Full Moon + (almost!) Lunar Eclipse
August 18, 2016
@ 5:27 AM EDT

The Earth’s shadow will just miss the penumbral of the Moon, just. Meaning – we won’t quite see our shadow on the face of the Moon.

Some astrologers are calling this a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. It is listed in Solar Fire (software) as an Eclipse. But it’s just too far from the Nodes to qualify as an Eclipse, which means we will not see the Earth’s shadow on the face of the Moon. So we are calling it a “minor” Eclipse.

What IS significant is

-O-

-O-

-O-

What IS significant is this that, although minor, it’s the last Eclipse in a Saros cycle, one way Eclipses are measured over large spans of time. Saros cycles begin with an Eclipse at one of the Poles, and end with an Eclipse at the opposite Pole ( a very simplistic explanation, but you can find more detail online). Saros cycles span over 1000’s of years, and this one started in 718 CE. This is the end of a long cycle.

The astrology of this Saros Cycle (109) has a Mars/Pluto signature with a Venus influence. So there’s abundant energy, yet the energy is passionate, creative, productive.

Besides the Saros Cycles, this Full Moon is quite a chart. And the next New and Full Moons ARE Eclipses – a Solar on September 1, and a Lunar on September 16.

The Moon – the star of the show, since this is a Full MOON – is sextile Uranus (Uranus is also conjunct Eris, which helps explain the explodive hostility in the world). The Moon is also quincunx Mercury-Jupiter in Virgo.

First, a look at the T-Square to Mars-Saturn. Mars is quickly APPROACHING a conjunction with Saturn (exact on August 24). The energy of a conjunction builds until the aspect becomes exact, so this is increasing for the few weeks. Significantly, because this is an Eclipse, the Mars-Saturn conjunction squares the Nodes. And, perhaps most important, Saturn is approaching another (final!) square to Neptune (exact on September 10 just as Jupiter enters Libra). Illusions will continue to be challenged. How much can you disregard what people are actually saying and doing and insist on a reality that is not based on reality, but on an impression or rumor.

And then there are the YODS. There are 2 YODS. (YODS are isosceles triangles.)

The most significant YOD features Mercury-Jupiter at the APEX, making a quincunx to the Moon and a quincunx to Uranus. The Aquarius Moon sextiles Uranus as the base of the triangle – this is a social Full Moon.

When Mercury and Jupiter come together, our thoughts can be optimistic. We see the big picture, plan confidently for a positive future, and expand our range of ideas. And we want to tell everyone the good news.

The YOD is a call to collect scattered thoughts. Information can be abundant. Yet, too much information, the wrong information, misleading information, can all jumble your ability to think clearly. Not much can happen when you can’t think straight. And more details – without focusing on the important details – can make thoughts more fragmented and disconnected, muddling the big picture. Rambling on and on, things don’t really add up to making sense.

What’s important is sorting the relevant from the misleading information. What information is indispensable – and what is dispensable?

And what adds to the information clutter?

Judgment. Needing approval so badly you let the judgments of society – real and imagined – throw you off track.

Fake documents and exaggerated information – circulated by the media (Jupiter quincunx Uranus) – can distort or even invent the truth.

Beliefs based on what you imagine, instead of what is real, can twist fate. This can be used to spread a positive message or to take personal advantage by disrupting popular opinions. Shock value can make you an instant celebrity, but are you rebelling to upset the status quo, show off how outrageous you can be, or to sincerely stimulate new ideas and create important social change? Rebelling just to be outrageous can cost you in lost opportunities. It’s hard to trust someone who is inconsistent or insensitive. Or who seeks conflict for shock value and or to be a media superstar. We have a choice. We can be gullible and believe what we want to believe, or we can fact check.

The light of this Full Moon is an opportunity to connect with new people and ideas and pinpoint them to expand, awaken, and envision the future. Hopefully one of unity and optimism.

Chart for the Full Moon in Aquarius (in NYC):

Click here for an astrology legend to read the symbols.

Yes! I give readings 🙂

Get more and give more @
artcharts store
artcharts contribution page