musical sense, it can feel like a magical experience!

In much the same way, this eclipse spawns a complex polyrhythm of different energies, intentions, purposes and possibilities. It may feel complicated or chaotic at first, but if you pick one of the themes and bring it into focus, you'll probably find that the other themes start to make sense in a different way. Pick a different one and it's a different experience and vision, which may feel more pleasing or more eye-opening, more inspiring or more serious, more healing or more triggering, more overwhelmed or more heart-opening.

The question becomes: Where are you putting your focus? Which of the many layers around you are you bringing into the foreground? What kind of effects do the different rhythms have on your? What kind of "voice" are you using that allows you to keep a certain perspective in focus? What happens if you change your "voice" – your expression of what you see in the world? If you are unhappy with your current focus, try picking a different frequency from the many layers that are around you. Your freedom song can be in any key or rhythm, so lift your voice and sing!

Until next time, stay safe. Stay sane, Stay awesome. The world needs you.

Stay tuned! I'm hoping to have a surprise for you this month!!!

Abandon the urge to simplify everything, to look for formulas and easy answers, and to begin to think multidimensionally, to glory in the mystery and paradoxes of life, not to be dismayed by the multitude of causes and consequences that are inherent in each experience – to appreciate the fact that life is complex.
~ M. Scott Peck

Day to Day Transits for the Next 2 Weeks

Dec. 4 ~ Moon goes Out of Bounds (13:14 Sagittarius)  (Dec. 3 in HAST)

The Moon goes Out of Bounds (OOB) by Declination, during which time your feelings and emotions may move in a different kind of rhythm. One possible effect is that you might feel more disconnected from the world around you; perhaps a bit alone, lonely or isolated. Or, this could be a welcome change where you can let the stresses of the world roll off your back more easily. Or, your emotions could be a bit erratic, extreme or harder to contain. The common thread through these diverse experiences is that your feeling state may reach beyond your usual range of feelings. If you're an artist, musician, writer or other creative person, this can be a very inspiring time as your creativity and imagination could more easily flow into unusual ideas, whims and impulses.

A planet goes OOB when its declination is greater than 23:26 (23 degrees and 26 minutes), which is the maximum declination of the Sun, and the Sun defines the "Bounds." The Moon goes OOB twice a month for about 8-9 years at a time (and remains In-Bounds for about 8-9 years in between). Currently the Moon's declination is able to go beyond 23:26 from March 2020 to January 2030, peaking at a maximum declination of 28:42 in September 2025 (called the Maximum Lunar Standstill).

So for now, as the maximum declination of the Moon increases from month to month, so will the strength of the OOB effects. Watch to see how you respond to these times. You can work on finding ways to channel this energy into positive, productive, creative experiences, or use it as an opportunity to take another step in your emotional healing.

Dec. 6 ~ Mars sextile Pluto (25:10 Scorpio/Capricorn)

This can be a time of intense and powerful energy. It can be especially so if you focus your intention to tap into and use this energy deliberately, although if you are triggered into a reaction you might find it is more forceful than you intended. This can be a good time to make changes that have far-reaching, transformative effects. Your powers of persuasion can be stronger now, so be careful you don't try to force things to the point of making something happen that perhaps should be left alone or treated with a gentler touch. Sex and other passionate urges may rise more easily now, although obsession and the need to control your surroundings might come up with them. This transit is perhaps best used to refresh your sense of passion and transform your sense of purpose and direction.

Dec. 7 ~ Mercury square Neptune (20:24 Sagittarius/Pisces)  (Dec. 8 in AEDT)

Your mental focus may be a bit clouded, confused or lethargic right now, as your conscious mind struggles to grasp the formless, limitless expanse of the Universe and the unconscious. You may experience some disillusionment or disappointment, in your observations or communication with others. However, what is flowing under the surface of events right now is the need to dissolve away the crust of old expectations that blocks your view from seeing a greater Truth. If you're feeling off-balance, try to listen more than you talk, so that you can be receptive to your inner sensitivity. Left-brain analysis might be difficult to work with right now unless you balance it with a lot of right-brain intuition. You may have to let go of a rigid mindset, or give up what you think you understand about a situation in your life, in order to open yourself to a new perspective that is difficult to define but is ultimately in the best interest of your spiritual growth.

