Libra, as symbolized by the scales, is generally associated with balance. In fact, in French, the sign is called Balance. And, as we know, Libra starts at the autumnal equinox: when day and night are roughly equal in length.
In my opinion, Libra is more about balancing. Libra is Cardinal Air, and is active.
We often think of balance with a set-it-and-forget-it mindset—sort of like placing a ketchup bottle on its top. But notice that this form of balance is unstable. The slightest nudge will knock the bottle over.
A pendulum is also in a state of balance—a fluid state of oscillation.
But let’s get back to the actual symbol of Libra: the scales. Imagine that your job is to maintain balance in the scales, but also image that the Universe is constantly adding and subtracting objects from the other side. This is the way life works, yes?
So, in general, Libra, according to me, is about balancing…the constant task of adjusting to what life throws our way. This year, I think Libra will be about rebalancing. And if the Libra new moon chart for Austin has anything to say on the subject, the rebalancing must start at home.
Before I dive into the chart, I want to give you some spoilers. The full moon in Aries, which occurs in about 2 weeks (on 8 Oct), is a lunar eclipse. And, that eclipse comes just 4 days after Mercury turns retrograde.
Mercury is what adds ‘re’ to the front of a word. Since most of Mercury Retrograde occurs while the sun transits Libra, we thus get tasked with rebalancing. But the task was already there! Mercury is just going to put it in motion.
The taskmaster, as I see it, is the North Node, which entered Libra some time ago (18 Feb 2014). It will remain in Libra until November 2015. The North Node has gravity and pulls us forward. It, of course, is counter-balanced by the South Node, which holds all of our past within it.
Looking at the new moon chart for Austin, we see that the sun and moon meet at 1 Libra 08. That’s pretty early in the sign! [Next month, they will meet at 0 Scorpio 25 and the following month, even earlier in Sadge.] This means our lunar and solar months are synchronized for a few iterations. [This also means we’ll have two new moons in Sagittarius. I’ll have to look into that later…]
The new moon not only sits at the beginning of Libra, but also sits at the beginning of the 4th house…hence the ‘rebalancing at home’. Furthermore, Cancer, the sign of home, sits on the ascendant.
Notice that Pluto sits almost exactly on the descendant. Mars, in early Sadge and late in the 5th house, is applying sextile to Pluto. Transformation is staring us in the face from across the way. Our work is cut out for us…or nearly so.
And what does that work entail? For that, we want to look at Jupiter, Uranus, and the South Node. The South Node, which is always retrograde, is applying conjunct toward Uranus in the 10th house. From the time of the new moon, the next aspect will be Jupiter Trine Uranus, which occurs a day and a half later. [And just before the new moon, Jupiter will inconjuct Chiron.]
So Jupiter, in our values house, learns something new about healing (helping others I assume), and then asks us to apply that knowledge in a clever way for the good of others. In a sense, we are asked to think global and act local. Uranus and the South Node are in Aries. This makes the story personal. But they are in the 10th house, which pushes the effects of our actions outward.
The message is this: we each have something to add, which is helpful. We don’t need to do it all, and we don’t need to do what is not ours to do. But we do have something to contribute—and the choice is ours to do or not do.
Furthermore, I see reflection, which is oh, so apropos for Libra. Normally, a wise one would say: to change the world, change yourself. However, this month, I think our actions really do need to be outward. By setting out to rebalance our surroundings (starting at home, and then expanding outward), we will then find ourselves changed!
Starting with Libra, we enter the more social side of the Zodiac. The last few signs shift the focus from inside to outside, from self-development to social-evolution. Sometimes the ‘work’ of improving one’s self gets overwhelming or even self-defeating. When that happens, we have to rebalance our focus.
I do want to leave you with a thought that popped in before I started this post. Often, one considers compromise as a means of rebalancing. When you find yourself considering that word, I suggest looking to another: temperance. Can you feel the difference between compromising and tempering? The outward actions might be just the same, but the sentiment is different.
When Mercury Retro makes you clean out an old closet and asks you to redo something in there, before you resist or concede compromise, temper yourself. Bring your thoughts and emotions in line…into a line…and thus connected. When you find the connection between your current thoughts and emotions and something that came before…you can gain understanding. Through understanding, you can better decide when to hold your ground, and when to let go. You’re not negotiating with the Universe this way, you are listening and harmonizing.
Another thought I want to leave you with: recent news contained a lot of unbalance. We had stories of police brutality, athletes abusing their spouses and children, and war, war, war. Did the male forces suddenly get totally amped up? Or are we just now seeing more of what was already there?
The autumnal equinox passes through equality and brings on the seasons where darkness prevails. This is not dark as in evil, but a process of yin. By tempering the light, we prepare for the next cycle of growth.
Venus rules Libra, which opposes Aries: a sign ruled by Mars. If we perceive that something is amiss, now is the time to gently adjust the scales. Venus does not fight fire with fire. In fact, no two fire signs oppose each other in the Zodiac. (There is a message there!)
Balancing is an art. Less is more. As my father used to say, “Do it gingerly!”
A Fool's Inclination 