Full Moon

Ultimate Element – The Water of Life

June 22, 2025 by marlowpurvesnet, posted in Astrology, Astrology - Elemental Wisdom, Astrology Classes, Astrology Classes ONLINE, Spiritual Astrology

Ultimate, NOT best, but because it is the fourth and final element in the creative ‘wave’ of expression of Life. It is the element of connection, where Air is that which passes between, water permeates, dissolves and merges what is with what is not. Commonly associated with emotion, it is ephemeral and changing while its currents can guide the ship. Our emotions in-form us, sometimes subtly as intuition and sometimes… more akin to a tsunami. The key here, is IN-form, water is the major constituent of our bodies, our intuition (inner teaching) comes from the connection through the water element.

In its the capacity to nurture life, dissolve mountains, and connect people, water is unbounded and can flow around or dissolve obstacles. Water is also arguably, the most sensitive element of the zodiac, feeling the slightest of changes and registering them in the emotional scape.

Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces – Connectedness, Feeling and Dissolving

CANCER – Relation

Cancer, with the symbol of the crab is a creature that lives on the margins, between earth and water. Defined by its shell, boundaried and given shape, the soft tissue within is forever defined by its relation to the other, its shell. In this case, with the Moon as its ruler, Cancer is in constant orbit around the M-other. Subject to the tides and the swells, Cancer is eternally in motion filling and emptying. Pinchers for defense offer protection but also allude to the tenacious ‘holding’ quality of Cancer, holding on to emotions, moods or relationships. In contrast to the flighty energy of Gemini, a seismic shift happens as Cancer pulls us down and into the experience of emotional foundations. These connections are made intuitively not intellectually. Family, belonging, nurture, care, s-mothering, this is the ‘child’ of the zodiac, vulnerable, demanding, playful, charming – and a veritable genius of invention with an eye to the wonder of novelty.

The glyph for Cancer is made of two curving lines, leaning into one another, cradling and contained in a circle of enclosure and intimacy. Cancer is often concerned with security, in a different way than Taurus, where the concern is material security, but more in an emotional sense. There can be a slamming of doors if the family or inner circle is threatened in any way… in a darker sense, clannishness or Mafia comes to mind. Caution is a by-word for the Crab and they can slip into hypersensitivity and moodiness if they aren’t able to find time to recharge their emotional batteries with solitude and dreaming.

Cancer is a deeply caring character, first and foremost.

SCORPIO– Feeling

Arguably the most feared or ‘slated’ sign of the Zodiac, Scorpio is definitely the deepest . It finds its placement following Libra and the airy Scales of Justice, if Libra is the impartial judge, Scorpio metes out the punishment. There are three elements to the symbolism of Scorpio.

Fundamentally a feminine archetype, it contains the Scorpion with its capacity to sting and kill, the Snake that is associated with death, sexuality and transformation and ultimately, in its most exalted expression, the Eagle, flying above the fray, poised and able to hunt with surgical precision. Whatever the circumstances, Scorpio has links to the deepest well of experience and intuition and is exquisitely tuned to the slightest sense of threat. Not known for a forgiving nature, “once bitten… you’re dead”, Scorpio can appear calm and impassive (even cold or calcutlawhile experiencing a maelstrom of intensity beneath the surface. This is the sign of sex, death and plumbing the depths. The extraordinary tuning to the emotional currents enable them to make calculated decisions that seem uncannily accurate. Sex and death are doorways to another world/consciousness and Scorpio is able to navigate the darker sides of human nature without flinching. The up-side of Scorpio is their capacity to ‘hold’ these intense aspects of human nature and are thus make EXCELLENT guides as psychotherapists. This gift is not coming from a place of study and intellect but rather a deeply felt sense of their own pain and vulnerability, they KNOW the terrain.

Loyal, driven and possessive, Scorpio enjoys the dual rulership of Mars and Pluto. Magnetic, passionate sometimes vengeful and suspicious. Scorpio marks the turning point in the zodiac, it is the descent into the Underworld, the annihilation of Ego.

PISCES – Undoing

The expression ‘slippery fish’ was invented for Pisces. The symbol of two fishes, swimming in opposite directions – one toward matter and the other toward Spirit – tied together and thus in endless circling motion. Cancer provided the boundary with land/earth as the boundary for its emotional content, Scorpio is the deepest well, penetrating to the underworld and mystery, Pisces the last of the water signs and the last of the entire cycle of signs is WITHOUT bounds. It marks the dissolution of all that went before it and in so doing, contains ALL possibilities. Fishes are not aware of the water, it is their all, their medium. If we substitute water for emotions, then we begin to understand the conundrum of reality being the swell and the current of emotions where we cannot discern where we begin and the emotions end.

Some suggest that Pisces is not a water sign at all, but it is representative of The Fifth element – Ether – utterly other, utterly animating and invisible/insensible.

We assign Jupiter and Neptune joint rulers of this elusive sign. Jupiter traditionally as the archetype that links us to Spirituality and the world beyond expanding endlessly. Neptune brings in another quality, Lord of the Seas, it makes the link between the realm of Spirit and the connection with creativity, illusion, fantasy and dream. Pisces is an otherworldly sign indeed, often struggling with what it is to be in a human form, the sense of dislocation often leading to a keen sense of suffering and disorientation.

