A Full Blue Moon in Pisces Shines Upon Mutable Earth & Waters

{~10 minute read... or listen to me speak about even more here on our new podcast!}

Hello to you as you are in this moment.

*My hope is that this Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are, and is a reminder of your inherent enoughness and interconnection to the whole.

Pause

Pausing into the present...

Today I write to you from where the loons cry for silence and the pine sap sticks to my fingertips, inviting me to slow down. I honor the invitation and sit in half shade so I can feel both the sun and the trees gentle breeze.

A week of rain is fortunate but will also make you appreciate these moments even more. I am almost always filled with a mixture of gratitude and grief, for where I am and what happens elsewhere as greed-driven disasters take these moments of peace and privilege away from so many. My practices teach me I can hold both.

My body is waning into its release & reflect phase, deeper into the luteal depths where I am invited to honor more time for rest. Rest is a mixture of privilege and prioritization, yet I now realize I do so when I can, for more than just myself. I rest for my ancestors who could not, I rest for those who choose or think or are told they cannot. I rest to contribute to the movement of reclamation & cyclical remembrance.

Perhaps it's this upcoming full blue moon in pisces that reminds me of how we do nothing alone. (Someone shared a quote related to this from The Nap Ministry's Rest Deck and I can't find the photo now, but I plan to get this deck soon! It's been stuck in my head since.)

A blue moon happens once a year as a second full moon within a month when there is usually just one, and this year ours is in pisces as the start of virgo season. I may feel the deep pulsations of the interconnected ocean & space often, but the brings it to a new level in all realms, phases and places. My body feels there are answers or pause points here.

Sometimes rest is not doing nothing, but doing what is restorative, nurturing, even playful, creative or regenerative.

Even if you are not where the sap meet soil and shorelines, these elements are always available for you, too. I hope you feel their messages here through.

Notice

Current cycles and energy...

Our second full moon of August takes place on Wednesday, August 30th at ~9~:36 pm. EST in the watery mutable sign of Pisces. This of course opposes our sun newly in virgo of mutable Earth.

As always, this peak of the lunation cycle is just that; the energy of a transit affects our collective before and after this moment as well. Additionally, we continue to integrate the lessons of a transit well after it shifts - whether we're aware of it or not.

(If you're reading this at a much later time, it's still relevant to reflect on your life around this time/Virgo season, especially in comparison to what's happening now.)

As we near the end of summer in the northern hemisphere, I feel quite a bit of fomo (fear of missing out). Is August’s end the time of regret? When here summer's end nears and I think of all things i didn’t do, won’t be able to do in a month or two? ...like swimming :"(

This fresh energy of the Sun in Virgo in its early degrees is opposing the upcoming Full Moon in Pisces, so you may be feeling the feels, too. And if there’s resistance to face them, or confusion, even numbness, you are not alone!

Virgo season transitions us into the layers of mutability within the Earth; there is a beauty and a fault to constant change and connectivity… or is it just the condition of being part of a time and space of living contradiction?

Through a mercurial tonality, Virgo energy invites us into the deep complexities, beyond efficiency or productivity, but further into the truth of reality.

Maybe it’s just my natal mars/chiron/midhaven conjunction in my Virgo-ruled 10th house opposing Saturn in Pisces that makes this time extra potent for me. If that was jibberish to you, no worries - it just means I have a lot of healing and complexity in this area I'm working with! But to be honest, I think this links to my purpose in creating Cycles Journal and the work I do in the world both inside and out.

Hand with a quote written on top holding moss

What house does Virgo tone within your chart? Are there any planets near or not? Even if you don’t know all the layers or the houses in your chart, what does this time of month feel like to you?

Full moons are both a time of tension and illumination. Illumination can be casting light into dark corners, as much as it could be feeling uplifted and empowered. Sometimes both? There is a complexity and a familiarity to duality, yet that doesn’t make it any easier to be present with as human being!

