Image: Detail from Caravaggio's The Conversion of Saint Paul
The full Moon on August 1 in Aquarius is such a beautiful manifestation of the way astrology describes the circumstances of your life, but is really asking you to do a trust fall through them, that it deserves its own treatment, separate from the month ahead.
This full Moon is bringing the two storylines of the month together in a way that requires faith, or grace, and that has a certain transforming or transcendent power because it holds two truths at the same time. On one hand, the month of August is about Venus’ retrograde, which is, thankfully, looking like it’s mostly upside, and all about bravely saying yes to the relationships you want. On the other hand, August is a continuation of the Saturn Mars opposition that started in mid-July. The God of War and the Great Negator in a tense standoff shows up down here on Earth as frustration, reality checks, and irresolvable conflict. Many of us have a conflict that started July 21 or so, and that we will be working through most of August in a much more productive but probably still tender way. The upcoming full Moon is grounded directly in the first story. It features a powerful Sun that is sitting alongside, and helping, Venus in Leo. It is getting a nice, stabilizing thumbs up from Jupiter. It has zero direct contact with Mars or Saturn. When you look at it one way, this full Moon is nothing but luck, deep love, stabilization, and shine. But it is ruled by the second story. Aquarius is a Saturn ruled sign, so the Moon here will be managed by Saturn. And Saturn is walking into a second opposition, this time with a powerful Mercury, who is now hanging out with Mars in Virgo. This second story is about the planets we don’t like saying something hateful or irresolvable to one another. Mercury’s presence will help a great deal to productively direct that conflict. But Mercury and Mars share a tendency to pick, slice, and dice things apart. It’s still a drag at best, and could be painful.
Honestly, while I believe that all astrology is either a useful byproduct of an ensouled, compassionate universe or a direct communication from a loving divine source, some moments that astrology throws out feel more godlike than others. And at the risk of sounding way more Christian than I am... this full Moon is nothing less than gospel. It may very well present, like many divine gifts do, as suffering. It might show up as a betrayal, or someone “showing their true colors,” or realizing that a good or necessary decision forced you into a relationship or circumstance you do not like. And yet, what is also overwhelmingly true, alongside whatever threats or bummers this full Moon reveals, is that you are safe. You are held. There is a relative set of circumstances that are problematic, and there is also this absolute and total love. You have the space and resources to act compassionately. You can give or receive some grace–there is so much grace in this full Moon. Even in the face of this standoff, or frustration, or conflict.
When we can respond to being threatened or frustrated or angry with even a shred of grace, we begin to transform our pain or fear into loving connection, and honestly, I believe that this is what we are put here to do. We are put here to transform our pain and anger into love, one small decision not to bite someone’s head off or stomp upstairs at a time. This decision is going to look different for each of us. Some might find that all they can muster in the middle of this full Moon is taking a beat, so that what comes out is a description of how they feel instead of an enactment of big feelings. That is enough–if you do that, pat yourself on the damn back! Others might find themselves responding with a surprising amount of empathy to someone else’s intense pain instead of escalating. Some might find that they need to give themselves grace, or respond to their internal critic with some soothing words of understanding. Some will desperately need to receive grace that is being given, without shame. Again, if you find yourself simply receiving grace without spiraling into not deserving it in some way, you did it. You did it!
What I can give you is the recognition that these moments in which we choose to transform rather than simply transmit our pain are nothing less than holy. They are the moments in which we participate in this Big Love that holds us all by holding ourselves, and one another, in the same way.
Your Sky: Rising Sign Horoscopes For The Aquarius Full Moon
Aries Risings
Work might not be going quite the way you want it to go, and this might be touching something pretty deep inside. Grace might come to you in the form of having fun, a romance, or spending time with a child. Let yourself receive this joy!
Taurus Risings
You might have more grace and love to give than any other rising sign right now. And you could find yourself in a position to soothe friends, children, romantic partners, or members of a congregation or another group you belong to.
Gemini Risings
There’s a conflict between your home, family, or deepest, most private self, and your praxis, or how you embody that self. Grace might come your way in the form of a loving email, help from an extended family member, or you might choose to start a new loving habit.
Cancer Risings
There’s an ongoing conflict about practicing what you preach, or about what you believe about your extended family. And whatever is revealed about that, you might take a moment to recognize that this conflict is not you. You are okay. You are secure, worthy, and well-resourced.
Leo Risings
You might find yourself pushing someone else’s buttons, probably a collaborator or a family member that you feel somewhat indebted to. The grace you can give is profound and twofold. You can love yourself through this, and also be gentle to the person you are grinding against.
Virgo Risings
The grace you find might be a re-parenting moment, or tapping into a deep wellspring of love for the darkest parts of yourself. This darkness might take the form of a particularly loud inner critic, or that part of you that wants to project your pain. You can love that part of you!
Libra Risings
You might be undermining your own productivity, or health; or just feeling like the demons in your head have been quite loud lately. And you might receive grace in the form of loving audiences for your creative work, or the love of friends, or a deep sense of belonging to a group.
Scorpio Risings
You might be finding out who does not have your back, and yet you feel safer and more galvanized to be in authentic relationships than ever. Trust that you have the power to respond with grace, possibly in a very public way, or in the context of a leadership role, or by doing the right thing.
Sagittarius Risings
Perhaps you are auditing your praxis, or how you do you, so that your actions truly serve your home, family, or karmic homework. Let a loving teacher, a course of study, or a loving look at your beliefs hold you in that difficult work. Let yourself be led. Rest in that authority.
Capricorn Risings
How much grace can you give the fearful or anxious parts of yourself, even as a stressful travel agenda, course of study, or a publishing project or legal issue continues to work itself out? How tenderly can you hold them? You have so much grace to give yourself.
Aquarius Risings
Collaboration has been both difficult and probably financially necessary. You like to go it alone, and are probably feeling uncomfortably entangled. Instead of trying to rise above it all or walling yourself off, can you receive the grace your partner or partners want to give without shame?
Pisces Risings
A loved one or business partner might be going through a hard time, and it might have something to do with new standards or boundaries you are imposing. You are in an excellent position to act in service of your distressed partner as this conflict continues to work itself out.
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