October 3, 2019 sees the entry of the Sun into the second Decan of Libra, at 8:20 am eastern time. The Sun is above the horizon in the east, in the second face of Libra which Austin Coppock called “Two Links of Chain” in his book 36 Faces — the beginning of a set of binding influences. We also will see a set of binding influences in the next ten days, as projects and programs begun earlier in the month start to form themselves into a set of new habits and programs in the first third of the month. (One of the traditional emblems of the Second Decan is shown here, in an image I created as a present to my father a number of years ago).

Three Considerations

Before I begin, I want to touch on three astrological concepts that I think will lead me toward better interpretations, and improve my skills for the future in interpreting charts.

The first of the concepts I’m wrestling with these days is the idea of “The Stakes of the Chart”, as described in some of the writings of Sahl Bishr and Mash’allah, as translated by Benjamin Dykes. The stakes, or the angles, are the Ascendant, marked AS on the left side of the chart, and its opposite point, the Descendant or DS on the right side of the chart. The other two stakes are the Imum Coeli, or IC, in the lower half of the chart, and the Media Coeli, or Midheaven, near the top of the chart. According to some ancient sources, planets near the Stakes have greater effects, because they are naturally square to one another — and they touch on the four houses most in sync with our typical preoccupations: our selves, our careers, our romantic interests, and our house and home. The East-West Stakes, or Ascendant and Descendant, are currently located in two of the Cardinal signs, Libra (Cardinal Air) and Cancer (Cardinal Water); while the Midheaven and Imum Coeli are in the Fixed signs of Leo (Fixed Fire) and Aquarius (Fixed Air). We are thus in a situation that is without earth, and ungrounded. We can expect a fair bit of theatrics, some rebalancing of power, some tears, and some release of stale ideas — but practical action may be difficult to bring to bear.

The second element I’m wrestling with is the idea of Angular, Succedent, and Cadent Houses. Whichever house contains the Ascendant, its opposite, and its squares, (in this case the first, seventh, tenth and fourth houses) are the Angular Houses. These will tend to be more important, and more affected by planets within them. The Succedent Houses are the houses immediately following the Angular ones, and are of secondary importance. The Succedent Houses are usually the second, the fifth, the eleventh and the eighth. The Cadent Houses are of tertiary importance, and the planets within them are less able to control present circumstances. The Angular Houses, then, can be thought of as being like the powerful cities of the world, such as New York or San Francisco or London or Beijing — everyone wants to move there; the great issues of the day are being discussed there; the parties and the creative energy is sublime — but the costs are outsized and difficult. Succedent Houses are like the middling cities and nations — people are happy and content, and there’s some energy there, but they’re not the hot destinations of the great and powerful. Cadent Houses are closer to being the backwaters of the world — neither a place of great excitement, nor a place of rest and relaxation. Admittedly, on a three-point scale, there’s not much leeway — however, “landing a big deal in Portland” means very different things if you’re talking Portland in Oregon (population c. 649,000), or Portland in Maine (population c. 66,000), or Portland, Connecticut (population 9,500).

The third element I want to touch on, is being aware of the planets’ dignity in these individual signs, relative to their position either near the Stakes, or in the Angles/Succedent/Cadent Houses. As a result, I should be speaking more about the Sun and Venus in this column, and less about the Moon and Jupiter — the Sun and Venus are co-present with the Ascendant, a Stake of the Chart; and in an Angular House. However, the Moon and Jupiter are neither near a stake, and in a Cadent House. This tends to make their effects weaker by accident, although both are otherwise extremely well-placed in Sagittarius.

This affects how we rotate the chart, too: If your Rising Sign is near one of the Stakes and in an Angular House — Libras and Aries’es, you’re likely to have an exciting ten days. If your Rising sign is near the stakes but in a Succedent or Cadent House — Leo and Aquarius, you’re likely to be busy but not at a make-or-break point in your life. Cancers and Capricorns, you’re in the Angles of the chart, but not so much in the Stakes — a different kind of busy, perhaps, but not at a high point.

Planetary Placements

And now to the planetary placements at the start of this Decan. In keeping with our first consideration, let’s start with the planets that are at the Angles or the Stakes.

The Sun is already sixteen degrees above the horizon, making this a Day Chart. He approaches “the bending” or the square with both the South and North Nodes, farthest past the danger point of “too much” and just about to begin traveling toward “not enough”. The Sun is in fall in Libra, in more ways than one — his strength wanes, and the Green Ones, the plant kingdom, turn yellow and fall like their lord.

