Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-nuh-suh)
is the first of three harvest holidays on the pagan wheel of the year. It is sometimes called Lammas, Loaf
Mass, or Witches’ Thanksgiving. Every
year, on the first of August (or around August 7th, if you follow
the astrological cross-quarters as a time keeper), we celebrate the abundance
of what we have planted in the Spring.
Many varieties of garden foods, especially corn and grain, are ready to
eat now and we give thanks for the ability to grow our own food to feed our
families. There is much history to
this holiday, and if you are interested you can look it up. But that’s not what I’ll be writing
about here.
It
is a very special occurrence when a full moon falls on a holiday. This year, the Full Corn Moon (10:28pm
CDT on Wednesday night) is appropriately matched with Lughnasadh. This Full Moon is in Aquarius, while
the Sun is in its home sign of Leo.
Fire and Air energy abound at this time, bringing a balance of inventive
intelligence and creative production.
This is a good time to give and receive love and gratitude for the
abundant blessings in our lives.
Everything in our lives is a result of the thought seeds we’ve previously
planted…and now is the time to shuck the husks from the corn or separate the
wheat from the chaff, literally and figuratively. What are our priorities now? What is the sustenance that truly nourishes us? The arguments of ego and battles of
will that we often find ourselves in at this time of year, when the air is
heavy with heat and our patience wears thin? Or the love that surrounds us, supports us, and celebrates
with us, inspiring more thoughtful action and more successful
productivity? Well, of course you
know the answer. You wouldn’t be
reading this otherwise.
Let’s
take a closer look at the Sun’s position in our zodiac at the time of the Full
Moon to describe this energy more specifically. During this full moon, the Sun will be in the 11th
degree of Leo. The Sabian Symbol
for this degree is ‘Children on a swing in a huge oak tree’. We’re not children anymore…and the
adult stresses of life often bring us down. But children are wonderful teachers and they can help us
renew our enjoyment of pleasure and fun.
This is a time to relax, reconnect with nature, and enjoy some carefree
play. Create some time to enjoy
the simple pleasures of life…the keyword for this degree is ‘Delight’.
The
Full Corn Moon is in the opposite area of the zodiac, at 11 degrees of
Aquarius. The Sabian Symbol for
this degree is ‘a man head-to-head with his inspiration’. This is a meeting of the minds, whether
with other individuals or within yourself (consciousness and
super-consciousness). This refers
to the connection between you and a higher source of knowing. This connection creates an intuitive
flow in your communications with others as well as a heightening of your own
sixth sense. Extraordinary
insights can come so effortlessly under this vibration that it feels natural. The keyword for this degree is ‘Ecstasy’.
Another
notable occurrence during this full moon is that the two luminaries form an
aspect pattern called a ‘cradle’ with trines and sextiles to Uranus and
Jupiter. At the time of the full
moon, we have the Moon in the 11th house of friends (representing
the value of humanity) and the Sun in the 5th house of creative
expression (representing the value of the creative spirit). At the base of the cradle, we have
Uranus in the 1st house of self (representing actions of
self-expression) in a sextile with Jupiter in the 3rd house of
communication (representing integration of thoughts and feelings). All 4 of these areas of life are
activated by this aspect pattern on the night of the Full Corn Moon. But since the Moon moves swiftly, the
cradle is only comfortable for a few hours before the wind blows and the bough
breaks. Not to worry, there are a
couple of squares from Pluto and Chiron to pull us back into action…Pluto in
Capricorn in the 10th house of highest potential and Chrion in
Pisces in the 12th house of collective unconscious. One represents the need to recognize
tangible manifestations of our identity and the other represents the need to
integrate compassion and spirit.
In other words, enjoy your full moon with friends or family with an easy
flow on the mental plane…and then build upon those good feelings with action
and integration of both the material and spiritual planes.
This
is a very beneficial Full Moon.
There are some harsh aspects surrounding it, but they are almost
necessary to activate the blessings of this time. For the most part, we are ‘cradled’ within many positive
opportunities and good potentials.
If we act upon the innovative inspirations this time has to offer, we
are likely to make some great strides and much-needed changes along the path to
our highest potential. In our
individual lives, we may finally find the motivation we need to get our lives
back on track with our goals.
Collectively, we may find many inventive solutions to the problems we
have been facing for too long. At
least, that is the hope. Watch for the good that comes from this Full Moon, and activate it!
Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi
