There are a few major shifts this week that should produce a more balanced perspective and acceptance of things as they are, which can help reduce anxiety.

In world affairs, there’s a renewed emphasis on negotiations for peace, although the most important developments will take place out of the public eye and may bear little resemblance to what’s being reported in the media. Military operations will be covert or, at the very least, called something other than what they are. More about that in a minute.

On Monday, Pluto comes out of retrograde less than two hours before the Sun enters Libra – in astrological terms, the Libra ingress. Then on Wednesday (late Tuesday in western time zones), we have the New Moon at 1 degree Libra. Libra is the sign of balance, represented by the scales – the old-fashioned kind with two pans hanging from a balance beam. According to star lore, Libra represents the scales used to weigh the harvest, which occurred during the preceding month of Virgo. In some languages, the word for scales is balance. The scales also represent justice. In one version of the origins of Virgo, the maiden is Astrea, the goddess of justice, who holds the scales of Libra. So the story goes, Astraea lived on Earth during the Golden Age of humanity, but when men became violent and corrupt, she left in disgust, leaving them to fight among themselves.

Astrologically, Libra represents balance, equilibrium, and harmony, in both the external world and our inner world. The turmoil in the world over the past four years has been mirrored in the inner turmoil that many of us have been experiencing since the summer of 2010, when our paths began getting steeper, hinting at possible big changes ahead. In August 2010, continuing into the first half of September, there was an intense T-square configuration with several outer planets in the early degrees of cardinal signs Aries, Libra, and Capricorn. The cardinal signs represent initiation – the start of new directions, new ways of being, new projects, and so forth. Back then, I wrote a lot about pioneering new territory.

The conflicts inherent in a T-square and the nature of the planets involved meant that parts of our lives – and, more importantly, our beliefs about the world and our place in it – had to break down in order for the changes to take place. Think back to what was happening for you in August and September of 2010 and how events back then led to where you are now. What did you think you wanted back then? What do you want now? Have your priorities or values changed? What about how you view yourself and your purpose in the world? What can you accept now that scared you back then?

This New Moon and the New Moon in Capricorn on December 21 activate that cardinal T-square, but in a way that allows us to see how far we’ve come.

Pluto’s return direct at the New Moon helps us see in a very real way how we have transformed internally and how that is changing our external reality. As long as Saturn remains in Scorpio (in mutual reception with Pluto in Capricorn), there will be a continuing need for trial and error, but essentially we should know whether we’re at least building in the right place. If not, there’s still time for some adjustments, but overall, there’s an increased sense of confidence that everything is OK and we’re exactly where we need to be. That said, I think our definition of “stability” has changed. I liken it to riding a bike. Staying in motion is what keeps it upright. When you stop, you fall over.

The brightest aspect in the New Moon chart is the supportive trine from Jupiter to Uranus (exact on Thursday). In 2010, Jupiter and Uranus were conjunct at the beginning of Aries, signifying the start of something big, new, and exciting. Unfortunately, it wasn’t sustainable, because we were trying to build something new and radically different without changing the old, outmoded beliefs. Events in the intervening four years helped bring about the necessary changes, although at the time, it was hard to appreciate that kind of “help.”

On the downside in the New Moon chart, Mars is in a conflicting square with Neptune. The aspect is past its peak (exact today, September 21), but still active. There are many ways to avoid dealing with the unresolved issues buried deep in the psyche, and the closer those issues get to the surface, the more desperate become the attempts to suppress them. Drinking and overuse of recreational substances is often the method of choice. Another problem with this combination is that enthusiasm and big ideas are there, but there is no energy to follow through.

Uranus and Pluto remain in a square through next spring, but this is more relevant for world affairs and broad societal trends. For more about that, the Libra ingress chart is a better indicator. As usual, I set my ingress charts for Washington, D.C., but I did take a look at the chart for Moscow.

The Ascendant in the chart for Washington is 12 degrees Gemini. Both the Sun and chart ruler Mercury occupy the fifth house, along with Venus and the lunar North Node. The Moon is in the fourth house but close to the end, and within five degrees of Venus. Actually, no matter where in the world the chart is set for, Venus and the Moon are close together, which to me says that people everywhere want peace – if for nothing else, as a practical matter. They’re not going to be inclined to fund dubious foreign wars when a large percentage of the population isn’t getting their basic needs met. In the Moscow chart, Venus is conjunct the Ascendant by exact degree, indicating that peace is an overwhelming concern for the Russian people.

In the U.S. chart, the Moon in the fourth house represents the public concern about terrorism. The Powers That Be in Washington know this, which is why they’re doubling down on PR. The media, for their part, are all too happy to oblige. Fear and conflict sell newspapers. Mercury represents the news media and communications. For many people, the news is entertainment. This placement of Mercury in the Libra ingress chart suggest that Washington will succeed in diverting public attention away from what’s really going on. Not that this doesn’t happen all the time, but this chart suggests that there will be a lot going on in secret and that the U.S. and its intelligence allies will be working overtime to make sure it stays that way. It’s even possible that President Obama will serve as a distraction. Indeed, that looks likely.

That’s not to say that everything that goes on behind closed doors will be suspicious. Delicate international negotiations have to be kept secret or they can collapse. For example, there is some indication that the United States is going through back channels to coordinate with Syrian President al-Assad on airstrikes in Syria against the Islamic State. If that became general knowledge, the hawks in Congress would have a field day, especially since there is much at stake for both parties in the November elections. With chart ruler Mercury in Libra and in mutual reception with Venus, it appears that there is a genuine international effort being made to find non-military solutions.

Nonetheless, it appears that there will be “boots on the ground” sooner or later, but for now the war is being fought covertly. Mars is in Sagittarius, representing ventures abroad, and he’s in the sixth house, which rules armed forces. Saturn also is in the sixth house, and he rules the Midheaven, which represents the White House and Senate Democrats. Further, he’s in secretive Scorpio. If troops are sent in the next three months, they will be called something other than what they are – for example, a “peace-keeping force” or a “humanitarian mission” – and that will be the allegorical camel’s nose in the tent. Incidentally, the Midheaven in this chart is very close to the degree of Obama’s Rising sign.

The Jupiter-Uranus trine in this chart is not necessarily positive, at least not from the people’s point of view. More and more, I’ve been looking at Uranus as a possible indicator of fascism and the extreme right wing, especially those favoring “free-market” enterprise, which is code for “no regulation.” You don’t have to think too hard about why the United States is cooperating with the fascist-friendly government in Ukraine. Jupiter represents the banks and banksters, who are a key component of the so-called “Deep State.” Pluto, meanwhile, is in the eighth house of international finance, and he’s in a cooperative relationship with Saturn.

But Uranus also symbolizes rebels, and the eleventh house represents legislation. The House voted last week to send weapons to Syrian rebels seeking to overthrow al-Assad, but there are many other likely possibilities here, especially with elections looming.

It’s worth noting that this Libra ingress period will include two eclipses, both in October, and Mercury will be retrograde October 4-25. There’s a good possibility of an “October surprise” before the November elections. Speaking of Mercury, the Messenger dips his foot into Scorpio this week, suggesting that embarrassing secrets could surface or at least hints of one that will come out at the end of October.

There’s more I could write, but I need to get this forecast posted. I’m running late due to all the work I’ve been doing for the past two weeks on the new website. I’ve tried to make it look as much like the old one as possible, given the limitations of hosting on WordPress.com. Not that I’m complaining. The limitations serve almost entirely to protect WordPress.com servers from hackers, which was why I finally decided to migrate. Ironically, for the 12 hours or so that my e-mail was being rerouted, I checked my webmail box and found thousands of messages by hackers trying to use my e-mail addresses to send spam. All of them bounced back as undeliverable and have been sitting in my in-box since the end of August.

So, while unpacking boxes in my new home, I’ve had to go back and give a good cleaning to the old one. I’ve already done that once this summer.

By the way, there are still some formatting issues and broken links. If you come across one, please let me know, either in a comment or in an e-mail.

Much love and courage to all,

Pat

© Pat Paquette, RealAstrologers.com, 2014.