Full Moon Astro-Tarot: Expansion and Growth
November 23rd brings a full moon in Gemini, opposite the Sun and Jupiter in Sagittarius. The luminaries have only just moved into their respective signs, with the full moon exact point at 0° Gemini / Sagittarius. This in itself suggests a powerful shift, with the peak energy of the full moon heralding a new beginning. There's a sense of adventure about this moon and even a sense of optimism. This is a full moon of ideas, of seeking, of curiosity. In some ways, we might see curiosity as what makes us human, the urge to know, to understand, to find meaning. For its own sake, for the wonder and awe and joy it brings us, the sense of fulfilment and connection. Gemini is all about making connections, about forming links. These connections might be with other people, with an idea, with a set of beliefs. Whatever it is, it teaches us something. It expands our world, our mind, our self, and that's what this full moon is all about.
The Sun in Sagittarius forms a wide (for a full moon chart) conjunction to Jupiter, teacher and priest of the zodiac and ruler of Sagittarius. At home in its own sign, Jupiter lives large, broad and high. There might be a whole other post on Jupiter in Sagittarius, it's only been there for a few days and will stay there for the next year. Jupiter in Sagittarius takes us to the furthest reaches of our imagination and shows us the view from there. We may not know yet where the next year will take us, but this full moon offers a hint, a suggestion, maybe even the first steps on the path. Meanwhile, the moon in Gemini is ruled by Mercury, currently retrograde in Sagittarius, encouraging us to turn our focus inwards and learn about ourselves as well as the world around us. Old friends and old dreams might reappear or we might find ourselves examining old beliefs, questioning our own ideas and the ideas around us.
So there's plenty of wisdom and understanding at this full moon. But the journey might not be as well signposted as we'd like. Mars and Pluto make an awkward aspect just a few hours before the full moon, bringing resistance, defensiveness, even denial. What we learn may make us uncomfortable, shattering our illusions and bruising our ego. But this is exactly the kind of experience which expands our vision, asks us to imagine a completely different way of being. We might just find that what we get at this full moon is the irritant that seeds the pearl and sets us off on a whole new path.
So here's this month's full moon tarot wisdom reading, with a little help from Smudgekin the cat (who thinks a pendulum is for pouncing on, apparently).
Full Moon in Gemini - How can we make space for our minds to expand? Queen of Cups
In the Greenwood tarot, the Queen of Cups is the heron, and she counsels us to be still and let our feelings flow. Gemini is an air sign, more inclined to logic and objectivity than feelings. But our ideas are more influenced by our feelings than we might realise, especially the unconscious emotional patterns which are set down early in our lives. Heron's message is that there are treasures and even nourishment below the surface of our minds. But digging around for them will just make the water cloudy. We have to wait, with as much focus and clarity of purpose as we can. And then be ready to strike, the moment that what we are seeking rises to the surface. We may not know why it's important, at least at first but the Queen of Cups asks us to trust our intuition.
Sun conjunct Jupiter in Sagittarius - How can we make space for our selves to expand? Eight of Wands
This card is usually about movement, speed, rushing ahead. But here the wands all point into, or maybe radiate out from a central point. This is the core energy which sustains everything - the fiery heart of a planet, the hearthfire at the centre of a home, the inner spark which drives us onwards and gives us the energy to reach for our dreams. There's so much energy in this card, compared to the stillness of the Heron. So much movement. We are still in the dark season here in the northern hemisphere, waiting for the light to be reborn. But our inner selves are alight with inspiration, with visions of the new cycle and where it might take us.
Mars semisquare Pluto - What is the grit that seeds the pearl? Five of Stones
The storm rages, but we watch from the safety of our cave, content to wait it out. We don't need to engage with the drama. Mars and Pluto both carry lots of energy and power and we need to be aware of how we focus and direct it. Are we fighting for a genuine cause, for something bigger than ourselves or are we motivated by something more personal? This card seems to bring together the energy and stillness of the two previous cards, the peace of the cave and the dynamic energy of the storm. A storm is good Mars-Pluto symbolism, shaking up the atmosphere and re-setting everything. What remains, when all is calm again?
You can use this spread to do a personal full moon reading - I'd love to hear what it has to teach you!
The Sun in Sagittarius forms a wide (for a full moon chart) conjunction to Jupiter, teacher and priest of the zodiac and ruler of Sagittarius. At home in its own sign, Jupiter lives large, broad and high. There might be a whole other post on Jupiter in Sagittarius, it's only been there for a few days and will stay there for the next year. Jupiter in Sagittarius takes us to the furthest reaches of our imagination and shows us the view from there. We may not know yet where the next year will take us, but this full moon offers a hint, a suggestion, maybe even the first steps on the path. Meanwhile, the moon in Gemini is ruled by Mercury, currently retrograde in Sagittarius, encouraging us to turn our focus inwards and learn about ourselves as well as the world around us. Old friends and old dreams might reappear or we might find ourselves examining old beliefs, questioning our own ideas and the ideas around us.
So there's plenty of wisdom and understanding at this full moon. But the journey might not be as well signposted as we'd like. Mars and Pluto make an awkward aspect just a few hours before the full moon, bringing resistance, defensiveness, even denial. What we learn may make us uncomfortable, shattering our illusions and bruising our ego. But this is exactly the kind of experience which expands our vision, asks us to imagine a completely different way of being. We might just find that what we get at this full moon is the irritant that seeds the pearl and sets us off on a whole new path.
Full Moon in Gemini - How can we make space for our minds to expand? Queen of Cups
In the Greenwood tarot, the Queen of Cups is the heron, and she counsels us to be still and let our feelings flow. Gemini is an air sign, more inclined to logic and objectivity than feelings. But our ideas are more influenced by our feelings than we might realise, especially the unconscious emotional patterns which are set down early in our lives. Heron's message is that there are treasures and even nourishment below the surface of our minds. But digging around for them will just make the water cloudy. We have to wait, with as much focus and clarity of purpose as we can. And then be ready to strike, the moment that what we are seeking rises to the surface. We may not know why it's important, at least at first but the Queen of Cups asks us to trust our intuition.
Sun conjunct Jupiter in Sagittarius - How can we make space for our selves to expand? Eight of Wands
This card is usually about movement, speed, rushing ahead. But here the wands all point into, or maybe radiate out from a central point. This is the core energy which sustains everything - the fiery heart of a planet, the hearthfire at the centre of a home, the inner spark which drives us onwards and gives us the energy to reach for our dreams. There's so much energy in this card, compared to the stillness of the Heron. So much movement. We are still in the dark season here in the northern hemisphere, waiting for the light to be reborn. But our inner selves are alight with inspiration, with visions of the new cycle and where it might take us.
Mars semisquare Pluto - What is the grit that seeds the pearl? Five of Stones
The storm rages, but we watch from the safety of our cave, content to wait it out. We don't need to engage with the drama. Mars and Pluto both carry lots of energy and power and we need to be aware of how we focus and direct it. Are we fighting for a genuine cause, for something bigger than ourselves or are we motivated by something more personal? This card seems to bring together the energy and stillness of the two previous cards, the peace of the cave and the dynamic energy of the storm. A storm is good Mars-Pluto symbolism, shaking up the atmosphere and re-setting everything. What remains, when all is calm again?
You can use this spread to do a personal full moon reading - I'd love to hear what it has to teach you!