The horoscopes of Decan I of any sign are free to everyone, but Decans II and III are available to supporters of my Patreon account at the $3 or greater tiers. I have closed most readings through most of August, September and Octber due to my recent wedding. My Almanac 2021 is available for $3 through the end of the year.

The Sun enters Libra at the autumn equinox on Wednesday, 22 September 2021, at 3:21 pm. The first Decan of Libra, according to the titling scheme created by Austin Coppock in his book 36 Faces, is The Blindfold and the Sword — a clear reference to the figure of the goddess Justice bearing the scales of balance. Yet it is not the goddess Dike that the ancient Greeks celebrated this week — but the snake-haired Erinyes, Eumenides, or “Furies”, sometimes called “the Kindly Ones”, the punishers of all who violate sacred custom: liars and oath-breakers, the guest who wrongs their host, the householder who cheats the city, the youth who abuses the elder, and the child who disobeys their parents.

By the Hellenistic era, the undefined number of Eryines had come to be associated with three: Alecto, or unending rage; Megaera, or jealous anger; and Tisiphone, vengeful destruction. The singular, Erinyus, had also come to be associated with Demeter in her fierce or furious aspect, the mother desperately searching for her missing daughter and prepared to do violence to retrieve her. There’s certainly a commonality between several kinds of rage and the forcefulness of a mother protecting her daughter.

For our purposes, there’s a clear parallel between Demeter the angry mother searching for a missing daughter, and the vengeful forces that protect a society’s key relationships. Working to appease Demeter Erinyus appears to have been associated with seeking protection for the harvest of grain crops that occurred at this time of year, which would has been essential foodstuffs for the long period between the autumnal equinox and the first greens of May or early June — spring was a far more dangerous ‘starving time’ than winter, but an abundant harvest made the difference between a lean spring and a deadly one. Once, in Wyoming, a local rancher pointed at a mountain for me. “See that notch on the side of the peak? If there’s snow below that notch on July 4, we can farm the grain and keep the cattle. If the snowline is at that notch, we have to choose either grain or cattle. If there’s no snow at all, we lose both the grain and the cattle.” The appeasement of an angry goddess of agriculture is no laughing matter, and we can imagine that the ancients had similar rules of thumb to my Wyoming acquaintance.

As I’ve seen in other columns in this series, there’s a sense of the celebration of the Erinyes as being an apotropaic ‘festival’, an effort to turn away the horrors of endless anger, jealous rage, and wanton destruction from society as a whole. How do these forces manifest? Through the neglect of certain standardized relationships: when the young neglect the elders, when the children disrespect the parents, when the guest abuses their host, when the householder cheats the city — these are the places where community goodwill breaks down and social norms fray, and where anger and rage and destruction appear. Allowing the furies to walk among us, by not recognizing the potential traumas of these battered relationships, is asking for trouble.

Of course, the ancient Geeks didn’t note the opposite side of this equation in as much detail. Yet the world is full of stories of parents who abuse the child, elders who destroy the young, cities that punish and incarcerate innocent citizens without trial, and hosts who abuse their guests. Nature, too, abuses the human realm through hurricanes, earthquakes and similar disasters. It’s easy to think of two or three stories in each category. Yet a deeper analysis of those examples reveals a vicious cycle, many layers deep. The myth of the Erinyes is a kind of reminder of the way in which bad behavior in the past serves as both a model and standard for future behavior: the abusive parent of today was, far too often, the abused child of yesteryear. Breaking bad habits and rooting out destructive patterns is incredibly difficult, and the work of deep counseling on many levels.

The dodecatemoria of Libra I speak to this challenge. Each of the four 2.5° segments of the Zodiac plays with the practical journey from the unsheathed sword wielded by a blind woman, through the two intermediate stages of intense desire for vengeance followed by insightful mercy, represented by Scorpio and Sagittarius; to a final form indicated by Capricorn: “Where do we go from here?”

Planetary Placements

The Sun is above the horizon, making this a Day Chart. The Ascendant is in Capricorn, making the chart’s ruler Saturn in Aquarius, which is inconjunct to the Ascendant and retrograde. Additionally, the Sun is in Fall — both literally just past the autumnal equinox, the start of Autumn in the northern hemisphere, and in the sign opposite his exaltation. A planet in fall is described as being “like a man under house arrest, a guest in the house of a sick man.” Since Venus, the ruler of Libra, is in Scorpio, it’s more like the sick householder is at the hospital for a venereal complaint, and little able to assist the Sun. This makes Saturn — once again — a significant force and constraint on the events of the next ten days. However, due to the time of year and Saturn’s own placement, he’s like a morning person expected to operate on the night shift, when all the key decisions are being made in the morning. The Boss (the Sun) is away from the factory and the chief deputy (Saturn) is having to supervise the night shift — and this puts considerable responsibility on the other team leaders.

