Full Moon in Aries

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.

New Moon in Virgo

This is today, the 9th September, 7 pm GMT.

We've been dealing with a lot of planetary retrogrades this summer, so it's been a somewhat frustrating time of blockages and delays. But with this new moon in Virgo, it's time to get down to business. Mercury and Mars have been direct since August, and Saturn stationed direct in achievement-oriented Capricorn on the 6th September – so it's full speed ahead, there's nothing in your way. You might as well make the most of the potential for progress and get to work. There are a lot of little details to be taken care of and it's a great time for getting things done.

It's not an easy month by any stretch: there's some crazy tension going on, especially interpersonally. But if you can keep your head down and focus on your work, you'll make great progress.

Virgo is all about work, routine, service and craftsmanship. It's a very pragmatic, detail-oriented sign. It's also very prone to over-thinking, worry, and psychosomatic illness. These tendencies might be worse at this time because of a tight opposition between the new moon and Neptune in Pisces. So beware boundary-dissolvers like drugs, alcohol and fairy-tale romance, and don't fall prey to inertia and self-doubt. Just keep your practical head screwed on and do what needs to be done, one small task at a time.

These small tasks are not meaningless, they're part of a larger task: creating a better, more authentic life for yourself. It's not about plugging away in the same old rut forever. It's about building a new operating system from the ground up so you can live with greater independence.

It's an exciting time. And at this new moon, our plans are finally getting underway, things are moving. The returns on the investments you make now will be big.

We have a grand earth trine between Mercury in Virgo, Saturn in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus, which helps with planning and articulating the practical possibilities. We also have the new moon trining Pluto in Capricorn and sextiling Jupiter in Scorpio, which indicates that there are deep shifts underway – these are not surface changes to our lives.

Neptune's involvement means things should flow easily – if you're having to push too hard, you're probably pushing in the wrong direction. Conserve your energy and focus your efforts toward what is actually working for you, not what drains your resources.

Venus is newly in all-or-nothing Scorpio, casting a ruthless light on love and money matters. It's all about the bottom line now: what you're getting in return for what you're giving. If you're consistently giving more than you're getting, the dynamic is just not viable, and you know this deep down. It either has to be transformed into something more equitable, or removed from your life altogether.

It's harsh. Venus in Scorpio is part of a t-square involving Mars and Uranus right now, and this is in play till the end of the month, though especially intense this week. Blitzkreig explosions and ruptures between people are likely at this time – don't be surprised to see a few surprising breakups. Intense new relationships or opportunities for material advancement may also flash into existence very suddenly. It's exciting but highly flammable, especially as Mars moves into Aquarius on the 11th September.

The potential for sudden accidents is heightened, so please be careful driving and operating machinery etc. And stay out of harm's way interpersonally if you can. People will be acting a bit crazy with this t-square, and then we have a full moon in Aries on the 25th September which looks like some more crazy. Don't expect relationships to run smoothly.

But do channel all this angst into doing what you need to do for yourself to secure your own independent future.