This is tonight, the 21st March, at about 1:45 am GMT.
It's a supermoon and a pretty big deal, as it coincides nearly exactly with the spring equinox.
The equinox happens as the sun moves from the end of Pisces into 0 degrees Aries. This is the kickoff point of the whole zodiac, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere - so it's pretty intense. The symbolism is of rebirth. In this case, the sun is also conjunct Chiron in early Aries, which is about an unhealable wound to the sense of self. So it's kind of an existentially fraught rebirth – who are you, going forward? It's not who you've been, that's for sure.
Also, an equinox is a balance point between the hours of light and dark, the turning-point where the sun returns to the northern hemisphere and retreats from the southern. And few hours after the equinox, we have the moon hitting 0 degrees Libra, the sign of the scales.
Libra is rational and relationship-oriented, seeking justice and harmony between different viewpoints. As full moons symbolise culminations or endings, the symbolism here is of setting something decisively to rights, or finally deciding.
Would that it were so simple! We also have Mars and Venus, the rulers of Aries and Libra, squaring each other from fixed signs, so you can expect a bit of a standoff. And as Mercury is retrograde in Pisces and conjunct Neptune, it will be a confused, obfuscatory head-fuck of a standoff.
Still, something very important is being decided even if the lineaments of that decision are as yet unclear. I guess it's fitting that as I type this, the UK is asking the EU for an extension to Brexit, their national existential crisis. It's meant to happen in 9 days though there is still no plan in place for how, because the UK parliament is in nervous breakdown mode. And the EU is mulling over how to be fair to the UK without leaving the door open for further destabilisation and chaos. It fits the symbolism of this full moon pretty well.
In your life, expect to see plenty of tension around relationships especially – but not the usual kind. This is some breakaway stuff, with red lines being trashed and new lines being drawn, or associations ended altogether because people's values have suddenly changed completely. Uranus is in Venus-ruled Taurus, and Venus is in Uranus-ruled Aquarius – this is called a mutual reception and means these planets are working together. And what they are working for is the disruption, upending and re-balancing of old patterns of relationships. So if you think you can ride the turbulence out by sticking to your old patterns and habits, you're quite wrong - radical change and accountability are what's called for. And once you're “woke”, you can't go back to sleep. We are collectively leaving Neverland.
This is especially true with Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn conjunct the south node, laying bare the corruption underlying structures we took for granted.
The way through the turbulence at this time is via the moon in Libra: moral clarity, fairness and rationality. Don't get swamped by your sense of personal grievance. Think about what's best in the grand scheme of things, not what's only best for you. Have faith that what's best in the largest possible sense will turn out to be what's best for you personally, though it may be hard to see how at this time.
Libra is about relationships, aesthetics and social graces. It also has to do with justice, fairness and equality, as for relationships to work harmoniously, the balances of interpersonal give and take have to be roughly equal.
As new moons signify new beginnings, a new moon in Libra can be about new artistic projects or beauty regimens. Primarily though, we are looking at new beginnings in the realm of relationships. And the relationships being addressed here are deep, intense ones. The sign is known for wanting to keep things light and pleasant, but this new moon looks quite heavy and dark and obsessive – potentially uncomfortable. This is some Libra noir.
The sun and moon are squaring Pluto, king of hell, newly direct in the no-nonsense sign of Capricorn. That aspect makes for plenty of psychodrama in relationships. In addition, Libra's ruler (and dispositor of the new moon) Venus has just stationed retrograde in Scorpio.
Scorpio is an obsessive and intense sign, and Venus doesn't function very well here – you get a lot of toxic power dynamics, hidden corruption, betrayal, jealousy, triangles, emotional manipulation etc. You can also get fanatical loyalty and love unto death – it's either the best or the worst of relationship, with no grey areas. But the ugly stuff is unfortunately more common.
And with Venus retrograde till the 16th November, you're likely to have old lovers or friends popping up from the grave, messaging you on facebook or whatever. Or old relationships may reappear in your head for re-assessment. You might gain some clarity on why dead relationships had to end, and understand how to avoid making the same mistakes and enacting the same pathologies again.
Suffice it to say, relationship karma will be hitting hard this month, and it's inadvisable to start any new relationships until after Venus stations direct on the 16th November. (The same goes for making luxury purchases and investments, or re-vamping your look drastically.)
It may be hard to hold off, because we'll also have a square between Venus and Mars in Aquarius which speaks of hotted up romantic urgency and frustration, but if you want more than a fling, wait. If a fling is all you're after, go ahead – but don't be surprised if things get complicated and punishing under this sky. With Saturn and Pluto now both direct in Capricorn, sobriety, integrity, hard work, realism and limits are very important. These grim gods do not look kindly on flightiness or flings. They reward focus and commitment.
We are headed for an explosive full moon in Taurus on the 24th October, the culmination of a very intense month. Aaargh, let's see what happens. It should be interesting. Try not to get your knickers too twisted up before then. Sublimation of sexual angst into some kind of creative work might help.
This is early tomorrow, the 25th September, around 4 am GMT.
The moon in impulsive, warlike, self-focused Aries is facing off against the sun and Mercury in polite, diplomatic, harmony-seeking Libra. Aries is all about ME and what I want, while Libra is about WE, and the balancing act that is required to achieve harmony between different people and perspectives. So a full moon in Aries is always going to involve the tension between following our own emotional impulses and acting on our desires, vs. restraining ourselves and keeping the the peace.
In this case, the tension is really amped up, because the Aries moon is conjunct Chiron in Aries. This is about a fired-up sense of grievance, hurt and outrage. The full moon is also squaring Saturn in Capricorn, which means there are hard limits, rules and realities to be accepted, and actions have heavy consequences. So no matter how much you might want to throw a temper tantrum, you can't. You have to be a grown-up, abide by the social rules, restrain yourself, and accept reality – OR ELSE.
It's interesting that this full moon comes just after the equinox on the 23rd September, which is a fulcrum or balance-point between light and darkness in the year. There is definitely some re-balancing going on here, especially in the realm of relationships. Something important and binding has to be carefully negotiated, despite our personal outrage and hurt. As Saturn is about karma, expect the relational chickens to come home to roost: there are heavy consequences for our prior selfishness and heedlessness toward others.
As full moons signify culminations or endings, this looks a lot like a very fraught divorce to me. Teresa May and her difficulties in negotiating Brexit with the EU come to mind.
Reality is harsh, and though it may be emotionally wounding to admit you're on the weaker side of the negotiation, facts are facts. All the highly publicised outrage in the world won't change them. Demanding respect when your own actions have been inherently disrespectful is stupid. So is storming out of a negotiation and declaring “no deal is better than a bad deal.” There are times when capitulation to a harsh deal is a matter of necessity, and this is just one of those times.
Unfortunately, there's also a grand cross happening between planets in fixed signs at this full moon: Venus in Scorpio square Mars in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus square the north node in Leo. Meaning this is a standoff, people are not likely to budge. And with Mars approaching his final conjunction to the Aquarius south node (exact 26th September), there is a real danger of violence at this full moon. Given the tension between irresistible forces, immovable objects, wounded egos and emotional intensity – something's gotta give. (Please be careful driving, operating machinery, etc, as the risk of sudden accidents in heightened.)
There are beneficial ways this can play out, though! The full moon is also bound up in a mystic rectangle formation involving Mars in Aquarius and the north node in Leo, meaning things can work harmoniously, you can use the tension to break with the past and move forward into a different kind of future. The north node in Leo, disposited by the sun in Libra is your key. Leo is playful, generous and creative; Libra is diplomatic, tactful and peace-seeking. It's a good idea to try to act from those qualities! Think about whether there are creative ways to get what you want that don't involve blowing up everyone who disagrees with you, or following unworkable tactics off a cliff.
Pluto resumes direct motion in Capricorn on the 30th, which represents a surfacing and purgation of all the dark psychological stuff we've been mulling over for the past five months of his retrograde - like a big zit full of unconscious toxicities coming to the surface to be popped.
And then Venus stations retrograde in Scorpio on the 5th October. Her retrograde will last till mid-November, and will bring her back into the late degrees of Libra. It's inadvisable to begin new relationships during Venus retrograde, or to make major aesthetic changes to your home or your person. But it's the perfect time to review and a re-think your relationships, with a ruthless eye toward the bottom line: the energy return you're getting on your relational energy investments. The balance should be as equal as possible.
We'll have a new moon in Libra on the 9th October. It comes during Venus retrograde and after the turbulent re-balancings of this Aries full moon, and it looks like a relationship re-set.
This full moon is the culmination of a particularly sensitive and painful Pisces lunar cycle, and it looks like a doozy – very emotionally raw and harsh. If you can get through it without killing anyone, you'll be doing well.
The moon will be in Libra, where she craves interpersonal harmony and niceness, but things are not set up so she can get it. She'll be part of a cardinal t-square: a tense, uncomfortable aspect pattern that necessitates movement and change.
The opposite pole of this t-square will be in fiery, warlike Aries, where the sun and Mercury will be conjunct. This represents a fierce, aggressive drive for self-expression – but with Mercury retrograde till mid-April, communication is likely to be frustrated or blocked.
The other part of the triangle is Mars conjunct Saturn in Capricorn (exact on the 2nd April). This is a tough aspect. Mars is about forward drive, and Saturn is about blocks and delays – so it's like momentum hitting a wall. Fortunately, both planets are well placed in Capricorn, so you could read this positively, as representing a rock-solid work ethic: an enduring (Saturn) drive (Mars) to achieve (Capricorn).
But however positive a spin you try to put on it, it's part of a cardinal t-square involving the moon (emotions), and it's unlikely to feel good. Jagged, frustrated and angry, more like. And as Libra is all about relationships, whatever happens this full moon is likely to play out as interpersonal conflict.
Libra is ruled by love and money planet Venus, and Venus has been stressed over the past month. She entered fiery, impulsive Aries on the 6th March, only to run into a frustrating square with Saturn (exact 13th March). This was about blockage of desire, and stagnation in love and money matters – very testing and dour. But worse was to come: Venus moved from that loveless square into a square with Pluto in Capricorn (exact 23rd March) – and this is some truly nasty stuff, full of the potential for manipulation, betrayal and power games.
And then just ahead of the full moon, we saw Venus conjunct Uranus (exact 29th March), which is about bright new doors opening – but also other doors shutting abruptly. The Venus symbolism over the past month couldn't be clearer – first a lack of fulfillment (Venus square Saturn), then an eruption of ugliness (Venus square Pluto), then she's out the door (Venus conjunct Uranus). And then the culmination: this Venus-ruled full moon which is all about love and war – very angry and raw.
So to say the past month has been rough on relationships is probably an understatement. But after this full moon, we are hopefully past the worst of the rapids. Venus has already moved into Taurus, where she calms down and stops associating love with fighting. And we'll have a new moon in Aries on the 16th April, which marks the start of the astrological year - it looks like a radical re-boot, the start of a whole new chapter. Change is coming!
So whatever rottenness is happening in your life, rest assured things are going to get better – and probably weirder too, which is not a bad thing. And if something you value or want is being taken away from you at this time, wait a bit. A little further down the road, you might just realize it was something holding you back.
This is exact early tomorrow morning, 5:20 am GMT.
Taurus is about the earthly stuff we hold onto – our money and possessions, our physical body and sense of self, our habitual patterns and our values. It's a grounded, happy, sensual energy, but it can get stuck in ruts like nobody's business. It likes to clutch onto things and has a lot of trouble with accepting change and letting go – even when obviously necessary.
A moon in Taurus is about the desire for comfort, stability and security. But this full moon is opposite the sun and Jupiter in Scorpio, which are voracious, extreme, probing and crisis-driven – the opposite of comfortable and stable. So it's going to be pretty hard to stay stuck, much as we might want to.
In addition, Venus, the ruler of this full moon, will exactly oppose rebel planet Uranus to the minute as the full moon is exact. This is a little cray.
Venus is currently in Libra, where she likes to glide around like a fancy hostess, making sure everything stays pretty and polite. She shares the Taurean distaste for conflict and abruptness. With the exact opposition to Uranus though, there's bound to be a shock – the careful Libran balance and poise will be knocked sideways by some bolt out of the blue, and everybody's drink will get spilled.
So clearly it's going to be hard staying within your comfort zone this full moon. Something is bound to come along to upset the equilibrium.
That something is likely to come from other people, and it's especially likely to have to do with love and relationships – recall we are still in Libra lunar cycle, and Libra is about partnering. The forecast for the new moon in Libra two weeks ago still applies, but this is the culmination.
Whatever shock you encounter, the best strategy here is to embrace it. Let go of your need for things to stay comfortable and safe, go toward what scares you, let yourself be changed by the encounter.
The north node is in Leo, which is about opening your heart – and the north node is currently disposited through the sun in deep, dark Scorpio, which has to face what's most frightening and painful in order to heal. So getting all outraged at having your feathers ruffled is absolutely unproductive here. Your feathers are supposed to be ruffled.
Neptune is beneficially aspecting the full moon, which means that something deeper is at work here. By accepting life on its own terms and sacrificing your pride to the larger design, magical things can happen. Try to have a little faith..
This song is so cheesy, but it fits. Here you go, you sexy thing. (I forgot to mention that the Taurus/Scorpio axis is SEXED UP. So this is definitely a full moon for freaky yet deep sex stuff, and if that's where it leads you, more power to ya!)
We're getting a beautiful Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Scorpio on the 13th November, and it'll trine Neptune. This is a great gift for relationships, and it comes ahead of a very beneficial-looking new moon in Scorpio on the 18th November. So I think after the relationship drama of the past few months, things are going to start feeling a lot better. Even if it's just your relationship with yourself! If you've made it through the past few months without cracking up, hang in there. Things are going to feel much more solid and deep soon.
This is exact this evening, the 19th October, at 8:15 pm GMT.
It's an important one. Expect instability in close relationships. The equilibrium will be upset, in potentially dramatic ways. Energy imbalances and abuses of power will be exposed. If they can't be addressed, sudden breakups and endings are likely. (And as new moons signify new beginnings, sudden new beginnings are also likely – one door shuts, another opens.)
One things is certain – we are doing partnerships differently from now on. Relationship issues have been under the microscope for the past month, but now we're at a breaking point. Existing relationships must adapt and deepen, or die. New relationships will have to be an abrupt departure from what we've always done. There's no point continuing to stay stuck in the same patterns.
For this new moon, Uranus (planet of shock, upheaval and rebellion) will exactly oppose the sun and moon in harmony-seeking, relationship-oriented Libra. As Uranus is unpredictable, this will play out in unexpected ways, but the main element here is shock. This is tough for Libra, which wants to keep everything lovely and nicey-nicey. But it's necessary. Libra is also associated with fairness and justice, and the point of this upset is the rectification of old, buried wrongs – especially stuff associated with sex, power, pathology, the Shadow, the taboo.
That's all Scorpio stuff. Jupiter is in Scorpio as of the 10th October, and maybe you'll have felt the tone shift since then – surface pleasantry is just not cutting it anymore. Jupiter expands whatever he touches, and in Scorpio, he expands awareness of the hidden, taboo undercurrents and the rot beneath the pretty surface.
And so we've seen the Harvey Weinstein scandal erupt and expand – people are calling the Hollywood mogul's exposure as a serial sexual predator “the tip of the iceberg”. The iceberg is an entrenched cultural system of inequality, exploitation, domination and abuse – and people are refusing to accept it as normal or keep silent about it anymore. This is progress – a rebalancing of some very skewed scales.
It is also a very good illustration of the cosmic weather this new moon. We can expect more of this sort of thing in the month ahead. In the year ahead, actually – as Jupiter will be in Scorpio till November 2018.
Mercury is conjunct Jupiter in Scorpio right now, so this is a good time for deepening your awareness of the Shadow side of relationships – and communicating it. Scorpio involves healing, but it's the kind of healing that follows lancing a boil. It's not pretty. Something poisonous has to be brought to the surface to be released.
So if you want to correct an imbalance in your relationships and yourself, the rotten, pathological stuff you'd rather pretend away has to be brought into conscious awareness. And with Mercury in Scorpio, it has to be talked about. And with Saturn in Sagittarius aspecting the new moon, you'd better be truthful; you'd better be walking your talk. It'll be pretty obvious if you aren't – cover-ups and excuses aren't going to work.
It's a very uncomfortable process but it's what's called for here. Uranus is likely to spark it off with a lightning flash of shock and clarity.
Heavy weather! But with Jupiter in Scorpio, your good fortune is dependant upon your willingness to engage with stuff you'd rather not look at. And for the month ahead, it's a matter of relationship life or death.
This is tomorrow, the 5th October, at 7:35 pm GMT.
The sun and Mercury in peace-keeping, relationship-oriented Libra will face off against the moon in fiery, impulsive, warlike Aries. It's a me vs. we situation, and explosive conflict is likely, especially in close relationships. The challenge here will be to fight fair, and to find a way to work together despite anger and impatience.
Something really extraordinary about this full moon is that the dispositors of Aries and Libra (Mars and Venus, respectively) will be exactly conjunct in Virgo for it. Virgo is the sign of attention to detail, service and humility. So with this conjunction, any conflicts that rear their heads at this time have to do with WORKABLE relationship difficulties. This is a good time to try to iron out the kinks and achieve harmony – ideally via careful, fair communication focused on everyday details.
Libran diplomacy and tact and Virgoan humility are the way to go here, though you might feel like having a temper tantrum and storming off. Try to remember that temper tantrums are a total waste of this opportunity! You can achieve so much more of what you want by listening to the other's point of view, stating the facts on your side, being polite and kind, and making compromises.
What we all want under this sky is happy, functional, harmonious relationships. But you don't get them just handed to you. Balancing the needs of self and other is tough. There's bound to be conflict, requiring negotiation and compromise. If you want the relationship, you have to deal with the conflict.
The key thing is putting the work in. We have a bit of an impasse lining up, as Venus moves to square Saturn on the 8th October, followed by Mars on the 11th October. These squares speak of blocked relationships (Venus) and frustrated desire (Mars) – even cruelty. So getting what you want is likely to be difficult. But we are dealing with Saturn here, who is a taskmaster and teacher of hard lessons – so remember this is not supposed to be easy. It's literally a labour of love. If you love someone, you'll put the work in to understand where they're coming from and to deal with issues. You'll fight (Mars / Aries) for the relationship (Venus / Libra).
With Venus and Mars in pragmatic Virgo, love is not about feelings. It's the mundane work you do, on a daily basis, to keep a relationship alive and healthy. And with Jupiter in Libra, issues of fairness in relationships are magnified. The division of labour has to equitable.
Here is some food for thought on “emotional labour” - it's very relevant to the Virgo / Libra themes we're looking at right now (as well as the Aries moon theme of impatience / anger!)
We have a big shift coming as Jupiter exits Libra for Scorpio on the 10th October. Best to try to get disputes sorted out before then, as best you can. Compromise will become more difficult once Jupiter shifts signs - Scorpio is all-or-nothing and favours scorched earth tactics over diplomacy.
The new moon in Libra is on the 19th October. I think Jupiter's shift to Scorpio makes it a tonal shift for relationships - toward greater depth and a more perfect union, let's hope! But be advised, with Jupiter in Scorpio, if a relationship can't go deeper it's likely to fall apart. After the 10th October, it's go deep or go home.
We have a stellium in Virgo for this: sun, moon, Mercury, Mars and Venus. This is a big blast of organisational energy - it's a great time for working on projects, cleaning up, attending to routines and getting necessary things done. It's also going to be a big month for working on relationships. The point of all this careful, systematic work is described by the north node in Leo - it's about putting in the necessary effort to create a future with more authenticity and joy in it. We are building the kind of lives and relationships we want to live in.
Virgo can be painfully critical, though - try to stay sober, to see clearly and to be kind. There's a big danger of going off on nitpicky tirades fuelled by delusive thinking, hurt feelings or boundary-dissolving substances: Mars is conjunct Mercury in Virgo, which is sharp-tongued and critical as hell, and both planets oppose Neptune, planet of dreams, delusions and addictions. Make sure your version of reality is not just a paranoid projection, before you sit down to tell someone everything you think is wrong with them. It's safer to look to your own shortcomings first. People will be liable to say very nasty, cutting things in the interests of "helping" - and with the sun and moon opposite Chiron, there is bound to be deep hurt and woundedness involved.
So unless you're looking to eviscerate someone, it's probably safest to just keep your mouth shut for the next couple of weeks and attend to the practical tasks at hand. Remember with Venus in pragmatic Virgo, love is what you do, not what you say - and it can be shown in the tiniest, most mundane ways.
This sky is still tough on relationships - Jupiter in fairness-minded Libra is opposing Uranus in me-centered Aries (exact the 28th September). This describes a conflict between the desire to say "to hell with it!" and shoot off alone vs. the necessity of maintaining balanced relationships. As this is an opposition, it will play out interpersonally - we'll have plenty of tests to our sense of civility and fairness this month, and relationships will remain fraught.
We have the equinox on the 22nd September, as the sun moves into Libra - this describes a turning-point. And then we'll have a full moon in Aries on the 5th October, which really looks like it's all about balancing love vs. war, and figuring out how to make relationships work in a practical, everyday way. Seeing the other's point of view and striving for balance and fairness will be very important here.
This is on Tuesday the 11th April, about 7 am GMT.
The moon in Libra will be conjunct Jupiter and opposing the sun conjunct Uranus in Aries. Both these poles square Pluto in Capricorn.
This is a cardinal t-square and it's about CHANGE, ready or not. There is intense pressure, and also intense frustration here – it looks to me like being pushed through the birth canal.
Not so comfortable! You can pretty much guarantee that despite the Libran emphasis on harmony and justice, things are not going to be harmonious or just – they are going to be tense and overboard. Efforts to maintain an amicable façade will be severely tested. People who've had it up to here with appeasing and being tactful and polite – and getting shit on for their efforts – will be breaking out.
We do have the moon conjunct Jupiter for this full moon, which is usually a feel-good aspect. But in this case, the moon is also squaring Pluto, which is a feel-bad aspect. And opposing Uranus, which is a leave-me-the-fuck-alone aspect. So it really looks to me like Jupiter will magnify the emotional tensions of this full moon more than he'll mitigate them.
And the tensions have to do with self vs. others, war vs. peace: how much do we give others, how much do we appease, how hard do we try to please others at the expense of our own needs? What price social harmony? What are we actually getting out of keeping the peace, and is it worth it? Wouldn't it be easier to just quit interacting with these assholes – or to stop trying to keep them happy all the time? Or to be honest about what we feel for a change, despite the disruption it'll cause?
That kind of thing. And something I'm seeing with Jupiter in Libra (and this cardinal t-square): the energy dynamics of social interactions are highlighted, and bad social etiquette meets with less indulgence than usual. By “bad social etiquette”, I mean egotism, grandstanding, monopolising conversation, expecting attention and respect from others without giving it back. Energy and resources are feeling pretty limited these days, so people who drain us are harder to tolerate than usual.
At bottom, it's a question of our resources and our values. This is the theme of the Venus retrograde, which is in effect till the 15th April; and also of the Mercury retrograde which started on the 9th April and continues till the 3rd May. We are reassessing what we value and want, with an emphasis on what is practically feasible. Can we continue to please others at the expense of our own needs, going forward? Or do we value our own self-determination, even if it's at others' expense or costs us important relationships?
There is a balance to be struck between self and others here, and it looks tricky. Especially given the current condition of relationship planet Venus, dispositor of the full moon. She's retrograde, conjunct Chiron in Pisces and exactly squaring Saturn in Sagittarius, and this is painful.
It's an aching sense of deprivation and poverty and loss, especially regarding love and money. Real heartbreak, unattainable dreams.
Well what we can't change must be accepted, though acceptance is hard. It's time to give up waiting on a miracle - or Prince Charming, or the lottery - and to accept reality. But it's going to feel like crap.
Anyway, under the circumstances, there's not going to be a lot of energy or patience to spare for social niceties, and tempers will be frayed. Cutting people some slack is a good idea – you don't know what kind of heartache they're dealing with. Cutting yourself some slack is also a good idea. You don't have to be perfect, you don't have to please everyone, and you don't have to throw yourself into difficult situations out of a misplaced sense of obligation .
This is early tomorrow morning, the 16th October. 5:23 am GMT. Maybe you're already feeling it! This is a big one - violent and explosive, with long-lasting effect. It's a turning point and it involves shock. If you can stay out of fights, listen to opposing points of view and mind your manners, you'll be doing well.
This full moon is a supermoon, which means it's closer to earth than usual and will appear larger. It's in Aries, a warlike, impulsive sign. It's conjunct Uranus, an explosive, shocking influence. And it squares the extremely violent and transformative Mars-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn (which is exact the 19th October).
Mercury (mind, communication) in Libra is involved, also in square to the Mars-Pluto conjunction. So there's the possibility for deep mental change and transformative communication – or deeply hurtful exchanges fuelled by eruptive rage.
Expect shocking news and fraught exchanges. Also shake-ups in relationships – the need for partnership and co-operation coming up against deep anger, rebellion and the demand for personal autonomy and space. Manipulation and shitty covert power dynamics are likely to be exposed.
This looks like Jupiter in Libra's first big test to me. Jupiter is about luck and blessing; Libra is about civility, harmony, balance and partnership. For the next year, as Jupiter transits Libra, your happiness and luck depend on being polite, diplomatic and able to see all sides of a situation – not just your own point of view.
Under this full moon, we are likely to see people acting out like big, moody, self-absorbed babies, spewing vitriol and aggression. It'll be too easy to lash out from a sense of wounded ego or personal grievance; also too easy to overreact to insults and imagined slights.
But with Jupiter in Libra and the north node in humble, pragmatic Virgo, that kind of behaviour is absolutely not going to do you any favors. Blessed are the peacemakers under this sky - the coalition-builders, the patient workers for equality and constructive change, the upholders of public decency and civility.
Peacemaking is easier said than done - there's a lot of provocative idiocy and outright delusion flying around right now. But you're sure not going to get anywhere by yelling about it. Jupiter in Libra is not a fan of crudeness, rudeness or people who make scenes - so please try to take the high road.
Michelle Obama's "when they go low, we go high" is actually a really good slogan for this full moon, and her recent speech on sexual harassment represents a productive use of shock and rage, in the interests of justice and deep, progressive social change. That's the sort of balancing act that's called for here, though knee-jerk rage is the simpler option.
This is our first new moon with Jupiter in Libra - a sign he'll be moving through for the next year. And it just happens to be a new moon in Libra, conjunct Jupiter. So clearly, this is Jupiter in Libra's big inauguration party. The month ahead will bring the themes of this transit into focus.
Jupiter is about luck, expansion, opportunity. And Libra has to do with relationship, beauty, harmony; enacting and maintaining a balance between self and other. Also fairness and justice.
So with Jupiter in Libra, Libran themes are emphasised. Luck this year is on the side of manners, diplomacy, balance, fairness and peace-making. Working with others instead of shooting off on your own, being able to see all sides of a situation and to find compromise.
Libra is also about romance, and that's a big emphasis at this new moon: solid, lovely new beginnings in relationships. We are definitely not talking flings - this is a very deep and serious vibe. Big love!
I say this because the dispositor of the new moon is Libra's ruler, Venus... and Venus is currently in Scorpio, a sign of emotional extremes and psychological depth. So the new beginnings here are very intense and all-or-nothing - there is no room for wishy-washiness or frivolity. What cannot go the distance will fall away.
Venus also trines Neptune in Pisces and sextiles Pluto in Capricorn. This is dreamily romantic but also very solid and grounded and deep. It's a beautiful combination.
But there are hints of conflict implicit in the promise of this new moon. Pluto and Mars in Capricorn are squaring Jupiter and the sun and moon - and this is pretty fighty. A lot of potential for crappy power plays and hotheadedness here.
And keep in mind: we are dealing with cardinal signs, which are about initiating things. So it looks like a big conflict is at its inception here. I think it'll come to a head at the full moon on the 16th October, which looks violent and difficult.
So lovely as the new moon is, the month ahead is not going to be stress-free. Sometimes peace and harmony require conflict - and conflict appears to be what's coming. The danger at the full moon is of conflict escalating out-of-hand.
But I guess we'll burn that bridge when we get to it...
It's fitting that Jupiter's inauguration party at this new moon in Libra should be so big and lovely, but also so full of the potential for violence. Jupiter's transit of Libra is going to be marked by the same themes, as he gets himself tangled up with the lingering Uranus-Pluto square later this year. There will be no more exact squares between Uranus (revolution) and Pluto (destruction), but these planets are still in aspect, and Jupiter's transit of Libra is going to magnify the potential for violence and destruction implicit in their interaction.
But with Jupiter in Libra, please remember peacemaking and diplomacy are favoured. There is really no such thing as going it alone - we all have to interact with others and try to respect divergent view-points. Civility is favoured, whether or not you agree with someone's ideology.
And the north node is still in Virgo, meaning the way forward is still about humility and quiet, patient, systematic work...and pragmatism. Grounding yourself in everyday reality instead of escapism, delusion and emotionally-driven fantasy.
Kuan Yin, goddess of mercy and defender of the oppressed
This is tomorrow, the 23rd March, 12 noon GMT.
We had the spring equinox as the sun moved into Aries on the 20th March. And as of today, the 22nd March, Mercury has also moved into Aries...and with that, we are leaving the heavy, draining suckage of the past month's Pisces stellium behind.
There are only 3 planets left in Pisces now – Venus, Chiron and Neptune. Chiron and Neptune will stay in Pisces for the next million years. (Kidding. It's three years till Chiron shifts signs, ten years for Neptune. Long enough though!)
But Venus will only be there for the next couple of weeks. She's the last holdout from the mega Pisces party at the new moon eclipse in Pisces two weeks ago.
And she is highlighted for tomorrow's full moon. This is an eclipse in Libra, a sign ruled by Venus. So we have to look at what Venus is doing to understand the themes at play here.
Venus is actually very happy in Pisces. She's "exalted" there. Venus in Pisces represents a perfect, blissful, angelic kind of ideal love – too pure and beautiful for this world. And conjunct Neptune (as she is now), the effect is magnified. It's spiritual, compassionate and sacrificial - like Kuan Yin above.
OK, Kuan Yin is great, and a good patron goddess for this eclipse. She defends the suffering, the powerless and the unjustly accused. This is a perfect combination of Libra (justice) and Pisces (compassion).
But please recall that the south node of the moon is currently in Pisces – meaning Pisces is where we are liable to get stuck. There is potentially a very dark, addictive undertow at work here, pulling us backward into dangerous illusion.
I don't want to be negative about beautiful, dreamy Venus in Pisces. We all need a dose of otherworldly loveliness now and then.
But exalted or not, for the next few weeks she also represents the kind of destructive fantasy and romanticism we are trying to move away from. And I think she is likely to bring suffering in her wake, especially as she moves to conjunct Chiron and the south node next week. Chiron is about wounding.
This looks like the stuff of romantic tragedy, and it is a useless waste of life, no matter how pretty it might look on screen (or in a song or a painting).
Romeo and Juliet not being proactive.
Please remember: beautiful nostalgia for what never was and exquisite longing for what can never be are dangerous drugs. They degrade the value of ordinary, everyday reality; they suck the life out of the present moment.
And they are deceptions. It's worth asking: what is being obscured with all this dreamy sweetness and loveliness?
It's likely to be a reality that is deeply corrupt, unfair or dangerous. Cruelty and exploitation often hide under pretty platitudes about equality and respect and love, and protestations of innocence.
“Sentimentality is the superstructure erected upon brutality.”
Jung said that. It's quite true. And it's worth remembering for the next couple of weeks.
“People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insists on remaining in a state on innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster.” “It is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. It is the innocence which constitutes the crime.”
I'm thinking also of the dangers of “idiot compassion” - or enabling. Which looks like love, but is really just a way of avoiding unpleasant reality and staying comfortable.
So these are things to be aware of right now, with Venus nearing the south node in Pisces!
I wrote a bit about the dark side of Pisces and Neptune at the new moon in Pisces a couple of weeks ago. The full moon is the culmination of the themes opened up at new moon - information will likely come to light that will shift perspectives. There will be revelations, conflicts, ruptures.
Full moons are intense in their own right – but this one is an eclipse, meaning it's supercharged. And it involves cardinal signs – the sun and Mercury in blazing, shoot-from-the-hip Aries, the moon in fairness-seeking Libra.
Aries is Mars-ruled and likes a good fight; Libra is Venus-ruled and likes peace, but will enter the fray to enact justice. Both these signs are cardinal – they mean action!
So I think - something will get decided here. Anger will be voiced, injustices will be aired, a balance will shift.
It looks to be about relationships (Libra), and it looks like it has to involve some straight talk and plain dealing (Mercury in Aries). Mars in Sagittarius beneficially aspects the sun, moon and Mercury. This reinforces the theme of truth-telling and plain dealing.
Basically, people are not going to be able to hide reality under a cloud of pretty lies. Expect to get called out on your shit if you try to do this, and please don't be all indignant and outraged about it. We all delude ourselves in countless ways, and sometimes we need to be set straight. So maybe it's a blow to your ego – big deal.
And if you're the one called upon to set someone else straight or establish fairness – well you can use Venus in Pisces to do so with kindness and compassion. But sticking to the facts and standing your ground quietly, without emotionalism, is probably your best strategy in this.
There is likely to be a smokescreen of bullshit and sentiment involved, and that stuff is confusing. But with the north node and Jupiter in reality-based Virgo – quietness, humility and strict attention to the facts are the way forward. Don't let yourself be diverted.
Everyday, mundane reality is where it's at right now. Keeping our feet on the ground and our minds on the tasks at hand. Overblown emotionalism will get you nowhere.
But if you see wrong-doing, rottenness and delusion, you're well placed to speak out about it. You don't have to become some kind of asshole crusader, and you definitely don't have to be cruel. But you're allowed to open your mouth and say what you think, and in fact you should probably do so.
Shutting up, keeping the peace and smoothing things over won't do anyone any favours right now. Lying to protect people's egos won't do them (or you) any good.
It looks like there's a fight to be had, so you might as gird up your loins for it. Remember the point of the conflict is, there's a wrong to be righted or a balance to be re-established. It's not about “winning”, it's about fairness and right relation (Libra).
It's also pretty important to pick your battles and have a sense of perspective. Jupiter in Virgo is currently squaring Saturn in Sagittarius – to the minute. This influence can make for pedantry and an inability to see the larger picture.
For example, it's probably not worth instigating a major relationship bust-up because someone doesn't agree with your politics or keeps leaving the toilet seat up. These things are relatively trivial in the grand scheme.
It's the larger, more systematic injustices and cruelties that demand attention here – the dirt that we usually prefer to sweep under the rug. I think under the light of this full moon eclipse, it's going to become a lot harder to keep sweeping it under the rug. Anyway, it's not advised. Air that shit out and rev up the dustbuster.
Poor dustbuster. It's definitely acting out some sacrificial Venus-Neptune stuff.
OK, so I have talked about Venus moving through karmic doomed romance territory for the next couple of weeks. She hits 0 degrees Aries – the start of the whole zodiac – on the 5th of April, just ahead of the new moon in Aries on the 7th. And then we open a new chapter. A fiery, energetic, go-getting one!
But you know – with the usual blocks, setbacks and disappointments. Nothing is ever perfect, ha.
It's a tricky summer ahead, marked by an interplay between Mars (action) and Saturn (limits). These two planets are currently in Sagittarius, which has to do with outward expansion, learning, travel, and enthusiasm. They will both be retrograding through the summer, making for plenty of delay, reconsideration and frustration in our plans for the future. They meet up again in Sagittarius in August, and it looks like a pain in the ass. Blockage and frustration galore.
Mars-Saturn aspects are known for their cruelty – but also for their endurance. Sustained work. It looks like that's what this summer will require of us.
Look at Bananarama busting their poor little butts there. Working on cars, climbing fire escapes, dancing on trucks, fleeing cops, dancing with cops. Hard graft! I suppose we'll all have to bust our butts as well.
OK, the Saturn retrograde starts in a couple of days, on the 24th March. He grinds backward from 16 degrees Sagittarius to 9 Sagittarius, and won't resume direct motion till August.
This is about delay and reconsideration in regard to our vision for the future. There are some more details to be hammered out, I guess. I know we're all sick of this stuff by now, but it is what it is.
Then we have Mars stationing retrograde on the 17th April. He'll move backward from 8 degrees Sagittarius to 23 Scorpio, stationing direct on the 29th June.
This is again about blocked energy, blocked forward motion – but this time in the context of what we most want. And it goes deeper than simple delay. It's a matter of looking deeply at what you actually desire, why you desire it, what you are willing to do to get it. Mars will be retrograding through Scorpio, and this involves some depth psychology.
So it's not enough to wonder if you've thought your plans through properly. Have you felt them through? Do you know what this is actually going to cost you? I don't mean monetarily, though that's a factor. I mean energetically. You will likely have to look at how much you can afford, how much you can invest in your deepest obsessions – on an energy level.
The Mars retrograde is kind of epic – it only happens every two years, roughly. Normally he transits a sign in about two months. But this year he'll spend a disproportionate amount of time – and the whole summer – in Scorpio and Sagittarius. Scorpio is inward-looking and psychological, Sagittarius is outward-looking and enthusiastic - and Mars is about will and desire. I suppose the message here is about looking inward and determining what we really want before moving forward into action. In any case action will likely be blocked or constrained in some way.
Hexagram 39 from the I Ching - about temporary obstructions and how to deal with them.(The advice is to focus inward and refine your character. Very relevant here.)
This Mars retrograde follows on the heels of last summer's Saturn retrograde through Scorpio – which was some dark and ugly psychodrama. This could very well be the blowback... We'll see.
At the same time, we'll have Saturn and Neptune squaring off during the summer, dissolving (Neptune) the solid ground from underneath our feet (Saturn). It'll be hard to know what to believe.
And we'll have Jupiter and the north node in Virgo involved with the Saturn-Neptune square. Jangled nerves and a lot of juggling.
I'll write more about it all as we approach the new moon in Aries, the astrological new year. But suffice it to say, it'll be an interesting summer! Not easy, but interesting.
This is early on the 13th October, at around 1 am GMT.
It's a big deal. It opens up a new cycle – especially regarding relationships, as Libra is the sign of relating in close, one-on-one partnerships.
It looks pretty exciting and perilous to me – a slate-clearing event, or a re-boot. Big shifts are underway. Some alliances are being ruptured, others rejuvenated. There is plenty to work with here.
There's also plenty of potential delusion and big disappointment. Plenty of potential shock and hurt as well. Whatever was lit up for you at the full moon eclipse in Aries two weeks ago – well the consequences are still shaking down. It was a big event, and the consequences are long-term and final. And as the dust settles, we enter a new relational paradigm.
Mercury has just stationed direct, conjunct the north node at 1 degree Libra – and this speaks of new information coming to light, or a shift in thinking or communication that can destabilize (or re-balance) relationships. Or a message that starts something new in motion.
It might be that you just don't know what to think or believe anymore, your mind is so boggled. This doesn't have to be a bad thing! It can be liberating – like beginner's mind. But you don't get that kind of liberation without a dose of discomfort and shock.
Anyway, we'll have the sun and moon in peace-seeking, partnership-oriented Libra – opposite Uranus in Aries, which is all about personal authenticity, freedom, rebellion and shock. Plus the new moon is squaring Pluto in Capricorn, which is about radical restructuring. It's a cardinal t-square again – and this stuff heralds abrupt change.
We also have another t-square (involving Libra's ruler, Venus) reinforcing this theme of shifts, dissolutions and restructuring, especially in love and money matters. This one involves Venus in Virgo opposing Neptune in Pisces, both squaring Saturn in Sagittarius.
It speaks of profound unease, depression, disillusion and blockage – especially regarding love and money. Again, very uncomfortable stuff. Beautiful dreams coming up against a wall of difficult realities. Seeing your romantic fantasies (Venus-Neptune) in the cold light of truth (Saturn in Sagittarius).
So overall, things don't look particularly easy and pleasant – they look quite jarring and destabilizing. The story is definitely in flux, and it's tough. A lot of rugs are being pulled out from under a lot of feet at this time. Many relationships are not going to survive the stress – or they'll need to change radically in order to continue.
But Pluto is in easy aspect to Mars and Jupiter in Virgo, and this should help. What benefit us here is taking care of everyday details and attending to what needs to be done in a quiet, systematic, realistic way. There is a lot of energy available for restructuring and problem-solving.
This is a perfect time to overhaul...everything really. Your prejudices and opinions, your expectations for the future, your ways of behaving in relationships, your habits...your house maybe, your daily routines, your relationship with money, your job, etc etc. You'll know what needs restructuring in your life!
I think for the next month – and really the next year – the key thing to focus on is Virgo. It's a real Virgo party right now: Venus, Mars and Jupiter are in the sign, to be joined by the north node in early November. The north node and Jupiter will be in Virgo for a long while, and that's why the energy of this sign is a focus.
Virgo is all about attending to the details of earthly reality. Accuracy, efficiency, fine-tuning, order. Health, simplicity, purity, humility, service to others.
So if you're feeling the rug has been pulled out from under your feet, you can have faith (Jupiter) that doing humble, healthy, Virgo-oriented stuff will give your life some stability. That means things like cleaning the house, doing your work, walking the dog, going for a run. Doing something to help someone else, organizing the garage, learning a new craft....Etc etc.
You're better off focusing on the simple and the ordinary right now, because that stuff will ground you and help you to deal with whatever craziness is going on in your life.
Another key to dealing with conflict is Libra – and this is a new moon in Libra, after all. Plus we have the north node in Libra, and Libra's ruler Venus is currently in mutual reception with Virgo's ruler Mercury, meaning each is in the other's sign.
Mercury in Libra is about seeing both sides of a situation: the other's point of view as well as your own. It's diplomatic and strives for fairness and balance.
With the south node in Aries, it's easy to fly into a rage and blow up relationships at this time – but you are going to be shooting yourself in the foot if you act out your anger, emotional impulsivity or self-righteousness.
The point of the story right now is relating, compromise, good manners, fair and balanced communication. This is all courtesy of Mercury in Libra conjunct the north node. Dialogue, balance and mutual respect are possible – they might not be easy, given the tension we are seeing in this sky, but they are what we should be aiming for right now. Make sure you have all the facts and have considered all sides of a story before you rush to judgement or make any major decisions.
It's all about Virgo and Libra right now. Virgo is realism, humility, service, attention to the small stuff – and Libra is balance, fairness, good manners and right relationship. If we can stick to these themes, we'll be doing well.
It's hard to be a decent human being- especially now. But that is (always) what we're aiming for. Especially now.
This is on Monday the 28th September, 3:50 am (GMT).
We are in the middle of a tough week, and we're headed towards an intense and difficult full moon.
It's a supermoon, meaning the moon will be at the closest point to earth in her orbit, and will therefore appear freaking huge.
It is also a lunar eclipse, the fourth in a much-hyped tetrad of “blood moons” which some people believe heralds the end of the world, as in the Book of Revelations or some such shit.
Well I don't think it'll be the end of the world. But it does look quite violent. And as eclipses represent supercharged culminations or endings, the effects of this one will be long-term. So it's good to approach this with caution.
But before we look at it, let's look at the week leading up to it. What a crazy week.
We had the equinox – the balance-point of light and dark, the hinge between seasons – on the 23rd September (Wednesday), as the sun moved into Libra, sign of balance and harmonious relationship. And straight into conjunction with the north node at 1 degree Libra. Meaning Libran themes of balance, fairness and relating to the Other are paramount right now. This is the aim of the whole story, remember. It is about relational harmony and balance, even as everything is falling to shit around you. Civility and basic manners will get you far.
They will be needed, as we have all kinds of mental and interpersonal misunderstanding and nastiness going on right now. This is courtesy of retrograde Mercury in Libra, in lousy aspect to Uranus and Pluto. The Mercury-Pluto square was exact on the 24th September (Thursday) – and on the same day, we had Pluto, king of hell, stationing direct. Painful.
This is the sort of thing that incites verbal nastiness and suspicion. Or obsessive, stinging doubt and worry. Very mentally uncomfortable and lacerating stuff.
So there's just some very ugly, painful and dangerous – but potentially honest and transformative – thought and communication going on here. These influences are in effect (and culminating) at the full moon. And remember this full moon is in Aries, a fiery, warlike, impulsive sign. So there is the possibility of verbally eviscerating people, blowtorching your relationships all to hell...Or setting things on a new footing via radical honesty.
We also had Mars moving into Virgo in the early hours of the 25th (Friday), straight into a square with Saturn in Sagittarius. This Mars-Saturn square speaks of extreme frustration and potential cruelty. You put it together with the Mercury-Pluto stuff, and it's the perfect set-up for all kinds of nastiness. This can be internal (in your own head) or interpersonal – but there's so much pressure involved in this, it might feel like your head's in a vice. Or you might be on the receiving end of nastiness coming from other people.
Again, civility and basic manners will get you far with this. Seeing all sides of a story, not just your own prejudices. Fighting for accommodation and compromise, instead of fighting to 'win'. With the north node at 1 degree Libra, the story is supposed to be about 'we', not 'me'.
OK, and here's something kind of amazing about this eclipse: it involves a massive and very interesting clash of female archetypes. The sun in Libra will be conjunct Lilith (the lunar apogee) and asteroid Juno; the moon in Aries will be conjunct Vesta.
As we've seen, the north node in Libra is about a focus on relational issues - so these should be all lit up at this time. And the relationship story, as influenced by these three female celestial points, is a real wife vs. mistress dynamic. Or Madonna/whore.
Juno is named after the long-suffering and perpetually enraged wife of philandering Jupiter, king of the gods. She represents the good wife and mother: the woman who stays within the bounds of established patriarchal order and gets served a shit sandwich in exchange for her fidelity, over and over again. In the mythology, Juno's fury at Jupiter's recurrent betrayals was directed in extremely cruel ways toward his conquests, not at him. (Nevermind that these 'other women' were often actually raped by Jupiter.)
Lilith on the other hand represents a bitch goddess or outlaw woman – someone who cannot be held within patriarchal norms, who refuses to submit to any authority save her own, and is ostracised and demonised for her independence. Classic temptress / mistress stuff here. This is the one who lures men to their doom...a representation of dark, uncontrollable, wild feminine power and rage.
So these two opposite, but equally angry, destructive and powerful archetypes of femininity are hanging out together in Libra, the sign of balance and interrelationship. And on the freaking equinox to boot, the balance-point of light and shadow, the time of year when the day and the dark become equal. And at a full moon eclipse. I think it's all highly significant!
Plus we have Vesta conjunct the moon in Aries, and this is another powerful female influence. Vesta was the goddess of hearth and home, and keeper of the sacred flame. In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins were women specially chosen to tend Vesta's temple fire, the heart of the city of Rome. They took a vow of celibacy for 30 years, and were freed of the ordinary obligations and strictures put upon women in a rigidly patriarchal society. They were highly respected and independent – as long as they kept to their vows. Because the life of the city was thought to depend on their sexual purity and integrity, Vestals who transgressed their vows were scourged and buried alive.
So we have these three very powerful archetypes of femininity bound up with the eclipse – but all three are to some extent defined by their relation to patriarchal structures of control over women. They are also defined by their relation to their own sexuality, and by how female sexuality is contained and controlled within patriarchal structures.
We have Juno, the married one who outwardly is highly revered and respected because of her association with a powerful man – she gets to be freakin Queen of Heaven after all. But inwardly she's frustrated, dishonored, hurt and furious at his infidelities – and she takes her jealous rage out on other women.
We have Lilith, the dark temptress who could not give a fuck about marriage or respectability or 'belonging' to a man – but she's also defined by her bitterness and destructive rage because of her treatment by men.
And we have Vesta, the sacred virgin, whole and complete unto herself, independent and respected – as long as she renounces her sexuality in service to the patriarchal state.
It's all very interesting! These archetypes, when you look into them, are a lot more alike than they might seem at first glance. They are all images of dishonored or feared (or tightly controlled) female power.
And with Pluto in Capricorn (representing rotten, corrupt old power structures which must fall away or be transformed) squaring this full moon, maybe it's a good time to look at how we are all affected by these constricting gender dynamics. Things have to change. The 'good' wife, the 'other woman', the saintly Madonna – these are shitty roles for women to be caught in, and they put women at odds with each other in a destructive way. They don't serve men too well either: they prevent men from seeing women as actual, complex human beings.
I keep thinking of this movie. Saddest thing ever:
Or this one:
Or this song:
Anyway, all in all, a very powerful and intense eclipse - for women especially. Potentially very shocking, cruel and hurtful thought and communication - but it can also liberating.
I think the sacred hearth-fire imagery associated with Vesta is a key thing to focus on. As Vesta is in Aries, which has to do with selfhood, I think it's all about defining your own internal core of meaning / value / intergrity / autonomy. What do you hold pure and inviolate; what fires do you devote yourself to keeping lit, no matter what? What is sacred to you at your core, and how do you protect and nurture it?
If we can keep the focus on what keeps our internal heart(h) fires lit, it should be easier to transcend the rage and darkness associated with the Lilith/Juno stuff.
Anyway, beware of nastiness directed toward you or coming out of your mouth – maybe cut people some slack this week, because this moon will be stressful enough. And remember your manners (Libra). Basic civility is pretty important right now.
It's quite an emotionally raw and jagged scenario. Full of potential relational conflict and harsh words that can never be taken back – so please be very careful what comes out of your mouth, and try to abide calmly with whatever crazy aggro shit other people say to you. Try to stay rational, balanced, polite and civilised. Try to do the decent thing, even when the people around you are acting like infantile dickheads.
I expect it'll be kind of hard to do. The path of least resistance here is rage. And in some cases, it will be justified.
If there are things you really must say in the interests of justice, or in order to expose shoddy relational dynamics – well that's one good use of this energy. Just be quite sure that you really want to be rid of whatever (or whoever) you're verbally blowtorching – and permanently. If you're not entirely sure about it, hold back! Words have the potential to be explosive, traumatic, painfully blunt and incisive...and final (and this holds true for the next week or so, as Mercury in Aries transits the Uranus-Pluto square).
Full moons represent endings, and this one is an eclipse, meaning it is a supercharged ending. It involves the Aries (me) and Libra (we) axis: self-will vs. partnership. So it is inherently about relationships. We are closing the book on a lot of corrupt, manipulative, imbalanced relational dynamics here. They might be social, familial or one-on-one...but some kind of ugly interpersonal conflict is likely to erupt. If you have planets or chart angles in the mid-degrees of the cardinal signs especially (Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn), be prepared for a jolt.
The moon in Libra will be conjunct the north node (karmic direction) in Libra – so ultimately this story is about a deep need for peace, justice, balance and right relationship. Reciprocity. This need is the focus of the story: the goal.
But the full moon is also bound up with the now-finished, but still potent Uranus-Pluto square – so superficial harmony and whitewashing just will not do. Not when there are deep, insidious wrongs and grievances to be addressed. The shitty dynamics need to be followed to their roots – and that means dealing with some very uncomfortable feelings and entrenched mental habits.
The painful relational patterns we find ourselves stuck in have deep roots, and we mostly play them out unconsciously. Some of them we can trace to our families, and some go back further: they are archetypal and collective. But it's never only about the current scenario or person that's triggering you – it goes a lot deeper.
So whatever issues crop up for you this full moon, remember that the real point is not getting rid of the person or the situation – though you may have to do that; it may be well past time to do that.
It's really about recognizing, working through and transforming the pattern.
What deeply-ingrained, instinctual relational story - familial or societal - are you playing out? Do you want to keep on doing this?
And how do you stop being a puppet in this drama? How do you change the story or reinterpret it, so that you're no longer just reading out your lines like a robot – you're improvising something new, creating something new?
“Relationships are our crucibles of transformation these days, with the north node in Libra. Libra (ruled by Venus) is the sign of balance, harmony, fairness, partnership and right relationship. It is about bridging polarities – 'marrying' them into a workable whole. So that is what we're trying to achieve in this story – balance, peace, workable relationships, justice. But the way things are set up, getting there involves a fierce fight. The south node, representative of what we are trying to move away from, is in Mars-ruled Aries – and this can be about self-will, anger, war, going it alone. Selfishness: 'me' as opposed to Libra's 'we'. This is the path of least resistance now, and it means self-sabotage is an ever-present danger. For the past few months, we've had the Uranus-Pluto square mixed up in a cardinal t-square with the nodes of the moon in Aries and Libra. This is an aspect pattern forcing radical change and upheaval, in relationships especially. There is a definite gender theme to it – there are historical injustices and imbalances in relationships that need to be examined and addressed. We don't get to blindly continue the same old gender-based power dynamics and games, going forward – the rot underlying that stuff has become a lot more obvious than it used to be. People are just not having it anymore.”
This full moon looks like an end-point for relational issues we've been dealing with since the start of this year – mid-January to be specific, when the nodes of the moon in Libra and Aries lined up with the Uranus-Pluto square. (Well actually, for a lot longer than that. For our whole lives maybe. But things are likely to have come to a head early this year, forcing changes to our deeply ingrained patterns.)
The dispositors of the nodes – relationship planets Mars and Venus – are now in Taurus. This is a grounded, realistic, settled energy – meaning things have been solidified or decided. The course is set – Taurus holds stubbornly to its plan of action and powers its way calmly through obstacles.
You can draw upon this background calm and resolve if you start feeling overwhelmed by the tensions of this full moon. Remember the important thing is to stick with what makes you feel happy, stable and secure in yourself. If you have that internal sense of groundedness, it's a lot harder for others to drag you into their power plays and dramas.
Anyway, overall, this doesn't look like a fun full moon– but it does represent closure, which is a nice thing to have.
And after we've put this shit to bed, we do have some good things ahead of us. Jupiter in Leo resumes direct motion on the 8th April, after a retrograde period that started on the 8th December of last year - this is a big jolt of luck, happiness and creativity.
The summer ahead is colored by a trine between Jupiter and Uranus in Aries – meaning we have an open road before us, full of happy possibilities. Travel, excitement, creativity, romance, adventure, woo!
