One plus one is more than two

I have two metaphors for you this month.

1, The riddle of juxtaposition:

Two colors, when put next to each other, strike us differently than when we see each color in isolation. Some colors effect each other more so than others. Hence, when an individual is in the company of other individuals, facets of that individual come forth, recede, and otherwise shift, depending on the context. "Individual" does not necessarily refer only to human beings, but also to philosophies, actions, environments, animals, plants, forces of nature, etc.

This month, consider yourself in juxtaposition to the people, events, environments and moods around you. Consider the juxtapositions of the different elements of your character and of your life.

2, The Circus of balance:

Let's go to the circus for a moment. Consider the different kinds of balance required of the juggler and the person who stands and walks on top of a giant ball. The juggler is firmly planted on the ground. Their stance is strong. Their balancing act takes place in the air, and in time. The person on top of the ball is themselves precariously placed on an unstable point. They themselves are in the air, and adjusting their position in space.

This month, consider whether you are balancing elements of time or space. Consider whether you are planted firmly, and maintaining the balance and levity of various elements, or whether you are precariously placed, adjusting yourself to maintain an upright position in space. More than likely, you will find that you are juggling several balls while you yourself are standing on a ball.

I am, for once, not talking about the great ball of the Earth in this metaphor.

Autumn Equinox: 9/22/16 at 7:21 AM PDT

It's a bittersweet moment when summer ends and autumn begins. It's goodbye to the open, carefree feeling of summer, and hello to the season of purposeful activity and paring back to the essentials. We're still in the transitional time of the harvest, when the sun still warms us and there's so much a-fruit, even as the temperature cools and the light shifts.

The chart cast for this autumn, which will effect the feel of the entire season, abounds with both tensions and opportunities. A mutable grand cross indicates we'll most certainly be juggling a lot of balls this season, which will require a daily practice of coming back to center - i.e. BEing. We also have opportunities to grow through developing our contacts with others, and through collaborating with those who share our philosophies.

Autumn is the season of letting go. This autumn's chart suggests we let go of needless distractions that stimulate overwhelm, so we can calm down, focus, and tend to what truly matters.

What distractions can you let go of?

What returns you to a sense of BEing?

Herbs for Autumn 2016:

We are being pulled in so many directions that we are sure to need the support of adaptogenic herbs to maintain our vitality, immunity and groundedness. I highly recommend SCHISANDRA BERRIES at this time, which, in addition to building the adrenals, also help focus the mind when our attention is scattered, and soothe the liver, which could be upset by all the willfulness of these configurations. They blend well with tasty, encouraging and grounding ELEUTHRO, instilling both vitality and calm.

Sun in Libra: 9/22/16 - 10/22/16

When the sun transits through the sign of the scales, it's time to bring your life into balance in every way possible - your balance of output/input, solitude/togetherness, activity/rest, work/home, etc. Relationships of all kinds involve the balance of I and thou, and so they too become a place of great attention at this time of year.

The solar month begins with two planets stationing direct (see Mercury & Pluto sections below), so even though the tensions of a grand mutable cross indicate great activity, there is simultaneously a potent underlying sense of suspension. Even as you run around, juggling your many balls of activity and responsibility while you teeter precariously on your great wobbly ball, you will also feel as though you are ever hovering in that moment between inhalation and exhalation.

What in your life feels out of balance?

What brings you back to center?

What in your life is in that moment of prescient pause?

Wrapping up Mercury's Retrograde: 9/21/16 - 10/6/16

Mercury stations/ed direct on 9/21 at 10:31 PM PDT, which puts us in the resolution phase of the Mercury retrograde cycle. The issues that cropped up during the actual retrograde (8/30 - 9/21) can now be completed over the next few weeks (9/21 - 10/6). This retrograde occurred in Virgo, a sign which excels at putting things in order, signifying it's time to clear out some clutter, organize what's useful, and then make something out of those remaining ingredients.

What (or who) is hanging around that no longer fits in your life that you can let go of?

Are there any corners of your space, time or mind that need reorganizing?

What practices keep you focused and connected to your path?

Pluto Takes a Stand

Pluto - the god of the underworld, the god of riches, the god of sacred exchange, the god of step into your true power in service of humanity, the god of death and rebirth - also stations direct on 9/26/16 (retrograde since 4/18/16). This influence effects us on subtler levels than Mercury's overtly haywire shenanigans. Something is stirring deep, deep, deep beneath the surface. See if you can feel it. That's your potency, and it has a job to do if you'll only let it.

