From October 14th through October 23rd—the sun will be moving through the third decan of Libra, and from the 23rd on the sun will move into Scorpio…
As for Libra III, these ten days will have you seeking greater meaning—through inner insight.
The third decan of Libra is associated with the 4 of swords in the tarot—a card that represents recuperation, typically after times of crisis or trauma, or the mere stressors and anxieties offered within the modern age… it’s a card that reminds us to rebalance ourselves—to restore our inner balances—in an effort to attain our inner insight, and knowing, which becomes weakened, drowned out and compromised greatly by such noise, constantly bombarding our boundaries and threatening our senses of perspective.
This would mean to suggest, then, that these ten days of October are intrinsically suggesting to take respite—to retreat and manage to do as little as possible, in an effort to accommodate both your own physical/mental/spiritual (however subtle) inner demands, as well as your soul’s needs—with the intention of reviving the alignments thereof… even if you’re unable to allow yourself ten full days of rest, retreat, and recuperation—though I would suggest you take as many as you’re able—finding even the smallest ways to find a balance, both within and without… is a good way to utilize this time.
The swords in tarot are typically cards that represent thoughts… and so this time of retreat, respite or repair, then, isn’t so much about a spa/sauna getaway… but rather a time to gather your thoughts and find a balance within your own mind.
This third decan of Libra is associated to Mercury, after all.
Though I know the sauna, or a good long soak, definitely supports the clearing of my mind…
The symbolism of the 4 of swords, however, isn’t exactly representing respite as a spa getaway either—as it alludes to someone laying horizontal upon what looks to resemble an open casket, with his hands prepared as if to pray, while swords hang upon the wall next to a window of stained glass… it’s a very somber card, to say the least. However, a deeper symbolism would suggest that, as in the Orphic Hymns, the card relates, as well, toward what tarot writer TS Chang connects to ‘moments out of time’ through Sleep, Dream and/or Death—that all of these offer an ‘elsewhere’ that this card represents; that, in an effort to fully obtain an inner balance between thoughts and feelings, trust and inner knowing, one must be able to devote time and energy toward an elsewhere… obviously, this is typically achieved through dream or sleep—though I would add, also, through meditation.
Through these ten days, take it upon yourself in whatever ways you’re able, to, as Chang writes, “consider it a complex invitation (a) to take a break from the toiling and spinning imposed on us by the external world, and (b) to explore the rich landscape of the inner world…collecting your thoughts, inevitably, leads to a collected state of mind.”
In a way, this decan of Libra is somewhat linked to the overall clockworks of the universe—and this ever-moving endlessly ongoing inner (re)alignment to it…
Astrologer Austin Coppock writes of this decan, that “the center of balance is not a permanent thing, but is instead found in the ever-roving eye of the storm… there is no more naïveté here—justice must reconcile itself to an unjust world, and peace to a world riven with conflict… its secret resides in the eye of the storm, calm and clear as the chaos of desire and fear whirl all about…”
Further, Coppock writes, “the power of this face is to equilibrate unbalanced forces as they are encountered, and to maintain connection to the unmoved center…”
The sun will highlight three very powerful aspects while moving through the third decan of Libra—
a connection to Mars by trine on October 17th
a square to Pluto on October 19th
and the eventual conclusion between the building sun/Venus tandem all month, finally in exact conjunction, on October 22nd
Firstly, on October 17th—the sun/Mars trine occurs through a degree that describes adjustments…
The entire month of October, truly, is centered around the need for adjustments—whether you participate or not, adjustments will be made.
Though, on this day, within this decan, a typically oscillating Libra sun is likely growing quite heavy with either too many things to consider or too many repercussions to weigh through—or too many Others to compensate for in one way or another… and Mars, in Gemini, is moving painfully slowly—preparing to station upon the next degree, within days… this Mars is becoming grossly and divisively overburdened with too many details to consider and too many options to move toward—Mars is struggling.
And so, a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere type of revelatory insight or reveal, or magically bestowed inner knowing, could befall you—and it could change everything…
It’s truly how you interpret this insight that matters.
Most of all—its magic lies in your understanding something in an entirely new way…
With this new understanding you should be able to either make a necessary change, pivot in some way, or otherwise befriend adaptability toward the situation at hand.
Secondly, on October 19th—the sun will square Pluto, and this typically manifests through some type of power dynamic or outer/inner pressures needing rebalanced… there could be the need for a necessary breakdown—or there could be an extremely cleansing, validating, and empowering breakthrough. Though, however this square emerges for you—it will likely feel forceful, and challenging, though this could also be felt from within if you’re unwilling to cooperate, as this square can also require a letting go, release, or purging otherwise.
This square also marks the near-ending of a solar cycle with Pluto—one that began back on January 16th (through the same degree it will now), and was challenged on April 18th, became opposed and then peaked on July 20th, and is now being challenged again… this cycle will end and begin anew on January 18th, 2023.
As for October 19th—this square will occur though a degree that requires ‘a broad overview’, as in “a time for looking at the whole picture rather than focusing on the details”… and will likely challenge you in ways which provoke you to flee, or avoid, or otherwise escape—though this will potentially do more harm.
Yea, some rest and respite might be nice… but not in avoidance.
Tarot writer Jessica Dore, within the chapter on the 4 of swords, writes that “though it can feel threatening, even terrifying, we have a choice to relate to [something which consumes us, like] loneliness as an ingredient that might do wonderful things to us, that can ‘ferment and season’ us like nothing else, if we can let it…” and quotes poet David Whyte, “through being equal to fierce circumstances, we make ourselves larger than the part of us that wants to flee while not losing its protective understandings about when it might be appropriate…”
You’re possibly being given a reality-check in an effort to ground you to, well, the real and raw reality of your circumstances… and there may be “a need for calm objective observation… to bring new information to light—things that you weren’t able to see or know previously.”
Keep in mind that the essence of this sun/Pluto cycle is to provoke within you an inner trust and knowing that you yourself thoroughly trust—that you trust yourself enough to lean into it.
And finally, on October 22nd—the sun and Venus will finally meet in conjunction, through a degree that bestows prescience.
Typically, when the sun and Venus come together in conjunction, the essence of the zodiacal energy the conjunction occurs through is both highlighted and reconciled and emerges quite easily into something that becomes very useful and enjoyable… in Libra—you may simply feel as though you’re rebalanced, realigned, or recalibrated—and with this you can much more easily and enjoyably go about your Being, particularly in coordination and collaboration with an/Other.
This prescience, then—which is quite a large word—becomes more of an understanding, though a very thorough understanding, in the inner comprehensions of basic concepts in cause and effect, and the ‘interrelatedness of all things…’
Again, it is very possible that you’ll be blessed with an insight or inner knowing—and likely a weighted one at that… and it inspires you to willingly make a gentle change upon how you’ve been thinking about, or considering, something so that you may now enjoy much more ease upon a higher vibrational manner of doing your Being.
And don’t be surprised if through all of this meditative resting, retreat soaking, reflective dreaming, mindful sleeping and mental recuperating has you beginning to get out of your head a little, if not a lot…
Most of the centeredness, inner knowing and trust is found within the heart-center, and within the ‘elsewhere’—not within the mind.
Chang, T. ‘36 Secrets.’ Anima Mundi Press; 2021.
Coppock, A. ‘36 Faces.’ Three Hands Press; 2014.
Dore, J. ‘Tarot for Change.’ VIKING; 2021.
Hill, L. ‘360 Degrees of Wisdom.’ A Plume Book; 2004.
Reed, T. ‘Tarot: No Questions Asked.’ Weiser Books; 2020.
Roche, D. ‘The Sabian Symbols.’ Astrology Classics; 1998, 2010.