New Moon Solar Eclipse in Libra
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New Moon Solar Eclipse in Libra
Letters from the Dragon’s Tail
Wandering the Aries/Libra landscape since last July lumbers a fire-breathing dragon. With its head (North Node) in Aries and tail (South Node) in Libra, the mighty creature is close enough to the luminaries to activate the second eclipse along this cardinal axis—and the first in Libra.
Endings and beginnings mark the mighty dragon’s mission. Behold the upcoming annular South Node (Ketu) Solar Eclipse on October 14 at 10:53 am PT (your time zone), a ring of fire visible in parts of the United States, Mexico, and many South and Central America countries.
Tail whipping side to side, this scaly creature is clearing the way for change, determined to alter the course. It began in April 2023 with a North Node (Rahu) Solar Eclipse in Aries. Answering the dragon's insatiable need for more, the opening salvo harkened a shift that stimulated a deep hunger to reinvent our relationship with ourselves and the world around us.
Now, six months later, it’s the dragon’s excretory needs that call. Marked with the worn scales of the dragon’s ravenous appetite, the process moves from head to tail, focusing on digestion and letting go of built-up waste over the next 6 to 12 months.
Can you recall what changes began last April? You can also go back further, when we experienced North Node eclipses in Aries and South Node eclipses in Libra from April 19, 2004 – March 29, 2006.
If you have the Sun, Moon, Midheaven, or Ascendant in or around 21 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn), this eclipse will likely be more personal to you.
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Eyeing the horizon, the dragon orchestrates the next things to come, even as we say farewell to the Taurus/Scorpio eclipse season at the next Full Moon in two weeks.
Using his tail like a conductor's wand, the wise and weighty mythical being has a thing or two to say to each Rising Sign--Astrum Opus’s sideways slant on the cosmos. Don’t overthink it; let it move through and touch the fire within.
Dearest Aries Rising,
Staying true to yourself while caring for others is a real piece of work; a Ph.D. in Human Connection, if you ask me. But what do I know? I’ve inadvertently burned people with my fiery breath and knocked people down with my formidable tail.
I completely understand if finding that balance between “I” and “Thou” has been challenging for you lately. Either way, sacrifices must be made. I’m no empowerment coach or relationship expert, but I can tell you it’s time to change your relational patterns when the eclipses shift shape in your seventh house of “we.”
Call me intuitive, but I feel you’ve been holding back or pushing forward for too long. Being overly self-reliant to cover up relational vulnerabilities must change. Ask yourself, are you confident enough to experience more intimacy than ever before? The answer may very well be sourced by exploring your relationship to obligation and othering.
The eclipses are now in your angular houses. Translation, there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. But of course, I know you’re up for the challenge, courageous Aries.
Swish, swish,
Your tail-side dragon
Dear Taurus Rising,
Be honest—you bull-headed beauty—you’ve got work to do. You may not think I’m the best creature to advise you, me being such a glutton and all, but I sense we’ve been like a kid in a candy store, and the results are starting to have diminishing returns. Oh, but the abundance! The earthly delights that have shaken your world! The work is never done, and the love is overflowing.
I understand that pleasing others as much as yourself turns you on, but it’s time for a cleanse. You really can’t serve and provide for everyone, even if it brings you joy. With the solar eclipse changing things in your sixth house of servitude, perhaps you’re already feeling the whip of my immense tail?
In this time of pivot, start with two of these key pillars—your body and your daily routines- to get back on track. Commit to new avenues of responsibility, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you can solve all the world’s problems. Eat well, exercise regularly, and submit to the delicate balance between what you want and what your cohorts want.
The full moon in two weeks’ time is the last one that will cross your 1st and 7th houses. Anchor how you’ve transformed utterly, and acknowledge there’s even more letting go to do to create the Garden of Eden.
Yours in Composting Solidarity,
Ketu
Dear Gemini Rising,
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Your airy ability to straddle a multi-dimensional reality is awe-inspiring. How your passion spills over, diplomatically spreading yourself ever so thin just to keep the people humming.
Perhaps you’ve noticed the stomping of my enormous feet in the distance? My tail, now firmly squatting in your fifth house of creative pursuits, romance, and risk-taking, is an omen. One that implores you to renegotiate how and with whom you express your genius.
Here’s your assignment, friend. Get your house or art studio in order. Clean, reorganize, and toss the umpteen projects not meant for completion. And now, let’s figure out who and what really wants and needs your attention in these changing times.
Find some lovely pens and paper and, in a stream-of-conscious manner, answer this question repeatedly in a discovery process. In the infamous words of Marie Kondo, “Does this bring me joy?’
My hope for you, my Twin flame, is that you’ll put away any misplaced life force and find new ways to balance the scales. One that includes your core needs.
Signed,
The Tail Knows
Greetings Cancer Rising,
You’re far more sensitive than is good for you sometimes; admit it. So, whilst I hang out in your fourth place of home, family, and ancestral roots, I insist we use my gigantic magnetic tail to help you clean your abode, inside and out.
I know that home is where your heart is, and you’ve been working the angles to make it a place that inspires peace. But I sense you’ve been overcompensating, initiating too many projects, and over-functioning on the job in your quest to feel okay.
I get it, Crab. Life is a piece of work. And while I wish I could say all is settled and secure, my twitching tail knows better. Are you contemplating moving, buying, or selling property? Are you adjusting to new family constellations? Nothing less would surprise me.
Consider this… instead of a remodel on the outside, dig deep into family of origin issues that still are like the tail wagging the dragon. Reach out to siblings, cousins, friends, or even the next-door neighbor for a fresh perspective.
As the months unfold, you’ll need to know how to nurture yourself and find your inner sense of home as the outer world calls you to bigger things.
In Solidarity,
Your Neighborly Dragon Tail
Dearest Leo Rising,
I’ve been dying to tell you how much I lionize your electrifying pizzazz. Yes, I’m a big fan of your masterful self-expression. It’s no wonder everyone around you fervently celebrates your frolicky inner child.
Did you know I also carry a torch for drama, even though I’m known for my austerity? Oh, if only I possessed a fraction of the brilliant light your spirit emits, I could escape the torturous shadows of my misconceived and unheeded existence!
Is it too presumptuous of me to plead with you to step out of the spotlight for a moment so that I can perform some tricks for you? Is your generosity ample enough for us to trade places? Or are you worried that my greasy Cauda would tarnish the throne of your good reputation?
Since I’m here to digest your magnificence and shift patterns while in your third house of perception, please ponder where your loyalty dwells. Is it with the people close to you or with your lustrous image and social status? Even the King must surrender something sometimes.
Peek a boo! I hear your gentle heart pounding with a wavering that must feel alien to you. Don’t despair. Allow lovely Luna to steal the show as she eclipses your Lord Sun. She’s full of heartfelt surprises, you’ll see!
Chill mate,
Cousin K-Too
Beloved Virgo Rising,
As I’ve come to understand it, worldly goods are a necessary component of the complex mosaic of contemporary life. I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve been around for long enough to notice that an increase in bank account numbers tends to bring a joyful spark to the eyes of most human specimens. Contrastingly, your modest financial policy holds a warm spot of appreciation in my firm but fair dragon tail. Money may not be a priority, but I bet your flawless organizing skills prefer to let all your hard-earned assets quack in a row.
Inevitably, my wagging rear end is likely to bump into some furniture and disarrange your polished coin collection. Is my visit to your second house of possessions causing some anxiety? Please go ahead and remember that presuming the worst increases the chances of a relieving outcome.
At this solar eclipse, I boldly appeal to your flexibility and unparalleled resourcefulness in times of uncertainty. Have those ever let you down? Improvements on the path to perfection cannot transpire without some unclogging and deep cleaning every now and again.
Thanks to that savvy Trickster head on your healthy shoulders, you can transmute anything into a lucrative opportunity.
See you soon!
Your grimy Uncle Ketu
Lovely Libra Rising,
Set those shiny scales aside momentarily and take your star-studded blindfold off. Witness (objectively, please) the consequences of your wide-ranging social palette and your deep need to make everything sweet as honey. Is it working for you? By my reckoning, if you continue to exhibit a million colors just to harmonize the spheres and pamper each person you meet, you’ll end up with a muddy smudge, unfitting a beauty such as yourself.
Repeat after me, “Less is more. Less is more.” With one confident swoop of my slippery tail in your first house of YOU, YOU, YOU, I’m happy to send any secret needs you have for praise and accolades down the drain. I think it’s hurting you more than helping.
Harmony is paramount for any work of art, including your body, but your golden ratio ruler is crying for a decent polish. At this eclipse, peer into your dark cabinet of past neglect. Awaiting you is your guardian, Aphrodite, who offers you a big chunk of soap clay to wash away old sorrow.
Are you ready to see your true colors and reinvent yourself from a vulnerable place? Feel free to use my tail as the brush that helps you paint the new you.
Artistically obliged,
Ketu Le Grand
Dear Scorpio Rising,
Did you know my tail can function like an agile spelunker? Let me take you to the unfathomable crevices of your psyche to show you how astounding your depth truly is. You don’t mind getting dirty, do you? Please take this shovel and help me excavate the treasures hidden below mounds of denial and accumulated grievances.
From my bottom-up view, hidden in your twelfth house of shadow work, you may be curating a gallery of grudges that have been holding you back. Can you see that your secret desire to be loved is your greatest vulnerability and a shiny treasure?
