By Amanda Painter

Are you feeling both determined and frustrated this week? The sky is not only building to a Full Moon in Libra on Saturday, there’s some additional astrology that may be testing the balance between what you desire, what you feel obligated to do, and what’s actually reasonable to try to accomplish.

Tropical flora on Grand Cayman; photo by Amanda Painter.

The good thing about this kind of setup is that when there is friction or opposition from others, it can actually help you get clear on your priorities.

When everything is easy and everyone is mellow, it can be harder to get focused or fired up for what needs to happen. That said, even if you think you know what you want, current aspects suggest it’s wise to try on different perspectives, to listen closely to what others are expressing (including reading between the lines), and to move ahead with a measured pace.

The chart for this week’s Full Moon speaks to all of these factors, in multiple ways. Exact at 8:37 am EDT on March 31 (12:37 UTC), it has the Moon in early-mid Libra opposite the Sun and retrograde Mercury in Aries.

Straight away, Mercury both retrograde and so close to the Sun (they form a conjunction on Sunday, marking the midpoint of the retrograde), signals that checking one’s perspective is wise. Particularly in Aries, are you sure you are seeing beyond yourself and what you want?

Libra Moons are known for their people-pleasing quality. If you’ve been taking it for granted that others are okay with what you’re doing, you could meet some resistance to that as we head into the weekend (the Moon enters Libra at 1:52 pm EDT / 17:52 UTC on Friday ). The thing is, it may not take as obvious a form as it might under other circumstances.

In communication there is what gets said explicitly, and then there’s what is implied. With established, intimate relationships, this language of what’s implied but not spoken can be where the real communication is happening — and often what’s left unsaid are underlying emotions. It may not be the most direct, mature or effective habit, but it’s a real thing; and it’s common enough that I suspect this Full Moon serves as a reminder to tune in to that frequency and address it.

Now, I began by mentioning determination and frustration. This is coming through by way of Mars and Saturn in Capricorn. They are currently in a conjunction to each other (exact April 2) and are also making a square to the Aries Sun.

One question raised by this aspect pattern — which gets underscored by Mercury’s backpedaling — is how able are you to convert any fear, or impatience with restrictions and obligations, into self-disciplined, careful work? That could mean work at your actual job, work on a creative project, work on planning something that needs to be done in methodical steps, and so on.

As others have written, applying yourself is generally the key to accomplishing your goals and desires. That’s not the same as launching into some great risk; there are times for that, but this does not look like one of them.

Between behaving erratically and the deadening effects of habit there exists a sweet spot where intense energy and a clear structure or method meet to allow for brilliant creation and progress. You don’t need to plow ahead full speed in the next week to get where you want to go; it’s entirely possible to ease back on the throttle, so you can navigate hiccups without losing focus on your goal. The demands of others could be very irritating. Should you get angry, that energy can prove incredibly effective if you channel it into some very hard, purposeful work.

Lending support with all of this are two objects changing sign. Today the asteroid Pallas enters Gemini (which Mercury rules). This is another reminder to check alternate perspectives as you work with your plan, and may facilitate working on two or more problems at once should you be in that position. In relation to the Full Moon in particular, it points to the potential for words to be used either as weapons or for healing. Which will you choose?

Then on Saturday, just over seven-and-a-half hours before the Full Moon, Venus enters Taurus. Taurus is one of the two signs Venus rules; Libra, where the Moon will be when it faces the Sun, is the other.

Venus in Taurus brings a little more grounding to the proceedings — along with the desire to be comfy, to enjoy the good things in life, and to move at an easy pace. It also will likely heighten your physical and sensual responses to your emotions. If you’re feeling rushed, if someone annoys or restricts you, if you’re not saying all that you feel (or suspect someone else of this), pay attention to what it does to your energy level. It holds clues for how you need to proceed.

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