he world now is too dangerous and too beautiful
for anything but love… And may your heart
be so opened, so set on fire, that your love,
your love, changes everything.
Dean Brian Baker
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman."
I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me something more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."
The Leo Full Moon on January 28 rises alone in the east with all other planets at the other end of the sky hugging the western horizon. Similarly, we may feel alone in relation to what is unfolding in the collective. The Leo Moon, like the story above, points us to the true treasure, the true measure of worth that lies at the root of all we desire.
The lion-hearted moon is a potent reminder to nurture warmth in our heart, and to enact our ideals with love. The powerful dynamics of the Full Moon sky correlate to exponential movement that has us break with the past. An innovative, exploratory spirit is sparked in us to chart a course towards a destination unknown, towards a desired future, guided by the light of love.
The Sun is flanked by 3 other planets also in Aquarius. Together they bring attention to the future, to what is next. February will see an even greater emphasis of planets in Aquarius, cuing us to wildly entertain possibilities, welcome an opening to something new, and to create new pathways. There will be an increase in communication and exchange of ideas. We will be introduced to new people, new friends, new groups and ways to collaborate with groups. We are ready to take the raw materials broken down with the Capricorn focus of 2020 and shape a new world from it. It is a year to share it, move it and forge pathways that are unprecedented, unusual and humanitarian
There is a HUGE emphasis on shaping a vision that embraces ideals. We are encouraged us to think out of the box, larger than ever before and allow inspiration to flow (Jupiter conjunct the Sun). The Leo Moon prompts us to engage in this great endeavor by honoring who we are: our gifts, our limitations, our desires. It invites us to listen to our heart and allow what we love to guide our attention and actions, how we engage the world, and the contribution we make within the change and forward movement heralded.
Having a smart brain is not enough.
We also need a warm heart.
Dalai Llama
Aquarius energizes the mind. Enlivened by ideas and the sharing of ideas, we can easily be swept up by a movement, a vision, a cause. We can easily get stuck in our heads.
The Leo Full Moon brings us into our heart, our feelings, our courage, our joy and our love.
Aquarius is the collective. Our attention can be absorbed in the news of the world and what is unfolding for humanity. There is urgent need all around us with an the planets in Aquarius will present us with a myriad of options for how to support the need.
Leo is about the Self. The Leo Moon brings us back to our self, to locate where we are in the larger scheme of what is unfolding in the larger world. It invites us to return to our heart, to what nurtures our joy, our talents and what we wish to give.
The Leo Moon reminds to engage life as a play, a creative process. Leo is the sign of the child. We can take time at the Full Moon to play with our children or remember how we engaged the day when we were children. For the Leo spirit, each day is a great adventure. There is a natural creativity, a moving from one thing to the next propelled by what offers joy. When we live in this manner, we naturally radiate warmth and our joy can be infectious. Let our heart be the rudder to navigate the unknown before us, to navigate a sea of change.
Aquarius emphasizes ideas and a vision for the future. Leo emphasizes what lights us up in this moment. The heart anchors the vision in what is real for us right now. The Full Moon beckons us to drop from our head to our heart, and heed the call to move towards what we love. Our heart is the rudder that can shape our thinking to best navigate the road ahead. If we listen to its stirrings, feel the courage that it evokes, we can share, act, give, exchange and create our future one step at a time, true to ourselves.
Joy does not come from what you do -
It flows into what you do
And thus into the world
From deep within you.
Eckhart Tolle
Uranus, Mars squares the Leo/Aquarius Full Moon
The agent of change (Uranus) and the warrior (Mars) have teamed up and are throwing shade at both the Leo Moon and lineup in Aquarius. We may feel impatient and angry. The desire for urgent, radical action is fueled. We may act or speak impulsively, rashly. If we can harness this powerful energy, it is the very energy that can be the fuel, the heat that propels the new vision.
Circumstances may demand immediate action, but we are to keep our mind (Aquarius) on the long-game, the North Star of where we are headed. Anchored in our heart (Leo), we can discern what dynamic action we wish to take in this moment (Mars/Uranus).
The T square (between Leo, Aquarius and Taurean planets) is occurring in fixed signs. Fixed signs resist change. They value stability, predictability and a reality that is reliable. We are agitated in the square aspect. We may be digging in our heals, resisting change or we feel an urgency to make quick decisions to relieve the pressure we feel. We are challenged to engage change and determine how to positively engage what is opening before us. There is an awakening happening and sticking our head in the sand and hoping it will all blow over will probably not cut it. If we are overwhelmed, we can ground ourselves in our heart. There is a call to adventure and the Leo Moon illuminates that love is the light that will guide us on the journey forward.
Certain things catch your eye
But pursue only those that capture the heart
Indian proverb
Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius – January 30 – February 20
Mercury is currently stationing, readying to turn Retrograde on January 30. Our thought processes are revved up when Mercury stations. Mercury, planet of the mind, will hang out in Aquarius until the middle of March putting added emphasis on our thinking mind to come up with solutions, ideas. The Retrograde can also provide that flash of insight, or connection between disparate ideas, that can emerge as if from nowhere.
