Full Moon in Ardra December 2023

Full Moon in Ardra December 2023

Full Moon in Ardra December 2023
Tuesday December 27th, 01:32 CET, 10° Gemini ♊︎

«Aspected by retrograde Mercury and combust Mars in Scorpio»

This full moon will be in the nakshatra Ardra, ‘the moist one’ and symbolized by a teardrop, that fully resides within airy Gemini. Called, ‘the star of oppression’, or ‘the star of sorrow’, Ardra is a nakshatra where we come to face our own potential for destruction and malice. On the soul’s journey through the zodiac, this is the stage of the individuation process where we long for the freedom to explore our own desires and to expand our mind to its full extent, as the need to form our own opinions starts to grow. After assuring our material security and stability in Taurus, now the soul longs to expand outward yet again and the inner curiosity awakens.

The shadow side of this is the temptation to follow every whim of the ego’s desires or where our self-will turns into a rampant self-assertion or even aggression when encountered with resistance. There is a ferocious quality that can be seen with this nakshatra and a need to find the balance between standing up for our beliefs and pushing our opinions or imposing our will on others.

The deity that resides here is Rudra, the storm god, said to be an earlier form of Shiva, or that relates to the destructive aspect of Shiva. Rudra shows the fierce and challenging energy that this nakshatra can bring, but in the highest sense, Rudra brings forth the destruction of anything that has outlived its usefulness and that needs to be eliminated in order for us to move forward.

The planetary ruler is Rahu, and as the ruler of Gemini is Mercury, there’s a combination of these two influences at work here, adding to the intellectual nature of this nakshatra. Rahu has the tendency to magnify whatever it touches, and can create strong desires and, in this case, mental obsessions or a strong desire to win. Mercury as the planet that affords us our intellectual abilities as well as the capacity to check our thoughts and self-correct might eventually, with some effort from the individual, keep the whims and desires of Rahu in check as well.

The full moon will receive aspects from both retrograde Mercury as well as the special aspect from combust Mars, who will also be perched on the critical degree of 29° Scorpio at the time of the full moon. Ardra in itself can be an emotionally challenging lunar station, but this feels especially true due the agitated state of Mars, being both combust and gandanta, which can lead us to feel like we’re losing control of both our emotions as well as our temper during the full moon.

Take some time to yourself this full moon and focus on doing things that support your calm and peace of mind. It can be a good time to write, reflect and look over your goals and future vision. What feels truly important at this time and what things take up too much of your time and your energy that you could benefit from letting go off? Where do you need to re-adjust your priorities? Take some time to think about what you might want to leave behind as 2023 draws to a close, and which golas you truly wish to make happen as we move into the new year 2024.

Questions for reflection:

❧ How do I handle being ‘wrong’? Am I able to concede an argument with grace or do I go by the philosophy ‘rather right than happy’?

❧ Am I channeling my willpower with intelligence or stubbornness?

❧ What’s the level of drama in my life? Do I get a kick from stirring up emotions?

❧ What beliefs am I currently holding on to that weighs me down, or stops me moving from forward, that I need to let go off?

Happy full moon! 🌕
/RoseAnna

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