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| Astrologer observing the Equniox and a scene of the parting of Adonis and Venus; by Domenicus van Wijnen; circa 1680. |
New Moon @ 1 Libra 08’
September 23, 2014
11:14 PM Pacific
September 24, 2014
2:14 AM Eastern
September’s New Moon follows the equinox transition,
initiating autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere.
For those of us just above the equator, the onset of the autumnal season
heralds the beginning of shorter days. Whichever end of the globe you reside,
the Sun’s entrance into Libra is a balancing and integration point within the
Sun’s annual cycle. The equinox is literally such—a balancing of day and night,
where each are of equal length. Both hemispheres experience this same effect.
The symmetrical equinox occurs when the Sun enters Aries,
balanced by two solstice points in between. There are various symbolic
interpretations of each equinox transition, primarily influenced by cultural
and geographical differences. Less sunlight is a blessing to some, while
unsettling to others. Here in the Southern California desert, autumn is usually
perceived as a welcome relief from the intense, dry heat, and our winters are
fairly mild compared to more northern locales.
Psychologically speaking, the Sun’s descent mirrors a
process of turning inwardly and intimately. This makes perfect sense, seeing
that less sunlight and colder weather reduces an emphasis on outer activities. The
upper signs of the tropical zodiac—Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn,
Aquarius, and Pisces—lend more emphasis to intimate relationships and
ideological, political, communal and spiritual constructs.
There is not one universal interpretation of the equinox
transition, as this will vary depending on where you live; but we can all agree
that the sign of Libra deals with balance, at the very root of the archetype. Western
astrology obtained its symbolism from ancient, northern dwellers and their
agricultural activities. Virgo, the harvest, comes to an end at Libra. The
bounty (or lack thereof) of the growing season must be sorted and prioritized
to prepare for the darker, colder months ahead.
This is a time to take stock. For most of us living in
modern society, obtaining most of our food from grocery stores or the labors of
local farmers need not worry about rationing our food supply for the
approaching winter season; though, we will find ourselves, perhaps
instinctively, taking stock of our personal lives in some way. This New Moon
occurs in the sign of Libra since it happens to coincide with the equinox
transition. At first glance, not much seems to be happening with this lunation.
There are no striking Ptolemaic aspects from other planets
to consider (aside from a rather wide conjunction with Venus in Virgo and a
quincunx from Neptune in Pisces), but it would be a mistake to say that this is
an irrelevant New Moon. For one thing, this month’s lunation hits the “Aries
Point”, which is a potent position for any planet or object situated at or
around (generally within a degree) zero degrees of all cardinal signs.
The Aries Point itself is actually located at zero degrees
of Aries, but any planet occupying the very formative degrees of Cancer, Libra
or Capricorn are by effect in aspect to this point. In mundane astrology, there
is enough evidence to know that any event touching the Aries Point has truly
global ramifications; its symbolism often jumps dramatically onto the world
stage, in some shape or form.
Just reflect back to the spring of 2011 when Uranus hit the
Aries point itself. An earthquake and tsunami led to the world’s worst nuclear
disaster at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan, the consequences of which the world
will be dealing with for hundreds and thousands of years in the future (I am
not predicting anything of this magnitude, as I don’t make predictions here; I’m
just pointing out the significance and potential of this zodiac hot spot).
Without getting too much into the political events currently
on the table (ongoing war in the Middle East--business as usual), I will just
say that this lunation is a symbolic and rather significant marking point in
the current political narrative. If we stretch our orbs quite a bit, or if we
approach things from a more classical astrological perspective, Pluto (which
moved direct roughly two hours before the equinox) makes a square to this New
Moon from Capricorn—adding heavy negotiations and the dealing of karmic
consequences.
At the heart, this lunation could symbolize some deep
transformation and or death of certain ties we’ve established in the past, but
with every death/transformation comes something new and different. With Libra,
we are making new connections, sorting out past relationships and
re-establishing equilibrium in our personal and intimate lives. There may be a
need to commit ourselves more fully to something, a need to move on to better
things, or an ambivalence that requires us to wait things out before making any
drastic decisions.
