First Quarter Moon in Pisces ☽ Dec 3, 2019

Art: “A Slow Emergence” by Emily Kell

Tuesday, Dec 3 at 10.58pm PST

The vibrant Sun in Sagittarius squares the fanciful moon in Pisces. The moon will rise at noon, peak at dusk and set at midnight all over the world, no matter your time zone. The moon initially enters Pisces the night before the quarter moon (Dec 2), stays here until Dec 5, then moves on to Aries for the next 60-hour round. When the moon transitions from Pisces to Aries, she takes us from the shadow of sleep to the light of dawn – a very invigorating shift. On Dec 10 the moon enters Gemini, marking the beginning of the full moon!

Our eyes are freshly cleared by the new moon – now what? At the first quarter, we address precisely this question of now what, where to go, what to do? The moon is waxing, gathering momentum for fullness. Quarter moons prompt definitive change. First quarter moons represent a moment of truth, bringing forward vital information for the full moon.

Watery Pisces lives within, swimming and dreaming; Sagittarius burns through time and space. Sagittarius is Pisces’ fiery predecessor, flipping the fishes out of the water and up to the starlight. Pisces, on the other hand, encourages the centaur to rest and reflect. Without such rest, Sagittarius is easily carried away by grandiose plans, bubbly social events and eventual exhaustion.

As Pisces is the last sign in the zodiac, she represents endings and resolution. Any moon phase in Pisces heralds proverbial death of that which must die. I wish you enough strength to shoot the archer’s bow into the future – on to the next adventure – and enough sensitivity to care for the fishes inside you as they grieve for that which has passed.

At quarter moons I usually mention the possibility of emotional turbulence. Rather than describe this juncture as turbulent, I’d say it is confusing or uncertain. Pisces is the queen of wishful thinking, Sagittarius the starry-eyed hunter of the cosmos. When these two wrestle in the skies, we feel incurably restless. Any square involving fire (such as the Sun in Sagittarius) needs to be released through physical exercise of some kind. It will be difficult to sleep at night, or you might not sleep at all. The magic of Pisces is MUSIC and DANCE. Go out with your friends, feel the rhythm of the night. Let the fantastical waters of Pisces fill you with new colors and sensations.

So our first duty is to dance. The next is to examine our belief systems and sparkling visions of the future. Which Sagittarian endeavors are the most exciting? And which are simply not going to work? We can acknowledge the discrepancy between what we had hoped and how it is, or discover that how it is can be even better than what we had hoped.

There are two elements to this moon phase. One is that something is coming to a close. Yet the fire of Sagittarius demands that we look forward and create a new plan. Winter descends, but the centaur is not ready to bed down. Hold ideas lightly in your mind, ideas about what you would like to plant in the spring. Where are you going next? If possible, spend time near a body of water to expedite your meditation on endings and beginnings.

Respect your body’s needs at this time. If possible, immerse yourself in some hot water. Artistic expression highly recommended, as always. Pay special attention to your feet. Inverted yoga postures with legs on a chair or resting on a wall will be very soothing at this time, as will exercises to drain the lymphatic system.

In meditation, increase your creativity and emotional attunement by focusing on the sacral chakra. Regenerate with Pisces Yoga. To find your personal moon sign, click here.

Affirmation:  everything changes, nothing lasts