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.

Late on the night of the Winter Solstice, I took a walk to clear my mind and reflect on the events of the day. Having had the privilege of leading a group of phenomenal women in embarking on their own Solstice journeys just hours earlier, I lost myself in the music of Tchaikovsky as I made my fast-paced trek around the neighborhood. With my mind endlessly buzzing with future possibilities and last-minute holiday to-do lists forming in my head, I was quite "checked out" from the sacred energies waiting in the space between breaths for me to accept an invitation to stillness. 

After I had my fill of forward motion and crowded thoughts, I stopped in the yard to enjoy a moment of peace. I found myself standing in a thick patch of snow, and suddenly, I was enraptured by the stark silence and no-thing-ness all around me.  A layer of clouds stretched across the atmosphere, covering the endless swath of stars that surround us on this planet we call home. For the first time all day, I truly felt the silence and the stillness of the Solstice penetrate my bones. I had guided others in connecting to this stillness within themselves, and finally I was there, alone in the brittle night, experiencing the depth of these profound energies myself. 

I was struck by how naked I felt, how vulnerable, alone, and insignificant I perceived myself to be in the vastness of the Universe and piercing dark of the Earth's annual turning point back to light. And as I stood there, allowing the starkness of winter and the essence of All That Is to swirl around and through me, I began to weep.

I can't quite place why I was so emotionally overcome that night. Perhaps it was the stress of the day or the inevitable lack of sleep that sets in before a big event; maybe it was the combination of hopes, dreams, and aspirations I hold deeply in my heart along with the indescribably intense desire I have to make those dream a reality (and the very human anxieties of "how" and "when" and the fear that I may not have enough years in my life to give birth to them all); maybe it was the sudden sense of profound love I experienced in that moment from my Angels and Guides and from Mother-Father God. In retrospect, I imagine it was a combination of each of those things, all brought to the surface by Saturn's travels through the final degree of Scorpio and the prominence of Capricorn energies now.

Saturn is the bringer of life lessons learned over time, the planet that heralds the ends of cycles and the subsequent new beginnings that arise from necessary endings. The ringed planet is necessary in teaching us how to manifest and bring our dreams to fruition, but the shadow side of Saturn and Capricorn is crippling fear, self-criticism, doubt, pessimism, harshness, and an inability to see beyond the physical constraints of "reality". As many a veteran astrologer has pointed out, when Saturn passes over 29 degrees of Scorpio, fears rise to the surface; our insecurities, the monsters in the shadows, the fear of lack or abandonment or "not good enough". These feelings are indeed rising in the collective and within our individual lives, coming into our conscious awareness so we can heal and release them on our journey into the future. As Saturn moves into Sagittarius on December 23, we will have an opportunity to define our personal truths and learn lessons in building our big dreams from the ground up. But first, we must move through the final lessons of the Scorpio's penetrating waters so we may embrace the new cycles of learning more fully.

As I cried that night, I made my way to the backyard and noticed a small maple tree. It was a tree I had passed many times before without much thought, but tonight I felt particularly drawn to its presence. I drew nearer, placing my hand on its slender trunk. I felt an affinity with this tree that looked so much like I felt: small and insignificant in the face of external challenges, barren and exposed, with no guarantee of survival through the winter (but a great likelihood that in the end, it would grow to stand even taller and stronger). With my eyes closed, I allowed love and light to flow to this leafless little tree from my heart center, feeling its roots as my own as I called on the energy of Gaia and the beautiful golden light of Shamballah at her core to ground me. The shimmering auric outlines of faeries and the Elemental kingdom became clearer to me, and in the barren winter night, I went beyond the illusion of coldness and lack - all concepts connected to Saturn and Capricorn's shadow - to a place deep within that is always ready to support us with abundant warmth and light. 

When life appears bleak and our future is uncertain, there is a need to go deeper, to go within to a place where the abundance of the Universe is always available to us. It is from this place that miracles of manifestation can occur even in the most seemingly dire circumstances. During any winter, and particularly this winter with an abundance of planets in Capricorn and Saturn preparing to enter Sagittarius, we have an incredible opportunity to heal our fears, reconstruct our views of ourselves to reflect our true talents and potentials, and to begin building the lives we have imagined one choice at a time. 

I plan to spend time outdoors connecting with the energies of Mother Earth throughout the winter months to maintain more of a connection to her life-giving energies when the earth appears cold and bleak in the darkness. And even though the course of my future is uncertain and many of my dreams have yet to manifest, I can always visit the small tree in the backyard as a reminder (just as Capricorn and Saturn impel us to do) that the longest-lasting most meaningful things in life are those we build over time with patience, perseverance, and self-love and compassion to smooth the process.

By healing ourselves and tending to our dreams with dedication and care, we can all be the light as the world awakens from the illusion of separation. We add to the love and light that flows through the Earth plane at this time when we stay the course and nurture ourselves, aiding powerfully in the Conscious Creation of Heaven on Earth. May your winter be blessed, and may you experience the vibrance of Shamballah and Divine Light available to all at this sacred time. 

Today's new moon is particularly powerful due to the major planetary influences that it coincides with. I focused on the archetype of Virgo in Part 1 of this series, but the other astrological forces at play now are what really make this new moon a particularly significant event!

Mars-Saturn Conjunct in Scorpio

The most potent of the current influences is the conjunction of Mars and Saturn in Scorpio. Mars is the planet of assertion of will, action/drive, physical stamina, and potential restlessness or aggression. In short, Mars represents the principle of action. Unchecked by other planets, Mars will take the shortest possible route to what it wants in haste - which may end poorly if foresight is not employed - but Mars is the fire and very necessary primal will that ignites our passions and propels us forward.

Saturn, on the other hand, is the planet that symbolizes realism: it is the hard-line master teacher of the zodiac, showing us how to apply the lessons of patience, discipline, and hard work to make visions a reality. Unlike Mars, Saturn rarely acts in haste. Those with strong Saturnian influences in their birth charts are pragmatic, goal-oriented, and are geared toward valuing that which is "tried and true," i.e. the traditional. When Mars joins with Saturn, the energetic qualities may be best described as "militaristic". Mars brings the drive and ambition to make things happen, and Saturn gifts us with the concrete logic and dedication to use that passion to create tangible results.

When transiting in Scorpio, this duo brings forward a very deep, probing, and tenacious vibe. Scorpio is the sign associated with mystery, sexuality/intimacy, spirituality, healing/regeneration, and deep inner power. Issues in these areas are likely to surface for us all in different ways now, depending on what is being activated in an individual's birth chart. From my observations, many people are currently engaged in intensive healing work, the depth and importance of which have become especially clear since this conjunction peaked on Sunday. Additionally, this meeting brings the end of a two-year cycle that began in August of 2012, providing some kind of review or "test" of the life lessons we've been learning since then. The Virgo New Moon brings us an opportunity to commit to addressing these issues in our daily lives on a long-term basis to transform ourselves from the inside out.

New Moon Opposite Neptune in Pisces; Mercury Opposite Chiron in Pisces

These oppositions suggests that we all may be feeling more compassionate and connected to a sense of unity on the transpersonal level. Though compassion is necessary for taking right action to heal ourselves and the world, these aspects are likely to activate increased sensitivity to pain and suffering, and may lead us into illusionary thinking or resorting to escapist methods for coping. Though it may temporarily help us evade unpleasant feelings, escapism or addiction is not truly a solution, since we must be fully present in our bodies to make change tangible change happen in our lives - another lesson Saturn provides.

The blessing of these oppositions is that we have an opportunity now to use our heightened sense of connectivity to the unconscious realms to activate more of our innate healing potential. Chiron, the planetoid of deep wounding and holistic healing, shows where we have the deepest wounds to heal in this lifetime, and when its energies are activated in the birth chart, we have a profound opportunity to go deeply within to heal these wounds and emerge with a more integrated sense of self. This is prime time for scheduling an energetic healing session, doing meditation, or participating other spiritual-based energy shifting practices that can assist you in transmuting past/current pain and suffering for a more joyful life.

Mercury Sextile Mars-Saturn

Mercury in Virgo - the sign of its exaltation and the second of its two ruling signs - is also forming a powerful sextile aspect to the Mars-Saturn conjunction. This is providing even more "oomph" to the already heightened mental and communicative abilities many of us are tapping into now: cue the focused, discriminating thought processes; increased abilities to be honest about what's serving us and what isn't; and more impressive capabilities in our mental processes in every way.

In all, this Virgo New Moon holds tremendously transformational potential for those who choose to act on the opportunities presented now. This is the beginning of a two-year cycle of healing, transformation, and growth at the deepest levels! To find out the areas this New Moon is impacting you most directly, locate 2 degrees Virgo in your birth chart; for the Mars-Saturn conjunct, look to 17 degrees Scorpio. Happy New Moon, and be blessed!

How have you been experiencing these influences most directly? Feel free to share in the comments section below!