Moving into harvest season is a time of abundance and also easily a time of rumination on what never fruited or formed. There is a simultaneous letting go, collecting our resources, preparing for the next season, and still basking in the dreaminess of summer. This moon is inviting us to remember that it’s not over yet, but also that there is always so much magic, fluidity and possibility that lives within each of us - no matter the season!

Pisces energy is dreamy, subconscious and limitless. It's an inter-connective water sign of seeking and sifting through the depths of emotion and creativity. Watery pisces asks us how we feel in forms of non-fixity? Where does pisces exist in your chart, or how does this energy feel to you?

With our moon also conjunct Saturn retrograde in Pisces around this time, the planet of time and structure may create some tension and feelings of contraction holding us back during this flowing time that seeks open expression and integration. Yet Virgo is a sign that blends form with flexibility, mercurial analysis with a rooted heart-center.

I have hopeful feelings for our time with Saturns in the 12th zodiac sign of Pisces which remains with us until mid-2025. It feels like collective support from elsewhere into new beginnings as well as the closure of endings. But maybe i’m biased with my natal placement there, even though it doen't come without struggles and inner conflict, as Saturn hangs out in the house of my natal placement and I near my saturn return. :) Look to your Virgo and Pisces placements and/or the house that these signs rule in your natal/birth chart to see where this full moon is shining into your life. As always, if you don't know the technicalities, what does this feel like to you?

P.s. also note that Venus in Leo & Mercury in Virgo are also retrograde right now, so there's a lot of reflective requests happening!

I have some fun prompts for you below, but first...

Allow / Flow

Behind the scenes of creativity / reflections on recently...

A friendly reminder that Cycles Journal is discounted until the end of August! I'm not sure when the next sale will be so it's a good time to secure yours, and grab the current year for 80% off while you're at it!

Currently Reading:
I'm someone who reads multiple books in various genre at once to keep my neurodivergent brain engaged, yet somehow they always connect back to one another.

The Madonna Secret by Sophie Strand - if you like historical fictions and are curious about the mysteries of Mary Magdalene.

You Are Only Just Beginning by Morgan Harper Nichols - if you like poetic illustrations and inspirational musings.

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown - if you like self-empowering research on building shame resilience and challenging norms.

a note of transparency that these links support both indie bookstores and myself through affiliation if purchased, because I believe in the power of print, indie bookstores, and accessible knowledge-sharing!

& SPEAKING OF BOOKS.... We started a Casual Reading Club inside Cyclical Community. :) Hope to share the love of reading with you there!!

Listening to...

Moving On by Clap! Clap! + Martha Da'Ro if you want something to move to.
Birthright by Sarathy Korwar if you like poetic commentaries with beautiful instrumentals.
Blockhead by DEVO if you want a nerdy alt-rock throwback.
also I've been working on some Phasic Playlists I might share soon?

Writing...
I'll share some new poems soon, but for now you can check out my Medium writings to see what I've already shared!

If you missed it...
If you missed it, I shared the story behind the cover of Cycles Journal last week. It was a much more intimate share than I anticipated, but I'm happy to let you know about the love and humanity behind the creations!

What I've been working on...
I'm really excited about the creative projects I'm working on right now! :) I'll share more about what I've been drawing soon, but first I'm almost ready to share something I've been waiting to release!

There's a methodology & guide I've developed that I feel will really support your practices - within Cycles Journal or in any form of reflection, healing and self-care really - that I'll be sharing next month (right around the corner!). So stay tuned~

Reflect / Release

Invitations for you to sit with - you can pull cards about these, meditate on them, and/or reflect in your journal or notebook...

Where are you resisting change?
Where could you use more anchoring?
What does this astrological season or time of year feel like in your body, mind & spirit?
How do your inner cycles align with these outer cycles?
What are your recent dreams telling you?
What can help you tap into your limitlessness?

Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
*Creator of Cycles Journal

All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3

p.s.

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