August 11, 2022 at 8:35 pm Central—When the Moon met with the Sun in Aquarius on January 31st, they were 3 degrees away from Saturn. Now, six months later, once again the Moon stands three degrees before Saturn, now retrograde. The Sun, however, shines with all its strength from his home sign Leo and in a tight square with Uranus. Six months ago we may have been cultivating structure while committing to New Years resolutions. At this point in time, our responsibilities and commitments are up for review.
The Story of Siddhartha
This lunation reflects the story of Siddhartha Gautama, the man who would become the Buddha. Born around 520 BC in Southern Nepal, Siddhartha was a special child. He was born fully awake and able to talk. Lotus blossoms bloomed on the ground he walked on.
From childhood, he knew he was born to free the world from suffering. Yet, a diviner told his father the King that Siddhartha would grow up to be one of two things: a great King or an illustrious sage. Now the Father King wanted his son to follow in his footsteps as King. So he sheltered his son, never allowing him to leave the palace. Siddhartha was surrounded by opulence, beauty and health. He never witnessed sickness, death or suffering; and as such, had no reference point for these things which would encourage him to become a sage.
Siddhartha lived a life of ease and elegance. He married a beautiful princess at sixteen and had everything a person could wish for. Yet, there was a growing restlessness in Siddhartha as he longed to see life outside the palace walls. So one day, the King arranged a tour for his son. Long story short: for the first time in his life, Siddhartha witnessed illness, age, suffering and death. It was at this point Siddhartha knew he had to leave his life of luxury to pursue wisdom and an inner path. This is exactly what he did, which eventually led to his own enlightenment. For this reason, we have Buddhism, his teachings, which serve to alleviate and even end our own suffering.
The Full Moon
How does Siddhartha’s story relate to us and this Full Moon? The lunation stirs a sacred restlessness which asks: how does sheltering and protection negate growth and wisdom? Do I need to readjust my commitments and duties to accommodate innovation and autonomy?
On the other hand, sometimes a recommitment to structure and duty give us the healthy boundaries needed to thrive. There’s a balance between the two and this Saturn ruled lunation is asking us to find the right amount of wiggle room within a structured and stable system so we can flourish.
I like Siddhartha’s story for this Full Moon as it illustrates the Aquarian-Leo axis where we find the Moon and the Sun. Siddhartha is following his internal spark that is always true to himself. This hero’s journey speaks to the regal Leo in us which has a mandate to blossom, to be all we can be. Yet there’s the counterbalance of Aquarius which seeks the greater good for the greatest number of people. How can we follow our heart’s desire as we remain interdependent with our friends, family and community in our own web of life?
Thursday’s Full Moon would have us take a look at how we are honoring our hero’s journey while also contributing to the groups we’re embedded in.
Six of Swords
The tarot card that corresponds to the Full Moon is the Six of Swords. In this card, we see a man rowing a woman and child. When this card appears, we’re often in the process of moving on, but we haven’t left completely. There’s the in-between state of not having everything figured out while we adjust to the new normal. In this Sword’s journey, there can be a lot of internal pressure as we fight the gravity that has held us locked into place. Meanwhile, we rock ourselves, back and forth with baby steps into a momentum that will catapult us into change.
Probably the biggest obstacle we find in this card is our own anxiety surrounding change. This middle decan of Aquarius is at the center of fixed energy which desires to keep the status quo. Yet, like Siddhartha, there’s an internal restlessness and a longing for authenticity. With the Sun riding his chariot through the sign of Leo, the call to authentic living is strong.
In true leonine fashion, we can take heart in the New Moon in Leo that took place two weeks ago. There was a seeding of triumph at that time that we’re being encouraged to earnestly cultivate now. It helps to remember that life is constantly changing. If we can be a witness to our own process and get comfortable with the not-knowing energy of liminal spaces, we can make the most of this Full Moon in Aquarius.
Images from Flaticon and by Tony Detroit on Unsplash