Third face of Aquarius

Blue Moon in Aquarius

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Evening (1907) by Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis

That ancient rock face, rosecolor, / image of steadfastness, / gathers the light / through the day and after sundown / and makes of it / something one cannot / call light nor color : an artifact, / as if a smile / broke some ravaged face / and remained / in the glowing eyes, innocent.

Courage by Denise Levertov

Blue Moon in Aquarius

The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 22 is the third of four full moons to occur within the same season, making it a “Blue Moon” according to traditional definition. It is also the second full moon in a row to occur within the sign of Aquarius, placing extra emphasis on the sign of the Water Pourer in a year in which there is already an unusual degree of prominence given to Aquarius due to the grand conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius that began the year. The Full Moon will culminate at the final degree of Aquarius, in the home and bounds of Saturn, forming a conjunction with Jupiter as it waxes into peak illumination. Since the Full Moon will be separating from a union with Jupiter and applying toward a square aspect with the lunar nodes at their southern bending, it will be an ideal lunation for taking a broad survey of what has been developing in your life, leaning into challenges to be present with the underlying dynamics of relationships and any insight arising from unconscious sources. In comparison with the more sobering Aquarius Full Moon on July 23 that was applying to a conjunction with Saturn, the close proximity of Jupiter in Aquarius with the lunation can help facilitate discovery of ways to not only mediate and problem solve whatever issues have been building in the past month, but also spread open vision and greater scope of the imagination in sensing new possibilities on the path moving forward.

Uranus in Taurus holds a strong influence over the Aquarius Full Moon, as Uranus will be saturating the astrological atmosphere with its influence due to having stationed retrograde on August 19 only a few days before the lunation. Moreover, following the exact opposition between Sun and Moon, the waning Moon will not complete an aspect with another planet until forming an invigorating sextile aspect with Uranus on August 23. While you may have already experienced unexpected events and jolting revelations in the days surrounding the stationing of Uranus, the Aquarius Full Moon may unveil a larger field of patterns and attracting influences that can bring a clearer sense of which directions forward are connected with authentic breakthroughs versus which potential moves are more about rebelling against sources of frustration. In some cases the Full Moon will align with rapid acceleration in an exciting new direction, whereas in other situations it will be more important to be deeply present with the complexity and nuances of surrounding issues, allowing reflection to gradually reveal greater clarity while simultaneously opening to new perspectives. The liberating impact of Uranus is often found within quiet moments of solitude and contemplation rather than the calamity of chaotic change.

With the Full Moon in the same sign as Jupiter and Saturn while Uranus is stationing in the same week, the Aquarius Full Moon will bring yet another key demarcation on the ways your life structures and relationships have been fundamentally reshaped by the ongoing square aspect between Uranus and Saturn that has been shaking up old systems and structures in 2021 and will continue to do so during 2022. While we are only at the beginning of adjusting and reorienting our life to the ways surrounding societies and our inner lives are being radically altered by Saturn and Uranus, the Full Moon in Aquarius carries important insight to gather and sift through regarding our relationship with our present process of creative change in motion. The astrological atmosphere during the next couple of weeks as the Moon wanes from the Aquarius Full Moon into the Virgo New Moon on September 6 is less volatile than at many other points of the year, creating opportunities for recovery, repair, and connecting with the resources need for nurturance as well as making steady progress on goals.

Temperantia (1872) by Edward Burne-Jones

One of the most beneficial presences within the astrology surrounding the Aquarius Full Moon is Venus, as she will be glowing brightly in evening skies each night while also inhabiting her airy home of Libra. Venus can directly express her capacities for harmony, relationship, desire, pleasure, and aesthetics within her own domicile, with the unique qualities of Libra giving her increased skill in deciphering relational dynamics to bring about needed recalibration. Venus in Libra also brings a boost in creative and intellectual abilities, helping with the mental arrangement of ideas, aesthetics, and whatever creative processes we are engaging with. While Venus in Libra will not make troubles go away, she will be a potent ally in deepening in relationship with whatever process we are engaging with, helping us access the creativity needed to respond with intelligence and grace to whatever dilemmas we must address.

Fortunately, Venus in Libra is applying to a flowing trine with Saturn in Aquarius, the ruler of the Full Moon. Since Libra is also the exaltation of Saturn, the trine between Venus and Saturn will make it easier to find ways of not only noticing whatever has come out of balance within relationships but also creating the needed boundaries or adjustments to shift dynamics into the needed direction. With Venus bringing support to Saturn, it is a good time for those who have felt isolated or burdened with the weight of responsibilities to seek relief and support. Saturn has been retrograde in Aquarius since May 23, and from now until it stations direct on October 10 we will have increased opportunity to begin making movement forward based upon the insight we have been gathering through contemplating our relationship between what we desire to create from our inner authority versus the expectations and conditioning put upon us by external systems and authorities. Venus in Libra will be carrying the sword of Lady Justice, honed with sharpness by the enduring integrity of Saturn, helping us make important decisions on what needs to be released and what needs to be cultivated within our many relationships, cutting with clarity through both external and internal dynamics.

