Welcome to the second Full Moon in Sagittarius (7:02 AM EDT today, June 20, 2016) in a row… that’s pretty unusual! This Moon is called The Strawberry Moon, signifying to our early Native Americans that it was time to pick ripened fruit. (Maybe we can use that symbolism metaphorically. What ripened fruit is it time for you to pick?) This Full Moon also occurs at the 29th degree of Sagittarius, with the Sun at the 29th degree of Gemini, which is a very special degree. Add to that the Summer Solstice beginning today when the Sun moves into Cancer at 6:34 PM EDT, and we have very exciting energies to explore!
There are several different ways to come to this Full Moon. First I invite you to think back to 6 months ago, specifically Dec. 11, 2015, when the Moon was New in Sagittarius. Can you remember anything that you may have been excited or anxious about? Anything you were just beginning or making decisions on? Today is a culmination of that time, a moment of en-lighten-ment around whatever was going on in your life then. I also invite you to look back to a little over a year ago – May 2, 2015. This was the last Sagittarius Full moon until last month’s (on May 21) – so we’ve come a full year’s cycle since then. What has occurred for you emotionally during the past year? Track back and really think about what has come to fruition for you, and whether you have evolved in meaningful ways emotionally – perhaps pushing past boundaries and creating higher, broader parameters, which is what the Sagittarius Moon requests of us. Or perhaps you’ve devolved? In which case, you have another opportunity to become unstuck and get moving.
Second, this Full Moon in Sagittarius at the critical 29th degree seems to be highlighting relationships pretty “loudly.” With this fiery Moon in opposition to Venus, the planet of all things “love” and the ways of being that go with it, there’s an immediate understanding that this lunar event impacts us where we relate to others. Add to that a square to Chiron, our friendly karmic relationship indicator, as well as a trine to Juno, who wears the crown of symbolizing relationship from a karmic commitment perspective, and we have a relationship karmic cocktail. Juno, amazingly, is also at that 29th degree – of Libra in her case – which just happens to be the sign of, you guessed it, relationship. That critical 29th degree carries the energy of taking a new direction, sometimes in a completely unexpected way that belies our past ruminations and carefully laid plans. (And don’t get me wrong, I’m thinking positive here!) Degree 29 can carry a fated quality to it, and sometimes has us feeling a bit out of control. So there can be questions around our commitments, or, and better, opportunities to refresh them!
One other ally in this cosmic lunar posse pushing us to “clean” our love auras is Uranus – that feisty renegade who calls it like he sees it, and breaks down the status quo. So at this Saggy Full Moon, I’m imagining there may be some culminating moments providing us opportunities to clear our love alliances, particularly those with whom we carry karma. There can be enormous healing during this Full Moon energy… healing that allows us to attend to our loved ones with more acceptance of their uniqueness. Healing that opens the doors of the past and the future, asking us to balance our need for freedom and independence within relationship with our deep caring and devotion of our loved ones. This isn’t the time to be proud or stubborn, but a time to talk, to risk the truth, to stand by our commitments in a more faith-ful way, in order to create something more authentic – something that feeds our vitality and our emotional health. For many, I know there’s a whole lot of YUMMY that can happen with this Full Moon…
Thirdly, Mercury is also at 29 degrees in this Full Moon chart… and it’s creating a trigger point to the Saturn / Neptune square. How does this land? We need to talk. We need to talk about what makes us feel safe and secure. We need to talk about what confuses us, and about our pasts – not to create an environment of judgement, but to create an environment of acceptance and grace. Let’s get past the fears and anxieties that are holding us back (Saturn), be open about our dreams and our vision for the future (Neptune), and create a goal for our compassion – a goal for our spiritual evolution. And then make a commitment to it! You know what happens when we make a real commitment. All heaven and earth move to support it… And with Jupiter also involved in this mix, we can truly benefit from positive thinking here.
