Image courtesy NASA

This month’s Full Moon occurs at 5:18 AM PDT on the 28th at 8 Scorpio 06, and the first thing we notice is that this coincides with the Inferior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury in its retrograde course. This makes this Moon, symbolically, both an energy culmination and an energy seed point (‘What You Won’t See on the Blog’ for April Full Moon in ECLIPSE adds a bit of detail to this dual energy–and right here I should apologize to readers as the time cited in ECLIPSE is one hour off–I didn’t leap forward!); endings, then, will be Scorpionic, while beginnings will be Taurean, linked to the Sun’s position as it meets Mercury. The Sun’s Sabian, ‘A Fully Decorated Christmas Tree,’ implies that a life symbol, adapted from various systems (the Druidic, the nature cults) to another (Christian), takes on its own meaning as it represents tradition, the significance of the tree devoid of many of the specifics from which it sprang; this symbol also suggests the notions that rest behind the custom of placing delicate and beautiful objects on this representative of everlasting life (of the spirit in its most natural form), showing the way mankind may add her own theories about life and existence to what is essentially unchanging. So, the beginnings we encounter for the Full Moon period will, in some way, recognize that the spirit is unchanging, eternal, and that there are ways offered through our culture (tradition) for us to deal with, ritualize, and incorporate change and new developments into our lives (and these will be material–Taurus). The presence of Merc retro marks this as a seed time for something that will develop through to the Superior Conjunction (the conjunction of the Sun and Mercury when Mercury is direct), and this matter will directly link to (or demand from us) recognition of the persistent and consistent nature of the core spirit (Soul).

Of course, this seeding takes place simultaneous to the culmination we expect from a Full Moon. The Moon’s Sabian is ‘A Dentist at Work.’ This image suggests a trained individual applying skills in the appropriate situation (we’ll assume this dentist is doing his or her dentist-thing in her or his office!) This is, perhaps surprisingly, an image of doing, of application of knowledge and experience in the right place. When we check the Full Moon chart using our strict 2 degree orb, we find only one aspect to the Moon/ Earth conjunction: a quincunx to Juno. This helps; it tells us that this Moon promises that correct application of our skills (for this is the very thing that empowers Juno, using her skills in the right way in the right situation) will give an appropriate result, a resolution of some kind, which will bestow a sense of empowerment and positive feelings (the Scorpio Water placement).

We are left then with two branches to this Moon energy, one of which is the unusual instance of a beginning, usually reserved for the New Moon. There is the suggestion in all this of a step up in the challenges we will face, in more skills being required and more efforts made at the same time; where previously we would face a difficulty, now we’ll be handed two. And we have the strength and abilities to deal with it.

See the Sabians neatly presented here http://www.cafeastrology.com/sabiansymbols_degreemeanings.html

UPDATE: dateline Seattle, 9:05 PM 28 April 2010:

GET READY! The new issue of ECLIPSE will be released in about 24 hours, around 9 PM on April 29th! See a preview here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com