August 20th ~ 27th
“Birth of the Butterflies” by Ainslee Roberts
No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. ~ John Donne
Interdependence! We are all so interconnected in ways that we don’t usually appreciate or even understand. But the Full Moon in Aquarius is here to let us know, that yes, “never send to know for whom the bell tolls, for it tolls for thee.” Last month the Full Moon fell in the very first degrees of Aquarius. This month the Full Moon on August 22nd falls in the very last anaretic degree of Aquarius. Rather than being weaker, this last degree of the sign can often be even stronger. And like an echo and a shadow of the previous Aquarius moon it stands as a reminder of the shifting evolutionary tides in society, in the world as a whole, and in our own lives.
The Full Moon this weekend is also a seasonal Blue Moon. Not because it is the second Full Moon in a month, but the third Full Moon in a season when we have 4 Full Moons. Usually we have 3. But instead of the 4th Full Moon being the seasonal Blue Moon, for some reason it is the third Full Moon on August 22nd that is considered the extra, or rare “Blue” Moon. These occur approximately every 2-3 years.
What is even more significant this month is that the Full Moon is conjunct and shining a spotlight on retrograde Jupiter, which has only just recently re-entered the late degrees of Aquarius. Usually Jupiter is portrayed as a planet of luck and expansion. It represents our Big Vision and hopes for the future. But especially when it is retrograde, as it is now, it also has a strong relationship to morality and ethical conduct; and whether or not people are living up to their moral and ethical codes of society. And in the sign of Aquarius, a sign of humanitarian concerns, those concerns become broader and more encompassing.
Full Moons are times of fulfillment and results. And when we see Jupiter so closely aligned as it is now with the Full Moon, we can see the results and ramifications of judgment calls made in the past. It also stands as a reminder to ourselves, as to what we would consider to be important ethical standards to follow. The sort of standards that we would be willing to put ourselves on the line for. The sort of moral and ethical standards that we would be willing to stand up for, and speak out for, especially when we feel like our back is against the wall.
This is because at the heart of Jupiter is a deep desire for truth and understanding. But one person’s version of what is good and true and ethical and moral, may be quite different from another’s. Yet this attempt to aspire to something greater, to be better than we are, is part of this human condition. We don’t always do it well, but stumbling and falling is also part of the learning process. Also at the heart of Jupiter in Aquarius is a recognition of how we are all so interconnected with one another, we can no longer deny it, ignore it, or even avoid it. The Full Moon is here to remind us that this is so!
This learning to be a good human is a process. And one of the ways we do this is by learning what does or does not work. And the Full Moon conjunct Jupiter can shine a light on the situation. Jupiter in Aquarius is trying to show us the benefit of being able to see things from another perspective, and in a fresh new way. And if nothing else, perhaps we can see that we don’t have to keep doing things the way that we always have in the past. And that there might even be better, more humane, more ethical, or just plain better alternatives, better approaches and better ways of doing things.
With retrograde Jupiter in Aquarius being highlighted by the Full Moon this weekend, we can all ask ourselves:
What is right for me? Have my expectations been fulfilled? Is there something that I could have done better? And is there something now that I can do about my situation?
Am I willing to consider alternatives? And if so, what might they be?
What would it mean for me to be true to my convictions, my beliefs and my ideals? What can I do to walk the walk, as well as talk the talk?
How can I be a better brother/sister to my fellow beings? Especially when I consider how all of our lives are all so interconnected in ways that we don’t even realize.
For next week’s horoscopes, click below: