Libra Season 2024

For most of this Libra season, every planet except for Mercury and Saturn, are in the signs of their fall or detriment - which are the signs opposite to their exaltation and domicile respectively. The benefics, Jupiter in Gemini and Venus in Scorpio (9/22-10/17), are far away from their home signs where they are well resourced which means they have to get creative with how they bestow blessings. It may not look or feel like a gift on the surface, but when you see the intention, it becomes clear. 

Somewhat poetically, the start of the Fall season in the Northern Hemisphere corresponds with the Sun’s entrance into the sign of its fall - Libra. Leaves, temperatures, and minutes of daylight are noticeably falling. 

Mars has also been in the sign of its fall, Cancer, since September 4th. It will spend an extended amount of time here since Mars goes retrograde at 6 degrees Leo on December 6th and returns to Cancer in January. Mars goes direct at the end of February and finally departs Cancer’s salty, confining tide pools in mid April. 

Note: the last Mars retrograde we had like this was December 1977 - March of 1978! The most recent Mars retrograde in Cancer was November 2007 - January 2008 and the next one won’t be until 2039.

That’s a long time to spend falling. 

We have many phrases and uses for the word fall in English and most of them are negative (fall prey to, fall from grace, fall flat) or warn about failure (pride goes before a fall, the bigger they are the harder they fall). Even the ones that are neutral or positive (fall into place, fall asleep, fall in love) imply a loss or lack of control. When something falls, it is out of grasp. Surrendered to gravity and the other forces that be. 

Photo by Majestic Lukas on Unsplash

“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything”  

Malcom X

So when a planet is in its fall, like the Sun and Mars this month, they are not totally in control or able to influence a situation how they can when they are exalted or even in a neutral sign.

Mars, the red, hot, fiery planet of action, protection, and asserting one’s will becomes hyper aware of everyone else’s emotions and the general ~vibe~ when it is in Cancer. It is acutely aware of its own vulnerabilities and begins to assess everything as a threat instead of boldly pursuing desire without a second thought as Mars would in its home sign of Aries. Mars in Cancer’s actions match the intensity of its own ever changing emotions instead of the hardened relentless precision it has in its sign of exaltation, Capricorn. 

The Sun, the center and namesake of the solar system, represents the self astrologically. In Libra, the Sun must decenter itself and move from independence to interdependence. In my spiritual community we have a saying, “You are your own spiritual authority…in community” meaning that you are free to make your own choices in recognition of your impact on others. And so the Sun in Libra is constantly aware of the threads that tie everyone to one another and in that way cannot move as freely as it can when it is in its home sign of Leo or exaltation Aries.

And so these two heated, active and self oriented planets must reorient themselves to the needs others and reckon with the impact of their actions. And it is uncomfortable. 

This tension particularly comes to a head when the Sun and Mars face off in a T-square with Chiron in Aries around the 11th through the 14th. Chiron in Aries dials up the intensity because it recalls previous hurtful situations and makes them feel like they are happening in the present.

During this week you and those around you are highly likely to take things personally that have nothing to do with you and/or take on other people’s pain and then get mad or resentful about it. Instead of pointing the finger or getting petty, give yourself some time to pause, cool down, pause some more, and reflect to see what your part in the situation was. Jupiter in Gemini is exactly trining the Sun and sextile Chiron at the same time so getting curious and asking questions can help clear up any miscommunications. 

The lunations in October feature a Libra solar eclipse (new moon) conjunct Mercury on the 2nd and an Aries full moon on the 17th, right on the tails of the Sun-Mars-Chiron T-square. 

October 7th marks the one year anniversary of the attacks that prompted Israel to carry out an ongoing gen*cide and the destruction of Gaza. Astrologically speaking, this month’s Libra solar eclipse is the anniversary of the celestial event that catalyzed this year of atrocious violence. The 2023 Libra solar eclipse on the 14th featured Mars in Libra on the South Node and squaring Pluto, signaling an outsized and all too familiar act of aggression - a tit-for-tat gone way overboard.

During the solar eclipse on the 2nd, Mars is in Cancer approaching the same degree where the Moon was on Oct. 7th 2023. In mundane astrology, the Moon represents the people so I expect to see an increase in protests in Israel and repression as Israelis continue to unleash their anger about the hostages still being held captive.

This is the last eclipse in Libra for 9 years and in general eclipses tend to bring major endings and beginnings. I’m hoping that we see a ceasefire soon and an increase in aid to help Palestinians rebuild. If you’d like to support the people in Gaza, please consider donating an e-sim through watermelonwarriors.io.

On a personal level, the eclipse brings an opportunity to change your perspective and let go of some worn out narratives about how you relate to others. This may come about through some repressed or concealed information coming to light since the ruler of this eclipse, Venus, is in the secretive sign of Scorpio. 

The full moon on the 17th further inflames the tender places that get agitated during the Sun-Mars-Chiron T square. However, now the Moon and Mars are in each other’s home signs (mutual reception) and can help each other out. This can look like having the courage to have a difficult conversation where you need to make a stand for yourself or removing yourself from a situation that prevents you from taking care of your own needs. 

Folks with lots of cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) placements - this is going to be a spicy month! I’m available for readings to talk through how these transits and the eclipses are impacting your own chart.