After forming a trine with Saturn, Venus will move toward forming an exact trine aspect with Jupiter in Aquarius on September 6, the day of the upcoming New Moon in Virgo. As Venus approaches her exact trine with Jupiter, she will also form a catalyzing square aspect with Pluto in Capricorn on September 5. Whatever deep relational material becomes dredged up by the temporary tension between Venus and Pluto can be mediated by the harmony between Venus and Jupiter, helping us find ways of seeing the larger picture and ways to discover opportunities for growth within present circumstances. However, it will be worthwhile taking note of what arises as Venus engages with the underworld depth of Pluto, as later in the year Venus will spend the entire month of December in close proximity with Pluto due to Venus stationing retrograde in Capricorn on December 19 in range of a conjunction with Pluto.

Similar to the sovereign strength Venus possesses in Libra, Mercury is also in its earthy home and exaltation of Virgo. Mercury has recently returned to visibility as an Evening Star and will be separating from a conjunction with Mars and a trine with Uranus during the Aquarius Full Moon, applying to an opposition with Neptune it will complete on August 24. Neptune is always an important underlying influence to note in terms of the deep imaginal meaning we source our beliefs and perceptions from, but due to the planetary nodes of Neptune being involved in the ongoing square between Saturn and Uranus (Saturn has been transiting close to the South Node of Neptune while Uranus has been in square aspect with the nodes of Neptune) there has been a powerful undertow of Neptune involved in whatever fracturing and new sources of inspiration have been emerging in correspondence with the tension between Saturn and Uranus. As Mercury in its exaltation scrutinizes Neptune through an opposition, we will have the opportunity to take a deep dive into our imaginal inner landscape to investigate what treasures may be excavated beneath the waves, as well as where we have been leading ourselves astray through illusions of one sort or another.

After opposing Neptune, Mercury in Virgo will then move into a flowing trine with Pluto in Capricorn on August 26 before entering Libra on August 29. The strength and profound reflective insight possessed by Mercury in its home and exaltation of Virgo is ideal for exploring the fathomless depth of Neptune and Pluto, and the more we are willing to descend into our inner darkness the better we will be able to reorient our direction forward with the processes of creativity and meaning ready to emerge from within. Once in Libra the star of Hermes will quickly apply to a flowing trine with Saturn in Aquarius it will complete on September 4 a couple of days before the New Moon in Virgo, at the same time that Venus in Libra is applying to a trine with Jupiter. The combined forces of Venus and Mercury in Libra coming into harmonious relationship with Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius will help in releasing what needs to be emptied at the end of the present lunar cycle while revisioning what to begin initiating as we enter a new lunar cycle and approach the turn of the seasons at the Libra Equinox on September 22.

Odin in the Underworld (1770-72) by Henry Fuseli

While the Aquarius Full Moon illuminates the night, the nocturnal warrior Mars will be plunging downward as he descends into the underworld at his heliacal setting, becoming invisible by moving too close to the Sun to be seen in night skies. As Mars descends into darkness so may you notice external signs and messages correlating with an inner process of certain desires from the past two years of the present Mars cycle beginning to be laid to rest, noting whatever drives and motivations are no longer in alignment with your emerging purpose. The current synodic cycle of Mars was seeded by the Sun at their conjunction on September 2, 2019 in Virgo, with Mars emerging into visibility at its heliacal rise in mid October 2019 in Libra, and so reflecting upon your relationship with Mars from then until now can help orient you to whatever the underworld descent of Mars is calling you to discover from your own inner descent.

As Mars shifts from visibility into invisibility, he is separating from a trine with Uranus in Taurus and applying toward an opposition with Neptune in Pisces he will not complete until September 2. As Mars also recently completed a conjunction with Mercury in Virgo on August 18, there is a profoundly inventive, emancipatory, and mentally active quality that Mars will be carrying into the underworld from his recent contacts with Uranus and Mercury. The approaching opposition between Mars with Neptune signifies the vitality that may be contacted within inner imaginal landscapes through exploring whatever the fiery Eros of your unconscious is calling for you to burn away and regenerate in order to ultimately give birth to new forms of creative expression and burning purpose. Yet the opposition of Neptune also demands that you come to terms with illusory beliefs that need to be released so that the descent of Mars can help you become inspired to pursue a quest aligned with your authenticity.

