The Sun continues its journey through Taurus, proclaiming the flowering and unfolding of spring. Now the celestial energy of this season will come to a head as the Moon goes full in the sign of Scorpio, opposite the Sun. The Moon will become full of the Sun’s light this April 23 at 7:47pm Eastern time.

Whenever a full moon occurs, a flood of energy comes to a head in the skies. The themes, lessons, and emotional timbre reaches a climax. As the Moon fills with the light of the Sun and the celestial energy peaks in intensity for the season, the astral energy around us peaks as well.

Because the full Moon starts the waning season, her placement indicates circumstances and behaviors in our lives that we often need to release. As she wanes and separates from the opposition to the Sun, so too should we wane and separate from the things in our lives that do not serve us. This Full Moon occurs amidst the deep, roiling waters Scorpio.

Scorpio is ruled by Mars, the God of bravery, boundaries, and war. Mars is the protector of the seven planets, the overseer of pain and loss, and the warden of the embattled, vigilant psyche.

The energy of Scorpio is deep and brooding. It has strong perceptive and intuitive qualities and is very emotionally intelligent. Scorpio grants great sight, the capacity to see beneath the surface, and face darkness and shadows head-on. It is very familiar with discomfort - physical and emotional - and can even seek out these kinds of experiences in a very brave, martial way. At its worst, Scorpio can demonstrate tendencies towards manipulation, control, and a preoccupation with power and the emotional control of others.

In sum, as the yin, watery home of Mars, Scorpio represents all the aspects of war that happen outside of the battlefield - spying, subterfuge, and confrontation of an emotional quality.

Unsurprisingly, the Moon is in her fall in Scorpio. This focus on loss, pain, and anxiety doesn’t cohere well with the Moon’s energy that prioritizes safety, nourishment, and emotional acceptance. It’s like putting Molly Weasley in a Game of Thrones episode.

Oftentimes people born with a Scorpio Moon go through a profound experience of loss and trauma growing up. They are perceptive and insightful into the thoughts and motives of others, but this is often developed as a protective mechanism - the vigilance and hyperalertness come from being raised in an unsafe environment.

When the Moon goes full in Scorpio, our deepest fears and anxieties come to the surface, illuminated by the contrast of the Sun in the gentle, fertile sign of Taurus. We become aware of what we fear losing. Traumatized people find anxieties and neuroses coming to the surface that otherwise would remain repressed.

You may find difficult, uncomfortable emotions arising out of nowhere, sometimes with no real rhyme or reason to their surfacing. Things can be absolutely fine and dandy, and yet you don’t feel well. You are safe but don’t feel safe. Or old patterns and emotional wounds that you thought you had cleared suddenly overtake you again.

The stability of the Sun in Taurus creates an environment in which we can safely process these emotions and past experiences. Girded by the sturdiness of Taurus season, we can process old wounds and emotional refuse that would otherwise never reveal themselves.

So this full Moon, don’t fight the darkness. Don’t fight the discomfort that may arise out of nowhere. Take these feelings to your therapists, and counselors, and into your spiritual practice. Allow yourself to heal these old wounds on a deeper level as they resurface. Catharsis and purification from the specters of the past await you on the other side.

And from this catharsis you find new epiphanies coming from your own personal underworld. You can harrow hell and release the shades of your psyche that still linger there.

Both malefics Saturn and Mars form trines during this period from Pisces. You will have ample amounts of material to process and work through. The trine helps ensure a positive outcome to your inner integration and emotional alchemy.

Red Jasper and Amazonite are both good stones for anxiety and fear. You can wear or hold these stones during times when you feel particularly overwhelmed. Lepidolite helps you to deal with traumas in a calming way. It’s nourishing and soothing for the psyche.

This is a good season for doing journeying and inner shadow work. Use formal meditation and the tools you have acquired to face whatever comes up head-on. This is an excellent time to find deep, cathartic healing from your spiritual practices.

Allow the universe to hold you. Know that you are safe in the intensity of this period and that nothing which arises will ruin you. If you surrender to the confrontation of the deepest aspects of your self, you will leave this period with a profound level of integration and inner gnosis.