Full Harvest Moon Aries, Tuesday, September 28, 2004 6:09 AM

The Harvest Moon is the first fall moon that falls after the autumn equinox
in the northern hemisphere. The gap in light between sunset and moonrise
has shortened, with only 1/2 hour between sunset and moonrise. So named
Harvest moon as the moonlight allowed farmers to harvest their crops in the
evening, as daylight dwindled and there was still work to be done. The sign
of Virgo is one of harvest, the Virgo energy of the last month perfecting
what we can to produce the best of who we are. This full moon illuminates
the harvest, and like all full moons, asks us to make room for new
awareness. Falling so close to the autumn equinox, changing of the seasons
and signs, suddenly we are participants in a new cyclic process. Fall
harvests the bounty to prepare for the winter ahead. Out moves in, light
moves into dark.

Because the moon is cyclic and builds in light, the full moon doesn’t seem
as straightforward as New Moon energy. The collection of light builds, from
new to first quarter to full. The initial impulse takes color and
complexity building to a crescendo of multiple perspectives and choices. As
the moon has filled her belly, so we are full with choice. Ideally, this
harvest moon is a culmination of the seeds we’ve planted. The opportunity
is to see with precision and clarity, what our next step will be, what
action is ripe for the taking.

Sun, Mars and Jupiter all line up in the early degrees of Libra, Mercury
will be moving into Libra the day after. Virgo held the same planets in a
‘tour of duty’ over the past month; we stop picking ourselves apart and find
the strength in paradox. We are flawed and imperfect, divine and human–
there is more acceptance around this now. Virgo’s stomachache is soothed
with Libra’s cool hand of reason. Libra is the urge for equality and
balance in relationship; the aesthetic of beauty & balance attempts to
answer the human need for the inner peace, harmony. This peace of Libra is
one path to freedom, bliss in balance.

When Aries pushes forward into full moon energy, somewhere there is strain.
Aries is forceful; Libra has suddenly started asking difficult questions
around our capacity to hold the tension in relationships. Aries feels an
impulse to move in a direction, which may be premature, too hard, too quick
or too soon. There are other people’s realities to consider, expectations
and demands which require a tactful knack for diplomacy. Diplomacy isn’t
just a word for politicians; it’s another expression of balance. We need to
sustain goodwill toward the players in our lives in order to keep our
personal world spinning in delicate balance. Like a hanging mobile-we are
each holding pieces and parts of a structure that each hang in the balance
of the other. A weakness or kink in the system may show up, requiring a up
close and personal look at where we’ve been too pushy, self-centered or
unwise in our use of personal will.

The recently directed motion of Chiron suggests this may be an old wound, a
continued pattern in need of healing. Questionssurface: How do we give
when we are left wanting? How do we do this thing called ‘taking others
into consideration’ when others may not do this for us? What do we do when
we’ve given and now find ourselves depleted? Is there an ‘I’ in ‘We’? The
questions prompt a new understanding around giving and receiving,
relationship and independence, codependence and interdependence. The
suggestion of the Full Moon is that you find yourself on one side of the
fence; polarized from your innately balanced, true nature.

How to take this yearning for harmony, deeper, into the action of the Full
Moon? The depletion and defeat of pouring self out into others, into the
world, can only be remedied with the equal action of taking in for self. We
cannot give to others if we are hurting inside, if we haven’t taken the time
and intention to honor our own need for giving to our self. Giving to
others has become so culturally marketed, its partner receiving takes a back
seat, a menial by-product to the sainthood we’re told to aspire. We begin
to build a default reality of ‘no expectations’, taking our needs &
dependencies inward, secretly letting them fester with each missed
expectation. Each missed expectation builds resentments and possibly
co-dependency, taking us into dark territories. At this point we declare
how much we do for the other, and how little reward we are given. We ask
for sainthood and end up martyring our self. Or we pull away completely
into a bubble of ‘I don’t need you, I’m fine on my own’. The end result is
aggression and violence in relationship, destroying the delicate balance in
the cycle of flow. All because we have a need to receive and cannot seem to
find a way to find this for our self.

We acknowledge the need to receive and give in measure, in balance, but how
many of us can say that we are at any given time in possession of this
balance? We must learn how to do both. Despite popular opinion, there is
no shame in receiving. If you need to give to yourself now, acknowledge
it. Take it in like air. Then decide how to do it for yourself (Moon in
Aries) instead of getting on a self-righteous bender (also Moon in Aries).
It is necessary to ask for what you need in relationship, but before we can
make this request we must be certain we are doing it right for self. I’ll
let you in on a secret and paradoxical law of Libra-give to yourself, and
receive. This is a special spin for those of us who do our share of giving
and need reminding that we must put ourselves as sacred before we can do
this for another. When you reach that point of emptiness or deficit, it
also helps to realize that nothing you give away is irreplaceable; it all
comes from the infinite source within. You are however, subject to the
human/divine laws of giving and receiving. If one is working in overdrive,
the body & soul feels the impact, transmitting the message that it’s time to
correct the course, or suffer injury. Correct the instrument and move
along-use Mercury in the last degree of Virgo to glean one last lesson: the
only obstacle between you and change is choice.

Still faced with a Full Moon in Aries screaming need, what do we do? How do
we create experiences of receiving when it’s either impractical or
impossible to receive from another? Start small. Try noticing a compliment
and really taking it in. Appreciating it, repeating it, mulling it over in
your head like you do so well with your negative thoughts. Or notice the
way the color you wear today affected your day; how it uplifted everyone you
came into contact with. Acknowledge how laughter ripples through a room
like a stone’s throw on a lake, how your thoughts work like this, too.
Relish the smell of the fall, eucalyptus trees and the sharp, brisk take the
air has lately. Do those things you do for you anyway, but let yourself
have them completely. The class, pedicure, the meal under the stars, the
treat you buy yourself. Become completely engaged with the fact that your
energy is moving inward now, out toward activity, or wherever it needs to
be. Accept and receive how good it feels to give yourself the gift of total
presence to the moments in your life that make your life uniquely yours, no
one else’s. Your preferences, your feelings, and the nuances of what you
notice. Giving your self permission to enjoy completely those things you
know to be true for you, without judgment, is incredibly restorative and
healing. And this is what we look for when we’re looking to balance our
giving/receiving equation. Full Harvest Moon in Aries wants you to see,
hear, touch, and taste what makes you feel most alive. Take it in real deep
and praise it with the love you’ve kept bound up inside like a question
waiting for an answer. You are the question and the answer.

9/29 Mercury moves into Libra, now the fabulous 4- Sun, Mercury, Mars and
Jupiter reside in the sign of the scales. Mars and Jupiter are happy to be
so close to one another, in the agreeable side of Libra much less prone to
act like a crazed Giants fan, Mars & Jupiter’s’ fanatical behavior.
Fanaticism will more likely show up in the art of negotiation, discourse and
the desire to see all sides of the situation. This can leave the feisties
in a stalemate, because they do want to move ahead while Libra’s analysis
paralysis must be certain everyone has had their say. Individualism can
dissipate into just trying to get along, albeit with much enthusiasm and
bickering. Mercury’s gift of fluidity comes in handy when things get too
hot. A creative negotiation is in order on 9/29 and 9/30 when Mercury joins
Mars. The need for impartiality is highlighted; words can be weapons here,
even in the name of truth. Hear ‘Both Sides Now’ like the Joni Mitchell
song. Be wary of anyone who tells you they have the truth market cornered
as Mercury quincunxes Uranus-the objective is to look at an old issue with
new eyes. Communication may suffer some distortions as words have the
impact of electricity, shocking & rocking the boat of reason. Charged up,
people are taking things ‘on principle’ arguments break out in the name of
‘fairness’ and ‘equality’. Reason weighs right and might; this time, right
wins. Moon is in Taurus our concerns are on the practical-security, money,
how we are compensated and valued.

10/01 Mars quincunxes Uranus Change something in your behavior now to
incorporate a new way of expressing what you want. We may find the courage
and means to act on behalf of or in the name of others; someone may want us
to incorporate some new ideas around assertion into the picture. If it
doesn’t feel safe, it’s probably not right, but if it pushes the edge into
new discovery, it was worth the risk. Moon in Taurus may want to play it
safe, so holding the tension with love is paramount.

10/03 Venus moves into Virgo and Moon in Gemini. Venus shifts and so do our
preferences. Moving into Virgo she may not be so happy, finding fault
before love and not getting the appreciation she’s due. The line-up of
planets in her ruling sign, Libra will make sure she’s given due
attention-but what is highlighted may be all that’s left to fix and clean-up
for the fulfillment of the relationship or ideal. It’s a month long journey
which is sure to entail some course correction. This can cause some
resentment or disappointment when a promise turns out to have been a
stand-in for true change. Do not fear, says Moon in Gemini, we’ve plenty of
ideas for improving our love life. Resources are within reach and a new
piece of information or conversation proves invaluable.

10/05 Mercury and Sun meet to discuss their preoccupation with what is so
darn obvious to them, why can’t anyone else see it? Yes, vision is myopic
and both trining Neptune the Nebulous, it’s easy to fall prey to the pretty
delusion of our own mind. However pretty it may be, Venus opposes Uranus,
guaranteeing some strange, eccentric or unusual behavior from others. While
you talk yourself in circles and then do the surrender dance of Neptune by
checking out from sheer exhaustion, you may be strangely drawn to magnetized
to someone who is excitedly different, or someone who has an unusual take on
things. The upside is the ability to see what needs to change in
relationship, ultimately for your own benefit although perhaps
discombobulating. Explore a new taste. Partnered or not, try not to
claim’sour apples’ as Venus wants to jump to conclusions in lieu of taking a
risk. Throughout this day moon in Cancer may sensitize us a little more
than usual. If emotions run high and logic is faulty, order in and rent an
oddball flick. Now at the last quarter of the moon cycle, if consciousness
is saturated, perfect timing to throw something that has fallen into state
of disuse, away.

10/06 through 10/11 Jupiter quincunxes Uranus, where big ideas and change
aren’t really seeing eye to eye. This aspect runs itself out for a few days
and that may be how long it takes to re-stabilize and establish some feet on
the ground perspective. This is the dynamic duo of potential– the
booby-trap is getting swept up in what could be, leaving behind what needs
practical attention. The last quarter Moon on 10/06 sets the tone with
Saturn attempts to align us with the urge for sustainability even in the
flow of progress and change. The practical details may win out when the hot
air balloon we’ve been riding starts to slowly descend. This is a natural
part of the cycle, a necessary loss for the next step. Moon in Leo 10/07 &
10/08 may still want to take us higher.

10/09 Mercury is still riding sidesaddle to the Sun; both sextile Pluto,
Mercury 10/09 and Sun on 10/12. This is the opportunity for synthesizing
our deepest thoughts with our purpose. Libra wants us to think and
perceive with fairness, Pluto is interested only in the truth. The
combination makes for a good Supreme Court Justice with the ability to get
to the bottom of the matter at hand. Deliberate attention is rewarded with
a fair and just verdict. Listen with impartiality, remembering the scales
of Maat-keep the wisdom of the heart as deep as the ocean and as light as a
feather. Test for truth: if it is a Universal Truth, it won’t hold true for
just one ‘for instance’, it can be applied to anything and everything.