By Araxe Hajian
The Cosmic Circus
Seven of Cups
This tarot card is about introspection and the heart—the things we hold dear. Among these chalices’ many options, one dove reveals what is most important when we examine ourselves and go inward. This is the only way to see through the smoke and mirrors. There is a purity to this card: It is not petty, and it is not about glitter or glam.
Cups represent our feelings—the opposite of intellect, which views things with detachment. Here lie our emotions and intuition from Pisces’ watery realm.
Be careful what you wish for, as not everything is as it seems. Make your choices by going beyond illusion and allure to focus on what’s right for you.
On September 10, a full moon rises in the sign of Pisces, creating a space for opening our minds to new levels of consciousness and grounding our bodies with mindful practices. Use the time leading up to this lunation to settle your habits and routines—you’re going to need them!
This lunation takes us into a realm of higher thinking, which is helpful considering how many planets are going retrograde right now: seven! This parade of retrogrades includes Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Chiron, the planetoid whose orbit is between Saturn and Uranus and sits at the gateway between the known and the outer realms of higher consciousness.
Is the sky falling? No, but there will be a lot of turning inward and not much doing. When planets go retrograde, it doesn’t add up to a lot of action. Feeling the urge to uproot, quit your job, or embark on bold feats of daring? Hold that thought and cast a wide net under your flying trapeze. It might be better to research, think, evaluate, and connect with your guides to see what’s right for you.
The overarching celestial message for fall is full of warnings: think for yourself and don’t get caught up in public hysteria and drama.
Spectacles & Circus Tents
Discovered in 1925 by a spiritualist medium and an astrologer, The Sabian symbols are a set of 360 phrases that interpret images and metaphors corresponding to the zodiac wheel. Each holds a story and a unique energy field for each degree.
Our full moon in Pisces’ Sabian symbol is this: In a gigantic tent, villagers witness a spectacular performance, and the keynote of that is the collective appeal of a well-staged and exciting display of skill and oratory.
It could be a sign of carnivals coming to town. Who will be performing at the big top of your life?
“People are looking for a spectacle,” notes Miraval Austin Astrologer Lynn Carroll-Rivera, “not logical, practical leadership. People want to be moved and captivated, not necessarily with down-to-earth realism or common sense.”
Pisces full moons are always the most emotional, compassionate, and empathetic. Be careful where you place your empathy, though. It can be swayed by other people who may have an agenda. These “skilled orators” and oracles of salvation might just be silky-voiced snake-oil salesmen in sparkling suits. They spin bewitchingly musical spells and make it easy to confuse a fantastical connection to your worst familiars with something good.
It’s a season of secret charms, charisma, and false promises. A pavilion packed with Rasputins, Svengalis, and Pied Pipers. Cover your ears, look beyond the bombast, and tune into the subtler hum that comes from within.
Enlightenment & Illusion: A Fine Line
This full moon is brimming with imagination, being so close to Neptune, planet of enlightenment and illusion. You’ll be asked to summon your spiritual strength and practices to weather through—and you might even make the most of the glimmers and shimmers of this tricky energy.
“Remember,” Lynn notes, “that whatever story your mind embraces—whatever stirs you at a soul level—is what you’re going to project. Your outer experience will match your internal narrative.”
In other words, choose your fight song wisely.
“Mercury is trine to Mars,” continues Lynn, “which offers news, information, and communities of like-minded people who bring out our healthiest selves in exchange for level-headed thinking. Since Jupiter is the co-ruler of this Pisces full moon, our mental states will be amplified.”
Lynn cautions that our work lies in resisting the allure of drama outside of ourselves. It’s tempting to feed our guilty pleasures and worries, the things we indulge in despite our better judgment: gossiping, doom-scrolling, shaming, and blaming.
Will you be drawn into something because it fans the flames of your fears, or will you retreat from the artifice and ground yourself with your beliefs? You can dream a new dream instead of falling into someone else’s nightmare.
Return to Center
Use this bright full-moon light to look for healthy content and engage in regular practices that remind you of who you are. What brings you back to your center when the commotion of the ring makes the tightrope wobble?
Whenever Mercury is retrograde, it’s a perfect time to rethink some things and discover others we forgot or didn’t know. Instead of diving down into the feeding frenzy of big-top culture and social media, reach up to your highest self for inner receptivity.
“All creatures under this full moon are shifting ideas of what is healthy for ourselves and this world,” says Lynn. “Instead of focusing on our fears, we can seek vision, guidance, inspiration, and new ideas.”
Pisces is a very moldable sign—it excites us with endless possibilities. It’s the least grounded and the most connected to the cosmic world. The moon’s conjunction to Neptune and sextile to Uranus and Pluto are both helpful aspects that inspire us in this lunation.
It’s an excellent time for promotion and getting people excited. Just be mindful of what you endorse and use your tools to repel negative energy and recenter yourself. You can promote your own playlist and spin your own soundtrack. Your mantras and meditations can mute the chaotic masses and messes made by the surrounding circus of ringleaders and ventriloquists.
Araxe Hajian is a senior writer who covers wellness stories and specialist offerings at Miraval Resorts & Spas. She was associate editor and writer at Life in Balance Magazine, storyteller at the social platform MindMeet, and author of numerous articles and Miraval Resorts’ coffee-table book Miraval Mindful by Design.
*Source material provided by Miraval Austin Astrologer Lynn Carroll-Rivera
