The 1st Quarter in Scorpio comes exact on Thursday July 23, 2015 at 10:04 pm MST
Click here to learn about the Moon. Click here to learn about Scorpio.
The First Quarter marks halfway between the new and full moon. The first and last quarter occur when the moon aspects the Sun at a 90 degree angle. (Seen from above, the moon forms a right angle in relation to an invisible line running through the Earth to the sun, hence “square” for the name of this astrological aspect. Here the moon has completed 1/4 of her journey around the earth.) In this particular phase, the Sun in Leo squares the moon in Scorpio. The moon will rise at noon, peak at dusk and set at midnight.
For those who are strongly affected by lunar energy, the quarter moon phases are especially trying. Square aspects are sharp, angular junctions that prompt change. As CafeAstrology notes, the quarter phases feel like a “crisis of consciousness.” We are encouraged now to examine all that was established with the New Moon in Cancer. The waxing moon symbolizes return to total awareness. This is the best time to tweak and improve upon existing strategies. At every full moon we manifest new moon intentions; as such, the week between the first quarter and full moon (July 23 - 31) is quite potent.
We have reached a corner and must choose a new direction. The building energy and excitement you feel is there to inspire you. This phase prompts decisive action, calculated risk-taking and deepened commitment to personal growth. The moon is asking you to gather yourself.
The scorpion domain
I like to imagine each moon cycle as a procession of poignantly themed challenges. Generally speaking, the Leo cycle seeks to empower the individual - freedom of expression is the name of the game. So here we are (already!) at the first stop along the lion path: a seductive, intoxicating encounter with Scorpio, the zodiac’s master of transformation. The First Quarter Moon in Scorpio addresses trust issues as well as power and control struggles. Scorpio and Leo have little in common besides their doggedly fixed nature. Leo is the naive, self-centered, happy-go-lucky child of the zodiac, and Scorpio the dark and brooding introvert with dwindling faith in humanity. Both are amusingly content to be as such! Dialog centers on the following: finding balance between healthy self-appreciation and the constant, inevitable metamorphosis of the ego.
Leo seeks company with direct, straightforward personalities. This is not how Scorpio operates. Moreover, Scorpio is not about to entertain a room full of people, as Leo would have it. Leo fears the scorpion’s complexity, preferring a simple yet playful life. Scorpio, on the other hand, fears letting go, living spontaneously, allowing the Self to be free of cares. The scorpion is easily frustrated by the lion’s insistence on me - Scorpio sees the Self as perpetually evolving. From the Llewellyn Journal:
Leo’s ego … hogs the stage when it can. Scorpio finds that troublesome and wants Leo to do a little honest, inner digging to uncover why it demands so much personal attention and adoration. Always upbeat about itself, the Lion doesn’t feel it needs such psychoanalysis and doesn’t like being investigated. ‘I’ve got nothing to hide. What you see is what you get.’
The First Quarter Moon in Scorpio seeks a path that is not too dark - not too much scorpion suspicion - but not too light either - not too much leonine idealism or unchecked trust in the world; we must be guarded but not closed.
Divine water energy
The First Quarter in Scorpio connects us to water energy, something we are deeply familiar with after a lovely spin through Cancer. However, this transit is more forceful – indeed, Scorpio is a fixed sign. It is interesting to note that Leo is ruled by the Sun, the center of our solar system, and Scorpio by Pluto, the planet farthest from center! With just this metaphor we see how differently these two entities move through life. The purpose of this first quarter moon is rebirth (Scorpio) in our sense of Self and ultimate identity (Leo) - powerful indeed. Imagine the Sun and Pluto stretching their cosmic arms over the vast distance between them, intertwining in some remote asteroid belt. Together they bring about irreversible change. Emotional and psychic energies are at an all-time high. There is a tendency for greater volatility in the form of outbursts and unveiling of secrets.
Scorpio lives cautiously because she is so familiar with the Underworld - she recognizes that at any moment, the shadows within may arise and wreak havoc. She would do well to learn from Leo’s sunny disposition, just as Leo would do well to be more wary, to learn how to read others with more accuracy. I expect that the transition from predominantly Cancer energy to Scorpio will be emotionally trying - deep breaths, fellow stargazers, t’is only a phase. The First Quarter Moon in Scorpio last fell in the beginning of August 2014. Any themes that predominated then will now resurface. The ego is operating in full force, you’ve been warned! Expectations are high - expectations that others will worship and pamper us. Be mindful, stay humble. I suggest meditation near water. Namaste.
If you are curious about how this transit affects you personally, please contact me for more insight. To ascertain your personal Moon sign, click here.
Mantra: I move within