Halloween Special ~ Past Life Astrology (Pt. 3)

In parts 1 and 2 of this introduction to past life astrology, I looked at the Sun and the Moon’s Nodes. Karmic astrologers also look at retrograde planets to glean insight into issues and challenges from past lives.

Before I look at retrograde planets, I would like to point out that while our Sun sign, Nodes and retrograde planets (and other things in our chart) can highlight past life / karmic issues and challenges, it does not mean that you were ‘bad’ or you ‘failed’ in a past life, so do not judge yourself harshly.

I believe that each soul comes into this world with its own chosen mission, a set of lessons it has volunteered to learn and an array of challenges it has opted to take. These are all designed to help the soul to grow and learn. However, here on earth, I believe we have free will to decide whether or how we take on those challenges.

Please also bear in mind when you read the ‘meanings’ I list for each retrograde planet that these are merely suggestions in keeping with the traditional symbolism of each planet. Do not take them as ‘read’, use them as a starting point to prompt you, then let your own experience and intuition guide you towards what your retrograde planet means to you personally. There’s no right or wrong answer.

It’s also worth considering that some past life issues simply need to be released so the soul can move forward. For example, souls who were persecuted for their ideas and opinions in a past life may need to release a fear of speaking freely in this life so that they can fulfill their mission. Souls who led spiritual past lives and took vows of chastity or poverty, may need to release themselves from those vows in this life, in order to let go of negative fears and emotions around prosperity and sexuality. For some tips on release-ment, see my previous blog post here.

Retrograde Planets and Past Lives

All the planets (except the Sun and Moon) spend some time retrograde and most people have one or more retrograde planet in their birth chart. When a planet is retrograde, you are likely to experience its energy internally and subjectively. In early life you may have difficulties with the areas of life the planet represents, but you will get a second chance later in life.

Karmic astrologers believe that retrograde planets in our birth chart represent:

• Unfinished business from past lives.
• A second chance to balance your karma by working out a past life issue.
• A chance to let go of a past life issue that is holding you back in this lifetime.
• Past life energies that can be used to help your soul’s growth in this lifetime.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement that was denied in a past life.

Mercury Retrograde

• Unfinished business from a past life around communicating and expressing yourself.
• A second chance to overcome a past life fear of criticism.
• A chance to let go of past life fears of speaking your truth freely. Perhaps you were victimized for your opinions in a past life, but now you have the opportunity to speak up and be heard.
• An opportunity for soul growth through learning to listen to other’s point of view, or through learning to be flexible and open to new ideas.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through learning and education. If education was denied you in past life, you can make up for it in this life.

Venus Retrograde

• Unfinished business from past life relationships.
• A second chance to experience love and affection denied or lost in a past life.
• A chance to let go of unhelpful emotional behaviors and fears by engaging in relationships. For example, learning to trust and open up to others.
• A chance to release and heal low self esteem issues from past lives.
• An opportunity for soul growth through learning to give and receive in relationships.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through relationship and intimacy and/or through valuing yourself and others.

Mars Retrograde

• Unfinished business from past lives around competition and self assertion.
• A second chance to balance karma from past misdeeds that you still subconsciously feel guilty about.
• A chance to let go of anger and frustration left over from a past life.
• An opportunity for soul growth through learning to assert yourself in a positive and healthy way.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through taking positive action towards getting what you truly want and need.
• An opportunity to learn how to follow your passions and desires.

 Jupiter Retrograde

• An opportunity find closure from past life issues by looking deeply within yourself to find truth and meaning.
• A chance to let go of past life feelings of not being deserving of life’s rewards and riches.
• An opportunity for soul growth through resolving issues around spiritual and religious beliefs. (For example, perhaps you were persecuted in a past life for your religion or maybe you were forced to follow a religion you didn’t believe in.)
• A second chance to find fulfillment and achievement through:
• ~Deep study and higher learning.
• ~Experiencing different countries and cultures.
• ~Learning to have faith in life, yourself and the world.

