The chart for our October 16 New Moon at 23 Libra shows the Sun and Moon opposing Mars, which is currently retrograde in Aries, and square to the cluster of Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn still in Capricorn. At the same time, Mercury is now in one of its thrice-yearly retrograde periods, now in the watery, underworldly sign of Scorpio.
It is a time of tension and intrigue.
Libra is a cardinal air sign, signaling forward-moving action that is social, interactive and conversational. Libran energy is not so much about “me” as it is about “us.” The symbol or glyph for Libra looks like a scale or balance. Libra is associated with intentions toward harmony and equanimity. The glyph also looks like a setting sun, suggesting the end of the work day, time to relax and enjoy.
The New Moon in Libra is an excellent time to set intentions for cooling our heels and seeking to understand the perspectives of others. In public discourse these days, we hear a lot of talk about empathy, a Libran quality.
Listening to and hearing others may be a challenge this month. This New Moon forms one leg of a T-square, which occurs when one or more planets oppose one or more other planets and both are in an approximately 90-degree square aspect to yet another planet or group of planets. A T-square is an aspect of tension. It may feel like the only way out is to zero in on the qualities of the Capricorn cluster’s opposite sign, Cancer, which is about mothering ourselves and others, always a wise remedy.
This New Moon will be opposed to Mars, in its fiery sign of Aries for an unusually long time this year, from June 2020 all the way into January, 2021. Mars is comfortable functioning in Aries when Mars is moving fast and direct. But Mars is now in its retrograde period until November 13. It may feel like we’re driving with the brakes on. We may feel impatience and frustration, which is quite the opposite of the Libran inclination to relax and get along. Mars in Aries, though, also calls us to face our fears with courage, which we need more than ever.
We’ve been feeling the pressure of the Jupiter/Saturn/Pluto conjunction all year. Pluto has to do with power and even destructive power to clear the way for something to rise from the ashes. Pluto has been met by Saturn, representing systems and rules, everything old and venerated, including that which is long overdue for crumbling. Jupiter, added to the mix, makes everything bigger and more obvious.
With this New Moon in Libra, an air sign, we are invited to take a few deep breaths and acknowledge the tension and severity of this year 2020.
Libra’s guiding planet is Venus, which is currently in detail-oriented Virgo and making a harmonious, easy trine aspect to this year’s Capricorn cluster. Venus is currently opposing Neptune which has been in dreamy, watery Pisces for years. At the New Moon, we are called to take care of the minutiae of Virgoan tasks while also keeping our imaginations alive with visions for the future. Can we do both?
Later this month, Venus will move into its airy home sign of Libra where it will be in the same sign, briefly, with Mercury, in its retrograde period from October 13 until November 3, traversing from Scorpio backward into Libra. Yes, this means that as we head toward the U.S. election, Mercury, which governs things related to scheduling, messaging and even the mail, will be slow and more erratic than usual.
Mercury is also about our thoughts and about information. The day that Mercury entered into Scorpio, September 27, the New York Times published the first of its recent series of exposes about Trump as a tax cheat. I found this to be synchronistically enjoyable, as Scorpio is about wanting to get to the bottom of things. Put Mercury together with Scorpio and we have investigative reporting. Out in the world, Mercury in Scorpio correlates with the revelation of secrets.
In our inner world, Mercury in Scorpio may be about the revelation of our own secrets, to ourselves alone. Any of Mercury’s retrograde periods are optimal times to ask ourselves: what do I really think about X? In watery Scorpio, the questions may turn also to: what do I really feel about X? We may write our mercurial secrets down, to ponder, in a place no one else will see.
On October 19, Mercury will arrive at an opposition to the outer planet Uranus. We might be faced with unexpected announcements and surprising events. Mercury is known as the trickster. Uranus is the planet correlated with unforeseen changes, like someone throwing a proverbial monkey wrench into our best laid plans.
By the time of our next Full Moon, auspiciously on October 31, the Moon will form a conjunction with Uranus, who is known as the Lord of Chaos and also as the Liberator and the Awakener. I’m not sure how many more twists and turns of events we can absorb. With Uranus at the Halloween Full Moon, we may best be advised to sit tight and expect the unexpected.
New Moon blessings,
Sara
P.S. I’m always available for consultations about your natal chart and current and upcoming transits.
Sara R. Diamond, an astrologer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a life-long student and practitioner in several esoteric paths. Her style of astrology combines modern-psychological astrology with insights from traditional astrology. Sara is also an estate planning attorney. In addition, she has published four books on right-wing movements in the United States and earned her Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. You are invited to contact Sara via her website at www.SaraDiamondAstrology.com.
Bravo! I love this excellent summation of the astrology of the moment. Thank you for sharing this wonderful writing.