Our Full Moon lands in Aquarius on August 22nd – the second of two Full Moons we have in the sign of the Sacred Rebel this month. The first Full Moon, which occurred on July 23rd, culminated in the early degrees of Aquarius, inviting us to break free of the attachments that have been dimming our light.
Now, this Full Moon culminates at the last degree of Aquarius, inviting us to awaken to the full splendor of that light. You can think of these two Full Moons as the book ends of Leo season, taking us on a journey to rediscover our brilliance, our radiance, and the power of our authenticity.
Full Moons occur when the Moon has reached a place on its journey where it sits fully illuminated directly opposite the Sun. This month’s Full Moon sits directly opposite the Leo Sun, highlighting the Leo- Aquarius polarity… our need to shine our unique light (Leo) and our need to progressively honor the collective light (Aquarius).
The sign of Aquarius, represents your inner Sacred Rebel, the part of you who dares to break free of the status quo in the name of universal progress and revolution… because, sometimes, honoring the collective light means
walking the road less travelled, in order to pave the new trails that awaken us all and help us all
spiral up.
What differentiates this Full Moon is its close proximity to Jupiter retrograde in Aquarius, and the fact that it occurs at the 29th degree – just before the Moon enters Pisces, and just before the Sun enters Virgo. The 29th degree of any sign marks the place of ending and transition, where we are asked to decide what we are taking with us on the next stages of our journey. In this case, we are being asked to mine for the gold of Leo season that we wish to take forward with us into Virgo season. Leo season helps us find our courage and leads us to the joy of shining our light; while Virgo season teaches us to offer up that joy in service to ourselves and others.
These themes are amplified with this Full Moon’s proximity to Jupiter Retrograde in Aquarius. Jupiter is the planet of expansion, growth, integration, and higher learning, and is reminding us that we have all learned something over the last month – perhaps something especially important about ourselves, potentially related to a resurrected hope or the potential of a dream fulfilled. Don’t underestimate that “something” that you have learned. It is the spark that wants to awaken you to the next version of you… and, it is the spark that wants to move through you to set others free.
With Jupiter, though, it is important to remember to keep your boundaries in check – both with yourself and with others. Even with the best of intentions, we can sometimes overestimate, and overpromise, in an effort to spread big love. With the Sun quickly moving into Virgo – the sign of sacred service and devotion; and the Moon quickly moving into Pisces – the sign of transcendence and communion, our hearts may be particularly susceptible to stretching a few limits over and beyond. With the people and the circumstances that matter, however, there will
be no need to prove your love. Let yourself be moved by a genuine desire to both give and receive.
Other energetic shifts occurring on the day of our Full Moon, and setting the stage for the next few weeks include:
Venus in Libra forming a supportive trine to the North Node in Gemini, and a sextile to the South Node in Sagittarius – urging us to embrace the new connections that encourage us to learn and to grow, and to release the old connections that have kept us stagnant and bound; and Mars in Virgo forming a supportive trine to revolutionary Uranus in Taurus. Change is afoot.
Change is always afoot. Know that, as you awaken to new aspects of yourself and your world, you are empowered to be your own agent of change where you need to be.
As you move through the next few weeks leading up to our New Moon on September 6th, know that the energy released during this Aquarius Full Moon is here to quicken, electrify, and awaken the Sacred Rebel within us all.
Full Moon Journaling Prompts
Remember that Full Moons begin the waning phase of our lunar cycle, so they tend to illuminate both what we need to celebrate and what we may be invited to release in the coming weeks. To attune to what this Full Moon might mean for you, begin by asking yourself –
What does it feel like when I allow myself to truly be seen? What attachments am I learning to release in order to experience greater joy in my life? And, how can I offer up that joy in service to others?
Who This Full Moon May Impact the Most:
Every birth chart is unique, and there are a number of factors that influence the degree to which we experience the acute effects of any Full Moon. Know that something is being illuminated for us all, and that we are all being asked, in one way or another, to awaken to those things in our life that are calling for celebration, and those things in our life that are calling for release.
Those who may experience the effects of this Full Moon most strongly, include those with:
Aquarius Sun, Moon, and Rising
Leo Sun, Moon, and Rising
Scorpio Sun, Moon and Rising
Taurus Sun, Moon, and Rising
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Aquarius Full Moon Ritual
In many ways, this Full Moon closes out Leo season, and prepares us for what we will take forward into Virgo season. The ritual below is designed to attune you to what you desire to carry forward, and to what you yearn to release. Since Leo is the sign of your inner child, your creative expression, and your joy, and Aquarius is the sign of Sacred Rebellion and Freedom, this ritual taps into your inner artist and spirit of play.
For this ritual, you will need:
1. Candle of your choice
2. Paper
3. Colored markers, pencils, and/or crayons of your choice
4. Optional Tarot and/or Oracle deck
Ritual steps:
1. Light your candle.
2. Ground yourself. Perhaps stand with legs open wide, feet firmly planted on the ground, breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth, while visualizing the base of your spine extending down through the floor to the very core of the earth.
