Pluto stations direct | October 6th, 2021 - power, intensity, here is the death that was postponed, here is the transformation the dying has brought us, who are we now

 

 

Pluto stationed retrograde back on April 27, 2021 at 26 degrees Capricorn and started (from our perspective on Earth) moving backward.

 

Today, the Lord of the Underworld, stations direct at 24 degrees Capricorn. He will get all the way to 28 degrees Capricorn by April 29, 2022 when he will station retrograde and then move back to 26 degrees Cappy. 

 

So, 24-25 degrees start their final pass right now. People with planets/points in Capricorn (and the other cardinal signs - Aries, Cancer and Libra by squares and oppositions) nearest these degrees might feel this movement strongest.

(Facebook launched in 2004 with a natal 26 degree Capricorn Mercury (ruler of everyday tech, communication) went dark a couple days ago, as Pluto slowed to station and transiting Mercury, had just stationed at 25 degrees Libra - squaring Facebook's natal Mercury. They had a bunch of other things going on and we had Mercury inconjunct Neptune created confusion about what/why the blackout happened. Mars is combust in Libra, too, the sign of 'social'. Eris is squaring Pluto and Facebook had a whistleblower speaking out at about the same time. I do think there is more here than meets the eye, the whistleblower story, yes, but also either internal manipulations, maybe a data dump, and/or external pressure, not just the congressional hearings, to limit Facebook's power and probably our own)

Pluto is an outer planet, our most outer, arguably the strongest. Can we beat Earthly death? Well, we can maybe beat it back a bit, surely, but entirely? Of course not.

Since April something in our life has died/transformed/the truth been exposed. Now, as we prepare to pass over these mega-important Cappy degrees one final time in our lifetimes through 'death' we want to be stepping toward something more empowering and away from what was keeping us stuck/invested in what someone else owns/controls. 

 

Through the truth that has come (or will come) out AND from allowing (and we probably had no choice) something to end/die/transform WE are transformed/being transformed/made more powerful (even if it looks like we have lost our power, are standing in a wasteland - trust me, we are being made more authentically powerful - there are power/resources that can only come to us through death/what we lose).

Maybe what we feared would happen, has happened or is happening. 

Keep in mind now, we are not the same people who lived through these Cappy degrees in the past. 

 

We can bow to the grief or rise from the ashes. 

 

With a stellium of planets in Libra and a powerful New Moon as Pluto stations direct - we are right on schedule to change/transform the way we do relationships/give ourselves balance/fairness and peace.

 

In fact, life is demanding it of us. This is Cappy so our next move will always be mature/practical. 

Keep in mind - Mercury is still retrograde, Mars is blown out by the Sun and in detriment. We are in a space where we want to be NOT AFRAID of conflict, but allowing cooperation/diplomacy/civility to HANDLE IT. 

 

We are letting go of the idea that life is hard and we have to fight to survive or need someone else's authority/protection. Or we are clinging to these ideas with our shriveled up, old lady fingers. This is up to us.

 

Venus is about to move into Sagittarius and cross the South Node - we are letting go of limiting beliefs. Boldness/a need for adventure will allow us to see things we hadn't seen before. Consider new options.

If something ends now, know the ending is creating the space to be filled, by us, with SELF EMPOWERMENT. An old space/identity has been outgrown. Clarity about all this is coming and we are making much of this up as we go along as always.

 

Keep a cool head. Keep moving forward. 

 

Take a breath. Work the New Moon - avoid Libra's shadow of people pleasing/bending over backward to keep the peace. Stand up for yourself without being an assh*le. Big girl/boy pants on. 

 

The world is moving from surviving to thriving, but we have had so many lifetimes barely surviving we all think we are dying! 

 

Ask yourself - who am I now and how do my relationships/the way I relate to other people - need to change as a result of the changes within me?

 

Set your New Moon intentions:

 

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 both certain and light-hearted/happy). 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. 

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. 

This month, I'm writing mine on my chalkboard while burning a white candle - when the candle burns out, all by itself, then 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. 

