TODAY’S FULL MOON- A TIME FOR DEEP REFLECTION
With five planets in retrograde, this full moon is sure to be an intense one! On Sunday, August 26th the world will experience this year’s full moon in Pisces. Retrogrades are a time for self-reflection; a time to take a deep look at ourselves. And as with all full moons, this Piscean event will mark the culmination of a life cycle. And, as with all full moons, the astrological position of the sun is opposite the moon. Pisces’ astrological opposite has our sun in grounded, logic-based, meticulous Virgo throughout this lunar influence.
Because we have five planets in retrograde (appearing to go backwards in the night sky) we will find ourselves ruminating over various aspects of ourselves and our lives. Which aspects of our lives do we feel need improvement? Which aspects of ourselves and our life cycles are we ready to release in order to make room for new and healthier ones?
During this lunar period, we have Mars, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto in retrograde. This means that we will have the desire to reflect on all of the aspects of our lives that correlate to these planets. With Mars named after the God of War, its energetic influence will often have us in an air of conflict both with ourselves and others. However, due to its current retrograde motion, its energy will lean us toward more of an inner conflict. This internal struggle will be all about ego. Because Martian energy is the ruler of passion, male sexuality and warriorship, this retrograde can be an intense time of questioning our self worth especially relative to these aspects of self. Whereas when Mars is in forward motion, it encourages us to head full force into battle, sparing none, the retrograde period will have us wanting to examine these aspects of our personalities. In combination with the Piscean moon, we may find that we are at odds with ourselves. This is because Mars has a very fiery, passionate energy whereas Pisces is a very deep and emotional energy. This will come to a head throughout the full moon period and create stormy weather within our self reflection.
Saturn retrograde is perhaps the most mentally challenging as it causes us to deeply examine the structure and function of our lives; belief systems, habits and simply the way we live. In conjunction with the Piscean full moon which has a tremendously ethereal energy, we may find that this lunar period has us thrown from the grounded nature of the Virgo sun into a virtual ‘washing machine’; spinning endlessly through shift and flux. Though this may feel like a hurricane for 2-3 days, rest assured that once the moon moves out of ethereal Pisces, we may feel far more comfortable with our functional examination.
Contrary to the discomfort of Mars and Saturn retrograde, Neptune is also retrograde during this full moon. Interestingly, Pisces is ruled by Neptune. This means that for those of us who are daydreamers and interdimensonal travellers, we may find our inner escape to be pleasantly comfortable. Because both Neptune and Pisces represent our dreamlike consciousness, even though Neptune is retrograde, we will find an inescapable desire to dream the day away. This daydreaming is fully supported by the Divine as Neptune retrograde encourages us to remember to go within to find answers to our most pressing queries. It will remind us that all of the answers we seek can only be found within; NOT from external sources. It will remind us that each and every one of us already has the wisdom we seek within.
Next, in the spectrum of planets retrograde, we have Uranus: the planet of sudden change. Whereas in most charts and planetary alignments, Uranus’ appearance often creates havoc and disruption, when it turns retrograde, we may often feel stuck. We may feel as if we are ready for a drastic change and frustrated that ‘nothing is happening’. Whereas when in forward motion, the sudden nature of Uranus affects both internal and external shifting, its retrograde counterpart will almost always only affect our inner world. And this means a massive shake up of old fears and anxieties. It will have us circumstantially re-evaluating old fear-based beliefs that are ready to be released once and for all. To intensify this shake up, the confluence between the ethereal Piscean moon and grounded Virgo sun will have us ping-ponging from one end of the spectrum to the other regarding the most efficient way to bring the balance back to our new mental landscape.
Lastly we have Pluto retrograde. Pluto’s nature is to give us higher insight into our subconscious. Thus, its retrograde will create the ideal environment for us to take the time to go within and seek out our life purpose. Are we taking part in activities and beliefs that support our Divine life purpose? Are we simply treading water in fear of proceeding down uncharted paths? Or are we going to realize that most of our actions and beliefs are not in alignment with our Divine life purpose? Whichever road we find ourselves on, if we are unhappy, Pluto retrograde is the perfect time to reflect on where we would like to be and how we feel is the most effective way to get there.
This lunar period proves to be an intense time of self examination; getting to know ourselves again on a deeper, more intimate level. Though these 48 hours will surely be full of highs, lows and daydreams, once we find ourselves on the other side, we will be far stronger and more empowered. We will be more connected with ourselves and Spirit. We will be more fully in alignment with our highest and best selves.
SOULSTICE SPIRIT 