In my mind, today's Full Moon Eclipse in Libra marks the beginning of the end of the tumultuous Uranus-Pluto square. These two planets play an enormous role in today's eclipse, which centers on embracing personal liberation and our deepest sense of power in a way that can bring balance the collective. Anyone with personal planets between 12 - 16 degrees of Libra, Aries, Capricorn, or Cancer will be feeling the eclipse effects most intensely. 

Today's eclipse occurs at 14 degrees of Libra, the sign of relationships, harmony, and diplomacy. Grace, artistry, and compromise are all hallmark traits of those who have strong Libran energy or a prominent placement of Venus in the birth chart. Since today's eclipse is a full moon eclipse, the focus is on relationship already, and Luna's passage through Libra amplifies that focus. 

Think of full moon eclipses as exceptionally powerful full moons. The veil between worlds grows thinner and the Universe works to catch us up to speed on our life paths. Eclipses will often toss us on or off the current path for our Highest Good if we don't heed our inner knowing, and situations not aligned with our callings may dissolve in the weeks following an eclipse. 

The Earth stands between the Sun and Moon during full moon eclipses, creating a temporary "block" in the solar-lunar relationship.  This alignment provides us with incredible opportunities to be objective and honest about anything that holds us back in our relationships and how we choose to express ourselves within that framework. Whether we're addressing 1-1 relationships or our role in society, issues centering on how we express our authenticity in relation to "other" will be the focus.

Aries, the sign that opposes harmony-loving Libra, is bringing some serious cosmic fire to this eclipse. The transit of the South Node through this warrior territory is doing especially powerful karmic clearing work, considering that Mercury, the Sun, and erratic Uranus surround it. The South Node in Aries impels us to release angry, impulsive reactions and move in the direction of inner harmony. If you've been finding yourself giving in to less than level-headed impulses that compromise your equilibrium, consider it your signal - and a Divine opportunity - to realign with peace. 

Today's eclipse is calling us to find a way to blaze brave new paths for ourselves that create harmony within, to shed impulses that lead to chaos and the perpetuation of an "us vs. them" mentality. It won't come without its struggles, since Pluto, the planet of destiny, deep empowerment, and the things we repress due to their overwhelming power squares off with the Sun and Moon. This aspect creates incredible tension as those buried feelings and potential power struggles come to a head.  Many of us have come up against situations that have made us feel powerless since Saturn turned retrograde on March 14. Pluto's slowdown takes it deeper, bringing us down to the roots of old beliefs, fears, or compulsions that hold us back, as well as stripping away that which has always been illusionary. Pluto also represents how we express and channel our sexual desires and a sense of primal power. If we let any "brick walls" and emerging impulses act as teachers, we can get honest about where we need to take back our power and embrace feelings we need to honor or release. When we delve deeply into ourselves and accept or transmute what we find at our core, we can get on with the business of living from the unshakable spiritual power center that is our birthright.

This also brings forward another interesting dichotomy, since Libra is about societal norms and conformity. Pluto and the current Arian energy revved up by individualistic Uranus calls us to challenge those norms within and without. Some will be soul-searching to uncover just what taboos might exist in their mind and be afforded with opportunities to see whether they hold up in the light of truth or not. A prime example of this is the current focus on same-sex relationships due to the passage and ongoing debate over Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. It shows the complexity of issues our current astrology is imploring us to address: What are our personal beliefs? How do we stand up for those beliefs? How can we honor our beliefs while respecting the rights of others to walk their path free of harassment and shaming? Are we willing to live and let live, knowing that when we do, we could be one step closer to ensuring peace and harmony for all people? We will see the best and worst in power struggles relating to these issues in politics and in our personal lives as this eclipse works to move us into a future of genuine equality.

With eclipse ruler Venus in her natural domain of Taurus, she highlights the core need to honor our bodies and connect with the wisdom of Mother Earth. As Emily Trinkhaus wrote in her recent TMA article Venus, Mary Magdalene, And The Re-Emerging Sacred Feminine, the key to Venusian empowerment is in rooting into our physical, sensual selves without shame and in allowing spirit to flow through (which links us back to Pluto...!). We might also feel called to root into what we value, and to cultivate greater financial and material stability. Mars, also in Taurus and at the Sun/Venus midpoint, suggests that the key to working with current challenges and empowerment issues is through slow and steady action. If we choose to stay the course without compromise and embrace the knowing that honoring our authenticity leads to healing, peace and progress will be ours.

It's also important to mention that this eclipse is connected to events from April 4th of 1996, when an eclipse occurred in the same sign and at the same degree. Can you link realizations and experiences your "now" to what was transpiring then for a greater sense of connection and meaning?

To find where this eclipse is calling you to move more fully into your authenticity and to cultivate harmony, find the house that contains 14 degrees of Libra. This house, the house that opposes it, and the house that contains Pluto at 15 degrees Capricorn are areas in which you are called to embrace individuality, balance, and inner power as the Uranus-Pluto square breaks up old ground to propel you forward into destiny.

Do you want to understand yourself and your current circumstances in profound new ways? I offer 1-1 consultations that provide key insights into your life path and how the planets are working to enact incredible change in your life now! Email me at jhowell1221@gmail.com to learn more.

© Jen Howell,  Bright Star Astrology & Healing Arts, 2015. Unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to this site and writer with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

This month is jam-packed with significant astrological events. In addition to the ongoing Mercury retrograde cycle that's been stirring up deep feelings and taboo topics related to sex, intimacy, and possible shadow tendencies in relationships, the pair of eclipses - the first on October 8 and the second on October 23 - are bringing the full-on effects of necessary endings and powerful new beginnings. Add in the ongoing fire trine between Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus, amping up the urge for freedom and radical action even further, and we have a climate that is ripe for radical change!

Eclipses come in cycles, and are always periods of great changes both personally and collectively. Some people will experience more change and upheaval at this time than others due to where and how the eclipse is impacting the birth chart. Still, unavoidable change is in the air, and I find it helpful to remember that no matter how chaotic things become, these changes are ultimately for the Highest Good. Eclipses - especially lunar eclipses - have a way of throwing us directly onto the path we're meant to be on, whether we think we're ready or not! If you're resistant to the changes that the Universe is guiding you towards now, be aware that resistance will only make any inevitable endings/new beginnings that much more difficult to move through (I've been on the resisting end of eclipses, and believe me, there's not a shred of grace or ease involved in that!). The seemingly fateful energy of eclipses remind me of the Zen proverb "Let go or be dragged." Change is unavoidable now, and it will serve us in profound ways if we summon the courage to follow through!

The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on Wednesday is at 15 degrees Aries, and we're fully in the swing of the energy now. This event is bringing back themes from the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Libra on April 15, so contemplating the themes that were up for you then will provide deeper insights into how this eclipse is operating in your life. Generally speaking, the April 15 eclipse highlighted themes of self vs. other and the need to take brave action to bring our authentic self forward in relationships of any kind more fully. This month's eclipse in Aries is calling us to revisit those themes one last time to make any final, radical moves necessary toward healthy independence and inter-dependence. Jealousy, possessiveness, and other relationship shadow issues are also likely to surface for healing as Venus (the Goddess of Love) squares Pluto (Lord of the Underworld), and Uranus and the nodes work to liberate us from the past. Whether issues are cropping up for you in intimate relationships, friendships, family, or career, remember that these energies are primarily centered on how we relate to others of any kind, and what needs to shift in order to bring balance therein.

Although the eclipse focus is on partnership, it is important to remember that we are the first half of the partnership equation; our most fundamental relationship is the one we have with ourselves. Our external circumstances only ever mirror the energies within us. If we are living a life that is out of alignment with the core of who we are, we are bound to draw in people and situations/life circumstances that are not an authentic match for us. But when we are brave enough to embrace ourselves fully and make choices that honor ourselves out of self-love, all of life begins to align. We find "our people"; we meet an incredible partner; career opportunities that once seemed like a distant dream begin to take shape. When we give ourselves full and uninhibited permission to be who we are, we begin manifesting the life of our dreams.

As an example of how eclipse cycles work together over the long-term and how they can activate change within us is the story of a close family member of mine who had been stagnating in an unsatisfying and draining job for years. His supervisors never recognized his intelligence or leadership capabilities, and he felt more suppressed and undermined as time went on. He had feared making any radical changes because of the possibility of financial instability, but was sacrificing his emotional, mental, and physical well-being in the process. During April's Full Moon Eclipse in Libra, he hit an emotional breaking point and resolved to get on track to find a way out of that job and to discover his next step in life. He came to me for a LaHo-Chi healing session and to receive another powerful energetic blessing. Within weeks, he had the sudden insight and inspiration to start building his own videography business - a field directly aligned with his greatest talents and passions that he had abandoned earlier in life. He gradually drew resources to him, and after making a few key connections, was hired to work part-time as an emcee at an event center. Synchronistically, his supervisor has acted as a mentor to assist him in his videography pursuits by providing networking opportunities and leading him to potential investors.

Last night I got the call that his event center job had taken off to the point of him being able to leave his unfulfilling full-time job; he resigned today on the spot. It is likely that the connections he is making now will lead to more opportunities to build his videography business while having full financial support via his fun new job! As you can see, the process of living a life in alignment with his true self that began during April's eclipse has now come full-circle for as he embarks on a new career path - the right career path in line with his true passions and calling. 

If you're feeling the urge to make a radical change now, trust your instincts and follow through. Do what you feel called to do in order to stay true to yourself and live in a way that honors your needs and talents. The cosmic atmosphere is supporting you in moving more fully into authentic self-expression, and that may mean releasing people, situations, or emotions/habit patterns that no longer serve you. Remember that by unabashedly living out the totality of who you are, you are shining a light that inspires others to do the same, and assist in creating a more joyful world for us all! Make it a point to take extra care of yourself this week as well, since lunar eclipses are full moons - emotions running raw and high - only on overdrive. Love, light, and many blessings to all!

If you want to know where this eclipse is impacting you, find the house in your birth chart that contains 15 degrees Aries. The area of life represented there will show the area for greatest potential change. 

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