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Aries Full Moon October 21, 2002 Sun at 27.43 Libra Sabian Symbol: A man becoming aware of spiritual forces surrounding and assisting him; the realization of 'belonging' to a greater whole. Moon at 27.43 Aries Sabian Symbol: A large audience confronts the performer who disappointed its expectations; a sense of responsibility for what one's actions will produce in people who have been made to expect significant results. 8:20 GMT 1:21 MDT 3:21 EDT 0:21 PDT 2:21 CDT 17:20 AEST

Rituals lift us from mundane concerns and connect us to the greater flow of things.  Our MoonCircles CyberRitual is a monthly experiment in collective attunement -- to each other and the moon.  Across time zones, we collect our creative energies into a healing meditation, as a gift to ourselves and the world. Feel free to harmonize at a time of your own convenience, so that our astral voices may continue throughout the moon's waxing and waning cycles, as in a round.

October/November 2002
Full Moon Reflections: 

The Partnered Hero
By Pythia Peay

The two weeks since the Libra New Moon have been marked by stops and starts - a planetary forward and backward two-step. Mercury has gone direct and is now picking up speed. Saturn, on the other hand, has just paused in the last degree of Gemini and has begun to retrace its steps. Neptune is exactly stationing direct with this lunation. But Venus is still retrograde in Scorpio.* 

With this Full Moon in fiery, impulsive Aries, however, there is forward momentum. Energy is gathering and there is an impetus to leap ahead. As Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac, it could be said that this is the lunar New Year - a time to initiate a new activity, to boldly embrace a cause or a quest. Still, the signature of an Aries Full Moon opposite the Libra Sun is that individual achievements are best accomplished in concert with "the other." This theme is further reinforced by Mercury and Mars - ruler of the Aries Moon - also in Libra. It is repeated again in the cooperative air grand trine between the Sun, Saturn, and Uranus** which hints at a possible coalition between old and new, liberal and conservative, self and other.

Thus the symbolic message of this Full Moon is that though we may find ourselves impassioned to achieve the gold of our soul's desires, we may be confronted by obstacles or delays. Nonetheless, it is still a time to walk the heroic path, say the stars above  - but with the partnered support of others. It has been said that when faced with a dilemma, the ancients used story as healing medicine. One story that offers insight into the planetary alignments this Aries Full Moon is the myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece. 

In order to win back the throne that had been taken from him by his uncle, King Pelias, Jason must sail to the Kingdom of Colchis on the shores of the Black Sea to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The coat of a magical flying ram, the Golden Fleece hung in a dark grove guarded by a dragon who never slept. Undaunted, Jason builds a ship, assembles a crew of heroes, and, under the goddess Hera's guidance, sets sail. After a sea journey beset by terrors, Jason finally reaches the Black Sea - only to find his way blocked by the infamous "clashing rocks." Guided by a dove sent by Hera, however, they make it through a narrow opening. Once there, the young sorceress Medea helps Jason gain his treasure by bewitching the dragon. With the Golden Fleece his own, the triumphant Jason begins his trip home, Medea at his side, her magic helping him to overcome the monsters, witches, and whirlpools he encounters on his voyage home.

The wisdom in this story teaches us that, like the Greek hero Jason, we can take up the heroic quest if we don't make the mistake of going it alone. Instead, just as Jason gathered together a crew of heroes to help him, we can stay the course and overcome obstacles with courage and faith if we avail ourselves of the support of others.  And, as Jason relied on the spiritual assistance of the feminine in the form of Hera and Medea, so, too, can we  make our way forward along life's path by following the counsel of our inner intuition and voice of guidance. 

So this Aries Full Moon, don't hesitate to move forward in the direction of your soul's dreams. Just don't forget to do it without the help of your friends, and the wisdom of the Feminine. 

* Mercury stationed direct October 6th at 29 Virgo; Saturn stationed retrograde October 11 at 29 Gemini; Venus stationed retrograde October 10 at 16 Scorpio; Neptune stationed direct October 20 at 9 Aquarius.

** Sun at 28 Libra; Uranus at 25 Aquarius; Saturn at 29 Gemini