Mercury into Libra | the dance of civility and finding common ground

waiting for a partner by panosozi

Mercury has been in Virgo for more than two months. Much of this time he was retrograde or walking degrees he would walk when retrograde (he moves forward, he stops - from our perspective on Earth - he moves backward, then he stops, he moves forward over those same steps until he reaches the degree where he stopped the first time then he is said to be 'out of his shadow' period). Mercury rules Virgo and is very strong here.

Our conversations, ideas and communications have been picked through quite thoroughly by now. We all know where we stand, and where everyone else does. We are tired of talking/bickering about this stuff and are probably craving more pleasant and civil interactions. I know I am! I have mostly been avoiding social media for weeks.

(the VP debate is a perfect example of how the person who appears the most 'polite' and 'in balance' right now - Libra Sun, Libra Jupiter and Mercury moving in - will win the day - heads up, the 3rd Presidential debate on October 19th should be interesting because Uranus is ruling that day so anything can happen)

After today, Mercury moves out of the shadow degrees of his retrograde - he finally starts covering new ground! This is big news. If something got shelved or morphed around August 10th it could come back to life now, in a new way, or morph again.

Right after he moves out of his shadow, Mercury moves into Libra. We move forward from here.  

Now we have Mars square Jupiter - so we are not going to have it all figured out (and we never will!). We don't have to push that hard. Mars is in Capricorn and wants to reach the top of the mountain and because he is Mars he wants to do it yesterday. Jupiter is in Libra and wants to chill out a little, check out all the angles, figure out how other people figure into the mix - he has recently moved into Libra for a long stay and is just getting himself acclimated here.

This weekend there is alot of Capricorn - the Moon (emotions), Pluto (karma, fate), Mars (action, initiative, anger) with Venus (desire, love, women) sextiling - stuff will be serious.

There will also be a lot of Libra (Sun, Jupiter, Mercury) - Libra rules balance, justice, love, money, women. Being the sign of fairness she sees everyone's side and so it is hard to make a decision here. And because this is the way life works we will often be faced with a decision at exactly the time all this energy makes decision-making hard!

With all the grounded Capricorn and airy Libra - the ways we are out of balance could show up. If we have grown too one-sided in Virgo, a person or situation could show up now to allow us to see both sides of a situation. Relationships are still being reset. New things are just getting started - some in the dark and behind the scenes!

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn (father time) - there isn't really the rush here Mars has some of us feeling. We might feel like we are late or behind schedule (has anyone ever met a prompt Libra unless they have some very strong Scorpio, etc). Libra season with heavy Capricorn means if we make a rush decision we will then have to weigh it out afterwards (we will not be allowed to skip the weighing it out step) we will probably be stuck with the thing we have chosen for a long time - which could be a good thing or not, that isn't shown here. It might be better to weigh things out first. Gather information. Make plans.

When Mercury gets into Scorpio (next month) commitments will be sealed - for now we get engaged, we take some action, we get balls rolling, we weigh everything as we go forward- we will more naturally move into balance through Libran niceties - things are going to really speed up though!

OK back to Mercury into Libra!

On Friday, Mercury (after being holed up in Virgo analyzing the hell out of everything for two months) moves into Libra.

Mercury is not super strong in Libra because Mercury is fast and rules our intellect and Libra is slow and rules balance and justice. She weighs all sides of an issue before taking any action - the reason for the indecision she is so widely known for. There will maybe be some superficial chitchat and passive aggressive stuff while Mercury is in Libra, too. That's all to be expected.

The good news though is that none of this can happen without other people - Mercury in Libra is all about social interactions. Virgo doesn't need other people to analyze, but Libra can't achieve balance without them!

(the Libra house of our natal chart is where we need balance most of all - with fast moving Mercury moving in this house will wake up now)

So, to be successful our words are more polite now. We need to listen. If we want our communications to hit their target we need to make the other person feel listened to. 

Conversations become kind of a dance here. We wouldn't tear off our dance partner's trousers and leave them standing there with hands covering their under shorts and last shreds of their dignity.

We wouldn't tell them they are a crappy dancer even when they step on our toes and smudge the tops of our favorite shoes. 

A type of kindness and civility prevails on the dance floor. We smile. We talk about the things everyone can agree on. 

With the floor spinning beneath our feet we still manage to find common ground.

That is the energy that moves communications, ideas and conversations forward now. 

We'll go deep next month in Scorpio, for now - let's dance!

