The Cosmic Story: Aries/Libra Full Moon 2019
The Cosmic Story: The Aries/Libra Full Moon, October, 2019
Only Strength Can Cooperate!
“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” – Mother Teresa
As we head into the big conjunction of Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn next January 12, 2020, we might be feeling that we have to get our own house in order. This big conjunction is already showing up in the intense political infighting we’re seeing in the U.S., Britain, the Middle East and Hong Kong. The conjunction deals with the death pangs and restructuring of our consumer, capitalist global society, and the old order is not going down easy.
The truth is, it has to happen within each of us to make it happen in the outer world. Or at least a tipping point percentage of us have to do this. It’s time for us to look within ourselves to see where we continue the old patriarchal patterns of competition, greed and domination that are the hallmarks of our society.
This Aries/Libra Full Moon asks us to look at where these old patterns exist in our relationships. It’s time to divest ourselves of the inequalities, injustices, jealousy and competition that are such a big part of patriarchal relationships.
Relationships come in many colors and flavors. These include same sex love, different sex love, polyamory love as well as family and friendship love. And on a global scale, it’s time to develop our Agape Love , which is the spiritual love we can feel for others, the Earth and all of Nature. If the Celtic tribes could do it 5,000 years ago, we can certainly give it chance. (As a matter of fact, the last time we had next year’s astrological patterns in the sky was in 3838BC – Jupiter, Saturn & Pluto in Capricorn with Uranus in Taurus.)
With the nodal axis in the sign of Cancer/Capricorn, we’re being asked to let go of the Capricorn ‘rules’ of love we’ve been subject to and open to the warmth and openness of the mothering Cancer kinds of love. A good mother is happy to see love blossom wherever it will. Because love makes us want to be our most excellent selves.
Love is beyond our ability to contain or control and we have to accept that as a fact of life. Poor Aphrodite, the great goddess of Love! She’s been the most subjugated of all the ancient goddesses, because patriarchy couldn’t get rid of her and so they bound her in chastity belts and bondage to suit men’s need to control. Happily it didn’t work. But it did twist us into shapes that we need to get out of.
Now it’s time to restructure how we relate to lovers, to friends, to family and to the world.
Aries/Libra Full Moon 2019
The Aries Full Moon occurs on Sunday, October 13 th at 2:08pm PDT/ 5:08pm EDT and 10:08pm GMT.
Looking first at the ruling planets of both Aries and Libra, we see that they are ‘visiting’ each other’s h om es – Venus is in Mars-ruled Scorpio and Mars is in Venus-ruled Libra. That means that they’re ‘talking’ with each other – or at least listening to what the other is up to. Don’t forget, Venus and Mars met in the underworld (or were invisible behind the Sun when they came together) on August 24 th . So they’ve already started their new dance.
Now, Venus in Scorpio wants to get down to business. Like the Sumerian goddess Inanna, Venus in Scorpio isn’t afraid to go down into the underworld to be renewed. First she’ll have to face that part of her which has been rejected and is raging, like Inanna’s sister Ereshkigal. What part of you is raging, wanting, longing? And what are you willing to do about it? Venus is opposite Uranus retrograde in Taurus, so she’ll likely do something wild and unexpected to break free of old patterns. Have fun with her this weekend – we are meant to have joy in life.
Mar is in Libra so he’s already changing his ways, since Libra asks him to pay attention to the ‘other’. It’s no longer ‘all about him’. While some people might find this frustrating, a true warrior like Mars can accept the challenge. Life is better when we learn to cooperate, especially if we get hugs and kisses as our reward.
Mars is also connected to Uranus in Taurus, except in a harder struggle than Venus. While Venus wants to put on her independence and wild side, Mars is challenged by an inconjunct with a disruption in the ways he usually wants us to operate. Too much assertion or too little initiative can be the problem our Mars faces. It’s time to face the root causes of our relationship dysfunctions, rather than just treating the symptions – usually by leaving! This is where we’re being asked to face our aggressive impulses, try not to inhibit our sexuality, and stop always having ‘to be on top’! Watch out for rashness and impulsiveness because it will only trip you up.
But these two energies can also give rise to new and original ways of dealing with relationships. You know, I think it’s been my generation’s Neptune in Libra that has us all looking for our soul mates and then destroying those mates who don’t measure up. Something has to be done with how we handle our breakups and divorces. We don’t need to be angry that we’re no longer compatible. Sometimes one person grows more than the other, and we need to find kind ways to let each other go.
