New Moon in Libra: Beautiful Balance

This Friday, September 30, just after 8 pm EST, the New Moon in Libra arrives. This is the dark of the Moon, the time of beginnings. In the last weeks and months, we’ve been asked to look at some pretty difficult things. At this New Moon, we’ll feel a new energy. We get a glimmer of how to find our way.

This probably won’t feel easy. The energies around the New Moon do not offer smooth sailing. There are challenges–the dark things we’ve faced will not magically dissolve. What we’re looking for is a deeper “rightness,” a sense of balance, with a new vision that is reachable if we are willing to do the work.

Let’s look at the patterns.

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The Sun and Moon meet at 8 Libra, very close to Jupiter at 4 Libra. Right away, we see this New Moon is expansive, with a larger-than-life vibe. Jupiter likes being in Libra and is glad to offer his liberality to the New Moon. He can be inflated and self-righteous, but the influence of diplomatic, balanced Libra can hold that gently in check. We feel an ahhhhhhhhhh, a breath of fresh air as we move into the crisp clarity of Autumn.

Both Mercury and Pluto turned direct this week, freeing up energy that felt like it was going in circles. There’s space for forward movement, especially if we hold on to the insights we gained during the retrogrades. It’s time to make good on what we’ve learned, not forget about it and go back to the status quo.

Mars moved into Capricorn, a sign he loves. Capricorn lets Mars harness his tremendous energies to get real work done in the world. Squaring the New Moon, Mars pushes us to move beyond dreaming–or stewing in our sense of injustice–and take action. There’s work to be done. Roll up your sleeves.

Saturn in Sagittarius continues to square the Nodes of the Moon, an ongoing reminder that the work we do (or avoid) has real consequences. This is another piece of the New Moon’s call to action: What are we doing to effect real change in ourselves and our world? Saturn does not accept excuses.

This Libra New Moon is ruled by Venus, now in Scorpio. Venus in Scorpio holds both the Shadow and the promise of this New Moon. Will we stay in a place of hurt, feeling victimized and resentful? Or will we step into a place of agency, where we accept responsibility, not for the bad behavior of others, but for our own salvation? Venus in Scorpio can be spiteful and manipulative, but her true power lies in her ability to look unflinchingly into the depths, embrace what she finds, and bring it creatively and magically into form.

The New Moon + Jupiter form an inconjunct with the South Node of the Moon and Neptune. We can still be trapped by the past, unable to let go of old stories, seduced by conspiracy theories or the mythic, karmic weight of all that has gone before. The opportunity here is to find the dynamic equilibrium that Jupiter conjunct the New Moon represents. We can reinterpret the past and write a new story filled with possibility, hope, justice, and peace.

Each New Moon invites us to plant seeds. Look at how this New Moon touches your birth chart to best understand which kinds of wishes and intentions will be meaningful for you. My Astrology Resources page tells you how to get a copy of your chart if you don’t have one. My New Moon Wishes page describes the process for making wishes and setting intentions. What kinds of wishes will this particular New Moon call for?

Libra is the sign of relationships. When we reach Libra, the seventh sign, we have journeyed through the personal signs and houses, to step into a more public sphere. How do we relate to others? To the world at large? Where do we find balance? Personal balance relies on a combination of empathy and good boundaries. In the wider world, balance reflects our sense of justice. What is fair and equitable?

The turbulence of recent times has no doubt surfaced insights and information about our relationships. At this New Moon, we can make wishes for the future. Perhaps we need the strength to let some relationships go. Perhaps we need to be open to new ones. Perhaps we are in the process of rewriting past stories and stepping into a whole new way of seeing ourselves in relationship. Any or all of these can be excellent wishes for the New Moon in Libra.

Venus is not alone in Scorpio. She is joined there by Lilith, the dark goddess who represents chaotic forces, and Juno, a strong force for fairness and balance. These two bring our attention to issues beyond the personal, to include society, culture, nations, and the world. It is entirely appropriate to make wishes for the health of nations, for a stronger sense of social justice to come forward, for the world to find peace. Such wishes may feel essential at this time in history.

Yet the positions of Mars and Saturn at the New Moon call for more. They want to see real links between personal action and social values. If we want peace, how to we live peace? If we want justice, how do we live justice? These are not easy questions. There certainly are no easy answers. At this New Moon, we can set intentions to bring our behavior into better alignment with our values, with the clear understanding this is a difficult road to walk.

In the face of our challenges, this New Moon offers, above all, beauty. The shift in energy lets us see and remember what we work for. We are offered a vision of the world that holds all the good things. Jupiter is the planet of optimism and abundance. The Sun and Moon in Libra see clearly that balance, harmony, and fairness are attainable. At this New Moon, perhaps our greatest wish is for the inner peace and clarity to live within that vision.