Shadow, Take Me Down With You
October's New Moon + Solar Eclipse in Libra
For centuries, Persephone’s story has been torn apart and pieced back together…
Each a different take, each a different angle… as if she is just a mere mirror to project a viewpoint onto. Each analysis demanding a different outcome or flavor to her ancient etiological myth, whether in horror or pleasure (or both), the desire to extract deeper meaning from Persephone’s descent BEYOND the Reason for the Seasons is natural. The event of her descent leaves much room for interpretation with the in-between of days arousing the most speculated need for explanation. In the wait for Spring, how Persephone bides her time has sparked the imaginations of stoic scholars and fan-fic freaks. Of course her POWER ~lost or gained~ is the most questioned of all.
It’s as if to say the dynamic of power wields the narrative: Persephone as a victim, Persephone as a princess, Persephone as a warrior. All of the above?
Every year, we muse upon how Persephone is truly THE icon of Autumn, but what piques the interest of so many, and perhaps is the projection of one’s own desires, is Persephone’s transformation from Spring Maiden into Queen of the Night. Certainly more than a makeover moment, though aesthetically delicious, if not devilishly divine. I always recall a particular scene in Ridley Scott’s Legend when imagining Persephone’s embrace of her “dark side”. The assimilation from innocence to association with that of “corruption” is unsurprisingly sexualized. After so long of being the “good girl”, writers imagine Persephone as some kind of night-blooming courtesan, finally able to delve into the depraved and insatiable yearnings buried deep within.
And while this sexual liberation is fantastical fodder, much is ignored regarding the blatant trauma Persephone experienced when she was violently abducted. Though it may seem I’m ignoring this subject as well (though it shall be a topic for another day), the louder crux in my mind is that which is aligned with the Aries-Libra Axis. Very obvious, yet too often swept under the rug, is that fact that Persephone is always poised to exist in relation to an authority in her life. Her value resides in what company she provides for another. She is seen, intentionally or not, as a possession, a prize in the middle of a tug-of-war between two realms, yanked around by her over-bearing mother or played with by her sneaky betrothed…
Persephone is the People’s People-Pleaser Princess and yet how she FEELS about this is rarely noticed.
“Persephone had it right.
If you must go, might as well
take all of spring with you—”
―Cathy Linh Che, Split
Forever romanticized despite the implications of her abduction and the distress that followed, Demeter’s daughter suffers greatly in the division of her sense of self, undoubtedly the most man-handled of sacred concepts in the custody rights of her arrangement(s). As she plays the role of dutiful daughter to detached darkness divine, the power that Persephone must muster WITHIN despite her expectations to the environments presented, how she is to ACT, what mask she is to WEAR as she stands beside one or the other… is the most interesting aspect of all. Her OWN relationship to herself, as opposed to her relationship to others, is the utmost arc of her narrative.
There is no denying the power and limitations within her position as Zeus and Demeter’s offspring (where she’s already an object of compromise) or the marriage to Hades in an unfamiliar barren land brings. In our own objective realities, the lived environments and connections we “belong to” DO shape our ease of mobility in this world. And yes, there is an allure to the double life the Princess inhabits as she is able to transverse both realms, embodying two worlds. She is the Balance and also the Polarity. Persephone is just as much, if not more so, a spiritual tale about the universal recognition of Darkness and Light, overarching all existence since the beginning of time.
Containing seemingly opposite sides only to find she is two halves of a whole, the narrative gets redirected once again as Persephone finds she has become another “half” of another relationship, too. Perhaps this partnership is one in which the integration of her shadow side becomes a point of strength. Where she becomes prominent in the Underworld of Plutonian possibilities and has the capacity to be spicy and passionate (more on this for the Scorpio New Moon Muse). But, nonetheless, she is once again a counterpart. Role-playing, doing her duty, an ingenue of the innocent, a goddess of the grim.