Saturn Retrograde

• Unfinished business from past lives where you may have felt inadequate, pessimistic or blocked. These issues can be worked out by facing them head on and taking positive steps to resolve them.
• A second chance to balance karma by working out issues from a past life where you had difficulty taking responsibility or setting healthy boundaries.
• A chance to let go of fears that may have held you back in a past life.
• An opportunity for soul growth through being a parent or becoming an authority.
• Soul growth from succeeding and earning respect by your own efforts, without cutting corners.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through patiently and diligently working towards long term goals.

The Outer Planets ~ Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

Note: The outer planets spend so much time retrograde that most souls come in with at least one of these planets retrograde. These are the generational planets, so if you have one or more of these retrograde in your chart you are part of a generation that has some collective karma to work out. As such, the retrograde outer planet may not have much karmic resonance with you on a personal/individual level. However, if your retrograde outer planet is on an angle (such as the Ascendant or Midheaven) or is making a close aspect to one of your personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars), then it may have some karmic significance for you. If you’re not sure, use your intuition and experience to guide you.

Uranus Retrograde 

• Unfinished business from past lives where you resisted change. In this life you learn that change can be a good thing.
• A chance to balance past life karma by daring to do things your own way, even if it upsets the status quo.
• A chance to let go of a past life fear of being persecuted for being different.
• An opportunity to pursue independence and freedom that was denied in a past life.
• An opportunity for soul growth through embracing your individuality and originality.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through living life authentically, being true to who you are. 

Neptune Retrograde

• Unfinished business from past lives where you were super sensitive. In this life you can learn to use your sensitivity to help others while at the same time learning to set healthy personal boundaries.
• A chance to balance karma by embracing your creativity and imagination, especially if you didn’t nurture these in a past life.
• A chance to let go of unhelpful fantasies and escapist tendencies that held you back in a past life.
• An opportunity for soul growth through learning that there is more to life than what you can see and touch with your five senses.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through fostering compassion for yourself and for all life.

Pluto Retrograde

• Unfinished business from past lives around issues of power and control. Perhaps you had no power or control in a past life, or perhaps you had too much and abused it. In this life you learn that power and control can be used in healthy, constructive ways, not in destructive ways. You may also need to recognize that there are some things in life that you cannot control.
• A chance to balance your karma and regenerate yourself by purging unhelpful, self-sabotaging behaviors and emotions.
• A chance to balance karma by seeking fresh perspectives on old (past life) problems, in order to release yourself from them.
• A chance to let go of a past life ‘addiction’ to crisis and upheaval by learning that there is a calmer, more controlled way of dealing with life’s ups and downs.
• An opportunity for soul growth through learning to trust your instincts.
• Soul growth through learning that while you can’t always control what happens to you, you can control how you react and respond.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through learning to be honest and forgiving in your dealings with others.

Part 1: The Sun and Past Lives
Part 2: The Moon’s Nodes and Past Lives

Resources and Further Reading:
You can get a copy of your chart for free at www.alabe.com
Book recommendation: Karmic Astrology, Retrogrades and Reincarnation by Martin Schulman

With love,
Mandi
www.mandilockley.com

 

Halloween Special ~ Past Life Astrology (Pt. 2)

In part 1, I looked at what our Sun sign can tell us about lessons learned in past lives and lessons to be learned in our current life. In the second part of this series on past life astrology, I will be taking a look at another significant past life / karmic indicator....

The Nodes of the Moon

Some astrologers believe that the Nodes of the Moon are special karmic and spiritual significators. Studying the signs, houses and aspects of our Nodes can help us understand our past life karma ~ how we can release it (South Node) and the nature of our spiritual / soul mission for this life (North Node).

