Spring has finally arrived!!! I’ll admit, physical winter in New England this year was pretty tame...but still, seeing the gradual greening and blossoming around me warms my heart and soul. Winter WAS hard in some ways: the healing of old wounds, reflection upon patterns and thoughts that no longer suited me, resting and digesting after some sudden emotional traumas. But just like that, with the arrival of spring, came HUGE shifts. It’s a spiral process, of course, and I’m sure I’ll revisit some of the issues and wounds in the coming months, weeks, years. That’s just how it goes. The control we can cultivate lies in our reaction to the challenges, feelings, and traumas. A continual work in progress!
So anyway, the full moon is pretty easy to explain ( I mean, just look up and well, the moon is bright and white, and full). With a full moon comes a highly energetic time when we tend to focus on fulfillment, expansion, manifestation, personal growth, and also, release. But what the heck is the Pink moon? Or a Blue Libra moon? The April full moon is often referred to as the Pink moon because of the newly blossomed flowers that begin to emerge in the weeks leading up to Beltane, the festival of the May Queen. Take a look around and you’ll see the dots of pink amongst the green...ground phlox (the specific plant associated with the “pink” moon), dogwoods, cherry trees, and more…
Ok. Well that makes sense.
So, what is a Blue Libra moon? Typically, a blue moon is a full moon that occurs twice in one calendar month. A Blue Libra (or Taurus, Capricorn, Aries, etc.) moon is a full moon occurring in the same zodiac sign twice in a row. This, as the terminology would suggest (i.e., once in a blue moon), doesn’t happen all that often. Typically, the moon moves through the zodiac and remains in each sign for approximately 2-3 days as the moon revolves around the earth. This is how we can calculate our moon signs (i.e., where the moon was at the moment we were born). Typically the new moon and full moon of each month are opposite one another on the zodiac. The new moon is in the sign of the sun at the given time, and the full moon falls in the sign opposing the sun sign on the zodiac wheel. As time progresses and the new moon phase comes back around the following month in the next zodiac sign, following the sun of course, the full moon moves on to the next opposing sign.
The position of the stars, moon, and sun are of course mutable, but entirely more consistent than the calendar days and months invented and changed throughout human history. Last month’s full moon was in the sign of Libra, which happens to be my moon sign. The next sign will be Scorpio, except NOT THIS TIME! The sun is still in Aries, and about to move into Taurus on Saturday, so this full moon is in Libra. We get another moon in Libra before Scorpio next month. Libra: the search for balance, equanimity, symmetry, and ruled by the element of Air and the planet of love herself, Venus. I’m a happy camper. Two libra moons, I’ll take it!
That said, the energy right now is pretty intense. Full moon fever combined with the thinning veil leading up to Beltane is making my ears ring a little bit. That could also be the loud rock and roll shows I attended and played this past weekend. Who knows. Beltane always brings a little buzz though. I love it. This fire festival, for the may queen, sits opposite Samhain on the wheel of the year. Both festivals encourage “communication” with the otherworlds, but in the case of Samhain, we honor the dead, and with Beltane, we honor the goddess and the nature spirits that bring our sleeping world back into full bloom.
I’m excited for what is to come. What will shift and transform. What new paths will open, with the endings of others. Big stuff moon babies. Go and git it!
Namaste, Sat Nam, and Blessed Be!