By Kirsti Melto and Eric Francis | Lunations


New Moon in Libra -- October 11, 2007, 05:01 UT. Chart by Solar Fire.
THE NEXT Sun-Moon conjunction or New Moon occurs at 17+ degrees Libra on Oct. 11. The chart is, perhaps, challenging as the Sun, Venus and Mars are in signs where they are said to be in their "fall." Fall is one of the ancient dignities. Dignities are part of a much more complex system that is all but forgotten now, and greatly misunderstood. It is a system of weighting how strong a planet is in its sign.

There are several kinds of rulership in astrology. The most common one we know about; for example, if you're a Libra, your planet, Venus, is said to be the ruler of your sign. But if you're a Pisces, your sign is also associated with Venus because Venus is exalted in Pisces. Exalted is like being a visiting king in a friendly nation; you are treated with dignity. But planets that are in signs opposite to their exaltation are said to be in their fall. When planets are in their exaltation they are usually able to express their nature to the best advantage, and when they are in their fall their influence is said (by the ancient astrologers) to be imprisoned. Using the energy of the sign requires some work.

But here is a theory for you. We have learned a lot about astrology from Chiron, which creates strength from seeming debilities. Chiron is often associated with a struggle that makes a person truly strong; or a debility that creates a superior ability or very focused talent. I have seen this "Chiron effect" work in many circumstances when Chiron is not directly involved; it's just one way that humans use adversity to adapt and become much stronger.

Libra is about relationships. It is a sign seeking balance and harmony almost at any cost, and typically willing to please others. It has a dislike of confrontation and a strong need for maintaining peace and stability. But it is also motivated by justice and an egalitarian spirit. Venus, the ruler of Libra (and also Taurus), will be in Virgo for the New Moon, and it has just completed a conjunction to Saturn. A limit has been reached, but it may not be recognized. It's like Venus is in a blind spot, unaware of where she is, and caught up in the details that would be applicable anywhere but are creating a kind of blinder to the challenges of the present.

Mars is exalted in Capricorn. This second planetary association (we all know about Saturn) is what gives Capricorn its power of initiative. Mars in Cancer would rather run than fight. It is a placement for Mars where it has difficulties in expressing anger and being direct, so that directness is going to be helpful if we can summon it without losing our temper. However, the pushy or over-emotional side of Cancer may come out, and that is a tendency to be aware of.

However, this is not a time for keeping the status quo at any cost, because Quaoar, a small world beyond Neptune which is astrologically about family patterns, is tightly conjunct Jupiter at the Great Attractor, which will magnify its effects. We will be able to see and feel the family pattern vividly. Mars in Cancer is a placement which may manifest as fighting against family and tradition, or being able to assert oneself enough to resist those tendencies. We tend to drag around family baggage, but this might be a good time to start a fair conversation and gain some healing on the subject.

The Sun and Moon are sextile Jupiter-Quaoar conjunction. The conjunction of Jupiter and Quaoar (which is pretty rare, happening every 14 years or so) will be exact the day after the New Moon, so it's a meaningful part of this chart.

Quaoar is a kind of planet called a cubewano (que-bee-wanno). It was discovered in 2002 and named for a Native American creation deity of the Tongva people from what is now southern California. Quaoar speaks to the rhythms and choreography into which we were born, as these manifest within the family pattern going back countless generations. It points to how we dance to the music of our own creation mythology more or less unconsciously. The square from Uranus hints that we are ready for a revolution in this department. The Jupiter-Uranus square, which is the third and last in the series, is exact two days before the New Moon.

The Great Attractor is a bit mysterious, a fixed point at 14+ degrees Sagittarius. It is a kind of anti-Big Bang, a point pulling everything -- including us -- toward it, but nobody currently understands entirely what this point is. Both Jupiter and the Great Attractor have a tendency to make things bigger. The Great Attractor tends to polarize situations and push people one way or the other; it is associated with distinct or even extreme opinions. Jupiter conjunct this point possibly either magnifies or softens its effect.

