We will have our first Full Moon of 2024 on January 25 at 9:53 a.m. on the West Coast, with the Sun at 5° Aquarius and the Moon at 5° Leo. Traditionally, this lunation goes by the name Wolf Moon. In much of Earth’s northern hemisphere right now, it is howlin’ cold.
People whose charts hold personal planets or angles in the early degrees of the fixed signs will feel most strongly affected.
Each month, the fully illuminated Moon highlights a balancing act between two polar opposite signs. At this Full Moon, it’s the polarity between air sign Aquarius and its opposite number, fiery Leo. Both are sociable signs. Both have the character of being unique. Aquarian qualities are more group-oriented, perhaps even objective or scientific in approach. Leo’s modus operandi is to be socially engaged in a way that is individually self-reflective: How can I be my most creative, attractive self? And, how can I get You to notice, and honor, Me?
One of the hazards for a Leonian personality can be excessive concern with getting approval from others. It can be a bottomless pit, and yet because Leo is a fixed sign, the drive for others’ attention will not cease. It’s especially tricky with the Moon in Leo as the Moon represents one’s most pressing emotional needs. Leo’s qualities include charm and a courageous heart. Getting those desired accolades from others is pretty likely.
At this Full Moon, outer planet Pluto will have just recently (January 20) ingressed into the sign of Aquarius, conjoining the Sun and opposing the Moon. Astrologers often overdo it by saying, about every lunation, oh, this one’s going to be super potent! Well, this one will be. Pluto is like something lurking and humming beneath the surface, ready to erupt when least expected. Pluto opposite the Full Moon in drama-loving Leo spells at least a possibility of an emotional outburst, or two.
The tightest aspect at this Full Moon is a t-square with Jupiter at 6 degrees of fixed earth sign Taurus square to the Sun and Moon. A square is a 90-degree aspect of friction that, when worked with skillfully, is a dynamic push for growth. Two squares and an opposition make a t-square. All that tension and, here, involving fixed signs, means we might feel stuck in some kind of a stalemate. With expansive Jupiter in a tense square with the Leo Moon, watch out for exaggeration, grandiosity, pompousness. And, all that stuff may be coming from you and not just from everyone else! The saving grace here is that Jupiter is a beneficent force. In Taurus, the Jupiterian opportunities are for stable, easy grounding.
At the January 25 Full Moon, Mercury and Mars will be traveling together in the middle degrees of cardinal earth sign Capricorn. Mercury’s domains include perceptions, learning and communicating. Mars is assertive action. Capricorn’s style is to build, protect, and to act responsibly, like the proverbial adult in the room. Put Mercury and Mars in Capricorn all together and there’s a call to think, speak (write) and act in ways that are reliable and enduring.
When the Moon was new in Capricorn on January 11 and in the days that followed, you might have set a goal to act on a long-term project. Now at the Full Moon, do a reality check. Have you made progress with this goal? It’s never too late to start.
With Mars and Mercury together in Capricorn, you might want to say or do something useful with some of your most serious thoughts. While the Sun’s in Aquarius, do it for the benefit of other beings, too. And, by the light of the Full Leo Moon, do it with the heart of a lion, as something that is unmistakably, uniquely yours.
Blessings for the Full Leo Moon and with prayers for peace,
~ Sara
Sara R. Diamond, an astrologer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a life-long student and practitioner in several esoteric paths. Her style of astrology combines modern-psychological astrology with insights from traditional astrology. Sara is also an estate planning attorney. In addition, she has published four books on right-wing movements in the United States and earned her Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. You are invited to contact Sara via her website at www.SaraDiamondAstrology.com.
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