This Moon holds the potential for some deep-seated transformation, soul searching and overcoming of our limitations and old, outworn patterns. Not only is the Moon full in the powerful and metamorphic sign of Scorpio, but the traditional rulers of Scorpio, Pluto and Mars, are joining forces in the heavens! This is a powerful combination of planetary energy which heightens the possibility of us moving through some major blocks and really getting to the bottom of our more deeply engrained patterns. It also brings the potential for acting on compulsions that come from the depths of our soul. We may find ourselves doing or feeling things that we can’t quite comprehend because they are borne out of our subconscious desires. We could experience urges that come from the very depths of our being, propelling us to make changes in our lives that our conscious self may resist, but that our soul needs for its growth and evolution. This combination also holds the potential for people using their power to dominate others, or rage coming up from the depths. This combo could bring ensouled acts that bring about transformation or could cause people to use force over one another for selfish or egotistical reasons in order to gain power. Personally, I hope for the first one!
The Sun is currently in earthy, stable and self-sufficient Taurus, sitting directly opposite the Moon in transforming, intensely emotional and wilful Scorpio. Oppositions tend to show up in our relationships as whatever has been simmering beneath the surface comes to a head. The best way to handle a full moon is to try and somehow find balance between the energy of the two signs. However, with the Scorpio moon receiving many aspects from other planets, Jupiter being in Scorpio at the moment, and Mars and Pluto being conjunct, it would seem that there is a leaning towards the energy of Scorpio during this particular Moon! Taurus can bring a tendency to get stuck in a comfortable rut, making it hard to see past our own limitations. It can feel like a challenge to our sense of safety or survival to make changes in our lives, even when we know just how necessary they are. Scorpio, on the other hand, is often a catalyst for soul growth; its energy can act like a cosmic kick up the bum, pulling the rug out from underneath us in order to force us out of our stagnant comfort zones. This, of course, can feel very uncomfortable, but on some deep level it also makes us feel better because it puts us back on track so that we are no longer holding ourselves prisoner by our fear of the unknown.
This Moon could force us to face some more uncomfortable truths within ourselves, making us aware of subconscious forces that create compulsions that can wreak havoc in our relationships. Scorpio can bring up intense fear of loss, fear of betrayal, powerlessness and abandonment which can have a powerful influence upon our actions, reactions and relationship dynamics. It is almost like we are propelled by an invisible force that is so very potent because it has its roots in our past and has long since been buried deep in our subconscious. Maybe someone very dear let us down, or we lost a loved one, or our mother betrayed us on some fundamental level, or our father left or abused us. We are then left with trust issues, or a fear of intimacy, commitment or abandonment which operate from the subconscious realms and insidiously sabotage our lives and relationships on a very subtle yet powerful level.
This is the kind of Moon that can make the unconscious conscious, bringing our more deep-seated fears and compulsions out from the shadows so that we can see them in the light of the Moon. This process might bring some very intense emotions up to the surface which could be quite unsettling, but it also has the potential to be very empowering indeed as we face our demons and purge unhealthy and unconscious emotional patterns. This is a great time to probe beneath the surface and gain some psychological insight into our patterns, motivations, intentions and behaviour. This is an ideal time to be very brave and willing to confront and accept the darker parts of ourselves that we may usually be blind to. The Taurus energy can help us to find a sense of stability and safety within ourselves, as it teaches us to empower ourselves rather than giving our power away to others. Taurus reminds us to rely on ourselves first and foremost, rather than searching for power outside of ourselves. Ultimately this Moon has the potential to be deeply empowering and transmuting, as we face the darkness in ourselves and accept it rather than denying its existence.
The Sun and Moon are forming a square to the Nodes of the Moon during this Full Moon, which could also force a change in our destiny. The Nodes of the Moon represent the path of our soul within this lifetime, and any time there is a square to the nodal axis we may become more aware of what issues might still be unresolved within ourselves that are preventing us from moving forward in our lives and growing. The Moon in Scorpio square the Nodes could signify old family issues surrounding loss, trust, abuse, betrayal, abandonment and power/powerlessness that we need to address in order to move forward. The Sun in Taurus square the Nodes could signify a relationship or situation that is blocking our growth somehow, or self-worth issues, stubbornness or an inability to see past our limitations that is holding us prisoner somehow and holding back our evolution. The South Node is currently in Aquarius, which is highlighting past trauma, on both a personal and collective level, that could need addressing because it is still impacting our lives and relationships in the here and now.
