Full Moon in Aquarius

August ushers in a full moon in the archetype of the revolutionary, genius, and truth-sayer. This is the first of two super full moons that will be occurring this month, with the 2nd, a full moon in Pisces, closing out the month on August 30th.

Full moons represent a culmination point and the end of a lunar cycle. We can look back to the new moon in Aquarius that took place on January 21 to see what has come to a close for us including any insights or wisdom we’ve gained since then. Full moons act as a spotlight on our subconscious, as the moon (our subconscious and internal world) is fully illuminated by the sun’s light (our consciousness). To understand what this lunation is highlighting within us, we look to the sun in Leo and the moon in Aquarius.

Leo is the archetype of the performer while Aquarius is the truth-sayer. Leo represents the part of us that desires to share our heart and authentic self-expression with the world. It’s the part of us that wants to be seen, acknowledged, and recognized for our creativity, talent, and the courage it takes to share the contents of our hearts with others.

Aquarius is the archetype of the truth-sayer. It’s representative of our unique genius which we can use for the greater good of the collective. Aquarius is the part of us that is committed to honoring our individuality and what we stand for even if it means standing alone. It’s the rebel within us that refuses to conform to societal or cultural expectations about who we are or what we should be. The common ground that Leo and Aquarius stand on is having the bravery to follow our hearts and be true to our authentic selves regardless of external approval.

This lunation is governed by Aquarius’ co-rulers, Uranus (in Taurus) and Saturn (in Pisces). Just like signs represent archetypes, planets represent a map of our mind. Uranus represents the part of our psyche that's learning to break the rules and follow our own path while Saturn represents where our ability to dream and and have faith is tested. It’s where we need to learn to act alone.

Saturn sits opposite Mercury which will be stationing retrograde in Virgo on August 23. Saturn in Pisces speaks to creating the proper structures (Saturn) to bring our visions (Pisces) to reality, while Mercury in Virgo speaks to the logic, technique, and detail that is needed to fine-tune that vision. Adding to this, the full moon squares off with Jupiter in Taurus, which asks us to have faith (Jupiter) in ourselves and our inner wisdom (Taurus) to guide us through. Overall, this full moon is an invitation to stay true to our authentic self-expression (Leo), our genius (Aquarius), and the way in which we aim to share our gifts, talents, and skills with others.

Reflections:

• Full moons represent a release point, what beliefs and/or narratives about yourself do you need to work on releasing that are not in support of your authentic self?
  In what ways are you dimming your natural expression, way of being, and what you believe in for social approval?

• What’s one step you can take to bring your vision(s) to life and how can continue to build upon it? Is it by honing a certain skill(s), your voice, creativity, etc.?

Aspects: Moon opposite Sun; Square Jupiter; Saturn opp Mercury

New Moon in Cancer

The sun and the moon come together in the archetype of the healer. Cancer’s evolutionary goal is to feel life with an open heart, and this new moon gently invites us to do so as the moon governs the sign of the crab. In Cancer, the moon is nestled right at home.

The moon represents our heart or soul. Its function is to feel. It symbolizes our inner world and how we need to nurture ourselves to maintain our well-being. This lunation draws our attention within. It is a call to nurture, heal, and comfort ourselves; to create a cozy nest, a respite, from the tides that pull our attention to the outer world, and instead focus on tending to our innermost needs and heart.

Adding a layer to this, the moon sits opposite Pluto, the planet of transformation. Pluto is symbolic of our deepest wounds. While the sun represents our consciousness, the moon, our subconscious, Pluto represents everything that lies beneath and hidden in the dark. At the same time, it is the place where our deepest wisdom emerges after we descend to heal our wounds. With the sun and moon in the archetype of the heater, we are invited to give ourselves the tender nurturance we need.

A few hours after the new moon, the nodes of the moon complete their 18th-month journey through the axis of Taurus and Scorpio and enter their stay in Aries and Libra. In a nutshell, the nodes represent what we’re here to evolve from (south node), and the remedy or way forward (north node). The signs the nodes are in represent a lesson. In Taurus-Scorpio, we were learning how to return to the wisdom of our bodies, and moving away from complexity (Scorpio) towards simplicity (Taurus). For the next year and a half, our lessons will be centered on healing the unhealthy patterns of compromising ourselves for the sake of our relationships (Libra) and exercising the courage to be ourselves and bravely go after what we want (Aries).

