There's intensity in the air as we build up to the Full Moon in Libra this Saturday. The focus is on relationships,  and how we can break out of old patterns. The inherent tension between Aries(self) and Libra (other) is amplified by the Full Moon polarity, with a right angle of both to Pluto bringing everything to a head. Pluto reveals the hidden side of our interpersonal dynamics (as within- so without)and the ensuing power struggles and control dramas can actually lead to breakthrough moments if we are willing to transform out of old patterns. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!!

 Pluto patterns are survival based, and deeply unconscious - that's why they are called the 'shadow' ~ because they operate in the dark. Shadow work means owning your own part in it;  transform difficult situations and blast through your patterns. - if you want to :)

 

This often involves a deep dive into unknown waters - a guide or helper is recommended if you are a first time visitor. Aries impatience is not helpful in this regard. Yet as the Sun moves further into Aries, it marks a time of positive initiative, leadership and new beginnings; our drive is strong now to to know who we are, to understand what we desire, and what we want to create in this life. This new cycle of self discovery requires we  become more self-aware  and to understand the difference between  self-contained and  self-centered.

Libra provides balance by asking us to look at other perspectives and step out of our myopic viewpoints. This doesn't mean becoming passive; because I understood Libra to prefer balance and harmony, I was quite surprised that several of my Libra friends seemed to be somewhat argumentative.  What I came to understand is their  need for balance means that if someone has a very strong opinion, Libras will instinctively present the opposite perspective.  It's not so much that they want to argue, heaven forbid,  but they are compelled to balance out every discussion.If you have a Libra Moon or Rising sign you will have the same tendency.

 

It is all about balance right now; between inner and outer, self and other.  We can use the fiery Sun in Aries impulse to move us  forward, yet there has never been a time when we more needed to find harmonious solutions as now. Saturn brings out our more judgmental side, yet those rigid judgements eventually point to our intolerance of our own self. Someone who is at peace with who they are -  tends to be more accepting of others don't you find? Over these past two years of Covid 19 stress, it has made me very sad to see how easily people slip into attack mode. If we are  seeing others as a threat if they do not agree with our chosen point of view, we are never going to learn to co operate? Fear can cause us fragile humans to  revert to mob mentality - so many making that other person wrong as they take the moral high ground. I have been there, and you probably have too

 

 

The Nodes of the Moon (where the Moons orbit intersects with the earth and sun's) are called the Collective Destiny Points- and show us where we are heading at a given time. Any planet that links to these Points of Fate has a message for us about what we need to be learning. Saturn brings some tough lessons  around how we must work together for the greater good (Saturn in Aquarius).  Because it is the planet of concrete materialization, Saturn is a tough taskmaster,  bringing us  limits and lessons and  that oh so fun word- karma! All Karma really is - is cause and effect- what goes out eventually comes back to us. I don't pretend to fully understand how it all works, I do get that Saturn pushes us to take responsibility and step into our personal Mastery. Wherever it is in our chart challenges us to grow up and get it together. And right now, as a collective, we are being called to do exactly that!

Saturn squared to the North Node Destiny Point in Taurus is  putting enormous pressure on us to step up and take responsibility for how we live on this beautiful planet. We obviously have our work cut out for us!

The recent conjunction of Jupiter (joy)  and Neptune (bliss) continues to offer a way to surrender our ego and find release or  redemption.  This is a moment of grace. Time to let bygones be bygones. Allow in  higher side of Neptune - empathy and compassion, and be careful of the more unconscious side with its foggy brew of fantasies, half truths, lies and  uncertainty; keep your heart in heaven and your eyes on the road.  Everyone thinks they are right and others (those guys) are so obviously wrong.   Our spiritual task (should we choose to accept it)  is to make an effort  to see the other point of view, by using the empathy and understanding being showered upon us. This highly creative energy can help us see beyond our judgments-  instead of arguing and trying to force your point of view, search out the real meaning behind how someone thinks or behaves.

In Steven Covey's  Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, he tells a story of being on a train coming from the hospital he worked at, where a man and several children were traveling in the same carriage. As the man seemed to be ignoring the children and letting them run wild,  Covey found himself feeling quite irritated and very judgemental. 'Why doesn't he control his children?'  As the train slowed down for the next station,  the man looked up and apologized for the mayhem. He said "their mother just died and I haven't the heart to be hard on them right now. " At that moment Coveys perspective shifted 180 degrees, and the new understanding  filled him with empathy for this poor man who just lost his wife. The point? It's often just a matter of perspective.

 'Seek first to understand before you seek to be understood.'

 Jupiter is calling us to step into our bigger self, and to live up to our higher ideals (Neptune).  I am inspired by all the caring  and compassionate  aid being directed towards Ukraine,  though I do sometimes think it can become the flavour of the moment, everyone with their coloured FB flags . What happened to Syria?  Or Yemen?Or Palestine?  I know its heart wrenching - I get it- yet I cant help wondering how much of what we think and feel is due to what the media tells us to see. Just remember that there are so many layers to these things - it is rarely as black and white as what is being presented.  The Masters of War are hard at work as usual .

https://youtu.be/h2mabTnMHe8

"At the end of his talk, someone from the audience asked the Dalai Lama, “Why didn’t you fight back against the Chinese?” The Dalai Lama looked down, swung his feet just a bit, then looked back up and said with a gentle smile, “Well, war is obsolete, you know ”. Then, after a few moments, his face grave, he said, “Of course the mind can rationalize fighting back…but the heart, the heart would never understand. Then you would be divided in yourself, the heart and the mind, and the war would be inside you.”

 Libra wants Peace. We all want peace. 

 

Yet peace begins inside you and me. If there is still one black spot left in our hearts,  are we not each also contributing to war? I know that's a bit abstract,  but I do believe we each have a responsibility for the energy we put out into the world. As Jupiter Neptune  shower us with golden fairy dust, we have a chance  to make peace real. This is a golden moment to know- on a deep level- that we are all connected, we are all one.  Yes, even the Russians. The Libra  Full Moon asks us to focus on the beauty - to  celebrate what we all have in common - i.e our humanity. Try and  step back for a moment from focusing on differences. When will we learn? When will we learn?

Pluto's strong presence in this Full Moon means there may be deep tensions coming to a head in the next few days - there is something that want to be resolved and it may happen by force. Pluto can trigger our shadow side, our arrogance, our pride, our need for control. Power dynamics  may arise. The pressure is on  and presents an opportunity to find a new way of resolving differences. Carl Jung says the outer wars are a reflection of our inner wars, and that until we deal with our own unconscious drives, there will never be peace on earth. As within, so without.

So instead of pointing fingers at the most obvious targets, try to see that behaviour in yourself. We have had  enough  self righteous moral posturing to last a life-time. This is a time to work together - to listen, reflect and be honest with yourself, find and face your own inner dichotomies so that you can sincerely walk a new, more integrated path. It takes courage to face our shortcomings, and  far more to change our unconscious behaviors. 

 

All we are saying - is give peace a chance.

It begins with you!

https://youtu.be/gEX7Xxfr-qc

You know you want to!💓