the astrology of the Full Moon in Leo | January 28, 2021

On January 28, 2021 at 2:16PM EST the LEO Moon will oppose the Aquarius Sun, giving us this month's Full Moon - our annual Full Moon in Leo.

Full Moon are oppositions. They bring things, already in play, to a culmination, a conclusion/result or into the light.

Leo represents me/ego, the king, the space we are meant to shine, generosity and fun and romance and children and creativity. The shadow of the Leo archetype is a kind of arrogance or greed or self-importance, but what you will find with most Leos is that they have a presence - they impress us. Sometimes it's hard for other people to relate to Leo as "one of us". There is dignity here. Leo rules the space we are meant to shine through self expression, so yes, the energy needs a lot of attention and needs to feel special. And because there is a need to leave a legacy here, things can get overblown. Leo has trouble with 'humble' (hence this energy leads us to the next sign - the 'humble' Virgo). Leo is ruled by the Sun and MUST shine (the Pluto in Leo generation isn't called the 'Me Generation', for nothing'). It is attached and emotionally reactive.

Aquarius energy (where is Sun is now and opposing the Leo Moon) is the opposite side of the same coin. It's the energy of "we/the group". It is detached (this doesn't mean unaware or uninvolved) and emotionally non-reactive - note I mean the energy and not Aquarius people, no one is just one thing! It doesn't need to feel special because it already knows it is special. It knows everyone is special (which kind of means no one is special, so you see where Aquarius energy is headed). Co-ruled by Uranus, Aquarius is the sign of the genius, the rebel, the criminal. The Aquarius space in our chart is where things will work best by being 'outside the box'. It is unpredictable. Aquarius doesn't do humble either. It's hard for other people to relate to Aquarius as "one of us", too.

The first thing we see with this chart is this massive Fixed T-Square! Oh mama!

Let's unpack the chart!

The Moon and Sun are opposing at 9 degrees - Leo/Aquarius. the ruler of this lunation (ruler of Leo) is the Sun. The Sun is also EXACTLY conjunct Jupiter (!), squaring Uranus, Mars, Black Moon Lilith and asteroid Albion (in Taurus) and sextiling Chiron in Aries. The Moon is EXACTLY opposing Jupiter, also squaring the Taurus planets, trining Chiron, EXACTLY conjunct Asteroid Hygiea (one of our significators/stand-ins for the virus) and trining Juno (in Sagittarius). Venus is EXACTLY conjunct Pluto. Ceres is conjunct Neptune (separating) and Ceres/Neptune are squaring the Nodes (also separating). Ultimately there is ALOT of energy answering to Saturn, strong at 4 degrees Aquarius.

Whew- there is alot going on! Where to start?!

Since this is the Moon's show, let's start here. We talked about her opposition to the Aquarius Sun. She is also opposing Jupiter. Jupiterian aspects are mostly a good thing, but the opposition can make something too much. Maybe we are feeling a push to make a bigger/faster move than is wise. With the Moon in more-is-more Leo anyway, this "too-much" thing, could really be too-much. Situations could get overly-emotional, overly dramatic.

Our feelings could be out of proportion to what is actually happening, and sometimes during detached Aquarius season this can be a good thing, but maybe not, so keep this in mind.

At the same time, the Sun - and remember this isn't just any old Full Moon's Sun, the Leo Full Moon is the only Full Moon that is RULED BY THE SUN - is conjunct Jupiter. That "luckiest day of the year thing" you sometimes hear astrologers speak of, and happening at the Full Moon really gives this some staying power! Of course, it complicates things, too, because we don't get this 'luckiest day of the year' as a stand-alone thing. It comes with all this baggage. And we know this - just look at the world, our community, our home, our heart! Jupiter is luck, expansion, hope/optimism/faith, that stretch outside our comfort zone. Conjunct the Sun speaks of something BIG. No BIGGER. No, maybe even BIGGER.

This is a very POWERFUL reminder that with all this detached/scientific/future-focused Aquarius, we can't lose sight of our own heart. The way we personally shine. The center stage that sits empty when we don't fill it. Whenever we are having trouble in our life/feeling small (yes, I sound like a Simon and Garfunkel greatest hit here) - we can ALWAYS go to our Sun for warmth/love. What sign is your Sun in? What is that energy all about? What house does the Sun rule in your natal chart (your natal Leo house)? What is the theme of that house? This stuff is all powered up now.

The Sun and Moon are both squaring Lilith, Mars and Uranus in Taurus. This stuff is in various states of applying and separating. Basically our Taurus house theme is bringing the tension/frustration. This can bring sudden breakthroughs/breakdowns/break-ups. With the Moon in 'center-stage' Leo - maybe sudden ATTENTION. We just don't want to be too impulsive/erratic/angry here and undermine ourselves somehow. Get attention for the wrong thing! Keep in mind this is all fixed energy, so everyone is all dug into their positions and not wanting to budge. T-Squares are mega-powerful and no joke.

