Get ready: the Moon in Pisces will rise to her roundest on September 10, and reach an exact opposition to the Sun at 2:59 a.m. US/Pacific!
This Pisces Moon will trigger tender emotionality, empathy and compassion for some, while provoking heightened creativity, amplified intuition, and vivid dreaming for others. The Virgo-Pisces axis is all about imagining and incarnating the divine. If we take time to tap into our intuitions about what concerns us, we can expect a veil of illusion to be lifted, providing revelations about the beauty of the truth that is actually there.
Meanwhile, the planet of love and beauty, Venus, will be making many major changes to the planet of passion and courage, Mars, over the next five months. This represents many more contacts than usual between these two interpersonal planets, signaling experimentation with love, intimacy, and the flow of resources.
If we start tracking it now, we can notice the ways we are in sync with or bouncing around on the wrong wavelengths with others, and then bring some consciousness to making any necessary adjustments. Adding to the show of dynamism in the skies, the planet of concepts and communication, Mercury, will retrograde through the signs of Libra and Virgo, sparking debates and arguments.
This Mercury retrograde suggests that we really respect the power of words to wound, and also try not to force compromises. Mercury’s retrograde also creates an unusually long dynamic opposition to expansive Jupiter (August 29 to October 15) and will have us re-thinking our master strategy or our guiding principles. This will leave us ruminating deeply on who we want as allies and collaborators, and allowing ourselves to imagine on a grander scale. Bringing additional excitement into the waning months of 2022, we are heading into a lively Mars’ retrograde which will give many of us some great opportunities to turn our lives in a more positive, life-affirming direction, finding greater alignment with our life goals and the means of achieving those goals.
Water babies rejoice! This Full Moon resonates strongly with those whose charts are saturated with Cancerian, Scorpionic, or Piscean energy.
The dreamy Pisces Full Moon may provoke waterworks in some—tender emotionality, empathy and compassion, a vulnerageous (courageously vulnerable) mood—while for others it will be a time of heightened creativity, amplified intuition, and vivid dreaming.
The Sun in Virgo is part of what creates the Pisces Full Moon, and the Virgo-Pisces axis is very concerned with the divine and our highest ideals. Virgo is keenly aware of the divinity in all things, but also hyperfocused on the incompleteness or fragmentation that characterizes our material world. The unified One that Pisces swims in is also composed of the diverse Many, which is Virgo’s specialty.
The quest to find harmony amongst the diverse Many is a major feature of this Full Moon. Whether reconciling the many voices in our inner world or searching for belonging amongst the multitudes of the external world, the task likely overwhelms our linear, logical mind. We are therefore fortunate to have the kiss of the higher mind of Uranus making harmonious connections with both the Sun and the Full Moon to offer us a way of bridging the divide between the “ideal” (Pisces) and “reality” (Virgo). Uranus operates in flashes, transcending our ordinary way of thinking, one step ahead of logic.
It would be good to make space during this magical lunation, especially between September 9 and September 11, for quiet reflection, opening up your creative channels and tuning in to intuition. This will allow you to become more receptive and to receive those prized flashes of insight. If you can do this in a body of water—whether in a warm bath, a lake, or a river—all the better! During this time, we can expect a veil of illusion to be lifted so that we can see the beauty of the truth that is actually there.
The planet of love and beauty, Venus, will be making a stressful square aspect with the planet of passion and courage, Mars (exact date: September 16).
Due to the incoming Mars retrograde period (discussed below) the two lovers of Mars and Venus will have more interactions than usual over the next five months. Some of us will benefit from tracking these movements in our lives:
☆ Venus in Virgo squares Mars in Gemini September 16
☆ Venus in Sagittarius opposes retrograde Mars November 30
☆ Venus in Pisces squares Mars in Gemini February 4
Mars retrograde will encourage us to examine how we are directing our finite life force, and these points of interaction with Venus will bring into focus the ways we are in sync with or bouncing around on the wrong wavelengths with others—and with ourselves! There may be many conflicting desires to work through as these two dance around the zodiac. Venus-Mars will generally bring up issues of pursuit versus being pursued, how we love and how we try to attract what we love, where we direct our energy, and how that energy is received. This dynamic is not restricted to our intimate relationships. It also applies to friendships, business relationships, and also our notion of love itself. This series of Venus-Mars contacts are all in mutable signs, suggesting experimentation and invitations to new ways of relating or sharing energies.
