With the Moon, Saturn, and Neptune all in Pisces for this full moon, there is a wide opening for deep involvements, some expansive reactions to changing experiences, enhanced sensitivity/emotion/imagination, and potentially a desire to stabilize your emotions and sensitivities, expression of feelings while developing more detachment from them.
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When there are two full moons in a calendar month, the second full moon is referred to as a Blue moon, and on August 30th, 2023 we have a Pisces Full Super Blue Moon - lots of superlatives - but what it means astronomically is that the moon is closer to Earth than usual, and will look bigger and brighter in the sky, and it’s in the zodiac sign of Pisces.
I’m L Natale and get ready for a ride because we go all over the place in this one. I’ll be telling you a story to start out, then analyze the Sabian symbols for this full moon, and round up with three things you need to know to make the most out of this Full Moon in Pisces time.
Blue moons happen about once every two and a half years - hence the idiom once in a blue moon, You may or may not know this, but in the 1980s cartoon show, The Smurfs, a blue moon indicated when a baby Smurf was about to be delivered to the Smurf Village. Yes, all the Smurfs with the exception of two were delivered by storks - one is Smurfette - she was created by the wizard Gargamel in order to tempt all the dude Smurfs and bring about their demise. The other is Papa Smurf’s ONE begotten son, his name was Empath. I am going to share his story now as an allegory to explain this special full moon because Pisces is imaginative and whimsical, and also has a huge connection to empathy.
“He was originally given the name Empathy due to his innate empathetic behavior.
But Papa Smurf feared that his son would be ostracized by his fellow Smurfs, so he was taken to a distant village called Psychelia to be trained on how to function in normal society and manage his sensory overstimulation.
It is in Psychelia that Empath spent most of his 150 years of living among a group of people called the Psyches, who tend to be rather emotionless in their limited social interactions and was initially raised to believe that he was one of them, although different in appearance.
It wasn't until around Empath's 70th birthday when he was allowed the first of several visits to the Smurf Village for one year every ten years to experience how Smurfs live their lives, that Empath discovered who and what he truly was.
On his 150th birthday Papa Smurf revealed the true nature of Empath's relationship to him, as Papa Smurf was prevented by the Psyche Master from disclosing his actual father-son relationship to Empath until that time.
Initially, Empath had the same personality as the Psyches he had lived with -- very emotionless in his expressions. He also saw himself as pretty much a member of the Psychelian race, although a "prototype" due to his blue skin, until he saw himself in Smurf clothes for the first time, which instantly changed how he saw himself.
Empath Strangles Polluxis
The stain on Empath's soul
Empath's mixed morality teachings from both the Psyches and the Smurfs came into conflict roughly a week before his final release from Psychelia when he and all the Psyches were commanded to fight each other one-on-one to the death.
Prior to this happening, Empath had made a promise to Papa Smurf that whatever happens, he would not resort to taking the life of another being, as that would require his own life during the annual Redemption Day ritual that the Smurfs partake in to test their innocence. However, during the fight, Empath continually refused to kill his opponent Polluxis, which resulted in the fight continuing until Empath was nearly injured to the point of death. Spurred on by a vision of Papa Smurf that told him to do what he must to survive, Empath regained his strength long enough to finally defeat and kill Polluxis.
The death of Empath's opponent at his hands had stained his soul and conscience to the point where he was forced to confess this fault to his fellow Smurfs in the following year's Redemption Day ritual, ultimately resulting in Empath's death as he swam across the Pool of Souls. However, the spirits of the Pool of Souls saw into Empath's heart and realized Empath did not kill Polluxis out of malice, but rather because he did everything he could to prevent his opponent's death, and Empath was given a second chance at life. From that situation, Empath resolved himself that he would never take any being's life again.
It is likely that Empath may have developed a case of a split personality, as his original personality of being Empathy Smurf was replaced by the formation of his being Empath Smurf, with his latter personality being dominant over the former. In a few instances of entering his own "dream space", Empath had met with his original personality and was surprised to find how emotional he was compared to himself. It led Empath to wonder if he was truly himself or just another personality living in somebody else's skin, but over time he realized that without Empathy there would be no Empath, and the two personalities would fuse together until there was no distinction between Empath and Empathy.
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Empathy smurf is an advanced model of attempting to transcend the ego, to blend extreme otherworldly empathic experiences with the very solid and dense earth realm. Pisces represents the dualism of two in one, one foot in the future, one foot in the past, and reconciling them in the present. Pisces is the liminal space before life and after death, and the limitless potentiality that rules in that space. Pisces is embryonic and ancient.
I’m currently listening to and reading the actor Wil Wheaton’s annotated biography, Still Just a Geek, he happens to be born under a Pisces moon square to Saturnin Gemini, and it is interesting because there are so many time layers of the same person expressed in one place. He is taking his original book from 2004, which was structured around his blog entries starting in 2001, and adding in his new perspective in 2022. The reason it’s relevant here is that we can see the difference boundaries, awareness, and also empathy can make over time. He’s very apologetic about things that were culturally acceptable back in the early 2000’s and is making amends, which is a bit excessive for me because there are a lot of instances where he feels the need to say how wrong he was for saying or thinking something he writes about, however, things were just different 20 years ago. Still, this inclusivity, which is very Piscean, is being highlighted in his new text, which is where we are now culturally.
Everything comes and goes, back and forth, and speaking of back in forth…
Retrograde planets
Under the Pisces Blue Moon, we will have Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto all in retrograde. On September 3, Venus goes direct, but then on September 4th, Jupiter turns retrograde, so this is a bit of a rarity. Deep reflection is the best bet, rather than plowing ahead without much thought. You may be feeling out of sync with the world around you, the people in your life, or even the path you thought was the right one. Take time to find some sanctuary, whatever that looks like for you - time in nature, journaling, making art or music, being in or around water - some quiet and personal space, where stillness can be found - and connect to the intuitive wisdom inside, that is connecting to a far greater source beyond anything we can really comprehend.
