he followed the sun and she followed the stars
and in dreams they listened closely
for the beginning of all things,
for that is where they knew they would find each other.
Story People
We Rise Above the Fray on
The Full Moon July 23, 2021, 10:36 pm EDT at 1° Aquarius
to Glimpse what is Emerging just Beyond the Horizon.
Consensus with Others about the Nature of the Future is a Worthy Challenge.
Aquarius inspires authenticity, and the urge for freedom and truth. The Full Moon has thinking about where all our efforts are leading and serves to orient and direct us to envision the future we want to grow into. Just as boats navigate by the North Star and adjust their heading to stay on course towards a pre-determined destination, we too are prompted to lift our heads up from the tasks of the day to see the road ahead and the course corrections that beg to be made if we want to realize the dreams we hold. We are encouraged to plot a course of action that favors our goals over the desire to conform, get along or fit in with others.
Drawing Strength from the Spirit of the Eagle
The Full Moon is aligned with Altair, the alpha star of the constellation Aquila, the Eagle which flies high in the sky above the constellation of Aquarius.
For a time, I lived in the Pacific Northwest so I could take care of my Mom. My parent's home was situated on path of the bald eagle's migration route. There was a tree that rose up at the edge of the Puget Sound and towered over their neighborhood. It had branches but no leaves grew on the uppermost limbs. More often than not, a bald eagle was perched on the highest branch and would sit there, unmoving, hour after hour. From his vantage point, he had a 360° view that encompassed miles of water, islands, the mainland and our little neighborhood. He always appeared regal, in command, alert yet relaxed. Looking at him, I could sense his 'eagle eye' gaze that looked out over the landscape and absorbed the details and patterns of all that was spread out beneath and around him.
“If you must look back, do so forgivingly.
If you must look forward, do so prayerfully.
However, the wisest thing you can do
is be present in the present... gratefully.”
Maya Angelou
Like the Eagle, The Full Moon encourages us to take time to lift ourselves from focusing on the mundane and the minutiae and perch ourselves at some distance above it all so we can view the road we have traversed, where we are now, and see far ahead to where we want to go.
The star Aquila, when illuminated as it is now, bestows great imagination, indomitable will, and a keen penetrating mind. It infers confidence, ambition, and unyielding dedication. If we are not seeing the forest for the trees, the intensity of the Eagle's gifts can frustrate and overwhelm the object of our penetrating gaze.
High above the common fray, the Eagle can readily identify something that will have him at last leave his perch. When he does, he moves swiftly and assuredly towards his intended target. By taking a big picture view of our life, we can have eagle eye vision that brings into focus what needs attention most. In response, we can confidently shift priorities and swiftly attend to the actions that will best support our growth into the future.
We are being infused with the qualities of the Eagle that result from far-seeing vision: directness, boldness and daring. If we can bring our future self into focus, bold and aggress action is generative and useful. But if we are reacting to the dramas and issues of the day and not from a place of true vision that sees the interconnection between everything, then aggressiveness may simply be destructive and perceived as ruthless.
The future is not something we enter;
The future is something we create.
Leonard Sweet
The Great Conjunction of the Winter Solstice 2020 is Re-energized
The Full Moon is in the same place in the sky as the December 2020 Great Conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter. This conjunction marked the beginning of a new 200-year synodic cycle that will be characterized by humanitarian vision, future-oriented thinking, innovation, and leaps forward in technological advancements. More notably, a seed was planted for a society where held knowledge and wisdom are the measurement of a person’s value and not financial net worth.
The Great Conjunction opened a portal for new potentials not previously accessible. A future vision and direction was seeded within each of us. A few of us may have intuited or dreamt about the nature of the seed. But it was more a moment of conception where we find out only later that we are pregnant with new life. The Winter Solstice was celebrated as a powerful new beginning for humanity, but like all beginnings the seed potential will take many generations of growth to realize the promise of this potential. Within our lives, we each have a role to play in nurturing the growth of this seed towards its full bloom.
Now eight months later, we have cycled back to massage this point in the sky that was activated in late December as the Full Moon illuminates the origins of this new beginning, We can now better understand the definitions of the future we will dedicate ourselves to realizing.
Much like feeling the kick of a maturing embryo in the womb or seeing the shape of a small body on an ultrasound screen, we are getting some tangible evidence of our future self that is ready to emerge and take its first steps into our lives. Having some handle on the vision of the future growing within us, we may be galvanized to start blazing the trail to meet our future self.
Aquarius rules electricity and we may be feeling electrified, eager to move towards the vision of what we see opening before us. We are encouraged to make some changes now to better position ourselves for this future vision that will allow our talents and gifts to be fulfilled and serve the larger world in some beautiful way.
