The Full Moon in PISCES will grace the sky on August 30th reaching peak illumination at 9:35pm EST.
This blog post covers all you need to know about the Full Moon in Pisces along with a simple ritual for you to deepen your nature spirituality practice.
In this blog post you will find:
Introduction: Moon 101
The sun and moon are in a cyclical relationship as they weave through the seasons of the zodiac. This celestial dance provides us with an intuitive road map to explore our own inner/outer journey as we too make our way through the ebb and flow of nature's seasons and come into new and ever-changing dimensions of our lives.
While the sun is ruler of the day and influences our "outer" expression in the world, it is to no surprise that as ruler of the tides and queen of the night the moon is also ruler of our emotions and "inner" felt experience. Our emotions have long been associated with representations of water and the sea: fluid, ever-changing, ebbing and flowing. As the moon pulls at the tides, we also experience this influencing force on our emotions, desires, shadow realms, fears/worries, psyche, and dreams.
Self-knowledge arises through a process of uncovering hidden layers of self through revelation and integration. This process is mirrored in the ebb and flow of the moon which is why it's something we learn to observe and track. As the light of the moon waxes, more of what lies hidden becomes revealed - our deeper motivations, mechanisms, and feelings. As the light of the moon wanes, we are given time to integrate these new learnings and discoveries.
This Full Moon falls within the sign of Pisces. Keep reading to learn how you can use this moon portal to explore new dimensions of self seeking expression in the world.
Pisces Insights
SYMBOL | FISH: two fish swimming in opposite directions but tied together. Symbolizes duality and depth.
PLANETARY RULER | NEPTUNE: God of the sea and is considered a planet of inspiration, dreams, psychic receptivity and illusions.
ELEMENT | WATER: element of emotion, depth, and intuition.
HOUSE | 12th HOUSE: rules imagination, subconscious mind, secrets, mysteries.
MODALITY | FIXED: represents the changing nature of life through shifting adaptable forces.
The Pisces Full Moon occurs once a year when the sun is in the sign of Virgo. Virgo season began on August 23rd and will end on September 23rd. The Pisces Full Moon arrives 6 months after the Sun and Moon were conjunct in the sign of Pisces on the new moon (Feb. 20th). This means that the Pisces Full Moon always arrives during harvest season in early fall. This is important when contemplating the power of the Pisces Full Moon.
Two weeks ago, the Leo new Moon was setting the stage for a new lunar cycle, emphasizing the dignity, strength and power of LOVE. True creative power comes from within and is unlocked when you plug into the loving source of the universe. Love is multi-dimensional and emanates from the center of me/you/us in all dimensions in all directions. Love is wise, intuitive, and Divinely guided. Love helps us to navigate the watery depths of our lives!
The full Moon in Pisces is one of the more mystical full Moons of the year. As a water sign, Pisces represents the ocean—vast, boundless, and connected to everything. This energy is the thread that ties the Universe together. This full Moon illumination invites you to swim within the watery depths of your inner being: your emotional, intuitive and dreamy self. As we move closer toward the dark time of the year, our hearts can feel full and tender. It's necessary to limit distractions and take time to be with all that's present emotionally (perhaps even heavy) in our hearts. Plugging into the loving source of the universe is what supports us to drop into the depths, knowing that we are held.
Full Moon Themes:
Release pent up emotions // support your emotions to move
Honor yourself and how you have changed // Make it sacred
Bridge dreams & reality // Let both parts of you speak
Full Moon Energy
The moon is the closest "planet" to Earth, thus orbiting the zodiac very quickly, completing its round in less than a month. Actually, the entire trip takes 29.53 days, to be exact. When the moon is Full, the orbit is half way through its full lunar cycle.
A Full Moon happens when the Earth is sitting between the Moon and the Sun all aligned at 180 degrees, hence the Sun’ s light is fully reflecting the surface of the moon. During the Full moon, the Moon and Sun are in the opposite Zodiac sign on their axis of the cross that they represent, forming an opposition, which means that the influencing energies can make for a challenging or intense aspect of energy but also a very potent potential as the Lunar & Solar (yin & yang) are in natural harmonic balance. In this case, the Virgo Sun and Pisces moon are in opposition and in balance.
You can think of the Full Moon phase as a culmination point or a peak, and a powerful time to reflect, offer gratitude, honor change, and acknowledge the beauty and mystery of life. Energy is often heightened on a fully moon, so you may feel a burning desire to express yourself creatively as a part of integrating all that you've learned which will support you to let go of any aspects of your life that no longer serve the grandest vision of your Soul.
This is also a great time to revisit your Moon Journal, explore what themes were present in your life 6 months ago, and review your Manifestation Desires. Remember, your Manifestation Desires may show up in unexpected ways and ‘look’ different to your original Desires… as your ‘feelings’ create something more beautiful, more sacred & divine for your greater purpose on Earth.
What you need to know about Pisces
THE MUTABLE CROSS
PISCES - VIRGO AXIS
GEMINI-SAGITTARIUS AXIS
Anticipation, movement, change, adaptability, flexibility
This Mutable Cross is one of the three zodiacal crosses. Following the determined stable forces of the Fixed Cross comes the changing nature of life in its mutable form. The purpose of this cross defines the shifting adaptable natural forces of the elements.
"Mutable signs are represented by sattva in the Hindu system. Geometrically, they are expressed by a spiral, which combines the inwardness of a circle and the thrust of a straight line." - Vicki Noble, Motherpeace
Pisces is the mutable Water sign (circled in the diagram here), opposing it is the mutable Earth sign of Virgo which creates one axis of the Mutable Cross. The two feminine elements (Water and Earth) always create an axis and the two masculine elements (Air and Fire) create the other axis. Each cross contains each of the four elements. In this case the mutable signs are represented by: Sagittarius (fire), Gemini (air), Virgo (earth), and Pisces (water).
ELEMENT: WATER
WATER: PSYCHE / EMOTION
SIGNS: SCORPIO, CANCER, PISCES
Water is the element of emotions, instinct and the mysterious realm of the psyche. It is the element of the dream world, adaptability, fertility, receiving, healing, fluidity and change.
"We can see water’s unique ability to change form as it ranges from liquid to ice to gas. Water flows and adapts to the space it’s in. Water is also the element of cleansing and purification, and is often used for spiritual purposes to cleanse the soul and other spaces —physical or otherwise. The ‘wave of emotions’ reminds us of the watery realms of our emotions that can transform and change like the element of water." - Kayla White
Water signs feel at home in depths of emotion and have a strong connection to the unseen. They are highly intuitive and have strong ties to the lunar currents, thus dreamscapes may be particularly vivid. As deep feelers they are emotionally moved to action.
RULING PLANET: NEPTUNE
Qualities: creativity, sensitivity, dreams, imagination, illusion, escapism, psychic receptivity, compassion, confusion, naivity
Neptune is one of the "modern" planets, together with Uranus and Pluto (although pluto is no longer considered a planet). This expression refers to planets that were unknown in antiquity, at a time when it was not possible to glimpse them with the naked eye.
Neptune is the farthest planet from the Sun, so it receives little light and cannot heat its atmosphere. Its intense blue color is due to methane and an as-yet-unknown compound. Neptune has the fastest winds in the solar system.
CONSTELLATION
Pisces the Fish is a constellations of the zodiac, which means that it lies on the ecliptic, or path of the sun and planets through our sky. Currently, Jupiter lies within the constellation’s borders and will remain there until mid-May 2023.
According to EarthSky:
Generally, the best time to view constellations in the night sky is when they’re opposite the sun in the sky. They rise at sunset and are up all night. So, if the sun is in Pisces in March, then the opposite side of the calendar, October and the following months, is a good time for observing Pisces. Indeed, in December, by the time the sky is dark, Pisces is already high in the southern sky for us in the Northern Hemisphere. Pisces is at its highest for the evening at about 8 p.m. local time in December. (Source)
Ritual Elements
Pisces Full Moon Ritual
What You'll Need
1. Elements for your altar. Drawing on the Pisces Ritual Elements above, consider what you might want to bring to your altar. Start simple. There is absolutely no need to go out and "buy" altar items. This is something that we encourage you to unlearn. Everything we need is within us and can be found around us. A simple candle will do, or a yellow flower for example.
2. Candle & lighter for the eco-somatic practice
3. Journal & something to write with for the journaling portion.
Important Considerations & Prep
1. RIGHT RELATIONSHIP: being in right relationship with your spiritual practice means approaching each aspect with humility, curiosity and reverence. This includes checking yourself on the nature of how you relate to "objects" as things and the process itself.
For example, if you feel called to stones as part of your ritual, consider WHY first. Then contemplate the impact of whatever action comes next. For example, instead of mindlessly purchasing cheap precious stones from somewhere like amazon (which have more than likely been harmfully mined/extracted and then shipped across the world as part of the consumer machine that's destroying our planet), perhaps part of your spiritual practice is to resist such a prompting and instead take the time to go for a mindful walk in your backyard, or a nearby stream and see if the right stone presents itself to you.
2. CLEANSE & PURIFY YOUR SPACE: Cleansing, also known as purification, is the practice of clearing out and releasing negative energy from your space, as well as energy that’s just old, stale, stagnant, or no longer serving you. Here are a few different methods:
Physical cleaning: dusting, vacuuming, opening windows for fresh air
Salt: a common element used for purification and protection in many different cultures. To use, simply sprinkle salt along doorways and windowsills to protect them from negative energy entering or just keep a small bowl of salt on your altar or nearby surface.
Smoke cleansing: light incense or burn a bundle of dried herbs such as rosemary, cedar, or mugwort. Choose plants that you have grown yourself or that grow abundantly wild nearby, plants that you have ancestral tied to or just those that have been grown and harvested ethically.
NOTE: If you do not have meaningful/authentic relationships to Indigenous culture and customs, "smudging" with white sage cultural appropriation and is dishonoring to Indigenous nations across Turtle island. It is important to understand that smudging is not just about burning sage to purify the negative energy from your space but is a sacred ritual that is culturally specific to tribes such as the Lakota Sioux, Comanche, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Navajo. If you have been gifted sage by an Indigenous friend, use to your discretion in how to engage with this medicine. This sacred plant is being abused, exploited and mass-harvested for commercial and consumer use which perpetuates the violence of white supremacy and settler colonialism. Take some time to locate yourself within a settler-colonial context interwoven with the land you currently occupy. Check out Native Land to learn the name and more about the territories you occupy.
3. CLEANSE & PURIFY YOUR BODY-MIND
Take a shower our bath; visualize any negative energy that has accumulated in your auric field to be washed away as the water goes down the drain.
Meditate, center and take some time to ground in stillness and embodied presence.
Write or speak your intentions for your ritual out loud
4. BE MINDFUL & STRIVE FOR INTEGRITY ALWAYS.
Altar Creation
Creating an altar is optional. Altar tending is a beautiful practice, especially if you have a designated area in your home that you can tend to over the course of each moon and seasonal cycle.
Tending to an altar is an intentional practice that supports your exploration of nature spirituality and carries the potential to deepen your relationship to the energetic archetypes of the unfolding seasonal & moon cycles.
To set up your altar, simply play with any number of the ritual elements offered above in the chart by using symbols, colors, precious gemstones, symbolism, etc.
There is no right or wrong way to go about creating, tending or being with your altar, however we do not condone cultural appropriation or theft of any kind.
