AQUARIUS FULL MOON - 15 August 2019

Exact at 1.29 BST, 8.29am EDT

This Full Moon has the potential to bring our relationships into full focus, in ways that might not be particularly comfortable but which could be deeply transformative. We certainly have a bit of a Leo party going on at the moment, with Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars and Juno all in this dramatic, enthusiastic, playful sign.  Venus is literally sitting right next to the Sun during this lunation, with Juno, the goddess of committed partnership not far away, so relationships are definitely in the spot light during this moon! Full Moons tend to highlight our relationships anyway, bringing any hidden tensions out into the open, but this one has the potential to have an even more profound impact on our close relationships than usual with Venus and Juno in on the act. As the oceans swell with the Full Moon so do our emotions, as anything that may have been simmering beneath the surface is brought out into the light of our consciousness and projected outwards.

The Sun is very much at home in playful, expressive and spontaneous Leo, where it can shine its light brightly. Leo energy is strong at the moment, with all its drama, passion, enthusiasm, expressiveness, creativity, love of the limelight and need for attention. The Moon is sitting directly opposite, in detached, friendly, rebellious and humanitarian Aquarius. We are asked to find some balance between the energy of the two signs rather than veering too far in one way or the other. Aquarius asks us to step back a bit and maybe find a way of being a bit more objective about whatever we are facing at the moment. Leo energy tends to throw us into the middle of everything, embroiled in the passion and drama of our own experience so that everything becomes a bit more subjective and it is hard to see the wood for the trees. Leo is the part of us that has a tendency to be a bit more self-centred and self-absorbed, possibly finding a bit difficult to see beyond the lens of our own experience. Aquarius reminds us that it’s not all about us and asks us to take a step back and look at from the bird’s eye perspective. Leo is the star of the show, fully participating in life, while Aquarius is the detached onlooker.  Both stances have their down sides and merits!

Venus is sitting right next to the Leo Sun, in exactly the same degree in fact! The Sabian symbol for 23° Leo is: “In a circus the bareback rider displays her dangerous skill”. This is a very evocative image that brings a sense of drama and showmanship, not to mention taking big risks and throwing caution to the wind. It takes a lot of courage, mastery, faith and self-confidence to ride a bareback horse, especially in front on an audience! This feels like it is all or nothing, taking the plunge and putting all of one’s energy and passion into this amazing feat. With Venus and the Sun involved, it is possible that this energy will somehow be playing out in the realm of our relationships. Leo is a very romantic sign; the part of us that follows our hearts and skips down the path of joy, much like a little child following her bliss. Leo likes a good gamble and is not afraid to take a risk. However, when we throw everything we have into something, we do of course run the risk of falling fall flat on our face! In front of everyone, no less! This is the chance we take when throwing ourselves in, body heart and soul. However, if we don’t try, we will never know. And one cannot waver on a bareback horse, or it will end in disaster.

Pluto in Capricorn is forming a niggling inconjunct aspect to the Sun and Venus during this Moon, which could call bring some sticky material to the surface. The inconjunct is a crisis aspect, calling us to question, analyse and try and find a solution to whatever is coming up for us. While the Sun and Venus in Leo are jumping into the middle of the ring, with full passion, confidence and trust, Pluto in Capricorn could bring up fears, questions, control issues, power games, a sense of limitation, fears of loss or abandonment, compulsions, suspicion and/or paranoia. Capricorn is a much more cautious sign than Leo, preferring to keep everything under control and not take unnecessary chances.

 It is possible that during this Moon we could find ourselves becoming more fearful or becoming more aware of people trying to manipulate, control or take our power and confidence away. The bareback rider has no fear and is plunging in, while Pluto in Capricorn could make us all too aware of our limitations and the potential for failure. And Pluto is very powerful! It is also the agent of soul growth and transformation, so ultimately we have the potential for some amazing growth if we are able to face this potential crisis head on and recognise what patterns, beliefs or attitudes need to pass away in order for us to rise up out of the ashes and move forward. The Sabian Symbol for Pluto, at 22° Capricorn, is very different to the one for the Sun and Venus: “By accepting defeat gracefully, a general reveals nobility of character”. Dane Rudyar describes this as “The realisation that one may grow through defeat as, and perhaps more than, through success.  Sometimes we do have to fall on our face, but if we can do so with grace and dignity and take whatever lessons we can from it, then ultimately we will be better off for the experience.

Mercury is now direct and has come back to 4° Leo, which is exactly where the planet of the mind and communication was when it went retrograde. This means that once again we have Uranus forming a square to Mercury. This last happened on 8 July, just as Mercury went retrograde, when we may have received some news that was a bit of a shock or a surprise to us. Uranus does have a habit of delivering curveballs!  We may find ourselves experiencing an echo of whatever happened during that time, or could be revisiting and processing whatever came up for us then. Uranus forces us to think outside of the box and see things from a different perspective, and as the ruler of this Full Moon it is extra-specially potent. We may receive unexpected news or find our minds racing as our ideas, beliefs and way of thinking are challenged. This energy will be strong during the Full Moon and will peak on Fri 16 August, the day after.

In the meantime, Chiron the wounded healer is also forming a harmonious trine aspect to Mercury, which could help us to be honest with ourselves and others about our shortcomings and insecurities and to have some conversations which are very healing indeed. While Uranus may deliver a curve ball or two, Chiron helps us to admit our human frailty and find compassion for ourselves and others. Chiron could help us to really listen to one another with empathy and to somehow find the right words to help one another through whatever we are facing. This is a very helpful energy to have during this Moon, when some uncomfortable material could be brought to the surface for us to examine and work through.

Jupiter, the planet that rules our faith, beliefs and higher, intuitive mind, has will turn direct on 11 August after being retrograde since 10 April. This is helpful, as it could help bring some faith, hope, inspiration and optimism, not to mention the capacity for some forward thinking and capacity to see the bigger picture. Jupiter is very strong right now, as it turns direct. We can tap into Jupiter’s energy to bring a sense of being guided in the right direction. Jupiter is the part of us that knows that even in the deepest, darkest moments there is a light at the end of the tunnel and some higher purpose behind whatever we are experiencing. One by one, the retrograde planets are starting to go forward again, which is very helpful, as it brings a sense of a forward motion and gets things moving.

Aquarius is the sign that helps us to release ourselves from the past and come up with some creative visions of how we would like our lives to be and how to make the world a better place. Wherever Aquarius and its ruler Uranus are found in our chart shows where we may prefer to go our own way and not necessarily conform to societal “standards”. This Moon brings the potential for us to release ourselves from some old patterns and conditioning that may be holding us prisoner. We may receive a shock or surprise in order to do so but that is par for the course with Aquarius and Uranus, as they help to wake us up from our slumber and to recognise how we have been playing a role instead of truly being ourselves. Sometimes the apple cart needs to be upset somewhat in order for us to wake up and recognise what needs to change in our lives. This Moon offers us an opportunity to take a step back and look at ourselves objectively so that we can make whatever adjustments are necessary to set us on the right track. This may not be a comfortable process, and some uncomfortable material may come up, but ultimately it has the potential to be a very liberating experience.

Much Love

Amy

Xoxo

Picture: Breakthrough from Osho Zen Tarot

My website: www.amybirdartandastrology.com