Our hearts go out to the flood victims in the US, plus wicked flooding in Niger, India, and Sudan… August has been tough, with Neptune and Chiron both retrograde in Pisces. We did have some rockin' relief from the eclipses, and whatever flavor seeded itself forward for you, its essence will now be well reaped on the Harvest Moon.
This September 6, our beloved Moon turns full at 13°53′ Pisces and intensifies the water rise. I don't know about you, but I'm praying all day for the best psychic hydroplane I can conjure, yikes!
Why? Emotional flooding is happening as well. I see it everywhere I go. The end of summer holiday can be taxing for families; kids and teachers revel in excitement and might be a bit freaked out about the new schoolyear. This Harvest Moon we take our first step toward autumn, and gear down the fire that's been blazing through our summer channels.
A few great exercises (rituals) I use to work with the water element, and by extension emotion, revolve around balancing the other elements, to compensate for its abundance. For untamed or immature Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces presence in the chart, the following practices might help to get you through an otherwise excessively intense rush of emotion this full Moon. Without forgetting to incorporate your sensuously grounding, earthy polarity point Virgo archetype:
For all signs, drink lemon water first thing in the morning and feel that alkalizing gift enter each cell in your body, in gratitude. Get your 2 L of water a day; this is a prime opportunity to hydrate.
Get four large abalone shells (bowls will do) and—in prayer-mode—fill them with sea salt. Set them at the four corners of your home in honor of water reception, and to take unnecessary emotions away (which is often most of them!), holding space for divine love to work its magic.
This full Moon will be in a new-phase conjunct to Neptune and balsamic-phase conjunct to Chiron, both retrograde. The powerful luminary lends its intuitive qualities to a pair of profound bookends: Neptune = divine connection or hardcore delusion; Chiron = taking past suffering lessons learned and offering our knowledge to others. Healing or resting with pain gives it less power and allows one to make natural efforts to not push it back into the shadow, lest we harm someone else inadvertently.
Aries, you might feel like you're having your ponytail pulled from behind, wondering why your get-up-and-go feels absent. This liquid Moon opposes your usual cardinal fire, to allow you to slow down and get in touch with a subtler vibe. Let your hair down in a slo-mo shake and try a water snake dance.
Taurus with the sextile, sweet. Let the Harvest Moon irrigate your earthy sensuality and maybe do some of that clean-up around the garden you've been meaning to! Self-love is at the ready and when you care for plants (or someone else's plants/garden) you offer this by extension. Share the abundant love you have to give. Squish soil between your fingers and toes and feel connected to that power.
Gemini needs to write, write, write! With Mercury now direct in Leo, you have an opportunity to handle this intense full Moon squaring your sign with getting your thoughts out and down on paper (or screen). There'll be flashes of intuitive brilliance coming through, and try not to let nervous energy derail the task, breathe deeply and write.
Cancer is on a major nourishment groove with a trine to its ruler Moon. Remember we all have Cancer in our charts, so depending which house it's in for you, that'll be the area to draw inspiration from. Let your feminine intuition and Sirius' great luck work for you. Mainly, stay in posture at the shoreline while you surrender your worries to wash out to sea, and feel the god & goddess within you.
Leo, you have a great opportunity here to make a constructive self-criticism list, nothing too harsh, because you have the after effects of the eclipse (we all do, in fact) to ride. Mars left your sign into Virgo, so there should be a bit of relief from possibly feeling stirred up for no reason. Venus is gaining momentum to offer you a balanced day of self-reflection. What can you fuel with your creative fire for the benefit of all?
Virgo is in opposition to this Piscean ether… so do bring your schedule but make room for change. This trifecta Neptune < > full Moon < > Chiron can soften your otherwise harsh self-judgment and let you tap into the deeper sensuality that Virgo brings to the table. Try something spontaneous that whispers magic in your ear.
Libra will have a similar need to Leo in the self-criticism department. Let "other" be for a while so you can tune into your ruler Venus, and her higher octave Neptune. This is time for connecting to the divine and act as a bridge to its love: you be the "other" this time, receiving creative bliss from your creator.
Scorpio, you have an honest-to-goodness antenna up from your psyche at this time. Let the symbol of heightened awareness take the shape of a caduceus and allow its hum throughout the day to simply draw upward the deeper beauty in you. This will allow you to release a few agonies that are getting in the way of self-expression, detach from your pain body (see Tolle) and let the deepest underground streams cleanse your soul.
Sagittarius Saturn direct! Do a happy dance and don't care about anything else. Loving the learning through this release of tension will get that Moon into your system of higher truth and integrity. Stick to the game plan you built while Saturn was retrograde for fucking ever and let your creative juices flow, like the sap rising in the trees.
Capricorn's tide is high this Wednesday and let your boat float where it needs to. You'll be equally pleased that your ruler Saturn has gone direct and now it's time to let the flotsam and jetsam be netted for recycling. Clear your water pipes, that is, a fasting day wouldn't hurt with lots of purified water and purge unnecessary emotion you've been holding on to while you're at it. Gentle purge.
