Life has been busy lately. As the summer sun has warmed landscapes and enlivened energy, I’ve found myself traveling, socializing, and saying “yes” far more than I had expected to this season… And now, as the Aquarius Full Moon rises and Lammas approaches this weekend, I find myself coming down from this sort of high, and glancing about a bit blurry-eyed!
Also known as the first harvest, Lughnasadh, or Summer Harvest, Lammas is the celebration of first fruits and the blessings the land has begun to bear after spring sowing and summer growth. It doesn’t signal the end of summer, but it invites us all into more awareness of, appreciation for, and participation in the process of harvesting. This is the first time in the solar cycle that we are asked to begin integrating what’s grown and accept the upcoming requirements for its stewardship.
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Arriving today, just days before this celebratory fire festival, the Aquarius Full Moon rises to bring additional illumination as well… And it’s not coming alone. Joining the Sun opposite the Moon, Jupiter in Leo is expanding the intensity and potential of this lunation. Truly, the cosmic climate this week is asking us all to celebrate our recent achievements, while also revealing what our growth may just be beginning to nourish.
Why Nature Doesn’t Rush Harvest
We all know that growth happens naturally. Seeds that germinate through the winter don’t even sprout until the thaw of spring, and yet even at that point still require the warmth of summer to fully develop into fruit-bearing plants. Similarly, intentions that we set for our own development begin quietly, internally, and rarely start to show effects until we’ve added supportive and compounding action into the mix.
It’s tempting to sabotage or dismiss the earlier, invisible or unfruitful stages of our personal growth, but we don’t see Nature behaving that way. She’s patient, allowing her cycles to unfold in ways that permit, stabilize, and hold space for this gradual process. As a result, life continues on and on, never faltering in its progress… And we can all certainly benefit from learning to do the same.
Throughout this July, we’ve had access to a more intimate, reflective, and emotional energetic tide. Mercury retrograde in Cancer, throughout almost all of Cancer season, was asking us all to get to know what truly nourishes, sustains, and supports us and our growth. As Leo season broke, it also had us consider how this kind of authentic self-nurturing helps to bolster our confidence, and ultimately, at this Aquarian full moon, how that self-awareness and assurance allows us to show up for and contribute to the collective.
This is the stage in which the evidence of our work, or lack thereof, will become obvious. Of course, the first harvest isn’t perfect. Perhaps some of the fruits are a bit small or misshapen to start. That’s not an indication of failure though; rather, it’s an opportunity to analyze and make final adjustments to our efforts in order to bring our intentions into fruition as best we might before the growing season actually ends.
Leo Grows Fruit, Aquarius Shares It
Leo energy is FUN, bright, and engaging. Radiant, like its ruler the Sun, this sign and season are often effortlessly warm, brilliant, and bold. These conditions are perfect for encouraging fruits to ripen, social plans to manifest, and goals to be reached. Under Leo’s bright sunlight, we’re more likely to feel like expressing ourselves, participating with others, and pushing through any insecurities or doubts that have held us back before.
This year, we have Jupiter in this sign as well, expanding all of these potentials even further with its own gregarious and uplifting energy. As its presence naturally extends the reach and effect of this sign’s confidence and charisma, we’ve likely felt ourselves pulled beyond limitations we’d previously considered obligatory or unavoidable. Our growth is being encouraged, yes, but it may very well feel like it’s being compelled or even demand too.
In contrast, sitting opposite Leo on the Zodiacal axis, Aquarius is more concerned with living systems. Whether it’s a bee colony or our own local community, Aquarian energy celebrates how individuals can become greater influences through their connections and contributions. It dares to ask us all: “What changes when we see ourselves as participants rather than isolated individuals?”
Now, it’s important to note that while these two polarities aren’t demanding assimilation from one another, they are always informing each other. After all, what joy would there be in Leo’s charismatic confidence without the Aquarian collective standing by to witness it and reap the benefits of those expressions? Individuals are valuable only in community and connection; in isolation, our uniqueness becomes a prison, but in sharing ourselves with others, we learn to appreciate and value our authenticity.
Personally, these two seeming “opposites” have become more and more inextricably linked. More personal opportunities have required more sharing and delegation of responsibilities to others. More confidence in myself has resulted in more expression and participation socially. More of my own authentic growth has ultimately provided more encouragement for the people in my life to undertake their own processes too.
Authenticity Feeds the Future
That’s the thing about harvest, it provides nourishment, sustenance, and fuel. So much so, that a poor harvest was historically seen as a curse, an almost assured downfall, and undisputed misfortune. While we might be able to remain blissfully ignorant during the growing season, harvest season puts the truth out there, for us and everyone else to see plainly.
Of course, in terms of our own development and growth, harvest isn’t tied to any particular time. However, the cycle of progress will always bring us to a point of evidence, when we are required to see clearly whether or not our efforts are actually adding up to the results we were hoping for… Or fall short. This is exactly why authenticity is so key.
See, a seed will never try to be something it’s not; a crop will never produce the fruit of another; and seeing this in nature, it makes perfect sense to us. Yet, humans have different expectations for themselves, touting axioms like “fake it ’til you make it” while actively working themselves to death for someone else’s dream. Sure, maybe it’ll result in some “success,” but if the efforts aren’t authentic, neither will be the results.
This brings me to the other astrological aspect that’s joining in on the Full Moon chorus today: Mars in Gemini square Venus in Virgo. This energy isn’t so easy and enjoyable; it’s giving challenge, but also opportunity. It’s asking us to be more critical of our assumptions, to get real about our authentic alignment, and to ground that drive into truly practical and sustainable steps forward.
Remember, this first harvest isn’t the final harvest. There’s still some growth available; we still have time to make subtle adjustments and align more fully with our authentic potential. It’s important to ask ourselves: “How will we recognize our own maturity?” Nature answers through fruit… But, how do our lives answer?
Tending to the Heart of It
As the Summer Harvest approaches, I stand in my blurry-eyed awe, reviewing these past seasons of sowing and growing appreciatively. I recognize where I have given my all, where I have surrendered to the process, as well as where I have fallen short. Truly, I am reaping many blessings for the work I have done, but I am also still dealing with some overgrown weeds that I haven’t been willing to give adequate attention too.
So, here I am in choice, yet again. Will I face the less fun processes of my own development and growth? Or will I continue to avoid the discomfort for the sake of more interesting distractions?
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Personally, I am going to get my hands dirty, because authentically I WANT TO GIVE MORE. That hasn’t always been the case, and in past harvests it hasn’t necessarily been true to the processes I was in. Yet, this harvest season, I’m not merely reaping for me anymore… And that’s something true that’s fueling my devotion far more than my desire to remain comfortable.
How about you? What is this first harvest revealing about your own growth, authenticity, and potential? Regardless of the details, I hope you find it illuminating, encouraging, and participatory.
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