Full Moon in Sagittarius

Sagittarius Full Moon on June 13, 2014

Sun In Gemini- Ego’s Busy Mind

The Sun is the center of our solar system around which all the planets revolve. Likewise the Sun can symbolize the center of our life around which all the various parts of ourselves revolve. This Full Moon is asking you: What is the central organizing principal of your life?

For many of us the central organizing principal of life is the Ego.With the Sun in Gemini, an air sign, we have the opportunity to become aware of how much Ego defines our reality.  Our Ego is a self-constructed identity made up of our thoughts which tell us who we are, where we belong, what we should do, and how to maintain our identity. Maintaining this separate identity we have spent years building is the main  concern of the Ego. It is like we are self-creating identity machines, always producing more thoughts and needs and desires in order to maintain the Ego. A larger vision of Earth, the Solar System, Universe or our place in the aeons of time and our responsibility to this one, don’t matter to the Ego.

Our Ego-mind is so busy with maintaining the identity of this current life that it forgets that we are just one small part in a very huge interwoven net of Consciousness called the Cosmos. We need the personal self-awareness the Ego brings to be able to navigate this challenging world.  But Ego is only a tool that we can master. It is not the goal of our lives here on Earth nor does it set the agenda for the current incarnation. Our Spirit does that.

Moon in Sagittarius – The aim of Spirit

The Moon represents our Soul, the inner essence which is steeped in memory and mystery. We can all tap into our Soul using the skills of intuition. With the Moon in Sagittarius, the archer who shoots for the sky, our Soul takes aim at the furthest reaches of the Cosmos seeking an expanded awareness of Spirit that connects us all. This beautiful 16th century personification of Astronomy hints at the expanses available to explore.

The Soul’s symbolic intuitive language is similar to the language of Spirit, which is also rich in metaphor and imagery. Our Soul has a direct link to Spirit, which also shines luminous in dark and mysterious places. This Full Moon in Sagittarius, a fire sign ruled by positive energy of Jupiter, calls on us to connect to the positive, optimistic visionary center of ourself. But to do so we will need to break free of our old Ego patterns of identity and our habitual ways of maintaining the boundaries of that identity.

The Moon realizes this is a very big request but feels that desperate times call for desperate measures.  In this Age of Aquarius, spiritual enlightenment doesn’t belong to a special select few; it belongs to all of us. This Full Moon in Sagittarius is reminding you to aim for your spiritual center and be supported by your spiritual truth.

The Balance:

This Full Moon is a time to balance the Sun and Moon. We can begin this work by clearing out old patterns of our Ego and opening up to new dimensions of our Soul. These new dimensions will lead us on a path that is personally unique (Gemini) but inspired by a collective vision for Earth (Sagittarius).  Each of us are different people with different skills, resources, desires, values, and things that matter.  It is time to put aside the Ego’s reasons that we are not good, wise,  smart or brave enough. It is time to take the journey towards our deepest expression. Lao Tzu said “Even the longest journey must begin where you stand.” We don’t need to know each step of the way or even understand exactly where the journey ends. But it begins with who we are right now.

For You: The Earth needs you right now. Your unique gifts are important. There are not many people who have the resources, intelligence, freedom, and ability to do something about the crisis our world is facing. You are one of those few. Your light shines brightly and even the vast and magnificent cosmos is made up of the sparkle from individual stars. This Full Moon is imploring you to let go of your ego limitation and discover what fires you up both spiritually and personally. Become fascinated about your Soul’s wisdom and become curious about your journey into the unified Cosmos of which we are all a part.

Full Moon in Aquarius

Super Full Moon in Aquarius – August 10, 2014

EZe

Sculpture Garden in Eze, France

High on a distant hillside overlooking a broad perspective is the perfect place for the Full Moon in Aquarius. Known as The Water Bearer, many people mistake Aquarius for a water sign. But Aquarius belongs to the element Air and exhibits qualities of discernment, detachment, objectivity, clarity and intellectualism. In many ways this is the most aloof Moon since it needs to keep its distance in order to maintain its objectivity and expansive vision. We are living in the Age of Aquarius, a time of humanitarian values and global ethics, explosion of technology, and the invisible webs of the internet that bind us together across the world, both for good and for ill.

But during this Full Moon the normally cool Aquarius gets pulled into the heart energy of the fiery Leo Love cardSun which ignites a strong desire to create love. Aquarius takes this desire and expresses it in broad perspectives and global visions that include compassionate efforts to heal the world. Aquarius works through advanced technology, so much of Aquarian humanitarian work occurs over the the internet. Signing petitions, sending donations on-line, internet classes, global meditations, and communicating through text and email are all ways to Aquarius expresses its love.

For You: This Moon is saying that it is time to lead with your heart and let your head follow. Aquarius usually likes to figure everything out intellectually, step by step, like a giant chess game. The needs of the heart are often secondary to calculated decisions. But in this Moon you are being asked to put the needs of your heart first. Feel into what you want to do, what your soul calls for you to do. Then, use the intellectual capacities and broad visions of Aquarius to figure out how to make it occur. Maybe you’ve been wanting to change jobs or start a relationship but you keep coming up with all the reasons it can never happen. Get in a comfortable place and take slow deep breaths until it feels like you are heart-centered and your mind is calm. Then ask your heart what it really wants to do. Be open to the answer. Once you discover your current heart’s desire let your inquisitive mind figure out how to get started. Doing research on the internet or tapping into your social network are perfect ways to put your Aquarian ship into orbit.

 

Full Moon in Capricorn

Capricorn Full Moon July 12, 2014

We have the energies of all the zodiac signs within us, and it is during the time of the Full Moon, when the Sun and Moon are at opposite points in the zodiac, that we have an opportunity to find balance between them. This month the Sun is in Cancer and the Moon is in the opposite sign of Capricorn. Cancer is a water sign that resonates with emotion. These emotions motivate Cancer to take actions that are filled with compassion and care. Because of Cancer’s association with nurturing it is often described as a feminine mother energy. Capricorn is an earth sign that brings a practical resolution to action in order to get tangible results. Emotional considerations are not important to Capricorn, who is more likely to value financial and material gain. Because of Capricorn’s association with corporate structures it is often described as a masculine sign of gain and acquisition.

Deborah Koff-Chapin

Soul Cards by Deborah Koff-Chapin

This soul image represents the Cancer/Capricorn duality. It is a challenging image in that it can be seen either as two halves breaking apart, or two halves coming together to form a whole.  We have indications of the separation between Cancer’s emotional needs and Capricorn’s material needs when we read the daily news. Two of the most obvious are elementary school safety vs profits for gun manufacturers and women’s health care vs corporate policy. But the tension is found everywhere, including the recent news that 10 agro-chemical companies own 73% of the commercial seed market and that Nestlé Corporation, the world’s largest purveyor of bottled water, is draining ground water from developing countries in order to bottle and sell it. This Capricorn acquisition of material resources shows how the very basics of life – food and water – are in danger of becoming commodities that only the rich can afford. It is easy to see how this polarization can feel like it is splitting us — personally and globally — into two very different factions.

But the two halves can also be seen as coming together into one integrated whole. If you look at the nose and mouth of the dual image it is easy to see the two sides moving closer together to form one very large smile. This integration is happening every day and it is important to see it and celebrate it. The simplest way to understand the balance between Cancer and Capricorn is to witness how women are becoming practical leaders as they work within traditional male enterprises such as corporations, military, and law. And men everywhere are expressing deep concern, compassion and caring for those who are in need in their family, community, and world. This iconic image from the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings clearly shows masculine concern, compassion, and caring.

 

For You: Close your eyes and take several deep breaths. Feel yourself become centered and calm. Let an image of a man who is caring and compassionate rise up within you. In what ways is he nurturing? How does he express his love? How does he give care to others? As you think Firemanabout his qualities, allow yourself to feel them in your heart. Let your own heart expand to hold these emotional Cancer energies, and in doing so, realize that these are qualities that you have within yourself. Next, let an image of a woman come up who is strong, practical and capable in a traditionally masculine arena. See her clearly in your mind’s eye. In what ways is she a leader? How does she take competent actions? What qualities does she have that enables her to take a strong stand in the world? Feel those qualities within your body. Let yourself become stronger as you realize that these are qualities you have within yourself. Feel this powerful mix of compassionate Cancer and practical Capricorn within you. Realize that these two energies are abundant in yourself, your community and the world. Keep open to the many opportunities for you to bring them into balance through the actions that you personally take and the actions that you appreciate in others. See the crack in world coming together to mend as we find balance within ourselves and in each other.

 

Full Moon in Scorpio

May 14, 2014.  This month the Sun is in Taurus, so the Moon is in the opposite sign of Scorpio. These two signs are not as different in meaning as one might at first assume. Taurus is an earth sign and deals with practical issues including the things we want to manifest in our lives. Taurus loves the material world and experiencing it with all five senses of taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing. Taurus appreciates things that are solid and lasting and have practical purpose, so it is understandable that this is the Sun sign that oversees the physical labor that goes into the creative act of planting the fruits and vegetables that we will harvest later in the fall.

The Full Moon is in Scorpio, a water sign associated with the unstable, passionate, transformative and taboo energies that run beneath the surface of our world. These energies often stay locked in dark places since their sudden eruption can disrupt the smooth surface of our life with an emotional tsunami caused by an sea-quake or volcanic eruption. Scorpio also wants to manifest, but on an emotional level where it can have deep connections, intensity, and passion.Plow

The place where Scorpio Moon and Taurus Sun connect is through the surface of the earth. Taurus is visible above the earth with its fertile fields and lush harvest. Scorpio is invisible below the earth, in the molten lava and dark unexplored crevices.  The earth is the ground that both separates them and holds them together.

One action on which Scorpio and Taurus agree is the act of plowing. Taurus likes it because plowing is necessary to sow the fields with seeds for the next harvest. Scorpio likes it because plowing a field  brings the things that are underground up to the surface. Plowing the soil adds depth and fertility to the fields, guaranteeing a more abundant harvest.

For You: To chose which seeds to plant you must first figure out what you wish to harvest. Don’t just grab any old seeds that happen to be close at hand. Really take some time and think this through. Plowing, Planting, and Harvesting a field is a lot of work. Be sure that you end up with something worth the effort and that will give you pleasure in tending and pride in harvesting. As you plow you will find stones and rocks and other hard objects that get in the way of your planting. This is like when you dig into the life experiences of your past and you find many hard places that have been obstacles in your path. Seeing these hard places can be difficult and painful.  Scorpio is saying that you can’t ignore the dark hard places. But Taurus is reminding you that you can’t stay too long looking at the pains of the past or you could stay forever lost in the underworld, adrift in the river Styx. When an old hard rock of the past comes to the surface while you are plowing your field, pick it up, look at it and toss it to the side and keep working. Don’t let it take you away from your task of growing your life. You may find that you uncover enough stones that you can build a rocky wall around your field, turning what your thought were weaknesses into strong protection.

Full Moon in Cancer

Susan Seddon Boulet

Susan Seddon Boulet

The Moon is full on January 15, 2014 at 11:52 pm EST. The Moon is very very happy in the sign of Cancer. After a month of traveling through every sign in the zodiac it feels like she has come home to heart and hearth, the place that feels safe, secure, loving and kind. During this Moon she is reminding us that we need that safe loving place to retreat so that we can renew ourselves. It can get crazy out there navigating the world and it doesn’t take long to get overwhelmed by all that we deal with every day. It is easy to get irritable, angry and scared, especially when burdened by the extra concerns brought on by this very difficult winter.

This Full Moon is sending out a flow of love and kindness to bring a balm of peace to each person and to the world. Jupiter, sometimes called the Santa Claus of the solar system due to the generous abundance he spreads, is helping the Moon by increasing the love and light she is sending forth. They are a great pair, a yin and yang combination working together for the greatest good.

This morning right before dawn as I was watching the Moon and Jupiter set, I heard the words “All you need is love.” So simple, but so true. Many of the world’s problems could be solved using loving compassion. This Moon is encouraging us to renew our  capacity to love so that once we are full ourselves it can flow from us to others, like a cup running over.

