Libra Solar Eclipse

Eclipses accelerate processes of change underway, and the speed of fast moving events are at their quickest pace when eclipses occur in cardinal signs such as Libra. When an eclipse impacts your life significantly, there is a dissolution of the way things have been and who we have known ourselves to be that can feel as dramatic as the bright light of the Sun becoming extinguished in darkness. The Solar Eclipse in Libra on 2 October 2024 will not be total in darkness like the last solar eclipse we experienced in Aries in April, but it nonetheless promises to be a potent agent of change. Whether or not this particular eclipse is correlating with life changing events for you personally, eclipses bring a moment of unknowing and unravelling that can lead to a significant reformulation, remembering, and regeneration of your essential presence. The great dragon that consumes the solar light has its tail (the South Node of the Moon) aligned with the Libra Solar Eclipse, amplifying themes of release, shedding, cleansing, and purification. There is a necessity of tending to whatever is being released, honoring the skin being shed by the serpent, while at the same time nurturing and cultivating whatever new personal and creative directions are beginning to germinate from the fertile void of this eclipse season.

This present eclipse season began with an unusually disorienting Lunar Eclipse in Pisces that not only was forming a conjunction with the otherworldly Neptune, but also fully activated whatever long-term storylines have been developing in correspondence with the cycle of Saturn and Neptune in Pisces that is coming to an end. Since the Pisces Lunar Eclipses there have been catastrophic floods, increasing bloodshed and bombings, and numerous other events that naturally cause fear and concern about our collective future. The necessity of facing fears and coming to terms with difficulties and whatever needs to be overcome is a major theme of the Libra Solar Eclipse, as the eclipse is forming a harsh square aspect with Mars in Cancer. One of the most popular stereotypes about people with strong Libra placements is their indecisiveness, yet it’s also a fact that Libra is a sign of shrewd strategy and extraordinary cunning. The scales of Libra are constantly oscillating, the mind continually calculating, creating opportunities to come to the exact decision needing to be made to attend to the multiplicity of factors at play in any situation. Since the Solar Eclipse is clashing with Mars, however, decisions will need to be made quickly. Mars separates and divides and forces action to be taken. One path out of many must be chosen, and there is no going back. Rather than have this paralyze you with fear over potential consequences, however, the catalyst from Mars can embolden courage in decision making and fighting to protect your priorities.

As is often the case, Mercury is in position to mediate the polarities activated by the eclipse which are being further amplified by the tension with Mars. The Libra Solar Eclipse is forming a close conjunction with Mercury, and Mercury is applying to a tense square aspect with Mars that will become exact on 5 October. The agitated heat between Mercury and Mars will make it more likely than normal to become involved in fights that careen out of control with unforeseen consequences, and so it will be important to be more mindful than normal with reactions and responses to provocation. The closeness of Mercury to the eclipse means that all things related to Mercury such as fields of communication, commerce, and technology will be particularly activated, with Mars causing major disruptions for many. Yet the catalyzing heat of Mercury and Mars within personal endeavors can lead to breaks with the past that can be exciting in terms of developing dynamic new forms of Mercury out of whatever is passing away. With so many current events going horribly wrong, with so many world leaders making poor choices, with all of the disorienting confusion we are experiencing due to being at a turning point of historical eras, the tension of Mercury and Mars within the eclipse is a call to devotedly commit yourself to your essential values and the world you wish to help shape.

Mercury is at the beginning of a new cycle in Libra, having been reanimated by the Sun on 30 September, and so there is a powerful seeding of Mercurial ingenuity to tend within the darkness of the eclipse. The Solar Eclipse as well as Mercury are both in the bounds of Mercury, giving Mercury a significant influence while also empowering Mercury to make effective change even though Mercury is in its invisible phase of being at the beginning of a new cycle. Mercury is the psychopomp of astrology who can most easily move in between realms, in between visibility and invisibility, in between conscious and unconscious realizations, and help usher us through processes of death and rebirth not unlike a hierophant of Mystery initiation. The psychopomp capacities of Mercury will be of vital importance due to an additional influence: Ceres in Capricorn. Ceres in Capricorn is forming a t-square configuration with the eclipse, Mercury and Mars, forming a square aspect with the eclipse and Mercury while also being in range of a separating opposition with Mars in Cancer. Ceres is the archetype of Demeter who brought both the material nurturance of grain and the immaterial nurturance of the mysteries to humanity, the goddess of life and death who reveals to us the birth that will always emerge from death and the eternal regeneration of life.

Mystery initiations such as those that took place in ancient Eleusis in honor of Demeter facilitated a transcendence of the fear of death. With Pluto at the final degree of Capricorn for the final time in centuries and forming a whole sign square aspect with the eclipse, and Mercury en route to moving away from a square with Ceres into a square with Pluto in the coming weeks, whatever dark night of the soul you may be passing through this eclipse season can ultimately help in overcoming fears so that you may deepen into processes of death, shedding, and release to discover something more essential and vital to embody on the other side. Ceres in Capricorn finds herself in a difficult place related to the eclipse and Mars, which speaks to the complex crises and catastrophes occurring around the world. Yet her place in relation to the eclipse also speaks to the need to take a stand just like Demeter when she feared the loss of her daughter. Indeed, it was through the grieving, protests, and resistance of Demeter that she not only facilitated the return of her daughter Persephone, but also was how she brought the Mysteries to humanity.

