Libra Full Moon - Sunday, April 17 at 11:44 PM EDT

Author: Esperanza Filipov Posted under:
The accommodating Libra Moon’s opposition to the Sun in self-reliant Aries brings relationship issues into the foreground. It’s an opportunity to gain clarity about how we give too much to others, undermining our own interests, and when unwillingness to compromise weakens partnerships. Libra’s sociable ruling planet Venus is in Pisces forms an awkward quincunx with the Moon, an aspect that increases uncertainty and encourages sacrifice. However, honest discussions help us to find the right balance between personal needs and mutual interests that inspire us to work and share with others effectively.

For starters, take stock of how you're doing with your relationships, creative expression, diplomatic skills, and social life.

Key aspects to the Moon make this possible for each of us, especially a trine from Neptune, soft angles from the lunar nodes and a loose opposition from Jupiter. If you like, phrase this symbol as a request -- “Spirit, please make me aware of the spiritual forces surrounding and assisting me, to the greatest extent will serve my highest need” – then relax and see what happens!

People are looking for hope, inspiration and illumination and the Sabian Symbol of this full Moon can provide some. The Symbol is Libra 28: A Man Alone In Deep Gloom. Unnoticed, Angels Are Coming To His Aid. This is an extremely evocative degree.

Keywords: Feelings of not being alone. Awareness of spiritual help in times of need. Salvation versus depression. Feeling like one’s luck is about to change. Improvements in the pipeline. Changes in the “weather”. Helpers arriving just when they’re needed. Brightening influences. Angels and spiritual forces for good. Guardian angels.

The Caution: Unrealistic reliance on spiritual agencies or help from others. Feeling like no one cares or that no one is listening. Being alone and forgotten. Losing faith in things getting better. Refusing help. Misery and gloom and doom.

This is very much about letting go and trusting. Just when someone needs rescue and salvation the most, it will often appear as if from out of nowhere. So often ‘Gloom’ is brought about by depression, not knowing what is going to happen, or assuming that something bad is about to happen. It may be that ‘Gloom’ is disabling any ability to see one's ‘Angels’ or accept any support that is being offered. It is not always necessary to ‘Notice’ your ‘Angels’, but this Symbol is asking you to open up the them and to allow them to help in some way - things are somehow going to improve. Although it’s been a difficult time, it is just beginning to dawn on you that you are being “helped” as the ‘Angels Come’ to ‘Aid’ in some way. There will be a slow, but sure, realization that things are getting better. If you continue to see the ‘Gloom’, you will put up a subconscious, or conscious, resistance to help and may continue on a downward spiral.

This Full Moon is another Super Moon, the third Full Moon in a row which brings the Moon closer to the Earth than usual, increasing tidal effects and the potential for seismic activity.

Mercury is still retrograde and joins Mars, while Mars itself heads towards a conjunction with expansive Jupiter. Saturn opposes Mars-Mercury, indicating a high level of frustration for Mars and Mercury who want to act spontaneously. Saturn however is aware of the need for a measured and long lasting result and is therefore naturally more cautious. With Mars is in its sign of rulership and Saturn exalted in Libra, the difficulty will be in how to attain consensus by negotiation and diplomacy when Mars insists on acting independently.

This Full Moon lights up: relationship imbalances and strengths; areas screaming for justice; bright spots to follow; creative inspirations; ways to make life more pleasurable; culture that elevates.

It's a Good Time to:

• Disengage from programming that keeps you off balance.
• Identify areas that call out for balance -- more work? more play?
• Resolve a lingering conflict with someone you know.
• Mediate a dispute.
• Indulge in a spa day (on a budget, try this at home).
• Read a book or article that challenges your mind.
• Network, mingle, go on a first date.
• Attend an art gallery opening, or explore the museum with a friend.
• Enjoy a rooftop or mountaintop candlelit dinner for two.
• Weigh the pros and cons of a situation.

