Full Sturgeon Moon in Pisces

On Sunday, August 26 at 4:56 a.m PDT/7:56 a.m. EDT the Moon in Pisces reaches her peak. August’s Full Moon in Pisces, called the Sturgeon Moon or the Green Corn Moon, comes as the fish are swimming  upriver to spawn and corn in growing and being harvested in the fields in the Northern Hemisphere. Every day when I go sit by the river near where she meets the  sea, I see the trucks, trailers, tents, and campers of those who have come to fish as the sturgeon enter the river. The Full Moon in 3 degrees of Pisces, the first decan, forms an aspect to a Grand Trine in Earth Signs and is part of a you formation with the North Node (gateway to change). After a period of time marked by three eclipses, a number of planets in retrograde (Mars and Mercury have now turned direct), it is like there’s been a huge event and disturbance that have left the streets littered with much that need cleaning up.

The Full Moon in Pisces and its aspects set us on a course to straighten up what needs to be put back in order and to use our imagination and ingenuity to be open to other possibilities outside the range of what we have considered ‘normal’. What we set into motion during this period, has long-lasting effects, and definitely will bring change in the next month that will shine a light into darkness in areas of life both for the collective whole and for individuals. This Full Moon falls between two major stars in the Constellation of Aquarian, Saddle Malick and  Form al-Haut. Saddle Malek, Saddle of the King at 3 degrees represents promise of gain earned by merit. 

The royal command bestows honor or disgrace depending on what we have earned.  This might mean our work receives recognition, we might find ourselves favored for our good qualities and behavior or, if we have not used our gift wisely, we may face dishonor, shame, or punishment. The other fixed star, Fomal al-Haut at 4 degrees suggests that what has been going on in secret has created enemies and crises/challenges that we now have to straighten out.  We may have misjudged others or been misunderstood or viewed in ways detrimental to our good.  it is crucial that we use our gifts, talents, powers, and resources for the greater good, and refrain from causing harm or trying to manipulate other. Those who misuse their power, will suffer and fall into disgrace. 

The Full Moon in Pisces focuses on the watery elements that keep energy flowing. Eliminate any blockages, clear out stagnate areas of thinking or emotional upset, and let the flow move you to take positive, concrete steps in all areas of life. The Moon aligned with Forma al-haut offers great honors or great disgrace. How you use your energy and create positive flow in all areas of your life, will determine how beneficial or not this Full Moon alignment will be. Dreams, fantasy, imagination, and all the intuitive realms are highlighted at this Full Moon in Pisces. We weave from our past and our accomplishments, the tapestry of our lives now and into the future. We are encouraged by this energy to do what we must do to unchain ourselves from whatever is holding us back and connect with what truly gives us life, and provides us with a channel of peace and cooperation with others. There is too much to be done to go it alone right now. We must cleave to one another to help support and nurture life.

Moon in Pisces sextile Saturn in Capricorn (part of the Grand Trine in Earth): Watery, emotional Moon in Pisces wears down the harshness of Saturn in earthy Capricorn.  Tears may flow and soften our understanding of what the lessons we are struggling to learn have to teach us. Our security, which begins with our understanding and appreciation of who we are, relies on our actively engaging in making the changes we need to make. While Saturn may make us feel we are on some kind of schedule, the Moon in Pisces reminds us that all is done in Divine Time, not our time.  Do the best you can. Give yourself credit for what you’ve already accomplished, and then keep on moving forward one step at a time. 

Moon in Pisces sextile Mars in Taurus (also part of the Earth Grand Trine). This aspect supports and ignites the artistic and mental brilliance that fuels inspiration and intuition. You might find that this is a good time to share your ideas and innovative creativity.  Public favor is again yours if you’ve done what you needed to do to move forward. Conversely, if you’ve been dragging your feet and making excuses for why not to dream big, you will find your coffers empty from lack of trust. 

Saturn in Capricorn trine Uranus in Taurus brings to life whatever was being planted, nurtured, and growing in your garden last year at this time. The changes you sought last year, have now come to fruition, and are ready to manifest in the world in which you live. 

The placement of this Full Pisces Moon in the first decan is one of the artists, the adventurer, and the risk taker and dreamer. Allow yourself to be guided, inspired, and trust your own intuition, dreams, imagination, and instincts. Give form and structure to your dreams, and help bring to life, your big dreams and true intentions. Avoid getting trapped in old emotional entanglements, and rekindle whatever love and delights have given you true joy and a sense of being loved and being able to give love. The mutual exchange of opposites is the gift of the Magi, and we all need the mystery, the mystical, and the alchemists to sprinkle their wisdom and light along the paths we seek to follow.

