This is an uncomfortable Full Moon. Since it squares Pluto even while it trines Saturn, there’s an element of necessary adjustment. Change arrives like high tide that has built over time and now it’s at the peak. With the Aries Libra Capricorn tension, it lands squarely on relationships. Thanks to a pesky opposition from Eris to the Moon, it means our ego may want to fix a lifetime of inequity in relationships all at once. That kind of pressure is part of the discomfort we feel. And you are responsible for what you do with all your internal pressure. It’s intense, I know. The change can be potent so why not go from the inside out? I say this because the Full Moon lights up my personal chart down to minutes, so I feel the full effect.
Which also means, of course, the Universe served up some deconstruction (also known at demolition) right on time. I watched Brene Brown’s ‘Atlas of the Heart’ this week. Actually, I’ve seen it three times and feel a fourth one bubbling. I’m mesmerized with the Buddhist concept of ‘Near Enemy’. As Brene explains, it we can identify when connection between two people break down for obvious reasons such as walking away. What’s harder to pin down is something that looks like it is meant to create connection but actually disconnects you from one other.
I won’t linger too long trying to boil it down for you, except two things that hit home. It was painfully obvious watching this special that I am an A-student at ‘Near Enemy’ behavior. Not that it’s all I do, but let’s say it happens enough to humble me. The first ‘Near Enemy’ to relationships is the habit of ‘knowing and proving‘. This is where you want to be right more than you want to get it right between you and another person. It is the very definition of power over instead of power with another.
Oh, that one prickled a bit because, while I can drop being right with most people, there are a few close relationships that push all the right buttons. Part of me would go down with the ship before I’d surrender being right. Even if it is just in my mind. I stand convinced I had the ‘right’ point of view. Ugh. Time to come clean with myself so I can do a better job in my relationships. If we want a world with a healthier balance of power, it starts one person at a time. It is what I mean when I say it’s an inside job first!
The real stinger is the next one. While I have a habit of ‘being right’, I still have enough times where I show up for a better path to help offset those epic fails. It feels more proportional. Now, the ‘Near Enemy’ that wants to ‘control the path‘, that proportion skews the other way. Ouch. Trust me I can serve up my reasons for controlling the path. I want to protect other people, I want to share the benefit of my farsighted view, I want to improve the quality of other’s lives when I enlarge their perspective with my own. But it still comes down to this. I think someone else is heading in a direction that causes ME pain to think about. Ultimately, I want to save myself from suffering as much as I want to rescue them. And they may not even wish for the effort, sigh.
There is no reason another person can’t create an outcome different than what I may see. Sure, I’ve called more than a few outcomes correctly. Still, does that ensure the person I’m ‘saving’ from the path they are on will benefit from my perspective? Especially when they haven’t asked for it? Pluto in Capricorn breaks down structures that have outlived their functionality. We need new scaffolding and for me it begins with an internal dialogue and choice.
With an authentic personal power shift, it then flows to our communities in a way that includes all those around us, even the dissenters and outliers. We live in a huge pivot point in human history, which adds to our uncertainty. My internal dialogue has to deal with the hidden dictator in my own head in the face of the unknown. In the past it kept me safe after trauma. Except I’ve changed and the circumstances have as well, even if they look similar at first glance.
Which is also why it feels so seductive to have the answers. It brings down anxiety when you think you know, when you see the path ahead and convince yourself it is the right one. Except we each have to feel our way down that path for ourselves. Mind wants to separate us from danger. Heart decides which things are worth the risk. Mind works best when it figures out how to get you more connected to love instead of protecting you from loss. You may benefit from support as you shift those drives, desires and actions into a healthier expression. It’s tempting to want a guru, leader, advisor to decide for you. Except then it is the limits of their vision, not the embodiment of your own. Gather perspective, yes, but then what will YOU do with it all.
