Thursday afternoon, October 19, just after 3:00 pm in US Eastern time, the New Moon in Libra arrives.
Libra New Moons are often “ahhhhhh” moments, times when we seek a new balance, find harmony, and create peace in our lives. Libra is, after all, the Air sign ruled by Venus, the force for peace, harmony, beauty, creativity, and relationships.
While those themes are central to this New Moon, we’re not likely to find ease. At least, not easy ease.
This New Moon tightly opposes Uranus in Aries. We find the Sun and Moon together at 26° 35′ of Libra and Uranus at 26° 31′ of Aries. This isn’t a sort-of, maybe, we’re mostly opposite. This is a direct face-off.
Rising Moon Astrology is now a PODCAST on iTunes. Please listen, subscribe, and leave a review.
And we can’t blame Uranus for this one. He moves very slowly. He’s been hanging out at the end of Aries for some time now. The Sun and Moon, faster moving by far, are the ones who moved into this position just in time for this New Moon.
The result is a thrust into something deep and radical. In our quest for balance and beauty, we’re brought face to face with what is really in our way.
There is another reason this New Moon has added depth and resonance: Jupiter has just moved from Libra into Scorpio. On October 10, the Great Benefic swooped from airy loveliness to plunge into the shadowy realms of the occult, the taboo, and the alchemical.
Jupiter will remain in Scorpio for about thirteen months. His presence in this sign will add power to this year’s Samhain, the shift in the ancient Celtic calendar from the light half of the year into the dark half.
During this year ahead, we can expect secrets to be revealed even as more deceptions are planned. For an orientation to what this shift might bring, I recommend Steven Forrest’s introduction and the essay at The Oxford Astrologer.
At each New Moon, we are in the dark. This is the time when we have no light in the nighttime. It is a time of planting, for seeds must go into the darkness of the ground and be consumed for something new to grow. This analogy might feel too close to the bone when so much in the world seems dark and consuming. We feel pushed to our limit, then pushed again as disasters of Nature and politics crowd into the headlines.
Any Libra New Moon offers the chance to plant seeds of peace, love, and understanding, but today, that phrase seems to echo with an almost sardonic bitterness. This particular New Moon calls us to look beneath the easy slogans and confront what lurks under the ground among the roots.
This New Moon calls for radical acceptance.
I am familiar with two current uses of this phrase. The first is the idea that to heal the pain of trauma, we need to accept the reality of the situation. This can be a tricky balance to find. Radical acceptance does not condone or approve of abuse. It does not minimize the pain of what has happened. What is does do is release us from the suffering of resistance to what is.
The Sun and Moon, our life purpose and our feeling self, confront Uranus, the revolutionary who strips away all false narratives, who dares us to stop listening to messages that limit and control us. Uranus in Aries says, look at what is. See what is actually here. Face the facts. Then, and only then, can we move on.
The second is the writing of Tara Brach, who speaks of radical acceptance in a more directly personal way. Tara combines Western psychology with Buddhist teachings and practice. Her 2003 book, Radical Acceptance, addressed what she called “the trance of unworthiness,” how we so easily fall into self hatred even as we try to practice compassion for others.
This too is what Uranus addresses. He says, look at who you are. Look at how marvelous, how unique, how truly revolutionary a being you are. Stop with the being small, the I-am-not-worthy. Embrace your quirks and eccentricities. Celebrate what you and only you can offer. Bring everything you are into the world because the world needs you.
The New Moon, opposite Uranus, invites us to plant seeds of balance and love and to choose those seeds, craft those seeds, in full radical acceptance of both our current circumstances and who we are in this moment. The Uranian challenge is the realization that these deep levels of acceptance are needed to end suffering and heal our pain.
This won’t be easy.
At the New Moon, Chiron, the wounded healer, forms an awkward inconjunct to the Sun and Moon. Acceptance sounds easy but is not.
So many things get tangled up as we try to sort out acceptance from approval, self compassion from the desire to be a better version of ourselves. Giving up self pity is hard too. Once we truly accept where we are and who we are, well, it’s time to get on with things.
The Sun and Moon are in late Libra. Jupiter and Mercury, in very early Scorpio, are widely conjunct the New Moon. Here again we see the importance of depth and Shadow.
Jupiter highlights what we need to face, making it too big to ignore. Mercury is ready to speak up, say what we’re not supposed to say, drag the taboo into the light. “Me too” as a hashtag and FB status is just one example. And yes, me too.
Check your birth chart to see where late Libra (the New Moon) and late Aries (Uranus) fall in your chart. Knowing the Houses involved and which planets and points are aspected will help you see which areas of life will be most affected.
