There are a few striking things about this Full Moon, falling on February 16 at 27 Leo 59, at 8:56 AM Pacific time. One is that there are only two close aspects involving bodies: a quincunx to Pluto and a square to Sedna; there are also things happening that don’t necessarily touch the Lunar culmination, but that will definitely figure in to the atmosphere, so need to be considered; and finally, there is a configuration not all astrologers will judge as legitimate, though experience has told me I should count it: a Grand Cross with the Sun-Earth/ Moon squared by the Nodal axis (with the North Node still conjoined Sedna, though separating).

Let’s start with the planetary contacts. A Full Moon is a summing up, a pulling together of a certain emotional and feeling picture, and in Leo this is very much centered on the individual, what each of us brings to the party, so to speak, what we are a ‘shining example’ of. Talents are a focus, as are unique qualities and characteristics, and the theme may be, ‘Who am I, and what do I live for?’

The Lunar event in quincunx to Pluto suggests a breakdown, of sorts, one that wants to get beneath the curated identity presented by Leonine energies to reveal all the Truth under that pretty surface. Something will make us uncomfortable (the quincunx) and that’s our cue to dig, to look for what may have changed without our having noticed, to to search, in particular in areas where we have felt secure, or where rules and boundaries seemed to be quite solid, even permanent (Capricorn). This digging should lead to transformation, but we need to be prepared to accept that something may in the end need to be purged or destroyed–and that the leeway to choose what needs doing or how things play out may not remain in our hands.

The square to Sedna on its own implies the instincts or those things that lie in our personal ‘blind spot’ may be causing friction, obliquely pointing out tension that again, we may not have been aware of–and with Sedna conjoined the North Node, how we handle these matters will determine our life direction. Sedna is also what we ‘know but don’t know’, knowledge we have that remains below the surface–and may be the very thing that Plutonian excavation is meant to uncover.

Look to the House in the natal chart where the Full Moon falls for the ‘triggering’ event or perception, the House that holds transiting Pluto, and the natal House it rules, for clues as to where to dig/ what has changed or needs changing, and the House Sedna is now transiting (Taurus) for the nature of the information that needs bringing to light.

Other relevant influences include the conjunction of Venus and Mars in Capricorn, only one minute from perfection. They are semi-sextile Saturn and on their way to conjoin Vesta. This suggests a reality check in relationships or in interactions where complementary balance is key. Working responsibilities out for both parties in relation to their obligations to each other will lead to an effective re-dedication of energies and so a renewed commitment to what each holds sacred.

There’s also a Mercury trine to Ceres, with Pallas caught at the midpoint. The message is one that supports out personal authority–it’s meant to show us at least in part where we are most effective–and enhances personal wisdom–and yet, we may resist if what’s communicated is unpleasant, or demands much from us. That’s where the choice will lie: not in whether something should change or be eliminated, but in how we receive this information. Smart money says we process what we learn through the intellect (Mercury in Aquarius), with assessment of our own responsibility (that is, in both the ‘I did it’ sense and the ‘ability to respond’ sense), and then the courage to act on it (Pallas in Aries) the ultimate goal.

The Grand Cross gives us the large, sweeping map of where we’re headed, so let’s go there. It’s made up of the Nodal axis/ Sedna squaring Sun-Earth/ Moon, and simply points out how important understanding what we’re doing and why we’re doing it is right now, because of the way it will determine our path into the future. That’s a big trajectory determined by choices big and small, even minute–the danger is that we convince ourselves what we’re choosing now doesn’t really matter, or that shifts in the path can easily be corrected later–it will be much harder to turn the juggernaut than we think–better to aim well in the first place.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘Many Little Birds On A Limb Of A Big Tree’. The Sun’s Sabian, which we always inspect for a Full Moon scenario, is, ‘A Tree Felled And Sawed To Ensure A Supply Of Wood For The Winter’. The Moon’s Sabian is one of good weather, no danger, a Collective well-being, but the Sun’s may portray what happens after that peaceful moment. Something about where we’re ‘resting’ now needs to be dismantled, because taking it apart will insure well-being later. Cryptic, but right in line with what the planets are telling us.