Embracing Authenticity and Heart-Centered Radiance

This is a soulful time. The Full Moon in Aquarius, on July 29th, at 10:36 AM EST, is calling us to go deeper, to realize our soul identity — that we are immortal beings having a transient, human experience. Marked by the blessings of Jupiter, this Full Moon is a time for opening up to the light within. It calls you to shine your light, your unique soul light, to assist the grand transformation of humanity occurring.

This is a Full Moon of blessings, shadows, old wounds, conflict, and soul awakening. It is a Full Moon of death and rebirth, identities shifting, and old beliefs and stories dismantling to make way for a truer, more aligned way of being.

The Full Moon in Aquarius marks a potent energetic time of rare planetary convergences. The energy is high. It is intense. It is revealing and demanding. It is supporting our great becoming. Let us move with the flow of energy, and let us look to the planets and their wisdom to learn how.

Full Moon in Aquarius Overview

During this Full Moon, the Sun is at 6 degrees Leo and the Moon is at 6 degrees of Aquarius. The Sun is conjunct Jupiter, who is also at 6 degrees, and Pluto is conjunct the Moon at 4 degrees Aquarius.

The Sun in Leo is about heart-centered radiance, shining our light out into the world, and celebrating our individuality through creative expression. It is the sign of the mighty lion; it is regal, confident, bold, strong-willed, playful, and courageous. In its shadow expression, Leo can be narcissistic, vain, arrogant, egotistical, and self-centered.

The Moon in Aquarius is calling for the energies of Leo to balance with the wisdom of Aquarius. This is the sign of the water-bearer, which symbolically represents sharing life-giving wisdom and knowledge with others. Aquarius represents out-of-the-box ideas and inventions that move humanity forward. On a personal level, Aquarius corresponds to the sacred rebel, authenticity, standing apart from the crowd, and owning one’s uniqueness.

When combined, Aquarius and Leo ask: how can our unique gifts and creative expression assist and serve the evolution of humanity? How can we as individuals contribute to the whole? How can my inner radiance encourage other people to shine their own, unique light?

This is about aligning heart consciousness (Leo) with our higher mind (Aquarius). In doing so, we receive profound insights not only about our own soul journey, but also about how we can serve humanity and Earth as a whole.

Pluto conjunct the Moon, and Jupiter conjunct the Sun, expand and deepen this dynamic. On its own, the Sun conjunct Jupiter is a fortuitous pairing full of blessings and possibilities. It is the energy of “anything is possible.” However, Pluto conjunct the Moon creates powerful and intense emotions and exposes our shadow.

This is an opportunity to bring the blessings and grace of Jupiter into our tender, shadowy areas. It’s inviting us to bring love to the parts of ourselves we have rejected or denied. The asteroid Hygeia, the goddess of miraculous healing and awakening, is also conjunct Jupiter and the Sun. She is adding another layer of grace to this dynamic, encouraging us to bring healing light to these parts of self.

Pluto opposite the Sun is also about transforming our identities and the beliefs/stories we have about ourselves and humanity as a whole. Pluto’s representation of our “underworld” is an extension of its deeper symbolic correlation with the Soul. It represents our soul’s history and desires — a.k.a the experiences we have from our past lives and our purpose in this life.

This Full Moon is exposing identities and beliefs that are not in alignment with our soul’s evolutionary path in this life. Pluto is the planet of death and rebirth. What stories, identities, or old belief systems need to die for a more aligned version of self to be born?

How can we further deepen into our soul identity and recognize that who we are in this life is a temporary manifestation of our soul light, and not all that we are? And from this depth we can ask, what did my soul come here to experience? Why did my soul choose to return to the Earth, in this form, in this life? What is unfolding for me in this life within the greater arch of my soul’s existence?

Interestingly, just a few days before the Full Moon on July 26th, the Nodes of Fate switch signs into Leo (south node) and Aquarius (north node), marking this as the beginning of an eclipse portal. Because the Moon’s nodal points move retrograde, they will both be at 29 degrees of their signs.

Eclipses in themselves represent times of death and rebirth — instigating ego death, deconstruction of beliefs, and exposing anything internally and externally that no longer serves. While this Full Moon is not an eclipse, the next New Moon in Leo will be.

With the nodes being in Aquarius and Leo, we will collectively deepen into the wisdom of Aquarius while releasing Leo’s shadow. The Full Moon in Aquarius is setting the foundation for this theme that will come up again and again over the next 18 months.

As such, we want to reflect on what true authenticity means to us and how we may seek external validation to feel valued or worthy. This transit will bring up issues around pride, fear of not being seen, ego identification, and arrogance (Leo); and how we are meant to move into authentic self-expression, equality, collaboration, collective empowerment, and the freedom to be different (Aquarius).

