September 29 5:58 AM EST
This can be a liberating and enlivening full moon that pushes us towards action on things that have been simmering in our lives. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, the sign of fresh beginnings and new growth. We have been deep in a lot of reflective energy for the past several months thanks to a very prominent Venus retrograde in Leo and an over-lapping Mercury retrograde earlier this month. Both of these retrogrades encouraged introspection and readjustment. This is especially true of the Venus retrograde in the realm of our self-love, heartfelt expression and confidence, and relationships.
We are now ready to take the lessons we have learned and apply them wholeheartedly. The New Moon in Virgo which kicked off this lunar month was all about refining and improving, streamlining and recommitting to what we truly desire, while weeding out what is outdated or no longer in alignment. And now here, at the midway point, with this full moon in headstrong and assertive Aries, we are ready to take things a step further.
Aries does not overthink things. It does not try to plan for any and all potentialities or problems, it simply feels and does. This primordial instinct towards action is necessary and liberating. Without it we could find ourselves in an endless loop of conundrums and considerations. Rather, we need that strong connection to our instinct to know and take action on that knowing without hesitation. In its purest essence this is both the alpha and the omega of our journey as humans, the beginning and the end.
We start out as infants in an Aries state, our first stage of development, concerned only and purely with our immediate environment, needs and ability to get those needs met. These are our first actions. If we develop spiritually and emotionally over the course of our life, the higher we rise in consciousness, then eventually we get back to this state, of pure instinct and action. But not from the unaware state of the infant, but rather the ‘enlightened’ state of the one who is able to remain always in the present moment, responsive to the needs and knowings as they arise, and moving seamlessly in that direction. Here we are connected to the highest vibrational state of Aries.
And that is increasingly important in our lives these day. The north node of the moon is currently in Aries. The north node moved into Aries in July, but even before then we had our first solar eclipse in Aries since 2016 in April of this year. Hence began a period of Aries/Libra eclipses that will last through 2025. So while the north node of the moon is at 24 degrees Aries at the time of this full moon, and not conjunct the full moon at 6 degrees Aries, this is a highly significant time for the energetic of the Aries/Libra polarity in general. What this means is that on a collective level we are being tasked with stepping into our individuality and authenticity in the NOW moment (Aries) after everything that has shifted in the past few years, and get in alignment with the people and relationships (Libra) that are for our highest and best NOW and release or restructure the ones that are not.
So we may be seeing longstanding personal and professional relationships falling apart around us. What was rooted in the old is being asked to up-level or release now. We can no longer comfortably ‘sweep things under the rug’. And in order to accomplish this task, we need to be in highest alignment with the Aries energetic: able to know our own needs and desires, advocate for them directly, and take action simply and effectively in that direction. Easier said than done, I know. We have a lifetime (many lifetimes in fact) of drama and baggage that impedes our ability to properly interpret our own clear signals and knowing, and we have created convoluted protection mechanisms that interfere with our ability to simply and directly take action on what we want and desire. What if it doesn’t work?! What if we are rejected?! Much of this is held at the subconscious and unconscious level, in our patterns and programming that we take for granted or continue to re-enact unawares.
The good news is that this Aries/Libra wave of eclipses that are upon us now, through 2025, are massively helping us clear the slate with all of this! What once may have taken years, or decades, of soul retrieval/journeying/meditation/therapy can now be accomplished much more swiftly. IF indeed we want it to. We always have a choice in how fast we want to go with our healing and progress. But Aries likes to move fast! It likes to shake off detritus and move on as quickly as possible. And this is on the table for us now.
So we can accept the invitation of this full moon to speed us along our way in that process. To help us know what we want and need more clearly and move in that direction unencumbered, not through manipulation or other ‘old’ strategies for getting our needs met. But through pure action in high integrity.
Mars is the ruler of Aries, and hence the ruler of the full moon. Mars is currently at 21 degrees of Libra. In traditional astrology this is considered a handicapped placement for Mars since Mars ‘prefers’ to be in signs that it rules over or where it can act more decisively (Aries, Scorpio, Capricorn). But from a vibrational energetic perspective, Mars (and all other planets) must ‘master’ its expression in each and every sign to be ‘complete’. Or, better said, WE must master Martian energy in all of its different facets in order to be able to meet any and all situations and act appropriately from that place. There are no ‘bad’ placements of any planets, just different lessons that planet goes through there.
So this is actually a huge blessing that Mars is in Libra now since this helps us to connect more deeply with the other end of the Aries/Libra polarity. The crucial aspect of Libra, insofar as it applies to the Aries energetic of “right action based in immediate knowing”, is that we can’t lose sight of the fact that we exist in constant relationship to ‘other’ and ‘others’. We do not exist in a vacuum, so even if/when our immediate instincts point us in a certain direction, there are ALWAYS other people involved in our path or trajectory. We simply cannot escape the interconnected web of which we are a part, and nor would we want to. But that adds the 2nd dimension to the storyline, the Libra dimension: No matter how clear we are about what we want and need and moving in that direction (Aries), we will always be influenced and impacted by others’ actions and choices, so we must also decide if we want to commit along the way to an attitude of harmony/balance/fairness/cooperation (Libra) or not.
Spoiler alert: Things will always work out better for us when the Aries self-interest and drive, is balanced with the Libra sense of fairness and harmony. They are simply two sides of the same coin. And getting those two parts of us, and our lives, in balance is a huge part of our task now and in the upcoming years. If/when we are TOO much in the Libra side of the polarity we are indecisive, people-pleasing and overly accommodating. We can be trapped by superficiality and surface level appearances, and we lose sight of our ability to act on our own needs and instincts. Both the sun, and Mars, in Libra during this full moon are drawing our attention to where/how/in what circumstances we may be prone to doing this, and in doing so giving away our power.
Reclaiming our power in a healthy way is part of what this is all about. Besides Mars, which is about the power of our bodies/physical action/stamina/drive/sexual desire, Pluto is the other planet associated with power. The Pluto type of power is internal/psychological/cathartic/regenerative. Mars is the power of action and movement. Pluto is the power of death and rebirth. And they are square to each other at this full moon, again drawing our attention to how these parts of us may not be ‘working together’ in optimal ways, and what we can do to shift that. How can we get a better flow between what the deeper parts of our psyche are telling us about what can revitalize us from within (Pluto) and the part of us that wants to and is ready to take action in the ‘real world’ (Mars).
When these to parts of us are flowing together its like the seas part before us and our willpower and clarity is at a whole next level. Then it becomes significantly easier and more enjoyable to lean into the Libra dance of working with others, motivating others, and having cooperation as we move in a singular direction. Because the union of Mars and Pluto eliminates static and uncertainty, it has a different kind of power and presence. But when Pluto and Mars are at odds, or we are still working on aligning them meaningfully together, then we can be in an encounter with any manner of uncomfortable Pluto/Mars experiences: power struggles, manipulation, ruthlessness, over-competitiveness, betrayal, violence, cruelty, greed, and corruption.
It is worth noting that Pluto is at 27 degrees of Capricorn. By late 2024 Pluto will fully be in Aquarius until 2044. But in 2023 and 2024, Pluto is still dancing back and forth between the late degrees of Capricorn and the early degrees of Aquarius. We can think of this Aries/Libra eclipse cycle that we are just getting into as a ‘clearing away of the debris’ of all of the drama, and crumbling of ‘old structures’, that has happened since Pluto brought its purging energy to earthy Capricorn beginning in 2008. We have had unprecedented transformation (Pluto) in the realm of big business/government/institutions (Capricorn) since that time. And now we are relocating where we as unique individuals (Aries) stand NOW after all of this, who we want to be in relationship and collaboration with NOW (Libra). Taking steps to understand this and reorient ourselves during these Aries/Libra lunations and eclipses will help us align to the best communities and collective efforts that we can participate in moving forward in the next chapter of our collective lives (Pluto in Aquarius 2024-2044).
And indeed, we are blessed now to have it be easier than ever to shake off the past, find clarity, and pivot in the direction that our Aries impulse and instincts are prompting us towards. If it feels like we have been clinging to old expectations or structures (Pluto in Capricorn) or lost in a fog of uncertainty and illusion (Neptune in Pisces 2012-2025), the fog is lifting and the old obstacles are disappearing. They are not quite gone YET. After all, Pluto is still in Capricorn continuing to draw our attention to the seedy underbelly of ‘the elites’. And Neptune is still in Pisces, re-concentrating and enlivening a deep mystical inner divine connection and inter-connection between and within all things.
But we have both Neptune AND Saturn moving into Aries in 2025/2026 and the impulse towards new (Aries) ways of being and “doing things” will be stronger than ever. So the theme is repeated: now is our opportunity to reposition ourselves so we are where we want to be, in the relationships and communities we want to be in, when these much bigger collective Aries energetics come into play in a few short years.
Assisting us in the task right now, during this Aries full moon, is the exact square between relationship oriented Venus and radical Uranus, at 22 degrees of Leo and Taurus respectively. The action of Uranus is to liberate and elevate, so it is not surprising it is pushing us hard to upgrade our Venusian sense of self worth and the alliances we choose and co-created based on this. This is actually the 3rd and final square between these two planets over the past several months. A big part of the Venus Rx in Leo story was its aspects to Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus. I will not rehash here but would instead encourage you to read or re-read this post if this is resonating with you. Uranus will help us break these old ties, and old patterns of behavior, without an ’emotional hangover’. So if the writing is on the wall about certain situations, especially if it has been coming up repeatedly since June, when these Venus/Uranus aspects began, then the next few weeks could be time for a radical shift.
Finally, the full moon at 6 degrees Aries is loosely conjunct Neptune at 26 degrees Pisces. Neptune is our connection to the ineffable whole, to ‘God’ if you wish, or the universe, Spirit. Returning to the alpha and omega of the pure Aries energetic: Ideally what spurs or sparks our innate knowing/drive/direction/desire is a true Neptunian divine impulse, originating from our True Selves or Soul. This combination of Aries moon and Neptune in Pisces can indeed be highly spiritually elevated, when understood and applied properly. Again, not through the intellect or reasoning, or wonton recklessness, but through knowing and instinct. In this way we align our actions with our true hearts desires and soul promptings and then can surrender fully to the present moment and whatever the next moment brings. Like the magnetic force pulling us towards the first kiss, it is drawing us forward by heart, instinct, and fully embodied desire. Then we know we are truly alive, within every cell of our own being, and in divine dance with all around us.
*art by @alexbstoddard
vibrational-astrology.com 