So the choice comes back. Responsibility means I manage what I feel and what I do about those feelings. It also means being sure not to rob someone else of those choices. Unwelcome (or misplaced) advice is like pulling open a cocoon when a butterfly needs a certain amount of effort in escaping to help it expand its wings. Can we learn to share our perspective without robbing another of their own?
Self trust gives you the freedom to connect well with those around you without control quietly severing connection while you scratch your head wondering why. That trust allows you to follow your path and puts in circumstances to benefit you in ways that are unique to your personal growth. It helps you stay open to life as you find it, whatever may arise from your choices. It can drop perfection and replace it with engagement. Even the Cards and Stars are merely signposts on your road. What you do with them is your unique expression of you.
Thank you,
Lisa Greenfield
To check in on what’s on Hand you can check back HERE for more insight this coming week.
4/16 full libra moon king of wands
This Fire King stands opposite and Airy Libra Moon for today’s Full Moon. They square off with Pluto, which has to do with power dynamics in relationship. Aries represents the ‘I’ in partnership, while Libra represents ‘we’. Pluto in Capricorn in tense aspect to them brings down the tottering scaffold of what we believe relationships are meant to look like, act like, be like. We need a better sense of our individual authority in order to create better partnerships of shared power. This King stands for seeing the future where seemingly opposite sides can be resolved well. It gives us hope that we can do better than the winner/loser dynamic so often present in partnership now. Whew, right?
Mars, our action planet, joined Venus, Neptune and Jupiter in Pisces, which softens the harder edges, but can leave you confused about what exactly to do. We are well-served to go within. Asteroid Eris is still active in this transformative Moon cycle. She highlights your unclaimed or ignored emotions that require attention. Why not sit with them, kindly, and let them have quality time. Trust me, they creep into our relationship power dynamics one way or another. The real opportunity in this Moon Cycle is to transform your inner victim and bully into your own allies. When you work from that starting point, it absolutely flows out to all relationships. Triggers lose their potency when you know yourself and those triggers.
This way you can use the tense stand off between Saturn and the North/South node to swap out the win/lose attitude in partnership and bring in a win/win instead. Because you’ve already mapped what it feels like inside of you. Those control voices in my head that have me saving myself or another from pain are young. It helps me to ask what age that voice is when it pops up. I’ve been surprised at the various ages. When I communicate with those neglected parts of me, they no longer need to slide in a cheap shot or control statement unconsciously. They’ve been heard by me first. Which is why I invite you to be in dialogue with yourself this next few weeks. When you work on the connection you have there, watch it flow out into the world with more ease and grace.
4/17 empress
We have a celestial grab bag of aspects today right in harmony with the abundance this Empress represents. Options, options and more options are available. As you are blessed, triggered, confused they are all opportunities to go within and shape your story. Instead of ‘shoulding’ on yourself, find what motivates you to behave in a way that owns your part in what you are feeling. Once you do that, you can decide what to do with it. You don’t need to suit up against possible threat. Like Aikido everything can be resolved and come full circle.
There’s even excitement possible in the midst of unsettling news. You may actually feel that you have the ability to work well with whatever comes. There can be a freedom from old habits and beliefs that pops up and infuses any difficulties. How good can you feel when you handle an old trigger in a new way and get a much better outcome? You may get to find out today. Play with it and see.
4/18 emperor
Oh, the Emperor following the Empress is a marriage indicator. What I see is the marriage of head and heart within you. The union of action and intention. These can be a harmony point no matter what goes on around you. The circumstances no longer define you, you define the circumstances. There is tremendous power in that. The caution is to watch ego, which is the young expression of personal power. Adjustments are necessary in life. This doesn’t mean you are being punished. Any place where you believe being denied what you want, the way you want it and/or when you want it is rejection by the Universe, you can revisit and transform that belief.
What if it is merely an opportunity to do more than what you originally envisioned? What if you are meant to have more than you knew to ask for? Try playing with changes to your expected outcomes from that viewpoint and see what shifts inside of you. Suddenly you find you have a lot more energy for creation and lot less spent on resistance. Anger becomes a tool that helps you draw a boundary rather than a constant defense against disappointment. Stay open to life as you find and play with what is served up as you keep this thought in mind. I get what I want or something even better.
