Full Moon: October 3-4, 2009

2:11 AM EDT / 6:11 AM GMT/ 11:11pm (Oct 3) PDT

11 Aries 9

The Aries Full Moon rivets attention to how we function as individuals and in relationships. We’ve been spending the summer diving deep within and settling comfortably and lovingly into our own skins. Now it’s time for a checkup on how we’re faring with the people around us. We have gone through a considerable transformation over the course of this year, especially with the relationship archetypes Venus and Mars having joined twice and traveled together for so long. Our relationship dynamics are now transformed as well, and this Moon sheds light on just how.

In Aries, the Moon is aggressive, impulsive and independent, the ultimate self-sufficient free agent, yet is ready to dash into danger to save someone in trouble. In Libra, the Sun not merely aware of the Other’s existence, but measures and balances seemingly everything against it. This opposition straddles fiery emotional independence, on one end, and inescapable intellectual connections, on the other. It’s an interesting combination, given how the heart has come to the fore and taken precedence over the mind for all of us this year. Our masculine, mental nature, represented by the Sun in Libra, acknowledges the existence of others in our lives and the need to forge and maintain harmony. Emotionally we may choose to act for or on behalf of another, but with the Moon in Aries, our hearts belong only to ourselves. We are free to give of them or not, depending on whether the situation ignites our personal passions.

This Full Moon is ruled by the cosmic lovers Venus and Mars. After having traveled so close and compatibly for so many months, they are symbolically in a face-off. Yet the showdown isn’t necessarily stormy. In fact, it enjoys a kind of cosmic balance, because each end of it blends the feminine and the masculine. Mars rules Aries, the sign occupied by the Moon, the seat of our emotions and feminine, receptive nature, while Venus rules Libra, the sign occupied by the Sun, which represents our personality and masculine nature. Venus and Mars are moving into a semi-sextile, which offers the opportunity for collaboration and harmony between our hearts and wills, as well as within our one-on-one interactions.

Both planets are in contact with the outer planets in Aquarius and Pisces, too, opening us to insight, expansion, enlightenment and healing. Venus and Mars are each in an inconjunct to Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune, an aspect that requires an adjustment or a choice. We can choose a higher path of generous-heartedness, self-mastery and compassion, or we can escape into fantasy or blame the wounding of our past for any current relationship woes. If you are still looking backwards, this Full Moon can reorient your perspective. With Venus opposing Uranus and Mars trining the cosmic awakener, new viewpoints, directions and situations are possible. As relationship matters escalate and reach a point of culmination, as issues related to any Full Moon always do, whatever comes to a head will push us organically and nigh on effortlessly into breakthroughs. At very least, the way we look at and experience them will move into new, freer territory.

The Sabian Symbol for the Moon at 12 degrees Aries is
A FLOCK OF WILD GEESE.

Commentary: The ‘Flock of Wild Geese’ is a beautifully inspiring image of brotherhood and Aquarian ideals. Watching them fly can inspire feelings of group cohesion and the beauty of natural rhythms. The ‘Flock’ shows the need to join with others in a journey or a quest. Remember to take your cue from the ‘Wild Geese’ – when they fly in formation, they take turns in leading the way. Likewise, when one gets tired or sick, another takes the lead.

Oracle: Whilst this is a Symbol of working together with others, be wary of losing your sense of individuality. There may be a feeling of wanting to leave behind previous life constraints, to be able to spread your wings, to seek freedom from difficulties. However, there’s a need to take note of “seasonal” variations that are happening around you. Obviously there is a time to “fly” and a time to relax and recover. You can’t always be on the go; you must look after your needs for nourishment and sleep. ‘Geese’ are known for forming lifelong partnerships, so marriage or partnership may indeed be a consideration in this situation. However, it can sometimes be hard to ‘ground’ relationships. This Symbol is very much about brotherhood, respect and getting along with others. Taking off with those of like mind can lead to a whole new view of life or indeed a whole new adventure. Still, continually taking off on tangents with others whilst you could be making more permanent and loyal commitments to the long term can really test relationships. Remember to be aware of your responsibilities, to both yourself and others in the group. Know that there is support out there for you; just ask.

