A man must consider what rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist. Ralph Waldo Emerson
I’ve been trying for some time to develop a lifestyle that doesn’t require my presence. Gary Trudeau
He who learns and runs away, lives to learn another day. Edward Lee Thorndike
I was court-martialed in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence. Brendan F. Behan
So
daily I renew my duty; I touch her here and there, I know my place; I
kiss her open mouth, I praise her beauty and people call me traitor to
my face. Leonard Cohen
Theirs is not to reason why. Theirs is but to do or die. Lord Alfred Tennyson
I had examined myself pretty thoroughly and discovered that I was unfit for military service. Joseph Heller - Catch 22
The first duty of a soldier is obedience. G.J. Whyte-Melville
A guilty conscience needs no accuser. Chaucer
May's Scorpio full Moon falls on May 10 in the US and May 11 in Australia. It's a pretty full-on full Moon energy-wise,
and, we are likely to see all kinds of events, political, social and
otherwise, from it. The main theme of this full Moon is the idea of
going AWOL. Of course, there are many ways to go AWOL - absent without
leave - we can say 'no, not going to accept this, do that, stay here,
perform this duty' etc, and/or, it can show people not fulfilling their
duties - the duties they 'signed-up' for, promised to do, vowed to stand
by, etc. We (or they) can leave a situation physically, mentally or
emotionally. The trick with the Sabian Symbol for this full Moon is to
obey one's conscience and not go against or beyond the dictates of what
one wants to do.
This is yet another powerful lunation. We have Pluto sextiling the Moon and trining the Sun.
This type of aspect, especially as it is a rather tight aspect (close
to exact), can bring about big changes in our lives. We can make
decisions, have events, people, situations, opportunities, etc, turn up,
sometimes from out of the blue, sometimes because of the effort or work
we have previously applied to our objectives. The trick with Pluto is
to listen to our inner voice, our intuition, as this is how we'll know
where to next.
Mercury is now direct, after being retrograde. It has not cleared it's shadow yet
(that won't happen until around the 21st or 22nd May), but, we are very
likely to be feeling the wind more at our backs now, giving us the

impetus
to get going with plans, ideas, opportunities that we might have had on
the back burner. In fact, we may want to push forward, however, careful
steps one after the other are advised at the moment, especially as
Mercury is conjunct (together with) Uranus. With conditions shifting, we
might want to really check out our options before making commitments.
Soon after this full Moon, Mercury moves out of Aries and into Taurus,
and, we might get the sense that things aren't quite as urgent as we
might have thought.
Adding to the mix of wanting to get organised, solid, or,
going ahead with our plans is the trine between the Mercury/Uranus
conjunction and Saturn. Saturn is also on the Galactic Center,
so, we're being asked to watch our thoughts, especially as Saturn and
Chiron are still in square aspect to each other. If we identify our
wounds (our Stories That We Tell Ourselves), we can take the charge out
of them and see things for how they really are.
Another shift that's happening is the north node moving into Leo, where it will be until November 2018. Time to get going with our creativity, and, focus on our needs, and, it can be a time of focusing more on having fun.
Mars and Jupiter are in a nice trine aspect to each other, bring with it a sense of optimism, or, the need for it.
Staying positive and watching our thoughts can bring up some
interesting doors, even if we weren't sure that they were even there.
This is made even stronger by Venus and Jupiter being opposite each
other around May 19-20.
Venus will at that time be clearing the shadow of it's retrograde. Curiously, and, it feels like a dose of providence or good luck,
Jupiter goes direct exactly opposite the point that Venus went retrograde.
This is a good thing, but, we may need to examine how much energy we
should be expending as what we might really need (or want) is a rest, a
holiday, some time out. I imagine that many are feeling this. Recent
times have been rather trying and many are reporting that they are not
sleeping well. I think the energies will calm down somewhat over the
coming weeks.
Adding to the need to give things a chance to breathe before making strong moves forward is Mars and Neptune
being in exact square to each other. This can bring about inspiration,
illumination, a deeper spiritual purpose, etc, but, it can also have us
not seeing the whole picture, and, we can misjudge conditions if we're
being a bit too fanciful or idealistic. The firm grounding of our
visions is the trick here, and, measuring three times and cutting once,
as the saying goes.
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The full Moon each month marks a time of heightened energies and events.
It often marks the culmination of the energies released at the new
Moon. Emotions can be supercharged as the Sun and Moon are on opposite
sides of the zodiac and illumination is increased - it's like we can see
in the dark - and we can be hyper-aware as well as being hyper-awake.
The effects of a full Moon can be major or minor, depending on how they
interact with your own chart. Sometimes, realisations or events that are
unleashed, or unlocked, can stretch their meaning months into the
future. A lot can be learned at the time of the full Moon and whether
it's lunacy or illumination, or a combination of both, there's magic
unleashed with every full Moon.