That Libra deals with relationships is true, but it misses
the very heart of this sign, for many signs also emphasize relationships, just
in different ways. Libra symbolizes those bonds where we must be conscious of
an equal playing field; open communication, honesty, and objective awareness
are needed for things to work harmoniously or productively.
The key to Libra is commitment—commitment to ourselves, to
others and to certain goals or objectives. There’s not much fence sitting with
Libra; this sign requires decisive action (though Libra’s are known be
indecisive in their more shadowy expression). There can be a lot of conflict
and complexity in this process. This point of integration is a meeting place of
personal and shared objectives and the awareness that what one side does deeply
effects the other.
An understanding of chemistry makes clear the Libran process
of balance. At the microscopic level, the very particles that construct our
reality are in a process of constant, split second negotiations we cannot fully
fathom, less so when looked at through a quantum lens. So, sit with that and
see how it comes up in your life over the next several weeks, as the Sun chugs along
in Libra.
What needs harmonizing and balance? What balancing act are
you in the midst of? What seemingly disparate pieces need to be brought together
for clarity, sanity and peace of mind? If we are to feel confident of our
ability to survive the darker, colder months ahead (symbolically and literally
speaking), we need to make sure we have what we need, that loose ends are
effectively dealt with—which will be critical as we're in the midst of Mercury’s retrograde
shadow period.
Mercury will turn retrograde Oct. 4 through 25. So, whatever
you’ve been on the fence about, putting off or procrastinating needs to be
dealt with now, or it should probably wait until the end of October to fully
address. This primarily involves the signing of contracts, important paperwork
filings, major purchases/financial transactions or anything to do with
beginning long-range or large-scale projects.
As I mentioned above, Neptune does in fact quincunx this New
Moon. That doesn’t lend well to making critical decisions at this point, or
actually committing ourselves with full conscious awareness. Neptune here may
not so much cloud our judgment (though that is a possibility), but it seems
that our intuition or certain psychic impressions are telling us one thing and
our logical sensibilities another. That is, no doubt, frustrating to deal with.
To resolve it and move forward, we must simply acknowledge that while we need
to have clear intentions to proceed with our lives, we need to remain open to
the reality that often, life, the unfolding, has plans of its own.
I always get annoyed when someone asks me questions like,
“Where do you see yourself in such and such amount of time?” Yea, I have an
idea, but I’m also wise to the reality that at the root of it, I have no clue,
because life often just does its thing. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t set
goals, or commit ourselves to something, but that we’re open to the possibility
that everything could change at any moment.
If you’re feeling that way, just take note. Do what you have
to do, but know that as Mercury stations retrograde we may have a change of
heart and mind about certain things we’re dealing with right now. Mercury’s
retrograde cycle is a natural time to step back and reassess our journey—in
Libra, we’re likely to reconsider certain commitments and relationship
dynamics.
Jupiter makes a trine to Uranus on Sept. 25—bringing some
heat back into the picture. This is a potentially stimulating transit,
creatively speaking. It also invites us to take the lead in an unconventional
leadership capacity. Coinciding with the onset of Mercury’s retrograde cycle,
Jupiter and Uranus invite us to creatively experiment and embrace more
unconventional ideas or tactics.
This new lunar cycle culminates in a dynamic and powerful
Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse conjunct Uranus on Oct. 8. That means that we’re also
making our transition into Eclipse season as every Lunar Eclipse is either
preceded or followed by a Solar Eclipse. This emphasizes the fact that very
deep, profound changes within ourselves are forthcoming—changes that often have
the power to catalyze us into new directions or territories, if so choose to
release our attachments to past patterns.
Do what you can to bring about a harmonization of elements
in your current process. Take care of some important matters before the month
is over. Settle in and get ready to see things from a renewed perspective in
the coming weeks. Above all, open your mind to alternate perceptions,
especially provided by those you interact with most personally or intimately. As
the season comes to its inevitable transition, a new phase of growth and
development is upon us—asking us to possibly change gears and consider
directions we weren’t likely anticipating. Such is the natural flow of life. We
can either flow with it or against it. I highly recommend the former.