It’s been almost a week since Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas. At least 45 people are dead, hundreds are missing and some 70,000 are homeless. There is no power or running water. Aid is arriving slowly to the island of Grand Bahama, which sustained the worst damage – the kind typically seen in a war zone. Indeed, this is the latest salvo in the battle of climate change, and sadly, it’s unlikely to be the last.
Though most of us aren’t facing total destruction, we are in transition – or at least realizing that personal and global change are imminent. Crisis has a way of catalyzing needed changes. Yet it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you don’t know exactly what’s next, or how it might affect you.
So here comes the Pisces Full Moon (Friday, Sept. 13, 9:32 p.m. PDT) as a reminder that sometimes all we can do is surrender to the flow and await inspiration. Pisces rules the ocean with its uncontrollable waves, storms and fog. And, the Sun in Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces at the Full Moon, adding to the watery, emotional theme. You’re unlikely to feel you’re in control this week, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Pisces is the right brain intuitive guidance system, which often gets triggered by strong feelings, bringing revelations. Sometimes you need to empty out your accumulated emotions in order to feel your way forward.
Mars in Virgo squares adventurous Jupiter on Thursday and opposes dreamy Neptune at the Full Moon on Friday, activating the larger-than-life, inspiring but potentially excessive Jupiter-Neptune square as it moves toward completion mid-month. Mars in Virgo wants precise, definite action and results, which Neptune is not well-equipped to fulfill. But the Sun trine Pluto on Friday can help bring things down to earth long enough to see the lay of the land.
This is the Harvest Moon. As the Full Moon that falls nearest the September 23 equinox, its traditional function was to shine the greatest light when people needed it most—to complete the harvest. The fruits of our labors are being revealed now, personally and collectively. No matter what you may be harvesting, be aware that emotions will be running high. Actions may not be well thought-out or realistic, so try not to make promises you can’t or don’t want to fulfill. Important decisions need to be thoroughly investigated before moving forward. If you feel uneasy about something, trust your instincts. And, if you can spend some time by the ocean, or any body of water, all the better to wash your spirit clean and seek clarity.
If you should fall into overwhelm, realize that according to neuroscientists Mark Waldman and Andrew Newberg in Science of Mind magazine, it’s not your brain that gets overwhelmed, it’s just a tiny area of consciousness called the mind. When you have too many unconscious positive and negative thoughts going on, they explain, your prefrontal lobe shuts down. Then the fantasy-imagination network in your brain floods you with worries, and you get lost and overwhelmed. The goal is to stop judging and reacting to this stuff, and realize that it’s just a bunch of prefrontal noise.
How to shift out of it? Here’s the formula: First get quiet, and think of one issue that makes you feel overwhelmed. Write it down. Then yawn, stretch and deeply relax as you gaze, without judgment, at your words. Close your eyes and allow the chaotic thoughts and feelings to flow through your mind. Once you feel detached from the feeling of overwhelm, ask your intuition for a solution or an insight into your confusion. Write down whatever comes to mind. You may need to do this a few times, to fully experience the clarity that allows you to map out a plan of action. I’ve done this process myself, and it’s a real life-saver – a great way to balance the rational Virgo-intuitive Pisces axis in your brain. Let me know how it works for you!
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