New Moon & Total Solar Eclipse
On October 14, 2023, at 1:55 pm EDT, the first total solar Eclipse of the season arrives at 21° Libra. While this is a New Moon, which plants a fresh seed of intention, this is also a South Node (Ketu) eclipse, which encourages releasing, letting go, and removing stagnant energy and old processes in our lives. Whenever we have the first New Moon/South Node eclipse in a sign, it speaks to new origins unfolding in a way that may ultimately end or be a phase. You may release and share all the understandings you have accumulated in this area of your life.
At first glance, this Eclipse looks quieter and away from the activity. Saturn and Venus sit in the Virgo/Pisces axis, unseen by this New Moon. Mars and Jupiter sit on the other side in Scorpio/Taurus, again wholly hidden. The outer planets are also sequestered, except Pluto, which forms a square to this New Moon. When Pluto makes aspects to luminaries or more personal planets, he acts as an instigator, placing a magnifying glass on the worlds, forcing them to bear their secrets and show the hidden underbelly of what lives below surface-level pleasantries.
And in a situation where the Sun, and therefore our ego, has lost all power – eclipsed by the Moon and fallen in Libra – there is a significant decrease in internal and individual desires and needs. Pluto may show us where selfishness and living without consequences of our actions to others has a dark underside. Pluto can show us how we give our power to social dynamics or controlling forces that essentially drain us of our identity and uncontained self-expression. While this Eclipse is encouraging us to begin a new start, potentially in a way that affects our community or those we lean on, Pluto will show the shadow and hidden underworld of issues when we try to avoid the pain that comes with change.
Eclipses always operate in a hidden way, often only revealing their actual effects or intentions well after the date of the exact aspect. Allow whatever is shifting for you to unfold naturally and without trying to control it. More information about this Eclipse will play in the Spring and Fall and next year as we wrap up this cycle. The Sun conjuncting the South Node on October 18 will add another reverb back to the day of the Eclipse, reflecting on what it means to separate your ego from others and where two are the same.
Mercury will follow suit on October 19, and early morning on October 20, Mercury and the Sun will conjunct at 26° Libra. The post-retrograde Mercury and Sun conjunction is one of the more clarifying and distinguishing aspects that brings a new awareness and understanding to Virgo’s last Mercury retrograde cycle. However, this conjunction is also moving into the square with Pluto on the same day, again repeating back to the main Eclipse on October 14, providing a deep understanding of previous ideas, goals, and plans we had in our lives. We may start to see September in a different light, looking past the external experience and understanding why everything unfolded the way it did.
Early on October 22, Venus in Virgo makes a flowing and beautiful trine to Jupiter in Taurus. It will pull us out of our constant wheel-spinning in Libra and allow us to reflect on the gifts and abundance that may be flowing in the earth signs. Overall, this is a good day to have more fun, reflect, and appreciate where there is a little more ease and abundance in our lives. Mercury will also enter Scorpio on October 22, forming a trine to Saturn in Pisces, allowing for a more stable and suitable plan in place for our ideas, insights, and goals after the disrupting and destabilizing square from Pluto.
Scorpio season starts on October 23, right before the Full Moon and Lunar eclipse in Taurus. The Sun in Scorpio will feel a little more expansive and generative for self-exploration and rebirth as Mars is currently in Scorpio, providing more momentum to our lives, and Jupiter sits opposite in Taurus, affirming our direction and giving little gifts of love and tenderness to keep us engaged. The trine to Saturn occurring on October 24 allows for a restabilization of self. It encourages a more foundational understanding of who we are, which may’ve been broken loose or shaken up by the Eclipse.
Let’s look at where this New Moon astrology is happening for you specifically.
LIBRA & LIBRA RISING
The eclipsed beginning of this New Moon and Total Solar Eclipse in Libra is your sense of self, personal identity, and how you present yourself to others. On the one hand, there is an excellent refresh of yourself, a rebirth of your needs and passions, and how you find authentic self-expression. But because this is also a South Node eclipse, you should let something go to access that rejuvenation. Your entire life experience has shaped your individuality and, in that process, also created narratives and beliefs you hold about who you are. As everything changes, some of those old ideologies should be released so there is space for a revised version of self. While letting go can be uncomfortable and takes more effort than staying the same, breaking the inertia blockage can open up a new avenue of experience and possibilities. Transformation can be scary, but breaking patterns allows much more freedom.
