Once Upon A Time…
According to an article written by Peter Shawn Taylor in 2019, sometime in mid-February 1519, Spanish adventurer Hernán Cortés sailed from Cuba to Cozumel, Mexico, with only 11 ships, 650 men, 16 horses and “a small armoury of early firearms.” According to the author, his intention was to “discover a newer world — one richer and more rewarding in gold and glory than the New World of the Caribbean had proven to be for the early Conquistadors.”
At the time of Cortés’ landing, most of central Mexico was under the rulership of the great Aztec empire, “comprising anywhere between five and 20 million people across hundreds of tribes, with its epicentre at Tenochtitlan, a city of perhaps 250,000 located on the site of present-day Mexico City.”
Yet he managed within two years of his arrival to overthrown and reign over this great city and its people.
With the help of native interpreters, Cortés quickly discovered the Aztecs’ weaknesses and “allied himself with tribes eager, but unable on their own, to overthrow Tenochtitlan’s hegemony”. Hundreds of thousands of native warriors joined his band. Most importantly, he carefully exploited the coincidences between his arrival and the Aztec belief that their God of wind, wisdom and learning, Quetzalcoatl, had returned as predicted in their prophecy. Indeed, in Aztec lore, it was said that a “pale-skinned god would one day return from the east to reclaim his lost throne”. Cortès looked the part. Moreover, the return of Quetzalcoatl, according to the Aztec calendar, would be in 1519…
Guns, horses and other advantages of Western civilization was not enough to overthrow the Aztec empire. For some scholars, it was Cortès’ convictions, his military savvy and sheer courage.
This version of history is disputed by many scholars, but if some or all of it were true, the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan is an example of the power that beliefs can yield over individuals and allow them to accomplish great feats, but also commit horrible acts in the name of those very same beliefs. It serves also as a cautionary tale about the harm that one’s own unchallenged and blinding beliefs can do to oneself and others.
If the Aztecs had not challenged their beliefs, would they have been so welcoming of the Spanish? Would their culture still be flourishing today? If Cortès had not held so tightly to his own beliefs and tried to save the Aztecs from what he considered their own monstrous beliefs, would he have picked the gold he sought and left the Americas? Would the Aztecs still be committing acts of human sacrifices for their gods today? Would other means have helped the Aztec change their ways other than bloodshed and the destruction of their culture?
The Connection to the Full Moon
Main Astrological Features of the Full Moon
While the strong presence of the elements of Air (logic and detachment) and Earth (seriousness, realism and practicality) can serve as protection against the equally strong element of Fire and its daring, optimistic and grandiose manifestations, albeit wishful thinking with the Sun, Mars and Chiron in Sagittarius and Aries respectively, this situation can create tensions within ourselves.
How do we dream big and yet remain pragmatic and realistic? How do we follow our intuitions, yet stay logical and detached? How do we express ourselves freely as individuals, while also being responsible and taking care of practical obligations and necessities? Should we be generous, or careful and conservative? Should we let our inner child free or let the adult side of our nature have its way?
The Moon in Gemini, as the indicator of our collective mood and emotional needs is aligning with Jupiter in Aquarius and reveals that we should side with reason and let some of our dreams and hopes aside (Sun in Sagittarius). The presence of Mercury and Venus in Capricorn also points to responsible and mature dealings with others.
Careful optimism is in the air.
At this time, we would rather settle differences by talking things out reasonably and rationally and avoid probing our own or others' inner depths.
Avoiding heavy and demanding emotional involvements may be what we seek, but other astrological factors in the sky indicate we may not be able to completely avoid them altogether. In fact, we may end up at the bitter end of others' hurtful diatribes. The links between the Moon, Pluto and Jupiter also reveal that although we are open to forgive and forget, buried feelings and memories that we do not want to deal with may surface at unexpected times. Sharing them with someone who is sympathetic, trustworthy, and objective can be helpful.
The Moon's placement in Gemini does not favor personal commitments. A wait-and-see attitude will prevail.
In order to make the best of this Full Moon, we need plenty of mental stimulation and connections to those people with whom we can share thoughts and mental interests. Conversations will be important.
Since none of the planets that help us deal with everyday life are in water signs or aligned with a planet in a water sign, water representing the element of emotions and feelings, we may have a difficult time dealing with the pain we are experiencing or the pain experienced by others. We must be careful not to seem callous.
As a compensation mechanism, externals events may force us to look at the vulnerable side of our nature.
In general, the goal of compromise between the Gemini - Sagittarius polarity is supported by vision and opportunity coming from our friends, the community, groups and associations. Saturn as final ruler brings a serious and binding effect to this compromise.
Other significant astrological feature
Mars in Sagittarius gives us the courage and passion to defend our beliefs, but it could make us intolerant to other ideas and convictions.
On a positive note, we have abundant energy and motivation that can be channeled into a sport or a project.
The positive link of Mars to Chiron can turn our feelings of past victimization at not being able to be free to express ourselves into a crusade to help others who have or are experiencing the same injustice.
Concluding thoughts
The Full Moon in the late degrees of the sign of Gemini asks us to withdraw into the space of our own minds and challenge our beliefs and those of others. It asks us to look at what is held sacred around us and to formulate our own thoughts and ideas about it. To express our own ideas and not borrow those of others.
It is a Full Moon of information gathering and information spreading. It is also a Full Moon to reach a certain compromise between what we think and what others believe in. The Full Moon invites us to look at the wonders that exist just within our reach, in our neighborhoods and in our backyards. Maybe we will discover that the pasture is not at all greener elsewhere.
The challenge of reconciling the meaning of the Sun in Sagittarius with the meaning of the Moon in Gemini and other astrological indicators present at this time can be exemplified with the Indian parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant.
The parable tells the story of 6 blind men that lived in a village into which an elephant is brought. Having never heard of such an animal before and wanting to experience it by touching it, they each start feeling a different body part.
The first blind man says it feels like a wall; the second believes it is strong and smooth like a pear. The third, upon touching the trunk, says it is much like a snake. The feet of the animal appeared to be like a tree for the fourth blind man. The fifth one imagined the ear to be a fan. Finally, the sixth person felt the tail and said that it was a rope.
While this examination was happening, each of the blind men thought the others to be lying.
An argument soon arises between them.
At that moment, a wise man asks them the reason for their heated debate. Each one describes what they believe the elephant to be to the wise man and ask him to confirm whose version of the elephant is the truth.
The wise man says that they are all correct. At this statement, the blind men are shocked and demand to know how this is possible. The wise man tells them that each of them in their own way have described the different characteristics of the elephant.
At a given time, we may hold a part of the truth; but we may never hold all of it. Listening to others is accepting that they hold a part of the truth, not all of it.