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LIBRA FULL MOON - 20 / 21 March 2019

3/16/2019

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Thursday 21 March, exact at 1.42am GMT, exact on Wed 20 March at 8.42pm EST
 
This feels like a very significant Moon indeed, as it coincides with the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, the Moon reaches its peak of fullness only two and a half hours after the Equinox which is the moment when the Sun moves into Aries. The Spring Equinox heralds a new chapter; a new cycle of development, and Aries itself is an incredibly brave, pioneering sign. When I think of Aries I always picture a shoot pushing itself out of the hard ground after a long winter. What courage, bravery and instinctual intelligence it takes to push up out of the darkness, and what a strong desire to become the plant or flower it is destined to be! Sometimes the way may not be clear to us, and what lies ahead may feel unknown and a bit scary, but we feel compelled to take the plunge nevertheless, trusting that we will end up where we need to be. Such is the energy of this Full Moon and Equinox. The Sabian symbol for the first degree of Aries is quite evocative “A woman just risen from the sea. A seal is embracing her”.  
 
The Pisces New Moon two weeks ago asked us to rest, turn within and simply listen, opening ourselves up to the guidance of the universe and looking out for the signs that will tell us what comes next. With Mercury retrograde in Pisces, this is certainly not a time to make any concrete plans or decisions, but rather to take time to reflect and listen to the quiet voice of our intuition and the whispers of insight and guidance from the spiritual realms. Mercury will remain retrograde until 27 March, and while it is getting ready to turn direct will stand still for five whole days in exactly the same degree as Neptune, Pisces ruler. If things have got a little bit confused or unclear during this Mercury retrograde, then Mercury about to turn direct while joining forces with Neptune could completely befuddle us, causing ridiculous miscommunications or even deceit to occur and overwhelming our minds with fear, fogginess and paranoia. On the other hand, it could really open our minds up to other dimensions, helping us to access our intuition and compassion more easily and to open ourselves to spiritual guidance in whatever form it takes. Pisces and Neptune often don’t make sense in any concise, concrete, rational, linear way, so this time could be amazing for meditation, contemplation and spiritual insight but not so good for logical, clear and definite communication and decision making!
 
This Full Moon is taking place on the relationship axis, with the Moon in Libra, the sign of “I balance” sitting directly opposite the Sun in Aries, the sign of “I am”. The key to the Full Moon is finding the balance between the energy of the two signs rather than veering too far in any one direction. Aries is that part of us that needs the freedom and independence to follow our own desires and instincts, allowing them to lead up along our own path of discovering who we are and what we are here to do. Aries is brave, bold and spontaneous and is that part of us that feels the fear and does it anyway. We are now entering Aries season, which will last a month. Libra is the part of us that seeks to relate to others, as it is through the mirror of relationship and by comparison with others that we discover who we are. Libra seeks to achieve true equality within relationships, and is adept at the art of listening to other people’s needs. Libra helps us to truly understand the concept of compromise.
 
 
However, both of these signs can go too far. Aries can become a lonely place if we only think of ourselves and aren’t willing to compromise our own desires or listen to the needs and wishes of others. Similarly, if we spend all of our time thinking about other people’s opinions on what we should do and sacrifice our own needs for the sake of others then we lose ourselves and allow ourselves to be knocked off our own path. The Aries part of us needs to be able to act on our instinctual desires and think for ourselves rather than being too swayed by others. The Libra part of us needs to truly listen to others without projecting our own needs or agenda onto them, and by so doing has the capacity for a beautiful balance of give and take. And how can the two signs help one another? The Aries part of ourselves can actually learn a lot about “I am” through the mirror of relationships, while the Libra part of ourselves can greatly benefit from learning to say no and keeping our sights on our own mission here on earth.
 
This Full Moon could bring to the surface any imbalance we have between the energy of the two signs. This is especially so because we have an almost exact square-off between Mars and Venus, the two rulers of Aries and Libra. This brings the potential for a certain amount of friction within our relationships during this Moon, whereby our passions could run high but we may somehow assert ourselves inappropriately! It would be a good time, however, for getting things out into the open and may also help us to recognise where and how our needs aren’t being met.
 
Chiron the Wounded Healer is a big player during this Moon, sitting right next to the Sun in Aries and opposite the Moon. This holds the potential for us truly discovering who we are and what we are here for, and shining the light of our higher essence out into the world. Chiron and the Sun in forthright Aries could help us to be really honest with ourselves about our purpose and what we are really here to do and could also give us the bravery and passion to follow our bliss and fulfil our sense of a higher destiny. Feel the fear and do it anyway! Chiron can, of course, bring a certain amount of pain, making us all too aware of our primary wounds and insecurities, but so often our deepest pain can become our greatest gift that we have to offer humanity. Where we are wounded we can heal others! With Chiron opposite the Moon we do have the potential for some pain or discomfort to come up through or from our relationships, as others could point out things or do something that could trigger our old wounds and make us a bit reactive or defensive. However, there is a gift here if we are willing to be open, self-reflective and honest with ourselves and to recognise that any angry reaction or defensiveness is pointing to something that is unresolved within us.  Otherwise it simply wouldn’t bother us!
 
