What the Full Moon in Pisces Means for You
This article originally appeared on Yoga Journal
This August, we experience two full Moons bookending the energies of the month. The first, occurring on August 1 in the sign of Aquarius, is known as the Sturgeon Moon. The second, a full Moon in Pisces on August 30, is a Super Moon as well as a Blue Moon, the term for the rare event of experiencing two full Moons in one month. Expect this day to be filled with magic, serendipity, and revelations.
What Does a Full Moon Mean in Astrology?
In the light of the full Moon, we can see further into ourselves and those around us. The Sun’s reflected rays illuminate what is normally hidden. We can understand things from a different perceptive. We can understand ourselves more deeply. And we can understand what needs attention in our frequency.
Full Moons occur during an opposition of the Sun and the Moon with the Earth sitting in between the two celestial bodies. This opposition, with the energies on opposing sides of one another, feels intense to our energetic system. It also brings our awareness to places we need to shift to change our vibration.
Each full Moon brings its own set of vibrations and affords us an opportunity to shift our vibration in a very specific way. The full Moon is themed by the zodiac constellation in which it is positioned, which further directs our focus and helps us understand how we might be aligned with the sign's higher or lower frequencies. Each cosmic vibration, including those from the stars, has a high or low side that we can align with in our energetic body.
As we work with the full Moon, we can release and shift away from the lower frequencies of the sign involved, making it possible to embrace and align with the higher frequencies. As we journey from one full Moon to another through the astrological signs, we touch on every aspect of our life and personality. We create a blueprint to shift our vibration, one full Moon at a time, until we are vibrating at the highest level possible in all areas of life.
What the Full Moon in Pisces Means for You
The full Moon in Pisces is one of the more mystical full Moons of the year. As a water sign, Pisces adds an extra element of intuition, femininity, and transcendence to the Moon. Pisces represents the ocean--vast, boundless, and connected to everything. This energy is the thread that ties the Universe together.
Pisces is the most spiritual sign of the zodiac, and her energy reminds us that we are spiritual beings in a human form. It reminds us that we are one with everything. It brings out our creativity, our capacity to heal, and our willingness to dive deep into the unknown. In working with Pisces energy, we have the opportunity to reach beyond the superficial aspects of life and open ourselves to something much more substantial. Pisces opens the pathway to understanding life from a different vantage point. It grants us a higher awareness that soothes our everyday anxieties and teaches us that everything that happens is truly meant to be.
The water sign reminds us that there are many levels of awareness and consciousness. We are becoming more aware each day. We are becoming more and more conscious of how others experience the world and how that experience may differ greatly from our own.
Through our technology, we are more connected than ever to others on the planet. This connection can create more awareness or it can distract us. It can be easy to get lost in a sea of stimuli and hypnotized by the onslaught of visual cues. While technology has brought us information at lightning speed, it also can overwhelm our senses to the point where we become numb or caught in a trance of light and sound.
This full Moon in Pisces encourages us to take our awareness to another level. It asks that we limit our distractions, especially the ones causing emotional disturbances. It asks that we recognize what is overwhelming our senses and step back to give ourselves space. It provides an opportunity to release the many energies that distract us or make us forget our potential. Instead of feeling immersed in a sea of energy, we can become observers--connected but unaffected.
We are each composed of energy on a path of evolution. This energy is connected to everyone and everything in the Universe. We are the stars, the ocean, and the Moon. The individual energy that makes up our bodies, minds, and consciousness wants to evolve. Part of the higher awareness offered by Pisces is an understanding of the flow of your life and what it means to be in it.
In order for our energy to gather what it needs to transform, we go through different experiences, both pleasant and unpleasant.
Every experience is somehow connected to the evolution of our energy. We are human and we suffer. This statement can be a hard pill to swallow, as it includes the myriad experiences life offers, including death itself. Pisces, though, teaches us that there is no death--only the redistribution of energy. We have desires, we have loved ones, and we have heartache. Life can bring the most painful experiences and the most beautiful ones--and sometimes it brings both in the same package.