Holding on is easier than letting go, so I suggest starting small. Venus is in your house of community and friends, wearing her utilitarian outfit and tool belt. She’ll help you uncover soulful truths and is not at all interested in using them against you. Friends don’t let friends dig deep indulgently and without meaning.
For you, my fellow deep diver, there is always something murky to process, but you may find more satisfaction in rolling up your sleeves and fixing a friend’s tire than sifting through your eternal blemish. I, for one, love a good miasma, but remember you are only part dragon. The rest of you is Phoenix.
A tip of the hat from the original badass,
Ketu the Deep
You know, Dear Sag,
You don’t mind if I call you Sag, do you? I just love to watch you run around. You’re a real hoot. Half human, half horse, I’m so impressed by your conviction and flair for adventure.
Watching you lounge by the pool with your homies, sipping Cosmopolitans, and sharing the appearance of a good-looking time has done marvels for THIS depraved dragon ass. Unfortunately, your friend-to-all demeanor just isn’t in the cards right now. I know this may be hard to hear, but quality over quantity is the way to go.
I know you rely on those indelible friendships who celebrate the fever of your current pursuits, but frankly, while I enjoy a good romp as much as anyone, I’m less impressed by this set. When the party's over, I’m left to digest some of your “asbestos friends,” and I’m ready for a change.
While I settle in your eleventh house of groups, allies, and friends, let my drainage give you a clue about where to point your arrow. True friends cheer you on as you use your fire to anneal a prestige born of service and practical beauty. Don’t drown in the draining glitter of debutantes; that’s my job. You, my friend, have a reputation to uphold, even if you lose some of your fans and followers along the way.
Holding your spot in debasement,
Sippy the Sullen Dragon
Dear Capricorn Rising,
In all humbleness, I am writing this letter to assist you in climbing the steep cliff of social acclaim. Let’s be honest. Your outstanding commitments deserve more acknowledgment. You’ve been throwing pearls before swine for too long. Fortunately for you, I’m here to help brush away the resentment that's been nestling in your goat coat's bristly hairs.
Settling in your tenth house of recognition and ambition, let me ask you, “What kind of path to the top would be most beneficial?” How about one that radiates power and resilience? One that inspires awe? If so, please follow me on a more successful route than the one you’ve been trudging. Hold tight to my scaly tail, and I promise to wrench you from your deliberative demeanor and illusions of control.
And since I know you don’t appreciate sugarcoated facts, I will come straight to the point of my magnificent tailpiece. My rear end wags faster than a blink of your rectangularly-pupiled eye, so you’ll have to release some baggage to keep up.
Trust me, dear over-functioning one. There’s no time to read the terms and conditions before we set out. I appeal to your wisdom when I say that even the most agile goats need to surrender some milk if they want to offer the best gourmet cheese.
Onward!
Lord Ketu I
Oh, I’m sorry, dear Aquarius Rising,
Was that your faith I just washed away? From one stoic to another, you won't mind me saying, it was looking a little, I don't know, enmeshed? Perhaps the picture of the world that set you on a path among the highest ivory towers and future-minded urban landscapes was built on a manufactured landfill, not sturdy bedrock.
Child of Saturn, my tingling tail encourages me to tell you straight as I siphon outdated worldviews in your ninth house. Something at the root has been abundantly and unexpectedly made unstable. Inconveniently, you must start again, but as you know, compost is gold for a new garden. You can rebuild a much higher-minded refuge from a rich new foundation, one that casts long shadows outside the confines of the castle walls to shade and awaken the masses.
Don’t miss the support Sister Venus is supplying via mycelial net to your ancestral beginnings. In Virgo, she is the ultimate clean-up woman, fastidiously assisting you through shared resources and offering tools to rework things from the ground up. Transmuting inherited philosophies that don’t make sense in the real world is hard work. Fortunately for you, I’m offering at least a 6-month refractory period after the eclipse purge to start anew.
From the bottom to the top,
Cousin Ketu
Dear Pisces Rising,
Do us all a favor and scour your expectations of what others should bring to the table in this fated eclipse season. A few of your fanciful fish scales may flake off into the sink, but your partners will thank you for letting them off the hook.
A dreadful sense of indebtedness and what you’re owed is dragging you down while I squat in your eighth house of shared resources and liability. And while I’d love your company down here, please just discern how to share your assets in a way that doesn’t deplete anyone involved.
Those you hold closest may circle the drains of fate, but your shiny body of service must rally to be their aquamarine rock, not their whipping post. Don't collapse into being a crybaby if they or I throw you shade. Test your mettle as a fiercely resourced superhero and a super saver.
Venus in Virgo is tossing talking sticks from across the great divide. Catch them if you can and offer them to your local land spirits. Their sacred oracles will teach you songs to lure some sailors to their deaths but also beckon your deepest friends and lovers home.
Swish ‘em like you got ‘em,
A fellow scaly tail
Thank you for your ongoing support!