OUR ATTENTION is
riveted on the potentially Earth-shaking Full Moon that occurs this
week. Although the actual event occurs on Wednesday, we'll start feeling
its influence on Monday and Tuesday, when several pieces of the lunation
puzzle start to fall into place.
While
still in Libra on Monday, the Sun forms challenging aspects with Chiron
and Neptune, both of which are currently in Pisces.
Recent events have upset our balance and shaken our faith, undercutting
our confidence in fairness and justice -- Libran ideals by which we
optimally would choose to live. If we have become disillusioned and are
drawn into escapism or avoidance, Monday's planetary aspects compel us
to adjust our attitudes.
The
Sun-Chiron quincunx calls us to heal a lack of faith in the overall
positive evolution of humanity. It tells us to look beyond what appears
on the surface, to go deeper than our disappointment, and to seek the
harmony and balance that is at the core of our beings.
At
the same time, the Sun-Neptune sesquiquadrate reveals the
unsatisfactory nature of apathy and avoidance. Pretending that we don't
care leaves us with a dullness and an inability to fully engage in life.
When we close our hearts to one area of life, walls start to build in
adjacent areas, soon leaving us feeling separate and alone, when we
really want to feel love.
THE SUN
enters Scorpio's turbulent waters on Tuesday at 4:22 a.m. PDT (11:22
a.m. GMT), setting the energetic stage for its
opposition to Uranus in Taurus, which perfects thirteen hours later.
This is a highly energized and unpredictable influence, manifesting on
both the emotional (Scorpio) and physical (Taurus) levels.
The
effects of a Sun-Uranus opposition can be
sudden and surprising, either literally or figuratively shaking the
ground beneath our feet. With the Sun in Scorpio, a sign that can be
quite reactive, any disruptions or eruptions we experience are likely to
evoke a deep emotional response.
THE EFFECTS
of this Sun-Uranus opposition come into full expression with
Wednesday's Full Moon, when the Moon aligns with Uranus and opposes the
Sun. The lunation occurs on October 24 at 9:45 a.m. PDT (4:45 p.m.
GMT), when the Moon reaches 1°13′ Taurus.
A configuration called a fixed grand cross
is formed by this Full Moon. Making up the pattern are the Sun and
Venus in Scorpio, Uranus and the Moon in Taurus, the South Node in
Aquarius, and the North Node in
Leo. The configuration is called a cross because lines drawn between
these points on the zodiac form a large X.
A
grand cross such as this represents great tension that is looking for a
way to be released, much like lava that is building
in the depths of a volcano. Ultimately, the energy will be vented
through the weakest places in the mantle of society or of planet Earth
herself.
ASTROLOGER Bil Tierney writes that a fixed grand cross:
"...
tends to work its powerful energies out on the will and desire level,
creating inner frustrations often leading to an emotional crisis. We
will thus be challenged to
become more willing to make changes, adapt to others, and actively seek
new alternatives in self-expression.
"This
is the grand cross of extremism. The energy it generates can draw out
the most purposeful, dedicated expression, as well as the most debased
and cruel.
We are pressured to clear out all lingering resentments, hostilities,
jealousies, and festering hatred. Life will inevitably teach us how to
soften our will and open our hearts to a more universal level of love.
Once we earnestly devote ourselves to uplifting spiritual service, we
can much better break up the destructive crystallization of this
configuration. By accepting life on its own terms with a sense of
compassion and understanding, rather than forcing it to satisfy our own
uncompromising
demands, we can become a stabilizing anchor for many."
Powerful words. A powerful time.
THE MOON'S NODES
form two arms of the grand cross. These points in space represent our
karmic past and evolutionary future, with the South Node showing
qualities we are leaving behind, and the North Node revealing the higher
destiny we are moving toward.
There
is a strong evolutionary imperative to this Full Moon. The North Node
in Leo is calling for us to come together at the heart level, to hold
the courage of compassion as our banner, and to demonstrate that which
we aspire to become. The South Node in Aquarius shows our fallback
patterns: ambivalence, over-intellectualizing
instead of feeling our emotions, and reducing the personal to
impersonal so that we do not have to become involved.
This
inclusion of the Nodes in the Full Moon chart
carries extra significance since the Nodes are almost done with their
journey through the Leo/Aquarius axis. They will move into the next pair
of signs on November 6, and so are working extra hard to get us to take
this essential step in our evolutionary journey.
Echoing
the lessons of the Nodes, the Moon aligns with the fixed star Stella
Mira at the time of the Full Moon. Astrologer Roderick Kidston writes
that Stella Mira "is a star of independence; this drive to fly solo can
run the gamut from inspiring individualism through various degrees of
difference, eccentricity, or even to a sense of alienation. But the
truth is, the world needs you, with your unusual way or perceiving and
interpreting it. Opt IN, not
out!"
THE FOURTH POINT
of the grand cross is held by the Sun and retrograde Venus, both in
Scorpio. The alignment of these two planets perfects on Friday, carrying
the effects
of the Full Moon well into next weekend. We'll also see fallout from the
lunation occurring in the following week as well, when Venus exactly
opposes Uranus right before re-entering Libra (on October 31).
Venus
is the goddess of Beauty and Love, and
thus in astrology, she rules those people and things that we open our
human hearts to. With her involvement in the grand cross, we can expect
changes in our relationships that encourage both parties to claim their
own unique voice and perspective. We may also experience shifts of our
core values, represented by the ways that we earn, spend, and save
money. And, since Venus rules the Arts, our creative outlets may change,
or we may decide to explore entirely new and original ways of
expressing
our art.
And,
given that Venus is in truth-revealing Scorpio, she is currently adding
her voice to the #MeToo movement. This means other shocking secrets related to the abuse of power may
be uncovered this week and next. Or, with Venus now retrograde, this
may instead be a time for deep internal processing and cleansing of dark
relationships and experiences from our past, as we rebel (Uranus)
against the limitations that these memories have placed on us.
AMIDST
all this potential upheaval, we must remember that Uranus, while called
the god of Chaos, is also a transpersonal planet and the planetary
representative of the Higher Mind. The lightning bolt that can alter a
physical life in a split second may also be the inspired insight or
channeled information that likewise can remap the course of our
journey.
Upsetting
changes tend to play an important role in the process of our global
awakening. It's just that, for the most part, our perceptions are still
limited and do not provide us with the greater overview. But if humanity
is meant
to start thinking in new, more expansive ways, and acting with greater
compassion and mindfulness, how else are the gods to get our attention?
If all proceeds in calm and ordered fashion, we don't tend to see the
need for change.
IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: There
is a deep restlessness stirring in your being over the coming year, one
that calls you to break free from ways that you have been limiting your
personal fulfillment. This may have already started (if your birthday
is Monday-Thursday), or may be still in its nascent stages (if your
birthday is Friday-Sunday). This could manifest as a literal rebellion
against the status quo of your life, especially in resistance to the
"shoulds" that you have unconsciously allowed to
make decisions for you. This is meant to be a time when you focus on
what you need and want. As a result, you may find yourself
pushing against those who want you to fill a certain role or be a
certain way. Or, you may experience a loved one as being particularly
erratic or unpredictable, so that you become more aware of yourself as a
separate individual with your own unique role and path. You are coming
into greater authenticity, and learning to appreciate and honor who you
are and how
you want to live your life.