The delicate balance that always must be maintained, a dance that never ends…
The scale that tips one way and then the other for all of eternity, Libra is the only non-animal Sign in the Zodiac represented by an object. Libra is forever responding to the stimuli of situations presented by the parties around her, seeking out social interaction as Libra does not like to be alone. And yet the neglect of the Self inevitably rises to the surface just as the Sun sets and rises like clockwork. Self-neglect has been the meat of many Muses this year, emphasized especially since Spring 2024’s Eclipse Season (listed here).
Sometimes she is sent off into journeys attempting to deal with the chronicles of Good and Evil, always separate in their conception, never a blend of both. And yet Libra knows we are multitudes. Libra longs for not just the balance but the integration of it all. The “bad feelings” that we shove aside ~grief, anger, rage, betrayal, dissonance of all kinds~ are to be reckoned with. Sat with until they are no longer the enemy. Accepted and cared for as if they are children. Soothed, listened to, made to be not shamed but seen and heard.
In the give-and-take that constantly loops thru our short yet complicated lives, rarely in balance within a system that is sick and sometimes shallow, we have a right to center our healing, too, and not simply be content to provide leveling for others’ wishes. To honor the only balance we have a semblance of control over but definitely all of the responsibility and deserved attention to: THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE TO OURSELVES INSTEAD OF OTHERS IS OFTEN THE MOST NEGLECTED RELATIONSHIP OF ALL.
If we have molded ourselves into an ideal but hide parts of ourselves to appear more easy-going and amicable, we may want to consider showing up for the parts of ourselves that we’ve tried to suppress in order to present as “worthy” to others. The deepest pains and wounds of our past that have wrongfully defined how we feel about ourselves deserve tender loving care, too.
WHAT: Libra New Moon + Solar Eclipse
WHEN: Wednesday October 2nd, 2024 2:49 PM EST
THEME: To Close the Book or Take Another Look?
If there is something we have met in our relationships but wanted to look away from or convince ourselves OR others it is/was a-okay (as a Libra is wont to do), the early October Solar Eclipse is THE MOMENT to truly deal with our denial. Libra’s monumental Autumnal New Moon is begging us to take the time to soak in the implications, the grievances, the aspects we DO NOT relate to but must look at in order to truly close the book. The year-and-a-half span of the Lunar Nodal Cycle has been urging us to let go of delusions, to let both old relationships or old parts of ourselves die. We forget that there is Rebirth in the process of Life and Death. We forget that the story keeps going. It changes form outside of our lore and outside of our love.
Some thing we may have skimmed craves to be held with reverence and respect in a way that is not a ball and chain but an autonomous entity that holds multitudes just as you yourself do. Where Persephone represents the ability to become the integration of the Shadow Side, she was also on her own path of internal solidification, an oxymoron in itself as we do not stay the same throughout our lives. To KNOW ONESELF beyond external atmospheres and overarching guardians is a task hard-pressed to attend when mummified within roles. Libra who is so direly dedicated to balance-acting, like it is her sole job in Life, can also be distracted by her wiring to connectivity, bound to be a part of something larger…. and too often apart from herself.
Libra rules the 7th House of Relationships, a blessing and a curse.
Being ruled by Venus, Libra is astrologically associated with Love by default. A lover girl to the core whose recent position in the Lunar South Node has told us to atone for our relationships in some way, this Libra Lunar Eclipse can be the plot twist that unfurls a new beginning: to find a way to be in love with ourselves and see where this unfamiliar amour takes us in our exploration for truth. The partnership-affecting mess of Summer 2024’s Mercury Retrograde was a tenacious target on our romantic woes and baffled us beyond belief about the hearts and minds of others. Mulling over how we are shaped and molded by relationship dynamics is the eye-opening side-effect of this powerful Lunar Eclipse. Beyond that, we have a chance to reclaim our capacity for self-compassion, a noble focus in a mess of yearning and hope.
The prime directive of the Aries North Node and Libra South Node of this soon ending Lunar Cycle is the Self-Relationship Axis. Libra’s flight in the South Node has challenged old approaches to relationships, encouraging us to unravel attachment theory and perhaps molt. Libra as the fae babe has been sealed in her cocoon too long and wants to flutter free. As this is Libra’s last Eclipse until 2033, we are signaled to balance of Heart and Mind BEYOND our relationships to others. New form awaits, though we know there is no growth without discomfort. And in Winter’s Moth dancing to the Flame, the draw to the unknown from what was once safe, we may be burned by our own dalliance with how we see ourselves, especially once we reject the way others view us as we process our own self-view.