Who is most affected by this Full Moon in Pisces? Those with personal planets within 29-30 degrees of the fixed signs ( Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) and those within 0-7 degrees of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) will be energized most.  Look to your natal, progressed, and current planetary transits to determine which areas of your life are most affected. For example, if the Moon aspects your natal planets, look to how lifelong issues and dreams are affected. If it hits your progressed planets, look at what you are growing into. And if it hits current transits, see what is being shaken up in your life now, that you can use this energy to amend, change, release, or learn. 

The Sun enters Virgo on Thursday, August 23, and Mars will turn direct net week on August 27. Whatever is growing, coming to fruition now, is going to begin to make itself known next week when Mars moves forward triggering the Grand Trine in Earth signs forward. Dream, intuiti, imagine, and plan now, and be ready to move forward in very real and concrete ways next week. 

New Moon & Solar Eclipse in Leo: Growing through Healing

On August 6, Venus entered Libra, her home where she weaves love into our lives and helps us learn how to live a life of balance and harmony. Today, August 6 Uranus turns retrograde, joining other planets in retrograde transits--reminders of our need to slow down, relax some, and take stock of how we are growing and learning.

The New Moon in Leo's transit in the wee small hours of August 11 (2:58 a.m. PDT; 5:58 a.m EDT) results in a Solar Eclipse. The effects of this eclipse will manifest over the next six months. The New Moon in Leo and the Sun in Leo, both at  18 degrees Leo, form a conjunction with Mercury in Leo at 14 degrees. This New Moon in Leo aligns with Merak, one of two fixed stars in Ursa Major (the Big Dipper). The Mother Bear, Ursa Major, at 18 degrees reminds us of what a mother bear will do to protect her children. She becomes a fierce protector, and Merak in Ursa Major symbolizes "love commands and dominates"--nothing can stop her. What does this mean for us? What kind of Mother Bear instincts will be awakened within us?

Learning Triangle:  The Leo need for ego gratification during this New Moon in Leo indicates that we are pleased and satisfied more by helping others than by clinging to our own ego gratification. This New Moon is a healing moon as it is part of the alignment known as the Learning Triangle. Our soul development and spiritual healing is given ample support and mystical strength at this time. Normally this means we can look forward to a long-term, ongoing soul growth and movement period.

The Learning Triangle is formed as follows: The New Moon in Leo is inconjunct Neptune in Pisces. Neptune in Pisces is trine Jupiter in Scorpio, and Jupiter in Scorpio squares the New Moon in Leo.  

What can we expect as the Learning Triangle influences our lives? The Triangle appears in our lives as Challenges, Misunderstandings, and Solutions/Answers. When we find ourselves struggling and in crisis, we seek solutions. However one thing that may be more difficult to do is to look within to see what is blocking us from finding answers or what has brought us to the brink of a crisis or caused a misunderstanding.

This particular New Moon in Leo/Solar Eclipse (meaning the effects of this new moon will manifest over the next 6 months), pushes us to seek self empowerment. Struggles are caused by whatever does not empower us. That most often is largely determined by our internal struggles. Fears, limitations, and negative emotions unexpressed or projected onto others blocks our energy. . Jealousy, envy, or resentment can be emotion-blocking, and certainly energy-blocking kinds of emotions. So what to do, what to do?

As I look at the period called the Dark of the Moon last few days before the new moon), I recognize ancient fears, beliefs, or frustration rising up, waving their nasty tentacles before my eyes. What do I fear? What beliefs are blocking my forward momentum" What frustration is causing me pain or draining my energy? What from the past is still hanging around making me feel, I cannot move on from this challenging place where I find myself? All questions to meditate on, at least for me this week. But whatever we find ourselves struggling with at this time, now is the time to be as honest as we can be with ourselves, to seek those answers within.

How to use this influence and information: This New Moon in Leo calls us to detoxify and seek balance in the Pineal Gland/6th Chakra. Our intuition and true knowledge is generated in this area of our anatomy. When our third eye/6th chakra/pineal gland is blocked or filled with beliefs, memories, and other mental/emotional clutter, our sense of what is truly within and calling us, is blocked. What is healing for all of us is Knowledge. Knowing the truth that sets us free, is quite simply being willing to face the truths that might not be how we'd like to be, or feel, or be perceived, but standing and living in our own truth is brilliantly liberating and healing.

