“Bucket List” Full Moon at 8 degrees and 18 minutes of Libra on March 28 at 11:48am in Tucson, Arizona.
We’re halfway through the New Moon in Pisces lunar cycle, a time of revelation and assessment for the thoughts, intentions and feelings coming through at that time. This full Moon is in Libra, the scales, a cardinal Air sign ruled by Venus, while the Sun opposes in Mars-ruled cardinal Fire Aries. We could say these signs are about the axis of Peace and War, or unification and separation/individualization, respectively. Love/union/yoga cannot exist without the opposing desire for independence, and in this we have the dance of Venus and Mars, the feminine and the masculine polarities that exist within all things, irrespective of gender labels. We need and have both, every one of us, and the balance is unique to consciousness and circumstance, and ever evolving. These two signs are also the equinox markers, the guardians to arguably the most potent portals of change and “magic” in the year.
Libra is about balance, but as most Librans are quick to tell you, it’s about seeking balance—not necessarily the innate embodiment of it. And so we see a strong link between Libran energy and the justice system (at least in idealistic principle) – to right wrongs and bring things back into harmony interpersonally and on a collective level. Libra, an air sign, primarily concerns the mental realm, words, and ideas. The follow-through is best left to another element, though with the Sun in fiery Aries, there’s the fuel and motivation to move toward making some big, positive changes at this time, if we allow it. Being a dualistic sign ruled by Venus and having an affiliation with the 7th house in astrology (partnership and/or one’s shadow, in a nutshell), Libra also has a connection with themes of relationships of all kinds. Especially with the sun conjunct Venus in the Full Moon chart, that might be the primary literal manifestation or focus at this time for many. Do read on…
There’s a bit of a loose Grand Trine involving the Libra Moon, in an applying trine to Saturn in Aquarius and also applying at the same angle in the other direction to Mars in Gemini (which itself is conjunct the North Node). Think of this as a power triangle of these forces, so when used appropriately, there’s quite a favorable boost of energy, provided there is a suitable outlet and a place of expression for each ingredient. Mars is the fire, the engine, the impetus and the North Node is the emotional pull of the deepest soul urge and desire. Whether or not we act upon it is a matter of free will volition, and though some people never act upon their dreams, preferring to keep them safe in the comforting repression of perceived implausibility, Mars being here can facilitate just doing it. Mars is freshly out of bounds, to boot, so that fire is pretty strong. These two are in Gemini, so the thoughts may be a bit scattered, there may not be a clear plan, but there’s a youthful enthusiasm to put the puzzle together, trust, and make sense of it later. Applying an equal pressure to this piece is celestial killjoy Saturn in Aquarius: censure, limitation, the pressure to produce something concrete. I call this the Bucket List Full Moon because were it not for the very Saturnian fear of death, so deeply rooting the modern collective paradigm, would we even bother venturing or acting upon those desires and mini quests for happiness? This is Saturn’s gift, whether based in fear or a loss of some kind, even just a sense of time running out, it can inspire action to leave a mark or take a stand. Tests and challenges can have a way of building character, even proving the impossible as indeed possible. With the Moon in Libra, will you rest on your laurels knowing that you share thoughts, dreams and values for a certain kind of world, certain kinds of relationships in your life, certain kinds of rights, or will you take a physical step towards embodying these ideals and being part of that living blueprint to show your community, your world what is indeed possible? There can be a moment of revelation around this now, and if you put in the work, perhaps expect to be presently surprised when the Node corks are popped by the upcoming Spring eclipse season during May/June.
The Moon is holding the fort alone in Libra, and directly opposed on the Sun we have a conjunction with Venus (love, beauty, art) and Chiron (wounding and healing) all in Aries (spontaneity, will, assertion, “I am”). Like the recent New Moon chart, pleasure-seeking Venus has a big role to play. Chiron’s place is to illuminate the past wounding that prevented attainment and action and simultaneously an opportunity to heal that pain, prove that echoes, however convincing, need not always repeat. A light has been shone on the wounds of love, abundance, the times we were meant to believe that there is something wrong with who we are, the way we express love, that what we desire or have to give has no value. No matter how many times we’ve been told it, in this moment, these beliefs have an opportunity to fall away and evolve into something better. The Libran moon can show us how to create more harmony within self, relationship, and community through authentic expression of self. If we dare to embrace the uniqueness of self rather than the masks we’ve become accustomed to wear from pain and fear, we can find a place to be real, seen, heard, recognized, in a deeper resonance with all things. If we continue to hide that self light, we will simply carry on reactively, letting our fears and those of others shape the world for us and recreate yet another cycle of self-fulfilling prophecy. No biggie, but this is a pretty favorable climate for taking a leap.
Finally, though there’s no direct aspect with these to the Moon, Mercury (communication) is in an applying conjunction to Neptune (dreams, altered states, unconditional love) in Pisces. Pisces just believes, without logic or reason. Neptune can signal confusion, deception, but well-applied, it is boundless creativity and love without boundaries. This combo begs us to know feelingly. If we limit ourselves to direct, verbal communication or answers, we may miss the point. As Mercury is the ruler of Gemini, where we now find the North Node and Mars, this placement is really emphasizing this sense of not seeing a clear path of action steps to attaining our dreams—but that’s OK and part of the fun of it. Listen deeper and take those risks if you feel called to do so. Mercury will be in Aries soon enough, and that will provoke a more proactive tone shift. But for now, honor the subtle senses, pay attention to your dreams, but don’t take it all so literally, because it may be challenging to discern between realistic truth and inspiration at this time. Let things evolve and crystallize later. When Mercury is swimming in Pisces, it’s a great time for journaling, channeling, exploring the subconscious, connecting more deeply with those buried dreams that just might, this time, make it to the surface. Peace. Happy Full Moon, and don’t forget to wash your crystals.
