SCORPIO FULL MOON / LUNAR ECLIPSE - 5 May 2023
This is the second of two eclipses, which could bring to a head whatever has been percolating since the New Moon/Solar Eclipse on 20 April. Whatever came up during that time could now find full expression, with the light of this penetrating Scorpio Moon making it quite hard to avoid looking at our stuff! There could also be a link between this Eclipse and the last Lunar Eclipse on 8 November last year. Possibly this is the next phase of whatever was occurring then. Certainly, Eclipse season has the capacity to bring up a lot for us to work through, and with a Scorpio Full Moon on the horizon it may not all be pleasant! Scorpio can force us to peer under the proverbial carpet to look at whatever we might have swept under there because we would rather not deal with it.
Scorpio calls for us to strip away the layers of self-deceit and take a good look in the ugly mirror! This Full Moon places the focus on the Scorpio South Node and, combined with Mercury Retrograde, we could find ourselves somehow looking back in order to move forward. Sometimes we take the easy route and sweep uncomfortable material under the carpet rather than confronting it at the time, but this is the kind of Moon that could force us bring it out into the open, as it might be impossible to avoid it anymore. Issues, concerns and resentments that are buried or suppressed can fester and become insidiously destructive, bubbling away beneath the surface, whereas if we bring them out into the open and face them then they lose their power. It’s hard and scary to bring up difficult subjects, and it is hard to face shadow material and hold up the ugly mirror, but the alternative is often worse. We could feel quite exposed and a bit vulnerable during this Moon, but better that than smoothing things over and keeping the peace at the expense of the truth.
This Full Moon/Eclipse highlights the polarity between Taurus and Scorpio and asks us to find some balance between the energy of the two signs. Too much Taurus means that we can get stuck in situations that are no longer good for us because we fear the disruption that change could bring. Scorpio helps us to shed, purge and walk across a burning bridge, facing our demons and going through the necessary transformation that is essential for soul growth. Too much Scorpio can mean that we get addicted to drama and intensity, finding it hard to trust that the rug isn’t about to be pulled out from underneath us. We may give our power away or we may manipulate in order to maintain a feeling of power. Taurus teaches us how to be self-sufficient and grounded, getting to a place whereby we can’t be toppled over if someone or something lets us down. We learn to rely on ourselves, first and foremost, developing a healthy sense of self-worth, self-confidence and the ability to sustain ourselves and meet our own needs.
We are approaching the end of the Nodes stay in Scorpio and Taurus, as they will be switching signs in July. With the North Node having been in Taurus for the past 18 months, there certainly has been a considerable amount of emphasis on the economy, with many of us cultivating the Taurean art of self-sufficiency, as we strip back and do what we can to simplify our lives. It is interesting that the Nodes moved into Taurus and Scorpio at a point in history when we had recently experienced a massive amount of emotional intensity on a collective level, and so this Taurus North Node has helped us to recalibrate and find a sense of stability once more, rather than living in expectation of the next wave of emotional intensity to come along and knock us off kilter. We have been “rebuilding” since then, in every sense of the word, although we have also been dealing with the financial repercussions of that time.
Pluto, the ruler of this Scorpio Moon, is an incredibly potent force right now, as the planet of power, death/rebirth, soul and transformation turns retrograde on 2 May. When a planet is stationary, getting ready to shift direction, we feel its energy more acutely. Pluto is also squaring the Nodes right now, so it is a strong force during this Moon, and as such we could find that secrets are brought out into the light and some darkness is somehow exposed, both on a personal and collective level. Possibly some revealing information comes to light around the financial power structures, or possibly we are forced to confront our personal shadows in some way or show our tender underbelly so that we feel a bit vulnerable and exposed.
Pluto brings up issues around mortality, power and trust, and prompts us to evolve on a soul level. And soul growth isn’t necessarily easy! It sometimes feels easier to just let things roll on as they are, even if they are uncomfortable, rather than facing the discomfort of bringing difficult material out into the open and facing the consequences. When Pluto squares the Nodes we can feel the pull of our soul, urging us to take a step out of our comfort zone towards growth, but the resistance can sometimes feel greater. However, we can either wait for something to come along and force the matter, or we can consciously and willingly step up and face the music. Either way, growth is inevitable. This Full Moon could be a moment of rebirth.
Anyone with personal planets or angles around 0° of a sign, especially the fixed signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, will be feeling the transforming power of Pluto at the moment, calling for us to face ourselves and to be truly honest, and possibly going through some kind of metamorphosis. Pluto can bring an enormous amount of psychological insight and force us to peer into the darker side of existence, which may not be very comfortable! Pluto is now getting ready to move back into Capricorn, so those of us with personal planets or angles around 29° of a sign, especially the cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, could also be feeling the influence of Pluto starting to build again, having had a dose of it late 2022 and early 2023, when Pluto was at the end of Capricorn.
Uranus, the planet of sudden change, revolution and liberation, is playing a big part in this Moon, as it is sitting right next to the Taurus Sun, opposing the Scorpio Moon. This energy can bring sudden shocks, jolting us into a greater sense of awareness and shaking us out of any stagnant ruts so that we can get back on track. This is the planet of wake-up calls, that reminds us that things can change in the blink of an eye! “To thine own self be true” is Uranus’ motto, and so we could be called to be more authentic, which isn’t always easy. Indeed, this Moon could call for us to be very real indeed and could also bring a great deal of insight and a higher level of awareness. The Sun and Uranus will be exactly conjunct on 9 May, at 18° Taurus, but the energy will be very strong during this Moon.
With Uranus sitting in the sign of money and survival, we could experience a shake-up in the realm of the economy and the financial sector, although this is an ongoing process! Uranus is the planet of innovation, progression and technology, and so the digitisation of currency does seem more and more inevitable as Uranus moves further and further through Taurus. We are certainly in need of an overhaul of the current system, that is for sure, and Uranus does offer alternative solutions and calls for us to think outside of the box when it comes to money, values and finance. We may need to undo some very ingrained conditioning and come up with a very different approach to survival and money in the coming few years. The old order is crumbling!
Chiron is also in on the act during this Moon, forming a nagging inconjunct to the Moon. This brings the potential for some deep healing as we are forced to be honest and bring some gnarly material out into the open. It is far better to bring it out, rather than allowing it to fester, erode and poison. There is also a dynamic, challenging square occurring between Pluto and Jupiter, which will be exact on 18 May, just after Jupiter moves into Taurus. This could also have an impact on the financial system and might bring out some very strong and even extreme beliefs and convictions in people, with the desire to convince and convert others to their version of the truth. This certainly could bring out a lot of preachers in the pulpit over the next few weeks!
The Sabian Symbol for this Moon, at 15° Scorpio, is: “Children playing around five mounds of sand”, which Dane Rudyar describes as “Early steps in the development of a mind seeking to be attuned to the higher level of human evolution. Man’s essential destiny is to develop as a five-fold being, a “Pentagram” or five-pointed star. Number 5 symbolises mind in its most creative and penetrating aspect, while number 4 refers to the life processes operating at present within the earth’s biosphere. Our Western civilisation has realised only the lower level of this vibration 5; i.e. mind contaminated by compulsive instincts and emotional involvement. Some individuals, however, are born with a special potential for development of the higher; creative mind, and in social circumstances favouring this development. In most cases, they are still “playing around” with their unusual capacity. They are in the kindergarten stage of this higher mind development. What is seen here is FUTURE-ORIENTED GROWTH.”
With Uranus so much involved in this Eclipse, and Pluto in Uranus’s sign, we certainly do have the potential for some kind of shift forward in growth at this time. Uranus is calling for us to progress and shift out of the old familiar way of doing things. It will be interesting to see what happens as Jupiter moves into Taurus on 16 May, just at the same time as Mercury turns direct, also in Taurus. The economy is certainly centre stage at the moment!
In the meantime, this Full Moon / Eclipse seems to be calling for us to face up to anything that we may have been sweeping under the carpet. It is time to face the music, to air our resentments, to look at our shadows, to be honest about whatever has been simmering beneath the surface, to really face ourselves, to stare into the ugly mirror, to expose our tender underbelly, to tell people how we really feel, to recognise any unhealthy power dynamics, to purge, to do the inner work and to take a trip into the underworld so that maybe we can come back with some buried treasure. If we continue to avoid, suppress and deny, then it will just fester away and turn into poison. As much as we may feel deep resistance to whatever it is that represents our greatest growth, we also know, deep down inside, what needs to be done. Scorpio can an uncanny ability to bring out the truth of the matter, even if it isn’t pretty!
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
For personal readings: https://www.amybirdartandastrology.com/astrology.html
Picture – Sweep it Under the Carpet – Banksy
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