Big Autumn Energy: Harnessing the Halloween Blue Moon
We hit the Full Moon lottery in October 2020. If you recall, we had a Full Moon on Thursday, October 1st in the sign of Aries. Kicking off the spookiest season of the year with a bright Harvest Moon. A Harvest Moon earns its autumnal name by its proximity to the Autumn Equinox, which makes it the only Full Moon named rooted in an equinox as opposed to the month it occurs in. Our Harvest Moon was in fiery Aries, which kicked October off for intense release + shedding of toxic habits / influences in our lives. I personally felt an internal shift, where all of the overwhelm and stress I carried with me in September seemed to slip off my shoulders when October arrived. Try to remember how you felt in September, and how that shifted once we moved into October. What have you released? And what are you looking to cultivate next?
Release, cultivate, wax, wane...that’s a lot of words. But what does it mean, and how do we utilize the lunar phases in our own self-care / self-growth practice? Before we can utilize the lunar phases, especially the Blue Moon coming up, we need to understand The Moon.
meet the moon
The Moon is the nurturing Mother Figure of the zodiac, and she is unapologetically willing to change. In astrology, The Moon is characterized as a planet, and she is the quickest moving planet in the zodiac. She’ll spend roughly 2.5 days in each zodiac sign, and cycle through all 12 in her 28 day cosmic adventure.
The Moon rules the most intimate sides of ourselves: instincts, vulnerabilities, our sense of safety / comfort, our memories, feelings...basically, our most private inner world. This is often why an astrologer will find more interest in your Moon Sign, where the Moon was positioned at the time of your birth, as opposed to just your Sun Sign, which is an external facing, but still valid, piece of your human puzzle.
As I mentioned before, The Moon is a quick lady...she cycles the entire zodiac in just 28 days. She also heavily influences our emotions, our moods, and our personal growth. How many emotional + internal shifts we go through each month, the severity, and the length of them are in tandem with the lunar phases. Understanding these phases is the next step in learning how to use them in your manifestation practices, your self-development goals, and your personal spiritual journey.
A 28 day lunar trek looks something like this
She begins as a New Moon, seemingly invisible in the sky, she waxes (grows) over the course of two weeks into a Full Moon, the illuminated climax, and she naturally wanes (shrinks) back into a New Moon: wax, wane, repeat.
meet the moon cycle
Although there are nuances for each lunar phase, depending on what sign the phase occurs in and if there are any oppositions with other planets at play, it’s easy to remember that the New Moon is designated for cultivation, intention, and begging, while the Full Moon is designated for culmination, illumination, and release.
The Full Moon is associated with big, bright, illuminated energy, which gives her the bad rep of being a symbol for chaos or disruption—the Full Moon made me do it! Through her fullness, she will illuminate and bring clarity to situations, where new truths can come to light. A Full Moon is an opportune time to request signs from the universe, as the truth will be easily revealed in her light.
If a New Moon is a starting point, then think of the Full Moon as a tipping point—getting already set plans in motion, or discovering harsh / necessary truths about your current projects / intentions. The beauty of this climax is that there is a period of release immediately following. If you come to terms with something harsh, something scary, something you can no longer hold space for, the Full Moon energy supports you in your effort to release these things from your life.
Although the New Moon is a time we’re encouraged to set our intentions, it is actually more effective to set intentions of shedding / release during a Full Moon instead.
Now that we have a basic intro to the Moon and her patterns, we can look closely at how the Blue Moon this Halloween will be influencing our spiritual growth. I’ll also be giving you some tips on how to show up prepared for this energy, they don’t call it a Blue Moon for nothing—literally, it earns the catchy name for being a rare second Full Moon in one month, hence the phrase “once in a Blue Moon.”
October 31st, 2020: A Blue Moon in Taurus
Here’s everything you need to know about this lunar occurrence:
-The Moon will be full in Taurus, a fixed earth sign, the only Full Moon in this zodiac sign for 2020.
-This Blue Moon in Taurus is conjunct to Uranus, the ruler of airy Aquarius.
-The Taurus / Uranus conjunction is in opposition with the Scorpio Sun, and this will be the only Full Moon in the sign of Scorpio in 2020.
So, that’s a lot to unpack for one evening of cosmic energy, especially one that is already historically spooky: Halloween. Aren’t you pumped? Or a little scared? There is nothing to fear going into this night, as the Moon will guarantee you the growth and clarity you need moving forward. October began with an Aries bang, and closes on an earthly knowing—a chance to face that which we’ve longed for, and turn in the direction of profound personal growth.
Why is that? Well, Taurus comes with a grounding energy, a sign emulating a sense of hope, harmony, and peace. Doesn’t that sound ideal, after many Moons—couldn’t resist—of what may have felt chaotic or unsettling for you? Absolutely, this Taurus energy swoops in to comfort you in your illuminated release.
