Full Moon in Aquarius

I acknowledge my oneness and connection with the human community
I am one piece in the grand puzzle that is life
I am showing my unique self to the world, and I am received with love

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Full Moon in Aquarius | Thursday 8/11, 6:35pm PT

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“This Full Moon occurs when the cooperative Aquarius Moon opposes the individualistic Leo Sun. This cosmic coupling allows us see the difference between satisfying ourselves (Leo) and collaborating with others (Aquarius),and helps us understand the relationship between teamwork and individuality. The community-conscious Aquarius Full Moon reminds us that we are part of something larger than ourselves, and that acting on our ideas and ideals will benefit everyone."

~Tarot.com

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"This full moon is in the rational, cool, emotionally detached, innovative, humanitarian and socially idealistic sign of Aquarius. The sun is in the opposite sign (what occurs at a full moon) of the Water Bearer, Leo. Leo is warm, inspired, expressive and performative. Leo risks everything in order to be received by its audience. Aquarius understands itself and could not care less if you do too. It doesn’t have time for you to catch up with it. It can’t afford to curb its own intellect to suit the masses. Aquarius sees above and beyond the rest of the sheep. It arrives at the truth while others are still so caught in the lie they have no clue that there is even a fabrication at play. Leo needs your adoration like it needs air and water. Meanwhile, Aquarius is uncomfortable with overt, explicitly personal displays of love because it’s too concerned with pouring forth water to the collective.

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Leo and Aquarius are two sides of the same coin, a coin we all have in our change purse. Every sign is contained within us. The zodiac is a story of the unfolding of human consciousness. Every full moon is an opportunity to experience both sides of an equation. Month by month we live through the entire mythic journey. This moment in the journey is about the need for personal self-expression (Leo) and the need to serve the collective (Aquarius). It’s about allowing ourselves to burn bright with the fire of our personality and be detached enough to see what any given situation calls for. It’s not all about us but if we leave ourselves out completely we forgo the joy of being playfully present."

~Chani Nicholas

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"While the Moon lands in Aquarius, the Sun sits in Leo. Aquarius and Leo are both concerned with defining our individuality. They both encourage us to know who we are, accept who we are, and be who we are in every situation. They equally inspire us to shed expectations from others, rise above the fear of rejection, and align with our essence. Leo focuses on how we can celebrate our uniqueness and love ourselves unconditionally. Aquarius focuses on how we can celebrate our and other people's uniqueness, understanding that the collective is made of individuals. Where Leo helps us find our self-expression and lead others through our voice, Aquarius teaches us that we have the power to move society forward when we express our truth and take a chance to show up and be seen.

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At the heart of both Leo and Aquarius is unconditional love for all beings. Each of these signs reminds us that love is the highest vibration of all. Leo nurtures love for oneself, which extends outward. Aquarius nurtures acceptance of every person in the collective and love for their unique gifts. Both of these signs help us feel a true sense of belonging with others. They help us acknowledge how we might be betraying our truth to fit in with the crowd and pretending to be something we are not. When we experience true belonging, we can be ourselves and share our truth without fearing rejection. We know we are accepted even if others do not completely agree with our ideas; they still value our uniqueness and what we bring to the table. We each bring something unique to the collective, but all gifts are of equal value. This is the heart of the Aquarius/ Leo axis: to understand that we are all special, unique, and extraordinary. When we know this, we create a collective consciousness filled with the highest vibration: unconditional love for all"

~Spirit Daughter

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Becoming the Water Bearer | Crystals for Wisdom & Compassion

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"The Aquarian idea of life-giving wisdom and compassion is an age-old concept that has been symbolized in many traditions beyond astrology: The goddess Kuan Yin is often portrayed holding a vial or vase, from which she pours out the waters of compassion and mercy to all of humanity.

Pouring out pitchers of water, the figure in the Star card of the Tarot represents seeking and sharing wisdom in the depths of the psyche. You could see spiritual awakening as a call to become the water bearers ourselves--containing our experience with wisdom, and radiating our compassion with effectiveness. What greater human power can there be?"

