ASTRO FULL COLD OAK MOON
26-27 DECEMBER 2023 @ 23:22 GMT
All Hail & welcome to Astro Full Cold Oak Moon in Cancer. Welcome to the final Astro article of 2023! We began this year on a Full Cancer Moon & we end this year on a Full Cancer Moon. It has been a tough few years for all of us in so many different ways. We have loved & lost, lived & learned. Everything we have experienced carries with it lessons which help us to grow into the people we are or are evolving into. Whether we have experienced the peculiarities in a good or bad way, there is always something we take from our lessons in life & we should be able to understand this with gratitude. We’ve experienced a lot of change & in affect our daily & personal lives have really taken the toll. In reflection, let us ask ourselves;
what has been my teacher?
What have I learned?
What gifts have I received from my experiences which I am grateful for?
What has helped my growth & evolution?
Astro articles are part of my journeyings through the zodiac wheel & Celtic wheel of the year in addition to the Ogham tree cycle. The aim is to present you with an interpretation of the intricate nature of our cyclical cosmos. I begin by discussing the international phenomenon of naming the moons for this month. I also provide links to sites with dates of celebrations & observances in a non-bias approach to all pathways. I will also discuss the astrological implications of this months full moon phase & how this may effect us. Finally I will list the coming months astronomical events for you to enjoy, weather permitting.
Its all in the cosmos my lovelies. The intricate weaving of the cosmic energies which have an effect on our planet & all flora & fauna, including us as part of the circle of life. So without further ado….
Naming the moons
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 and Oak Moon, Oak being the symbol of the ever revolving battle between the lighter side of the year and 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 and can bounce 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 and has the element of renewal. It is also known to be the time of new beginnings and endings, a symbol of the cycle of birth, life, death, rejuvenation and rebirth. Elder has been used for protection against negative entities & energies. This month is connected to Faerie & nature spirit magick.
List of non-bias websites for observances & celebrations:-
Astrology
December is a reflective time & within this time I often find my truths. What worked out, what didn’t work so well form part of the deep dive I take into my own psyche. The further I go the deeper the questioning becomes & the more startling or rewarding the outcome. I am going to add in some invaluable self questions to the rest of this article as a form of deep dive for all of us into our personal, mental, spiritual aches & pains on this year. You can skip ahead or use these cues to ask yourself key questions which may help you to uncover a personal pathway into 2024. As we began this year on a Cancer Full Moon, we also end it with a Cancer Full Moon, so it is very fitting that we can use reflection & hindsight as a great tool to aid us on this journey of self discovery.
Full Moon is a time of abundance & fruition of that which we began at New Moon. It is a time of full on emotion & aims toward our relationships, Ideologies & romance. It is a time in which we can feel into our emotional ebbs & flow, what we need to be secure, getting support whether that be emotional or otherwise. Each Full Moon represents a polarity between 2 signs in which the Sun & Moon are seated in at time of full phase. The full moon abundant energies can have an effect on both sides of this polarity & finding the balance between both is essential in finding our personal balance. By concentrating more on one highlighted area than others, we can cause the imbalance & chaos within our own lives. The Moon is in Cancer; is about private lives, nurture values & the home. The Sun is in Capricorn; is more about public domain, career, responsibility & renown.
The Moon traverses the zodiac constellations at a rate of approximately 2 1/4 days per sign. The December Full Moon will be nicely placed in its home sign of Cancer. As Cancer is governed by the Moon we can expect to feel the intuitive watery energies of this sign expand into our beings at a great amplification rate.
Cancer is represented by the crab, which carries its home on its back, so we can expect home, relationships, family, important female role models & motherly relationships to play a huge part of what is to come over this phase, as well as feeling protective of immediate family. We are being encouraged by the cosmos to recognise & release old patterns & ways of thinking, to clear the way of those things that have bound us & held us back from achieving the life we have been visualising. We are essentially being asked to re-weave our story the way we want to see it & live it to fulfilment. To enable this flow, we are being brought to a place from which we can recognise our own strength, courage, loyalty & desire to protect our loved ones, all of which are qualities of the sign of the crab. Moreover, at this time we are also encouraged to stand for what we believe in & protect what we really love.
Ask:
What is really important to me?
What do I care passionately about?
What fuels my incentive?
In addition, we will be experiencing the creation of foundations from within which will give us the necessary cornerstone for what we will be putting our energies into this coming year. Think carefully about this.
Ask:
What do i want to blossom in me & my surroundings?
What roots will I put down to grow into a bountiful harvest next year?
Which seeds will serve this purpose?
Remember we are what we think, this is how intentions work. The more energy we put into something, the more we will reap from that space. You reap what you sow! With this in mind, what sort of harvest do you wish for this coming year?