This new moon carries the tone of healing (Cancer) and signifies the beginning of a new cycle. As the nodes of the moon travel through the Aries-Libra axis for the next18 months, the start of a new journey is echoed. These events coinciding simultaneously are an invitation to heal the wounds of our past and move towards growth and our highest potential.

Aspects: Moon opposite Pluto; sextile Uranus; trine Neptune, square NN, SN, and Chiron

Full Moon in Capricorn

The moon reaches fullness in the archetype of the strategist and marks the halfway point of the calendar year. Capricorn represents structure, discipline, integrity, and ambition. It encompasses the systems and structures we need to implement in our lives to create momentum and accomplish what we’ve set out to do in the world. It’s both the container that holds our visions and goals and the tangible foundations we build to sustain and support them.

The full moon sits opposite the sun (and Mercury) in Cancer, the archetype of the healer. While Capricorn is about having the discipline to make our goals and dreams a reality, Cancer is the reminder that tending to our inner needs is also an essential part of the process. Since Capricorn has the great capacity to remain focused and power through to carry out its tasks, taking breaks and responding to its body’s cues (for rest or a meal) can easily go unnoticed.

Cancer serves as a tender reminder that in order to curve feeling exhausted, burned out, and overwhelmed, we need to take care of our emotional and physical needs. It can be as simple as going for a walk to destress or get some fresh air, taking a nap, sitting out in the sun to relax or recharge, talking to a loved one, having something to eat whether it’s a nourishing meal or a sweet treat, or giving yourself the time and space to hold any emotions that are arising. This lunation is in harmony with Jupiter, the planet of expansion, in Taurus which also echoes taking care of your physical body and listening to your inner voice (Taurus) in order to bring about ease into your life.

In order to carry out what we have in our hearts to accomplish, we also have to take care of the very thing. This full moon serves as an invitation to be honest with ourselves about the necessary changes and adjustments we need to make to better support ourselves — changes that are conducive to both our external and internal needs. This lunation reminds us that self-discipline (Capricorn) and self-care (Cancer) go hand-in-hand.

Reflections:

• What’s one small thing you can do each day, to bring about ease and comfort into your day?

• Full moons represent the completion of a cycle, think back to the new moon in Capricorn (December 2022),  what came into fruition or what is coming to a close?

• Full moons are also associated with releasing, what habits do you want/need to let go of that don’t support your wellness and/or goals?

• How can you create a better foundation to support yourself? Is it creating practical systems and structures to support your goals, implementing self-care practices, or both?

Aspects: Moon opposite Sun/Mercury; trine Jupiter

New Moon in Gemini

The sun and moon come together in the sign of Gemini — the archetype of the storyteller, communicator, and messenger.

Gemini’s goal is to cultivate a beginner’s mind through seeking and gathering information and immersing their senses in new and exciting experiences. Keeping a curious attitude about life is Gemini’s aim.

While new moons are associated with setting intentions, this isn’t a new moon to seek answers or come to a resolution but rather to ask questions. Gemini isn’t about either/or thinking, absolutes, or definitives — it’s about duality, it’s both/and. 

This lunation is governed by Mercury in Gemini and is in friction with Neptune in Pisces. While Mercury pertains to reason and logic, Neptune is everything that lies beyond that. Mercury is of the mind while Neptune is etheric.

Neptune/Pisces is the dreamer while Mercury/Gemini is the intellectual, and so, this new moon invites us to daydream, to play in the realm of possibilities, to explore the nuances, and ask questions that lead to more questions.

During this new moon, see if you can move beyond the part of you that can tend to intellectualize (Mercury) what is or could be, and connect with the part of you that isn’t bound by any limitations (Neptune). The part of you that isn’t restricted by what the external world says is possible, but by what you know in your heart to be possible for you. To get in tune with that part of yourself is what this new moon speaks to.

Apspects: Moon square Neptune, Saturn; Mercury sextile Venus and Mars