Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and rules new beginnings. It’s a fire sign so we’ve got that extra oomph for releasing, starting fresh as well as getting in touch with our instinctual warrior nature; the raw animal part of us. This year the hotheaded Moon in Aries of new beginnings is opposed by “the great negotiator” Mercury and Sun in Libra, trine Pluto in Sagittarius (routing out and letting go of dogmatic beliefs), sextile Neptune/Chiron/North Node (collective healing of divisions and wounds) in Aquarius (radical change), and is coupled with Venus/Mars (loving action) in Scorpio (death of the old and rebirth into the new).

Powerful energies!

In general this could call for looking deeply at your relationships and making adjustments, taking a leap of faith, and taking action toward your intention to create more harmonious, loving, and fulfilling relationships. This is a Full Moon to strive for releasing your intention with childlike hopefulness and inner faith. It’s the beginning of a big adventure. This is a time to lighten up and celebrate the cheerier side of life. The trickster will be out in full form!

The Aries Full Moon is the time to remember that we are born knowing only love and to celebrate and share this precious gift. Though our lives seem to seesaw between achievement and loss, love and pain, there is a childlike innocence that still lives within us all. This tender hopefulness continually rekindles our spirit with an unwavering belief in human goodness and love and enables us to rise up from failure.

With Aries fire sweeping through, there’s some forgetting of recent trials. Like the Fool in the Tarot, Aries sets forth without the baggage of the past, just a small bundle filled with essentials. Saturn in Virgo is still helping us get organized, weeding through things and tossing out what’s stale. Like the Fool, we’re traveling light . . . taking it as it comes.

This full Moon can renew your faith, and infuse you with vitality. The dark season ahead (for those in the Northern Hemisphere) can be a productive time when you dig deep for the strength to make foundational changes. Under the cover of darkness, you can do an internal house cleaning, and make important steps toward your goals. By spring, when the Sun is in Aries, there’s an unveiling of all that’s been quietly created.

The fiery energy of the Aries Full Moon is a gift to us, as well, one that we can invite in through our intentions, meditations and prayers. It represents vitality and the initiatory spirit, and propels you to take action, which is an auspicious full Moon thing to do. The warmth of fire is healing, and it’s a great time to sit ’round a fire with friends. But being the solo pioneer, the Aries full Moon can ignite the edgy, restless you that wants to do more, be more. With Saturn keeping us grounded, changing entrenched habits that keep you from being your best, is a good place to start.

This month’s ritual is our last Full Moon ritual for awhile – we’ll be doing Dark Moon rituals after Samhain and through Winter (Nov – Mar). So let’s make it about new beginnings and starting adventures!

Supplies:

paper

pen

fire-proof container (turn off your smoke alarm!)

a stone or other item to imbue with the energy of new beginnings

the Fool card

We will cast our circle and create sacred space. In the center of the paper we will draw or write that which we desire to start anew. Holding the paper in both hands, we will focus our energy into it, aligning our selves with the cosmic energies of renewal and new perspectives. The Fool card will help us focus that energy.

Next, holding the paper by the very edge, we will ignite it with the candle flame, letting it burn toward our fingers and completely consumed. We will feel the energy of this release contained within the circle, charging it with a bright directed energy.

Finally, we will hold our stone or piece of jewelry using our breath to focus and align our selves with the charged energy of the circle. With each inhalation we breathe in energy, motivation and optimism. As we exhale, that energy goes into the jewelry or stone, filling and charging it with this new, exciting change. Once all of the energy is in it we say “Blessed be” to seal it. It then goes on the altar.

Opening the circle, we await the morning and take the object from our altar and carry it with us through the day. (Or, place it prominently in our home or work so we can see it throughout the day, reminding us of the change we are embarking upon.)