Full Moon in Virgo: No Words


Consciousness is like a river. William James was the first to coin the phrase calling it the “stream of consciousness” in 1890. According to psychology consciousness refers to our awareness of our own mental processes, such as our thoughts, feelings and sensations. It's likened to self-awareness and the ability to introspect, or look inward and examine these processes. I have heard this referred to in a collective sense in that the collective conscious is also like a river continually flowing by in the energetic sphere. Many, including myself, belief all have access to this river of collective information and are even able to capture a cup of wisdom from it from time to time and bring it back to share. The thing about that being research studies have shown that we only are able to experience one mental event at a time within the quickly moving mind stream. So, even though there are rivers of information inside of us and oceans of information all around us, our cups can only capture “one mental event” at a time for our personal study.


Thich Nhat Hanh advises the Buddha taught that consciousness is always continuing, like a stream of water. He believed that consciousness has four layers. The first being mind consciousness or “working” consciousness. It is the part that worries and analyzes. The second is sense consciousness which refers to the information we take in through our 5 senses about the world around us. It tells us if something we touch is hot or cold gathering information from eyes, ears, skin, mouth and nose. The third layer is store consciousness. According to Hanh, this type of consciousness operates by warehousing and processing absolutely every bit of anything we've ever encountered making decisions and determinations often outside of the realm of the awareness of our mind consciousness. He advises store consciousness is the ultimate decision maker that ultimately drives our bus but also maintains that we have the power of influence over it. Additionally, he says that all these levels continually consume information and that if you are around a group of people, store consciousness is fed by their consciousness which then also effects what it is we think is beautiful, or acceptable or what have you. He says that individual consciousness is influenced or even partially made up by the consciousness of our collective. Finally, the last layer is called Manas. This is the layer of consciousness that is deeply seated within store consciousness and determines a sense of separateness of self. Meaning, this is where we form, “I am.” It's IN the collective sea...so in order to get to it you we must mindfully delve into the territory of the subconscious to discover it. For some, this is done through the act of meditation.


This energy of what is conscious and what is not along with the final declaration of “I am” echoes at this Moon. Let's imagine we were in a large shopping mall. Some folks are there with friends. Others are coupled with some flowing through the crowd solo. Sitting on a bench in the center of a busy walkway the faces and actions of these folks can blend together until they seem like a constant evolving river of faces. Until your mind catches the glimpse of a face that is familiar. And at that time, the conscious brain engages at this recognition saying “Oh...that's Susie. She is...whatever.” This Moon, plucks us as individuals from the seas of the collective and recognizes us in the same way saying “Oh, this is Josi. She's an..” Who we are is reflected back to us through the collective consciousness, in other word



The Full Moon falls with the Sun and the Moon at the genesis of Pisces and Virgo respectively on 2/19 at midday on the East coast. The sabian symbol reads as follows:
1 Pisces: A public market. Themes can emerge in that there are many sounds and so much in the way of physical sensory stimulation that it all morphs into nothing like the steady stream of evolving faces and blended together sounds we experienced in the shopping mall scenario. We can feel drowned out. Lost in a crowd
1 Virgo: A man's head/In a portrait, the best of a person's traits and character are idealized.
(idealized...is echoed in Mercury in Pisces conjunct Neptune and Sun in Pisces) Bovee states key word as “Character” Do we change when we are “lost in a sea of people?” According to Hanh we are at the very least influenced by this as our store consciousness gathers all the various stimuli. But, there is still the core that is dictating “I am.” So while me passively watch the sea of people go by with some folks fine with just “blending in” others may strive to more fully define or separate themselves from that sea. How we perceive that scenario is as individualized as that core seat of “I am” and all dependent upon how the layers of consciousness process the information. This Moon being suggestive of having our “I am” reflected back to us or recognized upon one or more of those faces in the evolving sea of people whether we consciously realize that or not. When we say, “Hey...that's Susie! She's whatever” our description of Susie is filled with determinations from our consciousness and they may or may not have anything to do with who Susie is as a whole. However the introspection of our personal declarations and determinations about Susie? Those can really tell us a lot about ourselves and how it is we project the information from our personal conscious processing onto the world and the folks around us. Either way, as I've said, who we are is reflected back to us by this Moon. It's up to us recognize that and then determine...is that the character I'm deliberately trying to craft here?



