Astro: Full Moon in Gemini
7/12/2022 @ 4:08
All hail & Welcome to Astro: Full Cold Moon in Gemini. This months full phase has the Mars retrograde in a close conjunction, also in Gemini. This Full Moon is along the Gemini-Sagittarius axis of the mind & knowledge, so we will find that learning, travel, communication, understanding & how we act or react will be highlighted during this phase. We may find ourselves weaving our magick in finding the balance between that of the Gemini twins of mortality/ our physical being & immortality/ our spirit.
This will be the last Full moon of 2022 according to the Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Furthermore as we journey toward Winter Solstice/ Yule here in the Northern hemisphere, we find ourselves slowing to the beat of retreat to our inner sacred space, whilst many are racing toward events which could cause burnout. Its up to us which pathway we choose. So, lets crack on with the final full moon of 2022 & all the cosmic forces have in store for us.
Naming the Moon
Naming the full moon phase is an international phenomenon. Each geographical area has its own unique agricultural or ecological events which helped to produce a name for each full phase moon.There are many names for each moon, depending on where you are from or what it is you believe in. The moon takes approximately 28 days to go through her cycle, in which time she goes through the same process which the Earth & Sun take a year to cycle through. Each phase has a relationship to us humans and how we interact and feel within the world in which we live. We have lived our lives by the moon throughout time immemorial. Lets take a look at the naming of the moon around the world and its significance to the ancients who named the full phase. The Native American names for December’s full moon are Cold Moon & Long Night Moon. The Montana tribes named this moon the Younger Hard Time Moon, and is a precursor to next month’s Hard Time Moon. In China it is the time of the Bitter Moon, a reflection of the dipping temperature? In India we are in the month of Margashirsha when the Margashirsha Purnima is observed. Hindu devotees worship the Moon God as it is believed that on this day, the Moon was blessed with Amrit, known as the nectar of immortality. The British Medieval Celtic names for the moon are Full Cold Moon & Oak Moon, Oak being the symbol of the ever revolving battle between the lighter side of the year & the darker side of the year. In many Pagan traditions these are represented as battling kings Oak versus Ivy. Finally in the Druidic tradition of Ogham, we are in the month of the Elder, so this will be the Elder Moon, also known as the Moon of Endings. The tradition of elder is that it has the most amazing self healing properties, bouncing back to life even after it has been cut back, quickly making reparations to itself, so as to spring back from recovery. Known as Ruish in Celtic, this moon is creative & has the element of renewal. It is also known to be the time of new beginnings & endings, a symbol of the cycle of birth, life, death, rejuvenation & rebirth. Elder has been used for protection against negative entities & energies. This month is connected to Faerie & nature spirit magick.
Astrology
Ok, there is a lot going on for us all at this time of year and it is so out of synch with what is occurring in nature. There is also a lot going on in Astrology and the cosmos too, so its going to come down to your personal values, ethics and self awareness, as to how much of the festive season we absorb. Being a little more self aware, knowing when it is down time, You time, is very important to avoid burnout. Be careful which functions you choose to go to and be aware of how draining this can be on your body & mind. In addition, you will experience many people who do not like this season for many reasons, please be kind, as you really don’t know why they may dislike this time of year or find it so difficult. With that said, lets crack on with this full moons energies & aspects.
When the moon reaches full phase, for us it usually indicates a culmination of intentions set at new moon & actions toward that intention which come to fruition. However, there are moons throughout the year which act a little like markers for us to use our hindsight in effectively understanding the processes of the past six months & the theme we wish to carry with us on our journey through the next half year. This is one such marker as we end the last full moon of the year in a Gemini moon during Sagittarius season.
Full moon phase will be with a Sagittarian Sun shining on to our ego and external selves. Sagittarius is a fire sign and has been adding friendly, open minded philosophical qualities to our month. This sag’ Sun sits opposite the Moon in Gemini. Gemini is the sign of the mind, an air sign of communication. Gemini is of the lower mind & Sagittarius of the higher mind. So this moon phase looks a lot like there will be a revelation in communication. As the Full Gemini moon asks us, to think logically, Sagittarius Sun is requesting for us to use this thinking in a much wider scope, for the fuller picture to take form. Here we are also being encouraged to embrace both sides of Gemini, the human & spirit parts of us, find the balance between what you need & what you find joy in.
Full Moon is a time of culminating energies connected to that which we began at New Moon. This is also a time of releasing that which no longer serves our purpose. That which we can leave behind & learn lessons from will be highlighted. In addition, we can take this time to look back over the past 6 months. Something that began in May will now be coming to its fruition or close. With this illumination occurring in our lives we will experience emotional revelations, fresh ideas pushing to be aired. We are being reminded that our ideas must first be thought out, so take time to make sense & understand anything that comes to you or is calling to you, to realise that which nourishes. When we use our hindsight during these times, we find clarity surrounding past events & even more so our own actions & reactions, in addition to the feelings of others.
Ask
What was happening in life during May 2022?
What new venture began for us in May?
How has this worked out?
Is there more to come or is it time to release?
What lessons can we take from this to enable forward motion?
Finding that which nourishes physical & Spiritual us is so important during this moon phase. It may be time to release some things which have become stagnant & irregular. It may be time to speak the truth & relinquish the pain, grief, guilt, heal the wounds, bare them to the Air & allow them to be carried away on the wind.
Planetary aspects to Full Moon
On this occasion we shall discuss the main influence of Gemini Full Moon. Mars in retrograde (Rx) sits in conjunction with Full moon Gemini opposite Sagittarius Sun. Mars Rx is not as talked about as Mercury Rx, which occurs more often, although indeed it does deserve a lot of attention. Unlike the frequency of Mercury, Mars takes 2 years to revolve around the Sun & will retrograde every 2 years for 55-80 days. This retrograde will be in force October 30th 2022 - January 12th 2023.
