LEO FULL MOON / TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE - 20 / 21 January 2019

Exact at 5.16am GMT, 12.16am EST

This is one powerful Full Moon, that’s for sure! It is not only the first Full Moon of the year, in the very first degree of Leo, but it is also a Supermoon and Total Lunar Eclipse! Full Moons have the tendency to bring to the surface whatever has been bubbling away since the New Moon and often play out within our relationships. Supermoons are closer to earth so that they have a stronger effect on our mind, body, emotions and spirit. It is as if they amplify the energy of the Moon. Another term for a Lunar Eclipse is a Blood Moon, because the Moon gradually turns red. Imagine what people must have thought in times gone by when they saw the moon turning red! They might have thought that the Gods were angry, or that is was some kind of powerful omen! Indeed, Lunar Eclipses do tend to be harbingers of change. Something in our lives, both personally and collectively, is coming to an end in order to make way for something else to take its place. Wherever the first degree of Leo and Aquarius falls in our chart could show where we will feel the impact of the transformation. Indeed, if we have any personal planets or angles around the zero degree of the fixed signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius, we will very likely feel this Eclipse most strongly.

The Sun will have just entered individualistic, humanitarian and revolutionary Aquarius as this Full Moon peaks, starting off Aquarius season for us. Directly opposite will be the Moon in strong-willed, creative and playful Leo, and so the onus is for us to find some balance between the two signs rather than veering too far in either direction.  Leo encourages us to take charge of our own destiny and creatively actualise our own unique, special purpose. The expression “Follow your bliss” comes from Leo, because if we do what brings us our greatest joy then it is quite likely that we will find fulfilment in life. Aquarius, however, urges us to align that special sense of purpose with a socially relevant need, rather than it being merely self-serving. Leo is the sign of the monarch, and much like the planets revolve around the Sun, Leo can feel like the world revolves around him. Aquarius is the sign of the rebellious revolutionary, who feels quite detached from the mainstream and delights in being different. Leo shows where we tend to be quite heartfelt and subjective, while Aquarius helps us to be objective and somewhat detached.  

Questions that might come us during this Moon are: “What makes me unique?”, “Am I afraid to stand out from the crowd?”, “Where do I seek validation from others?”, “What is my greatest joy in life?”, “What is my true purpose in life?”, “Am I making a difference in the world?”, “What trauma is still unresolved in my life?”, “Am I afraid to truly shine my light in the world?”, “Am I insecure or jealous of other people’s talents?”, “Do the people I spend my time with help me to fully express myself?”,  “What patterns and behaviours do I still need to let go of in order to grow?”, “Do I dissociate or detach from my body and/or emotions?”, “Am I trying so hard to fit in that I am suppressing who I really am?”, “How can I take the reins and fully take charge of creating the life I so dearly want?”, “Am I merely self-serving or am I contributing to the world?”, “What part might I have to play in making the world a better place to live?”, “Who do I feel intimidated or insecure around?”, “Do I put other people down in order to make myself feel bigger?”,  “Do I manipulate others for attention?” “How can I encourage others and make them feel special?”, “Who or what might I need to let go of in my life that is restricting my growth?”, “What is my heart’s true desire?”, “What is holding me back from my vision of my ideal life?”

Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius, is a big player in this Moon and is forming a challenging square aspect to the Sun, Moon, Mercury and the Nodes of the Moon. Aside from the fact that we are in Eclipse season, which portends change and transformation, Uranus has a tendency to create sudden upheaval and change in order to release us from stagnation and help us to grow. This can be quite traumatic, but can also force us to be more objective about our lives and liberate us from any patterns or situations that are preventing us from growing. Sudden shocks or surprises, change and upheaval that seems to “happen” to us is usually merely mirroring our own inner need for change and liberation from old patterns that are holding us prisoner. The tarot card that springs to mind as an evocative illustration of the energy of Uranus is The Tower. This card speaks of sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation and awakening. Some amazing epiphanies, realisations and insights could arise during this time, as we are forced to see things from a different perspective and step outside of our comfort zone.

