Each Full Moon brings light to the night sky, offering energy for romance, wild and crazy behavior, and seeing what cannot be seen at other times. This year’s Full Moon in Leo, arriving Saturday night in the Eastern US (Sunday morning in Europe and points East) brings the intensity of a spotlight. A glance at the chart shows the Moon by herself in the lower right side. Is she looking out at everyone else? Is everyone looking at her? Maybe both.
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Leo is the sign of the king, the performer, and the child. “Me, me, me” we hear all three yelling. “It’s all about me!” Yet this is such a superficial view of Leo, it’s almost not worth talking about. Children, enthralled with the world, feel themselves at its very center. And so they are! So are we all. There is an ancient Celtic view that places each of us in the center of the universe, a center that walks with us wherever we go. Children also long to be seen to know who they are, and that they are. We are social animals, not fully human without our communities. We need to see ourselves reflected in others.
Leo, Fixed Fire, rules the Sun. Our Sun, wherever it falls in our chart, in whichever sign, represents the light we were born to shine into this world. We all long for this, the chance to bring our one precious life forward, to have our gift accepted and appreciated. Not our outer self, but our essential self, our soul. In the manner that best suits us, we want to shine. Leo is also the heart, the “coeur” in courage, for it is from our hearts that our inner light shines.
This is what Alan Rickman meant when he told Evanna Lynch people saw what came from his heart when he acted. This is what is means to say that as teachers, we may teach what we know, but we first teach who we are.
A Leo Full Moon illuminates where and how we are seen. Who sees us? Who “gets” us? This is not so much about finding our tribe, where we are a member. This is about who sees us as an individual, as someone who means something special and particular, someone to be celebrated.
At every Full Moon, the Sun is exactly opposite the Moon. The sign opposite Leo is Aquarius, the austere, cerebral Fixed Air sign the Sun recently entered. Both Leo and Aquarius share a sense of leadership, a sense of being special, a belief in the value of the individual. They differ in focus and tone. Leo is warm, fun, playful, celebratory. Leo wants each person to have a chance to shine, a time in the Sun when every eye is focused on you, and for that to be, for each of us, exactly the way we want it. Aquarius, on the other hand, is cool, dedicated to an idea or concept or theory that is certain to make things better for everyone, which will happen sooner if everyone gets on board and agrees. At the Full Moon, the Aquarius Sun is joined by the asteroid Pallas Athena, increasing the intellectual vibe that can look down its nose at the messy creativity of Leo.
This is a Full Moon surrounded by intensity. Imagine opening night of a new play. Maybe this new play is experimental, playful. Maybe some of the backers, even the actors, feel uncertain about how it will be received. In the audience, before the curtain rises, they peek out and see every major critic waiting, tapping their programs, already making notes. The curtain is about to go up.
There in the first balcony, Mercury and Pluto sit together. They’re in pragmatic, no-nonsense Capricorn. Feet on the ground, they want to see if this show can deliver on its promises. Mercury, still retrograde, is focused and reflective. This Mercury–Pluto conjunction activates the waning Pluto–Uranus square, reminding us of everything we’ve been through in the last few years, all the pressures, the changes, the transformations. We might feel jumpy, edgy, itchy. Nearby, we see Venus, who has just left optimistic Sagittarius for Capricorn. Will she get a good return on her investment in coming to this show? She hasn’t decided yet, feeling edgy, forming an inconjunct to the Moon.
On the other side, near the orchestra, sits dreamy Neptune in Pisces, widely inconjunct the Moon as well, and not at all sure she will find this performance stimulating in the deeply lyrical way she prefers. Chiron, also in Pisces, is sesquiquadrate the Moon and therefore also feeling uncertain. Will this hurt or heal? We’re not sure yet. Jupiter in Virgo sits with the North Node of our destiny, our path in this life. Jupiter is always inclined to be generous, but Virgo has a keen eye for detail. Whatever Jupiter notices tonight, it’s bound to be important for our future.
Mars in Scorpio is the most dangerous critic, partly because he keeps his notes hidden and his face unreadable. Mars is in Scorpio right now, a deeply intuitive sign, and one that sends Mars energy and anger deep underground. Mars squares the Full Moon, challenging before the curtain even goes up. Maybe he’ll love the show and write a glowing review. Maybe he’ll publish the most blistering, scathing, critique anyone ever read. Maybe he’ll punch the playwright in the face during intermission. Anything could happen. It’s a Full Moon.
So do we stay home with the covers pulled over our heads? Given the snow falling across the MidAtlantic states in the US, a number of us will be doing exactly that. But no, a Full Moon in Leo is not a time to hide. At this Full Moon, we pay attention. Here are some guidelines on where and how to look:
Look with the heart. We want to be focused in our own heart center, looking for the heart centers of others. Where is our creative mojo flowing now? Where can we see and appreciate the creativity of others? Where do we want to play? What can we celebrate?
Track where energy is flowing. Creative energy is flowing now. Our hearts can see it. What about transformational energy? We’ve been asked to absorb and release a lot in the last few years. Mercury and Pluto, sitting together, ask whether we’ve completed all the transformations we’ve been invited and pushed into. What else needs to be done? Energy will focus there.
Keep an eye on the audience. Who really sees us, appreciates us, celebrates us? We want to hold on to those folks. I’m not talking about uncritical adulation here, but those people who see all of us, warts and all, and still love us. Who is gunning for us, trying to tear us down, criticize, maybe even attack? Those folks, we want to avoid, especially at this Full Moon. There is definite drama potential out there, so avoid fights if you can. If you can’t, choose carefully.
We can emerge from this Full Moon with a stronger, clearer sense of where our creative gifts want to shine. We can commit to whatever is left to be done, to allow us to move toward our best goals. We can connect with our strongest supporters and sidestep those who want to undermine us. But first we have to have the courage to step onto center stage and give it our best shot. I’ll see you after the show and we’ll compare notes.
… ‘Cause love is such an old fashioned word, and love asks you to care … and love dares you to change …