Toward Wholeness: Cycles and the Healing Process

Marina Ormes

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Healing is not just about fixing what is broken–it’s a process of becoming whole. Life’s challenges–whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, invite us to grow into greater wholeness. The dynamic cycle between any two planets provides insight into what to expect and how to consciously engage with difficulties as part of the healing process. Because healing is not a single event but an ongoing journey, planetary cycles help reveal how these experiences unfold over time, showing opportunities for growth and transformation.

The word “heal” comes from an Old English root meaning “whole.” To heal is to move toward wholeness. Through the lens of natal astrology, wholeness is not a fixed state but a potential unique to each person–a path to fulfill the highest possibilities shown by the specific configurations of their natal chart. From this perspective, healing is not just about resolving health issues. It’s an invitation to actualize one’s full potential.

Astrological counselors often look at the stationary natal chart alongside transits and progressions to understand what is surfacing for the client. But transits and progressions are part of an evolving process. They reveal what the client is being called to address as part of a journey of healing and evolution.

The ongoing relationship between any two planets provides insight into the nature and timing of this healing journey as it unfolds between two planets. From this perspective, challenging life or health situations that correlate with hard aspects and other challenging alignments are seen less as an unfortunate set of circumstances and more as an opportunity to grow and evolve in new directions.

Dynamic Cycles

As the cycle unfolds from conjunction to conjunction, each pair of planets moves through all geometric aspects, at least once directly, and sometimes more than once due to retrogrades, with the Sun-Mercury and Sun-Venus cycles being exceptions. Therefore, we can view all aspects as points or stages in the healing or evolutionary process. All aspects from one to 179 degrees of separation occur during the waxing half of the cycle, when the two planets are moving apart, and all aspects from 181 to 359 degrees comprise the waning half of the cycle, when the two planets are moving together.

Each planet in a pair represents a different part of the self. The Moon-Sun cycle, for example, illustrates how parts of the self that the Moon and Sun represent learn and grow through their relationship with one another. If the Moon represents one’s inner needs and the Sun represents self-expression, one might learn more about how to meet their inner needs by discovering new ways to express them outwardly.

An ongoing cycle occurs very visibly between the Moon and Sun, and in the dynamic relationship between all pairs of planets. From the 29-day Moon-Sun cycle to the approximately 493-year Neptune-Pluto cycle, there are 45 planetary pairs, each with its evolutionary path and purpose.

Regardless of the timeframe, these cycles provide continuous healing, growth and transformation opportunities. In a natal chart, planetary pairs are in a set relationship that reveals insight into the nature of the person’s bigger evolutionary purpose. Whether planets are in a major aspect or not, the phase of the cycle their relationship is in indicates something about how the person is invited to grow into their own highest potential.

The ideas presented here are built upon work by Rael and Rudhyar, who articulated a process-oriented approach to aspects and waxing and waning hemicycles. (1) I have used this approach with clients for 30 years and developed my own system for utilizing astrological cycles to support a conscious healing journey, as presented in Cycles of Healing: Personal Transformation in Relationship to a Living Cosmos. (2)

Waxing and Waning

Unless there is a conjunction or opposition, each planetary pair is either waxing (moving apart) or waning (moving back together). This distinction is key as it determines whether the cycle is in a building phase or an integration phase. For example, a waxing 90-degree square represents a different stage of growth than a waning 90-degree square.

To determine whether an aspect in a natal chart is waxing or waning, start with the slower-moving planet and move counterclockwise around the chart until you reach the faster-moving planet. If the faster-moving planet appears before the opposition, the aspect is waxing. If the faster-moving planet appears after the opposition, the aspect is waning.

The waxing hemicycle is about outward activity and form-building. It is a time for outward creativity, actively manifesting and shaping outcomes. After the conjunction in which the two planetary energies merge, there is a learning process involving risk-taking, change, and setting out in new directions. Growth occurs through action, forward movement, and the drive to build or catalyze something new.

