“Chaos Unfettered and Unleashed”: The FULL MOON at 27°15′ Aquarius, Monday, August 19, 2024, 18:26 UTC

August 19, 2024 ASTROLOGY OF NOW, Cosmic Tribe Updates, Lunation articles 2 Comments

No description available. — [image: Gail Potocki]

The Full Moon in Aquarius on 19 August 2024 culminates into a profound moment of personal reflection, relationship tension, and potential global upheaval, casting a stark light on the seismic shifts occurring both within the collective psyche and the structures that govern our world.

This fixed-sign lunation is supercharged by two significant T-squares that involve some of the most potent planetary players, including Uranus, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto. These powerful cosmic alignments mirror the forces currently reshaping our world. Despite our attempts to delay or avoid the unavoidable, the celestial pressures acting now demand conflict, ensuring we confront the core reality of our situation head-on.

The Leo-Aquarius Axis: Individualism Vs Collective Consciousness

At the heart of this Full Moon lies the opposition between the Leo Sun and the Aquarius Moon, a dynamic that pits the willful expression of individual identity, autonomy and might against the social ideals of a collective unconsciousness.

Leo, ruled by the Sun, seeks to shine, to lead, and to be recognised for its unique contributions. It is the archetype of the hero, the leader, and the sovereign, embodying a sense of self that is distinctly central to the story, powerful, and confident. Aquarius, on the other hand, represents the collective, the community, and the hive mind. Ruled by Uranus and traditionally by Saturn, Aquarius is concerned with the future, with progress and reform, and with the dismantling of old structures that no longer serve ‘the greater good’.

This luminary opposition is further intensified by the presence of Uranus in Taurus, forming a tight T-square with both the Sun and Moon. Uranus, the great disruptor, is maligned by the fixed, earthy stability of Taurus, begrudgingly shaking the foundations of our material world. Taurus is the sign of values, resources, and security—both financial and emotional. With Uranus here, those structures are under siege, forcing us to reconsider what we truly value and how secure those values are in an increasingly unpredictable world.

As the focal planet in this T-square, Uranus channels the tension between the Leo Sun and Aquarius Moon into sudden, radical changes that can feel both liberating and destabilising. This fixed T-square creates an empty space in Scorpio, which, opposite Uranus, suggests that the resolution to these tensions lies in confronting the deeper, often unconscious fears that drive our attachment to security. Ruled by Pluto, Scorpio is the sign of transformation by death, regeneration, power, and its shadow complexes. Try as we may, it demands that we face the uncomfortable truths about our origins, survival instincts, our hidden motivations, our desires, and our need for control.

This complex pattern and its effects are discussed at length in Part 1 of our Cosmic Bus lunation report.

Pluto in Aquarius: The Hive Mind Awakens

The lunation grows ever more ominous with Pluto’s recent slip into Aquarius, casting a malevolent spell that snares the collective consciousness in its hypnotic vice of power, transformation, and dark manipulation. Pluto’s entry into this fixed-air sign is deplorable, for the lord of the underworld feels most uncomfortable in such a coldly detached domain. It marks the onset of an era fraught with constant peril, where the revolutionary struggle for dominance over the collective mind will reach unprecedented heights. This transit, extending until 2043, looms as a harbinger of a long series of unsettling changes in our perceptions of power, applications of technology, and conceptions of community, with Pluto poised to entangle us all under his relentless grasp.

Pluto in Aquarius stirs the hive mind, activating the collective’s potential for both progressive change and a totalitarian control yet unseen in our history books. Aquarius is a sign of both enlightenment and radicalism, and Pluto’s presence here can bring out the extreme best and worst of these tendencies. On one hand, we may see the rise of movements that genuinely seek to empower the masses, redistribute power, and create a more just and equitable society. On the other hand, there is a risk of these movements being co-opted by those who seek to ‘tweak the algorithm’, manipulating the masses for their own gain, insidiously using technology, propaganda, and social engineering to maintain the ultimate state of tyranny and control.

