October 2010 Wellness Horoscope

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.

October 8 – November 18, 2010: Venus Retrograde

Retrograde periods are times for reflection and heightened inner awareness. Since Venus symbolizes relationships, values, and pleasure, this period can yield great insights in related areas of your life. Venus retrogrades last about six weeks and occur approximately every 18 months; the last one took place March 6–April 17, 2009 (in Aries and Pisces). Venus retrograde is a perfect time to re-evaluate what it is that we value.

Its energy allows us to turn inward to receive clearer answers to such questions as:

• What brings me joy?
• What allows me to experience inner harmony?
• What inspires my creativity?
• What really fulfills me in a relationship?

Use these queries of reflection to guide you through this period. They can serve as great barometers to measure your reactions, attitudes, and motivations.

Yet, it’s important, if possible, to not act on this heightened awareness or undertake significant decisions related to Venus-ruled areas of life until after November 18, when this planet goes direct. The decisions that you come to, and from which to act, will likely have more clarity if you wait since outward action is often stymied during retrograde periods.

As Venus is the ruler of Libra (in which she spends part of her retrograde period), relationships are always highlighted during the time that this planet goes retrograde. It’s a better time to focus on the past and the present rather than the future; so instead of beginning new relationships now, look to your current ones to see how they may better serve you. If you’re single, it’s a great time to inventory the qualities that you are looking for in a mate, and if you are in a relationship, you’ll likely gain deeper insights into the patterns that shape your partnership. Don’t forget, though, it’s better to sit with the relationship awareness that emerges rather than act on it now.

This time also heralds heightened creativity, notably if you can tune into your inner fire of inspiration. If you’ve already begun a project, now is a powerful time to look at it with fresh insights to gain another perspective on your unfolding masterpiece.

Venus retrograde periods are not a time to splurge on luxury items. Instead use these weeks to sincerely evaluate what you need. You’re likely to find new uses and applications for things that you already own. Once Venus goes direct, you’ll be able to better evaluate whether the need for something aligns with the monetary outlay required to attain it.

A Venus retrograde period can offer a gift of enlightenment, allowing you to discover what you need to allow your inner peace to more gracefully unfold. It can help you more clearly identify what it is that you value as well as the inherent value that you have.

During this retrograde period, Venus travels from 13 degrees Scorpio to 28 degrees Libra. While everyone experiences the energies of Venus retrograde, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around or aspecting these degrees, it may impact you more intensely.

Venus Retrograde Apothecary Suggestions

Journaling: As you reevaluate what you value, write about it in a journal. Since the energy of Venus retrograde is more internal than external, writing at this time may be especially helpful as a way to express pent-up energies. Plus, it will help your thoughts and feelings to become clearer, and you’ll have a record of your reflections that you can turn to in the future. While typing your thoughts into a computer may work well, consider using an actual journal; the tactile and tangible beauty of paper is well matched to Venusian aesthetics.

Collage project: Even for those who consider themselves not artistically inclined, a collage project can be a wonderfully therapeutic and relaxing activity to partake in while Venus is retrograde. Not only is making a collage a creative expression, but it can be a great vehicle for inventive problem solving. For this aim, focus on a challenge in a relationship  for which you seek a solution. Holding the relationship in your mind’s eye, cut out words and images from old magazines and newspapers that reflect aspects of the situation as well as its potential resolution. Glue these to poster board adding fabric, shells, rocks, or other small bric-a-brac in an arrangement that makes sense to you. This type of project honors the retrograde energy really nicely because we can repurpose material objects, finding a new value for them as they help us create a work of art that can offer some insight and clarity. Remember that there is no right or wrong here when it comes to the collage; just use your imagination and allow your creativity to flow in your quest for discovery.

October 22, 2010: Libra/Aries Full Moon (exact at 6:37 pm PDT)

We are in such a unique time, with the past month’s astrological alignments really emphasizing a focus on our relationships. This is not only because the Sun, Mercury, and Saturn are in Libra–Venus turned retrograde, and recently made an exact conjunction to Mars–but also because this fall we have had two Libra/Aries Full Moons, with the second one occurring today. What has made this 2-time-per-month celestial event possible—and this occurrence even more pivotal—is that the September 23 Full Moon occurred at the first degree of Aries/Libra and today’s occurs at the last degree.

We had the opportunity on September 23 to evaluate relationships from a perspective of nascency. For many this time period was intense and shocking on some levels. It was if there was a surge of urgency that was almost primal (for more on the September Full Moon, see this article). With four weeks now of the Sun being in Libra, we have gotten our proverbial hands dirty when it comes to evaluating relationship, desires, and what brings up peace (with the additional help of Venus and Mars in Scorpio). And now we meet the Full Moon again, on the very last day of the Libra season, which asks of us to again negotiate our needs versus those of another, to take a critical eye towards assessing how to be in partnership without sacrificing one’s identity, and how all aspects of the I, You, and We that make up relationships can be honored.

As we focus upon this, it is important to stay realistic of our expectations and to watch a desire to forsake ourselves in the name of an ideal cause. The reason here is that today we also are under the energetic spell of Mars square Neptune, which can impart a desire to selflessly act on behalf of another. This is not necessarily a bad thing, mind you, as unconditional love and forgiveness are qualities of the utmost value. It’s just that as we are weighing and measuring how to be while being engaged with another, it’s important to not act in a manner where the inspiration is less about compassion and more about martyrdom, where we give of ourselves in a way where we give our selves away.

This month’s Full Moon falls at 30 degrees (29 degrees 33 minutes to be exact) of Libra (Sun) and Aries (Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a Full Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Libra, Aries, or the other cardinal signs—Capricorn and Cancer—it may impact you more intensely.

Full Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Libra is associated with the skin, lower back, and blood sugar balance while Aries is associated with the head, muscles, and circulatory system. Pay extra attention to these parts of the body and areas of health around the time of this Full Moon.

Vetiver: Vetiver essential oil helps to calm pitta, dispelling the excess Aries heat and inflammatory energy associated with this Ayurvedic dosha. In addition to its calming and grounding effects, vetiver is rejuvenating for the Libra-ruled skin. Mix a few drops with some unscented massage oil for an all-over restorative experience. Or, carry a vial of vetiver with you, inhaling its fragrance whenever you need to relax and restore your grounded focus. As with all essential oils, it’s best to purchase vetiver from a high-quality, reputable manufacturer.

Partner Yoga: One example of an exercise ritual that can be shared by two people, partner yoga is a fun and relationship-building way to stay in shape. By relying upon another person to help you achieve greater depth and grace in asanas (poses), partner yoga can help you to strengthen and fortify your body, mind, and relationship. Inquire with your local yoga studios to see