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Sign of the Month: Aries

Author: Esperanza Filipov Posted under: , , ,
March 21st through April 20th



LIKES
• Action
• Coming in first
• Challenges
• Championing Causes
• Spontaneity


DISLIKES
• Waiting Around
• Admitting Failure
• No opposition
• Tyranny
• Other peoples advice ;)


Keywords:
Courageous, pioneering, brilliant, adventurous, dynamic, straight-foward


The Shadow Side:
Willful, dominating, selfish, ruthless, insensitive, impatient


Quality and Element:
Cardinal and Fire


Famous People with Sun in Aries:
Russell Crowe, Emma Thompson, Bette Davis, Alec Baldwin, Harry Houdini, Elton John, Kiera Knightley, Ewan MacGregor, David Letterman, Vincent van Gogh, Diana Ross

Personality Profile:

Those with the Sun in Aries are gifted with a direct, fiery nature that makes them one step ahead of the crowd. They take charge of a situation, and their sense of certainty usually makes others fall in line. This makes the Sun in Aries a born leader.

Often larger-than-life, they can light up a room with their charisma. If a gathering is dull, they’ll quickly move on – and they’re among the ones with the stamina to party ‘til dawn. The Sun in Aries craves excitement and their restless spirits seek out the next big thing.

Aries is the sign of the Warrior, and the Aries Sun can rise to the challenge of any battle. Sometimes they go too far and scorch those they love with hurtful words said in the heat of the moment. They quickly forgive and forget, but often deal with the fall out of their brusque demeanor.

Most of all, the Aries wants to achieve great things, and is propelled by an inner drive that is a force to be reckoned with. Their bright minds and ability to initiate can make them trailblazers in their careers.

At times, the rush to action can cause them to take unnecessary risks, or forge ahead without planning out crucial details. Some say the Sun in Aries learns the hard way, by leaping before looking. But being an active sign, the Aries learns through best through experience.

The Sun in Aries has a mind that filters out the non-essentials, and this clear sight helps them make speedy progress in life. Once fixed on a goal, they’ll blast forward with a power that leaves others in the dust. But if you’re a match for such an amped up spirit, you’ll never forget being pulled along by the power of this dynamic lifeforce.

The sign of Aries is masculine and dynamic. In relationships and love, an Aries female or male tends to operate from a primeval instinct. This man or woman has a very high sex drive and is quite passionate. The essential Mars energy is creative and fertile, in keeping with the ancient views toward the god of war. Venus would often mingle with Mars!

Aries can be quite quick-tempered and headstrong though. They are often impatient, but have a responsible personality and genuinely caring traits. They are simply driven to action and creation in the material world. Of course, they do this from the front and are not very good followers, particularly when they do not feel authority is valid.

Aries Ascendant

People with Aries Ascendants are direct and quick. Their first instinct is to do, rather than think. Planning ahead? Forget it. Aries rising simply charges forward without much ado.

This position does not make a person aggressive. Forthright, yes, but aggression is too strong a word for these natives. They have a youthful, direct manner that sees what it wants and generally goes for it. At the same time, there isn't any malice in their intent.

Some Aries rising people are competitive, but they generally put most of the pressure on themselves. These people love to come out ahead in all that they do. They get ready quickly, walk quickly, and have little patience for dilly-dallying. Their temper is quick, too. It's also quick to disappear. Rarely do you find Aries rising people holding grudges. Their mannerisms are rather simple and straightforward.

Aries rising loves action, and is often trying to stir up some activity. Their strengths lie in their enterprising ways. Finishing things they start does not always come as easily, unless the ruler, Mars, is placed in a more tenacious sign, such as Taurus or Scorpio.

Aries Ascendant often gives a rather swift walk, with the head leaning forward slightly. This walk is surprisingly distinctive. Headaches, and sinus and eye problems are the usual physical complaints of this position. Rashes and acne on the face and shoulders sometimes occur. Broad shoulders and slim hips are common. Often, Aries rising people are quick to smile, and they possess a youthful charm throughout life.


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April Planetary Forecast

Author: Esperanza Filipov Posted under: ,
April 3rd, 11th, 18th, and 26th may be especially tetchy as all that electricity is easier to discharge in confrontations. Thwarted may be the word of the day in these cases. Ego inflations on the 6th can be exhilerating highs and/or add to the trouble. Power struggles and issues with authority (perceived or real) can have us prone to acting like rebellious teenagers or having the kind of honest conversation that has been overdue. Take your pick!

