Does it feel like Halloween? Or an incredibly disturbing psychological thriller 24/7? Or a mashup of every dystopian novel? The most intense Full Moon of the year is upon us. It’s a lunar eclipse, in Scorpio, with an assist from Pluto. It promises cathartic release that’ll do you good. But, oh, the journey…
The skies are delivering incentives to face unpleasantness that has been swirling within you and around you – and then do something dramatic with it: Call it out. Purge it. Transform it into something healthier.
Full Moons always bring dramas to an emotional head. Put the Moon in Scorpio and the dramas are fraught with power and control issues, secrets and behind the scenes machinations. The Scorpio lunar eclipse supersizes all of that, throws in revelations galore, and slams the door on some tenacious, uncomfortable story lines.
This is the third eclipse in the current Taurus/Scorpio cycle, which began in November with a Taurus Full Moon lunar eclipse and lasts through late 2023. This cycle is revisiting and resetting issues of resources: individual vs. joint; investments and ROI; power and control; on the surface experience vs. subterranean. Taurus goes for the sensory, holding, tasting, consuming in the moment, while Scorpio prefers quietly plumbing depths and amassing wealth (information, precious objects) while maintaining a poker face.
This month’s lunar eclipse follows the shock waves of April’s Taurus New Moon solar eclipse, but it ties to earlier ones. It is taking place at the same degree as the Scorpio Full Moon lunar eclipse of May 2003. Dramas you underwent then may play a role in current sagas, or at least have parallels. If, for example, you were in the midst of power plays in 2003 that drastically transformed a situation, you may be in for another round now — only involving much bigger stakes or institutions or authorities gone bad, because of Pluto in Capricorn stirring the current mix.
This lunar eclipse is also close to opposite the degree of last November’s lunar eclipse. Think of what in your life began mutating into a different form then, and see if you can draw a line between that and fears, darkness or profound power arising now.
As with the November eclipse, this one has an assist from Scorpio’s ruler Pluto, lord of death and rebirth and agent of unavoidable change. He wielded his scythe effortlessly at the November eclipse. He is offering – but not imposing – his transformative powers now, through the opportunity aspect of a sextile.
In one sense, this is an open door to the hell realms – which could unleash (or expose) monsters and, just as likely, link you to primal, feral, unfiltered non-conscious power. Emotions may fly out from places you may not have known existed.
In another sense, this link is offering you the tools and nerve to vanquish a monster, to make a huge change, to pull the plug, to cut something or someone out. It’s an invitation to detox emotionally. Your job is to look in the cess pool and open the release valve. Or take the scalpel and wield it. Or take the tonic or bicarbonate of soda. Sure, you might vomit, and that moment will probably be unpleasant, but you will feel so much better afterward.
The Moon delivers incentive to suit up, show up and deal with whatever surfaces. It’s forming a t-square to Saturn, planet of adulting and ruler of order, responsibility and authority. Pressure is on to act maturely and responsibly, to confront rules and power, and to force impediments, structures or authority to change, already!
You may experience, confront or witness issues of accountability. Tectonic shifts may reshape your circles of friends, in completion of lurches that began last November. Revelations are likely to be uncomfortable to an extreme, with dirty linen and worse not just causing you to pinch your nose, but also changing many an emotional connection. And you won’t just be reacting and responding to the muck flying out of everyone and everything. You will be actively tranforming your relationship to it.
One warning: The muck contains a heavy streak of gaslighting. Cosmic first responder Mars is conjunct Neptune and his fog machine. This conjunction moves on the promise of Jupiter and then Venus’ conjunctions to Neptune in April.
Many, many manifestations are possible. Active gaslighting is one, revelation of gaslighting another, the masculine getting on board with the higher potentials of the feminine yet another. Mars’ touch has the power to give you ideas and motivation to move on inspirations you received then. It may be hard to articulate exactly what you received. Note your nudges and inclinations; they are clues. Note what pushes you out of comfort. That’s is also a clue. The discomfort comes from the Mars/Neptune conjunction in semi-sextile Saturn. It’s irritating you into action.
All of this translates into another Don’t Fear The Reaper time. Not that you’re dying; some portion of your emotional existence is. And you are collaborating with the guy with the scythe.
Learn more in my talk about the Taurus/Scorpio eclipses, with historical themes back to the early 1920s (and how they affect you now).