Tomorrow night, the Full Moon in Gemini arrives with the Sun at 16º 01’ Sagittarius and the Moon at 16º 01’ Gemini. Mars, also at 16º 01’ Gemini, is tightly conjunct the Moon and opposite the Sun, bringing this retrograde Mars into strong focus.
This is a very mutable Full Moon. Neptune (22º 39’ Pisces) squares the Sun, Moon, and Mars. The Sun and Moon apply to this square, while Mars moves away. Venus (27º 30’ Sag) squares Jupiter (29º 08’ Pisces).
There’s an anything-can-happen feel to the Full Moon.
This is fostered by an intense Neptune who has just stationed direct and still barely moves. Also by Jupiter poised at the end of Pisces and the zodiac, preparing to begin anew. Jupiter enters Aries on December 20. And by the fact that the Moon, Venus, Mercury, and Mars are all out of bounds. All four are outside the Sun’s purview, setting their own courses through the heavens.
This Full Moon feels edgy.
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The lunar cycle began with a New Moon in Sagittarius that sent us on a journey. We became nomads exploring sacred landscapes, revisiting our history, conducting ceremony to honor where we’ve been and where we’re headed.
So when this Full Moon illuminates the edginess of our current position, it’s good to note that edge environments are the richest ecosystems we know. At the edges, different plants, animals, and microorganisms encounter each other. There’s a diversity in these places that supports adaptation and evolution.
Edges are very mutable places.
With Neptune in the mix, we might think about coastal environments. The shores and wetlands where ocean meets land are the richest biomes on Earth.
In these places, change is the only constant. Shifting tides, as well as seasonal changes and the impacts of storms, all mean those who dwell along ocean edges must be flexible, ready to (sometimes literally) go with the flow.
Where you have planets, chart angles, or points in the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, or Pisces), you might feel right at home, flowing easily without resistance.
The cardinal and especially the fixed signs, though, may look for stability, some sense of direction, or anything to hold onto in this messy, edgy soup.
We will be getting more clarity as we move through the Full Moon. Mars, conjunct the Moon, is also, in a sense, full. It’s a Full Mars and a Full Moon. The Sun–Mars opposition means we are now halfway through the synodic cycle of Mars that began with the Mars–Sun conjunction of October 7, 2021.
Mars is still retrograde and out of bounds, so, things feel weird, but as we enter the second half of Mars’ cycle, clarity will increase. We shift from exploring new territory into processing and integrating what we’ve seen and learned.
This shift is supported by Mercury, who stepped into Capricorn late in the day on December 6. Mercury rules Mars in Gemini. So, our perceptions, processing and communications (all Mercury tasks) shift out of adventurous, high-spirited Sagittarius and into planful, sober-minded Capricorn.
It’s time to start figuring out where we want to go with this crazy Mars, what we’ve learned so far, and how we implement changes to help reach our own goals.
Mercury in Capricorn asks, what’s the plan? What steps are needed to get there? What resources can we pull together?
Neptune’s shift into direct motion helps too. Neptune is always misty, unfocused, creative, and spiritual. But a direct Neptune is more likely to foster forward exploration, and less likely to turn on the fog machines just to be confusing.
The Full Moon / Full Mars illuminates where we are with Mars energy. Where is Mars in your chart? Mars is your planet of taking a stand, taking action, and moving toward goals. Your Mars says important things about how you handle conflict, manage stress, and work under pressure. So we can think about this, and feel into our bodies, to explore how our own Mars feels about this edgy, out of bounds Full Mars.
There’s a lot of Mars around right now. We can work with it, or stand against it, or something in between, but it’s going to be hard to ignore.
The strong Martian presence at the Full Moon may signal conflict, violence, or escalation in world events. How we react tells us how we manage Mars energy in our own charts and lives. Do we become agitated? Do we start plotting? Do we step back and think? Do we shoot first and ask questions later?
Neptune squaring the Full Moon and Mars invites us to take a wider view. Whatever problems we face, however out of sorts we feel, the Neptune square says, try going meta.
Albert Einstein combined great skill at solving specific problems with a mind that went beyond, to consider much broader issues and perspectives. His Sun at 23 29 Pisces is conjunct Neptune in the Full Moon chart. His Moon at 14 24 Sagittarius is conjunct the Sun and opposite the Moon and Mars.
His quotes about problem solving fit this Full Moon and Mars well. He said:
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”
“To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.”
“A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.”
Remember Full Moons Illuminate. We have the opportunity at this Full Moon to see Mars in action in the world and in our own lives. As Mars pivots into the second half of his synodic cycle, we can pivot too, shifting from reacting into pondering, from shooting first into research and planning, from knee-jerk reaction into creative solutions.
This doesn’t need to happen in a day. Mars’ synodic cycle takes 26 months and will not be complete until the next Mars–Sun conjunction on November 17, 2023.
Gemini and Sagittarius are quick signs. They like movement, change, novelty, adventure. All of those are fine as long as no one gets hurt. But alone, the quick changes of these two mutable signs do not support thoughtful, long term development.
Our challenge is to dive into the Full Moon and Mars energy without getting carried away. We want the fresh perspectives and new experiences on offer. The pivot for us involves storing up the insights and information without acting immediately.
We remember we’re at the edge. It’s a rich place. There’s a lot going on and a lot to learn. We’ll get the most out of it if we can dive into the experience without committing, yet, to a specific course of action.
Pay attention. Keep your options open.
All images are original Midjourney renders.