 
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, although this is Libra so there might be exceptions to this, 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

artwork by the amazing ZHANG Jingying

the astrology of the New Moon in Libra | October 6th, 2021 - the stuff that won't stay stuffed, what's worth defending, power struggles, relationship imbalances, something begins with a bang, keep a cool head

 

On Wednesday, October 6th at 7:05AM EDT, the Libra Moon meets the Libra Sun at 13 degrees giving us this month's New Moon - our annual New Moon in Libra. 

 

We look to our natal Libra house (13 degrees) for the kind of theme we will be working with personally. Then we consider the general Libra themes (relationship, partnership, balance, justice, women, beauty), our natal relationship with Venus (and Mars for this one), and we look at the event chart for the time of the New Moon, to see how this all might play out.

 

Happening with a stellium (group) of planets in relationship-focused Libra including Mars (EXACT with the Sun and Moon), as the Sun and Mercury and Mars get closer and closer and as Libra's ruler Venus prepares to leave Scorpio for Sagittarius and cross the South Node and just hours before Pluto (co-ruler of Scorpio) stations direct after a six month retrograde - makes this an uber POTENT fresh start.

 

Libra New Moons are about new ways to partner/new people/new connections/new situations. New LOVE - not the deep kind necessarily (although it could be), but the social kind that gets us invited to coffee and walks in the park. New peace and harmony. New negotiations. What is fair now? What is balanced now? What does justice look like now? This is a cardinal energy - something is going to START.

Let's take a look at this specific New Moon - let's unpack the chart!

 

The Moon/Sun are EXACT, conjunct with Mars and tightly conjunct asteroid Karma. They oppose hurting/healing Chiron and trine Ceres. The Moon/Sun form the apex of a Finger of God formation with Uranus/Chiron as the base. Venus, the ruler of Libra and so the ruler of this lunation, sits uncomfortably at the end of Scorpio, opposed by Sedna and answering to Mars and Pluto. Mars is in Libra answering to Venus and Pluto is retrograde, strong and still at station and preparing to begin moving forward within hours. Pluto is in Saturn's sign, Capricorn, and Saturn is also strong and still at station and preparing to move forward within days. 

The New Moon's conjunction with a challenged Mars, not able to be his fiery Martian self in Libra, the sign of his detriment (his opposing sign as the ruler of Aries) brings some challenges.

 

The good news for Mars is he is in a mutual reception with Venus (for just a little while longer), since Venus is in his other sign - Scorpio. So Mars can access Scorpio, but has to go through Venus (women, balance, civility, diplomacy, beauty) to get there. AND Venus is in Scorpio so can access Libra, but has to go through Mars (men, passion, action, anger). Likely there is an elephant in the room we are trying to avoid dealing with and that ain't gonna work. Cue potential passive-aggressive madness. 

This Mars conjunction brings passion/fire/impulsivity, maybe anger to whatever is starting. And keep in mind something is always initiated at the New Moon.  Mars likes to push, but this pushing can come out all passive-aggressive sideways in Libra, so we need to be on our toes here. The feeling that we have to do this NOW can be strong. Mars position tells us action on our part (maybe connected to our identity or the need to defend something of value) IS required. 

 

We'll get back to Mars.

 

The New Moon is opposing Chiron. This aspect is separating, so the wounding/painful trigger - whatever is inspiring the New Moon event - is in our past. Chiron is also retrograde so this trigger will actually have its roots in a much older situation we may or may not remember.

The New Moon is trining Ceres (preparing to turn retrograde in a  couple days). Trines speak of free-moving energy/obstacles removed. In Gemini, Ceres speaks of smart nurturing. Giving people options. She isn't all cuddly here, so we won't need to be either. Nurturing is expressed through learning and then acting on what we have learned. Gemini is the sign of duality, so there may be more than one way forward, more than one thing that needs to be done at the same time. Ceres also rules season of life situations - are we nurturing something no longer in our life or something that is STILL ALIVE?

With the New Moon (plus Mars) forming the apex of a Finger of God whose base is Uranus and Chiron, it might be the Chironic wounding came out of the blue (if we are honest with ourselves this will not be something totally unexpected with Uranus and Chiron both retrograde) and connects with our future and is a GIFT. Probably because it pushes us to take some action we have been avoiding or maybe because something unexpected happens/some 'third way' through that helps us with this New Moon situation. 

 

The New Moon is inconjunct Uranus which speaks of a sudden event/situation that pushes us to move either before we are ready or in a way we were not totally expecting (Uranus is retrograde, so this won't be something we couldn't somewhat see coming). We are going to need to avoid sudden moves - our Mars will be itching - and we need to avoid passive avoidance - our Venus will be maybe wanting to sit this one out or maybe in Scorpio she wants to go over things again and again, especially if we are feeling neglected/scapegoated and then not get anywhere. Neither way will work and compromise will be uncomfortable and not so effective. What do we do?

Pluto will station direct just hours after this New Moon and with Venus in Scorpio answering to the Lord of the Underworld, his station is even more prominent here. Here is the death/ending that was postponed or here is the transformation that has resulted from the 'death'. Pluto is POWER. Pluto is FEAR. Keep in mind, his movement here is slow, almost imperceptible, but IS happening. Consider when you change gears in your car from reverse to first, but still have your foot on the brake. Our car/our body will feel the change even though we haven't moved. People with planets and points in late-ish Cappy but before 24 degrees will feel this as a lessening/unburdening/things feel less like life and death/less urgent. People with planets/points in late Cappy and on or after 24 degrees might feel pretty much the reverse of this (this includes the United States natal Pluto set for its first exact pass on a Pluto return in February 2022, but in play now - this is about massive structural change in our systems). This is all part of the New Moon story.

 

OK, back to Mars (and what do we do?).

 

Mars will push us to move fast and if we do this, well, we will find out the ways fast is good and the ways fast is not so good. The bathwater gets tossed, but probably the baby does, too. Things can get dicey. This isn't some 'charge into battle' Moon with Mars so debilitated, BUT Mars position in this chart tells us some kind of balanced/civil action is probably needed. 

 

The Moon's applying trine to Jupiter might indicate that impulsive/brash action can make problems bigger than they need to be. It also warns of over-doing, over-promising or over-trusting - this might be brought home to us when the Moon meets up with Jupiter in the middle of October. On the other hand, this applying trine to Jupiter - the Moon will meet up with Jupiter on the 15th - brings us luck/good news if we can play our cards right.

 

Think assertive instead of aggressive.  

 

Take a moment. Catch your breath. 

 

The Moon's final square to a recently stationed Pluto asks us:

Are we willing to let go of our ego attachments that are no longer serving us/making us feel loved/bringing us peace? Can we let go of the stuff we are no longer passionate about? Our old ways of doing relationships? The old things we are doing within our relationships? The old ways we fight or the old ways we flight?

 

Are we willing to step into new spaces/step up to new plates? Defend what we value? Take action on someone else's abuse of power?

 

This looks like a power struggle plain and simple.

 

We need to be facing the facts and taking organized action.  

 

We need to keep a cool head - and this cooling our head thing won't mean burying it. 

 

The Sun/Moon/Mars are conjunct asteroid Karma, so the New Moon situation will have some connection to us resisting old trauma/the spaces we are holding it in our cells. Mostly we fear change/chaos rather than seeing its opportunities. 

 

Be smart - and Pallas is sitting with Uranus in Taurus at the base of the Finger of God, so we have access to her wisdom (how to keep what we have/what we need). Angry moves, too much haste, exaggeration will not work out so well for us. Balanced action, diplomacy, being on the right side of the law/being fair will work out better for us. 

 

There are some things that are meant to go now and Pluto will see to that. 

 

We proceed with caution, but proceed we must.

 

xo all

 

Keep in mind Mars and Mercury and the Sun will all meet up within a couple days AFTER this New Moon - this will bring more clarity and help us decide what actions we need to take. We will talk about it as we move through it.

