by Silvianne K. Delmars | Oct 5, 2024 | 
This week’s astro update began with a powerful Libra New Moon on October 2, and ends with a Capricorn Second Quarter Moon very late on Thursday, October 10. Here are the highlights (all times in PDT).
Wednesday, October 2
The new lunation began with an Annular Solar Eclipse at 10 Libra 14, with communicator Mercury just a few degrees away. This south node eclipse New Moon in the sacred partnership sign of Libra is highlighting relationship issues, and offering an accelerated opportunity to clear any old patterns still hanging on from the past.
Underworld Mercury adds depth to the mix, offering to guide us wisely through the inner minefields of our unexamined shadow material, in service to a new way of communicating – starting with how we communicate with ourselves. Is your inner self-talk loving and supportive or are you in a habitual rut of self-judgment and blame? This is a good week to tune in to the inner dialogue and just notice what you hear. Kindness truly starts from within.
Thursday, October 3
Jupiter is now rising around midnight and visible high in the sky before dawn. It is near the royal star Aldebaran, the bright red star marking the Eye of The Bull constellation. This ‘year star’ planet entered the sign of Gemini in May, activating the archetype of crazy wisdom, and daring us to delve so deeply into the world of rationality that we can, perhaps, learn to transcend it. Time to invoke the creative magic of the inner muse. What messages might expansive Jupiter have waiting for you?
Friday, October 4
Venus in deep feeling Scorpio is forming a flowing trine with Saturn in mystical Pisces this afternoon. A supportive alignment for accessing our deepest emotions to fuel our creative imagination. The planet of the sacred feminine will make her exact monthly meet-up with the Moon tomorrow afternoon (more below), but look for her to be approaching the sliver of New Moon in the evening sky starting today.
Saturday, October 5
Leo overstory Venus, in her ascent phase, is entering the third chakra portal today, as she makes her evening star rendezvous with the New Moon just after dusk. This is a month to explore our inner connection to our deepest sense of personal power. What creative projects are longing to be fueled by our energy and authentic desire? What new ways of bringing our true self more fully into the world are bubbling up from the inside? Be sure to sit with Venus this evening (whether or not you can spot her in the sky), and listen for any messages she might have, as she activates this transformational portal from the depths of willful Scorpio.
Mercury in airy Libra squares Mars in watery Cancer late tonight (PDT), continuing to activate themes of relationship and authentic nurturing. Although Mercury is still invisible to us as it makes its journey around the other side of the Sun, Mars is rising an hour or so after midnight, visible until dawn. He continues to travel through the area of the sky known as the sacred hoop, approaching the stars Castor and Pollux at the feet of the Twins constellation.
Sunday, October 6
The Moon goes out of bounds again today until Saturday, reaching maximum out of bounds north on Wednesday. What would an eccentric version of the Sagittarius vision questor look like? Could be a line of inquiry pregnant with possibilities this week, as the out of bounds Moon dares us to be different.
Look for the waxing Moon this evening in the western sky, hanging out half-way between Venus and bright red Antares.
Monday, October 7
The Draconids meteor shower should be at its peak tonight into the morning hours, although evening tends to be better than after midnight for this usually intermittent shower whose radiant is high to the north.
The waxing crescent Moon will be very near to Antares tonight, the royal heart star of the Scorpion constellation.
Tuesday, October 8
Mercury in Libra is standing opposite to Chiron in Aries, exact this morning. This is another exclamation point in the ongoing Aries Libra nodal axis activation conversation. What issues might be arising for you personally, pointing out the need for balance in this self-other resonant polarity? Chiron in Aries highlights the difficulties we face in owning our sense of what is right, in being willing to speak our essential truth, so we can approach relationship with others from a place of true equality.
With supportive trines of Venus in Scorpio to Mars in Cancer, and Mercury in Libra to Jupiter in Gemini, we have lots of support from the elements of both water and air (feeling and thinking) as we take this journey towards more self-compassion.
Having passed by Antares last night, the Moon will be near Galactic Center this evening, activating this potent cauldron, seen by many ancient cultures as a starry cosmic womb. Tune in for messages streaming from the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy.
