Between the Full Moon in Aries ruled by Mars and the New Moon in Libra ruled by Venus, Venus went retrograde in Scorpio on October the 3rd, again ruled by Mars. The upcoming New Moon in Libra on October the 1oth is in the 2nd Decan of Libra which brings in a Saturnian flavor. The good news is that Saturn is exalted in Libra.
The Justice Card represents the sign of Libra. She has the Sword in one hand and the scales in the other. It is symbolic of the consequences when we get too out of balance. Contrary to popular belief, Librans are not naturally balanced even though they rule the scales. They are learning balance through the experience of polarization. Saturn can be the restriction we need to help pull us into balance.
This Decan is symbolized by the 3 of Swords. Three Swords right through the heart. Ouch. Doesn't sound pleasant, does it? In T. Susan Change's 36 Secrets, she describes this Decan as:
Thoughts or conflicts taking shape. Another way to put this is: “a dawning realization”— “the thing you can’t un-know.” Sober outcomes arise in the Lord of Sorrow.
It reminds me of the theme of secrets being revealed this Venus Retrograde symbolizes. Perseverance, integrity and the drive to achieve are important attributes here.
The Human Design Chart
We are still in the Quarter of Duality, which is about our relationship with the other. The New Moon happens on the Cross of Penetration, an opportunity for perfected intuition if we learn to listen. This perfected listening is balanced by the spark of inspiration initiating the mind toward a plan.
We've been attempting to start a new cycle based on the imbalance that we see in ourselves or in our environment – the abundance of some vs. the scarcity of others, either tangibly or as a mindset. As we look toward the future we may be focusing on how to address these issues productively and at scale.
During this New Moon, the transits are connecting these channels for the entire collective: the Channel of The Brainwave, intuition in the now; the Channel of Initiation, where we find our competitive spirit; and the Channel of Recognition, a feeling focused energy on what we wish to happen. So this New Moon brings with it the power of intuition, the determination of the ego, and the emotional spirit.
The Nodes have just flipped into into line 5 of gates 30 and 29. This line involves themes around biting off more than we can chew and a feeling of irony that no matter which way we turn, the same fate awaits.
The New Moon in Libra is ruled by the Venus retrograde in Scorpio, now reviewing the 6th line of Gate 28. Gate 28 is about risk taking and the 6th line carries the theme of "going out with a blaze of glory". Venus entered this line during the Full Moon in Aries.
The Astrology Chart
Like the Full Moon chart located in Washington DC, the New Moon’s Asc-Desc is within minutes of the U.S. Sibley's Asc-Desc, but the New Moon brings the Sibley's intercepted 3rd-9th house axis to the 4th-10th house axis and at the critical last degrees of Virgo-Pisces. This suggests that there is a change coming to this administration and the change is motivated by our conflicts overseas.
The New Moon is sitting in the 10th house, further supporting this upcoming change. Venus, the New Moon's ruler is not in the best shape. We are reviewing all the themes I laid out in my Venus Retrograde video.
Venus is applying to a square to its ruler, a fiery Mars in Leo. This Decan of Leo, like the New Moon, has a Saturnian flavor that makes Mars a "pressure cooker". We are prompted to go inward, to look deep into our hearts. What are our values and do they align with what we see in the world, in our personal lives?
Questions you might ask yourself:
Are the people that surround me reflective of who I am or who I aspire to be?
Will they fight for me when push comes to shove?
What am I most passionate about?
Am I living my life according to that passion?
What dark secrets or old versions of myself do I need to let go of?
What relationships need to end?
What needs to die so something more sacred can be born?
What is truly life sustaining and worth fighting for?
It's fairly easy to see Venus' weak spot in this chart located in Washington D.C., as she represents the legislature and the government & armed services. Inflation, rising bond yield rates, higher borrowing costs, the Iran war: we are struggling and Congress is not currently functioning in the ways we need it to.
Mercury in Scorpio, is now separating from Venus after its conjunction on October the 7th. Mercury in Scorpio is deep and investigative, private, and in its shadow can be manipulative. Mercury rules the 10th and 7th house and it's quincunx the 7th house. There’s an adjustment that needs to be made between this administration (the 10th house) and our allies or known enemies (7th house).
Jupiter in Leo, the ruler of the 1st house (the nation's identity) sits between Mars and the South Node. Jupiter in Leo can be symbolic of monotheism or the belief in a Supreme Leader in the sky. Some people have a belief that this Supreme Leader plays favorites. This is what I was taught as a child brought up in the Evangelical Faith.
I never understood how God, this benign being, the one we call Father would play favorites like this. I can't imagine doing this to my own children. Plus, I saw that many religious sects felt the same way about their own version of the Supreme Leader. How could multiple groups think they are the "chosen" ones simultaneously? It made absolutely no sense to me.
This unhealthy ego driven type of thinking is the source of many wars. Both sides see their victory as proof that they are favored by God. They don't see that this is simply a cycle that plays out again and again. You are on one side of the wheel as the victor and the eventually you arrive on the other side of the wheel as the defeated.
I believe this is the crux of one of the 10 commandments, “Love Your Neighbor As Yourself”. Because the cycle of violence feeds upon itself. This is an old cycle, a cycle from our past (the south node), that is still very much alive in the world today.
On the other hand, Jupiter in Leo can give us a lot of courage to do impossible things. What may be coming up from your past that you can approach with more courage and open heartedness. The New Moon rules Jupiter and is applying in sextile.. There is an opportunity for all of us to open our hearts and approach our life and our relationships with more courage. Libra's scales invite us to balance our needs with another's needs. How do we find compromise? How do we learn to love the other as much as ourselves?
Watch my New Moon Video with additional transit information and a peak at Vladimir Putin and Peter Thiel’s chart, each celebrating birthdays leading up to and on this New Moon:
New Moon in Libra Video: Overreach