Pluto in Capricorn’s third decan The Throne and the first house currently holds an unusual grip over mortal affairs — the planet named after the god of the underworld has a reputation for toxicity, usually by turning a series of small decisions into one overarching bad situation. In the first house, this affects the self: changing our perceptions of ourselves, and how we present ourselves to others, but also manifesting as making narrow and individual decisions for ourselves that have large real-world consequences for others.

In the second house, we find Saturn retrograde in Aquarius’s first decan, The Mark of Exile, and Jupiter retrograde in the third decan The Knot. I’ve said before that Jupiter often represents human law, and Saturn natural law — and so we see nature claiming a degree of outsider status and alienation from the norm, while Jupiter struggles to re-establish something resembling normalcy. Financial institutions will be under some strain in the next ten days, although financial markets will likely balance this out to some degree with sunnier if sluggish prospects for a successful fourth quarter of the year.

Neptune in the third house holds Pisces’ third decan The Cup of Blood. As I’ve often laid out in this blog, the Cup of Blood signifies a good many medical issues; administered by Mars, it means a wide range of rumors and confusion regarding medical matters, and a lack of certainty about what to do next. With Mars in aversion to Pisces at the moment, this gives Neptune considerable leeway to do as he wishes and believe what he wants; no clarity about the correct medical decision can currently be made, and this will likely affect family members more than yourself.

The Moon holds the third decan of Aries, The Burning Rose, giving gut instincts a strong reason to fight for what they believe in. Sadly, the Moon’s next two aspects will be with Pluto and Mercury, tinging combative explosiveness with opposition to rational explanation. Whatever side of an issue you happen to be on right now, there’s little hope of convincing anyone else you’re right, no matter what arguments you marshal in your favor. However, the Moon is in the second mansion, suggesting peace and relative serenity: both sides of any question are unlikely to come to blows, even as they fail to be convinced by any other alternative — the peace, however frail it may be, is likely to hold out.

Uranus is in the fifth house, retrograde and conjunct (within 3°) the Imum Coeli in Taurus’s middle decan The Yoni-Lingam, and opposed to Venus. The revolutionary planet causes upheaval and difficulty in the management of sexual matters and in the relationship between the sexes, with the feminine principle in the lead and more antagonized than usual. Hobbies and personal matters are finding a new place of equilibrium, but stick with any trouble that arises in these questions — it’s where the new dream comes from and where the new opportunities arise.

The North Node-South Node Axis flows between the sixth and twelfth house: hunger for work and for service from capable professionals leads to the sh*t appearing in the realm of institutions and norms. Flexibility and swiftness are not easily obtained n the next ten days, while every bite is expected to be excellent and a foretaste of perfection. Nothing matches well in these circumstances, and no satisfaction is to be found.

The Lot of Fortune is in the eighth house in Leo, promising reward through others and resources coming to us specifically through a partner’s decision making. It also signifies that wealth and opportunity are a by-product of bowing to the necessities of our duty to others. There is a clear opposition between Saturn and the Lot, suggesting that the wealth that comes our way is unlikely to be fully what we want or believe we deserve.

The Sun shares Libra and the tenth house with both Mars and Mercury. Mars and Venus are in a condition called mutual reception, where each behaves as if it were in the other’s place, because they are each in a sign that the other rules. Each also imports some of its indicators to the other, and carrying over the questions of the midheaven in the eleventh to the tenth. Accordingly, be alert for opportunities for creative disagreement in the workplace, as well as ambitious team-building. Communication is the underpinning and successful foundation of this work, remembering that gut instincts will often be against you in these ten days. Keep your higher mind engaged on the problem of what is fair and just for all, and remain relatively blind to problems of preferment. A friend pointed out to me recently that there’s a difference between pure racial or gender bias, and accidentally discriminatory systems: you can say that a firefighter has to be between 185 and 250 pounds in weight, for example, but that will accidentally lead to more firemen than firewomen; a grant proposal or a law that is written to accept applicants from some zip codes but not others will naturally lead to most applicants being of a particular race or economic status, simply because of how real estate markets work. When we labor to break down accidentally or systemically discriminatory systems, we often repair those systems’ racial or gender biases as well. More than anything else, this chart indicates the value and need for diverse teams’ experience to solve complex problems.

