This article covers significant aspects, degree symbols, and other important factors in this Taurus New Moon chart. We are now moving through a long term Bundle pattern with all the planets between Pluto in late Capricorn and Venus in mid-Gemini. This Lunation requires a lot of flexibility because of the Fixed square. It marks a turning point in relationships, where illusions and deceptions will come to light. We enter 4 weeks of “finding our pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

This month puts the focus on the sign Taurus, with a huge dose of Capricorn and Aquarius with a backdrop in Gemini. This one gives us what we need to move forward, but with the squares it promises to be a frictional time of “turning points” before the reversal of mid-May, when Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn all go retrograde in a short period of time.

As I told you yesterday, Saturn still dominates the stage, with Venus also prominent on center stage through being the dispositor of the Lunation. We’re now past the Great Compression of 2020, with those numerous conjunctions in Capricorn between January and March determining future patterns for years and decades to come!

As I explained in the main article on The Great Compressions of Early 2020, 2021, and 2022, we’ve now just experienced the second of four consecutive compressions of planets. The first was In early 2019 when all the planets were bundled in about one third of the sky. Throughout 2019 they expanded into half and then two thirds of the sky, creating a Bowl and then Locomotive Jones pattern, with the Moon adjusting the pattern based in its position. We again contracted into a Bowl in January while hitting maximum compression in March which created a Bundle chart, the rarest pattern of all!

As you understand by now, different months bring us different Jones Patterns, depending on the position of the Moon and the inner planets relative to the outer planets. These patterns operate their own independent influence, regardless of which planet is in which sign.

Currently, the outer planet occupied span begins with Pluto in late Capricorn, and proceeds through the other outer planets in Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and ends with Venus in mid-Gemini. This is still a fairly narrow distribution, with all the outer planets in a span of 101 degrees, less than a third of the sky (excluding TransPluto, since Jones didn’t use it in defining his patterns). That means the Jones pattern in the sky is primarily influenced by the position of the inner planets, shifting the pattern every so often.

In this chart, Venus is not far enough away from the occupied span to make this pattern either a Bowl or a Bucket, as it only extends the span to a total of 140 degrees. I consider it a wide, less than ideal Bundle Jones pattern.

The Bundle Pattern and how it works

This type of spread, with all the planets occupying approximately one third of the signs with two thirds unoccupied, creates “the least common of the seven basic differentiations,” and creates a “bunching of interests or the intensive self-gathering which is least responsive to any universal stimulus” and as Dr. Jones noted in a section on another pattern, a “special obsession with some particularly narrowed aspect of experience” which characterizes the Bundle people.

He continues that “the meaning of the concentration of the ten planets in one single thirds of the zodiac is that the course of the native’s life is held to certain narrow bounds of opportunism,” and they are “almost completely inhibited, in contrast with the outstanding lack of inhibition in the Splash pattern. He then goes on to say that “Characteristic of the Bundle type is an outstanding capacity for making much of little, or for building small beginnings into great and often unanticipated final results.” He also notes this type can mold their world “by some highly centralized force of self-concentration.” This type is not universal in the slightest, but rather “brings universe to center.”

With Pluto in Capricorn leading the concentration of planets, it shows we need to be disciplined and organized as we continue expanding within the cycles begun in January and March. We are in a time of learning “structured intense mobilization” as we demonstrate a mature and compassionate mind being fearless in its experience of the NOW. We’re all searching for a “transcendent security,” getting in touch with the World Soul, and need to accept a structures self-purification self-discipline since it’s all part of the vehicle we’re constructing to move forward in November into the new 20 year Aquarian era which will set the foundation for humanity crossing the threshold into the new Age after 2050.

Capricorn is where we demonstrate our ability to throw off the chains of mental slavery which lead us to getting trapped in discouraging attitudes. We are in a time of more responsible roles to play and greater duties to be accepted, since we’re now firmly launched into a very dynamic period in history!

As I’ve mentioned before, in March Mars initiated several important new long wave cycles by crossing the conjunction points of January, as well as making conjunctions with Pluto, Jupiter, and finally Saturn at 1 Aquarius, kicking off the next 20 years of Aquarius energies and 200 years of Air energies. This primes the pump for the Pluto in Aquarius era as we move into the “Spring of the 21st Century” in 2025! We’ve activated the future this month, so keep your eyes on the prize, since 2021 will look much different than 2020!

With Venus closing the Bundle, see how to enjoy the simple interactions of life, and seek those with whom you can compare notes on what you’re discovering. We are moving into a time of seeing how to balance mind, feelings, and body in pleasurable “dances” with others. As I told you last month, things are cooking, with a feast coming soon! This leads with emotional-cultural Group Performance, and closes with individual, mental, and spiritual Discovery.