This is the potential of this Full Moon. Finding kind, just ways to deal with each other.
The question is: How do you ask for what you need with kindness and truth? And how do you listen to things that might ‘break your heart’ without wanting revenge?
Now for the Full Moon itself.
With the Aries Moon, we get to look at where our shadow keeps us self-involved, angry, controlling and too independent to make a strong commitment to another person. The Libra Sun asks us for justice, fairness and a balanced, diplomatic understanding of each other. Venus helps us see our true desires while Mars helps us meet the challenges that each relationship faces, since we all have our own soul purpose as well as our own wounds around trust and commitment.
This Full Moon is intense because added to the push-pull of the needs of our Aries self and Libra other , it is challenged by a square from the Saturn, South Node and Pluto conjunction in Capricorn. There’s an exact square to Pluto by degree and minute! That’s intense. Pluto wants to be a part in our conception of how we want to be in relationship to others. If we’re holding on to the old story, we want to use Pluto power to dominate and intimidate others . If we step into a new story of our own empowerment, Pluto will help us transform any relationship we’re in.
Here’s the deal: how deep can we go to heal ourselves, because that’s how deep we have to go to heal our society. If we can’t heal ourselves of our prejudices, our entitlements, our unconscious feelings of unworthiness, we won’t heal our families, our communities and our world.
If we use these energies in the right way, we will be empowered to be our truest Self in all areas of our lives.
The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 20*40’ Libra is: Hot Sunday crowds delight in the cool sea breeze. We all share in the trials and joys of life. This Libra Sun wants us to delight in what is good and true and let others do it too.
The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 20*40’ Aries is: A boxer, flushed with strength, enters the ring. This is a symbol of intense assertiveness, wouldn’t you say? This is the attitude we need to look at, the cultural shadow we need to face. Do we have to smash our opponents? Or dominate the ‘other’? Personally, I’d rather go to a dance, which in a way what boxers do (Muhammad Ali) but without punching anyone.
The Sabian symbol for Pluto at 20*40’ Capricorn is: A relay race, each runner springs eagerly into place. Here’s the answer to this Full Moon question of the right balance between Self and Other. Are we the boxer or are we totally chilling at the beach? This symbols says that the answer is t otal cooperation and give and take between us. We are all in this together – Republicans (even if they don’t realize it) Democrats (even if they feel they have the answers), independents and libertarians. Native peoples and the Earth. Easterners and Westerners. Men and women. Elders and children. Our world is One. When will we really believe it?
Pluto provides the way out of our dilemma. It is up to each of us to take up the baton.
The other energy at work during this Full Moon is the square between Jupiter in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces, each planet in the sign of its rulership. We need to know what our truth is and not get caught up in the chaotic collective delusions that have been created by the idea of ‘fake news’. Only you can know what your heart knows as truth. Doesn’t that excite you? To know and live your truth. It does me!
And because these energies deal with our beliefs and spiritual aspirations, we need to turn within for the answers. It’s not a time to look outside yourself for someone else to give you the answer. There is no one answer until we find that answer which fills us with light and hope and joy. Then we’ll know. Until then, we are given longings to follow, dreams to guide us, symbols to work with. Watch for the signposts, which show that you’ve arrived.
Learn how to listen within. Mercury is in Scorpio as well as Venus. He is the psychopomp, the traveler who leads the way between dimensions and worlds. Let him guide Venus to the truth of her heart and take her where she belongs. It’s time to do some journeying.
L earn to base your relationships on respect and cooperation. And most of all, Kindness.
And take the time and this opportunity to find balance within yourself – a balance of play and work, self and other, masculine and feminine, inner and outer, doing and being.
Blessed Be!
Cathy
A Gift
Just when you seem to yourself
nothing but a flimsy web
of questions, you are given
the questions of others to hold
in the emptiness of your hands,
songbird eggs that can still hatch
if you keep them warm,
butterflies opening and closing themselves
in your cupped palms, trusting you not to injure
their scintillant fur, their dust.
You are given the questions of others
as if they were answers
to all you ask. Yes, perhaps
this gift is your answer.
nothing but a flimsy web
of questions, you are given
the questions of others to hold
in the emptiness of your hands,
songbird eggs that can still hatch
if you keep them warm,
butterflies opening and closing themselves
in your cupped palms, trusting you not to injure
their scintillant fur, their dust.
You are given the questions of others
as if they were answers
to all you ask. Yes, perhaps
this gift is your answer.
~ Denise Levertov ~
( Sands of the Well )