Following behind the Sun, invisible but just above the horizon, is Venus, just barely over the First Stake of the Chart; Venus rules this house where she weighs her options and balances many responsibilities; she’s normally a night-lover, and this slightly weakens her in her own realm — but she’ll appear every night as an evening star as the Sun sets, if only for a little bit. That brings her quite a bit of joy, and some may expect more than a few happy evenings in the next ten days.

Just below the horizon, Mercury sits just inside the line of the sign of Scorpio. Only Mercury is really out of the Sun’s glad — so communicate clearly and specifically about common visions, but leave your personal creativity out of it. Together, these three planets urge us onward to creative action, following Mars in the last degree of Virgo, who with surgical precision burns away the last cobwebs in the old tomb: It’s time to forge a new identity, one small change in habit at a time, like the links of a chain. Put the light and heat where it belongs, engage your creative gifts, and direct your emotion through proper channels — but focus on the ideas, not on the final manifestation.

Among the outer planets, Mars is making his way through Virgo: sometimes the surgeon could still put us in the grave, no matter how precise the cuts. He is unfavorably placed here, an acting as a morning star and spear-bearer to the Sun: a ceremonial posting for a soldier more used to war, like a Special Forces veteran forced to be the revielle bugler at a veterans’ memorial; he’s more used to night operations We still have expansive and merciful Jupiter in Sagittarius, comfortable upon his own throne, dispensing riches and advice, providing both expansive scaffolding and philosophical foundations to large-scale efforts; at the same time, Jupiter prefers daylight when holding forth, and his presence in the night is wearing on him. Duty-bound Saturn, also a lover of productive and deliberate daylight, and toxic Pluto in Capricorn are bringing definitive limitations and potentially poisonous relationships to practical matters. Dissolving Neptune is still making waves in Pisces (causing turbulence in the swamp) and revolutionary Uranus is making his way through Taurus, causing upheaval and turmoil in otherwise-comfortable pastures.

The Moon, for the first time in several Decan ingresses, is in a positive position. Below the horizon, she revels in a night-time co-presence with Jupiter. She sits solidly in the 20th Mansion, “The Beam”, where she draws back the bow to achieve her aims. Her next ten days will see her trine Neptune, share the same degree with Saturn, and conjunct Jupiter — we can expect some old obstacle to break down, some new responsibilities to be shoulder, and some old grudges laid aside in the pursuit o some new target. Waxing, she grows in strength and power.

Rising Sign Horoscopes

Libra: It’s time to let fall some of your sense of self, by shining a light through your closets and ridding yourself of old clothes. A haircut, some new garments, and an examination of your image are all in order — but bring a tastemaker with you, as your own fashion sense may lag. Home and hearth, family and particularly parents, may be heavy on your mind right now: if they’re dead, you’re wishing you had their counsel; if they’re alive, you’re wishing you didn’t. There’s fortune in both positions — ask the dead air and wait for a response, yet don’t believe everything you hear. Some nasty financial surprises may be waiting in your finances; talk out your concerns, and even speak aloud your beliefs about your financial security — saying aloud what the dollars mean, may help it make cents. You’re feeling a lot at work these days — pressure to perform, emotional concerns about job security, alliances with co-workers. Everything’s got to square with you, though. Look out for yourself here, and be careful about any sudden upheavals with legacy systems at work. A sibling or a very close friend may have an issue where your targeted action, and personal prestige, could be the tipping point to success.

Scorpio: Don’t hold your tongue quite so much in these next ten days, because it’s already likely that you have a lot on your mind, and you’re likely to spend a lot of time alone anyway. After the running around you’ve been doing, some solitude may feel like a nice balance, really — although you’re going to have spend some time sorting out “yours”, “mine” and “ours”. You’re likely to have slightly easier ten days ahead, but don’t get too complacent: a surprise message puts unexpected responsibilities on your partner. A relaxing spa day or a soak in one of those float tanks would be beneficial… but activating a membership at a pool and doing laps would help in equally tangible ways. A bond with a friend may be permanently severed.

