Monday at 8:02 am EDT is the Libra New Moon — the Sun and Moon making their monthly conjunction, this time in the sign Libra. What’s distinctive about this Libra New Moon is that it’s opposite Eris. This is the planetary discovery that informed everyone that the minor planets exist — and which was in part responsible for the demotion of Pluto (that is, becoming minor planet (134340) Pluto). The number in parentheses is the minor planet catalog number, stated in formal notation.
Nobody doubts that Pluto is just as potent as ever, despite being a ‘minor’ planet; now it’s time to consider a more recent discovery — (136199) Eris, a body about the size of Pluto, with an orbit more than twice as long. At this point, Eris is so far from the Sun that it’s spending more than a century in Aries, a factor that’s feeding the sense of identity chaos that is so prevalent in our phase of history.
In an article in the current issue of The Mountain Astrologer, I describe the process of figuring out what new planets mean and how they work. I give numerous examples of what I call “proving moments” — significant news or personal events where the newly discovered point is involved in something like a New Moon or a Full Moon, especially when there is an unusually tight alignment, say, two degrees or less. When this happens, it’s possible to witness the expression of the deeper nature of the newly discovered point (and by newly, I mean within the past 20 years or so) reveal itself.
We are about to have just such a proving moment with Eris. What we witness over the next few days will be expressive on some level of what Eris is about. In fact what we’ve been witnessing over the past week is offering some insight, though recently an asteroid called Psyche has been very active as well, lending itself to an atmosphere of healing crisis in personal relationships, deep self-doubts and the quest for authentic faith in ourselves and one another.
I’ve proposed that the Moon-Sun conjunction in Libra represents an idealized view of relationships. Libra is one of the signs that most vividly describes relating to others (it’s the sign opposite Aries, which is about self-focus). What we’re seeing, though, is that prefab views on relationships are not working so well; people behave differently from how the rules say they’re supposed to. In fact the rules seem to be a cover-up of actual behavior.
And that’s coming under special focus now. Eris in Aries is a factor that stirs up chaos within the psyche, the sensation that “I don’t know who I am, this is so confusing, who am I, what do I want.” One typical way to try to resolve that is to shift one’s identity into a relationship, and ‘find oneself’ there.
We invest so much energy in relationships, often to persistent disappointments. We can learn something about this from Libra. This is an unusual sign, having two rather different planets associated with it: Venus (its ruler) and Saturn (which is exalted there). Libra at its best is a perfect morph of both: the attractiveness, emotional affinity and creativity of Venus, melded with the structure, firmness and respect of Saturn. We need both of these in relationships.
Most of the time, we fake it — often in support of maintaining an image, or a struggle to handle intimacy. Now, these appearances are being challenged by forces emerging from deep in the psyche.
Named for the Greek goddess of discord and chaos (the direct translation is ‘strife’), Eris often does have this quality when you study it in news charts. It can also represent the sly move, subterfuge and the covert long-term plan for domination (whether political or in the politics of love). Its motto in such cases is “by any means necessary,” regardless of whether the goal itself is legitimate or necessary.
In personal charts, Eris seems to be about the factor of identity chaos that we’re experiencing here in the postmodern world (that’s to say, the modern world, with the rug pulled out from underneath logic). We spend a lot of time wondering who we are these days, going through identity crises, transforming ourselves and collecting business cards for the various things we might identify as. We’ve all met the person who is the bank vice president, the Reiki master, the doll clothing designer and the house organizer. That’s a reminder that Eris is in Aries.
I’ve proposed that the Moon-Sun conjunction in Libra represents an idealized view of relationships. Libra is one of the signs that most vividly describes relating to others (it’s the sign opposite Aries, which is about self-focus). What we’re seeing, though, is that prefab views on relationships are not working so well; people behave differently from how the rules say they’re supposed to. In fact the rules seem to be a cover-up of actual behavior.
Yet Eris is saying that you have to be yourself, and that it’s not possible to use a relationship to substitute for that. The usual chameleon-like attempts to ‘be the person’ you think your partner wants you to be are not going to work so well under the stress of this opposition, and you may start to figure out that they’re not going to work at all, if they ever did. You might call Eris in this context “the thin line beyond which you really can’t fake.”
However, when this method suddenly stops working, that can leave you feeling like you don’t know who you are — perhaps with the sensation of vertigo, or your world crumbling. That sense of not knowing can be profoundly unsettling and disorienting. Removing the false foundation can lead directly to feeling like you don’t have any foundation at all.
This is part of why, in my view, many people stay in relationships that don’t support their growth. At least they are supported on the level of ego identity, even if it comes at the expense of their independence and freedom. Notably it also saves many people from the responsibilities of independence and freedom. Many people have spent their lives going from relationship to relationship, trying to establish their stability there, yet at the expense of their growth and evolution.
Things can get really weird when one person or the other in the relationship reaches the point where they can no longer remain static. If one person’s identity is ‘founded’ on that of another person, both people can become unstable when either one of them starts to grow. Often there’s a reaction — to suppress the growth. Eventually, that’s likely to fail, and then there can be a collapse, meltdown, drama or crisis. That crisis might involve jealousy, which is one of the ultimate threats to the microcosm of a relationship, which is substituted for having a life.
