21 August 2021 – “Speaking with the Stars”: Tonight is the eve of the August Full Moon called by the Native American tribes in the Heartland – the Sturgeon Moon – because these large fish of the Great Lakes, are caught at this time of year. It’s also what is called a ‘Seasonal Blue Moon’!
Yes, we have two kinds of Blue Moons – monthly & seasonal.
A monthly Blue Moon is the second Full Moon in a calendar month with two Full Moons. Then, there’s a seasonal Blue Moon – the third Full Moon of an astronomical season that has four Full Moons.
In astronomy, a seasonal cross-quarter is the time between a Solstice or Equinox. Each season – winter, spring, summer or fall – lasts three months & usually has three Full Moons, occurring around 30 days apart. Because June’s Full Moon came just a few days after the June (Summer) Solstice, we will see four Full Moons in the current summer season, which ends at the September Equinox on Sept. 22.
The third Full Moon – our seasonal Blue Moon – will happen on Aug. 22 exact at 6:02 am CDT. All Full Moons are opposite the Sun, rising fully illuminated around sunset & setting around sunrise.
The August Full Moon is in Aquarius – the second of 2 in the Water Bearer’s sign. The Aquarius moon opposes the Leo Sun, so we can see how our personal experiences fit into a wider context; & how the collective energies play out for us in one-of-a-kind ways. We realize it’s not all about us, & embrace opportunities to be part of something bigger. At the same time, we recognize what makes us special—the authentic self that we were born to express. This Full Moon highlights our needs for both personal freedom & community with like-minded, like-hearted people.
It’s interesting to note that since last month’s Full Moon, Jupiter, which was in retrograde, has again returned to Aquarius. And while the beneficent king’s conjunction with Bella Luna amplifies this tension between individuality & interdependence, it also grows our feelings of goodwill toward one another. We might feel a stronger sense of solidarity with our fellow human beings. And this inspires us to envision a bigger, brighter future for all.
Aquarius, after all, is ruled by Uranus—our solar system’s radical revolutionary & ingenious innovator. And with Uranus still stationary after going retrograde on August 19, this Beings electric energy is all over this Blue Moon. Revolution starts within, by liberating our hearts & minds.
Also as Mars & Mercury in Virgo trine Uranus in Taurus, it may be easier than we expect to get ourselves unstuck. Mercury gives us clarity on where things have gotten stagnant in our lives, & helps us name what needs to change with uncanny precision. And while Uranus can be like a bull in a china shop at times, Mars channels this energy into carefully considered, conscientious action.
Still, we won’t have to wait too long for the energy to shift, as the Moon moves from Aquarius to Pisces just 41 minutes after this lunation. While both signs can be quite intuitive, their insights come in different ways. The Full Moon in Aquarius brings revelations like a bolt from the blue, in sudden flashes than can be just as unsettling as they are electrifying. But once the moon slips into Pisces, it’s a more nebulous kind of knowing—gentle, dreamy, & effortlessly empathic.
Then, just nine hours after the Full Moon, the Sun moves on from Leo to Virgo. This shifts our focus away from being seen, & toward being of service. We’ll be less concerned with how others are perceiving us, & more interested in aligning with our own integrity.
Even so, with Saturn retrograde in Aquarius, we’re not just responsible for ourselves—we’re also being held accountable to each other. Fortunately, as Venus in Libra trines Saturn on August 23, it doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience. Right now cooperation is easier to come by, helping us to build more harmonious relationships. ~thanks to nasa.gov & astrology.com
~I live
In the perfume of day
A flower unfurling slowly after the anguish of night
I remember the strawberries I shared by the road with a stranger…
And with the promise of harvest made manifest
Bless the heart-hands
Strong with the working…
~hag
Rudolf Steiner’s Lectures on this day
“We learn from history that we don’t learn from history!” ~Desmond Tutu
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Feast day of Our Lady of Knock*
1858 – Birthday of Archduke Rudolf von Habsburg, Crown Prince of Austria. In 1889, he died in a suicide pact with his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera. His death left no direct male heir. As a consequence, his brother, Archduke Karl Ludwig, was next in the line. His death in 1896 made his oldest son, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive. In 1914, Franz Ferdinand’s assassination precipitated World War I & sparked a chain of events that caused the dynasty’s collapse. Rudolf Steiner spoke quite a bit about his former incarnations, the most important being as Nero, in Karmic Relationships Vol. 2, lectures 7, 27 & Vol. 4 lecture 24
*1879 – Observers stated that there was an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saint John the Evangelist, angels, & Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God) Knock Shrine (Irish: Cnoc Mhuire, “Hill of Mary” or “Mary’s Hill”) is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site in the village of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland.