The South Node represents:

• Where we’ve come from, our past lives
• The past life karma we bring with us into this life for release, including unfinished business from past lives
• Where we have lifetimes of experience
• Our talents, strength and weaknesses from past lives
• Where we feel comfortable and what we fall back on, even if it’s not in the best interest of our current life path
• Where we need to move away from in order to release our karma and fulfill the promise of our North Node…

The North Node represents:

• The key to our soul’s direction and purpose for this lifetime 
• Where we need to grow spiritually 
• What we need to learn and pay attention to, in order to grow as spiritual beings
• Unfamiliar territory which we need to explore
• Parts of ourselves we neglected in past lives 
• Talents and strengths waiting to be discovered

It is easy for us to avoid the urgings of our North Node, because they feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar. However, when we take the plunge and start ‘doing’ our North Node (according to the sign and house it’s in and its aspects), we find that we are able to release the karma and unfinished business represented by our South Node. Then we can embrace our soul’s journey and life purpose and strive toward the ultimate goal the Nodes represent – integration, growth and karmic balance.

(Please note: there are other interpretations of the Nodes, but this article focuses primarily on the past life/karmic significances of the Nodes)

Find your North and South Node signs and discover what they mean at: http://www.cafeastrology.com/nodesofthemoon.html

See Part 1: The Sun and Your Past Lives

Part 3: Retrograde Planets and Past Life Karma

Books about the Nodes: 

Karmic Astrology-the Moons Nodes and Reincarnation by Martin Schulman

Lunar Nodes: Discover Your Soul's Karmic Mission by Celeste Teal

Incarnation: The Four Angles and the Moon's Nodes by Melanie Reinhart

North Node Astrology: Rediscovering Your Life Direction and Soul Purpose by Elizabeth Spring

Astrology for the Soul by Jan Spiller

With love,

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Halloween Special ~ Past Life Astrology (Pt.1)

It is said that at Halloween, also known as Samhain and All Saints’ Day, the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest. As ghosts and spirits rise, we are invited to pay homage to those who came before us. After all, the energies they created in life still live on in the words, thoughts, deeds and descendants they gifted to this earthly plane.

Many people also believe in reincarnation, the idea that our spirit comes back again and again into body, wherein the soul learns and develops through material experience. Some astrologers believe that this soul journey through various incarnations is reflected in the birth chart, which describes the karmic lessons these incarnations bring.

Here is an introduction to Past Life astrology, for your seasonal pleasure. I cannot offer extensive interpretations here, but will provide some clues on how and where to look in your chart, so you can explore and interpret your chart for yourself, from a karmic perspective.

Let us begin our journey…

The Sun Sign

On a karmic level, our Sun sign represents the lessons we need to learn in this lifetime. The qualities of our Sun sign do not so much not represent us as we are, but as we should aspire to be. Embodying the very best of what our Sun sign represents is our goal for this lifetime. The journey towards this goal is a heroic one, peppered with obstacles, lessons and challenges along the way.

In a past life (or lives), we had to learn the lesson of the Sun sign that came before our current one. Our aim was to become the best and highest manifestation of the qualities of that sign, On completing the lesson, we moved on to the next sign, taking what we learned with us to use in the next life.

For example, in a past life you may have learned, through experience, to embody the highest manifestation of Sagittarius. You worked your way through the negative aspects of Sagittarius and through experiencing them you absorbed the lessons and learned to take a higher path. In the process, you became a wise mentor and inspired faith wherever you went. Now, in this life, you have Sun in Capricorn. Having learned the lessons of Sag, you know that achievement will not come from recklessness and risk taking, but from steady, patient hard work and organised effort. You know that grand Sagittarian promises are nothing if they do not crystallize into something tangible and useful. As a Capricorn, you have the earned wisdom and faith of Sagittarius to help you overcome all the obstacles you will meet along the way. This wisdom and faith can be called upon to help you raise yourself above the negative manifestations of Capricorn, helping you to be the best that you can.

To interpret the lessons of your own past life and current life Sun Sign, see the Sun sign interpretations at Café Astrology.

Read the Sun sign that comes immediately before your own. The best qualities of that Sun sign are the culmination of the lessons you learned in past lives and are resources that you have at your disposal in this life time. (The signs are listed in sequential order below. If you are an Aries, your past life Sun sign was Pisces.)

Next, read the interpretation of your current sign. The negative aspects are the lessons and pitfalls. The positive ones are what you are striving for. By comparing the best of both signs, you can work out what you need to learn (current Sun sign) and the resources you have to help you (previous Sun sign).

