There is a spark of desire that ignites our need to seek out the truth. Something in us is driven to search for the unknown; there is an inkling, a hunch or an awakening that something just beyond our conscious awareness is beckoning to us. It’s a current that is powerful enough to draw us out of the comforts of our hobbit hole and head us out on an adventure that cares nothing for our comfort. A quest is something that is meant to disrupt, interrupt and irrevocably change the mundane and habitual patterns of our life.
But who has time for such adventure? We have kids, cars, mortgages and laundry. We have responsibilities, deadlines and debts to deal with. Life is often so filled with the mundane that many of us simply have no energy left for The Great Quest. The greatest quest we may go on is the one where our bed awaits us at the end of it. But we would be missing the point if we thought a quest’s only purpose was to move us physically, to do something that was externally impressive or to do something that would garner societal recognition.
The symbol for Sagittarius is the archer; a centaur that is half man, half horse, bow in hand with a quivering arrow ready to take flight. Sagittarius is a frisky energy, most times chomping at the bit, a race horse that must race. The arrow signifies that this movement is straightforward, but Sagittarius is a mutable sign; it prefers moving in multiple directions. It doesn’t need to follow the laws of the clock, the calendar or the church bells. This sign teaches us to value multiple ways of knowing and looking at whatever is in front of us through multiple lenses. This sign teaches us to seek only the truth.
The traveller, the teacher and the philosopher are some of the archetypes that accompany this sign. Most of us start out as the traveller, carving many paths through the hills and valleys of this great planet. Meeting interesting folks along the way we notice that each new land we encounter forces us back on ourselves, Wherever we go, there we are. Eventually we grow tired of moving merely for the sake of movement and we evolve into the philosopher who knows that the real journey is one that requires a trip deep within. A philosopher is able to reference themselves, drawing their power from within instead of sourcing it from outer circumstances. From this place we need no ones approval and we need no justification to believe the information that comes through us. The philosopher has a direct connection to their Truth and shares it when appropriate. This is the strength of Sagittarius, the ability to embark on the ultimate quest; the quest to understand Self.
We cannot however do this while engaged with every little distraction that scampers across our trail. We must learn to discern what is worth of following and what is just folly. When we learn to withdraw our senses from the material world in meditative practices we can tell if the direction that we currently are choosing is right for us. Spending time alone, in nature and in silence affords us the opportunity to get to know the sound of our inner voice, the sound of our greatest resource.
Earlier this week I wrote this about the events surrounding Thursday’s full moon, “On Thursday, Venus in Taurus opposes Saturn in Scorpio moments before the moon in Sagittarius opposes the sun in Gemini (creating a full moon at 9:11 pm PST). It’s kind of like two full moons in one. Oh. Joy.
A Venus/Saturn opposition in and of itself is asking us to deal simply and efficiently with our feelings, but feelings are anything but simple. This combination can create experiences of isolation, loneliness and despair or we can use the energy to work on relationship commitments, containers and contracts. Mars, now moving direct, will square Pluto on Saturday for the last time during its current transit through Libra. This echoes the cardinal grand cross action that dominated April.
There is a tremendous amount of power that we can access with such a square but there is also the propensity for violence, power trips, domination and all out aggression. Mars is also approaching its last opposition to Uranus (coming to fruition on June 25th) making this week full of polarity, duality, tension, opposition and a need for balance and integration. However, the sacred union of two always gives birth to a third creation. I suggest sticking around long enough to see what that might be.
It’s better when things connect rather than when they just stay floating—untouched and unintegrated. We need the experience of polarity and friction in order to better understand the place that we come from. Saturn’s influence here suggests that we move slowly, taking deliberate steps; Mercury is still retrograde after all, no need to rush past the obvious and fumble into a mistake you are far too wise to make.”
In these moments before, during and after the peak of the moon we are always well advised to carve out some time to connect to ourselves. Even 5 minutes sitting quietly underneath your favorite tree can be enough. If you have more time, take more. No time spent trying to consciously connect with Self is ever waisted.
Happy full moon,
xc
*Photo credit:
Almost full moon over Makua Valley, on the west side of Oahu. Sent to me from one of my favorite Sagittarians, Naomi Violet.