On September 28th, there will be a New Moon in the sign of Libra, occurring at 2:26 PM (EDT). The theme of this New Moon is a noteworthy departure from that of the previous New Moon in Virgo we experienced earlier this month, with the emphasis turning from All Work/No Play to All Play/No Work—seemingly in the blink of an eye. 

With a New Moon in the early degrees of Libra, there’s a strong planetary emphasis on Venus by sign and aspect. Venus is considered one of the “Benefic” planets in Astrology, and a New Moon involving Libra and its Ruling Planet (Venus) generally signifies a time of interpersonal focus, with an emphasis on achieving harmony, balance and cooperation as well as a period where powers of attraction are highlighted. 

In addition to the obvious focus on Libra and its ruling planet Venus, this New Moon Chart depicts a heavy emphasis on Cardinal Signs. The Cardinal Signs are all about Action, and are known as the “doers” or “go-getters” of the Zodiac, whatever their follow-through (or lack thereof) might be. The Cardinal sign emphasis is a nice counterbalance to the sometimes-lazy, “easy route” energy of Venus, with a concurrent focus on Jupiter in Sagittarius prompting us to put ourselves out there in a bold, fresh way. 

That said, this New Moon in Libra is a much-needed recalibration, prompting us to get out of our work-obsessed mindset that dominated much of September, offering us a rare opportunity to reorient our worlds in a way that prioritizes our relationships, social lives and re-inventing our interpersonal style to balance our urge to act independently with the necessity of compromise. 

So while fortune does favor the bold, and Luck may be a Lady, do not rely too heavily on your ability to attract now, as this New Moon is at its core an opportunity to act (not just attract). And why would you want to brood? Especially when you’d do far better to light a candle (maybe two?) and go get your Lover in the mood…

Sun in Libra Inconjunct Uranus in Taurus: Control or Compromise?

All New Moons are a Fresh Start of sorts, and now this energy is directed to our relationships.  There’s a restless desire for new experiences now, and this Lunation in particular is an ideal moment to move forward and put ourselves out there, whether with someone you know or with someone completely new. The only potential risk with this is becoming so consumed with the idea of Perfection that we lose the power to discern. Discerning where—or rather, to whom—we give our time now will be a major factor in our relative “success.” 

Venus is the power to attract, and the more we attract, the more discerning we must be. At its best, the Sun and Venus signify attraction, lightness-of-being, and magnanimity. At worst, the Sun can be overly prideful and Venus overly (self)-indulgent. With the Sun in Libra and Uranus in Taurus, there’s a tendency to stubbornness that can preclude change and opportunity, especially considering that both the Sun and Uranus are in their Fall in Libra and Taurus, respectively. 

However, the shadow side of both Venus and the signs it rules—Taurus and Libra—often manifests as Superficiality, Vanity and/or a tendency to People-Please. The paradox of both Taurus and Libra is that while they may appear committed to diplomacy and kindness, there’s a selfish streak underneath. Often seeming to compromise or at least adapt well to others, Libra is symbolized not only by the Scales but by “the velvet glove covering an iron fist.” Thus, Libra vacillates constantly between Control Freak on the one hand and Party Animal on the other. 

As we approach this New Moon with a thirst for New Experience (Jupiter in Sag), it’d be wise to avoid impulses to use others as a catalyst for this. Action requires thought. And while patience is a virtue (or whatever), waiting for/on others is tantamount to inertia of both body (Taurus) and mind (Libra). With the Inconjunct of the Sun in Libra to Uranus in Taurus, our Superficial, Self-indulgent, or even Self-Aggrandizing side(s) may be brought to the fore. And while it’s true we may encounter this energy in others as well, it’s best to nip this Fat-cat in the bud, lest we allow restlessness (Sun-Uranus) to express itself in the form of impulsive sensuality or self-gratification (Libra-Taurus), potentially at another’s expense. 