Sagittarius: The next ten days will bring you a world of good, and allow you to hit a few precisely chosen goals, as long as they’re close to home or in the orbit of your family. Certain creative efforts will be rewarded, a major piece of the puzzle of the coming year will slot into place, and a lingering career matter will be resolved. There’s a possible surprise at home — examine any water issues while you can. You’re under a financial crunch — Saturn, South Node, and Pluto all hanging out right in your finances — and this time there may be a change in the structure of your household expenses. Borrowing against shared resources is an option, but even as your partner’s financial picture improves, they have targets of their own they’re trying to set and reach. So, show up and perform for your friends and allies: put your skills on display for your community and write for their needs. Recognize that you’re a disruptor in potentially crowded marketplaces; and that you may be hurting someone you didn’t expect with your communications. There’s a certain amount of “toil alone in the garden” going on right now, too… prune back some of your commitments. Your wider circle of friends should be part of your focus in the next ten days. Be open about your projects and creative efforts.

Capricorn: If you need to get anything done, schedule some solo time and be in the neighborhood but out of the office. You’ll be able to shoot straight from there, but not from your official workplace, where everyone is going to want to put their top priority on your to-do list. An expansive and generous attitude toward your own solo reflection and planning time is essential. Some kind of surprise celebration is coming up, likely in a work environment or involving your underlings — either for you or for someone who would like a surprise from you: plan accordingly. Your partner is facing tough demands on their time and energy right now, particularly as concerns career and superiors. Be kind in handling their needs, even when they disappoint. Your own career matters require a lot of solo creative time right now, with both MORE attention to what a quality relationship looks like, and LESS of your own identity wrapped up in it — think about what the end user’s experience needs to be rather the your own preferred vision. Finally, there’s an important friend or an ally that’s facing a sudden confrontation with mortality — be prepared to show up and be helpful; your skills will be needed.

Aquarius: Deep dreams are on your mind right now, and they may represent long delayed personal pleasures. You may sense that actually asking for what you want would result in deportation, or worse, from your community of allies and friends. There may be benefit in writing your wishes down, though, at least so you can see them and give them names. Even if no one is ever allowed to read it, you need to put these things out there, for yourself at least. If your employer’s financial troubles spill out of the Accounting department in the next ten days and into your own life — delayed wages, payroll snafu, delayed reimbursement, whatever… it’s time to think about finding a new job; don’t let your residence or family be upset or damaged by further dissolution under the guise of economic leadership. At the same time, be prepared to leave a legacy: look around your projects, and think about what’s in process — how can you document what you’re working on so you can walk away at a moment’s notice? Should you? What could be abandoned instantly? What is mission-critical? Your partner’s friends are raking your last nerves, or at least their drama is much more apparent than in the past. Put a spotlight on them and find their favorable qualities; even a bald man can have a great hair day once in a while. A sharp rebuke hits you from the grave: a potentially painful truth emerges about someone dead. Forgiveness may not be appropriate, but clarity, at least, and honest analysis of motives should be on the table. Plans may be afoot for a long trip, or some higher learning experiences; the time is rising for these kinds of experiences, although with the right balance of work and pleasure. Your career depends on a certain sharpness of wit when it comes to the financial statements; be sure your piece of the money-pie is reserved for you, of course, but don’t make it too large relative to everyone else’s slice. You need more friends in the neighborhood, too, or to see more of your family: attend a board-game night or have a few rounds of cards with siblings or intimates. Finally, your household is in need of your genuine attention. If winter is approaching, sealing up drafts and blocking animal ingress-points is a worthy goal; doing it solo may give you the much-needed peace you need right now, too.

