The moon, because it is so close to the earth, has more influence on our day-to-day lives and emotions than any of the other planets, and yet, because it moves through the zodiac so quickly, those influences are constantly shifting and fluctuating. When the moon is full those influences are felt more deeply, and the areas of our chart the moon is illuminating offer the greatest opportunities for reflection and growth.
This Sunday, at 5:07 pm Eastern Time, the full moon lands in the cardinal fire sign Aries, the sign of the Ram, ruled by Mars, God of War. Aries likes to charge into battle, ready to fight whether it’s needed or not. At its worst, Aries is impetuous, aggressive, and irritable, quick on the draw whether they understand the situation or not. Aries can be a bully, domineering and controlling. But a wise, refined Aries becomes the archetype of a spiritual warrior, passionate, dedicated, and willing to fight for what they believe in.
This full moon is especially potent because it’s making two powerful aspects to the degree. The first is a square to Pluto in Capricorn. “If you bring forth what is within you, what is within you will save you,” begins the famous aphorism from the gnostic Gospel of Thomas. That sounds nice enough, until we get to the kicker- “If you do not bring forth what is within you, what is within you will destroy you.”
Pluto is the planet that drags us into the depths of our shadow and asks us to bring forth what is within us. Easier said than done, for our shadow is where we hide all the unloved, unwanted parts of ourselves. To face the shadow means we must face our deepest fears, our deepest shame, our deepest wounds, and our deepest heartbreaks. Transits from Pluto may ask you to get honest about your addictions and compulsions. They may bring you back to the scene of some great trauma, so can learn to rewire your nervous system. Pluto may force you to stare into the face of your deepest fear so you can finally see it for the smoke and mirrors it is.
This journey into the underworld of our own psyche is not an easy one. But it’s how we search for our own buried treasure. Pluto teaches us that the things we are most ashamed, afraid of, and burdened by can become our greatest gifts- the medicine we have to offer the world. Pluto may drag us to hell, but he brings us back up again for a rebirth.
A Pluto square to the moon in Aries intensifies inflamed, unsettled emotions. But it also gives us a chance to go deeper, to ask hard questions, and transform our relationship to our inner warrior. Pluto square the Full Moon is a profound opportunity for healing, if we choose to take it.
The other aspect, a trine from Jupiter in Sagittarius, is an easier one. Jupiter in Sag is a benevolent wise one at the height of his powers. Jupiter loves to spread abundance and joy, and if he can sometimes tend toward excess and overindulgence, this trine brings out the best, giving you access to your own inner stores of wisdom, faith, and optimism, even in the midst of turmoil.
In these times we’re living in, when fear and uncertainty are rocking us to our core, we are being asked to own up to the painful truth of our collective folly. The sacrilege of racism, sexism and all other forms of bigotry, the terrible damage our extractive capitalist consumption has wrought on the earth, not to mention our own psyches and bodies. Some are responding to this by doubling down on the foolishness of nationalism, fascism, and unrepentant greed. But many of us are hearing a call to something deeper.
The full moon is always a time of intense emotions. But the thing I’ve learned about emotions is simply this: emotions are powerful energy that need a direction. This is especially true of anger, the emotion that Aries is most associated with. When I indulge my emotions, allowing my anger to flow at every minor irritation or annoyance, that energy is dissipated and wasted. When I suppress my anger, denying its existence, I let it boil under the surface, building a head of steam until it erupts, destroying everything in its path.
But when I stop to reflect and ask myself, what is this about?, I discover that at its core, anger is just passion. And I can choose to cultivate and direct that powerful energy of passion to remove the things that no longer serve me, and take action to create and connect to those that will.
I do the work I do- psychic readings and healings, natal chart readings, and spiritual direction/guidance- because I believe that each and every one of us has unique gifts to offer the world during this time of transition, what has been called The Great Turning, as we struggle to find a way out of the collective mess we’re in and into a way of living that is more grounded, wholehearted, and life-sustaining. Whether you’re a brilliant theorist, strategist, artist, poet, teacher, musician, communicator, organizer, healer, facilitator, builder, resource manager...whatever it is, we need it, and I want to assist you in heeding the call of your own soul.
To choose to bring forth the gift that is within you, to nurture and cultivate it, to protect it, to fearlessly offer it to the rest of us, is the act of a true spiritual warrior.