December 2022 Full Moon

December 2022 Full MoonThe December Full Moon occurs on 8 December, so a little more than two weeks away from the (Summer) Solstice. This Full Moon is immediately conjunct Mars – in fact only 4 minutes away from Mars in Rohini nakshatra. This is the favourite nakshatra of the Moon; Mars’ presence here highlights this Full Moon with fulsome energy – as Mars is retrograde, and will be in occultation with the Moon.


The December Full Moon occurs on 8 December, so a little more than two weeks away from the (Summer) Solstice. This Full Moon is immediately conjunct Mars – in fact only 4 minutes away from Mars in Rohini nakshatra. This is the favourite nakshatra of the Moon; Mars’ presence here highlights this Full Moon with fulsome energy – as Mars is retrograde, and will be in occultation with the Moon.

A Full Moon in Taurus casts fixity of purpose, an awareness merging:

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point
(TS Eliot, Burnt Norton)

 

Some say fixity, some say stubborn, still others say “groundedness” that knows the still point within: that still point where all perception merges into one connectedness: the Oneness of divinity.

This will be an especially “interesting” full Moon as it will occult Mars. This means that around the time of the full Moon, Mars will be hidden by or “eclipsed” by the Moon for about an hour. This event will occur on December 7 for much of North America, and in the early morning hours of December 8 for Europe. Please check out the Earth Sky website for more information. Earth Sky org has several links for live streaming of this occultation of Mars. (See the link above)On YouTube – there are several explanatory video and links to live streaming.

 

Occultation of Mars

 

The full Moon occults one of the planets a few times each year, as seen from somewhere on Earth. But this time, it is a different matter altogether because Mars will also be “full.” This means that, from the perspective of the Earth, Mars will be in its brightest phase within a 26-month period. This will occur on December 8 as Mars reaches its exact opposition to the Sun, and when it is closest to the Earth.

Looking to the Full Moon, we note it is in the third house, the house of self-effort. Mars conjunct the moon can have overly-strong and overbearing efforts to almost pressure people into getting the task completed, to blocking out their thoughts by the sheer volume of the message, communication, pulsing of the message. Mars occultation brings invigorated feelings, energised intuition, and dynamism in nurturance and affection. While we all need affection and nurturance, too much can turn us off.

 

Corona around the Moon
Corona around the Moon – as seen nearby the Arctic Circle

 

Now, Jupiter is with the Ascendant at time of the full moon and is aspecting Sun in Scorpio, the 9th house. With Mars driving mental energy to heights not seen for some time, minds can go too fast, almost a whirlwind … … yet, with discipline, self-control and purpose … that energy, that particular uplift and aspect from Jupiter can be channelled to spiritual ends. Keep in mind that Full Moon is excellent time for meditation and sending out energy-frequency-vibration for the welfare of all on Mother Earth.

Looking to the Navamsa, Mars is conjunct Moon in debilitation, in Cancer. Phew! Yet there is a powerful conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn sitting next door in the 9th house, so the Jupiter uplift is moderated by Saturn, who wants to touch all the bases, inspect everything, approve the fitness of purpose and follow lawful and scriptural authority in spiritual advance. This is the plus side of Saturn, Saturn who can be your friend. Think of Saturn sitting on Hanuman, all for good purpose!

Now, the principal strength of this Full Moon is the conjunction of Moon and Mars promoting the liquid mental energy in our minds. We have to take proper steps to harness this mental energy and canalise it, direct the flow of, provide a channel where it may do good. Some say human life and its purpose is austerity, penance, sacrifice and self-denial. This is not true, Source is being-awareness-bliss and wants all of us to have that. Source has revealed the purusharthas, the four great goals of human life, dharma (living in accord with right conduct and conscience), artha (wealth necessary to our station in life), kama (needs and wants for us – and others – to live a fulfilled life) and moksha – release from the cycle of birth-death-birth-again. The human journey toward the goals of life is not a journey of misery, deprivation and suffering. It is a journey in the family car: all four tyres of the car are inflated to the proper pressure and guide us safely toward the goal of life. If one tyre is inflated too much, then it will burst, and the car will end up in the ditch and we may be harmed. Balance and steadiness is what the Source asks of us on the journey to the goal. Jupiter and Saturn provide that balance.

So enjoy the occultation of Mars.

 

Moon occults Mars
The Moon occults Mars – taken on the evening of 8 December 2022, Location: Kosice, Slovakia

 

Saturn peeking out behind the Moon
Saturn peeking out behind the Moon,
courtesy James Webb Telescope

 


Image Credits: Credit: Tomáš Slovinský

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