Full Cold Moon in Gemini

Full Cold Moon in Gemini, Thursday 8th December at 4.08 AM (GMT)

“Reality is a selective act of attention and interpretation.” Doctor David Simon

December’s full moon is often called by its traditional Mohawk name: the Cold Moon. In China, it is known as Dōngyuè, or Winter Moon. Rising on one of the longest nights of the year – the closest full moon to the winter solstice – it is also called the Long Night Moon by the Mohicans. In the Northern Hemisphere, this December full moon occurs at a moment of peak cold and dark; its light feeling all the more precious because of this. This moon also has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low winter sun, which means it will be above the horizon for longer than any other moon of the year. This full moon offers peak illumination. It is an opportunity to shine a light on some of the aspects of ourselves that we may find uncomfortable or challenging.

This full moon is in the mutable air sign of Gemini. Represented by male twins, this archetype speaks to our dual nature; to the conscious and unconscious. It is not just duality, though. Gemini is the supreme communicator (and storyteller) and, because us this, creates a bridge – a dialogue – between different, and possibly oppositional, parts of ourselves. Because this moon is perfectly conjunct with Mars in retrograde, those aspects of ourselves that are illuminated here are our motivation, impulses and desires; the WHY in why we do, and pursue, things in life. This is a moment to pause and create space around the seeds of our actions, which may not feel comfortable, but can be highly transformative. Are we doing a particular thing because we love it, or because we feel we should, for example? And how does this make us feel? Joyful or dismayed? Look at the motivation to action, and then follow the feeling.

Mars retrograde happens about every 26 months. In retrograde, the usual energy of Mars – yang, assertive, productive and very ‘in the world’ - turns inwards. Direct becomes indirect. Its force becomes internalised. Rather than act we may ruminate; not trusting our gut or instinct. Actions become thoughts. The tone of our internal dialogue around what we are doing (and the WHY of what we are doing), or not doing, can feel more intense. We may experience a buildup of thoughts resulting in feelings of agitation, (passive) aggressiveness, frustration and anger; byproducts of thwarted action. This is where Mars retrograde can assist us in understanding these feelings because they are often a response to situations in our life where we are blocked or stagnant. They are emotional feedback.

Gemini, as communicator, allows us to firstly notice our internal dialogue around feelings of anger and frustration, which then empowers us to manage and change it. Our internal, or self-dialogue, can be both helpful or harmful. It is different for everyone. Some people are extremely, possibly over-aware of it, and others much less so. Deepak Chopra defines it as: “the conversation our ego is having with itself. It’s the sub-textual voice that applies logic, reasoning, and beliefs to situations, people, and events. It also serves as a filter for those experiences and colours the way in which we see the world. As such, the internal dialogue plays a vital role in deriving meaning from our life and reality. When our internal dialogue is dark, negative, and dismal, we see a world filtered through those qualities. Conversely, when we have positive, uplifting, and optimistic internal dialogue, we perceive those states as the backdrop of our life.”

This full moon in Gemini, conjunct Mars retrograde presents us with a transformative opportunity to work with our internal dialogue. To give some space to the pressurised feelings we may be experiencing by noticing them and how they present in the dialogue we have with ourselves. When we notice anger, for example, sit with it and try to get to know it, we are processing it; moving it through our mind and body. We are creating space.

How to do this? One way is to meditate. Chopra says:

“Meditation is one of the first and most fundamental steps in mastering our internal dialogue. We typically have anywhere between 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts each day and quieting our turbulent mental environment creates the blank canvas upon which to paint a positive internal conversation. When the mind is still it becomes a fertile field that is receptive to the seeds we plant there.

In addition, meditation cultivates our witnessing awareness and helps us pay attention to our mental commentary and its contents. Until we have the clarity of mind brought on by meditation, it becomes very difficult to override our tendency for rote intellectual repetition with positive internal dialogue.”

Meditation practice can be augmented by working with crystals. Amythyst, like Gemini, is a bridge; it encourages connection between the physical and spiritual planes, restores calm and promotes creativity (Gemini is also highly creative in nature). Mirari Life’s crystal shield, designed with spiritual practices in mind, are the perfect way to meditate with amethyst on this full moon in Gemini.

Image credit: Federico Di Dio photography / @didiofederico

https://chopra.com/articles/6-tips-to-master-your-internal-dialogue

Lynsey Allett6 December 2022