Astro: Full Moon in Libra
28 March @ 19:48 UTC
All hail & welcome to This Month’s Astro Full Moon article. We have a full moon in the balance of the Libran scales opposite a Sun in Fire starter Aries. Both sign also have their ruling planets in play too, making for a very interesting meander into the next 2 weeks. There is a grand trine (triangle) aligned too involving Mars, Moon & Saturn, which has a favourable aspect for us. More on the astrology side later, as we begin to discuss Full Moon & its international geographic relationship with the seasons & agricultural events, meander through a list of spiritual & religious events, and finish with an astronomical round up of events for the month to come.
Naming the Moon
Ancient people all over the world have named this phase of our moon. Many names are a reflection of what is happening agriculturally or from a hunter gatherer perspective as well as from the forces of nature that preside over us everyday. The Native American’s named the March full moon as , Crow Moon, Sap Moon, Worm Moon, Moon of Winds, Fish Moon, Chaste Moon or Death Moon. Montana tribes called this moon Sore Eye Moon. The Inuit peoples of Northern Canada named this moon Snow Bird Moon. The Chinese peoples know this moon as Sleeping Moon. Celtic Medieval British names for the March full moon are Plough Moon, Wind Moon, Linten (lengthening) Moon. The Ogham tree month varies depending on which calendar is followed. This month we are in the month of the Alder, fearn & Hawthorn, Huathe. I find in research that each of the trees at the very beginning of the cycle mostly represent new beginnings, rebirth, cleansing, purity & transformation. Alder covers the time of Spring Equinox and produces roots into the water of riverbanks, thus holding sacred space between the worlds of heaven and earth. It is sacred to Bran who laid himself down, as a bridge, for his men, to cross the sea. Hawthorn is preparing us for Beltaine & the sacred union of the mind & intuition, encouraging a Spring clean of ourselves & surroundings. It represents the spirit of the wild & enchantment. Finally, the Coligny calendar informs us that this is Ogronios, Ice Time.
The Hindu calendar is lunar in nature and this month of Phalgun marks the celebrations of Holi Purnima and Phalgun Purnima. Holi is the festival of colours, celebrating fertility and good harvest. There are many stories surrounding the origins of this vibrant festival. Legend has it that King Hairanyakashyap demanded that the people of his kingdom worship him. However, his son, Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishhnu, and as such offended his father by his behaviour. The king attempted on 7 occasions to have his son killed. His failed attempts prompted him to call for his sister Holika, who was immune to fire, to sit with Prahlad in a bonfire in order to burn him. Ironically Holika was burned and Prahlad walked out of the fire unscathed by the event. Therefore, Holi is seen as a victory of good over evil. In addition, Holi is also associated with the playfulness of Radha- Krishna. Legend tells us that Krishna shot an arrow of love at Kaamdeva, to bring him out of eternal meditation. Kaamdeva was turned to ashes. This festival celebrates the sacrifice made by Kaamdeva. Holi is also pledge day, where one accepts ones own shortcomings and weaknesses, taking stock of mistakes and pledging not to repeat them. Holi is about ridding the self and life of negativity. This year Holi is 28 March. Purification, relationships & balance are themes which run parallel with this month’s full moon astrology, which you can read all about in the next section of the article. To round up this section, here are April’s special dates of observation or spiritual significance:-
Non-Bias list of spiritual & religious observances
1 Maundy Thursday - Christian (Western Churches)
Christian remembrance of the Last Supper. Jesus blessed bread & wine & commanded his disciples to remember him through this act. The name ‘maundy’ is derived from Latin ‘mandatum’ (‘commandment’), signifying Jesus' new commandment to his disciples, as recorded in John 15:17.
2 Good Friday - Christian (Western Churches)
This day commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. Meditative services are held in church to mark the time that Jesus spent on the cross.
3 Holy Saturday (Easter Eve) - Christian
Last day of Lent. Special services involve lighting the Paschal Candle & renewal of baptismal vows during the evening in preparation for Easter.
4 Easter Day - Christian (Western Churches)
Easter Day. The most important festival in the Christian year, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Many Easter traditions, such as the giving of chocolate Easter eggs symbolise the gift of new life.
4 Festival Of Pure Brightness/Tomb Sweeping Day / Qingmingjie / Ch’Ing Ming/ - Chinese
First annual visit to family graves. Graves are cleansed & swept, food offerings to the spirits, a picnic/feast by the grave with their ancestors.
8 Hanamatsuri - Buddhist (Japanese)
Mahayana flower festival to celebrate the Buddha Shakyamuni’s birthday. Shrines are erected, images of the infant Buddha are bathed. Theravadins celebrate Buddha’s birth, enlightenment & passing away later in the year, at full moon in May.
8 Yom Ha-Shoah (Holocaust Day) - Jewish
Day of remembrance for the victims of the Nazi Holocaust. Memorial candles are lit & special services are held.
13- 15 April Songkran - Buddhist
Traditional New Year’s Day festival in Thailand. Containers of water are thrown as a symbol of washing away all that is evil. Fragrant herbs are placed in the water receptacle.
13 Vaisakhi/Baisakhi – Sikh
In 1699, on Vaisakhi, 10th Guru, Gobind Singh, founded the Order of the Khalsa. Five men (Five Beloved Ones), offered their lives after Guru asked for volunteers. The ‘Five Ks’, the outward signs of Sikhism, were made obligatory. Sikh men took the name ‘Singh’ (lion) & women ‘Kaur’ (princess). The initiation ceremony, amrit, was introduced.
13 April - 12 May Ramadan - Muslim
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic Calendar, when the Prophet received the first revelation of verses of the Qur’an. This is the holiest month for Muslims, they dedicate themselves to spiritual renewal, prayer & intensive devotional reading of the Qur’an. During the month of Ramadan Muslims fast from daybreak until after sunset. No food or drink may be consumed during the hours of fasting. Those fasting must also abstain from smoking & sex. After the custom of the Prophet, the fast is traditionally broken each evening by taking dates and water.
15 Yom Ha'Atzma'Ut - Jewish
Israeli Independence Day. Commemoration of Isreal’s declaration of independence in 1948.
20 - 1 May Ridvan - Baha’i
Most important Baha’i festival. 12 days, in the garden outside Baghdad after which the festival is named, Baha’u’llah proclaimed himself the Promised One, prophesied by the Bab. 1st, 9th & 12th days are holy days, when no work is done. During this period Baha’is elect all governing bodies.
21 Rama Navami - Hindu
Birthday of Rama,7th avatar of Vishnu, celebrated at noon in the aarti ceremony, performed in front of an effigy of Rama swinging in a cradle.
21 Adar Mah Parab - Zoroastrian (Shenshai - Parsi)
On 9th day of Adar, the 9th month, Zoroastrians celebrate the birthday of fire. Visits to the fire temple to make offerings of sandalwood or incense are observed, to thank the holy fire for warmth and light it gives throughout the year. On this day food is not cooked in the house as the fire is given a rest , the Atash Niyayeesh or litany to the fire is recited in honour of the house fire or the ceremonial oil lamp.
23 St George’S Day - National
St George, patron saint of England, lived & died in the Middle East, but his popularity grew after the Crusades. His red cross on a white background became the symbol of English Crusaders.
25 Mahavir Jayanti (599 BCE)- Jain
Birthday of the last Tirthankara, or great teacher & model of the Jainas. His birth & surrounding events are re-enacted. Monks or nuns read from the scriptures, teaching about the rest of Mahavira’s life. Lay people then return home to a celebratory feast.
26/27 Hanuman Jayanti - Hindu
Hindu festival recalling the birth of Lord Rama’s supreme devotee, the monkey-headed Hanuman, whose feats figure in the Ramayana epic. Hanuman’s birth is celebrated at sunrise on the full-moon day of the lunar month of Chaitra.
30 Lag B'Omer - Jewish
The Omer lasts 49 days from Pesach to Shavuot. A time of sadness, relieved on the 33rd day, recalling the end of a plague in Roman times. Weddings often take place on this day, since they are not permitted during the rest of the Omer period.
30 Beltaine/May Eve - Wiccan/ Pagan
Beltaine - Druid
The wheel of the year continues to turn, fertile spring yields to the height of summer. Many pagans celebrate Beltaine by lighting fires, leaping over them, with maypole dances, symbolizing the mystery of the Sacred Marriage of Goddess & God.
Astrology
We have a beautiful 'almost' Supermoon in Libra, with a Sun in Aries, the 1st sign of the zodiac. We may well have been basking in the joy of new beginnings & ideas with the start of a new cycle, the Spring Equinox & the resurgence of the Mother Earth. The feeling of newness & the shine of Spring time is set to continue as are we, with a delve into the equilibrium & sensuality of a Libran moon.
Full Moon is a time of the culminating energies from that which we began at New Moon. If you journal, you can look back at what was happening around 2 weeks ago & what intentions you set for the month ahead, but also look as far back as the last Libran New Moon we had in mid October, as a point of long term reference of fruition. Full Moon represents abundance, fruition & release of what is no longer serving our path & life. We may find ourselves naturally eliminating & cleansing this month as Spring Equinox has now passed & a new astrological year has begun. With the Sun opposite the moon there are areas of possible angst surrounding that which we want v that which is needed, work v home. These internal oppositions can cause us to feel at odds & cause us tension or inner conflict.
The Libra Moon is a moon for adjustment & creativity within our relationships. In addition to balance & justice on offer there are also intense healing, protection & harmonious energies. Libra is governed by Venus & rules over love & finances. So these areas of our lives will be highlighted through the next 2 weeks. Love is a strong vibration within this moon phase, with lunar qualities peaking, our emotions & instincts heightening means we are able to found a way through relationship challenges & read the dynamics in a more productive manner. Libra energy is asking us to find the balance we need to recognise the difference between the old & new, what to keep & what to release.
Sun in Aries opposite the Libran Moon. Aries is a fire sign & also the 1st assertive sign of the zodiac. Taking action during this phase depends on where you are concentrating your energies. Aries is playing a big part in housing some of the other significant influences of this moon. For example, Chiron, the wounded healer is in Aries with Venus which symbolically means healing of wounded hearts. Chiron is here to suggest we stop attending wounds & rather use the energies to rise into our inner warrior. Venus is the softener & reminder that we rise as & when we feel it is the correct time for us to do this, and when we do it should be from a place of love. Finding balance, honing in on our heartspace, using the energy of wounds as a catalyst, finding our inner warrior, now that is something to define us! Trust in the truth of your inner being, you deserve to be who you really are, all pretences dropped.
The Libra - Aries polarity encourages us to find balance between the 2. Libra Moon brings relationship awareness & upkeep. Aries offers independence, self assertiveness & courageousness. They both have leadership skills! Full Moon Libra gives us diplomatic, fairness & focused qualities, whilst Aries is offering authenticity & independent efforts. There is a conflict within & to find the balance is important for us on a personal level. We will reveal issues within our relationships, remembering that Libra rules the love & money areas of life, so this means ALL relationships including that with finances. We will experience epiphanies concerning independence & the need for others in our lives.
Other planetary influences include Trines! The trine or triangle is a favourable aspect & allows for the continual flow of the planets concerned. This Moon phase we have the taskmaster Saturn in trine with the Sun & Moon. This suggests consulting your preferred ancestral wisdom, be that spiritually or physically speaking to an elder. This type of commune only serves for us to grow by learning from experience of others.
The grand Trine is also in play with Saturn, Moon & Mars bringing a helpful dose of protection & harmony. This is a good omen and one which offers an ease in flow. Although Mars & Saturn are notoriously difficult planets to work with, this combination suggests that we will be rewarded for our hard work. Therefore wherever your focus & energy has been, the rewards will come. We will see our efforts, energy & focus blossom into fruitful rewards. A sort of early harvest point in the calendar for those areas we have concentrated on & a time to celebrate the achievements of our dedication. Yay!
Furthermore, Chiron factors & highlights the need for more shadow work. If you haven’t already embarked upon this personal journeying or have been on this journeying for a while, it is now a good time to reassess our position with this side of ourselves. Whilst we may think we have finished this work for the season, we may have overlooked something which is now ready to become part of our healing process.
Full Moon aligns with Venus & Chiron so a theme we could be traversing is that of healing broken hearts. As Chiron is the wounded healer, it can also mean karmic wounds coming to the surface.
Astronomy
Astronomical events for the month of April
12 - New Moon.
Moon located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 02:32 UTC. Best time of the month to observe faint objects because there is no moonlight to interfere.
22, 23 - Lyrids Meteor Shower.
The Lyrids: average shower, producing 20 meteors per hour at peak. Produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25, peaking this year on the night of the night of the 22nd & morning of the 23rd. Meteors sometimes produce bright dust trails lasting several seconds. Nearly full moon is problematic, glare will block out all but the brightest meteors. Best viewing from a dark location after midnight. Meteors radiate from constellation Lyra, appearing anywhere in the sky.
27 - Full Moon, Supermoon.
Moon: located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun, face fully illuminated. Phase occurs at 03:33 UTC. This is the first of three supermoons for 2021. Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger & brighter than usual.
May 6, 7 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower.
Eta Aquarids: above average shower, capable of producing 60 meteors per hour at peak. Mostly visible in Southern Hemisphere. Visibility in Northern Hemisphere reaches 30 meteors per hour. Produced by dust particles left behind by comet Halley, observed since ancient times. Shower runs annually from April 19 - May 28, peaking May 6 - May 7. 2nd quarter moon will block out some of the faintest meteors . Best viewing from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, appearing anywhere in the sky.
Well well well, we have come to the end of another chapter in the wheel of the year & that of the zodiac. My gratitude to you all for joining me on journeying through the cosmos. Join me again at New Moon in Aries, closer to 12 April & let us see what balance we can find in that journeying too. I look forward to another meander with you all. I hope you find balance & remain in good health, until the next time we meet, merry met, merry part & merry meet again.
In gratitude, love Light & all betwixt
Sheela
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Credits:
Publications:
Hidlago, S, 2019, Celtic Tree Rituals, Llewellyn publications, Minnesota
Kindred, G. 2019, Walking with Trees, Permanent Publications, Hampshire, UK
Online:
https://ancientfootprints.wixsite.com/ancientfootprints
Astrologyking.com
Astroshaman.com
Cafeastrology.com
Ecoenchantments.co.uk
Foreverconscious.com/intuitive-astrology
interfaith.org.uk/resources/religious-festivals
prokerala.com/general/calendar/hinducalendar.php
Images:
Astrologyrealness
NASA
Indiancountrymedianetwork
Spar
skyandtelescope.com