Attuning to Inner Guidance for the Next Step on Our Soul’s Path

The Full Moon Partial Lunar Eclipse in Pisces on August 28th, at 12:18 AM EST, has us standing at a crossroads. There’s a decision, a change we are being pushed to make. This moment is the seed point of that change.

Eclipses mark great beginnings and endings. This is a North Node eclipse, supporting our alignment with our higher path forward. A great new beginning is on the horizon; this is a time to orient ourselves toward it. And to do so, we likely need to let something go.

This is a time for seeking clarity and direction, for reflecting on what we are meant to release, internally or externally, from our lives. In this report, I’ll share the astrological alignments pointing to these themes and how we can best navigate this energetically potent Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Pisces.

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Pisces Overview

On this Full Moon, the Sun is at 4 degrees Virgo, conjunct Mercury (5°), opposing the Moon at 4° Pisces. Full Moons are a culmination of energy; the energies initiated on the New Moon have now reached their fullness. It is a point of release and illumination; they shine a light on what has come to completion and is ready to wane.

For the past 18 months, the Moon’s nodal points — the North and South Node — have been in the Pisces-Virgo axis. This is the second-to-last eclipse on this axis as the Nodes of Fate just switched to Leo and Aquarius. However, the Sun and Moon are still making an out-of-sign conjunction with them on this Full Moon. This is the last Full Moon North Node Eclipse in Pisces we will experience on this axis for about 18 years.

As such, this is a time for reflecting on the wisdom and lessons the last year and a half has brought us. The Pisces-Virgo axis is about grounding spiritual wisdom and higher consciousness into everyday life. It is about finding the balance between control and surrender; order and free flow; work and play; restriction and indulgence; logic and intuition; attachments and letting go.

With the South Node in Virgo, there has been an emphasis on releasing the ways we grip onto control and order to feel safe. The ways we seek perfection from ourselves and others. It has been about releasing criticism, judgment, and negative self-talk while honoring the wisdom of discernment and self-analysis; honoring our physical health; and being grounded and present in the body.

This Full Moon reflects these ongoing themes and encourages us to lean more fully into the wisdom of Pisces. Pisces is dreamy, whimsical, and mystical. It is free-flowing, flexible, creative, spiritual, and imaginative.

In the energy of Pisces, the edges of self and other blend, allowing us to connect more intimately with the living world around us and with each other. It helps us to feel the sensations, emotions, and thoughts of plants, animals, the land, the cosmos, and one another. It is empathetic, compassionate, sensitive, and loving, as it recognizes that we are all one, just in different forms.

The Sun in Virgo, conjunct the South Node, helps us discern what is ours and what isn’t; what we want to engage with and what we need to set firmer boundaries around. It helps us integrate our sensitive, psychic, intuitive, and spiritual nature into our physical bodies and daily routines, helping us realize that they are not one or the other but two halves of the same whole. Virgo helps us ground the spiritual into our everyday lives, helping us to embody the wisdom we receive from our higher self/spiritual guides.

The Sun conjunct Mercury signifies greater mental clarity and communication. With Mercury in one of its home signs, this heightens Virgo’s analytical, precision, and organizational skills: the ability to sort through, decipher, organize, dissect, and take note of all the details of something. There is a possibility for clearer insights, downloads, mental interpretations, discernment, and communication with our intuition, Higher Selves, spiritual guides, and other higher-dimensional beings.

Lunar eclipses, in particular, bring about heightened emotions. With the Moon in the emotional water sign of Pisces, our feelings and sensations could be more intense at the time of this Full Moon. Not only are our emotions heightened, but also our psychic, intuitive, and sensitive nature.

In addition, Chiron — the wounded healer and our inner shaman — is in positive aspects to the Moon and Sun. He is supporting us in attuning to the wounds that may be rising to the surface, helping us not only heal and alchemize them but also understand their wisdom. He is also reminding us of the wisdom we’ve already integrated along our healing journey and to lean into that guidance when facing challenging emotions.

As such, this Full Moon in Pisces is highly supportive of any type of spiritual practice that helps you to deepen in and connect with a higher wisdom within. Set time aside for meditation, journaling, slow walks in nature, yoga, or whatever practices help you to ground and tune in to your inner guidance. Have grace for any strong emotions that rise to the surface and give yourself space to express and release them.

This is the main underlying theme of this Full Moon in Pisces. Keep this in mind as we continue to add more energetic layers to this foundation, including a powerful T-square with Uranus, a fated Finger of God pointing at the Sun, and an action-driven T-square with Mars.

Full Moon T-square with Uranus: Expect the Unexpected

Another dynamic that will support us in receiving divine insights — but also might shake us up — is the Sun and Moon square Uranus at 5 degrees Gemini.