That's not all Pluto's up to this month. Uranus, the god of electricity and inspiration, retrogrades back into a square relationship with Pluto in October, lasting through April of 2017. This influence formed a tense, confrontational and transformational backdrop to the energy of the past few years (2012 - 2015) - stimulating upheavals, overhauls, power struggles, major pushes forwards, and many skeletons pulled out from the deep, dank and dusty recesses of closets - exposing in no uncertain terms both personal and societal truths. It's also the force behind the kinds of extremism of conservatism holding fast to power (Pluto in Capricorn) and impatient radicalism (Uranus in Aries) abounding in social and political climates.

What have you been transforming and developing since April?

Are you ready to bring something transformative, deep or hidden to the surface?

Uranus + Pluto = Personal & Societal change

There are creative ways to simultaneously channel these conflicting forces of a need for radical change now with a need for building empowering and lasting structures. It requires a personal acknowledgment of our own responsibility, even in situations in which we feel powerless. No matter how much power someone has over us, we still control and are responsible for our own words, actions, and thoughts. With our own responsibility and long-range goals clearly in mind, this configuration asks that we work within the community to develop more egalitarian systems for the benefit of future generations. We will taste some, but not all, of the fruits of the labors these planets inspire in us.

These outer planets insist we cultivate patience, as the issues they are stimulating began percolating when Uranus and Pluto conjoined in Virgo (the sign of putting things in order, of being in right service, and of healing) in the 1960's. This is the first major point of tension in the cycle that began then - a cycle which will not complete until the distant year of 2104. In the USA, societal concerns for the environment and for gender, LGBTQ, and racial equality began in the 1960's with that conjunction. Those issues are now at decisive points, but from the perspective of astrology, they are not at points of resolution. It serves these causes to maintain a vast perspective of time that spans generations: Our job is to - together - build something healing to society and to the environment that others can carry forwards.

New Moon in Libra: 9/30/16 at 5:11 PM PDT

With all the pushes to action we are getting from so many squares and oppositions, we will be in great need of REST by the new moon. Take some time out on this day, so you can come back to center, and envision a new experience of balance in your life.

Herbs for this Libra New Moon:

The sun and moon receive an offbeat slant of energy from Neptune, the planet of dreams. Here's a lovely tea blend that resonates with the planetary imperatives of the evening, and stimulates balancing dreams for the night: 1 tsp. each SPEARMINT, ROSE PETALS, & MUGWORT with a pinch of ground NUTMEG per cup of boiling water. Cover and steep 20 minutes to 1 hour before drinking.

Super Full Moon in Aries: 10/15/16 at 9:23 PM PDT

At this full moon, the moon is near its closest pass to the earth in its monthly orbit around our home planet. That close proximity stimulates bigger fluctuations in the tides of the oceans, and in the tides of our hearts. The full moon chart shows a loose T-square (tense configuration) involving six of the ten major bodies of astrology. The sun and Mercury in Libra (graceful, compromising, objective) oppose the moon and Uranus in Aries (hot-headed, impatient, subjective), while Pluto and Mars add torque from Capricorn (authoritative, goal-oriented, hard-working). Curb your criticism at this time, whether it's directed towards yourself or others, so you can focus on the more evolutionary side of this conglomeration of energy: Collaborate with others to build something innovative.

Herbs for this Aries Full Moon:

It's time to find your grit. You'll need it for the rest of the autumn. For this purpose, some silica-rich HORSETAIL with some nerve-nourishing OAT STRAW and some grounding and strengthening ASHWAGHANDA will go a long way. In the evening, you can also add some VERVAIN to help you let go of your cares so you can rest.

Next Month...

We'll continue to feel this month's tensions mount as we experience the closest (i.e. biggest impact on our emotions) full moon of the year, and another tense major configuration. Also, Neptune, the dreamer and redeemer, stations direct. Here's wishing you a month of balance, abundance, and resolution. In the meantime, feel free to contact me or schedule an astrology consult or healing session. Thanks for reading,

Rae

Chronology of the Solar Month of Libra 2016:

9/21-22 - Mercury stations direct - resolution phase - getting the pesky details in order

9/22 - Sun enters Libra, Autumn Equinox - the operative word is BALANCE

9/25 - Autumn equilux - night & day are equal today

9/26 - Pluto stations direct - note what occurs around this day (see above)

9/27 - Mars enters Capricorn until 11/8 - take practical action and make steady effort

9/30 - Libra new moon - envision a new balance

10/15 - Super full moon in Aries - balance assertion/action with compromise/grace

10/22 - Sun enters Scorpio - read next month's post for details