RETURNING TO THE CENTRE: 2020 LIBRA NEW MOON

16 OCTOBER 2020, 20H30 BST

SIGN

October’s New Moon takes place in the sign of fair-minded, relationship-oriented Libra. This picks up on themes that came to prominence back in April 2020 at the Pink Supermoon in Libra, as well as events that may have climaxed/culminated at the Harvest Moon in Aries on 1 October. It may also have resonances with some of key issues surrounding relationships raised during this year’s Venus Retrograde, e.g. denial, deception or love addiction, so you may want to go back and look for clues in previous forecasts as to what themes or issues, you may be continuing to work on over the next lunar month.

NEW! SUN SIGN TABLE

FIND OUT WHICH LIFE AREA THE NEW MOON IS LIKELY TO AFFECT IN THE TABLE BELOW

This is likely to be the best place to concentrate your efforts when it comes to making a fresh start at this particular Moon phase.

SABIAN SYMBOL

The Libra New Moon takes place in the 24th Degree of Libra.

Lynda Hill interprets this as being about distortion or imbalance – too much of a good thing, or perhaps some form of disability or impairment that affects our ability to function, or to perceive clearly. This is interesting, given that Libra is so much about symmetry and harmony.

However, it is worth pointing out that by this point, the Sun and Moon will be in the Via Combusta, which begins at 16 degrees, so this may be why. And with Mercury having recently turned retrograde in Scorpio (14 Oct), it is entirely possible that our emotions or ability to see things clearly will be hampered, pushing us off-centre when it comes to communication, self-expression and thinking, especially in connection to romance and creative projects, events or launches.

In French, “gauche” literally means “left”, and it has the extended meanings “awkward” and “clumsy”. In fact, “awkward” itself comes from the Middle English “awke”, meaning “turned the wrong way” or “left-handed”. On the other hand, “adroit” and “dexterity” have their roots in words meaning “right” or “on the right side”. We see this fragility in creative people like Van Gogh, Robin Williams or Spike Milligan.
– Sabian Oracle, p.204

I think the way to deal with this is to accept imperfections and handle whatever difficulties may arise with grace and humour – this is the Libran way and should stand you in good stead right now if things get a tad awkward or difficult.

FIXED STARS

There are a lot of fixed star alignments associated with this particular New Moon, some of which connect us back to the Pink Supermoon in April, as well as Venus Retrograde in June – think back to these times to see if you notice any overlapping themes.

One of the key things that really stands out for me in the graphic above is the conjunction between Spica and the luminaries – this star was considered by Ptolemy and other ancient astrologers to be one of the most auspicious alignments of all, bestowing abundance (Spica = the wheat sheaf) and brilliance, which should bode well for anyone looking for inventive or creative solutions to challenging problems. In addition to being closely associated with magic (it is one of the so-called Behenian stars used in ancient talisman making) Spica also happens to be one of the 27 stars represented on the flag of Brazil, so this particular lunar phase may in some way highlight events related to this country.

KEY ASPECTS

Sun & Moon T-square – The Sun and Moon in Libra will be making a cardinal T-square to the outer planets, Jupiter, Saturn & Pluto in Capricorn on one side; and to a retrograde Mars in Aries, on the other. This New Moon occurs smack bang at the climax of what’s known as Mars Opposition, so there could be a bit of a power struggle or some inner conflict that needs to be worked through on some level, perhaps relating to a sense of feeling thwarted on some level.

In addition, the proximity of Saturn to Pluto may bring added pressure to bear on your emotional state right now, making you feel torn when it comes to deciding which course of action to take right now, or indeed, how to progress forward in matters highlighted by the Libra New Moon. (See my table above for clues)

Indeed, there is likely to be quite a push-pull feel to this waxing moon phase due to the very different energy inputs coming from Venus and Mars. You feel as though you need to make important decisions or take action, but somehow circumstances make you feel almost powerless to do so. Mars is currently retrograde, which could also lead to feelings of frustration, disempowerment or impotence of action, perhaps due to some type of block.Here, I highly recommend watching the video I made about this below, especially the last part where I offer tips on how to work around the almost chalk and cheese energy and machinations of Venus vs Mars over the next two months, because it may well resonate with your experience.

With Black Moon Lilith hovering near to Mars at the time of this opposition, it is also possible that you may find yourself being triggered or having to work through core wounds associated with physical vitality, emotional abuse, anger management issues or conversely, difficulties standing up for yourself. However, on the positive side, the Sun, Moon and Mercury will serve to illuminate any blind spots or issues normally hidden from conscious view that need to be cleared over the course of the waxing Moon cycle, especially as the retrograde energy of Mercury in Scorpio starts to kick in.

Ameliorating all of this will be a set of approaching aspects between Venus and the stellium in Capricorn.(See below for details)

Venus trine Jupiter, Pluto & Saturn: The Libran New Moon takes place very close to a joyful, inspiring and expansive trine between Venus, ruler of Libra, and lucky Jupiter, which forms part of a stellium with Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn on October 19, 21 and 24.

This uplifting series of earth trines involving the benefics should help to stabilize any volatility and take the edge off any potential upsets created by the cardinal T-square. This calming and flowing energy is ideal for, restoring equilibrium and peace, so it should be great for helping you to stay grounded and centered, despite any chaos or disruption in the outside world.

It also brings with it the possibility of abundance, as well as grace and increased luck when it comes to anything to do with matters of the heart, or indeed money and creativity. Indeed, despite the frustrating delays and drama drummed up by Mars and Mercury this month, Venus in Virgo will be doing everything she can during October to keep us focused on the positive. The key is to let go of what we can’t control or change and stay firmly rooted in those small but pragmatic steps we can take towards building or maintaining what we value, whilst also being as helpful or useful to the wider community as we can. Because, let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of satisfaction we get when we feel that what we do has a greater purpose and is making a difference, no matter how small, to our community/the world.

If you regularly do intention-setting rituals at the New Moon, it may be a good idea to try and incorporate this warm-hearted, tolerant and heart-expanding energy into the mix so that you spread the love over not just one or days; but the entire lunar month.