Well, as Mercury-ruled Lauryn Hill once sang “everything is everything” and things will all work out — but, how they work out is anyone’s guess. Mercury retrogrades aren’t exactly a comfortable time for most people, even if they’re not that big of deal, all things considered. And, with Mercury making a trine to Jupiter on October 3rd, there’s a sense that while the small things might need more maintenance, our big dreams can and should be our guiding light. Maybe it’s true, maybe all we need is dedication. But, dedication might prove to be a challenge when Mars in Libra is combust with the Sun on the New Moon on the 6th while forming an uncomfortable aspect to Uranus. It’s easy to get irritated when you feel like your efforts aren’t amounting to much or when you find your gentle optimism dampened by overly practical naysayers.
It’s important to remember that what’s practical for you need not be what’s practical for someone else. There are humans out there who do the extra-ordinary every day, there are humans whose lives and family structures were once considered completely unthinkable. Pluto stations direct hours after the new moon, reminding us that the structures we build our lives around were never meant to be permanent. Within each of us is the capacity to renew how we envision our lives — not just the present but the past and future, too. The next day, Venus shifts under the stars of Sagittarius, a relief that moves through us and invites us to laugh a little — especially when crying is no longer the release it’s meant to be. It’s the opportunity to get serious about play and be a little more playful about what’s serious.
By now you must know that Libra season has a lot to offer you, if you let it. Like the conditions for any great venture, an opposing energy can be a challenging blessing. It gives you the chance to encounter a different perspective, the opportunity to clarify your own intentions, and refine your approach. An opposing energy tests your investment and your ability to learn from your missteps. This week’s new moon in Libra is conjunct Mars, your ruling planet, and the Sun. The phrase “where there’s a will, there’s a way” doesn’t just come to mind, it’s playing on repeat in the room. Perhaps, a win in this case is less about fighting others and more about fighting for what you share. Are you willing to let go of one kind of win to make room for another? Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
Sometimes it works like this: You find yourself making bold choices about your appearance and presence in the world. You tap into your very human urge to be free from whatever limiting contracts you have made with the mundane world. You make moves to terminate what no longer fits your vision of yourself, you pull out the Jenga blocks and if the tower falls, then it falls. But sometimes it works in a different way. Sometimes the work you are doing works on you. What begins as a daily rote task transforms into a ritual. And, even when it feels endless, even when you’re feeling underpaid or underappreciated, you’re coming alive in a way you couldn’t have predicted or planned. Because this way can surprise you, because it can feel out of your control, it can be hard to accept and harder to claim. Good thing that you’re not afraid of the hard way.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
So much about being a mutable sign has to do with other people, what you learn from them and what they learn from you. The deep pleasure you receive from intellectual and interpersonal exchange is a source of energy for you, it’s a source of inspiration. Between your ruling signs’ retrograde in Libra and the new moon’s conjunction to Mars in Libra, you might find your attempts at connection a little more difficult, which can be especially disheartening if the feeling springs up between you and a creative partner. Try to remind yourself that, sometimes, the process of creating something beautiful together requires separation. Try to remember what your heart already knows: the creative magic possible between two or more people is made ever more potent when each person is given space and time to develop a private relationship with the uniqueness of their own self.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
Being subject to the moon is its own bag of tricks, and certainly a new moon in Libra is no exception, especially if you’re a Cancer or Cancer rising between 7° and 19°. While new moons can be invigorating, this new moon’s proximity to Mars in Libra has a way of dampening your efforts and causing a lot of irritation in the process. The co-presence of Mercury Rx doesn’t ameliorate matters. In fact, for Cancer rising people whose 12th house is ruled by Mercury, mental suffering can be a common symptom. That said, the stars don’t spell doom and gloom, though it might sound like it. Rather, they illuminate what we feel and remind us of what we know. Stay gentle with yourself these coming weeks, and be honest with yourself about your social limitations. Sometimes the best way to be present for someone else is waiting until you can offer them your more present self. Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
As the influencer to end all influencers, the Sun knows that it’s all about who you know. What better time to focus on the connections you’ve been fostering than Libra season? This isn’t some sort of prompt to start social climbing — although doing so is not a crime. This is about taking an honest inventory of the connections you’ve made over the year, the ones you’re drawn to nurture and the ones you tend to take for granted. There’s no use denying that we look for something in other people, no use pretending that there’s nothing to be gained even in a friendship based entirely on the past. Doesn’t that friendship anchor you to a self you’re not ready to let go off, for instance? Observe where you ritually pour your presence.. Is it reciprocal? Does it enrich you?Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