Interestingly enough, the asteroid Pallas Athene is directly opposite Uranus and is also forming an almost exact square to the Nodes of the Moon. Pallas Athene is also known for bringing upheaval, change and sudden wake up calls that lead to a greater understanding of things.  Pallas Athene is an a very strong, female goddess and, among other things, she is known for destroying Medusa and completely rejecting her matriarchal roots in favour of male superiority, hence being a catalyst for the transition from the matriarchy to the patriarchy. With the Nodes of the Moon currently in Capricorn and Cancer, the Patriarchy and the Matriarchy, we are seeing the flaws of the patriarchal system all too clearly and are being asked to adopt a more inclusive, gentle, nurturing, tribal and family oriented way of approaching the world. Pallas Athena is an incredibly sharply intelligent female energy who denied her female roots and, by all accounts, allowed the unconscious masculine side to take over and dominate her personality. People with a strong Pallas Athene in their charts tend to identify very much with their fathers and, indeed, are known for having a father complex. This means that they have a tendency to submit to and validate patriarchal power or to absorb and imitate this patriarchal power.

As Pallas Athene is currently square the Nodes of the Moon, it means that her energy is very prominent indeed during this Eclipse season. The  South Node in Capricorn, which shows tendencies we need to leave behind in order to grow, represents the patriarchal authority, repression of emotions, suppression of maternal, nurturing instincts and too much focus on control, career and status. The North Node, which shows tendencies we currently need to cultivate in order to evolve, represents the matriarchy, tending to the community and family, nurturing and nourishing one another, allowing our feelings to show, allowing more vulnerability and a greater emphasis on the home and family and honouring our mothers, grandmothers and the wisdom of womanhood in general. We are also being encouraged to heal the collective Mother/Daughter relationship, which has become quite damaged over time. The symbolic energy of Pallas Athene, as shown by this square to the Nodes, is part of what might be blocking this progression.

There are a couple of noteworthy aspects that feel important during this Full Moon/ Eclipse, and both involve Venus, the planet of love and beauty, which represents our relationship to ourselves and others. Venus and Jupiter are joining forces in Sagittarius, which is a beautiful thing! This could expand our heart space and help us to relate to one another in ways that are mutually beneficial. Jupiter is the planet of growth and expansion and is the biggest planet, so he tends to expand the energy of whatever planet he comes into contact with. In this case he is expanding the energy of the planet of love, harmony, beauty and relationship! There is a hopeful feeling about this conjunction, which also brings the potential for meeting people who could be really good for us, helping us to grow and expand our horizons, and vice versa. This aspect will be exact on the 22^nd, so the energy is strong during this Eclipse.

 Venus and Mars, the cosmic lovers, are also forming a harmonious aspect to one another during this Moon. This is very good for our relationships, as it creates a nice balance between our ability to attract and our capacity to assert ourselves. Venus is yin energy and Mars is yang, and so we should be able to connect with others quite easily and even playfully. If we have been trying to find the courage to approach someone that we like then this would be the time to do it, as Mars gives us a boost of confidence! Likewise, this aspect could help us to be brave enough to tell our partner things that we might usually be too shy to divulge. This is great for meeting new people and also for enjoying the relationships we already have. Both Venus and Mars are in Fire signs at the moment, which lends an enthusiastic, passionate, self-confident and inspirational element to the whole affair! This aspect is exact on Fri 18 January, but will still be present during the Full Moon. These two Venus aspects definitely lighten the atmosphere and provide a considerable amount of hope for this Eclipse.

This Moon certainly feels like is could bring in some changes, both on the internal and external; both personally and collectively. With the next three Full Moons occurring in the first degree of the sign they are in, there is certainly the whiff of new energy coming in. We never know what might be around the corner, as things can so easily change, in the blink of an eye! This Leo Moon should enhance our creativity and help us to not only envision the life we want to live, but also to shape it out of the strength of our own will.  We are being asked to follow our greatest joy and to act on our heart’s desires! There certainly is the potential for some shocks and surprises during this Moon, but ultimately this could bring some amazing insight and understanding, as if we will somehow be able to see ourselves and our lives more clearly. The more we resist change the harder it is, so it is better to do the inner work and contemplate what area of our lives is stagnant or stuck and needs some life breathing into it. We all know what it is, but the question is, are we willing to act on our inner knowing and actually instigate change? Or are we just going to wait for it to come along and hit us over the head?!

Much Love

Amy

xoxo

My website: www.amybirdartandastrology.com

Picture: from Prisma Vision Tarot by James R. Eads