New Moon in Libra: Protection Tools
A crescent moon peeking above land.
Quick note, I usually share these intro details in my newsletter but I will be keeping the extra aspects and ritual to members only. So feel free to jump to the next section if you read the newsletter.
Alright, folks, we’ve got a doozy of a new moon that comes just after the record 57-hour Hellensitic Void of Course Moon. If you find yourself feeling low energy, exhausted, a bit weepy, or anything of that nature (that is out of the ordinary) just know it won’t last. This new moon and the next full moon are both going to have a strong malefic presence that needs to be acknowledged to best prepare for this lunation. As you can see from the chart, we have the new moon cozied right up with Mars who is currently moving through a sign that he is UNCOMFY in. When we pair this with a Mercury retrograde that is only 7° away, just know that conflict and being uncomfortable are on the table. Does that mean we need to rush off and hide for the duration of the lunation? Not at all! It’s just about prioritizing rest, comfort, and patience to the best of your ability.
The theme for this new moon is restoring Justice and balance… AT ALL COSTS. Of the four major players in this lunation (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury) three are extremely ill-dignified. This is not an easy new moon and the energy will play out both in your personal life and in the lives you bear witness to. It’s easy to focus on the dignity of other planets when we look at a lunation cart, but in this case, the dignity of the sun is extremely important. The Sun is actually at its fall in Libra. Why might that be so? Opposite the sign of its Exaltation, Libra asks the Sun to prioritize connection and relationships versus the individual self. This new moon puts the focus on our relationships in a way that asks us to consider a balance of sacrifice. How often do you prioritize yourself? How often do you prioritize others? Chances are there’s no easy and clear answer. We might find it’s easier to sacrifice when it comes to our families and less so when it comes to friendships. But in order for our relationships to have balance, we need to restore equity within ALL relationships. So I invite you to assess whether your relationships are just and fair. Read on for a lil tarot spread to help with this.
A chart of the new moon on October 6th at 4:05am PST.
Second Decan of Libra
This new moon is occurring in the second decan of Libra which is ruled by Saturn who is still stationed retrograde in Aquarius. This decan is also associated with the three of swords which is notoriously a rough-as-fuck card. I want to explore this a little bit more, however. Typically, we associate this card with grief and loss, which is true, but there are also other lesser thought of associations with both this card and the decan. When we consider that Saturn rules over this decan alongside Venus, we consider the pairing of some of their themes. Saturn is associated with time, with cutting and clearing (harvesting), with patience, and considering long-term gains over short-term wins. Venus, on the other hand, is associated with relationships, creativity, and value. These two together give us topics of contractual relationships, harvesting within relationships, and working towards a collaborative goal.
BUT we cannot forget about Mars! When we synthesize all of these elements, you may find that this new moon brings a clearing and cleansing energy to contractual partnerships. Some may be revitalized and gain an energizing emphasis (brought on by Mars) on reaching agreements and finding peace. Other relationships may suffer from the effects of Mars and Rx Saturn leading to dissolution. What the three of swords card does remind us of (should this happen) is the need to grieve and move through the heartache. The fact that Saturn rules this decan, in the sign of its exaltation, tells us that these lessons we are exploring this lunation are not ones that will be one-and-done learned. They are lifelong lessons. Maybe the key phrase shouldn’t be “Lesson” but “Wisdom” which is much more Saturnian in nature. This new moon gives us more insight into the wisdom that is gained through letting go when the time arrives, and the wisdom found in sacrifice.
A tarot spread with four cards in a diamond shape numbered starting at the top and moving counter clockwise.
The Ritual
Here are the supplies you will need:
A method of divination for the spread above (tarot, oracle, runes, etc)
A weapon of some kind for your altar (knife, machete, arrow point, etc)
A bowl that is safe to burn a candle in and that can fit your weapon
A black candle
Protective oil (Ancestral Activation or Dark Goddex is great) (I only have one AA oil left in the shop)
Any of the following Black (or standard) salt, clove, rosemary, chamomile,
Four pennies
Florida water or another spiritual cologne you value for cleansing and/or empowerment
A rusty sickle atop a wooden peeling table.
Part One (Or at any point): Divine
I created the above tarot spread to help you tune into yourself and connect with the energy of the new moon. This isn’t necessarily connected to the ritual and can be done before or after.
Aside from doing the tarot spread, be sure to gather your tools to prepare for the protective ritual.
Part Two: Cleanse
For this part of the ritual, once you have your tools gathered, I want you to cleanse your supplies and yourself. I suggest using Florida Water as that is what my spirits are encouraging but folk magic is about working with what you have.
Take your time with this part of the ritual. The moon is tough and the cleansing should be thorough.
Part three: Prepare
Once all of your tools and you yourself are cleansed, I want you to take your bowl and add some salt to it to create a thin layer that you can lay your weapon on top of. As you add the salt, focus on how it feels in your hands. Feel it fortifying you and exuding strong protective energy. You may speak to it as well, connect with it, and ask it to lend it’s properties to your working.
I want to take this moment to remind y’all, that I do not do the type of magic that is about calling power from within. I believe in magic that is co-created with everything around us. I believe that everything has a spirit. So when I say speak to the salt or the herbs, this is part of that co-creation.
From there, add your clove and rosemary and chamomile, asking for both protection and psychic strength. The final bit you will add is your four pennies. My spirits wanted to incorporate these into the ritual. They will serve as payment for the ritual. After, lay your weapon atop this salt.
Part Four: Candle Burn
Take your candle and dress it in a blessed oil or protection oil. Refer back to the candle dressing blog post if you need more guidance. You may sprinkle some of the same herbs on this candle (rosemary and chamomile) if you wish. Place the candle near the weapon in the salt if you are able to. If you do not have space simply burn the candle in another container as close as possible to the weapon. Let this burn to completion. As it burns, ask your ancestors and spirit court to protect you and help you develop your own methods of protection. You may make specific requests if you’d like.
Part Five: What follows
Once you have burned this candle, you will leave this salt and the weapon in the salt until the full moon. You are empowering this weapon so that your spirits can use it in their realm. It will remain on your altar. This empowered weapon may need to be re-empowered from time to time but I would say it’s good for anywhere from 3-6 months.
Gather the salt and four pennies in a small container. It is not a good idea to bury this as it will damage the land. There are a few different ways you can dispose of it. Choose the one that works best for you. They are listed in order of spirit preference.
If you’re able to, take it to a body of water and dump it there (river, ocean, etc).
You may leave the salt and pennies in a container at a crossroads. If you do this you may also leave some fruit or coffee.
You can simply throw it away in the trash.
I hope you found this ritual helpful. Feel free to perform this during the new moon or shortly after. It’s honestly a good ritual to do anytime you want to lay a weapon on the altar but if felt like a solid idea for this lunation.