Mars will be reanimated by the Sun on October 7 at 15º05′ Libra and then will return to visibility as a Morning Star in Scorpio in late November. This means that from the time of the Aquarius Full Moon until Mars enters the heart of the Sun to be regenerated on October 7, allow yourself to purge and release whatever needs to be let go from the current cycle of Mars. As Mars forms its union with the Sun in October, you may discover a better sense of how to come into relationship with the new desires taking shape. There will be a strong influence of Mercury upon the upcoming underworld passage of Mars, and so significations of Mercury such as writing, speech, research and commerce may be key elements of the creative changes coming from the catharsis of Mars.

Ceres (1526) by Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio

As Mars entering the underworld will call for our own inner descent, Ceres in the curious, mentally active, and airy home of Mercury will be in position to help us tend to inner realms and their impact upon external relationships. During the peak light of the Aquarius Full Moon, Ceres in Gemini will be forming a conjunction with the North Node of the Moon in Gemini, while also creating an airy triangle with Venus in Libra and Saturn in Aquarius. With Ceres forming flowing trines with Venus and Saturn occupying their own airy domiciles, the scythe of Ceres will glow with a mysterious light that can help in cutting through relational dynamics, separating issues and tending to the underlying dynamics. We may become more clear about what we value in certain relationships and what aspects of other relationships need tempering, as well as if clearer boundaries or spaces of separation need to be formed. It can be a fruitful time for exploring issues of attachment and communicating our process to those we are close to in relationship, gaining greater insight into the inner relational patterns that have been attracting us to others.

In addition to creating nurturing spaces for healing conversations, Ceres in Gemini can also be a productive time for all things mercurial especially in any intellectual pursuits involving the research, cultivation, and communication of ideas. Ceres in Gemini can hold multiple perspectives and ideas, letting the paradox of polarities reveal necessary insight. As Ceres moves from a conjunction with the North Node of the Moon into a flowing trine with Saturn that she will complete on September 1, be open to new perspectives and allow your curiosity to continue asking questions rather than assuming you have found the only answer.

7 of Swords by Pamela Colman Smith

Aquarius 3 Decan

The Full Moon will illuminate the third decan of Aquarius associated with the Seven of Swords card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. Austin Coppock in his book on the decans 36 Faces ascribed the image of “The Knot” to the third face of Aquarius, utilizing the symbol of a knot to reveal the karmic binds that keep us stuck in the known and familiar rather than liberating ourselves to enter the unknown. Coppock described the stealthy figure in the image of the Seven of Swords card as not only having decided to leave a frustrating situation, but also already contemplated what is worth taking and saving versus what is better left behind. The third face of Aquarius involves the risk that comes from exile and the uncertainty of no longer having the stability of the structures being left behind, but the figure in the Seven of Swords card has determinedly chosen the unknown over the known.

The Moon is the ruler of the third face of Aquarius, and so the meaning of this decan will be illuminated by the Moon reaching peak light here. The Aquarius Moon occupying its own face can help us gather the courage and inner resolve needed to experiment, take creative risks, and follow a new direction that may feel scary due to the uncertainty of leaving familiar sources of security behind, yet exciting in the ways it aligns with the leading edge of our emerging creativity and growth processes. Coppock in 36 Faces stated that the third face of Aquarius “illuminates karmic entanglements and oversees liberation from them,” but each of us may be occupying a different stage of this process. While some may have already broken free from the past during this period of accelerated astrological change, others may still be contemplating which direction to follow at the crossroads, oscillating back and forth between options. The Aquarius Full Moon calls for a deepening into coming to terms with what old aspects of the familiar need to be shed in order to embrace a more vital presence in the world.

Fittingly for a face favoring the unknown over the known, the Hellenistic text the 36 Airs ascribed Osiris, Egyptian lord of the dead and the otherworld, to the third face of Aquarius. The presence of Osiris with the Aquarius Full Moon brings themes of fertility and regeneration, mystery and becoming to the forefront. Osiris calls us to find resources and enrichment within the depth of our unconscious so we may nurture our own metamorphosis, rather than seeking external forms of validation that could condition the change underway. Osiris possess a sacred quality of surrender to the process of regeneration, surrendering to all of the suffering that must be endured in order to fully nurture and realize our own creative potential.

