This Full Moon activates the healing axis of Virgo and Pisces, two yin signs following the yang energy of the last couple of Moons. We are now in Pisces season, as the Sun has now left airy, exciting, objective Aquarius and moved into this sensitive, compassionate, dreamy water sign. There has been a lot of Aquarius energy of late, with Pluto, the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars all travelling through this rather heady, visionary sign, and now the Sun and Mercury have moved into Pisces, bringing a slight shift of energy. Pisces, being a water sign, is far more emotional than friendly, detached Aquarius, so we could find that we are pulled from our heads into our hearts.
The Moon is sitting in helpful, analytical, humble Virgo, opposing the Pisces Sun, and so we are called to find some balance between the energy of the two signs. Too much Virgo can make us overly self-critical, perfectionist and prone to crisis, which is where Pisces jumps in to remind us to practice the art of self-acceptance, stilling the monkey mind and going with the flow. Virgo is the part of us that likes to be helpful, but which can become so busy “doing” that we forget to just “be”. Pisces, however, is the part of us that can just lie back and allow the river to take us along with its flow, but which can also procrastinate or bury our head in the sand. Virgo likes to have things in order, in neat little boxes, while Pisces reminds us that life is sometimes not that neat and tidy!
This is the kind of Moon that can bring about some kind of healing, although sometimes Virgo can bring some kind of crisis that forces self-examination and self-analysis that helps us find some kind of solution for whatever we are facing. Virgo is the part of us that experiences worry and anxiety and can make mountains out of molehills. This is where Pisces comes in, because sometimes we just need to have faith and trust that we are being guided in the right direction and that we are protected and held. Pisces invites us to simply surrender and allow the river to take us wherever it will, with the faith that whatever happens along the way and wherever we end up is for our highest good. We all know that worrying about things doesn’t help – in fact it blocks the energy flow and prevents us from thinking clearly and finding solutions.
Saturn is a very big part of this Full Moon, sitting right next to the Sun in Pisces and opposing the Moon. Saturn can also bring up fear in us, as it makes everything feel a bit too real. Saturn can make us feel like we have obstacles in our way, but also reminds us to be patient, for while it may sometimes feel like things aren’t moving or we are blocked, there may be a good reason for it that will reveal itself later down the track. Often when the way is blocked it is because we are not supposed to be doing it at that time. Saturn’s influence during this Moon could bring about some kind of lesson or reality check, and could make things feel a bit heavy, limited, stuck, or blocked. However, it could also help us to step up and take full responsibility for our part in whatever is happening. We are not helpless victims!
Instead of allowing fear to overwhelm us, we can use Saturn’s influence to create a sensible, tangible plan of action, take control, create healthy boundaries and contemplate our situation with a practical, realistic lens. Saturn in Pisces can help us to lay down foundations and create structures, aligning ourselves and channelling our inspiration into something tangible so that we can turn our dreams and fantasies into reality. We just have to be aware that it can also make us feel like we are drowning in fear, especially combined with a Virgo Full Moon. Fear blocks flow, so it is better not to dwell in it, even though it is sometimes easier said than done!
Mercury is also a big part of this Moon, being the ruler of Virgo and sitting on the other side of the Sun, opposing the Moon. This puts mental activity and communication very much in focus and does hold the potential for our imaginations running wild in all the wrong directions! Mercury in Pisces is very right brained and imaginative but can also find it hard to focus! It is important to be mindful of how our minds are working during this Moon because they may be working in overdrive, and combined with the Saturnian energy we could easily feel overwhelmed by worst case scenarios! It is better to use the Pisces energy to tap into universal consciousness and see how spirit might inspire, guide and help us to come up with beautiful solutions. The answers will come if we still our minds and listen to our quiet inner voice and intuitive knowing.
