This Month’s Full Moon Is Gonna Be A Roller Coaster For All Signs — And It’s Soon

With Mercury retrograde finally behind us, we can finally all look forward to spending the rest of the summer in a more ~mellow~ state. But you'll want to know when the August 2018 full moon is, because intense feelings still might be running high during this time. Mercury officially went out of retrograde on Aug. 19, but Mercury's shadow period will last until Sept. 2. While the shadow period isn't as emotionally chaotic as the retrograde period, it still holds a lot of the same communication issues, interpersonal conflicts and organizational mishaps, only to a lesser, more manageable degree. But this month's full moon, which falls on Aug. 26 at 7:56 a.m. EST, is right in the middle of the shadow period and might stir things up for us again, momentarily. That said, after weeks of Mercury retrograde, I think we can handle anything.

The full moon is always an illuminating time — literally, and figuratively. The early Native American tribes would name the full moon's after different hunting or gathering periods to help them remember which food or game is associated with which month. On a full moon night, the land was bright enough for Native American tribes to travel, hunt, or gather, while it was also a time that animals were more likely to be out and about on account of the added light. August's full moon is named the Sturgeon Moon by Native American tribes as a reminder to that August was the best time to catch Sturgeon fish. While the brightest night of the month might not serve the same purpose in our contemporary lives, it does serve a more spiritual purpose.

With so many of us living our lives inside and hunched over screens, a full moon is a great opportunity to get outside and simply look up. Spending time in nature and appreciating the sight of a full moon is important. If the full moon does nothing more than inspire you to go outside and look at the sky for a while, it's done something profound. It's also a humbling and a meditative time to let the moon's light shine on what's inside, too. That's what I mean about figuratively, the bright sight of the moon has an inspiring power that makes us turn into ourselves and look at what's there.

The timing of August's full moon will help a lot of us see the ways in which the summer's complications have strengthened or hindered us. If certain friendships have been complicated by Mercury's retrograde, have you taken the time to repair them? Or has this summer's events illuminated a friendship that's no longer serving you? If certain unsustainable habits at work have developed due to Mercury's retrograde, have you taken the time to work on them and reestablish healthy behaviors? These are the kinds of things that are going to come forward during the full moon. Embrace your mind's curiosity and follow your thoughts through. The beginning of the Virgo season is a great time to make powerful and positive changes for yourself.