This is a very powerful Full Moon because Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, is also sitting right on top of the Moon. This is a double whammy of Capricorn energy! While the Moon is the feminine, the mother, the Matriarchy, Saturn is the masculine, the father, the Patriarchy. And they are both joining forces, entwining, during this Full Moon. The Sun is currently in the emotional, nurturing and sensitive sign of Cancer, and will be opposing the Moon in the controlled, authoritative and responsible Capricorn. During a Full Moon we are asked to find the balance between the energy of the two signs, although in this particular case the balance seems to be tipping towards Capricorn. We could become all too aware of how we have repressed or supressed our emotions, as old grief could come rising up for us confront. The Moon represents our emotional nature, and Saturn/Capricorn represents the conditioning influence of culture and society, which teaches us to rein in our natural instincts and can restrict us from expressing our emotions. While Cancer represents our more vulnerable, feeling nature, Capricorn encourages us to hold everything in and keep a “stiff upper lip”.
This Moon could represent some kind of rite of passage, whereby we are forced to “grow up” in some way. The higher part of Capricorn asks us to become responsible for our actions; to be accountable somehow; to act responsibly and with integrity. It is a very karmic sign, so we may be forced to take responsibility for our past deeds, actions and intentions, whether they be “good” or “bad”. We might be asked to stand up and be counted, stepping into our personal authority in some way. Capricorn asks for discipline, commitment and patience when it comes to reaching our goals in life. As such, this Moon might involve some kind of initiation, or a maturing process, whereby we really step up to the plate and take responsibility for ourselves and our path and place in the world. However, with Saturn sitting right on top of the Moon we could also experience the limiting, inhibiting, controlling side of Capricorn, and be forced to face the negative side of judgement and the guilt that it can produce. Feeling judged by others never feels good, but all too often we are our own worst judge, mercilessly condemning ourselves and expecting ourselves to meet impossible standards that are utterly unfair.
Saturn and the Moon are not the most comfortable of bedfellows, and in Capricorn we could definitely feel the weight or burden of our parental and societal conditioning. While Cancer and the Moon represent our softer, more emotional and nurturing nature; the part of us that wants to take care of other and also be taken care of, Saturn represents strict corrective discipline, asking us to parent ourselves and hold it all together. When is it more appropriate to allow ourselves to express our natural emotions and when is it better to hold them in? Did we receive the message early in life that emotions are somehow “messy” or “not allowed”? Have we been allowed to fully grieve the losses in our lives, or did we feel that we had to pull ourselves together and get on with it? And if so, where are those emotions stored now and how are they affecting our lives and relationships? Where to we have a tendency or need to control ourselves or others? What will happen if we loosen the reins a little? Are we afraid of being vulnerable? These are all questions that could come up during this moon.
Chiron is also challenging the Sun, Moon and Saturn during this Moon, so it is quite possible that old grief or sorrow could come up, or any emotions that we have bottled up or buried might feel heavier and more present than usual. When natural emotions have been suppressed, repressed or controlled too much due to parental or societal conditioning then it can cause feelings of depression, futility or pessimism. Chiron’s influence could cause such feelings to come bubbling up to the surface, and it is quite likely that we could feel quite vulnerable as a result. And Capricorn doesn’t like feeling vulnerable! We are being asked to take responsibility for our insecurities and wounded nature and to recognise where we have been hurt by school, societal rules and regulations, authority or restrictive and repressive parenting. This could also be a time for healing the father wound. Not to mention the many wounds inflicted upon us by the many lifetimes living in a male-dominated, patriarchal society.
The Sabian Symbol for Saturn, at 6° Capricorn, is: “Ten logs lie under an archway leading to darker woods”, which Dane Rudyar describes as “The need to complete any undertaking before seeking entrance to whatever is to be found beyond”. There is a sense that the fallen logs represent old, outworn structures in our lives; the past, and that they are somehow obstructing our path ahead. Facing up to the material represented by the logs could enable us to push them aside and go deeper, or it could be that we are not supposed to be able to see while lies beyond yet. First we might have to deal with whatever we have accumulated along the way and recognise what is no longer useful to us. What is blocking our path? What karma have we accrued that might be stopping us from moving forward? What memories do we need to face up to in order to go deeper? What old material is preventing us from seeing our way? What do we need to complete before the next phase can begin? How do we prepare for the next step?
This Moon certainly has a serious feeling to it, as if we are being forced to face up to something; to step into our authority and take responsibility for ourselves somehow. It is time for our inner parent to come to the fore. It’s time to grow up and be counted. The Cancer/Capricorn polarity brings any family issues to the forefront of our consciousness and forces us to recognise how the conditioning we have received has shaped us. It is interesting that Mother Moon and Father Saturn have joined together for this Moon. It feels very significant. The masculine and feminine/father and mother joining forces. Not to mention a double dose of Saturnian energy to force us to face up to ourselves! The good news is that there is a harmonious trine aspect building between Saturn and Uranus that could be very helpful in releasing us from the past and liberating us from any old patterns of conditioning that are keeping us stuck or holding us prisoner. This trine will be exact in August, but the energy is building now. Uranus helps breakdown any old structures in our lives and awaken us to our true nature and potential, beyond who we have been told we ought to be. This Moon could represent the first step in the process, helping us to see what limits us and how we hold ourselves back. It definitely feels like some kind of growing up initiation or process.
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
Picture: Capricorn by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law