Wednesday, October 9
Jupiter is stationing retrograde at 3:05 am PDT at 21 Gemini 20. This is an important milestone in its year-long journey through this effervescent sign. Archetypal Gemini loves information, and can often be found flitting from one idea or project to the next in rapid succession – or even attempting to access them all simultaneously. This innate ability to multi-task can sometimes be a challenge, as well as a gift.
As expansive Jupiter retraces its steps (until it turns direct again in early February), we have the opportunity to revisit particular melodies that may have wafted into our consciousness from the celestial music of the spheres over the last few months. By tuning in to our unique creative inspiration we can tease out those that most call to us to be woven tightly into our on-going soul song over the weeks and months ahead. We can also follow our guidance to let go of other, less immediately haunting tunes, trusting that they will be picked up by other singers and given form, all as it was meant to be.
Thursday, October 10
Our lunation week ends early this morning, as the Moon in earthy Capricorn squares the Sun in Libra, at 17 degrees 58 minutes of their respective signs. Time to take stock of this last week since the Libra New Moon eclipse, reviewing all the ways life has led us to explore conscious and unconscious patterns in how we form and maintain relationships. What old patterns have been revealed that may no longer serve? What new habits do we want to anchor in going forward? This second quarter Moon supports actions that will help us to build a healthier support system for our inner and outer communities, personal and collective, over the next weeks and months.
The Sabian Symbol for this quarter Moon at Capricorn 18 is The Union Jack flag flies from a British warship.
“Keynote: The protection afforded to individuals and groups by powerful institutions in charge of maintaining order.
This symbol reflects conditions prevailing in the past when Great Britain’s fleet was policing the seas under the international principle of the freedom of the seas. Times have changed, but the concept remains valid. Power is required to maintain social order and relatively peaceful interpersonal as well as international relationships. Alas, this power can easily be misused under the pretext of preserving ‘law and order.’ Justice and compassion must balance social power, and especially the power of privileged groups. Where this symbol appears, the need for protection may be in evidence — or it may be a warning against using power for selfish advantage.
This is the third symbol in the fifty-eighth five-fold sequence. It brings to us a realization of the ambivalence of POLITICAL POWER, its value and its dangers.”
– Dane Rudhyar, An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and Its 360 Symbolic Phases
I have been deeply affected by world events unfolding this past week near where I’m living; not so much in a personal, physical way but rather in my heart and psyche. The potential conflict invoked by this Sabian symbol, between the protection offered by powerful institutions and the tendency of this same institutional power to become corrupt and encroach, without compassion or conscience, upon our basic personal freedoms, has been very evident.
In commenting on this same symbol, James Burgess elucidates its central theme as “coping with the tyranny of unconscious people” and has this to say:
”We all live under the umbrella of an imperial force that has its own political agenda that rarely takes our preferences onto account.
Political power exists because the majority of people are not yet sufficiently advanced to behave responsibly and with sensitivity to others’ needs and wishes. The protection provided by the State is a real and important necessity of civilized communities; and yet such power is a corrupting influence. Very few people are capable of using any power selflessly, and the greater the power, the bigger the risk of falling prey to its dark shadow.”
As the old world crumbles around us and we struggle to build the foundations for a different way of being, we must beware of giving our power away, or looking for help, to those who do not have our best interests at heart. Rescue was never meant to come from some “imperial force” outside of ourselves but from our intimate communities – from our neighbors.
Our task now, as we dedicate ourselves to becoming Seed People for a New Earth, is to continue to practice the Libra art of collaboration, to foster strong communities from the inside out, not from the top down, to create true neighborhoods.
John Sandbach has created a revisioned set of Sabian symbols, the Pleiadian symbols. His new version of this Capricorn 18 degree is: A glorious dragon of many colors embroidered onto a flag. His commentary is, “deep alignment with one’s spiritual core.”
Maybe someday, as we stay true to this New Earth vision and follow step-by-step its exacting path, we will awaken to find that we have indeed created a neighborhood of mutual love and support – a truly galactic neighborhood, one that encompasses the entire Earth and all of her creatures.
It will be a vibrant community that lives and thrives under the banner of a multi-colored flag, where each individual exists to create in deep alignment with their spiritual core. Not because they are policed into doing so, but simply because it is our deepest, truest nature as human beings. This is my heartfelt prayer and my abiding hope, one that glows brightly within even in the darkest of times.