For You: Find a place in the outer world that feels like what you imagine home and hearth could be – comfortable, safe and secure. It can be your bed, a favorite chair, a cat on your lap, a cup of hot tea in your hands or a tree in the city park. Find the place where you can let go of your burdens, if even for just a while, and fully relax. Once you are in your hearth place, close your eyes and take deep and slow breaths. Scan your body for tension and imagine that someone is gently stroking you, like a mother soothing a restless child, removing tension and bringing ease.  Once your breath is slow and relaxed, use your imagination and look inside at your heart. Like this beautiful picture, imagine your heart is a cup filled with water that is illuminated by the light of the Moon. The water in your heart is pure love and is a balm to your soul. See it gently pouring out of your heart and moving through your entire body, until you feel filled with a peace that goes beyond understanding. Try to find this place of renewal every day so that you have enough loving compassion to share with those near and dear to you, with some left over for a few random acts of kindness.

Full Moon in Gemini

Gemini by Julie Dillon

Gemini by Julie Dillon

Tuesday December 17th 2013. Last month’s Full Moon was about letting go of the old stuff in your life that has been hanging around but that no longer serves you. You might have gotten a sense that you are not the same person you once were and that it is time to make changes in your life. You might know these changes are a good thing but still feel a bit lost because you are no longer who you were, but not yet the person you will become. You long for something fresh but still feel defined by old patterns that are very familiar.

This Moon in Gemini is about setting your mind and heart free from the expectations you placed on yourself in the past and open up to new ideas of who you are and what you want to do.  You may feel drawn to reconsider plans, ambitions, and goals you once made for yourself so that new possibilities can emerge. The Moon represents your unconscious, so on some deep level you may be feeling a need for complete freedom of thought and action. Like these Gemini twins rummaging through the vast sources of what is possible, allow your sense of self to become very curious, go wild and crazy, make a mess, and open up to thoughts, ideas, and actions you never before considered.

For you: One way to shift from old patterns to new possibilities it to change the word ‘should’ to ‘could.’ Our internal dictator often tells us what we ‘should’ do.  But with all the possibilities before you, what ‘could’ you do? Could you be an artist? a dancer? a teacher? Could you travel around the world? or go back to school? Could you repair the environment, find a new job or quit the one you have? Once you open to what you ‘could’ do, then ask yourself if it is what you want to do, and if so, then aim to make it happen. The Full Moon in Gemini is exact at 4:28 am EST on Tuesday December 17th.

Harvest Full Moon in Pisces

We are spiritual beings living in a physical body. Our existence is linked to our spiritual form, which lives within and beyond the physical world. This material world is the laboratory where we experiment and learn how to live an integrated life of body and spirit. But our material world is very concrete. It is all around us in a very obvious ways, demanding our attention with our five senses of taste, touch, hearing, smell, and sight. This intensity of our physical senses makes our relationship with the physical world dominant and we forget about the more subtle spiritual energy, the sixth sense, that also exists within this earthly life. The quieter, softer callings of our Soul and Spirit often go unheard. Just like the Sun is more forceful and demands our attention more than the fleeting and reflective Moon, so do the demands of our physical existence outweigh the needs of our spiritual essence. This Full Moon is asking us to find a balance between the physical world, represented by Sun in Virgo, and the spiritual world, represented by Moon in Pisces.

I must admit that I found it unlikely that Katy Perry would represent the pivot between the very physical Sun in Virgo and the very spiritual Moon in Pisces, but when a friend sent me this video that she had watched dozens of times with her 9 year old daughter, I had to take a look. And as amazing as it seems, this very fun video and powerful song is a great example of the balance we seek at this Full Moon. Now, I admit that I have always loved the archetype of Tarzan, and that might have a bit to do with my joy in watching it. I hope you take a moment to view it by clicking the link under the picture. The song refers to gaining personal strength after a set back, and that could be the set back of a relationship, job, or even life itself.  Watch for the archetypal theme of finding strength through connecting to your inner spirit, symbolized by the sparks of light that manifest as the Tiger. And that once that inner spirit is fully owned and integrated the world shifts from being a dangerous place where we feel uncomfortable and lost, into a place of magnificent abundance where we are surrounded by allies and everything we need is available.

