New Moon, New Era, New Opportunities
This year, the new Moon in Libra is part of a stellium involving the Sun, Mars and a retrograde Mercury. As Libra is the sign that represents the quest for balance and peace, you are now acutely aware of all the places in your life where more balance is needed, and are in desperate need of the peace that comes from creating it. You also have a lot of opportunities to create both the balance and the peace you seek. Pray for the eyes to see them, the ears to hear them, and the strength to be in the process.
And it is definitely a process. We are now in the 4th fiscal quarter and in the last—and most important—part of the harvest season. This time of year, we are called upon to reconcile all that has been, all that is, and all that we need in order to get through the coldest and darkest nights of the looming winter with the different members of our tribe. Because of these things, Libra is always opportunity to address the deeper issues that stand between you and the balance you seek. Complicating matters now is the degree to which the second year of the global pandemic is really demanding that we live more from our values. The tricky part is we first have to get clearer on exactly what they are, and why.
This is a time of reckoning.
Are you ready?
If you’re not sure, I can help.
It starts with your dreams and visions and then you chart a course from there.
Here are some helpful insights...
The Spirit of Libra
Welcome to the waning days and weeks of the harvest season. As usual, the dominant sign is Libra, whose constellation is the scales: the most crucial instrument of any harvest. Libra rules the process of weighing out what we have reaped to determine its worth, its value. But Libra doesn't stop there. Oh, no. Libra wants to raise your consciousness by calculating the return on your investment. Libra compares our harvest to the seed we sowed in the spring, and then adds the energy we put into the growing process. This time of year, we are all assessing our ROI, and making changes - or plans for future ones. It is very confrontational work, but if you can stay grounded and centered, positive and positively focused, this process will shorten your learning curve, balance your scales, ensure you are getting as much as you give, and make next year's harvest even better and more bountiful.
An air sign, Libra is whip-smart as well as both mentally and verbally agile, which helps in situations and processes like these. But in terms of its gender, Libra is a either a bit of a mystery or a miracle of integration, depending on the moment and the day. While jointly ruled by Venus (the Goddess of Love) and Juno (the Goddess of marriage and marriage-caliber relationships) Libra is a masculine sign. A yang sign, Libra requests and requires that we integrate the masculine and the feminine, tough and the tender; that we apply the most practical solutions with love, faith, intuition, empathy and compassion. And forgiveness.
Libra transits create opportunities for forgiveness like no other. You now have a greater capacity to mend fences and build bridges in your relationships. All of them: friends and lovers, partners and spouses, families and extended families, coworkers and neighbors, your Gods and spirit guides, your angels and ancestors. A key component of that is always forgiveness. The tricky part is that forgiveness is not an intellectual exercise. It is the by-product of jettisoning a lot of baggage, including anger, fear, sorrow, guilt, and shame. If you play your cards right, you can not only purge a metric ton of it, but you can learn how to live without taking on more (remember, nature abhors a vacuum). So make that your intention, and know that the current transits are really working to help you now, though it may not always feel like it.
That means the ability to listen to the moment and respond appropriately becomes absolutely crucial. We are just past the equinox and the Jewish high holidays, and we are bearing down on Samhain/Hallowmas/El Dia de Los Muertos—the most sacred days of the year to ancient cultures. This is always a time of reflection and more conscious choices, leading to more and greater balance and fairness. As of right now, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus and the North Node are all retrograde, and Pluto only went direct this morning. As always, there are some unique opportunities; and they are extraordinary. As always, they require us to explore the darker regions of our shadows in order to break free of their chains. Again, pray for the eyes to see the grace and divinity in each moment.
These celestial influences are always inviting us forward, and compelling us to move in more mindful, sophisticated ways. They demand that we slow down, review our intentions and actions, and choose more carefully, more intentionally. Because of the relational nature of Libra, the shadow work right now is all around our way(s) of being. On a good day, this much Libra and this many retrogrades can make us world class negotiators, mediators, and team leaders: we have a greater ability to be balanced, rational, reasonable, and to see both sides of an issue. From that place, we can more easily bridge the gap between darkness and light, the depth and the shallows. Right now it is easier to be in that complex process of creating balance and the peace that comes from it.
Libra is on relentless quest for justice and fairness, equality, and balance. Yes, on a good day, those drives give us boundless energy and optimism. Now, those things in and of themselves are wonderful. But the best part of Libra is—on a good day—its sense of beauty, art, and aestheticism. Libra is absolutely, positively committed to making the world a better place in the most beautiful, artful, aesthetical way. When there is this much Libra in the air, we are being reminded of our unique gifts and the ways we can use them to improve the lives and relationships of and with those we love. So spend a little time revisiting those; set your intentions, say your prayers and invocations, and double down.
Not a Libra? No worries. Everyone has Libra somewhere, and if you don't already know where yours is, now would be a good time to find out. And here's why. Firstly, there are a lot of planets there now, not the least of which is retrograde Mercury. Secondly, where Libra lives in our natal charts is where we are hopelessly devoted to creating consensus, so that the groups of humans we care the most about can work together to make our little corner of the world a better place. The tricky part is, it is also where you are the most likely to be so overly invested in everyone feeling good about the process that you can forget key components of democracy, like the rule of law and the concept of "majority rules," if you are not really mindful. So let's be really mindful. Certain levels of mastery are crucial here. Be very clear with yourself and others what you can and cannot do, when, and why.
As always, the fall, and the quest for balance it represents, is officially marked by the Sun's entrance into Libra at the autumnal equinox. Here in the Northern hemisphere, the equinoxes mark the only two days of each year when the Sun is positioned directly over the equator. As such, the equinoxes are the only days of the year when the daylight and the darkness are equal in length. In fact, the word equinox comes from the Latin words for equal night. And what a metaphor that balance—or the quest for it—becomes.
While we always have a variety of struggles for stability going on at any given moment, this time of year frequently provides a lesson or two in why balancing the needs of the family and tribe is so hard. Everyone’s needs and skills are so very different. Regardless of what quest for balance your personal harvest season has brought you, the way out is always the same: gratitude, service and philanthropy, living mitzvahs and random acts of kindness, and your faith. So don’t fight this. Listen up, lean in, and rise to the occasion. Or at least find some way to start listing in that general direction. And if you get stuck, call me. We'll figure it out.
Calendar
Below are some of the dates where your opportunities for wizardry, magic, and alchemy will be the greatest.
September 26: Mercury retrogrades in Libra for 21 days
October 6: Pluto goes direct in Capricorn; New Moon in Libra
October 10: Saturn goes direct in Aquarius
October 11: Indigenous peoples Day, Columbus Day
October 17: Jupiter goes direct in Aquarius
October 18: Mercury goes direct in Libra; the 21 day shadow period begins
October 20: Full Moon in Aries, also known as the Blood Moon, the Travel Moon, or the Hunter's Moon
October 22: Sun moves into Scorpio
October 30: Mars moves into Scorpio
October 31: Samhain, Halloween
November 1: All Saints day; Hallowmas
November 2: All Souls’ Day; El Dia De Los Muertos
November 4: Lunar Samhain; New Moon in Scorpio
Everybody’s natal (birth) chart is different. These differences reflect our individual souls: their journeys and evolution, their triumphs and their tragic flaws. As such, the specific impact of each of the following dates will hit each person differently. But there are some general themes.
Holy days, holidays, and astrological transits are opportunities for us to experience grace. But remember how grace happens: sometimes it comes through discomfort. The gifts aren’t always immediately apparent. All of the days on this list ask you to be more compassionate with yourself and others, to try and be more awake, and to be more open to synchronicity and messages from Spirit. On days when more than one astrological event, holiday or holy day occurs, know that the power of that day will be even more profound. The more events in a day, the more powerful that day is, and the more intentional you should be.
Again, in general, full moons are a good time for ending things, wrapping things up, conclusions, and closure. New moons are opportune times for new beginnings: starting a new chapter of some aspect of your life, tackling a new project, or launching something new. Retrogrades are always about slowing down and paying more attention to aspects of your creative, spiritual, and social lives. The eclipses always reveal: sometimes it is something others have hidden from you, sometimes it is things you have hidden from yourself, usually it is a little bit of both. To go deeper, look to the planetary signs and the houses they fall in, and, of course, to your natal chart. Or give me a call. I can help you with that.
Retreats, Rituals, Services, Ceremonies, and Journeys
Choosing the best day or days is a very personal thing. You have to feel your way into it. But there are some generic rules that can help you in your decision-making process. Full moons and new moons are considered the best, as are holidays and holy days. Full moons and new moons that occur during holidays and holy days are extraordinarily powerful.
Factor in a retrograde or two, and you pretty much can’t avoid leveling up and becoming a much more masterful magician. Especially around anything that has to do with your faith, your trust in it, your ability to serve your faith, and serve with it. Seriously.
With that in mind, the upcoming best days for deep, transformational experiences are: October 6, 12, 17 - 18, 20, 22,28, 30 - 31, November 1 - 2, 4 - 5.
“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”
The Mystery School Guidebooks
For as long as humans have traveled the earth, we have turned to the cycles and movements of the natural world and celestial bodies to guide us. Over time and across cultures, the art and science of navigation has provided powerful tools to ensure safe passage through the mysterious currents of life's more difficult moments. Now, by combining ancient practices with modern modalities, you can chart smooth and successful routes through the most important journeys of all: the integration of your internal landscapes, your relationships, your spiritual and professional paths.
The Mystery School Guidebooks are the culmination of my 30 years of dedicated research and practice as a business consultant, astrologer, and intuitive. I am currently offering six guidebooks: Mars Retrograde, Level 1 and Level 2; Mercury Retrograde, Level 1 and Level 2; and Venus Retrograde, Level 1 and Level 2, with more in the works. Each one is a magical combination of information and experiential exercises, designed to provide you with the tools that mean the difference between falling prey to your innermost demons—fears, outdated behaviors and belief systems, and long-buried traumas—and discovering, perhaps for the first time, greater joy in relationships, success in career, and increased self-confidence, access, and flow in your personal and spiritual lives.
Each Mystery School Guidebook is a magical combination of information and experiential exercises, designed to provide you with the tools that mean the difference between falling prey to your innermost demons—fears, outdated behaviors and belief systems, and long-buried traumas—and discovering, perhaps for the first time, greater joy in relationships, success in career, and increased self-confidence, access, and flow in your personal and spiritual lives.
Level 1 Guidebooks are for those who are new to astrology and who want to begin to explore its power and promise. For these guidebooks, you do not need to know your chart or utilize any books, apps or programs.
Level 2 Guidebooks are for those who are somewhat familiar with astrology and who want to become more masterful in working with the opportunities of these powerful transits. For these guidebooks, you will need to have a fairly basic working knowledge of your chart, and it will be essential to use your favorite astrology books, websites, apps, or programs.
In easy-to-understand language, Mystery School Guidebooks share how to align yourself with and harness the power of the natural cycles of the stars, including the wheel of the year, the retrogrades, and the eclipses.
Order yours now and make the most of the opportunities of the moment!