In the past month and a half I’ve found my writing rhythm, more or less uninterrupted since August of last year, a bit altered.  So rather than let my more structured side guilt my largely improvisational half over it — the two aren’t that even a split anyway, and with endless corridors in between — I just rolled with it and gave myself permission to not be as in stroke with the forecasts and transit reflections.  Particular grace, what with the influx of readings I’ve been giving clients — and written natal chart reports, a format I’ve been nudged back into doing and enjoyed branching out with.

So, despite there being no current planetary transits in Virgo, this is in effect my third and final writing for Virgo season this year.  It addresses some of the dynamics found in the final days of the Sun in the Harvest Maiden’s sign before transitioning to Libra, and what has been at play since.  Many of the present energies permeating the air, no doubt being hung on Mercury’s coat-hooks in many places, have preceded the swift planet’s beginning backwards jaunt by a week or two — so they’re worth re-exploring and disentangling from the whole spread.

The social and relationship dynamics afoot lately will no doubt be relegated to retrograde buzzwords — and not completely unwarranted.  Yet Mercury’s antics in relational Libra, co-present with the Sun and Mars approaching their conjunction earlier in the sign of the Scales, are taking place in context Venus and Mars’ debilitated state mentioned in my last writing.

The Mars-ruled signs of Aries (Mars’ diurnal sect) and Scorpio (Mars’ nocturnal sect) both oppose the Venus-ruled signs of Libra (Venus’ diurnal sect) and Taurus (Venus’ nocturnal sect).  So Venus and Mars are in what’s called ‘mutual reception by debility’, both in detriment in each other’s signs.  I will reiterate a trope about Mars in Libra ruled by Venus in Scorpio that Acyuta-bhava Das has shared here and there over the years, one whose probable originator has been temporarily lost in a game of astrological telephone.

This transit is like two drunk friends propping each other up, walking each other home, but [my addition] they’re in domestic court and need to be settling a complaint… Mars is in a sign that says ‘I’m willing to fight, but not with you’ or ‘Got a problem?!’ … ‘No. Got a solution?’  Not always a comfortable fulcrum of consideration for Mars’ gusto. Whereas Venus in Scorpio has a ravenous appetite, and sometimes jealous desire body that defies Venus’ preference for peace and whatever sensual or social dynamic might perfect in a moment as it arises.

This smattering of action in Libra — namely Mars in a house of venusian concern for the other — ruled by Venus in the Debauch of Scorpio, makes for a playground of desire and renegotiation.  Mercury Rx in these copper-mirrored wisps of Libra makes for the reconfiguration of ideals surrounding beauty, art, social/community contracts and romantic relationships.  The mercurial association with commerce might be emphasized, as could be the unearthing of secrets or confrontation with stark external realities surrounding given Mercury Rx’s square to Pluto in Capricorn.

This transit is like two drunk friends propping each other up, walking each other home, but [my addition] they’re in domestic court and need to be settling a complaint… Mars is in a sign that says ‘I’m willing to fight, but not with you’ or ‘Got a problem?!’ … ‘No. Got a solution?’  Not always a comfortable fulcrum of consideration for Mars’ gusto. Whereas Venus in Scorpio has a ravenous appetite, and sometimes jealous desire body that defies Venus’ preference for peace and whatever sensual or social dynamic might perfect in a moment as it arises.

This smattering of action in Libra — namely Mars in a house of venusian concern for the other — ruled by Venus in the Debauch of Scorpio, makes for a playground of desire and renegotiation.  Mercury Rx in these copper-mirrored wisps of Libra makes for the reconfiguration of ideals surrounding beauty, art, social/community contracts and romantic relationships.  The mercurial association with commerce might be emphasized, as could be the unearthing of secrets or confrontation with stark external realities surrounding given Mercury Rx’s square to Pluto in Capricorn.

Sorting through one’s goals and ideals in the relational mirror can be tricky right now, but it’s much of what we’re working with.  While the landscape may be littered with what seem like bad choice roads and coping mechanisms, the best one can do is know that one’s will is true, align if it isn’t, and be open to changes of plan across the next few weeks.  We are winding down this lunar cycle across the next few days, before building anew toward the momentum of the Full Moon in Aries on October 20th.  As astrologer Elodie St. Onge-Aubut put it, this is gonna be a “juicy one.”

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