First Quarter Moon in Pisces ☽ Dec 15, 2018

Art: “A Slow Emergence” by Emily Kell

Saturday, Dec 15 at 3.49am PST

The Sun in Sagittarius squares the 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 is waxing, gathering momentum for fullness. The moon enters Pisces very early on Dec 13 – we will begin to feel the effects of the quarter moon at this point. The moon will stay in Pisces until the evening of Dec 15, then move ahead into Aries, upon which we will feel a very nice energetic shift. When the moon transitions from Pisces to Aries, she is essentially transitioning from the shadow of sleep to the light of dawn.

This quarter moon delivers deep introspection (Pisces) on belief systems and visions of the future (Sagittarius). Pisces lives within, swimming and dreaming; Sagittarius burns through time and space. Sagittarius is Pisces’ fiery predecessor, restless and contagiously enthusiastic. The centaur flips Pisces out of the water and up to the starlight; Pisces then encourages the centaur to rest and reflect. Without such rest, Sagittarius is carried away by grandiose fantasies, bubbly social events and eventual exhaustion.

Sometimes Luna drags us into undesirable emotional backwaters at quarter phases. This is why I usually write about emotional turbulence at the quarter phases. But rather than describe this juncture as turbulent, I’d say it is decidedly idealistic, even naive. Pisces is the queen of wishful thinking. Sagittarius is the starry-eyed hunter of the cosmos. When these two wrestle in the skies, illusion mounts, then cracks. We are forced to acknowledge the discrepancy between what we had hoped and how it is. Attachments notwithstanding, it is time to be honest about what isn’t working.

As Pisces is the last sign in the zodiac, she represents endings and resolution. Any moon phase in Pisces brings proverbial death of that which must die. And Sagittarius is a jolly soul, but we should not forget that he belongs to the element of fire. Any transit involving fire can lead either to explosive anger or swift transmogrification. It all depends on how we react to the information we receive. I wish you enough strength to shoot the archer’s bow and enough sensitivity to care for the fishes, forever chasing tails.

Respect your body’s need for increased sleep and relaxation at this phase. If possible, immerse yourself in some hot water. Avoid alcohol. Artistic expression highly recommended, as always. Music and dance are inextricably connected to the archetype of Pisces. 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. It will likely be more difficult to sleep at night (and we will feel more fatigued during the day), so this could be the perfect opportunity to stay up and create a ceremony. Wear white or cool tones.

Good news: Mercury Retrograde will be long over by the time this quarter moon comes. Actually Mercury will already be back in Sagittarius, catching up to the sun. As this quarter moon does not form any major aspects to other planets, I believe it will be quite smooth. The following week will be much more exciting. The day before the solstice, the sun forms an electrifying trine to Uranus Retrograde. On the morning of Friday’s solstice, Venus in Scorpio forms a lovely trine to Neptune. 20 minutes later, Mercury will then be conjunct Jupiter in Sagittarius. Lastly, the day after the solstice is a full moon!

Regenerate with Pisces Yoga. To find your personal moon sign, click here.

Mantra:  I dream