Last week’s astrology was dominated by three unusual oppositions, or 180-degree meetings, between the planets — Mercury opposite Chiron, Mars opposite Neptune and Jupiter opposite Uranus. And, suitably, it was quite a week of contention and controversy; though lately that hardly seems to let up for a moment. If you had any breakthroughs, or made any important discoveries, remember them well, so they don’t get lost in the swirl of your life.

Venus and Mars as billiard balls, shown in a conjunction on the cover of Paul McCartney & Wings’ 1975 album. The cover art is by Hipgnosis, which did many of the album covers of that era, including Obscured by Clouds, Dark Side of the Moon and Animals by Pink Floyd. Here’s a complete list.

This week, we have an unusual synchronicity of an opposition — the Full Moon — combined with a relatively rare conjunction of Venus and Mars.

Of the two, the Full Moon, which takes place in Aries, is the one you’re most likely to notice directly; for example, as heightened emotion, unusual dream activity, or wanting to push things to a head. Full Moons distinguish between the energies of the signs involved, in this case Aries and Libra. They pull the picture into high contrast.

Conjunctions guide us to blend, morph and merge the energies involved; in this case Mars, which rules Aries, and Venus, which rules Libra. The two events are related by their astrological symbols, and by the fact that they happen within two hours of one another, on Thursday afternoon Eastern time. When you see that kind of synch, it’s a reminder to pay attention.

The Full Moon is a rare moment of connection to the natural world that’s available even for people living in cities. There’s something primal about the Full Moon, something evocative of ancient memory and patterns of behavior: hunting, for example.

The tides are exaggerated, as are people’s feeling-bodies. Be conscious of this process. Don’t let your disagreements get out of control; keep a handle on your feelings, which first means feeling them and then choosing how to respond.

Remember that Aries and Libra are action-oriented signs of the cardinal cross. There’s something dramatic about this Full Moon, which happens close to the midpoint of the cardinal signs. And the Full Moon is square Pluto, which intensifies the effect.

Then there’s the Venus-Mars conjunction, which is about integration or merging of opposites. This takes place in Virgo, which is encouraging a more detached and mental experience of events, and also of our physical bodies. Virgo is also about technology, so there’s some information here about how we experience ourselves through all these electronic filters we live within.

I’ll quote Eric McLuhan again: “The body is everywhere assaulted by all of our new media, a state which has resulted in deep disorientation of intellect and destabilization of culture throughout the world. In the age of disembodied communication, the meaning and significance and experience of the body is utterly transformed and distorted.”

Detail of photo capturing a conjunction of the Moon, Venus and Mars over Louisa, Virginia, in 2015. Photo by David Murr.

So you might ask yourself: what is the purpose of your body? In what ways do you direct your desire for direct experience, intimacy, emotion, contact and sex through the digital sphere, and how does that leave you feeling?

The last time we experienced the Venus-Mars conjunction was during a series of three, all in Aries, in February, September and November 2015. This was associated with Venus retrograde in Aries. What was going on for you then?

One of the prevailing themes of our time is gender identity, and these two combined events speak directly to this subject. Contrary to what many of us are taught from the cradle, we each contain both male and female qualities within ourselves. This is clearly shown in astrology by the fact that everyone’s natal chart is a mini universe: each contains all of the planets, and all of the signs.

The qualities we prefer not to see as part of ourselves are often those we tend to project onto others, including intimate partners. For example, if you see yourself as dispassionate, you might be both drawn to and frustrated by others who present themselves as emotionally open. Being conscious of that possibility can in turn help shine a spotlight on you as a complete being and heal your relationships, both within and without.

Virgo represents a living, active process of conscious integration, in this case, of two of the energies most vital to human awareness. Don’t be distracted by any potential drama.