Third Quarter marks the closing week of the lunar cycle, the halfway point between Full Moon and Dark Moon. The Third Quarter is the moment Miss Moon forms a square with Sun during the introspective waning half of the lunar cycle. This can be a challenging, standoffish energy in the fixed signs. The good news is that there’s not much astrology going on during this transit, so the energy will be low key.
I’ll recap the lunar cycle below, but if you’re Type A like me, you may want to review past articles on the Dark Moon in Libra, First Quarter in Capricorn, and Full Moon in Taurus.
The lunar cycle began with the Dark Moon in Libra on 10 October, setting Libra in the spotlight of our emotional body for the entire lunar cycle. Even while the Sun is in Scorpio, Libra is the subject matter of our unconscious emotional focus until the next Dark Moon on 08 November.
Libra’s domain is the balance between the Self and the Other. We need to develop a strong sense of self in order to be of proper service to others. People who avoid and repress the task of individuation end up suffering, and on top of that they attach to their suffering and moralize it positively, coming to see themselves as holy martyrs and fetishizing their self-neglect and self-sacrifice. This kind of dysfunction is difficult to recover from, mainly because these people genuinely like how terrible their lives are. We can thank Catholicism for this collective social problem.
Whether dysfunctional or perfectly balanced, Libra’s energy will come through differently according to each person’s natal chart – what house cusp falls within Libra and whether there are any heavenly bodies placed there. Each person’s individual relationship with Venus (Libra’s ruler) and her domain also comes into account. People who are poorly aligned with their own natal Venus have probably hit fewer bumps in the road this lunar cycle – in retrograde Venus is pointing out our errors, and she works harder to help people who give her good devotion.
The First Quarter Moon in Capricorn (18 October) fell under the energetic signature of Sun and Venus’ oppositions with Chiron. This energy reverberated for over a week, finally resolving in the days after the Full Moon.
Chiron brings the core wound into play, but what we need to remember is that the core wound’s purpose is to serve as our future deepest place of healing. Every transit with Chiron, and every flare up of our wound, brings us deeper wisdom.
Under the First Quarter Moon, we usually form a fairly clear idea of the Moon’s chosen topic for the lunar cycle. This is the midpoint of the expanding, exploratory phase, when events are unfolding.
Under the Full Moon in Taurus on 26 October, Pluto held the apex of a T-square with both Sun and Moon. This brought in themes from his domain: the power we gain from taking responsibility.
Pluto is experiencing a lot of squares this Zodiac season. I feel for him. That man is an introvert. He is probably having to work really hard to stay regulated. I would advise acting receptive to whatever challenge he is positioning you against so he doesn’t have to escalate to make his point. His fuse will only get shorter as he continues working in the spotlight.
Full Moon is the point of enlightenment and catharsis. We probably received some kind of revelation, even if we aren’t fully aware of its impact yet from where we stand today.
But it’s also the turning point of the cycle, when the light starts fading and we begin to look inward and synthesize our exploratory experiences into a cohesive understanding.
By the time of tonight’s Third Quarter Moon in Leo, we should understand the gist of what we were meant to have learned this lunar cycle, in a half-formed kind of way. We can make out vague outlines and silhouettes in the photo that will finish developing under the coming Dark Moon in Scorpio on 08 November.
The best way to align with this energy is to review whatever form of lifestyle notes you take – journal, notes app, camera roll, story archives, Instagram posts, even your text and email inboxes if you aren’t much of a record keeper. Think about what you’ve been through, through the lens of the emotional lessons you’ve been learning.
There’s not much else to say about this Third Quarter Moon. There are no serious transits going on in the background. The next important thing won’t happen until Wednesday, so it’s not relevant to fast-moving Moon.
For the next week, work on digesting your lunar cycle. This is the right time to be doing a lot of reflection and contemplation. Don’t start anything new right now; see how things play out on their own while you focus on maintaining stasis. The coming Dark Moon falls on the third peak day of the Samhain festival season, when the power of the Otherworld is at its strongest. Things are bound to be interesting. Let the magic happen to you, and hold your action until you’re sure all the cards are on the table.
If you want to do any manifestation work during the waning cycle, you should be doing reduction manifestations, things you want less of. This is not a good time for love or money work, but it is the perfect time for cord cutting, uncrossing, and warding.
Here are some contemplation questions for those of you who like that kind of thing. Think these questions over for the next week. Write down your reflections if you want to remember what it felt like to process all this.
What have you discovered about yourself this lunar cycle? Has anything surprised you? Have you learned anything new about the way you prefer to be in relationship with others?
What has been on your mind? What thoughts have you been chewing on? Libra is an air sign, so it’s not uncommon to process emotions intellectually during its lunar cycle. See if there are any recurring themes in your notes.
Which of your friends have taken center stage? What is the overlap between these people and the friends who make the most positive impact on you? Are the people occupying your attention giving you life?
Have any of your people faded into the ether? Is their absence a burden or a blessing? People will always come and go, but ask yourself this: are the right people leaving your life? Would you have chosen someone else? Do you need to adjust your behavior around that?
Is there anything you’ve been doing for others without gratitude or reward out of a desire to be morally clean? Is it helping as much as you tell yourself it is? Could it perhaps be enabling someone else’s toxic desire to not make their own effort? Do you really need to continue? You probably don’t.
Have you inadvertently or purposefully made any feng shui adjustments in your house? Has anything moved around? Have you added anything? Look at a bagua map and identify what sections of your life any adjustments you’ve made have automatically pulled invocation for.
What have the major plot points been in your job and your personal life? Where are you making more headway? Can you trace back your results to your efforts? Do you need to adjust your priorities?
