Leo Full Moon: Carry the Light Forward

On the morning of January 24, on a frigid Minneapolis street, all hell broke loose as intensive care nurse Alex Pretti was brutally murdered trying to help a woman who’d been accosted by masked ICE agents. Pretti was pepper-sprayed, then shot repeatedly by an ICE agent, in a horrifying incident that closely mirrored the January 7 shooting of Renee Good.

It turns out this wasn’t the first time Pretti had stood up to ICE thugs; a week prior, he’d sustained a broken rib while trying to protect someone. Pretti believed strongly in the Second Amendment and the rights rooted in our Constitution, his friend and nursing protegee Jessica Hauser noted. “He spoke out for justice and peace whenever he could, out of a belief that we are more connected than divided.”

Hauser added that Pretti “carried patience, compassion and calm as a steady light within him.” Even at the very end, she said, that light was there. “I recognized his familiar stillness and signature calm composure shining through during those unbearable final moments captured on camera. It does not surprise me that his final words were, “Are you okay?” Caring for people was at the core of who he was. He was incapable of causing harm. He lived a life of healing, and he lived it well.”

On that fateful Jan. 24 morning, warrior Mars had just entered Aquarius, the Sun was conjunct do-or-die Pluto in Aquarius, and Mercury and Venus were nearby in that freedom-loving sign. The chart of Alex Pretti (Nov. 9, 1988) features an intense Sun-Moon-Pluto-Mercury conjunction in Scorpio. These passionate planets were receiving dynamic squares from all that Aquarius energy, which was clustered in his solar third house of communication and the neighborhood. And even more pertinent, transiting Neptune was on the verge of entering Aries to join Pretti’s warrior Mars at one degree Aries. The dream (Neptune) of self-determination (Aries) was catching fire. And it’s now spreading, fueled by the outcry over this patriot’s sacrifice, which has been so overwhelming that it’s changing the course of U.S. politics.

As we approach the Leo Full Moon (Feb. 1, 2:09 pm PT), the willingness to put love into action and stand up for democracy and freedom is illuminated. This lunation features those five planets in forward-thinking Aquarius (Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars and Pluto) catalyzed by the Moon in heartfelt Leo. It’s a passionate call to arms, a surge of humanitarian energy, shining a spotlight on what’s broken and must be fixed. It demands decisive action toward a society that works for all, no matter where in the world we may live.

This Full Moon is supported by a sextile to Neptune, in Aries since Jan. 26 (with no-nonsense Saturn to follow on Feb. 13). Neptune last entered Aries the day the Civil War began. Yes, this placement can glorify war. But it can also bring out the spiritual warrior in us, as it did with Alex Pretti. When slow-moving Neptune changes signs, so do our dreams. For the next 165 years we’ll be dreaming of self-determination. This theme will be heightened on Feb. 17, at the era-defining Aquarius solar eclipse with the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse charging in (more on that next time).

Meanwhile, this Sunday’s headstrong Full Moon is sure to fan the flames of democracy even further, as concerned citizens in Minneapolis and elsewhere continue to protect innocent people from harm and deportation. Although speaking out carries risk, they recognize the Aquarian truth that we must help one another, as we’re all in this together. “We make us safe, not armed militia,” is the new refrain. And that starts by opening our hearts to others, which is exactly what this Leo lunation is here to facilitate.

February is the month to envision a new future and join with others to make it happen. Let this Full Moon inspire you to defend what’s sacred. As Jessica Hauser requests of us, “Please honor my friend Alex Pretti by standing up for peace. He would remind you that caring for others is hard work, and we must do whatever it takes to get through the long shifts. Step outside with your dog, breathe in the world, hike or bike as he loved to do, and let yourself find peace in the quiet moments. Stand up for justice and speak with those whose views differ from your own. Hold your beliefs with strength, but always extend love outward, even in the face of adversity. Take one step, no matter how small, to help heal our world. Through these acts, carry his light forward in his name. Let his legacy continue to heal.”