Full moon in Leo

“Astrology allows us to see ourselves as an expression of a system of interactive energies and forces that give rise to various types of actions and reactions. Its advanced study also reveals how we may look upon our lives more objectively and even to grasp the universality of our being. Astrology asks us to envision a larger picture of the cosmos rather then one only seen through the limited lens of our personalities. Once we open ourselves to our true nature, we may then understand that we are connected as one human family to the family of the planets and stars.” Alan Oken, Astrologer.

Full moons are the culmination of the lunar cycle. A moment of heightened and energetic climax. A synodic month – the formal name for a lunar month – is around 29.5 days long, so creates an ever so slightly shorter rhythm than a calendar month. It is the synodic month that speaks most loudly to our biological self; our primitive self. Many marine species, for example, exhibit well-documented lunar rhythmic behaviour. “Among all, probably the most spectacular and documented event orchestrated by animals according to the lunar cycle is certainly the mass spawning of corals. Like inside a shaken snow globe, once every year, the barrier reef explodes of eggs and sperms, few days after the full moon, during late spring/summer nights, a phenomenon even visible from the space.”

Full moons are catalysts for mass creativity. For heightened pleasure. For expression. This full moon in Leo – a sign known for its creativity, playfulness and fondness for pleasure – is a call to connect with that power and that joy. It is about being unapologetic for who we really are, and how we express that in the world. Leo is heart and fire (fixed fire), ruled by the sun. The sun represents our conscious mind; our will to be and our creative life force. A major theme of this full moon is authentic self-expression; allowing ourselves to be real, raw (our primitive self) and imperfectly ourselves, in a world fixated on self-management and self-curation. “You change the world by being yourself”, Yoko Ono said. You also change your world by being yourself. How do you know when you are being yourself? The feeling. When you come into total authenticity of self, it is wholly freeing and without constraint; there is no second-guessing; you are entirely present. It feels magical. It feels like you’re soaring. How do we get there?

“Know what you really know, feel what you really feel, say what you really mean, and do what you really want.”

Try practising each of these steps at least once during this full moon. It doesn't have to be heavy, quite the contrary, it really ought to be Leonine playful, pleasurable, creative and joyful. And if doing all those things is daunting, focus on just one: “do what you really want.” Although this may not come easily to all of us, being authentic – living how you truly want to live – may not initially feel uncomfortable, it will ultimately feel beautifully safe.

Physically, the moon sits in (approximate) opposition to the sun during a full moon. In astrological terms, this means that the moon is in the opposite zodiac sign to the sun. We work not only with the sign in which the moon sits, but with an axis of energy, which straddles the zodiac. During a Leo full moon, the sun is in Aquarius. Alan Oken puts it like this:

“The sign opposite to Leo, that great constellation that polarizes and balances the Celestial Lion, is Aquarius, the sign of group consciousness. Thus, if Leo represents the heart in our physical body as well as the heart of the solar system, Aquarius represents the circulatory system. It follows naturally that the creative potential so fixed and stabilized in the fixed, fiery sign of the Lion has to be distributed and integrated into society through the airy networking of the Water Bearer.”

Oken talks explicitly of society, but we can also think about this axis of energy – the relationship between the heart (Leo) and circulatory body (Aquarius) – as a process of initiation and integration in our own energetic bodies. Both signs are about the self and being oneself. And both, being fixed signs, are about longer form time: the long game. Being our authentic selves is not a quick fix. It is achieved and integrated through sustainable change.

The beauty of a full moon axis is how these energies work together. Leo is associated with the fifth house in astrology: that of children, romance and pleasure. Leo in our chart represents our inner child. And the inner child represents our true, authentic self before the influences of societal expectations, conditioning and the pressures of adulthood. It embodies our natural curiosity, creativity, spontaneity and emotional vulnerability. Aquarius rules the 11th house, which represents the collective through community and friendships. Importantly, it is also the house of our personal liberation. It is a place where we are set free. Being visionary, unconventional, innovative, quirky, unique and really freaking real are all core Aquarian traits. Traits that are complementary, and not opposed, to those of Leo. Traits that culminate in a cry to be unapologetically yourself!

This full moon is opposite Pluto in Aquarius, an aspect that asks us what is getting in the way of our authenticity. A square with Jupiter in Taurus – Jupiter in Taurus has been a theme over the last few lunations – is also asking us to become aware of anything that is blocking us. Venus is sextiling Saturn and trining Jupiter, which amplifies the desire to be moved by pleasure that this moon is calling us to.

How to work with the energy of this full moon in Leo. It is simple. “Know what you really know, feel what you really feel, say what you really mean, and do what you really want.” Particularly the last one. Do something for you. Something highly pleasurable. Something playful and fun. Do what you really want.

Image credit: Aron Visuals on Unsplash

Alan Oken quotes from Leo: Sign of Creative Expression

Spawning corals article from Science Direct

Lynsey Allett24 January 2024