SCORPIO FULL MOON - 22 April 2016

Exact at 6.23am BST, 1.23am EST!

This is an intensely emotional and transforming Full Moon, whereby we have an opportunity to lay all of our cards out on the table, moving past our fears and facing our shadows. Welcome to the world of Scorpio, whose energy pushes us to be completely honest with ourselves and others about who we are and what we need. Scorpio isn’t afraid to dive into the murky depths and face herself, warts, limitations and all. Not only that, she helps us share those warts with those closest to us, exposing our deepest, darkest secrets, longings and fears, thus allowing ourselves to truly be vulnerable. Vulnerability should not be mistaken for weakness, for one has to be very brave indeed to allow someone to see those parts of ourselves we would rather keep hidden away from view. This is the key to intimacy, however. This Moon could very well cause us to feel somewhat insecure, vulnerable or exposed, as we are currently going through a process of shedding old, dead skin which will be revealing a shiny new self that hasn’t seen the light of day before.

The Sun is in earthy, loyal and security conscious Taurus, sitting directly opposite transforming, emotionally intense and cathartic Scorpio. While Taurus may be a very stable, rooted energy, it does have a tendency to resist change for the sake of staying safe and secure, which can lead to stasis, stagnation and getting stuck in a rut. Scorpio, on the other hand, is prone to stripping away anything that isn’t healthy or is holding us back from growth so that we can be born anew. Taurus is incredibly self-sufficient, almost stubbornly so, while Scorpio longs to merge with others and join forces. There could be a bit of a push and pull between the energy of these two signs during this Moon. Taurus wants to hold on for dear life to relationships, possessions, situations, jobs or circumstances, while Scorpio wants us to shed it like old skin so that the shiny new self can be revealed. This could be quite an uncomfortable process, as we could feel a certain amount of insecurity and vulnerability in having let go of whatever we have been hiding behind, but in the same token we may also feel quite empowered, relieved  and much, much lighter.

Pluto and Mars, the rulers of Scorpio, have both literally just turned retrograde, so their energy is very strong right now. There is definitely a sense of us having to let go of something during this Moon, whether it be old patterns, beliefs, a way of being, or something more literal like a job or a relationship. Or perhaps they simply have to change form, letting go of any dead weight. Pluto energy can act like a cosmic kick up the bum, forcing us to move forward if we are stuck in a rut. The more we cling onto something that is no longer good for us, the harder it is when Pluto rips it away from us. Pluto also represents power and powerlessness, so we need to look deep inside ourselves and recognise where we give our power away or where we are using our power inappropriately. While Mars is retrograde it is a good time to look at where we are putting our energy and to make sure it is being channelled in the right direction. We now have a chance to contemplate our true desires and what it is we really and truly want. While Mars is retrograde we may well get to see how anger plays out in our lives, as certain situations could bring it to the fore in interesting ways.

Mercury is also in its shadow phase and will turn retrograde on the 28^th April until 22 May. There are a lot of retrograde planets at the moment, signifying that this is a time of going back over old ground, for whatever reason. Sometimes we have to go back to go forward. While Mercury is retrograde it is important, as ever, to be aware of the potential for miscommunications and travel delays, but also to remember that there is usually some kind of higher reason behind it all. Mercury will be retrograde in Taurus, which favours practical thinking and will help us to slow down our thought processes and chew things over a bit. Mercury retrograde favours the right brain, so it is a good time to let our logical, rational left brain take a little bit of a break. The past may come up to meet us during this time, which could be very useful and healing indeed. As ever, during Mercury retrograde it is an ideal time to rethink, redo, re-evaluate, revise and review. Above all, Mercury in Taurus will be teaching us about patience, so we must try not to get too frustrated when things don’t seem to be moving as fast as we would like! There’s probably a reason for it that will reveal itself in the fullness of time.

Venus, the ruler of Taurus, is also very prominent during this Moon, as she is being triggered by the Pluto Uranus square. In fact, the planet of love and relationships is literally sitting right on top of Uranus in Aries, which could help us to release ourselves from old patterns of relating, both to ourselves and others. If our relationships have become stagnant in anyway, or too routine or boring, this could well give them a good shake up! Radical honesty is what comes to mind when I contemplate these two planets conjoining in forthright and assertive Aries. The truth could be a bit painful and even shocking, but ultimately it will be incredibly liberating. There is definitely the potential for us having to face some uncomfortable truths during this time, but our relationships will be better off for it. Uranus in Aries is asking us to stand in our truth and be utterly ourselves, even if others don’t necessarily like it. Who knows what might be brought out into the open in the light of this Full Moon, but whatever it is, we don’t need it anymore!

The Sabian symbol of the Sun/Moon midpoint for this Full Moon is “A middle-aged woman, her long hair flowing over her shoulders and in a bra-less youthful garment.” This symbol feels like Venus and Uranus, as it is an incredibly liberating image indeed. Quite possibly we are being asked to defy convention and our conditioning and find the freedom to simply be ourselves. This Moon certainly feels like a massive release, a shedding, a letting go. It could feel quite overwhelming as the Full Moon comes to a head and it is quite possible that our anxiety and stress levels could rise considerably.  Generally this is a sign that we are somehow out of alignment, however. Somehow we have to truly face ourselves and our fears, diving into the underworld so that we can find the buried treasure! There are always profound rewards when we are willing to face ourselves honestly. Like the snake, we have to be willing to truly shed our old skin, in whatever form that takes for us each individually, and face the vulnerability and exposure of having lost that sense of security that it represented. There is amazing potential for a massive leap forward in our souls’ evolution right now. It’s time to let go.

Much Love

Amy

xoxo

Picture: Snake Medicine by Amy Bird