For example, the courage of Aries, learned in a past life, helps Taurus to strive for healthy emotional security in this life, whilst overcoming fear of change and avoiding possessiveness. The generosity of spirit learned in a past life as a Leo helps Virgo to serve others with humility and love and to avoid small mindedness and nit picking.

Aries – Taurus – Gemini - Cancer – Leo – Virgo – Libra – Scorpio – Sagittarius – Capricorn – Aquarius – Pisces

In Part 2 ~ What the Moon’s Nodes say about past life karma

In Part 3 ~ Do Retrograde Planets represent past life karma?

With Love,

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Aries Full Moon ~ Love in Action

In September there was a Full Moon in the urgent first degree of Aries. This fiery lunation signalled a time when our deepest sensitivities were laid bare and our crudest instincts exposed. The Sun in Libra, opposing the Moon in Aries, called for balance and for consideration for the sensitivities of others. The way we have handled our relationships was called into question. A couple of weeks later Venus in Scorpio turned retrograde, taking these relationship questions deeper and linking them to the past.

On October 22/23, we have a second full Moon in Aries, this one in the equally urgent last degree of the sign. This time the urgency comes from a need for closure and resolution around the issues exposed during the September Full Moon. Aries is the sign of action, so something absolutely needs to be done now to move things forward and regain some stability and security.

Any Full Moon highlights the duality of the two signs occupied by the Sun and the Moon. It is through this duality that we can seek clues to guide us towards the balance we need. We may live on material planet Earth, but we are also spiritual souls, so in this post I will look at the soul lessons of Aries and Libra, which show us where we can find the middle path during this Full Moon time and beyond.

In esoteric astrology, the soul lesson of Aries is love in action.

As the Aries soul evolves it must learn to think before it acts and to consider the effects its actions have on others. As sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others is nurtured in the Aries heart, kindness and warmth of spirit develops, which in turn helps to calm and balance Aries’ selfish impulsivity.

The potential for a truly heroic soul journey is held within the Aries archetype. The key to this heroism can be found through trial and error, through learning from mistakes and through starting to care for others. As the evolving Aries soul becomes aware that it cannot live just to nourish itself, it seeks more and more to nourish others. Along the way, Aries learns that love and sacrifice go hand in hand. The sacrifice that must be made is the surrender of the selfish urge to win over others at any cost. Through this process, the Aries soul develops self discipline and a deep responsibility for all life. These qualities can then be combined with Aries’ innate powers of leadership and used to support, console and guide others. This is love in action.

The soul lesson of Libra is brotherhood through relationship with others.

The Libra soul has a deep need for companionship and affection and will suffer greatly when this is denied. The scales of Libra symbolise the constant adjustments and compromises the Libra soul feels compelled to make in order to fulfil its needs.

The un-evolved Libra soul will swing between extremes before it finds its place of equilibrium and balance. On the one hand, Libra will selfishly pursue approval and appreciation through relationship at all costs and on the other side, the Libra soul will carelessly give itself away in order to please and placate others in the hope of being loved.

On its journey, Libra often unconsciously seeks out conflict just so it can cast itself as lauded peacemaker. But, as the evolving Libra soul learns to be true to its own self and hold its inner light steady and balanced, the need to create conflict or place itself in the midst of others’ conflict, gradually falls away. In learning to raise itself above conflict Libra realises that all of life is connected and interrelated. From this vantage point Libra is able to hold itself in perfect equilibrium and balance and in so doing it creates a space of harmony and peace that can truly help and serve others. Then, the Libra soul quickly realises that it doesn’t have to experience conflict in order to experience relationship. The give and take of companionship and affection will come naturally and effortlessly from a place of love and light and Libra will have learned the lesson of brotherhood and the true meaning of peace.