This influence is made particularly potent when we consider the ongoing sextile relationship between Pluto and Neptune, which is now in the closing degrees of Pisces. Neptune has been in Pisces since 2011, dissolving the boundaries between the individual and the collective dream, distorting any distinction between reality and illusion. Over the past 12 to 13 years, Neptune in Pisces has subtly created a hazy condition of boundlessness and permeability, where the lines between fact and fiction, between the self and the other, have become increasingly blurred.

Neptune in Pisces: The Great Dissolution

Neptune’s sojourn through Pisces has been marked by a gradual, almost imperceptible dissolution of the structures that once clearly distinguished individual and collective dreams and ideals. The sprawling advent of social media, the exponential rise of artificial intelligence, and the sensationalising proliferation of disinformation on all platforms are all expressions of this mysterious Neptunian influence. Neptune, now at the final degree of Pisces, has permeated our fashions and artistic trends to the point of saturation, slowly eroding pre-existing cultural narratives and replacing them with a swirling soup of indiscriminate stories, spurious myths, and illusions whose origins are often impossible to discern or validate. Whether real or fake, true or false, they have all but indefinitely suspended our faculties of belief.

This blurring of reality has profound implications for our collective psyche. On one hand, it has created a space for new visions, dreams, and possibilities to emerge. On the other, it has also led to a deep sense of disillusionment, as the lines between truth and falsehood have become increasingly difficult to navigate. The sextile between Pluto and Neptune suggests that these energies are working together, subtly influencing the collective in ways that may not be immediately apparent but are deeply transformative nonetheless.

This aspect also creates a series of Yod formations with any planet crossing the Leo/Virgo cusp, an astrological alignment that perpetrates intense degrees of complexity into the current cultural zeitgeist. Yods, often referred to as “Fingers of God,” are configurations that point to karmic adjustments, fated events, and the need for significant change. The involvement of Pluto, Neptune, and any planet crossing the critical Leo-to-Virgo threshold, home of the fixed-star Regulus (the kingmaker) suggests that we are at a climacteric point, where the old narratives and power structures are being dismantled, making way for something new—but not without significant upheaval and re-evaluation.

Mars/Jupiter in Gemini: A Scattershot of Ideas and Actions

The second T-square in this lunation involves a recently conjunct Mars and Jupiter in Gemini as the focal points, forming a tense aspect with the opposition between Venus in Virgo and Saturn in Pisces. Mars in Gemini is restless, eager to act, to lacerate with his mind, but often without a clear sense of direction. Jupiter only amplifies this energy, lending supposed moral cause, leading to an overabundance of dogmatic ideas, loose lips, rashly dithering actions, and justice-chasing prospects that can quickly become overwhelming, overblown and scattered out of proportion.

The opposition between Venus in Virgo and Saturn in Pisces reflects the exasperating reality of seeking stability and practicality in our relationships, only to be met with aversion, avoidance, and the elusive nature of escapism. Venus in Virgo longs for order, reliability, and tangible connection, yet Saturn in Pisces introduces a confounding energy where boundaries dissolve, commitments waver, and clarity is obscured. This dynamic creates a frustrating cycle where, despite our efforts to ground our relationships in reality, we are instead confronted with a mirage of promises and unmet expectations. The result is often a deeply foreboding sense of disillusionment and a feeling of separation, as the tangible connection we crave seems perpetually out of reach, leaving us to grapple with the disorienting gap between what we desire in our hearts and the abject reality of what we experience.

In T-square to Mars and Jupiter in mutable Gemini, this creates situations where the already strained relationships are further destabilised by impulsive, erratic actions and overzealously-held proclamations. The frustration of unmet expectations in relationships is exacerbated by the seemingly irreconcilable and somewhat fickle-minded beliefs of Mars/Jupiter, leading to outrageously abrupt decisions, harsh words, and a barrage of contradictory ideas that scatter focus and heighten confusion to the point of absurdity. As seen in the past few weeks, the desire for clear, reliable connections is thwarted at all levels as conversations spiral into heartbreakingly chaotic debates, and attempts at resolution are met with resistance, avoidance, or even outright escapism. A cycle of conflict develops, where efforts to bridge the emotional gap only widen it further, leaving both parties disillusioned and increasingly disconnected. It must be said that, in synergy with the lunation’s Uranian T-Square, the relentless pursuit of an unattainable ideal, driven by a sense of pride and moral urgency, only serves to magnify the sense of futility and separation, making it difficult to find common ground or genuine understanding.

