Tonight’s harvest moon has major breakthrough potential—here’s how to reap its wisdom

A harvest moon is all about light: It’s the annual full moon that’s closest to the autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere, and it appears in the sky shortly after sunset—so it provides extra illumination for farmers harvesting their crops (thus the name). So, what does tonight’s 2018 occurrence of it mean astrologically?

Especially this year, illumination is the theme—basically think of the event as a giant spotlight on your past and your future. But, astrologers say it’s up to you to see what is revealed and to act on it. “This autumnal full moon asks you to harvest your metaphorical crops. What’s ready for cultivation?” astrologer Jennifer Racioppi writes in her weekly Well+Good column, Cosmic Health.

As can commonly happen with any full moon, you may have trouble drifting to sleep tonight—and Racioppi advises that you make the most of this energy by focusing on the future: “Keep a pen and paper near your bedside so you can journal your thoughts. Set your altar up in advance so if you find yourself tossing and turning, you can meditate and pray instead.”

Now is the time to take an honest look at where you’ve been and where you’re going (especially if you feel like you’re falling short)—and you’ll be rewarded if you do.

Astrologer Chani Nicholas adds that facing difficult the emotions that come up tonight (and may keep you up) is well worth the effort. “Whatever you have been dreaming, developing, and creating in your creative incubators is worthy of the struggle to bring it into form. Resistance is part of the process of release,” she says on her website.

So, now is the time to take an honest look at where you’ve been and where you’re going (especially if you feel like you’re falling short), Nicholas says—and you’ll be rewarded if you do. “Our limits, personal, professional, and otherwise [will be] revealed. We must find the most creative ways to work within the structures we are currently in. The realities that we face might feel stern and unyielding, but they are also the perfect containers for our personal growth. The challenge for most of us is to trust that this is so,” she says.

While seizing the moment (and the supercharged energy that a full moon provides) to set goals for the rest of the year is more of a new moon thing, consider holding tight till October 8 to before doing that exercise. Still, many productivity gurus note that right now is the best time of year to get cracking on being a badass. In fact, they’re saying that September is the new New Year’s, in terms of getting resolutions going.

“For the goals you have set in October, break them down for the last three months of the year,” Wendy Osefo, Ph.D., professor at John Hopkins University, tells Fast Company. “Then do a monthly check-in in at the beginning of November, followed by another in the beginning of December. This should be your guide to see how the goals are progressing and what is needed to meet your goals by the New Year.”

Either way, it’s a potent time right now: Shine on!

Check out Jennifer Racioppi’s full Cosmic Health report to plan the rest of your week. And if you’re as astrology-obsessed as we are, there are (lots of) memes for that—and these are the funniest zodiac pros around.