Current Libran Considerations

8.31.08


Good news for anybody who's spent the past couple weeks becoming increasingly bored, frustrated, trapped or otherwise 'over it'. The astro-landscape is indeed changing…

Much of July and August was spent in Virgoland… and, thanks to Saturn's overriding influence, under the strict necessity of 'doing the right thing' right down to the letter.

But when Mars slipped into Libra a couple weeks back (on Aug 19), that compulsion to maintain tight control over the little details began to ease up. We continue to ease on down that road now, as both Mercury and Venus also crossed over into Libra over these past few days. With all three personal planets now in Libra, we must be on our toes on the interpersonal level… keep ourselves constantly abreast of 'the other side' (i.e., how they think, what they want, how to get what we want from them without throwing the balance way off), to see how we'll ride the social waves in this newly reconfigured self of ours.

Over the past couple months, the little crap we'd ordinarily let slide (usually to our detriment) became the testing-ground for whether we were willing to practice our precision in discerning what we really think is healthy and acceptable behavior (in ourselves and others) from what decidedly is not. The stakes seemed higher for this or that compelling reason—or, from the astro-perspective, thanks to Saturn and Uranus's involvement—and we knew, if were listening to our inner truth, it was at last time to draw a line.

As is often the case, it's these tiny straws that ultimately prove to break the camel's back. Perhaps to prove this point, so many folks I've recently been in contact with have had major (and long-simmering) circumstances finally come to a head. It makes sense that the recent past indeed seems to point to a much larger transition… especially considering the fact that each inner planet which passed through Virgo (first Mars, then Mercury and Venus, now the Sun) also made (1) a conjunction to Saturn and (2) an opposition to Uranus in Pisces.

The astrological facts, therefore, point to a broader relevance of these last two months' developments beyond a mere circumstantial footnote. As I interpret it, what we recently experienced qualifies as an official introduction to the now-entering-full-effect Saturn-Uranus opposition—unquestionably the big astro-news for the time being and itself a prelude to a 'Cardinal Climax', a T-square between Saturn, Uranus (while conjunct Jupiter), and Pluto in the early degrees of the cardinal signs.

Yes, that last sentence contained a lot of astrological detail, which I'll probably be spending the next few years unpacking for you. Suffice it to say, we ain't seen nothin' yet, folks… and whatever themes we personally tackled during July and August hint at the types of personal twists and turns in store for us as individuals, as the outer planets arrange themselves into a configuration unlike anything we've seen since the Sixties.

Back here and now, we have a momentary window of opportunity to integrated our recently readjusted selves back into the social milieu, as the triumphant trio of Mercury, Venus and Mars conjoin in the diplomatic sign of Libra. Over the next three weeks, we therefore should make it a priority to get back in touch with those important friends and contacts we've lately overlooked… to fill each other in on the big news, to reassert our affinities and affections, and to get out of whatever self-enclosed bubble has most recently contained us within its myopia.

Of the three planets, Venus is obviously most at ease in Libra, a sign she rules. Meanwhile, Mars (ruled by opposing sign Aries) is least comfortable. Take your cues from these facts, and wisely recognize that getting along with others (even if it's superficial and/or temporary) is a much more favorable approach than grabbing directly for what you want (at least for this phase). We might even put our need to immediately fulfill desires on hold (setting 'em aside but never totally forgetting), in order to 'make nice' with the key players and along all the requisite channels. Pleasantly, with the cleverest charm and perfect decorum, we want them to want to give us what we want—and we must be willing to return them the favor, to stroke to be stroked, stroke-for-stroke, so everybody wins (or, at least, on the surface appears to, for now).

Mercury in Libra is an expert at telling the people what they want to hear… or, if it's something they probably wouldn't want to hear in quite so a direct manner, finding a way to lighten the blow so it hits their ears more softly. Adding the conjunction to Venus only sweetens this sentiment. The biggest issue to consider? Making sure we're not fluffing up the truth (and their egos), just to win their allegiance or approval. Dare we get caught sugarcoating to the point of near-(or-actual-)fibbing, we won't be able to ass-kiss our way out of the deep shit.

Mars presents the likeliest problems, if in fact we aren't quite able to momentarily squelch our obvious wants, though we may imagine we're being slyer than we are. Most of us don't like being pandered to, when it's blatantly clear somebody is pushing a barely-hidden motivation while deigning to tell us our hair looks great or what a smart person we are.

Mars in Libra is no less eager to score the victory than any other Mars sign—only masterfully indirect in its attack. In conjunction with both Mercury and Venus, this Mars can turn our supposedly friendly consideration of others' needs into a less-than-subtle strategy for serving ourselves. And if we're caught in the act, we not only don't walk away with what we want… but we also flirt with losing someone's trust, if our cloying kindness is deemed by them as disingenuous (or just really gets on their nerves).

If at all possible, try to use this super-duper Libra moment to sincerely appreciate your social connections—and the actual human beings who comprise them—you have in your life, without too consciously maneuvering to get anything from them. Or if you do need to get something, handle it as an eyes-wide-open exchange of mutual benefit, a la 'I scratch your back, you scratch mine'. Otherwise, any of us would merely be squandering our 'people skills' in demonstrating how little we truly care about individuals other than ourselves.