Balancing the Scales: A Full Moon, a New Year & the End of Retrogrades

Stop sacrificing your happiness and start again: the Libra Full Moon

Hi Friends,

These first two weeks of April have been a much-needed break from the astrological chaos we’ve been experiencing since the beginning of the year—I hope you’ve been enjoying it and making the most of it! As I pointed out in my previous email, last weekend was a gift from the Universe. I’d be curious to know how it showed up for you or what it began to set in motion.

With Mercury now direct (but not yet out of its shadow) there’s a new theme appearing in your life—if you’re paying attention to the clues. As I said, Mercury isn’t fully in the clear yet, and we’re still in Venus retrograde (which ends this weekend—finally!), so don’t expect complete clarity on the steps you need to take to move into your new chapter. But these past two weeks should have hinted at or nudged you toward a direction of change...

For me personally, that’s shown up in partnerships and putting myself out there. I’m feeling a push to show up bolder, take more risks, and meet new people—even if it’s uncomfortable. I think I mentioned in a previous article that I’ve been in hermit mode for a while, and with the post-eclipse clarity that’s slowly coming through (now that Mercury is no longer retrograde), I’m realising the Universe is over me marinating in pity. The danger of hermit mode is that it very quickly becomes too comfortable, to the point where doing something different, or physically putting yourself in new environments, is overstimulating and overwhelming. I’m usually a social person—or at least, I used to be. Hermit mode can hit at any time, often after you’ve lost trust or faith in someone or something, like the end of a relationship, a friendship, or a personal loss. It can also be linked to your moon cycle. That’s a topic I’ve been discussing with a friend recently—we were both born under a balsamic moon phase, which tends to carry a more closed-off energy. (More on that in another article.)

The point is: you’ve probably been feeling an uncomfortable push from the Universe for a while now, and with the retrogrades clearing, it’s time to hit start and follow through on that urge.

Before I get into the full moon in Libra, if you haven’t listened already, I recorded my first podcast with Marissa from 10th House Astrology! Speaking of moving out of hermit mode and showing up bolder—this was a big step for me in putting myself out there. And… there might be another podcast episode featuring yours truly dropping very soon. Stay tuned!

Let’s get into what this upcoming full moon means, plus a cultural new beginning starts this weekend…

The Full Moon in Libra: Sunday 13th April at 1:23 AM BST

+ Venus stations direct: Sunday 13th April at 2:01 AM BST

In the early hours of Sunday morning (UK time), we experience the full moon in Libra—also known as the Pink Moon, named after the pink wildflowers that bloom in North America at this time of year. Just 38 minutes later, Venus finally stations direct, officially ending her retrograde (though she’ll remain in her post-retrograde shadow until 16th May).

Yes, these two transits are linked.

Libra is the sign of values, desire, relationships, connection, and balance—and it's ruled by Venus. Since Venus first went retrograde at the start of March, you’ve been asked to reconsider your values and reassess your relationships, all set against the backdrop of the Aries eclipse (Libra’s opposite sign). And now we’ve arrived at the final stop on this journey: the full moon. You’re wrapping up a lesson after integrating the insights of the retrogrades and eclipse season. But it doesn’t end there—the Universe is now pushing you to act on what you’ve learned.

This full moon in Libra asks a bold, confronting question:

Aren’t you tired of sacrificing your happiness and needs to prioritise others?

It's a hard truth, especially for Taurus and Libra folks (both Venus-ruled), who will feel this moon most intensely—as will Pisces and Aries placements. But as we know, full moons are revealing. They expose what’s misaligned or out of balance—balance being the key word considering Libra represents the scales of justice.

Several other transits add extra weight to this moment:

• Venus is conjunct Saturn—Saturn being the planet of structure, boundaries, and discipline.

• The Sun is conjunct Chiron in Aries—Chiron is the ‘wounded healer’, pointing to the places we feel most vulnerable, and this is taking place in Aries, the opposing sign to Libra—see how these transits are all connecting?

Libra is about the other, Aries is about the self. So how do these transits influence the full moon?

Let’s start with the fact that you should feel no shame in wanting to feel seen, to feel heard or desired.

With Venus and Saturn together, the Universe is urging you to take your relationships seriously. Ask yourself:

• How do your relationships support you?

• Is it time to commit to someone or something new?

• Or have you overcommitted and now need to recommit to yourself?

I’ll repeat it differently:
Where are you overgiving or overcommitting to keep the peace? Why are you sacrificing your joy for the comfort of others?

With Venus moving out of her retrograde, your value system has gone through an upgrade. How can you apply the lessons about your new and improved self-worth moving forward in your relationships? It’s time to say goodbye to anyone who underestimated your true value.

In my opinion, this is the last full moon before we resume manifestation, so release as much as you can in order to start fresh in the next moon phase. After eclipse season, I like to wait until the next New Moon to start intention setting again. As uncomfortable as it may be, clearing out imbalance is necessary to make peace with yourself.

Vedic New Year

I mentioned earlier that we’re also celebrating a cultural new beginning this weekend. In Indian culture—and astrologically speaking—the new year begins this Sunday, 13th April. Unlike the Western New Year celebrated on January 1st, the Indian New Year follows solar or lunar calendars depending on the region. Most celebrations happen around April 13–15th, when the Sun enters Aries in the Vedic calendar. It aligns with the spring harvest and marks a time of renewal and rebirth.

Here are the major ones:

• Vaisakhi (Punjab) – Celebrated on April 13/14th, marks the harvest and the Sikh new year.

• Puthandu (Tamil Nadu) – Tamil New Year on April 14th, honoring Lord Brahma and welcoming new beginnings.

So from April 13th to May 14th, this solar transit gives you an energetic boost to bring plans into action. Solar energy is about doing, so expect a surge in momentum—use it!

This will be an interesting weekend—one you’ll want to journal about! See you next week.