The Moon is about to stand in opposition to her consort, the Sun, amidst the initiatory, driven, martial fires of Aries. This will occur on Thursday, October 17th at 7:27 a.m. Eastern time.

Full moons occur as the Moon directly opposes the Sun in the sky, culminating the new moon and bringing it into fruition. While new moons begin trends, patterns, and cycles, full moons terminalize them. During this time, the seeds and new intentions sewn during the new moon will culminate and come to fruition.

On earth, we experience a corresponding culmination in response. The new seeds, patterns, and intentions sown during the new moon two weeks ago will likewise come to fruition. During this time, the seeds and new intentions sewn during the new moon will culminate and come to fruition.

This energy of culmination can have a charged, even uncontrollable effect on the collective level, and all the more so since this is a Lunar eclipse. Emotions are high and easily set off, there are sudden roadblocks to plans that feel insurmountable, and situations and interactions can become very volatile.

The intensity of this eclipse is compounded by that fact that it takes place in Aries fiery, impulsive sign ruled by Mars, the planetary God of war. The immediate satisfaction of self-interested desires can completely take over at the expense of Libran virtues such as patience and adaptability. Our willpower and drive become highly activated and strong, but they rebel against collective agendas and responsibility. People easily become frustrated, agitated, and stubborn about getting their own way and making the world look the way they want.

Classically, full moons were considered inauspicious and challenging because the Sun and Moon stand for diametrically opposed things. A conflict arises within each of us, and it spills over into current events in the world from the overflow of our own inner combustibility. This is especially true for the Aries full Moon - unconscious, lunar impulses become ignited by single-minded, Aries-esque self-interest will challenge the Libran qualities of patience and sound decision-making that we have been working to cultivate.

Oftentimes, we find habits and patterns related to the oppositional sign arising that stand in the way of the intentions that we have been working to achieve. With this full moon we see the antithesis between the diplomatic, rational, and deliberative qualities of Libra season with the self-interested, passionate, and impulsive qualities of Aries. Though we have spent the past few weeks cultivating the balanced, social nature of Libra in our behaviors and decision-making process, the Aries lunar eclipse will create pushback and resistance to these attitudes in favor of more self-oriented, individualistic pursuits.

This Aries Full Moon will afford us excellent opportunities to release self-interest and selfish impulses that stand in the way of collective growth and the flourishing of everyone around us. Celestial light illuminates the aspects of ourselves that are completely self-preoccupied, dangerously myopic, and sometimes downright bratty. The destructive aspects of Aries that prioritize one’s personal wants to the detriment of everyone else have the opportunity to be cleared and replaced with Libran patience and tolerance.

To be sure, Aries has tremendously positive traits and its single-minded focus brings something worthwhile to the table. But this is not the astrological season for cultivating those traits - this season shines a light on the shadow sides of those traits so that you can cultivate a less destructive, cleaner, and more defined will and set of self-focussed intentions in the future. Now is your opportunity to temper your own will and drive against the needs of those around you.

You may find yourself getting angry and frustrated at times about things not going your way. That’s fine - these circumstances are arising to trigger you and help you identify processes and emotional patterns related to selfishness and self-interest that are genuinely hindering you and making your life more difficult. In this process, you will discover emotional patterns that do not serve you. Remember the collective, civic, interpersonally-minded intentions you set during the Libra new moon - examine those patterns and traits that adversely affect or even actively harm your cooperative, socially-oriented intentions for your life.

The moon forms a sextile with Jupiter during this eclipse, bringing some much-needed opportunities for guidance expansion for wise people in your life. These stressors created by the eclipse have the opportunity to open more fruitful and profitable doorways in the near future.

Additionally, the Moon squares Mars. This can create more instances of anger and frustration. You will find yourself getting irritated and frustrated more easily, often about little, piddly things. It’s common to have trouble sleeping around a full moon, let alone an eclipse, and this will aggravate that tendency even more.

Take deep breaths and relax. Don’t be too attached to your own personal agendas during this period. In time, you will find yourself reevaluating personal interests that you are pursuing. You will return to the Libran focus on interpersonal and collective flourishing and fairness, and eventually you will gladly adjust and modify the intentions that you hold so dearly now. Allow this process to unfold on its own without too much attachment, and you will be doing everything you need to to make the most of this eclipse.