This month brings us a rare blue moon—and the largest, brightest Supermoon of the year—in the form of the Pisces Full Moon on August 30.
The serious mood of Saturn presides over this lunation, as he closely conjoins the Pisces Full Moon and highlights all of the obstacles that could better shape our ambitions into that which endures—if we are able to endure the potential frustration.
Ambition to tick off the task list, to feel accomplished and productive, tends to arise in the harvest season of Sun in Virgo (August 23 - September 22), yet the ruler of Virgo, mental Mercury, is entering their second retrograde period of the year on August 23.
This could signify delays, getting tripped up by overlooked details, and generally having to go a bit slower than we might prefer. Patience and dedication will see us through, and the strategic mind of Mercury will get a little booster of blessing from Jupiter (exact September 4), which can help fuel our faith as well as help us more deeply understand all which emerged in the remote tide pools of the Pisces Supermoon.
Among the soft-bodied creatures, we may find in the intertidal zone where the ocean of the unconscious overlaps with the shores of consciousness we tread upon, there are sure to be some aspects of our most vulnerable forms of intimacy.
A potent symbol of relatedness and reciprocity, Venus will complete her retrogradation through the sky on September 3, and then return to direct motion. Venus’s retrograde periods actually present opportunities to learn how to have generative conflict, how to disagree and yet listen in order to truly understand a different perspective, and find a new way forward. We might stop to consider how it could be that peace is not the absence of conflict, but rather, the presence of trust. If conflict then serves to preserve the trust between us, then thoughtful and full-hearted engagement with conflict is essential.
“Once in a blue moon” happens this August, rising over eastern horizons in the voluptuous shape of a Supermoon on August 30 at 6:35 p.m. US/Pacific. As the second Full Moon in a calendar month, a blue moon, it’s an uncommon event which won’t happen again until May 2026. It is also the largest of 2023’s Full Supermoons, which occur when the Moon’s elliptical orbit carries it closest to Earth, causing the Moon to appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a typical lunation.
Supermoons tend to expose more of the intertidal zone, as the Moon’s gravity sucks more water away from the shoreline than usual. Sea creatures accustomed to the cover of water are suddenly exposed for a few hours.
So it may be that the psychic openness of the Pisces Full Moon exposes more of our emotional ground to air, and to the conceptual mind. As a result, we may be drawn into more vulnerable territory unaccustomed to the conscious light of the Sun. Yet all edges on Earth where two different ecosystems meet are zones of creativity that support a great variety of life, and it is no different within the ecosystem of the psyche. We might comb the metaphorical beaches and remote tidal pools that the Supermoon has exposed, allowing our conscious awareness (the Sun) to intermingle with what was unconscious or perhaps previously obscured (the Moon).
The Virgo Sun’s intellectual intelligence and the Pisces Moon’s emotional intelligence are a great pair for generating new understanding—and not just for fun, but in service to creativity, giving form to the waters of life. For we might feel compelled to bring something concrete forth from this intertidal banquet of experience.
The sobering, constructive powers of Saturn are in the spotlight this Full Moon, as he conjoins the Moon in Pisces and opposes the Virgo Sun (exact August 27). Perhaps we will be more focused on restrictions and limitations that are expressed through feelings of frustration or futility, and yet these feelings may also guide us towards solutions. Saturn likes to clarify our ambitions, to bring them into solid form, and his obstacles represent important portals of manifestation.
Perhaps we need to move at the pace of our slowest parts in order to make progress, because whatever is not ready to move forward will not simply be dragged ahead.
Being considerate enough to slow down—whether for parts of ourselves, or for others we are in relationship with—might work surprisingly well, whether that alleviates frustration or gives some emotional space for new insight, problem-solving, or just taking a much needed break.
It’s difficult for the sign of Virgo to imagine taking a break, and we may be more in touch with our drive to complete or at least chip away at our task lists while the Sun traverses the harvest sign of Virgo (August 23 - September 22). But Saturn’s influence is not the only slowdown in the sky. Analytical Virgo is said to be ruled by mental Mercury, who will be stationing retrograde on August 23 for their slow saunter backwards through the sign of Virgo over the next three weeks. The devil is truly in the details with Mercury’s retrograde through Virgo, testing our patience and our resolve.
We do get a little boost from a trine to hopeful Jupiter (exact September 4), which also happens as Mercury makes their conjunction to the sense of self symbolized by the Sun (exact September 6). In general, this Sun-Mercury conjunction presents an opportunity for fruitful interior explorations, carrying us into a deeper understanding of whatever emerged in the intertidal zone of the Pisces Full Moon. Jupiter’s influence offers support for these explorations, so that they may be far-ranging and successful. We could also take this opportunity to specifically focus on the choices we make in our intimate, platonic and collegial relationships, and all the ways that we over-compromise or, conversely, how we have failed to meet others where they are.