Mars rules passion, action, assertiveness & initiative. Mars’ retrograde introduces us to strong will, desire, boldness & self assertiveness. In this instance sitting in Gemini, we consider these attributes within the sphere of Gemini areas of the mind, knowledge, travel & communications. Mars is honest but lacks the mindfulness of other signs so can seem rude, impatient, crude & may place assertiveness without thinking of repercussion or offending. This really is an indicator of wishing to get things done, a very Mars trait!
In Gemini, we find Mars to be verbally assertive, passionate about words or conversation, impatient & changeable. With this in mind, it’s a good time to ground & find centre, think before we speak, revise our use of language, take into consideration how raw something may sound or present itself to the recipient. Be aware of passive-aggressive communications. We may have been deliberating in anger with no form of release. Re-evaluating the things we’ve been allowing, having internalised & created emotional turmoil, is now highlighted. We may have been using distraction tactics to avoid problematic situations or conversations. In addition, there may have been times where we have been overthinking or replaying old arguments in our minds, which has the effect of preventing forward motion. These are the areas that will be highlighted for our attention.
Impatience may also play its part in our personal sphere. Mars rules the hands & arms, so get those hands working in favour of creating, sorting, clearing. Mars Rx in Gemini wants us to use our manual dexterity to overcome & release. Giving ourselves permission to become more patient whilst being proactive is a great way to harness the more assertive qualities of Mars Retrograde. Mars Rx is not a time to make rash decisions, rather to finalise with thoughtfulness & patience.
Mars Rx not so goodness can manifest in gossip, anger & misinformation. In addition there could be manipulation & arguing for seniority. Furthermore, we could experience fear of forward motion during our desires to socialise. We may feel frustrated, jumping from one too many unfinished projects or social events to another in an attempt to complete or be seen. In these instances it is better to stop to understand where this need is coming from, honour that part of ourselves & acknowledge that we only have a certain amount of energy which at this time of year can reach burnout easily. Prioritise one thing at a time, one step at a time toward our goals, in patience.
It seems we may need to practice patience & reservation at this time as well as reorganising our thoughts & speech to be sure of positive communication. Its good to be in the know cosmically. Being able to recognise these characteristics playing out in others or ourselves gives us a much wider perspective.
Finally, the softeners to this conjunction could come in the guise of Moon Trine Saturn, which can help us plan ahead & make things workout for the best. In addition a loose Square to Neptune will offer us inspiration & creativity.
Astronomy
Astronomical events for December to January. Hold on to your hats & eyes to the skies for a real astronomical feast this next four weeks!!!! We have 3 meteor showers including the biggest annual light show aka the Geminids shower.
December
8 - Mars at Opposition.
Mars at its closest approach to Earth, its face fully illuminated by the Sun, will be at its brightest & visible all night long. The best time to view, photograph Mars with a medium-sized telescope allowing you to see some of the darker details of the planet's orange surface.
13, 14 - Geminids Meteor Shower.
Geminids is king of meteor showers, considered to be the best shower of the year, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at peak. Created by debris left behind by asteroid 3200 Phaethon, discovered in 1982. This shower runs annually from December 7-17, peaking this year on 13th- 14th. A waning gibbous moon blocks the fainter meteors this year. Geminids are numerous & bright & should still offer a good show. Best viewing from a dark location after midnight with meteors radiating from constellation Gemini, appearing anywhere in the sky.
December 21 - December Solstice.
December solstice occurs at 21:40 UTC. The South Pole of the earth will tilt toward the Sun, having reached its southernmost position in the sky, being directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice/ Yule) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice/ Litha) in the Southern Hemisphere.
December 21 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation.
Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 20.1 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury being at its highest point above the horizon. Look for low in the western sky just after sunset.
December 21, 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower.
Ursids, a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour, produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, first discovered in 1790. The shower runs annually from December 17-25, peaking this year 21st- 22nd. A nearly new moon will leave dark skies & should offer a good show. Best viewing, just after midnight from a dark location, meteors radiating from constellation Ursa Minor, appearing anywhere in the sky.
December 23 - New Moon.
Moon located same side of Earth as the Sun & will not be visible in the night sky. Phase occurs at 10:17 UTC. Best time of the month to observe galaxies and star clusters as no moonlight interferes.
January
January 3, 4 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower.
Quadrantids is an above average shower, producing up to 40 meteors per hour at peak, thought to be produced by extinct comet known as 2003 EH1, discovered in 2003. The shower runs annually from January 1-5, peaking this year 3rd -4th.A nearly full moon will block out fainter meteors, but you’ll be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing from a dark location after midnight, meteors radiate from constellation Bootes, appearing anywhere in the sky.
January 6 - Full Moon.
Moon located on the opposite side of Earth as the Sun, its face fully illuminated. Phase occurs at 23:09 UTC.
And so…we come to the end of another Astro Full Moon article & to the last but one writings of 2022. My gratitude to you for joining me on this cosmic adventure, I look forward to journeying with you again. We have a new moon in Capricorn 23rd December, between Solstice & Christmas, please join me then.
I wish you all a very Merry Yule & a fabulous festive season. Remember to take time for yourself between all the events you may be attending, or simply relax into your beautiful, natural sacred cave to inner workings, new ideas, dreams of manifestations, ever evolving…..
In gratitude, love, light & all betwixt
Sheela
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Credits
Publications
Hall, J. 2019, The Astrology Bible, Godsfield Press, London.
Online resources
Adhar, S. 2021, https://ancientfootprints.wixsite.com/ancientfootprints
Images
Horrorsceopeslovetoknow
NASA