The fact that the 36 Airs linked Osiris to the third face of Aquarius is even more interesting due to the 36 Airs also linking Isis, the partner of Osiris, to the second face of Leo where the previous New Moon in Leo occurred. The courageous journey of Isis to search for her deceased and dismembered Osiris, her capacity for retrieving, remembering, and reanimating him back to life, may mirror our own ability within the present lunar cycle to place fears aside so we may embark upon a new orientation to life that brings us more fully alive and creatively actualized. Rather than regressing backwards, pulling away from the fires of transformation, allow the eternally wise presence of Osiris to guide you through whatever trials by fire you are experiencing so that you may become who you need to become on the other side.

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References

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press.

Aquarius Full Moon

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William_Blake_-_Sconfitta_-_Frontispiece_to_The_Song_of_Los.jpg

William Blake from The Song of Los

Aquarius Full Moon

“To be real about the sacred is to see not just what inside us is not sacred- but what it is inside us that’s against the sacred. What is it in our civilization that’s systematically, year after year and minute after minute, mile after mile and inch by inch, gutting everything sacred it touches: devouring it inside ourselves at the same time as irresistibly, inevitably, eating it up outside us in the beauty of landscape and nature?”

— Peter Kingsley, Catafalque

The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 15 illuminates explorations of inner darkness and contemplation regarding the path to follow into the great unknown ahead. The astrology of the past month has been missing the element of air (besides the Moon briefly traveling through each air sign) and so the fullness of the Moon’s light in the clarifying, objectifying, and visionary sign of the Water Bearer brings a needed dosage of the synthesizing and integrative capacities of the air element. Let the light of the Aquarius Full Moon nourish the seeds of rebirth in creativity and underlying values you have been tending during the past couple of months of liminal, mysterious transition. The fixed, persevering quality of Aquarius can help in discovering the inner as well as external resources needed to endure a journey into new terrain, facilitating inner resolve to overcome whatever barriers we have previously felt were preventing us from following a more authentic calling.

The Aquarius Full Moon serves as a gateway out of the complex and challenging astrological transits of the past couple of months, which included two eclipses connected with Saturn as well as a Mercury retrograde in Leo and Cancer period that deeply stirred up material dislodged by the eclipses. Not only are we now clear of eclipse season, but the Full Moon also brings the final resolution to the Mercury retrograde period that began in the beginning of July when Mercury stationed retrograde while conjoining Mars and forming a square to Uranus. As the Full Moon ripens, Mercury will be moving past the degree at which it stationed in July while also reforming its square aspect with Uranus. As a result, Mercury will be inciting revelations which will bring sudden and startling clarity to whatever questions have remained murky and mired in the mystery of the recent eclipse season.

Moreover, the Full Moon is simultaneously illuminating the reseeding of Venus by the Leo Sun, putting us in touch with a deep process of regenerating the values that source our desires. While we may feel disgusted, angry, or upset over immorality and tragedy in current events occurring throughout external society, we have the opportunity to turn within to discover fertile richness to cultivate. The Full Moon in Aquarius brings the gift of utilizing Aquarian processes of patient, contemplative detachment to step back from emotional overwhelm in order to penetrate into the nature of current circumstances and discern how to catalyze necessary growth. While we may feel like rushing ahead with plans, the fact that the lunation is ruled by Saturn slowly moving retrograde alongside the South Node of the Moon points to the fact that we are in the middle of a drawn out metamorphosis that requires further rumination regarding longterm plans. The waning half of the current lunar cycle will be bringing important information we will need to consider and integrate.

The Aquarius Full Moon is conjoining the fixed star Deneb Algedi, the great star which marks the tail of the Sea Goat constellation in the living sky above. Old magical texts on the fixed stars declared that the image of Deneb Algedi brings prosperity and increases wealth, as well as enhancing one’s home and keeping it secure. As the Aquarius Moon waxes full near the star of the Sea Goat’s tail in the sky, we can turn awareness into the oceanic, immaterial expanse underlying our reality where the roots of form take shape. Rather than becoming overly focused upon external validation for achievement, see what visions from subconscious senses are ready to manifest without regard for external standards of judgment. It may not be clear how to bring new ideas into reality yet, but by setting intention to nurture and foster their manifestation we can begin the process of patiently discovering the best course of development for them.

Odilon Redon A Woman Clothed with the Sun.jpg

Odilon Redon (1899) A Woman Clothed with the Sun

The Aquarius Full Moon on August 15 is forming an opposition with the superior conjunction of Venus that occurred on August 14 at 22 degrees of Leo. Venus at this point in its cycle is invisible and in an underworld phase that can be likened to the descent of Inanna into the Great Below to be stripped of her worldly possessions and experience death followed by a metamorphosis of understanding. At the time of the Full Moon, Venus has just emerged from being revivified by the creative potency of the Leo Sun and is ready to begin her long journey back from the underworld which will occur at the end of September when Venus arises once again as an Evening Star. As a result, the Full Moon will bring light to however we are experiencing a transformation in values and aesthetics, the way we relate with others and the way we express our desires.

