Capricorn Moon squares and a quincunx: awkwardly rewarding

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. The theme for the first half of the week is the emotional backdrop set by the Moon in Capricorn as it squares the cluster of planets in Libra. There can be a slightly chilly feeling to a Capricorn Moon. But since the main lunar aspects at hand are squares, detachment is not likely the answer. Squares are an internally felt tension and generally call for some sort of action. The Capricorn Moon may suggest approaching experiences today carefully, as though from the edge, but ultimately the answer is in fact to actually feel and experience what comes your way.

The Moon made its square to the Sun yesterday (known as the quarter Moon), so today it first engages Mercury at about 7:47 am EDT and next Saturn at 2:52 pm EDT. These two may be a little tricky to navigate. Moon-Mercury is often felt as a struggle between mind and emotions. Since we already know that the Capricorn Moon is not the most effusive emotionally, we can look to Mercury’s placement for a little help. In communicating your emotions – whether to yourself or another – keep an eye to balance. That is, if you feel yourself veering toward the unnecessarily negative, check your perceptions. Are you responding to something you know is absolutely true?

I ask this because the Moon squaring Saturn later in the day may also bring out any tendencies you have toward negative, irrational fears, and these are more likely to be subconscious. This makes them harder to identify and work with, but not impossible. It may be a good day to revisit The Work of Byron Katie; her four questions are ideal for gaining perspective on perceptions, unexpected reactions and runaway trains of thought. With Libra we’re dealing with the realm of relationships, but remember that your relationship to yourself comes first with these squares. By all means ask a friend or partner for help if you need a sounding board today, but watch out for any tendencies to project internal struggles onto them.

Despite the lag time between the Moon’s aspects to Mercury and Saturn, those two planets are basically conjunct, with Mercury moving closer. While this could certainly be felt as a sense of impending authority, there are some truly creative alternatives to how we can experience this aspect, thanks in part to its location in Libra. Len Wallick gave some sound counsel on this matter yesterday, writing, “read your own mind. Know your values and listen for others who share them. Figure out what inspires your trust and show it to others. Once you have sorted the gold from the dross, cultivate those relationships by comparing notes and sharing a loving counsel.”

Lastly, Saturn in Libra is involved in another aspect right now. Ceres in Pisces is backing into a quincunx with it, and it’s up to us to integrate the energies of these two. The planets and signs involved are asking us to observe the food/nourishment/emotional need/relationship nexus. Put that way, it sounds rather obvious. But the intersection between food and relationships can be abstract, taken for granted, obscured, and in extreme cases, become toxic.

The quincunx calls for constant adjustment. It is an angle of 150 degrees, or five signs around the zodiac. It tends to be a rather awkward aspect; it’s not quite an opposition. Oppositions ask us to negotiate separately with each side. Quincunxes ask the same, but we are more likely to resort to compartmentalization of the two energies involved, rather than balancing back and forth between the two as we would with an opposition.

Are you seeking creative sources of nourishment within yourself right now? Are you able to balance that with the need for more literal, straightforward exchanges in your relationships with others, or the urge to move an idea forward even if you’re not sure you’re ready? The balance between the creative and the literal is crucial for expression, which requires some tension and dialogue. But expression needs an outlet, and this awkward aspect is looking for a way to integrate rather than compartmentalize.

We find the key in the form of Venus, which has dignity in both Libra and Pisces. Venus has just been involved in a multifaceted conversation involving the weird side of womanly nature, and is about to be squared by that Capricorn Moon. There is a certain emotional hunger here, which is different from desperation. A little hunger is a sign of life. Follow it and see where it leads — try eating something interesting, rather than just eating, and see how it fuels you both inwardly and outwardly. The beauty of that sensory experience may be impossible to convey, but this aspect may reward the attempt.

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