Welcome to Libra season!

AKA the best season because this is my birthday season!!!! (ok, yes, everyone thinks their sign is the best, just let me have this!)

In the Northern hemisphere, Libra season is the autumn equinox, a moment of perfect balance between day and night, before the Sun starts to lose its light. From now until the Winter solstice, the Sun loses a little bit of its light with each day that passes.

The Sun's job is to shine, and when in Libra, it can't shine by itself. It must shine through relationships, social connections and society itself. This means that the Sun is at somewhat of a disadvantage while in Libra. It must work extra hard to overcome its inclination to put others first. It has to fight to be seen and recognized for being its unique self.

This is something I wrestle with, the push-pull between wanting to be recognized for my work, but the sheer terror of how it might be received. I'm sure this is something everyone struggles with, but for me, it has felt particularly acute in recent weeks. Especially as I think about the future of my work and hone in on what I want to offer, what I want to focus on, who I want to serve... It's hard for me to parse out what I have to share, how my gifts want to manifest themselves from what I think I should be doing or what I think people want from me. 

Libra season is the perfect time to contemplate these questions. As a Venus-ruled Air sign, Libra is concerned with the social environment — our relations, connections, communities... and how everyone fits together. We all exist in a complicated ecosystem of interconnection. Use the next few weeks (especially when Mercury is retrograde) to review the communities and groups that you are apart of… Do they need attention? Pruning? How might you tend to them? Libra season can bring up all the ways we compromise our own needs for the safety of acceptance.

Scroll onwards to read the Libra season astrology forecast!

This is an excerpt from the Libra Season Astrology forecast that Hollow Valley Coven members receive each month. Get the full version, in an interactive calendar + tarot prompts + journaling prompts + magic spells + a community of creative humans and witches when you join. You don’t have to be alone in your practice anymore!

You can also learn more about Libra Season by checking out the Libra Season Zine that I co-created with Erin Alise for the Hollow Valley. Magical correspondences, altar suggestions, a collage kit & more for only $9.

Libra season 2022 astrology forecast

September 22 — Sun conjunct Mercury RX (Mercury cazimi)

A powerful moment of clarity, insight and awareness. 💡You might receive a bolt of inspiration or a new information that clarifies your situation. This is often a turning point in the story of your retrograde. This is a really good day for self-reflection and insight.

Whenever a planet is at the exact same degree as the Sun, it is said to be “cazimi.” This is a moment when the planet is temporarily elevated and empowered. Mercury “has the king’s ear” and is able to ask for favours or whisper instructions. It was said that the Sun “purifies” Mercury, cleansing and clearing away the muck and grime of the retrograde so far.

This marks the halfway point of the retrograde — congrats, we’re halfway through! Pay attention to any developments or changes in the Libra part of your life (and your birth chart).

September 23 — Mercury RX re-enters Virgo

Mercury moves back into Virgo where it will finish up its retrograde.

Mercury is revisiting old ground. Think back to August 4 - 25 (the last time Mercury was in Virgo) and think about what themes/events were occurring back then, and how you might iterate those topics this time around.

What have you learned since then and how might you shift or change your approach? Mercury retrograde through Virgo is a perfect opportunity to pick apart your systems, processes and habits, so you can make them more efficient and introduce improvements.

Mercury thrives in Virgo, meaning that we get a super-powered Mercury to wrap up the retrograde, which is honestly kind of great! This is a great time to clean up any messes, get organized and plan for your future.

September 24 — Venus opposite Neptune

Day dreaming. Fantasy. Beautiful escapism.

Venus in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces is an interesting mix of energies. Venus in Virgo tends to get obsessed with details and struggles to enjoy itself as a result, while Neptune washes away and blends together all the details, making it incredibly hard to be discerning and detail-oriented.

Venus opposite Neptune can invite us to indulge our senses, be overwhelmed by pleasure, and seek to lose ourselves in our relationships. It's an energy that can make us want to bond and form a union.

But watch out for feelings of underlying tension with this energy. If you're someone who clings to the details as a way of staying in control, this might feel disturbing or triggering. Especially with Mercury back in Virgo, you might crave organization and control, but Neptune makes it challenging.

