A Thoughtful, Inspiring and Frustrating Full Moon


Posted on August 9, 2014 by Henry Seltzer of ASTROGRAPH.COM
 

Sunday's Full Moon in Aquarius brings greater consciousness to the fore, stressing individual versus group participation, plus again emphasizing the Saturn-Uranus inconjunct aspect that has been so prominent in these summer skies. With the Moon reaching its culmination we are witnessing the full flowering of the impulse from the recent Leo New Moon of two weeks ago, and of the lessons that we have come to in the process of reaching this moment in time. The spiritually rich and nebulous archetype of Neptune also comes into this picture, being strongly aspected by Eris, Mars and Jupiter, lending an air of imaginative and filmic unreality to the proceedings. The Sun at the time of the Full Moon also aspects Mars and conjuncts Mercury, making for an active time of increased self-awareness that has as its basis the connivance of antithetical astrological elements represented by conservative Saturn in uneasy combination with trickster Uranus.

The conflict between these potent outer planet astrological archetypes mirrors the polarization between progressive and conservative views that are now so greatly emphasized in the current worldwide political scene. The confusion regarding what it all might mean, as represented by numinous Neptune, where the truth lies and what part idealism or outright deception plays, is also very present to our questioning gaze. We have constantly before us the contrasting tales of the multiple spin-doctors, of either political stripe, attempting to resolve the issues, which in the final analysis might be summed up very simply as the power of love or its lack.

The Sun and Moon in opposition are square to Saturn, representing limitation and the unforeseen restrictions that stymie action. This archetype of life lessons also reminds us that, in spite of our chErished visions for a brighter tomorrow, the here-and-now practical element is vitally important as far as making anything concretely happen. The Sun is also in conjunction with the intellectual force of Mercury, and precisely trine to surprising and visionary Uranus, while in bi-quintile aspect to Pluto, in the Earth sign of Capricorn, indicating that our own personal transformation is the key to guiding us out of the social and the interpersonal dilemmas in which we find ourselves engaged. Truly, the watchword is needed change, on an individual and a collective level, the time is now, and every single individual makes a difference.

The Sabian Symbols for this Full Moon form a useful touchstone. For the Sun, in the 19th degree of Leo, we have "A houseboat party;" Marc Edmund Jones speaks of "a gracious eagerness of participation in the more worthwhile or enduring aspects of human affairs." For the Moon in the opposite degree of Aquarius we find "A forest fire quenched." There are indeed vast societal emergencies that need to be dealt with, and the element of Water, emphasizing our heart nature, must become somehow more greatly involved. The houseboat party, too, takes place on the water. We win when as a collective we realize that we are all in the same boat, we sink or survive together, and this is based on a combination of personal initiative and group participation, as we individually strive for the highest in ourselves and in each other.