Libra New Moon

October 7, 2010: Libra New Moon (exact at 11:44 am PDT)

New Moons are times of beginnings, opportunities to connect with all that is potential and plant seeds for the birth of that which we want to create. As this New Moon is in Libra, it’s a good time to survey our relationships and see how we may encourage them to flourish so that our lives can be even more graced by them.

Using the image of the Scales, the symbol for Libra, as your guide, weigh and assess the value of your existing relationships, considering their strengths and weaknesses. The theme of the Scales is especially significant for this New Moon. It is reinforced by two other planets being in the sign of Libra—Saturn and Mercury—as well as the fact that Mercury sits at the fulcrum point of the Nodes; this planetary picture emphasizes the potential to connect and communicate into a sense of truth that is related both to past experiences and the knowingness of the direction we want our life to take.

While Libra is the sign of beauty, order, and grace, this is not to say that this day may be filled solely with gracious affectations and romantic notions. After all, Venus and Mars are still paired in the sign of Scorpio, which yields great passions, stirs intense desires, and may bring power struggles to the surface. With Venus going retrograde tomorrow, her Venusian themes of love, relationship, value, and pleasure are even more in our consciousness. With Neptune conjunct Chiron, we may feel a sense of wounding related to unfulfilled longings; at the same time, we may have the ability to transform painful feelings if we can connect deeply into a sense of compassion and nurturance for ourselves and another and/or others.

Some good questions to ask during the New Moon include: Can existing relationships—with a little shifting—better serve me? Would new friends (or a new partner) help me to prosper and be more fulfilled? Are some of my unmet needs actually those that I can provide for myself? If objectively seeing the ins and outs of your relationships seems especially challenging, consider finding a neutral “mediator” who you can talk to about this, someone who can help you clearly negotiate a deeper understanding of this area of your life.

This month’s New Moon falls at 14 degrees of Libra (Sun and Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a New Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Libra or the other cardinal signs—Aries, Cancer, and Capricorn—it may impact you more intensely.

New Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Libra is associated with the skin, lower back, and blood sugar balance. Pay attention to these parts of the body and areas of health around the time of this New Moon.

Facial: With Libra associated with both the skin and beauty, today’s a great day to focus on skin health and radiance. If you don’t want to schedule a facial at a day spa, consider doing one at home. First, clean your face, lightly massaging in the cleanser for a few minutes to stimulate blood and lymph flow. You can exfoliate while you clean (using a gentle skin brush), use a store-bought natural face scrub, or make your own–using ingredients such as oatmeal, almond powder, or rice flour mixed with yogurt (DIY scrub recipes can be found in books and websites). Then, do a steam treatment using an essential oil like rose or chamomile. Follow this up with a mask suited to your skin type. While relaxing with the mask on, apply cucumber slices or damp tea bags to your eyes to soothe them. After rinsing off the mask, spritz some rose water on your face, then apply a moisturizer, and continue to enjoy your Libra New Moon day.

Eat Fruit: As Libra is associated with sweets and fertility, it is the sign aligned with fruit. So why not make these delicious and phytonutrient-rich foods a greater focus of your diet today? You don’t even need to eat more servings of fruit if you already eat a good amount; rather, try varying the types that you enjoy. For example, consider trying a variety of apple or pear that you usually don’t buy. Or treat yourself to a fruit—mangos, pineapple, or berries for instance–that you usually avoid because of the price. See if your food market sells exotic fruit—such as mangosteen, dragon fruit, or star fruit; enjoying the delectables from another culture, notably one you’ve never experienced, can make your day even sweeter.