Suffering and victimhood, fantasist, addict, poet, visionary, dreamer, these are all aspects of Pisces, torn between the exquisite suffering felt and witnessed and the desire to escape and be relieved of the ongoing experience. The paths of compassion and forgiveness are ways of channeling the relentless buffeting of the world and art… poetry, music, colour and sound are means by which expression of the ineffable is made possible.

As there is no separation, no boundary with Pisces, they are often the conduits through which Spirit communicates… sometimes it’s genuine and sometimes it’s not. The fishes will often find themselves swimming with the current, moving in and out of illusion and revelation in equal measure.

The Piscean dissolution – undoing is the necessary precursor to Aries, Cardinal Fire.. initial spark and emergent identity.

Fire is the spark, the first differentiation, Earth is the formation of that spark, Air the idea that animates and communicates, Water… the infusion of soul through emotion. There is a development through each of the elemental expressions which demonstrates the extraordinary variety and nuance of Spiritual expression.

The circle is complete and unending.

Earth – Elemental Building Block

April 7, 2025 by marlowpurvesnet, posted in Astrology, Cambridge, Spiritual Astrology

Just as Fire inspires and ignites us, it can be fleeting and ephemeral. The paradox of nature allows us to flirt with impermanence with the rise and fall of form and substance. Earth is by definition – ‘soil, ground’ and it affords the eternal, ineffable Spirit to manifest.

Just as we explored the three expressions of the element of Fire, so do does Earth find its representation in a variety of ‘styles’. Our planet IS Earth, and as such, each of the earth signs have a particular appreciation

Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn – Tangible Expressions of the Intangible

TAURUS, the first of the Earth signs is the STOP! to Aries’ GO! Because Taurus is the second sign, it can serve to consider it in relation to the first, where Aries is bolting into identity and creation, Taurus is setting up shop, measuring the parameters and staking a claim. It’s all about consolidation, rooting, growing and sloooooooooooow motion.

Symbolised by ‘The Bull’, it has two horns and broad shoulders, fit for the purpose of creation, generative and balanced. In contrast to its fiery predecessor, Taurus is solid and often stolid and slow to rouse.

This unhurried pace has much to recommend it insofar as there is time to linger, to literally smell the roses and appreciate the lusciousness of life and promise of Spring. Sensually driven, Taurus revels in beauty (as it is Ruled by the Goddess of Beauty herself – Venus), comfort, good food and the natural world.

Typically conservative and measured in its approach, The Bull can seem immovable and obstinate when challenged or feeling uncertain. Better to hold one’s ground than to risk (<—- DANGER!) what is unknown… If threatened, Taurus is a formidable foe…powerful and determined, patient and unrelenting.

VIRGO – Like Taurus, follows a fire sign… but in this instance we see a development in form, of the creative impulse that is Leo. Virgo is the Queen of refinement, adjustment, precision and perfection. Where the glorious swathe of colour is splashed by the enthusiastic Lion, Virgo with its ability to understand ‘what works’ emerges, to adjust the shading and arc of the design.

Virgo, of all the signs, gets a bit of a bad rap. It is it symbolised by The Virgin and as such does not boast a glamorous, sexy kind of vibe. She is Mistress of teh Harvest and as such is responsible for sorting the wheat from the chaff. She is thoughtful and ruled, as she is, by Mercury is keen to understand and analyse. This iteration of ‘Earth’ signs is consumed with practical application and the drive for meticulous examination and perfecting the minutiae of form so that it may serve the larger vision or intention. Service is a key element in the understanding of Virgo.

One of the affinities of Virgo is a keen interest in health, hygiene and natural lifestyle. Again, earth… herbalism, homoeopathy, nutrition… These are all disciplines that illustrate the connection with Chiron (The Wounded Healer), the ‘other’ planetary ruler of Virgo.

When stressed, Virgo is very prone to stress because of their exquisite sensitivity, the default setting can be critical, perfectionistic and very tense.

CAPRICORN – The third and final development of the earth element by sign. Capricorn is the ultimate CEO. This is a sign that combines the innate practicality and no nonsense groundedness of the earth signs with POWER and ambition. Not content with smelling the roses and appreciating the bounty of nature, nor with the intensive scrutiny of detail, Capricorn wants to take charge and direct.

The symbol associated with Capricorn is the Fish Goat, an arcane and unlikely combination of a mountain goat, scaling the heights of mountains with surety and strength, with the tail of a fish extending down into the waters of the unconscious, drawing on the primordial intuition of the seas.

To ‘drill down’ into the symbol, the heights that Capricorn aspires to are informed by experience, and a formidable interest in proving ‘what is possible’. Magnificent strategists, they have an exalted view (informed by the idealism of Sagittarius) that enables them to orchestrate the unfolding vision. This is THE sign of achievement, because achievement is evidence, it is irrefutable proof of what might have been a dream. Reality actualised, proof of concept. These are ideas that perfectly echo the qualities of Saturn, Capricorn’s ruler.