Pisces: You likely have soft edges right now, and the boundaries of your life seem to be dissolving into all your other projects and programs. Work is both a pleasure and a burden, and you’re doing a lot of emotional heavy-lifting for colleagues. It may also be that your partner is a bit sharp-tongued at the moment, and there may be a wound or two in your relationship that feels mortal or at least deeply lonely. If it feels worthwhile, find reconciliation and forgiveness in the next ten days, and establish a new balance by October 12. The cat-lady friend at work may also be a real source of comfort in this time. There may be a temporary dip in your finances at the moment, and a review of your partner’s spending (or what you spend on your partner, more likely) is needed. A surprise engagement among your siblings or really close friends may upset a comfortable situation; try to celebrate it a prominent resolution of a deeply held dream, even if it feels like a revolt against a long-established ruler. Your own partner is going through a period of loneliness and reflection, and there may be some sharp conflict: a practical analysis of the immediate problem is warranted, but also a harmonious reflection on your common dreams and mutual dignity for the long haul. You may find yourself involved in the cleanup or reorganization of someone else’s workspace or studio in your own downtime; put the proper value on what you find with creative and personal insight. It’s probably time to put mouth and money on the line — if you think you need a therapist, you’re right; or if it’s time to study the secrets of the universe, you’re right; or if you’ve been meaning to cross Stonehenge or Machu Picchu off your bucket list, you’re right — secrets are either meant to be studied or shared, and sometimes both. It will cost more than you want it to, but it’s possibly time to invest. Events at work, though, may identify some new targets that bring success to your family or to your close friends. With a general caution against insider trading here, or hard-selling to your family, suitable introductions should be made. Do NOT bring these networks into your home, though, or try to pull your parents or children (or house equity) into the deal, though — there’s a little too much risk involved; firmer boundaries are required around the innermost places of the heart.

Aries: Make a list of your partner’s needs and concerns, and outline their big dreams. Your own star is sinking in the west, and theirs is rising fast. Though this current state of play is temporary, try viewing the daytime world through your lover’s eyes for the next ten days — and see your own wants prevail only from dusk to dawn. While your world is upside-down, observe how your career’s growth is both limited and shielded by the shell of your home and family — you may be safe and sheltered, but you’re also bound up and limited at the same time. There’s good fortune coming your way — as long as you take the time to molt. A number of years ago, there was a sheep in New Zealand who ran away for about four years: there was enough wool on him to make nearly sixty men’s suits. Shear away what has become too tangled, and you may find that what is cut off brings prosperity. You’re unlikely to find happiness alone right now; make time to perform and display your abilities to friends; take shelter in the spotlight! Your health decrees that some cuts are needed — of course they are, you know this. Again, though, submit to the shearing, and you’re likely to learn things aren’t so grave as you believed. If you have shared finances with anyone else, a time of clear communication is needed. Do not further entangle, but if you feel that you are owed something, make your expectations clear. Some long-needed travel with siblings is presented here, even if it’s just close to home. Pick some suitable targets, and on a road-trip together; even the grocery store may be far enough. Try to avoid solitude in the next ten days; lonely “self care” bears a real risk of becoming a fetid, crying marsh that seeps brackish dirty tears all over your social media, and you’ll wind up looking even less pulled-together than usual; smaller gatherings of intimates, or Thursday and Monday night entertainments, will hold up a much friendlier mirror than the selfie stick.

Taurus: You’re discovering some revolting legacies in your past, and it’s likely making you question who you are. Both your deep dreams and high aspirations are explained by new fact-patterns that have brought upheaval to your nights and uneasy daydreams in the lassitudes that follow lunch. You want your house to be a showpiece and spotless stage for you to show off before friends… but there appear to be more obstacles in your household as it actually lives, and in your relationships, limiting that dream. Your shared resources are aimed at specific targets, unfortunately; a partner’s career in talking and writing (though that might be a dead end), for example, or trying to turn a practical and serviceable tugboat into an oceanic fantasy cruise-liner. Your own finances are in a dream-state, and you’ll have to get back to your wisecracks and cunning jawing before the money will come rolling in again. There may be a legacy coming your way in the next ten days, though it will bring a share of woe and trouble with it. It’s is worth less than you want, but it’s still something.

Gemini: No matter how much you talk, no matter how clever or cunning the ideas… no one is really listening. There’s more money coming in, but shared expenses at home and at work are eating as much as the harvest brings in… and are your work expenses getting reimbursed, or are they winding up as a part of your monthly budget? Your partner’s expectations are expanding, and they have their sights set on several new objectives which will require your help, at least as a spotter and fetch. Be prepared to lend your assistance — or refuse to help them poach if they’re playing an unethical game with family or friends. A sharp challenge at home brings grave concerns during a rare moment of quiet. Your own entertainments require a rebalancing, and likely some more creative outlets. Been to the doctor or dentist lately? You could use a check-up, a cleaning, and some conversation about your health. The legacy of a shared house is putting unpleasant limits on your life, but could bring in a fortune… just … less than you want. Travel dreams are really entertaining right now, but do it with maps and postcards right now. Your career and job are pulling you in contradictory directions right now, and work-issues are seeping into your dream-life; limits are OK, first of all, and second, not every target you aim at should be a promotion. Live life in some other places besides the office.