For more on the September Aries Full Moon see Aries Full Moon Round Up
For more on Venus Retrograde see Venus Retrograde Transits

Data for the Full Moon
Sun at 29 degrees 32 minutes Libra
Moon at 29 degrees 32 minutes Aries
18.36 PST (North America) on 22 October
21.36 EST (North America) on 22 October
01.36 GMT on 23 October
08.36 HKT (Hong Kong) on 23 October
12.35 EST (Australia) on 23 October

With love
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Reference: Astrology, The Sacred Science by Joan Hodgson. The White Eagle Publishing Trust

Images: The Aries image shown here is available as a print from www.theplatelady.com

Blog Action Day - Water Harvesting in Uganda

Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking a global discussion and driving collective action. This year's topic is water.

This year the Eurochange Charity  a UK based charity which works to find sustainable solutions to poverty relief in Africa, funded a water harvesting facility for the Batwa Pygmies in the Kisoro region of Uganda.

The Batwa, who are among some of the poorest people in the world, live on the fringes of the Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks, home to half of the world population of critically endangered mountain gorillas. For centuries they lived alongside the gorillas in the dense mountainous forests and survived by hunting for food. Since the establishment of the National Parks the Batwa can no longer access the area and have lost their traditional lifestyle. Lacking specialist skills, they mainly work as labourers for land owners, dance for tourists or even beg for money or food. The Batwa have been unable to compete on equal terms with other ethnic groups and struggle to access education, health care, employment and the crucial land they need to grow food for their families and a provide sustainable security for the future. Consequently, the Batwa live on the margins of an already marginalised society.

The Eurochange charity is involved in a number of projects to help the Batwa including the provision of healthcare, but most recently the charity constructed of a 30,000 litre water tank beneath a rain-harvesting metal roof which also doubles as a shaded 'meeting' area. The water tank and meeting area is intended primarily to benefit a small, remote, community of 12 Batwa families at Kabahenda in an area where water is not easily accessible. The tank provides access to a clean water facility thus improving sanitation, hygiene and living standards. The whole project will also help other, non-Batwa, families living in this area and significantly increase community and neighbour integration.

It amazing what can be done with a little money in a very short space of time. This whole project took only a matter of months from inception to realisation with funding provided by The Eurochange Charity. The project was monitored/supervised on the ground by the charity's Uganda project manager and the money was used to buy all the necessary materials and to employ local builders along with some hard working Batwa labour with a vested interest in the project. Everyone involved set about construction with great enthusiasm and they can rightly be proud of their achievements. Proof, if you need it, that where there's a will, there's a way. This facility will dramatically improve the quality of life for all who benefit from it. There is, of course, still much more to be done in other areas to help the Batwa but, in the meantime, bring on the rain!

To find out more about the work the Eurochange Charity is doing to help the Batwa and other marginalised groups in Uganda, or to make a donation, see http://www.eurochangecharity.org/

Every Penny Counts

Retrograde Venus Transits

Venus is a fast moving planet, making a full circuit of the Sun approximately every 20 months. A transit of Venus to a natal planet or angle is therefore only a one day event, which may not materialize into anything more than having a pleasant encounter or two.

A retrograde Venus transit is a more significant event though because when retrograde it travels back and forth over the same degrees of the zodiac three times.

This Venus Retrograde lasts from October 8 to November 18 and covers 27 degrees of Libra through 13 degrees of Scorpio.

If you have any planets or angles in those degrees of Scorpio or Libra, or in the opposite degrees (27 degrees of Aries through 13 degrees Taurus), it’s a transit worth paying attention to. (You can get your chart at http://www.alabe.com/)

What Does This Transit Mean?

Going over what every individual Venus transit might mean would take up a lot more space than I have here and it depends on what planet or angle it is transiting….but generally speaking Venus transits are meant to be pleasant, sociable, romantic. However, this retrograde transit, mostly in Scorpio, takes things deeper than that. It’s a time to review Venusian things and how you express and handle them. Venusian themes include relationships, values, self worth, how we share and give and yield to others, the soft and sweet side of life, the feminine, emotional stuff, the things that money can buy, how attractive we feel, what and who we are attracted to.