Pluto squaring this New Moon eclipse adds another layer of challenges and frustrations to work through as you also evaluate yourself. Power dynamics and challenges may stem from your family and home life – as you work to reorient who you are, they may also try to establish a stake in that foundation. Be willing to be clear about what you are available for and what you are not. Power games and hidden reservoirs of familial information may come to the surface. You may need to set stronger boundaries.
SCORPIO & SCORPIO RISING
Your internal world, mental health, history of trauma and loss, and connection to spirituality and otherworldliness are the focus under this New Moon and Total Solar Eclipse in Libra. In a way, there is a new emergence of self behind the scenes of this Eclipse, where you reflect on your entire life up to this point – all the challenges, battles, losses, and healing you have experienced. The New Moon encourages you to utilize that information as a learning tool to create a new process for handling how you heal yourself and learn from hidden battles. The South Node eclipse portion of this lunation will demand a release and letting go, especially of confidential attachments that still linger around your past and internal experiences that you don’t necessarily share with everyone. To begin fresh, you must first clear away. Please spend some time in mediation or out in nature reflecting on what still has a grip on you and intentionally releasing it, allowing a fresh slate to be created moving forward.
Pluto squaring this Eclipse may frustrate or challenge the need to step away from the outer world demands, making your days busy and active, or there may be a power struggle over finding time for yourself versus responsibilities. Notice, too, what frustrations are coming up that are difficult to convey to others. Communication is critical during this Eclipse, even if describing this experience is impossible.
SAGITTARIUS & SAGITTARIUS RISING
Your overarching community and friend groups are the focus of attention and changes under this New Moon and Total Eclipse in Libra. Something different and exciting may be brewing within your community and how you have fun with others, more time and energy to get out within the groups, and escape from work-related obligations and duties. Or the friend groups are shifting, and you can meet more people who help you feel supported and inspired. On the other hand, as this is a South Node eclipse, you may also be asked to release attachments or relations to a specific community and friend group. It doesn’t have to be literal; sometimes, these releases center around our beliefs and internal dialogues about making friends and having more fun. Where are you becoming more aware of how you’re holding yourself back from having fun and enjoying life with others? How can you start to challenge or reshape those beliefs?
Pluto squaring this New Moon and Total Solar Eclipse will create challenges to letting go and having more pleasure in your life. These frustrations may manifest in power dynamics and control within the friend group, but also potentially with yourself and your willingness to release your grip on your schedule, work, finances, or whatever it takes for you to have more fun within your community. You may feel frustrated navigating against the responsibilities and need for release. A balance between the two is necessary.
CAPRICORN & CAPRICORN RISING
Career and public reputation is the eclipsed beginning brought by this New Moon in Libra. Shifts in the world may change how you appear; this may speak to a literal external change and new role or an internal deviation from how you have envisioned your work. Step into this new chapter of your life by expelling your old narratives and beliefs around your job, reputation, and being recognized and respected. It is also the beginning of a big release and removal, as South Nodes eclipses encourage us to reflect on what we have been holding on to for so long, that is past maturity, far beyond ripe, and is waiting for us to relax our grip. It doesn’t necessarily mean an ending of a role or position but a transformation and reiteration of a new stage of life, accomplished by sharing and releasing old knowledge and beliefs around your work and visibility in the world.
Pluto squaring this New Moon eclipse will intensify your role in this process. You have been learning more and more about what ignites a fire in your soul, and there is an intense desire to have that passion reflected in your career. This aspect may also uncover how you are playing into power dynamics or controlling directives at work and where you have the authority to change your path. If you listen to your inner world and selfish needs, what is that telling you about work, career, and life direction?
