The Light and Dark and In Between
Libra's ability to see both sides can keep you stuck in polar opposites. This Full Moon encourages you to take a down-to-earth view that reveals what's in between those extremes. Look to beauty, pleasure, comfort—and let yourself be surprised!
FULL MOON in LIBRA
16:07
Ottawa, Canada and
Washington DC, USA:
Apr. 6, 2023, 12:34 AM EDT
Apr. 5, 2023:
11:34 PM CDT
10:34 PM MDT
9:34 PM PDT
8:34 PM AKDT
7:34 PM HAST
London, UK:
Apr. 6, 2023, 5:34 AM BST
Sydney, AU:
Apr. 6, 2023, 2:34 PM AEST</p >
We are all dealt a hand at birth. A good hand can ultimately lose - just as a poor hand can win - but we must all play the cards fate deals. The choices we face may not be the choices we want, but they are choices nonetheless.
~ Brigid Kemmerer, A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Emphasis on Aries and Taurus
After that explosive New Moon in Aries (March 21st), this Full Moon in Libra (April 6th) is like the splatter on the opposite wall that results from it. Not feeling like anything has burst into your life since then? That's okay, it can take time for raw energy to take shape and become more noticeable. Keep your eyes open for new or increased activity, especially in terms of your close relationships and partnerships, as well as art, music, beauty and things that make you feel good about life.
There are currently 6 planets clustered in Aries and Taurus, concentrating a lot of planetary weight in a very narrow zodiacal space. Both of those signs contain a 3-point Stellium – the Sun, Chiron and Jupiter in Aries (also all conjunct), and Mercury, Uranus and Venus in Taurus. This creates some very concentrated energy in both Aries and Taurus.
All that Aries force, zest and activity must now be held in Libran balance, in order to provide some stability and sustainability for whatever you're aiming to do at the moment. That's the primary job of this Libra Moon, which is isolated on one side of the zodiac from the other planets (and most of the major asteroids).
Therefore, the Moon is the Handle of the chart, from which everything else dangles. Once you get a grasp on that Libra Moon energy, you're in a position to direct and work with the rest of the chart. One way to do that is to establish a frame of mind that counterbalances your experiences with other people.
So, if someone around you is angry or aggressive, it can help to stay in your centre where you can choose how to respond, rather than just feel like you're in defensive mode. Another example: if you're around other people who are inspiring, uplifting, healing or stimulating, you could find ways to reach back and show how much you appreciate their energy.
If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.
~ E.B. White
Venus Rules!
There is also considerable weight in Taurus, including Mercury (also conjunct the North Lunar Node), Uranus, and Venus. Venus rules both Libra and Taurus, so Venus is very strong (being in her sign of rulership, Taurus) and also a very influential planet (being the ruler of the Full Moon). When the Libra Moon needs advice about how to deal with all those planets in Aries and Taurus, she turns to Venus who tells her, "When in doubt, do what feels good. Do it for joy and pleasure and beauty."
Venus is the Final Dispositor of the chart, using traditional rulerships. That means all the other planets can trace their rulership back to Venus, who has the last word in any discussion.
- Chiron, Sun and Jupiter in Aries > Mars in Cancer > Moon in Libra > Venus in Taurus
- Saturn and Neptune in Pisces > Jupiter in Aries > Mars in Cancer > Moon in Libra > Venus in Taurus
- Pluto in Aquarius > Saturn in Pisces > Jupiter in Aries > Mars in Cancer > Moon in Libra > Venus in Taurus
- Mercury and Uranus in Taurus > Venus in Taurus
This gives Venus a lot of responsibility, since all planets ultimately turn to her for advice, support and resources. Her message focuses on practicality and pleasure. Do what you need to do to ensure you have enough of whatever you need – financial, physical, spiritual, emotional. And don't lose sight of why you're doing it – find ways to have pleasure, love, beauty and comfort in your life. Otherwise, why are you doing it? Even necessity will have room for a positive attitude and a gentle acceptance of what you're facing.
Venus is trine Pluto and sextile Neptune, creating what I call a Mini-Trine aspect pattern. This configuration indicates there is easy-flowing energy in the air, although it involves out-of-sign aspects (a.k.a. dissociate aspects). This tends to dilute the energy somewhat since the signs are not entirely compatible with each other.
Venus in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces are Earth and Water: different yet compatible. This emphasizes the opportunity to take Venus' love of pleasure, abundance and comfort, and raise them up to be more than just satisfying or titillating – they can be spiritual and inspiring and can serve a purpose greater than one's own benefit.
