Jupiter in Tail-End Libra and a Final Propulsion into New-Era Dynamics of Relating

We've just passed through fall equinox in the northern hemisphere as the Sun entered Libra (September 22), the sign of the scales, indicating equal hours of day and night. 

There is a momentary pause in the action and busyness for us to take a breath and see where we stand, particularly in relation to others and to the world around us. 

Greater Benefic Jupiter is completing its transit of relationship and justice-oriented Libra at this time and forms a final exact opposition to Uranus in Aries on September 27 (9:25 p.m. PDT), just as Pluto stations direct at 16 degrees Capricorn September 28 (12:36 p.m.) and Venus in Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces September 29 (5:11 p.m.). (Mars in Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces September 25 at 12:49 p.m.)

This astrological context indicates a final propulsion into new-era dynamics and rules for relationships and social scenes, one final surge past the sticky, tricky tendrils of karmically-loaded Piscean-era relating that will not bring us desired results as we move forward.

The current astrological context indicates that there is some stuff to clear in our relationships and in our dynamics of relating now - some old Piscean-era stuff that, if continued, will not create the healthy and loving relations and connections we desire. 

As Pluto stations direct, we're doing the big purge, shedding skins, moving through a process of energetic moulting and streamlining. As we move to the dark half of the year, we're dropping the non-essentials. We're dropping the drama. We're dropping the excess charge. (Ain't nobody got time for that!) We're dropping the weight of things that we do not have the strength or energy to continue carrying or dealing with or putting up with.  

We may have to reality check ourselves a little on this front, being brutally honest about any areas of emotional or energetic over-extension. With Pluto so strong in the zodiac, we may be tempted by "moth-to-flame" scenarios that have burned us in the past, and we're battling our own inner fascinations, compulsions, and desires at this time as much as anything.

With the combination of the Jupiter-Uranus and Venus-Neptune oppositions occurring at the time of the Pluto direct station, we're dropping the dead carcasses of Piscean-era ideals, fantasies, and dreams, as well as old rules around what other people "should" do in relation to us and how love and relationships "should" be.

From a previous article:

"Pisces is known for the heroic lengths it will go to in order to long and pine and sigh and hurt and torture itself over ideas and ideals of love and over the projected object of its affection.

Old school Pisces wants complete immersion in love and in a loved one. Always. And forever. It wants to be wrapped up in a cocoon of unending love, adoration, and support from the universe and from other people. It wants to do a continual backstroke in the auric field of the one it desires. Blissful communion and spiritual ecstasy with nothing reality-based that might burst its bubble.

But we're moving on from that as the dominant ideal for love. Those things exist in love, certainly, but they are no longer the singular ideal for which we are holding out.

That old school love ideal ain't coming back (thank goodness), and those who are wasting time waiting on it will be moved into the new era via Uranian shocks to the system, like it or not.

There is no time, no energy, no inclination left to torture ourselves over anyone else or over any outdated ideals for love...

Under the astrological Aquarian era, Pisces loves freely, just as it always did. But Pisces must also ensure that loving someone does not drag it into the same old traps. The pure and open-hearted love given so generously by Pisces must be applied a little more intelligently, with a little more discernment, with a bit higher standards...

We do not love to obligate others to us. We do not love only so that we can receive love in return. We do not love only to help or heal or prop others up. We do not love because we feel guilty or beholden or sorry for someone. We do not love simply so that we don't have to move forward.

Under the current scene, if it hurts, it isn't love. If it hurts, it's an old Neptunian trick you have to figure out, an old Piscean-era construct, a mirage you need to move through.

Or on the other hand, if it hurts, it may be a point of too-extreme detachment, too much cold Aquarius, too hard an angle. Going too far into the Aquarian extreme can be just as painful, requiring the correct application of Piscean love to bridge the gap. Pisces is the sign of union, remember, the last sign of the zodiac, the sign that brings it all together.

So on the Piscean end of things, if it hurts, you need to let it go. You need to detach from it. You need to re-formulate, distract yourself, propel yourself beyond it.

But on the Aquarian end of things, if it hurts, you need to make the loving connection, build the bridge, bring it back to love, bring it back to union and communion. You need to hold space for the love that fills the cracks and makes us whole again."

The standard Piscean-era romanticized ideals and expectations may be nipping at us here, as relationship planets Venus and Mars both transit Virgo in opposition to Neptune (and later wounded healer Chiron) in Pisces. This Neptunian overlay can certainly bring up some bad habits, some illusions, some blind spots, and some general dirty tricks when it comes to love, romance, and other people, in general. There is danger of being drawn into the cycle of built-up hopeful expectations followed by disappointment and despair, built-up hopeful expectations followed by disappointment and despair...

But the boon here is this: Virgo was designed to nip this stuff in the bud. Virgo was made to cut through emotional chaos and illusions and bliss bubbles and dreamy softheadedness.

