Urania's Well: Astrology for Changing Times


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Go To The Waters, Go To The Earth: Full Moon in Leo

Posted by on in Culture Blogs

b2ap3_thumbnail_heart_shaped_full_moon.jpgHere are some quick thoughts on tonight’s Full Moon. I’ve been hearing more than a few of those “WTF is going on with the stars these days?” inquiries that astrologers so often get, and it’s been interesting to see how many of them are from people with significant natal placements in Leo or Aquarius (including myself!). Tonight’s Full Moon in Leo emphasizes these signs, and if you feel as though your life is careening out of control lately, I would suggest that you remember to go to the waters, and to go to the Earth. That is where you will find healing and some peace.

Many of you will, in your magical and astrological studies, have worked with the four classical Elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These are the magical building blocks of matter. (They are also the four scientific phases of matter — gas, plasma, liquid and solid.) Many magicians believe that balancing these elements within themselves is an important part of the work we do, a path to personal growth and earthly agency. Astrologers know that elemental imbalances in a chart can manifest as obsessive focus and/or lack of awareness which often cause pain and setbacks in people’s lives.

Expansive, faith-driven, culturally-focused Jupiter is strong in this chart (and retrograde) and having a tête-à-tête with the home-loving, emotional Moon in Leo, a Fire sign. Whatever they are cooking up between them, you’ll notice it, because they’re being given a boost of energy from Aquarius’ co-rulers Uranus and Saturn, both in Fire signs as well, and Mercury retrograde with the Sun in Aquarius. It’s going to be a bit hard to ground for many of us under the influence of this Full Moon (which lasts about two weeks) so you might want to pay close attention to your body and to your mental and emotional states.

I managed to create such a great example of this kind of imbalance in my own life that I should probably share it with you (albeit rather sheepishly) as a good example of what the pitfalls are, and what not to do. Earth is weakly represented in my own natal chart, and it has taken years of magical training, gardening, yoga and martial arts to get me  to stay in my body — most of the time. Recently, I’d been pushing myself in my workouts (yes, I do have a *lot* of Fire in my chart) to see just how much a recently-injured knee had healed. The other day, at the first sign that I might be pushing it too far, I stopped, and congratulated myself on my self-control (I really wanted to keep going). The next day, the knee seemed fine. More self congratulations. I go to the car repair shop, sit for an hour, come home, sit at my desk for an hour and a half, get up and my knee is fairly well shot. Can’t even put weight on it. WTF just happened?! It’s a mystery.

Turns out, I discovered while sitting at my desk again a day or so later, that I have a habit I hadn’t noticed before of tucking that leg under my chair at my desk in a way that puts my knee at a problematic angle, especially for an already weakened joint. So it seems I went flying out of my body while sitting at the computer — so easy to do in front of that very Aquarian device — and didn’t even notice how I was hurting myself. I was blind to a habitual way of placing my body. This is the work of Mercury Rx — particularly in Aquarius, an Air sign. It gives opportunities to notice your habits, become aware of what you normally don’t pay attention to. A postural habit developed when my knees were young and uninjured now becomes something I must bring to consciousness and change. Had I been more grounded, it wouldn’t have taken hurting myself to realize that. Hmmm….

It’s not just our bodies, either — sometimes we go to habitual places in our minds and in our emotions. Your kid starts cracking his knuckles again, when he knows it drives you crazy…and it drives you crazy. A spouse or close friend pushes an emotional button — and you react predictably. Mercury Rx in Aquarius invites you to put aside the emotional baggage, the knee-jerk reactions and engage the Observer part of yourself to map out a path to change. You can find other options, other ways of reacting. 

So what do I mean by going to the waters, going to the Earth? Well, sometimes, it can be quite literal — personally, I’m drinking more water, taking hot baths, putting ice on my knee. Sometimes it can be more metaphysical — doing grounding meditations, pathworkings, or shamanic journeys to the healing of Water and Earth. If you trained within a particular magical or Pagan tradition, you probably have ways of invoking and working with the Elements. If not, then simply utilize the physical manifestations of Earth and Water however you can. Take baths, walk by the river, drink water, get outdoors, eat good food, get enough sleep.

The current state of the planets invites over-reactions in the Elements of Fire and Air. There’s enough Water in the New Moon chart to trigger highly emotional reactions, but all the steam is being created by Fire, so to balance the Fire, we go to Water in its cleansing and healing aspects. To balance Air, we go to Earth to manifest, to “keep calm and carry on”. Step away from the computer for a while, and spend some time out in Nature. (Me, I’ll be hobbling out into my relatively flat back yard to sit by the little waterfall for a while.)  I’ll have more Aquarian thoughts to share in a couple of weeks when we have this year’s second New Moon in Aquarius!

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Diotima Mantineia began studying astrology in 1968, taking classes from Zoltan Mason in New York City. For the next 22 years, she practiced astrology only for herself and her friends, continuing her studies while watching an increasingly humanistic, psychologically oriented, modern astrology blossom through the work of leading astrologers such as Noel Tyl, Liz Greene, Rob Hand, Marion March, Stephen Arroyo and Howard Sasportas. In 1986, Diotima began her study of Wicca and started reading Tarot, discovering that she is a gifted intuitive. In 1991, she began practicing both astrology and Tarot professionally. She majored in plant and soil science both in college and grad school, and grows much of her own food and "materia magica" on her land in the mountains of western North Carolina. Diotima’s personal spiritual path is rooted in the Western mystery traditions, the principles of Yoga, and a profound connection with the natural world. Wicca gives structure to her spiritual journey, and she utilizes shamanic practices for healing and to live in harmony with Nature. Over 15 years of studying Chinese martial arts has given her a deep appreciation of Taoist thought which has strongly influenced her magical and personal philosophy. You can find her at www.uraniaswell.com

Comments

  • Amy D
    Amy D Tuesday, 03 February 2015

    It is funny, I kept wanting to check for a blog from you today, but I kept telling myself that you post on new moons, not full moons, but I checked anyway and here is a blog! I have a chart with a lot of earth (but I'm still awful at staying in my body, too), but I have a Leo moon, and from almost the moment I got up today all I could think of was, "I need to be near water today," which seemed odd. I just got back from a walk along the river when I found your blog post waiting in my feed and it made me smile. Synchronicity and intuition are beautiful things!

  • Diotima
    Diotima Wednesday, 04 February 2015

    Amy, it was a last-minute decision to write this blog, too -- inspired by an inquiry from a friend. Glad you are listening to your intuitions! Thanks for letting me know about that synchronicity.

  • Byron Ballard
    Byron Ballard Tuesday, 03 February 2015

    Just what I needed! Mwah!

  • Diotima
    Diotima Wednesday, 04 February 2015

    Yes, I guess it would be helpful, given your chart! :-) But you are one person I certainly don't need to remind about grounding...

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