Auntie Moon

Whilst part of what we perceive comes through our senses from the object before us, another part (and it may be the larger part) always comes out of our own mind. ~ William James

The Archer is quite often a bit of a rogue and doesn’t like to be fenced in, so we find in Sagittarius an intense need for personal freedom. If you know any Sagittarians well, you’ll probably find that they absolutely must have their freedom. It’s not so much that they are loners or drifters as it is that they perceive the possibility of something yet to be discovered “out there.” In a heartbeat, you can find the Sagges in your life off in search of the “true” meaning of love, life, God ~ or the one thing that satisfies their personal quest.

Sagittarius is known as The Seeker of Truth. The sign’s motto varies between “I Perceive” and “I Seek” and points out the difference between what we believe to be The Truth and seeking The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth.

In our natal charts, Sagittarius identifies in which area of our life we’re supposed to have some kind of higher understanding, or come to learn what truth is ~ at least what it is to us personally. Each of us deals with the issue of truth, of course, but we each have Sagittarius in different areas of our chart so our understanding is different and colored by our own environment and experience.

This makes me think of the story about the six blind men who each take hold of one part of an elephant and are asked to describe it. Each man’s perceptions of only a part of the elephant are his only knowledge and, ultimately, his only truth.

Perception is a tricky thing. We don’t always see what is really there. Sometimes we see more, sometimes less, and sometimes more than one thing at a time.

Sometimes the truth is initially hidden from us like the New Moon. But as we continue to hunt The Moon in the night sky, she is revealed to us a tiny bit at a time until we can see her in totality at the Full Moon. So the truth about the Moon is that while she appears to be constantly changing, she is in reality always the same. It’s a play of light, placement and timing ~ a trick on our perceptions. And that’s what we can explore during a Sagittarius Moon ~ truth and perception.

The Full Moon is the time when the Moon is in exact opposition to the Sun. With the Sun now in Gemini and the Moon in Sagittarius, it’s a good time to think about the balance between general information (Gemini) and truth (Sagittarius). Here are some things to consider:

• Where is Sagittarius in your chart?
• Is this an area of your life where you need a lot of freedom?
• What kind of commitments do you make in these areas?
• What are you searching for?
• What is The Truth about this part of your life?

I Perceive

During the days surrounding the Full Moon in Sagittarius, think about the perceptions you have about yourself and how others perceive you:

• How do you perceive yourself?
• How do you think other people perceive you?
• How are their perceptions of you correct?
• How do you feel you are different from their perceptions?

 I Seek

The Full Moon in Sagittarius is a time to have a Scavenger Hunt for Meaning. Maybe this can help you identify exactly what your philosophy of life is and where you find true meaning. If you haven’t made a commitment to a personal philosophy yet, perhaps this Full Moon can point you in the right direction.

Associations of Sagittarius

Element: Fire—Dynamic, Adventurous, Initiating
Ruling Planet: Jupiter
Anatomy: Hips and Thighs
Glyph: The Arrow of the Archer
Colors: Purple and Dark Blue
Stone: Turquoise
Symbol: The Centaur
Flower: Carnation
Tarot Card: Temperance

Cooking with Astrology

To bring the culinary magic of the zodiac to this Full Moon, you might enjoy planning a meal with foods ruled by Sagittarius and the planet Jupiter.

Fruits: figs, dates, mangos, and currants
Veggies: artichokes, brussel sprouts, celery, endive, and leeks
Meats: veal*, beef, escargot
Herbs and spices: caraway, dill, fennel, garlic, mint, parsley, peppermint, sage, and cinnamon
Cheeses figure prominently, as do chestnuts

*Veal – I don’t eat veal, but not to list it would be withholding the truth.