Because we are talking primarily Scorpio here for this Venus transit, this brings the urge to purge in Venusian areas of life, the need to check whether our handling of all things Venusian is healthy, or whether we are straying into the shadow side of Venus. Examples could be a tendency to give yourself away to please others, or letting yourself be pushed around in a relationship. Or perhaps you are taking advantage of others who are trying to please you. Such questions may need to be asked if this Venus retrograde is forming a transit in your chart. Money questions may also need to be asked. Are you spending too much on luxuries or are you denying yourself the good things in life unnecessarily? Where do you need to ‘balance the books’ in your life? Consider what your core values are. Are you living them? Do you need to get back to them or redefine them?

That all said it would be wise to put off any major relationship or financial decisions until the retrograde is done and dusted. Even though Venus turns direct on November 18, it will not be clear of its retrograde shadow until December 20, so this date should be noted if you’re looking for a benchmark.

Another Clue To Your Retrograde Venus Transit…The Venus Eight Year Cycle

Venus has a synodic cycle* of eight years. This means that if you go back eight years in an ephemeris you will find that Venus occupied the same degree of the zodiac. So, if this current retrograde Venus is making a transit to one of your planets or angles, think back eight years for a clue about what it might mean. How did you relate back then? Have you outgrown certain relationships over the last eight years? How have your social and personal values changed? Do you need to get back to a past and more authentic way of relating? Or do you need to move on from past relating habits? Only you will know the answers and in fact, only you will really know the questions to ask.

Around the Houses

It’s also worth noting which House Venus retrograde is traveling through, whether it makes a connection to a planet or angle or not. For example, the whole retrograde will occur in my Sixth House, so issues of work and service will come up for review. Do I give too much to my work or not enough? Do I value the work I do and does the work value me? How do I serve others, how do others serve me? Are my relationships healthy, or are they making me ‘sick’ on some level? Questions I will be considering.

Some First House Issues for Venus Retrograde: Ego values, relationship with self, self-esteem issues, self enjoyment, how you present yourself to the world physically and socially.

Some Second House Issues for Venus Retrograde: Money ~ how you earn it and what you spend it on. Your personal and physical assets, what you value, how you value yourself.

Some Third House Issues for Venus Retrograde: How you connect and communicate with others, relationships with siblings and neighbours, your attitude to learning and education and what value you place on it. Your mindset.

Some Fourth House Issues for Venus Retrograde: How you value your roots, heritage and family background. Your atttitude and values around home and family, how you relate to family members.

Some Fifth House Issues for Venus Retrograde: How you value your own creativity and self expression. Your relationship to your children. Your attitude to gambling and risk taking.

Some Seventh House Issues for Venus Retrograde: How you relate to signficant others including marriage and bussiness partners. Your open enemies. Issues around the type of people you attract / are attracted to.

Some Eighth House Issues for Venus Retrograde: Money issues, especially the resources of others or money you don't earn (such as inheritances etc.) This transit could be a good opportunity for some profound healing around your relationships or financial management.

Some Ninth House Issues for Venus Retrograde: Your values, ethics, religion, spiritual ideas and life philosophy could come up for assessment. Questions around higher education, travel, foreign matters.

Some Tenth House Issues for Venus Retrograde: How you value status and reputation. Your ambitions and the relationships/connections you need in order to achieve them. Professional collaborations. How your boss values you and relationships with parents and authority figures.

Some Eleventh House Issues for Venus Retrograde: Your relationship to peers, friends, acquaintances and groups. How you value group efforts. Your social conciousness and the value you place upon it.

Some Twelfth House Issues for Venus Retrograde: Where you are your own worst enemy. Dealing with unhealthy relationships that sabotage your emotional/social 'health'. The value of service, retreat and the spirtual life.

What About You? What Planet/s will Venus retrograde transit? What House/s will Venus travel through? Leave your comment below...

Wishing you a healthy, productive and pleasant Venus retrograde time.

*It’s not necessary to understand the synodic cycle to understand this article, but if you are astronomically minded and/or curious to learn more you can read about it here: http://www.lunarplanner.com/HCpages/Venus.html

Image credit: NASA/JPL/USGS

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

It's Now Easier To Leave Comments On This Blog

I've made it much easier for you to leave comments at the Astroair Astrology Blog!