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 3rd - a commitment to that new thing or what needs to happen to make space for it

commitment by smashed into you

"One of the strangest things about life is that it will chug on, blind and oblivious, even as your private world - your little carved-out sphere - is twisting and morphing, even breaking apart. One day you have parents; the next day you're an orphan. One day you have a place and a path. The next day you're lost in the wilderness. And still the sun rises and clouds mass and drift and people shop for groceries and toilets flush and blinds go up and down. That's when you realize that most of it - life, the relentless mechanism of existing - isn't about you. It doesn't include you at all. It will thrust onward even after you've jumped the edge."- Lauren Oliver

OK, we have the New Moon energy from last weekend pushing us forward into our next chapter where we will work with and through relationships (through October 2017).

Lone wolfs will find their flock (yes, I realize wolves and birds might be a precarious flock, but life can be precarious sometimes) and people who 'love/need to be around other people' will learn to pick and choose who they work and play with, probably through overwhelm, as Jupiter enlarges this sphere of our lives. We will also work with the concepts of balance and fairness in our individual stories and in the collective world. Buckle up buttercup!

On Monday, the Moon is in Scorpio. Our emotions can be extreme with whatever is happening. This is a good time to go deeper with our creative work. Deep conversations will bring us closer to others. If something needs to be said and you need to be the one to say it, this might be a good day (always with the utmost compassion) because when Scorpio cuts, it's deep. Read yesterday's post about saying something supportive, and conversation starting, without giving unsolicited advice. There can be new beginnings to old, toxic situations now. It's a day to go deep with love, income, women, beauty, art, spirituality, research, people, situations and things that have been 'put away' and our escape mechanisms.

On Tuesday, that same Scorpio Moon connects with Mercury (about to exit Virgo) so we hear news about whatever we were dealing with on Monday. The Sun (in Libra) connects us with Saturn (in Sagittarius) so we are dealing with a commitment to some relationship. It could be an equal partner kind of thing or something involving a Sagittarius theme (or our Sagittarius natal house theme) ie publishing, higher education, travel, something/someone at a distance or foreign, weddings, legal, political stuff, etc.

On Wednesday, (a good decision day) the Moon moves into Sagittarius and connects with Jupiter (in Libra) in an alignment of opportunity with the Sagittarius themes listed on Tuesday (or our Sagittarius natal house themes) and our partnerships. Mars (in Capricorn) squares Jupiter (in Libra) - the tension here will focus us on our ambitions. Confidence encourages success. Remember with all this Libra we need to be taking other people, balance and fairness into consideration here. The same old heartless ambition without cooperation isn't going to cut it for long.

On Thursday, Saturn (time, commitment, hard work) reminds us of what it is we are willing to work for. That Libra/Sagittarius situation (see all the house buzzwords I have used earlier in the week) is moving forward. Mercury finishes his shadow period - the degrees he walked 3 times in our Virgo houses - that chapter is finished!

On Friday, Mercury moves into Libra - so now we have the Sun, Jupiter and Mercury here. Balanced and diplomatic words and conversations have the best effect. But the shadow is we bend too far in compromise or sacrifice. Watch for that. It will throw this train off the track before we even get it out of the station. This can also bring new people into the mix. I will do a full post about this later in the week!

Also on Friday, Pluto (in Capricorn) squares the Sun (in Libra). This can be a power struggle or confrontation of egos. A light (the Sun) will shine on power (Pluto) - will we like what we see? The wise or unwise use of power will be spotlighted both in our personal lives and in the collective.

With Mercury freshly in Libra at the time of this square - a conversation could be challenging. There could be jealousy or obsession here or maybe an ambitious struggle. Keep things above board and honest. The Moon is headed into Capricorn for the weekend which means stuff will be serious and our work might carry into our playtime hours. Also on Saturday, Saturn squares the North and South Nodes of our collective fate. There is some tension blocking our way forward or making it difficult to release something that needs to go. If there is some Saturnian responsibility (think strict father energy here) we have ignored or are ignoring it could come up now.

The only Void Moon during work hours is Friday after 4:45pm EST.

xo all

Venus trine Neptune | Mercury opposing Chiron - acceptance of what will never be enough

compassion by renato54

We have Venus (in Scorpio) trine (brakes off) Neptune (in Pisces). This is a good time to reach out to someone with compassion and a good time to offer compassion to ourselves. This is sacred union energy and coming with a Libra Sun and Moon even more powerful!

