8:31 am  AHST  8/1/2023
  11:31 am    PDT 8/1/2023 
  2:31  pm   EDT  8/1/2023
  6:31  pm  GMT 8/1/2023

This Full Moon shines brightly, as it’s a Supermoon, much closer to the Earth than usual, with higher tides and gravitational pull. It’s also a Moon that’s out of bounds, rising and setting much further south than usual, which astrologically is thought to hike up the energy of emotions and deeper feelings. A Moon in Aquarius isn’t the most emotionally charged placement, it seeks the truth, so we’re more in the arena of looking at our fixed emotional habits, and possibly the need for emotional freedom from the usual relationship patterns.

This Leo Sun / Aquarius Moon pairing points out the polarity of self and other, of our personal heart’s needs versus the larger heart of humanity and our friendships. Both are needed to complement each other. Too much focus upon self prevents us from making the connections that restore our humanity, and the over-pouring of our energy into others often means we neglect our own needs and our need for the enjoyment of life. Since Jupiter, the planet of fun, growth and excess, forms a T-square (90˚ angles) to the opposition of the Full Moon and Sun, we are cautioned to observe where too much of either polarity characterizes our personal style.

Also, with Jupiter in Taurus, we are more and more pointed toward the greater need everywhere for the conservation of our resources. Taurus, Leo and Aquarius are all fixed signs, and so change doesn’t come readily, but the tension of the T-square may push us into new territories of self-discovery, particularly in the areas of creative collaborations.

The tightest (most exact) aspects in this chart are Mercury in Virgo’s opposition to Saturn in Pisces and Mars in Virgo’s trine to Jupiter in Taurus.

Mercury in Virgo asks for definitions and details in our thinking and reasoning, and wants perfection, while Saturn in Pisces reminds us that perfection is never in our hands, events in our lives are in the realm of the Higher Order, which we cannot control. Watch your communications during this time, and note when you’re hanging on to details too severely, or trying to overthink your way through things. Perhaps pettiness or insecurity might be at play.

Mars in trine (harmonious 120˚ angle) to Jupiter puts boundless action in the forefront, allowing for big efforts to reap big rewards. But since Jupiter is the axis point of the T-square, there’s tension there, and so we might tend to overdo our endeavors. And with this being a Supermoon, there’s a lot of intense energy involved, so look carefully before leaping.

Venus is appearing lower and lower in the sky at sunset, marking the last stage of her journey toward her conjunction with the Sun on August 13^th. This will be a rebirth, the beginning of her year-and-a-half cycle, and symbolically of humanity’s feminine energy, the energy of the Earth, of receptivity to the power of Nature. She will be reborn to our eyes when she appears as a morning “star” toward the end of August. It’s interesting that she is forming a right angle to Uranus at this Full Moon, an angle which will remain at that moment where she’s combusted by the Sun and is reborn. Uranus is a revolutionary energy, the square (90˚) angle is a challenge, and with Uranus in Taurus it signifies a burgeoning awareness of the importance of the Earth in our decision making. This new Venus cycle of 584 days will bring transformation to the feminine in both men and women, finding new ways to heal generations of patriarchy.[1]

Chiron is retrograding away in Aries at 19˚, having gotten very close to where it was in the US chart of 1776 (20˚ of Aries). We are seeing the wounds of the US exposed down to the bone level, especially as Pluto is also returning after 248 years to its placement in the USA chart (the Pluto return). Pluto strips away artifice and exposes the shadow for all to see. Chiron will also return to the exact USA natal position (a Chiron return) just two days after Election Day of 2024 (November 7th). This will be a testing time for the US, to honor its wounds, or if it fails to do so, then to fall into the shadow of democracy, which is totalitarianism.

Yes, we’re in for it. For a dose of truth serum. With Pluto now forming a right angle to the Nodal Axis, our collective destiny is in the crosshairs. There is no time left for posturing and pettiness on the world stage. The quickening is upon us. Use this Full Moon time to weigh your ideals (Aquarius) with the desires of your heart (Leo). And with Jupiter in Taurus as the balance point, it is a time for deep reverence for the Earth beneath our feet, the unifying factor that we all share, no matter our beliefs, race, religion or personal preferences.

[1] Incidentally, this cycle will begin again on Equinox in March of 2025, just as the US is adjusting from whatever events transpire around the elections of 2024.