Whether it’s science or magic, if it’s of fun benefit, enjoy!” ~ ed
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“The birds, the moon, and the clouds have an important mission: To make mankind turn their eyes towards the skies! And so man can leave his own little local world and focus on something bigger, the universe!” ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan
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Can you easily see the moon phases from where you live?

Sometimes I envy those prairie dwellers with big skies. I live among a series of small mountains and buildings which obstruct the view of the moon, and then there’s clouds and fog, because of my elevation. I especially love seeing moonrise, when it looms big over the horizon before it settles into the night sky. That’s when I really feel its magic.

During my time in a big city, I sometimes saw the moon rise between two skyscrapers, a giant ball of saffron light mysteriously hoisted by some invisible string. I never tired of the feeling those experiences evoked…pure, unadulterated awe of nature.

February’s Full Moon in Leo layers on January’s intense planetary transits. We had a week or so of relief it seemed but now the energies are already turning toward chaos. The Saturn/Pluto conjunction of last month is still percolating, Mercury in Pisces hurtles toward retrograde on the 17th and these cycles keep us on our toes.

Full moon in Leo dances in relationship with the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear, influenced by Mars. My first thought is the romantic view of bear energy; powerfully docile, a spirit of warmth in which one can nestle and be fully embraced. On the other hand, when provoked, bear medicine is that of aggression, tension, and brutality. Mars is directing this decidedly heated cosmic ship.

We will be called to find the balance between opposing forces. Fiery emotions and situations may direct your attention in the next two weeks, indeed, you may already be feeling the chaos, especially as it relates to relationships and hearth. It’s important that you do not ignore the fire, or try to stuff it into some unobtrusive corner. Fire will not be contained, it must be handled with the respect and attention it deserves. Along with honest introspection employ equal measures of just plain old common sense. One would be wise to diffuse rather than fan the flames of any arguments or misinterpreted actions.

On the other hand, this may be perfect timing for a deepening of sexual desire, of exploring eroticism with your lover. The energetics of love and lust are quite potent during this moon phase, so take wild advantage!

Luna casts powerful illumination. She is Mother, pregnant with ideas, and fully gestated dream seeds. Expect to see things with greater clarity, to want to thrust forward. Better to complete the signing of any contracts or settle into a new project before the 17th and Mercury Retrograde. Up to three days after full moon is the correct timing for such things.

Chaos is just the prelude to things falling into place. The full moon is a time of emotional highs but it is also a time of harvest. Trust your journey, take empowered steps, enjoy the playful, loyal energy of Leo, pay attention to conversation, choose words wisely; be gracious and generous of spirit. This will soothe Mars influence, and connect you with the vibration of abundance.

“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” ~ Freidrich Nietzsche

As soon as we tense up into fear, we lose objectivity. For this moon, practice mindfulness. Stay sensitive but avoid drama. Shore up your energy with pleasant pursuits. Enjoy the heat of the fire without getting too close and burning. Work with Leo, it is incredibly propelling when approached through heart space. The mind and ego can stoke that fire in unwanted directions.

Three mindfulness practices to connect with what’s real:

“Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

Honor your emotions with quiet observation

We talk about meditation, and that can be daunting, but a simple practice of stopping in the heat of a moment, observing our state of being, acknowledging it, and moving through it by breathing intentionally, can release the heat from any situation.

In a world of quick actions to solve any kind of life obstacle, pausing and feeling can be refreshingly empowering.

Listen with your heart

How often do we fail to listen to another, especially our beloved, without really hearing them because we’re busy formulating a response or defending our position? What if we listened with intent, waited, absorbed, saw the person in front of us as “another me,” and just took a hot minute to truly communicate? Especially with Mercury currently in Pisces, this could save us a lot of anguish, or even better, build a more solid foundation beneath our relationship.

Listen also to yourself with your heart. It’s wonderful to be nice to others, but how about being nice to ourselves? Your soul wants you to know…you are exactly who and where you need to be. Love is your name.

Release judgment, embrace compassion

I did an experiment one day to see exactly how many times I was in judgment over…whatever. Pffft! Not good. Surprisingly, this can be a default setting that we’re not consciously aware of.

As a practice for a day or many, come into awareness of what your first instinct is when you hear, read, or experience something. Remember when mother used to say “count to 10” before you react? Well, that is actually sound advice we can adopt into our lives and not be afraid of sounding like our mothers!

Pausing, reflecting, choosing compassion instead of judgment is just one way to grow a better world and make life easier on ourselves as well.

What is happening for you at this moon Wild One? What magic are you creating? I’d love to hear.