New Moon in Leo inconjunct Neptune in Pisces. This aspect is all about self empowerment. Struggles in our lives are caused by what does not empower us. What saves us is our search for knowledge. As we seek ways to more fully understand what is happening, why it might be happening, and what steps we can take to cope with the struggles (internal or external), we become more empowered. Knowledge=power. And solutions are found. Through the process of detoxifying and clearing any fogginess or blocks in the pineal gland/6th chakra region of insight and intuition, we more clearly connect with true knowledge. Trust your intuition to guide you, and if this is hard to do, spend more time in meditation, self reflection, and sort through whatever it is you seem to be confused about. 

Sometimes we avoid sorting through or facing up to whatever we are struggling with. Avoidance, a form of denial, isn't helpful. Like our 'bad' dreams, our struggles, fears, confusion hold valuable messages when we are willing to look more closely to discern their hidden or veiled messages. Neptune in Pisces is all about facing up to our spiritual limitations and fear. By addressing disruptions to peace and clarity, the veil is lifted, the fog clears up, and we learn how to trust ourselves and our intuitive understanding. 

Neptune in Pisces trine Jupiter in Scorpio infuses us with the power to reconcile misunderstandings. This New Moon helps trigger this aspect of the Learning Triangle which again, calls upon us to face our fears through self reflection. 

Jupiter in Scorpio square the New Moon in Leo Be sure to look to the houses in your chart/life where this Learning Triangle is having the greatest impact. This aspect is about doing what you can to heal from past mistakes, misunderstanding, negative/outworn patterns of thinking, behavior, reactive emotional responses.  Rather than falling into the old patterns of negativity, active, conscious attempts to face the issues that are blocking your path, and learning to create new memories rather than dwelling on what happened in the past. Before we can move forward, we must be awake and aware of what we are carrying with us. How have you worked through whatever experiences, challenges, or understandings that may have drained your energy, blocked your path, or caused you to forget who you really are?  Make a list of the things you can do to take better care of yourself. Give yourself some time to reflect on what you've already accomplished, and then make a list of what you no longer need to worry about or carry around with you. Use this last list as a starting point for some ongoing self reflection for what you are consciously coping with. Your spiritual transformation comes about when you trust your own intuition and use it as a guide. 

New Moon in Leo inconjunct Pluto in Capricorn as well. This indicates a new path regarding an major,  ongoing transformation in your life. For full transformation to take place, you must be in full alignment with your truth as understood by the intuitive knowledge of your own energy body (body, mind, spirit, emotions/chakras, meridians) and awareness of your limitations. This includes your own internal messages about what is 'right' for you and what is not. We may be inclined to take the advice of others over the truth that our inner voice desires. Pay most close attention to what you really want and what you really  do not want, and follow that. Compromising with that spark of desire, is not in your best interest. 

New Moon conjunct Mercury (retrograde) calling us to examine how we are viewing our own self worth, how we assess our own value as a soul-being, and how we learn to love ourselves more fully. This path of self-soul transformation is an individual path, that we may share parts of with others, but which is ours truly and solely-treasure you and your soul journey, and spend some time learning more about how your various forms of communication help that spiritual growth. Listen to the voice within; watch from the perspective of an open mind and heart to the world about you.

We may be called upon to help others do the same, however, we are also called to learn how to clear the effects of trauma, blocks, and stagnate energy through the Abundance and Light of Jupiter. 

Venus in Libra (exalted) in opposition to Chiron the Wounded Healer  in Aries is all about healing the past, healing from the past. Healing always involves facing ourselves, and forgiving ourselves and others as part of the ongoing process. This may come up in surprising and shocking ways at times, but will be little portals to more self reflection with the goal of integrating all that has been with the person you are now.

Our lives consist of ongoing, repetitive experiences that constantly remind us who we are and what we may choose to do next. Scientist and Writer, Loren Eiseley told the story of the boy and the starfish, a take that reminds us of this process of healing into life.:

Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions. 

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching.  As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea.  The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning!  May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”

The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

adapted from The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977)

Mars in Aquarius square Uranus in Aries is not Mars, the planet of action's favorite place. Mars in Aquarius is exhausted, disabled to a degree. We too may feel this weighing on us, and so the time of self reflection and soul searching fits this period of time well for we need more quiet, more unscheduled time, more opportunities to reflect. We may find this difficult because our minds and hearts and souls are so active. That's just the point--active minds, inactive bodies call for conserving, resting, nourishing, and treating ourselves with tender loving care. Make your self care a priority during this New Moon as it will help you grow in ways best suited for  the path ahead. 

Overall, the New Moon in Leo time opens us to a new way forward while asking that we settle our past so we are free to move on. Old relationships of one kind of another may reappear at this time, to remind us of what we have chosen and to allow us to live our lives more authentically with how we make new choices. Use this time to soften your approach to coping with struggles. Let go some and rely more on the rhythm of life to guide you in the right path.