​​​ ​​​The Meaning of This Week’s Full Moon ♈​​​

How the Full Moon Affects your Moon Sign | Mars Retrograde | Mercury Stations Direct and more! [View this email in your browser]( The Hunter’s Moon will rise round and full as the sun sets on October 9, following the exact opposition between the Libra Sun and Aries Full Moon at 1:54 p.m. US/Pacific. This Full Moon indicates there is much to consider when it comes to communicating our feelings, which tend to rise up with the Full Moon. The conjunction of the Aries Full Moon with wounded healer Chiron brings in some urgency to addressing the divisions we may feel in ourselves or in our lives. Mars, the planet who signifies division and separations, rules the sign of Aries. He is moving through Gemini, building up to his retrograde station on October 30. A six-month boost of high energy is arriving to whatever area of our personal chart this transit lands in, and will pierce through any stagnation in that area of our life. This Mars retrograde is also coming in hot under the final exact, challenging square aspect between the planet of fate and destiny, Saturn, and the planet of unexpected new twists in the plot, Uranus (exact dates: September 30 - October 11). Incongruence or disconnects between and among the different elements which interweave to compose our lives—elements such as relationships, institutions, career, hopes and aspirations, family, land and community—will be brought to the fore, perhaps also illuminating some regrets or longings. The final kiss between these two very different planets (Saturn and Uranus) will ask us to let go of old identities we may be desperately clinging to, and face down any fears of growing. For some, this is an exciting adventure, while for others, it may be more challenging. No matter our response to creating our future amidst instabilities, uncertainties and various urgencies, our heart’s wisdom is a great ally. The root of the word “courage” is the Latin “cor”, meaning “heart”. Much of the symbolism of October gestures towards heart healing, so that any processes of separation can benefit from processes of reunification. The creative process of separation and coming together is expressed in the alchemical dictum, Solve et Coagula, “Separate and Unite”. We might experiment with trusting the guidance of our deepest longings, trusting that these will lead to healing and a higher synthesis of wisdom. Our usual mental responses to the challenges and joys of this week could well be transformed through focusing on the heart’s wisdom and its way of seeing the world—holding contradictions and complexities, and recognizing larger contexts. How we perceive both friend and foe alike will have a great impact on the emergence of the desirable, healthy, and luminous future that beckons us. On October 9 at 1:54 p.m. US/Pacific, the Sun in Libra will exactly oppose the Moon in Aries, making for a dramatic evening of Full Hunter’s Moon rising over eastern horizons. The conversation between Aries and Libra centers on impulsive action versus deliberate consideration, directness versus sensitivity to others, animal instinct versus human culture, being decisive versus being indecisive. This Full Moon indicates there is much to consider when it comes to communicating our feelings. As instinctual and impulsive as the Aries Moon can be, it is tempered by the harmonizing urges of Venus, who opposes it together with the Sun. Many of us will be tempted to cover the raw truth with pleasantries, which may either appear fake or come out a little bit sideways, accidentally exposing our true feelings. Others will be trying to respond to the impulses of the wounded masculine within us or around us, witnessing the parts that yearn to freely express themselves, to act spontaneously, and to enact their own will. This may result in rebellion, argument or just feeling stuck and directionless. And yet there is every chance of bringing our sense of love and connection into even a contentious conversation, and to break with fruitless cycles of repetition in love and in strife. The ancient Greek philosopher Empedocles saw the dynamism of the world as composed of the two forces of Love and Strife, where Love (Venus/Libra) brings all elements together in various combinations, while Strife (Mars/Aries) separates them. This process of separation and coming together is also expressed in the alchemical dictum, Solve et Coagula, “Separate and Unite”, referring to a purification process akin to humans’ psycho-spiritual development. To grow into psychological wholeness, we must begin to see our wounding as something separate and different from a deeper sense of self—the process of separation. We must then, from the perspectives of our deeper selves, integrate or reunite with the experiences contained in those wounds—the crucial act of reunification to create a new synthesis in wisdom. The Aries Full Moon will illuminate the different elements which interweave to compose our lives—elements such as relationships, institutions, career, hopes and aspirations, family, land and community—and perhaps bring up some regrets or longings. We might more easily notice incongruences and divisions between and within these different elements or areas of our lives. We could then experiment with trust—trusting that the ferocity of our longing will guide us towards a higher synthesis, a reunification that generates deeper wisdom and reignites our will. The planet that signifies our will, our passion, and our drive, Mars, the ruler of the Aries Full Moon, is moving through Gemini and building up to his retrograde station. While the Mars of strife, pursuit and protection won’t actually turn retrograde until October 30, he is already making many aspects to our birth chart that he will repeat two more times, as he moves through the entire retrograde period of the next six months. In fact, the weekends of August 20 and September 3 gave many of us a preview of some topics that we will revisit throughout