Venus in its current solar phase is as far away from the earth as it gets within its cycle as well as moving at its fastest speed, symbolizing increased capacity to let go of old personal fixations. As the Full Moon forms, Venus has been set ablaze by the radiant Leo Sun like a summer bonfire we can release old relational patterns into. As Venus begins to recover from being burned up by the Sun, we can likewise shed old issues that have been weighing us down or restraining our ability to seek or receive pleasure. In the next month, we can realign our external expression with our inner authenticity, deepening inner awareness of the fertile potential we possess to creatively actualize in the world around us.  Ultimately, Venus will be guiding us to manifest whatever we desire to create from within.

The superior conjunction of Venus on August 14 was the first solar reseeding for Venus since 26 October 2018 when Venus was retrograde in the deep waters of Scorpio. It may be time to bury and put to rest some desires and issues that arose in the past ten months, while fertilizing those we wish to cultivate going forward. As Venus forms its superior conjunction in the same sign every eight years as part of its synodic cycle, forming a five pointed star pattern, it may be helpful to consider the strange resonances that can be found between now and past superior conjunctions for Venus in Leo. There were previously superior conjunctions of Venus in Leo in August 2011, August 2003, and August 1995.

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William Blake from The Song of Los

The Aquarius Full Moon is also applying to an opposition with Mars in Leo, as Mars is about six degrees ahead of the union of Venus with the Sun as the Moon forms its exact opposition with the Sun. In contrast to Venus already having been revived by the Leo Sun, Mars is at the end of its cycle and experiencing the final release and purification from its cycle with the Sun which began at 4º12′ Leo on 25 July 2017. Similar to Venus, Mars is also in its underworld phase and giving us the opportunity to melt down old martial patterns and reforge our relationship with Mars to be more resonant with our developing desires and presence. The opposition from the Aquarius Full Moon can help cool down any excessive heat or emotional overwhelm in order to find creative solutions or necessary redirection of energy. Mars will be reborn in the heart of the Sun on September 2, a few days after the upcoming New Moon in Virgo.

During the waning half of the current lunar cycle, Venus will chase after Mars and form a conjunction with the fiery red planet on August 24 at five degrees of Virgo, beginning a new cycle between the planets that signify our most intimate desires. As Venus and Mars are at the very end of their cycle at the time of the Full Moon, their cycle serves as yet another symbol of the Full Moon in Aquarius initiating us into a process of rediscovering what we want in our relationships as well as how we wish to creatively express ourselves. With Venus and Mars coming together in the secrecy of darkness during their underworld phases, we will be called to engage in embodiment rather than intellectual analysis of the changes taking shape through their union. Moreover, since the coming conjunction of Mars and Venus in Virgo will also be applying toward a flowing trine aspect with Uranus in Taurus, getting in touch with bodily senses can help uncover desires untethered to societal conditioning. The close proximity of Venus and Mars to the Sun will bring a purgative, cathartic intensity to their union that will bring awareness to any underlying motivations we have been acting from that are no longer in our best interest.

William Blake Songs of Experience

William Blake from Songs of Experience

A few days before the Aquarius Full Moon on August 11, Mercury entered Leo while Jupiter stationed direct in Sagittarius and Uranus stationed retrograde in Taurus. During the Aquarius Full Moon, Mercury in Leo will be applying closely to a catalytic square aspect with Uranus in Taurus that it will complete the following day on August 16.  When Mercury stationed retrograde on July 7 in Leo, it was within a few degrees of an exact square with Uranus. As a result, as Mercury finally completes its square with Uranus during the Aquarius Full Moon we may receive sudden revelations that change our perspective regarding stories that have been developing since the beginning of July. We may receives flashes of intuition, instant knowing, and rapid insights that bring far ranging vision to mind.

