It seems like only yesterday that we had our last Full Moon, a grumpy little lunation in Saturn-ruled Capricorn. Far removed from its beloved Cancer home, the Full Moon, like a bedraggled cat, was none too pleased in the gruff Goat. The fact that serious Saturn was also photobombing the transit didn’t help matters either.

Now here we are again. On the 12th, we’ve got a Full Moon in Aquarius, yet another Saturn-ruled sign. What’s more, this Moon will be tightly conjunct the Taskmaster Planet. Expect Saturn’s influence to be more prominent this time around. Let’s not fret, though.

What's the difference between this Aquarius Full Moon and last month's Capricorn Full Moon?

For one, whereas the Goat is known, according to astrological pundits, as a “bestial” sign (self-interested and hungry for things of the world), Aquarius symbolises something more “humane.” It deals with groups, the People, humanitarianism, and community. Even though the Waterbearer tends to be more cerebral and impersonal, its emphasis on the “many” rather than the self-interested “one” will allow this Full Moon to shine more, so to speak. On the one hand, the emotional Moon should add sweetness and light to Aquarius. On the other, the Waterbearer will flavour the Moon with a more community-service oriented energy.

And yet, because Saturn is again ruling the sign in which this lunation occurs, it will be a less romantic transit than some of us would like. That said, the fact that the Moon and Saturn are conjunct betokens more emotional clarity or objectivity toward work, romance, and friends. Additionally, Saturn and Aquarius are big picture forces. If you find yourself feeling for the plight of The People (rather than your more proximate people), that’s Aquarius/Moon/Saturn. Don’t resist it.

Three tips to surviving this Aquarius Full Moon:

1. Community service

As mentioned, this is somewhat of a humanitarian Moon. You don’t need to volunteer at the youth center or local animal rescue, but let’s remember that we are in Leo season (meaning ego-interests are at max volume). Because Full Moons always happen opposite the current Sun Sign, we should think of them as moments to work against the dominant themes of the current season (in our case, Leo-like pretensions toward majesty and theatrical grandiosity). Instead, you should focus on something bigger or greater than yourself. One simple way to work with this lunation, then: be near large groups of people. Check out a concert or show to remind us of the power of others. This sense of togetherness will help us counterbalance the ego-centrism of Leo’s reign.

2. Celebrate Saturn

Another lesson of Full Moons: they are celebration times. We shouldn’t lose sight of that, even with serious Saturn going conjunct the Moon. Rather than opposing the Malefic, think about celebrating the Saturnal in your life. We all know a person in our ambit (Dad, friend, partner, Mom) who can be a disciplinarian. But imagine what kind of life we’d have without that person’s structuring influence: our apartment would be a mess; we’d never get to the airport on time; we’d never make any long term plans. Use this transit to plan a little Full Moon conjunct Saturn celebration for your own personal Taskmaster. Take them out for a drink, which Saturn prefers cold and dry.

3. Respect your elders

Saturn governs over old age. This is a perfect lunation to get some wisdom from those who have seen more and know more than us. Approach an elder at the office for a bit of mentoring: “Hey Madam, I’m having some questions about how best to approach this client to form a more human connection, do you have any advice?” You will find great benefit in their experience.

Oftentimes, people will come to me and say: do these little lunations, like the Full Moon conjunct Saturn-in-Aquarius, really impact us? Does it really matter if we try to align with them? To which I say: think of these micro-transits as you think of the weather. Some days it’s cold and gray–the next day it’s warmer. On the cooler days, you make a little adjustment and wear a sweater. When it’s warmer, you may go with an adorable vintage Chloé high waisted mini skirt with pockets. For this Aquarius Full Moon, the astrological weather will be slightly cloudy with the chance of sunshine in the afternoon. “To get aligned” is the same as “to dress accordingly.”

Photo by Ganapathy Kumar on Unsplash