New Moon in Libra Delivers Balance and Drive

#11, Justice, or Breakthrough from
"OSHO Zen Tarot"© by Deva Padma
gives us the sense of how to work with
New Moon in Libra

This month's New Moon in 1 degree and 8 minutes of Libra continues the theme of establishing balance throughout our lives and in the world around us. New Moons set the emotional tone for the month and Libra provides an excellent tuning fork. Moon in Libra is a charming, romantic moon, with a strong intellectual component. Romance is a big factor, but our intellect decides where our boundaries are and any attractions we feel must engage our minds, as much, or even more so than our hearts.  Libra's energy creates a highly social dynamic, where our interactions are about honest communication and the drive to build harmony by deepening our understanding of others. That's a fairly intense combination. 

Venus, the ruler of Libra gives this New Moon a glamorous

OSHO's #14 Integration also stands for
Temperance, Sagittarius' card

and sophisticated flavor.  This is a time to appreciate the arts and enjoy some of the finer things in life, to indulge in free thinking while staying grounded. New Moon in Libra is not an overly emotional moon. It is a moon of balance though, connecting equal parts for a sum much greater than the sum of the whole.  We have an equal connection to the elements of earth, sky, fire and water – more so now with the cosmic push for balance.  Air signs will likely see a greater increase in their mental keenness than other signs, while earth signs experience a stronger creative flair coupled with feelings of intense resolve.  Water signs draw on the moon's intuition while firmly grounding their imaginations through their intellect.  Fire signs, cry out for action – not for its own sake, but action with an eye towards completion.

OSHO Zen Tarot's© #16, "Thunder Bolt"
shows us the positive power unleashed
in an adaptation of "The Tower"

There are other factors to take into account during this New Moon.  Venus, ruler of Libra is residing in Virgo where she boosts the romantic flavor of this month's New Moon. There's also Mars in Sagittarius who carries a bold energy that's always on the lookout for an adventure. Left to its own devices Mars in Sagittarius remains a little unfocused. However, all the balancing and focusing power from Libra gives Mars a boost in the adventure department. One that will likely increase on September 25th when Jupiter trines Uranus (more on that later). 

Consider the astrological significance of the following cards should they appear frequently in your readings:

The High Priestess      -  The Moon     

Justice                          -   Libra

The Magician              -   Mercury (also in Libra now)

The Empress               -   Venus

The Hermit                  -   Virgo

The Tower                   -   Mars (let's watch this planet during the next few days)

Temperance               -   Sagittarius

Wheel of Fortune       -   Jupiter

Uranus                         -   The Fool

Enjoy the benefits of a strong Moon in Libra. It's here to facilitate our artistry as well as our intellect, our imaginations, as well as of practical natures.  This is a time to balance and restore order so we can prepare for the power surges of October.

LADY ORACLE

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Mercury in Leo, July 31st to August 14th - "An Eloquent Mind"

Tarot's card for Leo (of course) comes from
"Steampunk Tarot"© by
Barbara Moore and Aly Fell

Mercury in Leo is an eloquent mind, so pay attention, my friends, because this is an important transit for moving your life forward. Mercury’s intellect and communications skills combine with the lion’s charismatic leadership, making us virtually unstoppable. There’s a boldness, a passion and a natural presumption of success accompanying this transit. Mercury foregoes pure analytical thought to go with gut instinct. Idealism is our friend and we seek each and every one of our opportunities with a dramatic zest for living.

Leo loves center stage and Mercury in Leo is the consummate performer. People born with this transit prominently in their chart have a pleasing personality, effortlessly drawing people to their side. The next two weeks is an optimal time for presenting yourself if a favorable way. Schedule appointments with those tough clients you’ve been avoiding. Send out your resume. Dust off your portfolio and get your presentation ready. You have the answers to people’s dilemmas so get out in front of them with your knowledge and your creative approach. Persuasion is your middle name right now, so what are you waiting for?