Aquarius, you have genius on the tip of your tongue :) It might feel slightly out of reach, but just focus on letting the feeling side to you be free. Now, I don't mean your natural compassionate state, I mean try to look at where you feel things in your body, emotions, sensations beyond the physical and mental. This connection to your lunar signature will call on your ruler Uranus next door in Aries and irrigate that genius to do some serious goodness in your and others' lives.
Pisces: You know already. Do the rituals. The vague and diffuse will become clear and potent. Pure love.
Rituals aside, for all signs this is a time for returning to your inner work, whether that's an inner child or demon/angel or post-traumatic memory. Witnessing the wonder of your psyche is more than possible at this time. Take it slow and tread softly, loving yourself for having come this far. Loving yourself for your wild nature. Loving yourself for your ability to love others. Loving you—did I mention love? :)
You can sever the roots of your pain body now, allowing you to detach from habitual patterns. Some people can be addicted to sadness or grief. By simply allowing it to work through you, releasing and being attentive to the release (get support if you need it!), the pain then turns into compassion for self and others. It is a transformed state of empathy and naturally heals the environment around you and by association those that are in your environment, and so on. Centrifugal love.
This September full Moon, mind your partying levels and instead cook up some love and serve it warm with a side of smiles. You deserve the love that nourishment will bring right back to you.
2017 Wiccan/Pagan Dates to Dance To
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Written by Sherrill Layton of Studio iO Metaphysics a media ecologist in love with stars and decent brews—coffee, potions, words, storms—the recipe does not matter, the decency does.
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Bruja/o/x culture (brujería), stem from an ancient set of mystical beliefs and practices that have been passed down through generations in Latin America. It has its roots in the indigenous spiritual traditions of the region, as well as elements from African and European cultures and today’s Instagram hashtags #bruja and # brujería have over 2M posts combined.
As other magical practices, brujería orbits honoring spirits and deities, divination, nurturing specific traditional healing methods such as curanderismo, and rituals to protect oneself from negative energy. Get yer charms out!
In Latin American countries like Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Cuba, Colombia, and Brazil it is still a vibrant part of daily life for many people, though there are some variations depending on location. The original practice was brought over by Spanish conquistadors during their colonization of the Americas, and the stories say the cobblestone streets were “paved in slave bones”—see a pattern of repressed magic much? Seems everywhere we turn there’s a need to rise up from the lid put on us for being natural… No longer, though. You watch! This next 20 years will have diverse magical cultures openly practicing without fear, the time is nigh 😊🌿☽🌕☾
Now evolved into something unique to each region, brujería remains a source of immense pride for those who practice this tradition, which continues to hold strong despite attempts to marginalize or even eradicate it
Are you looking for insight into your archetypal planetary vibes? Do you want to know what the stars have in store for you in May of 2023? We Spirit Nesters can help you to gain insight into the events going on. With Pluto’s ingress to Aquarius, the upcoming trends vibrate with Uranian energy, so expect the unexpected! From love and romance to career and financials, May prepares us for individual and collective freedom or to take steps towards clarity and avoiding potential pitfalls. Read on to get into the flow of your elements and how each sign expresses itself in what's coming up!
Astrological Movements: In May, we see the Sun in Taurus and Mercury in Gemini, which will inspires an increase in mental acuity with a skosh of practicality. This is a sweet, sweet time for learning new skills or tackling projects that require careful attention to detail. However, it's also important to be aware of potential communication issues that may arise due to this pairing. You'll want to think carefully before fully speaking your mind during this month! This isn’t to say withhold info, but just be prepared to take the repercussions if you do, from both sides of the coin…
Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) can find themselves feeling energetically active during this month as they take on new challenges with enthusiasm and learn through friction, that’s what squares do, and there’s potentially enormous power in that, though not always 100% comfortable. We all know what kind of magic happens outside that zone, though, yes?
Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo Capricorn) can expect stability and security thanks to the positive energy flowing through their world right now, but it’s super important that you know in which house Aquarius sits, because that security can be going through do-over renos, you feel me? And we’re not just talking light stucco here, we’re talking a new roof level of shift, lol.
Air signs (Gemini Libra Aquarius) can prepare themselves for exciting conversations as creative ideas come into play – but don't forget that words have power too and can anchor you to stuff that you might not have anticipated! The intellect is in full gear and, depending on where your moon sits, you could be having emotional epiphanies in May that will set stuff free that you might have been holding onto for too long.
Water signs (Cancer Scorpio Pisces) can experience heightened emotions during this period which could lead to solidified feelings emerging that you FINALLY understand, so make sure you take time out for yourself to feel them all the way through, up from the heart center and like a pinball machine bounce them around until their out on paper or in song or other creative force. Emotional inventory always feels correct and May has the vibes to take you through with the strength of an ox 😉
Britt
September 07, 2017
I’m so glad I noticed this email in my inbox!! Much needed words for this Virgo. Thank you!