This first full month of Spring is just charged and ripe for new beginnings though, which is why the energy is so feisty. It takes a lot of energy to create life. Whether you are creating something new or reinventing something, this is a good time for bursts of energy. It's not the plan or the commitment as much as it is the the thrust of action. Just Do It! Tentatives need not bother.

When Jupiter and Saturn hook-up by opposition, the past and the future collide. The consequences of the past catch up to the present and in so doing the edicts for the future are set in motion. The new moon in Aries, April 3, sets to fast task on the new program – perhaps with a vengeance. This new moon is accompanied by an alignment of Mars, newly in Aries, and Uranus. These two can be full of opportune and exciting synchronicity, but they can also be explosive, sudden, unexpected, shocking, extreme, and even violent. Would it surprise you to know that among its many correlations, radiation is attributed to planet Uranus? The day of Japan’s earthquake Uranus (the earthquake planet) was exiting Pisces (water element = tsunami) and entering Aries (heating and steaming, nuclear reactors.)

Adding even more to this intense new moon, note that we are also now into the throws of Mercury retrograde in Aries. The cycle occurs March 31 to April 23. As most of you will know, when Mercury is in retrograde, things do not go according to plan. Mercury in Aries retrograde can keep presenting new fires to battle and/or keep the conflict fresh and alive. As of this writing, the nuclear crisis in Japan brings more bad news. Expect the volatility in the world to continue, and perhaps to worsen before it gets better.

To some extent we are all living it on the razor’s edge. Each moment is flint for the next critical moment. Anything goes and it probably will

Mercury retrograde in Aries is hot, rash, impulsive, reactive, and inflaming, so expect more headaches (literal and figurative), more aggression, conflict, arguments, and war. While Mercury in Aries turns up the heat, its true intention is to become more conscious and courageous, so that behaviour, ambitions, and responses can come into better alignment. Fresh perspective leads to new instincts, new desires, a new expression and a new creation. Apparently Germany’s solar power output supersedes Japan’s nuclear plants. Isn’t it about time we created a new reality? One way or another, Mercury in Aries’ call to arms is about taking the initiative to create the freedom and independence that is your birthright as a living, breathing contributor and co-creator. Mercury in Aries serves to help you sweeping away the debris so you can move forward in fresh new direction. Aries does it best in a simple, direct, and straightforward manner. Try to avoid complications.

On the positive note, our consciousness is raised to a much higher level. It is a time of great awakening now, for the individual and the planet alike. You have great opportunity now – how are you going to use the tools you have been given?

Neptune dips into Pisces, its domicile, April 4 to Aug 4. It’s subtle but potent influence will dissolve barriers and stir that which has been brewing or stewing, but that has as of yet escaped full notice.

Pluto stations retrograde April 9 (to Sept 16). This subtle influence is one that sets the stage of for a karmic replay. It ignites a greater degree of separation, this in order to prompt greater perspective. On the same day, Mercury retrograde conjoins the sun. This is the peak point of Mercury’s cycle. As such the day is infused with great potency and potential. Expect a significant shift and a new consciousness to occur. Hopefully this will deliver a positive advance where it is needed the most. Two days later, Mars squares Pluto and Mercury retrograde aligns with the big planet, Jupiter. April 11 could be a decisive, catapulting, action filled day. Expect see a lot happen, all at once. As thefull moon energizes April 17, Mars builds an opposition to Saturn (exact on April 18.) This full moon is another super moon (an astrological high tide) and therefore is likely to be more potent. At this point, things are likely to be as polarized, pressurized, or as extreme as they can get. When Mars opposes Saturn (traditionally associated with war), it intensifies the battle against external forces or external authority. It is a force-the-envelope, stop at nothing, knock the wall down, or come to the end-of-the-road day.

As Mercury retrograde draws near to completion, the planet opposes Saturn. (April 17 – 25.) We will be down to serious business and getting nearer to the end of the deadlines along this present time-line. Talks get serious, the pressure gets heavier, reality can be sobering or stark, options can become narrowed, limited, constrictive; patience, resources, energy, and emotions can run dry. Markets can fall flat. Delays, slow downs, hold-ups, etc. are also to be expected. When Mercury retrograde opposes Saturn, maximum effort is needed for the smallest of gains. Sound depressing? It can be, but it does not need to be. All planetary energies can manifest in a myriad of ways. This Mercury/Saturn hook-up could prove to be constructive and opportune. The aspect could slow the overly fast pace of one-after-another challenges, which in turn can provide the time to develop a bettered game plan. Let us hope that this is the case, not only for our private life journeys, but also there in the world. Used constructively, the challenges of the month lay the foundation for swifter resolution, accomplishment, and conclusion. Once past Mercury retrograde, we should all move onto the fast-track upswing.

April 3: New Moon, 7:32 am (13 Aries)
April 17: Super Full Moon, 7:44 pm (27 Libra)


April 1: Mars enters Aries: 9:51 am
April 4: Neptune enters Pisces: 4:48 pm (to Aug 4)
April 9: Pluto stations retrograde: 1:49 pm (to Sept 16)
April 20: Sun enters Taurus: 3:18 am
April 20: Venus enters Aries: 9:06 pm
April 23: Mercury retrograde ends: 3:04 am

Dates to watch: April 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 16 – 19, 23, 27, 30.
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New Moon at 13* Aries, Apri 3th at 10:32 am

Author: Esperanza Filipov Posted under: ,
The Sun and Moon are exactly aligned on April 3rd, 2011 at 10:32 AM Eastern US time.

Wide Awake

With so much and so many on edge, this New Moon in Aries looks like a push over that edge. This is the Aries experience, being in the moment, relying on your wits, instincts, and trusting life enough to let go. The Dark of the Moon finds us dying to who we've been, and preparing for a totally new cycle. At the New Moon, we surrender, and here it's the purifying fire of Aries.

Six major planets in fire sign Aries means high spirits and stimulation. And yet, something tells me, on the other side of this, many more of us will be living moment-to-moment. And rediscovering the truest, most alive version of who we are.

What's great about Aries is it burns off the inessential, the trivial, or what covers up your original radiance. You see through to the searing truth. It's about direct engagement with life. New Moons are fresh starts, making this one the Grand Opening to a new epoch and identity that holds the element of surprise.

In this stellium, we have the Sun and Moon meeting at 13 degrees, with Jupiter at 15, Mercury (in retrograde at 23 and Uranus-Mars conjunct at 1 degree Aries. It's a volatile New Moon, and I have to admit, the unstable situation in Japan, with these aspects, adds an explosive factor that makes it feel mighty dangerous. For a good read on this, see Lynda Hill's Aries New Moon commentary -- she calls it incendiary.

This is a New Moon to come back to the Self, to rediscover its full glory and potential. The revolution, which means "to turn around," begins with me.

Make Room for the Fool

At this New Moon, you can feel like You, only concentrated. And this gives you courage to find your chances to grow and expand in the now. The daunting task, in a fear-driven world, is to clear psychic space for the Fool's journey. The first card in the Tarot, the Fool, is a youth who has very little baggage, and is leaning into the future.

The New Moon is often a time to reflect, and go deep within. Give yourself time away from noise and the opinions of others. The most fearsome shadows of the psyche are rising to be purified in the flames.

There's a wide square from the luminaries (Sun-Moon) to Pluto in Capricorn. You might find yourself seeing what's ingrained, or from your ancestral/family line, and crack the code for your release from programming. I recommend this show on The Holographic Canvas, for "far out" ideas to claim sovereignty over your mind. This is a big part of the Uranus Aries transit, and the interruption of regular programming, in favor of thoughts that are alive, instead of a replay/remake/repeat from the external environment.

Find some freedom this New Moon. Much is rising to be healed, and believe me, I'm right there facing core fears, and attempting this New Moon to do something different with my own intensity. This special time can be a portal to move away from the complex and superficial, into the clear and true, the simple. To come out of hiding, or uncover your own light.

This new moon is quite an explosive, passionate and deeply intense one with some very interesting themes that can ignite, inspire and feed our impulses while, at the same time, teach us some interesting things about our selves and our lives and what it means to be human. Occurring on April 3, it's one heck of a doozy of an Aries new Moon with Mars, Lilith, Uranus, the Sun, the Moon, Jupiter and Mercury all in Aries. Many would see this combination of planets all lining up in Aries as explosive. 



The Sabian Symbol for the new Moon is Aries 14: A Serpent Coiling Near A Man And A Woman.


This symbolizes the story of the “temptation” of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The ‘Serpent’ offered Adam and Eve the gift of self-knowledge. However, this “knowledge” also revealed to them that they were naked and that this was sinful. The ‘Serpent’ was said to have brought them both knowledge and guilt. The “snake” can be symbolic of anything that induces fear or negativity into a situation. On the other hand, what the “snake” symbolizes can bring a healing and a profound sense of, or need for, self-knowledge. This Symbol can show the celebration of the physical body and the enjoyment of another through all of the senses.


Something or someone may be coming between people. ‘A Serpent’ is shown ‘Coiling Near a Man and a Woman’; this can be a third person or some kind of threat. It can bring jealousy, resentment, distrust or separation. What comes between people may be an idea or a belief system, such as the fear of God. It may be some insight or knowledge that has come to light; it may be another person or a lover. Temptation, fear and passion can all too easily get in the way of any relationship, old or new. It can sometimes be difficult to tell exactly what’s coming between people; it could be an emotion, psychological condition or memory. The ‘Serpent’ in this situation is not necessarily in a threatening pose, yet it can still induce a sense of fear or tension because of assumptions and prejudice. Snakes by their very nature don’t have to do anything to be intimidating—they arouse fear, uneasiness and other, more extreme, reactions by their mere presence. Maybe one needs to let go of inhibitions in order to find new depths and ways of relating. If the fear of the “snake” were to disappear, would you then be able to return to your own “Garden of Eden”? Alone, or as a couple?


Keywords: Enticement. Allurement. Revealing archetypal knowledge that may not be “socially acceptable”. Temptations. The Adam and Eve story. Jealousy. Sexual instincts. Life and death issues. Relating based on control. Kundalini energy. Realizing polarity. Individuation. Eating the Apple. The “knowledge of good and evil”. Having one’s eyes opened. Marking one’s territory.


The Caution: Feeling guilty. Being afraid to express one’s feelings. Basic instincts and sexual energy. The fear of knowledge, secret or otherwise. Using sexuality as a control device. Disgust or distrust of the body. Sexually transmitted diseases. Hiding nudity or sexuality. Being thrown out of paradise.




Saturn as Holder of Fire

There's an exact opposition between Saturn Libra and the Sun-Moon at 13 degrees, with Jupiter still opposite as well (at 15 degrees). I found insights on this in Norwegian astrologer Per Henrik Gullfoss' Complete Book of Spiritual Astrology. Saturn is holder of the fire in this opposition, seeing that it's neither stifled or blazes out of control.

On Uranus in fire signs, he writes of the danger, of not considering limits of the body and material world. "It can crave freedom so much that it loses it because of an unwillingness to accept the realities of life." This can lead, he says to exploding in "meaningless acts of stupid rebellion."

Saturn Libra is the moderator with a built-in instinct for setting the balance. If things feel out-of-control, you can follow the dictates of your conscience. Your own moral code, and sense of what's fair comes into play, to weigh against radical actions in the moment.

Some Themes:

• Your luck turns when you take a risk to express yourself in the moment.
• One inspired person makes a big impact, with a ripple effect.
• Mercury is Retrograde in Aries, so be alert to distortions that trigger action. Give yourself time to get places.
• Be alert to fire hazards.
• If you sense your spirited self, give it room to grow Big.
• Rekindle a dream from your youth that's still alive (if barely).
• Love yourself enough to allow for a fresh start.

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