The height of this moonth’s cycle comes with the full moon arriving on Wednesday (exact at 10:35 am ET, time zone converter) and offers a revelation about how the lunar energies initiated on the July 14th new moon are developing. The new moon, guided by its association with The Chariot, 4 of Cups, and King of Wands invited us to drink from the cup we are offered and the full range of emotions that flow from its holding. 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 and kill our neighbors on the streets of the US. Wildfires rage across northern forests turning the sun lunar silver and the moon sunset salmon. The news covers some wars–Ukraine and Iran–while forgetting about others–Sudan’s civil war that has over 400,000 human beings facing starvation and the war on Gaza where since the so called October 2025 ceasefire more than 1,000 human beings have been killed in addition to the over 70,000 killed since October 7, 2023.
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. But our national and global institutions would rather not shine a spotlight on and expose what is at their foundation. So, shining 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, the stars assisted them to chart their course anew.
This moon cycle began stamped with the energy of The Chariot and encouraged us to move forward. Now The Star Full Moon invites us to reconnect with what we know when we look at the night sky: We can only make a map of the way forward when we shine together.
We need a whole constellation of stars to find our way through the uncoverings of our times.
You can be one of those stars. When you join with others, the map to guide The Chariot forward emerges. [If you are looking for a group, check out some national organizations and see if they have local chapters. Some options: Indivisible (multi-issue, defense of democracy); Working Families Party (progressive candidates, election protection); Jewish Voice for Peace (Palestine solidarity); American Friends Service Committee (peace and justice broadly) De-ICE Citizens Bank just won its campaign for the bank to end its relationship with concentration camp creators CoreCivic and The GEO Group (when we unite we win!) but follow along to find out what the next campaign to stop ICE terror will be. If you want help finding your place, let me know. I am happy to have a quick check in or if a group wants to gather I can facilitate something.]
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 in the nights around the full moon moment 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 Chariot 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 9th offer your gift to the world.