Weekly Astrology Forecast | October 4th - October 10th, 2021 - HUGE week, New Moon in Libra, Daddy's home, here is the death/transformation that was postponed, reconnections, clarity

 

This is a HUGE/powerful week. I think you were hoping I would say, "this is a boring week, nothing will happen, go back to bed". Am I right?! No, that's just you Catherine, you say, we are ready for this you say. Hmm. We will see. I am not sure I am ready since I know I have to fight this week (more about that in the New Moon post), but here we go! 

 

(also someone tell me if anyone else is living these weekly forecasts in advance like I am - does this week sound like last week to you?, has this "Age of Aquarius, life at the speed of light" gotten even the astro ahead of itself?)

 

We have a BIG New Moon in Libra, Venus changes signs, Mars and Mercury retrograde meet the Sun and each other AND both Saturn and Pluto station direct. WHEW!

 

Let's take a quick look at the week ahead and expect a  BIG New Moon post tomorrow where much of the next two weeks will be unpacked. 

 

MONDAY - Sun trines Ceres 

TUESDAY - Mercury inconjuncts Neptune

WEDNESDAY - New Moon in Libra, Pluto stations direct

THURSDAY - Venus enters Sagittarius

FRIDAY - Sun conjuncts Mars, Ceres stations retrograde

SATURDAY - Sun conjuncts Mercury, Mercury conjunct Mars

SUNDAY - Saturn stations direct

 

MONDAY - the Sun, at 12 degrees Libra trines Ceres in Gemini. This is smooth/balanced flow in our communications with other people. Nurturing is balanced/accepted if we keep things light/intellectual/try some humor. Give other people options.   

TUESDAY - this is the second Mercury/Neptune inconjunct (the one where Mercury is retrograde so we are revising/reviewing, etc) - the first was back on September 18th. Here is where we get to re-do/re-think whatever communication/information/conversation drifted off course last month. What needs to be cleared up?

 

WEDNESDAY - The Libra Moon meets the Libra Sun at 13 degrees giving us this month's New Moon, our annual New Moon in Libra. EXACTLY conjunct Mars - fresh starts will be turbo-charged, passionate, angry. There is alot going on with this one - we'll talk about this in a BIG post next.

Pluto, at 24 degrees Capricorn, stations direct. Squaring Eris, yes, still, this can bring up uncomfortable truths. Here is the death that was postponed or the transformation of what has died. Mars and Pluto are the co-rulers of Scorpio and Venus, ruler of Libra and this New Moon is in Scorpio - so this station happening just hours after the New Moon is mucho important. 

 

We'll talk about this in the New Moon post, too!

THURSDAY - Venus enters Sagittarius. About 24 hours after her BIG New Moon, Venus rises from murky Scorpio into 'sky's the limit' Sagittarius.  

 

Sagittarius Suns and Ascendants (1st house cusps) get more attractive now - both able to attract what they want/need and are easier on the eye. All of us get a visit from Venus in our Sagittarius houses (what house or houses carry Venus energy in your natal chart?) and those houses get more magnetic.

 

Sagittarius is the sign of the archer. If we were archers - we would gather our energy. We would pull back our bow. We would take aim. We would hold our bow "in tension". This holding position is important to landing our arrow where we intend it to go - to hit our target (of course, if we are in some kind of life and death battle with that arrow then I guess we just let it fly and hope for the best, but most situations we are facing are not quite so dire)

The same way an archer's "in tension" allows her arrow to hit her mark, our own "intentions" release our energy where we need it to go. Intentions are not wishes; they are not hopes - wanting to do something is 180 degrees from intending to do it. Set your New Moon intentions this month - they will be uber powerful.

Intention releases the potential that makes things happen.

So, we have Venus (love, women, beauty, what we value, our self esteem, money) moving into the sign of "potential".

Experience is more valuable than stuff with Sagittarius. Money (Venus) spent on experiences/travel will be well spent. Money (Venus) spent on other Sagittarius themes - higher education, legal issues, weddings, politics - will probably pay off, too, in the experiences we get back.
 

