After last week’s rock ‘em, sock ‘em action, this week is going to feel like a cakewalk. And good thing, too: There are limits to what any mortal can handle, no matter how conscious, and each of us already has quite enough in front of us just now. We don’t need additional complications, challenges or directions at this point. What’s called for is cleaning up lingering residue from any breakage that occurred last week and working within the newly focused and tightened parameters of our lives. We’re in a quieter moment in the cycle of change and evolution. Our culture conditions us to the contrary, but progress does not involve constantly pushing forward. There are always moments of pausing and reflecting or reworking, moments of going back and reviewing and redoing, moments of simply being still and letting things settle. They are as natural as the ebbing of the tides. Welcome these moments this week (which probably won’t be hard to do; they’ll probably be a relief after the intensity we’ve been experiencing.) Relax into them, and allow your being the latitude to address the developments of the past few weeks on your own schedule, for a change.
The only new element entering the equation involves the Sun, representing our personality and sense of purpose. The Sun changes signs, entering Libra on Tuesday the 22nd (that would be the autumnal equinox), and its first order of business is squaring Pluto. The Sun’s shift into Libra signals the return of awareness of the needs and presence of other people in our lives. The last three and half months have been a long journey into the self, and now it is time to peer out from our newly maintained boundaries and start talking openly and honestly with others about who we really are. Libra holds the potential for fairness and negotiation, and those are the qualities that deserve expression now. Be honest about who you are, what you are and aren’t willing to do, and what you need and want in the new phase that you are seeding. Don’t sell yourself short and don’t start out making concessions. Don’t assume you know what another person wants or needs, don’t assume you are responsible for fulfilling someone else’s wants and needs, and most of all don’t assume that another person is responsible for fulfilling yours. We can’t engage in that behavior anymore, after the realizations and commitment to personal nurturance that the summer’s eclipses bestowed.
Backsliding is unlikely anyway, what with the Sun/Pluto square launching the season. Under other circumstances, that square could be a pointed and startling event. After the past two weeks, it will be yet another increment of streamlining and empowerment. Like a gardener pruning a plant to remove diseased, withering or undesired parts, prepare to cut away more attitudes about and definitions of yourself that no longer work or fit the direction your life is now taking. Therapy and inner work can make great strides under this influence. We’re committed to our own flourishing and evolution, because the Sun is still resonating with the conversation he had with serious-minded Saturn during the New Moon on the 18th. Stay tuned for more information on this process when Saturn enters Libra and makes the same aspect to Pluto at 1 Libra/Capricorn on November 15.
The other major activity of the week largely repeats aspects we have already experienced lately, as Mercury’s retrograde puts him into contact with the outermost planets. He joins Saturn Tuesday before dawn EDT, bringing our mental processes down to terra firma and requiring sober, committed and practical thinking. Any parts that are ossified or outmoded are open to breakthrough thinking when he opposes Uranus Wednesday. This could well come in the guise of a challenge to or rejection of our point of view. A choice of path is also part of the mix, as Mercury makes an adjustment aspect that same day to Neptune. Higher guidance points in one direction, while fantasy/escapism adds glamour to the other. And although this aspect requires eliminating one option in favor of another, we will revisit this turf (and more will be revealed) in a couple of weeks after Mercury turns direct.
Otherwise, the skies are quieter than we have enjoyed in a long time. Nothing else distracts us from the slow and steady implementation of last week’s Virgo New Moon. That’s your work now. Review last week’s Moon report for information on how to make the most of it. Stop obsessing about what you’ve left or are leaving behind. Yes, there are details to deal with, but they do not have to consume your attention, energy and joy for living. Focus on your health, your own priorities and the seeding of your new life. Let the past be. The future is now.
