Well, it took two full moons in Aquarius in a row, an astrological, if not calendar, “blue moon” phenomenon, but I think I’ve finally gotten the message loud and clear from Saturn, Aquarius’ ruler: don’t neglect the moon in your spotlights!
Message received, Saturn.
It’s easy to overlook the moon, which breezes through each sign in about two-and-a-half days, especially with other big time planets caught up in various primetime dramas. Yet, precisely because of its speed, the moon is able to reach and engage with every other planetary configuration in the course of its monthly cycle. So, while other slow moving planets may smolder in solitary confinement in some sign, and others get caught up in elaborate planetary traffic jams, it’s only the moon that truly sees and interacts with each of the planetary players on a regular basis.
The moon acts, in this way, as something of a broadcaster, shedding its reflective light on all the planetary mash-ups, both those that are harmonious and those that are more of a hot mess. And, indeed, between the first full moon in Aquarius on July 23rd and the second one, on August 22nd, the moon has zoomed through the entire zodiac, brushing elbows with all the other planets and getting into everyone’s business.
There’s a personality almost every office has (at least, back when we had offices) — the goodnatured busybody who’s always around, grabbing coffee and having conversations with everyone from the maintenance guys to the executives. They know everyone’s birthdays (and always bring in cake), as well as all of the office gossip. They’re plugged in and highly attuned to the slightest shifts in the winds, whether a juicy tidbit or bad news coming down from on high. This is how the moon acts within the zodiac, as the office busybody.
The moon’s changing phases, from its hidden new moon phase to its full moon, Queen of the Night displays, also serve to highlight other planetary configurations. Sometimes this happens in dramatic fashion, as during an eclipse (which take place either at the new or full moons), when certain planets are triggered.
Another reason not to give the moon short shrift — using the Hellenistic doctrine of sect, in a natal chart, one of the two luminaries (moon or sun) will be the “sect leader” of a chart, basically the lead luminary. In a day chart, when the sun is located above the horizon, the sun is the sect leader; conversely, in a night chart, with the sun below the horizon, the moon is the sect leader.
This means that, if you have a night chart, you’d be replying accurately to that old pick-up question, “what’s your sign?” if you respond with your moon sign. What I’m saying is that, for night chart folks, the moon is at least as important, if not more so, than the sun.
In a natal chart, the moon represents emotions, childhood, the parents (especially the mother), home, as well as the physical body (in addition to the first house and its ruler). In Aquarius, which is a cool (in both senses of the word) air sign ruled by Saturn, the moon struggles in intellectual territory that isn’t exactly welcoming to its emotional needs. Saturn promotes an emotional environment that is perhaps a bit like the moon, as we’ve seen it in pictures — empty, barren, and chilly, with lots of rocks.
And, indeed, Saturn’s other domicile, Capricorn, is the sign in which the moon experiences its depression, at a loss and adrift in a cold, lonely place. Aquarius isn’t quite like Capricorn — it’s technically a neutral placement for the moon — but it’s not a warm environment, sort of like having your grandmother over for tea in a space pod.
Saturn is rational, logical, theoretical, and (occasionally) dry-humored. In Aquarius, these qualities are filtered through the mental and social qualities of air, bolstered by Aquarius’ fixed sign talent for follow-through. This results in an emotional approach that is rational and, at times, clinical, overlaid by a free-thinking, ideologically unorthodox, and stubborn style.
You can almost see the gears turning in the heads of those with heavy Aquarius placements, particularly the moon. They seem to be tuned to a different frequency than the rest of us. Indeed, wherever Aquarius shows up in a chart, it presents a somewhat detached, cheerfully go-it-alone way of operating. Aquarius is definitely not a joiner — they prefer to come to their own conclusions, on their own timetable.
In interpreting the placement of an Aquarius moon natally, the placement of Saturn is key. If Saturn in dignified by sign (in Capricorn, Aquarius, or Libra), or is in its own “bounds” (a subdivision of each sign in a traditional birth chart), or if the moon can “see” Saturn through one of the traditional aspects, then it will be more helpful for the moon, though a square or opposition to Saturn (or even a conjunction) can be rough. Meanwhile, configurations to the benefics, Jupiter and Venus, can help, lightening Saturn and possibly improving its placement.
But, especially in night charts, where Saturn is the malefic of sect, meaning the most difficult planet, having a Saturn-ruled moon can be emotionally difficult. This can manifest as depression or mental health challenges, particularly if there’s a challenging aspect between the moon and Saturn.
Creatively, moon in Aquarius can manifest in some unique and interesting ways, as these folks are tuned in to the collective in a special way. We find writers with razor-sharp social commentary and challenging ideas, comedians and actors with dry-as-a-bone saturnian humor, and, in general, in artists with a unique but “every person” style. As one of the few signs that is represented by a symbol that is purely human, along with Gemini (the twins) and Virgo (the maiden), Aquarius (the water bearer) is deeply human and invested in our common humanity.
Notable people with moon in Aquarius include: Albert Camus, Arthur Conan Doyle, Louisa May Alcott, Arthur Miller, H. G. Wells, Tennessee Williams, Charlotte Brontë, Bela Lugosi, Orson Welles, Cary Grant, Donald Sutherland, Margaret Atwood, Morgan Freeman, Jessica Lange, Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Val Kilmer, Russell Crowe, John Malkovich, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Walken, David Duchovny, Viggo Mortensen, Uma Thurman, Diane Keaton, Chevy Chase, Gene Hackman, Bill Murray, Sandra Bullock, Glenn Close, Helen Mirren, Kathleen Turner, Melanie Griffith, Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner, Gene Wilder, Tobey Maguire, Britney Spears, Eminem, George Lucas, Ice-T, John Lennon, Muhammad Ali, Diane Arbus, Paul Klee, Marina Abramović, Harry Belafonte, Solange Knowles, Cat Stevens, and Jessye Norman.
This full moon in Aquarius on August 22nd, at the tail end of the sign of the water bearer, at 29 degrees, is an interesting one. Whereas the Aquarius full moon in late July was a tense, full-on saturnian bucket of cold water, with strong reminders of the plague signature of 2020, the August full moon is more hopeful, closely conjunct Jupiter and in a sign-based trine with Venus in Libra, and co-present with its ruler, Saturn, dignified in Aquarius.
Aside from the sun, opposite in Leo, and Uranus, still hanging out lighting matches in Taurus, none of the other planets are forming traditional aspects with this full moon, meaning that Mars and Pluto aren’t invited to the party (which is a definitely a good thing!). There is a sense of completion of something in the Aquarius whole sign houses of our charts, perhaps a difficult chapter of life, but now marked by an uplift from Jupiter and a kiss blown by Venus in her home sign. It’s an encouraging sign, a hopeful second act to July’s somewhat scary full moon.
So, let’s use this Aquarian moon constructively (Saturn keyword), to shore up the Aquarius whole sign house of our lives. It’s a great time to complete something that may have taken quite a bit of work and effort, to come to some sort of long-term commitment or agreement, or to do some out-of-the-box thinking free from the opinions of others.
Here’s the B-52’s in Channel Z, a song that I’ve come to think of as a transmission directly from the Aquarian hive mind. Put on your spacesuit, pour your grandma some tea, and tune in: