On August 31st, 2023 we have a Full Moon at 7° Pisces.

Full Moons in Pisces always bring existential themes into focus. There is something about the last sign of the zodiac that hungers for answers.

Pisces is the sign number 12. It has seen it all, done it all. Pisces knows that we are all part of the same ocean of oneness, and that a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon can cause a tornado in Texas days, years, or decades later.

There is some sweet serenity about Pisces – some call it “complacency”, others “deep knowing”. The primary driver, the reason why Pisces does – or doesn’t do – something, is unconditional love.

Of course, you may know a Pisces – or several – that are anything but unconditional love.

There are 2 fundamental Piscean archetypes – Jesus and Judas (different cultures have their own versions of these Piscean archetypes).

Jesus is a symbol of the Age Of Pisces. He is known for virtues like unconditional love and sacrifice. Judas was the 12th apostle. His name is often used synonymously with betrayal or treason.

Jesus and Judas are the 2 ends of the Piscean spectrum. But there’s a common theme to all the Pisces archetypes: sacrifice.

When we work with Pisces energy, we often feel that there are greater forces at play, and that we are just a tool, or a channeling medium, that we are here to fulfill some sort of prophecy.

There is an important distinction between sacrifice and letting go. We let go of negative beliefs. We let go of what’s rotten, or no longer useful.

Sacrifice is different. We don’t sacrifice our negative beliefs. When we say we sacrifice something, we are sacrificing something of value. Sacrifice is an act of offering, of using something for its intrinsic value, to reach a higher state of consciousness, or to achieve some greater good.

Pisces Vs Virgo

Each Full Moon is a conundrum. The Moon is opposite the Sun.

How do we reconcile the opposing energies on the same axis?

Planets in opposition have a lot in common: they share the same modality, and the same polarity. The signs in opposition have the same goal – but they have very different approaches to reaching that goal.

Virgo is Earth, Pisces is water. Virgo is common sense. Pisces is feeling its way in. Virgo is “I have a plan”. Pisces is “I have a dream”. Virgo wants to do things right. Pisces wants to do the right thing.

This back and forth dance will eventually create a playing field where new possibilities are created.

The Aspects – Full Moon Conjunct Saturn

The Full Moon is conjunct Saturn at 3° Pisces.

Saturn and Pisces (with its ruling planets Jupiter and Neptune) couldn’t be more different.

In the next 2 years, Saturn is slowly applying to a conjunction to Neptune. This particular Full Moon in Pisces will thus give us a taste of the type of energies we will be working with going forward.

This Full Moon in the last sign of the zodiac will raise important questions about our legacy in this world. Superficial goals are no longer valued. We long for something deeper, something more meaningful.

The Full Moon in Pisces will raise questions around sacrifice: what do you need to sacrifice to achieve your soul’s mission in this life?

Sacrifice doesn’t have to be the equivalent of Jesus on the cross. Every single one of us sacrifices time and resources to function in society, or to reach some sort of goal.

We work hard to provide for ourselves and our families. We exercise when we don’t necessarily feel like it, to stay fit and healthy. We spend our weekends studying instead of watching Netflix.

But this Full Moon will take this question further. What is that ultimate goal that is worth sacrificing for?

What is THAT goal, that mission, that goes beyond getting a paycheck, or losing some pounds?

This is an important distinction because our Piscean mission is not our everyday goal – it’s our ultimate purpose in this lifetime.

In the Mesopotamian myth Enuma Elish, Marduk used the body of the slain goddess Tiamat to create the world.

There are many similar creation myths around the world where a god, or a human – sacrifices someone – a goddess, a wife, a child, or someone loved – in order to create humanity, or a church, or some other Piscean ideal.

All these myths speak of something fundamental about how our psyche and the world “work”.

There is a reason why Pisces follows two Saturn-ruled signs – Capricorn and Aquarius. After we spend a lifetime building a material legacy, we get to Pisces, and we are asked to leave it behind – for a promise of something greater.

We know we tap into our Piscean mission when the goal, that drive, that thing that motivates us is no longer about us – it is about contributing to something far greater than ourselves.

Sacrifice is never easy – we’ve spent so much time and energy building that structure – but it’s the inevitable next step in our development.

The Full Moon in Pisces will not necessarily ask you to leave your job, give away your possessions and go to the convent.

It will require you to sacrifice something of value so you can fulfill your higher mission. This sacrifice isn’t about letting go of what you value; instead, it’s about using that Saturn resource you worked hard for, to build the spiritual altar of your higher self.