Full Moon in Libra

The Libra Full Moon on March 31 arrives at the heart of a tempestuous Mercury retrograde period, bringing a gale of Libra winds to a tumultuous astrological environment dominated by the fire and earth elements. We stand at the crossroads of tense, dynamic aspects among the cardinal signs of Libra, Aries, and Capricorn. The volatile atmosphere stokes inner flames and the heat necessary to reshape elements of life to craft change and incite new movement and growth. Frustration can come from feeling we lack time or being overwhelmed by responsibilities that disperse focus. Yet the Libra Full Moon supplies illumination that can lift us above sources of stress for a larger perspective that will bring creative solutions when we question how we can rearrange things to move more with the flow rather than dissipating energy through resistance. Moving into space in which we can focus on what we want to work on brings enormous potency with the current alignments. In the heat of engagement we may cooly detach from expectations and allow the alteration of matter to guide our drive rather than trying to force control.

The Full Moon perfects a day before Mercury retrograde in Aries enters the heart of the Sun to be purified and reborn in its inferior conjunction. The fiery union of Mercury and Sun incites desire for expression yet this is also an inner, sacred moment of Mercury’s cycle that is more about the grace of regeneration rather than loud declarations. It is an ideal moment to commit ourselves to an intention, change in lifestyle, or development of a project. At the same time Mercury and the Sun are uniting, Mars and Saturn are also uniting in a a square aspect to Mercury’s inferior conjunction that can be utilized to instigate change while also needing to reconcile with shifts in external realities that are out of our control. When we exert ourselves toward a goal, commit the entirety of our being to manifestation of an idealized vision, we arrive at a balancing point of our self-centered motivations and the needs of others. The Full Moon is opportune for simultaneously clarifying what we want to create as well as how to modify our creative process to serve the needs of others.

Libra is the outwardly directed home of Venus, a place of calibration where we measure our sense of inner value against external realities. Noticing disharmony enlivens our feel for harmony, while witnessing injustice shapes our conception of justice. While the Full Moon will bring significant messages informing our perspective of external events, it also brings strong capacity to enter an inner dialogue with one’s unconscious, whether messages come from our dreams or in moments of solitary contemplation. Mercury retrograde in this time of its solar union can help us engage what Carl Jung called auseinandersetzung, German for “taking something to pieces.”  This refers to confrontation in dialogue in which two people verbally engage without running away from the conflict.  By staying engaged in the dialogue, the differences inherent to the disagreement become clarified and distinct, making an agreement or compromise possible.  Jung believed it was also possible to engage in such a dialogue with one’s psyche, clarifying the unconscious being projected into relationships and keeping us from perpetuating past relational patterns.

As the Moon lingers in its full phase from March 31 through April 2, there is a liberating lunar atmosphere to embrace. While the Libra Full Moon is in opposition to the union of the Sun and Mercury in Aries, a day after the exact alignment the Moon will oppose Eris and Uranus in Aries. Simultaneously the Moon forms a square aspect with a union of Mars and Saturn in Capricorn as the Moon waxes full and then immediately begins to apply to a square aspect with Pluto in Capricorn. Only Jupiter and Neptune stand apart in water signs that do not belong to the cardinal modality. However, once the Moon enters Scorpio on April 2 it will form a harmonious trine with Neptune while moving toward union with Jupiter, while forming an integrative sextile with the Mars and Saturn conjunction. As a result the days following the Full Moon hold potential to inject imaginative visioning into whatever difficulties or hardship arise in correspondence with the union of Mars and Saturn.

The Full Moon takes place in the exaltation of Saturn, and Saturn furthermore has triplicity dignity in Air signs. Saturn is at home in Capricorn, in a strong position that pulls us down into earthly focus on how to build and develop supportive structures for whatever we want to implement.  Since Mars is in its exaltation as it unites with Saturn in Capricorn in the days following the Libra Full Moon, we have an incredibly powerful union of Mars and Saturn to work with.  When Mars and Saturn come together in their cycle, world events tend to be fear inducing while in personal realms we may feel like our driving desire has come up against a wall or blockage. Mars and Saturn last united on August 24, 2016 at 9°52′ Sagittarius, before that on August 25, 2014 at 17°40′ Scorpio, and before that on August 15, 2012 at 24°49′ Libra. These were difficult time periods in world events, yet you may also notice looking back that initiatives taken during these time periods have ended up having powerful staying power. Work developed under the union of Mars and Saturn may develop slowly at first, but patience and thorough follow through will bring a resilient, persevering quality to the endeavor.

Mercury’s interior union with the Sun in Aries is bound to the union of Mars and Saturn since it is occurring in the home of Mars. While imagination can be applied to whatever we engage with, this is not a lunation for wild leaps of fancy that lack grounding in real knowledge we have earned from actual experience. There is enormous potency for yoking inspiration to self-discipline and taking personal accountability for responsibilities. There are some responsibilities we may need to ease up on, however, in order to create space needed to focus on what feels most authentically resonant. Mars and Saturn together mean that it likely will not work to impulsively trail blaze or burn down obstacles in our way. Instead contemplate and discover what lesson the obstacle or limitation holds. Most likely with patience and analysis it will be possible to work around or through the restriction, with the work gaining increased strength in the process.

Venus in Taurus

Venus rules the Full Moon from her sensual, stable home in Taurus. Venus enters Taurus hours before the Full Moon, making a dramatic entrance into her inner, earthly home. Venus enters Taurus immediately following a volatilizing conjunction with Uranus activating unconscious material she can ground, integrate, and wield while in Taurus. Its sort of like Venus just returned home from a wild, inspirational journey, and she has a lot of work to take care of once back home she must address immediately. Once in Taurus, Venus enters into facilitating roles with Mars and Saturn, forming a trine aspect to both. Venus as ruler of the Full Moon points to the lunation facilitating real progress in practical projects, as well as grounding support that can come from resonant relationships.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with stress you associate with Mars and Saturn, seek Venus and her pleasing, embodied significations. Focus on taking care of your body, making nutritious food, holding and supporting loved ones. Artistic works and projects can be especially potent to engage with as Venus moves across Taurus and into a closer trine aspect with both Mars and Saturn.  Venus will form an exact trine with Saturn on April 7 and an exact trine with Mars on April 10. As Venus forms these trine aspects with Mars and Saturn she simultaneously will be making her presence felt at the bendings, forming a square aspect to the transiting lunar nodes. There will be important messages and issues arising we will have to face involving Venus.

Libra 2 Decan

The Full Moon arises in the second decan of Libra associated with the Three of Swords card illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. Saturn rules the second face of Libra, and in the piercing heartbreak and cold atmosphere of the image we can observe the transcendence through pain that can be brought by Saturn. In times of heartbreak we can access a newfound strength that can then increase our capacity to return to our love, as well as opens us to greater levels of empathy, compassion, and awareness of those around us.

Austin Coppock in his book on the decans 36 Faces linked Saturn’s exaltation in Libra to the binding of “happy marriages and fruitful alliances” found in the second decan of Libra, as well as the breaking apart of such agreements.  Coppock described it as “a face of lasting unions and blended karma” in which “the power of obligation fixes volatile passions,” creating “a firm foundation for the good life.” The importance Coppock placed on being faithful to commitments within relationships as well as to oneself is vital to bear in mind at the Full Moon if we wish to reap a healthy harvest.

The Full Moon opposes the Sun in its own exaltation, and the second face of Libra integrates the meaning of its polarity with an exalted Sun in terms of revealing the necessity of tempering our solar expression with the responsibilities of our binding relationships. Saturn in Capricorn receiving an exalted Mars into its home demands accountability and discipline. Yet as mentioned the presence of Venus in Taurus signifies we can make work pleasurable and fruitful, and the union of Sun and Mercury in Aries signifies we can also make it inspirational. These are not easy transits, and we will need to avoid self-criticism and being too hard on ourselves for not getting everything done. Allow yourself to rest and relax as needed, for revitalized energy will be needed in the weeks ahead. Though challenging, on the other side of these transits you may look back with satisfaction on how you overcame difficulties and made important progress.

References

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: the history, astrology, and magic of the decans. Three Hands Press.

Stein, Murray. (1998). Jung’s Map of the Soul. Open Court.