Sturgeon Moon in Pisces 2026
The Universe: Let go of everything you're holding so tightly. Even the stuff you're pretty sure you need.
Me: cool cool cool, can I get that in writing and think about doom scenarios so I can panic about it properly first?
The Universe: ….
It's emotional, deeply intuitive and wildly unpredictable, and it looks like everyone is trying to decode their vivid dreams with a high chance of Taylor Swift playing in the background…
Yepp sounds like we are about to get a Pisces full moon
But if you were not aware of those signs, let's be honest with this moon: your body probably marks it for you, because you'll probably be a little wobbly :)
Who is ready for the most emotionally loaded full moons of the whole year? On Friday, August 28, we will be swimming in the deep, dreamy waters of Pisces. But with a plot twist to make it extra “never let them know your next move”: It's a partial lunar eclipse. Which means we might get to see the moon in her red gala gown! An eerie copper-red glow called a Blood Moon.
Welcome to the Sturgeon Moon in Pisces.
Let's ehh dive in, shall we?
Why do we call it a Sturgeon Moon?
This Full Sturgeon Moon peaks at 6:18 AM CEST on Friday, August 28, 2026, here in the Netherlands. The partial lunar eclipse itself begins in the early hours, around 4:51 AM, with nearly 96% of the moon swallowed by Earth's shadow at its peak, just shy of a total eclipse, but close enough to feel its full weight.
There's something almost too perfect about this landing at dawn on a Friday. You'll likely wake into this energy rather than watch it build through the evening, the moon doing its deepest work while most of us are still half-dreaming, which feels very on-brand for a Pisces event.
So what in the world is a Sturgeon, you ask? Well, she earns her nickname this time from the fishing communities around the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, where sturgeon (an ancient, armored, almost prehistoric-looking fish) were most abundant and easiest to catch this time of year. These creatures have swum through Earth's rivers for over 100 million years, largely unchanged. They are patient. They are enduring. They move slowly through deep water and somehow outlast everything.
I love how this gets a bit poetic: this month, the Sturgeon swims straight into Pisces, the fish of the zodiac. A water creature, honoring a water sign, in a moon that's asking us to move like the sturgeon: patient, deep, unhurried, ancient in our knowing. I don't think that's a coincidence. I think the universe has a sense of humor, sometimes.
Pisces: the friend who has big dreams and says: “I told you so”, a bit too many times.
Over the last few years I have been gathering Pisces people, it seems, and I love them. They are fascinating, but also the most loving people I’ve ever met. They are my friends, therapists, coworkers, clients and now, even one of my bosses! So let me introduce you to my friend Pisces, because if you don't already know them, you're in for a treat.
Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, she is the wise elder, the old soul who has, symbolically, lived through every other sign's lessons already. They're ruled by Neptune, the planet of dreams, illusion, spirituality, art, and the ocean's bottomless depths (with a nod to old-school ruler Jupiter, planet of faith and expansion). Which tells you everything: Pisces doesn't really believe in hard edges. They believe in a bigger purpose and a life of flow. And they either create it or die chasing it.
At their best, Pisces is the friend who cries at your wedding before you do, who somehow knows you're struggling before you've said a word, who writes you the poem or paints you the painting that captures exactly what you couldn't put into language. They are compassion with a body. They are the sign most likely to believe in magic, because for them, magic is just another Tuesday. They are the big dreamers, and if they believe strong enough, they are the visionaries that will make them come true. The world likes to keep it a secret from them, but in my humble opinion: if they knew that they are the strongest creators of their own reality, they would become invincible. So with that being said, of course it is part of my personal mission to have them see it too.
At their shadow side, though? Pisces can dissolve. They can lose themselves so completely in other people's emotions, in fantasy, in escapism (hello, wine, Netflix binging, or anything else that blurs the edges of reality) that they forget where they end and the world begins. Boundaries are Pisces' least favorite word. Reality, sometimes, is optional. Communication? Challenging. They can be quite hard to catch, because sometimes they like you to do the guessing for what they mean or what they need. They can get stuck in hopes and dreams without taking the step to actually create it. Feelings of bitterness, helplessness and disappointment can unfortunately arise in this case.
Anyways, that dissolving, love, is exactly what this Full Moon is here to highlight.
What you might experience during this Pisces Full Moon
At the heart of every full moon there is an opposition: the Sun in Virgo facing off against the Moon in Pisces. Virgo and Pisces are opposite signs, and they represent two very different, but deeply connected, ways of being of service to the world. Virgo says: refine it, fix it, organize it, show up for the daily grind of self-improvement and care, preferably perfectly. Pisces says: surrender it, feel it, trust it, dissolve into something bigger than yourself. The lesson of this axis has always been learning to hold both: order and faith, discipline and devotion, without collapsing entirely into either one.
It’s a clear push and pull between controlling the flow of life and surrendering to the flow of life.
Here's what people tend to feel or experience around a moon like this:
Vivid, symbol-heavy dreams;
A visceral reaction of rage against one more human crossing your boundaries (got that one myself already, oops)
A heightened, almost uncomfortable sensitivity to other people's moods;
Sudden clarity about a relationship or situation that's been bleehhh for a long time;
A pull toward creativity, music, or spiritual practice that feels less like a choice and more like a summons; My Cacao ceremony sold out in no time, for example.
And possibly some tears you didn't see coming. Which is very much allowed. Because that's actually the point.
This Full Moon can highlight themes around:
Forgiveness, or the decision to finally stop carrying something. Pisces is the sign most associated with compassion and release. Under this moon, an old grudge, an old wound, or an old story about someone who hurt you may finally feel light enough to set down —> not because they deserved it, but because you do.
The line between compassion and self-abandonment. This moon can show you, with real clarity, where you've been dissolving your own needs into someone else's. Where has "being understanding" quietly become "disappearing"? This eclipse is here to help you find your edges again.
Secrets rising to the surface. Eclipses are famous for this. Something that's been stinking quietly, in you or in a relationship, may become impossible to ignore any longer. Trust that what surfaces now is surfacing because you're ready for it.
Creative and spiritual downloads. With Neptune this activated, don't be surprised if you're hit with a wave of artistic inspiration, a strong pull toward meditation or ritual, or dreams that feel more like messages than nonsense. Write them down. Follow the thread. Meditaaaaatee.
A genuine ending, and permission to grieve it properly. Because this belongs to a two-year eclipse cycle, something real may conclude around this date: a relationship, an identity, a chapter you've outgrown. Give yourself the time to actually feel that, rather than rushing past it toward whatever comes next.
Your body's whisper (or very tired sigh)
Pisces rules the feet, the toes, the lymphatic system, the immune system, and the pineal gland. And this last one is the one that helps you sleep well for example.
We put most of our attention on the parts of us that quite literally connect us to the ground beneath us and to our deepest, most subtle perception: our feet!
Under this Full Moon, you might notice tired, achy, or restless feet. You might notice puddled emotions, like swelling, water retention, that heavy, waterlogged feeling in the body that mirrors what's happening in your heart. Your sleep might get strange, vivid, symbol-drenched. Your intuition might feel almost uncomfortably loud. And you might be more sensitive to dizziness.
We are continuing on the flow that the last full moon gave us, because this moon also affects the water element. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the feet are where the Kidney meridian begins. Its very first point sits right in the sole of the foot. The Kidneys, in TCM, govern the Water element: our deepest reserves, our fear, our will, our capacity to rest and be replenished. It's almost too fitting that a water sign, on a water moon, points us straight to the body's own water organ. If you've been running on empty, pushing through exhaustion, or ignoring a deep, bone-deep tiredness, your feet, and your kidneys, have probably already been trying to tell you.
Where in my body am I still bracing, still holding, still refusing to touch the ground? And what would it feel like to actually let my weight settle into my feet, into the earth, into this moment, instead of floating just above it?
A special Pisces Full Moon ritual
This moon is extraordinarily powerful for releasing what's run its course: old grief, outdated beliefs about who you have to be for others, relationships that have quietly ended even if nothing's been said out loud. It's also powerful for reconnecting to your own intuition after a long stretch of over-thinking, over-functioning, over-explaining.
Given everything this eclipse is stirring (endings, emotional release, a body that's asking to be grounded and gently supported). Remember that point on the sole of your foot I pointed out earlier? That, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is called ‘Yongquan’. It's the very first point on the Kidney meridian, and it's considered the lowest point of energy in the entire body. I love that. In a world that pulls everything upward (into your head, your thoughts, your to-do list, your overthinking) this one point exists purely to bring you back down. Back into your body. Back into the earth. Back into yourself.
In TCM, the feet are where the body meets the ground, literally and energetically. When you're stressed, that energy tends to rise: tight shoulders, racing thoughts, a jaw you didn't realize you were clenching. Working the feet does the opposite. It invites everything to travel back down, to settle, to root. And no, you don't need to believe in meridians for this to work on you. Just try it, and notice what shifts.
Start with the water
Before you even get to the massage, give your feet a warm foot bath. Here are a few ways to make it special:
A few drops of essential oil: lavender or frankincense both pair beautifully with a grounding practice
A foot mask, if you want a little extra softness and self-care built in
Epsom salt (my personal favorite): known for easing tension in tired muscles, and it turns a simple foot bath into something that actually feels like a ritual while being super nourishing!
As you sit with your feet in the water, visualize all the tension you don't need anymore flowing out through your feet and into the water. Every knot, every "I have to hold this together," every bit of control you've been gripping, let it drain out and dissolve.
Then the best and most important part:
Warm your feet first in your warm foot bath, or simply rub your palms together and press them to your soles.
Find Yongquan. Curl your toes slightly and look for the small hollow that appears about a third of the way down from your toes, in the center of the sole. That's the point.
Cradle one foot in both hands. With your thumb, press into that hollow. Firm, but not painful. And just hold for a slow count of ten.
Massage in slow circles, working outward from that center point across the whole sole. No rush. This isn't a task to finish, it's a moment to stay in. Try to be really present with the sensations.
As you press, breathe out slowly and visualize yourself massaging your problems, your control, your tension, right out through your feet. Picture it leaving you with every circle your thumb makes.
Switch feet. Repeat.
(This can be a great ritual to do together with a partner too! One of you receiving, one of you massaging. Then switch! Just as powerful, in a different way.)
When you stand up afterwards, notice how the ground feels different under you now. Doing it before bed can really aid sleeping well. Or if you want to pair it with journaling, that would be a great idea after your visualisations; go right ahead with the journal prompts further down in this blog.
What to focus on during yoga?
We all know what they look like: the dreamers and the 'to-do'ers. One checks out of her body during practice and falls into a bit of an empty stare. The other one frowns strongly and occasionally changes her facial expression because she is clearly in discussion with herself, and yet another might get a sudden shock of realisation how much she still has left to do on her to-do list later. It's those versions I would love to focus on during your practice, because I'm sure you have been at least one of them at some point.
Pisces asks us to feel our way through our practice, rather than think our way through. So today, if your mind wanders into a memory, a feeling, a tear, let it, but try to locate it in the body. This helps us to stay present with it instead of escaping. And let's look at it with the mind of a deeply caring mother: we just acknowledge that it is there and curl ourselves softly around it. You will feel that this tension in the body just needs to be seen and felt, and then it can soften. Because it then finally doesn't have to scream so loud. That's not a distraction from the practice or something to fight against. That is the practice.
We'll be working with the feet: grounding, connecting, waking up the part of the body that quite literally carries us through life, and with the whole nervous system, inviting a felt sense of surrender.
Five poses to explore:
1. Child's Pose (Balasana): Come onto your knees, big toes touching, knees wide, and fold your torso down between your thighs, arms stretched forward or resting alongside your body. Let your forehead rest on the earth. Feel your feet, tucked beneath you, fully supported by the ground. Notice how little effort it takes to be held here. This is a pose of total surrender, let it remind you that you don't have to hold everything up yourself.
2. Tadasana (Mountain Pose): Come to standing, feet grounded hip-width apart. Find your focus point: the complete triangle of your feet. The base of the big toe, the base of the little toe, and the center of the heel. Slowly shift your weight forward, then back, then side to side, small movements, and simply notice how each part of that triangle responds and adjusts to hold you. There's nothing to fix here. Your feet already know how to keep you standing, this pose is just a chance to actually feel them doing it.
3. Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana): Lying on your back, bring your knees toward your chest and grab the outer edges of your feet, letting your knees fall open wide toward the floor. While you're here, give yourself permission to play a little: gently massage or rock your feet in this position too. It's a small, almost childlike moment in the middle of all this deep work, and that's exactly the point. Surrender doesn't always have to be heavy.
4. Fish Pose (Matsyasana): Lying on your back, press your forearms into the mat and lift your chest, letting the crown of your head rest gently on the ground (or use a bolster under your upper back for support). This is, quite literally, the pose of the fish, Pisces' own symbol. It opens the throat and heart, inviting you to feel and even express what this moon is stirring, rather than drown in it.
5. Toe Stretch: Come to sit back on your heels, tuck your toes under, and slowly lower your hips down toward your feet. This one is uncomfortable, But that's a bit of the point. Stay with it, breathe, and practice surrendering to that discomfort rather than pulling away from it. It’s a small, physical rehearsal for the bigger kind of surrender this whole practice is asking of you.
Extra tip for the teachers: Encourage them to wear socks during savasana to keep the feet warm. And, it’s Virgo season: core work is encouraged ;).
Reflective journal prompts
Where in my life have I confused compassion with disappearing myself?
What am I ready to finally forgive, in someone else, or in myself?
What has this two-year cycle of eclipses since September 2024 been teaching me about trust, surrender, and letting go of control?
If I would allow myself to follow my dreams, my curiosity and my energy, where would it lead me to?
In what areas of my life does ‘control’ play the biggest role, and what would happen if I invite in more trust instead?
Pisces’ parting words would be…
You've spent so long trying to hold it all together. Trying to be understanding, be flexible, be the one who forgives first and asks for the least. But love isn't measured in how much you can dissolve of yourself for someone else. Letting go is not losing. It is how you finally arrive home to yourself.
Stop bracing against the tide. Let it move you. What's meant for you will still be there on the other shore, and what isn't will simply dissolve, the way it was always going to.
My dear, I know eclipse season stirs things up in a way that can feel disorienting, even a little scary. Like ‘What is wrong with me?’ But trust what's surfacing. Trust the tears if they come. Trust the knowing that's been trying to reach you through all the noise. You are exactly where you need to be.
Sometimes we are holding on to control because it is all we know how to do. It has kept us safe when we were younger. But it can also be what keeps us stuck and exhausted now. Letting go of control and stepping into the unknown is scary, but if you trust the waters, it may lead you to amazing new places you never knew you could reach. Sometimes it is that exact control that steals our energy. We can relearn this, only if we are curious enough. So let’s start with small experiments and be patient. You can do this too!
A little mantra for you: I release what I no longer need to carry. I trust the water to know its way. I am held, even when I cannot see the shore. What dissolves makes room for what's true. I am home, in this body, on this ground.
Happy feet! 🌕
With love & flow
Mariska | Amapola Healing
