Full Moon Report

by Stephanie Azaria

2010 Leo Full Moon

January 30, 2010

1:18 AM EST / 6:18 AM GMT/10:18pm PST (Jan 29)

10 Leo 14

We’re through the eclipses for a while, but the themes they have stirred up are still with us. Issues of family, nurturing and security and the fundamental question of where we belong in this world take on a different light under this month’s Full Moon in Leo, the sign of the child. The focus narrows now to how and where we feel loved and appreciated for who we are. This topic heated up under the Aquarius Full Moon lunar eclipse at the beginning of last August, which began unhinging us emotionally from people and situations that do not get us — and tightening ties to those that do. We are now getting a status report on that process from this Full Moon, which is only a couple of degrees away from the August eclipse point.

Loving and appreciating yourself is the starting point for evaluating the developments that crest under this Full Moon. The past year’s journey brought us greater self-awareness and acceptance and encouraged us to commit to and live as the beings who have been largely buried within for much of our lives. Those qualities remain with us and are key to this Full Moon. If any event this weekend makes you feel bad about yourself or otherwise triggers unpleasant emotions, look first at whether the event might be feedback on your own level of love and appreciation for yourself, either presently or at time that the event seeded. Next, instead of blaming or judging whatever triggered the emotions, think instead of what response on your part would show love and appreciation for yourself. When you know what’s healthy for you, then it’s appropriate to consider what events are saying about how much another person or group appreciates you.

If you’re sufficiently sure in yourself, these deliberations can be simultaneous and instantaneous. Our hearts will know the answers in a flash. Don’t think through your reactions; feel them. Venus is standing by the Sun in this Full Moon, and her presence there underscores the lead role of the heart. Not only is it leading; it’s also going into this event already sensitized and, for some of us, worked over a bit. Retrograde Mars is the last planet that the Moon touches before opposing the Sun and stands close by her during the Full Moon. Venus and Mars, who traveled together so amiably last year and brought us to a new level of male/female and heart/will alignment, are as far apart as they can be. Yet an element of balance and alignment pervades even this standoff, since each pair of luminary and planet (Sun and Venus, Moon and Mars) combines a masculine and feminine energy. This bodes well for maintaining our internal male/female balance as we experience this Full Moon.

With Venus and retrograde Mars in the mix, the Full Moon will draw attention to relationships, our values, buried frustrations and blocked ambitions. Situations could pop up from the first week in November, when Mars first moved across this turf. Because Leo rules the natural house of romance and passion, old flames could turn back up again, too. It’s unlikely that we’ll look at any of these theoretically or with detachment. What we see — or what others demand — will to spur us to action. This Full Moon is filled with the growing tension of the Saturn/Pluto square, which is exact one day later. The square has been forcing a newly refined sense onto us of what is most important and fundamental in all of our dealings and support systems. It is pushing us to address situations that are out of balance and to take care of structures, actual and metaphoric, that are damaged or unsupportable, some of which are going to escalate to the breaking point this weekend. You may well leave something you’ve been considering, have it fall out from under you or haggle out a complete restructuring of the arrangement; the weekend will be full of departures, ejections, break-ups, ultimatums and ground-level renegotiations.

The planetary pressure is intense, insistent and ultimately unavoidable. Pair that with a Full Moon in the most theatrical of signs, and the potential exists for high drama. It’s your choice whether to engage in it. You could also approach the Full Moon as an amusement park ride that will bring you thrills and drop you into a location that makes your heart very happy. You could, and it might.

Bless any change that this Full Moon ushers in, because that’s what the skies are doing. Helpful, expansive Jupiter is in opportunity aspect to Pluto, opening beneficial doorways if we will simply pick up our feet and walk through them. Jupiter is in growth aspect to Saturn, the other end of the square, enabling us to mature and evolve without much exertion.

Matters that crest now, and particularly our emotional reactions to them, are delivering information about who we want to have in our community in the future. Developments are going to operate as a variant of the Hogwarts Sorting Hat. People who appreciate our talents, our contributions and the quality of our light are being sorted into our group. People who judge them, ignore them, undercut them or don’t see them are being sorted out of our group. It’s not a matter of ego strokes, nice as they can be. We honor our talents by sharing them with people who appreciate them. When we continue to pour them out in front of people who don’t, we are wasting ourselves.

Here is Lynda Hill’s interpretation of the Sabian Symbol for the Moon at 11 Leo, reprinted with her kind permission from her book The Sabian Symbols As An Oracle, the Special Edition:

CHILDREN ON A SWING IN THE SAFETY OF A HUGE OAK TREE.

Commentary: ‘Children on a Swing in the Safety of a Huge Oak Tree’ brings to mind images of ‘Children’ playing, having fun together and being protected by the big branches of the ‘Huge Oak Tree’. ‘Oak Trees’ infer enormous strength. The ‘Oak’s’ strength, the hardness and durability of the timber, and their long life give the Oak a special significance. In England, the Oak has been referred to as the “Monarch of the Forest”. Cowthorpe Oak in Yorkshire can hold 70 people in its hollow. It is said to be over 1,600 years old. The Ellerslie Oak, near Paisley, is reported to have sheltered Sir William Wallace and 300 of his men. Honour Oak, Whitchurch, Tavistock was the place where money was left in exchange for food during the cholera epidemic of 1832.

Oracle: It is easier to enjoy carefree, childlike play when one’s ‘Safety’ and care is assured. Protective environments are the places where playgrounds should be created. In this Symbol it is the very structure of the things around you or even your particular location that provides the ‘Safety’ that’s needed. By the very nature of things, safe surroundings can take care of everyone. Institutions like the Social Security system are similar to the ‘Oak Tree’. Religions and social organizations can also provide this protected environment for people. In general, it is security and protection that needs to be afforded to us for us to follow our true path. Look for the stability and strength in your situation, and expand your wishes and dreams into that protected environment. This Symbol can indicate being relieved from responsibility. This is a good time to relax into playing with others. Feel ‘Safe’ in the knowledge that everything will remain secure. Keep in touch with the innocence and openness of youthful play.

Keywords: Creativity in safe surroundings. Feeling of being protected and privileged. Social security and other forms of governmental protection. Agencies that bring food, education and basic needs to children in difficult circumstances. Children, trees, grass, swings, parks. Amusement parks. Childhood memories. Climbing trees. Spontaneous activity. Humanitarian agencies.

The Caution: Expecting others to take all the responsibility while one just plays. Children not being looked after. Disadvantaged people. Desertion by government and big business.

I sit beneath your leaves, old oak, You mighty one of all the trees; Within whose hollow trunk a man Could stable his big horse with ease. W. H. Davies

One that would have the fruit must climb the tree. Thomas Fuller

Woodman, spare that tree! Touch not a single bough! In youth it sheltered me, and I’ll protect it now. George Pope Morris

If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees. Hal Borland

One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade. Chinese Proverb