Many motives move at once during the next full moon in Virgo on Thursday, March 5th at 1:05 PM PST.
If we were to take away the modern planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) we wouldn’t be left with much commotion at all, at least not on the surface, save a sweet trine from the lesser benefic, Venus, to the greater benefic, Jupiter, on Wednesday March 4th and a full moon in Virgo on Thursday March 5th. This is the last moon before two eclipses so we know that something is on its way. But it’s not here quite yet.
However once we consider the considerable effects of the outer planets, this full moon is like a frayed string trying to hold too much together. Much to the chagrin of Virgo, the chart for the full moon is anything but neat and tidy.
On one hand we have the development of energy in mutable signs; the full moon in Virgo, the sun, Neptune and Chiron all in Pisces, and Saturn newly in Sagittarius all aid the expression of this flexible modality. Mutable signs release and give away what was in order to make way for what is becoming. The sun in Pisces just recently made a conjunction with the dreamy, fluid, fantasy-laden Neptune and is about to conjunct the healing powers of the minor planet, Chiron, also in Pisces. This healing theme, albeit not entirely clear and concise, runs throughout our current astrology.
The sun in astrology acts like a spotlight, roaming through the terrain of each zodiacal sign. The monthly full moon acts like a counter or balancing light. The full moon offers this balance by occupying the opposite sign to that of the sun. In this case the sun is in Pisces and the full moon will be in Virgo.
Virgo’s eyes search only for perfection, or what is in the way of perfection. Pisces sees everything as already perfect. Pisces falls in love with potential. Pisces perceives promise. Virgo sees only what needs to get done. Virgo laments over the teensiest flaw. Virgo will work at something, anything, until it feels it has got it right. Pisces is attentive to how it feels to go from point A to point B and nothing can ever go wrong if it is in relationship with the process of our lives.
However Virgo isn’t all worry, fear and anguish (though more than any other sign). Virgo appreciates and is keenly aware of the mysterious healing powers of nature as it is a sign that is highly sensitized to the process of purification. Like its restless maker, Virgo is always doing, creating, thinking, analyzing and, like every other mutable sign, Virgo is always becoming. Virgo is well versed in the process of breaking down large morsels into digestible designs, integrating and assimilating information like no other. Intelligent, respectful and deeply humble, Virgo is at its peak when it is left alone to do its work to the very best of its ability.
A full moon in Virgo celebrates the efforts of the earnest and declines the self-aggrandizing twitter-chatter of modern life. A full moon in Virgo calls for a quiet night in, organizing one’s underwear drawer while simultaneously sorting through deep thoughts about life, love and the pursuit of happiness. A full moon in Virgo (especially one that is within 2 degrees of Lilith as this one is) simply begs us to wrestle with god and the myriad of philosophies we make up about Her. Valuing sexual expression becomes key when honoring nature and its rhythms. Juicy subjects like intersectionality and accountability raise their hands and exclaim, “Oh! Oh! Pick me!”
Reading the poems of favorite feminist authors aloud to our lovers while eating sustainably grown kale chips and kombucha might be a way to honor her arrival. Spending time reveling in the cyclical sweetness of nature might be another. Anything thoughtful, meaningful, analytical and cleansing would be an honoring of this moon (especially with a helpful trine from Pluto, this moon whispers let go of what is easy to release).
And quite frankly our story could end here. There is a full moon in Virgo. Magic abounds when we connect to nature. Critical thinking creates a world where we can all exist. Sweet trines from Venus to Jupiter asks us to cozy up to our loved ones and organize our feelings. The end.
But.
Enter modern planets. The last Uranus/Pluto Square is eminent and upon us. These two outer planets are Big Players. They move slowly. When they line up and make a big aspect to each other (like a square) it makes history. But not instantly. These things brew for years. The Uranus/Pluto square has been a kind of framework that we have been living within since 2011, astrologically speaking.
They are both in cardinal signs, Uranus is in Aries and Pluto is in Capricorn. Cardinal signs shake things up and tear onto the scene with a new idea and the energy to instate it. The Uranus/Pluto square has been an agitating influence, an aggravated impulse for people to rise up in collective resistance against what ails them. Squares stir the moments that get us to seek ways to freedom. The Uranus/Pluto square has been helpful at exposing the underlying power systems that are anything but empowering.
But squares don’t lead to resolutions. Squares tend to kick up a lot of fuss and get the ball rolling. The Arab Spring was an inspiring sight to behold. The Occupy movement put the 99% into our awareness and our lexicon. But these movements themselves didn’t actually take down the oppressive regimes they exposed for good.
The seven squares between Uranus and Pluto have occurred between 2012 and 2015, March 16th/17th being the last of them. Uranus is a planet that seeks to innovate mass communication. During its transit through Aries the increase of power and influence we have over popular culture (thanks to Twitter and other social media outlets) is undeniable. You can’t just be a clueless magpie with a mic without at least getting some feedback about it. This is in part thanks to the very collective minded Uranus being in the very personal sign of Aries. There has been a leveling effect. People’s points of view will be known.
There are different ways in which this aspect is ignited. One way is when Uranus and Pluto themselves line up in an exact square. The other is when faster moving planetary bodies zip through the configuration by conjuncting one of them and squaring the other. We tend to feel the macro on a micro level at these moments. It gets personal. This week Venus will conjunct Uranus and square Pluto on Wednesday, March 4th and next week Mars will do the same.
Venus rules relationships and our ability to demonstrate social graces. Venus in Aries (not so graceful) will trine Jupiter. On it’s own this is a wonderful mix of enthusiastic exuberance leading to the possibility of being open to great fortune. Venus trines Jupiter right before it conjuncts Uranus. A shocking duo, Venus conjunct Uranus is like a blind date that blindsides you with revelations and a flurry of overly honest admissions.
Jupiter is known for creating luck or fortunate occurrences (or at least being open to them). Uranus is known for out of the blue surprises and Venus connects us to others. All of these planets together, all in fire signs (which tend to sweep us up in inspiration, a fevered fury or an impulsive action) are a hot concoction of creation. Much like the wheel of fortune being spun (and this month’s full moon is on Purim, a Jewish holiday whose name literally means “Lottery”), when they come together, we may as well try our luck at what we most want.
That square from Pluto though.
Pluto rules long lasting, gut wrenchingly difficult, ‘changed forever by it’ events. When Venus makes a hard aspect such as a square to such a force there could be an underworld type experience at hand, though somewhat mitigated by the protective trine from Jupiter, this could be a very challenging aspect for egos and yet a very beneficial aspect for advancing along the trajectory of healthy relationships (Venus) and expression of self (in Aries). Feeling on edge, rattled and rocked is all par for the course.
When we merge the personal (Venus) with the transpersonal (Uranus and Pluto) we have the chance to bear witness to the aspect of ourself and our life that can seem like too much to bear. These moments can tear us apart or build us back up. These events can be the very thing that help us move beyond our fear and doubt and into meaning, purpose and passion.
We must have faith, a boatload of courage and a very real connection to love in order to thrive through this life.
Mars will be next to walk through this tightrope on March 11th (without a full moon to amp it up but we can be grateful for small blessings). Mars is sure to be much more mischievous moving through this configuration and will do so much closer to the actual Uranus/Pluto square.
Both Venus and Mars will also conjunct the south node, one of two eclipse points of the moon (in modern astrology they tend to symbolize our past tendencies and perhaps former incarnations) Venus will do so on Monday and Mars will do so on Saturday. Uranus just did the same a few weeks back. If we take this to be an inkling about our pasts we may very well look to this week as a heads up on what patterned relationship responses get in our way and inhibit our growth and, as we head towards the first of two eclipses (the first a solar eclipse in Pisces on March 20th), we know the south node is a hotspot of activity.
There’s a full moon. There’s a lot of action with the planets that are responsible for all issues involved with relating. And there is an exact conjunction of the planet of connection (Venus) and the Planet of upheaval (Uranus). Uranus has long been associated with upheaval, awakening and breaking existing structures, all of which can be experienced as different forms of trauma.
I recently came upon an exquisite article by Kai Cheng that quoted a perfectly articulated statement about how trauma operates at a communal level. In it Kai Erickson describes trauma as “a blow to the basic tissues of social life that damages the bonds attaching people together [. . .] so that ‘I’ continue to exist, though damaged, and ‘you’ continue to exist, though distant and hard to relate to. But ‘we’ no longer exist as linked cells in a larger communal body.”
There are too many examples of how systemic trauma is consciously perpetuated, presently and historically. There are too many ways in which we have been collectively manipulated to re-enact said trauma when our societal status enables us to. There are too many examples of how humans are far more capable of joining in rather than standing up for those targeted, bullied and beaten. But none of that has to be so and we certainly do not need to engage in any further warfare or damage doing.
May this astrology help to awaken our humanity and may we make the repairing of this beautiful and broken world our first and only job.
Full moon blessings!
xoc
A day by day breakdown:
Monday:
Venus conjunct South node
Tuesday:
Jupiter trines Uranus
Mercury leaves it’s shadow
Wednesday:
Venus trines Jupiter, conjuncts Uranus and squares Pluto
Thursday:
Full moon in Virgo
Friday:
Sun sextile Pluto
Saturday:
Mars conjunct south node
Sunday:
Sun conjunct Chiron