In the realm of astrology, a Super Full Moon is a magnification of the essence of the Full Moon, meaning its influence is felt more acutely in our individual lives and humanity across the globe. Pluto’s essence and transit is also magnified as well and with this year being the center of the Pluto Return for the United States, it is calls out the shadow to be fully illuminated, which in this case is about Capricorn.
The sign or archetype of Capricorn is about building a future using sustainable systems, structures, knowledge and materials. Capricorn is one of the least “personal” signs in the zodiac and its essence focuses upon what can serve future generations. It is strongly connected to the image of the “Circle of Grandmothers”, whose trusted, ancient wisdom and knowledge can be the mountain with which civilization can lean upon.
Capricorn and responsibility go hand-in-hand together through the archetype’s expression. It is a “giver” sign through its work and dedication toward seeing the work completed and maintained. Will the structure hold? Are these systems flexible enough to withstand the test of time? Will the knowledge and wisdom of the past serve the future and if not, what needs to be reviewed and let go of in order for a new knowledge to come through that will be of service to humanity in the long-term?
A Pluto Return is when Pluto returns to the same seasonal position that it was in at a given point of its full orbit. It means the United States has now been around long enough to experience the Pluto Return. Pluto averages about 248 years to complete one orbit of the Sun, give or take. The US is now 246 years “old”, its birth being July 4, 1776.
In Shamanic Astrology, Pluto is symbolic of one of the three classic worlds, representing the ‘underworld’ along with another planetary object, Chiron. Pluto connects us to the realm beneath our conscious selves (the unconscious self) and is deeply associated with the transformation of the soul/psyche.
This is not a physical realm, per se, but can arrive in our lives in material realm as the results of feelings and reactions to fears we experience. Pluto doesn’t have a monopoly on fear, but fear is an initiator into the underworld.
Pluto helps us realize the treasures buried within through navigating fears and deep feelings. To access the treasures, it requires a process of surrender to the initiation itself. Our deepest nightmares but also a death/rebirthing kind of release is both a theme of Pluto in a person’s life but also in Pluto transits.
Pioneering transpersonal psychiatrist Stan Grof shares that Pluto is “Pyrocatharsis”. This is a purifying release of pent-up forces deep within ourselves that can be healing but also intensely felt.
This Super Full Moon brings activates Pluto in this way, allowing the shadow to become visible personally and in humanity. This is not so much done with the mind or ego as it is with the other resources within ourselves, such as our heart and soul. If done in a conscious way, we can see the fears for what they truly represent, showing us where they operate unconsciously in the past and then coming to terms with them so we don’t allow those fears to decide our lives for us.
For the US, we can see this time period of 2022 being a true accounting in the center of the Pluto Return, the Full Moon magnifies the experience. The ramifications and fallout of the 2020-21 period are taking place now. The major issues at hand include:
- Founding Agreements of the United States
- Lessons from the Circle of Grandmothers
- Slavery that helped build the country
- The Current Structures and Systems we depend upon
- Conquering the land and Native Americans (includes relations with the Earth)
- Presumptions of a Democratic Republic Government
This time period is not without its silver lining. If we have the courage to see the truth in ourselves, surrender to what is possible as a result of facing our deep fears, we can navigate our way through. “Through” is the only natural way to navigate this time. Avoidance, ignoring things, willing it away, physically moving it or solving it as an equation won’t work. But all of those can help in the aftermath of the Pluto Return.
During this time, on a personal level, we can connect within and the structures and systems we’ve created or maintained for years, which can include our own resources, relationships and our life burdens/responsibilities. This can be a time to review our livelihoods and see what no longer belongs as it becomes highlighted.
It is a period we can dive deep into ourselves and feel into what fears may be blocking us from our long-term goals or that need to be “detoxified” and integrated in a way that can be empowering. It is a time to feel our feelings and what comes up from that.
In the sky, the Super Full Moon will be between the Archer and Goat-Fish constellations, in an area of few stars. We can look at that as a field of infinite possibilities and creative expression. Capricorn may be more opened, in this setting, to ideas to try a new way or draw from a more ancient wisdom / knowledge that is reframed in an emerging frontier of humanity.