Full Moon in Aries: War and Peace

Two weeks ago we had a powerful and complicated New Moon in Libra. This Sunday the Moon opposes the Sun from Aries. I wrote last time about the dilemma we humans face in relationships: how do we preserve our authenticity as we attempt to belong in our society? Sadly in a world of duality we focus on difference and separation rather than oneness. Despite our attempts at democracy, we live in a world of aggression and dominance.

At this Full Moon, Saturn at 18+ degrees of Aquarius is making its final tight square to Uranus at 18+ Taurus. The clash between the old and the new is coming to a head as we approach our mid-term elections. We face choices that could destroy centuries of progress in human rights. We literally could lose our freedom as the democracy we cherish is threatened by the ambitions of a despotic faction that values power and control above all else. The will of the people could be crushed by politicians who want to oppress women, plunder the resources of our planet, enrich the rich, ignore the threat to our survival from the climate crisis, rob us of our personal freedoms, including voting rights, persecute immigrants and oppress people of color.

The climate of Aries has great potential for new beginnings, but it also carries the energies of conflict and aggression. Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac. It brings a spirit of renewal, rebirth, fresh starts. It’s the sign of the self, the wonder of being alive, of exploring potential. Ruled by Mars, this fiery sign is about doing, achieving, making things happen, but when the will of one confronts the will of another, it can result in conflict, aggression, even war.

We clearly see this in Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un throwing their weight around, bullying the world with threats of nuclear warfare. We see it here at home in the political campaigns. One party is trying to preserve democracy, is concerned about the welfare and health of our nation and its citizens, wants to address the enormous gulf that has opened between the haves and have-nots, desires to preserve our Union and strengthen it through greater equality. The other party wants power and will use any means, tell outrageous lies, spread false rumors, call upon tyrants to poison our social media, stir up controversy and spend vast amounts of dark money to seize control. It is a classic battle between regressive despotic ideals of control and domination, on the one hand, and progressive humanitarian ideals that seek a better future for all, on the other.

In the end, Uranus will come out on top. Change is inevitable. We are entering 2600 years of the Aquarian Age in which we come to recognize our literal oneness and build a world based on connection, love, peace, beauty and wisdom. We can make this choice now by electing representatives who share these spiritual values, or we can delay the inevitable and prolong the carnage, the suffering, the poverty and despair.

So let’s take a look at what the heavens reveal at this Full Moon.

Full Moon in Aries/Venus Star Point in Libra

The Aries Full Moon reprises the Aries New Moon that took place on March 31st/April 1st depending on time zone. Back then Mercury, Sun, Moon and Chiron were squaring the USA Sun. At this Full Moon, the same planets are involved. The Moon is within two degrees of Chiron which is retrograde and again square the USA natal Sun. Same message – our nation has deep wounds that need to be faced and healed.

The Sun is in Libra in the 10th House on the verge of a climactic conjunction with Venus which will take place on October 22nd just before the New Moon in Scorpio. This is the superior conjunction, with Venus on the far side of the Sun and “under the beams” meaning that she has been swallowed up by the brilliance of our Sun. The Superior conjunction not only represents the half-way point in the Venus cycle, a sort of Full Moon Venus, but it marks the creation of a new Venus Star point.

When we lay out the conjunctions of Venus and Sun on a circular chart, we discover that each “Star Point” is approximately 72 degrees from its neighbors forming a five-pointed star. The last time we had a Venus Star Point in Libra was on October 21, 1783. Uranus was discovered in 1781 kicking off world-wide revolutions and a spirit of democracy. The reign of monarchs was coming to a close as citizens threw off the cloak of oppression. Our nation was in its infancy. The founders hadn’t even written our constitution yet. 

We are blessed on October 22nd, just before our mid-term elections, to have the first Venus Star Point in Libra in 239 years, coinciding with our nation’s Pluto Return. And to top it off, the Sun/Venus conjunction will take place at 29 degrees of Libra, conjunct the dwarf planet Haumea, the goddess of regeneration and rebirth. Let that sink in.

So what happens when Venus and the Sun come together? Venus gets recharged with Spirit. Libra carries the energy of peace, harmony, beauty, loving relationships as well as justice. See the potential? Venus won’t make another Libra star point until October of 2030. She just showed up in her own sign in time to remind us that we can regenerate our democracy, we can shift the climate of separation and conflict that has plagued our political system, we can embrace the values of the Divine Feminine. The potential is there. We just need to seize it.

