The person who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever seen before.
Albert Einstein
Every month the Full Moon reflects the strength of the Sun back to us and as the Sun sets, the Moon rises in the opposite zodiac sign. Reigning through the night, the Moon holds the throne of the dark skies, ensuring that nothing remains hidden under her gaze, all becomes revealed. Illuminating the duality of both signs and shedding light on hidden secrets and covert agendas, the energy of the two signs becomes polarised, drawing out extremes; a situation where energies run high and events culminate.
Although it is a fixed air sign, Aquarius has a strong water emphasis in its symbolism which is rooted in the constellation’s arrival with the rains in ancient Mesopotamia. Despite being interpreted as a ‘barren’ sign, linked with infertility, asexuality, friendship and non-traditional forms of relationship, this rather cool expression is underpinned by the ancient associations with cleansing, refreshment and new life which are conveyed through the symbolism of the water bearer and key to one of Aquarius’ foundation qualities, that of purification. One of Aquarius’ main motivations is to cleanse away the old to make room for the new, hence its more modern association with revolution and social change. Its ruler Saturn is always concerned with boundaries, and wherever I see Aquarius in a chart, I think of the need to cross boundaries, to break boundaries even, to make the necessary connections for a stronger framework within which to work.
This month, the Full Moon in the 20th degree and 2nd decan of Aquarius is associated with Mercury, concerning itself with the crossing between different and contrasting worlds whilst becoming the master of the crossing itself; the ferryman who acts as a go-between or ambassador. Of this decan, the Picatrix tells of “…a man similar to a King who permits himself much and abhors those he sees…a face of beauty and position, the achievement of desires, fulfilment, detriment and weakness” whilst the opposite decan in Leo is described as “…a man with a crown of white myrtle on his head and a bow in his hand…. a face of beauty, of riding and of the rise of ignorant and rude men…of war and unsheathed swords.
Both images present a similar contrast between beauty and position on the one hand with aggression and difficulty on the other, suggesting that this Full Moon may well illuminate issues between conflict and the desire for peace. Falling in conjunction with Saturn and in square to Mars and Uranus, the focus is tense, tuned to the difficult theme introduced by the recent Mars Uranus conjunction at the North Node. On a mundane level this seems to have been perfectly embodied by Nanci Pelosi’s recent trip to Taiwan, and the political unrest that became intensified as she took it upon herself to act as an ambassador for democracy in one of the most sensitive areas of the globe.
Pelosi’s natal chart reveals a Uranus, Venus, Mars conjunction in Taurus, right on her MC, and in tight opposition to her natal Moon in Scorpio. A Sun Aries with Leo rising, this dramatic natal MC configuration is being triggered by the current Mars Uranus North node conjunction as she experiences her Uranus return and is being squared by the current Full Moon; she is the perfect candidate to carry this unstable and potentially explosive energy into the awareness of the collective.
Astrologer Dane Rudhyar in his Sabian Symbol referencing gave us the following image for the 20th degree of Aquarius: “..a large white dove bearing a message – the answer of spiritual agencies to thorough, sustained and victorious individual efforts”. Although Pelosi, amongst other political leaders may have a rosy vision of their authority to act as ambassadors and to promote their personal vision of a better world, we might be better off if they left well alone, for it may be that the actions of men and women similar to Kings who permit themselves much, could rather quickly bring us into a situation of war and unsheathed swords. Both images from the Picatrix contrast position and power with ignorance and weakness, implying that the assumption of one is likely to generate the other, leaving the mystery that is left unspoken of as the challenge to master the liminal spaces that remain between the two extremes. As society becomes more extremely divided, it seems to me to be of the utmost importance to be able to navigate this no man’s land, for surely therein dwells our power?
This Full Moon brings the opportunity to understand that siding with what is ostensibly all good against what is all bad is a simplistic and fear based reaction that can never work. All of us have our own imperfect understanding of what is the right thing to do, and can easily be misled by the machinations of those who assume authority in the world, those who often achieve their positions through a natural desire for power, a factor which is not in itself the ideal prerequisite of a leader free from corruption.
Our task as citizens of this earth may well be to navigate our own path as we travel from what we have known, to face into the unknown, for it seems clear by now that deep and profound global change is happening; we are all involved, and we do not know our destination.
Although Saturn is representative of structure, his rulership of Aquarius seems to me to be expressed more through a three dimensional model, where a third force is required to link two factors whose connection is in the process of breaking down. The ancient associations of this sign are rooted in renewal and rebirth, and I feel that it is no less relevant today, with the Aquarian desire to make the world a better place and to purify the old, building bridges towards a cleaner brighter future. In this way Aquarius, the social reformer, ferries society to a better place, but it is the navigation of the uncharted waters that will teach us the skills that will bring the new world into being. It will not be enough for us to swallow the regurgitated visions of the old order that are based in top down governance, but rather to recognise that it is up to each of us as individuals to form the other shore to which we are heading, for each individual to unite from within to create our Aquarian vision of the future.
Full Moon Blessing
In the glory of my fullness, I speak to you, revealing the truth as I see it at this moment. There are no secrets here, for if you are brave enough to look, all will be declared. Now it is time to turn away from all that is no longer fulfilling for you. I empower you to live your authentic self, to be unashamed of your fullness, to embrace your own power, to proclaim your true self, without fear. In Aquarius-I Know more than I can explain, for I am in touch with the power of the collective human mind. All thoughts are mine and yet I own none of them. I am the power of the group, the heart of humanity, a child of the world. I speak for all people; I am beholden to no one; I am the wanderer between heaven and earth.
First published on the Cosmic Intelligence Agency Website https://cosmicintelligenceagency.com/full-moon-in-aquarius/
Header Image by Christiane from Pixabay
Joanna-Kate Grant 
Brilliant, Joanna. Thank you!
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