Dec. 7 ~ Moon comes In-Bounds (05:43 Aquarius)  (Dec. 8 in AEDT)

The Moon comes back In-Bounds (In-B) today. When the Moon is Out of Bounds (OOB) your emotional state may be a bit erratic, detached or isolated. This could be either a welcome change or a difficult energy for you to deal with. When the Moon comes In-Bounds, you typically return to whatever your "normal" is. If your OOB journey was stressful or intense, you may find some relief now that the Moon is back In-B and/or you are in a position to integrate into your life whatever you learned from your experience. If your OOB journey felt like a welcome reprieve from the everyday stress or "noise" of the world around you, coming back In-B will hopefully give you a fresh start, like coming back from a brief vacation. The Moon will go OOB next in about 2 weeks, give or take a couple/few days.

Dec. 7 ~ Venus comes In-Bounds (24:01 Capricorn)  (Dec. 8 in GMT, AEDT)

Venus has been Out of Bounds (OOB) by declination, and now returns within the bounds of the Sun, by declination. Venus is a bit harder to integrate into the conventional world while she's OOB – a little wilder and freer, and perhaps looking for a more adventurous connection with others, but also less grounded and realistic. Now that Venus is returning in-bounds now, you may find that these areas are a little easier to work and more likely to gain acceptance and approval from others. However, if you've enjoyed some extra freedom and release during the OOB, this might feel a bit like coming back from a great vacation and now it's time to get back to work. The best thing you can do with your Venus OOB experiences is look for ways to integrate them into your everyday life.

Coming back in bounds can be a bit of a bumpy landing as that unrestricted energy becomes squeezed back into its usual potency. This is a good time to observe your desires and social interaction, as well as changes in Venus themes in society around you. For several days before and after this date, pay attention to the things that amplify or cool down your desires and need for social connection. Realize that this is an adjustment period, and having some patience with yourself and others can help to smooth and soothe this time.

Alternatively, the re-entry can also be an eventful time when changes in Venus-related areas can occur. For example, you might feel this is the right time to start—or end—a relationship or friendship, or make changes to a social situation in your life. A shift in how you experience or handle desire, receptivity, diplomacy or compromise could inspire you to make positive changes in those areas. This might be due to a change in perspective as a result of your experiences while Venus was OOB.

Dec. 8-28 ~ Venus SR conjunct Pluto (1° orb)

Venus is slowing down and getting ready to go retrograde (Dec. 19 to Jan. 29), and when she turns retrograde on Dec. 19, she is tightly conjunct Pluto. In fact, they remain conjunct within a 1° orb from Dec. 8 to 28. Even at the best of times, Venus paired with Pluto may stir up some considerable passion and/or turmoil in relationships, material resources, beautifying your life, or in your harmony and balance. But when Venus turns retrograde at the same time, the effect is likely to be quite intense, deep or even overwhelming. On their own, their conjunction in Capricorn points to an urge to nail down a committed, solid, reliable form of material resources and/or personal connection with others. Examples may include wanting to make an investment (material or otherwise) that will carry you through difficult times down the road. Or looking for a long-term commitment from your partner, or perhaps to negotiate a more binding agreement with a loved one. Or you might be feeling a bit too trapped in a relationship or a financial commitment, and want to find a way to loosen the bonds, perhaps without necessarily breaking the arrangement entirely. This puts an important spin on Venus' retrograde process, since it is likely to call you to re-examine how you utilize, need, and express love, beauty, creativity and appreciation in your life. Are you working with these themes in a way that truly reflects your authentic self? Or are you mostly going along with what other expect of you, or what society recommends? This is about creating a level of integrity in areas of love, money, possessions, beauty and balance – not just in terms of honesty but especially making your inside and outside more in sync with each other, more integrated.

Dec. 8 ~ Mars square Jupiter (26:24 Scorpio/Aquarius)  (Dec. 7 in HAST, AKST, PST, MST)

Under this transit your energy is more accessible, but this could be more problematic than helpful. On one hand, you have more enthusiasm and motivation available to take bold steps toward your goals. However, you might be forced to do this out of a sense of moral coercion, rather than freely choosing it. Or, your actions could be triggered by exasperated impulse more than by a sense of what is right for that moment. Impulses are likely to become easily amplified, but also more difficult to control. This includes anger, sexuality, aggression and assertiveness. Confidence could come across as arrogance. Courage might become reckless or brazen. If you find it difficult to bring out these qualities in yourself, they may come spurting out in a way that might be frightening or intimidating. But once your energy has emerged, you are in a better position to learn how to harness it, use it, work with it and summon it at will.