One by one, all the planets in Aquarius will conjoin with Mercury multiple times in this time period. This is a lot of thinking energy! We may be overwhelmed with the ideas, information, communications that we are exposed to. The desire to create and lock in a vision for the future may seem urgent. Mercury Retrograde warns us to not move too quickly with putting ideas into action. Acting out of urgency can create consequences and challenges that can be avoided if we to take added time to ponder, question, evaluate and shape the plan for moving forward.
The Mercury Retrograde is a true gift within this lineup of Aquarian planets. It offers us the spaciousness of time to refine and give shape to ideas rolling around in our heads. It beckons us to reach out and collaborate with others and not go it alone. Connected with our heart (Leo),we naturally weave into the plan how are personally called to express and give. We will naturally be magnetized to the people, groups and activities that resonate and support our personal fulfillment while also engaged in supporting some collective endeavor.
Discerning Illusion from Truth – Neptune Square the Nodal Axis
Neptune is our dreams and ideals. Similarly it is the planet of disillusionment and deception, the experience of having life fall short of our ideals and when our dreams turn out to be just folly.
The past and the future, where we have been and where we are going, is reflected in the Nodal Axis. For 2021, the South Node is in Sagittarius (beliefs) and the North Node is in Gemini (new information). Our beliefs are being reshaped by new information. We are being disillusioned of ways we thought the world worked.
The nodal square to Neptune amplifies the process of being disabused of truths we have held that turn out to mask or distract us from the real truth. Alternative truth is perhaps a Neptune invention. False and misleading information that leads us on wild goose chases is also a Neptunian experience. The Neptune square Nodes would suggest that the amplification of lies, made up truths and misinformation has a purpose. If we allow the disillusionment that naturally comes from this, we can have a profound spiritual awakening to the dream being dreamt, and break through all that shield us from the greater reality of what is is to be human. The Leo Moon brings us to the intimacy of the moment, and the heart of the money. The mind can be deceived. The true heart cannot.
Joy does not come from what you do
It flows into what you do
And thus into the world
From deep within you.
Eckhart Tolle
The Desire to Want What We Want – Venus conjunct Pluto
Venus is moving through Capricorn and will soon enter Aquarius and will align with the visioning process underway. For now, her desire nature is being directed towards accountability and responsibility. In Capricorn, she can be more guarded, shielding insecurity she may feel. And yet, on the Full Moon she has met up with Pluto in an exact conjunction. Pluto, the planet of power and transformation, inflames Venus’ desire for relationship, love, and financial well-being.
The Venus/Pluto combo fuels the desire to have our deepest values met. It has us feeling a brazenness to take action to quench our desire and secure what we are wanting. Simultaneously, we may equally encounter what stands in the way of having our desire met. Rather than projecting what is not working on circumstances or others, we are each encouraged to take the reins and be accountable for the patterns that has us fall short from realizing our love.
The depths of our desire for connection is kindled with a Venus/Pluto conjunction. The desire to love and be loved is amplified. It is an opportunity to practice radical self-love, to recommit to what we value most. The learnings that come from Venus conjunct Pluto can bolster our self-worth, clear away the debris that stands in the way of free-flowing abundant love between us and something outside us (a person, circumstance, the divine). We want to feel our value, be valued, and have a life of beauty. We can let the desire for this burn away blockages that hold this reality at arms length. The opportunity may be squandered if we elect to demand the world or the gods recognize something we have not yet recognized for ourselves. Venus/Pluto further illuminates The Leo Full Moon invitation to enhance the value we give ourselves. This is the work that will best prepare us to meet the Aquarian energies of next month and the year.
Healing Love – Chiron Trine the Full Moon
The Leo Moon is traveling alone in the eastern sky after sunset. And, at first glance, it is the only planet in a fire sign until we notice Chiron (the Wounded Healer) in Aries. The coldness of the planets traveling in the winter signs is offset by the harmonious relationship Chiron makes to the Full Moon bringing a healing energy to thaw out frozen feelings and warm up our heart. Its fire helps remove the blockages that keep us from feeling at home in ourselves and the world, giving us the courage to step towards expressing our love unabashedly and fearlessly. As the wounded healer, Chiron assures that the gift we have to give the world is born of the healing we forged within ourselves. We can then offer the same healing love to the world.
Ultimately, the Leo Moon returns us to ourself, to what beats unwaveringly within us. Courage and joy are natural outcomes of a life anchored in love. It is time to light the world with love. It is with the heart that our cold and dying world will be enlivened once again. Humanity’s gift of vision and innovative action (Aquarius) will be successful if it is given in service to the heart.
It matters not who you love,
where you love, why you love,
when you love, or how you love,
it matters only that you love.
John Lennon