The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 19, 2024, is perhaps the most beautifully complex full moon I’ve seen in a while, maybe even in my astrology career, and I am excited to tell you more about it!
This Full Moon presents two powerful T-squares, which are highly charged aspect patterns in the sky that create triangular tension, urging us to find solutions to the conflicts they inevitably bring to the surface. (Just to ground my previous sentence with applied math: a T-square is an intense aspect pattern formed when two planets are in opposition (180° apart) and both are square (90°) to a third planet). At the exact moment when the Full Moon forms at 27 degrees of Aquarius, Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius and astrology, and the bearer of sudden change and disruption, will be at 27 degrees of Taurus, creating a square to both the Moon and the Sun-Mercury conjunction at 27 degrees of Leo. This alignment may bring a strong push for us to break free from old patterns, especially those tied to our values and self-expression. The Uranian influence challenges us to embrace radical shifts and rethink how we communicate and connect with others, particularly now, when Mercury is retrograde, inviting us to commit to introspection and revision.
Simultaneously, another T-square forms in the sky between Saturn at 17 degrees Pisces, Jupiter and Mars at 17 degrees Gemini, and Venus at 17 degrees Virgo.
This T-square highlights the tension between our responsibilities (Saturn), desires (Venus and Mars), and the pursuit of growth (Jupiter). Saturn in Pisces asks us to understand our boundaries and fears with compassion, while Jupiter and Mars in Gemini push us to explore new ideas and possibilities, but with a kind of a restless energy. Venus in Virgo, on the other hand, calls for a grounded and practical approach to our relationships and values—remember, our relationship with both sex and money is ruled by Venus.
Yes, this interplay of energies can feel overwhelming; in fact, it is overwhelming. But it also provides a great opportunity (thanks to Jupiter’s involvement) to realign with our true path if we can look at our lives and integrate both discipline and flexibility. Be gentle with yourself during this time, because both T-square alignments are uncomfortable, and this discomfort is felt deeply in the body.
The planets themselves are uncomfortable too: Saturn, the planet of structure and boundaries, doesn't swim well, so it’s been struggling in the boundless ocean of Pisces since March 2023; Venus is in her fall in Virgo, making her feel out of place and critical; Jupiter, although often seen as the great benefic, is in detriment in Gemini, where its expansive nature is scattered and less focused; and Mars in Gemini is restless and frantic, flaring up our nervous system and causing anxiety.
In the sky, these are just energies, but when mirrored in our bodies, they become very tangible, resulting in minor or even serious health problems. As navigate through this astrological weather, it’s crucial to remember to care for our bodies with mindfulness and compassion. Allow yourself to rest, and don’t hesitate to say no to invitations when you feel overwhelmed and overextended.
When planets light our way, like they are doing at this moment, we must work with them. We must ask the right questions and focus on finding the answers. Let’s pause here for a breath: the key is not the resulting answer, but always a step before that—the key is always the right question.
Further on, if we work with planets, the answers we seek never result from any of the planets individually, but from the relationships they form with one another in the sky above. The questions you’ve been asking me, such as: “Oh, Alex, what will this Full Moon bring to me; or what does this Full Moon mean for me, don’t have answers simply because these are not the right questions.
The answers we are looking for aren’t merely outside of us or hidden somewhere within us—they are found in ways we relate to the world around us. We can only learn who we are, what we need, and what we can give through our relationships with others.
This Full Moon, because its T-squared relationships with other planets, beams over our relationship patterns that are intrinsically complex.
The popular astrology teaches us that Aquarius tends to be a loner, an individualistic spirit, a revolutionary…so I can understand this hype around the idea of tending to your own needs and feelings, I can relate to the experience of noticing a bulging desire to break free or be alone, detach, retreat… However, the same individualistic Aquarius is also the keeper of the community. Aquarius symbol is the water bearer—the one who brings water, the synonym for life—to others. Nobody can survive without a community, but within any community, we can’t shine, thrive, or contribute if we don’t maintain our own sense of self.
Always remember this: Aquarius is about balancing individualism with community work, knowing that both are essential to our existence. The planet Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius and astrology, is at home in the constellation of Aquarius but exalted in Scorpio, which means that the sky is also found deep within us, in our psyche, and in the waters that run deeply below the earth.
Last night, my teenage daughter had her friends over, and she told them how I can say the most controversial thing ever with a smile, and then, just a breath later, ask everyone if they need anything. Her Moon is in Capricorn, so she’ll always carry tighter boundaries over what is proper to say or do, and what isn’t. And I disrupt her worldview every single day—always offering her yet another perspective.
An Aquarius Sun or Moon can’t stand small talk or conversations that lead to quick agreements. Aquarius people exist within communities to bring up themes and issues that will spark heartfelt discussions and debates. Our job is to serve this planet by disrupting the status quo because, without disruption, there is no progress.