3. When you are ready, place two pieces of paper in front of you with your colored pencils, pens, and/or crayons handy.
4. Standing in front of the first sheet, visualize a time in your life when you felt true joy… not just happiness, but joy… This should be a time where you felt truly free, and unencumbered by the fear of what other people thought… a time when you felt vital and alive. See, feel, and hear as many details from this experience as you can.
Now, say aloud, “I feel true joy when….” If you desire, pull an oracle and/or tarot card to inspire you. Then, fill in the blanks out loud.
Pick up the coloring utensils of your choice, let your hand hit the paper and draw whatever shapes, images, and lines that arise within you. There need not be a definite form here… this is about expression and the reckless abandon of joy that must not be judged or analyzed.
5. When you are ready, move to your second sheet. First, feel yourself safe and secure. Then, visualize a time in your life when you felt cramped, unable to express, or forced into a box of inauthenticity.
Now, say aloud, “I release the fear of…… that has kept me bound and afraid to shine my light”.
If you desire, pull a an oracle/tarot card to inspire you and fill in the blanks out loud. Pick up the colored utensils of your choice, and on your second sheet of paper, allow yourself to draw this too. Notice the difference in the colors that you choose, and notice the difference in the shapes that you draw.
6. When you are ready, pick up your second sheet of paper and prepare to release. Allow yourself to tear this sheet from top to bottom… as many times as you need. Now, safely dispose of it.
7. Then, take your first sheet of paper, hold it in front of you, and say aloud, “I am grateful for the experience of joy in my life. I commit to making space for more of this joy, and I commit to sharing this joy with others”.
8. Store this sheet in a safe place of your choosing, or hang it where you can see and meditate on it daily.
Horoscopes For Each Sign
The horoscopes below, written for your Sun, Moon and Rising sign, are meant to serve as inspiration and “food for thought”. Let your intuition guide you, as you feel through the energetic shifts of this Full Moon.
ARIES:Wisdom says that you can’t please 100% of the people 100% of the time. The secret sauce of balance lies in finding joy in your own spaces first, and then offering that joy to those who are ready to receive it. Let this guide you to the places and spaces that are ready to receive the authentic you.
TAURUS: Freeing yourself from the straight-jacket of the familiar isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but this is the path that opens the doors to your best life. Root down deep, and then release the attachments that have been holding you down. You may be surprised at the next version of you who is waiting to be seen, just around the corner.
GEMINI: Accept the invitation to open the borders of your world, especially when it comes to your overarching beliefs about who you are in the grand scheme of things. Stepping into your power is as much about embracing what you don’t know, as it is about embracing what you do. Let that curiosity of yours bust your world wide open… in a good way.
CANCER: Releasing past hurts creates the space that you need to shine your brightest light. Feel the pain; release the pain; receive the blessings. Healing your most intimate relationships begins with the healing on the inside of you.
LEO: There’s a big call to reach up and out of yourself, especially when it comes to how you show up for others. Opening that big heart of yours in generosity, when and where you least expect it, will open the floodgates of healing to your deepest wounds. Shine that light on the people who need it the most, and receive big blessings in return.
VIRGO: It may be time to drop out of your head and into your heart. Marrying your discernment with your intuition will help you hone in on the routines that work for you. Implement those flashes of insight that are coming to you… especially if they dance on the fringes of that untried world you’ve been eyeing from across the way.
LIBRA: If “people-pleasing” has been getting in the way of your own self-fulfillment, now is the time to open yourself to another way – a way that allows you to drop the shackles, feed your inner child, and freely express. Worlds open when you let the creative child play.
SCORPIO: Rising above the drama is the road to inner peace. Create the space that you need for fulfillment on the inside, by releasing yourself from the stuff that simply doesn’t matter on the outside. Energy is currency. Invest it in you.
SAGITTARIUS:Your everyday world may hold a few surprises. There is always mystic in the mundane, so stay open to the breath of fresh air that is waiting for you, from the moment you wake in the morning to the moment your head hits the pillow at night. You’ve got something to teach, but the ground beneath your feet has something to teach you too.
CAPRICORN: Now is the time to surrender the things that you’ve been holding onto too tightly… because sometimes, it costs you more to hold on, than it does to let go. Make room to receive more, and you will. Make room to give more, and you will. Make room to love more, and you will.
AQUARIUS: It’s time to allow yourself to enjoy a little spotlight. Receiving any gifts that are being offered to you is not selfish; it allows you to be a gift to the giver. Kindness attracts kindness. Generosity attracts generosity. Search your heart, and be open to it all.
PISCES: Now, you may be able to see with clarity the corners of your world that have been obscured from your view. Take comfort in the awakening of your heart and your mind. It’s making it easier to see where you’ve been your own worst enemy, but it’s also making it easier to see where you’ve been your own best friend.
Andrea is a writer, astrologer, astrology teacher and tarot reader who combines ancient classical techniques from Esoteric Western Astrology, Hellenistic Astrology, Jaimini and Vedic Astrology into her own unique intuitive astrology system called Sacred Astrology. Check out her Become Your Own Astrologer Course under "Programs" on the Risingwoman.com menu :)
