Greetings!
Today we have the full moon in Cancer, which means that the Sun is in Cancer and the Moon is in Capricorn. Unfortunately, I have to explain this, even though it has been around for centuries. Anyway, that’s kind of an issue during this full moon. Why do I mention this now, even though it has been occurring for quite some time? The answer lies in this particular full moon. Every year there is an opposition between a Cancer Sun and a Capricorn Moon, so every year we revisit themes that have to do with being nurtured vs nurturing. Themes like this are heavily discussed in pop culture (read: shallow) astrological columns worldwide. However, what separates this year from others is that we now have a Mars retrograde in Aquarius in the mix. And again, contrary to fear-mongering beliefs, Mars retrograde is a good thing, especially at this juncture of history.

Let’s break this down, once and for all, to dispel the energy put forth by cowards that are screaming doom and gloom no matter where you turn. Cancer Sun: The Nurturer, intuitive, the divine feminine. A (stereotypical) homebody and the mother archetype. No more, no less. Capricorn Moon: Appearing cold when making decisions, but realistically having so much control over their emotions that others can’t grasp the true depth that is present, the Capricorn Moons take care of business, and part of that business lies in the husbandry aspect of its character. Now, before anyone starts getting low brow on me, let me clarify that when I use the term “husbandry” here, I’m referring to its original and true definition, and not what has been heaped upon it by stereotypes, the media, or really bland 1950s black and white TV shows. Originally, husbandry referred to someone that was a provider and a nurturer. But wait Bill, are you saying both are nurturing signs?!?! Yes, yes I am. The difference between the two is that Cancer is the warm, nurturing side, whereas Capricorn is the tough love side, believing that wisdom comes through experience. As you can see from this scenario, both are correct, and both have their flaws, and by working together they achieve success.

However, a full moon means there is tension between the two of them. Actually, they are seeing things that are happening in one hundred eighty degrees opposite perspectives. AS a matter of fact, if you like at the astrological chart for the day, things in the sky are weighted to the Capricorn side. Thus it favors the divine masculine. For some, this may be seen as a cause for hesitation or consternation, but for others, it could be the ego stroke that changes one who is self-confident into one that is arrogant, cocky, and an all-around ass. Yeah, that is cause for alarm, especially in today’s fear-based polarized environment.

And riding in on a chariot, in heroic fashion, comes Mars retrograde in Aquarius, come to save the day! “But, but Bill, that goes against so much that is out there online! How DARE you say that!” Pariah, heretic, or a host of other expletives usually get thrown into the conversation at that point, and time is money, so I’ll wrap up by saying I think you catch the drift. After all, isn’t this the season when we are supposed to have SIX planets in retrograde during August? Oh, that sounds so, so scary, but the secret is, that anyone that thinks that way is scared of their own shadow (pun intended) to begin with, so let’s keep going.

Retrograde planets bring opportunities for self-reflection, personal gnosis, healing, and focus for moving forward. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less. The easy metaphor is to remember the lesson of Luke’s cave experience on Dagobah in Star Wars, Episode V. For those of you that have not seen it, there’s your homework. The spiritual point here though is that all you have with you is what you take into it. When retrograde periods begin, it is time to look within, which causes growth and strength, but sometimes comes with pain. So? You can’t enjoy any seed-based delicacy without realizing there was pain between the seed and the soil in order for it to grow. Six retrograde planets in August is a good thing because it empowers us to look within. When we look, though, what should we focus on?

As of this full moon, it is time to focus on the divine masculine. There is a lot of talk about toxic masculinity, and most of it’s true, but now is the time for everyone, regardless of gender identity, to go within and heal their inner divine masculine to the best of their abilities. Why? Because its time for everyone on the planet to move forward (which is a trait of Aquarius, by the way), and the step at this moment is to heal the divine masculine. While this may annoy some people out there, it is wise to keep in mind that current methods are failing, so it’s time to try something new if we want different results.

Individually it is time for each one of us to look within and see how we can heal any internal wounds centered on masculinity that exist. It’s time for internal work. This is the time of the shadow, and at this exact moment, it is time to focus on the shadow of masculinity, toxic or not, to figure out how to heal the world. Before that though, we must first heal ourselves. And the bonus question for all of you playing at home is that if we time this carefully by reaching out to each other, we can get more dynamic results in a faster amount of time, so for those of you that like to plan such things, do so! But please share the results with me later. 😉

To know ourselves is to know the gods, and we are both god and goddess of our consciousness, so let’s start individually internally harmonizing. This will ripple out to the lives of our loved ones and it is in this way we spread compassion into the world.

Blessings & Namaste,