We can do this on a small scale daily by asking our friends the right questions that will lead them to deeper thinking, or on a larger, community scale by making our work more public and raising disruptive or controversial questions to a mass audience.
These letters are my way of disrupting your (un)comfortable life.
This brings us to why this Full Moon in Aquarius on August 19 is such an important date for breaking out of any chains. My lovely friend Lada, a Croatian painter, said to me a few weeks ago: “I am banging my head against the walls of my own making.” “Have you considered tearing down one of your walls?” My Aquarius Moon asked.
As a funny parallel to breaking free, here’s how the discomfort of the T-square with the Moon, Uranus, and Mercury retrograde played out for me.
I’m spending this month at my friend’s home in Seattle, and while they’re gone, I’m doing my best to care for a pair of dwarf hamsters (rodents disgust me, and they always appear in my nightmares). These hamsters live in their separate cages, and my younger daughter plays with them daily. Last summer, just before the Aquarius Full Moon, we lost one to illness, and (following my friend’s request) we replaced her with Daisy 2.0 (an upgrade, so very Aquarian). A few days ago, I noticed that Daisy 2.0 wasn’t moving in her cage, and I was terrified by the thought that she might be dead too. I couldn’t bring myself to put my hand in the cage, so I waited for my friend to come over that night to remove the dead hamster. But when Jenn put her hand in, she didn’t find a hamster. Little Daisy 2.0 had broken free from a completely closed cage. But where did she go? The door leading to the garden had been open all day. Adding some Pluto at o degrees of Aquarius vibes...
This is a metaphor for Uranus energy, showing how ready the planet is to break free from the Taurus constellation—a literal cage for Aquarius’s energy. A little creature found her way out, yet here we are, still banging our heads against the cages of our own making.
We found Daisy that night in the pantry, nibbling on some crumbs (very Taurean), and she was incredibly thirsty when we put her back in the cage. The water came from us—the family, the community. When I later spoke to my friend, she was surprised she hadn’t told me that Daisy 2.0 often runs away (a classic Mercury retrograde story of a missing piece of information). I have been hovering over Daisy’s cage the last couple of days, watching her literary bang against the wires, searching for an opening—is she trying to break free again, or she’s simply trying to find her true path?
This leads into the deeper meaning of this lunation.
The Full Moon in Aquarius of 2024 is beaming over whatever “real work” you need to do in your life, and at the same time, whatever “real work” we, as a society, need to start doing so that we can consider future lives on this planet that is our only home.
As a writer and astrologer with an Aquarius Moon and rising, I will be the disruptive messenger you need today, and I won’t leave you with the horoscopes you expect to read. Instead, I’ll offer you some prompts that might spark the right questions you need to ask yourself tonight—so you can move closer to finding the answers you seek.
These first two questions are for everyone, and below you will find more specific ones for your rising sign (I always suggest reading for both your Sun sign and rising and combining the answers).
What part of your life needs disruption or revision?
What aspect of your persona needs to break free or perhaps break bad?
Aries
How can you break away from old routines that no longer serve your growth or threatening with an OCD?
What new challenges or adventures are calling to you that you’ve been hesitant to pursue?
Taurus
In what ways are you clinging to familiar comfort that might be holding you back?
How can you redefine your relationship with security, both materially and emotionally?
Gemini
Are there truths you’ve been avoiding to express, even to yourself?
How can you disrupt the false narrative you’ve been telling yourself and others to create a more authentic story?
Cancer
What emotional ties are keeping you from stepping into your full power?
How can you balance nurturing others with the need to nurture your own ambitions?
Leo
Where have you been resisting change out of fear of losing control?
What would happen if you allowed yourself to be vulnerable and open to new perspectives?
Virgo
How can you disrupt your need for perfection to allow more flow and spontaneity into your life?
What habits or routines are overdue for a shake-up to make room for growth?
Libra
In what ways are you compromising too much or not compromising at all in your relationships?
How can you assert your individuality while maintaining harmony with those around you?
Scorpio
What deep-seated fears or grudges are ready to be released?
How can you transform your inner world to better align with your outer goals?
Sagittarius
Where have you been holding back from expressing your true beliefs?
How can you disrupt the status quo in your life to create more space for exploration and growth?
Capricorn
How can you break free from rigid structures or expectations that no longer serve you?
What would it look like to embrace a more flexible approach to your ambitions?
Aquarius
What part of your identity needs to be expressed more boldly in your community?
How can you disrupt the societal norms to create more meaningful connections with others?
Pisces
Where are you escaping rather than facing the reality of your situation?
How can you bring more clarity and intention to your spiritual and creative practices?
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