It’s only too fitting that this column, Hidden Insights, would begin during a waxing moon, when the time is right for new beginnings and new growth.
This past Friday, 30 September 2016 brought the new moon in Libra. This means that this new lunar cycle — lasting until Sunday, 30 October 2016 — will be driven by Libra’s need for balance, beauty, kindness, creativity, and gentleness.
Libra is symbolized by the scales of justice. It helps us balance things out as we move into a season of death and harvest. So many rewards are reaped throughout the fall, yet it’s also a time of immense change as Libra pushes us to ask, “Is this really serving you? Is that becoming too much? Are you spread too thin?”
These questions are important now, because the actions we take throughout the fall will determine what we plant for ourselves next spring.
This is why astrology matters. It helps us to stay aware of the natural flows and cycles we all walk through. This way, we can be more purposeful in what we do and when.
What would you like to see take shape this season?
With Mercury, Jupiter, and the sun all in Libra this week, too, expect themes of balance and flow to continue to surface. Mercury influences our ideas and our communication. Jupiter helps us to expand and create opportunity. The Sun illuminates.
If you are in need of a kinder approach, a gentler time, or a new direction that will help you feel more attuned to the beauty and potential of the world around you, this is the week to open your mind to whatever is hanging in in the balance of Libra’s shadow.
Here’s a look ahead at what’s coming up for your sign throughout the week ahead.
Aries (21 March — 19 April)
Have you already been hitting the books this fall? Or did September give you that warm, fuzzy feeling for a back-to-school season of your own? While Aries by nature is a bit of a wild child, this week looks to be ideal for your fiery self to find freedom through knowledge. There’s something out there for you to master, a new frontier where you’ll be able to one day blaze your own trail. But first, you must start with focus, discipline, and the commitment to learn. What’s calling to you?
Suggested reading: How to build self-discipline.
Taurus (20 April — 20 May)
There was river nearby the house I grew up in; signs were posted along the bank: “Beware of undertow.” They depicted an image of a person being pulled beneath the surface by an unseen force. It took me years to learn that this was a natural phenomenon, not a supernatural one. In the coming weeks, I see you vacillating between worlds. Fall’s shadow side is coming for you early, Taurus, but this is an undertow you shouldn’t fight. There are answers coming from deep, untapped resources, but you’ll have to be willing to go below your own surfaces in order to hear them.
Suggested reading: Pomegranates and trauma: Delving into the Underworld.
Gemini (21 May — 20 June)
Get ready to float away, Gemini. You’ve been feeling boxed in for too long. September hasn’t been an easy time, and that Mercury retrograde might have hit you particularly hard. But whatever fogginess, uncertainty, and confusion that is still lingering for you is about to lift. This week brings a whole new surge of energy and ideas your way — just make sure you’re still keeping your feet firmly planted here on Earth in the process. You might be so relieved that you’ll feel light as a feather, but remember, we need you and your brilliant mind to stay right here.
Suggested reading: 5 ways to connect to nature as an urban Pagan.
Cancer (21 June — 22 July)
This first full week of October feels like a clean slate for you, Cancer. What feels like it had a false start for you this year? You still have time for a do-over. Salvage what you love, discard the rest. There is still time to create something for yourself in 2016. You are much stronger at leading the way than you tend to give yourself credit for. Treat the coming days like a fresh canvas and you’ll see that you can paint your way into new possibilities.
Suggested reading: Dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers: Magick and the art of storytelling.
Leo (23 July — 22 August)
What are you sensing is in the air these days, Leo? I doubt you’ll need to rely on anyone else’s advice to figure it out. I see you operating as your own oracle in the coming days. The current celestial climate is opening you up and making you a clear channel. There are important messages for you to deliver that can really help someone out. Your instinct is right on these days, and the words you use will come as sage advice.
Suggested reading: Divination archives.
Virgo (23 August — 22 September)
Jupiter just spent a whole year in your sign, Virgo, opening up all kinds of new possibilities and pushing you to expand in ways that might have felt uncomfortable or cumbersome at times. Even if the potential that it brought was good, you might have sometimes found that it was more than you could realistically commit to. Take inventory this week of where everything is at for you. The transitions of the past year are starting to level out now that Jupiter’s in Libra. What are you ready to commit to? If your focus isn’t completely clear yet, this is the week to narrow down your options and start moving in a solid direction.
Suggested reading: Are magical initiations necessary?
Libra (23 September — 22 October)
“You may go anywhere –you may open any door. But, little bird, remember that you must be prepared to accept whatever you find,” wrote Peter Straub in his 1980 novel Shadowland. You might want to write this quote down and carry it with you as reminder throughout the week, Libra, because I think you are entering into a time where you will feel like any door can open for you. Living in a state of expansion can be exciting, but also intoxicating. Remember that even though some doors may swing wide open, they might not close as easily. Choose wisely.
Suggested reading: Shadowland.
Scorpio (23 October — 21 November)
Whatever you do this week, Scorpio, do not resist the call of your dreams and the omens you see in the streets. There is magick all around you these days, and it can’t be ignored. If you feel the urge to walk around as something wild and untamed, I encourage you to connect with this sense of fearlessness. Your self-expression will be at an all-time high these days, your spirit is shamelessly uninhibited.
Suggested reading: Dreaming archive.
Sagittarius (22 November — 22 December)
Freedom is your birthright, Sagittarius, but throughout this past year, you might have felt like your urge to soar can never be satiated. This week, you have a window of opportunity to satisfy your wanderlust, but your escape route won’t be found in any roadmap. Watch out for revelations that come from a brilliant piece of writing, a potent line in a movie, or an unexpected song lyric that drips across your lap. Anything that activates your intellect and imagination this week is going to act as a portal to help you see into future dimensions, new horizons of where you’ll want to aim your energy next.
Suggested reading: How to plan a pilgrimage.
Capricorn (22 December — 19 January)
There’s no messing around this week, Capricorn. Not that you’re one to cut yourself much slack anyway. But in the coming days, I see your adrenaline surging to new heights. Capricorn’s symbol is the mountain goat: You’re always climbing, never satisfied with your current plateau. Though sometimes, you detour from the most direct route to ascension. Where did you stray in 2016? This is the week to correct course and move ahead with fresh resolve. Your courage is going to be at an all-time high.
Suggested reading: Exploring the sabbath from a magical point of view.
Aquarius (20 January — 18 February)
You are going through some major changes, Aquarius, except some of them are so subtle that you might not even realize what’s happening yet. But an undercurrent has hold of you, and it’s not letting go. And this might make it seem like everyone around is moving ahead at an electric pace, but you’re feeling like you’re back-pedaling. Don’t fight it. It’s all for you own good. The detours you’re taking now are helping to push you into a new, innovative direction. So while it seems like some of your friends are making leaps and bounds around you, you’ll end up miles ahead of them by the end of all this.
Suggested reading: What is magick?
Pisces (19 February — 20 March)
Come up for air, Pisces. We need you here with us right now. This week, instead of getting lost in your dreams, make an effort to create something beautiful and share with the rest of the world. Even if it’s just one line of poetry, a photograph, or a snippet from your journal. Make it beautiful and sacred, vulnerable and soft. Show us the light that grows from within. This is not a time to hold back your ideas, but to let them flow and then let them go.
Suggested reading: Why you should keep a magical journal.
