Full Moon in Scorpio — April 20, 2008, 10:25 UT
By Kirsti Melto and Eric Francis
The Full Moon occurs in the first degree of Scorpio, the sign of mysteries of life and death. The Sun ingresses Taurus, the opposite sign, on the day before the Full Moon. Any planet in the first degree of a sign is effective, and a lunation happening here is a significant one. This is emphasized by the fact that we are going to experience two Scorpio Full Moons in consecutive months, this one being the first of them. The other one occurs in May in the last degree of Scorpio.
This is a passionate Full Moon. Scorpio is a sign of great recourses and strength. It is the sex sign of the zodiac. Besides creativeness and other positive manifestations which this sign is capable to produce, the Moon located in it can also yield to power struggles, obsessions, jealousy and control dramas over money, sex and other issues which usually stay hidden deep down in the unconscious. These kinds of emotions need to be directed in a constructive way. The Scorpio Moon herself acts as a helpful guide in this.
There are two very accurate aspect patterns in the chart. Firstly, the Sun and Moon are involved in a kite configuration. Secondly, Mars, Jupiter and Eris form a T-square in cardinal signs.
A grand trine occurs when three planets are in the same element, with close degree numbers to one another. Trine is harmonious and flowing, and the planets in question work in an agreement. It represents cyclical motion, and a cycle that tends to hold its focus, for good or for ill. When a grand trine is present, it’s important to watch the patterns we are creating in our lives. The Sun in Taurus, Saturn in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn form a grand trine in Earth. The earth signs are physical in nature and deal with affairs of the material world. A grand trine in Earth is about maintaining security and stability.
A kite aspect pattern is a grand trine, but in addition there is a planet at the midpoint of any two planets. This point of the kite — the Moon — is the place where you can go for information about how to get out of an endless loop of the grand trine. The Sun-Moon opposition is the backbone of the configuration. The Moon forms a harmonious sextile to Pluto, the great transformer, the modern ruler of Scorpio.
We have some portents of feminine progress or change. Juno, the queen of heaven in the last degree of Sagittarius, is in conjuction with Pluto, the lord of the underworld. Juno represents values around marriage and legal relationship, partnership dynamics, commitment and the ways we keep score in relationships. The Juno-Pluto conjunction gives a notion as if marriage itself would be in transformation. Our partners may be going through irreversible changes.
The Roman goddess Juno was queen of the gods and the loyal wife of Jupiter. Juno protected the finances of the Roman Empire as Juno Moneta. Lucina was an epithet for Juno as “she who brings children into the light”. Juno, in the form of the Greek Hera, is also present in the myth of Eris and the Apple of Discord.
Eris was the goddess of discord, who indirectly caused the Trojan War; one of the greatest wars in Greek mythology. Because of her troublemaking tendencies, she had not been invited at a big wedding party to which all the other gods and goddesses, including Hera, Athena and Aphrodite attended. In her anger, Eris tossed into the party the Apple of Discord, a golden apple addressed “To the Fairest One”, provoking thus a quarrel about the appropriate recipient. Eris’ act and the pride of the other goddesses resulted in the Trojan War.
The dwarf planet Eris in Aries is squared by Mars in Cancer and Jupiter in Capricorn. Mars, the ancient ruler of Scorpio, is in applying opposition with Jupiter. The opposition will be exact on April 24. These planets form a T-square in cardinal signs. The challenge of the T-square is the missing leg of the cross in Libra. Seek for the balance from diplomacy, compromising and other Libran traits.
Interestingly, two other rivals of Juno aspiring the golden apple in the myth: Venus (the goddess of love) and Pallas Athene (the goddess of protection), are approaching in conjunction with Eris (the goddess of strife).
Chiron in Aquarius is applying a sextile to Eris. By the second Scorpio Full Moon in May this aspect has become very accurate. The most important keyword for Chiron is awareness. Chiron presents opportunities to become curious, conscious and aware. Chiron is dedicated to healing and service. We can use the Scorpionic power of this Full Moon to heal our relationships with others.