Sandwiched between Mars and Uranus is Asteroid Albion. Albion is an ancient Greek name for the Island of Britain (maybe even the first name of Britain). In myth, Albion was a son of Poseidon, in some tellings he was identified as 'Aquarius' - son of Poseidon and the Goddess Brittania - which would have made him a full God, so even more powerful. He was on the Aries point at discovery in 1992 and I remember seeing him in prominent places when I was looking at the Spanish Flu/Black Plaque and our current corona virus. He can catalyze major cultural changes and is a connector/bridge-builder (think technology here, but also the way things like viruses move from one person to another). Joined by Uranus, Mars and BML at the point of the T-Square we can be assured of sudden and unexpected shifts! And we can see this in the world. This is what is happening.

We can think of an opposition as opposing energies (because it is) and then the point of the T-Square - see the red lines in the Full Moon chart above - is a way of connecting those opposing energies. But because this connection comes through the creation of multiple squares - the Sun to these Taurus planets and the Moon to these Taurus planets - the connection comes through tension/frustration/challenges BUT it is still the CONNECTION!

The open leg of this thing in this particular chart - drawn up for the United States is that 5th house - Leo's natural house. Our heart, love, fun, joy, romance, recreation, children, creativity. The missing leg is WHAT IS MISSING. We need to find ways to bring more of this into our lives here. Also Scorpio which rules intensity, depth, sex, big money, merging/purging, life and death.

The Moon is trining Chiron (the Sun is sextiling), so something healing here. Our vulnerabilities/old woundings will not be a bad thing. They are helping us now. That Sun/that Leo energy. Get outdoors. Play with children. Make love. Make ANYTHING. Do something you love to do or plan for it. The Moon is conjunct Hygiea so a reminder to pay attention to our hygiene/our daily practices that keep us healthy. The virus is on our minds/driving our passions, but this is not all about hand-washing, This can be about getting our hair done or getting dressed. Remember this is royal Leo. When I say get dressed, I mean get DRESSED.

If we have been neglecting this kind of self-care, we will benefit from paying attention to this now.

The Moon is also trining Juno - the best aspect in astrology - in Sagittarius. Growth/expansion through our relationships. Our beliefs connecting us. Optimism. Faith. Our relationships have been sorely tested and it's nice to see a positive aspect at this powerful Full Moon!

Venus is conjunct Pluto at 25 degrees Capricorn. This gets a little darker. More intense. But also powers up (since Pluto rules Scorpio) that empty Scorpio house - the missing leg. Obsessions/control issues/jealousy. We could be attracted to someone/something for its deep pockets/mystery. Something - a person/situation/idea - can grab hold of us and (fingers snap) we are hooked. Note - this is a fast transit and these attractions can end just as quickly unless you have something in your natal to support this. Maybe happening on the Leo Full Moon this is about 'being seen' and 'risking rejection'. This aspect now also speaks of our deep NEED FOR LOVE/intense connection.

We need to be a little careful here, because happening at the Full Moon amplifies any obsessive feelings - I must have this or I will die! - and speaks of trouble if we move too impulsively.

Bottom line for us collectively - this Full Moon is about our creativity/our natural spotlight, our passions, love, children, recreation and balancing this with our friendships, the needs of the group, tech, the future (the Leo/Aqua opposition). The healing (and opportunity) comes through being ourselves, taking care of ourselves. We can get attention/love/fun from what we do now.

We just don't want to be too impulsive/passionate/angry in a way that might cost us too much - resources/self-esteem/money/security (those Taurus squares). We want to use these tensions/frustrations as a bridge. Our career/professional life is pulled into the mix with a significant result AND new start. Illusions should be fading now as we reach for land/more solid ground. Just note - we don't want our compulsions/desperation driving this train, so, let's stay in our HIGH heart. And our head.

Happiness will come when we BALANCE detachment (from an outcome) and passion (for a process),

when we balance the outsider and insider perspectives,

as we move from unique idea to passionate creation and from passionate creation to smart thinking,

from the audience to the stage and from the stage to the audience,

when we balance the group's impact/influence and what we are proud to have personally created,

as we move from trauma, chaos and PTSD toward influence, effectiveness and leadership.

This is a process and we are all in this together, but we are not just one giant lump. We are together and we are alone. This is how it has always been, but now we have physically manifested this, so we can SEE IT most clearly before we move forward.

For today, imagine someone is watching everything you are doing.

You have an audience.

How would you do today differently? How would you look, dress, sit, move. What would you say? What would you do? Start with that.

xo all

And don't forget to get outside and walk in this Moon - even if you can't see her, she is there. Excuse any typos, having internet trouble here and just want to press PUBLISH before I lose it again!