FULL MOON in Virgo | Monday, February 22nd | the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, the opposite of addiction is CONNECTION

moon's bride II by prismes

Monday's Full Moon is the culmination of the September Solar Eclipse New Moon. Here is a post about that with some key dates and themes.

The Full Moon is a time of completion. It's the space in our breath when our lungs are full. We can't take in anymore. We have to exhale.

Our Sun is in Pisces and our Moon is in the opposite sign of Virgo. This is the polarity of bringing the sacred (Pisces) into the everyday (Virgo), melding our physical health (Virgo) with our spiritual health (Pisces) and seeing the forest (Pisces) and the trees (Virgo).

In Virgo, the "release" energy could mark the end of our efforts on a health matter, work situation, something with paperwork, employees, co-workers or maybe a pet (all sixth house, Virgo ruled). We've reached a pinnacle and we finally achieve our goal with something here (maybe for all that Virgo hard work!), something comes through or breaks out (ends our striving), wraps up or just ends.

Endings around Full Moons are not always permanent (although they often are) - they are always situations though that have simply run their course ... there isn't an action we can take, or right words we can speak, to hang on to the things that are leaving us now.

With this year's Saturn/Neptune squares we are being shown what stands in the way of, or the difference between - what we want and what we have or where we are and where we want to be. Some are scapegoating the 'other'. Some are seeing what happens when we avoid the dentist for five years. Some are seeing how this dream of what 'could be' is interfering with our appreciation of 'what is'. There are different and multiple storylines for all of us, but the bottom line theme of reality vs our dreams or escape routes being road blocked, addiction vs connection, is something we will/are all working through.

The Full Moon is a time of something being 'brought to light'. With the Virgo/Pisces polarity and the Saturn/Neptune square this could be something about the way we anesthetize ourselves or the way we 'avoid'. This could be something about "victim consciousness" or "savior consciousness". Situation(s) will arise for us to clearly see the way we create the world we are living in.

Things don't happen to us and then we react. It only looks like this if we are not paying attention. We create what is happening.

I'll tell you how this "savior" thing is playing out for me.

Yesterday I start planning a small trip, a weekend across country, to visit a sibling. I was on airbnb looking for a place to stay and noticed some entire houses for rent that did not cost much more than the studio apartments/rooms I was looking at earlier. So, I spend the next 3 hours online making plans. I start turning my small trip into a weekend vacation at the coast for my sister's whole family. Even though this is all outside my budget for this trip and no one has asked me to do this. I get a wake up call from her grown daughter who tells me the house on an island with the 15 minute ferry ride "sounds kind of limiting". I'm slightly piqued she isn't excited about the weekend plans I am making, but I cancel the house and book the studio apartment in town for myself.

(those ungrateful son of a b--------, I grumble to myself)

A few hours later my other sibling tells me about a personal situation he is going through and I start mentally obsessing (and yes, googling) over this clearly "unfixable" happening that is his story and that needs to resolve itself in its own time. I am wishing he had shared this with me sooner (he is only telling me now because I invited him on my small trip). He is not looking for me to fix anything. And yet, I put this weight on my shoulders like a cable knit sweater.

By last night, my right shoulder, which had been feeling pretty good, was throbbing. I sit down to write this post and look at the chart for this Full Moon and see very clearly the "savior" complex I use to keep myself separated from other people and create situations where I get to "lose" and where I get to "avoid" my own stuff. I see how this is playing out in my third house of siblings (where my natal Mercury, Virgo's ruler, calls home).

This is how Full Moons work. Now that I see it, I can't "unsee" it. It's the elephant in the room. I can coax the elephant back into her dusty, neglected corner by distracting her with a bag of peanuts or I can thank her for showing up and allow myself the uncomfortable gift of unraveling her presence and letting her go.

This is an important two week period as we begin the count down to the next New Moon, New Year, Eclipse Season!

I will do a full week post later today. We have a Virgo Moon on Monday and Tuesday, so get organized and be productive. Great energy for dealing with the details!

Get out and walk in tonight's Full Moon - what is ripe for release in your own life?

Here is a great little video "everything we know about addiction is wrong" - very applicable to the energies at play here. xo all

6 comments

DancingMooney said...

I've been thinking about quitting Soap, Cat. And for some reason this morning I woke with it heavy on my mind, like I'm just ready to let it go... but then I look at this open space about what my plan B is... but I am so scared to just up and change everything!

What I've been doing for the last several years just isn't profitable. It's not. And when it is... I feel like I've worked so much harder, than for the money I've made.

For some reason the thing that holds me back is the guilt. Like I feel guilty, thinking about quitting my best selling item... and possibly loosing many of my repeat customers over it... I feel guilty because I'm concerned about the monetary goal, and the bigger picture of the things we are trying to do with our lives... and how selfish that is, how that's the complete opposite of being of service to others.

Then... I think, couldn't I be more to others if I had more income flowing? For example, I hide from the idea of making friends, because I can't afford to do anything fun because I'm not making enough money... I could spend more money on things from other small businesses if the funds were there for me, too. there are so many things I would love to own, but I can't afford to buy them! The list goes on.

But see! I feel selfish for thinking that way. That maybe my focus is on the cash flow, and not on the work itself... of how I can be of service to others, and NOT think about the money that might follow. But it's a two way street and I feel so pushed and pulled by it. AAAHHH!!!

