Well, it is not very often that we have a Full Moon in the same sign twice, and when it does happen one can only assume that we are supposed to experience the energy again for some higher purpose. The last Aquarius Full Moon was on 24 July and was at the very beginning of Aquarius, while this one is in the final degree, which is the degree that represents the beginning of the Age of Aquarius. The last degree of a sign is very powerful indeed and brings with it a sense of urgency and culmination, as if we need to somehow tie things up before moving onto the next sign. Aquarius is a sign that prompts us to question the status quo, to break free of our conditioning and programming, to stand up to authority, to think outside of the box and be innovative, and to not be afraid to stand out from the crowd. For some reason we are getting a double dose of this energy this year!
We are now coming to the end of Leo season, as the Sun gets ready to move into humble, analytical, helpful Virgo only eight hours after the Moon is full. Leo is the part of us that needs to express ourselves and needs to somehow feel special. It is quite subjective and “self” centred. Aquarius is more detached, enabling us to step back and see ourselves more objectively. Leo is very warm and led by the heart, while Aquarius is friendly and slightly cool, guided more by the intellect. Both have something to offer one another and we are encouraged to take a bit from both rather than veering too far in one direction. It is often the creative people (Leo) that tend to live on the outskirts (Aquarius) and beautify neighbourhoods, making them more desirable places to be! Aquarius is the experimental innovator with the vision of how life can be better, while creative and expressive Leo brings the vision to life! Leo represents king/queen energy and encourages us to find our sovereignty, while Aquarius stands for the People, for brother/sisterhood and for equality and freedom from tyranny.
While Leo is a full participant of life and tends to be found at the centre of everything, Aquarius is the observer, more often found on the outside looking in, associated with the fringe, the alternative scene, the edge of society. Aquarius is not so interested in fitting in and keeping up with the Joneses, but is the rebel, the radical, the misfit, the agitator, the outsider, the non-conformist, the eccentric, the visionary, the revolutionary. It is the part of us that doesn’t care what other people think and is willing to stand out like a sore thumb if necessary. It is also the part of us that has suffered at the hands of the “group” for being different or holding alternative views to that of the mainstream. Most of us have had experiences whereby we didn’t feel like we fit in or have been bullied or ostracised. Aquarius encourages us to be utterly authentic and true to ourselves and our principles, even if it makes us unpopular or invites judgement from others.
Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius, is forming a harmonious trine aspect to Mercury and Mars in Virgo during this Full Moon, which is very significant. Mercury and Mars are currently moving towards a conjunction that will be exact on 18/19 August but will still be present as we build up to the Full Moon. This combination could help us to say what we mean and mean what we say, getting things out into the open! Mars is the planet of war, action, assertion, drive and motivation - the warrior planet. Mercury is the planet of the mind, thought processes and communication. Put the two of them together and we could have some very candid, direct and forthright communication and the capacity to put our thoughts, plans and ideas into action. Mars is the doer and Mercury is the thinker! Of course, this combination could mean that we have less of a filter and speak before we think, blurting things out that could be hurtful despite their honesty. It could also bring heated debates, conflict and disagreements, as Mars energy can be aggressive and even violent. We can see this playing out on the world stage as I write this.
It is also interesting to note that they are in Virgo, which can be quite critical of self and others. We may find our minds going into overdrive and could over-analyse everything to the nth degree. We may find ourselves a bit more nit-picky with others and also quite sensitive to criticism, even to the point of defensiveness. However, Virgo is hard-working, practical and does like a good project, so this could be a great time for acting on any ideas or concepts that have been percolating in recent times. Mars gives us the courage and motivation to make things happen instead of just thinking about them! In fact, we could find ourselves rather busy in the next few days, although it is important to watch out for any Virgo tendencies towards perfectionism and not be too hard on ourselves.
