On July 12, the Moon’s Mean north node, always retrograde, leaves Taurus and backs into Aries. That means that the south node will cross into Libra at the same time. They’ll occupy those two signs until January 28, 2025 when the nodal axis shifts into Pisces and Virgo. As ever, they’ll leave an indelible stamp on the headlines – and on your own life too.

Here’s a quick review for anyone who’s not been studying evolutionary astrology for very long. The Moon’s nodes are really the heart of the system. The south node represents unresolved karma that has ripened – that means that it’s time to deal with it. The good news is that you are ready. Meanwhile, the north node suggests a powerful, effective antidote to those old, outdated south node patterns. Here’s where it gets sticky – that south node behavior comes up pretty much automatically, while reaching the north node always takes serious effort.

Want a quick reality check? Back on December 22, 2021, the south node crossed into Scorpio. Maybe you’ve noticed some dark Scorpionic karma ripening everywhere since then? For one obvious example, just two months later, Putin invaded Ukraine. To borrow a metaphor from J.K. Rowling, in classic Scorpionic fashion, suddenly “the Death Eaters” were among us. Of course, the Moon’s north node entered Taurus simultaneously – notice how difficult and far away peace has seemed since then, both for the world and very probably for yourself too? But of course, peace is the eternal cure for war. Once again, reaching the north node is always a struggle – and we need to struggle as if our souls depended on it, because they do.

The passage of the south node through Scorpio has many other dimensions besides the nightmare happening in Ukraine. It’s also important to point out that it’s not just about nightmares – if you get it right, it’s actually about facing our wounded places, which is the first step to healing them. What was Vladimir Putin really attacking? What was he so afraid to face in himself that he turned into a mass murderer? He obviously got this Scorpio energy wrong. 

At a more personal level and far beyond Mr. Putin’s scope, I’m sure there have been many success stories. Someone whose body had been violated early in this life or in a previous one reclaimed their right to be fully in the flesh again. Someone who’d been shamed recovered dignity and confidence. Broadly, many of you reading these words faced an old soul-wound, dealt with it, and got past it – and found grounded Taurean peace on the other side. That’s the deep, shiny reality. Unfortunately it doesn’t get a lot of press, at least outside the world of evolutionary astrology.

Right now though, we are all on the cusp of our karma changing tone – both collectively and individually. While the south node passes through Libra between now and early 2025, we face a very different kind of challenge than we did when it was in Scorpio. Every sign of the zodiac represents exalted possibilities – but it also represents a set of potential quagmires for the human soul. That’s where the south node comes into play. Here are some good Libra south node questions: 

• When have we paid too high a price for peace? 

• When have we compromised too much? 

• When have we smiled when inwardly we were frowning – or bleeding? 

• When have we indulged in polite dishonesty?

Again, just like the rest of the signs, Libra ultimately represents a lofty, positive cosmic principle. But every front has a back. Thoroughly understanding that point is one of the keys to mastering evolutionary astrology. We are all evolving – or trying to evolve – away from the shadowy dimensions of each sign and toward the higher ground. When the south node is passing through a sign, those shadowy dimensions press at us. 

The karma has ripened – which means two things. First, it’s coming to get you. Second, you are ready.

How to release ourselves from the grips of the spineless, compromised dimensions of Libra? As ever, the remedy lies with the north node, which will be beckoning us from Aries, the realm of  Mars the War God. But be careful – this isn’t about becoming mean or hurting anyone, although if you get it right, you may be accused of those things! What Aries is ultimately about is courage. It’s about being brave enough to assert yourself and to stand up for your own truths. Sometimes it’s about defending yourself – or defending someone or something you love.

Warriors love honesty and directness. A classic Aries line is “tell me the truth, I’ll cry later.” Libra, in its shadow dimension, always avoids conflict at all costs. Aries aims to fix that problem by being willing to risk everything in order to put truth on the table. Anyone who has ever told a partner that “there’s something we need to talk about” has earned at least one Aries Gold Star.

Between now and January 2025, we’ll all be swimming in this Libran karmic stew, trying to find our way to that Aries courage – and maybe to the safe harbor of truth that lies just beyond it. Naturally, we’ll all experience this energy differently. What’s your personal astrological relationship with each of those signs? What about Venus and Mars, their rulers? What houses and planets of your own personal chart will be impacted by these transiting Nodes? 

Those kinds of questions are how we take broad, collective astrological perspectives such as I’ve been describing here and translate them into custom-tailored individual statements. The personal variations are practically infinite – and thus a little long to cover in a short newsletter like this. 