The Outer Planets Anchor the Pattern of Half the Sky

In 2020 Jupiter has entered the outer planet occupied span, and will be there for several years. This year it will make multiple conjunctions with Pluto, expanding that powerful energy wherever we have late Capricorn in our charts. While Pluto leads the span at the present time, when Jupiter goes RX in May it will again conjunct Pluto, after which it will again lead the outer planet occupied span through December 2020. It then enters Aquarius and conjuncts Saturn at 1 Aquarius, launching us into a new 20 year and 200 year era! Be willing to reorganize your life as needed, and you will find power flowing to you and from you as we move into a vaster tide of evolution this year, setting long term wave forms into motion related to Aquarius.

Because Jupiter has been closing on the outer planet span for several years, it has played a major part in how we entered life experience. It's why sometimes these past few years have seemed like a wild ride, an adventure, a quest, and more! With willingness, power, vision, and greater possibilities to contribute to a greater future good, we are now in the midst of a Cosmic “judgment day,” and must choose how we will express ourselves in our world, for better or worse. This has prepared us for the forceful awakening happening now, with the great mobilization happening.

Though the outer planets expanded to a wide spread these past 20 years since the last Saturn conjunct Uranus, the outers are now compressing, with Jupiter and Saturn already making their karmic rendezvous with Pluto to be followed by their conjunctions with Neptune over the coming years. The great Compressions each year for the next few years will create a several month set of “Bundle” patterns, since at times the planets will all be within a 120 degree span as they were in January, February, and March. Because Mars will not conjunct Saturn until January 2021, it too will remain inside the outer planet span for the next 9 months..

In this New Moon, we’re back to two very intense occupied spans. The first occupied span is between Pluto at 25 Capricorn through Saturn at 2 Aquarius, with three planets in a 6+ degree span! The second occupied span is between the Lunation and Uranus, with three planets in a 3 degree span! Adding the planets in Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries between these spans increases the most intensely occupied areas of our chart to NINE planets in a 101+ degree span.

The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon

A New Moon sets the seed forms for what the following month will demonstrate. This Lunation falls at 4 Taurus, and it is said that the first third decan) of any sign deals with the actional, material, and physical levels of life, and being the first decan of Taurus it has a sub-influence of Taurus with an added dose of Mercury. While I've given you a sense of this degree up to now, this is where we go into depth.

The symbol for the 4th degree of Taurus is “The rainbow’s pot of gold.” In the original Marc Jones class notes on the symbols published in The Astrology of Personality, Rudhyar says this is a degree of “unlimited resources,” “overflowing sense of power,” and “prodigality of spiritual love showered upon seekers for the highest.”

We are told in The Astrological Mandala that this symbolizes "riches that come from linking the celestial and the earthly nature.” He states this in some way is related to a “linking process,” where Spirit can communicate with us. He notes that the rainbow “never ends where you are, yet it is the source of symbolic, universally valid wealth,” and that all wealth comes from an exchange of energy and the “faith in the validity of a promise.”

He offers that here we’re given a mode of operation, where we continue to enter into “fruitful contact with beings of light” for a natural “communion.” He states this degree falls in the Span of Experience, Act of Differentiation, and Scene of Substantiation on the Actional level.

Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of incentives, and “the rewards which are guaranteed by an eternal covenant between the least of individuality and the universal matrix of life itself.” He states rewards are promised which complement “whatever spirituality the self has brought into manifestation through its own efforts.”

He offers us the keyword FAITH. He states that when this degree is operating in a positive way, it is one of “an inner assurance which enables (us) to hold steady in every course of (our) choosing.”

From this symbol we see that the theme of the next month involves recognizing or receiving power, love, and resources, where our interactions will demonstrate as rewards. We can take everything and get clear, or bring clarity to situations that may have been unclear before now.

Important Aspects

Remember that in reading a Lunation chart (as well as a horary, inceptional, electional, or any event chart) the forming aspects show things to come, while separating aspects show things already past. Partile separating aspects show what’s been going on in the Now. This section covers only forming and partile separating aspects.

We are now in a long run of no transit to transit oppositions except for when the Moon is outside the occupied span. That means there will be lessened oppositional energies in the next few months, except of course for those with planets in Cancer, Leo, and Virgo who will be affected by the transits since planets continue to move through Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces during coming months.