Pluto is now in Aquarius, an Air sign, which doesn't always click with Earth. On the plus side, they work well together with logic, facts and organization. On the minus side, Air can find Earth to be too stuck, too slow, and rule-bound, while Earth can find Air to be too scattered, too distractible, and too theoretical.
So, this Mini-Trine offers strength such as grounding yourself in cozy comfort, both spiritual and physical, plus the ability to speculate about the underlying meaning and significance. The trick is you'll need to use conscious intention to bring these energies together to benefit from them. Like pieces of a puzzle, they can fit together but you need to actually put them together.
Stability means figuring out how to prioritize what serves you, not feeling like a failure if you don't do everything perfectly, & just balancing everything as best you can.
~ Ellen Forney, Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice From My Bipolar Life
Mini-Trine: Mars, Mercury, Saturn
Mars finally made it out of Gemini on March 25th, where he had been since Aug. 20, 2022 due to his retrograde cycle (Oct. 30, 2022 to Jan. 12, 2023; in the shadow from Sep. 3, 2022 to March 16, 2023). Mars is now in Cancer, where he is in Fall (opposite the sign of Exaltation), meaning he struggles to express his genuine energy in Cancer since it goes against his nature. Mars loves to be fast, direct, to the point, bursting with life force, emotionally expressive, and ready to fight whatever battles comes his way.
Mars must now follow Cancer's rules until May 20 when he goes into Leo. Until then, all that assertive/aggressive energy needs to be filtered through compassion, caring, empathy and sensitivity – not really Mars' idea of a good time. So, all that energy needs to find an outlet that will conform to Cancer's agenda.
When OOB, Mars takes Gemini's love of words, communication, ideas and information, and takes it to greater heights. Mars can be outspoken, passionate about one's message to the world, a crusader for free speech, and forceful in how his energy is expressed. When OOB in Cancer, Mars can become a fierce defender of the vulnerable (think Mama Bear), defensive when faced with disapproval, and apt to channel forceful energy into socially acceptable activities (e.g. athletics).
Meanwhile, Mercury is fused with the North Lunar Node in Taurus, with an orb of a mere 2 arc-minutes. Like Mars, Mercury normally prefers to do things fast and free, but in Taurus he must take his time and find ways to enjoy the journey, not just get to where he's going.
So for example, you may find you're a bit distracted by the playful alliteration of words in the book you're reading, or you get an "earworm" more easily as the last song you heard keeps playing in your head. Don't just dismiss these, though. With the North Node involved, it suggests that there may be added purpose, information and benefit to be gained, perhaps resonating with subconscious thoughts you're not paying attention to.
In Taurus, Mercury could also get stuck in one way of looking at things, making it harder to consider a different view. The plus side is that this can enhance your concentration and ability to stay focused on what is occupying your mind, but on the minus side it could make it more difficult to open your mind to new ideas. Be careful not to become stubborn simply for the sake of not wanting to be wrong.
Saturn recently waded into Pisces (March 7) and he is still getting his "sea-legs." Thankfully, Saturn is enjoying mostly calm waters, with an easy-going trine aspect to Mars and sextile to Mercury and the Node. Mars in turn is also tightly sextile to Mercury and the Node.
This forms a second Mini-Trine aspect pattern. with Mars trine Saturn and Mercury (plus Node) sextile to both. This can help to keep you grounded and stable in your thinking, your communication, your expression of feelings and emotions, and your need to feel your everyday duties and responsibilities serve some higher purpose.
This configuration stays in orb from April 2 to 9, reaching their closest orb (2:22 max) on April 5. So, for about a week you have a chance to tap into this energy of increased concentration and ability to figure out solutions and plans, and to put them into action.
One more thing about Mercury. No sooner does the Moon become Full on April 6 but Mercury enters the retrograde shadow the next day to get ready for his next retrograde cycle. We've enjoyed a very long period of time when all planets have been direct, from Jan. 22 to April 21. That's about to end when Mercury goes retrograde on April 21, followed by Pluto stationing retrograde on May 1.
When planets are direct, we can access their energy more... well, directly. And when they're retrograde, they speak to us more internally, indirectly, introspectively or unconventionally. So, April 6 begins 8 weeks of going back over the last 3 months to process what happened, to extract the important knowledge, and to integrate this into your plans through the summer (or winter if you're south of the equator).