This Moon is going to look big. She is at perigee here...that's as close as she gets to us in her orbit. That is indicative of the emotional impact feeling big, too. And, if the skies are clear in your neck of the woods (which will be rare as this is a wet atmosphere) she will also be pretty. Like a watercolor painting. The wetness will likely continue, however. Mercury is in Pisces and will remain there a good bit. But, you never know. We have quite a good helping of Earth energy, also. Some folks may end up with a brief dry out.
Mercury, the ruler of this Moon, moves away from Neptune now. He is moving toward a square with his traditional ruler, Jupiter, which could manifest in the weather a few ways. Could be a warm up. Could be a down pour. Either way, in true Jupiter style, at the very least the weather will be prominent (Big). A a production or dramatic presence, even.



I found it particularly interesting that as I was writing about this Moon...there were not many words coming through. But, WOW...did I get inundated with songs, pictures and lines from movies/poetry the longer I stared at the chart. I've tried to sprinkle a few of those in here. Yet, that experience itself is reflective of this sky along with a full illustration of how stored consciousness can flow through with pictures and music it has collected and categorized over the course of a lifetime. Plus, there is very little air (no words) save Juno newly in Gemini. There are a few sparks of fire, plenty of Earth but in the season of the fishes it is water that is most prominent. Not to mention the fact this is also where we find this Moon's ruler trapped (as I've mentioned) between his two rulers (Neptune/Jupiter).
As this Full Moon perfects, Mercury sits on the degree upon which he will turn direct following a period of retrograde. In other words, he enters his retrograde shadow at this Moon. On March 6, we leave the space of time which held all planets direct. Mercury turns retrograde at 29 Pisces and travels all the way back to the degree we find him at this Full Moon where he turns direct on March 29. He will not leave his retrograde shadow until April 18 when he finally enters the fiery realm of Aries.
Anything found in the sign of Pisces is inundated and immersed in the seas of consciousness. Often accused of being “day dreamy” or of not “paying attention”...usually what I've found with Pisces or 12th house folks is that it is not a lack of paying attention that is mostly at issue. It is that they are so sensory sensitive it's more like there is way too much information for them to sift through in an effort to choose just one wave. In other words, to me it's less not paying attention and more like being a psychic sponge that is so internally busy processing everything that it is coming into contact with that its rather easy to drift off and away on one of those passing ripples.



During the early part of this year, much change swirled around us at the ecliptic but we've laid pavers and sown seeds during that time which we will revisit again throughout the year. It zipped by rather quickly (save the sentiment that January normally feels like a year all its own). But, now, time begins to slog and our feet begin to feel like they are sinking in the mud created by the strong mixtures of Earth and Water. So, here we are...by some accounts feeling stuck. Why not use that time to do a reassessment of our plans while also integrating what we've learned so far before springing off to start something else? New ideas are gestating now and will continue to incubate for several more weeks. Pisces is representative of the time of gestation itself. The seas of collective consciousness natives find themselves in echoes the feel of being surrounded in amniotic fluid when we were embryos. We are quite vulnerable in that gestation state but if our boundary against the fully developed world is healthy (the womb that carries us) enough to protect and feed us properly, eventually we are able to burst out of that amniotic sac and begin our animated living journey. Thus, at this season of gestation our personal boundaries need to also be just as healthy...to protect us as we gestate in preparation for the coming forth of birth or spring.

Mercury's own sabian at this Moon is reflective of that “Birth/rebirth” anticipation or celebratory feel. It reads “An Easter promenade.” A celebration of rebirth/spring. An awakening. So we may stir in anticipation of being born since Mercury sits midway through the sign of gestation. But, the actual full birthing of ourselves as a result of this mental review that will shift how we perceive the world around us and within us doesn't fully occur until after this retrograde completes.
The incoming retrograde of Mercury is also relevant in terms of reviewing the stay of Chiron in Pisces on a personal level. We can integrate what we have learned through that transit. It's also good for reframing perspective upon personal memories, issuing/accepting apologies, working through emotionally themed issues, delving into music, art, illusions, dreams, encountering mistruths, misinformation, expressing remorse or allowing yourself to escape/forget former entrapments of the mind. It's not a good time to take information at face value but, rather, to watch the language that is spoken beneath the surface of the words. Non-verbal expressions speak volumes as well as the energetic information you can receive on a personal level in any situation. The ability to focus will wax and wane accordingly as Mercury shifts in and out of aspect with Saturn and Pluto. “Facts” change as well as the stories folks tell and it may be hard to pin down what is real versus what is not throughout. The image keeps shifting...changing...like looking through a lens on a camera that's having trouble with it's autofocus function. It's likely that memories will drift in and out like that too...and our perspective may shift in and out in regard to those as well. What matters throughout that process is noticing the parts of you that are reflected back to you and deciding if you are being that consciously or if there are deliberate changes in self expression that you would like to make. It's also thematic of accepting this information as it comes. It is what it is as you sit at the helm of yourself deciding if “it” shall remain “as it is” or can be healed and brought forth in a more effective and healthy manner. So, again. It matters less what happens in the broad seas around you and more about what you learn about yourself within the reflections of who you are captured upon those waves.