Uranus will be helping these two along, helping us to think outside of the box and to also act in ways that we might not usually have the courage to. Uranus is the planet of freedom and change, so there may be some brave acts of rebellion, protest and revolution during this time, as people fight for their freedom. We are encouraged to stand up and speak out, having the courage to question the status quo and express our views even if they are unpopular or go against the grain. We may be called to think quickly and act fast and could also find that our minds are racing and our mouths are not far behind! Uranus energy can be quite surprising and even shocking, so we may find that people act out of character and say or do things that they might usually suppress out of a sense of propriety or fear of judgement. Uranus is the maverick, the part of us that thinks and acts independently of the group.
Anyone with personal planets or angles within a couple of degrees of 14° of a sign, especially the fixed signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius will feel the energy of revolutionary and unconventional Uranus most acutely. Anyone with personal planets or angles close to 12 or 13 ° of the mutable signs Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces could notice the direct, open, forceful energy of the Mars Mercury conjunction most strongly. Neptune in Pisces is also widely opposite Mars and Mercury, bringing the potential for illusion, confusion, delusion, misinformation, propaganda, smoke and mirrors and even deception, as things are not as they seem.
It is interesting that expansive Jupiter is also sitting right next to the Moon in Aquarius and opposite the Leo Sun during this Moon. Jupiter is the largest planet and tends to magnify or exaggerate the energy of the sign and planet it comes into contact with. Jupiter represents our faith and beliefs and is the part of us that likes to share our knowledge and wisdom in the form of teaching, preaching and guiding others. With Jupiter in Aquarius for the past year we may have found that what we thought to be true has been blown out of the water, which could have been quite unsettling and destabilising. During this Moon we may find that ourselves and others have a greater need to speak our truth, although we may need to watch out for trying to convince and convert others to our point of view. We may somehow identify with our beliefs more strongly, finding it all a bit more emotional.
Jupiter in Aquarius encourages us to question what we are being told and to read between the lines rather than blindly accepting what those in authority present as truth. There may be a few preachers on the pulpit during this Moon, including ourselves, so it is important to be willing to listen to alternative points of view rather than being too wedded to our version of the truth. Jupiter feels things at a gut level and helps us to trust our intuition and sixth sense, as much as our rational, logical “reasonable” mind may say otherwise. We are encouraged to let go of judgement and be more accepting of other people’s right to their own opinion. Jupiter in Aquarius urges us to cultivate a live and let live attitude and strongly believes in freedom of speech. We all have a right to express our views, but must also be open-minded and tolerant of the way other people see things. This is imperative in a free society.
The Sabian Symbol for this Moon, at 30° Aquarius, is quite profound: “ Deeply rooted in the past of a very ancient culture, a spiritual brotherhood in which many individual minds are merged into the glowing light of a unanimous consciousness is revealed to one who has emerged successfully from his metamorphosis”. Dane Rudyar describes this as “The ability for the person with an open mind and a deep feeling for self-transcendence to come in contact with higher forms of existence. A spiritual Brotherhood constitutes a state of “multi-unity” – i.e. a multiplicity of individuals, if one thinks of the paths they trod to reach their final metamorphosis, but a unity of consciousness and “Soul” - thus unanimity (“anima” meaning Soul). In this spiritual Whole each unit is a recognisable "form" or entity if one looks at it with the eyes of personality; but when seen through a unified spiritual vision or from a distance, the Whole appears to be one single area of radiant light. This is a symbol of spiritual group fulfilment – of CONSCIOUS TOTALITY OF BEING.”
This symbol is the first degree of the Age of Aquarius and brings a sense of hope and, much like Jupiter in Aquarius, encourages us to keep an open mind and open-hearted tolerance of others. I am reminded of the golden rule “Do as you would be done by”. Aquarius strives for true equality, brother/sisterhood and freedom for all and releases us from the chains that bind us, such as our parental and societal conditioning, the roles we get stuck in, the rules that simply don’t make sense and even cause harm, and any undue control or programming. We may feel like we are different from one another on some levels, but fundamentally we are simply souls having a human experience, with all the joy and sorrow, the beauty and strife that it entails. This Moon invites us to focus on what unifies us rather than fixating on what separates us. The gift of Aquarius is freedom, in the truest sense of the word. What do we need to do to feel free?
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
Painting: Freedom by Sandy Tracey