The heightened discernment, stronger filters, and higher standards required as we hurtle further into astrological Aquarius? Virgo is the stone cold master with that stuff. 

So as Mars and Venus in Virgo both form flowing trine aspects to stationing Pluto in Capricorn (October 1 and 3), followed by a potent Venus-Mars conjunction at 19 degrees Virgo on October 5 at the 12-degree Harvest Full Moon in Aries, we are supported to apply these Virgoan qualities in our relationships with the utmost precision. 

We're supported to cut away and clear away the last of the Piscean-era fog swirling around human relations, coming to a new clarity about what actually is, rather than what we hoped or dreamed or wished existed. We're working with the potential of what actually exists in our relationships and social frameworks in the current moment, right where we stand, and this is ultimately much more satisfactory and exhilarating territory.

We're looking to entirely purge the element of detrimental self-sacrifice from our relations while not losing the compassion, love, and sensitivity.

We're looking to clarify our stances in relation to others. We're looking to draw attention to details that may have been overlooked or glossed over previously within our social scenes. 

We will have additional opportunities to apply this crisper, cleaner, no-strings-attached way of relating as both Venus and Mars in Virgo form oppositions to wounded healer Chiron in Pisces. Venus opposes Chiron on October 10 (strongly colouring the Jupiter ingress of Scorpio), and Mars opposes Chiron on October 15. If there are situations that we've been drawn into through guilt or through the projected expectations of others, these aspects will provide an opportunity to clear that away, so long as we do the work and keep working until it's clear.

There is a certain social energetic mix coming fully to the forefront now, and it has been in the works during the entire Jupiter in Libra transit, since September 2016. This mix may involve a somewhat unusual cast of characters with varying interests. But every rough edge and every seemingly-disjointed social connection are necessary. We need the energy and the dynamism of these unusual social mixes to make it through. 

There are some catalytic connections coming with Jupiter's transit of Scorpio (October 10, 2017 to November 8, 2018), and we're setting the social stage now, expanding it to its full Aquarian-era glory, as Jupiter completes its transit of Libra in opposition to Uranus in Aries.

We may experience some social/relational turbulence and "growing pains" as Jupiter completes its transit of the scales and enters the new sign of Scorpio. There are some interpersonal shifts and shifts in power dynamics indicated as we move into a stronger egalitarian social overlay. With the influence of strong Pluto, some alternately intriguing and upsetting/frictional interactions may be involved.

The big, new-era relational wave indicated by Jupiter in late Libra opposite Uranus in Aries will continue to be fleshed out throughout the fall, as the personal planets in Libra form squares to stationing-potent Pluto in Capricorn and oppositions to revolutionary rabble-rouser Uranus in Aries.

The Sun and Mercury form their exterior conjunction at 15 degrees Libra on October 8, followed by squares to Pluto in Capricorn October 9. This sets a tone of social/relational alchemy, change, and transformation as Jupiter enters Scorpio October 10. 

Communication planet Mercury in Libra will then get out in front of the Sun, forming an opposition to Uranus in Aries on October 15.

The Sun in Libra will oppose Uranus in Aries October 19, just before a New Moon at 26 degrees Libra.

Venus in Libra will form a square to Pluto in Capricorn on October 27, followed by an opposition to Uranus in Aries on November 3 at the 11-degree Taurus Full Moon.

Finally, Mars in Libra will square Pluto in Capricorn November 19, followed by an opposition to Uranus in Aries December 1. 

This indicates quite a rollicking (and potentially rocky?) social and relational scene as we move through fall in the northern hemisphere. Many changes are possible, particularly involving interpersonal and social power dynamics and organization.

The trick is to use the ultra no-nonsense Virgo energy to proactively cut through the energetic crap ahead of these cardinal aspects, determining when the universe is just screwing with us and refusing, straight-up refusing, to play ball in the same ways. 

Virgo is the sign of the editor, and with relationship planets Venus and Mars transiting the sign in potent conjunction, we're editing our relationships to better suit the times in which we're living - a little snip here, a little extra precision there, a little correction here, a little polishing there. 

This "relational editor" energy is most accessible until mid-October when Venus moves into its own sign of Libra (October 14).

Venus is in the sign of its fall in Virgo, meaning these "relational edits" are not necessarily easy to make while maintaining social harmony and congeniality. They can sting a little. They can inadvertently put people off or insult them. 

Overall, though, these edits are necessary to head off bigger issues as we move deeper into fall with Jupiter digging in in Scorpio.

We have to be quick on the uptake here, taking immediate practical action in our relations with others and speaking up when necessary, but this can be challenging with Piscean/Neptunian energy so strong. Blind spots abound. 

There just isn't energy to continue with the old-era social and relational dynamics, and this will only become more apparent the further we get into the Jupiter in Scorpio transit.

Proactively set just the right tone in your relationships and social scenes, take action on issues that are bugging you, and you'll be rewarded with a (relatively) smoother and more inspirational passage later on.