Dec. 11 ~ Venus Direct conjunct Pluto (25:19 Capricorn)  (Dec. 12 in AEDT)

Intensity in love and close relationships can occur under this transit, as well as a compelling need to get more control over your finances and assets. This could manifest as power dynamics emerging in your interactions with others, in which you engage in a negotiation for a better balance of power that is more in your favour. Or, you might become somewhat obsessed with the pursuit of pleasure and beauty, possibly trying to compensate for a low sense of self-worth. Or, there can be a valuable opportunity to develop a deeper connection with those close to you. You might find it necessary to negotiate with others for financial support. You may have to dig deeper than usual to extract needed resources from hidden places (or to deposit them there, out of reach from others who want a piece of your hoard). Keep your integrity high and dry by being honest with yourself about the ethics of your actions.

Dec. 11 ~ Mercury sextile Jupiter (26:57 Sagittarius/Aquarius)  (Dec. 12 in AEDT)

You may have an abundance of ideas and words to express them under this transit. There is the potential (if you reach for it) to put ideas, facts and thoughts together into a cohesive whole. You may find you can understand the overall patterns in a situation, or you are able to see the Big Picture, better than usual. New insights and a change of perspective may abound, as your stream of consciousness flows abundantly with optimism and visionary possibilities. You may find yourself more talkative than usual, as you try to share and convey the new ideas, inspiration and knowledge coming into your mind. Write down your best ideas for later development, since you may be having too much fun now playing with ideas to want to stop and make them manifest just yet. There is a chance that you may be so elated and confident that you might come across as a bit overbearing or even as a "know-it-all," so be sure to listen too.

Dec. 12 ~ Sun square Neptune (20:26 Sagittarius/Pisces)  (Dec. 11 in HAST, AKST, PST, MST)

Your ideals, hopes and wishful thinking may loom a little too large during this time, making you prone to disappointment and disillusionment. You might want a fantasy or dream to come true so much that you disconnect from the reality that seems to be in the way – only to find that the obstacle was serving a positive purpose after all. Your imagination may be very active now, but not easy to control or balance with reality. However, it can be a very creative time if you're able to harness that imagination for productive use. Unconscious urges and longings may be especially close to the surface, so you have an opportunity to learn more about the hidden forces that drive you (and perhaps distort your view of the world around you). Spiritually, you might discover that your yearning for enlightenment is not the straightforward path you had hoped for, but it can be just as valuable (although disappointing) to discover what is *not* your best path. Emotionally you may feel a bit overwhelmed, discouraged or confused. On the plus side, you have an opportunity to observe a deeper part of you, which is usually camouflaged against the distracting background of day-to-day life. There is tremendous creative, spiritual and healing potential to be found by listening to and working with the inner voices from those depths.

Dec. 13 ~ Mars enters Sagittarius (until 24-Jan-2022)  (Dec. 12 in HAST)

This energy flies! You might feel inspired to defend a righteous cause, or to lead others in taking a stand about something. Or you might strive to move heaven and earth to reach toward a dream. You might be motivated to learn something new, or to share your knowledge with others. Inspiration, confidence and optimism can run high during this transit, which may be experienced as a release of optimism, freedom and spontaneous elation. However, it could also be a bit too much of a good thing, launching you or others into arrogance, confrontation or intolerance, especially if challenged by strong opinions. Expanded courage could make it easier to take risks or try new adventures, which will probably work best if you're balanced with realism or common sense. This is a time to act from your highest intention of morality, philosophy, spirituality, compassion and understanding.

