The impact of all New Moons and Full Moons can be depicted by a bell curve. The impact begins about 3 days before the lunar event, steadily increases until the day of the event, and then gradually decreases for 3 days after the actual event.
Aries Full Moon
In the Pacific Time Zone, this Moon will be full at 4:26 a.m. on Thursday, October 17. With this Full Moon, the Sun in Libra will be in opposition (180°) to the Moon in Aries. To further clarify how this Full Moon will impact you on a personal level, locate 24°35’ of Libra and 24°35’ of Aries in your birth/natal chart. The issues associated with those two houses are going to be most impacted by this Full Moon’s presence. (NOTE: Click here to learn how to find the transiting Moon in your chart.)
Full Moons provide us with the opportunity to check in and evaluate how we are balancing two seemingly opposite areas of our lives. This time, we are looking at Libra and Aries:
Libra: The best qualities include being cooperative, harmonious, diplomatic, social, gracious, and patient. The lower expression can involve being indecisive and overly dependent.
Aries: The higher expression of this sign includes being assertive, independent, initiating, enthusiastic, direct, energetic, confident, courageous, and fun-loving. The lower expression can result in being impulsive, overly competitive, or even aggressive.
Due to time constraints, here are some very quick notes on this Full Moon in Aries:
Libra wants to be interdependent and provides us with patience. Aries wants to be independent and “do its own thing.” We are being encouraged to evaluate if we have a good balance between self and others. Compromises may be required because the qualities and foci of both signs are important for psychological and social well-being.
Aries Full Moons often coincide with feeling courageous and being more willing than usual to take risks.
At the time of this Full Moon, the (a) Sun and Moon are in opposition (180°) and (b) Mars and Pluto are also in opposition (180°). The ends of each opposition are in squares (90°) to each other. This forms a grand cross configuration (AKA grand square).
All 4 corners of this grand cross are located in cardinal signs (i.e., Libra, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, respectively). The cardinal modality is about using energy to start something new, and a cardinal grand cross will provide us with ample energy to do this. The challenge is to address the needs of different areas of our life (e.g., self vs. other, home vs. career). Again, compromises may be required and balance is essential.
However, given this cardinal grand cross includes an opposition (180°) between Mars and Pluto, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this could be an intense and potentially volatile time. The good news is that this aspect can increase our energy. However, when using this energy, it can involve either the effective use or the destructive misuse of power and control.
Although our knee-jerk reaction may be to take something personally, we are well-advised to take a step back from any difficult situation in order to gain some perspective before we take any action.
Unfortunately, taking that step back may be challenging. Adding to this energetically potent time, there is an opposition (180°) between Venus and Uranus. When taken in combination with the Mars-Pluto opposition (180°), sudden or unexpected events could lead to interpersonal challenges and/or societal unrest. We may feel like we are at a breaking point and that something needs to change NOW! This could leave us feeling as if the ground beneath our feet isn’t stable.This will most likely involve relationships, but it could impact finances in some way.
Additionally, the square (90°) between the Sun and Pluto, which is part of the cardinal grand cross, could cause us to get entrenched in a certain behavior or belief that isn’t in our best interest. We need to recognize when/if this happens. If we can use the courage provided by the Aries Full Moon, this Sun-Pluto aspect can also help us be brave enough to let go of outdated versions of ourselves so we can become more authentic.
The Moon is conjunct (0°) Chiron at the time of this Full Moon, so all of this is leading toward healing areas where we feel vulnerable, insecure, or have self-doubts. We likely need to do some inner work related to our feelings and how we see ourselves or how we think others see us.
If we choose to tap into its energy, a supportive trine (120°) between Venus and Neptune can help us approach our relationships with compassion during this time. It will also provide us with the opportunity to access our intuition when it comes to discerning what it is we desire most in our lives.
Finally, the Sun is trine (120°) Jupiter in Gemini, which just went retrograde on (October 9). If we choose to use the extra light provided by the Sun, this can also be a good time to question whether we have taken something to be “the truth” when we, in fact, don’t know the whole story. We should strive to see all sides of a situation before passing judgment. This is also an important time to remember that everyone has a right to their opinions and beliefs, even when they differ from our own.
Planetary Movements – Quick notes
Friday, October 11 – Tuesday, November 19: Pluto ended its retrograde phase on October 11 and is now in its final days in Capricorn before moving into Aquarius on November 19 for a 20-year visit. This is a critical time because Pluto will be located in the last degree of Capricorn (29°) during these final few weeks. This “critical degree” may cause us to feel inner pressure to change or transform something important in our lives. There may be a feeling of “now or never” when it comes to changing structures that have outlived their importance and purpose in our lives.
Sunday, October 13 – Sunday, November 3: Mercury moved into Scorpio on October 13. While in the previous sign of Libra, we sought harmony. Once in Scorpio, our thoughts and words become very intense and passionate. Now, we are seeking “the truth,” and we aren’t afraid to look into dark corner or turn over some rocks to find it. Our minds are sharp and analytical, but it can veer into obsessive focus. (NOTE: This movement through Scorpio coincides with the final days leading up to USA’s election on Tuesday, November 5.)
Thursday, October 17 – Tuesday, November 12: Venus moves into good-humored Sagittarius on October 17. This could ease some of the Mercury in Scorpio tensions described in the previous bullet. However, we shouldn’t forget that Sagittarius is a fire sign, and this could result in some fiery moments in our relationships, finances, creative activities, or anything that we desire. Additionally, Sag energy is also known for being too honest at times (i.e., blunt), so we should be careful not to blurt out our Mercury in Scorpio thoughts before thinking through how to best word them so they are received rather than reacted to.
Tuesday, October 22 – Thursday, November 21: The Sun moves into Scorpio on October 22. During this month, we often are more comfortable exploring our emotions, even if we have to look into some dark or musty corners of our psyches. We will be better than usual at maintaining our boundaries, but we just need to be very judicious when it comes to pulling out that scorpion’s tail to set those boundaries. Scorpio can lead to being overly intense and passionate, which can result in over-reacting. It’s best to consider that tail to be “the weapon of last resort” because once stung, the other party may not approach you again. In general, though, this is a good month for self-discovery, positive transformations, and deepening intimacy with those we care about. But, we do need to avoid being passive-aggressive or manipulative.
