This month’s New Moon Wising letter for the Libra New Moon is longer than usual. It looks forward and backward to help anchor the present. Astrology is cool like that. You may even want to come back to it again and again as the month unfolds. Enjoy!
September 25, 2:54 pm PT // New Moon at 2 degrees Libra
The New Moon in Libra steps into a dynamic, relational ride on the cosmic winds. Still balancing on the threshold of equal day and night from the recent Equinox, the Sun and Moon now merge their luminary forces affirming these simple but profound truths—relationship is everything, and equanimity matters.
A Penultimate Moon Cycle
Take Libra’s superpowers to heart. This is the last New Moon before the next set of eclipses blows starlight and moondust our way, catapulting us into new lands. October 25 heralds a solar eclipse in Scorpio conjunct an exiled Venus. A night star by then, she’s no shrinking violet. Two weeks later, a total lunar eclipse in Taurus conjunct an enigmatic Mercury, rattles the fixed signs, big time, activating the last vestiges of the Saturn Uranus square. It’s election day in the U.S. Strap in.
Eclipse rulers, Venus and Mars, armed with diamonds and daggers, will be charged up and ready to cut through the old, stogy narratives. Heed the winds. Consider this lunation cycle a time of preparation, beautifully synchronized with the shift in seasons. Shore up inner and outer resources, rest when you need to, show up brazenly authentic, practice good relationship skills, and get clear about the causes you’re willing to fight for.
(And stay tuned! There’s much more to unpack as we near the eclipse dates. Paid subscribers receive added support for making meaning out of these shape-shifting cosmic happenings.)
Libra Is
Harmony, diplomacy, mediation, and justice are essential values for this Venus-ruled, masculine, air sign. The focus leans toward sociability and caring about the experiences of others. Nice makes right; kill em’ with kindness, and all of that. The planet Saturn is the exaltation ruler of Libra, the symbol of The Scales. This peacemaker is no pushover. There’s a fierce underbelly of advocacy lurking behind an “Love Is All You Need” soundtrack.
If there’s a shadow side, and there always is, consider the Sun’s predicament. Far from his exaltation in Aries, he is debilitated in Libra, where light is overcome by darkness (symbolically for some, and for reals in the Northern Hemisphere). The relationship with oneself is too often cast aside like old bones for the sake of keeping the peace, providing a safe space for others, and yes, looking good at the expense of authenticity. Spending selfless energy on giving voice to the voiceless, Librans may be unaware that giving and receiving are one and the same. Don’t block the blessings. Saturn, who has his joy in the twelfth house, relishes solitude and the opportunity to convene with one’s soul. Do that, too.
Practice, Practice, Practice
As the omens would decree, recent planetary aspects have given us a plethora of opportunities to tease a new fractal from the sign of The Scales, one that is more inclusive of the needs of the Self. Blasphemy! Mercury in Libra has already opposed Jupiter in Aries twice (direct and retrograde) on September 3 and 19 respectively, and awaits round three on Oct. 12. Surely, you’ve learned the prickly choice between going along to get along and speaking your truth? What have you learned? Perhaps the highly vocal Mercury Cazimi, activated with the Sun’s entrance into Libra, gifted you with permission to be exactly who you are, even as you center your heart-felt actions on others.
This New Moon brings familiar winds to clean off any residue on dusty windows. With a nearly exact opposition to Jupiter, who is as close to Earth as he gets, the instinct to show up loud and proud calls. Keeping quiet in the face of any injustice just isn’t possible. Initiating a new airstream of action, one where all parties count, even you. Equanimity is more than seeing two sides of every story, it’s also balancing the I and thou.
Venus the Bedraggled
Further testing our resolve, Venus, the Goddess ruler of Libra, still mired in Virgo, meets a retrograde Mercury one day after the New Moon. These two had been in a mutual reception during Mercury’s long slow dance in the first decan of Libra. Carefully comparing past to present, we polished the mirror arriving at a myriad of insights.
Now, Mercury in Virgo holds sway. The rules of engagement are on his terms. Perfection is highly overrated. Dare I say, built into the structures of patriarchy itself, and more than ready for a rewrite, overcoming blind spots (once again) in our measure of value and worth. Mercury, loving every bit of the details, helps Venus to know that not every action must be geared to the ultimate truth; intention, impact, and awareness are enough. You are enough. With an exact trine to Pluto on the same day, the long shadows of denial and self-transgression come tumbling out to be healed. Lean in.
If you need added support, go to Neptune, dressed in ceremonial garb, humble, and in gratitude. In this sacred place, duality is a watercolor of oneness. You Are. We Are. Choose this path, if the fates allow. It’s a more constructive course than feeling lost in the details, unsure of the next steps or feeling like you’ll never have all you desire.
And if that’s not enough to tilt windmills, Venus, at long last, enters her relationship domicile, gleefully gliding into Libra on September 29, ready to face off in an opposition to Jupiter. She knows her strength and celebrates her so-called weaknesses. Holding the tension of the opposites is a love affair. Venus navigates from the inside out and the outside in, accessing the true nature of life; reciprocity.
A Love Fest
Sourcing the power of love over the love of power, Mercury joins the Libra love fest on October 10. Rejoice! Roles reversed, Venus rules Mercury now and communication takes on a more flowery cadence.
And, if this lunation cycle wasn’t already a monumental stiff breeze, Venus, moving at the speed of light, trines Saturn on October 13. Working in unison with her exaltation lord, the echo chamber of true justice rings clear. Dressed in ripped jeans with uncombed hair, or in a polished suit, outward appearance matters little. It’s integrity that counts.
Further stoking the malefics by trine, Venus and the Sun meet an uber slow Mars on October 18 and then on to Saturn. Minds blown as this gathering of hearts and minds redefine the word inclusivity. Building bridges with the “other” in new ways beckons the uninitiated, as we find a wellspring of curious coalitions forming. Whether or not they are sustainable is not the point.
Good thing, too. Playing nice with the new kids on the block may turn south quickly (even before Mars shifts into reverse at the end of the month). Both the Sun and Venus make an inconvenient square to Pluto right before the Venus Cazimi moment. Friends to enemies? Let’s hope Venus has more tolerance than Pluto, as this energy is ripe for obsessive actions, but also for knowing who we can trust.
On October 21, just days before the solar eclipse, Venus forms a superior conjunction to the Sun. A spectacular meeting between the shiny ones at 28-29 degrees Libra, this is the first Venus Cazimi in the sign of the Scales for more than 100 years. Protected by the Sun’s rays, this gal is unstoppable. Ready to step out to sign up voters, save a stranded seal, or volunteer at the local homeless shelter, there’s no end to her capacity to fight for the underdog, and close the deal with win-win solutions.
The Ending is Just Another Beginning
As the lunation comes to a close, Mercury, following the path of Venus and the Sun, trines Saturn on October 22, just before the old geezer stations direct. It’s been quite a communication bonanza for Mercury who may be ready to catch his breath. Sometimes, the less we say, the more it means. Watch as our Messenger God gets caught in a Mars-Saturn sandwich by trine October 22-26. Intention and impact are two different things. Consider it a prime opportunity to negotiate contracts, even as challenges arise.
The Balsamic Moon has its sights set on the solar eclipse in Scorpio. This is a moment of surrender. Take time to gather yourself for the occultations to come.