The day before the Pisces Full Moon, the planet of communication, Mercury, will appear to stand still in the sky and start tracking backwards (September 9).
Since Mercury will back up through Libra, a sign ruled by Venus, this places an extra emphasis on the exchange of energies. We’ll see whether there is balance, lop-sidedness, or some exclusion going on. For many, there will be an overwhelming array of options—too many different perspectives to take, too many choices available, or too many sides to argue. All the same, it is great to have more options than we originally thought, though we may experience a Libran difficulty with making decisions.
The potential to debate and argue is pretty high under this retrograde as it starts off with a smooth trine aspect to combative Mars and ends with a much more tense square to Mars. While Mercury-Mars can bring about a quick mind and a sharp intellect, it can also like to argue for the sake of argument. We’ll have to watch out for an overly sharp tongue, being too quick to verbally spar, and really respect the power of the word (Mercury) to wound (Mars). The technological snafus that Mercury retrograde sometimes brings is also accentuated by this engagement with Mars.
Another theme we may encounter is a difficulty finding a workable compromise, where discord eventually emerges as we realize not everyone is happy with the deal we just made. The surest path through any such discord is being as clear as possible about our own duties and responsibilities, as well as our greatest longings, and allowing those to steer the way. It may be that compromise cannot work and union is impossible, but giving up on compromise may open new and much more favorable ways to work together. This is just one aspect of the overall invitation of this Mercury retrograde to clarify our responsibilities to each other, and to explore the meaning of friendship, intimacy, and partnership in our lives.
Another unusual feature of this Mercury retrograde is an incredibly long contact between mental Mercury and elevating Jupiter which lasts from August 29 to October 15 (exact dates: September 2, September 18, October 12).
MERCURY RETROGRADE KEY DATES
Mercury enters shadow August 20, 2022
Mercury stations retrograde September 9, 2022
Mercury stations direct October 2, 2022
Mercury exits shadow October 16, 2022
Mars retrograde is just starting to peek its head in, entering the sign of Gemini on August 20 and staying there for a whopping seven months, until March 25, 2023.
Mars is usually only in Gemini for seven weeks! That is a lot of Mars—the god of war, the planet of passion, the symbol of our mission in life—concentrated in one area of the sky for so long. Gemini loves new things and great variety, so we may feel the urge to change it up, to experiment more and enjoy some new thrills throughout this time. Note that the weekends of August 20 and September 3 gave many of us a preview of some topics that we will revisit throughout the Mars retrograde period.
Many of us will receive some great opportunities to turn our lives in a more positive, life-affirming direction, finding greater alignment with our life goals, and the means of achieving those goals. Retrogrades will also introduce some uncertainties; we may even significantly change directions a number of times as different perspectives or new information enters our awareness.
Taken together with some other astrological factors, however, this retrograde Mars in Gemini strongly suggests that we double-down on cybersecurity. Good electronic hygiene is always advisable, but many signs are pointing to the potential for security breaches and even data loss over the next seven months. It’s a good idea to get ahead of that game and strengthen passwords, protect online assets, and backup data.
MARS RETROGRADE KEY DATES
Mars enters shadow September 3, 2022
Mars stations retrograde October 30, 2022
Mars stations direct January 12, 2023
Mars exits shadow March 16, 2023
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 and our most profound capacity to connect with others. Full Moons amplify energy and emotions, and this Moon suggests melting into our feelings, and floating along with our intuition to receive insight into whatever is occupying our hearts and minds.
