Early October can be one of the most eye-opening moments of the year, especially when it comes to balance and reciprocity (or a lack of it) within one-on-one bonds. That’s thanks to the fact that the sun is moving through Libra, the air sign ruled by relationship-oriented Venus and associated with the Seventh House of Partnership. And when the moon sits opposite the sun, we move through the annual Aries full moon that spotlights the push-pull independence, self-sufficiency and courage versus partnership, diplomacy and peace.
The conflict between these two opposing forces reaches a fever pitch on Monday, October 6, at 11:48 p.m. ET/8:48 p.m. PT when the Aries full moon hits its peak. Ruled by Mars, the planet of action, energy, sex and aggression, Aries encourages you to own your inner drive, to relentlessly pursue your boldest dreams and to fight for your desires. In turn, this is a full moon that exudes boss energy but simultaneously urges you to think about how you’re pursuing and wielding power with others.
Here, all you need to know about this fiery lunar event so you can make the most of it.
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What does a full moon mean?
Full moons occur once — less frequently, twice — per month when the moon and the sun are positioned opposite one another in the sky and in the zodiac. Because they’re sitting opposite one another, the sun’s blinding light reflects off of the moon, leading to a dramatic spectacle in the night sky. During a full moon, the moon lights the sky up brighter than any other time in the lunar cycle. For that reason, astrologically speaking, it is a time during which it feels like your most intense, passionate emotions have been cranked up to the nth degree. And as the sun-opposite-moon dynamic also mirrors an amplified focus on partnerships, full moons are made for reflecting — and taking action — on matters of the heart.
You can work with this energy for four days before and after the event occurs. In astrology, the moon rules our emotions, intuition and nurturing style. And when it’s full, all of those aspects of our inner life are heightened. You could feel particularly sensitive, empathic, passionate or even wiped out if an emotional situation has come to a head. Full moons also present the chance to see how far you’ve come since planting seeds during the new moon that occurred either two weeks or six months prior (in this case, that’s the September 21 solar eclipse and new moon in Virgo and March 29 solar eclipse and new moon in Aries).
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What is the full moon in Aries?
The full moon in Aries is your annual opportunity to move through fiery emotional terrain and release experiences, relationships and patterns that are no longer serving you with a little help from the initiative-taking, impulsive, playful first sign of the zodiac: Aries, the Ram.
Every full moon sets the stage for self-reflection, acknowledgment and processing of deep-rooted emotions and releasing what’s no longer serving you. Because this full moon — aka the Full Hunter’s Moon, named for a season-long dedication to hunting and storing provisions for the colder months ahead — falls in go-getter fire sign Aries, you have the chance to tap into a whole different level of motivation, pride, passion and even impulsivity. This is in great part thanks to Aries’ ruling planet: Mars, which colors how you take action and pursue your greatest ambitions.
That said, you can harness the power of this full moon to get clear on what you want and waste little to no time 86’ing anything that’s in your way. It could be as simple as being super-direct when broaching a touchy subject that’s been the elephant in the room with your partner, making a financial move that you’ve been grappling with or throwing your hat in the ring for your shot at a particular competition. And because Aries is associated with the First House of Self, the Aries full moon can be a catalyst for reflecting on your self-image, physical being and appearance, identity and how you show up in the world.
The full moon in Aries nudges you to find a balance between emotion and action
Because the full moon sits at 14 degrees of Aries, and Jupiter, the planet of expansion, is at 23 degrees of Cancer, a fellow cardinal sign, the two meet in a tense square aspect, which can fuel inner conflict around emotion versus action. You may feel torn between acknowledging and working through deep-rooted, sensitive emotions that are rising to the surface in the days around this lunar event versus going to bat for a bold vision you’re passionate about manifesting. This dynamic can result in feeling restless and agitated, and you could be tempted to throw your hands up and actually opt out of either approach when it all begins to feel like too much altogether. Instead, do your best to take a beat to breathe and zero in on one detail, idea, move or conversation at a time.
Despite the fact that Aries energy nudges you to move as speedily and furiously as possible, you can remind yourself that it’s OK to take however long you need to move through the emotions that arise now.
