We barely step foot into October when Messenger Mercury turns retrograde motion on Saturday the 4th. The last week of September we already felt the effects of communications snafus, slower-than-usual responses, technical glitches. And travel, yes indeed, travel mishaps are occurring too such as the recent Chicago airport debacle which continues to set back airlines. Since Mercury is in retrograde motion for most this month, please Remember all of the Re words: review, restore, relax, read, renew, etc.
October usually brings a focus on all things Libra with the Sun directing our will in this sign of the scales. Balance. This year with the lunar North Node cycling through Libra, October pulls our focus that much stronger toward these arenas: relationships, art, peace, beauty, diplomacy, harmony, negotiation. In short: getting along. Come on people now, smile on your brother…
Years, perhaps centuries, in the making, Arab countries divided along Sunni and Shiite lines are now drawn into a common alliance along with really strange bedfellows: Iran and the United States, to destroy a common enemy, ISIL. Such is the effect of Libra. With Messenger Mercury gradually backing into a tight formation with the lunar North Node for the balance of October, we are individually and collectively invited to turn negative emotions into healing energy, find the positive balance in the equation by releasing anger, resentment, guilt, or other feelings that do not serve you, your neighbor, or loved ones. Helping, perhaps forcing, out the negative vibrations is Radical Uranus as it conjoins the lunar South Node in Aries. This forms the point of polarity to the Libra North Node and a powerful one at that. With intention, you can harness its strength to shed whatever holds you back.
Softer but equally agile support also comes to our aid when Venus, ruler of Libra and planet of love and money, conjoins the Sun, our Will, for most of October. At its best in its home sign Libra, Venus fosters peace and tranquility to open the way for dialogue and eventually understanding. The Beatle’s John Lennon was a Libra. His song Imagine paints images of peace, understanding, getting along…
Imagine all the people, living life in peace…
Libra is the sign of the artist. As John Lennon or any artist will tell you, the hardest part of their job is objectivity. To stand back at a distance from their creation, separate yourself emotionally and evaluate, weigh (think Libra scales) our work, our lives, our families, our contribution and effect on all of it. Emotional detachment is where Libra shines. Detaching doesn’t mean you do not care. Libra cares passionately. So much so it is willing to let go if need be so that the creation, situation, other person may find a life of its own, pursue the life, meaning and purpose, it is meant to have. Now that is maturity.
Therein lies the trap for Libra: peace at any price. The willingness to sacrifice their own happiness so the other may do as they please. So as the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the North Node all converge in Libra this month, a word of caution. All of the weighing, evaluating and consideration leads to a great deal of fence-sitting. Inevitably, we are called to make a decision. To choose. Sitting up there on that fence post looking at how green the grass is on either side, Libra can hesitate interminably from making up its mind. Choose we must though. How to proceed, get on in our world.
First, a tall dose of patience is in order. The time to act, make a decision, choose, will arrive soon enough. And if ever there was an October to harness Libra’s talent to weigh and evaluate, this month is it. Because until the last week of October (after the 25th) there is a cosmic mine field to navigate. In our harried and hurried 24-7, 365 world, we are now offered a chance to slow down. Take a nice, long, thorough and objective look, to study of all the facts, impacts, details swirling around us. If you can hold off, continue to weigh decisions and choices, delay signing contracts until the last week of the month, do it. Here’s the celestial scoop why:
On the 4th, not only does Mercury turn retrograde but the Sun directly challenges both transformer Pluto and the radical Uranus/South Node pair. With all but Mercury in cardinal or catalytic signs, you may very well feel forced, blasted, to act or choose. Libra (Sun-Venus-North Node), Capricorn (Pluto) and Uranus-South Node (Aries) do not like to sit still. Only days after this stressful configuration, the first of two eclipses occurs on Wednesday, October 8th, a total full moon lunar eclipse. As a reminder, eclipses serve as markers of time, opportunity and chapters of our lives. Since the Moon is wedged tightly between unpredictable Uranus and the South node opposite the Sun-North Node, any Cancer the Crab concerns strongly come into play. Look for shifts in relationships regarding family matters, children, parents, siblings, or house/home, food/cooking, family property, inheritance issues. These may be sudden, abrupt or catch you off guard.
