Full Supermoon in Aquarius
Gifts Are Meant For Giving
August begins with a bang, not a whimper, as we begin the month with a full supermoon in the sign of Aquarius. This Sturgeon Moon is considered “super” because the full moon will occur during its perigee – that is, the closest it moves near the earth during its orbit. Supermoons in general are not a rare event, per say, and they can occur during full or new moons. However, that doesn’t mean this supermoon isn’t notable.
Full moons are times of culmination, realization, reflection and release of energy. When the full moon happens to be a supermoon, and thus is closer to the earth (aka us) the typical effects of the full moon are magnified. So while in a general sense, Aquarius tends to be a lighthearted, fun-loving sign, I would like to bring awareness to the fact that regardless of what sign it takes place in, full moons bring heightened emotion into our experience. It is always wise to bring extra awareness and focus when maneuvering out in the world during this window (about +/- 3 days from August 1st) as other people, especially those who lack conscious awareness, tend to exhibit more erratic behaviors at this time.
As well, there are other astrological factors at play during the window of the full moon in Aquarius giving it a more distinct flavor. At this time, we still have retrograde Pluto in Capricorn locked into a tight t-square with the nodes, Uranus in Taurus will form a trine to Mars in Virgo, but will also square Black Moon Lilith in Leo, and lastly, there are multiple inconjunctions taking place during this full moon. I’ll spare you all the individual details, but just know that the inconjunct aspect can be summarized in a single word: paradox. So we may find ourselves facing many contradictions in our personal realities during this time.
This makes sense because perhaps the most notable aspect of this full moon is that the feminine wounded healer Chariklo is forming a conjunction with it. This means that our wounds which tie into who we are at a core level, are rising up to be revealed to us and potentially relinquished. However, coming to terms with inner wounds and the concept of paradox is not an easy task, and so we may find ourselves actually fighting against the energies of this full moon by trying to avoid the psychic information that may arise. We may feel like we want to ignore our intuition, forget about the messages from our dreams, and try to tackle this energy with a much more rational and logical approach.
There is merit in the rational approach and it can be utilized to assist us with these energies. However, it becomes a detriment when it totally replaces the emotional processes that we’re called to undergo. Balance is the key here and we must hold our focus on juggling these two realms of existence: the physical and the emotional. We may find ourselves shuffling between the demands of 3D reality – bills, family, chores, etc. – and the demands of our spiritual growth.
Since this full moon is occurring in the sign of Aquarius, this balance may feel like quite the struggle as we just want to throw ourselves into the future, looking ahead at what new directions we feel inspired to move toward. Yet, the future is not really real and we must persist in the eternal now.
The other challenge present at this time is the dynamic between the Sun in Leo (its home sign) standing in opposition to the Moon in Aquarius. The Sun is illuminating for us the themes of Leo – and we’ve been doing a lot of Leo work lately including Venus’ recent retrograde through this sign, the other personal planets that have just recently exited Leo, and all the Lion’s Gate energies we’re still working with. Leo in its height of energy helps us to creatively express our truth, our light and our joy in ways that light up others. However, in its negative expression, it creates drama queens/kings, can lean toward selfishness, can become demanding of others and sulky if it doesn’t get its way.
Aquarius shares the theme of personal truth that Leo holds (all oppositions in astrology share similarities), but it seeks to apply this truth in a way that’s helpful for other people. It wants to be useful, seek an ideal, and create positive change in the world. Since the light of the Sun (consciousness) in Leo is reflecting off the Moon (unconsciousness) in Aquarius, it may be that these themes are illuminated for us, for better or worse. Given that Chariklo is in the mix, it’s likely that we’re going to be confronted with some uncomfortable personal truths.
Perhaps we have been telling ourselves that we’re working towards something for the betterment of all, but have become bullies about it. Maybe we’re ironically losing sight of what’s actually good for everyone as we obsessively pursue our dreams. Maybe we’ve stepped over other people to seek out these goals, not realizing that we’re actually working against ourselves by doing so. Or, maybe the opposite is happening – maybe we have something really great that needs to be shared, expressed, and given away, but we’ve been withholding it from other people. Whether that’s out of selfishness, fear or insecurity, the end result is the same.
With this full supermoon occurring at 9 degrees of Aquarius, it brings in a distinct humanitarian energy. We each have something to give to contribute to the healing and improvement of our world. We all came here with a mission – part of that mission is uncovering who we really are, discovering the unique light of joy that burns within us. The other part of that mission is using those totally unique gifts and giving them away to other people. We must cultivate confidence in ourselves in order to do this, otherwise, we risk being inauthentic in our expression, or worse, not shining our light at all.
This supermoon is a time to recognize how we can be serving others – and thereby also serving ourselves. We’ve spent all this time in Leo energy learning what brings us joy and what makes us unique, but have we taken the next step to bring that creativity and self-expression out into the world? Whoever you are, whatever your unique abilities may be, whatever brings you joy, floats your boat, and lights your fire, someone needs you. Right now. There is someone – and most likely, multiple someone’s – who need the exact gifts, the particular light you are able to shine. It’s time to share it. This light isn’t just for you. You came here to give it away.
This can be very intimidating. So many of us struggle with crippling self-doubt and insecurity. Even if you do feel secure in who you are, it can be a predicament figuring out what exactly you’re supposed to do with it. How in the heck are you supposed to “give that away?” This full supermoon in Aquarius is offering the potential to resolve those questions. Amidst all these emotions and internal realizations, there is a practical component at work here – Uranus and Mars trine in earth signs. Uranus brings us drastic change and sudden insight. It works like lightning on our subconscious. We often get these flashes of ideas and they move so quickly we don’t fully see how they’re relevant until Mercury begins to put it all together later. Mars, meanwhile, represents how we take action in the world and what we desire to accomplish. Together, especially being in earth signs – that is, real and practical – these two powerful planets are giving us an assist to take whatever epiphanies we have through this full moon and manifest them into physical reality.
This implies prosperity! It implies abundance. It signals building something for yourself – something totally new, future oriented, and dare I say, genius? These are the potential gifts on offer as you step out of your shell and move into your acts of service via the expression of your unique gifts. You’re the only one holding yourself back and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can be freed.
There’s a bit of a mixed bag of energy with this full moon – and that energy is likely to feel intense due to the Moon’s close proximity to earth. Be gentle with yourself as you uncover all of these previously-obscured truths. Drink plenty of water, allow yourself space and time to rest, and do yourself a favor by exploring whatever emotions may arise in this window. Remember, the key to working with these energies is juggling. There needs to be balance between the psychic/emotional and the rational/practical. You can utilize this energy consciously by performing a full moon ritual, doing a meditation (just be sure to energetically shield yourself first) or journaling/doing some automatic writing.
Just know that as you begin to embody the full light of your truest expression and give that away as an act of service, you will naturally draw into your reality greater abundance, prosperity and opportunity for growth and expansion. Happy full supermoon in Aquarius!