The Full Moon in Aquarius hits today at 6:35pm PDT. This Full Moon is Conjunct Saturn, the Great Teacher, and that Conjunction is pretty exact (within 2-1/2 degrees), and the more precise the geometry, the more intense the experience. Aquarius is a Fixed sign, as is Leo where the Sun is. Also in Fixed signs are the past (South Node in Scorpio) and the future (North Node in Taurus), and that Taurus North Node has Uranus right next to it, adding a huge thrust of forward movement, but on top of a Fixed Grand Cross. We are in such a fascinating moment right now, both for the planet at large, but also for all of us at the individual level. And part of what is making this lunar cycle so challenging is this push/pull from Uranus and the North Node hurtling us forward, while all the Fixed energy holding us firmly in place. It’s uncomfortable to say the least, and it’s being driven right now by Saturn’s demand to learn some powerful lessons about releasing the past before we can work on creating a more self-expressed future.

Leo season is ruled by the Sun, and just like the Sun, this is the time where we are asked to shine brightly in the center of our world. Personal self-expression, all forms of creativity, and everything that brings us joy in life are the invention of the Leo mansion, a place where we learn to serve our selves. In the opposite sign, we are focused on the needs of others, as Aquarius is where we invented friendship, community, and a world where all are cared for. In Leo it’s all about me and in Aquarius it’s all about you. And in the Full Moon in Aquarius, we are moving through some sort of shakeup where we learn to do both. We must know who we are and put ourselves at the center of everything, and at the same time, release things about ourselves that get in the way of using our gifts to serve others.
That’s the lofty language about the bigger picture. But down in the personal trenches, we are all facing what we must move away from and let go of, while also forging our next chapter of forward movement. This Full Moon is forming an almost perfect Square with the Nodes of the Moon, the Fixed Grand Cross I have been talking about for a while now. The Nodes hit us all collectively, so we meet this collective moment at the personal level as well. Saturn Square the South Node is a demand to let go of the past. Saturn always demands, and so if you are not actively working on this, life will do it for you. Saturn in a Square with the North Node indicates that we are simultaneously learning lessons about where we are going and what we are attempting to build that’s new.

The source of most human suffering is almost always the emotional patterns through which we interpret our experience. Most of those patterns were forged through difficult early life experiences that taught us we did not deserve all that we desired. Leo tells us we deserve absolutely everything that brings us joy, and this moment is helping us attend to what is in the below that would tell us differently. Venus in an Opposition to Pluto over the last few days was like digging deep below the surface for more of that false evidence that we do not deserve love. Because Venus has been in Cancer, all of us are more in touch with our most tender vulnerabilities, and the Opposition from the Lord of the Underworld has used that emotional openness to help us see below the surface, and assist in the psychic surgery that is possible at this time.

Venus in Cancer has done us this favor, and just three hours before the Full Moon is exact, she will change signs, leave the tenderness of Cancer for the exuberance of Leo. This movement of Venus is like the mascot of this lunation, and tells us that the recent visit to deep emotional and unconscious territory was not in vain. Saturn likes to reward for a job well done, and as we are facing our inner vulnerability (Venus in Cancer) we are promised a more joyful experience of love in all forms (Venus in Leo). Meanwhile, Chiron the Great Healer is holding the Great Eliminator angle with the South Node, the point that holds our attachment to the past. Remember that old adage, “You hold him down, I’ll hit him?” That is sort of what Saturn and Chiron are doing in this lunation. Saturn is holding us still while Chiron goes in there and helps us let go of a wounded pattern. This lunation is so big that some of you will be releasing patterns you have been struggling with for your entire life, it’s that powerful.

Consider how you relate to the Leo notion of putting yourself at the center of everything you do. Most people will fall into one of two camps. Those for whom the shadow of Leo is too much of you in the room, and those for whom the shadow of Leo is not enough of you in the room. A Fixed Grand Cross is sort of the perfect geometrical expression of being at a crossroad, and many of us are feeling this sense right now. Ask yourself what has to be dropped in order for you to shine at the center of your life’s expression? Trust that school is already in session, and this lunar cycle is carrying you through a difficult process of facing your hardest lessons about who you are, and what you came to share with the world. The world needs all of us to step into leadership of our individual kingdoms, for only when everyone is lifted up can there be Peace for Humanity. Have at it!