Monday: Last night’s dreams teem with clues about your heart’s desire, particularly when it comes to a certain person in your life or on your radar. The clues elaborate on recent events, if yesterday’s Venus/Pluto link brought an intense encounter. If it didn’t, they’re processing a connection that’s growing in importance. Don’t try to make anything happen when you awaken. Sparks can happen naturally enough as the day progresses, but forced, planned or deliberated actions will lead to social discomfort or worse. The aspects grow increasingly edgy as the day goes on. Nobody’s quite comfortable in their skins just now. Keep a low profile and don’t take anything personally.
Tuesday: Happy Autumnal Equinox! Overnight dreams are important again. Something you’ve been chewing on gels in your subconscious and you wake up excited and motivated to move forward. A productive day flows into an evening that brims with possibilities, especially to implement the decisions and commitments that locked into place overnight. It’s the antithesis to yesterday’s raspiness.
Wednesday: This is the toughest day of the week. It does not have to be a trial; we’ve all been through more challenging weather as recently as last week. How you respond to today’s aspects is your choice. The Sun squares Pluto and Mercury opposes Uranus a little more than an hour apart, then an hour later the Moon hits agitation with Mars. For some people, this is going to unleash fury, terror, lashing out, anger (a lesser expression than the fury), recrimination and discordance. For other people, this will prompt sudden amputations and personal metamorphosis, breakthrough thoughts and conversations and the nervous energy to make change happen. If you’re in a tricky powder keg situation, be braced for it to go off, probably in ways you can’t foresee, if you schedule it for a meeting now. Confrontations are going to be hard to avoid; even if you somehow manage to remain alone this morning, you will come up against yourself with great force and volatility. The upside is an enormous potential for personal growth and liberation. By early evening, we’re at the crossroads. Mercury’s at one with Neptune, encouraging choices based on love and compassion. And Mars hits one with Jupiter. Grandiose plays, What’s the highest, best and future-oriented expression of your energy? That’s the one.
Thursday: We get most of the day to sink into everything that happened yesterday. There are only two aspects today, and the first isn’t till about dinner time EDT. It opens the door to good cheer and seeing the bright side, if you will just take the initiative to see it and walk through. There is a higher, positive benefit to every single recent development, immediately and in the long term. Seek the vision to see it.
Friday: Subconscious rumblings and lots of tossing and turning mean that deep within we are still processing the first half of the week. Pay attention to what’s running through your head when you wake up. It’s a status report. A daylong void (10:16 AM – 6 :19 PM EDT) makes for another soft day. The Moon’s last aspect before entering the void is squaring Saturn, and she enters his home base of Capricorn when she comes out. You may chafe at responsibilities or someone saying no mid-morning, and the impact can color the whole day. Remember that you alone are responsible for your own emotional security. Don’t get frantic, though the skies may trick you into that. Slow and steady wins the race.
Saturday: This is a weekend to take it easy. Consecutive days of down time have been rare of late, so don’t pass up the opportunity to rest, to rejuvenate, to simply be. There are only two aspects today. A Moon/Venus trine launches the morning with open hearts and an upsurge of smiles, sociability and good humor. Benign escapism is the answer around lunchtime. Otherwise, simply enjoy the wonder of living.
Sunday: All the aspects belong to the Moon, and there are only eight. Allow yourself the time and space for your heart to process the last couple of weeks. Watch for jumpiness and aggression mid-morning; better to express it through physical activity than unloading it on to someone. Communication flows more smoothly in the afternoon. The week winds down with enlightenment, insight and a feeling of settling nicely, firmly and solidly into our new paradigm.
SPECIAL FOR COSMIC PATH READERS: SWAT readings of what’s going on now in your chart. 30 minutes, $90 (normally $100) for paid bookings through Sept. 30. Mention CosmicPath in the e-mail subject line. Visit Kathy’s site FortunaWorks.com for podcasts, mp3s, a discussion forum and more on the eclipses, the Aquarius/Pisces traveling party and the Saturn/Uranus opposition. To join her mailing list, send e-mail to kbiehl@fortunaworks.com.