During the Aries full moon, power struggles are more likely
Just after the full moon, messenger Mercury in intense Scorpio squares off with transformative Pluto in contrarian Aquarius, boosting the potential for obsessive thinking and power struggles. A dark, deep-rooted truth could come to light through communication, perhaps rooted in one person’s desire to manipulate another or maintain control. At the same time, a silver lining of this tense planetary connection is the ability to think and share what’s on your mind with greater intensity. Aim to combine that with a more open-minded, adaptable point of view for the best result.
Know that when the dust settles, optimism, romance and a desire to nurture soars
As the most potent effect of the Aries full moon begins to fade, on Wednesday, October 8, one of the most romantic, lucky and heartfelt planetary sync-ups sets a lighthearted, joyful, whimsical mood. Relationship-oriented Venus in detail-oriented Virgo forms a friendly sextile to abundance-bringing Jupiter in caregiving Cancer. In short, once the full moon dust has settled, and you’ve ideally managed to address conflicts with a loved one or significant other, this transit will usher in pleasure, connection and good fortune. And because both Virgo and Cancer adore nurturing others, this can also be a wonderful opportunity to show how much you care for your significant other or someone special through loving acts of service and finding thoughtful ways to lighten their load.
Here, how the 2025 Aries full moon will affect you based on your sign. (Be sure to read both your sun and your rising sign if you know it. If you don’t, you can find it in your birth chart or by using this CafeAstrology calculator.)
Aries
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Anticipate difficult feelings tied to how you see yourself and how you’re perceived by others, perhaps especially a significant other, dear friend or close colleague, because this full moon activates your self-image zone. Maybe you or they haven’t exactly been pulling enough weight in the relationship, so now it’s time to reassess reciprocity. You’ve been through a lot of significant related changes over the last couple of years, so this is an opportunity to reflect on how far you’ve come, your personal growth and where you want to go from here. You may also be reflecting on your commitments to family, thanks to the moon’s square off with Jupiter in your home zone.
This is a sleepier than usual full moon for you, as it falls in your spirituality zone, encouraging you to take more solo time to rest. You could also find your dreams are more vivid and reflective of messages from your unconscious that you feel called to tap into. This is a chance to consider how you’ve been caring for your spiritual well-being. And with your ruler, relationship-oriented Venus in your romance zone moving toward a harmonizing angle to abundance-bringing Jupiter in your communication sector, sharing what’s in your heart with someone special sends sparks flying.
You’re super-social any day of the year, but this full moon has you wanting to feel like part of something bigger than yourself, because it activates your groups sector. You could feel an intense need to connect with friends, colleagues or like-minded community members more than usual now and to bring a shared aspiration across the finish line. Just be aware that with your ruling planet, messenger Mercury, in your daily routine zone squaring off against transformative Pluto in your higher learning sector, there’s a higher likelihood of butting heads with someone — perhaps a coworker — over differing philosophies or perspectives. Lean into your ability to be open-minded and adaptable.
You’re generally more affected by full (and new) moons than most people, so you’re no stranger to the big emotions they can fuel, and this time, those feelings are tied to your professional path, because this lunar event activates your career sector. You’ve likely been zeroed in on your home life more than usual now, but you’ll feel driven to make your mark and be recognized for all your hard work. Allow this inner fire to pull you toward the spotlight, a leadership position or greater responsibilities on the job. With the moon forming a tense but activating square to expansive Jupiter in your sign, you’ll need to balance what could often feel like a heavy emotional experience with your desire to go to bat for your dreams. But you’ve got this.
Throughout Libra season, you tend to feel pulled in even more directions than usual, thanks to the sun moving through your communication zone, but in the days around this full moon, you’ll crave experiences that are fulfilling in a bigger picture way. Maybe you’ll itch to plan a long-distance trip that’s way overdue or to shake up a mundane aspect of your routine by working with a mentor in your field. Either way, your greatest assets will be your gut impulses and inner faith. You really do know exactly what direction to go in. And with money-savvy Venus in your income zone inching up on a harmonizing angle to lucky Jupiter in your spirituality zone, trusting your intuition could also benefit your bottom line.