Grand Trine in Earth Signs

At this Full Moon, Mercury, which turned direct on October 2nd, is at 28+ Virgo opposite retrograde Jupiter at 1 degree of Aries. Mercury will enter Libra on October 10th reinforcing themes of harmony and peace. Jupiter will re-enter Pisces on October 28th creating a climate of hope, dreams and spiritual connection. This is an opportunity to expand our thinking, see more clearly, create a vision of a brighter future.

Mercury also forms a Grand Trine with Pluto in Capricorn and Sedna in Taurus. Trines are harmonious aspects in which two or more planets work together. Pluto turned stationary direct on October 8th, the day before the Full Moon. Planets exert their most powerful influence when they are stationary. Pluto has spent the last two years revealing the cracks in our social systems, uncovering toxic corruption in our corporations, our government on all levels, and weaknesses in our social contract. His work is far from done. On December 28th, Pluto makes his final return to our natal Pluto’s position. There is a finality about Pluto. He is uncompromising. What is corrupt, outworn, toxic will be swept away.

Sedna is completing her run through Taurus. She entered this Earth sign on February 8, 1968. Think about what has changed since then, personally, socially and globally including the health of our planet. She enters Gemini next year on June 15th. Sedna is the new outer limit of our solar system and guides our path to spiritual awakening. As she moves from Earth to Air the energy will shift dramatically.

At this Full Moon Mercury is asking us to consider the fate of our nation and the spiritual destiny of humanity. “Deep Thoughts” as John Handy would say. It’s time to clear the cobwebs and see what’s going on – getting real! It’s time to speak up, talk to family, friends and neighbors. And it’s time to set our intentions to clear the obstacles to success.

I have told this story before about a lesson I learned from my riding instructor. Briefly for new readers, I was galloping a horse on an outdoor cross-country course. I was approaching a large “fence” – a downed tree stump over 4 feet high and I was moving uphill toward it. At the last minute my horse planted all four feet and I sailed over his head into the tree stump. Battered and bruised and feeling very sorry for myself, I climbed back on and finished the course. When I returned to the ring, my instructor yelled at me “You were looking at the fence!” No kidding. It was a monster. But she went on to enlighten me in the ways of horses and told me always to look where I wanted to land, never at the obstacle. This was a life lesson, worth every bruise.

And I share it with you now. The obstacles to peace at home and around the world seem formidable right now, so don’t look at them. Keep your focus on where you want to land. Envision the future you want, the outcome you desire and hold firm. Do not be seduced by the news.

T-Square to the Lunar Axis

Finally Pallas, who featured prominently in the Aries New Moon last March, makes a return performance. At 14 degrees of Cancer she is within one degree of a perfect conjunction with the USA natal Sun. Pallas sprang from the godhead and represents wisdom, creative intelligence, courage and a desire for social justice. Square to both the Sun and Moon she is calling our attention to our national identity. Who are we as a population? What do we stand for? Are we still devoted to the values of our founding fathers – liberty, happiness, equality? Do we still open our arms to immigrants and embrace diversity, the source of our strength? Do we still believe in truth and justice? Are we still the beacon of freedom to oppressed people around the world?

It would be a worthwhile exercise to look at who we were, who we have become and who we want to be in the future. This is the vision of where we want to land, the identity we want to reclaim and build upon.

The choices couldn’t be more clear. Will we fail in our great experiment? Will we lose the precious freedom we fought so hard to secure? Will we degenerate into mediocrity, nursing our self-interest and resentment or will we step into our potential destiny, bring forth the best in ourselves, save our democracy and restore the light of hope to the rest of the world?

There will be lots of change this month.

         Mercury stations direct (SD) on October 2

         Vesta SD on October 5      

         Pluto SD on October 8

         Saturn SD on October 22

         Juno SD on October 23

         Mars goes against the grain and turns retrograde in Gemini 10/30, retracing its steps.

In addition

         Mercury moves into Libra Oct. 10

         Venus moves into Scorpio Oct 23 along with the Sun

         Jupiter returns to Pisces 10/27

         Mercury enters Scorpio 10/29

Furthermore, we enter eclipse season on October 25th with a Partial Solar Eclipse at 2 degrees of Scorpio, Pluto’s underworld domain. We’ll explore all that next time.

In the meantime, enjoy the splendor of Autumn.