AQUARIUS & AQUARIUS RISING
Your long-term plans, future orientation, and five-year goals are in for a complete revaluation under this New Moon and Total Solar Eclipse in Libra. This lunation signals a new emergence of your future, what you wish to expand over time. Being a South Node eclipse also encourages releasing and removing previous beliefs and dreams to create space. It would help to let go of an older vision or reflect on what has changed since that initial dream. Our long-term goals are often a mirror of ourselves, and as the self is ever-changing and forever evolving, so is our future. The Eclipse may also represent previous desires coming to a final fruition, able to be pulled off the plant and pondered over the time it took to complete. Relinquish in the enjoyment of the ending of this vision, and be prepared to let go and dream up another direction.
Pluto squaring this Eclipse may highlight your personal and internal experience relating to your future and any attachments or returning patterns you have about changing directions. Pluto may represent our fears and doubts in this area of life and remind us of how we experienced loss and hardship. It may thwart our ability to trust the unfolding of the future entirely. Spend some time in your mind and listen to these concerns, but also give yourself love and respect for how you have moved through these challenges in the past and recognize you can continue to do so.
PISCES & PISCES RISING
Contracts, loans, financial matters, and your partner’s income or contribution (both business and personal) are the transformative beginning brought by this New Moon and Total Solar Eclipse in Libra. Something is shifting around money matters in your life, especially those income sources that you develop through collaborations and partnerships. Something may beg to be released and removed from your life to initiate this new change. What agreements or obligations are turning stale and ready to be let go of? In what way do you feel there is an imbalance of financial security and stability in your life, and what needs to be changed to create some agency and space? Removing the old may initially feel scary and uncertain, especially when asked to support yourself alone. However, look for new opportunities and partnerships. You can also step in. Transitions can be unstable but are good as they allow for opportunities you may’ve been closed to.
When navigating these commitments and financial agreements with others, remember that separation can occur between friends, the community, your partner, and those you work with individually. Sometimes, friends may have opinions about life and avoid lingering on those assumptions from those who aren’t part of the obligations or group. It’s okay to seek support from the community, but be sure you take suggestions as simply that – an idea and direction. If your gut says something different, listen to it.
ARIES & ARIES RISING
One-on-one relationships, partnerships, and any commitments in your life are the fresh outset pulled out from this New Moon in Libra. Your personal connections and essential people in your life are shifting. They are experiencing a change or transformation, or you are beginning to look at how you approach relationships differently. There is a new restart, but only after you undergo a release or removal of old partnership attachments, definitions, and beliefs. South Node eclipses always encourage an uprooting of old patterns to disperse stagnant energy and create space for a new rebirth. While there is something new begging to be born, there is also something old you are grasping too tightly. How are you noticing relationships changing for you? What does it mean for you to be in a union with another, and are you willing to reflect on your understanding of this area and be inclined to let go or try a new approach?
Pluto squaring this New Moon eclipse may bring additional power struggles relating to your work, career, and public reputation. You may be extremely busy managing your job, working through relationship changes, and noticing the challenges where the two overlap. Be mindful that you avoid getting too attached to the power dynamics in these positions, and be on the lookout for manipulative tactics regarding business and commitments. Forcing a change will only sometimes bring the best results.
TAURUS & TAURUS RISING
Day-to-day work life, responsibilities, relationships with coworkers, and body health are the focus of fresh beginnings and change under this New Moon in Libra. On one side, you may begin a routine adjustment, a new health protocol, or a shift in your daily work environment and behavior. It can be a great time to intentionally set a structure that supports the necessary balance between work and play. On the other side, this is a Total Solar Eclipse, which involves letting things go to create space for new growth. You may find yourself leaving a job, adjusting to a change in work routines, or uncovering something new with your health that involves removing old habits and methods of healing. Clear out your schedule before you see it begin to grow. It is all about removing what isn’t bringing you the necessary stability, fulfillment, and connection you need in your daily routines and relationship with your body.
Challenges with releasing and letting go of old routines may come by Pluto squaring this New Moon eclipse, potentially showing you where you may also have to let go of power and control within your long-term plans, visions, and dreams to be able to let go of your daily routine. Trying to control the future won’t get you far with lunation, and often, when asked to let go of containment in one area, we also have to let go of previous expectations in another. Lean into the uncertainty as you figure out what the future truly holds for you.