As with everything, there is a yin to this yang and Mercury in

The Magician represents Mercury. Shown
here from "Wizard's Tarot" by Corrine Kenner
and John J. Blumen

Leo can influence us towards arrogance if we are operating a little left or right of center. Leo’s ‘performer’ gene can cause us to become opinionated and devalue the contributions of other members of our family or team. We have lots of planetary influences in Leo currently (Sun, Jupiter, Mercury, Lilith See blog: Sun in Leo), so guard against Leo’s confidence mutating into less desirable attitudes such as arrogance, or egocentricity. We all live on this planet together and no single person or group of people is the ‘whole show,’ regardless of their opinion on the matter.

Mercury’s transit of Leo it an excellent time to push your goals to the next level. Think of it as that summer growth spurt before things start bearing fruit for autumn’s harvest. Opportunities are what you make of them and when properly used, transits like this one give substance to your hopes and dreams.

LADY ORACLE

Venus in Gemini, June 23, 2014 – “A Romantic Meeting of Minds”

#3, Fertility, from Kris Waldherr's
"Goddess Tarot"© represents
Venus' tarot card, The Empress

Venus, the planet of self-esteem and relationships, breezed into the air sign, Gemini this morning at 5:33 a.m. PDT.  Venus in Gemini requires little of us other than adding variety, as well as spontaneity to our daily routines.  This is a transit that keeps matters light, romantically speaking.  Gemini in a sign of the mind and in order for a flirtation to achieve true romance status, our intellect must be engaged along with our heart strings.

We become easily bored during this transit. The goddess of love wants us to experience a multitude of interests during her stay in Gemini – creative endeavors, travel or cultural forays – anything that happens to capture us for the moment.  Check out the newest exhibits at the art museum, or attend a lecture that stimulates your mind and adds depth to your conversations.  This transits wants us to test our intellectual sparkage with the people who snag our romantic interest.  However, remember to keep your affection connections light during this time (transit ends July 17th).  Venus in Gemini has no use for heavy duty commitments, or torch songs.  For all the ‘smarts’ factor, this energy is fun and flirty.  

You may experience a temporary drifting apart with your

Waldherr uses the goddess Venus for #6,
The Lovers, tarot's card for Gemini
Neat, huh?

partner.  No worries.  You’re both off exploring the world around you and if your relationship has substance to it, you’ll drift back.  Venus in Gemini is a transit for discovering the world and determining what engages our mind.  One note of caution: Fall in love with experience, but watch the budget.  Venus is the ruler of Taurus and there is that whole love of luxury component that can sink your finances in short order.  Keep an eye out for bargains, (visit Groupon® and see what they offer) or experiences that don’t cost much.  Enjoy Venus’ transit of Gemini and the thrill of discovery.

LADY ORACLE

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Mercury Retrograde In Pisces and Aquarius, February 6th to February 28th – “Slipping Into the Shadows”

We are currently in what astrologer’s refer to as the ‘shadow

#17, The Star is Aquarius' tarot card
from "Legacy of the Divine Tarot"© by
Ciro Marchetti

period’ of a Mercury Retrograde cycle. The shadow period for a retrograde is computed by looking at the actual retrograde dates.  In this case, Mercury turns retrograde at three degrees Pisces.  After the retrograde period ends, Mercury doesn’t return to three degrees Pisces until March 20th.  Mercury turns direct on February 28th at eighteen degrees of Aquarius.  The last time Mercury was at eighteen degrees Aquarius prior to retrograde was January 22nd. Therefore the shadow period for this month’s Mercury Retrograde (MR) is January 22nd to March 20th.  

Why do astrologers calculate shadow periods?  Perhaps it’s a cosmic early warning system.  I’ve never been a purest about anything and I don’t have that much time to devote to smudging.  I consider a week before MR and a week after it to be enough of a cleansing period unless the signs involved with Mercury make things particularly crazy.  If you have Mercury in Pisces, or Mercury in Aquarius in your birth chart chances are you’ll feel this MR more than the rest of us.