The full Moon is on Scorpio 21: OBEYING THEIR CONSCIENCE, A SOLDIER RESISTS ORDERS - the following is from my book
The Sabian Oracle: 360 Degrees Of Wisdom - This
Symbol can be about leaving, or, staying, it all depends on your
situation. One thing is for sure, though, we may feel like rebelling, we
may want to go our own way even if it's a matter of being castigated or
shunned by some. We may feel that others are letting us down,
especially if they are not living up to their responsibilities. On the
political scene, this degree can play out strongly with a feeling that
we have been deserted by those who should be standing by us.
Commentary:
‘Obeying His Conscience, a Solder Resists Orders’ is an image of
someone coming to terms with the fact that he can’t perform the duty
that is expected of him because it goes against the grain of who he
truly is, what he truly stands for and what it is that he wants out of
life. He needs to ‘Obey His Conscience’ and ‘Resist Orders’. Doing
things that go against the very fabric of his being may mean he may
never be able to live with himself. Indeed, he may have to go AWOL and
completely leave what he’s been expected or, indeed, trained to do.
Oracle:
We sometimes find that society has drawn up rules and regulations to
live by that are inappropriate for our inner world. When this happens,
we find ourselves compromised if we are expected to follow through or
act on them. This Symbol speaks of the need to occasionally ‘Disobey’
the structures of society and what is expected. You may find yourself in
a situation where expectations put on you go directly against your
values. There is often the difficult choice between allegiance (to a
relationship, a job, a country, etc) and your own inner beliefs, truths,
objectives and ambitions. True freedom can only be found within when
one faces these situations with a sense of integrity and a full
understanding of the consequences that are possible. Are you aware of
and prepared for any consequences that may come from a refusal to comply
or conform to what others want? What “punishments” may come from
refusing to ‘Obey Orders’? What are the ‘Orders’, who makes them and who
is responsible for them when they’re carried out? There can be
confusion around relationships, resulting in difficulties in following
what society says should be done. Is it a longing for a return to a pure
state of love that freezes you? Are you prepared to stand your ground
and uphold your values?
Keywords: Personal
morality. Doing what one’s conscience dictates. Going against the status
quo. Doing the unexpected. Going by the promptings of the inner voice.
The consequences of having a conscience. Not coming home. People
clinging to each other. Love that restrains.
The Caution:
Displaying cowardice or a lack of courage to act. Not doing what one is
expected to do. ‘Going over the top’ in a wild and crazy way. Going
AWOL. Being the one who lets everyone down. Court Martials. Antisocial
behavior. Anarchists. Being “uncommitted” or “unavailable”. Choosing
play instead of duty. Goofing off.
The Karmic Degree for the full Moon is Scorpio 20: A WOMAN DRAWING ASIDE TWO DARK CURTAINS THAT CLOSED THE ENTRANCE TO A SACRED PATHWAY -
the feminine - issues to do with women can be strong with this degree.
The sense of wanting, or needing, to go down a different pathway can
arise. The rights of women can be a major focus with this degree.
This Symbol shows the ability or the need to be able to draw aside
confusions or obstructions that impede your path or stop you from
realizing where you could be or
go.
You, either alone or with others, may feel the need to venture down new
“Pathways” or investigate new possibilities, but you will have to
muster faith and overcome fear to enter these new realms, these “Sacred”
places. You will require both courage and inquisitive desire. Venturing
down these paths make it clear that your sphere of operation and action
will become vastly enlarged with the new perspective that opens for
you.
Keywords: Mysteries revealed, sometimes after a long
wait. Feminine mysteries laid out before you. Woman's reproductive
organs, especially the vagina. The mysteries of the Goddesses. Getting
past things that are cloaked or shielded from entry or view. Sexual
mysteries. Open Sesame. Clairvoyant readings that reveal the 'Path'.
Invitations to the unknown. Drawing aside inhibitions. Following through
on things. Undressing.
The Caution: Being seduced into dark and sinister
things or being led astray. Not being shown the true picture or the
truth. Frigidity and closing off sexual responses. Being, or feeling,
shut out. Dark rooms with little sign of life.
The Quest Degree for the full Moon is Scorpio 22: HUNTERS PROTECTED BY HEAVY CLOTHING ARE SHOOTING WILD DUCKS -
this can be a difficult degree, depending on what side of the equation
one is on. We may feel like we are being taken advantage of, and, we
might have a sense of danger arising. This degree can show the need to
protect animals, birds, etc.

This
Symbol implies the need for protection of those innocent or younger,
smaller, or not able to protect themselves. Being an advocate for
others, you can shield them from the more harmful elements of society.
You may, at times, feel that you are...
Full Forecast continued at this link:http://sabiansymbols.typepad.com/my_weblog/2017/05/the-full-moon-each-month-marks-a-time-of-heightened-energies-and-events-it-often-marks-the-culmination-of-the-energies-relea-.html