1911 – The Mona Lisa is stolen by a Louvre employee
1914 – Deathday of Pope Pius X. particularly devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the specific title of Our Lady of Confidence; his papal encyclical Ad diem illum expresses his desire through Mary to renew all things in Christ, which he had defined as his motto. He promoted Thomas Aquinas as the principal philosophical method to be taught in Catholic institutions. After the 1908 Messina earthquake he filled the Apostolic Palace with refugees, long before the Italian government acted. He rejected any kind of favors for himself or his family
1921 – 1st publication of the weekly Das Goetheanum
1940 – Deathday of Leon Trotsky, murdered on Stalin’s orders
1942 – World War II: The flag of Nazi Germany is installed atop the Mount Elbrus, the highest peak of the Caucasus mountain range
1942 – World War II: The Guadalcanal Campaign: American forces defeat an attack by Imperial Japanese Army soldiers in the Battle of the Tenaru
1957 – The Soviet Union successfully conducts a long-range test flight of the first intercontinental ballistic missile
1959 –President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union
1963 – Xá Lợi Pagoda raids: The Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces vandalizes Buddhist pagodas across the country, arresting thousands & leaving hundreds dead
1968 – Deathday of Margareta Morgenstern, anthroposophist & wife of poet Christian Morgenstern
1986 – Carbon dioxide gas erupts from volcanic Lake Nyos in Cameroon, killing up to 1,800 people
1988 – The 6.9 Mw Nepal earthquake shakes the Nepal–India border leaving 1,450 people killed & thousands injured
1991 – Latvia declares renewal of its full independence after the occupation of Soviet Union
2013 – Hundreds of people are reported killed by chemical attacks in the Ghouta region of Syria
Festival Gathering: Tuesday 28 September on the eve of Michaelmas with Rev’s Jeana Lee & Victoria Capon
Potluck at 5:30
Talk at 7pm
At the Rudolf Steiner Branch, 4249 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Meeting The Dragon With Our Four Fold Being – A talk and collaborative sculptural creation
and then transformation – Bring your found objects to help build the dragon!
Then our inspiration can come to life through our collaboration.
Jeana Lee was recently ordained as a priest of the Christian Community Movement for Religious Renewal and sent to the congregation in Chicago. Previously she taught chemistry and math at Green Meadow Waldorf high school. She enjoys swimming in the lake and is interested in questions of sin and redemption.
Victoria hails from the east coast and is new to Chicago. Before attending seminary she taught at the Waldorf School of Cape Cod. Now she is happily settling into serving the chicago CC congregation and exploring the Windy City
Join us for the Applied Anthroposophy Course 2021-2022!
October 13, 2021 – May 25, 2022
Hazel Archer & Nancy Melvin will be leading a ‘Chrysalis Group on Thursday mornings 8am PT / 10 am CT / 11am ET /
https://appliedanthroposophy.org/chrysalis
We invite you to join us as we explore big, essential questions together…
What is contemporary culture asking for now?
What are you being called to bring to the world?
How will Anthroposophia assist you in the task?
The Applied Anthroposophy Course (AAC) brings transformative online content to the alchemy of individual and group inner work.
The mission is to explore the urgent issues of our time and awaken meaning through the lens of spiritual philosophy, inner reflection, and outer action. Visit appliedanthroposophy.orgfor more information!
How much does it cost?
FULL PROGRAM YEARLY TUITION*
- Standard Rate: $750
- Supporter Rate: $900
- Youth Rate: $450
- Equity Rate: $450
SEED SERIES YEARLY TUITION
- Weekly Presentations Only: $300
*Monthly payment options are also available.
What is included?
- Inspiring keynote speakers
- Highlights from the anthroposophical movement
- Themed discussion groups on diverse topics
- Recordings of all presentations
- The warmth of a shared learning community with participants from all over the world
We look forward to an exciting and memorable year of exploration and growth.
See you there!
Warmly,
The Applied Anthroposophy Organizing Team
Angela Foster, Tess Parker, and Jordan Walker
