He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.
Sun Tzu
On the 29th of September 2023 the Full Moon falls in the first decan of Aries.
The new world she has entered seems raw, brutal even; cut off as she is, from everything that offered her security in the past, she feels vulnerable in the open landscape. A whole new world lies before her, and the wounds inflicted by her severance bleed as she considers her mounting excitement at the prospect of change and renewal. It is as if she is delayed in a cosmic birth canal, still in danger, powerless to express her final finished form, yet anticipatory and filled with potential.
It seems counterintuitive to exclude the vast panorama that spreads before her, but if she does not have the strength to traverse the lands that lie ahead, what is the point of considering it, she wonders?
Developing an inner stability from which she can continue, would seem to be the most important task at the present time, so, unable as yet to fully comprehend this half-formed new life, she focuses inwards. It is her understanding that the challenge of perfecting her physical vehicle will be paramount to the level of success she will achieve in moving forward; she must attend with full concentration and spend this time and effort wisely.
The basic act of creation lies at the heart of this Aries Full Moon. Whether in the creation of the self, as in the manifestation of a fertile inner relationship, or in the unions that can be formed with others, the roles we play in such situations and the balance of power contained within them will be up for review.
The Sun, in its fall in Libra, is opposed by the Moon as it waxes in Aries, where the Sun finds its exaltation. This dynamic suggests that the quality of our relationships will be coming under scrutiny, we will be called to examine where power balances may be unequal, and where past attachments to unhealthy situations can now be released. Our need for relationships will be questioned at this time, especially if there are existing situations that undermine our own sense of personal power, as we tune in further towards the desire to express a more powerful and authentic sense of our own agency.
Mars, the ruler of this lunation, like the Sun, also lacks dignity as he finds his detriment in Libra and is forced to consider the needs and wants of others. Despite being unused to expressing consideration and care, he may be forced into yielding some of his brash and bravado to find the compromise necessary to promote a healthier balance in his dealings with others.
As Venus separates from her sextile to Mars, she hints at a working partnership built on mutual respect, perhaps the desire to create a dynamic and powerful union, although Lady Venus is likely to grow impatient with Mars’ on-the-fence attitude as in Libra, he shirks a definite position and is unable to commit to a defined goal. Although Venus has pushed her virtue on Mars it is unlikely to be enough, and she could well grow impatient with any non-committal stance by taking matters into her own hands, translating the light of that detrimental Mars to Uranus. Watch for eruptions and rebellion in all things Venusian, as tensions mount and boundaries break with the mutually applying square between Venus and Uranus followed by the tightening square between Mars and Pluto. This “fallout” over the following ten days or so, could well trigger manifest events as Pluto, grinding away on the subterranean level in the final degrees of Capricorn turns direct.
Relationships of all kinds are likely to reveal the tensions inherent at this Full Moon, so expect a bit of a shakedown as personal needs are expressed in the desire for personal recognition. As we honour the right to be heard on an individual basis, in our relationships, at a collective level, the right to independent free thought and speech is gradually being eroded. All over the world, new laws are being passed which limit our ability to speak freely, publish freely, and make our views known; it is becoming an offense in more and more places, punishable by law, to speak out against the current narrative. The inherent tension within this lunation threatens to create a maelstrom where true justice is lost in a confusion of social contagion and political correctness.
The primeval desire for a concrete and stabilized existence is a collective yearning at this particular point in time. Access to resources such as food and shelter, and a sense of safety from physical and emotional harm, fundamental concerns for all of us, are likely to become headline news. Although the prevailing atmosphere will be urging for unity, we may experience it as defined by a salutation to the party line, rather than as individuals uniting under a banner of freedom where there is the acceptance of differing opinions.
The first decan of Aries encapsulates a masculine, warlike, and martial energy, useful for starting projects, breaking through inertia, and focusing on personal goals; it is not known for subtlety, grace, or social niceties. Collective stories around this Full Moon will likely highlight themes of domination, control, power, and aggression and as Aries is also associated with the head, there may be a few of them “rolling” as penance is demanded.
The Full Moon in Aries, always falling as it does around the Autumn Equinox, signals a powerful time for release, the beginning of Autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern. Illness is commonplace, as our bodies begin to adjust to the change of tempo, knowing at the root level that it is time to discard what is no longer relevant. Unstable weather is also a feature of this period, as the energy of Mars is summoned, often coming in the form of stormy conditions, exacerbated by his current position in Libra, a sign that begs consideration and balance, rather than Mars usual “take aim and fire” approach.
In Tarot terms, the energies of the Two of Wands (Moon in the first decan of Aries) and the Two of Swords (Sun in the first decan of Libra), express the upcoming lunation. The Moon fully reflects the light of the Sun, showing the power we have, if only we set our minds at rest; that perhaps our greatest power, is dependant on our ability to admit that we are powerless. The terms conquer, dominate, and rule, seem to be most often associated with harshness, brutality and war, expressions of physical force, but at this time, we may well be asked to consider how our own inability to see what has been happening around us, may have forced us into a corner, and be dominating our lives, perhaps in ways we really find uncomfortable.
The opportunities at this Full Moon, arise in the ability to look deeply into how our difficulty with looking at perhaps inconvenient truths, are actually dominating our lives, and how if we tune into the emotional balance and peace that we truly seek, that we are able to experience a different world, one that aligns more comfortably with our hearts desire.
The theme of standing on the threshold of a whole new world will be a theme surrounding this period, both on the personal and the collective level. As we make the brave decisions life requires of us, it will be important to remember that we alone know what is best for our own situation, and that the time is past for leaving ourselves with the ought’s and the shoulds carved from our anticipation of others needs; it is time to break free.
Joanna-Kate Grant 