…Astrology is not merely a study of celestial cycles in themselves; it is a technique of interpretation of the meaning of these cycles with reference to the possibilities for growth in individuals…Its essential purpose—when true to its highest and truest function in human affairs—is to indicate the possibilities for individual development inherent in the significant turning points in the cycle of a human life.”
~ Dane Rudhyar, The Lunation Cycle
Secondary Progressed Solar/Lunar Cycle
The progressed Sun and Moon perform the same dance as the monthly Solar/Lunar cycle, but a complete cycle takes about thirty years. And the timing depends entirely on your personal birth chart.
The progressing Solar/Lunar cycle beats a slow, steady, and meaningful rhythm to our lives, one that you may overlook, but one that can put the ongoing transits to the planetary placements in your birth chart into a larger context.
It’s worthwhile to pay attention to the progressed Moon phase you’re currently in, so you can attune yourself to it. The secondary progressed (SP) Solar-Lunar phases mark the times of our lives. Each SP Lunar phase lasts about 3 years, depending on the speed of your Moon at birth.
Astrological prediction is seldom easy, but making an accurate forecast for an individual is easier when attention is given to the SP Solar-Lunar phase. Of course, there isn’t a specific type of circumstance or event that goes with any phase, but life events that happen (i.e. transits and other progressions) during that time occur within the context of your SP Solar/Lunar phase.
Note from Patricia: Each of the Solar Lunar Secondary Progressed Phases was excerpted from my Dancing with the Moon series.
Turn, Turn, Turn
The lyrics of Turn, Turn, Turn, written by Bob Seegar and made famous by the Byrds expresses what the SP Lunar Phases represent.
Secondary Progressed New Moon
Each SP New Moon phase is a pivotal point in your life. During this time, the seed is planted that will take root, grow, blossom, and die back over the coming 28+ years. During your SP New Moon, you’ll sense something important is about to happen, but you have no definite expectation of what’s to come.
You can feel vulnerable, confused, or excited, depending on the individual. Whatever occurs outwardly starts subjectively. You may move, marry, divorce, have a child, get fired, quit, or begin a new job or study, but whatever it is, it’s an important new beginning that sets your course for the next 28 + years.
George Clooney
George Clooney was born in Lexington, Kentucky, on May 6, 1961, at 2:58 am (birth time accuracy: excellent). He entered his second SP New Moon phase on March 22, 1999. His last appearance on ER and the beginning of his rise to A-List actor happened at his SP New Moon.
John Lennon
John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England, United Kingdom, on October 9, 1940, at 6:30 pm (birthtime accuracy: excellent). John Lennon entered his first SP New Moon phase on December 27, 1961. The Beatles recorded their first studio album, Please Please Me, on February 11, 1963, during Lennon’s SP New Moon phase.
To see and study their natal and Secondary Progression bi-wheels for March 22, 1999 (Clooney), and December 27, 1961 (Lennon) follow this link to Dancing with the Moon Series – Part 2 – The New Moon
Secondary Progressed Crescent Moon Phase
What was begun at the SP New Moon will be tested during the SP Crescent Moon. You feel stuck but have an inner urge to push forward and expand. This is the time to be courageous, have faith in yourself, commit to the future, gain a clearer idea of where you’re going, and establish firmer foundations.
John Lennon
John Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, at 6:30 pm (birth time accuracy: excellent) in Liverpool, England. His SP Crescent Moon phase lasted from April 1, 1965, to December 4, 1968. It was the height of the Beatles’ popularity when he met Yoko Ono on November 9, 1966. When he met Yoko, perhaps unknowingly, Lennon laid the groundwork for a stronger future as a solo artist.
To see and study Lennon’s natal and Secondary progression bi-wheel for April 1, 1965, follow this link to Dancing with the Moon – Part 3 – The Crescent Moon
Secondary Progressed First Quarter Phase
The First Quarter symbolizes one of the more stressful SP phases of the cycle. You’ve reached a significant turning point that calls for will and intention. It’s now time to take independent action to ensure continued growth. This phase tests your level of commitment. Returning to the New Moon seed analogy, this is when the seed needs to put down deep roots.
John Lennon
On December 4, 1968, John Lennon’s SP Moon entered the First Quarter Phase. He divorced his first wife in November 1968 and married Yoko on March 20, 1969. The Beatles broke up, and in 1970, Lennon released his debut solo album.
To see and study Lennon’s natal Secondary Progressions for December 4, 1968 follow this link to Dancing with the Moon – Part 4 – The First Quarter Moon
Secondary Progressed Gibbous Phase
With the SP Gibbous phase, you’re approaching the end of the first half of the cycle. Promise is in the air. You must adapt to existing realities or limitations to pursue the direction you committed to at the SP First Quarter. It’s also a time when discomfort prompts you to become introspective, analyze, and clarify your priorities. During the SP Gibbous phase, paying attention to details and perseverance are essential.
Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, on June 19, 1947, at 2:30 am (birth time accuracy: excellent). Rushdie’s SP Moon entered the SP Gibbous Moon phase on May 23, 1987. After publishing his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, Rushdie had to go into hiding for several years.
To see and study Rushdie’s natal and Secondary Progressions bi-wheel for May 23, 1987 follow this link to Dancing with the Moon -Part 5 – The Gibbous Moon Phase
Secondary Progressed Full Moon Phase
During the SP Full Moon Phase, the seed that was planted at the SP New Moon flowers. It’s a time of recognition. Still, you’re objective and have a detached acceptance of where the choices you’ve made have brought you.
The Full and New Moons are significant turning points in the SP Solar/Lunar Cycle. The waxing half of the cycle ends at the SP Full Moon, and the waning half, associated with “reaping what you’ve sown,” begins.
George Clooney
George Clooney’s SP Full Moon began on October 15, 2014. That same year, Clooney received a lifetime achievement award, and to everyone’s surprise, the longtime bachelor married the accomplished lawyer and activist Amal Alamuddin. The events of 2014 mark the culmination of what had been set in motion 14 years earlier when he left ER at his SP New Moon.
To see and study Clooney’s natal and Secondary Progressions bi-wheel for October 15, 2014 follow this link to Dancing with the Moon – Part 6 – The Full Moon Phase
Secondary Progressed Disseminating Phase
At the SP Disseminating Phase, you sense that something is beginning to shift; you’ve changed and grown and want to share what you’ve learned with others. You put your skills to work, build networks of friends, and demonstrate what you know. This is when you interact with others, ask questions, and share ideas, insights, and knowledge.
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool, England, United Kingdom, on June 18, 1942, at 2:00 pm (birth time accuracy: excellent). His SP Disseminating Moon Phase began on September 17, 1955. During his SP Disseminating Moon phase, fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney met John Lennon on July 6, 1957, and joined Lennon’s group, the Quarrymen, which after several name changes became the Beatles.
To see and study McCartney’s natal and secondary Progressions bi-wheel for September 17, 1955 follow this link to Dancing with the Moon – Part 7 – The Disseminating Moon Phase
Secondary Progressed Fourth Quarter Moon
During this SP Moon phase, a crisis in consciousness arises. You’ll search for meaning and make decisions. The SP Last Quarter phase raises urgent questions about who you are, what you want, and how you see your destiny. For some individuals, there’s a growing sense of emptiness and meaninglessness; for others, the SP Last Quarter Moon is more about the future than about the past.
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was born in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, on July 18, 1918, at 2:54 pm (birth time accuracy: poor). His Fourth Quarter SP Moon Phase began on March 14, 1989. On February 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years and his eyes were on the future.
To see and study Mandela’s natal and Secondary Progressions bi-wheel for March 14, 1989 follow this link to Dancing with the Moon – Part 8 – Fourth Quarter Moon Phase
Secondary Progressed Balsamic Moon Phase
“There are times in life when the firmament of our being seems to collapse, taking all the light with it, swallowing all color and sound into a silent scream of darkness. It rarely appears that way from the inside, but these are always times of profound transformation and recalibration — the darkness is not terminal, but primordial; in it, a new self is being born, not with a Big Bang, but with a whisper. Our task, then, is only to listen. What we hear becomes new light.” ~ Maria Popova, The Marginalia
The SP Balsamic Phase is a time for rest and retreat, whether that means waiting, reflecting on the past, actively pursuing options that had been put aside earlier, receiving a reward for long-held dreams that have been fulfilled, or coming into your own depends on the individual.
These three-plus years are for withdrawal from striving in the outer world and letting things come to an end. The Balsamic is the last phase of the Secondary Progressed Lunar cycle, but it’s not just an end; it’s also the bridge to the next cycle. The seed of the next SP New Moon will be found in the quiet of this last Lunar phase.
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela entered his SP Balsamic Phase on January 19, 1993. On May 10, 1994, Mandela came into his own when he was sworn in as the President of South Africa’s first multiethnic government.
To see and study Mandela’s natal and Secondary Progressions bi-wheel for January 19, 1993 follow the link to this page Dancing with the Moon – Part 9 – The Balsamic Moon Phase
“Astrology can be defined as a technique for the study of life cycles. Its main purpose (is to establish) the existence of regular patterns in the sequence of events constituting man’s inner and outer experience; then, to use the knowledge of these patterns in order to control or give meaning to these experiences. Indeed, the study of cycles, that is, of periodical activities in nature, human and otherwise, is the root of all significant knowledge, be it scientific or philosophical. And the study of cycles is a study of time.” ~ Dane Rudhyar