Aquarius Full Moon: Truth, Illusion and the “Kite” Aspect
The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 9th comes with a powerful and complex energy that could have far-reaching effects. This lunation features a rare “kite” pattern, which combines the smooth flow of a grand trine with the tension of an opposition. It’s the kind of setup that can break energy out of containment and push it into action—which could have major implications, both globally and in specific areas of your life. In the video below, I’ll walk you through the chart, breaking down what this means and how it might unfold.
A key feature of this Full Moon is the Mars-Saturn opposition, which forms the backbone of the kite pattern. When Mars, the planet of action, clashes with Saturn, the planet of restriction, we’re often faced with frustration or impulsive decisions. Adding Neptune to the mix can muddy the waters with illusion or misinformation, making it harder to see the truth. In the video, I explain how this tension could play out, including the potential for sudden events or decisions on the world stage.
It’s a moment that calls for caution. Whether you feel pressure to act quickly or notice conflicting narratives in the news, this is a time to pause and assess the facts. Watch the video for a deeper dive into the chart, including how other aspects like Venus and Jupiter might help offset some of the challenges. The transcript (with a bit of extra information) is also included below for further reference.
The Full Moon will have a greater impact on you if you have planets or points in the early degrees of the cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. These signs are directly tied to the Mars-Saturn opposition that forms the backbone of the kite pattern. For example, if this opposition falls in your first and seventh houses, you may experience tension related to your sense of self (first house) and your partnerships or close relationships (seventh house). If it activates your fourth and tenth houses, the focus could shift to challenges involving home and family (fourth house) versus career or public life (tenth house). If you’d like to explore how this lunation might affect your chart in more detail, feel free to reach out for a reading.
Transcript (Revised and Expanded)
On August 9th, we’ll experience a Full Moon in the sign of Aquarius, which could be one of the most significant lunations of the year on a global level. This means it could play a major role in world events, and it might also be important in your own chart—especially if you have planets or points in the early degrees of the cardinal signs or the fire and air signs. I’ll break down the meaning of this Full Moon in the upcoming video. If you enjoy the content, don’t forget to like and subscribe—it helps others find my content.
The energy on August 9th is complex, so I’m going to pull up the chart to explain everything that’s happening. If you watched my New Moon video a couple of weeks ago, you’ll remember we had a New Moon at the beginning of Leo, and all the outer planets had moved into fire and air signs. That Leo New Moon was the first time a lunation activated those planets, as the Moon was near the early degrees of a fire sign. Now, this Full Moon on August 9th is happening at 16 degrees of Aquarius, which is in the middle degrees. A Full Moon always occurs when the Moon is opposite the Sun, but let’s take a closer look at what else is happening in this chart.
We have an aspect that's called a kite. A kite happens when you have a grand trine. A grand trine is when three planets are exactly trine to each other. Here, we see Mars in Libra is trine Pluto in Aquarius, which is trine Uranus in Gemini. Trines, or grand trines, have this energy of an enclosed system where maybe not a lot is happening because the energy is nice and flowing. It’s in the background, and it can feel like you don’t get the information you need because you’re thinking, "Hey, I got it all figured out." This is a grand trine in air, and there’s a great book called Aspect Patterns that talks about the meaning of trines in different elements. When it comes to air, it’s kind of this idea that "I have all the information I need; don’t bother me."
But as we move into and look at the kite, what happens is we have an opposition in the middle of it. You have Mars, which is part of the grand trine, opposite Saturn and Neptune in Aries, and this creates tension. In fact, that Saturn-Mars opposition is a very difficult aspect that challenges us in some ways to hold the tension of the two most difficult planets in the solar system—Mars, the god of war, and Saturn, the god of restrictions, hard work, and responsibility. When you add in an opposition and you get a couple of sextiles here, it’s like the energy is no longer static and contained within that grand trine. Instead, it’s moving outward toward the apex: Saturn-Neptune in Aries.
