New Moon in Libra :: Cruel to be kind

October 6, 2021 at 6:06am CT—Wednesday’s New Moon in Libra is, well… complicated. To begin, it’s ruled by Venus in the sign of her detriment: Scorpio.  Some of her motivations in this fixed-water sign include profound attractions, deep loyalties, emotional intensity and secretive collaborations. Venus rules over the Libra New Moon, but she’s under-resourced while in Scorpio. Also, because she doesn’t make a sign-based aspect to Libra: she’s unable to see the house she’s responsible for. While the cat’s away the mice will play.

And in this case: the play is not as cordial as we’d expect in Libra because Mars has entered the game. The mice play with a Scorpion whose instinct is to bite. Whereas Libra holds high diplomatic standards, Mars drop kicks social niceties into the wind. To be sure, he’s somewhat restrained in Libra as he has to play by Venusian rules: but she’s in his home sign, Scorpio, which strengthens him!

In the heart of the Sun

Mars is fiesty in this chart. Planets within 1° of the Sun—or 17 minutes, depending on the definition you’re using—are said to be cazimi, or “within in the heart of the Sun”. The position gives them great strength to act. For Mars, that would be an act of courage, deploying skillful anger, or removing oneself from a situation. This New Moon marks a beginning that starts with a dramatic ending.

With Libra, we’re in the domain of relationships. Libra wants to maintain balance, compromise and harmony in our social circles, friendships and significant relationships. In this case, we could read Mars influence here as “cruel to be kind”. His energy has a cutting quality so that balance, fairness and a sense of peace is restored.

With Mercury in the mix and retrograde this could be a time for heated words that slice through to the deep feelings of resentment, betrayal and unfairness that have been uprooted with Mercury’s resent square to Pluto and Venus’s sojourn through Scorpio. The fact that Pluto stations direct the same day as the New Moon indicates that we’re dealing with very deep, primal and often hidden processes.

Betrayal. Deception. Heartache.

The Three of Swords which corresponds to the second decan of Libra and this New Moon is one of the most challenging tarot cards to receive. It often appears when we’re going through a crisis that’s left us feeling low and disillusioned. A person who we thought was a friend betrayed us. A love we held on to for too long breathes its last breath. Our last hope falls through the aching hole in our heart, gaping wide, raw and senseless.

But there’s another side to this card that holds powerful medicine. When we’re dedicated to working on ourselves, events + people + experiences enter our lives to illuminate the obstacles to our happiness.  Much of the time, these experiences are painful; yet the pain forces us to look within and recognize where we’re plugged up to receive what is ours to enjoy simply because we’re alive.

To take a step back: An apple tree has a contract with the universe to grow apples. In the same way, we’re designed for prosperity in all areas of our life, including love. Rilke said, “Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance.” Love is our inheritance! But to get there, we must remove the thought patterns that prevent it from flourishing in our lives. These patterns are so embedded in us—often from childhood conditioning—we don’t even know they are there. But when a Three of Swords experience occurs, it can reveal our blindspots if we let it. Knowing what blocks our true capacity for life empowers us to get rid of it.

If this New Moon and the months that follow bring you a Three of Swords experience, you might ask: What is my deeper fear around what is occurring? Does this experience confirm a belief that prevents me from experiencing life fully? When have I felt this before? Recognize that what has happened on the surface—such a friend’s betrayal or a painful ending to a relationship—mirrors a core belief around scarcity, unworthiness, fear of being alone or fill-in-the-blank assumption.  When we begin to address and fix that core belief, our entire life changes.

Even though this New Moon is indeed a complicated one, I believe it holds the medicine for those of us who are ready to end a part of our life we know keeps us out of balance and holds our peace hostage.

Image: Three of Swords by Pamela Colman Smith. Rider Waite Smith deck.