31 August 2023, Full Moon 7 Pisces 25′

Driving back from the beach this morning the radio announcer was talking about this week’s blue moon. A blue moon – when you get two full moons within a month – is relatively uncommon, happening once every 2 ½ years. Two blue moons in the one year are rarer – occurring about four times a century (the last time that happened was in 2018). But a blue moon that’s also a supermoon? That’s quite special.

Right now I’m in the middle of some massive change and am going through all the emotions that comes with change of this magnitude – going from excitement at the possibility of what is (ahem) possible to gut-churning anxiety around logistics and what-ifs. Sometimes it feels as though I’m floating along and at others that I’ve been caught in a “dumper” wave and don’t know which way is up and which is down and at others (to continue the ocean analogy) as though I’m in a rip (riptide, I think they’re called in the U.S.) and getting pulled out to sea.

To save from drowning in a rip they tell you to swim with it but parallel to the shore – the theory being that currents tend to be relatively narrow and you should pop out of it (fingers crossed). Alternatively, float or tread water to save energy. It’s the panic that takes you down.

This struggle between panicking at the chaos and finding a point to float through is a very Pisces Full Moon concept. Sure, there are times when you need to force and fight your way through – swim against the current, but the danger of this is we get hung up on the “how” and lose sight of the “why”. It’s at these times when it’s best to flip onto your back and look at the pretty shapes the clouds are making – metaphorically speaking, of course. This is one of those times.

To turn a dream into something that even approximates reality, you need a good dose of practicality – and that’s where Virgo comes in. Likewise, you can sometimes lose focus on the possibility if you’re stuck in the detail – and that’s where Pisces comes in.

The Virgo Sun reminds us that there is a long list of tasks that need to be completed, but under the Pisces Full Moon, we ask whether those tasks need to be completed now, or if they can wait. Doing faff all certainly reduces your anxiety and stress levels, but at the end of the day, you’ve achieved faff all. I could go on. The point about balance is that you have to keep adjusting or repositioning in order to achieve it. Pisces needs Virgo and Virgo needs Pisces. Wherever Pisces and Virgo fall in your chart is where you’re looking at your balancing act now.

The Pisces Full Moon is where fantasy meets reality, where dreams become projects, where imagination is broken down. It’s about escapism and routine; empathy and practicality; chaos and order; disregard for detail, and attention to the finest of details.

At this Full Moon ask yourself these questions:

• What are your dreams – especially in relation to that part of life? Can you learn anything from Virgo to help break down the tasks into something more manageable that could help you achieve those dreams?
• Are you feeling chaotic and drowning under the stress of the everyday or the pursuit of perfection? Is there something you can learn from Pisces and float on by?
• Is it possible to critically examine your to-do list and write “not now” beside anything?
• Are you sabotaging your efforts by trying to do too much yourself? Or, are you sabotaging your efforts by doing too little and refusing to accept the consequences of your behaviour?
• What about your why? Have you lost that in the detail of the how?

If, after doing this, it all seems too hard and you feel as though you’re going under, and don’t know where to start, why not try an old project management trick. Take your list (if you don’t have one, write one) and beside each task write: yes, no or not now….or today, tomorrow, later. Be honest – and be kind to yourself. Then, take some time out – it doesn’t need to be long – to metaphorically float about and look at the clouds.

Full Moon is exact at 11.35am (or thereabouts) here on the East Coast of Australia, 9.35am West Coast Australia and South East Asia, 1.35pm New Zealand, 2.35am London, 6.35pm (August 30) LA, and everywhere else some time in between that!