Like the other earth signs, Capricorn can seem a somewhat sober sign, serious, focussed and dedicated. There is BUSINESS to attend to, dependable and thorough they can sometimes lose sight of the importance of emotional connection and might be accused of a lack of empathy.

Earth is the ballast, the embodiment of all that is desired with Fire. If Fire reaches UP, Earth grabs us by the ankles and demands that our feet stay connected to what is REAL and tangible. Earth is the matter of creation.

Elemental Truths – Part One – Fire!

February 26, 2025August 21, 2025 by marlowpurvesnet, posted in Astrology, Astrology Classes, Astrology Readings, Spiritual Astrology

Astrology… there are SO many facets to it. No longer do we identify ourselves solely by our Sun Sign (corresponding to the time of year we are born). In the past few years there has been a dramatic upswing in the interest in astrology, fuelled by social media and online astrologers. This is all ‘perfectly on point’, as we have been moving, incrementally into the Age of Aquarius (no longer just a song from the swinging 60’s!) and Aquarius IS the sign of Astrology!! This is the year when we have, at last, tipped into Aquarius fully, without a backward glance.

So… you know your Sun sign, all well and good to recognise the characteristics that are typically associated… Taurus is stubborn/loyal, Cancer is sensitive/emotional, Virgo is particular/fussy. Incomplete generalisations that lead to a skewed sense of simplicity.

If you dive into the subject, seeking a nuanced understanding one of the ‘organising principles’ that emerge, we discover the Elements. When we think of the Elements we are talking about the basic building blocks of life, these are abstract principles that inform our expression as human beings. There are four elements represented in Astrology… FIRE, EARTH, AIR and WATER. These primary forces inform our experience on many complex levels and reveal a subtle face to what we understand as The Signs. Each of the twelve signs are divided between the four elements and provide us with an expanded and developed understanding of the unique characters associated with the element.

FIRE – what do we know? FIRE is inherently Yang, it’s going to capture your attention! Radiant, warming, inspiring, comforting, action-oriented, passionate, creative, innocent, child-like, generative, scorching, raging, burnishing. These are common qualities of Fire signs. HOWEVER… there are distinctive characters in this box of matches!

STYLES OF FIRE – Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius

ARIES, is first out of the blocks… always. Headstrong, lusty, BURSTING with Life, Spring anyone? As the first of the Signs of the zodiac and it is the PERFECT demonstration of I’M FIRST! and READY or NOT! No surprises that the dates for Aries coincide with Spring Equinox (in the Northern hemisphere). We have been carefully schooled to think of December 31 as the beginning of the new cycle, when in truth, the beginning of the new year is March 21. I certainly feel as though the first couple of months of the year are like an ending of sorts, the shorter days, colder temperatures, time to withdraw and rest.

Aries is the epitome of leap first, look later… rushing headlong into the new, to discover what is and what isn’t – in a very direct way. Sometimes thought of as brash, The Ram is forthright but NOT calculating- PASSION and excitement, an adrenalin rush all in one packet. If you see one coming, either get out of the way or put on your running shoes to follow in their wake.

LEO, the second of the fire signs is a TOTALLY different kind of cat. Much of the warmth of Leo is radiant, bright, enthusiastic and cheerful. Just as the Sun is the star in the centre of our galaxy, so is Leo the centre of the story, the world gravitates and surrounds the life-giving Lion. And so we have a fixed expression of fire, it resides in its place, welcoming those who draw near. Sharing, benevolent, generous and encouraging. Majestic and regal, you may find yourself wanting to take your place at their feet.

Just as the ego is the lens though which our personality is projected, if it is neglected or humiliated or ignored Leo can display an inflated sense of self and be demanding, churlish and dramatic or, just as worryingly, a diminished sense of self-worth…anxious, unconfident, flat and unengaged.

When the Beatles wrote, ‘All You Need is Love’… they were singing Leo’s song.

SAGITTARIUS, if Aries is first out of the blocks rushing headlong into the next adventure and Leo is steady, is occupying the centre of the universe, the third of the fire signs is on the run, aiming his arrow to the next frontier. But with Sagittarius, make no mistake, THERE IS NO FINAL FRONTIER… The Quest is the whole story. Searching, seeking, exploring, questioning ALWAYS expanding into the next step, pushing the boundaries. This is so beautifully summed up by the child’s eternal and exhausting question WHY?

Restlessness is Sagittarius’ M-O. Always on to the next… freedom loving, philosophising, expect BIG, dreams, visions, ideas… Sagittarius also includes a healthy dollop of intuition and ENTHUSIASM writ large. Because the quest is so compelling, there can be a woeful lack of awareness for mundane matters, commitments or the feelings of others. IMPULSIVE and occasionally outspoken to the point of crudeness, the half man/half horse sometimes succumbs to his animal nature and speaks before he thinks. The bluntness of delivery is seldom intended to offend but can ruffle feathers and feelings nonetheless in his relentless pursuit of the TRUTH.

So… FIRE?! It can burn, sizzle, warm and inspire… Draw near and be advised that it will never be boring! Fire is ALWAYS aspiring, moving up and reaching… raising our gaze and inviting us to ‘Up our game’.