Hi, friends!

September was a complex month, right? I had some really amazing and inspiring days, and I’ve started work on new offerings I’m excited to share in the future. But with Mercury retrograde half last month, many things went differently than expected. The message I tried emphasizing these last few months – as both Venus and Mercury completed their retrogrades – was that the universe is on your side no matter how things appear in a given moment. Sometimes we must look beyond the way things appear, close our eyes and just trust.

For me, knowing all the supportive alignments present in September kept me looking for silver linings. And sure enough, each time changes were forced upon me, they were later shown to be blessings for reasons I couldn’t foresee. And when difficult news came, it was followed by a turn toward hope. I pray the same was true for you. If not, this might be a good time to look at what’s happening in your individual chart in a private session. 

A Rare Month of Venusian Eclipses

In October, expect to take major steps FORWARD on whatever topics, changes and projects came up for you this summer. October brings two eclipses. And on closer look, I’m again in awe of the choreography of our cosmic dance. In an unusual twist of fate, the eclipses aren’t happening along a single axis as they normally do. And wouldn’t you know, that means both eclipses are ruled by Venus, who just completed that powerful retrograde cycle and is moving to new ground for the first time since June. Uhhhhhh coincidence? I think not. But what could it mean?

As you know from our last few newsletters, Venus is the planet that symbolizes our desires, values, relationships, possessions, money and our ability to find satisfaction with the life we’ve created. I think many of us will encounter opportunities and situations this month that begin helping us integrate whatever Venus Retrograde showed us about ourselves and our lives. That might mean healing. It might mean getting more comfortable with a process of change. Or you might finally have the tools necessary for action toward your new ideas.

In fact, Venus flows nicely with Jupiter from October 19 – 24, then with Uranus from October 28 – November 1. These are timeframes to watch for developments that confirm your progress and affirm any new direction in which you’re moving. WOOHOO! But as far as scheduling critical action on those days, I have a few caveats:

1. Eclipse time always presents some measure of unpredictability. So getting too planned or rigid in your agenda is not advised. Heck, it hardly ever is. LOL!
2. From October 26 – November 1, Mercury conjoins Mars. Momentarily, this ups our propensity to think, speak and act in ways that are aggressive, cunning and cutting. That may feel good in the moment but may or may not be wise in the long run. Just observe the direction of your thoughts and tread cautiously with your words near the end of the month. I emphasize this, because you may find yourself more emotionally wound at this time with the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse October 28.
3. Several oppositions with Jupiter late this month can have us going overboard. You might over-expect, over-promise, over-do, over-think…you get the picture. With Jupiter oppositions we must often work harder at patience, scale back expectations and remind ourselves that small steps add up to big progress with time. You are the tortoise. Not the hare.

The Deeper Meaning of Eclipses

Though eclipses prove powerful in certain cases, I only emphasize them in client readings under exceptional circumstances. But that doesn’t mean we should discount them altogether. Eclipses give us guidance on the trajectory of development our soul desires to follow for a given period of time (about 1.5 years).

The location of an eclipse tells us something about the areas of life in play. In these areas, we’re asked to embrace opportunities for growth. The changes that come aren’t always optional, but they always hold value, because they keep us aligned with our greater life purpose and the direction of our highest good. Though we have two eclipses this month, I’m focused on the October 14th Solar Eclipse. That’s part of the new cycle of eclipses beginning April this year and continuing through the end of 2024. They light up the Aries-Libra axis of the Zodiac wheel.

The Aries-Libra Axis: Examining the Balance of Self & Other

Isn’t it interesting that two of the most primary, psychological needs for human happiness – autonomy and relatedness – can feel so at odds? Eclipses along the Aries-Libra axis this and next year highlight the tension between those two needs. It’s the season to open ourselves to ways we can develop harmony within the paradox. 

I’ve borrowed the following wisdom on this topic from The Astrology of Self-Discovery, by Tracy Marks:

• Only when we know and fully love ourselves can we meet the outer world and maintain relationships without losing ourselves.
• In expressing our needs, feelings and desires to another, we may not always win the love and approval of their lower self, but we will always build connection with their higher self.
• When we are willing to experience conflict within ourselves and within others, while retaining the aim of peace, we create a harmony that is not stagnant nor easy, but a harmony which is dynamic, alive and enduring.
• Our actions should aim to consider both our individuality and our inclusive ideals. But when we become locked in a battle between the two, we may need to risk displeasing others to maintain our own inner harmony and balance.

Furthermore, the North Node’s position in Aries suggests some tipping of the scale toward self during this time. The North Node in Aries symbolizes an INCREASE in focus on individuality, courage, self-reliance, and initiative. The South Node’s position in Libra suggests we DECREASE or let go of any useless ways of relating, depending, or projecting we’ve been stuck in. To this end, I’m sharing some goals I’ve adopted for myself and invite you to do the same. You may like these ideas or simply use them at a starting point to create your goals.

