Full moon in Aquarius: Radiate your light

On August 22nd, at 7:01 a.m. CDT, the full moon becomes exact in 29.5 degrees of Aquarius. This is the second full moon in Aquarius this year. The first full moon in Aquarius happened on July 23rd, during which we began to receive intuitive messages around themes of freedom, community collaboration, change, and how we hold ourselves back from expressing our individuality. It is rare to have two consecutive full moons in the same sign. It is a symbol of second chances. They are book ends of an archetypal journey. This full moon occurs in the last degree of the sign, indicating a strong urge to complete something. We are now reaching the conclusion of a two-part story that began with the full moon in 1.5 degrees of Aquarius on July 23rd.

Authentic Vision

This full moon connects us to our vision for humanity. We see the future that we wish to live in. We feel both the desire for progress and our unique role of service and how we can get there. This full moon asks us to align with those who support our vision, to rise up in healthy collaboration and plant the seed of this desire in our hearts.

The last time we had two consecutive full moons in Aquarius-Leo was on July 22nd and August 21st of 2013. The one before that was on July 24th and August 22nd of 2002. Look back on those times and notice what themes were playing out in your life that may have a similar thread now. What needs completion? Where are you being called to rise up to the next level?

This full moon is conjunct Jupiter and asks us to really see the bigger picture of our lives, our belief systems, where we need to cultivate more courage and capability in ourselves. Jupiter shows where we have settled and need to take a step toward our potential. Jupiter hones in like a magnifying glass to reveal what isn’t working and where we need to expand. True wisdom is felt from our own life experience, it is time to reconnect our mind and our heart. This is a time for inward reflection on our belief systems to uncover ways that we hold ourselves back. We now have an opportunity to mature and deepen our vision. With Uranus coming to a halt on August 19th and stationing in its retrograde phase, we notice, with more intensity, the ways in which changes and unexpected events have thrown our nervous system out of equilibrium.

As this is the second consecutive full moon in Aquarius, it symbolizes second chances. We may feel it’s time to make a decision, make amends, or complete a relationship. This may be a time to restore our faith and hope, a time to begin again after a period of ending or perceived failure. It’s important to reflect on our relationship to second chances and where we may need to extend more forgiveness or compassion to ourselves or those in our lives. Do you often give other people the benefit of the doubt when they mess up? Are there ways to bring more tolerance to those who have different views on or approaches to life? We live in a world with intense polarization. To connect to our vision, we need to find a way to work together.

Community Connections

Community is an important theme to Aquarius. We are invited to look at our friendships, groups, and the communities that we are involved in. What themes around social connections have been unfolding since July 23rd? Do the people in your life support your vision for the world? Are the groups that you are involved in aligned with your soul’s evolution? With the Moon opposing the Sun, we are holding the contrast between our unique individual expression and our desire to be a part of the community. We are asked to live in the question: how might you belong while holding true to your unique individual expression? Said another way: how do you belong, while not fitting in?

The important theme of freedom has been activated over the past month. How free do you actually feel? We have witnessed the shift in power and now the shift in freedom and humanitarian rights of the people of Afghanistan. It is an important time to do a shadow inventory on our relationship to freedom. Is your definition of freedom aligned with the true meaning of freedom? True freedom can be defined very differently depending on where you live in the world. Privilege and entitlement, although they sometimes look like freedom, are different from authentic freedom. Certain restrictions or guidelines that may feel inconvenient, but are requested of us by the collective to protect the most vulnerable, can seem like an infringement of our human rights, but they are actually intended to bring us together. While some actions taken by force, when we have no control over our freedom to choose our response to that action, become a violation of our basic human rights and our humanity. It is important for us to understand these differences. The call for equality and freedom for everyone asks us to work together, which requires a much bigger vision and definition of freedom than freedom for one’s self. We must look at our own privilege and where we can take a step to positively impact the lives of others. Ultimately, when we commit to do our work, we open new pathways for growth and integration of our authentic vision.

'Blue Moon, Full Moon' art by Stacy Quast
Image by Stacy Quast

Light Practice

Another unique aspect of this full moon time is the highly unusual number of planets in retrograde. Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are all in retrograde, which is an invitation to go within, to do shadow work. There is a call to release what no longer serves us so that we can step into our Aquarian vision.

Ultimately, this new moon is here to bring hope and connect us to our light. It is through radiating our unique light that we can express our highest service into the world. The more we rise up to shine, the brighter the collective grid glows.

Below are a few suggestions to help you connect to your light.

  1. Commit to regular practices that help you connect to your inner light. This may include nature walks, ceremony, dancing, laughter with friends, journaling, art, reading a biography of someone who deeply inspires you, or listening to a story of transformation and growth.
  2. Disengage from that which is inauthentic to your radiant being. This may be on the micro level of taking a social media break, creating an environment that feels more serene, or leaving a Facebook group. On the macro level this may include a deeper inventory of who is in your life and why, or asking what you need to nourish and replenish your soul in order to express more of your radiant light.
  3. Tune into your heart. Take time to listen to the wisdom in the present moment. Feel the beings who bring joy to your heart. Focus on a person or animal who symbolizes true unconditional love and cultivate that feeling in your heart.
  4. Have a regular practice of connecting your vision with your heart. See the world that you wish to live in and feel what it feels like as fully as you are able. Ask your guides about your next step toward this vision.
  5. Program a dream. Set an intention before bed for a dream to show you guidance on your deeper inquiry.

featured image by Alexandra Vozvyshaeva

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