The Times They Are A Changin’
We are on the threshold of shifting times and this Moon is arguably the singular most dynamic chart in history since 1968. The chart of this Full Moon in Aquarius, occurring on August 19th 2:26pm EST, has so many powerful transits being triggered all at once, it is simultaneously dizzying and electrifying, bringing with it both chaos and the opportunity for rebirth, along with a healthy dose of “WTF-is-happening?”-confusion.
Full Moons tend to bring about a flurry of activity, and Aquarius is the sign of freedom, communal harmony and breaking free from previous patterns and cycle. Whether or not this Full Moon impacts you personally, it —and the week preceding it and following it— will certainly affect the collective on a level of change that we cannot walk away from. Aquarius is ruled by the planets Uranus and Saturn, both key planets in this chart, and so themes of modern/progressive, and traditional or conservative are baked into this Full Moon. Technology has a say here as well, and the systems we have come to rely on may be up for questioning or getting a shock.
We essentially have two different T-squares going exact at the moment of the Full Moon, which is opposing a Mercury in Retrograde cazimi (conjunction with the Sun).
The Jupiter-Mars conjunction, which has been active since last week and is visible in the night sky, emphasizes an enlargement of some kind of driving force. This could be physical in nature so more prone to accidents, or feeling just so full of energy, aggression, over-confidence, or a pushing towards some kind of goal- but this conjunction is opposite Saturn which puts a damper on any of those energies. Saturn is the police officer who pulls you over for speeding, or the rock that trips you up while you were racing down the path. Saturn puts our plans into a fierce reality check and can create some emotional hardship. Venus now is in this mix since August 18th and squaring those two planets, perhaps trying to provide some sense of order and clarity, but unfortunately getting tangled up in the messy process of politics. Relationships may be particularly important and trying to find diplomacy becomes difficult, if not impossible and maybe even thrown out the window.
At the same time there is another T-square with Uranus at 27 degrees of Taurus, squaring the Sun and Mercury in Leo and the Moon in Aquarius. This is the signifier of change, uprootedness, and disruption to our lives. Uranus, the Great Awakener, does not exist quietly. This may not come across as a bad thing, but it is clearly going to shake things up.
The T-squares in and of themselves are quite incredible, but are also highlighting the greater cycle of the Jupiter-Saturn square, which is a 20 year cycle we began with the great Jupiter-Saturn conjunction of 2020 (lockdown, covid, Black Lives Matter, mass protests, you remember). You can imagine this 20-year cycle as similar to the lunar phases (new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter) Every four years we are faced with another quarter phase of these two powerful planets transiting one another. This would mean we are at the first quarter point, revisiting themes of those seeds we planted in 2020 and now having a choice point as to where we can go with them.
This moon may affect you more personally if you have any planets or points in your chart in the mutable signs, particularly around 17 degrees of Virgo, Gemini, or Pisces…OR any planets or placements in the fixed signs around 27 degrees (particularly Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius).
The United States is greatly affected by these transits, as Uranus which is squaring this Full Moon is transiting exactly on the moon of the United States’ founding birth chart. Historically, the last time Uranus was at 27 degrees of Taurus was in 1941-1942 with the start of WWII and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. We know how that played out. It is at once tragic and fitting that we are revisiting some of those themes —where now colonization is out of style and we perhaps have the opportunity to choose a different timeline.
Mercury, the less talked about indicator in this chart, is perhaps an even more dramatic signifier of this moment. Coming into conjunction with the Sun, while retrograde!?- this kind of sums up the entirety of the picture. Mercury retrograde has us looking back through time. Mercury rules our daily lives, interactions and choices…how we choose to think about our lives, what we have the ability to change and meditate on. Mercury, a hermaphrodite (ie. where the root “Hermes” the Greek counterpart is related) is the only character in mythology with the ability to traverse both heaven and hell, unharmed. Through dialogue and communication (ruled by Mercury), talk therapy, diplomacy, policy, framing the argument, framing the story- Mercury has the ability to be refreshed and renewed in its conjunction with the Sun. Communication, community and collaboration come into heart-centers awareness, giving humanity the opportunity to lean into those choices that will help make a change for the better.
Use this pivotal moment as an opportunity for awakening and change-making. Even though you may not get the results you want, wherever you come out of this lunation-on the other side- you will likely find yourself in situations that you would not have expected, otherwise. Especially because Mercury is in retrograde until August 27th, you may not feel any results of your efforts until after that point. Do not despair! Stay tuned in to what you and your loved ones may need during challenging times, and be on the lookout for opportunities to grow.
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