Full Moon in Aries

see http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-38880353

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.

Full Moon in Aries

by Eugenia Loli

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.

New Moon In Libra

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.