Crosses & Signs

Yesterday, after the full moon in Scorpio kept me up at least half the night, Timi and I went on a hike with Luisa, our magical new friend. Luisa had arrived at the trail before us, and was waiting up at the first landing on the way to the summit. Our destination: the 30-foot tall illuminated cross—adorned with painted stones, talismans, and offerings at its base—which gives the Palm Desert Cross Hike its name.

As Timi and I left the car and stepped onto the desert trailhead, I looked down and saw something glinting, half buried in the sand. It looked like a broken circle, maybe a shiny pop-top from a can, I thought. But when I bent down to pick it up, I saw it was a ring. A zodiac ring with seven stars, silver toned, and… exactly my size.

When I got home, I went online to search which zodiac constellation was represented in the ring. Out of twelve possible signs, the options were narrowed down to two. Option one is Cancer, my sun sign. Option two is Scorpio, sign of the potent full moon which absconded with my sleep, still active in the skies when the ring appeared to me in desert sand.

Those of you who follow astrology may know that when this most recent full moon occurred (now two days ago, on April 23rd), the opposing Taurus sun and Scorpio moon formed a T-square with transiting Pluto in Aquarius. T-squares are said to create focus and tension between the planets involved. And in my case, there’s an extra element added: natal Venus, at 4º Leo. This position opposes transiting Pluto at 2º Aquarius, meaning that with my Venus, not just a T-square, but a Grand Cross is formed.

According to astro.com, a Grand Cross symbolizes an unavoidable challenge. (Might leaving in two weeks to drive solo across the United States with my dog and cat qualify?)

A Grand Cross also indicates a willingness to overcome any obstacles faced. It provides an opportunity to tackle difficult themes, to grow and master them. And in this case, due to each of the four planets, or four points of the cross being located in fixed signs (Leo/Aquarius, Taurus/Scorpio), a stabilizing and energy-conserving influence is expressed. Sounds good to me!

To be honest, part of me has been dreading getting back on the road and facing the challenge of yet another (my fourth!) grueling seven day sojourn. But I know I can do it. And I will, in awe of the signs that appear in the skies while down below, a tiny treasure is unearthed just at the precise moment to be found. Whether the ring is meant to represent Cancer or Scorpio, it fits. What a precious gift to receive from the universe, imbued with meaning. My guides and angels are watching over me. The cosmos has my back. All shall be well.

Life is so much more mysterious, complex, fractal, and deep than we can imagine. May we keep finding the magic, the gratitude, and the love—within and all around.

I’ll end this entry with a quote from the blog of astrologer Pam Gregory, whose writings and YouTube videos have been very helpful to me during recent months. “As our old world becomes louder and crazier, just know that our power, our love, will ultimately dissolve this lower frequency energy. Higher frequency energy will always dissolve lower. I feel very humbled to be on this journey with you.”

With love, OBC 🌵🦉🌿