On this full Moon in Pisces, the energy invites you to rise above your experiences and feel into the vastness of your potential. It asks that you take a leap in consciousness and try to understand that everything you've experienced is serving your evolution in some way. It is teaching you something, and even though it may be heart wrenching, it is helping your energy evolve. It is helping you reach enlightenment, one experience at a time. In this space, we can find the higher meaning of every experience and a deeper understanding of our journey. What are we really here to experience? How can we raise our awareness while staying connected to the world?
Understanding this will also help you heal from the pain life hands you. The more experiences you embrace as part of your evolution, the more you will receive, placing you in the flow of your life. Being in the flow means you attract what you need for your energy to evolve in this lifetime. It means you run into the people who can guide you, find the information you need to gain new perspectives, and attract the frequencies that align you with your journey. Being in the flow is something you can feel. Every step feels aligned and brings you something that helps you grow. It does not always mean that everything works out how you want it to, but every experience does serve your growth and evolution.
Pisces reminds you on this full Moon, and always, that you do not need to force things. You do not need to control or perfect anything. The more you let go of attachments and expectations, the more you will feel aligned with your life. You do not need to do anything to be in the flow of your life. You simply need to release the barriers within you that prevent you from receiving what you need. This release is the work of the full Moon in Pisces--and it commences when you raise your awareness to accept all experiences and understand the larger vision of your energy.
Full Moon in Pisces and the Sun in Virgo
Every full Moon brings us the opportunity to work with its counterpart sign, which is where the Sun is positioned. These energies exist on a spectrum. Over the full Moon in Pisces, we are also working with the Sun in Virgo. On one end, we have the extreme, or shadow sides, of Virgo. On the other end, we have the extreme sides of Pisces. In the middle, we have a beautiful mix of the highest sides of both energies, where we can benefit from the compilation of both vibrations. The key is to become aware of when we are aligned with the shadow sides of either vibration.
Every zodiac sign carries certain archetypal vibrations. We each hold the frequencies of Pisces and Virgo in our natal charts, and either the low or high side of these frequencies can become predominant at any time. If you find yourself aligning with the lower frequencies of any sign, know that it can happen to anyone, and there is nothing wrong with you. You are simply attached to a certain vibration of the Universe, and that attachment can be released on a full Moon.
Pisces and Virgo, like all opposing signs, have some interesting similarities. They are both highly feminine signs, meaning they enhance our ability to receive energy. They both carry the vibrations of great healers. They are both highly intuitive and heighten our intuition. They are also both signs of service. Virgo serves the world with its keen insights and discernment, while Pisces serves the Universe with its ability to connect all energies throughout space and time. They are also both mutable signs, helping us transition from one frequency to another.
These signs hold some differences, though, and this is where we also find their shadows. Pisces is boundless like the ocean. It sees no separation between us and other people. Virgo knows only separation. It seeks to constantly filter, organize, and refine energy. Whereas Pisces can lack boundaries, Virgo can develop too many. Pisces can also become too malleable, not taking any shape, position, or perspective. It can go with the flow a little too much and end up overly passive in the world. Virgo can become too inflexible and rigid and seek to overly define situations. In that definition, it loses the magic of spontaneity and serendipity. Virgo can become misaligned with the flow of the Universe by trying to control it or box it in with perfectionism.
When we align with the lower vibrations of Virgo, we construct too many walls in life. We seek to organize and control every aspect of our world. We forget to leave room for the impossible and things we can't quite imagine. We become inflexible to spontaneous changes brought on by the Universe. We also forget that we are constantly co-creating our reality with the cosmos and instead try to take charge of too many situations. We lose the ability to pause and observe the space between an event and our response. Instead, we launch straight in with our demands, need for validation, and attempts to control every outcome. We are not comfortable in the space of not knowing and, in turn, are not comfortable with ourselves. We may even become restless in our own bodies, unable to digest the energy around us.
If you find yourself aligning with the lower energies of Virgo, harness that need to control by setting a routine of self-care. Make time to meditate, be one with the Universe, and connect with your subconscious energy. Seek to create space in your life and observe your reactions with compassion. Let go of the need to create a perfect life for yourself and instead embrace the chaos that is necessary to cultivate a real and beautiful life.
As you develop a pause before your reactions to the world, feel your intuition. Let it lead you away from logical answers and instead harness your energy to feel the path forward. Trust yourself, trust the process of your life, and know that you don't need all the answers to make decisions that move you forward. You can wander into the unknown and let the Universe surprise you with the unimaginable.
