The full moon on Thursday, October 1st at 2:06pm Pacific takes place in a close conjunction with Chiron, a planetary body whose symbolism as the wounded healer is currently being felt in the collective, and in a potent way. Chiron was a teacher to the gods’ and goddesses’ children, a centaur who was immortal. When he was accidentally shot in the foot with a poisoned arrow, because he couldn’t die, he suffered more than he might have, eventually seeking refuge in the underworld, Pluto’s realm. He spent the time here he needed, addressing his trauma in a way that was productive and led to deeper healing. When he emerged from his time underground, he had greater skills to offer and embodied his higher path as a healer. His story is so compelling because it’s something most of us have experienced within ourselves — the feeling of being wounded in life, yet through an often self-initiated rite of passage, of being given an opportunity to heal ourselves, thereby becoming more capable of helping our planet and others to step into this endeavour themselves.

Aries energy invites us to develop courage by doing things we might naturally shy away from out of timidity, fear, or anxiety, rather encouraging us to face what seems most daunting in the moment. I often think of the goddess Durga when sitting with Aryan energy, for in Hindu myth, she always shows up when the most important aspects of the world are being threatened. As one of my teachers Sally Kempton reminds, the softer-faced goddesses such as Lakshmi, Saraswati, or Radha, tend to turn away when Life isn’t being honoured in a particular place or situation. This isn’t bad, it’s just that their gifts are different and require us to engage them in a softer way; we’ll look at this momentarily. Yet the intense goddesses like Durga, Kali, or Chinnamasta, always turn toward the conflict at hand, standing strong in the midst of injustice and wrongdoing. In other words, Aries has the ability to turn towards what is uncomfortable to many, choosing to be fierce in the face of challenge even when she might not feel as confident as she would like to be. And it is in these ways that Aries energy is developed healthily and given the chance to root itself within an individual. If you’ve ever felt backed into a corner with the need to stand up for yourself or others, then you’ve sensed this warrior-like energy that encourages us to be assertive, develop our will, and to stand up for what is most important in the world.

With Chiron and the Full Moon in Aries, as well as Mars retrograding in the sign of the leader and daredevil (though not conjunct the Moon or Chiron), we might be feeling the need to be intense in ways that we haven’t in awhile or yet, and this includes being intense with ourselves in order to squarely face a fear head-on so that we may embody a powerful aspect of ourselves that is waiting to be integrated. Mars retrograde in its own fiery sign might have us look within to get clear on how we can face these fears or traumas so that the value of their integration can make itself known in the world and in ourselves. For Mars, the energy of passionate engagement with life can be brought forth even more fully when we’ve faced our inner demons and not-so-life-enhancing tendencies so clearly that the energy is no longer caught up in these inner battles, but can now move outwardly in a healthy way. For there is a difference between standing strong in what’s valuable and being enraged in ways that harm the world. Retrograde planets remind us that doing the inner work allows us to show up more skillfully and with greater awareness in ourselves and in the world; here, this is with regard to our own will, taking a stand, developing courage, and being confident and decisive when it’s needed most.

Yet with the Sun in Libra, ruled by Venus, we’re reminded that a softening that can also take place in the midst of this intensity! Lakshmi, as mentioned earlier, is the goddess of what is inherently valuable and beautiful, and she encourages right relationship with ourselves, others, and with Life itself. She reminds us of how to soften so that others might feel welcome when we’re around them, and so that we ourselves can feel our inherent connection to life when we seem to have forgotten it. Libra’s gifts lie in their ability to listen well, to temper a situation that seems filled with conflict, and to connect with the grace that is inherently interwoven into the fabric of creation. In essence, Libra reminds us that conflict can be eased when we open our hearts to another view or understanding, and she thrives when she herself is seen, valued, and understood deeply by another. She has gifts to offer Durga, such as when Durga's fire is too intense to handle. And of course, Durga has gifts to offer Lakshmi so that her softness isn't taken advantage of and she doesn't become a doormat.

Full Moons always invite integration of 2 sides of an astrological axis, and while Aries energy is quite full-on at the moment, there is a beautiful opportunity for shifting some deeper patterns and embodying both the ferocity and grace that Life invites us to. We might call this "fierce grace," and it is absolutely available for us all. May this Full Moon bring the clarity, courage, and beauty that its potential holds, and may you bask in its brilliance.  

The Force is with you! Enjoy.