The Full Moon in Pisces on August 24 offers another portal or “way out” of obstacles we’ve been facing during the cardinal T-square.

The Full Moon typically indicates endings, and in the last sign of the zodiac, this lunation helps us clear out what is no longer working in order to make room for dramatic changes to come. The action may be stalled for a few weeks, no thanks to retrograde Mercury, but we nonetheless can explore the opportunities and prepare to let go of situations and relationships that are holding us back.

The limitations and challenges many of us are confronting are related to the
cardinal T-square, and they are tough indeed. Many seem to have no resolution. Words my clients use to describe their situations include stuck, overwhelmed, at a crossroad, caught in the crossfire. Even those who are having a positive experience have a sense of events unfolding too quickly.

At the apex of the T-square, Pluto is taking all the heat. Pluto symbolizes death, rebirth, and transformation, but this cycle has been blocked by the opposed energies of Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter, all of which are still in tight aspect at the Full Moon.

I’ve mentioned a few times that one way out of a stuck situation is to look at the space in your chart opposite transiting Pluto. That will remain true for the duration of the T-square. However, this Full Moon offers a powerful out via a lovely earth trine from Pluto to the Sun in practical Virgo and a sextile from Pluto to the Moon in otherworldly Pisces.

As we get nearer to the Full Moon, you suddenly may see the source of an obstacle, allowing you to more effectively free yourself of whatever or whoever has been holding you back. Or, those limiting circumstances simply may dissolve, leaving you free to transform or transcend. In some cases, the urgent need to let go of these things may stem from a new approach you began at the New Moon in Leo two weeks ago.

Neptune, ruler of this Full Moon, is at 27 degrees Aquarius, placing him in a moderately close, out-of-sign conjunction with the Moon at 1°26′ Pisces. He’s also closely conjunct Chiron at 28 degrees Aquarius. I’ve written a lot over the past several years about the collective healing effects of the Chiron-Neptune conjunction, especially where old wounds from our past are concerned. This alignment sends a powerful message of clearing “old stuff” in order to evolve under the pressure of the T-square.

Mercury retrograde in Virgo, the sign opposite Pisces, actually may be beneficial in this regard. Combined with the Full Moon in Pisces, it’s a great time to access your higher consciousness via daily chores, service to others, exercise and meditation, all with mindfulness. When we quiet our minds, a space opens up to receive answers. Likewise, a window opens for the images we hold of what we’d like to attract or create in our lives.

Mars and Venus are still in fairly close conjunction, which was exact on August 20, an hour before Mercury went retrograde. This suggests that issues of balance and cooperation in relationships will remain throughout Mercury’s retrograde phase and will need to be revisited. The conjunction took place in Libra, ruled by Venus, so it is the feminine energy that was strengthened.

In the Full Moon chart, Venus is approaching a sextile with Ceres, ruler of the cyclical nature of life. Some of us may need to “go under” temporarily in order to rebalance and heal. Ceres herself is approaching a third and final conjunction with Pluto at the apex of the T-square, an alignment deeply symbolic of transformation through delving inside ourselves and confronting all the scary things that lurk there.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Moon at 1°26′ Pisces is a squirrel hiding from hunters, with the keyword CAUTION. This is about self-preservation, but we’re not talking about the ego self. Your first duty is to your higher purpose, whatever that may be, and that requires acting in your own best interests.

For the Sun at 1°26′ Virgo, the Sabian Symbol is a large white cross upraised, with the keyword GLORIFICATION. At its best, this symbol represents offering your unique gift in service of humanity. You can’t do that if you allow yourself to be bound by what others want and expect of you.

Freeing yourself will not be without some risk, and it may entail some pain and sorrow, too. But it is part of our growth collectively and as individuals.

Love and courage to all,
Pat

** From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, by Dr. Marc Edmond Jones. The author, an astrologer, channeled this work in the early 1920s. There’s one symbol one for each degree of the zodiac, and we can use them to gain insight into charts.