Keywords: Aquarian ideals of brotherhood. Attunement to planetary rhythms. Spirit liberated from matter. Wanting to take off by one’s self, but not being able to. Focused group activity and support. Group mentality, action and agreement. Intuition and telepathy. Choreography. Camaraderie. “Honking” to egg each other on. Flying in the slipstream. Responses to seasonal changes.

The Caution: Following the leader without knowing where one’s going. Never knowing where to land, or where to ground oneself. Wild goose chases. Not recognizing the brotherhood in humanity. Losing a sense of individual identity. Going off in the wrong direction.

Birds of a feather flock together. Saying

There is a destiny that makes us brothers, No one goes his way alone; All that we send into the lives of others, Comes back into our own. Edwin Markham

I met a hundred men going to Delhi and everyone is my brother. Indian Saying

A goose flies by a chart which the Royal Geographical Society could not mend. Oliver Wendell Holmes

Don’t refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase. That’s what wild geese are made for. Henry S. Haskins

Cross in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you. Malagasy Proverb

Likeness causes liking. Romanian Proverb

Not the cry, but the flight of the wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow. Chinese Proverb

The Sabian Symbol for the Sun at 12 degrees Libra is
MINERS ARE EMERGING FROM A DEEP COAL MINE.

Commentary: ‘Miners Are Emerging From a Deep Coal Mine’. They’ve been working hard, and the now siren has sounded and their shift is finished. Coming back to the surface, they can take a deep breath and feel themselves infused with fresh energy. Even if the Sun is going down at the end of the day, it and fresh air can bring a new awareness and wonder at being alive. The ‘Miners’ are free for now and finished with the day’s work.

Oracle: It may feel as though you’ve been operating in the dark, or in some kind of underworld. When we’ve been submerged in work, deep issues or spaces for a long time, we often end up feeling suppressed and worn-out. Thoughts and emotions can be clouded with doubt and fear making them difficult to plumb or discover. You may feel like you have been in some kind of hell, perhaps you’ve had to go into the depths in the search for something. A feeling of breathlessness can erupt from not being able to understand what’s happening. Take a deep breath and learn to relax! Delving deeply can bring messages from the subconscious that reveal some surprising things.

However, it is often not enough to merely find the message; there’s also a need to bring any realizations into the clear light of day so that you, and others, can benefit from this passage and learn to breathe more freely. Imagine coming back to the surface, taking a deep breath and feeling yourself infused with the energy of fresh air and the sun. Look carefully at situations, for it may take time for your eyes to adjust to the new light. Even if you need to go back within, into the ‘Deep Coal Mine’ in the near future, having faith and acceptance of being able to operate and see in “the dark” will assist you with any problems you may encounter. If you are ‘Emerging’ with others, this can lead to a ‘Deep’ sense of camaraderie, as people realize that they’ve been through the same straights and have come out okay.

Keywords: Release from arduous labor. Stopping work. Coming into the light. Deep subconscious healing. Hypnotherapy. Going into dark places. Claustrophobia. Memories from the past or out of nowhere. Things dark and “gothic”. Lung and breathing problems. Persephone emerging. The labyrinth of the mind. The mind flooding. Tunnel vision. Caves. Mines. Digging for answers. Relief and time off. Ghost stories.

The Caution: Gloomy outlooks. Not seeing potentials. Emerging with a “blackened face”. Difficulty breathing. Earning a living being a life and death situation. Working hard for small rewards. Emotional loops. Things hard to escape. Fear of confinement or capture.

The depth of darkness to which you can descend and still live is an exact measure of the height to which you can aspire to reach. Laurens Van der Post

To me every hour of light and dark is a miracle. Every cubic inch of space is a miracle. Walt Whitman

For many children, joy comes as the result of mining something unique and wondrous about themselves from some inner shaft. Thomas J. Cottle

Underground issues from one relationship or context invariably fuel our fires in another. Harriet Lerner

In isolation I ruthlessly plow the deep silences, seeking my opportunities like a miner seeking veins of treasures. In what shallow glimmering space shall I find what glimmering glory? Jamaica Kincaid

Beauty is also to be found in a day’s work. Mamie Sypert Burns

Now if I tell you that you suffer from delusions You pay your analyst to reach the same conclusions You live your life like a canary in a coalmine. Sting