““The wheel is turning and you can’t slow down,
You can’t let go and you can’t hold on,
You can’t go back and you can’t stand still,
If the thunder don’t get you, then the lightning will.”
”
Full Moon in Leo 20˚00’, Sun Aquarius 20˚00’, Mercury Pisces 8˚06’ trine north node of Moon, Cancer 7˚45’Rx, Venus 1˚44’ Aries conjunct Chiron 2˚53’ Aries.
Happy Full Moon weekend everyone! And what a lovely Full Moon it is in the fiery, generous, loving sign of Leo! I hope everyone takes time for a little play, some fun, some joy and release. It’s been such a hard week for all of us, especially my friends here in the States.
It may seem like an odd quote from a song I choose to describe this moment in time. But it really seems to tie into what I want to say about how to use the current sky, to be a part of the collective change our world so needs and to bring out the strengths of the moment. You see this quote is talking about our duty, our place in the larger scheme of things - how we all help to turn the wheel. How our unique gifts have a purpose and they need to be seen and cherished. Leo is first and foremost a noble sign – the sign of the King or Queen! – and why is this? Because Leo has something to give, Leo needs to be heard, Leo needs to be seen.
All of us have Leo somewhere in our birth charts. We all have some place where we need to be recognized and cherished, where we are allowed to shine. Look to see where 20˚ Leo falls in your own birth chart.
Full Moons often bring to light what we have been nurturing in ourselves in the weeks prior. But they really are just a quick passage in time. Fast moving, they are one small facet of a much bigger picture in how we are all evolving. We can look at this weekend, however, within the larger context of the weeks of early February to help see better the grace at play. Mercury’s trine to the north node of the Moon suggests a potential for a creative response or inspiration to contribute to collective change. And I don’t know about you – but God(dess) willing, we so need a collective vision, a change in consciousness.
Mercury – our planetary guide to thought, perception, communication – is in Pisces now. Mercury is considered to be “weak” in Pisces (what in formal astrology we call “debilitated”), however this is somewhat of a misjudgement. If we are trying to tap into the Divine, to the underlying messages of the universe that come to us in the form of synchronicity or through dreams, visions and our imagination, omens let’s say, Mercury in Pisces is perfect. I would argue it is just what we need in early 2020. In the larger world around us, the planet’s current position reflects the nebulous and deceptive nature of the media, the confusion over the Iowa caucuses, THAT damn trial (which will remain unnamed – all of this has been reinforced in recent weeks by the square between Mars in Sagittarius and the planet Neptune in Pisces ).
But on an individual level, Mercury is blessing us with visions of how to see our thoughts – our mental selves – in ways that perhaps are less about our selfish needs and more about collective, compassionate and spiritual change.
Mercury will enter a retrograde period February 16th (PST).The planet has already been in its “shadow” since early in the month. Please remember that Mercury retrograde is a common occurrence and really its strengths lie in introspection – allow the mind and heart to ponder the creative, visionary expression of Mercury in Pisces, rather than concerning oneself with minor delays or inconveniences – things that carry no meaning in the long run. The planet turns direct March 9th (PST). Due to the slowing down of the fast motion of Mercury in the middle of February, we may see a heightened confusion at that time in general. But more importantly, this is a great time to meditate, seek visions, and reassess how we structure and use our minds.
Venus
There are a number of other aspects happening under this weekend’s Full Moon, but I focus upon one here: the meeting of Venus and the minor planet Chiron in early Aries. This is in play during the Full Moon and the few days following. Those with planets or luminaries (Sun and/or Moon) between 1˚-5˚Aries, as well as in the other cardinal signs – early degrees of Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, may especially feel this dance. Venus is a relational planet – those one-on-one relationships we cherish such as our spouse or our lover, but also close intimate connections in general – for example, our close business partners or perhaps our bandmates.
Venus’s ingress into Aries is just days before the Full Moon and the planet will stay in the sign for about a month, until March 4th, bringing, in general, a kind of fiery passion to our love lives and blessing our creative expressions (nice for those who celebrate Valentine’s Day!) along with a possible competitive and defensive edge of the fire sign in our relationship encounters. (There are other current aspects in the sky that suggest power struggles between partners, and assertion of will potentially at the expense of the other, but for brevity’s sake, let’s just say they reinforce what I write here).
All of this plays into Venus forming a conjunction with the much slower Chiron (a 50-yr orbit). Chiron is working its way through early Aries this year. Chiron, the wounded healer, for some of us (those whose charts are being touched by the transit), may feel like a tête à tête of sorts between the power of one partner versus that of the other. Where and how to assert ourselves and how to have courage in the dance we do with others are questions worthy of reflection. What relationship counts the most for my own soul’s evolution? Passion comes through taking risks, loving the dialog and possibly heated exchange. Don’t be a coward. Listen and have patience as well. I can’t help but think of the old Motown song originally performed by The Supremes, You Can’t Hurry Love, “Love don’t come easy; it’s a game of give and take.”
Of course, not all of us are in “romantic” love. And despite the focus upon cupid’s arrow this month, I’d say all of us can benefit from reflecting in general about the intimate dance we do with others. Is there a wound in us that keeps us from jumping confidently in and acting with a spirit of the warrior? If we were born when Chiron was last in early Aries –most folks born between the years 1968 and 1971 –we may feel this most strongly. Folks past middle age may find more expressions of the healing energies as we have done our Chiron work in earlier years.
“Small wheel turn by the fire and rod
Big wheel turn by the grace of God,
Every time that wheel turn 'round,
Bound to cover just a little more ground.
Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?”
Why mention Venus’s approach to Chiron? Why this Full Moon? I added a little more from the lyrics of the song I quote above. I believe that the dynamic play, the calling into question of how we relate one-on-one with each other, the ways we assert our personal power, help us with self-expression, with our own particular ways we shine. We make our small wheel turn and we cover a little more ground. Together, when we support each other, we bring – maybe, just maybe – some of that grace we need to make the big wheel turn – turn in ways collectively we sorely need.
Couldn’t you try just a little bit more?
So, I think it is worth pondering: What visions do we see of our soul’s purpose? How do we shine under the light of this Full Moon in Leo? What requires defending with the other, what passions are worth fighting for? How best can we support our partners rather than wound them? How can we give them a voice and honor what they bring to the table?
And, yeah, let’s dance, let’s have some fun, let’s open our hearts to a good old dose of Leo’s generous wisdom – a wisdom of the heart!
Blessings on your Full Moon!
