Libra Full Moon: Things Fall Apart

“We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again.  It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.” ―Pema Chödrön

When I saw the images of Notre Dame collapsing into flames, like many others I was shaken to the core. The beloved cathedral has anchored the same spot in Paris for 850 years – so long that it seemed permanent, unshakable. Yet in a savage reminder of the impermanence of life, its iconic roof and spire have burnt to cinders. This is not the first time that the cathedral has been desecrated – many of its religious images were destroyed or damaged during the French Revolution of the 1790s. And French billionaires have already vowed to fund reconstruction of the roof and spire – so there’s no doubt Our Lady will live to see another day.

Still, one can’t help but think of the chaotic Tower card in the Tarot, depicting a tall structure perched atop a mountain, with lightning setting it on fire and people leaping from the windows. It represents a sudden breakdown of the old so that new life can rush in (or a sudden surge of energy that leads to a breakthrough or revelation). It’s noteworthy that this energy enters through the top of the building, knocking off the roof to awaken the crown chakra. We’re reminded that divine intervention is always a factor, even in disaster.

At the time of the Notre Dame fire, Venus squared retrograde Jupiter in Sagittarius just after the Sun trined it. Jupiter’s backward turn in its own sign last week focused energy on the partial destruction of a time-honored institution, while the Aries Sun has inflamed the proceedings. Yet Jupiter in Sagittarius also calls us to a higher spiritual awareness. When retrograde, a planet takes us back to the past to recover what’s been missing. So, we could look at this as a fiery call for awakening from a long-neglected Goddess demanding her due. Especially as the site on which Notre Dame sits was reportedly once a temple to Isis.

The upcoming Libra Full Moon (April 19, 4:12 a.m. PDT) catalyzes unpredictable Uranus – often associated with the Tower card. The Full Moon is also at the critical 29th degree, a “last gasp” energy that brings about changes or endings of old ways of being – especially involving relationships. As the second Libra Full Moon in a row, this authentic “blue moon” brings our attention once more to whatever winds of change began stirring at the March 20 Equinox/Full Moon at zero Libra.

Headstrong Mercury charged into fiery Aries on Tuesday night, with Venus soon to follow on Saturday, so things are apt to happen fast. Aries is a me-first sign, independent and sometimes pushy. Many of us may be acting impetuously, especially those with strong fire placements.

Taking space might be your best option, as the Full Moon’s square to heavy-duty Pluto brings pressure to bear on close connections. If you’ve been holding back from saying what’s really on your mind, it may come barreling out of your mouth now. The Moon’s sextile to Jupiter will help you speak the truth. But don’t let an unbridled desire for freedom cause you to burn bridges you may later want to re-cross. If irreconcilable differences exist, they need to be addressed. But take time to go within before doing something rash. You may just be feeling that natural process of things falling apart so that they can come back together again in a new way.