The ultimate fantasy that can be applied to Persephone’s plot, in all the incarnations her story has sprung, is to be loved and accepted for not what she represents to others but for who she is despite them. This is a recurring action, not a singular event, and it does not require validation from the outside. No matter how much we wait for others to truly see us, we do not need permission to allow ourselves safe passage to self-exploration and self-love. Fully holding the Light and Dark of all we are is our own choice, a ritual we must provide as we tell our own story over time. And when we decide to embrace the Whole, we may find the people and places that seemingly shaped us can look very different after all.
Lore of the Libra New Moon:
The Self-Relationship Axis and its eclipses force us to deal with the imbalances that exist between the two. The hard shove into the depths of the darkness is inevitable when we refuse to shed light on that which we have been too comfortable ignoring for too long. The South Node in Libra is soon to get to work, taking stock of what we are to sweep out of our lives, whether we want to or not. How we do this may not be the most thorough. How we “let go” and what our expectations are of these long-tried methods may also require a review, an extra task this Eclipse asks!
How our lore shapes not just our Past but the manner in which it can block our Future is an important concept to challenge during this strong Solar Eclipse. The misconception that we have to cut the cord on a connection in order to be truly liberated is one over-simplification. Ideas about dramatic release are too often touted as the only option, not helped by trendy psych and spirit social media trajectories. The greatest power of Libra is a shift in perspective, not the ability to abandon or destroy ACTUAL relationships. Our past methods of “moving forward” can also be a point of attachment that we need to “let go” of. Too often we’re still searching for a reaction from the “other” in order to feel vindicated.
This Solar Eclipse relates to the relational and represents both a separation from and a new beginning. Yes, we are entering the end of a process we’ve been gradually working thru that affects an integral part of our life that is connected to others. Consider the complexity of whether or not your liberation realistically lies within villainizing others as a means to counter-balance your own self-worth. If there has been a long-standing need to ACTUALLY advocate for changing the dynamic with the people you tend to struggle against, it is time to figure out how to speak up instead of giving up. Clear the Air and allow for an exchange of understanding instead of being afraid of outcomes or potential conflict. Mutual respect does not exist in the echo chamber of assumptions, repetition or self-suppressed communication.
Mercury in Libra ~who newly stepped into said space~ is super-close to the Sun and Moon for this Eclipse (by about 1 degree). Information surrounding our relationships may be blinded by and/or obscured by the intensity of this rare Libran Sun/Moon meet-cute. Comprehension and explanation is adversely affected by the blaring blind-spot of this Eclipse, strongly compared to Mercury Rx energy. All the more reason to not act hastily (you can burn bridges for the Aries almost-Eclipse Full Moon instead lol). Be prepared for surprising angles not considered previously and give yourself space to privately process thoughts and feelings around any shocks before litigating without all the facts.
The Libra Solar Eclipse squares Mars in Cancer ~a rather passive-aggressive front~ unhelpful to the intense analysis of the ways in which we have internalized our resentments within our closest relationships. We can quickly remember how protective we are over who and what we love and be quite reactive to the tensions that may pop-up at this time. Mars in Cancer is additionally opposite Pluto Rx and wants us to refrain from any game-playing, gossip or manipulation of any kind as it will NOT end well for those who indulge, no matter their intention.
Jupiter in Gemini trines the Libra Solar Eclipse as a baton pass of benevolence, anointing the possibilities of new beginning as we start to air out olden outlooks we’ve clung to for too long. Ideas around fairy tale romance, specters of success and ghosts of glory are gently given way to a fresh burst of gorgeous Gemini Jupiter mind-expansion.
October’s Libra Season will receive a separate post, arriving this week on Venus Day. LOTS of delicious Scorpio Venus aspects! Please “heart” if you enjoyed this post and much love in letting go! You deserve the best that you can give yourself; never forget it.
All images by Thomas Woodruff