Full Pink Moon in Libra

Full Pink Moon in Libra, Saturday 16th 7.55 PM (BST)

The Pink Moon gets its name from pink phlox wildflowers, which bloom around the time of April’s full moon in North America, in the early spring. Native American names for this moon are the Breaking Ice Moon and The Moon of the Red Grass Appearing and refer to the spring thaw and the sprouting of new growth that happens at this time of year. Globally, and throughout time, this moon – which is inextricably linked to spring – represents a time of growth and birth; of return and renewal. Celtic names for it include the Budding Moon, New Shoots Moon and Growing Moon. It marks a moment of deep transformation, in nature and within ourselves. In neo-Pagan culture, for example, it is called the Awakening Moon. And, in Christianity, this moon – if it occurs on, or after, March 21st – is the Paschal moon: the moon that is used to determine the date of Easter; a potent Christian tale of resurrection and rebirth.

In astrology the moon represents our inner, emotional world and, this month, it is in Libra, while the sun is in Aries. Libra is represented by a set of scales, symbolising not only balance and harmony, but also relationship. If Aries is “I am”, then Libra is “we are”. It is ruled by Venus and, beyond any other sign, speaks to us about the human desire for relationship and the nature of connection. With Libra, there is this intimate awareness of ‘other’ - of what is outside of ourselves - but, because the moon represents our inner world, this focus on relationship and connection is also very much to do with the relationship we have with ourselves. How to relate to ourselves? How do we connect to ourselves? How do we talk to ourselves? And, with the potent transformational nature of this Pink Moon – this Awakening Moon – this energy is really inviting us begin again with any kind of relationship that isn’t working for us, inner or outer.

A useful way to think about the relationship we have with self is in the way we define ‘ourself’, which is often described as a singular, unified thing. Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS) is a type of psychotherapy that believes we are all made up of multiple “parts”. IFS “believes the mind is naturally multiple and that is a good thing. Our inner parts contain valuable qualities and our core Self knows how to heal, allowing us to become integrated and whole. In IFS all parts are welcome.”

IFS is a very Libran model. Not only in the idea that we are not a singular ‘I’, but also in the way that all of our “parts” are in relationship. Libran energy is harmonious. It’s not about negating or bypassing; it’s about finding healing through healthy balance. Doctor Richard Schwartz, the founder of the IFS model, says “Everybody has parts and the goal isn’t to get rid of them; the goal is to actually help them transform.” This full moon invites us, in full compassion, to identify, explore and honour all of our “parts”; from our inner critic and beyond. Are we able to give these different facets of ourselves space and get curious about what function they serve for us? How much self-compassion can we show our inner selves? Are we able to befriend them even? And, just like the full moon, release is the key to healing. In the IFS model, this is called release from “burdens”. Doctor Schwartz describes a burden as “an extreme belief, emotion or energy that comes from some trauma or, bad event in our lives and attaches almost like a virus.”

This Libran moon, a moon that so represents new life and growth, creates a space for transformation that is loving, graceful and gentle. The opposite of a boot camp for the soul. The ruling planet of Libra is Venus, which imbues this lunation with beauty, collaboration, pleasure and, above all, love. This tender exploration is further supported by a trine with Saturn in Aquarius. Aquarius represents the collective and Saturn commitment. On one level, this can manifest as commitments to community, relationships and networks that endure (Saturn also represents the long-term). But, in the context of this Libran full moon, Saturn also speaks to how we self-parent and tend to our emotional world.

The sun and moon are also squaring Pluto in Capricorn, an aspect that may – like the red grass appearing – bring beliefs, unconscious biases, behaviours and emotions to the surface. The North Node in Taurus is also being activated by this full moon helping us access and tune into what the body and spirit need.

How to work with this moon? Quite simply, practice radical self-compassion and self-care. This could include practices or activities that soothe and ground. Things that inspire joy. Something to awaken our joy of connection with the world – the joy of being alive! This full moon in Libra is inviting all of our “parts” to the party with big, big love.

Lynsey Allett15 April 2022