The Moon represents our inner child, inner personality, the past, intuition, feelings & internal dialogue as well as that which we need. In Cancer we are given an opportunity to put our home affairs in order. This is the sign of the home & domesticity, love, unconditional love, home & roots.
In opposition we have the Sun in Earthy Capricorn. The Sun represents our ego, personality, the now, what people see of us. Capricorn is more about our external selves, our achievements, rewards, conditional love, our sense of duty, responsibilities to the outside world.
The Cancer-Capricorn polarity reveals a need to find balance between the oppositions in our lives, the like of which will follow suit. Needs versus wants, home versus work, unconditional love vs conditional love, watery intuitive Cancer Versus Earthy practical Capricorn. We must find the balance between the two in order to forge on in our lives. To ignore one or the other is to our own detriment & will cause imbalance & disharmony in our relationships, home, work & family environments, career & achievements. As we feel the opposing energies of Cancer versus Capricorn, we will be faced with working with both water & earth energies. Water can enrich the earth in which we plant our seeds at new moon, so again think carefully about which seeds we will sow for this coming year of growth. The space where water & Earth meet is also known to be liminal & this moon is still connected to the January Cancer Moon in terms of reflection & closure, so be mindful & gentle on yourself. Self care, honouring ourselves within a Cancer Moon can help us to realign with ourselves & our true nature, guiding us toward greater realisation & compassion.
Full Moon is a time of fruition & a culmination of that which we sowed at new moon or New Year. It is also a time of release. When we release something, we are making sacred space for that which is to come. Ask
What has come to an end for me?
What can I release now that has found completion in my life?
This Moon is a perfect time to do away with old habits, ways of thinking & being which no longer resonate with who we are. We are being asked to get our house in order. That means us, ourselves as well as our homes, families, work - life balancing, responsibilities & our actions toward our own comfort & security.
We may also find that areas of neglect may become more obvious to us. These are in need of our attention. Going inward is a good idea to find answers & bring back some control into our personal sphere.
Ask:
What have I been neglecting?
What has come to me for attention?
How can I approach & make headway in a self caring capacity?
What makes me feel secure/ insecure?
Where can I improve my sense of comfort & security to create a more mindful life for myself?
Planetary Influences
Full moon Sextile (advantageous aspect) Jupiter in Taurus - optimism, hope can help us to be less in our emotional traumas. It can give us more encouragement to attend to realities surrounding emotional events which are in need of attention now.T here can now be a sense of growth in areas that have been too difficult to feel into.
Full Moon Trine (harmonious aspect) Saturn in Pisces - brings a sense of discipline so that we are in control of emotion. We can concentrate on making a solid base to work from. This can bring us a sense of security we have longed for surrounding particular situations.
Both aspects are working well toward the manifestation of a safe space, bringing us a sense of calm. This Moon phase is also about community, being seen, getting together with loved ones & can bring us a sense of belonging …Tribe!
Mercury retrograde & Mars in Sagittarius Square Neptune in Pisces - Warning! be mindful & careful with communications. There may be some drama or deceipt, gossip & nastiness arising, which may have been exaggerated to gain favour. Look out for those who refuse to take accountability for their own actions & situation in an attempt to place the blame on others. Revenge may be playing out by those who feel they have been mistreated. Avoid confrontations which do not concern you, but always be a friend to a friend in need. Use diplomacy & peace.
Astronomy
January 3, 4 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower.
Quadrantids, an above average shower, up to 40 meteors per hour at its peak. believed to be produced by dust grains left behind by extinct comet, 2003 EH1, discovered in 2003. Shower runs annually from 1-5 January, peaking this year on the night of 3rd and morning of 4th January. A waning gibbous moon will block out some fainter meteors, but could still produce a good show. Best viewing fro dark locations after midnight. Meteors radiate from constellation Bootes, appearing anywhere in the sky.
January 11 - New Moon.
Moon located on same side of Earth as Sun, not visible in the night sky. Phase occurs at 11:59 UTC. Best time of month to observe faint objects, galaxies, star clusters as no moonlight interferes.
January 12 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation.
Planet Mercury at greatest western elongation of 23.5 degrees from the Sun. Best time to view Mercury at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
January 25 - Full Moon.
Thank you for joining me on journeying through 2023's cosmic waves of consciousness. Please join me again for the 1st Astro: New Moon article of 2024, on or around 11 January.
My brightest blessings to you all during this festive season. May we all find peace, a sense of safety & security that we can trust. May we allow ourselves to be seen by peeling away the old layers that often misguide us to feel secure. May those we reveal ourselves to be the most receptive & conducive to our brand newness & rawness. May we all be blessed beyond our dreams. A blessed New Year to you all.
In gratitude, love, light & all betwixt
Sheela
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CREDITS
Adhar. S, 2023, ancientfootprints.wixsite.com/ancientfootprints
IMAGES
hororscopelovetoknow
NASA
Timeanddate