In the Pacific Time Zone, the Moon will be full at 4:12 a.m. on Friday, April 19. With this Full Moon, the Sun in Aries will be in opposition (180°) to the Moon in Libra. To further clarify how this Full Moon will impact you on a personal level, locate 29° of Aries and 29° of Libra in your birth/natal chart. The issues associated with those two houses are going to be most impacted by this Full Moon’s presence.
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SPECIAL NOTE: The location of any planet is determined by the degrees and minutes within a sign. Each of the degrees (°) in an astrological sign is further broken down into 59 minutes (59’). Normally, when calculating the degree of a New or Full Moon, most astrologers will round up any minutes to the nearest degree. For example, if a New Moon in Gemini was located at 22°16’, then I would tell you that the New Moon was located at 23° of Gemini. This is what I normally do in these Moon Updates, and this approach works most of the time unless the Moon is located at 29° and any number of minutes (e.g., 29°03’, 29°48’). To round up to the nearest degree will move the Moon to the next sign. This is the case with this Full Moon in Libra (i.e., rounding up would move the Full Moon into Scorpio). Therefore, I will not be rounding up the degree in this Moon Update.
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If you are feeling a little déjà vu-ish, that’s because this is the second Libra Full Moon within the last 4 weeks. The first one occurred on March 20 at 1° of Libra and Aries. This Full Moon is located at 29° of Libra and Aries. In addition to the New Moon in Aries that occurred on April 5, we also have Mercury moving into Aries on April 17, and Venus will join Mercury in Aries on April 20. Oh yes, and Chiron is in Aries, too. This is a lot of Aries and Libra energy! They are both cardinal signs, and cardinal energy is about moving forward. It’s, therefore, likely that this last month has brought a lot of energy into our lives that is telling us it’s time to get started on some new things.
But rather than only looking forward to new beginnings, this Libra Full Moon is also asking us to look at the present and possibly even the past. The 29th degree of any sign is referred to as a “critical degree.” It represents the need to wrap things up before moving into the next sign (which in this case is Taurus). There’s often a felt sense of urgency when planets are in a critical degree. For many of us, this translates to, “It’s decision time!” Given the plethora of cardinal energy and the strong emphasis on Aries energy (which can be very pushy and even aggressive in its expression), whatever needs to come to an end may come in the form of a confrontation catalyzed by reaching a breaking point. And given Libra’s need for balance, it might be that we need to face the music about something that is out of balance in some area of our life.
All Full Moons ask us to explore attaining a better balance between the two signs involved. As I said in the Libra Full Moon report 4 weeks ago, “balance is even more important with a Libra Full Moon because Libra is all about balance. The two signs involved are Aries, which focuses on independence, and Libra, which focuses on interdependence. Neither end of this teeter-totter can be ignored, and it’s likely there are areas of our lives where we need some adjustments.” Therefore, what is out of balance in our lives may involve an axis of “me” versus “us.” Ultimately, the Libra Full Moon urges us to be courageous in our pursuit (Aries) of inner peace and harmony (Libra), but this may require some adjustments.
More information about how this Full Moon’s energy may manifest can be gained from observing that the Sun-Moon opposition (180°) is squaring (90°) the conjunction (0°) in Capricorn between Saturn, Pluto, and the South Node. This forms an astrological configuration called a t-square (right triangle). T-squares always demand attention, and the action required often is related to the planet(s) being squared, which in this case is the conjunction in Capricorn.
We spoke about this conjunction between Capricorn, Pluto, and the South Node in my last Moon Update. It can be intense. There is a definitely sense of Karma associated with this powerful Capricorn conjunction, so we may feel like it’s time for Karmic payback. Pluto has a tendency to reveal anything that has been hidden. So, for some people, this could be a time when past (South Node) abuses of power (Pluto) and/or control (Saturn) will come to light. The extra light of the Full Moon may reveal what needs to “see the light of day” in order to heal. Now it’s time for the truth to be exposed and inequities to be addressed. As with all Karmic relationships, there are those in which we need to make amends for something we have done, but there are also relationships in which we are owed for something done to us.
At the time of this Libra Full Moon, the Sun is conjunct (0°) Uranus (which will be exact on Monday, April 22). This brings with it an unpredictable energy that will leave many of us feeling unsettled. Uranus is often associated with unexpected changes, but it also emphasizes the importance of independence and uniqueness. We may need to break away from an old pattern or a relationship in order to “be our true selves.” Although we are choosing to live in a society with others and to abide by the collectively agreed to laws and rules, there are areas of our lives in which we need to decide for ourselves what our values and needs are. If we simply comply with the needs of others and suppress our true identity (Sun), then we deny the world the unique gifts that we have to offer (Uranus). During this time, we may find ourselves drawn to seek out a new tribe; one that will consist of “like-minded individuals” who support our “idiosyncratic wackiness.”
Just a little forewarning: Mars will be in a square (90°) to Neptune during this Full Moon. Neptune brings in the fog and can make our actions (or the actions of others) muddled and hard to comprehend. We may feel internally distracted, unorganized, or restless. We may even act on sudden intuitive impressions that may or may not be based on an accurate appraisal of a situation. For these reasons, this may not be the best time to start a new project. Wait a few days to make sure everything that you are “getting” is accurate and something worthy of taking indicated actions. However, be aware that you may be “getting” some interesting information because the higher expression of this aspect is heightened intuition. We may begin to see how our actions are leading us to a future that is even bigger than we previously knew about.
The good news is that around the time of the Libra Full Moon, there is also a sense of optimism due to a wonderful trine (120°) between the Sun/Uranus and Jupiter. And given that the Sun/Uranus are in opposition (180°) to the Moon, this means there is also a sextile (60°) between the Moon and Jupiter. Jupiter is currently in its home sign of Sagittarius, so it’s more powerful than usual. Jupiter brings expansion. And yes, Jupiter can go too far and veer into excess, but it also brings blessings and even good luck. The involvement of Uranus in this mix, though, tells us that unexpected changes are likely. Therefore, it is important that we remain flexible and adaptable. If we can do this, then we may see opportunities coming to us that address those aforementioned imbalances or inequities from the past.
Many planets are changing sign or direction during this 2-week period, which may add to the feeling of change and unpredictability swirling around us:
- As mentioned above, on Wednesday, April 17, Mercury moves into Aries, where it will remain until May 7. During this time, we could feel that making a decision (any decision!) is more important than taking the time to explore options or listen to other’s viewpoints. Although we should try to slow down our mental train to a reasonable speed, it is also true that the train could be taking us to some very interesting new stations. We may come up with ideas that are truly pioneering. We just need to do our best to evaluate new ideas carefully and then act or speak with assertiveness and courage and not aggressively or impulsively.
- Then on Saturday, April 20, Venus will join Mercury in Aries. Venus will stay in Aries until May 16. The focus of Venus is relationships and finances. We may feel ready to courageously pursue new options and take a fresh approach in either or both of these arenas. Impatience, impulsivity, and “saying it like it is” are potential downsides of Venus in Aries. But there’s also an enjoyable enthusiasm, spontaneity, and freshness to the energy.
- Also, on Saturday, April 20, the Sun moves into Taurus. We do still have other planets in Aries, but the groundedness of Taurus does provide some counterbalance to all the cardinal energy. The Sun in Taurus helps recent new endeavors to begin to “take root.” We become more determined and methodical than we were when the Sun was in Aries. A Taurean Sun is risk-aversive, which may cause some tension due to having other planets located in the impulsive, risk-taking energy of Aries. But we are more interested in building toward long-term growth, and the Aries energy can provide us with the courage to take necessary steps. We just need to be careful that we don’t become very fixed in our beliefs about what the end result will look like. We need to find a good compromise between the need for the solid energy of Taurus, the “go-get-them” energy of Aries, and the Uranian need for change, especially around the time of the Full Moon.
- On Wednesday, April 24, Pluto will begin its annual retrograde phase, which will continue until October 3. This will be a time when some of us (either individually or collectively) need to look inward to explore ways in which we may have abused our power or authority. For others, it will be a time of exploring how we are doing ourselves (and those around us) a disservice by avoiding the use of healthy power, especially if we could us that authority to protect those in need. Given the North Node (future) is located in Cancer at this time, our power needs to be expressed in a heart-centered, community-focused way.
- Then on Monday, April 29, Saturn follows Pluto into retrograde, and it won’t resume its direct motion until September 18. Given Saturn is conjunct (0°) the South Node when this happens, we may all get a big dose of reality about something from the past. As mentioned above, we may need to “pay up” or be “paid back” for any actions (or inactions) from the past. But anytime Saturn is in retrograde, we are all being asked to slow down and retrace our steps to make sure we finish up any unfinished business. It’s an important time when we are preparing for big changes, but only if we can consciously and deliberately make ready for what is to come.
Overall, the time period around this Libra Full Moon is supercharged with cardinal and Aries energy. This type of energy can be very refreshing for some; however, for others, it can feel overstimulating and exhausting. If we don’t have a good outlet for the expression of this energy, then it will be helpful to get involved in physical activities to help vent excess energy. It’s a time of decisiveness, courage, and moving forward. But it’s also a time when Karmic themes are very strong and will likely play out in unexpected ways in our lives. There’s some sort of reckoning at hand, but there’s also a sense of optimism and hope. In general, we need to address any issues in our lives that are keeping us from moving forward, even if it means making tough choices or having difficult conversations. We should make sure we are using our power in a compassionate way, and we also need to use all the courageous Aries energy to correct any imbalances (Libra) and move toward greater harmony and peace.
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THIS BLOG POST WAS WRITTEN BY
- Anne Reith, Ph.D. (AnneReith.com)
- For information about Dr. Reith’s downloadable eBooks and meditations, feel free to visit her online Store
SOME INFORMATION TAKEN FROM
- The Mountain Astrologer (magazine)
- Various online sources (e.g., www.cafeastrology.com)
REMINDER
- New Moons and Full Moons often influence us for the 3 days before and 3 days after the actual event.
FULL MOON
Full Moon at 29° of Libra
- Friday, April 19, 4:12 a.m. PDT
- Friday, April 19, 7:12 a.m. EDT
- Friday, April 19, 11:12 a.m. GMT