Free your mind, and the rest will follow! On August 11 (at 9:35 PM EDT), the revolutionary 2022 Aquarius full moon sounds a clarion call for liberation and social change.
Calling all visionaries, disruptors and change agents. As the August 2022 Aquarius full moon beams overhead, it showers the world with futuristic, idealistic vibes. Rainbows and unicorns? Yes, please!
What does it mean when the full moon is in Aquarius?
Ditch the conventional approach and experiment with cutting-edge methods to absolutely everything. As you detour away from normcore, embrace the beautiful paradox of Aquarius: being individualistic AND collaborative at once. Turns out dream teams don’t have to wear matching jerseys. The 2022 Aquarius full moon evokes the spirit of inclusivity and inspires us to redefine “community” for the diversifying, modern world.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac calls August’s full moon The Sturgeon Moon—aptly named, since collaborative Aquarian energy helps us flow together like a school of fish. With this energy directing the tide, we can visualize our ideal futures, and then connect to the right people who can help us bring the big picture to life.
Turn on the searchlight: those kindred spirits could be revealed within the next two weeks. There will be group victories to celebrate—or a deep desire to find our soul squads.
What should I do for an Aquarius full moon?
Here are 7 ways the August 2022 Aquarius full moon calls us into action
1. Activate your activism
Feel like making the world a better place? (Hands raised.) Power-to-the-people Aquarius energy guides us toward activism and humanitarian missions. With karmic Saturn journeying through Aquarius (March 21, 2020 until March 7, 2023), people around the globe are continuing to mobilize for change. No matter where you’re called to act, the 2022 Aquarius full moon brings a PSA that there is strength in numbers.
Go beyond individual effort, looking for organizations, both online and in your community, whose mission you’d like to support. Invite your social network to get in on these meaningful acts. For example, post a link in your social media bios directing people to actions they can take now.
2. Embrace belonging without fitting in
A unified effort doesn’t require uniform behavior. Eccentric Aquarius has a special superpower: Celebrating individuality AND togetherness simultaneously. That might sound like a paradox, but it’s not. Shame and vulnerability expert Brené Brown uncovered this in her research: the desire to fit in is actually the main barrier to accessing a sense of belonging. In her words:
“Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. Because this yearning is so primal, we often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for belonging, but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.”
Translation? Accept yourself, then be yourself. Easier said than done, but a worthy challenge to accept under the 2022 Aquarius full moon.
Do you suppress your opinions out of fear they may be unpopular in a group? Always feel compelled to like the same books, music and clothes as your friends? The herd mentality is a natural human tendency; it’s a survival instinct encoded into our primal brains—and one that’s only intensified in the age of #CancelCulture. The Aquarius full moon creates space for differentiation and discourse.
3. Get weird at the 2022 Aquarius full moon!
Even before the UFO report, you believed that aliens inhabit the earth and live among us (come to think of it, that strange neighbor of yours does fit the profile…). You put hot sauce on your dessert. You don’t believe in monogamy but you’re certain unicorns exist. Whatever. The 2022 Aquarius full moon urges you to stop hiding the parts of yourself that might be quirky, eccentric or just not in perfect harmony with the people around you. Because Aquarian energy is all about “live and let live,” this full moon is great for authentic sharing—without forcing your ideas on anyone else.
When in doubt, take the unconventional route! Aquarius is the sign that governs science and technology. Trot out those inventions and give them a beta test. Experiment in the “lab,” but not when it comes to pushing people’s buttons. The Water Bearer gets nervous under the heat of too much passion, emotion and one-on-one connection. This is friendly, convivial energy at its best—platonic, playful and decidedly NOT romantic. But who cares? Aquarius is irresistibly likable and adorably quirky, which makes this one of the most liberating lunar lifts of the year.
4. Envision a utopian world
Got a radical idea? Ruled by side-spinning Uranus, Aquarius is the sign of the future and all things sci-fi. It’s the forward-focused mad scientist who envisions a quirky, idealized world—or perhaps one populated by aliens, cyborgs and a code of radical individualism. During the 2022 Aquarius full moon, you might want to read up on metaphysical and shamanic ideas (like the “Hopi Prophecies”) or even deepen your knowledge of astrology—all Aquarian themes.
Browse for books or sites about reforming society—notions like a “gift economy” (check out Lewis Hyde’s The Gift) or author/blogger Seth Godin’s Linchpin: Are You Indispensible?, which takes a stand for art over cold industrialism.
Read The Atlantic’s collection of articles on race, published over the magazine’s lifespan (since 1857), including this Ta-nehisi Coates’ essay, A Case For Reparations. Or, head to the otherworldly zone that Aquarius loves and read theories on aliens (no judgment here under this broad-minded moon!), like Bringers of the Dawn: Teachings from the Pleiadians by Barbara Marciniak. All you need is a curious, open mind.
5. Take two steps forward, one step back
Uber-rational Aquarius is a master of emotional objectivity. Where do you have your teeth and claws sunk in so deeply that you can’t see the forest for the trees? The 2022 Aquarius full moon is a great time to practice the Buddhist principle of non-attachment. Yes, you may WANT something with every fiber of your being. But do you also understand that if it doesn’t happen, you’ll still be okay? If you think you can’t survive without a person, an outcome, or whatever you’re hooked into, this lunar light helps you release that fear. Let go, and the Aquarius full moon will bring a better long-term resolution to your issues.
6. Gather with great minds
Idealistic, intellectual Aquarius revels in the realm of cutting-edge ideas. The 2022 Aquarius full moon creates the perfect space for a virtual workshop or a live salon. Gather your brain trust for a topic-centered discussion. You might even stream a documentary or watch a TED Talk to spark the conversation. Who knows? With the Aquarius full moon ruling the skies, the night could end with a plan for bridging the ever-growing societal divide.
7. Inhale deeply
As any yogi will attest, there’s nothing more centering than a deep inhalation of oxygen. If we learned anything over the past two years, it’s what a precious gift it is to simply be able to breathe. Aquarius is an air sign, turning our attention to our inhales and exhales. Stress and trauma can cause shallow breathing, which, in turn intensifies anxiety. When you find yourself in that loop, try the “4 7 8 Breathing technique” to calm yourself and even get to sleep.
Many of us won’t take a sip of water that isn’t filtered, so how about giving our air the same attention at the Aquarius full moon? Plug in the air purifier, deionizer or dehumidifier. Try an essential oil mister for a fragrant and soothing blast. Just go easy on the patchouli—a fan favorite of this bohemian Aquarius full moon, but a strong whiff for the average sensory citizen. Grapefruit, lemon, tangerine and other citrus oils are uplifting and energizing. Perfect for the Aquarius “mad scientist” moments that could keep you up working on your master plan till the wee hours of the morn’.
Photo by Leah Kelley via Pexels