The waning hemicycle is about digesting and implementing what has been learned. It is a more internal, integrative time. Something is reflected, or emerges into awareness, at the opposition, and the time between the opposition and the next conjunction brings an opportunity to process the information that was revealed and release old forms. It is a time to make decisions about beliefs, values, and identities and implement new routines and ways of being that reflect what one is creating or becoming.

While not unique to the Moon-Sun cycle, the phases of the cycle between any two planets mirror the phases of the Moon, so we can work with the Moon phases as a lens for understanding the phases for any planetary pair.

Waxing Hemicycle

The waxing hemicycle is the first half of the cycle, from conjunction to opposition. This hemicycle is characterized by creativity, form-building, outward discovery, and an action-oriented mindset. To optimize the healing opportunity during this time, it is essential to choose actions and behaviors that align with intentions while remaining open to change and willing to try new things. Conversely, rejecting or avoiding the healing opportunity involves clinging to familiar and known actions or behaviors that can mean continuing to experience the same problems.

Waning Hemicycle

The waning hemicycle is the second half of the cycle, from opposition to conjunction. This integrative hemicycle focuses on beliefs, inward discovery, and awareness. To optimize the healing opportunity during this half of the cycle, the invitation is to release old beliefs, identities, and ways of thinking while embracing and embodying new awareness. Conversely, rejecting or avoiding the healing invitation involves reaffirming and solidifying outdated beliefs and identities, and denying the validity of new perspectives or ways of thinking.

Conjunction (New Moon)

A conjunction marks the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next. It is a point of fertilization, where two planets come together, and their energies merge to create something new. This phase introduces a new idea, plants a seed, and sets the stage for what will come.

As the beginning of a new cycle, the conjunction represents the foundation of mystery and infinite possibility. This time in the cycle opens a doorway to begin the journey toward new experiences, but to embrace it fully, one must be willing to release old experiences and expectations. Accepting the healing opportunity during the conjunction involves consciously setting clear intentions without knowing precisely how they will be achieved. Conversely, rejecting or avoiding the healing opportunity in this phase can manifest as unconsciously planting seeds of fear or worry, potentially steering the coming cycle in an undesirable direction.

A person can work consciously with this invitation to begin something new or allow something new to unfold unconsciously. It’s a good time to set clear intentions for healing and wellness without needing to know how these intentions will manifest. Intentions can take many forms: verbally, by writing something down or putting it into words, or through something more abstract like art, music, or feelings.

For example, someone dealing with a health crisis might intend to restore range of motion, experience less pain, or have more energy. It’s fine to have a measurable goal, such as walking without pain within six months, but the intentions are separate. They are a way of anchoring the desire to heal and the willingness to learn and grow.

During conjunction, consider whether you are setting clear intentions about what you want or dwelling on what you are afraid of or worried about. What outcomes are you feeding through this fertilization process?

Guidelines for Setting Intentions

When setting intentions during a conjunction, you are planting the seed of an experience that has not yet happened but that you’d like to manifest. Connect with the feeling of the outcome. If you want pain to ease, what does that feel like in your body? What qualities come with it, such as freedom, lightness, and ease? Remember when you felt those feelings and what that sensation was like physically.

Imagine what is different when you have that outcome. What will you be able to do that you can’t do now? What does that give you? Maybe it allows you to lift a child, dig in the garden, or return to work. Imagine being able to do those things again and your gratitude for that experience.

Finally, intentions should be stated in the present moment, as if they have already happened. You are inviting an outcome that has manifested, not one you hope for in the future. Intentions should be worded as if something has occurred or is already there. It could be a written statement of something that is already present, or music or art that captures the feeling you want more of.

Waxing Square (First Quarter Moon)

The waxing square occurs one-quarter of the cycle when two planets are 90 degrees apart and moving away from the conjunction. It can create a conflict between old ways of being and new forms that will support conscious intentions. This tension can show up as a challenge, frustration, or feeling of defeat, signaling that something must shift for growth to continue.

This point in the cycle brings a crisis of action, requiring decisions to be made from a new perspective or higher consciousness. It presents an opportunity to choose a new direction or approach, and necessitates actively shifting old habits and patterns. To optimize the healing opportunity at this time includes choosing actions and behaviors that align with healing intentions and a willingness to change or try new things. Rejecting or avoiding the healing opportunity involves resisting change or rationalizing a need to avoid trying something new.