The empty space in Sagittarius suggests that the resolution to this T-square lies in finding a broader perspective, one that can integrate the diverse and often conflicting energies at play. Sagittarius is the sign of higher, non-logical but intuitive understanding, bigger-picture attitudes, and the search for meaning. It reminds us that in times of great complexity and confusion, it is essential to maintain a sense of purpose and to seek out the larger truths that can guide us through the chaos.

This complex pattern and its effects are discussed at length in Part 2 of our Cosmic Bus lunation report.

Tumultuous Times: The Dream is Over

Taken together, these astrological configurations reflect the epic nature of the times we are living in. The combination of the Aquarius Full Moon, the T-squares involving Uranus, Mars, and Jupiter, and the influence of Pluto, Neptune, and the Yod formations all point to a period of profound transformation and upheaval of Western culture. It has become increasingly clear that the old narratives, the old structures, and the old ways of being are being dismantled, making way for new possibilities—though not without significant challenges and conflicts as we head towards the latter half of 2024. Since 2011, the slow and steady influence of Neptune in Pisces has eroded the boundaries between reality and illusion, revealing how the delicate narratives of our lives have been subtly, and sometimes overtly, controlled by centralised forces. The truth has seeped out like water through a cracked dam, and there’s no holding back the tide now.

In this tensely-charged atmosphere, the influence of Pluto in Aquarius and the Aquarius Full Moon’s tension with Uranus in Taurus serve as potent symbols of release, liberation, and the tumultuous forces that have been unleashed upon the collective consciousness. These astrological markers evoke the ancient myth of Pandora, who, against all warnings, opened a box that unleashed every evil into the world, leaving only Hope trapped within. Hope, which we might once have seen as a beacon of possibility, now sits uneasily in this context—perhaps not a blessing, but a cruel reminder of what remains out of reach. We are left to ponder whether hope itself is a double-edged sword, heavy with malice and pain, dragging us deeper into a world reshaped by forces beyond our control.

These forces—much like the Promethean fire that defied the gods to bring light to humanity—symbolise both the destructive and liberating potentials of the Uranian and Aquarian energies. The internet, social media, and AI are the modern equivalents of Pandora’s box—instruments of tremendous power that, once unleashed, have irreversibly altered our collective reality. On one hand, they have democratised the purveyors of information, wresting the power from centralised masters, enabling mind revolutions, exposing corruption, and connecting people in ways previously unimaginable. Yet, they have also unleashed torrents of disinformation, manipulation, and cultural erosion, blurring the lines between truth and fabrication, self and other, until we are left questioning the very fabric of our reality.

As we navigate the next few months, where the boundaries between individual and collective experience become increasingly permeable, we are at once confronted by the double-edged sword of both the opportunities for connection through the exchange of ideas and the risks of deeper manipulation and control. Although the genie is out of the box, the Promethean gift of fire to the humans, once a symbol of enlightenment and progress, now casts long shadows across the digital landscape, where the same technologies that promise liberation can also imprison us in cycles of misinformation and alienation. We are still too easily fooled and misled. This is the paradox of our time—one where the tools of our liberation are also the sources of our greatest disillusionment, tyranny and oppression. As humans our collective memory resonates on the safety of being controlled, to the extent where true ‘freedom’ feels disconcerting and uncomfortable.

The Demise of Hollywood & The American Dream

Whether people are aware or it has gone forgotten, America was founded amid intense political upheaval and revolutionary fervour. The American Revolution dragged on for eight years after the Declaration of Independence in 1776, finally ending in 1783. It was supposed to establish a government based on liberty, democracy, and individual rights. Influenced by Enlightenment thinkers, the Founding Fathers envisioned a republic where power came from the governed, not monarchs or aristocrats.