I. Pushing the Boundaries of Courage

Do you feel too overwhelmed to start some big task? Have you felt weary to face something that needs to be dealt with? Have you held back your your truth, certain aspects of who you in order to avoid conflict? These are questions we might ask ourselves in discovering ways to grow our courage now and throughout next year.

It’s incredible to admit that after years of astrology practice, I just now find myself telling people I meet that I practice astrology without “feeling them out.” I no longer need to know whether such a statement would be appropriate or provoke criticism. I finally feel prepared to handle their response, no matter which way it goes.

The truth is that even the most independent, adventurous and entrepreneurial people have hang-ups. If you can’t pinpoint any for yourself, look back at your early environment. Were any of your ways, ideas, or personality characteristics not respected in childhood? Where was your courage promoted in the household or at school? Where was it punished? Where would attempts to display your uniqueness have threatened your safety, cut you off from others, or risked your means of support?

We all have knots in the journey to becoming our most authentic selves. When we’ve repressed / suppressed pieces of self in early life, we must go back and reclaim the pieces of self we learned were unacceptable and learn to LOVE THEM. This eclipse season may reveal how an old survival mechanism has become a barrier to personal choice. And once you identify it, you become empowered to throw it off, replace it with courage and expand into new life territory.

II. Finding Greater Autonomy

It’s time to take command of our lives in new ways.

Is there any place you haven’t learned to stand on your own two feet? Have you never spent much time alone, outside of relationships? Have you relied on others in ways that has left you without the skill set to support, comfort or nurture yourself? If you say yes to any of these, it’s okay! Me too! And the astrology of today can support us in venturing to the edges of our comfort zone, and slowly but surely, carving out new levels of personal agency.

III. Letting Go of Old Relationship Patterns

Now for the heaving lifting…

The South Node in Pluto asks us to see, acknowledge and begin letting go of deeper issues in the way we relate to others. Many things I said in the section above apply here. Additional issues of the Libran archetype include people-pleasing, co-dependence, anxious avoidance, chronic mistrust, control, manipulation, and other extreme interpersonal tendencies. This period of time can help us see if any of these problems exist in our lives. If so, we are supported in beginning to break down destructive patterns and tend to painful scars, transforming them into rich fertilizer from which we can grow new response systems.

The dynamics listed above are so pronounced in my own chart that my work on how I show up (and fail to show up) in relationships is never-ending. While unusually emphasized in my case, if you too were born with Pluto in Libra (most 1971-1984 babies but strongest for 1979-1984 folks at this time), I hope you find the rest of this section helpful if you’re facing relationship difficulties right now.

From an evolutionary standpoint, the Pluto in Libra generation is here to transform the relationship paradigm for humanity. That’s a pretty tall task, so let me start by saying we must take this task seriously but give ourselves a boatload of grace anywhere we judge ourselves in relationships. This is especially true in romantic partnership.

We are the latch key generation – the generation in which kids learned self-sufficiency and independence at a very early age on account of sweeping social change. Being self-sufficient as we are, we’re idealistic about love as a choice versus a need and must find new reasons to enter relationships in the first place. Adding to that, relationships are no longer man/woman, breadwinner/homemaker, presumptively heterosexual, two monogamous, cohabitating people doing marriage and kids. That means we need new models, new attitudes, new ways of dating, communicating, committing to and maintaining relationships once we’re in them. And we weren’t taught any of that! We’re just figuring it out as we go!!!!!! *mic drop*

For all these reasons, some Pluto in Libra people manifest extreme relationship behaviors. Some go all in quickly then disappear at the first sign of trouble. In less extreme cases, or as we mature, we may begin cycling between intense periods of relationship and phases of solitude. Going through these phases consciously (instead of reactively) can actually benefit us if we use them for honest self-reflection. This helps us refine our relationship goals and improve our behaviors so we might meet those goals. 

For 1979-1984 readers with Pluto in Libra, our charts heat up this month. This isn’t bad or scary. It’s good news. We’re actually entering the final phase of exposing what’s deeper so we can gain freedom from our complexes and find greater happiness. If you’re a hiker, you know that sometimes near the peak the air gets thin, we must slow down and pace ourselves. But the results will be worth it!!! 

So keep the quote on the image below handy this month. Recognize that intensity means you’re reaching new ground – CARVING OUT NEW COMFORT ZONE – which is intimidating at first but opens you up to greater possibilities than you’ve ever known before.

Wishing you an amazing month ahead.

xo,
Jules