I feel superficial when I say these things, because I'm not a materialistic person, but there is a goal of a lifestyle I want to live, and starving artist, was never it. Simplicity yes, to live in a small town and have a quiet life yes... It's not about being able to buy more 'things' or have more money to spend... more so it's about having a more fulfilling life, being more enriched by my business, so that I can live that life I dream... and spread the love, from the wealth too right? And I do KNOW these things are already mine... but I also see how I'm always feeling suck, and starting back at square one again, as you would call it... so there.

Sorry for such a long post. I was going to email you instead but then I thought I might write an even longer book. Ha! :)

"we are being shown what stands in the way of, or the difference between - what we want and what we have or where we are and where we want to be"

Catherine Ivins said...

Hey Janell- OK first your 'service to others thing' which for most people is not a real thing, is actually a real thing to you - lots of Virgo energy plus your Pluto in the 6th house of work - so yes, one of the things you are here for is to service people in some meaningful way - on the other hand you remember that airplane thing where we put the oxygen mask on our own face first - that applies, too!

Jupiter is in Virgo. You were born with Jupiter in Virgo - that makes this year your Jupiter return (!) - which is a big deal and it can make you feel exactly as you describe - an urge or strong desire to do all you can, for more abundance including money, to experience everything to the fullest. It's a wake-up call year!

Many astrology sites online will tell you just having Jupiter in Virgo and being a Sun Virgo means you will have a lucky year this year, but what it really means is expansion. If you are in a space that is too small, the expansion may not feel good. It’s like you are wearing clothes that are too small now. It could feel like you don't have enough. Life is trying to give you a bowl of cherries and you are walking around carrying a thimble. There is no way for the bounty to come in from the place you now occupy. Also if you are not lining up with the trajectory you intended for his lifetime, life won't expand you in the wrong direction with a Jupiter transit, so you will just sit with that tight feeling.

Now Jupiter has spent much of your bounty year retrograde (which has sucked for Virgos) - BUT he moves direct May 9th (13 degrees) and then when he gets to around 20 degrees he will start pinging all your natal planets in Virgo (Sun and Jupiter!) and waking them up!

You were born with a north node (your north star intention for this lifetime) in the 4th house of home and family - when you act for the sake of your OWN happiness, to further a healthy home life or to nourish your own emotional growth, good luck will follow - this is your karmic path.

You were born with 4 planets (a stellium) in your 5th house of creativity, inner joy, love affairs, children, luck. This is where you are meant to SHINE.
If I look at your solar return chart for THIS year this stellium is in your 9th house – this is about your beliefs - mundane, religious and philosophical. It's time for reassessment. Take a closer look at the structure underlying your actions and decisions. This would be a great year for you to return to school or for long distance travel or to publish something.

There is nothing greedy about wanting more than you have. Greed is when there is this bottomless pit! I remember when I was in banking and I just wanted more time and then I had a seasonal mall business so I had more time but then I wanted more money and then I made more money but I wanted to travel but couldn't leave my business .... we always want something else. You definitely shouldn't feel guilty. The striving matters and is necessary!

Maybe making soap or not making soap isn't the real question - maybe thinking about what's next and taking steps toward that will make this old stuff literally dissolve. You won't be making soap because you won't have time to make soap. You really set up this lifetime to focus on home, family and that 5th house - maybe working with children in some way? The 5th house is about creativity - that's what you need to focus on - the creative aspect - the service to others will take care of itself when you do that.

Catherine Ivins said...


I think if our business isn't making enough money and we don't want to do it anymore anyway (and I'm not saying this is the case, but if it is) then it's like the universe is firing us - either start a new business and I mean totally new, something that excites us or if we are stuck with what to do and nothing is really exciting us - just go get any job and let life lead us into the next thing .... or if money isn't that pressing learn something new and see where that leads.

also this feeling is familiar to you because you were born with Jupiter conjunct your Sun, a lucky placement but it could give you the perpetual feeling of "not enough" - it can also give you optimism, luck through men and make you a very natural guide or counselor! something to think about. Also you've got Pluto in the 6th house of work- so you need work that is compelling, but something you can walk away from on a Friday afternoon! xo

DancingMooney said...

Hey Cat, thanks for the reply! :) Hubby got into an accident today.. he is OKAY, but the truck is a bit smashed... threw a funk in my plans for today, but that's okay... because he is okay. :)

I kind of felt like I had already made up my mind about the soap this morning, it just came to me out of thin air, so I went ahead and put it on sale and sent a message to my newsletter people and left it at that.

I love what you've shared with me but my brain is mush at the moment so I'll come back tomorrow and read again.

Yes you are right it's not about soap or not soap... and I kind of already knew that... it was more about how we are supposed to be of service to others, and all I can think about is how to make more money! :)

I do have a plan B. It's not solid, but it's a plan... and I'm going to let it flow wherever it takes me...

Love to you. Catch up soon. Thank you for all of your insight.

xoxo!!!

Catherine Ivins said...

Oh no- so glad he is ok! Take care of each other! xo

hcrenwick said...

Cat - thank you for your wonderful insight. This just speaks to my heart on so many levels.

"Some are seeing how this dream of what 'could be' is interfering with our appreciation of 'what is'."

Since the Virgo new moon I've worked on integrating my purpose (serve others with love) into the daily flow of my life. While the journey's been invigorating, I still, from time to time, feel my perfectionism churn to the surface. And it makes me so frustrated.

When I read the above line from your post I had an epiphany! I've been fighting my perfectionism - trying to strong arm it into submission - when I would benefit more to sit with it, listen without judgemental confrontation, and (hopefully) integrate this perfectionist 'need' so that it can be healed. I must see it, and love it, for what it is.

So, thank you for your wise words. 😊