Welcome! Thank you for joining me for a closer look at the lunar cycles.
What is a Full Moon? A Full Moon is when our two luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, are in opposing signs, at the same degree. The Full Moons complete cycles that began back at the New Moon in the same sign. This is where those new beginnings and opportunities presented 6 months before begin to bring results or culminate in some way. The sky is full with the harvest of any actions and creations made before. They may also bring intense periods of release, information and secrets revealed, or cathartic purging. These are times of heightened emotion with the two weeks following acting as a recovery and active integration period. The next 6 months after a Full Moon is a period of background integration so that we can begin again at the next New Moon in this sign with a clean slate.
For this particular lunar cycle, something is culminating in the two weeks surrounding the Full Moon in Aries on September 29th that began back at the TWO New Moons in Aries on March 21st and April 19th 2023.
Sometimes a Full Moon theme is obvious– say you are quitting a job or graduating from college around a Full Moon, this is your Full Moon story. Sometimes the themes aren't obvious at all because something is culminating internally or you simply have to know where to look for the culmination.
The Full Moon in Aries perfects on September 29th at 4:58am CST. The Sun in Libra and the Moon in Aries are both at 6º
The Major Aspects:
• Venus at 22º Leo is square Uranus at 22º Taurus (0º orb)
• Mars at 21º Libra sextile Venus at 22º Leo (1º orb, will never perfect)
• Mercury at 20º Virgo is trine Uranus retrograde at 22º Taurus (2º orb)
• Mercury at 20º Virgo trine Jupiter retrograde at 14º Taurus (6º orb, separating)
• Mars at 21º Libra square Pluto at 27º Capricorn (6º orb)
Additional Chart Features:
• Venus in Leo is in mutual reception with the Sun in Libra
• This Full Moon is ruled by Mars in Libra who is sextile to Venus in Leo
• Essential dignity: Mercury is exalted in Virgo, Mars is detriment in Libra, the Sun falls in Libra; Jupiter currently has bound support; Saturn has decanic support.
Delineation:
This Full Moon in Aries is bigger than you think it is. It is cementing a foundation in place for the rest of this nodal cycle (until 2025) and all of the changes to be implemented during eclipse season in October. This year, we've already had two lunations in Aries, one was a New Moon at 1º Aries on March 21st and the second was a Solar Eclipse at 29º Aries on April 19th, this Full Moon completes a cycle of Self begun back in the Spring.
The general temperature of the collective at the moment is fear. Many doors have closed and few to none have opened up in their place just yet. This is so much more than a simple test of faith, it is a test of our ability to honor ourselves. Libra (where Mars, the ruling planet of this lunation, is currently) rules decisions and judgement. Aries rules anger which, overtime, can turn into bitterness as it cools. The Aries-Libra axis work together to create justice in our lives. Aries fights for it while Libra is legislative.
I used to abandon myself. I didn't stop or slow down, I wasn't mindful of my health, or how miserable I felt when engaging in particular situations and relationships, I lived off the scarcity of the invitation. I felt that if I didn't say yes to every opportunity they would stop coming altogether. If I wasn't needed, I wasn't wanted. This is what the sickness of scarcity does. You begin making all of your decisions from this mindset, from rigid "have to"s and all consuming fear of more pain and not enough, when all the while, you're creating more of it by feeding into it. When you have a scarcity mindset, you have a belief that there is no other way and are mentally, emotionally, or physically blocking another way to come in by making a choice to stay inflexible.
The truth is, the only times I've been in real, imminent danger? Is when I, or someone close to me, made a decision out of fear or scarcity.
The moments where I have been healthy, happy, and safe are not because I worked harder, not because I took out a big loan, or rode the "ups and downs" of a toxic relationship, or because I did a million other things that my body would have said no to. It's only when I have been vehemently honest with myself about what I want. And honestly? Mostly, when I've been committed to patience. Recently, I've racked up a very crushing medical bill and for the first time in my life, I've been relatively calm when looking $10,000+ in the face. In my patience, a door opened and the bill is taken care of. I wouldn't have even been in the position to receive this kind support if I had made fearful decisions a year ago. Those decisions didn't make any sense at the time, but I get it now.
I want to be clear in saying that this kind of ease has not always been the case. In the past, everything happened the hard way, but looking back, it's because I made it that way. Last year though, I made a very conscious decision– remember, Libra rules decision making– to start investing in myself and to prioritize my mental and physical health. Even if that meant being "lazy", even if I couldn't see how money or other resources were going to come in to help me do that, even with $20 in my bank account. The hardest part is drowning out the pushy, bullish conditioning and choosing a different way. Guaranteed, it feels strange, like you're choosing to be weak, and it certainly is not the path of instant gratification. You will not have everything you want today, or tomorrow, or even this year. Instead, it's a slow burn improvement as life gradually gets easier and easier. As each illogical, seemingly reckless decision positions you in the safest and most opportune place.
I'm always asking why. Why is this showing up in my life and what is it trying to teach me? Before the finances were sorted out, this was so triggering! I immediately fell into feelings of lack and insecurity, feeling like a burden, being angry at the system, not feeling worthy of care. Taming those thoughts and responses is the real battle. This is the real work.
If we know that Full Moons are conclusions, and the Moon in Aries represents anger fueling an investment in the self, ruled by Mars in Libra representing a drive toward balanced decision making and justice... We know that other people (Libra) are only investing in me because I have chosen to invest in myself (Aries) these last few years. Not in the, "I'm gonna get Starbucks because I deserve it" kind of way, but in the "I'm going to stop participating in anything that my body hates doing because I deserve peace." kind of way. It looks easy, but it feels like everything. It requires you to sit in your fears instead of rushing to do the things that you would have in the past.
This Full Moon in Aries, the collective is coming to terms with the real reason things haven't worked out in the past– it's because we have betrayed and abandoned our own needs for someone else's narrative, someone else's fear, succumbing to the "have to".... and now realizing there was another way all along.
I want to remind you, at the time of this Full Moon, the Sun in Libra is in mutual reception with Venus in Leo echoing our summer lessons: Trust, courage, self confidence, an easier, gentler path. Limitations are created from the mind, surrender is required to transcend them.
This Aries Full Moon, I hope that you choose yourself instead of perceived obligation no matter what you think it will cost you (p.s. it won't cost what you fear it will).
Thanks for reading.
Your friendly neighborhood astrologer,
Katie