For you: Take some time this Full Moon and put your attention to sensing your subtle spiritual energy. Do a bit of Moon bathing if you can, or just imagine your spiritual energy as pulses of light that sparkle and flow. See this spiritual energy as fully integrated into your body and surrounding you in life. Let go of the old ways you have defined yourself in the past. Give yourself permission to be strong. Walk through life as if you are a spiritual being having a physical existence. Notice how what you used to think of as challenging and scary becomes part of the adventure of life. Feel the inner calm, balance, and joy as you become the pivot that links together your physical and spiritual existence.

Full Moon in Aquarius- Twice!!

July and August 2013: The Moon, the interior soul, is in Aquarius. Aquarius is the most progressive and global of the zodiac signs.  It wants to break away from the normal routines and learn about what lies beyond the next horizon. This month’s Full Moon brings a sense of longing for a life different than the one you have been living. You might be feeling an inner urge to take some risks, to reach out, to get engaged in the ideas and concepts that will bring new richness to your world. The Sun, the outer ego, is in Leo, so it wants you to live with abandon to fulfill your personal desires and to be sure that whatever you engage in is fun, creative, full of passion, color, and excitement. Aquarius, a bit more detached and intellectual than Leo, is willing to find the balance between its broader humanitarian perspective and the Leo Sun’s personal desires by taking some calculated risks, actions that not only feed your personal needs but also work for the greater good. This Full Moon is challenging you to set sail for a destination that will be tons of fun for you personally and help humankind in the process. Risks will be involved, but not recklessness.

The Moon is in Aquarius, an air sign, so this is a perfect Full Moon to catch the wind and set sail to a port that you have longed wished to see. The ‘port’ is a symbol for something you have been wanting to do, but haven’t been sure you were prepared to do it. This might be actual travel, but could just as likely be a new job, relationship, book, education, activism, garden, or creative hobby. The ‘ship’ is a symbol for your physical body, your vehicle that is ready to get involved in something that excites you and deepens your connection to this life that you are now living. As Henry David Thoreau said, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” This Full Moon is asking you to Set Sail! Take the risks of a new destination. Don’t let your fears stop you. Your time on earth is limited, and you don’t know when you will return. This is your life, your time, your moment.

For You: Take a few deep breaths and let yourself settle in a comfortable position. Feel your body start to relax. Put one palm on your belly and the other palm on your chest and just breathe. Take deep belly breaths and feel your body rise and fall with each breath. Imagine that you are on the water, comfortably rising up and down with the rocking of the sea.  Imagine that you have a ship that you are ready to launch. See it clearly in your mind’s eye. It is a good ship, strong and sturdy. You have been preparing for this voyage for many years and have acquired all you need for a successful launch. See your ship shining as it floats on the sparkling water, docked at shore as it is being loaded for the journey. What are the goods that you have gathered? The skills, education, services, graces, and work that you have learned as part of this life that will be yours to utilize as you head to your new destination.  Allow yourself to feel good about the person you are, the skills you have, and the goods that your ship holds. Notice the crew, those people who are your allies that you can count on to encourage you, support you, and be there for you on smooth or rocky seas.  Feel the excitement, that blend of fear and joy, as you set out for the destination that you have always desired. Clearly see your destination, that place or thing or attitude that you are willing to seek and hopeful to find. And remember, you have an entire month to ponder these things and get clearer on your ship and your destination. Next month’s Full Moon will also be in Aquarius, so the universe is giving you plenty of time to get this one figured out.  See the New Moon in Leo on August 6th as a half way point to figuring out your dreams, with the next Full Moon in Aquarius on August 20th as the date to launch your ship.