But as we continue to learn in our spiritual work, things are not meant to be so easy, that’s why we call it doing the work. This Full Moon is conjunct to Uranus, a planet known for disruption and sudden change, the sign which rules Aquarius—a lofty sign, indeed. Harmonious Taurus meats disruptive Uranus to create a Lunar Cocktail of intense release followed by a collective rebirth. This has me thinking of The Tower, a major arcana card in the tarot, where a structure must collapse before one can rebuild on solid ground. Chaos can be reassurance that the universe is making space for what you are calling in.
Grounding Taurus mixed with evolutionary Uranus energy means a time of unprecedented growth. Let’s add in the fact that the Scorpio Sun is in opposition with this lunar occurrence, illuminating the Full Moon Uranus conjunction with the Scorpion power to unearth profound truths.
Remember: Peace + Harmony grounded in Taurus, infused with disruptive change + evolution, illuminated by profound truth….that’s powerful self-actualizing energy. A final element is that Halloween occurs in Scorpio season, a time when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest. All signs point to revelation, release, rebirth.
RITUALS + TIPS TO PREPARE FOR THIS ENERGY
How do we prepare for this energy? How do we make sure we are releasing, we are listening, we are remaining as grounded as we can when all systems are set for disruption? The first step is the knowing, so by hanging out here with me and understanding this rare lunar occurrence, you are already protected and prepared with the knowledge of what is to come.
Leading up to the Full Moon, now just one week away, I encourage you to practice presence on a daily basis. If mindfulness is a new practice for you, I have a blog post sharing my tips on how to become more present in your daily routine. When you are present, you are more likely to begin receiving intuitive downloads, or pings, about your current spiritual + external environment. This week, we are taking stock of everything we picked up in October, what we would like to hang on to, and what we are ready to release.
Make a list of what you want more of in your life, make a list of what you’d like less of, and be as honest as you can with this practice. We will know what to release via the Full Moon clarity when we have an understanding of what no longer serves our purpose. Going into Halloween, keep these exhalations on your mind, and be on the lookout for universal signs. Signs come in all forms + manifestations, but a simple way to start is looking for number sequences: 111, 222, 333, etc. I view these chance encounters with repeating numbers as nods from the universe that I am in alignment, and my intention for release / change is taking me on the next best path. You can ask for these signs, if you are looking for an answer on what you may be able to release this Full Moon.
Most importantly, beyond tracking signs + journaling for release, it’s important that you feel all of your feelings this Halloween. Whatever is coming up for you, negative or positive, is a valid download from your highest self and you are allowed to feel fully. Literally, a Full Moon, full of emotion, of truth, of deep understanding. When these thoughts + feelings arise, Friday + Saturday + Sunday, take the time to journal on them. Do not filter, do not judge, just free-writing whatever comes to mind. Leave those pages unattended until Monday, and revisit them. As I mentioned before, the Full Moon naturally wanes for two weeks leading to the next New Moon. Those two weeks are optimal time for shedding, and you’ll have plenty of soul material from your journal exercise to decipher, to digest, and to release. As the New Moon approaches, you will want to have an understanding of what you’re calling in next, now that you’ve made the space for a fresh beginning. Remember The Tower collapses so the new Tower may rise. Know that whatever comes up during this Halloween Blue Moon is merely a temperature check for where you’ll be able to grow next.
What may seem chaotic, what may seem challenging, and what may frighten you about these changes are all rooted in your perception of it. By shifting your language around change, and seeing these instances as opportunities for new growth, you will exercise your intuitive muscle and enhance your relationship with your highest self.
But hey! It’s Halloween, guys. It’s definitely the most important that you have fun, you celebrate in whatever way is true to your traditions and your spirit. These journal exercises and your daily practice of presence are not in any way meant to derail the childlike enthusiasm we’re guaranteed for the final day of October, a month symbolized by The Sun in Reverse—a monthly tarot reading you can learn more about in my Beginning Tarot Tip / Monthly Intention blog post.
There’s certainly a bright, bold, and spooky Halloween on the way. I hope you’re as excited as I am, and this post is able to prepare + enlighten you on how to make the most of this rare night.
Slip into my DMs on Instagram and let me know what you’re looking to release this Full Moon, and if any of the practices mentioned helped you gain clarity for your next New Moon intention setting ritual.
I’ll be taking a vacation for this energy, to soak up the Halloween weekend! But I’ll still be active on Instagram, both my brand / my personal, sharing all of my adventures + insights during the spooky weekend.
In the meantime, you can look forward to a new series on the blog for the month November! As Big Autumn Energy comes to a close today, I’ll be collecting + curating some amazing stories to share with you in November. This time, we’ll be dissecting gratitude over the course of 4 weeks, and how adversity can actually enhance our sense of self + sense of purpose. What better holiday than Thanksgiving to learn more about what it really means to be thankful.
Have fun, be safe, eat an upsetting amount of candy!