NEW MOON in Libra – Friday October 16th @ 12:31pm PT
Theme: Balancing The Light and Dark
The name Libra means ‘scales’ and is related to the scales of justice. The symbol says a lot about where the New Moon takes place this month and how the themes of Libra show up in our lives.
Libra contains elements of it’s preceding sign, Virgo, and elements of Scorpio, the sign that follows. The scale represents the balance between these two sides – the light and dark, birth and death, the devotional Virgo purity and the dark and deep Scorpio nature.
The lesson of Libra is to balance the light and the dark and bring our awareness to the eternal duality of life. Without dark there is no light. Without death there’s no birth. This week we have the opportunity to see how these two sides play out in ourselves and the greater collective.
In archetypal astrology, the archetype associated with Libra is that of the Lover and Partner. For this archetype, relationships are a spiritual path and the best way to evolve. The path of partnership asks us to constantly balance the wants of self and the wants of the other.
This is the highest teaching of Libra – to learn to handle the ups and downs of relationships and to balance the challenges and blessings.
This New Moon is also related to relationships as Libra is the natural ruler of the 7th house, the house of partnerships – both romantic and business. It can also represent clients if you’re a business owner as you enter into ‘partnership’ with them.
It’s possible we will experience profound shifts in this area of our lives, as it’s time for a fresh new start in relationships!
New Moon’s are the best time to set intentions so take time to plan the seeds in your relationships for the coming lunar month until the next New Moon.
It’s important to note – not everyone feels the themes of a New Moon the same. Each of our personal charts are so unique and different we can’t blanket that we’ll all feel one way.
What we can do is use the planets to guide us on what we can focus on during the New Moon, and understand the lessons of the sign and planets involved.
This New Moon has many hard aspects surrounded by many other challenging planetary aspects this year which is making life more intense for everyone… This New Moon is in Square aspect to Pluto, Saturn and opposite to Mars. No matter how intense things become, the lesson of Libra is to enjoy the people closest to us and put love and effort into our close relationships.
This is still a sweet New Moon in Libra (with several lovely connections with fixed stars) – a time to focus on love and partnerships and how to show up better in them.
New Moon Contemplations
How can I use my relationships as a spiritual path? What intentions do I want to set around relationships for my future? How can I show up better?
If you set intentions that have actions (such as reach out to a friend and make amends) it’s best to wait until the Moon is visible again – a couple days after the New Moon.
New Moon in Libra Ritual
- Cleanse and purify your space by burning rosemary, bayleaf, cedar, sage or any herbs related to your heritage.
- Sit quietly in meditation for 10-15mins, or do the Rising Woman Inner Child Meditation (download available in the RW bio).
- Ask yourself the New Moon contemplations or simply “What intentions can I set for this lunar cycle?”
- Write down images, ideas and clarity that comes through.
- Pull tarot or oracle cards asking “What can help me achieve these intentions?”
- Close your ritual space with prayer, gratitude, whatever has you feel complete.
- Note – don’t take actions on your intentions until the Moon is visible again 2-3 days after the New Moon.
Instructions for looking up your Rising (Ascendant sign):
If you don’t know your Rising Sign, you can pull up your chart.
Enter your info… and you’ll get a chart. (Note you must have your accurate birth time to use your rising sign, even two minutes off can change it):
The one on the right with letters ‘ASC’ is your Rising Sign, so look at that first, followed by your Moon Sign: ☽ and your Sun Sign: ☉
Rising, Moon and Sun Signs, areas this Moon and Saturn will impact you (Check your Rising first):
Rising, Moon and Sun Signs, area to purify this New Moon:
ARIES: Romantic partner, business partner, clients
TAURUS: Your service to the world, day job, enemies, your physical body, health, animals
GEMINI: Romance, lovers, sex, play, hobbies, fun, art, intellect, creation, children
CANCER: Home, mother, family, emotional wellbeing, ancestral roots
LEO: Siblings, online business, general business, local life, relatives, short distance travel, writing, speaking, teaching, mental energy
VIRGO: Self-worth, money, what you eat, your voice, possessions, skills and talent
LIBRA: Yourself, ego, how you present yourself to the world, your looks, identity
SCORPIO: Spirituality, your dream world, the past, pain and loss, bed pleasures, isolated places such as hospitals, prisons and institutions, channelling
SAGITTARIUS: The greater network, large groups of people, acquaintances, community, social media, online communities, good luck
CAPRICORN: Work, self-employment, your career, public image, leadership
AQUARIUS: Father, gurus, spiritual community, foreign travel, blessings, your belief systems, spirituality
PISCES: Death and rebirth, the occult, big life changes and transformation, sexuality, inheritances, other people’s money
What exactly is a New Moon?
A New Moon is when the Sun and the Moon are Conjunct – meaning they are together in the same constellation in the sky.
The moon changes signs every couple of days and the sun every month or so. When the two most powerful luminaries conjunct and come together (the Divine Masculine principle represented by the Sun and divine feminine principle, represented by the Moon) it’s a powerful time to plant seeds’ that will be harvested in the full moon in a couple weeks.
It’s also when the Conscious (Sun) and Unconscious (Moon) combine – and we get deep spiritual insights. The unconscious becomes conscious around the New Moon.
Farmers and gardeners who plant by the moon (biodynamic farming, and the ancients knew this of course) know to plant seeds on the New Moon – especially the first day when the moon is completely invisible.
They harvest, prune and weed during the Full Moon when the moon is bright and full.