Full Moon square Chiron: Revealing How our Deepest Wounds become Our Greatest Gift

The Full Moon (plus Jupiter and Pluto) is a T-square with Chiron, who is at 0 degrees Taurus. We are already in an emotional, shadowy territory with Pluto conjunct the Moon, and now Chiron is pointing to the core wounds within our shadows.

This aspect will be illuminating how these wounds continue to affect our lives, including the choices we make and the beliefs we have about who we are. Aquarius is related to finding what’s true — you may find that some of the beliefs and identities you carry are not rooted in truth.

Rather, they may be rooted in a wound that has informed your perspective on yourself, others, and life as a whole. We want to challenge these beliefs, invoking the sacred rebel within to push against anything that does not resonate with authentic, inner truth.

Chiron square the Full Moon is also revealing the ways in which we dim or hide our light because of our wounds. Simultaneously, it’s also showing how our wounds can become a source of inner light. There’s a quote from the mystic poet Rumi that is very fitting for this configuration:

“The wound is the place where the light enters you.”

Jupiter is adding to this by pointing to the wisdom and grace we’ve gained from navigating these wounds. This is a time for awakening to and reclaiming the gifts your wounds have given you. Invite the blessings of Jupiter and the light of the Sun to illuminate your inner Shaman — that part of you that is initiated into wisdom and higher consciousness through the pain and suffering you’ve experienced.

Again, we are being called to courageously face our wounds and shadows and to meet them with love and grace. Our loving consciousness becomes the light that enters the wound, initiating an alchemical process of healing and transformation.

Venus square Mars

During the Full Moon, Mars in Gemini and Venus in Virgo come into an exact square by degree. They stay in a tight square until the end of August. In October, Venus turns retrograde, and they will square each other again. This will be another ongoing theme we’ll want to pay attention to.

Venus square Mars translates to the masculine and feminine being in conflict or friction. We will likely experience this both within ourselves and outside of ourselves in our relationships. There may be tension between you and your partner or a feeling of not being on the same page as the other. You may have conflicting desires and struggle to find a compromise.

Internally, there may be a struggle with a part of you wanting to take action on something (Mars) while another part of you wants to withdraw or doesn’t feel like things are flowing well (Venus).

With Mars in Gemini, our minds will feel stimulated and full of ideas. When an idea drops in, we’ll want to immediately take action on it. It could also manifest as speaking before thinking about what you’re saying, jumping into action prematurely, and overextending yourself in your pursuit to learn and experience different things.

With Venus in Virgo, the body wants to slow down, take it all in, and understand the details before proceeding with action. The body needs presence, attention, relaxation, and order. Intuition will speak through body discomfort when things feel “off,” and there may be a desire to withdraw and sort through the emotions/sensations.

As a result, we may feel resistance to this desire for action through our physical bodies (simply not having energy, needing rest, feeling unwell, etc). Or it may feel like a part of ourselves is resisting the desire to take action until the steps are fully understood and all the details are in place. There’s the desire to push forward while simultaneously needing to slow down.

Squares ultimately require action, so we shouldn’t try to push away this internal or external conflict. We want to honor both desires and find a way to still act on inspirations while honoring the body, intuition, and feminine flow.

This could look like more grounded action — what ideas or thoughts align with my inner feminine? What action feels purposeful and grounded? Are these actions or choices aligned with my body’s needs? Do I need to take a step back and slow down before proceeding? These are questions we’ll want to ask ourselves when we feel stuck in conflict or internal tension.

Mercury Direct and Saturn Retrograde

On July 23rd, Mercury went direct after being retrograde since June 29th. It will travel back over the degrees it went retrograde through, offering us an opportunity to reflect on what we experienced over that time with newfound clarity. We may gain more insights and understanding of the emotions, memories, or experiences we had during that period.

On July 26th, the same day the Nodes of Fate switch signs, Saturn turns retrograde. Saturn represents structures, karma, time, authority, discipline, and restriction. This is a time for revisiting, re-evaluating, and restructuring Saturnian themes in your life. This could mean reflecting on your relationship to discipline, work, and boundaries, or coming into deeper contact with your own inner authority.

Because Saturn is also related to patriarchy, tradition, and the old paradigm, this is also an opportunity to reflect on the ways you may subconsciously identify with patriarchal structures. This could be internalized misogyny or even the ways you conform to a patriarchal society that may not be truly in alignment with who you are.

The Aquarius Full Moon and Saturn retrograde are going to challenge and support you in breaking away from the ways you conform to society that are not truly in alignment with who you are. Allow your inner authority and sacred rebel to guide you to where you're ready to break free from inherited beliefs and deconstruct outdated narratives.

Reflective Questions:

• What unique gifts, talents, or qualities am I here to share with the world?

• What limiting beliefs or identities am I ready to release that no longer reflect who I am becoming?

