August 8th Full Moon Eclipse in Aquarius
What a powerful full moon we have coming up this month!
Full moons are normally times of increased energy because both luminaries – the sun and the moon – are very strong at this time. But this full moon will be especially powerful because it is during a lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses happen when the moon passes through the earth’s shadow. Eclipse energy is tricky energy to work with, because what usually comes up is unexpected. Eclipses have the habit of making what is hidden come to light – and also bringing unexpected endings and new beginnings. The eclipse will affect people who were born in the mid degrees of the fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), the air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), and the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) the most.
This full moon is also going to be quite intense because it will take place in an astrological formation known as the yod. The yod formation involves three planets that make an isosceles triangle. Sometimes this combination is referred to as the finger of God, because there is something very fated or destined about it. With a person who has it in their natal chart, they often feel like they are being pushed towards a higher purpose – that the finger of God is always on them and pushing them some way. We’re all getting a taste of that feeling on this full moon.
In the yod, a significant amount of pressure is placed on the top planet – this is the planet that tells us what the purpose or fate is about. In this case, it’s the sun. The sun in Leo is in its home sign, so the solar energy is incredibly powerful right now. The sun is associated with the King archetype, masculine energy, and the Self. So what’s our special purpose this month being revealed by this yod and eclipse? It’s about the development of the creative potentials that lie within the Self.
There is an excellent window being opened to see exactly what those creative potentials are within you. With Pluto, the planet of transformation, and Neptune, the planet of mysticism, as the base of this yod, the window will be opened to understand our spiritual purpose more deeply, and what we need to do to get there. It will be a good time to do any kind of meditative work to get in touch within – you might for example try asking, “How can I make my light shine? What is the light within me, that is unique to me?” and then quieting your mind and waiting for the answer to arise. I promise you the power of the full moon is going to make the answer to that question loud and clear. (If you're new to meditation or need help doing this, don't worry! I've got you covered - just check out the guided meditation at the bottom of the page.)
The yod formation is being anchored by the moon, which is sitting directly opposite of the top (the sun) of the triangle. When there is a planet opposing the top planet of the yod, the formation is called a yod kite – because it looks a bit like a kite in the sky! The yod kite is an extremely rare astrological formation and a highly energetic one. You can imagine the energy zinging up from the two base planets and coalescing in the top planet and then travelling back down to the anchoring planet at the base.
What’s the moon’s message for us as it anchors this yod? That the we cannot build ourselves up only to build ourselves up, we cannot discover our creative potentials only for the sake of doing that – we must build ourselves up in order to give back to others. The moon is in Aquarius, the sign of the collective, of groups, and of friendships. Here we are not the shining individual King or Queen as in Leo – but we are part of a whole, part of something much bigger than ourselves. To live a well-balanced life we must honor both sides of this polarity – that we contain within us something unique and special, but that we are also part of something much larger, the whole of humanity. I’m reminded of a lyric in a childhood song:
A single thread in a tapestry,
Though its color brightly shines,
Can never see its purpose
In the pattern of the grand design.
This full moon, may you see how brightly you shine, and may you catch a glimpse of that purpose you have in the grand design.