This Lunation has quite a few aspects, with several extraordinarily dynamic aspects in play. There are a huge number of spiritual aspects in the chart, showing that while many things may be put on hold for a while, we can also expect many revelations to come forth which have been cooking for a long time.

There are three main aspect configurations in play. The first is Uranus biseptile Pluto, triggering the Grand Irrationality V.2. anew. This returns us to a highly irrational time, with a very hard edge and some people rebelling for no sane reason. This is setting major forces into play for those with planets near 23-27 Capricorn, 14-18 Pisces, 5-9 Taurus, 27 Gemini- 1 Cancer, 19-23 Leo, 10-14 Libra, and 1-5 Sagittarius.

We also have two major multiple squares happening. Mercury is square Jupiter and Pluto, and the Sun, Moon, and Uranus are square Saturn. The first helps us understand and anticipate the coming conflict between August and December between Aries and Capricorn, while the second helps us understand and anticipate the coming conflict between December 2020 and January 2022 between Taurus and Aquarius.

Mercury in Aries square Jupiter and Pluto in Cap helps us get a fix on the emergent movable conflict between those who are impatient with the process and those who are trying to show discipline, and those who are egocentric and those who are socially responsible. The need is for self-protection, assuring lines of supply, a sense of balance, fairness, and proportion, and the ability to see the ideal despite the power struggle.

The Sun, Moon, and Uranus in Taurus all square to Saturn in Aquarius powers up the revolutionary energies of Uranus and introduces us to a new quality of Being. However, with “Nature’s challenge” indicated by Saturn, this fixed square shows intractable forces aligning which will erupt late this year and all of next year. The need is for nobility, strength, creativity, playfulness, and eliminating all that is corrosive or decaying our ability to interact in non-destructive ways.

The Lunation makes a novile to Venus, a binovile to Mars, a trielftile to Jupiter, a square to Saturn, conjunction with Uranus, semisquare to Neptune, and Trielftile to Pluto. The conjunction illuminates and powers up the reform energies of Uranus, but also shows a rebellious energy of mass destruction and upheaval related to money.

Because everything is so compressed, there really aren’t too many angles which are over 90 degrees in this chart. That means a LOT of internal action as a prelude to increased outer activity by May. With Jupiter in close conjunction with Pluto and chasing Saturn, we continue to be in a time of “expansive sobriety” or “sober expansion,” launching numerous cycles of new visions, adventures, and truths, set to a new understanding of responsibility.

Besides the Lunation aspects and other planetary aspects just mentioned, we also see Mercury bielftile Mars, binovile Saturn, and semisextile Neptune; and Venus is trine Mars (but refrains), sesquisquare Saturn, novile Uranus, and square Neptune.

Outer planet aspects include Mars binovile Uranus and bielftile Neptune; Jupiter is in an out of sign refraining conjunction with Saturn and is conjunct Pluto; Saturn is in square to Uranus and conjunct Pluto (both of which will refrain), and Uranus is semisquare Neptune, anchoring the Rhombus Diamond energy discussed a few paragraphs down.

Special Configurations in Evolutionary Astrology

As noted, while we have a lot of spiritual aspects in play with Uranus again activating the Grand Irrationality. Many things will be realized after a period of gestation, and a lot of truth will be exposed during the next 4 weeks. The various 9th harmonic angles will open up “zones of spiritual realization” across all signs. Some of the active zones include 3-7 degrees of the Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, 13-17 Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius, and 23-27 Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Another set of active zones of spiritual realization include 1-3 Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra, 11-13 Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio, 21-23 Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, and 29-30 Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. If you have a planet or point in any of these zones, prepare to have doors of perception open up in big ways!

The Rhombus Diamond

As you’ve read in other articles, Uranus is involved in a “bottom tone” of friction in the collective consciousness because of its long wave semisquare to Neptune, anchoring the octile-driven “Rhombus Diamond” configuration with intense “cutting, grinding, and polishing” energies wherever we have the very early degrees of Taurus and Scorpio, as well as the middle degrees of Pisces and Virgo. In this chart the Lunation activates the pattern by making a conjunction with Uranus and a waxing semisquare to Neptune.

The Rhombus Diamond configuration was perfected last September when the Moon is in Scorpio was semisquare Venus in mid-Virgo, opposed Uranus, and sesquisquare Neptune at the same time as Venus opposed Neptune and sesquisquared Uranus. Since then and into the future, it will be perfected every time the Moon and Ascendant are in early Scorpio and mid-Virgo at the same time.