In my chart, the New Moon falls in my Third House, right on my Mercury–Neptune conjunction, with Uranus opposite in my Ninth House. This New Moon will focus on my thought and communication, my writing and other creative projects. Am I being true to myself? Have I found my voice? What do I need to face and accept to move toward my goals?
It’s also worth checking where the sign of Scorpio falls in your chart. For me, it begins in my Third House and continues through my Fourth. For many, as it is for me, Jupiter newly in Scorpio will be in the same House as the New Moon. This is another indication that I need to look deep and see what may have been hiding. This is also the place where Jupiter begins his Scorpio journey for me, something good to take note of.
Despite the strength of Libra now––Venus herself is in early Libra, a place where she is strong and vibrant––this New Moon brings challenges. But these are necessary steps on our way.
No matter how strong our resistance, or how deep our fervent desire for a different world, things are what they are. Accepting this is essential for findings paths to change. In times like these, self hatred, self pity, the belief we are not good enough, worthy enough––all these––become luxuries we can’t afford.
Once we step into radical acceptance, we can experience freedom. Hurtful things will still exist, but we will no longer be bound to the suffering of wishing them away when we can’t, or the suffering of believing we are not enough. With that freedom, come the gifts of Libra: peace, balance, love, and the creative energy we need to engage joyfully with life.
At this New Moon, we can plant the seeds to make this so.
I use Unsplash for almost all my images. The images in this post include the title, created from the photo of bubbles by Alejandro Alvarez, the derelict city by Jordy Meow, the broken doll by Aimee Vogelsang, and the beautiful sunrise by Davide Ragusa.
Kirsten Backstrom
Such powerful truths, beautifully expressed. Thank you for your wise guidance, Mary Pat!
Mary Pat Lynch
Thank you so much, Kirsten!
Brenda
Really enjoyed your thoughts for this New Moon, Mary Pat! – I always enjoy your writing. I’m deep in contemplation about what I may have been hiding and I can’t think of anything. Guess we’ll find out. My Natal Venus is in the first degrees of Scorpio, in the 5th house. It’s not a great placement for the planet of love, but I am grateful for the passion it gives me and deep focus and intensity when I am enamored with a subject, a person, or a creative project. Hope Jupiter expands these positives while he passes through. Sometimes I see my Venus in the 5th house as a placement for my daughter. She and I have had a troubled relationship – I love her so and hope also more comes to light to expand our love for each other.
Mary Pat Lynch
hello, Brenda! Thanks for your kind words. With Venus early in Scorpio, you will already be familiar with Shadow, and so perhaps the challenge of this New Moon opposite Uranus might not feel so unusual for you. And you’ve just had Jupiter, newly in Scorpio, conjunct your Venus. He’s only now moving away, still very close, so that might feel like a preview of what I was describing and also a preview of the deepening of the qualities you mention–definitely positives.
I also have Venus in Scorpio, about midway through, so can relate to what you’re saying 🙂 What I am looking for is the sharpness of Uranus, his edgy, sometimes shocking, quality, to bring something into focus for me that I might already be aware of but might not realize is THE thing I need to address. I hope we all get the insights we need.
Ralf Penderak
Thank you, Mary Pat!
Jean Campbell took me here. I wrote on the peace bridge:
This is what resonates most with me:
“This New Moon calls for radical acceptance. I am familiar with two current uses of this phrase. The first is the idea that to heal the pain of trauma, we need to accept the reality of the situation. This can be a tricky balance to find. Radical acceptance does not condone or approve of abuse. It does not minimize the pain of what has happened. What is does do is release us from the suffering of resistance to what is.”
I don’t tell you, why 🙂 It is just too personal, and then I still wanted to tell you I appreciate a different, astrological look on it., especially feeling how I connect with the web of universal collective (astrological) archetypes, as they play out in time.
Mary Pat Lynch
Thank you, Ralf! It’s great to see you here. And yes, to me, astrology is a fascinating way to connect with archetypes.
John Hempstead
Thanks, Mary Pat, for another wonderfully insightful examination of Radical Acceptance!
My natal Pluto at 28:17 Cancer is standing exactly midway between the faceoff. Looks like I will have great opportunity to work with the shadow this month. The chart you created for me has the new moon at the end of the 5th house with Koch. Placidus, which I am familiar with, has it in the sixth house. It will be interesting to see how this month plays out.
RisingMoon
Thank you, John, and indeed, Shadow seems to be peeking in for you. As I’m sure you know, the various House systems are constantly debated and what seems best is for each of us to choose what seems most helpful … or, as you did, check two and understand the placement could be one or the other, or share in both. It’s certainly been an interesting month so far!