4/19 three of swords
Today we have Chiron showing up to point out old sore spots. This three of swords is one of the break up or delay cards. Which means it is good to spend time with what hurts. Grief is possible. And grief loves a ritual. If you feel blue, try writing out your thoughts only to burn or bury them. The content is less valuable than the effort you put into giving your feelings a vehicle. Emotions are the dashboard equivalent for us. We can drive without looking at the dashboard but can get in to trouble when we do.
Let your emotions share valuable insight with you so you can learn how to act on them in a way that is aligned to your power now. Release and honor those places that didn’t feel seen or appreciated in the past. You see them. You honor them. When you do, you recapture a lot of stored emotion that can be put into creation instead of reaction. This three is sorrow related to how we think. So why not try feeling instead of thinking. Since emotions are fluid, liquid takes the shape of its container. When you give your emotions a container (ritual) and you’ve already created something out of those feelings that serves you.
4/20 eight of swords
What I love about this card is the picture of woman laying on the ground in a prison she can walk out of any time if she only looks up. It is such a good card for today. With the run of cards since the Full Moon there is a story unfolding. We have the power to create union inside of us that allows us to break up with our past limitations. This is not a new story, but it is being shouted from the heavens at present.
No matter what happens today, the story you make of it matters most. Watch how you interpret what happens, good or bad. Contrast is how we learn. The Moon moves into Aries today so watch for impulsive behavior. We benefit from the fiery courage to make change yet we offset the good when we force our way or rush to act. When we rush it is all too easy to pull from muscle memory and behave in the way we know. Slow down, deliberately choose a different thought, word or action and try it. Learn from it. Great! Now try it again…
4/21 three of cups
As the second three in a cycle it reminds us we have choices. Celebration, good fun and laughter also go with this card and the aspects today offer up plenty of opportunity to enjoy. There are a few clouds as well, which goes back to what we choose. Those clouds offer something to work with as much as the sunshine. Don’t worry if your mood darkens because it can pass just as easily as those blocks to the Sun drift across the sky. When we practice feeling what we feel in the moment, appropriate to the situation and then release it without story, we are always going to land in a good spot. See what you can do with that today and you have reason to celebrate indeed.
4/22 six of swords
This six offers the mental assurance that no matter how dark the night is, dawn is coming. It helps to soothe ourselves in the midst of any mental storm that we will get through it. We get some help early in the morning to anchor a solid point of reference, that all things change and adjust. So any bumps in the road today can be met with more openness and curiosity. These are much more appealing emotions than fear and dread. If you find those darker feelings rising up, ask them how old they are. It can also help to ask your younger self to show you what you are looking at so you can adjust to a view of today instead of yesteryear. Be kind. Stand with your younger self and soothe those fears. Once you do, you can enjoy the rise and fall without as much resistance.
4/23 prince of swords
This fast thinking Prince speaks of quick separation done with our mind. It is the part of us that says “I am this and not that”. First Mercury meets up with the North Node which speaks to an expanded field of vision. Suddenly you see the playing field you live on is much more than the limits you operate within daily. Then the Moon in Aquarius squares Uranus in Taurus. Attachment to things that once offered security is loosened. You are more than the sum total of your possessions and accomplishments.
It’s time to choose things for a more complete reason than what it symbolizes in the world. While there is nothing wrong with that being part of your reasoning, be careful trading precious hours, days, weeks and months of your life for merely a symbol. You can discover that you trust who you are without all the external validation. This impacts your relationships too. What limits have you lived with when it comes to confirming you love and are loved? What are fresh ways to embody those emotions? The sky is the limit today to undo barriers to expressing and receiving even more love.
