Full moons bring intensity, passion, and fruition to dreams. Everything heightens before waning and moving into a new cycle. The full moon appears on October 5,  featuring Sun (life) and Mercury (thought, communication) in Libra, an air sign ruled by Venus.  Libra rules beauty, balance, relationships, judgement, and the mind. Think of butterflies, dragonflies, and soft clouds—or the stillness of the mind that comes with inner presence. Think of a gentle breeze moving through bright leaves and the clear, peaceful feeling of an autumn afternoon.

Libra also rules the type of higher love that comes from the enlightened mind and an open heart. When Sun (life) and Mercury (thought) are conjunct (close), it heightens our ability to still the mind and receive higher communications and impulses. It also increases our ability to perceive beauty, harmony, and balance. (It’s important to align our consciousness with these energies as we move through the week.)

Moon in Aries stirs the pot, dredging up passion, impulses, and the desire for a new quest. The moon opposes the energies of the Sun and Mercury, so the best use of these energies is feeling passionate about the spaciousness of the mind when it is connected to the Divine.

The biggest challenge in the chart lies with the T-square with Sun (life), Moon (emotions), Mercury (thought), and Pluto. It pertains to how we experience and react to our own darkness and the underworld. Pluto reveals the truth about life, and it’s often not pretty. But part of seeing the truth and light involves recognizing the aspects of life (and the planet) that don’t work.

Pluto direct can feel like the river Styx. Fortunately, there is light at the end of the long river. When we see the truth and act properly on it, we become powerful. This is Pluto’s lesson.

A T-square can cause tension and irritability. In this case, Sun (life), Moon (emotions), and Mercury (thought) square Pluto, creating tension between our desire to create harmony and the aspects of life that appear before us. (Obviously, it happened this week.) Moon square Pluto (subconscious, transformation) arouses rapid, actions and emotions, which can occur with little thought. (Venus and Mars in  trine Pluto, which may help us in finding practical methods of transmuting energies through love and light.)

The challenge involves our encounter with aspects of the personal subconscious and global consciousness. The challenge is to remain aligned with a clear mind while focusing on a positive world view. (Of course, we will feel discordant emotions, but we can try to rise above them.)  It’s important to focus on the beautiful feelings and vision bestowed by Sun and Mercury in Libra. We have to quiet the mind and return to a higher vision, which is a form of cosmic awakening.

Additional Influential Aspects

Venus (feminine, beauty, physical possessions) and Mars (male, action) are placed in Virgo, the sign of order, healing, and physical work. In conjunct (close) position, there is a pleasant coherence between the male/female aspects of the self. This includes work/rest and active/passive phases of life, which can create a lovely balance.

Work and Spirituality

Venus (feminine, beauty) and Mars (assertion, male) square Saturn in Sagittarius (karma, time, devotion and spirituality.) The square creates tension between our desire to work and our devotion to spiritual work. It’s helpful to take breaks for peaceful meditation between efforts with focused work. (It’s important not to compartmentalize, but to find balance while holding the open state of mind conferred by Sun in beautiful Libra.)

Balance and Change

Jupiter (good fortune, expansion) in Libra opposes Uranus in Aries (sudden change, awakening). Our desire for harmony and clarity (Jupiter) conflicts with Uranus’ energies. Uranus elicits strong reactions, moving energy quickly from high to low (like a roller coaster), brings change, and causes odd events.

With oppositions, we tend to feel both energies in separate intervals. We may want balance, contentment and harmony, which is followed by a desire for sudden change. These energies can feel disruptive, but it is possible to alter the placement of our consciousness into a peaceful place by an act of will. Jupiter also trines (harmonious) Saturn (karma, time), which is helpful in creating a positive blend of the old and new.

Dreams and Illusion

Venus (feminine, beauty) and Mars (male, action) oppose Neptune, the bringer of dreams, illusion, and mysticism. Venus and Mars in Virgo ask us to focus on the tasks at hand and fulfill practical matters. Neptune (mysticism, illusion) in Pisces encourages dreams and a mystical state of being. While traveling between these two planetary energies, it’s possible to lose sight of larger dreams and aspirations when focused on practicality and/or confuse reality and illusion. Sun, Moon, and Mercury are sextile Neptune, which brings a more positive energy to the mix; their position can help in finding clarity with this task.

Sabian Symbols, based on Lynda Hill’s Work

Sun sits on Libra 13, “Children Blowing Soap Bubbles”. The symbol illustrates the beauty of air, the possibility of floating through life by becoming present and aware in the moment. Libra is an air sign, and it rules thoughts. When the mind is clear, “air” supports us with a lovely motion, carrying our thoughts to the heavens to take on shape and form.

Moon is placed on Aries 13, “A Bomb Which Failed to Explode Is Now Safely Hidden from Discovery.” This symbol has appeared often in the past few months. (It’s interesting to note how a WWII bomb was discovered and defused in Germany during this period.) It could refer to Pluto’s current (direct) position and the need to handle personal issues, which are potentially explosive. The symbol can refer to global issues as well. For the moment, we have time to review, change the past, and create a safer future (without potential harm).

Mercury is on Libra 11, “A Professor Peering over His Glasses at His Students.” Again, it’s a repetitive symbol. The best teachers share information on an intuitive, intellectual, and emotional level. Glasses can refer to not seeing well or seeing details more sharply.

We learn from the nature and the response of the physical world. Clear perception is necessary to read the signs. The symbol also refers to the need for teachers to study and grow on an intellectual and metaphysical level while teaching others.

Venus and Mars on Virgo 20, “A Caravan of Cars Headed for the Promised Lands”. Mars and Venus refer to male and female energy, and they give harmony when placed on the same degree in the same sign. The symbol is apropos for this time of higher vibration and the awakened movement, particularly as we move through life in our cars.

The symbol hints at a new and better way of living and new methods of experiencing life. Likely, it is one of higher consciousness. They work best!

Jupiter sits on Libra 30, “Three Mounds of Knowledge on a Philosopher’s Head. This is the last degree of Jupiter and marks the end of learning lessons from Libra. The symbol refers to phrenology, the study of the bumps and shapes of the head. It also refers to the interpretation of signs. We know the look of inner beauty when reflected in the face and body. We know the feeling of the flow and how life changes when we step into it. When the wind blows from a different direction, it tells about the weather.

If we pay attention to small signs and physical indications of the spiritual presence in the physical, we can learn about our responses to the inner world. By recognizing and acting on inner impulses, we gain greater access to the spiritual world.

Julia Griffin, intuitive healer and owner of One True Self, began her work fifteen years ago under the tutelage of real wolves. Following their direction, Julia sees and reads energy, including animals, plants and people. She works with people in session to find their resonance with the soul, clearing patterns and alignment with their inner path.