Astrology Oct 3rd – 12th (♎️II): Pacta Sunt Servanda

The Sun rises in the second decan of Libra for the first time this year on Tuesday, October 3^rd. While the first face of Libra introduced the scales upon which matters are weighed, the second attempts to cement the equilibrium, binding the matters to that point of balance. Contracts and deals are drafted here, and marriages made. It is the decan of Libra ruled by order-creating Saturn, and Saturn is exalted in Libra, for the divine root of law is justice.

Yet promises and contracts signed can be broken. Commitment and trust are necessary to create the possibility of betrayal. And this, too, is Saturn’s domain. The Tarot card given to this decan in the RWS deck is the 3 of Swords, whose image is the infamous heart pierced by three blades. Called “Sorrow,” it is the special pain of betrayal, a sin punished at the deepest level in Dante’s inferno, Circle IX. Indeed, the special power of an oath is turned against those who break it. Thus the fundamental principle of all binding accords is commonly expressed as pacta sunt servanda, Latin for “agreements must be kept.”

Thus, this decan brings the opportunity for reconciliation, as well as the opportunity for violation. It all depends on what is done, and said, in those most important moments. Perhaps for this reason, one list gives the god Kairos to this face. Kairos is the god of the moment, fleeting and swift-footed. He is bald but for a single lock of hair, by which he must be grasped before he runs away. Kairos was much discussed by classical philosophers, and important in the art of rhetoric— in which efficacy depends not just on saying the right thing, but on it at the right time.

Kairos is a type of Time, and thus a proper resident of a Saturn-ruled decan. Agreements are made and broken in single moments of accord and betrayal. Kairos thus rules as a strange judge and priest in the court of Libra II, offering differing settlements and judgments as moments come and go. All depends on which of these is grasped, at what time the deal is struck.

There is much ado in the courtroom this year, and much quibbling over contracts and commitments of all sorts. While the Sun passes through this face, the Full Moon in Aries occurs, the conjunction of Venus and Mars in Virgo perfects, the Sun and Mercury conjoin in Libra, Jupiter enters a new sign, and Mars and Saturn make a grinding square. This configuration chains together harmony and strife, clarity and obscurity, light and dark. Whether we can hold to our promises and forge new accords will be seen here, in this stern hall.

Overview

Mars and Venus, Sun and Moon

The first several days of the decan are characterized primarily by Venus-Mars relations. The two planets spend October’s initial days closing in an exact conjunction, on the 5^th, at 19 Virgo. Witnessed, via trine, by Pluto, the Venus-Mars conjunction brings love and strife together in a contentious, erotic combination which exposes the layers of accord and discord in relationships of all types.

This Venus-Mars conjunction is all the more impactful because it occurs on the same day as the Full Moon in Aries, the 5^th. Mars rules Aries, and so is the ruler of the Full Moon in Aries, while Venus rules Libra and thus rules the Sun in Libra. Therefore the rulers of both sides of this lunation are conjoined. This rare situation intensifies the Full Moon dialogue between the Sun and the Moon significantly.

As we are dealing with both rough Mars and smooth Venus here, this set of configurations concerns matters of harmony and strife, and lights up relationships of all sorts- familial, platonic, romantic and collective. Fights and resolutions are both on offer, and many contracts or settlements are sure to be discussed. This is a configuration for working through strife to get to harmony, and of unmaking false harmonies to reveal legitimate divergence. It illuminates both the Self and the Other in bright silver and shining gold, making clear both their intercourse and separation.

Superior and Subterranean

The 8^th is host to Mercury’s superior conjunction to the Sun at 15 Libra. The Sun and Mercury’s conjoined light illuminates matters with unusual brilliance. This moment, the superior conjunction, sees Mercury on the far side of the Sun from the Earth, and can offer vision which reaches far out into the starry heights of space. Occurring as it does in Libra, this conjunction provides a vision of justice bigger than any one situation. Yet while they conjoin, the Sun and Mercury both square Pluto in Capricorn tightly, highlighting factors which complicate or potentially sabotage this revelation of the scales. This configuration points to secrets, highlights power dynamics and can inspire both obsession and paranoia. Yet it can also reveal the hidden obstacles which prevent accord, and this is a useful thing, as discovery makes dismantling them possible.

Jupiter Enters Scorpio: The Chthonic Zeus

Jupiter enters Scorpio early on the 10^th, beginning the big planets 13-month tenure in the sign of the Scorpion. In Scorpio, Jupiter blesses bold journeys into the underworld, and teaches the methods by which the shadow-self might be claimed and integrated. This ingress ends the series of Jupiter-Uranus oppositions which plagued 2017, and begins a new phase in the big planet’s journey. Jupiter will be in Scorpio until November 8^th, 2018.

Mars Square Saturn: Of Noses and Grindstones

On the 10^th, the same day that Jupiter enters Scorpio, Mars in Virgo perfects its square Saturn in Sagittarius, closing a vice which has been slowly tightening since the month began. Together, Mars and Saturn are harsh, and bring a variety of unpleasant events and unhappy moods. They enforce deadlines, and preside over pressurized moments. Yet they also shine a fierce, approving light on the virtues of determination and industriousness.

The aspect is perfect on the 10^th, and will be attended to by the Moon in Gemini, which opposes Saturn and squares Mars. This is a brief but nasty configuration which for scheduling purposes should be avoided. A similar situation occurs as the square is brewing on the 3^rd, and there is another echo on the 17^th. See the daily entries for more details.

Onward

The Sun’s time in the second decan of Libra this year thus hosts relatively wild swings of the scales, from harmony to strife and back again. Yet just beyond these days, early in the Sun’s time in Libra’s 3^rd and final decan, Venus will enter Libra, and bring to order to many of the challenges faced during this decan. Commit to making it through these days with your equilibrium, promises and honor intact, no matter what disagreements or oscillations arise.