On October 14th, 2023 we have a New Moon Annular Solar Eclipse at 21° Libra.
This is a South Node Eclipse and it is conjunct Mercury, square Pluto in Capricorn, opposite Chiron in Aries and quincunx Uranus in Taurus.
At this powerful Solar Eclipse, we are pressing the RESET button. South Node Solar Eclipses often come with an ending followed by a new beginning.
Venus At Greatest Elongation
The Solar Eclipse in Libra is ruled by Venus, so it’s interesting to pay attention to what Venus is actually doing in the sky at the time of the Eclipse.
At the Solar Eclipse, Venus is close to her greatest morning elongation. When Venus is at the greatest elongation (this only happens twice during her 584-day cycle) this means she’s at the farthest possible point from the Sun (47° away).
Venus is basically at the farthest possible distance from the actual Eclipse.
This is super interesting because Venus rules Libra, so she’s basically “in charge” of everything that happens in Libra. Venus turning her back to the Eclipse is like a host leaving their own party. “I’m done with you folks”. Elvis has left the building.
What does this mean? The closer Venus is to an Eclipse (or to any transit for that matter), the more emotionally invested we are in what’s happening.
There’s an event happening in our lives, or we hear something in the news. Whenever something disrupts the status quo, we get triggered. Our natural response is to get emotionally involved. To take sides. To have opinions – which is Venus’ way of saying “THIS is what I value”.
Venus at her maximum elongation suggests a different approach.
What if, this time, we don’t get emotionally invested?
What would it mean to leave your feelings and values out of the equation? How would this approach influence your decisions? Your actions? What would happen if you just let things follow their course?
Solar Eclipse In Libra – The Aspects
The Solar Eclipse is conjunct Mercury, square Pluto, opposite Chiron, and quincunx Uranus.
With so many tense outer planets aspects, we may feel trapped in a “me against the world” scenario.
The Sun/Mercury conjunction may condition us to cling to OUR idea of truth. But Pluto begs to differ – and comes with a different perspective: what if we believe to be true, what we believe to be fair (Sun/Mercury in Libra) may not be truest, or the fairest thing in the grand scheme of things?
Just because something feels right to us, it doesn’t mean it is THE best outcome in a greater scenario.
The Pluto, Uranus and Chiron aspects are also a reminder of the inevitability of life. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things unfold beyond our control.
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans” – as the famous Libra, John Lennon wisely noted.
We can’t force thighs to happen. Sometimes the best course of action is emotionally distancing ourselves from the situation and letting things be.
At the Solar Eclipse in Libra, do what Venus does. Take a deep breath and leave the battle scene. See what awareness might emerge in that empty space.
What Libra Wants
A Solar Eclipse is, first and foremost, a New Moon.
It’s that month of the year when one of the 12 astrological archetypes comes to the forefront of our collective awareness. It’s when all of us, regardless of our natal chart placements, put the Libra hat on and relate to the world from a Libran perspective.
So what does Libra stand for?
The Libra symbol is the scales. The scale was developed in ancient Egypt as an impartial judgment of how much something was owed or how much something was worth. Scales tell us the value of things.
Libra is our ability to weigh different alternatives from a detached place.
A detached place doesn’t mean we don’t care. It simply means we take our subjective perspective out of the equation, for the sake of finding a higher truth.
The lady justice holding the scales – the Libra symbol – is portrayed blindfolded – and that’s because justice is blind. There’s no place for bias and subjectivity.
There is another quality that defines Libra and distinguishes it from the other signs: its ability to pause and reflect. Libra is the 7th sign, the farthest point from Aries. This is the point of maximum separation from the Self (Aries).
Libra’s glyph is the sun set. This is the place on the horizon where the Sun can have a panoramic, 360° perspective.
Libra is a cardinal sign, and we know that Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) bring us the seasons, so in a way, it’s the Cardinal signs that introduce the dimension of time into our lives.
Aries is the present, Cancer the past, Capricorn the future. Libra is the awareness of how time influences us and how our identity evolves over time.
Solar Eclipse In Libra – The Choices We’ve Made
At this eclipse, take some time to think about the most important choices you made in your life.
When you look back at your life, at the most important milestones and turning points – what would you do differently?
This is a triggering question – most of us are wired to say “I wouldn’t do anything differently”, “I have no regrets” – because considering different outcomes shatters us at an identity level: what if I failed? What if there was a better way?
But the point of this exercise is not to dwell on regrets or make an account of our mistakes. It’s to gain awareness of how our past circumstances have shaped our present.
Reflecting on different scenarios is Libra’s expertise.
Reflecting how the past has defined us, and continues to shape us, is an incredibly awakening exercise, because it helps us see the connection between different aspects of our life.
These are some benefits of doing this exercise:
- Finding closure by realizing that “life happens” and that there are greater forces at play
- Notice patterns of actions and behaviors
- Make peace with the past
- (Re)discover your values and what matters to you most
- Paint a picture for the future
- Empower yourself to do things differently from now on
South Node Solar Eclipse In Libra – A New You
The Solar Eclipse in Libra is a South Node eclipse. South Node eclipses bring karmic clearance. We tie the loose ends. We revisit the past. We finish what is unfinished.
But let’s not forget that this is also a New Moon. New Moons are associated with new beginnings, and the “new beginnings” dimension of the Eclipse may feel at odds with the more past-oriented focus of a South Node Eclipse.
The devil is in the details. The difference between North Node Solar Eclipses and South Node Solar Eclipses is that North Node Eclipses bring us experiences and opportunities that are completely different from what we’re used to. We get exposed to things we’ve never been exposed to before.
South Node Solar Eclipses instead are about new beginnings that emerge from tying loose ends. From closing a chapter of our past.
At the South Node in Libra Eclipse, we are not in new territory. We know the playing field. We are in the same place we’ve been 20, or 40 years ago. But the scenery has changed.
We like to romanticize music, movies and events from our youth. “Things are not what they used to be”. They are not – because time passes, and life evolves.
At the South Node Eclipse in Libra, from the ashes of the past, a new, wiser you can emerge. Elvis has left the building. Who’s coming instead?
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