This transit will remain active tomorrow, during the New Moon, and thus baked into the energy of the next 28 days, so pay attention to any insights you have around this time.

September 25 — New Moon in Libra

The New Moon in Libra feels creative, abundant and supportive. This is largely due to the fact that Jupiter hanging out in the opposite sign, at 3° Aries. The New Moon is getting a wistful, inspiring and encouraging boost from Jupiter, the planet of expansion and abundance that infuses the upcoming lunar cycle with hope and optimism.

Jupiter in Aries is courageous and adventurous. It is ready to initiate projects and get started on ideas. Jupiter in Aries is a little bit selfish, but sometimes planets in Libra need a push in order to advocate for yourself.This lunar cycle might bring up themes of your projects and goals vs others. How much work are you doing to support YOUR vision…. or are you devoting all your labour to something that isn’t even yours?

Beware biting off more than you can chew or spreading yourself too thin during this transit. It loves saying yes to everything… but it can struggle with the follow through.

September 26 — Mercury RX conjunct Venus

This transit brings together Venus of beauty, harmony and companionship with Mercury’s precision, focus and attention to detail.

This is a great day to refine your craft and pair beauty with technical precision. It would be especially helpful energy for editing a document or reorganizing your files.

Watch out for themes of negotiation, too. Venus loves to compromise and find a pleasing solution to all people, while Mercury can argue in and out of anything it wants.

On the downside, you might inclined to hyper-fixate on the small details today. If you’ve been working through themes of self-criticism and judgement, try to be extra gentle with yourself. It’s hard to see the beauty in the whole, if you are fixating on the details.

September 29 — Venus enters Libra

With a sigh of relief, Venus moves into its home sign of Libra. Hurray!

While Venus is in Libra, we can expect to see more emphasis on fairness, equality and justice, particularly within friendships and family relationships.

This is a beautiful time to review what equality and equity looks like in your life. Equality isn’t always splitting things 50/50. More often, it’s about things being more proportionally fair. Maybe you do most of the cooking at home, but your partner always does the laundry. Maybe you travel across the city to see your BFF, but they pay for your parking.

While in Libra, Venus tries to create peace and harmony in the world around us. You might find yourself more willing to negotiate with others, or better able to find a satisfying agreement.

This is also a great time to lean into beauty and aesthetics — make some art, get a hair cut, make a mood board. Venus in the goddess of love, beauty, harmony, art and pleasure, so lean into whatever you find beautiful.

October 2 —Mercury stations direct at 24° Virgo

Get ready for a bumpy ride today. Whenever Mercury slows down to station, it loses its ability to keep things on track. That’s why the days before and after a retrograde feel so awkward and tough. This means that Mercury things like details, schedules, language and technology might get confused, lost or obscured.

But today is even more difficult because of Neptune. Mercury stations direct in a very tight opposition to Neptune in Pisces. Neptune brings the fog and makes things hazy and confusing. Neptune can make us so focused on the big picture vision that we forget we have a dentist appointment at 3pm.

Double-check your schedule, set extra alarms, write notes to self on post-it notes… and make sure you leave some room in your schedule in case things go haywire.

October 8 — Pluto station direct at 26° 07' Capricorn

The planet of renewal, regeneration, catharsis and chaos is now moving slowly forward.

Because Pluto is a slow-moving, outer planet, it spends a long time retrograde each year. This means that Pluto’s direct station isn’t as dramatic or obvious as a planet like Mercury or Mars, which we tend to feel more acutely. You might feel extra prone to doing a deep dive on a taboo subject or doing some kind of potent healing work. But overall, this transit might fade into the background.

However, this is important for folks who have important planets or points are 26° of Capricorn, or any cardinal sign. This is the last time Pluto will be at 26° Capricorn in your lifetime. Once Pluto starts moving forward, it won’t return to this degree again for another 250 years. So, hurray for that!

October 9 — Full Moon at 16° Aries

Aries Full Moons brings up themes of independence vs cooperation, self-sovereignty vs social obligations, and asks us to examine how we sacrifice our own needs for the collective good. Think back to the intentions you set back on the New Moon in Libra.