Conversely, when we align with the lower vibrations of Pisces, we become passive and lack boundaries. We merge our energy with everyone we meet and take on their pain. We become overly empathic and overly sensitive to the needs of others. We also forget to observe our reactions and instead become overwhelmed with emotions and energy. We cannot discern what is ours and what does not belong to us. We also forgot about our power to create our lives. We leave everything up to the Universe and become passive participants. We disempower ourselves to make decisions. We forget about our responsibility to remove internal barriers. We expect that life will flow without us having to work on ourselves to heal, evolve, and be accountable for our lives.
If you find yourself aligning with the lower energies of Pisces, spend time in meditation. Feel your intuition, but also feel your emotions. Feel what is yours versus what you are carrying for someone else. Also, feel your power to co-create your reality. While you do want to leave space for serendipity and magic, you also want to declare your visions to the Universe. It's important to be okah with them evolving differently than you imagined, but it's also important to know what you want in the first place.
As you meditate on a deeper level, you will gain the insight of higher consciousness, which teaches you to do the work needed to manifest your dreams while being detached from any outcome. You will also create more space before any response, enabling you to process what just unfolded and understand its higher meaning in the context of your evolution.
Creating more space in your conscious mind will also help you understand when boundaries are needed and how to develop them energetically and internally. Boundaries can protect your peace and help you align more with the flow of your life. When you can insulate your energy from intrusive vibrations set out to invade your space, you can then align with your intuition and higher visions to a greater degree.
Boundaries are needed, especially when you feel highly sensitive or overstimulated by the world. These boundaries may look like time away from your phone, limits on how much energy you share with others, who you let in your life, and how much time you spend practicing healing or giving. They can also be practices like encasing yourself with white light when helping others process their experiences or when going out into the world. We do not live in a society that respects energetic sensitivity, especially if you live in a city. You need to prioritize taking care of yourself, or the world around you will overstimulate your system, causing you to feel emotional, reactive, and powerless.
As you work with the many energies, this full Moon in Pisces brings, look for the full integration of the higher energies of Pisces and Virgo. Seek to feel your intuition and your emotions, and become the observer of your energy. Commit to routines of meditation that help you honor and feel your co-creative power. Find the delicate balance between having just enough boundaries to protect your energy but not so many that you keep out the magic and serendipity of the Universe. Be open to this full Moon in Pisces helping you expand your consciousness and realize your potential as an energetic being. You are the Universe. Let it move through you and help you manifest everything that is already yours.
Other Astrological Influences on the Full Moon
This full Moon in Pisces is aspected with Saturn, which is currently retrograde. The Moon is conjunct, or next to, Saturn in Pisces, while the Sun in Virgo opposes it. Saturn is the planet of commitments. In Pisces, this planet softens a bit but still brings our attention to responsible action. Pisces is the sign of visions and helps us access our dreams. When we align with Pisces, we connect with and download our visionary intuition. We can feel and intuit the life we are meant to live and understand the deeper meaning of it. We also can start to see the bigger picture of our life past the details that tend to absorb our attention.
Saturn in Pisces helps bring form to our dreams and visions. When we align with the higher vibrations of this transit, we can clearly see the steps needed to make our visions tangible. Having dreams is wonderful, but we can easily get stuck in the dream phase of our plans. Saturn helps us understand concrete ways to build our dreams and manifest our visions in reality.
With Saturn, though, there are always lessons to be learned. This planet wants to teach us and often takes on a parental role, pointing out where we are not living up to our potential. Saturn in Pisces can feel like pressure on our energy, as it asks us to make choices we may not feel ready to make. As Saturn impacts this full Moon, it brings some definition with its energy. It wants you to learn about yourself, your visions, and your plans this full Moon. It wants you to make commitments that take your dreams out of your head and into the world. This energy may feel overwhelming at times, or it may feel like you cannot fully align with the Pisces energy of this Moon. Pisces tends to make you feel like you are floating away into the ethers. This vibration can be quite lovely, but with Saturn's influence, there is energetic encouragement to remain grounded and connect with your body.