My scars remind me that I did indeed survive my deepest wounds. That in itself is an accomplishment. And they bring to mind something else, too. They remind me that the damage life has inflicted on me has, in many places, left me stronger and more resilient. What hurt me in the past has actually made me better equipped to face the present.
~ Steve Goodier
Healing the Wounds of Self
The Sun loves being in Aries, so much so he is given a special title – Exalted. As the significator of our spiritual fire, and being in a Fire sign whose nature is to burst forth with purpose and life force, the Sun is excited and eager to shine his light through the Aries prism.
The Sun, Chiron and Jupiter are in a race through Aries. The Sun is barely a nose past Chiron, having tied just 6 hours before the Moon was exactly Full, and now the Sun is gaining on Jupiter (exact on April 11). The 3 of them are in a close triple conjunction (within a 4½ degree orb), and opposite the Moon.
The Sun conjunct Jupiter in Aries enhances confidence, optimism, and your vision of possibilities. On the other hand, there's a risk of this being too much of a good thing – snap judgments before you have all the facts, being reckless in your actions, or coming across like a know-it-all with a distinct lack of humility. It may be more helpful to use tentative words like "might" or "could" or "one way to look at it is," instead of "must" or "is" or "the real truth is."
The Sun conjunct Chiron in Aries could have a wounding or healing effect, or even both. On the wounding side, you might encounter a situation that triggers a feeling of self-doubt, or not being good enough, or a fear that you're being too timid. On the healing side, though, this can be an opportunity to give yourself validation, self-acceptance, and permission to be okay with yourself.
Jupiter was exactly conjunct Chiron on March 12, and they are within an 8° orb from Jan. 22 to April 25. Chiron takes between 1+ and 8+ years to go through a sign—typically 7¼ years in Aries. Depending on Chiron's sign, there can be around 13-19 years between conjunctions with Jupiter. In this case, the last conjunction was in Aquarius in December 2009, about 13 years ago.
When these two planets embrace in conjunction, it can encourage you to find courage and confidence in the knowledge that you can get through any kind of crisis or dilemma. Why? Because you've been through so much already and you're still here! You may have suffered through those tough times, but you made it through, right? Give yourself a pat on the back for that – you deserve it.
On the other hand, you may be confronted by hurdles that leave you with a wounded sense of confidence. You might find you're second-guessing yourself, reluctant to believe in your strengths and haunted by (what feel like) weaknesses. Perhaps you're confusing a healthy humility with lack of confidence? During this current conjunction, you have the opportunity to do a deeper dive into what that's all about, and to give yourself credit for the times you did good. You've got about 2 more weeks to work with this energy, so make the most of it.
Begin with fact based optimism.
~ Bruce Mau
Uranus – Exception to the Rule
The Moon is opposite the Chiron-Sun-Jupiter conjunction, creating a theme of, "There's this. But on the other hand, there's that." Uranus is tightly quincunx (150°) the Moon and semisextile (30°) the Sun and Chiron. This forms what I call an Irritation Wedge aspect pattern.
Quincunxes tend to put the two planets in each other's "blind spot." It's hard to connect the planetary energies on each side of the aspect. So, it's easy for the Libra Moon and the Aries Sun-Chiron to assume that the either-or dynamic in their opposition covers the whole scenario. However, Uranus is hovering just inside their peripheral vision with a different kind of message – there's more to the story.
Life is never simply either-or. There are always shades of grey between the light and dark absolutes. And you don't need to go off on a wild tangent to see it. With Uranus in grounded Taurus, there can be clear, down-to-earth, fact based reasons to see different perspectives and possibilities.
The message here is: don't get stuck in assuming that polar opposites are the only way to see things. They're only the beginning of the story.
Sabian Symbol
Sabian Symbol for Libra 17: A retired sea captain (watches ships entering and leaving the harbour.
Dane Rudhyar's interpretation of this Symbol seems to eerily reflect the Chiron-Sun-Jupiter conjunction in the current chart. "Old age may or may not bring to man this objective and calm understanding as one remembers the crises overcome and the quiet enjoyment of great life vistas or 'peak experiences,' but wisdom and inner serenity can hardly develop save on the basis of the overcoming of struggles and conflicts." (An Astrological Mandala)
The meaning of this Symbol draws on Libra's ability to have a balanced, impartial view of one's environment. Libra can easily see both sides of a situation, and although this can lead to indecision (how to choose??), it also allows a broader understanding that all sides of a conflict have their story to tell.
There are always advantages and disadvantages to any situation, and this also applies to the strengths and weaknesses that we all possess – there's always a plus side and a minus side. So before you to judging yourself or anyone else for falling short of what you think is ideal, look for the advantages in that shortfall. In what kind of situation would that be beneficial? Likewise for what you see as strengths – in what kind of situation might those strengths be a disadvantage?
Wildflower; pick up your pretty little head,
It will get easier, your dreams are not dead.
~ Nikki Rowe
By The Houses
In general, this Full Moon may show itself through other people in your life or through your interactions with others. Or, perhaps through a search for beauty and love in the world around you, or a way to feel uplifted and at peace with life. Or, you may find you need to find a more balanced way of understanding your strengths and weaknesses.
So: where is Libra found in your natal chart? What house is it in? (especially 16° Libra, depending on the house system you use.) That's where this Full Moon is likely to show itself in your life. The themes of that house can help you find balance, perhaps through an outlet or focus for all that Aries energy that emerged 2 weeks ago.
When all is said and done, most of us long to know how it all relates to us personally. One way to do learn this is to look for what house in your natal chart that the Full Moon is in. If you don't know your chart, you can calculate it for free online. You'll need to know your time of birth, but if you don't know it you can just use your Sun sign.
1st House or Aries: In the face of powerful energy from others, it can help to get grounded in your body. Become more aware of your own self—your reactions, preferences and needs. Check to see if the energy you're putting out might be inviting reactions from others, be it pleasant and/or uncomfortable.
2nd House or Taurus: Budget your money and resources, and be cautious about impulse-buying. A lot may be coming up from the unconscious, so ground yourself in the physical world, in your body, and things that make you feel good.
3rd House or Gemini: If you're on fire with inspiration, balance it by translating it into simpler terms that are easier to understand and integrate. Talk about it with friends. Putting it into words can help you grasp what you're experiencing more solidly.
4th House or Cancer: You may be juggling a lot of duties and responsibilities lately. If so, spending more time at home or in a relaxing environment will help prevent burnout. Spend some time with family, loved ones and people/places in your support system.
5th House or Leo: Try doing something creative that expresses your passion but also brings you comfort and pleasure. Or just be more playful with what you're doing. It can help to do things that show off your individual talents, or to find others who will appreciate your gifts.
6th House or Virgo: Balance yourself by attending to health matters, fitness, and increasing your awareness of what your body needs. If you've been feeling a bit isolated, try doing something that makes someone else feel good. Be on the lookout for details you had overlooked that could make a positive difference
7th House or Libra: Perhaps you're full of energy, be it excitement or anger, in which case it can help to connect with someone to share it with. It can help to get some feedback from someone you're close to, or maybe you can provide this to them. We all need to feel seen and understood.
8th House or Scorpio: If your finances are unusually hectic, advice from others may help you bring them into balance. If you're juggling multiple challenges in the physical, practical world, take some time to think about the deeper implications, like whether you're unintentionally setting yourself up for problems.
9th House or Sagittarius: You might benefit from reaching beyond the simple facts and basic information, to discover the greater wisdom that can be discovered from it all. Open your mind to a bigger world or a broader perspective, or set your sights on a new horizon of discovery.
10th House or Capricorn: Your life's work (be it career or goals or what you "do" in your life) may be challenging you to dare to be more confident and show what you're capable of. Find others who can appreciate, encourage and support what you're doing.
11th House or Aquarius: Your urge for self-expression may be strong, but you could benefit from feeling connected with the rest of the world – perhaps as an appreciative audience or with others—colleagues, friends, others doing similar things—who "get" where you're coming from and where you're going.
12th House or Pisces: If your health issues are on overdrive, it would probably help to take some time away from the world to find calm, avoid distraction, and bring yourself back to your centre. Or, you might be trying to do so much for others that you're burning out, so step away from the world to get some "me-time."
The next update will be for the Solar Eclipse and New Moon in Aries on April 20, 2023. Meanwhile, stay safe. Stay sane. Stay awesome. The world needs you. ❤️
I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.
~ Brené Brown
© 2023-04-05 Wendy Guy, all rights reserved. Astrological diagrams by Wendy Guy. Divider of dark to light spectrum abstract by Sean Sinclair via Unsplash.com. Sabian symbol image of "the salty sea dog" by Ivan Lapyrin via Unsplash.com.