Such reflections on relationships are supported by Venus’s retrograde period, and she will appear to stand still in the sky on September 3 to return to direct motion. Although not every Venus retrograde will correlate to significant events for everyone—some are more potent than others due to the location of her retrograde through our birth chart—a great many of us will experience the unearthing of relational or financial issues during this particular retrograde, which is so heavily entangled with both the shocking and evolutionary energy of Uranus and the magnifying influence of Jupiter.
We may have to become aware of our implicit agreements, which are all the unspoken assumptions we take into relationships. Many of these are formed in our childhood—for example, things we don’t talk about, feeling it’s not safe or acceptable to ask for help, or keeping a stiff upper lip and not expressing frustration. Only when we collide with others’ contrary views in our relationships might we become aware of such implicit agreements. It can be unmooring to discover that what we assumed was true and reliable is not. But, making our assumptions and needs explicit could be an important step towards solidifying lasting relationships and bonds.
Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the presence of trust. Conflict actually serves to preserve trust, so how we engage in conflict is essential. It’s unrealistic to expect zero conflict in our relationships, as avoidance of irritations and needs results in the buildup of unexpressed energy, which will eventually explode like a volcano! Likewise, those who compulsively pursue conflict might discover that to be just another clever escape mechanism to avoid getting real about interpersonal issues. Venus’s retrograde period presents an opportunity to learn how to have generative conflict, how to disagree and yet listen in order to understand the other and find a way forward. We can discover where our hard stop is, and what is truly negotiable without bypassing the difficult feelings that may accompany the whole process.
When we understand that our feelings belong to us and connect us to what is most important (and sometimes, most neglected) in our lives, then those feelings can help us mature and learn how to navigate the dance of intimacy and distance. Saturn on the Pisces Full Moon reminds us that our pursuit of intimacy through conflict should not be of a trivial or melodramatic nature because it is a path meant to grow not only our sovereignty, but our ability to connect to the Sacred Other through that sovereignty.
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 blue Supermoon in Pisces suggests a clarification of our creative drives, along with some discoveries around implicit assumptions or unspoken agreements in our relationships. Let’s see how the Pisces Full Moon impacts your own Moon placement.
Aries Moon
Whatever is stoking your fiery desires to overturn an injustice has deeper roots than you might realize, Aries Moon. The Pisces Full Moon is asking you to get more intimate with the different emotions and experiences that hide beneath anger.
Taurus Moon
Sober thoughts about the future may be top of mind, Taurus Moon. There is some reward to the risks you might contemplate under the Pisces Full Moon, if you choose to sit with what is troubling you long enough to find the good path forward.
Gemini Moon
A struggle to keep up the pace of your life may be a prominent feature of the Pisces Full Moon. It’s hard to say no to an exciting new opportunity, but it may become urgent to determine what to cut loose before you tip into burnout, Gemini Moon.
Cancer Moon
The old self-esteem trap is about to loosen its grip on your unconscious habits of mind, Cancer Moon. The Pisces Full Moon is here to help you see yourself in a much more elevated—and accurate—light.
Leo Moon
The Pisces Full Moon might shine a light on your implicit assumptions around debt or any sort of merging of energies that we sometimes need to move ahead in life. It’s totally natural to have unexamined beliefs, Leo Moon. The trick is what to do about them once you notice.
Virgo Moon
Any tendency to go it alone may begin to show its problematic sides under this lunation, Virgo Moon. Creating new forms of collaboration and cooperation in service of your projects and creative vision could be a very useful outcome of Mercury’s retrograde motion through your sign.
Libra Moon
You may have to first swallow a bitter pill before accessing the sweetness that the Pisces Full Moon will ultimately bring to you, Libra Moon. It’s a good time to lean into spiritual and physical practices that support your resilience—after all, we engage such practices consistently so that our ship can more easily sail through the challenges and into calmer seas.
Scorpio Moon
Your ability to adventure and to play falls under the gaze of the Pisces Full Moon. Old structures, rules and self-prohibitions may come to light, just in time to question if you still need such guardrails on your capers, Scorpio Moon.
Sagittarius Moon
Getting to the heart of your wanderlust may be a potent part of the Pisces Full Moon for you, Sagittarius Moon. This characteristic is so crucial to what you contribute to the web of life, and yet there may be facets to your wandering ways which are wounded and could benefit from deep healing.
Capricorn Moon
The dance of active receptiveness within you is awakened by the Pisces Full Moon, giving you an opportunity to see the power of receptivity. Notice just how much can happen, Capricorn Moon, when you allow obstacles to shape your actions instead of fighting them as your opponents.
Aquarius Moon
You might be feeling a little more exposed to others than you would prefer under this lunation, Aquarius Moon. All these Pisces Supermoon feelings (or thoughts about feelings) would like you to examine your more funky relationships a little more closely, and see what you’ve been unable to recognize previously. 
Pisces Moon
This is your Full Moon of 2023, Pisces Moon! And no wonder it’s a blue Supermoon for you, since under its light all of your unique features are reflected back to you through your closer relationships. If it’s time to shift your attitude towards how you work for others—whether you are the boss or not—take action to change what is no longer functioning well. You may be surprised by how much changing a few of these dynamics in the workplace will improve all your relationships.