After Mercury completes its square aspect with Uranus, it will begin applying toward a flowing trine aspect with Jupiter in Sagittarius that it will complete on August 21 while the waning Moon in Taurus is applying toward a conjunction with Uranus. During the week following the Full Moon, Mercury will be glimmering in pre-dawn skies, heralding the rising Sun while it transmits the uplifting and inspiring shift of Jupiter in Sagittarius moving forward in direct motion again. Mercury in Leo is in position to activate goals and animate creative impulses into manifested results. Thus, the Full Moon occurring in the intellectual and community-oriented sign of Aquarius can help with discerning how to find a resonant role in the greater collective as well as conceiving how to develop burgeoning ideas into structures and vehicle through which we will be able to fulfill the needs and interests of others.

swords07

7 of Swords by Pamela Colman Smith

Aquarius 3 Decan

The Full Moon will rise in the third face of Aquarius associated with the Seven of Swords card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. Austin Coppock in his book 36 Faces ascribed the image of “The Knot” to the third face of Aquarius, using the symbol of a knot to explore the karmic binds that keep us stuck in the known and familiar rather than liberating ourselves to enter the unknown. Coppock described the stealthy figure in the image of the Seven of Swords card as having already undergone a process of not only deciding to leave a frustrating situation but also having already contemplated what is worth saving. There is a risk of exile and the uncertainty of no longer having the stability of the structures being left behind, but the figure has determinedly chosen the unknown over the known.

The Moon is the ruler of the third face of Aquarius, giving the Full Moon greater strength than it would otherwise have in Aquarius. As the Sun is securely comfortable and powerful in its fiery home of Leo, as it is simultaneously bathing Venus and Mars in its blazing radiance, the Moon in its own face of Aquarius can help us gather strength and inner resolve to experiment and take creative risks. By listening to the Aquarian guidance of doing things differently and looking at things with a different perspective, we will more naturally find the resources we need to support the new direction taking shape in our mind. The Full Moon in Aquarius can help us cultivate a healthy dose of detachment from the all-consuming subjectivity of the abundant astrological fire, just the space necessary to gain the widening of perception needed to discover solutions and forge supportive connections with others.

Since both Venus and Mars are in underworld phases during the Full Moon, it is interesting that the Hellenistic text the 36 Airs ascribed Osiris, lord of the dead and the otherworld, to the third face of Aquarius. The presence of Osiris with the Aquarius Full Moon brings themes of fertility and regeneration to the forefront. As both Venus and Mars are undergoing processes of death and rebirth, Osiris calls us to find resources and enrichment within the depths of our unconscious so that we will be able to nurture our own metamorphosis rather than needing to seek the kind of external validation that could condition the change underway. Osiris possesses a sacred quality of surrender to the process of regeneration, surrendering to all of the suffering that must be endured in order to fully nurture and realize our creative potential. As the Aquarius Moon glows bright in the darkness of night, may its luminosity remind you of the inner light you possess in your heart that remains ever ready to guide you forward.

References

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press.

Warnock, Chris. (2019). Fixed Star, Sign & Constellation Magic. Renaissance Astrology.

Aquarius Full Moon

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DP231962

The Moon in the house of Saturn (the water carrier, or Aquarius) from Mu’nis al-ahrar fi daqa’iq al-ash’ar (The Free Man’s Companion to the Subtleties of Poems) of Jajarmi

Full Moon in Aquarius

The Full Moon on 18 August 2016 is close to being a visible eclipse, and if you are a reader of astrological literature you have probably seen this lunation noted as an eclipse.  Eclipses cannot be more than eighteen degrees away from the transiting lunar nodes, and so the Full Moon technically fits into this parameter as it is seventeen degrees away from the lunar nodes. However, in actuality the shadow of the Earth will not cover the Moon and so it will not be a visible eclipse anywhere in the world. Nonetheless, this still remains a loaded Full Moon within many intense astrological aspects.  The Sun at home in the burning immediacy of Leo is off-set by the airy objectification of Aquarius, a sign that can set itself apart and gain reflective insight into the underlying dynamics of any process.  The Full Moon in Aquarius illuminates a longview backwards into the fateful events of the past year, bearing in the waters of its Aquarian vessel awareness of the nutritive elements to nourish and cultivate in the forthcoming cycle.

Saturn in Sagittarius rules the Full Moon less than a week after stationing direct, while in balsamic conjunction with Mars. This has been a long, long, long balsamic phase between Mars and Saturn since the Mars retrograde period of past months extended its length beyond normal timing.  Similar to the dark phase of the Moon, the balsamic phase of cycles between planets is a time of re-visioning in which elements of our past arise to be released or re-seeded within an atmosphere that can feel disorienting and confusing.  In the week following the Full Moon the cycle will complete with an exact conjunction between Mars and Saturn, and so the Full Moon enlightens its finale with foundational understanding into what has transpired and what needs to be now taken responsibility for going forward. This is the close of the cycle between Mars and Saturn that began August 25, 2014 at eighteen degrees of Scorpio (the cycle previous to this began August 15, 2012 at twenty-five degrees of Libra), and is amplified by it also being conjunct the royal star Antares and the aforementioned Mars retrograde that occurred in the build up.