~adapted from Betty Bland, "The Power of the Water Bearer"

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If you aspire to embody the qualities of the Water Bearer, here are some crystals to work with:

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Amethyst | Amethyst is a stone for serenity, spiritual wisdom, and connection to higher planes of awareness. Amethyst calms the mind and eases anxiety. This crystal works in the emotional, spiritual and physical planes to provide calm, balance, patience, and peace.

Amethyst opens and activates the crown chakra, and assists in the integration of new ideas and new patterns. It promotes awareness and spiritual insight; enhances psychic gifts and intuition. Draw on the power of Amethyst when you desire a deeper connection with Source.

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Lapis Lazuli | A deep blue stone of protection that inspires a deep sensation of peace.  Lapis brings harmony and deep inner self-knowledge in the form of revelations and new perspectives on the self and your experiences.  

Incorporate Lapis in your rituals to help unblock the free flow of wisdom and self expression, raise your vibration by speaking the truth, and allow pent-up frustration or anger to dissolve into a state of openness, confidence and kindness to self and others. Clears and stimulates the Third Eye and Throat chakras for clarity of perception and communication on all levels.

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Amazonite | A stone of truth, honor, and trust, Amazonite helps prioritize integrity within yourself and others. Enables you to see a situation more accurately from multiple points of view, and balance intellect with compassion and intuition. Amazonite supports self-discovery, and deep dives into the subconscious.

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Aquamarine | A light blue colored stone of courage, Aquamarine's calming energies reduce stress and quiet the mind. This crystal clarifies perception and sharpens the intellect, helping to feel the greater depth and vastness of life. Aquamarine promotes self-expression, soothes fears, and enhances natural intuitive strengths.

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Raise your vibrations and power your rituals with sacred stones from around the world.

Bring the earth’s beauty and energetic strength into your practice with an inspired collection of crystals and gemstones.

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Empower Yourself with the Freedom to Create

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Aquarius challenges us to find wholeness within ourselves, to contain and then express our emotional nature in a healthy way. We all have feelings that can be difficult to express in words, and art is one way to bridge this gap.

Connecting with our emotions helps bring mind, body and spirit into alignment. This leads to powerful emotional healing over time, and from this place of wholeness, good things will naturally blossom and grow, creating a ripple effect of radiating healing energy.

It is all about the process, so give yourself permission to create freely. Dare to make art just for yourself and the experience, rather than the result. Creativity fulfilled makes our mind, body & spirit sing.

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Ready to start? Here are some exercises to give a "voice" to your feelings, unblock stuck energy and get back into the flow!

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"Paint to music. Letting your creativity flow in response to music is a great way to let out feelings and just relax.

Draw yourself as an animal. Is there an animal that you have a special interest in or feel like is a kindred spirit? Draw yourself as that animal.

Draw in sand. Drawing shapes and scenes in the sand can be immensely relaxing. When you are done, you can rake or smooth over your ephemeral art, or let the tide wash it away.

Draw your vision of a perfect day. Think about what constitutes a perfect day to you and draw or paint it. What about this drawing can you make happen today?

Only use colors that calm you. Create a drawing or a painting using only colors that you find calming.

Document an experience where you did something you didn’t think you could do. We all have to do things that we’re scared or unsure of sometimes. Use this activity as a chance to commemorate one instance in your life.

Draw your dreams. You can learn a lot from what goes on in your dreams, so keep a dream journal and use it for inspiration to draw or paint.

Use a found or made object as a paintbrush. Whether it’s something sharp or something soft, make your own artistic tool and use it to express what you’re feeling."

~From 100 Art Therapy Exercises to Make Your Mind, Body and Spirit Sing, Fellowship Hall website

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Close your art-making session with a quiet moment of meditation, as you gently ease back into the present moment.

Sit comfortably (either on the floor, or in a chair with your feet planted on the floor) and take several long, deep breaths.

Close your eyes and feel the connection between your body and the ground, and feel the strong rootedness connecting you to the earth.

Drop your shoulders and free up your neck muscles. Loose, loose, loose! Big breath in through the nose, slowly breathe out through the mouth.

With eyes closed, get in touch with your senses, taking in your surroundings slowly, one element at a time—

Notice the sounds around you--are there birds chirping, cars rumbling, dishes clinking or a cat purring?

Notice the smells. Notice the feel of your clothes and the floor or the chair. Is there a breeze, from a window or a fan?

A couple more breaths, and come back to the present moment.