This phase challenges a person to step out of their comfort zone and embrace transformation or cling more tightly to outdated patterns that may exacerbate the deeper problem. Solutions to what seems difficult, frustrating, or impossible can appear when one welcomes new perspectives.

For example, this could be a time to try a new therapy, adopt a different exercise routine, or adjust dietary habits. It’s time to think creatively, try new things, seek new perspectives and approaches, and decide to do things differently. It is a time to leave something from the past behind and commit to something unfamiliar but promising.

Consider whether you are actively seeking new perspectives and possibilities during a waxing square. Where must you take charge to discover alternatives or steer something in a new direction?

Guidelines for Aligning with the Waxing Square

It is important to accept where you are to work positively with the energy of the waxing square. This can be a time when you question whether what you want is even possible. When you realize this is a necessary and expected part of the process, you can choose to keep moving forward instead of giving up.

Once you’ve accepted the reality before you, remember your intentions. Reconnect with what you want and what is most important to you. Where do you need to trust yourself more thoroughly? Take a risk on yourself and try something new.

Finally, be open to the unknown. You are being shown the way forward, and it almost certainly doesn’t look like you thought it would. Although you may not immediately see how, what is showing up at this time is helping you manifest your intentions. Look at the situation with new eyes.

Opposition (Full Moon)

The opposition marks the midpoint of the cycle, bringing the culmination of what was put in motion at the conjunction. Just as the Full Moon reflects the Sun’s light, this phase reveals the results of choices and efforts made during the waxing hemicycle.

The opposition is characterized by a revelation of new perspectives or possibilities, where the results of previous choices are reflected back to the individual. This phase requires a person to see the alternative ways forward, and information is readily available for those who pay attention. To optimize the healing opportunity during this phase, one should notice what new information is available that supports pathways to empowerment and healing. Conversely, rejecting or avoiding the healing opportunity includes refusing or denying information that could help bring about change or identifying oneself as a victim of the situation or condition.

If a person has been willing to take risks, learn new things, and embody practices that align with their intentions, then something may be illuminated that helps them better understand the problem and what to do about it. It either affirms that one is on the right track with the changes they’ve made or provides insight into the best course corrections.

For example, a person might experience either relief from or an exacerbation of symptoms that facilitate new understanding. One might gain an insight into what will help or find a new therapy or provider. Or, a crisis may play out that reflects the consequences of unconscious choices.

During an opposition, consider what you are being shown and how it gives you a deeper understanding of the results of your positive and/or negative choices. What new information is being revealed that helps you see what you need to see?

Guidelines for Working with the Opposition

To make the most of the opposition, notice what unfolds around this time. What is happening in your life? What are you learning or becoming aware of? How does that relate to your intentions and your process since the conjunction?

Once you’ve become aware, feel any feelings that may be present. Notice the impact current events and circumstances have. It may not make sense yet, but you can allow yourself to be moved by what is unfolding. The invitation of this moment is to feel the impact of what is being illuminated. You don’t need to know yet what it all means.

Finally, allow yourself to receive. By consciously or unconsciously planting a seed at the conjunction, you asked for something. Now, the universe is responding. Listen to what it says. Let yourself receive what the universe is giving you as an answer to help you move forward and step into new ways of being.

Waning Square (3rd Quarter Moon)

The waning square occurs three-fourths of the way through the cycle, when two planets are at 90 degrees separation, moving toward the conjunction. It brings a pivotal conflict between growth and old beliefs. It can show up as struggles with identity and how one sees oneself, changing how a story is told, or environment— such as a need to find new friends or spend time in different contexts.

The waning square is marked by a crisis of belief, presenting an opportunity to decide to identify with new beliefs and adopt a fresh understanding. This phase requires actively letting go of old thought patterns to embrace growth. To optimize the healing opportunity, a person must go against the status quo or previous understanding, adopting and embodying new solutions. On the other hand, rejecting or avoiding the healing opportunity involves clinging to the past and choosing familiar but disempowering ways of being.

