“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” Eleanor Roosevelt

“Finding the right work is like discovering your own soul in the world.” Thomas Moore

Moon in Pisces conjunct Chiron, Penumbral Lunar eclipse
Sun in Virgo in a loose conjunction to Mercury and Jupiter. Jupiter enters Libra.
Mars in Sagittarius squares Moon and Sun.

September 16th brings a Full Moon in 24° Pisces at 12:05 PM PST. Always coming late summer into early fall, as the Sun moves through Virgo, the Pisces Full Moon is aptly called the Harvest Moon. There seems to be a feeling of going home at this time, like a returning to our spiritual roots and finding our place again within the mystical whole after the play and joy of summer.  Leading into fall, through Libra, and eventually Scorpio, the Sun’s path suggests a time of letting go, turning back to the source. A water sign co-ruled by Jupiter and Neptune, Pisces energy allows us to manifest the inner mystic part of us that connects with the Divine. This particular Full Moon will be conjunct the asteroid Chiron currently at 22° Pisces and will be forming a square to Mars at 23° Sagittarius. Chiron is the wounded healer who in mythology was a centaur injured by an arrow with a wound that would never heal. His wound eventually becomes his source of power that gives him the gift of healing. Chiron and Jupiter were in an opposition, 180 degrees apart, in mid-August, possibly offering us an opportunity through work, service or perhaps mentorship (Jupiter at 24° Virgo) to release a blockage, a spiritual wound, or to open avenues to heal our relationship with our spiritual work. “Spiritual” in this context does not necessarily imply “religion,” although it can, but may connote a compassionate mission- one that sees beyond boundaries of self and other. A month later, under the Full Moon in September, we see the fruition of the Virgo/Pisces Jupiter and Chiron opposition. This may be a good time to consult your birth chart and see in what houses, what areas in life, you can best refine your gifts of service, your modes for healing, for the good of others and the planet. “Finding the right work is like discovering your own soul in the world.” How else can we better serve the Divine?  

In another perspective, the Pisces Full Moon is an emotional, sensitive Moon and can be time for a“good cry,” having compassion for our own suffering and tender emotions. With Chiron there as well, overall it maybe a time to be cautious of our escapist tendencies. Pisces energy can lead to desires to numb ourselves through the altered states of drugs or alcohol or just the pleasures of excess food or television. In what ways do we bandage the wound and escape from the pain? The Pisces Full Moon is a wonderful time to tap into your deepest imagination, your dream world, and your higher vibration of spiritual self. Keep beauty in your dreams. Let go through dance, meditation, artistic expression. The ongoing Saturn / Neptune square at this time (see my other post for a description) instructs us to take advantage of the discipline of Saturn and give our creative visions form, rather than falling into negative patterns of escape. 

Mars in the square aspect to the Sun and Moon at this time may add to the emotional tension of the typical Pisces Full Moon. Tempers may flair up and it is a good time to avoid arguments based upon fixed opinions that are too rigid in opinion or offer no solutions (Mars in Sagittarius). Don’t allow emotions to rule over peace. It is not a good time to insist you are right; rather it is better to encourage compassion by seeing how really we all are connected. Jupiter enters Libra September 9th and will remain in that sign until October 10th, 2017.  Now is a good time to look to see where Libra falls in your natal chart and plan accordingly for the year ahead. The astrologer Rick Levine likes to point out the similarity of the 12-year passage of Jupiter through the zodiac to the 12 signs of Chinese astrology. It helps us to reflect upon Jupiter in Libra as a period of roughly a year when planets in Libra or the house(s) in your natal chart touched by Libra may bring new opportunity and growth. In conjunction with the Virgo Sun during this Full Moon in Pisces, the arrival of Jupiter in Libra calls us to bring out the harmonious balanced love in the larger Neptunian realm of Pisces without allowing the warrior spirit of Mars in the square to win the day. Rather the square of Mars in Sagittarius to the Pisces/Virgo axis can be used to muster up in ourselves the will to work upon what needs to expand into higher realms of consciousness, what faith, beliefs and philosophy will open us to reach those higher goals of understanding. How much better will our actions and intentions be than if they were to fall into dogmatism and emotional outburst?

Like the centaur of Sagittarius shooting the arrow, Mars can push us to take action in a way that helps us through the Piscean wound and reach that spiritual gift.  Recognizing a very loose conjunction of Jupiter in Libra with the Virgo sun and Virgo Mercury, part of this action may involve new pathways of communication - a communication grounded in critical discourse and that seeks building off of a real desire for harmony and balance. Virgo Mercury square Mars in Sagittarius again holds the possibility of arguments, and we maybe nitpicky, where we can be overly critical in the will to be right. It may help to keep the ongoing Saturn /Neptune square in mind at this time since there is a tendency toward delusion and false “facts” that may surface under this slower moving aspect. It may work better to use this time to constructively reflect upon how I might best serve the greater good (Virgo Sun and Mercury opposition Moon in Pisces) for more harmonious understanding (Jupiter in Libra), for expanding my mind (Sagittarius Mars) in more flexible ways (Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces are mutable energies) and not at the expense of maintaining the collective wound (Chiron in Pisces). One last final point involves the asteroid, Vesta, which forms a trine, 120-degree angle, with the Pisces Full Moon. Except for Chiron, I do not use the asteroids very much in personal readings unless they are in a critical place in the birth chart. I, myself, have Vesta in the 10th house very close to my Midheaven and I find the asteroid plays strongly into the theme of my natal chart (I use the Placidus House system for casting charts). At the time of the Harvest Full Moon, Vesta will be in the sign of Cancer, at 20°. There is not enough time here to write about Vesta in length, but I would like to add one comment that fits within the larger reading of this particular Full Moon. Vesta is the fire in the temple and what moves us into action - Divine action. Echoing the call to action (square) of Mars in Sagittarius (fiery sign of faith) with the Pisces Moon/Chiron conjunction, the coming into fruition (Full Moon) of the Jupiter /Chiron opposition, Vesta also asks us to tend the fire of the spiritual self, here in another water sign, Cancer, where there is a need to nurture and protect what is sacred. 

Wishing everyone many blessings on this Harvest Full Moon! This time will be especially powerful for those who have planets in their natal charts that fall between 21-27 degrees of the mutable signs, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces, and Gemini. Much love and joy for the autumn season and for the year ahead as Jupiter travels through the sign of Libra!