There is a lot going on during this New Moon, as we have Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto and the Nodes of the Moon all forming aspects, in varying degrees of intensity, to the Sun and Moon. Not to mention that Mercury has just gone retrograde in powerful,intense and perceptive Scorpio! The Sun and Moon are forming their monthly cosmic union in Libra, the sign of relationship, balance and harmony. Libra is represented by the scales, which means that we can easily tip too far towards one extreme, and this New Moon encourages us to find balance in our lives; to somehow find the middle ground. Libra is the sign of cooperation, diplomacy, compromise and justice, and gives us the capacity to see both sides of an argument or situation. Libra reminds us that things are rarely black and white, and that it is important to truly listen to one another and understand where the other is coming from. During this Moon we might want to reflect on what in our lives is out of balance and seek to come back to the middle point somehow. Where are we seeing signs of too much extremism? How can we find a greater sense of peace and harmony? This is the beginning of the new monthly cycle, so we are seeding new growth and leaving whatever we don’t need anymore in the dark of the Moon.
The ruler of the New Moon is Venus, which is currently in Virgo, the sign of humility, purity and perfection. Venus represents our values, self-worth and capacity to attract and the sign Venus is in indicates how we relate to ourselves and others. With Venus in Virgo from 3 October until 29 October, we may be likely to be hard on ourselves and beat ourselves up for things we may have done or not done. Virgo can analyse herself to death! We could be much more critical of ourselves and others than usual and also more prone to focusing on our flaws, imperfections and any feelings of shame, guilt and inadequacy. This is not helped by Mercury being in Scorpio at the moment, which can make our thoughts somewhat obsessive and compulsive and bring some cringing moments!
To harness the best of Venus in Virgo, we can look to our loved ones and see who needs our help. What little things can we do to make other people’s lives easier? Venus in Virgo is ever ready to be of service to others, although this can also veer into subservience if we are not careful. To be of service is a choice, whereas subservience occurs when we play small or give our power away, or allow ourselves to be take for granted. This is a perfect time for taking pleasure out of cleansing and purifying ourselves and our environment, as long as we don’t seek some unattainable perfection!
Pluto and Saturn are both square the Sun, Moon and Mars during this New Moon, which is rather intense as it could bring up issues around power, control, limitation and may bring about some kind of reality check and transformation. With Pluto and Saturn both joining forces in Capricorn, we are watching societal and personal structures crumble around us, not to mention witnessing the exposure of the rot within our power structures.We are in the midst of a collective death and rebirth of all that we have previously known and relied on. The heat is rising and the pressure is building! This Moon could bring about some kind of purging process and even more exposure, both personally and collectively. It is much harder to hide from our shadows at the moment, and this Moon encourages us to dig deep and be willing to truly face ourselves, warts and all.
With Pluto square the Sun, exact on Thursday, we may experience a battle of wills and intense power struggles, especially if we let ego get in the way. We could find ourselves on the receiving end of authoritarian control or oppression and may be forced to see things as they really are as Saturn and the Sun square off against each other, exact on Sunday. We may feel as if our will is being thwarted in some way and might feel as if the light has gone out and reality is a bit too hard to bear. Mars and Sun are opposing each other, exact on Wednesday morning. This combo could also bring a battle of wills and could force some issues out into the open. It is very important to be mindful of ourselves during this time, as disagreements are very possible, especially if we let our ego get in the way. Mars and the Sun are both yang and are forceful in their own right, so together they could make people a bit more reactive or egotistical. Those with personal planets and angles around 23° of the sign they are in, especially the cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, will feel the energy on this Moon most acutely. The ingredients in the cosmic soup could easily cause us to be easily triggered, so it is important to take a leaf out of Libra’s book and try to find some balance, harmony and peace.
The Nodes of the Moon are also involved with this Moon, in a positive way, so there is the potential for some soul growth here. The Nodes are providing the backdrop for this year, combined with three conjunctions between Pluto and Jupiter over the course of the year, and the theme is around truth, lies and beliefs versus facts. There is one thing that is absolutely true at the moment and this is that nobody is absolutely certain of the truth. With Neptune square the Nodes, the truth is shrouded by illusion, propaganda and smoke screens. As such, we are being encouraged to have a very open mind and to admit that our beliefs are just that; they are beliefs and not necessarily the absolute truth.
