The Full Moon in Sagittarius comes exact on Tuesday, June 2 at 12:19 pm EST
Click here to learn about the Moon. Click here to learn about Sagittarius.
All that we aspired to during the Gemini cycle now comes to culmination. This particular full moon was called the Strawberry Moon by the Algonquins of North America as it coincides with berry ripening season. In Europe, it is often called the Rose Moon. The moon will rise at sunset, peak at midnight and set at sunrise.
The Sun and Moon are now in total opposition between mutable air Gemini and mutable fire Sagittarius: intellect vs. spirit. What I feel most viscerally when I visualize this axis is actually harmony - this is one polarity in which the two ends seem to have more in common than not. You may recall that we had a Full Moon in Gemini the first week of December 2014. We have now reached the other end, a reversal of the Gemini-Sagittarius axis. Any themes/conflicts that predominated then will now resurface.
Mercury vs. Jupiter
The Gemini-Sagittarius polarity works to achieve balance between the mind and spirit. Let’s meditate for a moment on the ruling planets of each sign, Mercury and Jupiter respectively. Mercury rules the active, conscious mind; he is swift, versatile and restless. Jupiter is the jolly uncle of the zodiac, the giver of spiritual gifts, bearer of luck. What I’d like to elucidate with this comparison: real abundance comes only when we have first mastered the mind, and in so doing, become fully aware of our thoughts, habits and behavior.
Whereas Gemini abides effortlessly (yet perhaps a bit nervously) in the raw mindspace of waking life and external reality, the Full Moon in Sagittarius yearns to break through that physical reality, to chase after all that is intangible, all that feeds the soul’s endless desire for truth and understanding. The Gemini-Sagittarius polarity lies between words and wordlessness. Gemini immediately resorts to logic or conversation/writing in order to understand life intellectually, but Sagittarius innately recognizes that some things must be experienced to be known: as Tao master Lao Tzu decried, the way that can be named is not the Way. The twins stick together, deeply intertwined in the familiar; the archer shoots bow after fiery bow into the darkness in order to illuminate the unknown.
Open your mind!
Opposite signs on the zodiac wheel have inherent differences, but they also have a lot in common. Gemini and Sagittarius both find their freedom in the mind’s capacity to expand and absorb new information. However, the archer is more comfortable with mystery. There is a certain seriousness to the unemotional, ultra rational approach of the twins. Indeed, the archer is anything but serious. Too much Sagittarius energy makes life feel vague and careless. Too much Gemini makes us tight and rigid, seated firmly in the thinking mind. The archer reminds the twins that it’s unhealthy for body and spirit to lean so heavily on reason alone, unwilling or unable to relax and allow room for uncertainty and the joy found therein; and yet the twins remind the centaur that there is much to be gained from precision and accuracy.
Gemini and Sagittarius are both restless, seeking. The Gemini cycle is an epic journey full of twists and turns. Imagine yourself on this quest, now halfway to the destination. As the full moon rises, people gather from all directions to light an enormous bonfire. Presiding over the flames is Jupiter himself, resplendent in robes of brilliant gold and purple. He laughs and drinks and boogies with all the vibrant humans circling the fire; a drum beat fills the forest, feet pound the earth. The Full Moon in Sagittarius is a reminder that when the road seems to stretch forever and your pack is feeling impossibly heavy, this is cause to celebrate - the burning in your legs, the strain in your heart, the sweat dripping down your face, these are all signs that you are ALIVE, so DANCE.
Your mind contains the entire cosmos
Whereas Sagittarius can be escapist and in denial when imbalanced, Gemini thinks too much, caught in the mind’s incessant squabbling. The centaur sees the best in everyone and everything, always the optimist, but the twins are inclined to critique rather than hope for something more idealistic. Gemini is well acquainted with so-called “reality.” The twins pick apart everything that happens to/around them. Let’s come back to the profound harmony of the Gemini-Sagittarius axis. Those who embody both energies are incredibly open and intellectual, spontaneous and responsible. Be like fire rippling in the wind: a force of breadth fanning the spirit’s embers.
There’s a lot happening right now on this pale blue dot rocketing through space at 18 miles per second, astrologically and otherwise, so let the Full Moon in Sagittarius be a jubilation. Unlike the Full Moon in Scorpio of last month, we are lighthearted and carefree. I suggest a ritual involving fire - invite your neighbors too. You are loved. Namaste.
If you are curious about how this transit affects you personally, please contact me for more insight. To ascertain your personal Moon sign, click here.
Mantra: I invite the unexpected