The Aquarius South Node could cause us to become aware of how “shell-shocked” we are by our old wounds, leading to detachment from feelings, dissociation, cold distance, aloofness and denial of emotions. We may have left parts of ourselves behind when we experienced pain, loss or trauma (in various degrees of severity) in this life and also past lives. Some patterns can’t be explained by this life! We all have the capacity to cut off from our emotions and go into denial, especially in the face of the horrors that we are privy to in today’s world. The loss of a parent in childhood could cause us to go into a disassociated, detached state any time someone comes close to “abandoning” us in adulthood. Sexual abuse in childhood could cause us to cut off from ourselves any time someone tries to get too close. These are extreme examples, but we have all had experiences, both personally and collectively that are traumatic in various degrees of severity.
This Moon could help us to become more aware of what emotional material might be keeping us stuck in the Aquarius South Node so that we periodically go into states of detachment or denial. Ultimately the Leo North Node is urging us to go back and reclaim those parts of ourselves that we have left behind and become more “whole” and integrated. Finding some way of creatively expressing what we are feeling inside is also one of Leo’s gifts. Leo encourages us to follow our hearts and walk down the path of joy.
We currently have Chiron, the Wounded Healer, in the first degree of Aries and Uranus, the Great Awakener and Harbinger of Change, in the last degrees of Aries. This feels significant somehow, as the Aries energy is heightened. We are also experiencing a shift of energy as Chiron moves from Pisces to Aries and Uranus gets ready to move into Taurus. Right now, there is the potential for radical honesty, assertiveness and confrontation that could bring great healing, as well as being brave enough to face our core wounds and also to step outside of our comfort zones and embrace change. Uranus is in the very last degree of Aries, which is a culmination of this revolutionary, radical planet’s 7 year transit through the brave, honest, aggressive and impulsive sign of Aries. It feels like we could get a more extreme, concentrated version of the potential of this combination, such as radical honesty, revolutionary action, uprisings, sudden acts of aggression, unpredictable surges of anger, sudden breaks for freedom and the need stand in our truth. Uranus will move into Taurus on May 16, so this potentially volatile energy will be prevalent until then.
The Sabian Symbol for Jupiter, at 20° Scorpio, seems to sum up the energy of this Full Moon nicely: “A woman draws away two dark curtains closing the entrance to a sacred pathway,” Dane Rudyar describes this symbol as: “The revelation to the human consciousness of what lies beyond dualistic knowledge. The “Woman within” - the faith that is rooted in the deepest intuitions of the soul – is seen here as the hierophant unveiling the realities which the either-or, pro-and-con mind of man alone cannot perceive. The path to the mystic’s “unitive life” is opened up once the darkness of fear, egocentricity and dualistic morality is removed. This symbol reveals what a positive reliance upon faith and intuition can bring about. Courage is needed to go through the veiling darkness – the courage to venture beyond the familiar and the traditionally known, to PLUNGE AHEAD INTO THE UNKNOWN.”
This certainly does seem like a perfect opportunity to do just that; to move past our fears and plunge into previously unexplored territory within our psyches so that we can face whatever we find there. It seems that this Full Moon could help us to step outside of our comfort zones and take a step forward on our path to wholeness. A key part of this seems to involve recognising how our past trauma holds us prisoner and sabotages our lives and relationships. If we are brave enough to do the inner work and be very honest indeed with ourselves, we have the opportunity for profound transformation as we bring our shadows out into the light. We may experience a few shocks or wake up calls that open us up to parts of ourselves we have previously been blind to, but it is important to be open and willing to look at ourselves honestly and without resistance, blame or shame. Scorpio invites us to dig deep and offers us some profound insight and understanding if we are able to do so.
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
Picture: Transformation by Joyce Huntington