We say, a person is a person through other persons. I need you in order to be me and you need me in order to be you―Archbishop Tutu.
Autumn flames out in October in bolts of gold and copper. This is the month that the astrological sun sweeps through the sign of Libra, highlighting our relationships. Libra is a sign of paradoxes. A sign depicted by a set of scales.
The Sumerians called the constellation of Libra Zib-ba An-na, “the balance of heaven.”
The Egyptians weighed the souls of the dead against the Feather of Truth in golden scales of balance.
The Sun, the symbol of our creative self-expression, is said to be in its fall in Libra implying that a perpetual state of balance is impossible to achieve in the messy complexity of life.
“Paradoxically, it’s in our most enduring and important relationships that we’re least likely to be our most mature and thoughtful selves,” observes psychologist Harriet Lerner.
Yet this month, a super full moon in the assertive sign of Aries on October 7th and a new moon in Libra on October 21st serve as cosmic reminders to hone our relational skills.
It’s an act of courage to reach out to a friend or family member after years of silence, yet unconscious anxiety and pain tends to surface as anger or stay submerged as depression. “Keep in mind that people, like other growing things, do not hold up well in the long run when severed from their roots,” Harriet Lerner reminds us.
This month’s full moon in Aries (courage, self-assertiveness) opposes the Libran sun (diplomacy, relatedness, fairness and balance) illuminate situations where we might need to temper our need to be right or to “win”. Finding our “authentic voice,” telling it like it is, might require some careful editing. Raw, unbridled Mercury in the early degrees of emotional Scorpio now squares Pluto and forms a Yod with Uranus and Neptune, adding tension, the potential for ruthless truth-telling. Yet, the sextile between Uranus and Neptune offers new insight, a chance to act with courage, integrity and compassion as we end an impasse or repair a misunderstanding.
Mars is in Scorpio presides over this Aries moon, amplifying the potential for conflict as we march into battle with a colleague or a loved one. We may have reached a crisis point, we may choose now to give up, to save ourselves, speak our truth, even if this means losing a relationship. Mercury is now sweeping through uncompromising Scorpio, adding impetus to reflexive anger, our need to defend our point of view.
Venus, Libra’s ruling planet, is now a morning star. She shimmers in the modest, temperate sign of Virgo at dawn, a reminder to take care of the ordinary things, practice common sense, take one small step at a time, patiently repair those bonds of connection that have been ruptured through fear of being hurt, or through misunderstanding. Venus makes an opposition to Saturn in Pisces from October 11th bringing opportunity for a practical reality check as we re-evaluate our part in our relationship dance. Venus enters its home sign of Libra on October 13th as we practice the art of relating to others in this uncertain world. This change of sign may bring us to a crossroads in a situation that requires sound judgment and careful consideration.
This first lunation of the month follows the Autumn Equinox here in the north (September 22nd) when the sun entered the cardinal sign of Libra and the unsettling winds of change whisked across carpets of fallen leaves. Aries and Libra are both cardinal signs. They carry an urgent momentum through the cosmic air: energy for movement, change, getting things in the right order before we come to this year’s end.
Pluto stations direct on October 14th, dredging deep into collective unconscious, bringing up those essential truths, life or death issues we would rather not face. Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Eris, and Chiron are all still moving Retrograde, signifying a silent, unseen energy of evolution that is shaping our collective and personal destiny. It is unlikely that there will be compromise and peace in Gaza in this “me and you” cosmic weather. Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post threatens belligerently, “if this last chance agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas…”
With both Mars and Mercury moving through the fixed sign of the Scorpion, battle lines are drawn. Threats add fuel to the fire. Compromise and lasting peace are unlikely in the near future and the tragic loss of human and animal life will continue.
A Libran new moon on September 21st arrives with charm and grace at this time of changing seasons. New moons signify new beginnings, fresh starts. As we practice a light touch in our conversations, generous gestures of love and kindness, and the careful editing of our untamed words, psychologist and author, Harriet Lerner reminds us, “it’s an act of maturity to not take things personally and to understand that the other person’s response may have more to do with them than with us.”
Please get in touch if you would like a personal astrology consultation―ingrid@trueheartwork.com