Despite being in Pisces season now, we do still have some Aquarius energy! Most significantly, Pluto is now in Aquarius, which has brought a significant shift of energy since leaving Capricorn on 21 January. Combined with Chiron conjunct North Node in Aries, we are being called to contemplate who we really, truly are and what we need, outside of any conditioning we have received over our lifetime. Pluto can help peel back the layers to reveal our true essence – the original spark that lies beneath all the detritus that has piled on top of us over the course of our lifetime, obscuring our true nature. Pluto in Aquarius invites us to be unapologetically ourselves and also encourages us to connect with our tribe of like-minded souls, those people who simply “get us”.
A couple of days before this Moon, Pluto moves into 1° of Aquarius, for which the Sabian symbol is “The unexpected thunderstorm”. Dane Rudyar describes this as “The need to develop the inner security which will enable us to meet unexpected crisis. This scene stresses the fact that nature may reduce to impermanence the seemingly most permanent endeavours and constructive activities of men. Under a downpour of rain, adobe brick can return to mud. All human institutions and their achievements can be washed away, even in their day of great glory. “Dust you were, dust you must become.” This is NATURE’S CHALLENGE.” A thunderstorm can definitely clear the air, and can be very cleansing, although this does seem to indicate an event for which we are not prepared. However, it doesn’t mean that it is not welcome or helpful!
Venus and Mars, the cosmic lovers, are travelling together in friendly, quirky and detached Aquarius right now, which feels significant and can bring matters of the heart into focus. They will be exactly conjunct each other on Thursday 22 February, and anyone with personal planets or angles around 6° of a sign will be feeling the love, passion, energy and creativity of this combination, especially in the fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. We could be feeling a bit more amorous during this time, that’s for sure, and passion, creativity and sexuality could play more of a part.
It is important to be aware that Venus and Mars are conjoining in Aquarius, a sign that is experimental, progressive, unconventional, freedom-loving and tends to be “friendly but not too familiar”. Aquarius invites us to contemplate the type of relationship that works for us, rather than the kind that society deems normal or acceptable. Anything goes, as far as Aquarius is concerned, and the most important thing is to be authentic and true to ourselves, even if it means going against the grain.
The Sabian Symbol for this Moon, at 6° Virgo, is interesting:” A merry-go-round” which Dane Rudyar describes as “The first experience of the dynamic intensity of life processes and of the possibility of using them to reach a characteristic ego-satisfaction. Two stages of experience are distinguishable: that in which a very young child is seated with his mother or nurse in an open carriage – the only experience is that of circular, perhaps at first dizzying, movement – and the stage of riding a horse (or some other animal) which often goes up and down as well as around. As the horse always represents the vital energy (later understood as libido or “psychic energy”), the merry-go-round at this stage symbolises or prefigures the awareness of the cyclicity and the ups and downs of the emotional life. In its broadest sense we see here a characterisation of what the developing consciousness (and at a certain level, the “disciple on the Path”) experiences: AN OBJECTIVE APPROACH TO THE LIFE FORCE”.
There is something else to be aware of with this symbol, however, and that is that it is going round and round in circles, bringing a sense of repeating cycles. It could be helpful to look at what is happening now and consider whether we have been here before, albeit in a different way. Perhaps we are stuck in a rut or repeating the same mistakes and unhealthy patterns, or perhaps whatever we are experiencing now is the next phase of something that keeps cropping up over the course of our lives, reminding us of its importance. It is important to pay attention to these cyclic repetitions and continuations. Some things keep coming around for a reason.
A Virgo Full Moon can help us to find solutions for any niggling problems we have been having. It can also highlight any worry or anxieties we are experiencing, possibly even bringing them to crisis point. However, the message here is not to fall into fear or try and force things, but to trust in the flow of life. If something isn’t flowing, or feels blocked, then maybe it isn’t right for us, or needs changing somehow. One of Virgo’s superpowers is the art of discernment – recognising what works for us and what doesn’t, what contributes to our well-being and what drains or depletes us. This could be a good Moon to separate the wheat from the chaff, as Virgo can definitely help us to cleanse, purify and do whatever inner work is necessary to improve our situation. Meanwhile, Pisces reminds us that we are already perfect in our imperfection, and to follow the path of least resistance. Rather than forcing matters, we are invited to simply let go and enjoy the ride!
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
Painting: Taming the Monkey Mind – Unknown