Trying out new methods and strategies of getting what we want opens a door—or at least a window—to what we value in relationships. Have we been sticking to old, outdated power structures that no longer benefit us? When we meet someone new, are we truly interested in “what they do,” or only in what they can do for us? If we’re in a relationship, do we see our partner as an equal, or a burden? Are they our teammate, or simply “Arm Candy”? Have we been trying too hard to control a relationship or person, manipulating them into doing what we want, or have we been upfront about our desires? Are we capable of true compromise, or is it a “must” for us to have our cake and eat it too?

The answers to such questions may make us wince at first, to face them is to accept the subtle yet powerful purpose of this New Moon: to figure out what (and who) we truly value.  those who are self-aware will be able to reap the most benefit from this New Moon, as it represents a push to reconfigure our value system by ridding ourselves of outmoded beliefs in staid power dynamics and look beyond the Surface. 

Eschewing the need to feel in control of every situation—especially in the context of relationships—is a crucial part of this, as we attempt to regain a sense of balance and fairness. Because the first step in taking ourselves to new heights and opening ourselves to new experience; but experience, in turn, requires...well...Compromise. 

Moon-Venus Inconjunct Uranus + Neptune: Hyper-Sensitive

With the Moon and Venus in Libra forming minor, tense aspects to Uranus and Neptune, respectively, the need for compromise is further enforced. Only, the challenge here is figuring out how to preserve our dreams and fantasies without sacrificing our whole selves in service to them. We cannot be all things to all people, and the attempt to do so now will be strong. But if we give into this urge, we’ll almost certainly be setting ourselves up to fail, as spreading ourselves too thin inevitably leads us to resent those we might be trying desperately to please. 

We’d do well to keep in mind now that while we’re itching for new experiences in relationship, everybody’s a little hyper-sensitive at the moment—especially to the idea of rejection. So if we’re ready to make moves and jump into the new and untried, we must be careful not to lose ourselves in groveling atonement, but adjust our expectations (Neptune in Pisces) and accept any minor disappointments in stride. For even though there may be a need to pause and re-group, to redefine or change up our approach, the goal now is primarily about recognizing what it is we value, finding a balance between nurturing ourselves vs. how we nurture others. 

Venus Sextile Jupiter: Party Time

At the time of the New Moon on the 28th, Venus is highlighted not only because it is the ruling planet of Libra Decan 1, but because its placement at 17° of Libra forms a tight configuration to the (separating) Jupiter-Neptune Square. Though the Jupiter-Neptune Square perfected for the 3rd and final time this year on September 21st and was most “active” at the time of the Full Moon in Pisces on the 14th, with Venus aspecting both Neptune and Jupiter now, we’re still dealing with its effects. 

According to Astrologer Robert Hand, the Separating Square aspect is one that represents “a time of crisis.” Yet he’s equally quick to note that “crisis” does not necessarily indicate negative outcomes, but “can actually be an extremely productive time” (Planets in Transit, pp. 16-17). With the Jupiter-Neptune Square in its “Separation” phase, the challenge or crisis involves an honest confrontation with any area of life in which we may have been unrealistic or overshot the mark (Hint: Think back to the realizations that occurred around the time of the Full Moon on the 14th). 

With the potent, approaching sextile of Venus in Libra to Jupiter in Sagittarius, however, this New Moon represents a “reset” button—a chance to take a completely new approach to whatever (and/or whomever) gives us that warm n’ fuzzy feeling. The sextile represents Opportunity, while Jupiter in Sagittarius symbolizes “Hope” and Venus in Libra “Relationship.” When you put these together, the coming Lunar cycle on the 28th marks a clear opportunity to renew any foregone Faith in our relationships with those nearest and dearest. 

All in all, Jupiter in Sagittarius is about abundance and joy, and this New Moon in Libra provides us a significant opportunity to experience this, turning apparent failures into triumphs. But are we interested in reinventing our (approach to) relationships, or are we using our relationships (and in turn, others) to reinvent our own image of ourselves? If the latter is true, instead of basking in relationship bliss, we may be left feeling hollow, or left alone by our Prince(ss), once the Moon waxes Full...