On Tuesday, October 21, the Sun and Moon come together at 28 Libra 21’ opposite transiting Chiron which is less than a degree away from Eris in Aries. In addition Jupiter at 24+ Cancer is trine Saturn which has returned to Pisces. Mars is conjunct Mercury at 20+ Scorpio and to top it off, the South Node is only 3 minutes away from the dwarf planet Orcus at 17+ Virgo. These energies support a deep dive into shadow work, especially when the Sun moves into Scorpio the day after the New Moon, and Neptune leaves Aries to revisit its home sign of Pisces for the last time for 150 years.
Whenever Chiron is activated, we can expect old wounds to emerge, especially our primary wound which occurred in childhood. Usually around age three, we experience a shock to our vulnerable consciousness that brings a new awareness of our identity. It could be an experience of abandonment, or invisibility, of abuse that keeps us in perpetual fear, or rejection, to name a few possibilities. Somehow our self-image is shattered and we emerge from the Eden of unconsciousness to the harsh reality of imperfection.
Why does this happen at such a young age? First of all it’s a rite of passage in child development, an awakening of our ability to see ourselves in a new light. We aren’t able to process our experience or even begin to understand it. Our baby minds sought answers but invariably we jumped to the wrong conclusions, that we are flawed or inadequate, which led to a sense of shame. This awakening recapitulates our metaphorical expulsion from Eden, when we woke up to our nakedness and had to leave the symbiotic state represented by an abundant garden. We adopted our limitation and attempted to hide it from the world by shoving it down into the unconscious. Some of us have run from its truth our whole lives.
But what if this wound is the secret potion that lays out our life’s path? What if it contains the seeds of the karma we came into this life to release? What if it is the gate to our spiritual path as well as a service we can perform for humanity? In other words, what if it’s a blessing, not just a wound?
In French, the verb “to wound” is “blesser,” pronounced “bless-a,” emphasis on the last syllable. Where do blessings come from? Seemingly out of the blue. Life suddenly presents us with an event that alters our path and triggers our evolution. Sometimes it feels like opportunity and good fortune. Other times we suffer. These wounds are karmic. They represent the challenges to wholeness and wellbeing that we all face. We’re each healing a part of the whole fabric of human consciousness.
If you haven’t already discovered your primary wound, you can ask yourself some questions: Did you get the nurturing you needed? Were you honored and respected and loved? Did you feel supported and valued? What did you want from your parents that you never got? Families are the laboratories in which our emotional climate is forged, our beliefs and attitudes formulated, our perception of the world conceived. Our wound deprives us of something we really want and sets us on a quest to find it.
Some wounds stay with us forever. That doesn’t mean that we can’t heal them, but we will never be rid of them. They linger in our psyches, in our subconscious. They shadow our lives and remind us of our vulnerability. They teach us humility and give meaning to our lives.
As long as they remain unconscious, however, they will have power over us and we will not be free agents. They make us vulnerable to our emotional triggers. They leave us prey to reactive behavior. They damage relationships and sabotage our attempts at success. Then we wonder why life is so hard, why we can’t get a break.
This new lunar cycle is focused on spiritual healing which comes about through inner work. Let’s look at the elements, one by one.
New Moon in Libra
Libra is the sign of relationship. 29 degrees of Libra carries this Sabian Symbol. Disregard the gender typecasting. Dane Rudhyar was mired in patriarchal assumptions.
“Vast masses of men push forward reaching for knowledge.” Intense desire to overcome the blind life of passion and to uplift others. Intellectual vision. Tense mental outreaching.
My first thought was the masses of people who participated in the No Kings protest. Seven million of us! In uncertain times we are all reaching for answers, but the important ones lie within. Why is life so difficult? Because we carry shadow wounds and harbor resentment, or feel like a victim, or a martyr. Because we would rather cling to grievance than let it go. Because we would rather judge and blame than take responsibility.
Libra is about balance, harmony, justice, aesthetics and loving relationships. Venus is the ruler of this sign and she is currently transiting the early degrees of Libra, about to catch up with Makemake. There’s a chance here for revelation, a surprising new way to view the world through the eyes of love.
South Node conjunct Orcus in Virgo
The South Node carries the detritus of our past, all the baggage we have hoarded throughout our lives. Orcus is the alchemist who calls us into our own inner darkness in order to transmute these shadow issues into light. Virgo is the sign of discernment. She carefully picks through the grain to weed out the chaff. She pays close attention to detail and is our ally in growing self-awareness.