When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength
in the service of my vision, then it becomes less
and less important whether I am afraid. ― Audre Lorde
Experiencing Pushback is Part of the Process
Those of us with a strong Aquarian signature (multiple planets in Aquarius or in the 11th house, or Uranus on an angle or strongly aspected) can easily relate to the story of the Ugly Duckling. Raised in a community of ducks, no matter how much we tried to walk like a duck, talk like a duck, and move like a duck, we didn’t seem to fit in. We may have wondered what was wrong with us and simultaneously nurtured a feeling that we were special in some way. Others simply call us eccentric, odd, or just plain different.
With the Aquarian Full Moon we are aware of how we are different and unique in relation to those around us. We are aware of where we move against the tide of societal trends and think outside the box of mainstream culture. We are to celebrate what makes us different, and within this identify the talents, vision and heart that we can uniquely offer.
Initially, we can expect that someone around us will not celebrate or even understand the actions we are taking to be true to our vision. It takes time, conversation and building of trust to have the collective open to an idea that is not already widely accepted. Closer to home and more disquieting, our vision for the future may be at odds with our partner’s, our supervisor’s, or with someone we care about.
We may feel misunderstood, unappreciated or not disrespected for the vision that calls to us. The best use of our energies is to focus them on how to honor our vision so we are not sidetracked by petty disputes, manipulations or head games. In conversation, we can find ways to connect the dots of our thinking for others so they can understand us better while also deeply listening to how others are envisioning the future. Judging oneself or another for the content of one’s vision or the course of action one initiates will only lead one down a rabbit hole of further misunderstanding. Instead, as we head into the unknown to create something we have never experienced before, we can take each day as a learning experience and a chance to further clarify our vision, the way we communicate it, and make needed adjustments so we stay on course with our vision, our North Star.
The Aquarian Rub: Having a vision that is Not Embraced or Understood.
The likelihood of this experience is reinforced by planetary dynamics surrounding the Full Moon
The personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus) are each in opposition to an outer planet. Personal planets reflect what is personal to us. What is personal is being challenged by something larger, perhaps an external circumstance or a cosmic imperative to grow, learn and discover. We may feel stirred up in areas where we have become complacent and comfortable so that we are galvanized to bridge what is known and habitual with the long-range dreams for ourselves.
Moon conjunct Pluto in Capricorn. Passions and intense desire is stirred. The Moon has just moved out of Capricorn (where Pluto resides), and so is moving away from accepted tradition and the stabilization of what has already taken shape. With the Aquarian Moon, we are looking for ways to break out of unnecessary restraints and obligations that are diminishing and holding us back. We may be aware of power issues (Pluto) and how external power structures shape our lives in overt and insidious ways. Strong feelings fuel us to find ways to empower ourselves and untangle from dynamics of domination, controlling behavior, or manipulation.
Moon oppose Mercury. Communications can be agitated. There can be disagreements with others over values, vision and priorities. We may experience additional societal restrictions concerning free speech, social media, cancel culture, cyber attacks and other modes of how information is exchanged or expressed publicly.
Mercury in Cancer opposing Pluto. A difference in viewpoints is accentuated, and we may find our ideas and plans challenged by others. Conversation can be contentious and argumentative if we are motivated to defend or protect ourselves. Values we hold sacred may conflict with the values another holds important. We can look to the underlying fear and associated patterns that have us hellbent on persuading another to agree with us and embrace our viewpoint.
Venus opposes Jupiter. We may simultaneously feel the urge to move closer to others while also feeling the urge to assert our need for freedom and independence. Or, we may feel this push/pull dynamic played out in relationship where one person acts out the desire to merge and the other acts out the desire to flee. While there is a tendency with Venus/Jupiter aspects to look to having fun with others, there is an underlying confusion about whether we want to move closer to another or defend our right to space and privacy.
Mars oppose Jupiter (until the end of July). We may be agitated. There is a push/pull around our readiness to move forward. We need to prioritize and manage time well so that we do not overextend, overcommit, or become discouraged by the sheer amount of tasks we have taken on.
Sun in Leo opposes the Aquarian Moon - The Sun in Leo strengthens our sense of self. We need to reconcile this with the Moon in Aquarius' yearning to do something new and different. From the tension between these two orbs, we feel a mounting courage to go our own way and follow something we feel called to do rather than move in response to expectation and convention. Our sense of self, creative urge and personal will are amplified. We can feel time ticking away and a rising desire to actualize our creative potential in a way that makes a difference in the world.
Gratitude makes sense of our past,
Brings peace for today,
And creates a vision for tomorrow.
Meloday Beattie
In Summary
We are each unique and special.
We are each heroes on a journey moving headlong into an unknown tomorrow.
We all feel a calling for how to move towards greater fulfillment and satisfaction.
During the window of this Full Moon, carve out time -
disengage from the business of the day
Ponder the big picture, who you are becoming,
and what gifts within you want to be developed, utilized and recognized.
Others are not the problem, though it may seem like they are.
Deeply listen to what others have to say
and include others in your plans and your thought processes.
Conflicting ideas for the future is not an obstacle, but an opportunity for further clarification.
Identify the changes that need to be made to align yourself with the vision of your future self
And commit to taking the next steps to realizing your dreams.