Whether you’ve been shying away from talking about a shared financial goal, tackling a budget matter or figuring out the best next steps for an investment, this full moon pushes the uncomfortable but necessary details out into the open, because it hits your intimacy and shared resources sector. You’ll do best to talk directly and openly about your needs and point of view, hear your significant other or loved one out and then come up with a concrete game plan. This might sound daunting, but with sweet Venus in your sign moving toward a sweet sextile to lucky Jupiter in your long-term aspirations zone, you can voice your wishes and hold them in mind to set the stage for a successful turn of fate.
Though your season bolsters your confidence and fuels progress on passion projects and pleasure, this lunar event is an emotional time-out, as it falls in your partnership zone. An emotional situation within a one-on-one relationship — with a significant other, dear friend and even close colleague — could be reaching a fever pitch now. Take heart that it’s actually nothing that will catch you off-guard, because you’ve been through several eclipses in this zone over the last two years. You probably already know what you need to do to set the course that will work best for your big picture goals within — or without — a particular relationship, and this full moon is only going to light that path even brighter. Because it squares off against expansive Jupiter in your public image sector, the emotional decision you’re feeling compelled to make could also be tied to your professional path.
This full moon is all about your everyday routines, daily work, health and well-being, because it falls in your wellness sector. You could feel rundown, burned out or merely bored with the ways you’ve been caring for yourself — or struggling to — on a day-to-day basis, and this moment serves as an eye-opener. You want your future to look and feel different, and you’re learning what you need to let go of in order to feel more vital. At the same time, because Mercury in your sign is squaring off against Pluto in your home zone, you could be in a defensive headspace that fuels dramatic interactions and power struggles with loved ones. Try to hold space for differing perspectives to promote harmony and healing for everyone involved.
This could be an exuberant, creativity-fueling, chemistry-boosting full moon because it falls in your romance and self-expression sector, encouraging you to shrug off concrete game plans and embrace greater spontaneity. Embracing impromptu plans with friends, loved ones, a significant other or someone special can be downright enlivening. And your ruling planet, lucky Jupiter, is involved, too, connecting with the moon in a tense but activating square from your intimacy sector. This could crank up the volume on your emotional responses, especially within your closest bond. If things get really heated, you may do well to take a step back to cool off and get levelheaded before coming back to the table.
This full moon urges you to heal an ongoing conflict with a loved one or to deal with a challenge related to your home itself, as it falls in your home zone. You’d generally much rather focus on the practical details required to hit your big picture goals than swim in the deep end of emotions, but this lunar event requires setting aside time to care for your inner life. It’s worth it, as you will ultimately feel more centered. And thanks to relationship-oriented Venus in your adventure sector moving toward a friendly sextile to abundance-bringing Jupiter in your partnership zone, healing that you do in the days around the full moon can lay the groundwork for a fulfilling and horizon-broadening one-on-one experience later in the week.
Life may feel even more frenzied and chaotic than usual because this full moon occurs in your communication zone. Whether you’re being pulled into one meeting after the next, nonstop meet-ups with friends or a variety of short-distance trips to tackle errands around town, you might find yourself wishing you had said “no” to at least half of the to-dos on your list — and, in turn, you could feel resentful. Watch out for head-butting or power struggles with authority figures, too, as messenger Mercury in your career zone squares off against transformative Pluto in your sign. Your best bet: Let go of any one particular outcome, if possible, and see any challenges as a chance to bolster your adaptability.
You could be crossing the finish line on an income-related endeavor, thanks to this full moon activating your money sector. Or you’ll be reflecting on how you bring your skills to the table and how your self-worth is intertwined with your bottom line. Either way, anticipate greater awareness around this area of your life and epiphanies that could ignite more rewarding moneymaking plans. Because the moon forms a tense but activating square to expansive Jupiter in your self-expression zone, you may have a realization that you want to leverage your creative impulses and voice to boost your paycheck. Honor this instinct by sharing your vision with someone you love.