The shadow of Venus in Scorpio is she is never satisfied. There is always more to be had. There is never enough. The space where we are never sated, where our cup is never full, is the red flag for us now. This is the energy that wants healing (this is the healing that will save the world).

The unsatisfied feeling is our way in.

The highest vibration of Venus in Scorpio is the healed warrior. Scorpio is considered a space where Venus is in her 'detriment' but that is a consideration that comes from patriarchy.

She just won't be controlled here. She won't be told what to do.

So, instead of us feeling threatened by this energy - there is a respect for the mystery.

What were once shameful secrets are seen as survival instincts. What was once jealousy is seen as fear that there is not enough for us (again a survival instinct ready to be dissolved) .. or the knowledge that enough is never enough.

This is also an excellent time to use our intuition and imagination. We are in the New Moon energy now and Venus trine Neptune enhances this in magical ways! What do we want to create? How do we want to connect?

We have Mercury (in Virgo) opposing Chiron (in Pisces). Mercury is our communication and our thought processes (also our dealing with siblings and neighbors). In Virgo, he likes to nitpick over the details and zeros in on mistakes. Chiron is our sacred woundedness that cannot be healed. In Pisces, he connects us to others who share the same wounding.

With them at cross purposes today probably the less that is said the better. Telling someone what we think they are doing wrong (Virgo will want to zero in on the problem), will not be as helpful as just being there and offering compassion.

Simply saying to a friend going through a hard time, "this must be so hard" will work more magic than offering up solutions.

xo all - have a nice weekend - it's our monthly affirmation time, don't miss it!

p.s. someone asked me yesterday why I didn't mention that yesterday's Moon was a Black Moon. A Black Moon is what they call a New Moon that happens twice in the same month. I'm not sure why they call it this - all New Moons are black. I'll have to Google it. This wasn't the second New Moon in Libra though - our New Moon in the beginning of September was in Virgo, so astrologically speaking this Moon wasn't a second New Moon of the sun cycle, so no biggie in that sense - it's still a wonderful New Moon though and I'm sure our ancestors would have thrown a couple extra goats on the pyre just to be safe! :)

New Moon in Libra | growth through grace - affirmation time!

recent excitements by kerem seker

The Moon conjuncts the Sun tonight at 8 degrees in balanced and beautiful Libra!

This closes out a very long and challenging Eclipse cycle.

This is a nice fresh start - particularly for our relationships. After weeks of drama and months of backtracking we finally have a New Moon with a bit less baggage.

With both the Sun and Moon conjunct Jupiter now - there is optimism and no small amount of 'expansion potential' attached to this one.

This would be a great time to study something new or to publish something. It would be a great time to travel somewhere or connect with someone new at a distance.

It would be a great time to get married (don't just grab some random guy and head to Vegas, of course, because you will probably be stuck with him for a long time).

It's an excellent time to take something, especially something that puts us in relationship with others, to the next level.

If you have been waiting for an "all systems go" you can stop waiting!

(and remember, if it felt like someone just yelled "ready or not here I come" and you aren't ready when I said this - you just need to take a step in a direction you want to go, you don't have to run off and join the circus this weekend)

Mars is in Capricorn and it is good to have him back on solid ground, even if he is not the most happy camper at a New Moon in Libra. He wants faster and bigger decisions than Libra likes to make, since Libra takes into consideration both sides and other people. His energy will be helpful now if an important or quick decision is needed.

Decisions can be challenging during Libra season. That doesn't mean we get to take a pass and not make them though (if we can comfortably wait until Mercury is out of shadow, we can go ahead and wait a week, but there is probably nothing to be gained by waiting). We can use this energy or it can use us. We can use the Sun and Moon in Libra to weigh decisions and take other people into consideration emotionally and we can use Mars in Capricorn to choose what is best for us and move forward decisively. Or the energy can use us - we can feel like we must do something but be unable to decide what to do. If that happens we can still use that North Node Virgo to do what is right in front of us.

After months of Saturn square Neptune putting up road blocks, this Moon has a nice sextile to Saturn promising advancement and recognition for hard work and stability and longevity for projects/relationships started now.

After all the self improvement projects we waded through in Virgo, Libra is the time we bring other people into the mix. We compromise. We negotiate. We collaborate. We make alliances. We make commitments. 

With the Sun and Moon squaring a studious and ambitious Capricornian Mars there is some work ahead, a need to be responsible and a need to dress the part.