The Sagittarius South Node gives us a gut feeling and an intuition, while the Gemini North Node encourages us to take that feeling and do some fact checking and research in order to verify what we sense to be true. Gemini also urges us to find a palatable way of expressing ourselves rather than trying to ram our beliefs down one another’s throats. Gemini does invite us to find our voice so that we can speak up about what we believe to be true, but it also encourages us to listen to each other’s view points instead of trying to convince and convert each other to our point of view. It is so important to remember that the truth is completely illusive at the moment, so that nobody can be completely certain that their version of the truth is the right one. This Libra New Moon encourages us to temper any extremist tendencies and to take a more balanced approach and be willing to take both sides of the argument into account.
Mercury goes retrograde at the same time as the Sun Mars opposition is exact, in the early hours of Wednesday morning British time. As ever, the days before and after the planet of communication and travel goes retrograde can be fraught with misunderstanding, miscommunication, delays, confusion and chaos! As such, it is important to be mindful in our communications with others, as the potential for Freudian slips and saying things that are somehow misconstrued is rife. Scorpio does have a sting in its tail, and we may find ourselves on either end of some accidental but painful truths that cut to the core! Not to mention that our thoughts could be much more obsessive than usual.
Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio is an invitation to go back over things and dig deeper, using our inner detective to ferret out information that we may have missed in the past month or so. It is an ideal time to delve back into our past and come up with some profound psychological insight and understanding that hasn’t been available to us before now. Indeed, People that we have unfinished business with could pop up and we could have some penetrating and revealing conversations that really help us to get to the core of whatever issue we are facing. This is a very good time to do some deep, inner work and to be brave enough to reveal our more vulnerable parts in some very intimate and therapeutic exchanges with people we trust. Remember that with Venus in Virgo at the moment, we have the capacity to really help and be of service to one another. We just have to watch out for paranoia, obsessive thought processes and going into a spiral of dark or negative thinking. Mercury is Scorpio is very adept at smelling a rat!
The Sabian symbol for the New Moon, at 24° Libra, is: “A butterfly with a third wing on its left side” which Dane Rudyar describes as: “The ability to develop, for inner strengthening, new modes of response to basic life situations. The butterfly is the ancient and traditional symbol of the results of the process of spiritual rebirth. If the butterfly has three wings instead of two, a special development of an aspect of the spiritual life is shown. Three is a symbol of fulfilment. Some power has been added to the normal spiritual life of the individual person. The left side usually refers to the instinctual field of the consciousness, but it is also the heart’s side. A new strength is shown, perhaps as yet unrealised.” This is a very interesting symbol that certainly brings some hope that whatever we are currently going through has the potential to help bring some kind of new spiritual superpower! Certainly, it is the most challenging times that bring some kind of spiritual awakening and profound soul growth, and we are currently going through a collective spiritual growth spurt at the moment. As the third wing is only on one side, we could feel a bit wobbly or out of balance.
There is certainly some intensity to this Moon, with these powerfully Yang planets sparking off each other! We could experience intense feelings of self-doubt, powerlessness and even depression, so it is very important to watch ourselves carefully and be mindful of our inner dialogue. There is some extremely powerful energy at play here which could be incredibly transforming but could also cause us to feel at the mercy of forces larger than ourselves. Self-care is essential at the moment, so we must harness the energy of Venus and Virgo and create little routines, rituals and habits for ourselves that help us to feel better. This Libra New Moon invites us to contemplate how we can find balance in a world of such extremes. How can we cultivate a sense of inner peace and harmony in the midst of chaos and strife? How can we find some integration between the dark and the light? How can we listen to our head and heart in equal measure? Can we find a way to listen to each other better? Above all, how can we be more kind?
"It happens all the time in heaven,
And some day It will begin to happen
Again on earth -
That men and women who are
married,
And men and men who are
Lovers, And women and women
Who give each other
Light,
Often get down on their knees
And while so tenderly
Holding their lovers hand,
With tears in their eyes
Will sincerely speak, saying,
My dear,
How can I be more loving to you;
How can I be more kind?"
Hafiz
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
Picture: Unknown