Lilan Laishley, Ph.D.

This Full Moon is an opportunity to find the balance between the needs of ME and needs of WE. Both extreme polarities lead to experiences that can be destructive, both to yourself and to the people you love. There needs to be a balance between caring for yourself and caring for others. If you live in a rural area you know that in order to survive you need to have a good well that produces water.  If you drain the water in the well there is only murky muck at the bottom, and you will not have any fresh water left to prime the pump. You always need to keep enough fresh water at the bottom of your well to prime your pump, so that you can continue to have access to the life nourishing liquid flow. This is an analogy about making sure that you keep enough fresh emotional energy in your own life that you don’t get down to the muck, and that you have enough energy or passion to restart yourself when you find yourself near empty.

This Full Moon is an opportunity to find your place of balance between the Needs of the One (You!) and the needs of the Many (your family, community). It is so easy to get overly busy and lose yourself in caring for others. The pressure builds up until just quitting your job, ending your marriage, and running away from home take hold as plausible fantasies. If you could just cut loose from all your responsibilities you think you might not only survive, but thrive. But you don’t want to jump from the frying pan into the fire! Take some time and find a place of balance where you can take care of your personal needs while still being held in the nurturing bonds of community.

For you: Take a few deep breaths and slow down. Allow your mind to rest, and let your intuition guide you. Ponder the Aries extreme and let yourself see what it is that you want that is just for you, regardless of its effect on others. There is no judgement here; just look closely at what your own powerful self wants to have. See what needs are stirring in your unconscious, asking to be heard and to be addressed. Then shift your focus to the extreme of Libra. What do you do totally for the “other,” whether that is for your mate, children, community, or country. How do you lose your essential self to the needs of the many?

Now find the balance where you can honor both the Aries and Libra parts of yourself. Look at this beautiful picture by Barbara Levine and see yourself as the central figure, full of light and grace. You are an independent autonomous being, and you are surrounded with the joy and connection of community. You can fully acknowledge what you need just for yourself and what you are responsible for in your communal and family life. You find a way to take action so that both parts are cared for. Maybe you need to take a Soul Sabbatical, even if it is one night a week where you soak in a hot tub while the kids are at a sleepover. Renew your connection to yourself. Revitalize the very essence of who you are, and let your true self be calm, centered, joyful, and at peace. Or maybe you need some adventure, some more passion in your life. Set aside your obligations and go on a trek to some far distant place, even if it a day trip to the next state. Being alone can be refreshing, and a day trip or vacation retreat can be just the antidote. Maybe you do need to change your job, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater (I’m having great fun with these old time sayings!) Refresh yourself, and then come back renewed, ready to participate fully in this grand adventure, this Aries loving passionate adventure, called life, in the safe secure center of Libra’s community.