Libra is the airy home of Venus and the exaltation of Saturn, and so it is further significant that Venus in Scorpio is forming a flowing trine aspect with Saturn in Pisces. In fact, there is a watery triangle being formed between Venus in Scorpio, Mars in Cancer, and Saturn in Pisces that has extra synergy due to Mars receiving Venus into his domicile and Saturn occupying the exaltation of Venus. Venus will form her exact trine with Saturn on 4 October followed by forming her exact trine with Mars on 8 October, creating a period of time in which deeper realizations of the changes corresponding with the eclipse can be felt. The flowing trines between Venus, Mars, and Saturn are especially notable due to the incredible tension that took place between them a month ago around the time of the Full Moon in Aquarius on 19 August. Around the time of the Aquarius Full Moon, Venus in Virgo formed an opposition with Saturn in Pisces and a square aspect with Mars in Gemini, a volatile mix that was further amplified by Jupiter in Gemini forming the first waxing square aspect with Saturn in Pisces since their conjunction at the end of 2020. Whether you experienced upsetting disruptions or exciting breakthroughs in August, the sequence of the Pisces Lunar Eclipse on 17 September followed by the Libra Solar Eclipse on 2 October will catalyze a major wave of developments, plot twists, and turning points. Fortunately, the water trine occurring between Venus, Mars, and Saturn can help with deep internal processing of whatever changes have been occurring.

The watery triangle between Venus, Saturn, and Mars is further important due to Mars in Cancer crossing the threshold of his “retrograde shadow zone” on 4 October by passing through 17°01’ Cancer. Mars at seventeen degrees of Cancer is important because after Mars stations retrograde at 6°10’ Leo on 6 December 2024, Mars will move backwards through the zodiac until eventually stationing direct at 17°01’ Cancer on 23 February. Due to the back and forth future trajectory of Mars from Cancer to Leo, it also means that Mars will form three oppositions with Pluto: one with Pluto in Capricorn on 3 November, a second with Pluto in Aquarius on 2 January 2025, and a final one with Pluto in Aquarius on 26 April 2025. Pay attention to whatever storylines connected with Mars in Cancer emerge from the eclipse, as getting an early bearing on what you may need to confront with the impending oppositions with Pluto and the long retrograde journey of Mars can help with preparation. It is possible to experience empowerment and gather the courage needed to break through into new areas of development when Mars and Pluto come together, and so the watery solution formed by Venus, Saturn, and Mars can be helpful for putting you into deeper contact with the core purpose and meaning that will help guide you through the collective discord of Mars and Pluto in the months ahead.

The Solar Eclipse and Mercury in Libra are also applying toward an airy trine aspect with Jupiter in Gemini, which is also important to note due to Jupiter slowing down in speed. Jupiter will station retrograde one week after the Libra Solar Eclipse on 9 October, with Mercury in Libra forming a flowing trine aspect with stationing Jupiter on 8 October. Thus while Mercury is beginning its new cycle while enmeshed within the volatile mix of the Solar Eclipse clashing with Mars, within a week the star of Hermes will receive the cohering and uplifting support of Jupiter, who is stationing in the airy home of Mercury. As a result, stay with whatever trouble or issues arise with the eclipse as the trine from Mercury and Jupiter will be a significant aid in sorting things out. You may also realize some positive changes in direction that can end up emerging from whatever conflict becomes stirred up by the tension between Mercury and Mars in the days following the eclipse.

Jupiter stationing retrograde at 21°20’ Gemini will intensify the presence and significations of Jupiter in all areas of life, making it an ideal time to review and take stock of whatever has been growing and developing since Jupiter entered Gemini on 25 May 2024. Jupiter’s retrograde passage will last until stationing direct at 11°16’ Gemini on 4 February 2025, making this sector of your natal chart particularly important to pay attention to. There is also an additional intriguing aspect forming between Jupiter and Chiron, as Chiron retrograde in Aries will form a collaborative sextile aspect with Jupiter retrograde in Gemini on 12 October and then again on 2 November. The harmonious sextile between Jupiter and Chiron is another indication that in spite of difficulties being encountered in the month ahead, that there can be some important breakthroughs achieved that take your work to another level of development or achievement. It’s an ideal time to notice what’s been working and not working in relation to your experience with Jupiter in Gemini and put in place any reforms or modifications needed.

After Mercury forms a trine with stationing Jupiter on 8 October, the star of Hermes will quickly move through Libra and form a catalyzing square aspect with Pluto in Capricorn on 13 October at the same time that Pluto is stationing direct. The tension of the square between Mercury and Pluto will be unusually significant, as Pluto will station direct on 11 October for the final time in Capricorn. We are in the final month of our time with Pluto in Capricorn, as Pluto will leave Capricorn for good on 19 November, and so the connection of Mercury with Pluto on 13 October will dredge up the final issues and lessons needing to be faced.

