Mercury in Libra begins its residency today October 4th until the end of the Sun Season.
Social butterflies will be exhilarated with Mercury’s flutter into the Sign of the Lovers, paving the way for enthusiastic engagement filled with lighthearted banter, intellectual ignition and improved connections. However, the 1st half of October (and last half of Libra Season) is not without some tension while Mars in Libra (a fretful pairing) occupies the conflict castle. With patience and understanding (the bread and butter of Libra energy), we can come out on the other side with stronger relationships and a deeper appreciation for the power of careful communication…
On October 5th, Mars in Libra conjuncts the South Node in Libra, stirring up something from our Past that needs to be dealt with. If that weren’t intense enough, on October 8th Mars in Libra will square Pluto Rx in Capricorn, creating combustible catharsis, cleansing if we give ourselves space to process but an easy explosion for bottled-up arguments; this is NOT helped by Venus in Virgo beginning the same day. When Mars in Scorpio starts October 12, shortly before the Solar Eclipse, strengthened resolve will be by our side, gifting us a week or so of less cosmic drama before Scorpio Season.
Now that Mercury and Venus are both direct, Earthlings have felt relief from the stronger backspins that raged this Summer. We’re soon to see a cascade of planets going direct, notably Pluto in Capricorn on October 10th, which (though forward motion) will stay in Capricorn for the rest of 2023. Decision-making may not be at its strongest right now (the Libra cliche) but the diplomacy and charm of Libra Mercury will aid us if we refrain from rushing.
10/14 NEW MOON IN LIBRA & ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE
Solar Eclipses have long been a symbol of new beginnings and the October New Moon in Libra, emphasizing the Aries-Libra Nodal Axis, grants us power to ponder on what we wish to wrap up before we move ahead.
Being amongst Autumn is in itself symbolic of a new cycle, which reminisces the new school year for me specifically, no matter how old I am today. Marching off to school as a child, my nose in books about forest warriors, lost maidens, wizards in wild woods, I looked forward to the Change of Leaves. Golds, browns, chartreuse yellow-greens, deep reds were all relief that the depression of Swamp Ass Summer would no longer have its lethargy-grip on my Southeastern stomping grounds.
That being said, it takes the region in which I reside some time to mature into Autumnal majesty… But what joy to simply reach into such a transition! The born-again breeze felt in my bones, previously worn by humidity and hellfire, there is a (literal) breath of fresh air lifting the heaviness of my heart. The meet-cute of hyper-enthusiastic Autumn is an oh so nostalgic yet relevant. Thinking of the teen self, peacoats and first zines, Cocteau Twins daydreams, cramped clown car rides to coffee houses, cigarettes and chipped Chanel Vamp nails… all informant.
Soon, the roads will be picturesque with warm tones, only some evergreen and ivy an emerald depth in the forest’s contrast, the inevitable gearing up to the mega-stress of Holidaze, but the momentary magic that is the crisp of Fall seems to refresh us all. Each rite of passage into Autumn adventures, onto the next chapter, there remains a rendering of renewal at the slightest hint of cooling.
Cardinal Libra Season brims with the excitement of the Autumnal Equinox and by the time we reach the Libra New Moon, we see the Winds of Change whirl around us for the better. We are slowly shedding parts of ourselves and our plans that did not go well in Rot Girl Summer and reaching into a time of festivity, fun and togetherness. Cozying up to more care and nourishment, not only are our important ties being bolstered, we are preparing to our spirits for comfort and imagination.
The vision sharpens in our rearview: who we were, who we want to be, what we want to do with our thoughts, energies, actions...
Heavily impassioned heartfelt gusto creates resistance to “letting go.” We tell ourselves that our stories are who we are, when in reality they are a complicated combination of happenstances, other personalities and so on. That which truly does not serve us, especially regarding insecurities and negative self-talk, often growing from a seed within a situation long ago (usually childhood), it’s clear we need to give ourselves grace. Trauma has claws that dig deep; we build our lives around accommodating fear and reaction in its shadow. Toxic relationships overstay their welcome and become flippant love-hate attachments, a waste of our heart and soul.
While Eclipses are not great times for rituals, intention is absolutely auspicious with this relatively positive Solar Eclipse. Yes, for once! The last Ring of Fire until 2046 visible to most of the US has a lovely little injection of hope. This Libra New Moon ushers in loving liberation, asking us to shift how we think about what happened in the Past and how our grasp of events will play out in our Future. Sometimes the best balance with the powers that may be is the very human yet objective outlook that we are all just humans doing our best. Such a practice of perspective shift takes A TON of loving kindness, leaning on our inner knowledge to see all angles and nuance with mercy.
After all, Libra loves to Learn.
She measures information, considering it carefully or quickly, depending on the day. She takes a leaf from one book and presses it to her heart to create a tale that leads her through one room to the next. But the library is large and there are many different story lines that can empower her. I like to call-in my adventuresome child who seems to know best, despite the grown-up self who has been conditioned by the critiques of society, gender, success, and on. This is also a moment to call in our best qualities and see that maybe we need DO LESS criticizing, whether it be about others or ourselves.
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All images in this post by Leonora Carrington