ART, RELATIONSHIPS & BEING HONEST

Relationships. Getting along. The give and take in life. Reciprocity. Balance. Order. Judgment. Beauty. Art. Negotiation and diplomacy.  October draws our attention to these essential facets of being human. This is Libra. We begin on the very first day of the month, Saturday, October 1, with the launch of the New Moon in Libra.   It is closely tied to Jupiter, planet of abundance – magnifying our relationships and how to achieve balance in our lives – between family, individual/personal time, couple, work time, bank account, and any other area that may be out of sync or proportion.

Drawing our eye like a laser beam, we may notice that our relationships, home, our bodies, our wardrobe are long overdue for a makeover.  As though one day we woke up and saw, realized, how worn our furniture is, how out of date our clothes are, how imbalanced our relationships (including to ourselves) are.  Heightening this awareness is the Jupiter-Sun-Moon troika challenge to Motivating Mars in Capricorn.  Here, Mars rules super effectively.  It is responsible, status conscious, and wants to not only to appear to be put together in body, mind and soul, but to actually be solidly put together from the inside out.

Let’s talk about that for a minute:  your thoughts form your words and actions.  If our thoughts are out of whack, negative more than positive, directed either to ourselves or others, our actions follow suit.  Libra is about judgment – how we judge ourselves, our work, our loved ones and co-workers.  This New Moon is a call to action like few others to exercise responsible thought, word and deed to bring order from chaos in our lives.

From the get go, we have an opportunity for incredible self-determination brought about by order, harmony and the penultimate:  beauty and art.  As Winston Churchill said during WWII:  art is what we are fighting for.  Because without it, our world would be very gray indeed.   It is the stuff we live for.  So create your New Moon wish list:  hand write five or so desires you hope to manifest over the next month and year.  Life is a work in progress so you may repeat desires from past months.  That is OK.  Your New Moon list is alive, never static.   It can remain the same from month to month or be added to as necessary.  The key point is to focus your attention on what you desire/seek to manifest.  Then plant your list of hopes and dreams into the earth or into a moving body of water such as a stream, river or ocean.  And believe.

The New Moon energy stays with us the whole first week of October, catalyzing your will and directing our focus wherever it falls in your chart.  Feel energized, motivated, uncomfortable, edgy?   You bet.  Mars rules armies and energy.  Our get up and go.  In its challenge to Jupiter, we are charged with marshaling our energy to move.  Be it your body, to take responsibility to exercise and eat healthfully, to direct your thoughts in a positive and conscious way, or to feed your soul, enjoy and bask in music, dance, works of art at a museum.  It is the stuff of life.  Why we work.

Art and beauty are healing.  Part of the New Moon configuration finds Venus in Scorpio forming a grand alliance with dreamy Neptune and the Lunar South Node.  This is a deeply healing and cleansing energy; terrific for self-love and love for others.  Release and transform what no longer supports you.

At the end of the first week, Messenger Mercury moves into Libra, gradually joining Jupiter and the Sun.  Keep in mind that Libra is about judgment and balance.  Thus it can be very indecisive.  With Mercury, the planet of communication, our thoughts may swing back and forth like a pendulum, weighing each decision carefully.  If you have significant decisions to make over the next two and a half weeks, consider making pro and con lists.  Ask what really stands out (positively or negatively) about certain aspects of either choice.  What will be the long-term effects of either decision?  Where is the greatest growth possible in either direction?  If we use the analogy of choosing a paint color for the choices that lay ahead of us, look at the color in all light, day and night.  Can you wake up to the color and live with it every day?  Does it soothe you and help create a feeling of peace?  If not, you know the answer.   Once Mercury shifts into Scorpio on October 25, decisions will be quickly made, or made for us.  More on that later.

At the end of the first week, Saturn exactly challenges the lunar nodes, our directional calling and what we need to release, in some cases forcing our hand.   Saturn, the lord of dharma and karma, in sagacious Sagittarius demands truth and honesty, honoring the law of ourselves.  In its challenge to the lunar nodes, there is a mighty evolutionary/developmental purge to release what no longer serves us (Neptune and the Lunar South Node in Pisces).  To cleanse what hangs over us and push us to live healthy lifestyles filled with service, work and purpose.  You may feel a push and pull, like a tug of war system-wide, body/mind/spirit.   The North Node in Virgo pulls for control.  The South Node/Neptune pushes to release control:  to let go and let God.  With Saturn in Sagittarius dangling in the middle, truth in all of our words and actions are demanded and in many cases, enforced.  You may actually feel the Universe watching.  It is.

