Welcome to Libra Season

Why do we need a crisis to change?

I’ve thought about this a lot, and believe me; I am just as guilty as anyone else.

We all seem to coast through life when there is no conflict.  It’s like nothing in the world is going to affect us, and we are just going with the flow.

Then, all hell breaks loose, and the entire world comes crashing down around us.

And, that my friends, is the energy of the month of Libra this year.

Now, I am not someone that believes that we should just stick our heads in the sand.  Instead, it’s time for us to get to work!

So, let’s roll up our sleeves and do this.

The chart for the month of Libra – despite its difficulties is rather instructive.  Its primary focus is on our insecurities setting our reality.

As many of you know, I start ingress charts with the 4^th house because I believe it describes the emotional weather forecast for the month, and its energy can completely dominate a chart.

The sign of Taurus sits on the 4^th house cusp.  The sign of Taurus is conservative and does not like change.  It likes to protect its territory and security and foundation is very important to the sign of the bull.  It signifies that the next month is going to involve focusing on the ‘basic ground’ that matters to us.

Saturn makes an interesting aspect to the 4^th house cusp – an inconjunct.  Inconjuncts are aspects of crisis (they correspond with the 6^th and 8^th houses).  Saturn sits in the group-oriented 11^th house and rules the 12^th (self-undoing) and the 1^st.  Saturn signifies that outside influences could frustrate our sense of security, and we may need to let go of some things that we have been holding onto, which is not going to make Taurus all that happy. Taurus likes to hold onto EVERYTHING.  However, Saturn also questions whether what we are holding onto is based upon a real desire or because of our insecurities.

The ruler of Taurus – Venus – sits in the 7^th house in Virgo.  Venus in the 7^th house gives us our first clue on how to deal with Taurus:  How do we manage (Virgo is a lovely management sign) our day to day lives and how are we participating in our relationships.

I mean how often do we look at these things?

I am often amazed when I talk to people that they consider these things when they are going through struggles and difficulties.  I think it’s universal, we start to think about managing our time more effectively or who in our life has meaning to us.  We start to think about whether our careers are sustaining us or whether we should spend a little less.  The main thing is that we attempt to bring order into our lives.

Venus forms a conjunction to Mars, which rules the 3^rd house of communication.  This conjunction reflects that we may need to communicate what we want more effectively, and this dovetails into Venus’s opposition to Neptune, which means that we may not necessarily be in touch with our real values.  So, this gives us another clue – what do we currently value in our lives?  What is important?

The next part of the ingress chart that I analyze is the Ascendant.  The Ascendant reveals the path we are going to take over the next month.

The sign of Capricorn is rising.  Capricorn is about ambition and how we are going to achieve something in the world.  When the sign of the goat is rising, our focus is on giving our lives some form of meaning where we feel that we are participating and adding something to our lives.

There is nothing wrong with this, and in fact, its encouraged.   The difficulty with it this month is the Moon and Uranus square the Ascendant.  The Moon signifies changes and Uranus signifies disruption, which can easily lead to being sensitive to obstacles and feelings of frustration.  This is complicated by Saturn (the ruler of Capricorn) being in the 11^th house.  Saturn in the 11^th likes to do things alone and often has difficulties reaching out and accepting help from others, and since Mercury forms a square to Saturn, this energy is amplified because the aspect is not known for its communication savvy.  In fact, Mercury square Saturn often leads to feelings of depression and insecurities.

Now, let’s get to the Sun in Libra.

The Sun in Libra likes harmony and balance.  In the sign of the scales, the Sun is considered in detriment, and the reason is that Libra is the sign of the ‘other,’ which causes our focus to be on our relationships, partnerships, competitors, and even our open enemies.

The Sun is in the 8^th house and makes no aspects.  I recently attended a webinar by Liz Greene on Pluto, and she described planets that are unaspected in the best way that I have ever heard.  She said, and I paraphrase, that these planets are like tenants tied up in a basement.  They have little contact with the outside world, and once they are trigged (by something or somebody – italics mine), they tend to burst out into consciousness and often in ways that throw us into crisis, which I find rather fitting with this Sun hidden in the dark of the 8^th house.

The Sun’s purpose in the chart is to encourage us to grow.  Now, we have a choice.  We can look inside and do this on our own, or the will set up circumstances that will force us to grow in one-way other another.  I think it is encouraging us to take a deep look at what is going on in our lives right now, and make changes accordingly – especially if we are dissatisfied with the current state of our lives.  We can use this Libra season to make active changes in our lives and begin to get on the right path.

In other words, happiness is an option!

The Universe Has Your Back:

I pulled a card from Gabrielle Bernstein’s new deck, “The Universe Has Your Back,” to help us with Libra season.  I find it self-explanatory.

Journal Prompts:

What am I holding onto because I feel insecure about letting it go?

What do I currently value in my life?

Should I reach out to others for help?

Am I being plagued by negative thoughts?

Do I feel stuck and blocked by outer circumstances?

What can I do to move my life in the direction I would like it to go?  What changes can I make to feel in control of my life?

See you next month!