The moon is waning and we are winding down with it. Until late (late) Friday it’s waning in Leo; by the time we wake up on Saturday it will have moved into Virgo.

As usual, this is a good time to declutter and complete projects in time for the next lunar cycle. The Virgo influence makes the process easier and more effective (perhaps even oddly enjoyable). Don’t knock yourself out though – physical preparations are important but we also need to rest up and gather our thoughts.

Personally, it’s been a rough week. If you’re feeling knocked around too, take heart – the weekend is the perfect time to withdraw into your own space, lick your wounds, and prepare for a brand new tomorrow.

Monday’s new moon is in Libra (the sun having moved into Libra earlier this week). For those out there who are Libran suns, Monday is your power day. Enjoy.

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Photo by James Jordan

Here we go again…  Mercury is retrograde 24 September until 15 October, in the sign of Libra. 

Mercury retrograde is commonly understood as a time we’ll more-than-likely experience some form of communication problems, telecommunication snafus and travel mixups.  You’ve probably heard that already – there’s stuff written all over the web about it (probably coz it’s true). 

For a deeper take on this Mercury retro, check out Rob Tillet’s article on the topic.  Example: ‘When Mercury is retrograde’, he says, ‘Everyone’s thinking is more introspective and we tend to think about issues and concerns which relate to the sign involved’.   So in this case we are likely to be pondering such Libran issues as manipulation, dependency, laziness, ’sponging’ and the like… as well as such higher concerns as balance, unification, cooperation and aspirations. 

I can’t help but think this will be intensified by the entry of Libra’s ruling planet Venus into intense, transformative Scorpio – also scheduled for 24 September.*  Coincidence?  I think not!

(Does any the above - my subtly highlighted keywords, for example - strike a chord for you?  If so, do tell!)

In actuality, the degree to which you’ll feel these and other Mercury retro effects (positively and/or negatively – yep, Mercury retro can be positive!) depends on a number of factors in your natal chart – including the position and aspects of Mercury, and the prominence of or number of planets in Libra as well as the other cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer and Capricorn). 

The discord we feel during Mercury retro often stems from our own inner struggle to ‘hold on’ to our own fixed ideas of how things ’should’ be – our self-constructed patterns of thought, speech and interaction with others.  ‘Mercury sets out to restructure our thinking processes and for many of us this is painful and frustrating,’ Rob says.  To make this Mercury work for you, it’s worth at least trying to go with the flow.
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*Update: For more on Venus in Scorpio, check out Molly Hall’s post on the subject…

Personally on a Friday I find it hard to be anything other than chuffed (being, as I have mentioned previously, a 9-5 drone).

How, then, do I feel about Friday the 13th? Still chuffed, basically – you see, it’s really not a bad thing.

Thirteen was for many years considered a powerful and special number. It is a sacred goddess number, and a prime number (divisible only by itself and one). It is associated with the lunar cycle, there being thirteen full moons in a year. Meantime, Friday is associated with Venus (the word comes from Frida, the Norse Venus).

So, lots of good, powerful, feminine associations there. Which explains why the Christian patriarchy was never going to get on board. Result: the number thirteen is now regarded with suspicion, and Friday the thirteenth considered of the most unlucky days of the year.

Until early Saturday morning EST the moon is in lovely Libra, who is ruled by – you guessed it – Venus. Think: tranquility, beauty, sensibility.

And while I know we are still in Mercury retrograde and am vaguely aware of some other odd influences upcoming (Venus and the Sun square Uranus, I think, in the next couple of days) – this Friday the thirteenth, I’m gonna be reclining somewhere, sensuously, drinking all the good vibes in.

When I knock off work, of course!