New Moon in Libra

http://eugenialoli.tictail.com/

This is exact this evening, the 19th October, at 8:15 pm GMT.

It's an important one. Expect instability in close relationships. The equilibrium will be upset, in potentially dramatic ways. Energy imbalances and abuses of power will be exposed. If they can't be addressed, sudden breakups and endings are likely. (And as new moons signify new beginnings, sudden new beginnings are also likely – one door shuts, another opens.)

One things is certain – we are doing partnerships differently from now on. Relationship issues have been under the microscope for the past month, but now we're at a breaking point. Existing relationships must adapt and deepen, or die. New relationships will have to be an abrupt departure from what we've always done. There's no point continuing to stay stuck in the same patterns.

For this new moon, Uranus (planet of shock, upheaval and rebellion) will exactly oppose the sun and moon in harmony-seeking, relationship-oriented Libra. As Uranus is unpredictable, this will play out in unexpected ways, but the main element here is shock. This is tough for Libra, which wants to keep everything lovely and nicey-nicey. But it's necessary. Libra is also associated with fairness and justice, and the point of this upset is the rectification of old, buried wrongs – especially stuff associated with sex, power, pathology, the Shadow, the taboo.

That's all Scorpio stuff. Jupiter is in Scorpio as of the 10th October, and maybe you'll have felt the tone shift since then – surface pleasantry is just not cutting it anymore. Jupiter expands whatever he touches, and in Scorpio, he expands awareness of the hidden, taboo undercurrents and the rot beneath the pretty surface.

And so we've seen the Harvey Weinstein scandal erupt and expand – people are calling the Hollywood mogul's exposure as a serial sexual predator “the tip of the iceberg”. The iceberg is an entrenched cultural system of inequality, exploitation, domination and abuse – and people are refusing to accept it as normal or keep silent about it anymore. This is progress – a rebalancing of some very skewed scales.

It is also a very good illustration of the cosmic weather this new moon. We can expect more of this sort of thing in the month ahead. In the year ahead, actually – as Jupiter will be in Scorpio till November 2018.

Mercury is conjunct Jupiter in Scorpio right now, so this is a good time for deepening your awareness of the Shadow side of relationships – and communicating it. Scorpio involves healing, but it's the kind of healing that follows lancing a boil. It's not pretty. Something poisonous has to be brought to the surface to be released.

So if you want to correct an imbalance in your relationships and yourself, the rotten, pathological stuff you'd rather pretend away has to be brought into conscious awareness. And with Mercury in Scorpio, it has to be talked about. And with Saturn in Sagittarius aspecting the new moon, you'd better be truthful; you'd better be walking your talk. It'll be pretty obvious if you aren't – cover-ups and excuses aren't going to work.

It's a very uncomfortable process but it's what's called for here. Uranus is likely to spark it off with a lightning flash of shock and clarity.

Heavy weather! But with Jupiter in Scorpio, your good fortune is dependant upon your willingness to engage with stuff you'd rather not look at. And for the month ahead, it's a matter of relationship life or death.

Walter Crane

Full Moon in Aries

see http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-38880353

This is tomorrow, the 5th October, at 7:35 pm GMT.

The sun and Mercury in peace-keeping, relationship-oriented Libra will face off against the moon in fiery, impulsive, warlike Aries. It's a me vs. we situation, and explosive conflict is likely, especially in close relationships. The challenge here will be to fight fair, and to find a way to work together despite anger and impatience.

Something really extraordinary about this full moon is that the dispositors of Aries and Libra (Mars and Venus, respectively) will be exactly conjunct in Virgo for it. Virgo is the sign of attention to detail, service and humility. So with this conjunction, any conflicts that rear their heads at this time have to do with WORKABLE relationship difficulties. This is a good time to try to iron out the kinks and achieve harmony – ideally via careful, fair communication focused on everyday details.

Libran diplomacy and tact and Virgoan humility are the way to go here, though you might feel like having a temper tantrum and storming off. Try to remember that temper tantrums are a total waste of this opportunity! You can achieve so much more of what you want by listening to the other's point of view, stating the facts on your side, being polite and kind, and making compromises.

What we all want under this sky is happy, functional, harmonious relationships. But you don't get them just handed to you. Balancing the needs of self and other is tough. There's bound to be conflict, requiring negotiation and compromise. If you want the relationship, you have to deal with the conflict.

The key thing is putting the work in. We have a bit of an impasse lining up, as Venus moves to square Saturn on the 8th October, followed by Mars on the 11th October. These squares speak of blocked relationships (Venus) and frustrated desire (Mars) – even cruelty. So getting what you want is likely to be difficult. But we are dealing with Saturn here, who is a taskmaster and teacher of hard lessons – so remember this is not supposed to be easy. It's literally a labour of love. If you love someone, you'll put the work in to understand where they're coming from and to deal with issues. You'll fight (Mars / Aries) for the relationship (Venus / Libra).

With Venus and Mars in pragmatic Virgo, love is not about feelings. It's the mundane work you do, on a daily basis, to keep a relationship alive and healthy. And with Jupiter in Libra, issues of fairness in relationships are magnified. The division of labour has to equitable.

Here is some food for thought on “emotional labour” - it's very relevant to the Virgo / Libra themes we're looking at right now (as well as the Aries moon theme of impatience / anger!)

We have a big shift coming as Jupiter exits Libra for Scorpio on the 10th October. Best to try to get disputes sorted out before then, as best you can. Compromise will become more difficult once Jupiter shifts signs - Scorpio is all-or-nothing and favours scorched earth tactics over diplomacy.

The new moon in Libra is on the 19th October. I think Jupiter's shift to Scorpio makes it a tonal shift for relationships - toward greater depth and a more perfect union, let's hope! But be advised, with Jupiter in Scorpio, if a relationship can't go deeper it's likely to fall apart. After the 10th October, it's go deep or go home.