There is an interesting phenomenon occurring during this Moon, in that we have Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, the Nodes of the Moon, Vesta, Pallas Athene and Black Moon Lilith all on or around 23° of the signs they are in! As such, anyone with planets around 23° could have quite a lot going on during this Moon! The Nodes of the Moon are certainly getting a lot of action at the moment, which could really help us to move forward and take a step beyond our old, familiar patterns into some uncharted and unfamiliar territory. We are being encouraged to take a leap of faith, moving past our old conditioning and opening ourselves up to growth and giant step forward towards our destiny. Wherever our South Node is in our natal chart, by sign and house, shows the familiar tendencies, habits and patterns that come very easy to us but might also be holding us back. Wherever the North Node is, by sign and house, represents what we might need to move forward and grow, even though it may feel deeply uncomfortable and we might resist it greatly!
 
Right now we are being called to our North Node, which could involve us stepping way outside of our comfort zone and embracing all that we might usually resist! However, before we do so we may have to deal with some old karma. Pluto and Saturn are both sitting on top of the South Node in Capricorn at the moment, which is a very big deal. Issues around power, powerlessness, control, patriarchal authority and our parental and societal conditioning could be holding us back in the past and preventing us from moving forward. Possibly there is some kind of profound choice we have to make in order to let go of the past and step forward towards our destiny. We may be all too aware of our more compulsive and habitual patterns and tendencies that simply no longer serve us and are preventing us from taking the plunge and allowing ourselves to step towards that proverbial North Node. This could be the moment when we have a chance to clear our karma and recognise how our learned responses and behaviour are hindering our growth. We may also become all too aware of how we are repeating patterns. We have been here before, and if we actually heed the gift of hindsight then we have a chance to recognise the call for change and voluntarily make the right choices before they are forced upon us!
 
Pluto and the South Node are the first to join forces, exact on 4 April, which feels like a very important moment for our evolution, both personally and collectively. How is the past repeating itself? Have we been here before? What needs to pass away for us to move forward? What choice do we need to make in order to grow and evolve? What can we learn from looking back into the past? What structures or support systems need to pass away in order for something more appropriate to take their place? How are we holding ourselves back through guilt, fear and a need for security?
 
Saturn and the South Node then move towards one another, exact on 1 May. This is an interesting time indeed, when the power structures are under scrutiny and we are thrown back into the past, hopefully so that we can learn something in order for us to evolve. This is a time when we are really being asked to step up and embrace our true power; the kind of power that comes from within, not power over or against others. However, we may become all too aware of how power and authority is used in the name of greed and personal gain. We have a chance to clear some karma here, but not without some very uncomfortable reality checks! The old ways simply aren’t working anymore, and this combination of Pluto, Saturn and the South Node should make this acutely apparent.
 
The Sabian Symbol for the midpoint between the Sun and Moon, at 1° Cancer, is “On a ship the sailors lower an old flag and raise a new one” which Dane Rudyar describes as “A radical change of allegiance exteriorised in a symbolical act: a point of no return.” There are some times in life when we have to make a choice. Either we act or something happens that there is simply no coming back from. This seems like one of those moments – a turning point; a decision; a transformation. What needs to change in our lives in order for us to grow?  What old patterns are holding us back? What seeds have been gestating during Pisces season that are getting ready to burst out of the ground? With this powerful Full Moon/Equinox a new cycle is beginning. There is a sense that either we voluntarily choose to make changes that we know we need for our growth or we wait for them to happen anyway. We have been here before. We have a chance make the right choice this time.
 
Much Love
 
Amy
xoxo
 
Picture: Spring Tree of Life by Robin Quinlivan
 

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PISCES NEW MOON - 6 March 2019

3/2/2019

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Exact at 4.03pm GMT, 11.03am EST!
 
This is a powerfully potent New Moon as not only is it in Pisces, the penultimate sign of the zodiac, but Neptune, Pisces ruler, is also in exactly the same degree as the Moon! This certainly brings a double dose of dreamy, empathetic and spiritual Pisces energy to this New Moon. Each month, at the New Moon, we experience a mini death and new beginning in whatever area of life the Moon is found in our chart. During this process, whatever is no longer serving us is left behind in the dark of the moon and the seeds are planted for something new to form in its place. While we are in this phase, leading up to the time of the New Moon, it is a good time to be quiet and reflective, and a perfect time to meditate and receive guidance. This is called the Balsamic phase of the Moon and balsamic means to yield to balsam, which means soothing and restorative. Pisces itself occurs in the balsamic phase of the entire zodiac, and so this particular moon really asks us to let go, slow down, turn within, rest and sleep more and pay attention to our dreams.
 