You no longer need to be logged into Blogger / Google / Wordpress etc to leave a comment.

You can opt for Anonymous (but please leave your name in the comment) or you can opt for Name/Url (your name will appear as a link to your own blog/website/social networking site of your choice).

Please feel free to let me know what you think, or ask questions. Please note that I can't answer detailed specific questions about your chart. General questions (that might relate to your chart and would be of interest to other readers) are of course very welcome as always.

I look forward to increased/enhanced interaction with the lovely readers of this site.

No spam please, filters in place.

Many thanks
Mandi.

N.B. I am available for private consultations if you want to go deeper into your own chart. See http://www.mandilockley.com/ or email me on mandi@mandilockleycom to enquire.

Libra New Moon ~ Free Your Mind

Image from meditation website getsomeheadspace.com

Venus energies are so prominent this month…the Sun is in Libra, the sign ruled by Venus, and recently conjoined Saturn in Libra. Venus conjoined Mars, the planet that is Yang to Venus’ Yin and on October 8 Venus turns retrograde (more on that in a forthcoming post).

All this adds up to a lot of work and attention on relationship matters.

But that’s not all because on October 7 there is a New Moon in Libra, bringing relationship issues into sharp focus once again.

But don’t forget there’s more to Libra than relationship and partnership. Libra is an Air sign, it’s about our mental faculties, about connecting and communicating, it’s about feeling appreciated. I think most of all Libra is about gaining peace of mind and the mental loop-the-loops we often have to do to get to that state. Libra must work to ensure the mind remains balanced as it is through the mental faculties that Libra can attain the emotional equilibrium it needs.

Therefore, during this Libra New Moon, I think we would all be wise to try and find some balance and peace of mind. This is true for everyone, but especially for Libra Suns and Moons or in fact anyone with planets around the middle degrees of Libra or with strong Air in their charts (get your chart at http://www.alabe.com/).

I always advocate going within, resting and contemplating during a New Moon. Yes, very often we hear that New Moons are good planning times, but for my money the New Moon is the time just before the planning begins. You see, it’s dark at the New Moon, we can’t see our way, we must simply stop and feel our way, or at least take a mental pause and wait for the light to grow, so that we may move forward again with renewed surety.

It is therefore serendipitous that this New Moon coincides with World Mental Health Day on October 10. However, I would suggest that we don’t wait until the 10th to do some work on our mental health – releasing stress, worries, anxiety – because the New Moon time provides us with more conducive energies.

One very useful method of improving our mental health and balancing our mental state is through meditation. There are many different ways to meditate, but a new website just launched is aimed at helping beginners to get into meditation, starting with just ten minutes a day for ten days. See getsomeheadspace.com  to get started, but it’s worth checking out even if you have some experience at meditation but perhaps need a bit of a reminder of the benefits of daily meditation.

Simply follow the instructions and you’re away. However, I also think that if you are in tune with the cosmic energies (which of course you are or you wouldn’t be reading this) it is helpful to have some images/phrases to anchor your meditative practice, so here are a few ideas for meditating on this Libra New Moon:

~ Meditate on the Sabian Symbol for 15 degrees of Libra (the degree of the New Moon, rounded up). The Sabian Symbol is “Circular Paths”. What does that mean to you? Perhaps think about the circular rhythm of the planets. For example, the Moon has a monthly cycle and the Sun a yearly cycle. Contemplate the cyclical rhythms of your own life, its ups and downs, or think about the seasonal cycles of nature.

~ Meditate on circular images if you prefer a more visual prompt. Use whatever works for you. It could be a Mandala, or ripples in water, or a spiral pattern.

~ Meditate on thoughts or images of balance and equilibrium. Perhaps it’s the perfect balance between the masculine and feminine or darkness and light that inspires you, or perhaps it’s the timeless image of Yin and Yang, which shows us that within darkness there is light and vice versa.

~ Concentrate on your breathing, the balance between the in-breath and the out-breath.

I hope you manage to find some balance in your life during this time. Remember to love and appreciate yourself, because you are a beautiful soul.

Wishing you a very peaceful New Moon.

