Aries Full Moon 2026
Hi friends,
It’s been a while. I’ve missed you. I’m sorry I haven’t written.
On Saturday morning, 9/26, at 9:49am Pacific time, we will have this year’s full moon in the sign of Aries. It aspects all the outer planets, making this a time ripe for flashes of understanding and awe. I highly recommend being open to them when they appear.
We have entered our pre-retrograde period for Venus, which will turn retrograde next Saturday, 10/3. From then until November 13th, Venus will move “backwards” in the sky from our perspective, and will ask us over and over again to rethink our relationships, our choices, our values. Reflect back 8 years ago and see if any relevant themes come up during this time. (I’ll be digging up an old journal for this purpose.)
I will also be participating in an ancient tradition with Venus, which involves giving up something for the 40 days during which she is moving backwards. I think what I most want to give up is scrolling the internet, but I might need to do a bit more soul searching to decide on something that would actually feel like a sacrifice and not an enforced boundary around an addiction. Oops. I wonder if any of you out there are planning to give up something that you value? I think the idea is that we learn something, but maybe the sense of achievement is enough. If you do it I hope you tell me about it.
On Monday, 9/28, Mars moves from Cancer and into Leo, and I’m so ready. My Mars placement is in Cancer so this has been my “Mars return”, which happens to everyone every two years or so. Mars has been in Cancer since August 11th of this year. So it’s not like he’s been there a super long time, but I can tell you for certain that I have felt… many relevant feelings. Angry, protective, ready to set boundaries, ready to burn bridges. Not that I really want to do or be those things. It’s just what’s been here. Having Mars in Cancer is a confusing mess and my heart goes out to every single one of us that has to live this way. Sure, yes, there are super powers that this placement does give us, but we can be thankful for them later, when they feel less debilitating. I will make a point to remind us of it then.
Of course, then we do have to contend with a Mars/Pluto opposition and a Saturn/Sun opposition on 10/3. If you feel like fighting god on that day, well, at least you’re reading the room! Expect obstacles, and try not to get your ego stuck anywhere.
We will be experiencing overlapping retrogrades soon. On Sunday 10/4, Mercury will enter its pre-retrograde period. If you need to book any travel for the holidays this year I cannot stress to you enough that you need to do that before this date. By the time Mercury is done with this retrograde (plus the post-retrograde shadow period) November will be over and you will pay way too much for your tickets. You’re always welcome to buy tickets during this time because you are an adult with free will, but like. Please don’t.
In general, with these two retrogrades happening at the same time, I recommend not starting anything new that you would like to turn into something that has longevity. Try to just coast for a bit, or, better yet, accept this offer from the planets to take a stroll through some memories and see what fruitful work you can do there. However, beware becoming an ex in an inbox. The likelihood that it is worth it is so low.
I wish I had the mental energy to write journal prompts for you today but I don’t. This is the whole letter. I hope you enjoyed it.
I will soon be working on a zine about potluck, and about Northstar, and I’ll also have a new astrology-related project in the works. For now, I’m frantically editing a project that I started in the spring that has a hard deadline of 10/3. (I think I should have checked the astrology before I set that deadline.) When those things start to surface, I will share them. I’m looking forward to being back here, back in conversation with the moon, and back in conversation with you, friends.
Sending you so much love,
Alanna