Montreal is ready for yet another Full Moon on the evening of September 20th, around 7:54 PM. This Full Moon is traditionally referred to as the Harvest Moon and coincides with election night in Canada.
The New Moon of September 6th sets the stage for the unfoldment of the themes of this Full Moon. While we see the need for order and efficiency at this time, our emotions pull us away from the necessary rituals that keep our lives together. A balance must be struck between sticking to strict routines and procedures for the sake of optimal performance and the flexibility required for the expression of our vulnerability and humanity.
During the days leading up to the Full Moon, we may feel tired and disillusioned, unable to focus and concentrate. Dream activity may increase as well as our susceptibility to distractions of every kind. We must look closely at the way we function in our daily life to identify the source of our discontent.
The Pisces – Virgo axis always asks that we look inward to our soul activity as well as how we handle daily tasks and chores and the maintenance of our bodies. Healing our souls can take many forms, from art to psychological help. But we can also heal our souls by helping others’ through art, community service or political activism.
On a personal level, this Full Moon invites us to look beyond the ordinariness of our daily activities and find time to disconnect and reclaim the sanctuary of our souls.
It can rekindle the connection between lovers with romantic interludes and candlelight dinners; it can soften our moods and free our poetic urges and lead us towards artistic expression or open the door to our longing for oneness with the universe and nature. Any practice that allows us to experience wellness beyond the physical can be welcomed. Music, chanting, meditation, prayers.
Some may experience lack of clarity, confusion, the desire to escape from reality through excesses in alcohol and drug consumption, sexual activities and other mind altering experiences.
This Full Moon may also give us the nudge we need towards the expansion of our awareness of realities beyond this dimension of existence. Interests in mediumship, spirit communication, ghosts and apparitions may increase around the days leading up to this Full Moon and a few days afterwards. Premonitions can even manifest through bodily symptoms.
On a social level, this Full Moon asks us to look beyond our personal needs and open our eyes and hearts to the dysfunctions in society, the neediness of others with whom we are connected to because of our common humanity. Some may find themselves in the front row seats of the imperfections of our social system and experience the horror and tragedy that it can yield on a personal level.
Venus and Mars : enchantment as a means to obtain what we desire
The energy shift of Venus and Mars since the beginning of the month will make it more difficult to perceive accurately our actions in relations to others.
We could be convinced we are being rational and logical, fair and just, but really driven by our subjective perceptions and the intensity of the depths of our feelings. We may believe we are acting on behalf of better relationships, but we may be creating a wedge between ourselves and others, acting for our personal gains.
Feeling of not being free to love what one desires or to go in pursuit of the desired object of our affection can result in relationship wounds.
The need for freedom in relationship may collide with the need for unyielding commitment and loyalty. Concessions will be required.
The transit of Mars in Libra reminds us that at this time, we cannot achieve our goals without the support of others. We need to measure our actions and be strategic. However, the presence of Venus in Scorpio, the natural ruler of Libra, shows that we may have to resort to unorthodox tactics to obtain the cooperation of others. Tactics that some will experience as exotic, alluring perfumes. Or toxic fumes.
Mercury and the importance of active listening
With an optimistic and hopeful outlook, our minds are turned to the understanding of the deeper implications of structural issues that are present in our lives at this time,
Mercury's presence in Libra reminds us that a detached, logical approach to problem-solving as well as the ability to listen to other points of views may be required at this Full Moon. But the presence of Venus in Scorpio, the natural ruler of Libra, may compromise this, for Scorpio is an instinctual sign which chooses with its heart and not its mind. In the realm of Scorpio, one loves with passion, but one can hate with equal intensity. A Scorpio can be loyal until its heart loses interest in the object of its desire.
On September 27th, Mercury will begin its third annual retrograde motion in the sign of Libra, emphasizing the need for balanced perspective in our communications, but also our perception of reality.
On his journey backwards as perceived from the perspective of the Earth, he will revisit the degree of the difficult Venus-Pluto alignment of the September New Moon, implying the discovery of information that might have been withheld within partnerships or required for fair trade and negotiations.
Some individuals may feel betrayed and seek to retaliate against those they feel have betrayed them.
Active listening has never been as important as it is at this time and until the end of Mercury’s retrograde motion on October 18. But it may take until early November to finally be able to regain the detachment required in our dealings with others.
This Full Moon can either bring different perspectives to work together in a more efficient and collaborative manner as shown by the Libra and Virgo emphasis or create more chaos, divisions and communication barriers within society and in our daily lives.