Fourthly (and I’m about to get political) I like to think of Sagittarius as being “the citizen of the world.” That’s the phrase that Banzhaf & Haebler use in the book Key Words for Astrology as the by-line for Sagittarius. “The citizen of the world.” That’s always stuck in my mind. In the past 30 days we’ve been sandwiched between two culminating points – two Full Moons in the sign Sagittarius – highlighting who we are as citizens of the world. And with the deadliest mass shooting in the history of our country just behind us, we are left pondering – at least I hope we are – how we go about being better citizens of our world. Perhaps that’s the reason we’ve had two Sagittarius Full Moons in a row… so that we must use this emotionally charged energy to become wiser citizens of the world – to become righteous about gun control despite previous blocks preventing that effort, to become higher minded around, and more tolerant of, those who have different lifestyles. The 15-hour gun control filibuster on the the Senate floor this past Thursday, led by Senator Chris Murphy, is a perfect example of Sagittarius energy “having enough” and “stump thumping” to make a point of justice. And sadly, the horrific actions of the shooter are also an example of the lowest possible vibration of Sagittarius at work – being so self-righteous and filled with the fervor of your cause that you take life, feeling somehow justified in your actions. The shooting and the filibuster occurred between 2 Sagittarius Full Moons, the second one at the critical 29th degree – meaning we’ve reached a critical turning point, and while we may not follow any plans we’ve previously put in place, and we may be feeling overwhelmed – we know we must go in a new direction. Fate is in play here, and that new direction must have greater meaning and a higher purpose, and point us toward freedom and justice – for everyone – as we move forward. All Sagittarian qualities. (An interesting point: the 1:58 AM chart for the Orlando shooting, when the first gunfire was heard, has THE SAME DEGREE – 29 degrees Sagittarius – on the MC – the most elevated point in the chart, which is the angle that shows how we see that moment in the greater world. Blows my mind.)
The key here is meaning… what expanded awareness and meaning can we derive from these events, and how do we move positively forward with that meaning? And how do we derive wisdom from something so horrifying? The comedian Hasan Minhaj addressed members of the press and members of Congress at the 72nd Annual Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association Dinner this past Wednesday evening – 3 nights after the shooting. He said something in his address -a very Sagittarius address I might add – that seems to push us toward the higher vibration of Sag – striving for higher things, and expanding our awareness. He said, “Stuff like this (the mass shooting) is going to continue to happen unless we recognize that civil liberties are an all or nothing game. A rising tide lifts all boats. It’s not pick or choose. So whether you like it or not, we all have to step up and fight for each other – otherwise the whole thing is a sham.” A “rising tide” pulled by these Sagittarius Moons. That’s what I’m thinking. It all seems quite a bit zeitgeist-y.
(If you want to see comedian Hasan Minhaj’s full address click here. The first 18 minutes are funny in a “roast” kind of way. The famous 5 minutes begin at 18:16 – but watch the whole 23 minutes if you can.)
Fifthly – Happy Summer Solstice! The Solstice officially happens at 6:34 PM when the Sun moves into the sign of Cancer. As the longest day of the year, with more hours of sunlight than any other, most of us wait all year for this special day. It’s the FUN time of year! But as I mentioned previously, this Sagittarius Full Moon occurs at 29 degrees. The 29th degree of any sign is known as a “critical degree” or the “anaretic degree” meaning we’re coming to the end of one way of being and moving into another – a complete change of direction. Sometimes that change feels fated, or out of our control, but the change needs to happen. So as you’re soaking in the sun, soak in the meaning of this Full Moon as you think about your Summer. How will you be changing directions? What is your highest calling? Toward what direction will you be shooting your arrow of intent, and where will you be seeking meaning and purpose? This bright moon, this enlightened moment, is the perfect time to answer these questions.
P.S. It’s interesting to have a Full Moon in Sagittarius – the sign connected with the Winter Solstice – the shortest day of the year – on the longest day of the year! Here we are in the fullness of Summer with the Sun at it’s highest point (in the Northern Hemisphere), while the emotional energy around us is reminiscent of the shortest. Hhhhhhmmmmm. That just occurred to me – not quite sure what to do with it yet, but I’m thinking.
Chart for the Full Moon in Sagittarius – 7:02 AM, June 20, 2016 Eastern Daylight Time
Want some personal one-on-one help with navigating this Full Moon? Wondering where in your life and your psyche you’re being impacted? I’m happy to help! Please simply fill in the Client Info Form here, and we can set up an Individual Session. Looking forward to it!
Astrology with Michelle Gregg 