The effervescent Aquarius Full Moon will illuminate the skies on August 1 at 11:31 a.m. US/Pacific, shedding more light than usual—as she is a Full Supermoon at her closest in her orbital path around Earth—appearing larger and much brighter than typical lunations.
With this Full Moon’s pull on our emotional tides, we’ll need to watch out for confusing subjectivity with objectivity, and try to stay open to contrary viewpoints on emotionally charged situations. This Full Moon may also correspond to some important events related to the Venus retrograde period of mid-June to early October 2023, so take note of any sudden beginnings or endings in intimate, financial, and work relationship spheres.
The mental image of Mercury is also heading quickly towards retrograde motion, and will spend a very long two months in one of Mercury’s home signs, Virgo. This will be useful for reviewing and editing our previous work, noticing flaws and making improvements. But there is also a danger of getting mired in perfectionism, or an analysis paralysis that keeps us worrying about small details. All in all, though, working through how to bridge any gaps between what we’re imagining and what we have now is indicated by this Mercury retrograde period (August 3 to September 30).
The Aquarius Full Moon, ruled over by the breakthrough planet Uranus, also kicks off a period of heightened influence of Uranus sextile Neptune. This is part of a long planetary cycle corresponding to monumental shifts of spiritual visions within the “anima mundi”, or “Soul of the World”.
The Dream of the Earth is an imagining of the Sacred Other. Uranus-Neptune brings yet another support to our efforts to expand participation with the unseen realms of spirit, and all the healing and creativity that collaboration can bring to, through, and with the Earth Community.
The brilliant and cerebral Aquarius Full Moon will reach exactitude in her opposition to the Leo Sun at 11:31 a.m. US/Pacific on August 1. This Full Moon is the second in a series of four consecutive Full Supermoons, which occur when the Moon’s elliptical orbit carries it closest to Earth, meaning the Moon can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a typical lunation. This closer proximity can result in higher and lower tides on Earth, as well as within our own emotional oceans. The Aquarian nature of this lunation suggests we might strive for an objective perspective, but will actually be unconsciously pulled deeply into a very subjective perspective without realizing it. It will be helpful to make an effort to stay open to other points of view, to bring clarity to emotionally charged situations and to prevent needless misunderstandings.
Aquarius’s electric spark and brilliance will radiate through the next few days, as the Moon goes on to set off the revolutionizing Venus-Uranus combination that permeates Venus retrograde through early October. For those whose lives will be deeply touched by this Venus retrograde, this Full Moon may elicit important events related to Venus’s entire retrograde period of mid-June to early October.
On another note, the Aquarius Full Moon also makes a lively square aspect to expansive and indulgent Jupiter, who also forms a pleasing exact trine to action-oriented Mars, which may correlate to feeling a bit of relief and release from several weeks of pressure, aggravation or frustrated action indicated by the Mars-Saturn opposition, which has just ended. Activities or projects that have felt stalled may now start to enjoy some forward movement, but the disciplinarian Saturn insists on trying to poke his head in again to upset this momentum.
While many of us feel like Saturn just wants to block our blessings, we might better understand him as a threshold guardian. He wants to test our resolve, our preparedness and our resilience, all in service to drawing forth the integrity and the deeper values which can create enduring structures that benefit more than just ourselves. When the conceptual mind of Mercury moves into the judicious sign of Virgo on August 1 (until October 4), Mercury immediately opposes the threshold guardian of Saturn (exact August 1). On the plus side, Mercury-Saturn can bring order to our thoughts, helping us to be constructive and realistic in our outlook. In its more challenging expressions, Mercury-Saturn can indicate anxious thought loops, an overly negative outlook, and overblown criticism. Saturn may want to help, but we also have to work for that help to be realized.
Mercury in earthy and analytical Virgo is already inclined to deal with the details, picking apart situations in order to understand. In many ways, the habits and moods of the sign of Virgo resonate strongly with the planetary archetype of Saturn and his emphasis on work, results, consequences, and the anxiety or perfectionism that may accompany that focus.
Though Mercury-Saturn is a rather fleeting direct influence, the tendency to worry or overthink things may follow us through Mercury’s upcoming retrograde through the sign of Virgo, which begins to creep in on August 3. Mercury will appear to stand still in the sky to move backwards on August 23 and make a loose, dynamic opposition aspect to the planet of faith, dreams and delusions, Neptune. In this way, Mercury will stimulate the conversation forming between the reality principle of Saturn and the vast dream of Neptune as they float through the visionary sign of Pisces together. During this period of retrograde, Mercury can thus motivate us to find the gaps between our dreams (Neptune) and our present realities (Saturn), so that we can be functional, useful, and creative in this material world, rather than getting caught up in fantasies of what could be.
Neptune is undoubtedly the most related to our impossible fantasies, yet Neptune also represents the imaginal realm itself, which gives birth to and animates all material forms. Slow-moving Neptune is forming a harmonious sextile with the breakthrough energy of Uranus, which will pour forth greater influence starting this month and all the way until 2030. Idealistic, utopian and transcendent in its expressions, this will be another current of energy enabling us to expand our connection to the unseen realms of spirit, and grow our participation in the Earth Community.