• What does “soul identity” mean to me? What feelings, visions, or sensations arise when I reflect on this? 

• Which parts of myself have I rejected, hidden, or judged that are now asking to be met with compassion and love?

• What wisdom or gifts have I gained from navigating and healing my wounds? 

• Which expectations, traditions, or societal norms have I accepted without questioning whether they truly align with my values?

Practice Ideas

Two powerful practices come to mind when considering the energetics of this Full Moon, and that is bridging your heart and mind and bringing love and blessings to your shadows or wounded areas. In addition, take time to journal, spend time alone, and be in deep contemplation on your soul identity and how your life and choices reflect — or don’t reflect — your authentic self.

Before starting either of the below meditations, take time to ground yourself and settle into the moment. Do some breathwork, yoga, journaling, or energetic hygiene beforehand to help deepen your meditative experience.

Bridging the Mind and the Heart Meditation:

Begin by focusing on your breath, then bring your awareness to your heart space. Maybe you put your hand on your heart or hum and feel the vibrations reverberating through your chest. Relax. Allow yourself to soften. With each inhale, feel your heart softening, opening, and expanding. Be here in this space for as long as you need, breathing into your heart. What do you feel? What can you sense?

Start to envision a small spark of light, like a star, at the center of your heart. With each inhale, invite this light to grow and expand. Stay with this light. Let it fill and awaken your heart to love and joy. What does the light feel like? Feel free to use sound, movement, and visualization, in addition to your breath, to deepen into the experience.

This is your radiance. This is your soul light. Allow it to expand as far and as deep as feels right. Maybe it stays within your heart space. Maybe it fills your whole body. Maybe you are completely absorbed into the light until you yourself are a star — you are the light. 

If you became one with the light, stay in that experience for as long as you need, and perhaps that is where it feels right to finish your meditation. Or, start to come back into your body, and see the light focused in your heart space. Your heart is now activated.

Now imagine that light reaching from your heart up into your mind. It goes to the center of your brain, filling your whole mind with light. Using your breath, intention, movement, visualization, and sound, allow the light to penetrate deeply into your mind. Where does it want to go? What does it want to do? What does it feel like? What do you see?

When you’re ready, envision the light of your mind travelling back down to your heart. Now there is a flowing stream of light between your heart and mind. Allow both of them to fill with light and come into union. You are bridging heart consciousness with your higher mind. Allow the energy and light to flow freely between them. What do you feel? What does your body want to do? Let whatever wants to happen, happen.

Be in this experience for as long as it feels right. Let it come to an organic close. Take some deep breaths and slowly start to come back to the room around you. Put your feet on the ground (if they’re not already) and feel the bottom of your foot pressing against the ground. Relax and enjoy how your body feels. Take time to digest and reflect on your experience, journaling anything that stood out to you or feels important to remember.

Healing, Golden Love Light Meditation:

Begin by deepening into your body with some long, deep breaths. When you feel ready, ask your higher self (or whatever word/name works best for you) to guide you to the place/area of your body that is in need of healing. Go to whatever place first comes up; don’t overthink it. Trust your body’s wisdom, even if it doesn’t make logical sense or where you think it “should be.” Trust it.

Imagine a gold stream of sparkling light coming down and entering through your crown. This light goes directly to where the wound is. Allow the light to fill this area. It is alchemizing the energy there, transmuting the dense, sticky energy into purifying love. Give yourself full freedom to move, breathe, or sound — your body knows how to heal; let it do what it wants to do, even if it’s weird!

Once that feels complete, ask your higher self if there is anywhere else this healing love light is meant to go. Trust whatever comes up. If another spot comes to mind, invite the light to fill that space.

This light is full of blessings, unconditional love, grace, and abundance. Allow it to fill the darkest, most dense parts of your being. Trust it where it wants to go. Surrender. Let the mind go. What emotions come up? What sensations arise? What does your body want to do?

Be with the experience for as long as feels right, allowing the light to travel wherever it wants to go. Perhaps you reach a point where you are completely filled with this golden, love light. It has penetrated your cells, and they are now shining with this light. There is no place it has not reached.

You are the light. Allow it to heal, rejuvenate, and bless your being. Receive its healing touch. You are worthy of this light. You are worthy of healing. There is nothing you need to do other than to trust, receive, and surrender. Relax and soften. Let the light take care of the rest.

Allow the experience to come to a natural close. Breathe deeply, feel your feet on the ground, or your sit bones on the surface beneath you. Feel the pull of gravity connecting you to the Earth. Take time to digest and reflect on your experience, journaling anything that stood out to you or feels important to remember.

Be gentle with yourself. There may be much coming to the surface. This is a time of deep purging, individually and collectively. Allow it to happen. Deepen into your soul-self and allow its light to fill you and radiate out into your life.

With love,

Rhianna Quanstrom
Read my other works here on Substack!