I’m sure you’re more aware than most that Mercury is retrograde, what with Mercury having such an influence over you. Perhaps your awareness is what allows you to weather the usual Mercury hiccups without getting mercurial in the process. No sense in getting moody about changes in the plan when plans are always subject to sudden change. No need to get ready if you stay ready, as they say. While staying flexible might be keeping you collected, there’s no reason to compromise your ambitions. If getting all the small things in order is more hassle than it’s worth at the moment, pivot to something bigger. If there’s a meaningful project that’s been on your backburner, now is a great time to invest a bit more of your resources and your energy, perhaps pull in a trusted collaborator. Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
Happy Libra season, Libra. Are you finding the smell of the air affirming your inner mood? The past few months have probably put you through the ringer, a cardinal condition, and it’s unfair to praise that condition for the fortitude it built in you. But you know more than anyone that very few things in life are fair and what’s unfair can still contain a kind of beauty. In the northern hemisphere, living things prepare to die. Death, you know, is an end and a beginning, though people rarely say “this is the beginning” in the moment of letting go. And, people rarely speak of a new moon as an ending, but what if you did? What if every time you feared something new, gripping your chest, you soothed your heart and said “being afraid of ending is natural.” What if, every time you felt the tug of loss on your heart you whispered “this is the beginning” to your heart — “let it begin.” Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
There’s something about Venus in Scorpio that subverts the usual expectations. Something about Scorpio’s distaste for the obvious and affinity with extremes. Scorpio is rarely satisfied with what’s readily available on the surface. This dissatisfaction is a pervasive feeling, a hungry one, and it’s a hard one to put into words. In fact, you might find that as the nights lead up to the new moon in Libra, that there’s a buildup of language inside you, a desire to build closeness hindered by your own resistance to speak without fully understanding your own feelings. Try to remember that you don’t need to be 100% sure of everything you feel. Speaking your words into the air might illuminate them for you, might grant you the insight you keep reaching for in the private dark.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
A big theme this Libra season is discomfort, how you deal with it, and how it can benefit you. Naturally, one shies away from discomfort whenever possible, especially if you have the means and the option of choosing what you’re familiar with. But sometimes discomfort is on the menu no matter what course you opt for because discomfort is a part of the experience. This week, you might find yourself in a social situation that challenges you, a conversation where your communication skills are put to the test, a part of a circle that requires you to take on a role you didn’t choose for yourself. While you might be tempted to wallflower your way through it, you’ll find that your initial discomfort can give way to a feeling of fulfilling connection with both the role you take on and your present company.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
Many of the opportunities people get in life have a lot to do with who they know. And, while you might not exactly have the reputation of being a people person, you most likely have a keen sense of what it takes to appeal to others and maintain a useful connection. With this week’s new moon in Libra conjunct both the Sun and Mars, you might find that the people, or the opportunities, you were counting on don’t work the same in real time as they do on paper. That doesn’t necessarily spell disaster, dear Capricorn. While it may feel tempting to rely on implicit social conventions, you’ll find that advocating for yourself does a lot more for your ambitions. It can, in fact, prompt you to get clear what you bring to the table and what kinds of contributions you value from others. Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
No one ever said that being a fixed sign is smooth sailing but, when it comes to fixed signs, there’s no fixed sign more likely to go with the flow than Aquarius. Going with the flow looks different on Aquarians than it does on other signs. Just like Scorpios are very good at appearing extremely candid while remaining invulnerable, Aquarians are very good at riding an emotional wave without getting wet. Perpetual chill and self-sufficiency is a good look but it’s also an exhausting one. While securing your own flotation device before helping others is generally advisable, you might find that this week’s survival strategy involves a lot more teamwork. Maybe it takes more than one person to build a raft strong enough to carry you from one stormy shoreline to the next.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
If you’re looking for it, Pisces, this horoscope is your permission to change your mind. Whatever it is you think you owe to someone else, whatever collaboration you said yes to, the consent you offered to a dynamic that no longer offers you what you need back, you’re allowed to reclaim your yes. More than allowed, you’re encouraged. While Mercury retrograde is hardly the time for cooking up a new proposal, it’s a fabulous time for reworking an existing one. Especially when it comes to your sexual relationships. But, coming to the table might require a kind of ceasefire, a surrendering of one’s weapons and weaponised grievances at the door. Here, you’re invited to feel into the power of your refusal — how good a yes feels when it’s true all the way down. Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
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