The phases of the moon are among the most fascinating astronomical behaviors we can observe with the naked eye and deeply rich sources of thought and interpretation in Astrology. Among the 9 phases – New, Waxing Crescent, 1st Quarter Half, Waxing Gibbous, Full, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter Half, Waning Crescent, and Balsamic – the New and Full Moons capture most of the attention. This article will look at the current Full Moon and talk about the kind of “harvest” you should bring in emotionally during this full moon.
Full Moon – Reap What You Have Sown!
The Full Moon for August will occur on the 3rd of this month at 11 degrees and 45 minutes in the sign of Aquarius; in my Eastern Standard Time zone, it will happen at 11:58 am. It takes 29.5 days from one Full Moon to the next, spending approximately 2 and ½ days in a sign. The day before and the day after comprising what would be the peak time of the Full Moon energy. The Full Moon is the time of “the harvest” when what began with the New Moon reaches full potential before waning and fading and preparing for a new cycle.
Each month has a certain type of Full Moon; August’s Moon is the Sturgeon Moon. In the northern hemisphere, this name reflects the time when large numbers of fish populate the lakes. This Moon has other names: the Green Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Fruit Moon, and Grain Moon.
There are also several special types of Full Moons: the Blood Moon, which happens during a total lunar eclipse; a Supermoon, which happens when the Moon is full and closest to the Earth; and the Blue Moon (“once in a blue moon”), which is a second Full Moon in a calendar month (occurring once every 2 and ½ years). The previous Blue Moon was March 31, 2018, and the next one will be October 31, 2020.
Full Moon in Aquarius – Harvesting Community
This Full Moon will take place in the 2nd Decan (middle 10 degrees) of Aquarius, making it an Aquarius/Gemini Full Moon. The planetary influences involve Uranus as the ruler for Aquarius and Mercury as the ruler for Gemini. Thus, this Full Moon will be about how we communicate (Mercury) our revolutionary vision (Uranus). The question to consider is, “what are the beliefs and ideas needed for the community?”
If we look to Mercury, which is in Cancer, and Uranus, which is in Taurus, then we must think about how we feel about our family, vulnerability, and emotional security (Cancer) and the practical steps we need to follow to implement or deal with a radical change in our daily lives (Taurus). The foundations are getting blasted and we need to realize, emotionally speaking, we are looking for a safe harbor.
With this Full Moon at 11d45m, the Sabian Symbol is 12 Aquarius, “people on stairs graduated upwards”. Jones says, “This is a symbol of the common enhancement of individual experience on the side of its inner gratification, and of the inherent differences among humankind which enable man to share any endeavor with his fellows whenever they prove either more or less competent than himself.” (The Sabian Symbols, 281) The keyword is PROGRESSION.
This Full Moon is also known as the Friendship Moon. According to Raven Kaldera, “Friendship can cut the legs out from under intolerance, one inch at a time. Finding common ground is a much more effective tool than emphasizing differences in getting people to open their lives to you and your ideas.” (Moon Phase Astrology, 223-224). There is “a deep need for networks of social contact”. (224)
The Numbers of This Full Moon
This Full Moon will occur on 08/03/2020, so the number for this day is 15, which reduces to a 6. 6 is the number for service, so this Full Moon encourages us to think about how we can be of service to others if we are able to serve. Or, what service we need from others if we are struggling, seeking help rather than being able to give.
The time of this Full Moon is 11:57 (for my time zone), which is 23, which reduces to a 5. 5 indicates the need to change and disrupt in positive ways. The status quo cannot hold when this number appears. It is also a number associated with travel, so those of us living in this time zone should find a way to visit another place or other places at some point between this Full Moon and the next.
The Full Moon in Your Chart
The Full Moon will occur in a specific location of your chart and in a special relationship with various points in your chart if you have points near the same degree in the same sign, at the opposing degree (180 degrees away from a point in your chart), three signs before or after the Full Moon degree and sign (90 degrees away), or four signs before or after the Full Moon degree and sign (120 degrees away).
Respectively these would be a conjunction (the Full Moon merging with a point in your chart), an opposition (the Full Moon seeking balance with a point in your chart), a square (the Full Moon challenging a point in your chart), and a trine (a point supporting a point in your chart). It is possible that the degree and sign of the Full Moon may not form any of these relationships and its effect, for this time, would be minimal or difficult to observe.
In my case, there are two impacts. One is consistent with all Full Moons because I was born during a Full Moon. So, I feel pretty much every Full Moon in some significant way. If you learn your birth Moon phase you will likely discover that the same phase each month has a strong impact on your emotional state.
With this Full Moon, I get the impact of its energy in my 4th House of Family, so this Full Moon will energize me to think about and engage the network of my entire family. I have no points in this house, so this Full Moon will activate energy in a part of my chart that “waits to respond”. I can expect this to be a month full of family work, fun, and interaction.
As this Full Moon approaches, think about what you want to “harvest” from your friendships, with regard to your ideas about the community that needs revolutionizing (Uranus’s influence), so you can build new foundations to keep you safe physically (Uranus in Taurus) and emotionally (Mercury in Cancer).