4/24 the world
One astrologer called today’s aspects a ‘reality check’. I’d like to apply that a bit differently for you. The World is an optimistic card, while ‘reality check’ can feel a bit like water on a fire. Instead of dousing the flames of optimism in you, use the practical aspects served up today to determine where you are in relationship to where you wish to be. Use the geography of your desires and the reality of where you stand now to navigate towards those dreams or goals. When you do this you open up to a World of possibilities unfolding on your path to what you wish for in life. The World really is waiting for you to experience your version of it.
4/25 the hanged man
Boundaries are in play today thanks to some celestial stirrings. With the Hanged Man in appearance there is a trade off required. We need heart prioritized over head and patience, please. With Venus squaring Ceres, what we want may not be in sustainable form yet. There can be a drive to eat what isn’t good for you in mind, body or soul. You are responsible for what you feed yourself. An occasional indulgence is healthy. A diet of junk is not. Watch what happens when you deny a momentary impulse. You have the power to construct your life, one that works for you. That comes with challenges. Like being good for yourself rather than good to yourself.
Although for a few of you, really just a few, you may have a habit of denying yourself what you long for and love. For you, time to face the facts. Your inner bully may be keeping you from what sweetens your life. Too much discipline is as harmful as too little. Find your Goldilocks spot with what you love and long for. Let desire enrich your life by indulging in it so that it nourishes you well rather than impulsive or strict engagements with it.
4/26 two of wands
This two highlights intuitive insight and shared ideas taking wing. The challenge is in where our mind rushes in to plan any unfolding. Notice where control can impulsively jump on the beginnings of anything and rush to organize. Just as you cannot draw a line around flames, you can’t outline what comes next. This is about living it. Engage with what is in front of you. Feel into where you can interact in a way that lights you up. If you catch fire around it, so will like minded others. This way there is combined light instead of boxing yourself or another in prematurely. Let intuition guide you beyond your lived experience and into the unknown. Step by step, your world expands in ways that can be enjoyed rather than endured.
4/27 the moon
The Moon moves into Aries today, giving us a chance to view the world through fresh eyes. The downside to this is due to the young nature of this Moon, we can overestimate any threats and underestimate ourselves. Good news, it is easier to spot when we do that today. It really is a ‘good to know’ kind of transit. When and where those fears show up you can pause, reflect and right size yourself in the mental picture. Once you do that, your intuitive gifts also highlighted by this Moon can help you move forward. Just remember to pace yourself. Aries impatience can have you ramming your way through rather than bravely taking one big step at a time.
4/28 eight of cups
Like the Three of Swords and the Prince of Swords, this card speaks to what we leave behind. Like the tide going out, gently let sweeping changes find their own way to recede. Pluto trine Mercury can give us a translational picture of those battle scars we carry. Chiron touches the moon and glances off Mercury to show us where those wounds take up too much of our self view. It’s normal to outsize past pain. The fear brain thinks it protects us when it does this, so we don’t repeat past injuries. Except it misses a real picture of what happened in favor of pain avoidance. Work on seeing things in more accurate perspective. This is a process so be patient if it takes a while. It’s one skill worth honing.
4/29 nine of wands
There’s solid ground we can feel this morning, thanks to the Aries Moon holding hands nicely with Saturn. Self restraint or personal responsibility are Saturn’s gifts. We will need them for a challenge or two today as that Moon squares off with Pluto. We won’t succeed at short cuts and lying to ourselves (also known as rationalizations) can’t quite get it done either. Rip the bandaid off quickly and stare your Truth in the eye, even if it stings. On the other side of it is real healing ahead of the Solar eclipse tomorrow.
The secret is to let unpleasant truths stand with the whole array of insight. One action, one moment, one choice that didn’t serve you is not the sum total of you. Learn from it, get to know what created that moment only so you can use all the information for a better informed next choice. Each time you do that you are mastering personal responsibility. From there the power inside of you grows exponentially. It allows you to be flexible, open to life as you find and more resilient in the coming eclipse cycle. You can do this… and you may even find you enjoy it, very much.