Mars conjunct Mercury in Scorpio
Mars is bringing courage to Mercury in Pluto’s sign of Scorpio. Mars is a co-ruler, right at home in this sign. Scorpio territory is the underworld, the subconscious and unconscious realms of our psyches. Mars is lending us the energy to delve deep into our own minds, to allow a transformation of thoughts and attitudes. Just one degree away is Black Moon Lilith, the principle of the rejected feminine. With a New Moon in Libra, we can focus on bringing our masculine and feminine energies into balance, cutting back on restless activity or pursuit, to sit silently with ourselves and listen to what whispers in our depths.
Eris
Chiron and Eris are both retrograde now. They made an exact conjunction on October 8th, shortly after the Full Moon, and will make their final conjunction on March 19th 2026 at 25 Aries. We would benefit from examining Eris in our own psyches. This dwarf planet is the sister of Mars, but she is a warrior for diversity and inclusion, not belligerence. Eris believes in democracy. Of the many signs I saw this past weekend, the one that stuck with me could have been written by Eris: “Liberty and Justice for all, means for ALL!”
Our history is tarnished by exclusion, prejudice, persecution, even genocide. We only need to look at the brutality of ICE to see it in action. The majority is horrified by this reign of terror. I saw an uplifting video by a Chicago woman who wanted us to know that ICE is uniting neighborhoods. White women and men are escorting black and brown students to school and home. They are checking in on each other to make sure everyone is safe and has what they need. Many are afraid to leave their homes for fear of abduction, so neighbors are bringing groceries, picking up prescriptions for the vulnerable, and keeping watch over their community. It’s a beautiful demonstration of good will.
Jupiter trine Saturn
Remember back on December 31st, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn made their conjunction at 0 degrees of Aquarius? These two planets are labeled “social” planets because they apply to a broader perspective beyond our personal lives. They address our society at large. Well now they are trine – a harmonious relationship in which they support each other in water signs. Jupiter in Cancer addresses our early family life and all the emotional tumult of growing up. Jupiter is an ally when it comes to expanding our awareness of the impact of our childhood conditioning. Saturn in Pisces is helping us create new structures based upon an evolved paradigm that accepts the enlightened awareness that all of humanity is One. They are busy growing and reshaping the way we relate to one another, not as enemies, but as concerned citizens caring and protecting one another in community.
Pluto trine Uranus and both sextile Neptune
Just a reminder that the three transpersonal planets, the ones directing the evolution of human consciousness, are still in tight aspects. Pluto at 1+ Aquarius, the sign of humanity, is working its transformational magic in cooperation with Uranus and Sedna at the first degrees of Gemini. Uranus is sending us surprises and shocks to wake us up and open our minds. Sedna is showing us just how far we have strayed from our spiritual destiny. And equidistant from both is Neptune, our planet of spiritual truth, Oneness, vastness, connection with All That Is. Neptune moves back into Pisces on 10/22, the same day as the Sun enters Scorpio. This is the time for a deep dive. The year is coming to a close. Most of the month of November Mercury will be retrograde, providing a context for remembering, reflecting, rethinking and preparing for a rebirth as we approach 2026.
The Root Wound
Change is in our future, but only if we facilitate change within ourselves. It’s important to uncover our root wound. For me, it was discovering at age 3 that I was not valued as much as my brother, that boys were more precious than girls. I got to watch this patriarchal domination at work in my life, throwing up barricades, crushing me with contempt, limiting my possibilities. For longer than I’d like to admit, this subconscious wound controlled my life. I was always trying to prove my worth, I was supersensitive to sexist comments, I simmered with resentment toward men and competed with them, but it was a losing game played in the wrong ball park.
Whether from exhaustion, years of psychotherapy and growing self-awareness or just plain time and old age, I finally reached self-acceptance. I’m not here to prove my worth. I’m here to be a woman and channel the qualities of the feminine energy. This is a privilege now, not a wound. It is a blessing to be part of what the world needs now.
Watch your emotions and your reactions. Where are they coming from? What are the roots? Question the conclusions you drew about yourself and the world, the conditioned beliefs, the self-image you adopted, the defenses you developed. Is there another way to look at your wounding? What is its blessing?
A lot of healing can happen through remembering, feeling deeply and sobbing all the way to our core. It releases a backlog of jammed emotion and with the release of energy can come new perception, insight and another degree of freedom and autonomy. However, healing is about learning how to live with the wound – like Chiron, who channeled his pain into wisdom and compassion.
How do we befriend our wound and be grateful for the wealth and depth of wisdom it has provided? I think this is at the core of self-acceptance. Not just accepting one’s flaws, weaknesses and imperfections, but being grateful for the awakening they instigate. I know now that my heart will always ache for the boy who jilted me, that I will always be a woman in a man’s world, that I will always regret angry words and moments in which I wounded others. When old wounds arise, they remind me to be kinder, more understanding and compassionate. They link me with everyone else who is carrying a wound. They connect me with my humanity.
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