And we are officially FINISHED with the Uranus-Pluto square series, thank Christ. That jarring, hellish energy will be waning from here on in. Things are settling into their new order.
There are just a few loose ends to be tied up before we can properly move on, and that's where we're at now with this full moon...
You may not even need external conflict to attain the closure on offer. It may be enough to deal with this in yourself – to put whatever this is about for you to rest in yourself.
But it does look likely that there'll be interpersonal drama going on, so please stay aware and careful.
"Maat represents the ethical and moral principle that every Egyptian citizen was expected to follow throughout their daily lives. They were expected to act with honor and truth in manners that involve family, the community, the nation, the environment, and god."
It's no different for any of us today. There are moral laws at work in the world, and we transgress these at our peril.
And with Saturn retrograding and headed back into Scorpio (June-September of this year - I wrote about it here) - matters of social justice take on an added weight and importance. You will get back what you've given. If you've done harm, karma's going to be a bitch.
Do as you would be done by - it's that simple and basic.
This is tomorrow, the 8th October, around noon (GMT). It's a big one.
The sun and moon are in line with the lunar nodes, meaning we have entered eclipse season: a roughly month-long period that happens twice a year, in which we have 2 or 3 eclipses.
This full moon will be a total lunar eclipse (or 'blood moon') – a supercharged significator of culminations and endings. But even leaving aside the fact that it's an eclipse, it is incredibly intense.
The moon, meaning the emotional tone, will be in Aries and conjunct Uranus (shock). This is amped-up fury: warlike, impatient, unpredictable, explosive. Moods on a hair-trigger. People are going to be feeling edgy, no question.
Opposing the moon we have the sun in calm, peace-seeking Libra, conjunct Libra's ruler Venus. We also have the north node (the imperative or 'direction' of the story) in Libra, loosely conjunct the sun. All this represents a huge drive for peace, harmony, love, beauty, fairness and right relationship.
So we have war and upheaval (Aries) vs. peace and reconciliation (Libra)... and these two drives are as stark and as opposed as you can get. And then squaring these poles, we have Pluto, Lord of Death – moving forward once again in Capricorn, sign of the old order. Radical changes to the status quo are afoot, for good or ill.
Reminds me of this, from the Rodney King riots:
Anyway, we have a cardinal t-square again: the same Uranus-Pluto theme we've been dealing with for the past few years. It's a story of the demand for radical change coming up against entrenched authority, with explosive results. The people vs. the System. The Rebel Alliance vs the Empire.
Hong Kong democracy protesters
Except, you know – with all due respect to “Star Wars” - this is real life, not a movie. And in real life, good and evil are far more complex and intertwined than they can ever be in the movies.
In the movies, the idealistic young rebels prevail and that's the end of the story. But look at what's happening in the Middle East after the Arab Spring. Look at the situation in Ukraine following their revolution earlier this year. War and chaos have followed these hopeful popular uprisings. The mostly well-intentioned protesters got more than they bargained for – what they wanted were simple, reasonable changes to the systems they lived under. More government accountability, more transparency, more equality, a better life. I doubt anyone wanted this:
Aleppo, Syria
It's like, you light a little fire in the woods because you're cold, or you want to make some s'mores or whatever. And the forest is so full of deadwood, you accidentally start a forest fire that consumes...the whole world. Suddenly the whole world is on fire. And you've lost everything, when all you wanted was a stupid little s'more.
That's Uranus (shock, the unexpected) and Pluto (destruction and regeneration) for you. On a collective level, the Uranus-Pluto squares demand intense change - & that demand will be fulfilled. But for good or ill - who knows? With Uranus involved, there's no calling or controlling the outcome. With Pluto involved, it will be extreme. All anyone can say is that there'll be no going back.
It's easy enough to see these themes at work on the world stage – but look to your own life and relationships as well. What's happening on your own personal stage?
-What has changed radically for you since 2010?
-What has to change in the interests of fairness and balance and decency?
-What (or who) is blocking that necessary change? (Maybe it's you?)
-What are you afraid of? What are you trying to control, to your detriment?
-What's over and dead; what do you need to cut yourself free of already?
-What is the price you have to pay for what you want? Is it worth it?
Complex questions of value are at work here, and they demand some introspection.
Well as it happens, we have a Mercury retrograde underway (4th- 25th October) which should be helpful for deep introspection over the next few weeks. Mercury is in Scorpio for the full moon, which lends a very deep, investigative, penetrating mental focus. He'll be moving backward into Libra on the 10th of October - this is a rational and balanced mental energy, which should be useful. Mercury in Libra is about being able to see multiple sides to a situation, and to communicate diplomatically and fairly.
The issues being dealt with here are weighty – there are important decisions to be made. Probably best to hold off from making them until Mercury resumes direct motion on the 25th October - and maybe hold off from signing important documents or finalizing plans as well.
Mercury will end his retrograde at 16 degrees Libra, the same cardinal t-square territory of tomorrow's full moon. It's pretty fucking fraught. Whatever issues came up for you around the new moon in Libra on the 24th September – look at how these matters stand at the full moon tomorrow. There will probably be some kind of illumination or resolution available – but you will likely be processing it all until Mercury goes direct in a few weeks time. Pay attention.
I think internal resolution is the way to go with this stuff, in keeping with the themes opened up to us at the new moon a couple of weeks ago. If you can deal with your own issues internally instead of projecting them outside yourself, blaming others and gunning for a fight...you'll be doing well.
Easier said than done, ha. This is a sharp, violent full moon, and you may feel like biting someone's head off. There will be plenty of provocation. But remember that conflict can escalate and get out of control very quickly right now. Pick your battles carefully. You don't want this on your hands:
And lay off the self-righteous rage, please! You are not some knight on a white horse fighting the forces of evil. You are just another schmuck trying to get through the day in one piece, like everyone else.
Remember the north node or direction of the story, is in Libra – sign of harmony and balance. Try to keep the focus on relationship and peace, not war.
Maybe war on the world stage can't be prevented... and what happens on the world stage isn't up to any of us individually anyway. But you can certainly quit perpetuating war in your own life and psyche. Just paying attention to yourself is enough – and as we've seen, we have a Mercury retrograde facilitating deep introspection at this time. You don't have to go on a mission to rid yourself of your own darkness...just being aware of it is enough. Coexistence is possible.
Something really nice: we have our grand fire trine in full effect now, forming a kite pattern with the full moon. Jupiter in Leo, Mars in Sagittarius and Uranus in Aries all burning together like a fireworks display – beautiful. Hope, optimism, energy, courage, faith, expansion, liberation.
This is all on tap if you want it, however nasty things might get. The high road / larger view is available. If you're faced with conflict, you can be the bigger person and rise above it.
On a deeper level, the whole setup is making me think of what Joyce wrote about history: “History is the nightmare from which I am trying to awake”.
Reading the papers or watching the news these days has become so frightening. History is a nightmare that is ongoing... It is the story of the way power in the world has always worked. The Rebel Alliance overthrows the Empire, then becomes the new Empire, giving rise to new Rebel Alliances...ad infinitum.
It's easy to get all fired up about everything that's wrong with the world, to take sides, to go off on moral crusades. And sometimes taking a stand is necessary. Sometimes you have to play your part in the great drama - there's no other option.
Kurdish Peshmerga fighter
But playing your part in the great drama, taking a side, fighting for a cause - these things have nothing to do with freedom. Real freedom is something very rare, and it can't be reduced to a political slogan. It is altogether outside of politics and outside of the carnival of brutality we call history - it is personal and internal. Nobody gets it by marching behind a banner or a slogan or an ideology. You have to win it for yourself, and by yourself - and it's hard work.
Anyway, if you're so inclined, you can internalize the symbolism of this full moon – you can use it to look at how this struggle for change and liberation plays out in yourself. To "work with diligence on your own salvation", as the Buddha is supposed to have said. I think that's a brilliant use of all this tension – and it will get you a lot further than external conflict will.
.jpg)