GEMINI & GEMINI RISING
Creative life, relationships with children, and how you find self-expression through having fun is the eclipsed beginning occurring under this New Moon in Libra. There is a definite repositioning of this area; potentially, a new era is advancing with the children in your life and their growth stage or with your creative endeavors and how you seek fun in the mundane. While the New Moon portion is encouraging a fresh start, the South Node eclipse is asking you to reflect on your creative processes from your entire life, what you have been working on behind closed doors, and what is feeling ripe and ready to be released and exposed to the world for all it has to offer. It may also be a time when your self-expression is shifting, so how you have fun is also changing. How can you better align your creative potential with your authenticity? And in general, how can you start to nourish this space more, even with all the attention sitting at home and work?
The square from Pluto to this New Moon Solar Eclipse intensifies. Yet, challenges need to find more fun and ease in life, mainly due to lingering money challenges or other business contracts asking you to deal with problems you may not have control over. Your partner may also be experiencing challenges that color how or when you can escape responsibilities. Be sure to demand time for yourself when required.
CANCER & CANCER RISING
Home and family life is the focus of rebirth and transformation under this New Moon and Total Solar Eclipse in Libra. It involves your living environment, relationship with parental figures, childhood history, and past, and where or how you have grown. This luncheon may brings a new beginning in your private home space, a literal new home, or a dynamic change around what home means to you. But to create a unique and loving space to nourish your internal needs, you also must let go of the old beliefs, patterns, and associations you have with home life and family. South Node eclipses always bring some form of removal so that we may be able to create new ones again, especially in an area rich with history and our past growth; this can be a very personal and internal shift as well as an external one. Utilize this Eclipse to reflect on what home and family mean to you and what old patterns and beliefs you still hold from your family’s lineage.
This New Moon Eclipse is also squared by Pluto, intensifying the dynamics of relationships and others in your life and what say they may have over your home and personal, internal world. Be on the lookout for power dynamics, either within your family or within your intimate one-on-one relationships. You need to stand your ground and hold your authority while still respecting the opinions and feelings of others in your life.
LEO & LEO RISING
The New Moon in Libra brings forth a disruption, change, and fresh beginning around your daily rituals, routines, innermost community, neighborhood, siblings, and those close friends that feel like family. A shift may occur within your weekly habits and chores, which can be as soft as switching up your grocery store, taking a new exercise class, or having exciting conversations with your close friends and loved ones. On the other hand, this lunation is a Total Solar Eclipse, meaning that something may also be let go of and removed from this space. An old ritual or routine you had within your community is released and removed, creating a little more space and time in your schedule. You may experience a shift in close relationships or release new ideas about how you wish to see the community grow for you. This Eclipse asks you to drop off the old obligations that do not fit your self-expression and lean into the new ideas and dreams of how you wish to spend your everyday life and free time.
Pluto squaring this New Moon Eclipse may create some challenges with letting go, especially if you feel attached to a routine or sense of busyness in your everyday life. There may also be an element of control to wrestle with: how much agency do you have in your daily responsibilities and life? What will you give up for a little more rest and ease? Where do you need to ramp up your schedule?
VIRGO & VIRGO RISING
Money, resources, and overall income that flow into your hands is the critical point of convergence under this New Moon and Total Solar Eclipse in Libra. In one way, something fresh and new originates in this space: a new source of income, a change of current salary, or an additional side job gets picked up that creates impact. However, because this is a South Node eclipse, an extra element of releasing will play out over the next year. It can be a physical monetary release – unexpected expenses arise where you must let go of more money than intentionally planned. But this can also be a mental release around beliefs, stories, and personal narratives you hold about money. This South Node eclipse takes your entire relationship history around finances and asks you to reflect deeply. What patterns do you have relating to earning and spending? Are they healthy, or are they based on fear and uncertainty? What would you like to let go of to feel freer?
Pluto squaring this New Moon eclipse adds another element of intensity and awareness, invoking challenging decisions that may affect your money and internal needs. Other important people in your life may start to exercise more uninvited control and authority over your income and spending, trying to demand a little extra attention or create some friction in your life. Remind yourself of your power over your resources and your right to spend it how you see fit.
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