#18, The Moon, Pisces card, reminds
us about the power of illusion and
imagination RWCS by US Games©

Starting tomorrow we have MR in Pisces.  Pisces is a highly intuitive sign and Mercury in Pisces is an intuitive mind.  During MR we may find that our intuition is slightly off kilter, or that we have more of a tendency to let our imaginations run away with us.  Our communications, while heartfelt, will be based in emotion, not logic and emotional expressions are the most susceptible to being misunderstood.  After all, miscommunication is the hallmark of Mercury in Retrograde.  Pisces have trouble forming strong opinions on their own on a good day.  We may experience feeling wishy-washy about matters that normally ignite our interest.  However, Pisces are also dreamers.  We can all use this MR to redesign and revise our dreams.

On February 12th Mercury slip slides back into Aquarius

Mercury's card, #1, The Magician
RWCS US Games©

along with our communications and intellectual attitudes.  Mercury in Aquarius is both a scientific and an inventive mind. Puzzle pieces fall into place easier and we can connect the dots more quickly.  Emotions rarely influence decisions under Mercury in Aquarius.  What does MR look like in Aquarius?  Missing the connections.  What appears glaringly obvious while Mercury is direct in the Water Bearer, now feels obscured.  Where we would normally leap to conclusions with gazelle-like accuracy, we find yourselves missing the mark.  We also risk sounding totally off base.  Remember that hallmark of miscommunication?  Repeat these ‘r’ words: Review, reconnoiter, reinvent.  After the 12th it becomes important not to rush into things without being 100 percent certain of where you’ll end up.  Thinking we know and going with your gut simply aren’t good enough strategies during MR.

Check out how to cope with basic Mercury Retrograde irritation in my blog, “Mercury Retrograde, Tarot and You.” 

Relax, remember to breath and put MR to work for you.

LADY ORACLE

Mercury Retrograde, Tarot And You – March 2012

I make it a point to check the retrograde calendar without fail...well, usually.  This present one (March 12th through April 4th)  snuck up on me -  complete with missed appointments, various and sundry mechanical failures and an overall feeling of being stuck wearing somebody else's dirty gym socks.  At least I passed through the eye of the storm in not so blissful ignorance.  And when I finally realized the cause of all snags and snarls in what few organized systems I possess, I said, "Well, of course, retrograde!" We have just a few more days...a few more days.  Repeat it with me, a few more days.


If you're not familiar with Mercury retrogrades, I'll take a minute to explain.  Each year as Earth orbits the Sun, it overtakes Mercury three to four times.  When we pass Mercury, it creates the optical illusion that Mercury is actually reversing it's orbit.  This optical illusion is a metaphor for the mishaps and misstatements that punctuate our lives during this period.  It's also proof that the Cosmos has a twisted sense of humor.

Are you drawing more swords than usual in your tarot readings?  Hmmm.  Could be old Mercury messing with your mind.  Do your cups runneth over?  You know the culprit.  So how go I stop saying the wrong thing at the worst time, or stop spending hours wallowing in emotional quagmires?  Worse yet, how do I get my cable remote to work again, you ask.

The key to a successful Mercury Retrograde is preparation.

1) Know your yearly retrograde dates, relax and breath into them.  Meditate.
2) Keep you expectations low during this time, both personally and professionally.  If possible, try not to     enter into new contracts or negotiations.  Don't decide to have air-clearing discussions with friends and family.  Communications of all kinds are highly influenced by Mercury's illusion.
3) Remember your  "R" words.  Renew, revisit, rest, re-plan, re-figure, renovate.  Things that are already in progress can benefit from a Mercury Retrograde revision.  Those are safe to do.
4) Keep your favorite tarot deck handy and plenty on sage and sweetgrass incense about for cleansing as needed.  Swords may caution you about over-thinking or living in your head.  Cups will point out over-indulgence of angst and remind you that there is, indeed, a morning after.

Follow these steps and while life won't necessarily be a breeze, it will be much easier.

Retrograde Dates for 2012


March 12th  to April 4th

July 14th to August 7th

November 6th to November 26th


Lady Oracle