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| Bleeding Hearts Catherine Al-Meten |
Full Hunter’s Moon and Eclipse, October 18-19
This months’ Full Hunter’s Moon peaks at 11:38 PM Universal Time, 4:38 PM PDT, and in much of the rest of the world, the Full Moon peaks on October 19, in the early morning hours (past midnight). As we look at the Moon waxing, it becomes brighter and fuller, appearing full for a few days around the Full Moon time (2-3 days). The Hunter’s Moon rises around sunset, and unlike other full moons that rise about 50 minutes later each consecutive day, the Hunter’s Full Moon is nearest the Autumnal equinox, and therefore rises just 30 minutes later each day. This gives us a view of what appears to be a full moon for more than one evening.Because the Hunter’s Moon rises around the same time as sunset, it may appear to be more orange and bigger as you will be looking at it through the great thickness of the Earth’s atmosphere.
For more information on the Hunter’s Moon and what makes this moon mystical appearing, visit Earthsky.
Not only are we moving into a Full Moon, but we are moving into a new eclipse cycle, the Aries-Libra cycle of eclipses. With the Sun in Libra and the Full Moon in Aries at 25/45 degrees, we are reminded of the pull between our need for companionship and relationships, and our need for privacy and individual expression. Of course we need a healthy balance of both, but we often get caught up in a struggle between 2nd chakra (intimacy, relationships, productivity, and creativity) and 3rd chakra (our true north, sense of self worth, our personal code of honor, and our sense of security and safety). This Full Moon highlights these polarities, and shines her light on how we have managed to discover a more balanced way of honoring our own needs, desires within the context of our relationships and way of living. Whatever we have refused to acknowledge or accept, now appears to be flashing its warning signs and pointing us toward the ramifications of failing to accept the choices we have made and the choices we must make in order to honor our true nature and the nature of those with whom we are in relationship. For example, if we are insisting that someone we love see the world from our perspective, we miss the point that they are not looking at the world as we are. A basic truism like this can do much to allow us to let go the reins we have been holding others on, or remove the blinders which have precluded our seeing circumstances, relationships, our own needs and those of others, clearly.
The Full Moon in Aries opposite the Sun in Libra, represents Libra’s need for choice, fairness, compromise, and understanding, juxtaposed Aries’ need for self assertion, boldness, courage, and authenticity (more likely without the tact of Libra). As this opposition between Libra and Aries on the Full Moon stresses how this area of our lives has been handled recently, we are likely to feel more emotional about issues related to troubled relationships, lost or forsaken love, and issues we’ve struggled with related to dependence and interdependence, meeting our own needs and meeting the needs of others, or striking out on our own or staying the course in a compromising situation.
We are apt to feel the buildup and tension related to whatever area of our lives the Libra-Aries axis falls (First house vs 7th house, 2nd house vs 8th, 3rd house vs 9th, 4th house vs 10th, 5th house vs 11th and 6th house vs 12th; look to your chart to see which axis is most affected). As full moons are oppositions to the prevalent solar energy, this is likely to be a time of conflict or a time when we are forced to acknowledge our feelings, emotional needs, and when we will likely need to express ourselves in some way in order to relieve the pressure and deal with the buildup of repressed feelings and unexpressed emotions.
When the Full Moon in Aries peaks, we may also benefit from insight and intuitive understanding as a result of having honored our need to make difficult choices and walk more in harmony with the new aspects we have allowed to come up in our lives. When new knowledge, the full expression of our emotions, and spiritual insight bursts up into our awareness, we can no longer hide, suppress, or rationalize away what we have faced within our selves.
Sudden awareness is a hallmark of this Full Moon in Aries, and a crisis of consciousness to go along with the lessons this Full Moon pours over us. In whatever area of our lives we have been struggling to balance the polarities between how we form commitments, alliances, relationships and partnerships and how we express ourselves individually and act independent of others.
Uranus-Pluto conjunction that highlights the battle between I-thou, companionship-independence, and creates some startling, surprising, and dramatic changes and realizations as the tight conjunction forms aspects and is triggered by other cardinal energies.
Jupiter forms a loose square to the eclipse and full moon points bringing more drama into our lives than usual. Nothing small or plain in the ways that this Full Moon aspects life for us now.
Aries-Libra eclipse cycle. The first Lunar Eclipse in the Aries-Libra eclipse cycle occurs on this Full Moon transit. The Sun, Moon and Jupiter form a Cardinal T-square at the same time the Uranus-Pluto square occurs in Cardinal signs. This Cardinal energy sets off a series of crises, events, and sets off or releases a great deal of pressure into our lives, especially areas related to any actions, decisions, or behavior affected by conflicts over personal and collaborative needs and desires. However the conflicts or disparities appear in your life or in the way you handle your own needs versus those of your partners and close allies, will now demand that you release pressure in some way. Gather the signs, symbols, and memories together into a cogent picture of what has been going on and what needs repair or alterations. We usually get signs along the way, even in the form of not seeing clearly. What we generally do is attempt to understand the signs, messages, or insight within the narrow context of a recent event or one-off experience.
We look for mystery when the sign are clearly meant to paint a clear picture of a larger process, perspective, or our general outlook and behavior. For example, I may get a dream about standing outside a door, trying to unlock the door. I don’t seem to have the right key or the right combination. Rather than interpreting this as “Oh, that means I might lose my key or forget the combination for work tomorrow” , we might go further and see how that is representative of how I’m going about living my life. When viewing the signs you get, in dreams, in daily activities and communication with others, ask yourself how this applies to the overall patterns and behavior in your life. While we need to pay attention to the day to day occurrences and learn to trust our instincts, intuition, critical thinking, and knowledge, we also need to keep an eye on the overall patterns and behavior that repeat in the ways we view ourselves and in the way we enter into and carry on our relationships.
This Full Moon in Aries opposed the Sun in Libra and the Lunar eclipse highlight and remove the blinders from those areas of our lives where we may have allowed ourselves to justify some pretty unhealthy and unrealistic practices, choices, decisions, or lifestyle choices. Observe where delusion, wishful thinking, or righteous indignation have played more of a role in your choices than clear and honest acceptance. For some, the cost of letting go of illusions or a way of living that is based on a false sense of obligation or personal need, may become too much.
What we try to hold down within us, causes us much greater pain and upset in the long run that if we actually act upon our need to walk more in harmony, living from an authentic sense of truth and wholeness. It requires a great leap of faith to walk into the unknown than it does to stay in the discomfort of inauthentic choices we have made or of hoping someone else will change to meet our needs, if only. If only we do this, or that. This Full Moon in Aries strongly suggests that waiting is no longer an option for taking care of ourselves requires acknowledging what is working and what is not, and acting to come into greater harmony within ourselves and in our relationships. What we might want to consider with this Full Moon is Joseph Campbell’s observation that “The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the Universe to match and to match your nature with Nature.” Rather than fighting against what the Universe is releasing, unfolding, or calling you to pay attention to, let yourself move forward in trust that what you need is coming to you, if only you let got of hanging on to that which no longer lives within you.
This lunar eclipse will bare your soul to you. Whatever we have failed to see or acknowledge will become clear. Aries tends to confront rather than comply, and when thwarted in expression, will act out in anger and rage. During the eclipse, the Uranus-Pluto square is nearly exact, and Mars and Neptune are in opposition, the so-called Joan of Arc aspect. The archetypes opposing one another in this case include Mars, the Warrior opposed Neptune, the dreamer, the artist. Which archetype holds sway over you, and how can this battle or conflict end happily? Sacrifice for the greater good and the sign of the mystical martyr. What voices are you listening to? What speaks to you at your deepest levels, and calls you to take action? What are you willing to sacrifice for the good of transformation and healthy choices?
This Full Moon and eclipse, with the squares of Pluto-Uranus and the T-Square of the Moon, Sun, and Jupiter, the Mars in Virgo-Neptune in Pisces opposition highlight the extremes that are pulling at each other in all areas of our lives (personal and collective). We are reaching the breaking point, and this weekend will reveal how this will manifest in our lives and in the world in which we live. What informs these same fiery, cardinal, and opposing energies, are some more softening aspects. The Lunar eclipse occurs as a trine is formed between Uranus in 9 degrees Aries, Neptune at 9 degrees Pisces, and the North Node at 8 degrees Scorpio. This points to some deep, intuitive knowledge, epiphanies, dreams, and visions, and movement forward toward deep-seated callings that we are moving toward. Mars leaves Leo and enters Virgo this week, grounding actions and bringing some relief to the energy of Mars over the past 2 1/2 months. In Virgo, Mars will move through the earth sign for the next couple of months, and will form a powerful trine to Pluto in Capricorn later in the next month or so. Fruits of our labor will finally come into view.
We are in the early stages, having just step one foot out the door of the North Node in Scorpio (Gateway to Change) into the realms of following the call of our mystical natures and meeting with the first movement, sudden events and awakenings, and shocks and surprises that move us forward. Much of this has been happening in the Unconscious areas of our being and with an infusion of Divine energy from the Collective Consciousness. It’s as if we have walked out into the light into a new world, in the areas of our lives represented by where the water signs are in our charts/lives. Early movement, sudden changes, a new door has opened, and we are now receiving the first shocks of change. What may appear to be falling apart, breaks down whatever walls remained, whatever doors have been closed, whatever beliefs and behavior have held you in place, to walk forward...with a bit of a shove from the Divine right action. Along with this aspect comes the need to find balance between work/home and personal well being, freedom and commitment, and personal versus impersonal communication. During this week’s Full Moon rising and peaking, and the Lunar Eclipse, notice areas of your life where you are holding the pieces together by wishful thinking, unsound spirituality, or striving to make a “silk purse out of a sow’s ear”. Step out from behind the veils that cover your vision, and accept what is about yourself and those you love, and release what is no longer part of your life or worth your time and energy.
The energy and effect of this Full Moon and the eclipse will continue to have a strong impact for the next three months. During this period of time, full of holy days and events, we have time to continue ridding ourselves of unwanted behavior, patterns, thinking, and other aspects of our relationships, work, and how we behave in those areas. Venus is conjunct Antares (a bright star in the middle of the constellation, Scorpius). With Venus, Mars, and the Moon in fire signs, this can be a very difficult week (October 16) with a need to be cautious especially in regards to violence and women. Venus is also squaring Chiron (the Wounded Healer), perhaps creating some heartbreak or triggering some sadness around how we give and receive love.
As we are moving into the Full Moon time, we have great potential for healing broken hearts. On October 15, the Moon and Chiron are in conjunction in Pisces, trine the North Node and Saturn in Scorpio. The square between Chiron in Pisces and Mars in Virgo, opens our eyes to what has caused our hearts to break open, and what it will take for healing to take place, and the ability to give and receive love more fully to return. Perhaps someone will be able to offer you sage wisdom and help pull you back onto the path that supports you more fully. Chiron trine Saturn indicates a good time to seek counsel from one wiser and older. Healing is needed, and delving more deeply into the soul learnings and in-depth needs is now necessary in order to achieve the healing needed. Taking steps now will assist as life gets more intense and full of conflict later. Chiron in Pisces sextile Pluto in Capricorn indicates an area of your life that requires healing of unresolved or unexpressed grief. The minor Grand Trine in water signs helps with this process as they bring their healing waters into the areas of your life that need healing. Allow yourself to receive support and assistance with this process through those new people who have come into your life recently. Or through those you have known and not yet allowed in to the deeper more difficult places within you. The Divine Eye allows for us to see more clearly, trust those who come to help with our healing process, and awaken to that which we need to see.
Pluto, Venus, and the North Node are currently all at 8 degrees of their respective signs. This forms what is known as the Third Eye, indicating intense focus. “This aspect figure can (in some cases) also pick things up that are not visible, as if it was a rotating radar screen, producing para-psychological abilities like clairvoyance, clairaudience or clairsentience, especially if spiritual planets (or stars!) are involved” (The Eye or Information Figure is a Huber aspect pattern. Aspect Pattern Astrology, Bruno and Louise Huber, p.195). This aspect falls at 8 degrees of Sagittarius, so to determine the area in your life where you need to allow for intense scrutiny, look to see where 8 degrees Sagittarius falls in your chart.
Some thoughts on conflict, love, and growth, as it seems that this is what this Full Moon, the first in a series of Aries/Libra eclipses, and the Uranus-Pluto square promise to awaken in our lives. I’ve selected some quotes that are funny, at least to me. Maybe you will find something that rings true for you, and helps your navigate the waters and fires ahead.
Henrik Ibsen. “To live is to war with trolls.”
To recognize our Shadow parts is crucial to our dealing with conflict and ambiguity. For my fellow introverts, you have to admit, this is pretty funny and somewhat true:
Adam S. McHugh. “When introverts are in conflict with each other...it may require a map in order to follow all the silences, nonverbal cues and passive-aggressive behaviors!”
Dorothy Thompson. “Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict -- alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence.”
Thomas Stephen Szasz. “In the animal kingdom, the rule is, eat or be eaten; in the human kingdom, define or be defined.”
Lynne Reid Banks. “The very people you trusted most could become like strangers in their longing...”
Lao Tzu. “In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.”
C. S. Lewis. “Love is not merely a feeling. ‘Being in love’ moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep it.”
Betsy Otter Thompson. “We wait for God to bless us while God waits for us to accept the blessing.”
Marty Rubin. “Ideas stand in the corner and laugh while we fight over them.”
And finally, for it does, afterall, require that we be willing to walk according to our intentions, even if that means making changes.
Mary Ann Hickman. “There is no condition so severe that you cannot reverse itby choosing different thoughts. However, choosing different
thoughts requires focus and practise. If you continue to focus
as you have been, to think as you have been, and to believe
as you have been, then nothing in your experience will change"
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