The North Node in Virgo also has to do with animals and we may find engaging with animals and pets to be particularly helpful now, along with listening to music, walking near water and relaxation activities such as yoga and meditation.   These are not the easiest of days.  The North Node/Saturn conflict may fill us with anxiety.  But at the root of this, it invites as much as insists that we practice honesty in all of our dealings, practice faith and trust, in ourselves, others and a higher power.  Meanwhile, Mars bears down on Pluto at mid-month.  These two are a power couple in the Zodiac.  The higher and lower octaves of energy drive home their point now.  Between October 12-20, be very mindful of power:  your own and others.  Are you stepping into your own power, using it responsibly or to undermine, dominate or destroy?  Chances are with Sagittarian Saturn confronting the Lunar nodes of evolution, if you dance on the dark side, your tricks will be displayed under the glaring spotlight of the Full Moon on October 16.

Tied to Radical Uranus in fiery Aries, this is a particularly volatile Full Moon.  Aries is impulsive, abrupt and fired up.  The Moon rules emotions and at its fullest, our feelings now brim over to the boiling point. Meanwhile Uranus in Aries says change and change fast.  Surprise!  Expect hot tempers, sudden and unexpected situations, angry words.  The world feels at 6s and 7s.  With such radical energy at mid-month, a word of caution:  as much as you can, do some preventative maintenance leading up to October 16.  Think before you speak.  Pause.  Just P-A-U-S-E.  Ask:  how will the other person hear what I’m saying?  Check your brakes (all car engine maintenance is wise).  Turn off ALL appliances, especially stoves, ovens, grills, before leaving the house.  Pay up all insurances.  Practice patience and awareness of your surroundings, awareness of other people’s feelings, and your own gut intuition.  This is NOT a time to ignore your inner knowing.   It is best not to delay doing the responsible thing for tomorrow…do it before the 16^th.   Otherwise, when Motivating Mars joins Pluto in Capricorn on October 19-20, you will be served.   Big time.  So do your due diligence proactively now.

Venus enters Sagittarius at the same time on October 19, lending truth and ribald honesty to our relationships, with people, ourselves and especially money.  Venus is Sadge wants freedom; yet as it conjoins Saturn through the end of the month, we may feel our freedom restricted.  This is not the most comfortable pair.  Saturn restricts.  In Sagittarius, it is a stickler for truth and honesty, the law.  Venus wants to have its own way, to love for the sake of loving.  In Sagittarius:  Venus wants to do its own thing regardless of time, location, inconvenience to others.  The upside is Venus lightens up the severity of Saturn, gets it to come out and play as much as it will allow.  Best to pursue healthy outlets alone or with others, especially in nature, or exploring new or new-to-you ideas, adventures, people, books.

Several days later, the Sun, our will, moves into Scorpio on October 23.  Scorpio is the detective and psychologist of the zodiac, rooting out exactly what is going on, how we feel, like a private eye.  Two days later, Messenger Mercury joins the Sun in Scorpio, heightening our XRay vision and observational skills.  This pair in Scorpio leaves no stone unturned.  They get to the bottom of what seems or smells off.  As the Sun-Mercury pair turn over the soil of our lives, digging up problems to be solved, Venus-Saturn show the honest facts in broad daylight.  The truth to be dealt with and managed.

Mars duels with Uranus on the 29^th.  This can be an explosive time.  Mars vies for responsible action while Uranus in Aries wants to blaze a whole new trail; says sayonara, I’m doing what I need to do for me.   At best, these two prompt us to save and use what has worked in the past while building and creating new ideas, methods and relationships.  Just remember not to throw the baby out with the bath water.  Save what works and gently toss the rest.

It is darkest before dawn as the dark side of the moon belies leading into the final days of October.  Release what causes pain, what you no longer need, outmoded beliefs, images of yourself.  Because two days later on Halloween, we are afforded a second New Moon this month to set intentions, trust, hope and believe.

Of special note:

THANK YOU for supporting my growing holistic healing practice and blog readership!  It has allowed me to update my website which I will launch later this month.  Please keep an eye out for a whole, new www.hilaryharley.com!

If you are interested in learning about how you connect to creativity, I am once again teaching my “Creativity and Moon Cycles” class through Newton Community Education.  Class will be held on Wednesday, November 2, from 6:30-9:30 in Newton.  Please register at:  www.newtoncommunityed.org  Class details are under the “Mind, Body and Soul” course listings.

I’m also thrilled to announce that I’ve been asked to teach this same course “Creativity and Moon Cycles” at the annual astrology State of the Art (SOTA) conference in Buffalo, NY, November 10-13.   If you are in the area at this time, you will hear incredibly dynamic and forward thinking astrologers speak on myriad topics.  To register for the day or weekend, please visit:  www.donnavantoen.com