When Mars and Saturn close their cycle, feelings of needing to finish old unfinished projects can arise along with the impulse to initiate action in an area of life that has been neglected or put off for one reason or another.  There can also be feelings of overwhelm over the responsibilities and work involved in soulful desires that vivify expansive vision yet have such an unknown quality that they do not yet seem practical or possible to manifest.  It is important to now separate fears of futility from the relationships and goals that are well worth committing to with sustained effort in the coming cycle.  What we start now in the disintegration of the previous cycle between Mars and Saturn will not produce our ideal outcome immediately and will require patient cultivation in coming months, but by gaining clarity of what we want we can begin to rearrange our life in support.  There is tremendous shifting coming in a month of September filled with eclipses and Mercury retrograde, and so many unknown factors will soon come into play with influences impossible to clearly know at this time.

James Hillman’s classic essay “On Senex Consciousness” explores the archetype of Saturn as ruling the fertile decay that comes at the end of a cycle, among numerous other significations:

Putrefaction belongs to Saturn as god of agriculture, dung and dying. Putrefaction in alchemy was natural disintegration necessary for change. Such putrefaction is ferment, decomposition into elements through the release of “sulphuric” aggressive fumes which assault and insult one’s sensibilities.  Its purpose is a re-ordering of “matters” . . . Senex growth is inward and downward, or backward; its force can come through shrinkage, his power manifest in the last stage of processes, in their decay. He rules over the spoiled, the filth and the refuse of society not only owing to sordid anality and repression, but because senex consciousness finds its awareness in the underside of the complex and as it decays.  So accustomed are we to growth and to what T.S. Eliot calls “superficial notions of evolution /Which becomes, in the popular mind, a means of disowning the past” (“The Dry Salvages”) and to the Positive Great Mother doctrines of milky-way philosophy, onward and upward with Teilhard de Chardin, that we miss Lua, the spoiler, the consciousness that is possible through the natural process of decomposition.  “Decay is inherent in all composite things,” says the last dictum of the Buddha, so what we work at is not our growth, but the modes of our rot.”

–James Hillman, from his essay On Senex Consciousness

Adding to the potency, Mars and Saturn are coming into conjunction in range of a square to Neptune and the transiting lunar nodes.  The square between Saturn and Neptune has been pitting the division lines of Saturn against the amorphous influences of Neptune that dissolve Saturn’s crystallizations to reveal awareness and meaning that the walls of Saturn had been attempting to block.  In combination with Mars now joining Saturn in square to the transiting lunar nodes, attempts to seal off one’s hermetic vessel will be put to the test over what needs to be let in versus what can continue to be blocked with a boundary.  With Neptune conjoining the transiting south node of the Moon, there are certainly illusions and toxic collective influences we do not want to contaminate the union of Mars and Saturn with.  Yet the imaginal field of Neptune in tandem with the purifying aspect of the transiting South Node of the Moon means erecting firm boundaries could be keeping out nourishing elements that can replenish and facilitate important re-visioning.  There is a balance to strike between creating healthy boundaries and erecting walls that lead ultimately to isolation.  The Aquarius Full Moon points toward listening to one’s inner self and heart rather than subscribing to external doctrines dictating behavior.

William Blake from Henry IV

William Blake (1809) illustration from Shakespeare’s Henry IV: “Rise from the ground like feathered Mercury /  And vaulted with such was into his seat / As if an angel dropped down from the clouds / To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus / And witch the world with noble horsemanship.”

The rebellious, shocking, and liberating Uranus is activated at the Full Moon, being in sextile to the Aquarius Moon and in trine to the Leo Sun.   The added intensity of Uranus to the hard aspects present between Mars, Saturn, and Neptune means that collective events could spin out of control wherever conflicting crusaders of dogmatism cross paths.  On a personal level, the dying off of the old cycle between Saturn and Mars activates the aspect of Saturn that strips issues to their bones and penetrates to the core matter at hand.  In combination with Uranus being activated so strongly by the Full Moon, there is potential to access potent vision and creative imagination that is simultaneously expansive, liberating, and grounded in the pragmatic reality of one’s circumstances.  The fertile visioning quality of the Full Moon is further amplified by the asteroid Pallas Athena being conjunct the Aquarius Moon.  All together, the Aquarius Full Moon has numerous aspects accentuating the higher mind of the Water Bearer, the unique capacity of Aquarius to disengage from dominant cultural influences and generate breakthrough thought from within that addresses wider humanitarian concerns.  There is much greater power to be found in the Aquarius Full Moon through collaborating in creativity with others of shared passions rather than engaging in destructive combat with those of opposing viewpoints.