There’s a way to take it all a step further without bringing in individual charts. We can make our analysis more granular and time-specific by recognizing the role that Venus plays in the drama. As the ruler of that Libra south node, at any given moment the sign through which Venus is passing spotlights a very specific dimension of the more general Libran karma that’s coming up. It also focuses our attention on a more narrowly-defined section of the calendar, pointing to a specific Venusian issue that we all need to watch out for as we try to move week by week toward our own evolutionary goals. That focus is brief too – by transit, Venus moves through the signs very quickly. During the year and half of the south node’s passage through Libra, Venus will visit each one of them – and visit some of them twice.

Here I’ll just offer a few words about Venus’s passage through each sign. What you see here will tend to be negative and cautionary – that’s only because we’re talking about what shows up when old, limiting karma comes to the surface. Try to see what I say in the light of the larger Libra south node processes I’ve been describing. It won’t all be negative – built into everything you’ll see here is a magical remedy and it boils down to making a strong, positive response to the energy of that Aries north node.

• As the south node enters Libra on July 12, Venus is near the end of Leo. Be mindful of too much concern with your appearance. See if you can walk by a mirror without checking yourself out.

• Venus crosses into Virgo on October 8, 2023. It’s fine to be helpful, but watch out for trying to earn love or approval by being useful in ways that actually mean very little to you. Don’t be a doormat.

• Venus crosses into Libra on November 8, 2023. If someone asks you who you are, be wary of saying, “anyone you want me to be.”

• Venus crosses into Scorpio on December 4, 2023. Intensity and sexiness often go together. That’s fine – so long as they’re not a mask you’re hiding behind.

• Venus crosses into Sagittarius on December 29, 2023. There’s a French expression – avoir un coeur d’artichaut – that translates into “artichoke heart.” Be careful you don’t “have a leaf for everyone.” Venus love is discerning. If it’s a gift for everyone, it means nothing to anyone.

• Venus crosses into Capricorn on January 23, 2024. Good advice can be helpful, but watch out for casting yourself as the “wise counselor” – it can be a mask behind which you hide your own vulnerability and fallibility.  

• Venus crosses into Aquarius on February 16, 2024. Be wary of hiding your emotions behind a “cool” mask. Be even more wary of hiding them from yourself. 

• Venus crosses into Pisces on March 11, 2024. There’s nothing so sweet as a true soul connection – just don’t be so afraid of breaking that mystical trance that you slip into a pattern of avoiding honest psychological negotiations.

• Venus crosses into Aries on April 4, 2024. The trouble with being Libra-nice is that anger and resentments build up beneath the surface. Here comes the detonator. Be measured in what you say. Don’t go nuclear when a simple stick of dynamite will do the trick.

• Venus crosses into Taurus on April 29, 2024. Over time, relationships naturally settle into a certain amount of predictability. Be wary of things getting so sleepy that you lose any sense of freshness and magic. Add something unexpected to the mix, maybe even something unsettling. 

• Venus crosses into Gemini on May 23, 2024. Words – do they build bridges between souls or do they build walls? Be careful to stay on the right side of that dividing line. Keep your heart in your words. Be wary of your inner attorney. 

• Venus crosses into Cancer on June 16, 2024. Forgiveness and acceptance are what keep love alive – just be cautious about hiding what you are actually feeling behind them. 

From when Venus leaves Cancer until the nodes themselves switch signs again in January 2025, Venus cycles through signs we’ve already looked at, so just go back and read those passages again. Here are the dates:

• Venus crosses back into Leo on July 11, 2024
• Venus crosses back into Virgo on August 4, 2024. 
• Venus crosses back into Libra on August 29, 2024. 
• Venus crosses back into Scorpio on September 22, 2024. 
• Venus crosses back into Sagittarius on October 17, 2024.  
• Venus crosses back into Capricorn on November 11, 2024.
• Venus crosses back into Aquarius on  December 6, 2024.
• Venus crosses back into Pisces on January 2, 2025.
• Venus crosses back into Aries on February 3, 2025 – but by then the South Node has moved on into Virgo.

Becoming conscious of our own karmic patterns is the ultimate psychotherapy. It’s not easy work, but it’s pretty close to the purpose of life. I hope this overview of the nodes passing through Aries and Libra helps to aim your attention at what’s trying to surface in you. Meanwhile, I hope that by monitoring Venus as it moves from sign to sign you can enhance and refresh your mindfulness week to week.

May you liberate yourself from any kind of Libran or Venusian bondage, and may you revel in Arian freedom, passionate aliveness, and courage, amen.

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