Full Moon in Libra
28 March 2021, 19h48 BST
Moon Signs
Use the chart below to find out which areas of your life (astrological houses) the Libra Full Moon will illuminate. For the most accurate results, choose the sign of your Ascendant for the position of the moon, and then the corresponding partner sign (opposite) for the position of the sun These are the two houses or life areas you are being asked to bring into balance.
GENERAL THEMES & OVERRIDING ENERGIES
ELEMENT:
Cardinal Air: Relationships & Heart Chakra Activations
This Full Moon takes place in Libra, a cardinal air sign. At the time of the March 2021 full moon, a total of 5 planets will be in air signs, so even though we are currently in Aries season, it will be this element that predominates during the two days-two weeks of the waning lunar cycle that follow.
Libra is, of course, the sign of significant others for Aries, and given the prominence of Libra’s ruler, Venus, who will be coming off of her cazimi to the Sun (more on which below) at the full moon, you can expect connections, creativity and abundance to be strong themes.
Interestingly, the element of air is also associated with relationships of all kinds – something I’ve always found quite strange, given the strong connection in western esoteric systems like the tarot, between cups and feelings/intuition. Why is this then? One of the more logical explanations that I’ve heard comes from geomancy, which is strongly rooted in natural philosophy (classical physics) and its emphasis on the interactions between the four elements and three qualities. Within this context:
Air, which magical philosophy sees as the union of Fire and Water (what do you get when you put fire under a pan of water?), is interaction and relationship of all kinds, from the most harmonious to the most explosive.
John Michael Greer, Earth Divination, Earth Magic
Similarly, in the vedic systems of India, the anahata or heart chakra is also ruled by air. According to yogis, air is synonymous with the breath, and of course it doesn’t take much to see the overlaps between the unending cycle of inhalation-exhalation and the reciprocal nature of relationships, which in an ideal world, are rooted in equal give and take. I guess, this helps to explain why the relationship sign par excellence, is Libra, which is, of course, all about balance.
Like water, air is free flowing and always moving, much like the ebbs and flows in human relationships. So although we tend to associate this fluid quality mainly with seas and rivers, perhaps we should also pause to consider the air currents that make up a large part of our weather systems? Certainly, for the ancients, the Milky Way was likened to a river of stars and seen as the celestial (air) mirror image of the life-giving waters of earth’s major river systems.
“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. " The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Given the free-flowing nature of air, perhaps it is worth pausing at this full moon to consider whether some of your relationships might be brought into a healthier balance by allowing for more ‘space’ amongst the ‘togetherness’, to paraphrase Kahlil Gibran? By exercising a lighter touch, and allowing our relationships room to grow, we might find that rather than shrivel up, they begin to flourish and flow more naturally.
FEEL:
Fate, Destiny & Choice: Crossing Points/Junctures/Nodes
The Libra Full Moon takes place just two days after the Sun-Venus conjunction which I’ve been talking about since early February. This cosmic event, which perfects on March 26, will serve as the climax of a dynamic that began at the Aquarius New Moon on February the 11th – just before Valentine’s Day – and continued during the three lunar phases that followed, culminating at this Full Moon in Libra.
Known as Venus cazimi (a medieval astrology term that refers to a planet within 0.30 degrees of orb from the Sun), this conjunction marks the moment when Venus, the planet of love, finally reaches the ‘heart of the Sun’. i.e. its centre, as opposed to the edges where Venus is said to be ‘combust’ ie burnt by the heat of the solar rays.
Suffice it to say, this event (which will still be in orb at the full moon), together with several other markers in the full moon astrology chart, point to a juncture or crossroads: a critical choice or meeting point when two paths or trajectories converge. The nature of such an event is described very well in the I Ching by Hexagram 60. Known as ‘Articulating the Crossings,’ it refers to a ‘joint or juncture in time,’ symbolised by the nodes on a bamboo stem (or indeed, the lunar nodes) – ‘critical moments’ when situational dynamics or the flow of events can be altered/adjusted for the better – ie. where we can get ‘back on track’ in terms of our soul’s calling/life purpose; or alternatively, where our timeline and that of others, may overlap, perhaps due to a soul contract.
Articulating refers primarily to a joint or juncture in time, a crossing point of Heaven and Earth, of the horizontal and the vertical…It represents the critical moments in time through which things can be affected and movement harmonized with the Way…The roots of the pair [of trigrams], Dispersing and Articulating, are water and bamboo. Together they signify the sprouts of virtue and the second birth, the spirit that grows in the heart.”
Hex 60, Total I Ching by Stephen Karcher
Call it fate, call it serendipity, but for me, this full moon, and the waning cycle that follows, is likely to coincide with a synchronistic crossing of paths, perhaps due to a soul contract or agreement. Think of the lunar nodes – what they are (points of intersection between the paths of the sun and moon) and what they represent from an evolutionary astrology POV and you get the idea.
With Saturn, one of the lords of karma, also implicated (see below), I certainly think it likely that it may be a time when you will find yourself able to release anything that may have been holding you back creatively, emotionally or finally, whether in the form of an energetic block, heartwall or inherited pattern, perhaps via a realisation, revelation or resolution.
With Chiron in the mix, whatever occurs is likely to be very healing, so pay attention to who/what has crossed your path or really touched your heart over the last two months, especially in the days around the Venus cazimi (26 Mar) because it’s likely that this idea/experience/encounter was no accident. More on this below.
KEY PLANETS:
— VENUS IN ARIES = Venus will be very prominent at this Full Moon for a number of reasons. Not only does she rule Libra, the sign of the Full Moon – but she will also still be in orb of her much-publicised conjunction to the Sun in Aries, which I discussed in the section above.
All I will add here is that the Latin term, cazimi iderives from the Arabic term, kaṣmīmī, meaning, which in turn, may be a translation of the Greek term egkardios (ἐγκάρδιος), which literally means ‘in the heart’. To have Venus, the planet of love, ‘in the heart of the Sun’, for me speaks volumes. As I said in my Pisces New Moon forecast, I wouldn’t be surprised if this leads to high heart activations, or experiences that trigger new experiences of love – ones that allow us to transcend our more possessive or compulsive drives and desires, and instead, plug into the more noble, less selfish forms of love such as those referred to by the ancient Greeks as agape (charity), philia (friendship) or pragma (commited love).
In and of itself, it suggests a union (or reunion) of two people due to a serendipitous twist of fate ala the movie, Sliding Doors. Alternatively, it could point to a major internal shift or realsiation in the heartspace – one that leads to a revelation/realisation or some form of heart-mind/heart-soul alignment (or re-alignment) on the energetic level that involves a co-mingling of masculine (solar) and feminine (venusian) energies. In alchemical terms, we’re talking about the blending of gold and copper (=’red gold’ in metallurgical terms). Add the moon (silver) into the mix and you’ve got’rose gold’ (or orichalcum/tumbaga in mesoamerica), an alloy commonly used in wedding rings. This may be pertinent, given the involvement of stable Saturn (more on this below).
If nothing else, this particular transit could spark off an emotional healing experience or major life lesson related to matters of the heart. This is confirmed by the presence of Chiron at 8 degrees Aries, forming a ‘rainbow’ bridge between the Sun and Venus from it’s in-between position. This could suggest a mending of a rifts or an end to discord thanks to mediation/intervention by a third party. Alternatively, it could point to a romantic introduction engineered by a matchmaker.
— MARS IN GEMINI = At the time of the full moon, Mars in Gemini will be conjunct the north node, thus activating the nodal axis, which, in turn, will be making positive aspects to the luminaries.
This collective energy points to an increase in pace or momentum with regards to both the fated events discussed above, especially if they involve communication or travel as a catalyst eg contact after disconnection or separation. It should also help you to learn and integrate soul lessons and karmic contracts more quicly and easily.
The fact that Mars is also positively aspecting Saturn and the Moon (they form a grand air trine) suggests that if you are confident about asserting your emotional needs and able to remain strong and consistent in adhering to your principles, that this could really benefit you in discussions or negotiations of any kind. When it comes to relationships, whether work or inter-personal, maintaining a healthy balance between your personal goals and responsibilities on one hand, and those of others, on the other, is also important.
RELATIONSHIPS, MONEY & CREATIVITY DURING THE WANING MOON CYCLE:
— VENUS CAZIMI SEXTILE SATURN: Since, the Sun and Venus have been slowly edging towards each other since the Aquarius New Moon around Valentine’s day in February. Their conjunction on March the 26th will still be active at the Libra Full Moon, which is all about achieving balance, harmony, and peace within the context of relationships. It could also coincide with a redressing of wrongs or hurts, given the involvement of healing Chiron.
However, Venus will also be applying by sextile to Saturn in Aquarius (exact on 30 March), hinting at the possibility of solid and substantial romantic offers or creative/financial proposals. Much will depend on where Venus and Saturn fall in your natal chart, of course, but one thing is for sure: you can bank on whoever the ‘offeree’ is to stay true to their word and follow through.
Wheel of Fortune: Lunar Degree & Face
LUNAR degree: Sabian SYmBol
The Sabian symbol is a series of messages channelled by the medium, Elsie Wheeler, and interpreted by the astrologer, Marc Edmund Jones, during the course of one day in 1925. They give a set of symbols, word associations and images for each of the 360 degrees of the tropical zodiac. The duo believed that they had managed to tap into what Jones called ‘ancient mind matrix’ of the Sabian Brotherhood of ancient Mesopotamia – an occult sect from the city of Harran that was keen to preserve the original Chaldean traditions, centered around moon worship (the name Chaldean literally means ‘moon worshippers’), which underpinned the very earliest beginnings of astrology. This included talismanic or sympathetic magic, which Michael Baigent describes as “the magic whereby a deity’s power is attracted or coerced down to be concentrated into a physical object” using resonant symbols, metals, colours and numbers. We see this continued in texts such as the Picatrix – and later in the natural magic of Marsilio Ficino.
Trinities seem to be a big theme in the above sabian symbolism, so this may be something you want to watch out for in yoru own life – for me, anything that occurs in threes is either lucky or a confirmation from spirit that I am on the right track. After all, three is the number of Jupiter.
Of all the Triptychs out there painted by the old masters, I decided to choose this image of the Annunciation (immaculate conception) for several reasons. Firstly, this particular full moon falls very close to the Feast of the Annunciation in the Christian calendar (25 March).
Also known as Lady Day, it celebrates the moment when the Archangel Gabriel – the angel of love we discussed in relation to the grail/ace of cups at the March New Moon – visits the Virgin Mary, and she conceives the ‘son’ (Christic energy) after being ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit (often represented as the white dove of grace) – a very alchemical story. I find it interesting that during Catholic masses held to celebrate ‘ladymas’, a prayer known as the Angelus is recited three times, which begins, “Hail Mary, full of grace…” – quality strongly associated with the planet Venus. Given the link to old masters, I am also reminded of the Botticelli painting, commissioned to celebrate a wedding, entitled Venus and the Three Graces.
The angel’s greeting to Mary, which is traditionally translated as “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,” (in Latin Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum) is the opening of the Ave Maria, and a part of the Rosary prayers. The Angelus consists of three Ave Marias, together with some additional material. It is said three times a day in the Roman Catholic Church.
To me, this connection to Mother Mary, who you could say, represents the higher forms of love and devotion akin to Agape, is no coincidence. What confirms the connection for me is the fixed star, Diadem (‘woman’s crown’ or ‘tiara’), which will be conjunct the Full Moon(see below). In many depictions of Mary, she wears a crown of stars. Her connection to the fixed stars is further emphasized by her title, stella maris, Latin for ‘star of the sea,’ a popular epithet for the Virgin Mary in medieval times that originated from the writings of Eusebius, an early Greek church father, who is said to have mistranslated her Hebrew name, Maryām as mar-yam (מר-ים) “drop of the sea”, based on מר mar, a rare biblical word for “drop” and ים yam “sea”. No doubt her connections to Isis, another mother goddess who was often depicted in mystery cults standing on the crescent moon and hovering over the sea (which is Moon-ruled in astrology), probably helped.
LUNAR FACE: SECOND DEMI-DECAN OF LIBRA
Rather than use the decans, which divide each zodiac sign into three, we will be zooming in 2X to look at what Marc Edmund Jones (who created the Sabian symbols) and Alan Leo – the father of modern horoscopic astrology – called a‘ demi-decan’ which in turn, has ties to the traditional astrological concept of planetary ‘face’. By way of analogy, think of it as being like the five-minute intervals we have on the face of a clock. Together with the Sabian symbol, which uses a channelled image to describe the nature of each individual degree of the zodiac wheel, I think that that this offers us a more in-depth snapshot of the ‘quality of time’ represented by each moon phase rather than simply looking at something as general as zodiac sign.
Peace, Poise, Tact & Diplomacy
In 360 degrees of wisdom, James Burgess describes the nature of this particular demi-decan as follows:
LIBRA 6 – 10
One who develops true poise withstands the pressures of life and emerges with greater aplomb – but a coarse fool rarely survives life’s hard knocks. It’s tough here on earth and the inept cannot really thrive – because all of our qualities are each fairly rewarded, yet thoroughly tested.There are consequences for all of our choices and, to be beautiful and powerful negotiating with people who want different outcomes to us, it behoves us to come up with an elegant and effective, diplomatic strategy.
It may be clear to us that freedom arises when we relax our power and enjoy beauty. Yet anything as vulnerable as beauty needs protection – so the power to defend is an aspect of grace. We think of course of the rose and its thorn – each is loyal to the other; they have mutuality of purpose and relevance, and they are really aspects of one another. Similarly, yet more subtly, a diplomat wears soft gloves to cover an iron fist.
