THE LEO FULL MOON

Greetings friends,

This full moon has me feeling quite inspired and empowered, as it’s all about protecting your “sparkle.” I talk a lot about authenticity—we need more of it in the world. This full moon discusses how even in the pursuit of being authentic to ourselves, we may unintentionally dilute who we truly are, as we perhaps get swayed into being how we think authenticity is supposed to look, as ironic as that is.

I have felt SO exhausted by this full moon and have not been sleeping well, so I’m going to keep this little introduction brief, but I’ll briefly note a couple of things about authentic expression, as it’s something I’ve spent a lot of my life trying to be more aligned with. Expressing who you authentically are can feel like a bit of a paradoxical experience, as you have to risk rejection to be celebrated. Authenticity is not motivated by the approval of our peers; rather, it is motivated by the devotion to our inner truth, however that may flow from us. It is a leap of faith that we must fully commit to, but oftentimes doing so brings us the most rewarding experiences. Showing up on this platform authentically has connected me with some of the loveliest friends and has taught me so much about who I am and what I feel called to do.

With this full moon, there’s potential for drama to ensue, as the moon in Leo can be a bit theatrical with its emotional expression, and we still have Mars retrograde in the moon’s sign, Cancer, meaning that people who are operating through unhealed wounds that they refuse to acknowledge may utilize guilt as a means to gain your sympathy. This is not to encourage skepticism or criticism toward others but is a reminder to see through the act and prioritize what adds to your brightness. This moon may be having us reorganizing our lives to honor our authentic expressions and individual needs with a bit more integrity. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this installment, and I wish you a happy (and restful) full moon.

xx, Aspen

HERE’S THE BIG PICTURE

The moon in Leo is theatrical, as I mentioned, which means that there can be a great deal of generosity and love within their hearts that Leo moon natives joyfully give. However, in its unevolved state, the Leo moon can become a master of disguise and will “fit the part” that they think will best fit the environment they find themselves in. This, over time, can result in a disconnection from the true self and intuitive body; they may have a hard time differentiating what is the true them and what is an act. And this is what this full moon is illuminating to us collectively.

We are perhaps being made aware of how we have attempted to play a role in one way or another to win public approval or the applause of our close connections; perhaps we’ve been identifying how we’ve been curating a persona that we think other people will like and are becoming exhausted from holding it up for so long. Leo is governed by the sun—our life force, vitality, ego, and star power. This is the part of us that is brightest and warmest, the part of us that makes us shine. Under this full moon’s energy, we are being asked what is more valuable to us, maintaining the persona that may dull our light but is loved by many, or dropping the act to restore our light, but potentially be misunderstood, or even rejected by those around us. We are likely recognizing that we cannot do both, as we’ve perhaps tried to and have worn ourselves thin in doing so.

This moon calls directly back to the Aquarius full moon that happened on August 19th, 2024, as it’s participating in some very similar formations to the planets that were activated six months ago through that lunation. That full moon participated in a T-square to Uranus and happened shortly after a Mercury cazimi; this full moon does the exact same thing. We also see Mars and Saturn forming an aspect to each other under this full moon, just as they did under the Aquarius full moon six months ago, but their aspect at present is symbolic of the growth that is the result of the frustration or difficulty we were going through back in August. Lilith is also an active participant in this moon, adding a level of rebellion that is encouraging us to stop conforming to old identities and submitting to societal pressures. I go further into this in the Moon Circle if you’re interested in hearing the details.

Because of the similarities between the Aquarius full moon and this full moon, we may be revisiting themes that we encountered in August but are perhaps sitting in the seat on the opposite side of the proverbial table. This may feel like a full circle moment in some capacity, or at least a significant checkpoint in the development of something, as this full moon is essentially supporting us to see things from a higher perspective so that we might release the ego’s attachment to what it has control of right now. The ego is a funny thing, as it is the twin of authenticity, the “shadow side” of it, if you will. This is not said to demonize the ego, as it has a role in our lives—it is a built-in protection system that is meant to keep us from potentially harmful experiences, but sometimes it can over-exert itself and keep us in comfortable but restrictive spaces for too long. The ego likes to have control, which can make evolving difficult for it to face, as this requires a release of control so that something new can be developed. But this full moon reminds us that in order to empower ourselves in a more meaningful way, sometimes we must let go of things that provide us with the illusion of power.