Let’s talk about what that might mean for you on a personal level, as well as on a mundane or world stage kind of level. The aspect here is kind of difficult because Saturn is in Aries, a sign where he’s in his fall, meaning he doesn’t do so well—he’s not held on high or respected. Saturn in Aries can have an impulsive quality—a desire to act. Aries is a fire sign, but Saturn likes to go slowly and tread carefully. You could expect the possibility of some impulsive action here that may be based on fantasy or illusion because Neptune is there with Saturn. It may be that you get some information that causes you to act in a way where you’re relying on data you thought was clear, but it’s not.
During this Full Moon and over the next two weeks, it’s important to pause and check the facts if you receive information that makes you want to act suddenly. Ask yourself: "Is this true or not true?" Try to manage any impulsive reactions.
One challenge with this Full Moon is the opposition between Saturn and Mars. Saturn is in its fall in Aries, and Mars is in its detriment in Libra, meaning Mars struggles in this sign. Libra, being the sign of the diplomat, can create situations where someone appears to be saying one thing in a diplomatic way but may have hidden motives. It’s essential to be cautious about who you’re listening to and whether someone might be misleading you. This highlights the need for extra care when processing the information you receive.
Adding even more complexity to this chart is the opposition between Mercury and Pluto. This aspect brings an intense focus on uncovering hidden truths and digging deep for answers, almost to the point of obsession. It has a detective-like energy, where there’s a relentless drive to get to the bottom of things. On the positive side, this can help us expose what’s been concealed or bring clarity to murky situations. However, it’s important to be mindful of overthinking or becoming fixated on certain ideas. Conversations during this time might also carry a heavier tone, potentially leading to power struggles or uncovering deeper truths that were previously hidden.
The other thing we can see in this chart is that Uranus, the planet of liberation, authenticity, breaking free, and sudden events, is in a sextile to Mercury and in a trine to Mars. When Mercury, the planet of communication, and Uranus are together in a chart, it’s kind of like we feel like we have an instant insight, some instant information. You can see, as the story unfolds of this Full Moon, the potential for getting some information that makes us want to act impulsively—thinking we know the truth. But perhaps there’s something behind the scenes where there’s fantasy or illusion underneath it, or somebody acting as though they’re being diplomatic and helpful, but in fact, they’ve got a knife in their hand.
That sounds pretty dark and ominous, but it is true that this chart contains some difficult energy and an impulsivity to act that may be misguided. At the same time, one thing that’s benefiting us on a personal level is Venus and Jupiter, the two benefic planets, are here in Cancer, where Jupiter is exalted. It may be that we get a little assistance around protecting ourselves. Cancer is a sign that has to do with protection and creating safe spaces for things to grow. We might be able to lean on that energy as we feel caught up by some sort of action.
On a personal level, this lunation will likely affect you more if you have planets in the early degrees of Aries, Libra, Capricorn, or Cancer. These are the four cardinal signs where the challenging opposition between the two malefic planets, Mars and Saturn, is taking place.
On a mundane level—whether in the United States or internationally—this lunation could mark a significant moment when new information is uncovered or revealed. However, it may be hard to determine whether the information is accurate or not. Nations might feel compelled to act based on this information. Aries, being the sign of war, suggests the potential for bold or aggressive responses. While this doesn’t necessarily mean a war will break out, it’s possible that a country could take decisive action in reaction to sudden information.
It will be interesting to see how this lunation impacts both our personal lives and the broader world. If you have any questions, or if you have planets in the early degrees of the cardinal signs and know your rising sign, feel free to leave a comment. I can help you understand which area of life this Full Moon might influence.
For example, if the Mars-Saturn opposition falls in your first and seventh houses, any tension or conflict might arise in matters related to your sense of self and your partnerships. If it’s in your fourth and tenth houses, the focus could involve navigating challenges or resolving issues around home and career.
Let’s focus on grounding and centering ourselves as we navigate the potential for challenging energy during this time. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks for the next lunation, the New Moon. Have a great week!