Again, under Mercury’s retrograde motion, if you can review these sectors rather than acting immediately, think about and process information, time really is on your side this month. This lunar eclipse has significantly helpful aspects. Both Mars and Jupiter form incredibly beneficial angles to the Uranus-Moon-South Node, known as a grand fire trine. If an eclipse could be called creative, this one is it. With Uranus-Moon in the mix, breakthroughs will occur. These include but are not limited to emotional and family relationship breakthroughs. Ideas in science and art POP. Puzzles solve. Think, believe: Creativity unleashed. Channel and release it! Mercury and Neptune also align beautifully bringing clarity and pristine insights. This eclipse has enormous Eureka! potential. How exciting.
So dive right in as Motivating Mars in Sagittarius pushes us out of our comfort zones to educate ourselves, expand, broaden and stretch our horizons; take a philosophical approach. Meanwhile Jupiter in playful Leo suggests trying different and alternative angles to same-old-same-old situations. Allow opportunity. Walk through doors, chances opening up to you. Try different flavors and methods. Step out of yourself. Hear the rah-rah-rah cheerleader of the grand fire trine, its infectious enthusiasm enticing us to make play out of our work, to have fun. You can do this. Yes you can! Rah-Rah-Rah! Fun and play go hand in glove with the vibe of Mercury retrograde: Re-lax. All that artful Libra energy encourages us to stroll through a gallery and see what current artists are creating. Invite the new to inspire your world. This is an excellent time to take a vacation if you already have one scheduled, OR, to plan a stellar get away in the future. Make like Mercury Retrograde and Re-search. Do your homework. Design the ultimate itinerary. After October 25th, go ahead and purchase the tickets.
Partaking in research, relaxation and restoration/renewal is about as active as we’ll want to be around mid-month. Yes, life must go on, with work to be done and bills to be paid. But the window between eclipses is, let’s just say, a notoriously infamous dead zone. The giant black hole of cosmic activity where energy spent, tasks to accomplish, etc, fall into an endless, irretrievable void. With Mercury now backing into Libra for the rest of October, slowly pairing with the North Node, Sun and Venus, weigh, evaluate, objectively study decisions and choices to be made. Libra is about justice, equilibrium, what is fair. In mid-October, consider: are you receiving a fair shake? Getting your fair lot in life? Are you treating others fairly? Giving them the benefit of the doubt?
As decision time draws nigh, remember, there really is no wrong decision. When deciding, be sure to take yourself into account. Libra is famous for extreme people pleasing; thinking of the other, the “I like it if you like it” mentality. Just remember to factor you into any decision. How will you feel with the end result? As Katharine Hepburn said, “If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.” So go ahead. Choose. Without regret. You will follow the path you are meant to walk, take the journey you are meant to travel. When your decision is rooted in love and compassion, for yourself as much as others, you can’t go awry. Hear that brotherly love echo of John Lennon…?
Imagine all the people, sharing all the world…
Then, on the 23rd, the veil lifts. Like fireworks going off one after another, planetary shifts mark the time for action, kicked off by the New Moon solar eclipse in Libra on the 23rd. Rev your engine. Prepare to strike, launch, make your move. The eclipse is very tightly bound with Messenger Mercury as it pauses about to turn direct motion on the 25th. Its strength, speed and energy are strong. Voices will be heard loud and clear now. The people, politicians, our partners make themselves known. With its highly helpful angle to Jupiter in unabashed Leo, expect large, loud and proud announcements. Another voice heard from…Voices from the peanut gallery, those previously too shy to step into the spotlight now unashamedly claim their own, their right, their just due.
If you have overstepped your bounds, stepped on toes, OR, have been stepped on, over, infringed upon in some way, the Libra scales ensure what has been unaligned, out of alignment, or mal-aligned is now corrected and evened out. The score is settled. The slate cleaned. Justice meted out and served. Think: the NFL domestic violence issue… Especially with Saturn making is final passage through heavyweight Scorpio, this time is not for the faint of heart or those looking to hide. By the end of 2014, Saturn in Scorpio gets to the heart of the matter, righting karmic wrongs once and for all. There is no more evasion or avoidance.
When Sun and Venus join Saturn in Scorpio on the 23rd, we will feel the sting. Only days later, Motivating Mars enters pragmatic Capricorn on the 26th. Here Mars drives the point home: without integrity and honor, what else do you have? Act responsibly, do the right thing, live honestly and honorably, says Mars (and Pluto) in Capricorn. For without integrity and honor, our reputation, our lives, mean a whole lot less.