Venus is in the eleventh house, conjunct the midheaven, inviting us to alchemicalize our friendships and alliances with a mix of creative fire and balanced connectivity. Our public repute and careers won’t exactly be on the line in the next ten days, but there’s a good chance to be (an be seen) as an important networker who brings the right people in on the problems they’re best able to solve. Live up to the reputation: call your friends and bring them in on what needs to be done.

Horoscopes

In the past, I’ve chosen to write my horoscopes by rising sign, but some feedback from readers has convinced me that a change or shift is in order. Accordingly, I recommend that you read at least two paragraphs, and possibly three, in this order: the sign where your Luminary is located whether you were born by day (Sun) or night (Moon), the sign of your Ascendant, and then the sign of the other Luminary.

Capricorn: Ruling Saturn is in a sign it rules and succedent, but inconjunct, retrograde and out of sect. Pluto is present. You’re in a tight spot where you have leadership duties, but lack a clear set of tools and techniques for motivating the team. A series of small decisions now have outsized effects later down the road. When communicating the plan, distinguish what you need from followers, from what your own leaders expect from you and your team together. Financial matters see-saw between not really enough and just what’s needed, just in time. A potentially ugly situation is diffused by appeal to a higher authority. Keep working your expertise, and continue to work the rolodex — recognize that you may need to jump career ships, but don’t publicize that too much.

Aquarius: Ruling Saturn is present and succedent but retrograde and out of sect. Jupiter is present. You’re probably playing up your outsider status, but also trying to figure out how to make more money these next ten days. Some shifts in your thinking are necessary: you need a better structure (like a monthly budget) in order to create room for the generosity and luxury you wish to indulge in. Learning to work within such a structure is likely to be difficult at first, because finances are sometimes not truly linear — but doing so carries long-term benefits for you and your household.

Pisces: Ruling Jupiter is succedent, but inconjunct, peregrine, and out of sect. Neptune is present. You’re finding it hard to gain traction on personal projects with neighborhood or family matters intruding on your personal time. Financial matters require your personal attention to resolve, even though the origin of the current mess may not be your fault; resolve these with a mix of generosity and structure. A good many challenges right now will require your own efforts to solve; sometimes there’s nobody to trust except yourself. At the same time, give your focus more to home and family life than your career: nobody dies saying “I should have done more at the office.”

Aries: Ruling Mars is in mutual reception with Venus and angular, but in opposition and under the beams of the Sun. Moon is present. When it comes to relationship troubles, recognize that your partner is in an unusual state: alternating between combative and confrontational, and being warm and connecting. The question of resources weighs heavily upon them, and it’s causing upsets in your own connections to your property and ownership. Past choices are coming back to haunt you: they seemed small at the time but now they’re rocking your world in a public way. Career matters this week are likely to consist of a series of small steps that lead to larger results later down the line — but there’s also a lot of “know your place” being thrown around, so try not to take that part personally.

Taurus: Ruling Venus is in mutual reception with Mars and succedent, but in opposition. Uranus is present. Your personal life is subject to whim and sudden change, and you hunger for more resources though you’re not currently willing to accept more obligations to achieve them. There’s a creative tension with a key partner over work habits and patterns, as materials have been used up that can’t be easily replaced; treat the confrontation as an opportunity to work better together. Use opportunities to work from home as a chance to build real value.

Gemini: Ruling Mercury is angular and trine, but peregrine. North Node is present. Your desires are favorable, but require a daily working schedule to complete or fulfill certain plans. Reaching out to family and neighbors for working opportunities brings new success — but the real fun is in finding ways to be creative, assertive and communicative in how you create entertainment for friends and associates.

Cancer: Ruling Moon is angular and in-sect, but square from Aries. Partnership and alliance are strongly on your mind at the moment, and how to have fun with friends and colleagues without tipping your whole hand or plan is part of the challenge. There’s an issue with whether or not your living arrangements will standup to public scrutiny — It’s ok to hide your menace and simply baffle them with smooth talking. But be sure to keep your friends in the loop about what’s going on. A significant partner is wrestling with some toxic behaviors from a boss or supervisor, and it’s simultaneously affecting the structure of their dais and their earning power for the long haul. You don’t have to counsel them out of a job, but you should be prepared to help them rethink their career goals.

