Full Moons of 2023

On December 8, the final Full Moon of 2022 will take place in the sign of Gemini.

There will be a total of 13 full moons in 2023. That thirteenth moon is called a Blue Moon. You’ve heard the phrase “every once in a blue moon”, which refers to something that doesn’t happen that often. That is because there are typically only 12 Full Moons in the year. In 2018, there were two blue moons!

Lunar phases are very predictable and this makes them helpful for planning out the year. Each lunar cycle lasts a month (28 days to be exact), which is composed of 14 days that lead up to the Full Moon and 14 days that wane into a New Moon. This cycle is a natural cycle of growth, followed by a period pruning back. I highly recommend living your life by the cycle of the moon if you have any issues with completing projects. The moon teaches us that life includes those phases where we cut away what is no longer serving us.

The following is a brief description of how the moon operates within each sign. During a Full Moon, the Sun is in the opposite sign to the Moon. In other words, it is opposing the Sun. Oppositions mean that the goals of each planet are working at odds with that of the other. There is a confrontation. You can think of it as the Sun shining the greatest light on our emotions during this time of the month. Understanding the conditions that the Moon is operating under can help prepare us for what’s to come. Each Full Moon is asking us to let go of something; to prune away so that new growth may develop.

6 January (Cancer Full Moon) — The Wolf Moon

The Moon is at home in Cancer. It is the softest, cuddliest, snuggle buddy. Moon in Cancer wants a soft blanket, and a movie (bring tissues). During this time, the Sun will be in Capricorn, which is this sign that is obsessed with building and ambitiously achieving goals. Whichever axis of your chart is being affected will further describe this conflict. There is something that wants to build and there is something that wants to just exist and enjoy life. Ultimately, there may be some creature comforts that will need to be shed as the hibernation season comes to a close, but… baby its cold outside.

5 February (Leo) — The Snow Moon

In Leo, the Moon is expressive. Leo loves to be the center of attention, in fact, Leo needs an audience to exist. Leo is defined by what the group thinks of him. Leo is the sign of expressing individuality, and in order to do that, there needs to be someone to receive that. When there is a Full Moon in Leo, the Sun is in his detriment (opposite his home sign). Saturn rules feigned appearances, so the Sun in Aquarius can be ruthless with the shame he casts on the Leo archetype. Aquarius defines itself by what it is not. This Full Moon is about expressing oneself in the most authentic way. Vulnerability takes courage, and the heart of a Lion.

7 March (Virgo) — The Worm Moon

The Moon in Virgo is meticulous. The Virgin archetype leads us through the underworld. In order to re-emerge unscathed, things need to be done according to protocol. I imagine this as Spring Cleaning. The Sun will be in the sign of Pisces, which is not necessarily useful for longterm planning, because Pisces has perspective of hindsight. Allow yourself to dream endlessly, but be sure to also take some time to actively rid your current life of clutter. There is a spotlight shining on a very obvious area of life where action needs to be taken towards downsizing.

5 April (Libra) — The Pink Moon

When the Moon is in Libra, harmony is the most important consideration for the comfort of the moon. This is a period of time where we may even put other people’s emotions before our own. The Aries Sun is exalted, shining a light on our tendency to fall into people pleasing, despite our own needs. When the Moon is in Libra, we emotionally attach ourselves to an outcome of no-conflict. Its important to be diplomatic with whatever we let go, but we must let go of something, nonetheless. The spectrum of Aries to Libra encourages us to think about how we show up as an individual in our partnerships.

5 May (Scorpio Lunar Eclipse*) — The Flower Moon

This is the final lunar eclipse in Scorpio for this cycle of the lunar nodes. The Moon in Scorpio is moving through intense emotions. The last Scorpio Lunar Eclipse occurred on May 16, 2022 (link is to my post from that day). When I think about Scorpio Lunar Eclipse, I think about purging. Ridding the body, ridding the mind; its time to evacuate the bowels and get clean again. The Sun is in Taurus, a steady (but also stubborn) sign. Big secrets may be revealed to us, and there may be a need to change course. We have to be willing to let go of comfort when it is no longer serving us.

3 June (Sagittarius) — The Strawberry Moon [[Super Moon]]

The Moon in Sagittarius is on a quest. This is taking that leap of faith into the adventure. Its thrilling. The shedding here is coming from a spotlight on our buzzy minds. We can’t always logic our way through the labyrinth. Sometimes our faith in the Divine is all that we can rely on to make the giant leaps for which Sagittarius so deeply longs. Exploring in any sense of the word; whether that is thought exploration, foreign travel, higher education, or philosophical adventures. This full moon is about letting go of what is technically true and find what you really believe in.