Eco-Somatic Practice: River Wander
For this Full Moon eco-somatic practice we will be drawing upon the element of WATER, as well as the Virgo EARTH energy. Pisces and Virgo being in opposition to each other on the mutable cross. This Pisces-Virgo axis is all about dissolving separation between physical/tangible reality and spiritual reality. It’s about infusing form with spirit and giving spirit form.
PREP:
For this practice, ideally, you would find a clean creek, stream or shallow river that you can walk in, or a trail that traces a river. If neither of those are accessible, you can do this anywhere with the power of Pisces imagination!
If you are able to walk a stream, creek or river consider if you’d like to walk barefoot or with water shoes.
ABOUT THE PRACTICE: Pisces is the sign of oneness and wholeness whose element is water which is associated to realms of emotion, dream, fluidity and intuition.
The fish is the symbol of Pisces, and the swim patterns of fish are meandering and wandering as they navigate the fluid medium of water. For this eco-somatic practice we combine the fish swimming patterns with the dreamy, meandering river.
ACCESSIBILITY: All of our practices can be adapted to suit your needs. One option is to treat this as an imaginal practice, in which case you don't even have to leave your home. Read through the steps and then close your eyes and have an interior experience... let your dreamscape guide you. Alternatively, you may feel called to art-making as a way to engage the content. Nature connection is not necessary because we are nature! Earth is within us. Here is a beautiful video of a river flowing which you may feel inspired to draw upon.
STEPS:
Begin by finding a stream/river/creek or a river trail nearby or a location where you can easily wander and meander.
Before you begin, carry the intent of allowing your step to move fluidly, spontaneously, dreamy and wave-like. To wander is to surrender to the unknown and receive the present moment. To wander is to release expectation of outcome, and to fully let go with trust. Invite your feet to wander, invite your spirit to dream and invite your mind to imagine as you wander like a river.
“Rivers are the veins, the movement of blood, of life and the vitality that meanders through every valley and mountain top across our earth body. There are many shapes, depths, currents, and river spirits and each one is interconnected to the other. Rivers flow, circulate, transfer and carry the memory from one place of earth's body to another, gathering a collection of information from place to place. Rivers invite you into the collective spirit of place, the passage of time from where you come from, to right now, and to where you dream of going. When you sit with a river, the space-time continuum enfolds into a single wave. Rivers invite you to be with the horizontal movement from then to now to ahead and the vertical movement from above to below to the in-between. Rivers are inherently relational, moving with the rhythms of the sky, the wind spirit and and the rains from the clouds. Their constant change in movement invites us to sense into the fleetingness of one wave to another. Rivers are one form of expression to the emotional body, allowing you to sense the edge of the ever-changing experience of emotion, while simultaneously witnessing, observing the wave with distance. This invites you to notice and experience the wave while watching the wave pass by. Rivers are teachers, guides, healers, and you’ll sense, notice and receive your medicine from the river during your wander.” - Way of Belonging
If you chose a stream/creek/river to walk, find an area to enter and soften into the slow, meandering walk of listening to the river. Pause to feel the flow move through you, and the spirit of the river touch you.
If you choose a river walk, begin along the river’s edge near a trail head and start to notice the shape, curves and wave-like movement of the river, walking slowly, sensing the sound of the river penetrate all through you, and listening to the teachings and guidance of the river as you wander.
If you chose another area, begin to imagine a meandering river, listen to the sound of moving water over rocks, and allow yourself to wander in a spontaneous, dreamy-like pattern.
Stay and wander for as long as you’d like!
Journaling
What came up for you during the eco-somatic practice? Take some time to reflect on anything you'd like to hold onto.
You may also wish to reflect on any or all of the following questions:
How would you describe the sensation of flow?
What did you notice in your wandering?
In what ways do you listen and nurture the call of your inner spirit?
What dreams or visions have come into fruition?
How might you celebrate the ways your dreams have manifested into form?
Finish the following sentences:
A dream for myself that has blossomed is....
I celebrate my spirit by...
My intuition shows up in my body...and I listened to my intuition when...
Something I am grateful for in the last 2 weeks...
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