Sabian Symbols
Moon in Pisces
Sabia Symbol - Rudyar
MOON - Pisces 8
PHASE 338 (PISCES 8°): A GIRL BLOWING A BUGLE.
KEYNOTE: A call to participation in the service of the race, as an evolutionary crisis approaches.
This symbolic picture presents another aspect of the emotional relationship between the individual and the collectivity of human beings. It can also be related to the old feminist movement or the present women's liberation. In traditional symbolism the woman refers more specifically to the biological and psychic aspect of human life; she is seen primarily as the mother, and/or the intuitive or "psychic" type of person. A new race of human beings may well be slowly unfolding some of its potential for consciousness and fulfillment. The individual who envisions this evolutionary development "sounds the call." He or she is both seer-herald and mutant. In that sense, such a human being is both an individual true to his original nature and a dedicated person — dedicated to the future he or she holds in latency as does a seed in mutation.
At this third stage of the sixty-eighth five-fold sequence, the two preceding phases blend in a new form of consecration of the individual to the Whole. Tomorrow acts through today; it SUMMONS men to rebirth.
Pisces 8 (7°- 8°)
REBELLIOUSNESS AS A SIGN OF COMING CHANGE
Times are changing fast and those of us who can see this are able to announce it to those who cannot
"Herald your knowledge, proclaim it"
Despite appearances, the rebel often serves the needs of the community far more than the sheep. Groups are inclined to degenerate quickly from their first position of being a springboard or vehicle for new initiatives, and they are subject to entropy and sclerosis without the vibrant innovative input that the rebel can offer. Always there is something new on its way, always a group must adapt to that, and always there is the first intuitive people to sense the coming changes. They blow their bugles even though few will want to listen to the herald sound of the future.
Sun in Virgo
Sun Virgo 8 - Sun is providing the illumination for the moon, and it is one of analysis and discrimination, motivation of being of service, and radiating intelligence with Mercury retrograde alongside the sun, there is some clear directive to look closer at the details, which make up the bigger picture.
PHASE 158 (VIRGO 8°): A FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILD TAKES A FIRST DANCING LESSON.
KEYNOTE: Learning to use one's capacity for emotional self-expression according to cultural standards.
The process of emotional experiencing under controlled situations is shown now to demand self-induced, active movement; yet the movements are still conditioned, if not totally determined, by cultural and thus collective patterns. The individual can express his own individual character only according to traditional modes. He is still entirely responsible to his teacher or guru. Yet new perspectives are now open to him.
At this third stage of the five-fold thirty-second sequence of symbols, we witness at work the transitional phase which may lead to mastery. The child's consciousness is still dominated by some form of authority; but if the child is "five years old," the implication is that he is entering ' the level of conscious manhood, represented by the number 5, the five-pointed star which outlines at least the POTENTIALITY OF INITIATION.
Virgo 8 (7° - 8°) First dancing instruction
APPRENTICESHIP
Putting aside the ego in order to sit at the feet of
A master is a requirement for self-optimization
"Receiving instruction towards mastery"
Dance is a way to develop and express feelings in a controlled way. It is in a community setting and so not unbridled, yet it is emotionally expressive, so not a denial of life force. This is emblematic of the journey we must take if we are to find freedom and realization, and typically this requires that we find a teacher - one who can show us what higher states are available to an initiate.
Saturn visible alongside the full moon
On the same day, the moon will make a close approach to the planet Saturn, and in astrology, amongst other things is the planet representing Mastery. How does one become a master at anything? Determination, time, trial and error, failure, not giving up despite failure, diligent persistence despite any setbacks. Becoming a master of anything takes time, lots of time, which is also in Saturn’s wheelhouse, as the representative of time, lord Chronos. Saturn things take a long time, and they are usually challenging at the very least.
3 things to Keep in Mind
Lots of retrograde action, so take your time, double-check details, and find some time to spend alone, without distraction, to get to a still place. Listen to those ideas, thoughts, messages, and feelings when you are in that place.
Think about what you may want to change in your life, become a beginner again, learn to metaphorically dance in whatever way you feel called to, and don’t give up when it gets hard. Mastery is the reward of Saturn, and when it is in Pisces, there is a chance to start transcending personal limitations, uniting yourself with something far greater than your singular self.
Take advantage of the theta brain state during Hypnopompia (also known as hypnopompic state), which is the state of consciousness leading out of sleep. Theta is the pattern of brain wave activity that resembles that of someone who is very relaxed, yet awake. As an individual continues through stage 1 sleep, there is an increase in theta wave activity. Theta waves are even lower frequency (4–7 Hz), higher amplitude brain waves than alpha waves. This is a rather fleeting state, and if you can train yourself to be very aware of whatever is coming through at that time, you could find some very interesting and expansive messages. Have a pen and paper next to your bed, and write down whatever comes through your mind, without judgment. This morning, for example, the one that came through to me was about inspiration.
“Inspiration is contagious. One can inspire another to action through the pursuit of their own passion, and in the act of sharing that passion, inspiration flows between the individuals. This leads to the best parts of life: innovation, joy, emotional connection, and an interconnectedness that makes us more than just biological primates. This is where the consciousness of the living universe freely expresses itself, where it contemplates and observes itself in infinite ways. We are the conduits.”
Healing compassion and empathy are not simple roads to travel, but they can lead to a transcendence of human burdens that can weigh us down - can help us become more aware - in that deepest truth kind of way - that we are all part of one singular whole, not just a bunch of scattered separated pieces.
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