Full Moons in fire signs can often give us a sense of impatience, restlessness and urgency. Especially Full Moons in Aries, which is a cardinal sign, you might have the urge to rush into something right now. With Jupiter nearby and Saturn forming a sextile, try to stay measured in your approach. You don’t need to be anywhere other than you are. Impatience has a lesson for you — it teaches you what is important to you, what you value. Use this knowledge to help guide your long-term strategy.

You might feel the need to go your own way or do your own thing during this Full Moon. Don’t be afraid to ask for space if you need it. But also don’t be surprised if you have to deal with other people’s egos.

October 10 — Mercury re-enters Libra

After wrapping up its retrograde, Mercury is back in Libra and ready to finish what it started back in September.

Mercury in Libra is a diplomat and problem-solver and is excellent at communicating tactfully while in Libra. Making quick decisions might be challenging, since Mercury in Libra can see all sides of a situation. Choice paralysis is real!

This is a great time to review your work and plan out your next steps, especially when it comes to logistics, finances, project management… anything that involves close attention to detail. Maybe things got stalled out during the retrograde. Maybe you were busy building the foundations and making sure all the pieces were in order. Now that Mercury is direct, you can approach those topics with more clarity and focus.

October 12 — Mars square Neptune

Watch out for a wave of confusion and distractions today. Mars is already slowing down right now, preparing to station retrograde on October 30). Rather than move forward with purpose and focus, Mars is starting to get stuck in the weeds.

And a square to Neptune can strongly diminish Mars’ ability to act precisely. Neptune can sap Mars’ energy, leaving it lethargic and sluggish.

This is a difficult transit for facts and keeping details straight. Neptune cloaks everything it touches in a hazy fog, so you might not be able to think clearly today. If you try to push through and make progress, you might end up accidentally doing more harm than good.

Rather than try to fight this transit, instead, lean into it. If you don’t feel inspired to work, take some time to rest (you know, capitalism permitting). Block out this day for brainstorming. Let your imagination wander. You might feel inspired to work on a project that is creative, but not “productive” in the classic sense. Let your energy take you as far as it can… and the rest.

October 19 — Sun square Pluto

The next two days will likely feel intense and dramatic, with big emotions and big power clashes.

The Sun and Pluto are both planets that involve themes of power and authority. The Sun was traditionally associated with kings and those with power. These days, it can show in the form of world leaders, executives and your boss. Pluto, however, is a more subtle or systemic power. Pluto can represent the way systems reinforce power, keeping power in the hands of the few. It can also represents secrets and an underhanded way of maintaining power.

Watch out for conflict between your personal power (the Sun) and systemic power (Pluto) today. Maybe someone is trying to manipulate you by keeping secrets. Or maybe you have to call your bank to dispute some credit card charges. You will likely have to make a choice or adjustment so that you can assert your authority.

Especially since the Sun is in Libra (a sign where is struggles to assert its need), you might struggle to find a balance between your needs and someone else’s. You might swing between letting someone walk all over you and being super stubborn.

October 22 — Venus conjunct the Sun (Venus Cazimi)

Today, Venus moves through the heart of the Sun. This marks the beginning of a new cycle for Venus — think of it as Venus’ “New Moon” phase.

Whatever muck and ick you’ve been moving through recently regarding Venus topics (such as romance, creativity, peace, beauty, play, sex), this is a turning point, a rebirth, a renewal. Venus is being reborn and so can you.

This is an especially positive moment because Venus is in one of her domiciles. When in Libra, Venus is protected from the Sun’s rays and is able to use all the tools in their arsenal.

This is a great time to create an altar to Venus, do some Venus-inspired spells and rituals, or work with the Empress or Lovers archetype.

Get a personal astrological forecast

Discover how these transits will affect you personally with a Cosmic Check-In reading. These sessions are designed to help you understand what astrology energies are currently active in your life, so you can be prepared for what is to come.

Are you excited for Libra season? Let us know what House this season is activating in your birth chart and what you are moving through now in the comments.