May Full Moon in Sagittarius

art by Pamela Colman Smith

The Magician offers the balance between Gemini Sun’s conscious desire for immediate action in everyday life and Sagittarius Moon’s urge for transcendence and spiritual energy. The Magician in the Tarot is one of my favorite cards. It represents Mercury, and is therefore associated with Hermes Trismegistus. Hermes is considered the author of the Emerald Tablet which describes the essential connection between the microcosm and macrocosm, often stated “As Above, So Below.” A translation by Issac Newton, the great mathematician and alchemist says: Tis true without lying, certain & most true. That which is below is like that which is above & that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of one only thing.

For You: You are a Magician. You are a link between Heaven and Earth. Take a few deep breaths and settle yourself. Imagine that you are this Magician. First you link “As above and so below.” You stand proudly, feet firmly planted on the ground. One arm is stretched to the heavens and the wand in your hand is a conduit for the divine and spiritual reality that is felt but unseen.  Breathe and feel the energy of the transcendent flow through your arm. Your other hand is pointed towards the earth, your finger a wand that transmutes the heavenly energy from above into the solid ground where you see it take root in beautiful manifestations and creations, as symbolized by the flowering roses and lilies. You are dressed in a white gown, which demonstrates your essential purity. Over your gown you wear a red robe of action. Around your waist is the snake, symbol of your powerful kundalini energy, and above your head is the figure eight, showing your connection to unity and eternity.  Take another deep breath. Now connect to to your everyday life and the table which holds the reality from which you an work. You see four tools: Cup, sword, wand, and shield. The cup represents your Soul and your emotional world; The sword is your Mind and your discerning thoughts; The wand is your energy, and willpower; the shield is your Physical and material reality. Take a few moments to consider what you bring to the table. What assets do you have emotionally, mentally, energetically, and physically? How do you want to transform those assets with the spiritual energy that is moving thorough you? What do you want to manifest in the physical world? What are your intentions? Be bold! Energize your world and create a reality in which you want to engage and thrive.

Full Moon in Sagittarius

Come to the light! May 24-26, 2013
The Sun, the source of our consciousness, is in Gemini. Gemini is an Air element which means it is one of the intellectual and mentally active zodiac signs. The symbol is the dual Twin since Gemini is so curious and actively engaged that it needs to be cloned so it can be two places at once. Gemini strives to discover what is possible in one’s own neighborhood and make connections in everyday surroundings. Gemini is ruled by the planet Mercury which brings clear mental capacities as well as the ability to travel between the folds of reality. The Greek name for Mercury is Hermes, the messenger of the gods between the upper, middle, and lower worlds; the Egyptian’s name is Thoth. Together they are referred to as Hermes Trismegistus, a source of wisdom on how the universe works and the author the second century Hermetica, a source text for astrology, alchemy, and magic.

The Moon is in the opposite sign of Sagittarius, and represents the longing of the Soul and stirring of the unconscious. It is in the element of Fire and connects to the source of our energy, our passion, and spirit. Represented by the symbol of an arrow, Sagittarius points outward and directs its attention to unknown and transcendent reality. It is ruled by the planet Jupiter which brings wisdom and expansion to seek new knowledge. This month the Full Moon is about finding a place of balance between the Moon’s expanded vision and the Sun’s desire to keep the focus close to home. The Moon is exact this month on Saturday May 25th at 12:25 am EDT at 4 degrees of Sagittarius. The Moon will be in the sign of Sagittarius from Friday May 24th at 5:49 pm until Sunday May 26th at 5:28 pm. There will be a lunar eclipse during this Full Moon, but it will be nearly invisible.

photo by George McGeorge

For You: This Full Moon will be especially tuned to mental clarity and a sharp mind since Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will also be in Gemini. You have spent several months exploring your Shadow and facing your personal and collective fears. This Full Moon is time to bring the knowledge of your exploration of the Shadow into the light of consciousness so that you can manifest your world taking into consideration all parts of yourself. The Sabian symbol for  this Moon is: “An old owl sits alone on the branch of a large tree.”  The owl is a symbol of wisdom and has the ability to see in the darker realms of night. It is time to take a “poised and wise approach to existence based on a clear perception of unconscious factors and their operation.” Bring together that which is below- your Shadow in the unconscious- with that which is above – your clear perception and illumination. (Sabian symbols in An Astrological Symbolism by Dane Rudhyar)

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