On the other side of this lunar eclipse in Libra (which happened on March 25th), I really wanted to share more about the energy of the zodiac sign of Libra. Where does Libra come into play in our lives? I wanted to do this after the eclipse, so we can look back a bit at recent happenings and have a better view of what has gone down that relates to the powerful energy of an eclipse in the sign of Libra. Because Hindsight is 20/20.
This particular eclipse was well supported by the other planets and the transition had the opportunity to be painless, helpful and sustainable. The glorious and loving aspects of Libra may have been highlighted for you beautifully during the eclipse.
I believe that any transit's effect on you personally is always going to corelate directly to the amount of resistance about the related themes you have and how activated it is in your specific natal chart (The natal chart is the relation of all planets in the sky the moment you were born, or the blueprint of your authentic essence). That being said...I had some "stuff" come up. And I'm a Libra Moon/ Rising with a decent number of things currently activated that are catapulting me into a new way of being/ relating in this eclipse season. So, this is just a bit of what I have been working on healing myself to be honest. Questions I have asked myself...lessons I have learned the hard way...operating on the knowing that if I am honest with myself and others, massive healing can be possible.
By the way, this is the first eclipse of the season (We have an eclipse season about every 6 months), and the next one is a full solar eclipse in Aries activated by Chiron (The Wounded Healer) as I spoke about before. This eclipse on April 8th may highlight issues of self-worth in powerful ways, but I digress. Back to Libra.
Libra is the sign of balance, harmony and relationship. Any two beings...be it platonic or romantic, coming together to relate to each other's experience in any way. Libra is calling for this interaction to be beautiful and harmonious, where all parties are seen, understood and validated. You can already see where this energy is much needed in society. And Libra is also a cardinal sign, meaning there is strong leadership and action in the form of constructive communication and bringing about solutions. I am sure that a lot of you saw these "positive" aspects come to life and will continue in this vein as this eclipse energy unfolds its influence.
I also want to focus a bit on the shadow side (eclipses do create some shade after all) of how we "obtain" this harmony and balance. Since this is the opportunity a Libra transit can bring in my opinion (spoken from the experience of a Libra Moon/ Rising). And when we can see our shadows/ tendencies honestly and without judgment, a new way of relating to others is possible that serves authentic communication and ultimately growth.
In astrology, Libra is ruled by the planet Venus. To understand fully the energy of Libra, we can look at Venus being the archetype that illustrates the yearning of loving and being loved. Venus is love. The brightest natural body in the sky except for the moon. The moon is brighter and can symbolize how we express and share that love, which is arguably what this whole human experience is about. Venus is the only planet with a female name, and she is all about beauty, flow, sensuality and relationships. She relates to wholeness, oneness and relationship with the Divine Beloved or creation itself. This ecstasy is what people desire, what they chase throughout life. Whether it is about belonging, feeling pleasure, feeling whole or feeling true uninhibited intimacy with another...you can see that this is something people will do just about anything to feel.
So, moving between this lunar eclipse in Libra and the next Solar eclipse in Aries (Being confident and in your full essence, knowing your worth and your divine placement in this world and owning it) this is a good opportunity to take a hard look at the ways in which we work to get love, keep love and/or walk away from love. And we can substitute that word "love" with acceptance, harmony, relationship or any of the other themes related to Libra/ Venus.
I think the theme biggest in my mind here is the "keeping of the peace" that Libra tends to have a focus on and all of the insidious ways that this can manifest into manipulation, people-pleasing, lying, minimizing and making yourself smaller or contorting into what works for everyone else. When the avoidance of conflict is your biggest mission, you are missing out on the benefits of conflict, which can be to bring about solutions by airing out grievances...bringing about honesty and naturally occurring peace. The eclipse energy may have lifted up the curtain and shown you situations that may need attention. Lunar eclipse energy benefits greatly from introspection and re-evaluating your relationships and what you are doing to sustain them can be beneficial.
Another Libran quality is the ability to create and appreciate beauty. These traits are all good things, right? They can be...but remember, Libra is about balance and the opportunity for finding balance requires a look at polarity and paradox. What are you bringing into balance? Where do you feel imbalances in your life? What are the opposite sides of the spectrum and what is the accurate depiction of balance for you in particular?
Venus is also about our values. Do your methods of interacting with others match up with what you value for yourself? Many times, when people are being honest...the answer is no. Does the desire to be in a relationship seem stronger than the need to be true to yourself and live an honest and authentic existence?
There can be an urge for things to be beautiful at all times, which is not sustainable, and can lead to perpetual disappointment. A tendency to project beautiful traits onto people who really are not actually living up to these traits can also be something to notice and walk away from. When we project inauthentic traits onto others it builds relationships built on a foundation of lies.
The symbol for Libra is the scales. Fairness is key. But what happens when things are not fair? What would you do to make it fair? Sacrifice yourself? Manipulate the situation to a better outcome? Is it fair for all parties...including you?
Are you so busy avoiding the potential "ugliness" of really deep, intimate and important conversations in relationship that you are a chronic flight risk? Constantly scanning the environment for more attractive and easier options? Ultimately, it is the mirroring of oneself through another for learning and growth of themselves that Libra is asking for. But sometimes...it ain't pretty! But it is real, and it will lead to a more authentic relationship.
Sometimes when things are not looking pretty enough, one can make up stories about why it isn't fair, blaming or shaming the "offending" parties. Many of these things are coping mechanisms we learned as kids, trying to be loved or managing our environment. But are they honest and healthy ways to act as adults? This is a question that can only be answered by you. Balance is something that is going to be absolutely different for each person. I am writing this article to help bring some ideas to light, but ultimately...we are all the captain of our own ship. It will serve us well to realize that even if we are not feeling the energies mentioned above, people around us may be, and we can practice compassion. We can give space and understanding to those we love as they sort through what is coming up in this eclipse season.
So, as we continue the voyage through the next full solar eclipse, it is my prayer for all of us that we can be honest and authentic with one another to cultivate accurate and fulfilling relationships!