While the waxing square is new and requires outward action or decisiveness, the waning square is mature. It involves committing to one’s wisdom and inner knowing about what is true and right. What shows up around the waning square is asking a person to decide what they believe and where they stand.

For example, it could be a time to leave behind associates who engage in unhealthy behaviors or choose healing environments without the temptations of the past. It could be a need to accept certain limitations or adopt a new identity such as being differently abled, eating different foods, or having new routines.

During a waning square, consider whether you are willing to adopt or become what is best for you. Where do you need to trust yourself and decide to step into new identities, routines, or beliefs when it is uncomfortable, or when others do not understand?

Guidelines for Working with the Waning Square

To align with positive change around the waning square, reflect on what you have learned. What does the future require you to be? How can you adopt and/or commit to new beliefs and thinking that will serve you and what you are growing toward?

Once you’ve noticed what needs to change, it’s a good time to let go of the past. How does what is unfolding in your life invite you to release old identities and beliefs? What forms, relationships, environments, etc. associated with how you used to see yourself are changing or don’t work for you anymore?

Finally, it’s important to decide where you stand consciously. How do you see yourself now, and are you aligned with your path of healing? What forms, relationships, environments, etc., support who you are becoming? What new identities must you now choose to embody?

Natal Aspects

Aspects in the natal chart, and any point in the cycle between two planets, indicate the individual’s healing path by providing insight into the relationship between two parts of the self. As archetypes in the chart or characters in one’s story of self, the two planets are unique entities whose relationship to one another reveals something about the stage of the evolutionary process the person has incarnated to learn more about. Natal aspects can provide insight into how one’s healing journey can have a greater purpose, such as contributing meaning that helps others.

For example, a person with planets conjunct natally carries the seed of new possibilities and might be a visionary who experiments with or introduces new approaches., A person with natal planets in a waxing square is learning to adopt or practice new healing approaches. A natal opposition can indicate someone who is an example to others, has something to share with others, or shows others about the best approaches to healing, possibly helping to reconcile existing differences of approach or opinion. A natal waning square could mean that through one’s own healing journey one is helping to change beliefs or attitudes in ways that make a difference for others.

Viewing the natal chart, transits, and progressions through the lens of the evolving cycle in each pair of planets provides rich insight into the dynamic healing and evolutionary process a person is moving through and learning about. It offers an opportunity to see how challenging events and circumstances in a person’s life, including challenges related to mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being, are opportunities for growth and healing toward one’s highest potential and part of the process of the journey of self-discovery. Learn more about planetary cycles and their healing opportunities in my book Cycles of Healing: Personal Transformation in Relationship to a Living Cosmos.

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References

1. Ormes, Marina. Cycles of Healing: Personal Transformation in Relationship to a Living Cosmos. CreateSpace, 2015.
2. Rael, Leyla and Dane Rudhyar. Astrological Aspects: A Process Oriented Approach. Santa Fe, NM: Aurora Press, 1980.

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Images

• Collage of title image made by Astrodienst. Background images:
   Zodiac: Photo by The New York Public Library, Unsplash
   Cycle & flower of life: Image by Marcin, Pixabay
• Diagram: provided by the author

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Author: Marina Ormes

Marina Ormes, BA; RN, HN-BC (ret.) is an author, visionary leader, and entrepreneur who brings Evolutionary Astrology together with paradigm-shifting holistic perspectives of healing. She is the author of Cycles of Healing: Personal Transformation in Relationship to a Living Cosmos and Astrology Heals: The Ormes Method of Transformational Astrology. She is certified in Evolutionary Astrology through the Steven Forrest Apprenticeship Program, the Secretary of OPA, and a founding member and former Director of the Oregon Holistic Nurses Association. Her 30-year background in astrology and holistic healing gives her a unique lens into not only what astrology reveals, but how we can best use that information as a tool for transformation and whole-self healing. https://astrologyheals.com

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Published in: The Evolving Astrologer, March 2025.
© 2025 - Marina Ormes - The Evolving Astrologer

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