Full Blue Supermoon in Pisces

This full blue supermoon in Pisces is a rare convergence of three distinct lunar phenomena. Firstly, it is a supermoon which, as the name suggests, means that the moon will appear bigger and brighter to us on earth. A supermoon occurs near when the moon is closest to the earth (perigee). This supermoon will also be the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year (a superlative on a superlative). This is also a blue moon: the second full moon in a calendar month. However, this isn’t just the second full moon; it is also the second supermoon of the month. A super-super blue moon. Thirdly, Saturn – just a few days from being its closest and brightest of the year to us – will dance with the moon. The ringed planet will be at around 5 degrees of the moon, on its upper right, and will appear to move clockwise around it as the night progresses.

Piscean energy is associated with qualities like intuition, empathy and heightened sensitivity to emotions. The word ‘heightened’ is pertinent to Pisces, as the sign also has a deep connection to the spiritual realm. Ruled by Neptune, Pisces is the twelfth and final sign of the zodiac. It is characterised by themes of dissolution, transcendence and merging with the collective consciousness, with an inclination towards introspection, meditation, and a willingness to delve into the mysteries of the cosmos (themes and practices that are intrinsically associated with spiritual exploration).

There is something so naturally psychedelic about Piscean energy. This is very much to do with its ruler Neptune, which is often referred to as the planet of spirituality, divine connection and higher consciousness. Neptune (the god of waters) is known for its ability to dissolve boundaries, including those of the ego, and, because of this there is willingness – and a predilection – to let go of the self and merge with something larger. Ego dissolution refers to a state where the sense of self, identity and individuality fades away, leading to a feeling of unity with the universe or a higher consciousness. This can be somewhat akin to the experiences reported by individuals under the influence of psychedelics, especially substances like LSD or psilocybin, which can induce a sense of utter interconnectedness and ego dissolution.

This moon is inviting us – is supporting us – to dissolve things which are getting in the way of our unity of self. What emotions have you been holding onto? What do you need to release? This moon – with its potent connection to water – is the ideal moment to wash these things away. To purify in order to integrate. Give yourself permission to fully feel these feelings of anger or frustration, for example. They need to be felt in order to be released. Give yourself time and space to do this.

This moon – with its enhanced creativity, sensitivity and connection – is also inviting us to tap into and imagine different ways of being for ourselves. This high-level moment of imagination is all about envisioning something expansive for our lives. Something that lies outside of our comfort zone. When talking about creativity, David Bowie put it like this: “if you feel safe in the area that you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”

The shadow side of Pisces involves escapism, which can manifest as a desire to avoid (harsh) reality through various means, such as substance abuse, excessive daydreaming or retreating into a fantasy world. This tendency can lead to challenges in facing reality and dealing with life's demands. It can also manifest as a difficulty in establishing clear boundaries and maintaining a healthy sense of self. This is where working with this axis of Virgo as a type of bridge is so important during this most augmented of full moons.

During any full moon, we are working with an axis of energy as a full moon is an opposition between the moon (Pisces) and sun (Virgo). Virgo’s deep connection to the earth is very grounding here and it could be useful to think about this axis as a bridge between the spiritual and the mundane (Virgo is associated with routine). How do we bring the spiritual into our day to day; how do we channel the divine into the routine?

On or around this full moon, seven planets will be in retrograde, which hasn’t happened for around two hundred years. This retrograde energy wants us to really slow it down. To really pay attention. Neptune is retrograde in Pisces augmenting all the themes mentioned above in relation to this full moon. Mercury is retrograde in Virgo, amplifying the enquiry into how our daily lives – our routine; the mundane – align with our higher selves. Pluto is retrograde in Capricorn, inviting us to revisit lessons from 2020. Uranus is retrograde in Taurus, which speaks to our (re)connection to the earth. Chiron is retrograde in Aries, inviting us to look at how healing our wounds have made us who we are.

Saturn – who is so beautifully dancing with this full blue supermoon in Pisces – is also retrograde in Pisces. Once again, this is to do with how we are bringing the spiritual into the structure and fabric of our lives. Finally, Venus is retrograde (it is stationing direct on September 3rd and, by this time, will have been in retrograde for 44 days) in Leo. This is a great moment to reflect on the period of retrograde itself and what we have learned about love and relationships. As it is ending in Leo, questions around how we show up in relationships and how we experience our own value and worth are important. These Venus retrogrades happen around every eighteen months, so this closure is a beneficial moment to reflect on that longer timeframe too.

How to work with the energy of this full moon? Dissolve and transcend. It is a hugely powerful moment to release stuck or pent-up emotions. Crying is a potent and befittingly watery (Neptune/Pisces) way to do this. It may seem a little strange to schedule a cry but "[it is] emotional tears (which flush stress hormones and other toxins out of our system), that potentially offers the most health benefits. Researchers have established that crying releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, also known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals help ease both physical and emotional pain. Popular culture, for its part, has always known the value of a good cry as a way to feel better — and maybe even to experience physical pleasure. The millions of people who watched classic tearjerker films such as West Side Story or Titanic (among others) will likely attest to that fact.”

Music or film are powerful ways to elicit genuine emotional tears and you probably know what works for you. If you can during this full moon, set aside time for a curated cry.

Other ways to work with this moon include taking a ritual bath or swimming with intention, that is, with intention to what you want to wash away. Both these things are purification rituals. Suggestions on how to do a ritual bath are here: how to create a ritual bath

Image credit: Sigmund on UnSplash

Quote about crying from Harvard Health article: Is crying is good for you?

Lynsey Allett29 August 2023