The Full Moon in Pisces

August 28th, 12:18 AM EDT

Sun at 4 degrees of Virgo; Moon at 4 degrees of Pisces

Sun conjoins Mercury; Neptune and Pluto inconjunct

Sun & Moon Square Uranus

Across the astrological spectrum, there is a commonly held belief that lunar eclipses are like a “full moon on steroids.” In other words, while full moons influence how we resolve things, how we follow through on established ideas, plans, and actions, etc., and what thoughts and actions best bring them to their conclusions, when there is an eclipse, this urgency is multiplied and intensified!

Let’s begin our assessment of the possibilities and potentials of this full moon and lunar eclipse with an overview provided by Lena of the Shamanic School. She writes:

“This powerful full moon requires that you keep an open mind and stay flexible, as anything can happen, turning things upside down if that is what is necessary to support change. Sometimes upside down is exactly what you need.

Stay out of judgment and be as neutral as you can, especially around other people’s reactivity and emotional triggers. This full moon carries a theme of freedom and rebellious tendencies. Be proactive with this and free yourself from the burden of an old unrealized dream, a bad habit, limited thinking, or any self-judgment. When making a choice about something, do it for yourself instead of compromising for others.

There is an aspect to this time frame that can promote polarization and conflict. Stay out of it, in your own lane, and seek balance for what may be polarized in your own life: your needs as opposed to responsibility to others, work as opposed to home, what you desire as opposed to what you think you can have. Polarization always comes from comparison. Refrain from comparing yourself to others and instead seek to be your best self always.

One thing first, though. For all the chaos this week is carrying, there’s a cazimi in it. And it falls on the day of the eclipse, which, depending on where you are, is Thursday for some of you and Friday for the rest.

What that feels like is a bulb going on in your head. That’s the moment. The one where the tiles start dropping into place one after another like dominoes, click, click, click, and suddenly you can read the whole thing. etc etc.

And there’s something about those moments that I can only call divine, honestly. It’s an enormous week for getting in touch with your higher self, with whatever you call the bigger thing you’re part of. You can come out of this one with very, very, very large insights. Big understanding, and they stay.

And for creative work, for art, for anything you’re making, there won’t be a week like this one. If you’ve been waiting for the right conditions, well. Here they are.”

Let’s continue with this overview…

The eclipse happens at 4 degrees of Pisces, opposite the Sun, and Mercury at 4 degrees of Virgo. The most significant aspects are the squares to Uranus in Gemini.

The most compelling summary I could find and easily understand comes from Simone Butler, writing in the Mooncircles newsletter. She describes this full moon in Pisces and eclipse in these words:

“When the Pisces Moon opposes the Virgo Sun, it lights up the axis of caring and selflessness. The Moon in Pisces symbolizes redemption, self-sacrifice, and dreaminess. When it’s eclipsed by the Sun in practical, let’s-fix-it Virgo, we must be careful to not ignore our feelings or simply put a band-aid on them; if we do, we risk our bodies turning on us in a desperate attempt to get our attention.

This is the last hurrah of a series of Pisces eclipses that began in September 2024. Specifically, this eclipse elaborates on or brings closure to whatever story began around the August 12 Leo total solar eclipse. This upcoming blood moon eclipse, though not quite total, will insert about 96 per cent of its lunar disk into Earth’s darkest shadow. And the moon will take on copper, orange, or reddish tones.

This potent moon will be traveling with a royal star called Fomalhaut, or the ‘mouth of the fish.’ This star symbolizes one’s faith being tested, the possibility of redemption through seeing our motivations clearly, and the need to strengthen our faith. We may also be compelled to surrender illusions.

This Full Moon at 4 degrees Virgo-Pisces is closely squared by Uranus in Gemini, bringing sudden change, news, revelations, and perhaps an antsy feeling or trouble relaxing. Uranus is unpredictable.

Combine it with a near-total lunar eclipse, and it becomes essential to keep our hats on, think things through before rushing ahead, and avoid acting on any extreme feelings. This is not a good time to make important decisions, as certain things are hidden, in flux, and can change on a dime. But it’s a great time to take a deep look at what you’re feeling, and to focus on releasing old fears and sorrows….

Meanwhile, if life feels messy or confusing, honor that. As this potent lunation approaches, is there a troublesome thought or feeling you’re ready to release? Maybe something you’ve been harboring deep inside? If so, have a good cry, surrender it to a refreshing body of water, or soak in a bath with scented oils. And let’s welcome Blood Moon wisdom as Luna glows red in the night sky!”

As a quick review, when evaluating how and in what ways this lunar eclipse could influence you, you need to know your natal chart (it’s helpful to know your progression too!) and locate where 4 degrees of both Pisces and Virgo are. If you have planets there or a house cusp, you are more likely to be affected by the emotions and feelings that will be encouraged or expressed.

As for the fixed stars, I take the ancient descriptions advisedly and will regard the 20 brightest stars and give more credence or attention to the 4 Royal Stars.

We have just experienced Regulus, at 29 degrees of Leo through 0 degrees of Virgo.

Now we are under the influence of Formalhaut at 4 degrees. When I have been “re-working” my own understanding of the degrees, here is what I have written as a summary about Formalhaut so far and the 4th degree:

“Seeks out pragmatic solutions and prefers simplicity to complexity; Occam’s razor approach. Look for the ‘essence’ or heart of things. Explores natural ways, folklore, nature studies. Weaving as a metaphor.”

The astrological pages are filled with opinions about this upcoming eclipse. After wading through many of them—giving myself a time limit and a time to assess the value and credibility of these many posts—I decided on a metaphorical story and insightful decision by April Elliot Kent.

She compares this time to how we can live in and through the quicksand of our lives. Here is an excerpt from the longer article. She writes:

“It’s not the quicksand that takes you down. It’s the panic.

Most of us wander into metaphorical quicksand from time to time, into situations that overwhelm and incapacitate us. The instinct is to struggle mightily for escape, but that’s the wrong approach. What’s called for instead is a variation on the advice for escaping actual quicksand:

Very gently move your legs to increase viscosity, and turn your body slightly so you can gradually float to the top.

Gentle motion, flexibility, and floating: These are your survival tools for this Pisces Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse. Because if there is an astrological equivalent to quicksand, a Pisces eclipse would pretty much have to be it. At times like this, surrender—not struggle—is the key.

But what happens if you were taught, as I was, that the way to succeed and find happiness in life is to work very hard?…

The happiest and most successful people I know have figured out when to take it easy. They know that single-minded dedication to work is the surest way to kill creativity. They laugh easily, treat others with kindness, and walk lightly through the world. (Interestingly enough, many of them were born with the Sun in Pisces.)

It’s difficult to give up the addiction to struggle, though. It’s one thing to know, rationally, that flailing around will only take you deeper into the quagmire. It’s quite another to really understand it.

Look for the Pisces symbol in your birth chart. Is it on the cusp of a house or two? Are there planets in Pisces? These are your guideposts, marking the locations of the quicksand in your life.

Pisces planets and houses describe the characteristics and situations that can suck you under and immobilize you. They also point the way to joy—but the path that leads there is not always obvious.…

There are moments to push and persevere, to climb mountains, but this doesn’t feel like one of them.

The Pisces eclipse prescribes a different path, alongside an unchanneled river, where you can hear the breeze rustling through the reeds alongside the bank. And if you step into quicksand along the way, don’t struggle. Enjoy the delicious, slightly melancholy freedom of letting go. Relax, have faith, and wiggle your legs a little bit. In time, you’ll float right to the top.”

Lastly, it is important to include the influence of Mercury on this eclipse. While Uranus can give us surprise and sudden shifts and changes, Mercury brings with it an opportunity for deeper communication and understanding.

Here is what the research group, Far Stellar, has to say about this close relationship between Mercury, the Sun, and the eclipse. They write:

The Importance of Mercury

An exacting idealism about getting things right is reflected by Mercury’s meet-up with Sun at 1:03 PM ET. This is a cazimi Mercury—Mercury in the heart of the Sun, traditionally considered a moment when the Messenger Planet is exceptionally empowered.

Ideas, information, and communication may be illuminated with unusual clarity: a lightbulb moment, a revelation, or a message that cuts through the noise.

The eclipse this week takes place on the 28th, just after Mercury enters Virgo on the 25th. Mercury rules Virgo and the processing, learning, and sorting of information; these topics are highlighted right now, and the exact conjunction of the Sun to Mercury on the 27th will bring these matters into full view.

At the time of the eclipse, Mercury and the Sun are still in tight conjunction, and also supported by Uranus (trine). Uranus, as a higher octave energy of Mercury, opens up a more dynamic and multi-dimensional level to our thinking that helps us to achieve greater understanding.

So you can see there are quite a few different signals here of an awakening to an elevated level of consciousness and awareness.

Celestial Blessings,
Peter

Astrologer/Theologian/Life Coach
One-Spirit-Coaching.com