Cancer: You’re getting a lot of pressure and not as much support as you’d like from a partner about making changes in living arrangements; it may be hitting you in the feels, but there’s fortune to be found in that proposal, even if it feels tight and constraining. Your money situation is in the spotlight, of course, and your friends may be wondering about your goals now. A balanced and creative approach is in order as you try to answer these questions — as much for yourself as a peaceful home life. Contentions in the neighborhood make you want to hide, but you’re too visible, too known. Strike with finality and put the matter to rest, rather than trying to study the issue to death. Let home be a balanced refuge in the next ten days: water the plants, breathe deeply, open the curtains to let in the light, and give the place a good airing. Nourish yourself with good food, too, and a visit to a nice market — as much for the sights and smells as for any alleged bargains — is a worthy goal. You may find some pleasure in the talking cure in the next ten days: commit to therapy appointments with gusto, or talk a buddy’s ear off over tea; don’t reveal all the secrets, but treat your speech as a tool (or a weapon) to change the narrative (particularly around money matters). Are your knees bothering you? Breathing a challenge? It’s a good time to take up some endurance exercise, like walking daily around your block; you need it the exercise, and it’s a short-distance target on your way to larger goals. If you’ve been thinking about establishing a home office, or starting a business out of your home, it’s a good time to do so, but be aware of the constraints this will put on your life — working from home tends to seep into all your affairs and activities, changes travel patterns and self-directed learning, and revolutionizes your circle of friends. Go in with some clear eyes about what will occur.

Leo: All eyes on you right now, particularly among your friends — this is not a time to share the limelight but to dominate it as you present. A sharp cut into your finances may be imminent, and mortal life is short anyway — and the sprawling, many-tentacled beast of your “magnum opus” is going to have to come out of hiding sooner or later. Stephen King, I believe, once wrote that the real challenge of horror-writing is that sooner or later you have to show the monster, and it’s never as bad or awful as YOU think is. Delay no longer: release the kraken, if only to put a sunset on this project that’s gone on and on and on… while the light lasts, finish. Once that’s done, a review of your wardrobe and how you store or present it is in order… some clothes are waiting for a chance to shine at the Goodwill store, others need updating, others are ready for the trash heap. Maybe the pillows on the couch need to go?— my mother’s friend Marianne used to look around the house after a late-night party with a squint, saying, “I am looking for anything that will offend my eye in the morning.” Adopt that same squint when you look at your parts of the house: let nothing offend your gazing pupils at dawn. Your partner is making similar cuts and changes at home that were formerly off the table, but review their choices… some of what seems to be trash could be worth some money, a mountain or a beach road-trip’s worth. Lean ocean-ward, or at least to tidal places, where grasslands suddenly appear out of dark tides, or where the ocean seems to swallow the land. That kind of landscape carries an important message for you, and you will not hear it here in this column; it will come from Ocean itself, and not me; some legacies and ancestral messages come from Earth and not stars.

Virgo: Cut some time out of your busy and highly complicated schedule, and soon — for you. Go solo, or rather, stay somewhere solo. They’ve been losses and mortality on display in your life too much, and some reflection on what it means to “be of earth and to earth returning” is needed. Financial matters should be under a lamp, particularly any matters that are linked together — bank accounts and credit cards for example, or mortgage payments and specific streams of income. A creative rebalancing is easily obtained, but still must be weighed and decided upon. Is your bank local to you? Are your money matters in easy reach? Do your family know how to handle financial problems? You may want to document some of these issues for your intimates or siblings. Take a drive around the neighborhood, too — are your house and family constrained in some fashion, are the political signs getting toxic, are there signs of decaying fortunes and weakened financial circumstances? Observe with clear eyes, and don’t simply think of your house as a useful object, but as a living being. A surprise project at work joins some of your spiritual interests with your desire to keep making money, at least temporarily. Your partner or spouse may be dealing with an unexpected health issue; walking, or reflexology, or just a simple foot-massage, may help — but shouldn’t be a replacement for regular medical care if needed. If there’s any long distance travel in the next ten days, it’s likely to a memorial service or burial or to acknowledge a legacy of some kind, and more likely on your spouse’s side of the family. A friend gets a nice career boost, but it may provoke pangs of jealousy in you… sit with those feelings a bit, and consider — what would really help you shine in the spotlight, and show off what you wish to achieve?