And it looks like this particular pattern is what comes into focus with Monday’s Libra New Moon opposite Eris in Aries. I said earlier that this is a proving moment, when we get to observe what’s happening to us personally, and watch the world around us for information about Eris and what it represents. I’ve made a few observations here that I trust you can take into consideration and still study yourself and your environment for more information.
One last thing about today’s astrology — there is a square between Mars and Chiron. That’s about working through sexual and creative blocks, which is the perfect assistance for today’s Libra New Moon. I cover that in greater detail in Sunday’s edition of Planet Waves, below.
Just happened upon this, on not faking it, by Pema Chodron – balm for the soul.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIOaJ7g09YM
unless you count Eris square Urania in my natal chart…
Thank you Eric and all!
Thought I’d better look up Eris in my chart: 10 ar 42′ 0″ – and the new moon – very active on the inner planets but not Eris so much – so probly not a ‘valid’ comment for Eris but ‘static’ from sun moon stuff!
Faking it? Yes, I have Venus 9 in Sag in the 12th and Moon at 10 Gemini, both in close aspect to Eris at 8 Aries (Pluto at 5 Virgo). In both my romantic and work life, I have always created turbulance on the surface and remained safely tucked below it. Neither embracing nor rejecting with any enthusiasm at my core and calmly watching the havoc I ignite. The transits are kicking my butt at the moment and I suspect it may be time to finally come up for air and participate fully. Scary….
To respond to Pam’s earlier post and Eric’s request to add thoughts on the idea of faking it:
“Most of the time, we fake it — often in support of maintaining an image, or a struggle to handle intimacy. Now, these appearances are being challenged by forces emerging from deep in the psyche.”
Yes, yes, I feel like I’ve spent most of my life “faking it” in some way when around certain groups of people, most especially family. It’s like there’s a huge piece of luggage (or probably more appropriately, “baggage”) I carry around with me that’s filled with masks of all kinds–bright, dark, elusive, secretive, helpful, resentful, cold, warm, fuzzy, standoffish–the list goes on…
To maintain the image that I’ve contrived in my head and figure out what mask needs to be in place at any given time certainly takes a lot of energy, and lately it’s been almost too exhausting to bear. I’m ready to say “stop it already, let’s all sit down and take a deep breath and FEEL something for a change, instead of spending so much energy in constant motion in order to run around every emotion or uncomfortable truth.”
A very simplistic example here, but faking it is very familiar to me and I’m trying to do the work to be open and receptive, willing to listen and change patterns.
Note that today’s New Moon is also trine Nessus in Aquarius, square Varuna in Cancer, and sextile Quaoar in Sagittarius — three of the historic minor planet discoveries.
Tracy Delaney, the author of Serennu.com, checked on the frequency of the New Moon opposite Eris in Aries, exact to within one degree [not two, as previously stated]. Eris remains in Aries for about 126 years if I recall, from 1922 through 2048. The range of the opposition she checked was two degrees. Today’s New Moon is the 7th time it’s happened since 1922. The are all pretty close.
She writes, “It’s been on an intermittent eight-year cycle, coinciding with [the year right before] US election years (and transits of Venus) … this cycle starts to dissolve after 2028 … the one in 2036 is one degree and 4 arcminutes away, the next one further away etc.”
Note, 2004 and 2012 were the only times in presidential election years, so far. Because this can only happen with the Sun in Libra, these were right before the elections.
Thank you Tracy.
Eris entered Aries (for the first time) 3rd June 1922
25th September 1927 22:10:41 UT – NEW MOON at 1 li 50′ 1″ – Eris at 0 ar 52’18” Rx
27th September 1935 17:29:25 UT – NEW MOON at 3 li 40’17” – Eris at 3 ar 8’35” Rx
29th September 1943 11:29:15 UT – NEW MOON at 5 li 26’54” – Eris at 5 ar 19’39” Rx
1st October 1951 01:56:39 UT – NEW MOON at 7 li 5’15” – Eris at 7 ar 26’41” Rx
2nd October 1959 12:30:51 UT – NEW MOON at 8 li 33’50” – Eris at 9 ar 29’46” Rx
14th October 2004 02:48:15 UT – NEW MOON at 21 li 5’59” – Eris at 20 ar 17’54” Rx
15th October 2012 12:02:30 UT – NEW MOON at 22 li 32’20” – Eris at 22 ar 9’45” Rx
Future years:
16th October 2020 19:30:54 UT – NEW MOON at 23 li 53’28” – Eris at 24 ar 0′ 9″ Rx
18th October 2028 02:56:28 UT – NEW MOON at 25 li 15’52” – Eris at 25 ar 52’33” Rx
Eris enters Taurus (for last time, to stay) 9th March 2048
xxx
(that phrase pushed a button for me didn’t it!)
== Pam, if some more readers will add their thoughts on the idea of faking it, in its many forms, I will comment on this again. –efc
most of the time we fake it. Don’t agree. Life’s too in your face already to even think of going there
I imagine that ‘relationships’ also include work, ones working persona, relationships with boss etc.? Because in these last days I’ve been realizing how much of myself is still invested in what i do for a living, and it’s as if I’m expecting part of this transformational, challenging moment of my life to come up with an answer, like pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and I’m starting to see the illusion of it all.
Thank you, Eric. The concept of a proving moment will end up being a fundamental part of astrology. Thank you for making us a part of the proving moment in the history of astrology.