3 July (Capricorn) — The Buck Moon

When the Moon is in Capricorn, she is in her detriment. Far away from her home sign of Cancer, Capricorn does not allow the Moon to ask for help. She feels cold and isolated, and nothing is familiar in this dark abyss of the home of Saturn. Meanwhile, the Sun is in her sign; the lighthouse keeper. He holds the beacon so that she can remember what it is she has to return to when she out in the great beyond. This is a very productive Moon, but has a slight hint of “grin and bear it”. The Moon here is letting go of co-dependency by putting herself to the test and releasing the anchors to go off on her own and build.

1 August (Aquarius) The Sturgeon Moon

There will be two Full Moons in the month of August, the first of which will be in Aquarius. When Aquarius decides to let go of something, it can feel cold and detached. I also get a sense of being a lone wolf, and going out on our own. With Aquarius being a Saturn ruled sign, there’s a sense of something crumbling away. Saturn wants to hold onto tradition and not draw attention to itself. The Leo Sun opposing this Aquarius Moon symbolizes taking pride in oneself. For an Aquarius Moon, this attention can feel embarrassing or worse, superficial. Our desire to serve the collective is receiving scrutiny because it needs to be genuine and not just virtue signaling.

30 August (Pisces) — A Blue Moon

The second Full Moon in August is the one we are calling a Blue Moon. The old saying goes, “Every once in a Blue Moon” indicating that something rarely happens. Blue Moons aren’t all that rare, but this one is especially mystical because it is in the sign of Pisces. Pisces is a dreamy sign that dissolves this idea of Self. We become part of the whole again. This full moon doesn’t just ask us to let go, its asking us to surrender. We are encouraged to assume our subordinate position in this relationship we have with the universe and to trust that we have all the tools we need to solve whatever is being brought to light.

29 September (Aries) — The Harvest Moon

Aries is considered the first sign of the Zodiac and usually points to new beginning or setting off on a new path. But it’s important to consider that full moons require the offering of a sacrifice. When there is a full moon in Aries, the Sun is in Libra. Libra is concerned with partnerships and one-to-one relationships, but Aries is fiercely independent. The conflict here is between a desire for freedom to be a pioneer, which is directly at odds with an ideal for peace and harmony. Unless, we harvest together, cutting away our bounty to share, as opposed to cutting out those with whom we share.

28 October (Taurus Lunar Eclipse*) — The Hunter’s Moon

The final Lunar Eclipse in Taurus for the next 18 years will be somewhat of a repeat of the Lunar Eclipse in Taurus that we experienced on the 8th November 2022. Remember, full moons are about letting go of things, so this could mean something will rear its ugly head again, or it might share a common theme. Considering this is the time that FTX announced a bursting of their bubble, it might be wise to ensure all investments are solid. Taurus signifies things that are related to value and finance so use this full moon to cut away the leeches.

27 November (Gemini) — The Beaver Moon

The Full Moon in Gemini will be opposing Mars and the Sun in Sagittarius. What’s interesting is that the Full Moon in Gemini of 2022 (which will occur on December 7th) is conjunct Mars. So in 2022, Mars and the Moon are fighting over the stage. With Mars conjunct the sun, there’s an element of passion here, whether passionate desire or passionate rage, we will find out. But the optimistic nature of the Sun in Sagittarius has a way different feeling than the Moon with Mars. The Sun handles Mars in a more jovial way. I think of it as the difference between a frustrated mother and a happy-go-lucky dad. The moon in Gemini, in this case, will be confronting concerns with the logistics of carrying out this fiery plan that the Sun and Mars are cooking up in Sagittarius.

26 December (Cancer) — The Cold Moon

Finally, the Cold Moon of Cancer, will close out the year on Boxing Day. The Moon is at home in Cancer, the sign of the crab, which carries its home on its back. We may start to consider letting go of self-limiting beliefs that make us want to clam up in our shell. There’s no need to be out and about this full moon, but the days will be growing after the solstice. We are free to experience our emotions, even as they flow through us over the course of the day. Concealing our true feelings causes us to fall out of alignment with the path we feel most connected. The Cancer Moon is an opportunity to emphasize our emotional awareness with whatever rituals we can use to express our Self. Dance around a fire, cry for hours while binging on rom coms, or howl at the moon.

Originally written in Collective Journaling at The Stoa