We’re being asked through this lunation how we are pretending to be something we are not and are reminded that, if we are “playing the part” for the sake of others’ happiness, doing so is not as noble as we may think it is. This moon asks us to recognize how we are perhaps playing the role that we want to be in others’ lives, not the role we are meant to. You may want to be the hero in everyone’s story, but maybe that’s not what you’re supposed to be—maybe you’re the villain that sparks that person to become their own hero. That’s not to say that you should terrorize other people by being inconsiderate of their feelings, but it is a reminder that, at the end of the day, you can’t please everyone, and sometimes recentering in your own storyline means that they may villainize you to cope with your perceived betrayal.

This moon talks a lot about perception. It reminds us that the best way we can help other people is by being authentic to ourselves—leading by example. Authenticity is often put on a pedestal as a deeply inspiring thing to embody, which it is, but it can also be very triggering. Being authentic often acts as a revealing mirror to those who play the part they feel comfortable in but do not feel intrinsically resonant with. Authenticity involves the full, raw truth, which can often involve things that we are socially conditioned to keep to ourselves and instead say something nice. There is quite a bit of tough love in this full moon, and you may notice that you are both the receiver and giver of it under this influence. Perhaps you are facing ways that you have betrayed your authentic self in an attempt to be the savior to someone else or play a role that you’ve played for so long that it’s expected from you by everyone you know. Maybe, in making the adjustment to return to authenticity, you’re delivering some painful truths that will force others to look in the mirror and reckon with their own identity and the characters they’ve played.

Being authentic to oneself can create a domino effect around you—it may feel as if making one small adjustment to honor yourself leads to a whirlwind of chaos in the connections and social groups around you. But after the dust settles (i.e., after a bit of time has passed and in retrospect), everyone involved will likely acknowledge the role that shift played in their lives, no matter how big or small of an impact it had. Perhaps some will feel bitter, perhaps some will feel gratitude—it doesn’t really matter; everyone’s responsible for their inner truth, and how they choose to interpret what “the truth” is is entirely up to them.

This moon encourages us to be a lighthouse, not a search party. Heading out into the proverbial storm to help others make it back to shore will likely only get you lost too. We’re advised to be a beacon of light and to not dim our brightness for anyone(!!) so that we can help guide others home to themselves without having to get directly involved in the work that is theirs and theirs alone to do. Those who try to sustain themselves through the light of others will always end up hungry; they must learn to cultivate it within themselves to find sustainable joy, confidence, and trust in themselves. Similar to last month’s Cancer full moon, sometimes the best way to truly help someone stand is to let them fall.

Light cannot exist without dark, and to find the light within ourselves, we must venture into the darkness. No one can do that work for you—they can try to delay it or lighten your burden, but ultimately, the work is yours to accomplish. This moon reminds us to remain in our role as the main characters of our own stories so that we don’t disrupt the character arc of others. Shine your light unapologetically and allow others to receive it however they choose to. You were never meant to be contained.

JOIN THE MOON CIRCLE

If you’re interested in reading a more detailed analysis of this full moon and want to receive the journaling prompts and mindfulness practice that I designed with this full moon in mind, you can join the Moon Circle through the button below. By joining the moon circle, in every moon newsletter you will receive:

• Detailed analysis of additional planetary influences and any prominent aspects that will be active during the lunation

• Manifestation practices, release rituals, journaling prompts, and other moon-related offerings

• Description of what it means if the new or full moon is contacting your sun, moon, ascendant, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Lilith, North Node, or South Node

If you’re curious about what the Moon Circle is like but don’t want the commitment, you can get the analysis for this full moon alongside 36 journaling prompts (3 for each sign) through the button below. In this offering, I discuss how this full moon ties back to the Aquarius full moon and how it’s partaking in a series of fixed full moons, which will be completed with the Scorpio full moon in May.

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