Salomon Trismosin - Splendor Solis - 13 b

From the Splendor Solis

The natural vistas of Virgo are highlighted at the Full Moon, as Mercury is receiving Jupiter in a conjunction in Virgo, and Venus is separating from a conjunction with the transiting North Node of the Moon, a trine with Pluto, and an opposition with Neptune.  The conjunction between Mercury and Jupiter is especially powerful as Mercury being at home and in its exaltation is providing Jupiter with everything it needs to make its final pass through Virgo memorable.  Because Mercury will be stationing retrograde in Virgo at the end of August, Mercury and Jupiter will remain in conjunction until Jupiter finally leaves Virgo and enters the sign of Libra on September 9.  In addition, in the week following the Full Moon, at the same time Mars and Saturn conjoin, Venus will enter into a conjunction with both Mercury and Jupiter in Virgo.  The triple conjunction between Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter will be closest between August 26 and 29.

Mercury has already entered its retrograde shadow zone and is close to the degree of its eventual Inferior Conjunction with the Sun when retrograde in September.  As a result, the Aquarius Full Moon is illuminating important events, relationships, and issues whose significance will become more apparent as we enter September’s period of eclipses and Mercury retrograde.  As Virgo is a place in which thorough and detailed research can be performed, this Full Moon is powerful not only for current research ventures but also to launch into deep investigation into a subject matter that will give the upcoming Mercury retrograde plenty to digest.  The added influence of Venus means the week ahead is ideal for purification and weaving harmony into one’s daily choices and environment.  In response to any difficult experiences, Venus combined with Mercury and Jupiter in Virgo will facilitate attuning to the changes of the moment for a solution and healing.

Finally, there is an opposition between the conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter with Chiron in Pisces that in addition forms a yod with the sextile between Uranus in Aries and the Aquarius Full Moon.  There is a lot of tension in these aspects, with Chiron at the trigger point.  As a result, whatever wounds, learning, teaching, healing, or mastery you have been working with in relation to Chiron in Pisces in the past six months will be deeply felt.  For those who have been doing the deep work of Chiron in these past months, this Full Moon has aspects that can reward the dedicated effort with a significant breakthrough or insight.  There is more to come in relation to Chiron in September, as the Pisces Lunar Eclipse on September 16 is conjunct Chiron and the Mercury retrograde will be in opposition.  Chiron being activated by hard aspect is usually not easy, but also can generate extraordinary growth when one is willing to open oneself fully to experience and face whatever issues arise without denial, receiving the wisdom of what one encounters.

swords07

7 of Swords by Pamela Colman Smith

Aquarius 3 Decan

The Aquarius Full Moon falls in the third decan of Aquarius associated with the 7 of Swords card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith.  The image of a figure stealthily removing five swords from an encampment while leaving two behind is often interpreted as signifying deception and betrayal, trying to get away with something in secret, or utilizing mental strategizing with a willingness to deceive.  Known as “Futility” in the Thoth deck, it is also interpreted as becoming overcome with doubts regarding liberating thoughts due to fear over whether or not they can materialize successfully.  As a result it can be recommended to cultivate patience and give the vision more time to develop before giving up on it as being fruitless.

Austin Coppock in his book on the decans 36 Faces ascribed the image of “The Knot” to the third face of Aquarius, artfully weaving both interpretations of the 7 of Swords card through feelings of becoming frustrated or unhappy with a circumstance we have bound ourselves to with karmic knots. Coppock adds depth to Pamela Colman Smith’s image of the 7 of Swords as a result, pointing out that the stealthy figure has already undergone a long process of consideration and has decided to separate from the situation while discerning what to take of value and what to leave behind.  As the final decan of Aquarius, Coppock concluded that it brings up the difficult decision of whether or not to leave the known for the unknown, and “illuminates karmic entanglements and oversees liberation from them,” including the need to pay off debts and salvage the valuable before known attachments can be left behind.

The Moon is the ruler of the third face of Aquarius, giving this Full Moon greater strength than it would otherwise have in Aquarius.  The surrounding astrological aspects have elements of uncertainty and being at the crossroads between the familiar and unfamiliar, being at the end of an old cycle while sensing the threshold of rebirth.  The Full Moon in the sign of the Water Bearer can facilitate purification and replenishment, fostering strength to trod the unknown path, by turning to the waters within for nourishment and reflective guidance rather than the turbulent currents flooding the collective.  In the brilliant silvery light of the Full Moon, allow the guidance and personal truth you are seeking to arise from within rather than grasping for it in external entanglements.

References

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press.

Hillman, James. (1970).  On Senex Consciousness.  Spring:  An Annual of Archetypal Psychology and Jungian Thought.