The Azure Ubermoon
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It's that time again when the moon becomes "super" by coming a bit closer and is kind to those who are near-sighted. Perigee is the term and it happens with nearly half of the full moons each year. When the moon is perigee it's around 25k miles closer to Earth, thus making it bigger and brighter (approximately 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter in the sky). But does it actually have an affect on us? Can we separate the proximity from the Pisces or the influence of Saturn?
If I'm honest, aside from some gorgeous moonrises, I've never noticed an uptick in lunacy because of a supermoon. And while we are being honest, I've never been a fan of the usage of "super." What's wrong with perigee? And why must we add as many adjectives as possible to the moon anyway?
The origin of the supermoon seems to be traced back to Richard Nolle, an American Astrologer. The first usage seems to date from 1979 and describes both a new and a full moon occurring at or near (within 10% of) perigee. Nolle amended his definition in 2000 specifying the distance of a given full or new moon be judged against 90% of the mean distance of perigees. Jump ahead to 2007 when I began studying astrology, I don't recall much of its usage. Hop online today, search the hashtag on X, and you will find millions of posts. Is it because we love the moon that much or is it we just love super-sizing everything?
...the sturgeon swims through the cord connecting two
stark moonlight nearly reveals a mystery
All is mixed in shades of blue
This full moon occurs at 7º25' Pisces (Aug 31st). It's just a few degrees from Saturn. Because it's "super" it will dim Saturn's leaden light a bit, but unlikely his influence. The influence of Saturn on the Moon is well documented—in fact, Sade Sati is an astrological concept we should all be aware of which pertains to the years Saturn surveys our lunar lands. Where this Moon shines, Saturn will remind us that this is a construction zone. Saturn transiting these degrees of our chart has revealed the groundwork needed in this area of our lives; the Moon is simply allowing us to work by night without a torch. "Super" or not, those ancient rivals some call the Senex & Puer will be grinding it out like Hook & Pan under full moonlight, totally surrounded by the sea.
It is my hope that you both understand the "super" moon a bit better and have some added context to your moon-gazing tomorrow. Don't forget Saturn in all your considerations.
* I've taught many classes on working with lunar cycles throughout the years and you can find them all on my website below...
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Adam
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The Azure Ubermoon
There was some smoke in the sky here, so our blue moon was pretty much the color of fire. She was gorgeous though. Just after her rising I was in the bath when I got a text from my next door neighbor. She said: Look at the moon! In that same moment our power went out, which was interesting. Came back on sometime in the middle of the night so it wasn’t really a problem. But it made for an extra quiet, moonlit night of sitting with my Saturn lessons.
Thank you! I’m hoping to see a beautiful big azure moon tonight.