October 17 7:26 AM EST
This full moon packs a punch ! Lest we forget that we are *still* in eclipse season and the energy is running high. The full moon is the midway point of the lunar cycle which began on October 2nd with the potent new moon solar eclipse in Libra. That was our final eclipse in Libra until 2033. But we have one more eclipse in the Aries/Libra polarity: another new moon solar eclipse in Aries on March 29, 2025. Between now and then we are tasked with sorting out what *new beginnings* we want in our lives, and how we are going to manage our relationships in those situations.
This full moon, and the two weeks that follow, is something of a ‘crash course’ in all of this. The moon ‘packs a punch’, this is a ‘crash course’ – all very Aries terminology and ideology. Aries is direct, assertive, and likes to move fast. In its shadow, lower vibrational expression, it is indeed prone to punches and crashes! Quick to anger, Aries energy runs hot. But there is rarely malicious intent here, and we can instead sometimes think of Aries like our un-socialized inner child who will say what they want, take what they want and move on without thinking twice. Sometimes this serves us well! Libra, on the other hand, is in some ways hyper-socialized. It is concerned with the “rules” of etiquette, courtship, social niceties, and diplomacy. So we are straddling those two extremes here.
How can we be authentic and true to ourselves (Aries), while also maintaining a level of social harmony and cohesion (Libra) that serves us as well as the others we may be living or interacting with? We are likely to see where we shine in this capacity, and perhaps also where we fall short, in the coming weeks.
Mars is the ruler of the eclipse. And like Aries, Mars is self-focused and action-oriented. The caveat being that Mars is currently in Cancer, a sign where it’s capacity to be direct is limited. This does NOT mean, however, that it’s capacity to get its needs met is fully thwarted. Au contraire, Mars in Cancer is a somewhat underestimated position. Cancer is, after all, an ambitious and dynamic cardinal sign. Instead, in Cancer, Mars operates in a rather “sideways” way, akin to the famous Cancerian crab. On the positive side we could describe this as a capacity to ‘win more bees with honey’ and ability to be strategic in it’s thinking. On the shadow side, Mars in Cancer can be downright manipulative and evasive. So there is a minor caution here in dealing with people or situations who are “saying one thing and doing another”.
This is especially true because at 22 degrees of Cancer, Mars is closely square to the sun/full moon at 24 Libra/Aries. Potent Pluto at 29 degrees of Capricorn opposes Mars and squares the full moon as well. This creates a “cardinal cross” pattern in the sky, known to be dramatic. We need not ‘go looking’ for excitement in the coming weeks, as it is sure to find us if there are simmering situations in our lives that are ripe to be cracked open. There we go again with the Aries language! But it’s true, there is nothing ‘delicate’ about this full moon.
Pluto at 29 Capricorn is in its swan song before it moves on into Aquarius on November 19th for a 20 year stay. We are wrapping up this chapter that began in 2008 and the more consciously we can reflect on what we have learned, how we have grown, and what we are willing to ‘shed’ now- the better served we will be. Pluto is the planet of deep transformation and we have each been in a big individual and collective learning cycle for the past 5 years especially. Giving gratitude for what Pluto has helped ‘uncover’ so it can be healed, is another way to consciously work with and get the most out of this ultra-potent time. Pluto as the “Lord of the Underworld” oversees not only ‘death’ and transformation, but the riches that are uncovered when we confront our shadows. We can proudly claim those gifts now as well. And part of how we do that, is by meeting any of these potentially triggering situations that are coming up from an elevated place, rather than falling back on our immature (Aries) old patterns.
I don’t normally focus on the asteroid goddesses or ‘minor’ planets during these analysis in order to keep things simple, but both the sun and the moon are *exactly* conjunct important players, and they deserve a seat at the table. Once again the focus is on relationships, and how we function as a sovereign individual within them. The sun, at 24 Libra, is exactly conjunct the asteroid Juno, named after Jupiter’s wife and connected to the archetype of wife and partner. Opposite the sun and Juno, we have the full moon at 24 Aries exactly conjunct Eris. Eris has extremely complex mythology, and is actually now classified by astronomers as a dwarf planet, in the same category as Pluto. In many ways, she can be see as a female Plutonian archetype. Patriarchal astrological lineages were often dismissive of Eris as the “Goddess of Discord” but her story and wisdom is much more potent. And as she is exactly conjunct this full moon, this is the time and place to honor it.
Eris represents “the outsider”. Those who have been marginalized within the power structures of their culture, especially women. In her case, her ostracization was from her home of Mt. Olympus. Her primary mythology tells us that she was not invited to an important wedding and everyone else was. She decided to disrupt the festivities with a clever ruse, playing on the vanity of those who had rejected her. She threw an apple into the wedding crowd marked “For the fairest” which prompted several Goddesses to quarrel over it. Long story short, the Goddessess set out to bribe lowly Paris, the chosen arbiter of their fairness, and the resulting kerfuffle started the epic and devastating Trojan War.