Chiron aspects the full moon by inconjunct from the sign of Aries. We are shown evidence of our wounded selves that was shaped by way of a scarring found deep within our subconscious. It is up to the individual to notice these clues and take the initiative to treat/heal or develop more effective coping mechanisms in light of their discovery. With Mercury in shadow and an emphasis on the sign of Pisces, this can bring forth personal memories or even bring us into contact with former acquaintances. This can be somewhat like attending a 30 year high school reunion in which you meet up folks you knew at that time who come with their own memories and descriptions of you. “Oh! There's Susie. She was the cheerleader or that chic who...whatever” What is said may come as a surprise to Susie because she may remember herself as the shy kid or something different than what the person who recognizes her remembers. That's because what the recognizing person says has more to do with them than it does who Susie was or what it is she has grown into. Allow these memories and reflections upon previous personal “characters” to happen. They likely contain valuable information about how much growth and change you have experienced since the time the memory occurred or provide clues to you about how certain events in your personal history may have shaped the ways in which you operate today without your previous awareness of it. But in swapping memories of times shared, know that each person will have a bit of a different perspective on the event in comparison to yours. Those accounts, though different from what you perceive, may hold valuable information in them for you as well. Which makes listening to them a valuable act.



Not too long after Mercury exits his retrograde shadow in April, it is Jupiter, himself, who will begin his retrograde. Meaning, as the mind shifts, opinions and perspectives change during the Mercury retrograde... all that leads us toward a reassessment of things like personal philosophies, truths and beliefs.
But. Good for straight line communication...it is NOT. For awhile.
The best advice I could offer here is to allow it. Surrender to it. As this is the season we are in and no one really has the power to change or appeal that, right? “It” being the drifty, the uncertainty, the fluidity and confusion of thought. Let your perspective wane in and out. Watch what memories float by. Allow yourself to dream forward. Backward. In technicolor. Because struggling against it will do no good. You cannot fist fight Neptune. He will wear you down one way or another. So, in my opinion, it's much more energetically efficient to just let go and float into it even though it is against my personal nature to do so. But, I've learned it's more self-gentle to allow it to happen than to attempt to fight it only to be forced into it eventually. Besides, tis the year of the Pig. When in mud, might as well wallow in it. Since that's the cycle we are in here. The muddy part where nothing has been set in stone yet but trapped and forever shifting within the creative gestational process.



It is energy of the feminine type that is the most pervasive at this Moon. Water and Earth are of this nature. The lack of air here tells me there is a chance for feelings of heaviness...as if we are trudging. As Mars lumbers through Taurus it may seem as if we are stuck in that mud...sunk up no less than knee deep. Leaving our minds to drift as we are stalled. Still. There are flashes...panic...insight...that seem to be attempting to wake us up due Uranus' position at the end of Aries. Chiron at the genesis of Aries echoes the sentiment of not being able to assert ourselves (or move around). Within that mix we could become frustrated. Add to that the fact that we are overly sensitized due the energy coming from the sign of Pisces and we could even flail around within the dynamic of victim, savior or persecutor. Not only wading in the mud but wallowing in it. Those dynamics bring us to our guide's advice for this Full Moon which comes from the Queen of Wands.