The search we began when Venus dove into Scorpio continues. But now instead of looking at the stuff that is underneath, the underpinnings none of us really want to look at, she looks way out into the horizon at the stuff we might one day meet up with. Sagittarius is the sign of faith. Do we have faith that better days are ahead for us? This faith stuff is risky and Sagittarians have been known to fall on their ass and even off a cliff now and then. But is there really any alternative to not trying? This is the season of faith and potential for all Venus ruled themes - love, money, women, beauty, self-esteem, our values. 

 

How are we going to use this energy? Remember the archer. The archer stays focused and holds herself "in tension" through all the noise. We have our bow drawn and we are focused on the target, but suddenly the dog barks, the phone rings, the guy next door starts blasting Adele and you know we have to stop and listen to that.

(and sometimes this noise can last a while and sometimes life sends us noise to test our intentions and see how badly we want something or sometimes the noise could be there to delay us because there is something better for us later or other people's arrows need to line up with ours)

Because once that arrow is released, it is released. There is no grabbing it midair and straightening that baby out (unless you have some super power that I would be totally jealous to find out about).

We have to have faith enough to release the arrow anyway. Bulls-eyes can be highly over-rated. Sometimes it's the missed targets (did you know the word "sin" was originally an archery term that meant - "to miss the mark") that lead to the best adventures!

 

Venus is going to cross over the South Node (a portal to past lives/old common or karmic patterns), pulling people from our past (or new people with similar energy patterns to those from our past), people and situations from the past connected with our money and self-esteem into our NOW. In Sagittarius, this can bring opportunity, luck, give us hope (depending on what we are carrying in early Sagittarius) or can bring karmic endings/bills coming due/the need to let go. 

Keep in mind this aspect can also slide us right into repetition. There is already a groove here which is the reason this might all feel so comfortable. Is this something/someone still a good fit or are we just too comfortable here for our own good? Mercury is retrograde in Libra's sign, so this will likely ravel/unravel itself as we move through the days and weeks ahead.

 

FRIDAY/SATURDAY - Sun meets Mars, Sun Meets Mercury, Mercury meets Mars - this is all happening within 15-16 degrees Libra, so will be felt strongest by people with planets points near this range (or the other cardinal signs by squares and oppositions).

 

Mars starts a new cycle with the Sun - this is passion/energy, new goals. In the sign of Libra, this shines a light on our relationships/our need for balance and fairness. Keep in mind Mars in Libra can bring the need for confrontation just so some steam can get blown off and now he is not only in the sign of his detriment, but he is being blown out by the Sun. Then Mercury comes in to pick up the new Mars solar story. A light is thrown on information/communication. This is the part of the Mercury retrograde cycle where we get some clarity/HERE is what this retrograde is all about. Then Mercury meets Mars. Clarity/action - just keep in mind Mercury is still retrograde, so we are still revising/reviewing, doing the "re's". It's probably not the time for big moves just yet. Mars in Libra will be squaring Pluto on October 22, so there could be some need now (in preparation) to take action to protect/preserve something we want to keep - maybe something structural, stabilizing or career related, before we get to that square.

 

SUNDAY - Saturn stations direct at 6 degrees Aquarius. His retrograde "review" wraps up. He will move direct until he gets to 25 degrees Aquarius next April when he stations retrograde again and backtracks to 18 degrees.

For people with planets and points between 6 and 13 degrees Aquarius (and the other fixed signs, which will get squares and oppositions) Saturn will make his third pass (hang in there!) over those spaces during the next few weeks and months.
 

There are a few things that will happen now.
 

Saturn's direct motion can release pent up pressure in our Aquarius house allowing us to make solid moves toward our goals and ambitions (and our natal Aquarius house theme).
 

It could have felt, during his retrograde, that we were getting further away from our goals or where we want to be in this area of our life. Maybe obligations weighed heavily. Walls and limitations had to be faced. Corners we had previously cut were noted to be missing.
 

The bills came due. Maybe we learned to say, "no". Maybe we learned to say "yes" to something we had been avoiding. Saturn always gives rewards, but they are Saturnian rewards - coming after we've put in the time and hard work to build something that lasts. And yes, the thing that lasts IS the reward!

Our long range goals that have been stuck can start to move forward now. 

With Saturn (father time) direct - daddy's home! - greater external structure is brought into our lives.

This can feel supportive and rewarding or like a wall/limit/roadblock depending on how we relate to Saturn natally and what we have been doing during his retrograde.

Dad's home.  Have we been goofing off? Staying out late? Running up the electric bill? Worn out his favorite chair or left his tools out in the rain to rust?
 

Karmic books get balanced. Remember, karma isn't about punishment. It is simply cause and effect - we are just being served what we ordered. Most of us do alot of this "ordering" unconsciously.

If we don't like what we are being served - we can choose to do things differently today. Right now. This minute. The wheel keeps spinning! Multiple planets station and change signs this week and we have a New Moon - change is happening! Keep in mind Mercury is still retrograde and Saturn and Pluto are moving VERY slowly, so progress could be slow for awhile. We might continue to feel the ramifications of 'dug in' situations.

xo all - back with that New Moon post! Please excuse any typos - I can proof read three times and still find them these days ...

artwork by the talented Karoline Kroib

Mercury retro squares Pluto for weeks | October 1st, 2021 - power struggles, communication trouble, the wounding that leads to compulsive re-thinking, the inner issue beneath the outer issue

 

 

Because of Mercury's retrograde through Libra, his square to Pluto (retrograde, too) TODAY will basically be in play, off and on, until November!

This aspect was last exact with Mercury direct on September 22nd, so something from now might connect back to then. This is about intense conversations, power struggles. Eris is opposing Pluto from Aries bringing in the energy of something we probably don't want to deal with!

 

And Mars, in Libra, opposing Chiron in Aries, also EXACT today, speaks of dealing with a painful result/culmination. Mars, the warrior, and not so happy traveling through Libra's land of civility speaks of our attempts to be nice/please someone else/not rock the boat/not get mad - these machinations don't work and probably just make us resentful, but pushing/forcing our way through with no consideration for others won't be comfortable with Mars in Libra, and won't work, either.  

 

Regardless, we need to speak up/stand up for ourselves/be ourselves/keep moving anyway. With Mars in Libra our relationships are trigger territory now. If we know this going in - we can do a better job handling it.

The Mercury/Pluto speaks of power struggles/intense information or communication. Something that feels like life and death. It might be, but probably isn't. There could be manipulations/something behind the smile. Someone is saying something to us and we just know they are really meaning something else. of course, with Mercury retrograde we could be just as wrong about their motives as we might be about our own. 

 

What is the real issue beneath the surface issue? Why are we ruminating over this conversation or those words? The real wounding is very old and very deep. The retrograde Mercury squaring deep Pluto gives us access. 

 

Mars/Chiron says any move we make is going to hurt anyway, so make the best one. 

The way through today's morass if we hit one - we have the Moon (in Leo now) sextiling the Sun. 

 

This month's Waning Sextile - Leo/Libra. The Moon in Leo wants to stand out/have fun/enjoy recreation, romance, children. The Sun in Libra wants to shine with other people/stay in balance/be fair and cordial. Libra and Leo are sextile signs because we CAN shine AND be in balance with other people at the same time. 

 

Fun is more fun with other people. It just is.

Leo confidence/joy is the way through today. Lighten up. The Leo Moon wants appreciation/attention, so don't be afraid to stand out. Just be honest about it (that square to Pluto), our fake smiles aren't fooling anybody. Avoid being a selfish jerk and we'll get through this one.

Keep in mind the Mercury/Pluto is an ongoing aspect we are already dealing with and not apt to wind itself up with Mercury retrograde, but  certainly we are more likely to get to the bottom of something. With Mercury in balanced Libra - fairness is our goal here. Just work the process.

 

Shine like the star you are. Just remember everyone else is a star, too.

 

xo all

artwork by the talented Valentina Bucur