On October 9th at 3:54 p.m. CDT, the Sun in Libra opposes the Moon in 16’32° of Aries ushering in a full moon cycle. This full moon offers powerful healing potential through release of old identities and allows us to come into deeper acceptance of all the parts of ourselves.
During a full moon, our “emotional body” is heightened, and we become more in tune with previously repressed or disregarded feelings. That which we haven’t been present to surfaces to be felt, informed and released.
This full moon opens the eclipse gates and initiates us into a season of significant evolutionary growth. This is the last full moon before the eclipse in two weeks. On October 25th there will be a solar eclipse at 2° Scorpio, and on November 8th there will be a lunar eclipse at 16° Taurus.
This full moon correlates to the new moon in Aries that occurred on April 1st, 2022. The past six months have been a cycle of awakening to our authentic self. We deepen our understanding of the relationship between our conditioned survival self and true self. To create space for a new beginning, we shed layers of adapted strategies that keep us in resistance or cause us to protect parts of ourselves.
Aries as an Archetype
Aries is the most fiery of the zodiac signs, bursting forth head first with passion, enthusiasm and a zest for life. This archetype activates our relationship to courage, along with the will to put it to the test. Aries is the warrior archetype, eager to face a challenge, move on instinct, advocate for others and step forward bravely in the face of adversity.
Aries eagerly takes risks because they need to feel alive, even if they put themselves in harm’s way. This is an archetype that doesn’t always think things through and often charges ahead when provoked or challenged. Aries is meant to trust their instincts in the moment and allow their instincts to guide them. One of the lessons of this archetype is to learn how to choose their battles and not fight at every opportunity. They need to learn when they intuitively feel their soul urging them to draw the sword. When the need for freedom calls, Aries is able to connect to a fight that’s aligned with their soul essence.
This full moon calls for a new cycle of trusting our instincts. It invites us to take the right inspired action and move from intuitive connection with the body. To trust our intuitive knowing over the cultural static and conditioned beliefs, we must rise up through inner validation. This lunation is a call to forage a new path that expresses an authentic self. It is okay if no one else fully understands where you are going. It is possible there is no model of your path.You are the new model, called to pioneer a new way that supports the evolution of the new earth. Allow yourself the space and time that you need to feel into this sacred call.
“You are a powerful point of consciousness. A bright particle of light within the Greater Light. Be brave, be wise, and always trust your gut.”
Anthon St. Maarten
The Aries/Libra Polarity
This lunation brings our awareness to the roles we identify with in our various one-on-one relationships. Specifically it brings our attention to balancing our needs for independence and the expression of the individual self with our relationship needs. We renegotiate the terms of our relationship agreements, advocate for our needs and learn the power of cooperation.
Aries symbolizes our need for freedom to explore and express ourselves as an individual and take inspired action; while Libra represents our desire to connect, to advocate for equality, learn more about who we are through our relationships, and practice comparison and contrast to understand both sides of a situation.
Working with this polarity consciously, we awaken to more of what we wish to create in our relationships, understand what our individual and relationship needs are and express them clearly. We then can move forward courageously to initiate needed changes. We uncover the ways we have been managing our relationship agreements in order to bring balance and align with our needs and desires: whether direct vs. passive aggressive, a healthy sense of assertiveness vs. forceful, diplomatic and fair vs. engaging as a victim. We can now choose to meet our relationships with a more respectful, considerate and balanced approach.
Working With Our Anger
This energy brings awareness to our relationship to anger. We may feel all that we have been suppressing, which can support a release of what we have been holding. We may feel more aggression, impatience or reactivity. We may be able to channel the anger and frustration from a past situation or relationship to take courageous action that feels empowering for a new chapter. Anger can also be a powerful tool that informs us where a line has been crossed or where we need to set a boundary. When we are present to our anger, we can allow it to intuitively inform us rather than reacting. This is an important time for us to find a healthy outlet for our anger and to move energy through the body. Movement helps dissipate stress and energy that we are currently experiencing.
Working With the Persona
This lunation is calling you to look deeper at your relationship to your persona and see it completely with presence and acceptance. When we see our persona fully, we no longer vilify, shame or hide but rather learn to be present with all the parts of ourselves and engage with them consciously. The persona is the face that we show the world, the armor that we wear and survival mechanisms that we engage in to belong and connect to cultural and family groups.
Carl Jung defines the persona as “a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and on the other to conceal the true nature of the individual.” This has often been viewed as a negative thing in our culture, but in certain situations, among cultural groups and environments, the persona is an important way to meet and connect with others. We don’t need the fullest expression of our authentic self, for example, in the grocery store, at a new book club, at a job interview, as a passenger on an airplane, on a first date or at a PTA meeting. The persona can support us in navigating a situation where there are basic cultural expectations of us, and it can help us to feel accepted when we feel insecure or guarded. It works to protect our most vulnerable parts until we know that we are in a safe space or have established trust to share more of ourselves. Having a well-crafted public persona can help us form new connections, engage in activities and advance in our careers. That in itself isn’t a bad thing.
“Our persona was not created by accident; it was created in order to camouflage the parts of ourselves we deemed the most undesirable and to overcompensate for what we believe to be our deepest flaws. What persona are you hiding behind?”
Debbie Ford
In a world where oversharing can sometimes be seen as authentic, inspiring and real, working with our persona to engage with others consciously and in a boundaried way is important. Granted, sharing is valuable and gratifying, but what happens when we feel the need to always overshare? Do we feel this is what is expected from us so we have to continue to deliver? Are we checking in with ourselves and honoring our intuitive truth? People may meet in a spiritual workshop and immediately begin to share and bond over their biggest wounds and childhood patterns. Caroline Myss observed this in her workshops and calls it woundology. This type of sharing in a new relationship or environment is relatively new in our culture and has been elevated to a whole new level with high-drama marketing, clickbait stories and social media livestreams. Sometimes it is incredibly powerful to take a courageous step and lead with vulnerability. The type of authenticity and grounded realness shifts the energy of a room and can deepen the capacity of where a group energy or a relationship dynamic can go, but sometimes, it is just an overshare. There is grace in reading the room and trusting our instincts and intuition to guide us in the moment. Some moments require us to be more vulnerable and courageous. At other times, vulnerability would be considered entirely inappropriate given the circumstances. In this world of reality TV, high-drama cinema and oversharing to complete strangers on social media, this full moon asks you to check in. Do we know who we are? Are we present with how we are engaging the world? How might we bring out more of our authentic self, and what do we need to feel safe in doing so? Do we have people in our lives who see us and who we can share our true self with?
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”
Brené Brown
This full moon energy brings awareness and compassion to all the tender places within that we try to hide for fear of rejection, abandonment or failure. We release the fear and shame so that we can honor all the parts of ourselves and choose consciously when to engage them. We honor the need to express ourselves authentically and the need to adapt, function and survive in our society. Both are valid needs and serve us in exquisite ways. We strengthen our connection to our inner voice and move from inspired action as a result of this understanding.
Cosmic Weather
At the time of the full moon, Pluto and Mercury are no longer in retrograde. Pluto in Capricorn changes direction less than 24 hours before the full moon is exact. As Pluto is slowing down to change course it plays an important role in the full moon chart and highlights our relationship to power, control and trust. We are asked to be present with all that we feel and open to a new level of emotional alchemy. We practice surrender so that we can open to a higher level of trust in divine intelligence and use our power to empower others. The lesson we are being asked to learn is that true power resides inside us, and that it can only be attained by facing the hidden parts of ourselves, accepting the shadow and bringing the unconscious into the light.
The Moon’s conjunction with Chiron in Aries offers the potential for healing our emotional wounds. We may experience a situation that activates a painfully familiar situation from our childhood. We go to the origin story in order to evolve to a new understanding and level of power within. This aspect asks us to cultivate the courage to stand up for ourselves. We may feel pain for the times in which we weren’t able to stand up for ourselves and advocate for our needs. Chiron’s connection to the full moon chart shows us our vulnerable places so that they heal through our ability to show up as we are in our relationships, our sacred work and our lives. It is through this process that we remember our wholeness.
The full moon is opposite Venus in Libra. This energy invites us to overcome relationship tensions through self-love and self-acceptance. We are deeply connected to our genuine desire to be seen and accepted for who we truly are. This is an important time to express and share more of ourselves with those who we trust the most. We may feel called to take the risk and share something that is sacred to us that the people in our lives don’t know. We take courageous risk toward deeper intimacy and are invited to accept all the parts of ourselves.
Saturn makes a sextile to the full moon, offering emotional maturity and patience. It supports us in achieving balance between emotions and reason. We can bring our attention to what we wish to build long term, while also honoring our emotional needs.
The full moon is square Pallas Athena in Cancer, inviting us to practice empathic listening, emotional honesty and self-parenting. We may feel a tension between our needs and our family. We open to a new understanding of our patterns that wasn’t previously conscious.
The Invitation
This full moon invites us to be present with all the parts of ourselves and to recognize that all the parts of us serve us on our path to evolution and wholeness. The more conscious awareness we bring to all our different aspects, the more choice we have in how and when to engage them. The more we practice self-care and pay attention to regulating our nervous system,the more that we can offer compassion to ourselves and others. It is through confronting the most hidden and vulnerable parts of ourselves that we unlock the treasure and healing medicine within. This lunation is sacred preparation for our eclipse season and the new beginning ahead.