Was Eris responsible for the war? Absolutely not. She had simply drawn attention to the vanity, hypocrisy and selfishness of her fellow Olympians. So naturally they continued to blame and reject her. What we see in this myth is more akin to the kind of psychological warfare and manipulation we call scapegoating or ‘gas-lighting’ in modern times. And Eris won’t stand for it. Her only crime is standing her ground and telling the truth, rather than giving her power away and ‘going along with things’ in an effort to be included by the ‘cool kids’ at the top of the social pyramid. Where we feel bullied, ostracized or rejected on account of telling the truth, we are dealing with Eris.
In this way, she is similar to Lilith who also represents shadowed and rejected parts of the female psyche. But Lilith is concerned with the inner landscape of our core primordial passion, autonomy, sexual freedom and emotions. Whereas Eris comes to us in a distinctly social context. She is not ‘living in her own cave’ somewhere like Lilith. She is sitting alone in the corner, on the outside of the group. We all of course have Eris ‘in us’. And we all, of course, have had experiences feeling rejected for speaking up, or not saying what we wanted to in order to fit in or get along. These issues/feelings/memories may be coming up now as we are deep in an intense eclipse season asking us to ‘complete’ the Pluto in Capricorn lessons we have been working on for 15 years, especially in the realm of relationships. Where is it ‘worth it’ to go along with things, and where is it not? We can get some answers to these questions when we reflect on them in the upcoming weeks.
How does Juno, opposite the full moon/Eris fit into all of this? Of all of the asteroid Goddesses, we may perceive Juno as the one who is at a surface level at least, the most dissimilar to Eris. Many of her myths have become conflated with Hera, the wife of Zeus, after the Roman pantheon was absorbed into the Greek one. And thus again we get a rather skewed and patriarchal account of her story. She is cast as a long suffering and bitter wife. She is attributed malicious acts against those who slept with her husband, while seemingly giving him a free pass. There is anger, frustration and resentment present. Perhaps very justifiably. But there is also a certain kind of power.
Juno was so significant in Roman culture that a table with gifts for her was laid for a full week after every birth. She was the protector of women, the giver of life, the overseer of childbirth. Womanhood is not just about self-discovery, but also about relationship- since it is women whose bodies create relationships through their life-giving capacity. Juno is extraordinarily powerful. And a woman’s role as ‘wife’ and mother is central to this. But, like Eris, her myth was tarnished just as the respect accorded to women for their capacity and role was diminished and sidelined in so very many ways.
Are Eris and Juno in battle here? During this exact opposition during the full moon? Juno, so fittingly in the sign of diplomatic Libra, along with the sun. Eris, still in independent and assertive Aries. No. They are not in battle. We do not pit women against each other. And that is one of the lessons here.
Juno and Eris are working together to break down some very stubborn and repressive societal roles and conditioning we have all been expected to ‘just go along with’ for far too long. It is time to be extra aware of WHO in our orbit is ‘trying to’ push us into the shadowed land of we are “too much, bitter, dramatic, petty”. These are voices we would be wise to avoid or set new boundaries with. Those who have the eyes to see where and how true repression takes places are people we may be able to have equitable relationships with moving forward.
This is a true blessing especially when we consider that Chiron is also closely conjunct the full moon, and Eris, at 21 degrees Aries. This is the *last* time either of the luminaries will be conjunct Chiron during eclipse season lunations until 2031. Chiron is associated with healing, and especially with integrating our shadow and wounds. That is the opportunity that Juno and Eris are offering us now. We can move past hurts in our lives and our stories that involve feeling rejected and scapegoated (Eris) and holding loyalties or making sacrifices for others or partners that have gone unnoticed or unappreciated (Juno). We don’t need to carry those wounds anymore. We can alchemize the lessons and move on.
Venus, at 29 degrees of Scorpio, is watching all of this with a keen eye. The 29th degree of any sign is extra potent. And as the primary female archetype (besides the moon) in astrology, Venus is very impacted by all of this. Scorpio is the sign of power. True power- inner power. And what we are talking about here IS power. How it has been abused, how narratives have been twisted, how women so often have gotten the short end of the stick. And with Venus at 29 degrees Scorpio exactly sextile Pluto at 29 degrees Capricorn- they are supporting us in getting the message. KNOWING our true source of power within, and no longer willingly going along with things that make us uncomfortable or giving away our power. We are stepping into a new level of authority in ourselves, in our intimate relationships, and in our relationship with the groups in our life and the greater collective as well.
What I am describing applies to both men and women. But there are special lessons for women here. And that feels especially ‘ironic’ given that this is an Aries full moon, ruled by the ‘most macho’ planet Mars. But that is precisely the point. We each need to come up with a “new Mars” narrative in our lives. One that is not about charging forward unconsciously towards the next bright shiny thing we want. But one that is about navigating the unknown with self-trust and openness, and standing strong in our power, while also having mindfulness and respect in our way of meeting others. We have a lot of support in moving in that direction now. We can engage Aries and Mars’ FIRE POWER to burn off the dross of the old way. To clear the clutter and old thinking and patterns so that we can see clearly and choose accordingly. And when we do- incredible things can begin to unfold in our lives and relationships.
*art by @ponse.lakiva
vibrational-astrology.com 