From Ciro Marchetti Legacy of the Divine


Upon this Moon, the Queen of Wands comes to us as inspiration. Not unlike a muse. With that inspiration also can come feelings of angst, anxiety...even anger (echoing Uranus' anxious position at the end of Aries). What the Queen attempts to do is metaphorically spark a fire (inspire) that leads toward eventual actual. Our ability to deal with these “sparks” is going to be dependent upon how well we manage Mars energy within our emotional system...as this is what the Queen, herself and at her best, has mastered.
The Queen of Wands is what many would call an “unconventional” mother. She is quite intolerant of tirades and failings of ineptitude or helplessness. She fatigues of our wallowing and whining quickly and circles back to ask..sometimes rather brashly, “Yeah? What are you going to do about it?” She has learned to convert all emotional stimulation into usable fuel. She uses her mad, her frustration, her angst, her worry...all that instead of allowing it to use her. She's not much in the way of a gentle nurturer but she is the Mom that introduces her children to life as an experience. That's her goal. To feel alive while living and to chase down the fiery spices of existence. She's the Mom that takes her kids parasailing, skiing, introduces them to adventure and drips the curiosities of exploration down their throats. She feels the more variety of experience you can introduce yourself to the more living there is in your actual life. She doesn't waste much time waiting for you to decide to join in. She's too busy dancing upon the waves of emotion and consciousness to get drowned by them. Which requires a knowledge of the nature of the sea along with sense of determination, creativity and, sometimes, persistence. On the lesser end she can be stubborn but more often she converts that into tenacity meting out the energetic fuel incrementally in order to meet the demands of the task at hand. And, most of the time, she isn't doing this because she HAS to. She does it because it fans the flames of her own passions.



Her presence as muse and orchestrator of the dance feeds into our evolving state of creation filling us with inspiration of how we can take those creative visions and eventually put them into action. She preaches, “there is more than one way to skin a cat.” Meaning, if we are unable to fight a war hand to hand there other methods out there that may equate to effectiveness on individual levels but you've got to brave enough to try and emotionally encapsulated enough so that you can use the energies at hand to fuel your dance. She advises us to keep our inner creative sparks well kindled and well fed. In these sensitized Piscean energy she advises us to pay attention to what stimuli makes us feel alive and inspired versus what people or situations make us feel more drained, more stuck or more trapped. She wants us to lean into those enlivening experiences and those relationships that give us back just as much fuel as we feed into them. She demands our bravery, our tenacity and our confidence. The only fail is a failure to try or a life spent merely on the couch. She tells us that now is the time of creation and that means it is also a time to seek forth for inspiration and to convert all toward energy that can be used to bring forth the final development of our self-creation.



She encourages us to share that light of inspiration with others. Allowing them to light their wicks upon our flame (to be muse, encourager and inspiration to others) while still maintaining the individual burn found within our own creative spark. We are sharing it. Not giving it away and not allowing it to be diminished but only allowing it to be added to. In a time of creative clay and personal contemplation it is the fire of the Queen that acts like the kiln we put our final sculpture into. The fire bakes the clay to solid form. But it is in the act of shaping it that we seek the inspiration for, now, which eventually brings our final hardened visage of our creative efforts. She asks us to deliberately choose the waves of consciousness we float on while riding the surges in the emotional waves to help propel us forward even if that requires us to surrender to flow for a time. She calls us forth from our complaining and our lamenting and wants to know not so much how we feel about it but more so what we plan to do about it. You going to lay there wallowing and crying forever? Or, are you eventually going to stand back up and live this life and dance this dance? She's patient and persistent in the act of that (dancing the dance and living of the life). But, she's not going to be patient and persistent with you while you thrash back and forth being slain by the increased sensitivity you may feel at this time. What good is it if you don't use it for something? What good is any of this if you don't get up and live it or at the very least exert yourself into it.


In the reflections of ourselves from the collective...when we are shown pieces of ourselves we may not have consciously realized...it matters much less how you feel about the reflection than it does what you plan to do with it. That is the call of this Moon. It shows us who we are and asks “Ok. So what are you going to do with that?” Can you provide it to the collective in service in some way? The Queen says to put those things into full deliberate and conscious action in service to yourself, your life and those amongst your court. The beauty of that being, once you know of this part of yourself, you also (has Hahn suggests), have the power to impact its operations. You know of it now. That gives you the ability to use it. And, that's exactly what it is suggested we do here. Take what it is and creatively shape it into what it is you want it to be. That has nothing to do with anything outside of yourself and your ability to use what you've been “given” or have discovered. Use it to impact the dance and fuel this experience we all call “life.”



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