A Full Blue Moon will happen on August 31, 2023. This moon gets its name when there are four full Moons in a single season. When this happens, the third is a Blue Moon.

Or when there are two full Moons in a single calendar month, the second is a Blue Moon. This latter is the case for this Full Moon. Of course, the saying “once in a Blue Moon” is apropos because they don’t happen frequently.

It is also a the third consecutive Supermoon, which is like a regular Full Moon on steroids.

But before that, Mercury goes in Retrograde on the New Moon in Leo on August 23rd and will stay in Retrograde till September 15th.

Our minds go into rewind mode during this time. We are often revisited by old relationships in dreams, visions and sometimes in person. This is a time to look back on our old selves to inform us how we want to move forward in our lives. While it is wise to use this time to reflect and contemplate, it’s generally not advised to finalize any big decisions when Mercury is in Retrograde.

When I reminisce about my extended family members at family gatherings during my youth, I remember them talking about watching the old black and white Twilight Zone TV series. Looking back as an adult, those past stories really put this reoccurring celestial phenomena into context in the here and now. People tend to zone out more during these episodes in the stars.

The key dynamic during this time period is to look back on who we were then in our relationships with our selves and others. We can use the energies of this review period to support the shifts that are in alignment with who we are becoming. Let go of trying to figure it all out from a compartmentalized, linear and rational perspective. This will just box you in even more in your consciousness. If anything, this time period can allow you to relax your old conditioned thoughts and open up to novel, creative thinking patterns.

Out on the trails, I have had multiple significant encounters with various Hawk energies recently. One such encounter was with an osprey, who had a fresh caught fish within the grasp of its talons. The fish made me think of the dying Pisces Age- a letting go of the sacrificial lamb. And then when I grabbed grandmother’s old field binoculars, the winged creature flew down river. Like the Springsteen lyrics sing, “where the river flows, tomorrow never knows.”

Specifically, red tailed hawks have connections to Mercury and the Temperance card in the Tarot. The connection to red is symbolic of the kundalini- our root chakra that fires our chi from the ground up. That’s why our ancestors recommended starting a chakra meditation with the root chakra, at the base of our tailbone. Buddhist Psychology would characterize Temperance as the Middle Way or walking the razors edge without getting too swayed from following the center of the path.

Hawk inspires us to be observant and pay attention to looking at reality from new vistas and a wide-angle lens. True spiritual strength means being both high minded and also deeply anchored into the ground.

As Fall approaches, it signals that it is time to get back to school and back to business. Summer play time is coming to an end. Like all transitions, there is always a grieving process for the passing of a season. But the reality is that it is time to get organized and ink up our calendars with increased doings and responsibilities.

Look at the squirrels outside and observe how they are even more keyed up than usual. They are bursting with even more nervous woodland creature energy, and busier than usual stockpiling acorns for later rainy day supplies in preparation for Winter. It’s as if they give pause to a confusing self-talk mantra, “am I going nuts, or have I just forgotten where I buried my acorns?” But then again, squirrels remind us about the balance between work and play. In the business of fall, remember to also keep the festive spirit of summer alive.

As an LCSW working in public schools for nearly the past 20 years, it has been interesting to watch these nuances play out. Teachers are among the hardest workers I have ever known. Summer is sometimes called the “off season” because they are away from the classroom. Administrators work, but at a very different pace. Schools are like ghost towns without kids around, as the custodians can attest. There is the excitement of a new school year in the air, but not without mixed feelings. It can be an unsettling transition for everyone, to say the least.

Speaking of transitions, the Autumn Equinox will happen on September 23. At this time, the light and dark energies will be equal. In the Southern Hemisphere, it will be their Vernal Equinox. For them, the light and dark will also be equal, but after that, the light will rise and climax on their Summer Solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, the light will be waning after the Fall Equinox till the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year in later December in the Northern Hemisphere.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari