Full Moon in Capricorn, Shravana: Aug 1, 2023 at 14:31 eastern time: Listen In :||: Venus Retrograde and Gandanta: Unlearning Old Habits
This Full Moon is in the middle degrees of sidereal Capricorn in the sweet sign Shravana, whose name means “ear” or “hearing” in Sanskrit, and whose symbols are an ear, a trident, and 3 footprints (connected to the 3 strides Vishnu, its presiding deity, took to measure the earth, the heavens and the space in between). It’s a sensitive sign who has the power is to listen intently – to our inner guidance, to insights we receive, to our mentors and loved ones, to the vibrations of notes and the sounds surrounding us, and to truly hear what is being shared. It’s directly connected to the sound AUM, which corresponds to the beginning, middle and end – to creation, preservation, and dissolution. Some say the Universe itself whirls to the humming sound of aum.
Thankfully, this Moon isn’t making heavy connections to other planets (except the Sun as all Full and New Moons do), and so is able to express itself more freely than other times. It’s a gentle yet powerful Moon where we can sit in silence and tune in to our inner guidance, be present with good company and make sincere heart connections, or be moved by mantra or our musical heroes.
Being in the 2nd pada of the nakshatra, this Shravana Moon connects to the sign Taurus whose planetary ruler is Venus. Venus is in a special and sometimes challenging position this month as it is retrograde from July 22-Sept 3, 2023. It is currently in the intense “gandanta/ tied spiritual knot” degrees (26°40 Cancer - 3°20 Leo) until August 12. Venus retrograde is already encouraging us to reflect on how we connect with Venus in our lives (intimate relationships, business partnerships, beauty, creative expression, pleasure, abundance/ indulgence, compromise among other things). The special gandanta degrees are pushing us to see what is in need of healing and encouraging us to undo old ways and unlearn old beliefs. The possibilities for upleveling are exciting but can be difficult for people to surrender to what is necessary in order for true change to occur.
This Full Moon is a beautiful opportunity to listen in and be honest with ourselves and our loved ones about where we are, what is acceptable to us and what isn’t, and what support is important in the next stage of things. And of course, as this is a Moon of listening, being an open and nonjudgmental ear to hear what is being said is a big component of this lunation. The August 16 New Moon connects to the Sun and Venus R in the sign Ashlesha, a fierce, truthful and unafraid speaker. Both the Sun and Moon will be gandanta and sandhi – at a very intense juncture point. Taking time now to hear what inspiration and shifts are presenting will be beneficial as we move into fearlessly expressing ourselves in a few short weeks.
+What are you being inspired to create or connect with?
+What ideas or mentors are speaking most to your soul at the moment?
+What songs or sounds are especially important to you right now?
+Have you meditated upon these or looked more deeply into why?
+Consider chanting AUM (supports parasympathetic nervous system and vagus nerve tone), the Sanskrit alphabet (said to activate all organs and systems in our bodies), or the bija (“seed”) mantras connecting to the central chakras (where ida and pingala nadis intersect with sushumna): Lam, Vam, Ram, Yam, Ham, Aum, Aum or internal aum/silence
:::PEACE:::