This is the first time Uranus and Neptune are back in close conversation since they formed a conjunction from 1985 to 2001. Uranus and Neptune conjoin only every 172 years and correspond to monumental shifts of spiritual vision within the anima mundi. For example, we might recall the global upwelling of the New Age movement in the 1980s and 1990s, with a desire to recover or combine spiritual traditions and practices. Every time these two planets form an aspect, there are pivotal developments in the current cycle of spiritual and imaginal evolution that seeds, grows, fruits, and dies into rebirth through this planetary cycle.
This particular archetypal combination of Uranus-Neptune can also suffer from escapist tendencies, leaving us unable to confront harsh realities and seeking out an unrealistic relationship to spiritual bliss, even leading to narcissism. Narcissism is such a suffering, alienated state—alienating us from the truth of the beauty at the center of our being, as well as from real relationships with others. As we dream the Good Dream of the Earth, we are called to dream with others who are all manifestations of the Sacred Other, in order to bring forth what is real, true, good, and beautiful. The guardian of the threshold, Saturn, likewise calls us to realize “ananda” or “spiritual bliss”, even within the pressures and challenges of the Dream of the Earth, to join hands and hearts with the Sacred Other to create the sacred geometry that helps weave our inner cosmos and the outer cosmos together.
The Moon represents who we are before we even think about who we are. She represents our instinctual self and she describes our deepest vulnerabilities, as well as our most profound capacity to connect with others. Full Moons amplify energy and emotions, and this Full Moon suggests picking our way through our biases, or stepping out of an overly negative outlook to find a bit of truth through our relationships with others. Let’s see how the Aquarius Full Moon impacts your own Moon placement!
Aries Moon
How you imagine yourself as a creative being is activated by this Aquarius Full Moon. The difference between exhibitionism and sharing something of the depths of your own Soul may be a fruitful meditation for this lunation, Aries Moon, as making an offering of those deeper reaches of your being may bring rich rewards.
Taurus Moon
Some of the sparkle and shine of the Aquarius Full Moon would like to rub off on you, Taurus Moon. A few of your essential contributions to the world—especially the quality of being that you contribute to the Earth Community, how you interact with the Sacred Other—are trying to emerge more fully. You might help this along by allowing the good things to coexist with what is challenging in life.
Gemini Moon
The necessity to take in the big picture, Gemini Moon, looms large under this Aquarius Full Moon. While your incredible facility with speech and thought may provide the appearance of sound logic in every conclusion you reach, a larger context or background is being brought to the foreground so that your cleverness might move more in the direction of wisdom.
Cancer Moon
The Aquarius Full Moon is a great opportunity to meditate on how your sources of income align with or detract from the future you would like to build for yourself, Cancer Moon. One potent piece of the picture could emerge from a reappraisal of your sources of self-esteem; turning to trusted friends and allies in search of truthful reflections of who you are may be helpful.
Leo Moon
This Aquarius Full Moon may break a spell that has been cast over you by a love interest, a friendship, or perhaps even a colleague. Though it may take a bit of working through conflicting emotions, Leo Moon, you could cut the hypnotic strings which are pulling you about like a puppet.
Virgo Moon
The suffering parts that come along with being of service may be wearing very thin on you, Virgo Moon, as this Aquarius Full Moon asks you to pay greater attention to your own health and well-being. You may be so habituated to tending to others’ needs, that you haven’t even noticed something desperately needed in your own health routines, but this lunation is here to help remind you.
Libra Moon
According to the influential psychologist Carl Jung, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” This is not as ominous a process as it may seem, Libra Moon, because there is a warehouse of goodness that is also tucked away in the places you have been afraid to look. As you dream big under the Aquarius Full Moon, remember to include all the invisible Sacred Others (such as your spiritual, professional, familial, and all the ancestors), who would like to support your success. You’re not alone.
Scorpio Moon
The glamour you unconsciously cast into the world is in the spotlight of this Aquarius Full Moon. These glamorous ways may have functioned as a protection against others’ power in the past, Scorpio Moon, but new powers of your own are on the rise to replace a defense that is no longer needed. Your only task is to turn around and notice them.
Sagittarius Moon
The picture of this lunation calls to mind a quote from the labor and civil rights leader César Chávez: “The end of all knowledge should be service to others.” Thus, the Aquarius Full Moon would like to remind you that the details of your philosophy matter, Sagittarius Moon, and might test some of your cherished concepts and beliefs for soundness, so that you might enjoy the full flourishing of what you are called to love and protect.
Capricorn Moon
The ways that others have defined you, Capricorn Moon, are up for review under this Aquarius Full Moon. A revelatory light may be cast on how you have coped with having to be an adult even in childhood, and you might be relieved to release responsibilities that really aren’t yours to carry anymore.
Aquarius Moon
This is your Full Moon of 2023, Aquarius Moon! This Full Moon would like you to know how much more rich and abundant your intimate relationships could be if you let your vulnerability show a little bit. What if it’s better to not have everything (and everyone) all figured out, and to let Divine Mystery hand you some surprises now and again?
Pisces Moon
Feeling the earth on your bare feet, Pisces Moon, may be just what is called for under this Aquarius Full Moon. Grounding, also called Earthing, is a practice of touching bare feet to Earth that could help stabilize your mood and outlook on life, particularly if you’ve felt trapped by a thought or scenario unpleasantly replaying over and over and over in your head.