As you know if you’ve been reading this column for any length of time, the waxing Uranus semisquare Neptune marks a crucial point of shift in the opening of their very long wave cycle, and is a major significator of our unsettled times. This very frictional energy has been with us a while and will continue to be with us a LONG time! That aspect anchors a frictional configuration that is kicked into play whenever planets pass through early Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, and mid-Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. It is especially powerful when a planet transits mid-Virgo and early Scorpio.

As the planets make various octile aspects to these Uranus and Neptune, those phase shifts generate a LOT of tension in the atmosphere, creating a grind for us where they fall in our chart. This semisquare is indicative or the hard edge all of us are going through as we try to find how our individuality fits into the collective atmosphere, and why there is so much friction between the transpersonal Uranian forces and the transpersonal Neptunian forces at this time.

As I told you in the September 2017 Rhombus Diamond articles, when it’s active we can expect solar flares and plasma eruptions, warping in the electromagnetic field, breakaway impulses, sideways explosions, and all equivalent human behavior symbolized by these octile aspects testing our clarity. It has presented all of us with certain questions. What is your role as you would define it? Reject timidity and uncertainty, and find your place in the larger scheme of things.

Explaining Harmonics

This month is an outlier. We have NO aspects of any of the specializing series, while having a ton of spiritual aspects from the 9th and 11th harmonic series. In the novile series aspects, we have 3 noviles and FIVE binoviles! You can find out more about this important “spiritual gestation” series which mark points of potential spiritual realization and integration.

In an oddity, we also have quite a few from the Elftile series, points where we must make leaps of faith to practice a form of mastery over duality. This month we have 1 Elftile, 1 Bielftile, and FOUR Trielftiles, all made by the Sun and Moon to Saturn and Pluto! Leaps of faith ahead!!

In the nonrational septile series, we have only 1 wide septile which is “frustrated” because it will only be exact after Saturn goes retrograde, and the extremely powerful biseptile involving Uranus and Pluto, bringing a new phase of The Grand Irrationality.

The novile (9th harmonic), septile (7th harmonic) and elftile (11th harmonic) series all feature spiritual aspects. All novile series aspects represent gestative energies that can lead to great spiritual realizations. Septile series aspects represent forks in the road of destiny, while the elftile series aspects represent issues and points of evolution where we confront the need to resolve some sort of duality by making a leap of faith to attain a form of mastery over that type of duality. This series tests our faith.

The quintile and biquintile (5th harmonic) and related 10th (decile and tredecile), 15th (quindecile), and 20th harmonic (vigintile) aspects are all specialization aspects. You can find more by going to Astrology Class on the Specializing Aspects Pt. 1 – The Quintile and Biquintile, and Astrology Class on the Specializing Aspects Part 2 – The Decile, Tredecile, Quindecile and the Vigintile.

You can find out more about the spiritual aspects (septile, novile, and elftile series) by referencing this brief overview of the Spiritual aspects, complete with glyphs for all of them.

Element Balance and Who’s Leading the Sun

This month we have the 10 traditional planets occupying 5 signs in an extremely imbalanced element distribution. We have 1 planet in Fire (inspiration and warmth), 1 in Water (feelings and experiencing), 3 in Air (relatedness and communicating), and 5 planets in Earth (practical grounding). This month we have Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini represented, with no planet in the other signs.

Air and Earth are “cool” elements, while Fire and Water are “hot” elements. With this distribution, things are much colder than usual with not a lot of Fire and Water. Generate inspiration from a proactive coordination of life and “striking your own flints,” and use this time to share information with others, or see what information you will need in the future so you can reach out then.

Because the New Moon falls in early Taurus, Mercury in Aries is the planet currently leading the Sun. That means “the Gateway to the Light” involves being proactive in being guided to our Soul, seeing how to generate Soul power on the social level. Our minds are a potent force for good when well trained. Learning to concentrate, discover, order the material, and coordinate it to “right action” is one of the constructive ways to use Mercury in Aries.

This allows us to give and receive messages directly related to the Great Light. Our ability to generate power can lead us to a greater Light of a new view of things, money, resources, and a new way to ground our new awakened life. Our Self-awareness and willingness to do what we have to do will give us access to the Great Light.

The current sequence at present of Deciding, Feeling, and Thinking

We’ve been through several different sequences over the past few months. There are six patterns, and each has their strengths and weaknesses. This Lunation continues the pattern of the last Full Moon and the New Moon before that. As a process of moving through events, the most effective “firing sequence” for approaching life and experience over the next 4 weeks involves leading with our thinking, then deciding, and then feeling.