The way to work with Saturn's energy this full Moon, is to be open to it. If you feel pressure to make a choice or decision, take a deep breath and let yourself relax. Then be open to guidance from Saturn or the place within you that aligns with Saturn's energy. You can even look to the sign of your Saturn placement for some direction. Remember, Saturn wants to teach, so be open to its teaching in often unexpected places.
Saturn's influence this full Moon also provides a healing element. While Saturn is not known as a healer of the zodiac, Pisces and Virgo are known for their healing abilities. Saturn helps you clearly face where you need healing, forgiveness, and release to bring your visions into form. It also helps you recognize where you may be self-sabotaging out of fear of commitment or an attachment to the past. Again, there are lessons to be learned this full Moon, and Saturn is your teacher. Become aware of emotions that need to be helped, processed, and shifted for you to move forward. Look at where you are reacting from past experiences to present situations and ask yourself why. Is past pain causing you to react instead of observing the situation? Is past trauma causing you to step out of the present and rely on conditioned patterns? Allow Saturn to show you where some work may need to be done this full Moon.
Align with the Full Moon to release attachments and heal your energy from the past. You may not be able to accomplish this all in one day, but at least make a commitment to yourself on how you will work on healing areas of yourself that keep you in the past or prevent you from taking steps into your future. Feel the truth of your vibration this Full Moon, then align with Saturn on how to materialize that truth in physical forms.
Your Invitation
This full Moon in Pisces is a time to relax, expand, and let go of control as we all ride the waves into a higher consciousness. The full Moon being a Blue Moon brings us an extra dose of magic. The symbology of the color blue is the color of communication. It signifies the expression of our most authentic truths. Blue Moons can shed light on how we communicate with ourselves and others. They ask us if we are speaking our most profound truths or suppressing our authentic voice.
The rarity of the Blue Moon and its power to connect us to our voices give it a greater ability to lower the veil between the conscious and the subconscious minds. We can communicate with our unconscious thoughts, patterns, and feelings on a deeper level during a Blue Moon. It’s a time to access the energies that lie dormant within us that are asking to be seen and heard.
Pisces rules the feet and our connection with walking the Earth. Although traditionally symbolized by the fish, Pisces reminds us of the primordial sea we came from and the process of evolution, which enabled us to exist on land. Pisces energy, in its purest form, returns us to the sea and invokes all the properties of water. When Pisces’ influence is strong, we need to reaffirm our connection with the Earth through our feet in order to stay present in our lives. This connection will keep us anchored in reality as we deepen our connection with the dreamlike state of the full Moon in Pisces.
During any full Moon, it's good to move your body. You want your yoga practice to be fluid, uplifting, and capable of moving any stagnant energy so that you are free to shift your energy. This full Moon in Pisces is also a time to practice being your most observant self in times of stillness. Instead of reacting to sensations that arise within, watch them and let them pass. This observation is the heart of mindfulness meditation, which starts by observing the feelings that exist in each area of the body.
Through placing our awareness on our bodies, we are holding space for sensations and emotions to be felt, seen, and released. The purpose of meditation is to train the conscious and subconscious mind to merely observe events internally or externally and not react to them. True observation is an art form--one that needs time, commitment, and understanding. Meditation can provide a foundation for this type of awareness and build your powers of observation and non-reactivity.
Over this full Moon, break free of your distractions and travel to a deeper level of understanding of the world around you. See past the superficial goings-on of the world and start to see the energy that comprises it all. See the pathways of evolution and the patterns that form. Feel your connection and know that you are able to receive everything you need for your soul's journey. Work to let go of how you expect life to be and start accepting how it is. In this acceptance, see the beauty of your soul illuminated by the Moon.
RELATED: There are 7 Planets in Retrograde Right Now. Here’s What That Means for You.
Learn more about the full Moon in Pisces, including additional astrological insights and journaling prompts, in the Virgo Season + Pisces Blue Moon Workbook, from which the above is excerpted. You can also learn more about your personal natal chart.
About Our Contributor
Jill Wintersteen is the founder of Spirit Daughter, a lifestyle brand devoted to helping you live your best life through understanding the energy of the Universe. She also writes workbooks on each full Moon as well as other astrological events. Follow her on Instagram @spiritdaughter.
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