Let’s see how the Pisces Full Moon impacts your own Moon placement!
Aries Moon
You may find yourself feeling a bit more tender than usual, Aries Moon, but it may not be apparent why. If tears of joy or of sadness want to flow under the Pisces Full Moon, you are wise to let them come. It’s likely to clear the way to deeply appreciating and then fortifying your most important relationships.
Taurus Moon
If you’re pondering any great changes in life, Taurus Moon, this is a very stimulating time to use artistic or expressive ways of exploring those possibilities. Whether through movement or dance, collaging or drawing, free-writing or spontaneous singing, sculpting clay or staging an imaginal play with characters to help you imagine what is possible, the Pisces Full Moon can help you draw on the wisdom of your subconscious mind to invoke a beautiful future.
Gemini Moon
The Pisces Full Moon suggests that hot topics are surfacing in the workplace, Gemini Moon. Intuitive means can help guide your creativity, your quick wit and your agile mind to respond in a way that secures your work or career aspirations without limiting your future growth and expansion.
Cancer Moon
Amongst your philosophical commitments, Cancer Moon, some strangely hidden guiding principle or value set of yours is tickling your awareness. Taking some time out to dream into this Pisces Full Moon could help unearth some subtle self-sabotaging, and put you back on track to achieving important long-term goals.
Leo Moon
The joys and sorrows of having siblings, or friends and colleagues who stand in for siblings, could feature heavily under this Full Moon. Sorting through your role or identity in that group may seem to hinge on clarifying everyone’s goals, but do look for more intuitive ways of knowing, Leo Moon, to gather deeper understanding.
Virgo Moon
If forgiveness of others’ past sins arises under the Pisces Full Moon, just know that your own self-esteem, and your own sense of being enough is what may receive redemption, Virgo Moon. Gentleness, kindness and getting out of your head and into your body’s wisdom are your best allies under these skies.
Libra Moon
The routines and daily habits or rituals that support your total well-being could get a nice revamp, if you harness this Pisces Full Moon for the task. As much as you may want to fit more into your schedule, lean into your intuition, Libra Moon, to get the download on what will make you more effective, rather than more efficient.
Scorpio Moon
Relying on your intuition will get you everywhere under this Full Moon, Scorpio Moon. But you may have trouble with heightened powers of intuition in the area of joint finances, debts, or obligations. Clarity will come by looking honestly at disparities in who is shouldering the burden.
Sagittarius Moon
This is a good Full Moon to spend dreaming about your travels, whether literal travels or those you make with your mind through study and investigations, Sag Moon. Do you need to rein in your enthusiasm for expansion in order to keep your foundations stable? Only your intuition truly knows!
Capricorn Moon
Neighbors and neighborhood concerns are in the spotlight of this Pisces Full Moon, and a practical or overly goal-oriented approach to problem solving might trip you up, Capricorn Moon. Try softening into vulnerability a bit, and listen to others’ concerns with the ears of your heart to generate a creative solution.
Aquarius Moon
You may find yourself rethinking your relationship to resources flows and finances, Aquarius Moon. The light of Full Moon in Pisces suggests you back away from big picture thinking on this topic, and bring awareness to the details of incomes and outflows, whether those are material, spiritual, or energetic.
Pisces Moon
This is your Full Moon of 2022, Pisces Moon! And how the world loves your imagination, and your depth of emotional and spiritual understanding. Under your Full Moon, you may want to ask your intuition how you can best care for these precious resources so that they remain superabundant and don’t get drained by a very needy world.
This article was written by
Erica is a lover of wisdom, a teacher and a guide to Soul. She has walked the astrological path since 2006. Her cosmic sightings incorporate mythic understanding, as well as psychological and spiritual growth. Erica has recently integrated metaphysical healing and intuitive readings into her practice, expanding client access to the benevolence and healing intelligence of the living Earth and sky.