This pattern leads with their understanding, vision, or analytical perceptions, and then makes decisions and acts based in those perceptions. While it is tempting to move back into more thinking, analyzing, and envisioning after we act, instead of going back to the mind to confirm our action, we must get to our feeling-experience around what we just decided or did. When we go deep enough and understand what we are experiencing, then new information, new understanding, and/or a new vision will naturally arise that points the way to the next action.

When you are moved by an idea, vision, perception, or understanding, it will naturally lead to decisions on the basis of those ideas. This should be followed by a time of solitude and reflection where we can identify what we’re feeling and experiencing. Once we identify what we’re experiencing, we’ll naturally be moved to search for newer information, newer ideas, newer interpretations, and newer views. So let your thinking and communicating and envisioning lead you to “right action,” and feel what you must to come to a newer view.

Summing Up

This Lunation shows us capturing what we need to solidify the emerging structures we’re building this year as we prepare for the dawning of a 20 year Aquarian era. The preliminary pulse was set into motion when Mars and Saturn joined up at 1 Aquarius, the same degree of the coming Jupiter/Saturn conjunction marking a new 20 and 200 year era! We are now in a time when we are about to launch into a transfiguration, so get ready, and remember flexibility is a virtue when there’s so much fixity in the air.

As this New Moon occurs in early Taurus, we now have an ability to substantiate something new, or innovative, or revolutionary which can help us capture something valuable or solid. This is a time when the Creative Potential can come forth in new ways related to ancient sources, so stay open to comparing notes with your spiritual classmates. This is a time when we can heal into our Higher Self by mentoring and/or being mentored in how to live on multiple levels at once and “find fulfillment and happiness in both.”

We’re now at the far side of the Great Compression of January through March, and since Mars set numerous cycles into motion in late March, follow through on knowing how to get protection you need when you’re resting after “finding gold.” Get your protective faculties tuned up with an eye to what you’re doing now paying off well in 2021.

Because of Pluto and Jupiter’s dance in late Capricorn most of this year, if there is work to be done, be willing to rise to the occasion, learning practical group skills and wielding power with economy and precision. This is the Grace accompanying the Lord of the Underworld, showing us the heights and the depths, and how even if we find ourselves in hell, we don’t have to suffer.

We’re now in the transition between the old way which is no more, and the coming Grand Mutation. The recent Great Compression in Capricorn set forces into motion in this bridge year between the old promise and the new 200 year Era coming with the Grand Mutation of 2020! By how we respond to the new emerging Aquarian energy, we’re positioning ourselves in a greater work which has already begun and changes life as we know it by January 2021.

We’ve been in a time when angels and divine help are in the air, as well as redemption and forms of trained creative expression. We now re-enter the final phase of humanity’s “liberating ordeal.” Many things change for the better by late June, though it may not appear like that.

We’re all practicing our newly awakened “special quality” in our personality to find our way of expressing our Higher Self. We are still being trained in some long term group work, where we can find nourishment among those with whom we are linked on a Soul level. A new group of Spiritual communities is forming this year, and those which are Aquarian in nature will be “lifted on the wings of angels” in 2021. Revolution is in the air! And when you find things and people of eternal worth, value them with all your heart.

Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend

Saturn in its home sign of Aquarius for the first time since 1993 makes it the final dispositor of all planets transiting Capricorn and Aquarius from now through 2023. It was a major influence in the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Eclipses, continuing its years-long power behind events.

Saturn continues to hold court in its home sign of Aquarius. Because Saturn plays such a large part in ruling the stage of Life for many months and even years to come, if you haven’t gotten your copy already, please give yourself the timeless gift of my book, Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. We all need to make friends with our inner Saturn if we would claim our power to fulfill our higher purpose for being alive as Spirits in the material world.

Saturn helps us give form and structure to our quest for Self-realization, and in Aquarius, takes the “organized personal structure” we built in Capricorn and lifts the vision to a greater good for the greatest number, allowing a more rarified side of Saturn to come forth, helping bring fixity to the spiritual energy making our spiritual life come alive.

This book shows you the way to take command of your power to steer your life in a conscious way, using Saturn’s strengths and skills to be led to mastering life on our own terms. As Saturn is such a dominant energy at this time, by owning our ability to manifest the best of Saturn's virtues in our world, we take command of our destiny and become the living purpose we were born to make manifest!

It was written for both astrologers and non-astrologers, and will assist your understanding of how your life experiences assisted your Soul growth and power to turn away from unhelpful karmic cause and effect patterns. Each time you re-read any part of it you’re sure to find undiscovered gems of insight helping you throw off attitudes which frustrate your ability to live your higher Purpose on your own terms.