Full Moon in Pisces: Harvest Moon, Lunar Eclipse, and Return to Wholeness

Monterey Bay                                                                                                                                Catherine Al-Meten Meyers

On Friday morning, September 16 at 9:45 A.M.  the Full Moon in Pisces reaches her peak. The Full Moon nearest the Autumn Equinox is called the Harvest Moon. This Harvest Moon promises to put on an outstanding show as it also features a full lunar eclipse. The Full Moons are named according to what is ripening during that season. The Harvest Moon is also called the Barley Moon and the Corn Moon. Some Lakota Sioux call this moon the Moon When the Plums are Scarlet and the Omaha call it The Moon When the Deer Paw the Earth. What is this Moon called by those tribes who live in your region?  Full Moons are a time of culmination and ripening of ideas. It is a time of fulfillment and the fruition of whatever was set into motion at the time of the New Moon. It can also be a time when you celebrate the completion of projects, stages of life, or different steps in some kind of ongoing process. It is also a time when we are all faced with the polarities that challenge and motivate us.

This month with the Sun in 24/20 degrees of Virgo and the Moon in 24/20 degrees of Pisces, the polarities that are coming into focus deal with the different energies of these two signs.  Virgo, an Earth sign, asks us to tend to the balance between our physical needs, routines, and daily activities and way of life and that of the Pisces, water sign emphasis on our spiritual and creative lives, health and conneciton to Infinite Wisdom.  The Virgo Sun has been motivating and in fact even forcing us to deal with the patterns of behavior, techniques, and our thinking about how we maintain health and well being as well as order in our lives.  The Full Moon in Pisces now shines light on our spiritual selves, asking us to  expend our energy into honoring our spiritual and emotional nature, developing and trusting our intangilbe knowledge and intuition, and being more open and responsive to our creative urges.

This conflict or challenge, depending on how you have been dealing with these polarities in your own life, are also triggered by the Saturn-Neptune square.  Saturn is currently at 10/48 of Sagittarius in an exact square to Neptune in Pisces at  10/15 degrees. The Full Moon in Pisces will trigger this square before the moon reachers fullness. We wil need to be paying attention to the discrencies in our lives--those choices and conditions that force us to live at the extremes rather than maintaining greater harmony in a more balanced way of life. Paying attention to what sets us or others off, can help us keep a weather eye on how we need to maintain our own balance in spite of what is setting of someone else.

It is necessary as the Full Moon in Pisces rises to her powerful light, to notice how our hungers, angers, levels of exhaustion, or tone of voice signal a need to back off, calm down, or avoid conflicts. When we find ourselves in places or relationships that challenge our ability to maintain balance and a full sense of our Divine center, we need to back off, walk away, or stay out of the line of fire. Things are not always as they appear, and though our senses are heightened, and our inutition is in high gear, we may still be deluded by Neptune’s illusory haze that makes us want to see what is not there. Deal with what is, not what you’d like it to be.

As the Full Moon in Pisces rises over the next 24 hours, it is also approaching a conjuntion with Jupiter, a square to Mars, and a quincunx to Uranus. Hold onto your hats! The conjunction with Jupiter in 1 degree of Libra promises a glimpse into a bright future, a taste of fruitful possibilities, or hope for a more fulfilling future. Like the first fruits that are prized at the end of the growing season, we get our first glimpse of what is possible if we maintain our inner calm and  keep our focus and commitment on what is growing to fullness in our lives.

The Sun in Virgo’s square to Mars at 28 degrees of Sagittarius may also trigger some impatience, aggression, or frustration. Again, making sure you are taking care of your health, hygiene, and physical needs, can help you head off some encounters of the worst kind. Back away from the fires. Fire can help us create; it can also burn us. Be cautious.  And watch where you are going. This energy can makes us forget to pay attention to the basics. Uranus in Aries brings about sudden, shocking, and unexpected events, news, understandings, and flashes of spot on intuition.  Sometimes our agitation is something we pick up from what is going on in and with others; spend some time discering, “What is mine; what is someone else’s?”

Notice what houses/areas of your life are most affected by this Full Moon in Pisces, Harvest Moon, and Lunar Eclipse. What is reaching fulfillment in the area where the Virgo Sun is shining? What is triggering this fulfillment and bringing emotional and creative expression to life? How does Saturn’s placement in fiery Sagittarius set off Neptune in Pisces? And how do the houses where Jupiter, Mars, and Uranus are aspecting the Sun and the Moon, seem to be affecting what is growing and coming to fruition in your life?  Not only are all these areas highlighted, but the energy of the eclipse heightens our emotional responses and sets into motion some pretty dramatic twists and turns. What was blocked, may be removed. What was unclear, is revealed. What was thought impossible, gives forth a ray of hope. Change may not happen immediately, but we may get signs, glimpses, or signals of what is going to manifest in the next 6 months. Whatever we have been brooding on is now showing signs of life. We understand something at this time that makes it clearer as to what needs to change, what needs to go, and what needs to end before hope can come to life.