There could be something now about justice or about being judged or maybe we need to pass a final judgement on something we have been back and forth with or maybe a judgement needs to be released.

The downside - there is always the potential with Jupiter so close-by to go over-board; to think something is bigger or better than it is. Keep this in mind. If something happens that brings the word 'over' into your head or to your ears or draws it from your own lips then pay attention.

(for example if you start thinking you mustn't over-promise, or over-do it, or over-spend, or over-commit - you probably shouldn't - dial it back a bit)

Also don't start something just to start some thing, if you know what I mean. You'll just end up not finishing and feel like you missed out or screwed up.

Today, we have this need for a fresh start that will give us more balance (more beauty, more love - think Venus ruled Libra here) in some area of our life and it is interacting with other people's fresh starts, too.

This Moon opens up all kinds of new opportunities involving  partners - both romantic and business, agents, clients, specialists and competitors - think "equals" over the next couple weeks. Who/what do we want to partner with?

It is also excellent re-balancing energy. What house holds 6-10 degrees Libra in our natal chart? This is our annual opportunity to restore balance, peace and harmony here. Also keep in mind that to stay in balance with something new coming in, something already in might have to go. Hasta la vista baby.

Libra's ruler Venus (in Scorpio) will trine (brakes off) a retrograde Neptune in Pisces. Maybe some dream really can come true.

Now a New Moon is only a first step, a step taken in the dark, but there is real potential here for something to grow from this one over the next six months, so don't miss it. Set your intentions (within the next 2 days) and take some new action (within the next 2 weeks).

Libra is ruled by Venus. She is the ethereal force of love, attraction, kindred spirits, beauty and our aesthetic sensitivity.

(the opposite of aesthetic is anesthetic - there's a reason all our senses spring to life in autumn and spring - she also rules Taurus!)

She brings things and us into relationship.

(it was during the Libra Sun that our ancestors, finished with Virgo's harvest, settled back into their homes and local communities - back into balance with each other)

Venus attracts. The stuff we are attracted to are vital clues to our job here on planet Earth.

Libra rules marriage, negotiations, teamwork, harmony, sociability and diplomacy. It is an excellent time to have the best energetic support for new beginnings in these areas. Since the New Moon is late tonight and I like to wait a couple days to see what comes up for me to work with and give the Moon a little time to grow - I am going to do this on Sunday night.

MONTHLY AFFIRMATION TIPS:

Get grounded - we have moved from an earth sign into air so this is important - always make affirmations from a  positive place (positive meaning certain).

It is a good idea, since the New Moon is literally a blank sheet, to work in a clean, uncluttered space and maybe right after a bath or shower. Definitely when you are alone.

We are planting seeds in the dark here - think about the ultimate seed in the dark planting - making a baby. What would you do then? Do that (yes, maybe even that, Venus is in Scorpio it can't hurt - ha!)

I find affirmations are most effective if I speak less on New Moon days so my words will hold more weight when I need them to. I usually burn a white candle to help me focus and thin the veils between me and me. It also helps to channel ancestral energy a bit since I am always thinking as I move my story forward, their story moves forward with me.

Write your affirmations down by hand in cursive, we want the letters all connecting and flowing together. Speak the words out loud. 

I used to write my affirmations on strips of paper and put them into a bowl of rice so I could mix them around every now and then with my fingers if things got stagnant. Last year I decided to burn them. I have written them on rocks and buried them.

This month, I'm doing something I did a few weeks ago to line up with a specific thing that happened pretty effortlessly afterward -

I'm going to write my affirmations

(astrologer Jan Spiller recommends writing 10, but I have found myself stretching to do that or writing the same things every month which feels silly, so I have worked my way down to 3 which feels like a powerful number to me)

on my chalkboard while burning a white candle - when the candle burns out, all by itself - don't burn your house down - I erase the words first and then clean the blackboard with water.

Some people store them until the corresponding Full Moon (in this case during Aries season) and burn them then. Do what feels right.

I don't think it's terribly important what we do with our writings as long as we are not pulling them out and checking on them all the time. Setting intentions is like baking a cake - checking on how things are going just slows things down.

We are not handing a honey do list to the universe! We are lining up with the universal energies of creation here.

And I wouldn't be sharing them with other people, which also feels like it dilutes the process or pulls them into our story. I was writing them on my blog for a few months, as examples for people, and that definitely wasn't helpful.

Then - and this is the important part - release your attention from your words knowing your intention is known. 

Know these things are already yours. xo all