Today, these ideals seem forgotten. Malignant partisan politics piss all over ‘checks and balances,’ individual liberties are eroded by intrusive laws and censorship, and government accountability is eclipsed by big money and shady corporate interests. The election system is severely compromised by gerrymandering, voter suppression, and the overwhelming influence of oligarchic moguls. The integrity of democracy is so corrupted that it’s barely recognisable from what it was conceived to be. Free speech, another cornerstone of the republic, seems to be in its death throes. Mainstream media, once a bastion of investigative power, is now viewed by many as a corporate-controlled hoax, aligned with electoral interests, limiting diverse voices and strangling genuine discourse.

As we near the first quarter mark of the 21st century, America’s foreign policy, riddled with CIA interventions and regime changes, has left dozens of countries destabilised, forcing millions to flee their war-ravaged homelands. These individuals often end up at the borders of other nations, frequently entering the US illegally, seeking

refuge from the chaos partly caused by American actions and its allies. The world watches as these displaced millions are scorned everywhere, noting the hypocrisy and arrogance, which breeds only resentment and mistrust, tarnishing America’s global image as the so-called land of opportunity and arbiter of freedom and democracy.

Meanwhile, internally, Americans seem consumed with arguing over superficial, skin-deep issues—performative social justice, biblical righteousness, identity politics, and endless culture wars—while ignoring the geopolitical tinderbox of hatred and resentment simmering just outside their borders. The obsession with these trivialities distracts from the far more dangerous global realities that threaten to engulf not just America, but the world.

Yet, the dream machine keeps spinning out the almost implausible delusion—that the United States is in any way united and that the American Dream is still achievable. Hollywood, largely built by Eastern European Jews, crafted an illusion of the American Dream that was far removed from reality. This idealised vision once united people, but as the facade crumbles, stark divisions in American society become glaringly evident. The country is now torn and polarised to the point where civil conflict seems a real threat. The founding principles have been sidelined, leaving a democracy in disarray and a world teetering on the brink of World War III, with the very real possibility of nuclear escalation.

However, the internet and social networks are starting to rip apart the centralised narrative that Hollywood and the mainstream media (MSM) have peddled for decades. No longer is the military-industrial complex and its corporate bedfellows able to control the story unchallenged. Independent voices, armed with facts and unfiltered perspectives, are exposing the cracks in this grand illusion. The whole charade is about to come undone, revealing the rotten core beneath the glossy surface.

This narrative of America’s decline is alarming, but it’s also a call for all the West to remember and revive the foundational ideals of liberty, democracy, and genuine governance—before it’s too late.

As these astrological forces converge, they mirror the tumult of our time, forcing us to confront the disillusionment and decay that have shattered the dreams we once held dear. But just as Pandora’s box unleashed horrors upon the world, it also left us with a resilient hope—a force not of naive optimism, but of fierce defiance. This is a hope that refuses to accept the status quo, that compels us to stand up and speak out against all that is wrong, even if it means blowing the whistle on the very systems that bind us. It’s a hope that recognises the need to make sacrifices—perhaps even the ultimate sacrifice—so that future generations might live free from the chains of mental enslavement. In the new age of information, truthful data holds the highest value. In this critical moment, the path forward demands courage, a willingness to tear down the illusions that have kept us complacent, and the resolve to build something true and lasting. It’s not enough to dream of a better future; we must fight for it, with the full knowledge that the stakes have never been higher.

Navigating the Uncharted

In this instalment of your empowering horoscope readings, I’ve delved into the myriad struggles and tensions that we collectively face, highlighting how this lunation acts as a powerful catalyst for reconciling the many disparate areas of your life. As the cosmic energies intensify, the road ahead will undoubtedly be challenging. Yet, it is those who are ready to embrace the sweeping societal changes, confront their deepest fears, and tap into their inner strength who will emerge not just unscathed, but stronger, wiser, and more empowered than ever.

Armed with these insights, you have the tools to navigate these turbulent times with confidence and clarity. These reflections will help you turn existential challenges into opportunities for growth, allowing you to step fully into your true potential.

Wishing you strength and resilience as you journey through this transformative Full Moon xx