Buckle up, my babies, as the most trying month of 2K24 ain’t over.
April has given rise to Mercury retrograding in the raging ID sign of Aries, a monumental eclipse, a once-every-14-years conjunction, and now, the most intense full moon of the calendar year.
On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 7:49 p.m. EST, the full moon will shine in the fixed, dark, deep waters of Scorpio, opposing the sun in the change-averse, pleasure-seeking sign of Taurus. A Scorpio full moon is already a heavy-hitter, but this one comes correct with one of the most potent aspects in all of astrology.
Prepare for the painful live birth of a brand-new you.
Tense AF T-square
On Tuesday, while the sun shines in Taurus and the moon broods in Scorpio, the energies of both will form a powerful T-square with Pluto, the planet of death and rebirth, which set up shop in Aquarius this year.
Pluto is named for the maiden-snatching god of the underworld and is the planetary ruler of Scorpio. Pluto is linked to unearthing, destroying, composting, and the ashes of the past as the wheel grease of a new world order.
A T-square is formed when at least two planets oppose each other and both square a third planet. The third planet, in this case, Pluto, is known as the apex or focal planet. Here, the energies of the opposing planets are activated and can, hopefully, express and resolve their conflicting natures.
Where a knot becomes a braid, if you will.
During this full moon, we have the essential self (the sun) facing off against our emotional nature and instinctual needs (the moon), and both are in a power struggle/cage match with transformation (Pluto).
As astrologer Frank Clifford explains, “A T-square is like a pressure cooker of energy, edginess, and stress. It symbolizes facets of ourselves that are at odds with one another. As the central player, the focal planet is this configuration’s dynamic point of release and resolution; it’s where the seesaw polarization of the opposition can manifest in a concrete way. It offers a powerful solution to the pent-up tension.”
During this full moon, we have the essential self (the sun) facing off against our emotional nature and instinctual needs (the moon) while both are in a power struggle/cage match with transformation (Pluto).
Lord.
No birth without death, no glory without guts
T-squares always go down in a single modality, and in this case, that modality is fixed. Slow to start and resistant to change, fixed energy holds on tight and often needs a forceful, external push forward, and great Scott, are we getting a stiff shove courtesy of this T-square, my babies.
As Clifford maintains, “With squares, there’s no pain without gain and ‘no guts, no glory.’”
Taurus wants to grind, and Scorpio wants to dig, but to what end? Under this moon, we can begin to see how balancing the desire to meet our basic needs (Taurus) and excavate our emotional depths (Scorpio) can only be reached by burning down and building anew our relationship with desire and deserving, resources and relationships.
The lesson of this lunation? It’s painful to let go but impossible to hold on.
If we understand Pluto to be our focal planet and the release valve for the tension between the sun in Taurus and the moon in Scorpio, then the cosmic key to progress is a radical rebirth.
Pluto is the planet of destruction in the name of creation, a seismic change in service of a larger story. Often planet Pluto “tests” our mettle, casting out (oft suddenly, rarely gently) that which holds us back. Think of him as Professor Snape — questionable methods and under all the dark cloaks and snide eye, good intentions.
The lesson of this lunation? It’s painful to let go but impossible to hold on.
Change is at hand, folks, and while rebirth is miraculous, it is violent and volatile, and the moments that precede it are deep, dark, and terrifying. To become who we are, we have to burn who we’ve been.
Here’s to it.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the star
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.