this Mars retrograde period. We can use this to prepare for what’s to come. Mars correlates to the fast-moving element of fire. Coupled with the quick-footed sign of Gemini, he will stimulate us to action. A boost of high energy is arriving to whatever area of our chart this transit lands in, and will pierce through any stagnation in that area of our life. Those with planets in the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) will especially be impacted by this retrograde period, and will need to be careful about splitting their focus, attention, or energy. Otherwise, exhaustion and overwhelm can set in. These signs would also benefit from examining whether someone or something is stealing their energy, or if they are misdirecting their own energy. Whether we’re feeling stagnant or like we’re being dissipated and spread too thin, Mars will poke and prod us to address our energy flows. Mars’ retrograde will also prompt many of us to try new things, experimenting with different approaches to work and play, sorting out how we can accomplish our goals. Goals themselves may come into question as new information or perspectives introduce uncertainties. We may also pause to question our commitments and the energy they require of us. It won’t be unusual to significantly change our minds several times about our goals, our direction, and even our life’s mission or how we carry it out, over the next six months. This week in particular can send us in new directions, as the planet of our thinking mind, Mercury, returns to direct motion on October 2 and makes a stressful square aspect to goal-seeking Mars. Old fears, wounds, and conflicts between the masculine and the feminine, the active and the receptive, self-sufficiency and needs for nurturing, may especially be stirred up this week of the Aries Full Moon. This Mars retrograde is also coming in hot under the final exact, challenging square aspect between the planet of fate and destiny, Saturn, and the planet of unexpected new twists in the plot, Uranus (exact dates: September 30 - October 11). We can look back as far as December 2019 to see the story arc of the long-term world transit of Saturn-Uranus, which won’t wrap up until January 2024. This influence correlates to bridges between the past (Saturn) and the future (Uranus), and brings with it instability, course corrections, and reworking our foundations. This can be a time of taking our destiny more seriously, of stepping into the next level of responsibility to our Souls’ callings. For some, this will be challenging, for our patterns and habits and fears are well-ingrained in our being. For others, it will be exciting to bring together inner and outer resources to continue working on a new identity that can embrace our now-different future. We will not be remanufacturing or returning to the past, no matter how nostalgically comforting (or disquieting) that idea may feel. On a more mundane level, when we take this Mars retrograde together with Saturn-Uranus and other astrological factors, it strongly suggests that we pay attention to cybersecurity. Good electronic hygiene is always advisable, but many indications are pointing to the potential for security breaches and even data loss over the next seven months. It’s a good idea to guard against that possibility and strengthen passwords, protect online assets and backup data. As the focalizing power of the Sun traverses the harmony-seeking sign of Libra, it will track closely with the queen of harmony in Libra herself, Venus, from October 1 all the way through October 22. The month of October thus signals a strong pull towards locating harmony and locating the good, which may serve as many as possible in our lives and communities. This is a time for cultivating the power of an open heart, which can gather in the greater picture and allow contradictory elements to coexist. Libra is very interested in balance and fairness, and it is not a matter of ignoring matters of power and who has the greatest ability to cause or prevent change. In fact, it could be tempting to get caught up in sorting our world into a simplistic picture of “The Goodies” and “The Baddies”. Yet this long-term close contact between the Sun and Venus in Libra can also provide a great opportunity to do some heart healing, which can help us to see nuances more clearly—as much as what we need to just clear out of our lives—and to welcome in new energy that wants to revitalize us. How we choose to move towards heart healing, allowing conversations to be awkward until they’re not, and trusting in the guidance of our deepest longings, however tender we may feel about them … this may take a little maneuvering! A struggle between Aries’ decisiveness and Libra’s uncertainty is accentuated by Mercury returning to direct motion (October 2). Mercury will retrace their retrograde path until October 16, joining the party in Libra on October 10. We might benefit from drawing on our heart’s knowing, our body’s knowing, and our higher self’s intuitions. We may also want to monitor our mental chatter. Our usual mental responses to the challenges and joys of this week could well be transformed through focusing on the heart’s wisdom and its way of seeing the world. The upheaval of the basic elements that interweave to compose our lives, as indicated by the long-term transit of Saturn square Uranus, is on its way into a consolidation period throughout 2023. While a period of severe discernment is indicated, that doesn’t mean sorting the world into black and white pairs of opposites will carry us closer to the truth or to safety. It is, however, necessary to connect as strongly to the cosmic forces of Love that Empedocles emphasized, and to the cosmic forces of Strife. Solve et Coagula. Separate and Unite. [Click here to see what the Aries Full Moon means for your sign]( Interested in a personalized astrological reading, intuitive reading, or healing ritual? 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