First Progressed New Moon Chart
(Age 16, c.1973, Hong Kong under British colonial rule)
Rudhyar theorised that a progressed chart cast for the time and place of the first new moon after birth provides significant information about “the process of personality unfoldment” that occurs over the following 30-year period [Dane Rudhyar, ‘The Lunation Cycle’, 1971, p.114].
Leyla Rael clarifies this part of Rudhyar’s Lunation Cycle theory :
“The process whereby a particular person becomes an ‘individual’ is the second level to which a succeeding lunation cycle can refer, and rebellion against one’s cultural and familial conditioning can represent the first phase of this process.” [Leyla Rael, ‘The Lunation Process in Astrological Guidance’, 1984, p.13]
Again, the degree of the zodiac upon which the progressed new moon falls is thought to provide the best clue to understanding this ‘process of personality unfoldment’. With Mrs Lam’s first post natal new moon occurring at 7°49’ Gemini we have the following Sabian Symbol as our clue …
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7°49’ Gemini : “Aroused strikers surround a factory.”
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… by Rudhyar’s account, a symbol of “unrest and violence” based on “a revolt against privileges”, typically, the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite in one’s particular culture (which, c.1973 refers to the colonial British) [Dane Rudhyar, ‘An Astrological Mandala’, 1974, p.94].
Biographical notes for the early years of this cycle describe Mrs Lam as a left wing student activist at the University of Hong Kong. The Wikipedia material mentions, “Through her student activism, she came to know Lee Wing-tat and Sin Chung-kai who later became prominent pro-democracy legislators.” Other sources clarify the meaning she gave to her activism : “Lam admitted she was a student activist and “anti-government” at that time, but she chose to join the government to bring about change. “I had a clear objective at that time,” Lam said.” [Note 1]
After university (graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science in 1980) she joined the Hong Kong civil service and slowly rose in rank to the position of Director of the Social Welfare Department during a period of high unemployment and recession. This department provided services to families and children, the elderly, recovering criminal offenders, drug abusers, street sleepers, persons with disabilities, and the mentally ill.
Leyla Rael says that while the different ‘lunation’ cycles of a person’s life can be separated in theory, they often overlap and successive cycles may witness ‘changes in level’. This appears evident in Mrs Lam’s case : a (symbolic) “Red Cross nurse” conditioned in youth to “go into the dark to bring life and love to the tormented and deprived” in her next cycle does just that, at the highest level locally possible to her as Director of Hong Kong’s Social Welfare Department.
At the same time Rudhyar and Rael urge us not to forget that this career path is also somehow a ‘protest’ (the ‘aroused strikers’ symbol) against social inequality, in a sense, a bi-product of her individuation. It’s a slippery pair of concepts to juggle in imagination isn’t it! But I guess *that* is what the transpersonal astrologer must do if an integrated horoscope with a super-rational meaning is to be discovered and understood.
Personally, I find it fascinating that it was a period of reactionary student activism (‘aroused strikers’ almost literally) in the early years of this cycle that launched Mrs Lam on her political journey. And even more fascinating given what that journey has led to today i.e the present confrontation between her administration and a later generation of student activists. Again we see elements of lunation cycles overlapping and changing levels! But this is something that technically belongs to Mrs Lam’s NEXT lunation cycle, which we’ll discuss on the next page.
Other aspects of interest for this lunation cycle include
(1) progressed Jupiter out of retrograde and into trine with the natal Sun;
(2) progressed Saturn retrograding back to inconjunct with natal Mercury; and
(3) progressed Venus aligning inconjunct with the natal and progressed North Lunar Node.
I’m guessing these aspects might be showing fulfilment of various natal potentials such as her rise in position and influence (Jupiter/Sun); the development of an authoritarian mindset (Saturn/Mercury)[Note 2] ; and … well, I haven’t a clue what that Venus/Node progression means ??? Anyone care to hazard a guess on that progressed aspect?
[Note 1] … http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=168864
[Note 2] … “Described as both Hong Kong’s “Iron Lady” and a “nanny” to the administration’s secretaries and top officials, her ability to lead and defend the administration over crises and “cleaning up messes” was seen often in her 36 years in government.” [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=178522]
Quest for the Real Astrology 
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