by Daniel Giamario | Aug 17, 2024 |
Setting out with TOTAMS Astrologer Marianna Voulgaris and six others …
This writing is inspired by my recent unexpected and astonishing return to the site of my first Mt. Shasta Vision Quest experience in 1981. I recount it in this month’s vlog.
The exact Full Moon is Monday, August 19, 11:26am PDT at 27Aquarius15. And yes, it is a “Supermoon” and a “Blue Moon.”
Other remarkable aspects also occurring on August 19:
• Sun Square Uranus, 9:45am PDT at 27Leo11 / 27Taurus11
• Jupiter square Saturn, 2:46pm PDT at 17Gemini27 / 17Pisces27
• Just the day before the Mercury-Sun interior conjunction at 26Leo35.
Silvianne’s companion article highlights the week’s events!
What is a Supermoon?
Astrologer Richard Nolle coined the term “Supermoon” back in 1979. And even astronomers use it today, though they seem to prefer calling it “Perigean Full Moon.” The definition of a supermoon is when the Moon is at least 90% to its closest perigee. Indeed, such a Super Full Moon appears slightly brighter and larger than usual, because it is, in fact, closer to Earth and therefore brighter.
Remarkably, in the weeks and months to come, there will be four of them in a row!
Aug 19: 224,917 miles / 361,969 km
Sep 18: 222,131 miles / 357,485 km
Oct 17: 222,055 miles / 357,363 km
Nov 15: 224,853 miles / 361,866 km
What is a Blue Moon?
Most recently, the term “Blue Moon” has popularly been used to refer to two Full Moons within the same calendar month. However, this is merely an artifact of the secular calendar and not related to actual cosmology at all. And the Moon is, of course, not blue either.
In its original meaning, “Blue Moon” refers to the last of four Full Moons happening in one season. My former colleague, Cayelin Castell, has done great research on this, and you can enjoy a short video she made here.
The upcoming Aquarius Full Moon is indeed a “Blue Moon” in its original definition.
But why “Vision Quest” Full Moon?
This particular Full Moon has a unique place in my life and that of our school. At the time of the Aquarius Full Moon in August of 1981 I had my first Vision Quest experience on Mount Shasta, under the guidance of Joan Halifax of the Ojai Foundation. This profoundly changed my philosophical and spiritual pathways, as well as providing the initial visions that so far have resulted in a unique astrological paradigm and three waves of a mystery school.
After that 1981 vision quest death and rebirth experience, I became caught up in the Mount Shasta mythos. Each year from 1981 to 1989 I took groups to the mountain for sacred ceremony, and to apply more deeply the insights and transmissions received there. Additionally, over 15 years, I often went on solo retreats, eventually giving rise to the evolving Shamanic Astrology Paradigm™.
During those years, many individuals and groups were spending time camping on the mountain, and I learned a lot. One of the things I came to understand from the local Shasta tradition was that the Aquarius Full Moon was seen as the “Vision Quest Moon”. So subsequently, I always scheduled my groups and solo times on Shasta around the time of the Aquarian Full Moon. At that time the workshops I conducted were called “The Astrological Vision Quest”.
And so it is that ever since receiving these transmissions in the early 1980s, the Aquarius Vision Quest Full Moon has been part of the lore and traditions of the Shamanic Astrology Mystery School™ and now TOTAMS.
How to Utilize this Vision Quest Full Moon
Whether you are able to venture all the way to Mount Shasta or not, the upcoming days around this Full Moon are the perfectly perfect time for your visioning, be it solo or with a group. I highly recommend you prioritize this in your life as best you can. As it’s even more important in these accelerated times of change and uncertainty, make sure you take the time.
Certainly, the most important thing you can do is to be open to receiving guidance as to discovering and clarifying your life purpose intentions and your unique “place on the wheel”. Depending on your personal transits and timeline cycles, you may get downloads from “spirit”, as if your future self is reaching back to get your attention. At the very least you can get clear guidance as to what to let go of, and to stop doing – to create space!
From an astrological and archetypal perspective, this makes great sense. Full Moons are always about expanded awareness and consciousness. The nights are as bright as possible, even revealing the shadows (the shadows of night). Of all the Mystery Schools of Life, Aquarius is the most expanded and outside of “normal” boundaries. The school’s definition of Aquarius is: “Having the courage to expand consciousness as far as possible for its own sake”. It is best undertaken by intent and with strong spiritual will.
Remember to utilize the essence of Aquarius for this. This can include contacting your highest objective witness, the high witness, or the “I” behind your ordinary “I.” This is sometimes called the Atman within the Brahman. From a shamanic perspective, this would be the “eagle” of your consciousness, being able to see the very widest view, with freedom and a non-judgmental perspective. You can add to that transmissions of the resonantly energetic polarity of the Leo Sun. This can mean committing to your sovereign and autonomous self, with the uniquely Aquarian contribution of truly being yourself.
Or as it has been said:
“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken!”
Aiding your “quest” will be the powerful presence of the Mars-Jupiter alignment which was exact on August 14 at 16Gemini40, with Mars getting brighter every night now. To conclude, once again, we’d strongly advise you to prioritize taking advantage of this Aquarius Vision Quest Full Moon portal!