The Sun and Moon are opposing a conjunction of 1992 QB1 (289 year orbit) -- the first planet discovered beyond Pluto -- and Eris (557 year orbit) -- the first planet found after Pluto's discovery in 1930 that has proved to be bigger than Pluto. This is a very rare event because of the length of the orbits. The discovery of 1992 QB1 proved the existence of the Kuiper Belt, which had remained only theoretical until then. 1992 QB1 has not yet been officially named, but Eric has proposed Radharani. 1992 QB1 may have associations with the Phoenix-like process of arising into new incarnations within our current lifetime, which often happens as a result of near-death experiences or with the experience of "ego death."

Eris, for her part, represents that missing factor in the modern psyche; the sense that we are not quite whole, that our minds are fragmented by the onslaught of history and the pressures of modern consciousness. Indeed, Eris represents what is happening to our minds at the end of the Modern era and the dawn of the Postmodern era, when all the old rules, definitions, models and neat concepts that supposedly bolstered life are essentially lying in fragments.

Radharani in conjunction with Eris would seem to represent a factor that restores our sense of sanity in clearly insane times; that bridges us with the cosmos in a time when we have no tangible model of the cosmos.

The Sun opposes Eris on Oct. 14. In keeping with the theme of Libra, this is about our relationships. The inherent nature of a relationship is that of inviting another into our world. This means relinquishing a certain amount of control and making sure we are open to a measure of change and disruption in our life.

Asteroid Vesta is in conjunction with Pluto on the Galactic Core at 26+ degrees Sagittarius. Radharani can be compared with Vesta, which is about service to a higher power, giving oneself over, and tending the sacred hearth of sexuality and creativity. Vesta is the devotion and space-holding aspect of this energy and Radharani is the cosmic bridge aspect. Vesta is a guardian of the inner and outer space that surrounds the cosmic fire; QB1 is a guardian of the rift between the dimensions, personally bridging the contradictions of space and time with her awareness and opening the way to those who need assistance or who are not fully initiated.

The Sun and Moon are conjunct asteroid Psyche. The exact conjunction of the Sun and Psyche occurred the day before the New Moon. Psyche is the sense of the psychic wound that never heals. Often it is a wound to faith. It is where we think we are permanently damaged. WE ARE NOT! But that is the sense of where and how. Psyche works a lot like Chiron in that because we think we are damaged in some specific way (and often are), we do a lot of healing work and create a sense of power and special strength; the injury becomes its opposite. But there is often some kind of psychological legacy involved, and it can involve -- among other things -- guilt. So can Vesta, so we may want to focus on a theme of healing guilt at this juncture.

The Sun and Moon are square asteroid Eros at 16+ degrees Capricorn and square cubewano Varuna at 19+ degrees Cancer.

The most recently named trans-Neptunian object Borasisi (1999 RZ253) is conjunct the true node of the Moon at 6+ degrees Pisces. The naming was announced last week. Borasisi is a binary Kuiper belt object discovered in 1999. The binary companion, discovered in 2003, was named at the same time as Pabu. These names come from a fictional creation myth of a fictional religion told by Kurt Vonnegut in his novel Cat's Cradle.

Borasisi and Pabu are personifications of the Sun and Moon, and quite interestingly this myth describes family patterns:

"... wherein Borasisi, the sun, held Pabu, the moon, in his arms, and hoped that Pabu would bear him a fiery child.

"But poor Pabu gave birth to children that were cold, that did not burn; and Borasisi threw them away in disgust. These were the planets, who circled their terrible father at a safe distance.

"Then poor Pabu herself was cast away, and she went to live with her favorite child, which was Earth. Earth was Pabu's favorite because it had people on it; and the people looked up at her and loved her and sympathized."

The echo phase of Venus ends at 2+ degrees Virgo on the same day as the New Moon occurs. Venus is conjunct Saturn. We can say that Venus enters a new territory with healthy grounding.


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