The Aries Libra axis
Aries energy is act first, think later, whereas Libra can take in all perspectives – including other people’s needs and desires – to the point of not being able to act decisively.
While Libra is saying “Wait! Let’s think about how this will affect other pe…” Aries is already marching out the door. It’s the classic balancing act between “me” and “we” and this dichotomy shows up wherever you have these signs in your own chart.
When do individual needs override the needs of the couple, or wider relationships? And when should we stand up for our individual rights and protect and defend ourselves (Aries) against social pressure (Libra)? These are urgent questions nowadays!
The Aries-Libra axis is all about relationships. From our relationship with ourselves to our relationships with others, as well as relationships between nations. What is the right balance between national assertion and international diplomacy?
Let’s back up a bit here so we can see the wider context:
The Libra New Moon on September 25th was conjunct Mercury, representing communication and commerce, while Mercury was in strong opposition to nebulous Neptune across several days at the end of September. As Mercury slowed down and stationed direct in one of its home signs, Virgo, on October 2nd, this opposition was at its strongest point since August 20th, the day Mars entered Mercury’s other sign of Gemini.
The ingress chart for any planet tells us a lot about what we can expect during its transit through that sign. In this case, Mars will be spending 7 months here, causing excitement, exaggeration, and disruption in issues of communication and commerce.
Mars in Gemini is quick thinking, but also jumps to conclusions. It’s good at responding quickly to new situations but can be impulsive where more thoughtfulness would be more helpful.
When this less-than-reliable but more-than-clever Mars in Gemini is ruled by a Mercury that is currently shrouded in Neptunian vapours, we can be sure that both actions and words – and business dealings of all kinds – will not be what they seem to be throughout this transit, which ends on 25 March 2023.
So now, at the time of this Aries Full Moon, Mercury is moving direct and separating from this confusing opposition with Neptune. Many of our illusions, delusions, and romantic (including patriotic) notions will be shown to have been unreliable.
One glaring example of the consequences of this delusional patriotism is the European economy, which is slowly festering from its self-inflicted wounds caused by EU and American sanctions on Russia – now in their 8th iteration – that have not even remotely had their desired effect on their target.
I want to point out here that the United States Independence Chart of July 4th 1776 has Mars in Gemini in its 7th house of relationships and partnerships. US foreign policy rather beautifully but tragically illustrates the kind of duplicity that can be represented by Mars in the sign of the Twins. Two-faced is one of the less flattering ways Gemini can be described, although this fickleness is not always ill-intentioned. Gemini also represents business, reflecting how US business partnerships are an important feature of American identity overall.
Notably, when Neptune had its rare conjunction to Jupiter back around the 12th of April, it was in a close opposition to the US natal Neptune. What happens when you don’t know what you don’t know? It’s only possible to understand once the fog clears. Around this time a peace deal was being negotiated between Ukraine and Russia, which was mainly brokered by Turkey.
Peace talks had been quietly ongoing through most of March and were elevated to high-level talks in Istanbul on March 31st, one day before the Aries New Moon of April 1st. Then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suddenly appeared in Kiev on April 9th for a surprise visit “to offer humanitarian support”, which turned out to mean scuppering any hope for peace talks as he told Ukrainian President Zelensky to stop negotiating.*
Get Real
A full moon is a culmination point, a moment of reckoning and potentially adjusting to what has happened since the seeds were sown at the new moon, which is the beginning of a cycle. This can be both in the context of the fortnight since the previous new moon, in this case the new moon in Libra on September 25th, as well as in the astrological lunar cycle looking back at the new moon in the same sign about 6 months earlier.
The Libra Full Moon that immediately followed reflected that (failed) attempt at diplomacy six months ago, on the 16th of April. And now at this Aries Full Moon we see the results of what the Aries New Moon cycle seeded on the 1st of April. The results are clear, as all sides are escalating combativeness rather than seeking diplomacy.
The Power of Propaganda
Currently at this Aries Full Moon we have Mercury now in Direct motion opposing Neptune, which is an aspect for deception and doublespeak through evasiveness, propaganda, and other means.