Pisces is that part of us that yearns to connect with spirit and seeks to dissolve and emotional, physical or spiritual barriers preventing a conscious connection with the Divine. Wherever Pisces and Neptune are found in our chart, as well as the signs and planets found in the 12th house, show the way we find it most natural to develop spiritually. Neptune and Pisces represent the mystic in us, but also the part of us that is prone to delusions and wearing the proverbial rose tinted spectacles! Pisces is that part of us that would prefer to bury our head in the sand and pretend that something isn’t happening rather than have to face the reality of whatever we are dealing with. One of the big lessons of this sign is to learn to see and accept things as they really are and also to stop projecting ultimate meaning outside of ourselves, but rather we need to find it within. With Pisces we are invited to recognise what is rather than creating illusions/delusions or fantasies that reflect what we think we want. Disillusionment can occur wherever Pisces and Neptune are found in the chart, but this is a necessary part of the spiritual process; seeing this as they really are and acceoting them anyway.
 
Questions we might ask ourselves during this Moon are: What do I use to escape or avoid reality? What methods can I use to form a more direct connection to Spirit? Do I need to develop my spiritual practice? What are my dearest and most heartfelt dreams and wishes? Where in my life do I tend to project my ideals and fantasies rather than seeing things as they really are? Where and how do I fall into victimhood or “poor me”, feeling that I am at the mercy of “fate” or forces larger than myself? Do I listen to my higher guidance or do I block it with mind chatter? What are my dreams trying to tell me, and am I paying attention? Am I open and alert to the signs for the universe? Do I need to work on my boundaries? Am I too empathetic and sensitive, or do I need to develop more compassion for my fellow man/woman? What are my blind spots; what unconscious beliefs and tendencies do I project outside of myself that trip me up over and over again? How can I be more consciously aware and present? How can I be more honest with myself? Do I need to get more rest? Do I spend enough time in nature? Am I open to seeing the magic in the everyday?
 
It is interesting that Neptune is right next to the Sun and Moon, heightening our sensitivity and compassion and blurring the boundaries between us and spirit, between fact and fiction and between “us” and “them”. This influence reminds us that we are all connected and that what happens in one part of the world has an impact on the whole organism. We are not separate beings, much as our ego might like us to think so.  Saturn and Mars are also part of the story, forming helpful aspects to the Sun, Moon and Neptune and also to each other. This energy can help us to take responsibility for and act on whatever guidance we receive from our own intuitive hunches or the signs and omens that the universe provides us with during this time.  Pisces and Neptune are great for inspiration, dreams and fantasies, enabling us to have the visions and helping us to connect to spirit, but they don’t exactly help us to ground it into reality! Mars and Saturn, however, are currently both in practical, grounded Earth signs, helping us to actually get up and do something about our intuitive hunches and guidance! There truly is a wonderful blend of intuition, guidance, spiritual connection, inspired action, discipline, responsibility and drive with this combination of planets!
 
Vesta is also part of the Pisces party, as she is also in the very same degree as the Sun, Moon and Neptune. Vesta has priestess energy and was worshipped as Goddess of the Hearth and keeper of the Sacred Flame. Vesta refused to marry and her energy in the chart is that of someone who is “untouched” by relationship. Often when Vesta is prominent it symbolises a need to  cyclically withdraw from the enmeshment of relationship to come back to oneself and become whole again; to find out who we are and align with our own path. Vesta also represents the work we must do in order to fulfil our dharma, which is our true, higher purpose and that which will bring us happiness in the truest sense of the word. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made in order to follow our own personal quest. Vesta represents dedication and commitment to one’s path, true devotion, spiritual and magical ritual and ceremony and the capacity to sacrifice relationships or family, if needed, to follow one’s chosen path.
 
Vesta’s prominent presence during this Moon could help us to transmute our karma into dharma. In other words, what repetitious and unhealthy patterns, habits and tendencies formed in the past are preventing us from stepping up to the plate and accepting our mission on earth for this lifetime? How can we align with our true path and the reason that we are here? How can we truly be of service to humanity? All of this Pisces and Neptune energy, combined with Vesta, suggests that using magic, ceremony and ritual, devoting ourselves to a spiritual practice, turning in and meditating more and truly opening ourselves up to spiritual guidance during this Moon could really help us to connect with our “raison d’etre” and align with our true destiny. How beautiful!
 