Our senses are heightened, our intuitiion is keen, and our dreams and impressions are full of sudden and enlightening messages and awareness. It may be a very inspiring time. Set up the easel, pick up the pen, let your visions and fantasies come to life in some creative way. Let your senses and imagination speak to you at this time. Even though we may feel edgy with all this energy swirling about, it will be a time of great passion, excitement, revelations, and mysteries will be revealed. After all the sensible and balanced energy of Virgo and Libra, this Full Moon reminds us of our more mystical and spiritual nature. Get comfortable with the movement, flow with the excitement, and let go of needing to control every aspect of life. Let the imperfections become part of the pattern and fabric of life now. Rid yourself of the perfectionism that prevents you from flowing and growing. Let yourself be immersed in the Light.

The Mars Square,  Venus quincux, and the tight trine to Uranus in Aries, signals the end of an era. The acting out of repressed emotions, and egotistical behavior and attitudes do some lasting damage in the light of this Full Moon. There will be a tendency for some to act out when their needs aren’t met or they don’t get their own way. Beware.

Pisces includes the Costellation of Pegasus. Two fixed stars  in Pegasus include the main star,  Markab and Sadalbari. When the Moon touches Mrkab this signifies a need to watch emotional reactions and responses. Avoid rash and impulsive behavior. Keep your eye on the road when driving, and watch your temper if you’re feeling off base. Sandalbari portends good fortune unless of course we lose our bearings and start acting like a brat.

As the Full Moon in Pisces squares Mars, there may be a need to feel protective of home and hearth. We may overwork, overdo, or push ourselves too far. This is a time to take extra good care of ourselves. Slow down, get enough rest, and channel emotions through creativity, exercise, dance, music, or some form of healthy exertion. We may also feel more ambitious and courageous at this time. Exercise caution though.

When the Sun in Virgo forms a quncux to Uranus in Aries we may notice an element of fanatacism and obsession that is threatening and explosive. The tendency may be to act and think later. We may want to make an extra effort to hold off on major decision or reactive behavior. Think things through even though you feel you have reached a flashpoint. Just make note of the feelings, thoughts, and actions that have led you to this point, and wait for calmer heads to prevail. Nothing is so urgent that it cannot wait a bit longer for completion. Knowing what you want is one step in a process that is just at its beginning.


An idea I’d like to throw out this month because it is such a powerful influence on our lives and development is that of the Learning Triangle. This month there are several  strong learning triangles that affect us all. The first is with Moon-Sun-Mars,  the second is with Saturn-Uranus-North Node, and a third is Neptune-Saturn-North Node. A learning triangle occurs in our own charts in the form of trines. In the transiting chart connected with the Full Moon in Pisces, we have more than three of the Learning trines, but they all affect similar areas of our life.

A learning trine is an area of our chart/transit chart that includes a trine and the houses/where the trine exists.  The trine inidcates areas in our lives where we experience wounds, problems, challenges, and our narrative or life story. Archetypal and depth psychology use archetype and myth to help us understand the unconscious and conscious patterns that exist in our relationships. Of course our family triangle is the starting point. Freud coined the term, “the family romance” to show how he believed the Oedipal myth plays out in family dynamics. Whatever myth, narrative, or story you tell of your own family, probably will give you some clues as to what your are working out in your own life.

When we work on healing early in life, we may arrive into adulthood with some good skills for coping and understanding our lives. Most of us, however, don’t complete the learning but instead we carry our past into the present. Some would say we carry our past through the generations, acting the past out into one generation after another. If you believe in reincarnation, we carry the lessons throughout lifetimes.  What we have a chance of doing right now, however, is to look at the areas of our lives where we have unresolved wounds, guilt, anger, drama, unfulfilled desires, and disappointment, in order to see if we can bring some heaing about. It's never too late to learn how to change the patterns, energy, and direction of our lives, and this Full Moon in Pisces is one of those very special healing times. With Chiron the Wounded Healer in conjunction with the Moon during this time, our wounds help heal, and help us understand how we can be a source of healing through our example of doing our own work, standing on our own feet, and dealing with what we have come her to do. Find meaning in what has happened in the past, and change what is happening in the present.

My suggestion would be to look in your own chart and see where the dynamics of the learning triangles are playing out this month. Look to the houses/areas of your life where the Moon in Pisces, Sun in Virgo, and Mars in Sagittarius are located. Study this area to see how your emotional well being (Moon in Pisces) is being affected by your ability to express yourself  (Sun in Virgo) in that area of your life, and then see what kinds of actions (Mars in Sagittarius) are happeneing or are needed.

Another area you might look at is  Saturn in Sagittarius learnings and lessons are receiving some shocks, upsets, suprises that are then triggering major life changes (North Node). Look to the area where each of these is located in your chart/area of your life.

Yet another interesting area might be to see how Neptune in Pisces  (dreams, illusions, imagination, fantasies, misconceptions) are affected by the area of your life where you are learning Saturn’s lessons---lessons that are also causing a major change of your way of perceiving and understanding your purpose, mission, calling, or life style and choices.

Next month I will go a little more deeply into this idea. Play around with this during the Full Moon and the following weeks to see how this plays out and resonates with your own understanding. I’d love to hear how you experience this. There is so much going on in these and other areas, that you should have plenty to examine. A very Virgo and Saturnian way of exploring the Piscean and Neptunian energies of this lovely, wild, and emotionally charged Full Moon in Pisces and Lunar eclipse. Enjoy yourself! Focus on what makes you happy and what brings out your Light.