Dec. 13 ~ Mercury enters Capricorn (until 02-Jan-2022)  (Dec. 14 in AEDT)

Cheerful, adaptable Mercury travels through conventional, structured Capricorn, bringing out his analytical, focused side. This is a good time to plan your projects and map out a game plan to reach your goals. It is probably best to choose discipline over distraction. Communication, ideas and awareness may become serious, structured, grounded and manifest now. Just don’t let them become suppressed or censored. This is a great time to do some serious planning and organizing for future projects and goals. It is also a good time for analyzing and evaluating what you have been involved with during the past year or so. What have you learned? What information has come to you that has led you into new directions? What goals have you achieved, and what goals do you want to pursue now? What plan of action is required to get you from here to there? It may be a time when you can face some hard reality and tough decisions better than you normally do. Because Mercury in Capricorn tends to be serious and factual, it may also be a time when you are more prone to depression or discouragement. It will help to schedule regular breaks in your routine to get away and plug your head into a different perspective for a while.

Dec. 15 ~ Mars opposite North Lunar Node (01:41 Sagittarius/Gemini)  (Dec. 16 in AEDT)

This transit's range of influence is roughly 2 weeks before and after this date, although it reaches its peak now. The South Lunar Node is where we let go of, move away from, express or release something. Although the South Node can involve loss of some kind, it can also signify that what had previously been actively in the "foreground" of your life is now moving into the "background" and becoming assimilated as simply one part among many, rather than being a specific focus. Often whatever is being released is something we took in, embraced or began to move toward when Mars passed over the North Lunar Node. The North Node is sometimes known as the Dragon's Head, which eats or consumes. The South Node is known as the Dragon's Tail, which... well you get the idea. ;-) Since this involves Mars, what is being embraced or released likely has to do with anger, aggression, assertiveness or forcefulness. This might also be about sex or physical energy or something being set into motion. Depending on your natal chart, this could also involve the houses Mars rules and resides in, as well as where the current transit is taking place.

Dec. 17 ~ Moon goes Out of Bounds (13:16 Gemini)  (Dec. 18 in AEDT)

The Moon goes Out of Bounds (OOB) by Declination, during which time your feelings and emotions may move in a different kind of rhythm. One possible effect is that you might feel more disconnected from the world around you; perhaps a bit alone, lonely or isolated. Or, this could be a welcome change where you can let the stresses of the world roll off your back more easily. Or, your emotions could be a bit erratic, extreme or harder to contain. The common thread through these diverse experiences is that your feeling state may reach beyond your usual range of feelings. If you're an artist, musician, writer or other creative person, this can be a very inspiring time as your creativity and imagination could more easily flow into unusual ideas, whims and impulses.

A planet goes OOB when its declination is greater than 23:26 (23 degrees and 26 minutes), which is the maximum declination of the Sun, and the Sun defines the "Bounds." The Moon goes OOB twice a month for about 8-9 years at a time (and remains In-Bounds for about 8-9 years in between). Currently the Moon's declination is able to go beyond 23:26 from March 2020 to January 2030, peaking at a maximum declination of 28:42 in September 2025 (called the Maximum Lunar Standstill).

So for now, as the maximum declination of the Moon increases from month to month, so will the strength of the OOB effects. Watch to see how you respond to these times. You can work on finding ways to channel this energy into positive, productive, creative experiences, or use it as an opportunity to take another step in your emotional healing.

Dec. 18 ~ Mercury square Chiron (08:26 Capricorn/Aries)  (Dec. 19 in GMT, AEDT)

Your mental focus and perceptions may feel a bit strained right now. You could find yourself locked in a struggle of indecision that stems from a "glass half empty" versus "glass half full" dilemma. It may be difficult to stay objective and evenly balanced in your perspective, but by working with this you could also find a new mental focus that gives you increased clarity. It might be tempting to sink into cynicism as a way to deal with what seems like a no-win situation. On the other hand, this transit could bring your mental perspective to a kind of "healing crisis" that forces you to get a better grip on the ideas, communication and frame of mind that have been problematic for you. Instead of reaching for extremes (hoping this will clarify the path in front of you), it will help more if you can take a few steps back to allow all the conflicting and out-of-sync elements to coexist together – creative paradox. If you have been struggling to come to terms with something, this could be a turning point that helps you to deal with the complex reality of your situation.

© 2021 Wendy Guy. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or used without the author's written permission. Astrology diagrams © Wendy Guy unless otherwise noted. OTHER CREDITS: Most or all of the quotes on this page were found at GoodReads.com. Illustration of current Zodiac Sign based on illustration by iiuliawhite, via 123rf.com. Divider made by artist Gordon Johnson via Pixabay.com. Sabian Symbol painting of The Return of Persephone by Frederick Leighton, via WikiArt.org.