Uranus is the planet of disruptions, rapid insights, surprises, revolution, rebellion, the desire for freedom, and sudden spiritual awakening. It can shake us from our slumber, shedding the illusion from our vision, so we may see the truth of reality more clearly.

Pisces signifies illusions, distortions in perception, and fantasy. With Uranus square this Full Moon, there could be a stripping away of what’s false — the illusory beliefs we may hold about ourselves and the world. We may experience disillusionment with long-held belief structures, which can bring about feelings of disorientation, confusion, and grief.

Simultaneously, Uranus square the Full Moon will assist us in receiving divine insights and spiritual guidance. It can assist us in breaking through to a higher level of consciousness and therefore heightened and clearer communication and connection between dimensions and to non-ordinary beings.

Pay attention to flashes of insights — knowings dropping in like lightning bolts of enlightenment. These insights may help guide you on your soul’s highest path forward and the choices or decisions you are now meant to make.

Remember, this is a highly soulful and karmic time — the Nodes of Fate are about our soul’s journey. What we are meant to leave behind and what we are meant to learn and evolve into. While Uranian energy may be disruptive and chaotic, it is ultimately pointing to what’s false or out of alignment in our lives. It is pointing to a deeper truth we are meant to orient ourselves to.

During this Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Pisces, reflect on what no longer “fits” in your life. What feels stagnant? What have you outgrown? What are you moving away from? These questions can help you discern what is ready to be eclipsed out of your life.

To help you orient yourself to what is ready to be eclipsed into your life, ask yourself questions like: “What lights me up? What am I drawn to? What fascinates me? What makes me feel alive? What excites me?”

Sometimes what we are drawn to also makes us feel uncomfortable or scared because it is unfamiliar. Or it doesn’t fit into the life prescribed to us by our family or society. Following our soul’s guidance often requires courageous leaps into the unknown.

With Uranus square the Full Moon, you may find your guidance in unexpected ways, people, or places. It may come through dreams or symbolic language. Turn your “shamanic eyes” on and see the world through the eyes of the mystic, where everything is speaking and teaching you.

The world is alive and interacting with you in every moment. Attune to it, and allow it to guide you and speak to you through synchronicities, animals, trees, water, the wind, storms, birds, stones, and sounds.

Finger of God: The Crossroads of Fate

Several dynamics of this Full Moon Lunar Eclipse point to an overarching theme of standing at a crossroads and deciding which path to take. Eclipses in themselves are choice points; karmic initiations of death and rebirth. The goddess Hekate is sitting at the North Node, and she is a keeper of the crossroads of the past, present, and future.

Along with those elements, there is a Yod, also known as the Finger of God, pointed at the Sun and Mercury. Neptune at 3 degrees of Aries is in a sextile to Pluto at 3 degrees of Aquarius, and they are both quincunx the Sun and Mercury, which serve as the focal planets in this aspect configuration.

Yods instigate fated events. Much like an eclipse, they represent a turning point, a crossroads. They can be a bit disruptive and life-altering, as one is pushed to make a change. The planets in sextile and quincunx the focal planets describe the energies driving the change.

With Neptune and Pluto pointing at the Sun and Mercury, we are being called to embody our spiritual sovereignty and to source our power from our innate life force and consciousness within. We may be pushed to change, or at least reflect on how we direct our will and thoughts — what are we putting our attention, energy, and focus on, and are those things truly aligned with our path forward? Are they serving us? Are they helping us be the best version of ourselves?

What we direct our consciousness to and what we focus our thoughts on is where we direct our energy, and our energy is our power. This isn’t only about where we direct our power, but also how we source our power.

There’s an old story firmly cemented in our collective mind that power comes from outside of ourselves. We must gain positions of power. We accumulate and measure power by wealth, status, degrees, and titles. We must go to the authorities to find our answers. We outsource our innate knowing. We put people on pedestals based on their position in society, creating an unequal societal structure with those at the top and those at the bottom.

I’m not saying there isn’t a time, place, and benefit for outside counsel — there certainly is. My main point is that we’ve been taught that it is our only option. When in truth, we have a deep reservoir of infinite wisdom within us at all times. Neptune and Pluto, pointing at the Sun and Mercury, are reminding us to reclaim our power, reclaim our energy, reclaim our spiritual sovereignty, and to look within before we look without.

The choice point before us, instigated by the Finger of God, then becomes the question: “Will I continue to give my power away, or will I begin the practice of reclaiming it?” To answer this question, we of course have to reflect on the ways we give our power away, whether to people, places, addictions, ideologies, or material items. This is a powerful reflection for this Full Moon.

Another dynamic instigating us to choose a path in some way is a T-square with Venus opposing Saturn, who are both square to Mars. This is about taking action — making a decision and then acting on that decision. This could be an external decision where you change something about your physical reality, or it could be an internal decision, such as a shift in perspective or your mental self-talk.

With the Lunar Eclipse in Pisces, this could be an emotionally charged decision. Be discerning. Emotions can guide us, but they can also cloud us. Get internally clear, centered, and grounded as best you can before making any major decisions or taking action.

Reflective Questions

• What are the main lessons or teachings I’ve received over the last year and a half? 

• What in my life has come to completion that I’m ready to let go of? What story has ended? What have I now outgrown or no longer fits who I am becoming? 

• What am I drawn to? What fascinates me and lights me up? 

• What wisdom and guidance does my Higher Self want to share with me? 

• What disruptions are occurring in my life that are jolting me awake? What may they be asking me to notice? 

• What insights have dropped in for me lately? 

• What changes or decisions am I now meant to make? 

• Does any fear arise when I reflect on these changes? If I could give my fear a voice, what would it say? Can I identify the part of me that is afraid of these changes? What does that part of self need to hear from my Higher Self — or even my future self? 

• Are there any habits, people, or things I’m directing my will and thoughts to that are no longer serving me? 

• In what ways have I been taught to seek power, guidance, and wisdom outside of myself? What would it look like to seek my inner guidance? What practices help me to drop in and receive the guidance of my Higher Self? 

Practice Ideas

This is a spiritual, mystical Full Moon. The veil is thin, and there is much guidance and support for us to receive. Set time aside for deep spiritual practices. Give yourself ample time and space to really shift into another state of consciousness with whatever practices help you to do so.

Journaling and contemplative practices are also supported under this Full Moon. This is a time for reflection — where you have come from, who you are now, and where you are meant to go. Seek the guidance of your Higher Self to help uncover the next step on your path that you are now meant to take.

Higher Self Attunement Meditation

The term “Higher Self” is simply a way of describing the persona of our Soul’s wisdom, or the Divine within. This meditation helps you to attune to that part of yourself to receive guidance and support. Perhaps there is another name or term that resonates more for you. In the following meditation, use whatever term fits best for you.

For this meditation, I encourage you to stand, as you will be using movement/dance to attune to your Higher Self. Perhaps you put on a playlist that helps you drop into sacred space.

Begin by taking some deep breaths. With each exhale, allow yourself to drop more fully into your body – releasing any energy or thoughts that do not serve this moment. Perhaps you do some energetic hygiene, such as shaking, stretching, stomping, or lip trills to release any stagnant energy.

Once you feel settled and ready, drop into your soul point. It may be in your heart, your solar plexus, or your womb. Trust wherever it shows up, and don’t overthink it. Take a few deep breaths here, allowing your exhale to deepen you into this place. What does it feel like? What does it look like? Center yourself into this point.

Now, with your intention, ask your Higher Self to fill your being. Ask them to come forward and to fill your body with their energy. What does it feel like?

Allow your body to get involved and ask, “How would She (He, They) move me?” Start dancing or moving to the flow of your Higher Self. Don’t overthink it; just move with the energy. You are attuning to how it feels to embody and move as your Higher Self.

Take at least a few minutes to move and dance with your Higher Self. After a few minutes, come back to a still position. Now that you are attuned to your Higher Self, you are going to learn a simple practice you can use whenever you need to make a decision.

Attune to your Higher Self and ask: “Show me a yes.”

Perhaps your whole body sways forward, or there is a specific feeling that arises within you. Allow your Higher Self to communicate to you what a yes feels like.

Now, ask your Higher Self: “Show me a no.”

See what happens. Perhaps you sway slightly backwards, or a different type of sensation rises within you.

This is simply practice; there is no pressure or forcing anything. You are playing and practicing with your Higher Self. Try it a few times, releasing any seriousness or pressure “to get it right” if it comes up.

Once that feels complete, you can end your practice by thanking your Higher Self and inviting them to live more fully in your everyday consciousness. Close by stretching, sitting, or lying down, and grounding yourself into the Earth beneath you.

This is a practice you can return to time and time again. The more often we attune to and communicate with our Higher Selves, the more integrated they become in our lives and decision-making process. Remember this is you. This is your wise, Divine self. They are always with you, always ready to offer guidance and support. 

May you feel the magic of this Pisces Full Moon. May you dance to the rhythm of your spirit, joyous in the company of the Divine within. May your heart expand and receive the wisdom of the animated world around you. May you be guided with clarity and wisdom to take the next step on your soul’s highest path forward.

With love,

Rhianna Quanstrom
Read my other works here on Substack!

P.S. For those of you called to work with this eclipse energy in a deeper, more profound way, check out these on-demand offerings while they're still available:

🙏🏼 Yin Yoga: Eclipse Edition
🌀 Portal: A Half-Day Retreat