The height of this moonth’s cycle comes with the full moon arriving on Saturday, August 9th (exact at 3:54 am ET, time zone converter), and offers a revelation about how the lunar energies initiated on the July 24 new moon are developing. The new moon, guided by its association with Strength, Five of Wands, and King of Wands invited us to be leaders who bring together groups across difference. Out of the full moon revelation about this developing energy, we are issued an invitation to return a gift to the world in the final weeks of the lunar cycle.
The exact moment of the moon’s fullness comes in the sign of Aquarius. Although the symbol for this sign looks like ocean waves, it is actually associated with the element of air. The working of wind upon water points to the sign’s power. Mental clarity, shift in consciousness, and/or communication across different groups inspired by the Aquarian archetype can work positively upon people to create change, even in difficult circumstances. Aquarian energy feels like the sun emerging from storm clouds while the wind still blows and brings a wave of light that flows over dark depths of pond or lake or ocean. The shimmer emerges from nowhere to delight the eye.
The Star is the Tarot card that corresponds to Aquarius, and this celestial light, too, can seem to emerge from nowhere with an offer of comfort in times of tension, turmoil, and trouble.
The Star’s message is hope and renewal. But the Star itself does not fix us, does not take away our wounds. Instead we and all our broken places are bathed in a gentle light. This light opens our eyes to perceive what exists in new ways.
What our eyes look upon these days is disturbing. Masked agents of the state abduct people from the streets of the US. Wildfires rage across the forests of the Northern Hemisphere turning the sun lunar silver and the moon sunset salmon. Drones drop bombs on apartments in Kiev killing families. Children are starved in Gaza while the food they need is but miles away. Is it too dramatic to say that we are in apocalyptic times? Not for those beings facing death.
Apocalypse in the ancient Greek literally means “uncovering.” The disturbing times in which we live call for an uncovering of what has brought us to this point. The great spotlights of larger institutions would rather not shine on and expose what is at their foundation. So, to shine that light is left to all the little stars scattered through the dark.
We are the ones scattered in the dark. Our eyes become the stars when we dare to look at what waits to be uncovered. Individually, we don’t have enough light to raise the truth, but gathered in groups our light expands. The more that participate, the greater the light.
Gatherings of stars are called constellations and these star patterns were the first guidance systems of our ancestors. They used the stars to navigate in fair weather and foul. When thrown off course in their journeys, the stars assisted them to chart their course anew.
This moon cycle began stamped with the energy of Strength and encourages us to move forward together despite our differences. To harness the collective power of us, even as sparks of energetic tension that seem to show us in opposition fly. Now The Star Full Moon invites us to reconnect with what we know when we look at the night sky: We can only offer the map of the way forward together.
We need a whole constellation of stars to find our way through the uncoverings of our times.
Can we do it?
I’ll say yes because there is a hidden message in the meeting of Strength, Major Arcana 8, and Star, Major Arcana 17. These cards combined show us to The Chariot (8+17=25/7), the vehicle for forward movement … when we harness what seem to be opposing forces. There is an echoing of message here. The hidden Chariot offers us a future we can believe in: one where we pull together toward what serves the Whole.
These themes bring to mind a poem by the prophetic poet Lucille Clifton that I offer as a close to these musings.
blessing the boats
may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that
[Source: Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988-2000 (BOA Editions Ltd., 2000)]
To encourage a revelation on these themes as we journey through this moonthly cycle, you are invited to one, some, or all of these practices:
~ Moon bathe by sitting or lying under a window or outside on the ground. Let go of your thoughts and soak in the light.
~ Take out any reading or your reflections from the new moon and look at them in a new light. How does your understanding of the cards change now that time has passed and light has shifted? (If you haven’t done a reading yet, no problem, just do it now under the light of the full moon. You can try the one from the new moon.)
~ Bring out your Strength and Star cards from your Tarot deck and connect them to your new moon reading / reflections. You could place/imagine these cards on either side of your reading or above and below, and then look at how they add meaning into the story your original cards offered you.
~ Reflect on questions such as: What can I work to uncover, to bring to light? Who shall I constellate with to gather the light? What is my highest/deepest dream for our future? Who to work with to make it real? You could, of course, pull cards as responses to any of these questions. You may want to engage in Visio Divina to find the layers of wisdom within the cards.
When you are done, remember to offer gratitude for what you have received. Consider what gift you now want to return to the world. Pulling a card for guidance on the gift is always a fine thing to do. In the coming weeks and before the moon returns to dark around August 20th. offer your gift to the world.