Leo: Ruling Sun is angular and sextile from Libra but in fall. Making up a list of your current debts, obligations, and responsibilities may reveal sources of wealth and success you hadn’t previously considered. It will be hard to build long-term success until some major concerns or issues with close friends or neighbors are resolved, thought. Play your cards closer to your chest at home than you usually do, but make clear that the secrecy is not accompanied by a loss of love or new anger (unless it is). Romantic options are limited but there are good signs on the horizon; if you’re single, be on the lookout for a goth with a heart of gold, or someone recently dumped. Career matters go through some upheaval but your dream project may be closer to achievement.

Virgo: ruling Mercury is angular but peregrine, out of sect, and inconjunct. There’s important learning you have to do right now, or a trip you must take, but it feels like you’re fighting this particular uphill battle alone. Your monetary outlook may be temporarily sunny, but there’s two big expenditures on the horizon and you’re likely on your own for the one. Gathering friends around you and helping each other change and grow and purify your recent challenges is one way to move on. Another is to seek to learn some unexpected new skills or take yourself off on a road trip of some kind. Work options remain limited but the generosity of a friend or two may help. Take care not to overdo it on some of you preferred addictions.

Libra: Ruling Venus is succedent and in mutual reception with Mars but out of sect and inconjunct. Mercury, Mars and Sun are present. The stellium of three planets here likely puts a lot of stresses on your life, keeping your soul, your ambition, and your intellectual prowess quite busy for a little while longer. Your gut instincts are not completely aligned with your head, and your heart has questions about how long this can be kept up. Try to remember that, although you’re doing all this work in public, you have other options: phone a friend, gather your resources, let people know what’s going on, bring in close family members to help. The window for action is open right now, but it’s not clear when the gale will shut the window forcefully. Small decisions at home lead to big payoffs for you in the future. Restrict some entertainment for the moment, in favor of a gentler and nobler loosening of the current entanglements.

Scorpio: Ruling Mars is angular and in mutual reception with Venus but out of sect, combust and inconjunct. Venus is present. There’s a public intensity to your current artistic endeavors that can help change the people that engage — but there are hidden costs, both in terms of drained resources and increased obligations, that need to be understood. Home is a poor place to indulge in entertainment without boundaries; if you have children, you probably need to consider identifying what scaffolding they need. It also needs to be a place of structured kindness for a while, both for you and for the people that live there. A partner has a chance to win some beneficial concessions from their family members; you may win a promotion by taking on extra duties at work.

Sagittarius: Ruling Jupiter is succedent and sextile, but peregrine, out of sect, and retrograde. South Node is present. A series of small financial decisions a while back are yielding fruit as accumulation — but inaccessible or toxic in some fashion, unreachable. There’s a sense that the fallow time is coming to an end and that there’s an opportunity to prosper, but the real rebirth is still months away. A favorable social occasion with friends is due to occur shortly, although you may rather spend your energies on some artistic pursuits alone. Solo time feels in short supply, even as you struggle to complete the work that you feel under some obligation to produce. Home is a mix of wonder and difficulty as you navigate current pressures. The most fun to be had is probably at home, but you are allowed to have a broader definition of home than usual. Just watch the wallet, even as you try not to be poisonously concerned about spending money.

Colophon

have a Patreon account for those who want to support this column as it approaches the end of its second year (I began with Leo I in 2019 )We’re currently doing a decan walk through some Tarot, astrology, mythology, and magic. If you don’t want to become a regular patron, you can also buy me a Ko-fi in $3 increments, and any column I write after receiving a Ko-Fi donation will be open to the public.  You can also schedule an appointment with me using Accuity Scheduling, for a natal or solar return consultation.

I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts, appearing here for the first time! I use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.

I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces as the basis of much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me. My own book, A Full Volume of Splendour and Starlight, is now available as PDF download from my Etsy website, as is my Almanac for 2021. I follow T.Susan Chang and the Reverend Erik Arneson for insight into Tarot. Any errors in these columns are my own.

If you’d like to schedule a consultation with me, you can find additional information on the Services and Classes page.

If you want to read some of my other astrologically-oriented poetry, “A Full Volume of Splendour and Starlight” contains these smaller collections: 

• To the Mansions of the Moon is a collection of hymns to the angels of the Mansions 
• For the Behenian Stars is a collection of hymns to the first/brightest sixteen stars. 
• The Sun’s Paces are hymns to the thirty-six Hellenistic-era deities and ascended souls of the Greco-Egyptian Decans-calendar. 
• Festae, hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits.