Happy Full Moon in Aries! Happy lunar eclipse! This is the time of the year when we release our intentions to be braver, strike out on our own, make a bold stand, be a pioneer, and empower ourselves. Seeds planet during April’s Aries New Moon are now coming to fruition. The full moon will be exact on 10/18/2013, 7:38 pm EDT, at 25 degrees of Aries/Libra.

Wow, what a ride it’s been this October. I’ve been feeling this energy build and build since around the equinox, shifting into gear with the Libra New Moon and bringing us to this Aries eclipse peak. At the risk of relying an overused word, the energy is intense — the sort that pushes you to your breaking point, unable to remain complacent. (Mars is trine Pluto after all.)

In short, this energy makes you move.

Aries is the archetype of the pioneer, the person who strikes out on his or her own knowing that there comes a time when he or she can’t rely on someone else. Therefore there’s an independent streak with today’s full moon. It asks us to think about where we can be more self reliant, forging into new territory like the pioneer. The Aries/Libra axis is also about relationships — the I versus We. This could be a full moon where we break from a partnership in an attempt to individualize.

Eclipses have a bit of a reputation as the agents of change, corresponding with major life events, new chapters, and course corrections. If they fall on a natal planet or angle, you can expect a shift in the energy of the planet and house. As for lunar eclipses, they bring a climax in the narrative — a revelation or challenge that demands action. You may feel as though events over the last six months have been building to this point. How will you use this energy? (Check out my podcast with astrologer Sherene Schostak for a deeper look at the eclipses.)

This full moon is also a preview of the Libra/Aries eclipses that begin in 2014 when the nodes switch signs. In fact, April 15th’s lunar eclipse falls on the same degree as this one, the second half of a chapter that begins in this October. If events arise along with this eclipse that seem open ended, expect resolution next April.

It’s worth noting that the ruler of this eclipse, Mars, is newly in Virgo, inviting us to create an outlet for this energy through practice, discipline, ritual, and purification. If you are feeling overwhelmed, this is an excellent time to check in with your health and wellness regimen. Get a massage, purify your diet, and ground in the physical world in a way that supports your individualism and pioneering spirit (Aries). Venus in freedom loving Sagittarius square Uranus wants a change. So allow yourself to explore, be brave, and embrace change, even if it terrifies you. Let Aries be a breath of fresh air.

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