love layers.
▽ Aries full moon ▽sun in libra △
▽ Aries full moon ▽sun in libra △
The Full Moon in Aries arrives October 9, 2022 at 4:54 pm eastern time.
Meditative Rose by Salvador Dali (Aries Moon), 1958
"When you know you are of worth — not asking it but knowing it — you walk into a room with a particular power. When you know you are of worth, you don't have to raise your voice. You don't have to become rude. You don't have to become vulgar. You just are, and you are like the sky is, as the air is, the same way water is wet."
maya angelou
This Full Moon is a bridge between
who you are and who you are becoming.
you could burn bridges or you could blaze a new path. it’s an invitation to set something on fire… what’s it going to be?
Some tools and tips around becoming you while staying self-aware of you impact on others.
a series of three questions
Who/what’s ‘got you’? Where do you turn when you’re seeking balance… who/what serve as your sounding board?
What is your contribution? What resources are inherent to your nature & support your journey in this life that you may take for granted?
Are you willing to surrender to the paradox of both the light & the shadow within so that you can bring greater harmony to the complexity of relationships to yourself, others and the world?
The most ancient recorded myth known to mankind begins with these words:
From the Great Above she opened her ear to the Great Below.
From the Great Above the goddess opened her ear to the Great Below.
From the Great Above Inanna opened her ear to the Great Below.
There is a lot happening in the sky these days. Venus, which is approaching a Cazimi with the Sun now, has been making her ‘decent’ to the great below. In astrology, there are a series of correlations that Venus carries with the myth of Inanna, the first recorded goddess in mythology, as she descends to the great below. This month holds potent medicine.
I will share more details of the cycle Venus is in throughout the month, but for the Full Moon in Aries, the most important thing to note right now is:
this moment asks you to be honest with yourself about the reflection (♀the glyph of Venus looks like a handheld mirror) OF WHO YOU ARE THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES THAT ARE SHOWING UP IN relationships AND THE WORLD AROUND YOU.
WHAT IS YOUR attachment to identity & PROJECTION? Are you willing to SEE MORE CLEARLY THE MIRROR OF how situations of conflict may be bringing you deeper into conversation with who you are VS. WHAT IS APPEARING FOR YOU NOW through relational dynamics with others?
there may be a situation that requires letting parts of yourself that you once identified with dissolve. Are you willing to bravely look within to harmonize disparate aspects of your own shadow which have been calling for your attention?
By recognizing our own wounds that we carry with us, we can begin to sit with discomfort in order to transform the capacity for empathy and compassion- ultimately enabling a deeper connection & understand of the reality of human suffering.
we often learn who we are, and who we are not through our closest relationships. conflict and polarizing truths can trigger defense mechanisms and invite strife when we are acting from a place of blame or shame . are you able to take responsibility for your actions, even if it means accepting to forgive yourself first for acting from a place that is not aligned to your essence?
If you flip the script… how might you empower yourself to look at the root of your own internal conflict with gentle awareness & maturity so that you can learn how to navigate relationships with integrated self-awareness?
We become who we are not because our identity is given to us, we become who we are when we show up in each moment with the desire to discover ourself along the way... a path which requires radical honesty.
our character is not built from the outside in, it must grow from the roots of inner truth, sourced in response to the responsibility we have for our own actions.
The outer layers will change, adapt & evolve from that inner foundation. the intention to live aligned to authenticity is a commitment to accepting you are one of a kind, and only you have the authority to navigate how you unfold into your most unique expression through the actions you take each moment.
“seek patience and passion in
equal amounts.
patience alone will not build the temple.
passion alone will destroy its walls.”
maya angelou
It is the heart of the matter that matters most.
The heart is already perfect, you are already whole.
are you ready?
…Love Loops…
The opening lines of the myth of Inanna’s decent begin a mysterious initiation. One that opens to an intuitive knowing. In the ancient Sumerian culture that this myth originated in, the word ear translates to two meanings: wisdom and reception. So the goddess of heaven & earth begins this story by being open to receive a wisdom from another realm.
The bridge between the realms is Inanna herself. She is the Queen Goddess of Heaven and Earth, and her decent into the world below represents a journey she must take in order to see her sister, the Queen of the Great Below, who is mourning the death of her husband. In this tale, Inanna and her sister represent the light & the shadow within us all.
At the Full Moon in Aries on October 9, Venus will be within 3° of the Sun in Libra, bringing her into the final moments of her descent to meet her shadow. There is something special about this moment as Venus gets closer to the heart of the Sun (the exact cazimi will occur October 22), unlike one that we have ever experienced in our lifetime. This will be the first time that Venus moves through the heart of the Sun in Libra since the 1800’s.
the 5 petal geometrical pattern formed by Venus’ synodic cycle with the Sun. Click the image for an article that can give you some insight on the initiation of the current Venus cycle we are in. The house that Capricorn rules in your chart will give you insight on the current Venus cycle and the Mars/Venus synodic cycle themes.
Venus has also begun a new 32 year synodic cycle with Mars that began July 2021. I will share much more about this in the coming weeks, but for now, it is important to note that there is larger story unfolding in the stars & in our lives.
In ancient Astrology, being ‘under the beams of the Sun’ (within 15° of the Sun) makes a planet invisible, translating to the energy of that planet having a more nuanced and internalized expression in one’s life. In some ways, this can present as having resources & values (venus things) in our life that are ignored or unrecognized. But there is a catch here- under a handful of circumstances, such as this moment with Venus in her home sign of Libra… we get what is called Venus in Chariot. (I love ancient astrology terms).
In her Chariot, Venus has a special power. In some ways, her journey from morning star through meeting with the Sun signifies a revitalization of resources… she metaphorically is able to revive the most intimate powers of self and carry them into the next chapter integrated within the dignity of this position.
Some of the conceptual framework of Libra that often gets overlooked when we are learning about the zodiac (through memes mostly…) because we all love to celebrate Libra for the love of beauty and relational aesthetic… but the deeper connection to what appears on the surface is held within the symbol of the scales. In certain tellings of the Inanna myth, she carries a collection of items that must be removed as she enters the world below. One item, the scales, seems to pass through the gates with her… it is up for interpretation, she does indeed face judgement when she arrives in the depths of the shadow world.
Justice. With the symbol of Libra we get Lady Justice, a representation of the goddess Themis. In the image of our times, Lady Justice holds the scales blindfolded. Did you know she was not originally depicted this way? Known for clear sight, the blindfold she wears was an interpretation created out of protest by the poet and activist Sebastian Brant who wrote the book Ship of Fools in 1494. The poem was titled “The Fool Blindfolds Lady Justice”. (2) His intention was to bring awareness of the blind eye that was being turned to those in power, claiming that they were not enforcing the rightful balance of justice due to corruption and power of the times…
What we have carried forward as an image of Lady Justice Blindfolded has become a modern day replica of satire as seen in our own lives. That often, Justice goes unchecked by those who benefit from privilege. The parody that Brant protested has prevailed.
In the myth of Inanna, as she descends, she is asked to take off her garments… where she eventually enters the underworld with no armor or protection, and is met with judgment passed before death. Not a far reach to suggest that it might be time to take off the blindfold, and look at yourself clearly under the light of this moon.
Beneath the blindfold is said to be the wisdom of the minds eye. Intuitive sight sees beyond the surface of things.
Justice is not inherent. Life isn’t always fair. We often overlook our own value & in many situations have been taught to ignore our own authority. We also at times have to work within systems that don’t support our needs. It might not always be just, but sometimes you’ve got to find a way to work with what you got. With the Full Moon in Aries one might begin to ask…
how are you claiming your own power… how do you flow between being your most authentic and instinctual self & remaining in relationship with the polarities of light & dark, self & other, identity & society, I & we.
To stay true to yourself, you must be able to learn who you are through the many “ego deaths” that build the main character of who you are becoming in your own life experience. In order to stay in right relationship with others, it is important to know who you are from the depths. When you learn how to prioritize your own needs, to take action from a deep knowing that only you can cultivate...& knowing that your choices have an effect on those you are in relationship with... you give yourself and others permission to be who you are.
Relationships require compromise, but ‘right relationship’ does not require one to sacrifice the true self. In order to know the difference between compromise & sacrifice, you must know who you are first. In order to deeply care for others, you must first deeply care for yourself. Sometimes that means waving the white flag. Sometimes it’s a battle cry. And sometimes… it’s the sweet spot. Where is the line being drawn?
Clear sight, as represented by Lady Justice and the sign of Libra, is the ability to rebalance and harmonize polarizing truths into creative brilliance. It is an ability to measure the risk & reward of the call to action, a call to do it in only the way you know how. Do you know the difference between instinct & impulse?
Wisdom and reception, as represented through the call to Inanna’s descent, are the factors in which one must create a relationship with in order to recognize truth. The initial call to look within is only the first step. To gain the wisdom sometimes takes risk, the risk of not knowing how it will all work out, but taking responsibility for the initiative it takes to clear stagnation. When you live in alignment to that deeper knowing that you are responsible for how you show up in each moment, being receptive to what is true for you, your unique story in this lifetime becomes your mythic journey.
As the Full Moon arrives, it is accompanied by a grand air trine between Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius. It feels as if the promise you make, whether to yourself or others, in this moment… is meant to redirect the flow of energy in your life within a sustainable relationship to your own personal resources and boundaries. Only you have the ability to recognize what appears at this time as a clear sign, with clear sight. The words you speak to yourself, how you communicate your needs and how you articulate your own experience are important, powerful, and have impact.
There is something within you that must be accepted in order to integrate the full potential of power you hold. The planets/asteroids involved in this trine are the Sun/Venus in Libra, Mars in Gemini about to station retrograde, and Saturn & Vesta in Aquarius. So as the moon lights up in Aries, a fire is lit in your life. A devotional fire, one that will need tending and care as you move through deeper aspects of the depths of your own authority and value in responsible relationship to the contribution that is your unique expression in this lifetime. Not to mention that the day before the full moon, Pluto will station direct at 26° Capricorn, the exact degree that Venus/Pluto met up at back in the December 2021 Venus retrograde. What transformational processes around values, love, beauty, relationship, desires & sensual needs have alchemized since this past December? The story is still unfolding, but this full moon in Aries seems to emphasize a need to mark the path of the journey so far with reflection.
Knowing yourself deeply is a vital step you must take to align yourself to what is true for you. In doing so, you align yourself to be open to reciprocity. When you value yourself, you have the awareness it takes to value others as well. Ultimately, you must connect to the instinct within to know what is true for you, and forgive yourself when you make mistakes. Surrender to the dance.
I love you. How do you love yourself?
Returning to the three questions… here is some food for thought.
Who knows and loves you, flaws and all? Who’s (or what) ‘got you’? Who is there to support your growth and evolution, holding space for you to expand and retreat when you need it. Remind those people how special they are as often as you can. (Family, friends, community, colleagues… the people you interact with who value you + practiced such as daily rituals or breathwork, excercise etc. ).
Equally… is there anyone in your life who you are giving energy to that doesn’t value your growth (to be alive means to accept the cycle of growth and decay, both within and around us)? It may be time to release connections to those who do not want to see you shine. This could also apply to any unhealthy patterns you’d like to let go of.
Is there a hidden resource, talent, creative passion, or value that you are dimming in some way? If you were to really look around your life right now, could you reorient yourself to the potential of what you have inherently available to you that could transform/grow into something more with care and attention? This could be a talent, a financial resource, a passion project, a skill that is needs to be realized. Whatever it is, it might be something you take for granted because it is so familiar to you or because you possibly were told by others it had limited value to the world. It is time to shift perspective around all forms of personal resources.
Have you noticed any themes of frustration, worry, or tension looping in your life? Can you begin to see where you may be called to look at your own shadow with compassion and empathy? In order to integrate the parts of our self that we reject (through suffering & unjust life experiences) we must first sooth our sorrows and send love to the places that call for a little tenderness. Be kind to yourself, and let a gentle awareness move the energy of any stagnant pain that you may be holding onto. What you do with that energy becomes a deeper layer of your capacity live in integrity with your power. In order for others to be able to care deeply for the gift you are in this world, you must deeply care for yourself. You are supported in more ways than you know. Through sitting with uncomfortable experiences, there is a greater opportunity to have compassion for others who have experienced their own version of this pain. We’re all in this together.
To be a warrior of love, a pioneer of the heart, requires humility and integrity. Acknowledge your needs. Release the fears you harbor. accept all of yourself as you are in this moment, so you can accept others as they are. Let go of what no longer resonates in layers, be gentle and attentive through the process. Plant your roots in the depths of your self as you face your aliveness.
You are a living prayer.
Only you know your deepest truth.
To live in gratitude is a commitment of knowing you are enough just as you are, and that you remain open to the miracle of becoming all that you can be.
Heart Centered Awareness
When you close your eyes, placing your hand on the center of your heart space…
Can you imagine the shape & color of your love? Can you feel the power of your heart?
Does it have a sensation, a texture, can you hold it in your hands… does it hum…. Is it quiet, loud, radiant, subtle… is it pulsing, does it need care or tending?
Is it full of rage, sadness or grief? Is it beaming?
Love begins here.
We carry the frequency of our heart in all that we do.
Are you tuning in?
if you are grounded in your value, you can seek to be more. You can be open to the sacrifice of that precious self in order to discover what else you can become.
Dr. Catherine Svehla
Still I Rise Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was a Calypso dancer in a chapter before she became the literary Queen poet and author most celebrated today. She wrote her first book This Is Why The Caged Bird Sings after accepting a dare to tell her story while out to dinner with friends.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a celebration of black motherhood; a critique of racism; the importance of family; and the quest for independence, personal dignity, and self-definition.
Fanning the heart flame born under the Sun in Libra & Moon in Aries.
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise…
If you have worked with me before, you know I’m a huge fan of the work Lacy Phillips creates around healing trauma and shadow through self guided journaling and meditation. In the most recent podcast episode from The Expanded Podcast, Lacy interviews Dr. Becky Kennedy. In the beginning of the conversation, Dr. Kennedy offers a tool for navigating trigger moments and being able to see your actions and your true nature through repair (18 minutes into the episode)…
“If repair feels scary it’s because you haven’t been able to find your own internal, inherent goodness under a certain behavior. What happened was whatever behavior, whatever moment happened that you don’t feel good about has collapsed into your identity. So that “yell” became the person you are, that “nasty phrase” you said to someone became who you are… to visually imagine this:
Put both of your hands out in front of you, and look at your left hand and turn your palm and say, “this is something I did, that’s my behavior.” Keep that over there…
Separate the two hands and now look at your right hand and say, "This is who I am.”
Experiment with bringing your hands together when reflecting on a moment… my behavior isn’t who I am, my behavior is something I did.”
I highly recommend listening to the episode to learn more. She goes on to explain the accountability involved in this process of identifying our actions and our inherent goodness, with many tips through the entire episode for self awareness and parenting (both providing ourselves with what we need, and those who depend on us).
The exercise did remind me of this famous scene from Do The Right Thing by Spike Lee, who does not have any planets in Aries, but he does have Mars in Gemini in his natal chart which is similar to the Mars in Gemini that is ruling over this Aries Full Moon moment.
Can you separate the SIGNAL from the STATIC?
there it is. stay spicy
sending lots of ♡,
Xx
alexandria
Jerry Garcia, Libra Rising + Aries Moon