Libra 2 Decan

The Solar Eclipse is in the second decan of Libra associated with the Three of Swords arcanum illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. An arcanum known as the “Lord of Sorrow,” the Three of Swords contains an image of piercing heartbreak: swords stabbing through a heart set against a stormy sky. Its gloomy, rainy, and cold atmosphere fits well with the fact that the second decan of Libra is the face of Saturn. The meaning of the Three of Swords can indeed relate to betrayal, abandonment, and loss, yet its connection with Saturn also means we can link the transcendent fostering of strength and wisdom that can be gained through facing the inevitable and enduring painful experiences. Indeed, T. Susan Chang in 36 Secrets wrote that the rainy backdrop of the Three of Swords can also symbolize “the very water of life for everything that sustains us.” Chang linked the Three of Swords to Binah, the Great Mother who serves as the third sphere on the Tree of Life and whose “dark womb” gives birth to the “Pillar of Form.” Chang wrote that Binah’s “sorrow is archetypal and saturnine in nature, shaped by the love of creation and the indelible knowledge that all things must end.” Chang wrote that the Three of Swords can show up in readings as the signing and fulfillment of contracts as well as the termination of relational bonds; in one way or another, “there is something you have no choice but to face: hard-won knowledge, irreversible realizations, the thing you can’t unknow.” Exactly the stuff of the Solar Eclipse in Libra.

Henrich Cornelius Agrippa in Three Books of Occult Philosophy wrote that within the second face of Librra “arise two men raging and angry, and a man ornately dressed sitting in a chair; these have the significations for anger against evil, and a restful and secure life with an abundance of good.” While one of Agrippa’s signfications and images involves rage against unjust behavior, the same face also involves the security of an abundantly good life. In comparison, the Picatrix pictured a man leading a wedding and described the second face of Libra as signifying “relaxation, wealth, good living, security, peacefulness and easy living.” The association with marriage also appears in the Yavanajātaka, in which a woman who “is clever in the office of an intermediary (between lovers) for the sake of the bridegroom” resides. 

Austin Coppock in 36 Faces connected Saturn’s exaltation in Libra to the binding of “happy marriages and fruitful alliances” found in the second decan of Libra, as well as the breaking apart of such agreements. Coppock ascribed the image of “Two Links in a Chain” to the second decan of Libra, describing it as “a face of lasting unions and blended karma” in which “the power of obligation fixes volatile passions,” creating “a firm foundation for the good life.” Oaths and binding contracts are central symbols of this face that hold one of its central lessons: with whom and for what should one pledge themselves in oath. The second decan of Libra promises a bounty of abundance for those who stay true to their commitments in contracts of mutual beneficence. Yet it also contains the heartbreak of betrayal and becoming abandoned by the other side not holding up their end of the agreement. Coppock wrote that the “power of this face is nearly ideal for the binding of two things together, whether they be people in marriage, business entities, or merely a promise to oneself. It contains the formulae not only for knitting together, but continuing in happy union, and is therefore an arcanum of wonderful power.”

The Hellenistic text 36 Airs ascribed Kairos to the second face of Libra. Kairos in Greek mythology is the youngest son of Zeus as well as the lover of Fortuna, an embodiment of luck and favorable opportunities. Kairos was portrayed as moving with winged feet, carrying a razor or scales that represent the fleeting moment in which opportunity comes and goes, the moment we need to seize and not neglect. In modern culture the term kairos refers to the opportune moment for something to occur that is not confined to the demands of chronological time but rather connects us with a soulful sense of destiny thrust into the moment. We generally know to commit to blessed opportunities brought by the goddess Fortuna when they align with our purpose, but other times we can feel stuck and unsure if the opportunities presenting themselves to us are truly worthy of our commitment. As the second decan of Libra is a face of binding and unbinding, both the signing and breaking of contracts, the connection of Kairos stresses the importance of using discernment in your commitments to make sure you are binding yourself to projects and relationships you will truly want to uphold rather than leaping to grasp an opportunity you are not fully aligned with.

The sacred, solemn and serious nature of oaths can be seen in the fact that even the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology were bound by them. The golden winged messenger and intermediary Iris, goddess of the rainbow, had the role of collecting the water from the underworld river Styx which was used by the gods to swear oaths by and put to sleep the deities who broke them. Oaths like Saturn necessitate limits and restrictions, yet their establishment and adherence create the trust and faith required to build enduring works in collaboration with others. The second decan of Libra holds both the benefits and abundance gained by those who remain faithful to their oaths as well as the discord that comes from unfaithfulness. In times of collective uncertainty, the oaths of intentions we make for ourselves as well as to secure bonds of fellowship with others are crucial for fostering greater stability and security. As the Libra Solar Eclipse initiates us into the final months of 2024, may you commit to the work and relationships that truly matter to you.

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References

Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius. (2021). Three Occult Books of Philosophy. Translated by Eric Purdue. Inner Traditions.

Chang, T. Susan. (2021). 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot. Anima Mundi Press.

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press.