We see this in the way information is being deliberately manipulated by US and other Western governments in a way that is terrifyingly similar to the American weapons of mass destruction Propaganda that led to the illegal war with Iraq. The United States has been seeking a reason to go to war with Russia for regime change for many years, and these efforts are accelerating as the US approaches its final exact conjunction (on December 28) of Pluto returning to the position of Pluto in the chart of US Independence.
Be alert to what news you hear and search for several independent sources before making up your mind. The mainstream corporate media, which some call the billionaire press, is working on the same agenda as the military industrial complex or big pharma, from where they get most of their funding.
This is not crazy conspiracy nonsense, although it is often dismissed as such by the same mainstream sources in order to diminish any other opinion than the one carefully cultivated by this ruling elite. There is no better way to negate a dissenting opinion than by calling people crazy – this has been the approach over the past 60 years since the term conspiracy theorist first appeared from none other than the CIA.
It’s worth remembering that this environment of delusion, self-delusion, illusion and deception et cetera is not just occurring amongst the general public, but also amongst global leaders. There are no good guys or bad guys – those lines are deeply blurred, and anyway this is a naive way of looking at the world.
The UK’s chart is also strongly affected by this Aries Full Moon, as transiting Chiron and the Moon are conjunct the UK’s North Node (aka Rahu) in the 7th house of partnerships and squaring its Moon in Cancer (representing the people). We’ve already seen the government back down from outrageous tax exemptions for the uber-rich, and there is likely more confrontation to come in the days building up to the Full Moon.
Our world is a reflection of a dying colonial system which is trying to cling to power, and as they do so the great powers on all sides become increasingly aggressive and paranoid. This paranoia is very much a part of Mercury opposing Neptune, which can be about not seeing things clearly, inventing or imagining scenarios and – most dangerously – believing them!
Also at this Full Moon, we find Mars in Gemini in challenging inconjunct/quincunx to Pluto in Capricorn, which is particularly strong now because it is stationing direct on October 8th and from the 3rd until about the 13th it is hovering at the same degree (26 degrees) ramping up the effect. Butting horns and stomping at the ground is to be expected under this Aries Moon.
Meanwhile, Mercury is squaring Pluto, intensifying communications as well as all market and commercial issues. The economy is tanking in most major countries around the world, and we are seeing the consequences of poor leadership and the triumph of symbolic gestures over substantive change that have developed since the New Moon in Aries back in the spring.
We need to make a radical shift in our perception of the world so we can see that other people and life forms are interconnected with us and our well-being. The incessant objectification of others and fear-based divisiveness coming from governments and their propaganda is amplified by amoral corporate media and big corporate interests that have been tearing us apart and leading down the road to hell.
Hubris v humility
Mars-ruled Aries is independent and not afraid to stand out or lead, sometimes for selfish reasons and other times for heroic ones. Aries will rush in because there’s a clear need for quick action. On the battlefield, hesitating can mean death, or if a firefighter waited too long to act there would be nothing left to save. Mars represents action, defence, offence – plus all things that separate, including tools and weapons and how we use them.
Aries also represents personal boundaries and individuality. Healthy anger – expressed by Mars – is the way we communicate our boundaries. Holding on to anger or chronic feelings of anything on the spectrum from frustration to rage means we don’t feel safe, and our boundaries are not functioning well.
Venus-ruled Libra has difficulty with boundaries. Just as when they try to make choices, Librans can focus so much on others’ needs, emotions, or opinions that they lose sight of healthy boundaries. Mars, frustrated by Venus’ desire for harmony, is considered debilitated or less effective in Libra than in the sign of Aries, its domicile.
Since harmony is their overriding aim, Librans will do anything to avoid expressing anger, but it eventually comes out in awkward or subtle ways. This is why Libra is known for its passive-aggressive behaviour: expressing anger directly is difficult for Libra, as they know it will bring about some sort of disharmony, or – worse for a Libra – break up a relationship.
Notice in your own life where your boundaries are not clear.
