Five Ways to Make Your Relationships Bloom: The August Full Moon in Aquarius

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." -Marcel Proust (1871 - 1922)

A few months ago a friend gave me a small African Violet when he came over for a dinner party. It was very sweet and a thoughtful change from the usual bottle of $5 wine most guests offer. African Violets are delicate- they require indirect sunlight and should be watered carefully and only when the soil is almost dry. It's been four months and I have managed to keep the plant alive and am delighted to see that it's even grown fuller, thanks to my care.

But for that plant to have survived at all I needed to do a few things. First I needed to become conscious of its needs. Secondly, I needed to take action to water it- both of which I do because I like the plant. These next two weeks, following the full moon in Aquarius, are going to be about using our heart to care for the people in our lives. And like my little violet, it really doesn't take much to make our relationships become fuller and blossom.

Astrology of the Full Moonr
The August full moon occurs at 13 degrees of Aquarius on August 5, 2009 at 8:55 PM. This is the second lunar eclipse in a row. Last month the full moon lunar eclipse was in Caprico
- the cosmic force that expects us to use our resources wisely as we work towards achieving our goals.

All full moons bring something to fruition and it's a time of realizing, or exte
alizing, that which was contained in the seed of the new moon. However, you're only going to get what you give- a sunflower seed can only ever produce a sunflower, not a rose. Last month's new moon was in Cancer and based on the chart of that new moo
I posed the question, "who are you feeding?"

The Sun is now in Leo, and Leo rules the heart. Leo, as a sign, describes a capacity for creativity and the desire to receive love based on our uniqueness. Aquarius, on the other hand, is about sharing that love, distributing our gifts, and finding what makes us all special. So the full moon this month is about finding an outlet for our love and gifts- who will be the recipient (or recipients) of your heart? This isn't just about lovers but any relationship in our life.

With that in mind, here are five ways you can make your relationships bloom:

+Be Playful. Playfulness carries an air of the unexpected and improvisation- two things that engender creativity. Leo is the sign of fun, entertainment and the inner child. Having fun helps us to be present, since fun has no rules, no process and no goal beyond the enjoyment of the moment.

+Be Interested. Some of us spend more time "pushing" our thoughts out onto the internet than we do actively engaged with someone face-to-face. The full moon makes a friendly aspect to Mars in Gemini, suggesting we take an active (Mars) role and be more curious, social, and congenial (Gemini) with the people in our lives.

+Be Supportive. Do the people in your life need a little encouragement? Can you help nudge them into action? Mars (action) and Saturn (insecurity) aren't cooperating right now, so perhaps your words or actions can help a friend over a rough patch, or provide the encouragement they need to take the next step.

+Be Passionate. And incite passion. When you share what you're passionate about you're giving the other person permission to open up and share his or her heart's desire as well. Venus, the planet of relating and values, is reaching out to Pluto (intensity and depth), creating a tension between longing and surrender.

+Be Compassionate. Times are tough and it's important to remember that we're all in this together (compassion literally means, "to suffer with"). The moon will be aligning with Jupiter and Neptune after a day of being full, and will inspire us to greater levels of empathy for others. The antidote to suffering is hope, and that doesn't cost a thing. Share it abundantly.

May you find opportunities to help others blossom at this full moon. Namaste'