See here for more about Mental Health Day

Namaste

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/

October Astrology ~ Make Up Sex / Break Up Sex

Pennies from Heaven by Ginny Gaura

When the Sun moved into Libra on 22nd September, it ushered in a new season, setting the cosmic agenda for the next three months. Themes of partnership, finding balance in our lives and seeking renewed hope and faith in life dominate, as well as more than a hint of passion and desire (for more detail see my post The Libra Equinox).

Pennies From Heaven

October continues along the same lines. On the first of the month, Mercury, still in Virgo after its recent retrograde, opposes the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction. If you’re lucky, this alignment could bring a huge sense of relief, as a penny drops from heaven just at the right time to help you make a change you need. At the very least, it’s an aspect that can help you develop a positive mindset and a fresh approach to an old problem.

Then on the October 3, Mercury moves into communicative, collaborative Libra, helping you to help others to help you. This new energy is good for smoothing out relationship glitches and overcoming conflicts fairly and diplomatically.

Make Up Sex / Break Up Sex

Relationship planets Venus and Mars have been travelling together for a while now. In August, they conjoined in Libra, the sign with the mantra ‘I Balance’. This conjunction supported the serious relationship work the Saturn in Libra energies have been urging us to do. On October 3, Venus and Mars conjoin again, this time in passionate Scorpio. The mantra for Scorpio is ‘I Desire’ prompting us to follow our passions at this time, particularly in the relationship arena. It is up to us to decide whether we channel the positive, regenerative, recuperative strength of Scorpio or whether we give in to dark, controlling, destructive urges. Under this conjunction the energies of Venus and Mars are bound together, their energies merged in union. We decide, symbolically speaking, whether they represent make up sex or break up sex as well as who gets to go on top.

Time For A Break

Oh my, I’m already exhausted at the thought of all the relationship work that needs to be done in October…and then there’s a Libra New Moon to contend with on October 7. The dark of the Moon is always a good time to go within and this one in Libra is excellent for taking a short break and seeking a bit of equilibrium in our lives…not just in our relationships, but holistically. I love New Moon times, but maybe that was because I was born just after a New Moon. Come back here on the 7th for a Libra New Moon meditation….

Where Do We Go From Here?

Fresh from the New Moon, Libra’s planet Venus turns retrograde on October 8th in passionate Scorpio. This energy urges us to go inside ourselves (if we haven’t already) and find a fresh perspective on those relationship matters that have been complicating our lives for so long. Where do we go from here? Is this a fair, balanced relationship? Is the passion spent? Do we need to make a fresh start, one way or another? These are some of the questions that we might need to ask ourselves as Venus travels backwards, re-entering Libra on November 7, before finally turning direct on November 18.

Urgent Questions

How was the Aries Full Moon for you on September 23? Intense probably, as it picked up on those sensitive, potentially explosive early cardinal degrees. Well, brace yourself, because we are in for another Aries Full Moon, on October 22/23, making this a rare and special Blue Moon. This one falls across the very last degrees of Aries and Libra. The last degree of any sign brings a sense of urgency, of things that need to be resolved. Think back to the September Full Moon for clues and contemplate the differences and similarities between Aries and Libra. Aries says ‘I Am’ and Libra says ‘I Balance’, or in other words, ‘We Are’. Where do you stand on this? Where do significant others stand? Where is the meeting point? Do you need to find closure around a certain issue? Thankfully, Full Moons are times of full exposure, so you should have all the facts at hand to help you decide which way to go.

Passionate Words / Passionate Deeds

As October starts to wane, the sky moves ever forwards, ushering in more of those passionate Scorpio energies, with communication planet Mercury entering the sign of the stinging scorpion / soaring eagle on October 20 with the Sun following suit on October 23. Come back here after that for a selection of sexy quotes from some deeply famous Scorpios.

Astroair Recommends

Creative Numerology's October Forecast by Christine DeLorey
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for October by Eric Francis

For October’s Moon sign changes and Void of Course times see: http://www.mandilockley.com/moonpages.html

Wishing you a happy, friendly, peaceful October.

With love
Mandi