Anger shows up when our boundaries have been crossed, and we are often most angry at ourselves for letting our guard down. What is it you feel angry about? Where can you use a strong Mars energy to state your needs clearly?
Remember too that depression often stems from repressed anger and sadness. Equally, chronic anger and irritability are signs of depression and should be explored and healed to avoid even worse health problems. In Ayurveda this is considered a Pitta imbalance and can be treated through diet and lifestyle changes that cool down the excess heat – something that many Aries people will be well acquainted with!
Avoiding conflict out of fear for our well-being makes us suppress our anger and rage, especially in childhood. This is necessary and normal because we’re motivated by self-preservation. We were responding at the time in the best way we knew how under the circumstances, but this is really unhelpful and unhealthy in the long run. Eventually, it starts to wear down our mind and body and disrupts our relationships, the most important thing in the life of a Libra.
We’ve just gone through a couple of years of massive witch hunting throughout the pandemic experience. Individuals who stood up for their rights to speak freely and live their lives unimpeded (Aries) were pitted against a desire for social cohesion and compliance (Libra). The great paradox is that the very thing that supports our wellbeing as humans – relationship and connection – was the thing that was suppressed in the name of health.
Our global situation urgently requires rebalancing around the issue of healthy boundaries and repressed or expressed anger. Across the world, governments have imposed and crossed the boundaries of their people as well as other nations in many ways, and now we are seeing this repressed anger bursting out nearly everywhere, adding to longstanding conflicts.
This overheated global situation to which we are unavoidably connected requires us as individuals to go deeper within ourselves to find and heal the unexpressed rage, intolerance, and unclear boundaries.
Time to Heal
In mindfulness practice we can use a practice called RAIN, which stands for Recognise, Allow or Acknowledge, Investigate, and Nurture. This practice is best done in neutral times when emotions are not too strong. It’s harder when we’re fully in the emotion but it’s possible to do with enough practice beforehand. Over time, you can become quite adept at recognising different emotional states and can catch yourself before tipping into extreme emotions.
It’s vitally important that we practice acceptance of what is happening all around us now, although this also applies to past experiences too. That doesn’t mean we have to agree with what is happening or that what is happening is fine. The first step to healing is to accept what is, and to recognise that our only true choice is how we respond. The very act of resisting or hating something “out there” causes enormous psychological resistance within us, which feeds back into the loop of repressed anger and rage that we may have been experiencing for years if not decades.
Taking some time to breathe consciously each day is the most important way to deal with emotions, as is stepping away from stressful situations not in anger but with compassion for yourself and the others involved. Recognise when you need some time to understand how you’re feeling before re-engaging in the conversation or the issue at hand.
What are you unwilling to feel? That is the question to continue to explore with yourself. The thing you are avoiding is what has been suppressed – what Carl Jung described as the shadow – and yet it’s driving your daily experience. Healing from past trauma or infractions of our personal boundaries through abuse or simply lack of consideration is highlighted at this Full Moon.
Chiron is currently in Aries (since May 2018) showing us how to achieve self-acceptance as well as where we sabotage ourselves. This applies both wherever Chiron is in our natal chart as well as by transit wherever the sign of Aries is in your horoscope (if you were born between 1971 and 1973 you will be experiencing your Chiron return, so this is even more powerful and relevant to you). Chiron offers us an opportunity to recognise the parts of ourselves that we deny and suppress or feel ashamed or embarrassed about.
This most often comes through some experience in childhood or early education, as these are deep psychological wounds we carry, not just minor hurts. It’s a part of our life’s work to recognise the truth of our nature, which is not connected to that story we tell ourselves about who we are, which in turn is mostly based on other people’s stories about us.
Chiron in Aries conjunct this Full Moon shows us where we can heal what is deep inside that is potentially the source of where we lash out against others, causing further pain for ourselves and our relationships.
One way to work with Chiron is to examine how you were dealt with when you expressed anger as a child. How did your parents respond? Were you shamed? Hushed? Beaten? If you watch closely, a child who has been threatened, however mildly, or told to stop crying will protect themselves by holding their breath, which is the only way to suppress emotion.
When I work with people therapeutically, one of the first things we look at is how they are breathing and how that impacts their emotional experience. If we don’t breathe effectively, we can’t process emotions. Often the only thing that keeps a person moving forward is to continually breathe in a shallow and ineffective way that ends up triggering more anxiety, just so supressed uncomfortable emotions won’t rise to the surface. Without support, this is too scary to allow because it’s coming from a memory of when they were threatened by their caregivers and risked losing their love.
Children who felt unsupported or were traumatised in childhood have difficulty trusting their own authenticity and self-expression. Chiron in Aries shows us this wound, which can be healed by connecting with that inner child and understand that there is nothing wrong with you.
A true, healthy expression of Aries surges forth into life without fear of being judged. Aries is the toddler of the zodiac, and reaches out into the world to discover, act, and manifest based on what they find. The Libra tendency to over emphasise other people’s needs and opinions is simply not valid in Aries.
While Chiron represents our wounds and how we might sabotage ourselves, the other aspect of it is the ability to heal. Recognising where we have blocked ourselves and where we have listened too much to the voice or judgement or opinion or criticism of another is where we start healing. Healing energy is available once we understand the suffering. The solution always comes along with the problem!
But we can never be fully healed as long as we continue to identify as separate individuals (Aries). Even through the energy of Libra we are looking for harmony and balance between separate entities – dualistic thinking that only resolves when we can see ourselves as inseparable from all else (which is the realm of Pisces).
Understanding the healing we have gone through ourselves eventually allows us to become a healer of some sort, as we recognise that whatever we discover in ourselves can be a big help to others.
Once we have recovered our sense of childlike Aries innocence, we can easily allow others to be themselves as well.
“… as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
A Return to Love, Marianne Williamson
The healing that comes through Chiron can be expressed in our day-to-day lives, not necessarily professionally but in everyday acts that allow for our own self to shine through without regard for the judgements and criticisms of others. The social media age this is particularly difficult. It’s interesting that from the time Chiron entered Aries in May 2018 we have become acutely aware of the harm done by social media, particularly on young people and especially teenage girls.
Nonetheless, through the challenges of this particular moment in history where we have chosen somehow to be alive amidst all of this, we have huge potential now to grow spiritually, psychologically, and collectively.
The Aries-Libra axis shows us the importance of healthy relationship through the lens of individuality. We cannot be isolated because that brings us away from balance. Nor can we completely surrender to the needs of another because that tips the balance in the opposite direction. As the saying goes, the flame of one lamp can light many others and not diminish its own light. The important thing to remember here is that we don’t need to lose our own light to be in relationship.
Being your authentic self is one of the lessons of Aries. This is not the new age sense of authenticity where people who talk about being authentic tend to be the least authentic and most self-censorial, this is the authenticity of a child simply showing up and being who they are. Showing you their scribbles with pure delight knowing that they produced it. The Sun is exalted here, and it’s the role of the Sun to shine brightly.
The life lesson of Libra is to find harmony and balance within relationships that fully include themselves, remembering that harmony is not about people pleasing and making others feel comfortable.
Saturn is exalted in Libra, which might seem unusual because Saturn is always thought of as something that limits nice things and Libra is all about nice things! But Saturn helps us recognise our needs and set clear boundaries, and when it supports the energy of Libra, we get clear relationships that are constructive, fair, and harmonious.
In society, the root of harmony comes from understanding and respecting that other people have needs and boundaries that are as valid as ours, however different they may be. This applies universally. Like individuals, nations also must recognise that other nations have valid needs and ambitions for themselves. Learning not to interfere with and impose our will on others will bring us the harmony we so deeply desire.
(*It is widely understood that the US was behind Johnson’s visit, pushing him to go as a less threatening face of the NATO alliance, given America’s longstanding open hostility to Russia (as well as towards the Nord Stream Pipeline, incidentally, but that’s another story). It certainly did the trick! The war has rumbled on since then at the expense of tens of thousands of lives.)
For an exploration of your personal astrology, schedule a session with Susan here!