There is so much going on during this Moon that feels powerful and worth commenting on! Not least of which we have Uranus literally going into Taurus at the EXACT moment that the New Moon is exact! As Uranus finishes off his 7 year journey through brave and assertive Aries it has been interestimg to see the teenagers harnessing their righteous anger about climate change and developing their own form of revolution! Let’s see what happens as Uranus moves into stable and security conscious Taurus, as it could manifest in a variety of ways. Uranus and Taurus are not two energies that naturally gel with one another!  Taurus is that part of ourselves that has a tendency to get stuck or stagnate because we fear change, finding it hard to see our way out of whatever situation we are in. Uranus seeks to shake up the status quo and force change upon us, which could upset our sense of security but could also bring a lot of excitement and new vision into our lives. So often we don’t make change unless it is forced upon us, but once we do it really clears the qi and can be incredibly liberating!
 
Taurus represents our talents that give us a sense of self-worth and the means by which we make a living, and Uranus could potentially release and reveal talents and abilities that we have supressed, buried, lost and long forgotten, specifically in the area of life where Taurus is found in our natal chart. We could experience fluctuation, breakdown or revolution with regard to our personal and collective monetary system and may be forced to find more inclusive, progressive and ingenious ways to deal with money and finances. For instance, bartering could become more prominent by the end of Uranus’s stay in Taurus. Taurus also represents Mother Earth and the natural world, and while Uranus could shake things up and make us all too aware of what needs to change, we could also experience  a massive upsurge in eco-friendly enterprises and sustainable living. In fact, by the end of the next 7 years, this will probably be more of the “norm”.
 
It is interesting to watch the symphony of the outer planets at the moment, all with their part to play in what happens in the next year or so, both personally and collectively! Saturn, Pluto and the South Node are all coming together in Capricorn at the moment, calling into question any old, antiquated power structures and also bring the past to meet the present in ways that are quite uncomfortable and also very revealing. On a collective level we are seeing the past repeat itself and the dark side of power and the patriarchal system make itself painfully obvious. One can only assume that there is method to the madness and trust in the process. Certainly there is the potential for a thorough detoxing and restructuring with Pluto and Saturn involved. The financial uncertainty and change that Uranus in Taurus could bring makes perfect sense given the current climate! Pluto and Saturn combined are calling for us to step into our true power and truly take responsibility for ourselves and all that we are. Combined with the South Node in Capricorn we may become all too aware that we reap what we sow, as we are called to be completely honest with ourselves and clear any karma and conditioning that is preventing growth.
 
And then there is Neptune in Pisces, the lead player in this New Moon, reminding us that ultimately we are all in this together! On the one hand we may just prefer to bury our heads in the sand, avoiding and escaping reality through drink, drugs, television, movies, computer games, sleep and even meditation! However, there is also the potential for awakening and enlightenment through staying completely conscious and present, dispelling illusions and trying to remain as aware of ourselves and our sabotaging tendencies as we possibly can. Eckhart Tolle talks about the personal and collective pain body and how it can literally “take us over” at times of stress and duress, but if we can become more consciously aware of when it is happening, learning to step back and “watch” ourselves, then we will be much closer to finding true peace and enlightenment. We certainly have the opportunity to see the collective pain body right now, in spades! It couldn’t be more glaringly obvious and any Neptunian, sensitive and empathetic types would be feeling that most acutely.
 
We are going through a massive shift right now and many feel of us feel that we are in a process of transition. This New Moon certainly feels like it is a big part of this process, and Neptune and Pisces ask us to keep the faith and trust that, whatever is happening in our lives and how unclear everything may seem, we are being guided in the right direction. We are invited to open our hearts to signs and guidance and then simply surrender and allow the flow of the river to take us where it will. Of course that it easier said than done sometimes, as our minds seek to control the outcome and know for certain what is coming next!
 
The Sabian symbol for this New Moon, at 17° Pisces, is “An Easter Parade”, a symbol which evokes a feeling of hope, faith and renewal and which Dane Rudyar describes as “participation in collective peak experiences” and says that “the Image of the Resurrection  spurs all men…to dynamise themselves in some kind of self-renewal  in response to the Christ mythos, and to the call of nature’s springtime as well. Wherever found, this symbol emphasises the value of attuning one’s life activities and moods to the ritualistic patterns of society or Earth-nature, rather than acting in complete independence from the group”. This certainly brings a feeling that we are all in this together! How can we help heal the earth? What in us is being resurrected right now?  How can we help ourselves surrender to the process? What needs to pass away so that we can be reborn?
 
“Sometimes a change in perspective is all it takes to see the light” Dan Brown
 
Much Love
 
Amy
xoxo
 
Painting: Hosanna in Excelsis Deo – Worku Goshu
 


 
 

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    Amy Bird

    I love writing about the Moon and the effect it has on us all, both collectively and personally. We all look at the same Moon and feel her energy, albeit in different ways. It reminds us that we are not alone and there is something very comforting about that!

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